Well, it's that time of year again, time to revisit what's been accomplished, and what will be accomplished in the coming year. I've always been a huge supporter of goals. Setting them, busting tail to meet them, and having nifty little boxes to check off on my "Project Plan". Although, in reflection of 2010, I realized that some "stuff" happening near the end of the year bogged me down. No... correction... the stuff didn't bog me down, I allowed it to.

So my first goal moving into 2011 is to revamp and find a schedule to get that production momentum swinging again.

I now have a timer at my desk. I'm developing a daily calendar for the first few months to make sure I develop the habits I want to form. I've looked at what I can control: my productivity. My focus. My commitment.

I've looked at what I can't control: children interrupting, things that crop up on a day-to-day basis (otherwise known as environmental factors.)

So the end result looks something like this:

1. Fifteen minutes per day (thank you, Shannon), on Twitter. Then it gets turned off and stays off until the next day. I will find someone to engage with each day, be it friend already, or a friend-to-be.

2. Two blog posts a week. Tuesdays and Fridays.

3. One hour devoted to promotions, three times a week.

I haven't figured out the schedule on a per-hour basis, yet, but that's what I'm looking at professionally, outside of writing itself.

As for writing -- these are fairly lofty. But I concurr completely with Dean Wesley Smith,'s remarks about productivity and prolific writers in the year 2011.

Another thing I agree with Dean about is that a writing goal has to be different than a writing dream. Goals we can control. Dreams we cannot. Selling a book is a dream. Writing a book to shop it, in hopes it will sell, is a goal.

That said.

My goal for 2011 is to compose 7 full length novels. Figuring a rough total of words at 700,000, that breaks down to roughly 2000 per day, including weekends.

Completely and utterly doable. For me, at least -- every writer is different.

There will be days that I don't accomplish this. Looking at a full weekend off, that would be 4000 words I'd need to make up in the following week, which breaks down to only 800 additional words daily, over the course of five days. On average I can do 2500 in one writing sesssion. Bumping this up by 300 is not troublesome.

What am I going to write? Well, that's posing the most problems on my end. I have things I really want to do. Things I have a moderate love for. Things I could let go. So, I decided I wasn't going to commit to 7 ideas on my vast "Idea List". Instead, I'm breaking it out like this:

1 -- 2 Templar romances. (This is a concrete)
2 -- A Christmas project for TWRP (also a concrete)
3 -- Complete the "Special Project" (also a concrete)
4 -- A historical to be determined later
5 -- 2 other books, undetermined at this time, written as the urge strikes and based on which "Idea List" plot strikes my fancy when the time's right.

I also don't believe I'm going to try and commit to setting the order in which I write these yet. As long as I get my 2000 words in daily, I think I'll let the creative passion just flow and see where it takes me. If the time comes where I find it stagnates or stalls, I'll look at some more forcible means of setting and reaching goals. Like marking out "This book first. This book second."

The only exception to that is my TWRP project has to be done by an early 2011 deadline. So that one will be slotted accordingly.

Okay. All of those are goals I have the power and ability to control, work toward, and reach. Whether they sell or not is a dream. But they certainly can't sell if I don't write them.

What about you? What are your 2011 goals at this point?

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Bah Humbug! Dyann Love Barr started her novel, A Perfect Bride For Christmas, with this famous line. I'm stealing it from her.

Let it be said that Christmas is my favorite holiday, seconded only by Halloween. I don't care so much about the gifts, those are serious pains in the rear ends to plan. But give me the decorations, the smells, the hot cocoa... the baking...

This is the one time of year I can convince myself it's okay to make any kind of sweet treat, candy, cookie or cake without hesitation. And believe you me, I will, if given the opportunity. A few of my favorites are Toasted Hazelnut Chocolate Cheescake, the tried and true Chex mix, Fudge, and Tollhouse Cookies.

This year, I have a friend over in Iraq, and I thought I'd send a care package full of homey Christmas-type treats. I have my lists made out. I'm waiting on a gift I ordered otherwise I'd have already shipped it.

First on the list -- Peanut Brittle. I've never made Peanut Brittle before. The recipe looked simple enough. My heroine in All I Want For Christmas... Is Big Blue Eyes made it look simple too.

After trying it, I say: Bah Humbug!!

It turned out edible. But it is not what I would send to a former chef. Mutter. The issues began when, after searching Hen House, I couldn't find raw peanuts and went with plain dry roasted ones. They burn, FYI.

And this recipe didn't specify no margarine, but real butter. (By now, you'd think I would know this in relation to baking.)

The result: An edible concoction with a slightly burned flavor that just doesn't taste "right".

Today I searched a second store for raw peanuts. Wal-Mart evidently doesn't have them either. Tomorrow I will phone the remaining grocery stores in my area.

Where do you find raw peanuts, people??

And for those of you who are adept at peanut brittle, are there any tips you'd like to pass along before I write this one off as one of Amanda Masterson's fictional expertises not meant to be reproduced in real life?

There are three things I love most about writing, in this order:

1. Sale Announcement Day
2. Release Day
3. Release Date Day

After almost a year I received a release date for Waiting For Yes!

It seems like I've been waiting forever. The book was contracted before A Christmas To Believe In, but with that release having a firm scheduling day, and the business with Tor, my editor and I collectively agreed Waiting would be a bit delayed.

With much ado:

Waiting For Yes, releases April 20, 2011.

A winter snowstorm. A horse with a past.
A woman who has everything riding on the line.

Because everyone is familiar with big name movies, I'm using some examples here. Note, not every example has a book format, nor am I necessarily saying that those that did, used a prologue in the writing. I'm using the visual to explain what I'm driving at.

1. The 13th Warrior

It's a first person narrative. The movie begins with Ibn telling us about how he happened to be assigned to his mission. Action is employed all the way through the meeting of the Tartars and the pursuit. Intrigue/drama is given with the mention that the Norsemen might kill them if they linger. Conflict is he's supposed to meet with people. By this time we're no longer hearing his voice, we're experiencing the action. The oracle tells him he's the 13th warrior and has no choice but to go.

All of that is, essentially a prologue. Without it, if the movie began on the boat scene north where he already understands their language... the reader is lost. He could tell us how and why and what's going on while they sail north. But he (Ibn) showed us with a prologue what happened before the forward action of the plot (finding the things in the mist) begins.


2. Gladiator

Gladiator comes equipped with it's own prologue. It's written on the screen, grounding us in the events of the world at that time. However, I ask -- is that first battle a contributor to the forward-moving plot (which is the fate of Rome).

Nope. It sets up character and "the prologue" ends with the echoing, "Mighty victor!". It shows us why Maximus was chosen to restore Rome. It is an excerpt from Maximus' immediate past, justifying his future role. It also puts the stakes of Rome, herself, beneath our nose by linking the written prologue with the action of the final unification.

The forward moving plot doesn't truly begin until Claudius appears on the screen and his motives are seen.


3. Bolt

Bolt's prologue is unique. It's a prologue within a prologue. It begins with telling us how the dog had special powers, which is all a lead in to the fact that the dog is a movie star who believes he's really saving his human. We learn how it is plausible (because until we've seen it once, we think it's real). We learn why the dog behaves as he does. Goal, motivation, conflict.

There are many, many, unanswered questions in each part of each prologue. The answers unravel as the story goes on... the forward-moving plot is the dog's quest to return to his owner. He could have told us he was a super-power dog, but we wouldn't believe it if we hadn't seen the pre-prologue, and he could have told us how he'd gotten away from his human, but we wouldn't understand his motivation without knowing the second prologue.

The plot begins when Bolt is separated from Penny.

Classic.


4. Avatar

Avatar's prologue is shown 100%. It is the portion of the movie where we're learning how this handicapped, formerly enlisted Marine, managed to end up with an Avatar. We don't know what is purpose is. We don't know what's going to happen, or what his conflict is. But we've been shown, as opposed to his telling us by explaining it to the lead scientist, how he got there and why. We learn all the rest as the movie goes on.

The forward-moving plot is the conflict between the races and the struggle for the land.


5. Cars

Cars' prologue is the race in the begining which shows us the animosity between the green car and Lightning McQueen. It sets the stakes -- what Lightning wants and could lose if he looses the tie-breaking race.

All of this is shown to the viewer. The forward moving plot is the quest to get to (and win) the tie-breaker. It begins when he's riding down the road in his semi and rolls out. Lightning could have told us what had happened at the previous race. But we were shown it, thus engaging us in a portion of this characters' past, that was action-packed, brief, and set the stage.



All of these can be argued that because they are movies they are inherantly shown. But imagine these as books. Imagine those scenes cut off from the rest of the plot and written out as an engaging four or five pages, titled PROLOGUE.

Think of the unanswered questions at the point of cut off. Step through the movies and see when, and how, those questions are answered. Analyze those scenes to see how they set the stage and note that every one of them is jam-packed with action.

And now, I shall step off my soap-box on prologues :)

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

I put the question up yesterday and had some interesting responses. I'm going to share one that was posted on my Facebook, where this blog exports to, because it's not visible over here on Blogger. It's from a reader, not an author, and a woman who I consider an "educated reader".

Shannon says: "As a reader, I can skim through a prologue and decide if I want to take time to read a book."

This relates indirectly to what I want to talk about. Keep this thought in mind, as you read what I was taught.

Before we begin, it should be mentioned that many people advise, and subscribe to the theory that prologues should be avoided. I am not one of them. I love prologues. Both in my stories and in other people's stories. There is a trick, however, to using and crafting them effectively.

First and foremost, as a couple of you said, a prologue should be short. 4-5 pages as an average. I think this is pretty well-accepted, as most authors are aware there is a significant number of readers who just skim past the prologue and start with chapter 1.

Second, it should set the tone of what is being written about through the course of a book.

Third, it should absolutely be engaging. Think hooks, authors. A prologue has to have stronger hooks than even the first chapter because of the tendancy to have them overlooked. If it doesn't start with a bang, chances increase it will get skimmed. If it ends with a bang... odds increase you've now spurred a reader into the longer first chapter.

But the purpose, ie when to use it or when not to, is what I was driving at here, and what is it supposed to achieve overall.

A prologue should directly relate to the plot (most often the conflict) that is about to occur in the next however many pages. It will often be a glimpse of the past events in the character(s) lives. That does not translate into a heavy back-story dump. It is (I stress this) a glimpse. Some key event that happens to set the stage for what will be the journey the reader will travel.

Let's take for example a scenario where the overall romance is going to be between a never-been married heroine and a widower cop, whose former wife died in a home break-in while he was on duty and answering the call to break up a bar fight. (Can we say guilt?) Let's add into the mix that she's seven months pregnant with their first child.

Well, to give the reader an effective bond with how difficult this might be for the hero to overcome, we can use the technique of weaving her death into his backstory. But how much more powerful is it if the event is shown from the wife's point of view, as she's being stabbed on her bed, looking at her photograph of her husband in uniform, and thinking about their child, while trying to fight for her life? We don't even have to be in the hero's point of view to bond with his grief. We are already grieving for her.

Assuming the prologue ends without full revelation of whether she lives or dies -- let's say the prologue stops as she fades into unconciousness -- if effective interest is sparked and effective hooks are employed, someone is turning that page to Chapter 1 to find out what happened.

Let's toss this up a little bit and make it a romantic suspense. We'll change our hero to make him a detective. We'll put the prologue in the killer's point of view, and HE notices the picture beside this pregnant woman's bed. We know she dies. Let's end our prologue with the lines: "He glanced at the photograph of the decorated captain and his bride and smirked. One down, three to go."

Volia! Stage set.

But we don't know why the killer is doing this in either scenario, nor should we in the prologue. If we're working with the second scenario we have no idea who the other two might be -- three more women, three more men? Is this guy going to be a threat to our hero or our heroine? The prologue sets the stage, tone, and drops a hint as to what is to come.

A prologue does NOT answer the questions. In fact, it should generate questions a reader wants to know the answers to. It should not detail out the conflict. It should set a level of suspense/intrigue/drama to kick-start a story.

This plays right into what Shannon said. By reading this passage she's read essentially an excerpt from the book in the sense she now has a feel for how the author writes. Are the killings going to be gory? Is that killer believable? Is she compelled to discover the answers? Is the writing itself engaging or is it over-complicated, or conversely, over-simplified?

Moreover, if she's not interested in the prologue, she's probably not going to be interested in the rest of the plot.

I want to go back to what a prologue does not do...

It should be understood that the prologue does not tell the story because it isn't a back-story dump. It should be absolutely understood that there are a whole bunch of things coming down the pipe that explain the questions, and the author may or may not choose to reveal them all in Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 is the beginning of the book, of the forward-moving plot. There will still be unanswered questions, there will still be unresolved issues, just as there would be in a novel without a prologue. In fact, in the second example, the killer's motivations aren't going to be known until either his victims figure out his motives, or the author reveals the motives in his POV. (A choice dependant on the overall plot arc).

A reader should not expect to have everything spelled out by the end of chapter 1, and an author should not feel compelled to spell out the prologue by the end of chapter 1.

That's not the purpose of a prologue, and those who expect the prologue to explain all the unknowns are looking at the prologe as exactly what it shouldn't be: a dumping of back-story that can be achieved in the novel itself.

So, in sum:

What a prologue should be: Short, engaging (ie: action), intriguing, and an indication of what is to come or what the character(s) must combat either externally or internally.

Typical uses of a prologue:
1. To show a past event (briefly!) that poses emotional turmoil for one or both of the characters
2. To show a past event that sets up an external conflict (the first shots that start a war)
3. To explain a complicated aspect of the story through action, not summation, that relates to the plot or subplot (such as the prediction of a prophecy)
4. To show motivation of primary or key secondary characters (villians fit here often).

The key here is use of show. A prologue shows and engages. Back-story tells, no matter where it occurs, and although necessary, is flat.

Guage for yourself:

He knelt before the frail old woman and bowed his head. This was what he'd fought for, what he'd taken life for.
Bony fingers touched the crown of his head. Her voice rasped above the moans of the men who lay dying in the dirt. "Go, warrior. To the east you are called. Do not make the mistake of believing the war is over. Your battle has just begun. The woman who knows the ancient words that will heal you, bathes in your father's blood."

Or

Three years ago, after a monumental battle, he'd knelt before an oracle rumored to hold the cure for his disease. She'd told him while his squadron lay dying on the ground, that the only one who could heal him had killed his father.

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

I'd like to start a discussion here. Please use the comments to respond and please pass this little poll along.

Question of the day:

What is the purpose of a prologue, and how do you, as an author, believe it should be structured?

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

About two years ago, Heather Snow taught our RWA chapter the basics on making a book trailer. Until that night, I'd never even heard of the things. But I found that I really enjoy making them. They may not be 'movie grade', or full of bells and whistles, yet they're still fun to do. Fun to analyze the book from a different creative portion of the brain.

As such, I'd like to share my newest one with all of you. It was a blast to develop!




If you'd like to take a peek at my others, visit my YouTube page: Claire Ashgrove

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

**NOTE: This is a rant.**

The title is a little misleading, because I've always been a writer. But I did make a devoted shift in professional paths, from horse breeding to full time author. Do I still raise horses? Absolutely. I always will. It's the business of horses I want nothing to do with.

This shift has come gradually, and it all began when I had a stallion standing at stud. The very same gentleman I lost yesterday. Before I go further, I feel it's necessary to mention that 3/4 of the people I associate with, in the world of Arabians, are wonderful people. I'm on a couple list-serves with folks who are genuine and just good human beings. These folks (you know who you are) are obviously exempt from my rant.

It began with the species known as "Mare Owner". Now, I own mares, and I've bred to out of state stallions, in state stallions and dealt with the other subspecies called, "Stallion Owner." When I became the latter, I figured "What a snap. I'm a mare owner, this can't be as difficult as I've heard."

WRONG.

After a season and a half of wishy-washy commitments, spending money to ship out stallion packages with no return, and then dealing with Mare Owners who expect Stallion Owners to leap when Mare Owners don't abide by contractual agreements, or expect Stallion Owners to bend the rules for them, or simply cannot fathom that in the end, what I do with my horse is my choice, and if I want to take my horse off the market for a season, hmm. Guess what. I can. Particularly if the folks I have agreements with are on the same page, and agreements not made directly through me, that I've chosen to be ameneable to just because I'm a generally nice person, really don't pertain to my decisions.

(That is a terrible sentence, by the way)

What it boils down to is, if I want to shoot my stallion's breeding career in the foot by making him available under certain circumstances, certain times, or not available at all, it's my choice within bounds of contract agreements already signed. It is not the Mare Owner's. Period.

And as a Mare Owner I've experienced my own frustrations with Stallion Owners who either I didn't read the contract closely and got lectured, or just simply vanished off the face of the earth with the registry not even knowing how to contact them.

So I do sympathize, but really... in the end, the stallion belongs to me. And it was this seemingly obtuse perception that random people I didn't know from Adam could dictate what I would, or would not do with my own horse, pushed me into leaving the business.

Today, it was reconfirmed that indeed I made a good choice and I was not cut out to ever stand a stallion full time in a demanding market. Namely when word made it through the grapevine that my stallion had died and suddenly Mare Owners are in my email box.

Quick note to everyone whose emailed me:

a. I will not be addressing your emails 24 hours after his death. He's not a money-machine, he's my friend and I hurt. Have a little consideration. No one's breeding horses in November, except for the race track, and you aren't in that circuit.

b. Read your contract before you email me. If there are things to discuss, we'll do so. But be sure you read what you signed first. It's not my fault you made assumptions.

Everyone else who has no clue what I'm talking about:

Imagine your grandfather passing. And then, less than 24 hours after the fact, every extended family member starts phoning you asking which part of his estate he/she is entitled to.

Ugh. So glad I write. All I have to do is do what my agent tells me, do what my editor tells me, and produce creative content that keeps my readers entertained.

So much easier. So very much easier.

**End of Rant**

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

If you put a pause in between Jewelann's name, the title fits "Santa Clause is Coming To Town", incidently.

So yes, I'm super duper excited that two Missouri chapters elected to bring Jewelann Cone, from the Cascade Literary Agency, (my agent) in to speak to their authors about the industry, generally meet and greet, and hopefully garner some mutual benefits!

I've always wondered how I would handle my first face-to-face meeting with my agent. And not just since signing here, but back in the days of still searching. I presumed it would transpire at a convention, like Nationals, and I'd be nervous. I'd wonder if I talked too loud, if my laugh was funny, and I'd wonder if I was dressed horribly out-of-fashion.

Now, though, as the reality of things hits settles around me, all of those pesky worries are gone. I'm excited! I'd say, kinda like getting a new puppy, if I didn't feel that might come out all wrong. (Shh. I didn't say that.)

I'm not intimidated, and I believe this is, in part, because I've been made to feel at home from day one. My perception used to be that agents were a far-off partner, only really dealt with when active business was on the table. Oh, how wrong, I was. It's much more than that. A very mutually-supportive relationship.

But anyway, this isn't meant to be a sales pitch. I've accomplished little to nothing all week because I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas Eve, and can't keep focused. When it's over, I'll give a brief overview. And who knows, maybe I will even have a funny story to share!

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Well, here she is, my personal Best Horse of the Century bid.

Her name is Zenyatta. But hold on folks, bear with me, we aren't talking about horses today. Not... exactly.

For those of you unfamiliar with horse racing, Zenyatta went into this past weekend's Breeders Cup Classic undefeated, 19 starts, 19 wins. Her racing record is simply unheard of, and her career on the track brought life to a sport that long needed someone to rally behind. She ran against the boys for the second time (having won last year), on dirt for the second time (California circuit is all synthetic track). She may not have been the most favored when looking at records, etc, but she was, hands down, the crowd's favorite.

And she lost. By a head. But her race is still being talked about because of the heart she put into it.

To think... this 19-1, near perfect, crowd favorite mare who's earned over six million dollars in purse money, was purchased for a mere (yes mere) $60,000 and reportedly was "considered a good-for-nothing horse at one point because she had ringworm."

Someone believed in Zenyatta. In return, Zenyatta gave everything she had.

Which is a bit like Clint King's struggle in my new release, A Christmas To Believe In.

Clint's racing stable is struggling. Every dream he owns is in his prize mare who's due to foal before she should, in order to grant him a foal worthy of competition. All of his adult life he's struggled with living up to his father's expectations.

Clint's only ever needed someone to believe in him.

Now, don't get me wrong, Clint's not wallowing in his circumstances, and he's not full of self-pity. He knows what he wants, he knows how to get it, and nothing's going to stand in his way.

A bit like Zenyatta knew how to get over that wire 19 times, when starting at dead last.

It just goes to show what a little love can do. And for Clint, love becomes more priceless than any gift he's ever known.

So, all that said, everybody has dreams that we hold dear. Secret fears, hopes, and aspirations we share with only a select few. I truly believe that A Christmas To Believe In is one every reader can relate to. There might be a horse on the cover but it's not about horses. It's about love, and how important it is. Not just to Clint, but to Jesse, and to Ethan, Jesse's foster child, as well.

Please check it out! It's available for pre-order now, and will release in digital and print on November 24th!

In the meantime, here's a bit from the book:

OFFICIAL BLURB:

Struggling Thoroughbred breeder, Clint King, hasn’t been home for Christmas in five years. Like his brothers, Alex and Heath, life has kept him away. Clint’s farm is barely hanging on. His prize mare's due to foal any day, and in the wake of his father’s death, Clint can’t stand the idea of returning. The memories are too much, let alone his father’s imposing shadow. Except, Alex is getting married on Christmas Eve, and their mother’s put her foot down. She’ll have her boys at home. With his mare in tow behind him, Clint prepares to meet a sister he’s never known and Alex’s unexpected triplets. The one salvation he looks forward to is childhood companion, tomboy Jesse Saurs. Yet when he reunites with Jesse, he uncomfortably discovers she’s become all woman.

Jesse Saurs has everything she needs – financial security, a home, and a foster child who’s about to become her son. She’s spent two years breaking down Ethan’s emotional barriers, and with the final hearing scheduled just before Christmas, this year promises to make his dreams come true. When she learns Clint and his brothers are returning, she anticipates a holiday reunion that’s sure to entertain Ethan. But on the night of Clint’s return, the ‘brother’ she expected leaves her trembling after just a single hug. Even worse, Ethan makes it clear Clint's not welcome.

Will this Christmas destroy what's left of hopes and dreams, or will it give the three the gift they've all been longing for?

EXCERPT:

“You’d like him, Ethan. He was a lot of fun when we were younger."

“Uh huh.” Noncommittal, he answered in a flat tone.

Jesse lapsed into silence, sensing she walked a thin line. Still, she couldn’t let the subject rest. There had to be a way to convince Ethan that Clint wasn’t a threat to his stability. Until she achieved that, she couldn’t just let go and let him harbor hate. Clint didn’t deserve it. Cautiously, she ventured, “Horses could be a lot of fun.”

Ethan snorted.

“You might give it a try. Something new and different. It can’t hurt, at any rate. If you don’t like Angel, well, then you’ve at least given it a shot.”

He tossed his controller in front of him, his interest in the game lost. She braced herself for the inevitable, knowing full well, whatever came out of his mouth next would hurt.

“Give it up, would you? I don’t want to know him. I don’t have to like your friends.”

“But Ethan-”

He scooted away like she’d cracked a whip in his face. “Enough! Don’t you get it? I don’t give a fuck about him.”

“Ethan Scott!”

“What? Too crude for you, Jesse?”

She flinched, drew in a deep breath and held it. Jesse. He hadn’t called her by her first name for over a year. Exhaling slowly, she set her controller down and slid off his bed. Though she knew in her heart, too many years of pain drove his emotions, the barb stung. On the same hand, she’d pushed. Ethan couldn’t tolerate pushing. He had to come to things on his own time.

Foregoing the lecture, she crossed to the door. “Goodnight, Ethan.”

He said nothing. Merely picked up his controller and set the options back to one-player.On a heavy sigh, Jesse left his room.

Inside hers, she clicked on the lamp by her bedside and reclined against her pillows. Tears brimmed in her eyes. She closed them to keep the salty flow at bay and curled her fingers into the sheets. In a thousand years, she never would have imagined that the only man she’d ever truly wanted would be Clint. In his arms, she felt safe. Protected. Undefeatable. He lit her up in ways she had only begun to comprehend, and it seemed as if fate determined to work against her.

If she weren’t careful, she’d lose Ethan. Every agonizing step she’d made would crumble under the weight of his fears. He’d close up, inevitably turn back to the life he’d known before he entered hers, and she couldn’t stomach the thought of where that would lead him. Jail, if he were lucky. Dead, if he wasn’t.

Yet, shouldn’t she be allowed some personal happiness as well? There were so many unwritten rules to parenthood – sacrifice for the children, put all personal goals aside, give up everything to see to their happiness. She’d exchange her life for Ethan’s in a heartbeat, but Clint offered something no child could. Even if it was only temporary, and this giddy feeling that brimmed in her soul would end when he left, he promised fulfillment of a need that ran so deep she couldn’t name it.

A tear slipped between her eyelashes and trickled down her cheek. She sniffled to hold the rest in check. She never should have let him kiss her a second time tonight. The first had been catastrophic enough. The second…

She wouldn’t be satisfied with anything but all of him after that second kiss. Instinct demanded she leap at what lay in front of her. Hang on to it until it burned itself out with his inevitable departure. Logic, on the other hand, warned her that if she did, she’d lose the one thing that mattered most – her son.

Well, today is the big day, for anyone who follows racing. It's the 27th Running of the Breeder's Cup Classic, and all eyes are on Zenyatta.

I don't know if any of you have seen this gal run, but I watched her last race in California a few weeks ago and she's just fantastic. There's no rushing out of the gate, stealing first place and holding it all the way. No, not for the showy lady who marches before her race, poses for the camera, and simply oozes character.

Zenyatta makes her fans wait with baited breath as she claims dead last, then slowly picks off horses all the way to the lead. Here -- just take a peek. I dare you to breathe easily.




An April Fool's Baby, she's undefeated and today is her 20th race. She's running against the boys, not running in the ladies Classic, just like last year. Question is... can she make her final race her greatest? Will she make today a perfet 20-0?

Tune in to ESPN and watch for yourself. Even if you don't bet, don't have a passion for racing, this is one horse everyone can admire. She defines the epitome of dreams.

And she's certainly inspired me.

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

There's a certain energy about a new story, and I think this is probably my favorite part of writing. First, the idea takes hold. Then, the plot unfolds (because I'm a plotter.) Then, about a week later, I get to put words down... and for me, there's no better thrill. All that thinking starts to develop. All that imagry comes to life.

For the first time in my life, I'm doing NaNoWriMo, and I put off starting my Templar book until the 1st of November. Add into the fact that this is one of the stories I've been wanting to write since I developed the concept, and the fact that the outline has been done for months, and there was some serious anticipation building!

Now though, I'm fully immersed in the story, and having the time of my life. About six chapters to the end, I will wish I was already done, and then I'll hit the final climax, and won't be able to write fast enough to keep up with the ideas in my head.

It feels good to be writing after a few forced weeks doing nothing but edits, housekeeping stuff, and critiques.

How about all of you? Do you share that special energy when you get to put those first chapters down? Are you NaNoing this year at all?

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Well, after listening to two years about this NaNoWriMo stuff, I decided to give it a shot. It was time to start my next Templar book, so it all fit together very nicely.

What have I decided? This NaNo stuff is kinda fun. It pushes me. Not that I particularly need to write any faster, but I am obsessed with that little graph. How high can I get it to climb in one day? And when the blue bar crosses over the purple one... boy that seriously makes me giddy!

My critique partners and I have also challenged one another, and when I saw Dyann creeping up on me, I had to write some more. (Evil laugh!)

Anyway -- is anyone else out there NaNoing? What are your experiences so far?

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

Hello fellow authors and blog-mates! It's me, Claire, again.

Last month, while I was trying to sift through an insane amount of email, I found buried in one of my folders a notice for workshop proposals for a conference that, although I haven't been there, I've heard outstanding things about. This would be the NOLA Star's, Written In The Stars, conference, put on by the chapter who hosts The Suzannah contest each year.

So, I dug out a workshop I'd put together for my local RWA Chapter, did a little cutting, did a little revising, crossed my fingers and sent it off.

Last week they accepted my proposal!

So, in March of 2011, I'm going to my first out-of-state conference, as a guest speaker! And I'm trying to convince everyone I know to register and attend. Unfortunately, our esteemed leader, Jewelann won't be present, but it looks like there are some awesome programs being offered, and who can go wrong with Louisiana?

Personally, Louisiana has been on my list of 'Intended Destinations' for a long time, so I'm doubly thrilled! Downside -- I won't get to stay in that haunted planation house I've always wanted to see. Oh well, maybe next time. I'm more excited about meeting authors and interacting with the folks I admire and respect than meeting some ghosts. And, to top it all off, I just heard this morning it looks like one of my critique partners is going to make the drive down with me.

Which means, quite possibly, we might not have to rush off that Sunday morning. Though work schedules will come into play, I'm sure.

Ahhh... Shreveport, here I come! I do so love the south.

Here's a blip about the workshop:

Gone Fishing!
Everybody knows to catch the fish you have to have the appropriately baited hook. Catfish gnaw on hot dogs. Trout are picky. Bass like things that sparkle. But what'll make an editor bite? Published author, Claire Ashgrove, will discuss five different types of hooks and illustrate how to make your manuscript sparkle appropriately when the submission pool is full of generic bait.

For more information: 2011 NOLA Stars Conference

Please come join me, I'd love to see you there!

Now... I'm not going to names, first and foremost.

But tonight I set aside the first book that I've ever picked up and started to read. The book was published by a house I usually gobble up everything they put out. The author was new to me. (And if you've watched my posts at Cascade -- no it wasn't one of the two books I mentioned there that I was interested in.)

In the first three pages of the story I changed points of view so many times it was frightening. And that just set off the nails on chalkboard feeling for me. So, I literally tossed the book aside. I don't know about the rest of you, but after listening to class after class on craft, I have become more or less a POV purist. I want the change blended smoothly if it isn't at a scene or chapter break, and I want to stay there for at least a page. I don't like author intrusion -- when a character starts describing things they couldn't possibly see/know about themselves -- and I don't like to feel like a ping-pong ball when I'm trying to follow a story.

Ask my poor crit partners... these things drive me nuts.

I even double-checked the publication date on the novel -- 2010. The cover was awesome. The premise really enthused me... but wow... I just can't get past the head hopping and author intrusion and how it cleared an editor's desk. Espeically out of this house where everything is usually something that makes me wish I had written the book.

Anyway, it got me thinking about how I've grown. I remember one early critique partner pointing out my head hopping, and to think that my personal writing avoids even the blended POV shift now is kinda funny.

I've heard pre-published authors talking about "Well so and so does it..." and I hadn't really realized how much of this still happens beyond some of the big, established names. (And to my knowledge this author doesn't qualify as "big" "established"). But now I can see where confusion comes from. I can see how come folks have trouble with "my manuscript was rejected for head hopping" when published authors are doing this.

Have you all noticed this? I say, I have to toss my hat into the "confused" pile now.

Anyway -- Folks, don't succumb to the 'cheat' of head hopping. There's a place and a time to switch POV, and it isn't a bad thing to switch POV. But switching every three to four paragraphs tends to infuriate readers like me.



~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

First things first -- sorry folks for being late with my posting today. I usually post late at night, but last night exhaustion set in before I could type anything.

So, this week, I've been doing a lot of house-keeping related to writing. Fleshing out a few ideas, smoothing out some rough spots in an existing manuscript, doing edits for Waiting For Yes, and a bunch of other stuff related to chapter work, critiques and other general things.

The result was, by mid week, I was pretty unenergized in general. So what did I do? I fed my shoe obsession. Somehow that always works well.

Allow me to introduce you to the cutest pair of shoes I've ever set my eyes on.









Contrary to my fellow shopper's opinion of, "You've got to be kidding", as I toted these shoes through several department stores looking for something to wear with them, I got rave reviews. Regardless of anyone else's opinion, these perked my spirits like nothing else. I was struck with the need to write about a woman in snappy shoes. Hee.

And then the first pair of high heels I've ever owned:




They don't look it in this picture, but they are four inches tall. And I confess, the sudden urge to own a pair of platform stilettos came from the heroine I just finished writing about. More aptly, her job. That's all I will say there. With a little luck, that story will come out in print and we'll talk about that later.


It's funny -- I haven't been shopping in, quite literally, years. Yet, this little spree really energized me. I'm finding myself anxious to be done with all the house-keeping necessities and ready to put new words into action.


But before I do that, I have one more trip to make.

I thought I'd give these two (new to me) romance authors a shot.






Then, I think I'll knuckle down and do some writing come November.

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com