Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

Maybe because Valentine's Day is just a few weeks away, I'm in a mood for love.  Or, at least, to discuss dating.

Recently, I wrote a post for my blog "Please tell me when did I become my mother!"  The post was about the way men ask women out to date, and how I actually miss the good old fashioned telephone call or someone asking you out in person.

I decided to do a little poll of my own.  I asked a few of the women of my own family what their preference would be for a man to ask them out on a first date.

Their choices: phone call, face-to-face, text, or email.  I asked eight women: three of the women were fifty plus; three of the women were forty plus; and two women were under twenty-five.

As you could probably imagine, this broke down along generational lines.  There were some exceptions based on the individual person's personal techy skills and love of gadgets, but basically fifty plus was against any requests that were not "personal," the forty plus group was a bit of a split: some okay with text requests, but no one was in favor of email requests, the twenty-five and under group wondered why anyone did anything other than text :-)  They've even had people request dates through FB!

As a writer, I've written stories that involved online dating, and we've all seen movies with plots based on email.  But, if it was you...what would you want?

You guys all know I'm a Hallmark Channel super fan!  So, as we get closer and closer to Valentine's Day, I'm sure I'll think more and more about this question.

How would you like to be asked out on a date for Valentine's Day?

A new home for an old book?

I had a dilemma. I had this book I wrote, but I didn't think any of my publishers would want it. It's from the male POV, 1st person, and well, I just wasn't sure they'd want it.

So that book languished on my computer (not really. It just sat there).

Then lo and behold, one of my publishers (The Wild Rose Press) announced they were expanding their submissions and maybe -- just maybe -- this book might fit with them.

Why go with a publisher instead of self-publish it? A couple of reasons. One is that I have several books I'll be self-publishing this year, so I don't really need this one in the queue. The other reason is that I think when I have a book out with a publisher, I get some good publicity not only for that book, but for my back list with the publisher. Since I have a lot of books with them, it makes sense for me to see if I can continue my relationship with them.

Keep your fingers crossed -- I have some editing to do and it's not a done deal that it will be accepted. But there may be life for that poor old manuscript after all!

A New Book Cover

Once again I am launching a new book. This story is very dear to me because my great, great grandfather helped me write it. In 1849 during his journey across the country from Missouri to California on a wagon train, he kept a journal. It's kept under glass at the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley, California. My Mother was able to get a copy of the the journal and I was able to use some of his experiences in my wagon train story. I hope he is smiling down on me and happy with what I accomplished with his help.

During the Civil War he turned his doctoring skill over to the war effort and his rank was Surgeon General. I love having such grand records from my ancestors to help me with my stories. His wife, my great, great grandmother is supposedly the first woman to be published in a magazine. Leave it to my Mother, she never gave up tracking down these stories and found them at the Sacramento State Library. Only because she was the great granddaughter was she able to get a copy of the seven stories. Because they are considered valuable, she wasn't able to touch them. The person in charge actually used instruments to lift and copy the stories. I was amazed to find some similarity between one of her stories and mine, some of the sentences almost word for word alike.

Meet my great, great grandfather Dr. Charles A. Kirkpatrick.

2012 FTHRW Golden Gateway Winners

Congratulations to the 2012 From The Heart Romance Writers Golden Gateway contest winners and finalists.

Thank you to the coordinators, first round judges and final round judges.


PARANORMAL/FANTASY/SCI-FI/TIME TRAVEL – Liz Pelletier, Entangled
Publishing LLC
1st Place: Moon Borne by Heather Boey **Full requested from another
contest**
2nd Place (tie): The Ring by Jaclyn V. Di Bona
2nd Place (tie): Shift Happens: A Carus Novel by Jasmin McKenzie/JC
McKenzie
4th Place: Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch
5th Place (tie): Just Once in a Very Blue Moon by Dawn Wolzein/Dawn
Marie Hamilton
5th Place (tie): Eavesdropper by Sarah Templeton/Cera Daniels


HISTORICAL - Erika Tsang, Avon Books
1st Place: The Parachutist by Dora Mekouar/Diana Quincy **Full request**
2nd Place: Dark Star by Callie Burdette/Callie Russell
3rd Place: Dagger's Destiny by Karen Woodward
4th Place (tie): The Wicked Earl of Westfield by Betty Trovarelli/Renee
Ann Miller
4th Place (tie): Miss Chesley's Secret Night by Barbara
Huddleston/Barbara Bettis


MAINSTREAM FICTION WITH ROMANTIC ELEMENTS - Katherine Pelz, Berkley
Editorial
1st Place: Sunsets on Catfish Bar by Mary E. Strand
2nd Place: Synchrony's Call by Susan J. Bickford
3rd Place (tie): Close Knit by Beverly Diehl
3rd Place (tie): Seemingly Perfect by Mary E. Strand
5th Place: Rifles, Racquets, and Rabbit Holes by Robin Haseltine


LONG/SHORT CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE - Rachel Burkot, Love Inspired
1st Place (tie): When Sparrows Cry by Heidi Luchterhand **Full
requested**
1st Place (tie): Ms. Scrooge by Anita Calhoun **Full Requested**
1st Place (tie): Fugitive Heart by HiDee Ekstrom
4th Place: The Billionaire's Hypnotized Mistress by Greta MacEachern
5th Place: Love on the Menu by Joan Rhine


SINGLE TITLE - Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks
1st Place: Love Waltzes In by Alanna Albertson
2nd Place: Jungle Blooms by Evelyn M. Timidaiski/Evie Morris
3rd Place: Hawaiian Heat: The Marriage Trap by Diane Garner
4th Place: Going All The Way by Heidi Ulrich/Megan Ryder


ROMANTIC SUSPENSE - Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing
1st Place: Looking into Hell by Kristine Thompson **Full request**
2nd Place: Her Unreasonable Doubt by Anne-Marie Carroll **Partial
request**
3rd Place: Waking Up In Hell by Kristine Thompson
4th Place: Guilty by Design by Mary E. Strand
5th Place: Mint Condition by Katina Drennan/Kat Drennan


PUBLISHED DIVISION
Laura Barth, Harlequin Heartwarming
Tessa Woodward, HarperCollins/Avon
Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency

1st Place: The Missing Time by Sandra J. Clarke **Full request (3
Seas)**
2nd Place: The Last Bachelor by Tina Radcliffe **Full request (3
Seas)**
3rd Place: Read My Lips by Kelle Z. Riley **First 100 pages requested
(3 Seas)**
4th Place (tie): Tracked Through Time by Becky Lower
4th Place (tie): Alien Contact for Idiots by Edward Hoornaert

Repetition is the boon of good advice.

I’ve read before that memorable characters have both an inner and an outer goal.  Laurie Hultzer, in her power-packed little e-book, “How To Evaluate Stories,” says a solid story is framed around what the main character wants—and what he or she actually needs.

A character’s Want is a clear, simple, ego-driven, and obtainable goal that directly benefits this main character. It is concrete and specific. A character’s Need is a deep inner ache, yearning or longing that the character is unaware of, denies, suppresses, or ignores. 

The action of a story is based on the conflict between the main character’s Want and Need. The tougher the choice the heroine has to make—the greater the risk she takes—the more satisfying (and probably more marketable) the story.

The resolution of a romance can vary. For example:

1. The main character gets what she wanted, only to find that it is not satisfying. Reese Witherspoon’s character in Legally Blonde wants her boyfriend back. She follows him to college, takes his courses, interns at his firm, bests him at ‘lawyer-ing.’ When he sees her as desirable again, she realizes he is not what she wants anymore. In the comedy House Bunny, the heroine is kicked out of the Playboy mansion on her birthday. She lands at a sorority house for misfits and teaches them how to succeed socially. In the process, she learns to value herself, so when “Hef” finally invites her back, she doesn’t want to go back.  She doesn’t want her original Want anymore.

2. The main character gets what he or she wants, only to have it destroy him. In Dangerous Liasons, John Malkovich’s character wins the bet with Glenn Close and seduces Michelle Phillip’s character. By doing this, though, he destroys the only woman who has ever truly loved him, and ends up dying, too.

3. The main character can abandon his or her original Want and embrace a deeper Need. Like a childless woman who finally adopts, falls in love with her adopted baby, and then gets pregnant, a character can discover a better Want—or end up getting the Want after all. When Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman refuses to become Edward Lewis’ mistress, she abandons her original Want for financial security.  She gains the self-esteem she’s needed all along, and then in a true HEA, gets the whole enchilada of man, love and security.

Thanks to the advice, repeated in Laurie’s book, I am verifying that I have clearly defined (in my head) my new WIP's heroine’s Want and her Need. Then I will make sure as I write that I don't type into any dead ends. I will steer straight and escalate the tug-of-war between her want and her need.

A Reader Point of View with Barbara Vey

We recently invited Barbara Vey, Publishers Weekly senior editor, to attend the January meeting of our chapter, Florida Romance Writers, FRW, in Fort Lauderdale.

In a quick presentation, Barbara talked about her love for reading and her blog for Publishers Weekly. She has a team of readers who review books but are not allowed to write negative reviews. If they don't like a book, they pass it on to another reader with the understanding that your taste is not mine. What I don't like you may like. Now if no one like the book, then no review will be posted.

Barbara insisted that anything related to the book is the author's responsibility.

If the book cover is ugly, it's the author's fault even if the author never chose that book cover. A reader will never think of blaming the artist!

If the book contains typos, it's the author's fault even if last minute corrections by the editor introduced the typos. A reader will never think of blaming the editor!

If the price is too high, it's the author's fault even if the author has no say in the price decided upon by the publisher. A reader will never think of blaming the publisher!

The reader knows you, the author. He/She doesn't know your editor, artist, or publisher! So be ready to accept full responsibility for your book. By the same token, you will get full credit if your book is a bestseller.

A reader is usually loyal to the author she likes and will buy all her books, without looking at the price.

A reader will also stay with you, whether you are NY  oublished or self-published, or change publisher.

On the other hand, when it comes to unknown authors, or authors who are not bestseller celebrities, you should have something to attract attention: book cover, blurb, price and great voice as revealed by a sample of the book or the first pages.

Keep these advice in mind when you publish your next book.

Blurb: A heartwarming holiday story set in South Florida.

Dedicated to her patients, the serious Dr. Madelyn Ramsay never had time for fun. An unexpected health problem jolts her into the realization that there’s more to life than just work. She longs to surrender to the magic of Christmas.

But can she handle the charming and secretive Dr. Nick Preston who carries his own package of disillusions? Can she allow two newborn twins to worm their way into her heart?
Stay tuned for VALENTINE BABIES, the next book in the Holidays Babies Series, that will be published next week.

VOICES FROM THE HEART: Series are an author’s best friend

VOICES FROM THE HEART: Series are an author’s best friend: I’ve written a number of series so far, four to be exact, and I love all of them. There are some that are more popular than others like th...

Series are an author’s best friend

I’ve written a number of series so far, four to be exact, and I love all of them. There are some that are more popular than others like the Gaian Story series which is science fiction romance about men who are looking for the woman that matches them to marry, and Hollywood After Dark, which is vampires and werewolves looking for their mates. But I’ve never been sorry to write a series.

The Girl In The Box - Free!

For one thing readers like series. If they like the world and the characters of a book, they want to read more about them. Even if the characters of the first book only show up as minor characters in a second one, I find that readers like to see how things are going for them. And sometimes a minor character in a book is so charismatic that they end up staring in a future book.

Why do I know this? Well, for one thing, I love to read series books myself. There are a number of authors whose books I read because I picked up a copy of one of them, and then proceeded to buy all of the books in the series before and after the book I read. I’ve also found that I tend to hear from readers about the books I write, particularly things like “when is so-and-so going to get their book?”

When you hear something like that, it is very hard to decide to write something else. After all, I want to make my readers happy.

However, there are some challenges to writing a series. For one thing when you are writing a series set in a particular world with continuing characters you have to keep the world constant. If you establish that someone is blond and blue-eyed in one book, they have to stay blond and blue-eyed in the next... unless you want to fit them with contacts and dye their hair. Age is harder to work around. A 100-year-old vampire can’t turn out to be 200 years old in the next book. This can lead to challenges when you have a series with as many books as I have. I bought a copy of Scrivener to see if I couldn’t keep track of things that way and in writing this last Gaian story it helped a lot. Now I have a common nomenclature for the electronic gismos in my world that I didn't have before.

How does everyone else track details of a world? Spreadsheets, word documents, or are there other writing tools people use? That’s a good topic for discussion. What do the other writers here use to keep their world details straight?

Cheers,

Janet Miller/Cricket Starr

LOOKING DEATH IN THE EYE by Rolynn Anderson

Writing about a boutique funeral planner has brought me nose to nose with death issues.  What a surprise!  I’m a pantser, you see, so the first book ‘happened,’ then pretty soon a second book ‘developed;’ now a third book in the series ‘will occur.’  Sigh.  I never thought I'd be tweeting with funeral homes, morticians and thanatologists!

Here’s how it happened.  Since I made up the term ‘boutique funeral planner,’ I had to research ALL the rituals of the major religions.  In other words for my funeral planner to be quirky and different, I had to discover what was ‘normal’ in the world of memorials.  Let me tell you, what I learned was an eye-opener…there’s nothing tame in traditional! (I’ll report my learnings in another blog.)

I found out about thanatology (the realm of palliative care; it’s a Greek word meaning ‘the personification of death’),  which broadens into the sociological aspects of planning for death.  That research led me to ‘DEATH CAFES,’ a loosely organized group of people who meet occasionally to talk about death and dying issues.  See:

http://www.deathcafe.com/   and http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/jul/09/westerville-home-first-death-cafe-us-ar-1097143/

What’s more, even more impressive, I learned about the ‘aging to saging’ movement, a truly fascinating organization that helps people live their last 20-30 years with verve!  Check out ‘aging to saging’ on your browser as well as the term ‘eldering.’

http://elderinginstitute.com/

Morbid?  Absolutely not.  I’ve learned so much in this journey.  More important, I’ve got grist for my next novel.  For now, here’s the Funeral Planner Series:  FADEOUT and SWOON.

“Don't miss SWOON by Rolynn Anderson! If you like an interesting cast of characters, a heavy dose of mystery and a lot of fabulous surprises, you'll be happily turning pages late into the night.ˮ

~ Brenda Novak, NYT and USA Bestselling Author of WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES

****

Her dead clients won’t rest in peace.

When the dead tell tales, Jan Solvang’s first reaction is to RUN!  But then she gets caught up in their mysteries.

Jan’s a boutique funeral planner, new to risk, hired to bury a missing woman and memorialize an infamous man.  Yet when she digs for clues to write their eulogies, she disturbs family secrets and unmasks killers.

Roman Keller, hard-driving documentary writer, is in complete control of his life and his stories, until he falls for Jan, a woman who trusts her dog, her faint-dreams, and her instincts more than she trusts him.

Can they make the sacrifices necessary to cement their relationship or will the mayhem caused by the dead ruin their second chance at love?  

Buy page:  http://www.rolynnanderson.com

Do parts of your life become a work of fiction?

How much of you—the author—goes onto the page of your fiction stories?

As a novelist, we weave together stories that, hopefully, tell and interesting tale from open to close.  After the words are on the page, we review and edit to check timeline, facts, and consistency.  We rip apart our story arcs, character development and growth, and pick at every single word chosen.

But, what about our heroes and heroines?  How much of them is us, of us is them?

When people compliment me on the emotion of my characters, I always say thank you.  Why?  Because I’m not a military wife, and I haven’t lost a husband in a war.  Because I’ve never lost a child.  Because I’ve never been a victim of abuse.  But, the fact that readers believe the emotion in the books I’ve written makes me feel like I’ve done something right.

Recently, I met an author who wrote a fictional account of her battle to survive a relationship with an abusive partner.  The author’s initials are L.J. and her heroine’s initials are L.J.  I asked her about this, and she said that when she originally wrote the book, she didn’t want people to know it was her story.  So, she hid behind Clark Kent’s glasses, so to speak.  But, after more thought, she decided it was okay for people to know.  And since that time she’s spoken on panels about domestic violence, and her book is an Amazon bestseller.

As a novelist, I believe the more I tap into my own emotions the more I am able to connect with readers.  But, the connection can leave the writer exposed.  So much of the author ends up on the page.

How do you balance the emotion of your characters and the life of the author?

Simple goals

I don't set concrete, milestone-focused goals because inevitably something derails any good intentions. This year I came up with 3 goals:

Eat Right. Just be mindful about what I eat. No more robo-eating, chowing down while I'm doing something else. I already have a daily habit of exercise, so now it's a matter of making good eating a daily habit.

Write Daily. I've been wickedly busy through the summer with legal crap, the Day Job, getting settled in a new home, and a million other things. I used to ALWAYS make time for writing, no matter what, but somehow I got out of that habit. Heck, I wrote 27 books while holding down a full-time job. Yes, I'm still working full-time, but I have even more time since I now telecommute and no longer that the grind of sitting in traffic. So no more excuses.I will write daily.

Daily Promo. I dislike doing blatant promotion, so I made a deal with myself: I would make one promo post (or blog entry or something) every day that's related to me as a writer. I would post to a Yahoo group, or on a blog, or on Facebook, or *somewhere* that relates to me as a writer. One a day.

Here we are, 10 days into the year, and I'm doing it. I'm sticking with all 3 goals. Writing daily has been a problem until I realized that the research I'm doing for the next book counts, too. It's all writing-related.

It's doable. Now it's just a matter of doing it.

Famous last words ....

Dave Barry

Hi Everyone,

It's that time of the month, and now that it's January, some of us begin to think about New Year resolutions and dieting. Please share this chuckle with me:

"The other day my wife was in a terrific mood, and you know why? Because she had successfully put on a size-6 outfit. She said this made her feel wonderful. She said, and this is a direct quote: "I wouldn't care if these pants were this big (here she holds her hands far apart) as long as they have a '6' on them." Here's how you could get rich: Start a women's clothing store called "Size 2," in which all garments, including those that were originally intended to be restaurant awnings, had labels with the words "Size 2." I bet you'd sell clothes like crazy."

LOL! Me again. Is he right? Is size 6 the size most women want to be?

Do You Like Setting Goals? by Vonnie Davis

The holidays are over and life returns to normal. But, for writers, what is normal? Characters that populate our minds. Conversations that play-out in the shower. Written scenes that waken us in the middle of the night to tell us we'd written them wrong. Queries, synopsis, edits, releases, promotions.--all of these things are normalcy for writers.

Depressing at times.

 

Exhilarating at others.

 

Still, writing is what we love. It's what makes our souls happy. So, what are your plans for 2013? Will you finish your current WIP? Or will you spread your wings to try penning something new? These were questions my agent asked me recently. "What do you want to accomplish next?" She sipped at her drink, her piercing eyes watching and waiting for my reactions to her question.

 

We talked, plotted and created a wish list for the coming year. Personally I hate doing that. I always feel like I'm setting myself up for failure. I'd rather flutter along from idea to idea like a butterfly in a garden of blooms. My thinking being if I don't set goals, then I can't fail. Right?

 

Maybe not.

 

I do have one goal: to become stronger as a writer. That means I have a lot of learning to do.

 

THE LEARNING CURVE OF A GOOD WRITER IS CONTINUAL.

 

 

As we step forward into 2013, may you begin to achieve your goals--your next goal, a better goal. Even if you hate listing them the way I do. Make a plan, figure out how to achieve it and move forward to that end. Good luck and great sales in 2013.

Gwen,

 

You won’t believe this email. I’m sitting in a French safe house, eating caviar and drinking champagne with handsome government agent, Niko Reynard. He’s wearing nothing but silk pajama bottoms and mega doses of sex appeal. I’m in big trouble, little sister. He’s kissed me several times and given me a foot massage that nearly caused spontaneous combustion. I'm feeling strangely virginal compared to the sexual prowess this thirty-year-old man exudes.

 

When I came to Paris for a bit of adventure, I never imagined I’d foil a bombing attempt, karate-kick two men, and run from terrorists while wearing a new pair of stilettos. I met a German musician, a gay poet from Australia, and the most delightful older French woman.

Don’t worry. I’m safe…the jury’s still out on yummy Niko, though. The more champagne I drink, the less reserved I feel. What an unforgettable fortieth birthday!

 

Alyson

** Available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.



A Countdown to Howl! by Terry Spear

My Wilde & Woolly Bears weren't cooperating at all for the picture. Burgundy bear was whispering to Baylor bear about something. Her triplet was just being silly on top of the carriage. And Eagle Scout bear decided to do a headstand. But what can you expect from teddy bears?

All wish you a Happy New Years for 2013!

And my wolves, jaguars, Highlanders and fae all do too. And me too!!!

Are you doing anything special for New Year's Day? I was going to go to a movie, but I got so far on Silence of the Wolf, I might just keep working on it. 82K, 8 to go!

Have you any New Year's Goals???

I wrote half of the blogs for the guest blog tour for A Howl for a Highlander before Christmas as the tour is earlier than usual!!! Instead of starting Feb 1 for a Feb 1 release, it's beginning Jan 21!Which means my first New Year's Goal is to write the remaining blogs!!! And finish writing Silence of the Wolf,  start writing the next Highland wolf story and finish it, and the third jaguar story. I've also got to write my next Highland Medieval story as sales are phenomenal, and the next YA fantasy in The Dark Fae series! And I need to pitch another couple or 3 stories to Sourcebooks.

And that's just the beginning.

I'm going to my first RomCon, AAD and I'll be attending RWA Nationals....

Personally, I need to continue cleaning out stuff I don't need or use....I feel so great when I do that...but doing that is hard to do sometimes!!!! I have boxes of stuff in my barn. How much do you want to bet that if I just took them to Goodwill, I'd never miss them? I haven't opened them in 3 years! So it's time to clean out and I've really been working on it. It's almost like losing pounds, which is something else I need to do!!

A Howl for the Highlander

(Book 10)

Sourcebooks

Feb 2013

Duncan MacNeill is a Highlander at heart with a mission—find gray wolf and former stockbroker, Silverman who has stolen the family fortune and is purported to be living in the Grand Cayman Islands. As a Highland wolf, Duncan rarely leaves his native homeland and taking a trip to an island paradise doesn’t appeal. But keeping the MacNeill’s ancestral castle depends on making Silverman pay. What Duncan doesn’t plan for is the American botanist who distracts him from his mission and makes him realize what an island paradise really means.Shelley Campbell is teaching botany at a Florida college, when she receives an email from an old girlfriend, who’s renting a villa on the island and wants her to come to stay with her. Figuring she can study the old growth forest while she's there, and lecture about it when she returns home, she has no idea the secrets she might uncover. When her girlfriend’s a no-show, a Highlander turns up instead, and she has a choice—share the villa, or send him away and pay full price for the accommodations—which on her teacher’s salary is stretching things pretty thin. Since he promises to be no trouble at all, she lets him stay. And that’s when the trouble really begins!Amazon

B&N

DebraTaylor, The Night Owl Reviews

Score: 5.00 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick
"Another fun and sexy read from Terry Spear! The Queen of shifter romance has done it again. Whether it be wolf or jaguar, this author is one of the best in her genre. Howl for a Highlander is the sizzling love story of sexy Scottish werewolf, Duncan MacNeill and his American she-wolf, Shelley Campbell.

If you're in the mood for a fun shifter romance then I recommend trying this awesome story. I guarantee you won't regret it and that, like me, you'll be hooked for life."

Here is the schedule for A Countdown to Howl

1/21 Vampire Romance Books

1/22 Night Owl Reviews

1/23 Sia McKye’s Thoughts Over Coffee

1/24 Literal Addiction

1/25 Under the Covers

1/28 Book Lovin’ Mamas

1/29 Anna’s Book Blog

1/30 Urban Girl Reader

2/1  History Undressed

2/8 Book Lovers, Inc

2/13 Fresh Fiction

2/13 Star Crossed Romance

So are you ready for the New Years? And have lots of new stuff you want to do???

Happy New Years! May your year be all that you wish of it.

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com