Getting it Together

I was doing so well at blogging on a schedule ... and then the holidays hit and then a cold or the flu or a wicked combination of both hit, and here I am, dragging myself back into the land of the living and trying to get back onto some kind of schedule...again.

I don't know how it is for you, but for me it's a never-ending battle. There's always much more to do in the space of 24 hours than one mere mortal can possibly get done. That being the case, the days become a juggling act for as long as a person can manage to keep all the balls in the air.

Eventually, though, luck runs out and we're forced to make choices, and much as I hate to admit it, that's where I am right now. Do I keep four different blogs running (and I use that term loosely) or do I give up on a couple and concentrate on the other two? Do I give time and attention on a daily basis to the books I wrote under a pseudonym a few years ago--books I still love, by the way--or do I focus on the books form my backlist that I'm releasing again in Kindle format?

I'd love to do it all. Really, I would. In my dream world, I would get all of the Dancing on Coals workshops for writers revised and published in Kindle format, and I'd even produce a few new workshops on subjects I hadn't tackled when I stopped actively conducting workshops every month.

I'd lavish attention on Candy Shop mysteries I wrote as Sammi Carter and I'd tweet and be active as Sammi on Facebook. In my spare time, I'd judge lots and lots of writing contests, while still having time to exercise and eat right and spend time with my family.

It's just not possible.

Still, it's hard to turn your back on a pen name that was a huge part of your life for several years and to let books you would love to see doing well languish instead. But either I give time and attention to the old books--at the expense of new books I could be writing--or I let the older ones find their own way while I nurture new books into the world.

After reading the six books in the Fred Vickery series again to get them ready for Kindle release, I realized why readers are still, all these years later, asking me for more books in the series. I agree with them: I can't leave the characters that way. And there's my current WIP, a book I'm calling by the working title Dead on Arrival that's been nagging at me since 2008.

And there are big books, contemporary and historical and maybe even a few more time travels, and that Christmas romance that's been niggling at the back of my brain for the past few months. And the novellas I'd like to have ready to give away to readers next holiday season ...

And there are blogs to write and social media to visit, and covers to design and approve and ...

I'm not complaining. We're all way too busy. This is just my particular brand of busy, and honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything--except maybe unlimited leisure time to spend with the grandkids. I mean, a woman can dream, can't she?


photo credit: Tu tires ou tu pointes ? via photopin (license)

Sharing a Couple of Things Today

The week has definitely gotten away from me, so today's blog post is going to be a quick one. 

First, I want to share the news that, due to popular demand, we're revving up the publication schedule for my back list and all the Dancing on Coals workshops, We'll be doing one workshop and one work of fiction every month until all the workshops and the books on my back list I can re-release are available. 

To that end, one of my most popular workshops is now available on Kindle. 

Why, Why, Why? Mastering Character Motivation is a writing craft workshop focused on helping you create strong, realistic motivation for the characters in your novels.

Motivation is one of the key elements of any novel. Strong, believable motivation can drive your story from page one to the final scene, while weak or unrealistic motivation can be the kiss of death. In this workshop, we discuss how to avoid clichéd and contrived motivations and how to build on your basic characterization to create characters that actively push your story forward. We also tackle that dreaded nemesis of so many writers—author intrusion. 

This is a great follow-up to Creating Characters with Character, our workshop on characterization, but can also stand alone, especially if you've already some preliminary work with your characters. This workshop has been presented in part at various writer’s conferences, including Romance Writers of America annual conference in Washington, D.C. (2009) and an excerpt from it was published as an article in RWA’s trade journal, Romance Writers Report.

I haven't decided which workshop will come next. I'm trying to decide between Plotting the Organic Way, Avoiding Author Intrusion, and Dodging the Dreaded Saggy Middle.  I'm going to be conducting a poll on the Dancing on Coals Facebook page on Friday, so please stop by and offer your opinion. 

Also, for those new here, I'm featuring one book every week from my back list of books still available for purchase. This week's Book of the Week is: 

Picture Perfect 

(originally published as Call Me Mom)  

You can read an excerpt here and also find buying information if you'd like to pick up a copy. 

I think that's it for today. Hope everyone has a fabulous week! 

Book of the Week - 10/19/2015

This week's Book of the Week is Keeping Her Safe. Originally published by Harlequin Superromance in 1997, it has also been released a couple of times as part of other imprints.

This was my third book for Harlequin and it was one of the hardest books I've ever written. The plot was simply too close to home.

Like far too many women in our society, I was involved in an abusive relationship. I was luckier than some and escaped with my life--but just barely. My kids and I went into hiding for several years after I finally managed to leave and, in fact, it's only been within the past few years that my youngest daughter (the basis for DJ's character) has had any kind of contact with her biological father.

Like Christina, my original plan was to tell my daughter that her father had died or moved away somewhere, but I soon realized that the best way to keep her safe was to tell her the truth. I was driving down the street one day after a conversation with her (she was just 10 at the time) when I began to wonder what might have happened if I had lied to her about her father.

Like many books, this one was born from a What if?  What if my daughter had grown up believing that her father was dead--and then he showed up on her doorstep one day? How would she feel about him? How would she feel about me?

From that, the idea for Keeping Her Safe was born.

Adam was the perfect match for DJ. Strong and trustworthy, with a bit of baggage of his own, he was just what DJ needed--and she was right for him. In writing him as the hero in this book went a long way toward healing some of my old wounds.

I knew the book would be hard to write, but I didn't realize just how tough it would be. I didn't know how to write the scene between DJ's sister, Laura, and Larry Galloway, and my daughters and I ended up doing some roll-playing with the help of a family friend. It ended up being cathartic for both my older daughter and me, but it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done.

Of course, it is first and foremost a romance--a story about truth and trust and the redemptive power of love,

You'll find an excerpt from the book and information on where to buy here.

Happy Reading!!!

Book of the Week - 10/12/2015

Recently, I discovered that several books from my back list (books I thought long out of print and unavailable) are actually still available in digital format. I couldn't be more excited since some of these books are very dear to my heart.

To celebrate, I'm featuring a "new" book from my back list every week by posting an excerpt from the book and providing links for all the places I've discovered you can find the book.

In case you missed it, last week's featured book was High Mountain Home.

This week I'm celebrating That Woman in Wyoming, published by Harlequin Superromance in 2001 and made available in digital format last year. Click on the book or the title above to read an excerpt.

I loved writing this book and getting to know Max and Reagan. I loved creating the town of Serenity, Wyoming, which appears again in The Christmas Wife. 

Have Coffee with Fred

Click here to order "No Place for Death."http://amzn.to/1Mvej9W
here to order "No Place Like Home"http://amzn.to/1tZDLIe
and here to order "No Place for Secrets"http://amzn.to/1frFlex

Announcing This Month's Release!

I'm getting ready to re-release A Time to Dream later this month and I'm pretty stoked. It was originally released by Jove Time Passages in 1999 as a paperback original, and it remains a reader favorite. As I went through the manuscript to make sure it was ready for a new life and tweak a line or two, I was really thrilled to discover how much I still love the story.

My designer is hard at work on the new cover, and I hope to have a cover reveal ready for you in the next few days.

Meanwhile, Zacharias and Shelby (Agatha) are two of my favorites in a long list of characters that I've spent time with in the past 20 years. It was great fun hanging out with the two of them, remembering all the twists and turns in their relationship and meeting their friends and family again. Yes I know they're fictional, but they're real to me. I hope they become real to you.


Set in Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River, A Time to Dream is first and foremost a love story about the longing to belong and the power of forgiveness--and who doesn't need that at some point in their lives?

Stay tuned for more details!


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photo credit: 112. Bowlegged: Third Floor the Inn at Cape May via photopin (license)

photo credit: Mississippi Palisades State Park via photopin (license)