One Writer's Life -- Barbara Mountjoy

Well, here it is, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen: My new book cover for Secrets in the Sand, my first published romance novel, available soon from The Wild Rose Press.

Here's hint of what it's about:

After a run of bad relationships, Lily Pearl Evans has finally become an independent woman. In the New Mexico desert town of Chaparral, she works for herself in her own house, she sets her own rules, and she's determined no man will hold her back again.



Gene Nicholas worked for more than a decade to achieve his dream to be a doctor. Wanting to share his gifts with those less fortunate, he leaves South Florida to volunteer for a tour with Doctors without Borders in Mexico.


When Gene provokes a showdown with the local Mexican drug cartel, he becomes a man with a price on his head. On the run, he ends up on Lily’s doorstep, a mystery man forced to conceal his past to protect them both. With the cartel’s dangerous web drawing tight around them, can Lily and Gene survive a druglord’s revenge?

Have you ever been watching a tv show or a movie, and said to the person next to you, "I could write that..."

Next week the NaNoWriMo people launch their 2011 website for the spring extravaganpalooza, SCRIPT FRENZY!

Even if you don't want to write a novel in the thirty days of November (tho I'd highly recommend it, at least once), you can still join up with the leagues of writers who push themselves into a first draft during the month of April with this opportunity to prove you really could write that.

What does it take? Here's the low-down:

The Challenge Write 100 pages of original scripted material in the 30 days of April. (Screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, and graphic novels are all welcome.)


When: April 1-30


Cost: Free. We run on donations.


Who: Everyone (worldwide) is welcome. No experience required.


Prizes: Happiness. Creative juices. Pride. Laughter. Bragging rights. A brand-new script.

Does it say anything about judging there? Headaches? Expensive classes and editors? No. Just the satisfaction of knowing you've taken some of those crazy ideas rocketing around in your head and let them out onto paper. Murder, greed, any of the deadly sins are great. Love? Love is good, too. Got some hostility and other issues to work out? Gentlemen, pick your characters and let em rip. It will save wear and tear on your loved ones.

The Script Frenzy people even give you tips!

How-To Guides


SCREENPLAYS

• Introduction to Screenwriting

• Screenplay Formatting Overview STAGE PLAYS

• Introduction to Stage plays

• Stage Play Formatting Overview

TV SCRIPTS

• Introduction to TV Scripts

• TV Script Formatting Overview

COMIC BOOKS

• Introduction to Comic Books

• Comic Book Formatting Overview


What have you got to lose?  Come on, now. What?
Nothing.
Yeah, that's what I thought. Start planning now and get ready to write April 1!!!

Today I'm visiting Warm Days, Cool Nights and Hot Guys-- the blog of historical romance writer Jennifer Jakes, talking about critique groups and how to choose the one that fits you. You can just click by the adult content warning--my post is pretty vanilla!! Come by and say hello!


Check out my fancy new email signature--I think my head may swell a bit!


Babs Mountjoy

Also writing as Lyndi Alexander:

The Elf Queen, 2010

The Elf Child, 2011 and The Elf Mage, 2012, all from Dragonfly Publishing

http://clanelvesofthebitterroot.com/

Also writing as Alana Lorens:

Deliverance, a romance from The Wild Rose Press, coming in 2011

Second Chances, due out from Zumaya Publications in 2012

This Thursday, the authors of Zumaya Publishing will be featured at Coffeetime Romance!  Please come by and support all of us--Zumaya will be printing my women's fiction novel SECOND CHANCES after the first of the year, so I'll be there too!

Come find me, Technorati!!  :)  JN2TR572GQUR

My writing friend, fellow Pennwriter and who-i-wanna-be someday, medical thriller writer CJ Lyons has a new gadget for her writer's page. Can't wait till I'm big enough to get one too!!

Check it out! A widget of my own!

If you haven't read CJ's books, I highly recommend them. She has really mastered the art of creating characters you can care about and cheer for, flaws and all, and blending that with a great ticking-bomb kind of plotline. She's also a featured author at the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot page, CJ's post .