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Come read the Intrigue Authors blog and let them know what you think.
Take the time to read their previous entries as well.
Visit our old
blogspot page, too.
5/9/2008 WRITING CROSSOVER FICTION
As probably happens to most authors who have been in the business for more than a few years, I feel the need to challenge myself by writing something new that will keep me fresh and interested. I sold my first book--a young adult romance--in 1983, then followed it with a short contemporary and (writing with a partner) a series of romantic comedies. I wanted to write a type of crossover fiction that combined romance and crime. I wanted to write romantic suspense but no one was buying it. Then Harlequin announced the new Intrigue line... I was thrilled to be bought by Intrigue in the first year of publication. My first Intrigues were more romantic mysteries than suspense-thrillers, but that, too, changed. Eventually, I tried my hand at paranormal romantic suspense (my first stab at crossover fiction) and found that I loved being able to add that extra element to my stories. Since I teach Writing Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing in the Fiction Department of Columbia College Chicago, I had to expand my own reading to include new authors and genres. I began reading what was known then as Dark Fantasy, but which has morphed into what we now call Urban Fantasy. I found I loved the new genre. Here is another form of Crossover Fiction. The stories that are primarily romances set in an urban fantasy world are found in the romance section of bookstores, while the stories that are stronger in fantasy and usually have a romantic subplot are found in the fantasy section. When Marc Paoletti first asked me if I would like to write a book together (a big action-thriller), I said no. But I thought about it and decided there was one thing I would like to try that I hadn't done -- each of us be responsible for writing different characters. I would write the scenes from the points of view of the heroine and villainess and he would write the hero and villain. Since Marc wrote horror and I wrote paranormal romantic suspense, we agreed to write a thriller with a strong romance set in a dark fantasy world. The result was The Last Vampire, coming June 24 from Del Rey, and The Dark Agent, a sequel, coming in January. Both novels have elements you would find in a Patricia Rosemoor Intrigue, yet both are different, as well. In the coming weeks, I will reveal more about the characters and stories. In the meantime, I would love to know if you read urban fantasy, and if you do, are they the stories on the romance shelves or the ones under fantasy or are they both. Also, what urban fantasy authors or stories do you really love? Good reading, Posted by Patricia Rosemoor, author of The Last Vampire on 5/9/2008 |
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5/8/2008 Redemption
I love the idea of second chances. I've definitely had my share. So it's no wonder I guess that I wanted to give my favorite character in the Whitehorse series a second chance. Arlene Evans was such an interesting character and I wanted to know more about her. How had she become what some people termed despicable? How had she gotten to this very low point in her life? Making Arlene the heroine, I had to break a few rules. Wasn't Arlene too old to be a heroine? But are we ever too old to find true love? I think not. :) So I set about redeeming Arlene and Second Chance Cowboy became one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. And the Whitehorse series continues for at least another 6 books... What do you think about older characters? How about redemption? What second chances have you been given? Posted by B.J. Daniels, author of Second Chance Cowboy on 5/8/2008 |
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5/7/2008 secret dreams
I just signed up for a class on how to write theatre plays. It's in a major city far from me, and I'll have to figure out public transportation. Plus, it'll be mostly over the winter and I have pretty bad arthritis that will NOT like standing around waiting for busses in cold and snow. But I've been thinking about doing this for years and finally decided to go for it. I'm not getting any younger. (Which, BTW, is outrageously unfair.) So my question for today is: What is your secret dream? Is there something that you've been meaning to do for years, but you've been putting it off? Posted by Dana Marton, author of 72 HOURS on 5/7/2008 Comments: There are A LOT of things I want to do. I want to scuba dive. Not real deep, but near the surface so I can see what the experience is like. I want to go to Machu Pichu. And I want to go to Mt. San Michelle. (sp?) Dh loves to travel, so I'll probably get there. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 5/7/2008 Good for you, Dana! Very exciting! My secret dream was to write romance novels. I put it off for my entire adult life while I worked several other jobs and was quietly, then not-so-quietly, miserable. I wish I could say there was a big Oprah A-ha! moment, but slowly, so slowly, I started writing, then writing more, then reading craft books, then joined RWA and a writer's group. Being a writer isn't easy, but for me, it's much easier than not being one. Posted by Margaret McGrath on 5/7/2008 Secret desires? I love it. In fact, I've been writing about them this morning. Hmmm. :) Dana, congrats on going for what you want. Gee, what haven't I done that I want to do? I want to drive one of those really fast boats, cigarette boats. I want to learn to play just one song on a guitar. I want to get organized. Pretty boring secret desires, huh. :) You know, I think the problem is that I already have my secret desires, a loving fun husband, a career I always wanted, a home and a family that is growing, good friends, good health and plenty of food. :) Can you tell that I'm about to go to lunch with friends? Posted by B.J. Daniels on 5/7/2008 I would love go to Australia. Posted by Estella Kissell on 5/7/2008 I would love to learn how to swim. Posted by Jane C. on 5/7/2008 I would love to travel to Australia and New Zealand. I have heard so much about it and would one day like to experience it. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 5/7/2008 Ooh, these are good. I have to expand my secret dreams list :-). You all inspired me! Although, ummm... maybe not the speedboat. I'm not much of a daredevil. I'll wave from the shore ;-)I'm definitely getting less adventurous with age. Not so my aunt. On her 50th birthday, she jumped from an airplane. She said she wanted to do it before she got old. She's a wild woman. Dana Posted by Dana Marton on 5/7/2008 My dream is to see my son through college, which he just started. To have enough money to live comfortable the rest of my life. Posted by Virginia Horton on 5/8/2008 What a great topic, Dana! If you don't call all the hopes and wishes I have for my kids, like any non-sociopathic mother, most, but not all, of my secret dreams have had to do with travel. I wanted to visit Europe, which I did just before going to college--but it wasn't NEARLY long enough. I wanted to write a novel, which I did in my 20s for the first time. When I turned 30, I got my scuba license and went scuba diving for the first time--and became utterly hooked. Now, most of my secret dreams have to do with travel. I want to dive in Thailand. I want to go back to New Zealand, stay longer, go zorbing, and go tubing in the cave on the North Island that has the little glow worms on the ceiling. I TOTALLY want to see the pyramids and the museums in Cairo. I want to backpack through Europe. I want to visit Jane Austen's house. I want to go to Paris and see EVERYTHING. I want to live on a beach for awhile, maybe in Honduras (family are there). I want to visit Kenya. I want to see Angkor Wat. I want to climb the Great Wall and see the Terra Cotta Army in China. Wow, there's just so much to do. I think I need to have a secret dream of finding a pile of money, first! Posted by Tracy Montoya on 5/8/2008 |
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5/6/2008 A Narrow Escape
You know that we romance writers look for authentic experiences to put into our books. For example, I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of the time our lights went out, and I pitched headfirst in the dark down a flight of stairs. Lucky for me, I landed on my shoulder, not my head, so I didn’t break my neck. But breaking the top of my arm and dislocating my shoulder gave me a lot of insight into pain. It changed the way I write certain scenes. And for the record, I wasn’t terrified as I flew down the steps. Just, you know, “interested..” But as soon as I landed, I knew something was badly wrong.
Posted by Rebecca York, author of GHOST MOON on 5/6/2008 Comments: Harrowing experiences hmmmmmm.......does a hurricane count??? I've been through several of them when I was younger and my parents were alive. Fortunately for us there was no serious damage as we stayed put in our house. But watching the rain fall horizontally and trees blow over was scarey. Unfortunately I still live in hurricane country. Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 5/6/2008 I am looking forward to reading Ghost Moon! Posted by Estella Kissell on 5/6/2008 Congratulations on your release today. Will have to go to your website and check out the excerpt. And at present I can think of no hair raising experiences....I really do lead a dull life.....LOL Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 5/6/2008 We had bad turbulence while flying through a thunder storm. It was so bumpy that I was terrified. Posted by Jane C. on 5/6/2008 |
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5/5/2008 Discounted Intrigues!
I apologize for the late post. When I signed up to blog today, I had a topic in mind and everything. I didn't anticipate the curveballs life would throw at me the last few weeks, culminating in the cold I caught on a sudden trip to the Midwest last week and am currently fighting. Between that and several deadlines I have bearing down on me, I'm not going to get a chance to write my planned post, though I hope to soon. To make up for it, I thought I'd mention a deal I just noticed on eHarlequin--40% off all Intrigues through May 31 with coupon code INTSAVE40. I saw it too late to take advantage before placing my own monthly order, but if anyone else is looking to buy some Intrigues, it looks like a great deal. In the meantime, I have to get back to my WIP--and my cold medicine. I hope everyone is doing well, or at the very least, better than I am at the moment. Posted by Kerry Connor, author of Strangers in the Night on 5/5/2008 Comments: I just found out about the sale earlier today, but I didn't know about the coupon code. Thanks. Posted by Jane C. on 5/5/2008 Feel better soon, Kerry! Posted by Lexi Connor on 5/5/2008 Hope you feel better soon. Thank you for the coupon code, I just went over and got my Intrigues for May and June. That was a wonderful savings since our Canadian prices are higher. Hope you get our WIP done...cyber hugs Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 5/5/2008 Hope you get rid of your cold soon and start feeling better. Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 5/6/2008 |
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5/3/2008 April Book Giveaway Winner's Circle
Congratulations! You've won a book by commenting on our blog. Please contact the author you've been paired with via her web site and give her your mailing information to receive a book of her choice. Jane C. - Author Tracy Montoya Mary Beth Lee - Author Dana Marton Cryna Palmiere - Author Kathleen Long Kathy S. - Author Pat White Noelle Ptomey - Author B.J. DanielsPosted by Jan Hambright, author of AROUND-THE-CLOCK PROTECTOR on 5/3/2008 Comments: Congratulations, ladies! Posted by Estella Kissell on 5/3/2008 Thank you and congrats to the winners. Posted by Jane C. on 5/4/2008 |
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5/2/2008 Stupid Things That Scare Me
Screeching in late today due to a dentist appointment. And I just have to say, my hygienist was running about 40 minutes late--would it KILL that surly blonde at the front desk to let me know and not act like I'm some sort of leper when I come up to politely ASK when I'm going to get my stupid teeth cleaned? Sheesh. Anyway, I've been fussing with a new proposal, and I've been thinking about what scares me--after all, a good Intrigue should scare you, at least a little, right? And I feel some of my personal-best suspense scenes tend to be the ones where I take my own fears and just let my imagination have at them. So all of this thinking about what scares me led me to start thinking about Stupid Things That Scare Me. And let me tell you, there's one really stupid fear that I have that I just can't get over.... Superman has kryptonite. Indiana Jones (19 days, 10 hours, 13 minutes, and counting!) has snakes. And I have ... Bigfoot. Stop laughing. Just hearing the name "Bigfoot" gives me a MAJOR case of the heebies. Just watch: Bigfoot. :::shudder::: OK, I guess you'll have to take my word for it that my skin just crawled into the next room and hid behind the sofa, but I have a deep, irrational fear of Bigfoot that rivals my arachnophobia, and no amount of telling me that it was all just an old guy in a gorilla suit is going to make me feel any better. Said deep, irrational fear is due to a convergence of traumatic, Bigfoot-related events in my life. 1) There were alleged Bigfoot sightings near my hometown when I was in the third grade and regularly WALKING HOME ALONE from school. I'm not kidding--just google Bigfoot and Wisconsin or La Crosse Tribune, and you'll probably find at least part of the Trib's series of articles from 1976 talking about a cluster of Bigfoot sightings in Cashton. Cashton was about a 20-minute drive from my hometown of Wilton, but word on the street (there were 500 people in this town, so the word was literally only on one street) was that Wilton farmers were seeing the big hairy beast on their land, too.
How do I know this? One of my classmates was the son of the town sheriff, and he would oh-so-generously come to school and yammer on about how his dad got called out to yet another farm because someone was having a staredown with Bigfoot. He also swore that his dad chased down the Big B and fired off a few shots at it, but I suspect he was just being a dude and embellishing at this point. Why? Because I'm guessing Bigfoot would have had Sheriff Evans as a tasty snack if it were true. According to BFRO (that would be the Bigfoot Research Organization), Bigfoot doesn't react well to aggression. But that doesn't mean the rest of this kid's stories weren't true, and it's enough to make my hair stand up and frizz even more than it already does. I remember him telling us how his dad talked about the awful stench that Bigfoot gave off. A few days later, the Tribune printed an article about yet another Monroe County Bigfoot sighting, with a headline that referred to the big B as a "stinker" and several references to the Bigfoot Stench in the body of the piece. When I walked home that day from school, someone had made a giant footprint in the snow. I just want to go on the record and say that it really wasn't funny. Especially since I never had a very good sense of smell and couldn't rely on my nose to warn me of impending danger.
2) About this same time-ish, Bigfoot had a recurring guest role on my favorite show at the time, The Bionic Woman (right up there with Wonder Woman, Electrawoman and Dyna-Girl, and The Secrets of Isis! I'm totally showing my age here, but I loved strong heroines even then.). He was big. And hairy. And mean. And I didn't like the way he swooped his arms around like he could lop your head off with one swing. So thanks to my favorite TV show, the unseen horror in my head suddenly had a face. A big, hairy, terrifying face. Curse you, Lindsay Wagner!
3) Then my best friend Terri went to see the movie Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot in the theater. She came back and kindly gave me a blow-by-blow of the piece, which was by no means a literary art-house film. Her recounting of Bigfoot's terrible roar, his hunting down and slaughtering at least one of the seven men who were camping in the Pacific Northwest, and her accompanying imitation of those Awful. Swooping. Arms. nearly sent me over the edge. Seriously, what kind of best friend DOES THIS? It was also allegedly a true story, which I remember she informed me with considerable glee. I was probably cowering under my Wonder Woman book bag in a corner of the lunchroom. 4) Sure, you may think that Ray Wallace's family admitting that he faked the famous Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film footage and footprints puts an end to this horrible, horrible legend. But the fact is, Bigfoot sightings have been documented since 1840 and probably earlier. Ray Wallace and his gorilla suit were not around then. And not only do many Native American tribes have Sasquatch legends dating back to Heaven Knows When, but there is actual forensic evidence that point to the fact that some Bigfoot footprints are real. One scientist points to the "push-mound" in the middle of the prints, which is created by the horizontal push of the first part of the foot before it leaves the ground. Fake feet can't do that, he says.
The enormous step interval measured between several tracks (in excess of three feet), this scientist says, would also be very difficult for hoaxers to create without making a mistake. Variations in toe positions would also be difficult to fake, he says. And another researcher named Henry Franzo compared 550 Bigfoot prints to each other and found that their measurements varied on a curve very much like how a similar group of human footprints would display. What can I say? I like to research things that scare me. Although it really didn't help, in this case. You should see me on WebMD.com. So, yeah, I have a very strange and irrational fear of Bigfoot. Which some people, I am sad to say, exploit for their own personal enjoyment. One of my college friends found, to his great amusement, that all he had to do was slouch a little and swing his arms in that swooping, knuckle-scraping motion made famous on the Bigfoot episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, and I'd immediately bury my face in the nearest pillow and start whimpering. Fortunately for me, he also had an irrational fear of Bigfoot, and if he did this too often, he scared himself. Instant karma, baby! BFRO and other organizations still report Bigfoot sightings today. In fact, a January 2008 article in the West Bend Daily News says there have been some new sightings in the West Bend area. That would be West Bend, Wisconsin. That's a FIFTEEN-MINUTE DRIVE from my hometown, people! My PARENTS are there, and I'm headed that way in exactly two weeks. SHRIEK! Sometimes, I think it would be better just to move to Loch Ness. THEIR monster just paddles around a lake from time to time and doesn't EAT PEOPLE. Anyone else have an embarrassing, irrational fear? Or am I all alone here? Posted by Tracy Montoya, author of I'll Be Watching You on 5/2/2008 Comments: I have a fear of drowning. Posted by Estella Kissell on 5/2/2008 I am afraid of snakes. I don't know why, I was raised in the country and was around them. Also heights, the freek me out. Posted by Virginia Horton on 5/2/2008 I have a real fear of spiders, there is not a room big enough for me and one of those. They can gladly have the room as long it is not between me and the door out of there, and then someone can go in and kill it. I have gotten a little better over the years but not much. Heights also scare me, so you are by no means alone with your fears. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 5/2/2008 When I was a kid, I was convinced The Creature from the Black Lagoon (old B horror movie) lived in my basement. I lived in Pullman, sort of like a rowhouse, but we had 1st and 2nd floor apartments. We lived on the first floor and the basement door was right next to the apartment door. My Mom had to work, so at 7 and 8, I was a latchkey kid. I came home from school and had to get into that apartment without the creature exploding out the basement door to get me. I alway made sure the hook was on the basement door before I put the key in the lock to the apartment. Right, like a hook would keep the creature from breaking through... Posted by Patricia Rosemoor on 5/4/2008 LOL. I LOVE Bigfoot. In fact, I did an entire series for Intrigue because of Bigfoot. but Tracy, I don't think they're scary. I think they hide because they're afraid of us. But it is soooo neat that someone else is obsessed by Bigfoot. :) I heard one scream when I was in the Blue Mountains researching for my book. Talk about a spooky sound. and yes, remember when a Bigfoot is finally discovered, that you heard it here. Bigfoot exists! Posted by B.J. Daniels on 5/4/2008 Estella, Virginia, and Cryna, your fears seem perfectly rational to me! And Cryna, I feel the same way about spiders. Patricia, THANK YOU. You make me feel a little more normal! BJ, you are a very nice person, but I am never coming to visit you. It's nothing personal. ; ) Posted by Tracy Montoya on 5/5/2008 |
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4/30/2008 Connected Novels
Since Rebecca and B.J. have been talking about connected books, I thought I'd continue that discussion as I'm very interested in the topic also.
Do you prefer connected books where you can stay with a town/group of people for a while?
I have my favorites and I'd go to great length to get those. But sometimes, if I'm late coming into a series, I get discouraged by all that I have missed. I'm like that with Sue Grafton's alphabet books. I discovered her halfway into the series. And in a way I feel like when you're going to a party where everyone knows everyone but you don't know anyone at all.
I do better with books where I only missed a few stories. I came into the Stephanie Plum universe like that, backtracked, and I'm so glad my friends brought me over.
I have my own, unoffical series for Intrigue. Sort of. The books are not labeled as being part of a series, but a lot of my heroes are from a top secret military group, the Special Designation Defense Unit. (SDDU) And I do have previous protagonists pop up in later books in small roles. I like to keep in touch with them :-)
Which are your favorite connected books?
Dana Posted by Dana Marton, author of 72 HOURS on 4/30/2008 Comments: Well, the problem with writing connected books is keeping the series fresh. That's one thing I like about romantic suspense. We have a different h/h in (almost) every book. I think it's harder in the "mainstream" market, where a series is focused on one protagonist or a couple, and the relationship always gets stale. That said, I look forward to Donald Westlake's Dortmunder novels--about a hard luck thief. I've read all of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels, and I'm reading his Kurt Austin books. I loved Fay Kellerman's Rinna and Peter Decker books when the series started. Not so much now. Same with her husband's Alex Delaware. books. As you can see, I tend to read more straight suspense than romantic suspense. That's partly because I do a lot of my reading as "books on tape." And partly because I don't want to be influenced by other rs writers. I do listen to Nora Roberts, though, because a lot of her books are on tape or on CD's. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/30/2008 I do enjoy connected books, because you get more to story and find out what happens to each charactor. I started a series about two years ago and the third one come out this July. Now I will have to refresh on the first two so I will know whats going on. It was a really good series and I just can't wait until the next one comes out. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/30/2008 I love connected books because frequently there will be a minor character in one book that I wonder what happened to after the end of that book. I have read all of the "43 Light Street" books but only after eHarlequin put them out in a special deal. I am reading BJ Daniels "Whitehorse Montana" series. I have read Delores Fossen's "Five Alarm Babies". I can't remember all that I have read but I know I enjoyed every one of them. Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 4/30/2008 I love Stephanie Laurens' Bastion Club, Allison Brennan's Evil trilogy and Lisa Kleypas' Bow Street and Wallflowers series. Posted by Jane C. on 4/30/2008 Ellen, I'm glad you took Harlequin up on the Light Street reprint deal. I was thrilled that they did it. In many cases, I liked the reprint covers much better than the original ones. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/30/2008 JD Robbs Death series Evanovitch's Plum series Debbie Macombers Cedar Cove series Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/30/2008 I love the SDDU books! I also love Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series and have read them all. I'm still reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Mostly, I read standalone books, though, because I also get discouraged when there are a lot of books I haven't read! It doesn't discourage me to read a book in the middle of an Intrigue series, though, because unless it's a short series, the books usually stand on their own, too! Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/30/2008 I like reading connecting stories. I have been following Catherine Coulter's FBI series from the beginning, same as Suzanne Brockmann's. There are a lot of the Intrigue books that I started when they first came out and have made sure I have gotten the next one's. Dana your unflashed SDDU series is one of them. When there are a couple of years between the books it makes it harder to follow but I do tend to follow series. I dislike to come into a middle of a series, because I then want to track down missing ones. Stand alone books are good in that there are no sequels but I have found a few times that a book will be written a couple of years later that twigs a memory for me and I go looking and find that there was a tie in to an earlier book which I had read. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/30/2008 I so love connected books. I know, I know, some of the early works of authors are hard to find and if they were published in paperback, sometimes impossible. But then the gratification of finally getting a series together, or coming across those that you haven’t been able to find and ta da, the feeling of completeness! I have several favorites, Wilbur Smith his Courtney, Ballantyne and Egyptian series, absolutely adore Elizabeth Peters, Amelia Peabody series, Debra Webb’s Colby series, all of B.J. Daniels works, Rebecca York, Karen Moning and let us not forget Jayne Ann Krentz (Amanda Quick), oh my goodness, I could go on all day lol. What was the original question? Oh yes, my answer; yes I do like connected books and series, very much so! Posted by Sherry Dickens on 5/4/2008 |
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4/29/2008 "They’re All the Same"
One thing that always surprises me is when someone asks me what I do, and I say I write for Harlequin Intrigue, and they respond with, “Oh, you write those formula books.”
I try not to pull the knife out of my purse and stab them in the heart (just kidding) because they’re too dumb to live. Instead I carefully explain about the many different kind of books Harlequin publishes. Then I tell them that Harlequin Intrigues have as much danger and mystery as a detective or thriller novel–woven into a story of two people falling in love. But beyond that description, there’s a lot of room for variety. Recently the Intrigue authors had a conversation about the kinds of books we write. And each of us “got it” that she was known for a certain kind of story.
Posted by Rebecca York, author of GHOST MOON on 4/29/2008 Comments: Hey I don't think they are all the same. I just love reading the Intrigue line. I find a lot of differents in the books and the authors. So don't let anyone tell you they are all the same. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/29/2008 We did have a great discussion about this between all of us Intrigue writers. It's funny because it took a few books before anyone knew what I wrote -- me especially. I write mysteries. I love mysteries so that makes sense. My latest series, Whitehorse, Montana, really brought that home to me. I'm having so much fun. I can't tell you how exciting it's been. Matchmaking With a Mission, out this month, made Walden's bestseller list. And next month, Second Chance Cowboy comes out. It is one of my favorites, if not my very favorite book. It has the least likely heroine ever. What started as a 6-book series has now grown to 12, with the next 6 coming in the months ahead. I finally feel like I know what I write and have never had this much fun. But at the same time, my fellow Intrigue writers are writing thrillers, paranormal, serial killer books, making Walden's bestseller list -- and having a great time. Intrigues all alike? I think not. :) Posted by B.J. Daniels on 4/29/2008 I look for romance between two strong people. Neither can be a wimp. I also look for a real mystery with danger and the two people must fight to solve the mystery thus placing themselves in danger. And of course there must be a happy ending for the heroine and hero. PS.... BJ I am loving your "Whitehorse Montana" series. I have "Second Chance Cowboy in my TBR pile right now. Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 4/29/2008 BJ, how do you write a 12 book series? The first three Light Street books, I had themes running through all three. And character development through all three. But now the series is very loose. I come up with a problem that can involve the Light Street Detective Agency or Randolph Security. That's where planning would have been nice. I've got two companies who get involved. Too bad it couldn't have all been one. And no, neither Cam Randolph nor Jo O'Malley is willing to give up his/her company name. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/29/2008 LOL, how do you write a 12-book series? Blindly. :) Originally it was 6 books, but it just kept growing. I did something I hope readers don't hate me for. I would have a small mystery that carried over. Sometimes to the next book. Sometimes later. I think of the stories like real life. Often you don't get answers for a while, if ever. But I promise to tie up loose ends as I go. It went from 6 to 12 books because I couldn't leave Whitehorse. There are too many stories to tell. More families are moving into town with the 5 Corbett brothers arriving and more mysteries being solved. Rebecca, did you say something about planning? I'm a seat of the pants writer and am unfamiliar with that word unfortunately. And Ellen, I'm anxious to know what you think of Second Chance Cowboy. Glad you're enjoying the series. :) Posted by B.J. Daniels on 4/29/2008 BJ, I'm glad you said that. I can plan a book, but I have a lot of trouble planning from book to book. I'm doing 34 Light Street and I'm doing the werewolf series for Berkley, and each book is its own thing. Which is maybe good because readers can pick up anywhere in the series and get a complete story. I might leave a few things hanging. And you might suspect a character is going to be the H or h of the next book. But the richness of the series comes from getting to use characters we know and love. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/29/2008 Rebecca, that's exactly it and that's why this type of series is so tough to write. Each book has to stand alone. But those reading the entire series get the greatest benefit because they get in on the little mysteries. Does that make sense? The way you do your series is perfect because of that. Like you said, readers get to check in and visit with characters they know and love and yet they get an entirely new story. What is funny is that I did a workshop on Vancouver Island a while back on how to organize a series. I quizzed other writers on their techniques. I just wished I'd paid more attention to their advice in my own series. :) Keeping everything straight is a real trick. Posted by B.J. Daniels on 4/29/2008 There was a guy in GHOST MOON who threatened to take over a chunk of the book. I thought, "hum, he's going to be the hero of the next book, ETERNAL MOON." He's a hot head who REALLY can't stand his werewolf cousins meddling in his business. If you read it, he's the Jacob Marshall, the dog whisperer. I'm writing ETHERNAL MOON now and having a wonderful time telling his story. I know who the hero of the NEXT book is, too. He's not in ETERNAL MOON. I'm wondering now if I could write him in, so readers could meet him. The problem is that I have A LOT of characters who have come back from the previous books in the story, which makes it difficult to introduce someone new. When I did the first ten Light Street books, I tried really hard to introduce either the hero or the heroine who would be in the next one. But I've given up trying to do it. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/29/2008 I am looking for exactly what you put in your books. I love the Intrigue books and also your longer books. Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/29/2008 Estella, thanks so much! Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/29/2008 I look for a gripping story that keeps me guessing. Posted by Jane C. on 4/29/2008 I know what you mean by limited perceptions, I cannot even begin to tell you how many readers have asked me about pointing out different authors, and these are people who read almost the whole gambit of fictional genre. When I respond and if I use the word “Harlequin”, I can almost see them turning their nose up and taking a step backwards. I then remind them that a lot of today’s “hot authors” have started in Harlequin, many still write for that publishing firm. I then go on to show them who and what is available in almost any fictional genre. Slowly I have been getting converts, so much so that I have to put in requests for earlier published works on particular authors who have become favorites! I have noticed that the Intrigues and the Romantic Suspense has been favored, with a smaller, yet very loyal following of Paranormal Romantic Suspense. Posted by Sherry Dickens on 5/4/2008 |
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4/28/2008 Crazy Time of Year (aka Why I Write Romance)
What was I thinking, saying I'd blog this week? My deadline is Thursday and this weekend was filled with end-of-the year activities at both my hubby's and son's schools. Plus, my son is a senior, set to graduate in just a couple of weeks, so we're making a point of attending everything. However, being so busy helps me be ruthless about managing my time--when it's time to blog, I blog. When it's time to write, I write. When it's time to teach, I teach. And when it's time to remind myself why I love writing romance, well... This weekend it was Big Band Night--a cool, cool idea where the high school jazz band and stage bands, plus the jazz bands from area middle schools, play a night of terrific music. They invite the public as well as students and parents. And just like the title says, it's a big, old-fashioned night of dancing while the bands play a few current hits and dance tunes from the 1940's to the present. It's wonderful to see everyone from gawky, sweet pre-teens doing that "sway back and forth without looking at each other or touching bodies" dance--to strapping high-school guys dancing with their moms and being cool about it. From little girls and pretty dresses dancing in their stockinged feet on their daddy's feet. From high-schoolers dressed in zoot-suits and flowy, poofy dance dresses cutting a rug to retired couples dancing together as though they were back at the USO. My hubby and I danced a few fast and slow tunes (it was fun to see how everyone packed the dance floor when they played a set of polkas), and I always love that. We took numerous pix of the band and my son playing solos on his tenor sax and (who knew?!) singing--leading the guests through "Pennsylvania-6-5000." Okay, not a lot of lyrics, but what a hambone. But the whole evening reminded me of what real romance is all about for me. It's that emotional impact that makes me smile straight through to my heart. It's about the ahhh factor that makes me tear up and want to applaud. I saw honest emotions and treasured relationships and love in many different forms at Big Band Night. That's the same feeling I get when I write or read a good romance. The smile. The ahhh. The tearing up with pride, contentment, love and other emotions. When the book is right or the evening is right, I just know it. Because I feel it. How about you? What is real romance for you? A feeling? An action? An event? Happy Reading and Romancing,Julie Posted by Julie Miller, author of Protective Instincts on 4/28/2008 Comments: Romance to mean is all of the above. It could be a feeling, an action, or an event. There are so many things to discribe romance, that I can't put a finger on one thing in general. Oh but I do enjoy reading romance. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/28/2008 Sending lots of good writing karma your way, Julie! Real romance just happened for me, like ten minutes ago. DH is leaving on a business trip to Texas and won't be back until Thursday night. We had lunch together, didn't talk about much, and when we came home he dug into the chips. We sat on the floor in the patch of sunlight streaming through the back door and looked at the yard. He ate chips. I drank my soda. We didn't say much, but I had one of those moments when I realized that I'm still head-over-heels in love with the boy I met eighteen years ago. I guess that's a feeling, LOL. Posted by Margaret McGrath on 4/28/2008 Ahh... Margaret, that is so cool. What a wonderful story. And what a great feeling! And Virginia--I'm with you--I LOVE reading romance!Posted by Julie Miller on 4/28/2008 I agree that it's a combo of feelings, actions and events, but for me it's usually a feeling more than anything else. Posted by Jane janie1215@excite.com on 4/28/2008 I love to read romance books, I especially love the ahhh moments at the end, when you close the book up and think - oh that was such a good story. In real life it is the little things that happen, they might not be exciting, or eventful, but just done with meaning and mean so much to someone. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/28/2008 Jane & Cryna--I agree. If I have that "ahh" feeling at the end of a book--iow, it was emotionally satisfying--that's what makes it a keeper for me. Posted by Julie Miller on 4/29/2008 |
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4/25/2008 Freaky Friday
I did a past-life regression a few years ago. I pretty much just relegate the whole past-life theory to the Weird Things I Can't Prove or Explain pile in my head. But I was at an RWA conference and had previously met the woman who was offering past-life sessions (that would be the lovely Melinda Rucker Haynes, an author and creativity coach, in case you're curious), so I thought it might be an adventure.
So during the session, which Melinda calls "personal time travel," I lay down on a hotel room bed, and she led me through some relaxation exercises. Once she started talking me toward the past, I could clearly see an outline of a mass of people, shoulder to shoulder. It was dark, but there was enough light filtered from above that their outlines were all strangely illuminated. Somehow, I knew this was a benign mob, so I wasn't scared at all. But I did spend the better part of our session trying to figure out what the heck they were, which I'm sure was really exciting for Melinda. Once she finally talked my stubborn self into moving away from that particular conundrum, I mentally ended up in a wheat field, staring at an ex-boyfriend in some kind of medieval warrior getup. It was all very Gladiator-like, except this was pre-Gladiator. Anyway, I wasn't having that, so I started laughing and moved on myself. Because there's a reason he's my ex-boyfriend, and though I don't wish him ill, one lifetime with him in it was quite enough, thankyouverymuch. So then, I moved on to England, around the end of the eighteenth century. "I" was an extremely spoiled French noblewoman married to an older, ugly but very rich Englishman who had whisked me to England during the early days of the Reign of Terror. Though he probably saved my pampered booty, given what happened to the noble classes during the Terror, I was pretty much too bratty to appreciate it. It was like being an 18th century Lindsay Lohan with Marie Antoinette hair. I hated him and hated England, but I loved the horses he bought me and spent every moment I could riding them AWAY from him. Funny thing--today, I love my husband to pieces, but the much-loathed ed Englishman looked a lot like a bloated, wonky version of him. (Melinda told me that perhaps my husband tried for a do-over in this life, and so attempted to come back attractive to me. I'm not sure my Lindsay Lohan self deserved all that effort, but whatever he did, it worked!) I don't do well with horses now--they don't steer right for me. And I would hope there's no trace left of this spoiled girl in me now. But I have to say, when I listened to the tape afterward, I found I delivered this entire portion in a flawless (and extremely pouty) French accent. It's pretty hilarious--wish I could share it with you! Once we moved on, "I" ended up as a man in his late 70s during WWII in Boston. This time, I adopted a flawless Irish accent, and I was quite the flirt. I lived very simply, was a widower who deeply missed my wife Mary, and I considered it my mission in life to lift people's spirits at home during the war. So I would go down to the nursing homes or the park and play cards or chess with "the old people," or I'd head down to the park and juggle and do magic tricks for the kids. I think I even flirted with Melinda at some point in the process--not one of "my" finer moments, although I am happy to say that I wasn't pervy about it. Today, I can't do magic, and I hit myself in the face last time I tried juggling. I do have a pretty sarcastic sense of humor that I don't often shut off in conversation, but I'm not quite as extroverted as this dude was. So, all in all, it was a pretty fun way to spend an hour, and it REALLY fired up my imagination. I don't know if these two were really past lives, or if we somehow tapped into some weird frequency from the past. Or, I guess it could simply be that my writer's brain combined with my college acting experience just went into overdrive during hypnosis. I just chalk it up to a fun experience and relegate the rest to Weird Things I Can't Prove or Explain. They ARE fun to ponder when one is waxing philosophical, though. Oh, and I did figure out what the strangely illuminated mob was. Again, that session was at an RWA conference, and it took place prior to the Rita awards ceremony, which is always held in a large theater auditorium. On the night of the Ritas, I took my seat somewhere in the middle, and as soon as the main lights went down, I noticed that everyone around me was barely illuminated by the stage lights, giving them a faint, halo-like outline all around their upper bodies. I swiveled in my chair, so I could see the crowd behind me, facing me ... And it was exactly what I'd seen in my session. I like to think that that was my opera diva life. Might have to find Melinda again sometime and capture more of it! Have you ever been hypnotized, even if it wasn't for a past life regression? Or, if you've ever pondered past lives, what do you think yours would have been? Posted by Tracy Montoya, author of I'll Be Watching You on 4/25/2008 Comments: Actually, I have done a past life regression with a group of other writers. I went back 5 lives -- I was a dance hall girl in 1905 San Francisco, a pirate (male), a Viking (male). Can't remember the other two -- this was 25 years ago. We were then told to go to the life that had the strongest hold on us. I wanted to be the pirate or the Viking, but I kept going back to San Francisco. Then we were told to see our deaths. Try the 1905 SF earthquake. Only I didn't get sucked into the earth, I died from gas inhalation when the gas pipes were severed. I didn't know much about that earthquake, but later I did research and found many people were killed by gas inhalation, so it really put a shiver up my spine. Patricia Posted by Patricia Rosemoor on 4/25/2008 I did a past life regression session with Melinda at RWA--at the FF&P chapter's "Gathering." This was probably around 2002 or 3. It sounds like you had a great time. I was less successful. I've learned hypnosis techniques, so she could relax me okay. But I have a very poor visual memory. You have to see the past life scenes, and I couldn't. So I basically couldn't get the process to work. (I see scenes in dreams. But apparently I can't do it when I'm awake.) I'm envious of your experience. Rebecca. Posted by Rebecca York on 4/25/2008 Oops, typo. 1906 SF earthquake. A friend of mine wouldn't do the regression because she'd done one before and was lying down on the floor in a dark room, and when it came to her death, she was in a battle, horses all around. A horse stepped on her in the regression...and someone moving around the room stepped on her in real life, almost giving her a heart attack. Posted by Patricia Rosemoor on 4/25/2008 Oh these stories sound fantastic. I have never done a past life regression but would love to. I have never been hypnotize but would like that to. Maybe it could help me quit smoking. I do wonder what my past life would have been. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/25/2008 Oooh, that SF story is amazing, Patricia. And it's cool how even a group session really worked for you! ... Ruth, I'm sorry it didn't work for you, but maybe some of it comes out in your writing. I wonder if there's a way to do some sort of writing hynopsis and capture things that way? Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/25/2008 Virginia, why not try it to quit smoking? It seems to have gotten more prominent, so it's working for someone. Good luck! Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/25/2008 Your experience sounds like it was exciting. I have never been hypnotized and have never had a desire to be. As for past lives, I can't say I have ever given it any thought either, although sometimes I wonder when I have a deja vu moment or two and try to recall why it seems so familiar to me. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/25/2008 Ohhh, about 10 years ago I had a past life regression session. I "was" a Scottish woman named Mary Buchanan and lived in house near the sea. I went on for a half hour with the details, including the names of Mary's four children. When I listed to the recording, I had actually used some foreign words, though I have no idea what they mean. And you know what? After the regression, I did some research and found a Mary Buchanan who lived in Burntisland, Scotland. Her kids names were the same as in my regression. Spooky, huh? Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/25/2008 Hi everyone - Yes, I have been hypnotized. 1993, I went to a group hypnosis session to quit smoking. We were advised to remove all ashtrays and cigarette paraphernalia from the home before going to the session. I removed everything except one ashtray and one cigarette. I went through the session and when I got into my car afterwards, I started my car and looked at my purse. The "habit" part of me automatically started a cigarette right after I start the car. I did not want a cigarette, not even a slight urge. Went I got home, I deliberately lit the lone cig and immedately felt nausea and the draw was "yucky" in my mouth and nose. I couldn't put the cig out fast enough. From that moment, I became a NON smoker instead of an ex smoker. Therefore I did not go through any withdraws symptoms. As far as past life regression - I think that is tied to reincarnation and since I don't believe in that philosophy, I'll never have it done, but I've NEVER smoked another cigarette since 1993. Phyllis Posted by Phyllis Middleton on 4/27/2008 Cryna, I can understand why you wouldn't want to be hypnotized, but I have to say, I had a lot more control over myself than I would have thought. The whole time, I knew that if I wanted to stop, I could without a problem. ... Delores, that's INSANE! What a weird coincidence (or IS it? : ) ) ... Phyllis, congratulations on quitting smoking so easily! I bet you really have to want to quit for hypnosis to work that well, so good for you! Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/27/2008 |
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4/24/2008 Romantic Times Convention in Pittsburgh
I’m back from RT and trying to wrap my mind around my next Intrigue..
Posted by Rebecca York, author of GHOST MOON on 4/24/2008 Comments: Thank you for this great post, Ruth! I was scheduled to go to the conf. but couldn't make it. Sounds like I missed a great conference. CONGRATULATIONS on your award!!! Dana Posted by Dana Marton on 4/24/2008 Thanks for the Romantic Times report, Rebecca! I've never attended RT, but I'm going to have to change that. I regret missing it. Maybe next year. Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 4/24/2008 And congratulations on the award and the great review! I'm looking forward to reading GHOST MOON. Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 4/24/2008 Next year is a good year to go, Ann. It's in Orlando. So you can take dh and the kids. Take a couple of extra days and go to Disney. Hum--I wonder if the new Hogwarts theme park at Universal Studios will be finished by then? I MUST go there. Rebecca Posted by Rebecca York on 4/24/2008 Congratulations on the award. RT sounds like it was a blast, and I have never been but hope to make it one day. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/24/2008 I have been hearing exciting things from those who went to RT and blogged about it. And the pictures WOW!!!!!! Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 4/24/2008 Congrats on your RT award! Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/24/2008 Never been to RT, but would love to go. Maybe I'll get a chance when it comes to NY. Posted by Jane C. on 4/24/2008 I Would love to go to the RT. I have never been. Every year I read all about it on the blogs. Sounds like it would be great fun. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/24/2008 |
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4/21/2008 Is romance serious?
I was interviewed today and one of the questions was, What do I tell to people who don't think romance is serious fiction? Mostly, I only talk to my readers who think romance IS serious fiction :-) Does a book have to be "serious" to be enjoyable? What does "serious fiction" even mean? Do you read other fiction outside of romance? I read pretty widely. Some books make me cry, some books make me laugh. I have to say, I prefer a happy ending. I hate when the hero or heroine dies at the end of a book. HATE it. I'm going to keep this short because there's a lightning storm going on and I want to shut off the PC. We lost a laptop to lightning last year, so now I'm paranoid. But I'd love to hear what you think about this. Posted by Dana Marton, author of 72 HOURS on 4/21/2008 Comments: It always amazes me that as romace writers we seem to have to defend what we write. Writing romantic suspense gives me the satisfaction of telling a good story, weaving danger, intrigue, and a good solid romance all together that hopefully readers will enjoy (at least I'm hoping they do when I'm published). Others obvious feel the same, or we wouldn't be buying these types of stories. The HEA is very important to me . . . I'd rather be reading (and writing) and defending romance than try to exist without it. Keep up the good work and bringing use these fantastic books, ladies. Posted by Kathy S. on 4/22/2008 Hope that your storm passes quickly. I read a lot of books but I find that most of them are the ones with a romance running through them. Whether it be Suspense, Humor or Mystery - I too love a HEA and I do not want the hero or heroine to die at the end. I like to think that they should have their HEA and have that *sigh* moment which always makes a good book for me. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/21/2008 Not sure what serious fiction means. I like light and dark romances. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a romantic comedy and others I'm looking for a chilling murder mystery. The romance genre is multi-faceted. There's something for everyone. Posted by Jane C. on 4/21/2008 I read all genres, but also like a HEA. Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/21/2008 I read a little of everything. There is nothing wrong with a good tear jerker every now and then. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/21/2008 As a beginning romance writer, I still find myself pre-defending the writing of a romance novel. That is, I tell people that I'm writing a romantic suspense novel...and-immediately-start-trying-to-defend-it. I don't know why I do that, but I do. Fiction is fiction. Entertainment is entertainment. Pure and simple. "Serious" fiction is a label given by people who think if a story is imponderable and boring, it must be serious. I've read books and seen movies that have changed my outlook on life. That's serious to me. Don't worry about it, Dana. Keep at it. And I'll join you as soon as possible. L.L. Posted by L. L. Park on 4/21/2008 I do read sci-fi and I like political thrillers. Posted by Joyce M. on 4/21/2008 I've been fortunate. Even my college professors respected well written romance. One had every Jude Devereaux on HIS bookshelf. But when someone says romance isn't serious fiction, I tell them it all depends. Some is very serious, some is fun, some is super sexy. If those "serious fiction" folks are willing to give romance a chance, I hand them a Deb Smith or someone similar. I read everything, and I like you, I HATE when the hero or heroine dies at the end of the book. Posted by mary beth lee on 4/21/2008 We weathered the storm The rain was good for the garden. There’s always a positive side to everything, I suppose. I’m glad to see that everyone really likes that HEA, because I don’t intend to write any dark endings anytime soon. L.L.—Good luck with your writing!!! Posted by Dana Marton on 4/22/2008 Why do some people feel the need to be uppity? If it makes money, then it's serious. There's obviously a market for it, so it's filling a need. It's not like it's a new genre either, both my grandmothers read romance -- one also read murder mysteries, "the gorier the better". I also enjoy espionage, medical thrillers, scifi, and serial-killer investigations (I think I got that from my grandmother). Posted by Shreela aka Sherri on 4/22/2008 |
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4/20/2008 RECOGNITION APPRECIATED
Recognition is something that validates an author's work, but something we receive too seldom. We usually get it from relatives and friends, sometimes from editors and readers, but rarely do most of us get nominations for awards. This Friday, I flew to Pittsburgh with critique partners Sherrill Bodine, Cheryl Jefferson and Rosemary Paulas to attend the awards luncheon at the Romantic Times BOOKreviews Convention. I knew I had won two awards -- the Career Achievement Award in Series Romantic Adventure and the Reviewers Choice Award for Best Intrigue 2007 for Wolf Moon. What I didn't know was that RT had decided to recognize authors who had been published for more than 20 years with a Pioneer in Romance award and I was included, as was fellow Intrigue author and friend, Rebecca York. And then we got a standing ovation from the roomful of hundreds of readers. After the ceremony, Rebecca and her husband Norman shared a celebratory bottle of champagne with me and my critique partners before we had to leave for the airport. Flying home with three awards in my possession, I thought how nice it felt to be recognized by a roomful of strangers. And to have good friends who would insist on flying with me to the awards luncheon to make sure that I would go. But I also thought about how much I missed the kind of recognition I got from my late husband Edward, who had always been my biggest supporter. After he died, I kept writing, but it was difficult for a long time. Wolf Moon was the first book that wrote easily after his death. I really loved and believed in it, so it was especially gratifying that it won. Again, authors seldom get awards or even great reviews. We always need encouragement. Hearing from readers who love our stories is something all authors appreciate. So in the spirit of giving your favorite authors recognition, I hope you will think to tell them how you feel about their books. Give them something to smile about as they continue to write the stories you love. Good reading. Patricia
Posted by Patricia Rosemoor, author of In Name Only? on 4/20/2008 Comments: Congratulations on all your awards, Patricia! Posted by Lexi Connor on 4/20/2008 Congratulations on your awards and it is wonderful when’s one work is recognized, regardless of your field of expertise. I am very glad to hear that you are enjoying your writing again as you were one of the authors that I very much enjoy and appreciate! Posted by Sherry Dickens on 4/20/2008 Congratulations on your three awards! Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/20/2008 Congratulations on your awards. You know sometimes when I read a really good book I will contact the author and tell her how much I enjoy the book. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/20/2008 Yay. Congrats on the awards. Posted by Jane C. on 4/20/2008 CONGRATULATIONS, on your awards !! How great to be recognized like that. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/20/2008 Thanks everyone. Posted by Patricia Rosemoor on 4/20/2008 Congratulations on the awards they were well deserved. I love your books. Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 4/20/2008 CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Posted by mary beth lee on 4/20/2008 This is so fantastically awsome and well deserved!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Dana Posted by Dana Marton on 4/21/2008 |
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4/19/2008 DNA Test Results
Some of you might remember that my Christmas present was to have my DNA tested. Well, here are the results and a little backstory to set it all up. Posted by Delores Fossen, author of The Horseman's Son on 4/19/2008 Comments: Delores, that is SO COOL! Too bad you weren't descended from Charlemagne or something, but it's still really awesome to go back that far. I have a feeling my ancestors sprung up from a field in Bohemia and Honduras and just didn't move. Although we do have one little offshoot from Torino that might have done something interesting. I might have to give this a try.... Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/19/2008 Oh Delores, I want to do it! Which DNA test did you use? I've wanted to do this for so long. But when I went on-line and read what some of them provide, I was skeptical. A lot of them sounded as if they didn't provide much for $200. Posted by B.J. Daniels on 4/19/2008 Tracy, it was cool to have this done. I didn't learn as much as some people do, but now I know I'm probably not going be able to find any earlier ancestors in Scotland. No records. Unless I want to study cave drawings. LOL! Delores Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/19/2008 BJ, before I had the test done, I did a lot of research and used Family Tree DNA since it's the largest and has been around a long time. You're right about sometimes you don't get much info, and that info isn't always easy to interpret. As a minimum, you'll get your Haplogroup, which will give you origins of your bloodline. If you're lucky, there'll be mutations in your DNA that will give you a boatload of info. You probably never thought of mutations as a good thing, huh? :) Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/19/2008 That's very cool, Delores! I would have my DNA tested...if I thought I might find out something interesting! Posted by Lexi Connor on 4/19/2008 I would like to know all my ancestors. I heard it's pretty expensive right now. Posted by Jane C. on 4/19/2008 I don't think I would have my DNA tested. Am not into geneology. Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/19/2008 It would not bother me to have my DNA tested nor would it bother me to learn something I didn't want to know. I kind of take life as it comes. Hey what ever happens it would all be a part of me. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/19/2008 Jane, you're right--the test is expensive, but I'm hoping it'll go down in price. The nice thing is the database will build as more people are tested once that happens, you'll stand a better chance of finding "genetic cousins." I have a few, but I'd like to find more. Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/19/2008 Estella, you're not alone. My husband feels the same as you. He's not the least interested in a DNA test. Delores Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/19/2008 Lexie, I'd hoped to learn a lot more. There are deeper DNA tests that break down the results further, but I don't want to shell out that much money. :) Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/19/2008 I would have my DNA done if it was not so expensive. Although a cousin did trace my Dad's lineage back some 200 years where there was a relative burned at the stake for witchcraft. **Deep breath here** Maybe it would not be such a good idea after all - lord knows what would come up. But I am sure it would be interesting to find out. Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/19/2008 Cyrna, that gave me chills. Witchcraft. Wow, she'd be a REALLY interesting person to research. Wouldn't you love to know why they thought she was witch? Delores Posted by Delores Fossen on 4/19/2008 I tried tracing my family's roots. Unfortunately my father's father came over from Ireland and no one even knows his date of birth. With a last name of Smith I haven't been able to get far. It has been very frustrating. Posted by Joyce M. on 4/20/2008 I still think it's great even if your theory wasn't exactly right. I bet in a few more years there'll be so much more input in the DNA database that it might be easier to trace lineages. My maiden name is fairly unique, so you'd think it would be easy to search lineage online. But after checking every few years since '98, it wasn't until recently that I found what I believe is my line back to the first cross-over. I haven't verified it yet though; maybe the DAR might help, since if what I found online traces our name back to the Revolution (there's even a monument with our name on it!) So that's why I think there's still a chance that in a few years you might be able to find more as the database fills up. Posted by Shreela aka Sherri on 4/22/2008 |
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4/18/2008 On Books and Booty-kicking
My house is a pit, and I am ignoring it. Not looking. Totally not looking.... So I've been reading Donald Maass's book Writing the Breakout Novel lately. Not because I'm planning to defect from Intrigue and write the Great American Masterpiece. I love Intrigue and plan to write for them until they drag me away kicking and screaming. But I think as writers, we can always get better, and after a friend emphatically recommended Maass's book, I figured couldn't hurt, might help. As a reader, I found this idea from Maass particularly interesting: He says that what's hot in fiction (and, by extension, romance fiction) often roughly corresponds to the times that we're living in. For example, and I quote: Judith Krantz ruled the bestseller lists in the 1980s with glitzy fantasies that set female protagonists squarely in positions of wealth and power. Nowadays, women do not feel as empowered. The have-it-all lifestyle has become overwhelming. The gains won by the feminist movement today can seem somewhat hollow. So who is now on top of the bestseller lists? Mary Higgins Clark. Her portrayal of women as prey (though not, it must be said, as helpless victims) clearly strike women readers as resonant. Clark has caught the mood of our times. Maass published his book in 2001, but since then, Judith Krantz and similar glitz authors haven't rocketed back to the bestseller lists. Suspense authors and romantic suspense authors are still up there with their heroines-in-jeopardy, along with powerful (and often heartbreakingly sad) fiction from the likes of Jodi Picoult, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Khaled Hosseini. There's a whole mess of self-help and self-improvement books, and heavy memoirs as well. In the romance world, paranormal and erotica rule at the moment. What does this all mean? In a post-9/11 world, where we in America are fighting two wars and trying not to think too hard about the possibility of another Twin Towers catastrophe, it's interesting that we're reading so much in mainstream fiction and non-fiction that's grounded in a frightening or depressing reality. Maybe we want to be inspired by people overcoming terrible odds or abusive parents or other horrible circumstances to ultimately survive and even triumph. And while the grimness of some of these books doesn't extend to the romance world, that need for inspiration may also extend to current romance trends. The current popularity of paranormal and erotica definitely speak to our need for escape. But much of that paranormal has a huge helping of danger and suspense added to it, as does the straight-up romantic suspense the Intrigue authors specialize in. So how are women-in-jeopardy books that we all end up writing/reading in some form or another speaking to the mood of our times? Our heroines definitely do not start out having it all, especially in suspense. In both paranormal and straight suspense, there's a huge set of obstacles to overcome, although thanks to the genre conventions, we're assured of that happy ending that means the obstacle will be overcome. And in the end, women do have it all, and they balance it all beautifully, of course. I know how these books speak to me. I'm deeply grateful for the gains of the feminist movement (and still gaining!), but I agree with Maass that it's sometimes difficult to have it all. I'm the mother of two preschoolers with a full-time job, AND I'm trying to keep a fiction writing career going. Most days, I feel like my head is going to explode. But I try not to let that happen, because YOU KNOW who would end up cleaning that mess up.... So I keep on, and I keep making changes to my crazy balancing act to maximize time with my daughters and carve out a little writing time, too. In light of what Maass has to say, it's interesting that what I gravitate to again and again are stories with heroines who kick some major booty. The hardship is there, but the heroine in my favorite stories always kicks, punches, shoots, and verbally decimates her way out. Or, as is often the case in my Intrigues, she may not start out being able to do so, but in the end, she's more than a match for whatever gets in her way. Lately, I've been loving Jeffrey Deaver's latest books, both his Lincoln Rhyme series, and his new Kathryn Dance series. Both feature women in law enforcement--one with an amazing eye for crime scene details that others miss, the other with an almost preternatural ability to read people's microexpressions and gestures so she can tell when they're lying to her. I adored Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells, featuring two sisters with what their Southern small town tries to dismiss as peculiar quirks: One can influence people's moods and behavior through her cooking, and the other can cut hair so well, it makes the person look twice as pretty as she had before. And Christi Phillip's The Rossetti Letter pulled me into 17th century and modern-day Venice, where I watched a brilliant literature student piece together a story of 17th century Venetian intrigue that had eluded many scholars before her with her sharp mind and a few well-chosen books. So what does that say about me? I think it's obvious: Heck yes, I want to be Superwoman! What have you read lately that you've loved (every Intrigue ever written aside, of course!)? And what do you think your reading habits say about you? Posted by Tracy Montoya, author of I on 4/18/2008 Comments: My reading habits tell me I read for escapism. I read a genres, romantic suspense, mystery chic lit, and paranormal. Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/18/2008 Oh, thank goodness, a comment! That'll teach me to wax philosophical on a Friday.... I guess at heart, all of us readers are just escaping into another life for awhile, Estella! Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/18/2008 The best book I have read lately has been The Leopard Prince. I also read a little of everything. In my reading I go to a different place. I have visited a lot of places through books. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/18/2008 Virginia, I agree--reading really can take you to places you normally wouldn't visit. I love the ones that flip back and forth from past to present, so you get a sense of a place's history and what it's like now! Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/18/2008 My reading habits vary with my mood, but I read for the joy of being transported to somewhere else. I do get wrapped up in the setting and activities of the story. I have been reading an ARC of an upcoming release that is hot, steamy and funny. Which was wonderful for today, since it has been snowing and blowing since early this morning with no let up in sight. Someone please tell me there is Spring coming.....LOL. So I am going to huddle under my blankets and read something with a hot climate theme...... Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/18/2008 I'm a big fan of Allison Brennan and Jamie Denton. Their romantic suspenses are pretty dark and violent. Posted by Jane C. on 4/18/2008 >>>what's hot in fiction (and, by extension, romance fiction) often roughly corresponds to the times that we're living in. Interesting....and I think you've made a good correlation. I can't even imagine reading a book like Scruples now because I can't relate to it. I loved them then but now...who lives like that and what's the point? Now, I read more suspense and action/adventure (comedy when I need a break) and I read then for the reasons you mention-- I want to see the heroines overcome the bigbad. I want them to win. I want them know that if it came down to it-they'd pull the metaphorical (or not!) trigger. Geez--a little bloodthirsty, eh? :) Hey, I haven't had my coffee. See how I am? Posted by Sharron McClellan on 4/19/2008 Cryna, your hot and steamy comment made me laugh. I'm sorry about the snow in April--yuck! Spring is coming, I swear. ... I haven't read either, Jane, but I do like dark suspense. You might give Karen Rose a try--love her. And our own Amanda Stevens went single title and is way dark. ... Sharron, I can't imagine reading Scruples or its ilk again either. But I glommed them back in the day. And yes, heroines must win--now go have your coffee. : ) Posted by Tracy Montoya on 4/19/2008 |
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4/16/2008 WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?
One of the most frequent questions I get asked as an author is -- where do you get your ideas? The answer is simple. Everywhere. I never know what will spark my imagination. I just saw a news story on television that did exactly that. You may have heard about the report of a 150 lb. cougar being shot by a policeman in a Chicago neighborhood on Monday night. My neighborhood. Apparently four policeman had the animal cornered and it lunged at one of them. Also, apparently, Animal Control was on the way with tranquilizers. My first thought was some crazy person was keeping an exotic animal and let it go or that it got loose. I hear a lot of weird stories like that as a volunteer at the zoo. But that wasn't the case. The cougar had no tattoos, chips or tags that would indicate he'd had an owner. Furthermore, there were four reports of a cougar sighting in Wilmette, a posh north shore suburb 15 miles away last Friday. And before that, sightings in North Chicago, 20 miles north of Wilmette at the end of March. And a trapper came face-to-face with a cougar on the Wisconsin border another 25 miles north in January. It's starting to look as if this cougar has been getting around. Speculation has the cougar's journey starting in the Black Hills of South Dakota and continuing east through Wisconsin and finally south to Chicago. Possibly the autopsy will give us some answers. It almost sounds like fiction. But two other cougars have been killed in other parts of Illinois in this century, while there had been no previous sightings since 1864. So what is going on? Animal numbers are growing while their habitat disappears. They may very well be looking for new territory. A perfect example of this happening is the return of the gray wolf to Wisconsin. They were not re-introduced but found their own way from Canada or Minnesota. Years ago, I did a wolf ecology workshop in Wisconsin for research for Never Cry Wolf, one of my early The McKenna Legacy books. I learned that wolves were making their way south. One had been hit by a car near the Wisconsin Dells, a very busy tourist area. The cougar incident -- his journey, not his (or her) death -- so interests me that it may someday find its way into a book. I don't know how yet. It could be an animal rescue thriller. Or it could be a paranormal suspense in which the shapeshifter hero is stuck in his animal form and is being chased down by everyone. Animal stories always interest me. I've written about wolves several times. And about horses. And about dolphins. I volunteer at the zoo and at an animal shelter. So when there's an animal story on the news, I pay attention. What kind of news stories spark your imagination? Have you ever seen a story that you thought would make a good book? Good reading. Patricia
Posted by Patricia Rosemoor, author of In Name Only? on 4/16/2008 Comments: Amnesia and abandoned babies/children news stories are fascinating to me. These are popular story lines, too. I often wonder if the person is faking it or if they really have anmesia. It gets more fascinating if the amnesiac is a long way from home. How did they end up in another state? I can never comprehend how someone could abandon their own child. Posted by Jane C. on 4/16/2008 Funny how when you stop to think about it something will pop into your head about what would make a good story. I like rescue stories, whether it be a fireman rescuing someone from a burning building. Or finding a downed plane and being able to rescue the occupants. I always love the the Intrigue or the Silhouette Romantic Suspense line. Animal stories are always a favourite. Or the story about the card that was delivered by the post office some 93 years late. Or the article of the person getting on a bus and giving out envelopes just before Christmas to the needy and never being able to be identified. Or a story that was recently in our paper of the grandson of a war veteran who had passed away and his last wish was for his grandson to track down the family of someone who had served with him in the war, and return the photo and prayer book that he had been given by the service man when they were both in the hospital together. He felt that the family might want the keepsakes. So the grandson is out to fullfil his grandfather's final wish - can you only imagine the journey he would have? Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 4/16/2008 Animal stories, abandoned baby stories and lost children stories on the news catch my attention. Posted by Estella Kissell on 4/16/2008 I love any kind of story with mystery and suspense, you just can't beat those type of stories. It doesn't matter what is involved, weather it is animals or people, I just love the suspense. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/16/2008 |
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4/13/2008 Seattle News
No, I'm not going to announce the new episode of Grey's Anatomy Posted by Pat White, author of LOVING THE ENEMY on 4/13/2008 Comments: I like the adventure and the mystery sorry, its the combination. I am also like you I like my Law & Order, NCIS, CSI, all those good shows and I do try to watch one daily. Posted by Virginia Horton on 4/13/2008 I am now officially, totally, irreversibly and probably tragically addicted to HBO's The Wire. We're catching up, season by season, thanks to Netflix. This show focuses more on the nitty gritty of the police work, politics, and crime, and what I'm enjoying is the slow, thoughtful character development (or, in some cases, purposeful lack of development - because sometimes people DON'T change, to their detriment). Long story short, I guess that puts me in the emotional camp, not the mystery/intrigue camp. Posted by Margaret McGrath on 4/13/2008 I like the mystery and emotional parts equally. I love NCIS, Criminal Minds and Lost. Posted by Jane C. on 4/13/2008 Great cover, P! I bet listening to the Dalai Lama was awesome. I love the action and adventure, but it's best when seasoned with a lot of emotion. Posted by MIchele Hauf on 4/13/2008 I like the mystery and intrigue. Maybe that's why I enjoy all the CIS shows and Bones. Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 4/13/2008 How exciting to see Dalai Lama, but to watch the SWAT teams and guards in action would have been more exciting I th |
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