Thursday Thirteen

Okay, I see these things all over the place and my friend Jaci told me what it was.... so I'm gonna give it shot.

1) I get to get rid of these stories inside my head. Writing is the one thing that shuts them up and it's cheaper than therapy. 2) While I can't exactly work in jammies (have to leave to take the kids to school and the sitter) I don't have to wear business attire or nursing uniforms. BIG Yippee. 3) I get to meet other people who finally understand the fact that yes, there are stories in my head and nope, i don't exactly know where they came from 4) I can buy pretty much any book I want, without guilt, and smile at my husband and say, but it's for research!!!! 5) I've gotten to meet some of my favorite writers that I've read for years. 6) I can finally play on the computer all I want and it's justified. 7) I get to meet people who love romance as much as I do. 8) I get to travel as much as I want and can afford, or as little as I want to... 9) I get to bribe friends into giving me early reads...by trading my stuff for theirs. 10) I got to see an excerpt from one of my books in Cosmo magazine. 11) If I want to take off a day or two... or a week...I can. 12) If somebody totally ticks me off, I can pound out my anger on the keyboard... killing them on paper. Nice, neat and LEGAL... without all the moral problems. 13) And last but not least... I love what I do. It's what I always dreamed of. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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I'm BACK....

Well, mostly... still not reading much email and I'm not really working, although there is this ghost of an idea I've been playing with. Will have to see how it turns out. FYI, surgery sucks. I really did like the drugs, though. Talk about la la land. Hopefully the carpal tunnel symptoms will clear up now. So far, they seem better.

Got to tell you, though, I've gotten some serious reading done while I've been recuperating. And I needed it. Man, my brain batteries needed the recharge, so I guess the surgery wasn't a bad thing.

So far, in the past 10 days, I've read


I See You by Holly Lisle
Sex and the Single Ghost by Tawny Taylor
Harmony's Way, Tanner's Scheme and Dangerous Games by Lora Leigh. :O) And these aren't due out for a while, although Harmony is popping up on some book shelves.
Pictures of You by Shelby Reed
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

Today, I'm going to get caught up on the In Death books by JD Robb. I'm a little behind, reading Origin in Death, and I think I still need to read Memory and Born. I've also been reading Alison Kent's Complete Idiots Guide to Erotic Romance.

All of the books were great, but I'd have to say that my faves of these were the Holly Lisle, Shelby Reed and Lora's Harmony. What have you all been reading?

Also had an ebook release this week from Samhain Publishing. Talking with the Dead was originally at Triskelion Publishing, but I expanded and revised it.

Surrounded by death, a man with a terrible gift reaches for life.
A horrific tragedy blasted open a door in young Michael O’Rourke’s mind—cursing him with the ability to talk with the Dead. Nearly two decades later, Michael has moved from victim to survivor, using his abilities to seek out those who would go unjudged.

With his gift, he talks to those who’ve died violently and seeks out their killers. Only once he’s found the murderer, can the victims be at rest. After his last case, the only thing he wants is peace and he hopes to find it in the small town of Mitchell, Indiana. But something is horribly wrong—the dead are waiting for him there, as well.

***CHRISTMAS CONTEST*** check out my other group site, After Midnight, ten prizes in all. And I think that catches me up on everything!

Shi

http://www.shilohwalker.com

Guilty Pleasures

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Karl and I were sort of naughty--no, no, no, not that! We called the kids and told them we loved them but we weren't going to be home for the holiday. Was that bad or what? We felt like little kids doing something we weren't supposed to do.

But you see, we had free tickets to see Loretta Lynn in concert (she was absolutely fabulous!) and entry into a slot tournament. I cannot pass up a slot tournament. We had to go right by Billy's house so we did end up spending Thanksgiving with him and his girlfriend. That was nice. Our daughter and her family were going in the opposite direction.

But then we crept out of the house early the next morning and played all weekend and had the best time! I didn't take any work whatsoever. That was a first in a very long time. I didn't realize how often I take something to work on. When we got home I felt refreshed and eager to write.

Karl and I don't "escape" that often. I highly recommend it. For us, we love to go to the boats---The Horseshoe. We always feel pampered and it's a party atmosphere, the rooms are suites (I could do without the mirrors on the one wall!)

That's our guilty pleasure. Where is your favorite place to go? Wherever it is, I'll add a gift boxed scented candle to one lucky winner who adds their fav place. It doesn't have to be with someone. Maybe you just like to curl up with a good book? I'll announce the winner tonight.
Hugs,
Karen Kelley
Available Now! Hell On Wheels/Brava
Available Now! Texas Bad Boys/Brava
04/07 Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind/Brava
www.authorkarenkelley.com

So, did you or didn’t you...

Shop Black Friday that is. Did you brave the malls? WalMart? Stand in line freezing your backside off to get a Wii or another must-have toy? Elbow, trip, push, gouge you way to a sale rack for that best sale ever? And did you get it or wind up empty-handed. My son waited for four hours—from 3 AM to 7 AM for that Wii thing!! 

Yep, this is the time of year where we spend forever shopping for just that right present. Weeeeell, maybe I shouldn’t use we as I’m doing terrible in the present department!

So tell me, what great prize you got so I can be totally jealous? What special thing for that special someone you know will really make their Christmas morning because it’s what they want and your wait and search made it all worth the effort?

And the price?? What totally terrific price did you pay? I heard someone got a personal DVD player for 39$! Holy moly!
What a find!

Tell me your Black Friday tale!

An Attitude of Gratitude...

For those of us who live in the U.S., Thursday is the day we pause to count our blessings. In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to blog about the good things in my life...

1) I am grateful for our 2 daughters, 2 sons-in-law, and 2 granddaughters. They are at the top of my list of blessings.

2) I am thankful for extended families. There may be squabbles and disappointments over the years, but they are still family.

3) I am grateful for friends. When I was a Brownie Scout, we learned the song, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." I think we need to add a verse about special online friends, as well!

4) I am thankful for health. When you lose friends and family members to cancer and other terrible circumstances, you more fully appreciate how precious a gift it is to have good health.

5) I am thankful to my Creator for the wonderful home we call earth. I love the measured change of the seasons, and the little miracles of nature both large and small. From the quiet buzzing of the honey bee on a summer morning, to the fragile, fleeting beauty of a rainbow, to the mighty roar of a powerful waterfall, we live on an amazing planet.

6) I am grateful that love is always stronger than hate. And that even in the midst of the most hopeless situations, there is always someone who keeps the tiny flame of hope alive.

7) I am glad that friends and family forgive me when I make mistakes, and I am grateful to have a God who forgives as well.

8) I am grateful to wake up each morning and know that it is a new day, unblemished and fresh.

9) I am grateful for the innocence of children. When I was teaching second grade, I worked for weeks with my crop of enthusiastic seven-year-olds on the play version of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. We put it on for the parents two days before the holiday, and it produced laughs and tears as we all saw the event through "the eyes of a child".

10) I am grateful for challenging work. I loved teaching, but it is a really wonderful gift to be engaged in the career I have dreamed of for so long.

11) I am grateful for my fun and creative husband. The love and support he gives me is interwoven through each of the previous ten items on this list.

My litany of blessings could go on for pages... the country of my birth, the strength of the human spirit, books and movies, technology, the softness of a baby's cheek...

On any given day we can look around us and find people who are better off than we are and people who are worse off. Our challenge is to operate from our little niche on the planet and play the hand we are dealt. Return anger or indifference with kindness. Offer a smile in the face of rudeness. Give, expecting nothing in return. Be ready with a helping hand when others stumble.

Have an attitude of gratitude and reap the benefits of a blessed life.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all, and may the calories in the feast you consume be vaporized before they land on your thighs!

Sincerely,
Janice

The Setting... Does anyone really care?

The third book in my O’Fallon series, I’ll Be Seeing U, is out and the setting is O’Fallon’s Landing (a little river town on the Mississippi I made up) right outside Memphis. I loved writing about these four great guys but now it’s time to move on and the next books are set in Savannah, meaning I’m going from made-up place to an actual place. What was I thinking??

And I’m here to tell you that using a made up place is one heck of a lot easier then the real deal! If you make it up, it’s name the streets whatever you want. Put the police station, library, grandma’s house wherever it suits you.
But now...holy cow...it is Savannah! It exists, I cannot put a bank where St. John’s church stands and I can’t put a rowboat on the Savannah River unless I want it run over by a freighter.

As I sit here looking at the map of Savannah plastered over my computer I’m thinking...holy moly, is it worth it??? Okay, I know Savannah is worth it but is me setting my book there worth the effort. If I just made up Savannah, call it Sweet Tea or something equally southern would that work as well?? Sure would be easier. ‘Coure I couldn’t use all the neat stuff that makes Savannah unique either. Hummm...

So, the question is… What do you all think? Do you like reading the made up towns? Or...do you like reading about New York, Las Angeles, Vegas, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Ohio?
What works for you all?
And...what is your favorite setting?

Dianne

Give Me a "V"!!

Okay - I know we're not supposed to talk politics on this blog. I promise - no party bashing from me! But I want to urge every one of the Scamps who live in the USA to get out and vote tomorrow. Our political process has flaws, of course, but it is still one of our great strengths and one our important privileges. Whenever I cast my vote in any election, I can't help but think of Thomas Jefferson and all those other visionary guys who had a dream of a democratic system that would make all citizens equal.

I will say that I'm going to be SO happy to see an end to the political ads on television. I swear I have most of them memorized word for word. I heard a statistic about the money that has been spent across our country for TV ads this time around, and it is far, far more than in the last presidential election! My hubby likes to stir things up, and he says we should be like some countries who give every candidate X amount of money for their campaign, and no one can spend any more than that. Hmmm...

One thing that has really been "different" this time is an avalanche of pre-recorded political phone calls. I am not exaggerating when I say we've had as many as 25 or 30... and some of them have been from big guns like Rudy Guiliani and Fred Thompson. Ha! Wonder what they would do if I called them and asked for an autograph. :) And by the way - those calls are exempt from the rules about the "Do Not Call List".

My DH is going to be on the road tomorrow, so the two of us did early voting last Thursday. We stood in line for 40 minutes, and the guy "guarding" the line said they had seen at least 600-700 people at that location during every day of early voting. I hope that means a huge voter turn-out this year.

If you're not a registered voter and should be, shame on you! Nothing you do as a citizen is any more significant than being part of the process. It's the only way to make our voices heard and to be a part of the solution to national problems.

So get out and vote tomorrow... and when you press that red button to finalize your choices, remember the heroes who struggled and fought to build a nation and a government by the people, for the people!

Janice
(Feeling all red, white, and blue in a good kind of way!)

Where do you get your ideas?

A question a lot of authors get asked (and I'm no exception ::g::) is: Where do you get your ideas?

When someone asks this, I'm never sure they really want the answer, 'cuz it's involved, yeah? I did a whole series on it on my Amazon plog, but I think most readers, reviewers, interviewers mean, "Where do you get your ideas for the plot of the book?" when they ask the question. I think maybe because a lot of people assume the plot comes first. And for some writers, it does. But for me? The characters always come first. And somehow the plot develops from them.

That could mean that the plot is a natural progression from the place in life my characters are at when I meet them. It could also mean that I look at the characters and ask the question, "How can I cause them the most trouble?" I mean a book that has no conflict for those characters you come to love is pretty boring, right? So, I set out to cause them trouble...or facilitate them causing each other no end of complications.

But I think people want to know where the idea for those complications come from...and the answer is everywhere, but mostly some kind of imaginative morphing on a theme from reality. You've heard the adage that truth is stranger than fiction and well, it's an adage because it's right!

I'll read a newspaper story, hear someone talking in the mall, see something on the news, read an interview or article in a magazine and my imagination gets sparked. Something like, "Oh, wow...I can so see that happening to Jillian (my heroine in my current WIP)." And thus a plot or scene is born.

The plot or plot elements often come from research. When I went to Vancouver B.C. to research their film industry ('cuz that's where Jillian is working), I came away with tons of ideas to complicate my plot and develop a more intricate story. The same thing happened in my merc trilogy as I researched Army Rangers and mercenaries...comments my interview subjects made sparked entire storylines. Very cool, you know?

So, the answer is that I get my ideas by spinning real life through a very fertile imagination. You may never recognize the germ of actual happening in the story I write, but maybe one of the reasons so many readers have said my books feel so realistic is that deep at their heart, the stories are real.

There is nothing imagination can conjur that can compete in sheer fascination appeal with truth.

Hugs,
Lucy

Title Game

I love writing. I love being able to make my living as a writer. I mean, how many jobs are there that let *figuratively* kill off the people who totally tick you off? How many jobs let you work in your jammies all day long, if you want? I can take a break when I need it, I don't have people breathing down my neck, or stealing my pens, or the cokes I left in the fridge.

Pretty close to the ideal job. At least for me.

But like alllllll jobs, there are the down sides. Deadlines are stressful. Worrying if your editor is going to like your book~very stressful. Will the readers like it? This redefines stress. There's promo, which can be a pain in the butt. And there's the days when the story just isn't flowing, the characters are screaming at you, or worse, not talking at all.

But the worst? UUUGGGGHHHHH... blurbs and titles. I hate blurbs, but if I can hammer out the basics, I can do okay. Then there are titles. I really, really hate the titles.

A title, after the cover, is the attention getter. If you don't have a decent title, will the book tank? Romance titles can be really tricky. You don't want something that reminds people of the days of bodice rippers, purple prose, etc etc... You want to make sure the title somehow conveys something important about the book.

A good title is crucial. Fortunately the title for the book I just turned in, the title sort of came naturally. About a Hunter that doesn't really Hunt any more and his own salvation is more or less what happens in the book. That one was easy. I wish they always were.

You have to find something between Love's Anguished Rhapsody (and no, I don't know if that's a real title) and Spot the Spotted Dog. Something romantic, without being boring or overly flowery. Something clever, funny, evocative.... egads, it's no wonder I hate coming up with titles. I've often run screaming to a friend or one of my editors pleading for help when it's time to title the book.

There are some titles that were so clever, I remember them even if I never read the book. Like the book I saw at the library last week. I Gave You My Heart but You Sold It Online. I don't see myself reading it, but it's a memorable title.

Some good titles...

Dance with The Devil

Dead Witch Walking

Dead Until Dark

Love Lust and Pixie Dust

What are some titles that stick with you?

**just as a side note, I'm going to be temporarily abandoning you all...I have hand surgery coming up (another one of the downsides to be a writer...carpal tunnel) but I'll be back in December. **

Shi

http://www.shilohwalker.com

You Know You're a Bookaholic When...

Howdy, Peeps!
I found this great list and looooved it! We are all totally bookaholics with different traits. Read the list below and find out which ones you are. I’ve listed mine at the end. Do you have any traits to add?
I think this means we’re all a little nuts!

1) You haunt the bookstores waiting for that new release, and the clerks ask you if you'd like to set up a tent.
2) You pack all your books for a trip but forget your underwear.
3) Before you buy a purse you make sure a paperback will fit inside.
4) You become murderous when you discover a friend lost a book you loaned her.
5) Your twin sons' names are Rhett and Ashley.
6) You look forward to jury duty because you'll have all that waiting time to read.
7) You call in sick so you can finish reading a book.
8) You can't pass a bookstore without stopping.
9) When you move you have more boxes labeled "books" than anything else.
10) You plan a day of shopping around all the bookstores you want to visit.
11) Your kids holler from the other room with something they consider a dire emergency, and you say, "Wait until I finish this page."
12) Your car is broke down, and it doesn't really matter because your favorite bookstore is right across the street.
13) You're sitting in the bathroom at 1:30 a.m., crying over the ending of your current read, when you know you have to be up at six to drive 150 miles and spend the day on your feet before driving back.
14) You read at red lights and get honked at because you were so engrossed that you didn't notice the light had turned green.
15) It's 2am and you think "just another chapter" and do the same thing at 3am when you know you have to get up in 4 hours and work.
16) You deliberately get to the bus/train station early, or even worse, just miss the bus/train so that you have more reading time.
17) Your significant other runs into the room to make sure you're alright because he heard you wailing so hard over a sad read he thought you were dying.
18) You try reading and walking at the same time.
19) You don't really mind if you get stranded anywhere as long as you have enough books while you're there.
20) You start haunting your mail box when you're waiting for a new book to arrive and can't do anything useful until the mail has arrived.
21) You start fabricating excuses as to why you can't go out with your friends when you're in the middle of a great book.
22) You dash out and sit in the park and read during your lunch hour (or sneak in a few chapters at your desk).
23) You start thinking of the characters as real people.
24) You get a friend or relative hooked on romance so you'll have another place to get books, but unfortunately it doesn't work quite right and they start borrowing from you.
25) You start up conversations with people in the bookstore who just look like they're dying to read a good romance but are having a hard time finding one.

Here is my list: 4, 6, 8, 12, 15, 17(except laughing not crying),19,21(except writing instead of reading),23(the biggest one of all!), 25

Me and V

I feel like I’ve fallen off the face of the earth between a November 1 deadline and my sister’s wedding (I’ll blog about that next time!), but we managed to squeeze in a Halloween party for my daughter’s birthday. Costumes mandatory. I actually convinced my mother to dress up- well, actually, it was the big-eyed “please?” from her granddaughter that did it. :-) My mom was a bag of M&Ms, and a darn good one at that. It’s the first time she’s worn a costume in over forty years.

I love dressing up, love candy, and love having the daylights scared out of me, so Halloween is a favorite holiday of mine. I was also born on a Friday the 13th, so I guess it’s no surprise that I love all things eerie and weird. As you can see from the picture, I was a geisha (though I skipped the white make-up, figuring I’m pale enough naturally) and my hubby was the creepy villain from Vendetta. That mask he wore was seriously disturbing, because he didn’t look like himself at all, which I guess is the point. LOL. And that's fake hair, by the way. He really enjoyed answering the door and watching the pizza delivery guy jump back three feet. Our puppy wore a mini kimono that matched mine. It’s totally ridiculous, but she looked adorable and actually kept it on for an hour, though we couldn’t get her still long enough for a decent picture.

Do you like to dress up for Halloween, and do you go for scary or funny? What the most creative costume you’ve ever seen? Got any good tips on easy, inexpensive costumes?

Have a great Friday! I’m glad to be back chatting.

Erin

And the winner is....

*G*

Lisa F.

Lisa, email me at shilohwalker@gmail.com and I'll get in touch with Sunny!

Sunny's Interview, Part 2

and blogger is being screwy and I can't post the pretty cover pic... oh well.

REMEMBER! Anybody that comments or has a question will have a chance at winning a signed book from Sunny!

On to the interview...

What do you have planned besides the Mona Lisa books?

Well, LOL, I’m going to be busy continuing Mona Lisa’s stories for a while. A short novella, Mona Lisa Three, comes out in the January 07 Berkley anthology, OVER THE MOON, headlined by Angela Knight and MaryJanice Davidson. MONA LISA BLOSSOMING will quickly follow in Feb 07. Then MONA LISA CRAVING in 08, and on down the alphabet, MONA LISA DARKENING, etc. Thinking for a title for Mona Lisa X will be quite the challenge, but that will be years from now, thank goodness.

Lucinda, Prince Halcyon’s sister, introduced in my two novellas (A second anthology with Patricia Briggs and Eileen Wilks will be out probably next summer) will spin off her own series next fall in LUCINDA, DARKLY, book one in the DEMON PRINCESS CHRONICLES. Please visit my website www.sunnyauthor.com for excerpts.


I've got to know... is it weird having two authors in the house? I know my husband and I would drive each other nuts if we both wrote. Well, I drive him nuts anyway... ;o)

Actually, it was what allowed me to write. A false belief that, hey, whatever I write, my acclaimed author husband, Da Chen, can “fix up” for me. A totally wrong misconception…what I write is pretty much it. But it allowed me to write out that first draft, blissfully, joyfully. And then I was done. AND I HAD WRITTEN A BOOK! And just doing that…actually writing a book when I’d believed all my life I’d never be able to…gave me the greatest confidence boost.
I’ve always edited Da’s books. And now he edits mine. And it’s great, although, I must confess, a little awkward in the beginning. After reading my first manuscript (Mona Lisa Awakening), he looked up with this dazed and shocked expression on his face and said, “Sunny, you are a naughty, naughty girl.”

LOL, I blushed, but thought it was great. First, because it told me that the love scenes were hot. Second, because I’d never been seen as a naughty girl before...kinda neat, now.

If you want to read more about Sunny's books, check them out here.

I'll post the winner later this week, so make sure you check back. You have to respond via email if your name is drawn. I'll draw a random winner from the comments sometime this week.

Shi
http://www.shilohwalker.com

Any Nature Lovers Out There???

I have to confess... Fall is one of my favorite times of year! Nothing is more beautiful to me than that brilliant blue October sky framing a kaleidoscope of colorful fall leaves...

We've had a fun October thus far. Our kids came up one weekend, and we went to a pumpkin patch and let Anastasia (almost 3) pick her own small pumpkin. She loved it! Ainsley was too little to get in on the action, but she did appear to be fascinated with the big orange ball! !

Our house is surrounded by large mature trees that put on quite a show this time of year. I really enjoy being in the midst of my own mini-forest... at least until I have to start raking. :(

I always buy mums and pumpkins to sit by the entrance to our house... no one uses the front door, so this is the side of my house.

I am glad I live in a part of the country that has four distinct seasons. Although I might fantasize about living on a tropical island, I think I'd get bored if the weather was the same every day.

This past weekend we went hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains. They had some terrible wind damage about a week ago. Some locations in the park had wind gusts up to 100 miles an hour! Lots of damage that will take some time to repair. The leaves were lovely where we were yesterday, but we counted at least 8 or 9 trees down across the trail... some quite large. Anastasia thought it was quite an adventure to find a way through the branches! She also had fun exploring the log cabin at the end of our hike.

So how about you guys? What do you enjoy about fall?

Janice M.

Happy Birthday to me *grin*

And no, I'm not telling my age. I don't feel as old as I am though. I got a letter from AARP wanting me to join. I felt a little older when I saw my name on it. I chuckled when Karl got one a few years ago. It wasn't nearly as funny when mine came in the mail. I mentioned my age to my 10 year old granddaughter and her mouth dropped to her chin and she exclaimed that was really old. I admit, I did feel a little older then, too.

I think the old saying that we're only as old as we feel stands true and I feel really young---well, except when my knees pop. I remember when I was really young and I'd pop my fingers. That was fun. Popping knees aren't.

I could make a list of why growing older is fun, I guess.
1)
2)
3)

And then again, maybe there aren't any good reasons.

Okay, I guess there are some things to be said for growing old. I don't have to clean my room if I don't want to. I can go shopping and actually spend money on myself. My house is almost paid off.

Karl says I'm not getting older, I'm getting better. I just think he wants to play golf this weekend. That's okay, though. I'm going shopping--because I can.
Have a good day!
Karen Kelley
Available Now! Hell On Wheels/Brava
Available Now! Texas Bad Boys/Brava
04/07 Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind/Brava
www.authorkarenkelley.com

Kathy Garbera interview!

Howdy, Peeps! I've known Kathy for years and just had dinner with her in Atlanta when we did RWA. She writes for Harlequin and Kensington. Keeps a gal busy!
Sooo, here's Kathy!
Dianne


From Jennifer:

1) What do you like to read?
I like to read romance, of course! But also outside the genre I have a few favorites. Nelson Demille who writes these big thrillers with real characters, he also always has a really nice romance in each of his books.

Nick Hornby who writes relationship books from a guy's point-of-view. I love seeing the other side of the coin and his books are great for doing that. Plus he's not afraid to go to really dark places in his characters.


2) Did your reading habits/preferences change when you became a writer?
Yes, they did. I used to read all romance and that was it. Mainly just series books, but since I sold I've branched out to read other genres and other types of books. For once thing a lot of the series lines I used to read are no longer being published--Harlequin Temptation and Bantam Loveswept.

3) How do you relax?
By spending time with my family. I love to cook so when I'm on deadline I save up recipes I want to try and when I finish a book I spend a couple of weeks trying out new dishes! I love shopping for clothes and new things for my house. It doesn't stress me out at all and I love nothing more than a day at the mall trying on clothes.

From Diana:

1) Kathy, do you have a favorite hero and heroine from the books that you've written?

It's so hard to pick one hero and heroine as my favorite. I think each one is my favorite in the moment of writing the book. Right now, I'm working on a 'mistress' themed book for Desire and I love my hero and heroine. She's an heiress with a penchant for scandal and he's her family's business rival with a taste for revenge. It's so juicy and fun to be in their world!

From Amy:

1) Do you do any research for your books?
Yes, I do. It depends on the subject matter how much research I do. I tend to research as I'm writing a book instead of doing it in advance. I like to be totally immersed in whatever book I'm writing. For one of my Bombshells--The Amazon Strain--I interviewed this college professor who's been going down to the Amazon for twenty years. He'd written a book about Jungle Survival which I really enjoyed but I wanted to get specifics that would fit my scenario. That was great fun and he was a very fascinating man.

2) From your books, who is your favorite hero?
I have to say I love all my heroes. But I have a special place in my heart Rafe Santini--the hero from my first Desire.

3) Have you ever wrote a character based on someone you know?
Not really. Sometimes a situation with someone I know will make me start thinking of a story idea but it's never really based on them.

From Barb Smith:

1) In what ways is your Brava writing different from your category writing.
That's a great question. The Brava writing is different because I'm able to go a lot deeper emotionally with my characters. The Bravas are also more complex and I can really develop my secondary characters.
2) With the demise of the BOMBSHELL line in Silhouette will you still be writing that type of book for one of the other series lines?
I'm really going to miss the Bombshell line! I don't have any plans to write suspense for any of the other category lines. I am going to be writing one of the Harlequin-NASCAR books. I'm also going to be adding a little more suspense to my Brava books.

3) Any thoughts you would like to share with readers about the demise of the BOMBSHELL line?
I loved the line. I like the fact that women were kicking butt and falling in love. I thought the heroines really embodied the struggles that all women face and I'm so sad we never found the readership we needed to continue.

From Emma:

1) ARE ANY OF YOUR BOOKS A SERIES?
Yes! For Desire I've written a couple of series as well as for Bombshell.

Desire:
The Tycoon's Lady and Tycoon for Auction are spin-off books not really a series but they are set in the same world.

I did five books in a series called The King of Hearts about a mob capo (boss) who asks for forgiveness with his dying breath. He is given a chance to redeem himself by matchmaking. He has to unit in love as many couples as people he murdered in life to get into heaven. Those titles are In Bed with Beauty, Cinderella's Christmas Affair, Let It Ride, Mistress Minded, and Rock Me All Night.

Then I did a series set in Vegas called What Happens in Vegas. This is a spin-off from Let It Ride. Those titles are His Wedding-Night Wager, Her High-Stakes Affair, and Their Million-Dollar Night.

For Bombshell I wrote two books in the Athena Force series Exposed and Exclusive. These books have the same hero and heroine.

For Brava I'm writing another book featuring a member of the O'Roarke family that you first met in Body Heat. This book will be about Andi's brother Liam.

2) WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO WRITE AND WHY?
The first Bombshell I wrote was the most difficult. All the books are hard in different ways but Exposed was one I really struggled with. Mainly because the line hadn't launched yet and the editors and powers-that-be kept trying to decide what the books should be like. So they were dialing the romance up and down.
3) HAVE TO EVER ATTENDED ANY OF THE R.T CONFERENCES?
No I've never been to RT but I am planning to go to Houston next year!
4) HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?
I started writing in '93 and sold my first book in '96. So a long time! More than 10 years!
5) HOW SUPPORTIVE ARE FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITH YOUR WRITING?
My family is very supportive. My husband talks about me and my writing to everyone he knows. And he's a great supporter of me at home. Helping me out with the kids and protecting my writing time. My parents are the same way.
6) WHAT 5 WORDS MOST SUM YOU UP AND WHY?
The five words that sum me up are friendly, funny, compassionate, passionate, and driven. Why? Well, I think that life is too short to be mean and not get along with others. I think humor is the only thing that keeps us sane and that if you're bored by something it's not something you should be doing.
7) HOW HARD IS IT TO KEEP PLOTS AND DIALOGUE FRESH AND INTERESTING?
Once I get the characters hammered out its not hard at all. Each of my characters are so different. They are really the ones who drive the plot and the dialogue so each time it's different.
8) WHEN DESCRIBING YOUR HERO / HEROINE WHERE DO YOU START............HAIR, EYES, BUILD?
I actually don't give too much physical description unless it affects the scene. If they are standing close together I'm probably going to mention his height and build. I'll mention eyes when they make eye contact at some point.
9) HOW DO YOU RELAX AND UNWIND AT THE END OF THE DAY?
At the end of my work day, I spend time with my family. We go on a walk or play games with each other. Then after the kids are in bed my husband and I spend time together. I usually read for 15-30 minutes before I turn off my light for the night!
10) WHICH AUTHORS PAST / PRESENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MEET AND WHY, IF YOU COULD?
I'd love to meet Baroness Orczy who wrote the Scarlet Pimpernel series. She was writing smart empowered heroines way before anyone else.

>From: "KimW"
What is the one thing you've always wanted to do, but never had the courage to try?

Sky-diver or deep-sea diving. I love the thought of both of these activities but am pretty sure that the fear in my gut would keep me from attempting them!

And the winner is....

alissa

Alissa, email me at shilohwalker@gmail.com and I'll get in touch with you about the prize.

Thanks to everybody that participated!

Interview with Sunny~ Part One!

I'm going to break Sunny's interview up into two parts, one today, and the rest will be posted next week. Sunny has offered two signed copies of The Hard Stuff anthology as a prize. I'll select a winner from each day.

How do you win?

Comment. Question. I'll draw the winners. HOWEVER, you have to check back on the blog to see if you win. I'll draw a winner and if you don't email me back within three days of me posting the winner's name, you forfeit your prize. SO CHECK BACK.

:o) I'ved read by Mona Lisa Awakening and her novella in The Hard Stuff both are excellent.

And on to the interview....

What does your writing space look like?

Well, that’s a hard question because we just moved, and my new writing space hasn’t been set up yet. I’m in limbo waiting for my desk and new computer to arrive. When they finally do, I can settle into this little 8X12’ sitting room just off the master bedroom. It has a tiny, high, side window, but is very quiet, very private. In our old house, I wrote in our bedroom, my desk facing out two large windows into our backyard.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a story that immediately has to be written?

In my early writing days, yes. I’d wake up with my characters “talking” and I’d get up and work for a couple of hours. But then I’d be too tired to do any writing the next day. I’ve found that the most productive lifestyle is a boring and stable, consistent one. Good solid sleep the most essential, getting up around 10am, then writing while fresh for the next 4 hours, until around 2 pm. 1,500 – 2,500 words a day. Then it’s time to play chauffer for my kids, driving them to and from their after-school classes.

Tell us where the idea for the Mona Lisa books came from.

Where most of my ideas come from. My husband. He grew up in China, and he’s always telling me these fascinating stories from our Chinese culture. Like the one about the Moon Festival, which just passed, on October 6th. To celebrate this holiday, the people in China make these round moon cakes and eat them to give thanks for the autumn harvest, and to honor the Moon Goddess, a deity that they believe resides in Paradisal Heaven. When humans sleep, she flows down to Earth and binds two lover’s hearts together with a silk sash. When they awake, the bound hearts will find each other. Something about the moon seems to fascinate Asian people, myself no exception. This gave birth to the concept of “Children of the Moon,” supernatural creatures that are the truth of what the legends of werewolves and vampires are based upon. Beautiful abused warriors suffering under the rule of cruel Queens, with kidnapping rogues, a dark and danger Demon Prince, and Mona Lisa, a young human Mixed Blood Queen discovering who and what she is. Discovering love…more than one…for the very first time.

I know you didn't start writing until recently. Had you always thought about doing it? What made you start when you did?

Becoming an author, especially the hot and spicy kind, is a total, unexpected, surprise. Chinese parents don’t encourage their children to become writers. They encourage them to become doctors. So I grew up and became a family practice physician.

had tried writing a short romance in college, twenty years ago, as part of English 101 homework…and had failed miserably. Then after my husband sold his memoir eight years ago, I tried writing about my own childhood. The writers’ group I read it at ripped it apart. Critiqued it harshly enough that I did not write again for the next seven years. So, I’d tried twice and failed both times. I told myself I was a reader, not a writer, and devoted myself to doing what I seemed to do best…developing other people’s talent. I edited my husband’s books, and watched my kids flourish, getting small acting roles on Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live, and a Fuji commercial.

Then, one day when my son was six, he was listing everyone’s talents. When he came to me, he had to pause and think for a long time. He finally said, “Mommy drives really well.” It was a wake-up call for me. I realized at that moment that my kids didn’t really appreciate me. And they wouldn’t respect me unless I developed my own talents, instead of focusing solely on theirs. I set out to see, once again, if I had any. Talent, that is. In particular, writing talent. Nothing short of that kick in the pants would have motivated me to try writing again.
But this time around, I’d learned some important things. My husband had dragged me to Robert McGee’s 3-day screenwriting seminar in Manhattan, on “The Art of the Story.” Before, when I tried to write, it had been with vague ideas, and even vaguer\n characters, in mind. The writing seminar, my first, taught me to define my characters, define my world, to do my homework and write down a composition book full of physical details, character strengths and flaws. Even go so far as to create a back story for each of them, so that you knew who they were by where they came from, what they’d gone through. Then box this group of people into tight situations and let them creatively wriggle out of them. And go from turning point to turning point, or rather, situation to situation until you reach the end of the book.

When I did this, defined my characters in minute details and exact specificity, and did the same with their world—defined their specific powers, their set rules—and boxed them into nasty, tight situations…well, suddenly, the stories just came easily, because I knew them so well, I knew how each would react. And when I hit the love scenes…the words just would not stop pouring. I was like stopped-up syrup that suddenly became unplugged. Things…words…emotions…just kept gushing out. And I went from writing a romance…what I’d originally intended…to suddenly finding myself writing erotic romance. Oops.

And that's it for this week. You can read the rest next week. If you want to read more about Sunny and her books, check out her website. http://sunnyhotromance.com/

Ciao~

Shi

http://www.shilohwalker.com

the cover pic above was found at Sunny's website.

Ho, Ho, Ho...

Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season! Ignore all those pumpkins and mums and you'll begin to notice the encroaching signs of lights, trees, etc.

And to get you in the spirit... (drum roll please)... "A Very Merry Christmas" has hit the stands. Thanks to those of you who have already bought a a copy... hope it puts you in the mood for some Christmas cheer. :)

"A Very Merry Christmas" includes Lori Foster's story about Marci, who is the sister of the heroine in "Bad Boys of Summer". My novella is a "Red Riding Hood lost in the woods" story, and I hope you'll fall in love with the "wolf" who finds her. Rounding out the anthology is a story by Brava author Gemma Bruce.

December seems like a long way away, but with a big "to do" list, it will be here before we know it. I'm blogging instead of writing, so I'd better not let Bad Barb see this!

I've had company all weekend, and I am a bit zapped... the first of them arrived Thursday afternoon at 3 and the last of them just left forty-five minutes ago at ten a.m. Lots of fun, but sort of a madhouse at times...

Which leads me to today's question - Do you like books with a huge cast of characters, or do you prefer a story that rests pretty much exclusively with the hero and heroine and their developing story? Or does it depend on what type of book it is?

I've heard editors say that it's easy for secondary characters to deflect attention from the main story, but on the other hand, readers sometimes get attached to the minor characters and want to hear more. So where do you weigh in on the subject? I'd love to hear your answers!

I'm hoping this Monday isn't too stressful for all our vamps and scamps. You all deserve a great start to the week, and if you don't get it, there is always chocolate...

Until later,
Janice

Intriguing Books...

I love to read. Romance and non-fiction mostly, but I enjoy mystery, some sci fi and even a western or two on occasion. One of my favorite things about reading is how one book can lead to another. You know how it is...you discover an author you just love and read her whole backlist. But that's just the beginning...reading one book leads to reading others in (for me anyway) much more surprising ways.

I remember reading my first Jayne Ann Krentz book because she had a cover quote on a book I loved. Yes, I came late to her party (only started reading her about 8 or 9 years ago), but I now have all of her books for all of her pseudonyms (except the McFaddens - I so cannot afford $300 to read a short contemporary) on my keeper shelves and most have been re-read at least a half a dozen times. I've since read other books *because* they had a cover quote by JAK. I "discovered" Lora Leigh in an anthology I bought for another author who was in it. Lora is now one of my ultimate favorite auto-buy-instant-read authors. I've found a surprising taste for entire subgenres because an author I loved writes for them. Who would have guessed I'd like vampires or m/m romance or cowboys? I wouldn't have...and wouldn't have picked up books with those elements except they were by authors I already loved and yep, a new love - this time for a type of book - was born.

In non-fiction, the same phenomenon happens to me, but for different reasons. I don't usually find an author I'll read everything they've written (though there are a few), but I do discover new books to read because they are mentioned in a way that makes me want to do so in the current text. It's pretty cool. Inspiring even. That's how I discovered, "The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress" - a book about women warriors from 3,000 years ago who believed that their physical and mental strength was tied to their sexuality. Tell me that doesn't sound absolutely fascinating? It also gave me added dimension for the heroine in the current Brava I'm working on. It's all good.

I **LOVE** reading!!! :)

I know we share finds a lot, and we've talked about all-time-favorite books on here before, but what I'm wondering is if you've had a find that suprised you? Like me with the vampire books. What prompted you to read the book/s in the first place and what are they?

Hugs,
Lucy

P.S. For anyone who might be interested...TAKE ME is in bookstores now!!! Yippee! I love this book...it's my unashamed fave of the trilogy and one of my alltime personal faves period. And it received a 4.5 Stars Top Pick from RT. Made me grin for sure. :)