The "Hot Fun in the Summertime" Contest Ends TONIGHT!

It's your last chance to win FREE BOOKS from Nicki Greenwood!

Who doesn't love an awesome beach read? This year, I'm giving away one E-book of your choice (EARTH, WATER, or my brand-new paranormal romance, THE SERPENT IN THE STONE)! Ending TONIGHT (August 31st) at midnight EST, all you have to do is follow the link below, and fill out the form answering a super-easy multiple choice question pulled from my website. You can win a copy of any of my current books in PDF format. Good luck, and Happy Reading!

http://nickigreenwood.wufoo.com/forms/hot-fun-in-the-summertime-contest-entry-form/

Crash POV: It Ain't Show And Tell, Folks

Telling and Point of View

Some time ago, I wrote a post on Telling vs. Showing in your writing. It still amazes me that this is even an issue in writing, and yet, I have bought published books from new authors where "telling" is rampant (never mind that it got past an editor that way) and shouldn't be. An instance here and there throughout a non-first-person work is unavoidable and (sometimes, for artistic reasons) necessary. You may want to distance your reader for a moment, for a few reasons. But not - please, Lord - for the entire length of a manuscript that is not written in first-person POV (Point of View). A novel, especially a romance, with telling filling each of its pages does its reader no favors. Readers of romance love the genre because it puts us in the heads of the characters and, as they fall in love, we fall in love.

The reason for this is that, in a well-written book, we readers are the characters. A masterful writer will cut away all the barriers that prevent us from actively taking part in a character's adventures. Instead of telling us "She was kissing him," - there's that WAS - "She kissed him." That 'was' is gone entirely. Sometimes, it's as simple as that. It's taking away that last barrier - you, observing the action and reporting it to your reader - and instead, just letting the character DO the thing, and letting your reader see it for herself.

Deep POV is a difficult concept for new writers. There are levels of closeness between a reader and a character in a novel. I'll get into that in my next post or two. It's an important skill for a writer, and well worth knowing its nuances. I've seen otherwise terrific books fall short of their potential because of "shallow POV." So, coming up in my next blog, I'll try to illustrate the difference to you writers out there, looking to brush up your know-how.

Summer's Still Rocking Along!

It's almost mid-August, can you believe it? I sure can't. Feels like it's just flying by! I have planted some sunflowers and begun to mulch my garden for the fall. Got some pumpkins planted in the raised bed garden, and I'm hoping we'll at least get some bitty pumpkins to enjoy this autumn.

But for now, the sun's still shining, and there's plenty of outdoor fun to be had for the summer. I'm looking forward to a camping trip to the Adirondacks, and a little time off from work with my son before school starts up again.

And for you, there's still plenty of summer heat in the "Hot Fun in the Summertime" contest! You can win an electronic PDF copy of one of my books, absolutely free! Just click here to fill out the contest form. The contest ends August 31st, so hurry and get your entry in! I will announce the winner on the evening of September 1st, here and on my Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, folks!

Nicki Greenwood's 2013 "Hot Fun in the Summertime" Contest!

It's summer, folks, and you all know what that means:

FREE BOOKS!

Who doesn't love an awesome beach read?  This year, I'm giving away one E-book of your choice (EARTH, WATER, or my brand-new paranormal romance, THE SERPENT IN THE STONE)! Beginning August 1st and ending August 31st, all you have to do is follow the link below, and fill out the form answering a super-easy multiple choice question pulled from my website. You can win a copy of any of my current books in PDF format. Good luck, and enjoy the summer!

http://nickigreenwood.wufoo.com/forms/hot-fun-in-the-summertime-contest-entry-form/



Sterling 2013: Missed the Joust but Got the Men

Our 2013 visit to the Sterling Renaissance Faire was something of a first for me. I have now been to the Faire and completely missed a joust! This year, I finally scraped up enough funds to put a down payment on my Holy Grail of Renaissance Faire wear: boots! I am having them custom-made by Catskill Mountain Moccasins, a regular vendor at the Faire, and maker of some pretty amazing footwear, which I've been eyeing for twenty years. The joust, unfortunately, took place during my fitting, so Hubby and the Peanut went to see that while I was measured for my boots.

While I was disappointed to have missed out on the display of horsemanship and lancework, I did get in a few fresh experiences. This year, we tried turkey meatballs, which were terrific, and I had a go at the archery booth. Turns out I'm not a bad shot, after warming up to it. I'm better with a recurve bow, but my love is the longbow.

I also got to see the Queen's Duel toward the end of the day, where the Queen and her ladies witness a display of martial skill, as well as the knights' attempt to successfully woo a lady. That was such fun! At the end, I also had the opportunity to pose for a photo with a couple of the knights, Sir Francis Drake and Sir Christopher Hatton. Now what girl in her right mind passes up the chance?

The Hubby and Peanut are taking martial arts classes, and so found some wooden practice swords for sale and purchased them. Hubby must've thought I felt left out, because he also picked me up some wooden knives, which are Way Cool.

Finally, another first: we were there nearly the entire day! We've never attended Faire all day, and we managed to remain until an hour before closing. Someday, we hope to see both the opening and closing ceremonies. I'm told the end-of-day Pub Sing is not to be missed!

Check out the rest of the new photos in my Renaissance Faire Album

Lovin' That Good News!

So, Prince William and Duchess Kate have officially welcomed their first baby this afternoon at 4:24 PM - a boy weighing 8 lbs. 6 oz. That's awesome news, and so refreshing in an age where all the media gives us is the bad stuff. Congrats to Kate and William and the new little prince!