The Ink Spot

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2009-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

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More Gorgeous Covers

2008-07-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Isn't this one of the most beautiful covers you've ever seen? It's for my friend and critique partner Denise Rossetti's The Flame and the Shadow and it's by the same artist who created the covers for my novels--James Griffin. Isn't that a coincidence?

This is the first in a series you won't want to miss. A fantasy romance from a master storyteller, the first in her four-sided pentacle series.

You can read more about Denise and her novels here.

On Target

2008-06-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I might get my first draft of Indecent Proposal finished by the end of June. I won't promise anything because you never know what might come up, but I have 67 pages to go and I know what happens next, so there's no reason I can't beat my 30 June deadline if I continue at my current pace.

These characters are so real to me, I'm dreaming about them. They're the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I've turned into the cliched absent-minded writer. However, while I worry that my kids think I'm literally glued to the computer, my elder son tells his teacher that my job is to go down to the shop to buy bread. Keeps things in perspective.

Above is the inimitable Diana Rigg playing Emma Peel in The Avengers, the inspiration for my heroine in The Dangerous Duke. She's intelligent, courageous, beautiful and has a mean karate chop. And she can't resist making a witty riposte in the most dire of situations. My heroine is all that without the martial arts expertise, though a couple of female boxers do figure in the story. More on that later.

And here's the inspiration for my hero;)

Berkley Historical Author Chat

2008-06-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Join me and three amazing historical romance authors, Anne Gracie, Joanna Bourne and Donna MacMeans on the Berkley Bulletin Board! We're chatting about all things historical and romance and anything else that takes our fancy.

The chat starts officially on Wednesday, 18 June, when we'll celebrate the release of Donna's The Trouble With Moonlight. There'll be cocktails, great conversation and Sven the Swedish Masseur at your service!

Contest!

2008-02-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

Check out the January/February contest I'm running with fellow Romance Bandit and Queen of Regency Noir, Anna Campbell!

We're giving away lots of great prizes, including a signed copy of Scandal's Daughter, a signed HARDCOVER copy of Anna Campbell's Untouched and a signed advance reader copy of my next release, The Dangerous Duke.

See my contest page or Anna's website for details. One entry per person, please!

Speaking of Covers

2008-02-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

Isn't this the most beautiful cover ever? I love it!!

Cover Art--Behind the Scenes

2008-01-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Check out artist James Griffin's blog, where he talks about the process behind creating the cover illustration for Scandal's Daughter. I know I've said it before, but isn't it gorgeous?

And the Winner of my October Contest Is...

2007-11-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Alyssa Goodnight! Congratulations, Alyssa.

Please contact me via my website contact page with your snail mail details and I'll send you your prize--autographed copies of Scandal's Daughter and Donna MacMeans's The Education of Mrs. Brimley.

Thank you to all who entered!

My Latest Contest--A Slight Change in Plans

2007-10-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

Hi to all who are or will be checking this blog for news of my Sept/Oct contest winner. So sorry to do this, but I have to go away to the beach tomorrow (tough life, but someone's got to do it!) and I'll be without internet access until late next week.

To make things fair, the cut-off for entry will remain 31 October (my time) so no one is disadvantaged, but I will announce the winner on my return, probably on 3 November. Apologies for the wait!

For those who haven't been to my website, check out my latest contest. You can win a signed copy of SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER, by yours truly and a signed copy of the fabulous THE EDUCATION OF MRS. BRIMLEY by fellow Romance Bandit, Donna MacMeans.

Good luck to all!

Oz Love From Afar, by Trish Milburn, American Title IV Finalist

2007-10-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

Christine writes: I'm lucky to have with me today a fantastic writer and fellow Romance Bandit Trish Milburn. Trish is a finalist in American Title IV, a contest run by Romantic Times, with the ultimate prize of publication by Dorchester. Voting has begun in the first round and Trish's entry OUT OF SIGHT rocks, so VOTE FOR TRISH, everyone! See the link below.

Because I'm from Australia, Trish wanted to blog about her long distance love affair with my country.

Trish writes: Have you ever felt an affinity for a place you’ve never been? For me, one of those places is Australia. I’m planted firmly in the middle of the United States, but there’s something very attractive about the Land Down Under.

From what I recall, my first long-distance love of Australia came about through a school project when I was in elementary school. We had to do a report on another country, and for some reason (can’t remember why) I picked Australia. I wrote away to some tourism bureau or travel agency (also don’t remember precisely) and received a packet of information about this impossibly far away country. Love bloomed. The pictures were mesmerizing. The land looked nothing like my world, rural Western Kentucky. I hailed from the land of Daniel Boone and the Kentucky Derby, not boomerangs and the Outback.

In the following years, I read books set in Australia, sang along with “The Land Down Under” by Men at Work, and watched The Man from Snowy River and Return to Snowy River, not to mention the TV mini-series The Thorn Birds. And while I’m sure the cities are lovely and fascinating in their own right (I still remember with awe the turn of the millenium and how gorgeous Sydney looked), I have to admit it was the Outback that captured my imagination. It’s not really surprising that this was the area that appealed to me since I’m also a great lover of the American West. I see a lot of parallels between the two spots on the globe – beauty in its rugged openness, wide swaths of space virtually empty of human habitation, ranches, and the rugged individuals who choose to live there.

My fascination with Australia was strengthened even more when I read Bill Bryson’s travelogue In a Sunburned Country. As he described a train trip across the Outback and a visit to Uluru (Ayers Rock), I felt as if I was finally there, walking upon that continent myself. By the way, I had a memory lapse a moment ago about the name of Uluru and Googled “Big Rock Australia”, and it was the first thing that popped up.

If anyone still needs a reason to love Australia, look no further that the incredibly talented and, let’s face it, gorgeous crop of actors Oz produces. Hugh Jackman. Heath Ledger. Eric Bana. David Wenham. Guy Pearce. Russell Crowe. Need I say more? Okay, there are some extremely talented Aussie actresses gracing screens as well. Nicole Kidman. Toni Collette. Naomi Watts. Miranda Otto. And the fabulous Cate Blanchett.

Add animals like kangaroos and koalas, natural wonders such as the Great Barrier Reef, yummy treats like Tim Tams (yum!), and talented authors like Christine Wells, Anna Campbell and Trish Morey, and what’s not to like?

Maybe someday I’ll see Australia for myself – just as soon as I earn a ton of money and conquer my fear of flying.

The first round of AT IV has begun, and Trish has a killer first line! Vote for Trish's entry OUT OF SIGHT on the Romantic Times website

Scandal in the Big Apple

2007-09-02T02:24:00.000-07:00

Here is Scandal's Daughter with our lovely Bandita, Anna Sugden, aka Vrai Anna at the Barnes & Noble at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

Isn't she gorgeous? And the book's not bad either! Thanks for braving the security guard and for the 'face out fiddle', V-A! You're a champion!

Scandal's Daughter--In Stores Now

2007-08-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

My lovely Bandita friend, Caren Crane sent me this photo of her with Scandal's Daughter at the Borders store in Raleigh, North Carolina! September 4 is the official release date, but copies are already on the shelves in many places.

Thanks, Caren! It's so exciting to see my book in an actual bookstore!

Caren has entered the gather.com/Pocket contest with her fantastic manuscript, Kick Start. Please go and vote!

Fridge of Inspiration

2007-08-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been woefully long since I've posted, but I've been WRITING! And I know it's better for all concerned if I write the DB (aka damned book) than write on this blog.

But I had to post because a writer friend sent me this wonderful picture of her Fridge of Inspiration. And my book cover is on it! Thanks so much, Tracey O--you made my day. Tracey is blitzing contests and has landed a fab agent, so it will be her cover on that fridge in no time.

You'll see that Anna Campbell and Denise Rossetti are also represented. What can I say? Tracey has good taste.*g*

At the Romance Writers of Australia conference, we were privileged enough to hear a plenary talk from Anne Stuart (who is the most wonderful writer and human being!) and she talked about having an altar on which she puts all sorts of inspirational bits and pieces. In my writing space, I have Tigger to remind me to be positive(thanks Denise!) my creativity crystal (a gift from Yas) and a plaque awarding Scandal's Daughter 'Best of the Best' in a contest, as well as a collage for the story I'm working on now.

What do you keep near you for inspiration?

And the Winner Is...

2007-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

In the end there were so many wonderful entries in my 'First' contest that I chose quite randomly.

And the winner is...Patricia Nieh!

Congratulations, Patricia! You've won an advanced reading copy of Scandal's Daughter and a Christiana bookmark.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Congratulations, Trish Milburn!

2007-07-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

Fellow Romance Bandit, Trish Milburn has just sold two Young Adult titles to Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin. Congratulations, Trish!

Contest! Last Days...

2007-07-26T01:54:00.000-07:00

My June/July contest will soon draw to a close. I'm giving away a signed advanced reading copy of Scandal's Daughter and a Christiana bookmark studded with Austrian crystals.

It's the only advanced reading copy of Scandal's Daughter I'm giving away and the bookmark is simply gorgeous! Don't miss your chance to win!

On 31 July, I'll post the name of the winner here.

Off at a Tangent

2007-07-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Do you ever start the day with a 'to do' list, only to find at the end of it, you haven't even accomplished the first task?

I'm sure mothers will identify with this phenomenon--little people can throw your plans out of whack without even trying--but in a professional sense, this happens most often to me on the internet. All those diverging paths--links, comments, interesting points to google, words to look up on etymonline (ok, that's just me, not many people care that much!) And this is all publishing or writing-related. I'm not even talking about fun stuff.

For instance, this morning I came to do a blog post (I forget what it was about now, but no doubt it was hugely entertaining) and the question popped up--Do you want to customize your blog? Hmm, I thought. I just had a new publicity photo done. Oh, and there's that gorgeous Romance Bandits logo that I'd like to add. Oh, and I've had my website refurbished so the blog could do with one, too...

And before I knew it, I was upgrading my blog and fiddling with templates, fonts, pictures and colours.

Sadly, and much to my webmistress's torment, I'm the sort of person who knows what they like when they see it, but can't envision the result before it's done. This means it takes me a loooong time to decide on a colour scheme. And of course, you can't change all the things you want to in a blogger template. I ended up going for a fairly simple variation. People think I'm conservative. I think I'm just indecisive.

So something that was supposed to take twenty minutes ended up taking 2 hours (in between various household chores). Lucky I got up at 4.30am.

What are your big time-wasters--internet or otherwise? Or are you one of those superwomen who accomplishes everything she sets out to achieve? And if you are, would you like to share some hints on how you do it?

Knitting and Networking

2007-07-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

I write in cafes during the week because I get so little done when I'm at home. Even if I have a babysitter, I find it difficult to concentrate with the noise of screaming baby and the Wiggles' Big Red Car in the background. So I go out.

There's a new place opened near us that has great coffee, which is always a winner with me. It's attached to a store that sells threads and yarns, a concept I haven't seen before, though the bookstore/cafe thing is very common now.

Lots of women come in, buy their yarn, pore over patterns, and then gossip over a chai latte in the cafe next door. There's something about the juxtaposition of all the colour of the yarn and the creative vibe that really appeals to me as a great atmosphere to write in. I'll definitely be back.

So the cafe is a warm, cosy chocolate brown with a vertical band of rainbow stripes here and there to brighten it. A huge wooden table with about 12 chairs all around dominates the centre of the space and a bench with a teapot (knitted) cup and saucer (knitted) and plate of fancy cakes (also, sadly, knitted) and stools with colourful seats runs along one wall. Big picture windows let in light and a view of the street outside.

When you order, you take a number and on the back it has a quote. Did you know knitting is the new networking? According to Vogue (said my table number), that's what the modern young professional woman is doing instead of drinks and flirting at the bar after a hard day's work. If so, things have changed markedly since I was a solicitor at a city firm. The motto was work hard, play hard and I don't think anyone mentioned knitting. Maybe it's one of those covert things women have always done and are just now admitting it. But if it's a new trend, it's one I won't be joining in a hurry. If I have both hands free of babies and basketballs, I'm writing. When they invent a way to knit while throwing baskets with 4yo or feeding baby, I'm there.

With reservations. I remember well my last attempt at knitting. I was 8 years old, sick, bed-ridden and had read all 14 books I'd borrowed from the library. It was a red scarf and the start was narrow and tight while the end was about twice as wide, with loose, loopy, lacksadaisical stitches. Goodness knows what happened to it. I never learned how to cast off, so it could well be still on the needle where it began. Still, the creative part of the brain can be stimulated by keeping the hands busy in mindless activity like knitting or gardening. If only I had the time...

So, is knitting among the younger set a secret that's been kept for decades, or is it a new phenomenon? What sort of busy work do you do?

News and Reviews

2007-06-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

Lawks, it's a long time since I posted! I'm blogging on Romance Bandits today, so please come along and say hi.

I also received a nice review from Romance Reader at Heart. I will also be blogging there on June 20, so I'm glad they liked my book!

And you can read a new excerpt from Scandal's Daughter at Amazon. Hope you enjoy it!

Stay tuned and I'll be back soon with more fun and frivolity.

8 Random Things About Me

2007-05-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

OK, Donna MacMeans tagged me to write 8 little known, obscure facts about me. Here goes:

1. I was on a game show when I was 11 called 'Now You See It', hosted by a man and a robot called Melvin. I made it to the Champion of Champions day, when I was knocked out in the final round. Many tears were shed!

2. I had major surgery when I was 2 years old which left me with a scar along my hairline from ear to ear. Thankfully, it's covered by my hair, so I don't look like Frankenstein's monster.

3. I used to be a lawyer and met my husband while on work experience in the law firm where he worked.

4. I have two lesbian dogs. In the middle of my father's sixtieth birthday cocktails, there they were, pool-side, doing the nasty while the guests looked on with stifled giggles and gasps. And yes, I realize this is not sexual to them, but an act of dominance. I tried to explain that to my father's friends but they didn't hear me for laughing.

5. I'm addicted to the Antiques Roadshow.

6. I love Indian curries and chocolate, but not together.

7. I played Flora, a floozy from 'Frisco in a high-school musical, 'No no Nanette'.

8. I used to be a gymnast. With a bit of a warm-up, I can still do the splits.

Now, I hereby tag: Denise Rossetti, Jessica Faust, Annie West, Dawn Halliday, Anne Whitfield, Kelly Boyce, Trish Milburn and Caren Crane

Romance Bandits

2007-05-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been around lately. I was KIDNAPPED by these strange women in black masks and forced, FORCED, I tell you, to join in the mayhem over on Romance Bandits: http://romancebandits.blogspot.com/.

We're running a contest on Wednesday with lots of great prizes, donated by the banditas themselves. Come and visit and win some bandit treasure!

2007-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Sending out your Babies

2007-04-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've been holidaying at the beach with my family, and an incident got me thinking about how I'll handle reviews and comments from strangers on Scandal's Daughter.

My 4 year old son adores the surf. If he's on a beach, he's in the water, regardless of the temperature or what he's wearing. This becomes problematic if we want to go for a walk and stay relatively dry. One of us has to wear a swim suit in case we have to fish a bedraggled rat out of the shallows.

So, for the first time since we began our stay, I had set aside writing time. My parents were staying with us overnight, which means my husband and I had a bit of freedom and while everyone else went to the beach, I was going to stay home and write. I made coffee, found a quiet place in the shade with my laptop and the paperbark trees and scarlet hibiscus to look at and dream and plot. It was quiet, the breeze rustled, the ocean pounded in the distance, but there was no crying baby, no stomping, tromping, singing at the top of his lungs four year old. I had one of the dogs, myself and...

"We're back." All of my family trouped back through the gate.

I won't go into the details, but suffice it to say, my mother, a very loving, protective parent had had a difference of opinion with my husband regarding my 4yo's safety, which had resulted in both her and the baby getting sopping wet. My husband's philosophy is to intervene only when absolutely necessary. In this circumstance, he had not seen the need.

I don't know the right and wrongs of it. There probably aren't any. I removed baby and harness from my mother, washed and dried and dressed baby, and closed my laptop with, I admit, rather bad grace. I didn't get another opportunity to write that day.

But the incident got me thinking, how will I react to criticism of Scandal's Daughter? On the one hand, I believe there is value in reviews, not to the author (definitely not to the author!!), but to readers and to the way the romance genre is discussed and shaped. OK, perhaps reviews benefit authors in terms of sales and creating a buzz but they mess with the creative process, which to most authors is more important than sales. But I digress.

Books are like an author's children, we've all heard that before. So, will I be like my husband and distance myself from the book, thereby giving the critics less power to hurt if they're so inclined? Will I, having dreamed and nurtured the story, honed it and passionately advocated its merits to agents and editors, then set it free? Perhaps avoid reading reviews altogether, as the wonderful author, Anne Gracie told me I should? Or will I clutch it to my chest and defend it (if only in my mind) against any whisper of negativity?

The truth is, I'm not sure. I think even if it were possible, it is not good to distance myself from something that is essentially a part of me. On the other hand, I cannot afford the time, much less the angst and energy wasted on what is really a bunch of subjective and, more often than not conflicting, opinions. Where to draw the line? I suppose I will know, or not, when the time comes.

What about you? How do you handle criticism of your babies?

Interview with Anna Campbell

2007-04-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Anna, it’s lovely to have you here at the Ink Spot. Congratulations on the release of Claiming the Courtesan!

Thank you, Christine. And thank you for asking me to be a guest on your blog. I'm a regular visitor, as you'd know from my copious comments about your words of wisdom. And speaking of your words, can't wait until your book is released. And that cover is to die for! Perhaps I should interview you one day here.

The cover is beautiful, isn't it? Thank you, I'd love you to interview me as long as you promise to be kind!

But let's concentrate on you and this brilliant book that is creating such a sensation. Can you tell us a bit about Claiming the Courtesan?

Claiming the Courtesan is a dark, intense Regency historical that describes the torrid, turbulent relationship between the Duke of Kylemore and his mistress Soraya, London’s most notorious courtesan. Stephanie Laurens called it Regency noir and I’ve got to say that’s the best summing up I can possibly give you.

Wow, I'd give Stephanie Laurens a Rita for that cover quote alone! It fits Claiming the Courtesan perfectly.

Anna, there has been a lot of discussion on the net already about this book and it has been out for less than a week. Would you like to talk about some of the things you’ve read?

It’s been interesting, the reaction to this book, Christine! It’s a lesson to me that when you write something and put it out there in the public domain, it develops an existence completely independent of you. Remember these words when Scandal’s Daughter hits the stands.

Generally there seem to be two camps. People who love it passionately and people who hate it passionately (fortunately definitely in the minority, but quite vocal). All the reviews, though, comment on the fact that it pushes strong buttons emotionally. I know I found it a wrenching book to write so I’m really pleased that some of that powerful emotion I felt telling the story emerged in the final product. A lot of the discussion so far (not that I’ve seen all of it!) focuses on whether one or more of the love scenes count as either forced seduction or rape or neither. Obviously, I’ve got my opinion about that but it’s something people have to make their own minds about.

When you first wrote Claiming the Courtesan, it was uncommon to read about sexually experienced heroines in historical romance and even less common to have a hero and heroine who were thoroughly and intimately acquainted at the beginning of the book. To me, a typical Avon historical romance focuses on the growing awareness and sexual tension between the couple. Yours had already ‘been there, done that’, yet the book is terrifically sexy. What is the romantic journey this couple undertake?

Yes, the goalposts in romance have definitely shifted. I believe it’s the influence of the upsurge in erotica within the mainstream market. When I started writing this book five years ago, I thought a book about a woman who sleeps with men for money would never have a chance of selling. But as you know, I’d completed my first manuscript over twenty years earlier and never published so selling wasn’t really my biggest worry! And these characters were so vivid in my mind that I just couldn’t let them go, difficult and contradictory and damaged and wrong-headed as they were. Probably that’s why they were so vivid! They really were like real people to me, with all the complexity of real people. Strangely by the time I had a polished version of CTC to send off, the heroine’s profession had become a real drawcard both for the agent I sent it to and for the editors who offered to buy it.

I wanted to write a story about two people who were sexually intimate and yet emotional strangers and I wanted to put them in a situation where emotional intimacy was inevitable. And all the deep emotion that they’ve bottled up ignites and threatens to immolate them. Love is risky and dangerous and carries the threat of complete destruction for people like Verity and Kylemore with their tragic histories.

Why are Kylemore and Verity perfect for one another? When the dust settles and they have their Happily Ever After, what qualities will they most enjoy about one another into old age?

Hey, what a fantastic question! This relationship has been tempered in fire like the best steel so I imagine them as a really strong unit with a love that endures any troubles life throws at them. They’ve suffered and fought and faced peril and tragedy together. I think they trust each other totally by the end. And they’re complex enough to keep one another interested, that’s for sure! I also think the fact that they have goals outside their relationship will only draw them closer together. Sadly, Verity will never be accepted in society because of her former profession but she’ll find rewards beyond the value the outside world places on her. She strikes me as a woman who draws satisfaction from a few particularly close relationships rather than a woman with ambitions to be queen of the ton anyway.

I think that's one of the things I admire most about your novel. The circumstances are so extreme, yet it actually could have happened in that era. What is next for you?

My second book Untouched is coming out as an Avon Romantic Treasure in December this year. I describe it as a dark fairy tale and elements of it will surprise people who have read Claiming the Courtesan although it’s still got that sensual, dark atmosphere, I’m glad to say. I think of it as a mixture of Beauty and the Beast and The Sleeping Beauty. But at heart, all my stories are Beauty and the Beast. Funny how those themes just keep cropping up, isn’t it?

I’m currently writing the first draft of my third book, another Regency noir.

Will we see another Kylemoresque hero in Untouched?

Aha, you’ll just have to wait and see! Is he big and gorgeous and moody and passionate like Kylemore? Or is he someone else equally delicious? And yes, I am being annoyingly mysterious. There’s a short introduction to him here: http://redwyne.com/2007/03/excerpt-untouched-by-anna-campbell-dec-2007.html/ I’ll be putting an excerpt and the back cover blurb on my site http://www.annacampbell.info/ at the beginning of May.

I can't wait until December for your next fabulous book. Anna, thank you for a fascinating interview. Best of luck with Claiming the Courtesan!

Thanks, Christine! It’s been fun talking about my books! And best of luck to you with your writing! I’ve read Scandal’s Daughter and it’s amazing.

Aren't you lovely? You can definitely visit here again, Anna! In fact, Anna will be around for the next few days to chat. It promises to be a lively discussion!

Reality Romance

2007-03-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Recently, I changed direction on a book I'm writing, thanks mainly to Jenny Crusie and a timely reminder about the conflict lock. If you're a writer, Jenny's and Bob Mayer's writing workshop is a must.

But what clinched it for me was the sense that although I had a marketable high concept for my book, in real life, the story wouldn't have happened. When I read historicals, I have no trouble suspending disbelief. I enjoy some 'Regency lite' novels as I would a fairy tale. Unless Regency characters speak like modern American teenagers (but that's another post) or the Battle of Waterloo takes place in 1810, I don't really mind that the author has bent the era to suit a rattling good story. But when I write, I need to feel that my story could have happened. And since the era itself is so fascinating, that leaves a lot of room to move.

What about you? How does historical inaccuracy affect your enjoyment of historicals? What are the unforgivable sins?

Be Still My Heart...

2007-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

Not only is Jenny Crusie coming to our Romance Writers of Australia conference, but Anne Stuart is, too!

Happy dancing over here. This is going to be our best conference yet.

Pity about that Sunday afternoon workshop I have to do...

Interview with KJ Howe, American Title III Finalist

2007-03-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Kim, welcome! You’re down to the final round in American Title III with your novel ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS. Congratulations! Can you tell me how you came to the decision to enter the contest? It’s not for the faint-hearted!

My Toronto RWA chapter-mate and friend, Michele Ann Young, was in the top four of the American Title II contest with her historical NO REGRETS. Although the contest was like running a marathon backwards in a snowstorm with bare feet, she couldn’t say enough about the opportunity. When I received the e-mail from Liz French that I had been chosen as one of ten finalists, I could hardly believe it. From there, it has been a wild ride and now I feel incredibly lucky to be in the top two!

What’s the most positive experience you’ve had as a contestant? I noticed you’ve garnered praise even from Flavia, notoriously the hardest judge of the three.

Yes, Flavia has the most wonderfully scathing way of communicating. When she said that she could easily see my love scene in a romantic suspense novel sitting on the shelf at the local bookstore, my response was, “Smelling salts, please!”

Seriously, the most uplifting experience from the contest was that readers responded so positively to my non-traditional heroine and setting. I love sailing into uncharted territory and it’s nice to discover so many people share my wanderlust.

Besides ATIII, you’ve won quite a few awards. What do you think is the value of entering contests? What are the pitfalls?

Great question. Contests can definitely work to your advantage, but there are a few land mines that you have to watch for. My best advice is to enter contests with a strategy in mind. For example, as a new writer, you may want feedback on your story and craft skills. There are judges out there who take the time to line edit your prose and you can learn amazing technical tips by studying their suggested changes. Other judges have a knack for homing in on plot holes.

If you are further along in your career, you may enter a contest based on the editors/agents that will view your work. For example, as a direct result of winning the Bobbi Smith Creative Challenge I signed with my agent Evan Marshall. Good things can come from contests. However, with postage costs and entry fees, you may want to choose carefully.

There are also potential pitfalls in contests. Contest judges come in many shapes and sizes. Most are incredibly kind people who volunteer their time and talent to provide valuable feedback to aspiring writers. However, there are less civil-minded folks out there as well. If you’re a sensitive soul (aren’t all writers?), it can really hurt if a judge is less than complimentary. For example, ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS was a finalist in an annual event judged by booksellers. When I received my marks back (manuscripts were judged on a scale from 1-7) , I had all sixes and sevens, except for one judge who gave me a 1 in every category. When asked what she liked about the manuscript, she said “nothing.” Okay, that’s constructive. But there’s a happy ending to this story—ONE SHOT won that contest despite the judge’s negativity.

Now, on to the story itself. Please tell us a bit about your characters and how they meet.

Three years ago, Kenya Alexikova was on a routine mission in Sierra Leone for the U.S. Army. Kenya and her partner were on a mission to eliminate a faceless predator who was selling arms to North Korea and killing hundreds of innocents. When they arrived at the target’s location, Kenya stared into her sights...and froze. The faceless predator was Kenya’s sociopathic brother. Her failure to fire resulted in her partner’s death. Devastated by the situation, she refused to debrief, leaving the psychologist in charge of her case no choice but to medically discharge her.

Three years later, Kenya is running a dive charter in St. Lucia, trying to forget the painful memories of her past. CIA psychologist Jack Travis boards her boat, assigned to recruit her to recover a sunken Russian satellite. What Kenya doesn’t know is Jack was the attending psychologist at her debriefing, the man she refused to meet.

Did I mention who else was interested in recovering the satellite? That’s right. Kenya’s brother. He discovered who was responsible for the failed assassination and is bent on revenge.

Wow! Sounds like an action-packed thriller. The male psychologist/female operative is an intersting twist. I love a man with brains. What do you think makes your hero, Jack Travis, sexy?

His mind. His Southern accent. His abs.

He sounds like my kind of guy! Let's talk about the romance side of things. Why are your hero and heroine perfect for one another?

Jack is the one man who can help Kenya overcome her past mistakes, conquer her brother, and find redemption. Kenya can assist Jack with his own demons. When Jack lost his son in a dirt bike accident, his marriage fell apart. Since then, his life has been his work. Jack is surprised when he is more interested in healing Kenya’s wounds than exploiting them.

Why romantic suspense? It is a tough market for a new author to break into. What do you think it takes to sell a debut RS novel?

I don’t think I had a choice; dead bodies kept showing up in my novels. J Seriously, romantic suspense is my passion, has been since I read such masters as Lisa Gardner, Sandra Brown, Merline Lovelace, and Karen Robards. I love the thrill inherent in fast-paced romantic suspense novels and the requisite hot, steamy sex.

The romantic suspense market is chock full of talented writers, so it makes it very difficult for new writers to break in. I think you need to have a fresh voice or idea that makes you stand out. A large portion of romance suspense is based on the woman in jeopardy story. I decided to do a little twist on that. My sniper heroine is more than capable of handling herself in physical situations. Her jeopardy comes from her emotional vulnerability.

What do you think is the key to writing a good romantic suspense novel? How do you achieve a good balance between the romance and the suspense plot?

Merline Lovelace does a fabulous workshop on weaving romance with suspense. She shares the crucial fact that every scene must move the plot forward in one of these two areas, or—better yet—both.

Do you have any experience you draw upon to enrich your plots?

My dad is a very adventurous man. He finds scuba diving with sharks, doing aerobatics in small planes, rallying cars in Africa, and completing desert treks across Saudi Arabia a wonderful way to spend Sunday afternoon. We also had quite a few close calls during these outings. Growing up with him was like going to preparatory school for writing adventure and suspense novels.

What is your top writing tip? Your top tip for promoting yourself as a writer? Your top motivational tip?

Writing tip: Just when you think you can’t, go deeper into the emotions of your characters. Tapping into that well will help you connect on a primal level with your readers.

Promotional tip: Build a strong network of friends by taking the time to help out others. When you need advice or assistance, they will be there for you. Building good karma is always wise.

Motivational tip: This is a very personal choice and I think it is best to look inside yourself and accept what really motivates you. I’m happy to share mine and I hope that it’ll inspire you to find your mantra. I love it when someone says I can’t do something. I’ll bend over backwards, turn myself into a pretzel, and work myself into a frenzy proving them wrong.

What, besides the contract I know you’re going to get, do you hope to take away from the ATIII experience?

Ha! Thanks for the vote of confidence, but until Dorchester gives me something in writing, I’m not counting my chickens. The ATIII experience has really widened my contacts. I’ve met some very interesting people. I’ve also realized that being an author is not just about writing. To be successful in this business, you really need to communicate with people. I would recommend that writers take a media communications course. I think I’ll be signing up for one after the wonderful boot camp I had with American Title III.

Thanks for taking the time to interview me, Christine. I wish you every success with your September release, SCANDAL’S DAUGHTER!

Thanks, Kim, and best of luck to you, too!

If you want to find out more about Kim and her writing, please visit her website. To vote for Kim in American Title III, click here. Voting ends March 4, so hurry and get your vote in now!

The Traitor Earl

2007-02-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

If you like reading Regency-set historicals, you have probably picked up a lot about titles and heredity. The history behind titles is endlessly fascinating. Some were old by the Regency, some newly created. Some were earned nobly for services to Crown and Country, or in battle, like Wellington's dukedom, others by being in the right place at the right time, being the bastard son or even the mistress of Charles II, currying favour with the monarch of the day, or managing to turn your coat at the right time.

You have probably read about families who 'came over with the Conqueror'. But did you know that only one English family today can show clear descent from a pre-conquest Englishman? It's the Arden Family, whose ancestor was Thorkell of Arden in Warwick, a Saxon Earl.

Thorkell refused to fight with King Harold against the Norman invasion, so William the Conqueror (above) allowed him to keep his lordship and his holdings. He was the only Saxon allowed to remain a lord, while the rest of the incumbent nobility had their titles and lands confiscated. Sadly for Thorkell (dubbed the Traitor Earl), William's son, William Rufus, created the earldom of Warwick for a Norman noble and gave him Thorkell's land. Thus, the betrayer was betrayed. But the title 'Earl of Warwick' survives to this day.

Stealing Time

2007-02-23T03:33:00.000-08:00

I've just risen from the bed of killer flu, so I hope this is coherent. Actually, I feel better than I have for months, because for once, there was no choice between sleep or writing, sleep or writing, I just had to sleep, fairly solidly, for two days while my mother (superwoman, extraordinaire) took care of everything else. I'm actually happy with the beginning of my new book now, which is something like a landmark event if you know me (EEYORE!), so things are looking up.

It's pretty sad when you have to get to a state of total collapse before you're granted a good night's sleep, but I have only myself to blame. I don't tend to let other people do things for me, I have taken on far too much work for others and put it ahead of my own and I haven't been efficient enough with the time I do have at the computer.

When I decided to write and have children in tandem, I didn't bargain for how hard it would be. Not just finding the time to sit down by yourself at the computer--sitting by yourself on the toilet is often too much to ask!--but getting back into the zone, that magical place where your story lives, after dealing with children all day can be difficult, especially when you feel as if you could sleep for the next fortnight, given the chance.

I don't think I could live without writing and I definitely wouldn't give back my beautiful boys, so I just have to get on with things the best way I can. Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. And sneaking off with my Neo when I'm supposed to be grocery shopping. An extra half hour here or there isn't going to be noticed, is it?

So what about you? If you have children, spouse, pets, gardens, other responsibilities, how do you get into the zone? How do you steal time to write?

Meme

2007-02-07T23:50:00.000-08:00

I thought this meme from Kelly Boyce's blog was fun, so I tagged myself!

Contemporary, Historical, or Paranormal?
Historical, but when I'm writing the first draft of my own historicals I often switch to contemporary, if I read romance at all.

Hardback or Trade Paperback or Mass Market Paperback?
MMP--easier to take with me everywhere. I hate wasting time on trains, in doctors' waiting rooms, etc, so I always take a book. Mass market paperbacks can be jammed into my handbag.

Heyer or Austen?
That is a tough one! I'd probably have to say Heyer, since I've read her books so many times I've lost count, while I've probably read my favourite Austens fewer than 10 times.

Amazon or Brick and Mortar?
Brick and Mortar. I love leafing through books, holding them in my hands, picking up ones that catch my eye. And shipping to Australia is expensive! Amazon is fabulous for research books, though.

Woodiwiss or Lindsay?
Um, I think I'd have to say Lindsay, although I haven't read enough of either of their books to judge.

Alphabetize by author Alphabetize by title or random?
I keep authors' books together on the shelf, but otherwise tend to arrange by the tone of the book and subject matter. Is that weird? I'm not an organised person but I can usually find what I want.

Keep, Throw Away or Sell?
Keep. Or give away to good homes!

Read with dustjacket or remove it?
Remove. Can't stand them. They get in the way.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Stop reading when fall asleep or more often due to some interruption or other. Rarely at chapter breaks.

It was a dark and stormy night or Once upon a time?
Can I be corny and say Once upon a time? I adore fairytales, as long as they don't involve doves pecking people's eyes out. That image stayed with me for years after I read The Brothers Grimm's Cinderella. Grimm is right!

Crusie or SEP?
Impossible to answer. Love them both. Why do I have to choose? Who thought of this meme anyway? OK, Crusie by a whisker.

Buy or Borrow?
Buy if I can.

Tidy ending or Cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. I love romance, after all.

Morning reading, Afternoon reading or Nighttime reading?
If only it could be all of the above! But it tends to be Nighttime these days.

Series or standalone?
Series, if the series community is interesting enough to make me want to revisit them. Not if series means every book is the same.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Wideacre, by Philippa Gregory. I've enjoyed her original fiction more than her books about real historical figures. I'm sure Wideacre well-known, just not as popular as her more recent books.

It's Here!!!

2007-02-05T23:02:00.000-08:00

Isn't it beautiful? I love it!

PLU

2007-01-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the term PLU? It stands for People Like Us. I'm sure this term was originally coined by elitist snobs, but I use it in another sense. I can always tell if someone is PLU by the books they adore.

There is something wonderfully uniting about loving the same book as someone else, discussing it with them as if you're mulling over the problems, loves and triumphs of mutual friends. Nothing beats it--except perhaps when someone talks to you about one of your own books as if they know your characters intimately. Although it's a little disconcerting when they mention some minor character you'd forgotten all about:)

Not very long ago, I was giggling with fellow writer Anna Campbell over the mere concept of receiving fan-mail. To my astonishment, the other day, I received my first letter from someone with whom I had no connection, who said she loved the excerpt on my website and wanted to know why it was taking my book so long to come out.

What a wonderful feeling! I'm guessing she's PLU.

The Anti-Rant...Rant

2007-01-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt about it, romance as a genre has a bad name among the uninitiated. Whenever I see a poorly-informed, dismissive article about romance in a newspaper or on the internet, I feel indignant. Or at least I used to. Now it doesn't bother me quite so much.

I've learned that it's almost impossible to change someone else's opinion about something, particularly if it is based on nothing but prejudice. And most particularly if you are working from the inside. Of course a romance writer is going to defend the genre. Why would our words carry weight with someone determined to despise us?

So I think the best way to deal with the critics is to show them what a great time we're having over here. Romance is the definitive popular fiction. That's not to say romances can't have literary merit or social impact, but let's all acknowledge that the intent of romance is to entertain. And in that it succeeds extremely well.

In fact, it makes up 39.3% of all fiction sold.

Can you hear me chortle?

So what about you? Why do you read romance?

Speaking of Covers...

2007-01-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

Here is Anna Campbell's cover for Claiming the Courtesan.

The moody, moonlit scene fits her dark, exquisitely written story perfectly, and I absolutely loved the coloured version of the scene, which would have looked great as a step-back (hint, hint! Avon, are you listening?) but is on the back cover instead.

If you want to check out the heroine's beautiful rose-coloured gown and the hero's no less beautiful chest, take a look at Anna's website.

Read the excerpt, and you won't be able to wait until the release date in April, you'll have to order your copy NOW!

I'll be doing an interview with Anna on this blog when her book comes out, so stay tuned!

Alex the Dog: Great News!

2007-01-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Alex has fully recovered her eyesight! The miracle of modern veterinarian science--did you know there are dog opthalmologists? She is still a little sluggish because of her medication, but the vet assures us she will be back and bouncing in no time. What a huge relief!

Under Cover

2007-01-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

There are two things writing with a view to publication teaches you: humility and patience. Or at least it should! Not sure I'm qualified to gauge how much humility I have acquired, but I certainly don't seem to have learned patience!

My editor emailed the day before yesterday to say that she had seen the cover for my book, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER, that it was fabulous (and my editor is not an overly effusive person, so I'm guessing it really IS fabulous) and she would send it to me in jpeg form as soon as she could.

And that was all.

I don't know anything more than that. Not the subject matter, the mood, the colour scheme. Nothing. Nada.

Can everyone hear my tortured scream?

When I sold, I thought the agony of waiting for contest results, requests and rejections would be over. OK, perhaps I wasn't that naive, but unconsciously I did expect more instant gratification. I'm here to tell you, folks, that once you get 'the call' there is even more waiting, the wait is longer in many instances and, because you have more riding on it, the wait is even more excruciating!!

And of course I have no say in what the cover will be and I don't intend to argue about it, no matter what it is. The marketing and art departments at Berkley know a lot more than I do about what sells. When we discussed the cover, I sent my editor a document with a heap of pictures that I had been collecting throughout the editing stage of my book--settings, actors who look like my characters and other authors' covers I love. I knew when I sent this that it would probably be disregarded but that didn't matter. I had done all I could to put my views across. It made ME feel better, and that counts for a lot when you're a neurotic, control-freak like me.

Now, it's out of my hands. Nothing I can do except--you guessed it--wait. ::whimper::

And don't worry, as soon as I get the go ahead, I'll be posting that cover everywhere I can think of! So, er, maybe I haven't quite learned that humility lesson either.

What about you? What covers do you love? Did a cover ever make you buy the book?

Rainy Days and Sundays

2007-01-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

I'm at the beach and it's raining. We have had a drought where I live this year, so we are not allowed to water our gardens or wash our cars with hoses, unprecedented restrictions in our water-happy corner of the world. Despite installing tanks and using what water we can collect to keep our garden alive, a once magnificent staghorn on our leopardwood tree is dry and riddled with ants and the rest of the garden is looking sparser and sadder by the week.

I try to remind myself of these things when I sit in our beach-side apartment and PINE for sunny weather. But I am here with a 3 year old with a mania for doors and light switches and a 3 month old baby, and goodness knows what I will find to entertain them for a week of rainy days.

Hm, perhaps I can tell them a story...

Alex the Dog

2006-12-28T12:45:00.001-08:00

BC, or before children, my constant companions at the computer were my Great Dane crosses, Alex and Monty. Alex barks at the postman, is scared of thunderstorms, and loves chasing her Kong. She peed on my lap when we took her home from the animal shelter. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

On Christmas Day, we realised that suddenly, Alex couldn't see. My husband rushed her to the emergency vet, who was open on Christmas Day, thank goodness. After a few more visits, the specialist's opinion was that something is pressing on her optic nerve. Steroids may help but the outcome isn't certain. She might never regain her sight.

For such an active dog, we thought this might well be the end of her quality of life. But within 24 hours she was already adapting, mapping out her environment by scent and touch. There have been a couple of setbacks and we are sad to see that she is not her usual mad, ebullient self, but the silver lining seems to be that if the worst happens, she will become accustomed to the loss. Sometimes, life is heart-breaking and wonderful at the same time.

Christmas Morning, or Writers are Officially Nuts

2006-12-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays everyone! Belated, I know, but a lot has been going on chez Wells. Still, on Christmas morning, amid agonising over the creme brulee while pacifying a screaming baby and a 3 year old acting like a rat on speed, I did one of my favourite things, and called Anna Campbell. Ostensibly to wish her merry Christmas.

But of course, our chat segued into writing, as it always does with two obsessed individuals like us, and after general gossip, we suddenly found ourselves discussing, of all things, passive voice. After a few minutes, I caught myself. "Do you realise we're talking about...grammar?" I said in a hushed voice. "On Christmas Day?" Anna sucked in a breath. "We are truly sick individuals! Quick, tell me what you're having for Christmas lunch!"

Whatever holiday you celebrated, I wish you the very best!

The Romance Community

2006-12-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I hosted a Christmas get-together for my local romance reading group and it led me to reflect on what a wonderful community romance readers form. It may sound strange, but the fact I didn't feel obliged to go to any trouble to entertain these people is the highest compliment I can pay them. Why? Because it's all about the books.

I freely admit I'm not the most house-proud person in the world, but when I have guests I usually make a huge effort. So huge, that my husband heads for the hills so as not to fall foul of me and my spotless kitchen. Well, okay, it's not spotless, but it's the closest it's going to get. At the moment, I have a 2 month old baby who seems to want to feed every 2 hours as well as a very energetic 3 year old, and for the Sunday celebration it simply was not possible for me to do my usual cleaning and cooking blitz. I admit, I was worried. I didn't know many of these women, and what were they going to think of my less than pristine house, the wreck the dogs had made of the garden that I didn't have a chance to clear away, the mock orange that has overgrown its pot next to the front steps so you have to machete your way to our front door?

But on Sunday, no one was there to provide a critique on my housewifely skills. I had only met three of my guests in the flesh before, but I felt instant kinship with all through our mutual love of romance novels. As soon as everyone arrived, our veranda rang with chatter and laughter. The baby was passed from one enthusiastic cuddler to another and slept peacefully throughout. My 3 year old sat among us and nodded and smiled as if he totally understood the appeal of the alpha male. Kate's peach surprise had to be tasted to be believed. And a good time was had by all!

My Take on Rejection--Harsh but Fair

2006-11-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, I read about a writer who had queried a publisher by email about her book and received a form rejection within a day. She was angry about this because she thought it showed the publisher hadn't given her work fair consideration. Perhaps the publisher even had an automatic reply rejecting every query that came in!

First of all, publishers who don't accept unsolicited queries have no hesitation saying so. I can't believe any publisher would ask for submissions, only to reject them all out of hand.

And while I sympathise with how disappointed writers get when they receive rejections from agents and editors (I've had them too!), I find it difficult to understand this 'you owe me' attitude. Just because we would like things to be a certain way (prompt responses, detailed feedback, etc) doesn't mean that's what agents and editors should do. Frankly, these professionals are running a business, not a charity. They don't owe writers anything, not even their time, unless they have signed the writer or given personal assurances or encouragement to submit. Courtesy is always nice, and prompt responses, whether rejections or otherwise, are great, too. As long as they're not too prompt...

Of course, if the agent/editor doesn't behave with courtesy or respond in a timely manner, the writer is free to submit to someone who will. That's how the market works.

Superstition

2006-11-03T02:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not a very superstitious person. I don't believe in astrology or tarot cards, viewing that kind of thing as interesting and a bit of fun, nothing more. But something that no one knows about me (until now) is that I have to say 'rabbits, rabbits, rabbits' on the first day of each month before I say anything else. It's my only good luck charm, a hangover from childhood, when saying 'white rabbit' saved you from a pinch and a punch for the first day of the month.

This month, I forgot to say it. The days tend to slide into one another when you have a newborn, so I didn't quite register that it was the 1st of November when I was crooning nonsense to my screaming 3 week old at 2.30 in the morning.

So...will the events of November prove my superstition worthless nonsense? I suppose I'll know soon enough.

Glomming Anne Stuart

2006-11-02T00:17:00.000-08:00

Why did no one tell me about Anne Stuart until now? I've only just discovered her historicals and want to ask where this wonderful writer has been all my (romance reading) life. Brilliant characterisation, heroes to die for and a wonderful sense of humour. I hear her contemporaries are equally fabulous but that treat is still in store for me. I love finding writers with large backlists I can devour--the backlist, not the writers, I mean!

Pregnant Pause

2006-10-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

I've been absent from blogging lately due to the birth of my second child, a beautiful boy, last week. I suppose I'll continue to be fairly erratic until I get into some sort of routine. But please, keep checking back for the next exciting instalment!

Ramping up the Tension

2006-10-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

For my birthday last week, my husband gave me a DVD box set of The Avengers. Anyone remember this British television series? I wasn't born when it first came to television in the '60s, but I watched the reruns. Emma Peel, played by the beautiful and talented Diana Rigg, is one of my favourite heroines of all time--possessing intelligence, beauty, wit and a mean karate chop. The mystery plots were rather silly and very dated now, but I loved the banter between Mrs Peel and Steed, the mildly flirtatious to and fro--the will they? won't they? wish they would! feeling you get with all great TV couples. But the writers of that show were smart: Peel and Steed never got together at all. In fact, at the end of her stint on the show, Emma Peel is collected by her long-absent husband, who looks suspiciously like Steed from a distance.

In romance novels, the reader knows the destination, that the hero and heroine will be together at the end. What we, as writers, have to do, is make the journey worthwhile. That means stringing the reader along, increasing the tension between the hero and heroine, delaying the happily ever after for as long as we can, making it seem impossible that these two can ever work out their problems and be happy. The more tension we can build throughout the story, the more satisfying the pay-off will be at the end. Have you ever read a story where the hero and heroine resolve their differences too early?

Real Rakes: Not Only the Good Die Young

2006-09-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Richard Barry, 7th Earl Barrymore (1769-1794), was just 24 when he died. Known as 'Hellgate', he was a womaniser and a sportsman, and was said to have squandered 300,000 pounds in his short life. One of the founding members of the famous Four Horse Club, he had a lively wit and founded a number of other clubs with rules like 'if any member has more sense than another he be kicked out of the club'. Even though he had obtained her guardians' consent to the match, he eloped to Gretna Green with Charlotte Goulding, niece of the infamous Lady Lade and daughter of a sedan chairman. The lady shared his interest in bare-knuckled boxing and actually sparred herself, hardly the sort of pastime we expect from a countess!

Despite his reckless way of life, it was while doing his duty that the earl was killed. His regiment was stationed at Sussex during the French revolution with orders to strengthen border defence. In addition, he was responsible for some French prisoners, which obliged him to keep a loaded gun with him at all times. While driving a gig, the gun went off accidentally, shooting him through the eye. He died 40 minutes later.

A bare telling of the facts of Barrymore's life raise the most intriguing questions about this young man. No doubt he was selfish, profligate and insensitive, yet he had a keen wit, displayed qualities of leadership, generosity towards his dependants and considerable physical courage and sporting prowess. I wonder what he would have been like at 40? Raddled with gout and riddled with the pox? Or upon maturing, would he have put his intelligence and talents to good use? Can a rake be redeemed as so many Regency historicals tell us? Perhaps, when there is enough of the good mixed in with the bad, they can.

Should the Artist turn Critic?

2006-09-18T03:39:00.000-07:00

At about the same time I sold my first book, I joined a romance readers discussion group called brraddicts. It wasn't until I began particpating in this group that I realised I'm in a different position now from the position I was in as an unpublished writer. I feel I have to be more careful about giving an honest critique of a book.

My opinions remain the same, of course, but if I do criticise, especially books in the same genre as the one I write in, others might think I believe I can do better. That's not the case. I'd find it very difficult to critique my own work the way I do when I read published novels. In fact, when I think about how I approach critiquing other writers' unpublished manuscripts, it is different again from the way I evaluate a published novel. I don't care too much about structure and word choice when I'm reading a published novel, though I appreciate both when done well. I concentrate more on whether I like the main characters, whether their conflicts ring true, whether the ending is satisfying--all the things any reader looks for in a romance.

I don't think a person must be able to do better before they are qualified to criticise someone else's work. Everyone has an opinion on art, that's what it's for, to stimulate thought and reaction. But I still can't help tip-toeing around the subject if anyone asks me what I think of the latest Regency historical I've read. Privately, to my writer friends, I can be candid. In a semi-public forum, I would rather focus on the positive.

Does that make me a wimp? Should writers comment publicly on novels that are in the same genre as their own books?

Wimpy Heroines Need Not Apply

2006-09-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

When you write Regency historicals for the modern market, there is a balancing act that goes on. How do we make our heroines appealing to the modern reader, yet avoid the trap of writing about modern women in period costume?

I don't think many bestselling authors in the genre write about the average Regency female. In fact, the extraordinary has become the ordinary in fiction. We always meet the girl who rebels against the feminine ideal, the lady who defies society's rules or at least the accepted norm of the time.

The extraordinary woman has almost become a cliche in historical romance. In fact, it takes a very skilful author to write about a heroine who behaves exactly as women really did in those days and still make her interesting to the modern reader. After all, we modern women almost pride ourselves on our lack of interest in traditional feminine pursuits that were so highly prized at that time. We don't admire a heroine who is only concerned with her needlework.

However, some authors go too far the other way and confuse decorum with dullness, restraint with a lack of passion. I don't think a heroine needs to be wishy-washy or clingy or subservient to be true to her period. Regency heroines can strong and admirable in all sorts of ways that don't involve the physical or indiscriminately flouting society's rules. They can have wit, honour, a strong sense of duty and sacrifice, courage in the face of great adversity.

Having said all that, I can forgive a lot if the heroine has a sense of humour, or at least a sense of irony, coupled with intelligence. Not intelligence that the author and other characters tell me about, but intelligence that is shown in the heroine's speech and actions. My favourite heroine is probably Sophy from Georgette Heyer's The Grand Sophy, though Loretta Chase's Jessica in Lord of Scoundrels comes very close.

Who is your favourite historical romance heroine, and why?

Update on Recent Posts

2006-09-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Be careful what you blog about

A while back, I rambled a little about unreliable narrators, in response to a post by Nadia Cornier on her blog. Little did I expect that Ms. C would google herself and find said rambling. Even less did I expect her to take offence at my tongue-in-cheek comment about her habit of flying off at tangents from the central discussion. The habit is part of her unique charm and if it was my post that made her resolve to be more 'normal' in future, I sincerely regret it!

Deadlines

I met the first of my deadlines last week. One more to go and then it's full steam ahead on the work in progress. As long as my lovely editor likes it. Fingers crossed!

Snake Burial

Very sad to say that we found a snake the approximate size of the one that invaded my kitchen a couple of weeks ago dead in our swimming pool courtyard the other night. Who knows if it was the same one, but I can't help thinking it is. And I suspect that one of our dogs killed it, too, which makes me feel terrible. But I suppose that's the way the animal kingdom works. It's sad, I feel like the victor of a long, hard-fought duel with a formidable opponent, who wakes up the day after the fight to hear that his challenger has died of a cold.

Deadlines looming in the gloaming

2006-08-31T03:44:00.000-07:00

I should be working on book 2 and finalising edits for Scandal's Daughter, but I realized I haven't posted in a while. Still, there are those deadlines, so I'll take the lazy way out and hand you over to the wordwenches. Jo Beverley and Pat Rice have some interesting things to say about deadlines and work patterns. Go and have a look, if you haven't already. Personally, I like deadlines. I've always done my best work under pressure. Famous last words? We'll see.

I recently had a funny misunderstanding with my web designer about dates. I said I was trying to get a few things nailed down before my baby arrived in October, including building a website. She thought I meant my 'book baby', when actually, I meant the real, flesh and blood-type squalling infant. So now, in certain circles, the day this child is due to enter the world is referred to as my 'release date'. I'm grateful to Paula for dropping everything to get the website done in record time, especially since she did it under the false assumption that my book was about to be released!

Oh, and check out the avon fan-lit site author/editor blog, where Anna Campbell posted about the enduring appeal of the Regency era and Sara Bennett has waved the flag for all things Victorian (an era I can't bring myself to like!). It's a light, fun site and it will be interesting to see whether Regency wins over contemporary in the fan-fic stakes.

Finally!

2006-08-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

My website is up and running, with thanks to my web designer, Paula Roe.

Beach Days

2006-08-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Another weekend at our beach house. Spring was definitely in the air, even though, technically, it's still winter. Our little boy, affectionately known as 'Rat Boy' or, even more affectionately, 'The Ferret', had a wonderful time jumping in rock pools and drawing in the sand with his feet. Can't wait to take him swimming when it gets warmer.

Went to lunch with Anna Campbell, who lent me Anne Lamott's 'Bird by Bird', chatted about a great new plot twist in her next book. Then she generously listened to me moan about my latest work in progress.

I'm always moaning about whatever I'm writing at the moment. My writer friends are very patient with me and apart from dubbing me Eeyore (thanks, Denise!) they never tell me to just shut up and write the damn book. They must bite their tongues an awful lot, but they never say it. Honestly, there are days when writing the first draft is like wading through cement. And having read 'Bird by Bird', I realise I'm not the only writer who feels this way.

So if writing causes us so much pain, why do we do it? Someone whose name escapes me said they don't like writing but they love having written. I think that just about sums it up for me. Getting the words on the page is such a chore some days, I begin to wonder why I ever thought this writing caper would be such a lark in the first place. But then, occasionally, I re-read what I've written and there's something great there. A spark in a piece of dialogue, a compelling facet of character just crying out to be developed, or one of those strange, wonderful moments where you see a connection your subconscious has set up that solves a knotty plot problem. That's when I love to write.

And I Quote

2006-08-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

For writers everywhere...

'Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.' Mark Twain

The Unreliable Narrator

2006-08-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Agent Obscura has an interesting post today about authors creating a public persona for their blogs. At least I *think* that's what it was about! With Nadia Cornier there are so many tangents it's difficult to tell sometimes:)

I think taking on a personality that's not our own happens when we write, whether we do it consciously or not. We are all unreliable narrators of our own lives. Every story we tell is filtered through our unique viewpoint. That's why accounts of a battle or even a car accident can differ so widely among witnesses.

In modern romance, the fashion is not to have a narrator in the sense of someone telling the story in the omniscient third person. The story is told in what is known as 'deep third person point of view'. The point of view character in a particular scene filters everything that happens, it's true, but we generally get a true account of what they think and feel about what's happening. We can usually rely on their account of events in the novel. When they color them based on their own unique outlooks, we know that's what they're doing because we know we're inside their heads. The unreliable narrator is someone who seems to be telling the truth but is not. They are concealing things, embellishing, sometimes outright lying to the reader. Sometimes the reader is meant to know this. Other times, the twist at the end comes when the reader realises she has been duped.

The unreliable narrator has been used a lot in literary fiction and mysteries, but not, to my recollection, in romance. It would be interesting to see what would happen if we played with that a little more. One of my favorite movies, The Usual Suspects, uses the unreliable narrator to brilliant effect. I won't give away the twist, but it was one of those slap the forehead moments for me at the end. Why didn't I think of that? I love it when that happens. However, I think if it happened in a romance, said romance would be thrown at the nearest wall.

Conference Notes--Day 4

2006-08-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

By the final day of the conference, everyone was starting to fray at the edges, but we still managed to pack a lot into the Sunday.

Miriam Kriss spoke about the paranormal market. As in straight fantasy, in paranormal romance, Miriam still looks for the author's ability to build a unique world, where the author neither tells too much nor too little about the unique rules of her particular universe.

Jane Porter spoke on the topic Is Chick-lit Dead? Jane was very outspoken on what a terrible, denigrating term 'chick-lit' is. That aside, she said that books written for women will always be around and I think that's true, but I felt that was side-stepping the issue a little from the writer's perspective. I have heard, from agent blogs like Kristin Nelson's and reports by authors who write chick-lit, that that particular market is very tough in the United States at the moment. There is talk that the Harlequin chick-lit imprint Red Dress Ink is slowing down and from what I've observed, Harlequin always has its finger on the pulse of what's selling. So, of course, the best-selling authors of the genre aren't going anywhere, but it's a market that's not as easy for new writers to break into as it was in the not-so-distant past. A lot of people are saying this will happen to paranormal romance too, which experienced a recent boom.

Anne Gracie's talk on The Care and Feeding of Rakes was fun and informative, as we have come to expect from Ms. Gracie. Anne made the point that romances are often the hero's story, which is something I realised a while ago in my reading of historicals. Heroes are allowed to be 'mad, bad and dangerous to know', as long as they are capable of redemption and the best loved stories seem to deal with the hero's journey.

I feel heroines have a much tougher time with readers than heroes. Laura Kinsale has commented on this. Make a heroine flawed in the smallest way and the reader is likely to throw the book at the wall. Still, Kinsale has not let that stop her from crafting wonderful, three-dimensional heroines. But it begs the question--why are we so hard on heroines? Is it because women tend to be tougher on our own sex? Or is it because we want to identify with the heroine and fall in love with the hero? We don't like to see our own flaws, but we enjoy knowing the heroine (therefore we) can tame that bad boy and bring him to his knees?

Seducing the Media with Cherie Curtis was a real eye-opener. Cherie showed us how to write a media release and spoke about ways we could use our personal experiences to generate newsworthy stories. Apparently, releasing a book is not enough. Darn it! It then becomes a question of how much of your private life you're willing to put in the public domain.

After a fun author chat with Anne Gracie in which we lost track of time, it was the end of the conference for me. We got a little lost on the way home, but luckily for Denise and me, we had the very switched-on Fiona in the back seat navigating, so we got there in the end. Exhausted and enthused!

AAR Conference Round-up

2006-08-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Kate Cuthbert of All About Romance has written a report on the Romance Writers of Australia Conference. Thanks, Kate! It's very interesting to see the event from an outsider's point of view.

2006-08-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

Conference Notes--Day 3

The first thing on Saturday morning was handing out the first sale ribbons. There were so many first sales since last conference, I lost count! I was very proud to be among them.

Debbie Macomber spoke about her journey to publication, a very emotional speech. I can understand why her books are so popular. It made me realise how lucky I've been in the support I've received from my family, especially my husband. While he would never pick up a romance novel to read, he has taken my ambition to be published in romance seriously from the start. No fuss, just steady, quiet support.

My first workshop was Lilian Darcy's Career Planning for Optimists. Lilian offered a valuable insight into the journey of a new author and pitfalls along the way. She made a very good point that the writer who has the longer journey to publication often comes out better in the long run. Once you're published, all your growth as a writer is done in public, whereas the writer who takes longer to get published has a longer period in which to experiment with style and hone her craft in private. Getting published with a book that only just makes it over the threshold might be a disadvantage in the long-run.

So if it's taking a while for you to sell, take comfort in the fact that as long as you keep writing, you're never wasting that time. I've been writing seriously for about five years, two of which were full-time. Just before I sold, that seemed like a long period. Now, I'm not so sure. I do know that writers never stop learning their craft no matter how many books they publish. Hopefully, my books will get better as I go along. I want to still be writing when I'm in the old folks' home!

I had lunch with my critique partner and expert schmoozer Denise, Kate Cuthbert from the Courier-Mail and Miriam Kriss from the Irene Goodman Agency in New York. Silently (actually, I think I might have done it out loud!) I thanked goodness I didn't have to do any pitches this conference and could talk to Miriam like an ordinary human rather than a desperate writer. I've only done one face to face pitch in my life, and that was so nerve-wracking I couldn't sleep for many nights beforehand. If you're not a natural at it, I think pitching agents is a waste of time and nervous energy. Generally, they don't remember you afterwards and you'd get the same response from sending a query letter. You also get to send sample pages most of the time when you send a query. I suppose there is the advantage to pitching that the agent has to pay attention to you right at that moment and not shuffle you down the slush pile, but that's the only positive I can think of. I'd much rather get to know an agent in a relaxed, social setting, rather than during a 3 minute pitch.

After lunch was Jane Porter's Not Just Hot Sex, which was all about increasing sensual heat without necessarily making descriptions of love scenes more graphic. I got a lot out of that session, not the least of which is Jane Porter is a very passionate speaker!

Anne Gracie spoke about emotional punch but sadly ran out of time. I'm looking forward to the reading the rest of that talk because she really did put things in a new perspective. Rather than using emotive or emotional language and describing someone's emotions, it's far more powerful to subtly show them placed in a dreadful situation. As I cried through about the last third of Anne's The Perfect Stranger I know from experience she is a master of this technique!

Oh, and Anna Campbell and I took a group for an author chat, which was great fun and a little surreal as I've been 'published' for such a very short time I felt like a bit of a fraud. Of course, our group wanted to know our respective 'call stories'. Another interesting question was whether either of us had considered e-publishing. That will be the subject of another post.

The awards dinner came that night. At the risk of leaving someone important out, I will mention a couple of the award winners. Anna Jacobs won the long Romantic Book of the Year Award (R*by). I must say, it was nice to see someone win who (apart from being a great writer) has supported the RWA and actually bothers to turn up to the awards ceremony rather than sending their publicist. The lovely Trish Morey won the short category of the R*by, which I was very chuffed about because she's such a great lady.

I won one of the unpublished contests, the Single (Title) and Loving It, but to me, the best part of the evening is always the time when the MC gets everyone who has sold a book, won a contest, submitted their work, and so on to stand up. At the end, about three-quarters of the room were standing. I think that's a ratio we should be proud of. It shows that RWAustralia members are professionals and serious about their writing.

No after parties for me, unfortunately. Once again, I took my whale-like carcass off to bed.

2006-08-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

Conference Notes--Day 2

I listened to an inspiring workshop by Debbie Macomber, who shared some plotting techniques she uses. I meant to write after lunch but my evil friends led me astray and I ended up joining them in a glass of champagne and gossip in our hotel room upstairs. Which was very instructive, as it happened. Never underestimate the power of industry gossip! Some so-called 'rumours' have come to pass this week. Also learned some gossip about myself doing the rounds of Romance Writers of America, which was verrry interesting!

Then, on to the Harlequin Golden Years of Hollywood cocktail party where a glass of champagne and orange juice was just a little too much for this little black duck on top of the afternoon's libations. I've abstained from alcohol entirely for about seven months, so it's not surprising I was a little knocked sideways by the small amount of alcohol I consumed. Still, managed to take some great pics of the costumes. Was led away by a friend who saw I needed to leave but couldn't find the strength to do it, and then somehow I got sucked into a planning meeting for upcoming romance contests. Don't know how our Paula Roe manages to get so much done! She's a little curly haired dynamo. Stumbled off to bed after a debate over the value of query letters in contests. Still can't quite recall what I was doing in that meeting in the first place.

2006-08-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Conference Notes -- Day 1

Denise and I managed to get to our hotel in Broadbeach without any major detours. Actually, we fluked the correct turn-off from the motorway and were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves heading straight for our destination. Is there something about writers that means they have very little sense of direction? Anyway, we got there, and that's the main thing.

We saw Anna Campbell in the lift and met up for a cup of tea and a gossip. Then it was off to Fiona Lowe's chocolate and champagne launch party for her new medical romance, Pregnant on Arrival--out now! I refrained from champagne but couldn't resist the Lindt chocolates and strawberries. Then it was on to the e-list dinner on the Broadbeach mall with good food and great company. This is traditional for those on the romaus loop and a great ice-breaker for those who have never been to a conference before. It's always interesting to see people you've come to know cyberly in the flesh. They're rarely as I had pictured them.

Being 7 months pregnant, it takes very little to exhaust me, so I stumbled back to the hotel room and fell into bed. Big day tomorrow!

2006-08-13T04:15:00.000-07:00

Back from Romance Writers of Australia Conference

Why is it that talking non-stop for 3 days can be so exhausting? It's not as if I did any physical activity to speak of, yet I can hardly keep my eyes open now I'm back.

Had a great conference. Caught up and celebrated with old friends and met some interesting new people. I'll post photos soon. The costumes from the Harlequin Golden Years of Hollywood cocktail party have to be seen to be believed! Even the husbands/significant others dressed up, so it was a great night. Yours truly went in mufti, however, not being able to think of any hugely pregnant women in the Golden Years, except Melanie in Gone with the Wind. Oh yes, I was going to go as Titanic but ran out of time to put a costume together.

Check in soon for a full round-up of the conference.

2006-08-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

In the News

I've been quoted in our local paper about the forthcoming Romance Writers of Australia conference! Check out the article here.

Oh, and I survived the snake! Well, obviously:-) Husband coaxed him into a tree next to the veranda. I don't think snakey was too happy about it. So nice and warm in the kitchen!

2006-08-09T02:02:00.000-07:00

Snakes Alive!

I should have been packing to go to the Romance Writers of Australia conference tomorrow. Instead, I was battling a snake in my kitchen.

I came home from dropping my little boy at his gran's on the other side of town. When I walked into the kitchen, I noticed one of his baby photos had fallen from the shelves above the kitchen sink (cue spooky music). I shrugged and put it back, went and checked my email.

Heard a crash from the kitchen. This time, it was one of my husband's football trophies (which he insists on putting on display among my ornaments as a tongue-in-cheek sort of joke). Looked up to where it had been and there was the snake.

Now, I wasn't overly worried. It looked like a green tree snake to me. Not deadly or anything, though I understand they can give a nasty bite. But I didn't like the thought of letting that snake out of my sight until my husband came home to deal with it. And yes, I am a wimp, perfectly happy to file getting snakes out of the house under the heading 'man's work'. Besides, my husband grew up in semi-rural area, whereas I'm a suburban girl through and through. I called him at work, and that's when I started to worry. I said, 'It's a tree snake. It's fine.' He said, 'So you're a snake expert now? It could be anything, don't go near it.'

So now I was spooked. I couldn't take my eyes off it in case it scuttled off into some other part of the house. And besides, I needed to start getting dinner ready and I really didn't want to be chopping vegetables with a snake hanging like the Sword of Damocles over my head. Eventually, I couldn't stand it any more. I opened the window next to the snake and tried to shoo it out with a broom. I swear, the thing turned its head and stared at me with utter contempt. Half an hour and buckets of nervous tension later, it had moved a few inches to the right. Finally, I got most of it out the window and pushed up the window until it was almost shut, not wanting to crush Mr. Snakey's tale. And what did he do? Used my soft-heartedness against me and eased his way back in.

Now I was mad. Using two broom-handles, I tried to pick him up to get him out the window, but he dropped neatly into a pot plant on the kitchen bench. I picked up the planter and got it quickly outside, onto the veranda. And that's where he is now, flicking his nasty little tongue and plotting how to get back in. So if you don't hear from me for a while...

2006-08-08T04:37:00.000-07:00

Romance Writing Contests--One Path to Publication

Something all unpublished romance writers should be thankful for is the proliferation of contests run by chapters of the Romance Writers of America and their counterparts in other countries, including Romance Writers of Australia. The finals of these contests are judged by agents or acquiring editors and they are a great way to avoid the slush pile or slip under the 'no unagented submissions' rule many publishers have now.

The sale of my first book, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER, to Berkley Sensation was the direct result of my entry finaling in 2 different contests. At the risk of being labeled a contest sl*t, I've listed my contest credits for SCANDAL below.

Why enter contests?

There are a few reasons put forward for entering contests. One is to gain feedback from disinterested third parties. I'm skeptical about this. I've received some great critiques, especially from published author judges, don't get me wrong, but if you want feedback you should invest time and effort into finding one or two critique partners who will read all your work, not just the synopsis and first three chapters. Look for those rare individuals who not only appreciate your writing, but are willing to be honest about your shortcomings and prepared to spend time helping you make your work better. Such writers are rare and precious. Treasure them! Don't pay your $30 entry fee plus postage for 3 anonymous opinions on your partial and synopsis. Your money is better spent in other ways.

Another reason for entering contests is to see how your work stacks up against your competitors'. This is a perfectly good reason for entering one or two contests but be careful never to treat contests as the only arbiter of good writing. Many writers sell books which have bombed repeatedly in contests. Many writers can't sell books that consistently win.

Some enter contests to build up credits for the bio sections of their query letters. I've heard a number of agents say they don't take much notice of contest credits unless it's the Golden Heart. Long lists of credits can even affect their opinions adversely. Does this writer spend more time entering contests than writing? Why have so many judging editors seen her work and passed? So when you are querying, my advice is to be selective--just mention one or two credits, preferably wins.

My experience with finaling in the Golden Heart was very revealing. It probably got me past the query stage (which I had already managed consistently without the GH final--when my website is up and running, I'll post my query letter there) but no further. Once you're past that stage it's the writing and the writing alone that counts. Miss Snark says this time and again. If you haven't read her blog, you should. It's a gold mine of inside information about how agents operate. I have a respectable list of contest finals but in my query letters I only mentioned the Golden Heart and the ones that led to full manuscript requests. I also restricted the list to credits for the manuscript I was pitching at the time.

The best reason, and for me, the only reason to enter contests is to get your first 3 chapters and synopsis in front of an acquiring editor. This is how I sold my first novel, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER. I finaled in 3 contests that resulted in the judging editors requesting the full manuscript. One of those editors read the manuscript quickly and came back with an offer to buy it.

As so many seasoned writers advise, I didn't immediately agree to sign. I involved an agent, the fabulous Jessica Faust at BookEnds Agency (read the agency blog here) who read the full manuscript the same day and offered me representation. I liked the fact that she responded quickly, but didn't immediately jump at the chance of a sure sale. She made sure she believed in the project first. Another agent offered representation having only seen the partial, which might well have meant that she loved the writing, but I was more comfortable knowing Jessica had read and considered the full manuscript before making the offer. Jessica then approached a few other houses, and the end result was a sale, but not to the first editor who offered. Leis Pederson at Berkley, who had requested my manuscript after placing my entry first in the historical category of the Emily Award, bought the manuscript in a 2 book deal.

So, my advice is to target contests judged by editors at houses where you think your work will fit. Make sure you enter when you have completed a manuscript or at least have written the first draft. There's nothing worse than receiving a request for the full with only one chapter written!

What about targeting agents through contests? Having seen how the submission process works with agents, I'd save my money on entrance fees and submit to them directly. Agents I queried all responded within about 48 hours to my email queries, within a week or so to snail mail queries, and within a couple of months to partials. You won't speed up that process by entering a contest--they often take around 3 months for the first round to be judged and a further couple of months before finalists are announced and you receive any request for the full manuscript. And then, sadly, there's the possibility that you might not final at all.

Contest finals for SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER:
*means manuscript/partial requested

Winner, RWA Golden Heart Award*
2nd RWAus Harlequin Mills & Boon Opening Chapter*
2nd Hearts through History Romance through the Ages
1st RWAus Single Title contest
1st WHRWA Emily Award*
2nd Sharp Synopsis*
3rd Golden Oak*
3rd Fire & Ice

For more information about upcoming contests and deadlines, visit the Contest Divas site.

Hm, some of those views might be seen as a tad controversial, but they are based on my experience. What is your experience of contests? Are they worth the time and money?

2006-08-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

The Morning After

Everyone's home from the national Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta now and it's back to business as usual. I'm so proud of my fellow 2006 Golden Heart finalists--many of them have either sold or received requests for their manuscripts in the lead up to the awards night. A very talented bunch. We dubbed ourselves the '06 Pack, and we're hoping to keep the relationship going well beyond the contest, much like the wet noodle posse, the 2003 GH finalists who fielded 3 RITA nominees this year. What a fantastic achievement!

Had a busy but relaxing weekend at the beach house. Beautiful weather, though too cold to do anything but paddle at the moment. Can't wait for spring!

2006-08-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

On the Beach

We're off to the coast for the weekend. Hope to get some writing done up there. I have edits coming up for SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER and a proposal for book two to deliver sooner than I care to think about. After all the excitement of Scandal winning the Golden Heart for short historical and the sale to Berkley, I really need to refresh my mind. Maybe some long walks on the beach will do the trick.

Next week, I'm at the Romance Writers of Australia conference at the Gold Coast. Should be a blast. My friends and critique partners Anna Campbell and Denise Rossetti are newly published also, and no doubt the champagne will be flowing freely! Can't wait. But then there are those edits...

Have a great weekend!

2006-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Rubber Band Girl. Or, My Crumpets are Burning

I'm the sort of person who likes to do 3 things at once. If I'm going to the post office to mail a manuscript, I like to do my supermarket shopping and pick up my specialist (hideously expensive) dog food en route. I eat breakfast while I'm making someone else's and unpacking the dishwasher. As a mother of a 3 year old with one on the way, I've learned to be flexible. But I've discovered this week that there is a limit.

Two weeks ago, I sold my first novel in a two book deal to Berkley Sensation. On the weekend, that same novel, 'Scandal's Daughter', won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award for best unpublished short historical. I have an agent, an editor and for reasons which are so boring I won't go into them I have 3 accountants. I keep trying to do 10 things at once and the result has been repeatedly burning my breakfast. Or letting it go cold before I can eat it.

So I have decided to focus on ONE THING AT A TIME. Rocket science, it is not. But hopefully, I'll keep my sanity for just a little longer. And I might save my crumpets in time.

2006-07-31T23:08:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog!

I write historical romance set in Regency England and my first novel, tentatively titled 'Scandal's Daughter', will be published by Berkley Sensation. Watch this space for a release date!
On this blog, I'd like to chat about my books and their historical background, but also about craft, the writer's life, snippets of industry gossip and the path to publication.

I hope you enjoy your stay.