Jan
2
2012
I blog twice a month (every other Thursday) at GEM STATE WRITERS. Gem State Writers is on the top ten list at Versatile Blogger.
Check it out at: http://gemstatewriters.wordpress.com/
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Jul
3
2011
July is here and my new novella, WANTING MOORE, has just been released. Black Lyon Publishing did everything possible to get it out early and to put the novella in paperback as well as e-book formats, which is beyond my hopes and dreams for this historical. My stories take place in the mountains of Northeast Oregon, and the rush was to ensure the paperback edition would be available for the Baker City’s Miner’s Jubilee, held on July 15-17. They have made the date. Black Lyon also gave me input on the cover, and kept the title I chose, a luxury so many writers aren’t allowed. I couldn’t have had a better company to take these extra steps for me and WANTING MOORE. The story goes like this:
Independent beyond what’s good for her, Isabella Moore leaves her brothers and parents in Prairie City in search of her true calling. Traveling to Haines, Oregon, by way of the historic Bourne-Haines Stage Road, she runs across the type of people from whom she’d been sheltered, leading to an accident and a man she’d only dreamed about.
Blacksmith Gabriel Stone saw enough of death during the Civil War to last him a lifetime. To him, Isabella is a broken wildflower in need of his care-but caring for her may bring back unwanted memories of this former life as a doctor. And dare he entrust his heart to a woman filled with ideas of gold mining and adventure?
They were lost until love put them back on the right path.
As of today, it is on Amazon as a Kindle Edition, but will soon be listed as print.
Thanks for reading!
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May
23
2011
When I started writing, my sons were young. They left for school in the morning, and I plopped down on my bed and wrote my first novel by hand. It took me about thirteen months to finish and then transfer to a word processor. At least I thought it was finished, yet now I know it needed about ten good turns of editing. I sent it to a few editors and by the time I received the rejection slips, I had a job.
For years I’d dreamed of selling a book and then retiring from my day job. I could just imagine myself cranking out page after page, taking a break to have chocolate, and then back to the page once more. Life couldn’t get better than that, I believed.
But something happened along the way; I started to really enjoy my day job. Good thing, because I hadn’t sold that one book to get me propelled into stardom! Still, I loved writing and tapped away at it when I could.
I learned more about writing from good critique partners, and sold the third manuscript I’d written, then the fourth. Somewhere along the line, I learned that it’s very hard to quit your day job to be a full-time writer, unless you’re bestselling author Dean Koontz, or Nora Roberts.
Over time, I lost my longing to be a full-time writer, probably because it was nigh impossible. After trial and error, I learned how to work and write until twists and turns in the road had my husband retiring early. I, too, had enough years to draw my pension.
By this time, retirement meant many things to me. I’d lost sight of that young woman sitting on the bed writing by hand. I now had a chance to do the things that were limited due to my time at work. I could read, cook, travel, see family more often, sew and sleep in. And I still wanted to keep my hand in education and presently work part-time.
So, I cut down my work week by hours, twenty-two to be exact. Did I mention I have my summers off? I can travel during the summer. I’m making a homemade pizza tonight. I can sleep in tomorrow morning. Sure, this all takes me away from my writing, plus I noticed something else. I’m not alone sitting on my bed writing as in the old days. My husband is here with me most of the time. He likes to watch television or movies and guess who gets side-tracked?
There is so much more involved with a writing career today. Marketing oneself, and book, is required for almost all writers these days. One must have a website and blog updated regularly. I’d been spending time with this lately, too. If you’re not careful it sucks a large amount of time every day.
I heard a saying that makes a lot of sense to me. If you need something done, ask a busy person to do it. I got just as much writing done when I was working full-time at my day job, than I did retired or semi-retired. Many busy people know they have time limits and get things done in a more organized manner. They just do it. Since retiring I’ve been saying to myself that I can do it tomorrow. That’s wrong, I know now. A plan is necessary no matter how much time you have.
Leaving your day job to write is not the answer to everything. You will still have to plan your day, and your writing time. If you don’t your time will wither away, and you’ll have nothing to show for it.
My new retirement plan (excuse me, semi-retirement plan), is to take my laptop into a separate room for a period of the day, on a regular basis. Wake up just a little bit earlier, on a regular basis. Plan out my manuscript in sections, on a regular basis. Take my AlphaSmart or computer with me when I travel and use it, on a regular basis. Limit the time I spend online on a regular basis, even if it is for promotion. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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24
2011
Recently, I read an article in Reader’s Digest titled Fact vs. Film, by Max Glaskin. The piece illustrated how television and movies aren’t always accurate when it comes to police or FBI procedures. On the positive side, wearing a tie is correct; sometimes people are involved in a raid after they are called from their desk job in a pinch. Those extended shotgun barrels can really give an extra two or three cartridges before reloading. On the other hand, too many people moving together in a raid can cause a pile up, making it easy for the bad guy to shoot everyone. And yes, even though you are wearing a bulletproof vest, duck out of the way. With no visible radio, you can only communicate with your squad by body language or shouting. I thought you could communicate without a visible radio, but then I know little to nothing about the field of crime fighting.
Recently my writer’s group had a guest speaker, Vickie Gooch of Idaho State Police. She shared what it’s really like on a crime scene and had pictures to show us, as well. One of the photos was a burn victim, which is hard to forget, so when my favorite police drama came on TV with a burn victim of their own, I was annoyed at the inaccuracy. But then, perhaps we can’t take the truth. I do occasionally turn to my husband and complain about other errors in areas I do know about, but I forget my complaints quickly. In other words, I don’t take it to Facebook. Besides, I know that one of the main objectives for film and television is to entertain in a short amount of time, without too many details.
Books are a different story. Readers want the truth, and have been known to put a book down forever when they’ve been cheated. I heard from one of my readers about a fact I was pretty sure I’d researched correctly. It had to do with looking for mushrooms where white firs grow. Yet, I rechecked with a couple of mushroom hunters and they said I was right. I just thanked the reader for the information. What else can you do?
Often times I buy a book if I like the theme or setting, sometimes even knowing something about the subject myself. My favorite time in history is between 1840 and 1900 and I appreciate the facts. Besides good romance elements in the story, I want my readers to learn something else along the way about the theme, the setting, or a thread through the story. I don’t want to plant seeds of distrust amongst my readers so I do my best to fully research my subject. Above all it’s for the author to decide when detail corrupts the truth. All I can say is if what you’ve written sounds questionable, rewrite the sentence. Basically, I believe my manuscript is not finished until the details match up, for me as well as my readers.
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Nov
16
2010
![to-kill-a-mockingbird[1]](http://maryvine.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/to-kill-a-mockingbird1-300x225.jpg "to-kill-a-mockingbird[1]")
To Kill a Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee, is said to be one of the most inspiring stories ever read, outside of the Bible. When Lee submitted the story to a publishing company, she was told that it was too much of a collection of short stories, so she spent three more years working on it until it became the best seller we know today. The next year, Harper received the Pulitzer Prize for her work, and the book was made into a major motion picture.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “Write what you know.” Sure, it seems logical that if you know a subject you will write accurate facts, and your research is mostly your life experience. Yet, never have the words seemed truer than they did today, as I sat working with a student on his To Kill a Mockingbird assignment. I stumbled upon the similarities between Harper Lee and the young girl, Scout, who lives and narrates the story in her book.
Harper Lee grew up in the 1930s in a rural southern Alabama town. Scout grew up in the 1930s in a rural southern Alabama town.
Lee’s father, Amasa Lee, is an attorney who served in the state legislature in Alabama. Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who served in the state legislature in Alabama.
Lee’s older brother and young neighbor (Truman Capote) are playmates. Scout’s old brother (Jem) and young neighbor (Dill) are playmates.
Lee was an avid reader as a child. Scout reads before she enters school and reads the Mobile Register newspaper in first grade.
Lee is six years old when the Scottsboro trials are widely covered in national, state and local newspapers. Scout is six years old when the trial of Tom Robinson takes place.
Harper Lee told the press that she had started another book when To Kill a Mockingbird came out, but to this date she hasn’t submitted any others. Some say she didn’t like the fame, others say it would be hard to beat the book she already wrote. Nevertheless, her work is still read in high schools today, teaching life lessons as students read about the life Lee actually lived.
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2
2010
Mary Vine has a knack for combining suspense with romance. When Ulianne arrives in a small Eastern Oregon town to interview ranchers, hunters, environmentalists and Native Americans about the impact of wolves migrating into the area from Idaho, she thought the worst case scenario was having a bunch of doors slammed in her face. Unfortunately, she didn’t consider that her writing job with a glossy tabloid would put her life in danger. She also didn’t anticipate having to question what she plans to do with her life or how she fits that life into her Russian immigrant family. She’s always thought that it was her responsibility to bring her family into their new life and to help them financially. Falling in love with the handsome cowboy, Jackson Holt, complicates everything she’s ever thought her life was about.
I loved watching Uli stretching and learning and becoming her own person separate from her family. It was interesting to see Jackson’s frustration as he struggled to not only let Uli grow and change, but hope that he was figuring into her rapidly developing goals for her future. The one thing that would have made this story even more enjoyable would have been a little more steam with the romantic scenes. Vine skimps a little on drawing this out with juicy details.
“A Place to Land” lands well in the beautiful scenery of Eastern Oregon as well as in the heart of the reader.
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25
2010
It's Coming!
You are invited to join me at Booktoberfest, a premier event designed to connect local writers, encourage the arts for future generations, and raise money for school and public libraries.
Day: Saturday, Oct. 23
Time: 10:00-6:00
Location: University of Phoenix, Meridian Campus
Offering: Writing workshops
Vendor booths
Kid’s corner
Author spotlights
Book-signings
Awards ceremony
I will be presenting at 2:10 PM. I hope to see you there. Please visit www.booktoberfestidaho.com for more information, and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Mary
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