Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Finley is so not me!



 I’ve heard that a lot since the debut of my of the Finley Anderson Tanner series.  I can’t attest to how much she and I are alike.  Yes, Finley and I share the same sense of humor and I suppose her moral code mirrors my own.  That’s pretty much where the similarities end.  Well, excluding the fact that she’s blonde and short.  That’s a function of practicality.  Being blonde and short myself, I know how to dress Finley (fairly high heels are important) and the physicality of the character’s actions reflect the fact that unless she started dating Michael J. Fox, she’d never know what it felt like to dance with her head resting on a guy’s shoulder. 

In all other aspects, Finley and I couldn’t be less alike. 

She’s a shopper, something I personally loathe.  I’d rather remove a kidney than go to a mall.  The whole idea of window-shopping makes me want to stick pencils in my eyes.  Finley’s also heavily in debt, another personal taboo of mine.  But the biggest difference is that she’s an underachiever by choice.  I’m so much of an overachiever that I probably could benefit from lengthy therapy.

Crafting a character is never easy – nor should it be – and there will always be a sprinkling of the author’s personality and/or personal experiences in his or her characters.  Figuring out where to draw the line can be tough, especially when doing an on-going series. 

Knowing Finley needed room to grow, so I gave her some hefty flaws.  In KNOCK OFF, she takes her first foray into the realm of solving a crime.  She isn’t all that adept in the beginning, but by the end of the book, she’s learned a few things, although she’s a long way from attaining the moniker of amateur sleuth.  At best, she’s an accidental sleuth. 

In the second book, KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, she builds on what she learned in the first book, though she’s still a long way from a crime-solving whiz. By FAT CHANCE and SLIGHTLY IRREGULAR she’s hit her crime-solving stride.

Finley marked a detour in my career.  After writing more than 25 romantic suspense novels under my pseudonym Kelsey Roberts, I wondered how books penned by Rhonda Pollero would be received.  Different name, and different flavor. Was there enough mystery to satisfy mystery fans?   
Was the sizzle between Finley and Liam enough of a subplot to draw fans of my romantic suspense?  I honestly didn’t have a clue and after a lot of angst filled soul-searching, I decided I had to put those concerns on the back burner and just tell the story. 

I’m glad I took the chance. People seem to love Finley as much as I do.

And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it?  A writer is a storyteller; everything else is just window dressing.

Happy Writing . . .  Rhonda

Monday, February 27, 2012

Scary Good Personality Quiz

So I took this test (it was quick, maybe 3 minutes): http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/
 
All I could think about when I got my results was ‘How did it know?’  It pegged me from my strengths down to the worst of my weaknesses.  This is what the test said about me:

You have a head for ideas – and you are good at improving systems.
Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized.
You tend to be a bit skeptical. You’re both critical of yourself and of others.
Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you.
In love, you are always striving to improve your relationship.
You have strong ideas of what love should be like.
At work, you excel in figuring out difficult tasks. People think of you as “the brain.”
You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer.
How you see yourself: Reasonable, knowledgeable, and competent
When other people don’t get you, they see you as: Aloof, controlling, and insensitive

I’m not so sure about the scientist part, I’m not a fan of math or science in general, but I get the analogy.  Not sure about the brains part either.  I’ve had my share of dumb blonde moments.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

With a thong in my heart



 People like to turn buttons – I think it harkens back to the acquisition of the opposable thumb.  So, being fully evolved with the aforementioned opposable thumb, I couldn’t resist turning the knob located by the iWhatever adapter in my new car.  It was marked only “L to H.”  Arrogance told me that mean low to high – a supplemental volume control for the iPod streaming through the audio system.

I was driving to Boca, and as I’m want to do, I made an iMix that ran the same time as a round trip.  Less than a ½ mile from home, I discovered that nifty supplemental volume thing didn’t work.  Well, it was a new car - probably just a new car glitch the dealer – made a mental note to mention it when I took the car in for the 500 mile once over.

Being a woman of a ‘certain age,’ hot flashes come and go.  As I was driving, I noticed I was having a new, special kind of hot flash.  The backs of my thighs, buttocks and um, my nasty bits were heating up with each passing mile – and not in a good way.  All I could think was that I really did need to run out and get that ‘Menopause is Your Friend’ book I’ve been procrastinating about buying.  Procrastinating because buying the book signals surrender and acceptance.  I’m still not at a place where aging gracefully is a concept I’m comfy with.

Then again, I wasn’t real comfy with the backside hot flash, either.  I was also feeling a little snippy, so I turned off my iMix and switched the magic knob to off.  Listening to blue humor on XM radio was sure to get me out of my ‘I don’t wanna grow old’ funk.  It did, but not in the way you’re probably thinking.  See, it wasn’t a new kind of hot flash – the magic knob was the on-off switch for the seat heater.  Note to self – the new car manual is more important than the opposable thumb.

The Rhonda Pollero store is open for business (www.cafepres.com/rhpollero), though I can’t wait for my web designer to go in and fix the colors – right now it looks like mud, but I know my woonderful computer geek friends will work their magic and make it visually appealing.  The hottest seller since the store opened?  The thong with the crime scene flamingo on it and the words ‘Creating Trouble in Paradise’ printed on it.  Who knew????

The store isn’t about greed or ego, any money earned from sales will go to The Kyle McKinley Pollero Scholarship.  My husband and I established the scholarship in 1999 after our 13-year-old son died.  In the 11 years the scholarship has been awarded, 14 young people have received full tuition and expenses to Anne Arundel (the college where my hubby taught for 33 years).  We’ve almost reached the goal of the scholarship being self-sustaining (the interest alone covers the scholarship awards).  We’re really close to making that a reality, so I thought what the heck – might as well have some fun raising money.    Rhonda

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Good Bye from Colin Campbell and his AMAZING humor!

Here's Colin's final guest post from BabesinBookland.com . . .
IF A PICTURE’S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Paraphrasing there, but remember when Telly Savalas sang that? Well, growled it. I bet when he had the Number 1 UK single back then he didn’t know he’d be giving me the perfect way to end my guest spot at Babes In Bookland. Because if a picture paints a thousand words then why bother with books at all?

It will come as no shock to those who have read my previous posts that I love the movies. The cinema experience is fantastic if you find the right film. I’ve even got a home cinema in my attic, comfy chairs, projector, five speakers and a subwoofer et al. But if we were talking sex, a movie would be a one-night stand. A good book is more like a four-week affair. And something you can do every night at bedtime. What would the neighbours think if I cranked up the late night volume for a month?

Here’s the deal. You watch a movie and it’s fun but everyone sees the same film. Read a book and every reader sees something different. That’s because a reader brings something else to the party. Imagination. When I write a Jim Grant thriller I see a picture in my head and try to get that down on paper. Descriptions, tone, location. When I re-read it that’s what I get back. When you read it you’ll see a completely different movie. A case in point. I’m left handed. When I right a scene I will make decisions about where certain things appear. The road curves to the right or Grant crosses to his left. If you’re right handed what you’ll picture in your head will be reversed. I’ve read dozens of books where the words give me one direction but my mind says the opposite.

That’s why a book adapted for the screen can be so disappointing. You’ve already seen the perfect film of the book in your head. How can they ever match that? It’s the age old question (well only since the birth of cinema), should you read the book or see the film first? I’ve done both over the years and whichever way you go, it’s nearly always a let down. I didn’t get into the Bond novels until after seeing Goldfinger. When I read it I thought I’d got the wrong book. Not only was the tone and dialogue different the ending was totally wrong. As hard as I tried I couldn’t bring Sean Connery’s voice to what Ian Fleming had written. And try reading Ben Hur. Forget it. Not on the same planet. But once you accept that they are different mediums the rewards can be worthwhile. I love the Fleming books now.  They are separate and different and hugely enjoyable. In a different way to the films.

There are exceptions of course. The Day Of The Jackal was almost identical to the book. Get Shorty’s dialogue read like a script, complete with John Travolta saying it. In my head. And I can’t read any of Elmore Leonard’s Raylan Givens stories without hearing Timothy Olyphant in Justified. The nearest thing to an onscreen novel though is The Wire. The long form allowed by television meant that each season played out like a book with thirteen chapters. Watch the box set and it’s almost like reading a well-constructed novel. Great stuff.

So, movies verses books? Make your choice. Or do like me. Love them both. The pictures may look beautiful and the pace might be electric but a thousand words can seep into your bones. Savour them. Take it away Telly.

What it means to be a Floridian writer


The thing they leave out of the tourist brochures . . .

Yes,  Florida has Disney World, The Space Center,  Busch Gardens,  great beaches and mostly great weather (those occasional pesky hurricanes are worth a demerit).  But we’re also known as Florida, Land of Snow Birds, Canada South, The Place Where New Yorkers Come to Die, and my personal fave - God’s Waiting Room.  Put another way . . . we’ve got a lot of elderly people here.

I’m not anti-elderly - my hubby is, shall we say, eligible for all the senior discounts out there.  And because I feel the need - he’s 20 years older than I am.  Ironically, my hubby is a native New Yorker so he was all for moving to Florida.  I love the beach, I love the weather (most of the time) and it’s a great place to raise a kid.

It’s a horrible place to drive in.  The worst time is November through the end of April when our population swells with retirees driving their motor homes pulling their cars behind them.  Full-timers like me joke about the Canadian license plate - Je Me Souviens is Canadian for “I’m going to make right turn from the left lane without looking or using my turn signal.”  The actual translation is  “I believe.”  Apropos since I do believe they will run me down.

So I'm trying to keep my patience as the 'season' progresses but it can be difficult.  I don't want to be a crash dummy.  And as I write this, my kid is 3 months away from getting her learner's permit.  I don't know which is worse, the old folks (I call them headrest drivers because they're so short when you're in a car behind them all you can see is the headrest) without reflexes or the kid without experience.  

Which brings me to the point - experience.  On Feb 10th I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my first sale.  I look back on that day fondly - I was at work when I got the call.  In those 20 years I've gained some experience in the publishing industry, yet I am now falling behind.  I'll admit it, I'm not fond of the digital publishing craze.  This is my problem . . . it has been my experience that you often only get one chance with a reader.  If they hate your book, they don't run out for the next one.  So I did a little non-scientific study.  I downloaded 10 uploads from Amazon.  9 of the 10 were not edited properly for simple grammar.  Why did this bother me so much?  Because after 20 years and 40 books, I still make grammatical errors that are caught by my agent editor, or copy editor.  I'm far from perfect.  But I have learned a lot from various editors over the years.  The most important thing I learned was I always have more to learn.

So what did my non-scientific exercise tell me?  9 out of 10 of those people probably won't build an audience.  The other thing it says to me is people who have written and properly edited their uploads might get lost in the wash of garbage (sorry) slapped up on Amazon.  I'm sure there are some jewels out there available for download.  I just fear the sheer number of people calling themselves indie authors and not putting their work through the appropriate paces will ruin it for the people who are doing it diligently and professionally.

Yes, uploads are here to stay.  But I wonder what the fallout might be as eReader folks start getting pickier and picker.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

More from Colin Campbell



- BRING ON THE UGLY

As opposed to “Bring on the gimp,” which is a completely different proposition. From, Pulp Fiction of course. Not a real gimp. Am I digging myself a hole here? Anyway, to the point. Hatchet-faced, wrinkle-fest actors in the movies. Those guys with a face like a smacked arse who still manage to hold your attention whenever they’re on screen.

I suppose the prime example of this would be, Charles Bronson. Now there was a man with more wrinkles than a pound-puppy who nevertheless demanded that you watch him in every scene. It helped that he was built like a brick shithouse with more muscles than Morecambe beach. He was good in The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape but he really took off when age added an extra dimension. Death Wish might have been his biggest smash but my personal favourites are less well known. In Elmore Leonard’s, Mr Majestyk he played a melon farmer mixing it with a hit man. All he wanted to do was get his crop in but Al Lettieri (even uglier) wanted him dead. Charlie turned the tables though. Then there was Bronson’s best role ever. As a bare-knuckle fighter in the depression era flick, Hard Times. Hardly any dialogue but when he spoke you listened. With the best fight scenes committed to film. And one of the coolest guitar solo theme tunes. Check You Tube.

Probably the most famous Big Ugly would have to be Robert Mitchum. A man who could play troubled dignity or downright evil without breaking sweat. In Cape Fear he showed his dark side to perfection and yet you couldn’t help watching him. That wonderful deep voice worked for his hero roles too. Numerous westerns and war movies, not to mention The Friends Of Eddie Coyle. An aside here. I met him once when he was in England filming with Deborah Kerr. Had a great couple of days watching him work. Downside, the male hairdresser offered to put me up for the night. And I don’t think he was talking about my parting. I declined. I like my hair the way it is.

Then there’s 007 himself. As fantastic a Bond as Daniel Craig is nobody could call him a pretty boy. Actually nobody’s going to call him anything to his face. It’s like the old joke about what do you call a 300-pound gorilla? Answer. Anything it wants.

When it comes to men, character can outweigh good looks and bring something extra to the table. With women it’s a more delicate matter. And considering where this post is being read I’d better tread carefully here. In a sexist society ugly women don’t have the same fallback position of the wrinkled elder statesman. Is that another hole I just dug for myself? Ouch. My first wife used to say that men got better with age while women just got old. A woman of character may display more unconventional good looks though. Ellen Barkin’s broken nose for example. No man could argue that it doesn’t add something to her downright sexiness. That and her perfectly formed... Thingamajigs. After all, Ian Fleming gave Honey Rider a broken nose in Dr No. And not much else. She was naked apart from a knife belt when James Bond first saw her on the beach but it was her nose she covered. That didn’t make it into the movie.

So when I say, “Bring on the ugly,” I suppose what I’m really saying is, “Bring on the interesting character-filled face.” After all, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder then ugly is only skin deep. I know. I see it in the mirror every morning.