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6/24/2008
TODAY IS THE DAY
Today's the day...THE LAST VAMPIRE is in bookstores. At least it says it's in 4 of my 6 local Borders stores when I look it up at Bordersstores.com. I'm about to find out in person. My critique buddies are going to make sure of it. They're taking me to the flagship Borders downtown to buy books, then to lunch to celebrate. I thought it might be fun to tell you how it went, so I will add to this blog entry later.
To my chagrin, I have found myself obsessed with THE LAST VAMPIRE online over the past few weeks. I set a Google Alert to see what people were saying about it. Nearly every day I googled it to see what new reviews popped up. Obviously obsessions can be time-consuming...
What has obsessed you lately? Have you found yourself doing anything unusual when suddenly you have an interest you can't put to rest?
Until later...
Okay, so it's later, and my celebratory day is not yet done. My critgroup and I went to the flagship Borders and bought all but one copy of the book. They forced me to talk to the manager about doing "an event." Ack. I like my secret identity on the Internet. Having to appear in public--unless it's at a writers' conference--gives me the hives. Afterward, we went to The Grand Luxe for lunch. Champagne and duck potstickers and a Southwestern salad later, I was stuffed. But had a bit of dark chocolate cake. We got one for the table and I still ended up bringing half home.
Now I'm off to meet my writing partner Marc for margaritas and another bookstore or two...fingers crossed the bookstores actually have the books.
More later...
So the margaritas were great (as usual), and the trips to the bookstores were fun. B & N didn't have books out and I feared they weren't carrying it so we sought out the manager, who looked it up and said they had it, but it was still in the store room. The Borders did have the book on the shelf -- one left. So it was a successful, fun but tiring day. Now to get back to normal.
Good reading,
Patricia
Posted by Patricia Rosemoor, author of The Last Vampire on 6/24/2008
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Comments:
Happy release day, Patricia. Lately I've been obsessed with finding and reading Kay Hooper's backlist. I discovered her last year and was surprised that her older books fall into the romance category instead of suspense.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/24/2008
I am obsessed with reading lately. I avoid what I need to do and spend the time reading. I have also pieced a couple of quilts lately but had to make myself get them done.
Posted by Virginia Horton on 6/24/2008
Congratulations on the release of "The Last Vampire". Hope you enjoyed the day and found lots of copies of your book on the shelves.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/24/2008
Congratulations on your release!! The food sounds delicious from earlier and I hope you have a good time when you meet up with Marc. LOL on the "event", I too hate things like that.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/24/2008
Congratulations on your new release! I’ve been waiting for it to hit our catalog and I’m sure it won’t be long, I’m making it a “must read” on my list!
Posted by Sherry Dickens on 6/26/2008
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6/23/2008
Long Strange Journey Into Night
I think I may have mentioned once or twice (or fifty-seven times) by now that my first book is out this month. After reading so many authors' stories about their first sales over the years, I thought I might share mine now that I have one. It's been a long road to seeing this book in print, with plenty of missteps along the way, and I've learned some important lessons that likely are worth sharing for any other aspiring writers out there, so no one else makes the same mistakes I did.
Lesson 1: Know Your Market
I started writing Strangers in the Night as an Intrigue in early 2001. Well, technically, I started writing an earlier version, with the same title, a woman named Allie Freeman, and the fire escape scene that currently appears in Chapter Three (but was part of the opening scene of that book) in late 2000. When I couldn't get that story to work, I came up with the premise for this version. I wrote the first several chapters, then started to have all these ideas about extra complications and plot twists. This was a premise that seemed to lend itself rather easily to expansion, so I decided to explore some of the other characters and scenarios that could be involved with this storyline and reworked the plot into a single-title romantic suspense.
This was foolish, considering I had four connected stories in mind that were not single-title ideas and which I wouldn't be able to use if this book sold. But, giddy with inspiration, I decided to follow my wayward muse, adding another major villain, a complete secondary romance, several more layers of conspiracy, additional plot twists, and many more characters. It was my attempt to write the kind of thriller (interestingly enough given how it was ultimately published) I always enjoyed, where a large cast of characters is introduced, but the connections between them are only gradually revealed until all the storylines suddenly collide and the big picture becomes clear. I loved the story, and it was a new challenge for me, but ultimately, I probably should have thought better of it and stuck with targeting Intrigue.
Lesson 2: Stick Up For Yourself
In the fall of 2001, real life intruded and brought my writing to a standstill for a while. I did manage to finish a different manuscript, which was lighter fare and better suited my mood at the time, early the next year. I was able to land an agent with that manuscript, but the book didn't sell. In 2003, I finally finished Strangers. I loved it and really had high hopes for it. I sent it to my agent...who sat on it, as well as the next two manuscripts I sent her over the next year, and never bothered submitting them anywhere. It took me a ridiculously long time to press the issue with her, because I was new to the process and wasn't sure how it was supposed to work and didn't want to be a pain. Was I just supposed to wait for her to get in touch? Maybe she was only supposed to talk to me when she had something to report? This was dumb, because an agent's supposed to work for the writer. After many months of not hearing from her, I called and left a message. No response. Several months and two more unreturned messages later, I finally took the hint and terminated the relationship, having wasted two years since Strangers was finished.
Lesson 3: Believe in Your Work, Because If You Don't, It's Not Like Anyone Else Will
After parting ways with the agent, I submitted the two other books she'd sat on, since both were targeted to Harlequin and I didn't need an agent to submit them. When neither of them sold, I started to wonder if she was right and I simply sucked (not that she said as much, but that did seem to be the unspoken message). I figured I'd need an agent to submit Strangers as a single-title, and didn't really want to begin the process of trying to find one again, so I set it aside, accepting that it was likely doomed to never see the light of day.
I spent most of 2006 pushing a few projects along, not really sure what I was doing or what direction my writing should be taking. When my RWA membership came up for renewal in early 2007, I let it lapse, because there didn't seem to be much point in having it, since I wasn't submitting anything. A few months later, I finally grew tired of seeing the Strangers manuscript sitting there collecting dust, so I picked it up and gave it a read, and rediscovered just how much I liked this story all over again. I really wanted to send it out, but the idea of trying to find an agent again gave me heartburn. It occurred to me that if I cut all the subplots and characters I'd added, it might still work for Intrigue. I really loved the main subplot and hated the idea of losing it, but I had to admit I would love being published even more than I loved the subplot.
So, I started cutting. Goodbye, additional villain. Goodbye, secondary romance. Goodbye, extra layers of conspiracy and complications. It wasn't easy. The main characters' storyline remained intact for the most part, with a few exceptions (two entire chapters involving a long sequence at a truck stop and the aftermath were cut entirely; some chapters and scenes were consolidated--if I ever get my act together and launch a website I may post some of them as "extras"). The bigger challenge was streamlining everything around them in a way that the plot still made sense, cutting all the extra complications I'd added along the way without losing any necessary details. Characters were either cut or combined, certain motivations were changed, several scenes and a few plot developments unfold differently. Ultimately, though, 90% of what appears in the final product is as it was in the long version.
When I was done, I had...well, basically the book it was originally intended to be (albeit a shorter version, since Intrigues are shorter than they used to be). I sent a query letter and synopsis. Two weeks later I received a request for the manuscript. After one last pass (to eliminate yet another character), I sent it off. Two months after that, I got the call that Intrigue wanted to buy it. Which was both exciting and a little depressing. After all, did this mean I could have sold the book years ago if I'd just cut and submitted it back then? Or, even worse, if I'd just finished it this way six years earlier?
Of course, if I had sold it earlier, I wouldn't have gotten to work with my editor, who made some judicious changes that improved the book in several ways. And I wouldn't have gotten to be part of the Thriller promotion with Ann Voss Peterson, Dana Marton and Jessica Andersen. So maybe it happened when it was supposed to. It's certainly more comforting to think so than otherwise.
And so, at long last, I give you Strangers in the Night. I'm glad to see a story I really loved writing finally see the light of day in any form. Better yet, after sending off the manuscript, I dug back into my intended plans for the connected stories and, with a few tweaks to make it more current, had a first draft for the next book finished by the time they called to buy the first one. The second sold not long afterward (Beautiful Stranger, coming in October 2008). Hopefully many more will follow. I may have hit some potholes and taken some unfortunate detours along the way (and believe me, the above is just what I encountered related to this book), but in the end, I arrived where I wanted to be, writing for Intrigue.
Posted by Kerry Connor, author of Strangers in the Night on 6/23/2008
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Comments:
Kerry---congratulations on your first book and your perseverence and keep on writing. Maybe you had to go through all the problems and years of frustration in order to grow to a point where you were really ready to take a chance on a book you loved.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/23/2008
Thanks for sharing, Kerry!
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/23/2008
Congrats on your first book, Kerry!
May there be many more.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/23/2008
Congrats on your first release earlier this month, Kerry.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/23/2008
Wow, Kerry - what a "journey to published" story! Congratulations!
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/23/2008
Congratulations Kerry on your first release, and thank you for sharing your road to getting it this far. Again A big Congrats!
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/24/2008
Kerry, your book just arrived and I’ve checked it out today and tomorrow is my day off! You don’t have to guess at what I’ll be reading tomorrow morning, it looks very good!
Posted by Sherry Dickens on 6/26/2008
Kerry, what a whopping big story in a little paperback! I loved it! You mentioned in your dedication your gratitude for everyone who said that they enjoyed your work, and that you suspected that some were just being kind. I don’t think they were being kind, I think they were being honest! I look forward to reading your future work "Beautiful Stranger".
Posted by Sherry Dickens on 6/27/2008
I can't believe it's taken me this long to check the comments! Thanks for all the congratulations, everyone. Sherry, thank you for the kind words. I'm thrilled you enjoyed the book.
Posted by Kerry Connor on 7/1/2008
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6/21/2008
The life of a disciplined author, uh sure
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What do you do when your book is overdue by a couple of weeks and you don't know how the book ends? You have a garage sale! You see there were these boxes. Tons of them. Some hadn't been opened since we moved the time before last -- almost ten years before. And this last move was completely crazy. One day we just decided to chuck it all, move to a small town in the middle of nowhere and live a simplier life. Uh huh, sure. I had two garage sales before we left but somehow we ended up moving a million boxes. They filled the basement (it's a huge basement in a big old rambling stone house). Seventeen months later I'm tripping over boxes and wondering where this or that was. My plan had been to unload a box a day. Right. So one Saturday I just tore in. I could barely make it back up the stairs when I'd finished. Where had we gotten all this STUFF and why? I know, it's insane to have a garage sale when I should be finishing my book. You're in trouble? Why not spend a few back-breaking days cleaning out the basement and throwing a garage sale? Where does that crazy thinking come from???? I have a theory that when I'm in trouble, I like to make things worse. But it does have a happy ending. The STUFF is gone. I have a basement and I found all the missing GOOD stuff I can't part with. :) And I figured out the ending of the book and got it in the mail yesterday. So please. Tell me I'm not the only one who takes on something to avoid something else. And people think us writers are so disciplined. Ha!
Posted by B.J. Daniels, author of Second Chance Cowboy on 6/21/2008
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Comments:
The theory is that if you are stuck on something (like how to end a book) you need to get your mind off it and on something else (like cleaning out the basement and throwing a garage sale) and you subconcious mind works out an solution. So you get a clean basement, money from garage sale, and an ending to your book!!!!
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/21/2008
Although I am not a writer, I find that like you if I am trying to figure out something - and am getting more frustrated with it - I will tackle somethng totally unrelated. I think it is a way to let my subconscious work on it and nine times out of ten when I come back to what I was avoiding or trying to figure out it just falls into place. It is a way of taking the stress out of a situation for me.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/21/2008
At least you were productive during this time. You freed up some space and made a couple of bucks.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/21/2008
I get really good at cleaning the bathroom and the closets when I get stuck in my manuscripts. :)
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/21/2008
Ellen, you are so right! It really was a win-win situation. I just hope my editor thinks so. :)
Posted by B.J. Daniels on 6/21/2008
I wouldn't suggest garage sales as stress relievers. :) Actually, it was kinda fun. And we did make a bunch of $$$. :) And it's done! I swear I felt 10 lbs. lighter. As you guys said, switching gears isn't always bad. Lexi, I had to laugh about bathrooms and closets. When I've really stuck on a book...I've found myself cleaning the toilets. That's when I really know I'm in trouble. :) Thanks all!
Posted by B.J. Daniels on 6/21/2008
This is hilarious - but true! I send really long, detailed emails when I'm procrastinating. I knit when I'm stuck. I find the repetitive motion frees up some part of my brain that works on books, and if nothing else, I have something to show for my progress!
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/22/2008
Whew, talking about some major avoidance! But see, your subconscious was steadily working on the problem. All that and some $$$, too. That's great!
LindaC
Posted by Linda Campbell on 6/22/2008
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6/20/2008
Vein of Gold
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I decided I didn't have quite enough to do so last weekend, a friend and I hosted a writing mini-retreat. She and I put the program together and took care of the food and held the retreat at our houses. We live close together so we had a 'movable feast.'
I chose to discuss Julia Cameron's Vein of Gold. I get a lot of inspiration for writing from movies-- Story ideas, turns of phrase, a different way of resolving a situation, even down to facial expressions. So Cameron's book was right up my alley. She delves into our deepest fears, desires, and dreams by analyzing the themes of our favorite movies.
It didn't take me long to list my five all-time favorite movies. That was the easy part. Harder was to pull out the deeper theme that runs through them.
Here are my faves---
--Midnight Cowboy
--Good Will Hunting
--The Matador
--Phantom of the Opera (A.L. Weber's)
--The Scarlet Pimpernel
The obvious themes I could see were male bonding and masks/hidden identity. Hmmmm.
Hidden Identity -- great for writing Intrigues.
Male Bonding -- not so much.
Well, as happens to me so very often, I needed other people to hand me my deeper theme. Just as I could immediately spot it for others. A very astute and insightful member of our writing group saw it immediately.
All my movies featured unconventional/unique heroes, whose actions and motivations don't fit the usual hero mold. In each movie the hero makes a conscious sacrifice for the sake of another. And in each movie, the hero exposes his deepest fear for the sake of another. .
Wow. All I can say is-- yep. Those are my heroes, all right.
Here's a question for you.
Have you ever thought about your favorite movies, and why they're your favorites? Maybe you can tap into your vein of gold by pinpointing the deeper theme in your favorite movies, books or TV shows.
Happy writing and reading,
Mallory
Posted by Mallory Kane, author of The Heart of Brody McQuade on 6/20/2008
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Comments:
Very interesting, Mallory! I'll have to go back and see if I can figure out why my favorites are my favorites...besides the hot actors in them.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/20/2008
Oh, well . . . hot actors! :)
Posted by Mallory Kane on 6/20/2008
I don't watch movies even on TV (my attention span is too short, I think) I don't know what my TV watching says about me but my favorites are crime shows (not just the fiction ones like CSI but he real ones like Forensic Files, The Investigators (the shows that are on TRU TV).
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/20/2008
Most of my favorite movies fall under the category of action/adventure like LOTR, Pirates of the Caribbean. I also love movies based on comics.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/20/2008
I just saw Iron Man this afternoon, and I realized I really like comic book movies too--superheroes, anti-heroes, larger-than-life heroes. Maybe the comic book heroes appeal because they're more black and white, with fewer grey areas than more true-to-life heroes. Although I gotta say I loved Iron Man's deeper self--once we got to it.
Mallory
Posted by Mallory Kane on 6/20/2008
I am not much of a movie watcher, I can't remember when I went to a theatre last. When I do watch movies - I just discovered by thinking about it that they are all over the place and no specific pattern.....like The Wild Hogs, Snow Buddies, Pirates of the Carribean, etc. So not sure what that would say I was tapping.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/21/2008
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6/18/2008
Summer Plans
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The cover of my September release, SHEIK PROTECTOR, is up on BarnesandNoble.com. I love it!!! You can see the scars on the hero's back. A very nice back, BTW. :-) I can't wait until that book is out in the stores.
I'm so glad summer is finally here. I'm planning to chill, for the most, write a brand new Intrigue with a prince hero, and read, read, read.
Nothing huge is planned as far as vacations go. Next week we are going on a 3 day hike. As in hike during the day, sleep in a comfy hotel at night. I'm so not the camping type. I never slept in a tent in my life, and now that the dog ate my husband's tent last year, I won't ever have to!!!
Then towards the end of summer, we'd like to go for a week long retreat to a place that does all organic cooking (can choose between cave man cooking or vegeterian or a couple of other things) and you get free cooking classes with your stay as well as a whole detox program for your body while you are there. I think it should be fun.
I also hope to do some swimming at our lake and cayaking in between getaways. That's it.
Oh, and I'll keep posting the chapters to the FREE book that I have up on my web site. I'm up to chapter nine now, and I've been getting great feedback. I sooo love this book! If you read it, let me know what you think.
What are your summer plans?
Dana
Posted by Dana Marton, author of 72 HOURS on 6/18/2008
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I don't have any plans for the summer yet. I would love to go camping one day. I never went as a kid.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/18/2008
I am staying home and working in my yard.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/18/2008
Sounds like you have a great summer planned, Dana. I have no plans for the summer except to stay close to home.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/18/2008
I want to travel. I'd like to go to Michigan and the over to Niagara Falls and Virginia and just sort of wander around the US and maybe even into Canada. But two things are creating problems--the weather and gas prices!!!
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/18/2008
We are staying close to home and finishing some home improvement projects.
Posted by Crystal Broyles on 6/19/2008
I finally got a look at the cover of SHEIK PROTECTOR and it is a really fantastic cover. Looking forward to reading it.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/19/2008
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6/17/2008
STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
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Only one week to go...
Yep, a week from today—that’s June 24th—Del Rey will release THE LAST VAMPIRE. My critique partners are planning on taking me to brunch and bookstores that day. And if the book isn’t on the shelves, one of the women is threatening to make a scene. Oh, boy, my ears are burning already. Nevertheless, it’s great to have the support of four strong, talented women, and not just in writing but in life. Kind of reminds me of the relationship of the women in Sex and the City...
My critique partners have supported me for many years, through all the changes in my career. They also read and critiqued most of THE LAST VAMPIRE and gave my writing partner and me great notes. I count on them to let me know if something doesn’t work. And I’m really lucky, because they have a way of making me figure out how to improve whatever I’m working on.
Despite all that, my nerves are jumping...
You would think that with so many books under my belt, I wouldn’t be nervous just because I have something new coming out. That’s the thing—THE LAST VAMPIRE is really new. A new publisher, a new genre—rather a combinations of genres—a new way of writing with a partner. It’s also new inthat it’s the first in a series -with- the same main characters.
I imagine most authors feel the same when they step out of their comfort zones. We need to please our agent, our publisher, our editor, the critics. And most of all, we need to please our readers. THE LAST VAMPIRE may be different than my Intrigues, but I also tried to make it the same in the way it most counts for the reader—creating characters the readers will care about and a romantic relationship they’ll want to see succeed. So I’m going to try to be positive and just calm down. I’ve been working on something else that’s new-new and I’ve been taking myself out in the garden to read—a great distraction.
Is there anything that takes you out of your comfort zone? What jangles your nerves and how do you deal with it?
Good reading,
Patricia
Posted by Patricia Rosemoor, author of The Last Vampire on 6/17/2008
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Comments:
Oh, I can't wait for The Last Vampire, Patricia! I know it's going to be fabulous. As for your comfort zone question, I decided a while ago to try to regularly put myself in situations that are outside my comfort zone. I think coping skills are like a muscle. We need to exercise them. The only way to do that is to test ourselves. Scary, but there's nothing more invigorating than overcoming fear.
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/17/2008
I get nervous when I have to speak in front of a large group of people.
Posted by Jaci C. on 6/17/2008
The thing that takes me out of my comfort zone is coming into a room where I know no one. I also hate to be called upon to give my thoughts on something and have everyone looking at you. I deal with it by trying to block it out, but it is somehing that I try to avoid. I really, really do not like to have attention drawn to me.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/17/2008
This may sound a little strange but despite the fact that I taught school for 35 years, I am out of my comfort zone if I have to speak before a group of people especially if I don't know them. Also I don't like meeting groups of people that I don't know.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/18/2008
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6/16/2008
And We Have a Winner...!
Woo-hoo! Can you believe it? In just over six months, we've hit the 10,000 mark here at the Intrigue Authors blog. Here's a big shout-out to all the readers and aspiring authors who posted comments and questions and helped make that happen--thank you!
So here's what you're waiting to hear. Drum roll, please. Our #10,000 winner is:
Kayla Kerns!
Congratulations, Kayla! You're the winner of 10 books from the Intrigue Authors.
And, to help mark the event--especially since so many of you posted this weekend--we decided to send two runners-up a single book. So, our runners up are
Lexi Connor and Ellen McDaniel.
Congratulations to our winners!! Just send me an email with your name and address to and we'll get your prizes mailed out.
And for those of you who might not have won this time, please stay with us because on July 1st, we'll be starting our Sizzling Summer Blog Blitz, right here on the Intrigue Authors Blog. We'll have new posts every day throughout July--and be giving away a book a day! Hope to see you in July!
(p class="blog">In the meantime, Happy Reading!
Posted by Julie Miller, author of Protective Instincts on 6/16/2008
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Comments:
Errr. Okay, my email link didn't show up. But you can cut and paste it here: sjmiller87@charter.net. Thanks!
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/16/2008
Congratulations Kayla....since you are new to Intrigues this is a fantastic opportunity to read a lot and learn about them.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/16/2008
Congrats Kayla! You've got a great reading ride ahead of you!
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/16/2008
Yay! I love winning! Congratulations to Kayla and Ellen too.And thanks!
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/16/2008
Hey, Margaret!
I think my brain's on overload. I've managed to blog twice in a week's time without actually talking about my current release. I hope you guys will check out PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS, the first book in my Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge mini-series. PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS features Sawyer Kincaid and Melissa Teague, who first appeared in UP AGAINST THE WALL last year. Her villainous, abusive ex-husband, Ace Longbow returns as well. My July book, ARMED AND DEVASTATING, features Atticus Kincaid, who appeared in NINE-MONTH PROTECTOR last year. The four-book series features the four Kincaid brothers--all cops, all determined to find out who murdered their father.
There. I got it out of my system. Now we can talk about whatever you want today :)
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/16/2008
Okay. Now my formatting's wonky again. Maybe I should just give up blogging and go back to my wip. (sigh)
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/16/2008
Congrats to the winners.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/16/2008
Wtg, winners!
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/16/2008
Congrats to the winners! I know you'll enjoy the books.
Posted by mary beth lee on 6/16/2008
Woohooooo!! Congratulations Kayla - you will get some great reading.
Congratulations also to Lexi and Ellen......
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/16/2008
I can't believe it! I am so happy! Thanks you guys for all the congrats and way to go Lexi and Ellen-congrats to you both. I love this website and being able to interact with all of you! You guys are the best! Thanks! And thanks Julie! -Kayla_
Posted by kayla kerns on 6/17/2008
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6/14/2008
The Big Event
Welcome to our 10,000 visitor blog celebration!
I’ve been thinking about celebrations a lot lately. The Wisconsin town where I live is having a festival today. Restaurants are opening their doors and giving out samples. Bands are playing on street corners and at a large concert in a farm field. Trolleys are trundling up and down streets, shuttling people to races and fire engine rides and an antique car show. The organizers are calling this “The Big Event.” It’s a real Midwestern summer shindig.
But it has gotten me thinking.
What’s in a name? As authors, we agonize over book titles on a regular basis. And lucky for us, Intrigue’s Senior Editor has a knack for great titles and bails us out when our titles lack a certain something. But how about the titles of these summer celebrations? “The Big Event” seems a little generic, don’t you think? Sure it’s big, and it’s an event (or many events, technically). But can we be a little more creative here?
The festival at the end of summer is called “The Good Neighbor Festival.” Now, I love that. It sounds deliciously dorky. Very Wisconsin. That’s a name I’d use for a fictitious festival in one of my books. Another nearby town calls their festival, “The Summer Frolic.” Whenever I hear that name, I think of May poles and men dressed in tights, straight out of “The Safety Dance” music video from the 1980s. Makes me smile just thinking about it (yes, now you can probably guess my age).
So here’s a question about celebrations. Do you have any festivals in your area? What are they called?
The more comments, the more you will help us reach -and exceed- 10,000 visitors! And those of you who don’t win this time, remember our blog’s next “Big Event” during the entire month of July!
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson, author of Wyoming Manhunt on 6/14/2008
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Comments:
Texas has Juneteenth, which as a transplant of 7 years, I'm still not sure what it celebrates!
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/14/2008
In my hometown in Missouri, they celebrate Kingdom Days for a weekend in the summer. It's a geographic/historical reference--Callaway County declared themselves a "kingdom" during the Civil War in an effort to stay out of the war (they ended up fighting, anyway)--but the nickname "Kingdom of Callaway" stuck. Hence, Kingdom Days.
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/14/2008
My town has "Bay Fest" which is appropriate because the town is on a bay. We also have Buccannear Days where the mayor is made to walk the plank of a pirate ship also appropriate because there is a history of pirate land in this area.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/14/2008
OOPS - meant to tell Lex and everyone that Juneteenth is in celebration of the Texas freeing its slaves on June 19. It has become a nation wide celebration in around 30 states.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/14/2008
Our area has built up alot in the last few years and since that has happened there are alot of art festivals. I dont remember that ever happening before here, but now they are all the time. In the next town the houses are now a piece of art (one is even painted pink with white polka dots)
Posted by Karrie Millheim on 6/14/2008
I don't know of any specific festivals, but something is always going on in NY. It seems like there's a parade every other weekend.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/14/2008
We have the Hotter 'N Hell 100K bikerace in August, Falls Fest in October and Christmas Magic in November. We used to have Spring Fling in May, but it didn't keep interest as the years passed. In December we have City Lights downtown where they light the Christmas lights. The than Hotter N Hell, one of our biggest events is the Texas Ranch Roundup in August, too. It's great fun!
Posted by mary beth lee on 6/14/2008
I don't know if Omaha has a celebration (how sad is that) but I'm from Iowa and we had this cool bike ride every summer, organized by a columnist from the Des Moines Register. It was called Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI (rag-bri). It was a rolling party of truly stupendous proportions.
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/14/2008
Thanks, Ellen!
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/14/2008
Love some of these names! I just returned from taking my youngest to a birthday party, and I was about to check out the Big Event, but it's raining. Storming. Hailing. If any of you are following the news in Wisconsin (where I live), it's all about the flooding. Houses washed away. Crops ruined. Interstate highways under water. And now we have even more rain! Maybe we should have a celebration called "Ark Days."
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
We celebrate Juneteenth too, Lexi. I don't know if it's an official holiday up here, though. And I know what you mean about the surge of art festivals, Karrie. We have a lot of them here as well. The biggest has been around for quite a while, though. It's held near my birthday and called "Art Fair on the Square" (because it's on the state capitol square). RAGBRAI, that's an interesting name, er acronym, Margaret. Sound like something the military would come up with. LOL! We have a big foot race called "Crazylegs." It's named after "Crazylegs" Hirsch who used to play football for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
I got caught in the middle of one of your big NY celebrations, Jane. I met with my (now) literary agent for the first time on St. Patrick's Day. Unfortunately my hotel was on one side of the parade route and my agency is located on the other. I took a cab to the meeting, and it took forever. I walked back to my hotel, which was very fun. And A LOT cheaper!
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
I love Kingdom Days, Julie. And the Hotter 'N Hell bike race? That's funny, Mary Beth! And Ellen, the whole idea of making the mayor walk the plank during Buccanneer Days sounds like it's out of a novel. I love that. I want to use that. Can you imagine? The event could go horribly wrong and end up with the mayor murdered and the heroine suspected of the crime. Sorry. I got carried away there for a moment.
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
Oh, and happy Flag Day, everyone!
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
My small town has a festival called Gay 90's Days.
Everyone dresses up in clothes from the 1890's and there is a parade and an old car run.
There are food booths and beer gardens.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/14/2008
Ann, they say authors use what happens around them or what they over hear to write a story so feel free to have the mayor walk the plank and die. LOL
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/14/2008
Oh, I love costume stuff, Estella! What a great festival. That sounds like so much fun, and what a great atmosphere for an old time festival!
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
Thanks, Ellen! LOL! That is the way writers' minds work, though. Everything is a potential story. And it isn't necessarily something we can control. It's a lot of fun. But sometimes it would be nice to live life in the moment, instead of having the imagination take off on some detail or another. Oh well, I think I'll concentrate on the fun part. ;)
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/14/2008
We have the Calgary Stampede for 10 days at the beginning of July. We lead off with a parade on Friday through downtown on the parade route. Then the City throws the biggest party. We have the Stampede Grounds with all kinds of displays from all over, the Agriculture Building, the rodeo infield events every afternoon, the chuckwagon races and Grandstand show every night. Indians and their culture is featured at the grounds. Cowboys come from all over to compete for the biggest prizes awarded on the last day. All over the City they have Stampede breakfasts and entertainment. We have other little things going on during the year, but that is the Big Event.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/14/2008
They have a Big Brass Band festival in a town about 3 miles from me and of course they have a Big Brass Band. Also there is a reinactment of the Battle of Perryville, which is a battle faught during the Civil war. Perryville KY is about 15 miles from where I live.
Posted by Virginia Horton on 6/15/2008
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6/13/2008
MILESTONE!! CELEBRATE WITH US!!!!
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Good morning. It's Friday the 13th. Don't you love it?
Did you know that the fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia? I didn't, until I looked it up. Apparently all of those letters are Greek words meaning "Friday" and "thirteen" attached to "phobia." But I digress.
What I really want to talk about today is Milestones.
The Heart of Brody McQuade is my 15th book for Intrigue. That doesn't sound like a lot of books to some of my author friends who have whooshed past me like the rabbit passing the tortoise in the race, but to me it's an exciting number.
And of course, speaking of milestones...
As Dana mentioned yesterday, sometime today or maybe tomorrow...
We will pass the 10,000 mark of commenters posting on our blog.
Commenters! That's YOU!
To celebrate 10,000 comments, we plan to give away up to 10 books!
This also will be a good lead-in to our July Sizzling Summer Blog Blitz.
So here's my question for you.
You visit the Intrigue blog. Many of you are loyal fans who keep coming back to see what's up with us Intrigue authors.
What are you hoping to read when you visit the blog? Tidbits of everyday life? News from the authors? What we're working on now (that won't be out until next year some time?) Writing tips, tricks and travails?
Everybody pitch in and answer. Like I mentioned above--up to 10 books will be given away this week in celebration of our 10,000th commenter.
Happy Friday the 13th!
Posted by Mallory Kane, author of The Heart of Brody McQuade on 6/13/2008
Enter comments
Comments:
I actually love the insights into personal life the most, and would really enjoy more writing tips, too.
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/13/2008
I like the progress reports of what all of my favorite authors are working on, but I especially love the writing tips, tricks, and travails.
LindaC
Posted by Linda Campbell on 6/13/2008
Happy 15th Intrigue, Mallory!
When I visit this blog, I like to read all the things you mentioned. I like having the chance to get to know the authors.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/13/2008
I've never really believed in bad things happening on Friday 13th but maybe they do to some people.
I read this blog for a lot of things....tidbits of every day life, news from authors, what you all are working one, what's coming up soon (not the same as what you all are working on).
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/13/2008
I love the Intrigue line!! And I get the books each month.
I'd love to know more about the authors and little tidbits of things to come. Whether it's books, contests, chats, whatever.
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
Since discovering the Intrigue blog, I keep coming back because of the variety of subjects that you as Authors carry on the blog. I like to read about books that are upcoming and how they might tie into other books you have written or might be a series, and the premise beind the series. I also like to have a glimpse at what made an Author write a particular story or series. The tidbits of what is happening in your world is neat because you see that you have the same trials and things that we might be facing as well, and that in actuality we are not all that different. It is also great that you all hang out with us.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/13/2008
I like to know more about my favorite authors and news of books. I also like the conversation that goes on
Posted by Karrie Millheim on 6/13/2008
Wow. Interesting--the things folks enjoy reading about. I'm always interested in what other people are doing, but it never occurs to me that anyone would want to know what I'm doing.
So, tomorrow a friend and I are hosting a mini-retreat for our writers' group. Morning will be in Lorraine's garden (in her gazebo.) And the afternoon session will be in my sunroom. It should be a lot of fun. And I've found that preparing a program teaches me a LOT.------------------------------
By the way, check out my upcoming books page for my new cover - for SOLVING THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER, out in September 2008.
Posted by Mallory Kane on 6/13/2008
Thanks Mallory I'll be sure and check out that cover!
Have a great time tommorrow with your writers' group. It sounds nice.
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
When I visit this blog I hope to read about all of the things you mentioned.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/13/2008
Mallory.....since you will be outside tomorrow I am wishing you and those meeting with you tomorrow a great day and no rain and not too hot.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/13/2008
WOW - I went to your website to see your new cover and they really did a good job matching what you wanted. Lucky you. Sure is a good looking guy.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/13/2008
I like coming to the Intrigue blog because there are clear, concise postings about the writers and the books that they write. I can gain insight into what prompted a particular story, how the kernel of an idea grew into a full-fledged Intrigue, plus the writer tips are useful to me. The books are just also just fun to read. Congratulations on reaching the 10,00 mark. That's so cool.
Posted by Kathy Sullivan on 6/13/2008
I like to read about the mundane aspects of everyday life and news about current and upcoming books. It's also nice to know what the author is working on and what they they do for fun.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/13/2008
Interesting question. I like everything about the blog. It's nice that there's so much variety here.
Posted by mary beth lee on 6/13/2008
I look forward to the little glimpses into the everyday life of the authors. I also like to see what stories we can watch for in the future, even if it does always seem like such a long wait.
Posted by Cheryl S. on 6/13/2008
I am new to the Intrigue blog, but what I am most interested in are writing tips and progress reports of the Authors, I also enjoy when the authors share their thought on everyday life. Hoping to blog a lot more!
Posted by Kayla Kerns on 6/14/2008
Thanks everybody, for letting us know what you like about our Intrigue blog. All of us love hearing from readers, so keep those comments coming and maybe soon we can celebrate 20,000 comments!
Posted by Mallory Kane on 6/15/2008
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6/12/2008
10,000th VISITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are about to reach our 10,000th visitor at IntrigueAuthors.com. Thank you for visiting!!!!! I believe there'll be a special drawing during this time with prizes for people who post to the blog. So keep posting!!! (Details on prizes to follow.)
And how about coming up with 10,000 reasons to read Intrigue?! Or, okay, with as many reasons as we can :-) I'll start.
My favorite reason to read Intrigues are the tough/independent heroines who can take care of themselves. No fainting or hysterical dames here :-)
What are your reasons for reading Intrigue?
Dana
Posted by Dana Marton, author of 72 HOURS on 6/12/2008
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Comments:
I love reading Intrigues because they have the right amount of romance AND suspense.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/12/2008
Great alpha heroes and kick butt heroines and stories that keep me on the edge of my seat.
Posted by Crystal Broyles on 6/12/2008
For me, it's all about the heroes in an Intrigue. Love those guys! Larger than life. Protectors. Honorable. Hot. The fast-paced action works for me, too.
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/12/2008
The suspense is what I read Intrigues for. But the heros and heroines help also.
Getting to 10,000 visitors shows how great this blog is.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/12/2008
What Julie said, plus I like the more complicated plots...what puts the intrigue in Intrigues!
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/12/2008
I like to reading action and suspenseful romantic plots
Posted by Karrie Millheim on 6/12/2008
The fast pace. I love the edge of the seat suspense that keeps me turning pages even though it's bedtime.
Posted by mary beth lee on 6/12/2008
I love the gripping suspense and the fearless heroes and heroines.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/12/2008
I read Intrigue because of the various authors that write them.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/12/2008
I love reading Intrigues for the suspense and mystery, of course, but those alpha heros who take command of the stories are what draw me in and keep me coming back for more. Have heroines with a backbone and sass to match, ain't a bad thing, either!!!
Posted by Kathy Sullivan on 6/12/2008
Just joined your Intrigue blog. Can't wait to read all the posts!! A reason to read Intrigue: Too learn all the right ways to commit a crime...;-) ~V~
Posted by Valerie Oakleaf on 6/12/2008
I love to read Intrigues because of the suspense, and the hero and heroine. I love to try and solve the mystery aspect of it before the end of the book, but also love it that the endings are not always the way you have it figured out. Romance, suspense, mysery, what more could one ask for.....lol
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/12/2008
I love the Intrigue books because
I love the banter and other stuff :) between the heroine and hero
Nothing like a good mystery to go with a good romance
Cheers, Judith
Posted by Judith Fox on 6/13/2008
I love Intrigues for many reasons!!
A strong sexy hero for one.
A strong brave heroine! Independent women who can take care of themselves is right on the money Dana!
The right mix of suspense and romance.
Awesome set of authors!!
Love the series sets.
Oh, did I mention HOT heros! LOL
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
I love the Intrigues because of the Alpha Males and the sassy girls, who are dumb and weak, real women. I love the fast paceness of the suspense, never read books that I couldn't put down like these. The plots and characters are complicate and have depth, not the "same old-same old". I also like the realism that is written in regards to things that I have learned in school while getting my criminal justice degree, it's not too far out or off from reality. I just love the Intrigues!-Kayla
Posted by kayla kerns on 6/14/2008
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6/11/2008
I'd Like To Thank...
It was a year ago this week that I got the call that Intrigue wanted to buy my first book, and as of this week, one year later, the book is officially out in stores. I haven't actually seen it anywhere yet, but just knowing it's out there is pretty exciting, a little terrifying, and sort of bittersweet.
With any kind of achievement, there are usually people deserving acknowledgement for the part they played, big or small, in helping make it happen. When it comes to the publication of my first Intrigue, I have to mention my grandmother.
When I was younger, I often spent time with my grandparents. My grandfather, who passed away some time ago, always slipped me some spending money, which was inevitably spent on books. My grandmother would take me to this huge used bookstore and wait while I wandered the aisles far longer than necessary. It was there I first discovered Intrigues. It wasn't long before I couldn't wait for the Intrigues to appear at the used bookstore, so my grandma started picking them up new every month and would have them waiting for me, long before I could afford to buy them myself. And when I decided I wanted to try to write one of my own, she bought me a ream of 20 pound bond (because I'd heard that was what you were supposed to type on) so I could get to work on the typewriter I was using back in those days.
As the years went by (and I eventually graduated to a computer), I kept pecking away at various writing projects, though numerous distractions (high school, college...) took me away from them at times and I hit plenty of roadblocks on the road to publication. I never told anyone what I was working on, figuring there wasn't much of a point if nothing ever came of it. Even when I finally sold the book last year, I didn't tell anyone for a long time, just in case something went wrong. What if they changed their minds? What if there was a fire at the printer and every copy of the book burned up before they reached stores so it never saw the light of day? What if a computer virus erased all the computer files everywhere, plunging the world into chaos, but most importantly, deleting all the copies of my book? (Hey, I write suspense. I'm pretty good at answering the question "What's the worst thing that could happen in this situation?") I know that's silly, but having heard stories about other writers whose books were sold, only to never see the light of day due to sudden changes in the market, I figured I'd better not count on anything until I had the book in hand. Why tempt fate?
So I waited. Naturally, the person I wanted to tell most was my grandma. As the book inched closer to publication and it seemed more and more likely it was really going to happen, I decided I might as well continue to wait until I had the finished book to give her so she could see it for real. The idea of that moment got me excited just thinking about it.
In late April, shortly before the book became available online, my grandma died rather suddenly. And now she'll never know.
Oh, I suppose in some abstract, otherworldly way it's possible to think she "knows." But she certainly won't in any kind of concrete way. Given her age, I should have considered the possibility it could happen, but somehow this was one worst case scenario I never imagined. I guess there are the usual lessons to be learned here: the importance of taking advantage of moments when they arrive, the foolishness of listening to fear, the necessity of showing appreciation when you can. At the very least, I wish I'd told her that, all these years later, I finally did it.
Sorry to be such a downer, but needless to say, I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I started writing this post last month and wondered if it was too heavy. It may well be, but perhaps some things just need to be said. So here's to my grandma, without whom the book likely wouldn't exist. I wish she could have seen it. And I hope everyone out there will take the time today to remember and appreciate the people who matter most to you, if you haven't already. I'm sure everyone else is wiser than I am in that respect and already knows how we can lose these moments if we don't take advantage of them.
Posted by Kerry Connor, author of Strangers in the Night on 6/11/2008
Enter comments
Comments:
Kerry said:
"I'm sure everyone else is wiser than I am in that respect and already knows how we can lose these moments if we don't take advantage of them."
No Kerry everyone else is not wiser than you. I lost my father suddenly and I never told him a lot of things that I wanted to and it hurt that I didn't but I have to believe he knew what I wanted to tell him.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/11/2008
Kerry, I believe your grandmother knows and is very proud of you.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/11/2008
Congrats on the release, Kerry. It's beautiful that you acknowledged those who supported and inspired you.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/11/2008
Oh, Kerry, I'm so sorry! I wrote some other comments for you, but kept erasing them because I couldn't pick the right words to express my thoughts. So, I'm just sorry for you. And yes, I'm trying to live my life with the same idea-to appreciate those who matter the most to me. Life is definitely too short.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/11/2008
On a positive note, Congrats again on the book and it's now in my summer vacation reading pile!
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/11/2008
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Ellen, I'm sorry for your loss. I certainly know how you feel. Lexi, I do hope you enjoy the book.
Posted by Kerry Connor on 6/11/2008
Congratulations on your debut, Kerry. I firmly believe your grandmother knows and is very proud.
Posted by mary beth lee on 6/11/2008
Thanks, Mary Beth.
Posted by Kerry Connor on 6/12/2008
Congratulations, on your debut book hitting the shelves. I am sure that your Grandmother knows and you have to believe that. As for everyone being smarter, that is not true, I for one am not. So sorry for your loss Kerry.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/12/2008
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6/10/2008
Four Brothers of Colts Run Cross
Hi, everyone.
Hope you are all staying cool now that summer is coming on strong in lots of areas. My fourth book in the Colts Run Cross Series was just released this week, and am getting lots of email buzzing the series. So, I'm wondering. How many of you readers like multi-book series, especially those about families? Which were your favorite?
Posted by Joanna Wayne, author of Loaded on 6/10/2008
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Comments:
I love series about families. Favorites??? That hard to say. A few of my favoites: Fortune Family, Ashtons, Crystal Creek series, of course Colts Run, Wilder Family and so many more in the past that I can't remember the name of at the moment.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/10/2008
I love family series. Janelle Denisons Wilde series is my favorite.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/10/2008
Some of my favorites are Stephanie Laurens' Cynster series and Nora Roberts' Chesapeake series featuring the Quinn brothers.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/10/2008
I like series stories, but they can involve families or just friends. I also like series where the theme is carried through like with the Montana Sky series, I read a series that involved 12 brothers which was great, but I like to read the books in series one after another, so I usually will wait until I have them all. But that is just me. I have had a lot of favourites over the years and not necessarily just on families. Fortunes of Texas comes to mind as an enjoyable series.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/10/2008
I like series, too! My favorite is Linda Howard's MacKenzie clan.
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/11/2008
I love connected series books! Though as I'm going through my memory, I can't actually think of brothers beyond Linda Howard's MacKenzies. But if I can count other connections, like serving together or working for the same sheriff's dept. etc., then I'd add Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark & Dangerous series; Rachel Lee's Conard County series, and Debra Webb's Colby Agency books.
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/11/2008
I LOVE multi-book series!! You get invested into the series especially those about families. It is so very hard to say what my favorites are as I have read so many good ones!
I haven't started Colts Run Cross Series yet as I tend to wait until I have the whole series first before reading them. I enjoy reading a series back to back!! I have a bad memory and hate it when I can't recall things from previous books.
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
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6/9/2008
Typos and misquotes and grammar, oh my!
Happy Monday. I thought this topic might be particularly appropriate for a Monday morning. And, I wanted to get this out there before any of my helpful readers (or former English teachers! ) shoot me an email to point out the goofs. Yes, I know how to spell. Yes, I know my grammar. Yes, I correct things when I do my edits and proof my galleys. But...
Typos happen. Have any of you ever had a project that you worked long and hard on, only to have the final version sabotaged (unintentionally, or, unfortunately, with intent) by forces beyond your control? The dog ate your homework? The baby spit up on your presentation for work? Someone misread your work or misquoted you? Well, that's happened to me with my July book, ARMED AND DEVASTATING.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Anymore. After a while, you just have to laugh or it'll drive you crazy. But I've had three glaring errors related to A & D. First, the back cover blurb has misspelled the heroine's name. She's Brooke HANSFORD. With an S. Not Brooke Hanford. She's a recurring character in the series, so it's not something that can be changed inside the second book. I asked if it could be changed as soon as I saw the cover, but unfortunately, they were already in production (quick turnaround time on back-to-back releases). Second, when I got my copies of the book last week, I saw that they misspelled one of the key supporting character's names in the Cast of Characters. It's Aunt PEGGY, not Aunt Penny. And then, this weekend I picked up my copy of Romantic Times Book Reviews (and I'm not complaining, mind you--they gave both my June and July books fabulous reviews--and featured the ARMED AND DEVASTATING cover in the Top Pick! area of the magazine), in the middle of my flattering review, the heroine's name is misspelled again--Brooke HAYWARD. Hmm. It's almost cosmic karma--Brooke is a shy plain Jane who learns to speak up for herself and fight for what she wants and what's right over the course of the story--the shy Brooke wouldn't speak up about the typos, but by the end of the story, she'd point them out. Maybe the typos are deepening her characterization even further .
At first I thought it had something to do with the endless rain/storms/hail/tornadoes/flooding we've been having here in the Midwest (I hope everyone is safe, btw--other than a few limbs down--and a parade of bugs and snakes leaving the saturated soil outside and trying to come into my house and garage--eek!--we're fine). You know, like I'm living under a figurative as well as literal raincloud? And if I was a negative thinker, I might have thought there was a conspiracy going on (there's not!). But now I just think it's a comedy of errors.
I know I should be blogging about my current release, Protective Instincts--the first book in my Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge miniseries from Harlequin Intrigue. And I will be happy to answer any questions you might have. (plus, I'll be back next week to blog, as well) Sawyer Kincaid, the hero, made his first appearance in last year's book, Up Against the Wall (an Intrigue, not a Blaze--very different connotations!). But after reading the Romantic Times Book Reviews and seeing how well they enjoyed both my June and July books, I decided to forget the whole raincloud thing, or suspect any conspiracy theory. They say good things come in 3's. And seeing the Top Pick! reviews for my June and July books makes me think that the flubs ARE a good thing.
And who knows? The gaffes just might make my July book a collector's item. So run out and buy one now. You can sell it on eBay later!
So share your typos/forces beyond your control stories. Or let's talk RT reviews. Or-egads!--books!
Happy Reading! (and proofreading!)
Posted by Julie Miller, author of Protective Instincts on 6/9/2008
Enter comments
Comments:
Wow, Julie - congrats on all the great RT reviews! I'm just waiting for these to appear in my local Target. For some reason the Intrigues show up a week or two later than the Blazes...but they're still on the shelf for a month, so no worries.
We had a doozy of a "beyond my control" in the McGrath household in May. My husband was transitioning to a new job within the same company. He and his boss had planned everything - title, duties, salary - then his boss's boss came in and said No! No! No! DH is still in a good situation, but it felt like the kind of Act of God that negates your insurance policy, KWIM? And my husband's likes to control outcomes as much as I do, Julie ;), so it's been a rough couple of weeks. But, I'm choosing to find the positives, and there are many in our lives!
Posted by Margaret McGrath on 6/9/2008
Yikes! Margaret. Even if you're not a control person, that's an unsettling situation to be in. Hugs to you and your family. I hope it all works out soon--I'm sure your hubby's boss knows more about the work being done than the big boss. I had a boss once who took credit for anything I did well and blamed me for anything she did wrong. That was a stressful place to work. Got a model for a great villainess out of it, though . Take care.
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/9/2008
Oops! I was reminded that I should point out that anyone who posts a comment or question to any of the blog posts this month goes into a drawing to win a free book at the end of the month. So you could win a copy of one of the books you see to the right.
Also, for those of you into winning free books, be sure to check out my chapter's website at www.prwne.com and register for our seasonal book giveaway contest.
Lots of books to be had out there. Enjoy! And good luck!
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/9/2008
Want embarrassing typos??? As a teacher I had to present a workshop to a group of peers. The handouts I had to give the participants were typed and printed by someone other than me and by the time I saw them it was too late to change anything. Not only was my name misspelled but so were a whole group of words.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/9/2008
Oh, Ellen, that makes me laugh and cringe at the same time. Students are always ready to point out any errors they can catch, aren't they? I hope your peers were kinder. Sending cyber hugs your way.
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/9/2008
Congrats on the reviews!
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/9/2008
LOL at the name errors! No matter how much something gets proof-read sometimes mistakes still show up. I remember in school and writing papers. I would proof-read those things several times over and when I would get them back there would be mistakes fixed by the teacher.
I love the Intrigue line and have been reading them since 2006!!
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/9/2008
Congrats on the rave reviews, Julie. I get careless when I post comments on blogs and I don't notice the typos until I reread them. Sometimes we're just spazzy and mistakes happen.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/9/2008
Those who knew me teased me mercilessly but those who didn't were really polite and didn't say anything. So much for friends.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/9/2008
That has to be every Author's nightmare. I read a book once where the name of the heroine got mixed up with some other name that was not in the book at all, and another time when I got to the middle of the book just at a good part and found about 20 pages of another book. and then the story I was reading contiued on but a big piece of the story was missing. I know it was corrected when I contacted the Author but I am sure it was major grief for them and like you said totally out of control of the Author. These things just happen for one reason or another. Your book will still be great regardless, and it is geting good reviews from the sound of it, which is cool.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/9/2008
Thanks, guys! Yes, I'm thrilled and flattered by the doubly nice reviews, and very appreciative to the RT reviewers. And yes, I'm notorious for posting some "creative" spellings when I blog or post a message on the eHarlequin boards. I think I'm just getting my ideas down quickly and having fun and not doing enough proofreading. I'm glad I'm not alone!
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/9/2008
I LOVED Protective Instincts and can't wait for the next book!
I deal with typos and editing errors ALL the time with newspaper and yearbook. This year was hands down the worst year ever for editing errors. We'll print edit pages from now on. The worst: Public school became pubic school in a headline. :-(
Posted by mary beth lee on 6/9/2008
Oh, no, Mary Beth! That is NOT the headline you want on a high school newspaper or yearbook--or any paper! Don't you wish spellcheck could catch things like that? I'm flattered that you enjoyed PROTECTIVE INSTINCTS, too! I hope you'll like the rest of the series just as well. Enjoy your summer!
Posted by Julie Miller on 6/10/2008
Hey, Julie! Congrats on the reviews. You so deserve 'em! As for the typos, I feel for you. I, too, know what it feels like to have typos on the back cover copy. I have a typo and a dropped word on my latest book. Talk about embarrassing. But my publisher told me, too, that nothing could be done. So, add Studs for Woman Hire: Woman in Charge to the gaffes collector's item list! At least I know now that my book is in good company.
Posted by Sherry James on 6/12/2008
Hey Julie,
I'm sure your book will be so good, no one will even notice the typos. (sounds good anyway, huh? :)
In my experience, once one thing goes wrong, indeed, THREE things go wrong. Hopefully three is the limit though. Hang in there, your readers know you're not losing your mind. lol
Posted by Brenda Gale on 6/12/2008
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6/6/2008
Title Magic!
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I have a new book out this month. The Heart of Brody McQuade. It's so exciting to once again be writing a Texas Ranger series with my friends Delores Fossen and Rita Herron.
For me the title of this book is especially meaningful. Brody's heart is broken and locked away at the beginning of the book, and it takes a special heroine to show Brody that his heart can heal.
And here's a very cool thing! The Heart of Brody McQuade was the title I suggested!
I love titles that contain the hero's name--of course the name has to be a memorable one. I happen to think that Brody McQuade is one of the best hero names ever--especially for a Texas Ranger.
Here are a few other titles I love that use names:
--Arizona Ames (Zane Grey)
--The Notebooks of Lazarus Long (Robert A. Heinlein)
--The List of Adrian Messenger (Philip MacDonald
--Jackson Rule (Dinah McCall)
--The Pride of Jared MacKade, (Nora Roberts)
--The Return of Rafe MacKade, (Nora Roberts)
--The Redemption of Deke Summers (Gayle Wilson)
-- Rafe Sinclair's Revenge (Gayle Wilson)
Aren't those all great hero names?
What about you? Are there certain things in a title that will make you pick up a book, no matter what?
Posted by Mallory Kane, author of The Heart of Brody McQuade on 6/6/2008
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The word Texas in the title or in the name of the series (The Silver Star of Texas)will get me to pick up a book even if I decide not to read it. Does that make me a little strange????
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/6/2008
I usually will pick up an auto buy Author regardless of the title, and when I am shopping if a cover catches my eye I will pick up that book and read the back blurb, but I think I can honestly say that there is not one word or combination of words that would speak to me louder than another in a title of a book. Sometimes it is the mood I am in when I am shopping that will attract me to a book. Not sure if that makes sense or not.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/6/2008
The title of a book does'nt matter to me. The author does.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/6/2008
Ellen, interesting that you go for Texas. I never used to, but since I've been writing the Silver Star books, my eye is drawn to "Texas" in the title.
I guess most people aren't attracted by titles. That's interesting. I see the cover first, then the title. There are some titles that I know I won't read: anything that smacks of a medieval historical; usually I don't dive for books with "Mother," or "Baby" in the title, although I know I'm in the minority there.
"Honor," "Return," "Memory" or "Memories" will have me grabbing the book.
Thanks for your comments.
Posted by Mallory Kane on 6/6/2008
I don't usually choose books for their titles, but words like wicked and sin definitely catch the eye.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/6/2008
The title of the books really doesn't matter that much. Although I do like books about cowboys and Texas.
Posted by Virginia Horton on 6/6/2008
If I see the word "Scottish" in the title, I'll pick it up and read the back. I won't necessarily buy it, though.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/7/2008
Mallory Kane said: And here's a very cool thing! The Heart of Brody McQuade was the title I suggested!
Congratulations on keeping the title you chose! It is a great title!! If I didn't read Intrigues and saw this book the title along would make me pick it up!! I love strong titles!
Some of the words in titles that I like are: heart, hero's name, Texas, cowboy, and hero to name a few!
Sometimes I'll pick up a book because it's an author I love. So the title won't be a deal breaker in that case.
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
I am the same way when it comes to books with mother or baby in the title. i guess it is becuase my husband and I have been trying and have not you had a child. If I see the words Undercover, Forbidden, and the ones theat Mallory said, like Duty, Honor, ect, those are the ones I grab up and check out. Most of my family and my husband are either in the Army or Military or were at some point, so titles that remind me of those things are the one I grab right away. Also, I always pick up when I see Texas, like some others have said. It is weird, I am from Tenn and only have visited TX (Houston) once, but I love the "thought" of Texas, if that makes sense.-kayla
Posted by Kayla Kerns on 6/14/2008
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6/5/2008
BECOMING THE VILLAIN
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As an author, I often "become" the character I'm writing. As a villain, I can do anything. The constraints are removed. Writing scenes in the villain's head is cathartic somehow, and often they are the most fun to write. I can do things I could never do in real life, things that society would frown on--or land me in jail. The thing I always worry about is not making the villain more interesting than the heroine and hero, which sometimes proves to be a challenge.
All villains are not created equal. Some are anonymous in a book until the end and some are right out there. Some are crazed for power or money and some have quite different motivations--some do bad things for a "good" reason.
Like Rebecca Dumas in THE LAST VAMPIRE. The vampire himself is a villain, but so is the voodoo priestess who brings him back to save her brother's life. Danton is dying of leukemia, and Rebecca has done everything in her power to save him. Nothing the doctors could do worked but voodoo did. Now that is failing him as well. Desperate to save the young man who saved her from the stepfather who sexually abused her as a teenager, Rebecca will stop at nothing. And so her good intentions lead to a hell she couldn't have imagined.
I loved writing Rebecca's scenes, and I'll be anxious to see how readers respond to her when the book is released later this month. In the meantime, can you tell us about a villain who really sparked your imagination? One you wanted to read about despite everything he or she did?
Good reading,
Patricia
Posted by Patricia Rosemoor, author of The Last Vampire on 6/5/2008
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I can't think of one off the top of my head, but I think villains who have a sympathetic back story can make me interested in his actions.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/5/2008
I am looking forward to reading The Last Vampire.
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/5/2008
Patricia, I once wrote a manuscript where the villain actually became the hero. I was about 150 pages into it and I thought, he and the heroine had more chemistry than the hero and the heroine. So I switched him and the rest of the manuscript flowed.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/5/2008
I can think of a villain but I don't know what the name of the book was. The villain had suffered as a child/young adult and was reacting to that. It made him sympathetic but the way he acted wasn't acceptable to society.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/5/2008
Sometimes a villian will have me sympathizing because of what they have been through but because of the way they are acting or conducting themselves there is really no excuse, so they have a hard time to win me over.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/6/2008
Patricia,
THE LAST VAMPIRE sounds like one awesome book. I will be picking this one up when it comes out!
I can't really think of a villain off the top of my head right now but I will say there are very few I feel sorry for. I can totally see how fun it can be to write about the villain though!
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
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6/4/2008
Off to Hawaii & Guam!
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Must be that time of year to take off for fabulous vacations! I'm leaving next week for a week in Hawaii and then another week in Guam. I hear that Guam is the "Hawaii" for Japan. We'll see. Anyway it goes, I'm going to Guam to see my daughter and grandson. My daughter's husband is in the Air Force and stationed there for 4 years! Ack!!! My grandson will be 7 when they return. Not fair! If I want to see him grow up at all, I will have to go to Guam to see him. I know, I know, life's tough...You know, having to go to Guam once a year and all.
My parents are coming with us this time. They wouldn't try to do the trip on their own because their health isn't all that great. My dad is excited about the trip. He's retired from the U.S. Air Force and one of the places he was stationed during the Vietnam War was Guam. He hasn't been back since. He's really looking forward to that and to seeing Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. I'm glad we get to do this trip with my parents.
The Hawaii thing is just for fun! We've never been. I'll be sure to keep my mind open to possibilities for great stories for the Intrigue line. What are your favorite settings for Intrigues? Are there some you'd like to see that haven't been done too much? Let us know, I'm sure we can work something out!
Posted by Elle James, author of Under Suspicion, With Child on 6/4/2008
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Sounds like a really great trip and how nice you have a place to vacation for the next 4 years!
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/4/2008
Have a wonderful trip!
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/4/2008
Have fun. I've been to Hawaii a couple of times and it's absolutely beautiful. How about an Intrigue set in Egypt?
Posted by Jane C. on 6/4/2008
Have fun and enjoy your time with your grandson. So glad that your parents are able to make this trip with you. As for a setting for an Intrigue I am sure that there would be lots of settings in Guam that you could do a story that is not war related.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/4/2008
Have a wonderful trip! Hey you can pack me up in your suitcase and take me with you. I have never been before.
Posted by Virginia Horton on 6/4/2008
I hope you have a great trip. :)
Posted by Crystal Broyles on 6/6/2008
Have a wonderful trip!! Enjoy the time with your daughter and grandson.
Settings for Intrigues?? Hmmm, I'll have to think about that one. I'll have to let you know.
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
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6/3/2008
CHINA BOUND
If you don’t “see” me around here for a while, it’s because I’m leaving for three weeks in China early this morning. VERY EARLY. Then I get to sit around in Detroit for five hours! Arg. Too bad I won't have my computer with me, so I won't be able to check the blog--or my mail.
After Detroit, I get to change planes in Tokyo. I am going by myself because I told my husband I wouldn’t sit on a plane for 14 hours unless I could go business class. So he’s going tourist class on a separate plane, if you can believe that.
I made an emergency trip to the mall a while ago to get a new purse. (I've also made emergency trips to buy shirts, pants and shoes. Smile.) This time, the excuse is that the velcro's shot on my old purse. Honestly, I hate shopping for hand bags. You never know if they really work until it's too late.
I'm sorry I'll miss the discussions around here. Have fun while I'm gone.
Rebecca York
Posted by Rebecca York, author of Ghost Moon on 6/3/2008
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Have a fantastic time in China. I envy you the trip.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/3/2008
Have a great trip, Rebecca! We want to hear all about it when you get back!
Posted by Ann Voss Peterson on 6/3/2008
Have a great holiday, and looking forward to tales about your China trip.
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/3/2008
Have a great time in China!
Posted by Estella Kissell on 6/3/2008
Have a great time. I'm pretty sure there's great shopping to be done in China and haggling is practically a custom. You'll get some great bargains.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/3/2008
Have a wonderful trip and we will see you when you get back. We will want to here all about your trip on the blog.
Posted by Virginia Horton on 6/3/2008
I hope you have a great trip. :)
Posted by Crystal Broyles on 6/4/2008
Rebecca,
Have a great trip! China seems like a interesting place to visit. When you get back you'll have to tell us what China is like!!
I love your books and own a nice few of them!
Posted by Shelley Downton on 6/13/2008
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6/1/2008
May Book Giveaway Winner
Congratulations! You've won a book by commenting on our blog. Please contact the author you've been paired with via her web site and give her your mailing information to receive a book of her choice.
Virginia Horton - Author B.J. Daniels
Estella Kissell - Author Kathleen Long
Ellen McDaniel - Author Jessica Anderson
Lexi Connor - Author Rita Herron
Posted by Jan Hambright, author of AROUND-THE-CLOCK PROTECTOR on 6/1/2008
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Woohoo! What a lovely surprise. Thank you and congrats to the other winners.
Posted by Lexi Connor on 6/1/2008
I love reading Intrigue books and love winning them even more. Thanks. And congratulations to all the winners.
Posted by Ellen McDaniel on 6/1/2008
Congrats to the winners.
Posted by Jane C. on 6/1/2008
Congratulations to all the winners !!
Posted by Cryna Palmiere on 6/3/2008
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