Author Elizabeth Camden and the Writing Life

I had a ball doing research for my latest novel, Beyond All Dreams. The setting is at the Library of  Congress, and as a librarian, this is rather like Valhalla, or Mecca, or the Elysian fields…. chose whatever splendid metaphor you like, there is no library in the world to compare with the Library of Congress. I was dazzled from the moment I walked down Independence Avenue and caught sight of the Library of Congress in the distance. 

Here is a bit of interesting trivia: Did you know that the original Library of Congress was on the top floor of the U.S. Capitol? It outgrew its space and was moved into the glorious building we use today in 1897. This is the exact time my novel is set, so the librarians are busily packing up in preparation for their move to their palatial new building. I tried to provide a lot of behind-the-scenes of what went on during those years.

Research for what it was like to work in the U.S. Capitol in the late 19^th century was a special challenge.  I needed to know where they would have eaten their meals, placed a telephone call, or relaxed between meetings. I wanted to get the details right, but in a post 9-11 world, comprehensive floorplans of the Capitol are entirely off limits to the public. Luckily, librarians are a cooperative lot, and I was able to get in touch with librarians currently working for congress who answered many of my questions. Also, I was able to find some blueprints of the original building, and sure enough, they are labeled with everything from the cafeterias, cloakrooms, and staircases. I know the twentieth century brought huge changes to the Capitol, but the old blue prints were quite accurate for my 1890’s story. 

This was my second novel set in Washington D.C. My first was With Every Breath, a medical romance set primarily in hospitals and government research labs, and focused on the brave men and women searching to cure tuberculosis. I love Washington novels not only because there were so many women employed in interesting government jobs, but I think you tend to find the best and worst of humanity in Washington. Many are dedicated, idealistic people, and they are given phenomenal tools and resources to tackle some of the nation’s biggest problems. I hope to do more Washington novels in the future….especially if I can manage to squeeze in another research trip!

In my office at the college

Sometimes people are curious to see where writers work. I’ve got two offices, as I work as a college librarian by day, and scribble away at my novels at night. My office at college is pristine, but my home office is cluttered, well-lived in, and within easy reach of the coffee pot!

  

Although my home office is where I do the majority of the actual

In my home office

writing, I find that the best place for brainstorming plots and ideas happens while I am running, mowing the lawn, or some other monotonous physical task where I can simply unleash my imagination.

Many thanks for inviting me onto your blog! Writing can be a somewhat solitary occupation, so I love getting a chance to meet readers…even if it is in a virtual setting like this!

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Learn more about Lizzy on her website, or or visit her on Facebook.

Also, make sure to check out the Pinterest page for her latest release, Beyond All Dreams

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Getting to Know Author Elizabeth Camden

Thanks for asking me aboard! I’m thrilled to be talking about Beyond All Dreams, as this book has a very special place in my heart because the heroine is a librarian, which is my job when I’m not a writer.

I have been blessed with two careers, both of which I deeply love. As a lifelong reader and bibliophile, perhaps librarianship was a natural career choice for me. I could think of no other job where I could spend an entire day cocooned within a library, buying books with other people’s money, and getting paid to perform fascinating research. I earned my master’s degree in Library Science from Indiana University and have been gainfully employed as a college librarian ever since. 

But the temptation to write my own novel was always there as well. I love a terrific romance story, especially if set in an interesting historical period. The road to publication was a little longer and a lot bumpier than I expected, but after around five years of trying, my first novel was published in 2011. They say that you tend to be proudest of things that are hard to earn, and this is certainly true for me. I’ve heard stories of people whose first manuscript is accepted for publication, but I wouldn’t trade my five years of struggle and slogging through the wilderness for anything in the world. For a start, it made me a much better writer. It made me humble, grateful, and also a little paranoid…which is a GOOD thing if you are a writer. I know rejection will always loom just around the next corner if I don’t keep my quality up.  

People have often asked me if I have any plans to quit my work as a librarian and become a full-time writer. Frankly, I don’t! I love being a librarian, and every day I am enriched by the variety of people I encounter and the interesting questions I’m called on to research. All of this helps nourish my writer’s soul with fresh angles and originality.

I wrote five novels before I decided to give in to temptation and feature a librarian as the heroine. Beyond All Dreams is about a librarian who stumbles across a baffling mystery of a ship that disappeared at sea. The ship and the entire crew has never been heard from again, but Anna begins to suspect the government knows what actually happened to the ship. The setting is at the Library of Congress in 1898, and when the government stonewalls her attempt to learn more about the missing ship, Anna turns to a charismatic congressman for help. As the two of them begin piecing the mystery together, they become embroiled in secrets much bigger than they ever imagined. 

Washington D.C. is a terrific place to set a historical romance, simply because there were so many women who worked for the government in the late 19^th century. I prefer to have my heroines working in professional positions, so Washington is rich with possibilities for me. Of course, there were plenty of restrictions against female workers dating fellow-government employees, so that adds another wonderful layer of tension for my characters. 

Most of all I wanted to write a thrilling, deeply romantic and heart-pounding love story.  The nature of the plot force Anna and Luke to resolve their own wounds from a difficult past before they can forge a lasting relationship.  It is a deeply emotional story, but I tried to inject notes of subtle humor, hope, and inspiration throughout the novel. 

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida. Her novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband near Orlando, Florida.

Website:

http://www.elizabethcamden.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethCamden

Pinterest Page for Beyond All Dreams:

http://www.pinterest.com/elizabethcamden/beyond-all-dreams/

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Layering in the Six Senses to Bring Your Story to Life by Deb Raney

One of the final things I do with every first draft before I send it in to my editor is to go through each page to make sure I've layered in the six senses. I believe this one thing enriches the novel more than anything else I do as a writer.

I'm (finally) learning to weave more of the senses in as I lay words down for the first time. But even so, that final pass through the manuscript is crucial. 

Here are examples of how I used the senses in After All, the third in my Hanover Falls Novels series. 

SOUND

Have you given each character's voice a distinct quality and a tone that fits his mood?

FROM AFTER ALL: “Hey… Cut that out right now.” Pete’s voice was gentle, but his words were firm. “I see where your mind is going.”

She winced. “Okay, okay… Busted.”

And don't forget, background noises are every bit as important as dialogue in setting the tone of a scene, and helping the reader experience it. 

FROM AFTER ALL: They stood in silence watching their fishing lines float like gossamer over the black water, the red-and-white bobbers rolling with the gentle current. The slosh of the water lapping at the rocks was the most soothing sound Susan could imagine.

SIGHT

Before characters ever speak (or at least very early in each scene) we need to be able to visualize them in their setting. "Paint” a backdrop and set the stage. Then, everything that follows will play like a movie in your reader's imagination.

FROM AFTER ALL: So this was the place Dave had called home. Morning sun streamed through clerestory windows high on the wall and turned the space into a jewel box of colors. Had that well-worn recliner in the corner been his?

SMELL

Think how many places you could identify by smell alone. Use that fact to add even more realism to each scene. And don't forget to show how the smell affected your character.

FROM AFTER ALL: She noticed he carried a big lantern along with the fishing gear. They came upon the river, and the scents of mud and fish and water hung in the heavy summer air. It was a good smell. Reminded her of her childhood.

TASTE

Taste conveys not only pleasure, as in the mouth-watering taste of food or the refreshment of a cool drink, but it can also express emotion.

Other than to describe food, the sense of taste is probably the most neglected sense in literature. Infuse your scenes with deep emotion by layering in tastes in ways that reflect more than the obvious.

FROM AFTER ALL: She swallowed another swell of tears and winced at the bitter taste that filled her throat.  

TOUCH

Adding literal texture to your scenes helps your novel become a figuratively textured piece of work as well. Adding in tactile sensations gives depth to your scenes and often becomes a metaphor for the emotion you wish to portray.

FROM AFTER ALL: When Ferris Park’s fireworks fizzled away, Pete's arm tightened around her and he reached up with his other hand to brush her hair away from her face. She wanted him to kiss her. There was no denying that. But she put a hand on his smooth cheek and gently held him off. "It's been a wonderful evening. Let's just…go slow, okay?"

THE "SIXTH SENSE”

The sixth sense, perhaps more than the other five, is what makes our characters most vivid and real to our readers. In the inspirational market, this sense is often considered to be that “still, small voice” of the Holy Spirit. If you write fantasy or paranormal, that sixth sense might take the form of mental telepathy, etc. In mystery or suspense novels, it could be the ultra-keen instinct of a detective. In matters of romance, it might be labeled “woman’s intuition.”  

That sixth sense infuses any story with deeper levels of complexity, intensity and mystery.

FROM AFTER ALL: She rummaged in her purse for her keys and held them at the ready before letting herself out. She was thankful she’d parked next to the building. But as she walked to her car, a shiver went through her. She wasn’t given to premonitions, but she had the oddest feeling someone was watching her.

A PINCH OF THIS, A PINCH OF THAT

Like seasoning in a fine stew, too much of one spice might overpower the more important one, but with a judicious edit, purposefully sprinkling the various senses throughout your manuscript, you can breathe new life into your story.

FROM AFTER ALL: Susan made her way across the dark parking lot. The air smelled like fresh-mown grass and though the thermometer had hit eighty today, the night air was chilly. She shivered in her short sleeves and rubbed a thumb over the teeth of her car key.

DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched her writing career after 20 happy years as a stay-at-home mom. Her books have won numerous awards including the RITA, the Carol Award, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. Deb's newest novel released from Howard/Simon & Schuster in May. She and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy the wildflowers and native grasses in the Kansas prairie garden in their backyard. They also love traveling together to teach at conferences, and to visit four children and four small grandchildren who all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the Web at www.deborahraney.com.

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