What is romance and is it important?

Romance matters, because everyone deserves to feel special. Romance is like foreplay. It gets you in the mood for love. And love is what makes the world go round.  Romance can mean different things to different people, but I believe it’s the little things that count. It isn't about showering your loved one with expensive gifts, hell no. It’s about showing them that you care, appreciate, and have time for them. When someone does something, just for you, your heart beats a little faster, your smile is a bit wider, and you feel warm all over. Go on admit it!

   Romance matters, because in our busy world filled with technology, where everything happens at hyper-speed, it’s easy to say we don’t have the time. It’s easy to feel we’re invisible and don’t exist. But, we need a reality check. We are human and we should not be living to work, but working to live. We need human connection and touch, without it, we are alone. Alone, to face all that life throws at us good and bad. I know when I’m celebrating, whether it’s because I’ve won on the lotto or finished a piece of work that I’m proud of, I want to share that with my partner, because without him, that victory would feel empty.Romance, isn’t simply a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates, it’s about being there for each other.

    

 Romance is thinking about your significant other, when you are supposed to be thinking about something else.

Nicholas Sparks

   Throughout history and in times of war, poverty and injustice, it’s only when we come together, that we can survive and rebuild. When terrifying events take place, having the connection of our loved one, helps us to cope. In times of tragedy, it’s the strength we gain from our relationships that helps us to survive and keeps us moving forward.  There is no replacement for a pair of strong arms to hold you up when you feel like falling apart, or the intimate tingle from a simple kiss. Romance stories generate the highest number of books sold in America, and billions of people read romance stories every day, proving that people love romance. We need romance, because when everything looks grey outside, it adds sunshine to our lives and when writing romance, I love all the possibilities.   

If a man lets all of my dogs sleep in the bed with us, then that is the most romantic thing. You must love my dogs in order to love me. A man who is nice to my animals and doesn't shoo them away - well, that's the height of romance.

Salma Hayek

 

Writing, re-writing and dreams of the future.

 Picture is of Katia Winter, an actress currently starring in Sleepy hollow, and my muse for Ella.

Ella Masters a five hundred-year-old soul-shifter, is wanted by the FBI for murder, and hunted by the sadistic group called, The Order. Terrified, and running for her life, the last thing she needs is to get involved with another man, as most end up betraying her, but her body is craving for her soul-mate, if she doesn't find him, and soon, this time she will die for real!

Sneek peek from the first chapter of Capturing the Last Welsh Witch. An adult paranormal romance.

Ella blinked awake, and shivered as a blast of frigid air hit her, in the distance, was the sound of trickling water. Neither sensation was expected, nor normal, that much she knew. Icy-fear snaked its way into her mind as she jerked her chin off the mushy grass and peered at the world from the ground. She was lying semi-prone on the cold, damp earth with grass stuck to her lips. The day usually began in a warm bed, and Aidan was there. Instead frosty kisses from the early-morning breeze touched her, mostly naked body, and she shivered. She lifted a shaky hand to her head, and groaned as an image of a hysterical and angry Aidan, flashed through her head.
   “What the hell happened?”  She whispered to the wind as if it may answer.

Those are around the first 100 words-do they intrigue you ?

Crazy week, my beautiful cat was involved in a ferocious battle with a coyote or fisher cat and survived-just. My world came to a standstill, and nothing else mattered except making sure he was going to be alright. Kit-Kat is so affectionate, and I love him. He's recovering from a bowel resection, and I hope to have him home today, where he will be pampered. Kit-kat is the one on the right, and the other one is called Skittles. Yeah, I have a sweet tooth.

Anyway, when things go bad on a personal level, I have to do things!!! I'm not one to sit and dwell. Sure I cry, but then I get busy. This week, I have submitted to a few more agents, and I'm still researching others. I keep reading through my manuscript for Children of Annwn to check for any mistakes, and I'm back writing the adult paranormal. So I'm busy and feeling positive...

Some handy tips about the query process.

Well, I'm several weeks into the query process and still waiting. To be honest, I've only sent my query off to two publishers, because I really wanted to make sure that what I was sending out was the best I could deliver.

The whole process has felt quite surreal. When I pressed send for the first submission, I felt totally euphoric, then I felt sick to my stomach at the enormity of what I had just done. The next day, I sent another submission and still had the same nervous trepidation.

Since then, I've stopped submitting and have re-examined my query. I have found two incredible sites that have helped me tremendously.

www.agentquery.com/

Not only does this site give you details of agents and their submission requirements, but it has a whole host of resources to use when writing a query. I joined, and I'm researching agents at the present, but I've also been using the Agent Query Connect Forum, and I posted my query there for feedback. Well, the feedback and support has been incredible. The feedback has been honest, informative, and constructive. It's help me no end and I think my query is much stronger.

P.S There's also a forum to get your synopsis critiqued .

The second place, I have to rave about is,

www.linkedin.com

I have become a member and I love it. There are so many groups on this site and I have joined a few to connect with other writers and keep abreast with the whole writing and publishing industry. Did I tell you how much I love it!
Many times, I have started a post relating to log-lines, queries about POV, asking questions about what makes a book a fantasy, and have always, always received feedback. My latest post was titled, What's wrong with this query. The feedback and comments that I received were not only heartfelt, but full of amazing advice and support. I really felt, I wasn't alone in the dark and consuming world of query writing.


Bottom line, there's a wealth of information out there about how to craft your query letter, and you need to check it out, because writing the query is harder than writing the book!

But in connecting with other writers, and obviously checking out their work, you realize that there are so many talented and gifted writers out there, doing exactly the same as you.

At the end of the day, I strive to be the best I can and hopefully one day my work will be published.


That's why I write, because life never works except in retrospect. You can't control life, at least you can control your version.” 
― Chuck Palahniuk, Stranger Than Fiction

Writing that damn query letter!

Oh, my god, this last week and a half, has almost killed me off. After, submitting a query to a couple of publishers, I haven't been sat idle. Oh,no, I've been reviewing the MS, writing my synopsis, and perfecting my query letter.

I know what you're thinking, didn't you perfect your query letter before you submitted!!!!! Well, I was happy with what I had, until I started to reflect and seek other opinions and in a market where this is your shot at gaining the agent or publishers interest you have to offer and tantalize them with something different. To be honest the more opinions that I have asked for the more confusing it has become, but it made me totally re-examine what the story is about! Below is my latest query.

Visions of disaster by day, and flirtatious dreams by night, of Ryder, an amusing magical boy, has seventeen-year-old Mia Childs clinging to her sanity by her finger nails. 

But when a cute new student arrives at school who looks exactly like her dream boy, Mia’s fantasy world explodes. The trouble is, he’s obnoxious. And to make matters worse, news reports are beginning to mirror her prophecies about the extinction of the human race. 

That’s when everything goes to hell, and Mia discovers she isn’t even human.

Let me know what you think !!!