Author Interview--C.C. Coburn

Please Welcome C.C. Coburn--a new Author to the Harlequin American Line. Her first book, Colorado Christmas will hit store shelves November 2009.

How did you make your first sale?

I pitched to Paula Eykelhof at a Romance Writers of Australia conference in 2006.

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

I have 3 kids, 3 cats, 1 husband and a yellow Lab. I live most of the year on Australia’s sun-drenched Gold Coast. But I spend about 5 months a year in Colorado, partly researching my books, and partly escaping from my children.
But I miss my Lab when I’m in the States.

Tell us about your book.

Colorado Christmas is set in a small, but quirky Rocky mountain township. It features an uptight lady judge, a naughty pig, a lovesick dog, a kid who wants a dad, an Aztec red Cadillac series 62 complete with tail fins of extra-ordinary proportions, Christmas trees, a lot of snow and a hero to die for.

If you could be lazy for an entire day what would you do?

Read, of course. The paradox of being a writer is, not having enough time to read.
However, If I could be lazy for a whole day with an unlimited budget, then I’d probably have a 3 hour massage and facial, followed by lunch at the Sheraton Mirage, followed by another 3 hour massage, after which I’d be chauffeur driven home, ‘cos I sure as heck wouldn’t be in any state to drive!

What is your strangest habit?

I bite my fingernails, but I’m completing a 12 point program to cure me. However, I don’t consider nail-biting all that strange. Doesn’t everyone do it?

What is one thing scientists should invent?

Long life light bulbs that really are long life. That’s the biggest con of the new millennium IMHO.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I can’t remember. All I ever do is write.
What I’d like to have more time to do is travel. I love driving my poor husband crazy planning trips to exotic places – or even mundane ones. Fortunately he’s very tolerant.

What is your writing routine?

As I work til late at night, I don’t get up till around 8 or 9am. I watch morning tv, catch up on the news or a recorded program from the night before, and then open my computer around 10am. I then procrastinate answering emails. However, if I’m really into a story I can’t wait to get back to it. When it’s flowing, I can write about 1500 words an hour. I don’t set specific targets for a day. Mostly I write late at night because the house is quiet and no-one’s going to come in demanding what’s for dinner, where their jeans are, where they left their uni books, keys, wallet, brain…

If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

Peace and quiet. That’s my standard answer when the kids ask me what I want for my birthday or Mother’s Day. So far, I haven’t achieved it. Or were you wanting me to answer something more altruistic (and equally unachievable)—like World Peace?

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The revisions. Writing is fun, creating characters and settings is so… creative. Having to actually get organized, be disciplined, is anathema to my Sagittarian nature.

What inspired you to write your first published book?

I’d been skiing in Colorado a few times and just loved the small town we stayed in. I thought: I should set a book here. Now, what will it be about?

How long have you been writing?

About 20 years. I started writing when my doctor told me to put my feet up for six weeks after I broke my foot. I was about 25 months pregnant at the time (seriously, have you ever had a baby? It takes forever). So I started working on an action/adventure story that had been playing around in my mind for years. Six weeks later, I’d completed a 100,000 word manuscript, had a new baby and a thirst to write more.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An architect. Unfortunately I’m completely stupid when it comes to Maths and Physics, so that put the kybosh on that.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure, what did other people say? I want to be more interesting than them.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m not even sure I considered myself a writer when I got The Call. It became real around the time I saw my book listed on Amazon.

What's your favorite dessert?

Pavlova. It’s an Aussie invention and a hotly fought-over dessert item. Some to create the perfect pav. Others to demolish it as quickly as possible. It’s one of those win/win desserts in my opinion. This miraculous concoction only has 3 or 4 ingredients (plus whipped cream and fruit of your choice.) However, I’d advise adding a dessertspoon of white vinegar to the mix.

My other favorite is Sticky Date Pudding. Yummy with lots of caramel sauce and ice cream!

If you were stranded on an island for a month and could bring three things along what would they be?

My bed. A solar powered laptop with separate mouse and keyboard. And I’m tossing up between my husband and my Lab. My heart says my Lab. My head says my husband. Dogs can’t climb trees to fetch coconuts…

Why did you target the American Romance Line?

I love reading and writing heart-warming stories about real people who conquer their fears and conflicts through love. Plus, that’s where Paula Eykelhof told me I fit.

Do you have any talents readers might find interesting?

I can ski and scuba dive. I don’t have any talents of an intellectual nature, like play music by ear or anything. Sorry about that.

What were you doing at midnight last night?

Writing. What else?

Are you a cat or dog person?

I have 3 cats and a dog, so I’d offend the other animals if I chose. I love the independence of cats. If they want to be your friend, they will be. If they’re having a bad day and feel like taking it out on you, they will. Dogs love you unconditionally.

Describe your ideal dream date.

One that didn’t include my children.

If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with the money?

Give each of my kids 200K so they’d move into their own places. Seriously! I love them to bits, but it’s time for them to leave the nest. I’d give 100K to an animal charity. 100K to research childhood illnesses and diseases. Like I said, I’m not good at Maths. Does that leave anything for me? If so, then I’d invest it in something that paid high interest (naturally with no risk) so I could use the money for other Good Deeds such as sponsoring some more children in Africa, and traveling.

BTW, I just realized that if someone gave me the money, I’d have to pay tax on it and then there wouldn’t be enough to get rid of…I mean, buy my kids places of their own. However, if I won it in a lottery, that would be heaps better, because in Australia, lottery wins aren’t taxed. So can we rephrase the question?

~~~

Thanks for stopping by! For a chance to win a copy of Colorado Christmas, please leave a comment. I'll post the winner's name at the end of the day.

C.C.

Back to school!!!

As usual, I am running behind on posting my blog – but as a reward for your patience, I’ll pick a winner from the comments and send you an autographed set of The Citizens Police Academy series. The third book, ONCE A COP, is out this month!

This month I have an excuse for running behind – it’s that whole struggle of getting back into the routine of school mornings. YAY – the kids are back in school! Of course that somehow translates into homework for me – all those papers parents are supposed to thoroughly read and sign. My children know me so well that they just show me the line for my signature.

Yesterday was their first day back. Unlike the moms I envy who have those mimosa parties to celebrate the kids’ return to school, I celebrated by writing with no distractions. (Well, other than the cat and dog who were bored with no kids home.) Being able to focus only on my book was wonderful and reminded me how much I LOVE to write. Sometimes, when I’m juggling deadlines with demanding teenagers, I forget that writing is so much more than a job to me.

Sharing my stories with readers was a dream I’ve had since I was much younger than my girls are now. Even now, with my eighteenth book out this month, it’s hard to believe the dream I had for so long finally came true. So last night, as I rushed around the grocery store buying stuff for lunches (don’t ask what they took yesterday) I stopped in the book section and stared in awe at my book – with that gorgeous cover – on the shelves among all those other books.

And I realized that I’ve probably taught my kids a more valuable lesson than anything they’re going to learn in their classes this year. I’ve taught them to never give up on their dreams -- that they do come true!

Happy Reading & Writing!

Lisa

Something to worry about...

Like Megan I was searching for something to blog about. All I had to do was look out my window. I live in Texas and we’re experiencing the worse drought in years. It hasn’t rained in months. The grass is brown, the ground cracked and trees are dying because of lack of water. Lakes, rivers and ponds are dangerously low. We live on a lake and I took this picture yesterday. Normally we can only see the tip of that old tree. That’s how low our lake is, but the turtles love to sun on it.

I can’t do anything about the weather, so I worry.

My family is in the ranching business and, oh, did I mention we need rain. My nephew couldn’t figure out why the protein blocks, salt and minerals he put out for the cattle weren’t lasting as long as they should. He took this picture and caught the culprits. Animals are hungry and eating anything they can find.

A flock of Canada geese arrive on our lake in the spring and stay through the summer. They leave in the fall, but they always return. Lately a bobcat has taken to making the geese his nightly meal. A neighbor shot at him (we’re out of the city limits) as he was dragging a tame goose away (they can’t fly). He missed and there’s just one tame goose left. Now the bobcat has started in on the Canada geese. They can fly so they’re not easy prey, unless he catches them sleeping, as he must have done with this goose. Her wing is broken and now she can’t fly. When the geese leave, she’ll be stuck here (I call it a she. I have no clue what it is and my husband can’t get close enough to even think of checking.). We keep a close eye on her, but at night she’s at the mercy of whatever is out there. Yes, I worry about the goose and make sure she has plenty of food. I check every morning to see if she’s still there. I’ll be very upset when she isn’t.

This past weekend my husband went out to west Texas with some of his friends to a hunting lease. He took this picture the next morning. They were sleeping twelve feet away. Who knew a rattlesnake could climb a wire fence. He’s hungry, too. But this one I won’t worry about.

I have to admit I’m a natural born worrier. I just can’t help it. How about you?

Linda
http://www.lindawarren.net/
Madison’s Children - Oct 2009 SuperRomance
P.S. – Does anyone know how to tell a male Canada goose from a female? (Beside the obvious)

How Can I Follow These?!

Hey, Megan here. (I hate to scroll down before I read the posts, so I'll let you know up front it's me.) I've been reading the posts this month and am simply stumped. We've had the miracle of Jacqueline's family surviving being hit by a car; the sharing of fun with Shelley and Julia; and Ann's lovely daughter's wedding.



What could I possibly write about that would be as inspiring, interesting, or lovely?



....um...



Then Friday, I was handed the answer. My friend got THE CALL!



Okay, some might argue it's not miraculous (although MY sale certainly was! lol). But it's certainly fun, and inspiring, and lovely. She's a wonderful person, serves on our RWA chapter's board, is a firm friend, and obviously a good writer who works at her craft.



And she sold to Silhouette Special Edition so she's part of the Harlequin family now too. :)



By the time I post next month, I'll have a new great-nephew from my niece who doubted she'd be able to have a baby, and I'll have presented another talk, this time in Chicago. (If you remember my agony in June as I prepared to talk at Nat'l, you'll wonder if I'm just crazy to have agreed to do this again. I don't blame you. I wonder, too.) Since I checked in with y'all last month, I've been to two weddings, met some really nice people, got "adopted" into my new nephew's family by his mom and godmother, and finished a book proposal.



I guess this is just a "life is good" post. I keep knocking on wood, throwing salt over my left shoulder, stepping over cracks and avoiding ladders.

Wishing a wonderful Labor Day to those in the US, and a wonderful day to those in other places.

Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com

A Milestone: Rachael got married

On

Sunday evening, August 30, our daughter, Rachael (a family doc who also delivers babies), married Ben (a cryptographer, which is a person who keeps hackers out of computer systems). That's the happy couple, eating cake. The other photo are bridesmaids. From left to right are Katie, (our youngest), Steph (our middle), Beth and Sophie. I don't have any of my hubby or me yet...

Ben’s father and Rachel’s dad grew up on the same block and have been friends since they were old enough to run down the street and knock on each others’ doors. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine our kids would fall in love. But they did, and both families are over the moon. ☺

Several people at the wedding said, Why don’t you write a story like this! And I replied, If I did, everyone would say, Nah. That could never happen. Too storybook. ☺ Maybe someday I’ll use bits and pieces, and add in lots of emotional baggage and angst. ☺

Rachael and Ben were married in Santa Clara, California, near where they live, which meant most family and friends traveled to be there. That was fun in itself! Not the traveling, but the big gathering. Most family and friends stayed in the same hotel, so we played in the pool and hung out for at least part of every day. Basically, we celebrated for five days, with mani’s and pedi’s for the bride, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, and mother of the groom, among other fun happenings.

The festivities culminated in a big Jewish wedding, complete with dancing, good food and drink, and lots of celebrating. Rachael and Ben love to dance and have taken lessons for a few years. Mostly salsa and Latin stuff, with waltz lessons for a month or so before the wedding. They danced a fancy waltz-like dance, then switched to a sexy salsa–while little, strobe-like stars rained down on them. So beautiful. We were in awe! So were the ages four-seventeen cousins, nieces and nephews, who watched with open mouths and dazed expressions.

I’m still floating.

Thanks for letting me share, and wishing you joyous family occasions,
Ann
www.annroth.net

Recipe of the month

Salad with apples and walnuts

1 to 1 ½ pounds cut-up lettuce or salad mix (can also use spinach leaves)
2 apples, thin sliced and cut in finger-widths
1 cup walnut pieces
about ½ large red onion, thin-sliced and then cut in half (optional)

Mix together and toss with salad:
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons garlic salt (or 1 teaspoon salt and 1 minced garlic clove)

From:
Jacqueline Diamond
www.jacquelinediamond.com
Doctor Daddy, HAR, September

Shelley And Julia

I’m not a great cook. I can bake well, and have been known to bake way too much during times of stress…but as far as sautéing, braising, poaching, etc~it’s always kind of been beyond me.

That’s not to say I’ve been happy about that.

I collect cookbooks, read them at night like they're See's chocolates, and often go to sleep thinking about making a really great dinner. Sometimes I’ve experimented with my family. Actually, I’ve done this a lot. My kids used to grade me…as in, Mom, I’d give tonight’s dinner a C.

Gee. Thanks.

Anyway, a few years ago I picked up Julie Powell’s book, Julie and Julia and read it one rainy Sunday afternoon. I absolutely loved it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the book, it follows Julie’s quest to make all of Julia Child’s recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking during one year. I loved Julie’s traumas with lobsters and her renewed fascination with butter. This past month, I went to see the movie, Julie and Julia. It was a delight!
Seeing that movie inspired me again. I went out and paid too much for a fancy pot, picked up one of my Julia Child cookbooks, The Way to Cook…and two Sundays ago made Julia Child’s French Onion Soup. It took me hours. I had to run to the store for brandy. I followed that recipe exactly. And, well, let me just say right here that the results were terrific.

Finally, after years of failed attempts, lots of C-rated soups, and more than a few packs of Alka-Seltzer, I made a terrific pot of soup. I smiled about that for days!

Have I tried anything else lately? Not really. But I’ve left my expensive pot on the stove top, just as a reminder that sometimes practice does make perfect. And that every once in a while, I can still earn an A for dinner.

Has anyone else seen that movie? Or finally made a dish…that after years of failure…turned out beautifully?

Shelley

JULY WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Linda Henderson! You’re the August winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Marin Thomas, Roxann Delaney and Linda Warren through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Easy and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

One small miracle

Six weeks ago, I got the kind of phone call you never want to receive. My niece Jessy and her 23-month-old son Frankie had been hit and run over by a car while crossing the street near their house in Lakewood, California.

They were in a crosswalk when a car came around the corner too fast. The driver, who had not been drinking, said she didn’t see them. Yes, she did stop afterwards.

Frankie’s skull was fractured in four places. He also suffered broken ribs and internal injuries. The car ran over Jessy’s leg but somehow only bruised her.

My husband and I rushed to the hospital. With family members from both sides, we prayed and offered what comfort we could.

A week later, Frankie went home, still hurting but more or less functioning normally. None of us could believe his quick recovery.

On Sunday, we celebrated his second birthday, two weeks late. A large group of friends and relatives gathered to eat and bring presents. Little kids cracked open a piňata. Frankie ran around, and took his turn at the piňata.

Is he changed? Yes. He’s more solemn, and more easily frightened. Doctors plan to keep a close watch on his development. But he seems pretty much back to normal.

As at most family gatherings these days, there were guests who’re out of work, and others struggling with various health and financial issues. But for a few hours we set all that aside and celebrated our own small miracle.

Fabric Wall Art

Here’s a fun and inexpensive project to create a theme for a child’s birthday or holiday party.

Supplies and Equipment
fabric scraps
scissors
a large bowl
a paint brush
towels or a drop cloth

Glue Recipe
4 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
4 cups boiling water

Cut the shapes you want to use from fabric scraps. Smaller cut-outs will be easier to apply than large ones.

To prepare the “glue,” stir 4 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/2 cup of cold water in a large bowl, then pour in 4 cups of boiling water. Let it cool.

Put some old towels or a drop cloth on the floor along the wall to soak up the drips.

Dip the fabric pieces into the starch solution, or paint the solution onto the back of the fabric with a paint brush. You’ll want the fabric to be thoroughly soaked.

Apply the fabric to the wall and use your fingers to smooth out the bubbles. Paint on more starch solution if necessary.

When the party is over, simply peel it off and wash away the “glue” with warm water and a sponge.

This is also a great way to add flare to a child’s bedroom, especially if you live in rental accommodation that doesn’t allow tenants to paint or put up wallpaper.

Have fun!

Lee
http://thewritersideoflife.blogspot.com
http://www.leemckenzie.com

Life's Unexpected Treasures

After months of living in a fairly limbo-like state, my daughters and I are settled in our home in New York...or as settled as we can be when the actual home we're moving to is still about 6 weeks in the distance (and 99 percent of our belongings are in storage). But we're getting closer.

Now, while I don't consider myself a "stuff" person AT ALL, there are some things I'm dying to reclaim from the 10 by 10 storage closet they currently call home...

*My recipe box (along with my crockpot and my favorite pots and pans). It's amazing how much you can look forward to cooking/baking when the opportunities to do so have been few and far between.

*My ankle boots. While I realize it's still flip-flop weather, my favorite pair is almost worn to the ground...making me keenly aware that boot season is right around the corner.

*Framed pictures. Nothing says "home" to me more than pictures of my kids around the house.

*My desktop computer and printer. Although I have my laptop, I miss the scads of files I have on my desktop. And having to run to Staples whenever I need to print something is getting a little old.

*My white standalone shelf unit. Now before you scratch your head on this one, let me explain. When one of my earlier small-press mystery novels sold to Harlequin's Worldwide Mystery a few years back, I used the advance to buy myself some office furniture. Nothing expensive mind you, but stuff that was MINE. One of those things was a standalone shelf. On it, I prop the books I've published (face out, of course), house the spine-out titles of some of my closest friends, and proudly display photographs that mean a lot to me.

And I am counting the days--the days--until I can set this unit up and decorate it from top to bottom once again...

This time with new pictures (I have a great one of my daughters and me from my launch party a few weeks ago) and new books (my first-ever mystery with Penguin's Berkley Prime Crime Line and a special reserved spot for my Harlequin American debut, Kayla's Daddy), and new keepsakes (a collage of notes from my editor highlighting some very cool accomplishments over the past few weeks).

So how about you? What are some possessions you'd miss terribly after months of doing without?

~Laura

Contest Opportunity

Anyone who's talked to me about writing knows I learned a lot about writing while traversing the contest route. If you're aspiring to write category and looking for feedback to improve your writing, here's an opportunity you need to know about. Harlequin American Romance's own Laura Barth is the finalist judge in the Contemporary Category division of the Gateway to the Best contest, sponsored by my home chapter, Missouri RWA (MORWA). Read on to discover what Laura's looking for.

Here's the info you need.

Attention Contemporary Category / Series Romance Writers!

The deadline for the Gateway to the Best Contest is coming up on September 11th!

The final judge of the Contemporary Series category is LAURA BARTH at HARLEQUIN.

This is what LAURA says she's looking for in a contemporary series:

"For me, the most important elements when considering a contemporary series
submission are fit, voice, characterization, conflict and freshness.

"The first thing I look at is whether or not a new submission fits the line
to which it's targeted. ... If the submission is a good fit, I look at the
author's voice and writing style. The prose should be smooth, clear and
natural. The tone should be right for the story and the author should engage
the reader without intruding into the story.

"Characterization is also very important. The hero and heroine must
ultimately be likeable and believable. I want to see a heroine who's strong
enough to stand on her own, but vulnerable and human enough to make me care
about her plight. I want to see a hero who's masculine, but self-aware and
mature enough to show compassion and concern for others.

"A good romance cannot be compelling without conflict, and this conflict
should be organic--it should not be based on misunderstandings and
coincidences. For home and family lines, especially, there needs to be true
internal conflict, not just external conflict.

"Finally, it can be difficult, to say the least, to come up with a totally
new idea for a romance novel and still have it fit within the parameters of
your targeted line. But your approach still needs to be fresh. And hopefully
your story will at least have a new twist, something that makes it stand out
from the crowd."

Enter the first 25 pages of your manuscript for $30 (non-MORWA members).
BUT...enter any ADDITIONAL manuscripts for HALF-PRICE: only $15 each!

Check out our website for more information on the Gateway to the Best
Contest: morwa.org.

Don't write contemporary series romance? We also have dedicated paranormal
(et al), historical, romantic suspense, and single title categories with
great final judges, wonderful prizes, and half-priced additional
manuscripts.

Don't wait. As a courtesy to all our volunteer judges and final judges, our
September 11 deadline will not be extended for any reason.

Good luck to all who enter!

Megan Kelly
megankellybook.com

Fall-ing in Love

I love Fall.

I can feel it coming, though here on the Chesapeake Bay, Summer is far from over. The days are still hot and sticky. Most evenings, wild thunderstorms generated by all the land-heat push out to sea and crash over the boat. The storms are like grand temper tantrums staged by Mother Nature herself: rumbling thunder flaring to a wild pitch of rain, wind and lightning, then over quickly, leaving calm. The waters are filled with jellyfish galore—a product of the higher salinity this time of year—all the way to the northern end of the Bay. Still, Fall is on its way.

The first harbinger is all the “back-to-school” sales. Advertisements for everything from Notebook computers to notebook paper everywhere you look. Pencils, erasures, backpacks, sweaters: all necessities of the new school year. Though I am long out of school, it makes me want to go out and buy shoes; a new pair to celebrate the new year. Because, for me, Fall is—and always has been—the start of the New Year.

Soon the weather will match my mood. The air will lose this humidity and become crisp. The skies will be a crystal blue, all haze swept away in the northerly winds. Leaves will turn brilliant colors and slowly fall to the ground to be shuffled under our feet and raked into piles. The season I love the most will truly arrive and—here in the mid-Atlantic—linger and laze its way into Winter.


So, I’m sending you all a bouquet of No. 2 pencils, to celebrate Fall. I hope you enjoy their heady aroma of new beginnings. Perhaps they will inspire you to sharpen one, pull out that new notebook, open the cover and write a few words. As for me, I think I’ll go look at shoes.

Canines with Careers—Tipper: Office Dog

Working with families in crisis requires a whole lot of patience and compassion, and office dog Tipper has oodles of both. She works two to three days a week with her owner, Diane, at a family justice counselling office in Vancouver, BC. I’ve had the privilege of meeting them and seeing firsthand how Tipper interacts with her colleagues and clients, and how she enriches her workplace.

Tipper’s Stats
Breed: lab/collie cross
Age (in human years): 11
Weight: 50 pounds
Food: dog food, once a day
Treats: a daily dog biscuit, or two
Favorite Toy: tennis ball
Favorite Activity: going for a walk and fetching a ball at the local park; swimming at the beach
One Word that Best Describes Tipper: compassionate

Tipper has been extremely well trained and she never jumps up on people or makes overtures, so Diane’s clients are not afraid of her. She’s great with kids and will occasionally spend time with children while their parents are being interviewed. She welcomes attention but doesn’t demand it, although she will gently lean in on people, hoping to be petted. I can tell you from experience that being leaned on by Tipper can make you want to slow down, take a deep breath, and realign your perspective.

On the rare occasions when a client is loud, upset or even aggressive, Tipper remains calm and alert and keeps that person in her line of sight at all times. She’s very good at diffusing situations and she generally has a calming effect on clients who are upset.

When she’s not working directly with someone, Tipper will claim a central spot in the office where she can keep tabs on what’s happening with all the counsellors and their clients.


Her co-workers say she’s the most enthusiastic “person” in the office and, like most of us, her office decorum is different from the way she behaves at home. For example, she will bark at home when someone comes to the door but at work she often assists at the reception desk.


If you’ve ever had a pet, you know all about the benefits of having an animal in your life but until I saw Tipper on the job, I hadn’t realized that workplaces could reap so many benefits from having a dog on staff. Especially a dog as delightful and engaging as Tipper.

To meet more canines with careers, please join me and police dog named Panzer at the Wet Noodle Posse, and me and guide dog Kimo on The Writer Side of Life.

Until next time,
Lee

My Recent Research Trip

As some of you may know, I'm currently working on a book that centers around a rodeo family. It's Harlequin American's first ever continuity, and I'm book three (coming out the summer of 2010). I've attended plenty of rodeos but not for a number of years. So, another writer friend Libby and I went to the nearby town of Payson (Arizona) this past Sunday to watch the last day of a small but well-known local rodeo and research. In fact, it was the 125th anniversary of the rodeo, so a good day to go!

We had a great time. More importantly, I was able to gather gobs of information for my book, small details that will give it a sense of realism.

Something else that was fun, I got some pictures of the sheriff's station in Payson. Another of my books coming out in 2010 (The Accidential Sheriff) is set in Payson, and the hero is the Acting Sheriff (not by choice). This is the building where he works. Okay, he doesn't really work there, he's a fictional character. But in my mind, he's real, and inside this building is his office.

Lastly, I got some pictures of the girls' equestrian drill team. Two of my previous books, Cowboy Dad and Waiting for Baby, also taking place in or near Payson and feature a secondary character named Briana who is captain of her high school equestrian drill team. Somewhere is this group of girls is the inspiration for that character.

For me, this trip on Sunday wasn't just research, it was like visiting my books. Very cool!

Naturally, I got ideas for more books while I was there :) How could I not?

Cathy Mc

Writing Advice--Daily Goals

Writing tip

Don't get overwhelmed by the big picture. Writing an entire book is daunting.

Set a daily goal that is small enough not to overwhelm you. Today I'll write one page. Today I'll write this scene. Today I'll write this conversation. All these small steps will get you to your goal.

Do you set daily, weekly or monthly writing goals? If so, what works or doesn't work for you?

Cindi Myers
www.cindimyers.com

Are You Alone Out There?

Today I had a wonderfully productive critique session with my friend Rebecca Russell, who wrote two books for Silhouette Romance and is now writing a mystery. We've been writing buddies for twenty years come September. That's longer than a lot of marriages! Over the years what we've written has changed. I started out writing historical romance, then went to paranormal romance and short contemporary, then Harlequin American. We've read each others' "stuff," from sweet to spicy, from light to dark, from ordinary to bizarre. Today we ate at Cafe Brazil, remembering our critique partner, Kara Lennox, who is now in California. (Please note the menu, Kara. Gosh, we miss you already and you're barely gone!)

Before Kara left, we had a critique session "party" at a local ceramics studio to make geckos for her new home in California. I have to say, the geckos turned out great. We had a good time painting them and thinking about where they might end up - a patio, a tree, or someplace as undefined as the future, stetched out in front of a new life in a new place. I guess it's weird to say this, but whenever she looks at her geckos, she'll think of us! (Which one of those cute little critters do you think I painted?)

The important thing that I wanted to post is that having friends who are also writers is very important. While family may support us or think everything we write is great, a good critique partner will tell you what you didn't do so well. Or if you family isn't so supportive of you getting up early or staying up late to write "those silly books," your writer friends will understand and listen. When you've decided that everything you've written is horrible and you'll never sell it, your critique buddies will tell you what you've done right, what scene made them laugh or cry, and what character touched their heart. If you don't live near other writers, then try an online chapter of Romance Writers of America, or even Facebook. I've just gotten on there to meet up with my high school classmates. There are so many writers and readers on Facebook that the task will be narrowing down which ones to become friends with.

I hope that if you are writing, you are not alone. The process of sitting in front of the computer or leaning back with the laptop is a solitary pursuit by definition; only you are writing the book. Having other writers to talk to makes the process from idea conception to the words "The End" so much easier. Rebecca and I met when we "newbies" attended a local all-genre writing conference at The University of Texas at Dallas. Kara met us when she moved to Dallas, but we didn't become critique partners until some time later. We now have a new critique buddy, Gay Kiser, who is unpublished at the moment. But we're working on her ...

Next month I'll be in Orlando, Florida on the 21st, so maybe I'll have some more fun photos to post now that I've learned how to do this. Rebecca and I are leaving our husbands and children at home to go on a girls-only trip to celebrate our twenty year friendship. We're taking our laptops and a lot of ideas to share. Happy writing and reading, everyone.

What works for me (writing advice)

What works for me…

Might not work for you. It’s a concept I’ve been mulling lately as I'm back in school teaching another year of school, where I have to individualize learning to best reach all my students. I was thinking about this concept as I read an article in a writing magazine that said, “write every day, even if it’s for 20 minutes” and also gave other such advice as “keep a journal”.

It’s great advice, sure. But I don’t do either and I’m a published author of 21 novels. I write in big spurts, and then will go weeks and sometimes months without writing a thing. That “20 minutes” the author advises is spent doing all those things I didn’t do during that intense focus on writing.

But that’s me. My big on and off spurts are how I balance and prioritize my time, and that’s what I’ve learned works best for my life. During the school year my priority is on my family and my teaching job. Writing is a distant third, unless my deadline is around the corner. Over the summer, I can easily make writing number two and devote 40+ hours a week to my craft.

To me, writing is like dieting. For some, Jenny Craig works. For others, it’s South Beach. For someone else it’s Weight Watchers. Others are naturally skinny and don’t need to do a darn thing. The same holds true for writing. There are plotsters, pantsters, and there are those who create scrapbooks, those who have three ring binders stuffed full, those who interview their characters, those who enter contests, those who sell the first time…the list goes on. Everyone is different, which is logical. As each writer should have a unique, individual voice, each writer will have his or her own individual writing style and system, that, through trial and error works for him or her.

This system, or process, is personal. I see too many writers get bogged down in the “how” they should be writing and trying to follow some system or formula and thus they lose the actual writing. If something isn’t working after a few tries, perhaps that technique isn’t for you. Just because it works for a NYT best selling author or your critique partner doesn’t mean that the approach is perfect for everyone. I know writers who get up at 4 AM to create before their family wakes. I’d die if I had to get up at 4 AM. When my alarm goes off at 5:25 for work, it’s already far too early. I know writers who run every chapter by a critique partner, and there are others who do that only on rare occasions.

Don’t be afraid to do some personal assessing and figure out what works best for you if you're trying to write a novel, or writing anything actually. Try new things and techniques, but don’t lose faith in your abilities or talent if someone else's ideas fail to work. Remember, what works for one person doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. So reassess and find something new. Writing should be a happy time—a creative and pleasurable escape into your mind. So just like trusting your own inner voice with your story, don’t be afraid to take advice, but don’t be afraid to trust your gut if it tells you that advice isn’t for you. After all, just as it’s your story, it’s your process. There is no one writing process answer for everyone except for passion, persistence and putting your fingers to the keys.

Michele
Bachelor CEO, July 2009
Baby in the Boardroom, Feb. 2010

Who Me? Interviewed?

It’s such a pleasure to be among all the wonderful HAR authors here on the blog. I’ve gotten to “know” so many more of them than I would have without it. Reading their blog posts and especially their interviews is always a delight, and I wish I had more time to comment. As Rascal Flatts sings, “Life is a highway” and some days I feel like I’m going 80 mph.


What inspired you to write your first book?

Reading. I hadn’t read romance for several years, and then my best friend steered me to Susan Elizabeth Phillips after reading the first few pages of It Had to Be You to me over the phone. I was hooked. After that, I consumed books, both single title and category. One Christmas I went out and bought as many Christmas themed category books that I could find. Of course I had to try writing one, and that led to another and another and another…


How did you make your first sale?

My short contemporary entry won The Maggie contest, and Mary-Theresa Hussey requested the full manuscript. To my surprise, she liked it enough to buy it for Silhouette Romance.


How long have you been published?

Rachel’s Rescuer was a March 2001 Silhouette Romance, so eight years total, although it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago. I had five books with Silhouette Romance before the line closed. My first HAR was published in 2008, so I’m a relative newbie here. I have to admit that I love writing for HAR even more than I did for SR. I think it’s the small town feel of HAR that makes writing them so enjoyable.


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?

Music. Lots of music! I have 612 songs on my playlist of which 169 are designated as “writing” music (those romantic love songs), 134 are “walking” or upbeat dance music for when I need some pep, and the rest are Beach Boys, 50’s and 60’s oldies and a few Christmas songs. (Yes, I'm a music junkie.) If those aren’t enough, I listen to Pandora and have set up my own stations. If you haven’t tried Pandora, it’s free! And then there are all those candles…


Tell us about your family and where you live

I was born in and have returned to live in the biggest city in Kansas. No, not Kansas City. ;) Between then and now, I’ve lived in a small Kansas town and on a Kansas farm. My four daughters also live here. The two youngest live with me, the oldest of the four lives three blocks away, while the next oldest lives a little over a mile away. The two oldest have 5 children between them, now that my youngest granddaughter was born August 10. I also have a step-granddaughter. Every Saturday night we have Family Night and get together to talk and sometimes play board games. You’d think we see enough of each other during the week, but Saturdays are when we’re all in one place. It can get crazy with all the little ones, hubbies and an occasional friend or two.


Do you have any talents readers might find interesting?

Web design, although I don’t consider it a talent. I began playing around with it years ago and ended up enjoying it so much that I do it for real now. Drawing has never been one of my talents, but web design gives me the opportunity to work with colors and shapes, a real break from working with words, but still "creative."


What were you doing at midnight last night?

I was particpating in one of my newest guilting pleasures: Playing on Facebook. I dragged my feet about joining and now can’t stay away. Shameful, isn’t it?


If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with the money?

I’d give a portion of it to charities, pay off my daughters’ houses (if their hubbies would let me), and buy myself a modest but roomy house. One never knows when family will return, or so I’ve learned--the hard way. Then there’s the dream of taking a Mediterranean cruise…


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

Cactus. I spent tens day during the summer before my senior year in high school with 20 other teens on a working trip into Mexico. We stayed on a garlic farm that was used as a school in the winter months, and we painted the dormitories, both inside and outside. Because there was no refrigeration, we went into the nearby small village for food each day. Our adult “chaperones” insisted we try some of the more exoctic offerings. I’m usually not brave enough to try something new, but the cactus was great!


What are you reading now?

Honestly? Nothing, although I really enjoyed Susan Wiggs' Just Breathe about a month or so ago. I recently bought Barefoot, a women’s fiction book by Elin Hilderbrand and Judy Blume’s Smart Women. I read at night, but since I’ve been working on deadlines, reading has taken a back seat. Soon, though. Very soon.


Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?

Yes, in the blink of an eye! I took a taste test at the State Fair a few years ago and passed it. I don’t drink coffee, so Pepsi is my caffeine fix.


If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?

Greece, hence the dream of a Mediterranean Cruise. Ireland is my second choice. I’d probably like either one so much that I’d want to stay.


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

The Rodeo Rider is the first in a series of books set in the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma. The second book, Bachelor Cowboy will be out in January next year. I recently sold two more books, so I’m currently working on book #4 of that series and learning everything I can about Native Americans in Oklahoma. The heroine of the book is half Cherokee, and the research is proving to be more interesting than I’d ever imagined. Oh, and that heroine? She’s a surprise relative of one of the characters in The Rodeo Rider.


Describe your writing space.

My desk is neat and tidy, with only a pen, a paper, and my computer monitor. I can look out my window and see the ocean pounding against the rocks on the shore. Wait a minute. That’s my dream writing space. In the real world, my desk is covered with just about everything imaginable, including two fish and a cat. During the day I work on websites and chase grandkids. Writing is done at night. There are always snippets of notes from both littering my desk and sticky notes hanging on my monitor. My two-year-old grandson (he’ll be two on the 24th), likes to climb on my desk and steal M&Ms from the jar that resides on my desk and is rarely empty…unless he eats all of them. There are books everywhere, along with piles of paper that always need sorting. The window looks out onto the side of the house next door. My daughters and I switched rooms a couple of months ago, so there are still boxes to be sorted that wait patiently for me to find the time. There never seems to be time.


What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

For a long time, I had a sign that hung above my desk that said, "Nobody is born published," so my advice is to read, read, read. And never, ever, ever give up on your writing. If you give up, you’ll never know if the next book or article or short story might have been The One. As far as selling that first, it always happens when you least expect it.

Please tell me I’m not alone!

The subtitle for this blog post ought to read: Dumb Things I Gotta Confess. (grin)

My blog last month was all about the excitement of getting ready to leave for the Romance Writers of America’s annual conference. In fact, I’d even said the following in my post:

“However, the plane leaves tomorrow morning and--prepared or not--I’ll be on it.”

Well...umm...I wasn’t.

That’s right--I missed my plane!

Okay, I’m so not a frequent flyer. But punctual is a different story. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time to check my baggage and wait for my flight. Even had time for a leisurely breakfast in a concourse restaurant with my carry-on bag by my side and a good book in my hands. For someone who flies once a year, I felt like a seasoned traveler.

Breakfast over, with still more than an hour before my flight, I freshened up and took my time heading to the short line at the security checkpoint.

Well, who knew that once you walked past the first dividers at the checkpoint, that tiny little line actually went on and on and on, weaving in and out and up and down and back and forth on a never-ending path to the ACTUAL checkpoint?!?

No worries. Still an hour to go before my flight.

I couldn’t understand why the woman with the two little boys who stood a path-length row behind me seemed so harried. The boys kept telling her their plane didn’t leave for another thirty minutes.

I didn’t see why the elderly couple a half-row back looked so anxious.

I had no clue why the woman up ahead with the two carry-ons, oversized handbag, and three plastic convenience store carrier bags had cornered an attendant and seemed to be negotiating frantically (and unsuccessfully) with him.

Then I saw how swiftly the line was moving--not!--and everything became magically clear.

No problem. Still fifteen minutes to go before my flight left.

I made it through the checkpoint without a problem and hurried my pace just a bit to get to my gate with three minutes to spare!

Well, who knew they actually closed the doors of the plane before the scheduled takeoff time?!?

I’d been on plenty of flights before where we’d had to sit around for last-minute passengers to board. Guess this wasn’t one of them.

So, my flight plans were rescheduled, putting me on a plane that would leave three hours later.

No big deal. We all know wait time is like a gift to a writer and reader. The good thing about this experience was I had time to sit and finish my book!

The bad thing was...I felt like the world’s biggest idiot.

Please tell me I’m not the only person who has ever done something silly like this!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Romance Heroines

The recent news story about people stranded inside an airplane for hours got me thinking…how in the world would I cope in a situation like that? I'd like to believe I'd act the part of a romance-book heroine--keep my composure, calm crying babies, whip out my secret stash of tools and fix the broken toilet. Or maybe sneak people off the plane when the flight attendants weren't looking--you know, save the day for all those helpless passengers. I wish I was capable of extra-ordinary actions when under duress, but the sad truth is I am not a romance heroine and could not have done any of those things--except maybe calm a crying baby.

If truth be told I'm just your average Joe…or Josephine. I obey rules. Don't break laws. Scoop the poop when I take the dogs on their morning walk. Say Please and Thank You. Hold the door open for old ladies and moms with strollers. I cave in to others to keep the peace. And I don't speak up when someone cuts in front of me in line. That's why I live vicariously through the heroines I write in my romance books.

Romance heroines are gutsy. They take chances and break laws--for the right reasons. They aren’t afraid of what other people think or say about them. They’re willing to sacrifice their own happiness for others. They're passionate about causes dear to their hearts and they always put others' wants and needs before their own. And they WILL speak up if someone butts in front of them in line. A romance heroine is the kind of woman I aspire to be on a daily basis.

What qualities in a romance heroine do you admire most? Or is there a romance heroine from a book you've recently read that stands out in your mind?

Marin
Samantha's Cowboy August 2009
A Cowboy Christmas December 2009
www.marinthomas.com

Can a writer love their characters too much?

A few months ago I stumbled across one of those celebrity interview shows featuring Russell Crowe. I believe it was The Actor’s Studio, but not positive. One of the questions asked was whether he loved the wonderful characters he portrays. Russell Crowe's answer was a resounding NO. He said something to the effect that if you love a character or a person too much, you overlook their faults. And by doing so you were overlooking the opportunity to create an extraordinary character. The faults and weaknesses are what give them depth and make them stand out. Say what you will about Mr. Crowe’s temperament, love him or hate him, he’s an amazing actor. His response struck a chord with me as a writer. We’ve all been taught that perfect characters are boring, but does loving them too much get in the way of writing good characters? Exploring their faults and weaknesses does make them more human. I think it gives us as readers something to identify with. By loving them, possibly we’re missing out on the opportunity to create extraordinary characters. What do you as readers and writers think? Can a writer love their characters too much? All those favorite characters on your keeper shelf, do you love them because they are so good or because of their flaws?

Let the Sun Shine in!

August's Household Cleaning Tip

Looking for an inexpensive alternative to store-bought window cleaners?

2 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dishwashing liquid

Gently stir these three ingredients and pour the mixture into a squirt bottle. It does a great job of cleaning glass and mirrors, dries quickly, and costs a fraction of what you'd pay at the supermarket. And because it doesn't contain ammonia or alcohol, its a safer alternative for families that have small children and pets.

Lee McKenzie
http://thewritersideoflife.blogspot.com/

Late but Breaking News

News

Laura Bradford is thrilled to announce the debut of the first book in her southern sewing circle mystery series with Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin). SEW DEADLY (written under the pen-name, Elizabeth Lynn Casey) will release August 4th. This kick-off title for the series earned a 4-star review in this month's issue of Romantic Times! To learn more, including the locations and dates of her upcoming mid-west signings, please visit her website.

Pamela Stone is celebrating her second sale—When Hanna Falls—to American Romance.

Mark Your Calendar

August 11: Four wonderful new reads from Harlequin American Romance will be in stores tomorrow. This month’s covers are posted in the sidebar.

August 18: An interview with Roxanne Delaney here on the blog

TBA: An interview with Daly Thompson here on the blog

To find out more about American Romance’s September releases, please visit eHarleqin.com.

Why do you read romance books?

Hi all!

Sorry for posting my blog entry late. I’ve been running behind since returning from the Romance Writers of America conference back in July. The conference was wonderful – DC and the hotel beautiful! I gave a workshop with Kathleen Scheibling, the senior editor for Harlequin American. While I thought our presentation was going well, the fire alarm went off, and we had to evacuate. There were many theories floating around about why it went off – fire in the kitchen, bomb threat, water leaking from a sprinkler somewhere – but I wonder if it wasn’t because of how I ramble when I’m nervous. I kept teasing a friend who attended our workshop that she pulled it to put me out of my misery or her out of hers...

However, the Q & A portion of the workshop continued as we walked down the eight flights of stairs to the street and up a steep hill to the lobby entrance, so at least some of the attendants were interested in what we had to say about writing mini-series within series. So, although cut short, I guess it had gone well.

I have substantially more nerves about a speech I’m giving this Thursday at a women’s literary club. After booking me to speak over a year ago, they’ve almost cancelled me because some of their members strongly object to what I write. How can anyone object to romance? To happy endings? I know – it was probably more the sex to which they objected. But since they booked me following a newspaper article that had dubbed me the “Steam Queen” I thought they understood what I write.

So my plan is to let them know how popular romance fiction is – the most popular of any other genre of fiction – and that I write for the biggest publisher of romance – a company now celebrating its 60th anniversary. I have facts and figures, graphs and pie charts, but I’m wondering if that’s the best approach. Especially since I don’t want another fire alarm pulled on me – or worse! Maybe I need to share with them why readers love romance books as much as we do. I can tell them why I read – as well as write romance – but please share with me your reason for reading romance. I’d love statements from people all over the world.

Thank you for your help!


Lisa Childs

ON THE WAY TO( THE CONFERENCE...

On the blog in July I wrote about being a little nervous about the conference and the flight. I hadn’t been on a plane since I wrote Texas Heir. The story involved a plane crash. All the research into plane crashes made me a bit leery. I knew it was all in my head so I had no problem boarding the plane. I was excited. The time had finally arrived to go to DC.

The plane was extremely warm and several people complained. The stewardess said once the plane took off it would get cooler. It didn’t. It got hotter. I was soaked with sweat, as was everyone else. The complaints started again and we were told to be patient. At this point, I think everyone on the plane knew something was wrong.

I had an aisle seat. A guy had the window seat and he closed the shade, or whatever it’s call. You know how small those seats are. The back of the other seat is right in front of you. I felt as if I was in a dark, deep hole and I was getting claustrophobic. I had just finished a book where a little girl falls into an abandoned well. I was getting that suffocating feeling as if I was in that hole.

I leaned over and asked the guy to please open the shade. He said, “Why? It won’t let any air in.”

I replied, “I’d just like to see the sky, clouds, something.”

Hearing the desperation in my voice he opened the shade. I could breathe again. The pilot came on the intercom and said there was a problem and we were returning to Houston. People demanded answers, but they didn’t get any. I was just trying to breathe. We were told to buckle our seat belts and that we would get details later. The plane became very quiet.

We landed safely and fire trucks surrounded us. We were told to stay in our seats. Firemen came aboard in aluminum looking suits with high powered extinguishers and went into the cockpit. Evidently there was a short in the AC unit. After about ten minutes, we were told to quietly and quickly leave the plane. After that we were instructed where to go to board another plane.

I thought I had about all the excitement I could stand so I called my husband. I was ready to go home. He didn’t answer. After dropping us off, he went to the Bass Pro shop and evidently guys don’t take their phones in there. It’s like a shire or something. So reluctantly I boarded the other plane and went to DC. And had the time of my life! Now I enjoy writing but I don’t want to personally experience some of the scenes I write.

The conference ended too quickly. I saw a lot of the American authors and got to visit, and met some new ones. Dinner at the Ritz with Kathleen, Johanna and Paula was wonderful.

Cathy Gillen Thacker, Cathy McDavid, Johanna, CC Coburn.. me and Kathleen.

Kathleen and I at the Ritas.

Cindi and I after the Ritas.

Cindi nor I won the Rita, but it was an amazing night. It was great to see two Americans flash on that big screen.

Next year for Nashville, I’m thinking about driving, or at least talk the hubby into it.

Linda
www.lindawarren.net
2009 RITA® Finalist TEXAS HEIR

Caitlyn’s Prize – July ‘09
Madison’s Children – Oct ‘09
Skylar’s Outlaw – Jan ‘10

Just Relaxing by Megan

Seems summer has passed me by without enough of that "sitting and doing nothing time" I remember as a kid. However I've just been forcibly relaxed: my doctor prescribed muscle relaxers for my neck, which went into spasm after a car bump (aka collision).

It turns out my body takes about a week to adjust to new medications.

Taking just one of these pills impairs my ability to type. That's not good for a writer trying to get a proposal to her editor. :( I sent an email to my friend, who then asked me if the relaxers made me dopey or grumpy. Had she seen me giggling as I typed, she would have known.

Dopey. Definitely.

The next day, I was at work at our town's independent bookstore. My friend's question popped into my head, but it came to me as "does the pill make you gropey or dumpy?" Gropey? Dumpy? I laughed out loud.

For about an hour.

I started thinking of the Seven Dwarves and tried to figure which Dwarf I'm most like when not on meds. Doc? Maybe. I do have rare moments of wisdom. Grumpy? Oh yeah, unfortunately. :) Dopey? More often than my kids would like. Sneezy? In the fall and spring. Sleepy? Every afternoon, but most days I can sneak in a quick nap. Bashful? You bet. Happy? Almost all the time. :)

The FedEx guy came in about the time I realized this about Happy, and I wore a huge smile (probably more like Goofy than a Dwarf). He let me know what he brought, and as usual, it was a box from Penguin Publishing. We usually make jokes about him bringing me a penguin (why'd you smash it in that box?), two little penguins, etc. But knowing I was liable to start cracking up again, I refrained from joking and began to sign my name.

Did you know my name is Penguin?

Yep.

Fortunately I only got two letters in and was able to do a quick correct, but I had started to laugh (again) and told him what I'd done, blaming the drugs. He laughed too. And guess what? The guy's got a memory on him--and I've got a new nickname.

I can't be the only one with a resistance level this low. Any of you want to confess your silly moments when medicated? Misery--and hilarity--love company.

Pen--er, Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com

p.s. For anyone curious, I got through presenting the workshop at the RWA National conference last month without disappointing my co-presenter, embarrassing myself or being ill in public. I consider that a success!

Life and labyrinths

Last week, a friend invited me to walk a labyrinth. In my head I pictured tall, meticulously pruned bushes with lots of possibilities, some leading to dead ends. Not so, I soon learned. Those are mazes.

A labyrinth, which has no walls at all, is a series of curves and pathways. If you stay inside the lines, the path eventually leads to the center of the labyrinth. The one my friend and I walked was in the yard of an Episcopal Church near Seattle Center.

I loved walking the path and following all those twists and turns. Loved passing my friend as we both moved along. In my mind, the labyrinth is a metaphor for life. We all experience our share of ups and downs and ins and outs, but no matter what happens, we somehow continue on, learning and growing and hopefully, getting it right.

Writing is like that, too. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes not, but the only way to succeed is to keep growing and learning.

I’m curious- have you ever walked a labyrinth or a maze? If so, did you take any life lessons from the experience?

Wishing you growth and learning and good things,
Ann
www.annroth.net
A Father for Jesse
July RT Top Pick!

Two summer recipes

Since summer is half over (already!) I thought I'd better share both of these summer recipes with you this month. Both look scrumptious!

Spicy Melon Boat
This is one of my favorite summer dishes. It's perfect for picnics or outdoor BBQs, but keep in mind it's not PG rated.
20 servings

1 large watermelon, carved
2 cantaloupes
2 15-oz cans pineapple chunks, drained
grapes
cherries
blueberries
other fruit in season

Tequila Sauce
1 cup tequila
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup grenadine

Shape fruit in cubes, balls or slices. In a large mixing bowl, combine all fruit. In a separate bow mix the tequila, orange juice, powdered sugar and grenadine. Pour Tequila Sauce over fruit and mix. Fill the watermelon shell with the fruit mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy,
Ann DeFee
***********************************
Potato Salad
My mom's potato salad... Just typing it makes me think of family get-togethers. Our first taste of the year was usually Easter (to use up the boiled eggs, making it a very colorful salad sometimes), and we'd continue to have potato salad throughout the summer. Mom didn't allow us in the kitchen, and she didn't use written recipes or standard measuring devices. A "cup" of some ingredient meant a cup from the cupboard (or a mug); a teaspoon was the one we ate with and a Tablespoon was the one we served with. Mom cooked from experience, and her food was delicious. We still haven't been able to duplicate her fudge recipe, more's the pity.
I've learned a few things while trying to cook Mom's specialties, so below is MY potato salad recipe with the changes marked (*). Enjoy!


My potato salad recipe:
5 lbs red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
3-6* eggs, boiled, peeled and diced
≤-1* small jar sweet pickles, chopped
1/2 jar Miracle Whip or till it looks right
Splash of pickle juice
Several shakes of celery seed
1-2 Tb sugar*

*Optional: squirt of mustard and/or some chopped white onion

Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com

My Turning Point

Ever have a time in your life that’s a turning point? One big turning point for me was when I decided to stop teaching school and try writing. That was the year my son started third grade and my daughter started first.

Oh, I wrote. But I also became a room mom, a tutor, and a church volunteer. I baked cookies and casseroles and sat at the kitchen table and helped with homework every day at 3:30. As the years passed, I drove the kids to church and soccer and baseball and tumbling classes and tutors and swim team. (Oh, have I spent hours at the side of a pool deck!) I stressed over grades and proficiency tests and dances and middle school drama.

And through all that, I wrote and wrote and wrote and even sold a few books. Time moved on.

This past June, I encouraged my son to go to summer school before his freshman year in college. He really wanted to go, and I thought it was a good idea. After all, I had done it-and even met my husband then. So last month, he and I flew down to Alabama and I dropped him off. We rented a car and he drove me to Tuscaloosa. I took him out to lunch, and over to the grocery store to get some snacks and bottles of water. And then we went to the dorm.

It only took us two trips to carry up the four duffle bags and groceries to his room. Around us were lots of kids in the same situation. Little by little, I watched him become a little cooler and cooler toward me. Pulling away.

Finally, when we put that last bag on the floor, I asked him if he wanted me to make his bed. He shook his head and told me he was just fine. And, as I looked at him, I knew he was.

Oh, I had planned to be so great and so cool. I was going to smile and offer words of wisdom and warnings about having ‘too much fun’. But all I did was try not to cry. This time, he was the one who was giving out hugs. This time, he was the one patting my back. Telling me that everything was going to be just fine.

How many times had I said that exact thing to him over the years?

I nodded, turned and practically ran from that room, trotted out to my rental car, and then –finally- in the privacy of that little Subaru- I cried. Okay, I'll admit it. I cried the whole way back to the airport.

On Saturday, he’ll come home for a week! He’s already asked if I’ll take him shopping. So for just a little bit more, I’ll bake him some cookies, run him to the mall and generally fuss…and then we’ll take him back to school.

I have high hopes that this time I’ll cry a little bit less, but I kind of doubt it. I’m going to miss him…but what I’ll really miss is those days of noise and mud and bikes and trails of snacks leading down to the basement. I miss washing machines full of swim suits and towels and baseball uniforms. I miss Scooby Doo on the TV and trips to McDonalds.

I’m sure very soon I’ll look back on these days, remembering it as a time of transition…and the beginning of other new things to come. But at the moment, I can’t help but feel a little bit out of sorts.

Anyone have any college stories to share? Either of when you went off to school…or taking your child? Any suggestions or laughs would really be appreciated!

Shelley

JULY WINNER!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Lynn! You’re the July winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Ann Roth, Michele Dunaway and Cindi Myers through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Easy and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

Summer Lovin'

Twenty years ago, I was pregnant through the heat of summer, and our house lacked central air conditioning. To add to the strain, I was enormous.

Yes, every pregnant woman feels huge, but consider this: I’m five feet, one inch tall. My younger son, who turns twenty next week, weighed ten and a half pounds. Even though I had a caesarian section, the doctor had to struggle to get the baby out. He was that big.

Well, here I am again, enduring a pregnancy in the heat of summer. Wait! I’m not expanding my family, except in the figurative sense. See, my heroine is pregnant, and she’s generously sharing her discomforts as well as her joys with me.

For her, though, the heat’s not so bad, because she’s giving birth at Thanksgiving. But in fiction deadline world, I’m writing about her now, which means I’m on a different timetable.

Find all this confusing? Imagine how I feel. Still, after eighty-four published books, I should be used to celebrating Thanksgiving in August. And while I have to put up with those annoying prenatal doctor visits, I also get to feel a baby moving inside me again.

Did I mention I’m also eating pie at Thanksgiving without gaining an ounce? Wish I could actually taste it.

The book’s working title is The Surrogate’s Surprise, and it should be out sometime in mid-2010. It’s the second book of my new Safe Harbor Medical series, part of the Harlequin American line. The first book, still without a confirmed title, has a due date of February 2010, and the third, with a Christmas setting, will be issued in December 2010.

While we’re on a medical theme, I should mention my September 2009 release, Doctor Daddy. Both hero and heroine are obstetricians, but the heroine doesn’t have a baby in this one.

Thank goodness. One pregnancy per summer is my limit.

Craft Idea--Blessings Box

Blessings Box

My best friend of 46 years received this as a gift from her great-niece and shared the idea with me. It's especially wonderful to have on those days that nothing seems to be going right.

Buy a small (no larger than 8 X 10 inch) box with a lid from a craft store. Either wood or heavy cardboard will do. It should be unpainted and undecorated, because you'll be doing the designing!

Paint and add stickers, glitter, or stencil small drawings or short inspirational messages on the outside of the box. Whatever suits YOU. Also paint the inside. When all is dry, add a small notepad of paper and a pen or pencil. The pad can be glue to the lid of the box for safekeeping.

Whenever you think of a small blessing that makes you smile, whether it's the sun shining after a rainy day, the way a kitten's whiskers tickle, or the simple blessing of a child's smile, write it on one of the note papers, fold it, and put it in the box. When you're down and need a pick-me-up, go to the box and take out one "blessing" to read. It will lift your spirits in the gloomiest of times to be reminded that even in the midst of a storm, there are many blessings to be thankful for.

Roxann Delaney
http://roxanndelaney.com

Romantic Moments

I'm going easy with today's post--easy in terms of length, but not in terms of thought...

Your thoughts, anyway.

What do you find romantic? What makes your heart melt and your eyes mist?

For me, it's a quiet dinner somewhere with good conversation. It's about giving a date some thought. It's about the day-to-day moments--an unexpected card, a bouquet of wildflowers, a gentle touch to my face.

How about you?

~Laura

*I hit the road next week for a 5-city tour of the midwest to promote the first book in my new Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series with Berkley Prime Crime. Specifics on the tour can be found at my website: www.elizabethlynncasey.com. If you're in any of these areas, I'd love to meet you!

Did any of you catch the interview with Nora Roberts on NPR, Saturday, July 18^th? Those of you at the RWA Conference in DC probably missed it, unless you saw it in person. I was sailing down the Patapsco, approaching Bodkin Point that morning. It was a beautiful day: sunny, breezy, not too hot (so unusual for the Chesapeake this time of year). I listened avidly, thrilled that our convention was getting national attention! Afterward, I wasn’t so excited. In fact, I have to admit the spot bugged me. Not Nora’s interview; she was direct and professional. She’s a good spokesperson for romance writing. But Scott Simon’s barely concealed snicker was quite irritating. He seemed to think the whole thing was a big joke. Most irritating, he thought we would laugh with him. When he read the opening lines of a romance he had attempted to write—and pitch to an editor—I cringed. It was as bad as it could get: sappy, cliché and completely without heart. He tried to save himself by admitting that he realized he had written a parody, but I didn’t buy it. There was too much “of-course-I’m-better-than-this” in his voice. I got the impression that Nora wanted to smack him.

I came away after listening feeling a little like Rodney Dangerfield: when are we going to get some respect, anyway? There is consolation. Remember how well we’re doing as an industry? Sales of print romances are up and digital is exploding with the advent of all the new e-book readers. I heard one author at conference say that every time a new version of Kindle releases, her back-list sales spike. In this time of recession, people are turning to romance as a way to escape from the bad news that seems lurk around every bend. Romance brings hope, faith, passion, happiness into our lives. And love, most important of all. I think that if readers are buying our books, that’s all the respect we need.

Maybe that’s all we’ll get.

But—on the assumption that you meant well—thanks, Scott Simon. You brought our convention and our writers into the national spotlight for a brief moment. You also tried to make it personal by attempting to put yourself in our shoes. Now, please, go out and read a romance. Be entertained and charmed and take the experience seriously. Respect the writing and the genre. There are lots of romance stories out there to choose from: passionate, sweet, suspenseful, inspirational, fantastic, some just downright bizarre. They all offer one sure thing that life so seldom does: a little love. Just what our world needs now.

Outside of a Dog

A writer friend sent me this Groucho Marx quote and it made me smile. I hope it makes you smile, too.

“Outside a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”

This is Blue, a heart-wrenchingly adorable Bearded Collie who was adopted by the good people at Sheepie Hollow. You can read Blue’s story here.

Read a book. Hug a dog. Have a wonderful summer.

Until next time,
Lee
The Writer Side of Life

Writing Advice

Here's a writing tip from Jacqueline Diamond:

Analyze books that you love, particularly those that were published recently (rather than classics). Diagram a couple of plots chapter by chapter. Retype a few passages that you find particularly effective—openings, in particular. This is tedious and time consuming, but you'll be amazed how much you learn.

If you're an author or aspiring writer--have you ever tried to diagram a book or break down a plot? If so, what method did you use and was it helpful?

Jacqueline Diamond
www.jacquelinediamond.com
Next book: Doctor Daddy, HAR, September

Limping Home from Conference (With Photos)

I've limped back to Dallas from sightseeing and "conferencing" in Washington, DC. Well, actually, I flew back, but there was a lot of walking in the airport!

My husband joined me for the trip this year and we went to Washington, DCon Monday. On the first day of sightseeing I discovered that I'd forgotten to pack any walking shoes, but that wasn't going to stop me from taking the Metro to Union Station, then walking around town. I wore my favorite Clarks sandals, which seemed fairly sensible to me, and we set out. Here's my husband, Chuck, standing outside the Capitol.

I developed a huge blister on my right foot about the time we hit the Air & Space Museum on The Mall. I braved the crowds and saw the one museum that I hadn't gotten to see in 2000, when the RWA Conference was in DC before. (This was especially important to me because of the July 20th 40th anniversary of the moon landing, which I clearly remember since my roommate, her family and I stayed up most of the night.) Then we took a cab back to our hotel.

On Wednesday we rented a car and I went to see my cousin Suzie, whom I hadn't seen in at least 40 years. She was the one person in our family who had an exciting job, working for the State Department all over the world. Now she lives in Reston, VA, a short drive from Washington.

On Wednesday night we took a twilight tour of Washington, which ended up being mostly during the daylight because the sun doesn't set until after 8:30 pm. We saw most of the monuments, beginning with the White House. Here's my friend and fellow North Texas Romance Writers of America aspiring author Gina Nelson, standing in front of the White House. We also saw the recently completed World War II Memorial, important to me because my father served in the Pacific during the war. The Washington Monument is in the background. We ended up in Arlington, VA at the Iwo Jima memorial, which is very impressive at night.

So then the conference started, and I got to meet some new

Harlequin American authors and see some old friends. Here's a photo of new author C. C. Coburn, a very interesting Australian who lives part of each year in Colorado, and (right) a friend from previous years, author Cathy McDavid. This photo was taken after the RWA Awards Ceremony at the ballroom in the Marriott Wardman Park hotel, where the conference was held. Previously I had a wonderful conversation with Linda Warren, a fellow Texan, who was nominated for a RITA award.

I also lunched with , Barbara White Daille, Laura Bradford and other authors, along with editors Kathleen and Johanna. Also, I spent time with another fellow Texan and new Harlequin American author, Pamela Stone. My critique partner and friend, Kara Lennox, was there and roomed with fellow Harlequin author Carla Cassidy. I'm sure I saw many others, and I apologize if I have forgotten to mention your names. It was a very exciting but tiring week!

I'm off to finish my new proposal for Kathleen and send it in post haste (as I am already woefully late.) And then I'm going to come up with some new ideas for more Texas stories, because I've been told they are still in demand, especially cowboys and ranchers. And since I do live in Texas, I might as well do the research, right? Even if it requires me to spend lots of time with good-looking, slow talking, tight jean-wearing, cowboys. Please, no pity. I'm a big girl. Have a great month, whether you spend it at home or away, getting your own blisters.

It's a Mistake

The other day I did something I don’t usually do. I reread one of my books. In a fit of writer’s block, I picked up ABOUT LAST NIGHT, a Harlequin American Romance released in February 2004. This book is one of those special ones. It outsold the rest of the line that month. It got 4.5 stars from RT. The funny thing, my editor didn’t like my hero. She kept saying, “I would never stay with a man like that.” But women do, and the book jumped off the shelves because she had the vision to let me keep Shane Jacobsen as he was. In fact, I had to stet the first line that copyeditor changed, and made them change it back.

Normally I don’t reread what I write, at least not right away, because I’ve already read the story about five or six times before I even sent it in to my publisher. Then I’ve read it again and again as the book went through revisions, copy edits and line edits. Yet, with all these things, mistakes can be made. I was reminded of this fact this week when a reader found an error in a Silhouette author’s book. A friend posted on a list serve that the reader wanted to know if she should let the editor know. The question then became, should she?

As an author, we want to hear from the reader first if you are so bothered by something. First, it’s our name on the cover. Second, editors are busy. Once the book is published, the fact that the hero got out of his truck on one page and into his car on the other isn’t something an editor has time to deal with. The book won’t be reprinted. An editor isn’t going to go search and try to figure out who made the mistake either. Yet as the author, I will. Why? Because my name is on the cover and I’m a perfectionist. I’ve put my heart and soul into the story. While I can’t necessarily change it, I want to know.

In my Harlequin NASCAR, HART’S VICTORY, on page 243, the spotter says “Pit car on pit road next pass.” Eke! It’s a pace car, and of course as a NASCAR fan (go #14) I know that.

But you know what? It’s my mistake. I wrote it that way in the original draft, and because I type really fast and a P is a P, pit and pace got jumbled in my mind, as they did my poor spotter. But I didn’t catch the mistake on edits. Neither did the NASCAR editor or the copy editor. Or my editor. Or anyone else for that matter. Still, I’m the one frustrated. It bothers me.

In EMERGENCY ENGAGEMENT, another Harlequin American, my corrections never got inputted. Production’s fault this time as they sent the book through without them—one of those glitches that happen. They thought they had the green light to start production on a Friday; my editor and I thought we had that same Friday to make final changes. My editor and I both winced—we discovered what happened after the book came out. And there it is—on one page the heroine had a glass of milk, and on the next it was Gatorade. Yet it didn’t detract from the story, which won Cataromance.com’s best Harlequin American Romance award for that year.

Unfortunately, mistakes things happen. I just read a Dorchester release and noticed a period was missing in one of the sentences. It didn’t ruin the book for me. I’ve found small typos where bat is pat and so forth in others, or thing is think and vice versa. Usually these happen because your brain fills in the blank or auto corrects. Lik U can rede dis. Yes, there are those books out there that are so riddled with mistakes that you wonder if anyone ever read the thing or at least used spell check before printing. I am not excusing those.

I promise you I comb through with a fine-tooth comb, as does my editor. We work very hard to bring you the best book possible. My latest release, BACHELOR CEO, is on the shelves now and I’m praying it is error free. But I won’t read it for at least another few years to find out. But you can, and if you do find something, feel free to let me know.

Michele Dunaway
Bachelor CEO--out now
Baby in the Boardroom--Feb. 2010