Shellee Cruz

Just What I Needed

Posted on June 19, 2009 by shellee cruz

I shall begin with my favorite three-letter acronym – WTF? Where has June gone? Here it is the 19th of the month already and I’m just now getting started on my June “To Do” list.

It started out well enough: the first weekend, a writing friend and I escaped to a resort on the lake for an overnight write-a-thon, at which we both aimed for 5,000 words in the one night (she, of course, made it; I got a little more than half-way – damn Beergarita!); the following Tuesday, the fabulous Tracy Wolff and I presented a TED-worthy talk on “Writing vs. Storytelling” to the Austin RWA chapter and we had a blast.

Then it devolved from there: my two co-workers each left for a two-week vacation on the same day, leaving me to toil alone on our project and fend off upper-management; my hubby left for a four day (4 day!) all-guy trip to the beach from which he has just now recovered (you’re not 22 anymore, baby); and then his grandfather passed away, so we had to made a quick flight to the funeral and back in less than 24 hours (in which, one of our planes had to taxi back to the gate because the right engine was smoking, causing me a panic attack).

Through all this activity, I was, of course, doggedly turning out pages each time I could steal away, taking every chance to “stay in my story”, pushing toward that final goal of “The End” with every word…NOT! I got in about 25 words during the last 18 days. Stress and writing are not boon companions in my world.

But then there was Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, my hubby and I were leaving for the funeral. That morning, after I finished throwing my tons of toiletries into a bag (seriously, I have to bring the whole bathroom for one night??) I logged onto my email, deleted the various sales and penile enhancement ads, and almost missed the one that said “Congratulations!”.

I opened it up and this is what it said:

“Your manuscript, “Spanish Eyes” won First Place in our Spring into Romance Contest.

And there’s more.

The editor wants to see a full manuscript, with some revisions which she will work with you on doing. I have given her your email address so she can contact you directly.”

Now, to be honest, I had completely forgotten about this contest after my epic fail in the third contest I entered this spring, so this was huge! A real, live, breathing editor wanted to read my manuscript! To say I was excited would be like saying Ann Coulter dislikes liberals. I was stoked!!

Then yesterday I received a very lovely, enthusiastic email from said editor saying she loved my voice (Yay! I’ve got voice.), she thinks it’s a good fit for their line and she wrote several nifty paragraphs on ways I could strengthen the opening. Then she requested that I submit the story for consideration.

It. Was. Awesome.

I know this may not seem like much to some, but I think most unpublished writers are constantly seeking validation - for someone to read their writing and tell them they do not suck – or at least that they don’t suck as bad as others have sucked. And after this email, I really felt validated.

So, bite me, contest judge H09. I do not suck…at least as bad as others.

Filed under: General | Tagged: Austin RWA, Spring Into Romance Contest, Tracy Wolff | 1 Comment »

Confessions of a Contest Queen: An Interview with Jenna Stuart

Posted on May 27, 2009 by shellee cruz

After my recent ride on the contest feedback rollercoaster I decided to turn to a contest veteran for some guidance and a pep talk. Jenna Stuart writes ravishing Scottish Regencies and her manuscript, Highland Honor, is a 2009 Golden Heart Finalist.

Jenna, tell me about your writing.
I write historical romances–currently Scottish Regencies. I’ve been writing all my life,
but have actively pursued publication for the last 5 years.

Everytime I turn around one of your manuscripts has finaled in another contest! In how many contests have you finaled and were they all with the same manuscript?
I’ve finaled in 41 contests with three different manuscripts . . .or a dozen manuscripts, if you count rewrites, lol. I’ve had 14 wins; 8 with my current manuscript, which also landed me my agent. That same manuscript is a 2009 Golden Heart finalist.

What was your end goal for entering all these contests? Was it feedback or hoping to catch the eye of an agent or editor?
When I entered my first contest, I knew nothing about the industry. I guess I just wanted some all-knowing contest judge to tell me whether or not I was destined for a writing career. I lucked into the perfect judge, one who was helpful and motivating. . .and very, very patient with a newbie. She gave me the courage to enter contest number 2. From then on, I had a specific business goal in mind: to improve my craft and get in front of the right audience. In the beginning, I looked for final round judges from houses that seemed a match for my genre and voice. At some point I decided that targeting agents better fit my marketing plan.

Did you begin the query process before entering contests?
I entered contests for several years before I worked up the courage to query, and in the beginning I received several requests for work that really wasn’t ready. That was a tough but valuable lesson. Since then, I’ve used both contests and direct querying to market my work. And along the way I’ve met wonderful published authors who have become mentors and fellow contest competitors who have become friends.

So you’ve used contests as a networking tool as well. Absolutely. Romance writers are an amazingly supportive community of people.

As I’ve learned firsthand in recent weeks, feedback from contests is a crapshoot – what is your best advice for taking the comments you receive from a contest entry and discerning what to use and what to disregard?
I joke that I have a Jekyll and Hyde pattern with contest feedback – judges either love my work or they can’t stand it. But the feedback made me thick-skinned and that’s a good survival skill in this business. My advice with comments: read them and then step away. Comments can help hone your writing, but it’s easy to get caught up in revisions. And I’m on the 1000th version of my manuscript, so I know what I’m talking about on this one.

You make a great point—it is easy to get caught up in revising that 1st chapter over and over and not getting to the rest of the book. Should you enter contests before you have a complete manuscript?
Laughs. The correct answer is no, but I didn’t take my own advice. None of my manuscripts were complete when I first entered them in contests. I used the feedback I got from those contests to help guide me. Consider the advice you receive, but don’t get caught up in the first chapter, because it’s just one chapter. It’s a shame to write a wonderful first chapter and then lose the rest of the book.

Contests can get expensive! What’s your advice for maximizing your contest dollar and which contests did you feel gave you best return for your money?
I could probably buy my weight in Godiva Chocolate with what I’ve spent on contests. I entered different contests based on where I was in my writing career. My goal was to reach specific editors or agents. You also want to think about the feedback you are seeking. For example, contests like the Maggie, the Emily and the Heart of the Rockies give you one or more published author judges, so you know the experience level behind the critiques. Great Expectations reviews your query. Happily Ever After judges your last chapter. And if you feel daring and want to test out your opening hook, you can enter short entry contests like the 10 page Fabulous 5.

How many requests have you received from agents or editors from a contest entry?
I’ve had 6 requests from agents or editors who judged my manuscript in a contest.

You signed with an agent in January, did that happen through a request from a contest?
I did not get my agent through the contest route, but I do believe that if weren’t for the feedback and experience I got through contests, I would not have an agent today.

Lots of writers final in contests with manuscripts that never sell. In your opinion, what’s the difference between a manuscript that finals in contests and one that sells to an editor?
Want to ask me that when I sell? LOL. You know I’ve been doing this for awhile now, through many revisions of my story, and I thought about giving up several times. But I persevered and now I’m working with my dream agent. I believe you have to work on your craft and have some talent, but from there, perseverance is key.

Is there anything else you would like to say about contests or writing, in general?
One of my favorite contest stories is from a friend who said that her contest judge wrote, “You kept me reading and dinner was late” [Squee!! That’s my story --Shellee.] I thought that was really great! Every writer wants to hear that. It’s why we enter contests, revise, submit and keep going – we’re looking for those days when someone really connects with our work.

Filed under: General | Tagged: Golden Heart, Jenna Stuart | 6 Comments »

Synchronicity

Posted on May 22, 2009 by shellee cruz

I came across this terrific blogpost today about another writer’s decision to write romance that so closely mirrors my own it’s like she’s my doppelganger. I, too, considered myself a literary snob, my favorite book of all time (and remains so to this day) is Garcia Marquez’s classic Love In The Time of Cholera, and I deigned to read “romance” – until I realized that I really only enjoyed books that included a strong element of romance. And after surreptitiously purchasing my first romance novel my sophomore year in college and reading it under the covers, lest my roommate discover I was “slumming”, I have never looked back.

Anyway, enjoy the long weekend!

Filed under: General | Leave a Comment »

Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas

Posted on May 20, 2009 by shellee cruz

Insomnia, you strike again! Was it the 16oz iced white mocha or the shitty contest score sans published judge’s comments I received this evening? Either way, it’s 1:15 in the Ante Meridiem and I’m wide awake. Lucky for me, I have a brand spanking new historical romance to keep me company.

The inimitable, erudite and all-around badass Ms. Sherry Thomas’ third novel laid down today. Not Quite A Husband, the story of a lady doctor at the turn of the last century who gambled her heart on a gorgeous, unattainable man and lost, is well…frickin’ awesome. I’m about one third of the way through it and I have to say this story may turn out to be my favorite Sherry story yet.

It has all the elements I love: a reunion of former lovers (see plotline of my historical manuscript), an exotic locale (have I mentioned I’m tired of London??) and crisp, evocative writing (“Now his profile had become angular and precipitous, like the bleak heights that concealed the Kalash Valleys.”). And while I enjoyed Private Arrangements and Delicious, Not Quite A Husband is firing on all cylinders for me .

Sigh. It’s so unfair that the day I roll snake-eyes in a contest, I pick up this book and wonder how Sherry makes it look so easy (though I’m assured it wasn’t). For a taste of this delectable treat for the romantically inclined, check out Sherry’s hilarious book trailer below. Oh, and fair warning – Sherry and I share an appreciation for the precise usage of vulgar words to cover the full spectrum of word function, so if you don’t like to hear or read the F-bomb dropped like a guided missile into a underground bunker skip the trailer and the book. Your loss because it fuckin’ rocks!

Filed under: Book Reviews | Tagged: Not Quite A Husbad, Sherry Thomas | Leave a Comment »

Pick up the pace, people

Posted on May 11, 2009 by shellee cruz

One of my guilty pleasures in life is watching huge, over-the-top summer blockbusters. Give me Michael Bay explosions, feature a hot, sweaty six-packed hero and toss in a sexy, bronzed heroine and I’ll gladly fork over $10 to overlook clunky dialogue and poorly contrived romance sub-plots. But you better keep me glued to the seat without once thinking about getting up to pee. That’s the unwritten contract between me and you, Mr. Blockbuster Director.

Friday night, my hubby and I took in Star Trek. I’m not a Trekkie, but I love, love J.J. Abrams and the trailer looked cool, so I was optimistic this would be a kick-ass ride. I sat with my tub of coconut oil-slathered popcorn and a vat o’ Dr. Pepper (seriously, I could’ve swum laps in that “medium” cup), the lights dimmed and boom! – I was launched straight into 20 minutes of backstory. Sigh.

Yes, it was an action sequence; yes, there were explosions and hell breaking loose; and, yes, it did tie in to things to come, but most of it could have been worked into the film along the way without losing any of the character motivation it precipitated. Let’s get to the story already.

Okay, the movie gets to the present: Kirk’s a rebel without a cause and chip on his shoulder, Spock’s grappling with the emotions of his half-human self (Whoa, that’s Ben Cross playing Spock’s dad – love him from way back – HBO’s The Far Pavilions – yes, I’m that old for anyone who remembers), Bones, Uhura, Chekov, Zulu – the gang’s all here. We’re ready to rock n’ roll…

And we did – sort of. This was a rollercoaster ride, but not in the right way. Good, fast action scenes interspersed with slow, bumpy story scenes and scenes that were downright superfluous. Granted, Mr. Abrams is re-imagining an established franchise and there was a lot of history to explain, but you have about two minutes to grab me and then it better be non-stop in the dark, careening action for the next two hours. (See Casino Royale for an excellent example on how to accomplish this.)

After watching the movie I got out my pink highlighter to re-examine my manuscript yet again for sagging plot, ways to amp the conflict and anything else to keep an editor from saying, “Eh, I’d rather watch C-Span”. I think bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips says it best – “Keep the reader in the story.” If you give the reader one second to think of something else to do rather than turn the pages of your book to see what happens next, they will. And they may not pick it up again. So, I guess that means my recently written six-page flashback from the villian’s POV of him puffing on a cigar whilst staring at the stars ruminating about his rotten life has got to go…

Anyway, next up on my summer watchlist is Terminator: Salvation with yummy, yummy Christian Bale (Yes, I’m also a Balehead from way back – TNT’s Treasure Island, anyone? Circa 1990. Again, I’m old.). McG, you better deliver the goods because I’m old school on this saga and you better make my bladder work for this one.

Filed under: On Writing | Tagged: Ben Cross, Casino Royale, Star Trek, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Terminator: Salvation | 1 Comment »

Don’t Do Me Like That

Posted on May 6, 2009 by shellee cruz

I think I have WADD – Writing Attention Deficit Disorder. Like its more famous cousin, WADD is characterized by short attention spans, inability to focus, and constantly jumping to the next project without finishing the current one.

Now, like most writers I know, I have anywhere from two to eight stories percolating on the backburner at any given moment. Two of these are usually vying for contender as my next WIP, and the others are far, far off on the horizon.

I’m okay with this. I’m used to it. I make my notes on these incubating stories, dictate snatches of dialogue as they come to me, and then put them in their properly labeled space within my divided green accordion file of ideas. They are easily compartmentalized and do not interfere (much) with my current story.

However, my WADD is starting to progress, become more granular, to the scene level. Last night I sat entrenched at my local java spot writing a scene whilst scalding all the taste buds from my tongue with my usual non-fat decaf chai latte (I know, I live on the edge). Things were going well, progression was being made and for once I understood the scene goal and how it connected to the story goal. Yay, me!

Then I had to pee. Damn chai latte.

So, I pulled my earbuds and hurried to the restroom before I lost my flow (literally & figuratively). I was spacing out in the stall when this great dialogue sequence pops into my head – except, of course, it’s not related to the scene I’m composing at that moment. No, it’s for a scene I have yet to write and don’t plan to for a few weeks at least. But, I know better than to let words get away from me. So after I surgically scrubbed my hands (swine flu, ya know) I raced back to my laptop, opened a new doc and furiously typed the dialogue. I had to resist fleshing it out beyond a few notes, but come on – why can’t my mind just stick to the scene at hand? That’s usually tough enough to get done without worrying about the scene to come next. And then I had to refocus on the scene I was actually there to write.

Get with the program, brain. Finish what you started before you move on.

Am I too old for Ritalin?

Filed under: On Writing | 1 Comment »

Hungry Like The Wolf

Posted on May 5, 2009 by shellee cruz

So, I attended the Merritt conference in San Antonio over the weekend to accept 3rd place for my historical manuscript Spanish Eyes. It wasn’t what I’d hoped for, of course, but (and this is the surprising part for me) it made me more determined. Now, I want it more than ever.

Anywhooo…also at the conference was an editor from Kensington Publishing and a literary agent with the Prospect Agency who each spoke about the stories they’re currently looking for:

Peter Senftleben with Kensington said historicals and paranormals are the hottest sellers for his house. Regarding the former, Regency still reigns, but there are also some American West and Medievals (Yay! for the last two – I’m so tired of Regencies); for the latter, he says vampires are hot right now, but he feels they’ve peaked. Both romantic suspense and contemporary have cooled and Chick-Lit is a big NO at the moment.

Vivian Chum is a former attorney and new literary agent with the Prospect Agency. She currently works with six authors and is building her client list. In romance, she is looking specifically for historical, contemporary, paranormals and urban fantasy.

Filed under: General | Tagged: Kensington, Merritt, Prospect Agency, Vivian Chum | Leave a Comment »

Everyday I Write The Book

Posted on May 1, 2009 by shellee cruz

Came across this from author Jeffrey Somers and it cracked me up:

For me it’s a bottle of Herradura, but whatever works for you, Jeff.

Filed under: On Writing | Tagged: Jeffrey Somers | 1 Comment »

Julia London’s Highland Scandal

Posted on April 24, 2009 by shellee cruz

I picked up Julia London’s hot off the press release, Highland Scandal, the second in her Scandal series. It’s the story of Jack Haines, an Earl on the lam in Scotland who finds himself handfasted to Lizzie, a feisty laird’s daughter. Neither are happy about the arrangement. Needless to say, hilarity and sizzling sexual tension ensue.

I’ve always been intrigued with the whole handfasting tradition. It’s sort of a “try before you buy” marriage that lasts for a year and a day, and at the end the participants can say “it’s been fun, but gotta run” or “till death do us part”. It’s like shacking up with an ironclad one year lease and you’ve either got to renew or get your own place. And there’s none of the lingering, torturous death of the relationship that happens after the inital 3 to 6 month sex fest is over and you’re picking up his holey tighty-whiteys off the bathroom floor day after day but you’re too lazy or broke to put down utility deposits somewhere else. But I digress…

If you’re a fan of lyrical, evocative writing in historical romances, Julia’s your lady, and she’s especially at her best with stories set in the Scottish highlands (my favorite is Highlander in Love).

Congrats, Julia – wishing you NYT vibes on this one.

Filed under: Book Reviews | Tagged: handfasting, Highland Scandal, Julia London | Leave a Comment »

Never Surrender

Posted on April 18, 2009 by shellee cruz

Whilst deep in the midst of writing the book that NEVER FREAKIN’ ENDS there were two spots of inspiration this past week to help me over the humps.

First, Spanish romance novelist Corin Tellado passed away last Saturday at the age of 81. In her lifetime she published over 4,000 books and sold over 400 million copies!!! If I started now and lived to the same age I would have to write 2 books a week (and get them all published) to achieve the same feat. And writing to the end, she turned in her final story three days before she died. Oh, to have such a career…

Second, of course, is Susan Boyle. When the dowdy, 47 year old Scottish spinster took the stage last weekend on Britain’s Got Talent before a skeptical and sniggering live audience and hit it out of the park with her beautiful, heartfelt rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserable, I cried. How can anyone watch that performance and not be moved? To see someone whom everyone dismissed because of her outward appearance courageously dare to grasp for her dream and bowl them over…I tear up every time I see it. Ms. Boyle, here’s a cyber toast to believing in yourself when nobody else did. You are an inspiration.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Corin Tellado, Susan Boyle | Leave a Comment »