Monday, December 27, 2010

The Power of a Blank Page

It seems wherever I've been going in the literary world lately, I've heard how intimidating a blank page is. Really? I keep hearing this, so it must be a universal phenomena, yet it is not anything I experience. What is wrong with me?





I LOVE blank pages! There is limitless potential there. Dear God, I could stare at a blank page for hours. Not out of fear, but out of wonder! Will it be a romance? A thriller? Dark and mysterious or light and sweet? Who will be born? What will people look like? Where will this story take me?




One of my favorite gifts during childhood was a blank journal-type book. I had so many over the years. I still wouldn't turn one down! ;)






Blank pages are as exciting as they come. That page represents all the potential in the world. How can I be afraid of that? It's exciting to see what I will be able to paint with my words. That is fun, at least to me. :)





Blank pages are extremely powerful. They hold the key to our next world. They are what our imaginations should be: infinite!







So the next time you're staring at a blank page, don't be intimidated. Be inspired!





Happy reading and writing, y'all!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

My Yule Holiday Gift

Howdy, folks! So, the powers that be gave me a wonderful gift for Yule yesterday: an interview on sellingbooks.com! Please check it out! :)

Thanks! And happy holidays, of course! ;)

http://www.sellingbooks.com/l-e-harvey-imperfect

Monday, December 20, 2010

Holiday Gifts

Today, I was simply going to write about the power of a blank page, but instead I find myself GLEEFULLY distracted! :)



Don't get me wrong, there is much to be said about a blank page (I'm serious), as well as the power of words. BUT...I'll bore y'all with that another time!


Today, instead, I want to tell you about happy, wonderful, holiday things!!! :)



First and foremost, Vanilla Heart Publishing is running an INCREDIBLE special on e-books for the holidays. They're just $3.99, folks! Only three dollars and ninety nine cents! That is an incredible price! It's the perfect gift for yourself and all the other readers on your list! Just think of how many copies of Imperfect, Loving Her, Unbreakable Hostage, and all the other FANTASTIC VHP titles you can buy! http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Celebrate_EBOOKS_.html




Secondly, I will be on sellingbooks.com tomorrow for a great interview about Imperfect! Don't miss this one! :) http://www.sellingbooks.com/




Last, and certainly not least, I am thrilled, honored and excited to announce that I, little old me, yours truly was listed as the NUMBER THREE Facebook Author for 2010! HOLY CRAP! I was floored. I'm still giddy with excitement! :) Check out the link and let out a little squeal of joy along with me! :) http://www.upauthors.com/“/ron-knights-top-50-facebook-authors”




YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, that's it for now. I'll be back to harass you some more later.


Happy reading! :)

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Happy weekend, everyone!

This is a brief blog today because...well, I don't want to bore you. :)



First off, I have the honor of having Imperfect featured on Authors Promoting Authors!

Please check this link! :) http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-release-imperfect-le-harvey.html







Next week, I will be guest blogging on Romancing the Book. I'll be there on Thursday, the 16th. I'm THRILLED to be there and...we're doing a contest!!!! You don't want to miss out on that one! Here's the link-y poo: http://www.romancing-the-book.com/





Lastly, for those of you who have not yet heard (and who don't mind a good, hot political debate), my partner proposed to me this week! :) Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! That was my girlish squeal of excitement. I'm thrilled. She makes me so happy! :) So...Yayness!


Of course, I've already run into people who can't simply be happy for us. Yeah, I've gotten some lovely lectures from people who disapprove.


Perhaps I should disapprove of heterosexual marriages. I don't know. Just a thought.


Anyway, I am who I am. I am madly in love, we ARE getting married. If you don't like that, I'm sorry. You are entitled to your opinion, however, I don't need that opinion shoved in my face 24/7. I get enough of that from Fox news. ;)




Those people, those naysayers are the exact reason I write, folks. Their bigotry is my motivation. I use their prejudice to write stories that I hope will open peoples' eyes and create some more understanding and acceptance in this very cold world of ours. You know what? It seems to be working, too. Thus far, Imperfect has been read and reviewed by STRAIGHT people. The reviews have been wonderful. Yes, straight people LOVE an LGBT book. Be horrified, be thrilled. Makes ya wanna go out & read it, doesn't it? ;) The newest review came yesterday from Dr. T. Davis:
"I like a book that makes me uncomfortable. And this book does just that." SWEET! I made a Ph. D. uncomfortable, folks! He likened Imperfect to a psychological thriller, sans the morbidity. That is what I love to hear. STRAIGHT people who are intrigued by LGBT writing. Proof that our stories are, in fact, universal.



Ok, I'll stop rambling. I promised y'all I wouldn't bore you. Hopefully I didn't. Hopefully I did interest you in picking up a copy of Imperfect, though. ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-L-Harvey/dp/1935407732/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292083339&sr=1-2

Friday, December 3, 2010

How Writing is like Sanding

Happy Monday, y'all!


Sorry I've been a bit MIA, but with an ever-changing schedule and ill children, my butt has had great difficulty finding its way back to my computer. LOL.





Today, I want to discuss how writing (GOOD writing) is like sanding.





For those of you who don't know, my partner is a chainsaw artist and incredible home-do-it-yourself-er-just-as-well-as-those-construction-baffoons-for-less-than-half-the-price people. Yeah. She's that good.





Anyway, between home construction and carvings, there is much sanding to be done. Enter the giddy nerd who just loves to sand.


That would be me, folks.







Yep, she taught me how to use the orbital sander, and I haven't looked back!






It's a blast! Sawdust flying all over - making you look old because it covers your hair. Getting black lung if you inhale it. Yeah, good stuff. ;)








So, one day, I was sanding the antique floors in out new home-to-be and I watched my little sander dig and grind away to peel off the old layers of dirt, weathering, and even some of the old dents. God I love what sanding can do to wood!




But, as I watched my floor become revitalized, I thought about how that applies to writing.






GOOD writing should peel away those old layers. The layers of dirt and weathering. The layers that are scratched and imperfect. Good writing slowly grinds all of those defects away and you're left raw and vulnerable. Naked and as unmarked as the day you were born. Seriously. That's what sanding does to wood, and that is what we as writers should be doing (and readers get to reap the benefits).





First, you have your coarse sanding pad.


That's the rough stuff that gets rid of all the big black, nasty dirt. It leaves the wood with a feeling of texture. This is your rough draft. It's rough, it's coarse, but it gets the main job done. The first part is always the hardest, right? The hardest part of writing a book is actually writing it! Using the rough sanding paper can be tough at times, but it's worth it in the end. Just like seeing your completed first draft.








Second, is your mid-grade sanding pad.


This is where you're editing. You go back into those crevices and make sure they are truly cleaned out. You go over the wood again to make sure it's looking good and clean. You'll notice, it starts to feel smooth to the touch. Just like a well-edited draft is smooth to read.








Finally, you have your fine sanding pad.


This is the final detail work. You go over the wood with the fine pad just to polish it up. When you're writing, this is adding those few final touches that really make your piece shine. Know what happens when you touch wood that's been sanded with fine grit paper? It is so smooth! It's an incredible feeling. So is that final, complete, beautiful manuscript! Those details are what make your story smooth and gorgeous. It completes the process.








You need all three steps just like you need all 3 grits in order to have a solid, complete work.





You have all heard me say that Imperfect and Impeccable are my "standing in front of the world naked" books. And they are. I took a figurative sander to myself and kept digging until I was light and raw and unblemished. What you have is a set of two very increbly powerful and touching books. The first of which has been receiving some great accolades thus far. These books are nothing like what you've read in the past. They are touching, tragic, sweet and sad. They are personal. They are gritty. They are raw.





So, the next time you sit down to write, stop and think. Do you want to look like another old, weathered wooden board that someone is just going to throw away or you do want to look revitalized, new, different? Sanding yourself equates to damn good reading!



Happy weekend and happy reading, everyone! :)