Summer Indulgences

I've been head down, hands on keyboard for the last few months working to bring you Lina Cornaro's story. I'm doing the final passes through the manuscript now and can't wait until it's in your hands. I think you'll enjoy delving into Lina's relationship with Formula One driver Ivo Zanardi. They have a complicated, passionate history together, and I've had a total blast writing about them.

In the meantime, I wanted to share two fantastic reads that are perfect for summer (if you're here in the northern hemisphere) or that'll warm up your winter if you're in the southern part of the world.

First, many of you know that I am part of a plot group with authors Emily March, Christina Dodd, and Susan Sizemore. We meet yearly to discuss our works in progress, brainstorm, and talk shop. Part of what makes the group work is that we all truly enjoy reading each other's work. While you're waiting for the next installment in the Royal Scandals series, I'm happy to let you know about two great releases from Emily and Christina.

First, Emily March has a new book out TODAY that I'm dying to read. Not only is Emily an incredibly talented storyteller, I love her Eternity Springs series because it has all the heart and rich family dynamics I want in a romance series. Check out her newest, A Stardance Summer, set at a glamour camping site in the Colorado Rockies, and tell me what you think. I suspect you'll enjoy reading about the Callahan family as much as I do. Here's a quick excerpt to whet your appetite:

No. No way. She couldn’t be Derek’s sister. Brick’s childhood best friend’s uptight, nerdy overachieving good-girl little sister must have a doppelgänger. Liliana Howe would never skinny-dip in public.

And yet . . . she’d always been tall. Those legs. But she’d been skinny. She’s not skinny anymore!
 
Somebody abruptly switched off the music. Into the sudden silence, Brick said, “Freckle-Sticks? Is that you?”

I bought my copy this morning and can't wait to start reading.

Second, Christina Dodd's latest romantic suspense novel, Because I'm Watching, is out in paperback. This is one of the best romantic suspense novels I've ever read, and definitely topped my favorites of 2016 list when it came out in hardcover last year. If you enjoy movies like Rear Window, this book is for you.

Enjoy...and stay tuned for news on Lina Cornaro's story. Release date info coming soon!

 

Goodreads Q & A with Emily March and Christina Dodd

Fans of Emily March's romance novels, including her popular Eternity Springs series, have an active discussion group on Goodreads. The group is open to anyone on Goodreads, and they're about to start reading the compilation Family Secrets, which features one novel each from Emily, Christina Dodd, and me. (A great deal at only $5.99 for three full-length stories!)

Starting this week, Christina and I are joining Emily's group to answer reader questions. We'd love to have you participate! If you've never read a book from Emily or Christina before, this is a great opportunity to discover a new-to-you author.

To participate, or just to read along, visit the group page, then scroll down to Family Secrets.

If you're not yet a Goodreads member, joining is free and easy. The site is a gold mine of information for book lovers. You can find reviews, chat groups, reading suggestions, and more. Reading isn't limited to paperbacks and ebooks, either...even audiobooks are actively discussed.

I look forward to seeing you there!

The Process, Part II

This is part two in a three-part blog about my writing process.  Here's the link to The Process, Part I, where I discuss how my stories originate.

Once or twice a year, I get together with friends and fellow authors Christina Dodd, Emily March, and Susan Sizemore for what we call plot group. We meet for three days. Before we get together, we send each other lists of our upcoming projects and we set up a schedule of what we want to plot. This is when I pull out my idea file. I might send the others an email along the lines of, "I'd like to plot a new Royal Scandals book. Here are the characters I have in mind..." and I'll send along what details I have. I'll also say, "here's what I have so far on the book" and include several plot points I've fleshed out from my idea file.

Plot group in Sonoma, California, with (l to r): Christina Dodd, Emily March, Susan Sizemore, me

When we get together, we take turns brainstorming each other's books. Now, this isn't WRITING each other's books...far from it. It's talking through them aloud, discussing different possibilities for the plots, fleshing out the reasons characters might make certain choices, and anticipating problems. Each of us have written books that are part of series, and we're familiar with each other's works, so sometimes we'll be discussing a plot point and someone will say, "If you do X, won't it be in conflict with what you wrote in the third book in the series, where Y happened?"

In the end, we come up with major plot points. Often times, the finished book will deviate greatly from what we plotted. The purpose of plot group is to help each author brainstorm different ways their story could be written. I can't tell you how many times I'll read a book we discussed at plot group and discover that it's nothing like what we discussed! On the other hand, I can usually see how the finished product evolved from the concepts we tossed around, which is fascinating.

We do have a few rules for plot group. First, the author is the arbiter of all. If the author whose story we're discussing doesn't like what we're brainstorming, or the direction feels wrong, out the window it goes, no matter how great the idea. I've frequently said, "That would make a killer book, but the character I have in mind wouldn't do that. Instead, I want to explore this direction...." Second, if a story idea isn't working, we put it aside for another day. We frequently start discussing a story, get stumped, then discuss it again a few hours later and have several solutions to the earlier problem. Third, we need good food. When we're together, it's work, not social hour, tempting as it is to kick back and shoot the breeze. We need to feed our brains to be productive and focused.

During breaks, we each hide out in our rooms and write. We tape record our discussions and listen to them, either between sessions or on our flights home, so we can get back to each other with questions. At that point, each of us is on our own to put meat on the bones of the story.

Next, in The Process, Part III, I'll tackle the hard part: producing pages and editing.

The Process, Part I

The question I'm most frequently asked is, "When will your next book be out?" Usually, I have an easy answer. However, a close second would be any of a dozen variations on, "What is your writing process?" In my next few blog posts, I'll tackle the answer.

First - I should note that there's no one way to write a book. Every writer I know uses a different method to get from point A to point B. I start with an out-of-the-blue idea.  It could be spurred by an overheard conversation, a snippet of a book or a movie, or an interaction I witnessed on the street or while traveling. Sometimes, believe it or not, I get ideas in dreams. Whatever the origination, the idea itself comes from asking myself, "What if?" What if that couple I overheard discussing the awful service at a restaurant vowed to take revenge on the waiter? What if the little boy I saw holding his dad's hand as they cross the street decides to find his dad a date?

From the idea file for Slow Tango With a Prince

Basically, I let my imagination run wild. I'll scribble down these snippets, then file them away. (Yes, I literally have an idea file.) However, an idea, in and of itself, isn't a complete story.

At the same time I file away possible story ideas, I think about characters. Characters often come to me the same way ideas do. I might sit up late watching SportsCenter and think, "What is day to day life like for a skiier on the World Cup circuit? Do they have difficulty maintaining relationships when they travel so much? What if they have a significant other who can't--or won't--travel with them for some reason? How would they handle it?" (That "what if?" line of thinking gave birth to Justine Cornaro, who became the heroine of The Royal Bastard.) Characters go into the idea file, too.

While I work on other projects, I let those characters and story ideas simmer in the back of my mind. From time to time, I pull out the file and add more details to the notes on certain characters or ideas.

Next time, in The Process, Part II, I'll discuss how I flesh out those ideas and characters to create actual stories. This involves my plot group, where I brainstorm with friends and fellow authors Christina Dodd, Emily March, and Susan Sizemore.

Then, in The Process, Part III, I'll tackle the hard part: producing pages and editing.

Eternity Springs

Many of you know I'm a huge fan of Emily March's Eternity Springs romance series. What I like best is that, though they're all set in the same fictional small mountain town in Colorado, the challenges the characters face and plot twists are different every time. Well-written, emotional, and fun...they're simply fantastic reads.

Right now, Goodreads is running a virtual book club for anyone interested in reading (or re-reading!) the series. There will be discussion, of course, as well as giveaways galore. Emily March herself will be checking in, so this is a great opportunity to get to know the author. Invite your romance reading friends or book club members and ENJOY! Check it out right here on Goodreads.

Black Friday Reads

For those of us in the United States, it's the Black Friday holiday...which isn't a holiday at all, but rather the Friday that happens to be tucked between Thanksgiving and the weekend.  Because many people have the day off, it becomes a natural Christmas shopping day.  Over the last decade or two, it's become a crazy shopping day, with more and more stores encouraging shoppers with sales, promotions, and extended hours.

I'm not a Black Friday shopper.  I'd much rather stay far from the crowds and read.  If you're of the same mindset, give one of these great books a try.

For a taste of holiday romance, there's  Mistletoe Mine by Emily March

Newly engaged to her college sweetheart, Molly Stapleton has one wish for her holiday wedding: get her estranged parents back together. Will they accept this last chance to renew their promises of love—and cherish the gift from the daughter who loves them both?  Available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble for only 99 cents, this is a novella you're bound to love.

For something completely off the Christmas grid, try a vampire romance.  Susan Sizemore's Primal Cravings is a fun, sexy read set in her Primes world.  If you haven't read her vampire romances, this is a great one to try.  Again, it's available from both Barnes and Noble and Amazon, and it's a full-length story for only $3.99.

If you're craving (ha...craving...I couldn't help using it again!) a romantic suspense, some of my faves are from Christina Dodd.  Her classic novel Lady In Black features a straitlaced lady butler, a powerful billionaire, kidnapping, scads of conflict, and some steamy scenes in a shower.

You can find it by following these links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Many of you know that I'm a sucker for historical romances of all kinds.  Though it's not out for a few weeks, I've already preordered a copy of Elizabeth Boyle's upcoming story If Wishes Were Earls, which is the third story in her popular Rhymes With Love series (no worries about reading earlier books to follow the story, though...you can read them in any order.)

Amazon has it on sale right now for only $4.74 for the Kindle version (though it could pop up to regular price at any time) and it's $4.99 for Nook at Barnes and Noble.

Finally, I've become completely addicted to author Julie Anne Long's Pennyroyal Lane historical romances.  The latest (and so far, my favorite!) is It Happened One Midnight.  Devastatingly romantic and very well-written, it'll make you a Julie Anne Long fan, too.  You can find it for only $4.74 for Kindle and $4.99 for Nook.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with great books...whether you choose to shop from home, or face the crazy crowds!

Game One

I couldn't let the day go by without posting my pick for this year's World Series. Not only do I think the Texas Rangers will win, I think they'll win in five. (I'm tempted to say they'll win in four, but I'll hedge.) Though I'm obviously unhappy that my Rockies and Red Sox didn't make an appearance this year, I'm thrilled for the Rangers. I love seeing a team that's never been to the Series make it all the way.

I'm also cheering for the Rangers this year because they're the longtime favorite team of my writing buddy Emily March. Emily is a pen name of author Geralyn Dawson--if you're a fan of western romances or romantic suspense, search out her books written as Geralyn Dawson. They're phenomenal.

Geralyn's first book as Emily March, Angel's Rest, hits the stands in February. I've had an early look, and it's definitely worth pre-ordering.  (And if you like Colorado settings, as I do, then you're in for a real treat.)

In the meantime, Go Rangers!