Speaking to a large audience

Next Tuesday Paula will be doing a talk about her ‘writing career’ to between 160 and 200 people. Eeek!

I’ve done several talks during the past two or three years, sometimes to groups I know, other times to groups where I only knew a couple of people, but these groups haven’t been more than about 30.

Having said that, I’ve had plenty of experiences in the past of addressing large audiences. On several occasions, I’ve given formal speeches or reports in a room or hall of 200+ people, but that basically involved reading a speech I’d printed out beforehand. When I was teaching, I often used to address a school hall full of teenagers (about 400 of them), either to give them information or instructions, but that was fairly easy to do (the phrase ‘captive audience’ springs to mind!). I even ‘opened’ an International Girl Guide camp once with over 1,000 girls and leaders, using only a few notes scribbled a scrap of paper. I’ve also spoken ‘off the cuff’ many times to County or District Girl Guide groups.

So it’s not as if I haven’t ever spoken to a large audience before, and I'm aware of some of the techniques, like imagining you're talking to a couple of people in the audience, rather than trying to address them all, and making eye contact with some of the audience too. I know how to pace a talk (without gabbling!), I know how to vary my voice tone, and I know how to add humour (hopefully in the right places).  One piece of advice I've heard is to imagine your audience sitting there naked - which I've never understood, so I won't go there!

Obviously, speaking to a large group is very different from talking to a small group. The latter is re like a ‘fireside chat’ where I can be relaxed and simply talk to the group informally, rather like I would talk to a friend. I don’t have any problems with this. However, speaking to a large group demands a different approach, because you have to find the balance between the formal speech and the informal chat. I don’t want to ‘read’ my talk, which is why I won’t write it out verbatim. At the same time, I know the cards I’ve used for my other talks, with brief bullet points to remind me of what I want to include, won’t be sufficient for this talk to a larger audience. I’m trying to find the happy medium, and am fairly confident I will find it.

There are, however, two things that make me nervous: 

First, I shall have to cope with technology! Evidently I shall have a radio mike, and I shall also be using my laptop connected to a projector. In my small group talks, I’ve been able to hold up print-outs of photographs, or copies of my books, but that won’t work with a large audience. The people at the back of the hall wouldn’t be able to see those, so I spent a whole day last week creating a ‘Power Point’ presentation of pictures I want to use, ranging from my favourite childhood books to my current novels, and various other photos too. This means I’ll have to remember when to click the remote for the next picture – and hope nothing goes wrong with any of the equipment. I've already had 3 trial runs with the laptop and projector - and shall probably have 3 more before next Tuesday!

Second, this talk is different from those I’ve done in the past to large audiences, because this is about me! Can I keep all those people interested in ‘me’ for 40 or 45 minutes? Or are they going to fall asleep after 5 minutes? I hope not – but I’ll let you know how it goes!

P.S I dreamt last night that only 6 people turned up for my talk LOL!

I Have A Cover!

Two, actually. The first one is for Miriam's Surrender, the second book in my Women of Valor series (I also have a series title--yay!). I love it! Here it is:

What do you think?

It’s funny because whenever it’s time to work on the covers for my books, I always laugh. My publisher sends me a cover sheet that I’m supposed to fill out with information about my book—title, summary, character information, setting. I’m also supposed to suggest photos that I like and the type of cover I’d like—do I want people or not, is there a particular item or symbol I want to show, etc. And the best part is the section that asks, “What DON’T you want on the cover.”

Now, writers often compare their books to babies. We create the book and know our characters as if they were real people. That’s true. But having had babies—two of them—I see a big difference between what I create and whom I birth. While I’m partial to my own writing, I recognize that my book is a thing. It’s not my baby. Therefore, while I definitely give parameters, I don’t usually have too many “must haves” or “must not haves.”

Miriam’s Surrender is my fourth book. It is also the fourth cover that, while maybe didn’t completely ignore my suggestions, used the judgment of the art department more than mine. And it’s the fourth cover that I completely loved from the moment I saw it.

Even though I’m not a fan of split covers.

Even though I’m not a fan of people on my covers (yes, every single one of mine has had a person on it—go figure).

Even though it doesn’t have anything to do with the first cover in the series.

I love this cover!

However, I was also given a mock up of another cover, the rerelease of A Heart of Little Faith, which Rebel Ink is going to republish soon. I'm having a hard time deciding if I like it or not. I think, honestly, my biggest problem is that I'm so used to associating the old cover with the title, that any change jars me. It's not that I don't like the cover; I do. It's just that it's different, and as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am not good with change.

So I'm going to spend a good part of the day, when I'm not doing something specific, staring at the mock cover and getting used to it. Because I do really like it. It's just different.

I just finished working with a graphics designer on promo material for Miriam’s Surrender, which releases on September 10. If you’d like me to send it to you, leave a comment on the blog and I’ll do so.

How do you get back into your story?

For a week, I was a mile down the road babysitting my grandkids. I might have well been a zillion miles away. My immersion in my WIP was interrupted, and I am having trouble getting back in.

Have you had this problem? How do you deal with it?

I'd love to know. It might help me!

Say Hello to Friday Friend, Jessica Lauryn

My NJRW friend, Jessica Lauryn, is visiting us once again. She has a new book out and is talking to us about writing a series.

A great book can do wonders for the soul. It’s there for you when you need a friend, or a distraction. It can serve as an escape, or a fantasy in which to indulge. Books comfort us, and they take us to places and times we’d otherwise never know. There’s only one thing I love more than a great book. That is, a great series. 

When I was an adolescent, I loved reading Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High. Twin sisters Jessica and Elizabeth served as the perfect contrast to one another. One is introverted, smart, and studious, while the other is the life of the party. At the age of 12, I had no idea why I was so drawn to the duo, other than the obvious fact that I wanted to be living the life of a teenage girl myself. But looking back, I realize the draw actually stemmed from something much deeper than that. 

Series writing can take on a life of its own. In a romance series, the author creates her very own world. She starts with a setting: a time, a place in which her characters will exist in. Then, she gets to work building. Hero and heroine’s story is told in book 1. And in book 2, a new couple typically takes center stage. I think the most exciting part of doing this, for me, the author, is figuring out how I will connect the characters from one book to the next. They don’t necessarily need to know one another, but I’ve found it can be a lot more fun when they do. Writing a series is very different from writing a stand-along book because you have a lot more time and space to play around with. You (the reader) get to see how a family, a group of friends, maybe even an entire town affects the lives of the people around them, possibly for years to come. 

My debut series, The Pinnacles of Power, was never supposed to be a series. While I was writing what eventually became my second release, Dangerous Proposal, I was creating what I intended to be the one and only book of its kind. I was, as writers do, spending hours inside the characters’ heads, trying to get to know them. Something I wasn’t expecting struck me while I was doing this. That was, there were several characters in the story besides my hero and heroine who had a story to tell. I already had a setting I loved (several settings, actually), and I had characters who had the potential to become couples, lovers, and soul-mates. They were screaming for me to tell their stories, and so I began doing just that. Barely realizing what I was doing, a series was soon born. 

Reading book 1 in a series may not feel much different than reading a stand-alone novel. Doing so, you’ll discover a plot, characters, conflict, and, as is the way with romance novels, a happily ever after. The real fun (at least, for me) comes in book 2, when you already know something about the authors’ world. In books 3 and 4, you know even more, and you’re likely to recognize the main characters as well. You may feel as though you sort-of know them as people, and the setting and time have become all-too familiar to you. This is when your imagination can really take over, because you can completely immerse yourself in the author’s fantasy world—the greatest thing a reader can experience! 

I love books. But given the choice, I prefer that they be part of a series. The imagination is one of the greatest things in existence. And I find it easier to put that machine to use when there is a world of stories and characters crafted and bound for my reading enjoyment! 

Blurb for Dangerous Secret:

Abigail MacKenzie has been trying to put her father’s tragic death behind her.  Set on becoming a teacher, Abigail wants nothing more than to forge a new, happy life.  But when a handsome stranger produces a random clue about her father’s shooting, hopes of finding her father’s killer come flooding back to the surface.  Abigail is determined to get justice for her Dad, even if it means learning the dangerous secret of a man with a will of steel and eyes that cut straight through the wall around her heart.

After making a reckless mistake and a mysterious discovery that cost him his job, medical student Ryan Newberry is happy to accept and position he can get.  But when he realizes that one of the employees who’ll be working under him at the Washington Valley Hotel is Abigail MacKenzie, the sweet, pretty girl he met weeks before, he fears the past might be in danger of repeating itself.  As one discovery leads to another, Ryan quickly realizes that he is sitting on a network of criminal activity.  In spite of the risks, he must keep Abigail safe from the surrounding threats.  He only hopes that his desires for his new front desk associate won’t lead both of them down a path of danger from which he won’t be able to protect them.

Excerpt for Dangerous Secret:

Abigail’s heart pounded as she stared at the metal object lying in the middle of the blanket. As many suspicions as she had about Ryan, she’d never really believed he was the killer. Aside from the fact that it would devastate her, it didn’t make sense for him to have murdered anyone. Her father’s shooter had left him for dead. Ryan had lost his mind because he’d thought she’d broken her arm.

She looked into Ryan’s eyes—eyes that were looking directly at hers. As bad as his having a gun looked, as bad as everything she’d surmised about him seemed, something inside her was telling her to believe in his innocence. She was sure she ought to be committed for even thinking that way. But she just couldn’t believe that this guy she’d come to know and even care about could be a killer.

Could she?

“Shouldn't you be calling the cops?” Ryan asked.

“I—”Abigail hesitated. Hardly believing her own naivete, because she was certain that she was being very naïve, she said, “I’m not calling the cops. I don’t know why, but I believe you. At least, I can’t be sure enough that you did anything criminal without more definitive proof.”

The warmth in his eyes shot straight to her aching core. “Thank you.”

Abigail smiled briefly. As though it were someone else saying the words, she went on, “I like you, Ryan. I’m sure you know that I do, but”—emotion spilled into her voice—“I can’t do this anymore. It’s dangerous, and…” She took a centering breath. “Just because I might believe in you, doesn't mean that you believe in me. So once I walk out that door, I don’t think that we should be alone like this again.”

Ryan nodded. Walking toward her, he wrapped his arms tenaciously around her body. His warm mouth coming against her ear, he said, “That doesn't mean we can’t be together tonight.”

A sensation of candescence spread through Abigail’s body. After months of fighting, she was sure Ryan had been doing everything he could to push her away. But here he was, standing beside her in a dark room, making her weak with the very sound of his words. A man she’d just discovered with a loaded gun—she was about to trust him with everything she had.

She trembled as Ryan inched closer. He took her hands and laid them against the center of his chest, just where they’d been before they pulled apart. She didn’t know what he intended, only knew that she wanted whatever it was like a desire she didn’t dared to dream.

Weary of the look in his eye, which indicated he wanted more than just to hold her, she said, “I don’t know, Ryan. After everything that’s happened, all the doubts and suspicion I’ve been carrying, and now this.” Looking from the gun on the bed to his twinkling blue gaze, she said, “I’m just not sure.”

He tightened his grip on her hands. “I know you’re not sure if you can trust me. I’ve never given you any reason to trust me. But if you knew how much I want you, how much I’ve wanted you since the beginning, Abigail…” He shook his head. “One night. That’s all I’m asking for. Just give me this one night. And I’ll make all of your dreams come true.”

Warmth shimmied over Abigail’s skin like melted butter. He was serious, and the look in his eyes confirmed that he meant what he was saying. Until just five minutes ago, she’d thought Ryan Newberry couldn’t stand her, that his only agenda where she was concerned was keeping her out of his hair. But the way he was looking at her, passion burning like wildfire in his eyes, all common sense seemed to escape her.

She perched on her toes as Ryan leaned in. Her eyes fell closed as his warms lips surrounded hers.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.jessicalauryn.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Lauryn/e/B009YG9CD2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/jessica-lauryn

Siren BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/jessica-lauryn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Lauryn/245896705433424

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5081732.Jessica_Lauryn

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117124426880360830802/posts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaLauryn_

A Writerly Week

Debra has enjoyed her writerly week.

A while ago on one blog or another, someone coined the term 'writerly' to describe the things a writer does. I love that term. And I have to say, I've had a fun, writerly week. Since my last post I've accomplished quite a few tasks related to writing.

The most important being I submitted a query and synopsis on "One Great Night" to my editor and got the request for the full. Yay!

I wrote a post for Read-a-Romance-Month (RARM). Check it out HERE if you're so inclined.

I updated my web-site by adding the cover and buy links for Family Secrets and adjusting my bio page to reflect the new release. At some point soon, I need to revamp the 'bookshelf' page, so that's on my list of things to do. However, I did find out that Yahoo! is changing the web-site building tool they use as of the middle of this month, so I need to do some importing and such in order to make updates. That should be a blast to figure out. Not.

I created and ordered bookmarks for Family Secrets. I wasn't going to for a variety of reasons, but the printer I use sent me an e-mail ad letting me know about the sale going on (15% off and free shipping), and well, let's just say I can't resist a good deal! :) I got another e-mail yesterday saying they've shipped, so I'm figuring I'll have them by the end of the week. Cheap AND fast, gotta love that!

And, I even found time to begin a new mss. I didn't get too far, about two or three pages in, but hey, it's a start, right? And, I've been having the conversations of my characters in my head and outloud (Didn't someone post about this recently?) all week, so that's even better.

Of course now that I'm on a roll with all of this, wouldn't you know it? There's only one day left of summer vacation. That's right folks, I go back to school on Monday. Tell me, please, where did the time go? Wasn't it just June?

Oh well, there's always Christmas vacation, right? At the rate time is flying by, that will be here before we know it. Yikes.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

"The lamps are going out all over Europe"

Monday evening marked the centenary of the beginning of the First World War, at least for most of Europe. I didn’t hear of any commemorative ceremonies in the USA, but that’s probably because America didn’t enter the war until 3 years later.

‘The lamps are going out all over Europe’, said Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary at the time, and it was true. It was the start of the bloodiest war there had ever been, with over eight million lives lost (from both sides) during the next four and a half years.

On Monday, we were asked to turn off our lights for an hour at 10pm, and put a single candle in our windows in memory of the moment when Britain declared war on Germany at 11pm on August 4th, 1914.

Many people did so. I looked out about 10.30pm, and my whole street was in darkness, apart from candles flickering in some windows. Public buildings also had their lights turned off, including Tower Bridge in London, and the Houses of Parliament.

 

You may also have seen photos of the thousands of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London. The red poppy became a symbol of the 1st World War, because of the poppies that grew on the battlefields even in the midst of all the slaughter.

Why did a war that took place a hundred years ago have such an effect on today’s society? Maybe it was because everyone living today knows of a relative who served in that awful war. Some survived, but so many were killed. There are war memorials in every city and town, and in many villages and churches too, commemorating those who died. The UK lost over 700,000 men, about 100,000 more than died in the American Civil War, and of course all those men came from a much smaller area than the American states.

It’s said that every family was affected by the war in some way. My own immediate family lost one member, my grandfather’s youngest brother who was killed in 1918, aged only 20. We visited his grave about 4 years ago, the first members of his family ever to do so, as far as I know. Two other great uncles survived – one was gassed and had lung problems all his life, another was in a tank that was blown up – and lived with shrapnel in his body ever after (and, it was discovered in the 1950s, a bullet lodged near his heart too).

I’ve been to many of the 1st World War battlefields, and also to some of the hundreds of war cemeteries that are scattered throughout France and Belgium, some large, some small with maybe 100 or so graves. Most poignant are the many graves marked ‘A Soldier of the Great War’, which contain bodies that could not be identified. On the walls of the large cemeteries at Tyne Cot (in Belgium) and Thiepval (in the Somme area), as well as the Menin Gate in Ypres, are inscribed the thousands of names of those who have no known grave, whose bodies were never identified – or in some cases, never even found.

What has all this to do with writing? Nothing, really, except that I have read novels (and seen movies) that purport to show this war e.g. the pretty young nurse meeting the injured soldier, etc – you know the kind of thing – sanitized, romantized, and so far removed from the reality.

Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong has become a classic with his description of trench warfare, but, if you want to know what it was really like, read The Mad Game (William’s Story) by Chris Cherry. It’s not an easy read, but it really does portray the horrors faced by the men who fought from the trenches. You can read my review here – and Chris’ response too. I don’t know Chris personally, but in my opinion, he got right.

Trying To Be Everywhere At Once...And Failing

Jennifer and her online presence.

When I first became a writer, I was told I had to market myself and have an online presence.  I’d already joined Facebook with a personal page, and I soon added an author page, which I’m only somewhat successful in directing people to. I soon followed with Twitter. Later, I added Google+, Foursquare and recently, Pinterest (although I haven’t done any publicity about that). And of course, I have a website and a blog, and I contribute to other blogs, such as this one, weekly or monthly.

That’s a lot of time to spend online.

Social media is fun. It gives people who mostly stay home a social outlet to interact with others, similar to the water cooler at an office. At least, that’s what I’ve used to justify my almost constant time spent switching from one form or another throughout the day.

Lately, however, I’m noticing that I spend more time than I should in a virtual world. I’ve also noticed I’m not as happy as I used to be. Now, there may be other reasons for my lack of happiness, but I think it’s time I started to do something about all of this. And perhaps there is a connection between amount of time spent online and happiness.

My website is essential for me as an author. My personal blog is essential for my mental well-being—it’s one of the places I vent, I kvell, and I publicize my writing achievements. It’s a mix of personal and professional, so I talk about everything that interests me—writing, religion, politics, parenting, the news. Maybe I shouldn’t mix those things together, but it’s who I am, and I’m not changing that.

The blogs I contribute to are important as well, because those are writing blogs and allow me to reach an audience I otherwise might not reach.

I like Facebook. I shouldn’t. It’s a huge time-suck. But I like it. It allows me to meet people, chat with old friends and be entertained. It also allows me to join online writing groups. And my author page is another way for me to get my writing out there.

Twitter is, for me, a necessary evil. I’m gaining a lot of followers who are reading my blogs and more importantly, retweeting my blogs to others. My readership is slowly increasing. I still don’t like it, but I’m learning to use it more efficiently and effectively.

I’m being very snobby with Pinterest. I’m only following other writers. I’m not posting much, but it’s a great way to create a visual storyboard for my books. And I find fun book hideaways and writing quotes.

I just deleted my Foursquare account. I tried it for awhile to see what it was like. Other than checking in to different places, I can’t find a use for it. Why do I need a record of restaurants I go to? Why do I care where others go? If my friends find a great restaurant, I hope they’ll tell me. Or better yet, take me there (especially if chocolate is involved). But there’s not professional point and it’s making me feel a bit stalkerish. So, I’m done.

Google+ is probably my next thing to get rid of. I tried it, can’t really figure out a purpose to it and am really just posting things because I think I should. But I haven’t seen a benefit and I’m connecting with a lot of strangers, without getting to know anyone. Oh, there, I just convinced myself why I should delete my account. J

Like anything, I think the key to all of this is moderation. Once I’ve pared down WHERE I am, I’m going to pare down HOW OFTEN I’m in any of these places. I suspect I’ll find myself a lot more productive.

And hopefully, happier.