love of writing | Lori Ericson

In this blog, I offer a different type of book review — one that’s combined with vocabulary building. Included here are a few interesting words I found in Bride Swap.

Bride Swap is a fun romantic read. Author Beth Carter provides a heartfelt tale of two female characters each struggling to make it on their own, one with a child to support. You’ll have to pick up a copy of Bride Swap to see who’s getting married or not.

The definitions below are for just a few words important for the telling of this absolutely adorable love story:

engaged: adj. 1. Busy; occupied. BRIT. (of a telephone line) unavailable because already in use. 2. Having formally agreed to marry. 3. (architecture) (of a column) attached to or partly let into a wall.

From Bride Swap:

“She glanced at her bare ring finger. She was newly engaged but hadn’t yet told anyone at the station. She knew how some of her more cut-throat colleagues would be once they heard she was set to marry the top anchor at the rival television station across town.”

swag: noun. 1. An ornamental festoon of flowers, fruit, and greenery. 2. INFORMAL money or goods taken by a thief or burglar. 3. AUSTRAL/NZ a traveler’s or miner’s bundle of personal belongings.

Slang definitions include: 1. Term for advertising merchandise, branded merchandise, or promotional products. 2. Formerly used for anything cool.

From Bride Swap:

“Emma, you’re more creative than me, plus you make all of that beautiful swag for authors. You’re amazing with that stuff. I’d love for you to plan a gorgeous wedding for Trent and me.”

transfixed/transfix: verb. 1. Cause someone to become motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment. 2. Pierce with a sharp implement or weapon.

From Bride Swap:

“He stood transfixed as if he were a marble statue. The smirk Paige had seen one too many times appeared as Trent asked, ‘Did someone have a bad day? Is it that time of month, Paige, or is Zach-y boy going after your job like I knew he would?’”

Definitions are typically from the dictionary that comes with my Mac or The New Oxford American Dictionary.

“The word is only a representation of the meaning; even at its best, writing almost always falls short of full meaning. Given that, why in God’s name would you want to make things worse by choosing a word which is only cousin to the one you really wanted to use?” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

It’s a tough world in publishing these days. How do you decide which way to turn? Hold out for the big publishing contract that will likely never happen and doesn’t have the advantages it once did? Self publish and do all the work yourself?

The idea of self publishing is a viable consideration, but there’s something about the credibility that comes with signing with a publisher. Not to mention that a publisher takes care of working out a cover, formatting, etc. etc. etc.! Small indie publishers can offer so much to a new author these days that big publishing houses don’t. Namely, individual attention and a bigger percentage in royalties.

I published my first book with a small indie publisher. I’m proud of the effort I put into that first book, and the outcome.

Kimberly and Duke Pennell of Pen-L Publishing offered me a contract for three upcoming novels. My response, “Where’s my pen? Then, a big THANK YOU!”

I recently signed with a different indie publisher based in Arkansas for my future books. I’m so excited that they were interested in my writing. Duke and Kimberly Pennell, who formed Pen-L Publishing just a couple of years ago, already have 75 or so titles under their belt. I opted to sign on with them mainly because of the integrity so evident in the two of them, but also because of their love of the craft and their dedication to creating a good product.

The choice was very personal to me. My writing is my heart. What I create with my voice is a part of me. I want to know that I can trust and feel proud of my choice in a publisher.

In November, Pen-L will publish A Lovely Murder, sequel to my first novel A Lovely County. I’m proud to say that A Lovely Murder took The President’s Award and 1st Place in the Unpublished Manuscript contest at Ozark Writers League late last year, so I can’t wait to see it in print.

Pen-L also graciously contracted to publish two more of my novels next year. A Lovely Grave is the third in the mystery series about small-town reporter Danni Edens. A fourth novel has yet to be titled.