The Art of Acknowledgement

by Joanne Rock

I was reading something in the Guardian online yesterday and got tugged into reading an article called- excuse the somberness- regrets of the dying. Now, that’s not normally something that would get a double click from my mouse, but there was a sweet picture of a wrinkled hand holding a strong, youthful one and the emotional author in me was hooked. I had to take a peek to make sure I wasn’t going to have any regrets on my way out. You can guess most of them—I shouldn’t have worked so much, I should have followed my dreams—but one that really caught my attention was a wish to have kept in touch with old friends.

Writers are fortunate to have a secret, powerful weapon that helps them do just that. Not many other professions encourage “acknowledgements” each time you finish a piece of work, but upon completing a novel for publication, writers are asked to recognize the people who have helped them on their journey. Every time I’ve penned a dedication, I’ve thought about how lucky I am to be able to publicly reflect like this.

From The Wedding Audition by Catherine Mann & Joanne Rock

It’s a huge treat for me, for one thing. It nudges me to be introspective for a few hours and really think about who has helped me to come up with an idea or who inspired me to write. I’ve acknowledged high school English teachers, bloggers, other writers, family members and yes… old friends. I’ve penned dedications to women who cheered me on personally and professionally, girlfriends who cheered me up when life got too difficult, and mentors who showed me how to do things better, faster or more efficiently. People who’ve made an important impact on my life and my happiness.

I also like to think this tradition is a treat for the people who are recognized. Actually, I can attest that is an honor because I’ve been named in friends’ books as a helper in the story process and it always makes me walk a little taller. Plus, it touches my heart to be valued that way, and to have a friend use that limited space to give a shout out to me. When my first book came out and I mentioned my English teachers in the dedication, I had fun sending them a copy of my debut along with a letter telling them how much they inspired me. I hoped that my enthusiasm would help make up for the fact that some kids occasionally yawn in their classes (who could yawn during a lesson on the Romantic Poets??) and it was just plain fun.

Win my June release!

Knowing how cool it’s been to send out acknowledgements into the world, I guess I wanted to share the idea with anyone who hasn’t written a book and had the thrill of penning a dedication. You can still write a letter to tell someone who inspired you that you still remember their awesome contribution to your life. That their words meant a lot to you or helped you grow, change, see the world a little differently.  Your old friends, mentors, teachers or family members will be touched to be recognized, and the joy you spread will sure make you smile too.

***Who came to mind right away when I mentioned someone who has inspired you? Share with me this week in the comments and I'll send one random commenter a copy of my June Harlequin Desire release, Rancher in Her Bed. 

Season of Change and a Day of Remembrance

by Joanne Rock

Today, as those of us in the US remember those who died while serving their country, I'm spending time with my oldest son who lives far from home. A nice benefit of Memorial Day for many of us is the long weekend and the possibility for some extra family time.

We are moving this summer, so I'm sorting through things to give to my boys who are living on their own. I'm contemplating what to do with all the winter clothes now that I'll be spending most of my time in a warmer climate. And I'm really wondering how to fit a whole life in a 27 foot moving truck.

It's been a long time since I did a full-scale move. Although I've hopped back and forth between Florida and New York for the past few years, I haven't truly uprooted since 2002. That's a lot of years for things to accumulate. I don't worry about packing the kitchen or the bedrooms. But places like the attic and basement, where things have been quietly accumulating, are going to be packing nightmares.

I've given myself two weeks for the project, but that might be optimistic given the book-in-progress that needs to be finished. I'm excited to be writing my own six-book series for Harlequin Desire starting in November 2019. The book that's due next is the fourth book which will release in March 2020.

It's a season of change and a day of remembrance. The combination makes me remember how lucky I am to have the chance to make big changes and move forward, no matter how hectic the pace. Don't forget to observe a moment of silence at 3 pm today to remember and honor those we've lost.

**Have you moved recently? Will I survive the mayhem? And how many boxes will I need for this sprawling house?! Share with me any words of wisdom this week and I'd be thrilled to send one reader an advance copy of my June Desire, RANCHER IN HER BED.

The Power of Play

by Joanne Rock

I came across some interesting research notes this past summer. 

Now, don’t yawn yet.  I know the word “research” comes packed with stuffy connotations.  But the reading I’ve been doing lately has affected my thoughts in so many ways and on so many different levels that I can’t help but share.

Quick background – I participated in a study group at the university where I used to teach. We read a book called Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. It’s pop science in the Gladwell tradition—lots of vignettes and examples that make the science fast paced and reader-friendly. I thought it would be helpful to read the book for two reasons, to learn how to better motivate students and to learn how to better motivate myself.    

But I got a whole lot more than that.

Sure, the stuff on autonomous motivation was helpful. And I liked the idea of getting away from the rewards/punishments idea (extrinsic motivation) since it doesn’t always work for me.  But then I found a section on creativity, turning our work into play whenever possible, and finding ways to stay engaged with our work. Does that sound fun to you? Sure did to me. I’d like to make my job feel more like play. 

Citing noted psychology professor Mihayl Csikszentmihalyi, “once we realize that the boundaries

between work and play are artificial, we can take matters in hand and begin the difficult task of making life more livable.”  For inspiration on how to play, the same source (I won’t spell his name twice!) suggests we look at the children around us, who are engaged with the “work” of childhood, exploring their environment and learning boundaries through play. At some point, we forget how to do this effectively. We shut down some of that natural curiosity in an effort to earn grades, earn adult approval, and become socialized.  But we lose something in the process, something we all need to recover.

I’m still figuring out how to best incorporate more play into my work and leisure life. I think the answers are as unique as we all are.  Still, maybe we could learn from each other today. I think the easier task is to identify more ways to play.  What activities do you miss that you used to really enjoy as a kid?  Maybe the lesson there is—don’t wait for your kids to ask you to color or play on the swing. You can still pursue those activities now, or pursue them in a way that appeals to you as you’ve aged. For instance, bungee jumping might be your new swing. Watercolor lessons might be your new brand of coloring. A few revamped strategies might bring you a new level of fulfillment and engagement, a new energy that will spill over into the rest of your life. 

Because once we can identify more ways to play in our leisure time, I think it will follow that we’ll start to see ways to play at work. After all, more play in general will make us more creative, so the answers are there and just waiting to be discovered by our new and improved thinking skills. Can you make your work more social by starting an online group interested in the same facets of the job as you? Can you subscribe to a publication in a career that complements yours to see what kinds of researching they’re doing in a related field? Can you make a movie about your work? Mentor someone? Find a mentor? Take a professional detour? The goals don’t have to immediate. You just have to mine your field for the things that inspired you to go in that direction in the first place. 

Just think how much fun you could be having….

***Back to leisure time… if you had a free afternoon and weren’t allowed to catch up on laundry or work, in fact you had a mandate that you had to play, what would you do?  Do you already have a dedicated play activity that keeps you energized?  Share with me today and I’ll send a random poster a copy of my holiday Desire story from last Christmas-- His Pregnant Secretary. 

Writer's Life Top Ten

by Joanne Rock

Writer conferences are good perks! With Catherine Mann

Being a writer isn’t all fun and games. The down side involves lots of isolation, not much affirmation, rejection no matter where you are in your career, and constant preoccupation that makes it tough to focus on anything but the work in progress. Being an optimist, however, I choose to focus on the positives. So here’s my personal top ten list for what I love most about being a writer.

1)     Work in pajamas. Every day. That’s as much fun as it sounds. My pajama game is strong, and I have cute pairs for all occasions.

2)     No alarm clock. Now that my youngest has finished high school, I have no reason to wake with the roosters and can sleep until I’m no longer tired. There’s no better recipe for mental clarity than getting adequate rest.

3)     Flexible schedule. Sometimes my family needs me—for days on end. I can put down a book and pick  it up later, which is a wonderful perk. As long as a book is done by the deadline, it doesn’t matter if I work hardest in the early days, the middle days, or if I write non-stop for the last week before a deadline.

4)     It’s a fun topic for cocktail conversation. If I tell someone I’m a writer at a party, it’s not a way for me to talk about myself. It’s the ultimate ice breaker for other people to chat about themselves. Because the line “I’m a writer” is always answered—sooner or later—with “Have I got a story for you.”

5)     Research trip! Exploring new places is one of the best ways to heighten creativity and inspire new stories. It’s not quite the same as a vacation, but it’s darn close.

6)     I write what I love. I choose the storylines and the characters, so there’s no one to blame but myself if I’m not having fun with a story. I try to mix up tropes and character types to keep my storytelling fresh and my Muse engaged.

7)     Sexy times. Does that ever get old?

8)     Romance. My genre is the best one because the hard work my characters put into their relationships always pays off. I realize that’s not always true to life, and that good, deserving people have their hearts broken. But those aren’t my stories. I can focus on the relationships where effort and sacrifice are rewarded.

9)     Readers. Love of romance brings a wonderful group of like-minded book-lovers into my life every day. I have made lifelong friends because of what I do.

10)  The emotional reward of creating something meant to be enjoyed. Hearing from a reader “I loved your book” or “Your book gave me a welcome escape when I was going through a hard time” is incredibly fulfilling.

So I’m on deadline this week, and even though this is when writing is toughest, I choose to focus on the positive. I feel fortunate to do what I love every day. What about you? Do you have a favorite aspect of work that you do? Share with me for a chance to win a copy of any book from my 2018 backlist!

Downsizing... Sort Of

by Joanne Rock

My July book is The Forbidden Brother!

I’d never make it in a tiny house.

I’m clearing out my home this month as I’m contemplating a move. I’ve got furniture for sale to thin down what I own, and I’m dragging boxes out of storage to get rid of everything I don’t need. It’s so much tougher than it sounds.

Last week, I assured one of my sons that I wanted to get rid of everything I had boxed up in the attic. I figured if I didn’t look at it, I couldn’t get sucked into nostalgia or into thinking I might need something again. I had a vague idea that the paperwork was all from former jobs before I started writing romance. There were graduate school papers up there too, work that I’m proud of but since I probably won’t re-enter the academic world, it’s nothing I’ll need. Yet I feared that if I started looking through the boxes, I’d find things I wanted to keep. Sentimental memories of trips taken, friends that I don’t see anymore, you know the drill. So I gave an executive order to toss it all.

A few hours later, my son came downstairs with a photo of his brother as a toddler, the cutest picture imaginable. He said, “Are you sure you don’t want to check in the boxes first?”

There went my resolve! I had to dig through the old things, fearing I might throw away something vital. Yes, it ended up taking hours of my time, but it was really fun to walk down memory lane. I found photos from graduate school and remembered fun classes I took with people I haven’t seen in eons. A photo of a bear that I apparently saw in person in the Smoky Mountains and have no memory of. How could I forget photographing a bear in a tree? On the back of the photo, I wrote in ink, “The infamous bear!” Well apparently he was only infamous briefly as I’d forgotten all about him.

Thankfully, I did end up throwing away most of the box. Brilliant essays gone forever! All my carefully archived press releases written for my first job. All my memories from the time as a TV promotions director—in the recycle bins now. It would be easier if I could tell myself that I’ll always have the memories in my head, but if the bear is any indication, I actually don’t have a good mental record of the past! Maybe I should be glad that my life has been so wonderfully full I simply can’t recall all of it.

Win the follow-up to
The Forbidden Brother

I learned that it pays to have a strong son to help my cleaning endeavors. Also, that executive orders aren’t always a good idea given my faulty memory. And, as I sit here with a file folder full of old photos, I have learned that I’d never be a candidate for life in a tiny house. Who knows, there might be a book waiting to burst out of these old images, after all. I don’t want to miss out.

*** Tell me whether or not you’d be game to try living the tiny house trend, and I’ll give one random poster a copy of my August release, Wild Wyoming Nights! Learn more about all the McNeill Magnates stories at my website, and while you're there, make sure to enter my monthly contest.

The Pleasures of Idea Day

by Joanne Rock

Today is one of the happiest kinds of days in my writing life.  The pleasure of it is a little different from a sale day—fabulous because those days mean I continue to be employed—and not quite the same as a brainstorm day, which is always fun because it means I get to talk on the phone to my cp for hours on end.  Instead, today is an idea day.

What’s that, you say?  Never heard of an idea day?  I didn’t set out to institute this particular event, it   The timing is always pleasant for idea day.  Usually it occurs when I’ve just turned in a book and I am feeling pleased with myself for surviving the ordeal of a deadline.  But aside from the happy endorphins being naturally produced by this post-deadline high, idea day is fun for me because it involves the core activity for which I became a writer.  Idea day is simply that—hours and hours devoted to thinking about future stories just sort of appeared in my life as a time between books when I need to come up with new story material.

           

I mean, face it, no one goes into writing in order to stare blankly at the computer for hours, wondering what a character is going to do next.  Writers devote themselves to the hard work of putting words on paper because they are gripped by the power of story and the magical, transformative moments that come from a beautifully imagined tale.  Idea day is when the hints of those moments first hit me, when I can spend all afternoon digging through books, magazine clippings I’ve stashed, and online articles I haven’t had time to read. 

           

At this stage, the story ideas are at their most precious.  Half-formed and full   There is a fragileness to these infant concepts, and I love them dearly for all the hope they represent for my storytelling future of possibilities, these kernels could develop in any number of intriguing directions.

Tomorrow, there will be a refining process, a winnowing away of the more outrageous ideas to polish the most workable ones.  And while that process brings a new kind of creative energy, I’ll miss the wide-eyed wonder of today when the door to my next story was open widest…

** One of my favorite writing resources is Linda Goodman's Love Signs about the ways different astrological personalities connect in a romantic relationship. I can pick it up at any time and turn to something interesting for a quick read. If you need a book to browse over breakfast... or a "coffee table book" that you keep handy to flip through the pages, what book on your shelves would you choose? An art book? A cookbook? Share with me this week for a chance to win your choice of my "McNeill Magnates" stories from Harlequin Desire (any of the six that have released so far). Also, please keep an eye out for my current release, Expecting a Scandal, part of the Texas Cattleman's Club: Impostor series! 

Following the Story Thread

by Joanne Rock

As a writer, I am often asked where I get my ideas for stories.  I have a few answers for this—all of them true.

Stories come from everywhere, I’ve insisted in online interviews and casual conversations alike.  A magazine article, a TV news snippet, a character in a movie, an argument between a couple in an airport—all of these have sent my mind on the “what-if” journey that leads to a story.

Other times, depending on my opinions about my work on a given day, I might suggest that story ideas often start with plot or character and then I’ll build one to suit the other.  When characters are dogging me for a story, I might ask myself what would be the most problematic situation I could put that particular hero and heroine in.  If a plot hook is niggling in my brain, I’ll twist it in the other direction and ask myself what kinds of characters would find that particular plot problem the most devastating?  Yes, making life tough for our characters is a writer’s job.

But today I’ve decided that trying to track down the roots of a story is sort of like making my way through a labyrinth without the benefit of Ariadne’s thread.  I’ve culled inspiration from so many numerous sources, pulling together so many different ideas, that the end product feels wholly unique.  The ideas have fused so fully that to trace the root causes is almost impossible.  I might have pulled a character into the story that I conceived years ago and couldn’t find a place to put him.  I might build a world around a tiny germ of an idea that didn’t work in a book I wrote eons ago but now I’ve got new fuel for the concept and think I can make it work. 

Truly, some of the ideas are so deep rooted that they seem to come from my toes.  My stories represent a million facets of my mental make up, the snippets of thoughts, ideas, fears and dreams that make me.

So where do my stories come from?  It’s a topic I love to think about.  But in my book releasing April 3rd, EXPECTING A SCANDAL, the answer to the question is very different since it's part of the Texas Cattleman's Club series, which means the rough outline of the story was provided for me. 

If you haven't read any books in this long-running Harlequin miniseries, you're missing out on a wonderful facet of series romance. By plotting the fictional world of Royal, Texas, and all the people in it, Harlequin provided its writers with a unifying setting that readers love to return to time and time again. When I was asked to pen EXPECTING A SCANDAL, I didn't need to dream up the characters... the arrived with their professions and conflicts ready to roll. Sure, I had to find ways to move the story forward and help the characters to fall in love, but it was a really different experience not using characters of my own creation. I can't wait to try another one.

**Happy Spring my friends! What are you looking forward to most this month? I've got a copy of my February Desire, FOR THE SAKE OF HIS HEIR, to share with one random commenter! 

All Fun and Games

by Joanne Rock

**I wrote this blog post six years ago, and the words are never truer! I hope you don't mind me

sharing an archived piece with you today. I hop back to the present at the end to update you on my life and thoughts today. But first... rewind to Joanne of 2012:

I found myself at a 6^th grade basketball tournament last weekend.  It’s a place I’ve found myself a lot this time of year.  In our house, football season melts into basketball with only a two week hiatus, and hoop turns into baseball with even less down time.  With three boys playing sports, the cycle is familiar and sometimes exhausting.  Most of the time though, it’s fun.

Two of my sons from about the time I penned this piece.

As I cheered loud and long for my son—and for all his teammates who aren’t my sons—I thought about why we as a culture are so passionate about youth sports.  Sure, we all know the horror stories of the parents who yell all game and the coaches who take it all so seriously that practice turns into boot camp.  But that’s not the case in my town.  Youth sports are fun here, and every parent I know gets as hopped up about cheering on their kids’ successes as I do.  The losses… well, we might not cheer, but the lessons there are as valuable as the wins.  No doubt, we all tend to remember the times we failed more than the times we won. 

There are a million and one analogies between sports and life.  My husband wrote about a lot of them during his career as a sports editor, so they are often in the back of my mind as I put my time in at games.  But a new parallel occurred to me last weekend as I cheered on the boys and watched them grin when they made their shots.  Watching the kids play is fun because of the enthusiasm they bring to the game.  They’re not at the advanced level that puts so much social pressure on performance.  They’re at an age where they are allowed to simply enjoy the game.  And don’t we love that kind of innocent pleasure when the stakes aren’t so high and failure isn’t the end of the world?  At this level, you usually get your pizza party whether you win or lose.

I think that kind of fresh perspective and enthusiasm is what makes it exciting to be around new writers.  I get letters sometimes from writers new to the business who are looking for a little direction and those folks are usually pleased when I gab away about the writing life and the business.  I understand that they are getting something out of my conversation.  But I don’t think they necessarily realize what I’m getting out of theirs.  It’s that fervor and eagerness for writing that I remember with fondness.  Not that I mean to suggest I’m a cynical old crone at this point in the game.  Far from it!  I’ve got a Pollyanna streak a mile wide.  Still, my years in this business and my 30-odd manuscripts written (not all of them published) have definitely left me wiser and warier.  That’s a good thing.  And yet—I really miss those days where I’d stop at the end of a paragraph to admire what I’d written, kind of like those 6^th graders smiling openly at a foul shot that swished cleanly through the net. 

There’s a joy associated with any new endeavor, a joy that quiets a bit as you become more of an expert and have been fortunate enough to turn a hobby into a profession.  The well-loved pursuit soon comes with deadlines and expectations of editors, agents and readers.  And the more successful you become, the higher the stakes of failure.  That success is a blessing, to be sure.  But there is always a bit of nostalgia involved in talking to a writer who still regularly takes time to savor the play of her words on paper or who is bursting with story ideas and can follow only her own direction about which idea to pursue next.  So don’t be surprised if you’re an aspiring writer and I quiz you about what you’re working on and how you manage your schedule and what you’ve got in mind for career goals.  I promise I’m not trying to steal ideas and I’m not just making small talk for the heck of it.  I’m just enjoying your journey along with you, and in doing so, I’m also remembering and enjoying my own.

**Present Day: I loved this piece because I just celebrated my youngest son's final season of high school basketball. I cried when it ended, probably more than I'll cry on his graduation day since sports have been such a defining element of my family and my life for the last twenty years. I will miss the tournaments, the young athletes and the fierceness of competing. But at the same time, I'm heartened to remember that this joy doesn't go away. Those memories will fill my books for many years to come.

And so funny to think that when I wrote this I had thirty some books. I just celebrated the release of my 80th novel for Harlequin. Have you read my February 2018 release, For the Sake of His Heir?

For today, I'll leave you with this thought / question- Have you ever acted as a mentor to someone in your business or personal life, or have you been on the receiving end of mentoring?  Did that experience bring similar emotional rewards to the ones I mention? Share with me this week and I'll give one random poster an advance copy of my April Harlequin Desire, Expecting a Scandal! 

The Gifts of Ursula Le Guin

by Joanne Rock

Ursula Le Guin passed away this week, and it got me thinking about her wonderful books, and her thoughts about writing. When I read The Left Hand of Darkness, I was blown away by how much I loved it. I wasn’t sure it would be my “kind” of book—a story set in an alien world with its own rules, it’s science fiction or, some say, speculative fiction. I’ve never read much of either.

But with a wonderful story, genre never matters. Good storytelling transcends genre, drawing us in to the protagonist’s story, making us care about the world and the stakes. With The Left Hand of Darkness, it didn’t matter that I was in an alien world. The drama was human enough, and I cared deeply about what was happening. Not only did I love the book, I thought about it for years afterward, and what it said about the effect of sex and gender on a culture.

If all that Le Guin had given me, that would have been generous enough. But the gifts kept coming as, later in life, I stumbled on her thoughts on writing. She sheds insightful light on why the often-repeated “rule” of writing, “show don’t tell,” is detrimental advice to a more seasoned writer.

Thanks to “show don’t tell,” I find writers in my workshops who think exposition is wicked. They’re afraid to describe the world they’ve invented. (I make them read the first chapter of The Return of the Native,,,                                                          (On Rules of Writing)

She goes on to de-bunk other over-simplified writing advice in a way that helped me to marry my joy in romance and modern genre fiction with my deep love of literature. Her words gave permission to unapologetically dive into narrative paragraphs. To really set a scene and a mood by dipping deeply into a character’s thoughts, without worrying how fast I’d get back to action and dialogue.

Writers like Janet Evanovich do this all the time, even though we think of her Stephanie Plum books as full of action and fabulous dialogue. She starts High Five with a great paragraph about why being a bounty hunter is like going through life without underwear. It’s funny and vivid, and it gives us a snapshot of the character’s thoughts before we have any idea about the action.

“Telling” is not the root of storytelling evil. It’s an integral part of it, and one that I very much enjoy. So thank you, Ursula Le Guin, not just for your amazing books, but for all the writing wisdom you took time to share. I’ll leave you with a few other Le Guin gems for you to enjoy today:

* It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.

* Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.

* When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.

***Any writers whose work you return to time and time again? Or any classic books that stood out for you in your English classes that were really memorable? Share with me today and I’ll send one random commenter a signed copy of my December Desire, His Pregnant Secretary. My current release, if you’re interested in taking a peek, is January’s Claiming His Secret Heir!

The Wheel of My Year- The Writing Life

by Joanne Rock

Hello from sunny Florida...

I’m at the end of a long book contract right now and it’s interesting how different my writing days are now versus when I’m at the start of a long book contract. Or in the middle. Or when I have a no contract at all!

As a creative endeavor, writing can be a challenging way to earn a living. It starts out as a passion and, if you aren’t very careful to protect the art from the income, it can quickly become a chore. I was warned about this as soon as I sold a book. I would bubble with enthusiasm when I spoke about all the projects I couldn’t wait to write and more experienced authors would exchange wry glances. I was warned the “honeymoon period” with my writing wouldn’t last.

Like so much advice from those who have tread the path before me, they were spot on. It gets hard to stay excited about your creative passion when it suddenly becomes your means of support. You need to set dependable hours and produce pages regularly. There’s no more sweet-talking your Muse until she’s ready to cooperate. She has a job and she’d better show up daily.

My latest release! 

But over the years, I’ve found ways to keep my creativity flowing in spite of the more rigorous demands on it. One trick is to mix up my schedule so that I’m bouncing back and forth between kinds of story. For a while, I would write historical stories in between my Blaze books to give myself a break from the same style of novel. Or write a few short books, then a long one. The different demands of different story styles helped me to stay engaged and excited about what I was doing.

As my readers have asked for more contemporary stories, I’m often writing books in similar genres, close together. That presents new challenges. Lately, I’ve found it helpful to write fast and furious while the Muse turns cartwheels at the start of a new contract. Chase the ideas fast, write like a madwoman, and get lots done before the creativity wears off a bit. Then, I slow down. Recharge more often. Read a lot in between writing a little. It helps me to feel like I’m taking more downtime, and really, I am. I focus more on scenes and less on the big picture. I research little snippets of a story and that jazzes me up to fuel more pages.  

Coming Soon...

Really, I play a lot of mind games. Like any self-employed person, I have to stay disciplined to get my work done. But since the work is creative, I know better than to crack the whip too much when my brain is churning at a different speed. Right now, my pace is leisurely. I think a lot and stare off into space. By the time the contract is done, I’ll take a few weeks off and forget all about writing.

Funny how when I ignore my Muse how impatient she gets. After a few weeks of quiet, she’ll start pinging ideas around. I won’t listen. She’ll talk even more. Then, the frenzy to create starts all over again. A new phase of writing mania begins. An all new honeymoon period. The wheel of my writing year turns.

**

Speaking of “all new”… I’ve got fresh-off-the-press copies of Little Secrets: His Pregnant Secretary available this week! You can win one by sharing with me your favorite way to recharge after a big project. One random commenter will win their choice of print or digital book. And if that doesn’t work, go enter the contest at Goodreads where I’m giving away five more copies!

Holding Out for a Hero - Cowboys

One of the not-so-guilty pleasures in writing romance is writing about men. The opposite gender intrigues us from an early age, and for many of us, is a life-long curiosity. In addition to real life, a romance reader indulges this interest through reading. You meet all kinds of men in the pages of romance novels and fall in love along with the heroine. I think it’s a bit like dreaming in that you can try on different scenarios in a safe space. Maybe you’d never date a bad boy in real life, but in the pages of a book—go for it.

Writers enjoy this experience too. I don’t even have the option of conducting a romance with a medieval knight in my day to day world, but that didn’t stop me from bringing some of these heroes to life on the page so I could imagine my way through the experience. Knights still fascinate me. So do sports heroes, regular guys, and military men. Cops, sheriffs, and billionaires. And now… at last… cowboys.

I may have avoided this much beloved hero for a while because of my background. I grew up on a farm, and I envisioned ranches as a kind of farming operation. Dusty, dirty, and a lot of work. I picked tomatoes often enough as a teen and found it decidedly unromantic. The animals are adorable, but they too, are labor intensive. Time changes some of those perceptions though. Did you ever dislike something as a kid and then look back on it later with a degree of fondness? That nostalgia hit for the family farm a few years ago. Not just ours either, but a whole community of farmers that I remembered from my youth. Much of where I grew up—a place full of small farms—is now full of housing developments. A bedroom community for a nearby city.

As I saw the past through different eyes, I began to feel the tug of ranches. Cowboys. The West. I could see the appeal. I read more about it. Travelled those places. Admired the way of life. When I sat down to write Second Chance Cowboy, I thought I’d just see how it went. And the moment I met Matt Briggs on the page, I knew there was no turning back. I was going to have affair after affair with cowboy heroes. I’m hooked.

It might be the proud, independent streak. The commitment to a time-honored way of life no matter how the world changes around them. The connection to the land. Or it could just be the boots and denim. Kidding. I love all of it and I can’t wait to write more of these heroes in their native habitat and out of it. To explore how they see the world. Because, no matter how many books I write, men still intrigue me. And right now, I’m in a serious cowboy phase.

***What about you? Do you read all sorts of heroes or have a favorite type? Share with me on the Last Chance Christmas, the prequel to my current release, Second Chance Cowboy. 

blog and I’ll give one random poster a download of

Writer's Secret Joy: Research

by Joanne Rock

One of the real joys of writing is the research. Sometimes it can slow us down when we need to check and recheck mundane points to be sure we haven’t made an error. But for the most part, writers choose settings, historical periods, and concepts that intrigue them so that researching a book winds up being really fun.

When I wrote historical romance, I always chose the time periods that appealed to me. I am fascinated by all things medieval and could have gladly spent decades researching castles, gowns, and court intrigue. These days, as I write more contemporary stories, I still choose to set the books in places and within professional realms that interest me. Never has this been more true than for my current release, The Magnate’s Mail-Order Bride, set in the world of professional dance.

What beauty and grace! There is so much talent, work and fierce competitiveness here. And on occasion, a sort of “court intrigue” all its own. Take for example the scandal in the Bolshoi Ballet four years ago when a bitter soloist dancer conspired in an attack on the ballet’s artistic director. The director lost most sight in one eye when acid was thrown in his face by an assailant in dark parking lot. Those stories are, of course, well outside the norm for dance. But they hint at the passionate commitment and emotion behind the most successful companies.

I watched one beautiful dance clip after another on You Tube for the sake of breathing life into my

The Rose Adagio

heroine, Sofia Koslov. I studied the differences between ballet schools and dancing styles, as well as the way individual dances impose their artistic interpretation on famous dances. I spent half a day watching the most famous ballerinas in the world perform the Rose Adagio- Aurora’s entrance dance in Sleeping Beauty. There are commentaries on the performances too, so you can learn why each is unique or particularly talented. I was captivated!

Another important facet for the book was discovering what a dancer’s day to day life is like. For this, I was very grateful for the video content on the New York City Ballet’s website. In addition to dance clips and rehearsal clips, there are snippets of dancers talking about their tours, pre-show rituals, falls, aspirations and much more. If you visit, just click on some of the individual dancer names and look for their “Screen Test” video. Very fun.

But sooner or later, the research must come to an end and all the new knowledge needs to funnel into a book. It’s difficult to turn off the information-gathering quest, but when we begin to use it to bring to life the world we’ve learned about, it becomes really rewarding. With any luck, the writer brings to life the research for the reader in a newly enjoyable way.

***What’s your favorite dance scene in a movie? I’m partial to Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen’s “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” in White Christmas! Share yours on the blog and I’ll give one random poster an advance copy of my upcoming Harlequin Desire, His Accidental Heir. 

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! 


Kindle        Nook       iBooks      Kobo     

What's for Dinner?

by Joanne Rock

Available now!

When I was writing historical romance, I was frequently frustrated by the lack of texts handed down

by women. There are a few notable pieces from medieval times, spiritual writings or diaries, penned by powerful nuns or queens who could afford the expense of preserving their thoughts and who were well educated enough to write them down. Some of the more mundane texts by women that have survived the times are recipes, cooking instructions and ingredients lists that sometimes contain amusing asides about potential preparation hazards.

I am not surprised that at least a few of these writings survive given the necessity of cooking in everyday life and how much it has dominated feminine time for decades. Even now, when we can throw dinner in an “Insta-Pot” we still need to share recipes and idea for how to best use the tools available, and there is no escape the endless rounds of shopping for ingredients. Cooking take time. Furthermore, with studies showing that kids who take part in regular family meals are more well-adjusted, happier, higher achieving, you name it, we are called upon to make a ritual of eating. That means more thoughtful planning, table setting, shopping. If we’re lucky, there will be wine.

I have a binder full of recipes that I’ve acquired since getting married. My favorites are written in loved ones’ handwriting. My grandmother’s scrawled notes on cheesecake. Beloved dinner meals from my youth that my mother wrote down for me. My mother in law’s bonus notes on choosing cuts of meat after I confided that I was often flummoxed at the butcher window. I feel the love when I read those notes.

Available April 1st

But there are other personal recipes that call to me, too. I have a handful of emails from my critique partner, Catherine Mann, from the crazy years when we were both trying to sell our first books, writing constantly while raising lots of kids. Cathy’s asides are all about how to make things better, faster and tastier, how to adjust a main meal for the younger set so that there’s less time spent on prep. Like every other arena of my life, my cooking efficiency benefitted from her friendship.

In a life filled with books, my recipe binder is one of my most important. When I move houses during the year, it’s one that always goes with me. I can understand why medieval women made sure their cooking notes were well protected throughout their lifetime. Long after my latest romance novel is out of print, I hope my granddaughters will find something to smile about in the cooking adventures of their granny Joanne.

***

Friends, my husband brought home a rice cooker for me this week. Any hints? Fav recipes to share for a writer still looking to make the kitchen work faster, easier and tastier? I’d love to hear any and all dinner suggestions! I’ll give one random poster an advance copy of my May Harlequin Desire, The Magnate’s Marriage Merger. In the meantime, I hope you’ll look for the prequel book, The Magnate’s Mail-Order Bride, available April 1 from Harlequin Desire!

Found Time- Between the Holidays

by Joanne Rock

I love the week between Christmas and New Years. The hardcore holiday prep has passed, leaving me with a week of relative quiet to enjoy the family, the décor I worked hard on, the good leftovers and—did I mention?—the relative quiet!

Duchess and I are on the same page.

Ideally, I never plan much for this time of the year. I block it off as holiday time and try not to work much. Lucky me, I know. But I notice even friends with more traditional jobs are often able to take lighter schedules this week. And, failing that, there’s less “work” in that the baking, shopping, wrapping frenzy is over. I love Christmas and the hoopla that accompanies it, but the downtime afterward feels just right—sort of like a quiet scene in a book that follows that big action moment! Both are good, but one helps you catch your breath from the other.

Today, I have a list of minor errands but they can all wait. I have a few Christmas returns, a post office run to make, a prescription refill… nothing urgent. First, I’m enjoying getting back to a routine, something that always comforts me. I like the ease of mind that comes with routine because the repetition lets my mind wander. I don’t need to be terribly mindful fixing my go-to breakfast or doing the laundry, so I can think about my stories and characters in a way that doesn’t feel like work. Basically, I daydream, and that’s always fun for me.

A gift for one random poster

Beyond that, I’m going to have fun searching up new book releases and doing some reading. I have a hockey game to watch tonight (go Pens!) and my dinner is going to be something like Tostitos with cheese since I’ve eaten relentlessly for days and don’t need one more decadent meal. My feet are up and I will check out social media for the first time in days so I can enjoy photos of friends’ kids and grandkids that they snapped over the holidays. A day of perfect aimlessness.

Happy 2017 to you all, my friends. I hope it brings you blessings, happiness and much love.

***

So I’m curious what you’re up to this week. Reading? Playing with something new that was under the tree? Share with me today on the blog and I’ll send one random commenter a prize with SCANDALOUS MISTRESS, a sexy 3-in-1 of stories by Leslie Kelly, Kira Sinclair and me, plus a Desire 2-in-1 with reads from Kat Cantrell and me, and a bonus notebook for your New Year’s resolutions! 

Holiday Writing

by Joanne Rock

I wish this post was about writing a holiday romance—something I love to do. Witness my super fun holiday release, Last Chance Christmas. But I wanted to share a few insights about another kind of holiday writing today—writing during the holidays. That can be decidedly less pleasant.

It’s an interesting dichotomy for creative folks when we are lucky enough to work in the field we once passionately pursued for fun. Mixing up the income stream with something that was once a labor of love is an emotionally confusing place. This puts a whole lot of demands on the labor of love to be much more than that. It must also be a labor of efficiency. A labor of smart economy. A labor of financial means.

Ask any Muse and she’ll tell you how much she hates this.

Pre-published writers don’t give any thought to this dilemma. I know I didn’t, and I had years of intense writing before I sold a book to consider every facet of the craft. But I was far more focused on craft than business, and I sure didn’t think about problems that selling a book could introduced. I thought only about the problems that selling a book would solve! I mean, if I was spending 90% of my waking hours writing anyhow, it only made sense that I’d love getting paid for it.

Of course, I do. Thank goodness I finally cleared that final hurdle to selling my stories. I’m happy

I won a Snow Globe Award for Last Chance Christmas! 

and grateful to be able to share those works with readers. But the creative dynamic shifts in immeasurable ways once the passionate pursuit becomes a livelihood, and those changes are never more evident than during the holidays when a writer wants to play.

Writers aren’t unique in this, of course. We all want to play during the holidays and chances are you have to earn a living too, so you can’t play all month long. What’s different about creative work is that—to do it well—the time investment is huge. Often, we are thinking about our work the majority of our waking hours. A piece of our brain is always engaged with the work-in-progress. Most of the year, that’s okay, because of the “labor of love” element. We wanted this job, after all. During the holidays, however, we all want to labor over gingerbread houses or tree trimming and—more importantly—to be really present in those moments. Too often when I’m writing through the holidays, I feel like I’m going through the motions since my story is always consuming huge amounts of brain space.

My cure is to write as little as possible during December. I’d rather work like a madwoman in January and November and close my laptop for a couple of weeks in December. Some years that’s just not possible, but every year, I try. For the first five or seven years of my publishing career, I tried to maintain my schedule through December (Be more disciplined! I told my Muse). For me, that was simply an exercise in frustration. I didn’t write well anyhow, and I still felt cranky and robbed of my holiday.

This year is one of those years where I really needed to write some during December. I’m super excited to have a new series out with Harlequin Desire in 2017 and I very much wanted the extra releases to get the McNeill Magnates up and running. That helps, knowing that I set up this schedule to accomplish a bigger goal. Another trick I’ve finally discovered after writing for almost twenty years? I can write the framework of a story without knowing every detail. That’s been revolutionary for me since I used to get stuck on small plot points in my writing, wanting clear answers before I moved forward. In the last few years, I’ve gotten much better at moving plot points forward, then going back to layer in depth and conflict elements. Go me!

Turns out you can teach old dogs new tricks. But next year, I’m going to box up all my tricks when I close my laptop early in December to simply enjoy the holidays! Until then, my friends, I’m focusing on what I love most about my stories, just like I did back in those pre-published days when I wrote because I couldn’t NOT write.

***I’m not the only one wrestling with how to do it all this holiday season! Tell me what parts of your holiday feel daunting and we’ll commiserate or share ideas to make it better! As a bonus, if you share your thoughts with me this week, you’ll be automatically entered to win this fun prize pack with Christine Rimmer’s Carter Bravo’s Christmas Bride from her award-winning Bravos series, plus my holiday 2-in-1 with Tawny Weber featuring two sexy Blaze Christmas stories AND a Runaway Brides tee!