Where do you get your ideas? - Shayla Black

This is a question I'm often asked...and frequently dread. It's a little like asking where I get the air I breathe. Ideas sort of run amok in my head. After over a decade of marriage, my husband can just look at me and tell when something new has struck me. But where they come from... Overactive imagination? Probably.

I get a lot of ideas, believe it or not, in the car. Probably because when I'm driving, I'm often alone. I'm almost always blasting music. Okay, there's something. I get a lot of ideas from music. It's the way my brain works. Some songs trigger storylines for me, which is why I frequently find songs that correspond to my current or upcoming work and use them to inspire me through a plot. Most people are visual. I'm wired different. Shocking, I know.

Books are easier for me when I have a "soundtrack." Wicked Ties and my current release, Decadent, both have theme songs from Depeche Mode, oddly enough. Jack in Wicked Ties was represented to me by the song Enjoy the Silence. Can't say why. It's not really the lyrics, just a vibe. Something about that song just felt like Jack. Decadent seemed to be spelled out in some ways by the song Precious. Upcoming books in the series, however, have totally different songs and artists, so I'm not just a Depeche Mode freak. I promise. Logan's song is by Three Days Grace, while Hunter's is by Hinder. Luc...I'm not saying a word. :-)

A lot of writers go through different processes to arrive at their plots and characters. Me? I'm all about getting the right vibe in some music. Then whatever is in my sub-conscious will work its way out. Can I write a book without music? Sure. I'm doing it currently with my first paranormal romance, Tempt Me With Darkness (Pocket, September 2008). I don't have a song that represents Marrok or Olivia or the overall plot. It's harder, I confess. Not impossible, thankfully. I'm almost finished.

Some ideas are like ghosts--they just haunt you. The idea for this paranormal is one I conceived of about a dozen years ago. I couldn't figure out the ending. And I couldn't figure it out, and I couldn't figure it out. I worked on it so many times, only to put it away, knowing the time wasn't right. Now music did help me solve the problem. There may have been a bottle of wine involved, too. LOL. So even though I didn't find theme music for the book, per se, I did find my imagination in music. Which is exactly where I love it to be.

If you're writing, find the process that works for YOU. There's no greater joy as a writer than FINALLY knowing that you have the right elements for the story in place and the book fitting together like the pieces of a perfect puzzle.

Read more about Shayla Black books at:
http://www.shaylablack.com/ or
http://www.doomsdaybrethren.com/

FRIENDS AND BOOKS, OR, BOOKS AND FRIENDS?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bon Appetit!

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

Ooh, is that a splinter?

Oh Those Many Genres I Write - Jennifer Ashley

I’m often asked what is my favorite genre to write. I always scratch my head, because I have no clue.

I write romance, mystery, mainstream, and scifi/fantasy. Within romance I write historical, contemporary, paranormal, futuristic, and erotic.

Which is my favorite? I don’t know!!!

I love romance because--Gotta love those heroes! Most of my romances are hero-centric; it’s really the hero’s story. I love coming up with those lonely, powerful hunks of men just waiting to meet their perfect match. I love writing the banter between h/h that becomes a purr as they draw closer together…

Then I start itching to get very, very sensual, and I slide into erotic romance. No holds barred—these people can get down and dirty, usually with the hero teaching the heroine all he knows . . .

I think historicals and erotica are made for each other, so my romance leaps back into the past, when no one was interrupted by cell phones and people talked to each other instead of watched other people talk on television…

But I like the fantasy of magic and supernatural creatures like dragons and werewolves, where the heroine discovers that the hero is a creature of darkness. . .

But when things get too dark, I start wanting funny, upbeat stories where the heroine has to juggle dreams of her magnificent dark hero with the reality of commuting to work and wallpapering her closet.

And then, I start hankering to write a gritty plot-centered story where one rather quirky character is smart enough to solve the mystery and save the day—having a romance along the way, of course!

And then there are the historical mainstreams where I can write about something that really did happen. Here the challenge is making the historical figures come alive, making the tale interesting and suspenseful, even when we all know the outcome.

In my latest novel, The Queen’s Handmaiden, there are only four fictional characters: the heroine, her parents, and the hero. Everyone else is real, and their story unfolded as I tell it.
Of course, I give my fictional heroine a romance with the hero! How could I not?

So I come all the way around the circle back to romance.

Oh, I gotta love those heroes!!

Jennifer Ashley
http://www.jennifersromances.com/
http://www.allysonjames.com/
http://www.gardnermysteries.com/
Author of the bestselling Immortals series, award-winning mysteries and romances, and winner of RWA’s RITA award for novel with romantic elements.

The Heroine in the 21st Century

What makes a heroine different in today's world?

Recalling the romance classics from Mills and Boons, the Harlequins of the 60s, the sweeping historical epics in the 70s, through to the Dynasty and Dallas-type 80s glitz, to Silhouette's American girl-next-door series, and up to Harlequin's Kimani romances...we've come a long way.

And yet, have we come far enough?

We've had the meek, stuttering heroine who swooned when the hero looked her way.

We've had the heroine who liked it rough (some would call it rape).

We've had the heroine who cut her hair or dressed as a boy to be accepted and act on her independence.

We've had the range from the penniless heroines to queens of their nations. The spinstered governess takes her place next to the business executive.

Our heroines' goals and conflicts have been updated to reflect the reality of women's independence. Even in the bedroom with the hero, she will not be dominated. No actually means no. And the heroine can be the one to produce a condom before consummation without shock and distress.

Now that we are only just beginning this century, we've already seen a colorful quilt of heroines from various ethnic groups. Not enough, in my humble opinion, but I think we are moving forward at a healthy clip to re-define the heroine in the 21st century.

And as always, the classic romance story will remain timeless.

Michelle Monkou

Books or Movies?

Which is better, the book or the movie?

My first reaction is to say the book. Definitely the book! Often when I compare a book to the movie made from it, I see how much richer and deeper the book is--we get inside the character's heads, there are layers of motivation and plot not even touched upon in the movie, and so much more detail.

However...

I just went to the movie version of the Jane Austen Book Club. I adored it. Funny, warm, fabulous characters, great acting--and actual book discussions! So the thing is, I wasn't that enthusiastic about the book. I found it dry and really kind of boring, even though I'd expected to love it. I never actually finished the book either, although now that I've seen the movie I'll go back and read it again. I might even like it better the second time.

This got me thinking. Have there been other instances where I preferred the movie? Well, Brokeback Mountain might qualify. While the short story was excellent for what it was, the movie was far more moving. It had grandeur. So did The English Patient, one of my all time favorites. I also loved the book by Michael Ondaatje, but the visuals of the movie swept me away. The characters came alive (even when they were dead). The book was astounding, lyrical, magnificent, but the movie matched it, in my opinion.

What about the more lowbrow stuff? A lot of Stephen King's books have been made into movies. I'd call them a draw. There have been outstanding examples--The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me--and schlocky losers (too many to name).

I'm not a Harry Potter reader or watcher, but I'd guess that most of you prefer the books?

Bridget Jones? Almost a draw, but I've seen the movie several times while I'll probably never read the book again, so I lean toward another vote for the silver screen.

Hmm, come to think of it, maybe my sudden preference for the movie over the book is a case of being too drained from writing all day to read. Not when it's so easy to pop in a DVD and zone out....

Aha! I just thought of one author-who-shall-not-be-named (not my most attractive trait, but I'm still holding a grudge over his attitude toward female romance authors) whose movies are far superior to the books. Message in a Bottle, The Notebook. On that, I shall say no more. :-)

What do you think? Books or movies? Post your opinion for a chance to win a copy of my October release from Harlequin Blaze, MY FRONT PAGE SCANDAL, the second book of the Martini Dares miniseries written with the fantastic authors Lori Wilde (Book 1: MY SECRET LIFE, Sept 07), Jamie Denton (Book 3: MY GUILTY PLEASURE, Jan 08) and Isabel Sharpe (Book 4: MY WILDEST RIDE, Feb 08). I'll choose a name at random and post the winner tomorrow.

Thanks to Lee for inviting me to join the Totebaggers!

Behind a Mask - The Joys of Pretending (and Dressing Up!) Annie West

We’ve all done it, or dreamed of doing it – pretended for a short time that we are someone else. Someone exotic and interesting, perhaps a fascinating femme fatale or a heroine from a favourite book.

Here in Australia, whenever Book Week rolls around most schools have a costume parade where children get the fun of dressing as Harry Potter, Heidi or whatever fictional character most appeals. And the kids respond enthusiastically – there’s something so liberating about becoming someone else, even for a few short hours.

Costume parties are a perennial favourite and I know that all around the world festivals abound where people are invited to tug on a costume or a mask and enter a world of make believe for a few hours. Mardi Gras, Carnivale, Fasching and Halloween all beckon as chances to let down your hair, frock up in something outlandish or stunning and take on a new persona. In a world where most of us are busy being responsible, sensible and careful (most of the time) the lure of a mask or a costume is irresistible.

My most recent experience of this was at the Romance Writers of Australia Conference where the cocktail party theme was Venetian Carnivale. Wow! What a night. So many smiles. So many masks, cloaks, feathers, fabulous costumes and general glitter. The idea of a costume party at the Conference has been fantastically successful since so many people love to dress up and because there’s no pressure to do so. The rest of the attendees get to admire and chat about the costumes. It’s a terrific ice breaker as well as being enormous fun. The woman in gold here is one of our members. Hi Christine!

Perhaps too, some of the success of that party was because these were authors attending, people who make their living, or hope to, from exercising their imaginations and creating fantasy worlds. For most of the year we work alone, in well appointed offices (I wish!) or in a corner somewhere, trying to block out the rest of the world and enter the realm of our latest story. After a year of solo writing no wonder we were ready for some outlandish celebrations. But more than that, I think people who love books also have a love of make believe which allows them to enjoy fictitious worlds, even if only for a few hours.

How many romance readers would love to spend an evening being Cinderella at her ball or Elizabeth Bennett being courted by Mr Darcy? One of my own personal fantasies as a girl was taking Grace Kelly’s place in the movie ‘To Catch a Thief’. I’d go to the masked ball wearing that stunning gold ball gown and dance with Cary Grant!

I’m sure learned books and articles have been written on why people like to make believe, explaining the primitive urge for fantasy, escape, release, or just plain fun. I just know it works, especially if I haven’t had to spend a fortune on a costume.

I suspect that writing romance feeds the desire to escape from the mundane world and stand for a while in someone else’s shoes. To experience the exotic for just a little while. When I write I can be my heroine – strong and confident in situations where I’d be a nervous wreck in real life. Or petite and delicately vulnerable (at around 5’10” I’ve never been described as petite!). I can live my heroine’s exciting life just for a little while, then safely return to my own. The best of both worlds!

What do you think? Do you like to pretend by playing make believe in costume or do you unleash that urge only in the books you read or write? What would be your favourite costume or character for a masquerade?

Annie is currently grappling with another fictitious world, one where the heroine occasionally gets to wear silks and satins and where the hero has just FINALLY realised he can’t live without her. Sigh.

If you want to dip into one of Annie's favourite alternative realities, check out her most recent release for Harlequin Presents – 'For the Sheikh's Pleasure'.

The Pet Death - Lilian Darcy

What is it with vacations and creatures in this family? There seems to be some kind of cosmic conjunction between one or all of us being away and either traumatic pet death or traumatic vermin invasion.

Tomorrow, I’m going away for a week. Complete break. No checking email. New horizons. Fresh air. Fine food. Pile of great books to read. (Note to self – must cull pile, cannot read eleven books on one week vacation.) Top of the pile is Jane Porter’s “Odd Mom Out.” That one is not getting culled. (Note to self – must not spend whole afternoon deciding which books to cull; have other things to do).

Anyhow, so I’m going away, so of course this triggers a Pet Death. Last time we had a Pet Death, my daughter was away on camp, worried the whole time about absent and much-loved cat who was, unbeknownst to us, in our vet’s freezer. He’d been run over. A kind man, whom I wish I could thank, brought him in, in case his owners called in search of him. We found out what had happened the day after daughter returned.

The Pet Death before that took place while I was at the Novelists’ Inc conference in San Diego in March, which meant that my husband had to handle traumatic euthanasia of terminally ill chicken himself. Chicken euthanasia is a man job, but when the man in question was born and raised in New York, where chickens come frozen and wrapped in plastic, I fully appreciated the courage involved.

Yesterday, we had another terminal chicken, one of the three especially precious ones my daughter considers hers, so we’ve had lots of tears here. I called my husband at work and told him what his man job would have to be when he got home. Then I called him again to tell him he didn’t have the man job any more, because the chicken had taken care of the problem on her own. It’s not a good sign when you see them lying stiffly on their side with their feet in the air. Rest in peace, Chicken, you laid beautiful eggs and had a good life pecking around in our back garden.

So now you’re wondering about the traumatic vermin invasion. I will not detail the many spider occurrences. I’m okay with the shiny black, small and highly poisonous ones with the red stripe down their backs. It’s the big, hairy harmless ones that give me the horrors. My most traumatic vermin invasion (so far) was The Large Rat. Husband out of the country (of course). Two in the morning. Loud shaking and rattling sound issues from en suite bathroom. Rat is caught in slats of exhaust fan. Rat somehow squeezes through. Brief silence, then loud plop and splashing sounds. (I’m sorry, this is the most awful blog, are you still reading?) Rat is trapped in toilet bowl. I cannot bring myself to rescue it – I cannot envisage it being grateful for my effort – I do not wish to be bitten or climbed. It is way too big to flush. I take pillow and quilt, close bathroom and bedroom door, sleep on couch. What will I find the next morning when I slide open the bathroom door? Worst case – no rat… therefore where is it? Pretty near worst case – live rat on floor making immediate break for cover between my feet. Best case – rat drowned in toilet. Fortunately, we had the best case. I considered decreeing getting dead rats out of toilets to be a man job, but then bravely tackled it myself, encasing hand in two plastic bags.

Okay, so I’ve sent rewrites to editor, updated website, done laundry, made about six different lists, we’ve had the pet death, so I’m just about ready to leave. Boy, am I looking forward to it. Boy, am I hoping there are no rats, spiders or terminally ill chickens anywhere near our motel. Cross your fingers for me, please…

Lilian Darcy

http://www.liliandarcy.com

Heroes for different times

One thing about changing time periods as I seem to keep doing is that the nature of the heroes alter slightly. In the past year or so, I have written books set in ancient Rome, Viking Scandinavia, Victorian England and currently the Regency period. And with each time period shift, I have had to think about how the hero has changed and how best to show the hero.

Although basic human nature does not alter with the passage of time, the veneer of civilisation does. A Roman hero is a bit more civilised than a Viking hero. A Victorian hero operates by a slightly different set of rules than a Regency hero -- even though they all may have the same inner integrity that I need in all my heroes.

For example, I find it far easier to imagine Christian Bale or Eric Banna playing a Roman, then playing a Viking. Whereas I can easily see Sean Bean or Daniel Craig playing a Viking but have a much harder time envisioning them as Regency dandies. I could however see them as Romans.

It is not their physical characteristics, but their mannerisms that really help to make the final decision.

It was also not quite what I expected to happen when I started changing time periods. I had this long discussion with my editors about the fact that many Norwegians have dark hair and I really wanted a darked haired Viking. And they agreed. The cover does show a dark haired hero. initally I thought I could go through my stock of dark haried heroes and reuse one of my favourites. But I found that I could not use the first actor I had envisioned in the role and eventually had to envision Gerald Butler for it.

As today is the official publication of my first Viking book -- Taken by the Viking, I have a copy to give away to a lucky Tote Bag reader. Simply email me with the answer to the following question: in what year does Taken by the Viking take place (hint it is in the blurb on my website). Totebag contest should be the title of the email. I will draw the winner on Friday 12 October.

Michelle
http://michellestyles.co.uk/

UPDATE: THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST IS
JENNIFER K.
I HAVE CONTACTED HER AND WILL BE SENDING OUT A SIGNED COPY OF TAKEN BY THE VIKING.
MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED.
Michelle

Novellas on my mind - Nalini Singh

I’ve got novellas on my mind. Two reasons for this – my very first novella just came out in the An Enchanted Season anthology; and I’m writing a second one at this very moment.

When I was first asked to write a novella, I thought about the ones I’d read in the past and why the ones that worked for me did so. Here are two factors that immediately jumped out at me.

1. Characters I care about: This is something that’s important in every book I read, but in novellas an author has a shorter time-period to get me cheering for the hero and heroine. So if you’re going to write an unsympathetic hero or heroine, as I reader, I want to be clued in early that this person isn’t as bad as they appear.

2. A complete story: Very important. Even if it’s part of a series, I want a beginning, a middle and an end. A sense of resolution is necessary because often, when I pick up a novella collection, it’s because I don’t have time to read a full book, but want that full book feeling of satisfaction.

So those are two things that I try to keep in mind while working on my novellas. Do you agree with my points? Think I need to add something to the list? And have you read any good novellas lately? What made the story work so well for you?

# Everyone who leaves a comment in the next twenty-four hours goes into the draw to win a copy of An Enchanted Season.

And last, but definitely not least, I want to thank Lee for inviting me to come play on her blog!

Nalini Singh has travelled as far afield as the deserts of China and the temples of Japan. However, it is the journey of the imagination that fascinates her the most. Currently writing the next book in her bestselling Psy/Changeling series—about a race with no emotions, and the sensual changelings who challenge their perfect Silence—she can be found via her website or hanging out at her blog.

Attending AMBA - by Abby Green

I’ve just recently returned home to Dublin after my second outing to London for the annual Mills and Boon author’s lunch, which is always followed by the celebratory champagne reception that Mills and Boon throw for their authors.

This year was even more enjoyable for me, primarily because I wasn’t shaking in my shoes, at every moment, and because I had met and made friends last year and it was so nice to catch up with them again. And I also got to meet and make new friends like the lovely Donna Alward who came all the way from Canada…

The trip started with meeting my room mate India Grey in our hotel room, she got there first and got the best bed, ransacked the tea and generally exploded all over the place. (Just kidding, she was very tidy and left a copy of her new book in its minty hardback cover on my bed: The Italian’s Captive Virgin UK January 2008, and quite brilliant it is too – but she did take all the tea).

The evening before the lunch we had dinner with some fellow Presents/Modern Authors. It was organised by Kate Walker and Michelle Reid, and also there were Jackie Baird; Christina Hollis; Natalie Rivers; myself and India again. A lovely chance to meet and talk before the mayhem of the next day…

…Which was straight to the RAF club, Picadilly. A very grand place with lots of plaques and pictures of flying men and women (well not literally…you know what I mean). The lunch was very ably and gracefully compered by Michelle Styles, historicals author. As if there hadn’t been enough talking and discussing the night before...I had Donna Alward on my right and Gill Sanderson on my left, and as Trish Wylie was on Donna’s other side I spent a lot of time sticking my face across Donna’s chest, but I’m sure she didn’t mind, as she ate her vegetarian noodles…very posh.

Then when lunch was over we managed to fit in a little tea and shopping at Selfridges…as you do. And I saw Noel Gallagher from Oasis going down the escalator. As he’s practically Irish, I didn’t get too excited. Brad Pitt might have got me excited…or George Clooney…but I digress.

After we’d taken tea, (have I mentioned that India Grey is inordinately fond of tea? She could give Mrs Doyle from Father Ted a run for her money), we walked up the road the short distance to The Oriental Club which is just off Oxford St/Bond St, right in the centre of everything. Amazing. In a little tree line cul de sac, it is exactly what you would imagine one of the old gentlemen’s clubs to be like.

As soon as we arrived and had left our coats in the cloakroom and marveled at the size of the bathroom – well I marveled at the size because my own house could have fit into it…twice – we went downstairs, got name tags and entered the fray. A very handsome waiter, straight out of central casting for the cover of a Mills and Boon/Presents novel offered us a glass of champagne, of course I accepted, well…what’s a girl to do?! And I won’t go into the fact that the glass always seemed to be full, I swear I wasn’t holding it out on a regular basis.

So, apart from even more authors here, who hadn’t made the lunch we also had the lovely and very glamorous Editors from Richmond. They are all gorgeous, buzzing around checking on their various authors, making sure we were all looked after.

And the day was even more special when first of all Kate Hardy received her 25th book pin and commemorative gift along with Mary Nichols, and then the other Kate, Kate Walker received her 50th book pin…! Needless to say we didn’t need any encouragement to celebrate and toast them. The day was rounded off with dinner in Brown’s, a restaurant just around the corner and organised by the lovely Biddy Coady. All in all, a great couple of days. It’s such a special treat…especially for us authors who don’t live near anyone else, this is generally the one chance in the year to meet up, discuss and talk the hind legs off a donkey…Here’s to next year, I’m looking forward to it already!

Abby

http://abby-green.com/

What's the Unattraction? - Lori Handeland

I like a hot guy as much as the next woman. What’s not to like? However, over the years I’ve discovered that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to the covers of romance novels.

There are several instances where I’ve pointed to the hero one of my covers and said, “Ew!” while readers point to him and say, “Ooooh!” So I’ve learned that my idea of hot and the next woman’s is not exactly the same.

When writing a romance novel, one of the usual requirements is a hot hero. Not that writers haven’t written books with so called “ugly” guys. I did it myself in a Superromance originally titled Skin Deep, which became, thanks to the powers that be, A Sheriff in Tennessee. Of course Gabriel Klein had a whole lot more going for him than his face. Most guys do.

I also remember one early Karen Robards novel where the hero was unattractive. I can’t remember the title (anyone?) but I do remember that I thought it was clever, original and exciting.

I always try to make my heroines read like real women with the same body issues and insecurities we all have. The heroine in A Sheriff in Tennessee might be a former supermodel, but boy does she have issues.

So today I’d like to celebrate the every day guy. I’ve never been attracted to Brad Pitt, even before the whole Angelina fiasco. Tom Cruise smiles too much. His teeth are blinding. Johnny Depp ruined everything with those tattoos. Okay, okay—Antonio Banderas can come over any time. I’m not a complete idiot.

But here are some of my favorite unattractive attractive guys. Who are yours?

Brett Favre—how can you resist that smile? Those biceps? The scruffy gray beard that matches the stubble on his head? And his great big hands—all hacked up, crooked, re-broken fingers. Now that’s a man!

Adrien Brody-What a nose! Gotta love it. And that skinny body? Mmmm.

Gary Oldman-Probably in his 50’s, with the body to show for it. Non descript in every way, until he comes on the screen and then he is magic. Even in terrible movies (The Scarlet Letter anyone?) he shines. I want to take him home and just listen to him talk.

Dustin Hoffman-too short, big nose, annoyingly nasal voice, but I’ve been crazy about him since I saw him in Little Big Man when I was a kid. And come on, in The Graduate he was adorable. He also makes a pretty decent woman in Tootsie. Much better looking than say . . . Mrs. Doubtfire.

Seth Green—really short, red hair, kind of slouchy. But when he played Oz on Buffy I nearly got over my Angel fetish (not really). He was so sweet and shy, so dead pan funny, and he had that werewolf thing going on. Right up my alley.

So, any theories out there? What’s the unattraction?

Lori

http://www.lorihandeland.com/

If you'd like to check out Lori's hot hero's she has two novellas available in two separate collections this month:Cobwebs over the Moon in Moon Fever (the hero bears a striking resemblance to Brett Favre) and Voodoo Moon in No Rest for the Witches (with a voodoo priest who could step in as Antonio Banderas in Interview with a Vampire)Her next Nightcreature Novel will be Thunder Moon in January 2008.

Favorite Mysteries - Susanna Carr

Today my first Harlequin Spice Brief is released. "Anything You Want", written under my Jenesi Ash pen name, isn't a romance but an erotic mystery.

When I was growing up, I read the Nancy Drews, Trixie Beldens, and a few of the Encyclopedia Browns. I read my first "grown up" mystery when I was a freshman in high school. My mother was trying to lure me away from romance novels and bought me Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.

She thought the romantic setting of the story would appeal to me. I don't know why she was more comfortable with me reading about a gruesome death rather than reading about a loving couple finding happiness, but we won't go into that. The story interested me, and although her work lacked sexual tension and a romantic plot, I started adding an Agatha Christie book to my to-be-read pile.

I discovered that I prefer the detective short stories when I took Detective Fiction as one of my university courses. This class allowed me to read so many great short stories that started with a bang, cleverly and quickly presented all the facts, and then gave me a twist in the tail ending. I did a term paper on Agatha Christie's favorite detective, which was Harley Quinn, a mysterious, paranormal figure who starred in some of the most creative short stories she produced. And as much as I like Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, Harley Quinn is my favorite Agatha Christie detective, too.

Do you have a favorite mystery writer or favorite fictional detective?

Susanna

http://www.susannacarr.com/

http://www.jenesiash.com/

Behind The Book - Michelle Monkou

So much happens behind writing a book, beyond plotting, building characters, and providing a happy ending. There is personal life of family, day job, and revelations that can add, detract, or knock you completely out of whack.

About two years ago, I experienced a series of revelations that now add another layer to how and what I write. I discovered (after having that feeling since I was about 11 yrs. old) that I was adopted. I learned that my adopted mom and my birth mother kept in touch through my life with updates about me. I have four additional half brothers and a half sister. After reconnecting with them in England and Chicago, the reunion couldn't have been any better with the sudden expansion of my family.

Ironically when I when through the initial investigation, discovery, shock, and all the other tumbling set of emotions, I was in middle of writing my book - Island Rendezvous (published in 2006), sequel to Finders Keepers (published in 2003) where the hero discovers that he has a brother. The hero grew up with his grandmother and eventually through the foster care system, but his brother grew up with his father in another country under wealthier circumstances.

Island Rendezvous focused on the feelings of abandonment, the trauma of family secrets, and taking the step toward forgiveness and reconciliation. I remember asking my editor for an extension for delivering the story because the book started to take a darker, angsty tone. I had to work on separating my personal journey with the characters' journeys. It's one of my most sexiest works. So I definitely took the tone to a different place - LOL.

As a rule, I don't make a point of writing about my life into my stories. Yet, I find myself using characters to answer the "what ifs" in life. My current book, Straight To The Heart (September 2007), introduces a formidable secondary character, a mother, who searches for her runaway daughter, while embracing the heroine, like a daughter.

Maybe one day, I'll put my story to paper to inspire others. But right now, I'm in a good place writing romantic fiction with a touch of everyday grittiness and good dollop of spice.

Michelle Monkou

http://michellemonkou.com/

http://myspace.com/michellemonkou

Who Will Be the Sexiest Man Alive for 2007? by Diana Holquist

Ah, fall. Time to turn our thoughts to school lunches. Radiant foliage. And, most importantly, People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2007.

Yes, the issue comes out in November, and since I've given a bit of thought to what makes a man sexy (yeah, I wrote a whole book about it), I thought I'd put in my early prediction.

Ready?

Remember, you heard it here first:

My husband.

(Hi honey!)

My second choice?

David Beckham.




There really isn't much more to say, is there?

I know, I know, "bench it like Beckham" and "worst team in the league" and all that.

But this isn't really about soccer, now is it?

What do you think? Who should be the sexiest man alive for 2007?

While you think about it, I'll take a quick moment to introduce myself. I'm Diana Holquist and Sexiest Man Alive is my second book. It's a romantic comedy with a paranormal twist and it's coming out TOMORROW (gulp!). It's the story of a woman who comes to believe that her One True Love as destined by fate is People magazine's sexiest man alive.

Here's the trailer if you like these sorts of things. Thanks so much for having me as a guest blogger today. I hope you'll check out the book. Leave me a comment with your pick for sexiest man alive 2007. I'll choose two random commenters to receive autographed copies of Sexiest Man Alive.

Thanks again for having me!

--Diana
check out my website for excerpts, reviews and more!

UPDATE: WE HAVE TWO WINNERS. JEN IN WA AND CATHY, CONTACT ME AT DIANA@DIANAHOLQUIST.COM WITH YOUR SNAILMAIL SO I CAN SEND YOU YOUR BOOKS!

Guilty as Charged!

I'm so pleased to be added as a regular contributor here on Tote Bags n' Blogs! And I thought I might as well start with a post about something near and dear to my heart...the fundamentals of why I read, and write, romantic fiction.

Yesterday on BBC Radio 4, Mills and Boon was the subject of a show called GUILTY PLEASURES. As a Mills and Boon author, I, and several other authors, were waiting with bated breath to see if it would perpetuate all the old stereotypes around category romance or if the times were changing.

And there was a bit of both and it was, for the most part, balanced. Many of the interviews and bits, especially with authors Sharon Kendrick and Gill Sanderson and editors Jo Carr and Meg Sleightholme, did a lot to dispel the negative connotations that go with reading popular romantic fiction.

But fight as we do, try as we may, there are still those that consider what we do a teeny step above gum on their literary shoes and it burns my bottom to see supposedly well-educated, intelligent women demeaning their own sex.

I actually laughed at Celia Brayfield’s assertion that it’s all clichéd and yet we try to remove the clichés and you can see the holes. Seriously? I actually had a mental image of a book with huge chunks missing where we’d slipped in those pesky things! And another of my frantic editor ripping out massive blocks of text. (I’d have a hard time making word count then, wouldn’t I!) Moreover, we write to a target audience. Are there expectations? Of course! You know what you’re getting with a Mills and Boon story – a happy ending. And ask any author of category romance, and they’ll tell you that finding new and fresh ways of meeting that expectation is what keeps us on our toes.

Mary Evans, a Professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Kent, goes further and asserts that actually nothing happens in our novels. There is no relevance, no “discussion.” And I say to that…well, I won’t type the word here. But I can say that my next release is very relevant. It is timely and it is about real problems…problems like coming home from war a changed man, and having to deal with real feelings of guilt and grief and how to actually relate to people who have no idea what you’ve suffered. We tackle real-life issues and guarantee a happy ending.

Why does it need to be a book of some higher and greater purpose? I went back to a passage in my book STORY by Robert McKee: “When your premise is an idea you feel you must prove to the world, and you design your story as an undeniable certification of that idea, you set yourself on the road to didacticism. In your zeal to persuade, you will stifle the voice of the other side.”

I don’t want to write didactic tomes. I want my characters flawed and messy and with lots of gray area…just like people. What more personal and relevant thing is there above exploring our own motivations and what makes us the people we are? I’d actually argue that MORE people should read romance novels. Romance novels are about good people who have had their share of problems and growth…overcoming those obstacles and finding that ONE PERSON to share their lives with. A committed, monogamous relationship! So far I’m not seeing the downside. I think if more people read books with hope for the future we’d see a more caring society. There, I said it.

As far as comments made about the readers of romance having “two neurons” and being “just” able to read…my dear ladies. I have a university degree in English Literature. I can assure you that I can read. More than adequately. Moreover I can actually be discriminating. My degree actually taught me to have an open mind.

What really burns me is when people act like they are speaking for an entire gender when they are not. There is a new feminism in this millennium and it’s not about pitting male against female, it’s about a woman’s right. A woman’s right to be exactly who she is. Her right to become who she wants to be and celebrate that, whether it’s a stay at home mum or the President. It’s about embracing the choice. So don’t you dare adopt a patronizing tone when you chastise us for exercising our choice just because it doesn’t match up with your rhetoric.

I think Faye Weldon put it best, so I’ll close with that. She said she might not read it, but she will “fight to the death for the rights of the readers to read what they want.”

Amen, sister.

Inside the Writing Life for Lucy Monroe

Is there anything sexier than a super studly, oh so stubborn Scottish laird? I sure didn't think so when I was writing Annabelle's Courtship. (Well, okay, *maybe* dh, but that's it! LOL) The thing is I had so much fun with this book, writing it just for me. Not for a deadline, not for a particular publisher, just because I'd dreamt up these characters and could no more hold back from telling their story than I could from breathing. Writing is like that for me, absolutely necessary.

I never realized how much so until this past year when some health issues made it difficult to concentrate on my stories. I'm not a super nice person when I don't write and I've got a husband and houseful of teenagers who will verify that for you without blinking an eye. :) They will also verify that to interrupt me when I'm writing the black moment is a very bad thing, but dh doesn't mind the consequences of certain types of scenes and I'm sure you know what they are. Yikes...did I really say that? I guess I did. LOL

And there were times writing Deal With This (Nov 27th release) that I laughed out loud and man, my family appreciated that mood. :) Dh also got some special time 'cuz you know Alan and Jillian are a bit flamboyant and theories have to be tested and all that. But I'm not just talking about gasp...can I say it? SEX...I'm talking about EMOTION too.You've no idea how many discussions I've had with my own wonderful alpha hubby over a hero's motivations and actions. Ian from Annabelle's Courtship and Alan from Deal With This are no exceptions. I won't tell you which one he identified with most easily, but I will say that many things may change over history, but certain truths about alpha men are not on that list. :)

I've got a question for you all though, Annabelle's Courtship came out first as an eBook (it'll be in print in the Fall of 08) and Deal With This will naturally come out in print first and electronic format shortly thereafter. What I want to know is, do you read eBooks and if so, do you read them when available by print authors, or do you have certain authors you buy exclusively in electronic format? I know that I tend to buy a whole set of autobuy authors in eBook and another set in print and then there's a group I insist on having both editions of - for different types of reading (in bed at night versus in the hot tub, you know...lol).

Hugs,

Lucy

P.S. I love to give away prizes, so one winner randomly drawn from the comments on this post will receive a personalized signed ARC for DEAL WITH THIS.

London Calling - Christina Hollis

I’ve just spent 363 days chained to my computer. Then last week, I escaped! I left my home in the countryside, and went up to London. This was a big deal for me. It was the first time I’d spent away from home, alone, in seventeen years. Kate Walker and Michelle Reid were hosting a dinner for the Harlequin Mills and Boon ‘Presents’ authors, so it was a very special appointment. I’d met Kate, Jacqueline Baird and Abby Green last year, at my first Mills and Boon event. This time I got to chat with India Grey and Natalie Rivers, too. Next day, there was a lunch organised by the Association of Mills and Boon authors. That was followed by a reception where, among other excitements, Kate Walker received her commemorative gold brooch for the fantastic achievement of writing fifty romances.

Meeting up like this is a great opportunity to socialise and swap experiences. Writing romance is the best job in the world, but it’s a solitary affair. It’s good to know that you’re not alone in sharing the pleasures and pitfalls of sitting behind a computer screen all day. We keep in touch regularly via e-mail, but there’s no substitute for a face-to-face chat. Especially when it comes complete with good food and a glass of wine!

If you’d like to read more about my first trip to London alone, I’ll be posting on my blog when I get the chance. Find it on my website, http://www.christinahollis.com/, by clicking on the link to ‘Christina’s blog’

Christine Rimmer Explains How a Book Can Live Forever

Well, almost....

A long time ago in a galaxy called California, I wrote a book for Silhouette Desire called Midsummer Madness. That would be the cover, there at the left.

Midsummer Madness is the story of shy, plain Juliet Huddleston who vowed to make her next thirty years more exciting than the first. Julie didn't fool around once she set that goal. She learned to get up and speak in front of large groups. She took over the job of directing her small town's summer pageant. She bought herself a fast red sports car. And best of all, she got a little heat going with the town hunk, Cody McIntyre.

Yeah, yeah. I know. About the girl on the cover. Too gorgeous by half--well, except for those jeans. You know it's 1992 when the waistband hits halfway up the ribcage. The guy's not bad. Tom Cruise circa ALL THE RIGHT MOVES. Anyone remember that one? Okay. RISKY BUSINESS. Tom Cruise circa RISKY BUSINESS. Is he helping her down from the fence--or boosting her up there? I guess we'll never know. In any case, they're both having a fine time.

I was okay with this cover, as I recall. Coulda been worse. And the book itself was my first RITA finalist. Was I thrilled to make the finals? Oh, you bet!

But the years have passed. And frumpy-to-fabulous Julie and her hunky hero went from North American retail through stints in the UK, Canada and Australia. Then on to translations into Dutch and Swedish, German and Polish. Into Italian and Turkish and Spanish. The couple have been read in the Czech republic and Belgium. Strangely, I notice as I look over my royalty statements, Julie and Cody have never been to Japan. Surprising, as my books sell well in Japan.

Then came the slow fade. The royalties trickled off. Other than a brief flare-up in Costco in 2002, in a Trade Paperback anthology with a lovely Jayne Ann Krentz story and a fine tale by Lynne Graham, Julie and Cody were out of print and only available at selected local used book stores.

Until now. September 2007.


With all-new and totally faboo packaging, Julie and Cody are back on the stands. Oh, I do love their new look. He is major hot and she looks shy and sweet and hungry for all the love and pleasure and fun she's missed up till now. You can pick them up at B&N or Amazon. Or visit my website and read more about them.

Here's to you, Julie and Cody. May you live on and on through the years, through reprint after reprint.

So, everyone. What do you think? Do you like Julie and Cody's new look as much as I do? Or do you prefer the original cover?

100 not out! Looking back - and forward . . . with Kate Walker

Last year I let you all know about the very first Presents Authors dinner that was held on the night before the annual AMBA (Association of Mills & Boon Authors) lunch in London, here in the UK. I’ve just got back home from three days in London where there was a second Presents dinner on the Thursday night, followed by another AMBA lunch on the Friday.

And both these events brought home to me how things are changing and developing in the world of romance writing.Which is funny because the image that Romances have out in the world of the press and the media is that nothing ever changes. That romances are just the same now as they were way back in 1908 when Mills & Boon first published their books. 1908. One hundred years ago, next year. The UK part of Harlequin, now known as Harlequin Mills & Boon will be celebrating its centenary all through 2008 and plans are already being made to mark this very special event.

India Grey and Abby Green ->

We were told some of the plans while we were at the AMBA lunch, with talk of a special exhibition on display all through the year, the books having a special centenary logo and other plans that can’t yet be revealed – but I’ll let you know about them here or on my own website and my blog just as soon as I hear. These will be very exciting – and so will be the brand new books that are coming up, books that are edited at Harlequin Mills & Boon in Richmond UK. And the Presents Authors dinner which Michelle Reid and I hosted the night before the AMBA lunch was something that showed how the company is growing and developing. There was a mixture of the older authors - myself, Michelle, Jacqueline Baird - and some of the newest signings - Abby Green, Christina Hollis, India Grey and Natalie Rivers, all of whom have had their first books out in the past 12 months or so or whose books are due to come to America very soon.

Abby Green again and Christina Hollis
And on Friday at AMBA and the champagne reception hosted by HMB afterwards it was the same. Veteran authors like Catherine George, Carole Mortimer and Margaret Mayo mixed with newer signings like Donna Alward (Romance) and Chantelle Shaw together with some brand new Historical authors like Annie Burrows.

One great piece of news that was announced and that I can share with you is that HMB are moving into India. Now I know that there are plenty of readers of romances in India - I have had many email messages from readers there and some of you have won my contests. But I know that actually getting hold of the books can be difficult. Hopefully this will now be easier. At the reception on Friday I met the charming and enthusiastic man who will be in charge of this new venture and he is very keen to make it work. The launch of the first books will be, if I remember rightly, in November this year and there will be six Presents/Modern novels in the first books released out there

I also heard news of new developments that will be coming up for my own line – Presents (Modern Romance in the UK) in the near future. I can’t let you in on the details yet but look out for changes from January 2008 – and as these changes will mean the publication of more of the books you love then I hope they will be changes you’ll welcome.

Sharing champagne with Chantelle Shaw

In amongst all this news and changes, there was also a very special moment for me at the reception when HMB’s Editorial Director Karin Stoecker presented me with a special pin to mark the publication of my 50th title (The Sicilian’s Red-Hot Revenge) which came out in July. This of course made me look back and reflect on the changes that have happened to the company I write for since my very first book was published way back in 1984. One thing I’ve learned since then is that publishing never stands still and that romance writing is always changing, always developing. That’s what keeps the books fresh and exciting and keeps the readers coming back for more all through the years. And for a company that will be 100 in 2008, that’s a fantastic, brilliant record. One I’m so proud to have been part of.
Receiving my 50th pin from Karin Stoecker

And I’m really looking forward to meeting the new challenges that are coming up with the dawning of Mills & Boon’s centenary year. I hope you’ll come back here – and on my personal blog and website - and join in the celebrations as they happen. And just as soon as I can tell you more about what’s happening, I will.

And I think that's me caught up - except for one thing - I know that like everyone at the Reception, you'll all want to know what that special pin looks like - so here it is - and I have to add to this a special thank you to each and every one of my readers out there because without you reading my books and buying the next one - and the next - I would never have been able to keep writing, keep selling- and so reach ths special celebration and achievement. So here's the gold pin that I'm sharing with you all because you helped me to achieve it - Thank you all so much.

I wonder what you most remember about the romance authors you read in the past. I'd love to know

Kate

http://www.kate-walker.com

What Was I Thinking? - Jennifer Ashley

I asked myself this question recently when I sat down to start a book I had contracted a year ago and hadn’t had the chance to mull over for a while. I’d written I think three other books in the meantime (I write under several different names for different publishers), so it had been a while since I visited that particular world.

It usually takes me a little bit of time to come off one book and get fully into another, but unfortunately I didn’t have time this time for a comfortable transition.

So there I was, facing Chapter 1, Page 1, and everything was gone.

Gone.

My story and characters had done a bunk, and the deadline was looming. Oh, I had the original synopsis I’d sold the book on, but. . . what was I thinking??

I banged my head against the keyboard, wailed to my friends, drove my husband crazy, ate chocolate and played computer games as the deadline drew closer. And then finally, finally, it clicked. (I have no idea how or why.) I suddenly found myself re-immersed in the world and chatting with the characters. The excitement bubbled up again, and I was off and running.

This isn’t the first time this has happened in my career, and it made me stop and wonder why, oh why, I wanted to be an author.

Authors work all the time (days, nights, weekends), we give up holidays for deadlines, and sometimes don’t have much of a life to speak of. We struggle to put into words the stories in our hearts which takes weeks, months, years. Then we send our beloved books out into the world to be publicly bashed by people who just weren’t grabbed by them.

Why, why, why do we do it?

For the money?

Not really. Though some writers make a nice living, and household name authors can make gobs, money in the writing world is by no means steady and reliable. A publishing house can close. The books can go out of print. A segment of the market can suddenly tank, and there you are adrift without a life raft. It’s much safer to go out and look for a traditional job in a solid company (with health benefits!).

For the fame?

Not really. I suppose many authors are at first bitten by the bug to see their name in print, but fame is relative. I’ve been to booksignings where everyone has read my books, loves them, and wants to buy everything I’ve ever written. I’ve also been to booksignings when even the bookseller has never heard of me, despite the fact that my books are on her shelves. The spotlight shifts as readers glom one author or subgenre and then move onto something new. Fame comes and fame goes. It’s even more nebulous than the income.

So what does that leave?

Love!

At the end of the day, I truly write for the love of it. Despite the frustrations and the moving spotlight and the financial uncertainty, I write because I love to tell stories. I also write because I love the readers who love stories.

I’ve had readers tell me my books have helped them get through a particularly difficult situation. I’ve had them tell me they love my characters and think of them as real people (as I do). An amazing number have told me they were so caught up in the books that they forgot to buy groceries, do laundry, or pick up their husbands!

I know when readers share these anecdotes with me that I’ve connected with them and their lives. I’ve done the job I set out to do as a writer—reach out to others.

When characters and stories come to me, dance around in my head, and then pour out my fingers, it is the greatest feeling in the world. It doesn’t matter if this particular book doesn’t bring in tons of cash, or make me famous, or win dozens of awards.

As long as what was within me goes out and connects with at least one other reader, I know I’ve done my job.

I guess that’s what I was thinking!

Jennifer

http://www.jennifersromances.com/