Romance, Erotic, or Christian...

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be for couples, but if you are a writer – why not give yourself a gift or ask your significant other to buy that in lieu of chocolates. Guaranteed these books will not add to your waist line. They just might give you some new ideas, for both writing and personal use. {grin} Below you will find some from my arsenal. I have shelves and shelves of how to books.

I was perusing my writing romance books for a writer’s group I founded and host once a month in my home. These writers are in various stages of discovering they want to write. Some haven’t decided what genre yet, some write sermons, or lesson plans and want to do more. Some are into genealogy and creative non-fiction, yet there are those who want to write mystery, suspense, plays, screen plays, Young Adult, Thriller and yes even romance. While most of these books would be appropriate for all of them. I think I would have to keep those below that deal with the erotic to myself. They are all full of good methods for writing however – so don’t shy away from a how to book just because it isn’t your genre.
I have found I learn from every manual I read.

How to Write Romance for the New Markets, by Kathryn Falk
Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin
Writing Romances, A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America, Edited by Rita Gallagher, and Rita Clay Estrada
Writing a romance novel for Dummies by Leslie Wainger
The Easy Way to Write Romance, by Rob Parnell
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to: Getting Your Romance Published, by Julie Beard
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance, by Alison Kent
Secret Sexual Positions, Ancient Techniques for Modern Lover’s by Kenneth Ray Stubbs, Ph D
Extraordinary Sex Now, by Dr. Sandra R Scantling
The Bald-Headed Hermit and the Artichoke, an Erotic Thesaurus. By A.D. Peterkin.
“Entertaining and very funny,” says Hustler Magazine. Just so you know A. D. Peterkin is a Toronto psychiatrist and journalist. Kind of makes you wonder what beat he covers.
But if you are bored with the trite and over-used check this book out.
http://www.cricket-sawyer.com

Rejection Connection

If nothing else, rejection teaches us strength and perseverance. Readers don't see rejections, but we feel them--they hurt - we should ignore them because they are, after all, one person's opinion only. And if you don't persevere you may never see THAT book get published. Thank You Siren BookStrand for publishing Spider Island - released the 13th of this month. But in case you are waiting for that acceptance, take heart - Here are 12 reasons to persevere.

CELEBRATION OF REJECTION
From the pages of, How to Get a Literary Agent by Michael Larsen

1. 112 Books Louis L’Amour though he received rejections. He received 200 rejections before he sold his first novel. During the last forty years Bantam has shipped nearly three hundred million of his one hundred twelve books, making him their biggest-selling author.
2. 600+ rejection slips wall paper Jack London’s home.
3. 774 rejection slips for John Creasy who went on to publish under 13 pseudonyms 564 books
4. 14 rejected Pearl S Buck finally published The Good Earth
5. 20 rejections didn’t stop Jonathan Livingston Seagull’s publication and you know how famous it became, written by Richard Bach
6. 40 rejections before she sold her first book didn’t stop Mary Higgins Clark
7. 200 rejections Roots by Alex Haley was published.
8. 15 publishers and 30 agents rejected John Grisham’s A Time to Kill before it was finally published.
9. 375 publishers rejected naked in Deccan over seven years before the Baltimore Sun deemed it a classic.
10. Dr Seuss – 24 in his file of rejections before his first books was published
11. 8 years after the novel Steps won the National Book Award, Jerzy Kosinski allowed it to be send out again with a name change to 13 agents and 14 publishers – all of them rejected it, including Random House, which originally published it. Proves the plight of new writers trying to get recognition or a publishing contract.
12. The New Yorker rejected a short story by Saul Bellow after he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

So there you have it. Don’t let a little pile of rejections stop you from persevering in your desire to be a published author. The three P’s of getting published Polish, Persist, Persevere.

Any Season--Any Reason

You have to admit these are perfect gifts - Books that is - The printed word will never go out of style for any gift giving reason.

--
Two pertinent lists from Jessica James, author of Shades of Gray, posted on Amazon:

Top Five Reasons Why Guys Should Give Books as Gifts

5: She can't connect with a new sweater like she can with a book.
4: Hey guys, they're easy to wrap!
3: They come in all sizes, shapes and colors--what could be easier?
2: It's cheaper than a romantic getaway but can produce the same result.
1: Books are gifts of love and joy--and can create everlasting memories.

Top Five Reasons Why Girls Should Give Books as Gifts:

5: They're easy to store--on coffeetables, bookshelves, nightstands or countertops.
4: They never go bad no matter how long they're stored--and they can be used quickly or savored over time.
3: Books can teach, educate, entertain--and distract him from football.
2: It's a small investment that can return dividends for life.
1: Books are the perfect gift of enjoyment that don't require him to leave his chair.

[Thanks to Traci A. Lower.]
Billie/Cricket

Don't Wait For Your Ship to Come in Swim out to it!

In my morning reading today I came across this quote by Jonathan Winters: "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to meet it."
There was another a day or too earlier that said something, "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." Abraham Lincoln.

In other words, the only thing that will create success, or create that book you've been waiting to write, or create some other printed words you dream to have written, is ACTION. There is no way around it if you don't put your butt in a chair and write - you will never publish a word. You need to banish all fear of failing, of making a mistake -- mistakes are the lessons of life.

This Frank and Ernest cartoon strip says it all. Frank is at the counter at an employment office he has a long long sheet of paper he is apparently reading from to the guy who is taking his application. The caption says--"I don't have any formal education so I brought you a list of the mistakes I've learned from."

Feel the fear and do it anyway is almost a buzz word nowadays, but it's absolute truth. Do not be afraid of mistakes, no one is perfect. Perfectionism will stall you in your tracks. Not that you should adopt a careless, reckless, not-give-a-darn attitude. You should do the best that you can do with what you have at this very moment and let the rest happen.

"You can never learn less; you can only learn more. The reason I know so much is because I have made so many mistakes," says Buckminster Fuller (a mathematician and philosopher who never graduated from college but received 46 honorary doctorates.

Imagine!
Write Like The Wind
Billie/Cricket
Lavender Lust
ISBN 1-60601-136-7

Come over the prizes, the fun , has just begun

I's release day Check it out!
IT’S A PARTY AND YOU’RE INVITED!
RELEASE DAY PARTY FOR

Lavender Lust
By Cricket Sawyer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFv1VugU1s

Release date: SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Men from the Recreation League basketball team
Are dying one after the other. Each of them
Murdered. Each corpse has the serial killer’s
signature of a Purple feather. And fledgling
psychic Heather Highmark sees something no
one else can see…
Purple haze floats above each of the victims
A face appears in it—who is it? She needs
To find out, her life, her brother Roy or her
Lover Langdon Cruise could be the next
Victim of the Purple Feather Murderer.

It’s Time for a Party to celebrate!
Come join me at Cricket’s Hearth on Tuesday, September 30
All day – prizes galore, excerpts and more…
http://cricketshearth.blogspot.com

Order your copy of Lavender Lust from
Siren/Bookstrand (http://www.sirenbookstrand.com )and send me your receipt for a
Chance to win the grand prize of an uncut, lavender/ Amethyst stone
or a join in the festivities to win a Dream catcher key chain— or one of many other
Prizes to be given away. To see more of the prizes visit Cricket’s website
at http://www.cricket-sawyer.com
Then join the fun at the Hearth on September 30, 2008
http://www.cricketshearth.blogspot.com

Do the jigsaw puzzle of the cover —the fastest time will win a download copy of The Great White Bull—a paranormal erotic romantic suspense. You’ll find the jigsaw puzzles at
http://www.cricket-sawyer.com/PUZZLES.html
Send me your time for doing the Lavender Lust cover – you have a chance between midnight September 29 to midnight September 30 — I will take the fastest time from all players – if there is a tie I will draw a winner.

It's Party Time - September 30 all day!

Hear ye! Hear ye! Cricket Sawyer - Lavender Lust - Bookstrand


IT’S A PARTY AND YOU’RE INVITED!
RELEASE DAY PARTY FOR

LAVENDER LUST
ISBN 1-60601-136-7
By Cricket Sawyer

Release date: SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFv1VugU1s



Men from the Recreation League basketball team Are dying one after the other. Each of them Murdered. Each corpse has the serial killer’s signature of a Purple feather. And fledgling psychic Heather Highmark sees something no one else can see…
Purple haze floats above each of the victims A face appears in it—who is it? She needs To find out, her life, her brother Roy or her Lover Langdon Cruise could be the next Victim of the Purple Feather Murderer.

It’s Time for a Party to celebrate!
Come join me at Cricket’s Hearth on Tuesday, September 30
All day – prizes galore, excerpts and more…
http://cricketshearth.blogspot.com

Order your copy of Lavender Lust ISBN 1-60601-136-7 from
Siren/Bookstrand (http://www.sirenbookstrand.com )and send me your receipt for a Chance to win the grand prize of an uncut lavender/ Amethyst stone or a join in the festivities to win a Dream catcher key chain— or one of many other Prizes to be given away. To see more of the prizes visit

Cricket’s website at http://www.cricket-sawyer.com
Then join the fun at the Hearth on September 30, 2008
http://cricketshearth.blogspot.com

Do the jigsaw puzzle of the cover —the fastest time will win a download copy of The Great White Bull—a paranormal erotic romantic suspense. You’ll find the jigsaw puzzles at
http://www.cricket-sawyer.com/PUZZLES.html

send me your time for doing the Lavender Lust cover – you have a chance between midnight September 29 to midnight September 30 — I will take the fastest time from all players – if there is a tie I will draw a winner.