Friends Don't Let Friends Write Alone!

      One of the most amazing things about the romance writing community is the friendships and support there. Yes, technically we are all competitors, but I think the message was best said by Harlen Coben at a workshop I attended years ago -- 'no one has to fail for me to succeed.'  And, in the romance community more than in any other, there's not just acceptance of other writers, but also the offering of help and support every step of the way. 

     So, along the way, I've found a number of writing friends who have been there for me when I need them and sometimes when I don't even realize that I do! Large groups like the Harlequin (Historical) Hussies - lots and lots of authors who write the amazing stories in the HH line-- as well as smaller groups like the Hermits. The Hermits are the group of authors who gathered each November at a beach house in Charleston to write and brainstorm and chat and drink wine (and watch Dancing With The Stars and Castle). Let me tell you that those women have saved my sanity more than once over the years!

    One of the other groups I've found is one of authors in the southeastern PA/northern DE area...and me - I'm from NJ. We've known each other for years and about two or so years ago, we began getting together on a regular monthly basis. We started calling ourselves Writers-Who-Lunch and spent the first couple of lunches chatting about all sorts of things including writing and publishing and news and kids. But then someone said - 'hey, we're writers, we should write something together!' 
 
     Within a month or two, we'd gathered for a brainstorming session, chosen a family name (the Blackwoods)  and common history (a Jacobite rebel is transported to Pennsylvania after the Rising in 1715), driven all over Chester County looking at horse farms and stone houses and decided the theme of the first collection - brides! We each picked our time period and generation and planned out our stories -- all the while meeting each month and making sure it all worked together. There were genealogy charts and time lines and historical research on indentured servitude and so much more. One of the original authors had to step out and another friend stepped in. It was so exciting and invigorating and inspiring to work with authors with different voices and stories and yet see everything fall in place. 
 
     Yesterday we held the first print copy of the anthology in our hands and I admit it - there were tears! The author who joined us midway has never been published before so this is her debut and it was so special to watch her face as she held that book in her hands. 

     It is a special moment in an author's career and it was even more special to be part of it and to share this project with these other women....it's just what writers do for other writers. 




 
 Brandywine Brides - A Blackwood Legacy Anthology will be released on April 25 in digital and print editions across retailers. The digital edition is now 99¢  - a special pre-order and first week price! 


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Lauri Robinson: What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I’m asked that question regularly, and in truth, there is nothing about writing I don’t enjoy. My mother must have been born with a book in her hand, and she passed that down to me. I’ve been an avid reader my entire life, and continue to be. Anymore, a lot of my reading is in the form of research—don’t get me wrong, I still read for pleasure every night. I just can’t fall to sleep without getting in a chapter to two.

So…if I had to name one thing I love about writing, it would be the things I’ve learned while researching. For Badland Bride, book two of the Quinter Bride series, I learned about the Bone Wars—set in place by men in the late 1800’s sabotaging each other’s search efforts to uncover dinosaur bones in the mid-west.  While writing An April to Remember I was amazed by the Sultana—a riverboat that blew up at the end of the Civil War. More people perished when the Sultana sank just outside of Memphis than on the Titanic. For The Major’s Wife, my latest release, I loved learning about the days of Oklahoma being known as Indian Territory and life at Fort Sill during that time.

Currently, I’m writing a series of four sisters set during the roaring 20’s. Cars, women, and whiskey changed the world during that era. My home state of Minnesota boomed with the creation of Minnesota Thirteen, a home-brewed bootlegged whiskey that became known world-wide. The series will be released the summer of 2015 from Harlequin.

Recently one of my sons started researching our family genealogy and discovered my eighth great grandmother was jailed as a witch during the Salem Witch Hunt—oh, yes, there is a book there.

Now, the question has became, which is my favorite era to write about? That’s as impossible to answer as the first one.  

What about you? Do you have a favorite thing about writing, or a favorite era to write/read about?

Any one leaving a comment will be entered into a drawing for a print copy of The Major’s Wife, so be sure to leave an email address in your comment.

For updates on my writing, feel free to stop by my blog. www.laurirobinson.blogspot.com

A trip to romance headquarters — Kandy Shepherd

Years ago, like many aspiring romance writers, I started off by sending my fledgling manuscripts to Harlequin Mills & Boon in London, England. After all, they’re practically synonymous with romance!

My efforts came back with rejection but lots of encouragement. Eventually, I was published by first a small Australian publisher and then by Berkley Sensation in New York. I had success with self-publishing, too. But I still liked the idea of getting published by Harlequin Mills & Boon and never gave up on that dream.

London in early September-warm, sunny and with masses of flowers like those planted on this pub

A few months ago I got “the call” from the London office to say they would like to publish my reunion romance The Summer They Never Forgot  for Harlequin Romance (Cherish). It comes out in February 2014 in both the US and the UK. You can imagine how thrilled I was!

But wait…there was more excitement to come.

I had planned to fly to London (where I used to live) from my home Down Under in September to visit friends and family. “Why not come in to visit the office?” suggested my editor. Needless to say I said “yes”. 

You know you're in London when you see the red buses-this one heading for the Harlequin Mills & Boon UK office

My visit also coincided with the Association of Mills & Boon Authors annual lunch to which I was invited by my fellow writers. And then I got an invitation to the Harlequin party for authors that same evening. Suddenly my vacation in London was set to become a lot more interesting!

All those wonderful tales of romance are nurtured in this building!

The Harlequin Mills & Boon office—"romance headquarters"—is in Richmond, on the outskirts of London, on the aptly named Paradise Road. So many writers’ submissions have been sent off to that address with high hopes—though these days they’re mostly sent by email. It was such fun to actually see it.

How wonderful to get a welcome like this!

When I got there I was greeted with balloons, champagne and a multitude of warm, friendly smiles. Harlequin author Kimberly Lang from the US was also visiting that day and there was a big sign welcoming us both.

The editors told me they love it when authors visit—they certainly made this first-time Mills & Boon author very welcome. Interestingly, I found the actual office to be very like the magazine editorial offices where I spent many years of my magazine career. Then my editor—who I met face-to-face for the first time that day—took me out to an excellent lunch where we talked romance and, in particular, the details of my next book for Harlequin Romance. What a memorable day!

The Royal Horseguards Hotel is on the Thames  in a beautiful old part of London. (Photo from the hotel website.)

Next day I travelled into the heart of London to the very posh Reading & Writing Room, part of the Royal Horseguards Hotel. 

The Reading & Writing Room where our author lunch was held

It was fabulous to be in the company of so many smart, personable and interesting authors in such awesome surrounds.

The ladies room was by far the grandest I've ever seen-wish I'd got a snap of the chaise-lounge!

Romance writers, no matter where they come from, truly are the nicest people. I felt sad that we lived in different countries and I didn’t know when I might see them again—but I can always read their books!

The marble staircase was mindboggling

A few of us went to the legendary Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea, silver service and all. Then we crossed the road on London’s famous Piccadilly to the glamorous Meridien for cocktails with the Harlequin Mills & Boon team. I had the best macarons—pistachio and coconut—I have ever had.

With Harlequin authors Katherine Garbera (left) and C.C. Coburn

To writers, editors can sometimes seem scary beings—I can’t say too many times how delightful I found the London team.

My London trip was full of surprises—including the warm, dry weather which I wasn’t expecting at that time of year.

Have you ever had something unexpected happen to you on vacation? Good or bad! (Bad: I came back home from my wonderful vacation with a nasty cold!) 

Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it. Add your email address if you'd like to get a free e-book copy of Reinventing Rose.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Her new contemporary women's fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers. 

Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.

Watch out for The Summer They Never Forgot, her first release from Harlequin Romance in February 2014.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com