New Cover

After spilling my soul all over the web the past few days (go to the archive to see my March 12 interview), I decided to keep this post short and simply debut my July cover.

As authors, we get input into the cover, but like giving birth, you never know what "your baby" is going to look like until it comes out. Here's the cover for Bachelor CEO. My first impression was Daniel Craig and James Bond.

Here's the backcover copy:

Business And Pleasure
Never Mix…
Chase McDaniel had it all planned out. He’d work his way up in the family
business and eventually become CEO. Except the heir to McDaniel Manufacturing
just got a rude awakening. His soon-to-retire grandfather is ordering him to take a year off
and find out what he really wants. Chase knows what he doesn’t want—gorgeous, talented Miranda Craig taking his job!
Or Do They?
Being handpicked to run a company is the dream of a lifetime. And Miranda has no intention of stepping aside…even if Chase is the sexiest man she’s ever met. But their strictly business
arrangement may be in danger of turning into something more. Especially if a certain matchmaking relative has his way…

In the Spring, my thoughts turn to … Bees???

Our once abundant (supposedly self-pollinating) peach tree hasn’t produced a single peach in a good seven years. Such a tragedy! Recently my husband visited the local nursery for tips. “Prune the tree,” the expert recommended. “And bring in some orchard mason bees.”

Orchard mason bees? We’d never heard of them.

Supposedly these industrious little insects are wonderful fruit tree pollinators and are used by orchards around the country. Pollination–that’s their raison d'etre. They don’t make honey and are non-aggressive, only stinging if roughly handled or trapped under clothing.

DH came home with what looks like a little plastic pill bottle. Inside are bee eggs. (The eggs are in an egg sac.) He also purchased a wooden hive to attach to the far eave of our house, where the bees will lay their eggs for next year. And the year after that. And so on. (Without the wooden hive, the critters burrow into nail holes or other cavities in wood siding.)

He put the bottle on a shelf in the refrigerator. On March 3, following the directions, he set the bottle outside and peeled open one end. But mother nature wasn’t ready to let go of cold weather, and the temperature dipped below freezing. After a call to the nursery, he took down the hive and returned the egg sac to the plastic bottle, which once again sits in our fridge. Yesterday, with the temperatures now above freezing, he tried again.

Should be interesting.

I’m curious. Has anyone ever used these bees? If so, what happened?


Thanks for letting me guest-blog today, and pollinatingly yours,

Ann
www.annroth.net
Ooh, Baby!
March RT Top Pick!

P.S. I just learned I'm a double finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence contest! The books that finaled are The Pilot’s Woman, the second book in the Halo Island series, and My Sisters, a women’s fiction novel released in November, 2008.

Has Spring Sprung?

It certainly seemed so here in middle America yesterday, with the temperature topping out at eighty degrees. The day promised to be a beautiful and fun one with plans to go to our outstanding county zoo. Until we arrived, that is, to find long lines in the middle of the afternoon. My #2 daughter, Lyndsay, her hubby and their three little ones were already inside, after waiting in line for over an hour to pay admission. My youngest daughter and I were waiting in the ticket line with my oldest daughter’s daughter, when Lyndsay and family came out. It seems they had problems seeing the animals and exhibits, and people were rude, pushing ahead in front of small children for a better view. We decided to call it a day before it even began and opted for some time in one of the parks near our home. The little ones enjoyed climbing on the play equipment, and I enjoyed being outside on such a lovely day. Once summer arrives, we’ll find a day to try again, probably with much better results. The moral? Don’t try going to the zoo on the best day of spring break week.

I’m really, really hoping Spring has sprung!

Top o’ the Morning to You!

Or whatever time of day you’re reading this, I hope you’re having a grand time!

Lucky me, to find my blog date coinciding with St. Patrick’s Day. And seeing as I’m a good part Irish--in fact, more Irish than anything else--I couldn’t have asked for a better day to send a shout-out to you all.

Since I’m on a diet at the moment, I imagine you’ll understand when I say food is all I can think about. And one of my favorite things about St. Paddy’s Day is the delicious dinner that’s such an essential part of the holiday.

Mmm.... Corned beef, cabbage, and carrots, of course. My mouth is watering at the thought of a plateful! Or maybe two....

My next Harlequin American Romance (publication date and title to be determined) will be about an eccentric Irish family. Sure and you know they’ll be enjoying the traditional meal.

Will you?

If you’re Irish, or even if you’re not, is your mouth watering in anticipation of that delicious Irish dinner, too?

Of course, the Irish don’t have a monopoly on good food. I think every nationality has its own time-honored traditions when it comes to meals. Again, since I’m on that nasty diet and all I can do is think about food, naturally I’m a glutton for punishment. So, please tell me...

On special occasions, what does your family put on the table?

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Literacy

I know. Literacy isn’t a very exciting blog topic. But it's an important one. Next week I'm speaking at the Janesville, Wisconsin Literacy Council monthly meeting. The council sponsors a community program designed to train volunteers to tutor adults and children, who lack proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English.

I was asked to discuss how my publisher--Harlequin--promotes literacy. The first thing that came to mind was the http://www.eharlequin/ 10,000 book challenge. If you haven't heard of this pop over to http://www.eharlequin.com/ and check it out.

For every book read, Harlequin donates a book to the National Center for Family Literacy, whose mission is to promote family literacy. "When parents struggle with literacy and life skills, their children have fewer chances for success. Family literacy reverses that cycle by teaching the families of today in order to impact the generations of tomorrow."

I grew up two blocks from the library in Janesville. My family didn’t have money for summer vacations, so every year in June I'd lined up with other kids just like me--stuck in town--and register for the library's summer reading program. Books were my vacation. I traveled to exotic places--jungles, outer space, even back in time to the Civil War.

If not for a love of reading that my local library nurtured, I doubt I would have become a writer. We all know how important reading is to succeeding in school or landing a good job. But reading a book is so much more than an education--it's an escape, an adventure, a journey of self-discovery. Reading nurtures the imagination and frees the spirit.

As an author who depends on readers for her income--I just want to say "THANK YOU" to all the people in our communities who give their time to help others learn to read. The world's a better place because of you!

Marin

A Cowboy's Promise *Men Made in America* April 2009

Samantha's Cowboy August 2009

A Cowboy Christmas Dec 2009

http://www.marinthomas.com/

Ouch ouch ouch

A month or so ago, my husband and I gave blood. Last week, we did it again.

The first time, we went to a Red Cross bloodmobile in the post office parking lot, and, as thank-yous, received $5 coupons to Daphne’s Greek Café.

The second time, we showed up at our accountant’s office hauling records and receipts that we’d labored over for several weekends. We got a bill as a thank-you. (Actually, we like our accountant, whose name is Dave and who has a great sense of humor.)

Sometimes I wonder whether the federal and state officials who make these rules are actually human. Note to IRS: I am not attacking your auditors. They’re just doing their jobs. So please leave me alone.

These folks draw up rules that simply make life miserable for most of us at very little benefit to the government. Example: we learned that if our 19-year-old son receives more than $900 in unearned income on his college savings, he has to pay the same tax rate that we do. This means that he has to file a complicated return, at considerable expense – you think a 19-year-old can figure this stuff out himself? – rather than a simplified form. At most, his unearned income might exceed that amount by a few hundred dollars. We’ll pay more for extra accounting time than we will in extra taxes.

I’m sure many of you can supply equally outrageous examples. Actually, so could I, but I don’t want to belabor the point.

Most of us don’t mind paying our fair share. What we do mind are excessively tangled and often incomprehensible regulations that force us – and our accountants – to waste hours just to cross the t’s and dot the i’s.

While I’m ranting, don’t get me started on the idiots in the California Legislature who want to stick residents with huge increases in our already large car registration fees, sales taxes, and everything else they can think of. These same legislators get free cars that we pay for, maintain and fuel. Meanwhile senior citizens who’ve lost half their savings in the stock market will be selling or donating their RVs to charity because they can’t afford hundreds of additional dollars in fees.

I’m grateful for the local radio deejays whose protest rally against these increases drew 8,000 angry taxpayers. And that was just the beginning of their campaign.

How’re things where you live? Are legislators any more sensible in other states and countries?

Thank goodness love is still free and romance novels are still a bargain. I’ll go read one right now and improve my mood.

Interview with Michele Dunaway

In celebration of her 20th book, Harlequin American's Twins for the Teacher, enjoy 20 questions with Michele Dunaway

1) How did you make your first sale and how long have you been published? In 1999, I attended the RWA conference at the end of July in Chicago and had an editor appointment with the new American line editor, Melissa Jeglinski, who said “send it.” She bought Temporarily Yours four weeks later. She told me she hadn’t bought a new author in several years, and she brought three new authors into the Harlequin family as a result of RWA. Retitled A Little Office Romance, my first book came out in Oct. 2000. So yes, I’m one of those lucky ones you hear about who sold on the first try. This month’s Twins for the Teacher is my 20th book. I am working on revisions for #22.

2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out? Follow your own voice. It’s seen me through a great many things.

3) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? I have one that immediately comes to mind, but it’s hard to explain. In a nutshell, my senior year of college I lost a guy whom I thought was my ideal because of a bunch of flukes and twists of fate—such as dating his best friend—who’d I met in another city two hours away while on vacation at the lake. I had no idea these two knew each other. Eke. It was a mess. But my friend Karen told me a few years ago that had I been "together forever" with either of them, I’d never be a writer or published. And she’s right. I’d be a soccer mom, probably not even teaching. I did base one of my characters on Rick , so he’s a ghost now as, once I write my characters, they disappear from inside my head. It’s like I have to give those voices life…and then they leave. I can’t even remember which book certain characters are in, and often can’t even remember the characters’ names once the book is out on the shelves. As for writing, I dread the day the voices in my head stop talking.

4) Describe your writing space. I built the house where I live in 2003, and when I went searching for floor plans, I wanted a first floor office. I’m in what the builders call a living room. It’s open to the foyer and dining room and has a great view of outside. I’m on five acres.

5) Are you a cat or dog person? Cats all the way. I have five strictly indoor, one indoor/outdoor, and one feral outdoor who adopted us. I had a dream the other day that I found and rescued a bunch of stray kittens, but luckily it was only a dream. I’m a sucker for kittens.

6) What comes first: the plot or the characters? The characters. As I said, I suddenly hear them and see them in my head, and their story comes next. And they never do what I want them to. I thought it was just me, until some NYT best selling writers admitted talking to their characters and even interviewing them. Then I felt much more normal.

7) What is your work schedule like when you are writing? I write in big spurts. I will go days and weeks without writing anything new. Then when I sit down to write a book, I’ll work 12-14 hours straight and write every day. Even if I can only do six hours when I get home from work, I’ll write.

8) Do you re-read your books once they're in print? I did for the first four books but really don’t anymore. I did reread Hart’s Victory because it’s my all time favorite—I wrote it for my daughter. I admit to getting a rush reading line edits, when I go “Wow, this is good. Who wrote this?” and realize it’s me.

9) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing? Harlequin Presents. I’ve been reading those since high school and always wanted to write one. My all time favorite remains Sandra Marton’s The Sexiest Man Alive. I laughed straight through it. I also loved Nora Roberts’ McGregor Brides and Grooms, which inspired my Grandpa Joe character. As for Presents, an author friend sent me a Harlequin newsletter from Australia and there I was with greats like Penny Jordan. When my Harlequin Americans are out in Australia and New Zealand, I’m out as a Mills & Boon Sexy author. So in a way I made it.

10) What did you do career-wise before becoming an author? I’m still doing the day job. I teach high school English and journalism and love it. Advising the newspaper and yearbook keeps me on top of the pulse of kids today, which keeps me young. I think. I'll be a featured speaker at the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association in Phoenix this April.


11) How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it? My first book A Little Office Romance was crazy and funny and different. The heroine was between jobs, so she’s “hired” by her best friend Chelsea to break up her brother Alex and his girlfriend. Julia’s playing Alex’s temporary secretary—and she’s in a disguise until he jumps into the pool on a business trip to save her (she fell in) and comes up only with her wig. That type of plot is too far fetched now. Also, I did a princess continuity for my third book. Ditto to that.

12) 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? This is a trick question. Is the island fully stocked and equipped with a year worth of provisions and comfort? Because I write the CEO books for Harlequin American (Bachelor CEO—the July Men Made in America coming in just a few months) so I’d want the CEO since those are my favorite types of heroes. However, if this was an episode of Survivor, he probably wouldn’t last a day, unlike a few of the other guys up there. Unless the CEO was Chase…who is my hero in Bachelor CEO. He competes in triathalons and loves camping. He might stand a chance.

13) What did you want to be when you grew up? Exactly what I am right now. Seriously. I am truly blessed.

14) What was the hardest part of writing your book? The middle. It’s like going up hill. I hate middles. I’m so happy when I’m on the downward slope.

15) Describe your ideal dream date: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Too bad he doesn't know I'm his dream date.

16) 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? No. I’m rather boring. I often don’t even play music. When I do the same CD plays on repeat for hours. I hardly hear it.

17) Have you ever made a crank phone call? Once in high school I called a guy (he was a senior and I was a junior) and pretended I’d met him at the party that weekend (which I wasn’t at). We talked for 15 minutes before I hung up. It’s amazing how you can convince guys of anything. My friends were impressed—they thought the phone call would be like 30 seconds. He even wanted to see me again.

18) What is your dream car? Porsche 928S In high school I used to have cars hanging in my locker instead of magazine pics of guys. Let me tell you how many random guys came up to my locker to admire the sports cars. I wasn’t a dummy. Who wants to look at their competition? So girls—get the Jonas brothers out of your locker! Same with Edward!

19) If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you? Can I mention Dale Jr. again? I’m so glad NASCAR’s back. Whoo Hoo. Go #88 and #99.

20) Wow. Is this question 20? Yes! Thanks for reading this! Be sure to drop by http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on March 19. Susan Vaughn interviewed me, and I shared my first sale story there.

The Creative Soup

It's one of the most common question posed to writers: "Where do you get your ideas?"

Most of us have standard, sound bite answers to this question. Mine goes something like this: "I get them from everywhere--TV, movies, other books, overheard snippets of conversation, dreams, newspapers and magazines, an image on a billboard, a song. Anything can generate an idea."

But if an idea for a book could really come from anywhere, wouldn't more people be writing books? (Yeah, I know, these days you can't stretch your arms out wide without hitting a writer. We're everywhere.)

Really. Where do ideas come from? My best non-writer friend might overhear the same argument at a restaurant that I do, but two seconds later she's forgotten it. Me, I'm mulling it over, wondering what came before and after. I'm trying to guess who the conversationalists were, beneath what they show the world. I'm building whole lives for them, giving them houses to live in, histories, families, hopes and fears. I do all of this automatically. It occurs in background mode, so to speak, as I'm living my life. As I drive home from the restaurant, I might see a car accident, or pass an interesting house, or remember that I have a dentist appointment tomorrow. All of this gets added into the creative soup. Eventually it might add up to an idea for a story.

Then there are those other ideas ... the ones that come out of nowhere. Suddenly, it's just there--full-blown characters, scenes playing themselves out inside my head, dialogue jumping into my thoughts. The possibilities jump into my head so fast I can't write fast enough to keep up with them.

The process is so mysterious, to me at least, it defies a real explanation. Are books floating around in the ether, waiting for someone's imagination to grab onto them? Are the characters real people in some parallel universe that we writers have somehow caught a glimpse of? J.R.R. Tolkien maintained that Middle Earth, with all of its hobbits and dragons, is a real place, and that he was simply recording what happened there. Sometimes I wonder.

Maybe we all have access to the creative soup. My soup is your soup is Nora Roberts's soup (except she's a better cook!). Maybe that argument in the restaurant becomes part of the soup, and it will pop into the head of some writer who wasn't there--some writer who will wonder, where did that come from? How else can you explain the uncanny way books and movies with identical plots are released simultaneously?

I've gone pretty far afield here, so perhaps I'd better rein myself in. None of this philosophical navel gazing is helping me come up with the next scene in my current book!

Simple Pleasures

I spotted these pink tulips in the grocery store the other day and almost walked right by them. They were gorgeous, but I've been trying to watch our budget and $10 for flowers seemed like a big splurge.

But they were so beautiful and on impulse, I bought them. I brought them home and put them in a vase, then remembered this pink ribbon I'd saved from a candy box and tied that around the vase.

I think they're beautiful and I can't tell you how much pleasure they've given me. Every time I pass through the living room and see these tulips, I smile. I count it $10 well spent.

I'm not always good about indulging myself with little pleasures, but I'm getting better. For instance, last time my favorite dark chocolate bars were on sale, I bought a bunch and stashed them in my closet. They are my own secret pleasure -- a little bit of luscious chocolate all for me.

And books -- who could forget books? A paperback book is one of the best cheap pleasures around, even in these expensive times.

What secret pleasures do you indulge in?

A NEW BOOK...AND WHAT IF...

I have a new book out this month (Yay!), The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas. The cover is to your left and right. The art department and Kathleen did a great job with the cover. I love it! It’s part of The Men Made in America Series

Yesterday, I had a book signing and thank God nothing really weird happened. I didn’t sign anybody’s name wrong or call a person by the wrong name. Or the absolute worse—can’t remember someone’s name when they come to every book signing. Geez, that's embarrassing. I got everyone’s name correct so I feel like I had a good day. Hate those signings when I want to crawl under the table.

At every signing someone always asks, “What’s the book about?” Well, this book is a fun book. Think Paris Hilton meets a young Clint Eastwood. The idea for this story came out of the blue. My husband and I were returning home one evening and a highway patrolman had a red sports convertible pulled over. A blonde was driving. Her Hollywood sunglasses were perched on the top of her head. She was smiling. The patrolman’s arm rested on the top of the windshield as he leaned in slightly with a this-is-my-lucky day grin. I told my husband the blonde would not be getting a ticket.

That little scene stayed with me for a while, and I started the “what if” theory. What if the officer wasn’t so easy? What if the blonde had done something really wrong? On and on I kept asking the questions. Soon I had answers and a story. So if you want to find out what happens when Paris Hilton meets Clint Eastwood, pick up a copy of The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas. It’s a blast.

Have you ever seen something that triggers a story? It happens to me all the time. The other day I was waiting for my cousin in the car while she went into the post office. A young couple came out, all lovey-dovey. It was an “ah” moment—young love. His arm was around her waist as they walked to their car. She was talking on her cell. All of a sudden she pushed away from him, slammed shut her cell, and I could tell by the hand gestures and the loud voices that they were arguing. People walking by turned and stared. She then threw the phone at him and ran to her car. He threw up his hands and watched as she sped out of the parking lot. Picking up the phone, he went back inside. I didn’t expect that much action at the post office.

I haven’t come up with anything for that scene, but I’m still thinking about it. Authors are naturally curious or in my case maybe just nosy. I wondered who she was talking to on the phone. What did they say to her? What do you think? Want to play what if?

Linda
www.lindawarren.net
Mar ’09 – The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas
July ’09 – Caitlyn’s Prize

Trivial Pursuit?

Tonight I'm attending my second trivia night this year--you know, where a bunch of friends sits at a table in public, sporting puzzled frowns while banging their foreheads in frustration. Usually I go to one trivia event a year that my friends sponsor as part of their team fund-raising for Relay for Life (breast cancer research). Our table's goal is to finish in the money. Then we make a point of returning the money to the charity, in hopes the other winning tables will too. I'm always amazed at the ferocity with which some people play and how jealously they guard their $80-$100. Come on, it's for charity!

Anyway, tonight the charity is a fund-raiser for a mission group going to build houses in New Orleans this summer. I like to claim my "contribution" is the dessert I bring. That way, there's no expectation--because I can't rely on my memory under time constraints. Simple, obvious questions make me hesitate. Does it just seem obvious or is it a trick? If I know the answer right away and someone has a different answer, I always doubt myself. One would think I'd be the "book person" on the team, right? Our table consists of an engineer, a geologist, a dentist, a math dean, a teacher, and me, the cookie bringer. We have science, math, health, cooking, gardening, sports, and music covered. My contribution? Cookies.

So what's your strong subject? Do you cave when challenged on something you think you remember or do you stand firm? Do you (like me) cringe when people look to you with expectation (I always get this during the Books/Literature category)? Or are you good at trivia? Because we do have a place open tonight...

Megan
megankellybooks.com

Interview with Holly Jacobs

Hi, I'm Holly Jacobs. Like so many romance writers, I lead a life full of romance and adventure. From skydiving to jet-setting around Europe, from snorkeling in coral reefs to writing while wearing beautiful silk peignoir sets and popping chocolate bonbons, my life is the epitome of romance.
Okay, that's all a big lie. But I'll try to answer the interview questions more honestly! LOL

1) How long have you been published? Since 1997.

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

Ah, I've said this so often I should make a t-shirt. My advice...write something, anything, every day. You can't be a writer if you don't write!

3) What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

Believable characters. I want to read about characters you can imagine having coffee with, or hanging out with. If I can believe in them, then I can become invested in their struggles and goals!

4) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

Okay, I'm sort of gagging at how schmarmy this sounds, but I don't think anything. I'm a firm believer in the idea that things happen for a reason. Even the bad things that happened impact the direction we go in and the person we are now. And since I'm very, very happy with where I am now, I don't know that I'd erase anything. Does that make sense?

PS. I don't think I'd want to go back and relive any of the bad stuff, but hey, I wouldn't erase it!

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

My family enjoys peanut butter and mustard on hotdogs! Yes, I know, but hey, don't knock it until you've tried it!

6) What comes first: the plot or the characters?

That depends on the story. Each one evolves in its own way. Some are one big rush of inspiration, and some are more work. Some I know the characters inside and out right up front, and some that knowing comes a little bit harder.

7) When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?

I don't even have to try an think on this one...I think the exact same thing every morning.

COFFEE.

Yes, I have a love affair with that bitter black brew. I love the way it smells, and I love that first jolt as I sip it. My editor has commented at how frequently my characters seem obsessed with coffee...that would be a case of fiction imitating real life!

8) Describe your writing space.

I have a lovely office and desk, but I mainly work on the laptop on the couch. The dogs like it better and sit with me as I work. The puppy will frequently start typing if she feels I've worked too long! LOL

9) Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

No. I'm a writer. I write. Now, sometimes what I write is total crap...but someone said (I don't remember where I heard it originally) that you can fix crap, but you can't fix a blank page. So I write. Even if it's crap.

10) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I don't that I can name specific authors. Before I wrote, I read a book a day...most days. Now that I write, I read less, but when I read, I read widely, eclectically. I do read fiction, grew up on science fiction/fantasy, philosophy and science. All those things come into play in my own writing. I wrote a hero once who was a scientist. He had a cat named Schrodinger, which gave me such geek glee. You see, if you're a science geek, you'll recognize that Schrodinger's Cat is a postulate about a cat in a box being alive and dead at the same time... Anyway, it was one of those geeky things that you wouldn't think would come into a romance, but it did!

So, the answer is, no specific book or author impacts me...they all sort of do. I feel like we're all the sum of our experiences...both real life and reading.

11) What are you reading now?

The newspaper. I read it every day.

12) Do you re-read your books once they're in print?

Nope. Never. First, there's the whole issue of finding things I'd like to fix and knowing I can't...I'm crazy enough without that added stress. Then there's the whole, I'm so busy writing I don't have time to read as much other authors as I like. I know what I wrote, so I don't need to reread that! LOL

13) What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

My kids are all in school, so I'm a daytime writer. I refer to the years they were small as my Vampire Years...I had to write at night after they were asleep. I like working days soooo much more!

14) How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

42...well, I'm working on number 42. And my answer always remains the same. Whatever book I'm actively working on is my favorite. If it's not, then I'm doing something REALLY wrong.

15) Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?

I do. I'm on Facebook , MySpace, and hang out at eHarlequin, which gives my readers a lot of ways to access me, in addition to email and snailmail. It's always a joy to hear that a story, or a character has touched someone.

16) Tell us about your family and where you live.

I live in Erie, PA. It's the setting of the majority of my books because...well, because I think Erie rocks! LOL We're right on Lake Erie, and in the summer, heading out to the peninsula to watch a sunset is one of my all time favorite things.

I'm married to a cop...and you'll notice (if you read it) that the hero in my February HAR was a cop. I don't write them too often, but I'll confess, I am biased. I think they're amazing people. And I really loved writing Chuck in Once Upon a Valentine's.

Together we have four kids, two dogs (Ethel Merman and Ella Fiztgerald) and a hamster named Sam.

17) Tell us about your most recent release(s).

I've written for a lot of Harlequin lines and it's been a long journey that's led me here, to Harlequin American Romance, and I have to say how much fun I'm having writing for this line. October '08, December '08 and February '09 were the release dates of my American Dad trilogy for the line. Once Upon a Thanksgiving, Once Upon a Christmas and last month's Once Upon a Valentine's. They're still available online.

What happens when three PTA single moms miss the first meeting of the year? They get 'volunteered' for the PTA Social Planning Committee. And while they plan the Thanksgiving pageant, the Christmas Fair and the Valentine's Dance, they find true friendship...and they all find another chance at love.

Really, as the mother of four and a school volunteer for more years than I want to count, this was a subject I knew inside and out. And they always tell writers to write what they know...well, I had this subject down! LOL

I think that's about it...you can find me at HollyJacobs.com, and there are links to my FaceBook and MySpace pages there if you're interested!

Thanks ladies for the interview, and for welcoming me into the fold of the Harlequin American Romance writers.

Holly
http://www.hollyjacobs.com/

ONCE UPON A THANKSGIVING, Harlequin American Romance, 10/08

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, Harlequin American Romance, 12/08

ONCE UPON A VALENTINE'S, Harlequin American Romance, 2/9

EVERYTHING BUT A WEDDING, Avalon Books, 12/08

Why is there air?

Anyone remember that (now ancient) Bill Cosby album, Why Is There Air? I vaguely remember listening to it numerous times and always grinning. Hadn’t thought about it in ages, but now that we’re about to go into daylight savings time ("summer time" in British English)… the question, Why Is There Air?, hits me. As in, what’s the point of daylight savings time (DST), anyway?

Of course afternoons get more light, mornings less. (Here in the Pacific Northwest, the days are long no matter what.) Supposedly this saves electricity. It might, too–in some places. The time change also causes confusion , especially for pets and kids. If you happen to work in a profession that relies on morning sun, too bad. And don’t forget the clocks in your home and car, your watch, the furnace. Most of ours automatically reset to DST. However (and this is big), our stuff is programmed for the old DST calendar. Remember that? It started in April and ended in October. Now that the change occurs in March and November, we’re stuck manually resetting everything except our computers.

Adding to the chaos and confusion, some regions and countries ignore DST. In the United States alone, according to Greenwichmeantime.com, the following territories and states do not observe DST: Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the state of Arizona (not the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe).

It’s enough to make a person pull her hair out!

How do you feel about DST, or do you care at all?

Until later and wishing you an easy adjustment to DST,

Ann
www.annroth.net
Ooh, Baby!
March RT Top Pick!

Humans, they say, are creatures of habit. For me, that’s very true.

Every weekday morning, I smack the snooze button the same number of times before climbing out of bed. I move through all the steps of getting ready for work--showering and dressing, eating breakfast and brushing teeth--with one eye on the clock and split-second timing. I drive to work by the same route each day and even park in the same spot in the parking area.

You’ll have to agree, won’t you, that I’m a creature of habit?

But someone asked me something recently that got my habit-loving, routine-riddled mind working.

The conversation goes something like this:

“So, what are your writing rituals?” she asks.

“Huh?” (My brilliant response.)

“What do you do to get yourself going when it’s time to write? How do you invoke the Muse?” She sends me a dirty look. “As I said before, what are your writing rituals?”

(No response from me at all this time.)

Her foot’s tapping the floor. “Do you light a candle? Burn incense? Play certain music? Drink three-quarters of a cup of coffee and eat two-point-five cookies after you turn on the computer?” Her face is turning quite red now. “Do you use blue ink on yellow notepads exclusively? Wear your oldest bathrobe and fuzzy slippers while you’re editing? Do you knock three times on the doorframe before entering your writing space?”

“Uhh... Umm...” (I’m floundering, can you tell?) “Well...does writing e-mail count?”

She looks down her nose at me, and I want to sink into the floor.

I am so ashamed.

I am so not worthy.

Habit-acquiring creature that I am, how can I not have rituals???

All I know now is, I’ve got to get some! And naturally, I’m turning to you all for help, which is becoming another habit of mine, isn’t it? LOL

Reading about the rituals you’ve developed--related to writing or simply to life in general--might be the trigger I need to come up with a few of my own.

And that will give me an entire list of things to say the next time someone asks, “What are your writing rituals?”

So, please...feed my new habit!

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

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

Time To Exercise

Now that wrestling and basketball season is over and Lent has begun, I’ve decided to concentrate a little bit on me. My husband and I joined another Bible study group, so I think I’ve got the spiritual part of my life taken care of.

For me, that’s the easy part. It’s the physical part that I struggle with. See, exercise is not a part of my routine. Oh, I belong to a health club, and a few years ago I even paid a personal trainer to nag me to lift weights.

But now that the personal trainer thing is done-(she had the nerve to break up with her boyfriend and moved away!)-I’m lucky if I even get to the gym once a week.

No, I'm not that busy. It's just that I always find something better to do, such as cooking, reading, and um...ironing. Obviously I need some motivation.

A few years ago at Nationals, a few of us American authors got together just to chat. One of the things that I discovered was that a lot of the authors do some kind of exercise almost every day~play tennis, run, take yoga classes, garden. I didn’t get the impression that these were things on their ‘to-do’ list either. Oh, no. These were activities that were a part of their routine and they felt better for it!

I want to be like them!

So I’m on the hunt for a new activity. Any one care to share a new fitness routine you’ve adopted fairly recently? Are you loving Pilates now? Taken up golf? Dancing? Also, how do you fit exercise into your life? Is it a first thing in the morning activity… or something you do on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? I’d really love to hear your ideas and get inspired!

Shelley

FEBRUARY WINNER!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Penney! You’re the February winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Ann DeFee and Lisa Childs through their Web sites.

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

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

The things we do for ... ink

How do I get roped into these things? Or, more accurately, how do I rope myself into these things?

There I was, riding around in the backseat of a car, blabbering away about my books and my former career as an Associated Press TV columnist, hoping my lipstick wasn’t crooked and my voice didn’t squeak like a desk chair.

When I say a car, I mean a car. Not a limousine, not a Ferrari, and not a tricked-out van. No offense to the car’s owner, Los Angeles filmmaker Terry Kate. She’d actually cleaned out a lot of stuff, I’m sure, if her car-keeping habits are anything like mine. The proof: I had room for my feet.

What’s this about? Well, Terry – whom I keep wanting to call Kate, but that’s her last name – came up with the idea of videotaping romance authors while driving around the areas where their books are set. She calls the series Romance in the Backseat, and the first videos should be posted by mid-March at www.romanceinthebackseat.blogspot.com. I’ll post a link and a photo of Terry and me on my Web site, www.jacquelinediamond.com.

We drove around Brea, California, which is where the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America meets. Terry had contacted OCCRWA to find authors, and of course, I volunteered. I’ll do anything within reason for publicity. That’s what happens when you have a budget near zero.

The reason for picking Brea, besides proximity, is that that’s where I’ve set my current Harmony Circle miniseries, part of the Harlequin American Romance line. Some of you may have read The Family Next Door, Baby in Waiting or Million-Dollar Nanny. The last of the series, Doctor Daddy, will be published in September 2009.

Terry suggested I open with an anecdote from my career at AP, so I talked about interviewing Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Patrick Stewart and the show’s phenomenal makeup artist, Michael Westmore, who designed entire alien species. I also read an excerpt from Million-Dollar Nanny. Then Terry asked me the appropriately million-dollar question : “What’s the wildest thing you ever did in the backseat of a car?”

“You mean, aside from this interview?” I asked.

She said yes. On the spot, I blathered something about my husband and a drive-in movie. Honestly, I made the whole thing up. Well, okay, maybe not. I don’t exactly think fast under pressure.

It’s probably fortunate that I’m in no danger of landing on TV with Oprah or Jay Leno or even a local LA-area newscast. Still, I’d be happy to give it a try if their people come calling.

Like I said, I’ll do almost anything for publicity, maybe even wear one of those fantastic alien get-ups Michael Westmore designs. Which might be what I have to do after my husband hears what I said on that video.

Spring is Sprunging

Okay, so we're not entirely done with winter yet. It is still February, after all, and even here in Texas we're expecting a freeze this weekend. (Hello, sinus headache #36.)

But the signs of spring are all around me. Up and down my street, daffodils are in bloom, and even the redbud tree in my backyard has braved a few deep purple flowers. The mockingbirds have been singing their complex mating songs for weeks. It's hard for me to feel sad if a mockingbird is in song anywhere near me. Even at four a.m., which is when a mockingbird is apt to burst into song outside my window.

Today I saw a grackle flying with a bit of dried grass in its mouth. A nest! (Say what you will about grackles, but I think they're beautiful with their glossy black feathers and enormous tails.) But the inevitable sign that winter is almost over? I got an email from the Cornell University Nestcams. The cams are live, and the barn owls are courting. (The male barn owl brings the female a tasty dead mouse. Once she accepts his gift, he jumps her bones--sometimes before she can even get the mouse down her throat. It's a lovely sight.) Soon, large white eggs will start to appear. (And if I get addicted to watching the owls again this year, I'll never finish my current work-in-progress.)

I'm huddled here in my quilted bathrobe as I write this, but my winter frozen heart has already started its spring thaw. I'm breaking out the flip-flops and suntan lotion, I'm stocking up on lime juice for those frozen margaritas that are right around the corner. I'm also eying the bookshelves, pondering my summer reading list. In winter I snuggle under the electric blanket with heavy literary books (you know, the ones with book club discussion guides printed on the back pages). But now my tastes are leaning toward fun and flirty, light and luscious beach reads.

I can't wait!

No Money for Video Poker

When you think about Las Vegas what is your first image – the Strip, lavish hotels, casinos, showgirls, Wayne Newton, Elvis impersonators? That’s the Sin City of Chamber of Commerce fame, but believe it or not, there’s another Las Vegas, and it’s one tourists never see.

That’s the city I visited last week.

To set the stage, some of my very favorite relatives have been in LV for over twenty years, and in a city of transients that translates into a whole lot of history. So instead of hitting the slot machines or going to shows (unless my bro-in-law gets us free tickets) we went to Costco (my sister’s pantry could withstand a siege), hiked in Red Rock (I encountered a rattlesnake) and savored more than a touch of gluttony. Here’s a hint you won’t find in Fodor’s - there are a couple of Mexican food places on Main Street that on first glance might appear a bit …iffy. But wow! The food is homemade and so delectable it makes my mouth water. But woman can’t live by tacos alone. So, for variety we hit a Soul Food Festival, and of course you can’t go to LV without doing bar food (full breakfast with grits for $2.99). Yum! Yum!

And let’s not forget the shopping opportunities. We don’t do the Gucci store at the Bellagio or Valentino at Cesar’s Appian Way. No way! We head straight to the Flea Market that has everything from rhinestone encrusted G-strings to weapons of mass destruction. And the best kept secret in LV is the purse lady. I’m such a good customer that I get a hug when I show up – with my credit card. I do love my purses.

So, in a nutshell Las Vegas is like a chameleon. It has many faces and disguises. On the one hand you have high rollers and celebrities, and on the flipside are the soccer moms, carpools and neighborhoods that could be found anywhere USA (except with desert landscaping and swimming pools). Just a hint – if you plan to visit LV ask about the local hangouts. They’re a lot of fun.

Maybe I should write a book – Las Vegas on Coupons and Comps. That should be a bestseller – right?

Now on to a shameless plug – the book I have out this month (The Man She Married) is really a hoot. It’s all about guys and the BARCO lounger/sports syndrome. Does that sound familiar? LOL

Have a great weekend.

Ann DeFee

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

Nature Notes

One of my very favorite books is The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden.

Holden was a British artist and teacher born in 1871, and in 1920, at the age of 49, she drowned in the Thames River while collecting plants along the riverbank. Her legacy is this wonderful collection of paintings and nature notes that have been published in two volumes--this one and The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.

I haven’t picked up this book in a while but with spring just around the corner-or so I hope!-I can hardly wait to look out my kitchen window and see leaf buds on trees and birds gathering nesting material in my backyard. So I opened Holden’s Nature Notes to find out what she said about February in England, more than a hundred years ago.

The pages are filled with her water color paintings of plants and animals, her notes and observations, and poems by her favorite poets. It’s really charming.

The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady is organized by month.

February includes this poem by William Wordsworth, and I’m sure she included it because his writing reflects the way she saw and appreciated nature simply by observing it.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things
We murder to dissect.
Enough of Science and of Art
Close up these barren leaves,
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.

Her notes also include daily observations. Here are a few of them.

February 9th: Noticed the young nettle leaves coming up.
February 15th: Found a queen Wasp crawling up the back of a chair.
February 20th: Snow lying thickly on the ground.

If Edith Holden were alive today, I’ll bet she’d be Twittering!

I’ve often been tempted to buy another copy of this book, take it apart, and have some of the illustrations framed. Until I do, I'm content with admiring them in the pages of the book.

Tomorrow on The Writer Side of Life I’ll be blogging about a woman in the Middle Ages whose writing focused on nature themes. I hope you’ll stop by.

Until next time,
Lee