Coffee and Conversation with the #RomanceGems

It's time for Coffee and Conversation with the Romance Gems! So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us for some fun. This month's topic is: What is the best writing advice or compliment about your writing you have received?

You know what I’m talking about… That “aha moment” when someone shares a tip or comments on one of your books. Something that truly struck a chord. Whether in casual conversation, in a book review, during an interview, or at a workshop/class or book signing. Tell me what someone said about your writing that truly resonates with you.

"A couple of years before I sold my first book, Always Annie, author Muriel Jensen sent me a letter including the underlined words: "Never give up. Never, never give up." I taped the note to my desk, where it stayed until the ink faded away. It was the best advice I ever had and I still, now that I'm nearing the other end of my career, remind myself of it from time to time. Thanks, Muriel."
~ Liz Flaherty

"It’s been more than twenty years and more than forty books later, but my favorite compliment on my writing came after my first book, A Duke Deceived, was published in 1998. It became a finalist for the Holt Medallion, Best Historical. I didn’t win, but the contest coordinator contacted me afterward to tell me I missed winning by the smallest possible margin, and she wanted to soften the blow by telling me that one of the judges said my book was the best book she’d ever read. That’s the kind of praise one never forgets!" ~ Cheryl Bolen

“I had four books released. I went to my RWA meeting and met, for the second time, a woman who became my critique partner. She said she binge-read the books in the Loudon Series and couldn’t wait for the next one. I was shocked, stunned might be a better word. She wasn’t being nice; she really liked them. We began talking and emailing. Soon we were looking at each other’s pages. Flash forward four years, we talk constantly. She shoots straight, good or bad, and keeps me on the right track." Chapter 1 - MacLellan Sisters with Newsletter 
~ Lucinda Race


“I've received several comments/reviews on how realistic my characters are and the research I've put in them. In my book, Love, A Second Time Around, I received this compliment: "Constance crafts stories with characters who are interesting, realistic--people you miss after you read The End. True to Montana lifestyle and respective to Native American beliefs, this is a love story you don't want to miss!" This warmed the cackles of my heart.” ~ Constance Bretes

“Best compliment I received was when I’d written my first romance novel. Glowing rejections, resulted in the novel I entered in a RWA contest. One judge was Leslie Wainger, of Harlequin, her comment: best synopsis she’d ever read!

 “Even though I didn’t make that Harlequin sale, three months later Hilary Sares, at Kensington, purchased my novel for the Precious Gems line. My package landed in the snow leaving the final three chapters unreadable. I agreed to resent it. Hilary said I didn’t understand. She wanted to purchase the novel. Now with zero revisions!”
~ Connie Vines

“The most rewarding response I've received from a reader was an email from a sexual assault survivor. She said her therapist told her to find some women’s erotic fiction to help her feel "normal" again. She found my book Perdition House Part 1 An Erotic Saga. She thanked me for helping in her recovery and providing a book that had no triggers.

"I cried when I got the email and so did my daughters. It's a woman thing, but we all want to feel those feelings and I helped a young woman heal. It doesn't get any better than that!” Perdition House Part 1 is always #FREE ~ Bonnie Edwards




“When I sold my first Precious Gems to Kensington, my mother was proud. However, I did mention the editor had added a few words to the love scene (which wasn’t originally hot). She told all her gray-haired friends that the editor wrote all of the love scene! I suppose her daughter shouldn’t know that stuff.” ~ Jan Scarbrough

“The best compliments I've received from readers are when they tell me my books made them cry. In Elusive Dreams, Tessa has a hard past, and as her history reveals itself, many things come to light. I've had a number of reviews letting me know the reader had tears in their eyes, or bawled like baby. I love when people feel the emotion of the characters! I know I've done my job!”
~ Kari Lemor

“At a writing conference a reader came up to me and said “I felt every emotion Regina was going through in CHRISTMAS & CANNOLIS and she sounded so real on the page. Like we’d be best friends in life.” That moment made my year. My goal as a writer is to elicit all kinds of emotions with my words and characters and make my heroines be the kind you’d like to have as friends and root for. Goal accomplished with this reader’s words!” ~ Peggy Jaeger

“One of my best compliments came in the form of a rejection. I stopped writing for a few years. When I started submitting my work again, I pitched a romantic suspense to my old editor at Kensington. I wasn't feeling confident and needed familiar territory. The editor didn't offer a contract but left me with a compliment instead. "You write in the style of Iris Johansen. This one just isn't right for us." Just a few words, and the rejection stung, but they were words I needed to hear then, and still keep me going today.” ~ Maddie James




“A couple of career highlights stick out through the years. One was when a reader told me she cried while reading the most difficult scene I ever wrote, one I had sobbed my way through. Another was when the fabulous editor I worked with at Pocket Books told me my work was so clean, she read it and edited it at the same time. No revisions! Music to an author’s ears.” ~ Kathleen Lawless

“Two things stick with me. The first was when a reader reached out to say I was her ‘go to author’ when she needed an escape. She also LOVED my hero and explained that Highland House – the Victorian-era mansion in my Time Traveler’s Journey Series – was her ‘happy place’ and her 'dream'. She would pick up my books whenever she wanted to get away.

"The second happened recently, when a friend commented, ‘You write one hell of a sex scene.’ Quite a complement if you understand how much time and effort goes into writing those challenging pages.”
~ Kathryn Hills



Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! Add your comments below or send via email through the "contact us” link on the bottom of the left sidebar. You can also make suggestions on what you'd like to discuss here in the future.

Thanks for joining us!

 ~ The Romance Gems ~

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Writing Career Advice from Cheryl Bolen

Since I’m into my third decade as a published author and have achieved a fair bit of success, a lot of people ask me what are the keys to a successful career in writing romance. Up to this point I’ve been able to tell them that I’ve never had to do ANY promotion or paid advertising, other than being fortunate enough to get an occasional Featured Deal on BookBub. That, however, in the current publishing climate will have to change. I am going to have to learn how to do ads, but that’s a whole 'nother blog.

But I think I do have a few words of advice.

Write in Series

When I made my first sale to Harlequin Historical and my next to Precious Gems Historical, writing stand-alones was still okay, but around the turn of the millennium, the publishing industry, and romance in particular, began clamoring for connected stories.

Now that I wear a publishing hat as an indie author and can see my sales every day, I know my readers are almost exclusively interested only in series. My historical series are The Brides of Bath (6 titles), BrazenBrides (5 title I own, 1 owned by Harlequin-different packaging), House ofHaverstock (4 titles) Regent Mysteries (4 titles) Lords of Eton (3 ½ titles). 

Spend Your Efforts on Front List

I hear authors all time talking about social media and promotion and a gazillion things that take their time away from writing. My number one priority has always been to get out the next book. I believe that’s the best thing an author can do to build her career.

Nothing moves the needle on sales like a new release. You not only get the sales from the new book, but it generates sales throughout the series. Then, of course, if readers like your voice, they start buying your backlist. There are also the eRetailers’ algorithms that get tripped on when your new release makes a list like Hot New Releases. These will give your book more visibility on the site, which in turn can lead to more sales.

There are a lot of great authors out there who write great books while blogging and interacting on social media and doing lots of non-writing stuff. They’re just a lot better at time management than I am, I suppose. (But I am pretty disciplined.)

Write in the Same Genre

All of us get tired of writing in the same world. It’s perfectly natural to want to branch out with our writing. Natural and fun. Just don’t expect the readers to follow you. I know. I’ve sold hundreds of thousands of historicals. But when I published five books in romantic suspense, my first love—the genre I started writing in when I was 21 years old (but didn’t sell then)—almost none of my fans followed, no matter how good the books’ reviews were.

Luck

There’s no getting around it. Some authors have good luck, some don’t. When I wrote for New York, I was besieged with continuous bad luck and thought I’d never have good luck. I had two lines close. I lost a beloved editor. I was dropped by a publisher. My advances were low. I couldn’t get an agent to take me on even though my books won awards and my sales were good. My publisher sat on my proposal for two years—twice—while other authors in the same house who came after me were getting contracts.

Then my fortunes had a complete reversal when indie publishing hit its glory year in 2011, and I’ve been basking in good luck ever since. Twice I’ve made the USA Today list on two single titles.

My hope is that good luck attaches to each of you.

Now I need to learn how to advertise in order to continue to stay successful in the next decade.—Cheryl Bolen has just completed her 41^st romance, a Christmas novella titled His Lady Deceived in The Deceived Series.