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2012 With No End In Sight

2012-01-16T22:41:20Z

Now that the holidays are already behind us, let me begin by offering each and every one of us a Merry New Year filled with excitement and possibilities!

I know the Mayans promised us the end of the world, but I’d like to offer another possibility. How about the end of the world as we know it? Like, no more heart-ache and wars and economic strife. No more anxiety over careers and passions and hopes and dreams. I’d like to submit that the Armageddon we can all personally claim will be the death of all things negative in our lives.

I know the planet is still going to spin, the sun will continue to shine, my granddaughter will surely be born in May and I will have to make good on the pending three book contract I have coming down the pike from Harlequin.

There will be no end of the world for me only a different way to approach my world view.

Like New Year’s resolutions, I think it would be awesome and easy to allow these four simple views to become our new reality:

1. There is enough of everything for everybody. Sharing my wealth, talent and time can do nothing but improve me. There is no need to compete with anyone for my space in the world. Abundance is universal. Not only in my career, but in reaching out to everyone in need.

2. This planet earth which so graciously nurtures us is in as much need of our care as we are in need of hers. Greeting her each day with the affection we show to our loved ones can do nothing but keep her healthy and strong to sustain us.

3. We already have the technology to live “Green” lives. Why don’t each and every one of us take the baby steps to becoming environmentally correct adults? Think of what living cleanly will do to our subconscious self-worth!

4. Each of us was born uniquely, yet our differences do NOT set us apart. Our uniqueness enhances our human experience. We need each other to appreciate life. Who I am is my gift to you and vice-versa. We should honor each other because when you look closely into my eyes, you will see yourself.

5. We are out of time for procrastination. This is 2012. The end of the world as we know it, so they say. I’m going to take that as fact: the end of the world as I know it. There is nothing but this moment, right now. What you and I do with each minute, hour, day will depend on how we shape the world. Me? I’m digging deep within to bring out the golden nuggets I was born to share with you.

So, I have to end here. My new WIP awaits. This month I am celebrating the release of my first Harlequin novel, WHERE IT BEGAN.

It’s a love story about a girl with a past she can’t remember. The mystery is . . . when she does remember, will her new world be seen with love?

And a friend just sent me this photo today. Here is Where It Began on the shelf in Wallmart. It's a first for me. And look, I'm tucked right in there, just below Nora Roberts!

Again, Happy New Year to each and every one. Let’s let the love flow and make 2012 the year humanity remembers for the best.

So, care to share? If you could make one change for the better in your career, or life . . . what would it be?

How a Day in the Park Sparks a Mystery: Want to write one?

2011-11-28T18:25:52Z

One of the beauties of being an author is that you find stories everywhere. I posted this blog on the mystery writers site to which I belong, The Kill Zone. I wanted to re-post this on my site, but this time invite all genres of writers to try their hand at a mystery--be it a romantic, horror or paranormal mystery. Wanna play?

So, it’s a beautiful Sunday morning along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. You are heading for a Jazz Festival where folks may not actually be as they seem.

To reach the river, you enter an open park with a large pavilion just before the river walk. On the paved sidewalk you find this symbol:

You think, that’s cool. Is it a fish? A dwelling? It’s just a novelty until you reach the other side of the park. There where the path ends you see this symbol:

Now, you can’t help it. You follow the orange-brick road circling the other side of the park and discover this:

Now, you’re wondering, is this a secret code? Directions for aliens landing on the green? These symbols are not located at the four compass points, but simply dotting the path at four points where you would enter or exit the park. So, now, your curiosity is peaked. Is there another symbol in the other section you haven’t checked? Sure enough. At the path by the fountain at the city side of the park, you find this:

Then someone’s name is carved into the cement at the foot of the park:

If you tell me what kind of mystery this creates for you, I’ll tell you mine. I’m sure someone smarter than I will be able to tell me what these symbols represent. In the meantime, let’s make our own meaning and build a mystery. It doesn’t have to be long. A paragraph or two, like a cover blurb, will do just fine.

Now, as a throw in . . . across from the park is an open pit where they’re starting construction. The pit is lined with fencing decorate with images such as these:

On the other side of the park is an odd tavern filled with flotsam and jetsam. It’s masthead is a flying mermaid. Do either of these locations have anything to do with the symbols?

Let ‘er rip, writers! The winner gets a free, autographed copy of Mythological Sam – The Call. Let’s see what you can do!

FISHING FOR READERS: It's All About the Hook

2011-10-13T12:04:14Z

Some hooks look like this:

Other hooks look like this:

- I bared my balconet-supported breasts on the grocery line to see if they matched the bosoms the gossip magazine hanging on the rack featured as mine.

- Stella broke his arm with a thought; the sickening snap thrilling her like a deep, wet kiss.

- Leaning forward in their chairs for his next answer, the audience remained clueless to the fact that Rodger Heller no longer stood before them. (Future hooks by Kathleen Pickering)

Not just for fishing any more, hooks are considered the number one lure for catching readers.

Your first line—your highly polished bait--attracts readers and gets them to bite again and again, turning pages and creating fans.

While ancient fishing tackle and cave paintings suited small communities and worked for plying waters close to shore, today's audiences are huge and are easily distracted by flashing media and super-speed technology. Today's hooks, although still the ultimate writer-tackle of choice, must be sharper than ever.

Hooks--so many types! Of the various suggested techniques, I've listed my five favorite hooks below.

1. Three-Pronged Hook. This is a wonderful approach using three sentences to pull the reader deeper into the story.

Here are three, expertly crafted Three-Pronged Hooks:

“I sleep with the dead. I don’t remember the first time I did it and try not to think about why. It’s just something I do.” (In the Arms of Stone Angels, by Jordan Dane)

Or:

“Two Whom It May Concern: My name is Wilfred Leland James and this is my confession. In June of 1922 I murdered my wife, Arlette Christina Winters James, and hid her body by tupping it down an old well. My son, Henry Freeman James aided me in this crime, although at 14 he was not responsible; I cozened him into it, playing upon his fears and beating down his quite normal objections over a period of 2 months.” (Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King)

Or:

“The boy stood naked in the middle of the road. Sam Hall’s headlights caught him there, frozen in position, like a deer. He was covered in something slick and it dripped down his flesh.” (The Evil Inside, by Heather Graham)

Makes you want to read more, yes? You'll also see that expertly composed hooks manage to combine techniques to create a masterful atmosphere. With hooks created by the guest authors I’ve featured here today, if readers were fish, they'd be jumping into the boat.

2. Startle Hooks. These hooks capture audiences quickly because the readers can't quite believe what they’ve just read (like those hooks above). Folks will keep reading to discover what is really going on. Another example, and shameless plug, is in Mythological Sam-The Call, where Sam Wilson starts the first chapter with a surreal visual:

"I steer around the bend and my breath catches in my throat. A hideous, mythological hydra suspends across the bay, clawing each shore with twin, snarling heads straining towards the sky." (Mythological Sam-The Call by Kathleen Pickering.

Couldn’t help but include myself here, especially in such good company, but I hope you’ll agree that no normal dude driving along the road is going to see a snarling, mythological beast where a bridge is supposed to be. I'd like to think the startle factor will keep the audience reading to learn what's really happening.

3. Describe a personality and elicit emotion. See how a master handles this one:

“Myron lay sprawled next to a knee-knockingly gorgeous brunette clad only in a Class-B-felony bikini, a tropical drink sans umbrella in one hand, the aqua clear Caribbean water lapping at his feet, the sand a dazzling white powder, the sky a pure blue that could only be God’s blank canvas, the sun as soothing and rich as a Swedish masseur with a snifter of cognac, and he was intensely miserable.” (The Final Detail, by Harlan Coben).

Superbly done. (Applauding from my chair!) This hook flashes Myron as a law enforcer of high caliber who knows danger, attracts sexy women, lives life like a hedonist and is bored out of his gourd, eliciting both envy and concern from the reader over a intriguing personality. All done in one sentence. Amazing.

4. Establish a Setting. Mr. Coben also combines setting into the above hook, so I will cite the same quote. While establishing a setting is a gentler hook, when professionally cast as Coben has done, the results reel readers in hook, line and sinker. (I just know you were waiting for me to use that cliché!)

5. Introduce the Main Character. This hook is most effective when working with character driven plots, especially if the author is establishing a series with a particular character. Here, F. Paul Wilson's character, Repairman Jack, has developed a cult-like following by portraying a darkly dangerous Jack with a quirky yet endearing, under-the-radar life style.

"Jack looked around the front room of his apartment and figured he was either going to have to move to a bigger place, or stop buying stuff. He had nowhere to put his new Daddy Warbucks lamp." (Conspiracies - Repairman Jack Series, by F. Paul Wilson)

Paul said Repairman Jack was only supposed to be a few books. Instead, Jack's huge success spawned fifteen Repairman Jack novels. Paul recently released a Repairman Jack young adult series to explain Jack's formative years. Yes, indeed. Dr. Wilson must own a pretty snazzy tackle box to hook such a huge fan base.

So of the various techniques for creating hooks, including use of dialogue, and introducing conflict and/or problems, these are my top five picks. What are your hooks of choice? Feel free to give examples.

Writing and Basic Human Needs

2011-06-23T15:21:00Z

A shudder ran up my spine when fellow The Kill Zone blogger, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, asked in her last blog, "When is it time to stop writing if you haven’t sold a book?" I could not imagine never writing again.

That, of course, got me thinking, well why not? Not writing wouldn’t kill me. I’d feel less pressure to perform, my days would free up and I could enjoy all those characters in my head as imaginary playmates. But, then I realized why I reacted so uncomfortably to Clare’s question. Simply put, we all have basic human needs. For me, writing fulfills all six of the basic human needs Anthony Robbins says every person craves for personal happiness. No wonder we authors are addicted to the craft!

Here are the needs as Tony Robbins lists them. I’ve shown how they fulfill my need to write:

1. Certainty – We all want to feel safe in our world. As a writer, I know the world I create is my own, no one can hurt it, change it, take it. I feel safe in my writing cocoon.

2. Uncertainty – We all crave variety, surprise and spontaneity or we’d get bored. Well, heck, do we or do we not get uncertainty and surprise from our characters? They always take us somewhere we don’t expect. Also, the uncertainty of the publishing industry and reader/editor opinion offers no small adrenaline rush in working towards success.

3. Significance – We all need to feel important in our world and often carry a fear of “not being enough.” Writing offers me a sense of significance, in that I feel unique in my craft and how I tell my stories. Being an author gives me a sense of worth.

4. Growth – If we don’t grow, we die. The richness of every book experience, from creating the work to selling, to networking, to celebrating and sharing, all contribute to my personal growth as an author. I feel an internal shift upwards with every book I write.

5. Connection/Love – We all need to bond and feel grounded with others. We all understand this. A perfect example for me was at this year’s Sleuthfest conference. I asked Dennis Lehane what inspired him to write Shutter Island and how he conducted his research. I was rewarded with a smile, an in-depth and heartfelt explanation that ended with, “this book describes me the best.” We all need connection and welcome the recognition in others.

6. Contribution – We act to make the world a better place. I’m not alone when I say I am an author with more than just a story to tell. (My brand.) Every book I write has a purpose, a theme, and mine is redemption. My world view is that we were born perfect onto a perfect planet, and somewhere along the line we lost that understanding. I write hoping my stories will get folks thinking towards shifting our perceptions back to a place of dancing and joy and connection with ourselves, each other and our precious world. I tell you, writing rocks!

My urban fantasy, Mythological Sam-The Call, embodies all six basic human needs of which Robbins speaks. That’s why I love writing and could never stop. Who else gets the opportunity to get their message across with a hilarious, demon-busting call to adventure while meeting their own human needs?

So, I ask you, as an author and a reader . . . how does writing/reading meet your human needs? And which two are most important?

Future Writers of America

2011-06-20T21:55:14Z

Today’s blog will make you laugh. So, you’ll forgive me for reposting an email I received from one of my California writing buddies. Since the content is writing-related, I believe the post is relevant. Besides, it’s so damned funny, I want you all to enjoy a laugh on this lovely Tuesday.

Listed below are actual analogies and metaphors written by high school students who had the great sense to entertain their teachers by submitting these fanciful descriptors in their essays. Enjoy!

The 2010 winners (and I dare say, future writers of America) wrote:

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

14. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

15. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

16. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

17. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

18. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

19. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

20. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

21. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

22. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

23. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

24. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

***

I know. Get their names. We have agents waiting! When you stop laughing, please feel free to add your own analogy or metaphor. Here’s mine:

He tickled her with hands like a gangster, making it hurt to laugh, so she punched him.

Author Mentoring: The Art of Paying It Forward

2011-06-07T12:23:10Z

Recently, I stayed at The Myrtles, a haunted plantation in Louisiana, with my mentor, the award winning, New York Times Best Selling author, Heather Graham. Luckily for me, Heather is not only my mentor, but my dear friend. (I don’t even know if she knows she’s mentoring me!)

I accompanied Heather and her family “on location” to shoot the new book trailer for her upcoming “Krewe of Hunters” series with Mira Books. As my mentor, she showed me how to set up a script, find a location, hire a videographer and assemble a cast of actors (with costumes!) and work within a budget to accomplish in one afternoon what promises to be a exciting and entertaining introduction to her next book series.

All of this, while having fun. I came away realizing that while mentoring doesn’t always lead to friendship, friendship surely leads to mentoring. Mentoring is an organic part of an active writing community. Joining Florida Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers and Thriller Writers, has immersed me in conversations with other authors from which I have come away a better writer—just by sharing information—while making friends with some of my most favorite authors. In turn, when I meet new writers, I answer their questions, offer them help with works in progress and point them in whatever direction I can to help further their career.

Mentoring is an author’s way to pay it forward. When we do, we take mega-leaps in our own careers, as well. Heather showed me how she uses her skills and years of experience to create media content. In turn, I followed the cast around the plantation, videoing behind the scenes. (With equipment I bought thanks to more mentoring from Fred Rae, a member of Mystery Writers.) To thank Heather for the fun, I plan to create about 20 short “behind the scenes” videos for YouTube, Facebook and iTunes to help herald her upcoming series. (I’ll be sure to post them on my website, as well.)

Why? Because I’m paying it forward for my friend, with delight, knowing some day, when it’s my turn, I will know just how to get the job done. After all, in the author’s world of mentoring, what are friends for?

So, let me ask you. How do you contribute as a mentor in your writing world?

Welcome!

2011-04-16T20:04:00Z

I have been putting off this notion of blogging for a long time because, well, I'm not sure I trust myself in a candid environment. But, anyone who knows me knows I can't resist an opportunit to chat.

I'll begin from the start by saying I'm not responsible for what I write on these blog pages. Really. If a blog is a personal journal, well then, what the heck?! Diary out loud, I say!

So, right there I'm a big fat liar. You know I'm goig to censor what I write . . . okay, maybe the next day after I've re-read what I've written and have embarrassed the hell out of myself.

NOT!

Life is an adventure. I'm serious about living. Serious about writing. Serious about everything I do. I simply believe a girl should have fun while doing what she loves. There's enough sadness and trauma in this world to distract us from our purpose. We'll not find any negativity on these pages. After all, the Good Book says, "Be joyful and dance!" That's my plan.

So, welcome to my blog pages! Read on. Enjoy! I look forward to hearing from you, as well.
Lots of love,

Kathleen

Welcome

2010-06-28T15:14:53Z

I have been putting off this notion of blogging for a long time because, well, I'm not sure I trust myself in a candid environment.

I'll begin from the start by saying I'm not responsible for what I write on these blog pages. Nope. If a blog is a personal journal, well then, what the heck?! Diary out loud, I say!

So, right there I'm a big fat liar. You know I'm goig to censor what I write . . . okay, maybe the next day after I've re-read what I've written and have embarrassed the hell out of myself.

NOT!

Life is an adventure. I'm serious about living. Serious about writing. Serious about everything I do. I simply believe a girl should have fun while doing what she loves. There's enough sadness and trauma in this world to distract us from our purpose. We'll not find that on these pages. After all, the Good Book says, "Be joyful and dance!" That's my plan.

So, welcome to my blog page! Read on. Enjoy and please comment and censor yourself only if you feel inclined to be unkind!

Lots of love,
Kathleen