A new year is the perfect time to announce an exciting new development initiated by Spectacle Publishing Media Group for these two authors: we’re getting a new face for the entire Fate Series at the same time our latest book is launched.
As Violet Fate, the third in the Sam Osborne series comes out later this month, our publisher is re-launching Twist of Fate and Wretched Fate. The first two books received additional copy edits and have been redesigned so that the three books can be marketed together.
Mom and I love our new look for its vibrancy. Spectacle’s design team maintained the important elements of the stories: for Twist of Fate that was Casey’s wheelchair and the rose that hints at romance; for Wretched Fate it’s Jacob’s beloved Quan Yin (goddess of mercy and compassion) statue and the nail that brings our surprise character into the picture. However, the design team added a rich red that pulses with danger and passion. The look works wonderfully to tease readers into opening the new book―Violet Fate―where a set of eyes is a focal point of the plot and where our characters are drawn into the Amish country. Since that’s the goal of any book’s cover—to create a yearning to see what’s inside—we think The Fate Series redesign is a huge success.
The new books will be available online later this month along with Violet Fate, and we will be launching the new book locally in February.
Mom and I are in awe that we now have three books in print and are working hard on getting the next two into place. It’s only been four years since we began this process inspired by the success of my sibling, children’s book author Allyn Stotz (www.allynstotz.blogspot.com), who is also about to have a banner year. It hasn’t been an easy ride, but it’s been an exciting one, and none of us could have predicted things would go so well. Like I told a young woman who called me for advice on publishing her children’s book early this week: the key to becoming an author is to want it bad enough to pursue all angles, be patient, and not give up the quest.
We hope that 2015 will be the best year ever for all our readers and supporters.
—Genilee Swope Parente
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Tags: Amish books, Applebee's, becoming an author, best mysteries, best romances, book covers, book launch, challenges of getting a book published, getting published, Kwan Yin, launching a book, mystery, new look, Quan Yin, reading, relaunching a book, romance, success in getting published, The Fate Series, Twist of Fate, Violet Fate, wretched fate, writing success
Because I’m a senior and I cannot drive, I’ve had to find other ways to get out. I watch a lot of television, and in the last few years, I’ve done most of my shopping with QVC. I don’t mean to be a commercial, but I must say I am very happy with most of what I get; once in a while I send something back, but the quality of their goods has been excellent. As with any 
kind of shopping, I have lots of days when I can force myself to be practical and not give in to the many temptations I see. Then there are those days I like everything I see and finally give in and purchase something. That’s the kind of day I’m having today. I vowed I wouldn’t spend any money unless I found a Christmas present; but I gave in and bought something for myself! It’s practical and something I will really use, but I spent some money when I vowed I wouldn’t. Such is the life of those who love to shop. Everything looks so good on the models, even the larger ones. Shopping is a way we use our imagination, put those clothes on us and dream.
We do the same thing when we shop for a good book. We look for the color (which is the cover); we notice the style (the print of the book) and we often seek out the design company or the designer (the author).
When you come across the books Genilee and I have written, you’ll see vivid covers, not bright or gaudy, but rich in color and hinting at what is in the book (the way lace might hint at what’s beneath); the style of our books is appealing (Spectacle has chosen easy to read and large type). As for the designers (us), we are still getting to the point where you might recognize us by name. We hope what you’ll learn to associate with that name is entertaining reading. In no way do we consider what we do coming up with deep, provoking or controversial literature. We see ourselves as writers of “moments of escape,” which we both have shopped for when we read. Our books are the kind you love to curl up with in a chair in front of the fireplace to lose yourself fully for a few hours in someone else’s life.
Genilee is working hard at getting the third book polished for the publisher’s last reading, while I am trying to produce book four in the Sam Osborne series. The book Genilee’s immersed in—Fate of the Violet Eyes—sees Sam, our detective, falling in love. I hope you become as absorbed in the characters of the kidnapper and his victim as I was in writing this book. Meanwhile, I am almost done writing book four, which includes some suggestions made by audiences in a series of book talks we held at various communities. I already wrote a fifth book, but I put it aside for a while because it doesn’t satisfy me. Sometimes you just have to put aside something that bothers you—like that dress or that shirt that’s almost good enough. And when you’re shopping QVC, sometimes you have to send it back for a different one or one that fits better.
We hope, of course, that you come across our engaging Fate series in your shopping and decide to try us on. But in the meantime, let me give you a little exercise we do in our book talks (the same exercise that has resulted in including details from communities where we talk into book four).
I often start a book with just a name, then I begin visualizing details for the character and go on to what actions the person might take and end up formulating plots around those details. I thought I’d give you a new name and see what you come up with. I’m looking for things such as age, appearance, personality, job, desires, motivation—give me anything that comes to mind. If we get some replies as comments, I’ll share with you what I have come up with myself.
Here goes, close your eyes and visualize this person: CHRISTELLA CORTEZ
Have some fun with it!
F. Sharon Swope
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Tags: book shopping, books of escape, cozy mysteries, cozy stories, Fate of the Violet Eyes, good reading, good reads, imagination, mysteries, QVC satisfaction, QVC shopping, romance, shopping for books, shopping for escape, Twist of Fate, wretched fate, writing cozies, writing for entertainment
dreamstime
One reality prospective authors need to face is that getting published is not winning a sweepstakes. No one is going to show up at your door with a giant check, flash you a brilliant smile, shake your hand and shout: Congratulations, you’re a winner!
Getting published is a series of steps. If you can keep your momentum, the steps go upward—working towards bigger and better goals and often getting easier as you climb. Some of those steps are major ones: my sister, children’s book author Allyn Stotz (http://allynstotz.blogspot.com/), took a giant hop up this week: she saw her second book, Kailee Finds Magic IN Words, in final form—ready for press. I know that seeing the heroin of her first book, The Pea in Peanut Butter, come to life again on the pages and knowing people will soon hold her creation in their admiring hands has to be a wonderful feeling: in this case, it’s enough of a leap up to carry her past some challenges to come.
I took a big step this week, too, though it wasn’t that golden glow event of seeing my name on a printed page. My step was that I submitted our first draft of Fate of the Violet Eyes, book three of the Sam Osborne series, to our publisher. That means for just a moment, I can sit back, take a deep breath, and realize I’ve done all I could to make this book better than the last two. Having been through this twice already, it also means that I can finally let the experts at Spectacle Publishing Media Group, tell me how to make it even greater.
While it’s vital to our sanity as authors for us to acknowledge and feel our accomplishments—pat ourselves on the back for the steps we overcome, Allyn, as well as Mom and I, will not rest long in this heaven. That’s because as authors of more than one book, we know there are many steps ahead, even after the book is in print. The hardest part about becoming an author is the reality that getting to the point where your book populates the crowded lists on Amazon and Barnes & Noble is much easier than what comes next: getting someone to notice it. And having tracked the blogs of several major writers, I know that, unless you’re James Patterson, you have to direct and participate in how well your book goes over. You have to force yourself to become what you may not be: a marketer. And I bet even Mr. Patterson sometimes dreads putting on a suit or combing his hair to give a speech, an interview or to make a video to post on his official website. We are writers―our art is creation of stories and the alignment of words in such a way that we lead readers down a path we want them to travel. The reality is that, even if you’re shy, you have to believe in your own work enough to want others to feel what you felt when you were creating it.
My intention in saying this is not to throw water in prospective author’s face. While Allyn, Mom and I have been learning how tough it is, we’ve also seen the rewards. Every time you lift a foot and climb up another step, you gain a little strength; you make the next stage of the climb a little easier because you have one thing going for you that you didn’t have before. Whenever you need it, you can turn and gaze back down the staircase and see yourself on that first little stair. You can remember that you are climbing towards your dream—which is a brave step not many people do in their lives. You can feel what it’s like to have recognized what you want enough to have built the staircase in the first place.
Genilee Swope Parente
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Tags: accomplishing goals, Allyn Stotz, authors, becoming a writer, becoming an author, book signing, books, creative writing, Fate of the Violet Eyes, freedom to write, getting published, James patterson, Kailee Finds Magic, mystery, new authors, Pea in Peanut Butter, reaching dreams, romance, stairway to heaven, taking steps, Twist of Fate, wretched fate, writing books, writing late in life, writing process
Both Mark Swope, Genilee’s brother and Sharon’s son and Spectacle Publishing Media Group have posted links to the video of the television show Conversations with Rich. The show aired last week in the Northern Virginia area.
Here’s Mark’s version. It’s a shorter version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNN6oEYpO0A&list=UUh3nHRkelA5vRojc7cuIMGw&feature=c4-overview
And thanks to Eric Staggs, president of Spectacle for posting this longer version:
http://youtu.be/uvlYPMYNTfQ
Genilee Parente
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Tags: books, channel 10, conversations with rich, fame, mystery, reading, Rich Massabny, romance, television interview, Twist of Fate, wretched fate, writing
When you feel stale with your writing, what do you do to inspire? In the old days, when I was only putting words down occasionally with no goal in mind, I’d dig out the old journals. These journals, written in long hand, still inspire when I give them a chance. But now that I’ve actually published a book with mom, I look to something else – recommitment.
Mom and I carted my dad around Fredericksburg, Virginia this week, visiting places we thought might be interested in book signings. At the end of the day, we had two signings booked and a very hot prospect for a third. Pretty good results from a couple of hours of driving. But the day meant a lot more because what it did was re-inspire. Both of us took almost a month off from marketing because of busy schedules (my daughter graduating, visits from friends and family). Mom was chipping away at book five of the Sam Osborne series. I was finalizing the manuscript for Wretched Fate, the second book of the series. But I think we were both feeling the lull that occurs after the passion of first getting published. By driving around, telling our “story” about the miracle of book one coming out, we created a second wind. Mom and I both love the characters Mom created—Sam Osborne, Casey and Danny—and what happens to them in book one. We love book two and the new heroes Jacob Hardy and Rosalie McGovern even more. So it was easy to turn that passion into a road trip. It also helped that while we were telling our stories of how we became authors, we also could report that book one Twist of Fate is about to be reissued by Spectacle Publishing Media Group, and that book two Wretched Fate, will probably be out by the end of this summer. We felt again the excitement of being an author, and it breathed life into the ordinary.
So fellow creators, find that key that will bring you back to the magic place you were the first or second or third time you looked at your creation and realized how talented you are. It may require doing something like driving around, knocking on doors and bragging a little, but you know you’ll also find people who think that what you’ve done is really cool. Or if you’re within that horrid writer’s block we all hit, sit down at the computer and write something new. Remind yourself again why you’re an author. It’s fun. It’s rewarding. It’s an outlet for your creative soul.
And you’ll find yourself driving home, like mom, dad and I did, listening to an old radio station and singing along with the music.
Genilee Swope Parente
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Tags: books, creative writing, Fredericksburg, inspiration, mystery, reading, romance, Twist of Fate, VA, wretched fate, writers block, writing, writing inspiration
First of all, I want to apologize for making Genilee write this blog for almost a month now. We had agreed to take turns every other week but I was tied up preparing for, then hosting family as well as trying to deal with this new program on my computer—Dragon Speak. The program allows me to dictate into the computer to compensate for my failing eye sight.
Understanding any new program is hard enough – but that isn’t what has been giving me fits. Remembering to turn it on and off is the hard part. Dragon Speak is set to type every word you say, and it’s a pretty accurate process. However, remembering when it’s on and when it’s off is the big problem. For example, if the phone rings while you’re sitting at your computer, your instinct is to pick it up, say “hello,” then carry on a normal conversation. If you do that when Dragon Speak is enabled, once you hang up, you’ll see that the page you were writing now has an entire phone call conversation typed. You go to delete the unnecessary language uttering a few unseemly words, and those words will appear on the page too. So far, it seems I spend as much time deleting as writing!
But that’s enough complaining! I wanted to report how fun and useful last week’s book event was. Genilee and I were asked to come to the Thursday Thrillers Mystery Club sponsored by the Potomac Community Library. We were early and the large room that greeted us was empty. However, we waited in the library and by the time of the meeting, that room was filled. We sat at the end of a very long table graced on each side by over twenty members.
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I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see a table full of readers, all with our book in front of them. The idea that they all read and enjoyed our book was a thrill for these two authors. The group was enthusiastic and full of good suggestions, as well as many compliments. It’s hard for me to describe how we felt during those two hours. The closest I can come is to imagine how a mother feels when a group of people tell her how accomplished her daughter is and how proud she should be. For you see, Twist of Fate, is like a baby to us, and getting published was like graduation day.
Thursday Thrillers discuss the plot of Twist of Fate.
Our thanks go out to all the members of the Thursday Thriller’s club for their insights, and for sharing with us how much they enjoyed reading our baby.
And I want to leave our blog readers with a plea to watch for our second child. Wretched Fate will be out sometime this summer, and we’re equally excited about book two. In fact, we’ve worked with our publisher Spectacle Publishing Media Group very closely in many areas, including a system so that book two will not have so many typos!
Hopefully that process will begin with me and with this Dragon Speak technology. Wish me luck, and stayed tuned to this spot for updates on Wretched Fate.
F. Sharon Swope
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Tags: book plots, books, books club, creative writing, library, mystery, our baby, romance, Thursday Thrillers, Twist of Fate, wretched fate
I just received a phone call from a lovely woman who met Genilee in a dress store, found out about Twist of Fate, our first book, ordered it, then called to tell us how much she enjoyed the story. It’s people like her that make what Genilee and I do truly enjoyable. She also said what many of the people who have read the book say: hurry up and write the second one!
We have done just that and sent it off to the publisher for editing. I am very fond of this second book (Wretched Fate) because the characters are so different—both from one another and from the characters in the first book. Someone asked me recently how I go about coming up with these characters and the rest of my writing. Do I visualize and work out the personalities and appearance on paper, figure out the plot and timeline and outline everything? No, I don’t. I write exactly the way I remember Sidney Shelton saying in an interview that he used: “I just sit down and write. No planning. It just comes to me.”
However, like all things in life, the process doesn’t end with the first draft. I go through what I’ve done. Right now, for example I am going through Book No. 3: Fate of the Violet Eyes. And let me tell you, this second draft is not fun. I love to sit down and just write—rereading it, however, is a chore. Not just because it’s not as fun, but because the computer and I don’t always get along. I am 85, and like many people my age, very dumb about all that a computer can do for me, as well as what I must do to use it right. Inserting new chapters and then getting them in the right place, changing new chapter numbers to replace the old —well, it’s not my cup of tea. I get thoroughly mixed up, to say the least.
Still, it’s been fun remembering what I wrote because it’s been awhile since I’ve dealt with these characters and plot (I’ve finished book four and gone on to write a book unrelated to this series). The third book is a about a kidnapping, something Detective Sam Osborne (who is a recurring figure in the series) does not want to handle because of his past experiences (You’ll get a glimpse of those experience in books one and two). The main characters in the Fate of the Violet Eyes tale are the male kidnapper and a little girl he takes, and one of the most endearing aspects of this book is the effect the girl has on her captor. I sincerely hope you will be as intrigued with these two characters as I was while I was creating them.
And I’ll leave our readers with one more juicy tidbit that should get you to buy this book: Sam falls in love!
Thanks to everyone who has called or written to encourage us and tell us how much you are enjoying the Twist of Fate series.
F. Sharon Swope
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Tags: book three, books, characters, creating, creativity, fate, mystery, plot, reading, romance, sidney sheldon, Twist of Fate, writing, writing process
As 2012 evolves into 2013, my mom and I wear broad smiles of satisfaction. It took two years, but mom’s idea to create a way to bring Danny to life and introduce him to a heroine (Casey) he could fall in love with, came to fruition in the wonderful year of 2012. But the most heartwarming aspect of this process is that it’s just begun. Mom, despite her faltering eyesight, has already written four books centered on the detective in Twist of Fate and by her admittance, each book is better than the last.
With that in mind, I want to start 2013 by giving our blog followers something readers are already requesting (a positive sign the first book is well received!): a peak at book two.
Both Casey and Danny return but in diminished roles. Sam has hired Casey as his personal assistant, and she’s turning out to be a top-notch investigator. Both the detective and his assistant are helped by the fact that Danny went into law enforcement and is now on the Lancaster police force.
The central figures, however, are two new characters:
Jacob is a rich, reclusive author who writes juicy romances despite the fact he’s been holed up in his mansion for many years, safe from the outside pressures of the world and free to dream up his heroes and heroines. He is the product of an overbearing father and a completely submissive mother and has fully compartmentalized his current life. He needs routine and the safety of his own walls to be able to write and he draws his inspiration from a set of beautiful, but austere oriental statues.
Rosalie is an overweight, but voluptuous single woman who has never been able to settle on a career, whose sharp tongue and strong opinions have gotten her into trouble many times and who lives for the pleasure of consuming the written word. She lives with her mother, has only a few friends, and is about to be out of a job (again.)
Jacob is pressured by his own agent into hiring a typist to speed up production of his manuscripts. Rosalie pushes her way into the job and what happens between them is a gradual awakening of desire.
Meanwhile, our four-book hero detective Sam Osborne is hired by Jacob to find out who is stealing Jacob’s oriental statues despite the fact the mansion is locked up tight as a fortress.
The book is entitled: Wretched Fate. But who and what “Wretched” represents is the real meat and mystery of this story.
We’re almost through with the writing and polishing, though the book will go through a long editing/finishing stage. But we’re confident you’ll love Jacob and Rosalie as much as you love Danny and Casey. Stay tuned to this blog to find out more …
Genilee Swope Parente
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Tags: fiction, mystery, new books, reading, romance, Twist of Fate, wretched fate, writing
Mom and I just want to announce that we became published authors today, December 1, the beginning of this wonderful month of miracles. Our thanks to every person who encouraged us and kept us going during the long process of creation and publication. And our thanks to Spectacle, our publisher, who made it happen for us.
The book is now available for ebooks on amazon. It will be available on Barnes & Noble by tomorrow and within days as a print book on both sites. You can link to Amazon HERE. Stay tuned to this site for links to Barnes & Noble and to the print versions.
Genilee Swope Parente
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Tags: creative writing, miracles, mystery, published authors, publishing, reading, romance, Twist of Fate
My husband and I have been busy packing this past week: Our oldest and our youngest daughters decided it was time we get our families together for Thanksgiving this year. So Bob and I are off to spend a week in Louisiana and a week in Texas. At ages 85 (for me) and 87 (for Bob), getting ready for such a trip is never easy. It seems the older we get, the more “problems” we can manufacture … we seem to have perfected the art of fretting over the details. Unfortunately, that means little worries too often become big ones.
Yet, deep in my heart I know that we’re really fretting over nothing. Once we are buckled into our seats, we are on our way to a visit that promises to be heartwarming and fun.
As a result of preparation, I haven’t been able to get much writing done this week, and, of course, won’t be able to for the next two weeks. Since the publication date for our first book—Twist of Fate—draws near, it’s hard for me to leave the excitement behind. I don’t have an exact date, but the book will most likely come out while I’m gone. I wish I could tell all my readers and friends the exact day when our mystery-romance story will come out, bringing to life our hero—homeless, kind-hearted Danny—and our heroine—rich, wheelchair-bound Casey. But in the world of publishing, pinning down exact dates is tough. All I can tell you is that if you have an e-book reader, keep checking Barnes & Noble or Amazon. The printed version will take a little while longer.
As you can see from the background of this blog and the picture here, the cover of Twist of Fate is blue with white lettering representing the big snowstorm that plays such an important role in the book. You’ll see an empty wheelchair with a single red rose on the seat and a drop of blood on the floor. I won’t tell you the symbolism behind our cover, but I hope you’ll keep checking for that image. Don’t give up, dear supporters, our book is definitely on its way. And I guess it’s time Bob and I were on our way to see our loved ones.
Genilee and I will keep you posted!
F. Sharon Swope
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Tags: books, family, mystery, reading, romance, travel, Twist of Fate, writing
The new books will be available online later this month along with Violet Fate, and we will be launching the new book locally in February.
swopeparente 