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YEE HAW! YOU’RE BUSTING MY NUPTIALS LAUNCHED TODAY
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http://amzn.to/TsJaD5
SO EXCITED!! My second book, YOU’RE BUSTING MY NUPTIALS, is now available in e-book and paperback.
Of course I’d be grateful if you’d head over to Amazon and click the “like” button for both You’re Busting My Nuptials and Laid Out and Candle Lit.
And for those of you who buy the book/books, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
If you make a purchase, and like the book, I’d be honored for you to leave me a review. If you don’t like the book, don’t leave a review…LOL, just email me at [email protected] and let me know!!
After almost five years, widow and single mother, Tizzy Donovan finally met the man of her dreams in Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper. But when he fails to show up for their wedding, she’s determined to find out why.
Enlisting the help of first cousin Jinx Monroe, and best friends, Rayann Tatum and Synola Harper, it’s not long until they’re dealing with clowns, yard gnomes, a missing stripper, and a Baptist deacon.
Following a car chase and gun fight, head-strong Tizzy is more committed than ever to claim her happily ever after. All she needs is a séance with an old witch and little help from Positive Jesus.
Raven Wing Books
an imprint of Briona Glen Publishing LLC
PITCH PERFECT HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES WITH ME
Today, I treated myself to a movie. I went to see the new comedy, just released this week, Pitch Perfect.
The movie centers around college kids involved in a cappella competition.
Anna Kendrick (Twilight) is the main character. She’s moody with no friends and has a bad relationship with her dad. He’s a professor at the college she attends. She wants to go to California and become a deejay and he says he’ll back that dream as long as she joins some type of organization on campus and stays in school for one year. So, she joins the “Bellas” a cappella group.
The music is great. The competition performances are entertaining. The entire acting ensemble is cast perfectly. The two stand-out roles for me were the a cappella commentators, played by John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks. They are hysterical!
The movie is rated PG-13 for language, even though the “F” word is never used, there are some crude references and hand signs, so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under 13.
I laughed out loud many times. You will need to listen closely, because much of the humor consists of one-liners and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss them.
THE NEXT BIG THING
Most writers dream of becoming The Next Big Thing. Not me. I just wanted to become big enough to get a facelift and go on Oprah!
I’ve done radio, TV, newspaper, and blog interviews, but this is my first “hop” interview. I call it an interview, because I will be answering ten questions about my current book, You’re Busting My Nuptials, which is about to be released by Briona Glen Publishing under their Raven Wings Imprint.
As a reader, this will give you the opportunity to hop from one blog to the next and meet authors, some new, some seasoned, and their current works in progress. There’ll be something for everyone, so happy hopping
Before we get to the questions, I want to give a big Texas thank you to my friend, Christina Jean for tagging me to participate. Please check out her blog, http://www.christinajmichaels.blogspot.com/
Q and A
What is the working title of your book?
You’re Busting My Nuptials, is the second book in my Tizzy/Ridge Trilogy. Book 1 is Laid Out and Candle Lit and book 3 is in the early stages of development. I’m actually conducting a contest on my website to name book 3.
Where did the idea come from for this book?
When I began the series, I planned it to be a trilogy, so I needed to come up with three ideas. The first book would introduce Tizzy, a widow, single mother, and bakery employee who finds a dead body and becomes a suspect in the crime. Her love interest comes in the form of Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper. Laid Out and Candle Lit, covers their love story and of course solving the murder. In YBMN, the story starts out on their wedding day and Ridge doesn’t’ show up. Tizzy takes center stage in this book, solving the mystery of finding Ridge. The third and final installment of the trilogy will deal with their married life and how Tizzy wants to be a part of Ridge’s investigations.
What genre does your book fall under?
Oh, this is always the hard part. I write a light mystery, with some steamy sex, and wrap humor around all of it. If I could, I’d put my book in humor, but that category is generally for joke books, so I must decide between romance and mystery. Since I think my writing leans more toward romantic comedy, I consider it romance.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is an easy question, because I cast my characters before I write. By doing so, I get a clear picture of how they smile, speak, flirt, kiss, and everything else I have them do. So, here’s my list:
Tizzy/ Nina Dobrev. Nina has dark hair and eyes and the delicate features I want Tizzy to have.
Ridge/Garret Hedlund. Garret is not only good-looking, but he has a deep voice and looks damn good in a cowboy hat. (played Bo in Country Strong)
Saint/Tom Selleck. Saint if based on my real-life daddy, Saint. Although Tom Selleck doesn’t look anything like my daddy, he has his gentle nature and blue eyes.
Pattiecake/Mary Steenburgen. Sugarpie/Sela Ward.
Mary and Sela are southern girls, so they wouldn’t have trouble with the accent AND since they’re based on my sister and me, I wanted them to at least resemble us…dark hair, brown eyes.
Dan/Vince Vaughn. Dan (Sheriff McAlister) is based on my brother Dan and he’s a big guy…6’5”, Vince Vaugh was the obvious choice.
Bubba/Jim Parrack. Jim is a Texas boy and just looks like a Bubba.
Rayann/Kelly Stables. Kelly is tiny, just like Rayann. She can also pull off a Texas accent.
Jinx/Warren Christie. I love Warren Christie and think he is just so gorgeous I had to make him Jinx. He’s too pretty to be Ridge, but he’s perfect for Synola’s love interest.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Texas down home wit and wisdom abound as Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper tries to solve a murder and clear Tizzy Donovan as suspect number one.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My books are published by a small press, Briona Glen Publishing, LLC. I deal directly with them. I don’t have an agent.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
With YBMN, it took about six months. With the first book,LOACL, about two years. The way things are going now, the third book may take ten years!!
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Not sure I have a comparison of story. I’ve been told by readers my southern voice is much like Charlaine Harris. I’ve never read her work, but I know she’s from Louisiana, so the southern thing makes sense. However, we don’t write the same genre.
I’ve also been told my humor is similar to Janet Evanovich. Our books are very different. Hers takes place in NJ, mine in Texas. Her main character, Stephanie, is broke, clumsy, can’t shoot a gun, works as a bond enforcement agent, has a hamster, and can’t decide between two men. My character, Tizzy, has money, can shoot with the best of them, works at a bakery, has a child, and has no trouble deciding Ridge is the man for her. Plus, Janet closes the door on the bedroom, but I leave mine wide open! Again, humor similar, books different.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve answered this question many times and I know everyone is tired of the response, but here goes. I was keeping my grandchildren each day and rarely saw adults other than my husband, son, and daughter-in-law. I needed some type of adult interaction. You can only take so much Sponge Bob and coloring. Later, while visiting an uncle, I told a story of a trip to the cemetery and my uncle replied, “You should write a book.” The seed was planted, so I decided to try my hand at cultivating it. It’s been great brain exercise. I love trying to develop funny, quirky, characters and crazy situations and make the story fit together.
What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Humor has always been a big part of who I am. I learned early on, if you could make people laugh, you could make friends. My books will (hopefully) make you laugh out loud, or so I’ve been told. I know I laugh when I write them.
Well, that’s it for me. Again, thanks Christina! I was happy to hop with you. Now, I hope everyone reading will hippity- hop over to the writers I have listed below. Thanks to them for agreeing to hop with me!
Linda Rosen http://www.linda-rosen.com
Patty Wiseman http://www.pattywiseman.com
Cathy Dougherty http://www.catherinedougherty.com
Gay Ingram http://www.gayingram.blogspot.com
Similes-Metaphors-Golf Balls and Snow
Similes and Metaphors
I recently read a quote by Kira McFadden that said: “In some ways, working with similes and metaphors is similar to “ly” adverbs. Having a few is okay, but most of the time, the writer will strengthen his or her work by describing the scene rather than relying on a simile or metaphor to do the work.”
Well, Hooray! Since I have a terrible time using either of those, that’s good news to me!
I admire writers who do use them and use them well, but for the life of me, I can’t do it. Lord knows I try, but when I do, I just embarrass myself. I belong to a writing website where I post my works in progress and get it critiqued. My readers are quick to point out how bad I am at it.
Once, I wrote an opening scene where my main character is staring out at snow falling and I compared it to being the size of golf balls. I know, such a bad comparison. Here’s what a couple of my reviewers said.
1. Ann, Snowflakes aren’t really in the SHAPE of golf balls, are they? So the comparison sorta falls flat. FALLING FLAT is what I’m getting at, I think. How ‘bout: snowflakes the size of DVD’s or snowflakes the size of flapjacks or..you get the idea.
2. Seeing that snowflakes are flat and golf balls round, the comparison was lost on me. I’ll be a wise guy and try. Snowflakes the size of hub caps, or be romantic with, snowflakes shaped like glistening diamonds fell furiously against the window.
Now, I’m not sure their suggestions were any better than my lame attempt, but they did remind me just how bad I am at writing those.
I gave up and rewrote the opening to this: Maggie thought there was something peaceful about watching snow fall. Its flakes soft and delicate, silently frosting everything in its path, making the world like one big birthday cake.
Still not great, but better than snowflakes and golf balls!
If you have trouble knowing the difference between a metaphor and simile, check out my friend, James R. Callan’s blog, http://www.jamesrcallan.com/blog/ He wrote a good article about them on September 4, 2012.
Do you like to use lots of similes and metaphors in your writing? I’d love for you to send me some examples.
I’M BLOGGING TODAY @ ROMCONINC.COM
Hey, Everybody!
Today I’m guest blogging over at
http://romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&id=2429
So copy and paste that site and head on over to read a fun blog about Who Is Ann Everett?
AND, while you’re there, leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
Who knows…you may even want to take some of the tests I talk about to find out Who You Are?!?!?
Thanks!
~Ann
Let’s Talk About Characters
If you’ve been writing for a while, this will be old information. But, I think it’s worth repeating.
In each story, there should be a range of characters with different voices, traits, and personalities.
In YOU’RE BUSTING MY NUPTIALS,(due for release Sept. 1) I have three female friends with many scenes together, so each needed distinct differences, or they would all be just Texas-twang-talking girls.
They are all attractive. I have a hard time writing characters who aren’t. They are all the same age. Tizzy and Rayann are white. Synola is black.
In order to have a contrast between them, I wrote Synola as sassy, Rayann as a fraidy-cat, and Tizzy as the voice of reason.
For me, Synola is my favorite. I love her sassy mouth, especially when she talks to her semi-love interest, Jinx. Plus, with her I get to write a lot of Texas talk in her dialogue.
I admit I have trouble writing unlikable characters. I’d rather they be funny, silly, or a little dense. Of course, we shouldn’t be afraid to embrace characters with bad behavior or bad habits. Troubled people are more interesting than perfect individuals.
If you write thrillers, suspense, horror, or mysteries, it’s easier to make characters bad-to-the-bone and ugly. And, sometimes they will still be likeable. Think back on some movies you’ve seen.
Charles Bronson comes to mind. (Gee, that shows my age) He wasn’t good-looking and in many of his movies, he took the law into his own hands, yet fans couldn’t help but like him.
But in ROMANCE, readers want to fantasize about the main characters, so they need to be flawless. That’s the beauty of fiction. We can make our leading ladies beautiful, thin, rich and smart. Everything we’re not.
And of course, the men of romance will be handsome, sexy, buff, and just the most desirable men on the face of the earth.
Sigh.
Along the way, we need to give characters plenty of obstacles to overcome. Plus, we have to make them want whatever is beyond that roadblock—- and want it bad. They’ve got to be willing to risk everything to get it.
Unlike other genres, romance novels are predictable. We know how they will turn out, but it’s the journey along the way that keeps us hooked.
In the end, they must live happily-ever-after. We want the fairy tale ending we’ve read about since we were children. Funny how that never changes.
Do you write odd characters? I’d love to hear about them.
Ann Everett, Best Selling Author
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