Interview

It's my turn for an interview. Enjoy!

1) How long have you been published?
I sold my first book on December 23, 1999. (At 10:39 am, but who remembers details like that? ☺)That book, Stranger in a Small Town (Special Edition), was a November, 2000 release. And a Romantic Times nominee for best first series romance.

2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Three things: 1. Join Romance Writers of America. The organization is the best around at teaching the craft of writing, explaining the business side of writing, and sharing information about the publishing industry. 2. You can’t learn the craft without plenty of practice. Write every day, even if you only have time for a paragraph or two. 3. Be open to suggestions for improvement.

3) What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Memorable, three-dimensional characters that readers think about them long after they finish reading the book.

4) What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
We were in Italy last fall, I tried lardo, which is fried white lard flavored with salt and garlic. That may sound gross, but trust me, it was delicious. So tasty that I’m glad it isn’t served here. I’d be in big trouble!

5) What comes first: the plot or the characters?
As soon as I say characters, the answer will change to plot. LOL. In other words, it all depends… Sometimes a story idea begins with an interesting character and sometimes with an intriguing situation.

6) When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
I recently completed a fabulous seminar sponsored by Wings (Google Wings, Eugene, Oregon). In it I learned tools for getting the most out of my life. Part of the seminar included writing a personal contract, which I repeat several times daily. This is what I thought about when I first looked into the mirror today. I’m happy to share my personal contract with you: I am a clear, courageous and beautiful woman, freely giving and receiving abundant love. So when I looked into the mirror, I saw a clear, courageous and beautiful woman open to giving and receiving the abundant love around me.

7) Describe your writing space.
We have a daylight basement. My office is there, in what was once someone’s bedroom. Nice, thick carpet, plenty of bookshelf space, and a bathroom across the hall. The windows are high up, so I can’t see out, but I do get plenty of natural light through them.

8) Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
I blogged about this last month! Luckily, I have never suffered writer’s block. Probably because I believe in taking time to fill my creative well often and in a number of ways. By shopping, meeting friends for coffee or lunch, seeing shows, traveling, and most recently, by starting salsa lessons with my husband.

9) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
If we’re talking fiction, there is no one particular book or author. In a way, whatever I read influences my writing. Even bad books, which make me determined to write something better. Good books push me to stretch my own skills.
If we’re talking nonfiction, there are several books that influenced me. Three are: Techniques of the Selling Author, by Dwight Swain, Scene & Structure, by Jack Bickham, and Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon.

10) What are you reading now?
The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.

11) Do you re-read your books once they're in print?
Never! I cringe at mistakes that can’t be fixed.

12) What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
I write eight pages per day, pretty much six days a week. If I’m lucky enough to finish in two hours, I get the rest of the day off. If it takes 10 hours, oh, well. I track my progress on a spread sheet and give myself a smiley face for meeting my daily goal. Corny, but it works! I also pay myself $.25 per page, or $2 per day, putting the money into a box. Once I finish a book, I spend the money on something just for me, my treat for working so hard.

13) How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
To date I have sold 15 books. Because with every book my writing improves, my favorite is always the one I’m writing now.

14) Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
I get email mostly, but some snail mail letters. Writers tell me they love my stories. That my characters could live next door. People ask about books I have written before and when the next one will come out. They write to say they love my website—the color and the information. I appreciate every email and letter, of course!!

15) Tell us about your family and where you live.
I live just outside Seattle, Washington. My husband and I have three grown daughters and one three-year-old grandson.

16) Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share? At the moment I’m finishing a proposal for a women’s fiction novel with strong romantic elements. As soon as I finish I’ll get to work on creating a proposal and synopses for a Harlequin American miniseries featuring four brothers.

17) Did you ever eat paste or Elmer's glue when you were a kid?
Once. That stuff tastes foul!

18) What did you do career-wise before becoming an author? Well… Several things. Before I got my MBA, I was a realtor and later a tax preparer. During my MBA, I worked part-time at Nordstrom. Try going to grad school, working part time, and raising three young daughters!! Thank goodness for my supportive husband. After I had my MBA in hand, I worked as a financial analyst in a large commercial bank, and later as a personal banker. Several years later I took a job as a trainer for large commercial banks. I taught several technical courses and flew all over the country, working for numerous banks. I loved that, but then my writing took off. And writing is my passion, so I followed my heart and left banking.

19) How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it? The situations are more realistic and less fantasy. I love the sense of community and the quirky secondary characters found in Harlequin Americans.

20) What helps inspire you when you write? Do you have any 'rituals' (like music, candles, a favorite scent) that helps you find your writing zone? Sometimes I listen to music for a little while, but I always stop when I get into the writing. Other than that, nothing really. Mostly I think about whatever I’m working on all the time and can’t wait to sit down and get to work.

21) What do you want to know about the future? Nothing. It’s exciting to NOT know and let life unfold.

22) Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?
I never drink either. I prefer coffee, water, tea, and ICE, in that order. (With occasional wine, cosmopolitans, gin and tonic, bourbon and water or scotch and soda thrown in. ☺)

23) Have you ever made a crank phone call?
Of course! In grade school and junior high.

24) Who's you're personal hero--past or present? My husband. He’s a warm, loving man, not afraid to shed a tear now and then. (He’d die if he knew I shared that!)

25) What is your dream car? A Jaguar!!

26) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be? I’ve been to Europe and parts of Mexico, but next I’d like to visit Mexico City, Spain and France.

27) If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you? Gosh, I don’t know. My husband, I guess. We never run out of conversation, and if we get bored talking… Ahem, I won’t go there. ☺

28) If you were stranded on a deserted island what kind of hero would you want with you--A Cowboy, a Viking Warrior, a CEO, a Forensics investigator, a Chef or an Accountant. And why? Since the island is deserted, I’m thinking a chef and accountant wouldn’t be much use. Or a Viking warrior. Now a CEO might know what to do to get us found. A cowboy might be able to wrassle up some grub and build a campfire. So I’ll go with the cowboy. ☺

Thanks for letting me talk, and until next time,
Ann Roth
www.annroth.net

School Bells Ring, Are You Listening...

Oops, wrong season! No winter wonderland out there. Not yet, anyway.

Here in Kansas, the school year starts early. This year is definitely no exception. And after looking at the school calendar, it really appears that, at least here, we're moving little by little more to year-round school.

I admit that in the past, the thought of going to school throughout the year, without three months of summer off, made my jaw drop, but as I get older and see the benefits, the dropping of said jaw has been getting less and less pronounced. I've recently decided that having children in school all year might be much more beneficial to all than I'd ever considered.

Could that be that after 11 weeks of having four grandkids for five (and sometimes six!) days a week, I'm more than ready to get back to having some quiet time during the day? Now don't get me wrong. I love my grandkids. I love watching them grow, and I love watching them learn. The wonder on their faces at times is so priceless, it makes me want to weep. But after 11 weeks (long, bickering-between-them weeks, at times), the daily routine of getting them off to school began last Thursday, and I'm already loving it. I may not be saying that in the freezing, icing and snowing days of winter, but right now, it's heaven! (And they'll be too busy to dump a brand new bottle of chocolate syrup on the trunk of my car!)

I don't remember feeling this way when their moms were young, maybe because I was, too. My patience wears much thinner these days, and my outlet--writing--hadn't yet begun and wouldn't for several years. We share a lot of memories, my daughters and I, of those days, especially the ones of the first day of school each year. The year my #3 daughter started kindergarten, it rained so much, we couldn't get to the school because of the flooding. She was so disappointed, she cried all the way home when we had to turn around and go back, unable to get into town on the water-filled country roads. My fondest memory of going back to school was only a day later, when they were finally able to go. #4 daughter wasn't born until October, and I remember taking the three girls to school that day and returning home to the quiet of an empty house, something I hadn't experienced in nine years! I sat in the rocking chair in the corner for hours, cherishing the solitude of that first day. But when that first day of school was over, I also remember going to pick them up, eager to hear their stories of new friends and new teachers. And then life took hold, and I never spent another morning in the corner rocking chair again.

I value teachers, those women and men who have dedicated their lives to educating our youth, our children. They must have been specially chosen for their outstanding patience and love, the first being something I seem to run short on more often than I used to. So today is my (unofficial) salute to all of them, and especially those HAR authors here, who care for and nurture our children and grandchildren in so many ways. Bless you all!

Elena Does The Macarena From Morocco - OR - What's In a Name?

Anyone with access to television, radio, newspapers, or Internet during the past few weeks will probably understand the title of this blog post. If you don't get it, I almost hate to explain.

In a nutshell, a family-court judge in New Zealand recently made a nine-year-old girl a ward of the court in order to change her name, which was: "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii."

What were her parents thinking?!

When I was growing up, even the kids knew the importance of a name and that having one open to taunting would scar a person for life. Heck, even the wrong initials could be disastrous.

Various articles, newscasts, and blogs went on to list the rather...odd choices made by parents over the years. I won't go into them here.

But in view of the importance of names, I do want to say that finding the appropriate names for my characters is essential to me. I spend a lot of time choosing something that fits a particular character. (And that won't lead to teasing or offensive initials!) I even go so far as to make sure the heroine's first name works well with the hero's last, because in my books, you know she's going to wind up with him.

Trust me, if I pick something that doesn't fit, the characters are the first to tell me. And once they've wrestled me to the ground to convince me of what they should be called, it's a done deal--the names are approved, permanent, and going into print!

I'd like to ask what some of your favorite names are, and why, for both male and female characters. Since I'm so fascinated by the subject, I'll be very interested in your response.

And who knows--one of your favorite names just might find its way into one of my books.


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

I'm a reincarnated Amish Woman

Okay, I know that sounds whacky, but sometimes I really think I lived in another time period. And here's why:

--I hate technology…don't even ask me how to use the TIVO in our house. Don't ask me how to program the remote control not when I just mastered how to set the clock on the microwave. My DD typed out and printed off step-by-step directions on how to save my books onto a thumb drive--took me forever to memorize them. This month I used my last 3 ½ floppy to save the book I just sent my editor-- now I'm all in a panic because I don't have a valid excuse not to save my next book to a CD when I send it in.

--If someone asks me to choose between shopping at a high-end department store or checking out the local flea market--flea market wins every time.

--If I had a choice of spending the day at a resort spa or treasure hunting in an off-the-beaten-path hole in the wall town somewhere in Texas--I'll take the hole-in-the-wall

--I don’t get excited when my husband sends me flowers, but I'm over the moon when he says "Oh, go ahead and buy that old fashioned milk can for the front porch."

--If I don’t drive through the country and see cornfields, silos and barns at least every other day I feel lost.

--When I drive past an old dilapidated barn circa 1900's I shiver and my mind races with images of days gone by

--I get all excited going into a historical meat market in a nearby town because I get to look at the old photographs circa 1800's of the town and its people displayed on the walls.

--One entire wall (from floor to ceiling) in my living room is filled with vintage black and white portraits of my ancestors some dating back to the Civil war era

--I'm more at ease eating in a rundown diner than swank restaurant

--I like physical labor, don’t mind sweating and love working in a garden

--my dream vacation is following the Oregon Trail in a Winnebago

--I get excited when I see Historical Markers alongside the road

--I got light-headed and dizzy and swore I heard voices in my head when I stood by the fossilized ruts of the wagon trains that traveled the Oregon Trail through South Dakota

--Out of all the books I've written for the American line, I felt most connected with the characters in my *Hearts of Appalachia* series.

Anyone else ever feel like they've lived in another century--or know someone who swears they have? If not, then maybe I am whacky!


Marin
For The Children *Honorable Mention 2008 Hollywood Book Festival*
In A Cowboy's Arms www.eharlequin.com Free on-line Read
A Coal Miner's Wife August 2008
http://www.marinthomas.com/

My Olympic experience

Like many of you, I’m avidly watching the Olympics on TV. When my sons – ages nineteen and twenty-two -- sit with me, they too enjoy both the spectacle and the excitement of competition.

But unlike their viewing, mine is overlaid with memories.

Memorable scenes from past Olympics filter across my mental screen. There are highs and lows, the most painful being the 1972 murders of the Israeli athletes. I also recall disappointments when outstanding athletes like Mary Decker Slaney and Kim Zmeskal stumbled and fell heartbreakingly short.

There are also shining glories: Olga Korbut and Nadia Comenici and Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson. As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of gymnastics.

In fact, in the early Seventies I worked for a public relations office that represented a gymnastics team called the SCATS (Southern California Acro Team), which trained Cathy Rigby. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Cathy several times, and of watching talented gymnasts compete long before the sport became as well known as it is today.

It was so little known, in fact, that when I called the local newspaper with the scores of a major gymnastics meet, the sports reporter asked, “Okay, how fast was the first girl?” It took me a minute to explain that speed wasn’t the point.

My only personal experience with the Olympics came in 1984, when they were held in Los Angeles. Although I’d left my job with The Associated Press the previous year, I still covered theater and the arts on a freelance basis, and was asked by AP to cover the Olympic Arts Festival.

Always held in association with the Olympics, this festival receives less coverage than it deserves. In Beijing this year, for example, there’s a concert series feature some of the world’s most popular opera singers: Renée Fleming, Sumi Jo, Angela Gheorghiu, Salvatore Licitra, Ramon Vargas, Jonas Kaufmann, Marcello Giordani and Dmitri Hvorostovsky (okay, I'm an opera buff, too). In the case of LA, the attractions included the Royal Opera of Covent Garden, the Royal Shakespeare Company and a host of talented groups from around the world. I had a ball interviewing stars and viewing as many performances as I could squeeze in.

I’m not going to make it to this year’s Olympics in person, but if all goes well with my mother’s health (at age 90, she’s recovering from surgery), we’ll be visiting China next month to attend an international ceramics conference. As you know if you’ve visited my Web site (www.jacquelinediamond.com), my mom, Sylvia Hyman, is an internationally known ceramic sculptor.

She last visited China thirty years ago, when the country was much less developed. So while I’ll be viewing the new skyscrapers and bridges with fresh eyes, she’ll be seeing them through a veil of memories.

Funny how that happens.

Recharged, refreshed and Ready

School starts today. While I've been technically back at work since July 29, today was my first day with a full slate of classes. I'm teaching yearbook, newspaper, journalism, photojournalism, ninth grade English and next semester, one section of novel. It's a lot. But I'm ready.

It's been a great summer, but I admit I missed my classroom. Yesterday was freshmen orientation and my class came by so I got to meet some of them. Yesterday we also had our professional development sampler. This year my publication staffs will build a website and blog. I will work on studying Marzano. I'm recharged and refreshed, and excited about everything--and refusing to panic as it seems way too much.

My ninth graders are starting with To Kill a Mockingbird, and I'm tying it into the November presidental election. Back in Scout Finch's day, no one would have thought we'd see a woman and a black man vie for a nomination, much less a black man be the candidate for president. No matter the vote, it's like the 4x100 freestyle relay where America won. It gives you positive chills.

Today was only a half day, but tomorrow is the full day. I'm ready.

Michele

Ever had a Trojan Horse virus?

It's scary. I've been fighting it since yesterday, and this morning I wasn't able to go online at all. I've finally resorted to kicking my husband off his computer so I could at least check in on my blog day! (And, no, this is not a thinly veiled excuse for not having written a blog in advance. Though I didn't, in fact, write a blog in advance.)

So what have I been up to since I returned from the Romance Writers of America conference, flush with inspiration and motivation and ready to light the world on fire with my brilliant fiction? Actually I have been writing some. I've also been watching the Olympics, but I find myself cheering for athletes from other countries as often as I do the Americans. (Maybe I shouldn't admit that, as a Harlequin American author!) I think the Russian gymnasts are incredible, and the commentators aren't giving them much praise. And they aren't showing enough bicycling!

Well, back to check on my virus scan. At least the virus has been detected and I know what it is. Next I have to figure out how to get rid of it. We'll see what's left of my disk drive when I'm through!

Love to Travel

I just returned from attending the RWA conference in San Francisco, before which I spent the weekend in Wisconsin, and now I'm heading off to Colorado for some relaxation and research on a book idea. I LOVE to travel. Maybe because we didn't do much when I was growing up. Maybe because it's more interesting than cleaning my house (is that my husband laughing in the background?). Maybe because I'm meeting new people and seeing new places.
In Wisconsin, I met family I didn't know existed and toured a beautiful hospice facility outside Milwaukee. I had a wonderful time at the RWA conference, meeting old friends and new, even though I didn't see anything of the city or my family there. :( Fortunately, I'd been there four years ago and toured some of it with them then. Now I'm heading to the mountains, where I've heard the wildflowers are stunning. We'll see some family too.
So, do you have a travel preference? Like to visit where there's family? Prefer to go totally new places? And do you make hotel reservations or wing it?

Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com

RWA Conference

Whew! I’m just now recovering from the RWA conference held last week in San Francisco. My laundry is done, I’ve cleaned out my purse, my domestic crises are solved, and I’m looking forward to getting caught up on my sleep. On the turista front we rode a cable car (squashed in with tons of vacationers), enjoyed ice cream at Ghirardelli Square (chocolate, of course) and shopped in China Town (can you say jewelry). Not to mention we made several visits to a gigantic mall (including the biggest Nordstrom’s I’ve ever seen) that was conveniently located half a block from our hotel.

Oh, that’s right - we were there on business, and believe it or not we did manage to conduct a lot of business. For me, national conferences are vital to my understanding of the publishing game. It’s a great time to see old friends, to get caught up on the market trends, to have one-on-one meetings with my agent and editor, to learn something new and to spend quality time with people who understand sitting in front of a computer and talking to imaginary friends.

As a bonus we celebrated Harlequin American’s 25th birthday. HAR authors – you rock, and happy birthday HAR!

Ann

Ann DeFee
2008 Book Buyer’s Best Award (long contemporary) for Summer After Summer, Harlequin Everlasting Love, September 2007
2008 Holt Merit Award (short contemporary and southern theme), Georgia On His Mind, HAR August 2007

HAR, The Man She Married, February 2009

Interview with new to Harlequin American author Lisa Childs

I'm thrilled to be writing for Harlequin American and was happy to answer some questions about myself. If you have a question of your own, please ask away.

1) Tell us a little about your family and where you're from.
I'm married with two daughters. I'm also the youngest of seven kids with lots of uncles, aunts and cousins, too. So I love writing about families. I live a mile from where I grew up in west Michigan -- it's a great community, where I'm either related to or know most of the people, so it's a wonderful place to raise my kids. Must be why I love writing about community, too -- so Harlequin American is a perfect fit for me.

2) Tell us about your book.
FOREVER HIS BRIDE is the third book in my Wedding Party series for Harlequin American. I brainstormed the series while cleaning my closet, when I came across all my old bridesmaid dresses in the back of it. I love being part of weddings -- the romance, the family, the fun, the drama -- and of course all of that is in my series. When the bride jilts the groom, maid of honor, Brenna Kelly, isn't that disappointed nor is the groom that devastated as he realizes he'd proposed to the wrong woman. But he has a lot of convincing to do before he can make Brenna FOREVER HIS BRIDE.

3) If you could be lazy for an entire day what would you do?
READ!!!! I have so many wonderful books on my TBR (to be read) pile!

4) What is your writing routine?
I have to write every day or I suffer withdrawal! Of course I write more when I'm under deadline so that usually involves late nights -- if I'm busy with family stuff during the day.

5) What was the hardest part of writing your book?
I really enjoyed writing FOREVER HIS BRIDE. It was hard writing the last book, FINALLY A BRIDE, in the Wedding Party series though because I didn't want to leave this fictional town of Cloverville, Michigan or these fun characters.

6) What inspired you to write your first book?
My love of books. Even before I could read, I loved when my mom, dad or older siblings read to me.

7) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have so many ideas that I often work on more than one project at a time -- even going from writing a Harlequin American to a Silhouette Nocturne -- which are quite different subgenres of romance.

8) When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Always -- since I was a kid. I didn't need to get published to know I was a writer.

9) What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?
How much fun it was to write a plus-sized heroine -- one who is "allergic" to exercise and dieting. It was a really freeing experience and helped me accept my figure as it is now -- after having two kids and spending too much time sitting at my desk.

10) What's your favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate -- preferably dark chocolate.

11) If you were stranded on Island for a month and could bring three things along what would they be?
Hmmm...since things don't include people then I can't bring my family. And seriously, if there's no electricity I wouldn't do well. It's gone out for six hours over a storm and I've nearly lost what's left of my sanity. I'd have to have my laptop, a TV and air-conditioning -- without, I really wouldn’t make it.

12) Why did you target the American Romance Line? I LOVE the books -- I love writing about families, and including humor with emotion. The perfect book for me is one that makes me laugh and cry. American Romances do that!

Spots on my blouse

A few days ago, before I left for RWA in San Francisco, I took a friend to lunch for her birthday. A tradition we both enjoy, as lunch for both our birthdays insures we see each other at least twice a year. She chose a really good Asian place that serves delicious, healthful food. We had fun—yummy food, great conversation, lots of laughter. When I got home, I happened to glance down. There on the front of my pretty, light-teal color blouse, was a ginormous grease spot. (I’ll be honest here—there were several little ones, too.) Now I love food and love to eat, but I’m no wild ape. I lean over and try to be careful. But one or more of the dishes must’ve splattered.

It’s not the spots that bother me.(Okay, the DO bother me a little. What a slob!!) It’s the fact that my friend never said, oops, you got grease on your blouse. I would tell her, I swear. I realize I couldn’t have done anything about the spots, but I wish she’d have said something so I’d have realized.

Which leads to a big question that’s now on my mind: Do you tell people if they have spots on their clothes? Or maybe the tag on the back of their shirt is sticking up. Or they have food in their teeth. Or anything else that is amiss. I’m wondering whether you tell people about these things so that they can fix the problem? Or do you just let them walk around unaware?

Until next time and wishing you spot-free clothes, food-free teeth, and tucked in tags,
Ann Roth
www.annroth.net

Summer's flying fast!

I didn't attend this year's Romance Writers of America conference. This year, for the first time since I can't remember when, I was a stay-at-home while all the other conferees went off to the designated city--San Francisco, this time around--and had fun.

Did I cry, did I pout, did I stomp around the house in a poor-little-me pity party?

Well...yes, of course, I did! At least, a teeny-weeny part of the time. ;-)

The other--and much greater--part of the time, I spent with my fingers on the keyboard, pounding away at my work in progress. I've been off from the day job for the summer and making the most of it.

So, while I didn't schmooze with agents and editors and authors and writers, didn't workshop till I dropped, and didn't party into the wee hours, I have to admit--I had myself a wonderful time!

I'd love to hear what you all have been doing during the summer, the places you've been, the things you've accomplished, the projects you've finally crossed off your To-Do lists.

Me, I'm going back to the keyboard right now. But I'll be sure to stop by to see what you've been up to!


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Steak Night At the Galloway House

I’m typing this note from the Houston Intercontinental Airport, which is my mid-way stop until I get home to Cincinnati. I’ve been in California for a solid week, first seeing my mother, then attending the annual Romance Writers of America conference.
I have a feeling lots of other Harlequin American writers will have far more insightful things to say about the experience than me. So I’ll let them tell y’all about all the fun things that happened at RWA.
Instead, I’ll share with you the latest installment in what is beginning to be known as Steak Night at the Galloway House.
I have to tell you that I did not name this Important Event. My kids did. However, I kind of like the label, because well, this dinner is a pretty big deal in our little family of four.
See, we really like steak.
And no, we don’t have it all that much. I’m a very good cookie baker, but not a great cook. So, I’m constantly trying out new recipes, much to my teenagers’ dismay. (Their grading system of my meals is a whole other story). Anyway, we like our steak, and these dinners usually fall on Sunday nights, or when no one can take another episode of “Shelley trying to make fancy food.”
Unfortunately, steak night rarely goes off without a hitch. Our crazy beagle has been known to pull New York strips off of countertops (raw and cooked) , the grill mysteriously runs out of gas, and, well, sometimes the side dishes have been known to go awry, culminating in the time three potatoes blew up in the microwave.
That was a real mess.
One time our dear daughter made the mistake of inviting a new boyfriend to these special meals. It didn’t go over so well. We knew he wouldn’t last when a)he wouldn’t eat a baked potato (our obvious standard side dish-when whole and not blown up) and b) insisted on smothering his steak with ketchup (Galloways don’t do that) and then c) only eating half his steak. When the boyfriend tossed his leftover steak in the trashcan, my son merely looked at the poor kid with disdain. Obviously, he didn’t-and never would- fit in.
She broke up with him three days later.
Anyway, since I was gone for a week, and my husband is not the cookbook fan that I am- steak night was last Thursday. I only knew this because I received an SOS call at 2 o’clock California time. Seems steaks had been taken outside to thaw, been forgotten about, and retrieved five hours later. All three of my favorite carnivores were staring at a zip locked bag with three very brown, warm steaks inside. “Shelley, any chance they might still be good?” my husband asked.
I regretfully told them that no, probably not.
They ended up eating grilled cheese sandwiches.
Special dinners are on my mind because I just received a text. It seems potatoes are in the oven, a salad is being tossed, and four fresh steaks are thawing-in the refrigerator this time! Tonight will be wonderful, indeed. I’ll finally be home-and will definitely be ready to sit down to a great dinner-with three of my favorite people in the world.
So, anyone have a special dinner that says ‘home’ to you?
Shelley

JULY WINNER!!!!

This month's winner is MaryF!!!!!! Congratulations!!! To get your free, autographed books, please contact Megan Kelly, and Lee McKenzie and Ann Defee through their websites.

Tell all your friends to visit us. To win, simply comment and your name is entered in our drawing.

Not-so-secret Sources

In my books, I write a lot about doctors and babies and pregnancies. Take, for example, my current Harlequin American, Baby in Waiting. The title just about says it, doesn’t it?

You may wonder where I do my research. Well, it’s not a secret … but it’s complicated.

First, as you may have read on my Web site (http://www.jacquelinediamond.com/), my father was a doctor who delivered me at home. His status as a small-town doctor – before he decided to return for a residency in psychiatry – inspired my Downhome Doctors series for Harlequin (recently issued in Australia) and informs my current Harmony Circle series.

Second, I draw on personal experience. While I can’t claim to have undergone every pregnancy and infertility complication known to womankind, I sometimes feel as if I did. I certainly spent a huge amount of time in doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals. Rather than go into all the extensive details, I’ll just say I was very fortunate to emerge with two healthy sons.

Out of interest, I read a great deal on medical subjects. And for every book, I go to the Internet to seek out the latest information on relevant topics. Among other sites, my friend Doug Lyle, M.D., author of Forensics: A Guide for Writers, answers medical questions of interest to writers at http://www.dplylemd.com/.

Then there’s my volunteer consultant, Marcia Holman, an experienced nurse. A friend and former neighbor, she’s overcome plenty of health issues of her own and given birth to five wonderful kids, the youngest of whom is in high school. When in doubt, I call on her, and she’s always generous with her time.

The tricky part about researching novels, you see, is that not everything fits neatly on an informational Web site. For example, how is a doctor’s office organized? How often do obstetricians serve on-call duty? What’s the role of a nurse in relation to the doctor she works with? Personal observation has given me a sense of these things, but I rely on Marcia to help me with the details.

Where would we writers be without our friends? And, of course, our readers!

So who's done eBay?

I have discovered eBay. I know; I’m a little late to the party. Most people have been buying and selling things on eBay and being PayPal gurus for years. Not me. Bombarded long ago by all those fake emails, I’ve stayed away.

I’ve started to slowly come back as eBay has some stuff I just can’t find in stores. I bought a set of Fruits Basket videos for my daughter. I just bought a Harvest Moon game for her Nintendo DS. For both I sat there in the last hour and refreshed my screen a dozen times in dread that I might get outbid and not get the emails in time. (I’m thinking that in the beginning the sellers are the ones bidding against me to get the price up, but that’s another blog.) I did get both items for a fair price. So that’s my entire eBay experience. I still don’t have a PayPal account. I pay as I go.

I’m guess I’m also leery of eBay because I am not a used-item shopper. Perhaps it comes from all those used cars I had in my teens. The timing belt of my Mercury Lynx broke, twice. After the second time, the car was dead. My mom paid $50 to have it hauled away. My next car was a Ford Maverick that would die at every intersection during the winter. I could get out, pop the hood, stick a screwdriver in the carburetor, shoot starter fluid and crank the engine all in less than two minutes (or while the light was still red). When I finally got my first brand-new car, the dealer gave me $50 to take my Maverick away.

Used things freak me out. I have this prejudiced paranoia. I like selling at garage sales, but I rarely buy anything unless it’s something I can wash with extremely hot water, bleach or Windex.

Being curious about books on eBay, I plugged in my name into the search field. On July 5, four items were up for auction, starting at 99 cents. In the “buy it now” store, I found 43 items. One was a brand new Michele Dunaway Legally Tender book for $6.01, plus $3.99 for priority shipping. That doesn’t include the $1.30 for insurance.

That got me thinking. Sure, that book is off the shelves. However, Legally Tender never cost $6.01. It was, at most, $4.99. Perhaps the upcharge is for some kind of shrink-wrap, for the seller says the book comes sealed. I don’t get my author copies sealed, as Harlequin doesn’t ship my books that way and the ones I’ve gotten off eharlequin haven’t been sealed. I’m not curious enough click the “ask the seller” icon and find out what she means.

I also found, for $1 buy-it-now, A Little Office Romance, my very first book. I only have two copies in my possession. This seller says the cost to ship will be $3.23 media. However, one book first class in a plain 6×9 envelope costs under $2. Perhaps the extra money is being spent on delivery confirmation. But I don’t think you can get DC for media mail, but I might be wrong.
That brings me to another reason I am eBaying slowly. I’ve discovered that it’s very easy to overpay, and in this economy every nickel and dime counts. My daughter wanted a Wii. She earned most of the money selling all our used junk at a garage sale. However, we couldn’t find a Wii console in the store anywhere. Toys-R-Us said we could come get in line early Sunday morning for a chance, but church services took precedent. So we tried eBay. The price mark up was close to $100, before shipping. I told my daughter no way to eBay and that, if we were supposed to have a Wii, we would walk into Target (where we had a $10 off coupon and $65 in gift cards) and the game console would be there waiting for us.

Amazingly, that’s exactly what happened. Less than three weeks later, my daughter and I went to Target for something else, checked the electronics section, and there were two Wiis on the shelf. We now have our Wii, for the regular retail price of $249, and we used our gift cards and coupon.

So those are my eBay experiences. As a newbie, help me out. Enlighten me! I want to hear your eBay stories: the good, the bad, the ugly, the happy and the horrible. I’ll be responding to your comments this afternoon and tomorrow, so share with me, the eBay novice. I really want to know.

Off to San Francisco

As you read this, I'm on a plane winging my way to San Francisco for my 20th Romance Writers of America national conference. This annual event is the highlight of my year. It's the one chance I have all year to visit with my long-distance writer friends, get face time with my editor, workshop myself ragged and attend wild parties.

Well, not so wild anymore. Nothing will ever top the Harlequin Party in Seattle in ... 1988, perhaps? All I can tell you is, it involved about a dozen scantily dressed male models (including a cowboy wearing chaps and no pants). Ah, those were the days.

Nowadays, Harlequin opts for a nice ballroom, a D.J., and an open bar with STRONG drinks. The dance floor turns into a mosh pit. It is, without a doubt, the most fun party I'll attend all year. This year is especially special for me because I'll be receiving my 50-book pin. My 50th Harlequin/Silhouette book will be published in December by Harlequin American. What a long, strange trip it's been.

Sentimental Clutter

So with the annual Romance Writers of America coming up this week, I've had to dig through closets to find things for the conference, stuff that in some cases I haven't used since LAST summer's conference (like my special name badge holder with the three RITA finalist pins that mean so much to me or the bright garment bag that's so easy to spot on airline carousels among navy and black luggage). Anyway, whenever I'm forced to brave the walk-in closet of my office or start pulling things out from under the bed, I always bang up against these two truths:

1. I can never find anything

in large part because

2. I keep EVERYTHING!

I hold onto the strangest things. There's a piece of driftwood my husband and I found walking on the beach when we were engaged. There's a tag cut off the first dress he brought me (a cute red and white polka dot number that went in the Goodwill pile YEARS ago and would not fit on this post-baby body, but I still have the price tag from a chain store that I don't even think exists these days). There's an old copy of Gone with the Wind that's literally rubber-banded together because the binding broke, it's missing pages and what's left has yellowed (then again, it was my first copy of GWTW, given to me by a favorite English teacher who encouraged me to write.) I have approximately nine zillion business cards that I've accumulated at all manner of events but don't actually use for any practical purpose. I have drawings from kids who were once in my Pre-K class, back when I dreamed of one day having children of my own but were told my doctors that it was unlikely. (So dh and I filed for adoption, immediately got pregnant and now have TWO children, one of whom just finished Pre-K this year).

When I open that closet door and see the piles and shelves and overstuffed bags, I always think that it's time to get stern with myself and throw at least half of it away. Do I really NEED the champagne cork from the day J proposed? (Sunday, Dec 1, 12 and a half years ago). I have this conversation with myself about three times a year, and wade into the mess, resolute.

And the same thing always happens. Two hours later, I find myself sitting on old newspapers, my eyes misting up at my mother's wedding picture and the plaster cast I made of my daughter's foot when she was a few months old. I didn't get much packing done, but I thumbed through cover flats of my first three books and relived the thrill of my first sale. I stopped to appreciate all that I've accomplished in the last decade and thought about the people who mean the most to me. (Note to self: It's been way too long since you talked to your aunt in Tennessee or your best friend from high school.) I called my children into the closet to laugh at early pieces of artwork and to show my ballerina daughter pictures of me in a recital twentysomething years ago. (We were doing Cinderella. I was a lady in waiting, and my younger sister was a mouse in the same production.) And, oh yeah, I found my conference badge with its three lovely silver RITA pins.

Even if it wasn't a productive afternoon in the strictest sense, it was time well spent. Eventually, I shut the door on my memories and told myself that maybe NEXT time I'll clean some of it out...but I doubt it.

So what about you guys? Pack-rats, neatnicks, or a healthy, happy medium somewhere in between?

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss – no kidding! The way I’m tooling along there isn’t a rock, a stone or a pebble that could catch me. Busy is my middle name. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that we have our house on the market. I must be the master of bad timing. No nibbles, very few lookers and yet I feel like I have to keep it company clean every day. That must be hope springing eternal.

So along with everything else that’s going on we decided to upgrade our countertops. The company promised it would take a day for the tear out and installation. But you know what they say about promises and assumptions. Guess what – the old countertops were ripped out and the new ones didn’t fit. And when the installers blithely said we’ll see you Tuesday (that was Thursday) I replied with “Bad Answer. Try again.” Add a glacial glare and a killer frown to the equation and they returned on Friday. However, we’ve been without a kitchen sink for four days.

Plus (and this one’s really big) I had to do some major revisions on my February book (HAR The Man She Married) and I only had two weeks to get it back to my editor. Add in I’m trying to get ready for the RWA conference and an open house the week after I get home, and you have a major case of stress. So thanks for letting me vent. Everything’s going to be A-okay. There’s that hope thing again.

Now here’s a favor I’d like to ask. The reason we’re moving is to be closer to our kids and grandkids. We’re focused on Virginia and if anyone has any first hand knowledge (good, bad or indifferent) of Winchester, Fredericksburg or Williamsburg please let me know.

Thanks and have a great week.
Ann DeFee

HAR The Man She Married, February 2009
HAR Top Gun Dad, TBA

Rolling through the Heartland

When this post goes live in the early hours of Saturday morning, I'll be rolling through the desert in either Utah or Nevada on my way to San Francisco for the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I'm not a flyer, so I like to travel by Amtrak. I get to kick back, do some work, watch the scenery go by, and dream up stories about the places and people outside the train's windows. Because while the middle of the nation may be "fly-over" country, the train takes me through the areas filled with Harlequin American readers and the settings for many wonderful small-town stories. Places like Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.

There's nothing quite like writing a story set in Colorado while sitting on a train winding along the Colorado River in the rugged western part of the state. Or watching the sun come up over the desert, a landscape so very different from where I live in the South, and brainstorming ideas for a story set there. What characters would live there? Why? What would their romantic conflict be?

I've done the same thing on car trips. How many of you have gone on vacation and come back with at least one story idea?

It's interesting to think about creating a story in a setting that perhaps doesn't get as much exposure as, say, Texas. :) I mean, I'm sure there are wonderful hero types in Nebraska. Maybe he runs a wagon train for tourists who want to experience life along the Oregon Trail. Or what about a firefighter in Iowa? He not only fights fires, but he has to rescue people caught in blizzards. Imagine if you were the heroine caught in that blizzard and hunky rescue guy showed up to dig you out of the snow. Oh yeah, the ideas are popping. I have a feeling I'll be jotting down snippets in my notebook as my train rolls across the Great Plains, the Front Range, the Rockies, the desert Southwest, and the Sierra Nevada.

So, readers, tell me about some places you'd like to see stories set that you haven't seen. And writers, what story ideas have you had that were generated by trips not taken for that purpose?

Forever Blowing Bubbles

Blowing bubbles is one of those timeless things. Kids loved it when I was a kid, kids love it today—and apparently lots of grownups love it, too.

There are no longer any young children at my house, but every summer I still buy several colorful plastic bottles of bubble solution—the kind that come with the little plastic wands inside—and set them around outside on patio tables.

I always smile when bubbles float past the kitchen window and the only person lounging in the backyard is my husband. Guests will often take a minute or two to blow some bubbles, which usually prompts someone to say, “Hey, remember when we were kids and we used to...?”

When I bought this year’s supply of bubble solution, the store was also selling a device called a Bubblator. It promised to make lots of big bubbles, but it required some assembly and some batteries. The Bubblator didn’t seem as active as the old dip-and-blow method, so I put it back on the rack and came home with the usual bottles and wands instead.

But as I sat down to write this blog, curiosity got the better of me. I did a Google search for “bubblator” and discovered what I’m missing.



I might just go back to the store and buy a Bubblator after all, because we all know bubbles aren’t just for kids, right?

Until next time,
Lee
The Writer Side of Life

ETA: Ellen posted a comment about homemade bubble solutions. Neither of us could remember all of the ingredients, but this link tells all! If you try any of these recipes, we'd love to hear about them!

I probably blogged about this sometime before but for those who don't know, my daughter and I recently went on a cruise to Alaska. We had a wonderful time (oh, my gosh, who couldn't?) and saw things you can only imagine (and we ate A LOT of food, too).

One of the highlights for me was bingo - just kidding, I didn't win a thing. Actually, if I were pressed to say, the two coolest things were the glacier we visited and the canoe ride and rain forest hike we took on Prince Rupert Island.

Because of too much ice, our ship was diverted from the original glacier we were scheduled to visit. What at first seemed like a disappoint-ment turned into a history making day. Our captain obtained permission to take us to another glacier, one reserved for cruise ships one-tenth our size. He handled our giant ship like it was a VW Bug and got us to within 600 feet of the glacier, the closest a cruise ship our size has ever been. Yes, I took a million pictures.

Prince Rupert was absolutely the greenest and vastest place I have ever seen - remember, I live in the Phoenix area and am a desert rat. About 18 of us boarded a canoe and paddled across the bay to an isolated arm of the island. Besides the amazing lushness of the forest, the wildlife was incredible. I saw (and took a million pictures of) about a dozen eagles, most immature with brown heads but a few "bald". Our Native American guides caught fresh Dungeness crab right off the shore and boiled it for our lunch. I also learned how to survive in the Prince Rupert rain forest by eating local plants, should I ever be lost there (grin).

Here's on picture of my daughter and I getting off the ship at Juno. She's the young, very pretty girl if you couldn't tell. If anyone is going to be at the RWA National convention next week, stop to chat if you want to hear more about our incredible trip.

Warmest wishes,

Cathy McDavid

Waiting and Waiting

On Friday night, my son returned home from Europe. This two week trip was the culmination of eleven months of anxious preparation. We signed him up last August, and ever since, we’ve been paying for the trip and counting down days. Oh, he was so excited when he left. I was excited for him - and I couldn’t wait to get emails from him along the way, sharing all kinds of stories about his trip.

That didn’t happen.

See, we thought there were going to be all kinds of Internet cafes everywhere he went. If there were, he didn’t find them.(or didn't look very hard!) No, for two weeks, all we got were two texts from friends’ phones and one short paragraph from Austria.

One was a request for more money.

So, I worried. I wondered what he was doing. I missed him. And then well, I started getting irritated. I mean, honestly, couldn’t he have tried just a little bit harder to contact us?

All those grumpy feelings gave way to sympathy last Friday night. He had the worst flight schedule. He flew from Prague to Frankfort to Washington, DC to Chicago to Cincinnati, arriving bright and shiny at midnight. (yawn!) Even that crazy schedule didn’t go as planned.

But we did get a phone call out of it.

He called at 4:30 am from Frankfort. “There’s a bomb scare, so they closed the terminal,” said in only the way a 17 year old can alternately ask for sympathy and inform us to not make a fuss. After that phone call, we started hearing from him a lot. He got out of Germany. Almost didn’t make it through customs in Washington. Oh…his plane was delayed in Chicago. Actually, it was really delayed.

Actually it was two hours late.

So, that’s how I ended up being at the Cincinnati airport at two in the morning last Friday night-er Saturday morning. Finally, at 2:15 a crowd of kids came out of the terminal-each looking more exhausted than the next. There, in the middle, was my son. Six inches taller than me. Looking tired but happy. "Hi Dad," he said, but I got the first hug.

I reached up, kissed his cheek, hugged him tight, and finally breathed a big sigh of relief.

My prodigal son had come back home.

st, and ever since, we've been paying for the trip and preparing. Oh, he was so excited when he left. I was excited for him-and I coldn't wait to get emails from him along the way, sharing all kinds of stories about his trip.

I'm buying stock in Raid

People often ask me where I get my ideas. I guess I'm the type of person that drama seems to find. Wednesday I left for Commerce, Texas. I flew into Dallas and first I visited with a former student who is doing an internship with American Airlines. I got an insider tour of the pilot and flight attendant training areas, including getting to step inside a flight simulator and see the pool where attendants learn water evacuations. I was thrilled. All this stuff is great background and may be useful in a book someday.

From there I took Chris and his boss to lunch, and then Chris drove me to Commerce, where things went downhill. The Association for Texas Photography Instructors (ATPI) has been using the University Inn successfully for lodging for years, but since last summer the place has undergone a few changes, and not necessarily for the better. New management took over approximately two weeks ago and they have quite a few challenges. The mattresses outside and the trash by the dumpsters should have been a clue that something was amiss. But no, we conference attendees naively believed it would be fine like in previous years. I even reassured Chris, who left shaking his head.

Chris had it right. I wasn’t the only room where the beds were made (but with unclean sheets), the showers came with used soap and shampoos (although new stuff was on the counters) and the roaches came out at night (or in the case of one ATPI attendee, out of her folded towels the next morning). One instructor had a single room, but he didn’t sleep alone as two roaches woke him up when they crawled on his arm to check him out. Even though I’d gotten a new room and new pillows after complaining about the state of my room (and the roach on my door frame), I didn’t sleep well as I had the light on all night.

Needless to say over ten of us checked out the next day, but not without the manager first refusing to refund our unused stay (we were supposed to be there for three nights) until the ATPI director stepped in. The conference itself is held on the Texas A & M Commerce campus and they were wonderful hosts. As for the conference content and instructors, I have never attended a conference where I learned so much and had such a great time doing so. I highly recommend this conference, which will probably be moving hotels next year.

The Holiday Inn itself was nirvana compared to the other hotel; my room spacious and wonderful. The experience became the subject of my convergence journalism project and I even made a video about how great the place was. I remained paranoid, though, and never did unpack my suitcase. I kept it zipped unless I needed something. That was probably a good thing, since Saturday morning, one of those large tree roaches decided to visit and began crawling on the wall opposite my bed. Figuring my room fee covered bug disposal, I called the front desk. Housekeeping came and I’ve never seen anyone pounce so fast--those critters can really move but she was quicker. However, the irony rankled. Could it not have picked someone else’s room, especially after I’d made such a great video on how this hotel was bug free? I guess I wasn’t quite a liar, since in my video I’d stated that at the Holiday Inn at least the bugs die. Of course, housekeeping had to help. I'm sure she thought me quite the sissy, but I hate bug guts and had enough of them Wednesday.

Over breakfast, the Texans began educating me on the different types of roaches (and which ones are good and bad) and stressed you can’t ever totally get rid of them. While I love all these people dearly, I was never quite so happy to see Missouri and my own bed. I’m still quite creeped out, and planning on packing Raid for next Friday night’s hotel stay in Kirksville when I go pick up my daughter. I got the idea from one of the conference attendees who bought a can of Raid at Walmart and sprayed the perimeter of the room and around her entire bed. After a night from hell in the first hotel, she wasn’t taking chances.

So how does this relate to writing? After hearing bug stories since Wednesday (and everyone had them in abundance to share), I’m thinking that a hot sexy exterminator would make an excellent hero. I mean, the Orkin man of the TV commercials doesn’t quite do it for me, but I could give this guy six-pack abs and have him save the day (or maybe the heroine’s century-old house). I’m not sure. I can see the other hotel from hell factoring in somehow as well. While I never quite thought bugs would be characters in a book, after this past week, I’m starting to visualize the possibilities. Maybe that would help exorcise the twitches I’m still having. Or at least justify the paranoia.

Michele

Patience, dear

It’s raspberry season! I love raspberries, especially sprinkled over oatmeal or mixed with yogurt in the morning. To get them, all I do is walk out the back door, turn the corner, and head for the garden. Voila!

I am impatient to cram them into my mouth, and occasionally the berries I pick aren’t as ripe as they could be We all know that unripe berries are sour. Puckery sour. ☹ Thanks to more than a few unpleasantly sour experiences, I have learned to curb my impatience (negative reinforcement, I think the psychologists call it), and wait an extra day or two if the berries aren’t quite red enough. This strategy almost always pays off. ☺

Believe it or not, you can apply this same strategy to novel writing.

A novel (or any piece of writing) needs time to grow, ripen, and mature. Just like berries. Rush to finish and the end results are not the best. It’s ironic that a person as impatient as I am chose a career in novel writing. A craft that requires infinite patience and reworking. I’m embarrassed to admit that once or twice early on, I hurried through writing a book and sent it off before it was quite ready. Thankfully, the editors caught me. I know better now, knowing that through patience and persistence I do my best work.

Until next time and wishing you the patience to do your best work, whatever it is,

Ann Roth
www.annroth.net

Getting Things Done...or Not

I can so relate to what Barbara went through yesterday. It must be the alignment of the planets or today's full moon. Technology has hit me hard, too. Hey, I'll blame anything!

Time can be so hard to find. I understand that to get things done, one must make the time to do them, but when time isn't available, what's next? Skipping sleep? I've tried that, and it just isn't what it's cracked up to be. I just don't do well on two hours of sleep, and no one wants to be around me when that's all I've had. Even me.

I'm not and never have been a person who can live on a rigid schedule. I'm too flighty. Too...Gemini? (There's that planet thing again.) I try, I really do. I get up at the same time every morning, usually have lunch ready about the same time every day for my grandkids, am always happy to see their moms pick them up at night, and then after that... I move from one project to another, sometimes on a whim. Even during the day, I bounce from one project to the next, dodging little interruptions whenever possible.

It keeps life interesting, but it makes life more hectic. I admire those who know what they'll be doing when and follow their schedules with zeal and appreciation of having a handle on their lives. If I could do that, I might find myself reading a book from my ever-growing TBR pile. And I do so love to read! I might find myself watching a movie I've been longing to see--a movie I bought six months or more ago and never found the time to sit down, veg out, and enjoy.

But projects and ideas come at me like arrows, zinging me from all directions. It seems my mind is never still, always thinking of this thing or that, jumping from one idea to another. At this stage in life, I'd say it's getting too late to change. I've tried. And then I slip back into my old and comfortable (sometimes) ways of doing what comes naturally. I guess I've made it this far, so maybe it won't hurt if I just keep on keeping on. Things that really need to be done do get done. It's those extras that I wish I could squeeze in to fit. Right now, that means I'm going to go read another chapter, maybe finishing the book before the weekend, when I'm sure I'll find something (many things?) to keep me more than busy.

I hope your weekend is a great one! I'll do everything I can to make mine the same. :)

It's a conspiracy

Honestly and truly, I have no idea why technology plots against me. Nine times out of ten, when I'm doing anything connected to computers, I have issues.

This time, it was loading a new program onto my computer. Piece of cake, you think? Any techno-dummy can handle it, right? All you have to do is stick in the CD and follow the prompts.

NOT!

I put in the CD.... Things moved along for a while.... Then a new file began loading...and loading...and loading.... And never stopped.

Called Tech Support. Got cut off. They called me back. Got cut off again.

Can you feel the frustration building? LOL

On my own again, tried rebooting the computer. Attempted re-clicking the CD. Went through the cycle of start, stop, start again, stop again--and at last, success!

Finally finished installing the program.

The program that should have taken...oh, approximately thirty minutes to load. And actually took four hours-plus.

So, I ask you:

Do things like this happen to you, too, or is it *really* a conspiracy? ;-))


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Family Cook-Off

My mother was a fabulous cook and I swear she made the best gravy in the world. I wasn't much of a meat eater--still am not, but I ate a ton of mashed potatoes drowned in gravy when my mother cooked a pot roast. It wasn't until I married and she gave me a collection of her own recipes that I realized how inept I was in the kitchen. There are so many little tricks of the trade when it comes to cooking--like browning the roast in butter and onions until it's burnt on all sides before you put it into the oven to bake--how was I to know that was my mother's secret for making great gravy?

This week my younger sister is here visiting from San Antonio and my father from Wisconsin. Both are excellent cooks. I don't have many memories of my father cooking when I was younger, but once he retired he took an interest in creating his own recipes. So this week at my house we launched a cook-off. Me, my sister and father all love tuna fish casserole. My husband almost gets sick on the smell of it baking in the oven and neither of my kids will touch it. So when my father and sister are around, we three treat ourselves to a little comfort food.

Our cook-off challenge was creating a Tuna Fish Casserole recipe to-die for. Well, as you can imagine, most of mine found its way into the garbage disposal. My sister' was pretty tasty, but my father's recipe won hands down. We even made an extra batch to freeze. So for those of you who also love an old fashioned tuna fish casserole you'll have to try my dad's recipe. And be warned…it doesn't taste as good if you substitute low fat ingredients--this tastes best using full-fat everything!

Tuna Casserole

2 cans Albacore tuna
1 Package egg noodles
1 Med White Onion fried in butter with seasoning salt, lemon pepper
1-Lemon juice (4-5 Tablespoons)
1 small can Durkee French onions
1-Large package Sharp cheddar cheese
1-small sour cream
1-can 15 oz Lesueur Early peas (Silver can)
16 oz Whipping cream
1 Can cream of mushroom soup

Cook noodles and rinse, then mix all ingredients. Top with crushed Durkee French Onions and a few squirts of lemon juice, then bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes

Happy Cooking!

Marin
A Coal Miner's Wife *Hearts of Appalachia*August 2008
The Cowboy and the Angel Nov 2008
http://www.marinthomas.com/

My catless garden

This is my first summer in many years of gardening without a cat.

Wait, you may ask. What does a cat have to do with a garden?

Let’s back up. In December, Blue, the stray cat we’d adopted eight years ago, died of cancer. Losing a pet, as most of you know, is wrenching, and I felt his absence in many ways.

No furry gray face outside the French doors in the morning. No nonverbal questions meowed when I arrived home after an outing. No soft, purring body on my lap in front of the TV (unless you count my husband, but he doesn’t exactly purr).

Then there’s the garden.

Our standing joke, each spring when my husband fired up the rotary tiller, was that our cat thanked us for remodeling his bathroom. While Blue made himself scarce during the noisy part, he always reappeared to poke his nose into my activities when I began planting.

Many times, I had to lift and move his curious, attention-seeking self out of the way. Whenever I stood up for a few minutes, I invariably returned to find him curled on my kneeling pad. And, after planting, I learned to arrange old wire tomatoes cages across the freshly turned earth to prevent him from digging up what I’d so lovingly buried.

Once the tomatoes and zucchini sprouted, Blue went on patrol. He might not be big enough to tackle a possum or a raccoon, but we never had to worry about invading rodents.

This summer, for the first time in memory, there’s a squirrel hanging around our yard. I have nothing against squirrels per se, but in the last few days I’ve started finding a tomato here and there, laid out on the patio with a bite missing.

Call me stingy, but I’m not keen on sharing my produce with animals. It’s a daily scramble to pick every tomato that’s even faintly pink so it won’t attract unwanted attention.

As for stray cats to pick up the slack, they seem in short supply these days. While I realize most people would consider that a good thing, I could use a little help around here.

Still, I balk at importing a cat. These days, the received wisdom holds that cats belong indoors, and I don’t want an indoor cat. So I bide my time until one shows up who’s already proved he knows how to survive in the great outdoors.

Who knows? He might turn up any day now.

July Old-Timer Interview

Good morning! All of us Harlequin American authors are trying something new, which we hope will be fun for YOU--our readers--who are the most important part of our line!! (This pic is of Daughter and I.)



Twice a month, we'll be posting author interviews. One from a Newbie to the line, and another from an Old-Timer, which this month, happens to be me! Marin Thomas thought of these fun questions, so here we go:


1. When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?


How embarrassing!! But truthfully, I thought good Lord, I need a haircut and a diet--STAT!!!LOL!!!

2. Do you re-read your books once they're in print?


Never!! Who has time??


3. Did you ever eat paste or Elmer's glue when you were a kid?


Nope, but I did eat the plastic banana off of a stuffed monkey!! I display him proudly in my entry hall!! Also, I have a vague recollection of eating a few dog biscuits!!


4. What do you want to know about the future?


Will we ever fly to work? Do Bigfoot and UFOs exist? Atlantis? (Can you tell I'm a frustrated paranormal writer wannabe?) Most importantly, I want magic fat pills and exercise pills and anti-cellulite pills and oh yeah, world peace!!!


5. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke?


Absolutely! Pepsi is sweeter. I prefer it, but for some warped reason think Coke is somehow cooler. Go figure.


6. If you were stranded on a deserted island, what kind of hero would you want with you? A cowboy, a Viking warrior, a CEO, a forensics investigator, a chef, or an accountant? Why?


This is HARD!! (Get your minds out of the gutter!! I'm not talking about all of those hard chests and abs!! LOL!! I'm seriously torn on this one. First inclination is the CEO, because he'd have the big bucks for folks to be out looking for him. But cowboys are resourceful guys. Real big on practical, common sense knowledge that would be important for island living. Oh--and when it gets too hot, I could borrow his hat!!


7. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be.


Some biggees, would be deaths. My husband's father died way too young, so I'd for sure erase that. I miss Grandma and Grandpa, so they're coming back, too. There are a few real estate moves I'd have skipped, and a few mean people I'd have preferred to never have met.


8. What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?


LOL!! Please refer to question 3!! I think I ate chocolate-covered ants once. I can't even remember where. On a trip to the East Coast--maybe Maine--we ate smoked eel. It was actually pretty good.


9. How long have you been published?


In book form, since my twins were five. They turn sixteen this week--ARRGGHH--so I guess that makes eleven years. I sold quite a few magazine articles and stories before that.


10. Describe your writing space.


I used to write in a great office, but Son #3 is addicted to World of Warcraft, and the only computer in the house powerful enough to run it is the one in my office. Meaning, I'm usually on a comfy chair in the living room, using my laptop. I write better on my laptop, so I don't mind. My office is a gorgeous jungle green color, with white trim and piles of junk waiting to be organized!!


11. What advice would you give a writer just starting out?


Initially, figure out what line you want to write for and target it. Meet the editors, read the books, etc. I think early on, I had too much of an "I'll write what anyone wants to buy" attitude. While Harlequin American was the first line I ever submitted to, upon my first rejection, I gave up and tried elsewhere. Finally, it clicked that just because one book/idea didn't work, that didn't mean I couldn't try another and another and another!!


12. What comes first--the plot or the characters?


Characters. Because of them, my plots are constantly changing.


13. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?


My new contract brings me up to 31 books!! My favorite would have to be Saving Joe, which actually is one of my all-time worst sellers.


14. What are you reading now?


This is so sad, but the only thing I've read all summer are art books, art lesson plans, art websites, classroom management tips, etc. I know, yawn, yawn. I'm alternately thrilled and scared to death about my new job!!


15. Are you working on anything at present you'd like to share?


I'm in the home stretch of a book due August 5th!! ARGH!!! My working title is Baby Brigade, which I just heard is changing, and I'm not at all happy about it!! LOL!! It's about a Marine who has a one night stand appear with twins she says are his. He hires a nanny and mayhem and lust ensue!! Just kidding, it's actually turning out to be a much heavier, richer story than I'd first intended. The heroine lost her baby to SIDs, and her ex-husband blamed her for the infant's death. Ema's in a rough emotional place, but Jace,being a Marine, is coming to her rescue!!!


There you have it. Everything you didn't want to know about me!! LOL!! Seriously, let us know what you like/don't like about our interview questions. We're a work in progress around here!!

Have a happy Monday!! ;-)

Being Superwoman

If you are reading this on Saturday AM, I am in Houston, Texas, presenting to the West Houston Romance Writers of America. I'm doing a workshop on finding your inner superwoman, which includes a lot of introspection, prioritizing and goal setting. It's an up/back trip, and then I'll be flying to Dallas on Wednesday for a multi-media workshop.

I realized something this year. I had a lot of my priorities out of balance. For the past two years, writing has taken top billing over everything. I wrote six books in 18 months. I am only writing 2 this year, and I have 80 pages left to do (it's due August 1). I'm a bit of a last-minuter.

There's a lot on my plate right now. I'm joining a new church. I've given up my boyfriend of 7 years--I simply couldn't get him scheduled in and it wasn't really going anywhere anyway. We're still friends. My daughter is away at a gifted camp for kids--and she may skip the entire eighth grade and go straight into high school. I took over the school newspaper, adding to my teaching duties. I also added a weekly meeting with a personal trainer to my schedule.

I also teach full time. I go back to work July 29 and my first day with kids is Aug. 11. So I go non-stop, and this is the focus of my talk. What are your priorities, what are your goals, and how often do your goals get sideswiped by your priorities, and what you can do about it.

So I invite you to be a part of my workshop. Here are two of the eight activities the group is going to do:
Make a list of the top five things in your life with number one the most important and number five the lesser of the five. If you can, make a list of six through ten.
What is important to you? This is your mission. This is what you are about.

Next make a list of your personal strengths. Start the sentences with I am good at… I can…. People look up to me because… The key here is to realize how truly awesome you are. As my personal trainer says, you don't focus on what you can't do, but your strengths.

Michele

It takes a village

Every year during July, two events consume all of my attention. The first is the Tour de France. Since my husband and I are both cyclists (well, me not so much lately!) we’ve been obsessed with this grueling bike race for the last six or seven years. What I love about the Tour is that, to win, it’s not enough to be fast. You have to have skills in all aspects of road racing—time trailing, sprinting and climbing mountains. You have to be tough and resilient. That means three weeks of hours in the saddle, no matter the weather. You have to stay healthy. One bad day is enough to ruin your time. You have to be attentive riding inches from other riders and hurtling down mountains at 50 m.p.h., so you don’t crash.

But even heroic individual effort isn’t enough. You have to have a team, and you all have to be willing to work together, help each other get over the mountains or lead out a sprinter or travel back to the team car to get water bottles.

I guess the Tour is a lot like writing! Great writing alone isn’t enough to build a career. You have to have many skills—plotting, characters, a compelling voice, and being in tune with the market. You have to be consistent (which means writing every day even when you don’t feel like it). You have to be able to market your work.

And there’s the teamwork. I wouldn’t have sold any books without the help of my critique group, my agent, the RWA, the various editors I’ve worked with, my family, the people who print the books, distribute them, sell them, buy them. No one does it alone!

Oh, the second July event that consumes me? The RWA conference, which is sort of like our Grand Tour. It’s always fun to see who wins our “yellow jersey,” the Rita and Golden Heart awards.

PLEASE NOTE: I’m hosting a contest this month with fellow American author Victoria Chancellor. To enter, visit my website (www.karalennox.com) and click on the contest button. We’re giving away some nice prizes.

ALSO PLEASE NOTE: I haven’t received an email from the blog prize winner of last month. My e-mail server has been randomly sending emails to the trash without my ever seeing them, so please try again! Karalennox [at] yahoo.com

Summer Vacation

When I was a child, summer vacation consisted of piling into the car for a long, hot drive to Mississippi or North Carolina to visit relatives. I always looked forward to those trips, not only because I'd get to see my grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, but because I'd get to see new scenery and places along the way.

This summer, with high gas prices and the increased hassles of flying, we're sticking closer to home. (Except for a trip to San Francisco at the end of the month for the Romance Writers of American conference -- we're getting there by train.)

If I can't physically travel somewhere, the next best thing for me is to read a book that will transport me to that place. My question for you today is -- if you could go anywhere on vacation this summer -- where would it be?

Since this is Harlequin American, let's keep the locales in America. Bonus points if you can match your destination with an American book. I'll go first:

Alaska. -- I've always wanted to visit our largest state.

Montana -- I love the west and can't wait to visit Big Sky Country. American has had a lot of great stories set in Montana. I loved Charlotte Maclay's Montana-set books.

Vermont -- The northeast is gorgeous, especially in the fall. I have fond memories of Anne Stuart's American romances set in Crescent Cove, Vermont. Right now, I'm really looking forward to new American author Liz Daly's trilogy set in Vermont, out (we hope) next year.

Boston -- a great, historic city -- Penny McCusker's Emmy and the Boss is a fun story set in Boston.

Washington State -- another beautiful place in a country filled with beautiful places. Ann Roth's The Pilot's Woman is a terrific way to visit this fascinating locale.

North Carolina -- I haven't been back to visit since I was 14. I'd love to go again. Lynette Kent's Smoky Mountain Reunion, out this month, is at the top of my TBR list for my vicarious visit back to my mom's home state.

Now it's your turn? Where do you want to visit -- and what books will take you there?

Interview

I get to be the first author interviewed! (Get some caffeine.)

Q: How did you make your first sale?

A: I sent a partial (3 chapters and a synopsis of the rest of the book) to the Senior Editor, Kathleen Scheibling, in response to a "call for new Harlequin American authors" piece in Romantic Times magazine. She requested the complete, then bought it! I got lucky with the timing. The line had been "revamped" and finally my voice fit.

Q: If you had to pick one word to describe your writing, what would it be?

A: I'm a writer--I can't possibly pick ONE word! LOL I have many words for the writing process, depending on how it's going, :) but I'd hope the end result is "heart-warming." If I could have another word, I'd add "fun" because families and life are both.

Q: Tell us a little about your family and where you're from.

A: I have a wonderfully supportive husband and two great kids. We live near St. Louis, MO, and love to travel. Growing up the youngest of five children gave me lots of inspiration for escapism! :) My brother gave me his GI Joe action figure when he grew out of playing with it. Joe promptly starred in all my play stories with Barbie. When I first saw Ken, I thought, "No way." That Barbie knew a good provider for her little girls when she saw him!

Q: Tell us about your book.

A: I'm really lucky to have had two books out this year. The Fake Fiancee comes out tomorrow. :) I'm thrilled to have this book accepted for publication because the mom in the story gives her all for her kids. It's nice every once in a while to remember the sacrifices moms make, which we sometimes don't even know about. Of course, the heroine's sacrifice leads her to the man she'll come to love, but even moms deserve a treat! Joe Riley needs to tread carefully with his matchmaking mom until he's reassured of her recovery from a heart attack. Caterer Lisa Meyer agrees to pretend to be his fiancée in order to earn money for a special program for her son. Joe discovers parenting is nothing like heading up a company. It's way more work! So it'll stay strictly business for Joe and Lisa--unless love can find a way.

Marrying the Boss came out last April, but it's still available online. Mark Collins is driven to prove his worth to the powerful Chicago family that adopted him so long ago. But in order to earn his place, he has to win control of the family company in a contest with his late grandfather’s illegitimate daughter. Leanne Fairbanks, a savvy competitor with her own axe to grind, yearns to show the family what they missed by ignoring her all her life. This Apprentice-like showdown is soon overshadowed by the competitors’ interest in another prize—each other.

Q: What is your writing routine?

A: Ouch. I was hoping to skip this question. ;) I'm a deadline junkie (aka a procrastinator) so I barricade myself in my office when my deadline nears. I'd like to plot; it would make my life easier. But I've tried, and I get bored with a story if I know what happens, then I don't finish it. I start with a character or an incident, then plunge blindly ahead until I type THE END. Sometimes I have a vague idea or two for scenes, and I use them as guideposts. A couple of times, I've had the last line of the book figured out, which is very exciting. In Marrying the Boss, I typed that line, but the story didn't feel complete and wound up with an epilogue, which was more satisfying an ending. Here's the last line I've envisioned for my current work: "He grinned." I hope I'm not giving too much away. ;)

Q: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

A: Finishing Marrying the Boss was a whirlwind! Kathleen had requested the complete, and I just felt this was my last chance. Great motivation. But I started The Fake Fiancee sometime in the last century :0 and even though I only had three chapters to finish, I had a hard time getting to THE END. While stalled on this ms, I hit a "block" where I couldn't complete anything else. The "people" in my head left. One day about six years into this period, they just "came back." Marrying the Boss was the first ms I'd finished in years! So when it came time to propose a second one, I sent The Fake Fiancee, thinking if my editor bought it, I'd have to finish it. And I did.

Q: How long have you been writing? and What did you want to be when you grew up?

A: At seventeen, I knew I wanted to write category romance, but it wasn't until after the birth of my second child that I made the time. My first contest/conference/editor pitch/rejection was 14 years ago. That was the year I found our local RWA chapter.

Q: What got you interested in writing?

A: Reading books that didn't satisfy me. Long, long ago, when I was a young girl, the heroes were all alpha jerks. Honestly. A "hero" would treat the heroine like a doormat then declare his love at the end, as though she should have known all along. I got so frustrated, those books hit the wall. I thought, "I can write a better story." And while I can't claim mine are better, the endings are much more satisfying.

Q: Why did you target the American Romance Line?

A: My stories involve families and normal, everyday people. Marrying the Boss is the only story I've written without kids in it--and the mothers took over the scenes instead. American is the line that most closely fits my voice--heart, home, and family. I love to read them, and now I'm having a wonderful time writing them.

Thanks for interviewing me. I hope it wasn't too boring. I'll be doing some booksigning this month; please check out my website for the list. megankellybooks.com

Megan Kelly

Impressionists

From time to time we writers need to stop working and take time to fill our creative wells. A favorite way for me to do this is to spend an afternoon at a museum. Studying the art and artifacts, learning about artists and their mediums is always inspiring and replenishes my creative well in ways I can’t explain.

I’m amazed at the similarities between painting and writing. Each artist paints their own vision in their own unique way. (In writing, we call that uniqueness the writer’s voice.) Time and again, painters from times past broke with convention to create their visions. Despite criticism and sometimes ostracism their works withstood time and are as breathtaking and evocative as they were several hundred years ago. These courageous artists paved the way for other artists to break with tradition, unleashing all kinds of new schools and techniques. There are many examples of writers also breaking with tradition.

Whether I spend an hour or four in a museum, I return to my own work alive and refreshed. Not immediately following, as all that amazing mental stimulation leaves me brain dead. But after a good night’s sleep, my creative juices overflow.

Happily for me, here is Seattle our newly refurbished Seattle Art Museum is hosting an impressive art exhibit of Impressionist painters. And I do mean impressive. The colors, the various styles, the techniques. The artists themselves. Amazing stuff. My husband and I have been once and plan to go back several times.

For now, my well is lovely and full.
Readers and writers alike- how do you refill your creative wells?


Until next time and wishing you a well filled with creativity and joy,
Ann Roth
www.annroth.net

The Red, White, and Blue Game

First of all, I'd like to thank all our readers for their responses to my Father's Day blog (posted on June 17). I'm glad my memory of my dad helped trigger so many pictures from your past, too.

~~~

Here we are at another special day, the Fourth of July, a holiday that I'm sure is setting off many memories of its own--remembrances of cookouts with hotdogs and hamburgers; parades and fireworks; and flags flying high and snapping in the breeze, proudly flaunting their stars and stripes in red, white, and blue.

What comes to mind when you see those three colors?

You think for a minute about your choices; meanwhile, I'll tell you mine.


Red ~ fresh, juicy, ripe strawberries--especially since I'm being more careful about eating well and have discovered how much I love them.

White ~ diamonds! How could I leave them off the list--you know they're a girl's best friend! (grin)

Blue ~ a newborn baby's eyes, so innocent and clear.


Those are three favorite items that come to me when I think about red, white, and blue.

Now, how about you?


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Happy Almost-Fourth of July!

Independence Day has a lot of good memories for me. Growing up in Houston, my father would host a big party every Fourth. Lots of his work and other friends would come to our ranch for the day. We’d have barbecue brisket, watermelon, potato salad, and all the usual fixings. My absolute favorite Fourth of July treat was pecan pie. There was something about tasting that first bite of pie at the end of a hot day that was just about perfect.

I think my dad’s last party was in 1998, so those parties are long gone. Since I love having things to look forward to, I usually have a little trip planned. Last year we went to West Virginia and went white water rafting. For a few years before that, we drove to Chicago and stayed downtown. When we lived out west, we used to drive to Lake Powell or Las Vegas.

But this year, we’re staying home. My son, who’s about to be a senior in high school (how did that happen?!) is going on a school trip to Europe on Saturday. So I’ll be packing him up and making fried chicken and apple pie (his Fourth of July favorites!).

Although I've tried my best, not all our Fourths have been fabulous. The worst was about six years ago. We were in Chicago with my sister-in-law and her family. A restaurant served my daughter their ‘special’ chocolate ice cream. Their ‘secret’ ingredient was peanut butter-which she is very allergic to! After two bites, her tongue started swelling up, and I was hailing a cab to the hospital. I watched the fireworks over Lake Michigan from a window next to my daughter’s bed in our hotel room.

One of our best holidays was two years ago. We met another family in Colorado and watched fireworks from the banks of Grand Lake outside Winter Park. It was a little chilly out, which felt great after a hot day hiking in the mountains. We sipped hot chocolate, piled on the blankets, and oohed and aahed over a batch of fireworks that looked so close we were sure we could reach out and touch them, if we really tried.

So,what makes the fourth special for y’all? Staying home, going to your parents’ place? Taking a vacation? Brisket, fried chicken, hot dogs?

No matter how you celebrate things, I hope everyone has a wonderful day, and happy Fourth of July!

Shelley

June winner!

This month's winner is Ivette!!!!!! Congratulations!!! To get your free, autographed books, please contact Kara Lennox and Victoria Chancellor through their websites.

Tell all your friends to visit us. To win, simply comment and your name is entered in our drawing.

Exciting Change

We are thrilled to announce that starting next month we will go indepth with two author interviews per month.

We will start in July with Megan Kelly, whose second book debuts. July will also feature the wonderful Laura Marie Altom. Look for Ann Roth and Lisa Childs in August.

Have a wonderful end of June (summer is going way too fast).

Michele

Author Road Trip

Romance authors know how to do a road trip better than anybody. Two of my critique partners and I recently proved that. Last Thursday we all desperately needed to get out of town. So we set a destination for historic Waxahachie, intent on doing a bit of antiquing and sharing lunch, perhaps at a tea room.

My partners in crime were Victoria Chancellor (fellow American author who also blogs here) and Silhouette author Rebecca Russell. And here are the reasons we are day trippers extraordinaire:

1. The schedule. We plan to leave at ten, but if we meet up at ten-thirty and spend twenty minutes trying to find some place to leave my car where it won't get stripped down to the chassis, that's okay. No one in this group worried about the time. The only thing we cared about was that we were getting the heck outta Dodge.

2. The car. We didn't just have an SUV, we had an Escalade. (I don't want to think about what the gas cost!) The Escalade had On-Star, which is GREAT for when you get lost. Which brings me to:

3. The route. We had all been to Waxahachie before. It's only about 35 miles south of Dallas. We didn't need no stinkin' map. We all knew to exit at the billboard. However, due to construction, the billboard was gone and we overshot our exit by, oh, another thirty miles. (Yes, we were talking.) In fact, we ended up in Hillsboro, another historic town with a cool courthouse. Did we care? Heck no.

4. The food. We found ourselves a funky diner on the town square (not exactly a tea room). We did not count carbs or fat grams. We used real sugar in our tea. (Strangely, they didn't offer "sweet tea," usually a staple in small southern towns.)

5. The shopping. We spent the next hour or so combing through an un-air-conditioned antique mall, ferreting out things we remembered from childhood and even bringing a few home with us.

6. The food again. Shopping burns a lot of calories, so we found ourselves a Starbucks on the highway and indulged in mochachinos.

7. The shopping again. If we'd gone straight home, we'd have hit I-35 in rush hour. No one does that on purpose. So we doubled back and hit Waxahachie after all. We took the requisite pictures in front of the courthouse (that's Victoria, left, and me. Rebecca took the picture.) We found an awesome scrapbooking store--all of us are crazy about paper. Must be a writing thing. Then more antiques.

Finally, exhausted, we headed home with our flea-market treasures and more bits of small-town trivia to add to our research arsenals. Don't be surprised if you see bits and pieces of this trip showing up in our future books!