Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

BEYOND THE PRINTED PAGE!

A couple days ago my granddaughter mentioned she wanted to own a bookstore when she becomes an adult. I asked her what kind of books she wanted to have in her store, and she said print books. 

I find it ironic I'm a pioneer in the e-book industry at my age, and two generations younger still think of books as printed. 

And I'm also wondering what's next for books. Since the iPad has come on the market, I've been eagerly wanting to learn how to put together digital books with interactive photos and links to cool info as well as audio and video. This fits so well with my love of graphic design. 

I'm now researching the "how to" and came across this short video demonstration of an interactive book. <http://www.ted.com/talks/mike_matas.html> This demonstration wowed me and overwhelmed me at the same time. 

The cover is a spinning globe. You swipe your finger across the screen to browse through chapters. You pinch with two fingers to open pictures to access interactive maps, or informative video with sound. You can blow on wind turbine and it starts to spin. 

This company who demonstrated this video is developing software for publishers to publish books like this. They have a team on the West Coast working with a team on the East Coast. 

I have only me--at least right now. So while I'm waiting for the software to be available at an affordable price, I'm exploring the feasibility of something a little less grand, though more complex than comic books.

And maybe my granddaughter will agree to sell these books in her bookstore--while she's also making a fortune selling rare print books. :)

By the way, the graphic above is from the web site of the NW Book Festival in Portland, which will be held July 27 this year. If you're in the Portland area that day (a week from Saturday), stop by the Pioneer Courthouse Square and check out the many authors who will be there. You can find more information at the NW Book Fest web site <http://www.nwbookfestival.com/>.

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We want to hear from you!

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

A Highland Miracle

Highland Miracle part of a May Day Anthology will be released as a single in a couple of days. This was a fun anthology to be a part of. Three great friends and writers wrote novellas that were linked as a time machine brought characters backward then forward in time. 

Genene thanks for the beautiful covers on all of the novellas.

Highland Miracle is a sweet romance with a touch of fantasy. The dancing lights at the top of the cover are will o' the wisps. They are phantom marsh lights that are seen after dark over swampy ground. They are known to beckon travelers from their path. 

Adair and Erin of wee folk also appear in the story as lovable matchmakers. 

Sean travels in a time machine that looks like a gigantic red fire hydrant to meet his one true love Raegan. This excerpt begins when he steps into the bazar machine while walking home through Central Park in New York City.

Excerpt:

Who the devil am I supposed to be trusting? There isn't anyone around. I'm the sole person in Central Park. But he leaned forward, inching his way closer to the portal of the crazy machine. He'd be pure loco if he stepped inside but Bandit seemed fine. The dog had disappeared a couple of times into the darkness only to return again, sit down and bark at him.

I can do this.

He stood half in and half out, inhaled deeply then stepped inside. Behind him the door clanged shut. He jumped out of his skin at the realization he might be trapped.

The quiet was eerie then suddenly lights began to blink and something hummed. It was as if the machine had sprung to life. His nerves sizzled and terror crawled down his spine. He searched the room for the dog.

Bandit sat on a chair in front of a panel of buttons and blinking lights. It appeared the dog meant to drive this contraption. But drive it where?

Oh, to his one true love, to his soul mate and a miracle. Sean let out a loud roaring laugh.

Praying it wasn't too late, Sean turned to leave. But the door was shut tight, and he couldn't find another way out.  Banging on the door did not make it open. He ran his hands up and down his arms in hopes of warding off the deathly chill seeming to take over his body as well his senses.

Bandit jumped from his perch and sauntered to the wall where he pulled down a handle and dog food poured into a bowl.

Well, at least the dog wouldn't starve.

"Please sit down and fasten your seat belt."

Sean jumped and looked around for the source of the voice. His heart raced as if it was going to run right out of his body.

"We are getting ready for take off. Please sit down and fasten your seat belt," the voice repeated.

A big red arrow pointed to a seat and there appeared to be a belt of sorts dangling from the chair. Hell, what's a seatbelt?

Feeling no real threat, Sean did as the voice commanded. He found the chair comfortable and the seatbelt acceptable. He wondered what it was for but soon found out as his body was savagely thrust back against the chair and air whizzed from his lungs. He hoped Bandit had found a comfortable place where he was safe. At the moment he couldn't check because he was pretty sure his eyelids were plastered to his eyeballs.

Suddenly, he gasped for air, realizing he'd been holding his breath. The ride was smoother now less intense. He felt as if he were floating in air. His stomach churned and dizziness engulfed him.

More golden dust floated around him. He was sure he heard a soft female voice telling him not to be afraid.

Motion stopped. He felt an eerie sense of deja[CY1]  vu, a feeling of coming home then a trembling in his legs he couldn't control.

Bandit jumped and barked then the door slid open.  Sean swallowed the lump in his throat and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. For what seemed like an eternity, he stood, staring at the opening and the green grass. Had he gone anywhere?

"Okay, it's time to act like the brave firefighter you always thought you were. Go find out what's out there." He whistled through his teeth then inhaled a long deep breath for courage. A silent, swift prayer rattled in his brain.

Slowly, and he hoped cautiously, he strode to the open door and peered outside. Bandit dashed to freedom.

"Bandit! Come here." He didn't think that dog ever obeyed a command. "Bandit, you don't know what's out there." Central Park he hoped.

Sean strode a few yards from the machine and peered around him. He saw rolling hills, a river and the most breath taking scenery he'd ever encountered. When he looked to his left, a beautiful and very huge lake rested among the hills.

"This isn't Central Park, Bandit."

---

 [CY1]

READ IT AGAIN, SAM

Do you ever read through old manuscripts or books that have been previously published?

I've been doing that as part of my promotion efforts for LEGACY REBORN, the last book of my Halo Legacy Series. I'm going through all nine books to pull excerpts for my blog, remind me of the main points of the stories so I can put photos with them, and for expanded character bios. 

Fortunately, these stories aren't so old that I cringe when reading them. No head-hopping or lack of motivation, thank goodness!

Reading these stories again also generates new ideas of how to package and promote them. It's been interesting. 

And I still like these characters--that's a good thing!

How about you? What have you learned by reading manuscripts or books you wrote several years ago? Can you see a huge improvement in your writing? Are there nice surprises? Embarrassing ones?

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome to the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers weekly progress check-in.

We're starting on the second half of the year and we want to hear from you! If you've been tracking your progress since January, how did you do? Tell us about your plans for the rest of the year.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?