REGINA'S UNIVERSE
"Where the universe of writing and reading comes alive!"
Editor: Regina Paul
October 2006
Issue#11
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CONTENTS
o Editor's News
o Article: 4 Steps to Help You Organize Before Starting Your Novel
by Regina Paul
o Article: Self-Publishing: Death Trap or Career Booster? By Karen
Magill
o Book Review: Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan
o Book Review: Some Enchanted Autumn by Linda Andrews
o Thank you to New Subscribers
o Advertisements
o Copyright Info
o Your Subscription Info
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o Editor's News
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Hi Everyone,
First things first, I want to extend a big welcome to our new
subscribers! Thanks so much for signing up, and I hope you're
enjoying your free romance reads! Please feel free to let me know if
you have any questions or suggestions.
It has finally started cooling off here in Seattle. We had one more
week of summer like weather last week, and I think now we are well
and truly into Fall, as it's cloudy and cool. I can't wait for the
crisper, cooler weather which is my favorite!
I'm excited to report that Regina's Universe is now featured on Best
Ezines! That's right we're actually "featured" somewhere, is that
way cool or what? LOL
Stay tuned to my website, I'm going to be doing a serious revamp to
it, to make it even more fun than it is now. (like that's possible
right? LOL) This time I'll be adding new graphics, new sections, so
there will be a different feel to it, plus there'll be some
surprises too!
I'm planning on scheduling my first chat sometime in November, so
stay tuned. I'll be sending out an e-mail and it will be in the next
newsletter as to which date and time.
I've decided to extend my current contest until October 31, 2006 for
a Destiny's Choices tote bag, so you still have plenty of time to
participate if you haven't already! Just do the usual, send me an e-
mail at tiwatz@yahoo.com with the words "DC tote bag," and you'll be
entered in the contest, if you haven't already.
I will be choosing one question from "Ask Angel" on Monday, October
9th. The person whose question is chosen will get a free e-book copy
of my romantic suspense novella, Destiny's Choices! So send those
questions in, here's your opportunity to win a fabulous prize!
Send your questions for Angel Whitedove to tiwatz@yahoo.com,
with "Ask Angel" in the subject line. You can check out previous
entries here:
http://www.angelwhitedoveonalienabductions.blogspot.com
Don't forget about "Ask Regina," as this is a third opportunity to
win something. Just send me your questions to tiwatz@yahoo.com,
with "Ask Regina" in the subject line. If your question gets picked
to be answered in my blog or during a chat you win a cool prize!
Stay tuned for when I will be picking one of these questions and
what the prize will be!
You can read previous postings here:
http://www.reginapaul.bravejournal.com/profile.php
Also, I have new articles published at Associated Content, a few of
which will be of interest to writers and readers, so take a look
when you have a chance. You can find them here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/10892/regina_paul.html
Happy Halloween!
Regina Paul
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o 4 Steps to Help You Organize Before Starting Your Novel
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Are you a writer who has a tendency to jump right into your writing
without any preparation? I used to be. Unfortunately what I've found
is that if I write with no preparation at all that I find myself
wasting time going back through my manuscript looking for little
details that I can't remember, or searching online for bits of
research I need, so that when I'm writing the story is consistent.
Since many of us have this problem from time to time, a little
preparation before we begin writing our novel can go a long way on
saving us time and energy down the road.
So, that being said, how can you prepare? Here are a few tips that I
use:
1. Have a place where you can jot down details for your book.
This can be a folder on your desktop, a spiral notebook or three
ring binder, it's your choice. Personally, I prefer a folder on my
desktop since that is where I write, and it is easily accessible to
me.
2. Create a character list. Decide ahead of time what physical
and personality traits your characters are going to have. Now I
realize that some characters pop up later as you write your story,
or maybe your characters say to you, "That's stupid, I hate pizza!"
That's fine, if it happens during the course of writing you can go
back into your list and revise it by adding characters that appear
later, or deleting or adding physical and personality traits as they
pop up.
3. Create a timeline for your main characters. Have you ever
been writing and then realized that you couldn't remember a detail
about something you'd already decided had happened to your heroine?
I have. The way to avoid that is to create a timeline for your main
characters, and if you think you need it for any important secondary
characters.
4. Create a description of the "universe" your story takes
place in. Even if you are writing a contemporary story, you might
have a fictional town, or even state in your book. Create either a
description or a list of important details (or do both) about your
fictional place. If you are writing a historical, or a futuristic
this is a good place to keep details from your research.
Having a place to keep notes and lists is one of the first things
I've learned to do as a writer. It makes a huge difference, and I am
far more productive than when I do not do this. This folder or
notebook is the blueprint for your book, and will go a long way
towards keeping you organized and on track with your writing. You
can also add other things such as pictures you create of your
characters or scenes in your book for example. I personally like to
create pictures of my characters in Daz Studio and keep them in my
folder. The ideas are limitless, and only as creative as your own
imagination.
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o Self-Publishing: Death Trap or Career Booster? By Karen Magill
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I am in the process of self-publishing my second book – `Let Us
Play, A Rock `n Roll Love Story'. And because it is self-published I
seem to be hearing so many doubters and haters on self-publishing
again.
Granted, it does take a special sort of person to travel that
journey of self-publishing. And anyone who goes into it feeling that
they are going to make a lot of money is liable to have those hopes
dashed quite quickly. But does self-publishing automatically mean a
black mark against the author or mean that their career is ruined?
Hardly.
One of the Yahoo groups I am on brings in top agents. Now I do admit
that one of them is against self-publishing and feels it is the last
resort for a writer. But another is for it and is curious to read an
author's self-published product. It depends on the person.
As technology changes so does the industry. We have seen success
stories in the past that have begun as self-published writers and
that gives us hope. More and more places are accepting self-
published books too; the author just has to find them. I have even
heard of a Lulu author getting his book into a Chapters bookstore.
Self-publishing is a lot of work and requires ingenuity too.
Thinking `outside the box' is a definite requirement.
Editing is also a must. I have now edited `Let Us Play' so many
times in the last twenty-four hours that I am sick of looking at it.
LOL. But I am going to be receiving a hard copy in a few weeks so I
will be looking at it again.
Although `The Bond' has been out for two years I am not going to
quit promoting it. Instead I am going to try to combine efforts
with `Let Us Play'. And I am going to try things that are long
shots. But hey, sometimes long shots pay off. All I can do is try.
I don't intend on self-publishing forever. Yet I am glad that I
decided to do it with these two. I have learned a lot about the
process of getting a book from my imagination to print. I am
constantly learning about promotion and it helps the creative side
of me to know the business side. When I do land that big contract, I
think I will be better suited to deal with an agent and have a
better understanding of what the publisher and the publicist etc.
goes through. I will know what it takes to make that book sell. I
will know better how hard it is.
Karen Magill Author of The Bond, A Paranormal Love Story and the
soon to be published Let Us Play, A Rock 'n Roll Love Story. For
more information go to http://www.karenmagill.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Magill
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o Book Review: Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan
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DARK CELEBRATION
CHRISTINE FEEHAN
September 2006
ISBN#: 0-425-21167-3
The Berkley Publishing Group
Hardback
Romantic Suspense
372 Pages
$23.95
Rating: 5 Worlds
Raven Dubrinksky decides that she wants to have everyone home for
Christmas, and that includes all the mated pairs, and their
families, as well as the unmated males. She talks her lifemate
Mikhail into it, and everyone is included, even their human friends.
Mikhail isn't sure if having all the Carpathians together in one
spot is such a good idea. He fears that their enemies will see it as
a huge target and use it as an opportunity to kill his people. Since
there are several pregnant women, and children who will be included
his fears are not unfounded.
As Mikhail visits each couple from the previous books, several
incidents happen including Skylar, Francesca and Gabriel's adopted
daughter being attacked. Attacks by vampires and others continue to
happen, and Mikhail starts to wonder if it is all worth the trouble.
It is only when he begins to see how far apart they have all become,
and how happy everyone is to be together, that he begins to realize
that Raven is right, they needed this.
Fraught with danger, and deception, and several clues to future
books in the Dark series, Ms. Feehan outdid herself with this one! I
honestly wasn't sure how she was going to be able to successfully
pull this many characters together, but she did it, and did it well.
In spite of how difficult it must've been to keep personalities
straight, the author did a fantastic job of keeping each character's
personality traits, and who they were as people intact. That coupled
with the suspense and spending most of the book trying to figure out
what was going on, made this book one for my keeper shelf. I highly
recommend it!
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o Some Enchanted Autumn by Linda Andrews
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Some Enchanted Autumn
By Lillian Brummet
Some Enchanted Autumn by Linda Andrews is an excellent gift idea
for the Halloween season. Vampires, skeletons, spiders, witches…
they are all here – but this is definitely
not a children's book.
One town, founded by the same wagon train during the pioneering
days of the North American continent, holds a secret that could
destroy them all. Divided by a bitter and ancient rift, it becomes
two rival towns – Pumpkin and Holly. These folks take their
holidays seriously, but none more so than Pumpkin's residents do.
Lonnie, who is running both from herself and from facing her pompous
and boring boyfriend, returns to Pumpkin - her hometown. There she
meets Nicholas who is both more wonderful than her wildest dreams
and as frightening as
her childhood nightmares. Together they are assigned the difficult
task of discovering the "Prankster's" identity and the reason's why
that person is set on keeping the ancient rift
between the towns alive.
Nicholas and Lonnie harbor a steamy and slightly erotic passion for
one another, which they do their best to keep in check. Their family
ancestors, after all, were the main
players in the rift that continues to tear the towns apart.
I would classify Some Enchanted Autumn as a fantasy-fiction,
paranormal-romance novel with comedic elements. Although it begins
with a bit of confusion, the story rises in pace until I felt
unwilling to put the book aside. This 238-page book is not the
author's first endeavor. In fact, Linda has written two other books,
The Christmas Village and Ghost of a Chance.
ISBN#: 1-55410-287-1
Author: Linda Andrews
Publisher: Zumaya Publication
~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book
Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her
impact on the environment – Author of Towards
Understanding, a collection of poetry.
(http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lillian_Brummet
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Do you have a review you'd like to submit for the next issue? Send
it to me at tiwatz@yahoo.com two weeks before the next monthly issue
is out to be included.
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o Thank you to Subscribers
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Thank you so much for subscribing to Regina's Universe! That means a
lot to me, and for those of you who signed up recently, I hope you
enjoyed your free e-books. Please feel free to pass this newsletter
along to anyone you feel might be interested. The only thing I ask
is that you pass it along in its entirety rather than just pieces of
it.
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o Advertisement
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Secrets are something Tiana Slickpoo knows all about for she is the
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Forbidden love, danger, and an eons old conspiracy-GETTING OUT ALIVE
GETTING OUT ALIVE by Regina Paul is a fast paced, fly-by-the-seat-of-
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Secrets...everyone has them, but Angel Whitedove alien abductee and
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Darek of Laren has one mission: retrieve the outlaw Laaen and return
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Forbidden love, danger, and an eons old conspiracy follow these two
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Check out Karen's Korner a wonderful newsletter chock full of news
about her novels, and the writer's life by fellow author Karen
Magill! You can join by going to Karen's website
http://www.karenmagill.com and signing up to be on her mailing list.
It's that easy!
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o Copyright Information
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Copyright 2006 by Regina Paul, All Rights Reserved.
Visit us online at:
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