It’s that time of year – NANOWRIMO

November is in the air. Here in Ohio it doesn’t quite feel like it, but the wind is whistling with hints and screams that WINTER IS COMING. But before it does, November is the month of national novel writing, commonly called NANOWRIMO.

If you’ve not heard of this majestic/burnout inducing idea, the premise is to write 50,000 words in a month. Which if you’re aiming for it…is what we write for medical romances. So get those hot doc, sexy paramedics and flirtatious veterinarians down on page and send them to Mills & Boon.

I did my first Nano in 2014. It’s a book that will forever live under my bed. It’s entire purpose was to teach me that I wanted to write, didn’t yet really know what I was doing, and could sit for a while and get words on the page.

I’d love to tell you that this made me a NANO enthusiast, ready and willing to tackle the 50k each year. I write multiple stories of that length every year, so this shouldn’t be too hard. Except it always is. And that’s okay. I’ve written 50k in a month exactly twice since I started writing. Once in Nano and I didn’t write for almost three months after due to burnout. And once for a book I was contracted for; the burnout was real there too.

I am not saying this to dash Nano dreams. I have writer friends that live for this time year. It reenergizes them and gets the creative juices floating. There are YouTube videos that start in October, usually titled something like Plantober: Get read for Nano with me.

What I am saying is you are more than your word count. I run a weekly writer’s group and every November we spend our meetings doing write-ins. And without fail, I’ll have writer friends that panic or get down, because they aren’t hitting the 1,667 words needed a day to hit the Nano goal. I hate that. I hate it for them, I hate it for their work, I just hate it.

So if you are tackling Nano, here is my cheers to you! I am on the site www.nanowrimo.org as Juliette Hyland, feel free to make me a buddy. I probably won’t hit 50k (and that’s okay). If you have no desire to tackle it or you are hating on your word count….please use this as your mantra: you are more than your word count. Take a deep breath; it’s okay.

Just before Nano started I put a video about it on my YouTube page…it’s linked below if you want to take a look.

Happy November everyone.

Snow: Love it or Hate it?

Here in the northern hemisphere, winter has arrived! And as a girl who now lives in the northern part of the United States, the chillier temperatures mean the possibility of snow.

I didn’t always live up north, however. I used to live in sunny Florida. Snow was just a thing of beautiful postcards and wishful thinking. And then I met the man who would become my husband. And although I met him in Florida, he wasn’t from there. He was from the aforementioned Postcard Land. Where it snows.

When we moved up north, I eagerly awaited that white fluff and marveled at it when it arrived. One year turned into two, which turned into many more. And although the arrival of snow is still magical, I’m a little less enthralled with it nowadays. Because it means I have to drive in it. And take care of my barn animals in it. In the cold. With fingers and toes that wished they were back inside my nice heated home.

So although those pretty flakes may have lost a little of their luster, the first real snow of the season is still a beautiful sight. It means hot spiced cider. And sleds. And snowmen. So if I had to vote one way or the other, I’d have to confess that I still love the snow. In spite of the inconveniences that come along with it.

Do you live where it snows (or wish that you did)? If so, what’s your verdict? Do you love it? Or do you pine for the arrival of spring?

Finding Happiness in New (or Revisited) Projects

This year has been hard in so many ways. But several months ago I decided I needed to draw my happiness from what I have rather than dwell on things I’m missing out on. So, I took on more writing projects than I normally would have (I’m actually working on revisions that are due on Monday morning). I’m also adding a twist to hobbies I already have.

1. I’m still gardening, but I tried growing something different this year. Brussels Sprouts. Yes…really. Because, well, I love them. And they’re super cool to watch grow. I wasn’t sure how well they would do, but they’ve actually surprised me. I grew six plants and despite the recent freezes, they haven’t died off, and there are more sprouts still to harvest. Yum!
2. I’m also a quilter and have always done my quilting by hand. But several months ago, I blogged about my foray into the world of machine quilting (free motion quilting). I’ve loved it. So much so that I bought a new sewing machine to use just for this purpose. I also bought a quilting frame to put it on. So now, rather than pushing my fabric around under my machine, I pull my machine over my fabric. It is a wonderful improvement, and I’m having fun just playing.
3. I’m also trying to be a better chicken mom. Well, my chickens already have a pretty nice life, but I felt like they needed a new coop in which to shelter over the winter. It’s not quite done, but it’s shaping up, and I think my little egg-layers are going to love it!

What about you? Any new or revisited hobbies or projects you’ve been working on this year? I would love to hear about them!

Deadlines

We all have them, right…these things called deadlines? Whether it’s for work, or school, or even turning in an application for a conference, there’s a date by which something has to be completed.

Well I have a deadline right now. My newest manuscript is due in my editor’s inbox first thing Monday morning, and I’ve got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach (that I always get) that I’m never going to finish it on time. Most of the time I somehow manage to. A few times, I’ve had to ask for an extension–like the time I fractured a vertebra in my back. Well, there are no broken bones this time, so I’m doing my best to write my way to completion. As I type this blog post, I am sitting on my sofa, with the very tempting view of a sunny day just beyond my windows. But I’m resisting the urge to give in and go dig in my garden, even though there are so many things out there that need weeded or watered or enjoyed.

But once I send my characters out into the world, I’m going to rejoin it myself! At least until my next deadline starts creeping up on me.

What about you? Any interesting deadlines headed your way? I’m hoping I’m not the only one in panic mode!

New Books Just for You!

HI, Everyone,

You may have noticed that my last medical romance came out in 2019 and there hasn’t been once since. Doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. In fact, since 2016, I’ve written four best-selling, Australia set, meaty women’s fiction novels about family and community, featuring many of medical romances favourite themes. Across those four books I’ve featured a female surgeon, a GP and a community health nurse along with women across the generations.

I love these books because at their heart they are stories about women and relationships, just like MedRoms but I’ve been able to tell more than one person’s story in each book.

So why have only Australian and New Zealanders heard about these books? There is a complicated thing in publishing called ‘territorial rights.’ The good news is, these books are now being published for readers outside of AUS/NZ in print and eBook so YAY!!! Do the covers entice you?  (Available in audio too with the AUS covers).

I am excited to present to you:

• Daughter of Mine : One family and a tangled web of secrets and lies. OUT NOW 
• Birthright: an inheritance and a family behaving very badly     OUT July 27th 2020

and then to follow

• Home Fires : one wildfire, three scorched marriages and an inflammatory secret that rocks a town.   OUT September 14th 2020
• Just an Ordinary Family : Friendship, lies and betrayal. Out October 12th  2020  

As Daughter of Mine is out, I’ll chat about it today 🙂

Daugher of Mine was the first one I wrote and its story came from me visiting an historic mansion about 100km from where I live ,in an area that was once incredibly wealthy from wool. I found myself walking the halls saying, ‘what stories would these walls tell if they could talk.’

The blurb says,

What can you believe in if the past is a lie? 

Harriett Chirnwell has a perfect life—a husband who loves her, a successful career and a daughter who is destined to become a doctor just like her.

Xara has always lived in Harriet’s shadow; her chaotic life with her family on their sheep farm falls far short of her older sister’s standards of perfection and prestige.

Georgie is the youngest and the only one of the three sisters to have left small-town Billawarre. But is she happy?

All three sisters have a different and often strained bond with their mother. When Edwina arrives at her milestone birthday party on the arm of someone new, the lives of the sisters are changed forever. Who is this man?

Suddenly there are criminal accusations, daughters in crisis and tangled secrets. Will old secrets shatter the perfect facade of this prominent family? When your world falls apart the only person you can depend on is your sister.

Lowe wields a deft hand creating utterly addictive storytelling that will have you questioning your own perceptions of what family is. 

Does that tweek your interest? If so you can read a sample here, you can look at photos of the district that inspired the novel hereand you can buy it at

• Amazon
• Apple Books
• Google Play
• Nook
• Kobo
• In print at Amazonand Book Depository.  

For information about all four books have a play on my website at fionalowe.com

Thanks for reading and I do hope you take a punt on these best-selling Australian novels and enjoy spending some time down under . Fiona xx

 

5 frequently asked questions of a medical romance writer…

1) Are your books full of medical detail/gore/unpronounceable conditions? (AKA: Do I need a medical background to understand them)?

Given the medical settings (hospitals, GP surgeries, ER, OR, clinics, cruise ships, rescue boats, veterinary clinics, even the White House!! and many, many, many more) the stories certainly do contain some medical details, some interesting conditions and medical dilemmas but by no means are they gory or difficult to understand!

When we’re tackling a particular issue and there is often a lot of research required we work hard to make sure we’ve got the facts right.

Some books are light on medical details, some a bit more involved, but you can always expect life-saving drama and an intense ride, all with a heavy dose of romance.

2) Is there a secret formula for writing them that the editors give you?

I wish!! The only one sure given in a medical romance (or any romance for that matter) is that there is a satisfactory happy ending for the heroine and hero. The rest of the story is down to pure wizadry and the writing genius of the author 😉

3) Are the hero and heroine always doctors and nurses?

Not at all. Sure, we have a fair few doctors and nurses, but we also have other health care professionals such as paramedics, physiotherapists and allied professionals such as firefighters, police, vets etc. Sometimes they’re even royals working incognito!

4) Is the sex in the books based on your own sex life?  (Followed by a wink wink, then nudge nudge the husband)

I get this question a lot! And the answer is a very definite no! (I’ve been married for 27 years, what do you think?? LOL)  It is all made up in my head and always part of the emotional journey of the two main characters. Oh, and the love scenes generally tend to complicate things for them too!

Medical romances have a variety of heat levels and always a lot of sensuality and emotion.

5) Just how awesome are they on a scale from 1- 10 (1 being not very awesome, 10 being the most awesome books ever)

50,000,000 ++++ worth of awesome!

Medical romance books are stupendously awesome! If you haven’t read any then definitely give one a chance. We have six new titles every month and a very long backlist that will keep you entertained for years!

Writers: Any FAQs I’ve missed?

Readers: what do you love best about medical romances?

(My most recent med rom from December 2019, featuring a GP, a vet, a very cute homeless puppy and Christmas…what’s not to love?)

Bit of a milestone by Kate Hardy

So my last few blog posts have been about my run for cancer research. I kind of hope you’d like to hear the last one in that – I did it! Sunday May 12. It was hot, some of the route was on a camber (so I walked that bit – otherwise there would have been a trip and a wrecked ankle), and I hate running outside. (I hate running, full stop. But outside is much worse than the gym.) 10k – or six miles – is a very, very long way. But, clad in my T-shirt and hat and tutu (!), and with my tech sorted out so I actually had music (I could NOT have done it without that), I did it. Took me 89 minutes (I have short legs so I’m slow), but I did it. And I raised £1325, so a massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me. But the big takehome? I was listening to Coldplay’s Up&Up as I crossed the finishing line, in fact to the very last words of the song. And they were very, very appropriate: NEVER GIVE UP.

So even if something feels like a challenge (and, as I’m not a runner, a 10k run was a huge challenge for me), don’t give up. Believe in yourself and keep trying.

As well as that, I’ve been busy with other things – learning ballet! I’ve rather fallen in love with ballet, and my local theatre sent me an email after Swan Lake asking me if I wanted to join their adult beginners’ class. Absolutely! I’m not sure if it’s the gorgeous music, or the fact I have to concentrate on the teacher’s instructions, but after class I feel totally chilled out. (And then there’s the obligatory coffee and scone with my classmates afterwards…)

I’ve also been working hard, and I’ve reached another writing milestone this month with the publication of my my 85th M&B! A Nurse and a Pup to Heal Him does what it says on the tin 😉 It’s about a GP, a nurse and her PAT (pets as therapy) dog, and it’s set in my part of the world; and, although the dog on the cover is gorgoeous, the dog between the covers owes more to this one… 😉

 

 

 

And this picture was taken at the weekend in ‘Great Crowmell’ (aka Wells-next-the-Sea, my mash-up Norfolk seaside village). This is very much our happy place – the beach stretches for miles. The sky looks a bit dramatic, but it was actually a gorgeous afternoon and very warm.

Where’s your happy place?

Taking A Break

So, I’m currently in a year’s break from writing Medicals. I asked for a year off, from my fabulous editor, as there was a lot going on personally, stuff that I won’t go into here, but I asked for a break because I just felt like my writing brain needed one. Some time off to just chill, to not have to be endlessly coming up with plot ideas and twists and conflicts.

And so far, it’s going great!

Filling the Well, was a saying I heard the first time, from my great friend Kate Hardy. It was something she advocated for strongly and at the beginning of my writing journey I didn’t understand it, because I was so full of ideas and joy and enthusiasm. Only, as time wore on and I’d got my first fourteen books under my belt, I felt the need to take a break.

(Not me)

So I began reading. I began soaking things in. I binge-watched whatever I wanted to (The Haunting of Hill House was the first thing and currently it’s Game of Thrones) I walked the dogs on long, looooong walks, I breathed in nature, I listened to music, danced to music, did some cardio, some yoga. Took a masterclass. Anything and everything that took my fancy. And throughout it all, without fail, my brain kept returning to the thought that I needed to write.

(Also not me)

Plots arrived. Characters began speaking. Scenes formed in my head, like mini-movies. It seemed no matter how hard I tried to relax, the writing was always there. Simmering away, even if I didn’t try. I put my fingers to the keyboard three months into my break and the ideas in my head, didn’t match the words on the screen and I got frightened that I’d taken such a big break and I couldn’t write again.

But slowly but surely, and with lots of stubborn determination and practice, the words are better again. They match what’s in my head and I’m back in the habit. I’m writing something new. Away from the genre of romance and I think that was part of the problem. I was trying something new. Something exciting. Something that wasn’t guaranteed to be published and fear was in there.

Fear of failure.

I still have that fear, but I can put it to one side now. The words are what’s important, the STORY is what’s important and I don’t have to get it right first time. That’s what revisions are for, after all! What matters is enjoying the WRITING.

(Not my pen)

I’m enjoying it again. It feels fresh. Filling the well, was what I needed to get some perspective, to think about what I want to be doing, that will make ME happy, as happy was sadly lacking last year, due to many personal things going on. Losing my beloved dog, Daisy, was one and things like that make you realise your own mortality and what you do with your own life and how you make yourself happy.

So, I’d like to hear from you guys. What do you do when YOU need to fill the well? What do you do to make yourself happy? What brings you joy? Perhaps there’s something you do, that someone else could learn from. You could inspire joy!

And I’m all about the joy right now.

Louisa x

Happy FriYAY!

I got into the habit of calling my Fridays…FRIYAYs, especially since I do my Core class usually on Friday and the instructor is very positive and calls the workouts FriYAYs. Although, truth be told, by the end of it, I’m not feeling so YAY. More like pain.

But Fridays I do reflection on my week. At my FitClub we do Monday Goals and Friday reflection. I like the accountability with other members and I like that no one is perfect. Not even the coaches. That means a lot. It’s real and honest. It’s also made a huge impact in my life for the better.

It’s been 7 months since I started my FitClub journey and this is the longest I’ve consecutively worked out.

Photo on left is when I started my journey. Photo on right is January 2019.

It’s been a pretty amazing journey and that 7 months has helped my writing in ways I can’t even begin to tell you.

Didn’t think I would be able to do this. My Coach proved me wrong and I felt so amazing.

On top of consistent working out, I took two courses. Becca Syme’s Write Better Faster, which completely opened my eyes to my strengths and how to utilize that in my business and her more focused Strengths for Writers, which talked about my Top strengths and how to use those strengths to create a plan. Three of my top 5 were working against each other and I was stagnating. Strategic could see where my book needed to go, the whole thing laid out in my head, but Context wouldn’t let me move forward until I knew WHO the characters were, but strategic was like “Please, we work the characters out in the story” and context was like NO. Empathy was sitting there sucking in everyone’s emotions.

All around. Empathy was draining me completely dry.

So I learned to step away from drama and toxic people. I put my family first and my health as well, so that means putting myself first and working out. Consistently.

Every Minute on the Minute. 2 Rounds. I almost died.

Hmm. It would be easier to stay at home, but I’m here so I guess I’ll go in.

And all of this has made a huge world of difference.

Before my Mom passed away in June last year I had started a partial for another project. Got feedback from my agent and then Mom passed and I stagnated. Completely. I struggled through my next two contracted books.

It was SO hard to write The Surgeon’s Convenient Husband (May 2019) and Royal Doc’s Secret Heir (August 2019).

Then, with the mindset coaching, physical coaching and Becca Syme’s courses, something happened and that partial was finished in 48hrs. I read through it four times, made changes and I was possessed.

I sent it to my agent and waited for his feedback. He’s great for feedback and I trust his opinion completely. He replied that it was great and we talked about submitting it.

So, that’s why I wanted to talk about FriYAY! It’s been a long, hard journey and I’m getting there. There are things to be grateful for and I think FriYAYs should be celebrated more often. 🙂

Out in May 2019. This book, was the first I wrote after Mom passed and it was a hard fought book I’m proud of.

The Mysteries of Book Covers

Shuffling through my books the other day, I marveled at the way some of the covers are so different from each other, while others carry some of the same elements. I will admit that I know next to nothing about what goes into the making of a book cover, but I definitely have my favorites.

So it made me curious. What is it about a book cover that grabs your attention? Is it a hunky hero? A hero and heroine gazing into each other’s eyes? A fun and flirty image? Or do you  prefer teacups and doilies with nary a person in sight?

Anyway, I’m going to share a couple of my favorite book covers: one of my Harlequins and one of my indie published books (with special thanks to Fiona Lowe’s uber-talented son for his help with that one).  And then I’d like your input on what draws you to a cover!

First up is a book cover from all the way back in 2013. It’s one of the older style covers, but I truly love the image on it. The hero is just how I envisioned him and the cover reflects the title, to me.

Next is one of my indie books. On this cover, I love the way the hero appears to be whispering something in the heroine’s ear. Maybe something naughty? Maybe something nice?
So now it’s your turn. What do you like to see on a cover? What don’t you like to see? Or do you never judge a book by its cover? 🙂