A Rose by Any Other Name

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

The above quote is from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. How important is a person’s name? I recently read an article about author pen names that got me thinking about this question.

This is from the article by Sapiens: “Names are an essential part of our everyday lives. But for romance writers, they are something more: tools for career success. Writers create new names with the aim of using them to manage and increase their readership. They use them to preserve anonymity, to separate their work in different genres, and to create a brand.”

The article also states this: “The name should be short so it can be large on the book cover, and it should be easy to spell. It should be near the beginning of the alphabet so your books don’t end up near the floor on bookstore shelves. And you should think about which authors would be placed next to your book in an alphabetically arranged order.” With digital books, this isn’t as important.

According to the article, Anglophone names that are fairly short, like Wiggs and Roberts, are popular for romance authors. Even French-Canadian authors are advised to Anglicize their names. Western literature has a long history of pen names. Women authors, especially in the nineteenth century, took male pen names. Even today, women who write in more male-dominated genres choose male names or gender-neutral names.

Up until the late twentieth century, publishers controlled romance authors’ names. In some cases, writers’ contracts stated they could not use that publisher’s pen name to write for other publishers.

Authors choose to use a pseudonym for different reasons. Some may write under a different name for different sub-genres. Some may want to reinvent themselves. No one knows if a new name can help a career, but some romance authors have branded themselves with a new name to revive a flagging career. A writer’s name is her brand.

I always wanted to publish under my real name. I’d worked really hard for a lot of years to publish, and darn it, I was using my own name so everyone would know my hard work paid off. My first book, A Catered Affair, from Avalon Books, was published as Carolyn Matkowsky, my true name. 

I think Matkowsky is easy to spell and pronounce. Just divide it into three syllables. However, we Americans have trouble pronouncing and spelling names over two syllables. In 2003, the year my Avalon book came out, I was nominated by readers of Affaire de Coeur Magazine as an up and coming author. I loved the nomination, but not the way the magazine fractured my name. Since my book was only available in libraries, I figured the readers who nominated me didn’t have a copy of my book in front of them when they submitted my name. And they couldn’t remember the spelling. 

I decided I needed a shorter name that was easier to spell and pronounce. I published my second book, Logan’s Redemption, from The Wild Rose Press, in 2007, under my new name.

Coming up with a fictitious name wasn’t easy. I wanted a name that meant something to me. My heritage is Mediterranean, 92% Italian with the rest Greece and the Balkans. Not a drop of English blood. I wanted a name that reflected my Italian heritage, which is why I discounted using an Anglo name.

I’d used my married name, Matkowsky, and that didn’t work. My maiden name is Palmarella, so that wouldn’t work. I thought of shortening Palmarella to Palmer, but didn’t reflect who I am. All my life, I’ve had a unique name. I wasn’t comfortable with something more common. I came up with Marsi after a trip to Italy in 2006. The Marsi were an important tribe during Roman times. They fought the Romans, then became allies. The Marsi originated in the province of Abruzzo, where my relatives are from. My own family tribe is the Marruccini. I found this out from an Australian cousin. I couldn’t use Marruccini either. I went with Marsi because it reflects my heritage and it’s short and easy to spell and pronounce.

I had to choose a first name. I chose Cara, which is sometimes used as a nickname for Carolyn. I’ve never had a nickname. My friends and family call me Carolyn. Cara goes well with Marsi, but I now wish I’d kept my true first name because many readers and authors know me as Cara and that’s what they call me.

I make no secret of my alter ego. My real name is splashed all over social media, along with my pen name. My Facebook pages are under Cara Marsi, but on my regular page you can see my real name, Carolyn Palmarella Matkowsky. I post as Cara Marsi, but friends and family will call me Carolyn when they post responses. I answer to Cara and Carolyn.

Fun fact: Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who nearly toppled Republican Brian Kemp last fall, writes romance novels under the name Selena Montgomery.

What about you authors? Do you have a pen name? Why? Or why not? How did you decide on a name?

Since we’re talking pen names, here’s some shameless promotion for Cara Marsi’s newest release, available for pre-order now.

WEDDED ON A DARE (LOVE ON A DARE BOOK 2)

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.

Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?

As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.

The Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Wedded-Dare-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B07NLMJQKX/?tag=carmaraut-20

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130555268?ean=2940161257739

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wedded-on-a-dare

Escargot or No

According to the National Day Calendar, today, May 24, is National Escargot Day. I wonder where they come up with this stuff. Since I blog on the 24th of each month, I wanted to write a blog around whatever the national day is for that date. When I saw National Escargot Day, I groaned. How could I write about escargot and relate it somehow to my books? I decided to give it a shot.

I’m not afraid to experiment with new foods. I’ve eaten kangaroo in Australia and alligator in Charleston, South Carolina. They both taste like chicken. I draw the line at horse meat, though. Once on a trip to Italy, some meat was placed in front of me that I didn’t quite trust. I didn’t eat it. Found out later it was horse meat. Europeans eat horse meat. No thanks.

I ate escargot once many years ago. I don’t remember where I had it, possibly Toronto, Canada, when I lived there, or a restaurant in Philadelphia. All I remember is the garlic. The snails themselves had no taste, but were swimming in garlic. I never ate escargot again. Tried it once and that was enough.

Unlike my willingness to try different foods, I’ve not gone outside my writer comfort zone as much as I would have liked. I love contemporary romance and have pretty much stuck to that. I do have several “foodie” romances, as I love to cook. I stretched myself to write my first romantic suspense, Logan’s Redemption (Redemption Book 1), and enjoyed the experience so much, I’ve gone on to write three more romantic suspense stories. And I intend to write more.

My biggest stretch was writing my very dark paranormal romance, Cursed Mates. This book is so different from anything I’ve ever written. It’s one of my favorites. It took a lot out of me emotionally to write something so dark, and I’ve not written another dark paranormal since.

I think pushing myself to go out of my contemporary romance comfort zone has helped me grow as a writer. As I will most likely not eat escargot again, I doubt I’ll write another dark paranormal, but I’m glad for the experience. And I got a book I love and am proud of.

Are you a fearless eater, willing to try exotic foods at least once? Have you written stories that took you out of your comfort zone? How’d that work out for you?

I always figured my next “stretch” would be to write a historical romance. For years, I’ve wanted to write a book set during the Gilded Age, a time that fascinates me. I even have a rough plot. Just as I hope to have the opportunity to try more exotic foods, I hope to someday write this book.

Although I may not have written my Gilded Age story yet, I did write my first historical romance last year. My story, We’ve Only Just Begun, after the Carpenters song, is set in 1971. Ironic that it’s considered “historical” when it’s the year I started dating my husband. We’ve Only Just Begun is part of a seven-story anthology, Brandywine Brides: A Blackwood Legacy Anthology. All of us authors are local, from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We meet for lunch once a month and call ourselves Writers Who Lunch. One author is a NYT and USAT bestselling author, and another is a USAT author. Several of us are award-winning. We came up with the idea of doing an anthology together, using a local setting, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The stories are about one family, the Blackwoods, from the 1700’s to present day.

I didn’t have to “stretch” myself too much to write We’ve Only Just Begun. I wrote much of it from memory. Talk about feeling old, when you can write historical fiction from your own experiences. My hero, Stephen Blackwood, is a Vietnam War combat vet with PTSD, only then we called it “shell-shock.” My husband is a Vietnam War combat vet, and he helped me with some of the military terms. I dedicated my story to him and to my cousin, a medic, who was killed in ‘Nam days before Christmas in 1968. Writing my novella brought back some sad memories.

We authors are very proud of our anthology. I hope you’ll read it. I think you’ll find all the stories heartwarming.

BRANDYWINE Brides ~ A Blackwood Legacy Anthology
One Family – Seven Generations – A Legacy of Love

Almost three centuries ago, a Scottish convict was sold into indentured servitude in Philadelphia and given a second chance at a life far from the country of his birth. In the years since, the farm secured by Finlan Blackwood’s efforts would grow and thrive in the Brandywine River valley just as his family and descendants did. Today, Blackwood Farm is one of the largest and most successful farms in Chester County. But it took the sacrifices and best efforts of each generation to make it so. 

1721 – In A Traitor’s Heart by Terri Brisbin, a convicted traitor from the Jacobite Rising must find a way to rescue a widow from an unscrupulous man’s plans for her. . . and for the lands she holds. 

1779 – In A Patriots’ Heart by Gwendolyn Schuler, a wounded British officer hiding a secret puts the daughter of Blackwood Farm’s owner in danger by his presence in their home.

1865 – In Wounded Heart by Martha Schroeder, a damaged Union soldier arrives home to find his childhood sweetheart is the one trying to save his family’s farm. 

1919 – In Heart’s Song by Georgia Dickson, when the current owner of Blackwood Farm returns from the Great War, everything looks different to him, even the possibility of love.

1943 – In Painted Promises by Kate Welsh, the Blackwood heir, working for the war effort at home, is the only one who can help a woman who fought with the resistance in Europe before she escaped the horrors of war. 

1971 – In We’ve Only Just Begun by Cara Marsi, the Blackwood son, suffering from the effects of Vietnam, meets exactly the kind of woman he needs, even if she doesn’t want to be the one. 

2017 – In Finn’s Legacy by Mariah Stewart, when a writer comes to Blackwood Farm to interview the family matriarch, the last thing she expects is a reunion with the man who broke her heart before he left for Iraq four years ago. 

Seven Blackwood generations. Seven loves worth fighting for!

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJF54HH/?tag=carmaraut-20

BN          https://goo.gl/wE7q09

 Kobo     https://goo.gl/LlZX7j

 iBooks   https://goo.gl/poZAdZ

Escargot Or No

According to the National Day Calendar, today, May 24, is National Escargot Day. I wonder where they come up with this stuff. Since I blog on the 24th of each month, I wanted to write a blog around whatever the national day is for that date. When I saw National Escargot Day, I groaned. How could I write about escargot and relate it somehow to my books? I decided to give it a shot.

I’m not afraid to experiment with new foods. I’ve eaten kangaroo in Australia and alligator in Charleston, South Carolina. They both taste like chicken. I draw the line at horse meat, though. Once on a trip to Italy, some meat was placed in front of me that I didn’t quite trust. I didn’t eat it. Found out later it was horse meat. Europeans eat horse meat. No thanks.

I ate escargot once many years ago. I don’t remember where I had it, possibly Toronto, Canada, when I lived there, or a restaurant in Philadelphia. All I remember is the garlic. The snails themselves had no taste, but were swimming in garlic. I never ate escargot again. Tried it once and that was enough.

Unlike my willingness to try different foods, I’ve not gone outside my writer comfort zone as much as I would have liked. I love contemporary romance and have pretty much stuck to that. I do have several “foodie” romances, as I love to cook. I stretched myself to write my first romantic suspense, Logan’s Redemption (Redemption Book 1), and enjoyed the experience so much, I’ve gone on to write three more romantic suspense stories. And I intend to write more.

My biggest stretch was writing my very dark paranormal romance, Cursed Mates. This book is so different from anything I’ve ever written. It’s one of my favorites of everything I’ve done. It took a lot out of me emotionally to write something so dark, and I’ve not written another dark paranormal since.

I think pushing myself to go out of my contemporary romance comfort zone has helped me grow as a writer. As I will most likely not eat escargot again, I doubt I’ll write another dark paranormal, but I’m glad for the experience. And I got a book I love and am proud of.

My next “stretch” will be to write a historical romance. For years, I’ve wanted to write a book set during the Gilded Age, a time that fascinates me. I even have a rough plot. Just as I hope to have the opportunity to try more exotic foods, I hope to someday write this book. In the meantime, I’m committed to a boxed set with some local authors, several of whom are NYT and USAT bestsellers. In this set, I’ll write a historical romance, if you call 1970-1971 historical. I’ll rely on my own memory plus some research to write my Vietnam War era story. Who knew a period during my lifetime would now be considered history?

What about you? Are you a fearless eater, willing to try exotic foods at least once? Have you written stories that took you out of your comfort zone? How’d that work out for you?

Below are covers for my first foodie romance, A Catered Romance, and my most recent foodie story, Capri Nights. Also the cover for Logan’s Redemption, which is free now, and the cover for Cursed Mates. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite to try my stories.

 Buy Links:

Cursed Mates: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Mates-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B00JK5AHLS/?tag=carmaraut-20

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cursed-mates-cara-marsi/1104197347

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/427944

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cursed-mates

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cursed-mates/id858952514

  Print: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Mates-Cara-Marsi/dp/0991597583

Capri Nights:

http://www.amazon.com/Capri-Nights-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B01E2SR5KI/?tag=carmaraut-20

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Capri-Nights-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B01E2SR5KI/?tag=carmaraut-20

Print:http://www.amazon.com/Capri-Nights-Cara-Marsi/dp/0991597575/?tag-carmaraut-20

A Catered Romance:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CB5X5M/?tag=carmaraut-20

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-catered-romance/id906438204?ls=1&mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-catered-romance-cara-marsi/1111097928?ean=2940014388399

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-catered-romance

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/172007

Print: http://www.amazon.com/Catered-Romance-Cara-Marsi/dp/0991597567

Logan's Redemption:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040JI3PG/?tag=carmaraut-20

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/logans-redemption-cara-marsi/1100715248?ean=2940011320637

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/Logan's-Redemption/id841170077?mt=11

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62693

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/logan-s-redemption-redemption-book-1

Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Logans-Redemption-Book-Cara-Marsi/dp/0991597559

  

 Visit me at www.caramarsi.com. Please consider signing up for my newsletter. I post a new recipe each month.

Using Your Ethnic Heritage in Your Writing

            This past St. Patrick’s Day got me thinking about my own ethnic heritage. They say everyone is Irish on St. Paddy’s Day. When we were young, my husband and I did our share of partying on that day, although neither of us has a drop of Irish blood.

Last year, my husband and I had our DNA tested. There were no surprises. Our DNA results were close, both of us overwhelmingly Mediterranean with some West Asia (Turkey, etc) thrown in. My husband also has some Eastern European DNA, not surprising since his father’s family is from the Ukraine.

Some years ago I wrote an article about using your ethnic heritage in your writing. I decided to dig it out and update it.

You’ve all heard the old adage, “Write what you know.” We writers do research to learn about places we’ve never visited, or we make up our own worlds, which is sometimes easier. Regardless of what worlds we write about, we put a little bit of ourselves into all of our stories.

            I hadn’t thought of using my ethnic heritage in my books until my third one. In the first two books I wrote (one published, one not), my heroes and heroines had Irish/English names, as do most characters in American books. Face it, we Americans have an easier time pronouncing English, Irish, Scottish and German names than we do Italian, Polish, French, etc.

            When I decided to write my third book, I had an epiphany. Why not make at least one of my protagonists of Italian descent, as I am? Thus, Doriana Callahan, the heroine of my romantic suspense, Logan’s Redemption (Redemption Book 1). Doriana, named after a woman I know who is an immigrant from Rome, Italy, is half Italian, half Irish. Doriana has the quintessential Italian mother, loving, but intrusive, named after one of my favorite aunts. Doriana’s Nana lives in South Philadelphia and is a sweet, tiny elderly Italian woman who is a terrific cook, modeled after my husband’s grandmother and mine. I had such fun writing these people because they are so familiar and dear to me. I put in a scene where Doriana, her mother, her cousin, and Nana are making Italian wedding soup. Some of my cousins make wedding soup together every year.

            I used my ethnic heritage again in my romantic suspense novel, Murder, Mi Amore, which is set almost entirely in Rome, Italy, with an Italian hero and an Italian-American heroine. I even included a whole chapter set in the small town in Abruzzo where my grandparents were raised. Writing Murder, Mi Amore brought back memories of my trip to Italy in 2006. Every bit of setting — the hotel where my heroine Lexie stays, the streets she travels, even the food she eats — are authentic, based on my own experiences. However, unlike my heroine and hero, I wasn’t chased through Rome by very bad people trying to kill me. 

In Franco’s Fortune (Redemption Book 2), the hero is Doriana’s brother, and of course Italian/Irish. The heroine is a redhead with a French last name. In Luke’s Temptation (Redemption Book 3), the heroine is Doriana’s cousin, and is all Italian. The hero is Hispanic. Although I’m not Hispanic, I’ve written several heroes who are of Hispanic or mixed Hispanic/Native American heritage. As you can see I’ve gotten away from my ethnic roots at times, yet the characters I write about have ethnic backgrounds that I enjoyed researching.

In my novella, Capri Nights, included in the Entice Me: Luscious Love Stories Boxed Set, my hero, Alex, is from the Isle of Capri, Italy. I’m currently writing a story that will be included in a box set of international stories. My hero is, you’ve got it, Italian, from the town of Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. I’ve visited Capri twice, and I’ve visited Ravello also.

            I’ve sold a dozen short romance stories to national women’s magazines, and I’ve used Italian and Polish names for many of my short story characters. However, a few of the magazine editors have changed my characters’ names to something more “vanilla.”

You have to be careful when using ethnic last names. The names must be easy to pronounce - like Russo, DiMarco, Novak, Morelli, Brioni, Cortese. You don’t want readers tripping over the names.

Writing my Italian characters is like writing about my family, people I’ve known all my life. I’ll use an ethnic name whenever it fits, but I know, regardless of ethnicity, the characters’ names must tell the readers a little bit about them. Try it when you write your stories. Spice up your characters a little flavor of yourself and your heritage. 

           Visit my website at www.caramarsi.com for excerpts and information about all my books.

Logan's Redemption:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040JI3PG/?tag=carmaraut-20

Franco's Fortune:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BNA3JQI/?tag=carmaraut-20

Luke's Temptation:

http://www.amazon.com/Lukes-Temptation-Redemption-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00MYC97LU/?tag=carmaraut-20

The Redemption Series Box Set:

http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Boxed-Set-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B00RJDKJ1Q/?tag=carmaraut-20

Murder, Mi Amore:

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mi-Amore/dp/B009UEVVP0/?tag=carmaraut-20

Entice Me: Luscious Love Stories

http://www.amazon.com/Entice-Me-Luscious-Love-Stories-ebook/dp/B015YEHP9U/?tag=carmaraut-20

 

           

HEROES OR HEROINES?

Inquiring minds want to know: for you authors—do you have an easier time writing your heroes or your heroines? For you readers—do you relate better to the heroes or the heroines in the romance books you read?

It’s been said that readers should want to be friends with the heroine and fall in love with the hero. I’ve got the falling in love with the hero part nailed down.

Writing the hero is much easier for me than writing the heroine. I fall in love with each of my heroes as I’m writing his story. I love getting into my guys’ heads. My men are always tortured in some way, yet they are vulnerable, and despite everything they’ve been through, they are willing to open their hearts to take a chance on love. And they aren’t afraid to fight for the women they love. Readers fall in love with my heroes too.

My heroines not so much.

I struggle to write heroines. I like them to be vulnerable also, and independent and strong. Women who can stand on their own and take care of themselves. But, according to a few reviewers/readers, my early heroines were a little too stubborn. One reader who reviewed my first published book disliked my heroine through most of the story because this reader felt the heroine took too long to appreciate the great guy who was head over heels for her. I’ve had some readers defend my heroes against perceived slights from the heroines.

My heroines have been hurt in the past and steel themselves against getting hurt again. Because of that they are a little wary of losing their hearts. And, yes, maybe a little stand-offish, at least at first, for some of them. On the other hand, I’ve written heroines who have been too mushy and googly-eyed toward the hero, according to my critique group. They have me make her resist the hero more. See what I mean about struggling to write the women?

I suspect my problem writing heroines is that each one has a little bit of me in her. I’m stubborn (to a fault my husband would say), and I don’t like anyone telling me what to do. Although these can be good traits for my heroines, I’ve had to learn to dig deeper into their minds to show their inner struggles so readers can understand them better, and to make them the kinds of women readers would have for friends.

Readers tend to like the heroines in my later books. But not as much as they love my heroes.

As a reader, I asked myself the same question as above. Who do I relate to better? Hero or heroine? Many times it depends on the book and the roles the characters play. But looking back, I like most heroes a tad better than the heroines in the books I read. Why? Is it just a woman thing, and we all fall in love with the heroes?

Here are a few of my heroes and why I love them.

Logan Tanner from Logan’s Redemption (Redemption Book 1). Logan was raised on the mean streets of Philadelphia. As a teen, he was forced to flee. Now he’s back, but his past still haunts him. He puts his life on the line to protect the woman he loves, the woman he’s always loved.

Franco Callahan from Franco’s Fortune (Redemption Book 2). Franco went from a spoiled child of privilege to a wealthy playboy. But Franco’s player façade hides deep wounds. It takes a spitfire of a woman, ex-military, to break down the wall around Franco’s heart.

Luke Corrado from Luke’s Temptation (Redemption Book 3). A hotshot FBI Agent who doesn’t always follow the rules, Luke carries his guilt like a loaded Glock. Because of him, a woman he’d loved was murdered. Now, on special assignment, he has a chance to redeem himself by saving the life of another woman, a woman who tempts him to love again.

Nick Radford, from Cursed Mates, former Duke of Radford, now a powerful werewolf. Nick is a tortured soul who’s lived for over 500 years. To save the world and the woman he loves, he’ll sacrifice his own life.

 Logan's Redemption (Redemption Book 1) is free for a limited time at Amazon, iBooks, BN, Kobo, and Smashwords.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040JI3PG/?tag=carmaraut-20

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/Logan's-Redemption/id841170077?mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/logans-redemption-cara-marsi/1100715248?ean=2940011320637

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/logan-s-redemption-redemption-book-1

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62693

All three books in The Redemption Series are in a boxed set for your reading convenience.

http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Boxed-Set-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B00RJDKJ1Q/?tag=carmaraut-20

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-redemption-series/id954507494

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-redemption-series-boxed-set-cara-marsi/1120974523?ean=2940150000445

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-redemption-series-boxed-set

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/505343

 

What about the Cat?

WHAT ABOUT THE CAT?

Do you need closure in the books you read and the movies you watch? Does it bug you when you’ve invested a few hours in a movie but you don’t get a sense of closure and leave the theater or turn off your TV feeling unsatisfied? Many TV series will end the season with a cliffhanger that has you hungering for the new season to start. I understand that. It’s much like ending a chapter of a book with a hook. But what I’m talking about is a movie with a beginning, middle and end, only there’s not so much of an ending.

How do you feel when you read a book or story and there’s no real closure? I thought about this recently when a friend told me about a serial story she read. There was no ending, and you had to buy the next installment to see what happens. My friend was upset and said she wouldn’t buy the next one because she wanted an ending to the one she read. I agreed.

I want a satisfying ending to the movies I watch and the stories I read. And I want the authors to tie up all loose ends. A few years ago, I read a book by one of the top selling mystery authors in the country. I’d never read any of his books, but since a friend gave it to me, I felt obligated to read it. This one was written in collaboration with someone else. It was okay, not great. There were three different mysteries intertwined. In two of the mysteries, the crime was solved and we found out who the villain was. The third story was left hanging, as if the authors forgot about that thread. It was just dropped. We never learned “whodunit.” I wanted to throw the book across the room. I’d read through the whole thing and I didn’t get closure.

A while back I read a book by one of my favorite authors (I don’t want to name names here). He writes suspense. This book was great with an intriguing premise: that Hitler won WW2. However, much as I love this author and as much as I enjoyed that book, the ending left me hanging. Did the protagonist die to sacrifice himself for the greater good? The author never said. I suspect he left it open on purpose so the readers could come to their own conclusion. That bothered me. I wanted to know in no uncertain terms what happened to the hero.

On a related topic, a playwright whose name escapes me, famously said something like this: If you have a gun in the first scene, you’d better use it by the last scene. If you put a character, an animal, an item of importance in the story, you’d better let us know what happens to that character, animal, item. Don’t insert someone or something, give it importance, then forget all about it.

Case in point: years ago I read a romantic suspense by one of my favorite romance authors. This book was very good. The heroine had a cat who figured prominently throughout the story. At the end, the villain set fire to the heroine’s house. The heroine escaped, and the ending showed her getting medical attention, the hero by her side, and the bad guy in custody. But no mention was made of her cat who was in the house with her. I kept wondering, “What about the cat?” Did it die in the fire? Did it escape? I read and reread the last chapter trying to find the cat, but nothing. It would have taken just one line to let us know. Something like, “Fluffy had escaped too, and was her usual playful self.” This was in the days before the Internet. If I read it now, I’d find a way to contact that author and ask her about the cat. Some may think I’m a crazy cat lady, and maybe I am, but the heroine’s cat was woven all through the story and given importance. And then it was dropped.

A top-selling crime author who lives in my area writes a weekly column for a local paper. Recently, she gave a very moving tribute to her elderly neighbor who’d died. She’d talked about him and his cat in other columns. In her tribute, she never mentioned the cat. I contacted her through her website and asked what happened to the neighbor’s cat. She wrote a very nice reply saying she’d taken the cat and it was living with her and her menagerie of pets. Then, a few weeks later, she wrote in her column that she’d had so many people write her to ask about the cat and she wanted to assure all of us the cat was fine and living with her. So, I’m not the only one who asks, “What about the cat?” We readers want closure.

I just finished a terrific book by another favorite author. The book was great, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that captured my interest the way this one did. In the book, the heroine has a cat whom she loves very much. When the heroine is in jeopardy, the hero wants to take her to his hotel to protect her. But she doesn’t want to leave her cat. He tells her a cat can stay alone overnight. True. Then, the story goes on and the heroine is living at the hotel for at least two days and nothing is said about the cat. Again, I’m thinking, “What about the cat? Doesn’t she have to feed it and clean the litter box?” Finally, the hero says he’s taking her back to her place to feed the cat. And the heroine goes something like this, “OMG. I forgot about my cat.” I love this author, but I think she messed up a little here. If that heroine loved her cat as much as the author made us think, she wouldn’t have forgotten about it. I wonder if her editor realized nothing was said about the cat and inserted that. At the end, when the hero and heroine are in Hawaii together, the heroine thinks about the friend who’s watching her cat. At least in this book, I got closure. The cat was okay.

Despite my emphasis on cats, I do have a bigger point. Give the readers closure, a satisfying ending, and if you put in a pet or a friend or an item and give it importance, don’t drop it from the story. Readers like me take notice. You don’t want your readers asking, “What about the cat? Or the dog? Or the necklace? Or the friend?”

What do you think? How do you feel about books and movies without proper endings? Have you ever wondered after watching a movie or reading a book, “What about the (insert name here)?” Can you tell us about them?

Now, for a bit of promo, and I promise closure. 

Luke's Temptation, Redemption, Book 3, is available for pre-order at Amazon for the special pre-order price of 99 cents through the pre-order period that ends Sept. 30, 2014. Books 1 and 2, Logan's Redemption and Franco's Fortune, are also on sale for 99 cents through the pre-order period.

Danger and desire brew a volatile mix as two wounded souls fight to stay alive and find love.

Anita Santisi is an independent, successful businesswoman with a wounded heart. And some very bad people after her. Break-ins, home invasions, and attempted abductions have turned her comfortable life dangerous. Can she trust her mysterious, sexy new neighbor, Luke Corrado, or is he behind the criminal acts?

Special Agent Luke Corrado carries his guilt like a loaded Glock. A woman he loved was murdered because of him. Now, on a new undercover assignment to protect Anita Santisi, he’s determined to redeem himself. What he doesn’t expect is that Anita will tempt him to let down the barriers around his heart.

As Anita and Luke find themselves in ever-increasing danger, they must fight to stay alive. Will they open their hearts to each other before it’s too late?

http://www.amazon.com/Lukes-Temptation-Redemption-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00MYC97LU/?tag=carmaraut-20

What the Corporate World Taught Me About Publishing

What the Corporate World Taught Me about Publishing

All pictures are of my cubicle at my last job. I decorated with pictures of wolves and American Indians. And cats too. I had to surround myself with pictures and items to relieve the boredom.

A few months ago, RWR Magazine had an article where the author explained how what she’d learned from working in the corporate world helped in her publishing career. I confess I didn’t read the article, but it got me thinking about my own life in the corporate world and what it taught me about publishing. Notice I don’t say “writing,” but “publishing.” Writing is the creative side and that’s certainly not something you find much of in the corporate world. Publishing is a business, and corporations have that in spades.

I grew up in corporate America, having worked steadily there for forty-three years, with only a five-month break when my son was born. My bio states that I’m a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller. So true, but when I started working, right out of business college, there were no cubicles, just lots of desks in rows. Being “corporate” isn’t very exciting, and I’ve had my share of sneers directed at me by those more “creative” types who look down on us company drones. But, my jobs paid the bills, and paying bills is a good thing.

What did the corporate world teach me about publishing? The most important lesson was to be professional at all times. I had to learn to deal with my bosses, co-workers, and customers in a businesslike manner. No histrionics, no bad-mouthing, no anger, even if the bosses were jerks and the customers cursed at me, which they did frequently. Later, as a manager myself, I had to negotiate the tightrope between the union and management.

I was in customer service in one capacity or another for my entire career, most of it at the phone company. I worked for Verizon, although it wasn’t called that, for almost twenty-five years, eighteen of that as a customer service manager. When I accepted their early retirement offer in 1994, I was supervising fifteen service representatives. Don’t think that doesn’t teach you discipline and professionalism. And don’t get me started on the customers. I’ve been yelled at and cursed at by customers who think all public utility employees are there for them to demean. I’ve been told to do things to myself that are anatomically impossible, sometimes before eight in the morning. I was even cursed for real by a gypsy whose phone we’d disconnected. We employees were allowed to hang up on abusive customers, but even then, I was always polite. You can see how all this prepared me for the tough publishing world.

When I started writing and submitting and the rejections came in, I dutifully wrote thank-you notes to those editors and agents who’d rejected me. That was the professional thing to do. When I attended conferences I always tried to treat the other attendees and the editors and agents I met in a businesslike manner, even when some of those agents and editors were rude to me, as some were. After awhile I stopped sending thank-you notes for form rejection letters. I’d become jaded by then and figured if those editors and agents couldn’t send me a personal letter, I didn’t owe them a personal response.

I’ve never responded to a bad book review. As a corporate employee, I had to learn tact in dealing with others. To me, the tactful thing is to ignore those bad reviews and the people who write them.

I also had to learn to manage my time, especially when I had so many people reporting to me. Since I retired for the second time a few years ago, from an insurance company, I’ve not been real good at managing time, but I’m going back to my roots and making to-do lists and compartmentalizing chores. It’s the only way I can be productive. And being a productive writer helps me to get those books written.

Another thing I learned from the corporate world was how to dress professionally and neatly. Things have changed drastically from those early days when I first started working. At one time, we women were expected to wear dresses or suits, heels, stockings, the whole “corporate” look. We couldn’t wear slacks either. By the time I retired from Verizon, slacks for women were accepted in the corporate world. Then came “business casual.” Yes, I do know what that is. I’m happy to see the corporate dress code relax. Because I was trained at an early age to dress appropriately, I continue to try to do that when attending writing conferences and workshops.

But does it really matter how an author dresses at a conference? I think not. In the corporate world, when going for a job interview, a candidate had to dress very professionally, to put his or her best attired foot forward. Writing is one occupation where it doesn’t matter how you dress or what you look like. If an author attends a conference wearing a sweatsuit, but she has a great book to pitch, the editor or agent will want to see that book, and they won’t give a fig as to what that author is wearing. Agree? Disagree?

I had to learn discipline, too, of course, in my jobs. That same discipline helps me bring in books on deadline, whether a publisher’s deadline, or one I inflict on myself.

We corporate types might be a little boring, but we’ve learned valuable lessons in dealing with the world.