Memo from the Editor's Desk

Memos from the Editor’s Desk #1:

Let’s clear the air on a very touchy subject: Edits, comments, and anger.

Congratulations—you’ve written a story. Pat yourself on the back, take a moment to enjoy the amazing feeling of accomplishment and then go—I just love this story *breathy sigh*.

Of course, you should love the story you worked so hard on. If you didn’t adore every bit of it then why in the world would you spend months or years writing it?

Now, and this is the tough part—divorce yourself from your story. I know that sounds harsh, and you don’t have to do this overnight. Take some time. Let the story rest. Get all the things you loved about the story away from you.

You may ask why?

Here’s a clue. It’s a story. It isn’t a baby. You didn’t give birth to it. Granted, it might feel like you did.

No, really Lee, why should I set my story aside? Why should I take my manuscript to divorce court? I love it!

I know, but once your book is contracted to a publisher, the hard work is about to begin. Yes, the hard work, which is not to diminish the hard work you put into writing your story in the first place.

Keep this in the back of your mind when you are preparing to open your first edit—the editor has a job to do and that is to edit your book. Forget what your crit partners and loving family members have said about your story. Editors are by nature very tough, or at least they should be. They should be able to deconstruct your story and point out things you missed or completely forgot. They should say, well you lost control of your conflict here or have characterization problems there. After all, it is what they are paid to do. Yes, grammar does come into this, but normally grammar is either handled as the edits move along or in the final edit (otherwise known as the copy edit).

A true factor that authors forget is that this is not personal. It isn’t that the editor hates your story or is out to demolish your story. It is that they are doing their job.

Never assume something about an editor because the moment you start in with – but my crit partners just loved it or such, the editor is on notice that you are going to be difficult. Remember, assumptions go both ways. Taking it to your twitter or facebook, even couched in veiled words, “can you believe my editor wants me to do this?”, is even worse. Now you’ve put the whole publishing house on notice.

Granted, you may not agree with a little or a lot of what your editor wants done in some cases. Choose your battles carefully. The switching of one little word isn’t going to make or break a story. Adding a little to a sentence or a revision to that sentence isn’t a slap across your face. It isn’t. I swear it isn’t.

Characterization is always a tough edit to go through. I know that from personal experience. But, take a step back and say—is my character actually out of character? You may find that the character has indeed slipped from its arc. You may have done something like said the sky is green the previous page and now its grey. These things happen. It is your editor’s job to catch them.

But, Lee, I don’t agree with this one comment which leads to this next comment, and then there’s this and that. What am I to do? I’m just so upset about this, that I can’t think straight. Help!

First, step back and remember—this isn’t personal.

Second, look at the comments, but do so one at a time. Don’t flip out because a manuscript has come in with a few or an infinite number of comments in it—take it one comment at a time. You may want to reach out to all your writing buddies, but unless you have one who can be totally unbiased, they may just stir you into even more of a froth.

If you are truly stuck, then it is best to ask the editor for clarification. If you don’t trust yourself to do this and not get all outraged, or the editor snaps back, then go to the editor-in-chief or senior editor.

It has happened in the past that an editor and an author just don’t mesh. This happens. Still, you should try to work through your edit and with your publisher in a professional manner.

I can tell you—arguments really won’t get you anywhere fast.

Humble regards,

Lee

A heartfelt plea to my readers and my author friends.

In as much as I hate having to bring things to the public arena, there are times when I must. This is not personal on many levels; it is a matter of principle and ethical behavior.

With Decadent Publishing, it appears to be a lack of both from their side of it.

This publisher treats what they deem as a problematic authors, namely me, as if I was born stupid and won't fight for my rights. I can only say, "Wrong. Very, very wrong."

In December 2010 I entered into a contract with Decadent Publishing for my story, The Highlander's Time. The contract was a fairly standard "Royalty Paying" contract ie. a "For Sale" contract—3 years, 40% direct download/35% third party. It was the normal verbiage: Return of edits as specified by the editors (though they have it slightly oddly worded with an 'if they deem it needs edits' clause they will assign an editor), they'll provide cover art and an ISBN – blah, blah, blah.

This is nothing unusual for me. I've read this contract about a hundred times, and signed each in good faith. Done deal.

It even includes the normal – that the Publisher can reduce the price to stimulate sales… Their contract states this will not happen before six months of the release.

Got it—no problem.

I've had this happen before. You know—50% off and all that. No big deal. It is backlist at that point, and I'm moving forward.

Not all that unusual, especially if you've only got a story or three at a publisher, and they are trying to actually STIMULATE your sales.

Okay, we're all on board.

Well, as with some new publishers—I can't and won't say it's all of them because I've only ever seen this happen with Decadent Publishing—we got into a row over a review. Yes, this is about a review. Sorry, I wish it was something so much more salacious than that.

Ms. Olmstead released my name and that of another person to her authors who decided to all jump on the trash-them bandwagon. Note, and I hope all those who jumped on that snark-fest hear this, the other author didn't have any part of it. Shame on you. Shame. Shame. Shame. Must be nice to be judges on high.

We both kept our peace during this incident. We did not comment in the threads. It was a matter of, "Why fight when the court of public opinion has already tried and convicted you?"

There is no good reason to do that.

So, we remained quiet. She wrote. I wrote. We moved forward. A simple and quite logical step to take.

All the while I waited for The Highlander's Time to either be published or not.

Lo and behold, it was published. I don't have an exact date on the publication because it just appeared out of the blue on their site. I never received a notice from Decadent that it was coming out. I actually found out when it showed up in a bulletin from All Romance e-Books saying 'Hooray, your book is out'. (Okay, it doesn't exactly say that, but I still have the bulletin for purposes of knowing when the contract might end—ballparking this one).

Fabulous—it's out. Okay. Promote it. Do what I normally do. Sell some. Get some money for it.
Good deal. Water is under the bridge and headed for the sea—all those lovely little euphemisms allowed.

Truthfully, I was somewhat surprised that they even published it. Ah, but their contract states that if they don't pub a work in 12 months then the contract is void. Now, the whole, let's publish it, get some money out of it, makes sense.

Here's the kicker. My book is now free if you buy another from their catalogue. Seriously. That's the price. And, you can't actually buy it even if you wanted it alone. You have to buy from the other stories in the catalog. Take a little .99 story and get a story originally priced at 4.99 for free.
Talk about putting me in a really sick situation. If I complain about it on the web, I take money from other authors. If I shut up, I suffer through two more years under contract letting them give my book away left and right.

If I didn't laugh at this point, I would cry.

Still, the point is this—I never signed a "For Promotion" contract. I never gave them the right or the liberty to give my book away for free. They chose to do this on their own and without my consent.
I signed a "For Sale" contract. That is a royalty paying contract.

They've reduced the price on Amazon to .99, and I humbly ask if you are going to purchase The Highlander's Time you do so there. They've removed it from All Romance e-Books, and have it 'for free with purchase' on their website.

What's an author to do?

I know there is a great incentive to purchase another of their stories and get this one for free, but it comes down to ethics and a matter of principles.

Will I earn any royalty from books downloaded for free from Decadent Publishing's site? It's pretty obvious that the answer is no.

Will they do this to other authors? There are already five other books that are free with purchase, but I don't know these authors circumstances or if they allowed them to be used for promotion so I refrain from speaking for them.

What I can say is I didn't give them this right to put my story at 0.00 and never would have. This doesn't do anything to STIMULATE my sales or my brand. This STIMULATES Decadent Publishing's sales.

Truthfully, I would never, even if I thought I could get a contract with them, go back to this company.
You'd think at this point that Ms. Olmstead would merely give my rights back and stop dealing with me. Truthfully, who wants to deal with an author who has lost all faith in a publisher and really has made very little stink about them?

She has, on one point of that argument, given up. She never answers an e-mail I send to her. And, even when I've thanked her in the past for such things as loading the book on ARe or Kindle there is no response. When I asked questions regarding this incident about how I would make any royalty or how long the story will be for free--it has been nothing but crickets.

This is my experience with Decadent Publishing. I will openly admit that I am probably the exception rather than the norm, and this is not meant in any way to minimize the relationships other authors have with Ms. Olmstead and Decadent Publishing.

If you like her-hey, giggle about my sorrow and what's happened to me. No skin off my teeth, but don't cry when it happens to you.

I've got twenty-four months of her giving my book away for free and I'll never see a red cent except if you buy it through Amazon. I'm almost certain she'll pull it down sooner rather than later on Kindle because this is now a case of holding a story hostage. I mean, she already took it down from All Romance e-Books.

Does this sound like she's trying to get some profit from The Highlander's Time?

To me it sounds like punishment.

And the truth will always remain: I did not enter into a "For Promotion" contract. I entered into a "For Sale" contract.

I'm not disgruntled at this point. I'm just stunned and really sad she's like this.

Until the next story comes out…best!

Bella

Footnote: I received a response from Decadent through their customer service (of course there was no direct response from Ms. Olmstead)--we will only talk through lawyers. Fine. That's how it will shake out then.

Footnote to the footnote: it is now removed from the Decadent Publishing website. Can you say--breach of contract and then some?

A mountain of new releases from Belladonna

A mountain of new releases for 2012

If you hadn't noticed from my last post, it's been a little crazy around here. If you missed any of my recent releases—I'll give you the rundown:

The Perfect Gift – available from Cobblestone Press
Holiday Exchange – available from Eirelander Publishing
Cry Mercy - *hot off the cyber-presses* available from Cobblestone Press
Protégé – available from Liquid Silver Books

Also: Collaborating with Ashley Blade: The On Location Series.

Safe Harbor – available from Cobblestone Press
Layover – available from Cobblestone Press

Wow, I'm tired just reading down that list.

On top of that, (the craziness continues) – I just had my first audio book released.
Holiday Exchange – available from Bahn Sidhe audioBooks

Well, to say the least, right now I'm taking a little bit of a break.

I hope you stop by my wonderful publishers and check out my recent releases.

Until next time—Best!

Bella

www.cobblestone-press.com
www.eirelander-publishing.com
www.liquidsilverbooks.com
www.bahnsidhe-audiobooks.com

Velveeta? Just Gotta Say!

Velveeta

A peek inside how my brain works.

Lately, I've been working on a series of collaborative stories with the incomparable, and my dear friend, Ashley Blade. She's great and she's an extraordinarily lovely lady.

I love these stories probably a little more than some of the others I've started lately. It might be why the other stories still remain unfinished on my hard drive.

And, this might be why I've gained several pounds lately. I'm a munchy writer. This is not the exception this go round either.

Last night I was working on the story and bam--hunger gnawed at me as I pondered the next story in the series. Finally, after about two minutes of struggling to get my head back in the story, I decided, food was a lot easier to be had than the elusive transition that was giving me fits.

Which brings me to my blog post. Don't ask me what happened as I was rifling through my cabinets and cupboards for a snack or maybe a half-plate of deliciousness. It's dark in my cabinet so I normally just grab whatever my hand comes to first.

First thing out – Manhatten Clam Chowder. Nope, not in the mood for that.

Second thing – Rice a Roni. Maybe, but it was butter and herb flavor and I simply put had a taste for something else.

There was much exasperated sighing at this point. I couldn't find the transition for my story and now food was eluding me. It wasn't as if I was going to make myself a five-course meal but just something to nibble on.

Okay, so the story is still rolling around in my head and truthfully, sometimes, I don't understand how my brain works – Course Correction (working title for the story) equates to cheese dip. I smacked my lips and went – yes, that's what I want.

Really? Okay, that was what I was thinking as I grabbed out the can of Rotelle. This spicy tomatoey yummyness is a whole other blog post. Then I headed to the fridge for my favorite of ingredients in cheese dip.

Seriously, by this point I was thinking I might need real therapy. A story about a very logical character meeting her mate equates to cheese dip? Uh. Anybody know a good therapist.

I digress and back to my blog post. I am a great lover of food especially snack foods. Munchy, crunchy chips, crisps are like my fav. Add cheese, well – we have a winner.

My brain went, well, wacky as I grabbed some melba toast I had bought while I was at work the other day. Luckily, the box was not crumbs at the bottom.

Cheese dip. Say it with me—cheese dip.

I had all the appropriate ingredients. Cheese- check. Salsa—yep.

Truthfully, what more could be in cheese dip?

Okay, my rendition of cheese isn't surprisingly not really cheese. It's Velveeta. That long, yellow rectangle that vaguely resembles something like an oddly shaded mozzarella (sans the mozzarella taste) and an under-aged sharp cheddar cheese that's a little too squishy.

The fact is-which shouldn't surprise anybody- Velveeta isn't really cheese. Well maybe it is. I think it might not be. Being that hungry, I personally didn't care by that point. Still, story in mind, and being about to go insane with hunger pangs, I chopped pseudo-cheesy wonderfulness and dropped it into a pot and added the whole can of rotelle.

Stir. Stir. Stir. Box is staring at me. Stir. Stir. Stir. I finally give up and read the box, because stirring cheese dip while it melts is about as mentally stimulating as making instant mashed potatoes.

The label isn't really all that helpful.

It is a pasteurized prepared cheese product. I think this is the manufacturer's way of saying it was a science project gone wrong with stunningly serendipitous results.

Looking at the ingredients label almost proves this point. After going through the list of nonmilk and milkfat stuff we are shown the obvious chemical additives to this wonderfully melty stuff that is a staple of tail-gate parties and chippy-dippy stuff the country over. Calcium Phosphate. Sorbic Acid (this is a preservative). Sodium Citrate. Sodium Alginate. Citric Acid. Enzymes. Apocaratenal (or whatever that word is). And, Annatto (which gives it color). Granted, the manufacturer is nice enough to tell the consumer it contains less than 2% of these ingredients. That's a relief. I don't think Kraft Foods would like to inadvertently turn consumers of this product into nearly embalmed zombies who glow orange beneath the full moon.

Finally, I found something that says cheese. It isn't actually cheese either. It's a cheese culture which is used to start the culture process in all cheeses. It is also all the way at the end of the list—which if I understand the way this is supposed to work—cheese culture is the least amount of an ingredient Velveeta contains. I already know it is less than 2% thanks to the manufacturer putting it after 'contains less than 2% of' line in the ingredients list.

So, in actuality, what is Velveeta, because let's be honest—it doesn't really sound like a cheese. Cheese should have great names like Gouda or Feta or Riccota. I think the only thing they got right was the 'ta' at the end.

Spring forward to me indulging in pumpernickel melba toast and cheese dip. A quick internet search gave me the basic history. According to the Kraft website—Velveeta was first produced in 1918. So this is a pre-World War Two creation—and was most likely found in many a soldier's meal kits during the 'War to End All Wars' and its sequel because, and knowing my own habit for slicing into a block and placing the remnants into a zippie bag only to use the remainder a month later, it has a half-life of about a thousand years. It's spun off into a spread, shells and cheese and several other convenience packaged, prepare it because your kids won't eat anything else save Velveeta staples that take up space on many a mom or dad's pantry shelf.

And I can attest to the fact it was more than a little yummy.

This is a wonderful enigma of not cheese but is close to cheese and has been a part of my life since I was very young. By the time I put the leftover dip away, I really didn't care what it was made of, but I had accepted it into a very exclusive list.

Drum roll please.

Velveeta wins a slot in my rarely seen, because it is truly terrifying to imagine what it is like to be in my imagination, foods that I would take into space with me.

It is also one of those foodstuffs I firmly believe will be around in the year 2100 and beyond along with SPAM, Rice-a-Roni and Campbell's Baked Beans. Why? Well, because all of them are also a part of my lackluster culinary arsenal. Yes, I love Spam—particularly Spam with Cheese – yummy. (But that too is another blog post).

So, hat's off to Velveeta. It makes my list of something one of my characters will indulge in at some point in an upcoming story.

I do ask you to shed a few tears for the manufacturer because you never know what I might do with it or to it. Velveeta glue—maybe? My character ran out of photon torpedoes and substituted Velveeta—you never know.

What about you? What common foods do you think will survive and become a part of an intergalactic pantry?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a prize.

Until the next time – Best -- Bella

Primal Rage, Book Three of the Hellfire Club is out!

Primal Rage – Book Three of the Hellfire Club Releases
Today!

And I’m so flipping excited I can’t stand it. If you fell in
love with Duncan MacGreggor from Scream for Me, The One for Me and Ghillie Duhb
then you’ll really enjoy his parent’s story-Primal Rage, Book Three of the
Hellfire Club.

The blurb to whet your appetite

He’ll bring out the best and worst in her.

A pariah amongst London’s elite, Julia Westchester has
become the toast of Parisian society. She’s stunning, well-versed, and in high
demand. Little does she know the real reason she’s garnered the attention of
many a young man is that she’s half paranormal and about to enter her first
mating season.

The enigmatic leader of the harbingers of death, Dante
MacGreggor, was promised Julia’s hand in marriage shortly after she was born.
Now that she’s finally matured, he has to open her to the world of the paranormals
and their mating rituals and protect her from his many enemies.

Her predictions tell a grim tale. His foes don’t care. They’ll
move mountains to have Julia for their own.

Of course this blog post wouldn’t be complete without the
cover art created by the amazing Anne Cain.





More information to come!

Best!

Bella

www.belladonnabordeaux.com

Who died and left you in charge of the morality police? – Just gotta say!

There is nothing that pisses me off more than something like this: read article and see video here.

Okay, let's be honest. Racy writing is out there. Some woman or man is busily clacking fingers against keys right now, laying down some words that they wouldn't necessarily use in mixed company. Hell, I would be if I wasn't typing this post (I do so love my rare days off). They may be a teacher, a secretary, a fireman, a cop – they could be anyone. That lovely older lady who greets you at Wal Mart-yeah, could be her.

My initial reaction to watching the video playback was, "Man, these women are prudes." Then, after thinking about it for a moment or three, I realized the author in question could be me. My response to that? "Go take a flying leap if you don't like what I write or for whom I write it." Writing is as much a part of me as breathing is to everybody else and passing judgment is to the morally self-righteous women who are currently going nuts over what a teacher does in her free time.

This is a case of offending people's morals. Am I immoral simply because I choose to write ménage or quarte? I don't think so. In my opinion, it's part of my job as an author to entertain my reader. My publishers and I very nearly go out of our way to tell a potential reader that a Belladonna book is not for the weak of heart. I'm totally okay if you don't want to buy my story because it's got sex in it. That's your choice. I'm not shoving it down anybody's throat that they have to read a Belladonna book for fear I'll unleash some crazed, intergalactic blood-sucking vampire on them.

Here's the part that pisses me off. These women are speculating that just because the author in question writes erotica or erotic romance she's a deviant. That she's sitting in her classroom imagining her students without their clothes on. That's flipping ridiculous and a huge jump to conclusion. Here's a clue for the complainers out there. I take photographs for a living. Some of the clients I have are over eighteen but most are not. I have never-swear on a stack of bibles-fantasized about someone who is my client. Have aspects of some of the older people I photograph made it into a story – most definitely, but those are character traits. A little nervous tick. A certain frown. The way someone laughs. Yep, blatantly have used those aspects of human nature.

As to the kids speculating what the teacher is musing over as she's lecturing on Othello – well, why are they doing that? Shouldn't they be more interested in learning? Shouldn't they have been taught by their parents that school is where you get an education? Where you sit with your mouth closed and books open? (Actually, I wish I had listened to my parents more when I was in high school.) Considering the amount of graphic content on the web--parents, don't kid yourselves, your children have been exposed to a lot more than you might think. A hot and steamy title wouldn't even phase them.

I confess, with humbleness, most of the sexual escapades my characters take part in I have never experienced. In fact, most of the experiences I've plopped my characters down in the middle of nobody has experienced. But here's another clue – it wouldn't mean diddly if I had lived through having symbiotic sand mate me to a starship captain (Intimate Space), or I had a hunky Highland Laird screw me (The Laird's Time). What I do in my free time is my choice as well as what I write is what it is.

Don't judge me. Don't speculate about the lovely older lady who greets you at Wal Mart. Don't get all uptight because your kid's tenth grade English teacher is writing for Ellora's Cave.

Just stop and get over yourself!

Given all the problems we have with the American educational system, I think going nuts because a teacher is writing for Ellora's Cave is pathetic and narrow minded.

Okay, you tell me – do you think this is just a group of women getting fifteen minutes of fame because they're uptight or is this something I should worry over. *wink* You already know my answer to that.

Best,

Bella

Step Away from the Computer or Shoot Yourself in the Foot – the Decision is Yours.

It's been a busy week on my blog. If you haven't heard about this, you can read the nine yards of 'oopsey-doodle, I'm making an ass of myself' here.

I was reading this kerfuffle as an objective author who's received more than her fair share of 'less than glowing' reviews and shouting in my head to the author, "Stop. Stop now while you're behind."

Temperance like tolerance are the better sides of valor. You have to take the good with the bad. Sometimes you have to bite holes in your tongue to keep from shooting yourself in the foot. Those are all things you learn when you take a dip in the professional author pool (or if you intend to walk out your door and deal with people in the real world). It's the whole "Stop. Stop now while you're behind."

There are things you learn in this industry when it comes to reviews.

First and foremost, buy yourself a pair of teflon-coated panties and get ready for the wild ride that is having a book out for public consumption and criticism. Never, ever take a bad review to the web and then call the review site non-professional. It comes across as an inability to work and play well with others. Aside from that, it's dishearteningly childish.

Second, you are a professional who is running a professional business. You are the face of that company. You have to conduct yourself as you would if you were meeting with a client in the real world or having lunch with a potential business partner. That's a simple fact of running a business and it is imperative in this industry.

Third, a bad review will happen. It's not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. Take it, nasty or great, for what it is worth. If it's tear-worthy and sucks the air right out of your lungs, get over it. If you get a glowing review, count your blessings and move forward.

Fourth, if you haven't learned how to make lemonade from lemons, whip out a cookbook and do so real quick or just walk away. I mean that sincerely. Just walk away if you don't know how to take a bad review and make it into something fantastic.

Fifth, but probably something that gets lost more often than not, it's a fricken' story. It's words on a page. It's however long it is. It's not a baby. You didn't give birth to it. It's a story, and hopefully not your only one. Reviews like edits are not personal. If you aren't prepared to separate yourself from those two simple facts do not walk but run for the exit.

We can debate/discuss skin thickness all we want to when it comes to reviews, but the decision is yours to make. If you think you are going to just waltz through this industry with a stellar portfolio of 5 star/ribbons/puppy dog tails or whatever the review site uses to grade stories you aren't being honest with yourself. You will face the brutal reality that not everyone loves your story.

But the decision is yours. Step away from the computer and all the trouble you can get yourself into by going on a rant about a reviewer or shoot yourself in the foot because your feelings were hurt. It's that simple.

Trust me – opening the industrial-size can of worms that may happen if you do take your self-righteous indignation to the web is seriously not worth it.

Best,

Bella