Midsummer Past-times

Isle of Palms SC

Well, we're into the thick of summer now and in southern NJ where I live I do mean thick -- the heat and humidity can be overwhelming! Temps reach into the 90s and so does the humidity levels. Most of us seek relief in air-conditioned places or pools or the sacred place that we South Jerseyans call 'the shore'. 

(And please do not mistake the REAL Jersey shore for that mess you see on MTV!)

I'm fortunate to live about 45 minutes from some of the best beaches, so day-trips are a favorite past-time -- both when I was a kid and when my kids were little. And some of my favorite vacations were spending a week down there, enjoying the sand and water during the day and then going on the boardwalk at night to play arcade games or miniature golf. 

For me though, I lived in anticipation of true joy -- sitting on the beach with something cold to drink and a book to read. I would slather on the sunscreen, put on the big sunglasses (sadly, now prescription ones! LOL!) and read away. My hubby and I had an agreement that I would get some non-supervisory time on the beach when we went with the boys. 

And the first thing planned and packed was my ample supply of books! 

My boys grew up knowing that if Mom began making a pile of books (and magazines), there was a trip coming. During the heyday of my reading (aka before I began writing romance novels), I would take no fewer than 10 books and 10 magazines for a week-long trip that would include reading time. 

Maui - 2012

 The boys have grown now and we haven't had a shore  vacation in a while, but I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii in 2012 and my goal was a simple one -- to read on a different beach every day of the trip. And I did, since there is beautiful beach after beautiful beach all around the islands. Can you say: ahhhhhhhhhh-loha!?                                                                                                                 So, what kind of summer pasttimes do you look forward to each year? How has your summer been so far this year? What are your plans for the rest of it? No matter what it is, I hope you have time for some reading! 

Speaking of summer activities - I'll be heading off to the Romance Writers of America's Annual Conference in San Antonio TX next week. If you're in the area, I hope you'll come to the Marriott Rivercenter on 7/23 at 5:30pm for the open-to-the-public Book Signing for Literacy party. There will be over 500 romance authors signing and raising money for Literacy projects both locally and nationally. I'll be signing my current book - YIELD TO THE HIGHLANDER! And visit my website or FB page for lots more info about my upcoming books and events! 

Happy Summer everyone! 

When I Grow Up. . . .

. . . I want to learn how to pack well!   

    With all the traveling I've been doing, especially over the last several years, you would think I'd learned by now! But, each new trip begins the terrible, horrible process once more...

     I've watched demonstrations of what to pack and how to pack it, yet I still don't learn. I've spoken to professional packers (aka former flight attendants) to learn their secrets. I've rolled clothes, flattened them, stuffed them into vacuum bags and pumped the air out - all to no avail.  I've written lists based on each day's planned events and wardrobe needs and then selected clothing and accessories to fill those needs -- and completely forgot certain 'unmentionables'!

    Then, just this past July, when traveling to the RWA conference in Anaheim, I really messed up! I needed to pack partly-sightseeing clothes and partly-business clothes for the split trip.  When I got there and was in the thick of the conference, I realized I'd actually only brought about half the clothes I needed!

 So, as I approach a very special trip this month -- my hubby and I are celebrating our recent 35th wedding anniversary by going to HAWAII! -- my quandary begins anew -- what and how to pack!?

   OH -- the one thing I never have trouble with is what reading material to take along! LOL! The first thing I do (even my kids know this!) is to assemble the collection of romance novels I plan to read. On a 'good' trip, I can average a book a day, but I'm thinking there will be some quality, dedicated beach reading time on this trip! The pile is growing quickly as I contemplate more than a week away with nothing to do....

   I would love some packing suggestions from all of you -- what works for you? BIG suitcase? Stuffing as much in as possible and sitting on it to get it zippered? Planning? Professional packing consultant? What? What secrets can you share or tips can you offer?  BTW -- my one packing talent? I can tell the weight of a packed bag when I lift it! I cannot lift 50 lbs, so if I can lift it, it's under the weight limit.

    I'll choose three commentors and send them each a book I picked up at the RWA conference, along with a copy of one of my books! You have until end of day on Saturday to post before I choose a winner....and you'll have my undying gratitude for your help! 

 
Terri is head-down on a binge of deadline-mania writing right now, but she's thrilled that her new Harlequin Historical MACLERIE CLAN series begins with The Highlander's Stolen Touch and it's available now! For more info about Terri's books and events, visit her website....
  

    

Recipe Research - Mia King

Hi everyone! My name is Mia King and I am a women’s fiction/romance author of three novels, Good Things (Feb 2007), Sweet Life (Sept 2008), and Table Manners (Aug 2009), all published or to be published with Berkley Books.

My novels have a few things in common. My heroines are in their early 40’s, they all have a seemingly good life, and they all have their worlds turned upside down, usually by chapter three. As challenging as it might seem at first, it pushes them to discover who they really are and what matters most. I’m a big believer in relationships and HEA, so all my books have that in common, too, plus a dollop of humor. What else? Oh, right. My books all contain recipes.

Now, I have a great appreciation for people who cook, especially when they cook for me (one of my closest friends, Wynn, is one of these people), but I am quite the average cook when left to my own devices. Oh, I hit the jackpot every now and then (I make an amazing corn-meal crust pizza from scratch and can do a mean macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi with mango salsa), but the other times … well, let’s not go there.

With my first book, Good Things, I created the recipes on my own. I spent a disproportionate amount of time trying to get a recipe right versus actually writing and finishing my novel. It was beyond research; it was almost like another job.

With my second book, Sweet Life (out on September 2, 2008), I wised up. Sweet Life is based in Hawaii so I asked prominent local chefs, restaurateurs, vineyards, and foodies to contribute recipes that I could incorporate into the story line. It worked so beautifully that I did the same for my third novel, Table Manners (out next August 2009), which is based in Seattle with a short stint in Paris. The recipes are, to put it frank, amazing. Delicious. Delectable. And, for the benefit of my readers and myself, easy to make at home. Now this kind of food writing I can do (plus, can I tell you how cool these people are? They’re all so brilliant and passionate and talented. I am completely in awe of them!).

So now I’m thinking about book #4. Keep the recipes or change the format? Tell me your take on novels and recipes. Who are some of your favorite authors who include recipes with their stories?

"The ultimate 'escape-and-find-yourself' novel ... funny, poignant, and filled with home truths any woman can relate to. A delightful indulgence!" NYT Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs

What if you got away from it all—and then it all got away from you? Meet Marissa Price, a corporate exec turned full-time mom who trades in her stilettos for sandals when her husband is transferred to Hawaii. Read an excerpt and enter my amazing Hawaiian chocolate/baked goods and books basket giveaway (each basket is valued at $80) at www.miaking.com.

SWEET LIFE: A NOVEL (Berkley Books) is a featured alternate of the Doubleday, Literary Guild, and Book of the Month book clubs. In bookstores everywhere September 2, 2008.

“A fresh and thoroughly enjoyable story as enticing as the delectable recipes at the end of the book.” ALA Booklist

Living simply isn’t simple. Deidre McIntosh, Seattle lifestyle maven and TV show host, learns to practice what she preaches when her show is cancelled and her life is turned upside down. Read an excerpt and enter my amazing Hawaiian chocolate/baked goods and books basket giveaway (each basket is valued at $80) at www.miaking.com.

GOOD THINGS: A NOVEL (Berkely Books) is in its third printing and is a national bestseller.