Writing – Anna Zabo

News!

Published on February 10, 2014February 10, 2014 by amergina2 Comments

I’m pleased to announce I sold my office romance, Mergers and Acquisitions to InterMix, an imprint of Penguin, in a two book deal:

Author of the Rainbow Award-nominated and EPIC award finalist CLOSE QUARTER Anna Zabo’s MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS, a contemporary erotic office romance which follows Mike, who has a one-night stand on his last night of vacation only to get back to work and realize that it was with his new CEO, a man so deep in the closet he may as well be in Narnia, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley Intermix, by Jennifer Udden.

Interview over at Out of the Lockbox

Published on December 21, 2012December 21, 2012 by amergina

I’m bursting out of Mary DeSantis’s Lockbox today and answering her questions. Includes a very small sneak peek at the sequel to Close Quarter.

Hop on over and check it out!

Music and my Muse

Published on December 17, 2012 by amergina2 Comments

I’m one of those folks who can’t listen to music while writing, especially if it has lyrics. They get into my brain and come out my fingerips, no matter what I do. So I don’t tend to make playlists for novels.

But music does affect my writing. I listen to music on my way to and from work and whenever I’m on a long drive. It’s been hard recently, as all of my music is stored in my phone, but I didn’t have a good connection from my phone to my car’s stereo, other than one of those radio transmitter things that don’t actually work well. But I bought a new (to me) car recently and I can now hook up my phone to the stereo directly. You have no idea how happy this makes me! Music! I have missed thee! And it’s gotten my muse chugging again.

This morning, I put on Marc Almond’s album The Stars We Are and happily drove to work. I love the whole album, but one of my favorite songs is Your Kisses Burn:

It’s a dark song about possessive love that harms the soul. And I’m finding that it’s helping me dig deeper into Vasil’s background as I work on the sequel to Close Quarter. He’s had…an interesting past.

The other song from this album that I find myself listening to is She Took my Soul in Istanbul:

Mostly because the sequel book takes place in Istanbul. But I also have no problem with shifting the pronouns in the song, either!

I’d love to hear what other folks listen to when they write or plot. I need some new music!

It’s my birthday! Here’s a gift!

Published on December 13, 2012December 26, 2012 by amergina3 Comments

Today’s my birthday!

As a gift, I’m going to give you my first and only foray into slashy fan fiction.

WAIT! DON’T GO!

So here’s the thing… It’s Shakespeare fanfic. Specifically, Henry V fanfic. See, my most favorite movie in the entire world is the Kenneth Branagh version of Henry V. It’s my comfort movie. The one I watch when I’m sick or down or need inspiration or just because.

I’m a bit odd, yes.

So this is slashy fan fiction of Henry V via that movie. It’s sweet, not hot and has some historical footnotes. I’ve had it on my hard drive for *ages* and haven’t had the nerve to post it. Or share it with anyone (so be aware that there are probably typos even though I edited it). But I promised a Book Fairy that I would post this. I’m hoping she brings me books for that other holiday that’s always around the same time as my birthday…

And without further ado, here’s:

A Carol in Autumn

This is nearly 6,000 words long. I am so putting in a cut.

Interviewed by Heidi Ruby Miller and Sequel News

Published on November 19, 2012November 20, 2012 by amergina

If you want to know a little bit more about me, I answered some of Heidi Ruby Miller’s Pick Six questions. Feel free to check it out!

I’m also working on the sequel to Close Quarter, which will feature Vasil, the waiter in inadvertently caught up in Silas and Rhys’s problems in Close Quarter. It’ll be set in Istanbul. And that’s all I can say at the moment.

There will also be more book giveaways coming up. Check back for more details later!

Blogged about revision at Five Scribes

Published on September 19, 2012November 14, 2012 by amergina

Hey, I blogged over at Five Scribes about one of the surprises I encountered while revising Close Quarter.

Check it out:

Tales from Revising: Less isn’t always more.

Edits away! Until they come back!

Published on September 16, 2012September 16, 2012 by amergina

Last Friday, I received my editor’s first round of edits on Close Quarter. Yesterday, I turned in my revisions. Between those two dates, I typed madly, fixed descriptions, and added a scene.

The editing that editors do isn’t just fixing typos. It’s catching consistency issues and noting boring parts. It’s also noting when the author (me, for instance) needs to dig deeper and give the reader more. More emotion, more feelings. (After all, this is romance, and erotic romance, at that.) Better description. Fix those loose ends

I know I have a blind spot when it comes to my work. I know the story. I know who the characters are and what they feel during scenes.

I sometimes forget that the book doesn’t come with my brain attached. (eww.)

Hopefully, the changes I made will add those elements the readers need and deserve in a good story.

Time will tell… as will round two of editing.

In the meantime, here’s another photo of a sight I saw while writing Close Quarter, the island volcano of Stromboli, near Sicily.