So, what's this lens about? Me. Chocolate. My books. Chocolate. Writing. Chocolate. Laughter. Chocolate. Reading. Chocolate. Did I mention chocolate yet?
Grab some chocolate (bet that was a surprise!), some caffiend and come on in and check things out.
My Upcoming Release
*Christmas Grace* in By Grace Publishing's *Christmas Grace* Duet
Former Southern Belle, Hannah Kelsey, now orphaned by the War Between the States, awaits patiently for news of her lone, surviving brother. A life that has been anything but easy is made more complicated by the Yankee soldier she finds lying in front of her cabin a few days before the Christmas of 1864.
The holiday season is a time for miracles as Hannah must hide wounded Union Captain Jeff Steffend, and protect her lonely heart from the kindness of the stranger. This war-weary couple need a bit of Christmas Grace to nudge them into each others arms.
Coming December 15, 2006 from By Grace Publishing (http://bygracepublishing.com)
The holiday season is a time for miracles as Hannah must hide wounded Union Captain Jeff Steffend, and protect her lonely heart from the kindness of the stranger. This war-weary couple need a bit of Christmas Grace to nudge them into each others arms.
Coming December 15, 2006 from By Grace Publishing (http://bygracepublishing.com)
Writing Tips
Things I've learned along the way.
I hope you find these helpful. These lessons are ones I've learned for myself on my Neverending Quest To Improve My Writing.
- Showing vs Telling. Active voice shows the reader. Passive voice tells the reader. To truly engage your readers, the Show/Active pairing is best.
- Character growth. I like to show that my characters have learned and grown on their journey to their Happily Ever After. I like to think this brings my characters to life.
- Identify and define/clarify your characters' Goals, Motivations and Conflicts (GMC), and use this as you're crafting your story to bring realism and believability to your work, and makes the characters come to life. This helps make the characters as real for the reader as they are to the writer.
- The hero and heroine should be people the reader can fall in love with, identify with, and root for.
- Word choice is as important as developing the characters. Strong, active, vivid verbs bring the story to life and convey the story better than weak, passive verbs. You're less liable to rely on adverbs to modify your verbs if you chose strong, active and vivid ones. Make sure you're saying what you *think* you're saying.
- Critique partners are, in my experience, one of the most essential tools an author can have. Find a good cp, form a good, solid, friendly relationship. I can't imagine writing without my cps.
- "You can never have too much emotion."
- Your voice is unique to you. It's how you phrase things, it's how your personality leaves it's mark on what you write. Don't get hung up on the notion that the mechanics of writing are your voice. Don't forget... writing is an "art thing" as much as it is also a "technical thing."
Top 10 Reasons to Read Romance
Why you should read romance novels. Have chocolate handy
This is a list of my Top 10 reasons for reading romance novels.
- The Happily Ever After
- Charming and dashing heroes
- Resourceful and spunky heroines
- Who doesn't enjoy a good love story?
- To escape the cares of the everyday world.
- To lose myself in another world.
- There's enough crime and sorrow on the TV these days.
- An affirmation to the power of love and relationships.
- Is great fun to read.
- Because it affirms there is hope for the human race: as long as love blossoms, we'll survive.
Publisher's Links
Yes, I'm telling you where to go and how to get there. Take chocolate.
Like to read? Pick a link! Any link!
- Moonlit Romance
- One of my publishers: publishes e-books and print on demand.
- By Grace Publishing
- One of my publishers: publishes e-books and print on demand.
- Moonlit Romance Blog
- The Moonlit Romance Authors' Blog. This will be replaced in January 2007 with the Unique Enterprises Authors' Blog. (Unique Enterprises is the parent company of both Moonlit and By Grace).
- Moonlit Romance Readers' Loop
- This is a yahoo group, you must join in order to read the content. Joining is easy, but there is no spamming allowed. It's a place for Moonlit Romance authors and readers to get together and discuss Moonlit's novels.
- By Grace Publishing Readers' Loop
- This is also a yahoo group that you must join in order to read the content. Joining is easy, but there is no spamming allowed. It's a place for By Grace Publishing's authors and readers to get together and discuss By Grace's novels.
Where to Find Laura Online
Laura's Links
Come visit me in these other places. Don't forget to bring the chocolate!
- Laura Hamby-- Musings of a Chocoholic Romance Novelist
- This is my Blog. It's very pink. I'm not sure there are actually people out there who really read other people's blogs, but I didn't want to be left out of the Blog Revolution. Leave a "hello" comment, just to reassure me I'm not talking to myself.
- Musing's of a Chocoholic Romance Novelist-- Interactive Newsletter
- This is a yahoo group. You must be a member to read this link. I run monthly contests on my interactive newsletter, for "members only." The prize is one of my e-novels.
- Laura's Spotlight Website
- I spotlight my titles on this site with special tidbits and extras.
- Read and Write...
- This is a Wet Paint website. Wet Paint websites allow other folks to add things to the site. I currently have this set up so that only people I've invited can add on. It's just getting started, but I hope to have an active site on my hands in the near future.
Today's Word of the Day
Because knowledge is power... and everyone should really know what all those big words mean.
Words, words, words! The smallest building block in an author's arsenal.
- euphonious: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
- euphonious: pleasing or sweet in sound.
The Daily Onion
'Nuff Said.
Describe The Onion? Is that possible?
- Historical Archives: Facial Corsets For Ladies, Finally
- Woman, look again as twelve years of age! At last, FACIAL CORSETS for LADIES make slender and comely...
