Roxanne Rustand Visits Wausau Area

USA Today Bestselling Author Roxanne Rustand led a discussion on the Creative Process in Wausau on Saturday June 10^th at the Jefferson Street Inn.

During Roxanne’s interactive talk she spoke about what she does in the process of creating new characters and their romance and Happily Ever After. Sparking a lively discussion, she shared several worksheets, such as:

• Kathy Jacobson’s “Conflict Grid,” which explores many different ways for the the hero and heroine to come into conflict: their long range and short range goals, external and romantic conflicts, conflicts of personality and archetype, the emotional danger which each character faces if he/she gives up the old way of thinking and doing and finally the epiphany that frees them from the past.
• “Turning Points in Novels, ” which pinpoints what constitutes a turning point, such as:
  • the character has an Epiphany,
  • something very important is revealed,
  • A serious event that happens to characters and causes changes,
  • or a subtle emotional moment that sparks a big reaction,
  • or a small thought-provoking event with a big consequence
  • finally an action or event that shows that the protagonist is evolving.
• Brainstorming Conflict Chart which asks questions, such as:
  • What things can happen to make the external conflicts worse?
  • Romance conflicts–What steps make things better or worse for the hero and heroine relationship in each scene?
  • How can I add more emotion, more romance in each scene?
  • How can I focus on and develop the stages of attraction in each scene?
• How to Map the Locales in a series of books

One take away was when “getting to know your characters,” ask them the hard questions. Roxanne got this from a Jill Barnett workshop:

If your character is not coming to you, or you cannot nail the right emotional moment,

Pick a subject from below and write for at least 5 minutes (by timer) and up to 20 minutes.

Use one of the following topics in context with your character:

Pain
Dreams
Anger
Family
Love
Marriage
Birth
Death
Childhood
Hate
The Past
The Future
Needs
Heartache
Shame

Roxanne: “This is one of my favorite ways to find the information that I’m either writing all around or have forgotten in the mad balancing act of plotting and characterization and scene planning and everything else we juggle.”

We thoroughly enjoyed our morning with Roxanne and took away many great tips to help enhance our writing.

USA Today Bestseller, Lyn Cote is an RWA Honor Roll member and the author of over 35 books. You can find out more about her by visiting her website.

---

New Release Tuesday – June Edition

Each month, WisRWA will announce the new books our members have published. We call it New Release Tuesday.

Congratulations to the following WisRWA members on their new releases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glamour by Kayla Bain-Vrba

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angel Down by Lois Greiman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Demon Ember by M. J. Haag (with Becca Vincenza)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captives of the Kratzen by S.C. Mitchell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Incompetent Witch and the Missing Men by DC Thome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Field by Laurie Winter (DEBUT!!)

---

2016 WisRWA Chapter Service Award

Virginia McCullough

Virginia has been a WisRWA member since 2001. Since then she has been an active volunteer within her area and in chapter leadership. One nominator says of Virginia, “I don’t think a year has gone by that she hasn’t volunteered for something.” She has served as area contact. She has chaired the Write Touch contest, and helped create the fantastic procedure manual for running the conference. More recently, she served two terms as WisRWA’s president. Virginia immediately gained the respect of the board, with her thoughtful, calm and insightful leadership. Her approach was to build consensus, and her term saw many successes and innovations, including our new website, and the use of new technology to improve board communications. Virginia is an excellent cheerleader for WisRWA, because she has a strong sense of the history of RWA and WisRWA, and the importance of these organizations to writers and to women. Her fellow members appreciate her can-do attitude, and they also appreciate the genuine affection and care she offers her fellow writers.

---

Book Launch Parties: The Hows and Whys

WisRWA members, Mia Jo Celeste, author of Other Than, and Barbara M.  Britton, author of Providence and Building Benjamin, will be talking about book launch parties (both actual and virtual) at the June WisRWA meeting in Milwaukee. Jennifer Rupp asked them a few questions about their first year as published authors.

 

Jen: Brenda and Barbara, you’ve both released your debut novels within the last twelve months. Did it come as a shock how involved you would have to be in the marketing of your own book?

Brenda: Yes. Although I’d heard a lot about marketing, taken some classes and been a blogger for years, I was surprised about the time and financial commitment. That said, I like marketing—something I never imagined I would.

Barbara: Yes, definitely. Publishing has changed so much since I started my journey ten years ago. I knew I would have a hand in marketing my books, but I didn’t know I would be the driving force behind getting the word out about my novels.

 

Jen: About how much time per week do you spend actively marketing, engaging in social media, updating your website, blogging, etc.?

Brenda: It varies. Usually I check Twitter and Facebook every couple of days and I’ve been trying to appear in cyberspace a couple of times a week, either on my blog or someone else’s. For me, it’s a lot like student teaching. Because so many tasks are new, they take longer to figure out and complete, but I’m sure that I’ll get faster and I’ll figure out which tasks are the most important to complete.

Barbara: I feel I do some sort of marketing every day because of social media. Certainly I am more involved right before, during, and after a release. With Pelican Book Group, I have an e-book release date that is different than my print release date. Twice the fun—and work. I would say my average is 5-10 hours a week.

 

Jen: Now that you’re a published author, do you write with more confidence?

Brenda: I hope the adage “practice makes perfect” works. Because I write more, I’m more comfortable writing and, God willing, my writing is getting better.

Barbara: Yes and no. I feel I have the basic craft of writing down pat, but doubts plague me as a published writer. I’m thinking my work isn’t good enough, or my success was a fluke. I have to silence those nasty voices and tell myself that I am writing solely for myself. If no one sees my book, that’s okay. I’ve enjoyed writing it and learning through my research.

 

To hear more from Brenda and Barbara, please join us at the Mayfair Mall (Garden Suites Community Room, Lower Level) on June 17 from 9-11:30 AM. It’s sure to be a great time.

---

WisRWA Goes to UntitledTown!

Yes, you heard correctly, WisRWA had the privilege to participate in UntitledTown‘s first ever Book and Author Festival. The festival was held in Green Bay, Wisconsin  from April 28th through the 30th.

UntitledTown promotes book cultures and books of all kinds including but not limited to graphic novels, children’s books, romance novels, mystery, and non-fiction books of any kind.  Over the course of three days, attendees had the opportunity to attend readings, discussions, workshops, and panels in several locations in downtown Green Bay. The majority of these events were open and free to the public.

WisRWA Members Mary Jo Scheibl, Mary Grace Murphy, Virginia McCullough, Steve Mitchell, Lisa Romdenne and Valerie Clarizio presented A Giant Among Genres: A Look at Romance and Women’s Fiction

A panel of local members of the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America (WisRWA) will talk about the ongoing popularity of romance and women’s fiction today. According to book sale statistics, romance consistently leads the genres in sales year after year, and women’s fiction is a major and growing genre in its own right. Romance writing is also the most misunderstood of the genres, but it’s extremely diverse, ranging from inspirational/religious fiction to the steamy/erotic. It can be contemporary, historical, mystery/suspense, or paranormal/fantasy. We’ll answer all questions about our genre, discuss our journeys to both conventional and indie publication, and tell others how they, too, can successfully write and publish romance.

The panel was held on the Saturday morning of the festival at the Kavarna Coffeehouse. We filled the room! Okay, it may have been a small room, but we filled it with readers and writers, and some potential new WisRWA members. The audience asked questions in regard to our writing journeys and processes. Though the panel lasted a little over an hour, the time flew by so quickly it felt like five minutes.

After the panel, we grabbed some lunch and then shot off to the book signing event which was held at the Broadway Center (Old Fort Square). Readers meandered among the rows and rows of tables of writers. During the signing, an older gentleman stopped by and started talking to me and Virginia.  As we spoke with him, he shot us that silly grin that men sometimes flash when they talk about romance books and make mention that romance isn’t their thing. Admittedly, I felt a bit miffed by his dismissal of the romance genre, but I kept my smile in place as he moved past me and Virginia and made his way to Mary Grace and Mary Jo. Oddly, by the time he finished speaking with Mary Jo, he’d pulled out his wallet and purchased a book from her. Are you now wondering what Mary Jo said to this man to change his tune about romance books in a matter of fifteen minutes?  If so, you’ll have to ask her the next time you see her because I don’t knowJ

UntitledTown did an excellent job putting together this event. It was well organized and well attended by both readers and writers.

Valerie Clarizio is the current Treasurer for WisRWA. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels.  Valerie has placed in the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Novellas Need Love, Too! contest and WisRWA’s Write Touch contest.

---

New Release Tuesday – May Edition

Each month, WisRWA will announce the new books our members have published. We call it New Release Tuesday.

Congratulations to the following WisRWA members on their new releases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail Order Brides of Oak Grove by Kathryn Albright (and Lauri Robinson)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marshal’s Bride by Maxine Douglas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heart Mates (Pull of the Moon) 2nd edition by Mary Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Photograph of Love by Tina Susedik

 

 

---

Congratulations to Melonie Johnson, Golden Heart Finalist!

WisRWA would like to offer their congratulations to member, Melonie Johnson, for finaling in RWA’s contest for unpublished writers, the Golden Heart Contest.  We chatting with Melonie about her manuscript, Sometimes You Need a Sexy Scot, and what it’s like to be a finalist.  Our fingers will be crossed for her in July when the winners are announced.

---

 

When a gorgeous guy (in a kilt, no less) literally falls at the feet of “Twitter Babe” Cassie Crow, she does what any American girl on her dream vacation would do: throws caution to the wind and locks lips with the sexy Scot. But when she realizes her hot Highlander is actually the creator of a UK Internet prank show, Cassie fears if the clip of her getting punk’d by a Scottish hunk goes viral, she can kiss her ambition to become a serious broadcast journalist goodbye.

Logan Reid’s star is on the rise. Under consideration to be picked up for a television series in the states, Logan knows this latest stunt is guaranteed to rack up the views he needs to knock his numbers out of the park. When the unwitting player in his perfect pitch cries foul, Logan vows to see the prank go live, even if he has to chase the Yank with the smart mouth and hot lips across the pond to seal the deal. Turns out, the joke’s on Logan once he realizes he’d risk his fifteen minutes of fame for a chance at a lifetime with Cassie. But with her career on the line, is Cassie willing to risk the same?

If any of that sounds familiar—that’s because it is. SOMETIMES YOU NEED A SEXY SCOT was also a GOLDEN HEART® finalist in 2016. To be honest, last month, when my phone rang the morning of RITAGH call day, I wasn’t excited (ok, I was a little excited…it was Alyssa Day on the line!), I was relieved. I had been very unsure about entering the same title in the Golden Heart two years in a row. Yes, the story had undergone revisions after I signed with my agent last spring (Pamela Harty of The Knight Agency), but still, as a previous finalist, did my story deserve another turn on the dance floor? A few things convinced me—the main one being my fellow 2016 finalists who strongly encouraged me to re-enter Sexy Scot. As an unpublished author (who wasn’t even on submission yet) I had nothing to lose (except my $30 entry fee) and everything to gain by entering again. So, I plunked my thirty bucks down and sent my Scot in.

Now I can say I’m thrilled to be a finalist again this year. The best part about being a Golden Heart finalist is the community of authors created within each year’s class. I’ll call it a sisterhood, since both groups I belong to (2016 and 2017) are all females, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. Our ages range from our 20’s to 60+. We are from all over the country…all over the world. I have Golden Heart sisters in Canada, England, New Zealand, and Australia. After this year’s finalists were announced, last year’s GH winner for Contemporary Romance called to congratulate me—from Sydney! I’m still very connected to many of my GH16 sisters (the Mermaids) and often reach out to them for advice and support, and offer it as well! Having the opportunity to form similar bonds with another fantastic group this year…like I said, it’s the best part of being a finalist.

I am looking forward to heading to the conference this summer, even if my hair isn’t (I’m a curly girl and Orlando in July…hello, humidity!). It’s Disney World—a place of magic—where dreams come true. The happiest place on earth is the perfect place to celebrate romance, and the promise of a happy ever after. Hope to see you there!

---

WisRWA’s 2017 Contest Winners Announced!

Wisconsin Romance Writers of America is delighted to announce the final rankings of both of our contests.  We would also like to offer our congratulations to the winners.  Winners were announced May 20, 2017 at the Awards Luncheon during the Write Touch Conference.

***denotes WisRWA member

WisRWA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Fab Five Contest:

*** denotes WisRWA member

Contemporary

First Place
Monique Headley – Hard Lessons

Second Place
Christina Hovland – Things I Wish I’d Known

Third Place
Belinda Brooks – Home Again

Fourth Place
Kate Courtright – Time and Again

Honorable Mention
Kate Courtright – You are Love

Historical

First Place
Abigail Wilson – The Secrets Within the Tower

Second Place
Elizabeth Everett – The Rescue of Lord Grange

Third Place
Carol Potenza – Second Choice

Fourth Place
Avery Cove – Fragile Hearts

Honorable Mention
Elizabeth Everett – The Seduction of Mrs. Smith

Inspirational

First Place
Sharee Stover – Believable Lies

Second Place
Pattie Stockdale – The Measure of a Memory

Third Place
Kathryn Barker – Catch a Falling Angel

Fourth Place
Izzy James – The Shopkeeper’s Widow

Honorable Mention
Angela E. Arndt – The Beekeeper’s Daughter

Paranormal

First Place
Paige Helton – Witch’s Veil

Second Place
Chris Westwater – Wolfling

Third Place
Anne Reed – Dark Matter

Fourth Place
Kat Turner – Magical Thinking

Honorable Mention
Chel Chavez – The Heir of Erois (Book 1)

Romantic Suspense

First Place
Jeanine Englert – Lovely Digits

Second Place
Barbara Forlenza – Forbidden Paradise

Third Place
Barbara Forlenza – Beyond Paradise

Fourth Place
Lori Matthews- Hit & Run

Honorable Mention
Kelly Duff*** – Tame My Racing Heart

Women’s Fiction

First Place
Linda J. Truesdell – The Mending Time

Second Place
Debbie Archer – Pocket Change

Third Place
Wendi Dass – Liebling

Fourth Place
Kristi Rhodes – The Tropical Transformation of Joanie Weston

Honorable Mention
Vicki Volden – Both

Young Adult/New Adult

First Place
Riley Darkes – Serving Time

Second Place
Rachel Berens-VanHeest – A Gift of Crows

Third Place
Laura Cumbie – From Here to There

Fourth Place
Christine Gunderson – Covenant Park

Honorable Mention
Monica Headley – Off the Rails

 

---

 

 

Contemporary – Long

First Place
Melynda Price – Fighting For Control

Second Place
Dawn Tomasko – Tides of Hope

Third Place
Babette de Jongh – Angel Falls

 

Contemporary – Midlength

First Place
Sara Dahmen*** – Wine and Children

Second Place
Sierra Hill – Sweet Girl

Third Place
Valerie Clairizio*** – Family Forever

 

Contemporary – Short

First Place
Stacey Joy Netzel*** – Spring Dreams

Second Place
Joanne Dannon – Wanting Mr. Right

Third Place
Brenna Ash – Second Chances

 

Erotic Romance

First Place
Jade Chandler – Enough

Second Place
LaQuette – Lies You Tell

Third Place
Suzanne Eglington – She’s Got The Jack

 

Historical

First Place
Margaret Mallory – Claimed by a Highlander

Second Place
Vonda Sinclair – Highlander Unbroken

Third Place
Amy Sandas*** – Luck is no Lady

 

Inspirational

First Place
Laura Scott*** – Shielding His Christmas Witness

Second Place
Aubrey Wynne – Paper Love

Third Place
Mary Bentley-Lloyd – Pirate’s Treasure

 

Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance Theme

First Place
Robin Perini – Forgotten Secrets

Second Place
Kate Forest – Interior Design and Other Emotions

Third Place
Bev Pettersen – Millionaire’s Shot

 

Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy

First Place
Marissa Doyle- Skin Deep

Second Place
Marie Johnson – Birthright

Third Place
Marie Johnson – Ancient Ties

 

Romantic Suspense

First Place
Abbie Roads -Hunt the Dawn

Second Place
Tara Wyatt – Necessary Risk

Third Place
Vicki Tharp – In Her Defense

 

Young Adult

First Place
Tricia Cerrone – Glisten

Second Place
Katherine Fleet – The Secret of Letting Go

Third Place
j. leigh bailey – Guyliner

---

How I Cobbled Together An Audiobook: Part 1

Now that I have an audiobook, I thought I’d share how I did it. My process won’t necessarily work for everyone, and that’s OK. But hopefully, reading about my experience will provide you the confidence and willingness to at least get started in the process!

As someone who comes from a production background in television and radio, I know I have a bit of an advantage over where to look for voices and what kind of talent I am looking for. I’m no expert, but I have some working knowledge and connections that I’d be glad to share. I am happy to talk to any of you lovely authors about your questions on how to get into audiobooks.

Not everyone’s journey to creating an audiobook is the same. There are a lot of pre-packaged studio and narrator options available to indie and self-published authors, and while I’m not going to list them all here, a simple Google search will turn up a majority of those choices compiled in one place. An excellent starting source is this article by Allison Schiff on the Publisher’s Weekly blog.

When deciding to produce your book into an audiobook, you need to decide what kind of voice you’d like to have narrate it. Unless you understand studio time and are willing to pay fees for access, I highly recommend you don’t sit at home and record this on your computer yourself. It will result in poor quality audio that will likely be rejected by most outlets. This leaves you with looking for voice talent.

You must know the following:

1. Approximate age of your narrating voice
2. Gender
3. Whether you want any accents used
4. Voice variety (such as whether you want multiple actors to voice different characters, or have one voice over (VO) actor play parts by changing his or her voice).
   • The more voices you use, the more expensive this project becomes, not only in the need to pay more talent, but the additional scheduling and studio times you may need
5. Voice quality (youthful? mature? melodious? dry?
6. Be prepared, unless you’re shelling out a bunch of money, to allow your VO artist some artistic license. They may not read one sentence the way you always envisioned it in your head. Micromanaging will get pricey, and also frustrating for everyone involved. This is not unlike getting your book made into a movie. The director and other actors will have their own way to portray your characters and you wouldn’t get much of a say unless, say, you’re Diana Gabaldon.

Once you know what you’re looking for in a VO actor, you may start to search. Some authors prefer to work with a one-stop-shop such as ACX with Amazon, or other larger production houses. They’ll have some great talent voices for you to choose from. I preferred to have more control over my choices as well as my production (as well as save some money).

I also wanted to use non-union talent because it gave me, the “buyer,” far more purchasing power and say in pricing. Union talent will have required costs for their time and set prices for their hours. They’ll also retain some license over the finished work, usually getting a percent of the profits of the audiobook sales in perpetuity (that’s fancy speak for forever). Without the “in perpetuity” clause, you may have to re-up their contract with you after a given number of weeks or months, which can result in a re-negotiation of their pay-out. I’ve worked with the likes of John Corbett and others when it comes to licensing voice overs and it’s a big paperwork headache. A lot of people need to get paid (by you) to have access to a union voice after the usage time has run out.

Thus, I went here to search for non-union voices. They have a ton! The trickiest part is listening to so many and making sure you pick someone who doesn’t sound too much like someone who makes happy-go-lucky cereal commercials for a living. You want someone who is going to take your project seriously and invest some time into it. I find it helps to close my eyes, stop thinking, and really let the voice hit me viscerally as I listen to each one. Go back and re-listen to them several times, giving yourself a few days to digest.

After you’ve created your book project, you can allow people to bid on it, or you can ask your favorite voices to bid. I did a little of both, and was very happy when my first choice said she was in! We signed a very simple contract and I received all rights in perpetuity to the finished audiobook, and gave her a single, one-time flat rate (it came in under $600 for a 85K word book). I did give her a substantial cash tip of $150 afterwards for all the additional work she did on the book, and because I hope to work with her again in the future.

You’ll be listening to the book through at least twice – the first time to listen for errors, and the second time to make sure they are all caught – so plan for many hours of sitting and taking notes. It goes faster than you realize.

Then, make sure you have the files in a few ways – Amazon/ACX asks for each chapter to be sent separately, and has a lot of rules, so when finishing the project, make sure the files comply. iTunesConnect is another publishing option. I also asked for the files in bulk so the book is in two big separate files instead of a bunch of little ones. It’s always nice to have options. You can use online file drops to save your inbox such as DropBox or even Google Drive.

In my next post, I’ll dive into the process of uploading files to ACX.

by Sara Dahmen

Sara Dahmen is the award-winning author of Doctor Kinney’s Housekeeper, a metalsmith, American cookware designer and manufacturer, and a mom. You can reach her @saradahmenbooks or at sara@saradahmen.com.

---

Promotion Thursday – May Edition

It’s Promotion Thursday for May. Check out where you can find our WisRWA authors this month.

Tina Susedik is starting a new venture. She will be hosting her own radio show on Authors on the Air starting in June. Her show, “The Book Garden” will feature authors in both fiction and non-fiction. Authors on the Air Global Radio Network has sixteen shows running both live and as podcasts. Tina will be hosting her show twice a month, once as a live broadcast and once as a podcast. She will be looking for compelling, published authors to talk with her on “The Book Garden.” More information as to her start date will be forthcoming.

Stacey Joy Netzel will be participating in the launch party for her new multi-author Beach Brides Series. The launch party runs from 12n-6p EST/11a-5p CST, and Stacey will be co-hosting the hour of 3-4p EST/2-3p CST. Join in for fun, games, and a bunch of prizes!

 

---