The Journey for The Price of Love

I thought this picture really mirrors what I feel inside about the third volume in The Legacy Series.  I'm standing at the beginning of the picture and way down there at the end of the hall is where I need to be.  Through that door is publication, but I'm overwhelmed thinking of the journey that stretches out before me.

This past month, I've gone through a lot of doubt about being able to pull off the third book.  Yes, it's true. I think a lot of it stemmed from the tirade of reviews that hit Amazon on the first one and the tough reviews on Goodreads, as well. Since one of my latest reviews called me "lazy" and suggested I'd make a better prostitute than a writer, these things do tend to make you say "ouch."

Let's face it -- it was my first book.  Yes, it's not the best, but I've edited and changed that puppy at least four times.  The story is what it is, and I refuse to do anything more with it. Love it, like it, or leave it. 

I know some readers enjoyed it, though I don't always get the feedback that I need to stroke and validate my low author self-esteem.  Not that any other authors have that problem.  (:inserts cough:)  However, from watching people who hit my website worldwide constantly plugging in the term, "The Price of Love,"  I know they've read one and two, and are waiting for number three.  The thought has crossed my mind, unfortunately, not to finish number three.  I think, though, I would be doing a great injustice to my readers if I curled up and felt sorry for myself over this series.

With my latest release, "Dark Persuasion," and the positive comments and five-star professional review, I know in my heart that I'm growing in my craft.  Each book gets a little bit better and that is really what I want to strive for in the end.  I need to understand deep inside that book number one probably does deserve a lot of the criticism, but it still averages out on all sites as a "good read" and not a totally "suck read" by everyone's accounts.  It's just interesting how that book elicits such a reaction from one extreme to the other.  You would have thought I wrote "Fifty Shades of Innocence."

I will say that recently I heard E. L. James on her 20/20 interview respond to a question about how a number of readers think she stinks as a writer.  Her response was frankly right on - "You cannot own someone's response.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."  Touche E.L.!   So, I'm trying not to own one woman's suggestion I should become a whore instead of writer.  :inserts snicker:

I am thankful that "The Price of Deception" has received good reviews and is my number one best seller.  That's probably because I've offered "The Price of Innocence" free, and when readers finish, they buy number two, and start searching for number three.

So here I am standing at the beginning of this very long corridor.  I have a penciled-in appointment with an editor for November to do copy editing on "The Price of Love."  For the most part, it's very disjointed right now, and I've been struggling on where to focus the story, let alone where to begin.  Oh, I have begun it already, but I may trash what I've written so far.  It just isn't doing it for me.

The book really needs to be focused upon Angelique - the baby kidnapped by Jacquelyn Holland at the end of book two.  She's on the cover already, so I guess I owe her story the spotlight.  I'm trying to develop who she will be, as a character, how her story will unfold, and how I can integrate her back into the lives of her rightful family.  Just as getting Robert and Suzette out of their previous marriages happened to be a great challenge to me, so will rearranging everyone's life in this book. You already know the theme - the price of love; and as usual, I will probably torture a few characters like I always do with struggles, decisions, and various outcomes.

Well, so much for my update!  I'll keep you informed as things progress.  Be assured that I am getting closer to where I need to be, and as soon as the muse returns from his latest celebration over "Dark Persuasion," I'll tackle this book.  On top of it, I have two others - maybe three brewing inside of my brain.  It gets pretty crowded in there.  As authors know, you just gotta let the characters and their stories out, or they'll make you go insane.

Fondly,

Vicki

My Latest Release Receives Five Stars on Night Owl Romance

Okay, I'm stoked. I woke up depressed this morning about all the work I put into my books wondering if I really want to continue writing.  Really...I did.


Then later this morning I get an email from NightOwl Romance that the review to my book, Dark Persuasion, was published.  Suddenly, I was smiling again.  Five Stars - ***** - Top Pick Award.

I guess I will keep writing!

Read Review Here

For More Information Visit the Dark Persuasion Website

Fact or Fiction in the Series - My Thoughts

As most of you know, some time ago I started a blog regarding the facts sprinkled throughout The Price of Innocence and also my other novel, The Phantom of Valletta. The blog originated on Tumblr, but when I started this site, I began to migrate the posts, which you can see above in the menu.

I did research for both books regarding setting and historical facts. There were aspects of life in 19th century France that I touched upon regarding marriage, morals, sexuality, laws regarding prostitution, burial practices, picture-window morgues, treatment of the homeless, the early charity efforts of St. Vincent de Paul, etc.

I confess that there are statements in the story that are not 100% true. Why? Because I took creative liberty in a few areas, which I'm doing as well with The Price of Deception. A review called out my error in mentioning King Edward VII having visited the brothel, the Chabanais, during the timeline of my story. He was actually the Prince of Wales at that time and visited the Chabanais between 1880-1890. (The mention of his name has since been removed from the text in later versions.)

My story was set in 1878, just after the brothel opened. So, yes, the timeline is off, but I used his reference as a means of emphasizing the importance of the clientele under Madame Laurent's roof (or the real Madame Kelly who founded the brothel). If I had kept it historically accurate, my readers would have never known that royalty actually came through its doors at one time. I thought that a worthy note to pass along.

You may be wondering too, why I don't use the full name (or "Le" in French) for the Chabanais. It's actually a registered US Trademark name, so I decided not to infringe upon its use (smart legal move on my part). The name is used in conjunction with a model, call-girl company based on the history of the brothel. It's a risqué site, but if you want to check it out it's at http://lechabanais.com. That is why I don't use the full name anywhere.

There are other call outs in a review regarding funeral parlors and charities. The Daughters of Charity were very much involved in the help of the homeless under the auspices of St. Vincent de Paul, which I reported in an earlier blog. There were no state institutions to help the poor; the church did all the work. They fed the poor and help the destitute on the streets of Paris, as much as they could. That reference is fact.

As far as funeral parlors in 19th century Paris, there was a rather large central funeral parlor (or parlour, if you prefer) at that time, by the name of Centquatre. It provided all Parisians the right to a funeral and was termed the "factory of mourning," that employed 1,400 people. They provided coffins, funeral carriages/hearses, and black horses. It was the place to leave on the way to the grave. It's been recently converted into an art center, of all things, a few years ago (link above). So, yes, there is a slight tweak in my book regarding the death of Suzette's father.

I do not really like to defend my choices, but when another points your errors out in an attempt to discredit your research, I cannot be silent. In conclusion, I would only say that just because an author uses creative liberty in her text, it doesn't necessarily mean she's ignorant of the facts. I painstakingly spent months researching the background, and unless my sources are wrong then most of what I've conveyed is fact. Nonetheless, I hope this post clarifies. I find the 19th century fascinating, and if you wish more information about facts versus fiction, visit my menu tab above for interesting articles. The life of an author . . .

Blood, Sweat & Tears

82,323 words, 284 pages, 29 chapters. Can I sit down and have a good cry now? Finally, I've sent off copies to my volunteers of The Price of Deception to read and comment. I'm tired, spent, drained, and sick of reading what I wrote. Editing is a bitch (excuse my language) and it ain't over yet (now really excuse my language).

So where does the blood, sweat, and tears come in?

The Blood - I guess I equate the blood part to various aspects of being an author. It's the pain you go through being a writer from the voices in your head to the critical, and sometimes cruel voices in your reviews. When you pour your soul into any work, you bleed. A part of you becomes imprinted upon the page. Your thoughts, struggles, and life experiences are woven between the chapters and hidden in certain words. Usually, your readers are none the wiser they exist, but they do.

Once your DNA is in the work, then comes the blood from people who don't like your work. They take a piece of your flesh and write a snide review that's hurtful, rather than filled with constructive criticism. It's not only readers who review, but fellow peers in a spirit of competitiveness. Constructive criticism is welcome; but vindictiveness to destroy another person's work is not. Whether the work is great or stinks, authors are very attached to their work. Every book produces some drops of blood throughout the process, but that's it - it's the process. You need to be tough skinned so you don't bleed too much. There are no transfusions to replace what you've lost.

The Sweat - It's the hours writing. It's the voices in your head. It's the plotting. It's the point of view. It's the tense. It's the overused words. It's the dialogue. It's the punctuation. It's those grammar classes you never paid attention to in grade school coming back to bite you. Frankly, it's just plain work, and it makes you sweat.

After the work of writing, comes the release and getting the book ready to throw out into the world of readers. It's the formatting, the cover art, the copyright registration, the Library of Congress, the ISBN assignment, and on and on. When you are released through distribution channels, then comes the sweat of marketing. On top of it, you sweat worrying about what people will think about it and hope you don't have to bleed too much over your creation when the comments start rolling in. As an author, I can assure you, there is no antiperspirant available to prevent the sweat you produce when you write a book.

The Tears - The tears come become you're emotionally involved in your work, your characters, and your story. There are moments when you write fiction, the pain hits home. It reminds you of your own hurt inside, or you feel real empathy for the plight of person you're writing about! You cry over their pain and the outcome of their lives. Emotional involvement in your characters is an inevitable part of being an author. Frankly, I think without it, our characters are dry and lifeless.

Then there are tears of release when you hold the printed book in your hand and flip through the pages and you see all the words. It's emotional. You did it! Then, you ask yourself - "where did I come up with this stuff?" You cry, because you're doing what you're suppose to do in life. Then you cry, when people trash your work, and you cry and rejoice when people praise your work. Most authors have a bucket of tears in their closet. I often take solace in a scripture in Psalms that says God takes our tears, puts them in a bottle, and records them in His book. Perhaps none of my tears then have gone to waste.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8) - New Living Translation

How do I deal with the tears? I keep tissues boxes strategically placed throughout my home and work place.

Is it worth it all? Yes.

I first knew I wanted to write in grade school. It's been engrained in my brain, imprinted on my soul, and a driving force behind my fingers. It's foolish for me to think that I'm terrific at my craft, because I'm not. I'm an average Jane out in the world of thousands of books released each year. I'm continually learning how to write better. I'm not traditionally published, nor do I want to be right now. It's not the route I've chosen for many reasons.

I don't make enough to quit my day job, but since I've released my first book in 2009, I've never had a month I didn't sell a book either. My sales are increasing, for which I'm very grateful, especially with The Price of Innocence.

To be very frank, stories fill my head constantly. I have them lined up like planes on a runway - believe me, there are plenty of them. There's no way I can leave them; they all demand liftoff and a place to soar. That's my hope, anyway, if God let's me live long enough to see them take flight. Each time I do, I'll be taking the same journey of blood, sweat, and tears with each one I write.

Here's hoping my beta readers like the story. Book Three, The Price of Love, is starting to ooze from my pores, so I need to get on with it. Thank you to all my faithful readers who support me and care about my work. It means the world to me. Because of you, I boot up my computer everyday and write.