I'm heading to New York City and I need your advice ...

On November 29, I head to New York for ten days.

On my own.

It's a little scary, and daunting, especially since I have a TV interview lined up on December 4, to talk about Bitter Like Orange Peel on CT STYLE in New Haven, CT. (I have to jump on a train from New York to New Haven at 6AM to make my 9AM appointment.)

But I'm also excited. I've bought myself a New York Pass and intend to see as many of the 'must-sees,' and do as many of the 'must-dos' as possible: Broadway here I come!

And to get an even bigger bang for my buck, I've decided to make this a "research trip." I'm going to write an entire poetry book called TEN (working title) about my observations in New York City. This means I'd also like to check out some places that aren't the typical touristic fare.

Are there places where local artistic types frequent that wouldn't be listed in any guidebook? Or places of interest that aren't advertised as such? Please tell me your recommendations! But remember, I'm alone, so please don't send me anywhere you wouldn't walk through without company, because I'm paranoid like that. :-)

Please tell me in the comments, or email me. I'd REALLY love to know!

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Bits 'n' Bobs and Bits 'n' Bobs

I've drawn a bit of a blank on what to write about today, so I'm just going to fill you in on bits and pieces of news:

1. After much effort by Libby Hathorn to promote the Australian poetry anthology, Women's Work, far and wide, it was taken up by Australia's ABC Radio National’s much admired poetry program, Poetica.

It aired on Saturday 9th November at 3 pm, and will again this Thursday night at 9 pm (Aussie time).

Twenty poems were read by actors with original music composed and performed by Melbourne pianist Andrea Keller.

One of the poems being read is mine, entitled, Sugar, and I'm extremely honoured to have been selected. If you'd like to hear it, but don't have time to listen to the whole 36 minutes (it really is a wonderful program, though), you can find my poem at 31:35 mins.

2. I've finished the 2nd draft of my fourth novel, White Lady, a literary crime thriller. Whoop! It's currently with beta readers.

3. The Xpresso Blog Tour for my latest release, Bitter Like Orange Peel, starts today. You can find the itinerary here.

4. Crystal Collier's debut, Moonless, is being released on November 13! Congratulations Crystal! She also has as blog tour starting today. You can find the details here.



Hope you all have a great week! What's your news?

PS: If you like Dalmatians, and want a bit of a giggle, you can watch my dog, Holly, treat my hand like a foreign object by clicking HERE.

PPS: If you missed them, you might like to read my two latest most popular posts, Why People Hating My Book Can Be A Good Thing and
Why Literary Journals Should Accept Reprints & Simultaneous Submissions

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CLICK HERE to subscribe to my newsletter. Every subscriber will receive The Hum of Sin Against Skin for free, and be the first to know about new releases and special subscriber giveaways.

Symbolic Interactionism: Creating Solid Authentic Characters in Fiction

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If you're a writer, have you ever explored the way in which people behave differently, depending on who they are interacting with?

My latest release is written from the perspective of many different characters, so readers will witness their behaviour from different points of view (POVs). The various POVs also helped me make my characters' personalities and motivations clear, because I had to ask myself, for example, “Why do we perceive Ivy’s mother, Eleanor, as cold-hearted and clinical through Ivy’s eyes, but through Eleanor’s best friend’s eyes, we discover how generous and vulnerable she is?”

After having a conversation with a few friends about this, and about how our own behaviours change depending on the people we are with, I discovered the term “Symbolic Interactionism.”

So what exactly is Symbolic Interactionism?

“The term ‘symbolic interaction’ refers, of course, to the peculiar and distinctive character of interaction as it takes place between human beings. The peculiarity consists in the fact that human beings interpret or ‘define’ each other’s actions instead of merely reacting to each other’s actions. Their ‘response’ is not made directly to the actions of one another but instead is based on the meaning which they attach to such actions. Thus, human interaction is mediated by the use of symbols, by interpretation, or by ascertaining the meaning of one another’s actions. This mediation is equivalent to inserting a process of interpretation between stimulus and response in the case of human behavior.” (Blumer, p. 180). (Source)

Let me offer you a simple example:

Just say the mother of, let's call her Gina, and a friend of Gina's were to visit her home (at different times), and notice a new pot plant in the corner of Gina's lounge room, and they were to suggest she put it by the window to get more sun light. Gina's instinctual response to her mother is snarky: "I'll put it where I want to put it, thank you very much." The mother then opens her mouth to defend herself, but Gina interrupts asking if she'd like a cup of coffee to quickly move on from the issue. But to her friend, her simple response is: "Hmm, that's probably a good idea." Gina then moves the plant to the window without a fuss.

Such different responses for the same scenario, right? And it's this sort of behaviour that tells us a lot about who these characters are and the relationship they have with each other.

When writing Bitter Like Orange Peel, I really had to consider how each character would behave in the presence of one another to make sure their relationships were as realistic as possible. And when you start to think about the reasons behind such simple behaviours (such as the Gina scenario above), it will help develop solid, well-rounded, and authentic characters in your writing.

So tell me, what do you think the example scenario says about the relationship between Gina and her mother? Without being told their backstory, what do you think are some possible reasons for Gina's (and the mother's) reaction?

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*To read more about Bitter Like Orange Peel CLICK HERE.

**muted: a short story in verse (cyberpunk/dystopian) is free on Kindle until tomorrow. Grab it while you can!

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CLICK HERE to subscribe to my newsletter. Every subscriber will receive The Hum of Sin Against Skin for free, and be the first to know about new releases and special subscriber giveaways.

So I'm having another baby ...

ADD ME TO GOODREADS!

... a book baby, of course!

(Gotcha! You were thinking, "She has kids?" weren't ya, admit it :-)

I'm really excited to announce that I have another novel coming out November 1st! This baby has been hanging around, whining, for about two years. It's been through the agent hunt rigmarole and experienced a couple of "I'm totally scoring this agent", moments. But, as usual, it comes shooting out the other end of the cybersphere with "They love me, but they don't know how to sell me," written on its forehead.

Story of my life.

But I'm not disappointed. Why?

Because I get to bring this baby into the world myself through Vine Leaves Press! (Which is now an official, legit, small press, btw, run by me and Dawn.)

And I'm super excited about it. I won't say too much about it now, except that I've sent it off for a final proofread with the amazing C.S Lakin, and then I'll be getting an ARC prepared for those interested in reviewing one. (If you're interested in reviewing an ARC, just tell me in a comment in this post and I'll write your name on my list.)

So what is the novel about, you ask?

Why not take a gander at this?

Have a great week everyone! I'm pumped and motivated. Are you pumped and motivated? What's your reason?

Somebody give me a Xanax ...

Me and my crazy schedule:

• My novel BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL is being considered by an agent. So the impatient fretting must be factored in. You'd be surprised how much time I waste staring at the wall.

• I'm 2/3 of the way into another novel, called WHITE LADY. And loving it. Literary/Crime/Thriller? Really need to figure out its genre.

• I'm 1/3 into my second Writing in Nutshell Series craft book called, Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Perfectly Atrocious Adverbs, and Dull as Dishwater Clichés, into Gourmet Descriptions. You can see the first in the series HERE.

• I'm well on track organizing an anthology called, Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle, in which many fantastic authors are contributing such as Susan Kaye Quinn, Anne R. Allen, Leigh T. Moore, and many others!

• Critting the wonderful Matthew MacNish's manuscript, Running From Ruby Ridge. Whisper: It's really fabulous.

• I have a few interviews to get done ... whoops, I totally just remembered now.

• Bits and bobs of organizational stuff for the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop with literary agent Katharine Sands.

• Vine Leaves Literary Journal. Never ending. We just hired two more team members! Whoop! And have an awesome contest happening. 1,600 Euros worth in prizes! Bigger whoop!

With all that I have my other life. You know, the one that consists of a day job, that can sometimes be a bit stressful with its deadlines. Somewhere in this other life I also have my partner and dog to pay attention too. Most of the time I have no idea where they are. I should start looking in the cupboards. Or maybe it's me that's gone missing. :-P

What's on your plate at the moment?

Hope you all have a great weekend. See ya Monday!

In which I let it all hang out ...

Okay okay ... I'm letting loose. Just this once. I promise I'll be back to my professional self tomorrow. But today I drop some bombs and let it all hang out (you think I can add another cliché to this? Of course!) ... Today, I'm going to spill the beans without a care in the world. (ooh, look at that, two clichés!)

Well, the beans don't have much sauce, but they're beans nonetheless ...

I AM SO TIRED.

I work and work and work and work. And Vine Leaves and Vine Leaves and Vine Leaves and Vine Leaves. And I revise 2nd novel, revise 2nd novel, revise 2nd novel, revise 2nd novel (which I finally have a publisher for, but I'm not supposed to tell yet, WHOOPS!), and I Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop organize, Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop organize, Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop organize, Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop organize, yep there's lots to do, hampers, dinners, mini-van bookings, drivers, workshop schedules, following up payments, budgets, organizing tax dilemmas! CRIKEY! And ... oh there's that thing called cleaning (never do it) and laundry (rarely do it) and eating and cooking, wait, I need to cook before I eat, I should keep that in mind for next time. The dog! OMG, the dog, I've ignored her for days ... WEEKS. And there's those bodily functions I tend to forget exist, and friends I try to catch up with now and again in a hurried dinner near the Acropolis and go home feeling sick because I ate TOO MUCH AND TOO FAST and pass out watching who knows what on boring Greek TV, and what about my PARTNER, whom I adore, who I seem to perpetually ignore because I'm working and working and working and working ... when do I spend time with him?

*inward heave*

So what's the poster got to do with this? Nothing. I just thought it was funny.

Yup. Can I go to bed yet?

I can't wait till August. Can you?

Confession: I have literary tourette's.

Things on my manic mind today are ...

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• The possibility of going to Australia with my mother mid January.
• Getting a band together and wishing I could overcome this horrible stage fright.
• I love my coffee cup.
• Finally getting around to reading the books I bought for MUTED research.
• Wishing there was a second-hand book store in Athens so I could relieve my shelves of gastroenteritis.
• I need more coffee, cake, chocolate and ... yoga.
• The relief I feel knowing I've been guaranteed a year's worth of steady freelance work.
• The worry that this freelance work is going to interfere with my creativity.
• VINE LEAVES LITERARY JOURNAL
• Really want to read Dawn Ius' manuscript. Been on my Kindle for way too long!
• All the money I owe left and right. (When will the bills stop coming???)
• Writing guest blog posts for Roz Morris, Kristie Cook and Karen Gowen. 
• Where did that extra kilo come from???
• Finishing Talli Roland's Build a Man and writing a review (awesome book!)
• Starting Michelle Davidson Argyle's The Breakaway in order to write an endorsement for the cover.
• Whether Pantera Press will want to publish Bitter Like Orange Peel.
• What did you say? I can't hear you! I'm reading submissions!
• OMG, I love you so much, (you bloggers know who you are)
• Now I know what editors feel like having to sift through less-than-publishable submissions or to deal with submitters that don't even take the time to find out your name ...
• When am I going to get paid?
• I want some spare cash so I can purchase the latest season of BONES, and the first few seasons of FRINGE.
• Do I really have to do the dishes?
• When am I going to start writing again? And how do I keep marketing String Bridge without shoving it in people's faces?

What's on your mind today?

Miss my special announcement yesterday? Click here!

Bitter Like Orange Peel was a little too bitter for me to swig!

I was having a REALLY hard time getting back into my current work in progress, Bitter Like Orange Peel. Actually, to be honest, I hadn't even opened the document since last December until this Monday. I kept thinking about it. But I never actually DID it.

You see, last year, I was only about two or three chapters away from finishing the first draft. Then, I got a contract for String Bridge, and pushed it aside to work on the revisions for that. I finished those revisions at the end of February this year.

But since then, I couldn't bring myself to continue this tangy tale. The thought made me feel kinda nauseous. I think because I knew once I opened it, that's where my mind would be until it was done.

It's a dangerous place to be in when there are so many other things going on right now that need my full attention. My brain is in String Bridge marketing mode as well. I can't stop being in that mode, so I need to figure out how to slip in and out of it. I don't know why it's been causing me such a problem. I guess it's because it's the first time I've had to be creative with so many things at one time. I think I can adjust, though. I'd really like to have the second draft of Bitter Like Orange Peel ready by the end of the year (at the latest).

I wish I could just take a month. Shut out the world. And put all my energy into the story. If it were financially viable and possible to ignore the world, I wouldn't hesitate another second. Perhaps I should stick my book in a Campari and soda and imbibe the thing in one swift swig?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this? Did your procrastination last long?

REMINDERS: Have you signed up for my String Bridge Book & Music Blog Tour yet? If not, and you'd like to, just click HERE.

Over at All 4 ALABAMA, my poetry book, Twisted Velvet Chains is up for grabs. Head on over and bid on it for a worthy cause! (It will go live at 10 am)

I'm being PUBLISHED in an ANTHOLOGY!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!

Oh my God, guys! This morning I woke up to the best email EVAH! For the very very first time I will see my own work in print! Not ELT materials that I've been commissioned to write, but MY OWN WORK!!! I'M SO EXCITED!

The first chapter of my WIP, BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL, is going to be included in a print anthology called TRIBUTE TO THE STARS, edited by Chris Batholomew at STATIC MOVEMENT, and published by a small press called Pill Hill Press.

They usually publish horror and fantasy, but this anthology is a little different.

I quote: "This will be a tribute to our favorite movie stars. You will name the star/stars you would like to see play your characters/s in a movie. I will be sending copies of these books to the stars named in the book so only serious submissions will be considered. I've never seen this done and I think it's a great idea."

I've given my characters' roles to Mia Wasikowska and Meryl Streep.

And in the name of Lenny Lee, I say "How cool is that?"

UPDATE (11:16pm): I just got another piece accepted into their Literary Foray Anthology. I can't believe it. What an awesome day!!!