OTM 2009 Blog Tour - An Interview With Ned

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Lainey Bancroft  Nov.17
http://www.elaineforlife.com

[This blog originally appeared at the above link. It is no longer available.]

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Hi Lainey, it’s great to be here today! Thanks so much for being part of my first-ever blog tour.

I thought I’d shift gears today and do an interview with Ned. Ned has no last name we know of, but he’s been one of Ryan’s musicians for the past six years. My celebrity reporter, AK Avoxx, caught up with him at the beginning of our story, just after Ryan finds Kaitlyn and introduces her to his musicians. Ned is quite the talker. Let’s hear what he had to say:

AK:  Excuse me, you’re Ryan Reynauld’s drummer, isn’t that right?

Ned: Riveting Ryan? Yeah, I work for him. With him. However you want to say it.

AK: Which is it? Do you work for him or with him?

Ned: Some of both, I guess. He’s the boss. Sort of. I mean, it’s his name selling the records, but he’s not very ‘in charge’ if you know what I mean.

AK: I’m not sure I do. I hear he’s fairly demanding as to what he wants.

Ned: (laughs) Yeah, at times. But then, he’s got the talent, you know? The songs, the voice, the performance factor. Why shouldn’t he be? But he’s not what you think.

AK: No? And how’s that?

Ned: Sorry, can’t say that much. Just don’t believe everything you see.

AK: You can’t give us an example?

Ned: Example. Well. You know how it looks like he’s ‘demanding’ as you say? It’s not that. He is, with himself, but when people jump to do things the way he wants, it’s out of respect, not fear. Not intimidation, as I’ve heard going around. Ry’s one of the least intimidating people you’ll ever meet.

AK: Respect? Sounds like you have some respect for him, as well. Is that musical or personal?

Ned: Both. Great talent. Good guy.

AK: You’re close to him, other than the job?

Ned: I’ve known him for six years, but nah, not close, I can’t say. He’s not close to anyone he works with. Daws maybe, more than anyone. Everyone else is part of the job. Includes me, even if I do keep barging in on him. Some day, you know, people decide they need friends even if they think they don’t.

AK: Daws?

Ned: His bodyguard. Chief bodyguard. He sticks close to Reynauld and runs the rest of the team. Closest thing he has to a friend, I would say. Work-wise. He has a good friend he doesn’t get to see much. He’s just really choosy about them.

AK: Strange, as outgoing as he looks in public, I expected he would have a ton of ‘close’ friends, as well as all of his girlfriends. So are the stories true about all the girlfriends one after another?

Ned: After? (laughs) Ry doesn’t have girlfriends. His job is his mistress. He gets off on writing incredible songs, seeing the audience reaction, the record sales. The girls are part of the job, nothing more. Now and then one’ll try to hook him more but he’s good at getting out of it without too many bad feelings. And it’s not like he tries to start anything. They’re all over him. Works great for us. Plenty of leftovers for the band and crew, if you know what I mean.

AK: Yes, well … this is for a PG rated article, so we’ll bypass that one. The friend you mentioned? The singer everyone says he’s hooked to more than he lets on?

Ned: Sorry, can’t talk about that, either. Off limits. Even he doesn’t.

AK: Why?

Ned: (shrugs)

AK:  Okay, so tell me about this girl he’s been hanging out with recently. She’s not a girlfriend, either?

Ned: Kaitlyn. Nah. Tell the truth, I’m not sure what’s up with her. Not a girlfriend. Not one of his girls, so he says. Quiet kid. Won’t talk to any of us. Not usually the type he takes home. Not that he’s all that particular, but…

AK: Kid? There’s talk of how young she is, enough it has people wanting to know. How old is she?

Ned: Don’t know that, either. But nothing’s going on for anyone to worry about. Want a small inside secret about Reynauld?

AK: Of course.

Ned: Don’t believe what you see. He gets riled easily but he wouldn’t harm a gnat. Well, maybe a gnat if it annoyed him while he was working, and that’s because the gnat would have it coming. But seriously, he has a good heart, whatever you might hear. Anyone he cares about, he’ll stand up for however he has to. No one needs to worry about the girl around him. And I gotta run now. Have a studio date.

AK: One more before you go. You called him Riveting Ryan. I hear he doesn’t like the nickname.

Ned: (laughs) Yeah. No, he hates it. So you know, I have to give him a hard time. Someone’s got to and most are too afraid to do it. He’s got a temper. But you know, it’s like a baby kitten hissing at you. Funny, ‘cause maybe it can scratch but how much harm is it really gonna do?

AK: I’m sure he’d love that comparison.

Ned: I’m sure he won’t. Maybe don’t print that. On the other hand, print it. I’ll get a kick out of seeing his face when he reads it, if he bothers. He doesn’t much. He doesn’t pay much attention to anything printed about him.

AK: Interesting. I’d love to sit and chat more with you, so give me a call if you have time again.

Ned: Good luck with that one. I may get a gag order after this. (laughs and starts walking away) Hey, and make sure you pick up the next album ‘cause I have a feeling it’s gonna be something different. Later.

AK: So, we still have time left. Anyone have questions for Ned they’d like me to ask if he doesn’t get a gag order?

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - Metaphorical Reality

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Sandra Sookoo Nov.15
http://www.sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/

[This blog was originally posted at the above link. It is no longer available there.]

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Hi Sandra! Thanks for having me on your blog today. In honor of your “seeing is believing” theme, I thought I’d talk about metaphor and reality.

“The moon had no light of its own, and no warmth. Like the window, it could only throw back an imitation of what it saw. It made people believe there was a man within, that it had illuminating powers, when there were nothing but craters. Scars from being knocked around. Disguised by false light.”
-- from Off The Moon

I love metaphor. It reminds me of impressionist paintings and Seurat’s pointillism. It’s making one thing become something else, or it’s a hint of something. It’s poetic and active. Nearly breathing. Sometimes it’s so transparent you can’t help but see it; other times it’s subtle and missed unless you pay close attention. Either way, it’s one of the basic tools of writing and highly effective when done well.

Our characters are often metaphors themselves. They stand for something we want to say. Consider Edmund in The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmund is a very real character, full and complete. He is also a metaphor for rightful vengeance. Or Anna in Anna Karenina; a metaphor for social entrapment.

In the short excerpt above, and often throughout Off The Moon, the moon is a metaphor. I won’t say much about it at this point, for fear of giving the story away,  but Ryan tends to think in metaphor. It could be from his songwriting experience, or maybe he was a born poet. But just as things begin to appear differently within his own life, the moon and what it means to be “off” changes, as well. It is both a real object that draws conversation between Ryan and Kaitlyn and an enigma, sometimes like Kaitlyn herself. Other times like Ryan. It becomes a character instead of only a symbol.

Any of you who read or write poetry knows the beauty of metaphor. We can say something that sounds very simple and easy to understand and yet actually mean something much deeper. For instance, these are two lines of a poem I wrote recently (I’m not a poet. I play in it at times.)

Nature’s palette adds its own paint
shifting greens to golds

Simple. The poem is called September Whispers so it’s easy to see it refers to leaves changing in the fall. However, the leaves are only a cover, so to speak. Underneath, it refers to the aging process, with hair turning silver and newness becoming experience. Green often refers to inexperience. Gold to quality and richness.

There is much metaphor through Off The Moon, as well. Don’t worry, though, it’s much easier to understand than my poetry.

OTM Blog Tour 2009 - Celebrities: Truth vs. Hype

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Nancy O’Berry Nov.13
obe-romancingtheblog.blogspot.com

[This blog was originally posted at the above link. You can still find it there.]

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Hi Nancy! Thanks for having me today. :-)

So, any idea who Gerard is “with” this week? According to the tabloids, it seems he’s hooked up to a different girl about every week. He says he’s not hooked to anyone. What’s new in CelebrityLand?

One of the issues in Off The Moon is the difference between what we see and hear about actors and singers who have made it to the big time. We hear about the stalkers and restraining orders and anger outbursts, but what’s really going on? Do celebs actually have no right to privacy when they’re out and about?

In Wednesday’s blog post with Liana, I put up a short excerpt that included Ryan talking with his brother about how his celebrity status has affected his family. There’s much more to the story, though. When he rescues Kaitlyn and pulls her into his world, rumors fly and many of his decisions are made with regard to what fans and the press will think.

I’ve heard, sometimes first-hand, from big-name singers who had to deal with dashing through the airport in order to try to evade fans and how their spouses have been harrassed and even injured by fans who go over the edge. I also tend to read musician autobiographies and watch interviews and such. The situations in Off The Moon (as well as in my Rehearsal series) that deal with fans are real-life, not real but based on real events. They lose hair and get clothes torn and sometimes even cracked ribs from overwhelming crowds.

It’s not only hard on the celebrities, but also on those close to them. They’re never quite sure if someone wants to know them for them or to try to get to the celeb.

The other issue is: how much of what we hear is true? I know of publicists/managers who have changed facts to make singers look better, or worse. Celebrity reporters catch glimpses of things and turn them into stories based on a fact or two, but out of context or stretched beyond what it was. Everything on the outside appears glamorous and fun, when behind the scenes, they often have a myriad of problems most of us will never know. And shouldn’t.

Ryan gets thoroughly caught up in trying to “handle” the publicity when he lets Kaitlyn stay at his place. As they struggle to settle her issues, the added stress of what is said, true or not, complicates matters. Kaitlyn is suddenly faced with having her private life splayed all over the media because of his career. Even her most private, hurtful moments are revealed as she tries to heal.

I’ve heard many say celebrities choose that life and have to expect it. Is that true? Should they? I can say that if my name as a writer ever gets up there with Laurell Kay Hamilton, I’ll still expect to be able to maintain my private life. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), writers aren’t seen as celebs as much as singers and actors. If they were, maybe there would be a few included on Dancing With The Stars. Wouldn’t that be nice?

What do you think about celebrities and privacy and what we hear? Do fans have the right to flock to them in public? Do writers have the right to print half-truth articles that question intimate details? Do we really need to know who is dating whom this week? Is it true? How much do you think is true or manufactured?

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - An Army Brat

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Liana Lavarentz Nov.11
lianalaverentz.blogspot.com

[This blog was originally posted at the above link. You can still find it there.]

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Hi Liana! It’s great to be here on your blog! Since it’s Veteran’s Day here in the States and since I’ve enjoyed your talks about balance and wellness, I thought I’d incorporate those today.

Let’s start with a quick excerpt from Off The Moon. Here, Ryan is visiting his brother and is followed by a photographer looking for private moments. (slightly edited to maintain PG rating for the blog):


Ryan sighed. “I’m really sorry about this.”

“Not your fault.” Will called the dog back and stroked her to help her calm.

“How is it not my fault?”

His brother shrugged as though photographers hanging around his backyard was an everyday occurrence. “It’s your right to do the job you love. Not your fault the country is star crazy.”

“Not like I haven’t tried to feed into it, though. You know how much time and energy goes into feeding it? To grab as much limelight as possible to help sales? Part of me gets angry when they badger me like this, but then, I’ve never minded when it pay the bills.”

“Part of the job. We all have the right to support our careers. And don’t think I’ve always felt that way. I’ve had my share of being ticked off at the invasion into our lives because of it, but it’s not like we’re not used to being affected so much by a career. We grew up that way. More than most can understand.”

Ryan couldn’t argue that. Growing up a military brat and having to move every couple of years to wherever the Army said, like it or not, leaving friends behind, never with extended family around, hearing all of the political ramblers argue whether their parents were heroes or villains without knowing them and with no idea why they chose that life or what it was actually like on the inside … they were both well used to living on the outskirts of regular society instead of within it.

“You escaped it, though, decided to blend in. My choice shouldn’t affect you and your family.” He kept his eyes in the distance, in case the photographer decided to return.

“It’s not ever possible to not affect those around you with your choices. You know that. And you balance it well – your need with ours. 

--
Although he’s known as self-centered and self-serving, Ryan grew up with military parents. He  thinks of his life as growing up on the “outskirts of regular society” and it affects his overall outlook. Part of him resents the moving and he blames his lack of attachment on protecting himself. On the other hand, he has a lot of respect for his parents and the way they taught him to follow rules and to do chores and be a real part of maintaining the household. 

He spends his days doing what he can to grab attention and to perpetuate the rebellious independent wild child image for his career and even tells himself that’s what he is. However, his roots nag at him. During his rebellion and the crazy stunts, the side of him that’s more down-to-earth and family oriented helps to keep him balanced so he doesn’t go too far over the edge. He also does what he can to keep it from bothering his family, and his family in turn, helps to protect his privacy and gives him shelter from the craziness of his job.

I enjoyed playing with the idea of balancing “selfish pop star” with “serving military family.” Anyone who is or has been military or knows service members and their families well knows that “selfish” is the antithesis of what being military means. Although in recent years there has been a surge of support for the military, for too many years before that, they were severely underappreciated and even dealt with a lot of spite. Some sectors of civilian population still treat them that way. The true story of the school child during the first year of the Iraq war who had to sit in class and listen to his teacher talk about how anyone fighting there was “evil” haunted me. It still does. That’s where the hero or villain bit of this excerpt came about.

Ryan is haunted, also, by taunts he heard from the civilian sector as a child. He has trouble relating to anyone outside his career or outside military life because he’s never been part of anything else. His career both avoids and embraces his “outskirt” raising. Being a pop star keeps him outside regular society and he’s comfortable there. Many sides of Ryan conflict, appear to be opposites, but looking close enough, it’s a parallel to military life: fighting for peace, separating from those you love to protect those you don’t know,  vulnerability that creates strength and vice versa. It also balances him so well, he’s able to adapt to whatever situation he’s faced with, no matter how hard it is on him, physically and mentally.

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - Subplot: A Second Rescue

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009

Host: Sandra Kay Nov.9

http://www.sandrakayauthor.blogspot.com/

[This blog was originally posted at the above link. It is no longer available there.]

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Hi Sandra! It’s nice to be here today to chat with you and your readers!

I see you have a “yappy” Pomeranian. We’re animal lovers, also, and have a couple of dogs that like to make plenty of noise. They’re wonderful, aren’t they? Maybe the noise isn’t wonderful, but animals are. It’s nice during times of stress to be able to sit with or play with your pets and let them soothe your nerves. The unconditional love they give is soul-soothing.

Today, I’d like to talk a bit about Subplot and Rescue. The main plot of Off The Moon involves a rather self-centered young man who helps rescue a young woman desperately in need of unconditional love. But there’s another story in the background that involves a rescued dog. Ryan’s brother is an animal lover. Throughout his life, he’s taken in stray animals that need help, sometimes to Ryan’s consternation. His most recent is a large and intimidating dog that’s unfriendly in general. Will expects she’d been abused and does what he can to soothe her and prepare her for adoption. He has some luck, but it’s not until Kaitlyn comes to visit that the dog shows potential of rescue.

Why do writers use subplot in a story? I tend to use it to add depth. Nothing happens in a vaccuum. Whatever we’re doing throughout life, there are a myriad of things going on around us, sometimes in the background, other times in the midst of things. What we do affects more than the most obvious situation or people. It also makes waves far beyond that. One of the biggest themes that runs through all of my stories is that ripple effect. We often don’t realize how much impact we have on others, but it’s there. Always. Subplots are a way to bring out this notion of “yes, but there’s more to the story” and I often use more than one.

The major subplot in Off The Moon is Kaitlyn and Chewy, the girl Ryan rescues and the dog Will rescued. A lot of parallels are drawn between them and it not only adds depth, but it also adds possibility for character growth. Ryan isn’t much of a dog lover. Part of that comes from Will’s rescues when they were kids but also because pets take attention. Ryan doesn’t want to be bothered. Of course, what generally happens when someone extends a hand to another who needs it is that the helper ends up with a true gift. A question arises from the two rescues: do we avoid things because we honestly don’t want them or because our longing for them is too intense?

Kaitlyn understands Chewy’s aggression, although her own abusive situation had the opposite result. She withdraws. Like a magnet, Ryan is attracted to Kaitlyn but repelled by Chewy, even though he sees the “why” behind each of their personalities, and their situations are much the same. As he understands Kaitlyn more, though, and as she stands up for Chewy, Ryan has a hard time not buying into her feelings about the animal.

One of my dogs was a rescue. I had this book fully in process before we rescued him, but I have been interested in the comparison, how it happened to work as it did. We didn’t set out to find a dog that needed to be rescued. It simply happened that way, and what a gift he’s become. He isn’t like Chewy. He’s more like Kaitlyn. And our dog who had recently lost her older friend was so very glad to take him under her wing, just as Ryan was. She’s in charge, but not always. As it turns out, the rescuee has less natural fear than the rescuer in many ways. Human and animal nature are really very similar.

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - Interview with Will Reynauld

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009

Host: Linda Banche Nov 7

http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/

This post originally appeared at the above link. You can still go find it there.

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Hi Linda! I’m glad to be here chatting with you and your readers! Thanks for having me!

Since I know you like humor, I thought we’d do something fun and a bit off-beat today. Character interviews  are becoming popular in order to show extra insight into just who our stories are about. I’d like to do a few for the tour this month, but I’m avoiding my main characters and instead talking with minor characters about my main characters. Sound interesting? Let’s hope so. ;-)

A.K. Avoxx, a journalist following “Riveting” Ryan Reynauld’s highly successful pop music career, has cornered his brother Will leaving a supermarket in Bennington. He’s just picked up a few necessities for his family on his way home from work and isn’t known to talk much about Ryan, but we’ll see what we can get. Take it away, A.K.!

A.K.:  Will? You’re Will Reynauld, right?

Will:  (looks at the microphone and recorder) I’m on my way home. Excuse me.

A.K.:  Only a few minutes? I’m from BlogHoppenings and would love to talk to you about your brother.

Will:  Call his manager and get an appointment to talk with him. He’s easy enough to find and he has no trouble talking about himself.

A.K.:  Ah, I did, quite the fun interview. He said he didn’t mind if I talked to you.

Will:  Did he? That was nice of him.

A.K.:  His exact words were, “You can try. Good luck.” I took that as permission.

Will:  Uh huh. I have ice cream in the bag. My son has a sore throat, so if you don’t mind…

A.K.:  He comes up here to visit a lot, from what I’ve heard. I’ve also heard the two of you are very close. You half raised him?

Will:  Haven’t seen him in three months, if you consider that a lot. He keeps himself busy.

A.K.:  So you’re not as close as it’s rumored?

Will:  He’s my brother. And I respect his privacy.

A.K.: (laughs) Riveting Ryan doesn’t seem to need or want privacy. He pretty much tells all, doesn’t he? Not much we don’t know from his perspective. But I was hoping for something more … intimate,  kind of the man behind the job. You lost your father some years ago, is that right? That much he doesn’t talk about. But I have heard you stepped in to help raise him. He was young…

Will:  He was fourteen. I was twenty. He’s said that much already. And there are some things he does want private. He deserves that right like everyone else.

A.K.:  You sure sound like a protective parent.

Will:  (sets the bag of groceries in the trunk of his car and turns) We are close, yes. We talk often, as brothers. I’ve never tried to be his parent. He has Mom for that. Not that he needs parenting anymore. He’s doing well, as you can see. I’m afraid you’re not going to get any inside information from me, or from the rest of the family.

A.K.:  So I should be knocking on neighbors’ doors to find more?

Will:  (pauses) You can try. Good luck.

A.K.:  You think they won’t talk?

Will:  They don’t know anything you don’t already. He comes to visit us. Otherwise, he stays to himself while he’s here. Privacy.

A.K.:  Ah, so there is a hidden, private side to Riveting Ryan none of us have heard about yet?

Will:  Just a tip – he doesn’t like to be called that.

A.K.:  Yes, I noticed he didn’t seem to appreciate it. Although it’s flattering, isn’t it? Referring to how riveted his audience is whenever he’s on stage? Or are the background stories true that it actually refers to something more … intimate? Regarding the flock of girls always on his heels?

Will:  He is riveting on stage. Incredible showman on top of the music.  Anything else, I won’t discuss. And I need to get home, so if you don’t mind…

A.K.:  Of course, and thank you for your time. Could you give me a hint when you next expect him? It’d be nice to see him at home with his family.

Will gives him a raised-eyebrow glance and turns away, escaping into his car.

--------

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - Traveling Fiction: Places in Story

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Sue Perkins Nov 5
http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com/

This post originally appeared at the above link. You can still go find it there.

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Hi Sue! Thanks for hosting me here today!

I was perusing your blog the other day and noticed you and your husband have done a lot of traveling. My husband and I also like to travel as much as we can. Such a great experience, with a wealth of information to be gained. Since I use a lot of my own journeys and explorations within my stories, I thought I’d talk a bit today about Traveling Fiction: Places In Story.

Setting can be only a place where a story happens or it can be a character in itself. I have done some of both within my novels. Always, though, the setting should have some kind of effect on characters. We are, after all, products partially of our environments. Our society determines many of our thoughts and attitudes. If we grow up in the midst of a huge city, we will have a different outlook than if we grow up in the midst of cornfields.

So how do we choose where our characters will be set? Sometimes the story plot tells us. For instance, if I’m writing a Civil War novel and want the main character to be a Union soldier, I need to have it set in a northern state, or at least have his home state mentioned and affecting his attitudes. Other times, we use places that interest us or places we’ve been.

I grew up in central Illinois in the midst of cornfields, but I had relatives who lived in Chicago. We didn’t get to go visit often, as it took nearly three hours of driving each way, but when we did I couldn’t get enough of checking out the skyscrapers, first from a distance and then from along the city streets. I also had a huge fascination with Lakeshore Drive and turned in my seat to keep my eyes peeled on the boats along the shore and out on the lake. I’m still fascinated by Chicago, although I wouldn’t choose to live there because of its size. I used that feeling of awe, however, when I wrote my first novel, Finishing Touches. Set mainly in Peoria, and a small unnamed town outside Peoria where Jenna grew up, it often jumps into Chicago. The city becomes a character in the way it pulls Jenna’s spirit and encourages her to stretch her wings, leave the past behind, and grow. Of course being from the Peoria area gave me plenty of detail to use within the story. It also helped me know Jenna’s character from her home roots.

When I first started writing the Rehearsal series, I knew it had to be set elsewhere. The story revolves around a rock band struggling to make their way in the business and so they had to be closer to the music scene. I didn’t want them in New York or Los Angeles, but slightly off that too-well-beaten fictional path. By this time, I had moved four times and one of the places I’d lived was Massachusetts. I fell in absolute love with it while there and decided that was close enough to the music scene. I put them just outside Boston, about a half hour west. None of my featured characters, however, are from there. They are all outsiders with different backgrounds merging in a fictional town in the midst of actual towns mentioned in the story. Two of the main characters are from Pennsylvania. Why? During family travels I fell in love with the state. It was only after the first book of the series was published that we decided to move to PA. Another main character is from Scotland, for the simple reason that I needed him to be a foreigner and I had always wanted to visit the country. Book two of the series is partially set in Edinburgh and was published just after my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland. Again, first-hand detail helped make the scenes more vivid. Since my fictional band tours, you’ll also pick up bits and pieces of other places I’ve lived and visited. My guess is that you’ll know from the description which I have.

Off The Moon is set half in New York City, because this one needed the beaten path for my character, and half in Bennington, Vermont, with visits to London and Montana. I have been to NYC, briefly, and again, I made mental note of enough detail to add a reality I couldn’t get with only research. I haven’t yet been to Vermont. The distance of it worked well for the story, plus I needed a large lake and small town atmosphere. Ryan barely knows Bennington himself, since he grew up a military brat and his family settled there just before he took off on his own. My own lack of real detail meshes with his. There should be a noticeable difference in the way he describes NYC and the way he describes Bennington. Since everything in the story comes from his own deep point of view and the reader knows nothing he doesn’t know, the haziness works well. I do have plans to visit, though. Researching places for my novels always makes me want to go see them.

I have a true travel bug. Luckily, I get to take my readers along for the ride. Next stop: Idaho, Twin Falls area.

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - Artistic Vision and Creative Doubt

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Jane Richardson, Nov. 3
http://janerichardsonhomethoughts.blogspot.com/

[This post first appeared at the above link but is no longer available.]


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Hi Jane! Thanks for hosting me here in your blog!

Since you’re a fellow music and art lover, I thought I’d talk today about Artistic Vision and Creative Doubt.

All art is subjective, and that includes music. As writers, we know how easy it is for doubt to creep in about our work. Some days, we can nearly believe we’re up there with Margaret Mitchell and John Irving, and other days, we can think our pages are good for nothing but fire-starting fodder. It’s the life of an artist.

Some of us listen mainly to rock or pop, others country, others classical or opera. We may prefer Van Gogh or Whistler or Picasso. Even within the same genre interests, we can disagree about what’s quality work or garbage. With no better definite mark to determine how we’re doing, we often turn to monetary success as a judgment factor. But is it? If not, how do we know? If we get an “I couldn’t put it down!” review one day from one reader and an “I can’t believe I spent money on this” review the next day from a different reader about the same book, who do we believe?

Ryan Reynauld, the hero (or rather, anti-hero who must learn to be a hero) of Off The Moon is nicknamed “Riveting” Ryan by a journalist. The name sticks, although it annoys him. He’s in the prime of his music career when the story starts, successful enough to need a bodyguard as he wanders New York City whenever he’ll be anywhere someone might expect him to be. Ryan’s great at promo and keeping his name in the media with outrageous antics. At other times, he’s a rather reluctant pop star. He doesn’t like the commercialization of his music although that’s where the big money is, and he finds ways to escape from both his fans and his guard.

 Ryan is a solo artist as well as a songwriter. He sings only his own music and there are hints throughout that writing means more to him than performing. He talks of his fans as a way to pay his bills. He has no guilt about accepting his female fans as they throw themselves at him and then walking away to the next tour city and different girls. As a songwriter, though, he’s also a true poet. He would never admit it while putting on his hard-core, nothing-gets-to-me act, but he tends to see the world through metaphor.

Ryan leaned back in the chair and stared at the edge of the table. The edge was darker than the surface, although it was the same glass.
(chapter 20)

Simple things such as a glass table can push his thoughts into something much larger. Here, he focuses on the edge, which is a huge theme of the story. Edges stand for choices, a balance between safety and danger, a forked path. Ryan walks many edges throughout the story. One of the most important is with his music. He’s often accused of arrogance because he knows what he wants and he goes after it with a ton of promo and endless hours of work. His creative vision remains purely and deeply intact, although he has trouble with standing up for himself against his manager and label when they take too much control over his music.

Very much a two-sided character, Ryan himself can be seen as a metaphor of creative doubt. His halves are in constant flux, walking that edge between the money-making whatever-it-takes path and the more sensitive artistic poet side. He has days he knows his songs are among the best out there and days he considers not bothering to write because it’s all been said already and his music isn’t worth the time and energy it takes.

It’s a path all artists must cross or balance. Most of us writers will tell you how hard it is to promote our own work. Like Ryan, it’s not because we don’t believe in it – although there are days – but because it feels an antithesis of art. On the other hand, promotion can be an art in itself.

There’s always another hand. Much of it depends on what we choose to see.
--------

Thanks again, Jane!

OTM 2009 Blog Tour - What is Literary Romance?

CRR Blog Tour – November 2009
Host: Judah Raine, Nov. 1
http://judahraine.com/romancewriteup/

[This post first appeared at the above site, but it is no longer available there.]

Permalink for Tour Stop Reposts


Hello Jude and thanks so much for not only having me here today, but also for the wonderful tour setup! This is my first book tour and I’m looking forward to a fun month!

With the beginning of the tour, I thought I’d introduce myself and talk a bit about what I do:
“Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist”

Readers who see my tagline often ask what I mean by “literary romance” – a fair question since it’s not an official genre. Literary fiction involves heavy exploration of societal issues, social problems and injustices and morality questions, psychological impact of relationships and culture. It can be quite short as in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” or very long such as Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” It often infuses the writer’s thoughts and sometimes rambles beyond the story and into ideas. Romance as a genre has a strict guideline: heavy focus on the relationship between two characters where they meet, are parted in some way for some reason, and come together at the end for a happily ever after. Anything not necessary for the specific plot of the story is not included. It most often runs between 60,000 and 100,000 words (around 250-300 pages).

I combine the two. I write romance. The burgeoning love relationship between two characters is always central. However, I also throw in literary elements to look more deeply at the “why” of each: why they are attracted to each other instead of someone else, why they are hesitant about it if they are, where they came from, their family histories, and how society has affected them and their goals and needs. I’ve covered such topics as parenting and the effects of different styles, grief and how it affects each of us differently, racial issues with a half Native American character who grew up in the 50s and early 60s in a small-minded small town, child abuse, clashes between the wealthy and working classes, and women’s issues. Unlike much literary fiction, however, my stories are not heavy and sullen. They have heavy, sullen moments, but the overall feel is light and hopeful and I love to throw in bits of humor. The end, as in romance fiction, is always upbeat. I refuse to leave a reader on a down note.

Within my stories, you will always find the arts. I was raised in a highly artistic family and it’s embedded in my nature. So far, I have novel characters who are dancers, singers, painters, landscape designers, and musicians. A short story series in progress deals with a sculptor and a gardener who used to be an architect. Another revolves around a songwriter with a family-disrupting mental illness. I’m music obsessed and it fills my stories, even those that don’t revolve around music. You’re likely to find some of my own fave singers and bands mentioned in each. And you’ll find music industry issues, such as manipulation of artists by big recording companies and marketing methods that may or may not be quite truthful. Did you know it’s not unheard of to change an artist’s age for marketing purposes? I have that issue coming up in a future book, which will actually help my singer disguise her identity.

A bit about my background that leads me to write the kind of stories I write: along with an artsy family and many art and music courses, I have worked for a musician helping with online promotion, have networked with musicians outside my family, and have a psychology degree. Let me note I am not a psychologist or counselor, at least not yet. ;-) I do work for a sandplay therapy network. And I have always studied human nature and have paid attention to nuances of personalities. This has been great help in making my characters very deep and real.

So, there you have the basics. Questions? Leave them in the comments and I’ll get back with you! Be sure to check my blog this month, also, for Off The Moon related interviews. [http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com] The first one is up today and features Vicki Blankenship, indie singer/songwriter and president of IndieGrrl.com. Vicki was gracious enough to allow use of lyrics for one of her songs from her newest album at the end of Off The Moon as the music epilogue. I have one in each of my books, so far, always by indie artists.

Find my website for more info:
http://www.lkhunsaker.com


Here’s the blurb for the book I’ll focus on this month on tour, release date November 27th!

Off The Moon
LK Hunsaker

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.
----
Thanks again, Jude!

Next up: Artistic Vision and Creative Doubt with Jane Richardson, Nov. 3

Off The Moon 2009 Blog Tour

Off The Moon now has an updated
2nd Edition Hardcover version!
Publication date: 28 January 2020.
Available for pre-order until the 28th at most major retailers.

Off The Moon Website
(with buy links)

While doing the update for the website, I realized many of the links for the original 16-Stop Blog Tour I did back in November 2009 are no longer available. Since I want them available, I will be reposting them here on my blog, with the original links where they are still up. The permalink for this post will be on my site, and for a while, it will be linked in the right-hand column for easy access.

I'll update this post as each one is added. The original links are in place and viewable (as of Dec 2019). Thank you to all of my hosts!
~  ~    ~

Nov 1:
 Judah Raine
Introduction - what is literary romance?

Nov. 3: Jane Richardson
Artistic Vision and Creative Doubt

Nov 5: Sue Perkins
Traveling Fiction: Places in Story
~Original Post~

Nov 7: Linda Banche
Interview: Will Reynauld, Ryan's brother
~Original Post~

Nov 9: Sandra Kay
Subplot: A second rescue

Nov 11: Liana Laverentz
Behind the Scenes: An Army Brat
~Original Post~

Nov 13: Nancy O'Berry
Celebrities: Truth vs. Hype
~Original Post~

Nov 15: Sandra Sookoo
Metaphorical Reality

Nov 17: Lainey Bancroft
Interview with Ned (Ryan's drummer)

Nov 19: Lindsay's Romantics
Home: That Special Fit
~Original Post~

Nov 21: Maryann Miller
Pushing Boundaries with Trauma and Genre
~Original Post~

Nov 23: Sandy James

Silence: Sword and Shield

Nov 25: Lizzie Starr
Family Relationships
~Original Post~

Nov 27: Classic Romance Revival
Release Party! Author Interview

Nov 29: Steph Burkhart
Interview with Daws and Ryan
~Original Post~

Dec 1: The Pen Muse
Off The Moon: The Inside Scoop