January 9th, 2012
“When my dad says ‘The other day…’ he could be talking about last night or when I was five,” my son snickers to his friend, both of them riding like kings in the back seat while I chauffeur them home from school.
“I know,” friend snides back, “adults have no sense of time. They can’t let ANYTHING go.”
“Mostly because their teens are so sarcastic,” I toss into their parent shredding, ”adults suffer brain bleeds that impede our memory.”
I get away with talking to my son’s friends, more than just him, these days. I’ve become part of the daily entertainment during their taxi rides. Whatever it takes to stay part of the dialogue, I always say.
“MOM, he was talking about cleaning my room, saying he’d told me to clean out my bookcase the other day. It was last year when he said that!”
“Did you do it?”
Pause for impact.
“No. But it’s all he cares about one minute. Then he’s forgotten it the next. Then he brings it up again, like a YEAR later.”
I don’t point out that a year to a teen is more like a month to the rest of us mortals. Actually, I think the books were a bone of contention only last week. Then again last night.
“My dad bought me a TV for my room because I made straight As last year,” his friend chimes in. “Now he yells at me every time I turn it on.”
“Parents are nuts,” my teenager agrees, laughing in that best way he has of pulling your smile up from your tones and making you glad you’re there to see him embrace life so completely.
“Multiple personalities are hereditary,” I caution. “You should probably book a good therapist now.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anna DeStefano, anna's world, creativity & inspiration
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January 9th, 2012
Yes, I have five different book proposals in the works (four of them with my agent or with publishers, waiting for acquisition, finger’s crossed), but I’m also stretching my more technical/editorial muscles in new, exciting directions–I’ve been hired as an Acquiring Editor for the NEW Dead Sexy romantic suspense line at Entangled Publishing.
Officially, the new imprint is:
Dead Sexy: The Nina Bruhns Collection.
And today’s the launch/announcement of our new baby!
If you know Nina, as I do, you’ll be as excited as I am by this announcement. She and I and our other newly hired editor Susan Meier are already working with authors and thrilling stories you’re going to love, come the May launch of Dead Sexy. What a great team, including our managing editor, Vicki Wilkerson!
The Dead Sexy editors were successful, award-winning, best selling authors first. All of us. Now we’re following our passion for teaching and nurturing and helping other writers fulfill their publishing dreams.
We at Dead Sexy strive to be the exciting home every successful romantic suspense author is dying to have. And Entangled is a digital-first publisher that puts authors first. An amazing partnership from the get-go!
Check back often in 2012 for weekly Publishing Isn’t for Sissies and How We Write posts that are taking on even greater meaning and purpose for me, as well as more updates from my popular Dream Theories and Psychic Realm and Soul of the Matter and Things my Teenager Says series.
Now that you know what’s kept me away from regular blog posts these last few months, let me say it’s great to be back. I couldn’t be happier about the horizon before me ;o)
Join me.
It’s going to be an exciting ride!
Tags: Anna DeStefano, anna's world, creativity & inspiration, Dead Sexy Books, digital publishing, Entangled Publishing, Nina Bruhns, publishing, Susan Meier, Vicki Wilkerson, writer resource, writing, writing articles, writing coach
Posted in Publishing Isn't for Sissies | 7 Comments »
January 5th, 2012
What new facet of the publishing business will you conquer this year? With all the changes rushing at us, what’s your greatest fear? How can you turn that perceived weakness into an asset? Small press or indie digital publishing has long been my wishy-washy place.
Yes, I can publishing solo, but do I want to? Yes, there are small indie digital presses out there, but do I trust their ever-evolving business models. In the end, I realized the real question was: Do I trust myself, without the umbrella of a large, established publisher propping up both me and my work?
I love my traditional publishers and hope to always have a home in print. I respect most of the inroads these huge corporations are making into digital media, too, though the changes they’re enacting have been slow to come and even slower to implement. Which has left a huge opportunity open for me to make a digital impact with my writing without them… But until lately I’ve been too hesitant to investigate those options on my own.
- Where will I be without a major press behind me?
- Will anyone notice if I go out on my own?
- Will my publisher/agent be less enthusiastic about my work, if I’m also self/indie publishing in the digital market?
- Will I be wasting a lot of time I should be spending writing, by taking on even more “other” business beyond the hours I need to focus each day on my creative pursuits?
Hard questions, all of them. And each question sprung from a core fear of the change happening all around me. Because the reality is, the playing field of publshing that I thought I’d conquered when I signed my first traditional book contract is gone. A new world with exciting new opportunities and scary pitfalls has arrived. I can’t fly beneath the radar and expect folks to find me, because I have THIS publisher or THAT one backing me.
In this publishing world, a writer is either a brand/entity unto herself, or she won’t be found, period.
Tags: Anna DeStefano, digital promotion, digital publishing, indie publishing, promotion, writer resource, writing, writing articles, writing coach, writing workshops
Posted in Publishing Isn't for Sissies | 4 Comments »
January 4th, 2012
Why do we work, love, write, care? Why don’t we enjoy who and what we are more this year, than ever before? Inspiration is the soul of the matter, as is running with that mission, that message, that kernal of us we protect too carefully and too seldom follow with abandon.
Why don’t we follow our inspiration more?
- Are we afraid of all that we want? Nothing should be that simple.
- Are we too tired to take our heart’s desires into our own hands and fight for that promise? That’s more likely.
- Are we programmed to only see the work, never the gain? Why, I think we’ve arrived.
We are that quiet place inside that speaks when the rest falls away.
We are our dreams, and those inspirations are the hope that carries us through so much.This is the symbolism, the recurring metaphor that speaks to my work and my life. I think it speaks to all of us.
Whether you see yourself as creative or not, there’s a voice inside you (your soul, if you will), promising that you’re more than the sum of your parts.
This year, listen to that voice and celebrate the “why” of all that you are:
- Each day, make a note in your journal, naming the part of you singing loudest that morning.
- Jot down the tune that yearns to fill your day with magic.
- Circle back before bed, and see what your voice has shown you, now that the rest is sleeping.
Be inspired in your writing and your family and your work and your dreams. That’s my 2012 wish for you!
Tags: Anna DeStefano, anna's world, creativity & inspiration, writer, writer resource, writing articles, writing coach, writing resources
Posted in Anna's "Soul of the Matter" | No Comments »
December 28th, 2011
I wanted this Wednesdays writing blog is your one-stop INSPIRATION destination for your 2012 creativity and publishing dreams. How will you excel? How will you write every day, even amidst conflict, chaos and adversity? How will you create that which you alone were put on this earth to bring to life through story? After all, isn’t 2012 supposed to be the end of the world… In that case, we better get a move on. We’re running out of time ;o)
Despite 2011’s challenges (on top of 2010’s ;o), both with my personal health and the industry upheaval happening around all of us, I find myself giddy at the thought of what this newest year in our lives will bring. More ownership of our destinies and the fruits of our writing labors. More opportunity than ever before to reach readers clamoring for the escape that you bring them. More ways to engage your soul in your work, and take every chance that could lead you forward.
Move. That’s my overall goal, my “How” for 2012.
- I will move forward.
- I will take initiative and take chances and take opportunity and run with them all.
- I will ask the right questions and listen to those I trust to share their insight and choose, without fear, what my next course of action will be. Then the next.
- I will role with the punches and move forward despite obstacles and setbacks.
- I will believe that there is success awaiting me around every corner, and I will work my ass off to claim those victories.
What are yours?
2012 is shaping up as a year where we can very much shape our reality simply by the viewpoint and perspective in which we choose to see our world.
Tags: 2012, Anna DeStefano, anna's world, creativity & inspiration, Goals, New Years Resolutions, writing, writing articles, writing coach, writing craft, writing resources, writing workshops
Posted in How We Write, Publishing Isn't for Sissies | 1 Comment »
December 27th, 2011
I peaked online after the holiday to find that my publisher’s made my ENTIRE award-winning, best selling Atlanta Heroes series available in digital format for $3.99 or less per title (through Amazon Kindle)!
Because Of A Boy:
Nurse Kate Rhodes is duty bound to report the abusive father of one of her charges–despite the lawyer who proclaims the man’s innocence.
Stephen Creighton isn’t in the habit of getting involved in his cases. For him, it’s get in, fight like hell, get out. But he has to invest more when he finds out Kate’s actions have put his clients’ lives in jeopardy. And now the father and son have gone into hiding.
With the father being sought by the authorities and the son in desperate need of medical treatment, it’s a race against time. One Stephen and Kate can win only if they work together… Something that’s even harder to do when the tension between them becomes white-hot passion.
To Protect The Child (RT Book Reviews Best Book Award):
FBI agent Alexa Vega wakes in an Atlanta hospital with no memory of how she got there. Except for brief flashes of a little girl’s image, she can’t remember anything, including the assignment that led to her brutal attack. The only person she feels she can trust is the man who saved her–Dr. Robert Livingston.
In his care she begins to recover…and to fall for him. Those feelings are returned, because Robert hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Alexa. But as her memory returns, Alexa knows she has to finish what she started. She has to track down her attackers. It’s the only way she can save a child she’s sworn to protect.
She’s determined to succeed, even if it means losing everything else–including Robert’s love. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anna DeStefano, anna's world, Atlanta Heroes, Atlanta Heroes series, Award Winning Romance, ebooks, ePublishing, romantic suspense
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December 15th, 2011
Long silence on blog = Anna’s sick. You know that by now, right? I’ve crawled out of my cave. Let’s talk about what the famous people in our dreams mean, before I collapse again. Flu SUCKS, btw. Whine. But I digress. What does it mean when we dream about famous people and fictional characters?
Yeah, I’m going to riff on animated and over-the-top, real-life characters throughout this post. And you’re not going to see any of my recurring dream buddies. Not a chance. I believe too strongly in this topic to pull my cyber panties down and give you a microscope into my psyche!
Well, okay. I’ll give you one real dream character of my very own. But I’m not gonna tell you which one. So, enjoy the side show and try to figure out which of these images really has come out to play, during my nocturnal wanderings ;o) All votes are welcome. You won’t guess it. You’re never gonna guess it… And I’m absolutely not including political or religious “greats” in this post. I may be a sick girl, but I’m not stupid.
Okay, back to business. First of all, we can invite anyone we want to our dreams. So you have to ask yourself who you’ve brought along for the party, and why. Do you feel negative or positive about these characters?
Actually, is there just one famous person and you, or are you in a crowd of those you admire or publicly despise?Are you interacting with them, or standing back to watch. Are we talking tv/movie/entertainment famous, or dead/living politicians, writers, great thinkers, etc? Oh, and where are you all getting together for this shindig?
As I’ve said, the emotions of your dreams are key. They’ll point you to the better understanding you seek of why the people in your dreams do and say what they do, especially your famous guests. Dream analysis will first tell you that these characters may represent aspects of our own personalities that we either aspire to improve or long to negate.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anna DeStefano, creativity & inspiration, dream emotion, Dream Theories, dreams, fantasy, fantasy author, parapsychology
Posted in Dream Theories | No Comments »
December 6th, 2011
Welcome guest blogger “Dr. C” to Drem Theories. She has great sleep and dream facts and myths to share and bust for us! A PHD in clinical psychology with a specialization in sleep disorders, she’s giving us awesome insight into what’s happening to our minds and bodies as we dream. She’s also a fantasy author and has been a great “real world” resource for me as I write about dreams and parapsychology and metaphysics and all the other “brain” stuff I use as I create my contemporary fantasy worlds.
Read on for some sleep basics (types and stages and helpful hits about sleeping better yourself). You’re sure to learn something new. Ask questions, get her talking about all that she knows, heckle, or whatever else entertains you ;o) I know I’m going to!
Next week: more of my Dream Theory insights based on the research I’ve done for my Legacy series. Dr. C will be back in two weeks, with all her knowledge and confirmation that I’m a quack and that she’s the sleep expert, and that you should all be listening to her instead of me ;o)
*********
Thanks, Anna, for inviting me to do this series of guest blog posts!
People do weird things in their sleep. It’s one reason I love being a sleep psychologist – I rarely hear the same stories twice. Also, I feel I can make a huge and almost immediate difference for my patients, and I get to be a “Myth-buster” of sorts. Yes, there are lots of myths going around about sleep and dreaming, so for my first post, I wanted to take the opportunity to “bust” some common misconceptions. All of these have been said by several of my patients.
Myth #1: If I don’t remember my dreams, I must not be having any.
To address this one, we need to back up a bit and talk about some sleep basics. We have different stages of sleep from lighter to deeper, and when you go in for a sleep study, the doctors and techs can tell what stage you’re in by the kind of squiggly lines your brain is putting out on the EEG channels. There are two main types of sleep: Rapid Eye Movement sleep and non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep. We progress through non-REM to REM in cycles. Here’s a hypnogram to illustrate how we do it:
Here are the stages within types.
Non-REM sleep: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anna DeStefano, creativity & inspiration, Dream Theories, dreams, fantasy, fantasy author, Legacy Series
Posted in Dream Theories | 2 Comments »
December 2nd, 2011
Platform. Everyone says you MUST have one in social media. Platform is your brand. It tells folks what you’re about. “The Soul of the Matter,” is what I’ve come up with for my particular bent on the world, after reviewing back blog and Facebook and Twitter streams.
It’s a focus I chose organically about two years ago,when my world view was skewed by surgery and scary medical predictions and a chaotic publishing environment that’s become even more crazy since. If I was going to write, blog and participate in social media, it had to go deeper. I wanted to be saying something meaningful about how I see my world, every time I put my thoughts onto paper or typed them into the computer.
I’m in the entertainment business, and that’ll never change as long as I publish in commercial fiction. But I wanted to feel even closer than before to what I’m writing. And I wanted that to spill over into my weekly blogging and the things and people I focus on in social media. I want it to be about heart and soul, above all else.
For two years I’ve posted into my “Revising a Year” blog series. It’s morphing now into “Anna’s Soul of the Matter.” You’ll see it at the top of the category list to the right. And in each blog post I write forward.
Whether I’m writing women’s fiction or romance or suspense or psychic fantasy/sci-fi, or chatting about dreams or my teenager or wacky current events and happenings or psychic stuff or the nuts and bolts of writing, I’m pouring my heart into the words. That’s my daily goal. That’s what keeps me coming back, keeps my writing, no matter the stumbling blocks.
That’s the kind of community I’d like all this content and sharing and re-tweeting to build. Folks looking deeper and wanting more and loving the insight as much as the chatty, easy-to-read posts and pics and one-liners.
Let’s share the soul of all that matters to us. If that’s your cup of tea, you’ve stumbled across the right place. Welcome!
Tags: Anna DeStefano, anna's world, brainstorming, creativity & inspiration, writer resource, writing, writing coach, writing resources
Posted in Anna's "Soul of the Matter" | No Comments »
November 30th, 2011
I received editorial revisions the other day. I’m a multi-published author. So, no big deal, right? WRONG. Revisions are hard. They’re built that way. If they were easy, everyone would be published traditionally and selling millions. And any working writer that tells you differently is just plain fibbing.This post is for everyone who wants to see their words in print, the published and the unpublished and the newly “WINNING” nanowrimo masses and those who think it’s always easier in someone else’s writing reality.
The reality is, the better you revise, the better your book will typically read for your reader. The more push it will have from your imprint. The more established you will find yourself within the very small world of publishing. Those who’re self-publishing without the benefit of a third-party editor, you’re in the same boat, except that you have to see the holes in your story that are more and more difficult to see the deeper you get into creating it. So we all schedule and accept it into our process the way you do everything else right?
Yeah. No.
Why is it so hard?
Two reasons, one that veers toward mechanics and one that takes a head trip inward to the heart of all that we do for our creative dreams. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: editorial revision, revision, writer, writer resource, writing, writing articles, writing coach, writing craft, writing resources, writing workshops
Posted in How We Write | No Comments »
