SuperRomance Authors Blog

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-03-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

"Proofread carefully to see if you any words out."

~Author Unknown

March Chit Chat

2012-03-08T04:59:00.000-05:00

by Beth Andrews

I'm racing toward the end of a deadline so I thought I'd take it easy on all of us and have a Chit Chat Day!

One of my favorite pages on my website is my Chit Chat page. I love reading fun info about other authors and wanted a page where readers could get to know a little bit more about me so every month I share what music I'm listening to, what books I'm reading, things I'm currently loving, what I'm watching, what I'm looking forward to and what I'm currently craving.

Here are a few of this month's choices:

...Listening to:

Drift and Die by Puddle of Mudd

About Today by The National

I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz

...Reading:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21- Day Essential to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit by Kathy Freston

The Art of War for Writers: Fiction Writing Strategies, Tactics and Exercises by James Scott Bell

...Loving:

My new cover! Isn't it gorgeous??

The Pittsburgh Penguins! Go Pens!! (Yes, Ellen, we are now hockey converts here *g*)

...Watching:

Burn Notice. I'm trying to catch up on all the episodes I've missed which are most of them *g*

Awake. Okay, I haven't seen this show yet but I really, really want to!

Looking Forward To:

My baby's birthday on Sunday. Hard to believe she'll be 15!

Prom dress shopping with my daughters.

...Craving:

A fried egg sandwich with avocado on a whole grain bagel. I'm into eggs lately :-)

So, let's Chit Chat! Tell me what you're currently:

Listening to

Reading

Loving

Watching

Looking forward to

Craving

The reading habit

2012-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

by Wanda Ottewell, Senior Editor Super Romance

Several weeks ago I was packing to go on vacation. Once I’d crammed all the clothes and shoes into the suitcases (why is it that there are always more clothes and shoes than there is space in the suitcase?) it was time to pick the books that would travel with me. That got me thinking about reading habits. And what better place to chat about that topic than a blog with a bunch of readers and authors?

Admittedly, travel is lot lighter for me now that I have an ereader. So much more of my library can accompany me and I can pick a book to suit whatever mood I’m in. That’s so cool…and reassuring. I’ve been on a few vacations where I read all the books I brought with me or, even worse, I couldn’t finish them because they simply couldn’t engage me. Isn’t that a terrible feeling? To have days ahead of you and absolutely no reading material? I still shudder at the situation. My ereader has saved me from that—as long as I remember to bring the power cord to recharge, I’ve got all the books I need.

The funny thing is, initially I wasn’t that excited about ereaders because I couldn’t imagine anything replacing my books. But once I started using it, I instantly saw the appeal. It’s so much lighter to carry around so I actually do carry it with me, whereas I rarely carried books in my purse—too heavy and bulky with all of the other stuff I cart around. Now when I’m waiting for an appointment or have a few minutes to spare, I pull out my reader.

One advantage printed books still have for me is the ability to skip forward in the story easily. Whenever I read a really suspenseful story or a romance with such convincing conflict and big obstacles that I’m sure the characters won’t get together, I will flip to the ending to reassure myself all will be well. I find this process so cumbersome with ebooks that I tend not to do it. And you know what? That might be a good thing!

I tend to read several books at a time. So right now, for example, I have two print books I’m in the midst of reading—a contemporary romance story I started when I forgot to charge my ereader, and a memoir that was with me on a business trip. I have a thriller book in progress on my ereader, and I’m about halfway through a nonfiction book on my phone. There are a couple more books I’ve started that are so good, I’ve decided to put them aside until I have that perfect lazy afternoon to dive into them and read them start to finish in a sitting (something I love to do). Fortunately my job has trained me to keep several different plotlines straight so I have no problem coming back to a story I’ve abandoned for a while.

Now that I’ve spilled my reading habits, I’d love to hear about yours. Are you a single book at a time reader or do you have a book in every room, in every bag, for every mood? What books tend to go with you on vacation? Have you ventured into ebooks? It’s okay to share…you’re among fellow readers!

One lucky poster today will be win all 6 of this month's Super Romances, courtesy of Harlequin. So comment away!

Travel stories

2012-03-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

by Emmie Dark

In “Cassie’s Grand Plan”, my newly released SuperRomance, my hero and heroine, Cassie and Ronan, take a business trip together around Australia. I must confess more than a few of the moments they share “on the road” are from my own experience travelling for work.

As anyone who travels for work regularly can tell you, it’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds. Having said that, it does also afford you some wonderful opportunities to see new places and experience a side of the world you might not otherwise get to see. Recently I was fortunate enough to travel to Hong Kong for work. There were long hours in the office, with long commutes at each end of the day, but I also took the opportunity to play the tourist when I had a few hours spare.

I’m not much of a gardener, but I have a little patch of dirt that I’m trying to keep green, and I have an admiration for those who can do anything more elaborate than that! Which I guess is why it was such a treat to visit the Nan Lian Gardens and the adjacent Chi Lin Buddhist Nunnery.

Hidden within the bustling city, it’s almost a shock to walk off the busy street and into the quiet, calm oasis of the gardens. They are so carefully tended, not a leaf is out of place. And the massive koi pond in the middle is home to some of the largest fish I’ve ever seen up close!

The most astonishing feature of the Chi Lin Nunnery is the square ponds filled with water lilies. I could have spent hours just gazing into the reflective pools and the elegant blooms – there was something incredibly restful about the whole place.

I love Hong Kong, but when I think about it the images that generally come to mind are the very modern, progressive city: tall buildings, neon lights, bustling sidewalks and designer-brand shops. It was lovely to see a little of the other side of the city – one of history and culture and elegant restraint.

In travel of another, virtual kind, this week I’m launching my first ever blog tour. It’s kind of like a bookstore tour, only instead of visiting shops, I’m visiting people’s blogs. You can go in the draw to win a $50 Amazon voucher by visiting the various blogs and leaving comments along the way. Details of the blog tour are:

You'll also have a chance to win a copy of Cassie’s Grand Plan – that is if you don’t win one of the ones I’m going to give away today! To go in the running, leave me a comment and tell me about your favourite “unexpected” travel moment.

You can also find more information at my blog.

2012-03-04T18:08:00.002-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending March 4 ...

Monday February 27, 2012

Malvina, Janet and ClaudiaGC

An e-copy of Joan Kilby's Gentlemen Prefer Nerds

Tuesday February 28, 2012

Desere, Erin

A copy each of Sarah Mayberry's More Than One Night

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss this week's bloggers...

Monday, March 5, 2012

Emmie Dark

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Wanda Ottewell

Wedesday, March 7, 2012

Kay Stockham

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Beth Andrews

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-03-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

Check your dialogue tags—said, replied, responded, etc. How many of them are necessary?

Take the tags out and see if you can follow the conversation by adding details about the characters’ thoughts, movements or facial expressions. If your character speaks wryly or angrily or joyously, try to determine if the tone of voice is obvious from the character’s actions and words, and thus avoid adding the adverb after the tag.

Remember that “said” is considered an invisible word, one of the few that can be repeated without annoying the reader. Changing tags frequently—she asserted, she demanded, she cried, she queried—can actually be more intrusive than simply using “said” when necessary and letting the dialogue indicate tone of voice.

~ Jeannie Watt

Pink Diamonds Are The Bomb by Joan Kilby

2012-03-01T00:05:00.005-05:00

A couple of years ago I took a break from Superromance to write GENTLEMEN PREFER NERDS, a ‘caper’ story and romantic comedy. It’s about a meek, nerdy gemologist named Maddie, a jewel thief known as The Chameleon, and an mysterious English aristocrat, Fabian Montgomery, who comes to Maddie’s aid when a fabulous heart-shaped pink diamond is stolen from her aunt’s jewelry shop. (You can read the blurb and an excerpt on my website.)

The story is based on a Cinderella-type fantasy. An ordinary woman is plucked out of her ordinary life by an extraordinary man and taken on the wildest adventure of her life. In the process she’s transformed into the smartest, bravest, sexiest version of herself possible and is thus changed forever. It’s a powerful and delicious fantasy. And I wish it would happen to me! No, no, not really. I’m perfectly content with my life J

In my Superromance books I try to make my characters and situations as realistic as possible--I love writing Supers for those very characteristics. But I also adored writing GENTLEMEN PREFER NERDS as an opportunity to stretch my writing wings with something completely different and just for fun.

I had a riot thinking up outrageous OTT stunts for my characters to get up to. Part of the plot is for science geek Maddie to be turned into a sexy glamazon to seduce the jewel thief and steal the back the pink diamond. Fabian sends her to a ritzy spa to for her make-over. Most women love spas (I know I do!) but not poor Maddie. Still, when Fabian sits up and takes notice of her sexy new look, she decides it was worth the torture.

There are plenty of plot twists, danger and comic intervals but also a strong romance between Maddie and Fabian. They go on an emotional journey as well as an adventure. The story is light-hearted and fun but not ‘fluff’ if you know what I mean.

One of the best parts of writing the book was researching pink diamonds. I fell in love with these gorgeous stones and spent hours drooling over photos on the internet. Pink diamonds are very rare and most of them come from Western Australia. Recently, a huge pink diamond was discovered in WA. http://tiny.cc/new6k The diamond in my book is larger and a more intense pink than is probably realistic but I’ve unapologetically taken artistic license.

Helping me with my research was the wonderfully knowledgable gemologist, David Fortier of Tiptopgem.com. David patiently answered my many questions and I spent a lot of time coveting the gems for sale on his site! If you want to know anything about any kind of gemstones, he’s your go-to guy.

Once I’d written this ‘book of my heart’ I couldn’t find a home for it. No agent would take me on, saying there was no market for this kind of book. So when Carina Press opened their virtual doors I submitted unagented and quickly sold the manuscript. My editor Deborah Nemeth and senior editor Angela James have been terrific to work with. I’m hoping readers will prove those agents wrong!

I wrote GENTLEMEN PREFER NERDS intending it to be the first of a five book series, involving the same cast of characters and a different fabulous gemstone each time. That hasn’t eventuated--yet. But it’s still in the back of my mind to write the rest of the books one day.

I’m giving away three (3) e-copies of GENTLEMEN PREFER NERDS. Just comment to be in the draw to win.

What is your favorite gemstone? Do you own a piece of jewelry set with it? If you don’t, I’d love for you to tell me about your ultimate fantasy piece of jewelry.

From the Way Back Machine by Ellen Hartman

2012-02-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

The New York Times has a new Tumblr site called The Lively Morgue.

The Lively Morgue is a glimpse at the millions of photos stored in the picture archives of the Times. Each post includes a picture and a scan of the back which includes various hard to read stamps and scribbles and stuff I'd like to understand.

(Here's the About page for the Tumblr site. It's fascinating.) They're just getting started, but I can tell I'm going to love the site. Old photos really get my imagination pumping. I love to think about the details like the dads in suits in the photo from Bat Day at Yankee Stadium and the size of the mannequins in the photo from the rummage sale. (I just bet those mannequins are shaped differently than the ones in stores now.)

When I see pictures like those, I can't help myself. I automatically start trying to piece the specifics together into some kind of story. So much of life is in the details of our old photos and the little vignettes we hand down from generation to generation.

Here's a story that combines my family history and my husband's.

My husband's family is pictured in an old photo from their hometown newspaper. The entire clan is gathered on the front porch of their home, around 1912. Everyone is lined up across the porch from an older man in a rocking chair right down to a baby held in her big brother's arms. Also the cow.

Yes. The cow.

I was joking with my husband one time about him being from a family who would include their cow in their family portrait for the newspaper. My grandmother said, "At least they had a cow."

Her understanding of that time and place changed my perception of the photo, and also increased my respect for my grandmother who came a long way in life considering she started from a family who didn't even have a cow.

(Additional fact: When my son was little, he was obsessed with that photo which he said pictured "his cousin the bull." Hee.)

What about you? Do you have a story from the "olden days" of your family or town? Do you live in a house with a history? Are you going to add The Lively Morgue to your Tumblr favorites?

P.S. I couldn't lay my hands on the photo of our cousin the bull, but I did pull this one out of my family archives. It's my other grandmother (I'm sure her family didn't own a cow either) with her new husband and her sister. If not for this photo, I wouldn't believe my grandmother had ever worn a dress. The historical record is a good thing!

Expect the unexpected

2012-02-28T06:31:00.006-05:00

by Sarah Mayberry

I have a book out in March - always an exciting time - and today I wanted to talk about the inspiration behind my story. Since there's a pregnant woman on the cover, I don't think I'm giving away too much by telling you that More Than One Night is an accidental pregnancy story. This is pretty much a staple of romance - right up there with the arranged marriage and the reunion story! - and for some reason I really wanted to try my hand at writing this theme. And once I started thinking about my take on this perennial story, I got "pictures" in my head of who my hero and heroine should be.

Now, when I say pictures, I don't mean images (that's why I used the " marks!) I got this sense of who they were, what they did, what they wanted. And, yes, I sort of/kind of got an idea of what they looked like, too. Charlie, the heroine, in particular was very clear. She pretty much sprung, fully clothed and kitted out with issues and backstory from my subconscious. ( As a side point, I think Charlie is one of the saddest, bravest heroines I've written. I felt for her so badly as I was writing this book. If anyone deserves a happy ending, I think it's Charlie, and I loved matching her with Rhys and helping her find her way to accepting that he loved her.)

The reason I wanted to tackle the "accidental pregnancy" theme was because I'd read it lots of different ways, but often the man insisted on him and the woman marrying "for the sake of the baby". Now, I know there are some people who are very traditional about this sort of thing, but for me, marrying a virtual stranger seems far more problematic and scary than being a single parent! So I decided to tackle this story from a less traditional viewpoint. I wanted to imagine what a smart, independent 30 something woman would do if she found herself in Charlie's position. And I wanted to imagine how a man who felt he'd just managed to grab the world by the tail would feel if he found out that he was suddenly going to be a parent with a woman whose last name he didn' t know.

The result is More Than One Night, and I really hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it. I got a lot out of writing it, that's for sure. If you're interested, there's an excerpt over at my site, here, and some behind the scenes information here.

I'd like to give away 2 copies of More Than One Night today. Tell me about a moment when life threw an unexpected curveball your way. I'd love to hear your stories of rising to the challenge!

Wat if?

2012-02-27T02:00:00.001-05:00

I was in one of my favorite stores the other day – the
cupcake bakery – and it took me quite a while to make my decision about which
cupcakes to buy. Red Velvet? Chocolate raspberry? Banana nut caramel? Way too hard to narrow it down. And as I stood there, trying to decide, I had
one of those 'what if' moments that writers love. I've always loved to bake – I'm a cookie
machine at Christmas. I always bake the
desserts for family parties. Maybe I
would have been a pastry chef!

For the record, I have no interest in another career
path. I have the best possible careers
ever. I get to make up stories that
become books. Best job in the world,
right? I think so! And as a veterinarian, I have the privilege
of helping sick animals become healthy again. What could be more inspiring than helping pets
heal from injuries and illnesses and reunite with their owners? In both of my careers, I'm in the
happily-ever-after business. I love
that!

But the writer in me always goes for the 'what if'. And since I was standing in the cupcake
bakery, trying to make a tough choice, I thought 'what if I was a pastry chef?'
Which, of course, led to other 'what
ifs'. I love music. What if I'd become a musician? Although full disclosure forces me to reveal
that, as someone once told me, you have to actually have some talent for that
to happen.

The trip to the cupcake shop is what started me thinking
about this. But as I wrote this blog, I
realized that I do have a way to find out 'what if'. I can give my characters careers that
fascinate me. And I recognized I did just that with my March Superromance, A Safe Place. The heroine, Frankie Devereux, is a part-time
pastry chef who makes cupcakes. So,
while I wrote that book, part of me was a pastry chef. How cool is that?

If you could do anything you wanted in life, what would it
be? What is your dream career? Your what if?

2012-02-26T17:21:00.000-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending February 26 ...

Monday February 20, 2012

Amalie

A book from Karina Bliss's backlist

Tuesday February 21, 2012

Sonya Natalia

A copy of Tracy Wolff's From The Beginning

Wednesday February 22, 2012

Kaelee

A copy of Emmie Dark's debut Super Romance, Cassie's Grand Plan

Thursday February 23, 2012

Marybelle

A copy of Linda Warren's Skylar's Outlaw

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss this week's bloggers...

Monday, February 27, 2012

Margaret Watson

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Sarah Mayberry

Wedesday, February 29, 2012

Ellen Hartman

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Joan Kilby

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-02-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

"It's easy to find a reason not to write, but writers who need to put ideas to paper, find the time. Use your 24 hours wisely and before you know it, you'll have pages."

~Kimberly Van Meter

Marcy is our 5 page super critique winner!

To enter our drawing for a 5-page super critique simply comment here and

check back next week. Winners please use our contact page to claim your prize.

CALL ME MAYBE

2012-02-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

Strange title for a blog? I’ll explain. Emmie stole my title yesterday.LOL The post are different though and I used the title the blog is about. Change is good.

About two weeks ago I received an email from a Canadian reader who sent a link and said I needed to watch a YouTube video by Carly Rae Jepsen. She added that Carly is a Canadian singer and her single Call Me Maybe is Number 1 on the pop charts.

I wondered what that had to do with me and I was really curious. I clicked the link. A very catchy tune came on and a few seconds into the video I almost fell out of my chair. The video is a take on the Harlequin novel and three books are shown—quickly. So quick I thought I was seeing things. I watched it again and there was my book Skylar’s Outlaw as clear as day. Wow! I’ve watched it about twenty times now. I love the song and I'm going to buy it.

http://bit.ly/thXDAK

(You might have to CTRL + click to load.)

Beside the song there were three things that caught my attention in the video: the books, of course, the shoes she’s wearing to wash the car, and the ending—definitely not a Harlequin ending. Now I have, “Here’s my number so call me maybe,” stuck in my head. Could be because I’ve listened to it so much.

In the video, Carly is fanning herself with a Dana Marton book. Skylar’s Outlaw is on a table with another book I can’t make out. When I pause the video, the book is blurry, but I can read Men in Uniform at the bottom. Maybe you’re more tech savvy. Can you name the third book?

This week Carly signed with Justin Bieber’s management, School Boy Records, and it’s rumored she will be touring with him. I love these updates I’ve been getting. The video has over 3.7 million views. Wow! Now that’s promo. And it was free. Happy dancing!

After I finished writing this blog, I got another update. Carly has now done a new YouTube video for Call Me Baby with Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (my nieces will swoon) without the Harlequin books. Darn!! It has now surpassed the views for the first one in a short amount of time. It was nice while it lasted, but the first video is still up. I have no idea how the books were picked. Maybe someone who wrote the video or someone on the set reads them. I thought it was neat for Harlequin books to be included in the video. What do you think?

From the posts a winner will be drawn to receive a copy of Skylar’s Outlaw. My first cover with a shirtless hero. Now I want all my heroes to be shirtless. They get noticed.

Thanks for letting me share and thanks to my Canadian friends for the emails and updates.

Linda

You've got mail

2012-02-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Emmie Dark

I had a birthday last week. Not a very special birthday in the scheme of things, and life was busy with work and travel and all sorts of other things, so as it turned out I didn’t have any kind of celebration. This is unlike me, because there’s nothing I like more than getting together with friends and family, whatever the excuse!

But I discovered there was an up-side. When you don’t meet up with people face-to-face, there’s only one other way for them to get a card or gift to you: they have to send it in the mail.

Photo by Stuart Miles.

There are few things that provide the smile-inducing pleasure of opening your mailbox to find a hand-addressed envelope, don’t you think?

I think one of the reasons is that in today’s time-pressured world just the very fact that someone has taken the time and care to send something speaks volumes about their feelings for you. They went to a store and chose a card, took the time to write a special message on it, bought a stamp, and then traveled to the nearest post office or post box to mail it. That’s a pretty impressive effort!

Parcels and packages are rarer and although they’re exciting, for me it’s a slightly different, delayed kind of pleasure. An Express Post satchel or a FedEx envelope could, all too easily, be work-related. It’s not until I get to examine the sender’s details and realize it’s something personal that the little-kid-deep-inside-me starts to clap her hands in glee. Then it’s a race to find the scissors and slit the tape and open it up and grin. Doesn’t matter how many birthdays you have, I think that little-kid joy of an unexpected present never goes away.

Don’t get me wrong—it’s still lovely to receive birthday greetings on Facebook and Twitter and email too. They are wonderful reminders of the international friendship network today’s technology allows us to build. Although our grandparents and great-grandparents were probably far more adept at letter writing than we are now, I also doubt that my grandmother could travel to just about any continent in the world and know people she could look up when she landed. I can, and I’m incredibly grateful for that, even if it means fewer hand-written envelopes in my mailbox these days.

I’m pretty good at remembering to send birthday cards to my nearest and dearest. And each Christmas I set aside an evening or two for marathon bouts of card writing and envelope addressing. I do wish I was better at remembering to write and send thank you cards (hardly ever), and I can’t even remember the last time I wrote someone a letter. But in the past 24 hours I’ve wished three people happy birthday on Facebook, sent an email to a dear friend to set up a lunch date during an interstate visit, organised a night out at the Comedy Festival over Twitter, and connected with an old friend on Pinterest. I don’t know how I could have done all of that if I’d just been relying on mail—I’d have needed telegrams and my own personal delivery service!

One lucky commenter will receive their very own hand-written parcel in the mail! I’ll choose someone at random to receive a copy of my debut SuperRomance, “Cassie’s Grand Plan”, which will be on sale from 6 March.

Running Away to the Circus and other Escapes

2012-02-21T13:32:00.001-05:00

I had to laugh when I saw the topic of Karina's blogpost yesterday, because in its own way, it relates very much to what I want to talk about today. I, too, am a serial murderer-- both on and off the page (more on than off, if I'm being completely honest). But, even more than that, I am a gypsy. At least in my head. In my books, I get to explore all the places I want to go (or re-explore then if I've already been) and even better, I get to be whoever and whatever I want to be. Artist, check. Mermaid, check. Doctor, check. Circus performer, check ...

My newest project, which does not currently have a name, is a circus book. Yes, a circus book, and I have to admit, the more I explore circus life, the more I'm tempted to run away and join one ;) I know it's hard work, know it's often dangerous and dirty and everything else, but at the same time, there's nothing quite like it. Nothing like the lights, the colors, the acrobats soaring through the air ... In this book, my heroine is a seventeen year old girl who's been raised in the circus and wants desperately to leave it even as she trains to take her mother's place on the highwire.

But as I write about Star, I realize how much escape is a theme in my books. My characters are always trying to get away from something-- whether it's a thousand year old prophecy in my dark mermaid YAs or a paranormal legacy she can't live up to in my urban fantasies-- my characters are always looking for a way out. Rarely do they find it.

In my February Superromance, From the Beginning, my heroine is looking for a way to escape the pain of losing her daughter. A doctor for many years with For the Children, an organization that helps out in developing nations and disaster areas, Amanda runs back to Africa in an attempt to esape the grief of burying her child. But like all my characters have to eventually figure out, Amanda must face the fact that running away won't make the pain go away. In the end, she returns home to fix herself and the life that she abandoned upon her daughter's death, including her relationship with Simon Hart, her child's father and the only man she's ever loved.

So, how about you? If you could run away and be anything, what would you choose? To join the circus? To be a doctor in Africa? To be a mermaid? Or something else entirely? Comment for a chance to win a copy of my February Superromance, From the Beginning.

Confessions of a serial killer

2012-02-20T01:53:00.005-05:00

By Karina Bliss

I have a confession to make. I’m a serial killer. To be specific I’m guilty of matricide, patricide and parricide (killing of a close relative). I suspect I’m not the only one. I suspect many, many romance authors are similarly cut-throat about killing off extraneous characters. In my defense I don’t often murder on the page – okay, twice, including my June release Bring Him Home – Usually I do it in backstory.
But I always thought I was judicious about it. Thoughtful. Surgeon-like. The majority of my superfluous parents were on a cruise, helping out in Africa or enjoying retirement on the Gold Coast.
That’s what I thought.
When I actually checked through my ten books to see how many hero and heroines were orphans (i.e.: parents dead at the beginning of the book), I toyed with sending sympathy cards to my happy couples. With your genes, don’t bother saving for retirement.
Worse, I discovered I’d dispatched these hapless innocents in unkind ways. They died addled with alcohol, killed in a car accident, after suffering a long debilitating illness or dropping dead of a heart attack.
But you’re my accomplice. Yes, you. Because you don’t want these people constantly interrupting the romance either.
And there are worse offenders than Super authors. I’m sure the parental body count is higher in suspense and paranormal. It’s very hard to be snarly and dangerous when your mom is phoning to remind you to come to dinner next Thursday because Aunty Marg is in town. Surely it’s no ‘accident’ that Eve and Roarke in JD Robb’s In Death series are both orphans?
But be assured I’ve already been bought to poetic justice. I’m currently writing the fourth in my SAS hero series which means I have many, many secondary characters clamouring for space. I can’t default to my usual homicidal tricks because I’m dealing with heroes from previous books. And I gave them Special Forces training which makes them impossible to kill. Instead I have to delicately negotiate boundaries while I’m muttering things like, “I hear the Bahamas is nice.”
And trying to avoid what author Joanna Bourne calls ‘scenery with arms.’
She thinks readers can care about a maximum of eight or ten characters.
Here’s a link to her blog on the subject.
http://jobourne.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/how-many-characters.html

So how many characters can you care about in a book? Do you want studly ex heroes or parents and siblings to get page space?
Make a comment and go into the draw for any of my backlist books (except Mr Imperfect). Make your pick from my website: http://www.karinabliss.com/.

And the picture...the shower scene out of Psycho. No one beats Hitchcock at killing off his darlings.

2012-02-19T17:23:00.004-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending February 19 ...

Monday February 13, 2012

Linda S

A copy of one of Mary Brady's Super Romances, or a Toss On bracelent

(and Mary will kindly eat chocolate in Linda's honor)

Tuesday February 14, 2012

Chey

A $15 Amazon voucher courtesy of Jeannie Watts

Thursday February 16, 2012

Quilt Lady

A set of Liz Talley's Oak Stand books

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss this week's bloggers...

Monday, February 20, 2012

Karina Bliss

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Tracy Wolf

Wedesday, February 22, 2012

Emmie Dark

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Linda Warren

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-02-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

"An approaching deadline can be a powerful motivator. The good news is that you don't need to be contracted to have deadlines. You can either set your own or, better yet, join a critique group. My group meets every few weeks so I have a series of self-imposed mini deadlines that help me get my manuscripts in on time. No use being in a group if you don't submit anything to be critiqued."

~Darlene Gardner

Comment here to win a Super Critique of your first 5-pages.

Power of Positive People

2012-02-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

By Liz Talley

We've had some really fun topics over the last few weeks - contests with surprise guests (still trying to figure out how Weannie got her name), hunky crushes, and our writing uniforms (visualizing Ellen in her bow hat), but I'm going to take it down a couple of notches...just like that slow song at the skating rink (which will forever be for me "Sad Eyes"...turn the other way. I don't wanna see you cry). Sorry. I digress.

See, it's been a while since I've blogged here, and I've been thinking hard about what I wanted to blog about today. And after a guest speaking engagement and a tap dance to get volunteers to step up at my local chapter meeting, I've been focused on who I surround myself with and why it's important to make sure the people around me are positive influences (Good gravy, I sound like my mother!)

A long, long time ago in a galaxy called Shreveport - which is where I live - I got a crazy idea to start writing. It was a spontaneous idea, nothing like a dream that lived in my heart, that called out to me like a song. Nope. Just an urge to meddle around with a story idea. And that's when it bit me - that horrible ol' writing bug. For three years I piddled with that Regency manuscript until one day...I finished it.

I didn't really know what to do with that absolute masterpiece of literature. No clue. All alone I'd tapped at the keyboard, writing wicked love scenes and funny scone-flying scenes, with nary a friend to encourage me, tell me I'm awesome or lend an ear when I couldn't figure out what type of carriage a rake drove around the Serpentine. All by my little lonesome...poor Liz Talley.

But then a beacon appeared, or rather a link on my search for "romance writing." That's right, I joined RWA and my local chapter (couldn't believe they had one in my town!) Suddenly, I was surrounded by writers who knew what they were doing. Some were published, some taught writing, and it was like hitting the veritable jackpot. They took me under their wing, encouraged me, told me I was great and that one day I would be published. They believed in me, and here's the deal, they made me believe in me.

The reason this has been so on my mind is because I lost one of those dear friends several weeks ago. Katie Sue Morgan (Ms. Sue to me) was published almost ten years ago by Precious Gems and took a special interest in me. She was one of my first critque partners and hated when I went all laundry list on my descriptions. She also infamously told me when I complained that Nora Roberts head-hopped all the time on POV, that I could head-hop when I became Nora..until then I HAD to stick to one POV per scene. She had twinkling blue eyes much like the blue bonnets that she so loved in her native Texas and drove a car with a front license plate that said "Native Texan" so no one would mistake her for a Louisiana gal (even though she lived in Louisiana for most her life). She was funny, fierce and shepparded every editor and agent she could find my way..and I'm not kidding about that. She'd wave her cane and make them stay to meet me like I was the next J.K. Rowling or Stephanie Meyer. In fact, she signed me up to pitch with Wanda Ottewell without my knowing about it. That's how Ms. Sue rolled.

I've been blessed to be surrounded by people who believed in me, not just in my RWA chapter, but throughout the writing community. Surrounding yourself with positive people is pretty darn important if you want to be successful. No, it's very important. If you are pecked by negative Nancys (apologies to the Nancys out there) or Critical Carlas (and to all the Carlas) you won't get as far as fast. I'm not saying you need to surround yourself with people who lie to you about your talent or ability cause Lord knows someone should have shared some truth with some of those kids that go on American Idol try-outs. Sheesh. But if you have a dream and enough gumption, talent and desire, the people behind you, beside you and in front of you should be dragging you toward the pinnacle.

That's what Ms. Sue was for me...along with my former CP Keri Ford, my current CP Connie Cox (debut M&B Medical author btw), my chapter, The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood, my Superromance community, ENALR, Wanda, Michelle, my husband...okay, you get the picture. Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and you will go far.

Okay, I'm putting down the pompons. LOL. So tell me about a time you felt the power of positive people...or positive thinking. One lucky commenter will win a copy of any of my Oak Stand books (and you can feel free to be totally positive about them. LOL!)

Clothes to Make the Author

2012-02-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, my sister went through all the closets in the house and culled a ton of old, outdated, ill-fitting clothing and donated it to a local charity. It got me thinking about the clothes we wear for our jobs, and the expectations and perceptions attached to one’s unique sense of style.

Currently, my day job requires simply that I be comfortable and relatively neat looking. Whenever I wear a nicer business suit or dress, perceptions change. At an old job, I was frequently asked, “Are you going for a job interview?” My response was always the same: “Nah, it’s laundry day.”

Then it occurred to me that writers don’t really have uniforms. We often work alone all day, usually in the comfort of our home office. I was surprised to find out how many writers get fully dressed to write instead of wandering to their computers in their underwear. Considering how writing has become an after-work ritual for me, I couldn’t conceive of wearing anything that might stifle my creativity.

Which brings me to my “writing uniform.”

I can’t quite imagine Margaret Atwood, Nora Roberts, Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen schlupping around in their footie jammies while penning masterpieces, but neither will I believe couldn't be comfortable and look fashionable while working.

Unfortunately, I can only achieve one of those at a time.

In my opinion, the writer’s uniform should play two important roles: it should (a) be comfortable; and (b) indicate to the outside world that you are WORKING, and that you CAN’T BE DISTURBED RIGHT NOW.

Note: I’m sure there are people out there writing in three-piece suits and high heels, so comfort is subjective. In my definition, comfortable means that state in which you can produce the highest word count possible.

My writing uniform starts with stretchy cotton jogging pants and a soft sweatshirt. I have two of each in my “writing clothes” drawer. A pair of cozy fun socks is essential; I usually opt for either my knee-high rainbow socks or the puffy spa socks I got for Christmas.

Sitting in front of a screen and not moving for hours means your blood stops circulating and you get pretty cold, so I will usually don an oversized zip-up hoodie. The one I own has what I call “writer’s elbow”--a giant hole in the left elbow worn in from propping your chin up while sitting in front of the monitor.

Unfortunately, a sweatshirt and hoodie aren’t usually enough for me, since I am a cold-blooded lizard woman, and because I’m somewhat frugal and enviromentally conscious of energy use, I don’t usually turn up the heat. Instead, I’ve taken to wearing hats indoors.

I have two hats for writing: a hand-knit beanie, and THE SERIOUS HAT. If I am wearing THE SERIOUS HAT, it is because all the blood has gone to my brain. THE SERIOUS HAT is very warm. My husband and cat both know not to talk to me when I wear it. If I am wearing it, I have likely locked my office door because I’m on deadline. One look at me in THE SERIOUS HAT, and you will understand that I AM SERIOUS about writing.

Finally, to combat the dreaded “mouse hand,” I put on a pair of Dickensian writing gloves. They’re a pair of white cotton dollar-store gloves with the tips cut off. When I put them on, I like to pretend I’m Bob Cratchit, counting beans for Mr. Scrooge who won’t turn the heat up.

I think you'll agree, my outfit definitely gets the job done.

Do you have a uniform you wear for a specific activity other people wouldn’t wear one for? Maybe you have a vacuuming outfit? A poker night suit? A wine-drinking dress? Bacon-frying socks?

Let me know in the comments!

Crushes from the Olden Days

2012-02-14T02:00:00.064-05:00

By Jeannie Watt

Last month I blogged about covers through the ages, so, since today is Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about crushes through the ages. My crushes. And speaking of ages, this blog is going to date me. But so it goes. I must admit that I can look at some of these guys and think, "Yeah--good taste." (David McCallum) But a few of the others...well...you know...taste develop as you age.

My very first official crush occurred at a very young age. And my crushee wasn’t real. He was animated. Jonny Quest was everything I wanted in a man. He fought aliens, swamp monsters and giant spiders. He had a cute dog. What more could a (very young) girl want?

The answer to that is

flesh and blood. As my cognitive abilities developed, I started noticing guys who were three dimensional. My next memorable crush was on Sandy Ricks (played by Luke Halpin) the older brother in Flipper, a show about a dolphin. He was blond and a little pouty, but did his chores and got into just enough trouble to keep him interesting. And he had a dolphin.

After Sandy came Davy Jones of the Monkees. Dear heavens but he was cute. So cute he rates two pictures here. Those eyes. That accent. That shortness. However…I was fickle. Peter Tork was kind of cute, too. But Davy had once been a jockey and horses carried a lot of sway with me back in those days, therefore Davy it was...until Ilya Kuryachin came onto the scene.

I am such a sucker for a Russian accent. David McCallum played a Russian troubleshooting spy in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Open Channel D anyone?) and even though the show was probably hokey--they were battling an organization named THRUSH, which was bent on world domination--David was gorgeous.

And then there’s Bobby Sherman from Here Comes the Brides. The show was about the Bolt brothers, who transported 100 would-be brides from New Bedford to 1860s Seattle, an area woefully short of women. Bobby Sherman played shy Jeremy Bolt, who had a stammer. And he did it well, melting my heart week after week.

After that, as I headed into my teens, the crushes started bunching up—David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, anyone from England who sang. It became a lot of here today, gone tomorrow--kind of like the careers of many teen idols. Perhaps there's a connection....

Anyway--here's a gallery of photos that adorned my locker at one time or another:

And there you have it--my locker pinups, my secret and not so secret crushes.

Now, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, please share your own adolescent celebrity crushes. Whose picture hung in your school locker or dominated your bedroom wall? Do you still think they're hot? I’m offering a $15 Amazon gift card to a randomly chosen respondent.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Be Your Own

2012-02-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

by Mary Brady

I am currently clearing all my table and counter surfaces for all the candy, flowers and cards that will arrive tomorrow. It’s always such a blessing to have my house filled with the smell of a thousand roses, boxes upon boxes of divine chocolates, and cards, small and tall expressing love, admiration and adulation.

Reality! I suspect, if I did indeed get all the surfaces in my house cleared of clutter, it would be a very happy Valentine’s Day indeed!

It isn’t that me and mine are a couple of St. Valentine’s Day Grinches, but some years we do have a tendency to give the day a passing nod and move on with our stuff. Formal celebration or not, we do practice the rituals. There are extra kisses. There are more smiles handed over accompanied by direct looks into the others eyes rather than a passing glance quickly punctuated by the backs of our heads. And there are usually more than the average I love yous and can I get you anything(s).

Rather than a dreamy celebration, which is perfect for many, we have a tendency to acknowledge the trust we feel in each other. On those Valentines Days when we stop only to smell the roses and not to spend the day or evening together, we have the solid feeling we will get to try again next year—or more likely the next day and week—and next year.

Tomorrow, love yourself first and then give some love away. If hearts and flowers are your fondest desire, I hope you make them happen.

Now, how would your Valentine’s Dream begin? Remember, you are your own “valentine” first and always. That you might share the love with another or others makes them lucky.

To one commenter I’ll send either a set of TossOn bracelets (see www.etsy.com/shop/julsandmaude for examples) or your choice of one of my books. I will also eat chocolate in your honor.

Hugs all around on Valentines Day!

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending February 12 ...

Tuesday February 7, 2012

Kai

All 6 of this month's Super Romances courtesy of Harlequin

Wednesday February 8, 2012

Marcy

A copy of A Hero in the Making by Kay Stockham

Thursday February 9, 2012

Pamela Hearon

A set of Rogenna Brewer's Marine trilogy: The Marine's Baby, Mitzi's Marine and Marry Me, Marine

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss this week's bloggers...

Monday, February 13, 2012

Mary Brady

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Jeannie Watt

Wedesday, February 15, 2012

Vicki Essex

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Liz Talley

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-02-10T00:01:00.006-05:00

"Reward yourself! I mark my page progress with stickers on a calender. It's a visiual that makes me smile."
~ Rogenna Brewer

Winner of the 5-page Super Critique Anne MacFarlane

Please use the contact page to claim your prize.

You have all week to comment here to be entered next week's drawing!

Random Acts of Kindness

2012-02-09T00:01:00.078-05:00

The "Big E" passing under the Golden Gate Bridge

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a random act of kindness? The most memorable for me was the day I pulled up to the toll booth on the Golden Gate bridge and discovered the car in front of me had paid my toll.

If you've ever driven Hwy 101 into San Francisco you can imagine my surprise.

A California commuter with a heart of gold, who knew?

My whole day had been lifted by a total stranger who would never know my gratitude. I was a young Navy Wife and $6 saved wasn't chump change by any means. The attendant waved me through and I drove on my merry way.

The next time it happened I paid for the driver behind me. And felt just as happy as the day I'd saved a few bucks. By then I was practically a native and had learned these pay it forward chains could go unbroken for several cars. I'd like to believe the recipient was always someone in need. And the benefactor someone rich and famous.

But it really doesn't matter. Everyone touched by a random act of kindness benefits. And while I'm neither rich nor famous, I'm no longer broke either. The next time I'm in San Francisco I'm not going to wait for the car in front of me to start the chain.

In fact, why would I wait for a trip to Cali? Next week, along with St. Valentine's Day, is Random Acts of Kindness Week.

Random Acts of Kindness Week

February 13th - 19th

By the way that's my husband's ship, the USS Enterprise passing underneath the bridge and just before his last cruise we stood there with our two oldest boys and I said to him "Seven months is a long time. I could be pregnant right now and have the baby before you come home."

Our third son was born six weeks before my husband's return. I had no clue I was pregnant at the time I said it. In fact he missed all three births because of cruises, our second son by mere hours. Such is the life of a sailor. But he's still my valentine after all these years.

In my February release Marry Me, Marine

Operation marriage has to be a go….

Like any good mother, Angela Adams wants a
better future for her little boy. And the one
way she can provide that is to enlist with the
Marines. Unfortunately, there needs to be a
husband on the scene for that to happen.
Fortunately, her recruiter connects her with
Henry “Hatch” Miner—a wounded former
Navy SEAL willing to help out a fellow
soldier. Problem solved.

But marriage, even to a stranger, is
complicated. Especially when beneath the
gruff exterior, there’s a man with a heart of
gold. It doesn’t take long for Hatch to prove
he’s a good dad…and has the potential to be
an even better husband. Suddenly Angela has

a hard time convincing her heart this is a temporary operation

...read excerpt

I'll be giving away autographed copies of my Marine trio: The Marine's Baby, Mitzi's Marine and Marry Me, Marine to one winner. To enter pledge one random act of kindness for next week (shh...don't you don't have to tell us what it is) or share your gratitude for a kindness received in the past.

Pinterest Interest

2012-02-08T08:15:00.004-05:00

I read yesterday that Pinterst is the social networking site for 2012. I've been a member of Pinterest for several months and while I really don't like it as a social site, I DO like it for other things.

Pinterest can be a time suck (what social networking site isn't?) and I have to limit my time there but if I need a phenomenal recipe, a craft idea for a school project, to escape the cold and bluster of winter to a beautifully photographed beach, Pinterest is the place.

Like collaging, if you see something of interest all it takes is a click of the mouse to 'pin' it to your cyber cork board. And, you can create as many boards as you like. A look at my profile proves I've created quite a few boards for My Style (clothes), Quotes, For the Home, and--one of my favorites--Characters. The list is endless, which is why timed sessions are a must. I'd never get any writing done otherwise!

Are you a member of Pinterest? Do you like the idea of cyber cork boards or do you think it's a total waste of time? What kinds of things would your boards hold? Post your thoughts and I'll give away a copy of A HERO IN THE MAKING to one lucky winner.

Kay

Kay Stockham

www.kaystockham.com

THE SHERIFF'S DAUGHTER, SEP 2011

IN THE RANCHER'S FOOTSTEPS, OCT 2011

CHRISTMAS IN MONTANA, NOV 2011

THE CRASH BEFORE CHRISTMAS, DEC 2011

A HERO IN THE MAKING, JAN 2012

@KayStockham - Twitter

Kay Stockham Fan Page - Facebook

A peek into my crystal ball

2012-02-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

By Wanda Ottewell, Senior Editor Super Romance

As I sat down to write this blog, it startled me to realize that the first month of 2012 was already finished. How could that be? Didn’t the year start, like, yesterday? Working in publishing, I frequently lose track of the current month/year as I get focused on future books and deadlines. Right now, for example, I’m thinking about how to round out the publishing schedule for last two months of 2012. The team is working on the art and cover copy for books in the last half of the year. I’m thinking about getting the manuscripts and edits done for books that won’t be published for months. I’m thinking about plans for 2013.

Since I’m so focused on the future, why don’t I give you a little taste of what I’m excited about coming up in Harlequin Superromance?

One of the most exciting things is the new cover look! As Jeannie showed you in that wonderful cover retrospective, we’re getting a new art style and look. Personally, I think the covers are gorgeous and help reflect the bigger book feel of this series. You’re in for some beautiful covers in upcoming months.

Another exciting development is the increase back to 85,000 words. Even though this change won’t take effect until the January 2013 Superromance titles, we’re already starting to see longer submissions and new ideas from authors targeted to the new length. What does this mean for the stories? Well, that extra 10,000 words could mean a secondary romance. It could mean a subplot and secondary characters’ points-of-view. It could mean digging deeper into the hero’s and heroine’s issues…maybe those issues they have with the siblings are explored and resolved. Maybe the career crisis is examined in more detail. However it looks, the longer word length will give readers more story and that’s a good thing!

The books we’re bringing to the shelves in 2012 are also exciting. There are far too many to mention here and I would hate to leave anyone out for lack of space. Look for new miniseries from some popular Superromance authors—having worked on a few of these books, I can promise you’ll find lots of good emotional moments with great plots. We are publishing five brand-new authors as well as a couple of Harlequin authors who are new to Superromance. Plus, many of your favorite Superromance authors will have books out this year. There’s a really good mix of stories coming.

Now the question I have for all of you is a little off topic. I want to know what you would like to see in future Superromance books. Is there a particular storyline you really love that we haven’t done in a while? Is there a setting you’d love to see in more books? Are there character types you think authors should explore? Not promising anything, but your suggestions just may inspire us!

As always, one commenter from today's post will win all 6 of this month's Super Romance releases, courtesy of Harlequin. Simply comment to be in the running.

The Staff Of Life by Joan Kilby

2012-02-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

Fresh home-baked bread hot from the oven. Is there anything more delicious?

I’ve been making my own bread for many years using both traditional methods and a breadmaker. My staple loaf is a very healthy wholewheat with lots of grains and seeds.

Recently I’ve become obsessed with perfecting a sourdough loaf. Over a period of many months I’ve tried numerous methods. Most were edible. Some were what I call duck killers (Remember the loaf of bread Toni Collette made in the Hugh Grant movie, About A Boy? Her son tossed it into the pond and it sank a poor innocent duck.)

I think I’ve finally cracked sourdough! This loaf is crusty on the outside, chewy and tangy on the inside. Sometimes I mix in green olives for a tasty change. Yum!

There is a ton of information on sourdough on the internet, sometimes offering conflicting advice. The easiest recipe I found also turned out to be the best. Flour, water, salt and sourdough starter. You just mix up the dough and let it rise overnight. No kneading! The video explaining it is bizarre but the bread does work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POnxAoHl1qc

I come from a long line of women who make bread. My grandmother (the one who hand-sewed quilts if you recall one of my previous blogs) also made a type of sourdough. Instead of using yeast she fed a portion of each batch of dough into a ceramic bowl she kept in a warm place on the back of her stove. I loved watching her knead the dough with plump floury hands. She would roll out buns, brush them with milk then dip them in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon that formed a delicious crust when baked.

When I was growing up my mother used to make six loaves of bread and four dozen buns every Saturday. It was white bread so probably not as nutritious as it could have been but at least there were no preservatives or additives. Between four hungry children and my father who’d been raised on his mother’s bread, we gobbled up every scrap by Sunday evening.

For such a simple food, the variety of breads you can make is endless. In my younger days I lived in a group house. One of the guys used to knead leftover vegetables from dinner the night before into his bread dough. Every slice would have bits of carrot and peas. Strangely delicious.

Bread gets a bad rap these days from the diet gurus. I must admit I do try to limit how much I eat but at least sourdough bread is low G.I. Plus I get a lot of help from my family. We have been known to fight over the last piece!

Learning to bake sourdough has been immensely satisfying. Not only do I get to eat a yummy food but it’s kind of like writing--creative, an endless challenge and I enjoy the process as much as the end product. (Thought I wasn’t going to be able to tie bread in with writing, didn’t you? :) In both cases, I’m pleased with where I’ve got to but I’ll never stop trying to achieve bigger and better things.

Do you love bread? Do you have a favorite type? Do you make your own? Even if you’re not a bread eater, do you have another food you obsess over? A hobby you’re trying to perfect? I’d love to hear about it!

www.joankilby.com

GENTLEMEN PREFER NERDS March 2012 Carina Press

PROTECTING HER SON April 2012 Superromance

This week's bloggers

2012-02-05T19:10:00.000-05:00

Look who's blogging this week...

Monday, February 6, 2012

Joan Kilby

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Wanda Ottewell

Wedesday, February 8, 2012

Kay Stockham

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Rogenna Brewer

2012-02-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Protect your writing time.

The only person who can write your story is YOU."

~ Kimberly Van Meter

You have all week to enter here for a 5-page Super Critique.

Favorite Funny Men

2012-02-02T07:11:00.003-05:00

by Beth Andrews

I used to watch this very cool show on The Discovery Channel called Dirty Jobs. See, in Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe tries the dirtiest, most disgusting jobs he can find. It's really interesting and honestly, quite disgusting.

Oh, how I loved that show!

I'm not actually allowed to watch it anymore. Don't get me wrong, I try and watch it but whenever it's on, my dear husband turns the channel. Why? Well, it's not because he's grossed out when Mike inseminates a horse or collects owl vomit or trudges around in sewage systems.

It's because I have a crush--a HUGE crush--on Mike Rowe.

But before you start to think I'm crushing on Mike only because he's cute (which he is) let me say that his looks are not the reason I adore this man. It's because he's funny. Yep, there you have it. I love funny guys. Give me a guy who can make me laugh and I'm hooked *g*

Which is why today I give you:

Beth's List of Her Favorite Funny Men:
(yes, I do love my lists *g*)

1. Mike Rowe - As mentioned above, he does the most disgusting jobs but he's always ready with a zinger or one liner that cracks me up.

2. Justin Long - Otherwise known as the Mac Guy in the Mac commercials as well as Drew Barrymore's ex-boyfriend. What a cutie! And I loved him in the TV show Ed which brings me to...

3. Tom Cavanagh - He was the lead character in Ed and he was adorable! He was smart and funny and such a good guy I couldn't help but root for him that he'd win Carol's (the girl of his dreams since high school) heart :-)

4. John Krasinski - I love The Office and part of the reason is Jim Halpert! What a cutie and he's always pulling the funniest pranks on his coworkers and trying so hard to keep his boss in line. Every episode cracks me up!

5. Owen Wilson - I fell for Owen in a big way. That hair. That crooked nose. That sexy voice *g* Loved him in Night at the Museum and, though it wasn't a comedy, Behind Enemy Lines. Midnight In Paris looks great, too!

6. Ben Stiller - love how he's not afraid to play the bad guy (he was hilarious as White Goodman in Dodgeball) or the good guy (Larry Daley in Night at the Museum) or the not so bright guy (Derek Zoolander in Zoolander)

7. The men of MASH - I love, love, love this show! Hawkeye, Trapper John and BJ were my favorites. I especially love Hawkeye's laugh :-)

8. The men of Friends - Ross was my favorite but honestly, Chandler's dry wit is the most similar to my own sense of humor so he made me laugh the most *g*

9. Steve Carell - Yep, love him in The Office but he really cracked me up in Anchorman (as the dim-witted Brick Tamland) and I thought he was terrific in Dan In Real Life and so fabulous in Crazy, Stupid Love!

10. The classics - Cary Grant, James Stewart and Clark Gable. (sigh) Some of my very favorite movie stars of all time and they did comedy so well! They were handsome, super talented and could play both dramatic roles and humorous ones. They had it all :-)

What about you? Do you prefer a guy who can make you laugh or are you into more serious men? Who are some of your favorite funny guys?

Honesty

2012-02-01T08:15:00.004-05:00

"Write what you know." Of course as a novelist I'm often writing scenes that I have never experienced in my life. For example, in my June 2012 book NAVY RULES I have the hero emergency-landing a B-17. I've never landed any plane, much less a WWII bomber. But I have flown in a Navy plane or two, and I've been in an aircraft when it's had an emergency. I've felt the emotions of this situation. Even if I'd never served in the U.S. Navy myself, I know from commercial flights the fear and anxiety that severe turbulence or the smell of electrical fumes can trigger.

For me, honesty in my writing is being true to my characters. It's about not using cliched or transparent literary devices to "get" my reader to laugh or cry.

So it is with life. Living a life of honesty can be tough, especially in light of the constant media barrage of wars, politics, tough economic times. On a more personal level, honesty with family members is often the most difficult. Telling a teen that while they have straight A's you still don't trust them (or their underdeveloped brains) with a questionable group of "friends." Telling your spouse that you love them, and yes, you're happy but need to do something different to "shake things up," even if that something is merely getting a new 'do or tattoo. Telling your parent it's time to move out of the only home they've had for the past fifty years.

Writing and life dovetail for me in ways I never imagined when I started a serious path to publication. I find that as I learn to create and write down characters with more honesty, I'm learning to live that way in my own life, too. It's not easy but the results are worth it. Give me an old-fashioned homemade cookie over a stale, "pretty," store-bought, over-frosted concoction any day.

Celebrity Crushes

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Chris Hemsworth in Thor

by Darlene Gardner

A while back one of my friends confessed the only man she’d found attractive lately was Thor. It took a moment to realize she was talking about Chris Hemsworth, the brawny actor who played Thor in the movie of the same name. That particular slice of beefcake is, in short, her celebrity crush.

Patti Stanger, aka the Millionaire Matchmaker, asks herclients about their celebrity crushes while trying to get an idea of whatphysical types appeal to them. Writers also make use of the celebrity crush. Iknow I’ve worked from photos of handsome celebrities to help describe my heroesand bring them to life.

Daniel Craig

Ryan Gosling

I haven’t yet based a hero on Daniel Craig, who’s revivedthe James Bond franchise and makes a compelling Mikael Blomkvist in The Girlwith the Dragon Tattoo. The day is coming, though. In the meantime, however, Ijust might use the dishy Ryan Gosling as inspiration for the hero in mySuperromance in progress.

I’m over my past celebrity crushes, though. Even though itwas years ago, I’m not sure why I hung a poster of Clint Eastwood dressed in aponcho and battered brown cowboy hat in my college dorm room.

Clint Eastwood -- What was I thinkiing?

A very young Mel Gibson

I do know what I saw in Mel Gibson before he ruined hispublic image with a drunken rant. All I have to do is rewatch The Year ofLiving Dangerously. Gibson was one handsome young man.

So who’s your celebrity crush -- past and present? Afterall, an author can never have enough inspiration.

Meet Max

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

By Sarah Mayberry

My husband and I have been talking about getting a dog for a while now. We don't have children and the thought of having a little furry person around the house is a very attractive idea. Still, for a long while we did nothing but talk. We looked at lots of breeds and researched them and talked to friends... and still we hadn't taken action.

Then I was talking to an old, old friend recently, catching up after a break of not having been in contact, and I mentioned that we were thinking of getting a dog but hadn't quite got there. She said "Well, a dog isn't really something you just fall into, is it?" And it got me thinking. Unless you come across a stray who speaks to your heart, getting a dog is a very considered decision. You need to dog/puppy proof your house and to know that you're up for the responsibility that having an extra four legged member of the family entails etc, etc. But you could think about and talk about a decision like that for years. As my husband and I had already done. So we decided to just take a leap of faith.

I started looking in earnest for a dog that would suit our lifestyle. I won't bore you with the list

of breeds I went through, but I zeroed in on a Cavoodle, a so-called designer dog that is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Mini Poodle. Then I found a reputable breeder, who just happened to have 3 black puppies available. My husband I went the next day to see

them, only to find that there was only one little guy left. Max, as he is now known. I asked to hold him and that was it. I was in love. His little furry face. His big brown eyes. His tiny, fragile body with its wildly beating heart fluttering against the palm of my hand... He was undeniable, and I almost burst into tears in the middle of the shop at the thought that I was going to get to take this little person home with me.

Because he wasn't eating well at the time, we had to wait two days before we could take him home, but we've just passed the one week mark. He is now eating well - none of that dry puppy food for Max, he's all about beef mince and raw chicken - and sleeping mostly through the night. Toilet training is...interesting. I'm filing that under "work in progress" since it's very early days yet. He is incredibly people oriented, very affectionate, endlessly adorable and sometimes a bit naughty. In a word, perfect. But I may be a little biassed (!!!).

We're all signed up for puppy classes, which I am looking forward to since I figure I need owner training as much as he needs puppy training. And I'm hoping that he will get over his separation anxiety when we leave the house, because I hate the thought that the cost of me having a furry companion constantly at my side is that he is anxious when we choose to go out. Again, this is a work in progress and it's very early days. He's a smart cookie, though, so I have high hopes.

I'd love to hear your own dog stories, or any advice you have for me as a new fur mum. Or, alternatively, we can just talk about how cute Max is. In case you couldn't already tell, I can do this until the cows come home. And then some!

2012-01-29T18:11:00.008-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending January 29 ...

Thursday January 26, 2012

Linda Henderson

A $10 Amazon voucher courtesy of Rogenna Brewer

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss next week's bloggers...

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sarah Mayberry

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Darlene Gardner

Wedesday, February 1, 2012

Geri Krotow

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Beth Andrews

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-01-26T23:01:00.005-05:00

DON’T be afraid of your own voice and style.

DON’T attempt to write in a popular author’s style rather than your own. It won’t ring true and the writing will be shallow, leaving the reader to feel a lack of connection with you.

DO put pieces of yourself—your soul, your character and personality—into your novels, so readers can relate to YOU when they read your stories.

Love, honor and respect your own voice, and appreciate that you have one!

~Mary Sullivan

This week's winner of the 5-page Super Critique is Laura Russell

Comment here to be entered in next week's drawing.

NetFlix Thinks I'm Nuts

2012-01-26T01:33:00.000-05:00

by Rogenna Brewer

What do Toddlers & Tiaras, African American Lives, The Catherine Tate Show, High School Musical, National Geographic Beyond the Movie: Alexander the Great, Basketball Wives, River Monsters, iCarly, Nature Boy Rick Flair And Aeon Flux all have in common? Me, apparently.

Netflix seems to think I'd like these shows. I beg to differ.

I was thumbing through these recommendations the other night when it stuck me there wasn't a thing in the queue I wanted to watch. What is it my viewing habits are trying to say about me? That my tastes are eclectic? Or am I simply confused?

At least Jeffrey Zaslow knows his TiVo thinks he's gay. His 2002 Wall Street Journal article was spoofed on episodes of King of Queens (CBS) and The Mind of a Married Man (HBO).

Okay, I admit to watching several National Geographic military specials for research and there was that month long marathon with a different season of The Tudors each weekend. So maybe I can see where Alexander the Great comes in. But I've also held Lost and Vampire Diaries marathons. How does that translate to River Monsters and Aeon Flux?

And I swear to you I don't watch reality TV.

Except for the music and talent shows. Okay, Sister Wives. Do you think that explains Toddlers & Tiaras, African America Lives, Basketball Wives, Nature Boy Ric Flair and High School Musical?

Who's Catherine Tate and why would I like her? For that matter what would iRogenna get out of watching iCarly?

These personalization technologies think they have us all figured out with browsing algorithms. Then how do you explain my iTunes crush on Katy Perry?

Today I'm giving away a $10 gift card to one lucky commenter for the site that has me all figured out Amazon.com. Have you ever received a wacky technology based recommendation?

Volunteers Building Communities

2012-01-24T07:51:00.004-05:00

Mary Sullivan

On Sunday, I visited a small bicycle repair shop on a busy thoroughfare in my very busy city to visit a young friend who was working for the afternoon. I'd heard a lot about this store and wanted to see how it operated.

My young friend was volunteering for the day, which she does for five or six hours one Sunday out of every month. Given that she is working on her Masters in Environmental Studies and has two paying jobs to support herself, I'm impressed that she still manages to find time to donate. Sundays are Women and Transgender days. Men are allowed at any other times that the store is open, but not on Sunday afternoons. Why? Because this bicycle shop doesn't repair bikes for you; rather they teach you how to repair your own bikes. The logic behind Women and Trans days is that women may be intimidated doing mechanical jobs in front of men, unfortunate but quite possibly true. The little shop was packed with women.

Women had bikes set up at stations, while my young friend walked from station to station directing what needed to be done to fix various problems. The cost to the women? Any parts used needed to be paid for, plus whatever small donation that could be made to keep the shop running. The prices for parts were extremely reasonable because they are all donated.

A couple of women sat at a worktable with wheels in clamps in front of them learning how to fix them.

I was impressed by the depth of knowledge my friend has. I had no idea bikes were so complex.

In the small kitchen behind the repair area, another couple of volunteers cooked lunch--chickpea curry, because all they had were chickpeas and rice. I had brought a snack for my friend. The next time I visit, I'll bring staples for their kitchen ;-)

The basement was full of broken bikes, donations from people who would no longer be using them. Some of the bikes that were too far gone for repair were cannibalized for parts. Once a month, volunteers meet at the shop to repair bikes that still have a lot of life in them. They repair these bikes then put them up for sale at reasonable prices. Usually, the volunteers end up pulling an all-nighter to get as many bikes repaired as possible. Someone cooks dinner for all of them on a shoestring budget.

I am SO impressed that so many of these young people give so freely of their time to help others. They are passionate about putting more bicycles on the road so there are fewer cars out there. None of the people who work there while the shop is open are paid for their time. I salute their passion and their willingness to give.

I saw a strong sense of community, of giving and sharing knowledge, in a place where women were comfortable learning about the mechanics of keeping their own bicycles repaired. I left feeling good that this tiny segment of the next generation is toiling to make our world a better place.

Volunteering has long been a wonderful way to take a little of our time, energy, and expertise and share it with others.

Do you know of any communities in which volunteers give of themselves so generously? Are you involved in volunteer work? What does it do for you? Does it leave you with a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction? I would love to hear about your experiences.

Small Spaces

2012-01-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

Small Spaces

I’ve been writing up a storm lately and loving every second of it! And that burst of creativity made me wonder why the sudden rush of new ideas. Hard to ignore that I’d been living in a trailer for several months while our new home was built, and we’d finally - finally! - moved into our house.

At first the trailer seemed like a great idea. We had a deck and a view that was, still is, the envy of everyone on the bay. Breakfast on the deck. Oh, yeah. Until summer rolled over into fall. Still with the nice weather, just not quite as nice. And no more breakfasts on the deck. Or dinners, or cocktail hours. Tasks that had been so simple during the summer grew into arduous chores as the cold weather moved in.

After seven months we moved several yards up the hill from cramped quarters to what felt like heaven—our new house. The first thing I did was set up a large table as a desk and spread out. And a strange thing happened. As I spread out physically, I expanded mentally. I could think again. Story ideas blossomed. Characters started behaving themselves, and Snap! that new synopsis almost wrote itself. Almost.

I’ve never taken the time, or maybe it’s had the luxury, to analyse the ideal conditions for me to be able to write. The things I do know – a room with a closed door and a minimum of noise - I’ve learned through experience. Up until this fall, I didn’t know that feeling cramped could cripple my imagination. I wonder if small spaces affect other people the same way. If their creativity reflects the area around them. Maybe that’s why going for a walk helps shake up story problems or any kind of problem, really. I never purposely set out to solve anything, but I often find after a long walk answers fall into place. A good night’s sleep will also do that, and I suppose in a way sleep is another avenue to explore a different landscape.

Or maybe some people are the opposite and need to minimize their working area in order to concentrate or create. Walking, sleeping and giving myself enough space are some of the circumstances that help stretch my imagination. And that’s only the physical aspects. The mental and/or emotional state of mind is another layer of complexity I’ll leave for someone else to discuss.

I’m sure others have methods they favor, and I’m always open to learning new approaches. I’m curious. What detracts from your writing? What are your ideal conditions?

Kate Kelly

2012-01-22T17:10:00.008-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending January 22 ...

Monday January 16, 2012

Alison

A choice of a book from Mary Brady's backlist or a set of TossOn bracelets (check them out at www.etsy.com/shop/julsandmaude)

Tuesday January 17, 2012

Tammy Yenalavitch

A $20 Amazon voucher courtesy of Jeannie Watt and Ellen Hartman

Wednesday January 18, 2012

Kirstin Noel Fischer

A copy of either The Mistake She Made, The Promise He Made, or A Soldier's Secret by Linda Style

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss next week's bloggers...

Monday, January 23, 2012

Kate Kelly

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Mary Sullivan

Wedesday, January 25, 2012

Kimberley Van Meter

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Rogenna Brewer

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-01-20T00:01:00.035-05:00

Write or Die kills Writer's Block.

Write or Die is a new kind of writing productivity application that forces you to write by providing consequences for distraction and procrastination.As long as you keep typing, you're fine, but if you become distracted, punishment will ensue. Everything is configurable, name your word goal, time goal and preferred punishment, then start writing! Once you're done, export your writing to Dropbox, Email, Clipboard or Text file.

_______________________________

Write or Die by Dr Wicked | Putting the 'Prod' in Productivity

"Write or Die is a web application that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing. Start typing in the box. As long as you keep typing, you’re fine, but once you stop typing, you have a grace period of a certain number of seconds and then there are consequences.

Many people find themselves unable to write consistently. I believe that this is because their reason to write is intangible. For instance, I want to write and finish a book because I want to be published and make a living as a writer. That goal is a long way away so I often find it difficult to sit down to the task of writing.

Conversely, I’m in a creative writing class for which I manage to consistently write and finish projects (albeit at the last minute). I therefore draw the conclusion:

A tangible consequence is more effective than an intangible reward.

If I don’t write stories for class, I will receive scorn from my teacher and a bad grade in the class. If I don’t write my own stories I am only disappointing myself. I experience perpetual disappointment in myself so I’m kindof used to it. Add to that the fact that I simply have neither the self-discipline to write consistently on my own nor the capacity for self-deception that would enable me to create artificial deadlines. That is how Write or Die was born.

The idea is to instill in the would-be writer with a fear of not writing. We do this by employing principles taught in Introduction to Psychology. Anyone remember Operant Conditioning and Negative Reinforcement?

Negative Reinforcement “strengthens a behavior because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior.”

Consequences:

Gentle Mode: A certain amount of time after you stop writing, a box will pop up, gently reminding you to continue writing.
Normal Mode: If you persistently avoid writing, you will be played a most unpleasant sound. The sound will stop if and only if you continue to write.
Kamikaze Mode: Keep Writing or Your Work Will Unwrite Itself
These consequences will persist until your preset conditions have been met (that is, your time is up or you’ve written you wordcount goal or both)

This text box is not a word processor, it is not for editing, the way to save is to select all of the text, copy and paste into your own text editor. The idea is to separate the writing process and the editing process as much as possible.

This is aimed at anyone who wants to get writing done. It requires only that you recognize your own tendency towards self-sabotage and be willing to do something about it. If you’re sick of saccharine writing advice that no one could honestly follow and you want a real method to getting work done."

Works great for real deadlines too!
Excellent for getting your 1667 words a day for NaNoWriMo
Good for writing on lunch breaks, just enter 30 minutes in the time limit box

_______________________________

You have all week to comment here.

One name will be drawn for an anonymous 5-page Super Critique.

This week's winner Savannah Rose

Pleas use our contact page to claim your critique.

Catching Thoughts

2012-01-19T08:36:00.004-05:00

It's occurred to me that I spend a lot of my time trying to crawl into my characters heads. Their minds are a mystery to me and it's my job to figure them out so that I can put them on the page for my readers enjoyment and entertainment. Like any skill or repetitive action it's best to employ this aspect of writing great romance on a regular basis. For example, look at my dog Misha in the photo. What do you guess he's thinking about? I can tell you that quite often on this very walk we run into a herd of deer--10-12, minimum. Misha is Russian-born and loves the cold, so the below-freezing temps are a joy to him.

Some characters are easier to dissect than others. If I've had the same profession or lived through the same or similar situation, I can draw on my own experience to add to my hero or heroine's authenticity. Come to think of it, I've almost always had a similar experience--emotionally. I may not have faced all the conflicts that my characters have but I've certainly at least known someone who has. And it's my observation that emotions are universal--we all have them, we all share them. Hence why I love writing romance and relationship books. I get to delve deeply into my heroine's heart--and her hero's. I get to see what connects all of us at the most basic level.

The romantic in me believes that Misha intuitively connects to what's important. Spending time with my dog helps me stay grounded and keep my stories and characters on track, too.

AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

2012-01-18T07:55:00.000-05:00

The other night I was catching up on my many saved TV programs (thank you Tivo) and in a show from “Hot in Cleveland,” one of the characters had started seeing a psychiatrist and was complaining that the shrink kept saying, “And how do you feel about that?” The character, played by Jane Leeves of "Frasier" fame, hated it... couldn’t stand him asking the question over and over. And she saw the shrink so frequently that, as the show went on, the line became hers. With every snafu that happened to one of the other women, she automatically responded, in her inimitable English accent, “And how do you feel about that?”

A judicious use of repetition in comedy is a technique that works well, and yes, even though overdone, I laughed right on cue every time.

But what stuck in my mind the most was the line, “And how do you feel about that?” It’s a line I use all the time with my characters when I’m writing a novel. It’s a line I use all the time when critiquing and giving feedback to students in my novel writing classes at Bootcamp for Novelists. It’s a line I need to use (I was reminded) in the new book I’m writing.

My process when I write a book is usually to get it all out there, madly writing in a flurry and not stopping to revise or embellish. What I end up with is mostly action and dialogue. Other than the overall tone and general feelings of the scene, there’s not a whole lot of emotion. So, when I go back to revise, I’m continually asking my characters, “And how do you feel about that?”

That question became my mantra when I was writing my current release, A SOLDIER’S SECRET. Natalia Sokoloff is hiding a secret. But she's not just hiding her secret from the public, she is also downplaying it in her own mind. Natalia, the

Iraq

war veteran heroine in A SOLDIER’S SECRET, has PTSD, but she’s a strong woman and she’s convinced herself she can handle it. If she can’t, she will lose everything she’s worked for. Her real conflict, though…her deeply held inner beliefs about herself…is what keeps her from admitting the truth. She can't handle it. Not alone.

Because of her strong beliefs, she's resistent to change, and it was like the proverbial metaphor of pulling teeth from a chicken to draw any emotion from her. Even as I was writing, Natalia kept telling me she just wasn’t feeling it...and I would say, “Oh, yes, you are. You just don’t know it.” In the end she came around, but she was a difficult character to portray. Yet... perhaps because I had to get so deeply into her head…know her so thoroughly…she became one of my favorite heroines. I was reminded that the deeper the hurt, the deeper it will be buried…and when the realization hits, it will be an emotionally powerful moment.

A SOLDIER’S SECRET is the last book set in Spirit Creek, Arizona. I’ve spent a lot of time with three strong, yet vulnerable, women (each with her own story) for a while now and, sadly, it’s time to move on. I hate to say goodbye, but I have all these other fascinating characters on board…and all are waiting for me to ask, “And how do you feel about that?”

__________

One commenter will win his or her choice from the three Spirit Creek stories: THE MISTAKE SHE MADE, THE PROMISE HE MADE, or my current release, A SOLDIER’S SECRET. And how do you feel about tha-- Oops! Sorry. Force of habit. :-)

**Note: Writing about PTSD has made me even more aware that our soldiers returning from

Iraq

will be faced not only with this disorder, but also a host of other problems as a result of serving our country. They need our help. I am donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of A SOLDIER’S SECRET to the Wounded Warrior Project and encourage everyone to take a look and see what the WWP is doing to help our real life heroes. http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Are You an Ellen or a Jeannie?

2012-01-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

Girl Ellen liked basketball,
tube socks, and pony tails

Girl Jeannie liked hanging
around on the uneven bars
with no socks

Please take the following quiz to determine if you are more like Superromance author Ellen Hartman or Jeannie Watt.

Why?

Because there's a prize involved. Keep track of your answers, then follow the scoring directions at the end. If you're a writer, you might get ideas for a character inventory.

1) When I’m writing/reading/studying I prefer:

a) silence

b) music

2) In the morning, I’m:

a) out of bed as early as possible, eager to face the day, even on the weekends

b) often out of bed early enough, but always reluctantly and with much regret

3) In the evening, I’m:

a) in bed by nine—if I can stay up that late.

b) just hitting my stride. Who wants to play some Twister?

4) When I hit the big city, I like to:

a) find a bar and have a pint of local beer.

b) find the nearest Macy’s and go shopping and then have a pint of local beer.

5) I tend to collect and feed many animals.

a) true

b) true but only if they weigh less than 30 pounds and are unlikely to procreate.

c) false

6) I______ Gallipoli-like endings:

a) avoid at all costs

b) embrace

7) I work best under pressure.

a) True. But I hate this about myself and fantasize about being ahead of schedule.

b) True. But I create that pressure by putting things off or taking on too many projects.

8) When faced with a computer challenge, I:

a) eat something sweet and then locate a teen to fix the problem.

b) roll up my sleeves and fire up Google to solve it myself.

9) The best dancing song ever is:

a) Abba’s Dancing Queen

b) Abba’s Dancing Queen

10) I prefer my exercise to come in the form of:

a) walking the dog, preferably if it's warm and light so I can read a book while we amble.

b) running down a country road (on purpose--not being chased by a wild bull)

11) When I see barbecued goat on the menu, I am reminded of:

a) my wedding (nothing like cabrito to celebrate a union)

b) how much I enjoy pasta

12) Pick one of the following. (We leave it up to you to decide what to do with him once you pick him.)

a) Dean Winchester

b) Raylan Givens

(c) who are these guys?

13) High heels:

a) Absolutely not

b) Have their uses

14) All-time greatest movie musical:

a) The Sound of Music

b) Singing in the Rain

15) The hero type I can’t resist:

a) single dad

b) stoic cowboy

Bonus. The last song/album I bought is most like:

(a) Baby, by Justin Bieber

(b) Anything at all by Eric Clapton

SCORING

Each answer selection is followed by a J or an E. If you have more J’s, you’re more like Jeannie. If you have more E’s, you’re more like Ellen.

1. (a) J (b) E; 2. (a) J (b) E; 3. (a) J (b) E; 4. (a) E (b) J; 5. (a) J (b) E (C) no points; 6. (a) J (b) E; 7. (a) E (b) J; (c) no points; 8 (a) J (b) E; 9. (a) J (b) E; 10. (a) E (b) J; 11. (a) J (b) E; 12. (a) E (b) J (c) no points; 13. (a) E (b) J; 14. (a) E (b) J; 15. (a) E (b) J; Bonus: (a) E (b) J

ANALYSIS:

If you are a Jeannie, you are energetic—until late afternoon, at which time you need to recharge or you slowly fade. Your creativity is most active during the morning hours. You are easily distracted and need silence in order to focus, unless you’re doing housework, when you need music or TV to help you survive the ordeal.

Your nature is contradictory—you like to dress up and wear high heels, but are equally comfortable in disreputable jeans and a flannel shirt working on a barbed wire fence. You enjoy being physically active, but your favorite pastimes are sedentary. You like hiking and shopping equally well.

Your tastes run toward classic rock, classic television and classic movies. You love a good cowboy story especially ones with a modern twist, such as Justified. You like stoic, sometimes unpredictable heroes with a sense of humor.

You are not super comfortable with technology, but find the internet an excellent way to procrastinate. You work best under pressure and if you have just enough to do, you take on one extra project to create pressure.

You like your beer dark and your endings happy.

------------------------

If you are an Ellen, you're more familiar with brunch than you are with dawn and you're most energetic after dark. You're a natural multi-tasker so you need to occupy part of your brain with music to get the focus you need for writing or studying. On the rare occasion that you pick up the dust cloth or window cleaner, you turn the music up louder to drown out your internal protest that you were meant for the pampered life.

You like life comfortable and uncomplicated. A good beer, a bowl of homemade ravioli, your favorite jeans, and a ramble with your best four-legged friend are all right in your comfort zone. That's not to say you don't like exploring new cities or a night on the town, you're just likely to seek out the local hang outs and wear a reliable favorite when you go.

High-tech is a comfortable tool and you enjoy the puzzle of working out new ways to accomplish tasks. Pressure helps you focus and sparks your energy and creativity, but you can't help thinking there must be a more efficient way to get things done.

Your taste in music runs to pop, your favorite movies include wounded men (even Captain Von Trapp was sad before Maria came along), and you prefer your heroes (romance and television) to be care takers, even if they drive muscle cars and shoot pool (or shotguns loaded with rock salt).

SHARING

Please share in the comment section whether you are a Jeannie or an Ellen. We have a bet, you see, and the winner gets a pint of local beer in the pub of their choice the next time we’re together in the same city. And you, my friends, have a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card. We're looking forward to hearing from you.

Feel free to add your own defining question or description of your "character." We love getting to know everyone better.

The strings of his guitar…

2012-01-16T03:00:00.009-05:00

by Mary Brady

The strings of his guitar only brought shadow and pain…

(From the opening narrative of the PBS video program Benise: The Spanish Guitar. The story goes on to include a gypsy, a magic guitar and a determination to win back a lost love “told” in music, dance, and vocals.)

This intro evokes in me a great sense of heartache and an echo of hope. Yet, the writer in me wonders what would happen if I took the story out of the setting and changed the emotion. Where would the tale wander if there were no helpful gypsy to make the guitar magic so he could win back his love, if his heart was not pure and staunch in its search?

Dark Paranormal version: The strings of his guitar brought only shadow and pain…to those around him. Women wept at the heartbreaking beauty of the sound and men whose ears caught the strumming suddenly could see nothing but darkness and took their own lives before drawing in another breath. With each tear the women shed, he grew stronger and with each life the despondent men took, he lived another day.

The Jerk—for real—version: The strings of his guitar only brought shadow and pain…because it had been for her he had played the songs that lived in his heart. Now that she had been forced to flee the country without him…or die, he found himself wondering how she could have been so selfish. The next woman he chose would bare her breast, tilt up her chin to expose her jugular to they who brandished the knives against him and in dying prove her love for him.

Sorry I Got Distracted version: The strings of his guitar only brought shadow and pain…but when he lifted his gaze from the quivering instrument, something bright skimmed along the horizon. As the source of light claimed a steady approach, it’s sparkle spread out before him, enveloping him in the essence of shiny, and he sighed. What strings? What guitar? Shiny.

The story of Roni Benise is even stranger than I am. He was a boy from Nebraska, the heartland of the USA, and not from any Spanish country at all and he fell in love with the Spanish guitar.

I do default to the story a lot when blogging, but here it is. What happens in the story you begin with: The strings of his guitar only brought shadow and pain… Or do you like Spanish guitar and why?

To one lucky commenter, I will give a choice of a book from my backlist or a set of TossOn bracelets. (see TossOn bracelets at www.etsy.com/shop/julsandmaude)

Have a stupendous week!

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Daily drawing winners week ending January 15 ...

Monday January 9, 2012

Bri

A copy of Stand In Wife by Karina Bliss

Tuesday January 10, 2012

J. Barrett and Runner 10

A copy of Sex, Lies and Midnight by Tawny Weber

Wednesday January 11, 2012

Jackie W

A copy of All They Need by Sarah Mayberry

**Please use our contact page to claim your prize**

And don't miss next week's bloggers...

Monday, January 16, 2012

Mary Brady

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Jeannie Watt & Ellen Hartman

Wedesday, January 18, 2012

Linda Style

Thursday, January 19, 2012

TBA

Writing Tip of the Week

2012-01-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

How to Avoid the Repeats, Avoid the Repeats, Avoid the Repeats…

Every author had repeat words, and unfortunately, they seem to change over time. “Just”, “thing”, and “simply” are a few that I’m constantly watching for, but others slip in. I had one manuscript where I used the word “amazing” many times—much to my amazement.

Repeat words can pull the reader out of the story, so I keep a running list of words I’ve been guilty of using too often, some of which I discovered on my own, and others that were pointed out by my editor. Before I submit a book, I do a computer search for each word on my now lengthy list, highlighting different words with different colors and looking for patterns as I go through the document.

If you’re not certain if you repeat, since many of us (raising guilty hand) are oblivious to the overuse of our favorite words, have a critique partner or family member read a few pages or chapters. Or read the pages aloud. Sometimes words pop out if you have to say them rather than read them.

You have all week to comment here.

One name will be drawn for an anonymous 5-page Super Critique.

No more 'same old same old'

2012-01-12T07:51:00.004-05:00

Mary Sullivan

Recently I met a woman with whom I had a long conversation. Throughout that conversation she complained about her sister, to the exclusion of all other topics. This is a woman who is in her late fifties and her sister a year or two younger. What I heard was a case of sibling rivalry so enduring it shocked me. What I also heard was a relationship that hadn't changed since they were children. In more than five decades, these women had not changed one iota of their relationship. In this one area, they had failed to change, to grow and to forge a newer, more mature bond. I wondered why. What did they each have to gain in maintaining the same old conflicts?

I found myself thanking the grit and desire in my own sisters and I that we had managed to create mature, loving bonds.

As writers, we can't allow our characters to continue living in the 'same old same old' way or we wouldn't have a story. Story is about motion and movement forward. If we don't forge a significant character arc in our hero and heroine, aided by the chemistry of conflict and burgeoning love they experience with each other, then we haven't written much of a story.

The problem we can face is one of balance. How do we give our characters those flaws that need to be acknowledged, accepted and worked on without them being unlikable at the beginning of the novel? We are charged with the task of making them sympathetic while being flawed enough to have a character arc that is satisfying for the reader. Most often, I create these flaws as a result of something that happened in the protagonist's childhood. They can be deep-rooted and intractable and frustrating, but ultimately must make sense.

As well, the characters need redeeming qualities that make up for theirs flaws, that let readers know that there is someone here worth caring for, that give readers hope that this person is WORTH rooting for and CAN change. In my own writing, that will often involve a relationship with a child. I love writing about children and, I think, some people enjoy reading about them. How bad can a character really be if s/he loves children?

We brew an alchemy of conflict, hope, dark moments of despair followed by redemption and love. I believe that, in any book we read, we look for insights into human nature.

Wouldn't it be great if we could create those happy endings in real life? If we could change and direct those around us toward a happy ending? That isn't in an author's power, though, and what most of us fail to realize in our daily lives is that it is within our OWN power to change OURselves and, quite possibly, those relationships that most fill our lives with unhappiness. These old paradigms only endure if BOTH parties have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of the relationship. On the other hand, it takes only ONE party to change in order for the relationship to change. The other party can continue to harangue, insult, and fight to maintain that unhealthy equilibrium that feeds some deep-seated need, but if one party no longer feeds into that, the relationship has changed.

Who, though, will be the one to take the first step? I heard nothing to indicate that it would be this woman with whom I had that long conversation. Having met her sister, I knew it wouldn't be her, either. So frustrating.

I will see this woman again. When I do, I won't allow her to shape our conversation in the same way. I don't listen to complaints more than once if the person is not willing to look at ways to change the situation for the better. Rather than hear the 'same old same old' I would prefer to hear about hope and change. I would rather shape my own characters who, though they might be terrified of change, choose it anyway.

Burn, baby, burn

2012-01-11T06:21:00.006-05:00

by Sarah Mayberry

I am a complete sucker for fireworks. Always have been, suspect I always will be. When I was little, fireworks were still legal in Victoria, my home state. Every Guy Fawkes, my Dad would buy a bunch and we could go down to our holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula and light up the night sky. There'd be crackers and sparklers and pinwheels and catherine wheels and rockets... It was awesome.

I'm not sure how old I was when they banned the retail sale of fireworks. Old enough to be disappointed, that's for sure! I know that there are terrible, horrible injuries every year when fireworks go wrong, and as an adult I have a very healthy respect (okay, fear) of them, but I still love watching them paint the night sky. Which is why I was so very excited when we were able to celebrate New Years Eve in Sydney this year.

For a long time, it's been my dream to see the spectacular New Years Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour first hand, not just on TV. Usually they are astonishing, and this year when we decided we would be up north at the right time of the year, I started shopping around for a hotel room that would offer us a fireworks vantage point. Well, I needn't have bothered. Everything with a view is booked out years in advance, and what was available was so ridiculously overpriced I couldn't bring myself to stomach it. Then our friends came to the rescue. They have friends with an apartment with harbour and bridge and Opera House views... and they were pretty sure they could wangle us an invite to their friends' annual New Years Eve party.

There was a tense day or two while we waited to see if we were "in". And then we got the word - yes! So, on December 31, we turned up to Jimmy and Sue's apartment in Potts Point, Sydney, and took the elevator to the 15th floor and looked out at the view and knew we were in for an awesome night. We could see half the harbour, the Opera House, the city and the bridge. As panoramas go, it doesn't get much better.

When the fireworks came at midnight, they were amazing, and we had a ringside seat. I took some photos and a few videos, but unfortunately most of my photos were wobbly. There were a couple of good ones, however, so I'm sharing them with you today. And a video, which has some pretty spectacular stuff happening toward the end, launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

So, that's one big thing crossed off my bucket list. A pretty cool, thing, too! What about you - are you a fireworks fan? Or are you more of a take-it-or-leave it person? Share with us your best fireworks experience to be in the running for a copy of my most recent Super Romance, All They Need.

Resolutions That Should Have Been

2012-01-10T01:00:00.000-05:00

by Beth

I'm not much for making resolutions (although I do love to set goals - two different things to my brain *g*) but here we are, ten days into the new year and although I'm checking things off my goal list left and right, I can't help but wonder if I should've added a few resolutions. Just to make sure all the bases are covered. So, here is my list of resolutions I would've made, had I made resolutions.

#1 - Watch more hockey. Hey! I'm already doing this - I must be on the right track *g* My son is a huge hockey fan (go Penguins!) but doesn’t get to see the games in Nashville so we watch them and give him the play-by-play via texts.

#2 - Watch more movies. Over Christmas break I watched Crazy, Stupid Love, Captain America and Thor. I am soooo far behind on my movies it’s becoming embarrassing. More trips to the video store!

#3 - Catch up on all the television programs I've missed. Like Vampire Diaries. Burn Notice. White Collar. Modern Family. Okay, this list could seriously go on and on and on and...well...you get the idea. Suffice it to say, if I kept this resolution, I'd never write again.

#4 - Stop dancing in front of my children because they’re rotten and make fun of how I shake my groove thang.

#5 – Consider loaning out children to families in need of teenagers.

#6 - Stop being so mean and strict! Oh, sorry. That one is my older daughter's resolution for me.

#7 - Take more mental health days. Really, is this one a surprise?

#8 - Have fewer negative thoughts. This one is a bit more serious but I've read that we have 60,000 thoughts a day and that for most people, 80% of those thoughts are negative. Yikes! So I'm going to work on getting that percentage way down. After all, negative thoughts sure as heck never did me any good.

#9 - Stop eating celery. Eating celery has never done me any good either. I think I'll just skip it from now on.

#10 - Embrace new opportunities. Like writing characters outside of my comfort zone, tackling tough topics in my stories and trying every single item on the Chinese restaurant’s menu!

What about you? Any resolutions you should've made? For those who made resolutions, how it's going? Are you sticking with them or have they fallen a bit by the wayside? Today I’m giving away two copies of Tawny Weber’s SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT!

What makes a perfect ending?

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

By Karina Bliss

I’ve been doing last edits on a manuscript (BRING HIM HOME, out June) and have been tweaking the last page to try and hit that mystical, magical – elusive! - last chord in the ending.
As a reader I want to close a romance so completely invested in this HEA that I can visualize myself at the Golden Wedding anniversary party raising my glass in a toast while saying sagely, “I always knew these two would make it.”
Here are my thoughts on what makes a perfect ending.
1. It’s specific to these two people and their romance.
2. It resonates with the theme of the book, and ties up all the loose romantic threads in a pretty bow. Her liking for chocolate, his need for independence, how he solves her allergy to his cat.
3. It pulls another rabbit out of the hat in terms of intensity or humor or meaning.
4. It makes me believe in soul mates.
5. I can picture exactly how the rest of their life together will play out.
6. I desperately want to read more but recognize it stopped in exactly the right place.
7. I rush to glom the author.

When I ran a version of this blog on eharlequin a couple of years ago, Super author Mary Sullivan made a good point. She said, “For me, the ending has to feel a bit like the author is performing magic...She makes the conflicts in the novel, both external and internal, so difficult and seemingly insurmountable that I can't believe there could possibly be a happy ending. Then, when the author's imagination kicks in and there is that great believable resolution, it is such a relief and a joy.”

Checking out my keeper books for some examples of great endings I discovered that the punch isn’t always in the last paragraph; sometimes there’s a build of emotion through the last scene to a big moment and then a paragraph or half page of ebb to gently transition the reader to the real world (like movie credits giving you a chance to dry your eyes before the lights go up). Epilogues also give the reader a chance to catch their mental breath.

So what makes a perfect ending for you? Do your keepers end abruptly or float you down to earth? Any great endings you’d like to share?

Here are a few examples from great romances that do hit the high note on the last paragraph.

“He rolled her onto her back and, looking into her eyes said: “Mel, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m going to make you so happy, you won’t be able to stand it. You’re going to wake up singing every morning.”
I already do, Jack.”
Virgin River, the first in the phenomenally successful series by Robyn Carr.

“First I have to get one thing straight.” His groan didn’t deter her in the slightest. “Understand that I am madly, crazily in love with you, Jared. If you marry me, that’s it for life. You’ll be as tied down as it’s possible for a man to be.”
He hauled her into his arms with a suddenness that robbed her of her breath. Holly felt the wild beating of his heart against her breast. Wild. That about summed Jared up.
“So tie me down,” he breathed against her mouth.
Whose Lie Is It Anyway by Abby Gaines

She came closer. “Aren’t you going to say something she said. “Ask me why I’m here? Tell me to go away?”
“No,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because this is where you belong.” And he reached for her, in the bright summer sunshine, and she came into his arms, into his heart, and into his life. Forever.
Cold As Ice – Anne Stuart

Tilda stopped struggling. “Are you proposing?’
“Yes,” Davy said. “I love you. Marry me, Matilda, and make me the most confused man on earth.”
She blinked at him, her lips parted, and for one horrible moment, he thought she was going to say no.
Then she smiled that crooked smile, and he breathed again.
“Ravish me, Ralph,” Tilda said.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Davy said, and did.
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie

He felt himself vanishing, fading away like the mist that drifted over the gargoyles and monsters carved on his father’s house.
And then something touched him: a soft touch on his hand and then on his face. He turned toward her, trying to swallow down the emotion. She came into his arms. He couldn’t speak; he knelt on the ground and held her against him.
“Sheridan.” Her lips were trembling, her voice a feeble breath next to his ear. “My terrible lonely wolf.” Her arms tightened, and he could feel the wetness on her face against his throat.
He stroked her hair with shaking hands.
“I’m here,” she said into his shoulder. “I’m here and I love you. I love you no matter what.”
Seize The Fire by Laura Kinsale.

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