Great News: New Book Deal Announcement! Plus, 5 Publishing Tips for Writers.

Posted on by
16


Fireworks

Just have to share some great news with you! Not long ago I signed on with super agent Jenny Bent, founder of The Bent Agency. This week, Jenny made a two-book deal for me with St. Martin’s Press, a Macmillan company.  

Thank you, Jenny, for seeing something in my work that made you want to share it with others.

As you might imagine, I couldn’t be happier; Jenny is such a pro, a truly lovely person and every inch the professional. Read Jenny’s announcement here.

Before this past week, whenever I read one of these announcements, I would wonder, How did she/he do it?

  1. Dedication – Some rare people might find success overnight (.00000001% perhaps), but the fact is, most of us don’t. Prepare to learn, write, listen to readers and reviewers, revise…and then do it all over again. Many, many times. My first novel received more than forty edits; the last four major, full edits were in a brief six-week time frame (during which I worked through many nights). Trust me, you’ll look back and shudder at your first attempts. But we must all start somewhere. And I’m not finished yet…
  2. Build Your Networks - Without twitter, facebook, goodreads, and other social media activity, I don’t think my work would have stood a chance. Readers have to discover you. Don’t be shy, be the first to approach someone. Want more followers? Reach out, say hello. It’s like finding friends in first grade.
  3. Get Reviewed – I know, it’s painful. We all want people to say our first baby is beautiful, but be realistic. Listen to what people say. A lot of people. If you’re open to comments, you’ll hear threads of truth. Join writer communities, such as the World Literary Cafe or The Independent Author’s Network. Make friends; help others and they’ll return the favor. Reviews and sales, which comes first? It’s like the proverbial chicken and the egg.
  4. Take a Chance – I took a deep breath and choose to self-publish first. Was it perfect the first time out of the chute? Heck, no! Even after countless edits and beta readers, I still misspelled “lightning” on page 9. (I blame my beauty industry background for using “lightening” instead.) Sigh. We’re always learning, but we have to put it out there at some point. And I sure learned why the book hadn’t sold before.
  5. Be Professional – With everything! Spend the money to produce quality work. Hire excellent cover artists, proofreaders, editors. Keep listening and learning. And take “no” graciously. Behind every “no” lurks a “yes” somewhere else.

These are the first steps I’ve taken on this path. There’s a long path still ahead. I’ll keep learning and sharing. But I’m proud of my Indie roots. I’m an entrepreneur. I believe in ideas. I believe in the magic of making things happen.

With or without a book deal, I’ll always be a writer, too.SCENT OF TRIUMPH

Bottom line: The publishing world is changing, and writers have more options than ever before.

Now, excuse me while I pour that glass of bubbly and celebrate! Still crossing my fingers for the holy grail of a movie deal (Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Coppola–are you listening?)  And now, back to writing…

Love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment!

One Feisty Broad: Strong Female Leads in Literature

Posted on by
4

Elizabeth Benet as Keira Knightley

One day, I was casting about for strong female leads in literature.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you know who they (or, you) are: those pedal-to-the-metal, take-no-prisoners, never-say-die women we love to read about in our favorite books.

Okay, I’ll be honest. I’ve been called “determined.” Some people say I never take “no” for an answer. I like to think that I always find a way.  That’s why I love to read and write about similar characters.

While working on a manuscript, I began to think about what make a heroine unforgettable.  Is it those eyes, those lips…wait a minute–in a book, it’s what the character does that makes him, or in this case, her, so memorable.  She must be the driving force, so in this next book I’m working on, expect one hell-acious chick.  Yep, you know who you are.  And men, you know you love us, too.

So, I loaded up a few of my off-the-top-of-my-head favorites.

Elizabeth Bennet

Elizabeth Bennet - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

No matter who plays her on the screen, Lizzie is the bomb…

vivien-leigh-as-scarlett-ohara-pd2

Scarlett O’Hara – Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Cross her at your own peril…

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Another perennial favorite…

lisbeth-salander-31

Lisbeth Salander - The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson

Smart as they come…

Emma Harte

Emma Harte  - A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Style meets driving ambition…

So, who are your favorite strong female leads?

Take the Chocolate Quiz! Did You Know Doctors Once Prescribed Chocolate for Broken Hearts?

Posted on by
Reply

Chocolate_282731Chocolate has a long reputation as an aphrodisiac. Imagine…WebMD reports that “Aztec ruler Montezuma supposedly drank a chocolate-y concoction before visiting the women in his harem…And French doctors supposedly used it to treat broken hearts.”

Check Your Choc-o-holic IQ

Can’t resist this oh-so-chocolately quiz? Well, who could? Here’s the chocolate quiz, then come back to share your score!

Here are some tidbits I found fascinating, courtesy of WebMD:

  • Dark chocolate does have more caffeine than milk chocolate. Even then, it would take four bars to give you the same buzz as one cup of regular Joe.
  • Want to give your brownies or other chocolate baked goods a little extra chocolate-y goodness? Try adding a bit of instant espresso powder — a teaspoon or less — in your next recipe. Espresso powder can ramp up the chocolate taste in cakes, brownies, and cookies without adding coffee flavor or many calories.

chocolateAnd since you’re surely famished after all that hard work, here are some fabulous chocolates to check out: The 10 Best Chocolatiers in the World for Chocolate Lovers

So, what are your favorites?

Favorite Vintage Perfumes Reign Supreme: A Brief History of Shalimar, Miss Dior, and the Taj Mahal

Posted on by
Reply

Shalimar vintage ad 1960sThough created in the nineteenth century, a duo of historic perfumes from two important perfume Houses, Guerlain and Dior, still reign supreme today. 

From 1925, created just after World War I (in the era of The Great Gatsby), Guerlain’s Shalimar was heralded as the first “Oriental” perfume, a blend of flowers with essential oils that originated in Asia.  In 1947, Miss Dior debuted as World War II ended.

Though two decades apart, both perfume compositions reflect joy and jubilation in the return to peace.

Shalimar by Guerlain (1925) – Shalimar is an intoxicating, yet subtly sensuous blend that has endured for decades. With a long-lasting base of spices and aromatic woods, it became the archetype for Oriental blends. A highly distinctive and dramatic fragrance, it was designed for the woman who is sensual, sophisticated and uninhibited…another grand entrance-making perfume from Guerlain.

Shalimar 1A 1925 composition, Shalimar is reflective of its period, of a cosmopolitan Paris in the midst of celebration after World War I, of the Roaring Twenties, of exhilaration and new life. This attitude is mirrored in the zesty citrus top notes. Heady florals flow into a spicy base that is particularly rich in vanilla, incense, and sandalwood.

In creating Shalimar, Jacques Guerlain was inspired by a love story told to him by a Maharajah visiting Paris. The Guerlain company shared the story with us:

More than 300 years ago, Shah Jahan succeeded to the throne of his father, Jahangir, and became the third Mogul Emperor of India.

Jahan loved only one woman. Her name was Mumtaz Mahal.

Some say he loved her unto madness, that she was not his wife but his fever. Victories, empires and riches were dust as compared to her…in his eyes, she alone was the balm that made life bearable.

When she died, Jahan’s hair turned white. He would burst into tears at the mention of her name. In her memory, he built one of the world’s greatest wonders–the Taj Mahal at Agra.

But the Taj Mahal is only an empty monument. While Mumtaz was alive, Jahan created a series of gardens for her at Lahore, gardens the like of which had never been seen before. He called them the gardens of Shalimar, the Sanskrit word meaning “abode of love.”

From every corner of the Earth, the most fragrant and delicate blossoms were brought. Deep pools were built with crystal fountains and terraces paved in marble. The rarest birds were summoned to sing here and lanterns were hung to rival the stars. In the gardens of Shalimar the lovers were truly happy, and Mumtaz bore fourteen children to her beloved Jahan.

Jacques Guerlain decided that the perfume should be called Shalimar, not Taj Mahal, because, you see, Taj Mahal marks the end of the story, and this love story can never end….

The flacon was designed by Raymond Guerlain and is also a reminder of the fountains in the gardens of Shalimar. The ornamental stopper in sapphire blue evokes the flow of the fountains’ water. Voluptuous and enveloping, Shalimar is a fragrance of eternal romance.

Miss Dior vintage ad 1950sMiss Dior by Christian Dior (1947) – A classic, impeccable floral fragrance, Miss Dior was created by French couturier Christian Dior. Christian Dior once said, “Perfume is the indispensable complement to the feminine personality, and the finishing touch of a dress.”

Miss Dior was launched in 1947, the year Dior introduced his New Look. The New Look was actually a throwback to the pre-World War II years, full skirts, tiny waistlines, gloves, and bare shoulders, a far cry from the despondent styles of the war years.

When consumers flocked to update their wardrobes with the New Look, they also snapped up his new fragrance, Miss Dior. The fragrance represented the re-emergence of the feminine, elegant style of the Belle Époque.

Today, the perennial French debutante Miss Dior is enjoying a resurgence, or second debut. So who has worn Miss Dior? From today’s Natalie Portman, who serves as the current spokesmodel, to Princess Grace and Marlene Dietrich. And for a special treat, watch the video on the history of Miss Dior on the Dior site.

SCENT OF TRIUMPH

In my novel Scent of Triumph, the protagonist, Danielle Bretancourt, comes from a long line of perfumers. Perfumery is her profession and her passion, so vintage perfumes are prominent in the story. The story takes places during the 1940s, with World War II as a backdrop.

For more reading on vintage perfumes, visit these blog posts:

Leave a comment about your favorite perfumes or fragrant memories!

Still Hot, Still Haute: Sexiest Vintage French Perfumes

Posted on by
Reply

Fracas 1Two stylish perfumes created to withstand the passage of time: Fracas by Robert Piguet and Indiscret by Lucien Lelong.

Commissioned decades ago by two French couturiers, these perfumes are quite exclusive. Both were resurrected and relaunched after disappearing from the market.

And both are in the floral perfume family—lovely choices for spring.

 

Fracas is an explosive tuberose fragrance, a romantic harbinger of spring. Created by Germaine Sellier, one of the few female perfumers of the 1940s, Fracas is a post-World War II era fragrance, and reflects the joy that people felt after the end of the war.

Incredibly romantic and elegant, Indiscret from couturier Lucien Lelong hails from 1936, but Lelong was active during World War II, and is known for keeping the fashion industry in Paris alive during the war.

For Scent of Triumph readers, Indiscret would have been in vogue at the beginning of the book, while Fracas would correspond to the period at the end of the book.

FracasFracas by Robert Piguet (1948) – Fracas, by Parisian couturier Robert Piguet, is a classic French floral bouquet, bursting with the white flowers for which Grasse is famous. Fracas, meaning “violet noise” in French, is a cacophony of tuberose, an expansive white floral. The tuberose flower has a scent so intense, a single stalk will drench a room with intoxicating, sensual scent. Free-spirited female perfumer Germaine Sellier created the Fracas formula for Piguet, which was launched just after World War II.

Piguet was known for his designs of simple elegance. During World War II, Nazi orders directed the top couture houses to relocate to Berlin. Piguet rebelled and resisted, and rode out the war in occupied Paris, continuing his work in fashion and fragrance. During this period he developed Fracas and Bandit, fragrant points of light in a dark time of history. Today, after a lengthy absence, both fragrances have been formulated according to their original versions. Fracas and Bandit have become cult favorites of the celebrity crowd.

Heady, mysterious, frank sensuality—the hallmark of Fracas is obvious. Look for Fracas in a black glass cube with simple pink accents. Retro-glamour at its finest.

Indiscret 1Indiscret by Lucien Lelong (1936) – Indiscret is one of the great classic fragrances of the twentieth century and the legacy of Lucien Lelong, renowned French couturier. Introduced in 1936, this magnificent perfume faded from the scene after Lelong’s death, but was lovingly resurrected in 1997 by until Lelong perfume and couture collectors Arnold Hayward Neis and his wife, Lucy de Puig Neis.

Rich and dramatic, Indiscret is a fragrance of impeccable pedigree. After being awarded the French Croix de Guerre for his efforts in World War I, Lucien Lelong opened his first maison de couture in 1919. By 1937, he was elected president of the French Fashion Syndicate, the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Française. While Nazi troops occupied France from 1940 to 1945, Lelong toiled to keep the French fashion industry alive by foiling German attempts to move the industry to Berlin. He is widely credited with maintaining the fashion industry in Paris during World War II and, in the process, keeping some three hundred thousand people employed. Among Lelong’s staff were Hubert de Givenchy, Christian Dior, and Pierre Balmain, who later made their own marks in the world of fashion and fragrance.

Indiscret 2 1947In 1924, Lelong embarked upon his fragrant journey, establishing the Societé des Parfums Lucien Lelong. A prolific entrepreneur, he created more than twenty-five fragrances. Among them were lettered scents: N (for his wife, Princess Nathalie Paley), J, L, A, B, and C. Many of his fragrances masqueraded under different names in English-speaking markets: La Première (Opening Night), Orgueil (Pride), Joli Bouquet (Pretty Bouquet), Murmure (Whisper), and Mon Image (My Image). One of the most popular of these scents was Indiscret, the scent Arnold and Lucy Neis chose to commemorate the ideals of Lucien Lelong.

Indiscret, meaning “indiscreet,” was reformulated with care by the French perfume house of Mane. The dramatic soul of the original formula prevails: sensual, captivating, expressive, sophisticated. Yesteryear’s glamour is artfully blended with a new, modern attitude. Today’s Indiscret features fresh top notes of mandarin, orange blossom and orange flower, with a green lift of galbanum. Following is an intensely feminine heart of jasmine, rose, and tuberose, with a twist of cypress and violet leaves, and finishing with a sultry, long-lasting base of sandalwood, amber, and vetiver. Indiscret is a fragrance for the art of grand living.

A sculptor and glass collector, Lelong favored glass for his bottle designs. Most of Lelong’s many and varied bottles are priceless collectibles today. In designing the Indiscret bottle, Lelong draped a silk handkerchief and said, “That is how I want the Indiscret bottle to look—as if they were folds of classical drapery.” Bottle designer Marc Rosen served as a consultant in the re-creation of the Indiscret bottle. Faithful to Lelong’s original vision, Indiscret is captured in a frosted glass bottle, then nestled in brilliant fuschia satin, and boxed in shades of black and gold.

Finally, with deep admiration, this author bids a fond adieu to the man who left this world the day she entered it (May 10th). Perhaps we passed in the corridor of life.

SCENT OF TRIUMPHIn Scent of Triumph, the protagonist, Danielle Bretancourt, comes from a family of perfumers. Perfumery is her profession and her passion, so genuine vintage perfumes from the period were important to the story and setting.

For more reading on vintage perfumes, visit these blog posts:

Leave a comment about some of your favorite fragrances or memories!

Who said: Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before? On Vintage Perfumes L’Heure Bleue and Femme

Posted on by
2
Mae West

Mae West

A fan of the perfume Femme, Actress Mae West once said, “Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.”

In this segment of the Vintage Perfume series, I’m featuring two vintage perfumes (neither of which are evil!), but if you love vintage you should try them both.

Since my novel, Scent of Triumph, is set partly in France during the 1940s, I wanted to showcase two exquisite French fragrances that were created during the first half of the nineteenth century. From Marcel Rochas comes Femme, created for his wife, Hélène, in 1944 after the end of World War II. Guerlain created L’Heure Bleue in 1912, a time of relative innocence in Paris before the war years. These perfumes are exemplary artistic bookends of the period. To this day, these perfumes have the power to transport the wearer back in time.

LHeure Bleue vintage ad1Lheure bleue vinatge ad2L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain (1912) – L’Heure Bleue means “blue hour” in French, and it was reportedly inspired by the gentle blue-hued twilight of a pre-World War I Paris, a time of relative innocence.

Third-generation perfumer Jacques Guerlain conceived L’Heure Bleue for the sophisticated woman. He freely employed the latest synthetic ingredients to create a totally new scent, combined with passionate florals of rose, jasmine, and iris, and dusky, exotic base notes of vanilla, vetiver, and sandalwood The resulting scent is tender yet penetrating, like a twilit evening in Paris, with undercurrents of bewitching sensuality, and a powdery sillage.

The perfume is captured in a heavy glass flacon adorned by scrollwork on the shoulders. The triangular stopper is shaped like a gentleman’s hat, a chapeau de gendarme, from which a hand-tied silken tassel dangles. L’Heure Bleue was a landmark scent of 1912 and remains an enchanting favorite. A classic French perfume, L’Heure Bleue is an elegant selection for romantics at heart.

Rochas_Femme_1961Femme by Rochas (1944) – Femme is a full-bodied fragrance from Parfums Rochas, a fragrance as rich in history as in scent. The distinctive composition was created for the House of Rochas just after World War II by the noted perfumer Edmond Roudnitska of Cabris, France. When once asked about his olfactory gift, Roudnitska replied, “The capacity to create is essentially the ability to imagine.” To the perfumer, the fragrance is a composition, as evocative as a Monet masterpiece. Femme was his second professional composition.

Marcel Rochas opened his couture salon in Paris in 1924 and quickly became known for his broad-shouldered suits, bustiers, and elaborate designs. Femme was originally available only by strict invitation. Rochas sent a letter to his clients, allowing them to purchase a limited-edition, numbered bottle. Imagine the demand he created! The next year when he made Femme available to the public, he had an instant hit.

marcel rochasThe legendary Femme explodes with sweet Mediterranean fruits, mingled with intoxicating floral aromas, and underscored with lingering balsamics. Due to the rarity of ingredients, Roudnitska was limited to ingredients available during the war. He created a peach and oakmoss accord and enveloped it in prune, the magical note in Femme. The effect is opulent and magnetic, a perfume designed to be the essence of femininity.

The bottle, designed by René Lalique, is a sensuously curved crystal flacon, symbolic of a woman’s graceful silhouette. The voluptuous Mae West, who was a personal friend of Lalique and a valued client of Rochas, inspired the bottle.

Femme–created to embody femininity.

SCENT OF TRIUMPHScent of Triumph is a suspenseful historical saga about a young French perfumer. The protagonist, Danielle Bretancourt, hails from a family of perfumers.

Perfumery is her profession and her passion, so authentic vintage perfumes available at that time were an important part of the world building in this story.

Why not share your favorites here? And if you’d like to read previous segments, find them here:

 

A Special Series on Vintage Perfumes: A Brief History of Vol de Nuit and Narcisse Noir

Posted on by
5
Vol de Nuit by Guerlain

Vol de Nuit by Guerlain

Bestselling Perfumes of Yesterday and Today

Vintage perfumes are rich in history, and their formulas have seduced decades of admirers.  These beautifully crafted fragrances are what I call the tried-and-true, as beloved today as when they were first introduced. They might be hard to find, but you’ll find it’s worth seeking out these perennial perfume favorites.* (see below)

This is the second in my series of vintage perfume posts.

Vol de Nuit by Guerlain (1933) – Another timeless classic from Jacques Guerlain, Vol de Nuit is a spicy, ambery Oriental scent designed for the elusive, assertive woman, and is one of the most sophisticated scents from the House of Guerlain. The sensual blend opens with fresh notes of mandarin and bergamot. Orange blossom and jonquil bloom in the heart, while vanilla, spices, and sandalwood create an aura of mystery.

Vol de Nuit, French for “night flight,” is presented in a classic Guerlain flacon. The dramatic gold-colored amber bottle is molded with the shape of French Air Force wings. Indeed, Vol de Nuit was created in homage to the daring aviators of the 1920s, and was named after the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel of the same name. Saint-Exupéry, also an avid aviator, was the author of many works, including Le Petit Prince.

The fragrance captures the essence of adventure, the spirit of exploration, the radiance of independence. It is an assertive scent of the 1930s; ideal for the modern woman of today.

Narcisse Noir by Caron

Narcisse Noir by Caron

Narcisse Noir by Caron (1912) – Created by the great perfumer Ernest Daltroff, founder of Caron, Narcisse Noir is based on the black narcissus, an exotic spring-blooming flower found in China and Persia. Narcissus is blended with aromatic sandalwood, which lends a sensual, lingering aura to a floral bouquet rife with rose and jasmine.

Narcisse Noir was one of the most important fragrances brought forth in 1912, an industrious year in the history of perfumery. It remains a truly enduring, sophisticated classic. Although Daltroff died in the 1940s, his company and fragrances live on, a tribute to his remarkable talent.

SCENT OF TRIUMPHMy novel, Scent of Triumph, is a suspenseful, historical saga surrounding a young French perfumer. The protagonist, Danielle Bretancourt, comes from a family of perfumers. This world of perfumery is her profession and her passion, so real vintage perfumes of the period are included throughout the book.

 Love to hear your memories and experiences with these perfumes, or others you adore. This is the second in a series, so stay tuned for more posts on classic perfumes.

For more on vintage perfumery, see the first article in this series, A Brief History of Chanel No. 5, Mitsouko, and Joy, as well as my Vintage Perfume Guide. Leave a comment and share your favorite fragrances or memories!

*On request and for your convenience, I’ve linked each fragrance above to those in the beauty department at Amazon US online.