LaConnie Taylor-Jones

Did you know…Barbara Cartland is the world’s top-selling author with over 500 million copies sold!

Ms. Cartland was an English author, known for her numerous romance novels. She also became one of the United Kingdom’s most popular media personalities, appearing often at public events and on television, dressed in her trademark pink and discoursing on love, health and social political issues. Other than her fictional romance books, she also wrote books on health and nutrition, advocating vitamin supplementation, as well as biographies and stage plays. She was often billed as the Queen of Romance.

Have you ever wondered what steps are involved to produce a romance novel? Well wonder no more! Click here and review author, Stephanie Bond’s step-by-step process on “The Making of a Romance Novel.”

However, before you can produce a romance novel, there are a few things you should know. First, the 2008 report from Simba Information reported that romance fiction generated a whopping 1.37 billion dollars in revenue despite the worst economic slid since the Great Depression and snagged the largest share of the consumer market. Why is this? Despite the cynicism of some for romance fiction, it has proven to be smart, fresh and diverse.

Secondly, you first need to know how to write a romance novel. “Know the romance market,” says Sheri McGregor, author of “Under One Roof.” Romance novels make up more than 50 percent of mass market fiction. “Read in the genre and find where you think your story ideas fit. Get the guidelines. Then write your story with the market in mind, without letting go of your story’s heart,” McGregor says.

1. Know the story you want to tell, and know your characters.
2. Join a writer’s critique group, either online or face-to-face.
3. Write, write and write more. Nothing helps more than practicing your craft.
4. Develop a thick skin. No one writes a masterpiece the first time.
5. Learn from criticism, but don’t lose the voice that makes your writing unique.
6. Read books about writing, such as Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird,” Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones,” or Evan Marshall’s “The Marshall Plan for Writing a
Novel.”
7. Study your market, and be prepared to write for a specific genre.
8. Become familiar with the publishers in your genre and subgenre.
9. Join a romance writers’ club and attend writers’ conferences. Make sure to schmooze with agents at these conferences.
10. Submit your book to an agent to make the rounds of publishers.

Blessed is the author who continues to write despite the circumstances in their lives, for eventually their story will be published. Times are tough in the publishing industry? Write! Your personal life is going to hell faster than a jet? Write! You can’t find an agent? Write! Your manuscript is still orphaned? Write! Your book finally sold? Keep writing!

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TIME TO WRITE?

I absolutely have a special time to write. It’s when the duties of mother, maid, cook, chauffer, doctor, business owner and referrer have ended. It’s when I stumble down the stairs, groping in semi-darkness for my best friend, the coffeepot. It’s when there’s graveyard silence in my house.

The illuminated numbers on the clock indicate one in the morning.

It’s the right time for me to write.

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!

HOW CAN I GET MY BOOK PUBLISHED?

The first tip I’d give an aspiring author is to prepare. Preparation can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as: reading books from authors published in the genre you want to writing in, taking courses or workshops, entering contests, and if possible, speaking with published authors in your targeted genre. Once you have a workable draft of your manuscript, join a critique group and above all, accept constructive feedback. All of these things will help in the end so that you provide a quality product for agents and editors to review.

A couple of books I’d highly encourage aspiring authors to purchase are: Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen and Writing Novels that Sells by Jack Bickham.

See you on the New York Times Bestsellers List!!

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!

. . . the world’s first novel was written by a woman!

In the year 1007, a Japanese noble woman named Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world’s first full novel entitled, The Tale of Genji. This is the story of a prince looking for love and wisdom. In its English translation it covers 54 chapters over 1000 pages of text.

In the spring of 2003, I accepted a dare from my late husband to write a romance novel. I soon discovered the challenge was easier said than done. Before then, I knew the romance industry from a reader’s perspective. If I was to be successful at this venture, I needed to understand the industry from a writer’s perspective and research was the only way to do it. For the next three months, I probed every source I could and the acronym RWA popped up over and over and over.

Curious to know more, I dug a little deeper and discovered that an impressive African-American influence had been woven into the fiber of RWA from the beginning. Since 1981, this association has advanced the professional interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy. However, the existence of an organization with over 10,000 members today would not have been possible without the vision and of its Founder, Vivian Stephens.

As the editor for Harlequin, Dell (Candlelight Romances) and Bantam, Ms. Stephens launched the careers of authors such as Sandra Brown and Jayne Ann Krentz, but didn’t stop there. Recognizing the importance of getting African-American romance published, Ms. Stephens established Women Writers of Color with the goal of assisting African-Americans who wrote commercial fiction with people of color as the major characters and guiding them to ultimate publication.

Multi-published author, Shirley Hailstock walked through the doors opened twenty-years earlier as the first African-American board member for RWA. In 2002 she became the first African-American president of the largest genre writer’s organization in the world.

The year 2010 ushered in another milestone for RWA. My author colleague and friend, Michelle Monkou was elected President. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to attend the convention in Orlando when Michelle assumed the reins. Congratulations, Michelle!

Thank you is such a simplistic phrase, but it’s the only one I can find to express my heartfelt gratitude for the courage, wisdom and leadership these three pioneers have given to the largest consumer market that’s 1.37 billion dollars strong.

Until next time – stay well and be blessed!

SO, WHEN WILL YOU WRITE SO-IN-SO’S STORY?

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What the heck is Dear Author Friday? Thanks for asking. Shortly after I became published, fans would shoot me an e-mail with a particular question and I’d respond back. A few weeks ago, I realized how many questions and answers had accumulated over the past three years and decided it might be fun to share them. So beginning today, l’ll post some of those questions and answers every other Friday.

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The prevention and screening treatments for testicular cancer

There is no standard or routine screening test for the early detection of testicular cancer. Also, there are no proven ways to prevent testicular cancer. However, performing monthly TSE’s and knowing the symptoms of testicular cancer increases the possibility of detecting the disease at an early stage, when it’s most curable.

National Cancer Institute

Treatment of testicular cancer

There are several ways to treat testicular cancer once it is initially diagnosed. The most common way starts with an orchiectomy, which is the surgical procedure to remove the testicular mass. Once removed, the mass is sent to a pathologist to determine if it is indeed malignant and if so, the stage of the cancer. Other treatment options include: Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection, Chemotherapy, Radiation and Surveillance.

Men may experience a wide range of emotions after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. However, do not, and I repeat, do not let these emotions interfere with understanding and receiving appropriate treatment options. In addition to speaking with a health care provider, men should join a support group to discuss their feelings with others who’ve had similar feelings.

WebMD.com