Getting Those Juices Flowing...

No, not those juices! Geesh, where's your mind at?

I'm talking about those creative juices. You know, the inspiration, the ideas, the stuff needed to breathe life into stories.

Writing is a pretty solitary job. I mean, think about it—we sit in front of a computer all day, putting those snippets of scenes that flash through our minds onto our version of paper. We'll stare off into space, watching our own imaginary world unfold—while anyone who sees us doing that is thinking we're probably having some kind of break from reality. And okay, maybe we are. Not necessarily a bad thing, right?

We create characters, real live people (to us and—if done right—to the readers) with their own hopes and dreams and fears and interactions.

But when it comes to interacting in real life? Hmm…maybe not so much. When your job involves living in a make-believe world, shut away from the real one while you create your own, you don't always have time to "hang out". Then throw in the fact that quite a few writers also happen to be introverts and…well, you get the picture.

Creative juices are flowing in Nashville!

That's why writers love hanging around other writers. Have you ever been to a conference or booksigning, near the beginning during set-up? It's a huge hug-fest, with lots of smiles and laughter and talking. That's because writers get writers. It's normal to stare off into space (sometimes in the middle of a conversation). It's normal to talk about a character and her problems and issues and goals as if she was a real live person (because, you know, she is). Other writers get that, in a way nobody else can.

And that's why writers' retreats are the next best thing to falling into a vat of chocolate. You can sit down, discuss ideas, talk about those real characters. Plan and vent and rant and bounce ideas off each other. Get a group of writers together and that plot bump you've been struggling with suddenly disappears. Get a group of writers together and the inspiration and motivation takes off like that proverbial runaway train.

I just got back from a writers' retreat—this one in Nashville, with four fantastic ladies who kick some serious butt when it comes to inspiration and motivation. We're all at different stages in our careers but that doesn't matter—because we're writers.

Enjoying some downtime in Nashville--all in the name of research, of course!

And no, it wasn't all business. I mean, we were in Nashville—of course we're going to go out and play. And we did—from eating popcorn and watching Beauty and the Beast in our pj's, to hitting Opry Mills Mall and eating German food, to seeing the Grand Ole Opry and hitting up a honky tonk or three on lower Broadway (alcohol may or may not have been involved). It was a week of bonding, of writing, of bouncing around ideas and creating grand business plans. Of motivation. Of accountability.

Of friendship.

That's the other great thing about writers. Because of our jobs, we don't get a chance to see each other in person very often. But the distance—in both physical location and in time apart—doesn't matter. Months can go by until we see each other again and it doesn't matter. We'll hug and scream and laugh and carry on as if only a day has gone by. Then we'll get right down to business and talk about our characters and problems and inspire one another. Motivate one another.

Kicking it up at the Nashville Palace.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

But for now, I need to get back to my characters and their world. I have a schedule to keep to, and four wonderful ladies who will be kicking my butt if I don't stick to it!

***************

Lisa B. Kamps is currently juggling three series about real characters with real lives and real problems living in her head: The Baltimore Banners, The York Bombers, and Firehouse Fourteen. Her latest title, Second Alarm, is scheduled for release July 26 and can be ordered by clicking here.

To learn more about Lisa, please visit her website or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Addison Fox: Friendship and Joy and Quiet Moments

I had a wonderful opportunity this past week – a dear friend of mine has been in for several days and it’s been so nice to simply sit still, catch up, laugh and relax a bit. It doesn’t happen all that often – that ability to shut down and focus and simply enjoy a few moments without other distractions.

Life is busy. The weeks begin and end in rapid succession and it’s easy to look up and find yourself wondering where the days have gone. That’s why those quiet moments – and the opportunity to sit still – is so lovely.

For me, reading often provides the same benefits (albeit without an ability to do a gabfest over a glass of wine!) Those quiet moments when I can shut out the noise and the clutter of the day and do something that’s enjoyable – simply for the joy of the thing.

So as we enter into summer – always a busy time – I wish you some of that quiet. Those little moments spent in a way that makes you happy. A conversation with a friend. A nap underneath a tree. An ice cream cone. Whatever it is, enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

XO,

Addison

Anniversaries!

What happens when you have your head down doing revisions is that Very Important Events tend to pass you by.

Back in February we celebrated my husband's birthday (and I didn't miss that!) because it's on a particular day and it was also my father's birthday for 81 years.  So it's a day I'm accustomed to celebrating.

But back in February, too, I just realized today -- two months after the fact -- was another anniversary of an event that basically changed my life.  In February 1985 my second book, Starstruck, was published!

Second book?

Well, yes, but the first one out of the gate. The first book, Dare to Trust, came along two months later. It was followed by the fourth book, Quicksilver Season, two months after that. And the third, To Tame a Wolf, and fifth, A Chance of Rainbows, came out in December the same year.

Thirty years ago!

How could I have forgotten?  Beats me.  It doesn't seem nearly that long -- and yet so much has happened since.

I've met terrific readers in person and via email from many parts of the world. I've made some wonderful author friends (Kate Walker, Anne Gracie, Maddy Hunter, Sophie Weston/Jenny Haddon, the late great Rose Marie Ferris, Michelle Reid, Linda Benjamin/Jessica Douglass, Peggy Nicholson, Antoinette Stockenberg and Pamela Bauer among others).  I've had the privilege of working with many terrific editors who have all done their best to make my books the best they can be.  In the publishing industry I've met artists, and art directors, marketing people, copy editors, models and photographers  -- all of whom have shared their expertise.

Beyond that, I discovered that writing books gave me the chance to learn about so many places and people, so many occupations and ways of life. Without writing, I daresay I would never have gone to bull-riding school!  I would never have learned how to build an 11-ton sandcastle or tend bar or be a veterinary technician or an architect.

If I'd gone to Australia and New Zealand, I still wouldn't have had the joy of a week at Robyn Donald's house with the creek running through it or have glimpsed the Blue Mountains through the fog with Anne Gracie, Barbara Hannay and Marion Lennox, swapping stories along the way.  I wouldn't have traveled along the Cote d'Azur with Jenny Haddon doing research, or trekked all over Europe (kids in tow) to write a book that mirrored our journey -- which we were on so I could write the book.

If life imitates art, art also imitates life.

Just this past week, I lifted my head from doing taxes (why have I never had a tax accountant hero or heroine, I wonder. Maybe art -- mine, at least -- can only be pushed so far!) and looked around for new ideas amid the old.  I dug through old magazines and prowled through new sites on the internet. I read articles and took long walks -- and rediscovered the joy of starting afresh.

It doesn't feel as if thirty years have gone by.  There are these new people on the horizon (new fictitious people as well real ones) I want to get to know.  There are new friendships and old that will intertwine and grow.

In the meantime, while I write, I will count my blessings -- and the joys and friends I've gained through writing books. Thank you for being among them!  You have made my life so much richer and more varied than I could ever have imagined!

Watch for Anne McAllister's next book, The Return of Antonides, in October.  No cover yet -- but she has sent in the art info and is crossing her fingers.

In the meantime, if you Last Year's Bride, as an ebook, or in the trade paperback duo Love Me, Always with Sara Mayberry's wonderful Make-Believe Wedding.

Keep your eyes open this fall, too, for the story of Cole's brother, Clint, who has come back to Montana -- and the life he thought he'd left for good.

When others share the same passions

Isn't it terrific when you meet people who share something special with you? You know that fellow feeling when you discover a reader who loves the same style of stories or authors? Someone whose childhood reminscences remind you of yours. Maybe someone going through the same life-changing experiences as you (I remember bonding for life with other first time mums over discussions of late night feeds, lack of sleep, first steps and so on). Going to my first ever romance writers' conference felt like that - just wonderful.

Recently I visited Melbourne, a city I've always enjoyed. But what made it particularly special was catching up with some kindred spirits. Romance writers who love a good natter, a good book and are great company to boot! Here I am with the lovely Serena Tatti and Josie Caporetto. Serena and Josie are book lovers and writers, whose warmth always makes a trip south a treat. They're also wonderfully generous with their time and knowledge of all things Italian, which has been terrific, especially while writing my current book FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET-LOVE CHILD, which they're holding.

Josie and Serena belong to the Melbourne Romance Writers' Guild. You can see me with a few of the Guild members here. For anyone in the vicinity of Melbourne, interested in writing romance, look them up on the web. They're a dynamic and positive group who impressed me with their professionalism, their enthusiasm and their deep appreciation of chocolate! You can't see the chocolate in this photo, but believe me it was there. It was wonderful walking into a room of mainly strangers and feeling at home so quickly. Probably because of our shared delight in romance. And possibly chocolate!

Another major plus about visiting Melbourne is that my friends there share with me a robust interest in research. How can I write about fantastic Italian heroes in gorgeous settings if I don't fully appreciate the local cuisine? Just as well my friends know just the places to try Italian specialities such as fragrant coffees and cakes so devastatingly delicious I'm sure I put on weight just looking at them. But that didn't matter, for the time passed so quickly and I'm sure all that talk and laughter must have burnt off the calories. A visit to Brunetti's with women who know their way around the cake counter is an experience not to be missed! And just for the record, here's the cake counter, or one of them at least.

Do you have friends you meet up with after long absences and feel you've never been away from? What sort of things connect you? Shared experiences, shared weaknesses, shared sense of humor?

Annie's thrilled to have two books on sale at the moment. FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD is an April Presents Extra that's available now. It has a luscious Italian hero who lives in one of the most gorgeous places Annie has ever visited. THE SHEIKH'S CINDERELLA is a UK anthology which includes her award winning THE SHEIKH'S RANSOMED BRIDE. If you want to find out more about either story, or enter her contest to win free books, visit her website.

Help! I've Forgotten and I Can't Recall! - Jenny Gardiner

Yeah, I know, sort of a lame take on the iconic 1990's television commercial featuring an elderly gal with a medical emergency who urgently needed assistance with her feeble self. Thanks to "Life Call," she had someone who was able to prop her up, and all was well.



So far I'm not in need of Life Call to rescue me from a frail bone-related fall, but I am in dire need of some sort of life call to save me from an increasingly enfeebled brain. They say the mind is the first to go, and my memory--which until recently I'd successfully prodded into action with a regular machine-gunning of reminder alerts on my iCal each day--has taken a day at the beach and decided it doesn't want to return just yet, if ever.

Thus, I have placed practically my entire memory in the evidently disabled hands of my MacBook's iCal, which it seems has aged in dog years itself and is failing in its own wretched memory to remind me of all that I can't help but forget. Two operating systems ago, my iCal reminders worked regularly, even though I overloaded the application with unrealistic demands: most every function of my day popped up to remind me to do it, short of basic hygiene functions such as "remember to brush teeth." So many demands that while it reliably reminded me, it also crashed constantly. So I upgraded to a new operating system and the failures became rampant. My reminders would pop up for one event, but not for the next. But I'd not remember to check my calendar to see what it was forgetting to remember. The next upgrade failed me even more. I'm a victim of the memory of both me and my fail-safe computer, failing all over the place.

Since my calendar can't even remember to remember, I'm holding out hope they soon come out with helper dogs for failing memories.



I felt a little relieved after chatting with my friend Tana the other day on the phone while she was preparing to leave for the gym. As she was talking on speakerphone, I heard water running in the background.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to the bathroom," she said. "I'm just filling up my water bottle."

Well, of course any woman with good girlfriends knows that occasionally we all happen to race into the loo while on the phone—it's a hazard of friendship. So I just laughed and told her it wouldn't have mattered regardless. We talked for a minute more when suddenly Tana stopped.

"Oh, crap. Where's my water bottle?" she asked.

As if defining my dilemma for my own affirmation, she did what I regularly do: forgot the simplest of things in the shortest period of time imaginable. It's what we do best. All day long. And fight it with the meager tools at our disposal to keep us from having to purchase ear horns and walkers and resign ourselves to our dwindling age and capabilities.



The other day I suffered the hat trick of memory shortcomings. First, I lost my reading glasses in the time it took to swap out shirts. A few minutes later, I became vexed because I couldn't find the enormous pile of tax information it had taken me an entire day to find, which I'd then put somewhere I'd know where to find it. Shortly thereafter, I needed to recall the brand of car I'd rented a few days earlier, as I wanted to be sure we didn't consider it while shopping for a new car. I'd made a point of remembering the brand. To no avail.

And that's the thing. I'm always putting things where I know I'll remember them. And rarely do. I walk to a food cabinet while fixing dinner, forgetting in six short steps what I'd gone there to retrieve. I wake at 3 a.m. with brilliant ideas, but don't want to wake completely to write them down, certain I'll recall by dawn. Never do. Yet then I wake up in the middle of the night over mundane things, like forgetting to soak black beans for dinner, only to not be able to sleep, recalling everything I need to remember to do that I haven't done and worry that I won't remember to do it. I leave notes everywhere, only to not know where the notes are. I record reminders on my phone. Only to forget to listen to them later.

Maybe life's pressing needs are actually squeezing my brains dry. Sounds like I could use a good vacation.
A conversation between me and Tana these days goes something like this:

"Did you hear about, oh, what's her name? Long brown hair, lives up that narrow mountain road."
"Yeah, the gal with six kids?"
"Exactly. And that dog that smells like death. Her husband played in a band when he was in college—"
"Oh, what is her name? It begins with a P, doesn't it?"
"It rhymes with my mother's middle name, I think."
"What's your mother's middle name?"
"Amanda."
"Nothing rhymes with Amanda. But anyhow, we'll think of her name. But did you hear--they're getting a divorce."
"No! I always knew he was up to no good."
"Who? Her husband?"
"Yeah. What's his name?"
Well, you get the idea. We have all the minutiae committed to memory but the barebones facts have evaporated from our gray matter, by some brain-fog that has settled over our memories, doomed to cloak our thinking and force us into some Sherlock Holmesian effort to recall. Our trail of deduction requires mental bloodhounds, and it seems as if our dogs have got up and went.
"Between the two of us we have a brain," Tana said. And she's right. Which makes me think maybe I need to simply be paired up with someone, 24/7, from here on out. Because clearly at this point two heads must be better than one.

FROM FOUL MOOD TO FOWL MOOD - Jenny Gardiner

I’d been in a funk for days. A whole lot of life circumstances had conspired to form a perfect storm that ushered in a seriously foul mood in me. To top it off, the weather seemed determined to contribute to the cause, as cold rain had descended to hover over us as gray and dismal as my temperament seemed to.

As much as I wanted to get over it, I couldn't escape the shackles of my unpleasant mood.

Then my kind friend Aggie showed up on my doorstep, surprising me with a dozen eggs. And with little more than that humble gesture, suddenly I felt much better.



Right about now you’re wondering how weird I must be that I would be cheered up by eggs. But these weren’t just any old eggs: these were fresh from her henhouse. Coveted eggs with bright orange yolks as cheerful as a May morning. Eggs that aren’t quite so easy to come by in this day and age. The fact that my friend wanted to share her limited supply of her treasured eggs was such an act of impromptu kindness, it couldn’t not brighten my mood.

And it reminded me that we all ought to try to remain better connected with one another, because ultimately it is those bonds with our friends and family that help to elevate us when we're feeling most down.

Sometimes in this world of disconnect it’s hard to personalize one’s sentiments. We’re so busy zapping out emails and staccato’d text-messages and scurrying to and fro, we never find the time for conversation. As much as I enjoy catching up with friends on the phone, for instance, I rarely have the time to talk when it’s convenient to me. So instead? I communicate electronically, until I can find the time to squeeze in a chat with someone. And I don’t think I’m alone in this--it seems to be the norm. Yet somehow that email or e-card just doesn’t have the same grand delivery as does a simple thoughtful deed. Like Aggie's.

You know the crazy thing is I don’t particularly even like eggs, although my family sure does. But I do greatly appreciate the sentiment behind fresh eggs, and as a cook and avid supporter of buying locally, I know that fresh, local eggs are vastly better than store-bought. I actually find it extremely gratifying to crack into an egg and see that brilliant yellow-orange yolk: it means something to me. So in Aggie's message was much more than an egg, it was sharing of something relevant, something to be savored.

There is a tradition in the Cajun French culture of lagniappe: something for nothing. For instance, throwing in a thirteenth donut when you get a dozen. A little extra something. It makes imminent sense how that little something can ultimately mean so much.

With Easter time upon us, I could go all deep and exploratory and ponder the symbolism of eggs, the poster child for renewal, being that which lifted me up from my bleak mindset. Or I could just tell you I was one of those children perfectly content to play with the ribbon, rather than the expensive toy beneath the ribbon. Either which way, there is something so very right about that gift: the sweet simplicity of the thought behind it. From one friend to another: "Have some eggs." And to be reminded that someone cares.




Jenny Gardiner is the author of the award-winning novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver and the upcoming humorous memoir Parrothood: Twenty Years of Caring for a Vengeful Bird Determined to Kill Me.(Simon Spotlight, Spring, 2010)

FRIENDS AND BOOKS, OR, BOOKS AND FRIENDS?

I’m so happy to be blogging on Tote Bags and Blogs... thanks, Lee, for letting me join the gang!

Reading recent posts and thinking about what I was going to say in my inaugural Tote Bags and Blogs appearance I’m left sitting on the fence (anyone who knows me will recognise this favoured form of seating, the splinters... now they’re another story.)

On one side of the fence there is my wish to wax lyrical about the fellowship of good friends. Most of my very best friends are fellow writers and authors and, to be honest, they keep me sane (okay, ladies... sort of sane!) After all, who else can understand and appreciate the highs and lows of striving for your dream, achieving your dream and maintaining your dream, other than someone who is on the same road as you, or who has already trod that road and knows what you’re going through. And that’s something special, isn’t it? That incredible fellowship and support we give and receive on our journeys through life, no matter what we’re doing in our lives. No matter what stage we’re at, e.g. meeting new potential partners, embarking on a new job, overseas experience, dissolution of a relationship; it’s our friends that bolster us up along the way. Who else can we cry with, mourn with and, best of all, laugh and celebrate with, without fear of judgement, censure or lack of understanding.

And then there’s the other side of the fence. Books.

I love books. All books. I love to just pick them up sometimes and smell the paper (okay, I did say ‘sort of sane’ before), I love to turn the pages without breaking back the spine (and yes, I’ve been known to buy myself a new book after loaning one out and it’s come back spine broken) but best of all I love to read. Each book is a journey in itself, no matter what genre, although obviously my preference is for romance. So what do you do when you get to combine friends and books, aside from a really great time?

Well, in the case of twenty six authors from Australia and New Zealand you get Sizzle, Seduce & Simmer—a sinfully sweet collection of short stories and recipes from an ever growing group of friends, released by Harlequin in Australia as a MIRA in trade paperback. The brain child of a group of awesome romance authors in Melbourne and collated by the incredibly clever and lovely Marion Lennox the idea grew and expanded to include authors from further afield and on 1 November the book will be launched in the big wide world. Well, initially in Australia and New Zealand but hey, with the internet the world’s our oyster, right? And it’s the perfect combination which allows you to read while cooking! So, if you’re Down Under based, look out for it at your favourite bookstore from 1 November and if you’re Up Over based, try this site, or this one, to have it sent to you.

Bon Appetit!

Actually, I'm beginning to think that seduction is very definitely a part of my life now I'm writing full time, and who could complain about that? So, while I'm here I'd also like to bring your attention to my first UK release (of my first sale book, and the first in my New Zealand Knight's mini-series--Yay!) THE BOSS'S CHRISTMAS SEDUCTION. It's a November release in the omnibus SEDUCED BY CHRISTMAS together with the gorgeous and talented Sandra Marton. I can't believe I'm saying this in October... but Jingle Bells! Everyone!

Ooh, is that a splinter?

Friendship - by Lee Hyat

I've been told I should blog so I'm going to give it a try. I thought I was being clever when I decided to give it a go because I'm going to run a contest but now that it comes down to it, I find myself feeling awfully unsure about what to say or how to say it.

I've spent a lot of time lately sifting through memories from the last few years and I'm totally amazed at how far I've come emotionally, mentally and in every other way that matters most. If you'd asked me a few years ago if I had lots of good friends, I'd have said, No. I have acquaintances, but no really good friends.

Things have changed - touch wood - and I'm so much richer today than I was back then in the friend department. I have friends. Really good friends. Friends who care and call and keep in touch and generally look out for me because I'm still so naive in many many ways. It's a warm fuzzy feeling when you can pick up the phone and always have someone to call who will put aside her busy schedule and take ten minutes (or more, considering most of my phone conversations are never short!) and listen to me pour my heart out.

I also realized that all my friends, in one way or another, are bad girls. They all push the envelope in some way or another. They shoot from the hip and dare to dream. They dare me to dream and support me every step of the way. They don't let me hide behind my armor of timidity or take the easy way out. I'd be so lost without them. Truly lost.

One such friend, who is really important to me, is the lovely Susanna Carr. She's bright and warm and funny and she's big on qualities like loyalty and support which rank very high in my book. She may not always agree with my point of view but she's always been there when I needed a friend. I love her sense of humor - it's helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel more times than even she herself is aware of. She's the quiet type but she's also very gutsy and full of the bad girl attitude that I so love.


I hope all of you are just as wealthy in the friendship department. It's so wonderful to make friendships that withstand the tests of time and really last. They can bring such a great feeling of satisfaction and contentment. The internet has several definitions for the true meaning of friendship but I think for each of us, it's totally unique and can't be pinned down to one standard meaning.


So, for my contest, I'd love to hear from you about what friendship means to you. What are some of the qualities you look for in a friend? Are your friends bad girls too? Are you a bad girl? :) Lots of choices here on what to comment on so please jump in. I'd love to hear from authors as well - authors are readers too so my contest is open to anyone and everyone who wants to join the conversation!


On June 8th, I'll pick five winners from the people who comment and each of you will receive, a copy of Susanna's BAD GIRL BRIDESMAIDS... (which, I'm sooo proud to say is dedicated to me!) So please, let's talk about friendship.