Maria's Journal

Gemma Snow is an erotic romance writer, traveler, journalist, and reader. How long have you been writing? I’m really lucky. I grew up in an artistic family, so I actually started writing when I was around eight years old. My mom taught poetry and creative writing classes for kids and teens and I essentially studied with her until I outgrew it. My folks were great about pushing me to follow writing, but to be smart and make a career out of it so I studied journalism and publishing in college. I absolutely love writing romance and would likely do it anyway, but it really helps that it’s a commercial genre with potential for success. I officially started writing romance professionally in college, so it’s been about four and a half years. Tell us a little bit about your writing, what is the process like? Honestly, it depends on the book. I’m usually thinking of a story three or four books ahead of actually writing it, so I’ll have a general vibe by the time I get there. It’s p...

To conclude Women's History Month...here's a shout-out to my Abuelita. At eleven years old when I read my first few romance novels – my grandmother’s Barbara Cartland collection – I was hooked. There was something magical about the stories and how they unfolded. What I didn’t know at the time was that my grandmother would be the reason behind my writing. “Speaking of romance,” my mother said over coffee one morning, “Your grandmother was quite the romantic writer.” “Grandma?” I shrieked. The reference caught me off guard, Grandma had been deceased for years and my mother rarely spoke of her. “Yeah” she answered. “Your grandmother wrote love letters to your grandfather when he was away on business.” “She did?” I never heard this before. “Yeah, didn’t you know?” Mom continued, “She placed first in a writing contest.” Love letters? Contest? Whoa. I had no idea. When I started to write romance in my twenties the genre fascinated me. Intrigued by such appeal I often questio...

I know what you are, but what am I? Any romance writers out there?  Do you ever ask yourselves, where does my writing material fall? Am I a chick lit writer? Or maybe I write contemporary? Or, is it erotic? If this is you, take a look below at a brief summary of the most popular subgenres in romance today. Contemporary This genre is set in present time (after World War II) and it focuses primarily on the emotional attachment between the leading characters. In contemporary romance the relationship is typically monogamous and not explicit (sexual content/language). Also, the intimacy doesn't normally deviate from the conventional. The story does have to have a HEA* for the characters, and the HEA almost always occurs in the traditional romantic sense. This genre is set in either the present or the past. In erotic romance, both the sexual and emotional aspects of the relationship are integral to the storyline and the relationship is typically monogamous and can be...

Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton Genre : Contemporary Romance Series : Capital Confessions #2 Expected publication : July 21, 2015 by Penguin/InterMix The author of Flirting with Scandal presents her second book in a sexy contemporary romance series about three sisters in a powerful political family, the scandals that threaten to destroy them, and the passion that drives them… The daughter of one of the Senate's most powerful figures, Blair Reynolds was ready to become the ultimate political wife—until she caught her fiancé cheating on her wedding day. Law school is a fresh start, her shot at putting the pieces of her life back together. That’s the plan, at least. Until trouble comes in the form of her Torts professor, the man whose arrogance infuriates her in class but haunts her private fantasies. Graydon Canter had a fortune and a place on all the hottest "Thirty under Thirty” lists, until a series of personal missteps nearly destroyed his career. A ye...

I believe most of us writers understand this concept: a good reader makes a good writer. So, what does this mean, really? Well, it means that we writers need to fully immerse ourselves in reading the writings of others, quality writings at that. And this does not mean reading only material in the genre in which you focus, but across multiple genres. Realize that there's absolutely nothing wrong with reading a lot in just one topic, however, you will stifle your growth as a writer if you fail to read beyond a single subject. Now I’d like to share with you five well-known authors* and the way in which each has helped me define my own style of writing. See below in alphabetical order: Sandra Brown – romance/suspense Ms. Brown blends suspense with an element of contemporary romance. I enjoy reading Ms. Brown’s books because the stories are well-plotted and they offer just the right amount of tension. I also enjoy Ms. Brown’s ability to skillfully weave the romantic element in her ...

I want to say thank you to my friend Leslie Jones for inviting me to participate in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. Leslie Jones writes military romantic suspense, please take a moment to check out her Blog Hop post here . About my writing, well I knew at a very early age that I wanted to be a writer. What’s even more interesting is that I knew at the age of ten that I’d be a romance writer. Consequently, I wrote my first short love story at the age of eleven and I’ve continued to write ever since. Now, onto a few more interesting tidbits about Maria Cox— What am I working on? Right now, I’m in between projects. My latest novelette, Jungle Fever was released through Secret Cravings Publishing on 2/5 and my novella Captive (V.2) is in the hands of the beta readers. Currently, I’m finishing a first draft of a ghostwriting assignment. How does my work differ from others of its genre? My work differs from others in my genre in that the characters in my stories are wi...

In the spirit of love and passion and all those primitive traits that make humans tempting sexual creatures, comes my three-part series: Irresistible Body Parts. In this three-week series, I’d like to discuss the parts of our bodies that make us so attractive to the opposite sex.  Week Three: Eyes. ( Note : For those keeping track, yes, I missed my mark of posting this last week, lol ). Our eyes, they are one of the most expressive parts of bodies, they can convey happiness, warmth, love, anger, loss, and despair. Have you ever flipped through a novel and read about a particular seductress who makes men melt with her gaze? Or, have you heard women talking about a guy whose "bedroom eyes" are enough to make a girl weak in the knees? I think we all have. Maybe that's why in many ways this type of non-verbal communication is more powerful than spoken words. Take women’s eyes for example. When a woman looks at a man in a   certain   way, she has his undivid...

In the spirit of love and passion and all those primitive traits that make humans tempting sexual creatures, comes my three-part series: Irresistible Body Parts. In this three-week series, I’d like to discuss the parts of our bodies that make us so attractive to the opposite sex.  Week Two: Legs. In past decades studies conducted into physical attraction already showed that taller people were generally perceived as being more appealing to the opposite sex, but until now little was known about the effect a person's leg length had on the overall attractiveness. And as it turns out men are not alone in finding the ‘leggier’ form more attractive. Women also consider longer-legged men more physically appealing. Psychologists at the University of Wroclaw in Poland (in 2008) asked over 200 male and female volunteers to rank the attractiveness of men and women from a set of digitally altered images. The research revealed that people whose legs were 5% longer than average we...

In the spirit of love and passion and all those primitive traits that make humans tempting sexual creatures, comes my three-part series: Irresistible Body Parts. In this three-week series, I’d like to discuss the parts of our bodies that make us so attractive to the opposite sex. Week One: The Mouth. The lips have it! Research shows that men are drawn to a woman's mouth more than any other facial feature. In fact, the study showed that men considered women’s lips the most attractive part of her body particularly, if she’s wearing red lipstick (big surprise!). The study, which was carried out by scientists at Manchester University tracked the eye movements of fifty men as they were presented with images of different women. Scientists found that in the ten seconds after meeting a lady for the first time, the average male would spend more than half his time gazing at her mouth. If the lady applied lipstick, the male subject found it difficult to look away. A dash of pink ...

A blog is a great way to connect with your readers and an excellent way to reach a wider audience. If the content of your blog is interesting and updated frequently readers will subscribe to your blog, or at least you hope they will J We, as writers, need to realize that getting readers interested in what we have to say is important specially if we are to create a buzz about us as authors and even more so if we want to create a buzz about our books. So, all this sounds great, doesn’t it? But here’s the catch, no great outcome will come to pass unless you have the motivation and time required to commit to a blog. So, let me be honest here: Blogging is not for everyone. And, that’s okay. Let’s say, however, that you decided 2014 would be your year to start blogging, there are some important questions you need to ask yourself first. See below: Who is the blog for? Don't try to be all things to all people. It's best if you narrow your focus. If you’re like me, a ...

Ebooks are changing the way we read and write and as sales continue to rise, more authors are buying into the idea of writing specifically for the eBook market. The unique format of an eBook, however, makes writing one a little bit different from penning a printed book. Below are three important pointers that will help authors excel in the world of eBook writing. Think SEO Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will help your eBook get discovered, so you should think about using relevant keywords in your eBook’s title, headings, and subheadings. For example, suppose you’ve written a memoir called Out of the Dark , this title won’t really show up on anyone’s online search results because it's too broad, but if you instead called your book  Out of the Dark: My Struggle with Multiple Sclerosis this title would yield more 'hits'   because it's more specific, anyone searching for  “multiple sclerosis ” would likely locate your eBook with much more ease. Add lots of l...

A sensual romance anthology,  Wicked Lustful Tales Heat level: 3 Stranded On a desolate mountain side friends and former lovers Shana & Nick are forced to work together and find their way to safety. Their history and mutual attraction soon prove to be even more dangerous than their treacherous path.   Charity Event During a fundraiser friends and office buddies Jennifer and Adam discover that their placid easygoing friendship is much more than a platonic relationship. Before the night is through the two friends make a decision that’s likely to change the course of their lives. Snowed In In a foreign city, unwed and pregnant Nina accepts a job as live-in nanny to Dexter’s son Ian. Soon an emotional bond develops between Nina and Dexter and after Nina delivers her baby the smoldering attraction that existed for months threatens to boil over.

As writers we hear this all the time, “If you want to be a better writer, you need to be a better reader.” And this is very true. But also true is that in reading we need to do so effectively. Yes, effectively. See, reading well can help make a huge difference in the quality of work you produce. Here are three tips to ensure you’re getting the most out of your reading experience, 1) Be sure to read books you enjoy. Unless you enjoy the classics (e.g. Austen, Dickens, Hemingway, etc.) reading mandatory novels some of which you may particularly enjoy might be counterintuitive. Reading should be a pleasure so read books that you like this way you’re sure to read more. 2) Read the type of material you aspire to produce. Find an author or two or three that you admire and read as much of their work as possible; devour their work actually.  3) Keep a good log of the books you’ve read. Voracious readers alike can tell you that they may not remember the books ...

Most writers have distinct writing styles and we all develop unique techniques over the years. And yet as particular as most of us are about our writing in general authors do adhere to a few common practices . Whether or not you’re conscious of it all writers follow a natural drafting process. Let’s take a look at a popular process thread among fiction writers: 1. The beginning This is the spark that point of initial idea, the inspiration, that moment when we think, “Hey, this could be a book!”   2. First draft This is the writer’s initial stab at plotting the story from beginning to end. 3. Cool-off period This is when most writers take a little time off (anywhere from a few days to a few weeks) to separate themselves from the book physically and emotionally. 4. Second draft This is when some of the major issues about the story (i.e. plot problems, continuity errors, character development, etc.) are corrected to make the book presentable for a cri...

By its very nature, writing is deeply introspective work. When in the ‘groove’ writers can easily spend eight to ten hours writing non-stop and when the writing gets good, even more. Now, we all know that making time for writing is important, but being glued to the keyboard for days at a time with no social interaction can certainly wreak havoc on our physical and emotional health. Conversely, lack of physical activity and isolation often contribute to depression, weight gain, and poor productivity. So what's a writer to do? While it is necessary for us writers to immerse ourselves in our work we do need to be self-aware and recognize unhealthy triggers. As long as writing has been a profession many well-established authors have held down outside jobs and managed to successfully juggle writing, work and family responsibilities. It is a very delicate balance, but it can be done. Here are three top tips writers can adhere to for a healthier and happier life: Break...

Recently, I had a conversation with a fellow writer about different writing styles. We talked about how some writers can simply sit down on a computer and write on command; I cannot. My pre-writing process can take me ten, fifteen, twenty minutes or more and it usually involves me ‘getting in to character’; I need to connect with the hero and heroine before I can delve into their lives. It is then when I’m emotionally attached that ideas begin to form I’m able to capture the thoughts and the scenes and the story begins to unfold. I can tell you that when I begin to write a story, I too experience the same nervousness that a lot of writers feel. Will anyone read my stuff? Will anyone care about what I have to say? This is the fretful process of a writer, yet, we, I, push forward and write with excitement, optimism, and a lot of discipline. On an amusing note (or maybe not so) one thing that we, writers, often encounter is that non-writers tend to think that writing is easy....

“There isn't a perfect time to start writing.” Have you ever heard this statement before? I’m sure you have, in fact most writers have heard it before. Perfect timing is elusive and can hardly be anticipated. When I look back, I realize that my writing journey led me to many opportunities, yet I passed them up because I was too busy designing my life, thinking I had to find the proper time to write. The truth is that we can write at any time. Even if you have a day job, children, or even volunteer if you budget it right you can still find time to write each day. Whether it is writing a paragraph, a page, or ten pages, you  can   write. If you've considered holding off writing until your child starts school, or until your daughter graduates from middle school, or until your son heads off to college you will find that there will always be situations that will prompt you to postpone writing. Now, if you suddenly find yourself pondering about all the things you...

Just sharing great information with my fellow writers! Top twenty things one MUST do to become an awesome writer in no particular order as long as you're actively working on all twenty :) 1.       Become an active blogger (don’t have a blog, start one now!). 2.       Use self-imposed word count per hour, per day. 3.       Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it. 4.       Edit, edit, and edit again. 5.       Live passionately! 6.       Write without distractions (and yes, that means no Internet). 7.       Listen to how people talk. 8.       Read lots of books, both good and bad. 9.       Avoid passive voice. 10.   Limit the use of adjectives and adverbs. 11.   Make writing a priority. 12.   Keep squeezing words out even if you feel uni...

Okay, so we write smut, that much is a given, but do you ever find yourself asking "Okay, so I write romance, but in what category does my writing really fall under?" Well here's my quick and dirty rendition of some of the most popular sub-genres in modern day romance. I know some of you will disagree with these descriptions, but IMO these are pretty much on the money. Erotica Erotica contains minimal if any emotional attachments between the leading characters. Erotica is also sexually explicit (language) and the plot is driven by the sexual relationship/s. The sex in erotica can also take on different aspects, including dominance, bondage, voyeurism, poly-amorous relationships, and so forth. The story may/may not have HEA for the characters and if the story does include HEA it might not be in the traditional romance sense. Erotic Romance Erotic romance exists when the story line contains a love story. Erotic romance is romantic just as it is sexually explicit. In ...

Flash fiction has been around for many years (reportedly since the early 1990’s), but has become increasingly prevalent in the literary community in the last five to seven years. Once regarded as ‘lazy’ work flash fiction is now considered quite the opposite: intellectually challenging storytelling. So big in popularity is this flash fiction that in modern day, dozens of literary publications (both print and online) have shifted their focus to include flash fiction and in many cases exclusively feature works in flash fiction format. Note : other names for flash fiction are short-shorts, short story, micro fiction, novelette, postcard, pocket-size story, and minute-long story. What is flash fiction? Flash fiction is a short form of storytelling defined by the number of words and/or sentences, which of course differ from writer to writer. All in all, flash fiction is any writing material more than 75 words up to 1,500 words, some flash fiction writers stretch the limit as f...