I'm doing the Happy Dance!

I've been working diligently for some weeks on a short story set as a pre-prologue for my novel length Science Fiction Romance, THE HUSBAND. That's right, my novel has a title (in my mind at least). I had not actually finished THE HUSBAND; so, I would just tell people that I was writing a Science Fiction Romance. I hesitated, however, to claim the august title of writer. Until that crucial, orgasmic moment, when I would reach the end of a work, I still considered myself to be a Wirgin!

However, in the wee hours of this morning, I officially lost my Wirgin status. I typed THE END on my short story, "SCARS: An Excerpt from The Solaris System Watcher Chronicles". I are now a writer.

The Set-up:
Following a catastrophic war on Homeworld, humans have been scattered to other star systems within the galaxy. As these people adapted to their new worlds, first technology was lost, and over thousands of years, all memory of their origins on the Homeworld of Solaris System faded.

The remnant left on Homeworld have worked hard to reclaim their planet from devastation, and have turned it into a paradise. Technology has flourished, and they can now travel between the stars. Yet, they have never forgotten those who were exiled to other worlds. Therefore, the Watchers of Homeworld walk anonymously among those exiles, to monitor and to help them. But they are forbidden to interfere without permission.

The hero of SCARS is such a man. In SCARS, the hero, Joran, is called upon to rescue the only heir to a principality that is experimenting with freedom on a planet which has never known any freedom. In this rescue, Joran acquires the scars which his Lady will find in THE HUSBAND. What kind of man would willingly submit to torture in order to save a child... or even save an enemy?

As I told you, I started my blog, Frances Writes, as shameless self promotion as a writer. My next step in preparing to become a published author will be to build a website. SCARS is going to be a freebie on that website. I will keep you posted upon the progress of that endeavor. It's like when I started blogging, "Miss Scahlett, I don't know nothin' 'bout building no web sites!"

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

BLOGGING... The Ongoing Saga

Why am I doing this? It takes a lot of time!

Well, I'll tell you. Number One: Shameless Self Promotion. Yes, I know, sad but it's true. I am an aspiring writer. This is a business. I am soon going to have a manuscript to present to agents and editors. The first question that most agents and editors will ask is, "Do you have a web site or blog?"

Agents and editors want to know: 1) what an author's writing voice is like; 2) how an author will present themselves to the public; and 3) is an author is willing to help with his/her promotion. Do you begin to see a pattern here? Agents and editors!

But who else? You. I want to put my writing and name before you. If you like what I write here, perhaps you will look forward to reading my book when it's published. If you like what I write here, perhaps you will comment on my posts, and I will have a new friend. Therefore, I work really hard at making this blog a pleasant place to visit on your web rounds.

Artistically, it must be attractive, easy to navigate, and fun. Fonts need to be large enough to be easily read by anyone. Content must be applicable, and fun. My emphasis is on the business of becoming a published author. Next, I like to post about astronomy because it is fun and plays such a large part in my Science Fiction Romance. Today, I have added a cool widget on the phases of the Moon (another fun). Also, I love my pets and my garden, so you'll just have to put up with occasional post about them because I think that they are fun. See another pattern forming? I get a serious charge out of meeting people from around the world as they stop in and enjoy this blog with me. It is even better when you comment.

Frances Writes is step number one on my Promotion Game Plan. If you are an aspiring writer, develop your own Promotion Game Plan.

Happy blogging,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

Happy Birthday, AMERICA !!!

Today is the day that we Americans celebrate the birth of our Nation. Some of you, around the world, may not know exactly what was involved. July 4, 1776 was the day that the Founding Fathers of this country began the process of signing The Declaration of Independence, legally separating us from English rule. Thus they bet their fortunes and lives on the dream of a better future for all mankind. Sometimes we have faltered in that dream. However, at other times, we have succeeded admirably. Our responsibility is to continue to do so.

Second only after the Bible, The Declaration of Independence is the most revolutionary document in the history of the world. In any time, it is a document, dangerous beyond belief, to those who would be tyrants. It challenges all men to be responsible for their government, and thus regulators of that government. Therefore, every American should know what The Declaration of Independence says.

It is one of my fondest dreams that every American would read both The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States at least once a year. What one does not keep in one's mind, one quickly forgets. I would want these two documents to be required reading for every school child at least once every year until they graduate. I would go so far as to say that I do not believe that a person should have the privilege of voting unless he or she can show knowlege of these two documents.

Upon signing The Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin said, "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." That holds true today, just as it did in 1776.

If you have not read The Declaration of Independence recently, or if you never have read it and would like to find out what America was founded upon, go to the following URL and click on the "read transcript" button.

The Declaration of Independence.

God bless America,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

On Writing Love Scenes...

Whenever I run across an article or a blog post which I think to be outstanding and relevant, I will pass it on.  This morning I visited Angela Knight's Blog and she had a wonderful post on writing love scenes.  Here is the link to her Blog:

Knight Errant

Thank you Angela for sharing your wisdom, and good luck for her new futuristic release, Warrior.  That is a great cover, BTW.

Happy writing,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day to my Canadian readers, thank you for visiting.

The times that I have visited Canada, was first by hydrofoil from Seattle to Victoria (a real blast, at over 60 mph over Puget Sound), and then the ferry across the Juan de Fuca Straight from Olympia to Victoria. Both trips were wonderful and I fell in love with the city and country. One of the big draws, for me, is Buchart Gardens. If you ever have the chance to go, do. It is a breathtakingly beautiful botanical garden in any season. You will find its link in my "Very Fun" side bar.

This picture was taken by a friend, Frank Heinish, in November 2001. He is an amazing photographer. Thank you Frank and Linda for sending them to me. Thank you John for taking me.

Enjoy life,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real Love in a Real Future

Writing Tip: Handy Dandy Writer's Check List

I haven't used Jeannie Reusch's WIP Notebook. I developed my own method for organizing Work In Progress which is very similar. However, I looked this over, and it is wonderful. I found it on my marketing loop this morning and since I thought that it was so good I decided to pass it on. Author Jeannie Reusch has created a notebook to keep her WIPs organized. She has made it available for you to order or download from her website. I heartily recommend checking it out:

http://www.jeannieruesch.com/

Click on the WIP Notebook icon at the right side of her home page.

Happy writing.
Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

My Secret Garden...

That's what my art students called it.



About twenty years ago, I began an ongoing project. I wanted to see if I could get bloom in my garden twelve months out of the year. Now this is a very difficult thing. I have extremely poor soil, and so, have composted like crazy. I don't have the money to put into annuals; therefore, I am limited to hardy perennials. All of the plants that I mention here are extremely hardy in the Deep South. If a plant is going to live on my hill, it has got to be tough. As they say... Root Hog or Die!

Being an artist, I LOVE gaudy colors in the garden. The brighter, the better. I love to listen to the birds sing in the early morning. I love to watch the butterflies and the hummingbirds working on the blossoms during the day. At night I love to hear the frogs, crickets, and cicadas serenading life.

Every season has its own special joy. I think of each month by the flowers that are in bloom, and the scents in the air.

January is when the Paper White Narcissus begins to bloom against the backdrop of a gray and brown winterscape, and the unsurpassed fragrance of Sweet Olive promises that, like its tiny blooms, Spring is just hiding.

February is when the old fashioned, yellow Daffodils come out, but in a winterscape that is no longer... quite so gray or brown. The differences are so very subtle.

March is when the fancier varieties of Narcissus and early Iris begin their blooms. By now, we are seeing the faintest indications of green here and there, and the tips of the highest branches seem... somewhat fuller, and not at all gray against a clear blue sky.

The first of April is when the Redbud, Dogwood, Azaleas, Wisteria, Confederate Jessamine, and German Bearded Iris are at their heights. The tree tops are chartreuse lace, and the air is filled with perfumes to shame a Paris designer.

As April progresses into May, the Amaryllis come into their red and white glory, and the Daylilies begin to bloom while tree leaves turn to emerald. By the first of June, the Daylilies are the multi-colored jewels of the garden, each with its own fragrance, ranging from lemon to cinnamon.

Well, it is now the end of June. The trees all have deep green leaves. The Daylilies are past their prime and will only bloom sporadically for the rest of the year. What else has been happening?

June has also had white, blue, and pink Hydrangeas. Subtly fragrant, pink Cashmere Bouquet, and outrageously scented Gardenia have dominated the senses.

All these are now gradually fading. But on their heels, the hot pink Summer Phlox has begun to take center stage. By day, these flamboyant beauties are irresistible to both hummingbirds and butterflies. But by night, their delicate fragrance fills my garden for my walks with the Supreme Pasha Zack and his harem girl, Maxi.

It sounds like I live in a paradise. To me it is. Most of these plants have either come down through my family, or have been passed along from friends. Each has special memories of the loved ones from whom they came. There are worse ways to be remembered.

Share your flowers while you can, and treat your senses.

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance, and gardening
Real love in a Real Future

Scorpius Encore...

I said Friday that I would post another image of Scorpius. I had to play around with this image from Starry Night to get it to reproduce where you can see it online. That involved exaggerating the stars of the constellation so that they can be seen on your monitor somewhat similarly to what the naked eye will see. Black rectangles in blogs excite less than no interest. *G* The bright reddish star is Antares. The bright object to the far left of the picture is Jupiter. The diagonal smudge behind the hook of Scorpius is the Milky Way as it appears on an exceptionally dark and clear night. This is the way the sky will look tonight, just after 2300 CST.



Happy viewing,



Frances



Writing Science Fiction Romance

Real love in a Real Future

Annd Heeereee's Scorpius!!!

Have I got a treat for you. With the help of the Starry Night astronomy program and a little digital manipulation on my part, I hope that I can make it easier for you to find and enjoy one of my favorite sights of the Summer sky. It is early Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the one of the most beautiful constellations of the sky is rising in the Southeast right after dark. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, this is your beautiful Winter constellation, which rises in the East. It's Scorpius. The really bright, reddish star at its center is Antares. Its name means, the rival of Ares (Mars); and it is the heart of the Scorpion and one of the four, ancient Royal Stars. This negative image shows the major stars and why so many ancient cultures called it after the scorpion. The ancient Greeks said that Scorpius killed Orion, poor guy. That's why it is on the opposite side of the ecliptic, or zodiac, from Orion. The two really don't get along. Never hang out together. Sad but true, some people hold grudges over the littlest things. *G*

From a different perspective, Scorpius is call the Maui's Fish Hook by the Polynesians. One look at the constellation and you can see why. The demi-god Maui was supposed to have pulled up the islands with it. The Polynesians were relating to what was important in their world view... land and fish.

The very first time that I saw Scorpius clearly, I was in Hawaii. My first thought was that it looked rather like a diamond necklace hanging in the sky. You see? It all depends upon your point of view. Maybe it's true that diamonds are a girl's best friend. For summer, Scorpius is definitely one of mine.

I am having trouble with the original image that I wanted to include as a naked eye view. I will try to come back and edit it in later. Please be patient with me. Don't miss the opportunity to see this beautiful constellation on your next clear, dark evening.

Happy Viewing.

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

Book Covers...Don't Blame the Author

Pretty isn't it? I confess. I have a file on my computer dedicated to book covers. Mostly Romance book covers with good looking guys, true; but I'm an artist! What do you expect? I am a published Illustrator and art teacher of 30 years. I like pretty pictures and good looking guys; so, in addition to Romance, I also have Science Fiction, and Fantasy covers. The only requirement is that I like it. Often I will lift one of these covers that I like, and use it for a while as wallpaper. Helps me keep a smile on my face. I heartily recommend the therapy.



There has been a controversy in recent years about book covers and author branding by publishers. First there were the clinch covers that gave birth to the pejorative "Bodice Ripper" epithet. Then there were the flower and jewel covers that, if not extremely pertinent to the plot, were real snoozers. Now, publishers think that they must "brand" their authors. Every book by one author must look similar enough that any myopic shopper will automatically recognize their favorite author from a hundred yards away. Not a bad idea... if the author likes the cover, and the cover truly represents the book.



Unfortunately, readers blame authors for poor covers. ATTENTION! Authors have almost zero control over their covers. Publishers, specifically marketing departments, make the decisions as to what cover an author's work gets. An author can only pray.



This morning I read an excellent article on covers and reader perceptions. I thought that I would pass along the URL if you are interested.



http://www.kathysreviewcorner.com/columns/0804CoversPt1.html

http://www.kathysreviewcorner.com/columns/0806CoversPt2.html



I like the idea of branding with composition and fonts; however, for me, there are only two real questions: 1) Is it a good looking, well composed, eye catching cover? 2) Does this cover tell me something important about the story in an accurate manner? That brings me to the picture above. It is the original cover of Susan Grant's THE STAR PRINCE. I think that it succeeds superbly on all accounts. It's beautiful, eye catching, tells me it's about space, and tells me that two people are in love. After all, that was what I wanted to know.



Let me know what some of your favorite covers are.



Frances



Writing Science Fiction Romance



Real Love in a Real Future