I'm crossing my fingers for TWO people who are Golden Heart Finalists in Romance Writers of America's 2010 annual contest. These fellow MRW members of mine just might become winners in tomorrow's Award Ceremony.
Heather Snow is a finalist in the Regency Historical Romance category for her story, SWEET ENEMY.
and
Elisabeth Burke is a finalist in the Historical Romance category for her manuscript, THE HEALER.
I'm so happy for them. They're both wonderful people and talented authors, so cross your fingers with me.
Good luck Heather and Elisabeth!!!
Who do you write like?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Here's a fun experiment. Check out the site I WRITE LIKE and give them a sample of some of your writing. They'll then tell you which famous author you supposedly write like. I had to do it a few times. The first three times, I wrote like James Joyce.
The fourth time, I was all Stephen King.
Now if they only told me HOW I write like these stars, that'd be really cool, because seriously..."The last section of James Joyce's Ulysses, Molly Bloom's soliloquy consists of two sentences. The first one is 11,281 words long, and the second is 12,931 words long (wikipedia)."
I don't know about you, but I really don't want to be known as the run-on sentence queen. But if I wrote like Joyce because he was such an influential leader in creating the modernist novel, then okay, I could deal.
And what's up with Stephen King? I read his On Writing book and totally loved it. The man is truly a talented writer. But do I resemble his style because he has an awesome way with words or because my story is creepy and dark?
Things that make you go Hmmm.
Who do you write like? Do you agree?
Who do you write like? Do you agree?
Friday Forwards - #13
Friday, July 23, 2010
It's Friday Forwards time again (my sharing with you of fun emails I get forwarded to me). Today's forward originates from Cambridge University.
From Cambridge University.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid : aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid : aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
**If you have some great jokes you receive on your emails, please feel free to forward them to me at Linda(at)Linda Kage(dot)com and I'll make sure they get posted (but they have to be clean--public forum here, remember!!).
The Trouble with Tomboys -- NOW FOR SALE
Monday, July 19, 2010
I'm too excited NOT to share.
But the print version of The Trouble with Tomboys, my second book (first adult romance), is now available to buy as an early bird special from The Wild Rose Press.
But the print version of The Trouble with Tomboys, my second book (first adult romance), is now available to buy as an early bird special from The Wild Rose Press.
You just gotta go to THIS LINK and see it there on its virtual bookshelf, waiting for romance lovers around to the world to purchase. Doesn't it look beautiful?!
It's extremely exciting to see your book out there for everyone else to read.
***********************
But I'm not done yet. My fourth book, HOT COMMODITY, has a cover!! HC will be out in November from Champagne Books. Here's a blurb:
SHE MARRIED THE ONE MAN SHE WAS TRYING TO AVOID
Thinking to assure a business merger with the wealthy, successful Cameron Banks, Olivia Donovan’s mother drags her to Las Vegas for a business convention, demanding she meet Banks and seduce him into wanting to marry her. But Olivia’s finished being Little Miss Yes-mother-whatever-you-say-mother. So, she sneaks away, intending to rebel and marry the very antithesis of Cameron Banks.
Who she finds is a drunk hottie that takes her to new heights of pleasure and shows her a side of herself she never knew existed before.
But after her amazing night in her new husband’s arms, she awakens the next morning only to discover she married and slept with the very Cameron Banks she’d been trying to avoid.
Is Cam the devil she feared, or will he end up being her one true hero?
To celebrate, I've created a video to go with the story.
'Kay, I'm done gushing. Hope you all have a good week!
Nine Years Down...
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Even though he tried to trade me for a new Ford truck, I love my husband to pieces because…well… because he’s just too cute not to. And he thinks I’m a damn fine women in return because (in his words) “I can roll a four-wheeler on top of her and she still comes up holding my beer.”
I suppose you’d like to hear a little back story about where that sentiment originates. Well, gosh, okay. Since I can’t info dump in my books, I will on my blog!!
Here’s the whole truth and nothing but the truth:
When the hubby and I bought our first four-wheeler (hadn’t even sent in the first payment yet), we took it for a joy ride with friends (yep, imagine that) and found the most delightfully fun, sandy-like hills to climb.
So, there we were…The hubby was looking for the steepest slope, and I oh-so trustingly clung along behind him, when he finally found a real challenge and pulled a hold-my-beer-and-watch-this-sh#@!
So, I took his can and up the hill we went, only for the back two tires to bury themselves in the soft ground and the front two tires to keep on spinning until up in the air they went, then backward and down the hill we all fell.
The cooler, strapped to the back and holding more containers of Liquid Stupidity, acted as a nice roll bar so our new 600-pound toy didn’t crush us to death.
Friends arrived half a second later to push the Honda off us, and after we shakily scrambled to our feet and got all the are-you-okays out of the way (amazingly we were both fine), I looked down and realized I was still clutching the hubby’s beer can for dear life in my petrified grasp.
And that’s where his famous phrase comes from.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, today’s my wedding anniversary. Nine years ago, my hubby and I said vows that have carried us through college graduations, job changes, church transfers, the building of a house, the birth of a baby, and all sorts of other joys and tribulations. And they’ve been the best nine years of my life. I can’t wait for the next nine, and the next nine after that.
Someone told me once that women only read romance novels because they have no romance in their own life (oh yeah, he was serious too). But I gotta say, being married to the wonderful man I am, I only love to read other people’s happily-ever-afters that much more. And I love to write romances too because I have an amazing source of inspiration right in my own home.
So, here’s to my inspiration. Thank you for being the best part of me. Happy Anniversary, Hubby!
I suppose you’d like to hear a little back story about where that sentiment originates. Well, gosh, okay. Since I can’t info dump in my books, I will on my blog!!
Here’s the whole truth and nothing but the truth:
When the hubby and I bought our first four-wheeler (hadn’t even sent in the first payment yet), we took it for a joy ride with friends (yep, imagine that) and found the most delightfully fun, sandy-like hills to climb.
So, there we were…The hubby was looking for the steepest slope, and I oh-so trustingly clung along behind him, when he finally found a real challenge and pulled a hold-my-beer-and-watch-this-sh#@!
So, I took his can and up the hill we went, only for the back two tires to bury themselves in the soft ground and the front two tires to keep on spinning until up in the air they went, then backward and down the hill we all fell.
The cooler, strapped to the back and holding more containers of Liquid Stupidity, acted as a nice roll bar so our new 600-pound toy didn’t crush us to death.
Friends arrived half a second later to push the Honda off us, and after we shakily scrambled to our feet and got all the are-you-okays out of the way (amazingly we were both fine), I looked down and realized I was still clutching the hubby’s beer can for dear life in my petrified grasp.
And that’s where his famous phrase comes from.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, today’s my wedding anniversary. Nine years ago, my hubby and I said vows that have carried us through college graduations, job changes, church transfers, the building of a house, the birth of a baby, and all sorts of other joys and tribulations. And they’ve been the best nine years of my life. I can’t wait for the next nine, and the next nine after that.
Someone told me once that women only read romance novels because they have no romance in their own life (oh yeah, he was serious too). But I gotta say, being married to the wonderful man I am, I only love to read other people’s happily-ever-afters that much more. And I love to write romances too because I have an amazing source of inspiration right in my own home.
So, here’s to my inspiration. Thank you for being the best part of me. Happy Anniversary, Hubby!
My Lucky Number is TWELVE
Monday, July 12, 2010
Okay, so my lucky number isn't twelve. It's not even one of my favorites. But, hey, I needed to say SOMETHING to get your attention because it's the twelfth again and
YOU GOT IT...
YOU GOT IT...
I'm guest blogging today at both
which I've agree to do on the twelfth day of every month.
So once again, if you're in the mood to chat with me on a YA blog, head over to Climbing Roses. If you want something adult and on the steamier side, check out RBRU. Or...if you want to see me at both places, you most certainly can do that too! But no pressure.
Christmas in July
Friday, July 9, 2010
I'm one of the twenty authors to help post the ROMANCE BOOKS "R" US Blog. And this month (From July 1 to July 31), we're throwing a contest to win
Cool, huh? Well, I think so. Anyway, there are three steps to follow to enter the contest.
1 - Join the RBRU Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancebooksrus/
2 - Become a follower at our blog : http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com/
3 - And send us a list of RBRU's 20 authors' names (or their second pen name) and one book title by each author to email address: contests.rbrus@gmail.com.
(HINT, HINT) Our TWENTY Authors and their websites are:
A SONY eREADER... and other prizes.
Cool, huh? Well, I think so. Anyway, there are three steps to follow to enter the contest.
1 - Join the RBRU Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancebooksrus/
2 - Become a follower at our blog : http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com/
3 - And send us a list of RBRU's 20 authors' names (or their second pen name) and one book title by each author to email address: contests.rbrus@gmail.com.
(HINT, HINT) Our TWENTY Authors and their websites are:
1. Amber Skyze
3. April Ash (OR) Marianne Stephens
7. Donica Covey (OR) Jinger Jackson
8. Fran Lee
9. Gina Ardito (OR) Katherine Brandon
11. Katalina Leon
13. Linda Kage (ME! My books you can list are...The Stillburrow Crush, The Trouble with Tomboys, Delinquent Daddy, or Hot Commodity)
14. Paris Brandon
15. Polly McCrillis/Isabel Mere (If this URL doesn't work, try http://www.pmccrillis.webs.com/ )
16. Renee Vincent
18. Sandy Sullivan
19. Tina Donahue
20. Vicky Burkholder (OR) Victoria Allen
FOR the detailed rules of the contest, click HERE.
This may sound like a lot of rules for one measly contest, but don't forget you really could win a SONY eREADER...and that's no small potatoes.
Okay, then, I'm done promoting for the day. Good luck. I hope you have a great weekend.
Lessons Learned...The Rejection Way - #6
Monday, July 5, 2010
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy,
Was he?
This poem reminded of one of my rejection letters, probably because I repeat the silly saying a million times a day to my baby (Hey, they say it's good for an infant's brain development to hear lots of rhyming verses. I have to say it's not so good for Mom's sanity however. But anyway...)
One editor told me I needed to develop my showing-and-not-telling abilities a little better. She went on to explain that she'd highlighted text in my story where I was telling instead of showing. I was stunned she'd went to so much work for my little ol' story and I was really excited about revising her highlighted spots.
Except...when I opened the document, only the words WAS, WERE, HAVE, and HAD were highlighted.
Interesting teaching technique, huh? I thought so. It certainly opened my eyes to how much I actually do tell instead of show.
Though ninety percent of WAS/WERE in a story could most certainly be crumpled and thrown in a trash can, I think there are still a few instances where WAS is the best word choice.
Like in the first few lines of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone :
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."
Other times, it can be fairly easy to fix a was/were and have/had problem like in the sentences:
He was a dog once. Now he was human.
Which can easily turn to...
Once a dog, Rover now roamed with the human crowd.
And...that's all I have to say about that. Be on a lookout for those sneaky telling words.
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