Lesbians Who Write

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Clare had to overcome profound sadness regarding her beloved Tottenham football team, but Costa saved her week by putting raisin-filled pastries back on the menu. TB, the raisin hater, is appalled but also happy for Clare. She can have all of the raisins. While Clare has had an up-and-down week, TB has been digging into the second draft of Lizzie and accidentally scared Clare by going off the grid for two days in a row, something TB hardly ever does. TB has learned to notify Clare before she pampers herself at a spa.

The duo then moves on to the topic of the day: what are ARC teams and how to build one. TB defines ARC as advance reader copy, surprising Clare, who didn’t know the term had changed from review to reader copy. The goal is to send team members a copy of a novel before publication so when the novel is live, reviews can hopefully start right away, helping the book gain visibility.

That’s great, but how do you get one in the first place? Both of them asked their newsletter subscribers to join their ARC teams. If you don’t have an author newsletter, TB really thinks you should get one ASAP. ARC teams do need to be refreshed, which Clare is determined to do soon. A big bonus for having extra eyes on the book before publication is many ARC team members are fantastic typo hunters. Basically, ARC teams are a vital part of publishing, and Clare and TB can’t thank their team members enough.

Links:

Details for the I Heart Lesfic mega sale: iheartlesfic.com/2019-mega-xmas-sale-invite/

Clare’s guest blog: jae-fiction.com/lesbian-romance-author-clare-lydon-a-giveaway/

They’d love to hear about your ARC team experiences. Head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com, and leave a comment on the episode. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Stop back next week for a chat about surviving the crazy festive period.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB

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TB’s been busy launching another book – Holly & Ivy – the last of the year! She’s also finally watched an episode of The Great British Bake-Off, but it made her want cake. It’s a common side effect. Meanwhile, Clare has been writing every day (pat on the back), and she also attended the Romantic Novelists Association winter party and schmoozed. If you haven’t checked out her snazzy new website, do it now (link below).

The pair then move on to the topic of the day: what they love and hate about the genre of lesbian romance. TB relishes the representation and visibility lesbian romance gives; plus, she loves the escape it offers and the happy endings. In a shocking turn of events, Clare agrees with both her points, plus she’s appreciative of their generous and supportive readers. TB then reveals the third thing she loves about the genre: boobs. Clare dies laughing.

As for the negatives – Clare points out she sometimes feels hamstrung by the many rules of romance: no cheating, smoking, swearing, or drinking. She also gets sad when lesbian romance books are simply written off as “erotica” or “dirty.” TB agrees. She also thinks lesfic covers could be better, too.

Links:

Find Holly & Ivy here: lesbianromancesbytbm.com/books/holly-ivy

Visit Clare’s new website here: www.clarelydon.co.uk

They’d love to hear what you love or hate about the genre! Head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com, and leave a comment on the episode. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Stop back next week for another hilarious chat about ARC teams and how to build one.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB

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TB takes offense at being called a certain Y word, and she’s already cringing about the Z possibilities next week.

First, what have TB and Clare been up to this week?

TB got a rough draft done of Lizzie, which she knows needs a lot of work. Thinking about it makes her want to binge on cookie dough. The big news, she’s released Holly & Ivy, a holiday romance she cowrote with Miranda MacLeod. If you live for the holidays and love, this is the book for you. Speaking of holidays, TB watched a Hallmark Christmas movie and has some questions for Clare, who is addicted to them. TB just doesn’t get them.

Clare’s back from Hong Kong, where she spent time with family and friends. Also, she met up with Harper Bliss and her Mrs. While in Hong Kong, Clare learned two things. One has to do with boats and the other her butt cheeks. TB wasn’t expecting either revelation. Clare has been trying to get back into the writing groove, but new words have been slow going. About one a minute.

During the comment section, TB ponders if they talk too much about Clare’s nipples.

Now for the main topic about what jobs have helped their writing careers. Both have a background in academia and media. Coincidence, perhaps? The world almost lost Clare to a PhD focusing on violence and power, but a tutor said Clare’s thesis was too readable. (Is there such a thing?) Now the successful rom-com writer is having the last word, and TB thinks the world is a better place for it. While both had job experiences they didn’t enjoy, they ended up taking pieces from each job and applying the skills to running their own writing businesses. Clare wisely states: Do the best you can in the job you’re doing. You’ll learn more if you do it well, and the skills will come back around. TB is in awe.

Links:

Find Holly & Ivy here: lesbianromancesbytbm.com/books/holly-ivy/

Visit Clare’s new website here: www.clarelydon.co.uk

They’d love to hear about what job skills you’ve put to use in your writing career. Head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com, and leave a comment on the episode. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Stop back next week for another hilarious conversation regarding what the duo loves and hates about the lesbian romance genre.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB

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Clare is away on holiday, leaving TB in charge. Don’t panic! (Maybe a little.) They recorded earlier because they’re professional-like.

First, what have TB and Clare been up to this week?

Speaking of panicking, TB has been because being sick set her back on getting new words written in the first draft of Lizzie that’s due with the editor mid-November. To make matters worse, she’s getting ready to launch the holiday romance book she’s cowritten with Miranda MacLeod: Holly & Ivy. TB keeps proving she’s really bad at planning. There’s more. A new story that’s been percolating in TB’s head is screaming to be written, and TB will have to dig deep to stay focused on the Lizzie story.

Clare is planning on writing while flying but won’t write while spending time with her wife and family because it’s important to have a break. However, Clare is also freaking out since she hasn’t written much during her launch. She’ll be gunning for words and is considering committing to a half NaNoWriMo. On the business front, Clare attended a Facebook training, which was free along with coffee and snacks. She’s easy that way.

A listener comment generates debate about whether or not an author would read a novel by an unpublished writer. TB gets slightly confused, but Clare is there to save her bacon yet again.

The cohosts move on to the topic of the week: what writing tools could they not live without? The duo came at this question completely differently, not surprising since they’re hardly ever on the same page. TB shares what she must have in order to ensure a successful writing day. Clare proves she’s the serious one of the two, listing all the tools pros have in their arsenal. TB does have most, except for one, and she’s really resistant to it. TB is surprised Clare was very old-school about one aspect of the biz really early on in her career.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Scrivener: www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

BookFunnel: bookfunnel.com/

Vellum: vellum.pub

Book Brush: bookbrush.com

They’d love to hear from listeners about what writing tools they couldn’t live without or what ones have changed the writing game. Head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com and leave a comment on the episode. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Stop back next week for a hilarious conversation about what book or books have changed their lives.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB

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This has been a hellish week for TB, involving penning a new Lizzie book and proofing a different Lizzie audiobook. She’s halfway through the first draft, and her editing deadline is getting closer, which means the freak-out stage will hit TB soon. TB has been in launch mode since July and is looking forward to slowing down some to enjoy the holiday season. Recently, she walked in her characters’ footsteps and visited Mount Auburn Cemetery.

The Christmas movie channel has started, and Clare may not write any new words until 2020. But she just released Made in London, so make sure you grab your copy. She recently attended an event and heard Nick Hornby explain how he ended up writing the screenplay for Wild. On the work front, Clare tried a workaround to electronically sign contracts, but it epically failed. Also, she had to go to the cinema twice, and it’s one of her least favorite activities. Poor Clare.

During the comment section, a question by a lesfic author spurred the duo to chat about spicy sex scenes in their stories.

The two move on to the main topic: How do you read, and can you be a good writer without reading? TB shares her favorite methods of reading, which include audiobooks and paperbacks. Due to migraines and insomnia, she’s worked out a reading routine that eases both issues. Clare’s reading habit started from an early age thanks to her parents. Both agree that writers need to read to be better writers. Back when she was 18, TB heard an author say writers shouldn’t read, and it broke TB’s reading heart. She swore she’d never be a writer if that was the case. Luckily, it wasn’t. As Clare says, many writers worry about story elements seeping into their own, but reading is a crucial way to expand a writer’s experiences and makes them better storytellers.

Made in London:

www.clarelydon.co.uk/books/made-in-london/

TB’s Mount Auburn blog post: 

lesbianromancesbytbm.com/2019/10/09/is-it-weird-that-cemeteries-inspire-me/

Stop back next week for an entertaining conversation about writing tools the duo couldn’t live without. If you’d like to leave a comment on the episode, head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com. They’d love to hear from you. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB

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This is an exciting week for Clare. Why you ask? It’s launch week for Made in London. The ARC team has given it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Grab your copy on October 16^th! Clare has been manic prepping for the book release, and the 30k she hoped to write last week didn’t get written. Also, she took on a project that ended up with much swearing, including her favorite curse word (the one that can’t be written here). But she’s heading to Kent for a writing retreat, so hopefully she’ll bash out some words. Monday, Clare will be rubbing elbows with the bigwigs at the Amazon Storyteller Awards. TB is in awe.

TB will be heading to Provincetown on October 18^th to attend some of the Bold Strokes Books events during women’s week in Ptown. On the 19^th, she’ll be back in Beantown (not to be confused with Ptown) for the Boston Book Festival. There’ll be books and food. TB can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday. Later that night, she plans to head to Salem to go on a ghost tour and then have ice cream at a shop with witches in the name. She may never be seen again.

The duo moves on to the ever-burning question: how long does it take to write a book? TB outlines how long it would take in a perfect world from the first blank page to publication. While jotting down the time for each stage, TB has an epiphany, and they both realize why they average publishing 3 books each during the year. It takes time to write a book. Clare shares how her first book took 5 years, but the amount of time gets drastically shorter the more you do it and build your confidence. Since turning full-time, neither of them works on only one project at a time but constantly juggles several projects. It comes down to what works for you, and a book takes as long as it takes.

Also, don’t miss out on all the UK speak that befuddles TB, but we all know she’s easily confused.

Made in London:

www.clarelydon.co.uk/2019/09/made-in-london-cover-reveal/

Bold Strokes Books schedule of events for Women’s Week in Ptwon:

www.facebook.com/events/364138801129852/

Boston Book Festival:

bostonbookfest.org/

Chris Fox Writes:

www.chrisfoxwrites.com/

Stop back next week for another hilarious conversation about how they read and if they think you can be a good writer without reading. If you’d like to leave a comment on the episode, head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com. They’d love to hear from you. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB

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Clare has a cold, but that didn’t stop her from recording. TB is uber impressed by her dedication.

TB has had another busy week, but the good news is her latest book launch has gone fabulously well. She’s knee-deep in the edits of the holiday romance she’s cowriting with Miranda MacLeod. In ice cream news, she stumbled upon a shop she meant to go to during the summer to help celebrate the launch of Clare’s A Taste of Love, but TB forgot. Luckily, fate stepped in.

Clare digs into how TB was super stressed about releasing Reservations of the Heart. Clare offers fantastic advice all writers should listen to.

Clare had a jolly good time in Milan, where she ate her fair share of gelato, although, don’t ask her the difference between ice cream and gelato. It was fashion week while Clare was in Milan, and she bumped into a model who was quite tall. Clare provides a more colorful description. Clare also did some work this week. Made in London is with the proofreader, and Clare has been plotting out the launch. It’ll be published on October 16^th. Mark your calendars! Also, You’re My Kind is out in audio.

Now for the main subject: revision. Clare takes listeners through her process, pulling back the curtain on the nitty-gritty portion of being a writer. She drops a top tip that TB calls outstanding. Both Clare and TB agree the revision process is vital and where the true writing magic happens. If you don’t love revising, this may not be the career or hobby for you since the majority of writing involves revising.

Book links:

https://lesbianromancesbytbm.com/books/reservations-of-the-heart/
https://www.audible.com/pd/Youre-My-Kind-Audiobook/B07Y41QF59
https://lesbianromancesbytbm.com/books/the-village-romance-series/

TB’s Guest Post for Reservations of the Heart:

https://iheartlesfic.com/2019/09/23/guest-post-even-brilliant-people-can-be-stupid-by-tb-markinson/

Resources for Writers:

IngramSpark: https://www.ingramspark.com/
Scrivener: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

Stop back next week for another thought-provoking conversation about self-doubt and how they deal with it. If you’d like to leave a comment on the episode, head over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com. They’d love to hear from you. Or you can email them at: lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com.

Happy listening!

Clare and TB