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Soap Operas

Remember the days? Early afternoons and midafternoons, there were soap operas on every station. Stories, one of my friends calls them. Gone are the days of All My Children and Ryan's Hope. Days of our Lives and General Hospital are still running, and a couple others. Dating myself here, but I remember people videotaping the shows so they could watch them when they got home from work or from school.

In my efforts to learn Spanish, I'm watching a telenovela called Tanto Amor (So Much Love). So far, it's anything but. Greed. Infidelity. Murder. Mayhem. The first episode was somewhat shocking, and I wondered if I should look for another show, but I've stuck with this one. After all, there were bad guys in All My Children, too. Anyone remember Marco Dane? (Or am I dating myself again?)

The telenovela has all the intrigue. Murder. Stolen inheritance. A secret will. Arson. Cheating partners. Attempted rape. Do I understand the Spanish (which is the goal, after all)? Mas o menos. More or less. I'm not sure if it's helping with my comprehension or not, but several Spanish speakers have said it's the best way to practice listening. That's how many of them have learned English - by watching television, or so they tell me. The unexpected side effect, getting caught up in the stories! Mia saves Alberto after a motorcycle accident, and he's indebted (and slightly besotted). Except Alberto is engaged to a female toreador, who is cheating on him. The toreador pushes Mia down a staircase before she knows Mia is Alberto's salvador after his accident, but he sets her straight. Trigger the cheating fiancée's jealousy. Oh, and then there's Alberto's murderous brother Bruno, the arsonist who killed Mia's mother to prevent her from disclosing the new will to ensure his and his mother's inheritance after they killed their grandfather - the patriarch of the family. One thing I haven't figured out is whose baby Mia's blind sister Mary is taking care of. I get the idea the baby is Mia and Mary's sister, although that's quite an age gap. A fault in my comprehension, surely, but as I left off today, some evil man is holding the baby and Mary is cowering in the corner. The baby's father? Or more of the bad guys coming to ensure compliance with their evil schemes? I'll have to watch the next episode to find out...

I haven't watched a soap opera in a number of years, much less several episodes (or capitulos) in a row. They all end with a hook, much like authors need hooks at the end of chapters to keep their readers engaged and turning pages. "Tune in tomorrow to find out what happens!" In spite of the fact I don't understand all of what they're saying, I get the general idea/gist, and my ears always perk up when I catch words or phrases I understand. 

So is daytime drama - in Spanish - helping? Well, it is entertaining. If nothing else, it's giving me the confidence to use the vocabulary I have. I even held a conversation about pets in my bilingual class last week! 

Do the soap operas suck you in? Do you still watch?

Constructive criticism: comments from the editor

Too often, people will say "what do I need an editor for?" I know I've addressed this before, and as someone who was a copyeditor at the day job for a lot of years, I can tell you without a doubt that reviewing your own work means overlooking things. You know what's supposed to be there, and so your mind fills in the blanks. Or you skip over that misspelled word because you know how to spell, for heaven's sake! 

The thing most authors who are starting out struggle with most is criticism. As if imposter syndrome isn't bad enough, now you have someone telling you what you've done wrong! That will put you in one of two camps. Either they couldn't possibly understand what you're trying to convey, so they're wrong, or their comments prove out what you've been telling yourself, that you don't know what you're doing. 

I've often told the story of my first encounter with an editor who was recommended to me. She's highly thought of in many circles, but my experience with her was a horror. She started in nitpicking, going so far as to tell me the names of my characters were all wrong. I might have lived with the nitpicking of the small, inconsequential grammar errors that I would have caught on my own on final readthrough, but when she went after my characters, I held up my hand and put a stop to it. Fired her which, of course, she disagreed with. Our biggest obstacle, I think, was that she didn't edit my genre. Clearly, she and I wouldn't see eye to eye. I was lucky enough to stumble upon my current editor, who I was much more in tune with, and who I've been working with for many years. I immediately felt the synchronicity.

Whenever I get my comments back now, my first reaction is always, "Oh good Lord. I don't know if I can fix this. This is going to take me forever to correct." Imposter syndrome never goes away. Then I take a deep breath, put on my big girl pants, and dive in to address her comments one by one. They're always constructive, helpful feedback, interspersed with the occasional "I love this!" and in the case of HORNED OWL HOLLOW, one of my favorite comments from her was "heh, staying in your best lane." (Interpretation: she likes when I write the spooky novels.) In addition to the "you need to fix this" spots, she includes the pats on the back about why this book is "distinct from the Epitaph series, so good work."

I trust my editor. She isn't afraid to call me out when something doesn't work. Harkening back to the Epitaph series, there was a character in one of those books that she didn't like. The heroine, to be precise. The character just wasn't likeable, and while that might not be a deal breaker, there has to be some redeeming quality for the audience to appreciate why she is the way she is. An anti-hero, if you will. A reason to rally behind her, even when she's unlikable. That book was a challenge, but with Kelly's help, it turned into something better. THAT'S why I hire an editor. She sees the things I'm missing. The details. Which brings me to...

She also sends me tidbits of information I might have missed in research. Kelly is a wealth of knowledge. I had been wrestling with one plot point in HORNED OWL HOLLOW that I wasn't sure how to prove. I did boatloads of research, and managed to craft it such that the proof wasn't necessary in the end, but wouldn't you know Kelly found something I didn't? She sent me a link to an article that would provide the proof I'd been frantically searching for. At the end of the day, even that proof might have been falsified, so my path forward stands, but the information she provided gives me more depth to play with. They can prove it if they have to.

As I unwrapped her comments one by one, I discovered the task wasn't as daunting as it first appeared - which is generally the case. I still had some frayed threads to pull together and some continuity issues that I swore I'd addressed (and clearly hadn't). That second set of eyes is more than just looking for typos. It's seeing the things you just know you were watching out for and yet still missed. It's finding the issues you missed altogether. It's the editor making your work better, not by telling you what to do, but by highlighting the hiccups so you can fix them (sometimes with helpful suggestions).

Constructive criticism isn't just telling you what a screwup you are. By definition, the constructive part is there to help you turn something good into something better. Yes, sometimes it's going to sting (your heroine is not relatable), but in the end, the reward is a better product.

The new book is on schedule for release day in less than two weeks. Have I mentioned you can preorder it? 

Get your copy here

The Rest of the Job

Whether an author is traditionally published by one of the big houses or independently published, they are expected to do the marketing. Help to build the buzz around a new book or promote the backlist. It's part of the job if you expect to be a professional. Traditional publishers aren't going to throw any weight behind you if you don't do your part, and if you're independent, well, the only weight you'll be throwing around is your own. 

I've been spending the time before Horned Owl Hollow goes to market trying to generate ideas that will entice readers to buy it. I made a trailer! (You can view it here if you haven't already seen it on my social media.) I've created graphics with teasers (again, which you might have seen if you follow my social media). I've scheduled ads to run and I've been looking at snippets to share (you'll see one of those next week after I get edits back from my editor). I also plan to contact the mansion that inspired me to see if they'd be interested in hosting an author event.

I just want to say, marketing is not my strong point, but it's a necessary part of the "authoring" process if you want to garner interest in your product. Hey - watch Shark Tank once and you'll hear about all the ways the entrepreneurs try to build sales. I'm trying to get the marketing scheduled and out of the way so I can focus on edits when they come back, and get the book to market on time. 

Once Horned Owl Hollow goes live, I'll start the work on the next book, which requires research I have yet to do. When I wrote my first book (The Treasure of St. Paul/Touched by the Sun), I didn't visit Italy, but did intensive research. After having visited it years later, I did a creditable job, but seeing it with my own eyes, there are other things I likely would have included. With that being said, I'm pretty proud of how much I "got right." The book has since been remaindered (out of print), having been published more than 20 years ago. It didn't stand up to the test of time, and I've honed my craft quite a bit since then. My next book will take place in Spain, at least partially, and this time I plan to rely on personal experience rather than travel guides and books and personal interviews. I still remember interviewing one woman about Pompeii who said there was absolutely no way I could write about it without seeing it. She read my book when it was done and said she was very impressed that I could capture it as well as I did. That's the thing about research. Half of it ends up on the cutting room floor, and the other half is molded with my own unique spin. Still, you have to get the basics right, even when you're making stuff up.

So, while you're waiting with me for the final "polished" product, you can still preorder (because that's part of the marketing process, doncha know). Preordering reserves your copy, the final version, which will be available on release day (February 21). Just click on the book cover below and it will take you to my webpage and all the buy links. Oh, and the other marketing tool that would really help me out here - word of mouth. Tell all your friends!

Second languages

Taking a foreign language was a requisite when I went to high school. I grew up in a household where my mother frequently tossed out random German phrases she'd learned at home when she grew up, so I was always intrigued to communicate with someone “in code.” By that same token, DH gets unhappy when he hears people speaking another language for that same reason. His grandmother spoke to her friends in German, ostensibly so little ears wouldn't understand what she was saying.

I found I had a keen ear for language, which one of my foreign language teachers was eager to help me develop. I took four years of French, and in my senior year, decided to throw in some Spanish just for fun. My fourth-year French teacher was also a Spanish teacher, so she gave me a self-study to learn two years of Spanish in one (Thank you, Mrs. Ferguson). Here was the tricky part. I took a class trip to Mexico, but after four years of French, that came more naturally to me than the Spanish, so whenever I started to think in another language, out came the French. I DID learn the Spanish, as well, but after four years, we had to speak French in French class. After one year (compressed into two), the Spanish class hadn't evolved to that stage. As a result, I can read and to a certain degree speak in Spanish, but comprehending someone else speaking in Spanish? Ay Caramba!

I live in a fairly diverse area that caters to certain ethnicities. It isn't uncommon to go to the grocery store and hear people chattering in something other than English. My hair stylist speaks Spanish as her native tongue. I may have mentioned my trip to Spain? I'd like to be able to communicate more clearly, so I'm taking Spanish classes again. More accurately, a bi-lingual class. I was paired with a Spanish speaker who wants to learn English, and I'm very proud to say we were able to communicate somewhat, but I'm still missing vocabulary. The teacher is excellent, and she understands my goal, so she is working with me to help me. I'd also determined to watch telenovelas to see how much I could understand, something my hair stylist also recommended as a learning tool. Soap operas in Spanish - interesting, to say the least - and it is helping.

One of my favorite authors went on a crusade last year to learn Portuguese. She took to Twitter to find people to communicate with there, and it was interesting to see people interacting with her to help her on her journey. When I wrote my first book set in Italy, I endeavored to learn Italian. Funny story - when DH and I visited Italy, I tried to order gelato by the Trevi Fountain speaking Italian. The vendor wanted no part in my feeble attempts. He asked me - in English - impatiently - "What do you want?" I thought I did creditably well, but he apparently wanted no part of an uppity tourist trying to fit in. Or maybe he wanted to improve on his English (if I prefer to be charitable)? 

What language did you learn in high school? Are you intrigued by other languages or, like my DH, do you prefer to stick to your native tongue?

Stop and smell the roses - or orange blossoms

Horned Owl Hollow is with the editor! I'm in a wait and see pattern for what she might find that has yet to be addressed. This is often when I start thinking about what comes next. The original intent is to make this book a first in series. 

I'm not ready.

2022 was a long year with a lot of curve balls, so I'm just taking a minute to "be." 

I've taken some time to tackle the marketing that goes with releasing a book, like creating a trailer and promotional graphics. I'll need to snip excerpts to share. But the next major item on my agenda is a trip!

For the first time in four years, I'm getting on an airplane (wish me luck!) and traveling across the big, blue ocean. My niece is getting married in Spain! (Or at least going through the motions for the family - she already married her handsome husband.) DH and I have gone through the motions of taking several trips over the last couple of years, but never actually went through with booking them for a variety of reasons, not the least of which includes the problems the air traffic industry has had. We were determined to make this one happen and went ahead and booked our flights and an AirBNB. Woo hoo! But what are we going to do while we're there aside from the wedding? I mean, you don't fly across the ocean just for the weekend, generally. (Wait. I did that once - to the UK... but I digress) Fortunately, we have a niece who lives there who is ready to share ideas. So this is what we're thinking, along with the options other people are looking at.

Flamenco dancing anyone? What about a paella making class? And the local soccer team is scheduled to have a game while we're there. There are city tours, and a Haunted Seville tour (yes, I'll be taking that one, and if you read Horned Owl Hollow, you'll know why!). But what about other tours? We're close enough to the coast to do a day trip to Gibraltar (yes, we scheduled that one, too). They say you can see Africa from the top of the Rock, and some folks are going to hop on over to Morocco since it's just a little farther. For Amazing Race fans, you might have seen Malaga and Ronda. Those are also day trips from Seville. There's Cordoba and Granada. Bull fighting arenas and palaces and multi-cultural cathedrals and towers. Such exciting options! And did I mention the orange blossoms should be in bloom?

But most exciting will be the bride and groom. Brushing up on my Spanish...

What would you want to see if you were taking the trip with me?

My name is Karla, and I’m a cookie-holic

The struggle is real folks. 

I wasn’t going to make Christmas cookies this year, but its tradition, so when my family suggested it, how could I refuse? In truth, I did well when it came to not eating them all at once. 

Then there’s my dear husband who thinks he’s spoiling me when he buys the super pack of bakery cookies. I was even doing fairly well ignoring those, until I wasn’t. 

The other day I sat my husband down and told him he wasn’t doing me any favors when he spoiled me, because now I have to “dry out” again.

So here’s the thing. Three years ago when my son got married, I lost a lot of extra weight I’d been carrying, and the most amazing thing happened! My body said thank you. I went on a program that truly wasn’t sustainable, but it trained me to make better choices. Then, my sister died. My person. I was crushed, and I adopted the philosophy my father lived by: “Life is short. Eat the cookies” (paraphrasing). My dad lived to be 90, although he developed several health issues along the way. I don’t want to live to be 90, and my body is again reminding me that I can’t make meals out of cookies like I could when I was a teenager. (No, I don’t do that anymore.)

So this year, I’m going to work on making my body happy again. Life IS short, but if I plan to make the most of it, I need to eat foods that allow me to do so and that don’t hold me back. This is not a New Year’s resolution. It's knowing myself and making a choice.

What does that mean for my newsletter - Books & Cookies? I do believe I can still share recipes that I’ve either tried in the past or that look good for those of you who have more self-control. Not signed up? You can do that now by clicking Newsletter on the menu bar.