Mona Ingram

Historical Romance and Modern Love

Is Social Media Taking Over Your Life?

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    I was surfing through the channels the other day and came across an entertainment program where the host was talking about some celebrity or other. What they said stopped me cold in my tracks. The ‘news’ was that the celebrity’s Social Media Standing had slipped by a few points. Social Media Standing? Really?
    Is ‘Social Media’ taking over our world? My family, friends and fellow writers use various platforms to connect in ways that weren’t possible ten years ago, and that’s good. On the other hand, large companies run television ads asking consumers to “Like” their Facebook page. I remember a time when companies advertised to us, not the other way around. Nowadays, they have us going to their website to Like them so they can send their advertising into our homes. It’s our choice, but it still rankles.
    And then there are those who fall in between. Let’s consider social media and the writer, because after all, that’s what I am. Before we writers dip our toe in that big murky social media pond out there, we generally look for guidance on how to go about it.
    Today there are literally hundreds of books aimed at the independent writer; advice on how to set up your web page, how often you should blog, how to build up a Twitter following and how to create a book trailer and put it up on YouTube.
    I read my share of books before I got started. E-books mainly. They all start the same; they have a lengthy introduction telling you what they’re going to teach you. Wouldn’t want to give away any secrets in the free sample.
    If we independent authors were to follow even half of the advice that’s out there, we’d spend eighty percent of our time doing promotion, leaving very little time or energy for writing. Not to mention that we’d be so wrung out after trying to figure it all out, our creative juices would be completely dried up. We’d start to gear our writing toward what sells; never a good idea. By the time you write a story à la current ‘big thing’, interest has moved on to something else. It’s that old saying: Every time I figure out where it’s at, somebody moves it. There you go.
    Today I was searching on Google for fossils combined with a specific area in British Columbia, where my next book takes place. Google is one of my most valuable time-savers. I love it, but today a set of 12 sponsored links popped up on the page, all nicely boxed for my consideration. Every single one related to self-publishing, Writing, Book Design, etc. Considering that I was searching for fossils, that’s spooky.
    And then there’s Twitter. For most writers, Twitter is a bunch of authors promoting their books to other authors. It’s a lot of clever sayings, quotes, thoughts that amuse us for a moment, but keep us from writing. Again, our choice, but you get the picture. Recently I’ve started to ‘Unfollow’ people who tweet too much. How many times can you read about their amazing book for sale, or their saccharine, peppy, inspirational, funny comments? Yech.
    Twitter is, however, good for a smile if you follow people like Bill Maher, Seth McFarlane, Steve Martin, Stephen Fry, Albert Brooks. These guys are known throughout the twitterverse for their clever comments. Their tweets are few, succinct and precious. Thanks, guys. We could all take a lesson.
    I didn’t mean to turn this into a rant against Social Media. It’s here to stay and I will continue to use it. But hearing that comment on television was like a splash of fresh, cool water in my face. Was I getting derailed by all of this stuff? Almost, but not quite.
  In the meantime I’m going to get my little wheels firmly back on the rails and do what I love to do…and that’s write.
Cheers.

Amazon buys Avalon

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  WOW! That’s all I could think when I saw the news that Avalon Books in New York has been bought by Amazon. I have five books with Avalon, a respected small publisher who produced books for the library market in the US.
   I have to confess, it’s been hard to concentrate on writing for the last twenty four hours or so, although I did manage to get about 1,700 words done on my current book. The message boards were lit up with information and speculation about the sale. As you would imagine, for every ten of my fellow Avalon Authors, there are ten different opinions.
   Now that the dust has settled a bit, I believe that it can only be a good thing. Amazon didn’t get where they are by sitting on their thumbs.  I suspect that while their current authors (including me) are scrambling to keep up with changes in the publishing industry, Amazon is busy plotting ten steps ahead of us. I put up my first self-published book on Amazon almost exactly a year ago, and I’ve learned more in that year than I could have imagined. It’s been a fun ride and just when I thought it might be slowing down it looks like I’ll have to hang on. More changes are around the corner.
   My author friend Sandra Carey Cody posted a picture of a Meadowlark today. I think I’ll take a deep breath and do what’s really important…go bird-watching.

Thank You Ryder Hesjedal

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When Ryder Hesjedal won the Giro D’Italia this past weekend, Canada celebrated quietly. Many of us have been watching with interest as this amazing athlete paid his dues in years past.
  As Ryder’s name becomes known the world over, I couldn’t help but think of other Canadians who have excelled in their chosen field. In no particular order, here are some reminders:

Lorne Michaels. Creator and Producer of Saturday Night Live. Maybe the best talent scout ever? Just sayin’.
Frederick Banting and Charles Best. Co-discoverers of insulin. Thank you, gentlemen.
Peter Jennings. I started watching Peter after Walker Cronkite retired. I liked his way of speaking, his grasp of world situations, and of course he was easy to look at. I miss you, Peter.
Raymond Burr. There’s a reason they’ve never tried to revive Perry Mason. Who but Raymond Burr could do  justice to the role?
David Foster. The man is good. Not only is he talented, he gives back. This past weekend in Victoria, where he got his start, the David Foster Foundation Miracle Weekend raised $4.6 million. That’s some serious coin. There were too many ‘famous’ people there to name, but they came to support David. Well done, everyone.
James Cameron. He’s been at it a long time. Does anyone doubt that Avatar II will be better than the original?
Oscar Peterson. We don’t talk about Oscar Peterson enough. I don’t know a lot about jazz, but I know genius when I hear it.
Mordecai Richler. I first read Mordecai Richler when I was just a kid…The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. I loved it then and I still love it. Mordecai lived life on his own terms and I respect him for that.
Leonard Cohen. In a class by himself.
Group of Seven.  Thankfully, many of their works remain in Canada.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
Thank you, Ryder Hesjedal.

Things That Make Me Smile

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A Smile Is Worth A Thousand Words

Wait, that’s not right, is it? Maybe it should be, but that’s another blog topic.
Recently I’ve been thinking about how life is good and that led me in all sorts of directions – one of which was what makes me smile.
This is not going to be earth-shaking, or controversial, just simple things that make me smile:
Male California Quail. Have you ever noticed how the male behaves when the pair has chicks? He sits up on a fence post or other lookout point as they’re moving from one place to another, watching over them. Now that’s devotion! Especially since quail often abound in areas where there are a lot of raptors. Or are the raptors there because of the quail? Never mind, the male California Quail is a little feathered hero in my book and he makes me smile.
The scent of lilacs. When my husband and I were married, the gardener at The Empress Hotel forced some lilacs in time for our wedding reception. The scent of lilacs brings back that day and I can’t help but smile.
Children playing on the beach. I don’t care for screaming children…too many today shriek at the top of their lungs for nothing. But there’s something comforting about hearing children playing happily together. I can live with a little noise in times like that.

I smile when I hear Willie Nelson singing The City of New Orleans. Have you ever listened to the lyrics? They’re by Arlo Guthrie, but Willie made them famous. My favourite line is “The sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father’s magic carpet made of steel.” For me that simple line encapsulates life on the railways. I’d like to do more train travel.
I like the sound of lake water lapping against the rock of the Canadian Shield in Ontario. Brings back happy summer memories when my parents rented a cottage and my sister and I climbed all over the rocks that guarded one side of the lake.
Sandhill Cranes. During migration they fly in a ragged V formation. Every once in a while they find a thermal and the formation breaks up. They swirl around, chortling and squawking as they gain altitude. I used to live on a flyway for Sandhills and I never tired of the sight or the sound of these magnificent birds.

Puppy Dogs. I love their enthusiasm, their big feet, their smell. Don’t get me started.
A clean goal in a hockey game. Preferrably scored by the Canucks, but any good goal will make me smile. I particularly like goals that result from a pass. A thing of beauty, eh?
What makes you smile?

When I’m Wrong, I’m Wrong

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There are some times in life (or in my case, in writing) where having the guts to admit you’re wrong turns out to be a good thing. Actually, it’s always a good thing to acknowledge it when you’re wrong, no matter how difficult it may be.
Take for example my latest release. Creating covers for my books is something I enjoy doing. I save it for when I’m near the end of the book. It’s my gift to myself for having done most of the work, for being able to see the light at the end of the long, lonely tunnel.
  My first cover was not only artistically lovely, it had some relation to the story. There is a scene in the story when the two main characters go for a ride in a canoe. “Perfect” I said out loud when I found it…then proceeded to do what’s necessary to turn it into a cover.
But covers are clever little devils. They speak out loud when no-one else will. Sort of like the kid on the bus who says “Mommy, why is that lady crying?” when everyone else is trying to ignore the poor woman. Yeah, they’re like that.
  My first attempt was too dark. It got lost in among thousands of romance offerings. I usually check the Amazon sales pages for the first few days after I upload a new book and a couple of times I scrolled right past it myself. Now how’s that for non-eye-catching?
  So I manned up and made a new one. It’s bright, it’s noticeable, and the book is already doing better. A lesson learned? I hope so.

Small Town Life

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  I recently moved back to the Okanagan Valley in south central British Columbia. A long, meandering lake stretching 135 km gives the valley its name. Green and lush where irrigated, I suspect that the area would revert to desert if deprived of water. Clusters of cactus are plentiful in among the sage and the Ponderosa pines on the hillsides.
  Fruit, wine and tourism are our major industries. Light industry accounts for a lot of jobs, but we don’t have any major polluters. In the summer the lake is the main draw. In wine season, the many wineries are crowded with tasters. In the winter, a half dozen or so ski resorts attract skiers from all over the world. Not Utopia, but close.
  I had been living on Vancouver Island for three years and when I returned several people remarked that they hadn’t seen me for a while. Oh, it was good to be back.
  I went grocery shopping last week. I pushed the grocery cart to my car, unloaded the bags, and returned the cart, feeling more than a little smug that I hadn’t left the cart in the lot where other carts competed for space with the cars.
  That do-good feeling lasted until I got home. My purse was missing. I searched the car, the grocery bags, but it was nowhere to be found. Could I have left it in the grocery cart? Unlikely, but I jumped back in my car and drove right back.
  I walked into the store and a cashier looked up. “I’ll bet you’re looking for your purse,” she said, and handed it back to me. “A man found it in a cart and brought it in.”
  Perhaps if I hadn’t been so busy congratulating myself about returning the cart, I would have noticed it.
  Or perhaps not. But I won’t soon forget why I like living in a small town.

And Now For Something Completely Different

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This brave new world of independent publishing sometimes makes me feel like I’m in the middle of a Monty Python sketch, as evidenced by the title of this blog.
  I released a new e-book this week. Good show, Bravo and all that…right? Not so fast.
  Yes, the completion of a book of any length is quite a feat. But the truth is that those first few days of heady excitement when you’ve just started a book inevitably turn into long bottom-numbing hours of hard work. As has been said many times, it’s something one has to do alone, although I suppose there are exceptions. I’ve seen documentaries about television shows being written by committee and thought ‘that looks like fun’. But I digress. See? I’ve been spending too much time alone.
  So what’s “completely different”?.
  What’s different is that the work of an “Indie” author doesn’t stop at the release of the book. Sure, we can upload the book to Amazon, or whatever platform we choose to work with, but that’s only the beginning. If we don’t want our work to be swallowed up in the 1,171,186 e-book titles available on Amazon as of 8:43pm PST on May 9th, 2012, we have to do something to market it. That is of course after we’ve learned about formatting, applied for and assigned ISBNs, become skilled at creating cover graphics, studied pricing points, set up facebook pages, blogs, websites, and learned about Twitter. Those are just the obvious ones.
  So what’s my point? I’m so exhausted I’m not quite sure.
  But seriously, publishing today is undergoing a massive transformation…in how business is conducted and who gets to call the shots. Is it worth it to learn these new skills so we can write what we want, unencumbered by publishers’ guidelines? Hell, yes it’s worth it. Fresh new voices are being discovered every day. Voices that would never have been heard if they’d waited a year or two to hear back from every publisher who would eventually turn down their manuscripts.
  I wish I could be here a hundred years from now. But by then there’ll be more changes, and another punchy writer talking about Something Completely Different.

What Would You Do?

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  Ok, so I didn’t win the lottery this week. But then neither did anyone else, it appears. The prize next Friday will still be $50 million, plus around ten chances at a “supplemental” prize of $1 million. How ironic that a million dollars has been relegated to the “also ran” position.
  Here in Canada, when you win the Lottery you get to keep all of the money. It’s tax-free…manuahi, as the Hawaiians would say…Free. Of course you pay tax on the interest you make on the money…but who cares?
  I haven’t had much time for day dreaming recently…I’ve been working on my latest novel. But as I was taking a break after uploading the new book to Amazon, I started to think. What if I had won the big prize? Would I still write? I always admire those people who, when faced with television cameras, declare their intent to keep on living just as they are. But after the lights are turned off and reality sets in, do they really keep on working? There must be some interesting stories, because there was a television programme about that very thing, but I didn’t watch it…too busy writing.
  I suppose a lot depends on age, marital status, level of contentment in your life, and whether or not you have a valid passport. For me, writing is a joy, even if I do have a sore neck every afternoon when I finally stop. (I visualize my characters…what they are doing…and I look down as I’m writing). Even if I don’t meet my word count goal every day there’s a sense of accomplishment coupled with the thrill of wondering what the characters are going to get up to tomorrow. So often they take me in directions I never would have suspected when I started the story.
  So no, I don’t think I’d stop writing. But if I won I would go back to London (Business Class of course), stay at the Dorchester, and spend plenty of time in front of the Turners at the National Gallery. Sheer bliss!!
  In the meantime, I’ll keep on writing.
  What would you do?

Who’s Your Favourite Romantic Hero?

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“Bond. James Bond.” When I was young, the Sean Connery version of James Bond was enough to set a young girl’s heart to fluttering. I saw one of those old movies on television recently and can’t believe that women actually thought that the James Bond character was desirable. 
  Thankfully, our idea of a hero has changed over the years and as a writer of romance novels, I’m grateful. This is one area – the creation of the hero – where I refuse to give in and write according to what’s ‘hot’ this week, or this month. Scotsmen may be hunky and have gorgeous eyes, but I don’t know any. Vampires and their kin may appeal to some, but I’ll pass, thanks very much. I’m picky about my romantic heroes, and when I write I create a male character with whom I could fall in love.
  Romance novels are for the most part fantasies, and in almost all cases the heroes are larger than life. I’m in the final stages of a romance right now that veered away from my original intent. I said to a friend of mine “I want to write a novel where the male is an ordinary guy-next-door type”. Somehow it didn’t work out that way. A cop working on a case wormed his way into the story and became the love interest. Did I sell out? I don’t think so. He made the story come alive when he stepped in and elbowed the original hero out of the way, so he got to stay. Alpha males do that sometimes.
  The heroes I’ve written have been fighter pilots, doctors, former Special Forces operatives, and CEOS. But I confess to having a favourite. Maybe I shouldn’t admit it – maybe that’s akin to admitting to having a favourite child. It’s true, though. Freddie is my favourite.
  Fixing Freddie is about a man who agrees to submit himself for a makeover so he can get close to a girl he knew in school. He was interested in her even then, but he was shy, and the class nerd. I like the way Freddie’s outer layers are peeled away until we discover the man beneath. Maybe I’m not supposed to pat myself on the back, but it’s a good story. If you were to tell me it’s a predictable plot I’d have to agree, but then aren’t all romances predictable?
  I don’t think I’m different from other romance authors in that I’ll continue to create heroes who appeal to me personally. Most of us however are married to that guy-next-door who didn’t make the cut as the hero. And thank goodness. They’re our personal heroes. They love us unconditionally, they mow the lawn, make the run to the garbage dump, and teach our sons how to fish. They are our inspiration, our best friends, and our lovers.
  But Freddie is still my favourite fantasy…so far, that is.

When Once Is Not Enough

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Do you re-read your books? I do, and not because I don’t have anything else to read. Most of us who read know about The Power of One. My granddaughter introduced me to this book which has become famous around the world.
In Australia, Bryce Courtenay is the bomb. He’s as well known as Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman combined. In addition to The Power of One, he has written several other books set in Africa, one of which tears me apart every time I read it. In interviews, Bryce has said that Peekay in The Power of One is based on himself in his earlier life, but I suspect that the story of Tom Fitzsaxby in Whitethorn is also influenced by his early years.
I’m constantly amazed that Mr. Courtenay can capture so clearly the voice of a young boy as narrator for his stories. The humour, the heartbreak, the wonder, it’s all there in his exquisite prose. Not only are his stories hugely entertaining, but he manages to slip in some history in each book…some more than others.
It’s unfortunate that Mr. Courtenay isn’t more widely known in the US. I’m inspired by him, and if you go to his website at http://brycecourtenay.com I think you’ll be inspired too…especially the part about why he was kicked out of Africa.
My all-time favourite Bryce Courtenay book is Four Fires. Set in Australia, it has it all…family saga, a love story and a good dose of history. As with his African books, you gain insight into the lives of the characters as well as life in a small Australian town of that era. I never tire of this book.
I re-read lots of authors but while we’re “down under” there are two more authors whose books in my library clearly show the signs of having been read more than once:  Colleen McCullough and Patricia Shaw. McCullough is of course widely known for The Thorn Birds, but I particularly enjoy Morgan’s Run, a gritty but ultimately satisfying tale. On the lighter side, Patricia Shaw writes what I loosely call adventure sagas, generally with a love story thrown in for good measure. She’s not easy to find in our local Canadian book stores, but the next time I order from Amazon, I’ll throw in a couple of Patricia Shaw books for good measure. I’ll probably read those again as well.

Tiptoeing Through the Minefield

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Sex or no sex, that is the question. Okay, I’m being ‘cute’ but today romance authors are thinking very carefully before they sit down to write that next novel.
Why? Because somebody sneaked in when we weren’t looking and moved the goalposts…to the great delight of readers and writers alike.
  Nowadays, a reader can search online and find stories that run the gamut from literary porn to erotica, to “Mommy porn”, to romance with sexual elements, to sweet romance. And there are readers for every level of sexuality. We all know readers who enjoy several levels, and why not?
  I have a writer friend who claims that a book isn’t a romance without some sex. “It’s bound to happen,” she argues. “When a man and a woman love each other sex is a natural result, so why not write about it?”
  “Because it’s not necessary.” This from a friend who writes “sweet” romances. “It may happen, but do you have to describe it?”
  They come to an impasse every time.
  There are arguments to support both points of view, and when you get right down to it, it’s up to the reader to choose her preferred level of sensuality.
  I write romance because it’s the genre that makes me comfortable as an author. By its very nature, romance is an emotional subject, and I like to develop the emotional side of my characters, along with the inevitable conflict that arises between them. I’ve written books with sexual elements as well as books where the two main characters go into the bedroom and shut the door. The constant is that there is sexual tension because I don’t see how a romance can be realistic without it.
  Paramount over everything is the story. I’ve made up stories about people all my life. Does that make me a voyeur? Perhaps. I see a couple sitting in the park, or a man and a woman meeting at a coffee shop and my imagination takes off–sometimes without my permission. I also like a good story line with my romance. It’s not the main ingredient–the book is a romance after all–but I like to weave in a surprise, or a twist near the end that makes the reader smile. Maybe they’ve already figured it out along the way, but when it’s revealed, they can say “I knew that”, and finish the book with a smile on their face.
  Because that’s what it’s all about, after all…entertainment. Enjoy.

A Rose By Any Other Name

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What’s in a name? It’s a good question. When I was young I disliked my name but then I don’t think that’s unusual. I wish I could say that I learned early on that our name doesn’t define us, it’s what’s inside that’s important. Alas, that didn’t come till much later in life.
  I started thinking about names this week when I found myself part way through my current work only to realize that the female character’s name didn’t suit her. She’s a gentle, sensitive character and the name I’d given her didn’t reflect this…at least in my opinion. Interesting, isn’t it, how you and I can hear the same name and yet react so differently.
  How do I name the characters in my books? If a name doesn’t come right away, I often resort to the many lists on the internet. It’s wonderful to be able to go back and see what names were popular in the 1950s. Some sites have names as far back as the 1800s. Run down a list of popular names and you’ll often see names that were in the headlines that year. I wonder how many Kates will be named in the next year or so? It’ll be fun to go back and look in a few years.
  Some of my friends have confessed to scanning my books looking for familiar names. I don’t know about other authors, but I’m not even remotely tempted to use the names of friends or family in my books. After building up an image in my mind of the character, why would I muddy the waters by using the name of someone I know? Not happening.
  So stop looking for your name and get reading. And I hope you enjoy.

About Mona Ingram

Romance author Mona Ingram has written dozens of novels, including the Forever Series, the Gold Rush Series, and the Women of Independence Series. She lives in British Columbia, Canada.

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All text copyright Mona Ingram.