Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Come get your $5.00 gift card to Amazon today!


Hey folks, Just a reminder that Christie Craig and I will be hosting a live event at Shindig.http://shindig.com/event/loriandchristie today August 28th at 6 p.m. EST (5 p.m. Central, 4 p.m. Mountain, 3 p.m. Pacific). It's Christie's release day for Blame it on Texas!




We'll have an interviewer, the accomplished Cheryl Nason and we're giving away $5.00 Amazon gift card to anyone who shows up at the event. We'd love to see you there. Come get your gift card today!


There's no charge for the event, but please pre register so we'll have an idea of how many gift cards we'll need. Pre-register @ http://shindig.com/event/loriandchristie

Friday, August 24, 2012

Shindig! Come claim your $5 gift card to Amazon

Hey folks, Just a reminder that Christie Craig and I will be hosting a live event at Shindig. http://shindig.com/event/loriandchristie on August 28th at 6 p.m. EST. It's Christie's release day for Blame it on Texas.




We'll have an interviewer, the accomplished Cheryl Nason and we're giving away $5.00 Amazon gift card to anyone who shows up at the event. We'd love to see you there.


There's no charge for the event, but please pre register so we'll have an idea of how many gift cards we'll need. Pre-register @ http://shindig.com/event/loriandchristie

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Video Interview with USA Today

Sorry to be MIA, got three books in various stages of editing and revisions that need attention, plus school started again, but I wanted to share my video USA Today video interview with Joyce Lamb (What a delightful woman she is!)


Saturday, August 18, 2012

Pistols and Petticoats

I'm blogging today over at Pistols and Petticoats and giving away books. Drop by for a chance to win.


http://petticoatsandpistols.com

Friday, August 17, 2012

Shindig with Lori Wilde and Christie Craig!

I had a lovely lunch yesterday with TV/radio personality, Cheryl Nason. She's going to be helping out with our next Shindig event. Some of you came to the previous event and it had a few bugs to be worked out. This time, with Cheryl acting as the host interviewing me and Christie Craig, I'm certain it's going to be a fun-filled hour. Particularly because we're going to get Christie to tell the story of how a cowboy rescued her when she was having problems with a...er...mattress.



That's not all. Once again, I'm giving away a $5.00 gift card to Amazon to everyone who attends the event. What could be better than that? Money to spend on books and lots of talk about books and cowboys and mattresses, oh my!

The event happens August 28th at 6:00 p.m. E.S.T. and there's no charge, but you'll need to pre-register. Just pop over to http://loriandchristie.eventbrite.com to register. Hope to see you there!


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Winners of BLAME IT ON TEXAS

The winners of the Christie Craig, BLAME IT ON TEXAS giveaway are:



Sharlene
Linda E
Loralee
Cathy Ann
Amanda M


Email me your snail mail address to Loriwilde@aol.com to claim your prize!

Lori

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Giveaway!

Today I'm giving away five copies of Christie Craig's BLAME IT ON TEXAS. All you have to do is pop over to  http://ffnp.blogspot.com/2012/08/theme-matters-or-what-cupcake-wars_14.html and leave a comment. You'll be entered to win. Christie's book isn't out quite yet, but I'll preorder it from Amazon and have it sent directly to you. I'll draw the winners tomorrow and post them in the blog so come back tomorrow to see if you won.






BTW--Kathleen O, you won the July 31st giveaway of a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Please send your mailing address to me @ loriwilde@aol.com to claim it.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Got High Concept?


My popular workbook, Got High Concept? is on sale today via Amazon Kindle for $2.99 (normally sales for $4.99)





I’d heard the words “high concept” bandied about in publishing but when I tried to pin people down on the definition, there seemed to be no consensus about what it was. Yet everyone assured me it was an important thing to possess.

Frustrated with the lack of information, I turned to Hollywood for my education. What I found changed my life and the direction of my career. 

But, while there was no dearth of data among scriptwriters about what a high concept was, I still couldn’t find a step-by-step manual on how to construct one. 

I also needed to adapt what I’d discovered about high concept screenplays into novels. They are different mediums and while a lot of things are the same, there are some differences.





Using this method, I sold two novels to Time-Warner books based solely on a 25 word high concept pitch. Not only that, but after the sale was announced on Publishers Marketplace, my agent and I received interest from 9 movie production companies. 

(Sssptt: Also, since I started using the high concept to create my books, I've had zero, yes that's zero, as in no rejections and I've had movie interest in several of my other writing projects.)

That’s when I knew I was onto something and that I had to share my techniques with other writers struggling to understand the high concept.  

What high concept can do for you.

v  Propel your manuscript out of the slush pile.

v  Razzle-dazzle editors.

v  Spur agents to contact you based on a one sentence blurb.

v  Trigger publishers to open their wallets.

v  Rush readers into stores as soon as your book is released.

v  Impress the media.

v  Stimulate industry buzz.

v  Jump-start foreign sales.

v  Earn you a bigger advance.
   
v  Inspire Hollywood to come knocking.

This method is designed to provide you with the tools you’ll need to mold your story idea into an intriguing one sentence pitch that can magically unlock closed doors. If you put in the time and follow the precepts outlined in my workbook, you’ll be stunned by both the increase in your creativity and the response you’ll see from the publishing industry.

A word of caution. High concept is not a substitute for honing your craft. Rather, it’s simply the most effective way to capture an editor or agent’s interest.

Readers respond to high concepts because we yearn for stories that entertain, teach and provide us with thrills and emotional catharsis. The very best high concepts feature sympathetic characters that we can root for.

Our most beloved protagonists are ordinary Joes or Janes who are moved to accomplish extraordinary things. Or else he is an extraordinary human being whom can give us a taste of who we could really become. Or she is the underdog, with the odds so stacked against her, who makes us feel compassion, admiration and suspense

Contrary to popular notions, high concepts are not limited to over-the-top suspense or thrillers. High concept is at the heart of every genre—romance, mysteries, horror, comedies, westerns, chick-lit, lad-lit, sci-fi, time travel & women’s fiction.

High concept is not just a marketing gimmick. It is the very foundation of great commercial fiction. It’s true that publishers love high concept stories, but that’s because catchy ideas and rip-roaring characters are easier to pitch and sell.

Although many credit Tinseltown with inventing high concept, the idea originated long before movies ever existed. You can see high concept at work in Shakespeare and Greek tragedies. In operas and ballads. You’ll find it in Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities and Huckleberry Finn. High concept is here to stay for one very good reason.

It works.



Got High Concept? is on sale today via Amazon Kindle for $2.99 (normally sales for $4.99)

http://www.amazon.com/Got-High-Concept-Dynamic-ebook/dp/B003VYCAGO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344871125&sr=1-1&keywords=got+high+concept

If you don't have a Kindle, you can still read it via the Kindle app on your computer.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

BOOKS AND CRANNIES


Most people blow past Terrell, Texas on their way to Dallas or Shreveport—although a few budget conscious motorists hankering for discount shopping might make a pit stop at the outlet mall off Interstate 20—never guessing what a gem of a town lies beyond the busy byway.
            
Recently, I had the good fortune to explore Terrell and meet some of the colorful townsfolk who showed up for my book signing at Books and Crannies, a most awesome bookstore owned by Gayle and Ron Harris.

 I’ve been to many a book signing in my eighteen years as a published author, but it’s rare to find a bookstore (and a town) with so much heart and character as Books and Crannies. The minute I walked in the door, I felt like I’d come home.

 Gayle is a quiet woman with a shy, welcoming smile, dreamy eyes and a calm inner strength that says, I love books and people equally. You’re immediately drawn to her like a cool drink of water on a hot summer day. They call her the Book Whisperer.


 Her husband Ron is the colorful front man—expressive, animated, witty, and good-looking in a unique way—but what made me most admire Ron, beyond the fact he’s a former fireman, is his obvious devotion to Gayle. They make a great team and I immediately wanted to put them into a book.


Gayle and Ron are just the beginning of this lovely adventure. There’s the bookstore itself, housed in an old converted theatre that comes complete with a resident ghost. Every other Friday, they show an old movie in the small black box theatre at the back of the bookstore. The movie is free of charge, as are the refreshments, so if you go, please tip. The local acting troupe called the Vagabond Players—Ron and Gayle are founding members—also put on plays in the theatre.


There’s Maddie, an entitled Calico who lives in the store. She’s a Hurricane Katrina survivor and has a penchant for crawling into customers’ handbags. Maddie is featured in a book called Shelter Stories and if you ask nicely, she’ll give you her pawautograph on a copy.


 There are Gayle’s employees who are just as colorful as everything else in this place. Ruth, who so kindly tells authors how much their books mean to readers, has worked at the store for many years. She and her husband Mike raise Haflinger horses (there’s an entire blog post in that story!) and they’re mad for ballroom dancing.


Holly is another employee and a gorgeous blonde who could pass for her daughters’ sisters. She’s got five kids and she passed along her love of reading to them, especially her thirteen-year-old daughter, Ariel. Holly’s mom made refreshments for the signing and the delicious homemade cookies were so perfectly executed that they looked like store bought.

Then there’s the community itself. City councilman, Don, dropped by to purchase a book for his wife’s birthday. Don and LaDonna have been married 57 years. Don told me a fascinating story about British pilots being trained in Terrell during World War II and the Texas Heritage Museum that commemorates the history. There was local real estate wheeler-dealer, Pat, who came over to say “hi” and buy a book. Newspaper man, Mike, from the Terrell Tribune also showed up. I was deeply appreciative that they ran a front-page story about my book signing!

 And last, but certainly not least, are the readers who patronize the bookstore. From Emily to Chris and Chris to Margaret and Dawn (who are part of the Vagabond Players) to Sandy and Sylvia and Danielle and Linda and oh gosh, I’m going to forget someone. We talked about books for two hours and the time just flew by! 

Afterwards, several of us went out to eat at a quaint Mexican restaurant across the street called Taqueria Dos Aces. I met the restaurant owner—who has a heartwarming coming-to-America success story—and had my picture taken with him, which he promptly put up on his wall.

At the restaurant, Gayle and Ron shared the story of how they met. It’s a delightfully romantic story, but it’s not mine to share. Let’s just say that when Ron told me that he was a better man because of Gayle, my heart melted. Now that’s a hero!

Next time you’re headed from Dallas to Shreveport or beyond, stop by Books and Crannies, Gayle and Ron will be happy to tell you their love story themselves, sell you a few books and make you feel like you’re one of the family.           

To say that I came away enchanted with Terrell is an understatement. On the ride home, my mind spun, toying with ideas for my next small town Texas series. Don’t be surprised if one day all this turns up in a book.






Thursday, August 9, 2012

Christie Craig Speaks!

Whenever Christie Craig speaks, I listen. She's the funniest person I know. She's got a book coming out at the end of the month and she agreed to pop by to get our appetites whetted for BLAME IT ON TEXAS.



Here's what Christie has to say about BLAME IT ON TEXAS.


Ten Things You Will Learn from Blame it on Texas.

1.      Guys don’t like to play dress up; but when one willingly dresses as a clown for his six-year-old niece’s birthday party—because the real clown canceled—he’s one special uncle.  And could possibly make a special hero for some lucky lady.

2.     Sometimes, fear itself can do much more damage to us than the thing we’re actually afraid of.

3.     Any man who doesn’t cuss up a blue streak when you dump a plate of hot grits on him can’t be all bad.  (In fact, he might just be The One.)

4.     It’s important to remember the lessons of the past so we can use them when making decisions for the future.  But those lessons should never keep us from having the future we deserve.

5.     Before accusing the sexy guy who pounced, knocked you down, and crawled on top of you of being foreplay impaired; check to see if someone is shooting at you.

6.     The southern delicacy of a banana and mayonnaise sandwich may be an acquired taste, especially when a hungry hero chomps down on the delicacy and is expecting ham and cheese.

7.     If you think getting caught screaming and dancing on top of a mattress—all while attempting to rescue your cat from an overzealous dog—can be slightly embarrassing, try doing it while you’re wet from the shower, and as naked as a jay bird.  Oh, and just to make it even more fun, make sure you're caught by your possible love interest who hasn’t seen you naked yet, and  . . . (yes it can get worse) his two best friends.

8.     It’s downright amazing how playing a few rounds of Strip Scrabble can spice up an evening.

9.     A family doesn’t always have to be the people who share your bloodline; sometimes, the best families are those we make when we gather together all the people we love.




“When things go right, laugh; when thing go wrong, laugh harder.”—Christie Craig’s Grandmother. 

My grandmother’s advice is the the motto I live by, it’s also the motto I’ve passed down to all my characters.

Excerpt:

When Tyler spotted the silver Cobalt with Alabama tags parked around the back of the diner, a thrill shot through him. After parking, he took a minute to figure out how best to approach Zoe.  How best to find out why she was snooping around on, and under, his desk?

Inside, he immediately spotted her waiting on an elderly couple.
His gaze did a quick up and down of her shapely body. She filled out the white skirt and top to perfection. When she moved to a dirty table and started stacking dishes, he moved forward.

“Mind if I sit here?” He waited for her to look up, anticipating her reaction.

“No problem.” She barely glanced at him.

When she leaned over to clean the far end of the table, his gaze shifted to her ass and he recalled watching her crawl across his office floor.

“Coffee?” She gave the table two more swipes, her hips moving with the circular motion.

“That would be fine.”  He sat down. “Thanks.”

He waited to see if she’d meet his gaze and hoped for a flash of recognition, but she didn’t look at him directly. He watched her step away. She snagged a cup and filled it. Then turning back, she placed the coffee on a tray loaded down with three plates of food.
She moved toward him and set the coffee on his table while balancing the tray with her other hand.

“Got some cream?”

Her gaze shot to his face, and her blue eyes widened with recognition.

He grinned.

She didn’t move, but one of the plates on her tray did. She adjusted her hold on the tray as if trying to prevent the disaster, but it was too late. Tyler saw it happening, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. The white plate flew off the tray, heading right at his head. He dodged the plate, but the warm grits and scrambled eggs made a direct hit with his face.

“Shit,” she muttered as the plate crashed to the floor.

He knocked a blob of butter from his cheek and looked at her. Her quick step back sent the second and third plate racing across the tray, and, once again, he was the finish line. Shredded potatoes, accompanied by the half-cooked eggs, plopped right in his lap.
Somehow, he’d managed to catch one plate, but the other plate bounced off the table, hit the linoleum, and shattered. As a thick glob of grits fell from the end of his nose, laughter exploded from the other diner patrons.

“I…” She stared at him.

He scooted his chair back from the table and stared down at himself. She dropped the tray on the edge of his table, grabbed his napkin, and started wiping globs of still warm grits off his chest. She kept wiping, following the trail of food down to his lap. She attempted to flop one half-cooked egg from his crotch. But the yoke burst and he watched it run between his legs.

Finally, she raised her head and met his gaze. He stared into her beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest mouth he could ever remember seeing. Appearing almost as mesmerized by his gaze as he was by hers, her hand slipped deeper between his legs. Her gentle touch came in direct contact with sensitive body parts and felt pretty damn good, too. She jumped back as if suddenly realizing where her hand was.

A smile pulled at his mouth. “It’s okay.”  Actually it was more than okay.  By damn, she was a pretty thing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I'm so happy Christie stopped by to share with us and I hope you'll preorder a copy of Christie's book today!


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Adventures of the Traveling Swiss Army Knife

I was going through my purse after my recent travels and found this at the bottom of my oversized bag.

I'm something of a tomboy and love carrying a pocket knife for those unexpected times when you need one. My husband bought me this for Christmas one year.

Here's the bad part. I sometimes forget to take it out of my purse when we fly.

Guess how many times this sucker has flown with me, through TSA checks, since 9-11.

Four times!

It's been to Seattle and back. To Orlando and back. To Salt Lake City and back and now to Anaheim and back. That's 8 times that no one has caught me with this knife. I cringe every time I get home and realize I boarded a plane with a weapon. TSA makes me feel so safe. (Not!)

How about you? Have any TSA horror stories?





Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Tuesday Giveaway

Wanna $25.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble? Just leave a comment and the winner will be posted on the blog next Tuesday. Happy reading!



Giveaway #2. For a chance to win a real tea set, come post at http://www.authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com/

Lori

Monday, August 6, 2012

Jet Lag

Okay, someone give me some pep pills. I have books due and no energy. How long does jet lag last?


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Photos from the Road

Me and awesome author Katie Lane @ the RWA literacy signing. Doesn't she look cute in her cowgirl hat?

Avon made T-shirts of our covers. Maybe I should do a giveaway for the T-shirt?

Me and Sophie Jordan @ Katy Budget Books in Houston. Yes, we are wearing tiaras. We both wrote princess books.

The fabulous readers who came out to see us. Thank you all so much!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Home and gone

Got home, but I'm gone again. T.V. interview this morning. This is the glam stuff of being a writer.

Much as I like traveling and meeting readers, I'm antsy to get back to my writing routine and into my p.j's.

How about you? What are you doing today? Any vacations on your horizon?

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

On the Road again

I'm hitting the road on a five hour drive to Katy Budget Books in Katy, Tx. (outside Houston). Sophie Jordan and I will be there signing from 6-8 p.m. so if you're in the area, drop by. Mention you saw my blog today and I'll have a special gift for you.