It’s not all fluff!!!

I recently began the re-vamp of my current work-in-progress. You know, the one I couldn’t write because the original plot sucked? Well, it doesn’t suck anymore! *bg* And I am way past the writer’s block! Wooooo Hoooo!

So, last night, one of Keith's friends read the small, eleven sentence, prologue I’d recently written, and he gave me this look. The who-is-this-woman-I’ve-known-for-12years look. He was shocked. LOL. He said, "What are you writing here?!" Then he started quoting snippets, shook his head and turned to Keith. "You aren't afraid to sleep at night?" ROFL. He then turned to me and said, "I thought you wrote romance novels." Doubly ROFL! Especially after the look he gave me when I told him this was a romance. *eg*

What do you like in a romance? Besides the guarantee of a happily-ever-after, that is. Do you go for the dark, gritty stuff? Or, are you partial to lighter works? Romantic comedies? Romantic Suspense? Dark paranormals? What's your must-have story?

Sandy :-)

And Now, Here's Jackie

Good morning, everyone! Happy Saturday!

Just in case you're wondering who the hell I am and what I've done with Sandra, my name is Jackie Kessler, and I'm the author of HELL'S BELLES, a humorous paranormal/dark fantasy about a succubus who runs away from Hell, hides on Earth as an exotic dancer, and learns the hard way about true love. Sex, strippers, and demons--what's not to like? Sandra asked if I'd like to be interviewed about my writing, and after dutifully thinking it over for all of a nanosecond, I professionally responded with a huge squeal of "YES!"

And so, here we are. Before I tackle your questions, I want to thank Sandra profusely for inviting me here today. THANK YOU! ((insert cyber hug here))

Now, without further ado, onto your questions!

Stacy K. asks:
Have you always written in first person?

Nope. Before HELL’S BELLES and its immediate predecessor (a book that I couldn’t get an agent for, let alone sell, eek), I had always written in third person...and one rather interesting attempt at second person. (Ick. Not recommended, except in very small doses.)

Brenda P. asks:
What made you choose to write about a succubus?

I knew I wanted to write about a demon--­and really, what better female demon is there than a succubus? :-)

Jack A. asks:
Have you written in any other genres?

Heh--­published or unpublished?

I’ve written horror, contemporary, dark fantasy, dark erotica, humorous horror, urban fantasy (both adult and young adult), chick lit, literary fantasy, and paranormal romance. The chick lit didn't sell, and the YA urban fantasy is currently on submission. All others have sold, either as novels or short stories. Oh, and I had a poem published, too.

Andrea S. asks:
How many books do you have planned for this series?

Eight books, plus one novella. The first three books (HELL’S BELLES, available now, THE ROAD TO HELL, available November 2007, and HOTTER THAN HELL, available some time in 2008) as well as the novella (HELL TO PAY, available in April 2008) have been sold to Kensington; the remaining five are what I like to call “pending.” (As in, pending a contract. Heh.)

Pamela W. asks:
What do you have planned for your next project?

I’m in the middle of three projects right now: HOTTER THAN HELL, which I’m gunning to hand in to my editor by this July; the synopsis for the novella HELL TO PAY, which is due in March, and SCHMOOZING THE ALMIGHTY, something different than the HELL books, and more in the vein of Christopher Moore than, say, MaryJanice Davidson. I also have a YA urban fantasy on submission right now; assuming that sells, I’ll really have my hands full. (Yes, I have a full-time day job and a family--why do you ask?) :-)

Diane P. asks:
Did you have an agent before you sold?

For novels, no; after I wrote HELL’S BELLES, I queried for and found agent representation. I didn’t have an agent when I sold my short stories.

Edie K. asks:
Are there any books that have inspired your writing?

Ooh! Tons! I love pretty much everything written by Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore. Martha O’Connor pretty much redefined writing in first person with her outstanding THE BITCH POSSE. I’m also a huge comic book fan (I have about 9,000 of them--­comic books, not fans), and my work is definitely inspired by Garth Ennis, Matt Wagner, and Neil Gaiman. (Yes, he’s that good, I’m naming him twice.) I will always be grateful to J.R.R. Tolkien. And Toni Morrison left a lasting impression on me with BELOVED. Oh, and Elmore Leonard is a freaking master of dialog. And there’s Dante, Poe, Shakespeare...the list goes on...

Sandra B. asks:
How does your family handle your writing time? Do you think they understand?

Heh. Until I actually got a book sold, my family pretty was supportive, but...let’s say, they were also realistic. So they encouraged me to pursue my dream, as long as I didn’t quit my day job. Now that I’ve got a book on the shelves and two more already sold, they’re very supportive...and very realistic. So while I’m still pursuing my dream, I haven’t quit my day job. Sigh.

But my husband is very, very understanding. So when I’m in the zone, he gives me a kiss around 11 pm and says “Good night.” And he knows that when I say, “I’ll be right in,” I’ll wind up crawling into bed two hours later. During the weekends, there are plenty of times he’ll take the kids on errands and what not, allowing me time to do more writing. I couldn’t do this without him :)

Jennifer T. asks:
Are you reading any books right now? For pleasure? Or to learn the craft?

Holy cats, sometimes it feels like all I’m doing is reading! Sure, it’s for the craft--­seeing how other authors handle certain situations, create certain characters, shape certain phrases...wow. And it’s for enjoyment; I’ve always loved curling up with a book. Plus, on my website’s blog, I interview other authors (well, my character interviews their characters)...and I can’t really do that without reading those authors’ works. (Er, I could. But it would make for a very tough interview!)

I recently finished/am reading now/will be reading: I’M THE VAMPIRE, THAT’S WHY (Michele Bardsley), SHADOWS IN THE DARKNESS and SHADOWS IN THE STARLIGHT (Elaine Cunningham), THE NYMPH KING (Gena Showalter), THE REST FALLS AWAY (Colleen Gleason), VENUS ENVY (Shannon McKeldon), HOWLING MOON (Clamp and Adams), FINN (Jon Clinch), SURVIVING DEMON ISLAND (Jaci Burton), SUCCUBUS BLUES (Richelle Mead), SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES (MaryJanice Davidson)...whew...this isn’t even making a dent in my to be read pile...

Sharon L. asks:
Who are your favorite authors? Are there any new ones you’d recommend?

My favorite authors? Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore. Read everything by them.

My favorite new authors? Heather Brewer (EIGHTH GRADE BITES, August 2007), Colleen Gleason (THE REST FALLS AWAY), Richelle Mead (SUCCUBUS BLUES, March 2007), Caitlin Kittredge (NIGHT LIFE, fall 2007)...the list goes on. I’m a new fan of Elaine Cunningham and Rachel Caine. Oh, and I lost sleep reading Alexandra Sokaloff’s THE HARROWING. Fabulous stuff!

Denise B. asks:
Have you always wanted to become a published author? Was there a specific time or event that made you decide this is what you want to do?

When I was a little girl, I wanted to draw comic books. Then I wanted to write comic books. Then, in college, I wanted to write stories. That’s when I really got the bug: in college. I don’t think there was any one thing that made me say, Hey, I want to be an author. I think I’ve always been in love with stories, and with telling stories in one shape or form. But I didn’t get serious about wanting to get published until January 2004. Why then? Not sure. But I’m glad I started taking it seriously.

Audra G. asks:
What is the biggest challenge to your writing?

I like taking risks with my writing. In HELL'S BELLES, for example, the heroine becomes an exotic dancer. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't work my way through college by stripping. So I had to do a lot of research to get that part of the story as accurate as possible, not to mention researching demonology and various Hell legends.

Right now, I’m writing a story in first person about an evil male demon who’s the protagonist/antihero. Talk about writing outside of my comfort zone! (For the record, I’m not male, and not a demon. The “evil” thing may be subject to debate.) But tapping into that character and channeling him onto paper (er, electrons) is a true thrill. When I get the words right, they sing. (And when I don’t, I get writer’s block. Ugh.)

So I suppose the biggest challenge is anchoring fiction in reality--making it believable. If I can do that, I've done my job. (And if I can do that in an entertaining way, then I've done my job well.)

Sandra B. asks:
Can you share some writing advice for aspiring authors?

No matter what, keep on writing, and keep on reading. You have to read to see what works--­or, bluntly, what’s marketable--­and the only way to do that is to read what’s selling (in your genre). Read, read, read--­and not just the classics. Read what’s selling today. Joe Konrath (RUSTY NAIL) insists that if you want to make writing your business, you have to treat it like a business. And that means you have to do your research. Read. (I know, I’m hitting you over the head with this. Sorry. READ.)

More advice, this time from Martha O’Connor: Write like there’s no one watching. Don’t ask yourself, “Will this offend someone?” Don’t tell yourself that you need to “write down” to your readers. Write the story that you mean to write. Once it’s done, then work on making it marketable. (Ah, the joy of revisions. But that’s another topic altogether.) Don’t be afraid to try something new.

And never be daunted. :)


Thanks, everyone, for your terrific questions! I invite you (and everyone you know) to come visit my website.

And thanks again, Sandra, for letting me take over your blog this morning!

Guest Blogger, Jackie Kessler, Scheduled for Saturday January 27, 2007!

We’ve gotten some great questions so far. If you haven’t sent yours in yet, don’t miss out. Just email it to author [at] Barkevich [dot] com. Unfortunately, you will have to type the address into your email client by hand. My husband tells me there is a way to put a link that will not be stolen by the spam-bandits. Of course, he doesn’t know how to do that. So, I’m afraid you’ll have to enter the email address by hand for now. If there are any techies reading this blog, feel free to comment if you’ve got a solution to this small dilemma. Thanks!

On to other news…

You know how my little directory blurb says something about the Trials, tribulations, and exciting goings on of…Well, I think this next can fall under the trials and tribulations portion of that description. For the last few months, I’ve been stuck. Soul Reavers: Tori has not flowed from my fingertips as is the case with many of my other creations.

Honestly, this has been driving me crazy. I mean, it was fully plotted, right down to the last scene. All I had to do was write the thing. Yet, despite having every scene worked out in my mind, I could not, for the life of me, get past chapter 4. Oh, I sat at the keyboard, all but banging my head against my desk in an effort to move the story forward. I took the advice of my friend to try the scene from a different POV. (This usually works, by the way. It’s what got me past a bout of writer’s block with the manuscript that is currently being reviewed by HarperCollins-Avon.) I even tried some writing exercises. Nothing worked. Nothing! I’d write—uh, drag, kicking and screaming—a couple of words from my writer’s consciousness, then proceed to hit the delete key until I was back at the last sentence I’d typed before the whole block thing happened. Grrrr!

Then, one day it hit me. I hated the current story I was writing. It wasn’t something I would read. The plot, I mean. It was…weak. The hero didn’t have a good enough reason to stay away from the heroin. And, it actually threatened to read something like a soap opera. Gah! Ok, so, nothing against soaps. I just don’t like them. At all. I need a story with some meat. I need true conflict. None of this, if-the-Hero-&-heroine-had-just-communicated-this-whole-mess-could-have-been-avoided-crap. Excuse the language. I just hate, HATE, lame conflicts in a story. And, sorry to say, my current wip had the mother of all lame conflicts.

So, now that I realized the story I was trying to write, was total and utter crapola, I took a long hard look at what should be done to fix it. As much as I tried to avoid the clear-cut solution—who wants to throw away more than 5,000 words—I came to the only conclusion possible. Re-plot the story. As in, start from scratch. As in this story is not working, I-would-not-read-it-therefore-I-cannot-write-it. And, guess what? The flood gates are open, baby! Woooooo Hoooooo! My hero is darker and sexier, no longer the lame-ass who couldn’t see the heroine for the treasure she is just because she doesn’t fit the mold of the future duchess. My heroine is stronger, more self-confident. She has a secret she will guard with her life, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone, least of all darker-sexier-hero. I now have secondary characters that I have already fallen in love with and this story I have going on in my head freakin’ rocks! I can’t wait to get it on paper. Heck! I can’t wait to read it. LOL. That said, I’m off to write a new synopsis and get this story moving. Finally.

Sandy :-)

Cool Stuff in Store for Sandra’s Goings On

2007 looks to be a stellar year for Sandra’s Goings On. I’ve got some great stuff planned. Not the least of which is a monthly guest blog by a published author. The first two have been lined up. This is freakin’ cool stuff, people.

My first guest’s debut novel is a January 2007 release from Kensington/Zebra Books. Jackie Kessler’s Hell’s Belles received a 4.5 star review from Romantic Times and she’s got a front cover quote from MaryJanice Davidson! Jackie Kessler is up and coming and I am proud to welcome her as my first guest blogger. I am also giving away a signed copy of Jackie's book, Hell's Belles, in an upcoming contest. Stay tuned for your chance to enter.

We are still working out the details, but I hope to schedule her for the end of January. In the mean time, I’d like to start gathering some questions from you, my blog readers. Please send an email with your questions for Jackie to my attention at author [at] barkevich [dot] com.

Also, I’ve finally gotten to the bottom of the problem with my RSS feed. So, for those of you interested, make sure you subscribe. There’s a lot you won’t want to miss that's coming down the pike.

Happy Reading!
Sandy :-)

I’d like a side of HEA with my Romance please…

There is a heated discussion going on at DearAuthor.com, right now, that has me a little perplexed.

To me, the issue is black and white--a no-brainer. Yet, I’ve seen many comments arguing the opposite. So, for anyone who reads or has read a romance novel, I ask you: When you purchase a book from the “Romance” section of your favorite bookstore, do you fully expect it to have a Happily-Ever-After ending? You know, one where, no matter how seemingly insurmountable their obstacles, the hero and heroine end up together in the end? Neither the hero nor the heroine DIES!!!!

I know I do. When I buy a romance, it’s because I want the love story AND the Happily-Ever-After. As far as I’m concerned, if there is no promise of an HEA at the end of the book, it is NOT a romance. Cut and dry. Black and white.

What do you think?

Sandy :-)

Contest at Sandra's Goings On is a Resounding Success!!!

What, you say? A resounding success? But, there were only four entries.

Ahhh, but these entries came from the great Blogosphere beyond. They were not friends and family that had to be badger--uh, asked to post a comment. No, these four brave souls were new to Sandra's Goings On. Welcome!!! I hope you liked what you saw and come back for more.

Anyway, on to the excitement. Who is our lucky winner? Drum roll please......................... Cassie! Cassie is our big winner! Thank you to everyone who participated. With so many, I don't know if I'll be able to keep it straight. No matter. We have our winner and she will receive either a Border's GC or 500 BlogExplosion credits.

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way, Sandra's Goings On is getting a face lift! I am very excited about this. I have commissioned a custom blog skin by Blogs Gone Wild. Se7en--is that not just the coolest freakin' name?--is fantastic to work with. He is also very patient, which is good, because, apparently, I'm unable to make up my mind easily. Well, I am paying for it. But, Se7en kindly didn't huff and puff when I asked him after each of his fantastic attempts to please me, to tweak this or tweak that (Even when he didn't agree with my choices--er, knew they would suck). In the end, and I'm sure this poor guy was cringing by now, I asked him to go back to an older version that I now realize is THE one. I can't wait to see the final incarnation. I know I'm going to be very pleased. Thank you, Se7en, for being so professional and for just being a great person to work with. I will make sure anyone I come across who needs a custom blog skin will know how to find your site!

So, congrats to Cassie on her win. Loved your embarrassing moment, by the way. I could just picture the look on your friend's face after that comment. ROFLMAO! And, thank you, Se7en for working with me to make this blog a little more interesting to look at. (New look coming soon)

This year is already off to a great start.
Sandy :-)