Why the Cover Change? Glad you asked!

Or maybe you didn't, but I am excited to talk about it anyway.  First of all a quick announcement:  The Wages or the Gift is now available in print with a new cover and a new lower price!  Blurb / Barnes and Noble / Amazon.

So why'd I do it?  Well, I have a couple of quick stories to tell about that.  My first hint that my original cover design (which I really liked, btw) was not the most successful choice I could make came when someone made a comment on Julia Wilson's wonderful review  that said the book  looked like a non-fiction book to her.  I did not put too much stock in the comment, since it was the first one I had heard.  Most people were telling me they liked the cover. Still I would occasionally notice little things like people looking at the cover and saying, "Oh the Wage or the Gif" or something similar.  I would then explain that the it's Wages and Gift, and the dollar sign and the present  (which I later discovered some people thought  was a cross with a bow on it)...you get the drift.
I guess these little isolated incidents were starting to get my attention because after the conversation I had with Delilah Cordova about the cover, I started to really question it.  A friend of mine came into town, and I asked her what she thought of the cover.  She was like, well I can tell it's a religious book.  (Not necessarily a bad thing, I mean it is Christian Fiction)  She went on to say that it was a little confusing, etc. So I started working on changing it.  This time I posted it in a couple of Christian Fiction Readers/Writers groups to find out what kind of book people thought it might be.  Most of them said suspense or thriller.  A few said horror, but no one said non-fiction. And thus I had my new cover.
After I changed the cover, I got a lot more feedback on the first cover that definitely confirmed the necessity for the change.  My publicist, who liked the cover, but agreed that it could seem a bit "non-fiction adjacent" told me this story:  "I was reading your book in Missouri, and a girl looked at me and asked if I was trying to build a better financial future."  That pretty much says it all.
One more thing, the new cover is up for cover of the month on Allauthor.com.  Please vote.

What's in a Name?

People often ask me where I get names for my characters.  I'm sure every author's process for this is different. For me there are character names, especially first names, that just come to me as I start writing. For instance, Center Perkins and Stephen (pn. Steff-en) Campbell, two of the characters in The Wages or the Gift flowed easily from my pen and onto the page, in their first sentences.

Stephen "Steph" Campbell sat on the edge of his waiting room chair,  leaning forward with his hands propping up his head. His eyes moved faithfully around the room as he watched his best friend, Center Perkins, traipse.

I don't know why, but I assume I had already thought about their names in the dream I had that inspired this very scene.  Ebony Reynold (pn. Ray Nold) came with a little bit more forethought, as I had the idea a week or so before I started writing that it would be interesting if there was a character that was a white girl named Ebony.  Now those of you who have read the book know that Ebony is not a white girl, but when I started writing this novel, that name had been recently on my mind.  I thought it would be a great name for the super model in this story.
There are a lot of names in The Wages or the Gift, and while most of them kind of happened organically, not all of them did.  The name Mathan Cigainero came from two places.  I got Mathan from reading through Jesus's lineage from Mathew Chapter 1.  You know: the "begats".  There was a man named Matthan in verse 15, and for some reason when I saw it, I thought to myself, "Hey what if I took out a t?  Then I would have Mathan, which rhymes with Nathan, which is different but not too far fetched."   And I liked the thought. Mathan's last name came from looking up names in the phone book.  I wanted to find a four-syllabled name, and when I saw Cigainero, it was a perfect fit.
Sometimes, I enjoy unorthodox names.  For instance, in Wrong Number, one of my upcoming novels, the main character's name Cardigan Dupree.  I think it may just be one of my favorite character names so far.  Why I chose to name the lady after a comfy sweater, I don't know, but I love it. :)
I will end this with the full quote referenced in the title.  "What's in a name?  That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."  Gotta love Shakespeare!  He came up with some wonderful names come to think of it. :)

Discussion points:  If you read this article,` I would love to hear from you! If you feel so inclined leave a comment about the article or any of these discussion points.

• What is your favorite character's name of all time, and why is it your favorite?
• In The Wages or the Gift, what character name/character did you like best/least and why?
• Tell about a non-traditional name you think would make a good character name.

Every Single Word…

One day, a long time ago, I was talking to my best friend about reading.  Yes, I am that nerdy.  I love reading and talking about reading and reading some more.  Anyway, I was talking to her, and I confessed that I have skipped portions of books on occasion.  Not large portions, mind you, just a paragraph or two.  She told me she never did that because she knows that the author agonized over every single word as they were writing the book. That thought had never crossed my mind.  I’m not positive, but I think I had already started writing The Wages or the Gift when we had this conversation.  I was somewhere close the beginning of the first draft.  I remember thinking that I am not sure that I “agonized” over words.  I mean there is always the desire to make sure my writing is engaging, vivid and tells the best version of the character’s story that I can possibly tell; however, I was not agonizing over every single word.

That was then.

It took me five months, writing every day to finish that first draft.  It was an incredibly fun process for me: my first novel.  Allow me to provide a bit of insight into my writing process.  I am not the kind of writer who outlines her novels. I literally get an idea, start writing and let the story flow until it’s completion.  This became a great issue in college when I was learning about the play writing process, but that is another story.  (One that I will be writing about in the near future most likely.) Anyway, the benefit of writing like that is the story unfolds before your eyes just like it would to the reader.

After I finished the first draft, I did what comes next.  I printed several copies, and gave it people to read.  My first editor, aka Jen, got a copy.  My mother got a copy.  And I think a couple more people got a copy.  But I used mostly, Jen’s and my mother’s copies for the second draft of the book.  That took me more than five months, of course, and I made corrections, additions, and subtractions based on their notes and my own reread.  However, I still did not agonize over each word.  So then I start sending the book out to publishers. My book was accepted to The Writer’s Edge, a company that Christian publishers use to find new Christian fiction manuscripts.  Which was super exciting, and I got a few noteworthy nibbles, even one from Bethany House, but I did not get any bites.

Fast forward a bit to finally getting a publisher.  When I got my manuscript back from my editor, a professional editor this time, I had to go through it again and make the changes needed.  So there I was revising the book again.  Still I did not agonize over every word.  After I finished it, it took another couple of months to get the book back again from my publishers.  This time, I noticed a few layout discrepancies.  So I went through it with a fine tooth comb, making sure any errors were discovered and corrected.  The agonizing began around that time.  Unfortunately, during this process, my publisher went out of business.  Sad day.  Honestly, at that point, I decided instead of looking for another publisher, I would just do it myself.

This is now.

Doing it myself meant I could not use the layout my publisher designed, so I had to completely redesign my book and my book cover.  As I redesigned the book and cover, that’s when I really started agonizing over every single word. I thought back to what my best friend had said to me all those years ago and laughed.  She was indeed correct; it just took me a while to get to that point.

Now that The Wages or the Gift is published, it’s time to start “agonizing” (possibly) over the second draft of my second novel.  I guess the cycle never ends.   More next time.  Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Hello Readers,

 Some of you likely stopped by this page reading my new novel The Wages or the Gift, and some of you may have happened by randomly.  Either way, thanks for stopping by my blog.  This blog is actually one of two author blogs.  My other one is www.rosalindwriter.wordpress.com.  A bit of an explanation for that. 

I made this blog first.  Then I was talking to an author friend of mine, who said why not do a word press blog?  The platform is better.  So I had this idea.  A social experiment if you will.  :) I wanted to see which one would gain more followers, and which one I liked using better.  So far Word Press is winning.  Just because it allows me pages which I find extremely helpful.

If you stopped by after reading The Wages or the Gift, please leave a comment.  I would love to answer any questions you might have or just chat about the book. 

That's all for here for now.  I am about to write an article over at www.rosalindwriter.wordpress.com.  You should stop by there and read it. :)

Thanks,

Roz

Hello Readers!   

Welcome to my author page.  

My journey as a writer started a long time ago.  In fact, I hardly remember a time in my life when I wasn't a "writer".  I started writing stories in elementary school.  The Waves or the Gift is my first novel, and I am super excited to reveal it to the world this month.  Currently I am waiting for a "proof" copy to arrive.  After I get it and work out any kinks.  I will launch the book.  The plan is to have it out in time for the Christmas shopping season.  

Here is some information from the back cover:

Death is sin’s recompense, and for Prestige Modeling Inc., payday has arrived. But who’s signing the check, a revenge hungry madman or a higher power?

​

Mathan Cigainerro and Jamal Asaad find out in The Wages or the Gift. Each man suffers from encounters with a high-society rave organization called Phase 126. Prestige Modeling Inc. is a lucrative front for the biannual party. When supermodel Ebony Reynold, a born-again believer, stumbles upon evidence that could threaten the entire operation, she and her friends find themselves on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth and shine light on two desperate souls. 

Basically, it is a Christian Suspense novel set in the fashion world.  This book was a lot of fun to write.  The story started with a dream.  I had a dream about two young men in a hospital waiting room.  I believe in my dream they were twins, and although one of the young men in the first scene of my novel is a twin, the two in the waiting room are merely best friends.  

Some people may be wondering why I chose to write this novel in third person.  I know first person is very popular these days, but I actually really enjoy third person omniscient. So basically, I did it because I wanted to. :) Seriously though, it works well with the story.  My second novel is in first person.  First person worked better with that story.  That's what it comes down to usually.  Write what works best for the characters and the world you've created for them.  I think readers appreciate that.  I know, as a reader, I appreciate it.