Emotional Scenes

July 21, 2015

Dear Reader,

 I was crying when my husband came in from work, and he asked me what was wrong.  I told him I was okay, just that a scene got to me.  He smiled, then pulled me forward in an embrace, and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

He asked, “One of yours?”

“Yes.”

He said, “Then I know it’s good.”

His comments made me realize just how much, writing affects readers, and inspired me to share our moment with you.

 

Happy Reading,

 
Carolyn Haven

Write, Edit, Listen, Revise

Dear Reader,

As the writer, you know more about the story than anyone, so can sometimes overlook important details needed to bring the reader to the knowledge, understanding, or point you want them to find.  You know how a sentence is supposed to read.  You know what you want communicated with your words.  Your mind can sometimes supply words or phrases that your fingers missed with keystrokes.  For these reasons and more, when you read your work, you should read it aloud, put it on a program to read the work to you, and have others read your work.  But do your wonderful alpha through omega readers a favor with edit, listen, and revise before you pass your WIP on to them.  Your efforts will be appreciated, and improve your craft.

Happy Word Crafting,

 

Carolyn Haven

I Have a Couple of Things to Say to You

Dear Reader,


Wow, check me out; I'm writing a new blog entry and it hasn't even been six months since the last one.  Woo hoo!  Alright, either I'm getting the hang of this balancing act of time management... or I have something to say.  Oh yah, I know me and since I'm typing, it's because I have something to say.


First off, I want to say thank you to everyone taking a peek at my first book, "Hundred Calorie Snacks:  A Carpathian Texan Novel".  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all the support and positive responses.


Next off, or is that on, since I'm online?  Oh well, off on, me and the Karate Kid... minus the wax.  I would like to say that your positive responses have fueled the fire under my office chair to get me working faster.  Edits are already underway for my next novel.  Now that I have, a little better handle on the whole editing thing; hopefully, it won't take two months of Mondays to get the next novel out.


Editing is so incredibly important, nearly as important as the story.  Without proper editing, the story won't make a lick of sense.  Your characters can be memorable, your dialogue compelling, your action seat gripping, but without the right tone, pace, accentuation, and punctuation the story can fall flat.  So here's to the backspace key.


Happy Reading,


Carolyn Haven


P.S.  Remember to leave reviews.  We authors survive and thrive on them.

Hundred Calorie Snacks

Survival and intrigue are her passions…
As a secret agent, Cathleen Houlihan never considers falling in love, until the doctors put an expiration date on her life. In the hospital, Cathleen promises the doctors to lose weight so they can perform a heart surgery that is her only hope. To herself, Cathleen promises to enjoy life a little more, smell the roses, take chances, and live a little.
Donavon Burebista, a man who shares her passions offers Cathleen the perfect opportunity to achieve all her promises. For once in her personal life, Cathleen wants to be spontaneous, and accepts everything this man is offering. But taking the chance leads her into a dark subversive world of betrayal, where she finds herself irrevocably changed. Will they find a way to hold onto what they briefly found in each other, or let their one night remain a sweet memory?

Carolyn Haven, Kindle Bestselling author of Respect of the Dryads
ISBN:  9781310920448


www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6MGXD
or
www.smashwords.com/books/view/471956

Final Edit of First Novel

August 24, 2014


Dear Reader,

I am nearly finished with the final edit, at least until some beta readers get a hold of my first novel.  Wow, I did not realize I would end up writing nearly a novel in research, definitions, notes, character profiles, and so much more to get to this point.  Good news is I’ve loved nearly every minute of it.

Before I even put my first novel to paper, I wrote out the notes for a Paranormal Romance that cleaned up to a Romantic Urban Fantasy, Hundred Calorie Snacks A Carpathian Texan Novel.  I’m excited about the novel as I am the many projects since dancing my first step onto to floor of becoming a novelist.  So, my plan of attack is to go back and edit my first attempt at a novel, Dark Indulgence A Novel of the Walker Fae and apply the knowledge I've gained writing this novel.  Let's hope I've learned my lessons well.  In the meantime, I’m just happy to be writing works I’m passionate about.  And Vampires and shapeshifters are definitely passion worthy subjects.

Happily Writing,

Carolyn Haven


Look for Hundred Calorie Snacks on Amazon and Smashwords, soon.

Consistency Pays Off

Consistency Pays Off

January 15, 2014

I am nearly finished with this round of edits for my first novel, and then my beta readers get a peek.  Once they have a go, I'll reread my novel and go from there.  Meanwhile, I'm learning how to use Photoshop to create my own covers.  Still a way to go, but I'm getting there. 

Wow, I did not realize I would end up writing nearly a novel in research, definition, notes, and so much more to get to this point.  The 100 words a day has paid off.  I don't write every day, but more often than before.  I started documenting my sessions in a work logbook, and so far, my consistency has improved dramatically.  More good news is I’ve loved nearly every minute of writing this novel.

Happy Writing and Reading,

Carolyn Haven

http://CarolynHaven.webs.com 

Masochistic?

February 10, 2013

Could an author be considered masochistic if they start to like editing?

Okay, maybe it's not the editing I like so much as seeing the characters come to life, watching the story develop and unfold, and discovering what happens on the next page.  I liked my characters when I wrote them, but now after three revisions, I love them.  I want to learn more about them.  I want to learn more about their story, their back story.  I can't wait to find out how they'll react to the situations they are thrown into.  I am enjoying the way the story grows every time I make a revision pass-through. 

The characters and the story excited me at the beginning, but not I'm ecstatic.  I find myself anticipating the wrap-up of this part of the story, so I can begin the next part.  I hope you find stories that make you want to keep turning the pages.

 

Happy Reading,

Carolyn Haven

"Respect of the Dryads" an O'Neill Secure side job.

Who do the Werewolves and Fairies call when the FBI can’t handle it?

O’Neill Secure, Incorporated.

When treaties are violated and war is on the brink, Mike and Sarah O’Neill are called in to rescue kidnapped Fairies from a hostile Werewolf pack.  The fight will be to the death, since that’s the penalty the Werewolves face for slave trafficking.

No one knows just where, in the vast woodland reserve, the rogue pack is hidden, forcing Sarah to ask the Dryads of the forest for help.  Will Sarah gain the respect of the Dryads in time to defeat the kidnappers before war breaks out?

(A short, short story of the Walker Fae)

Available now on Smashwords and Amazon.com