Dianne Emley | Ten Commandments of Fiction Writing

Thank you, Fresh Fiction for inviting me to blog today! I’m Dianne Emley, author of the L.A. Times bestselling Detective Nan Vining “thrillogy”: THE FIRST CUT, CUT TO THE QUICK, and, just out, THE DEEPEST CUT. These three are a thrillogy because they have an overarching storyline in which Nan Vining obsessively pursues the man who attacked her and left her for dead, the creep who Vining and her teenage daughter call T.B. Mann—The Bad Man. The Nan Vining series continues! I’m working on the fourth which will be out in 2010.

I’ve learned a lot about the art and business of writing since the first book hit the shelves. I’ve become not just smarter, but wiser. I’ve developed a few rules that I strive to follow when I’m writing and editing a book and some that govern my behavior when the book is out. I’d like to share these with you. Herewith:

Dianne Emley’s Ten Commandments of Fiction Writing

1. I shall heed good editorial advice, shun bad advice, and learn how to tell the difference.

Click to read the rest of Dianne's Commandments!

Jessica Inclan | A Window Seat of Light

When I was in college, I found myself sitting in the grove of trees by the classroom building with a friend.  We'd just left our class on Ibsen, Strindberg, and Mann, and we weren't very happy.  How could we have been?  In Ibsen's Ghosts, Oswald was just crying out for "the sun," and so were we.  The sun hadn't been out for a month, the dank Tulle fog all around us like, well, dank Tulle fog.

It was there that my friend proceeded to tell me a story that almost made me jump out of my skin.  She must have needed to tell me, letting me into the dark side of her life, a life that maybe had only a window seat of light in it.  I was 22-years-old and hadn't heard much at that point, sheltered in mostly good ways.  In later years, I tried to write about my reaction to her story in poetry, essay, and short story, until the writer Grace Paley told me that I wasn't able to write about it because it wasn't my story.

Buy INTIMATE BEINGS

"It's hers to tell," she said, so I never tried again.

And the fact is, by the time Grace told me that ten years after my friend told it to me, the story didn't seem as bizarre and horrible and sick as it had in 1984 in the winter fog and chill.  Maybe I had taken in her story and Ibsen's and Strindberg's and Mann's, sort of a Death in Turlock kind of thing, and made it this big black ball of a story that seemed to haunt me.  It was a group literary haunting, with her story in the lead.

But yesterday, I realized that people can tell me anything, and I pretty much accept it all.  In the course of reading 15 student essays during conferences, I learned about dead mothers and siblings and alcoholic fathers and disturbed sisters.  I learned about lost blue cars and anorexia nervosa, and pretty much what I did when I heard these facts was nod and say, "Great detail."

Wait!!! Jessica's not done read the rest...

Lisa Dale | Real love, real characters, real drama

Hello! Lisa Dale and my first book, Simple Wishes, debuted early this year. I’d love to give away a copy of the book today. Keep reading and let me know if you’re interested!

I don’t know about you, but I tend to be the kind of person who’s fascinated by nearly everything. I’ve always got my nose in a book, and when I go to the dentist, I drive the hygienist crazy with all my questions about what machine does what.

That’s probably why my first novel lumps some seemingly unrelated elements together into one story: bluegrass, woodworking, sex education, Korean historical soap opera, happily-ever-after…it’s all there.

Hooked? Read the rest and comment to be eligible for a FREE signed copy of SIMPLE WISHES

Stephanie Bond | Staying Safe

I took a self-defense course several years ago as part of the coursework to become a private investigator in the state of Georgia (all for research). In the class, one of the messages aimed at women was not to give in to the fear of looking foolish if you avoid (or confront) someone who makes you nervous. The instructor said that women are so afraid of offending others that they will put their own lives in danger. Criminals know this and will prey on women’s instincts to “be nice” to people, even strangers who might look threatening. But the instructor reminded women in the class that any man with good intentions who has a mother, sister, or daughter, will understand if a woman is spooked by his proximity.

Do you know what most women do when confronted with an intruder in their home? Not scream, not run for the nearest exit. Most women will ask, “How did you get in here?”

As if it matters.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into the female psyche, that even when confronted with danger, we’re trying to assimilate how it happened versus reacting to it. Have you ever thought about what you would do if confronted with danger in your home? In your parking lot? On the sidewalk? Studies show that if a person rehearses in their mind how they will respond to a dangerous situation or an emergency, their brain is likely to call upon that behavior if the situation actually occurs.

Curious to know about what you can do to be safe? Read the rest here...

Sharon Page | Where Did You Get Your Love of Reading?

Whew! I’m hoping I managed to have my post in on time. We’ve had a few heath issues here, including little kids at home with the flu, and I’m on a tight schedule for revisions. Needless to say, things have been hectic.

Buy THE CLUB Today

First, I have some exciting news to pass along. THE CLUB made the USA Today bestseller list last week, which has made me a bestselling author for the first time. So I’d like to shout out a thank you to readers who have bought the book and to booksellers who have been so enthusiastic about the story—and who have introduced me to readers!

I have a question for all you readers out there. Where did you get your love of reading?

Curious? Want to read the rest and then comment to win one of Sharon's backlist? CLICK HERE...

Sharon Page

Sandi Shilhanek | A Good Yarn

I am fortunate enough to be a reviewer, and have the opportunity to read some of my favorite author’s work early. This weekend I’m indulging myself with Summer On Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.

As I read I find myself wishing that I knew a place like A Good Yarn, and a person like Lydia Goetz. To me that is the sign of a good writer…one who puts their reader right into the story.

This got me to thinking, is there a book or character who has struck a personal chord with you, and you find yourself wondering what you would do if you were a part of the book or a particular character?

So while I’d love to be a part of the community who shares their lives at A Good Yarn, I’m not sure I’d be successful at the knitting aspect of it. Which book do you see yourself as part of? Is there a certain character you’d like to be?

Until next week happy page turning to all.