Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The House on Harbor Hill
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Ellis, Shelly
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.shellystrattonbooks.com/
CITY:
STATE: MD
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2017039972
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2017039972
HEADING: Stratton, Shelly
000 00735cz a2200157n 450
001 10497671
005 20180511161719.0
008 170706n| azannaabn |a aaa
010 __ |a n 2017039972
040 __ |a DLC |b eng |e rda |c DLC |d DLC
053 _0 |a PS3605.L4695
100 1_ |a Stratton, Shelly
370 __ |e Prince George’s County (Md.)
500 1_ |a Ellis, Shelly
670 __ |a Between lost and found, 2017: |b ECIP t.p. (Shelly Stratton)
670 __ |a amazon.com 07-06-2017: |b (Shelly Ellis; Shelly Ellis is the penname of African American women’s fiction/romance author and creator of the Gibbons Gold Digger series; her first novel title: The right maneuver; also uses her real name: Shelly Stratton; she resides with her family in Prince George’s County, MD)
LC control no.: no2013049807
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2013049807
HEADING: Ellis, Shelly
000 00756cz a2200181n 450
001 9260407
005 20170714103226.0
008 130507n| azannaabn |a aaa c
010 __ |a no2013049807
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca09468000
040 __ |a IGuWNP |b eng |c IGuWNP |e rda |d DLC
053 _0 |a PS3605.L4695
100 1_ |a Ellis, Shelly
500 1_ |a Stratton, Shelly
670 __ |a Can’t stand the heat |b ECIP t.p. (Shelly Ellis)
670 __ |a Between lost and found, 2017: |b ECIP t.p. (Shelly Stratton)
670 __ |a amazon.com 07-06-2017: |b (Shelly Ellis; Shelly Ellis is the penname of African American women’s fiction/romance author and creator of the Gibbons Gold Digger series; her first novel title: The right maneuver; also uses her real name: Shelly Stratton)
953 __ |a rg17
PERSONAL
Married; children: daughter.
EDUCATION:Received degree from University of Maryland, College Park.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Novelist. Former crime reporter for local newspaper; editor for trade journal.
AWARDS:BET Books First-Time Writers contest finalist; NAACP Image Award nomination, 2014, for Another Woman’s Man.
WRITINGS
Also contributor to anthologies, including Tracee Lydia Garner and others, All That … and Then Some, BET (Washington, DC), 2001.
SIDELIGHTS
Romance writer Shelly Stratton specializes in novels that feature protagonists of color. Her works include novels she wrote at the beginning of her career under the pseudonym L.S. Childers (The Right Maneuver and A Love Built to Last), under the name Shelly Ellis (Can’t Stand the Heat, The Player & the Game, The Best She Ever Had, Another Woman’s Man, Best Kept Secrets, Bed of Lies, Lust & Loyalty, To Love & Betray, and In These Streets), and under her own name (Between Lost and Found and The House on Harbor Hill). “From an early age, I’ve wanted to see my name on a book cover,” Stratton revealed in a blog post on her Urban Writers website. “With luck and lots of perseverance, I was able to achieve that goal with the publishing of my first short story when I was twenty.” Ten years later, she continued, her first novel—The Right Maneuver—was published.
Stratton’s specialty is the subgenre called urban romance. “I noticed that a lot of people who have stumbled upon my fair bloggidy blog … [want to know] how to get into writing urban romance,” Stratton stated in an Urban Writers post. “(And by ‘urban,’ I mean black, African American, ‘brown complected’! This is very different from ‘urban lit,’ which I don’t write. If there’s is a ‘wifey,’ ‘mamas,’ or a superfluous ‘Z’ in the title somewhere then you’ve probably picked up an urban lit novel.) ” “Though I’ve always meant to join one in the course of writing my novels,” Stratton stated in her introduction to a guest blog post on her Urban Writers website, “I’ve never participated in a writers’ workshop to get feedback on my work. Maybe it was traumatic experiences from listening to critiques during college writing classes that’s kept me from trying them, or just plain laziness (that’s probably closer to the truth), but I’ve often wondered if I could benefit from the process. With the exception of one or two relatives and friends, usually the first people to read and critique my novels are agents and editors at the publishing house.”
The Right Maneuver
The Right Maneuver tells the story of novice campaign manager Keisha Reynolds, who has agreed to work for her former college professor Sydney Parker’s attempt to win a congressional seat. Her job becomes even more difficult when she begins to feel an attraction toward William Blake, the deputy manager of the campaign of the incumbent Vincent Dupré. “When I was a beat reporter, I did stories on a few election campaigns, going to polls to talk to voters and following congressmen, mayors and councilmen around. But to write this story,” Stratton explained in an interview in SORMAG’s Blog, “I knew I had to do more research to make it even vaguely believable. I read books on campaigning and how to start a campaign, and who’s responsible for what. The Right Maneuver isn’t meant to be a true reflection of an election, but I felt comfortable that it came reasonably close enough so the readers wouldn’t feel the book was insulting their intelligence.”
Stratton’s second novel, also written under the pseudonym L.S. Childers, is A Love Built to Last. “A Love Built to Last,” Stratton said in her SORMAG’s Blog interview, “had a fun inspiration. I’m a big fan of style television. I thought, “What would it be like if spliced Kimora Lee Simmons from Life in the Fab Lane (from the Style Network) with Rachel Zoe from The Rachel Zoe Project (from the Bravo Network) and then turned up the attitude several notches?” That’s how you get the feisty heroine, Melody Cannon, a successful fashion stylist…. [But] when Melody takes an early retirement from Tinseltown and returns home to the Washington, D.C., area to start a new life, she encounters the irresistible force known as Clayton Reed.” Clayton, however, is less than overjoyed by Melody’s return. He remembers her as the bully who made his life miserable during their childhood together, and he has no desire for the relationship to continue—or even for a new one to begin. “As beautiful as she has turned out to be he doesn’t trust her and wants nothing to do with her,” wrote Beth Hardy in Night Owl Romance. “He knows that hiding behind the pretty face is that same hitting little girl.” “The tension between Clay and Melody had its roots in their childhood,” explained an Eye on Romance reviewer, “and Ms. Childers does a nice job of demonstrating how events in the past can shape future relationships. This budding romance isn’t one that occurs naturally or easily.”
The House on Harbor Hill
The House on Harbor Hill was published under Stratton’s own name, and it tells the story of Delilah Gray, who “seeks out and takes in women experiencing difficulties to ease her own pain,” explained a Kirkus Reviews contributor. “Her latest project, Tracey Walters, was abused by her successful husband, just as Delilah was.”
The author explores Delilah’s own past and the developing relationship between the two women in alternating chapters. “Stratton’s novel,” wrote Booklist contributor Emily Borsa, “depicts change and strength that are timely with today’s social climate.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 1, 2018, Emily Borsa, review of The House on Harbor Hill, p. 37.
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2017, review of Between Lost and Found; February 15, 2018, review of The House on Harbor Hill.
Publishers Weekly, March 25, 2013, review of Can’t Stand the Heat, p. 50; July 15, 2013, review of The Player & the Game, p. 154.
ONLINE
Kensington Books website, http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/ (June 14, 2018), author profile.
Night Owl Romance, https://www.nightowlreviews.com/ (June 14, 2018), Beth Hardy, review of A Love Built to Last.
Romance Novels in Color, http://romancenovelsincolor.com/ (May 15, 2013), review of Can’t Stand the Heat.
Shelly Stratton Books, http://www.shellystrattonbooks.com (June 14, 2018), author profile.
SORMAG’s blog, http://sormag.blogspot.com/ (April 29, 2011), author interview.
Urban Romance, http://lschildersromance.blogspot.com/ (February 14, 2011), L.S. Childers, “The Long, Hard Struggle”; (April 19, 2011), Shantee’ Cherese, “How to Work a Writers’ Workshop”; (January 25, 2012), “How to Become an Urban Romance Writer.”
Shelly Stratton is an award-winning journalist who earned her degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. Another Woman’s Man, her novel written under the pseudonym Shelly Ellis, was nominated for a 2014 NAACP Image Award. A film buff and amateur painter, she lives with her husband not far from Washington, D.C. Visit her online at shellyellisbooks.com.
As long as she could remember, Shelly Stratton (who also writes under the penname Shelly Ellis) has wanted to be an author. In college, she studied journalism and started out as a crime reporter for a small local newspaper. Now she is an editor at a trade journal.
She became an author when she was selected as one of four finalists in the BET Books First-Time Writers Contest when she was 19 years old. The prize was having her first short-story romance published in an anthology.
Since then, she has authored ten books and has been nominated for various awards, including a NAACP Image Award® in the Literary Fiction Category, an African American Literary Award in the romance category, and a RT Reviewers’ Choice Award.
Shelly lives in Maryland with her husband and their daughter. She loves to paint, read, and watch movies.
Print Marked Items
Stratton, Shelly: THE HOUSE ON
HARBOR HILL
Kirkus Reviews.
(Feb. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Stratton, Shelly THE HOUSE ON HARBOR HILL Dafina/Kensington (Adult Fiction) $15.95 3, 27 ISBN:
978-1-4967-1117-5
Delilah Grey, widow of the wealthy Chauncey "Cee" Buford after having started out as his mother's maid,
seeks out and takes in women experiencing difficulties to ease her own pain.
Her latest project, Tracey Walters, was abused by her successful husband, just as Delilah was. Tracey got
away with her two children but is broke and about to be evicted. Delilah invites her to stay at her beachfront
home, Harbor Hill, which she inherited after Cee died decades ago under murky circumstances. Delilah
survived not only her marriage, but a murder conviction and subsequent release on appeal, which makes her
an outcast. Her only friend seems to be Aidan, the grown son of one of the women she helped. Aidan takes
care of Harbor Hill and its grounds and often sleeps with the women who come to stay. This sets up the
unlikely scenario that he doesn't try to sleep with Tracey, allowing for conflict when she finds out how he
usually behaves and thinks his kindness to her is a prelude to trying to sleep with her, too. The climax of the
story is page-turning but requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief in the buildup; for example, Tracey's
mom encourages her to return to her violent husband and even tells him where she lives. The story centers
on domestic abuse as well as racism, classism, and mental illness. All of these are important topics that
merit attention in fiction, but Stratton (Between Lost and Found, 2017) dilutes each of them by trying to
provide suspense and romance and also cover those things, and doing none of that successfully. That the
police never even try to find out who really killed Cee seems unrealistic, as does the complete lack of
resources or support for the abused women besides each other.
Will the two women put their troubled pasts behind them and find happiness? By the end of this frustrating
novel it's hard to care.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Stratton, Shelly: THE HOUSE ON HARBOR HILL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A527248278/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a56b8a88.
Accessed 20 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A527248278
The House on Harbor Hill
Emily Borsa
Booklist.
114.13 (Mar. 1, 2018): p37.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
The House on Harbor Hill. By Shelly Stratton. Mar. 2018.352p. Kensington/Dafina, paper, $15.95
(9781496711175).
Have you ever been tempted to pick up and start over somewhere new? Have you ever been forced to?
Tracey Walters comes to a small beach town in Maryland with her two young children, but from where, no
one knows. What someone does know is that Tracey is struggling to make ends meet and that she has
secrets that she is hiding. Delilah Grey, no stranger to secrets, is a longtime resident in Camden Beach but
also a fellow outsider. Delilah lives in a mansion called Harbor Hill, where she takes in the less fortunate
who seem to need a little help in their lives. When Delilah reaches out to Tracey, neither woman knows
what is to come and how they will eventually depend on each other. Stratton (Between Lost and Found,
2017) strategically alternates between past and present, drawing out the mystery of Delilah's past and a
murder that took place at Harbor Hill. Though the setting is cozy, there are hard truths and issues hidden
under the beachside veneer. Stratton's novel depicts change and strength that are timely with today's social
climate. --Emily Borsa
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Borsa, Emily. "The House on Harbor Hill." Booklist, 1 Mar. 2018, p. 37. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A532250897/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=514c7e8f.
Accessed 20 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A532250897
Stratton, Shelly: BETWEEN LOST AND
FOUND
Kirkus Reviews.
(June 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Stratton, Shelly BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND Dafina/Kensington (Adult Fiction) $15.00 7, 25 ISBN:
978-1-4967-1115-1
When a Washington, D.C., executive hears her grandfather has disappeared in South Dakota, she hops on a
plane, risking her relationship and her job, only to discover it was a ruse--but now he's disappeared for
real.Mark and Janelle are the perfect African-American Washington couple: "They looked good together;
she looked like the black Ann Coulter next to his black Tucker Carlson." But on the night of the
housewarming party for the new place they've just bought together, she receives a mysterious phone call
from a woman she doesn't know telling her that her grandfather has "gone missing in Mammoth Falls."
Frightened and distracted, she barely registers that Mark is proposing to her, and when she gets on a plane to
South Dakota, Mark is disapproving rather than supportive. After she lands, she learns that Pops' girlfriend,
Connie, made the call at his request to lure Janelle away from Mark, since Pops doesn't think he's worthy of
her. But now that she's in town, no one knows what's happened to him and whether he's in trouble or hiding
out to keep Janelle around. Yet as the days tick by, past and present wounds and tensions rise up--for Janelle
and in the town--and as she tries to juggle her job and her relationship from a distance, she begins to
question what truly matters, especially when she must confront an unexpected attraction to the local blond,
blue-eyed police chief. Deftly drawn characters populate a quirky town and enhance an already creative,
engaging plot. A touching, nuanced, adult coming-of-age novel that includes an interracial romance and
keen studies of guilt, bias, and small-town America.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Stratton, Shelly: BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495427656/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=85249d0a.
Accessed 20 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495427656
Can't Stand the Heat
Publishers Weekly.
260.12 (Mar. 25, 2013): p50.
COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Can't Stand the Heat
Shelly Ellis. Kensington/Dafina,$15.trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-7582-9036-6
Gleefully demonstrating that a person cannot be defined by his or her past, Ellis (A Love Built to Last, as
L.S. Childers) bubbles to the top with the Gibbons Gold Diggers series launch. Lauren Gibbons is a
rebellious former lady of leisure who breaks out of the family business of courting men for their money and
becomes a restaurant sous chef. While avoiding her ex and the gilded cage of her past, Lauren crosses paths
with Cris Weaver, a former NFL star who is considered the perfect catch by her mother and sisters. She
must balance the bitterness of the past with the delicate sweetness of the new life she's building. Sizzling
chemistry ignites between the main characters, developing from a slow simmer as anticipation and plot
build to a full rolling boil. The book features sparkling dialogue, delicious romance, and a masterfully
constructed story with a strong, well-developed cast of characters whose varying viewpoints provide depth
and layering. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Can't Stand the Heat." Publishers Weekly, 25 Mar. 2013, p. 50. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A324587820/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=afb6e94f.
Accessed 20 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A324587820
The Player & the Game
Publishers Weekly.
260.28 (July 15, 2013): p154.
COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Player & the Game
Shelly Ellis. Kensington/Dafina, $15 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-7582-9037-3
Playing with the popular adage "Don't hate the player, hate the game," Ellis continues her Gibbons Gold
Diggers series (begun in Can't Stand the Heat) with a solid and sympathetic story. Stephanie Gibbons is a
successful real estate agent and one of her mother's best students in the art of chasing and manipulating
wealthy men. When the game gets turned around on the player, however, Stephanie must look deep inside
herself to plan her revenge--with the assistance of sexy private investigator Keith Hendricks. Familiar
familial themes are presented without judgment, and there's a surprising depth to the slightly overused plot
that encourages readers to step back from their own prejudices and see things from the "player's"
perspective. Smart, sexy dialogue and a hint of mystery will satisfy both series fans and new readers. (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Player & the Game." Publishers Weekly, 15 July 2013, p. 154. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A337184472/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=db8fd373.
Accessed 20 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A337184472
Urban Romance
How to write, self-edit, and publish African-American romance. Author L.S. Childers talks about her books, The Right Maneuver and A Love Built to Last.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
How to Work a Writers' Workshop
Now I'll admit it...though I've always meant to join one in the course of writing my novels, I've never participated in a writers' workshop to get feedback on my work. Maybe it was traumatic experiences from listening to critiques during college writing classes that's kept me from trying them, or just plain laziness (that's probably closer to the truth), but I've often wondered if I could benefit from the process. With the exception of one or two relatives and friends, usually the first people to read and critique my novels are agents and editors at the publishing house. I invited a fellow writer and guest blogger Shantee' Cherese to share her experiences with different types of workshops and groups, sharing the pros and cons of each. Its a long post...but I think pretty informative! It starts below:
When I decided to write, I foolishly believed that was all I would do. I would sit at my computer, type up something once and send it off to be edited and published. No one prepared me for the concept of rewriting and, perish the thought!, critique groups that would give their opinions on my prose. So I went through this process, mainly because that’s what all my writing books said I should do. Then a wise man told me, “the point of writing is to be read,” so I gradually got over my critique group phobia.
I’ve been in a variety of critique group/workshop sessions since then. My participation has been sporadic – depending on the writing project and where I am in the revision process – but I’ve learned something from each group I’ve been a part of. Here are the five workshop settings I’ve been in, and my insights on each one.
The Online Workshop. Zoetrope.com has a virtual studio for writers. Members of the community have to critique five stories for every one submission they make. There are areas for short stories, novellas and screenplays.
Advantages:
-Quid Pro Quo. The site’s rules guarantee that someone will read and review your story. The polite thing to do is to provide a critique for your reviewers.
-Diversity. This is an international writing community, so your work will be read by people who might not otherwise be able to access it.
-Networking. Writers of various levels in their careers use the site, so that can be a valuable elbow-rubbing tool.
Disadvantages:
-Quality: The fact that everyone is required to do five reviews before submitting means that at least one of those reviews will be a rush job, where it becomes obvious the reviewer didn’t finish reading the story. Your story might be the one.
-Fairness: There will be times when you provide an insightful review to someone’s richly detailed, 8,000-word story, only for them to give you a shoddy review of a 1,500 word story you’d submitted previously.
-Critique Fatigue: Reading and reviewing can be a drain, especially when you have to do it five times.
Conflict Creation. In a past life, I helped run a writing workshop in a men’s prison. It was a poetry workshop, so it allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone. A university sponsored the workshop, so it ran on a weekly basis each semester. At the end, we all gave a reading at the prison.
Advantages:
-Brutal honesty: I can write some horrible poetry, and no one knows that better than these fellow workshoppers. Their honest opinions helped me take my work to the next level.
-Brutal Discipline: We had writing assignments each week. Pity the fool who didn’t do them, or didn’t take the work seriously. The group’s elders – three of our best writers that I nicknamed The Wise Men – would glare at you until you straightened up.
-Brutal Insight: This was where I meant The Wise Man who gave me the quote about writing. It was his way of telling me to toughen up and take critiques – good and bad -- because I’d have to deal with them all my life.
Disadvantages:
-Outside forces. There were days when some of the best participants had a conflict with the prison staff and couldn’t come to a session. That took away a lot of the group’s synergy.
-Control. The participants got distracted easily and it was hard to keep them focused.
-Oversight: The prison has to sign off on everything you do, from workshop materials to who is invited to performances.
Friend Reviewers. In the absence of a writing group, I’d give copies of my novel to friends. These were not just any friends, but ones I knew would finish the book and give their honest opinions.
Advantages:
-Your relationship. You know their personality and can already predict which aspects of the story they will like or dislike.
-Trust. This is someone you know will do what is asked of them, and not share your story with others.
-Good vibes. These are people who love you and want you to succeed.
Disadvantages:
-Cheerleaders. You’ll have some friends who are so in awe of your project that they’ll only want to tell you what’s good, not bad.
-Taking it personal. No matter what you write, some will presume your antagonist is based on them and write a scathing review. Some will dislike a plot point that you think is absolutely necessary.
-Lack of diversity. You may have so much in common with some friends that they are a carbon copy of you. That equates to you reviewing your own book, which can’t be good.
Academic. In college, I took a few fiction writing classes. The rules were simple: Everybody provides a piece of fiction and we’d spend a portion of the class talking about what worked and what didn’t work.
Advantages:
-Diversity: The reviewers are of all ages and ethnicities, and if it’s an elective class, they may not have a writing background at all.
-Grades. Your grade depends on it, so everyone will submit a quality review.
-Networking. Some of the students work on the college’s literary journal or have contacts to others in the area. Take advantage of it.
Disadvantages:
-Jealousy. All teachers have favorites (some hide them better than others).
-Your grade. Disparaging someone else’s writing may not be your thing, so you’re probably not vocal in class. Expect your participation grade to be a reflection of that.
-That Guy/Girl. Each class has that person who hates everyone else’s work, but makes a submission that is subpar. It might be easy to disparage that work as an act of revenge. Don’t.
Overall, I’ve learned something valuable from each group setting. These days, I fluctuate between the friend reviewers and the online community. I submit my longer work to my friends, while the short stories are submitted online. That should keep me in an ongoing state of writing and revising until it’s ready for the world.
Posted by L.S.Childers at 9:56 AM
The Right Maneuver (April 2011)
Never mix sex with politics! (Click on cover and buy at Amazon.com_
My Q & A on the Shades of Romance Blog
How to Work a Writers' Workshop
Finally Seeing Your Book on the Shelf...
About Me
L.S.Childers
Maryland, United States
As long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a writer. In college I studied journalism and started out as a crime reporter for a small local newspaper. Now I'm an editor at a trade journal in Virginia. I had my first short story published when I was 19 in All That and Then Some! My first novel debuts in April 2011. This blog is about the quest to get a novel published the old fashioned way: how to make it out of the slush pile, how to self-edit, and how to stay sane while doing it.
View my complete profile
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Long, Hard Struggle
It seemed only fitting to do my first entry post about writing African-American romance on Valentine's Day. So...here it goes!
I think there is a good percentage of readers out there who want to be writers. I was certainly one of them. I devour books. Romance, horror, science fiction, biographies – it doesn’t matter. And just as much as I love reading, I’ve felt compelled to put pen to paper and fingers to QWERTY keys to write my own stories. Some girls want to grow up to be a Hollywood star, the next Mariah Carey, or the President of the United States, but from an early age, I’ve wanted to see my name on a book cover. With luck and lots of perseverance, I was able to achieve that goal with the publishing of my first short story when I was 20 in All That and Then Some and my first novel, The Right Maneuver, when I was 30. (Notice the 10-year gap – I’ll explain that in a later post.) But I know for many of you guys out there, making the leap from reader to author is still the item on your “bucket” list you’ve yet to scratch off.
For that reason, this blog will not only be about my literary works (though thanks to those who are interested). It will also be about the writing process, how to submit to publishers and agents (I’ve done both and have been rejected by both), and going through the whole publishing process.
Some of you may decide to skip most of this and take, in my humble opinion, the much easier route: self-publishing. That method probably saves you a lot of heartache. (The only way that publisher can reject you is if your credit card doesn’t clear.) Also, it serves as a great tool for authors who really do believe in their work, but keep getting ignored by editors and agents. At least this is a way to make sure your voice is heard by someone.
But I think there is something to be said about taking the harder route. Admittedly, I could have saved myself a lot of pain and agony if I had self-published. But just as much as I believed my writer’s voice needed to be heard, I felt that someone out there somewhere would eventually hear it. After four years of submissions and rejections, slivers of hope and total discouragement, it happened.
Here is my journey and please, don't hesitate to share stories about journeys you've also taken (or are still taking) in the quest to become a published author.
Sincerely,
L.S. Childers
(a.k.a. LaShell)
lschildersromance@gmail.com
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
How to become an urban romance writer
I noticed that a lot of people who have stumbled upon my fair bloggidy blog aren't coming to learn more about me or my work (*sigh LOL) but how to get into writing urban romance. (And by "urban", I mean black, African American, "brown complected"! This is very different from "urban lit", which I don't write. If there's is a "wifey", "mamas", or a surperfluous "Z" in the title somewhere then you've probably picked up an urban lit novel.) Well the simple answer is getting into urban romance is much like getting into any other literary genre. Those steps include but aren't limited to:
1) Read, read, and read some more. Specifically, read books that are in the genre in which you wish to write to get a true feel for the genre and the market. Believe it or not there are rules for this stuff. (Who knew?!?) If you've gone to enough writers' blogs or workshops, you'll see that there is a basic format for romance, chick lit, horror, mystery, etc. -- at least those that fit commercially within these genres. If you want to make your work marketable, I suggest you stick to these formats as close as possible but give it your own creative spin (which is the true talent of a good writer).
2) Write, edit, rinse and repeat. Very few writers can pen a stellar manuscript in the first draft. Once you've finished writing your manuscript, now comes the task of editing it for grammar, syntax, consistency, character development, etc. I like to edit every few pages as I'm writing, and then once the full manuscript is completed, I do a few more edits, looking at the book in its entirety to ensure consistency. (Did I make sure I spelled the character's nickname the same way throughout the book? One character doesn't have a Texan accent that completely disappears by Chapter 12, does it? Is it raining at the beginning of the scene and then it's suddenly sunny by the end of the scene?)
3) Get a good, HONEST sounding board. Have someone else read your work, but make sure you pick someone who likes and is familiar with the genre in which you're writing. Having a second, third, or fourth pair of eyes on your manuscript can never hurt. Sometimes feedback can an eye-opening (or painful LOL) experience, but I consider it invaluable.
4) The dreaded "wait and see". Now you've written your book. You've done your edits. You've gotten critiques from fellow writers or a trusted friend who you know will be honest with you. You've done more tweaks based on their feedback. Now maybe... just maybe, your manuscript is ready for submission to agents and/or publishers. Wait! Actually, thanks to modern technology and the free market, you can entirely skip this step. All hail to the Createspace and Smashwords of the world! Now you can upload your masterpiece and sell it directly to consumers. But for those who wish to work with traditional, New York based publishing houses, you'll probably going to need either an agent or to submit to the publishers who are willing to accept unagented work.
I've done both: submitted to agents and to publishers. So far, I've had better luck with submitting to publishers directly. (That's how I had two short stories published with the Arabesque line of BET Books back in 2001 and 2003 and had two novels published by Genesis Press last year.) But I wouldn't discount agents entirely.
This submission process usually follows a gauntlet of 3 steps: 1) the query letter, 2) the partial manuscript submission and synopsis, 3) the full manuscript submission. At either of these steps you could get a rejection from an agent or a publisher. (And frankly most writers do.) I'll go more into the gory details about the submission process in my next post.
I hope this post helps to those interested.
Posted by L.S.Childers at 11:35 AM No comments:
Labels: getting into urban romance, writing
SORMAG's Blog
The award winning online magazine for readers and writers of multi-cultural literature.
Friday, April 29, 2011
FEATURED AUTHOR: L.S. Childers
L.S. Childers is a native of the Washington, D.C. area, and since early childhood she knew she wanted to be a writer. She attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied journalism, starting out as a crime reporter for a small local newspaper. She is currently an editor at a trade journal in Virginia.
She enjoys painting, watching comedies, and will read virtually anything written by Stephen King or Dean Koontz.
She currently resides in Maryland with her husband and her cat, Barty.
Her debut novel, The Right Maneuver, was released in April. Her work also has appeared in two short-story collections, All That and Then Some and Trippin’ Over Love.
How did you start out your writing career?
I’ve been writing stories in notebooks since I was 10 years old, but my writing career officially began when I was 19-years-old. I was one of four finalists for BET Books First-Time Writers contest. I entered the contest under my mom’s urgings. She had read my work for years and told me it was good enough to get published. I didn’t think I had a slim chance of winning, but I figured it was worth a try. I didn’t win the grand prize, but the short story I submitted was published in the book, All That and Then Some!, as a runner-up prize.
What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned more about campaigning. When I was a beat reporter, I did stories on a few election campaigns, going to polls to talk to voters and following congressmen, mayors and councilmen around. But to write this story, I knew I had to do more research to make it even vaguely believable. I read books on campaigning and how to start a campaign, and who’s responsible for what. The Right Maneuver isn’t meant to be a true reflection of an election, but I felt comfortable that it came reasonably close enough so the readers wouldn’t feel the book was insulting their intelligence.
What did you hope to accomplish with this book?
I wanted to do a sexy political drama and I feel I achieved that. I think politics is inherently filled with drama and intrigue. So if you throw in two attractive people from opposing sides during a campaign and make them attracted to one another, you just watch the sparks fly.
Which character did you have the most fun writing about?
All the characters were fun, but I enjoyed writing from the perspective of the male lead, Will Blake, the most. It’s always interesting to get into a guy’s head. I kept asking my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time that I wrote the novel), “What do you think a guy would say in this instance? Do you think this response is realistic?” I have to force myself to take off my “woman hat” and try to think like them.
What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?
I was surprised that the saga continues even after your book is finally published. You struggle for years, getting rejections from publishers and agents and you finally get a yes and here comes the really hard part. You go through edits, which can be useful but challenging. You start wondering about sales, whether readers and reviewers will like it. You have self-promotion to consider. In the midst of that, you’re engaged in your day-to-day life and trying to write more books. It can be complicated but…it’s still a blessing.
What aspect of writing do you love the best, and which do you hate the most?
I love coming up with an idea and just feeling it flow out of me as I sit at the computer. When I write, I feel like I’m watching a movie in my head. I’m just typing what I see.
The hardest part is all the drama that comes after you write the book — all the little things it takes to get it on a store shelf: pitching the novel, waiting for responses, getting rejection letters, etc. It can really take its toll on you, but you have to persevere and believe in your work and yourself.
What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?
1) Take advantage of opportunities. They may not come around again. When I had my first romance short-story published by the now defunct BET Books, I was young and kind of immature about the business and took it for granted that I would be able to keep publishing work. I took a break from writing for a few years to finish college and start my first journalism job out of school, but when I came back to novel writing, I found it incredibly hard to get my work published again. It was like the previous anthologies never happened. I had to start from the beginning. I’ve resolved not to make that same mistake twice.
2) Get an advocate. You don’t have to have an agent, but I think it’s better if you have someone who can take on the brunt of the business and promotional side of writing for you and make sure they have your back. Some writers are good business people and self-promoters. I’m not one of them. It gives me a headache! I’m currently looking for an agent for those reasons.
3) There are going to be highs and lows, no matter what. You just have to take it all in stride and remember what you’re doing it for.
Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?
I think the one do for a writer is always have multiple arrows in your quiver, or in other words, always have multiple novels written and ready to go. I know some writers who work on the same novel forever, trying to perfect it, and pitch the same novel over and over again. Even if an agent or publisher rejects one of your novels, it doesn’t mean they will reject another. I usually pitch multiple stories. Also, a lot of publishers like you to release one to two stories a year. I hate writing fiction under intense deadline. I like to be able to deliver stories I know I worked on as long as I wanted. I want it to be in the strongest state it could be when I send it to them. Having another book waiting in the wings helps me to do that.
One big don’t for writers would be don’t be unwilling to adapt. If you feel strongly about your story or what type of writer you envision yourself to be, that’s good, but you still have to remember that it’s a business and publishers, editors, and agents are looking for stories that will sell. Don’t make endless compromises that could make you hate your work, but be willing to take some feedback. After all, the point is not only to write a book, but to get on a shelf and have readers buy it.
What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?
When I told friends and family that I was finally getting a book published, many assumed I was making lots of money from the sale of the manuscript. After I stopped laughing, I explained to them that lots of writers still have full-time jobs. Advances are a lot smaller than they were 20 years ago. Many writers do it for the love of the craft — not for money. If you’re going to become a writer, don’t do it with a big paycheck in mind.
If you could be a character from any book you’ve read, who would you be?
I haven’t wanted to be a character in a book in a long time, but I can say that the character that made me fall in love with romance novels and who I daydreamed about was the character Zoya from the Danielle Steele novel by the same name. She starts out in the book as a teenage aristocrat in Russia, loses everything including her family during the revolution, becomes a ballet dancer, falls in love and loses love but always perseveres. I thought it was a beautiful story. I remember reading that novel with I was 14 and wanting that to be my life.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to paint. It’s my other creative outlet. I prefer to work with oil-based paints, rather than watercolor or acrylic. My house is filled with my work and I’ve done paintings for relatives and friends, at their request. I’m no Van Gogh, but they don’t look too bad.
Also, to lose weight and get healthier, I took up running a few years ago. As a writer and editor, you do a lot of sitting in front of the computer. It’s good to be active sometimes. I’ve started signing up for 5-K races and 5-milers, running a few times a week to train. It’s fun.
What do you do to interact with your readers?
Right now, I’m doing very little to interact with my readers, unfortunately. I set up a blog and posted my email address to hear from them, but so far I haven’t scheduled any readings or signings. I feel like it’s a little early for something like that. I don’t have an established audience. Maybe I’ll do a few readings and signings after my second book.
Our theme for this month is Ebooks. Do you own an ereader and if so, what the last book you downloaded? If you don’t own an ereader, do you see yourself purchasing one in the future?
I don’t have an ereader but I might buy one in the future. I’m on the fence about the e-format. I really love to read paperbacks and hardbacks. I love how the pages are formatted and the glossy covers. It feels more substantial, more tangible. Also, as a fiction writer and magazine editor I spend a tremendous amount of time sitting in front of a computer all day. It’s nice to take a break from the computer screen. But I also think it’s great that people have the option to download books right away. I know Genesis Press just started offering books in ebook format. The Right Maneuver is one that debuted as an ebook before it was released in paperback.
Oprah always asks, What do you know for sure?
I know for sure that even if I never sold another book, I’d still keep writing. This has been a compulsion of mine since I was a kid. I’ve got plots and characters in my head that I just have to get out, no matter whether the stories make it to bookshelves. It’s just a bonus to have other people read these stories.
Can you give us a sneak peek of your next book?
My next novel, A Love Built to Last, had a fun inspiration. I’m a big fan of style television. I thought, “What would it be like if spliced Kimora Lee Simmons from Life in the Fab Lane (from the Style Network) with Rachel Zoe from The Rachel Zoe Project (from the Bravo Network) and then turned up the attitude several notches?” That’s how you get the feisty heroine, Melody Cannon, a successful fashion stylist.
Here’s the pitch I gave to Genesis Press:
Whatever Melody Cannon wants, Melody Cannon gets — or least that has been the case for the past decade. The famous Hollywood stylist is used to giving orders, but when Melody takes an early retirement from Tinseltown and returns home to the Washington, D.C., area to start a new life, she encounters the irresistible force known as Clayton Reed, a local architect whom she hires to design her new abode. Clayton can think of many words to describe Melody, his childhood nemesis who is now his client. Unfortunately, none of those words are good. He’s a patient man but even he can’t control his temper around her. Despite his dislike for the bossy, hot-tempered vixen, Clayton still feels drawn under her spell. As he designs her new home, he gradually breaks down the defensive walls she has built around her. He does it with a passion and love she has never known.
How can readers get in contact with you? (mail, email, website)
Readers can contact me by email at lschildersromance@gmail.com. Or they can go to my blog, http://lschildersromance.blogspot.com/.
THE RIGHT MANEUVER
Keisha Reynolds is a smart, spunky, sexy campaign manager who is not easily intimidated by a challenge. But even Keisha knows when she's in over head after she agrees to help head the campaign of her old college professor Dr. Sydney Parker — a man whom she deeply respects but who is a long-shot win for the congressional seat. The intense campaign takes its toll on the inexperienced campaign manager and Keisha hopes just to make it to Election Day with her sanity and confidence intact.
Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when she crosses paths with the competition, William Blake, the deputy campaign manager of the seemingly invincible incumbent, Congressman Vincent Dupré. She despises Will but she can’t deny that she feels an overwhelming attraction toward the man, who is as good-looking as he is egotistical and seemingly devious. She tries to deny the magnetism she feels toward him, but knows she is losing the battle. It could lead her to make a big mistake that will cost Parker the election. But Keisha soon discovers that it isn't only lust she has to worry about. Politics can be an ugly game and during the election, an earth-shattering secret is revealed that will shake her to her very core.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider becoming a member of SORMAG's community - Join Today
Do you need help with your promoting? - http://sormag.com/advertise.htm
Posted by LaShaunda at Friday, April 29, 2011
Book Review
Ratings
Overall: 9
Sensuality: 8
Sub-Genre: 8
This is an Official Review by an Eye On Romance Official Reviewer
Review for Love Built to Last, A
Author: L. S. Childers
Date of Review: 08/29/11
Reviewed by: Official Reviewer for Eye On Romance
Reviewer Comments:
Melody Cannon has given up her successful Hollywood stylist career in order to return home to southern D.C. Melody knows what she wants in life and the hectic career that she was part of just doesn’t fit in. Returning home gives her time to regroup and figure out the next step to get what she really wants. What Melody doesn’t expect is to run into her childhood crush at a family picnic. She adored Clay when they were children, but didn’t express her admiration in the best way possible. Now they are both adults and Melody finds him as attractive as ever.
Clayton Reed is horrified to realize that the bully from his childhood is back in town. He knows that Melody hasn’t changed. Her years in Hollywood have only increased her mean, hard shell. When his mother suggests Melody hire his architectural firm to build her house, Clay knows that it is a bad idea, but just can’t bring himself to say no. What is even more perturbing is his intense attraction to her.
I really enjoyed this story. The tension between Clay and Melody had its roots in their childhood and Ms. Childers does a nice job of demonstrating how events in the past can shape future relationships. This budding romance isn’t one that occurs naturally or easily. Both Melody and Clay have a lot of baggage that needs to be dealt with and overcome in order for them to trust the other. Ms. Childers allows her characters to have faults and shows them struggling not only with their own emotions, but also with trying to reconcile their romantic feelings with what they already know about a person.
This story flows from the very first page and keeps moving without any glitches or slow moments. Things are constantly moving forward in this book which makes it easy and enjoyable to read. I wanted to know when and how Clay and Melody would resolve their issues.
I also like the fact that Melody not only has to work on her relationship with Clay, but she also has to repair her relationship with her family. She has a sister that she competes with and a mom whom she loves dearly. Added to the mix are a niece and nephew that Melody hasn’t spent much time with in the past, but enjoys.
This is a well-written story about the power of love to help one achieve goals, become a better person and make amends for past problems.
A Love Built to Last
4¼ Stars
Author: L.S. Childers
Review by: Beth Hardy
Genre: Romance
Tags:
* Contemporary
Diverse Books
Publisher: Genesis Press
A Love Built to Last
Clayton and Melody have known each other since childhood. It has been a love/hate relationship. Melody seems to hate him but secretly has always loved him. When she dashes back into town after years of being away, Clayton thinks she is the same little girl who used to serve him up black eyes. As beautiful as she has turned out to be he doesn't trust her and wants nothing to do with her. He knows that hiding behind the pretty face is that same hitting little girl. Melody has a hard time trusting. She would rather hurt other people before she gets hurt. However, when their matchmaking mothers get to work, Clayton ends up constructing her new home. What will happen to the pair?
I mostly liked the book. It was a good romance and took a while for Melody and Clayton to warm up to each other.which was nice to see.
Cons: Clayton was very uncompromising which made it seem a little hypocritical to claim that Melody needed an attitude change. It seemed like he was more abrasive than she was most of the time. Also, the mention of endometriosis is made but it is not mentioned that she really has any of the symptoms during story.to make the reader think she is perfectly healthy. Therefore, when she makes statements such as, "I can't be pregnant, I have endometriosis," it makes you think, huh? It never is an issue until she talks about pregnancy, as if there aren't any other factors, concerns, pain, etc. Lastly, one of the most interesting parts, I feel, was left out. The end of the book, when she says she's going to tell Clayton about her being pregnant (this scene isn't there). I would have liked to see his reaction to the news rather than it skimping so far ahead in time.
Pros (what matters): All that being said, it was a really good read. The fact that it was full length is a plus. It was also refreshing that Melody stepped back and evaluated herself. She definitely had a few selfish ways but when told about it, she actually thought on it and what she could fix. I also liked that Clayton was so close to his mother and always tried to please her. I would recommend this book.
Advancing the awareness and appreciation of diversity in romance novels.
Review of Can’t Stand The Heat by Shelly Ellis
May
15
2013
by Laurel
CAN’T STAND THE HEAT by Shelly Ellis is a story about the Gibbons women. The Gibbons women over three generations have built their reputation as gold diggers seducing men for their money. The family also has a set of rules that they follow.
After three generations of the women in her family seducing men, Lauren Gibbons decides to change it. Lauren suffers abuse from her sugar daddy and is hoping to break from the past for good. Her sugar daddy had beaten her one too many times. She meets an NFL player named Cris and looks for a future with him. With her conniving relatives, vengeful ex, and debt, she may not be able to escape from her past. To her family, Lauren is committing the ultimate betrayal and abandoning the family tradition.
The characters were so realistic and well-developed. They grab you from the pages and stay with you. The story-line catches you from the beginning and draws you in. The dialogue was well developed and written, and you will love the hot, delicious romance. The chemistry between Lauren and Cris was great, and once I started the book I didn’t want to put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next.
Can’t Stand the Heat is the first book by Author Shelly Ellis. As a debut novel for a series, this author has done a wonderful job. I love the author’s writing style. The story-line will remind you of a lifetime movie. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series, and I highly recommend this book to all readers. This book would make an excellent book club discussion.
Thank you Author Shelly Ellis for a wonderful story.
-Reviewed by: Barbara