Blogging at Happily Ever After on "I Love Libraries"

I've a special post on the Happily Ever After group blog on I Love Libraries.

Also, on Friday, June 5, I'm part of the Classic Romance Revival's Blog Carnival. All of the CRR authors will post a special blog on that day. Mine is Gazebos: How to Find a Time Portal, and it tells how I created the time portal in Lady of the Stars.

Thank you all,
Linda

Word Count Revisited

Last September, I wrote two blogs on word count, one on traditional word count, and one on computer word count. If you're like me, you're confused about which one to use

When I attended the my local RWA chapter's conference in March, I asked writers, editors and agents which word count they use. The unanimous answer was--computer word count.

Now, just because we're using computer word count doesn't mean we can forget formatting. Correct formatting is still one inch margins on all four sides, text double-spaced or 25 lines per page (25 lines per page is slightly closer than double-spaced), and widow and orphan control off.

Finding this out makes my life easier. Now I can write single-spaced, which I prefer, and not worry about how many vertical lines my story takes up. As long as I format the ms. correctly in the end, I have a valid word count.

Also, today, my latest chapter in the Neverending Story at Romantic Synonymous is up.

Thank you all,
Linda

Read My Chapter of Pass the Plot 2 at Harlequin Community

On May 18, Harlequin Community will post my Chapter 3 of Pass the Plot 2.

In Pass the Plot 2, selected volunteers each contribute a chapter to a story, like I do on the Romantic Synonymous blog. One new chapter will be added each week until the story is finished.

Here's the link to thread in the forum
http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/write-stuff/pass-plot-joanne-rock
Scroll down, as my chapter, the current latest one, will be at the end.

How did they pick me? I volunteered and the random access selector found me. Sometimes I do luck out.

Harlequin author Joanne Rock started and will finish this eight-part story, an as-yet-untitled medieval. Since about all I know about medievals is what I've read in the Brother Cadfael mysteries and Lindsay Townsend's A Knight's Vow and A Knight's Captive (Shameless Promotion--Lindsay has two more Knight novels coming from Kensington), those of you who write medievals can tell me where I'm all wet.

You have to register at Harlequin Community if you want to comment on the thread. Here's the registration link. The discussion thread link is here.

Hope to see you there.

Thank you all,
Linda

I've Been Found Out

I haven't told anyone at the day job that I write romances. But accidents do happen, and someone found out.

In the upper right hand side of the company intranet's home page is a box for searching the company directory. Type in all or part of the employee's name to find that person's work email, phone number, location, etc.

Just to the left of this handy box is another box for a Google web search. Someone who wanted to find my phone number accidentally typed my last name into the Google box.

First thing up was my website. She sent me an email saying there was a romance author with the same name as mine. I admitted that author was me. "Banche" is an uncommon name.

She was excited to know an author. About two hours later, I received an email from one of her friends, who said she was interested in my Lady of the Stars. I emailed that woman back some information on the book. I don't know if she bought it.

No one else has said anything to me, so I'm not the latest sensation in the company. As with everything else, time will tell.

And I'm blogging on Wednesday, May 12, at Allie Boniface's blog. Here's the url: http://allieboniface.blogspot.com/2009/05/writers-wednesday-interview-with-linda.html

Thank you, all,
Linda

Blogging at Happily Ever After on Ducks

For a change of pace, I'm blogging on my favorite animals, ducks, at Happily Ever After.

http://happilyeverafterauthors2.blogspot.com/2009/05/ducks.html

Take a look at some of the hunks of the avian world.

Thank you, all.

Linda