Scary Amounts of Editing

I've mentioned from time to time how much I adore my beta reader and editor, Elizabeth L. Brooks, right?

I've been told by a few editors (NOT Liz) that I have very clean copy, they only needed to make minor changes, nothing to worry about.

The above screen capture is part of the reason why.

I have a new word for Liz's edits; she's not bleeding all over my manuscript, she's blue-bricking up my margins.

Look at this, my god! Every. Freaking. Page... it's a wonder I had any sanity left after I finished working with this manuscript...


As a note, you should have seen me a few weeks back, sobbing over edits for A Marked Man. It's not that my editor was harsh or anything, she's not... Elizabeth Lance is a godsend! but simply that there were so many changes that needed to be made.

Joke: How many dialogue tag mistakes can one writer make?
Answer: Apparently, all of them!

I was talking to a fan of the Rainbow Connection series who read Blues early for review... (it's already got one 4.5 star, so check it out!) and she says, coyly, "Well, you've already written Classic, right?"

I knew where this was going. "Yeah."

"Can I read it?"

"No! Jesus, no."

"Why not?"

The primary reason is that Classic is still in 2nd drafts. I have to fix / review / look at all the various stuff my beta readers pointed out, and THEN it will go off to Liz for content edits... after that, it goes through 2 rounds of proofing... at least one of those rounds of proof-reading has to happen before I'm not utterly ashamed to have anyone reading my work.

I love my editors. I really, really do. And you should, too...

Blues Release

Buy Links 

Amazon Kindle

Paperback

Torquere Press

Barnes and Noble

All Romance

Don't forget that all Torquere Books are 15% off until Jan 30 with code "winter2015"

Roll is currently 20% off at Torquere books (can combo with code)

So, Blues is out...

Honestly, I feel like this has been a long time coming, even though it was only last year that Roll was published.

It's also sometimes a bit hard to believe that what was supposed to be a 10 page short story ended up being a trilogy of novels and I appreciate every single person who's been with me on this journey to help a couple of troubled young men grow into adults and discover the people they really are.

Classic is currently in second drafts and will be available to round out the trilogy in September of this year, so you only have to wait 9 months...

In the meanwhile, I'm working on a couple of side short-stories; the first one, Crank It Up, takes place near the end of Blues, and if you want to read it, just drop me a note here, or in my email box (lynntownsend (dot) writer (at) gmail (dot) com) and I'll give you the link.

I should be here and there, promoting this week, and I'll keep you posted and links updated as they go live.

Happy reading!

Blues on Tour

It's one of my favorite things; the blog hop.

Sometimes it's just a post of my promo material, sometimes it's an indepth interview, sometimes it's talking to my characters... I get the attention of new readers, bring people in to see my worlds, and get to interact with fellow authors and bloggers.

Tour Dates

These dates subject to change or be added in as I get my shit together

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S31I3NE/
Torquere Press: http://tinyurl.com/RCBlues
Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/BNBlues
(more as they pop up)

- January 29th - Posting on Torquere's blog, Romance for the Rest of Us - The Evils of Reality

- January 30th - Spoilers and Headspace (contains no actual spoilers!) on Delilah Devlin's Blog
Also, my release party on Facebook

- February 1st - on Lindsay Avalon's blog - General Promo and excerpt

- February 2nd - on my blog, Delilah Night from Coming Together: Among the Stars

- February 2nd - On Addiction and Relationships - Victoria Blisse's Blog

I will also be appearing on Janine Ashbless's blog with a Blue Monday excerpt from London Steam

- February 3rd - on Eclectic Me's - general blurb and excerpt

- February 4th - Lily Mac's Blog - general blurb and excerpt

- February 7th - Malin James' Blog - Soundtrack of Blues

- Febrary 8th - V.L. Locey's blog - exclusive NSFW, reach for the ice water excerpt

Smut Luton March 7th, 2015

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Howling Bitch Cover

So, this happened this week....

I'll post the blurb as soon as I finish writing it.

Introducing Elliot DeLocke

I still have a few more of the Coming Together writers around... sorry this one's late but I was out of town all weekend at a convention and I didn't get his interview stuff until Saturday, when I was already there... the hotel's wireless was erratic (put 3,000 geeks in the same building and we're all trying to run our devices... not so good...) enough that I didn't bother trying to post it.

So, before I let Elliot take it away, let me tell you a bit about my first interaction with him...

I'm still a relatively fresh editor; this is the first time I've completely run an editing process from concept to final product (any errors remaining in the printed version are mine!) and I'm getting submissions in... I'm trying to be all professional and stuff, but you all know me by now, it ain't working. I glance at Sense-Think-Act and read the cover letter attached. Elliot DeLocke. Hmmm. 

When I write back to inform him that I've gotten his submission, I say this:

(oh, please tell me your pen name / legal name is a play on words for Elliot Ness, because that's just awesome.)

Which turns out to be the case... so, I'm already in love with this writer and I haven't even read the story yet... (I have a stuffed Loch Ness Monster whose name is "Elliot") I was really, really hoping his story would be wonderful, because his name is wonderful... and I think you'll agree that Think-Sense-Act is just a lovely little piece of smut... so, without further running of my mouth, let me turn this over to Elliot.

What are your greatest challenges in your writing career?


One of my writing goals is to publish a collection of short stories. I've written quite a few short pieces, but not really enough to fill out a whole collection. And my stories tend to be in a variety of genres and styles, so I'm not sure how thematically cohesive or interesting a collection would be with what I've got.

My greatest challenge, then, is to find a consistent voice in my writing and apply it across enough written short pieces to fill out a collection. I still feel like I'm finding my distinct voice, and working towards finding the style and themes that are interesting enough for me to want to stick with them across multiple stories.

contains my post-apocalyptic short “Valentine’s Day”

What's the worst thing that ever happened to you that you've incorporated into a story?

I've spent many years in difficult, painful and very unsatisfying relationships, and elements of this tend to creep into my writing (sometimes even when I'd prefer they didn't). In erotica, the most important character interactions are sexual. Having experience with damaged or dysfunctional relationships - full of misunderstandings, bad intentions, secrets and lies - can show you how those issues influence physical/sexual interactions, is actually great fodder for a smut writer who wants something resonant and plausble. Cliché it may be, but sometimes suffering really does lead to better art.

How much of your life and the people you know end up in your work?

A fair bit. I tend to write from ideas or scenes - I get a picture in my head, and work the story and characters backwards from there.  Some of the scenes come directly from my life, and as such, tend to be populated by characters that are amalgamations of friends or acquaintances. Even when I'm writing fantasy or sci-fi, I usually base characters from how people I know might act in that situation. My day job takes me to some interesting places and lets me meet a variety of people, so that gives  me quite a bit of fodder.

What's your writing routine?

At the moment, mine would be the "all over the place" routine. My life is fairly hectic with family, work and extra-curricular obligations, so I write whenever I can: during my lunch break at work, in the evening (if it's free), on weekends. It's not the most productive routine, but I'm still getting stuff done.

The routine that has worked best for me in the past is to write first thing in the morning, every morning. I woke up, rolled out of bed and got straight into it,  before coffee, breakfast or a shower. Sometimes I'd oversleep and only get about fifteen minutes done, but that was still fifteen minutes more than the day before.

The best thing about doing it first thing in the morning is that I felt like I'd already achieved something creative that day. There was no nagging sense of "when will I find time to write today?" and I could have the evenings to relax instead of feeling obligated to write. When life settles down again, I'll be aiming to get back into this routine.

What writers or novels do you consider “must reads”?

I think it's essential to read something completely different every now and then - a different genre, a new writer, something in some medium or style that's nothing like what you are usually into. Making the effort to read outside of your preferred tastes, to experience something that's new or different, is a great way to get new ideas and learn new writing tricks. So I'd consider a "must read" to be anything that you might not normally put on your "must read" list - try a different genre, some literary fiction, some YA, a comic or gamebook.

The next out-of-the-box novel on my list is "Angela's Ashes". I prefer genre fiction - sci-fi, fantasy, noir and the erotica equivalents - so a door-stopper memoir about growing up poor and Irish is about as far out of my wheelhouse as I could imagine. But enough well-read people have recommended it to me that I'm really looking forward to it.

Rue Volley's Hellhound

Help us celebrate the cover reveal for the new FANTASY covers of the Hellhound series!

Hellhound first hit the publishing world in October of 2013. Book one sat on the bestsellers list for over 11 months as three other books followed in the series. Fans drove each book onto the best sellers list as they devoured the story line and became addicted to the Hellhounds.

The story begins with our protagonist, Halo Bay, in a struggle for her life. She has always had bad luck with men, but the violence spills over as she defends herself from her abusive boyfriend of five years. She is forced to kill him in self-defense, but before she is able to incapacitate him he stabs her in the side. With her adrenaline rush fading, she falls to the floor and starts to lose consciousness. In these final moments she asks for forgiveness, even though she was the one who was attacked. This need to be absolved of her sin will change her life forever.
She wakes up in a strange place, darkness and whispers surrounding her. Then the memories flood back, engulfing her senses and bringing her to her knees. She had murdered him…the weight of it all takes her breath away but just as she feels completely overwhelmed a hand reaches out from the darkness and pulls her into the light. It is Gunner, a Roman, a warrior…the first Hellhound.

Halo is given two choices. She can either sew her eyes and mouth shut and wander around purgatory forever or follow Gunner to hell and train to defend humanity against the demons who rise.

Which will she choose?

In august of 2014 Hellhound went into production for film. Directed by award winning director, Antonio Pantoja, this short film depicts the end of Halo’s mortal life and the beginning of her immortal one. The film is now being screened by the Sundance committee and multiple other film festivals here in the US. You can check out the short movie trailer on youtube here http://youtu.be/C7T9e6eXgtE  You can also check the movie out on IMDb.

The full length film is being planned out now with the hopes of going into production in the Spring of 2016.
Director: Antonio Pantoja
Based of the best novels by Rue Volley
Screenplay: Rue Volley
Executive Producer: SJ Davis
Associate Producer: Wade Hawk
SFX: Jackae Johnson
Music: Bishop
Lovebites Production Company©2014

Hellhound Series 

Grab each book for ONLY 99¢ a piece
Book 1-> smarturl.it/hellone
Book 2-> smarturl.it/helltwo
Book 3-> smarturl.it/hellthree
Book 4-> smarturl.it/hellfour
watch the official movie trailer here
Listen to book #1 on audio smarturl.it/hh1audio

You can check Rue out at any of the following links

Website: http://www.ruevolley.com/
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rue-Volley/146299465525490
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RueVolley
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ruevolley/
TSU: https://www.tsu.co/ruevolley
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7043310/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Volley/e/B0089E2JP8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Rue Volley resides on earth with her husband, Von Erik, and their two pug sons, Momo and Oshi. She is an award winning author, graphic artist, and screenwriter. She is also the Creative/Marketing Director for Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing, and co-owner of Lovebites Production Company (which specializes in Dark Fantasy Films).

Giveaway!!!!

Hop on over to the movie page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hellhoundthemovie and enter to possibly win one of four amazon gift cards. The giveaway post is pinned at the top of the movie page with easy instructions to enter. The giveaway will run until Sunday, 1/18/15 at which time random.org will pick 4 lucky winners. Enter today!

Elizabeth L. Brooks (again!)

Happily, I still have some more writers for you to meet from my Coming Together: Among the Stars anthology... today, Elizabeth L. Brooks is back to talk about her latest work and to remind us all of how very freaking old I am... because what are best friends for?

Hello, Lynn's readers!

I have known Lynn for a long time. A really long time.

No, longer than that.

(a note from your writer: A Long Time, No, really... I don't always remember to tag her when she's on the blog, but she shows up more than anyone else, except maybe me... maybe.)

Lynn and I have been friends through college and boyfriends and girlfriends and breakups and post-college poverty. Through moves and marriages and pregnancies and children. Through one bad accident and several terrifying hospitalizations and more diets than I can shake a stick at and one divorce that wasn't as bad as it could have been but still wasn't anything like easy. We've been each other's beta readers and co-authors and editors and will always be each other's biggest fans.

Once, when we were hanging out with a bunch of friends, she happened to mention that we'd known each other for over ten years. I nearly did a spittake -- it couldn't have been that long, could it? -- and then added it all up, and sure enough: over ten years. Holy crap. That made me feel kind of old.
The near-spittake reaction was kind of funny, though, so after that, once a year or so Lynn would casually drop into a conversation how long we've known each other, and I would gasp and flail about how it couldn't possibly have been that long and oh god how old we were getting. (Mostly how old I was getting, because when I look at Lynn, I still see the same girl I roomed with in college.)

A few years back, it occurred to me that Lynn and I have been friends for literally more than half my life. And once I got over that shock, the actual number of years stopped surprising and horrifying me. (It's closing in on 25 years now, if you're curious.) I still act shocked sometimes when Lynn brings it up, though, because there's something comforting about having an in-joke that is literally decades old.
I understand about the bonds of a long-standing relationship, is what I'm saying.

In (Why Don't You) Come Between Us, my most recent story from Hot Ink Press, Treyvon thinks he understands those bonds. He's part of a threesome with Mike and Joey, but Mike and Joey were together for a long time before they invited Treyvon into the mix. The two of them have history, and Treyvon doesn't want to intrude on that. But what Joey and Mike need him to understand is that he can't come between them the way he fears, and that they need him as much as they need each other.


Buy Link Amazon

New Year's Intentions

I love the idea of New Year's Resolutions, but like most people, I kinda hate the practice.

I love blank books, blank calendars, blank paper. All that potential...

And I have lousy follow through, sometimes.

My husband, the Project Manager, likes to talk about Target Dates versus Deadlines. Targets can be moved, deadlines are missed.

I've learned a lot from him; when people ask me about how productive I am (or talk about how intimidating my productivity is, which continues to boggle me, because I don't see the same thing you see. I see my messy desk and my days of fuckit, I'm going to play Star Wars ALL DAY LONG) I really have him to thank for that...

He's taught me how to manage projects, and in truth, that's all a novel really is. A project. It has stages and goals and completion and projected output. And like all projects, it can get lost in the weeds, have unexpected delays, and consequences.

First of all, I generally know how much writing output I'm capable of. For me, that was a first critical step was determining what my regular outcome was (always build in time for "I hate this project" screw arounds, because I will hate the project, I will take time to just fuck it, I will get overly involved in reading someone else's books... and if I don't account for that, I'll just feel guilty about it. And guilt, for me, is a pretty sucky emotion. It's both useless and has a bad tendency to backfire. If guilt made me work harder, I'd be all for it, but it doesn't. When I feel bad/guilty/pathetic, I tend to hide from what's making me feel bad, rather than deal with it. Unproductive, but true.)

From there, I decide how long the project is going to be; novel length, novella, short story... (yes, I have bloat. Targets can be moved... )

And then I track backward from the expected due date  - some of which are set by publisher requirements and some are set from my head - at so many words per day, so much time to screw around, when do I have to start?

Final step is just a matter of doing what I say I'm going to do. Which can be difficult. And again, targets can be moved!!

So, this year...

Among other various "I really need to Do The Thing this year Better than Last Year," I'd like to read:

• at least 2 books per month for review
• one book per month that's been recommended to me as a "You really must read this" 
• only re-read one book per month. 

(at this time, this is not really a plea to have books recommended to me. I have a list already...)

I'd also like to remember to update my Music Page daily with a new song st least three times a week.

I want to stop forgetting to clean my house regularly. I'm tired of panic-cleaning whenever guests are expected. (and yes, I know, I have friends who are totally rolling their eyes because my house is actually much cleaner, even now, than it's ever been, but the thing about improving is that I want to get BETTER at things...)

I want to learn a new skill; last year I attempted and failed to learn to crochet. (I'd say failed miserably, but I wasn't really miserable. I enjoyed trying to learn, and was more amused by my failure and a little exasperated, than anything else) This year, I'd like to attempt to learn to play a musical instrument. I always wanted to when I was a kid, I love music, and while my voice is a NATO sanctioned Weapon of Mass Destruction, maybe playing wouldn't be so terrible?

And the Writer Goals for this year:

I have 3 novels to write:

• Sins of Angels
• All that Jazz
• Project to Be Determined Later)

three novellas to outline/write

The Terran Academy series

• Economics 101: The True Cost of Running an Empire
• Computer Science 201: How to Hack your Final Exam
• Journalism 301: Objective Reporting in the Middle of a Battlefield

four short stories that I want to work on.

• How 'bout them Apples?
• Next Thursday Night
• Cascade Failure
• A Funny Story For Someone Else.