Into the New

To me, September first feels more like the start of a new year than January first. It might have something to do with the school year beginning at this time. Also, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, falls around now (sundown on September 9 this year, according to my calendar).

So it’s appropriate that I’m also starting a new book.

Since I write about three books a year, that probably doesn’t sound like a big deal, but to me it’s the start of an adventure, and a risk. People who don’t read category romance often assume that these books are written by formula, dashed off (or churned out, as they like to say) between sailing trips on my yacht and jaunts to Monte Carlo in my private jet.

No yacht. No private jet. And if there’s a formula, it’s no more cut-and-dried than a thriller or a mystery. Sure, there are reader expectations, and elements that I have to include. But that makes the writing more of a challenge rather than less as I work to keep my stories fresh.

And when I start, even though I’ve written a synopsis for my editor and have a general idea of who the characters are and what conflicts they face, there’s always fear. That’s right, fear. I might put hero and heroine on the page and they might stare at each other, silent as lumps. The storyline might sag, the outcome I hoped for might arrive with a thud, and my editor might demand a page-one rewrite.

Usually, that doesn’t happen. Once in a while, there are major revisions. Hence, fear.

But also joy. Because most of the time, when I put him and her together, they make me laugh. My storyline surprises me. There’s an insight near the end that I didn’t expect. At the final moment, I get a lump in my throat.

So here we go again – back to the beginning. I have no idea how, exactly, my ending will read, but I know what my opening line should be:

Once upon a time….

The Basics of Love

While fall is my favorite season, there are some things about summer that simply can't be beat...

*Uninterrupted time with the kids
*Lazy mornings
*Vacation
*Swimming
*Barbecues

But that's not all. You see, as I've gotten older, I've come to realize my favorite part of summer is the simple fact that there's more time to read. And read, I have. Eight novels in fact (the most recent of those being 400 + pages and consumed in less than 12 hours). :)

My genre of choice this summer? Romance and women's fiction. Time and time again.

One of my summer reads this year posed an interesting question I thought would be fun to pose, in turn, to all of you...


Do you think love just happens? Or do you think love is a choice one makes?

Thoughts? Examples?

~Laura

Life of Young Mother and Writer

Life of a Young Mother and Writer
I have a confession to make. My life is crazy!
Most writers I have met and/or blogged with are punctual about their blogs. They put them in cue to be posted right as the day changes. I marvel at their ability to be so on top of their lives…
Then, there is me. I have five wonderful children, ranging from fourteen to three. I have recently remarried and now have gained three remarkable children. Along with the five kids, I have two dog children.
I have been a little under the weather with a kidney stone operation. I had a mace like ball stuck inside me. They had to put me under and catch it with a cage. It took me a few days to recover. I hope none of you ever get one.
Then as soon as I felt, a little better one of the dog children, a four year old Bichon Frise named Beauty,escaped. The terror and fear that gripped my heart at the loss of my dog is one that I never want to experience again. My mom and family all got into gear. We drove the neighborhood for hours, called shelters, and I just cried. Finally my mother and I went to the closest animal shelter in the area. They said they didn’t have a dog that was small, cute and fluffy. I begged, “Please can I just go back and see if a dog came in while you were out?” I fell to my knees as I saw my little Beauty sitting in a kennel. I just sobbed and hugged her.
The officer then informed me she had a charge against her. I looked at her thinking she was crazy, “How could my little white dog have charge?” I walked out of the pound fifty dollars poorer and a court date to face. Apparently my dog went to my eight year old son’s elementary school to find him. It’s only two blocks away. She had been running in the halls causing quite a commotion. Her charge was, “running at large.” I am still laughing about it.
Now I’m a finding pre-school for my three year old daughter. It’s amazing how two hours here and then two hours during nap time can help finish books. My main problem now is the curse of all mothers. The battle with potty training. I’m almost there.
So to all of you out there, who read books and or write them, please excuse my tardiness. I’m working hard on my next book and loving it. It’s about Jake’s twin brother, C.J., who is the sexy firefighter in San Francisco.
I want to thank my editor Kathleen Schiebling who has so much patience with a new writer and a young mother. Thank you for finding the story in my manuscript and making it work.
I couldn’t do any of this without the love of my amazing, superhero husband, Brad- I love you. And mom, you know I wouldn’t be here without you.
Ciao,
Dominique Burton

1910 Fire

This summer was the 100-year anniversary of the 1910 fire that devastated three million acres of wilderness in Northern Idaho, Northeast Washington and Western Montana. Within that wilderness were many small towns that were damaged or out-right destroyed by the fire. Eighty-seven people lost their lives. The small community of Avery, Idaho was near the epicenter of the conflagration. Somehow it survived, no doubt due to the sheer stubbornness of the people who lived there. Coincidentally, Avery is the town where I lived for several years in my childhood.

In celebration of the anniversary—and memorial to all who perished—many events were planned around the area. Avery had their own weekend-long commemoration. Friends of mine asked me to contribute books for an auction to raise funds for the small museum there. I gladly agreed and, with the assistance of many wonderful writers at the recent Romance Writers of America conference, put together a bag of autographed books.

Avery was an interesting place to grow up. The political, philosophical and even social differences between the “railroad” folk and the “forest” folk could have divided the community. But a place as small as Avery demanded that everyone work together. We all lived so close to one another—the narrowness of the valley made it impossible to have it any other way—and forced proximity built strong friendships.

I have so many memories of the closeness of the community. Potlucks, parties or just a night’s gathering at the Pub were common. There was softball in the summer and Bridge or Pinochle tournaments in the winter. The entire town came out for the annual Christmas play at the school. They returned another night for the church pageant with the same kids now dressed as shepherds and angels. Both events were held in the school gymnasium, the only place big enough for us all. Plus, it boasted the only stage in town. One year, instead of separate plays for each of the classrooms, the teachers decided to put on “A Christmas Carol.” With thirty-six students in the school, there were just enough of us to fill all the roles.

Memories of that small town have influenced my writing tremendously. I know how aggravated you can be with your neighbor one day, yet extend a hand to help him without question the next. A small community is like a family that way: you don’t get to pick them, but you wouldn’t trade them for anything. Envisioning the details of a small town on the Chesapeake Bay was the easy part of writing the linked books that I’ve just finished. Avery prepared me well.

If I were to write my autobiography, it might begin: Once upon a time, I was a part of this community in Idaho called Avery. In many ways, I still am.

If you’re ever in Northern Idaho, plan a trip up the St. Joe River. Way up the river, just before the blacktop ends, you’ll come across Avery. History lives there.

Oh, What A Mess!

This is a picture of my office a week before I turned in The Daddy Catch. I have to admit, the last few days before I turn in a book are crazy busy. It doesn’t matter whether I’ve charted my progress throughout the process. It doesn’t matter whether I’ve stuck to “the plan.” Or if I actually finished writing ahead of time. Those last few days still lengthen into thirteen, fifteen, and sixteen-hour stretches.

As you can see in the photograph, piles of paper grow on my desk top. The box of revisions below it overflows. The calendar practically shouts the day’s assignment. And I can never find a pencil because they’re always buried under the last print-out—the one with all the yellow stickies and heavy marks. As for housework, forget about it. Dinner comes from the only restaurant that still delivers at ten pm.

Of course, the most important thing that happens the week before delivery is that I fall in love with the book all over again. Yes, I loved these characters from the very beginning. I've loved their story, loved telling it. Most of the time, though, I write and revise piecemeal--one chapter, one scene, one paragraph at a time. Doing that, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture.

But that last week—it’s magical. I cozy up in a chair and read the story from beginning to end. Little gems appear. I polish them. I see patterns and themes I wasn’t aware existed. At the end, there’s that “aaaahhh” moment when I'm sure this hero and heroine have the happily-ever-after they deserve.

And then…I deliver the manuscript, fix the world’s most understanding husband a celebratory dinner and clean my office.

See? All ready to do it over again.

A Cat Called Buick

I’m often asked if the characters and situations in my books are based on real people and the answer to that is simple. No. That little blurb on the copyright page—the one that begins with “This is a work of fiction”—is completely accurate and true.

That’s not to say I’m not inspired by the things I see and hear. If you read my July release, Firefighter Daddy, you’ll remember that the heroine, Rory, has a black and white cat named Buick.

I’ve never met a cat called Buick, but years ago I knew someone who had a cat named Evenrude. He didn’t purr quite as loud as a boat motor, but he was loud! However, Evenrude was a tabby, not a tuxedo cat.

More recently my neighbor had a black and white cat named Pete. Here’s a picture of Pete, taken one Hallowe’en on my neighbor’s front steps.

My family loved Pete, so when we decided to get a cat of our own, we fell in love with this black-and-white beauty. Her name is Imilie.

I guess you could say the cat in Firefighter Daddy is three real-life cats—Evenrude, Pete and Imilie—rolled into one. However, his name, Buick, came entirely out of my imagination and if you want to find out where that came from, well, you’ll have to read the book.

As an aside, and so as not to cause any hard feelings between the two felines who rule the roost at my house, here’s a photo of Lucy, our other cat.

Lucy hopes to inspire a story someday, too.

Until next time,
Lee

PS: Firefighter Daddy is available at eHarlequin.com, Amazon.com, and in Canada at Chapters.ca.

Heat Wave

It's been a summer for the record books here in the middle of the U.S., and I'd really like to say goodbye to it.  How hot was it?  It was the fifth hottest summer on record for Wichita, Kansas, since 1888.  Our temps were in the 100s, while our heat index reached as high as 111 one day.  And, of course, my a/c decided to go out during the first part of it.  I was every so grateful when it was fixed again!

But it hasn't been a bad summer, in spite of the heat.  Before the really hot weather hit, the grandkids and I walked to a nearby park most mornings (pictured).  Later, when the temps started going up, they were excited to try the interactive fountains at another park, where kids are allowed to play and get as wet as they can.  We visited the city's water treatment center, complete with fun crafts for the kids.  They even fed ducks and geese their lunches, more than once.  Because school started on Monday, and I'd promised them a return trip to one of the big parks, we did that last Friday.  The plan was to take the 30 minute pedal boat ride, but not for me to do most of the pedaling!  When we finished that, they talked me into 18 holes of miniature golf.  Heat index by the time we drove back home?  105 degrees.  But we not only survived, we had fun!

We're hoping there'll be no more heat waves, but if there are, we have plans to go ice skating soon!

Facebook and blogging and tweets—oh, my!

Just last month, I took the plunge into the world of social media by adding a blog to my completely revamped website. And now I’ve joined twitter and Facebook.

Here’s where you can find me:

At my new website and blog: http://barbarawhitedaille.com/

Twitter was a little ornery and wouldn’t allow enough space for my full name, so you can follow me here: http://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

At Facebook, I’ll soon be establishing a separate page url, but until that happens, please do a search for my “Barbara White Daille Author” page. Once there, you can “like” it if you feel so inclined. And I would like that very much. ;-)

Meanwhile, I’d also appreciate your input, since I’m such a newbie at all this.

Have you got any helpful hints or suggestions for moving around in these places? Know any good features I might want to check out? Have some ideas for how to keep up with everything without letting it take over your life? Because, as I’ve already discovered, it’s easy to become addicted to online socializing. LOL

I look forward to your info here and hope to see you over at twitter and Facebook, too!

Thanks in advance.


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Spurs

The cowboy is a reader favorite with many Harlequin American Romance fans. When I researched my latest book, Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (book #2) The Codys: First Family of Rodeo, I came across a slew of sites about cowboys, rodeo, ranches and a million other things associated with those wild west hunks. I thought I'd share a little trivia about a tool working cowboys wear every day while rodeo cowboys parade around arenas and show them off like a treasured piece of jewelry.

Spurshttp://www.cowboy-spurs.com/cowboy-spurs-101

Q: How old are boot spurs?A: They were first used in ancient Rome, but became more popular in the 14th and 15th century.

Q: What are western spurs made from?
A: The main part of the spur is made from metal, usually iron but sometimes silver. The straps used to fasten the spur to the boot are made from leather. Other makers made them from aluminium, or steel.

Q: What are the parts of the boot spur called?A: The main U shaped part that goes around the boot is called the "yoke" or "heel band". From there, the "neck" extends out from the boot and the "rowel" is the rounded object attached to the end.

Q: What are spurs for cowboy boots used for?
A: The spurs are worn by cowboys who ride a horse. The rowels are used to dig into the sides of the horse to aid in steering the steed in conjunction with the tack and reins.

Q: Do riding spurs hurt the horse?
A: No. Most spurs have rowels that are round and blunt by design. The more fancy custom made spurs are the ones most likely to feature pointed star rowels and therefore would hurt an animal - but they are seldom used.

Q: Are cowboy boots and spurs still used today?
A: Yes. They are used all over the world by riders and farm hands but are also worn as a fashion accessory or Western Jewelry by millions. I suspect that they are more popular as a fashion accessory.

Check out http://www.spillerspurs.com/ Joe Spiller has been a cowboy all his life and has made spurs for rodeo cowboys, ranchers, movie stars and famous people. The Spiller Ranch is locate outside the West, Texas town of Windgate. He's famous for his Texas Buckaroo and Tear Drop spur.

remember to stop by http://firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/

for the latest information about The Cody's First Family of Rodeo miniseries and fun facts about cowboys.

Marin

Nostalgia

As summer nears the end and the kids are getting ready to go back to school, I'm a little sad it's over.

This past month, my eighty-four year old mom and I drove to Colorado. Since my dad passed away in 1987, she and I have taken a trip together each year. I think my husband secretly looks forward to the quiet.

She and I've been to New England and taken in the fall foliage, to San Francisco and even watched the sunrise from a hot air balloon over Napa Valley. But this year, she wanted to go back to Colorado. When my dad was alive, the three of us always took a summer vacation and Colorado was one of our favorite destinations. Partly to escape the intense Texas heat, but mostly because Colorado has so many beautiful vistas and quaint little mountain towns.

Mom is deaf, but she mapped out where she wanted to go and I just sat back and drove. We arrived in Trinidad the first night and I listened to her memories about how she and my dad were always so thrilled to hit the cooler weather when they arrived in Raton or Trinidad the first night out.

The next morning we drove north through Colorado Springs where my son and daughter-in-law were stationed at Fort Carson when my two grandsons were born. She talked about when she and I drove through the snow to see the baby and the excitement of meeting her first great-grandson. And the second great-grandson two years later.

Then up to Estes Park and across Trail Ridge Road. Did I remember the snowstorm we got into once there in June when I was eight? On to Winter Park, Vail, Gunnison, and finally arrived in Ouray. Without this reading like a travel brochure, what made this particular trip nostalgic was listening to all her tales. Times she and my dad came with friends before I was born and how they paid fifteen dollars a night for a hotel room and split it between two couples. They thought that was outrageous for a place to sleep. She wanted to know if I remembered riding in a horse drawn wagon at a little hotel along the way when I was five. A man had offered to take me and my friend Mike around the hotel parking lot. I hadn't thought about that in years. We drove beside a river where my dad loved to fly fish and did I remember the picnic we had there? She laughed remembering the huge bear prints we discovered on the hood of our car one morning in Lake City. And what about when we used to try to come up with all the 'B' words to describe the brook. Bity, baby, bubbling, babbling brook. And who started that silly game? It was a river, after all. We laughed.

While I drove, she lamented about renting a jeep when Dad was alive and driving the trail from Lake City across the mountain to Ouray for fresh homemade pie. And how while they were eating lunch, she noticed that my dad had a crust of mud on his forehead from the muddy jeep trail. Well the little corner restaurant is no longer the same. The building she thinks it was in is now a saloon. We did find a different restaurant that had homemade pie, but she was too full to have desert that evening. The next morning we drove to Telluride and there were some wonderful restaurants to stop for lunch, but she insisted that we drive back to Ouray because she was having pie for lunch. We laughed all the way back and each had a small cup of soup and homemade pie for desert.

I feel like I relived a piece of my childhood just listening to her talk. She laughed more than I’ve heard her laugh in years. I saw a glimpse into what my parents enjoyed and things they did when they were first married and how much fun they had together. Not only did I relive old memories, but created a few new ones of my own.

Rain and Dogs and College

(Me with my freshly graduated kiddos back in June.)

Glory be & hallelujah it's raining in Tulsa, Oklahoma!!

This has been the hottest, driest, most miserable summer we've had in a while. With temps over a hundred for days and days, I've been feeling a tad panicky. I LOATHE being hot. Running simple errands becomes an endurance marathon. Though the AC is blasting, it's never quite cool enough for real relief.

The hotter I get, the more grumpy I get, which has made getting everybody ready for college even tougher than I'd anticipated. Through shimmering heat rising from blacktop parking lots, I've schlucked comforters and throw rugs and pillows. Clothes and more clothes and enough extra underwear to last the first semester. We've got shower tubs and shoes and monogrammed wraps and towels. Mirrors and photo frames and a room-sized wall mural of the bare-chested Abercrombie & Fitch guy that my daughter's store manager gifted her with for her dorm. All of the above now resides in my living room, which has got the dogs freaking out.

Home is my favorite place to be, so last month when I left for a week in Orlando at the Romance Writers of America's annual conference, all of my furry babies went on hunger strike. Now that they're once again seeing piles of stuff being packed, they eye me with suspicion every time I near the front door. I am the giver of cuddling and food, but the kids play with Cocoa, Sweet Pea and Daisy. So when Hannah, Terry & Russell leave, I fear there may be more doggy trouble.

Back to the heat, it has been an odd blessing. I'm so annoyed by the hot weather, that it's temporarily taken my mind off the gravity of Monday morning. Save for vacations and holidays, my nest will never be full again. I'm not even kind of sure how to process that statement. Was it really me who used to pray for school to start so I'd finally be home alone?

I play games with myself, thinking never having to share the TV won't be bad. (Poor Hubby doesn't get a vote!!! LOL!!) For the first time in eighteen years, the house will be clean. No more laundry mountains. With no more pizza rolls and cookies and fast food, I'll be instantly skinny--stop laughing!! But seriously, I'm scared. If change is supposed to be good for us, then why am I secretly filled with terror? I want to snatch up my beautiful smart and funny babies and never let go. In the same breath, I'm so proud of them and excited for their new adventures that I know it's time to let go.

It's odd to me that just as I make the final push to send them off, the heat has broken. Throughout the packing process, I've been a warrior. Shopping and sorting and organizing as if it was the essay question on my final parenting exam. Now that it's nearly done, like summer's heat, I'm exhausted. Flooded with memories, and wondering why I was so eager for my cute third graders to go back to school.

My daughter asked what I used to do before I had kids and honestly, I don't remember. That person doesn't seem real. For eighteen years, I've put everyone else's needs ahead of my own to the point that with just me to focus on, I feel a little lost. Is it wrong to at the same time feel a little excited? Maybe with my extra hours I will manage to exercise. I'll watch movies only I want to see and wake not when school schedules tell me, but when my body tells me. I'll "waste" entire afternoons reading for pleasure and never again go to PTA.

If I had this morning's rain falling in a book, just in time for the heroine's breakdown, it'd feel almost cliche. But for me, it's a tremendous relief. Like a sign that just as this awful heat has passed, so will my angst. I really will feel whole again and love it. I just need to make it past Monday . . .

Of Gators and Thongs and Heat and Nice People and the Orlando Conference

Warning! rather long and perhaps boring for some…

Orlando was hell – as in, it was hot as hell.

Stepping off the plane, we were blasted with furnace strength hot air and it wasn’t much better inside the terminal. Americans have unfortunately discovered that running their air-conditioning set on Frigid costs a lot more money that setting it to say, Medium Warm. Still, it’s at least cooler than outside.

The Disney experience started at the airport where we had to board a monorail to take us to the baggage terminal. It got even more surreal when we boarded the shuttle bus to our hotel – called the Swan and Dolphin (decorated with 100 foot high swans and dolphins frolicking) – can you believe it???

Everyone in Florida drives at least 20 mph over the speed limit and never indicates. So we hurtled down the freeways at breakneck speed, changing lanes like the Artful Dodger while our driver yelled into his cell phone in some strange language (he was from Haiti so whatever they speak there apart from English and French) the radio blasted steel drum music and I kept an eye out for gators lurking in the ditches that surrounded the roadways. (the place is one huge swamp) Although I’m not sure why I was so scared of meeting a gator face to face because it would be crushed beneath the wheels of the shuttle before it got anywhere near me!

Fortunately, hubby and I arrived at the hotel in one piece and were given a lovely suite. After checking the bathtub for gators and ordering room service, we got a good night’s sleep.

Went to Disney’s Epcot before the conf. started and it was so hot that I ended up with huge blisters on the balls of my feet from the heat coming up through the acres—no make that square miles—of concrete in the place. (I was wearing shoes, not barefooted btw)

People were dropping like flies from the heat. I felt so sorry for any of the workers who had to work outside, it was dreadful. There were lots of garden areas with trees but they were fenced off and the trees rarely shaded the paths (read: 4 lane roads, the paths were so wide). Not that it mattered, the temp. was the same in the shade as in the sun. L Even at 11 pm it was still just as hot – ugh!

My husband forced me to accompany him on this horrendously frightening simulator ride that was a voyage to Mars, complete with vertical takeoff! It was hideous! I screamed the whole time as the G-forces felt like I really was taking off right through the roof of the space pavilion. In fact, I could feel my face doing that wobbly thing that you see on astronauts when they’re in that frightfully, sick-making (notice the copious and gratuitous use of adjectives) g-force training machine.

Hubby could feel his face doing it too (we established this about half an hour after the ride when we were capable of speaking coherently and without drooling) so it wasn’t just my imagination.

I tried closing my eyes, hoping that getting rid of the visuals would take the ghastly –“I’m gonna throw up the entire contents of my body cavity!” feeling away, but that only made it worse, so I had to open my eyes and watch as we hurtled towards planet Mars, me screaming all the way. Hubby was probably screaming too, but I couldn’t hear him above the noise I was making. They really should have to stop those things if people scream too much. You could easily have a heart attack, or worse. The thing is, you’re locked inside this spaceship capsule with 3 other people and there is NO escape! I should sue them for scaring 10 years off my life. And get a new husband – one who doesn’t make me go on scary rides with him.

Anyway, back to my feet, since they’re so interesting to me. They hurt so much, I couldn’t get into a pair of shoes and had to spend the entire conference wearing my thongs. (no, not the rubber ones you get at Woolies for 79c, these were more upmarket - from Walmart…). So then I felt I had to keep apologizing to people for looking like a dag and wearing my thongs to the conference. Which of course caused many a raised eyebrow because of course in the US, thongs are women’s underwear (the uncomfortable type that is similar to tooth-flossing one’s backside, if you get my drift). They call them flip flops here (is there a sillier word for footwear?) I became known far and wide as the delegate who wore her thongs (and dared to talk about it) J

On Thursday I met with my wonderful editor, Paula Eykelhof, for breakfast and pitched my Jane Austen adaptation to her. She seemed to like what she heard. Lucky I’m popping over to the UK in a couple of weeks to start my research isn’t it?

Later that afternoon I met again with Paula and the editor of Harlequin American, gorgeous Kathleen Scheibling to discuss more of The O’Malley Men series. J

On Friday I had the huge honor of being a featured author at the Harlequin Spotlight, where Kathleen discussed how they found me (at an Aussie conference) and why they picked me up (because my writing has energy and humor J and I’m willing to work with editorial direction, apparently.) J

Also on Friday I participated in the Harlequin book signing and met many new readers and some lovely people from both the New England and Desert Rose Chapters and thanked them for awarding me the Bean Pot Award and the Golden Quill for “Colorado Christmas”.

That evening, the HAR team took us to dinner at a very posh restaurant in the hotel. I ordered scallops and prime beef and pavlova and enjoyed every morsel! Was delighted to make the acquaintance of fellow HAR author, Leigh Duncan who reminds me of Debbie Macomber, because she has a lovely open face and smile!

Oh, and on the Wed. night before the conf. started, I became a star for two whole seconds on u-tube at another signing – The RWA literacy signing. Here’s the link. I’m about 2min 41 secs in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=docOBvGf2-M Hope you like the Minnie ears I’m wearing in the clip?
We had a fabulous time at the Harlequin party on the Friday night – they bring in the same DJ every year because he’s so good. (no idea where the guy really lives, will ask next conf.) Good food and great music. Somewhere on this blog is a pic of my conference buddy, Cathleen Ross and I eating the decorations (yes, the decorations, ‘cos there’s only so much sugar a girl can take) at the Harlequin bash.

The awards night on Saturday was spectacular as usual and Kandy Shepherd and I cheered the Aussie finalists in the GH and Ritas madly (and anyone else we really liked.) We were stoked when Kylie Griffin won the Paranormal Romance GH for her story, Bloodborn: Book One in the Light Blade Series. I have no idea what any of her title means, but I’m so very happy for her and hope she gets The Call very soon!

Hubby was a trooper throughout (apart from the hiccup with the simulator and ensuing divorce procedings). He spent a lot of time at the pool. Not that it was refreshing – more like swimming in warm soup. I say, soup rather than a bath because there were so many kids in the pool that it contained an awful lot of icky stuff that wasn’t pure H2O.

There were dire warning on the lagoons surrounding the resort, not to swim in the lagoons. They didn’t actually state why it was dangerous – although I suspect the ubiquitous gators were part of the reason. However, they did look awfully inviting, edged by acres of white sand. If you didn’t read English then you could be mighty tempted to take a dip (provided you didn’t fry your feet to a crisp on the white hot sand getting there in the first place).


Attended heaps of workshops by top-selling authors, met lots more and caught up with old friends.
By Sunday it was all over and we were looking forward to returning home to Colorado. Except our flight was delayed 3 hours. While waiting in the Bus. class lounge (thank you American Express!) a huge thunderstorm struck with lightning striking the ground everywhere. We had a bird’s-eye view of all the excitement. Planes were stranded out on the tarmac as they couldn’t dock at the airbridges because it does something with the earthing and people end up fried to a crisp (like it’s any different walking around Orlando in the heat of the day?) Or night… for that matter.

While there, I bumped into a very elegantly dressed African American woman in the loo and admired her beautiful shawl. She thanked me very politely and we went our separate ways. She looked familiar. Then a bit later I heard the lounge attendant saying that Patti LaBelle had just left. No wonder she was familiar! Had heaps of Top 40 hits in the 70’s and 80’s including Lady Marmalade, which I loved. So will add that to my brush with fame after meeting Robin Williams in the Zen lounge at San Fran. He kindly signed a book for me btw.

I wonder if either of them saw me on u-tube?…

Make a comment and you could win a copy of my latest tome, “The Sheriff and the Baby”. The one signed by Robin Willliams!
Till next time!
CC

Favorite characters

YAY! I remembered my blog day before it passed this time! I’ve been having a busy summer – with deadlines, kids home and the writers conference in Orlando. At the Harlequin party during the conference, I received a pin for having 25 books published with them. That was such a thrill and an honor. My upcoming September Harlequin American SINGLE DAD SHERIFF is my 26th, and one of my favorite books I’ve written. There’s a little scene stealer that takes over the book from the first chapter right through to the epilogue. Tommy Phillips is definitely a favorite character of mine and quite a character.

I’d love to hear about your favorite characters – real or fictional. Leave a comment and I’ll draw a couple of winners for signed copies of my April Harlequin American, HIS BABY SURPRISE.

Hope you’re all having a great summer.
Happy Reading!
Lisa

Happy to be Home by Megan

Ahh, to be home again. The best thing about traveling away from my family is the homecoming. As much as I enjoy seeing new places and meeting writers and readers, I love being with my husband and children even more. Home is my personal but lesser-known Happiest Place.

However, I admit to having a great time while gone, too.
I returned from the Romance Writers of America conference in Orlando with some fun pix. That's me on the far right with Pooh,

my kids' favorite character when they were small. The other characters are Regan Loyd, Tigger, and Kimberly Killion. :)

And, okay, even I have to admit posing with a sign that says "The American Adventure" was kind of cheesey as an author for Harlequin American. lol But y'all know I'm a sentimental, hokey person.

--And don't look at my hat hair! Kim and Regan made me take off my "Wicked" hat for this one. ;)

During dinner with the American editors, Kathleen, Johanna and Laura, I met Barbara Daly and reconnected with Laura Bradford.

Here we are at the Harlequin party. I'm waiting for a pic of the dinner from someone else's camera, which I'll post on my FaceBook page.

And I got to say Hi again to sweet friend (and fellow Farmville buddy) Laura Marie Altom at the RWA Literacy signing. Laura made me feel welcome back in 2007 at my first Harlequin American get-together, when I was totally intimidated being in a room with authors I'd read and loved. As a newly contracted author with no book, no title, no release date, I kept waiting to get tossed out on my keister as a party-crasher. I'll always remember the kindness of the people in that room, especially Laura and Cathy McDavid. (For some reason, I can't figure out how to post the pic of me and Laura, so head to my FaceBook page for that one too. It's there now.)

Now I return home, spend time with the family and start a new book! Life doesn't get much better than this.

Megan Kelly

http://www.megankellybooks.com/

What to Look for in a Series Romance

Our own assistant editor, Laura Barth, is a final round judge in the Gateway to the Best contest, which is put on by MORWA, my home chapter in St. Louis. While this could sound like a blatant plug for people to enter, I also thought it would be interesting to read what Laura looks for in a submission. Those interested in entering the contest can visit MORWA at www.morwa.org to read about the contest rules and details (like multiple entries being discounted half-price!).
LAURA says: "The most important elements when considering a contemporary series submission are fit, voice, conflict, characterization, and freshness."
If it fits the line for which it's submitted, she then looks at "the author's voice and writing style. The prose should be smooth, clear and natural. The tone should be right for the story and the author should engage the reader without intruding into the story."
And we all know the characters are key to making a story work. Laura says, "The hero and heroine must ultimately be likable and believeable. I want to see a heroine who can stand on her own but be vulnerable and human enough to make me care about her plight. I want to see a hero who's masculine but self-aware and mature enough to show compassion and concern for others."
Sounds like every woman's dream man!
She wants a compelling conflict that's "organic"--it comes from the story rather than the author. It isn't based on misunderstandings and coincidences. And of course, there must be internal as well as external conflicts.
"Finally, it can be difficult, to say the least, to come up with a totally original story for a romance novel and still have it fit within the parameters of your line. But your approach still needs to be fresh." She suggests giving your story "a new twist" to make it stand out from the crowd.
And y'all thought writing was easy? LOL Well, somedays yes, somedays not so much.
The Gateway also has other categories for non-series writers. Deadline is September 10th, so check it out now.
Megan Kelly
www.megankellybooks.com

Monthly Recipes - On the Road!

Good morning from Louisville, Kentucky! I'm on a road trip with fellow writer friend Rebecca Russell. Last night we ate local specialties at B.B. King's restaurant on Beale Street in Memphis, TN. www.bbkingblues.com/menu/index.html Tonight we ate at one of my favorite places, Captain's Quarters, on River Road overlooking the Ohio River. www.cqriverside.com Tomorrow I'm going to foodie haven Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, which has been featured several times on Food Network. www.lynnsparadisecafe.com

The reason I'm telling you this is because I don't have a specific recipe to post right now. I'm going to post some photos and details of the recipes used by Lynn's Paradise Cafe later today. Please bear with me as I make this fun and food-oriented road trip from Dallas, TX, to Louisville, Indianapolis, and finally to Carey, Ohio before returning to Dallas next week. (I might even have a report on the food from Careyfest, a local custom in Rebecca's hometown.) http://www.careyohio.org/index.asp?Type=B_EV&SEC={91BC1D57-EE40-4291-B151-448DCB226FCD}&DE={B25FF5BD-802A-4D2F-9ED2-3917B97D82A6} See you later!

JULY WINNER!!!

Congratulations Varina M!! You're the July winner. Please contact Marin Thomas, Lee McKenzie and Laura Bradford through their websites for your free books. To enter the contest simply post to the American blog and your name will go into the drawing. Good luck and thank you for participating in the Harlequin American blog.