Harlequin American Romance celebrates 25 years of publication this year, and we're taking the months of September and October to bring you some very special blogs intermixed in with our regular author blogs.
Not only do we have some great interviews with authors currently writing for Harlequin American, but we'll also be bringing you Q & As and anecdotes from best selling authors who got their single title careers started by writing for American. As to who, well that's a surprise...our present to you.
We'll also be featuring the line's current editors who will give insight into the the world behind the books. Sept. 6 will feature endearing and enduring themes in American Romance and Oct. 6 will showcase a look into Harlequin American covers.
Be sure to pop in often and spread the word. The party's here!
Michele
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
What makes a house a home?
You already know the answer, but I had to be reminded of it recently.
My husband and I are thinking about moving across the country from Texas to California. Finally we're at a stage in our lives where we can swing it. We have no jobs tying us down, no kids in school, and the finances are lining up.
I've been alternately excited and terrified by the prospect of moving. It's a lot of work, and it's sure to be a financial strain. But until yesterday, I hadn't realized how emotionally taxing it will be to sell a house I've been renovating for ten years. When the Realtor suggested I paint my living room (it's currently red) I came unglued. Over my dead body will someone paint my red living room. Does she have any idea how long it took me to choose that color? How hard I worked patching the walls? The yards of masking tape involved? Never mind the agony of the actual painting, up and down that freaking ladder a hundred times.
After the Realtor left, I just stood in my beautiful living room, the only room in the house that's really perfect, and I boo-hoo'd like a baby. How could anyone not love it just as it is? What if the new owners rip down my window treatments and paint the walls white?
Will the house feel abandoned? Will it think I didn't love it enough? (It's all Warner Brothers fault I personify houses. Anybody ever see that lovely cartoon about a house ... oh, never mind.)
But then I had to laugh at myself. What is a house, anyway, but a collection of sticks and bricks and plaster? It's the people inside the house and the love among them that make a home special, and those I'll take with me. I'll still have all my special things (although the Realtor had the audacity to suggest my egg cup collection is too cluttery). I'll always have fond memories of this house, this neighborhood. But whatever new house I end up with, it will soon become my beloved home. (I hope I won't have to spend ten years renovating it, though!)
My husband and I are thinking about moving across the country from Texas to California. Finally we're at a stage in our lives where we can swing it. We have no jobs tying us down, no kids in school, and the finances are lining up.
I've been alternately excited and terrified by the prospect of moving. It's a lot of work, and it's sure to be a financial strain. But until yesterday, I hadn't realized how emotionally taxing it will be to sell a house I've been renovating for ten years. When the Realtor suggested I paint my living room (it's currently red) I came unglued. Over my dead body will someone paint my red living room. Does she have any idea how long it took me to choose that color? How hard I worked patching the walls? The yards of masking tape involved? Never mind the agony of the actual painting, up and down that freaking ladder a hundred times.
After the Realtor left, I just stood in my beautiful living room, the only room in the house that's really perfect, and I boo-hoo'd like a baby. How could anyone not love it just as it is? What if the new owners rip down my window treatments and paint the walls white?
Will the house feel abandoned? Will it think I didn't love it enough? (It's all Warner Brothers fault I personify houses. Anybody ever see that lovely cartoon about a house ... oh, never mind.)
But then I had to laugh at myself. What is a house, anyway, but a collection of sticks and bricks and plaster? It's the people inside the house and the love among them that make a home special, and those I'll take with me. I'll still have all my special things (although the Realtor had the audacity to suggest my egg cup collection is too cluttery). I'll always have fond memories of this house, this neighborhood. But whatever new house I end up with, it will soon become my beloved home. (I hope I won't have to spend ten years renovating it, though!)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Importance of Names: Stuffed Animal Edition
I was just blogging about a potentially embarrassing word faux pas of mine, and now I have my five year old to thank for embarrassing me through her word choice. Although it really wasn't her fault!
Authors have blogged on this site before about naming books and the big decisions of picking just the right character name. Well, my daughter takes naming her three zillion stuffed animals VERY seriously. She went through a surrealist phase of stringing together words and sounds that had nothing to do with the animal in question (a floppy purple unicorn is named BucklePeanut). Then there was giving them all little girl names like Cindy, Carly, Kelly--listening to her talk to them at night, it sounded like she had her own cheerleading squad in her room. Currently, she's in a very LITERAL phase. A cat named Kitty, a duck in a giant flowered hat named Hat, a frog with a polka dot tie named Polka-y, even though Dotty would be way easier to say.
And her new stuffed triceratops dinosaur. She introduced her to a woman in the checkout line as, "my friend Horny." You should have SEEN the "what kind of mother are you?" look I got.
My September release from Harlequin American Romance is A DAD FOR HER TWINS and features a single mother with a son and daughter. My editor particularly loved this book and noted that I "write children really well." Maybe because I have so much material to work with!
Authors have blogged on this site before about naming books and the big decisions of picking just the right character name. Well, my daughter takes naming her three zillion stuffed animals VERY seriously. She went through a surrealist phase of stringing together words and sounds that had nothing to do with the animal in question (a floppy purple unicorn is named BucklePeanut). Then there was giving them all little girl names like Cindy, Carly, Kelly--listening to her talk to them at night, it sounded like she had her own cheerleading squad in her room. Currently, she's in a very LITERAL phase. A cat named Kitty, a duck in a giant flowered hat named Hat, a frog with a polka dot tie named Polka-y, even though Dotty would be way easier to say.
And her new stuffed triceratops dinosaur. She introduced her to a woman in the checkout line as, "my friend Horny." You should have SEEN the "what kind of mother are you?" look I got.
My September release from Harlequin American Romance is A DAD FOR HER TWINS and features a single mother with a son and daughter. My editor particularly loved this book and noted that I "write children really well." Maybe because I have so much material to work with!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Murphy's Law
I’m not quite sure who Murphy is but he can take his law and – oh well, you know. Anyway have you ever had a week, a month, a year where everything (and I do mean everything) went kaput, belly-up, AWOL or defunct? That’s how it’s been for the past two months around the DeFee household.
That was followed by a dead (rigor mortis) car battery. Again, that was more inconvenient than disastrous - $83.
The coup de grace for July was that my twelve-year old dishwasher leaked all over the hardwood floors. Considering our house in on the market – and the real estate market is definitely stinky – we decided it was prudent to buy a new one - $538 including tax.
Now we’re hemorrhaging money.
Concurrently some twit sent me a virus that got through my anti-virus detector. My computer/e-mail was down almost a week before I ferreted out our version of the geek squad - $89.
Did I mention I missed a stair, landed on my derriere and dropped my new Dell laptop cracking the case?
The Man She Married,
Top Gun Dad,
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Olympic emotions
Emotional highs and lows are a part of every romance novel. We go on an emotional roller coaster ride each time we read of a hero and heroine's journey toward their happily ever after. I love the stories of triumph over whatever odds and conflicts stand in their way. Maybe that's the same reason I love the Olympics and have really enjoyed the past two weeks.
Okay, so I'm already a sports fan, but there are a lot of sporting events on every day that I don't watch. It's the unique venue of the Olympics, how athletes from all over the globe train for years, sacrificing a great deal along the way for their shot at that gold medal and the opportunity to represent their country. The tales of personal triumph have made me smile, jump up and down, pump my fist while yelling, "Yes!", and they've made me cry. Some of the memories I've taken away from these Olympics:
1. The incredible run of Michael Phelps to become the greatest Olympian ever. I found myself getting more and more nervous with every race he swam. When Jason Lezak outswam France's Alain Bernard in the anchor leg of the first relay, I literally couldn't stay in my seat. My phone rang during that last leg, and there was no way I was answering it. I still have no idea who called. And when that final relay team ensured Michael's place in Olympic history...just wow.
2. Usain Bolt might have been the story of the track, but it was David Neville's dive for the finish line to get third in the 400m that is more memorable to me. That's what you call sacrificing yourself for your dream, risking injury to get not the gold but the bronze.
3. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh's amazing beach volleyball play and how incredibly happy they were to win. And all the while, they seemed like really nice, humble gals.
4. The opening ceremonies. They are often grand, but this year's took grand to an entirely different level. Sure, China has the people to do it -- about 1/5 of the world's population -- but they were still a feast for the eyes.
5. How Australia's Matthew Mitcham withstood the pressure and knowledge that China had won every single diving event at the Games and did one fantastic dive after another to win gold in the men's platform, the last diving event of the Games. It was the only diving event China didn't win. And he was so emotional when he won. I felt how much it meant to him.
6. Of course I was thrilled when Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and other U.S. gymnasts won medals, but it was the story of Oksana Chusovitina of Germany (originally from Uzbekistan) that really hit me. The reason she's competing for Germany is because her young son had cancer and there were no facilities to treat him in Uzbekistan. She called a friend, a gymnastics coach in Germany, for help. Now she competes for that coach and Germany, and at 33 years of age at the Beijing Games, she was more than twice the age of many of her competitors. Still, she won the silver medal on vault.
7. Speaking of older athletes, I was also enthralled by Dara Torres and her fantastic physical condition and speed at age 41. She not only was fast but a wonderful role model for younger swimmers and a triple silver medalist.
8. Perhaps my biggest teary moment was just a short clip they ran of Germany's Matthias Steiner, the weightlifter who won the gold medal in the heaviest division, as he was on the medal stand. He held up not only his medal but also a photo of his wife, Susann, who died in a car accident last year. He said, “I thought of her before the competition. I won this for her, for friends and family. But mostly for her.” Tears are pooling in my eyes as I write about this days later. That's the kind of love we write about, only we have the luxury of giving our characters happy endings.
There are other stories, of course, ones of courage and happiness and firsts -- all filled with emotions we as writers can tap into when we create our stories. The types of emotions readers expect when they pick up one of our books.
What were some of your favorite moments of the Beijing Games? Any stories that touched your heart or made you jump up and cheer?
Okay, so I'm already a sports fan, but there are a lot of sporting events on every day that I don't watch. It's the unique venue of the Olympics, how athletes from all over the globe train for years, sacrificing a great deal along the way for their shot at that gold medal and the opportunity to represent their country. The tales of personal triumph have made me smile, jump up and down, pump my fist while yelling, "Yes!", and they've made me cry. Some of the memories I've taken away from these Olympics:
1. The incredible run of Michael Phelps to become the greatest Olympian ever. I found myself getting more and more nervous with every race he swam. When Jason Lezak outswam France's Alain Bernard in the anchor leg of the first relay, I literally couldn't stay in my seat. My phone rang during that last leg, and there was no way I was answering it. I still have no idea who called. And when that final relay team ensured Michael's place in Olympic history...just wow.
2. Usain Bolt might have been the story of the track, but it was David Neville's dive for the finish line to get third in the 400m that is more memorable to me. That's what you call sacrificing yourself for your dream, risking injury to get not the gold but the bronze.
3. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh's amazing beach volleyball play and how incredibly happy they were to win. And all the while, they seemed like really nice, humble gals.
4. The opening ceremonies. They are often grand, but this year's took grand to an entirely different level. Sure, China has the people to do it -- about 1/5 of the world's population -- but they were still a feast for the eyes.
5. How Australia's Matthew Mitcham withstood the pressure and knowledge that China had won every single diving event at the Games and did one fantastic dive after another to win gold in the men's platform, the last diving event of the Games. It was the only diving event China didn't win. And he was so emotional when he won. I felt how much it meant to him.
6. Of course I was thrilled when Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and other U.S. gymnasts won medals, but it was the story of Oksana Chusovitina of Germany (originally from Uzbekistan) that really hit me. The reason she's competing for Germany is because her young son had cancer and there were no facilities to treat him in Uzbekistan. She called a friend, a gymnastics coach in Germany, for help. Now she competes for that coach and Germany, and at 33 years of age at the Beijing Games, she was more than twice the age of many of her competitors. Still, she won the silver medal on vault.
7. Speaking of older athletes, I was also enthralled by Dara Torres and her fantastic physical condition and speed at age 41. She not only was fast but a wonderful role model for younger swimmers and a triple silver medalist.
8. Perhaps my biggest teary moment was just a short clip they ran of Germany's Matthias Steiner, the weightlifter who won the gold medal in the heaviest division, as he was on the medal stand. He held up not only his medal but also a photo of his wife, Susann, who died in a car accident last year. He said, “I thought of her before the competition. I won this for her, for friends and family. But mostly for her.” Tears are pooling in my eyes as I write about this days later. That's the kind of love we write about, only we have the luxury of giving our characters happy endings.
There are other stories, of course, ones of courage and happiness and firsts -- all filled with emotions we as writers can tap into when we create our stories. The types of emotions readers expect when they pick up one of our books.
What were some of your favorite moments of the Beijing Games? Any stories that touched your heart or made you jump up and cheer?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Unrequited Love
Earlier this month I took the train to San Francisco for the Romance Writers of America’s annual conference. I love the train. It’s a laid back and relaxing way to travel, and I always meet the most interesting people.
At dinnertime on the trip home, I was seated in the dining car with a man from the UK. He was nearing the end of a seven-week trip around the world and had just spent a few days in San Francisco, celebrating a friend’s 60th birthday.
We chatted about various things and eventually the conversation turned to our occupations. He told me he works for a marine salvage company. I told him I was a romance author.
He smiled at that and said, “I have an interesting story to tell you about romance.”
I get this a lot. People offer to share personal stories because they feel they’d make great books. What they don’t seem to realize is that it would be almost impossible for me to capture the emotional connection they have with their stories. Still, out of politeness, I listened while this man told me his.
Forty years ago he had dated a young woman and fell madly in love with her. He had to go sea for several months and when he returned, she broke the bad news—she was seeing someone else.
He was devastated, and he never saw her again. Not until he attended his best friend’s birthday party. The woman he’d fallen in love with all those years ago was his best friend’s twin sister. Yes, the same friend who had just celebrated his sixtieth birthday, which meant it was also the old girlfriend’s birthday, and yes, she was at the party in San Francisco, along with her husband of thirty-five years.
My dinner companion’s his face flushed red as he looked down at his plate and confessed, “After all those years, I discovered I still have feelings for her. Deep feelings.”
At that point I knew he wasn’t telling me this because he thought his story would make a great book. He was sharing the details because he had to, because it was all still so new and he hadn’t had a chance to talk about it with anyone, and because he assumed that a romance author would be a sympathetic listener.
I asked if he told her how he felt.
That question shocked him a little. “No!” he said. “It wouldn’t have been appropriate.”
I’m sure it wouldn’t have been. And although he had done the honorable and truly heroic thing, it was obvious that he’d considered the alternative, and perhaps regretted his decision.
Our conversation soon shifted to other topics, but after dinner I found myself thinking that his story of unrequited love just might make a great book after all. But would it be okay to rewrite history? I'd definitely want to write a happy ending for this particular hero.
Until next time,
Lee
http://thewritersideoflife.blogspot.com/
http://www.leemckenzie.com/
At dinnertime on the trip home, I was seated in the dining car with a man from the UK. He was nearing the end of a seven-week trip around the world and had just spent a few days in San Francisco, celebrating a friend’s 60th birthday.
We chatted about various things and eventually the conversation turned to our occupations. He told me he works for a marine salvage company. I told him I was a romance author.
He smiled at that and said, “I have an interesting story to tell you about romance.”
I get this a lot. People offer to share personal stories because they feel they’d make great books. What they don’t seem to realize is that it would be almost impossible for me to capture the emotional connection they have with their stories. Still, out of politeness, I listened while this man told me his.
Forty years ago he had dated a young woman and fell madly in love with her. He had to go sea for several months and when he returned, she broke the bad news—she was seeing someone else.
He was devastated, and he never saw her again. Not until he attended his best friend’s birthday party. The woman he’d fallen in love with all those years ago was his best friend’s twin sister. Yes, the same friend who had just celebrated his sixtieth birthday, which meant it was also the old girlfriend’s birthday, and yes, she was at the party in San Francisco, along with her husband of thirty-five years.
My dinner companion’s his face flushed red as he looked down at his plate and confessed, “After all those years, I discovered I still have feelings for her. Deep feelings.”
At that point I knew he wasn’t telling me this because he thought his story would make a great book. He was sharing the details because he had to, because it was all still so new and he hadn’t had a chance to talk about it with anyone, and because he assumed that a romance author would be a sympathetic listener.
I asked if he told her how he felt.
That question shocked him a little. “No!” he said. “It wouldn’t have been appropriate.”
I’m sure it wouldn’t have been. And although he had done the honorable and truly heroic thing, it was obvious that he’d considered the alternative, and perhaps regretted his decision.
Our conversation soon shifted to other topics, but after dinner I found myself thinking that his story of unrequited love just might make a great book after all. But would it be okay to rewrite history? I'd definitely want to write a happy ending for this particular hero.
Until next time,
Lee
http://thewritersideoflife.blogspot.com/
http://www.leemckenzie.com/
Saturday, August 23, 2008
They Call It French Country
I'm so excited! I have to share this news with everyone. I have new bedroom furniture. Now, I know some of you are thinking, big deal, it's only furniture. But I have been waiting years — no, decades — for this.Let me give you a little of my bedroom furniture history, then you'll understand better why I'm overreacting.
When I was twelve, my mother bought me new bedroom furniture. When I got my first apartment as a junior in college, my mother gave me my childhood furniture. I continued to use it FOR YEARS. When my husband and I got married, we wanted something a little more "adult" for our first house. Not having a ton of money, we purchased a set of used furniture. Now, this was a nice set and of excellent quality, so it lasted FOR YEARS. Just to give you an idea how long, my husband and I celebrated our 20th anniversary earlier this year.
No one could argue that I was due for something new.
This picture I've posted really doesn't do my new furniture justice. And I couldn't fit all the pieces in one shot. But it's so cool. I actually a lingerie chest, for crying out loud. It's as tall as me with all these little drawers for my unmentionables, of which I had to buy more just to fill the extra space (grin).
Well, I've got to run. There's a teeny smudge on the front of the night stand that needs polishing.
Cathy Mc
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Road Trip
I went on a sixteen hour road trip with seven sixty-year-old women on Wednesday and I’m still exhausted. Holmes County , the home of a large Amish community, is four hours north. These women, quilters at my church, decided to go there on a fabric buying trip.
I tagged along.
We met at 6:30 am, and after agreeing that one cup of coffee was not enough, we all decided where the first stop should be.
And so it began. In two cars we took off. They drove-I hung out in the backseat-and we ate our way through Ohio. Along the way I realized that while my days revolved around my kids, my work, and my husband, their lives revolved around having fun.
Truth be told, I don’t think they would have traded places with me in a heartbeat.
When we arrived in Amish country, the first thing we did was pick up Clara, one of the lady’s good friends who’s Amish. Clara and I sat together and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. We have a lot in common-we’re both quick shoppers and love books. After a hearty lunch at Der Dutchman (we all had pie), all of us hit the quilt shops and gift stores. The eight of us would break up, scatter among shops like cockroaches, then reconvene with each other, proudly showing our purchases. Clara got a kick out of the Amish doll I bought who came with a name, Sadie.
After more stops to the Amish bakery and cheese shops, we dropped off Clara at her farm and started the long journey home. I ended up in another car with a group of women who had more stories to tell than any Harlequin display anywhere. They told me about thirty year old marriages-and marriages that lasted barely two. A girlfriend of theirs found out the hard way that love letters from a man in a local prison didn’t equal love-just lust.
They told me about nursing careers and waiting for husbands who fought in Vietnam. They told me about kids who became doctors and businessmen and drug addicts. About part time jobs they’ve taken and trips they’ve planned. About cheering for the Packers for fifty years. They relayed memories about Corvettes from 1972.
I told them about nagging my high school senior about college applications, which pretty much sounded boring and lame.
By the time we stopped for BLT’s at a Waffle House at 9:30 that night, I was exhausted-but hadn't laughed so much in a long time.
And when I finally pulled into my driveway at 11, I couldn’t wait to take a hot shower and go to sleep. For me, Thursday brought high school schedule pick up, grocery shopping, and nagging about summer reading assignments. For three of those ladies, Thursday was off to Chicago. Off on another adventure, reminding me that I’ve got a lot to look forward to, long after my kids are grown.
Obviously, one day I want to grow up to be just like them.
So, has anyone else gone on a road trip this summer?
Shelley
I tagged along.
We met at 6:30 am, and after agreeing that one cup of coffee was not enough, we all decided where the first stop should be.
And so it began. In two cars we took off. They drove-I hung out in the backseat-and we ate our way through Ohio. Along the way I realized that while my days revolved around my kids, my work, and my husband, their lives revolved around having fun.
Truth be told, I don’t think they would have traded places with me in a heartbeat.
When we arrived in Amish country, the first thing we did was pick up Clara, one of the lady’s good friends who’s Amish. Clara and I sat together and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. We have a lot in common-we’re both quick shoppers and love books. After a hearty lunch at Der Dutchman (we all had pie), all of us hit the quilt shops and gift stores. The eight of us would break up, scatter among shops like cockroaches, then reconvene with each other, proudly showing our purchases. Clara got a kick out of the Amish doll I bought who came with a name, Sadie.
After more stops to the Amish bakery and cheese shops, we dropped off Clara at her farm and started the long journey home. I ended up in another car with a group of women who had more stories to tell than any Harlequin display anywhere. They told me about thirty year old marriages-and marriages that lasted barely two. A girlfriend of theirs found out the hard way that love letters from a man in a local prison didn’t equal love-just lust.
They told me about nursing careers and waiting for husbands who fought in Vietnam. They told me about kids who became doctors and businessmen and drug addicts. About part time jobs they’ve taken and trips they’ve planned. About cheering for the Packers for fifty years. They relayed memories about Corvettes from 1972.
I told them about nagging my high school senior about college applications, which pretty much sounded boring and lame.
By the time we stopped for BLT’s at a Waffle House at 9:30 that night, I was exhausted-but hadn't laughed so much in a long time.
And when I finally pulled into my driveway at 11, I couldn’t wait to take a hot shower and go to sleep. For me, Thursday brought high school schedule pick up, grocery shopping, and nagging about summer reading assignments. For three of those ladies, Thursday was off to Chicago. Off on another adventure, reminding me that I’ve got a lot to look forward to, long after my kids are grown.
Obviously, one day I want to grow up to be just like them.
So, has anyone else gone on a road trip this summer?
Shelley
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Late Hello from Texas
Today is my critique group/lunch group day, so I didn't even look at my Daytimer, phone or computer until just now, and realized today is the 21st. Sorry to blog so late. The past few weeks have been rather foggy for me, and I don't mean just because of the unusually wet weather we've had here in the Dallas area. Let me tell you how it started.
In mid-July I attended and spoke at the Author!Author! event in Shreveport, LA with my daughter. Of course, since we were in Shreveport, we had to go to the casino. This was her one weekend away from her husband and two girls, ages three months and two years, and she really wanted to enjoy the freedom.
As we were leaving the casino, I spotted a little kitten in the valet parking area. It was hiding under a car and I was sure that it would get run over. No one at the casino knew anything about the kitten, so I made an executive decision that we should take it with us. It attached itself to my daughter's neck and didn't let go until she went into the convenience store and bought it some food. My daughter, who had been looking forward to getting a full night's sleep for the first time in months, ended up with a kitten curled around her head.
Did I mention that she's allergic to cats?
The next day, I tried to contact the animal rescue groups, but no one returned my calls. I ended up at Wal-Mart before going to the author event, buying lots of things for what we now called "Lucky," as in the luckiest cat in Shreveport. Fortunately, the hotel we were staying at accepted pets. Staying in the kitty crate all day was very effective at litter box training Lucky.
We brought Lucky home to Richardson, TX with us. I was sure we could find him/her (I wasn't really sure) a good home, and we did. The daughter of our neighbor was ready for a cat now that she was in grad school. She was on vacation for a week, though, so we kept the kitten in our house. To get Lucky ready for his/her new home, however, I felt obligated to take the kitten to the vet, spending about $250 when I discovered he had three parasites and ear mites.
Did I mention that my husband and I are both allergic to cats?
The outcome of all this kitty story is that first I got allergies, then a cold, then a sinus infection. I had already decided not to go the the Romance Writers Conference in San Francisco, which turned out to be a great choice since that was probably my sickest week ever. I've been on some really strong antibiotics for three days now and I'm feeling much better.
But, I console myself with the fact that the luckiest kitten in Shreveport now has a good home, no worms, parasites or ear mites. And I'll be well soon. I hope. Wish me luck!
In mid-July I attended and spoke at the Author!Author! event in Shreveport, LA with my daughter. Of course, since we were in Shreveport, we had to go to the casino. This was her one weekend away from her husband and two girls, ages three months and two years, and she really wanted to enjoy the freedom.
As we were leaving the casino, I spotted a little kitten in the valet parking area. It was hiding under a car and I was sure that it would get run over. No one at the casino knew anything about the kitten, so I made an executive decision that we should take it with us. It attached itself to my daughter's neck and didn't let go until she went into the convenience store and bought it some food. My daughter, who had been looking forward to getting a full night's sleep for the first time in months, ended up with a kitten curled around her head.
Did I mention that she's allergic to cats?
The next day, I tried to contact the animal rescue groups, but no one returned my calls. I ended up at Wal-Mart before going to the author event, buying lots of things for what we now called "Lucky," as in the luckiest cat in Shreveport. Fortunately, the hotel we were staying at accepted pets. Staying in the kitty crate all day was very effective at litter box training Lucky.
We brought Lucky home to Richardson, TX with us. I was sure we could find him/her (I wasn't really sure) a good home, and we did. The daughter of our neighbor was ready for a cat now that she was in grad school. She was on vacation for a week, though, so we kept the kitten in our house. To get Lucky ready for his/her new home, however, I felt obligated to take the kitten to the vet, spending about $250 when I discovered he had three parasites and ear mites.
Did I mention that my husband and I are both allergic to cats?
The outcome of all this kitty story is that first I got allergies, then a cold, then a sinus infection. I had already decided not to go the the Romance Writers Conference in San Francisco, which turned out to be a great choice since that was probably my sickest week ever. I've been on some really strong antibiotics for three days now and I'm feeling much better.
But, I console myself with the fact that the luckiest kitten in Shreveport now has a good home, no worms, parasites or ear mites. And I'll be well soon. I hope. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Hi! My Name is Michele Dunaway and I am tired
Hi! My name is Michele Dunaway and I am tired.
You probably know the feeling. It's that one that has you saying "if only" there were 25 hours in the day. If only I didn't need sleep to survive. If only food cooked itself...
I have been teaching since August 11. I am up again at 5:20 and back to the world of grading papers, planning lessons, and getting ready for the first issue of the school newspaper. I have a curriculum to write for the district by Sept. 20 (the deadline of which landed on me today) and I have one more newspaper to judge, uh, by Aug. 26. That's up tonight and tomorrow.
I am coordinating an auction for the Student Press Law Center to be held in St. Louis in November. I have an article for C:Jet Magazine to do by Dec. 31. That stuff is for next week. I do have a partner for both, but she hasn't called because, like me, she's swamped under with back to school stuff. I have a book partial due Oct. 15. That's in there somewhere.
Somehow I'll get all this done. But I'm a tad overwhelmed. They've closed the road I always drive to work for a month, adding 10 miles one way to my already 28 miles one-way trip. They are repaving the main road I drive and starting by doing repairs; I'm hoping the two slow downs don't overlap too bad. The repaving hits me on the way home; I leave before it starts. Yesterday I had to take my daughter into the doctor for a surprise illness. She's fine but you know how those unplanned things go. A few of those plates you juggle wobble a bit.
So life is a bit overwhelming. To add to the craziness, my daughter and her friend found a baby bird in the park. It had been kicked out of the nest and it wasn't doing too well. Since they'd already carried it half way around the park before showing me, we took it home. We managed to get it healthy, only to lose it about 3 days later. It was a hard lesson in nature, but a valuable one. Still, it makes me sad.
Yet enough with the misery. I try to balance everything by staying focused on positives. Gas is $3.37 where I live. The weather is raining, but we need it. The days aren't hot like they usually are in August, and Michael Phelps got 8 gold medals. I also joined a new church that I love and my yearly mammogram was negative. I am back online after getting my computer fixed.
I'm also excited because we've got some great surprises coming to the blog next month, and I can give you a hint in my next blog as to what we've palnned. So think happy, get some sleep for me, and I'll catch you in ten more days.
Michele
You probably know the feeling. It's that one that has you saying "if only" there were 25 hours in the day. If only I didn't need sleep to survive. If only food cooked itself...
I have been teaching since August 11. I am up again at 5:20 and back to the world of grading papers, planning lessons, and getting ready for the first issue of the school newspaper. I have a curriculum to write for the district by Sept. 20 (the deadline of which landed on me today) and I have one more newspaper to judge, uh, by Aug. 26. That's up tonight and tomorrow.
I am coordinating an auction for the Student Press Law Center to be held in St. Louis in November. I have an article for C:Jet Magazine to do by Dec. 31. That stuff is for next week. I do have a partner for both, but she hasn't called because, like me, she's swamped under with back to school stuff. I have a book partial due Oct. 15. That's in there somewhere.
Somehow I'll get all this done. But I'm a tad overwhelmed. They've closed the road I always drive to work for a month, adding 10 miles one way to my already 28 miles one-way trip. They are repaving the main road I drive and starting by doing repairs; I'm hoping the two slow downs don't overlap too bad. The repaving hits me on the way home; I leave before it starts. Yesterday I had to take my daughter into the doctor for a surprise illness. She's fine but you know how those unplanned things go. A few of those plates you juggle wobble a bit.
So life is a bit overwhelming. To add to the craziness, my daughter and her friend found a baby bird in the park. It had been kicked out of the nest and it wasn't doing too well. Since they'd already carried it half way around the park before showing me, we took it home. We managed to get it healthy, only to lose it about 3 days later. It was a hard lesson in nature, but a valuable one. Still, it makes me sad.
Yet enough with the misery. I try to balance everything by staying focused on positives. Gas is $3.37 where I live. The weather is raining, but we need it. The days aren't hot like they usually are in August, and Michael Phelps got 8 gold medals. I also joined a new church that I love and my yearly mammogram was negative. I am back online after getting my computer fixed.
I'm also excited because we've got some great surprises coming to the blog next month, and I can give you a hint in my next blog as to what we've palnned. So think happy, get some sleep for me, and I'll catch you in ten more days.
Michele
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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
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
Monday, August 18, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
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
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
Saturday, August 16, 2008
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/
--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/
Friday, August 15, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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
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
Monday, August 11, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
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
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!
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.
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
