Writing Wednesday Tip - "Naming Chapters"

Just a quick tip today because the snow storms this week have been wreaking havoc on the internet service 💨😱

A lot of submissions cross my desk where the chapters are titled with the main characters' names....and I simply have to ask the question why?

For starters, it can belittle both you and the reader if you have to TELL them who the chapter is about, especially over and over and over again:

Chapter One:  David
Chapter Two: Lily
Chapter Three: David
Chapter Four: Lily...

Monotonous.

The better option is a clear first line or second line/short paragraph of specific perception to strongly establish point of view of the chapter/scene.  Deeper POV works wonders in these situations.  SHOW the reader who the main character is by putting them right in that character's head ASAP at the beginning of the chapter.  Even if you are using first person for each character, there are subtle and strong ways to ensure the reader knows whose perception the moment is in.

The second reason for not using names as a chapter title is that you are basically dropping a big honking brick wall into your story, which totally defeats the purpose, especially if there is a good hook at the end of the previous chapter.  This wall stops the read flat, yanking the reader right out of your story for a second or two to read a name that is actually redundant to Tell.  And these are PRECIOUS moments you don't want to lose, because those are the exact seconds they remember the laundry needs to be moved from the washer to the dryer or they aren't ready for the meeting the next morning and really should look over those notes or get a good night's sleep.  Without that wall, without that redundant Name, your reader will go right from the end of one tense chapter to continue immediately into the tension of the next, to find out what happens next, and keep turning the pages, eager to read more.

Just to be clear, it is not wrong if you want to title your chapters, but that title should have a purpose, mean something to the story, and just repeating names over and over for every chapter just doesn't have that impact, so instead, let the characters themselves give your readers a reason to keep turning your pages fast and furiously!


All content ©bystacydawn

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☮ Visit me on social media and at my website ~ links on the side ➹💟

Don't Make This a Passive Year!

Let's start Writing Wednesdays this year on a strong note...by getting rid of those passive verbs that make your manuscript Telling.

The trick is to let your character Show the scene through his/her specific experience of the moment, and part of this is using stronger verbs to mirror the tone so as to pull the reader into the experience with your main character.

Now remember, the first draft is just that, a first draft....let it all out and who cares how it reads or what specific words you use. THE most important thing about the first draft is that you get the story out of your head and onto the paper/computer screen--because there is a good chance it won’t ever get written if it stays in your brain while you try to get it “perfect.” Trust me, I know because I am sooooo bad at doing that.

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” 

~ Terry Pratchett

It is when you are revising that you want to start layering in details for the reader, choosing specific word that will paint a vivid picture, deepen your characters, and bring out a fully rounded story.

"Was" before an "ing" word is the biggest red flashing light you want to look for to revise the Passive out of your manuscript. To be clear, it is not wrong to have some of these type of verb phrases; you just don’t want to only have them, or have a large percentage of them, as it will lend to a Telling read. You  want to make sure you have sought out and assessed each instance to ensure if they are valid or could be stronger.

Let’s see a few examples in three different ways—Telling/Passive, the Better choice, and a Stronger version, which could Show more specifically the experience of the character in that moment:

Telling/Passive: was walking
Better: walked
Stronger: strolled, meandered, hurried, scurried, strutted, sashayed—each one gives a very different experience of the moment, and using the right word to mirror your character’s mood/perception at that time will strengthen the overall tone of the scene.

Telling/Passive: was eating
Better: ate
Stronger: gulped, chewed, chomped

Telling/Passive: was thinking
Better: thought, considered
Stronger: studied, mused, contemplated, worried

Again, occasional use of the passive can work, but when the goal is to draw your reader into the moment, a more descriptive verb that mirrors the tone of the scene  paints a moment they can experience with your character.

Try it in your own manuscript by doing a Find search for "ing" on a few pages at a time and see how many passive verbs you can strengthen.

Keep passive writing back in 2018.  Let's make 2019 a strong and active writing year! 😉

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Demystifying Deeper POV Part Four: No-Fly Zone

How did last week go? Did you find any strings to cut from that Fly trying to puppeteer your main character? If you are just joining us or want a refresher, you can pop back through the series here:

Part One: Don’t Panic
Part Two: Me, Myself, and Fly
Part Three: Bodies, Eyes, and Flies—oh my!


For this last part to the series, we are going to talk about REACTION.

Reactions are one of the most important areas where Deeper POV (Deeper Point of View) is concerned, yet the one missed more often than not.

EVERYONE has a reaction to whatever is happening to them in the moment, whether a perception/thought—Hey, that’s cool/That guy is a jerk—or an emotion—anger, embarrassment, love—or a physical reaction—pain when burned, full chest when feeling loved and appreciated, cold chills when freaked out, tight jaw when holding back a verbal reprimand, etc. Each and every person has a reaction from the smallest thing to the biggest event…and, most important, every person’s life experience determines said reaction.

This is a big separation between Fly Telling and Showing the experience through your main character using Deeper POV.

Let's look at a physical reaction first. Once again, Dane will be our main character for example purposes.

Fly Telling:

          Dane McCord squinted one eye open as the dust billowed up from where he’d landed flat on his back in the dirt.
          A whinny of the chestnut mare that had just thrown him mixed with feminine laughter growing nearer.
          He blinked both eyes open to find Kathleen leaning over him. Kathleen’s blue eyes sized him up from his Stetson-bare head to his cowboy boots. She smiled, and Dane smiled back. Dane wanted to roll the beautiful cowgirl in the dust with him.

I don't know about you, but seems to me getting thrown off a horse would hurt, plain and simple.  But there is nothing in the above example that lends to a physical or sensory perception of the actual experience of falling off a horse.

Swatted Version: (Character Experience)

          Squinting one eye open, Dane McCord winced and held back a groan as the dust billowed up from where he’d landed flat on his back in the dirt. Painful, short breaths only enabled him to get enough air into his lungs to ensure he wouldn’t pass out.
          The gleeful whinny of the wild chestnut mare that’d just thrown him mingled with raucous feminine laughter growing nearer in a shadowed form against the glaring noon-day sun.
          He blinked both eyes open to a waterfall of raven hair leaning over him. Kathleen’s twinkling blue gaze sized him up from his Stetson-bare head to his prone cowboy boots. A small lift of rose-red lips caused instant heat to seize his gut—if he wasn’t still straining to replace the air into his knocked lungs, he’d have rolled the beautiful cowgirl in the dust with him.

Fly Telling:

          He stood and brushed the dust from his butt, and his hand felt the ring in his pocket.

Again, after landing on your back in the dirt, surely standing would have consequences to your body, too.

Swatted Version:

          Muscles groaning their complaints far beyond his thirty-two years, Dane heaved himself to a standing position. The scrapes on his arm stung as he brushed the dust off his backside in a ruse to make sure the ring was still in his pocket.

Swatting the Fly by layering in Deeper POV from Dane’s specific experience of the moment Shows the reaction of falling off a horse and lets the reader feel his discomfort at the same time.

And that is what you want…to make the reader experience the moment with your character. This connection is what endears him or her to the reader, grows empathy, and gets them invested in the character's life so they want to keep turning the pages instead of turning off the light to go to sleep.

Now, let's try an emotional/internal sensory reaction:

Fly Telling:

          A wide grin spread over his face as he thought he could give her the horse as a wedding gift.
          Kathleen got closer to the horse. Dane was nervous. He didn’t want her to get hurt.
          He tried not to worry and focused on Kathleen.

Why is he nervous? There is no actual validation given for Dane being worried--the Fly is simply Telling the reader that he is.

Swatted Version:

          Hmm, maybe I’ll give her Flamin’ Jane as a wedding present.
          Grinning at his brilliant idea, he watched Kathleen, one of her slender hands extended as she approached the wild chestnut mare. The cool breeze brought to him her gentle words, soothing the agitated beast…and gripping his heart.
          What if she gets hurt? The words snuck into his mind, and his spine stiffened. He’d never worried about her with a horse before, why now? Folding his knuckles in a tight fist, he forced back the disturbed thoughts.

Both sensory and physical action are used to mirror his concerned thoughts, filling out the tension of the moment, drawing the reader directly into his concern.  Notice how validation for his worry isn't simply Told to the reader but rather woven into the moment through his short, yet specific, visual descriptions of the "wild chestnut mare" and "agitated beast."

(Did anyone also notice how this Swatted Version layers in other forms of Deeper POV we have discussed over the course of this series?😁)

Simply revising in a few specific descriptive sentences quickly changes the scene from Fly Telling to Showing the main character’s experience.

Each and every person—each and every character—is unique, so it is important that A) you make sure your character has a mental and/or physical reaction when they should, whether to a minor moment like someone touching their arm to a major moment like getting tossed off a horse, and B) the reaction is in character for him or her.  For instance, a vain woman all about high fashion and perfecting her look wouldn’t have the same reaction to a smear of dirt on her cheek as a country girl working on a farm.

Now, remember last week we talked about how the Telling Fly buzzes into a manuscript when a voice or tone is described BEFORE the main character hears the words spoken? The same thing goes when a reaction is described BEFORE the event actually happens to the main character or something is described that he or she can't see/know in that moment.

Fly Telling:

          Jake stood in the barn doorway behind them. “Well, you sure did good there, Miss Kathleen.” 
          Dane turned to see his foreman and grinned.

This is Fly POV because...how can Dane describe what is behind him when his focus is in front of him?

Swatted Version:

          “Well, you sure did good there, Miss Kathleen.”
          At old Jake’s rusty voice, Dane turned and grinned at the ranch foreman leaning against the barn door frame.

As a side note, this also goes for introduction of new characters (and refers a bit back to Part Two). If someone the main character has never met walks into the room, then he or she cannot describe this newcomer by name until introductions have been made, whether formerly or by a secondary character giving him or her the information. The main character can have a perception/reaction to the person—the cranky old man or the snobby debutante—but it would be Fly Telling to use an actual name the main character has no knowledge of with respect to that person.

Another big Fly POV buzz ringer is a page or more of dialogue with minimal to no actions and no reactions by the main character to what is being said.

Fly Telling:

          “Okay.”
          “Okay?” Kathleen asked.
          “Yes.”
          “Do you mean it?”
          “Yes already. Go on, give ‘er a try,” he said.
          "Don’t look at me like that. I mean it—I ride her, you give me your word you’ll marry me.” 
          “You have my word.”
          “Not the way a lady wants a proposal, but sometimes we gotta take the bull by the horns to get through a man’s stubborn head.”

Not only is the image promoted as just two people standing face to face, hands at their sides, staring at each other and speaking, but Fly Telling is prominent because there is no reference of how the main character is perceiving the conversation, reacting to it. In fact, there is no sense of a main character in that example at all.  Let’s face it, everybody has a point of view on almost any topic of conversation. That especially goes for your main point of view character. Simply dotting in a bit of his or her specific interpretation and a mirrored action here and there as the conversation progresses layers in Deeper POV to the whole scene.

Swatted Version

          “Okay.” 
          “Okay?” She eyed him warily.
          He nodded and held a hand out toward the horse. “Go on, give ‘er a try.”
          “Don’t be giving me that cocky brow, McCord. I mean it—I ride her, you give me your word you’ll marry me.” 
          He put his hand to his chest, over the heart she’d owned since the first moment he saw her. “You have my word.”
          Her cute little chin snapped in a sharp nod. “Not the way a lady wants a proposal, but sometimes we gotta take the bull by the horns to get through a man’s stubborn head.”

One last note on the topic of reaction, as there is a specific type of scene unrelated to these characters but happens so often I feel it needs to be mentioned--the car crash. I see the most Fly Telling and lack of physical reaction in these scenes. Often is it simply Told to the reader that the character saw blood on their hands from a head wound or crawled out of a broken window. And that's it.  Ummmmm, would a cut bleeding that much not hurt like the dickens?  If crawling out over broken glass, wouldn’t the pieces slice or sting or poke through your jean-clad knees, not to mention muscles protesting from being banged around so suddenly? SO MUCH awesome potential for physical/sensory reaction is often ignored for the Telling Fly when only an added sentence or two could really make the reader experience each shard of glass on their bare hands as well.

The main trick for understanding Deeper POV is to simply put yourself in the place of your main character. Wait a minute—let me clarify…I mean doing so at your desk or wherever you write, NOT actually being your character and say, staking out a dark back alley, jumping out of a moving vehicle, taking down terrorists, or going up to a handsome man and kissing him senseless, LOL. Just in your head, please.  Simply ask yourself some important questions related to the moment, such as what would it feel like to fall off a horse or watch the love of your life risk hers by getting on the same wild horse that just threw you?  What would you experience if you crawled out of a window with shards of glass sticking out and splayed on the ground all around?  What would be the internal/external sensory, physical, or mental reaction of your character to the moment on your computer page in front of you?

This is the most important part of perspective, because a good, character-driven story isn’t about what you as the author or the pesky Fly sees and Tells, it is about what your character experiences in that moment, and at every turn, and Showing that in order to make the reader experience the same thing at the same time. Remember…

Be the character, not the Fly.

Well, that about rounds out this initial series on Demystifying Deeper POV.

To sum up, the essence of Deeper POV is swatting out the Telling Fly in order to Show the experience of your character, through your character’s specific perception and reaction.

One more time…

Deeper POV is simply Showing the experience of your character 
through his or her specific perception and reaction.

And, as I’ve mentioned briefly before, remember that Deeper POV doesn’t mean adding gobs of internal detail and emotional descriptives—sometimes just a well-placed sentence or phrase, very specific to the reaction or moment, is often all that is needed.

Thank you so much for joining me over the last four weeks. Writing is a learning curve for new and/or established authors, and finding what works for you is important. I can only hope you were able to take away some tips and ideas to try out with the goal of strengthening your manuscript. Feel free to let me know what you thought of the series in the comments or by email at bystacydawn @ gmail . com (no spaces).

Be sure to join me next Wednesday for Demystifying Deeper POV: Behind the Series as I share a bit about how this actually came about plus some fun stuff it entailed along the way...such as, have you ever written a story backwards?

For those curious about Dane and Kathleen, their full short story will be a bonus addition to the ebook version of this series I plan to work on in the new year, adding even more explanations and examples. Until then, I will be adding links to the sidebar soon so the series can be easily referenced again by you or anyone you may want to recommend pop over for some swatting practice.

All content ©bystacydawn

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☮ Visit me on social media and at my website ~ links on the side ➹💟

Wednesday Writing Tip: Is your story Timeless...or Dated?

Today's tip is to be careful of references that can date your manuscript.

Using brand names, the hottest musical artist, movie stars or movies, can come back to haunt your sales.

Just because a rock star has the biggest hit of the year doesn't mean they are going to have any more.  And five years from now it is, unfortunately, possible no one will remember their name.

That goes for social media sites, too.  In this day and age, the internet changes constantly.  Do you remember Myspace?  It was all the rage 12 or so years ago, everyone was on it and talking about it, and it was everywhere etc.  But you don’t hear about it anymore, right?  

Sure, Facebook seems strong now, but who is to say something won’t happen in the next five years to take it off the internet for the next best thing that comes along?

The issue with using specific brands, businesses, and people is not only concerns with copyright and other legalities, but more importantly, when a reader picks up your backlist ten years from now, using specific-to-the-moment references like Facebook or a one hit wonder artist whose name no one can remember, really dates your story, putting it back in time when it isn't meant to be a vintage or historical.

Readers picking up your back list in the future are not going to be the same people of today, so it is important whenever possible, and when not pertinent to your story, to keep non-important details neutral, generic, so your story can stay as contemporary as possible for any reader to pick up at any time in the future.

The less specific, year orientated details, the longer the story will last in the mind of the reader and new readers years from now.  You want them to recommend your book today, but also those readers of the future to continue to recommend your back list to their friends and coworkers so your sales can keep moving forward and not stall out on you because your story is too out of date.

Going generic when the specific details are not important won't hurt your story and will only help it to stay timeless.

©bystacydawn

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☮ I'd love to have you visit me on social media and at my website! Links on the side ➹💟

Trust your crazy ideas

Maybe they will work or maybe they won't, but you will never know until you try.  Passion itself is a great superpower, so if you have passion for something don't let doubts and fears get in the way.  There is no failure, only lessons learned to help you keep moving forward!!

©bystacydawn

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☮ I'd love to have you visit me on social media and at my website! Links on the side ➹💟

Black and White

I prefer to live my life in colour, but sometimes it is simply black and white...do or don't, yes or no, black letters on a white manuscript page after page after page. 

Even so, there is ALWAYS positives, even in the monotonous...like feeling accomplished when an edit is complete and I can send an excited author her manuscript back to work on, to fine tune, to really bring her characters to life and her story to completion.

I wish it was a lazy Peace Love Lattes Sunday...and maybe that isn't today, but it will be, just like the picture above will someday get colour, too.  Life is lived one day at a time, sometimes they are black and white, and sometimes they shine with colour, but either way, each one is special, each one is a gift, and each one is yours to make with it anything you can imagine!

©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

The Changeover

Does anyone else find that the year is broken down into three basic sections....Christmas Season, End of School, and Beginning of School?

And with each one, there seems to be a changeover--sort of "spring cleaning" for the new time period to come.  This time it was the living room, kitchen, and especially my art desk that needed a major makeover...

Ugh, I still cringe at the before picture, only because it sort of denotes how crazy messy life got, too.  I think that is why I like to do the reorganizing as we flow into a changeover.  Gets my head back in place, a feel of control so to speak (delusional, I know, but we have to take what we can get, right? 😁).

At least the clean art desk helped me actually complete three pieces.  Two I will be posting soon to my Instagram account (and maybe here eventually), but the third one I am keeping under wraps as it is the first piece of an exciting special project I am doing.

For now, I will leave you with a Sunday Funday sum up of summer...

Yeah, that pretty much says it all 😊

©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

Contemporary Romance
Novella
Rating: Spicy

ONE STARLIT NIGHT

When Elizabeth O'Leary meets up with the cowboy she's been avoiding for over two years, she doesn't know whether to trust her heart or her head. One tells her Grey Wulfsen just might be The One, the other tells her it doesn’t matter because he'll never forgive her when he finds out what she took away with her on that one starlit night.



REVIEWS:

From Mistress Bella Reviews:

"I just felt so involved with this story. I felt like I was watching a movie, the details, descriptions and facts were so vivid and real. And ladies…and some men…who doesn’t love a cowboy?"

5 Ribbons from Romance Junkies!!

"Stacy Dawn really pulls at the reader's heartstrings with One Starlit Night. Elizabeth and Grey seem to be perfect for each other but fear, misunderstanding and misconceptions could potentially destroy any hope they have for a future together. Ms. Dawn does a brilliant job of bringing her characters to life so that they feel like long lost friends."



Excerpt:

“Grey!” The name tore from her lips involuntarily, and Elizabeth clasped a hand over her mouth to silence the terrified screams clogging her throat.

Painfully still moments coursed by before she saw the gloved hands brace themselves in the dirt and a dusty blond head raise.

Still crouched on the ground over her folder, she was in perfect alignment for eyes the color of buffed steel to lock onto hers.

Oh, God.

This was exactly what she had wished for—and prayed to avoid. The ever logical side of her argued that the recognition tilting the corner of those sculptured lips up was just her imagination. The bold woman she’d locked up deep inside over the past two years said otherwise.

He knows, he remembers.

Forcing herself to break the eye contact, Elizabeth shook her head and clasped onto logic like a rock wall. Being pragmatic had never let her down before, and even, in a roundabout way, it had worked out that one weak moment, too. Hadn’t she gotten what she wanted? At least for the most part.


All my titles are available in multiple locations:

The Wild Rose Press
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes & Noble
Kobo


©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

Monster or Mentor?

- E D I T O R -

...the one word that can cause chills to run down the spine of a writer.

The thought of the “all powerful editor” holding your precious manuscript in their hands to shred to pieces or, hopefully, see a creative, unique diamond, has led to many sleepless nights for those awaiting their fate in the publishing industry.

Does this sound like you?

Well, I’ll let you in on a secret that might give you just a little more sleep tonight. We are not “all powerful” (I still can’t fly or make the dirty dishes disappear with a snap of my fingers), and it is definitely not our goal to shred your dreams. We are not faceless monsters, or even remotely inhuman for that matter—in fact, we are all too human, only proven if you could see how we struggle with having to tell an author their manuscript is not ready for publication, that they aren’t quite as far along in their dream as they hoped.

- E D I T O R -

Instead of picturing the top floor of a brutishly tall office building, clean, crisp skirts and suits behind goliath desks, outboxes piled high with manuscripts riddled with big red slashes, picture your favourite teacher from school, or the coach who made a difference in the way you played and enjoyed your favourite sport.

At least, that is the way I hope my authors look at me. Not as some be all and end all of their manuscript, but as a coach who stands beside them, works with them, shows them where they can improve and encourages them to make their story the very best it can be. And, like with any sport, practice furthers your development and effort brings accomplishment.

~ M E N T O R ~

Whether you are submitting to a publisher or using an independent editor, think of them as a mentor, someone waiting for you to submit, ready to assist you, excited to help you achieve your dreams.

Changing the way you think about editors can help get you a bit more sleep at night, because there is honestly no monster on the other end of the SEND button. In truth, if not for writers, there would be no need for editors. YOU are that important to us.

Now, that’s not to say you should be disrespectful or too casual in your correspondence to editors. As with a teacher or coach, respect and listening skills go a long way with how they will treat you.  At the same time, most editors should also earn your respect by their actions and guidance whether through an encouraging rejection letter or during the editing process. 

So, don't be afraid of the word "editor" because, personally, I love when authors ask questions, whether simple or complex, because it shows me they WANT to learn and better their craft.  And that is what I'm here for--to coach, encourage, and inspire you.

From this Mentor:
Embrace the unknown and conquer the fear by asking questions and finding the answers, because answers can light up a whole new path you never even knew was there.



©bystacydawn

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🙋Check out my links at the side to visit me on social media and at my website! 💟

To all my American friends...

©bystacydawn

Luck Be a Cowboy

If you or someone you know can't seem to get their head out of the negatives and into the positive, then here is a story that may show them the benefits of thinking outside the box and walking on the sunny side of the street...


Contemporary Romance
 Novella 
Rating: Sensual

Luck be a Cowboy 

Travel consultant Sarah Monroe's sudden streak of bad luck continues when, after taking a baseball bat to her cheating fiancé's truck, she discovers she's trashed the wrong one.

Worse, the real owner, sexy cowboy Harper Reed, witnesses her act of vengeful vandalism. The last thing she needs is her passport cancelled due to a criminal record—or to risk trusting another handsome man.

While Sarah worries if their shaky negotiation will hold up under her bad luck, Harper tries to find a way to prove that luck is not only in the eye of the beholder...but in the heart of a cowboy.


REVIEWS:

5 Hearts from the Romance Studio!!

"Ms. Stacy Dawn definitely lived up to her reputation with this book. I enjoy her style so much that I read all her books possible. Her characters were dynamic, yet comical. Her situations are so funny that it's impossible not to laugh. There were also some poignant moments in the book. I found myself immersed in the characters and felt as if I was there in person. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh and maybe shed a tear while reading a fabulous book."
~Brenda Talley, The Romance Studio

4 1/2 Books from the Long and Short Reviews!!

"This was such a great read! The pacing was perfect, and there were no loose ends or unanswered backstory issues. My attention was immediately grabbed by the very first line of the book. Sarah Monroe is a wonderfully feisty heroine who isn’t about to let anyone walk all over her. Harper Reed has just the right mix of patience and passion to be able to handle the spirited little filly. I especially loved how the hero helped the heroine see the positives that came as a result of the perceived negatives. And haven’t we all secretly wanted a little sweet revenge against a lying, cheating scumbag? Take some time, grab a chair and some coffee and enjoy every word of this fantastic story. You won’t be sorry."
~Reviewed by Daffodil, Long and Short Reviews


EXCERPT:

"Whoa there, Slugger."

The soft body thunked into his arms, back to his chest as rose-scented curls fanned his face. For a moment, Harper relived the moment in the back bedroom, her hair grazing his cheek, her soft skin tingling beneath his hands. The moment was seared into his body, charging it to life the moment he touched her. Unfortunately, her squirming to untwist a spiked heel from the platform broke into the pleasant memory.

He shifted her to one arm in order to reach down and unhook the errant heel. "You could have broken your neck," he said in a gentle reprimand as he assisted her to stand. "I told you I'd be back to help."

Her gaze darted over his shoulder and out the open door. "Yeah, well, I think I've had just about enough help from men lately." She poked a finger in his chest. "God is a man, isn't he? Well, doesn't that just explain everything."

"O-okay." He wasn't about to delve into a cryptic retort like that and instead sized up the slight pinch of her brows and the haze fading her blue eyes to gray. "You sure you're all right?"

"Yep, great. No problem." She averted her gaze and turned with one spiked heel rising to the fake cake's platform. "Now, help me up. This is gonna be one show you're not likely to forget."

And how, he thought as he slipped his hands to the round, firm ass. All in the name of assistance of course, but man...

Haul it in there, Reed.

Easier said than done as he shifted his own hips to relieve the growing strain in his jeans.

"Okay, I'm in. What do you think?"

Sarah popped around, sultry arms raised in a very 1940s pin-up pose. Harper's lips twitched.
"Perfect."

Her smile grew, eyes dancing like diamonds in the spotlight. His body instantly reacted with a tight chest and even tighter pants.

Harper cleared his throat and sidestepped behind the opened lid, hinged as the top of the cake. He knew his reaction wasn't anything more than being in the company of a gorgeous woman. But if that were true, then why did his gut feel like a big old rock had been dropped to the bottom.


  All my titles are available in multiple places:

The Wild Rose Press
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

©bystacydawn 2018

Check your Format

Every publisher has their preference, so it is very important that you do your homework and read the submission page of the publisher(s) where you are interested in submitting.

Though it might look cool and impressive to you, most publishers don’t like fancy fonts, spaces between paragraphs, extra wide margins or fancy header/footer or chapter sections.

If you cannot find specific instructions from the publisher, best to go with the general industry standard:

Double spaced
One inch margins
Times New Roman 12 font
Paragraphs beginning .5 indent in
Each chapter beginning on a new page

Most important: Use your computer program to format! 

When you use the Tab key to indent every single paragraph or space down to a new page after the end of each chapter, it can be a nightmare to fix everything for publication formatting purposes. Most programs have a Help section, or simply Google instructions to format per your specific program.

One more good tip...make sure the partial and or full manuscript is all in one file. The only thing worse than getting a partial submission with each of the three chapters (and sometimes prologue) in three or four different files attached to an email, is fifteen or more chapters of a full manuscript in fifteen or more individual files attached to an email.

So once again, I repeat one of my favorite writing tips: Do your homework...both in learning your program's formatting features AND publisher requirements.



©bystacydawn 2018

Love Floats

April showers bring May flowers, as they say, and boy are we getting the showers! Both rain and snow kinds.  So I thought I would brighten things up a bit by sharing some flowers with you in my garden romance, Love Floats...but it's not your typical garden😁

Contemporary Romance 
Novella 
Rating: Sweet/Sensual

Garden landscaper, Kelsey Ryan, is surprised to find her current client doesn't have any land. Yet the challenge isn't in creating a deck garden for his houseboat, but in keeping the hunky graphic artist from growing on her, especially when she thinks the garden is for his wedding day. Will a few marigolds and misunderstandings leave her matchless...or make her his first mate?

REVIEWS:

 5 Hearts from Night Owl Romance
"Stacy Dawn has done it again! She is truly a talented author that knows how to entertain her readers each and every single time. She had me laughing out loud with the crazy antics and thoughts of both Kelsey and Mitch. This was a fun romantic read that you shouldn't pass up. This is definitely a keeper in my library." ~Reviewed by Diana Coyle, Night Owl Romance

"Love Floats is an entertaining romance of miscommunication. Kelsey and Mitch are very attracted to each other, but with each step forward that Mitch attempts, Kelsey understandably throws up a barrier. This felt like a complete story with well developed characters. I truly enjoyed the romance between Kelsey and Mitch." ~Reviewed by Katherine of Joyfully Reviewed

"Stacy Dawn's Love Floats is a story of misunderstanding and laughter. Funny and light hearted it had me smiling and wishing to be part of the fun." ~Reviewed by Rachel C.--Fallen Angel Reviews 

EXCERPT:

There are those days that just don't make sense from the moment you pry your eyes open in the morning.

This is definitely one of them.

Kelsey Ryan gaped at the boat. A rather large boat. A rather large houseboat. Not the blocky kind you rent for a week to cruise down one of the many lakes and rivers in Southern Ontario, but an honest-to-God house on a boat.

Even though she'd never actually seen one before, she granted the concept wasn't an unusual phenomenon. No, the unusual part was the fact this was supposed to be her next design and landscaping job.

Kind of hard with no land.

She dug into her jeans pocket, a few sediments of dirt tumbling over the side as she withdrew the paper from the worn denim. Kelsey shook her head. Yep, this was the right address though she shouldn't be surprised. Where her mother was involved, there was always a twist to reality, even if it was taking a message and leaving out a little—or large—watery detail.

With a tolerant chuckle, she grabbed measuring tape and her ever-present sketchbook from the inside door of the truck then headed down the dock. As she closed in on her destination, she couldn't help a hardy, "Ahoy there!"

"Just a minute," a muffled voice called from within the russet-shingled home.

Shielding her eyes against the mid-afternoon sunshine, Kelsey contented herself with a glance out over Lake Ontario. Breeze-rippled waves reflected a kaleidoscope of shimmering lights on a couple larger boats while the small marina awaiting their return sang out a melody of clanking mast lines and seagull harmonies. She closed her eyes and let the wind's whimsical symphony fill her senses. Though she much preferred the feel of solid earth beneath her feet, this wouldn't be hard to get used to.

"Sorry about that. I was on the phone."

Talk about sensory overload. Even before turning, she heard the smile in the deep, rich voice. Viewing the actual amusement glittering out of sky blue eyes and the friendly grin broadening a firm jaw whooshed the air right out of her lungs. "Well blow me down."

"Pardon me?"

Crap. Did I say that out loud?

All my titles are available in multiple locations:

The Wild Rose Press
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

©bystacydawn 2018