Summer Lovin' HAR Blog Contest

Dear Readers

June is finally here and that means Summer Lovin' hits the shelves this month! To celebrate our anthology, Laura Marie Altom, Ann Roth and myself, Marin Thomas have decided to run a month-long contest on the Harlequin American Romance blog. We hope the contest will encourage readers to stop by and participate in the daily blogs.

Here's how the contest will work: Visit the HAR blog--we hope daily--and comment on the post of the day. We'll keep track of the names of those who have something to say. Each time you comment (one entry per blog per day will be eligible) we'll add your name to the list of participants. At the end of the month, the names will be tossed into a hat and three winners will be chosen. The more blogs you comment on the better your chances of winning! I'll announce the winners on the HAR blog July 2nd, then Laura Marie, Ann and myself will each take a winner and send them a prize.

Here are the Prizes:

Marin Thomas will be giving away her McKade Brothers series, Aaron Under Construction, Nelson in Command and Ryan's Renovation.

Laura Marie Altom will be giving away her US Marshals series, Saving Joe, Marrying the Marshal, His Baby Bonus and To Catch a Husband.

Ann Roth will be giving away the first and second books in her To Wed…Or Not to Wed minisieries, The Man She'll Marry and It Happened One Wedding.

To start our first discussion….Summer Lovin' takes place in Silver Cliff, a small town in the Colorado Rockies. Tell us…what do you like most about small-town settings?

Happy Reading and we hope you have fun with this contest!
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Ryan's Renovation *McKade Brothers* Aug 07
For The Children *Heart of Appalachia* Oct 07

On little cat feet

Cats are sneaky. Wait! I’m not a cat-basher. Anyone who’s read my books has come across characters who own cats. Some of them also rescue strays.

I never expected to own a cat and certainly not to find myself dosing one with medicine twice a day. This involves sticking my fingers in his mouth to pry his jaws open.

How did this happen? He sneaked up on me.

At various times before I got married, I owned small, portable animals. Hamsters. A couple of chinchillas. These having all expired, my husband requested a No Pets policy. In return, he agreed we could have kids. (He was joking. I think.)

Many years later, a cat showed up in our yard. Sweet, shy and – I thought – pregnant. Turned out she was faking it, but by then we’d adopted her. Actually, she’d already been spayed. A few years later, along came Cat No. 2, an obviously non-neutered male.

Our children adored them, so my husband tolerated the creatures. Cat No. 2 got neutered, while, in the course of time, Cat No. 1 grew old and died. Who helped me tend her during her final days? My formerly reluctant hubby, now a convert to cat fandom.

When Cat No. 2 first arrived, he seemed like an overgrown kitte, and seven years later, we still think of him as a youngster. So it came as a surprise when what we believed was an injured nose turned out to be cancer.

Currently, our freedom-loving but doting cat resides in our downstairs bathroom, wearing a flexible cone to protect his face and receiving medicine twice a day. His odds aren’t good, but we’re giving him every reasonable chance.

The problem is that we love him. Cats are like that. They sneak up on you.

School's Out for Summer

As I write this, my classroom is quiet except for a bit of music playing over the smartboard speakers. The desks are empty. Out the window, a group of custodians is cleaning up the toilet paper decorating the courtyard trees. School let out today at 11:25, and by 11:25 tomorrow school will be officially over for the 2006-2007 school year.

Over the summer my room will be cleaned. The desks will be removed to be replaced with tables. I'm teaching all journalism courses next year and am thrilled with the change. I'll also sponsor the school yearbook and the school newspaper.

Summer is the time when I make my goals. I'm not really a "New Year" type of person. My new year begins in June, when I finish up, say goodbye to seniors I'll miss dearly, and turn my attention to renewing myself and recharging my batteries. My personal goals that I've set for myself include working my way up to running 3 miles and biking at least 40. Okay, 20. That's a good number. I live by the Katy Trail, a rail-to-trail, so I'll ride that a lot. My daughters and I all have bikes to ride.

I'm also attending a journalism advisers' workshop in Manhattan, KS. I'll be at RWA. I'll be writing at least 2 books by August, and the first three chapters of another. The summer calendar is mostly blank, but it's going to be very busy.

I'll try to do some gardening, will live quite a lot at Six Flags, and will see the Police and Goo Goo Dolls two days apart when they come to St. Louis for their respective concerts. I'll also simply sit around and relax. Hopefully I'll read a lot of great books. That's the plan, anyway.

As May ends and we move into June, as the AC goes into high gear, as spring slides into summer, be sure to enjoy every minute.

Michele

Heroes and Heroines in Uniform

Did you have a nice Memorial Day?

In honor of our men and women in uniform, I rifled through my keeper shelf and revisited some of my favorite authors who write military heroes and heroines. I love soldiers and pilots and special forces guys, probably because these types of characters are so far removed from my own experiences. I've never even tried to write a military romance because I know nothing about the military.

Probably at the top of my list would be Merline Lovelace. Love her books, love her characters, and this retired Air Force colonel knows her stuff! Then there's the inimitable Suzanne Brockmann and her yummy Navy Seals. Of course this list wouldn't be complete without Catherine Mann. I read WEDDING AT WHITE SANDS as a contest entry, before Catherine had sold her first book, and I remember thinking Oh, my gosh, this woman is good! Then there's Cindy Dees, who writes with such depth and realism because she's been there! She was a U.S. Air Force pilot and actually flew in the Gulf War (the first one). Debbie Macomber has done some wonderful military-themed books, especially early in her career.

Of course I can't forget our own Laura Marie Altom. HER MILITARY MAN (January 2007) was wonderfully quirky. Another Harlequin American author, Bonnie Gardner, wrote one of the Millionaire, Montana books in which the hero, Sam, is a retired Navy Seal. That one made me cry!

Now those are just a smattering from my own shelves, and certainly not an all-inclusive list. Do you love heroes (and heroines) in uniform? Any must-reads you'd like to mention?

Hope your holiday was fun! (Mine was rainy.)

Kara

Memorial Day weekend

Hi guys,
Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays. I know - that's kind of weird considering it's such a solemn occasion. But I have an excuse. It's my birthday! Plus, it heralds the beginning of summer. When I was growing up in south Texas that was a big deal. It meant school was out, and we could swim all day long - in the river, the lake, the ocean, anything that had a puddle of water. Now I live in the Pacific Northwest and swimming is dicey, at best. In fact - now don't laugh at this, especially if you're living where the summers average 95 degrees and 65% humidity - we frequently have to wear those cute little summer sweaters. I still think that's amazing!

So check out my September Everlasting Love book, Summer After Summer that - as you can probably guess - is a celebration of summer in the south.

Have a wonderful weekend and a great summer. Ann

Memorial Day

Those who know me or who have read my books know that I like irreverent one-liners, quirky characters and don't take myself too seriously. However, if you'll permit me just this once, I'm gonna get serious on you. It's Memorial Day and as an Army brat who is also the niece of a Veteran, that means a lot to me. Our country may not be perfect, but I believe that it's special and unique and I love America. I'm so grateful to those who've sacrificed to make the country what it is and to protect our ideology--the men and women in our military services, of course, but also those of us who worry about them when they're gone and try to send good thoughts, care packages and anything else we can think of to give them a little piece of home. My prayers are with all of you.

So, happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone and I promise, next time I blog, I'll bring the funny :-)

Unhappy Endings

Anyone out there a Grey’s Anatomy fan? I am… or was. That last episode, the season finale, really bummed me out. Not one upbeat moment in the entire 75-minutes! And the behavior of some of the characters was totally uncharacteristic. Contrived, even. McDreamy turning down the offer of Chief of the hospital? Smart George, flunking his exam? Callie, named chief resident? Grey and McDreamy breaking up? Burke, canceling the wedding only seconds before the ceremony? Don’t even get me started on the Chief’s wife being pregnant with his baby when they’ve been separated all season!

Give me a break! I haven’t decided whether to tune in next season or not. And this is (was) my favorite show! (Notice all the exclamation points?! That means I’m rather... peeved about all this.)

The thing is, the writer(s) broke some cardinal rules. One is that viewers don’t like contrived situations, written in simply to add conflict. We feel cheated, and wonder just how dumb do the writers and producers think we are. The second is, we need at least something to hope for. Hopelessness does not sell, people!

The Grey’s Anatomy writers could learn a thing or three from romance novels and authors. Our genre guarantees an upbeat, or at least optimistic, ending. The stories grow out of the characters’ behaviors, not some forced plot contrivance that adds phony conflict.

Next year, when Grey’s Anatomy starts a new season, I just might pick up a romance novel instead.


Ann Roth
Summer Lovin’ Anthology: A Reunion Story, June 2007
Mitch Takes A Wife, August, 2007
www.annroth.net

An Introduction

This is my first blog as a Harlequin American Romance author. I am so excited to be here, and to be one of this year’s debut authors. In a few weeks I’ll be shamelessly trolling the book stores, looking for sightings of The Man for Maggie. It’s a June release and yes, I’m counting the days!

A little about me. I’m not sure, but I might be the only Canadian American author. I am the product of a Canadian mother and an American father, with a huge network of aunts, uncles, and cousins that spans the border and both countries, coast to coast. No matter where I go, it always feels like home.

I live on Canada’s west coast, in a city with miles and miles of coastline, gorgeous beaches, beautiful gardens, and virtually snow-free winters. Really, it’s paradise, and I am so fortunate to be where I am.

I’ve read romance and dreamed about being a Harlequin author for what seems like forever. Finally started writing about eight years ago, and after six full-length manuscripts and four Golden Heart finals, here I am.
The Man for Maggie is a story about two very different characters, one who leaps without looking and another who has both feet firmly planted on the ground. Writing this book was a lot of fun, although not without its own ups and downs. It started as a short contemporary, was lengthened for American Romance, and then needed to be shortened again. Math was never my best subject but after all that adding and subtracting, I finally came up with the right answer! Two secondary characters from this book have a story of their own. With This Ring will be out in December.

Huge thanks to everyone at Harlequin American Romance for the warm welcome I’ve received. Can’t wait to meet all of you in Dallas!

Lee McKenzie
www.leemckenzie.com
www.WetNoodlePosse.com

The Best Kind of Review

Well, it's almost here. The release of His Only Wife, my first Harlequin American book. In — oh, my gosh — about two weeks. This is a pretty exciting and scary time for me. On the one hand, I can't wait to walk into stores and see my book (I'm hoping even grocery stores). On the other hand, I'm on pins and needles as the reviews start to come in.

So far, so good. I hope no one minds if I share a couple of snippets here:

"A sweet second chance at love story. Gage and Aubrey have a great deal of baggage that they must dig through in order to find that happy ending, and this story is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon."
Romantic Times

"This entertaining second chance at love is a fine contemporary tale starring two likable protagonists. Each of the lead pair carries plenty of emotional baggage making a permanent adult relationship seem unattainable. HIS ONLY WIFE is an pleasurable read."
The Best Reviews

Hmm, anyone besides me notice a similarity in the two reviews? Here's the review that means the most to me:

"It was the best Harlequin book I ever read!"
Cathy's Mom

Yes, my mom. Okay, I know, she's supposed to love my books. It goes with the territory of being a mom - unconditional support of your children. But she meant what she said. I could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes. And I can't tell you how great that made me feel. I might be all grown up. My kids might be almost grown up and be having kids of their own in a few years. No matter how old I get, having my mother be proud of me is still really important and probably always will be.

Sappy, I know. I don't care. Hey, this is Harlequin American. We're allowed to be sappy. Maybe even encouraged!

Cathy McDavid

FAMILY DAY AT THE GALLOWAY HOUSE

Back when my kids were small, people used to tell me to enjoy those days because the teenage years would be twice as hectic. I’m afraid I didn’t believe them. With two children born eighteen months apart, I’m afraid I spent a lot of their toddler years wishing for five minutes of peace and quiet.
Now I know what they meant. Life with two teenagers is hectic, to say the least. They’re busy and far more interested in cell phones and their friends than spending quality time with my husband and me. But every so often, everything aligns, we get a break in between work, sports, and traveling schedules—and we plan a ‘family day’.
My daughter gave these infrequent times the official name, and I have to say naming these days worked. Our scheduled family days are pretty sacred—all four of us look forward to them and have never yet tried to reschedule. This past Sunday was our most recent.
We decided to go downtown to Joe’s Crab Shack. It’s a chain restaurant with a good atmosphere. The one near us is on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. We sat outside, watched barges go by and teased our son about his current ‘it’s not serious’ girlfriend. Everyone also ate a bunch of crab. Next we shopped a little, then came home and sat outside in the backyard. My husband puts up a badminton net every spring, so he and the kids played round after round while I did my usual Sunday afternoon activity…read and nap.
So far, so good. Another successful Family Day. No arguments, no homework assignments suddenly remembered. Everyone was happy .
Until a robin decided to fly under the net. Phoebe the beagle (who previously only moved fast for ham and pizza) jumped up and caught the poor thing. The bird squawked.
Well, you can imagine what happened next.
My husband Tom started yelling and my daughter shrieked. The bird flew out. It had almost scampered away when Suzy, our miniature dachshund, did a mad dash and caught it. In no time at all, all we could see of the robin was a wing sticking out of the weiner-dog’s mouth.
Now Tom had the awful task of getting one very proud, very small dog to drop the bird without touching either her or the bird. The beagle began howling.
My daughter’s screaming reached new decibels. The neighbors on either side wandered over to see what was going on. Out came my son, who-I’ll go ahead and say it-had snuck in the house to get a break from Family Day.
All that was left of the bird were the remains, and they weren’t pretty.
Our next fun family activity involved working together to bag the bird. My son and husband started arguing. The dogs circled, wanting praise for disposing of the intruder. Tired of the hysterics, I told my daughter to go settle down inside.
After all that--well, ‘Family Day’ was officially over. It hadn’t been perfect. Or pretty. But, well, we’d been together…and it was certainly memorable. That counts for something, right?
Anyone else have a ‘family day’ activity that didn’t turn out quite like you’d hoped?

Summer's Around the Corner

Summer's around the corner. I have exactly 10 teaching days left. My students are preparing for finals.

The Dunaway household is getting ready as well. This past weekend we purchased new bicycles so that we can ride on the Katy Trail. We live only 10 minutes away. The Katy is a rail-to-trail and it's great. For many parts we'll be riding along the Missouri River. We also visited Camp Cedarledge, a Girl Scout camp that my daughter will be attending for two weeks in July. It'll be her first time being away that long, and guess what, she gets to bring her new bike. We walked all over camp yesterday, and a bike will definitely help.

My oldest is going to a two-week drama day camp. As for me, I'll be attending RWA in Dallas and a 5 day workshop in Manhattan, KS.

So what is everyone else doing?

Michele

Frenzied in my chair

If you walked by my office and saw me sitting at the computer, I’d look busy, but calm. The truth is, I’m frenzied! Deadlines for a contracted book, a proposal for a new novel, plus a synopsis for another. I want to include the proposal and the synopsis with the contracted book. Then there’s an e-Harlequin promotion and the text for that, due soon. All these things are keeping me busy, busy, busy. Now don’t get me wrong. I like to be busy, setting goals and striving to meet them—that’s my preferred mode.

But sometimes all the work gets to be a bit much. You know the old adage, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl? Well, it’s an adage because it’s true. In light of that, I’m taking most of the weekend off to play. Seattle is hosting its third annual Cheese Festival this weekend and I’ll be there, wallowing in cheeses from all over the world. Hopefully when I come home I’ll be ready for a week of hard work.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable, stress-free weekend,
Ann

Ann Roth
Summer Lovin’ Anthology: A Reunion Story, June 2007
Mitch Takes A Wife, August, 2007
www.annroth.net

P. S. To date there is no word on the title of that book you helped me with. I hope to find out the title soon, though, and will keep you posted.

Better Late Than Never

That will be my epitaph, I'm sure. But what counts is that I am here and very excited about being a part of the Harlequin American family.

My first book for HAR, Family by Design, will be a January '08 release, so we have lots of time to get to know each other. Having written five books for Silhouette Romance, I'm especially happy to have found a new home where I can continue to write stories about families and communities.

I'm a Kansas girl, born and raised in the Sunflower State and have lived here all my life. From big city to small town to a rural farm, I've come full circle and am now back in the big city and loving it. The only thing I miss is the solitude of the "country", where I enjoyed walking up and down the road anytime I felt like it and never had to worry if the neighbors might see me in my pajamas--or worse. My four daughters moved to the city with me, and the two oldest have gifted me with three grandchildren. #4 will arrive this fall. We're very big on family and get together every Saturday night (all 11 of us, counting spouses and fiances!) to play board games or just enjoy talking and laughing together.

Besides writing, I also design websites and baby-sit the aforementioned grandkids. Life is full and wonderful! Well, except for the bottle of wood glue spilled on the carpet and the cell phone that was flushed....

Have a wonderful start to the summer!

Five days and counting...

I work as support staff for a school district. The year is drawing to a close, and all the students in my classes are getting antsy.

To tell the truth, so am I.

There are a million and one things I need to do in these next five days before school ends, and a gazillion things I have to do in the weeks after. And don't you just know those three long--and loooooong-awaited--months will fly by?

My summer days are made for catch-up, work and around-the-house chores, errands and appointments. In July, I'll be at the national conference of the Romance Writers of America, held this year in Dallas. My husband and I are still thinking about what trip we'll take together. Planning it is always half the fun. And my number-one priority this summer--already highlighted all through my calendar--is to write, Write, WRITE!

How about you? Have any plans? Going somewhere special--to a well-loved spot you visit year after year or to a location that's new and different?

Vacation time will be here before you know it!


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Sigh-Worthy Heroes

What makes a hero sigh-worthy?

Is your favorite sigh-worthy hero a cowboy? Lawyer? Doctor? Bad Boy? Pirate? DEA Agent? Soldier? High-powered businessman?

What about tax accountants, pharmacists, computer programmers, realtors and managers of department stores? Granted, there's a certain image associated with a cowboy that makes it difficult for a department-store manager to compete with…tight jeans, boots, cowboy hat and swagger.

What's missing in an "Average Joe" that they rarely make an appearance in romance novels? Is it because many of us women are married to one of these guys? Or is it because it isn't as easy for authors to make Average Joe jump off the pages and into the hearts of readers?

What traits or characteristics--besides a HOT body--do you believe Average Joe, who drives a Saturn, needs to possess to become sigh-worthy?

Happy Reading,
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
The Preacher's Daughter/Summer Lovin' Anthology June 07

Love and the small screen

It’s mid-May, the time for endings, and, by the same token, for beginnings. My older son just arrived home from his junior year in college and my younger son is preparing for high school graduation. So it's the start of a summer full of family get-togethers -- and preparation for fall enrollment!

Meanwhile, the spring planting season is winding up here in Southern California, and the summer vegetables are beginning to poke into view. This year, I’m growing tomatoes, along with zucchini, lettuce (if the snails don’t eat it all!), green beans, basil, parsley, cucumbers and eggplant.

May also marks the end of the TV season. Goodbye to old favorites, although many will return. Hello to summer replacements.

Re the old season: Those of who love romance appreciate how the writers on Smallville have managed to keep the sparks alive between Clark and Lana, even after her marriage to Lex. Other favorites: the shenanigans on Desperate Housewives, which I just discovered this year and am frantically catching up on, and the stylish and touching turns on Grey’s Anatomy.

I’ll also miss Jericho, which somehow manages a touch of romance amid the carnage, and 24, where poor Jack Bauer just can’t seem to get his hands on Audrey. Plus, I really enjoy the husband-wife relationships on The Unit.

While I’ll miss them this summer, this means the start of more time to catch up on my reading. I’ll see you at the bookstore!

Mother's Day Hangover!!!

Is it possible to have too much fun on Mother's Day? I'm exhausted!! LOL!! For starters, all three of my sweeties made cards with actual handwritten notes inside!! You may laugh, but getting teens to write from the heart when they're not being given extra credit isn't easy!!

We then headed off to the Muskogee Renaissance Faire. Son #1 took his girlfriend, so they promptly ditched us, but Daughter and Son #2 were smart and stayed with the money!! (The only time we saw Son #1 all day was when he ran low on cash!! )

The pic is from left to right, Son #2, Daughter, Son #1's girlfriend, Son #1. We happened upon the happy couple practicing archery, and needing cash for ice cream!!


After weeks of rain, the day was gorgeous and sunny--just right for munching on all of the yummy food!! The hands-down family fave was chizlicks (I know I'm spelling this wrong), which is elk steak. AMAZINGLY tasty!! We were at the grocery store last night, and Daughter asked the butcher if they're able to get elk. He'd never heard of an elk!!! We found this funny, but then seeing how we had the giggles from too much sun and sweets, pretty much anything would've made us laugh!!

I made pasta salad for dinner, then we all sat down for a movie. Turistas convinced me to never EVER again leave the country!! Wow, was it scary!!!

I was sad that I didn't get to see my mom on Mother's Day, but she and Dad were planting trees to replace the ones our late ice storm killed.

Anyway, I hope all of you other mothers out there are feeling as hungover on happiness as I am!! Now, it's back to reality. I'm working on a fun new writing project, but I'm thinking it may have to wait until after I take a nap!!

Anyone else have any Mother's Day fun to share??

Book signings

From left to right, Connie Brockway, Michele Dunaway, Alexa Hunt (aka Shirl Henke) at MORWA's after-the-meeting book signing.

I don't do many book signings anymore. I don't play much golf either. I consider the reasons for both about the same.

First, let me say I love both golf and book signings. I see the chance to sell even one book to a new reader as a thrilling experience. The trouble is the time factor. Book stores expect you to sell mega books in two hours, not just five to ten. Since I'm not Nora or John Grisham, that's probably not going to happen. After my first signings, I noticed my numbers sold at signings went down. My family and friends came to my first signings, but now they don't stop or blink an eye. My being published is "old hat," just like them being journalists, or teachers or something. Just another day at the office.

Golf is about the same way. I discovered that my second time playing, I birdied on the second hole. I've never done as well since. For me, the ideal golf date is tooling around, tearing across the course in the golf cart trying to see who can be the first one to the next green. Since you're not supposed to do that, well...you get the idea.

Book signings can be the same way. The first ones are fun and exciting. Doing one for every book can get old quickly, and if you aren't Nora or someone "really" famous, you'll sit there and smile a lot. The only people who talk to you want directions to the bathrooms. There are others who hover at the end of the aisle and whisper about you. You keep smiling anyway.

Don't get me wrong. Both book signings and golf can be a lot of fun when done properly. With signings, you have to be willing to get out from behind the table and pimp yourself. Yep, that' s the only word for it. You have to be willing to talk to everyone who glances at you. Think of walking through all the sales booths in the middle of the mall. That person who jumps out and offers you hand cream--that has to be you with your book.

Just as golf is more fun to play with someone, so are book signings. Having someone there to chat with while people are chatting about you makes you feel a bit less conspicuous. It also makes the time fly, and if you tag-team the reader who stops for one author, you can often get them to buy both books. You're also guaranteed at least one sale--the other author at the table.

Now I've been a little tongue in cheek here, but all of the above is true. If the other authors are willing to share some of their funny signing experiences.....

And, if you are at RWA this summer, come see me and chat. If nothing else, I promise to know where the bathroom is.

Michele

A hundred lives to lead

Anyone who reads my personal blog (http://karalennox.blogspot.com) knows I'm into bird-watching these days. In fact, I've already included something about bird-watching in two of my books. In A SECOND CHANCE (April 2007, Hotel Marchand series) I had a couple of characters who were staying at the hero's B&B in Louisiana, intent on looking for the rare (and probably extinct) ivory-billed woodpecker. And in an upcoming Harlequin American (GOOD HUSBAND MATERIAL, Jan. 2008) my heroine has lots of birdfeeders and loves to sit and watch birds out her window.

But bird-watching is just one of a whole string of hobbies. The fact is, I am a serial hobbyist. I'll take up something for a year or two, tire of it (or discover I'm no good at it) and move on to something else. But though I never get really good at anything, the hobbies serve a useful purpose, aside from getting me out of the house: I include them in my books! To date, here are some of my hobbies that have made it into my books: scuba diving/snorkeling, cooking, archeology, growing roses, renovating old houses, astrology, storm chasing, oil painting, bicycling, jewelry making.

Some of the hobbies I only tried briefly. Storm chasing, for example, was too scary, too time consuming, and required expensive equipment. My roses all died. I was dreadful at oil painting, and I decided jewelry making wasn't all that much fun. Some hobbies became lifelong pursuits--bicycling and renovating old houses are two I've stuck with.

But, believe it or not, I still have a few hobbies I haven't yet used. I've never had a character who was an antiques dealer, for instance. Or a mosaic artist. Or a treasure hunter. Or a rock climber. I've shown dogs and dug for crystals. I was into stargazing for a while. Played the guitar, mandolin and electronic keyboard (none of them very well). I even (gasp!) used to hunt birds.

If only I had a hundred lives to lead, maybe I could get good at all of these activities. Unfortunately there's only me, and only twenty-four hours in a day, so usually I don't do more than skim the surface and move on. But by living vicariously through my characters, I can get a taste of what it would feel like to be a real archeologist. Or a chef. Or a ... I dunno. I could use a new hobby. Any suggestions?

COLORFUL CHARACTERS

COLORFUL CHARACTERS

Once A Cowboy came out in February and I received mail about the sexy cowboy on the cover. Yes, he was sexy! But I also received mail wanting to know if my grandmother was like Naddy in the book.

No, absolutely not. She was just the opposite. And since readers have asked, I’ll tell you about her. And if you have a colorful character in your life, please share. They make our life interesting and fun.

My grandmother, my mother’s mother, was a devout Polish Catholic and she lived with us. She prayed in Polish and as kids my brothers and I tried to be very good around her. We didn’t want her talking to God about us in a language we didn’t understand. Every Sunday at seven a.m. we were in church for mass. My grandmother had her special seat, on the end of the row and my brothers and I jockeyed not to sit by her. I somehow always got squeezed in by Grandma.

We loved our grandmother, but she was very strict about church. You had to stay awake. We played hard on Saturdays and getting up at 5:30 a.m. to go to church was difficult for little kids. Every time I would doze off my grandmother would pinch my cheek. Hard. My right cheek was numb most of my growing up years.

She passed away when I was seventeen-years-old and I can remember her funeral vividly. It was late October, cool and drizzling rain. I remember standing in the light rain and wishing she’d pinch my cheek one more time. It was the first time I became aware of death and it’s finality.

Wherever Grandma is she’s praying in Polish and probably shaking her head at my romance novels. I’m not sure what she would think of them. She’d probably pinch my cheek.

Linda Warren

I Need Help!

I am terrible thinking up titles for my books! My editor wants me to come up with something for the second novel set on the fictitious Halo Island, and I’m hoping you’ll help.

In a nutshell, here are the particulars:

The hero, D.J. Hatcher owns Island Air, a seaplane company that flies tourists from Seattle to Halo Island and back. The flight takes about one hour. (The company is modeled on a real-life seaplane company in Bothell, Washington, near where I live.) Island Air is suffering financial problems, and D.J. may be forced to sell—something he does not want to do.

The heroine, Liza Miller, teaches second grade, but not on the island. She grew up there, and has come back to help her grandmother move from her home of fifty-four years into an apartment in a retirement complex. The move is for the best—a smaller place with a dining room and medical care is just what her grandmother needs. But leaving one’s home is never easy. An added burden is that Liza has been let go and must find another teaching job.

Both D.J. and Liza have had painful pasts. Four years before the story opens, D.J.’s wife ran off with his business partner. The following year, Liza’s fiancée left her at the altar for one of the guests. Imagine!

I won’t go into the details (you can read the story when it comes out sometime in 2008), but as you might have guessed, Liza and D.J. fall in love.

My editor would love to use the word “pilot” in the title. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I’m counting on you, and will report back on my next blog date, May 19, with the title my editor chooses.

Ann Roth
Summer Lovin’ Anthology: A Reunion Story, June 2007
Mitch Takes A Wife, August, 2007
www.annroth.net

Spring Cleaning

I have three sets of visitors coming to stay for a few days this summer--end of May, *sometime* in June and the week of July 4th, which includes a big family reunion at my home. When do I do my spring cleaning and still have the house in good shape by July?

Spring cleaning in my house includes…cleaning the carpets (I have my own carpet machine and do the rugs in my house) cleaning the blinds (damp cloth and wipe every slat), washing windows, curtains, flipping bed mattresses, wiping baseboards, cleaning the bathroom vents and washing shower curtains, spraying dried flowers arrangements, dusting all those goofy roosters I collect, washing doors, cleaning the garage out, getting on a ladder and dusting the lights and ceiling fans) then of course all the normal stuff like vacuuming and dusting.

I'm tempted to hire a maid service to come in and do the whole house in one day, but I hate spending money on something I can do myself. I'd rather use the money I save to buy flowers for the yard. If anyone has any shortcuts, tips or suggestions on spring cleaning, I'd love to hear them.

Happy Reading!
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Summer Lovin' The Preacher's Daughter June 07

You can go home again

I just returned from a week in Nashville, Tennessee. Although most people associate Music City with its country performers, I grew up there, so a return has a very different meaning to me. This trip in particular was packed with landmark events.

My mom, Sylvia Hyman, is an internationally known ceramic sculptor, and the first weekend of my visit, I attended the Nashville Film Festival to view the world premiere of a half-hour documentary about her by filmmaker Curt Hahn. In addition to my stepfather, we were joined by my brother, my stepbrother and his wife, so we enjoyed a mini-family reunion along with the screening.

The film, “Sylvia Hyman: Eternal Wonder,” is beautifully made, informative and amusing, although my mother wishes it had been titled “Eternally Wondering” instead of “Eternal Wonder” (it should be available on DVD by mid-June from www.filmhouse.com). Curt is also cutting a shorter version to accompany an exhibit of Sylvia’s work at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, June 22-Oct 7, in celebration of her upcoming 90th birthday.

Not the usual sort of visit with one’s 89-year-old mother! And she’s still working, exploring new ideas and techniques.

My visit also encompassed my fortieth high school reunion, a chance to catch up with old friends. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we had a blast! About twenty fellow students from a graduating class of seventy attended, along with perhaps a dozen spouses. Our class comedians haven’t lost their touch (in fact, I think they’re funnier now) and everyone seemed warm and upbeat. I almost wish I were back in high school so I could enjoy their company without the teenage angst.

It’s hard to believe so much time has passed. All the same, I feel like I’m just getting started in my own life and career. My mother has done her best work since she turned eighty. So tune in – I’m revving my engines!

Best Harlequin American--05 (or why you shouldn't be embarrassed to google yourself)

Okay, admit it. You've taken your name, stuck it in the google search bar and pressed enter. If you haven't, you should start.

As an author, I do a search of my name about every two months. I've also signed up for google alerts, but usually I get information about movies that star Michelle Pieffer and Faye Dunaway rather than something about me.

However, the other day I did a google search and discovered that cataromance.com named Emergency Engagement their best Harlequin American of...2005.

I had no idea. No one ever notified me, so it was a fun way to end what has been a pretty good month.

Google searches have turned up some other interesting things. I've found reviews of my books, foreign editions, my bio written in French, blogs about my books, and authors who have credited me for inspiring them to write something (which is always fun). Most things I'd never know, had I not "googled" myself.

I'll also admit to googling family members, exboyfriends, coworkers, etc. It's fun to see what's out there on the world wide web, and I've located former students via their posts on myspace, by finding it first on google.

So have fun. Don't be embarrassed. You might discover you've won something, or that someone with your name is "famous" too (the other Michele Dunaways are a painter and a newsbroadcaster).

Michele

My "Writer's Spa"

My husband, Rob, also a writer and an e-publisher, signed up to attend the Romentic Times Booklovers Convention. I decided to go with him. I mean, he was paying for the hotel room. I could hang out in a luxurious room, freed from the mundane activities of meal preparation, paying bills and housework. I could eat healthy salads and fruit for every meal, take long walks, and sleep in a king-size bed with massive numbers of feather pillows. Under such conditions, I was sure I could crank out at least 50 pages.

We drove down to Houston on Wednesday afternoon. By the time we got settled in our room I was much too tired to write. I watched "Mythbusters" and "Dirty Jobs" and planned to start my serious spa work the next day.

Thursday got off to a promising start. I woke up early and went for a nice long run/walk in the beautiful spring weather. About a mile from the hotel I found a bagel shop, where I bought a bagel and coffee to go (I couldn't find any fresh fruit, honest!). On the way back to the hotel, I fell off the curb and twisted my ankle.

I hopped/hobbled/limped about eight blocks back to the hotel, put ice on my ankle, and ate my cold bagel and drank my cold coffee. That was the end of the fitness portion of my spa. Now there was nothing left for me to do but write. I propped myself on the bed with my foot on a pillow, and I wrote and wrote and wrote--thirty pages.

As for the salad plans, I had great intentions, but Subway was the only place close enough to limp to. Subway sells potato chips. I was doomed.

That night I went to bed early with a couple of aspirin.

Friday I wrote some more--17 pages--and ate all the candy Rob brought back from the conference Goody Room. At three o'clock I packed up and started for home--and was stuck in traffic for two hours. Not exactly the relaxing conclusion I was hoping for.

At least I got a lot of writing done, which was really the point. And okay, the feather pillows were nice. But next time I want a spa, I'm checking into Elizabeth Arden!

(P.S. The picture is me with legendary Romantic Times publisher Kathryn Falk. I did attend one reception, given by www.allromanceebooks.com.)

The real Las Vegas

Hi,
Just a quick post as I'm on my way to catch a plane to Las Vegas. My LV is not Bellagio, talking fountains, and the Eiffel Tower. The real Las Vegas is soccer moms, band concerts and weekend flea markets. In other words, it's where folks live, work and play. And how do I know that - that's easy. My extended family lives there.

I have to say, the real Las Vegas is a treasure trove of inspiration for writers - great eccentric characters, funky settings and events that are almost too hard to believe. I've used it several times. So hopefully I'll get another inspiration.
I know I'll probably be the only person on the return trip to have made only a minimal contribution to the economy. I somehow can't resist dropping a few nickels on video poker.

Ann DeFee

Georgia On His Mind - Harlequin American Romance - August 2007
Summer After Summer - Harlequin Everlasting Love - September 2007
The Magic of Christmas - The Perfect Tree - Harlequin American Romance - November 2007

Introducing Myself

I'm so happy to be here, I'm probably going to start gushing clichés right and left. Please bear with me. I'm a brand new Harlequin American author, and it only took me eight years to get here.

My path was not only long but fraught with ups and downs. For any of you unpublished authors out there, take heart. The book I sold to Harlequin American last August, His Only Wife, was a two-plus year process that involved two separate revisions. It was hard work, but well worth it. And now that I'm here, I hope to stay for a very long time.

My hero in His Only Wife is a wilderness firefighter, specifically a Hot Shot. I got the idea for the book a few years ago when my family and I went on a weekend trip to our cabin in Young, Arizona. That summer, the state suffered the worst wilderness fire in its history. We could see the mountains blazing and the many columns of rising smoke from the front porch of our cabin. At one point, the fire got so close to Young, we were put on alert for possible evacuation.

I had the honor and pleasure of meeting the Payson Hot Shots when the eleven men and one woman, on a short reprieve from fighting the fire, came into the local restaurant where we were having dinner. The town was hosting the Hot Shots, feeding them and putting them up for the night in the community center.

One look at them, and I knew I'd found inspiration for a book.

The good news is that the fire was contained before it reached Young and our cabin. Unfortunately, thousands and thousands of acres were lost. Writing the book was, in small part, my way of paying tribute to real-life heroes who put their safety on the line for others every time they report for duty.

I want to thank Michele Dunaway for inviting me to participate in the Harlequin American Blog and all the Harlequin American authors who have made me feel so welcome. This really has been a dream come true for me (there goes another cliché!).

HOME TO HOUSTON

I’ll be flying to Houston this Thursday to attend part of the Romantic Times Magazine Convention. I’m really looking forward to the trip. Simple Gifts, my October 06 release, won their reviewer’s choice award. So, I’ll get to attend the awards luncheon on Friday and also be a part of the booksigning on Saturday.
Another reason I’m looking forward to the trip is because I’m from Houston. I rarely get an opportunity to visit since no one in my family lives there any longer. However, just the thought of spending some time there makes me smile. Okay, I’ll say it--returning to Texas always makes me smile.
On Friday night, I’m planning to see Tiffany, one of my best friends growing up. Tiffany and I met when we were placed next to each other in sixth grade choir. Through the years, we did a lot together~dance classes, vacations, sleepovers, dinners at each other’s houses...and drill team. My favorite memories of Houston revolve around high school. I had a close group of girlfriends from the drill team, and I don’t believe I’ve ever had a group of friends like that since. I laughed and cried more with those girls than I do believe I have with anyone else since.
After graduation, I never really went back. My father moved away. Later on, my brother did too. I was in a hurry to finish college and get married. Since then, we’ve been transferred several times and have concentrated on making our home wherever we might be. Memories faded and new ones in other places took their place. Little by little, ‘y’all’ became ‘you guys’ and drinking ‘Cokes’ became ‘soda’ or ‘pop’.
Three years ago, my husband and I took our kids to Houston, to show them where I grew up. Kelly, another wonderful friend, threw a little get-together for us, complete with really good Tex-Mex. Before I knew it, Kelly pulled out a photo album, and then, there we were…looking back twenty years. In a matter of minutes I was laughing and crying just like I used to. My accent came back a bit. And my children had a very quick glimpse of a whole different person other than the one they thought they knew.
So, I’m really thankful to Romantic Times Magazine. Winning their award for my book was unexpected and truly gratifying. Having another reason to visit Houston is an added bonus. I’ll let you know what happened on the 3rd, when I blog again. And, if you happen to be going to RT, too, I hope you'll stop by and say hi!

Vacation, vacation

Exactly four days from now, I’m off on a family vacation. I live in Seattle and we’re headed to the opposite end of the country, ,sunny Siesta Key, Florida, where the beach is as soft as talcum powder , and the water is heavenly. Once I was among an appreciative group who stood and applauded the magnificent sunset there. I have seen dolphins frolicking in the distance, and swum with the fishes. ☺. Siesta Key is a great place to stroll barefoot early in the morning and enjoy the pelicans as they divebomb into the ocean for fish.

If I’ve made you salivate, I’ve done the same to myself!

It won’t be all play, though. I’m doing a bookstore at Sarasota News and Books, a wonderful independent bookstore. If you’re in the Sarasota area, drop by the bookstore on April 26 between 3:00-4:00. And, since I have a book due in June, I’ll be lugging my laptop along. I figure if I write a few pages every day, maybe after my early morning beach walk and before the rest of the family gets up and running, I’ll be okay.

Which leads me to a question for both writers and readers. When there is work to be done and vacation is here, what do you do? Put the work aside, figuring you’ll do it when you get back? (And if so, how do you push the guilt away?) Take it along and work on it (sporadically, which is better than nothing)? I really want to know.

Ann Roth
It Happened One Wedding, April, 2007
Another Life, April, 2007
www.annroth.net

Great News!

Congrats to Barbara and Kara for their finalist status. Barbara White Daille is a double finalist in the More than Magic contest and Kara Lennox is a finalist in the Holt. Way to go, ladies!

Also, thanks to all of you who helped put Nine Months' Notice on the Borders Group/Waldenbook series best seller list. Nine Months' Notice was #9 for the week ending 4/14.


Michele

Having a bad day

The alarm clock didn't go off this morning—I'd forgotten to reset it last night. Since I can sleep through a mine blasting, this means I woke up late for work.

The shampoo fell from the shower caddy and spilled all over the tub. I'd left the fresh towel and my bathrobe down the hall in another room. The light bulb above the sink blew out as I was straightening my hair with a flat iron that decided it wanted to curl up and die.

The toast burned, the microwave tripped the circuit breaker, and I tripped on the edge of the kitchen throw rug. (I get up at five a.m.; it's dark when all the lights go out!)

Couldn't find my car keys. Didn't remember where I'd left my purse. Found the case for my glasses—empty. Left for work without my lunch.

Okay, the morning was behind me. Clear sailing ahead, right?

Nope.

Knocked over my water bottle in the break room, soaking every item in sight. Lost seventy-five cents in the vending machine and another seventy-five cents shortly after. (So I'm stubborn, okay?)

My allergies kicked up, causing a fifteen-minute coughing fit—complete with tears streaking down my face—in front of 30-plus junior high school students.

And that was all before lunch!!!

I won't describe the rest of my day. Let's just say I came home, crawled into bed, and pulled the covers over my head. Fell asleep fully clothed, woke up at nine p.m....and am now at the keyboard, holding my breath as I type this blog entry, praying I will hit Send and hurry back to bed and wake up to find I've only been dreaming.

But first, I think I'll check to make sure I've turned the alarm on.


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Love those wounded heroes!

During the past few weeks, I’ve been reading proofs for two books to be published this year. One thing that struck me was how much these dissimilar novels, written almost ten years apart, reveal about the themes I love.

I’m drawn to heroes and heroines who are wounded, sometimes figuratively but often literally. Also to law enforcement figures. As a news reporter, I used to spend a lot of time in police stations, and admire the men and women willing to face raw danger to defend others.

In my September release from Harlequin American, Twin Surprise, two supporting characters from Daddy Protector (which comes out in May) get their own book. Marta, a sunny gift shop manager who spent years recovering from a traffic accident, is troubled by her attraction to a playboy cop. Derek turns out to be struggling with his own challenge: a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Despite the serious issues, there’s plenty of lighthearted fun. A bachelor auction. A pair of feisty personalities butting heads. And, as the title implies, a pregnancy with a bonus.

The other proofs were for my May ebook from www.triskelionpublishing.net. Touch Me in the Dark is a paranormal romantic suspense I’ve rewritten several times since its inception a decade ago.

The hero, Ian, is an injured former police officer who retired on disability. Driven to paint, he’s become obsessed with images of a woman murdered a generation ago in the subdivided Victorian house where he lives. Then he meets a new tenant, a young widow who bears a striking resemblance to the victim. Did fate bring them together so he could save her from a mysterious force, or does the threat to her lie buried within Ian?

As you can see, the fact that certain themes and backgrounds resonate with an author need not detract from a book’s uniqueness. A quick read of each book’s first chapter reveals dramatic differences in tone, mood and plot.

To me, each situation is grippingly new and each relationship unique. Just as with real people, my characters chart their own courses. One thing they have in common, though: whatever pain life may inflict, love and commitment have the power to heal their spirits.

Crazy April!!

What a crazy month!! I'm exhausted, and April's not even half over!!

Taxes are always fun, then our daughter hurt her shoulder pretty bad, which has necessitated tons of doctor trips. In between that, both boys have had colds and sinus issues, meaning every time I try to work on my May 1st deadline, one kid or another is having trauma!!

Speaking of kids, they want their bathroom painted, but it turns out that the wallpaper already on the walls was applied to the drywall without any sort of primer. Meaning, with every micro inch that comes off, so does a chunk of drywall. Ugh.

Plan B is to apply plaster. Now, Trading Spaces is one of my fave shows, and Doug is all the time doing Venetian plaster techniques, but I don't think I'm going to get that fancy. Last night Son #2 and I picked up a jumbo tub of gunk (the thing weighs 48 lbs!!), that I'm hoping will be lovely by the time I'm done slapping it on. Stop laughing!! LOL!!!

Meanwhile, it is my solemn vow to hold a yard sale sometime before the end of the summer (stop laughing at that, too!! ). We've hauled junk from misc. places all over the house, but seeing how it's either rained or snowed every Saturday for the past few weeks, then next week I'm off to OKC with my fave friend and author, Margaret Daley, for the OKRWA meeting, then the weekend after that, I'm off to Ladies' Weekend at a friend's lake house, it looks like it'll be May before we finally have our sale. Double ugh as the stuff pile keeps gathering dust.

In fun news . . . I have a book out this month called THE RIGHT TWIN!! I love, love this story, though it was a nightmare to write, trying to keep all the names straight. If you enjoy movies like the The Parent Trap, then this is a good read for you!!

If you'd like a shot at winning an autographed copy, sign up for my mailing list at lauramariealtom.com.

Happy Saturday!! I'm off to plaster!!

Laura Marie ;-)

Ellis Island

On my recent trip to NYC, I made the pilgrimage to Ellis Island. For anyone who hasn't been there, I can highly recommend it. It was poignant, it was educational, and more importantly, it renewed my realization that we are so blessed to live in this country.

Can you image the hardships our ancestors endured to become Americans? As I was viewing the displays (which may I say, were extremely well done), my empathetic side took over. I could visualize leaving behind my family, my country, my language - and then getting off the boat at Ellis Island with nothing but what I could carry. Would I pass the medical exam, and even more importantly, would my children be deemed healthy. Think about the terror that question would create for a mother. But thousands of people went through that process and became productive members of society. And those folks were our ancestors. Let's give them a round of applause for their tenacity and bravery.

As an author, I could see that the plot possibilities were limitless. So, if you're ever in New York - take the Ellis Island trip. Ann

Ann DeFee
Georgia On His Mind - August 2007 - Harlequin American Romance
Summer After Summer - September 2007 - Harlequin Everlasting Love
The Perfect Tree - November 2007 - Harlequin American Christmas anthology

Guest Post: Johanna Raisanen

Greetings to all our HAR authors and fans! Thanks for inviting me to the party. I was asked to write about what it’s like being an HAR editor. Well, I’m not sure what I do in a day could accurately convey what goes on, so I thought I’d give you a snapshot of a week.

Monday

Arrive at work for 8 am, which usually means running in the door at 8:10. Curse Monday mornings. Boot up computer and change outgoing voice mail message. Head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and pour some milk on my cereal, then eat breakfast while checking emails.

Finish revision letter I’d started last week and email to the author. Pull out manuscript I read on Sunday and start new revision letter. Going through the manuscript page by page I make notes and suggestions. Cajole fellow editor Wanda Ottewell to go out for lunch with me. Back in the office, I meet with Kathleen, HAR senior editor, about scheduling issues, book titles and upcoming deadlines for RWA registration. Email final version of the revision letter to the author. Finally head home around 5 pm.

Tuesday

Spend some time chatting with coworkers about last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars over a cup of tea. Read over and approve art fact sheets and respond to emails before an art meeting at 11 am. Kathleen and I head up to the 8th floor to meet with the HAR art director and marketing product manager. It’s up to us editors to tell the rest of the team what each book is about, give scene suggestions and pass along the author’s input. The art director takes our ideas and works up sketches for approval later in the process.

Spend lunch hour eating at my desk and inputting Dear Reader letter, dedication and author bio into our prelim template (prelims include back cover copy and all the front pages before the book). Look over copy submitted by freelance copy writers and finish up the prelim package and email it to Kathleen.

At 2 pm attend a brainstorming meeting to help come up with new ideas for limited continuities. Then call a west-coast author on her lunch hour to answer questions she had about her revision notes.

Wednesday

Work-at-home day. Since it’s almost impossible to actually edit in the office, most editors take at least one and sometimes two days to work on line edits or reads at home. I also work on some other series (as most editors do) and will start my Superromance line edit at 8 am. Lunch break consists of taking my dog for a walk in the park, giving me an opportunity to get some fresh air, too! Quit editing for the day around 6.

Thursday

Finish line edit at home. (330 pages in 2 days. Whew.)

Friday

Check in with Kathleen to see if there’s anything I need to know after being out of the office for two days. Head to the 8th floor where the good photocopier is and make three copies of the finished line edit. One copy for me, one for the author and one for the freelance copy writer. Kick the photocopier a couple of times to try to fix a paper jam. Finish photocopying on the 6th floor. Hand the line edit in to production and breathe a sigh of relief that I’m on time.

Back in my office, I tackle the slush pile. I read and evaluate manuscripts from unpublished authors and write correspondence. If the manuscript is turned down, I write a rejection letter. But if I find a true gem, I write a report for Kathleen giving reasons to buy the book. At the end of the day, I get an email saying there’s cake in the common area! Yippee!

So that’s a typical week for an editor. Meetings, edits, revision letters, art briefs and a whole lot more. And some fun along the way. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else!

Johanna

Oh the places you'll go

One of the fun things about being an author is attending writing conferences. At the end of March I took the opportunity to attend the Published Author Special Interest Chapter's Power Conference. I flew into Newark, took a car to Manhattan, and Thursday night began with the industry reception where published authors mingled with editors and agents. By the time I left on Sunday morning, I was tired and exhausted, but yet at the same time reenergized.

Writing is a solitary business. It's you and your computer, and a bunch of names you know via email. It's fun to meet everyone and connect with everyone.

The picture above is of me and Lisa Childs (I'm on the right). Lisa will have a four book series out in 2008 with Harlequin American and I should have two releases as well. I'll also have two releases out with Harlequin Special Releases: Stories set in the World of NASCAR. Lisa and I are at the M&M store in Times Square, posing with a "writer." We'd met two years ago at PASIC, and decided to room together this year. We'll also be presenting a workshop on revisions at RWA in Dallas this summer. It's a subject we both know a lot about. :)

BTW, Ann DeFee, Tanya Michaels and Ann Roth also attended and I'm sure they've got some great stories to tell as well! Lisa and I also took a great trip to Mars 2112, which is another story. All in all, conferences are a great way to recharge the batteries and they reconfirm that a writer is never alone. So now I'm off to go write those books.

Happy writing,

Michele

The Pain and the Glory: Titles

I just found out a couple of days ago that I get to keep my original title for the Harlequin American that comes out next January: Good Husband Material.

You might not realize this, but more often than not we authors do not keep our original titles, for myriad reasons. Sometimes the author's original title is simply a clunker. Thus, my original title for a paranormal romance, The Crimson Cat (sounds like a cozy cat mystery) became Witchy Woman (much catchier, recalls that old Eagles' song). The Doctor's Fake Fiancee, a Harlequin American, was thankfully changed to the much snappier Plain Jane's Plan.

But often the reasons for making a change are harder to understand and seem quite arbitrary. For example, I had a Silhouette Intimate Moments that I called The Bounty Hunter, and it got changed to Midnight Confessions. That's an okay title, but I preferred the stronger-sounding original. A few years later I wrote a Harlequin Intrigue that I called Breathless. And what does it get changed to? Bounty Hunter Ransom.

I once had a perfectly lovely title, Taken by Storm, which was about storm chasers. It fit beautifully, but for reasons I will never understand, the title was changed to Hell on Wheels.

Sometimes titles are changed not because they are bad titles, but because they don't fit in with the line. My very first Harlequin American was originally called The Perfect Seduction. "Great title," my editor said. "If it were a Harlequin Temptation." Instead, the book was re-christened Virgin Promise, cashing in on a popular buzzword of the day.

For my firefighter trilogy released this year, I thought up an oh-so-clever series of fire-related titles: Sparks Fly, The Heat is On, and Fanning the Flames. But those were all no-go's; they didn't say enough about the stories. After about a hundred alternate titles flew back and forth between me, my editor and the senior editor, we settled on The Family Rescue, Her Perfect Hero, and An Honorable Man. But I'm tellin' ya, the search for three catchy titles that also fit together nicely and accurately reflected the stories almost drove us all crazy!

Now I'm working on an idea for a trilogy revolving around a fishing charter service. These are my tentative titles:

His First Mate
Catch of the Day
Her Safe Harbor

Any bets on whether they'll survive, should the trilogy sell to Harlequin American?

--Kara Lennox

From Start to Finish

Recently I received an e-mail inquiring about my book-writing process. My first thought…I have a process? Then I considered the book I'm writing now for my *Heart of Appalachia* series and decided that yes, I do have a process--though much different from when I began writing. My first three books for Harlequin American had been written, re-written and re-written. I used characters charts, outlines, worksheets…anything I could get my hands on to help me write the story. Now the only thing on my desk is a pocket folder. Every project gets it's own folder and sometimes I have as many as three or four folders on my desk at one time.

In a nutshell, I begin with a bare bones synopsis that I always deviate from--hopefully, because I've made the book better than the synopsis. I write a chapter a week, taking two days to write a rough draft, then I spend the rest of the time revising the chapter before sending it off to my critique partner. When I'm on a roll I'm able to complete 5 chapters a month. During the week I'll tweak the previous chapter my CP offered feedback on, so by the time I write THE END the book is in good shape.

BUT…there's still work to be done. You see, I'm a sticky-note writer. When I add new characters, insert new information or whatever, I use sticky notes as reminders of changes I've made to the plot, character, setting etc as I write each chapter. By the time the book is complete the cover of my folder and the inside pockets are plastered with sticky notes.

My next step is to go through every sticky note and fix the place in the manuscript the note addresses. After that, I do a computer read and tweak small stuff--mainly looking for inconsistencies that jump out at me.

Finally, if I have time I print off a hard copy of the book and do a read for word repetitions, sentence variation etc. If I'm down to the wire, then I pass on the hard copy read and send it off to my editor, knowing that I'll be tweaking those sentences during the revision stage.

Anyone else care to share their Start-to-Finish story?

Happy Reading!
Marin Thomas
http://www.marinthomas.com/

SNOW ON THE BLUEBONNETS

I’m stopping in to wish everyone a HAPPY EASTER and a happy love filled day.

It has been a very strange Easter here in Texas. There’s snow on the bluebonnets. At Easter! We’re probably going to remember this for a very long, long time. We rarely have snow here, but Saturday the white stuff was falling just about all over the place. We got flurries and mostly ice at my house, but North Texas received much more of the real stuff.

Can’t help but think that it much more like Merry Christmas.

Due to Mother Nature my mind is in a warped pattern and I really need to be writing. We went to early services, spent the day with family and ate too much. Will diet tomorrow.

Now I’m staring at a blank computer screen. My eyes keep straying to the window and the yard with the icy snowy spots that have not melted. I know I’m not dreaming, but it sure feels like it.

Happy Easter—spring or winter.

Happy Easter

Wishing you and yours a happy and joyous Easter weekend.

Michele

Two books out this month

This is a big month for me. It Happened One Wedding, the second in my To Wed Or Not To Wed series will be out this month. Two days ago, my women’s fiction debut, Another Life, hit the shelves. Talk about exciting!

There was more excitement at the end of March. I spent four fabulous days in New York city for a writers’ conference ( PASIC). The Harlequin American offices are in Toronto, but the Silhouette offices are in the old Woolworth building on Broadway, just a few blocks from where the Twin Towers once stood. I’ve been there before, but went back for a tour and lunch with Mary Theresa Hussey, who is a great editor (not mine—I work with the amazing Kathleen Scheibling, who’s in Toronto) and a wonderful person. Best of all, she gave me my pick of books to bring home. Needless to say, my to be read pile is now humongous!

I visited the Kensington offices, too. They are far away from Silhouette, but just as impressive.

Publishing houses always amaze me. They are constantly acquiring manuscripts, editing, designing covers, doing PR and marketing, and a number of other things. Well-oiled machines, for sure.

New York itself amazes me with its fantastic museums and shows. While I was there, I saw three shows. Avenue Q, which is an irreverent, funny musical with a message to enjoy today because tomorrow things may change. The Pirate Queen is brand new and pure romance. I don’t know for how long it’ll be around, but I certainly enjoyed it. The Year of Magical Thinking is a serious play with only one actor—the amazing Vanessa Redgrave. Joan Didion wrote both the book and the screenplay and I truly enjoyed her beautiful writing.

During the day I enjoyed conference stuff—panels, talks and discussions—and loved all of it. I reconnected with friends I only see at conferences and forged a deeper friendship with my roommate, Ann Defee.

All in all, a wonderful experience. I wouldn’t trade a second of it. And yet… it’s great to be home again.


Ann Roth
It Happened One Wedding, April, 2007
Another Life, April, 2007
www.annroth.net

A DOUBLE four-letter word... by Barbara White Daille

Exercise. Yuck.

Physical effort and I don't get along.

As I may have mentioned in a previous blog entry, I've found the stationary bike makes a great place to hang fresh laundry. I've since learned the jump rope substitutes for a clothesline. The barbells fill in for paperweights. The stair climber holds a whole bunch of books.

And I think I'm allergic to sweat.

Still, when you get to the point you need to buy new pants if you want to breathe while sitting, something has to give—and, hopefully, that doesn't mean the seams of those pants!

So this weekend, I started an exercise program. (Let's not think about the fact it began on April Fool's Day, okay?)

On Sunday, I took all the laundry off the bike and put everything away in the closet. What a workout!

On Monday, I dug out the tape that came with the bike. All that crouching in front of the video cabinet gave me cramps in both calves.

On Tuesday, I did several minutes of stretching, because of course you can't just jump into exercise without the proper warm-up. (See Monday.) Got so warmed up and cozy, I fell asleep on my yoga mat.

Today, Wednesday, I actually sat down on the bike and pedaled...for about a minute and a half.

I feel so much better already!

Well, maybe not.

Seriously, though, it's about time I get going on an exercise program. And I swear, it's more for the health benefits than it is about being too cheap to buy new pants.

I'd like your help with this.

How did you get started with a fitness routine? What makes you keep going when you want to quit?

And how do you motivate yourself to do it...again and again and again?


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

CONQUERING FEARS

My family went on a cruise last week. With two teenagers, it’s the perfect vacation for us…plenty to do, relatively safe surroundings, sun and plenty of places to sit and tan and relax. For one week, we did all that. I returned last night a whole lot tanner, a whole lot more relaxed, and with a whole lot of laundry to do.

The highlight of the trip was an all day excursion called ‘Conquering Your Fears’. It involved hanging from a zip line in the Costa Rican jungle, followed by lunch and then hanging on for dear life while white water rafting.

No, this wasn’t my choice.

For some reason, I gave birth to two children who have no fears when it comes to either heights or deep water with big rocks in it. Nope, when it comes to excitement and fun, they’re my husband’s kids, through and through. At 7am, when we boarded the bus, they were all smiles. I looked longingly at the group of people off to study sloths.

First up, the zip-line. After outfitting us with helmets, liability forms, and a whole lot of hooks and cords, our group climbed a rather narrow, steep path to a platform. Then, one by one, we were hooked onto the zip line, given instructions how to slow down, and told to jump. Yeah. Being the good mother that I am, I made my kids go first. My husband, knowing me as well as he does, made me go before him.

I jumped and sped along the line, doing my best not to scream so I wouldn’t embarrass my 14 year old. I was never so happy to see the platform and the cute Costa Rican with arms outstretched, ready to grab me and pull me back to solid ground. But, no, it wasn’t over. I had to do it all over again six more times.

Whitewater rafting wasn’t much better. Oh, I’ve rafted before on the Colorado River. Somehow, though, it’s a whole lot different when we were subjected to an hour and fifteen minutes of class II and III rapids and monkeys laughing at us from the trees. Lucky for me, they had a guy taking pictures in a nearby kayak.

Now we have lots of memories of me holding on for dear life while trying not to scream.

Ten hours later, we boarded the ship just before we left beautiful Costa Rica. My husband, being the good guy that he is, let me use the shower first, handed me a drink, and told me he heard Baked Alaska was on the menu for dinner. For the first time all day, I smiled.

Did I conquer my fears? No, not really. I jumped and clung and closed my eyes and prayed. I experienced things I know I’ll never forget. And I told my family that they should never, ever doubt how much I loved them…because I wouldn’t have done that day for anyone else. And my kids and husband, God bless them, said the day wouldn’t have been the same without me. Hearing that, as they say….was priceless.

Frustrated Bargain Hunter

Why is it that every time I see something I really, really want, it's too much money? I'd like to believe it's because I have good taste, but I think it's more along the lines of bad timing--just missing the sale.

I don’t know about anyone else but I'm a bargain hunter. I keep a list of things (my want list, not my need list) in my purse at all times. For the past four or five months I've been searching for something to go on the wall above our bed. I finally found it--a gorgeous mirror at Pier One Imports. I've been watching it for two months--never goes on sale. I joined their e-mail list and received a promise of a fantastic coupon "soon." It's been a month and no coupon. Made two trips back to the store--still not on sale.

The other object of my desire is a framed picture from Hobby Lobby for the master bathroom wall. The one I found in the store was damaged and even at a 60% discount I didn’t think I could repair the frame. So I asked for a rain check and they assured me it would be in last week. Nope. No Picture. They gave me another rain check and told me to return next week if they didn't call me. More waiting.

Yesterday my husband asked me to tally up the savings on both items…$60. Then he asked how much money I spent in gas keeping tabs on the items. Over two months, maybe $10-15. Then he asked me how much writing time I gave up to track the items, maybe 5-6 hours. I always stop and check out a few other stores along the way--but that's beside the point. You see where I'm heading with this….?

So I'm proud to report that I bought the da**ed mirror yesterday! Yeah!! As for the picture, I'm still waiting. (Sigh)

Anyone care to share their latest bargain hunting woes?

Happy Shopping!
Marin Thomas
www.marinthomas.com

Ouch! That Feels Good

Imagine this conversation among a group of women at the local park, while they keep an eye on their romping kids:

1st Woman: Molly, you feed your son too much junk food. And frankly, he needs a good spanking.

2nd Woman: I’m not sure I agree about the spanking, but he’s definitely overactive. You should take him to a psychologist.

3rd Woman: It’s probably the sugar that’s making him act up. If I were you, I’d empty all my cabinets of sweets. Also, he’s outgrowing his clothes, and those pants have big holes in the knees.

Can you imagine Molly’s response? Possibly, “Who the heck do you people think you are?” Or, “You’re not so perfect yourselves!”

Yet we authors voluntarily do this to each other. I’ve belonged to a critique group for more than thirty years, and every other week, we take turns reading our work aloud and receiving criticism. There’s praise as well, but plenty of suggestions for improvement.

In case you’re wondering if it hurts, the answer is yes. We’d all love to be told that no one can find a thing wrong with what we’ve written. But that’s pointless. A dedicated writer wants to improve any way she can. She HAS to improve, for the sake of her readers and her career.

I’m fortunate to belong to a group of terrific writers whom, over the years, I’ve had the great pleasure of hearing read their work aloud. Among past and present members: Neal Shusterman, Donald Stanwood, Elizabeth George, T. Jefferson Parker, and the late Barbara Seranella. I can’t claim that my critiques made a significant difference in their novels, but perhaps I helped with a tweak here or there.

Writing’s hard, no matter how long you’ve been doing it. Every story is a challenge, and when I venture into new territory, such as women’s fiction, I have to learn my craft all over again. True, at a higher level than when I started, but there are still a lot of stumbles. I’d rather hear about them from my friends than from a disappointed reviewer or reader.

I’ve outgrown the stage of life where I take my little kids to the park and share a bench with my fellow moms. But I’ll never outgrow my need for constructive criticism from my fellow authors.

Time Off for Good Behavior

Writers in general are awfully hard on themselves, and I am no exception. Way back in the dark ages, when I decided to quit my job to become a full-time writer, I made a promise to myself. I was not going to be one of those writers who played around at the craft, who wrote "when I have time." I was a full-time, eight-hours-a-day writer, often including weekends. I did not take vacations or sick days or mental health days. I intended to give it all I had, every ounce of time, energy and determination I could squeeze out of myself.

And I did.

Flash forward twenty years. Although I'm not quite the whip-cracker I used to be, I still spend at least seven or eight hours a day in my office minimum, working on writing or writing-related activities. If I travel for any reason, I take the laptop with me so I can write during any lull in activities. In my car, I listen to writing workshops or I use my little recorder to dictate my writing. I am literally afraid to take time off. I'm afraid the gods will punish me for being "lazy."

But I've just come off an incredibly difficult year of tight deadlines, lots of revisions, editor changes, and teaching lots and lots of workshops. I promised myself I would take some time off to handle everything I've neglected in recent months--getting my hair cut, for example. Taking my pets to the vet. Income tax forms. Scrubbing the bathtub.

My original plan was to take off a year from Harlequin American. Yes, a year! I have books scheduled pretty far into the future, so I wouldn't be interrupting my publication schedule. I wanted to take one month off of writing completely, then spend the rest of the year working on a couple of other books (big suspense books) that I never seem to find time to write.

I quickly revised the initial plan. A year without Harlequin was unthinkable. Six months would surely be enough of a break to refresh me.

But now, two weeks into my "vacation" (hah!) I'm already starting to get antsy to write another Harlequin American. As a matter of fact, I have a proposal for a new trilogy almost ready to go--it just needs a bit of polish. It's calling to me from its file folder with its siren song. Forget that dark, scary suspense book. Come play with me, I'm light and funny!

Three weeks off is enough, right?

More than One Way to Turn Pages...by Tanya Michaels

Does anyone remember that ad campaign for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (mmmm, peanut butter cups) about how there’s “more than one way to eat a Reese’s?” Well, it never occurred to me that there’s more than one way to read a book. I assumed most readers followed a similar pattern to mine…pick the book up, start at that opening first paragraph and read (often compulsively and through the night!) until I hit the last page, then sigh in satisfaction as I close the covers and reach for the lamp.

Yet there seems to be—gasp—an epidemic of people who do nearly the opposite! Imagine my surprise when I learned that my sister, best friend and favorite aunt all read the last chapter first. This blows my mind. “But doesn’t that spoil the ending? Aren’t you taking it all out of context? It probably makes more sense when you understand…” Yet these people hold firm that if they hate the way it ends or there’s an unhappy resolution, they don’t want to waste their time reading the 300 pages that come before.

What about you guys? Do you like the safety of knowing how a book or movie ends before you spend time or money on it? Do you trail the internet looking for spoilers on your favorite television shows, or when someone starts to tell you the latest rumor of who breaks up with whom on Grey’s Anatomy, do you cover your ears?

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I love romance novels because 99.99% of the time, the hero and heroine resolve their differences and find happiness together, so in a way, I do know the end. But I like taking the journey with them instead of “cheating” and looking at the map ahead of time. Of course, my husband would tell you I wouldn’t get in half as much trouble as I do if I bothered to read maps, but that’s another story…

New York, New York

Hi guys,
I'm off to the Big Apple - home of Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and knock-off purses. I've been up to my neck in deadlines, but I managed to finish everything yesterday. Yeah! And now I'm ready to go to the PASIC (RWA's Published Authors' Special Interest Chapter) conference. It'll be a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, learn some great stuff about the publishing industry, and see a couple of Broadway shows. What better way to spend a long weekend? So until later - right now, I'm heading downstairs to pack. Ann

Spring has sprung

I love spring. Here in the Seattle area, spring means vivid and abundant color. Cherry and magnolia trees, forsythia, tulips, daffodils, and a host of other flowers—we have them all in our yard. But while I love the beauty, I don’t enjoy pulling weeds and keeping the plants healthy and producing.

I’m what you call an armchair garden lover. I appreciate the beauty and like to sit outside and enjoy it, but I don’t do much of the upkeep. If I lived alone I’d hire a gardener, even if it is expensive. Fortunately, my husband loves to putz around in garden as often as possible. Weather permitting, he’s out there pulling weeds, digging, planting, mulching. All organically. Yep, he’s one of those.

Out of chicken wire he made a compost bin where we dump our non-meat, non-dairy food waste. It’s out back, on the side of the house, and for some reason, doesn’t smell at all. Every so often he turns the decomposing goop with a shovel. When it decomposes enough, he spreads it over the garden to enrich the soil. This year he and a friend drove to a farm and picked up a truckload of manure. Now that smelled. I stayed inside that day! But I’ll reap the rewards when the raspberry and blueberry bushes produce huge crops.

I’m thinking that writing is a lot like tending a garden. We writers have our own brain compost piles, that creative well within. We’re always tossing in tidbits—overheard snippets of conversation, intriguing newspaper stories, or anything that catches our interest. The mixture sits in our head awhile, and now and then we stir it a bit, thinking, I wonder whether… What would happen if? And voilá—a story is born.

As for the manure… Well, I’ll leave you to draw your own analogies.

Happy spring, everyone.


Ann Roth
It Happened One Wedding, April, 2007
Another Life, April, 2007
www.annroth.net

What's upcoming????

I just heard from my editor last week about my release schedule for 2007 & the first part of 2008.

Thought this would be a good time for the HAR authors to chime in and comment on what you can be looking forward to for the rest of 2007. I know I'm always curious as to when things are coming out, and eharlequin only gives you a few months in advance. Now you'll be able to access the archive if you forget when that next book by your favorite author is out.

Here's mine:

Nine Months' Notice (4 stars from RT), out April 2007 (so look for it next month)! This ends the American Beauties miniseries.

Hart's Victory, my NASCAR continuity book, out in November 2007.

The Christmas Date (formerly titled Picture Perfect), a Harlequin American out in December 2007.

Michele Dunaway

TEACHING AND WRITING AND BEARS, OH, MY

The hero of A Small-Town Girl is Cary Hudson. Cary’s a high school teacher…Algebra to be exact.
I had a lot of fun imagining his life at Lane’s End High because for ten years, I taught school, too. And, if I’m going to be completely honest, I miss the friendships I made, and the sense of community a faculty has more than I miss being around twelve year olds. Hmm…maybe because I have two teenagers at home?
I seem to run into a lot of writers who are former teachers. I stopped teaching because we got transferred to Ohio and my husband encouraged me to finally give writing a try. Usually, I never think about the days of sweaty classrooms or ‘morning work’. But every now and then, a memory surfaces, and I have to smile.
Yesterday was one of those days. My son was talking about taking drivers ed in a trailer and how thin the walls were—a Jazzersize class was going on next door.
For two years, I taught in a mountain school in Colorado, in a trailer. We’d just been transferred to the Denver area from Dallas, and I was extremely lucky to get a job. But what a change that school was! No longer was I teaching executives’ kids in suburban Dallas…now I was teaching rancher’s kids, country kids…kids who did chores at six in the morning before coming to school. I learned a lot about life from them, and I’m sure they got a laugh out of me…the city girl from Texas who wore heels and didn’t know a thing about snowstorms, cattle ranches…or bears.
Yep, one day, there I was, teaching spelling, when I noticed not a one of them was paying a bit of attention to me. They were all looking out the window. Next, I got a message on the intercom, telling me not to let any kids out of the trailer—there was a bear on the playground.
I ran to the window, and finally noticed what my twenty-five kids had already seen—a big black bear, just twenty feet away, wandering around.
I had never read anything about bears in the teaching manuals. Doing my best, I swallowed my fear and told everyone to REMAIN CALM.
And that’s when it hit me…they knew that bear. He’d been in a couple of the kids’ trashcans just the week before. He visited the school a few times a year. I was the only one freaking out. Those fifth graders started laughing at me. Finally, I started laughing, too. Spelling went away and we spent the next hour sitting on desks and watching the bear. The kids told me stories about his antics and I learned to appreciate being in a mountain school.
Any other teachers or former teachers who remember little stories like that? When the lesson plans go out the window and life takes over? Here’s to all of us having little experiences that are new and different and perfectly memorable.

Welcome, Spring!

Hello on this first day of Spring, 2007. In Dallas it is rather dreary but warm today. The birds are chirping and the squirrels are searching and I'm sneezing. Well, the pollen count is rather high down here in Texas. Since I grew up in a colder climate, I'm actually pretty glad to see Spring right now, rather than a few months away.

The weather often reminds me that I would rather be outdoors than sitting at my desk, writing my new proposals for "Brody's Crossing," my new series for Harlequin American Romance which begins in July. I've tried to take my laptop outside, but then the dog wants to play ball, and I see some weeds that need to be pulled, and the little fountain needs water. On and on. I believe that's called writing avoidance. I'm rather good at it! Fortunately, once I do get focused, I'm a fairly fast writer, so I try to make up some of the time I should have spent writing.

I'm very excited about my new stories. They are about characters I've introduced in the first two books - the brother of the hero from the first book, and the childhood best friend of the hero in the second book. I also gave my new Texas town a female mayor. I've tried to set up defunct businesses like we see in most small towns - motels that have failed, an empty train station, former small businesses that have gone away once a megastore moves in. My mayor is on a quest to revitalize the town, so I gave her plenty of places to work her magic. And, for me, plenty of opportunities for new characters to come to town. For example, the heroine in the third book that I'm working on right now is going to fix up the Sweet Dreams Motel in a retro style that will be a lot of fun to research. There are several motels in Texas already done this way. And, of course, since I'm of "a certain age," I remember the actual style when it wasn't retro!

So, happy springtime, everyone, and happy writing, whether you are currently looking out your window at storms, snow, sunshine, or clouds.

Victoria

When Funny Things Happen at Sober Moments

It was a sober moment. My husband was outside my car, standing in the pouring rain, motioning me closer to the curb. After maneuvering back and forth between two parked cars, I finally got the job done. I grabbed my umbrella. Not just any umbrella. (Warming: I am about to go off on a brief tangent.)This baby is a beaut. I first saw her in a SkyMall magazine, when I was flying home from a visit with my parents. I live in Seattle, where it rains all winter long, and this big ol’ umbrella called to me. I’ve never bought a thing from an airplane magazine, and I stuffed the thing into the seat pocket. But I couldn’t stop thinking about that umbrella. Black, with a row of red silk roses sewn round the rim. Closed it looks like a bouquet. Open, it’s an umbrella rimmed with roses. Pretty! I was in love, and darned if I didn’t slide the magazine back out of the pocket and stash it in my purse.

The next morning I went online and ordered. Ten days later she arrived (yes, I have given her a sex and a name—female, Rosie.) To my surprise, those roses aren’t silk at all. They’re made of some nameless red fabric and stitched into the rim by their plastic, two-inch-long stems. The funkiest thing you ever saw! Not so beautiful as the picture; in fact kinda ugly. But she’s still ultra cool, and I’m not the only one who believes this. Everywhere I carry Rosie, I get comments from women who want one just like her. Who’d have thought?

Anyway, as soon as I parked the car nice and close to the curb, I grabbed Rosie, whom I keep in the back seat of my car. When I pulled her into the front seat I accidentally hit the latch. She popped open. Fully open she’s way too big for my car. I couldn’t even open her all the way. I tried to close her back up to her trim little self, but for some reason that didn’t work, either. I tried twice without any luck. Then I realized how funny the whole thing was. Well, I got the giggles. There I was, in the front seat of my Prius, laughing hysterically and trying to control my rebellious umbrella, while my husband got wetter by the second. Hey, he could’ve stayed dry if only he’d grabbed Rosie for himself. But for some reason he won’t touch her.

At last I closed the thing and exited the car. My husband just shook his head. But I kept on laughing.

Next time he rides in my car he’ll bring his own umbrella.

Ann Roth
It Happened One Wedding, April, 2007
Another Life, April, 2007
www.annroth.net

First Sale!!!!

The Harlequin American Romance authors are delighted to announce that one lucky lady got the call from Kathleen Scheibling. Joining the line with a 2008 release is author Megan Kelly, a resident of Illinois and member of the Missouri RWA chapter (www.morwa.org). And yes, for those of you curious, the book was sold on complete! Congrats, Megan.

Hi, I’m a brand new Harlequin American author, Megan Kelly. So new, in fact, we haven’t decided on a title for my book yet! However, it’s due on the shelves next spring, so I’ll keep you posted. I’ve been writing for quite a few years, striving to improve my work in hopes of finding a home with Harlequin.

I read my first Harlequin Romance at thirteen and fell in love with the stories. I started writing four years later, but it wasn’t until I’d married and had two children that I met one of my favorite authors, Kathleen Korbel (aka thriller writer Eileen Dreyer) and discovered RWA. Without the support of my local chapter, I’d still be struggling with my first manuscript.

I’ve been very lucky to have my mss recognized in RWA chapter contests, winning the Maggie and the Molly, and finaling in the Emily and the 1st Impressions, each with different works.

My upcoming release—how exciting that sounds!—is a story of unlikely lovers vying for the CEO position of a major Chicago firm. Sort of Romeo and Juliet meets “The Apprentice.” LOL

I want to thank Michele Dunaway for all her advice and kindness over the years and for this opportunity to say hi.

Megan