One of my favorite book blogs is Broke and Bookish and one of their best features is Top Ten Tuesday.  This week the list is all about why they love book blogging so I decided to join in even though mine is not exactly a book blog.  So here it is, the top ten reasons I love blogging about books (and writting).

1.  I love to listen to myself talk and I love to read what I write.  I know, it's awful, but we've all got this in us.

2.  I love meeting new people.  It's great to get emails from readers and other writers.  When these people follow my other social networks, it's a real rush.  I even got my first Facebook stalker!

3.  I can share some of what I've learned about the publishing industry and learn from others.

4.  I can give shouts out to all the great indie authors that I enjoy.

5.  I can get the opinions of readers on things like titles, book covers, and what to have for lunch.

6.  I love to share my random and rambling thoughts.

7.  Sometimes I just don't feel like writing on my projects, but just want to have fun.

8.  Okay, I admit, I enjoy some shameless self promotion now and then.

9.  When I'm blogging, I can pretend to be busy.

10.  I enjoy that brief 1 second of fame that comes with every new post even if it's only in my own head.

So I put out a request to other romance writers to exchange blog posts/interviews.  I expected to get a few responses and I'd have to sift through to find someone interesting, but when Anne Holly and I connected, it was obvious that she was something different.  I think her and I would be great friends in person.  We're both moms just chasing our dreams.  I love her wit and thoughtful answers.  I'm sure she's going to be outselling me in no time!

How/why did you start to write?

I think I always have written – or at least made up stories. I did it because I loved reading and was good at telling my own. It wasn’t a conscious decision, for the most part, though. I did it because it came naturally to me. At first, I did it to amuse myself, and then to impress teachers. If not for my teachers as a child, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today. Bless them – they were essential to my writing, and so very encouraging.

In recent years, I continued doing it as a creative outlet as I grew up, because I was in academics and I needed to burn off some imagination. I’ve only been professionally published since October 2010, so I am new as an author. Been writing a long time, though.

In what genre do you write?

My primary genre is contemporary romance, but I also write some erotica. I’m working on a romantic suspense, now, which has a steep learning curve. For some reason, I seem to gravitate towards holiday romance, as well.

Have you tried other genres?

I’ve tried all sorts. I have some experience in non-fiction, poetry, and playwriting. I have tried horror (which turned out awful) and some melodramatic “literature,” which I tried when I was way too young to have enough perspective and experience to do well at. I have written some humorous essays, which I enjoy, but I find it quite challenging. I am planning on starting a historical romance next year, which is exciting. I am working on a screen play, as well.

How did you choose your genres?

My genre sort of chose me – my mum was a big romance reader, so I used to burn through her stacks when I ran out of my own, and I just sort of grew up with Harlequins and Silhouettes and the ilk. I realized I had a way with character and motivation, so romance seemed to be the natural fit for me. Erotica was done as an experiment, just to see if I could do it – it seems I could, so I ran with it.

So, what is Strings Attached?

Oddly enough, Strings Attached was the first full length romance novel I wrote and finished – way back in 2001 – but is my latest release. It sat in a drawer for a long time while I went to university. When I finally graduated, in 2010, I pulled it out, re-wrote it, and sent it off. I was thrilled when Wild Horse accepted it. After ten years, I am still in love with the characters – they live on in my head.

Strings Attached is an old fashioned contemporary romance, I guess. Two people, dealing with their own histories and insecurities, must find a way to get it together. It’s fairly simple, but not so simple for them – my hero is facing some serious trauma, so it takes a lot of healing. Luckily, my heroine is pretty strong.

It takes place in Canada’s north, which is a lovely setting for romance – they fall in love under the northen lights. Lucky them! Right now, it’s boiling hot here in Ontario, and dripping with humidity. It’s nice to read about winter in such times.

What’s your current work in progress?

Right now, I am spending the summer on my non-fiction during the day, and my fiction at night, which makes for some split personality energies!

I am re-writing the ending to my NaNoWriMo novel, another contemporary romance – this one set in the university, which is an atmosphere I know fairly well. I hope to submit this by the end of summer, so fingers crossed. I am also working on a brand new novel, a romantic suspense involving a crime ring uncovered. Who knows where that one will end up?

Please describe your daily writing routine.

I have a 3 year old and I work from home and teach, as well, so I write whenever I can, really, especially at night. I try to bag at least 1,000 words a day, whether I am in the mood or not. I treat it like a job or assignment, and I just power through. As to the specific secrets of how to write… I drink coffee. Lots of coffee. And learning how to type quietly, no matter how exciting the scene is, so as to not wake up the tot.

***

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of contemporary and erotic romance, and has been published with Wild Horse Press, Wicked Nights and Decadent Publishing. Anne is working on two new full length novels at the moment, one of which was written in rough draft during National Novel Writing Month 2010. She is currently enjoying the recent release of her first full length contemporary romance, Strings Attached (Wild Horse Press). You can learn more about Anne at her website (http://www.anneholly.webs.com/) and blog (http://anneholly.blogspot.com/).

You can find Strings Attached at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Strings-Attached-ebook/dp/B0053GSWCY/

Oh, this has been a busy week!  those of you that follow me on Facebook know that I've spent most of the week hanging out on that ledge due to my sales fluctuating so much.  Also, I'm trying to set up some really great writers to interview for the blog and I've already got some great ones lined up!

Now, as far as Two Out of Three.  I'm getting some great feedback from readers!  A few are disappointed that this book doesn't follow the traditional rules of what a romance should be, but most are pleased to see such a crazy and toxic relationship!  According to some, I'm putting the fun back in dysfunctional relationships!

It has been so much fun to hear some of the stories about relationships that are just too crazy to last, but so consuming and passionate!  It's great to hear that so many people understand the complex nature of the dynamics between Rob and Sarah.  It's a relationship built from their history as friends, their struggle as young lovers, and their toxic behavior as adults.  As I explained to one reader,  I'm packaging a whole new brand of crazy!

So now that the summer reading season has started, don't forget to pick up your copy of Two Out of Three or any of the other great Indie authors out there!

I love playing around with the rules when it comes to writing!  This is a copy of an article of mine that was just published at ezinearticles.com.
I cannot remember a time that I did not want to be a writer. As a kid, I was always making up stories and telling them or acting them out for anyone that would sit still long enough. I spent high school dreaming of romantic dates and trying to make reality fit those dreams...Then I grew up.

I still enjoy writing romances because the genre offers so many opportunities for plot twists and turns. A look down the bestseller list shows that romances aren't the dominating force that they once were. Maybe the reason is that readers have grown up and are ready for something a little more cutting edge. So as writers, how can we do this?

Heroes and Heroines: Okay, outside of historical romances, it might be time to get rid of the predictable alpha male with the flowing hair. Maybe these guys aren't diamonds in the rough; maybe they are flawed individuals that our female leads would do well to stay away from. Then there are the heroines that need to be something more than damsels in distress. The romances that are making a mark today feature women that just suck it up and save themselves, getting her man is just a bonus.

Life and Relationships Aren't Perfect: Life has changed, people have affairs, and relationships are toxic. Romances for the modern reader need to show that an affairs and toxic relationships are a part of life. Are these flaws your character must overcome? Do you use a toxic relationship to show you female character's strength in overcoming it? It's long past time to bring some of these things into the forefront.

Rethinking Villains: Okay, when was the last time that you met someone that was all bad or all good? Romances today need to move deeper. Perhaps the "villain" is just a man that was deceived and now he's bitter and jaded. Maybe your "hero" and "heroine" love each other too much to stay away from each other, but never fail to bring out the worst in each other. Would this make them the villains?

Happy Endings with A Twist: No one's life ends with the perfect happily ever after and while fiction can offer an escape and give us what our lives can't, we have to be honest. Normally for our characters to be happy, someone else has to get hurt. Readers don't mind a happy ending, but the idea of they all lived happily ever after doesn't cut it anymore. Maybe the woman finds herself, but turns the guy away. Maybe they decide they are better off apart. Maybe she's married and decides the love of her husband is more important than the passion she feels for the hero.

It doesn't matter how we as writers look at it, our readers have grown up and to be a successful romance author, we have to grow up with them.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6336244

So I released a press release today about how Two Out of Three makes the reader rethink the romantic villain.  I don't know about you, but I get real tired of the all bad villains and the heroines that are so goody two shoes that you just want to smack them.

I think that in novels just like in life, no one is all good or all bad.  Most of us hang out somewhere in between and characters in novels need to reflect that.

So

Okay, so I was reading some back posts from fellow Indie author Amanda Hocking and came across a gem where she's talking about The Secret.  Now for those not familiar with The Secret, Oprah did a whole segment on it.  It consists of telling the universe what you want and training your thoughts to control your actions.  The idea is that through positive thinking, you can change your destiny.

So, here I go.  I want Two Out o Three to be a success.  Not a crazy Hocking type of success, just a "I haven't wasted years of my life" success.  So, I'd like to hit the romance best seller list and I'd like y poor Sarah to get a little recognition.

Now there are some that say if you're sending things out into the universe, why not go for the big dream?  Well, this is only my third book and my first in commercial fiction.  I want it to  be successful, but not everyone can be like Amanda Hocking or HP Mallory. 

So, my discussion with the universe goes something like this:  I did well as a literary author with nearly everything I wrote finding a traditional publication method in literary magazines, so I know I at least have some shred of ability.  Now I want that ability to carry over and build.  I want this book to be the one that starts a new life for me and my family.  So there it is, I want to break into the top 100 Romance novels on Amazon.  Crazy dream?  We'll see.