Christine Cody: Inspirations for a Fangslinger

Christine Cody is the author of the postapocalyptic supernatural Western series Bloodlands and the urban fantasy Vampire Babylon books (w/a Chris Marie Green) from Ace. Once upon a time, she used to be an eighth-grade teacher until she became a full-time author who has published nearly forty books under all three of her pseudonyms (including Crystal Green). Bloodlands is the first book in the series, and it’s released today, followed by Blood Rules (August 30) and In Blood We Trust (September 27).

Four years ago, I turned in a proposal to my editor at Ace Books. I didn’t know exactly how to categorize it.

Was it a paranormal romance? Well, the romance wasn’t absolutely at the forefront, although there’s a strong one that’s extremely important to everything that happens in the series. Was it a postapocalyptic story? Sure, but there were also a lot of supernatural elements that defined the setting. And I couldn’t exactly call this a Western, although it had the pervasive feel of one.

Years later, as Bloodlands is finally being released (along with the sequels in back-to-back-to-back months), I’m still not sure what to call the series, although I’ve started to use Publisher Weekly’s description of a “postapocalyptic supernatural Western.” I’ve also said that this is a paranormal Shane meets Mad Max, which seems to cover the first book pretty well, at least!

Honestly, there really were a lot of different elements that influenced Bloodlands, and the biggest one was old Western movies. Indeed, after watching a batch of those wonderful films, I started to think, “What if Shane was a vampire?” and it went from there. I was inspired by the opportunity to “flip” common themes and characters you’d find in Westerns, such as the underdog sheriff who comes up against great odds (You’ll see that one of the core characters from the first book becomes this trope throughout the trilogy.), as well as things like the fallen woman who’s usually woefully attracted to that sheriff. In book 2, you’ll even find the mysterious sick woman who wears a veil.

I also turned to mythology and world folklore for inspiration. One of my main characters, Gabriel, the gunslinger (or “fangslinger”) who comes out West searching for a way to regain his humanity, is a vampire—a pretty traditional one, initially. But when it came time to write books 2 and 3 and open up the Bloodlands world, I was like a kid in a candy store. I took bits of vampire lore from this place and that to characterize more creatures. (For example—remember the “fallen woman” trope I mentioned? There’s a vampire called a “tik-tik” who has some rather nasty feeding habits. What better creature to be a “fallen” vampire than one who the other bloodsuckers even look down upon?)

Creating a dystopian world was also great fun, and I had a surprising resource to draw upon for that—The New Yorker magazine. This publication is on my regular reading list, but I found that reading about war zones, politics, advances in science, and everything else The New Yorker covers really got me to thinking about our own future—and how it could go drastically wrong. I was also turned onto Thomas Friedman’s books about a global future, and the idea of the urban hubs was inspired by what he thinks cities might be like.

I hope the Bloodlands series has something for everyone to chew on, whether it’s a sci-fi, fantasy, or romantic angle. Happy hunting, everyone, and I hope your summer is full of adventure, no matter what you choose to read.

Christine is giving away a signed mass market copy of the first book, NIGHT RISING, in her alter-ego’s Vampire Babylon series (written as Chris Marie Green). To win, please leave a comment. U.S. only. A winner will be chosen by 6pm Pacific Time on Friday July 29, 2011!

Follow Christine at
Twitter http://twitter.com/ChristineCody
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Marie-Green/1051327765
Blog http://crystal-green.blogspot.com/
Website http://www.bloodlands.net/



(Excerpt from Bloolands, Book One)

When I saw the stranger weaving through the newly settled dusk on my visz monitor, he looked like a lie—a mirage, half wavering fantasy, half dust in my eyes. Chaplin didn’t even believe me when I told him about it, but then again, he knew that I’d stayed partway sane only because of one altered version of the truth or another. It always took him some good thought before he ever put stock in what I did or said, and I wouldn’t blame him, or anyone else, for that.

Lies and omissions were how we lived out here in the nowheres. It’s how we made sure strangers like this one on the visz never found us.

We lied about reality to survive.

Hell, I would lie to you anyone, even you.

When I grabbed my old revolver from the wall arsenal, that must’ve lent some credence to the situation for Chaplin. He looked at the visz, seeing that I was telling him true about a stranger coming toward us.

“Think he’s another one of them?” I asked, while keeping an eye on the screen. “Think this guy’s one of Stamp’s?”

My dog chuffed, then padded over close to me, leaning against my leg. His long tail curled over my boot, like a child wrapping an arm round a protector.

Not that I’m all that good at protecting. Sometimes I even think that Chaplin does a better job of guarding me than the other way round. There’s a lot of ways a person needs to be protected.

Strung tight with tension, I adjusted a knob on the visz’s side to get a better look at the approaching stranger. The long view was gloomy with the surreal blur of the camera’s night vision, streaking his movements as he lurched even nearer to my underground home. Could he somehow see this earthen dwelling, even though I’d taken great care to disguise the entrance amongst the scrub and mounded landscape?

Chaplin made a garbled sound, and I rested a hand on his furry head.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll bet he saunters right past us.”

I didn’t even believe myself this time.

My dog softly yowled, as if chewing on words. To anyone not trained in Canine, his sentiments would be inarticulate. But years ago, when I was no more than a pup myself, I’d begged my dad for one of the Intel Dogs he bred and trained at his lab. Dad had obliged only just before we’d been forced to flee our Dallas home much later; then Chaplin had become a necessary tool for survival—a watchdog genetically tooled to be more intelligent than most humans. Stronger, too. He was also a balm for us after my mom and brother had been murdered right in the home we’d abandoned.

I guess I needed Chaplin more than ever now, long after the murders and one year after my dad had taken his own life. My dog wasn’t just my best friend—he was my only friend. In particular, he was nice to have round at night. Nice to have round whenever I thought about what waited outside the dirt-packed walls.

Just thinking about outside made the phantom scars on my body itch, but I forced myself not to touch them. They’d only bring back what had supposedly healed.

Now Chaplin growled low in his throat, his brown-haired ears lying flat against his skull as he backed toward a door barring a tunnel that connected our domain to one of the underground caverns.

I offered him a nod, a show of unity that didn’t need to be voiced between the two of us. Then I turned back to the visz, which showed the stranger in post-stumble pause.

When I found him staring right back at me, my heart jerked, sending my adrenaline bursting to a growl that I fought to contain. His eyes were rendered luminescent by the camera’s night vision and…

It was like he could somehow see the camouflaged lens.

Like he knew we were in here.

Pacing my breathing, calming myself lest I lose control—God-all help me if I did—I hefted down a mini-crossbow from the wall, then stuffed my revolver into a holster built into my wide belt. I loaded the bow with a bolt because it’d be quieter than the bullets if I should have to defend my home. Bullets might attract attention.

“If he’s one of Stamp’s men,” I said, “I’ll show him a lesson about coming here when he’s drunk and looking for trouble. Stamp’s got to be sending his crew to poke round, just like that other man who was already here.”

My dog didn’t make a sound, and I was glad about that. Neither of us wanted to talk about Stamp’s workers.

Meanwhile, the stranger loomed closer on the visz, his features coming into shocking focus.
Something in my stomach fisted at the sight of his facial wounds, but I battled back the clench, the emotion. Battled hard, until all that was left was a tremor that only reminded me I wasn’t safe.

Then my dog crept to my side and stared at the visz, too, almost like he’d been drawn closer. He let out a long, sympathetic whimper.

Hurt, was what Chaplin’s sound meant. The man is hurt.

I tried to glance away, but couldn’t. The blood enthralled me, even more than it had when I was young, back before my family had been attacked and before the world had almost ended. Back when the media had first started entertaining the masses with violent news images, films of close-up war casualties in North Korea and public executions that people had clamored to witness in real life. Carnerotica, it had come to be called, until that form of amusement had become old hat under the new thrill of the subliminal fantasies I heard they were airing on TV now.

This man was a lot like one of those old executions.

The visz’s pale night vision showed his face to be a wounded map to nowhere, etched with open gashes on his forehead and cheeks. Blood and dirt seemed to crust his short-sheared hair. His battered mouth opened round a word.

“Help”…

How Many Are Happy Book-a-holics -- Michelle Monkou

I spent a beautiful and restful two weeks in Barbados a few weeks ago. While I enjoyed the vivid blue beaches, tropical breezes, delicious food, and a rum punch or two, I embraced paradise whole heartedly.

At first, I thought that I would write madly. Rise early, eat, dawdle, and then write until the moon rose. HAH!

From Day 1 through Day 13, I entered a new level of happiness. The two houses where my family stayed had a library. In a snap, I was doing the happy dance.

I read so much that my son asked why was I doing something that I could have done at home. After all, the library was only for decoration. Obviously, he's not a book-a-holic.

One particular day, I encouraged everyone to go to the beach. Then I put on my swimsuit, got munchies and my beverage, and headed for the poolside. I got so entrenched in the story that I almost forgot to take a dip into the pool. And then, I couldn't wait to get out and continue reading.

So many books, so little time.

What are some of your book-a-holic moments?

Happy Summer!

Michelle Monkou

http://michellemonkou.com

If I Had You - March 2012

Helen Brenna: The Birth of an Island

Have you ever seen the movie SOMEWHERE IN TIME with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve? It’s the story of a playwright (Reeve) who, becoming obsessed with the photograph of a young woman (Seymour) travels through self-hypnosis back in time to 1912 to find her. This was one of the first time travel movies I remember seeing, and it’s set, to a large degree, at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island Michigan.

Either the filmmakers chose Mackinac Island for filming or the island inspired the movie because it’s the perfect setting for this story. We’re talking cobblestone streets and Victorian B & Bs. Homemade fudge and taffy shops, genteel tea rooms and beautiful flower gardens. No cars are allowed on the island, so there are only horse drawn carriages and a lot of bike riders. And the entire time you’re on the island, you’re surrounded by sailboats and yachts cruising over the deep blue waters of Lake Michigan.

It’s no wonder that on a family vacation I was inspired to set a contemporary romance in a place just like Mackinac, and as I let my imagination run, my own island began to take shape. The only problem is that I don’t write stories that are all quaint and quiet set in tearooms and grand hotels. I write contemporary romances with alpha heroes and strong heroines thrown into not-so-nice circumstances. I needed some wildness to cut the softness.

What I needed was a little bit of Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands chain located on Lake Superior just off Wisconsin’s northern shore. Madeline is much bigger than Mackinac, so there’s space for log cabins, horse ranches, secluded bays and lighthouses, acres of untouched forest, and even a few brew pubs.

Voila! A cross between Mackinac and Madeline, my Mirabelle Island was born.

On the surface, Mirabelle looks like an idyllic little tourist island that’s become the wedding destination of the Upper Midwest. But when you scratch the surface, you find reality. The Rusty Nail, a bar that’s seen better days. An ex-con just released from prison and the islanders who refuse to accept him. The island doctor who’s not as perfect as he thinks. And a widow running from a dark, bloody past.

Discover the surprises Mirabelle Island has to offer in three new standalone Superromances, THE PURSUIT OF JESSE, HER SURE THING, and REDEMPTION AT MIRABELLE, releasing back to back in July, August and September.

To celebrate the new releases, I’d like to give away one of my first four Mirabelle Island romances today, so check out my website at helenbrenna.com to see which title you’d like. While you’re there, check out the Upcoming Releases page to see the photos of Mackinac and Madeline that have inspired my Mirabelle!

Cheers,
Helen
http://www.helenbrenna.com/

You Gotta Age-Defy While You Still Can by Jenny Gardiner

(I wish I'd made this cute cake but alas, I didn't. found the pic on the internet)

My husband joined AARP. I told him it was a mistake, if for no other reason than a psychological one. Who wants to be lumped in the oldster crowd the minute you crest 50?

(I had to put this picture in--I googled "old man with walker" to pull up a picture of an old man with a walker and THIS is what it shows me?! So I'll say this is me defying the old man with walker mentality ;-)

Now we get brochures in the mail for nursing homes, which is premature, for one thing. Plus, with this lame economy, don't they know we'll be sleeping on park benches by the time we actually need a nursing home? Although by then I envision gulag-style developments where all the broke, aged baby boomers who lost their retirement savings in the real estate bubble will be relegated to wither away during their twilight years, tooling around in half-broken wheelchairs over cracked failing pavement. How's that for golden years?! If we're lucky we'll be housed in all of the default-loan houses that can't sell because no one can afford to buy them because no one can get jobs because corporations are too busy stockpiling record earnings for the top 1% of their staff to bother hiring anyone else and creating jobs so people can afford to, um, live. Sorry, I got a little off-topic. Back to early aging (although I call dibs on a house in Miami if it comes to my prediction).
My girlfriend, now in her early 50's, joined the senior's tennis league because she can happily whip the butts of the much older gals. She thrilled to win and win handily this way, and she's got a valid point there. So maybe acceding to age isn't always a mistake--it can be gratifying.

(my friend would not appreciate this picture and what it suggests about older tennis players losing their, um, charms)


I enjoyed a brief phase as a tennis player (not a good one, just serviceable). I'd always wanted to flit about in a cute tennis skirt and the only way you can really get away with that is if you play the sport. So I did, until I kept getting injured and had to stop. So I had to give up my cute skirts. Now they have exercise skirts which I'd so love to don but as a keen observer of what does and does not work in gym wear, I recognize that a) you have to have a rockin' body to wear exercise skirts and b) you can't be my age and get away with wearing them unless you've run at least ten marathons in the past five years--it's like a golden ticket pass.
Wise to the cuteness factor of tennis skirts, for years I tried to encourage my girls to play tennis but they would have nothing to do with it. "Think of the cute outfits!" I told them, but it fell on deaf ears. And then my youngest finally got her chance for adorable sportswear last year when she was recruited to pinch-hit for her varsity field hockey team when they needed a goalie. A long-time soccer goalie, she'd never played field hockey before, and I'd never seen a match before, so I naively thought, "At last, she's going to have a cute uniform, those adorable little plaid skirts! Lucky her!" Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the game to see my daughter in goal looking like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, garbed as she was in boxy padding that essentially hid every hint of her existence. I was happy for her from a safety standpoint, but felt badly she got the short end of the uniform stick.

I saw an exercise skirt today that I really want (but will not succumb to, knowing that it's the female equivalent of the very large guy on the show Modern Family wearing tight bicycle shorts--a big no no for all involved. My girls forever warn me not to look like that at the gym and I generally take heed. But this girl had on a skirt with back pleats that swished when she walked and darn it, I want to swish when I walk but then I realized I'm not a swisher, never have been, and nearing 50, it's past the point at which I'm even allowed to swish. You have to recognize your limitations, I always say. But it also doesn't mean I have to yield to my age and join the AARP, which I won't, thank you. At least not till I can reap the benefits of the senior citizen discounts, maybe.
Last week my husband got a special gift from AARP. A leather-look vinyl man-purse. Just the thing he needed to complete the loser picture he signed up for. As if it's not bad enough, it's emblazoned with the AARP logo, just to seal the deal. I suppose at least it wasn't a man-skirt.


I dunno, maybe I'm being unfair with this whole AARP thing. Perhaps it's useful to get the inside scoop on the latest in retirement villages. Even if it is cruel, dangling fancy retirement homes in front of him, considering at this rate we'll never even be able to sell our house, let alone retire. We might even have to turn it into a retirement apartment or something, at the rate the economy is going.
Jenny Gardiner is the author of the award-winning novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, as well as the novels Slim to None and Over the Falls, the novel House of Cards, and the humorous memoir Winging It: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who's Determined to Kill Me. She also has a story in Wade Rouse's upcoming humorous dog anthology I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship (NAL/Sept '11), a fundraiser for the Humane Society of the US and selected animal charities.

Shhhh, don't tell anyone but I bought another cookbook...

If you ever wanted to know,
the 'Edmonds Cook Book'
is one of New Zealand's
iconic recipe collections.

My mother-in-law buys books on interior design. You know the ones - they show you how simple and effective it is to put together a collection of wooden spoons in an old glass jam jar, or a pile of interesting shells in a pretty white bowl... she has lots of those books. All about creating a calm, inviting, relaxing space. And she can do that 'collection of interesting things' really nicely. I can't. I just have piles of junk, books and papers everywhere and anywhere.

I like looking at her design books - but honestly, both my husband and I have a 'maximalist' approach to design rather than chic minimalism.

So in terms of lifestyle books, my weakness is cookbooks. I had to discover my inner kitchen diva quite early when I became vegetarian in my teens and wanted to cook my own meals. My first was success was pasta. A wonderful dancer from big-city Sydney told me to "put it in a pot and boil it, darling" - it was a revelation! And from such embarrassingly simple beginnings, a passion was born.

Not to mention a collection. Baking books, breakfast, dessert books, soup books, tomato books, vegetarian books... When I was traveling in my twenties, my souvenir of choice was a  recipe book of national cuisine for each country we visited - no matter if it wasn't vegetarian. it was finding one in English that was the trouble! But oh SO worth it! Traveling, for me anyway, is so much about the food! And having my collection now takes me back to those places and the fun we had there...

Of course, four kids later and there's not so much overseas travel happening at the moment. So for a while my collection hasn't grown. But a diet tweak a few months ago revived my needs and I'm back in the game!

My ideal cook book would be hard cover, with a colour picture for each recipe, easy to read font and with cute but insightful commentary for each recipe... because sometimes there's nothing more relaxing for me than to sit in bed late at night when I'm tired, just flicking through yummy recipes and feeling like I'm having an informal lesson with some funky, super-talented chef...

... My husband doesn't get it. He just cannot see how 'reading recipe books' can be fun... but cookbooks are like children's picture books for me - pretty to look at, with lots of useful, entertaining stuff as well.

So what about you?! What would be your relaxing picture book of choice - would it be interior design, gardening, cookery or what?!?

Natalie Anderson adores a happy ending, which is why she always reads the back of a book first - just to be sure. Along with happy endings, she loves peppermint filled dark chocolate, pineapple juice and extremely long showers. She lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her gorgeous husband and four fabulous children.
If, like her, you love a happy ending, be sure to come and say hi on www.facebook/authornataliea and on Twitter @authornataliea, or her website/blog:www.natalie-anderson.com.

Melanie Milburne: What Would You Do For Money?

Who wouldn't love to be so rich they never had to worry about another bill? I think most of us dream of being financially solvent. Imagine never having to think twice about buying something, or being able to help others really generously without compromising your own interests. Most of us work hard to provide for ourselves and our families and take pride in doing so. But what if you had no skills in which to do so? What if you were totally dependent on others for your survival?

That is exactly the situation my heroine Jade Somerville is in. She has lived off her father's trust fund ever since she dropped out of school. She has a reputation as a party girl, a wild child from a privileged background who doesn't care about anyone but herself. And that reputation has suited Jade just fine until recently.

But then she is informed of the terms of her godfather's will. She must marry her arch enemy Nic Sabbatini or be left penniless. Her father has already withdrawn her trust fund so she must find a way to convince Nic to agree to the preposterous plan to marry for convenience.

What is a girl to do? But we are not talking about just any girl here. Jade is not lazy or unmotivated. She is disadvantaged by a disability she has somehow managed to keep a secret for all this time. She can't read any more than a few simple words. Her dyslexia is so bad she is severely limited in what she can do. Finding her way about by reading a map if out of the question. Reading a phone text or email is impossible for her. Can you imagine what that would be like? While I was writing this novel I thought of all the ways in which I relied on my ability to read. Like me, I bet you take it completely for granted. It's like driving: it becomes so automatic we don't register how many red lights we stopped at on the way home.

Like a lot of people who suffer from dyslexia Jade felt ashamed and believed herself to be stupid. But some of the most intelligent and creative people I know have dyslexia.

I really enjoyed pitting Jade against Nic as they both are such strong characters. Nic is the youngest son of the Sabbatini clan, a spoilt playboy who is used to getting his own way. But Jade is determined to get her way this time, even if it means dragging Nic kicking and screaming to the altar!

I hope you enjoy reading about how Jade tames the untameable Nic and in the process learns how to accept herself for the gifted and talented young woman she is.

What would you miss most if you couldn't read any more? I will send a signed copy of The Wedding Charade to a random comment posted.

Warmest wishes,

Melanie Milburne

***Chey is our winner!  Congrats, Chey!  :)  Please email me at totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your full name and mailing address so we can mail you the prize!***

Susan Lyons: Heat Waves

In my day jobs, I’ve usually been a project manager – and I’m a pretty good one, if I say so myself. Those skills come in handy when it comes to the business side of writing. But when it comes to the creative side, I’m much less organized.

I’m a pantser or, to put it more artistically, an organic writer. The characters and story grow organically as I apply fingers to keyboard (and have inspirations in the middle of the night or in my morning shower). My muse prefers freedom and resists structure.

But when it came to my destination wedding books – Sex on the Beach (Belize), Sex on the Slopes (Whistler), and my July release Heat Waves (a Greek island cruise) – I realized that a purely organic approach would get me into trouble. Why? Because each book features novellas that are interconnected. Each novella can be read as a stand-alone sexy romance, but they’re more than your typical stand-alones. They take place in the same timeframe – the week before the wedding – and the same characters appear in each.

Take Heat Waves, for example. It contains two novellas.

In “Rock the Boat,” widowed wedding planner Gwen Austin is in charge of her first destination wedding, and sex is the last thing on her mind – until Santos Michaelides helps her rediscover herself as a single, sensual woman. But then Gwen finds out that there’s more to the charismatic cruise director than meets the eye…

In “Making Waves,” lawyer Kendra Kirk meets up again with Flynn Kavanagh, the sexy IT consultant she had unsuccessfully prosecuted, and sparks of all kinds fly. But her newfound ability to put her life ahead of her career will be pushed to the breaking point when she learns the truth about Flynn…

Those two novellas sound as if they’re independent stories, don’t they? Well, in fact Santos is an undercover investigator – and he’s investigating Flynn! So, in “Rock the Boat,” Santos has to keep an eye on Flynn, and he notices that there’s tension between the other man and Kendra, a cousin of the groom’s. Might they be co-conspirators?

Santos can’t bring himself to totally lie to Gwen, so he reveals his true job, but he can’t tell her who he’s after. That means Gwen is constantly wondering which of the wedding guests may be a criminal, and whether something’s going to mess up the perfect wedding she’s planning.

Gwen is very duty-oriented, and doesn’t want the guests to know she’s having a holiday fling, so she tells Santos they must keep their affair a secret. Likewise, Kendra and Flynn. Although Kendra has come to believe in Flynn’s innocence, her job would be in jeopardy if her boss (who’s a relative) found out she’d been sleeping with the enemy.

Add to the mix the fact that Flynn is suspicious of Santos, and he’s also keeping a big secret from Kendra and … well, let’s just say, there are lots of secrets and lies aboard the Aphrodite cruise ship!

All those secrets, plus the fact that both novellas take place in the same week, and that both heroes and heroines appear in both novellas, meant that I had a lot to keep track of while writing this book. I couldn’t just leave it to the muse in hopes everything would somehow sort itself out in the end.

I had to bring my project management skills to bear, so I created a chart. I prefer Microsoft Word to Excel when I’m not dealing with figures, so I set up a simple table with 5 columns: day (e.g., day 1 in the book); day of the week (e.g., Friday); itinerary (what the wedding party did that day); Gwen and Santos (what each of them did); and Kendra and Flynn (what they did). Then, for each activity in the itinerary, I created a separate row.

So, for example, on the evening of the first day aboard the Aphrodite (a Friday), the itinerary reads, “Drinks and Greek appies on board as ship sails to Sounion.” In the Kendra/Flynn column I have, “They meet; tension; he says he’s innocent; she says need to talk in private.” In the Gwen/Santos column, I have, “Santos sees the meeting and asks both about it – they say they don’t know each other; he decides to ask intern to check out a possible connection (it would be late a.m. in TO).” Santos’s office and the intern are in Toronto, which is why the time note. Gwen, Kendra, and Flynn are all from Vancouver, BC, so I also had to keep track of time differences between Greece and Vancouver, where those were relevant to their stories.

See why I needed a chart?

No, I still didn’t plot out the whole book ahead of time, but as I wrote Gwen and Santos’s story, I had to think about what might be happening with Kendra and Flynn, and incorporate it, then make a note on my chart. When it came to writing the second novella, the chart formed a rough guideline, but as always happens when I write, the characters have minds of their own and take over the action, so of course their story didn’t conform exactly to what I’d written on the chart. But, because I had that chart, I knew what I’d have to revise in the first novella – and eventually it all worked out, with the stories neatly intertwined. And, of course, with each couple, as well as the bride and groom, getting their happy ending!

We writers like to set challenges for ourselves, and sometimes we don’t even do it consciously. When I sent my editor the proposal for Sex on the Beach, I didn’t realize how complicated it would be to keep track of all my heroines’ and heroes’ actions, not to mention their secrets and lies. By the time I got to Heat Waves, you’d have thought I’d have been an old hand at it – but there was a new wrinkle with this book. Not only did the same characters appear in both stories, but the actual story lines intertwined, with Santos investigating Flynn. Yes, a new challenge!

But, armed with my chart, surrounded by calendars with lovely photos of the Greek islands for inspiration, and fueled by Greek wine, I had lots of fun writing Heat Waves. I hope readers have loads of fun too – without the hard work! – when they read it. RT Book Reviews said, “Lyons fans get a healthy serving of sex, mystery, tourism and wit, as well as charming supporting characters who add depth to an engaging read.”

I’m giving away an autographed copy of the book to someone who comments on this post.


***Pat Cochran is our winner!!  Congratulations!  Please email me at totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing address so Susan can get the prize in the mail to you!***

Lisa Dale: Weddings and Writers

Hi all!

It's official! I'm happily married! I don't have wedding pictures for you yet, but I will post them as soon as I do.

The wedding itself went well and I think everyone had a good time, which was what was most important to us. And Matt and I had fun too--more fun even than we expected to have (though honestly we didn't eat a bite and I can hardly remember the reception it was such a whirl!). It was so nice to see both of our families all gathered together in one place.

There are so many stories with weddings in them, it's impossible to even count. Ever wonder why? It's not just because weddings are great for visuals.

For writers, it's important to make private conflicts public at some point. If you can have the hero or heroine stuck in the most critical point of the story while he or she is in a public place and has a lot at stake, you'll increase the tension level.

A writer could make a scene where the hero confesses his love in private--and if the heroine rejects him then he simply skulks away with at least some of his dignity intact. Or the same writer could have the hero confess his love when it really matters--in public, at a celebration of love, in the face of wild optimism and huge risk. Then, if he's rejected, he's shattered both publicly and privately.

I think Frank Capra probably gets a lot of credit for this trope of "the big reveal at a wedding." Remember It Happened One Night (the movie, not my book of the same title)? At the end, there's a huge wedding--the heroine is about to walk down the aisle and marry the wrong man while Clark Gable is scrambling to stop things...

I love the movie It Happened One Night because it established so many strong techniques of storytelling for romance. But I think that having had my own wedding gives me a whole new understanding of the wedding as a plot device!

People have been asking, "Does it feel different to be married?" And the answer is, yes and no. Every time I look down at my wedding ring I feel all warm and happy. And when I hear Matt on the phone with someone saying "my wife and I..." I'm thrilled that he's talking about me.

My own happy ending. And luckily, there were no last-minute life changing reveals at my wedding!

QUESTION: What do you think? Are wedding scenes in movies overdone? Sick of them? Or love them?

Cheers,

Lisa Dale

http://www.lisadalebooks.com

E-readers and me by Michelle Styles

My husband always declares that I am difficult to buy presents for. (I disagree. I am very easy -- I like lots of things. I just don't like filling out  lists of things I might I like.)  However this wedding anniversary (our 23rd last month), he knew precisely what to get -- a kindle (with a pink cover!) In the UK, the kindle dominates with something like 80% + of the market. There is no nook in the UK.
After all what do you get a woman who loves to read and who is rapidly running out of bookcase space..particularily when you are stumped?
Although I had read books on the computer, I had resisted getting an e-reader. The expense was one consideration and I do like the feel of paper. It was not on my top ten list. It was something I had planned to get around to at some point.  However I do take his point about the number of books in the house...
I do like my kindle. It is light weight and I can make the font size the correct size for my eyes. This is a consideration in dealing with something like the GRR Martin books which are huge and printed in mouse print.  A Dance with Dragons is 983 pages long and the print is fairly small and this is a hardback!
Best of all, it has a free sample feature. Forget the free books on kindle (to a certain extent), I like the free samples, particularly as I can then just buy the book. With teaser pamphlets, I have to go into a shop and buy the book but this way, I can just download and keep reading.
There are a number of authors who I have heard about but had not tried. In the UK, particularly in the North East, it can be difficult to find the authors I like, so I have often resorted to Amazon. Sometimes with mixed results. So I have become wary.  But now when I hear about a book, I can download a sample and see if the book is really going to be for me or not. Personally I like having the time to read the sample rather than just flicking. (Actually kindle does have free apps for just about any electronic device you might like to use from PCs to Ipads and Andriods. So you could do the free samples with any device. Just saying )
It is also easier to read in bright sunshine or in the dark.  And it fits in my purse which means I should never have to resort to reading the posters in the doctor's office again because I have run out of reading material.
The RWA National was also all about going digital. Since Christmas and really within the last quarter, publishers have seen a huge increase in digital sales. The revolution has gone from sometime in the future to now. It brings a wealth of opportunity for everyone but also a lot of change. For readers, particularly ones with poor eyesight, it means the ability to make the font size larger without paying Large Print prices OR dealing with the added weight. It also means people do not have to be as concerned bad covers. (I never minded the romance covers but my husbands and sons are of a more delicate nature...) The content stays the same. The delivery method is slightly different. That is all.
My husband was slightly shocked at the suitcase of free books that I brought back from the conference but that is another story...
One great thing for all lovers of Harlequin Historical is that they are moving to simultaneous publication in the UK and the NA market next Spring. This is because of people downloading the books from both sides of the Atlantic. It means that readers won't have to wait.
Anyway, now having received a kindle as a present, I can understand what the fuss is about. I still like print but will be saving it for special books. And if you like books and an e-reader is low down on your list...move it up.
My husband now faces another problem though...what to get me for Christmas...He has already started muttering about me providing him with a list...how hard can it be? I love books and lots of other things!
What do other people think about e-readers?

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical romance for Harlequin Historical. Her latest release in the UK is To Marry a Matchmaker (both print and ebook). To learn more about her books, visit her website www.michellestyles.co.uk

Brenda Novak: Time Management

With INSIDE, my new book, just out I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. There’s so much to do! Speaking engagements, launch parties, signings at the state fair. And yet I have three more books to write before the end of the year. Which brings me to time management. This is something I struggle with on a daily basis. Why? Because one thing I don’t plan into my day is time to relax and just “hang,” and that’s so important to relationships. Just being available to people is a great way to build stronger ties, but being available requires flexibility which is difficult for me and other workaholics to manage. If my kids want to go somewhere or create something, I can put it on the calendar and make it happen. But what about those times when certain subjects wouldn’t come up if you weren’t just puttering around the house together, cooking or cleaning or shooting the breeze? My weakness in this area is why I don’t consider myself an expert on this subject. I think I’m great at getting stuff done. People ask me all the time, “How do you do it all?” But time management shouldn’t be about accomplishing the most in the least amount of time. It should be about balance, about nurturing those around us while we accomplish a reasonable amount.

So now that you know my greatest weakness (I’ve actually had to set goals to stop what I’m doing and let the rest go until tomorrow—LOL), I’ll tell you how I manage to write three books (and one novella) a year, travel, speak and promote my books, run a major charity fundraiser and raise five kids. First of all, I do it by taking care of myself. Sometimes the hour I take out of my day for exercise seems like a waste. There are so many other things I want to do with that time. But I remind myself that if I’m healthy and have energy, I will be able to accomplish more in less time. And it’s true. If I get enough rest and exercise, I feel strong and capable, and it makes a big difference in my daily output.

Another sure-fire trick is to prioritize what must be done each day and to do the most important things first. That may sounds like a no-brainer, and yet it’s so easy to get diverted. If exercising every day is your goal, do it first thing in the morning. But if it’s more important for you to write ten pages a day, start with that instead. That way, when the unexpected intrudes as the hours progress, and the day begins to get away from you, you’ll still accomplish those things that are most important to you.

Keeping myself on an even emotional keel is another thing that really increases my productivity. This isn’t always easy, of course. Problems crop up, sorrows intrude, accidents happen. But developing some type of inner peace helps you withstand the emotional buffeting that goes along with the bumps of life. Some people use meditation. Others read an inspiring story. Still others keep a gratitude journal. All of these are great techniques. I simply close my eyes, take a deep breath, and think, “Be still and know that I am God.” This usually brings me right back to my center, and if it doesn’t, I begin counting my blessings—taking a look at what I’ve got instead of what I don’t have.

And who doesn’t like killing two birds with one stone? I print out pages from my current WIP and edit while I ride my Exercycle. I listen to research programs on True Crime TV while I clean house. I read my latest manuscript to my husband whenever he has to drive somewhere for work. And, probably the best thing I’ve done to date, I’ve hired an assistant. I thought this was something I shouldn’t allow myself—being raised by a frugal mother I felt as if I couldn’t justify such a luxury—but I’ve been able to extend my reach on so many fronts, thanks to this decision.

How do you increase your productivity? Do you agree that time management is more about balance than it is about working every minute? How do you make yourself take time out?

Anna Campbell: Spiffing Speech

by Anna Campbell

I used to be a real movie maven. For many years, I worked and lived either in or near a big city centre and most weeks I used to turn up to several movies in the cinema.

These days, things are different. I live in a very pretty part of Australia but it's regional. There is a cinema fairly close but it's a pain to get to and by the time I've realised something is on that I want to see, it's gone. Lots of films and only a few screens mean runs are necessarily short. And there's not the variety I loved when I lived in Brisbane or Sydney.

These days, I see most of my movies when they come out on DVD.

So because of this, I must be about the last person on the planet to see THE KING'S SPEECH. Oh, me and that nomadic shepherd in Bhutan - the famous 2011 Himalayan Mail Strike over Macs for Yacs means he's only just received his copy. I hear he's hoping to get to it this weekend!

By the time the DVD for THE KING'S SPEECH turned up, I'd heard the hype, I'd seen the awards shows and all my friends had told me how much they loved this film.

All round, a disaster.

There's nothing worse than burdening a book or a film with expectations that can't possibly be fulfilled. I was absolutely positive I'd sit down to watch it and decide it was completely overrated. It happens to me often with films that are completely over-hyped.

That's NOT what happened this time.

Instead I was completely transfixed.

What a marvelous film. It moved me to tears, it made me laugh, it convinced me I was peeking into a real world, not actors on a set. Brilliant stuff.

Colin Firth has very rightly collected honors everywhere for his brilliant portrayal of King George VI (and for me to forget it's CF, that has to be a mind-bogglingly good performance), but I thought both Geoffrey Rush (yay, Aussie!) and Helena Bonham-Carter were equally good in perhaps not quite such attention-grabbing roles.

Everything was right about this film. The look. The tone. The emotional arc of the characters. And most of all, it had so much heart. I really felt I'd lived through this time with those characters and my life was richer for it.

Can't say much more for a film than that, can you?

I think a lot of the credit for that can be given to writer David Seidler who stuttered as a child and who had a lifelong ambition to bring this amazing story of Lionel Logue and his royal client to the screen. David Seidler's life story is terrifically moving too and a wonderful story of triumph over adversity too - here's the Wikipedia link.

So did you love the King's Speech? What's the last great movie you saw? How do you see most of your movies these days?

Christina Hollis: CAREER MOVE

My July 2011 release for Harlequin Presents Extra, The Count's Challenge, is the story of ambitious chef Gwen. She'll do almost anything to make her new restaurant in the south of France a success. Etienne is an aristocrat with the money and power to make all her dreams come true, but his huge generosity comes with a price tag to match...

'I have a lot of things on my mind, Gwen. I need distraction - something to take my mind off it all and restore my faith in human nature. Last night I found the perfect solution, in you. We would make a good team. I'm sure of it. With my support you would be released from all your obligations. There would be no need for you to slave away in a kitchen. You would be free to enjoy life as it should be lived, with no  worries.'

She gazed at him, so clearly puzzled that he laughed. When he did that it made her smile, although she still shook her head in bewilderment.

'What do you mean, Etienne?'

'Exactly what I say. I'm so delighted to have found you, cherie, it would be my pleasure to provide for you, financially. I don't want you waiting on other people. I want to keep you all to myself, and support you in the way you deserve.'

He was seducing her all over again, simply by using his deliciously accented voice  and the promise in those beautiful dark eyes...
Copyright Harlequin Mills and Boon Limited, 2011

As Etienne's mistress, Gwen need never worry about anything ever again but she values her independence too highly to accept. Instead, she lets him become a sleeping partner in her business. The arrangement works well until she discovers their one night of passion has resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. Then she has to cope with Etienne trying to dictate her personal future as well as her business plans.  Neither Gwen nor Etienne is used to compromising in their professional lives, so neither sees why their private life should be any different.

You can read a review of The Count's Challenge here: http://bit.ly/j8sAhL. It's available online from eHarlequin.com at http://bit.ly/lIOG1a and Amazon.com

I had great fun writing Gwen and Etienne's story, which incidentally has been released in the UK under the title The French Aristocrat's Baby. I once harboured dreams of becoming a chef like Gwen.  What made me decide against it was the long hours worked in the hospitality business. They wouldn't have left me enough time or energy for writing.  As a writer I can cook when I like, as long as I hit my deadlines. 

Do you love your job, like Gwen? Or are you still searching for that elusive position that combines interesting work with enough time off to enjoy yourself?

Christina Hollis writes Modern Romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon, which appear as Harlequin Presents Extra in the US. You can catch up with Christina at her website,  http://www.christinahollis.com/, on http://www.christinahollis.blogspot.com/ and Twitter, where she's @christinabooks.

Back home and baking--Kandy Shepherd

Jet lag has struck. It’s five in the morning and I’m wide, wide, awake while the rest of the household slumbers. I can’t even convince a cat to keep me company.

So what am I doing? I’m baking.

After two exciting weeks away with writing friends visiting New York City for the Romance Writers of America convention and then up to Boston for Independence Day, my head is buzzing with plot points for new novels; with characters jostling for their chance to be born as people on paper. But I’m baking. I’ve relished the chance to eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Matzo ball soup and cheesecake in New York. Clam chowder and lobster in Boston. Steak in Dallas, Texas, on an unscheduled stop-over. Room service burgers with sweet potato fries. Ah, the delight of no food to prepare, no dishes to wash.

So here I am in the kitchen making three types of muffins. Black & White Choc Chip. Peach and Walnut. Rhubarb Crumble. (See above for the rhubarb ones.) My teenage daughter and her friends are asleep upstairs, and I’m anticipating their delight when they follow their noses downstairs to the kitchen. Because toward the end of the trip my thoughts kept turning to my family, my animals, my garden—and the pleasure I get from cooking. I missed it. Okay, talk to me again in a few weeks when I’m back in the daily grind of meals-on-the-table and you might hear a different stress-screamed story. But right now I’m happy with that apron tied around my waist, using a recipe from my head and a wooden spoon to stir my gladness at being home into the muffin mix. And thinking about my characters who cook.

PS. Why did I bother with putting fruit in the muffins? The rhubarb I picked from the garden (pic above) and stewed with vanilla bean and cinnamon quill? Of course the kids only wanted the chocolate ones! When will I learn? But yes, my daughter was pleased to wake, smell something wonderful wafting upstairs from the kitchen and be glad her mother was home. (And my husband

was only too happy to polish off the peach and the rhubarb muffins.)

Is there something or someone you’re glad to get back to when your vacation is over? Please leave a comment for a chance to win a signed trade paperback copy of either of my novels HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS or LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD (there’s lots of muffin baking going on in that book!) and include your email address and which book you would prefer if you want to be in the draw.

http://www.kandyshepherd.com

Liz Fielding: Twenty Years

TWENTY YEARS

This month sees the anniversary of the day I signed my first contract with Mills and Boon – “Whereby it is mutually agreed between the parties hereto as follows respecting a work of fiction of approximately 50-55,000 words entitled AN IMAGE OF YOU (hereinafter referred to as “the work”) the complete typescript of which has been delivered to the Publisher and accepted by the Publisher.”

Even now, reading that, I get a bit goosey. Remembering the phone call from my first editor to say they’d bought it, signing the contract, the day the first box of books arrived. My first sight of the cover. Holding my book. Opening it and reading the first few lines and knowing that it wasn’t all some mad mistake. Rushing to my parents to show them.

It has been a long journey, with a few ups and downs on the way. Some rejections — yes, contracted authors do get rejections — and a few books, not many, that have whizzed through without a word being changed, which is wonderful and yet vaguely disturbing. I miss that chance to give it a final tweak.  

There have been covers that I’ve loved — my latest, a Riva called Tempted By Trouble is coming out very near the top! — and some I’ve hated. I’ll gloss over the titles. We all know that they are nothing to with the author and everything to do with marketing.

There have been award nominations, I have two Rita statuettes tucked away on the shelf under the stairs; sadly I had to give back the Betty Neels Rose Bowl at the end of the year. And I’ve been fabulous conferences in New York, Denver, Washington, Leicester and Egham and this weekend I’ll be at Caerleon for the Romantic Novelists’ Association conference. Forget “messing about in boats”; there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to beat spending a weekend with romance writers en masse.  

And in April I delivered FLIRTING WITH ITALIAN, my sixtieth story, to Mills and Boon. A diamond moment if ever there was one.

What I remember most, though, are the wonderful friends I’ve made during the last twenty years. Writers, who are the only people who understand exactly how you’re feeling when the words won’t come. Or when they do. Editors who have taught me so much, made me write better than I knew I could. But most of all readers. God bless you for buying the books. Thank you for posting lovely reviews on Amazon. For befriending me on my blog and on twitter and writing to me when a book has delighted you. Rushing to buy the latest title.

You are the ones who keep this industry going. Your enthusiasm, eagerness for new stories, your joy, anticipation as you open a glossy cover, click “download” onto to eReader. We do it for you.

So here I am, raising a glass of champagne to all of you.

Thank you for twenty wonderful years.

Michelle Rowen: Books and cats

There's a cliché about single women who owns cats and read romance novels.

Well, I'm a single woman who owns cats and WRITES romance novels. And I definitely don't consider myself a cliché, thank you very much.

I have always owned cats my entire life, but they've always been extremely stand-offish and aloof. They prefer to hide, not liking to be petted, and only came out to be fed or to give me a slightly annoyed glance.

About four years ago that all changed. I acquired two cats about six months apart and while they couldn't be more different from each other, in the "friendly" category, they are really more like lap dogs.

Here, let me introduce you.


I got SPIKE from the Humane Society. In a Wal-Mart, no less. At the time I was looking for a cat for company in my new condo and, as a newly published paranormal author, I wanted it to be a black cat. Very fashionable. And there he was. I quickly learned that Spike had a couple key personality traits -- extreme need to be loved and petted and a talent for fetching bottle caps.

Since I still had a day job then, I knew a cat who needed a lot of attention (a lot), would need company during the day. SAMMY was soon acquired at a local pet shop. I know. I would have liked to go the Humane Society route again, but how could I say no to this face?


Quickly I learned that the tiny kitten joining the family was no pushover or typical "younger brother." Sammy, from day one, was a total alpha and he asserted his dominance over the much larger, much wimpier Spike. Still does. There is one difference though -- Spike is great with visitors and isn't shy at all. Sammy, the alpha, hides under the bed like a little furry scaredy-cat until any company leaves.

So these are my two furry babies and I love having them around when I'm writing (as long as the meowing doesn't get too loud).


They're as excited as I am about my brand new release, BLOODLUST, the second book in my Nightshade urban fantasy romance series that came out on Tuesday.

Okay, I'm lying. They can't read. But I sense their excitement anyway.

Happy Reading!

Michelle xoxo

For more information about BLOODLUST or any of my other books, please check out my website at www.michellerowen.com.

Equality - Donna Alward

I've been sitting here for a few hours, working away, trying to come up with a topic to write about. There shouldn't be any shortage; I've just come back from RWA Nationals where tons of exciting things happened.

But I didn't want to give another conference report, you know? And then as I was doing the dishes I thought about what the takeaway is from Nationals. We get asked that on our art fact sheets, you know. What's the takeaway?

And as I was thinking about all that I realized what it is that makes Nationals so special. It's not the fangirl moments - though those are great from both sides of the coin. It's not the networking, though that's pretty darn energizing too. It's not even awards or parties...wait. Ok, so maybe the Harlequin Party is the exception, because it's pretty damn fabulous (here I am with my roomate Fiona Harper at the Waldorf Astoria), but even that kind of contributes to the point I'm about to make.

The takeaway is equality.

At Nationals everyone is the same. We all love the romance genre. We all love writing. We all just GET IT. Nothing brings this home like listening to the keynote speakers and it is why I hate to miss them and really try not to. It is so inspiring and humbling to hear someone speak about how they wrote on the QT for more than a decade before finally selling their first book. It's awe inspiring to hear about some people's struggles not only to be published but to get through life - if you haven't read Sherrilyn Kenyon's keynote speech on facebook, go find it. It is encouraging to know that best selling authors suffer the same trials of just WRITING THE DAMN BOOK as we do. And it doesn't matter if you're unpublished, newly published, a midlister or a NY Times Best Selling author. When it all comes down to it, we're all the same. And do you know what that means?

It means anything is possible. If they (meaning the "stars") can do it, why not us? The possibilities are endless. There is hope. And I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of hope, and of promise, and of hard work.  I love that there doesn't have to be limitations.

In the words of Red Green, "We're all in this together."

That's what I bring home from Nationals, and that's what fills my heart and makes me excited to keep doing this job. It's not the awards or signing books or shaking hands with people. It's this feeling of community and positive energy. It's addictive, and it's hard to come back to real life when it's all over.

But real life intrudes just the same - and includes a brand new release day for me. A FAMILY FOR THE RUGGED RANCHER hit store shelves yesterday! And I have to admit this is a special story for me. The hero is dealing with the issue of aging parents and facing his own mortality. He was lovely to write!

Until next time, happy reading!

Donna

www.donnaalward.com