Fav 5 - Free Romance E-Books

I'm a voracious reader, so much so that I often have a huge stockpile of books waiting to be read just in case I can't find the time to run to my nearest bookstore.  (Yes, I still purchase hard copy books from a physical store.)

But why spend money on a good book when they can also be had for free?

Think about it: some of your favourite romance publishers want to both keep you as a reader and to woo a new audience, so they offer free e-books to lure you in.

Hey, it works!

Harlequin:  I was raised on Harlequin/ Mills and Boon so I still harbour a soft spot for their books.  I am both amazed and impressed by how many of my favourite romance authors (subject, no doubt, of a future post) are still producing incredible works!  I remember some of these names from twenty or so years ago.  Try some of these authors for free and you too will be hooked.  I promise.

Smashwords: This site has a large selection of lower priced and free ebooks, including pages of romance novels.  The selections feature reader reviews (out of 5 stars) and a "prude filter" to allow you to check out only novels that conform to your desired level of heat.  Well worth the perusal.

All Romance Books:  For tons of variety and more spicy reads, try out this website.  Just keep in mind that you have to go through a sales-type transaction even for the free reads -- it's just that your cart will show $0 owing.  That means you also have to create an account for the site.  Well worth the effort.

Public Book Shelf:  Looking for romance classics as well as the newer stuff?  Try out this site which offers titles from Jane Eyre to Married to a Rock Star.  Much emphasis, however, is on classics and historicals so check it out if you have a hankering for a romance set in the olden days.

The Wild Rose Press: A decent variety of free reads is available from this romance publisher who offers everything in the romance genre from young adult to paranormal.  For hotter reads, check out the Wilder Roses for another helping of freebies.

Fav 5 - Classic Poems

Poetry can inspire or depress your feelings almost instantly.  In a dozen or so lines, some poems pack a wallop that most novelists spend several hundred pages chasing.

Poetry can also stir the creative juices by forcing you to think about your writing differently.  "Writing poetically" is never a criticism but often a piece of praise.

My favourite poems are those I grew up with, even those I studied in school.  In fact, one of my prized possessions is a book of narrative verse that my father and grandfather both owned.

So, I thought I would share some of my favourite classic poems with you, in the hopes that you can be inspired as much as I have been.

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes

"Then look for me by moonlight,
   Watch for me by moonlight,
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."

Young love and adventure, what more can you want as a teenaged girl?  Even though the poem ends tragically, it's the kind of tragedy you can hug to your heart and sigh over.  And seeing Anne Shirley recite this poem in the Anne of Green Gables movie just makes it even better.

She walks in beauty by Lord Byron

"She walks in beauty, like the night
   Of cloudless climes and starry skies"

Lovely, romantic stuff -- the kind that makes you want to believe in love forever.  It doesn't matter that the woman he wrote it about is long gone, Byron has made her live forever in this famous piece.

Kubla Khan by Samuel Coleridge Taylor

"By woman wailing for her demon lover".  That line gives me shivers every time.  And tell me that that's not great inspiration for an urban fantasy or supernatural romance.  These old school guys knew what they were writing about and their poems remind us of how immortal these themes can be.

The Tyger by William Blake

"What the hand, dare seize the fire?"  Fear, courage, evil, good.  All of the themes seem thrown into relief in this poem.  It has all the hallmarks of the "classic" poem that anyone can use as a starter into poetry in general - it's short, it rhymes and it encompasses these huge themes.  It also repays greater study and deeper questioning.  Truly, a wonderful poem.

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

"But at my back I always hear
Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near"

Brave and defiant, this poem reminds me always of youth and love and time passing.  Though the humour in it makes me smile, the final sentiment -- that time is fleeting for love and life -- always makes me tear up.  Beautiful.

Fav 5 - Romantic Heroes from Literature

Before I ever opened a romance novel, I fell in love with those classic romantic men penned by such women as Emily Bronte and Baroness Orczy.  After I started reading romances, I saw many similarities between those incredible men and the ones who graced the pages of my contemporary novels.

But seriously, who can compete with the classics?  That's why we loved them so much as young people and why we still love them.

So, without further adieu, here are my favourite romance heroes from classic literature.  Enjoy.

The Scarlet Pimpernel:
Okay, I won't give his identity away in case you haven't read the book yet but let's just say that this British aristocrat masquerading as a hero to the French elite during the Terror is a man for all occasions--and a great actor.  He's brave, dashing and captures the heart of every young women in England as he performs his daring deeds.  But his heart belongs to one woman alone.  Sigh.

Prince Andrei:
If you've struggled through War and Peace more than once then it might be because of this Russian prince, an intellectual widower who still kicks butt on the battlefield and wins the heart of the young heroine Natasha.  What is amazing about Tolstoy's character is that we first see the Prince at his worst, suffering in a loveless marriage, and later come to love him as his inner strength and beauty is revealed.  Truly, a great man.

Rhett Butler:
He's a jerk, I know, but you fall for him right from the start--after you finish gasping with indignation.  Poor Scarlett.  She never stood a chance.  Rhett had both the brains and wiles to survive in high style during a disastrous war (for his side) and he soon gains what is often essential for a romantic hero: power and position.  And he uses it to woo his woman.  While their relationship is fiery and tempestuous, Rhett holds his own against our girl and when he walks out at the end, we all know that they will somehow end up together again.

Romeo:
Come on, dying for love?  Is there anything better than that?

Heathcliff:
Oh wait, how about living in spite of your loved one's death?  Going around cursing the gods and your beloved to walk the earth until you can meet her in death?  Yes, that's Heathcliff.  Uncivilized, untamed, and wildly attractive.  He drives himself--and everyone around him--mad out of love.  And when his love turns into hatred for almost everything else in the world, we ache even more for him.  I cry every time he gives his speech, begging Cathy to haunt him.  Oh no, here I go again.

Fav 5 – Sources of Inspiration

I am fortunate; I find my inspiration everywhere.

My everyday interactions, thoughts and sensations inform my writing, so much so that I will never have the time to follow up on all of my story ideas. For the excess, I jot down my idea (as best I can) in my writing journal with the hope that I will one day come back to it. My journal is my insurance. One day, if I ever reach Peak Idea, I can rely on this stockpile.

So, where do I find my ideas? Well, I compiled my five top sources of inspiration below.

Books

It seems counter-intuitive to find new ideas in a work that’s already been created and published. Think of it this way: sometimes a title of a book can lead you to expect another plot or story from the you one actually find inside. What were you expecting? Was it more interesting than what you found? Then write that book. Maybe other people will find it the more interesting story too.

Poetry

Poems may present you with a different kind of inspiration: the creative spark and the imagery to which that flows. Poetry may get you to think about words in a different way. A poetic turn of phrase can open up brand new vistas on the ordinary or humdrum.

If you haven’t read any poetry since high school, this is the time to start again. The world has gone on since Keats’ Grecian urns (although we still appreciate them).

Music

Listening to a great song can tap right into your emotions, bypassing all of the usually ocular channels. I listen to all kinds of music and I would recommend that you do too (or at least try them out). Different bands and genres can evoke different emotions. Have some music playing in the background and see how it affects your writing.

Song titles are also a good starting point to get your creative juices flowing.

Dreams

Your subconscious is always working, even when you’re not.

What are the reoccurring themes of your dreams? Go beyond falling or flying and think about that odd little dream you had the other day about pit mining and red mountain ranges. Create a story using that background: a fantasy set in a desolate red land, for instance.

If you can’t remember your dreams, try jotting them down right after you wake up. Keep a journal by your bed for this purpose.

In Real Life

Snatches of conversation, heard out of context on the train in the morning, can find their way into your story by the evening. A face you see in the elevator may fit the previously blurry features of your hero’s nemesis.

For sheer variety, nothing beats real life. Use what you see. Use what you experience. If it was a bad experience, write it out. If it was just a weird observation, so much the better.

Inspiration is all around you. Know where to find it. And, above all, use it!

Fav 5 - My Five Favourite Writing Things

Computer:

At this juncture, my preferred writing utensil (Computer # 1 or Kitchen computer as it has somehow chosen to dub itself) is the good old desktop. Sure, it sits atop a desk and requires a chair which combine to occupy a full third of my study, but the screen is large enough to see a vast swathe of any story at one fell glance and the keyboard allows for free range of movement rather than cramped little pecks with fingertips.

My netbook is beloved, a pert carry on for business and pleasure trips, but, in my book, it still qualifies as a fashion accessory rather than a real utensil. It will do for the pinched confines of a train yet my hand never reaches for it at home.

Journal:

One of my hobbies is purchasing journals—you know, those funky, flashy, frilly or just simply cool ones they sell at book and stationary stores. I probably have about a dozen lying in wait for me, ready for when I finish my current tapestry-covered model.

I jot down ideas for future writing in my journals, along with names for characters and places, bits of dialogue I imagine a character yet uncreated saying or great phrases that would make good book or short story titles. Often, I have come up with a strong title first and then written the story to fit.

It typically takes me a year or more to finish a single journal. I have about a dozen completed ones, dating back to my adolescence. I love the feeling of accomplishment I get when I sign my name on the last page and tuck it into my closet to gather dust.

I don’t read my journals again. The ideas are kind of like a savings account for future days when I fear running out of ideas. Don’t worry; there’s no harm of that right now!

Technology will come and go but, for me, the sheer tactile enjoyment of a journal and pen will never be replaced.

Flash drive:

With the many computers I use everyday (from desk top to laptop to netbook to work computer) I need a quick and easy way to ease myriad versions of files from one to another. For a long time, I stuck to the old plastic contain with a floppy disk or two trapped within. Now, several flash drives later, I wonder why I was hanging onto the fragile, noisy and eternally short-on-space dinosaur when the new species had arisen to conquer all former technology.

Now, all four computers fit comfortably on my dog tag look-alike flash drive with plenty of space to spare. My back up for all of my computers is a tiny pink vault and my cute pink-ribboned black drive has now been handed down to my mother, the digital photo snapper, to discourage her from saving these masterpieces on her camera itself. Truly, technology is old and established when it has been passed up to a senior generation.

Bookmarks:

Okay, not technically a ‘writing thing’, more of a reading thing in fact, but I cannot finish up without referring to my favourite treasured bookmarks of past and present.

My first favourite bookmark was a Garfield astrological sign one about Geminis (my sign, of course). I can’t remember the exact quote but it started off with a string of complimentary adjectives and ended with “the kind of person you love…to hate”. I loved that bookmark! I used it constantly until I either lost it or tucked it away for safekeeping, ultimately from myself.

My favourite from recent memory is a row of postage stamps encased in hard plastic. I like the fact that it is only incidentally a bookmark but somehow classic than shoving an envelop or paper napkin between the pages of your book. It’s also pretty enough to please my aesthetic needs without overpowering its functionality (I am not fond of dangling ribbons or strings—worse yet, with beads attached). My favourite bookmark is small, strong and nearly indestructible, for while I am careful with my books, I am less so with other items.

Tote bag: 

Confession: I collect tote bags. They’re cheap (my most expensive was $20.00) and space saving, occupying a flat space atop a box in my closet compared to the many feet of shelf space dedicated to my handbags. They’re environmental, ready to be rolled up in a ball until needed and they’re individual, each loudly proclaiming a different view—from my musical tastes to the places I’ve been and seen.

I have a tote bag from almost every rock concert I’ve attended in the past few years (Blue Rodeo and Crowded House come to mind) and from writer’s festivals where I conveniently use them to stash my latest literary journal finds—festivals often sell packaged lots of last year’s editions at a great discount. Thrown in the mix are a few chain store versions that look pseudo-funky and I am good to go.

I take a tote bag along to each of my monthly writing group meetings since they are the perfect size to hold a big notebook, a few pages of manuscripts and a book or two to be borrowed or lent that month. I like the casualness of a tote around the shoulder rather than a handbag clutched in palm. I also like the free form nature of a tote, meant to stretch and fit rather than dictate the terms of its contents with zippered pockets and compartments. The books and pens and keys must coexist together in a milieu rather than skulk, each in its own corner. A handbag is for work and its order while a tote is for me and my own way of doing things.

Photo courtesy of Phiseksit at freeditigalphotos.net