Donna Alward: Being Th New Kid

This year has brought about a lot of changes, and has cemented the feeling that even though I know A LOT, there’s also a lot I don’t know. And sometimes the greatest growth happens when you’re moved out of your comfort zone and into new situations that broaden your knowledge and horizons.

First case in point: I’m moving into more indie publishing, with more control over my work and how it’s marketed. It also means learning so much about what’s working on the marketing front, what’s not, and how to use it most effectively! I’ve taken courses, paid for some services, and am in the process of hiring a virtual assistant. I’m setting my own deadlines and have a renewed focus on delivering what I say I’m going to deliver.  It’s heady stuff, but a little overwhelming at times, so I have to remind myself I need to step back once in a while.  I often feel like the new kid learning what everyone else already knows, but I’ll get there.

The second “new kid” thing is that on November 1^st I took on the PAN Advisor position on the RWA Board of Directors. For the past few years, I’ve served on the PAN Steering Committee and last year was the Chair. I thought it would be good preparation for board service, but the first board meeting is TODAY and over the past few weeks I’ve very much felt like I’m treading water in the deep end. I’m more than a little awed by the collective intelligence and success of my fellow board members. 

Here’s the thing with being the new kid in new situations: there’s always a learning curve. And that’s okay. Most of the time, no one expects you to be completely up to speed and for the transition to be completely seamless.  And quite often the pressure we feel is put on by ourselves, and no one else.

At least that’s what I’m going to remind myself as I’m immersed in three days of board meetings, both excited and terrified.

That’s a good thing, right?

Donna’s latest release is DECK THE HALLS, a new novella in her DARLING, VT series!

With shades of It’s a Wonderful Life, one man must face his past to find his future this Christmas.

In the last year, George's life has drastically changed. The formerly homeless veteran now has a job he likes, a family in the residents of Darling, VT, and for the first time in years, a home. But while his present is good, he's still haunted by the past, a past that appears shortly before Christmas when the older sister of his brother-in-arms hunts him down and finds him in Darling, working at the Ladybug Garden Center.

Amy’s looking for closure for her family after her brother's death in the Middle East, but the serious man she finds working in Vermont doesn’t resemble the soldier she remembers from years before. This man is hardened and yet somehow fragile, too, and in her desire to find out what really happened to her brother, she learns more about George than she ever expected.

With a little Christmas magic and the whole town supporting them, can these two bruised hearts make a future together?

AMAZON

Where Your Heart Finds Home…

www.donnaalward.com

A Year of Learning – Donna Alward

This year has been a year of learning.

I’m one of those people who loved it when a new school year started. The smell of fresh paper and pens…new textbooks, trying to make my handwriting neat as I organized my class notes. These days my learning is less structured, and very different, but at the end of the day I feel energized, like I’ve expanded my brain somehow. There’s a sense of accomplishment with learning that sometimes isn’t quantifiable in data or dollars and cents (but hopefully, since most of my learning is about my business, it does translate a little!).

I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction books, which have helped me understand myself, my working process, and publishing better. Since January I’ve read Show Your Work by Austin Kleon, Approval Junkie by Faith Salie, Deep Work by Cal Newport, and Become a Fearless Writer by Nina Harrington. The six months before that I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott, and The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield.

Then there are the blogs and articles that I read each week – usually sent to me by my “inner circle” – Barb Wallace, Susan Meier, and Selena Blake. And let’s not forget the podcasts. Driving back and forth to my daughter’s university so she could come home for holidays meant a four hour drive by myself, usually listening to The Art of Charm sessions.

All of those things make me think and evaluate and focus my mind on my objectives, as well as understand why I think and work the way I do.

A lot of my learning has been “as I go”, too. Authors are small business owners as well as creators, and we can’t always afford to outsource. When I started writing I knew nothing about blogging, designing a website, running newsletters, social media wasn’t the giant it is now, and I certainly couldn’t design graphics. I’ve done all those things now, and I had to learn on my own. A lot was trial and error, and I get a lot of help from other authors, because that’s what we do. I do all that AND write books. There’s a reason why indie authors are confident: they’ve shown themselves that they can learn and self-start and be successful at it, all the while keeping a bigger royalty percentage. Romance authors have a certain level of confidence and versatility, and when it’s paired with the generosity inherent in the romance fiction industry, it really makes us empowered.

But there is always more to learn, and new challenges to be met. This year I’ve served as the RWA PAN Steering Committee Chair and the committee has worked to put together a really dynamic program. It was incredibly enlightening to work with members of the workshop committee as well as RWA staff to book speakers and find topics that provide high value to our members, whether they’ve published their first book or their hundredth. There were a few moments of frustration, lots of moments of excitement, and in the end, I feel like I learned a lot and understand much better what goes into planning an event of this size.

In a few weeks it’ll all be over for another year, but man, am I looking forward to sitting in on those sessions and figuring out ways to take my business to the next level.

www.donnaalward.com

New release: The Playboy Prince and the Nanny, SMP Swerve, August 1 

Owning my size – Donna Alward

I have always struggled with my weight. Even as a kid, when I was active as anything, and as a teenager when I played sports, I was really quite healthy and in good shape. But I was still “bigger” than a lot of my classmates. Taller, and I really am big boned, so in first year university, when I was quite “small” for me, I was still 5’8”, 155 lbs, and wearing a size 12-14.

Over the years I’ve gone up and down. Up to 175 when I got married. Up to just over 200 when I had my first child. Down to 183 and in a size 12 when my second child was a toddler. Back up to over 200 in 2009. Dropped to 190 in 2011 and stayed there for a while. And then I crept up again, and again, and right now I’m probably the heaviest I’ve ever been.

It’s tough. It’s a constant dialogue in my head. And it’s not even so much the number on the scale, but how I feel about myself. Each time I lost the weight, it was because I started eating better and diligently exercising. I like sports. I like competition, even with myself. I like feeling strong and capable. I KNOW that the benefits are amazeballs. I stood taller – physically and mentally.

And yet here I am. And the dialogue in my head doesn’t say I’m fat. It says that I need to make exercise a priority and I don’t so therefore I must suck. I’m lazy. I’m unmotivated.

I know how I got here. It’s a blend of work, stress, exhaustion…not physical exhaustion, but mental and emotional which I think can be even worse. And at the end of the day it’s hard to get up the energy to hit the gym. I could work out in the morning, but the morning’s also my sharpest time mentally, and most productive, and I can’t afford to lose any of those hours. Some people would call these excuses. For me, it’s just trying to make it through. The last few years have been really rough, including a pretty significant period of time where I was depressed on top of the regular anxiety. Exercise probably would have helped a lot. And would have, if I’d been able to get out of bed.

And at some point, and I think other overweight people can relate to this, I got to a place where losing weight and getting in shape were just overwhelming ideas. We’re not talking ten pounds and improving our cardio function. We’re talking fifty pounds and OMG why does everything have to jiggle in waves when I exercise.  It just feels so BIG of an undertaking when we’re already treading water.

And then yesterday I saw this: http://www.penningtons.com/en/i-wont-compromise . And I loved it, because the women are just so damned confident and comfortable with themselves.

The thing is, and this is hard to admit, but there are times when I don’t go to functions or events because I’m so self-conscious about how I look. About how I’m perceived. And I miss out on things.

I need to stop that.

I’m making a significant addition to my career plan in 2017, and to do so I need to stop hiding. I need to be more comfortable in my own skin. And I do need to take care of myself better (and my weekly yoga classes aren’t enough, clearly). I have to own the body I’m in, and appreciate it. After all, if the last few years have been tough, my body’s bearing the scars and it’s still tickin’. J

Self-acceptance – whether it’s weight, age, flaws—it’s important. My heroine in Someone To Love, which was out in March, has that nailed. Self-acceptance and forgiveness is what got her through some pretty tough times. And I’m getting better at it, but I still have a long way to go.

One of the toughest events for me each year is RWA Nationals, because I almost always look at the pictures and feel like they don’t represent the real me. This year, I’m aiming to go and smile in every damn one and just own it… scars, rolls, and all. I might even share the pictures.

www.donnaalward.com

Donna Alward: The Purple Pig Café Black Bean Brownies

This month the second book in my Darling, VT trilogy, SOMEONE TO LOVE, hits the shelves. I loved writing this one…from the yoga and meditation to all the yummy food that my heroine, Willow Dunaway, cooks up in her café. The Purple Pig Café is pretty popular on Darling’s Main Street, and early on in the book the hero, Ethan, gets stuck with having to try a black bean brownie. You see, The Purple Pig uses locally sourced, organic ingredients, and emphasizes Fair Trade policies.

I had to do some searching around for a good Black Bean Brownie recipe, and of course I had to try it out first! I found this one on Pinterest: http://hip2save.com/2014/03/07/black-bean-brownies/ and pinned it to my Darling, VT series board.

I had a blast coming up with menu items for the café, many based on some of my favorite foods. One of my daughters is a vegetarian, so I’ve learned to cook (and enjoy) a lot of different foods, particularly those made from legumes. The bean salad in the book is a fave, and I also learned to make black bean burgers, homemade falafel, and lentil curry.

Here’s a snippet from SOMEONE TO LOVE:

His chest tightened in a strange way, but Ronan was tugging on his hand, anxious to get to the glass display case. Willow smiled—a small, sweet smile—and the tightness squeezed.

What the heck was that about?

“Well, hello,” she said as they approached the counter. “What a nice surprise.”

Ethan tried to smile, but his face felt tight as he looked at her. She looked so relaxed and comfortable and pleasant. It was damned intimidating. Other than his sisters, he’d avoided conversations with the women of Darling since Lisa died. He’d quickly learned that they either ended up looking sad and pitying, or worse, prospective. He was definitely out of practice in the art of everyday conversation.

“The boys had their pick of a treat today. They wanted to come here.”

He realized he’d put it all on the boys, making it sound like he would have rather gone somewhere else. Which was, well, the truth, but he could have been more tactful. Tact wasn’t exactly his finest skill.

But Willow didn’t seem to even notice. Instead she looked over the counter at the boys. “You did? Awesome! Why don’t you come back here and pick a treat?” She looked up at Ethan. “Any allergies to be aware of?”

“No,” he answered. “Though Connor isn’t fond of raisins.”

“What?” She raised her eyebrows and looked at Connor. “But raisins are delicious! And full of good stuff. I think they’re nature’s candy.”

Ethan tried not to roll his eyes.

“I like them in cookies,” Connor admitted.

“Oh, well then. That’s okay.” Willow grinned. She turned her head and Ethan saw the nose ring wink in the light, and the pink stripe that ran along the side of her head since her hair was pulled back in a braid. She looked about twenty.

She moved to the end of the counter and waved them in. “Come on, boys. You can come back here and pick something out. It’ll be our secret.”

Ethan had to admit, his boys seemed smitten. And she was genuinely nice, that was clear. Too nice, maybe. Or maybe he was just a big old crab. Thinking it just made him crabbier.

He stood back and watched as the boys picked a sweet from the refrigerated display. Willow got them each a little plate and when they came back around he saw that Ronan had a huge chocolate chip cookie and Connor had two plates. One held a square of blueberry cake and the other a fudgy looking brownie with thick icing on the top.

He remembered what Connor had said about the beans and hoped to God that the blueberry cake was for him.

“Daddy, look! I got you a brownie cuz chocolate’s your favorite.”

Shoot. “Gee, thanks Connor.”

Connor beamed up at him.

Ethan reached for his wallet. “Boys, why don’t you go find a table and I’ll be right over with something to drink.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

He looked at Willow. She seemed far too pleased with herself, as if she could read his mind. Right then and there he determined that he’d eat every bit of that brownie if it killed him.

“Milk,” he said quietly. “A glass of milk for each of them, if I could.”

“And for you? Did you want a coffee or tea, Ethan?”

He focused on pulling bills out of his wallet. “A coffee with milk, please.”

When she told him the tally, his jaw nearly dropped and his head came up. “How much did you say?”

It was the better part of twenty dollars. He supposed because they were a specialty market, they could charge through the nose. He added a five to the bills he’d already taken out and handed them over. “Thanks,” he said.

“I’ll bring your drinks out. You go sit with the boys.”

He nodded and went to the table, where Connor and Ronan were already munching on their food. It surprised him that Connor had gone for the blueberry cake, instead of the cookie he’d been talking about. His boy was growing up . . . too fast.

He was poised to take his first bite of brownie when Willow came out with a tray of drinks. She put two small glasses of milk before the boys, and carefully set Ethan’s coffee in front of him. “So, how is it? Do you like the carob chips, Ronan?”

His mouth was full so he nodded, his brown eyes sparkling. She laughed lightly and looked at Connor.

“Good cake.” He waved with his fork. “Almost as good as my mommy’s.”

Ethan froze. Connor had been Ronan’s age when Lisa died. How could he possibly remember what his mother’s cake had been like? Was he making it up? Pretending? Trying to hold on to fading memories or creating his own reality? Funny how a simple observation made Ethan question whether he’d paid enough attention to his son’s grieving process.

More than that, though, the simple words had brought forth a memory. Blueberry cake had been Lisa’s favorite, usually with a warm, lemony sauce for the top, and she asked for it every August for her birthday.

There would be no more birthdays.

“Are you okay, Ethan?” Willow’s voice was soft and her hand touched his shoulder.

He swallowed tightly. “Sorry, yes, I’m fine. Just getting ready to dig into this brownie.” He forced the memory away and picked up his fork.

“Are you sure?” She squeezed lightly, and his throat tightened.

“I’m sure.” To prove it, he valiantly stabbed the brownie with his fork and guided the piece to his mouth. He would eat it. He would pretend to like it, the boys would finish their snack, and they’d go to the playground as planned.

He put it in his mouth, steeling himself against the taste, determined not to show his dislike, and then he stopped in surprise.

It was delicious. Really, really delicious.

He looked up at her. “This is beans?”

She grinned. “Yessir. Black beans, and organic cocoa, free-range eggs . . .”

“It’s moist. And rich.”

“You’re surprised.”

“Well, yeah.”

She smiled at him, a big smile that seemed to warm the whole room. He found himself smiling back. The boys continued to eat, totally unconcerned, but for Ethan it seemed like an important moment. He didn’t like being bad-tempered. It wasn’t who he was, deep down. She’d prompted an honest-to-goodness smile from him, and it felt awesome.

“Did you think all ‘healthy’ food was tasteless and dry?” Her lips twitched.

“Well . . .” He chuckled. “Hannah always raves about the food here. I should have had more faith, maybe.”

SOMEONE TO LOVE is OUT NOW! “The latest offering the Darling Vermont series is an emotionally poignant, can’t-put-it-down, opposites-attract tearjerker. A true treasure from page one to the beautiful, touching ending. Alward’s witty dialogue drives this powerful tale, but it’s her little boy costars and her paradoxical, damaged hero and heroine that make hearts sing and rule every page of this sweet and steamy love story.” – RT BOOK REVIEWS – TOP PICK!

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Donna Alward: Small Bits of Inspiration

Where does my inspiration come from? I get asked that question quite often, and sometimes the answer is simple and broad. The story came to me because… But more often, inspiration comes in little bits and pieces. I might have a general idea for the heroine but be stumped on the hero. I might have an idea for a story and my editor might tell me half my idea doesn’t work and I have to go back to the drawing board again. Or the brainstorming group.

For an upcoming story, my editor thought I’d picked the wrong hero for the heroine. So I took part of another idea and borrowed it for a different hero. The problem? That hero is the brother of another character and so I ended up having to make adjustments to the first books in the series to keep continuity intact. Still, once I revisited the story, everything seemed to fit so much better.

In Somebody Like You, which is out next month, the heroine once dumped a milkshake over a boy’s head. That actually happened in my high school (I won’t mention names). It was one of those gestures that raised eyebrows and got talked about, and so the town of Darling hasn’t forgotten that Laurel got pretty ticked at Aiden one day when they were seventeen, dumped a vanilla milkshake over his head, and they haven’t spoken since. For me, the best research technique is simply life.

In Someone To Love, the heroine, Willow, is big on meditation and yoga. It helped her rebuild her life. I’ve done yoga in the past, but to really do it justice in this book, I signed up for a series at my local studio. And I’ve stayed there, because it has helped me SO much with my stress level and putting my life in perspective. 

Sometimes bits of dialogue, articles of clothing can be inspired by something small. For example, in Someone To Love, Willow wears a pretty top on her first real date with Ethan. That top is modeled after one my daughter wore on her first date – very pretty and with butterflies on it; a bit whimsical and something that would suit Willow perfectly.

The little things, the small details, are often what makes a book really come alive. I like to think of those small details as being particularly a part of me, and the world I inhabit, and the people I love. And I like to think that my readers get to know more about me and who I am by living through my characters.

Here’s a small snippet from SOMEBODY LIKE YOU, when cop Aiden Gallagher responds to Laurel Stone’s call about a break in at her garden center:

“Something like this happens everywhere, Laurel. What, you didn’t think crime happened in Darling?”

Well, no. Or at least, not until today. The fact that she’d already come to this disappointing conclusion, and then he’d repeated it, just made her angrier.

Coming home was supposed to be peaceful. Happy. The town was small, friendly, neighborly. Even after years away, many of her customers remembered her from her school years and recalled stories from those days. Darling even had a special “Kissing Bridge” in the park. There were several stories around how the bridge got the name, so no one really knew for sure. But the stone bridge and the quaint little legend to go with it brought tourists to the area and made Darling’s claim to fame a very romantic one. In a nutshell, those who stood on the bridge and sealed their love with a kiss would be together forever.

She should know all about it. Her picture—and Aiden’s—hung in the town offices to advertise the attraction. Just because they’d only been five years old at the time didn’t make it less of an embarrassment.

“I’m not naïve,” she replied sharply. “Is there anything else you need or can I get back to cleaning up?”

“Can you think of anyone who might want to give you trouble? Someone with a grudge or axe to grind?”

Other than you? she thought darkly. This was the first time they’d actually spoken since she’d poured vanilla milkshake over his head in the school cafeteria in their senior year. “No,” she replied. “I can’t imagine who’d want to do this.”

“I don’t suppose you have any video cameras installed.”

She shook her head, feeling inept and slightly stupid. Maybe she was a little naïve after all. She hadn’t lived in Darling since she was nineteen—nine  years. Things had changed in her absence. New people, new businesses.

“I’ll have another look around. It looks like a case of vandalism more than anything. Probably some teenagers thinking it’s funny, or after the cash for booze or pot, and smashed some stuff for show.” His gaze touched hers. “Kids can be really dumb at that age.”

Her cheeks heated. He hadn’t had to say the actual words for her to catch his meaning. “You never know. They might have been dared to do it. Or some sort of stupid bet.”

He held her gaze a few seconds longer, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he acknowledged the hit. He’d kissed her because of one of those bets . . . more than kissed her. They’d been parking in his car and he’d rounded second base and had been headed for third. And then she’d found out about the wager and lost her cool. Publicly. With the milkshake.

The only thing she regretted was saying yes to going on that drive in the first place.

“So you still haven’t forgiven me for that.”

Laurel lifted her chin. “To my recollection, you haven’t asked for forgiveness.”

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Liz Fielding: What I'm reading this month...

It's December, definitely time to read all those brilliant Christmas romances on the shelves and I confess I'm a bit ahead of myself here so I'm sharing my best so far.

First up is the last of Sarah Morgan's Puffin Island trilogy - Christmas Ever After. It's time for Skylar to dump the horrible bloke she'd been stuck with in the last two books and find True Love. It has to be said that Alex would not have been her first choice. He wouldn't even have been on the list, but if you've been reading this fabulous trilogy you'll know that they've been sniping at one another for months and that's only ever going to end in one place. Totally delicious!

Another fabulous read is Jane Porter's Christmas at Copper Moiuntain, one of the Montana Born Christmas boxset stories. A grouchy widower, a woman whose heart is in bits and two kids who need a cuddle really badly. I took my Kindle to bed for an early night and read this from beginning to end. And when I'd finished I had to turn my pillow over because is was soaking wet with tears. Just the loveliest Christmas story. And I still have all those others to go!

And still waiting on my Kindle I have Donna Alward's Christmas at Evergreen Inn - the last in her Jewell Cove series. Can't wait to get into that.

And The Runaway Christmas Bride by Scarlet Wilson

Finally, I've just downloaded Hot Christmas Nights - a Lovecats Down Under box set including books by Michelle Douglas, Louisa George and Kandy Shepherd (who I had the joy of sitting next to at an author lunch back in September).

Last and very much not least, since this is my post of the year I want to wish you all (in no particular order) readers, writers, bloggers, reviewers, the very happiest Christmas you can imagine and a New Year filled with peace and joy.

Catch up with the classics

This four book boxed set of classic Liz Fielding romances has just been released at a special introductory price of 99c (77p if you're in the UK).

It's only going to be that price for a couple more days so grab the offer while it's going.

Here are the links -

Amazon
iBooks
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

And while I'm talking books, I've just downloaded the first of Donna Alward's wonderful new Jewell Cove series, The House on Blackberry Hill. Reviews suggest that it's one for fans of Debbie Macomber.

Can't wait to read it!

Finally, we're on the last few days of the Chocolate Box Spring Blog Hop. If you haven't yet entered to win a whole clutch of prizes then check out my blog

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Favourite Carols with Donna Alward

Seeing as it's December and everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite carols on the blog today! I'll confess - I'm a bit of a traditional girl, and my faves kind of reflect that. You really won't find any BoneyM on my list. Promise.

When it comes to church services, I have a few sentimental favourites. If I happened to sub for the organist a day, I loved playing Hark The Herald Angels Sing. I had way too much fun with the bass line - it's very majestic. And there is nothing better than the congregation singing Silent Night by candlelight on Christmas Eve.

I adore White Christmas - but my favourite must be sung by Bing Crosby and the cast of the movie:


Then there's Nat King Cole and The Christmas Song:



And finally - this is the one that my kids and I ADORE because I become very silly when it comes on. The happiness is infectious.  And thank you to the Sirius XM holiday hits channel for playing it, because we have that station on from the end of November to New Years. Here's Dominick the Donkey:


And if Christmas isn't your think and you want something a little more sunny and warm, BREATHE (my winery story) is out in Print this month-it just released yesterday. You can check it out here.

What are some of your favourite carols?

Donna Alward: It's sports season again

My first deadline is met, my next is in progress and it's sport season again in my house. Sport season translates into volleyball - and before I go further, may I just say how in awe I am of the commitment so many parents put into sports like hockey and swimming that happens at ungodly hours, and of those of you who do all the league play. Y'all are way better than I am at this stuff.

My eldest plays volleyball on the school team, which at least means practices are after school and games are in the metro area (which means within a 40-45 min drive at most). I admit it does mean I have to be creative about dinner time some evenings but I do like going rather than having her travel with someone else and me miss it. The funny thing is I always take my e-reader or a book in my purse, but I never get more than a few pages read.

I played sports when I was in school. Unfortunately my mom didn't enjoy them as I did (and do) and so I often caught a ride with friends. And volleyball was my favourite sport. So this past summer I shared driving with another mom while my eldest did a volleyball camp at the university, and I cheered her on when she went for tryouts again this year. Now I get to watch her play and I love it. I get so invested in the game, proud for the efforts of the team, deflated when it doesn't go as well as they'd like. I love watching her make a good play! The worst thing is I think I make her a little nervous. I don't think she gets that I know sometimes you make a bad play and that it's okay. You shake it off, and move on.

That's life.

And that's what sports can teach us. Playing with a team, trying our best, the great feeling of coming out on top, the let down of loss, the pride in playing a good game no matter what the score, and pushing yourself to achieve more than you did before. The days of me playing competitive sports are long gone, but I do feel some of those same things in my daily workouts (especially pushing through when you don't wanna!).

My youngest is hoping to play this year in an afterschool club, so that when she switches schools next year, she too might get a chance to play.

And hey, when Christmas break is over, badminton starts. And my nerves will be shot once again!

Did you play sports as a kid? Do you now? Do you have kids in sports?

You can check out my latest releases and excerpts and all that jazz on my website at www.donnaalward.com.

Donna Alward: Behind the Book - Off the Clock

A few years ago a friend of mine was in a terrible accident. She came out of it with "minor" injuries, but it was very traumatic. You see, she was hit by a drunk driver. She was pregnant. And her two other children were in the car.

Luckily everyone made it out okay, but it did start the ball rolling into some really tough times for that family.

So let's flip to something completely separate - my love for a man in uniform. Soldiers, flyboys, cops, firemen, EMTs....yeah. I'd been toying with the idea of writing a First Responders series for a long time. I had an idea but I had no story. I knew I wanted a story for each profession of paramedic, cop, and fireman. But that was all I had.

Finally, last year, it came to me. But it wasn't like it popped into my head as a fully formed idea. At first I thought...what if the paramedic witnesses an accident and steps in to save the heroine - who is pregnant? (see, now you get the tie in with the first part of this story).

Talk about setting myself up for trouble. First of all, I had about 25000 words to write it (as it's a novella). I have a woman pregnant with another man's child. And romance is the furthest thing from her mind as she's sitting in her car, injured.

And by the way, is a woman pregnant with another man's child even ATTRACTIVE to a man?

I had some work to do.

I had to ask myself a lot of questions. Who is the daddy and why is he not there? I figured that out and phew, that was covered. Then I thought...who is the paramedic and why would he care for the heroine beyond that of a patient? And then I figured that out - and gave them a history. A history that would mean that seeing Gabe's face is the best-and worst-thing that could happen to her.

But the writing troubles weren't over. Can a post-natal sleep-deprived mom even be thinking about love?

Well, eventually it seems she can. Especially when it's Gabe, who is willing to take it slow and steady.

Sometimes the books that are the biggest challenges turn out to be the ones we enjoy writing the most. I know I enjoyed writing OFF THE CLOCK and I'm definitely enjoying writing the next one, IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

OFF THE CLOCK released yesterday from Samhain Publishing and it's also available on amazon and other ebook sellers. :-) You can read an excerpt on my website.

School Days

Cool mornings. The smell of new paper and pencils. Fresh apples in lunchbags. The sound of the schoolbus turning the corner.

And the blessed quiet of school going back in session.

My kids love school. When I had the nerve to tell my eldest that she just wanted to get back to her social scene, she was quick to point out how much she loves the smell and feel of fresh looseleaf. That she's anxious to get back to learning. She did mention that to a friend, who basically said ARE YOU CRAZY?

Of course school also means the beginning of organized sports, as volleyball tryouts will start up mid-September. Band and choir begins.

It's not just the kids who look forward to it. I do too - and not just because my office is my own again after summer holidays. (Though admittedly - a work day that's uninterrupted is fabulous. As is working without television or arguing in the background.) It's a back-to-school energy that I totally understand when my daughter says she can't wait. When school goes back in session, so does my brain and my focus. I'm SO ready to get back to writing, I'm keen to organize and prioritize and just be productive.

Right now I'm working on a book due very soon, but I'm not worried because I have that positive energy thing going on - making me wish every day was like back to school.

Oh and that school bus sound? Heard it just this morning.

You can check out my upcoming releases on my website - and you can get my October release HOW A COWBOY STOLE HER HEART right now on Eharlequin.

Donna Alward: Summer Schedules

In summertime, schedules go right out the window. It is why after last year I chatted to my editor about building in some R&R time into July and August.  I still have work to do - and yes, I'm having a struggle to fit it in. But the deadlines aren't quite so tight which is fab.

Everyone is home during the summer at my house - since the husband switched jobs, he has July and August off (he's teaching college). The kids are home from school. Locking myself in the office just doesn't work a good portion of the time.

So what have we been doing?

I have a summer to-do list of things that needed to be done around the house - things like re-staining the front steps (done), cleaning the basement, for the husband to build a small table (done) so we could put on our first batch of wine (also done, yippee!). We've all been to the doctor for checkups and to the dentist. We've been fishing in the ocean (and caught lots that ended up being dinner) and tubing on the lake and swimming in the pool. We've been to see Harry Potter at the theatre, had people over for dinner, taken walks with the dog. I've been to work on the Christmas presents I'm making and I've been reading.

And don't forget gardening! We put out a few strawberries, blueberries and raspberries this year, as well as tomatoes, peppers and herbs on the deck.

I've also done a second round of revisions (book 19 done and dusted, yay!), started my next book, done promo, and proofed galleys for an upcoming release.

And my day is starting later than usual - instead of a 6:30 start we're all crawling out of bed at 8 or 8:30. That, my friends, is bliss. I'm trying not to think of how much of a shock we're going to get on Sept 6 when everyone is back in school again.

I'm trying not to stress about the low productive output because I'm having a marvelous time, and I know the time NOT working means more energy when I do finally get back to a regular schedule. It also means that I'm tucking little bits and pieces of LIVING away in my mind that will show in future books - after all, the best research trip of all for an author is simply LIVING.

And before I know it, fall will be here and I'll be back to a regular work schedule again, sorry that the summer fun is over.

How are you spending your summer?

Equality - Donna Alward

I've been sitting here for a few hours, working away, trying to come up with a topic to write about. There shouldn't be any shortage; I've just come back from RWA Nationals where tons of exciting things happened.

But I didn't want to give another conference report, you know? And then as I was doing the dishes I thought about what the takeaway is from Nationals. We get asked that on our art fact sheets, you know. What's the takeaway?

And as I was thinking about all that I realized what it is that makes Nationals so special. It's not the fangirl moments - though those are great from both sides of the coin. It's not the networking, though that's pretty darn energizing too. It's not even awards or parties...wait. Ok, so maybe the Harlequin Party is the exception, because it's pretty damn fabulous (here I am with my roomate Fiona Harper at the Waldorf Astoria), but even that kind of contributes to the point I'm about to make.

The takeaway is equality.

At Nationals everyone is the same. We all love the romance genre. We all love writing. We all just GET IT. Nothing brings this home like listening to the keynote speakers and it is why I hate to miss them and really try not to. It is so inspiring and humbling to hear someone speak about how they wrote on the QT for more than a decade before finally selling their first book. It's awe inspiring to hear about some people's struggles not only to be published but to get through life - if you haven't read Sherrilyn Kenyon's keynote speech on facebook, go find it. It is encouraging to know that best selling authors suffer the same trials of just WRITING THE DAMN BOOK as we do. And it doesn't matter if you're unpublished, newly published, a midlister or a NY Times Best Selling author. When it all comes down to it, we're all the same. And do you know what that means?

It means anything is possible. If they (meaning the "stars") can do it, why not us? The possibilities are endless. There is hope. And I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of hope, and of promise, and of hard work.  I love that there doesn't have to be limitations.

In the words of Red Green, "We're all in this together."

That's what I bring home from Nationals, and that's what fills my heart and makes me excited to keep doing this job. It's not the awards or signing books or shaking hands with people. It's this feeling of community and positive energy. It's addictive, and it's hard to come back to real life when it's all over.

But real life intrudes just the same - and includes a brand new release day for me. A FAMILY FOR THE RUGGED RANCHER hit store shelves yesterday! And I have to admit this is a special story for me. The hero is dealing with the issue of aging parents and facing his own mortality. He was lovely to write!

Until next time, happy reading!

Donna

www.donnaalward.com

Donna Alward: Do you read Dear Reader letters?

I love adding Dear Reader letters to my books, and I love reading them as well. Most of the time they provide a little window into the inspiration for the book, or a special acknowledgement, or something special about the author.

In particular, I am proud of the one for my June UK/ July NA release - A Family For The Rugged Rancher. Both the hero and heroine are dealing with some stressful situations in their lives and I wanted to touch on that in the Dear Reader. It goes like this:

Dear Reader,

Before I was bleesed to turn writing stories into a career, I was a stay-at-home mom. It has been the toughest - and best - job I've ever had. I have never regretted having those precious years at home. And I am very fortunate to have a husband who supported me one hundred percent.

But every now and then I wondered - what would happen if suddenly I was left to provide for our children on my own? I was employed before they were born, but how difficult would it be to gt back into the workforce, make ends meet, and still be there for htem in the way I wanted? That's exactly what happens to Emily in A FAMILY FOR THE RUGGED RANCHER.  I like Emily. Yes, she's been hurt, but she's pulled up her socks to do what's best for her son.  She's a good mother. She does what I hope I would have done if I'd found myself in those circumstances. Cope - with a smile.

Of course Luke is dealing with his own issues, and one many of us face as time ticks on: aging parents. He needs someone to bring him out of his shell. To show him all the rich possibilities of the future. And that someone is Emily.

I often hear people say that romance novels are unrealistic fairy tales, but I don't agree. My characters aren't just characters - they're people trying to deal with issues we all face in our lives. And when life gets bad sometimes it's nice to know - just for a while - that the sun is going to peek from beneath that cloud. I'm here to say that fairy tales happen. There ARE such things as happy endings.

I hope you find your happy ending too!

Warm wishes,

Donna

What about you? Do you read Dear Reader letters? Do you like them?

A Family for the Rugged Rancher is out now in the UK and India and available in the US and Canada via Eharlequin.

The Smell of Money - Donna Alward

There's an old saying that goes you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl. That'd be me. It's why I love escaping into worlds of regencies and classy, sexy romances but when it comes to writing them - and getting truly up close and personal with my characters, the magic "formula" that finally worked for me was a western. I understand farm life, and it did come down to write what you know.

On Easter weekend I went to visit my family five hours away. My mum was widowed many years ago and has a great new husband - someone we all knew for years. He had a dairy farm until his daughter and son-in-law took it over, and now he and my mum live a few doors away from the original farm and house. On Sunday, when we were arriving back at Mum's after being at my sister, the wind was blowing just right and the scent of cow manure was pretty strong.

I don't know about you, but cow manure doesn't smell bad to me. Maybe because I grew up with it. Then again, I grew up near a chicken farm too, and we did see someone spreading chicken manure on our drive back and the scent was enough to make me gasp. There is something NOT NICE about hogs and chickens. ANYWAY, my girls were like...eeew, cow poop! And my husband looked at me and said, "That's the smell of money."

You see, while my husband was not a farmer, he did work a lot of summers for his uncle, who was, and that saying is straight from Uncle Don.

When we went inside, we talked for quite a while about cows, and the stink of silage, first and second cuts of hay, and general farm stuff. It was really, really nice.

These days farmers are really struggling, and "the smell of money" isn't very accurate. But for all that, it's still the smell of home. And that's nice.

In my current release, Sophia is a city girl who ends up with a pitchfork in hand, cleaning out the barn.  I had a lot of fun getting her out of her comfort zone! And of course it helped that there was a reward like Tomas Mendoza at the end of the day!

It's available now at amazon and eharlequin and wherever Harlequin Romance is sold. :-)

Donna Alward: What Would You Do?

The title of my next release is a little deceiving. Honeymoon with the Rancher sort of implies that the heroine is on her honeymoon with her rancher husband, right? If I were reading that title I'd be thinking that the Honeymoon with the Rancher is at the END of the book, not the beginning. The result of their romance, and not the start of it.

Maybe it's not so much deceiving as a twist. Because they aren't on THEIR honeymoon. She's on hers. Singular. Tomas doesn't even see her coming.

Sophia shows up in Argentina alone. It's a brave thing for her, because she's been sheltered and told what to do for most of her life. Breaking off her engagement was a BIG step, but the right one. Her ex-fiance looked good on paper but, like Rebecca says in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, he wasn't "a very good investment". (Oddly enough, Isla Fisher was my heroine casting for this book!) Sophia doesn't know what she wants, really, but she knows it isn't what she had. And so she shows up - alone - at the Vista del Cielo estancia. And it's there that she meets rancher/gaucho Tomas Mendoza.

Her reaction is kind of extreme. I mean - what would you do if you walked in on your future husband with another woman? Would you be crushed? For Sophia it prompts her to analyze what sort of relationship they had - was it based on real love or something else? Would you kick him to the curb or try to work it out? Would you make him pay for a VERY long time - or leave him in your dust and start on a new life? Would you be like Sophia, thumb your nose at him and take your honeymoon ALONE?

It's the kind of situation that really makes a person discover what they're made of. And when the bravado of going it alone wears off, there are times Sophia's not sure that she's very strong at all. But then there's Tomas...and there's Argentina...both of which weave their spell around her. I mean how could you resist the wide open pampas or the gorgeous power of Iguazu Falls?

Honeymoon with the Rancher is out in the US in May, but it's available in print and e-book in the UK (it was a March release there) and it's available at eharlequin right now.

Here's the blurb:

One gorgeous rancher, one jilted bride!

Tomas Mendoza left the city behind when he retreated to a rustic Argentine ranching guesthouse after losing
his fiancée. He has found peace working the land…until socialite Sophia Hollingsworth plants her stilettos in front of him and demands to stay the week.

Sophia is nursing private hurts of her own—after all, she is on her honeymoon…alone. Her bravado is a cover act to show everyone she can stand on her own two feet.

Trouble is, she’s in danger of being swept away into the rancher’s arms!


So what would you do? Leave a comment and I'll draw for a copy of Honeymoon with the Rancher!

Donna

http://www.donnaalward.com/
twitter: @DonnaAlward

Authors for Japan by Michelle Styles

I'm participating in an auction to help raise money for the British Red Cross Tsunami Appeal -- Authors for Japan. A variety of items (over 150 so far) are on offer including Item 18 -- a critique of a partial from me and a signed ARC of To Marry A Matchmaker (this is the one which comes out as a paperback in July 11. My hardbacks arrived yesterday and I am suffering from severe cover love!). Kate Walker (signed books) and Donna Alward (a critique) have also offered items. Authors from all manner of genres.  The auction is live from today until 20 March. Hopefully some money can be raised and go to help the devasted region.



For many years until his death, my maternal grandfather lived in Japan and my step-grandmother still lives there. (She lives in Yokohama and apparently didn't feel a thing or realise what was going on until she watched the news!) So I have a great affection for the country. One of the big things when I was growing up was getting the Christmas presents from Japan. We used to have hide them from my grandmother but that is another story...But my goodness they were exciting! My sister knew all about Hello Kitty long before it ever appeared in the US and I had a big thing on the Japanese fairy tale books we were sent.
My cousin's wife is Japanese and does have relations in the affected area. Hopefully there will be a happy ending there. Prayers are always good.


And I know the Japanese people will come back strongly from this, but sometimes practical aid is needed. And hopefully this will go some way towards providing practical support to a devestated region.

Birthday month

This month sees a couple of birthday celebrations in our family. My husband's has come and gone a week ago. We don't tend to go overboard for birthdays and most of the time it's a simple family celebration. That's exactly what it was for my husband - a few pressies, his choice of menu items for dinner (he chose hot chicken curry and naan bread) and definitely cake - yet another try for me to get his Grandmother's Pineapple Cake right. Since no recipe exists, I did the trial and error thing for years. And then I gave up. But a trip to Debbie Macomber's site and her recipes gave me an idea and so the urge to try again came up.

The other birthday this month is a milestone - my eldest becomes a teenager next week. And as such a special celebration is warranted, right? I will confess to hating sleepovers because usually they do not involve sleep. I'm fond of sleep. And her birthday is on Sunday - 13 on the 13th. So I suggested inviting a few girls and taking them for manicures before coming back here for pizza and cake.

At first she was on board with that, until she realized that one of the girls she is inviting really isn't the manicure type, and she wants to do something everyone will enjoy. So her suggestion is a movie afternoon followed by pizza and cake. And she's kind of funny. She's like...order in some pizza, but will you make hot wings and caesar salad and pasta salad to go with it? We may just not order in but have a "make your own" kind of thing - which could be way more fun.

And then there's cake. I'm going to attempt to make a chocolate buttercream layer cake. This could be interesting because I am converting my favourite white cake recipe to chocolate, and then trying a new buttercream recipe. I also have some yummy ideas for the top too.

All in all though I LOVE that she's low maintenance, and more concerned with hanging out and having a good time than making a big expensive splash. Yay for low-key kids! And yay for birthdays!

Donna

http://www.donnaalward.com/
@DonnaAlward