Chat Log: Michele Bardsley
September 17th, 2004 Chat with Michele Bardsley
22:20:12 [Lainie] I’d like to welcome everybody tonight
22:20:33 [Lainie] I’d especially like to welcome and introduce our guest, Michele Bardsley
22:21:01 [Lainie] Tonight Michele will teach us about “Creating the Beta Hero”
22:21:22 [Lainie] Michele Bardsley is a multi-published author who lives in Las Vegas with her husband and two children. Her works have won recognition and awards from Writer’s Digest, Silhouette Books, Oklahoma State University, and Northwoods Journal Magazine.
22:21:34 [Lainie] She’s presented numerous workshops on a variety of topics for organizations such as Space Coast Writers Guild, RT Bookclub, and Word Museum. When she’s not writing, editing, or promoting, she likes to watch “Trading Spaces” and daydream about someone else redecorating her home.
22:21:45 [Lainie] Boring wimp? Pale shadow of an alpha male? Brainy guy with glasses who believes discussing the latest IRS tax laws constitutes foreplay?
22:21:53 [Lainie] ? In “Creating the Beta Hero”, find out who a beta hero really is–and how to use beta qualities to create a complex, likeable, and–gasp!–nice guy who romance readers will love.
22:22:05 [Lainie] Visit Michele R. Bardsley website at: http://www.michelebardsley.com
22:22:13 [Lainie] Michele R. Bardsley is offering an autographed copy of Double Delights #2 (featuring her romantic comedies, Daddy In Training and Bride In Training) as well as a “Housewife For Rent” T-shirt.
22:22:55 [SherT] and she’s an all around sweetie! Welcome Michele!
22:22:58 [Lainie] One of Michele’s newest books will: THE LUST BASTION (part of the LIGHTHEARTED LUST anthology with Mary Janice Davidson and Chris Tanglen.
22:23:08 [Lainie] A single, lonely, okay, desperate woman searches for the perfect sex toy, but her new vibrator gives her more than she bargains for: a cursed Egyptian prince who obeys her every command.
22:23:33 [Glenda] wow
22:23:49 [SherT] LOLOL
22:24:08 [Lainie] When more guests join us, we’ll move into protocol. For now, I’d like to ask Michele to tell us about herself and start. (going to fan myself now). ga Michele
22:24:17 [Glenda] some people have all the luck
22:24:25 [MicheleB] <g> It was fun to write. 
22:24:52 [Lainie] sounds like fun 
22:25:20 [MicheleB] Thank you, Lainie. I have five novels and one nonfiction workbook published.
22:25:56 [MicheleB] My first erotic romance is The Lust Bastion. It’s a comedy, too. <g>
22:26:35 Jacqueline enters this room
22:26:36 [MicheleB] My next book is called Wild Women and it’s a romantic comedy suspense coming out from Hard Shell Word Factory in November or December.
22:27:15 [MicheleB] I’m also happy to say that my genre short story, “A Mother Scorned,” is the Grand Prize Winner in this year’s Writer’s Digest Competition.
22:27:18 [SherT] wb Jacqui
22:27:39 [Glenda] congratulations!
22:27:51 [MicheleB] No beta heroes in that one. <g>
22:27:54 [SherT] Excellent Michele!
22:27:54 [Jacqueline] I think the problem is fixed.
22:27:59 [MicheleB] Thank you.
22:28:10 [Jacqueline] Yes congratulations, Michele!
22:28:34 [MicheleB] Thanks. WD is publishing the story, too. It’s very exciting.
22:28:50 [MicheleB] But we’re here to talk about the beta hero and how to create one. Ready?
22:29:07 [Lainie] yep – I was born ready
22:29:09 [SherT] yes…rubbing hands together.
22:29:10 [Jacqueline] Yep
22:29:39 [Glenda] waiting with beta breath
22:30:01 [MicheleB] In The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders, the authors examine eight hero archetypes. Their definition of The Best Friend fits well with the concept of the beta hero. The following information is taken from an ar
22:30:24 [MicheleB] article by Tami Cowden posted on the All About Romance website.
22:30:43 [MicheleB] The Best Friend: This man doesn’t enjoy confrontation and can sometimes be unassertive because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But he’ll always be there. We all knew this guy in high school and didn’t appreciate him.
22:31:02 [MicheleB] If we were smart, though, he’s the guy we married. He’s a people person and he’ll always put the needs of others first. He’s practical … so he’d assess what could be done and get to work. He’ll be very determined because he’s responsible for the heroine.
22:31:43 [MicheleB] You can read the full article can be found here: All About Romance Website http://www.likesbooks.com/eight.html
22:32:10 [MicheleB] In line with his “best friend” qualities, a beta hero makes a great sudden daddy—he adjusts more easily to than an alpha male.
22:32:24 [MicheleB] He’s also an excellent role model: Women think he’s sweet, kids know he’ll play catch or tea party, bosses know they can rely on him to get last-minute projects completed, and men know they can trust him with their girlfriends.
22:32:42 [MicheleB] Within these expectations lie the seeds for potential conflict!
22:32:58 [MicheleB] Beta heroes need to grow, change, learn. Nice doesn’t equal perfect. An easygoing guy who’s funny and sweet hides his feelings more effectively and feels pain more deeply than an alpha hero (who will, when angry or upset, stomp around, growl, and hit stuff).
22:33:14 [MicheleB] A beta hero hides his pain behind a smile, a joke, or a quiet reserve. A beta hero is more likely to walk away from a confrontation or do what he believes the heroine wants than to stand his ground and fight it out. This isn’t wimp behavior because he’s not afraid for himself, he’s afraid for the p
22:33:27 [MicheleB] he’s afraid for the person he cares about.
22:33:53 [MicheleB] Now that we’ve identified the beta hero, let’s discuss how to create one. According to J. Madison Davis, who wrote Novelist’s Essential Guide to Creating Plot:
22:34:08 [MicheleB] “[A character] is a set of inherent qualities in the imitation of a human being. What we call a character in a novel, play or movie bears close resemblance to a human being but is not one.
22:34:22 [MicheleB] People are far more complicated than characters. People are far less predictable than characters. Characters are designed to seem complicated and to act in some surprising ways, but they are actually more consistent than people.
22:34:33 [MicheleB] The behaviors that seem surprising from characters are based upon a clear conception of their identities. In the simplest sort of story, for example, there are good guys and bad guys.
22:34:47 [MicheleB] The conception of their identities is very simple, and their behavior is predicted by what the author values as good or bad.”
22:35:03 [MicheleB] Romance heroes are, in essence, the ideals of the author packaged in a tight pair of jeans and a sexy grin. To create a hero is to create an inherent set of specific qualities.
22:35:19 [MicheleB] Each hero type has general characteristics that are refined by the author. It’s important to remember that your hero may not completely align with all qualities associated with the beta or the alpha or the whatever.
22:35:34 [MicheleB] He is first and foremost YOUR creation and he doesn’t have to fit anywhere but in your story.
22:36:03 [MicheleB] Are they any questions before we talk about beta qualities?
22:36:51 [SherT] ?
22:37:21 [SherT] What about times he has to fight, as in times of danger or when there’s no other way? How will he handle these times?
22:37:24 [Jacqueline] ga, Sher
22:38:14 [MicheleB] Betas are men and will act like men no matter if they’re beta or alpha. A beta can and will fight to protect himself and his loved ones.
22:38:28 [MicheleB] He might not be as effective as an alpha.
22:38:44 [MicheleB] The beta motto should be: “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” <g>
22:38:55 [SherT] gotcha, thank you. Just what I needed to hear.
22:39:34 [MicheleB] A beta will look for ways to get out of confrontation, especially a physical one. They want to use reason, not brawn.
22:39:48 [MicheleB] Alphas will just punch the offender out. <g>
22:39:56 [Jacqueline] I kind of like to think that a beta will come out on top because he doesn’t loose his cool and use his head.
22:40:44 [MicheleB] Exactly. Betas have more even temperaments.
22:41:27 [MicheleB] Let’s look at some qualities for our nice-guy prototype. The beta hero:
22:41:34 [SherT] In other words will wear the heroine down rather than bowl her over.
22:41:41 [MicheleB] © Is kind, responsible, decent
22:42:26 [MicheleB] Yes, that’s right. A beta won’t throw a girl over his shoulder and leave.
22:42:46 [MicheleB] © Doesn’t enjoy confrontation, but won’t back down on an issue he wants resolved
22:42:58 [MicheleB] © Is always available to the heroine or to others who need his help
22:43:08 [MicheleB] © Is an extrovert or an introvert
22:43:20 [MicheleB] © Is practical, down to earth, assesses situations before making decisions
22:43:30 [MicheleB] © Has a great sense of humor
22:43:40 [MicheleB] © Tends to be Mr. Nice Guy/Everyday Joe
22:43:51 [MicheleB] © Is the kind neighbor, the best friend, the good Samaritan
22:44:12 [MicheleB] So now we have a basic idea about what a beta hero might be like. Let’s assess how he got that way.
22:44:24 [MicheleB] Davis writes: “People’s motivations are very confusing and usually dimly understood. The newspapers are full of terrible stories about kids who grow up in brutal households.
22:44:36 [MicheleB] One kid grows up to become a killer; another grows up to become a tireless worker to prevent child abuse.”
22:44:47 [MicheleB] What’s interesting about this assessment is that you can create a hero or a villain using the same set of circumstances. Consider, too, that the same set of circumstances can create an alpha hero or a beta hero.
22:45:01 [MicheleB] In romance novels, a hero’s motivations, while not always revealed right away, are not confusing and are understood. There’s a clarity about why characters do what they do in fiction that is not evident for people operating in the real world.
22:45:14 [MicheleB] The background of your beta hero—his childhood, his education, his relationships—is very important in creating his motivations for being the person he is in your book.
22:45:28 [MicheleB] You have the freedom to create any kind of past that explains his actions and choices today.
22:45:44 [MicheleB] There are tools that may useful in helping you create the beta hero. Before I talk about these tools, I’d like to point out that there are a lot of people in the world who try to figure out and categorize human beings.
22:45:54 [MicheleB] For every technique discovered to determine behavior, there are not only exceptions to the so-called rules, there are other people attempting to discredit the technique.
22:46:06 [MicheleB] I don’t want to challenge your belief systems, but I do want to give you some ideas you can use to create a Beta Hero.
22:46:26 [MicheleB] Beta heroes are usually younger siblings—more than likely they are middle children. They can also be only children, but if they are, they probably have strong female influences in their upbringing.
22:47:11 [MicheleB] Characteristics of the middle child:Flexible, Diplomatic, Peacemaker, Generous, Social, Competitive
22:47:23 [MicheleB] “Middle children are good mediators and have superior cooperation skills. They don’t have their parents all to themselves or get their own way. Therefore, they learn to negotiate and compromise.”
22:47:43 [MicheleB] Characteristics of the last born child:Risk Takers, Outgoing, Creative, Sense of Humor, Question Authority
22:47:55 [MicheleB] “Youngest children in the family are typically outgoing and great at motivating other people. They are also affectionate, uncomplicated, and sometimes a little absent-minded.”
22:48:06 [MicheleB] Source: Birth Order Fact Sheet — http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5279.html
22:48:23 [MicheleB] Sure, a beta hero can be a cop or a fireman or a paratrooper, but these types of jobs are difficult fits for him (unless he has some kind of desk job within these types of departments).
22:48:33 [MicheleB] Possible jobs suited for beta heroes: social worker, Forest Ranger, environmentalist, teacher, artist, counselor, politician, singer, doctor, novelist, nursing home director.
22:48:47 [MicheleB] According to a recent study, “a child’s place in the family birth order may place a role in the type of occupations that will interested him or her as an adult.”
22:48:56 [MicheleB] One of the strongest findings was the fact that only children and first-born children tended to have more cognitive and analytical interests, while later-borns were more artistic and oriented to the outdoors.”
22:49:17 [MicheleB] Source: Birth Order Affects Career Interests, Study Shows http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/researchnews/archive/birthwrk.htm
22:49:38 [MicheleB] If you want to be extremely particular in your creation of a beta hero, consider the etymology of certain names. (Etymology is the study of the origins of words.) Beta heroes won’t have a name like “Rock.”
22:49:56 [MicheleB] Try for soft-sounding names like Benjamin, Charles, John, Phillip, Seth, and so forth. At babynames.com you can look up names by meaning.
22:49:56 [Jacqueline] LOL!
22:50:11 [MicheleB] I also suggest tooling around on behindthename.com—it has a lot of interesting information and a huge database of names.
22:50:42 [MicheleB] You might also consider naming your hero after someone in history or in mythology with whom you want him to be identified. Or maybe, he displays the opposite qualities of that historical or mythological figure … it’s entirely up to you.
22:51:38 [MicheleB] Any questions before I go on?
22:52:49 [SherT] Everything looks good from here.
22:52:57 [Jacqueline] ?
22:53:04 [MicheleB] Okay!
22:53:21 [MicheleB] You don’t need to be an astrologer to use the traits of certain sun signs as blueprint for your beta hero. I’m definitely not an astrologer, but I think the sun signs are very useful tools when it’s time to create the good and bad qualities of a character.
22:53:43 [MicheleB] It also helps you determine a birth date for your guy. <g> I chose the signs I feel most closely mirror a beta hero’s personality. My source for the following information is http://www.astrology-online.com.
22:53:45 [Jacqueline] What type of personality should the heroine have to go with the beta hero. Or does it matter?
22:54:23 [Lainie] cool characterization tools
22:55:00 [MicheleB] I think that opposites attract for a reason. People need the balance a counterpart offers in a relationship.
22:55:25 [MicheleB] Women who are used to responsibility, decision-making, and tough times need a beta hero.
22:55:41 [MicheleB] Okay … back to astrology…
22:55:48 [Jacqueline] Thanks, Michele, that’s kind of what I thought
22:55:55 [MicheleB] You might also check into numerology—a fascinating way to determine personality traits. Try Creative Numerology at: http://numerology.freesoul.com/
22:56:38 [MicheleB] I’ll just mention a couple of sun signs that I think represent beta heroes, though there are more than just two.
22:56:50 [MicheleB] Taurus (The Bull) — April 21 to May 21
22:57:00 [MicheleB] Traits: Patient and reliable, warmhearted and loving, persistent and determined, placid and security loving
22:57:10 [MicheleB] Possible Flaws: jealous and possessive, resentful and inflexible, self-indulgent and greedy
22:57:13 [SherT] ??
22:57:21 [MicheleB] Cancer (The Crab) — June 22 to July 22
22:57:32 [MicheleB] Traits: Emotional and loving, intuitive and imaginative, shrewd and cautious, protective and sympathetic
22:57:41 [MicheleB] Possible Flaws: Changeable and moody, overemotional and touchy, clinging and unable to let go
22:58:41 [MicheleB] Of course, in a romance novel, the beta hero (or any hero for that matter) will not be severely flawed.
22:58:59 [MicheleB] Another tool to help create the Beta Hero: the dosha
22:59:06 [SherT] I’m married to a Tauras, we can add stubborn, bullheaded, moody and wants his own way. LOL
22:59:21 [MicheleB] According to Health World Online: “Just as everyone has an individual face or thumb print, according to Ayurveda, each person has a particular pattern of energy
22:59:31 [MicheleB] LOL Sher!
22:59:44 [MicheleB] —an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics—which is his or her constitution.
22:59:57 [MicheleB] This constitution is determined at conception by a number of factors and is the same throughout one’s life. …
23:00:07 [MicheleB] Ayurveda identifies three basic types of energy or functional principles that are present in everybody and everything. All people have vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary, one secondary and the third least prominent.”
23:00:20 [MicheleB] Determining a dominant dosha for your hero is another tool you can use to create characteristics.
23:00:29 [MicheleB] Each dosha has physical attributes, too, that you can use when creating your beta hero, but for now, we’ll go over the basic information and the internal/emotional characteristics.
23:00:48 [MicheleB] VATA is movement and it’s represented by the elements of space and air. Vata people are flexible and creative, alert and restless. They walk, talk and think fast, but are easily fatigued.
23:01:01 [MicheleB] PITTA is metabolism and it’s represented by the elements of fire and water. Pitta people have many qualities of fire … they have warm bodies, penetrating ideas, sharp intelligence, and good powers of comprehension.
23:01:19 [MicheleB] KAPHA is lubrication and it’s represented by the elements earth and water. Kapha people have strength, endurance, and stamina. They are calm, tolerant, forgiving.
23:01:33 [MicheleB] Which one do you think best represents a beta hero?
23:02:00 [Glenda] Kapha
23:02:23 [SherT] or Pitta
23:02:26 [MicheleB] Bingo!
23:02:26 [Jacqueline] PITTA
23:02:40 [MicheleB] Nope. A Pitta is an alpha.
23:03:03 [SherT] And VATA?
23:03:56 [MicheleB] A beta hero could possibly be a Vata, but they’re not “spacy.” They’re grounded, very much earth-related.
23:04:38 [MicheleB] A beta hero’s dominant dosha is kapha. Like the elements of kapha, earth and water, he’s very grounded, but he can also “go with the flow.”
23:05:09 [MicheleB] More Information About Doshas http://www.indianest.com/health/ayurveda/av014.htm
23:05:39 [MicheleB] Give Your Character A Dosha Test: http://www.naturesformulary.com/doshatest.html
23:06:08 [MicheleB] Do you want me to go on? I still have schemas to talk about.
23:07:06 [SherT] by all means. We started late.
23:07:18 [Jacqueline] I’m sure we would, do you want to?
23:07:33 [MicheleB] Cool! According to SchemaTherapy.com: “Coping styles as normal attempts on the part of the child to survive in a difficult childhood environment.
23:07:44 [MicheleB] Unfortunately, we keep repeating our coping styles throughout adulthood, even when we no longer need them to survive. … these coping styles lead us to act in ways that end up blocking our development…”
23:07:58 [MicheleB] In other words, an emotional schema equals inner conflict for your hero.
23:08:16 [MicheleB] . Surrender (Gives in to schemas and repeats them)
23:08:26 [MicheleB] Avoidance (Finds ways to escape or block out schemas)
23:08:37 [MicheleB] Overcompensation (Does the opposite of the feelings created by schemas)
23:08:55 [MicheleB] Specific information and a good overview can be found at the Advanced Cognitive Therapy of New York website.
23:09:12 [MicheleB] The Schema Therapy website also has a specific breakdown at its site that’s valuable.
23:09:25 [MicheleB] For our purposes, I’ve taken certain schemas and their definitions from
23:09:40 [MicheleB] the Advanced Cognitive Therapy of New York to use for creating our beta hero, but chances are you can take any schema and make it fit with your hero. Here are the ones I choose:
23:10:04 [MicheleB] Disconnection & Rejection — Abandonment/Instability: You expect instability, unreliability, or loss of anyone you are close to.
23:10:18 [MicheleB] Emotional Deprivation: You believe that your primary emotional needs for nurturance, empathy, affection, and protection will never be met by other people.
23:10:27 [MicheleB] Defectiveness/Shame: You feel that you are defective, bad, unwanted, inferior, or invalid.
23:10:50 [MicheleB] Other-Directedness — Subjugation: You feel coerced to surrender your needs and emotions to other people, avoiding anger, retaliation, or abandonment.
23:11:00 [MicheleB] Self-Sacrifice: You voluntarily meet the needs of other people at the expense of your own gratification.
23:11:53 [MicheleB] For the purposes of a romance novel, characters are not going to have deep schemas. (Some might, but we don’t want deeply damaged people. We want people who an triumph.)
23:12:45 [MicheleB] http://www.schematherapy.com/ http://www.emotionalalchemy.com http://www.actofny.com/schema.html
23:13:11 [MicheleB] Beta heroes are better suited for romantic comedies because their personalities are more capable of handling crazy circumstances and outrageous events.
23:13:25 [MicheleB] The difference between a beta hero and an alpha hero in a romantic comedy is that the beta hero will laugh at himself and the situation and the alpha hero won’t. In other words, the reader laughs WITH the beta hero and laughs AT the alpha hero.
23:13:36 [MicheleB] Examples of Beta Heroes From Movies
23:13:50 [MicheleB] · Jack (Bill Pullman), the nice younger brother, in “While You Were Sleeping”
23:14:06 [MicheleB] Who wants to give an example of beta behavior from this movie?
23:15:19 [SherT] In Sabrina, the Harrison Ford character.
23:15:48 [MicheleB] Okay.
23:15:52 [SherT] In a Walk in the Clouds, the Keanu Reaves character.
23:16:17 [MicheleB] Here’s an example from While You Were Sleeping: He’s playing cards with his comatose brother and says, “Whoever gets the high card, gets Lucy.” (No direct confrontation.)
23:17:19 [SherT] duh…read it wrong…sorry
23:17:49 [MicheleB] That’s okay!
23:18:07 [MicheleB] · Shane (Keanu Reeves), the kind-hearted ex-quarterback, in “The Replacements”
23:18:22 [MicheleB] Example: He steps in to protect his deaf teammate from the insults of the team’s former quarterback.
23:18:30 [Jacqueline] Didn’t see that one
23:18:33 [MicheleB] When the quarterback hits him, he takes the punch then says, “Had enough?” (Protects his friends; Wants to avoid confrontation; attempts to defuse situation with humor.)
23:19:22 [MicheleB] Shane is a beta, but he is also a football player, something we might typically associate with an alpha. He’s also the quarterback, which is a leadership postion.
23:19:47 [MicheleB] But what he cares about most is his team.
23:19:58 [MicheleB] · Robbie (Adam Sandler), the heartbroken romantic, in “The Wedding Singer”
23:20:10 [MicheleB] Example: First clue he’s a beta—he’s wedding singer. He takes an underage kid who’s been drinking at the wedding outside to puke in the Dumpster.
23:20:30 [Glenda] lol…Love Stinks
23:20:32 [MicheleB] (Taking care of others who he perceives needs him.) This is when he meets the heroine, Julia. Sense of humor to deal with situations: “No one could puke more than that kid. I think I saw boot come out of him.”
23:20:41 [SherT] LOL
23:20:42 [MicheleB] Exactly! <g>
23:21:04 [Jacqueline]
23:21:11 [MicheleB] Examples of Beta Heroes From Novels
23:21:24 [MicheleB] · Peter, the lovelorn tongue-tied doctor, from GOOD IN BED by Jennifer Weiner
23:21:34 [MicheleB] Example: He offers constant support for her without demanding a thing. He doesn’t even make his feelings known until almost the end of the book. (Patience, kindness, putting his own feelings/needs aside to meet the heroine’s.)
23:21:49 [MicheleB] · Ross, the bad-boy wanna-be, from BRIDE IN TRAINING by Michele R. Bardsley
23:21:58 [MicheleB] Example: He’s a wanna-be bad-boy … so he’s already someone who doesn’t fit well in the skin of a Harley-riding, leather-jacket-wearing hard case. He takes care of the heroine after she falls ill, despite the fact she doesn’t him like him much.
23:22:08 [MicheleB] · Race, the thief with a heart of gold, from RACE AGAINST TIME by Justine Davis
23:22:24 [MicheleB] Example: The heroine leaves out food for the anonymous burglar who’s been stealing food from the homes of people living in a small mountainside community. In thanks, he picks wild flowers and leaves them on her dining room table.
23:22:48 [MicheleB] And that’s the beta hero! Any questions?
23:23:32 [SherT] none from me, just need to read all this again and digest this. Excellent topic, Michele.
23:23:49 [MicheleB] Thanks!
23:24:00 [Jacqueline] I’m sure I’ll think of one later when I’m working on my beta.
23:24:10 [Lainie] wonderful Michele
23:24:22 [Glenda] Very informative. I’m just a reader and I’ve learned so much tonight!
23:24:25 [Jacqueline] Yes, great topic
23:24:26 [MicheleB] E-mail me anytime!
23:24:33 [Lainie] ditto Jacqui – I’ll probably think of it later
23:24:46 [MicheleB] I’m so glad, Glenda!
23:25:14 [Jacqueline] Plus, we’ll have the chat log up at WM for us to go back to. 
23:25:27 [MicheleB] That’s great!
23:25:51 [Glenda] Do most women seem to prefer alpha males (in reading material)?
23:26:31 [MicheleB] It seems to go in trends. Every woman appreciates the fantasy of taming the bad boy.
23:27:00 [MicheleB] But romantic comedies are going strong and they really need beta heroes.
23:27:06 [Jacqueline] I’m married to an alpha and have lately taken up reading betas
23:27:31 [MicheleB] I’m married to an alpha. That’s probably why I write betas. <G>
23:28:09 [SherT] I’m married to a beta with major alpha issues…course that could be that Spanish blood and the Cajun blood duking it out.
23:28:22 [MicheleB] LOL!
23:28:32 [Jacqueline] And he’s a beta, Sher? <g>
23:28:35 [Glenda] giggle
23:28:40 [MicheleB] The great thing about fiction and reality is that you can usually control ficitonal characters.
23:29:07 [MicheleB] It’s been a pleasure, but I have to go be mommy now.
23:29:32 [Glenda] thank you for a wonderful chat!
23:29:34 [SherT] Son is the same way, only tempered by my Swiss blood and the threat of my foot in his hine end. <G>
23:29:41 [Lainie] <Michele, would you like me to choose the winner of your book
23:30:03 [MicheleB] You are most welcome. Thank you for inviting me. I had a wonderful time.
23:30:16 [Jacqueline] It’s always nice having you here, Michele. You’ll have to come back when there isn’t a hurricane
23:30:16 [MicheleB] Please do, Lainie!
23:30:30 [Jacqueline] and bad connections
23:30:30 [SherT] Thank you so much for being here, Michele. Very informative.
23:30:41 [Lainie] I need a drum roll
23:30:49 [MicheleB] I’m so glad!
23:30:54 [Jacqueline] rattattttttttttatttttttt
23:30:58 [SherT] tut tat tut tat tut tat
23:31:02 [Lainie] and the winner of Michele’s door prize is…
23:31:06 [Lainie] Glenda!
23:31:16 [Lainie] Michele, please tell her which prize she’s won
23:31:21 [Lainie] and how to contact you
23:31:22 [SherT] Yea Glenda!!!
23:31:27 [Jacqueline] Yayyy, Glenda!
23:31:33 [Glenda] Moi? I’m a weiner? Thanks!
23:31:54 [MicheleB] Wow! Congrats, Glenda! She’s won Double Delights #2: Daddy In Training and Bride In Training.
23:32:13 [MicheleB] Glenda, private e-mail me your address at LuvMyEbooks@aol.com.
23:32:17 [Glenda] Awesome!
23:32:23 [SherT] excellent Glenda!
23:32:34 [Glenda] Will do Michele.
23:32:57 [Glenda] Good night to all and stay safe!
23:32:58 [SherT] Thanks again, Michele for being with us.
23:33:02 [Lainie] Congrats Glenda!!!
23:33:06 [SherT] Night Glenda
23:33:09 [SherT] Take care
23:33:16 [Lainie] Nice prizes michele
23:33:20 [Jacqueline] Thanks from coming everyone! I need to take some Nyquil and go to bed. Night!
23:33:23 [MicheleB] You’re welcome! Thank you! Good night, all!
23:33:37 [MicheleB] Thanks, Lainie. 
23:33:46 [SherT] good night, everyone.
23:34:01 MicheleB exits from this room
23:34:22 [Lainie] Thank you for joining us MIchele and everybody
23:34:30 [Lainie] What a great workshop!
23:34:44 [Lainie] have a good night everybody.
23:34:53 [Jacqueline] Sher, take care.
23:35:01 [Jacqueline] You too, Lainie
23:35:02 [Lainie] so sorry Jacqui. I hope you feel better soon
23:35:03 [Glenda] Oh! Hope you get better soon!
23:35:10 [Lainie] please let us know and we’ll cover
23:35:20 [SherT] night all.
23:35:21 [Glenda] goodnight
23:35:26 [Jacqueline] Thanks
23:35:29 [Lainie] goodnight Glenda
23:36:05 [Lainie] I have work early tomorrow and can hardly hold my eyes open. sweet dreams and good night everybody!
Chat Log: Tara Mandarino
September 10th, 2004 Chat with Tara Mandarino
22:16:15 [Jacqueline] Hi and welcome. We’re chatting with author Tara Manderino tonight.
To enter your name, please type it in the upper left hand name box and then type
“enter”. We’ll be using protocol so please type “?” to ask a question and “!” to make a
comment and “ga” to signify “go ahead” when you’re finished
22:16:29 [Su] Glenda, simply tell Sher to click her heels together three times and repeat
“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home
22:16:46 [Su] (sorry Jacqueline) k
22:16:56 Sher enters this room
22:16:57 [Jacqueline] Always a daydreamer, author Tara Manderino loves to create stories
and situations for the people running around in her head. She first began writing in
third grade when she realized she couldn’t afford her reading habit.
22:17:17 [Jacqueline] She currently works at the Library District Center where she assists in
promoting the wide variety of programs offered through public libraries. When not
behind the computer, you can find Tara acting as chauffeur to her sons, or
cultivating bleacher-butt as she cheers them on at various sporting
22:17:30 [Jacqueline] events.
22:17:43 [Glenda] It worked! Sher is here
22:18:01 [Tara] Oh good. WB Sher
22:18:05 [Jacqueline] This is Tara’s second epubbed romance. While she can always find
room for another paper printed book on her shelves, she finds the new medium much
more enjoyable since she can carry several books at a time on her Handspring
Visor-and it fits in her purse!
22:18:42 [Tara] Thanks, Jacqueline!
22:18:45 [Jacqueline] Everyone, please give Tara a warm welcome. And Tara, I love your
name.
22:18:53 [Lainie] Welcome Tara!
22:19:02 [Tara] Thanks!
22:19:03 [Glenda] welcome!!
22:19:20 [Su] lol first time I chatted with Tara, I used the name Scarlet; I didn’t think her
name was for real… lol
22:19:23 Tam enters this room
22:19:33 [Su] yay, Tara
22:19:41 [Glenda] hi tam
22:19:45 [Tara] *G* Too much, Su
22:19:50 Kimberly enters this room
22:19:55 [Jacqueline] Hi and welcome. We’re chatting with author Tara Manderino tonight.
To enter your name, please type it in the upper left hand name box and then type
“enter”. We’ll be using protocol so please type “?” to ask a question and “!” to make a
comment and “ga” to signify “go ahead” when you’re finished
22:19:55 [Tara] Hi Tam – glad you made it
22:20:01 [Kimberly] Hey Tara!
22:20:10 [Glenda] ji kimberly
22:20:18 [Kimberly] Hello!
22:20:22 [Tam] Hi Tara. Sorry, had to clean up a flood in the bathroom first.
22:20:23 [Tara] Hi Kimberly!
22:20:31 [Tara] That does not sound like fun.
22:20:39 [Kimberly] Oh, no.
22:20:43 [Glenda] ?
22:20:56 [Tara] Anyone have something they would really like to discuss – questions?
22:20:59 [Tara] GA
22:21:01 [Jacqueline] ga, Glenda
22:21:36 [Glenda] Has there been a decline in ebook buying? I ask because they used to
make ebook readers and now one has to have a PDA
22:21:42 [Kimberly] No, I want to win your book.
22:21:56 Sher enters this room
22:21:57 [Tara] LOL Kimberly
22:22:11 [Jacqueline] Sher, did it work?
22:22:12 [Glenda] Get ot the point Kimberly!
22:22:17 [Tara] Ebook sales with the Indie publishers seem to be about the same.
22:22:28 Marjorie enters this room
22:22:29 [Tara] There have been some that have closed, not all because of lack of sales.
22:22:46 [Jacqueline] Hi and welcome. We’re chatting with author Tara Manderino tonight.
To enter your name, please type it in the upper left hand name box and then type
“enter”. We’ll be using protocol so please type “?” to ask a question and “!” to make a
comment and “ga” to signify “go ahead” when you’re finished
22:22:52 [Marjorie] Hello Tara
22:23:02 [Tara] I think the biggest problems have been with the fact that the public and
authors have been ready for the ebook movement before the industry itself was
22:23:04 [Kimberly] Hey Marjorie.
22:23:05 [Tara] Hi Marjorie
22:23:31 [Tara] Now with the emergence of the newer “tablets” I think they’ll pick up more.
22:24:33 [Tara] People do read on their computers lots more than they had previously. And
FWIW, I do love reading on my handspring. ga
22:24:53 [Jacqueline] Tara, I don’t want to interupt, but can you please change your font
to red so your more visable?
22:24:56 [Glenda] thanks
22:25:07 [Tara] Um– if I knew how!
22:25:35 [Jacqueline] There’s a color bar by the send button
22:26:00 [Tara] yes. Do I just click that (the color)?
22:26:07 [Tara] Yay, it worked.
22:27:04 [Jacqueline] Tara, can you tell us a little about Soul Guardian?
22:27:22 [Tara] Have to say — one of the things I truly love about ebooks is that you can
find things you won’t normally find on the shelf.
22:27:30 [Tara] Sure, Jaqueline.
22:27:39 [Jacqueline] <Definately>
22:27:43 [Glenda] true
22:27:57 [Tara] SG – is a paranormal romance about a vampire and a psychic.
22:28:13 [Tara] More than anything, I would say it’s a tale of redemption.
22:28:13 [Jacqueline] Yes!
22:28:32 [Sher] ?
22:28:53 [Tara] While I LOVE the hero — Lucien — which is whyI wrote it in the beginning –
I would have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the viilan payback,
22:29:07 [Tara] GA
22:29:18 [Jacqueline] ga, Sher
22:29:46 [Sher] I’m only just getting here, so you may have already been asked this…It’s
been widely announced that “big house” publishers don’t consider that you’re
published and will overlook your e-pub credits when considering work. How do you
combat that?
22:30:08 [Tara] Not sure how anyone else does it, but…
22:30:40 [Tara] When I submit something I usually don’t mention it for the title I’m
submitting. *G* Though I do mention that I’m e-pubbed and give the title of the other
book.
22:30:55 [Tara] Good enough reason to strive for two, I guess. LOL ga
22:31:13 [Tara] I think the editors take it more seriously than the houses do.
22:31:21 [Tara] ga
22:31:44 [Glenda] ?
22:31:48 [Tara] !
22:31:51 [Tara] ga
22:32:13 [Jacqueline] ga, Glenda
22:32:39 [Glenda] If you could co-write with any author (living or dead) whom would it be
and why?
22:32:48 [Tara] I wanted to say that I think we have a lot of the Indy e-publishers and
groups like EPIC to thank for the level of professionalism that is becoming more
prevalent in the e-book field.
22:33:23 [Tara] That’s TOUGH! I know who it wouldn’t be–Melville heads that list!
22:33:35 [Tara] Glenda – it’s not like I notice typos — believe me. LOL
22:33:40 [Glenda] lol
22:33:56 [Tara] I think I would have to say Jane Austen.
22:34:03 [Marjorie] ?
22:34:06 [Tara] or maybe Charlotte Bronte
22:34:36 [Tara] Acckk — I’d even say Poe, but he would scare me to death before I got the
end of a ms.
22:34:39 [Tara] ga
22:34:52 [Glenda] thanks
22:35:13 [Jacqueline] I’d pick Poe too, just for the scare factor. LOL
22:35:21 [Jacqueline] ga, Marjorie
22:35:22 [Tara] LOL
22:35:24 [Su] lol Tara
22:35:28 [Kimberly] I’d go for Stephen King.
22:35:35 [Marjorie] Do you find that reading within the sub-genre you are currently writing
is helpful or hurtful to your current project?
22:35:54 [Tara] I quit after Salem’s Lot. Had to make sure all my windows were locked!
22:36:04 [Marjorie] lol
22:36:17 [Tara] Marjorie – I usually don’t like to read in the sub-genre WHILE I’m writing it.
22:36:37 [Tara] Another incentive for finishing a project. But I get too depressed if I do so.
22:36:48 [Tara] You know — everyone writes better, yada yada yada
22:37:08 [Tara] When I’m done, it doesn’t bother me nearly as much.
22:37:10 [Tara] ga
22:37:29 [Marjorie] thanks Tara… I guess I’m normal then LOL
22:37:54 [Tara] LOL Right now, I’m writing a Regency so am reading lots of contemporaries
22:38:54 [Jacqueline] Are you targeting a publisher for this Regency, Tara?
22:39:12 [Tara] Really bugs me that I was scared to death with Salem’s Lot and I go and
write a vampire story. Go figure
22:39:25 [Marjorie] lol
22:39:57 [Tara] That’s almost funny, Jacqueline. I’m actually trying to go for Avon and
thelibraries — buthonestly I have trouble keeping the word count down.
22:40:05 [Glenda] ?
22:40:14 [Tara] I HAVE to do something about these tangled plots.
22:40:24 [Tara] ga glenda
22:40:43 [Glenda] Are you fascinated with any certain time period/s? Have you written a
book set in that time?
22:41:16 [Tara] I am fascinated with the Regency era and Whisper My Name is set in that
time. So is my current ms.
22:41:48 [Tara] The restrictions set by the time period make some plot elements and story
lines work differently.
22:42:25 [Tara] In the regency — there was no such thing as instant communication. If you
wanted to call someone, you had to call ON someone. That meant time has to
22:42:46 [Tara] elapse from the time the decision was made, to the time it took to get to
where you were going.
22:43:22 [Tara] I like the restriction of manners then too. Some present a challenge to get
around.
22:43:46 [Glenda] very interesting!
22:44:10 [Tara] What time period do you favor, Glenda?
22:44:38 [Glenda] I’m not a writer, but I’d love to have lived in the 1920′s.
22:45:11 [Glenda] I’m a retired dance teacher. I’d like the dancing during that period and the
clothing was awesome!
22:45:20 [Tara] 20′s — I don’t write in that time period — but lots of good things could
certainly be done with that!
22:45:34 [Tara] Bootlegging immediately comes to mind. LOL
22:45:44 [Sher] LOL
22:45:52 [Glenda] bathtub gin. Yum
22:45:53 [Jacqueline] Yep
22:46:03 [Marjorie] LOL
22:46:06 [Tara] But that was before television too, so think of all the things that would have
been done for entertainment.
22:46:19 [Jacqueline] That would be an interesting storyline
22:46:24 [Tam] ?
22:46:34 [Tara] ga Tam
22:46:37 [Jacqueline] ga, Tam
22:47:27 [Tam] Tara, so what inspired you to write the vampire story?
22:48:00 [Tara] OK. Actually, as I said, it’s more a story of redemption. Keep that in mind.
22:48:22 [Tara] I had to sit in church for lots of children choir practices..
22:48:56 [Tara] It’s really nice, and peaceful and you can think of all kinds of great things in
the silence. There’s nothing but candles, lingering incense sometimes, and the little
voices
22:49:06 [Tara] either singing or getting yelled at! *G*
22:49:27 [Glenda] so your thought turned to vampires? lol
22:49:29 [Tara] As I was sitting there, I thought how peaceful. What wouldit be like if you
were absolutely forbidden to enter.
22:49:47 [Tara] *nodding* to Glenda
22:50:14 [Tara] So who would that be — ta da — the vampire was one. So of course I had
to work with that!
22:50:20 [Tam] LOL
22:50:30 [Tara] See never know where you’ll come up iwth an idea. *G*
22:50:36 [Tara] ga
22:51:25 [Marjorie] !
22:51:27 [Jacqueline] Very true, Tara.
22:51:40 [Tara] Marjorie
22:51:44 [Sher] ?
22:52:04 [Marjorie] I have to run for the night.
22:52:06 [Jacqueline] ga, Marjorie
22:52:15 [Marjorie] gnite all *muah*
22:52:26 [Jacqueline] Do you want to wait a minute for the prize?
22:52:28 [Tara] Night Marjorie — glad you were able to make it.
22:52:30 [Kimberly] good night Marjorie
22:52:32 [Marjorie] sure brb
22:52:35 [Glenda] stay for the drawing!!
22:52:40 [Tam] Night Marjorie! {{HUGS}}
22:52:46 [Jacqueline] We’ll take Sher’s ? then do the drawing
22:52:57 [Sher] Do you read other vampire books? If so, by what authors?
22:53:09 [Marjorie] back
22:53:54 [Tara] I do, Sher. Amanda Ashley is the one that comes to mind. But there are
others. I was delighted to find Christina Feehan, even though hers aren’t the
traditional vampires.
22:54:45 [Glenda] gee, I’ll bet Rice scares the pants off ya.
22:55:12 [Sher] Oh, love her…and Linda Lael Miller’s were good.
22:55:23 [Tara] I find hers interesting, but I can’t read it for as long as she can write!
22:55:40 [Tara] Oh yes — Love Linda Lael Miller’s too!
22:55:43 [Glenda] lol
22:56:22 [Jacqueline] Tara is kind enough to give away an electronic copy of Soul Guardian
22:56:51 [Kimberly] <<crossing fingers!!>>
22:56:52 [Jacqueline] Can I have a drum roll, please?
22:57:02 [Tara] *drum roll*
22:57:04 [Su] drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…..
22:57:06 [Lainie] ra ta ta tat
22:57:12 [Glenda] clang!
22:57:15 [Marjorie] hey, where is that drum going?
22:57:19 [Sher] tadum tadum tadum
22:57:27 [Tara] Side note — and I have the drumsticks in my hand! son’s a drummer!
22:57:37 [Tam] lol
22:57:42 [Marjorie] lol
22:57:47 [Su] lol
22:57:55 [Jacqueline] And the winner is Su!
22:58:05 [Tara] ROTFL
22:58:08 [Kimberly] Yay, Su!
22:58:08 [Glenda] I always have a crush on the drummer at rock concerts!
22:58:09 [Sher] Yeah Su!!!!
22:58:10 [Tam] Yay Su!
22:58:16 [Marjorie] *clapping*
22:58:20 [Su] woo-hooo! but… if I may…
22:58:24 [Su] defer…
22:58:25 [Glenda] Congrats to Su!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
22:58:29 [Tara] Jaqueline – since Su is the winner — let’s give away ANOTHER copy!
22:58:37 [Lainie] Yay Su!
22:58:37 [Su] (no offense, Tara — I love the story
22:58:41 [Jacqueline] You may…
22:58:52 [Jacqueline] I’ll draw again
22:59:02 [Tara] Okay- poor su has read that story so many times Lucien probably visited
her!
22:59:04 [Kimberly] lol, recrossing fingers
22:59:11 [Marjorie]
22:59:14 [Sher] LOLOL
22:59:19 [Su] lol I meant to duck when you were throwing the bouquet
22:59:28 [Tara] LOL
22:59:29 [Glenda] Kimberly reeeeeeaaaaaaly wants it!
22:59:35 [Su] lol not poor me — I want to share it with someone else!
22:59:45 [Jacqueline] Alrighty, I drew again
22:59:51 [Kimberly]
22:59:53 [Su]
22:59:58 [Jacqueline] and it’s Marjorie!
23:00:01 [Su] drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr……… *ducking*
23:00:02 [Tara] *drum roll again*
23:00:07 [Su] yay!!!
23:00:09 [Sher] Yeah Marjorie!! clapping
23:00:11 [Kimberly] Yay, Marjorie!!
23:00:15 [Glenda] clash!
23:00:21 [Marjorie] WOO HOOOOO
23:00:24 [Lainie] rum pum pum pum
23:00:29 [Tam] ggg, ya’ll are too much
23:00:30 [Glenda] Congrats to Marjorie!!!!!!
23:00:30 [Jacqueline] Congratulations, Marjorie!
23:00:40 [Lainie] Yay Marjorie!!!
23:00:41 [Marjorie] I’m beaming over here!
23:00:42 [Tara] Marjorie – send me your email address, pleas. manderinno@comcast.net
23:00:43 [Lainie] Congrats!
23:00:44 [Tam] Yay Marjorie! Aren’t ya glad ya stuck around?
23:00:55 [Jacqueline] Sheesh, it’s a good thing you stayed.
23:00:57 [Tara] yuk – can you read that in white?
23:01:03 [Marjorie] Yup Yup I am verra glad
23:01:11 [Jacqueline] Tara, where can we find your books?
23:01:12 [Su] Tara — spellcheck ??? lol
23:01:16 [Tara] Yeah, good think. I was starting to get a complex.
23:01:21 [Marjorie] ugh… that’s not a pretty face
23:01:26 [Tara] thing. thing, thing.
23:01:27 [Su] or did you change your last name?
23:01:36 [Tara] Goes with the white address
23:01:47 [Kimberly] That’s what I was going to as
23:01:49 [Kimberly] ask
23:01:55 [Tara] manderino@comcast.net
23:02:02 [Kimberly] where do we need to go to purchase Soul Guardian
23:02:06 memyself enters this room
23:02:09 [Su] thaaaaaaaat’s what I thought, Tara lol
23:02:11 [Glenda] Thanks for the great chat! Stay safe all.
23:02:25 [Tara] Now you all know why I had to send out the change of address twice –
once the wrong way and once correctly!
23:02:29 [Glenda] nighty night
23:02:30 [Jacqueline] Thanks for coming, Glenda!
23:02:38 [Su] bye Glenda from MS with Emma the grand-dog
23:02:41 [Glenda] see ya next week
23:02:46 [Tara] Kimberly — it’s at http://www.ebooksonthe.net
23:03:06 [Tara] Thanks for attending Glenda!
23:03:10 [Su] bye all — great chat Tara
23:03:12 [Su]
23:03:12 [Jacqueline] Do you have a website?
23:03:24 [Tara] No.
23:03:27 [Jacqueline] Nite, Su, thanks for coming!
23:03:28 [Su] Tara, I’ll be E-ing you
23:03:30 [Tam] Night Glenda
23:03:39 [Tara] I used to but never managed to get one back again after homestead started
charging.
23:03:44 [Su] thanks for picking my name first, Jacqueline!
23:03:44 [Lainie] Thanks Tara! it’s so great you came and chatted with us tonight
23:03:45 [Tara] Please do so, Su
23:03:48 [Lainie] goodnight everybody!
23:03:54 [Marjorie] K, Tara, I sent you my outlook addy
23:03:58 [Jacqueline] Have you checked out Geocities?
23:04:01 [Tara] Thanks for having me, Lainie andJaqueline
23:04:01 [memyself] candywrapper people here?
23:04:06 [Tara] That’s fine
23:04:11 [Jacqueline] Nite, Lainie!
23:04:15 [Marjorie] !
23:04:22 Su exits from this room
23:04:24 [Sher] Have a great week all…stay safe and write something wonderful.
23:04:29 [Sher] goodnight.
23:04:35 [Jacqueline] You’ll have to come back, Tara
23:04:36 [Tara] I did — I even signed up at one time but couldn’t figure it out! Not sure, but
think they charge on the new ones now too.
23:04:38 [Kimberly] Good night everyone!
23:04:41 [Tara] Night Sher
23:04:45 [Kimberly] Tara, I look forward to reading your book.
23:04:51 [Jacqueline] Nite, Sher, it was nice talking to ya!
23:05:04 [Tara] Any time, Jacqueline.
23:05:13 [Tara] Thanks, Kimberly!
23:05:15 [Jacqueline] Nite, Kimberly!
23:05:22 [Marjorie] Gnite for real this time… the hubby is tapping his foot now LOL
23:05:44 Marjorie exits from this room
23:05:50 [Tara] LOL– Night Marjorie — i’ll be looking for your address
23:05:54 [Tam] Night Sher, K’y
23:05:55 [Jacqueline] Congrats and goodnight Marjorie
23:06:02 [memyself] i guess not
23:06:04 [Tam] Night Marjorie
23:06:40 [Tara] memyself> I’m here discussing — well wrapping up the discussion on a
paranormal romance.
23:08:11 [Tara] Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed it. I’ll be thinking most of the
night on which writer I’d like to write with. *G*
23:08:17 [Jacqueline] Tara, I’ll be taking dates for next year’s chats in October. Email me
and we’ll set another one up
23:08:32 [Tara] Thanks!
23:08:36 [Tam] Thanks for the invitation Tara. It was fun!
23:08:37 [Tara] Night all.
23:08:48 [Tara] Glad you made it, Tam
23:09:07 [Tara] Off to pack lunches and do stinky football laundry.
23:09:10 [Tam] It was nice to meet all of you, but have a wip to work on now…*rolls eyes*
23:09:21 [Jacqueline] Thanks for coming, Tam.
23:09:29 [Jacqueline] good luck on the wip.
23:09:35 [Tam] lol@stinky football laundry.
23:09:42 [Jacqueline] Nite Tara!
Chat Log: Lyn Lawrence
September 3rd, 2004 Chat with Lyn Lawrence
22:19:21 [Lainie] Welcome to our Word Museum chat. Our special guest tonight is Lyn Lawrence.
22:19:23 [Lainie] Lyn Lawrence lives in Vivian, Louisiana with her husband of forty-one years. They are
22:19:36 [Lainie] the parents of six children. She loves to sing, play piano, and sew. Swimming is her
22:19:44 [Lainie] favorite exercise. Naturally she loves reading and writing and traveling is also one of her favorite things.
22:20:06 [Lainie] Lyn is offering door prizes of heart jewelry of various types
22:20:27 [Lainie] Lyn’s new books is WEB OF DREAMS
22:20:45 [Lainie] published by Publisher: Amber Quill Press (August 2003)
22:21:15 [Lainie] Here’s a blurb of Lyn’s book to peak your interest. Dana’s web of dreams intertwines with cutting edge cell research by her husband, Max, a scientist gone mad. Mad enough to believe he can control the world and his wife with a mind-altering drug.
22:21:26 [Lainie] Ben Carter interfaces with Dana’s web of dreams, never imagining he will be drawn into a web of deceit, danger and love he never imagined possible.
22:21:54 [Lainie] To read the excerpt visit Amber Quill at: http://amberquill.com/excerpt_WebDreams.html
22:22:13 [Lainie] Lyn also wrote: STONE JUSTICE
22:22:29 [Lainie] Stone Justice is the true story of the first and only woman in Louisiana history to be convicted and executed in the electric chair. The screenplay is the adaptation of the novel by the same name written by Debi McMartin and Lyn Morgan.
22:22:37 [Lainie] How exciting! A screenplay.
22:22:59 [Lainie] To read an excerpt of Stone Justice, please visit this site: http://www.1stbooks.com/cgi-bin/1st?partner~1st
22:23:00 [Glenda] awesome!
22:23:24 [Evelyn] Yep…we actually wrote the screenplay first.
22:23:41 [Lainie] We usually do protocol but since this is an intimate group at the moment, we’ll forego that until the crowd shows up
22:23:53 [Lainie] then I’ll crack my whip and let you know we’ll go into protocol
22:24:06 [Lainie] Lyn, please tell us about yourself, your writing, your books, and your screenplay. ga
22:24:34 [Evelyn] I’m glad to be here tonight. Right now I’m writing another script
22:25:05 [Lainie] Wow! You’re a dynamo. How wonderful!
22:25:15 [Evelyn] It’s also based on a true story and involves a court case.
22:25:41 [Evelyn] Thanks…But I don’t feel like a dynamo.
22:26:21 [Glenda] well, your writing sounds VERY interesting!
22:26:24 [Evelyn] I just sold out of Web of Dreams and For the Weekend
22:26:47 [Moe] Excellent, congratulations.
22:26:54 [Evelyn] FTW came out in May
22:27:02 [Lainie] Congrats!
22:27:20 [Glenda] I’m a Robin Cook fan. Web of Dreams sounds like it would fit me to a t.
22:27:33 [Evelyn] I hope maybe more people are hearing about my books.
22:28:05 [Evelyn] Web of Dreams is a Robin Cook type of book. Did you read his last one…
22:28:12 [Glenda] How long have you been writing?
22:28:31 [Moe] brb
22:28:36 [Glenda] Haven’t read Cook’s last one yet.
22:28:48 [Evelyn] Well I could say all my life, but novels since 1993
22:29:14 [Lainie] ten years is quite a long time
22:29:22 [Evelyn] On Cook’s last one, I was disappointed with the ending.
22:29:38 Beth enters this room
22:29:43 EJ enters this room
22:29:45 [Glenda] oh no!
22:30:01 [Evelyn] Hi Beth and EJ…
22:30:08 [Beth] Hello!
22:30:10 [Glenda] Where is Vivian LA? I’m New Orleans born. Live in Tupelo,MS now.
22:30:11 [Moe] Hi Beth
22:30:14 [Moe] EJ
22:30:16 [Glenda] hi beth!
22:30:29 [Moe] ! We’re talking to Lyn Lawrence.
22:30:44 [Evelyn] Vivian is in the very corner of the northwest side of LA
22:30:46 [Lainie] Hi Beth and EJ
22:30:58 [Lainie] close to Texas then?
22:31:01 [Moe] You might be able to scroll back and see what has been said the last few minutes, to catch
up.
22:31:10 [Evelyn] I’m 5 miles from Texas, 10 from Arkansas
22:31:47 [Lainie] We’re chatting with Lyn Lawrence, author of Web of Dreams and Stone Justice
22:31:52 [Lainie] I’d say that was close
22:32:07 [Evelyn] Now Tupelo, I think, is Elvis’ birthplace.
22:32:26 [Glenda] Yes, it is.
22:33:07 [Evelyn] !I like Elvis.
22:33:44 [Evelyn] For The Weekend is what I call my Elvis book.
22:33:52 [Beth] ?
22:34:04 [Moe] Jump in Beth
22:34:19 [Glenda] I was always into The Beatles. I appreciate Elvis more now.
22:34:20 [Moe] Since it is a small group we are leaving the discussion open
22:34:36 [Beth] thanks–Lyn, at what point in your drafts do you know a book is going to work?
22:34:55 [Lainie] I love both Elvis and the Beatles – my all time favorites
22:35:02 [Moe] I was hoping you were going to ask that.
22:35:18 [Evelyn] Oh my goodness…could I say I’m almost never sure the book will work.
22:35:29 [Beth] that is reassuring
22:35:33 [Beth] I’m at that point
22:35:38 BettyD enters this room
22:35:46 [Beth] what do you do, just persevere? refocus?
22:35:51 [Evelyn] I do outlines but things happen that I don’t expect
22:35:52 [Moe] How many drafts do you think you did before WOD went to press?
22:35:56 [Moe] Hi Betty!!
22:36:01 [Glenda] hi Betty!
22:36:05 [BettyD] hey Moe
22:36:06 [Evelyn] Is that what happened to you Beth?
22:36:10 [BettyD] how’s it been?
22:36:22 [Beth] definitely
22:36:38 [Evelyn] Drafts of WOD…before it went to press…6 or 7
22:36:46 [Moe] Good. We are having a open discussion with author Lyn Lawrence.
22:36:52 [Lainie] Hi Betty!
22:37:04 [Evelyn] And Beth, I’m stuck on a thriller right now.
22:37:16 [Lainie] Lyn is the author of Web of Dreams and Stone Justice
22:37:49 [Glenda] Anything in your work background that sort of gave you the idea for Web of Dreams
and/or Stone Justice?
22:38:33 [Evelyn] Not really my work background, but I have always been for the underdog.
22:39:01 [Evelyn] In Stone Justice, Toni Jo never gets a chance. But that was true
22:39:15 [Evelyn] I couldn’t change that…
22:39:32 [Evelyn] In WOD, Dana grabs her chance and takes it.
22:40:07 [Evelyn] I like justice, stone justice, real justice or poetic. <G>
22:40:30 [Glenda] lol
22:41:51 [Glenda] Do you have any favorite authors?
22:42:09 [Evelyn] Wow, I see something Beth said way back about refocusing.
22:42:11 [Moe] Has everyone had their questions answered so far? Did we miss anybody?
22:42:15 [KarenT] Lyn, earlier you said you’re almost never sure a book will work out…do you do a lot of rewrites, then? Or is it pretty set the first time through
22:42:49 [Evelyn] I edit constantly.
22:43:05 [Evelyn] Maybe that’s bad, but it’s the way I write.
22:43:27 [Beth] oh, good, me too!
22:43:31 [BettyD] the two books seem so dramatically different – was it difficult to “switch gears”?
22:43:37 [Beth] otherwise it’s a hopeless tangle
22:43:37 [Evelyn] The new script is 17 pages done and I’ve just been over it
22:43:49 [Evelyn] for the third time.
22:44:16 [Evelyn] Sometimes I go through my plot before I go to sleep.
22:44:33 [Evelyn] Sometimes I have to get back up and write.
22:45:27 [Lainie] only 17 pages? is that normal length for a script?
22:45:49 [Evelyn] That’s almost to the first plot point…<G>
22:45:59 [Evelyn] I need 120 pages
22:46:14 [Evelyn] So I’m not really to the first plot point
22:46:31 [Evelyn] But I know the script will work because it’s true.
22:46:59 [Beth] true, as in not sparing yourself, writing from the gut?
22:47:37 [Evelyn] No, this is a true story, in fact breaking news story.
22:47:55 [Beth] Oh, LOL
22:47:56 [Beth] sorry
22:48:24 [Evelyn] Well, I really don’t know the very end yet…
22:48:26 [Lainie] what kind of permission, if any, do you need to write a true story that’s not happening to you?
22:48:45 [Evelyn] But I think it’s going to be good for lots of people.
22:49:10 [Evelyn] In this case, we were asked (Deborah M and I) to write it.
22:49:31 [Evelyn] So we have exclusive rights to it.
22:49:54 [Evelyn] I see Betty asked about switching gears so let me say
22:50:16 [Evelyn] Writing true stories is easier in a way and harder, too.
22:50:31 [Evelyn] Writing fiction is like fun.
22:50:52 EJ enters this room
22:50:58 [Evelyn] True stories have to touch you and sometimes they are hard to write.
22:51:07 carolyn enters this room
22:51:18 [Evelyn] But they grab you and you have to write them.
22:51:32 [EJ] I apologize for being late…I’ve been arguing with my isp, so if I disappear, I’m sorry!
22:51:41 [Moe] Hi Carolyn. We are chatting with Author Lyn Lawrence
22:51:55 [Beth] hi, Carolyn!
22:51:58 [Moe] No problem EJ. Glad you could make it back.
22:52:00 [Evelyn] I have three neat prizes…how do we do this part?
22:52:19 [carolyn] Hi Lyn
22:52:24 [Moe] Laine will draw the names for you.
22:52:36 [Evelyn] Hi Carolyn and EJ again.
22:52:37 [BettyD] thanks for your answer, Lyn
22:52:53 [Beth] yes, good input
22:53:16 [Lainie] is it time to draw?
22:53:17 [Evelyn] Oh thanks, and I’m so glad you’re all here.
22:53:34 [Evelyn] I was afraid nobody would come.
22:53:49 [Glenda] Lyn, where can one buy your books?
22:53:50 [carolyn] Lyn, I’m curious about writing a legaleze romance. My library has all the information I
need to do the research, how would you go about that?
22:53:52 [Lainie] we love you Lyn, so of course we came
22:54:06 [BettyD] with Moe in charge?
22:54:12 [BettyD] who’d dare miss it?
22:54:31 [Evelyn] Buy my books…at Booksurge.com or at Amber Quill
22:55:15 [Evelyn] Research for Carolyn…SJ we went to the courthouse.
22:55:31 [Evelyn] There were 5 books of trial transcripts.
22:55:56 [Evelyn] We copied them longhand and they grabbed us by the heart.
22:56:14 [Evelyn] Toni Jo did not have a fair trial.
22:56:35 [Evelyn] Oh and watch The Practice <g>
22:56:51 [Evelyn] Or an old movie like Anatomy of a Murder
22:57:24 [Lainie] they let the public see and handle trial transcripts?
22:57:27 [Evelyn] Or Perry Mason
22:57:29 [carolyn] Sounds good. I do watch The Practice. For some reason
22:57:30 [Lainie] is it after so many years? or anytime?
22:57:44 [carolyn] I didn’t realize there would be transcripts available.
22:57:55 [Evelyn] Trial transcripts are public documents and have to be available to the public.
22:58:14 [Beth] that’s good to know
22:58:20 [carolyn] At the library, or?
22:58:48 [Evelyn] Very interesting reading..only at the courthouse where the trial was held.
22:59:12 [carolyn] And where in the courthouse would I obtain them?
22:59:13 [Evelyn] There were also two college students who did papers
22:59:32 [Evelyn] On the Toni Jo murder trial. We read their papers.
22:59:49 [Evelyn] They were at the college libraries.
23:00:25 [Evelyn] Lainie, please draw a name.
23:00:29 [carolyn] thank you for the information.
23:00:31 [Glenda] Did you get to interview any of the trial attorneys?
23:00:40 [Evelyn] I think our time is almost gone.
23:01:05 [Evelyn] We didn’t intervies any attorneys but we did interview her priest.
23:01:26 [Evelyn] He’s 90 years old….the murder happened in 1940
23:01:56 [Moe] Laine?
23:01:59 [Lainie] are you ready for me to start drawing names for the door prizes yet? let me know when
23:02:05 [carolyn] And, what title did you give this book and can we find it at BookSurge?
23:02:15 [Evelyn] Carolyn, check the archives at the courthouse
23:02:37 [Lainie] I didn’t see that message. sorry
23:02:40 [Lainie] drum roll please
23:02:41 [carolyn] Thanks, I’ll do that.
23:02:44 [Evelyn] Stone Justice is at 1st Books.com or Amazon.com
23:02:56 [Lainie] and the first winner is…..
23:03:00 [Lainie] Karen T!
23:03:01 [Glenda] rat-a-tat-tat. Clash!
23:03:13 [Glenda] congrats to Karen!!!!!
23:03:19 [BettyD] bah rum pah bum pah pah
23:03:29 [Lainie] And our second winner is….
23:03:35 [Moe] Boom-bang
23:03:36 [Lainie] we’re going for 3 winners tonight, right?
23:03:38 [Moe]
23:03:43 [Evelyn] Karen T. gets three toe rings …I hope you like them
23:03:45 [KarenT] Wow. Thanks. It’s my luck month. Last week, I won Pat Rasey’s drawing!
23:03:50 [Lainie] Carolyn!
23:03:51 [Moe]
23:03:59 [Lainie] Congratulations Karen and Carolyn
23:04:09 [carolyn] Wow, thanks.
23:04:11 [Glenda] Good for you Karen!
23:04:13 [Lainie] Am I to draw one more lucky winner?
23:04:19 [EJ] Big congrats to the winners!
23:04:20 [Evelyn] Carolyn gets a heart pendant.
23:04:25 [Glenda] Congrats to Carolyn!!!!!!
23:04:36 [Evelyn] Yes, please
23:04:43 [carolyn] Thank you very much.
23:04:50 [Lainie] okay
23:04:55 [Lainie] let me stir up the names really well
23:05:02 [Lainie] drum roll again please
23:05:11 [Lainie] and the third and final winner is….
23:05:12 [Glenda] Stir and shake ‘em!
23:05:32 [Lainie] shaking and stirring hard
23:05:38 [Lainie] Beth!
23:05:44 [Lainie] Yeah Beth! Congratulations
23:05:50 [Evelyn] For a heart bangle bracelet…yay, Beth
23:05:50 [Moe] Will the winners please send your mailing address to Lyn at EMo7209900@aol.com
23:05:52 [Glenda] Congrats to Beth!!!!!
23:05:57 [EJ] And congrats to Beth, too!
23:06:01 [Beth] thanks very much!
23:06:01 [Lainie] Lyn, should they send their names and email addresses to you? GMTA
23:06:02 [Lainie] good
23:06:04 [Moe] so she can sen you your gifts.
23:06:07 [BettyD] congrats to all the winners!
23:06:11 [Glenda] Cool prizes!
23:06:31 [Lainie] Please give us your website url again Lyn as this will be logged and in case anyone present
now missed it earlier
23:06:39 [Glenda] Great chat! Can’t wait to read your books Lyn!
23:06:40 [Evelyn] Thank you everybody so much. Yes, I need their names.
23:06:42 [Lainie] We want everyone to be able to check out your fabulous books
23:06:58 [Evelyn] http://www.lynlawrence.net
23:07:20 [Moe] Thank you for being our guest chatter Lyn.
23:07:27 [Glenda] I just bookmarked it.
23:07:28 KarenT exits from this room
23:07:39 [Beth] thanks very much!
23:07:41 [Moe] And thank you everyone else for attending.
23:07:43 [Evelyn] Thank you for having me.
