Yara March: still going strong (in English)

Since oktober 2013 happened a lot in my life.

Survey:

My first book: 'Cupcakes en een koffer' Dutch is published November 2013 . Recently the translation to French and Spanish  started.

September 24 2014  'Tango met een knal' my  second book will be published.

I am still blogging (in Dutch). Now and then I post them on my site yaramarch.nl

 I also write columns (in Dutch) on thrillerlezers.blogspot.com

You can find me on facebook,(Don't forget to like me!) twitter and I still discover pinterest.

I am glad with the reviews (in Dutch) and the interviews in the (social) media.

My blogs are also available as a book. Join the club van 5duizend  and you get the eBook 'The making of...Cupcakes en een koffer' for free (in Dutch)

Soon the free download of the eBook 'The making of... Tango met een knal' will be published. (In Dutch) Members of the club of  5duizend get this eBook as soon as it is published.

Later this year the English blogs will be available as an eBook too. Interested? Send me a mail.

A new job

Today I start with a new job. I decide to do the correction of my first book 'Dangerous Cupcakes' (Cupcakes en een koffer) all by myself. A hell of a job. So I will do only ten pages a day. I hope my brain will not get tired from this small amount.

And for all the incorrects I miss, my love will read it too.

It will be exciting weeks. I get a new website. After the correction the book needs to get the right lay-out, and ofcourse it needs the right cover.

Halfway November I hope that you can read it. At first in Dutch. I let you know when the English release will be. Translation needs at least two months.

And now: at work.

Sentimental

Are you crying on weddings? I do. I am hopeless sentimental. But I am not the only one. My neighbor is even worse. And she is much more younger than I am. So no, it is not my age when my tears are rolling only because I see the look in the eyes from my next-door  neighbor as he sees his gorgeous bride standing in the doorway.

They were rolling again this afternoon as she was walking over the red carpet at her fathers arm. A brass band plays the bridal mars. And again as I hear the story of their growing love ending with how  last Christmas he ask her to marry him.

Today everything seems right to give Margaretha and Arno their dream wedding. For me it looks like a fairy tale. The beautiful old-timer, the charming historical location in the middle of the woods. The place where princess Wilhelmina lived after world war II. The red carpet, the music. Except in the movies, I think I never experienced how the wedding mars plays as the bride comes in.

This afternoon I go back to celebrate and party. I hope I don't need my handkerchiefs anymore. Although I don't know if my neighbor takes enough hankies with her.

A brand new publisher

My dear blogger fans I just finished my writing holiday. Four weeks I planned to write the end of my third book. But I didn’t.

I didn’t because I used the vacation to decide to become a publisher. The publisher of my first book. A new profession, but what an exciting one.

I stepped into the internet with a lot of questions. At first it seemed to be a labyrinth, but it becomes more and more an intriguing search. (speurtocht)

And now I have a lot of answers. Enough to start.  I know now what I need to do to make the right steps. My love is going to help me with the technical details. That intrigues him. Lucky for me.

In the future I need you too. I need you to make decisions for me. I am very bad at that. You can help me decide which cover you like most for instance. But you can help me mostly by reading my book when it is ready.

Till then I will let you know what’s going on. I start with the Dutch version of the book, but as soon as possible an English version will be published too.

I am looking forward to my first working day. As a publisher.

P.S.

My third book will be written too. I only have to plan a new writing holiday.

Murphy

Dutch version below

Today again I enjoyed  a day full of writing.

I didn't care at all that they came to remove the bath.

Not even that the tiler came to tile the bathroom

Not even as he managed to nail through the waterpipe and the water came out of the wall

Not even when we didn't have water again, now for only three hours (instead a whole day earlier this week)

Not even as the waterpipe appears to be rotten and they have to get a new one.

Not even as nearly finished, the lamp stopped giving light and no extra bulb seemed to fit.

So now after a week of plumming and tiling I passed the first 35.000 words of my third book. I am glad I almost am halfway finishing it.

Still I hear workingnoice in the bathroom. I don't dare to take a look.

Although I think they renovated this week every pipe, they took away my bath and only gave me a shower back because of new buildingregulations, so nothing can be going wrong anymore.

But what If I am wrong?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Net als gisteren was vandaag weer een heerlijke schrijfdag.

Niets heb ik me aangetrokken van het bad dat opgehaald werd, de tegelzetter die de badkamer kwam afmaken. Zelfs niet toen hij het presteerde om een spijker door de waterleiding te slaan en wij weer afgesloten werden van het water.

Zelfs niet toen de waterpijp verrot bleek en er eerst een nieuwe pijp gehaald moest worden.

Zelfs niet toen bijna klaar, de lamp in de badkamer sprong en de reservelampen niet bleken te passen.

Zojuist ben ik de 35.000 woorden gepasseerd. Bijna op de helft van mijn derde boek dus. Op de badkamer hoor ik nog steeds gewerkt worden. Ik durf niet te gaan kijken hoe ver ze zijn.

Volgens mij is deze week al alles mis gegaan, wat mis kan gaan. Is alles vernieuwd wat kapot kan gaan.

Maar wat als ik me vergis?

Energy

First published in Dutch August 22, 2012

Liever in het Nederlands lezen?: http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/energie.html

Today, I already have been in Barcelona, The Netherlands and in Argentina. Of course only in my new book.

It is great to discover new places, places I never was before myself. Yara doesn’t mind about my ignorance. For a week already she lets me surf the internet. She makes me collect. Collect all the information I need for my second book.

And despite all that research, the story itself didn’t write well. Especially yesterday it didn’t give me energy at all. And when it gives me no energy, how will that than be for you, my readers. Rereading it I thought it was boring, more a collection of facts than a real gripping story.

I am not the writer of stories that take their time to develop. The story with a lot of little stories in it, that come together at the end of the book. By reading it, you think several times, how smart it is. No I am not that kind of writer.

My books should catch all your attention. From the beginning till the end. There must be tension in it. It should make you curious, curious to how it will end. For me I am satisfied enough as just I can tell myself every evening how smart I did write that day.

Yesterday evening, I was pretty devastated, as Yara whispers in my ear: ‘Your first book starts the same. In the beginning you write the summary. Day by day the words, the sentences, the paragraphs, and the chapters will be written that gives this book the tension and flow you want it to have’.

Today I let my fear go and from that moment on Yara was writing again. The last chapter was erased, the first two chapters rewritten and then the story began to write itself again. And it starts to grow.

The whole day my face was sparkling and it still does.

I enjoy it. I enjoy the beautiful weather today, the story that grows and blooms. And I enjoy Yara. She knows every day again how the story develops.

It feels great to be a writer.

N.B.: Still you can be the main person in The making of …help Yara to publish her books . How? You can read it here: http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2013/07/books-get-publisher.html

Macabre

First published in Dutch August 21, 2012

Liever in het Nederlands lezen: http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/griezelen.html

It occurs to me that since I operate as Yara March, I do a lot of things I never dare before. Scary and eerie. I wonder what makes the difference. Before I felt tension coming from fear, now it feels more as the excitement coming from gruesome curiosity.

There are people who enjoy to see a horror picture. For me those kinds of pictures are just a bit too scary.

I still remember that I was looking a picture at the telly early in the evening. Surrealistic and a bit of film noire. French of course. It was early in the evening and still light outside. The kids were already sleeping, my husband had a late night meeting.

At the end of the picture it was already dark out/ and inside. De trees outside showed their moving shades in the flickering light of the television. The end of the picture was scary. That evening I had all the ingredients for a really scary evening full of suspense. And at that moment a mouse chose to come somewhere out of the ceiling and walked its way down the wall.

That was too much for me. I didn´t dare to move any more. Not even to go and put thee lights on. How long I was in that vegetative state, I don´t know. On a certain time I took the phone and rang my best friend. After I explained the situation, almost all my fear disappeared as she laughed out loud. Still holding the phone I walked to the switch of the light and with the light the rest of my fear disappeared.

Normally I am never afraid of mice. It was just the combination, darkness, scary picture, being alone and then a mouse walking along the wall...It could have been a serial killer so scared I felt.

I think it was the last time I looked at a scary movie.

For Yara it is not scary at all. She enjoys excitement and for her all those scary moves are fun. She loves to get lovely scared and so she is never really scared. It is nothing more than enjoying getting scared.

It feels good, just like it feels good to get tensed when you read a good book. You want to know how it ends, even if you think you know it already. The satisfaction it gives when it turns out you´re right. The same enjoyable tension I have, when I read my books again. And even that I know already how it ends; it still gives me that pleasurable tension.

A little bit of tension belongs to a book. Makes fun. Pleasurable tension also belongs to my intentions to get my books published.

I know that they will, there are too many readers waiting for them.

Only how it is going to happen­? How does publishing work? Which agent or publisher is the right one for my books? Which combination is bulls’ eye? Still more questions then answers. That gives that agreeable tension. I am so curious.

The next months, step by step, I will get my answers. So do you by following me by reading my blogs.

Are you just as I am, also curious when ‘Cupcakes and a koffer’ (Dangerous Cupcakes) and my other books will be available in the bookstore? Stay with this series of blogs. You get your answers, and more, soon.

As a regular reader you know you can play the main character.in the making of …Yara March. How?  Read about it in : http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2013/07/books-get-publisher.html

In the meantime maybe I should go to see a scary movie. But only together with Yara.

Love, sex & words

First published in Dutch 19-08-2012 

Liever in het Nederlands lezen? : http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/liefde-seks-en-woorden.html

Prude. I am. 

More than I thought.

Most time people don’t admit, but in real live everything is about love also. Isn’t your mind full of the big search  to feel secure  and for tenderness? Don’t you feel alive when you  feel passion? A theme so important in your live is talking topic number one isn’t it?

No? Off course, when you just  fall in love, you want to talk about it all the time. Although, mostly you talk in neutral terms. You talk about how cute, sweet, sexy, smart and so on  your new lover is. That he even can cook, and pays so much attention to you. But after you’re longer and longer  a couple it stops.

It’s totally different when you for instance talk about food . When did you last hear friends talk about that fantastic diner in that marvellous restaurant? Or did you talk about by yourself? All the mouth watering details of the meal are subject of the review. Every course, the sauce, the accompanying drinks and it never ends when you tell about that special desert. Even if you eat too much or not and how it was with your stomach after the dinner. Nothing left out.

The exception are some television programs. But in real live nobody tells about how great you have had sex yesterday. You don’t talk about with whom, or even not where it was. You will never hear the juicy details either.

In my books you find a lot of love scenes of course. That’s what you expect from a chicklit. I love to write them. If there only wasn’t that dilemma.  The main characters in my books are not every time that prude that they stop after a kiss or holding hands. It even becomes pretty wild sometimes. 
 

The dilemma is which details I describe and which not. The main issue is which words I use. It must excite you, without being obscene. There must be passion in it, without becoming pornographic.

I can describe how a body is touched. Body is a word lovely neutral . Lesser than less I have to describe how a sexual organ is touched. (In real live it happens more often of course) In Dutch there are a lot of similar words for a sexual organ and for sexual action. The great duo van Kooten and De Bie as the ‘Klisjeemannetjes’ (unfortunate only in Dutch but search in English for simular entertainers yourself) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFbL2iGAUw. 

Enjoy this outstanding conference.

I read a lot of books. How do other writers do? How do they find the right words to tell the story as beautiful as love can be, with words beautiful as well.

And then I found the ultimate declaration of love in ‘Suzanne's diary for Nicholas’ . It even lasts a whole book. Don’t wonder that it reads like a detective .  It is written by James Patterson, writer of detectives  as the series the woman’s murder club and Alex Cross.  If you didn’t read it yet, don’t hesitate: read it now.

And even he, as an American, uses explicit sexual organ names.

But I already decided that if I can, I won’t use explicit words. It is far more exciting for my readers if I describe,  if I build up excitement. I write and rewrite till the story becomes all the passion, all the hunger, all the desire and even all  the lust my story deserves.

If I do find the right words? You, my reader,  have to decide it.

Books get publisher

First published in Dutch 20-8-2012

Liever in het Nederlands lezen: http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/boek-vindt-uitgever.html

Over and over again I hear the words of M.‘Even more fun than writing, is to find your book in the bookstore’.

So I decided to do my best to get it published. But I need your help too.

I already made my first preparations. 

You can find me on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and I blog in Dutch and nowadays also in English. 

I hardly have any followers. So this is for you: tweeter, blogger, facebooker, entrepeneur all over the world, retweet me, like me, send me to all those people you think be helpful for me to get my books published. And of course to all those people that might love to read my blogs and later on my books.

So: Give ‘Dangerous Cupcakes/ Cupcakes en een koffer’ its well deserved place in the bookstore.

Do you love in books:

• a combination of love, excitement and unexpected events
• to get moved,
• to be so curious about the next that you bite your nails
• to laugh out loud
• that you hardly can stop reading

Then ‘Dangerous Cupcakes/ Cupcakes en een koffer’  is the right book for you!

A lovely Chicklit (modern love story) mixed with an exciting detective.

Are you an agent or publisher  with experience in

• (Inter)national publishing
• Filmrights

Do you think the books of Yara March  should get published? And can you help me with it?

Available:

Dangerous Cupcakes  / Cupcakes en een koffer :

in Dutch

Times new roman 12, 

85.448 words,

 168 A4 pages

When four girlfriends takes a holiday, they can't even suspect that soon their lives will be upside down. Two of them find their Mr. Big. Before that, however, they are the victim of a burglary, they are shot at and as icing on the cake one of the four gets kidnapped. Even the police need two deaths before they know what is going on.

Tango met een knal

In Dutch

Times new roman 12

86.532 words

122 A4 pages

Carry-Ann loves dancing. Especially a passionate Tango. When her sister, who lives in Argentina, needs her help, she doesn't hesitate. She goes.

She doesn't believe in the big love. But somewhere deep in her heart she is romantic. So maybe... But not in Argentina. She doesn't want to make the same mistake as her sister. It proves to be hard as the neighbours are two handsome brothers. Both divine dancers of the tango.

Love is not the only danger she meets. Arson attack, sabotage, explosions, murder, love and cheating are the ingredients for the extreme explosive situation where she ends up in. Suddenly her life is in great danger.

‘Geknipt voor haar’

Aproxiate available (± September 2013)

My third book is a sequel of the first. You meet the four girlfriends again. Just like a new mr. Big and a serial killer..... 

Are you curious about the books and do you know somebody who can get it published, let me know! yara@yaramarch.com (or sent this request to others)

I got a lot of tips over selfpublishing books as well as e-books. 

Tips about 

• correctors 
• designers 
• (free) websites
• PR 
• translators  
• everything I need to know about selfpublishing 

are welcome at: yara@yaramarch.com

Weconomy

• Do you believe just as I do that there will be a lot of readers who enjoy reading my books?
• Do you believe in your own product (booktrailer, design, corrector, translator and so on)
• Will you co-invest in my book by investing your expertise? (payment in part of the results)

Are you an entrepeneur and/or:

• Do you reach the same group of women (modern timeless 20+) as I do with my books? I give you my first book for free, if you use your publishing activities (for example advertising in illustrations and other media and if you take the costs for making the book ready to publish
• Do you want to (pre)order my book x-times as relation- or christmasgift?
• Do you like to sponsor a part of the release costs of my book(s). You will be named in the book.
• Will you be co-entrepeneur in publishing my book(s)

Please feel free to contact me: yara@yaramarch.com

Do you want to know how it is going on with Yara March and her books? Stay with her by reading her blogs on: yaramarch.blogspot.com

I tweet on @YaraMarch.1 in English and @YaraMarch  in Dutch and I am on linkedin and facebook.

I am still learning publicity so wait for pinterest

Till the next blog.

Rewrite

Liever in het Nederlands lezen: http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2013/07/opnieuw.html

Soon I have to go back to my second book. Carry-Ann the main character in this book, flies to Argentina. She makes a stopover in Barcelona, the city I have never been before.

Together with my computer, I gave her a very nice day. However, it can’t be done in a day. I was already in Valencia and Madrid. Two cities where everything that  is worthwhile to see is close to another. So not in Barcelona. It is spread over the city. I shouldn’t forget that sometimes there are heights between, I didn’t see on the map. And even changing lines in the subway means to walk a lot.

I must admit that you can enjoy sitting on a terrace everywhere in Barcelona. Everywhere except the famous Ramblas, crowded and the least interesting place I have seen.

Rewrite is the only option.

There is enough left to give her a great day.

Even in the book I don’t mention the efficient subway map in the train itself. As in every train they have dramatic lousy speakers. But they have a map on which at the next station a red light is flashing. The light stays on for every station we passed already. At once you can see what’s your next station and in which direction you go. Somebody has been very clever.

I even don’t mention the Gay Pride Parade. At the end of the parade a lot of sweepers and sweepcars cleaned the whole street within five minutes. While we were sitting on the end of the route, we witnessed that the barricades and police left. Within ten minutes after the last truck of the parade, the traffic was going on again. It was just like there never was a partying and dancing crowded parade at all.

I didn’t expect so much efficiency in Spain. In the paper I only hear about everything what’s wrong in this country.  I think I noticed the wrong things. But I like being blind for the wrong things. I have much more fun seeing what’s going well. See that there is also a lot they do good. It gives hope.

In my books a lot of trouble happens. In the end not everything goes well. (Otherwise it would be too predictable). But there are enough happy endings to keep you enjoying. Both life and my books.

Falling in love

First published in Dutch August 18, 2012

Liever in het Nederlands lezen:  http://yaramarch.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/verliefd.html

This morning it hit me. Writing is to me like falling in love.

The whole day I feel a little bit excited. As somebody asks me questions about the things I write, I don't stop talking about it anymore. Normally I am interested in my friends and in the people around me, but the only thing I am interested in now is Yara, Yara and again Yara.

In the middle of the night I can wake up with a new idea for a blog or for one of my books to write.

When I wake up in the morning, I want to go to my computer and write, write, write. This blog I write before breakfast. This night there were so many ideas in my mind, that I don't feel relaxed enough to sit in the sun with the paper and my breakfast. No, I have to write first.

All the other things to do, at the time seem less important. Even the funny things. The only thing that really gives fun is to write.

I hardly don't read, I don't ly in my hammock in the sun anymore, don't watch tele. My favorite series have to wait for me a little bit longer. I can hardly concentrate on my work, the paper or a book. I sit, my mind somewhere else, dreaming. Thinking of a new piece of  text.

I also do everything for Yara. All those things I never dared. For Yara I do. Blogging (it even is fun), make friends on facebook, tweet. Yara goes into social media.

The whole day it feels like I'm in heaven. I feel great every time I wrote a new blog or a new part of the book. I feel completely satisfied.

I feel that lovely itch every time I open my computer and read what I wrote before. Lucky when I surprised think that it is really great what I wrote. Or excited that I can rewrite it even better.

All that urge, al that really satisfying work, that itchy feeling in my stomach, that feeling as if the whole world only moves around one thing and one thing only: writing. That' s just like the feeling I have when I am falling in love.

That's why I love writing so much. Say it yourself. Nothing goes above falling in love!

Questions about language

First published in Dutch August 17, 2012

Liever de Nederlandse versie lezen?:  http://yaramarch.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/taaldilemma.html

Yesterday my love started to read my book. I am curious about his reaction. Especially his reaction at the prologue. It is the only part of the book I have doubts about. There is something wrong, but I can't tell what it is, that is wrong.

He knows it. Immediately. So yesterday I started to rewrite. And again I loved it. In the end I even am satisfied. So my love is too.

I also have the answer at my doubts if I was ready for criticism. I am. I don't care. I even skipped some sentences. Even those I was proud of. Proud at the words I found and that suit so well. But in the new context they don't fit anymore. I am glad there are more well found words in the book. I can't use those words in this book, but maybe I can in the next.

Language is weird. In one of my former blogs, I already told you I sometimes remember the most beautifull (not oldfashined but) vintage words. It still feels heroic to use those words in my book.      

And when I am honest, I am proud as the corrector says 'oldfashioned'. Again I resqued a word. It will not be forgotten!

Translation from Dutch to English is even more difficult. In the original Dutch blog I told something about modern language. The example I gave doesn't exist as a problem in the English language. There are a lot of Dutch phrases, you never heard of in English. Talking English is easier because I don't have to translate a phrase, because I don't use it when talking. Did you ever try to translate with google? It isn't even funny.

Sometimes I think, I shouldn't translate my blogs. My English is too bad, to give you a good idea of my writing. But when I start a thing, I will end it too. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy reading my blogs. Let me know if you do.

Of course I will give my book to a professional translator. You can enjoy reading it even more.

Multiple personality

First published in Dutch August 15, 2012

Liever in het Nederlands lezen: http://yaramarch.blogspot.com.es/2012/08/multiple-persoonlijkheid.html

Since the day Yara is born, I noticed that more and more often I talk about Yara as a person. Especially of course when I am talking about writing my books.

It feels as if every time I am going to write, I step inside Yara. Yara is a lot more creative and relaxed then I am. She doesn’t mind. I can worry about the smallest things. Yara just says: ‘we’ll see’.

To my surprise, she manages everything. I can panic,when I don’t write enough on a day. The three other stories in my head are hurrying me. She stays calm all the time. Glad that, when the writing flow stock, she has an evening for herself. For now doing something else then writing. ‘More than one book at the time I can’t write anyway, she tells me.

Yara plans my time a lot better than I would. She takes care, that I keep enjoy writing my books. And I do, even it takes all my time.

I am very sorry that Yara doesn’t like managing and organizing. I would be glad to let her do it. But still she lets it be my job. She teaches me to stay relaxed when I can’t do enough during the time I planned for it. Nowadays, thanks to Yara, when I run out of time, I don’t worry. Even when I can’t work on it for a few days.

Yara also has more courage than I have. Sometimes I think: ‘Can I write this? My parents, my children and my friends are reading this too. Yara just writes it.

Sometimes, my love, who sees a lot of my double personality, says to me: ‘ Do you know that there are people which are getting treatment for that? And he can’t help that he has to laugh out loudly. (LOL)

But I am very glad with my multiple personality. I learn a lot from Yara. Since she is in my life, I never enjoyed life more than now. At last I am much more the woman I want to be.

So Yara writes this blog. While I should break the beans.

Another late diner today. Who cares?

Long live the bookstore

Liever in het Nederlands lezen: http://yaramarch.blogspot.com.es/2013/06/lang-leve-de-boekhandel.html

I love travelling. The best of it is my urge to write as soon as I arrive on the plane. New blogs, the translation of the old ones or going on with by latest book. I don’t care. I only want to write. The flight is always too short. So I didn’t care at all when my husband told me he has to go to Barcelona in Spain for his work. Because I was allowed to travel with him!

Today at the airport I was pleased to take my computer out of my backpack. Then it hit me. As well my computer glasses as my reading glasses were still at home at the table. For a moment I thought that I would not be able to write. But I was lucky. I had still more than an hour to go before my plane would leave.

I went to the information desk at Schiphol airport and a very friendly lady thought that I could by some glasses in the bookstore. I wouldn’t think about that myself. But it feels logic.

In the bookstore I met another friendly lady. She brought me to the display where a lot of glasses smiled to me. I was glad that the glasses had colour codes for the strength; I couldn’t read the numbers at all. But as always there was too much choice for me. If there is one thing I can’t, than it is making a choice. And my husband wasn’t there to make the choice for me (he was still watching our luggage). They were also packed in plastic, so I couldn’t look how they fit with my face. Of course it was just a few Euro glasses, but even they have to fit!

I think that nice lady of the store didn’t mind to get the two pairs of glasses out of the plastic. Normally everything is shining like a mirror in such a store. Not here. Not the computer screen, not the front of the cash register, even not the glass windows. But then I saw a display case. That I could see it now, didn’t help at all. I liked them both.

For a moment I wanted to buy them both. In a crises good for the economy. The solution from my husband: buy them both He knows already that he cannot make the right choice. He would hear the for of years, that I liked the other glasses better. (Yes guys even with such  cheap glasses I would, but ladies you understand why, isn’t it?) But there are already so many glasses everywhere in the house, that wouldn’t be good for the environment.

I think that nice lady has the same problem as I have. She was very willing to look with me. But she couldn’t make the choice too. She also liked them both. We both decided that the most practical should win. A thick book made the decision. One of the two glasses proves to be the best.

Lucky with my new glasses I even get more lucky. I saw a new format book I never saw before. Maybe also good for the release of my own book.

I knew before that the bookstore is great to choose books, but now it helps me read too.

P.S. As t’s a pity. I liked them! I write this blog, my glasses are broke already. The screw fell out. So I type with leaning glasses. I

Euforia or the music still going on

First published in Dutch August 12, 2012
Liever in het Nederlands lezen? http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/euforie.html

Yesterday we ate a very, very, very late barbecue.

It took the whole day to do the last corrections on ‘Dangerous Cupcakes’.

It was the first time I read the last thirty-five pages. Before I knew the story caught me. My teeth were curling from excitement. I recognized the same reaction, I always have when I almost finish reading the book. I can’t stop and are curious how it ends.

That is curious, because I write it myself. Of course in every love story you know that in the end they finally will be together. Still every story is exciting again. The excitement is ‘how’ they find each other.

I noticed, that I was anxious to know ‘how’ they got each other. When happened what and where in the story? I hardly could stop reading to correct the text. And when I couldn’t stop reading for necessary improvements of the story, why should I stop for such earthly thing as eating?

So a late barbecue, at the same time I feel euphoria. ‘Dangerous Cupcakes’ finally comes to the end. The last few hours I was excited to reach the end. I felt touched by certain scenes and I felt very satisfied.

This morning I woke up and knew exactly which words needed to be improved. Yesterday I was so anxious to finish reading, that I overlooked some minor mistakes. Today I really finished it. The last words, the thanks, the quotations. And I am singing, singing the two songs that are just so right for this book: ‘Dream a little Dream’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxrws7omOHQ and ‘When you’re smiling’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaQKKre0PA

With thanks to mr. Louis Armstrong and mrs. Ella Fitzgerald with ‘Dream a little Dream’ the book found it’s theme.

Enjoy.

More love

First published in Dutch August 14, 2012

Lees je liever in het Nederlands? http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/nog-meer-liefde.html

It happened today. The book that was already in my mind in Italy, today gave permission to get written. For a while it was thrilling. My mind was very occupied. Next to the non-fiction book I am writing, there are three new stories to tell. Which one will be the first? Even for me that’s the question.

Today I started and I am surprised that it is still the same as in ‘Dangerous Cupcakes’. The book writes itself. Also the same is that I write and I have to go to former passages and add some new parts of the story. Unfortunately  after six, seven hours I get tired. The next chapters are already anxious to get written. My experience (what does that sound good!) tells me that I can better stop now. From now on it takes too much time to write it down. But can you imagine that I hardly can wait till Tuesday, the day I have the time again to continue writing.

I am satisfied. De first six A4’s are written, 3354 words. A fantastic start. Certainly as you should know that this book finds its scenery in Argentina. A country I don’t know at all. That means a lot of Googling today. In ‘Dangerous Cupcakes’ the main characters know a lot of (old) music.  That was easy for me, while I know a lot of it too. Was a lot of research less. Till now two main characters have something with old (black and white) movies. That’s not my speciality. For example the next lady has a small part in my second book: Merle Oberon. I never had heard about her, but as it happens one of the main characters thinks that another main character looks like her. I found this woman on Google. Beautiful looks, with a life story that reads like a book.

A preview: http://sapnamagazine.com/2009/hollywoods-first-indian-actress-merle-oberon/

Lovely story, isn’t it?

Writing is fun, do you see? I know the strangest facts, read juicy life stories, see beautiful pictures of nature and type, type, type.

The other side of the coin is less fun. This book let me know already: it wants to get published too.

It urges me to get an agent or publisher for ‘Dangerous cupcakes’. That’s not the job I had in mind. I’m just the writer. So I’m postponing it.

It’s easier to let you do it for me. Feel free to react when you feel encouraged:

Do you love in books:

• a combination of love, excitement and unexpected events
• to get moved,
• to be so curious about the next that you bite your nails
• to laugh out loud
• that you hardly can’t stop reading

Are you curious about the first book of Yara March ‘Dangerous Cupcakes’ (till now only available in Dutch ‘Cupcakes en een koffer’) and do you know somebody who can get it published, let me know! (or sent this request to others)

Do you want to know how it is going on with Yara March and her books? Stay with her by reading her blogs on: yaramarch.blogspot.com

I tweet on @YaraMarch.1 in English and @YaraMarch in Dutch and I am on linkedin.

I am still learning publicity so wait for pinterest and facebook.

Till the next blog.

Impatience

First published in Dutch, August 8 2012

Lees je liever in het Nederlands? http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/ongeduld.html

Today it’s sporting day. After the start with an hour yoga, then an hour on the cross walker, I finished with a 45 minute swim. And while swimming it happened again. Words started to swing in my brain.

When I came home this afternoon, I started with my non-fiction book. Goes on fast. I aspect that this book will grow by itself also.

There is a problem with my second chicklit. (modern love story) This morning there suddenly were two story’s. Which will be the one I have to start with? Why do I always have such luxury problems?

I will wait till tomorrow morning and I will see which one wants my attention most. Maybe I should write them both at the same time. Only I probably can’t find the time for it.

One of my favourite writers, Jill Mansell, writes it on her website as follows: ‘she writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.’

At the moment I feel a bit the same. While swimming I have enough time to think how I can manage to take more time for writing.

Most of the time I deny that there are all that things I should do, I hardly look television and I don’t read books anymore. Normally my free time favourites.

Today I also found time to read the next twelve pages of my first book. I read everything so often, that I hardly can judge if my book is worthwhile to read.

Is it a book :

• o   You hardly can stop to read
• o   You are gniffle or even laugh out loud with
• o   That’s exciting because you want to know what’s going on?
• o   In which it takes you almost to the end, before you know who’s done it?
• o   You get thrilled at all the lovescenes
• o   You get that much touched that you even now and then pink away a tear
• o   You are satisfied that you buy it 

Of course I hope it is this all. Finally it is you, the reader who is making the final judgement.

I almost can’t wait. 

Love

First published in Dutch August 8 2012
Liever de Nederlandse tekst? http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/liefde.html

What’s a chicklit (modern love story) without love? It can’t exist. So you find a lot of love in my books. Sweet romantic love but also love my ears coloured red while I was typing it.

At first I was wondering how I could get love scenes in my book while the two main characters didn’t get together yet. I am no longer surprised that the answer to that comes from the book. It found a perfect solution all alone.

Thanks to that I can write a lot of romantic and sometimes even steamy love scenes. I am lucky with that. Nothing writes  as easy as a love scene. Before I knew I already wrote 3000 words.

And of course romantic love needs romantic songs. One of the most beautiful songs in this book is the super romantic song   ‘Heaven’ (‘cheek to cheek’  from Louis Armstrong with Ella Fitzgerald) and almost more beautiful  ‘Dream a little dream of me’  also from this gorgeous couple. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4tnxdOAhw&feature=BFa&list=PLCA88A76BF489851A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io0uqrp9dco&playnext=1&list=PL430D2BC8E76837AA&feature=results_main

Enjoy listening!

Is time on my side?

First published in Dutch  August 7, 2012 
Liever de Nederlandse tekst? http://yaramarch.blogspot.nl/2012/08/gemis.html

Is it just a week ago that I travelled home? Full of plans and ideas for two more books? After a period that I could spent all my time at my first book (‘Cupcakes en een koffer’ English translation not available yet. It means in English ‘ Cupcakes and a suitcase’, but now just at this moment I think that the English title will be ‘Murderous cupcakes’  ).

And now a week and a lot of work and experiences later my ideas seem far away. I even have to look at my notes to know what I did imagine.

Every day I think it sucks that I can’t spend all my time at the creative process anymore. That my words are not allowed to roll. Yesterday it was the first time I could add sentences and words to MC (= ‘murderous cupcakes’). It felt so good. The words took their space. And I get space in my mind. Gosh.

Today it was the first day I had a whole day for MC. I started reading it. I feel a little bit sad though.  I read, I searched for mistakes, changed words for more beautiful ones. Controlling if the facts are correct.

But I miss something. I miss the continuing story. I miss what is coming up. Everything has already been written. There is nothing new coming. It is already finished. I can’t sit on the edge of my chair. Excited. Longing for what’s next.

But on the other side I am not sad at all. Because I had the time to read, control and add. And I read already a hundred pages. Best of all I did like it!

My thoughts and ideas for my new books are vanishing…

Sorry M.

First published in Dutch August 4 2012

Finally it happened today. My characters got their new names. For days I woke up every night with another new name for one of the characters. In the meantime only a few less important characters didn’t have a new name.

This morning I decided to do it. I started to replace all the names in my book. I am curious if I know by myself now who is who. Maybe is even the story now new for me.

I am now looking forward to next Tuesday. The first day I have time to read my book. Before I start I have to rewrite a few things first. There are still some improvements in my mind.

I hope that Thursday the book is finally ready to read by others. Probably I can start next Monday with the non-fiction book. That one will not be a Yara March.

This morning, while everybody here is drinking coffee together, I sit here looking over to them having a lot of fun. Just as I have. This morning I couldn’t wait longer writing at my book.

I am surprised myself. Am I go and sit with them, or will I stay for a little while Yara?

N. B.

 M. you don’t have the name of my main character any more. But when you ever read the book, know that before Marc did have your name. I hope I can still remember your name.