Author Writing at Airship Speed: Jillian Stone

Jillian Stone is the newest member of the awesome blog team here at Get Lost In a Story. A first time entrant, finalist and winner of 2010 Golden Heart for Romantic Suspense, THE YARD MAN is also Jillian’s book debut from Pocket Books, due to be released March, 2012. The novel is followed by two more featuring Scotland Yard detectives who mix business with pleasure in the Victorian Romantic Suspense series. And coming from Kensington Brava in fall 2012, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK. A gritty, whimsical Steampunk romance recounting the amorous adventures of Phaeton Black, occult detective and his female companion, feisty Cajun beauty America Jones. Two more novels in this series for are scheduled for 2013.

Jillian lives in Southern California and has no social life whatsoever because she has four more books to write in a year and a half. “Lol! My friends and I get together mostly through e-mail. Occasionally, I escape to a movie or go out to dinner, or to an RWA meeting. When I complete these contracts, I’m taking a couple months off to travel. Research for new novels, of course! And my lap top will have to go with me––I have stories to write!”

Orlando Update: What if there really is a Magic Kingdom?

Posted on August 9, 2010 by gjillian

First, some of you may or may not know that THE YARD MAN won the Golden Heart RS category––but what you don’t know is the whirlwind of other things that happened last week, before and after the awards banquet.

All I can say is, when it happens, it happens fast and I don’t care how long you have waited, YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.

A little over ten days ago, I was sitting in the Dallas airport waiting for my connecting flight to Orlando. I was hoping to meet another GH finalist there, as we both were both on the same flight, so I checked my cell phone. There was a message with a 212 area code. NYC. My heart raced a little. I returned the call and to make a long story short, when I got off the phone I had an offer on my newest manuscript, a historical paranormal, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK. (Based on a contest final, for those of you who enter RWA chapter contests.)

Great. I had an offer and no agent.

When I arrived at the hotel my crit partner, a.c. Mason, was already in the room. I sat her down and told her what had happened. After the screaming died down, she and I set about e-mailing messages to every reputable agent we could think of (I had all their addresses stored in my iPhone as I had been querying for months) I sent a very brief message stating that I had received a three book offer and would they be interested in representing me? Well, you may or may not believe the response, but I was overwhelmed by sudden interest, and from HUGE agents.

Needless to say, the next events might read like a fairy story, but, let’s face it, we write them, why can’t they come true? While stalking Steven Axelrod around the Dolphin fountain in the lobby, I managed to run into another agent, Richard Curtis.

That afternoon Mr. Curtis bought me a diet coke and we talked. In the hotel bar, après the Golden Heart Rita Awards, Richard, my crit partner and I celebrated with a glass of champagne. Several days later, after reading both manuscripts, he proposed representation and I am thrilled to announce that I have signed with Richard Curtis Associates. Since the GH win, several publishers have also expressed interest in the THE YARD MAN. Last week, Richard and I worked on series proposals for both books and I hope to be able to report more good news in the weeks to come.

Here are my best insights for those of us who write and are as yet, unpublished (which still includes me). Never give up. Take BOLD RISKS with your writing and SHOOT HIGH, especially when it comes to agents and publishers.

So, what do you think? Was it the Tinkerbell pixie dust that did it?

G. Jillian Stone

There are fields in time that burn with desire. Meet me there.

RWA Golden Heart Finalist: Getting the Call.

I collected my jacket, my purse, my iPhone, and was just about to leave for my dental appointment. In fact, I had joked extensively with the Contest Divas the day before about the fact that I didn't want to think about the RWA Golden Heart. And I wasn't going to get any call.

My Eeyore-ish kind of mood came from a weekend of contest disappointments. The worst one of which was the lowest score I have ever received in a contest from a judge who hated my dark hero as well as my writing. She said I overwrote every sentence. Boing!

Besides, I wasn't going to final in this impossibly huge national contest, anyway.

In the days proceeding call day, I wrote several posts about sitting in the dentist's chair and having crown work done. I remember references to novacaine and laughing gas and being too busy to think about the GH.

Then, at approximately 8:45 in morning, I got the call.

Your brain goes kind of fuzzy during the call. But not so muddled that you miss the awesomeness of the moment. And the second you stop screaming the RWA PR machine kicks in. Vaguely, you hear dates about getting a photo taken and sent in for press releases. Then there is this large packet of materials you will be required to read fill out and send back. A special e-chat loop is set up for finalists to ask questions and get to know one another before the conference. And, as a Golden Heart finalist I will get priority for appointments with agents and editors. And, and, and...

When the call ended, it took me about an hour to write a simple text because my hands were–you guessed it, shaking. The best thing about the call for me was that I wasn't ready for it. It truly came as a huge, wonderful gift and it took most of the day to sink in.

And remember, I still had to go to the dentist. It's an odd feeling sitting in the waiting room thinking about the $960.00 I was about to spend on a crown. Money I could use to go to the RWA Nationals in Nashville; where I would be able to network with industry professionals, published authors and lots of other writers. Then an idea struck. To hell with the crown. I'll keep the temporary in for a few more months and get the permanent crown done in August, after I get back from the nationals. Brilliant! Immediately I had half the expenses for the trip already saved.

From here on out, I will keep you posted. This is going to be an amazing ride, and I'm ready to be extraordinary!

My crit partner is a sadist.

So after weeks of badgering, my crit partner convinced me to enter the I Heart Harlequin writing contest. I caved and wrote a chapter and synopsis one week before the deadline. I even managed to dredge up a plot that worked without giving me too much heartburn/acid reflux.

I do not write contemporary, nor do I generally dream up the kind of plot-lite stories that are the staple of the Harlequin Presents or Modern Heat lines. And this kind of writing is more difficult than you can imagine, because it requires a great deal of emotional character angst shoveled into a well worn story line. What I like about Harlequin editors is they come right out and tell the contest participants not to write anything too fresh or creative. (What a relief.) They want you to use the time tested plots "we have all come to know and love––just change up the characters a bit." Well, at least they're honest.

Here is a kind of sample scenario:
Handsome Rex Ruthless billionaire, coerces young attractive waitress, Dixie Doosey into sleeping with him. Either that or he will foreclose on her Grandpa Gabby's ranch. Then somehow (don't ask how, it's just too unbelievable) the rich hunky dunkster realizes he has fallen in love (sigh). Now he must do everything in his bank account to win her back, like pay off the huge tax lien on grandpa's property. Then the enchanting waitress will have sex with him again, oh no, I got that wrong––I mean so that the she will marry him. HEA.

By the way, the story above was not what I wrote. If I had written the love tale above, I might have won.

There is an alternate plot that revolves around a love child custody battle and heroine abduction but you don't really want to read that blurb, do you?

So, that's it. Needless to say, I didn't win. My crit partner is sad about the fact that I lost, because she wanted me to win badly. I suspect it would have given her great pleasure to see me struggle to complete a 55,000 word Modern Heat manuscript with the help of a Harlequin editor (for a whole year).

Boing. (The sound of my brain imploding.)

My crit partner is a sadist and likes to see her friends and loved ones tortured. :-)

The tediously slow slog to acquiring an agent/publisher.

Could it get any slower than tediously slow?

I have decided that a decelerator clock hangs directly above the circumlocution slush pile on the desks of agents and editors. Lately, I have experienced a recurring nightmare (undoubtedly triggered by a number of harrowing stories vented by other writers) regarding the length of time it takes to get a decision on a manuscript.

Did someone say as long as a year?

Fine. In the meantime I will write a few novels while I wait.

On a happier, less impatient note, I found out last night The Yard Man finaled in the Romantic Suspense category of the RWI, Where The Magic Begins contest.

Waaaaay too happy to frown about slowness today.

A monster with no voice: the synopsis.

Don't bug me.

I am just finishing up the rough draft synopsis for The Seduction of Phaeton Black.

Sometime in either the recent or distant past, agents, editors and contest directors decided the very best way to aggravate a writer would be to invent something called a synopsis. And I would never spend a moment of my time on the beast, if it wasn't for the fact that those same agents, editors and contest directors require them. All I can say is, once I am finished with this latest synopsis, I will be able to enjoy life again.

Meanwhile, I stare at the writing and think, how does anyone ever sell anything based on a few pages of present tense narration? But I keep slogging along, trying to make those few pages as interesting and as well written as possible.

I suppose writers who enjoy tons of narration/internal thought don't mind writing a synopsis. But for those of us who prefer to tell most of the story through character dialogue/interaction/action in relatively deep POV, the process of synopsis writing is painful.

It has taken me a full seven day week to complete a 14 page synopsis for Phaeton and it's not over. In a few days I will have to go back and revisit, revise, and edit down.

I can't think about it.

Okay, I am finished with my rant/whine/vent session. Happy now. See the smiley face? :-)

The Yard Men Series: Four hot new novels in the works.

The Yard Man: An Affair with Mr. Kennedy

The Seduction of Phaeton Black

The Carnal Sins of Raphael

The Miss Education of Doctor Exeter

I am currently writing several historical romance novels under the series name: The Yard Men. Set in late Victorian London, the crime solving agents of Scotland Yard have never been more wickedly sexy or as brilliantly clever. No bumbling detectives in my Special Branch. Or Secret Branch.

Speaking of Special and Secret Branch, let's get these two divisions of Scotland Yard straight.

Special Branch novels are romantic suspense stories that incorporate elements of Steampunk, including an assortment of gadgetry, (sometimes fantastic gadgetry) a good deal of action/suspense/crime solving and sensuous love scenes. The heroes are clever, enigmatic, alpha males, like Zeno Kennedy and Raphael Lewis. The heroines are vibrant, independent women who are resilient and strong in surprising ways. These books spend more time on the romance (suspense plot secondary) and the relationships end HEA.

Secret Branch is a division of Scotland Yard that is unseen to the outside world. Only a few key agents are even aware of its existence. The novels are paranormal or occult detective stories that feature a darker anti-hero, who often hooks up with an anti-heroine. Together, they solve crimes and disruptions created by all manner of unearthly creatures. The love scenes are spicy/sensuous and the relationship resolution, HFN. The heroes of Secret Branch are brilliant, troubled, and often have special abilities/powers to perceive/bend reality. Phaeton Black and Doctor Exeter are examples of Secret Branch agents. The heroines of these extraordinary men are bold, spirited women who are as intelligent as they are sensuously adventurous.

So, why do I feel the need to discuss the structural components (divisions) of The Yard Men Series? I think it is because they straddle a number of subgenres. And is that a good thing??

The question is––is this genre mixing a problem for the reader? As a paranormal reader, do you read much historical suspense? And historical readers, do you read historical paranormal? (I know there are many timeshift books out there set at least partially in a historical time period.)

Love to hear your thoughts and comments on this matter of straddling/mixing genres.