How the Magic trilogy came to be ...

I love reading history books. I'm particularly fascinated by anything written about Medieval or Victorian England, or about the U.S. Civil War or Old West. Which means I can as easily curl up with a book by Francis and Joseph Gies or Peter Cross as I can with an historical romance.

My interests have made it very easy for friends and family to buy me gifts. If they don't know exactly what book to buy, they know I'll be thrilled with a gift card from any of the local bookstores. On one such buying binge I found a couple of books on King Arthur, then spent the next couple of weeks delightedly immersed in the ancient legends.

I know you've all heard of Arthur and Merlin, and probably saw Camelot or one of the other movies about their adventures. You likely know that after Arthur was mortally wounded he was carried off to the magical Isle of Avalon. Merlin, that wonderful sorcerer, then proclaims that at Britain's time of most dire need, King Arthur will return – presumably to set things right.

This is where I scoffed. Think about it. Arthur is off on this magical isle, probably seated in a comfy chair and being waited on hand and foot. By the mid-1100's, he's been enjoying the cushy life for several hundred years and hasn't given Britain a thought for an eon. I figure this man is going to need a nudge. But by whom and how?

Thus was born Gwendolyn, the heroine of Midnight Magic. She's the guardian of a spell, fashioned by Merlin and handed down through the female line of Pendragon, to call King Arthur from Avalon at the time of Britain's most dire need. Naturally, there are a few complications!

Gwendolyn has two sisters who have nothing to do with her problem with the spell. The thing was, I figured that since both Emma (Twilight Magic) and Nicole (Magic In His Kiss) were also princesses of Pendragon they should have some special abilities of their own. More on that in my July blog.

Is there a particular period in history that fascinates you? If we had a time machine, where and when would like to visit?

Shari Anton
MAGIC IN HIS KISS, July 2008
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Executing the Hook

I was recently doing an interview and I was asked about my upcoming books. I said I had one set in Alberta that was the third in a series. And then the one after that is an Alberta rancher and a Mediterranean Princess.

There was a discernible pause.

It does sound unlikely, doesn't it. A quarterhorse rancher. A Princess. Yeah, right.

Category romances depend on the hook. They are themes that run through all the stories. Kind of that tag line...what's your book about. It's a marriage of convenience, or a secret baby, or reluctant royalty, old sweethearts, marriage in jeopardy...you know the drill.

That hook is part of what tells the reader what they are getting. But that hook also has to be executed correctly for it to be plausible. I've had different hooks in each of my books so far. The first one was an inheritance/marriage of convenience story. My second old sweethearts, and one with a secret. My third was a soldier and a secret baby. The fourth - the one coming in August - has law enforcement and a widow. And the fifth is the rancher and Princess.

For some reason this one is the one that gives the most pause.

It's all in the execution. So what worked for me was that (and you find this out pretty early on) Lucy didn't know she was a Princess her whole life (oops, did I accidentally fit a secret baby into it as well? She was one!). She is resentful of it now and is using this trip to Prairie Rose Ranch as an escape. She resents her father, the King, and feels like she doesn't fit anywhere.

Only she encounters Brody Hamilton and he DOES remind her of where she came from. She grew up with horses and the ranch feels like home. Only Brody has issues of his own. And so it goes.

I did like the idea of the fairy tale, though, so writing the ending of the book was a real treat. I hope it reads as magically as it felt writing it. And I can't wait to write another "out there" hook and have fun making it all plausible!

What a Difference a Year Makes!

Wow, when I think about my life a year ago and I look at where I am now, sometimes it's pretty hard to believe. A year ago I wasn't recovering from a very bad case of the flu (as I am now) but I was battling illness after illness in my precious, premature baby's life. In between going to five different specialists for him and staying up most of the night just listening to make sure he was still breathing, I was trying to sell a novel, trying to land an agent, trying to make the writing career for myself that I'd always wanted. Not to mention trying to take care of my oldest two children and not let my day job of English professor suffer. I was more exhausted than I'd ever been in my life.

So exhausted, in fact, that when I got the call that my very first novel-- A Christmas Wedding-- had sold, I did something completely out of character. I broke down on the phone with my brand-new editor and started to cry. She was perfectly charming about the whole thing and I hung up the phone with a huge smile on my face. I had sold a book!

And as of that moment, I expected everything to change right away. What I found out was that absolutely everything and absolutely nothing had. Yes, I was a "published" author now, but I was still a newbie with a lot to learn. And I ended up learning a lot of it the hard way. I lost a line and an editor within three months of each other, went to my first conference as a published writer and learned just how incredibly ignorant I was about the world of publishing.

So, this year-- on top of everything else-- has been an incredible teacher. I've met amazing people, made a number of friends-- and lost some I'd expected to keep, learned more than I can say about this business of writing books, got the agent of my dreams, and-- most importantly-- have watched my baby grow into a healthy, happy toddler who rarely so much as sneezes.

And today, as I think back to where I was a year ago, I realize I wouldn't trade a thing. Not the steep learning curve or the closed line, not the sleepless nights or the days when I could barely keep my eyes open as I walked into my classroom to teach. Because everything that happened in this past year has brought me to where I am now. A place where my children are healthy, my friendships are solid, and God willing, my career is on the rise.

So, tell me, how is your life different today than it was a year or two ago? What have you learned?

OPPOSITES ATTRACT…* - Christina Hollis

…that’s certainly true in the case of romance readers and their heroes. I wouldn’t fancy going on a walking holiday with Heathcliff, but his towering presence has kept Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights at the top of reading lists for generations. Real life can be equally surprising. My career as a night-owl and party animal came to a heart-stopping halt the moment I was introduced to my next-door-neighbour’s strong, silent brother. The guys I’d been dating up until then had all been loud, proud – and shallow. One blind date with Mr Wonderful, and I was hooked. My other half is the Alpha male to top them all. He’s a man who doesn’t need to advertise, or make a fuss. He just is. We couldn’t be more dissimilar, but luckily the differences in our characters fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Contrasts are certainly exciting to write. I live in the folds of the English countryside. While my heart will always be there, I love writing about busy places such as Florence or Venice. There’s such a buzz around cities, and exotic locations almost guarantee good weather. Mind you, there is a downpour in my latest book, Her Ruthless Italian Boss. It happens in Venice. You might think that city has plenty of water already, but the weather is reflecting English heroine Beth’s unhappiness at the strange change in hero Luca’s attitude toward her. Beth has grown up in a culture where the definition of summer is ‘two fine days and a thunderstorm’.

At least Italian rain can be warm!

* ‘Ah, the cry of the truly desperate!’ can anyone remember in which American sitcom a not very helpful marriage counsellor (played by Englishman John Cleese) said this to a pair of his hopelessly mismatched clients? That line still makes me laugh!

Christina
www.christinahollis.com

…that’s certainly true in the case of romance readers and their heroes. I wouldn’t fancy going on a walking holiday with Heathcliff, but his towering presence has kept Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights at the top of reading lists for generations. Real life can be equally surprising. My career as a night-owl and party animal came to a heart-stopping halt the moment I was introduced to my next-door-neighbour’s strong, silent brother. The guys I’d been dating up until then had all been loud, proud – and shallow. One blind date with Mr Wonderful, and I was hooked. My other half is the Alpha male to top them all. He’s a man who doesn’t need to advertise, or make a fuss. He just is. We couldn’t be more dissimilar, but luckily the differences in our characters fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Contrasts are certainly exciting to write. I live in the folds of the English countryside. While my heart will always be there, I love writing about busy places such as Florence or Venice. There’s such a buzz around cities, and exotic locations almost guarantee good weather. Mind you, there is a downpour in my latest book, Her Ruthless Italian Boss. It happens in Venice. You might think that city has plenty of water already, but the weather is reflecting English heroine Beth’s unhappiness at the strange change in hero Luca’s attitude toward her. Beth has grown up in a culture where the definition of summer is ‘two fine days and a thunderstorm’.
At least Italian rain can be warm!


* ‘Ah, the cry of the truly desperate!’ can anyone remember in which American sitcom a not very helpful marriage counsellor (played by Englishman John Cleese) said this to a pair of his hopelessly mismatched clients? That line still makes me laugh!

Truth in Family Stories - Michelle Styles

Family stories fascinate me. I love hearing them and getting snippets of history. However, with my family, I am always aware of the tendency to embroider.
As my father used to say -- never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. And one of the great things for me is try unpick the truth from the story. What actually happened? Sometimes, it is downplayed, or sometimes exaggerated. And the reasons for both are fascinating.
One of the great collections of family stories are the Icelandic sagas. They were meant to entertain and educate. Besides being good stories, they do contain an element of truth about what happened. But how much truth? How much legend? And what are the reasons behind it.
It is a subject that fascinates me, and I think sometimes people are far too quick to say -- oh that did not happen. I think it is fun to look for the truth behind the myth. And yes, I do have a certain fondness for Indiana Jones. Until Dr. Heinrich Schliemann discovered the remains of what he claimed was Troy, many of the ancient cities were assumed to be more myth than anything. Then you had Sir Arthur Evans who discovered Knossos and the Minoan civilisation. How much of the story of King Minos is myth and legend? The remains of the truth were in the legend.
When I started to write Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife, I wanted to explore the connection between truth and legend in family stories. The heroine, Sela, knows or thinks she knows that most of the stories about her father are legend and distorted beyond all recognition. After their hall falls to her ex-husband, Sela discovers the sometimes uncomfortable truth that perhaps the stories were not as distorted and far fetched as she first thought.
Have you ever heard a family story that you thought was a legend only to discover it was in fact the truth or a dark mirror of the truth?
To celebrate the UK publication of the paperback edition of Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife, I am having a contest for Totebag readers. VWUW is the second book in my Viken series. You can read an extract here. What I would like to know is the year in which story takes place and where. Send the answer to me with Totebag June Contest in the email. The winner will get a signed copy of the Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife (or if you already have it, another from my backlist). I will draw the winner on 14 June.

** Update: Nicole Price's name was the first out the hat. I have contacted Nicole to ask if she wnats VWUW or another book of mine. Many thanks to all who entered.**

The Women by Megan Crane

I love movies about women.

The one I'm most excited about this year doesn't involve Cosmopolitans and couture, it's an interpretation of a much older play:
The Women by Clare Boothe Luce, which was originally on Broadway in 1936. It was an MGM movie in 1939. And my friends put it up when I was in college, which is how I know it. It's one of the most delightfully catty and backstabby play imaginable, and it's a brand new movie this year, starring just about every female actor you can think of:

The Women Trailer



What's your favorite Female Flick?

ALL IN THE NAME OF RESEARCH

As writers we get to do lots of things in the name of book research.

Some of those things fall into the category of "work." Hunting down people with certain expertise who are willing to talk to you after you tell them you're writing a book (these folks usually fall into two categories, those who are totally enamored with the idea of helping contribute to a work of fiction; and those who eye you suspiciously, looking for how you might be conning them.) Combing through thousands of websites on Google searches (at least this work pays off when the ten-thousandth one yields the tiny nugget of information you've been looking for).

Some of those things fall into the category of a good excuse to read a dozen books about a topic you've recently discovered fascinates you.

Some fall into the catetory of a really good excuse to travel to a location in order to breathe the air and walk the ground of the place your setting your book. I've used this one several times; but I'm thinking my next locale needs to be something tropical and exotic and unaffordable.

There are those that we do just because we need to see the colors as a gasoline fire burns, or understand jus thow dark the woods are at night and feel the sting of branches and stab of rough ground on our bare feet as we try to run through the woods in the middle of the night (yes, this was me working on PITCH BLACK -- don't tell my husband, or he'll start locking me in at night).

And then there are those that lead us to places totally unexpected, have us doing things we never imagined we would. I had the fabulous experience of working with Indiana Task Force 1, FEMA search and rescue dog team. Oh my gosh, those dogs are amazing. Their handlers are so dedicated, most of them train more than one weekend a month (this is a for-the-love-of-it occupation). After my initial observation of their training (in the fifty degree rain, in a dangerously overgrown and landfilled gravel pit they aptly call Devil's Den), my daughter and I volunteered to be "victims" for their traning exercises. What an experience! We slipped into crevaces in this huge pile of concrete rubble and the SAR teams were shuttled to the site in a Blackhawk helicopter (so the dogs could get used to flying right before they had to work). These dogs work on scent alone -- just looking at you isn't reason for them to alert, they have to smell you. Talk about dicipline. I was in a place where the rescuers actually had to send in a tiny camera to see me once the dogs said I was there. They found me all but one time. They found my daughter every time -- and this is a n area that covers acres and acres!

I wonder where my writing research will lead me next?

How about you other writers out there? Any unique experiences you want to share? Fabulous castles in Scotland? Riding in a fighter jet? Touring the AFT or FBI facility?

Where Our Ideas Come From

In my last blog, I talked about animals, specifically mentioning my own, Star my dog and Eddie my cat. Unfortunately Eddie passed away a few days after I wrote that blog. I just wanted to say that I’m going to miss him a lot. He was a good boy. As I mentioned in that blog, he found his way into my writing, as has Star, so he’s been immortalized for readers in my Jennifer Skully release, It Must Be Magic.

That brings me to what I want to talk about today, where writers get their ideas. I’m sure everyone does it differently. And there are as many ideas as there are people on the planet. I can overhear something at the grocery store or the doctor’s office. I can see a news story on the TV. Or something can happen in my neighborhood. Recently, my neighbor was arrested for murder. As you may guess, the whole thing has traumatized the neighborhood. You see them on the news, the people living next door to a killer saying, “But he was such a nice guy.” And I swear, that’s what I said, too. He WAS a nice guy. He always had a nice word for me when I walked my dog by his house, always waved and smiled and joked. Now he’s been accused of murdering a pregnant woman. Oh, and he’s in jail for raping his girlfriend. Did I tell you he’s married, too, with three little kids? The murder occurred a year and a half ago. Right after, he was arrested for rape, a crime which came to light during the investigation into the murder. Of course, in the neighborhood we were all waiting for him to be charged with the murders as well (it’s a double homicide because the victim was six months pregnant). He was having multiple affairs, he was an alcoholic. I had no idea, but much of this came out at the rape trial, stuff he admitted to. The most damning thing was that he asked his wife to give him an alibi for the night of the murder.

As a neighbor, I was as traumatized as the rest of my neighborhood. As a writer, I find it all fascinating, not just that he could be hiding all these secrets, but my own emotions about it, and those of my neighbors. How it became personal for us. We’d whisper about it while walking our dogs or shopping at the grocery store where he and the murdered woman worked. I’m not sure how it will fit into my writing, because I’ve already done a book called “Sex and the Serial Killer” which was about an alleged serial killer living in the neighborhood. Oddly enough, when the book was released and my book signing announcement appeared in the local paper, my murderous neighbor came over to congratulate me. Even then, the seeds of the murder were already being sown. It just goes to show you, everyone has secrets. And that’s what writers thrive on, writing about other people’s secrets, and sometimes even their own.

Next time, I’ll tell you about a secret that became the basis for Trinity Green’s story in Show and Tell.

Jasmine Haynes, Show and Tell, Coming July 2008.
Don’t miss your chance to win an ARC of Show and Tell and other great prizes.
Details about the contest at http://www.skullybuzz.com/

Book Buzz - Susanna Carr

This week I'm going to the Lori Foster and Dianne Castell Get Together in Cincinnati, Ohio. I haven't started packing but I already have my books tucked away in my bag. (Doesn't this show where my priorities are?) I picked these books because they have received a lot of positive buzz. Strangely, they are all historicals! Which books am I taking on my trip to read?

The Spymaster's Lady by Joanne Bourne

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas

Have you read these books yet? Any other books you picked up because you've heard the buzz?

Susanna
www.susannacarr.com

My Secret Weapon - Writer’s Block - Natalie Anderson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a romance writer under threat of a deadline, must be in need of chocolate.

And the closer the deadline, the bigger the need.

My next deadline is… tomorrow. Fortunately it’s been fundraising time at my son’s kindergarten and I’ve had a whole, huge box of chocolate to sell – to myself! Then, as that supply inevitably ran low, hubby returned from a timely jaunt overseas with a couple of fat tubes of duty free Toblerone…

You get the idea right? I’m an addict.

Can you imagine then, how terrible it was when I was in the midst of writing His Mistress by Arrangement and I had to go cold turkey – chocolate free. I had book two jitters and it was due barely four months after I’d sold my first book and given birth to my twins in the same week.

I’ll be honest. Chocolate had gotten me through many of those long, long nights with teeny, tiny, frequent waking babies and crazy plot conundrums. At one point I was scoffing a big block a day. Not surprisingly, for the babies benefit and mine, I had to lay off. But oh, the withdrawal! J

So I did like any writer would – projected my fantasies onto the page – and passed my addiction to my leading lady. With great vicarious pleasure I gave Emma as much of the sweet stuff as I couldn’t have. At the time I had a big caramel thing going – so that’s her favourite too. But I must confess that these days I go for one we have here in New Zealand called Crunch – it has bits of broken up bits of hokey pokey in it. Don’t know what hokey pokey is? Then come on over to my blog and find out – you might even win some!

Remember, a block a day helps you work, rest and… write romance!

So what about you? In times of stress is it the power of the cacao bean that saves you? And if so, which sort – are you a dark and bitter fan, or that white stuff that’s so milky and mild it just about can’t be called chocolate?
Do you like hard or soft centres? Or perhaps you like none at all, preferring to let the chocolate speak for itself?

Just as there is a category line for every reader, so there is a chocolate for every appetite…
So while I sit up all night tonight, scoffing choccie and checking my book, tell me which is your favourite?

Two of Natalie’s Modern Heat/Presents books are out in June: http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=">His Mistress By Arrangement is on the shelves in the US, while http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=">Pleasured by the Secret Millionaire is on the shelves in the UK!

Barbados, Here I Come -- Michelle Monkou

At the end of June, I'll be hopping on a plane to head to the Caribbean. And I am an island girl at heart. This year, the destination is Barbados. It'll be my third time on this island. My writing career goal is to make Barbados, a second home.

For a glorious week, my family, my brother and his family, including our mother will hang out, connect with family friends, and hopefully make more friends. I can't wait.

I do have some sizzling romances set in the Caribbean. But I've used fictitious islands.Now that I'll be there as tourist and hanging with the locals, I'll be sure to make Barbados one of my settings. Of course, for tax purposes, this will be business and pleasure LOL.

As the excitement builds, I have to make sure my work is in order before I leave. Must have my pet care in place for the cat. And for the most important thing, I need to have clothes and beachwear. Since we're coming out of the winter months, I do have the same spring and summer clothes from last year and the year before. I won't go further back because I'm not sure those clothes still fit :-)

But I sense a day of shopping ahead. My daughter will be close to me, since she relishes any opportunity for money to be spent on her. But we must get our shorts, tank tops, fun skirts, and swimsuits. With the sun and my daughter's vitiligo, sunscreen is important and critical.

Speaking of swimsuit, I know it won't be a bikini. The last time I wore a bikini I was probably 9 years old and when I came out of the pool the top was sitting above my flat chest. And everyone laughed. Scarred for life, I never put on another one. Now that I'm pleasantly thick, there's no freaking way that I'm doing that for another laugh fest.

But I've jumped on the treadmill. I'm walking and walking and walking. Last night I actually put the slice of pizza that I was going to sample back in the box. I ate my bran cereal instead and imagined the cheese and tomato sauce. But with Barbados on the horizon and RWA's San Francisco conference just around the corner, I have incentive.

Twenty-three days and counting. Barbados, here I come!

Michelle Monkou

On The Road Again...Donna Alward

I've preloaded this post because at the time of posting, I will be a woman without a home.

Today is May 30, which means tomorrow is May 31, and the 31 is the day we drive away from Calgary for good...from now on it will only be occasional visits.

The drive will take a week. Thereabouts. It took us 3.5 days when it was just the 2 of us, but now we have to go 4 hours further AND we have 2 kids. 15 hour driving days aren't really an option. If you look at the map, find Calgary - it's in Alberta....and then trace your way all the way over to Halifax, wayyy over on the east coast. Give or take - about 4000 km.

But we're all very excited...even the kids. Life is going to change, and we hope for the better. Not that life here was bad, mind you. And it's horribly difficult to leave people you've become close to over the last decade. But this is all a big adventure for the Alwards.

So...a week in the truck with the kids.

We've done the bad parent thing and the girls now have Nintendo ds's. WITH headphones. Let's face it you can't read or write in the truck. And the ABC game etc. only lasts so far. You have to mix it up a little. One thing the girls like is, believe it or not, listening to the 80's channel on the satellite radio. But when you're looking at driving for a week.....

So we have music, we have video games, and fun travel games. (By the way, playing the ABC game from Thunder Bay to Wawa is pointless....there is NOTHING there - not even road signs.) We also have a dvd player.

We sound like a technie nightmare, don't we!

The good news is we are hotel-ing it as we go and if we stop early enough, we'll have a decent dinner, time to read, go for a walk, or a swim in the pool. I'm also hoping that since we have time, we'll be able to stop at some landmarks along the way. This might be their only chance to see some parts of Canada so I'm also going to get them to keep a journal of the trip.

The next time I blog here, will be 2 days before we take possession of our new home! Stay tuned....

Terri Brisbin

Due to unforeseen circumstances, aka family, Terri won't be able to post today. But, watch for her blog about her recent search for men-in-kilts in Scotland on June 15th!

The Fairy Dust Element - Trish Wylie

'Where do you get your ideas from?' is one of those questions authors are asked so many times we barely even flinch after a while. We don't mind answering it, don't get me wrong... but it's always been more interesting to me how that initial spark of an idea becomes the finished article on the page. Because having the idea is one thing, making it a book that people all over the world might enjoy? Now that's fascinating!!!

Since I was first published I've been fortunate enough to have met many, many, many writers both published and unpublished. But the one thing we all understand is the one thing it's really hard to explain to other people. You see, when it comes to writing there's an intangible... an unexplainable element... one thing we just can't teach someone no matter how hard we try...

I call it fairy dust.

And when it arrives, I can't begin to tell you how much more enjoyable it makes my job! I know the millisecond it gets here, cos that's when my characters really come to life; they speak to me, they argue when I'm wrong and place obstacles in my way till I fix it, they tell me things outta nowhere that I didn't even think of before. And when any of those things (particularly the last one) happen - the story grows wings. I LOVE that. It also tends to be when I pick up speed in the word-count so that may have something to do with it too ;)

Earlier this year I lost my fairy dust. And writing without it? HURT. I mean REALLY HURT. Every word, every line, every paragraph and every page was dragged from me like someone was pulling off my fingernails with tweezers and running them down a blackboard behind me. At my lowest moment I spent two and a half hours moving single words back and forth inside one paragraph - I jest you not. One word in a sentence moved down a few words then moved back ten minutes later. And still the paragraph didn't read right. I was almost suffering a writers version of O.C.D. I wanted to start something new - not an option; deadline. I wanted to quit writing - not an option; getting too old for most of the jobs I used to do before and I need to eat... I wanted to cry - so I did. Usually every single time I re-read what I'd done the day before. I spent days in tears. I hated what I was doing. Had I burned out already?

Where was my gosh darned fairy dust!!!

Maybe it's part of my pantster mentality? You know plotter = someone who plots, pantster = someone who flies by the seat of their pants? I'm of the latter persuasion. I know the basics of the story and the characters and their problems and a few key scenes but after that I wing it. I had a conversation online with a very good writing buddy but a few days ago and we both agreed that for us, it's more organic that way... theoretically... When it works it really works. These people become real and part of the adventure is where they lead us. Maybe not a very professional approach to some but to me a big part of why I took up writing in the first place was because I LOVED it. Still do. I love to write as much as I love to read and watch movies and daydream. To me there's a little touch of magic in all those things. Set a whole bunch of rules in place and it suddenly seems more like work. *shudder*

Thankfully, with this latest book I've been working on the fairy dust has reappeared. Can't tell you how relieved I was about that!!! I started out tentatively, was scared if I'm completely honest. But somewhere in the middle, little details started to appear that I hadn't planned. Where did a hurricane in my hero's past come from for instance? That wasn't in my outline. It changed it, added a new dimension... brought him to life a little more... led to yet more pieces of information I would never have thought of on my own... Fairy dust. Yay!!!

Course now I have the burn out fear out of my head I now get to worry that the lack of fairy dust in the one that caused me so much pain will show to the reader. We writer's do like to worry about such things, especially when we're lucky enough to have loyal readers out there. And one of the things about category or series romance is that we produce a lot. It's the nature of the business. Burn out is a very real risk. Repetition is a very real risk. Slipping standards not so much (we hope!) - cos we care and cos we have editors who care (thankfully!) And I know I've read books by other authors that they claimed had been horrific writing experiences for them but it never showed on the page... so maybe it won't show in mine as much as I think?! I'm crossing my fingers as I type...

Readers are like gold dust to authors. No readers = no career. End of. And every penny or dime or cent or whatever currency they buy books in is precious. So what happens if you get a favorite author who you feel has let you down in a book? Do you quit on them, give them the benefit of the doubt, consider it a glitch? Its a tough call, especially if you read on a budget. And you can see how much I've thought this one through, can't you??? Maybe it's because I had a favourite author and she was an auto-buy for me and then I hit one and the magic wasn't as obvious to me as I read. I did try again. And again after that - I'm a Leo, we tend to be loyal that way. But it was never quite the same for me and I was gutted. I still have her earlier books on my keeper shelf and I re-read them over and over, but it might be a while before I run out to snap up a new one as it lands on the shelf. Now that I'm at the writer end of the scale I feel guilty about that. I can't help but wonder if she lost her fairy dust too? Maybe she did and still can't find it? See and now I want to go to her house and give her a hug...

So have you read a book you thought was sprinkled liberally with fairy dust? One where the characters were so real for you that you thought about them long after you closed the cover? Somewhat ironically I'm now in the position where my latest one is ready to go and I'm loathe to hit send cos I know I'll miss it so much. Can't win with me really. Or like me have you had an author you loved but lost faith in? (Don't name names here gang or for me The Salem Witch hunt will soon seem like a Sunday Picnic...) Would you try them again? Would you maybe library a couple to see if the magic is back for you? Or once you've lost faith is it lost? Yes, cos if you say yes to the last one I won't at all stress over it will I? Terrific, now I'm a masochist. I should just ask you if I look fat in this outfit while I'm here too, shouldn't I? Get all that angst out in the open in one go...

I did a competition to win a copy of my May Presents release Her Bedroom Surrender last time I was here - I'm not only pleased to say it's a finalist in the Short Contemporary Category of the Booksellers Best Award under it's Modern Heat title Breathless! (A fairy Dust book btw) but I'm also pleased to say I have a winner - Aideen! So Aideen please email me and I'll pop you a signed copy in the post!

This time out I'll offer a copy of my May Modern Heat Claimed By The Billionaire Bad Boy to a random commenter...

To find out more about Trish and her books you can visit her Website or her Blog.

Things I Hate Today...

Posted by Christine Rimmer

Things I hate today…

Hmm. Should I have a better attitude? You bet. After all, it's May. Spring has sprung, all green and gorgeous. I've finished a book and I'm in my break time--the month between books when I have plenty of free time to do all those things I never get around to while I'm on deadline.

Like visit my parents who live halfway across the continent in California. Now, don't get me wrong. I love visiting my parents. It's been far too long and I can't wait to see them.

But the problem--meaning the thing I hate--is that I have to fly to get there. Flying nowadays is the closest an ordinary, law-abiding American woman is going to get to being in prison. I believe Dave Berry said that--or something pretty close--a while back in one of his columns. I’m with Dave. You can’t even take water on a plane anymore. Or wait. You can. But you have to pay four bucks for it after you get past the security checkpoint.

Now, yes, I know. National Security is a top priority these days and things could be worse. Can’t they always?

I believe that they were worse not long ago. Hey, remember when you couldn't take lipstick on the flight with you? Now you can. And you can take liquids you bring from home--in tiny bottles, all of which have to fit in a quart-sized zip bag. Last time I flew, I forgot about the itty-bitty bottle of hand sanitizer I left roaming loose in my purse. I ended up with half my clothes off in the special area for people who don't know the rules. You know, where you stand there with your bare arms out and they run the electronic wand over you while people who have sense enough to put their hand sanitizer in the right place hurry on to their gate, casting you the occasional pitying glance.

But hey. I may have to be separately searched, but I've got my lip gloss and my lips look great. And lookin’ good is something, after all.

And flying isn't all I hate. I also hate that for a writer, a book takes so long to be “done.” As I mentioned above, I did finally type The End on my latest. After which I made several passes through it, cleaning it up, getting it just right before I dropped it in the chute to wing its happy way to Manhattan.

But you know what? No sooner did I send the last one off than the one before it came back. Because every writer knows that manuscripts just won't stay gone. Out they go--and back they come. First for line edits and later for galleys. I do like that I get a couple more passes at it. I do want each book to be as good as I can make it when it arrives on the shelves, where readers will be putting down their hard-earned cash for it. So I suppose I need to focus on that, rather than gritching about how manuscripts are like boomerangs: they won’t stop coming back.

What else? Frankly, a thousand things. But for today, the flying and the boomerang books are enough.

What about you? Hate anything today? Come on, you know you do....


Oh, and once again I'm writing this ahead because I'll be away from my computer on my blog day. That's right. That's another thing I hate. When I'm not here on my blog day. But I'll reply to all comments as soon as I can get back to my desk again.

Maybe by then I'll even be in a better mood. Hey. It could happen...

ChristineRimmer.com

My Blog

Myspace Page

MEN and BABIES by Bronwyn Jameson

My current work in progress is an unplanned pregnancy book (tentatively scheduled for March 09) and this week I've been thinking about my hero, an alpha of the cool, controlled, emotionally aloof variety, and how this baby will bring him undone. I haven't written a new baby scene for years and years -- I am thinking that A Tempting Engagement (2003) may have been my last. And that wasn't the hero and heroine of that book's baby, but the couple from the previous book. Is there no more heart-squeezing scene than that of a big, tough alpha turned to goo by a tiny bundle of babydom? Don't you love that image: the contracts of size and strength, the parallel of vulnerability? Who is holding who in the palm of their hand?

I've been thinking about that and thinking about my own dad, a stoic, capable gentleman who didn't make many mistakes...except in the aftermath of new fatherhood. In those days it was the father who filed the birth details and my dad, well, he got it wrong. Several times. My elder brother and sister, both names spelled incorrectly. My youngest sister, names written down in the wrong order so her middle name became her first.

And then there's me.

By the time I reached age 17 there'd been a deal of ribbing over my father and the not-quite-right names. I thought I'd gotten off scot free. Even though my name is the most difficult of the five, Dad spelled it correctly. Then I applied for my birth certificate and discovered I'd been registered with the wrong birth date. A simple mistake, we laughed a lot, but it's been causing me grief ever since. By that time I'd already used my real birth date for some documentation (e.g. my bank and school) while everything official such as my driving licence and passport required the date on my birth certificate.

Every so often I get caught out answering the questions to verify my identity. "Birth date," says the impersonal voice on the end of the phone. And I automatically give my real birth date, then comes the stumbling explanation, the dubious silence, and another six or ten questions because they didn't quite believe me.

My father, being male, never owned any of these mistakes. "The clerk must have written it down wrong," he would say. I blame the enormity of the new baby experience--an alpha with all control taken out of his hands--and how that combination turns the most capable, careful man to quivering ineptitude. I love it; how about you? Do you love a good alpha + baby storyline? Have you read one lately you can recommend, because after writing this post I find I am quite in the mood.

Ten Questions -- Win a Book!

Because my website is down while I redo it, I was planning to blog about technology and computers and my lack of enthusiasm for both. Then I read Holly's blog about living with happiness and I just couldn't be a Ms. Grouchy Gripes after that. (Hollyanna frequently makes me feel that way. Which is a Good Thing. Like Life. And Holly. *G*)

Not much makes me happier than reading a good book. Unless it's writing one. :::fingers crossed that's the case more than not:::

But what's even better than a good book? Easy: a good FREE book!

Answer the ten questions below and you'll be entered in a drawing for a copy of my upcoming Harlequin Superrromance NOBODY'S HERO (July 08). I'll return after the weekend to announce the winner's name at the end of this blog post, so be sure to check back as I'll need an email from the winner with her address.

1. Thrillers or romantic comedies?
2. Paranormal, historical or contemporary?
3. Romance or Chick Lit?
4. P.I. or military?
5. Horses or sports cars?
6. Glamorous heroine or everyday gal?
7. Pure fantasy or slice of life?
8. Alpha or Beta?
9. Battling wits or emotional splits?
10. Cover preference:
Hero shot or couple's clinch?


* * * * *

Thanks for sharing your opinions.




WINNER! WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!

VIRGINIA is the winner of the drawing for a copy of NOBODY'S HERO. Congratulations, Virginia! Please email me at CarrieAlexander2@aol.com to claim your prize. :-)



When she isn't battling technology, Carrie Alexander is the award-winning author of over 35 books published by Harlequin and St. Martin's Press. She can currently be found dancing in the sunshine after surviving the Winter That Would Not End.

Life Is Good

A few years back, a friend gave me a t-shirt that said, Life is Good. There's a whole line of products now that say it. When she gave it to me she said, "You say that all the time." I'd never thought about it, but I do! LOL

Since then, I catch myself saying it and always smile and think of my friend. Here's the thing...life is good. I decided a long time ago, to be happy and look for the silver linings. Of course, sometimes people take that kind of Pollyanna-view of the world as a sign that you lack intelligence, but for me, deciding to be happy makes sense. I realize crap happens, but even amongst the crap, there are sweet moments and I can cling to those.

What makes me happy? Family. I've been married to the same man for 25 years this summer. My kids. I'll confess, I'm biased, but truly, they're four of the nicest kids around (and I'd talked to all four of them before eight o'clock this morning...two were here, two called. That makes me happy!). Even family members who are gone still can make me smile when I remember favorite moments. For instance, this pic is my MIL, Dort, and I in NYC. For a graduation present, my daughter asked the two of us to go on a school trip with her. That trip, even with its long bus ride, loud kids and sleepless nights, is a moment I will always treasure. Family makes me happy!


Friends. I have some of the most fantastic friends. To the left is a group of SuperRomance authors...very good friends indeed. My kids call my writing friends "invisible friends" because they've never met most of them. As in, "Mom's talking to her invisible friends again." But even those friends who live on the other side of the country, or in a different country, I feel I can count on...invisible or not!

Springtime...what's not to be happy about during the spring?? Flowers. Sunshine. Warmer weather. Even the rain. Spring is...well, just walking outside is bound to make you smile! We went shopping for our veggie garden yesterday, and I bought more flowers for the front. Now, I don't like to garden. Bugs. Dirt. Sun. Ick. BUT, I love the results, so even as I'm up to my elbos in dirt, the sun beating on my back and a giant bug facing me down...I can be happy that I'll have those flowers to look at the rest of the season.

I was sitting next to an airline mechanic a few years ago. And we struck up a lovely conversation. As we came in for our landing in Detroit, he said how much fun he'd had on this flight, and that he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conversation as he commuted on the plane to work. I asked why he decided to talk to me. He said, "You smiled." I guess that's the end of this very happy post. Happiness is contagious. LOL

A friend calls me Hollyanna. If that's the worst thing anyone calls me on any given day, I'll be...happy! LOL Life is good!

So, what are you all happy about today??

Holly--aka Hollyanna Jacobs

http://www.hollyjacobs.com/

SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, Harlequin Superromance, 8/08
EVERYTHING BUT A BRIDE, Avalon Books, 8/08

ONCE UPON A THANKSGIVING, Harlequin American Romance, 10/08

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, Harlequin American Romance, 12/08

EVERYTHING BUT A WEDDING, Avalon Books, 12/08

ONCE UPON A VALENTINE'S, Harlequin American Romance, 2/09

CALGON! TAKE ME AWAY (or May is a Four-Letter Word) by Jenny Gardiner

Ah, the month of May…The flowers in bloom, the birds whistling a happy tune. Parents across America ready to throttle the next teacher, coach, or offspring activity-related person who dares to lump one more have-to in their lap.

The month of May…what my friend refers to as the Storm before the Calm. What I view as the annual rite of hazing inflicted upon every mom (and most dads, to a certain extent) every springtime as the school year draws to an imminent close.

The drill goes as follows: class play, class music program, soccer practice, soccer games, soccer try-outs, baseball, baseball and more baseball, lacrosse games, lacrosse playoffs, state cup championships, piano recitals, ballet recitals, field trips (why weren’t these scheduled for the dull month of January?!), pre-school graduation, kindergarten graduation, lower-school graduation, middle school graduation, college graduation, teacher appreciation luncheons, class parties. Class parties? I’m thinking class warfare at this point.

I get nightly calls: can you come in for the teacher appreciation luncheon? Can you drive for the field trip to Pakistan? Can you pledge your extra kidney to be auctioned off at the school fund drive?

Can you stop calling me before I have the national do-not-call list enforcer come after you for harassment?

Truthfully, I’m happy to be of help. To a certain extent. But when I start to wake in the middle of the night, fearful that I have sloughed off my duties to prepare Pad Thai for 300 for International Day, I get to worrying. And when I realize that I am clenching my teeth so hard that I think lockjaw has set in, I’m a little more concerned.

And when the call comes in for me to do just one more teeny little thing to help out so and so, and I—without thinking, without feeling, snap the first snarky come-back that pops into my head to the poor unsuspecting room-mother calling me in a desperate spot, I know two things. One, that it’s time for me to hang up my mommy cleats for a few hours and re-gain my grip on reality, and two, summer vacation must be just around the corner. At which time I might just be longing for the days when the kids were in school and the demands on a mother’s time were at their peak.

*a note from the author: I must tell you that Claire Doolittle, the lovable heroine in SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER, penned this piece. Jenny Gardiner had absolutely NOTHING to do with it. Jenny is, without question, perfectly contented to have a life that is out of control and she never loses her temper with room moms and she has in fact already donated a couple of organs to the spring fund drive. She has had no weeping fits, no stress-related breakdowns, and hasn't even noticed that it's Parental Hazing Month.