Joanna Shupe

I’m a 2013 Golden Heart® Nominee!

JoannaShupe — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:00:49 +0000

This morning, I was thrilled (and surprised) to get a call from RWA with the news that my unpublished historical manuscript, DRAWN TO THE EARL, has finaled in the Golden Heart® contest!

I am stunned and so, so honored. There is much more to say, but I’m incapable of putting it together just yet. I don’t think my hands have stopped shaking since 8:45 AM.

A big thanks, however, to my NJRW group, who are the hardest working ladies in romance. And I would be nowhere without the support of my fellow Violet Femmes. They keep me sane and motivated and supplied with wine when I desperately need it.

Congratulations to all the RITA and GH finalists! A complete list of nominees can be found on the RWA site.

Look out, Atlanta!

Musings on Publishing Trends

JoannaShupe — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:48:35 +0000

Over on the Violet Femmes, I’m talking about publishing trends and what actually sells books. Come on over and weigh in!

What Sells Books?

My Favorite Romantic Moment

JoannaShupe — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 01:48:34 +0000

This February, my fellow CPs and I are discussing our favorite romantic literary moments. Come on over to The Violet Femmes and read mine HERE. I’ll give you a hint: it begins with “Rhett” and ends with “Butler.”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

JoannaShupe — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:14:49 +0000

Have you seen these Puritan Valentine’s Day cards from College Humor?

In case you haven’t seen these, go visit the site. They’re hilarious.

I hope you have something wonderful and relaxing planned, whether it’s by yourself or with a significant other. Happy valentine’s day!

Glitter Girl: Short Story

JoannaShupe — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:48:40 +0000

Over on The Violet Femmes, my critique partners and I have written a round-robin short story, Glitter Girl. I was lucky enough to do the exciting conclusion–my favorite part! Actually, it was really easy this time because the other ladies had written such an outstanding start.

So come read the whole thing (start with Part 1) or if you’ve been following it each week, come and check out the finale!

My favorite lines:

“Nah. I’ll be right back.” She wrapped a thick wool scarf around her neck then zipped up her coat. “I need to feed my bird and I know how you feel about that.”

He shivered dramatically. “Seriously, who has a bird for a pet? I’ve seen puddles in Fallujah that are more sanitary. Salmonella, anyone?”

She chuckled. “You’re crazy…but also sexy, so we’ll just have to agree to disagree. See you in five minutes.” Tessa disappeared out the door.

I hope you enjoy it!

Best. Cookies. Ever.

JoannaShupe — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:29:07 +0000

I love to bake. Normally, the meals fall under my husband’s domain and I take the fun stuff: dessert. What can I say? You follow a precise recipe and the result is amazing. Can’t really say the same for my dinners. (Just ask my husband about the time I tried to make chicken corn chowder and the entire house smelled of cayenne pepper. For days.)

So I sort of claim all the dessert and cookie baking. I found a recipe I wanted to try: Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies. The name alone had me drooling.

Jokingly, I handed the recipe over to my husband and told him to make these cookies for me. He handed it back, saying this recipe was way too high maintenance for him to undertake. (He’s more the slice and bake kinda guy.) I couldn’t blame him, really. The recipe does have a number of steps to it. So I was *thrilled* to come downstairs a few hours later and find these:

Yes. He made them. And let me tell you—they were the BEST damn homemade cookies I’ve ever had. (This is coming from a gal who’s had a lot of homemade cookies.) The sea salt was the key. So now I may just have to turn desserts over to him, too.

But I’m not complaining.

Domestic Chastisement

JoannaShupe — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 16:16:06 +0000

There’s a lot I love about history, but there’s quite a bit that makes me cringe (and I’m not talking about the lack of flushing toilets or tampons). My hero’s sister was abused by her husband, and so I’ve been doing research into domestic violence and social wisdom of the early 19th century. Many history buffs have probably have heard the rule that a man had the right to beat his wife, provided that the instrument he beat her with was no thicker than his thumb. It was even used in court:

Francis Buller, a judge from 1778 to 1800, opined in 1782 that a man had the right to beat his wife and cited the ‘stick no thicker than his thumb’ myth.

The right for a husband to “chastise” his wife was considered Common Law, meaning it wasn’t on the books but one of those “hey, it’s the way things have always been” laws. Wives were property, with no rights of their own. But the fact that some magistrates condoned it, or even looked the other way, is heartbreaking. It wasn’t until the 1850s that wife beating was considered a shameful “epidemic” by most of the English, and laws began to change.

This 1782 cartoon by James Gillray poked at Francis Buller:

Here are the captions.

Judge Thumb says: “Who wants a cure for a nasty Wife? Here’s your nice Family Amusement for Winter Evenings! Who buys here?”
Woman says: “Help! Murder, for God sake, Murder!”
Man says: “Murder, hey? it’s Law, you Bitch: it’s not bigger than my Thumb!”

Counsel argues that a man has the right to beat his wife. Hants Telegraph 21 Oct 1811

Many more examples of cruelty toward women during the time period can be found here.

NJRW Conference Recap

JoannaShupe — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 18:19:48 +0000

NJRW just hosted our yearly “Put Your Heart in a Book” conference. One of my favorite workshops was “Corsets, Codpieces, and Kilts” with Kim Killion and Eliza Knight. No way was I missing this one. These ladies are known for a hands on approach in their workshops (live models!) and this one didn’t disappoint.

To open, they had a woman dressed in full Regency garb. We got to see her undress down to a shift, which was really cool. I love history, but I’m a tactile learner. I have to be able to see it and touch it in order to absorb it. So to be able to see the layers come off was extremely helpful.

I volunteered for the corset portion, which means…I got to try on a corset. I’ve worn similar things but never a real Victorian corset. I mean, it’s for research…right? I had to do it!

The lacing in.

Okay, that is tight

Breathing? Not so much.

My pal Tracey Devlyn (an awesome historical suspense author) volunteered to strap me into this thing, along with Kim. It wasn’t easy, and I can see why no woman back then would have been able to dress/undress herself. Sitting was a nightmare, and there was no way to take a deep breath. But it looked totally boss…just saying.

Guess what just made my christmas list? Come on, Santa. It’s for research!

I don’t write Scottish historicals, but the Kilt piece of the workshop was really cool. They laid out a real tartan and wrapped Sally MacKenzie up in it, along with sporan and dirks. I’d always wondered how they got that giant piece of fabric folded and wrapped to cover all the bits and pieces. Hint: There’s a lot of folding and pleating involved.) And no, Scottish men don’t wear anything under the kilt.

The NJRW conference had loads of great workshops and speakers. Above that, hanging out with my writer peeps is always inspiring and motivating. Two of my CPs, Michele Mannon and Jenna Blue, won their categories in the PYHIAB contest. There were lots of new friends this year, too, which was cool. Meeting Sabrina Jeffries and getting to spend a lot of time chatting with her was a big thrill. I have always loved her books, and she had insightful feedback on my contest entry she judged in the final round. Here’s a photo of her along with me and the Violet Femmes, my critique group:

It was exhausting, but we’re all excited for RWA ’13 in Atlanta!

Writing Tweets – w/e 10/28/12

JoannaShupe — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 03:29:38 +0000

I’m hunkered down for the FrankenStorm, but thought I would share some of my favorite writing-related tweets from this past week. Enjoy!

@susan_litman: Some thoughts on the Em Dash . . . Draft: Mad Dash http://nyti.ms/WF1Ztx

@ChuckWendig: Today at #terribleminds I attempt to help you decipher just how to identify shitty writing advice (AKA, “quackery”). http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/10/23/why-writers-must-beware-quackery/

‏@bradfordlit: I’m going to piggyback on what @gr8thepeter was saying earlier abt agents not subbing mss to him in PDF. Authors: don’t send me subs in PDF.

‏@SaraMegibow: #1 question by authors = “how do I get my book get published?” and #1 question by random public = “why are there bad books for sale?”

‏@notjustanyboggs: “If You Remember One Thing, It Should Be This: Never Sign An Unnegotiated Boilerplate Contract With Any Publisher” Kristin Nelsonhttp://pubrants.blogspot.com/2012/10/if-you-remember-one-thing-it-should-be.html

Have a great week. Stay safe if you’re in the storm area!

Writing Tweets – w/e 8/21/12

JoannaShupe — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:01:23 +0000

Here are some writing-related tweets I liked on Twitter this past week:

@SaraMegibow: Great #pubtip I heard at meetings in NYC = authors attending conferences to network with other authors is a great use of time & money

A slideshow by Bob Mayer (@Bob_Mayer), the topic: Outlining & Plot of your story.

@ChuckWendig: 25 Things Writers Should Know About Conferences & Conventions. For pro’s, and not-so-pro’s alike. At #terribleminds. http://t.co/M7yuvN7T

@thecreativepenn: What Does a Book Edit Look Like? via @RachelleGardner http://t.co/5uSxbfur

@elizabethscraig: Should authors use different names for different genres? http://t.co/KXVDgyZq @annerallen

@smoulderingsea: Writers are a different class of reader. They’re a valuable audience, but aren’t your mass market audience. Don’t forget that. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Just because you can tell a good story when reading doesn’t mean you magically know how to write one. That still takes practice. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Don’t just toss rejections as failures. Run queries in test batches. Make changes. See what’s more effective. Analyze. *Learn.* #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Inevitably, people will say upsetting things about your book (and you). Be gracious anyway. If you can’t be gracious, be silent. #editortips

Have a great week!