I currently manage conservation and education programs for Lindblad, and had the amazing good fortune to travel to the Galápagos Islands in 2016—an experience that touched me deeply. So I was delighted when Lindblad invited me to put on my author hat and share some of the incredible places that inspired the writing of Shipped (and served as the backdrop for Henley and Graeme’s romantic adventure)! Snorkeling and beach hikes and tortoise-spotting, oh my!

Click below to check it out…

Which location(s) in the Galápagos would you most like to see for yourself? Or if you’ve traveled to the Galápagos before, what was your favorite experience or place you visited? Share in the comments!

***

Lindblad Expeditions is an expedition travel company that works in partnership with National Geographic on its ship-based voyages to inspire people to explore and care about the planet. The organizations work in tandem to produce innovative marine expedition programs and to promote conservation and sustainable tourism around the world. The partnership’s educationally oriented voyages allow guests to interact with and learn from leading scientists, naturalists and researchers while discovering stunning natural environments, above and below the sea, through state-of-the-art exploration tools. As pioneers of global exploration, their collaboration in research, technology and conservation provides extraordinary travel experiences and disseminates geographic knowledge globally. For more information visit www.expeditions.com or find Lindblad Expeditions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

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Check out the G-L-O-W-I-N-G review below (bolding mine). You can also read the review from Publishers Weekly on their website here.

“A healthy dose of competition powers Hockman’s laugh-out-loud debut about love on the high seas. Twenty-eight-year-old Seattleite Henley Evans’s life is consumed by her job as marketing manager for an adventure cruise line, with a little time set aside for helping out her hot-mess sister, Walsh, and hating on her Michigan-based coworker, Graeme Crawford-Collins, whom she’s disliked ever since he took credit for one of her ideas. Now Henley and the irritating, attractive Graeme are up for the same promotion and their boss sends them on the company’s cruise to the Galápagos islands; whoever comes back with the best marketing proposal based on their experience will win the job. On board, they contend with watchful crew, overly amorous suitors, and familial drama while engaging in the timeless enemies-to-lovers dance of misunderstandings, false conclusions, and flirtatious verbal sparring. Meanwhile, Henley’s marketing brainstorming efforts lead her and the novel alike to a powerful environmentalist message. With flawed but lovable characters and exotic locales, this quirky, thoughtful love story will whisk readers away.

—Publishers Weekly

What do you say, are you ready to be swept away to an exotic locale this January? Do yourself a favor, and give future you a gift by pre-ordering Shipped today! Available in e-book, trade paperback, and audiobook format from the following retailers:

And don’t forget to add Shipped to your Goodreads to-be-read shelf and follow me for automatic updates

Happy reading, all!

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via GIPHY

Well, did you know you can explore the Galápagos virtually, right now, from your very own home?

via GIPHY

To scratch that travel itch and dive deeper into the magical backdrop of Shipped, I’ve created a list of my favorite resources to help you virtually explore the Galápagos Islands. So put on your explorer’s cap (or your comfiest pair of pajamas) and let’s go!

1) Dive into Galápagos with a Documentary

Why not start by kicking back with a bowl of popcorn and indulging in a documentary about the Galápagos? There are several excellent choices. Below are three I recommend—two I’ve seen, and one that looks promising—so take your pick!

Galápagos (2006)

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video (available for purchase)

Why I love it: narrated by Tilda Swinton (enough said, right?), this three-part miniseries is the documentary I recommend for an engaging, thorough introduction to the Galápagos. If you don’t want to spend $7.99 on the full miniseries, consider at least watching episode 2, Islands That Changed the World (individual episodes are available from $2.99 on Prime Video).

Watch the trailer here.

Galapagos: IMAX (1999)

Where to watch: Hulu (free with subscription)

Why I love it: At a brisk 40 minutes, this documentary is an accessible, enjoyable journey through the Galápagos with Smithsonian marine biologist Dr. Carole Baldwin. It was originally released in IMAX theaters, so the visuals are stunning.

Watch the trailer here.

Wild Galapagos (2019)

Where to watch: CuriosityStream (currently available to watch with a free 7-day trial, but $2.99/month after so don’t forget to cancel if you don’t want the subscription)

Why I’m intrigued: This is the most recently filmed documentary on Galápagos I could find, and I like that it’s a 2-part series, giving ample time to explore the wonders of Galápagos. I haven’t watched it myself yet, so if you do tune in, be sure to drop me a line and let me know what you think!

Watch the trailer here.

2) Experience a Virtual Expedition to the Galápagos with Lindblad Expeditions

In case you’ve never heard of Lindblad Expeditions, this small ship adventure cruise line has a partnership with National Geographic, and with 50+ years experience bringing travelers to the Galápagos, they lead the way in responsible travel, sustainability, and harnessing the power of travel for good (plus, they’re my personal favorite cruise company and the inspiration for Shipped‘s fictional Seaquest Adventures).

While the pandemic has temporarily halted travel, Lindblad Expeditions has put out some wonderful virtual resources to connect folks with wild places like the Galápagos Islands. Watch the video below for an awe-inspiring highlight reel of the famed wildlife of Galápagos (many of which make an appearance in Shipped!)

If you found yourself gasping while watching that video (because wow the wildlife is incredible!), check out some of my other favorite virtual expeditions from Lindblad below:

• Wildlife of Gardner Bay (where Henley & Graeme snorkel!)
• Ahhhh Moment: Galapagos Giant Tortoises
• Visiting Puerto Ayora, Galapagos

Bonus! For any parents out there feeling YIKES about potentially homeschooling in the fall, Lindblad Expeditions also has some fun, educational resources for kids on their website such as Virtual Expedition Kids’ Corner: Galapa-guess, How to Make Paper Beads (like artisans in the Galápagos), and more.

3) Discover Darwin’s Living Laboratory with Google Maps

If you want an on-the-ground exploration experience with 360 degree imagery, maps, and resources galore, Google Maps has you covered. Check out their Galápagos Islands Google Earth page for a fabulous place to start.

Some of my favorite Google Earth treks in Galápagos include:

• Post Office Bay (featured in Shipped!)
• Tortoises in the Morning
• Tortoises at Night
• Champion Island East Snorkeling
• Marine Iguanas

4) Immerse Yourself in the Beauty & History of Galápagos with a Book

Want a book that will look spectacular on your coffee table while also introducing you to the Galápagos Islands through beautiful photography and informative text? Look no further than…

Galapagos: Islands Born of Fire

Tui De Roy

A renowned photographer who grew up in the Galápagos, De Roy captures breathtaking scenes and her book is one of my favorites about the Islands. I recommend this updated 10th anniversary edition.

More book picks…because you can’t have too many books!

Some other fabulous books about the Galápagos I love are:

Galápagos: Life in Motion

Walter Perez and Michael Weisburg

Another eye-catching photography book that any Galápagos aficionado would love to have on their shelf.

Galapagos: A Natural History, Revised and Expanded

Michael H. Jackson

For anyone looking for a thoughtful, complete, academically-oriented natural history guide to the Galápagos, this one’s the tops.

Island: A Story of the Galápagos

Jason Chin

A gorgeously illustrated journey through the geological and biological history of the Galápagos, perfect to share with young readers.

5) Explore the Charles Darwin Foundation’s Research Collections Online

If you want to venture down the rabbit hole of scientific research in the Galápagos from species names and IUCN status to climatology to maps, check out the Charles Darwin Foundation’s (CDF) dataZone. This collection of online databases is the product of 60 years of research in the Galápagos.

The mission of the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station is to provide knowledge and assistance through scientific research and complementary action to ensure the conservation of the environment and biodiversity in the Galápagos Archipelago.

Charles Darwin Foundation, About Us

What do you think? Are you ready to explore the Galápagos? Let me know which of my suggested resources was your favorite by commenting below!

*Pssst* And if you haven’t yet, be sure to pre-order Shipped! The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game in this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy set on a Galapagos cruise. Coming from Gallery/Simon & Schuster (US) and Headline Eternal/Hachette (UK) on January 19, 2021.

The post Explore the Galápagos Islands—from Home! appeared first on Angie Hockman.

When I first started writing THE HUSTLER around Christmas of 2015, I never could have fathomed that my story about a tech-savvy private investigator falling in love with the subject of her investigation—a dashing con artist with a heart of gold—would win such accolades. Thank you, Romance Writers of America, for this tremendous honor.

To watch the Awards ceremony, click play below. My speech starts at 44:30, if you want to take a gander!

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What will be different this year? This year, I’m a Golden Heart® Award Finalist for my romantic suspense, THE HUSTLER. *Cue internal screaming* For those who aren’t familiar with the Golden Heart, they are the romance industry’s top awards for unpublished writers. The counterpart award for published authors, the RITAs, are essentially like the romance-version of the Oscars. Which means dresses. Or, if you’re me, a sleek jumpsuit and sparkle shoes.

In an effort to squash my procrastinator tendencies when it comes to packing, I’ve made a list. Here it is:

• Business cards
• Laptop (for word sprints and/or brainstorming)
• Phone charger & external battery
• Melatonin
• Headphones
• Notepad
• Extra pens
• Printed blurbs and pitches for each book (to reference while pitching)
• A packed duffle bag to take back All of the Books
• Gum
• Toiletries & personal effects
• 4 business casual outfits
• 2 dresses
• 1 fancy jumpsuit
• Shoes galore

Am I missing anything? What else should I bring? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. You can watch the Golden Heart Awards—live!

If you’d like to watch the Golden Heart Awards live and cheer me on from afar, mark your calendars! On July 25 at 12:15–2:00pm go to www.rwa.org and click on the link to the livestream that will be posted on the homepage shortly before the event. Wish me luck!

The post Sparkle Shoes & Jumpsuits: My RWA Packing List appeared first on Angie Hockman.

And mine is up TODAY!

To say this is an honor and a dream come true is an understatement. I’ve been reading the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood blog for years, and I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to chat about the journey with my Golden Heart® finaling romantic suspense, THE HUSTLER, and share some of my favorite, not-at-all corny motivational quotes (spoiler alert: they might be corny). Plus there are cats.

Swing by and check it out at the link below! And don’t forget to leave a comment on the blog sharing your favorite inspirational quote—I’ll be on my virtual couch checking in throughout the day and responding.

https://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/2019-golden-heart-finalist-angie-hockman-on-motivation/

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Finaling in the Golden Heart has always been a pie-in-the-sky writing dream of mine, and I still can’t believe I got the call. I wish I could say I was oh-so-chill about it, but…no. Much blubbering ensued. There were tears.

This was the third year I entered THE HUSTLER, and I couldn’t be more pleased and honored to be a finalist. The past three years have been a rollercoaster with this novel, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times I was tempted to quit. But I decided to pull out this manuscript, dust it off, and give it one final round of edits before entering it into the Golden Heart for the very last time, and I’m so glad I did.

Moral of the story: don’t give up on your dreams! You never know when the sun is about ready to peek out from behind the clouds.

Huge congrats to all the other Golden Heart finalists! I’m looking forward to celebrating with everyone at RWA Nationals on July 24–27th in New York City.

The post THE HUSTLER is a Golden Heart Finalist! appeared first on Angie Hockman.

Whether it’s traveling to a new place, trying my hand at a new hobby, or hopping in the car and seeing where the road takes me, I figure life’s too short to stay in your comfort zone. So earlier this year, when my agent suggested I try making the switch from writing romantic suspense to women’s fiction, I thought…eh, why not? I like a challenge. Then reality set in, along with the usual writerly nerves.

What if I can’t do it? What if I’m wasting my time? What if I suuuuuck? 

To combat my inner critic, I decided to draw inspiration from my experience working in the cruise industry. What’s more comforting than setting your story in an industry you’re familiar with and the places you’ve traveled?

Thus, The Un-Cruise was born. And man, has it been fun bringing this brain baby into the world. Not only because I love my characters (a workaholic marketing manager, a smokin’ hot nemesis, and a wild sister with a secret), but because I get to write about one of my favorite places on earth: the Galápagos Islands.

As a happy bonus, the The Un-Cruise has been selected as a finalist in four RWA chapter contests so far in 2018: Georgia Romance Writers’ Maggie Awards, NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest, Rose City Romance Writers’ Golden Rose Contest, and Tampa Area Romance Writers’ TARA Contest. Cue the confetti…take that, inner critic!

Thanks to the positive feedback I’ve received from early readers, I’m looking forward more than ever to ultimately sharing The Un-Cruise with the world.

Here’s to new adventures!

*****

Want to learn when you can read The Un-Cruise? Sign up for Angie’s newsletter to be the first to receive an update!

The post New Year, New Outlook, New Genre (…plus contest finals, huzzah!) appeared first on Angie Hockman.

I wasn’t always a punctuation nerd. My eighth grade English teacher nearly murdered any love I had for reading or language or writing with the absolutely dreaded, still-to-this-day confounding—wait for it—sentence diagram.

Who else suffered through endless hours of drawing out those m-f’ers?

For all my teacher’s focus on sentence structure, I didn’t learn proper em-dash use in eighth grade. Or high school. Or college. Or law school.

How did I finally find my way around an em-dash? By reading. And not dusty legal journals, but fiction. Even then, I’ve found that many authors don’t use this little gem as much as they could.

Em-dashes are a widely ignored and largely underused piece of punctuation, and it’s a darn shame. Because no other punctuation is so versatile.

It can take the place of a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. It can add a dash of dramatic flair or set important information apart. It can interrupt dialogue.

“I love y—” She started before vomit erupted from her mouth.

The em-dash is to writing what guacamole is to a potluck; it’s the delicious little side that says hey, ya’ll, this is a party.

Now don’t mistake the em-dash (—) for its shorter cousin, the en-dash (–), or the even shorter hyphen (-). If you’re like wtf is up with all these dashes, dude, I can never keep them straight, try thinking of them like Goldilocks and the three bears. Except most of the time, the middle bear’s stuff isn’t “just right.” Bigger is better (no matter what you told your ex-boyfriend). Or in this case, grammatically correct.

Not that en-dashes and hyphens don’t have their place. En-dashes link items connected by time or distance. For example: I just read the May–December issue of 1,001 Useless Things. And hyphens link words that function as a single concept. May-December romances are rare—unless you’re rich.

See what I did at the end there with that em-dash?

Just like eating too much guac gives you a stomach ache, too many em-dashes can bloat your writing. Because too much of a good thing is just…too much.

But sprinkled in judiciously and impactfully? Em-dashes could be just the seasoning your writing needs to give it that spicy, special something. Why don’t you give it a whirl?

What do you think: em-dashes, yay or nay? Share your thoughts in the comments.

The post Loving the Elusive Em-Dash appeared first on Angie Hockman.

When I first came across the phrase, I took it to mean “cut your words.” Pshaw, I do that all the time, I thought. Heck, I just edited a paragraph down from five sentences to three. I even rewrote those two chapters before my novel’s climax.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

It took two massive 100+ page overhauls of my first completed novel to realize the truth: killing your darlings doesn’t mean cutting a few words here and there or tweaking a couple of chapters. It’s cutting the passages—perhaps even multiple chapters or entire characters—that you love, but that detract from your story.

It’s having the courage to put storytelling ahead of your personal feelings as a wordsmith, and the confidence that you can—and will!—write something as beautiful and moving and kickass as the passages you scrap.

How can you make it easier to kill your darlings? Try these five tips.

1) Don’t hit delete.

Cut and paste the passages you remove into a separate document and give yourself permission to poach phrases/sentences/paragraphs in the future. Maybe that gorgeous description fits better somewhere else in your story. Or perhaps a snatch of punchy dialogue belongs to a character in a completely different novel. As Rocky from Paw Patrol says, “don’t lose it, reuse it!” (Yes, I have a toddler at home…)

Even if you never open your “cut file” again, it’ll still be easier chopping those darlings from your story knowing they’re alive somewhere else and you can visit them whenever you want.

2) Tune in to that little voice inside your head. 

You know what I’m talking about. You’ve finished your first—or fifth—draft. You sit down to reread the story…and there’s that passage. The one you absolutely loved writing. The one where the words flowed like silk. When you finished, you fist pumped and scared the cat. But rereading the scene now, there’s a twinge in the pit of your stomach. “Something’s not right,” says that little voice in the back of your head.

Listen. To. That. Voice. It’s always right. Always. Trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to act on them. If your gut is telling you that an aspect of your story needs work, it does. Murder that darling.

3) Practice visualization.

Still clinging to those passages that need chopped? Picture your mind as a waterfall, and writing as a snapshot of that waterfall. The water is always flowing; your mind is a constantly regenerating repository of brilliant ideas that are forever swirling, breaking apart, and coming together. When you write, you’re taking a photograph of that waterfall—capturing an impression of your thoughts at that moment in time. If you rip up the photograph of the waterfall? No problem. The waterfall is still there. Just take another picture.

4) Savor the adventure.

In my latest round of novel revisions, I finally took the plunge and substantially rewrote an important secondary character. I loved this character. She was my favorite to write. The problem was, she didn’t quite fit with the story I’m trying to tell. So I hacked her to pieces and rebuilt her from the ground up. And I discovered something thrilling: I’d only scratched the surface of this character in previous drafts. Revising this character meant delving deeper into her inner-workings and backstory, and you know what? I learned new, exciting things about her.

Killing your darlings can birth new ones. Savor the adventure that is storytelling and let yourself enjoy diving into characters or scenes that require major revisions. What you find might surprise you. And there’s a good chance it will make your story even better.

5) Write, cut, rewrite, repeat. The more you write, cut, and rewrite, the easier it becomes to trust your instincts, put your story first, and kill those darlings. Chop, chop!

How did you get comfortable killing your darlings? Share your own tips in the comments below!

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