I’m deep into the middle of revisions on the manuscript scheduled to become my third Harlequin American Romance. As many authors will no doubt tell you, this is both the best of times and the worst of times.
Best because we’ve got the story down on paper, the twists and turns plotted, the setting chosen, the characters brought to life.
Worst because now we have to “make it better.” To quote the members of one of my early critique groups, we must “take it home and fix it.”
This is when the struggle really begins!
We need to rewrite the book well enough to appease our internal critic/angel/mentor/mischievous child or whatever we may call the part of our subconscious that won’t allow us to rest until we’ve “fixed” everything in sight--and then some.
We need to please our editors, whose keen eyes, long memories, and years of experience make them our toughest critics and our greatest allies.
Most of all, we need to craft a story that will satisfy our loyal readers, who show their appreciation of our earlier works through cards and letters and e-mails and postings to message boards, as well as by spreading the word about our books to all their friends.
You see why I’m living the best of times and the worst of times, all wrapped into one? The pressure’s on! (smile)
Now you know what I’m going through, if you have any urge at all to send good thoughts my way, please do--I’m ready and eager to read them!
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Driver's Test
On Thursday, my daughter will turn sixteen. I’m letting her sleep in a little late, will take her out for pancakes, and then we'll make the thirty minute drive to the driver’s license bureau.
After she takes her driver’s test, I’ll shuttle her to school. From that point on, I have a feeling the rest of the day will either be all smiles and happiness, or filled with tears and angst.
Yes, the stress of the upcoming test has overshadowed everything else. I think she’s in good company.
Do you remember when you took your driver's test? I sure do. It was my dad's job to take us to the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was a busy guy, and I remember standing in line next to him in his suit, a bundle of nerves.
We waited in line for what seemed like forever. My dad, who believed girls looked their best in heels and dresses, sought to lighten the mood by teasing me about the highway patrol officers. See, there were four patrol officers there, two men and two women. One of the female officers never smiled at anyone. She was at least six feet tall. Blond and brawny. Tough. She looked exactly like the type of person you'd want to come to your rescue if you were getting mugged.
To my sixteen-year-old eyes, she looked like exactly the wrong person to sit next to when attempting to parallel park. My dad-never one to be accused of being politically correct-called her Ms. Big.
Finally, after standing in line for over an hour, my turn came up. I was directed to walk to my car, and to wait for the officer there. My dad walked me to my spot. Gave me a hug and wished me good luck. And then he looked at the officer and grimaced.
Yep, you guessed it. There was Ms. Big with a clipboard in her hands and a giant scowl on her face. I thought I was going to throw up.
We got in. I put on my seat belt. "Insurance?"
"Pardon me?"
She glared. "Insurance?"
That's when my throat went dry. I pointed to my dad, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of us, kind of giving me a thumb's up. "My dad has it."
That was the wrong answer. Ms. Big frowned. "It's supposed to be in here. With you."
And that's when she wrote me a ticket.
I am the only person I know who somehow managed to get ticketed during a driver's exam. After she signed the ticket with flair, she rolled down her window, signalled my dad over, and barked at him to hand over the insurance card.
Until that moment, I had never seen anybody order my dad around! To my shock, he pulled out his wallet, fished out the card, and handed it to her without a word.
Up went her window. Out went the next command. "Drive."
I did! And, somehow, I passed my driver's test. Twenty minutes later, I was walking back to my dad, holding two sheets of paper. One had my test score on it. The other was a fifty dollar ticket.
I sincerely hope my daughter's experience will be far less eventful. Or, maybe not. My dad and I laughed about that test for years. And, well, it is a pretty good story.
Anyone else recall their driver's exam?
Shelley
After she takes her driver’s test, I’ll shuttle her to school. From that point on, I have a feeling the rest of the day will either be all smiles and happiness, or filled with tears and angst.
Yes, the stress of the upcoming test has overshadowed everything else. I think she’s in good company.
Do you remember when you took your driver's test? I sure do. It was my dad's job to take us to the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was a busy guy, and I remember standing in line next to him in his suit, a bundle of nerves.
We waited in line for what seemed like forever. My dad, who believed girls looked their best in heels and dresses, sought to lighten the mood by teasing me about the highway patrol officers. See, there were four patrol officers there, two men and two women. One of the female officers never smiled at anyone. She was at least six feet tall. Blond and brawny. Tough. She looked exactly like the type of person you'd want to come to your rescue if you were getting mugged.
To my sixteen-year-old eyes, she looked like exactly the wrong person to sit next to when attempting to parallel park. My dad-never one to be accused of being politically correct-called her Ms. Big.
Finally, after standing in line for over an hour, my turn came up. I was directed to walk to my car, and to wait for the officer there. My dad walked me to my spot. Gave me a hug and wished me good luck. And then he looked at the officer and grimaced.
Yep, you guessed it. There was Ms. Big with a clipboard in her hands and a giant scowl on her face. I thought I was going to throw up.
We got in. I put on my seat belt. "Insurance?"
"Pardon me?"
She glared. "Insurance?"
That's when my throat went dry. I pointed to my dad, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of us, kind of giving me a thumb's up. "My dad has it."
That was the wrong answer. Ms. Big frowned. "It's supposed to be in here. With you."
And that's when she wrote me a ticket.
I am the only person I know who somehow managed to get ticketed during a driver's exam. After she signed the ticket with flair, she rolled down her window, signalled my dad over, and barked at him to hand over the insurance card.
Until that moment, I had never seen anybody order my dad around! To my shock, he pulled out his wallet, fished out the card, and handed it to her without a word.
Up went her window. Out went the next command. "Drive."
I did! And, somehow, I passed my driver's test. Twenty minutes later, I was walking back to my dad, holding two sheets of paper. One had my test score on it. The other was a fifty dollar ticket.
I sincerely hope my daughter's experience will be far less eventful. Or, maybe not. My dad and I laughed about that test for years. And, well, it is a pretty good story.
Anyone else recall their driver's exam?
Shelley
Monday, February 02, 2009
JANUARY WINNER!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS Joey Hill! You’re the January winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Jackie Diamond, Shelley Galloway and Lisa Ruff 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!
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!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Go on ... lie to me
Some TV shows make me feel downright inadequate.
I don’t mean the ones with gorgeous young women whose professionally made-up faces and toned bodies set standards hardly anyone can match. Having written about TV and theater for The Associate Press in LA, I’ve seen how quickly the latest hottie can fade, and how life deals blows even to those who appear to live charmed lives.
They have my best wishes, not my envy. After all, I’ve been happily married for 30 years and have two great sons and an interesting career. That’s as much as anyone could ask.
No, it’s the whole Sherlock Holmes business that’s got me down. You know what I mean – the crime solvers with an almost magical gift for detection.
CSI isn't my problem. Those detectives have crime labs and gizmos aplenty. No one expects an ordinary person to match that.
But take the CBS series The Mentalist, whose protagonist draws brilliant conclusions from obscure evidence just like Sherlock used to do. As someone who’s written murder mysteries with twists on top of twists (as you’ll know if you’ve read my Harlequin Intrigues The Stolen Bride or And the Bride Vanishes), I feel as if I ought to be able to match Patrick Jane at least partway. But still the show fools me. (Well, sometimes.)
Things have gotten even worse with the new series Lie to Me on TNT. I don’t mean that it’s a bad series; quite the contrary. I’ve enjoyed the episodes so far. The thing is, the hero “reads” people. He knows whether they’re lying and dopes out complex and unexpected truths.
I’ve always had a knack for picking up emotions. At a social event, I can often tell from body language who’s been quarreling, who’s consumed by worry and who’s nursing a grudge. When someone tries to manipulate me, such as a salesman or a religious zealot, his tone of voice chafes my nerves. I can’t even hear what he’s saying, because his true intent rings so loud.
But this can’t-lie-to-me guy has it all down to a science. A character makes a statement, then folds his arms and steps back, and the hero points out that the fellow’s literally retreating from his position as if he doesn’t believe his own words. To reinforce the point, we’re shown newsreel footage of former President Nixon declaring “I am not a crook,” and then, yes, taking a step back and folding his arms. Right on target.
Yes, I knew (thanks to a seminar at a Romance Writers of America convention) that law-enforcement folks get trained to recognize certain telltale gestures and expressions, but I always figured I was a natural. Well, guess what? I may be a natural, but I’m not that good.
Still, it’s fun to enjoy TV’s fictional worlds in which heroes and heroines, with the help of scriptwriters, solve all the puzzles. I guess being a writer trumps being a detective, at least when it comes to sniffing out a happy ending.
I don’t mean the ones with gorgeous young women whose professionally made-up faces and toned bodies set standards hardly anyone can match. Having written about TV and theater for The Associate Press in LA, I’ve seen how quickly the latest hottie can fade, and how life deals blows even to those who appear to live charmed lives.
They have my best wishes, not my envy. After all, I’ve been happily married for 30 years and have two great sons and an interesting career. That’s as much as anyone could ask.
No, it’s the whole Sherlock Holmes business that’s got me down. You know what I mean – the crime solvers with an almost magical gift for detection.
CSI isn't my problem. Those detectives have crime labs and gizmos aplenty. No one expects an ordinary person to match that.
But take the CBS series The Mentalist, whose protagonist draws brilliant conclusions from obscure evidence just like Sherlock used to do. As someone who’s written murder mysteries with twists on top of twists (as you’ll know if you’ve read my Harlequin Intrigues The Stolen Bride or And the Bride Vanishes), I feel as if I ought to be able to match Patrick Jane at least partway. But still the show fools me. (Well, sometimes.)
Things have gotten even worse with the new series Lie to Me on TNT. I don’t mean that it’s a bad series; quite the contrary. I’ve enjoyed the episodes so far. The thing is, the hero “reads” people. He knows whether they’re lying and dopes out complex and unexpected truths.
I’ve always had a knack for picking up emotions. At a social event, I can often tell from body language who’s been quarreling, who’s consumed by worry and who’s nursing a grudge. When someone tries to manipulate me, such as a salesman or a religious zealot, his tone of voice chafes my nerves. I can’t even hear what he’s saying, because his true intent rings so loud.
But this can’t-lie-to-me guy has it all down to a science. A character makes a statement, then folds his arms and steps back, and the hero points out that the fellow’s literally retreating from his position as if he doesn’t believe his own words. To reinforce the point, we’re shown newsreel footage of former President Nixon declaring “I am not a crook,” and then, yes, taking a step back and folding his arms. Right on target.
Yes, I knew (thanks to a seminar at a Romance Writers of America convention) that law-enforcement folks get trained to recognize certain telltale gestures and expressions, but I always figured I was a natural. Well, guess what? I may be a natural, but I’m not that good.
Still, it’s fun to enjoy TV’s fictional worlds in which heroes and heroines, with the help of scriptwriters, solve all the puzzles. I guess being a writer trumps being a detective, at least when it comes to sniffing out a happy ending.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Ready for Spring
I'm one of those people who hates the dark days and gray colors of winter. As I write this on the 28th, two days before my blog will post, my yard is covered in six inches of white snow and the sun is shining. So everything is bright. I'm waiting for my neighbor to come take his tractor and dig me out--but he's going right on by. (His wife will remind him.) Until then, my yard is pristine and smooth, marring one set of deer tracks. I'd show you a picture, but all my cameras are at work--which is closed. There's no way I can dig out this driveway. I've done it before and didn't love any of it.
I live in the country on five acres, which I love. I'm surrounded by an 11 acre horse farm, and 26 acres of land that no one uses and really can't be developed. So at most I might see one more house. The only time life out here is trying and somewhat annoying is during the winter, but no one expects to go anywhere so it's usually okay. So far we've been off for 2 snow days, and my district where I teaach has used a total of four. The school district I live in has been off for 5.
While I get tired of drab winter pretty quickly, I like Missouri. For the most part we have all four seasons, although we can have them all in one week, and some years it seems like we skip spring. Hopefully this March I'll be back at work on my current project--clearing out the brush and extra trees that block my view of the pond. When I moved in you couldn't see anything at all, just a sliver. Now this is the view once you get to the edge of the grass part of my backyard. This project is going on about three years now, depending on extra $$, time, that sort of thing.
Lastly, since I'm sharing photos, my feral outdoor cat, who adopted us and who we've called Doofy, is finally out of his igloo and braving the snow. He's spent the last two days battened down. He's my sweetheart, although he wasn't happy to spend two nights in my garage when it got to -17 one night. But I want him around for another year.
I live in the country on five acres, which I love. I'm surrounded by an 11 acre horse farm, and 26 acres of land that no one uses and really can't be developed. So at most I might see one more house. The only time life out here is trying and somewhat annoying is during the winter, but no one expects to go anywhere so it's usually okay. So far we've been off for 2 snow days, and my district where I teaach has used a total of four. The school district I live in has been off for 5.
While I get tired of drab winter pretty quickly, I like Missouri. For the most part we have all four seasons, although we can have them all in one week, and some years it seems like we skip spring. Hopefully this March I'll be back at work on my current project--clearing out the brush and extra trees that block my view of the pond. When I moved in you couldn't see anything at all, just a sliver. Now this is the view once you get to the edge of the grass part of my backyard. This project is going on about three years now, depending on extra $$, time, that sort of thing.
Lastly, since I'm sharing photos, my feral outdoor cat, who adopted us and who we've called Doofy, is finally out of his igloo and braving the snow. He's spent the last two days battened down. He's my sweetheart, although he wasn't happy to spend two nights in my garage when it got to -17 one night. But I want him around for another year.
Everyone have a great end to January, and be safe and warm.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Through a Visitor's Eyes
About three years ago, my stepson decided to move to Australia. Strange decision, coming from a kid who previously couldn't move himself far enough to attend college classes. Turns out there was a girl involved. He met her on the Internet.
Could have ended in disaster. But instead, Nick and Dani fell in love. He lives with her and her grandmother in an Adelaide suburb. She's a zoology grad student and he's in college (actually attending this time) studying psychology. They are both on summer break from school and have come to America to visit for a few weeks.
It's Dani's first trip to America, and it's been a great deal of fun to experience our country through a visitor's eyes. Of course, being curious types, my husband and I pepper the poor girl for her impressions.
Several things stand out in her mind. The terrible traffic and the huge, multi-lane freeways are alien to her. Super Walmarts and gigantic shopping malls are overwhelming. Then there's the weather. Since she hit Texas, she's been hit with temperatures ranging from the 20s to the 80s. She's had snow, sleet, ice and hail, rain and wind and heat.
Despite all that, she likes it here, or at least she says she does! But the thing that has made the biggest impression on her?
Squirrels.
No squirrels in Australia. She finds it freaky-cool that they're everywhere, in the yard and on the roof and running in the streets, and that you can get so close to them. She thinks they're very cute. (Clearly she's never experienced them chewing holes in her house or emptying her bird feeders!)
In a couple of weeks, Nick and Dani are headed for California and Disneyland, the quintessential American tourist experience. I imagine squirrels will fade into the background then.
Could have ended in disaster. But instead, Nick and Dani fell in love. He lives with her and her grandmother in an Adelaide suburb. She's a zoology grad student and he's in college (actually attending this time) studying psychology. They are both on summer break from school and have come to America to visit for a few weeks.
It's Dani's first trip to America, and it's been a great deal of fun to experience our country through a visitor's eyes. Of course, being curious types, my husband and I pepper the poor girl for her impressions.
Several things stand out in her mind. The terrible traffic and the huge, multi-lane freeways are alien to her. Super Walmarts and gigantic shopping malls are overwhelming. Then there's the weather. Since she hit Texas, she's been hit with temperatures ranging from the 20s to the 80s. She's had snow, sleet, ice and hail, rain and wind and heat.
Despite all that, she likes it here, or at least she says she does! But the thing that has made the biggest impression on her?
Squirrels.
No squirrels in Australia. She finds it freaky-cool that they're everywhere, in the yard and on the roof and running in the streets, and that you can get so close to them. She thinks they're very cute. (Clearly she's never experienced them chewing holes in her house or emptying her bird feeders!)
In a couple of weeks, Nick and Dani are headed for California and Disneyland, the quintessential American tourist experience. I imagine squirrels will fade into the background then.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Viewpoint and Perspective
If reading and writing books are among my top two pasttimes, a close third would probably be talking about books (and how to write them) with others. I had great fun last Saturday teaching a workshop about Point of View and how important POV is in a story. I want, as an author, to really bring my character's perspective to life, to help the reader relate to what that character is going through, why that character is behaving a certain way, and to more fully bring that character's world into three dimensional life for the audience.
And the fact of the matter is, learning to see things through another person's perspective is a great skill to have in life, not just in building my stories. I am reminded of my mother-in-law and The Soup.
My husband grew up in a very small town (no bookstores, the horrors!) in an insular family. They've all stayed pretty close to home. Except then he married me and not only did we move several states away, we don't even live in the same time zone! Not long after we married, his parents drove to see us and I was nervous. My husband and I come from very different cultural backgrounds and I wasn't sure what my in-laws would think of their daughter-in-law, the Aspiring Romance Author. The day we expected them to arrive, I spent hours slaving over a meal I hoped would impress them. I wanted them to know I was trying to take loving care of my new husband.
When my father in law knocked on our door, my M-i-L stood behind him with a vat of homemade soup (she not only makes her own stock, she makes her own noodles) that she had transported cross country. It was her son's favorite she explained and she'd brought it just for him, so we could warm it up for dinner. My husband asked if we couldn't accomodate her and reheat my efforts the next night, and I felt crushed.
In fact, I may have--deep down, you understand--harbored the tiniest smidge of resentment when, every visit afterward, she brought along homemade noodles and told me just to let her know which night we wanted to have soup for dinner. Well, less resentment and more relief two years ago, when they visited us in the dead of winter and I caught a bad cold and the sheer volume of peppercorns she adds to that soup gave me the only five minutes of clear breathing I had all day! I decided then I could learn to love the soup, which has always been a family tradition for them and now, a gentle source of amusement between us.
This fall, I watched my little boy walk into public school for the first time--it looks so BIG and he looks so TINY among the much taller third, fourth and fifth graders. And I suddenly had a clearer perspective on what it's like, as a mother, to let go of a son--whether it's watching him start school or the much more daunting task of seeing him marry and move away.
It's cold and rainy today, the kind of weather that makes one feel introspective and melancholoy, and to tell you the truth, I could really use a steaming bowl of that lovingly made soup.
And the fact of the matter is, learning to see things through another person's perspective is a great skill to have in life, not just in building my stories. I am reminded of my mother-in-law and The Soup.
My husband grew up in a very small town (no bookstores, the horrors!) in an insular family. They've all stayed pretty close to home. Except then he married me and not only did we move several states away, we don't even live in the same time zone! Not long after we married, his parents drove to see us and I was nervous. My husband and I come from very different cultural backgrounds and I wasn't sure what my in-laws would think of their daughter-in-law, the Aspiring Romance Author. The day we expected them to arrive, I spent hours slaving over a meal I hoped would impress them. I wanted them to know I was trying to take loving care of my new husband.
When my father in law knocked on our door, my M-i-L stood behind him with a vat of homemade soup (she not only makes her own stock, she makes her own noodles) that she had transported cross country. It was her son's favorite she explained and she'd brought it just for him, so we could warm it up for dinner. My husband asked if we couldn't accomodate her and reheat my efforts the next night, and I felt crushed.
In fact, I may have--deep down, you understand--harbored the tiniest smidge of resentment when, every visit afterward, she brought along homemade noodles and told me just to let her know which night we wanted to have soup for dinner. Well, less resentment and more relief two years ago, when they visited us in the dead of winter and I caught a bad cold and the sheer volume of peppercorns she adds to that soup gave me the only five minutes of clear breathing I had all day! I decided then I could learn to love the soup, which has always been a family tradition for them and now, a gentle source of amusement between us.
This fall, I watched my little boy walk into public school for the first time--it looks so BIG and he looks so TINY among the much taller third, fourth and fifth graders. And I suddenly had a clearer perspective on what it's like, as a mother, to let go of a son--whether it's watching him start school or the much more daunting task of seeing him marry and move away.
It's cold and rainy today, the kind of weather that makes one feel introspective and melancholoy, and to tell you the truth, I could really use a steaming bowl of that lovingly made soup.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Author Interview with Judy Christenberry
Please welcome one of Harlequin American's most popular authors Judy Christenberry. Along with writing several best-selling series for the American Romance line Judy also pens cowboy stories for Harlequin Romance.
How long have you been published?
Twenty years as of 2008
What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Write. That’s the most important thing. You may not like what you write, but that’s the building blocks to everything. Your couple can’t have a happy ending if you don’t get to the end.
What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
I don’t eat strange things! Nothing that swims, and I don’t write about vegetarians or other eating habits I don’t understand.
What comes first: the plot or the characters?
I don’t do characters sketches for my hero and heroine. Once I establish them, I try to stay consistent.
Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
No, I’ve always had deadlines and I never had time for writer’s block. Usually, if I know where the book is going, I can keep on writing.
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I loved reading Zane Gray, but I was always frustrated about the romance. Now I write about cowboys who have a believable romance. Georgette Heyer was a big influence on my regency romances, and Nora Roberts, because her characters always come to life for me.
Do you re-read your books once they're in print?
Always
What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
I write about a chapter a day, which is sixteen pages. I usually write four days a week, although sometimes more if I need to. Since I write for two lines, Harlequin American Romance and Harlequin Romance, sometimes the deadlines can be very close together.
How many books have you written?
85 for Harlequin, and 10 for other publishers
Which is your favorite?
The Lemon Cake, my first Regency romance for Harlequin. When the editor said she only wanted me to change two things – a description of an aunt and one other minor detail – I was thrilled. It was a difficult book to write but easy to get to print.
What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I taught high school French for twelve years in Highland Park, Texas, and before that I taught eight years in middle school.
How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it?
The first thing I learned when I sold to American was that good heroines don’t cry very often. Unlike real people, they can’t be emotional watering buckets. When my editor told me she wanted humor, I was relieved. I could write humorous scenes that people could really enjoy reading. After I wrote my first Randall book, my editor told me that although she didn’t like cowboys very much, they really sold well, so that’s what she wanted me to write.
Who's you're personal hero--past or present?
Many of my books are based on my late father. Not only did he have great integrity, but he was an outdoorsman and a firefighter. He was raised on a farm in East Texas.
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
I’d love to go back to Wyoming. The only time I went there I visited the small town I based my Christmas book on. The actual town was very different, much more rural and smaller than I’d imagined. Now I make up all my towns.
If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you
Someone with a flashlight, so I could read!
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?
A cowboy, of course!
Judy
www.judychristenberry.com
How long have you been published?
Twenty years as of 2008
What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Write. That’s the most important thing. You may not like what you write, but that’s the building blocks to everything. Your couple can’t have a happy ending if you don’t get to the end.
What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
I don’t eat strange things! Nothing that swims, and I don’t write about vegetarians or other eating habits I don’t understand.
What comes first: the plot or the characters?
I don’t do characters sketches for my hero and heroine. Once I establish them, I try to stay consistent.
Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
No, I’ve always had deadlines and I never had time for writer’s block. Usually, if I know where the book is going, I can keep on writing.
What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I loved reading Zane Gray, but I was always frustrated about the romance. Now I write about cowboys who have a believable romance. Georgette Heyer was a big influence on my regency romances, and Nora Roberts, because her characters always come to life for me.
Do you re-read your books once they're in print?
Always
What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
I write about a chapter a day, which is sixteen pages. I usually write four days a week, although sometimes more if I need to. Since I write for two lines, Harlequin American Romance and Harlequin Romance, sometimes the deadlines can be very close together.
How many books have you written?
85 for Harlequin, and 10 for other publishers
Which is your favorite?
The Lemon Cake, my first Regency romance for Harlequin. When the editor said she only wanted me to change two things – a description of an aunt and one other minor detail – I was thrilled. It was a difficult book to write but easy to get to print.
What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I taught high school French for twelve years in Highland Park, Texas, and before that I taught eight years in middle school.
How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it?
The first thing I learned when I sold to American was that good heroines don’t cry very often. Unlike real people, they can’t be emotional watering buckets. When my editor told me she wanted humor, I was relieved. I could write humorous scenes that people could really enjoy reading. After I wrote my first Randall book, my editor told me that although she didn’t like cowboys very much, they really sold well, so that’s what she wanted me to write.
Who's you're personal hero--past or present?
Many of my books are based on my late father. Not only did he have great integrity, but he was an outdoorsman and a firefighter. He was raised on a farm in East Texas.
If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
I’d love to go back to Wyoming. The only time I went there I visited the small town I based my Christmas book on. The actual town was very different, much more rural and smaller than I’d imagined. Now I make up all my towns.
If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you
Someone with a flashlight, so I could read!
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?
A cowboy, of course!
Judy
www.judychristenberry.com
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Who in the World Is Luke Song?
Imagine working at a job you love and doing it well. Many people don’t get to experience that satisfaction, so those of us who do are very lucky.
But now imagine that you suddenly and unexpectedly receive international recognition for what you already love doing. It’s something many of us dream of, and it’s wonderful to hear about it actually happening to someone. After all, if it can happen for them, then maybe it can happen for us.
Take Luke Song, a Detroit milliner/hat designer. For him, this Monday was probably just like most days in the life of a hat designer. On Tuesday, when Aretha Franklin took her place at the inaugural podium, the eyes of the world were riveted, not on her but on her hat. Whether you love it or not, there’s no denying the hat is an attention grabber.
That creation was designed by Luke Song, whose family business, Mr. Song Millinery, has been making hats for several decades. This week, thanks to Ms. Franklin, everything came together at just the right time and place, and he became fashion industry icon.
According to the Detroit Free Press, “By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Song had sold hundreds of hats. A store in Dallas had sold 500 more, and the material was running out. ‘People are calling from England, asking for the hat,’ said Luke Song, who designed Franklin's chapeau. ‘I'm shocked. I had no idea. We did not expect this.’ ”
Wow.
And then there’s the US Airways pilot who landed his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River last week. I’m guessing that Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III has always been an outstanding pilot, admired and respected by his family, friends and colleagues, but most of his passengers would only have known his voice as he welcomed them aboard and hoped they had a pleasant flight. Now he’s a hero—the pilot we all want in the cockpit the next time we fasten our seatbelts and ensure that our seatbacks are in the upright position.
How does a person handle being catapulted into the limelight after working in relative obscurity?
If you’re Luke Song, you immediately get to work on an entire line of bow-inspired hats and plan to display them at the Women’s Wear in Nevada trade show in Las Vegas next month.
If you’re Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III (isn’t that an absolutely perfect name?), I imagine the talk show hosts are clamoring for a chance to interview you, and I’ll bet there’s a good chance there’ll be a book deal, and maybe even a movie.
The stuff dreams are made of, right? So here’s a question. If your dream comes true tomorrow, are you ready to make the most of it?
Switching topics, Winter Peck, an aspiring Christian romantic suspense author, is holding a Valentine’s book giveaway on her blog. Among the prizes are four Harlequin American Romances:
Happy reading, and keep on dreaming!
Lee
Lee’s blog
Lee’s website
But now imagine that you suddenly and unexpectedly receive international recognition for what you already love doing. It’s something many of us dream of, and it’s wonderful to hear about it actually happening to someone. After all, if it can happen for them, then maybe it can happen for us.
Take Luke Song, a Detroit milliner/hat designer. For him, this Monday was probably just like most days in the life of a hat designer. On Tuesday, when Aretha Franklin took her place at the inaugural podium, the eyes of the world were riveted, not on her but on her hat. Whether you love it or not, there’s no denying the hat is an attention grabber.That creation was designed by Luke Song, whose family business, Mr. Song Millinery, has been making hats for several decades. This week, thanks to Ms. Franklin, everything came together at just the right time and place, and he became fashion industry icon.
According to the Detroit Free Press, “By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Song had sold hundreds of hats. A store in Dallas had sold 500 more, and the material was running out. ‘People are calling from England, asking for the hat,’ said Luke Song, who designed Franklin's chapeau. ‘I'm shocked. I had no idea. We did not expect this.’ ”
Wow.
And then there’s the US Airways pilot who landed his disabled aircraft in the Hudson River last week. I’m guessing that Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III has always been an outstanding pilot, admired and respected by his family, friends and colleagues, but most of his passengers would only have known his voice as he welcomed them aboard and hoped they had a pleasant flight. Now he’s a hero—the pilot we all want in the cockpit the next time we fasten our seatbelts and ensure that our seatbacks are in the upright position.How does a person handle being catapulted into the limelight after working in relative obscurity?
If you’re Luke Song, you immediately get to work on an entire line of bow-inspired hats and plan to display them at the Women’s Wear in Nevada trade show in Las Vegas next month.
If you’re Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III (isn’t that an absolutely perfect name?), I imagine the talk show hosts are clamoring for a chance to interview you, and I’ll bet there’s a good chance there’ll be a book deal, and maybe even a movie.
The stuff dreams are made of, right? So here’s a question. If your dream comes true tomorrow, are you ready to make the most of it?
~~~
Switching topics, Winter Peck, an aspiring Christian romantic suspense author, is holding a Valentine’s book giveaway on her blog. Among the prizes are four Harlequin American Romances:
The Good Mother by Shelley GallowayFor a chance to win, drop by her blog and post a comment. Then check back on February 14 when she announces the winners!
Marriage on Her Mind by Cindi Myers
Temporarily Texan by Victoria Chancellor
The Man for Maggie by Lee McKenzie
Happy reading, and keep on dreaming!
Lee
Lee’s blog
Lee’s website
Friday, January 23, 2009
Reality TV Isn't All Fluff and Nonsense
Okay, I admit to being a fan of reality television. SOME reality television. I don't watch every show that comes down the pike. But startling in January, I'm glued to the TV on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the latest batch of American Idol contestants vie for the title. I've also been known to watch America's Next Top Model (I blame my teenaged daughter for this one), Project Runway, and So You Think You Can Dance.
A new VH1 reality show caught my eye recently: Confessions of a Teen Idol. I admit to watching the first episode of this show because back in the day, I was crushing hard on a couple of these guys and was interested to see how they turned out. The show isn't at all what I expected and has, frankly, surprised me with its intelligence and emotional depth. I find myself relating to these "has-beens" who are trying to figure out if they have what it takes to make a comeback and if they're really ready to make the sacrifices required of them for that all elusive fame. Why do I relate? Because their journey isn't unlike that of a writer seeking publication.
As I said, these guys have to make sacrifices to achieve their dream, some of the sacrifices are big ones. Name me one writer, published or not, who hasn't given up something important – like money, time, and family obligations – to write or attend a conference or enter a contest or take a class. What's the old saying? Nothing worthwhile is easy.
These guys are also putting themself out there each week, opening themselves up to frequently painful criticisms and critiques. They know if they are going to make it in the industry, they will have to develop, or in their cases, re-develop, thick skins. Don't we writers do that as well? We enter contests and receive harsh comments from judges. We get rejection letters by the barrel. We endure cutting and cruel reviews or posts on blogsites, trashing our books. It hurts. But we do for the glory of being published.
This past week, the seven guys were sent out on an audition for a hair product commercial. Three of them refused the opportunity, citing that commercials were basically beneath them. The other four did audition, realizing that at this stage in their careers , they weren't in any position to be choosy about what roles they took. Afterwards, one of them was awarded the part. He was ecstatic, and I was ecstatic for him. From small successes we can build bigger ones. I have basically conducted my entire writing career using this stepping stone method. It's served me well so far, and I hope it will eventually lead me to the top of the hill.
The four guys who auditioned didn't let their egos get in the way of their ambitions, and I predict they will each make some sort of comeback. I also believe writers have to do the same to be successful. We have to think we're good enough, or we have the courage needed to mail off that first submission. But we also can't afford to be prima donas. At least, not in the early stages of our careers or, like these guys, when we're on the downside of our careers.
Yeah, it's true. Another reason I like watching the show is because these guys still look good for their ages. Hotness isn't restricted to youth (grin!).
Go reality television!!
Cathy Mc
A new VH1 reality show caught my eye recently: Confessions of a Teen Idol. I admit to watching the first episode of this show because back in the day, I was crushing hard on a couple of these guys and was interested to see how they turned out. The show isn't at all what I expected and has, frankly, surprised me with its intelligence and emotional depth. I find myself relating to these "has-beens" who are trying to figure out if they have what it takes to make a comeback and if they're really ready to make the sacrifices required of them for that all elusive fame. Why do I relate? Because their journey isn't unlike that of a writer seeking publication.
As I said, these guys have to make sacrifices to achieve their dream, some of the sacrifices are big ones. Name me one writer, published or not, who hasn't given up something important – like money, time, and family obligations – to write or attend a conference or enter a contest or take a class. What's the old saying? Nothing worthwhile is easy.
These guys are also putting themself out there each week, opening themselves up to frequently painful criticisms and critiques. They know if they are going to make it in the industry, they will have to develop, or in their cases, re-develop, thick skins. Don't we writers do that as well? We enter contests and receive harsh comments from judges. We get rejection letters by the barrel. We endure cutting and cruel reviews or posts on blogsites, trashing our books. It hurts. But we do for the glory of being published.
This past week, the seven guys were sent out on an audition for a hair product commercial. Three of them refused the opportunity, citing that commercials were basically beneath them. The other four did audition, realizing that at this stage in their careers , they weren't in any position to be choosy about what roles they took. Afterwards, one of them was awarded the part. He was ecstatic, and I was ecstatic for him. From small successes we can build bigger ones. I have basically conducted my entire writing career using this stepping stone method. It's served me well so far, and I hope it will eventually lead me to the top of the hill.
The four guys who auditioned didn't let their egos get in the way of their ambitions, and I predict they will each make some sort of comeback. I also believe writers have to do the same to be successful. We have to think we're good enough, or we have the courage needed to mail off that first submission. But we also can't afford to be prima donas. At least, not in the early stages of our careers or, like these guys, when we're on the downside of our careers.
Yeah, it's true. Another reason I like watching the show is because these guys still look good for their ages. Hotness isn't restricted to youth (grin!).
Go reality television!!
Cathy Mc
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I'm a Spider Addict
They say the first thing you have to do to get well is admit your addiction. Okay, here goes. I’m addicted to Spider Solitaire. The difficult version, that is, the one played with all four suits. I’ve won over 378 games, and have a high score of 1110. Of course, these stats are probably higher—I reset them the last time I hit 500 games. I can beat the easy level in 95 moves, my best being 90.
Spider Solitaire comes free with Windows XP, but I had it even before that. My daughters like to play, but they cannot stand how I can win and they can’t. My ex husband couldn’t win either, but I’m a guru.
Spider has taken over everything. I used to play Free Cell and was good, but once I found Spider Solitaire, Free Cell was a goner. It didn’t have the challenges or the excitement. Minesweeper is also fun, and my best time on the easy level is 14 seconds. But Minesweeper gets boring, not to mention noisy when I blow up.
I think that my ability to play Spider Solitaire goes back to playing games of Double Solitaire with my stepsister. I’m not sure exactly how you play anymore, but you take two decks of cards and the goal is to clear suits in the most moves or less. It’s laid out with four card piles in two rows each, and you have so many cards, then you try to make holes to move things around, which is what you do in Spider Solitaire. In the doubles version, you can challenge and take over if you can make the play in fewer moves. Judy and I were brutal, not giving each other an inch. Along with puzzles (those all white seals or black cats were our favorites), we could keep ourselves occupied in the early eighties, back before MTV was a household staple (and when it played music videos).
I play hearts on the computer too, and my kids are good at that game and enjoy renaming the players. I’ve never mastered bridge, but I played spades in college and was a wicked partner. I didn’t lose much. Then came video games, and the challenge moved to the small screen. I loved Zelda on the first Nintendo, and after mastering being Link, could win in one life, without ever dying. Remember, back then “save game” was rare. I still hate the Teenage Ninja Turtles game for not thinking of that rather nice feature. If you lost at the very end, it was start all the way over from level one.
Now my kids play a Zelda version I don’t recognize on the Wii, and I play card games while I’m checking email or pretending I’m going to write the book I have due. I figure it’s my vice, and everyone needs at least one, and I rationalize that it’s better than eating potato chips. Still, I really should find something else to do that makes better use of my time. I probably could have a lot more books written if I wrote instead of moved cards around. But it’s all mental, and rather entertaining.
So what about you? Any vices? Any games you can’t live without?
Spider Solitaire comes free with Windows XP, but I had it even before that. My daughters like to play, but they cannot stand how I can win and they can’t. My ex husband couldn’t win either, but I’m a guru.
Spider has taken over everything. I used to play Free Cell and was good, but once I found Spider Solitaire, Free Cell was a goner. It didn’t have the challenges or the excitement. Minesweeper is also fun, and my best time on the easy level is 14 seconds. But Minesweeper gets boring, not to mention noisy when I blow up.
I think that my ability to play Spider Solitaire goes back to playing games of Double Solitaire with my stepsister. I’m not sure exactly how you play anymore, but you take two decks of cards and the goal is to clear suits in the most moves or less. It’s laid out with four card piles in two rows each, and you have so many cards, then you try to make holes to move things around, which is what you do in Spider Solitaire. In the doubles version, you can challenge and take over if you can make the play in fewer moves. Judy and I were brutal, not giving each other an inch. Along with puzzles (those all white seals or black cats were our favorites), we could keep ourselves occupied in the early eighties, back before MTV was a household staple (and when it played music videos).
I play hearts on the computer too, and my kids are good at that game and enjoy renaming the players. I’ve never mastered bridge, but I played spades in college and was a wicked partner. I didn’t lose much. Then came video games, and the challenge moved to the small screen. I loved Zelda on the first Nintendo, and after mastering being Link, could win in one life, without ever dying. Remember, back then “save game” was rare. I still hate the Teenage Ninja Turtles game for not thinking of that rather nice feature. If you lost at the very end, it was start all the way over from level one.
Now my kids play a Zelda version I don’t recognize on the Wii, and I play card games while I’m checking email or pretending I’m going to write the book I have due. I figure it’s my vice, and everyone needs at least one, and I rationalize that it’s better than eating potato chips. Still, I really should find something else to do that makes better use of my time. I probably could have a lot more books written if I wrote instead of moved cards around. But it’s all mental, and rather entertaining.
So what about you? Any vices? Any games you can’t live without?
Monday, January 19, 2009
A small daily change… A huge payoff
Sometime back (years, maybe) Oprah Winfrey mentioned using a gratitude journal. Every night she jots down something she’s grateful for. I always liked the idea, but never tried it. Until recently.
I started January 1. Each morning, I play soothing music. (Right now, the music is from Within, a CD composed and played by David Michael, a Celtic harpist.) I sit quietly for a minimum of ten minutes (I’m hyper; for me ten minutes is a lot!). I decide what I want to create for myself that day. I also read through inspirational quotes and think about them. I finish by jotting down three things for which I am grateful.
So far, the experience is good. Actually, better than good. The mental focus I gain from doing these things begins the day in a powerful way. I am focused and active instead of hazy and reactive, and ready to conquer any obstacles that crop up. A huge payoff for ten short minutes. Whenever I’m tempted to skip the exercise (hey, I’m human), I remember what I gain from it.
What about you? Do you pray, meditate or otherwise focus your life on a daily basis?
Eager to hear from you and grateful for each person reading this,
Ann
www.annroth.net
I started January 1. Each morning, I play soothing music. (Right now, the music is from Within, a CD composed and played by David Michael, a Celtic harpist.) I sit quietly for a minimum of ten minutes (I’m hyper; for me ten minutes is a lot!). I decide what I want to create for myself that day. I also read through inspirational quotes and think about them. I finish by jotting down three things for which I am grateful.
So far, the experience is good. Actually, better than good. The mental focus I gain from doing these things begins the day in a powerful way. I am focused and active instead of hazy and reactive, and ready to conquer any obstacles that crop up. A huge payoff for ten short minutes. Whenever I’m tempted to skip the exercise (hey, I’m human), I remember what I gain from it.
What about you? Do you pray, meditate or otherwise focus your life on a daily basis?
Eager to hear from you and grateful for each person reading this,
Ann
www.annroth.net
Friday, January 16, 2009
Telemarketing Scams and Winter Blues
Okay, I'm going to confess something--I'm a Sucker. Yep, just paint a big S on my forehead.
Two weeks ago I was writing at my desk staring out the window at the snow falling--AGAIN. The temperature that day hovered in the teens and no sun--can you say Winter Blues? The phone rings and the area code is 407--Florida. I know someone in Florida, so I answer--not the person I know, but maybe better.
A cheery woman informs me that my husband and I have won a free vacation. Yeah! She proceeds to list off several "warm-weather" locations like Hawaii, Cancun, Orlando Florida etc. (Remember what I'm staring at out my widow while this woman is rambling in my ear). Like a circuit breaker gone wild my brain crackled and suddenly I was worrying about my wardrobe, thinking I have nothing to wear to a beach and must go shopping. Anyway the woman said she'd go over the details with my husband when he returned from his business trip to Detroit later in the week--this all had to do with his Marriot Hotel points.
Of course I called hubby and left an "excited" message on his cell phone. The poor man didn’t want to burst my bubble so he'd called the woman back before phoning me with the bad news--it was a vacation timeshare. Kind of like paying rent each month in exchange for one week at a resort destination. Well, that s*cked. And of course it didn't include air-fair or taxes on the hotel rooms and the woman had never mentioned sitting through a 90-minute company presentation when you arrive at the resort.
So the next day I sat at my desk again and stared at the snow and gray skies outside my office window and thanked my stars I was a writer and could at least escape the winter blues for a few hours a day by living vicariously through the characters in the book I'm revising right now--which happens to take place in Oklahoma during July and August.
Marin
A Cowboy's Promise *Men Made in America* (April 09)
Samantha's Cowboy (Aug 2009)
www.marinthomas.com
Two weeks ago I was writing at my desk staring out the window at the snow falling--AGAIN. The temperature that day hovered in the teens and no sun--can you say Winter Blues? The phone rings and the area code is 407--Florida. I know someone in Florida, so I answer--not the person I know, but maybe better.
A cheery woman informs me that my husband and I have won a free vacation. Yeah! She proceeds to list off several "warm-weather" locations like Hawaii, Cancun, Orlando Florida etc. (Remember what I'm staring at out my widow while this woman is rambling in my ear). Like a circuit breaker gone wild my brain crackled and suddenly I was worrying about my wardrobe, thinking I have nothing to wear to a beach and must go shopping. Anyway the woman said she'd go over the details with my husband when he returned from his business trip to Detroit later in the week--this all had to do with his Marriot Hotel points.
Of course I called hubby and left an "excited" message on his cell phone. The poor man didn’t want to burst my bubble so he'd called the woman back before phoning me with the bad news--it was a vacation timeshare. Kind of like paying rent each month in exchange for one week at a resort destination. Well, that s*cked. And of course it didn't include air-fair or taxes on the hotel rooms and the woman had never mentioned sitting through a 90-minute company presentation when you arrive at the resort.
So the next day I sat at my desk again and stared at the snow and gray skies outside my office window and thanked my stars I was a writer and could at least escape the winter blues for a few hours a day by living vicariously through the characters in the book I'm revising right now--which happens to take place in Oklahoma during July and August.
Marin
A Cowboy's Promise *Men Made in America* (April 09)
Samantha's Cowboy (Aug 2009)
www.marinthomas.com
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Telling It Like It Might Be
In romance, the gold standard for criticism is Romantic Times. So I was thrilled to read that RT awarded 4 ½ stars out of 5 to my January release, Million-Dollar Nanny. Reviewer. Whitney Kate Sullivan called it an “extremely touching, beautifully written story.” Thank you, Whitney!
Since few print publications review romance, thank goodness for romance Web sites. These are often established and maintained by dedicated fans and booksellers.
When Harlequin sends copies of my books a few months before publication, I mail out half a dozen to reviewers who, over the years, have shown an interest in continuing to read and write about my books. Some of them are kind enough to e-mail me when the review is posted, and I’ve even had the privilege of meeting several of these generous ladies at Romance Writers of America national conferences.
This is a far cry from the antagonism that sometimes springs up between literary authors and critics. In reading the Wikipedia article labeled “Critics,” I think a long-suffering author might have written this line: “Often destructive criticism comes from persons who are envious, cruel and those who judge in fields which are not their own.” It goes on to say that that hurtful criticism “may be done intentionally or out of sheer ignorance and foolishness.”
I’ll admit that, delicious as I find the sentiment, the article is festooned with warnings that it doesn’t cite sources and may not be factually accurate. Who’d have figured an article on critics would be subject to so much criticism itself?
I Googled my way over to Wikipedia’s much more scholarly article on “Literary Criticism,” which has been tidied up and properly Wikified. It cites an honorable history dating back to Aristotle and Plato. The article discusses literary theory and schools of criticism, using elevated language such as: “However important all of these aesthetic movements were as antecedents, current ideas about literary criticism derive almost entirely from the new direction taken in the early twentieth century.”
Let’s face it. I enjoyed that ragtag, opinionated, non-scholarly commentary in “Critics” a lot more. Which just goes to show that even literary criticism can take its share of brickbats.
By the way, I found an interesting definition of “brickbat” on Thefreedictionary.com. But I’ve indulged my curiosity – and your patience – long enough.
Happy reading!
Since few print publications review romance, thank goodness for romance Web sites. These are often established and maintained by dedicated fans and booksellers.
When Harlequin sends copies of my books a few months before publication, I mail out half a dozen to reviewers who, over the years, have shown an interest in continuing to read and write about my books. Some of them are kind enough to e-mail me when the review is posted, and I’ve even had the privilege of meeting several of these generous ladies at Romance Writers of America national conferences.
This is a far cry from the antagonism that sometimes springs up between literary authors and critics. In reading the Wikipedia article labeled “Critics,” I think a long-suffering author might have written this line: “Often destructive criticism comes from persons who are envious, cruel and those who judge in fields which are not their own.” It goes on to say that that hurtful criticism “may be done intentionally or out of sheer ignorance and foolishness.”
I’ll admit that, delicious as I find the sentiment, the article is festooned with warnings that it doesn’t cite sources and may not be factually accurate. Who’d have figured an article on critics would be subject to so much criticism itself?
I Googled my way over to Wikipedia’s much more scholarly article on “Literary Criticism,” which has been tidied up and properly Wikified. It cites an honorable history dating back to Aristotle and Plato. The article discusses literary theory and schools of criticism, using elevated language such as: “However important all of these aesthetic movements were as antecedents, current ideas about literary criticism derive almost entirely from the new direction taken in the early twentieth century.”
Let’s face it. I enjoyed that ragtag, opinionated, non-scholarly commentary in “Critics” a lot more. Which just goes to show that even literary criticism can take its share of brickbats.
By the way, I found an interesting definition of “brickbat” on Thefreedictionary.com. But I’ve indulged my curiosity – and your patience – long enough.
Happy reading!
Monday, January 12, 2009
There goes the adrenaline
Most people who know me know I write in big huge spurts. I'm on the end of one. I wrote the last nine pages of my book today, and then went through it with a fine tooth comb. Twice. I'm sure I still missed something.
The moment it left my inbox for my editor's desk, I was tired. All the adrenaline of writing (and forgetting to eat) left in a flash. It's time for bed, and time for goodbye until I get the book back on revision. However, I had to post my blog as I have newspaper deadline tomorrow and am working a 13 hour day at school.
It sounds funny to say, but I see characters in my head. For me, the characters come before the plot and anything else. They're like ghosts who talk in my head and create their own little movie. I don't interact with them; it's more like being a fly on the wall. However, I can make them do what I want, although often the surprise me.
My current WIP is about a corporate VP who becomes accidentally pregant by her much younger PA. Mitch loves Kristi, but she has no clue. Creating Kristi has been hard for me, because Kristi is unlucky at love and doesn't believe she's worthy. That forced me to dig deep to find those sitations that could make her realistic. As for Mitch, I wish he were real and I'd snag him right up. He's so convinced he's the man for her, even when she's oblivious.
I promise a better post on the 20th, but wanted to drop in and say hi and happy Monday. Enjoy your week!
The moment it left my inbox for my editor's desk, I was tired. All the adrenaline of writing (and forgetting to eat) left in a flash. It's time for bed, and time for goodbye until I get the book back on revision. However, I had to post my blog as I have newspaper deadline tomorrow and am working a 13 hour day at school.
It sounds funny to say, but I see characters in my head. For me, the characters come before the plot and anything else. They're like ghosts who talk in my head and create their own little movie. I don't interact with them; it's more like being a fly on the wall. However, I can make them do what I want, although often the surprise me.
My current WIP is about a corporate VP who becomes accidentally pregant by her much younger PA. Mitch loves Kristi, but she has no clue. Creating Kristi has been hard for me, because Kristi is unlucky at love and doesn't believe she's worthy. That forced me to dig deep to find those sitations that could make her realistic. As for Mitch, I wish he were real and I'd snag him right up. He's so convinced he's the man for her, even when she's oblivious.
I promise a better post on the 20th, but wanted to drop in and say hi and happy Monday. Enjoy your week!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Magic of January
I'm not the first, nor probably the last, to blog about New Year's resolutions for 2009. But I just can't resist. I love the start of a new year, a blank slate.
Usually I start the year by reviewing last year's goals and checking off any that I've accomplished. This is almost always a disappointing exercise, because I inevitably bite off way more than I can chew. I set huge, lofty goals, imagining my perfect self with a perfect life, then setting goals intended to get me there, imagining that by the end of the year I'll be perfectly fit and toned, eating the healthiest of diets, living in a completely organized and beautifully decorated home, writing a book a month and somehow finding time to read to underprivileged children.
It all sounds perfectly sane in January. But somehow it always goes awry. I get distracted by some new kink in my life or I take up a new hobby I'd never heard of in January and the goals fall by the wayside. About June, I'm shoving them under the desk blotter and trying not to think about how little progress I've made, and by December I'm wondering if I'll ever change and knowing, deep down, that I won't. I'll always have a less-than-healthy diet, I'll always have a messy office, and I'll never stop procrastinating.
Yet, now it's January and I'm doing it again. I'm planning to declutter my entire house (this might actually happen, since I'm moving); write three books, lose five pounds (those last five stinkin' pounds!) cook healthy three nights per week and resume cycling and yoga. I'm going to get in touch with old friends. I'm going to meditate every day and volunteer my time once a week. I'm going to plant a garden and actually take care of it. That's only the tip of the iceberg.
Right this moment, I actually believe I'll do all those things. I am brimming with optimism. I haven't made it to yoga class or pumped up the bike tires, but I got a new skillet as a Christmas gift, so that’s almost cooking. And I meditated once already, and I've written at least five pages on my new book. Hope springs eternal.
But that's the magic of January.
Usually I start the year by reviewing last year's goals and checking off any that I've accomplished. This is almost always a disappointing exercise, because I inevitably bite off way more than I can chew. I set huge, lofty goals, imagining my perfect self with a perfect life, then setting goals intended to get me there, imagining that by the end of the year I'll be perfectly fit and toned, eating the healthiest of diets, living in a completely organized and beautifully decorated home, writing a book a month and somehow finding time to read to underprivileged children.
It all sounds perfectly sane in January. But somehow it always goes awry. I get distracted by some new kink in my life or I take up a new hobby I'd never heard of in January and the goals fall by the wayside. About June, I'm shoving them under the desk blotter and trying not to think about how little progress I've made, and by December I'm wondering if I'll ever change and knowing, deep down, that I won't. I'll always have a less-than-healthy diet, I'll always have a messy office, and I'll never stop procrastinating.
Yet, now it's January and I'm doing it again. I'm planning to declutter my entire house (this might actually happen, since I'm moving); write three books, lose five pounds (those last five stinkin' pounds!) cook healthy three nights per week and resume cycling and yoga. I'm going to get in touch with old friends. I'm going to meditate every day and volunteer my time once a week. I'm going to plant a garden and actually take care of it. That's only the tip of the iceberg.
Right this moment, I actually believe I'll do all those things. I am brimming with optimism. I haven't made it to yoga class or pumped up the bike tires, but I got a new skillet as a Christmas gift, so that’s almost cooking. And I meditated once already, and I've written at least five pages on my new book. Hope springs eternal.
But that's the magic of January.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
A Strange Encounter
Happy New Year everyone!
I'd like to share a strange experience I had the other day. I had a doctor’s appointment and after I signed in, I notice a lady was reading one of my books. This is an author’s dream, or at least it’s one of mine. I could hardly believe she was reading my book.
Now my dilemma. Should I say something? Heck yeah, was my instant response. So I nicely said, “Are you enjoying the book?”
“Yes,” she replied, without raising her head.
Well, I didn’t expect that. So I tried again.
“I wrote that book,” I continued.
“I know,” was her surprising answer, and again she didn’t look up.
My ego was starting to take a beating. Where was the gushing or praise or something beside "I know?"
Okay. I waited a minute and then asked, “Would you like a bookmark?”
“No, thanks.” Again she didn’t look at me.
Now this was just weird. And rude. This certainly wasn’t turning out the way I was expecting. Before I could gather my courage to ask another question, she was called back to see the doctor. She gathered her book, her purse and quickly left the room, never looking my way.
At this point my ego was in the dumpster. Maybe that dream wasn’t so great after all.
When it was my turn to see the doctor, I planned to ask the nurse about the lady, but I never got a chance. The nurse said, “Linda, you have to stop scaring our patients.” And then she told me a shocking story.
The lady was in her late thirties and she was born to parents in their late forties. She was an only child and home schooled. Evidently she had very little contact with the outside world. Her parents had passed away and her guardian was trying to introduce her to the real world by making her go out in public, on the advice of a psychologist. The lady is painfully shy and has a extremely difficult time talking to people. Her passion is books and she reads all the time. She orders and never goes into a store.
The nurse went on to say that the lady had ordered all my books and had really wanted to talk to me, but she couldn’t. I felt so bad about persisting with questions and I asked the nurse to apologize for me. She said that she would, but the doctors wanted people to talk to her. That made me feel a lot better. I left a bookmark for her and the nurse said the lady would be excited to get it.
The situation didn't turn out the way I'd envisioned (have to wait for the gushing and praise), but I came away with a deep appreciation for other people’s feelings. I can’t even imagine living in that kind of fear.
How about you? Have you had any strange encounters?
Linda
www.lindawarren.net
Mar ’09 - The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas
I'd like to share a strange experience I had the other day. I had a doctor’s appointment and after I signed in, I notice a lady was reading one of my books. This is an author’s dream, or at least it’s one of mine. I could hardly believe she was reading my book.
Now my dilemma. Should I say something? Heck yeah, was my instant response. So I nicely said, “Are you enjoying the book?”
“Yes,” she replied, without raising her head.
Well, I didn’t expect that. So I tried again.
“I wrote that book,” I continued.
“I know,” was her surprising answer, and again she didn’t look up.
My ego was starting to take a beating. Where was the gushing or praise or something beside "I know?"
Okay. I waited a minute and then asked, “Would you like a bookmark?”
“No, thanks.” Again she didn’t look at me.
Now this was just weird. And rude. This certainly wasn’t turning out the way I was expecting. Before I could gather my courage to ask another question, she was called back to see the doctor. She gathered her book, her purse and quickly left the room, never looking my way.
At this point my ego was in the dumpster. Maybe that dream wasn’t so great after all.
When it was my turn to see the doctor, I planned to ask the nurse about the lady, but I never got a chance. The nurse said, “Linda, you have to stop scaring our patients.” And then she told me a shocking story.
The lady was in her late thirties and she was born to parents in their late forties. She was an only child and home schooled. Evidently she had very little contact with the outside world. Her parents had passed away and her guardian was trying to introduce her to the real world by making her go out in public, on the advice of a psychologist. The lady is painfully shy and has a extremely difficult time talking to people. Her passion is books and she reads all the time. She orders and never goes into a store.
The nurse went on to say that the lady had ordered all my books and had really wanted to talk to me, but she couldn’t. I felt so bad about persisting with questions and I asked the nurse to apologize for me. She said that she would, but the doctors wanted people to talk to her. That made me feel a lot better. I left a bookmark for her and the nurse said the lady would be excited to get it.
The situation didn't turn out the way I'd envisioned (have to wait for the gushing and praise), but I came away with a deep appreciation for other people’s feelings. I can’t even imagine living in that kind of fear.
How about you? Have you had any strange encounters?
Linda
www.lindawarren.net
Mar ’09 - The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Beginnings
Happy New Year, everyone. Hope your holidays were wonderful. I got to see a lot of family, which filled me with the joy of the season.
Since we seem to be on a theme here, beginnings stuck in my head when I sat down to blog. Probably because I've started writing a new book, "beginnings" to me means the first line or first chapter. So I looked up some of my favorite books to see if their first lines drew me into the story. Of course everyone knows the first line of REBECCA by Daphne DuMaurier because it's quoted so often. Here's a sample from my shelf.
Father must protect me or I am dead. From HER ONE DESIRE by Kimberly Killion, Kensington Zebra.
It was a proposition that would tempt a saint. From MOON IN THE WATER by Elizabeth Grayson, Bantam Books.
"I ain't hirin' no baby killer to work in my store." From MAN WITH A PAST by Kay Stockham, Harlequin SuperRomance.
Each of these uses a different technique, but all drew me in. Whether it's a direct thought, narrative or dialogue, they effectively made me read on. These are on my keeper shelf because the stories are as wonderful as their first lines.
When I buy a book, I notice the front cover art, title and author's name. If I'm interested in one of those, I'll flip to the back or cover flap to read the blurb. Seldom do I read the first line to determine whether to buy a book. But when I'm reading, the impression that first line makes sticks with me. Did it grab me? Draw me on? Make me eager to find out the answer?
What about you? Do you have any favorite first lines? Or don't you think they're relevant?
Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com
Since we seem to be on a theme here, beginnings stuck in my head when I sat down to blog. Probably because I've started writing a new book, "beginnings" to me means the first line or first chapter. So I looked up some of my favorite books to see if their first lines drew me into the story. Of course everyone knows the first line of REBECCA by Daphne DuMaurier because it's quoted so often. Here's a sample from my shelf.
Father must protect me or I am dead. From HER ONE DESIRE by Kimberly Killion, Kensington Zebra.
It was a proposition that would tempt a saint. From MOON IN THE WATER by Elizabeth Grayson, Bantam Books.
"I ain't hirin' no baby killer to work in my store." From MAN WITH A PAST by Kay Stockham, Harlequin SuperRomance.
Each of these uses a different technique, but all drew me in. Whether it's a direct thought, narrative or dialogue, they effectively made me read on. These are on my keeper shelf because the stories are as wonderful as their first lines.
When I buy a book, I notice the front cover art, title and author's name. If I'm interested in one of those, I'll flip to the back or cover flap to read the blurb. Seldom do I read the first line to determine whether to buy a book. But when I'm reading, the impression that first line makes sticks with me. Did it grab me? Draw me on? Make me eager to find out the answer?
What about you? Do you have any favorite first lines? Or don't you think they're relevant?
Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com
Interview with Lisa Ruff
Please welcome Lisa Ruff a new author to the Harlequin American line. Her first book, Man of the Year debuted June 2008 and her latest release Baby on Board hits store shelves this month.
If you could be lazy for an entire day what would you do?
Read! Which is what I always do when I am lazy for any amount of
time at all. I read all kinds of stuff--romance, fantasy, biography,
adventure, history. But to complete the day-long fantasy, I'd eat
chocolate and drink tea, too. While lying in bed. A handsome man would
have to bring me the tea and chocolate, of course, for it to be a truly
lazy day. And can he massage my feet when he's not doing that?
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Sail on my 40' sailboat, Thalia. I've lived on a sailboat for
fourteen years. My husband and I spent five years sailing from Seattle
down through the Panama Canal, around the Caribbean, then up the east
coast to Maine. I like the feel of the boat responding to the wind and
sea. And there's the satisfaction of harnessing the forces of nature to
discover new places and new experiences. Absolutely nothing compares to
sailing the ocean at night with the vastness of the star-strewn sky
overhead. You are insignificant and immense, both at the same time.
What is your writing routine?
Up in the morning, breakfast and a bit of procrastinating before
I sit down at the keyboard. I usually re-read and edit what I did the
day before, which often turns out to be just more procrastination! I
have a hard time actually typing the first few words, but after that I'm
a 8-10 page-a-day writer. Lunch is in there somewhere--my least
favorite meal, since it's just an interruption--then back to the
keyboard for a while until I reach whatever goal I've set for myself on
a particular day. I'm very goal-driven, and I work best if I set a
definite end-point to work toward, like finish a chapter or scene.
If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?
The ability to write a clean, clear sentence that says precisely
what I mean, the first time I write it. That seems nearly unachievable
most days, but the elusive goal keeps me writing.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Creating the "Black Moment," where the two characters are on the
verge of destroying the love they have for each other. I like my
characters and, after 50,000 words, I don't want to torture them. But
the conflict of a story must reach a climax, a point where the main
characters teeter on the brink of failing and losing what they most
want. Or they end up torturing each other even though they intend to
love each other. Their worst side comes out. They might even be mean.
I don't like it when the people I create turn mean and small and reveal
their dark side.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I got the idea for Man of the Year from watching Little League
and wondering what happened to those young boys when they grew up. Then
I started following my local Major League team. Have you seen how tight
they wear their pants? Mmm. Very inspiring.
How long have you been writing?
Fourteen years. I wrote my first book--which was actually Man
of the Year, my first book published with Harlequin American--in 1994.
I submitted it to a couple of publishers and an agent, but there wasn't
a market for sports-themed romance back then. So, I put it into the
proverbial "magic drawer" for the future. Then my husband and I went off cruising in the Caribbean for five years. I continued to write, but didn't try to submit anything until 2006, when I noticed a lot more romances with sports themes. I polished Man of the
Year and sent twenty-two query letters out to agents on the day before
Thanksgiving, 2006. One agent decided to take a chance on me and
offered me a contract. She sent the manuscript out that week to
Harlequin American Romance. A year later, after one revision, they
accepted and here I am!
What did you want to be when you grew up?
An interior designer. When I was six, playing with Barbie was
not so much about the hair and clothes. But my gosh, all that
furniture! I found my calling. When I got a little older, I drove my
mother crazy rearranging the house all the time. Nothing stayed in one
place for more than about three months. The dust bunnies under the sofa
got cleaned up fairly often, so how much could she complain? I went to
college to study design and did commercial design--restaurants and
offices--for 10 years before discovering writing. Suddenly a whole new
world opened up. A world that I could create. That was way better
than moving furniture--I could arrange people and design their lives.
What got you interested in writing?
I've always loved books. My father read to me every night when
I was young. The Wind in the Willows, Kim, The Wizard of Oz you
name it, he read it. There was virtually no television reception in the
small mountain-locked town where I grew up, so books were my escape to
other worlds. When I was out of college and working in Seattle, I met a
few writers—some struggling, some successful—and had an “I can do that”
moment because of them. Then I learned why they were struggling. It's
hard work writing a book! That made me admire the successful ones all
the more.
What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you?
Have you lost weight? I wish everyone would ask me that, even if
it's not true. I hope I never get asked about how to calculate the
square root of some number. I'm an art major; I don't do math. Though
I am the person who can always calculate the tip on a bill. How strange
is that?
What's a saying you use a lot?
"It could have been much worse." That's from Sir Francis
Chichester's book, Gypsy Moth Circles the World. Sir Frances was one
of the great solo, 'round-the-world sailors. This was his stock phrase
when disaster struck, anything from running his boat aground on a reef
to having his mainsail shred in a gale. Sailing on the ocean always
seems to entail close calls and disasters of one degree or another. So
when things go wrong on my boat or in my life, I invoke Sir Francis'
spirit and remind myself that the situation could be much worse. He
also poured himself a cocktail when things went wrong. He figured that
by the time he was done drinking it, he'd either have thought of a way
to fix the problem, or the problem would have fixed itself. Not a bad
way to go about life. Sometimes I do that, too.
What's your favorite dessert?
Flan. One of the first phrases I learned in Spanish was: ¿Hay
Flan? We sailed down the coast of Mexico and Central America and I
asked that question in every restaurant, no matter how tiny or
primitive. And you know what? The answer was "Si", nearly every time.
I've eaten flan in Tijuana, Panama City, Panama, Mazatlan, Mexico, Playa
del Cocos, Costa Rica, Cartagena, Columbia, and Puerta La Cruz,
Venezuela. All of it different textures and flavors and most of it very
delicious.
Do you have any talents readers might find interesting?
I can wiggle my ears. That's pretty cool, if you're a
ten-year-old.
Are you a cat or dog person?
Definitely a cat person, since I'm allergic to dogs. I don't
have one right now, though. My beloved 18-year-old Mali died three
years ago and I haven't been ready for another cat since. She had a
long, good life. Against her will, she traveled to 19 countries by
sailboat. She was never much impressed with any of them. She survived
four gales at sea, one swim test, innumerable baths and one falling
over-board. She was a good cat, though she was never interested in
being good. She was more interested in being what she was: difficult,
funny, loud, affectionate, obnoxious and demanding. I still miss her,
but she started haunting me immediately after she died. She still
does. Her ghost pops around the corner or lurks in the dark, watching
me, wondering how I'm getting along without her.
If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with the
money?
I've always loved to travel, and I would do more of that. The
thing I like best about cruising on a sailboat is going to a foreign
country and staying there. When you can stay for months, rather than
days, in a town you get to be part of the community, not just a
tourist. I love Spain and I've always wanted to go to Chile and
Patagonia, too. Last winter my husband and I spent four months in
Woodstock, England, in a cottage built in 1780. We got to be know the
people and had "our" local pub that the neighbors on our street
frequented. We felt like we belonged there, as much as a foreigner can
belong to a place for four months. With a million dollars, I would look for more experiences like that.
Lisa Ruff
Baby on Board (Jan 2009)
www.lisaruff.net
If you could be lazy for an entire day what would you do?
Read! Which is what I always do when I am lazy for any amount of
time at all. I read all kinds of stuff--romance, fantasy, biography,
adventure, history. But to complete the day-long fantasy, I'd eat
chocolate and drink tea, too. While lying in bed. A handsome man would
have to bring me the tea and chocolate, of course, for it to be a truly
lazy day. And can he massage my feet when he's not doing that?
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Sail on my 40' sailboat, Thalia. I've lived on a sailboat for
fourteen years. My husband and I spent five years sailing from Seattle
down through the Panama Canal, around the Caribbean, then up the east
coast to Maine. I like the feel of the boat responding to the wind and
sea. And there's the satisfaction of harnessing the forces of nature to
discover new places and new experiences. Absolutely nothing compares to
sailing the ocean at night with the vastness of the star-strewn sky
overhead. You are insignificant and immense, both at the same time.
What is your writing routine?
Up in the morning, breakfast and a bit of procrastinating before
I sit down at the keyboard. I usually re-read and edit what I did the
day before, which often turns out to be just more procrastination! I
have a hard time actually typing the first few words, but after that I'm
a 8-10 page-a-day writer. Lunch is in there somewhere--my least
favorite meal, since it's just an interruption--then back to the
keyboard for a while until I reach whatever goal I've set for myself on
a particular day. I'm very goal-driven, and I work best if I set a
definite end-point to work toward, like finish a chapter or scene.
If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?
The ability to write a clean, clear sentence that says precisely
what I mean, the first time I write it. That seems nearly unachievable
most days, but the elusive goal keeps me writing.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Creating the "Black Moment," where the two characters are on the
verge of destroying the love they have for each other. I like my
characters and, after 50,000 words, I don't want to torture them. But
the conflict of a story must reach a climax, a point where the main
characters teeter on the brink of failing and losing what they most
want. Or they end up torturing each other even though they intend to
love each other. Their worst side comes out. They might even be mean.
I don't like it when the people I create turn mean and small and reveal
their dark side.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I got the idea for Man of the Year from watching Little League
and wondering what happened to those young boys when they grew up. Then
I started following my local Major League team. Have you seen how tight
they wear their pants? Mmm. Very inspiring.
How long have you been writing?
Fourteen years. I wrote my first book--which was actually Man
of the Year, my first book published with Harlequin American--in 1994.
I submitted it to a couple of publishers and an agent, but there wasn't
a market for sports-themed romance back then. So, I put it into the
proverbial "magic drawer" for the future. Then my husband and I went off cruising in the Caribbean for five years. I continued to write, but didn't try to submit anything until 2006, when I noticed a lot more romances with sports themes. I polished Man of the
Year and sent twenty-two query letters out to agents on the day before
Thanksgiving, 2006. One agent decided to take a chance on me and
offered me a contract. She sent the manuscript out that week to
Harlequin American Romance. A year later, after one revision, they
accepted and here I am!
What did you want to be when you grew up?
An interior designer. When I was six, playing with Barbie was
not so much about the hair and clothes. But my gosh, all that
furniture! I found my calling. When I got a little older, I drove my
mother crazy rearranging the house all the time. Nothing stayed in one
place for more than about three months. The dust bunnies under the sofa
got cleaned up fairly often, so how much could she complain? I went to
college to study design and did commercial design--restaurants and
offices--for 10 years before discovering writing. Suddenly a whole new
world opened up. A world that I could create. That was way better
than moving furniture--I could arrange people and design their lives.
What got you interested in writing?
I've always loved books. My father read to me every night when
I was young. The Wind in the Willows, Kim, The Wizard of Oz you
name it, he read it. There was virtually no television reception in the
small mountain-locked town where I grew up, so books were my escape to
other worlds. When I was out of college and working in Seattle, I met a
few writers—some struggling, some successful—and had an “I can do that”
moment because of them. Then I learned why they were struggling. It's
hard work writing a book! That made me admire the successful ones all
the more.
What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you?
Have you lost weight? I wish everyone would ask me that, even if
it's not true. I hope I never get asked about how to calculate the
square root of some number. I'm an art major; I don't do math. Though
I am the person who can always calculate the tip on a bill. How strange
is that?
What's a saying you use a lot?
"It could have been much worse." That's from Sir Francis
Chichester's book, Gypsy Moth Circles the World. Sir Frances was one
of the great solo, 'round-the-world sailors. This was his stock phrase
when disaster struck, anything from running his boat aground on a reef
to having his mainsail shred in a gale. Sailing on the ocean always
seems to entail close calls and disasters of one degree or another. So
when things go wrong on my boat or in my life, I invoke Sir Francis'
spirit and remind myself that the situation could be much worse. He
also poured himself a cocktail when things went wrong. He figured that
by the time he was done drinking it, he'd either have thought of a way
to fix the problem, or the problem would have fixed itself. Not a bad
way to go about life. Sometimes I do that, too.
What's your favorite dessert?
Flan. One of the first phrases I learned in Spanish was: ¿Hay
Flan? We sailed down the coast of Mexico and Central America and I
asked that question in every restaurant, no matter how tiny or
primitive. And you know what? The answer was "Si", nearly every time.
I've eaten flan in Tijuana, Panama City, Panama, Mazatlan, Mexico, Playa
del Cocos, Costa Rica, Cartagena, Columbia, and Puerta La Cruz,
Venezuela. All of it different textures and flavors and most of it very
delicious.
Do you have any talents readers might find interesting?
I can wiggle my ears. That's pretty cool, if you're a
ten-year-old.
Are you a cat or dog person?
Definitely a cat person, since I'm allergic to dogs. I don't
have one right now, though. My beloved 18-year-old Mali died three
years ago and I haven't been ready for another cat since. She had a
long, good life. Against her will, she traveled to 19 countries by
sailboat. She was never much impressed with any of them. She survived
four gales at sea, one swim test, innumerable baths and one falling
over-board. She was a good cat, though she was never interested in
being good. She was more interested in being what she was: difficult,
funny, loud, affectionate, obnoxious and demanding. I still miss her,
but she started haunting me immediately after she died. She still
does. Her ghost pops around the corner or lurks in the dark, watching
me, wondering how I'm getting along without her.
If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with the
money?
I've always loved to travel, and I would do more of that. The
thing I like best about cruising on a sailboat is going to a foreign
country and staying there. When you can stay for months, rather than
days, in a town you get to be part of the community, not just a
tourist. I love Spain and I've always wanted to go to Chile and
Patagonia, too. Last winter my husband and I spent four months in
Woodstock, England, in a cottage built in 1780. We got to be know the
people and had "our" local pub that the neighbors on our street
frequented. We felt like we belonged there, as much as a foreigner can
belong to a place for four months. With a million dollars, I would look for more experiences like that.
Lisa Ruff
Baby on Board (Jan 2009)
www.lisaruff.net
Monday, January 05, 2009
Cell phone novels
It’s 2009, and technology continues to race forward, presenting us with amazing new innovations.
I read a fascinating article in the Dec. 22-29 New Yorker (I Heart Novels, by Dana Goodyear) about cell phone novels in Japan. This craze has swept the nation and resulted in paperback and Manga books, movies and massive sales for those who write the stories. Amazing! Critics say the books are badly written, more like diary entries anyone could write than well-crafted stories. That may be true, but the authors don’t care. (They’re crying all the way to the bank.)
I wonder if this craze will catch on in the U.S. I’m not just talking about reading published novels on your cell. That’s already happening. What I mean is the practice of anyone, including those with no writing background and no idea how to develop characters or plot or theme, writing a book on their cell phone for a group of readers eager to read every word.
What do you think—will this craze sweep the U.S. and Canada?
Curious and wonderingly yours,
Ann
www.annroth.net
I read a fascinating article in the Dec. 22-29 New Yorker (I Heart Novels, by Dana Goodyear) about cell phone novels in Japan. This craze has swept the nation and resulted in paperback and Manga books, movies and massive sales for those who write the stories. Amazing! Critics say the books are badly written, more like diary entries anyone could write than well-crafted stories. That may be true, but the authors don’t care. (They’re crying all the way to the bank.)
I wonder if this craze will catch on in the U.S. I’m not just talking about reading published novels on your cell. That’s already happening. What I mean is the practice of anyone, including those with no writing background and no idea how to develop characters or plot or theme, writing a book on their cell phone for a group of readers eager to read every word.
What do you think—will this craze sweep the U.S. and Canada?
Curious and wonderingly yours,
Ann
www.annroth.net
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Happy New Year!
Without even checking, I’m sure I won’t be the only author here using the above title for her blog post--but, hey, when you’re sending out a message within four days of the new year, how can you not acknowledge it?
How can you not be excited about turning the page, beginning with a clean slate, making a fresh start? And, best of all, about being lucky enough to do things over and finally get them right?
A new year is so special because it allows us to make improvements in any and all areas of our lives. Don’t know about you, but I’m ready--though I won’t bore you with my long list.
What I will share with you are my wishes for 2009.
For the readers: many wonderful new books and time to kick back and enjoy them.
For the writers: fabulous story ideas and publishing contracts to go with them.
And for you all, good health and great fortune every day of this happy new year!
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
How can you not be excited about turning the page, beginning with a clean slate, making a fresh start? And, best of all, about being lucky enough to do things over and finally get them right?
A new year is so special because it allows us to make improvements in any and all areas of our lives. Don’t know about you, but I’m ready--though I won’t bore you with my long list.
What I will share with you are my wishes for 2009.
For the readers: many wonderful new books and time to kick back and enjoy them.
For the writers: fabulous story ideas and publishing contracts to go with them.
And for you all, good health and great fortune every day of this happy new year!
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Saturday, January 03, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Hi everyone!
Well, today's post kind of snuck up on me, so I don't have anything very interesting to say. Did everyone have a nice New Year?
Last night we watched my daughter cheer. Today I'm hoping we'll finally go to the movies. I want to see Tom Cruise's new one. Has anyone seen it? Tonight is church. Tomorrow will be tough--we're going to have to get organized. That will involve lots of laundry, homework, nagging, and packing. On Monday, the kids will go back to school, my husband will fly out of town, and I'll need to wake up at six again.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and a great Monday morning, too.
Shelley
Well, today's post kind of snuck up on me, so I don't have anything very interesting to say. Did everyone have a nice New Year?
Last night we watched my daughter cheer. Today I'm hoping we'll finally go to the movies. I want to see Tom Cruise's new one. Has anyone seen it? Tonight is church. Tomorrow will be tough--we're going to have to get organized. That will involve lots of laundry, homework, nagging, and packing. On Monday, the kids will go back to school, my husband will fly out of town, and I'll need to wake up at six again.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and a great Monday morning, too.
Shelley
Friday, January 02, 2009
DECEMBER WINNER!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Our December winner is Rachel Bailey!!!!!! Congratulations, Rachel!!! To get your free, autographed books, please contact Kara Lennox and Victoria Chancellor through their websites.
Tell all your friends to visit us. To enter the drawing, simply comment and your name is entered in our drawing.
Good luck!
(Magdalena, if you're reading this, please email me: ann@annroth.net. You won the November drawing and I never did hear from you. I want to send you your autographed book!)
Our December winner is Rachel Bailey!!!!!! Congratulations, Rachel!!! To get your free, autographed books, please contact Kara Lennox and Victoria Chancellor through their websites.
Tell all your friends to visit us. To enter the drawing, simply comment and your name is entered in our drawing.
Good luck!
(Magdalena, if you're reading this, please email me: ann@annroth.net. You won the November drawing and I never did hear from you. I want to send you your autographed book!)
Thursday, January 01, 2009
On the first day
In the blogosphere, where the old year dwells
Eternally in cyberspace,
Let’s grab the rope and ring the bells
To welcome the … human race … happy place… smiley face…
Too much sparkling apple-cranberry juice last night. Let’s try again.
There once was an old year, ’08,
That no one would dare celebrate.
It dashed all our hopes,
Threw us on the ropes,
And left my head in a terrible state.
Forget that! Who needs more gloom and doom?
Deck the mall with cards of folly
Tra la la la la (etc etc)
The banks are hoping you’ll be solly
Fa la la la …
Wait. Solly? Honestly! Once again into the fray:
While we wait for the economy to rally,
Let’s chalk up a personal tally:
One family well met,
Our home’s not foreclosed yet
And there’s plenty of lilies in the valley.
Sorry – I seem to have a poetic deficit this year. What I’m trying to say is:
To all my readers and fellow authors, Happy New Year,
Best of luck and love in 2009.
And may it be a much better year than ’08!
Eternally in cyberspace,
Let’s grab the rope and ring the bells
To welcome the … human race … happy place… smiley face…
Too much sparkling apple-cranberry juice last night. Let’s try again.
There once was an old year, ’08,
That no one would dare celebrate.
It dashed all our hopes,
Threw us on the ropes,
And left my head in a terrible state.
Forget that! Who needs more gloom and doom?
Deck the mall with cards of folly
Tra la la la la (etc etc)
The banks are hoping you’ll be solly
Fa la la la …
Wait. Solly? Honestly! Once again into the fray:
While we wait for the economy to rally,
Let’s chalk up a personal tally:
One family well met,
Our home’s not foreclosed yet
And there’s plenty of lilies in the valley.
Sorry – I seem to have a poetic deficit this year. What I’m trying to say is:
To all my readers and fellow authors, Happy New Year,
Best of luck and love in 2009.
And may it be a much better year than ’08!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy 2009!
Normally I post on the 30th, but I wanted to let Kara's great Q & A stay up an extra day. As I am currently spending my break between first and second semester writing and catching up on reading my TBR pile, I'm going to keep this short and simply wish you a happy 2009.
If you are going out and about tonight, or even if you are staying home with a loved one and watching the ball drop, have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve. I'm thrilled to be the last post of 2009, and may all your resolutions and goals for 2009 be met.
If you are going out and about tonight, or even if you are staying home with a loved one and watching the ball drop, have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve. I'm thrilled to be the last post of 2009, and may all your resolutions and goals for 2009 be met.
Monday, December 29, 2008
An Interview with Kara Lennox
In honor of Harlequin American Romance's 25th Anniversary, authors old and new have answered a series of questions. Here are my answers--but I only answered the questions I liked!
1) How long have you been published?
20 years. Is that scary or what?
2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Don't take everything so seriously. If you're in this for the long haul, there will be ups and downs. Go with the flow.
3) What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Telling a good story. So long as you can keep readers turning the pages, nothing else matters.
4) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
The time I sent a private message to a friend--only I hit the wrong button and it went public.
5) What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
A fish eye. It was dark.
6) What comes first: the plot or the characters?
For me, plot.
7) When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
Who is that old lady in my bathroom?
8) Describe your writing space.
A total mess. Post-It notes everywhere. Can't see the top of my desk.
9) Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
I did for the first time this year! I waited it out. Eventually it went away.
10) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Victoria Holt and Mary Higgins Clark. Later, Janet Evanovich.
11) What are you reading now?
A Lisa Gardner book.
12) Do you re-read your books once they're in print?
Never.
13) What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
It's a pretty normal 9-5 workday, writing more in the morning and editing/brainstorming/plotting and problem-solving in the afternoon.
14) How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I've sold 57 (as Kara Lennox and Karen Leabo) but I've written lots more that haven't sold. My favorite is a Silhouette Intimate Moments published in 1995 called INTO THIN AIR.
15) Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
I get letters and e-mail now and then. Many of my readers are teenagers and people from other countries. I've corresponded with readers from Africa, India and Bulgaria, and I love to hear from them especially.
16) Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?
I'm playing around with a young-adult paranormal romance.
17) Did you ever eat paste or Elmer's glue when you were a kid?
No. Blech.
18) What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I was an art director for a magazine, then a freelance nonfiction writer. I also did some crazy odd jobs. I was a blackjack dealer and a hamster wrangler for an entertainment company.
19) How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it?
My first American came out in 1999. I think it's broadened a lot. You see more diversity in the line. It's more author-driven, I think.
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?
I like groceries, that's what inspires me! No rituals. I just like it quiet.
21) What do you want to know about the future?
Nothing--I'd rather be surprised.
22) Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?
Yes, and I prefer Coke, though I seldom drink any kind of soft drink.
23) Have you ever made a crank phone call?
Yes. I was a horrible child.
24) What is your dream car?
A silver Nissan Roadster.
25) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
Any place with a beach and umbrella drinks. No, seriously, I love to travel, and I love going to strange, out-of-the-way places like Bulgaria.
26) If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you?
My husband. He has a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, and I would get him to kick the door down. I'm claustrophobic.
1) How long have you been published?
20 years. Is that scary or what?
2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
Don't take everything so seriously. If you're in this for the long haul, there will be ups and downs. Go with the flow.
3) What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
Telling a good story. So long as you can keep readers turning the pages, nothing else matters.
4) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
The time I sent a private message to a friend--only I hit the wrong button and it went public.
5) What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
A fish eye. It was dark.
6) What comes first: the plot or the characters?
For me, plot.
7) When you looked in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
Who is that old lady in my bathroom?
8) Describe your writing space.
A total mess. Post-It notes everywhere. Can't see the top of my desk.
9) Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
I did for the first time this year! I waited it out. Eventually it went away.
10) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Victoria Holt and Mary Higgins Clark. Later, Janet Evanovich.
11) What are you reading now?
A Lisa Gardner book.
12) Do you re-read your books once they're in print?
Never.
13) What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
It's a pretty normal 9-5 workday, writing more in the morning and editing/brainstorming/plotting and problem-solving in the afternoon.
14) How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I've sold 57 (as Kara Lennox and Karen Leabo) but I've written lots more that haven't sold. My favorite is a Silhouette Intimate Moments published in 1995 called INTO THIN AIR.
15) Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
I get letters and e-mail now and then. Many of my readers are teenagers and people from other countries. I've corresponded with readers from Africa, India and Bulgaria, and I love to hear from them especially.
16) Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?
I'm playing around with a young-adult paranormal romance.
17) Did you ever eat paste or Elmer's glue when you were a kid?
No. Blech.
18) What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I was an art director for a magazine, then a freelance nonfiction writer. I also did some crazy odd jobs. I was a blackjack dealer and a hamster wrangler for an entertainment company.
19) How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it?
My first American came out in 1999. I think it's broadened a lot. You see more diversity in the line. It's more author-driven, I think.
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?
I like groceries, that's what inspires me! No rituals. I just like it quiet.
21) What do you want to know about the future?
Nothing--I'd rather be surprised.
22) Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?
Yes, and I prefer Coke, though I seldom drink any kind of soft drink.
23) Have you ever made a crank phone call?
Yes. I was a horrible child.
24) What is your dream car?
A silver Nissan Roadster.
25) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
Any place with a beach and umbrella drinks. No, seriously, I love to travel, and I love going to strange, out-of-the-way places like Bulgaria.
26) If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you?
My husband. He has a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, and I would get him to kick the door down. I'm claustrophobic.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Dreaming of a White Christmas
Kids around the world dream of a white Christmas – just ask Bing Crosby, Thomas Kinkade and Frosty the Snowman. It doesn’t get much better than sledding on your favorite hill, sipping hot chocolate and building a snow fort. And to that I’m tempted to say bah humbug – not that I’m a Scrooge, au contraire, I love the snow but this year we endured 12 days of frozen precipitation – snow, ice, and freezing rain. We shoveled, scraped and de-iced but that wasn’t the worst of it. When the white stuff falls in the Pacific Northwest absolutely everything comes to a standstill. Schools and businesses close, buildings collapse, busses don’t run, trains freeze up, airplanes are grounded and freeways are littered with abandoned cars. We had folks stranded at the airport, the bus terminal and the train station for days prior to Christmas. Oh wow - that has to be cabin fever on steroids.
But now - hip, hip hooray - we’re in the middle of a big thaw and life is returning to normal. Stores are packed and the traffic is a killer. All’s well in our little corner of the world. So the moral of this story is the next time I start talking about a white Christmas I think I’ll simply whack myself upside the head and buy a ticket to Maui.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year
Ann DeFee
The Man She Married, HAR, February 2009
Top Gun Dad, HAR, October 2009
But now - hip, hip hooray - we’re in the middle of a big thaw and life is returning to normal. Stores are packed and the traffic is a killer. All’s well in our little corner of the world. So the moral of this story is the next time I start talking about a white Christmas I think I’ll simply whack myself upside the head and buy a ticket to Maui.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year
Ann DeFee
The Man She Married, HAR, February 2009
Top Gun Dad, HAR, October 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
We would all like to give you a big hug and a cyber chorus of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.
Joy to all and may today be merry.
The authors of Harlequin American Romance
Joy to all and may today be merry.
The authors of Harlequin American Romance
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Deck the Halls
It’s Christmas Eve! I love the holidays, and I so often find myself wishing that time—which is already a precious commodity—would slow down so I could enjoy the preparations and shopping even more than I already do.
I especially love to decorate for the holidays, even though I’m not particularly creative in that area. But by combining some natural greenery with everyday things I have in my home, I can decorate almost nook and cranny...on a shoestring!
Here’s a smattering of the things I use, starting with locally collected holly and cedar boughs, an assortment of cones, various glassware items, and a selection of floating candles.
I found this metal moose-and-tree sleigh at a Boxing Day sale several years ago. It’s quite plain looking until it has been lined with cedar and filled with cones and pillar candles. In this picture it’s on top of the china cabinet but I might also use it as centrepiece for one of our holiday meals.
This big sea-green bowl is lined with more cedar and filled with pears (the fake kind from the dollar store) and pine cones. I think there are some redwood cones in there, too, and when we decorate the tree later today, I might add a few colored glass balls.
I really love this combination. The footed glass bowl is from a secondhand store, and I use it year round for fruit, flowers, etc. Here it’s filled with water that floats holly leaves, holly berries and a floating candle. It might be hard to tell from the photo, but it's a green Christmas-tree-shaped candle.
Continuing with that theme, this cylindrical vase is also filled with water and holly branches and topped with a floating candle. This is a deep red beeswax candle. Could anything be simpler?
My daughter suggested using wine glasses as candle holders, and I think it’s a great idea! Right side up or upside down, they make fun tea light holders. Add a few sprigs of greenery and I’m done! This arrangement is on the window sill above the kitchen sink.
For me, Christmas is all about creative fun and a festive home filled with family. If I can accomplish that with relatively little fuss and bother, great. If I can do it on a shoestring budget, even better!
How do you decorate your home? Any last-minute tips for sprucing up the house?
Wishing you a happy, happy holiday!
Lee
Lee’s blog
Lee’s website
I especially love to decorate for the holidays, even though I’m not particularly creative in that area. But by combining some natural greenery with everyday things I have in my home, I can decorate almost nook and cranny...on a shoestring!
Here’s a smattering of the things I use, starting with locally collected holly and cedar boughs, an assortment of cones, various glassware items, and a selection of floating candles.
I found this metal moose-and-tree sleigh at a Boxing Day sale several years ago. It’s quite plain looking until it has been lined with cedar and filled with cones and pillar candles. In this picture it’s on top of the china cabinet but I might also use it as centrepiece for one of our holiday meals.
This big sea-green bowl is lined with more cedar and filled with pears (the fake kind from the dollar store) and pine cones. I think there are some redwood cones in there, too, and when we decorate the tree later today, I might add a few colored glass balls.
I really love this combination. The footed glass bowl is from a secondhand store, and I use it year round for fruit, flowers, etc. Here it’s filled with water that floats holly leaves, holly berries and a floating candle. It might be hard to tell from the photo, but it's a green Christmas-tree-shaped candle.
Continuing with that theme, this cylindrical vase is also filled with water and holly branches and topped with a floating candle. This is a deep red beeswax candle. Could anything be simpler?
My daughter suggested using wine glasses as candle holders, and I think it’s a great idea! Right side up or upside down, they make fun tea light holders. Add a few sprigs of greenery and I’m done! This arrangement is on the window sill above the kitchen sink.For me, Christmas is all about creative fun and a festive home filled with family. If I can accomplish that with relatively little fuss and bother, great. If I can do it on a shoestring budget, even better!
How do you decorate your home? Any last-minute tips for sprucing up the house?
Wishing you a happy, happy holiday!
Lee
Lee’s blog
Lee’s website
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Baby Who Came To The Meet
So, last Friday night, there I was-at a wrestling meet-doing my usual thing. Sitting with boys and my husband and the usual crowd of parents who have become friends after hours and hours of gymnasium sitting, concession duty, and pancake breakfast flipping.
I think I’ve mentioned that I’ve been pretty melancholy lately. Our son is a senior and while there were many, many times over the years I ‘couldn’t wait for him to grow up’ now that he has- I’ve been feeling a little blue. He’ll be going to the University of Alabama next year. It's GREAT for him. It feels a little far for me.
Anyway, there I was, sitting and wincing as some kid’s nose started bleeding. (really, I never imagined myself watching such things!) when a girlfriend plopped a baby in my lap.
Yep. A baby!! And a baby girl, at that! She was tiny-just eight weeks old-and she was asleep and wrapped up in so many cozy layers that she looked like a pink and yellow penguin. She smelled sweet and cute, too!
That baby was kind of a 'surprise baby'. My girlfriend’s oldest had a baby a little unexpectedly early, you might say-and now she’s on grandparent duty a bit earlier than she ever imagined. For all of us wrestling moms and dads, that little thing was truly magical. See, for all of us there, it had been over a dozen years since even our youngest kids were hold-able.
Even my senior son smiled at the way I fussed with the little girl’s tiny foot, oohing at those tiny toes, then covering them up just so. And somehow I began that little rocking sway that had been dormant for fifteen years.
Now, suddenly, in between yelling for ‘pins’ and wincing at injuries, the whole crew of us were playing a delightful game of Pass The Sleeping Baby. What a joy that was! She was light! She molded to our bodies! She sucked that pacifier like nothing you ever saw!
Then the inevitable happened. She got tired of our fussing and woke up, stared at the strangers, and promptly let us know that a wrestling meet was not her thing. Not one bit.
We did what you might expect then. We passed that baby right back to her grandma.
Late that night I went to sleep thinking about that little girl, and about my daughter who’s almost sixteen. And, of course, I thought about my boy who now has been taller than me for a couple of years. Thinking about what a joy they are. What miracles they’ve been to me. How much happiness they’ve brought.
So, during this wonderful Christmas week, I hope that each of you has someone to hold on to, too. Even if just for a bit. In the end, family and friends are really all that matters. Merry Christmas, and God bless!
Shelley
I think I’ve mentioned that I’ve been pretty melancholy lately. Our son is a senior and while there were many, many times over the years I ‘couldn’t wait for him to grow up’ now that he has- I’ve been feeling a little blue. He’ll be going to the University of Alabama next year. It's GREAT for him. It feels a little far for me.
Anyway, there I was, sitting and wincing as some kid’s nose started bleeding. (really, I never imagined myself watching such things!) when a girlfriend plopped a baby in my lap.
Yep. A baby!! And a baby girl, at that! She was tiny-just eight weeks old-and she was asleep and wrapped up in so many cozy layers that she looked like a pink and yellow penguin. She smelled sweet and cute, too!
That baby was kind of a 'surprise baby'. My girlfriend’s oldest had a baby a little unexpectedly early, you might say-and now she’s on grandparent duty a bit earlier than she ever imagined. For all of us wrestling moms and dads, that little thing was truly magical. See, for all of us there, it had been over a dozen years since even our youngest kids were hold-able.
Even my senior son smiled at the way I fussed with the little girl’s tiny foot, oohing at those tiny toes, then covering them up just so. And somehow I began that little rocking sway that had been dormant for fifteen years.
Now, suddenly, in between yelling for ‘pins’ and wincing at injuries, the whole crew of us were playing a delightful game of Pass The Sleeping Baby. What a joy that was! She was light! She molded to our bodies! She sucked that pacifier like nothing you ever saw!
Then the inevitable happened. She got tired of our fussing and woke up, stared at the strangers, and promptly let us know that a wrestling meet was not her thing. Not one bit.
We did what you might expect then. We passed that baby right back to her grandma.
Late that night I went to sleep thinking about that little girl, and about my daughter who’s almost sixteen. And, of course, I thought about my boy who now has been taller than me for a couple of years. Thinking about what a joy they are. What miracles they’ve been to me. How much happiness they’ve brought.
So, during this wonderful Christmas week, I hope that each of you has someone to hold on to, too. Even if just for a bit. In the end, family and friends are really all that matters. Merry Christmas, and God bless!
Shelley
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Author Interview: Victoria Chancellor
This interview is with Victoria Chancellor, who has written eleven books for Harlequin American Romance and nine books for other publishers. She resides in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, with her husband of 37 years and a variety of pets. Her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters live right next door! She wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
How did you make your first sale?
I’d been seriously writing for about a year when I attended a regional writers conference in Beaumont, Texas. Author Susan Wiggs was one of the judges, and she insisted that her editor, Carolyn Marino of Harper, take a look at my book. Luckily for me, Harper was launching a new women’s fiction line, and less than three weeks later, Carolyn bought my book on proposal to be part of the launch. That was a historical romance, All My Dreams.
How long have you been published?
I sold my first book in November, 1990, and it came out in November, 1992. By then I had sold a short contemporary on proposal to Meteor Publishing, which is no longer in business. I thought writing was pretty neat, so I quit my day job to write part time and work for my husband’s business part time. After my first two relatively easy sales, I didn’t sell another book for over a year!
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written eleven books for Harlequin American, three short contemporaries for other publishers, one historical romance, and five paranormal romances for Dorchester Love Spell. I must admit I really love paranormal romances, especially time travels. Unfortunately for me, they aren’t popular right now. My favorite book is probably Miracle of Love, the story of a struggling Irish immigrant who brings her dying baby into St. Mary’s Cathedral in Galveston, Texas in 1896 and prays for a miracle. Although I’m not Irish or Catholic, and I’ve never had such a trauma in my life, that character became extremely real to me. My father passed away while I was in the midst of writing this book, and somehow, his faith seemed to make the story stronger.
Why did you target the American Romance Line?
My good friend Judy Christenberry was writing for American, and I had read many Americans, especially the Heart Beat and More Than Men series. Although I knew they weren’t publishing paranormals any longer, I still liked the line. I submitted a proposal about a small town police chief who had been stood up at the altar twice to Melissa Jeglinski and she bought it.
What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I’ve done a little bit of everything except working as a waitress. (Believe me, you don’t want to trust me with a plate of food around demanding or obnoxious people!) I started working in fine jewelry at age 14, then got married and had a child. When I was younger and lighter, I even exercised horses at Churchill Downs. I worked in offices, military security, volunteered for political campaigns, and finally went to college when I was in my 30s. My degree is in Economics and Finance, and I had a career in financial systems and analysis at EDS before getting bit by the writing bug.
What comes first: the plot or the characters?
Neither, really. The inciting incident comes first. I see something and try to think about what characters would fit into that scenario, and then I try to think about what choices they would make. If it seems interesting, then I start doing character sketches. For example, in Miracle of Love, I saw a man startled awake by a baby crying in the living room of his secured, high rise condo. He sees a woman dressed in period clothing holding a crying child. That scene made me ask a lot of questions, such as why is the baby crying? How did the woman and child get into his condo? What’s he going to do next? Romance writers should always remember that the characters must drive the story, not the other way around. If things are happening to your hero and heroine rather than them influencing what happens, you’re on the wrong track.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Since I live next door to my granddaughters, I spend a lot of time with them. I also love to scrapbook; I take a lot of photographs. I work part time as the financial manager of my husband’s company. We sell and install school furniture, and we are extremely busy every summer. I love to travel, but don’t get to go as often as I’d like.
What is your writing routine?
When I’m on book deadline (i.e. I have a contract to complete a book by a certain date) I write four to seven pages each morning, then get dressed and go to the office in the afternoon. I’m not a morning person, so I don’t get started until nine or ten o’clock. Then after dinner, I write another four to seven pages, depending on my deadline. When I don’t have a contract to turn in a book at a particular date, I’m a complete lazy bones. It takes me longer to write a proposal than it does to finish a book!
If you were stranded on an island for a month and could bring three books along, what would they be?
I would bring Rachel Gibson’s The Trouble With Valentines Day, almost anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, but most likely Natural Born Charmer (or This Heart of Mine or Nobody’s Baby But Mine) and Anne Stuart’s HAR Heart Beat, Falling Angel.
What is your dream car?
I still have my 1978 Formula Firebird, which we ordered in 1978 and I never could make myself sell. However, I’m planning to put it on eBay soon. My whole life I’ve wanted a 1963 to 1967 Corvette, but I’ll probably be too old to climb in and out by the time I could afford one. Plus, the older I get, the more I think about safety – things like air bags and seat belts take on new significance.
Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?
I’m writing the proposal for the last book in the Brody’s Crossing series, tentatively titled Texan in Her Heart. It’s the story of what happened when Troy and Cal Crawford’s mother left them when they were teens. I knew all along that there was a good reason, but it didn’t come to me until a few months ago.
What are you reading now?
Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I re-read Anne Stuart’s Falling Angel. It’s a wonderful holiday story about redemption and love. If you can find a copy online or in a used book story, you should get it and read it. I know it’s a paranormal, but really, Harlequin should release that book again! Anne Stuart wrote many Harlequin American Romances, but that is my favorite. I hope to write a book someday that people will feel that strongly about.
How did you make your first sale?
I’d been seriously writing for about a year when I attended a regional writers conference in Beaumont, Texas. Author Susan Wiggs was one of the judges, and she insisted that her editor, Carolyn Marino of Harper, take a look at my book. Luckily for me, Harper was launching a new women’s fiction line, and less than three weeks later, Carolyn bought my book on proposal to be part of the launch. That was a historical romance, All My Dreams.
How long have you been published?
I sold my first book in November, 1990, and it came out in November, 1992. By then I had sold a short contemporary on proposal to Meteor Publishing, which is no longer in business. I thought writing was pretty neat, so I quit my day job to write part time and work for my husband’s business part time. After my first two relatively easy sales, I didn’t sell another book for over a year!
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written eleven books for Harlequin American, three short contemporaries for other publishers, one historical romance, and five paranormal romances for Dorchester Love Spell. I must admit I really love paranormal romances, especially time travels. Unfortunately for me, they aren’t popular right now. My favorite book is probably Miracle of Love, the story of a struggling Irish immigrant who brings her dying baby into St. Mary’s Cathedral in Galveston, Texas in 1896 and prays for a miracle. Although I’m not Irish or Catholic, and I’ve never had such a trauma in my life, that character became extremely real to me. My father passed away while I was in the midst of writing this book, and somehow, his faith seemed to make the story stronger.
Why did you target the American Romance Line?
My good friend Judy Christenberry was writing for American, and I had read many Americans, especially the Heart Beat and More Than Men series. Although I knew they weren’t publishing paranormals any longer, I still liked the line. I submitted a proposal about a small town police chief who had been stood up at the altar twice to Melissa Jeglinski and she bought it.
What did you do career-wise before becoming an author?
I’ve done a little bit of everything except working as a waitress. (Believe me, you don’t want to trust me with a plate of food around demanding or obnoxious people!) I started working in fine jewelry at age 14, then got married and had a child. When I was younger and lighter, I even exercised horses at Churchill Downs. I worked in offices, military security, volunteered for political campaigns, and finally went to college when I was in my 30s. My degree is in Economics and Finance, and I had a career in financial systems and analysis at EDS before getting bit by the writing bug.
What comes first: the plot or the characters?
Neither, really. The inciting incident comes first. I see something and try to think about what characters would fit into that scenario, and then I try to think about what choices they would make. If it seems interesting, then I start doing character sketches. For example, in Miracle of Love, I saw a man startled awake by a baby crying in the living room of his secured, high rise condo. He sees a woman dressed in period clothing holding a crying child. That scene made me ask a lot of questions, such as why is the baby crying? How did the woman and child get into his condo? What’s he going to do next? Romance writers should always remember that the characters must drive the story, not the other way around. If things are happening to your hero and heroine rather than them influencing what happens, you’re on the wrong track.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Since I live next door to my granddaughters, I spend a lot of time with them. I also love to scrapbook; I take a lot of photographs. I work part time as the financial manager of my husband’s company. We sell and install school furniture, and we are extremely busy every summer. I love to travel, but don’t get to go as often as I’d like.
What is your writing routine?
When I’m on book deadline (i.e. I have a contract to complete a book by a certain date) I write four to seven pages each morning, then get dressed and go to the office in the afternoon. I’m not a morning person, so I don’t get started until nine or ten o’clock. Then after dinner, I write another four to seven pages, depending on my deadline. When I don’t have a contract to turn in a book at a particular date, I’m a complete lazy bones. It takes me longer to write a proposal than it does to finish a book!
If you were stranded on an island for a month and could bring three books along, what would they be?
I would bring Rachel Gibson’s The Trouble With Valentines Day, almost anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, but most likely Natural Born Charmer (or This Heart of Mine or Nobody’s Baby But Mine) and Anne Stuart’s HAR Heart Beat, Falling Angel.
What is your dream car?
I still have my 1978 Formula Firebird, which we ordered in 1978 and I never could make myself sell. However, I’m planning to put it on eBay soon. My whole life I’ve wanted a 1963 to 1967 Corvette, but I’ll probably be too old to climb in and out by the time I could afford one. Plus, the older I get, the more I think about safety – things like air bags and seat belts take on new significance.
Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?
I’m writing the proposal for the last book in the Brody’s Crossing series, tentatively titled Texan in Her Heart. It’s the story of what happened when Troy and Cal Crawford’s mother left them when they were teens. I knew all along that there was a good reason, but it didn’t come to me until a few months ago.
What are you reading now?
Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I re-read Anne Stuart’s Falling Angel. It’s a wonderful holiday story about redemption and love. If you can find a copy online or in a used book story, you should get it and read it. I know it’s a paranormal, but really, Harlequin should release that book again! Anne Stuart wrote many Harlequin American Romances, but that is my favorite. I hope to write a book someday that people will feel that strongly about.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tis the Busy Season
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays.
This is always my busiest season. I finished school yesterday for two weeks. I only worked three days last week because of snow. It's been a bit crazy here in St. Louis. Yesterday once I got home, I painted my daughter's room. Redoing her room (new bedding and such) is her Christmas present (one she picked out), and I spackled, taped, painted and cleaned up. I planned on taking a few days to do it, but figured I could simply get it all done in one nonstop dash. I quit about 1 AM, but her room is now blue instead of pink and she likes it. As I write this, I'm still covered in little paint flecks that I hope to get off today, or else I'll be at my book signing with little blue dots on me.
As for my kids, they are sleeping in. My cat however still worries if I'm in bed past eight and comes to wake me up. Thus, I'm up.
For me, Christmas is all about my kids. My daughters are 12 and 13 (14 in March) and love the holiday. We bought a new tree this year, a $35 prelit 6 1/2 footer from Wal-Mart. It's a bit shabby looking, but the cats don't climb it like they did the last one, so the fact that the ornaments are staying on this year (except the very bottom branches) is a huge plus. We'd go to bed last year, wake up, and in the morning find cats in the tree and all the ornaments all over the living room. They were having party time.
So, as I rush off to get ready for my book signing, may you all have a joyous holiday season filled with blessed memories.
This is always my busiest season. I finished school yesterday for two weeks. I only worked three days last week because of snow. It's been a bit crazy here in St. Louis. Yesterday once I got home, I painted my daughter's room. Redoing her room (new bedding and such) is her Christmas present (one she picked out), and I spackled, taped, painted and cleaned up. I planned on taking a few days to do it, but figured I could simply get it all done in one nonstop dash. I quit about 1 AM, but her room is now blue instead of pink and she likes it. As I write this, I'm still covered in little paint flecks that I hope to get off today, or else I'll be at my book signing with little blue dots on me.
As for my kids, they are sleeping in. My cat however still worries if I'm in bed past eight and comes to wake me up. Thus, I'm up.
For me, Christmas is all about my kids. My daughters are 12 and 13 (14 in March) and love the holiday. We bought a new tree this year, a $35 prelit 6 1/2 footer from Wal-Mart. It's a bit shabby looking, but the cats don't climb it like they did the last one, so the fact that the ornaments are staying on this year (except the very bottom branches) is a huge plus. We'd go to bed last year, wake up, and in the morning find cats in the tree and all the ornaments all over the living room. They were having party time.
So, as I rush off to get ready for my book signing, may you all have a joyous holiday season filled with blessed memories.
Friday, December 19, 2008
A matter of perspective
Seattle is experiencing record cold. For the past week the temp has not climbed over freezing. The other night our thermometer read 19 degrees!
I was in Eugene, Oregon last weekend, which is also experiencing temperatures well below freezing. I always stay at a wonderful bed and breakfast called the Oval Door (www.ovaldoor.com). What a place—the cookie jar is always filled with homemade, freshly baked cookies, and the wine bottles are open and waiting. In the living room, comfy furniture and an inviting gas fireplace. Talk about a home away from home! Best of all, the breakfasts—hearty, homemade food and all the coffee and tea you can drink. Melissa and Nicole, the co-owners (and trained chefs!) are friendly and accommodating. And the interesting people who stay there! But I digress...
Several mornings I shared the breakfast table with a man from Alberta who developed the coolest software for internet car sales. In Alberta the temp recently dropped to a whopping -40 degrees, the temperature at which Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same! Talk about c-c-cold!
For him, 19 degrees is mild. For me, it’s frigid. All a matter of perspective.
Which got me thinking. I can choose to moan and groan about the cold or enjoy the clean, invigorating air. I can play in the snow and appreciate the beauty of snow-covered trees and lawn, or let it ruin my day.
I choose the positive route. What about you?
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and Winter Solstice, and gratitude for everything coming you way,
Ann
www.annroth.net
I was in Eugene, Oregon last weekend, which is also experiencing temperatures well below freezing. I always stay at a wonderful bed and breakfast called the Oval Door (www.ovaldoor.com). What a place—the cookie jar is always filled with homemade, freshly baked cookies, and the wine bottles are open and waiting. In the living room, comfy furniture and an inviting gas fireplace. Talk about a home away from home! Best of all, the breakfasts—hearty, homemade food and all the coffee and tea you can drink. Melissa and Nicole, the co-owners (and trained chefs!) are friendly and accommodating. And the interesting people who stay there! But I digress...
Several mornings I shared the breakfast table with a man from Alberta who developed the coolest software for internet car sales. In Alberta the temp recently dropped to a whopping -40 degrees, the temperature at which Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same! Talk about c-c-cold!
For him, 19 degrees is mild. For me, it’s frigid. All a matter of perspective.
Which got me thinking. I can choose to moan and groan about the cold or enjoy the clean, invigorating air. I can play in the snow and appreciate the beauty of snow-covered trees and lawn, or let it ruin my day.
I choose the positive route. What about you?
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and Winter Solstice, and gratitude for everything coming you way,
Ann
www.annroth.net
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Holidays and Blessings
'Twas a week before Christmas...
Already?!
Time really does fly, doesn't it? It wasn't that long ago that the air conditioning was barely keeping us cool, and now we're hurtling toward the big day in a flurry of last minute activities. It's also the perfect time to think about the blessings of the past year and throughout our lives.
My best friend of forty-five years has a box made and given to her by her great-niece. Inside, it contains small pieces of paper and a pen. It's called a Blessings Box, and each time she thinks of something she's blessed with, she writes it down on one of the papers, folds it, and leaves it in the box. When she's feeling down, she goes to the box and reads the blessings she's written, remembering that even through the tough times, there are those small things that make us smile.
Although I've started painting my own Blessings Box, it isn't finished. I've made a mental list of the things I'll write and add to it when it is. The blessing of my family will be the first. Without them, life wouldn't be as joyful. My friends will be second. Without their humor, strength, and giving hearts, each day would be a little emptier. I'm blessed to have a career I love and readers who give me the opportunity to share my stories with. I'm sure before this holiday season is over, I'll think of many more to add to the list.
Holidays can be crazy times, but there are always a few blessings in each day, if we take the time to look close enough. Have a wonderfully happy and blessed holiday season!!
Already?!
Time really does fly, doesn't it? It wasn't that long ago that the air conditioning was barely keeping us cool, and now we're hurtling toward the big day in a flurry of last minute activities. It's also the perfect time to think about the blessings of the past year and throughout our lives.
My best friend of forty-five years has a box made and given to her by her great-niece. Inside, it contains small pieces of paper and a pen. It's called a Blessings Box, and each time she thinks of something she's blessed with, she writes it down on one of the papers, folds it, and leaves it in the box. When she's feeling down, she goes to the box and reads the blessings she's written, remembering that even through the tough times, there are those small things that make us smile.
Although I've started painting my own Blessings Box, it isn't finished. I've made a mental list of the things I'll write and add to it when it is. The blessing of my family will be the first. Without them, life wouldn't be as joyful. My friends will be second. Without their humor, strength, and giving hearts, each day would be a little emptier. I'm blessed to have a career I love and readers who give me the opportunity to share my stories with. I'm sure before this holiday season is over, I'll think of many more to add to the list.
Holidays can be crazy times, but there are always a few blessings in each day, if we take the time to look close enough. Have a wonderfully happy and blessed holiday season!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Happy Holidays to You and Yours
The tree’s not up, all the presents have not yet been bought, and the holiday greeting-card list is nowhere near ready to be checked. I may not accomplish every item on my To-Do list--and this won’t be the first time!
I just don’t get it. December rolls around at exactly the same time every year, and somehow it still manages to sneak up on me.
One thing I'd never miss, though, is the chance to say thanks to all of you for stopping by the blog during this year, for reading my posts, and for sharing your thoughts with me.
I hope this holiday season is extra-special for you and that you have a wonderful, happy, and healthy year ahead!
As for me, I’m determined not to let January 1st sneak up on me, so I’m making my New Year’s resolutions now: to find balance in all areas of my life--and to keep an accurate, up-to-date calendar!
I’m giving you a jumpstart, too, because, of course, I’d really like to know...
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
I just don’t get it. December rolls around at exactly the same time every year, and somehow it still manages to sneak up on me.
One thing I'd never miss, though, is the chance to say thanks to all of you for stopping by the blog during this year, for reading my posts, and for sharing your thoughts with me.
I hope this holiday season is extra-special for you and that you have a wonderful, happy, and healthy year ahead!
As for me, I’m determined not to let January 1st sneak up on me, so I’m making my New Year’s resolutions now: to find balance in all areas of my life--and to keep an accurate, up-to-date calendar!
I’m giving you a jumpstart, too, because, of course, I’d really like to know...
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The grumpies
Okay, I admit it, sometimes I can get pretty grumpy during the holidays. Call me Mrs. Scourge. For the past few years I've had book deadlines hanging over my head and find myself trying to squeeze in writing time when I'd rather be doing something fun like drinking spiked Eggnog.
And it doesn't help any that my birthday is Christmas Eve and I have to turn a year older. The kids groan and complain about having to buy me two gifts during the holiday season. I don't get many cards--most of the Happy Birthday wishes are added to the Christmas cards people send. My birthday cake always has red poinsettias on it. And try to find a restaurant that stays open past four so hubby can take me out for dinner--we now call my birthday dinner....lupper (in between lunch and supper).
So this year I've decided not to worry about getting older--can't turn back time. I'm not going to stress out about keeping the house clean in case neighbors pop in unannounced. I told the kids to get me one thing for Christmas and for my birthday a "Coupon" that says they won't argue during Christmas break. And I'm really looking forward to my Birthday Margarita!
How about anyone else....do the holidays make you grumpy?
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Marin
RT Top Pick
The Cowboy and the Angel (Nov 08)
www.marinthomas.com
And it doesn't help any that my birthday is Christmas Eve and I have to turn a year older. The kids groan and complain about having to buy me two gifts during the holiday season. I don't get many cards--most of the Happy Birthday wishes are added to the Christmas cards people send. My birthday cake always has red poinsettias on it. And try to find a restaurant that stays open past four so hubby can take me out for dinner--we now call my birthday dinner....lupper (in between lunch and supper).
So this year I've decided not to worry about getting older--can't turn back time. I'm not going to stress out about keeping the house clean in case neighbors pop in unannounced. I told the kids to get me one thing for Christmas and for my birthday a "Coupon" that says they won't argue during Christmas break. And I'm really looking forward to my Birthday Margarita!
How about anyone else....do the holidays make you grumpy?
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Marin
RT Top Pick
The Cowboy and the Angel (Nov 08)
www.marinthomas.com
Monday, December 15, 2008
Back on Our Feet
I recently returned from Nashville, Tenn., where I helped my 91-year-old mother return home from a convalescent facility. Those of you who follow this blog might recall that Sylvia Hyman is a well-known ceramic sculptor who fell in September while we were attending an international ceramics conference in Xi’an, China.
The good news is that she’s back on her feet, using a walker but able to descend the stairs to her studio. The not-so-good news is that her eyesight is falling prey to macular degeneration.
However, she’s still brimming with creative ideas and a fiery spirit. With the help of her wonderful assistant and friend, Cathy Moberg, she hopes to return to work by January. If you’d like to see photos of her work, check out the lower left corner of my home page, www.jacquelinediamond.com.
It occurred to me that a lot of us would like to be back on our feet after the economic tumble of the past months. I can’t work miracles but, while reading Sunday’s newspaper, I came across positive news I’d like to share.
1) Kind stranger. In Fullerton, Calif., a man found a wallet containing $300 cash. He called the emergency number inside and restored the money to its owner. When offered a reward, he declined, even though he said he needed money.
2) Cut-rate pandas. Four giant pandas will be staying at the San Diego Zoo for another five years, thanks to a half-off deal negotiated with the Chinese government. The previous charge was $1 million annually per adult panda. Zoos in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Memphis also get the reduced rate.
3) Sexy pirate. Four actors playing Jack Sparrow got laid off their jobs at Disneyland. That’s the sad news. The entertaining part is the explanation given by a former portrayer of the Pirates of the Caribbean character. He said Jack is such an irresistible rogue that women patrons couldn’t resist flashing him. (No specifics mentioned. Or maybe I should say, no unmentionables mentioned). Disneyland denies that girls behaving badly had anything to do with the decision.
4) Take it all off. Those clothing-optional ladies should read the article about Huntington Beach, Calif., which rents out the city pool for private nude swims by a naturist group. In support of nudism, one member told the Orange County Register that getting rid of designer-label clothing “does level the playing field.” Another commented that after spending time on European nude beaches, “It became very hard to put on a bathing suit.”
5) No bathing suit for me. Honesty compels me to report that I haven’t put on a bathing suit in years. Of course, I haven’t gone into a pool in years, either, although I’ve waded in the ocean a few times. However, my agent sent me a lovely array of bath beads for the holidays, so it looks like I’ll be immersing myself au naturel soon – in the privacy of my bathroom.
There’s a lot to be said for getting off one’s feet. And on that note – happy holidays!
The good news is that she’s back on her feet, using a walker but able to descend the stairs to her studio. The not-so-good news is that her eyesight is falling prey to macular degeneration.
However, she’s still brimming with creative ideas and a fiery spirit. With the help of her wonderful assistant and friend, Cathy Moberg, she hopes to return to work by January. If you’d like to see photos of her work, check out the lower left corner of my home page, www.jacquelinediamond.com.
It occurred to me that a lot of us would like to be back on our feet after the economic tumble of the past months. I can’t work miracles but, while reading Sunday’s newspaper, I came across positive news I’d like to share.
1) Kind stranger. In Fullerton, Calif., a man found a wallet containing $300 cash. He called the emergency number inside and restored the money to its owner. When offered a reward, he declined, even though he said he needed money.
2) Cut-rate pandas. Four giant pandas will be staying at the San Diego Zoo for another five years, thanks to a half-off deal negotiated with the Chinese government. The previous charge was $1 million annually per adult panda. Zoos in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Memphis also get the reduced rate.
3) Sexy pirate. Four actors playing Jack Sparrow got laid off their jobs at Disneyland. That’s the sad news. The entertaining part is the explanation given by a former portrayer of the Pirates of the Caribbean character. He said Jack is such an irresistible rogue that women patrons couldn’t resist flashing him. (No specifics mentioned. Or maybe I should say, no unmentionables mentioned). Disneyland denies that girls behaving badly had anything to do with the decision.
4) Take it all off. Those clothing-optional ladies should read the article about Huntington Beach, Calif., which rents out the city pool for private nude swims by a naturist group. In support of nudism, one member told the Orange County Register that getting rid of designer-label clothing “does level the playing field.” Another commented that after spending time on European nude beaches, “It became very hard to put on a bathing suit.”
5) No bathing suit for me. Honesty compels me to report that I haven’t put on a bathing suit in years. Of course, I haven’t gone into a pool in years, either, although I’ve waded in the ocean a few times. However, my agent sent me a lovely array of bath beads for the holidays, so it looks like I’ll be immersing myself au naturel soon – in the privacy of my bathroom.
There’s a lot to be said for getting off one’s feet. And on that note – happy holidays!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Covers & Titles--Part Two
Since I talked about titles last time, I figured I'd toss out one more post but focus a little more on covers. Above is the cover for my 20th book, Twins for the Teacher. My working title for the book was Educating Hank. My editor came up with Twins for the Teacher, which I liked.
We weren't sure about the cover, so I sent in three ideas. I even described the two twins.
Then the gurus at Harlequin took over. I know Kathleen and Johanna have explained cover process before, so I won't get into that again. All I know is that I got a pdf a few weeks ago, and then the jpg after that. My editor sent one "note". I'd specified a white board, but for artistic reasons, they kept it the old fashioned blackboard.
Then the gurus at Harlequin took over. I know Kathleen and Johanna have explained cover process before, so I won't get into that again. All I know is that I got a pdf a few weeks ago, and then the jpg after that. My editor sent one "note". I'd specified a white board, but for artistic reasons, they kept it the old fashioned blackboard.
As to the back cover copy, I'd seen that months ago, but seeing it with the cover is a lot more fun. I set this book in Branson (remember Victoria's post?) and let Hank graduate from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, alma mater of one Missourian named Brad Pitt. Whether you like Brad or not, we're happy to claim him here in Missouri.
I do have to say, though, I thought the artists did a great job with Hank. He even kinda looks like the grown up version of an old college boyfriend whose name I used--although Hank the hero in the book is nothing like my ex.
Have a great day,
Michele
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