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Guest Post: Inside the Writer’s Studio

April 18, 2011 by

Today’s guest is author Midge Raymond, whose collection of short stories Forgetting English was recently released in an expanded edition.  Her stories received the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, were nominated for three Pushcart Prizes, and received an Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship.  She graciously agreed to write up a guest post about her writing space.  Please give her a warm welcome.

 

This is the first photo I took of my current writing space, taken on the day I moved into my house.

I took this photo because I wanted to remember what my writing studio looked like before I really got settled in. I loved the way this clean, empty space looked—yet somehow I knew it wouldn’t last.

Of course, the room didn’t have much personality before the unpacking began, but at the same time, this photo above represents my dream desk: no clutter, no bills, no cat sleeping on the keyboard. Nothing but the blank screen and an empty chair. I don’t even have books in the shelves to distract me. While this setup was a little too spare for the long term, I still hoped to keep my writing studio somewhat de-cluttered—as if it might become a mirror image of my brain: open and ready for the muse to do her work.

Here is my desk today:

The writing studio is more homey, certainly—and at least the cat is staying off my keyboard (for the moment). I have my creativity crystal, my water and my coffee, all the books and journals I could possibly need should I get writer’s block. And, as I’d envisioned, the writing studio is indeed a reflection of what’s going on in my brain, i.e., a cluttered mess, in which million things are spinning all at once. (What you may not be able to see in the photo is my to-do list, stuck underneath the coffee mug, with frantically scrawled items in various stages of completion.)

At the same time, I love my desk, and most days, I even prefer it to the lovely spare one I used to dream of. It’s the desk of a person blessed with a full life, and I can’t complain about that. The trick is to put on my writing blinders, to mentally nudge all the other stuff out of the way in order to focus on writing new work, or revising old work, or jotting down ideas that may be brought to fruition in yet another writing space somewhere else.

Or, I’ll just move everything onto the floor, out of sight, and that works even better.

Thanks, Midge, for sharing your writing space.  Please check out her Website, blog, and the Press 53 site.

About the Author:

Midge Raymond’s short-story collection, Forgetting English, received the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction. Her award-winning stories have appeared in TriQuarterly, American Literary Review, Indiana Review, North American Review, Bellevue Literary Review, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. Her work has been nominated for three Pushcart Prizes and received an Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, along with her husband and an opinionated orange cat.

Giveaway Details:  US/Canada residents only.

1.  Leave a comment here about why you enjoy short stories.

2.  Tweet, Facebook, blog the giveaway for a second entry.

Deadline April 25, 2011, 11:59 PM EST

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Winner of $35 Credit with NextDayFlyers

February 27, 2011 by

With Book Expo America on the horizon, I had thought there would have been more entrants into the business card credit giveaway from NextDayFlyers.com, but alas, there were only 6 entrants.

From the 6 entrants, Random.org selected #4:  Anna from Diary of an Eccentric, who said, “I’d definitely get some cards done for my blog…especially since the old ones I made don’t reflect the new URL.  Adding this giveaway to my sidebar.”

Congrats to Anna!  I hope everyone else will check out this great resource for your business card needs.

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Winner of Madame Tussaud and Marie Antoinette Cupcake Earrings. . .

February 21, 2011 by

Out of 43 entrants into this giveaway for a signed copy of Michelle Moran’s latest novel, Madame Tussaud, and a pair of Marie Antoinette cupcake earrings, Random.org selected:

#28 Carol Wong, who said, “I started to get interested in the French revolution i n my high school world history class and later in French Literature class in college. It was so disappointing for grand ambitions of a democracy to collapse into te reign of terror. I would love to read more about the women leaders and the women writers of the time. Don’t think that they are ever mentioned in the history books.”

Congrats Carol, and I hope you enjoy the book and the earrings.

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Giveaway: $35 Credit at NextDayFlyers.com

February 20, 2011 by

Whether you are starting a business or are interested in spreading the word to other book lovers and writers about your blog or writing, business cards remain an essential tool.

NextDayFlyers.com may sound like a company that only provides posters, but they also offer designer business cards.  Lucky for you, you have an opportunity to win a $35 credit to use toward making business cards.

There are no geographic restrictions on this giveaway, and you only have one obligations upon entering:  Just answer how you would use the $35 credit if you win after you check out their business card section and the rest of the Website.

Deadline to enter is Feb. 26, 2011, by 11:59PM EST.

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Winners. . .

February 20, 2011 by

I had some giveaways end on Valentine’s Day, but took forever to pick the winners.  Sorry about that!

The winner of Anjali Banerjee’s Haunting Jasmine is #3 Linda B, who said, “What an interesting interview and kudos for going for environmentally friends materials. I looked thru the ergonomic tips, good advice! thanks for the giveaway. I’m intrigued by the idea of a bookstore being part of the setting.”

The winner of Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower is #7 Nan, who said, “I somehow became interested in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. I can’t remember if it was initially through one of MM Kaye’s historical novels or The Raj Quartet.”

Thanks to all the entrants and congrats to the winners.

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Giveaway: Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

February 14, 2011 by

As many of you already know, this month Michelle Moran‘s latest historical fiction novel, Madame Tussaud, comes out February 15 in stores.

Book synopsis:

Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American Ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, and when word arrives that the royals themselves are coming to see their likenesses, Marie never dreams that the king’s sister will request her presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. Yet when a letter with a gold seal is delivered to her home, Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.  . . .

Spanning five years from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.

Michelle is generously offering 1 signed copy of Madame Tussaud to one of my readers anywhere in the world, along with a pair of Marie Antoinette cupcake earrings.

To Enter:

1.  Leave a comment about what you know about the French Revolution or if you have ever visited a wax museum and where.

2.  Facebook, Tweet, or blog about the giveaway and get a second entry.

Deadline to enter is Feb. 19, 2011, at 11:59PM EST

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Giveaway: Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower

February 9, 2011 by

Sourcebooks has found some additional galleys of Sarah Bower’s Sins of the House of Borgia and is offering one of my US/Canada readers a copy.

The book comes out March 8, 2011, and I’m sure you would love to know what the book is about.  Courtesy of the publisher:

“Violante isn’t supposed to be here, in one of the grandest courts of Renaissance Italy. She isn’t supposed to be a lady-in-waiting to the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia. But the same secretive politics that pushed Lucrezia’s father to the Vatican have landed Violante deep in a lavish landscape of passion and ambition.”

About the Author:

Sarah Bower is a novelist and short story writer. Her first novel, The Needle in the Blood, was Susan Hill’s Book of the Year 2007. Her short stories have appeared in magazines including QWF, Buzzwords and The Yellow Room. She completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia in 2002. She teaches creative writing at UEA and for the Open University. She also works as a mentor and manuscript reader for leading literary consultancies.

To enter:

1.  Comment about what political or religious intrigues would you like to be embroiled in if you had the chance.

2.  For a second entry, blog, tweet, Facebook, etc. the giveaway.

Deadline Feb. 14, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST

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Guest Post: Author Anjali Banerjee’s Writing Space

February 8, 2011 by

Today, I welcome author Anjali Banerjee to the blog.  She’s the author of Haunting Jasmine, which came out February 1.  Here’s an excerpt about the book from Penguin:

“When Bengali-American beauty Jasmine’s marriage to the perfect American man falls apart, it takes a mystical bookstore populated with literary ghosts and a relationship with an enigmatic young stranger to help her rediscover her own sense of peace and happiness and the possibilities for love she holds inside of her—if she is willing to move past the hurt and embrace the promise of tomorrow.”

Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it.  Stay tuned for a US/Canada giveaway.  OK, let’s check out Anjali’s writing space:

Recently, TIME magazine published a photograph of author Jonathan Franzen’s work space – a simple desk and computer in a stark room with no other furnishings. Apparently he uses an obsolete Dell computer with the wireless card removed. But according to TIME, “In spite of all these precautions, Franzen got stuck.”

Copyright Carol Ann Morris

Still, I admire him for eliminating distractions. I’m not so self-disciplined. I love to write on my laptop while lying in bed, with cats lounging around me, but generally I write at the desktop in my home office – only about 100 square feet of space, but it’s more than I need.

When my husband and I bought this house – a small rambler in the woods on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State – the room reflected the drab gray of Pacific Northwest skies in winter: colorless walls and frayed, pale blue carpet. Yuck. The only redeeming feature was the view of the forest through the window.

So last summer, I had the carpet ripped out and replaced with all-natural Forbo Marmoleum® floors. Marmoleum is known as the “new linoleum.” It’s produced from renewable materials including linseed oil, rosins, wood flour, and other “ecologically responsible” pigments. The floor is easy to clean – a plus when you have five cats running around – as well as durable and generally hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial and anti-static. I chose a deep reddish-brown color (I think it’s called “Indian Summer”).

I had the walls painted in warm gold using eco-friendly, “no-VOC” (no Volatile Organic Compounds) indoor paint. I had a solar tube installed in the ceiling, an absolute miracle of natural light. I removed the closet doors to open up the room, and I bought an ergonomic chair with three adjustment levers.

I managed to fit book shelves, a six-piece modular oak desk, three cat beds, a cat condo, my Bose Wave radio/CD player, a full spectrum light desk lamp, and a full 88-key Casio electronic keyboard into my office. And it does not feel cluttered. I love this room. It is so… me. Gifts from family and friends sit on the desk next to my computer – photographs, trinkets, a stuffed Canadian moose and Canadian beaver – and I always keep a bottle of water and a flashlight (in case of a winter power outage) nearby.

All said, when I write, I’m oblivious to my surroundings. When I’m on a tight deadline, I sometimes leave the house to write in a café where the cats aren’t crying, nobody demands my attention, and the phone is never for me.

Copyright Carol Ann Morris

Soon, I’ll have to find a good standing workstation or treadmill desk, as all the sitting is beginning to hurt my back. Until then, I’m here, typing away on the desktop in my little gold-painted office in the woods.

Remember, each of us is different. We have different needs, different preferences. My advice is to make your work space conducive to writing, whatever that means for you. If you need a sparsely furnished room a la Jonathan Franzen, honor that need. If you prefer messiness and chaos, go with it. Create an ergonomic workstation to protect your body! I found tips here.

Thanks, Anjali, for sharing your writing space with us.

Copyright Carol Ann Morris

About the Author:

Anjali Banerjee was born in India, raised in Canada and California and received degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She has written five novels for youngsters and three for grownups, and she’s at work on her next novel for adults to be published by Berkley/Penguin. Her books have received accolades in many review journals and newspapers. The Philadelphia Inquirer called her young adult novel, Maya Running (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House) “beautiful and complex” and “pleasingly accessible.” The Seattle Times praised Anjali’s novel for adults, Imaginary Men (Downtown Press/Pocket Books) as “a romantic comedy equal to Bend it Like Beckham.”

Giveaway Details:

1.  Leave a comment your thoughts about ergonomics.

2.  Blog, Tweet, Facebook, etc. for a second entry.

Deadline is Feb. 14, 2011, at 11:59PM EST (US/Canada only)

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Winner of Dreaming in English…

February 2, 2011 by

Out of 16 entrants, random.org selected #9:

Iliana from Book Girl’s Nightstand who said, “I especially love the view. Granted, I don’t know if I’d stare out the window all day and daydream 🙂 ”

If you missed Laura Fitzgerald’s Guest Post,  you should check it out.  She has a fantastic writing space.

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Giveaway: Laura Fitzgerald’s Dreaming in English

January 23, 2011 by

In my absentmindedness, I forgot to offer 1 copy of Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald to my US/Canada readers last week.

The publisher, Penguin, will be mailing the book to the lucky winner.

All you have to do is comment on this post about what you found fascinating about Laura Fitzgerald’s guest post.

If you tweet, Facebook, or otherwise spread the word about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link, you’ll get a second entry.

Deadline to enter is Jan. 29, 2011, at 11:59PM EST.

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Winners of The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy

January 19, 2011 by

Recently, I held a giveaway for my US/Canada readers to win one of two copies of Mary Lydon Simonsen’s The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy (my review and her guest post).

Out of 22 entrants, the randomly selected winners were:

Linda, who said, “My daughter and I have been planning a trip to England and Wales for 3 or 4 years, even went so far as getting a passport.  Haven’t made it yet, but maybe this year.  I hope, hope.”

and

Vic of Jane Austen’s World, who said, “Thanks for a wonderful post, Mary. I feel that I know so much more about you and your work!”

Congrats to the winners and stay tuned for more great reviews, guest posts, and giveaways this month.

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Guest Post: Mary Lydon Simonsen on Research and Travel

January 5, 2011 by

Welcome to today’s guest post from author Mary Lydon Simonsen, author of The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy. Following the guest post, be sure to check out the giveaway for US/Canada residents.

Let’s give Mary a warm welcome!

Thank you for inviting me to post on your blog.

You have asked me to talk about my research in general and if I have toured England as part of doing my research for The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy.

I have been reading non-fiction books on the Regency and Georgian Eras for probably thirty years. I just had no idea that at the time I was reading them that I was researching future novels. Like most people, I was drawn to the tangibles of that time, especially the gorgeous clothes, hairstyles, literature, architecture, romanticized view of traveling in elegant carriages, etc., but I was also attracted to the intangibles, such as the manners and speech of people who appear in Jane Austen’s books.

Having read so much about the era, I know how constrained the lives of most women were. From the moment of their birth, they were under the control of their fathers or a male guardian, then their husbands, or if they never married, possibly their brothers or another male relation. But Elizabeth Bennet is different. She has spunk, and I like spunk. After all, she turned down an offer of marriage from Mr. Darcy, one of England’s elite and someone who would have made her financially secure for the rest of her life. That took courage.

On behalf of the era’s repressed females, in The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy, I stormed the fortress and liberated two ladies in Miss Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: Anne de Bourgh and Georgiana Darcy. In this story, Anne is no longer the voiceless daughter of Lady Catherine, but a woman who sees how her cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy, suffers as a result of failing to capture the heart of the woman he loves, and she sets out to change that. On the way, she enlists Georgiana Darcy, who will shortly make her debut in society, and a flower ready to blossom. I wanted to open up Georgiana’s character, and so I wrote about a typical teenager: chatty, nosy, teasing, and curious, but someone who cares deeply about her brother.

As far as travel is concerned, I have been to England twice. During my first visit, I was more interested in the Tudors, and so I visited Hampton Court, the Tower of London, Warwick Castle, etc. On my second visit, I traveled with my two teenage daughters, who were not jumping up and down at the idea of visiting Chawton Cottage, Austen’s last home before moving to Winchester. I did, however, get to Bath and visited all the public rooms, an experience that was very helpful when I wrote Anne Elliot, A New Beginning.  I also drove through Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, and Derbyshire doing drive-by research. Although I did not stop at any Austen locales (except Winchester Cathedral), the countryside left an indelible impression on me and proved invaluable when I started to write Austen re-imaginings.

Thanks Mary for sharing your research and travel experiences with us.

About the Author:

Mary Lydon Simonsen’s first book, Searching for Pemberley, was acclaimed by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and RT Book Reviews. She is well loved and widely followed on all the Jane Austen fanfic sites, with tens of thousands of hits and hundreds of reviews whenever she posts. She lives in Peoria, Arizona where she is working on her next Jane Austen novel. For more information, please visit http://marysimonsenfanfiction.blogspot.com/ and http://www.austenauthors.com/, where she regularly contributes.

Dear readers, Sourcebooks is offering 2 copies of A Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen for 2 U.S. or Canadian readers.

To Enter:

1.  Leave a comment on this post about one of your favorite travel spots

2.  For a second entry, Tweet, Facebook, etc. the giveaway and leave a link and comment on this post.

Deadline:  January 12, 2011, at 11:59 PM EST

For another chance to win this book, visit Austen Authors.

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