One thing I never considered when I started writing was that I’d have to do interviews. I mean, who would want to interview ME?

But somehow the wonderful publicity department at Avon has made me sound interesting (thank you, Lindsay!) because I’ve had several interviews in the past couple of weeks.

While I’m usually pleased to have the chance to get the word out on my new book, I have to admit that the prospect of messing up live on the radio or saying the wrong thing to a newspaper reporter terrifies me.

That’s why it’s important to practice. When I practice, I kind of like to pretend I’m on Jay Leno. “Why, thank you for having me Jay. Ha, ha, ha. It’s so fabulous to be me and have written this fabulous book. Ha, ha, ha.”

But the interviews never quite go like that. For the most part they’re pretty standard: what’s your book about, why did you become a writer, what tips do you have for aspiring authors?

But there’s always that question that throws you. For example, in a recent interview with a writer for Romantic Times magazine I was asked what went wrong at my wedding. Admittedly, I kind of expected the question. The article was a tie-in of my recent marriage and my new historical series, Misadventures in Matrimony.

But what threw me is that I didn’t know how to answer. Yes, things went wrong at the wedding, and yes, certain people didn’t step up to the plate as they should have, but how can I tell those interesting stories without causing myself problems later? So I had to choose between being truthful or boring. I’ll let you know how I came across when I get the new issue.

The other thing that throws me is a question I don’t know the answer to. Recently I was asked if grading essays is easier than writing books.

Ummm…hmm. Yes and no and well…

On the radio that kind of floundering for even a second seems like 5 minutes. Your brain is like, answer, answer, ANSWER!

And the worst part is that later you have no idea what you said. Fortunately, in this day and age, you can always hear the rebroadcast—even the podcast! You can replay that stupid comment over and over and over. And your friends can hear it, too.

I’d hoped to post a link to that interview here, but it’s not up on the radio station’s website yet. I’m sure it’ll be up in another day or so, and I’ll let you know where to go to check it out.

Eeek! I hope you all will forgive me for being so late with my blog entry today. It has been one of those days where I feel like I’m running behind on everything! I spent most of the afternoon trapped in the doctor’s office because of a nasty sinus infection I’ve managed to pick up. Between that and running various errands that I’ve put off for days because of feeling unwell, I feel like I’m meeting myself coming and going. What I wouldn’t give for a clone who likes to do housework right about now

On an up note, my two-plus hours spent in the doctor’s waiting room gave me some time to catch up on my reading. Instead of bringing along a book from my TBR pile, however, I decided I was in the mood to immerse myself in an oldie but a goodie. So I took A Stranger’s Kiss by Shelly Thacker. Wow! I had almost forgotten how much I loved this book, and I can’t tell you what good news it would be to hear that I could look forward to a new tale by Thacker. Whatever happened to her?

Reading it reminded me of all the past authors I have known and loved, but who no longer seem to be writing. Joan Balser, Emily Bradshaw, Miriam Minger, Elizabeth Ann Michaels, Sue Rich. These are just a few of the authors whose books line my shelves, but who haven’t had a new title in a while. And what about those infamous “Zebra” ladies? I cut my teeth with the likes of Patricia Pellicane, Betty Brooks, Kathleen Drymon, Colleen Quinn, and Wanda Owen. The list could go on. I know that there are all sorts of reasons for a writer to stop writing, but I can’t help but miss the ladies who wrote the books that gave me my first taste of romance.

Do you have a favorite author who no longer writes? Have you ever wondered what happened to them? Which author would you just LOVE to see a new book from? (And if anybody has any insight as to what happened to any of the authors I’ve listed, please do tell!)

Most of the time I don’t really give my occupation much thought. It’s as much a part of who I am as my hair. But on occasion it really stops me in my tracks. Usually these moments happen while I’m reading something I’ve written or while I’m actually writing. I’ll have this flicker of a thought…”hey, I’m a writer. I write books. And people buy them and read them. And sometimes they contact me to discuss the books. And I’ve written more than one. How did that happen? When did I learn how to do this?”

Okay, so I realize this doesn’t advertise my intelligence very well, but hey, sometimes being a writer is downright surreal. And I don’t mean it in a “hey, aren’t I so cool?” way either. It’s not about vanity. I’m not sure what you would call it. I wouldn’t imagine that people in other professions have those moments, but perhaps I’m wrong. Maybe there are attorneys and teachers sitting around at this very moment marveling at their achievements. And maybe we should all do that more often. Be proud and impressed with ourselves when we work hard to accomplish something. But writers are the only people I know that feel as if they need to reward themselves for doing their jobs. Granted, it’s a difficult and, at times, emotionally draining job, but still, it’s a profession just the same as being a construction worker. Isn’t it?

Going back to the weird aspects…how about readers. No, I’m not calling y’all weird. That would be rude. Despite the fact that some of you are weird. You know who you are. Oh, right, I wasn’t going to do that…in any case, next Wednesday is the big booksigning at RWA’s National conference. This will actually be my first year to sign at this particular signing, but I’ve done big signings before, and I’ve been to this one every year since 1998. It’s a little overwhelming, with the thrush of people and all the lines and noise. Talk about sensory overload.

But I’m looking forward to it. Honest. I love meeting readers (even the above mentioned weird ones… ) That in, and of itself, though is weird too. Every time I meet someone who has read my books, it’s just a little bit strange. Perhaps I’ll grow more accustomed to it the longer I’m in the business. But it shakes me a little. In a good way. It’s a huge compliment to have a reader bring a book of yours to a signing for you to sign. The gushing and kind words are like a life force feeding the muse. Just to have some one stop by to say, “hey, I read that and loved it.” No need to buy another one or a different book, just that moment, you readers can’t possibly know what that’s like for us authors.

Most of us got into this business because we had stories to tell and we wanted to touch people in a way that we, ourselves, have been touched as readers. To see up close and meet some of the people we’ve touched with our characters and our words, well, that’s just about the coolest thing ever. I can’t wait to meet some of you next week.

You’d think it would be great, working at home, writing the stories you love, making your own hours …

Then again, you’re at home and everyone thinks you don’t have a job. Even people who know better. Like myself! My work time is flexible, which means that I twist myself into knots to be accomodating.

Take these next few weeks, for example. We’re having some major work done on our house. It’s a Dutch Colonial with cedar shake siding, and it needs to be painted (some fool put paint on it about 60 years ago, and we’ve had no choice but to follow suit). So the question became: should we put vinyl ‘cedar shakes’ up instead, or should we tear down what’s there and replace it with new cedar?

We decided to go with new cedar. It just didn’t seem right to wrap our 86 year old house in plastic. And while we’re at it, we’re having all the wood trim replaced. And insulation blown in. And new screens and storm windows.

Do you know what this means to my workday? There’s hammering and prying and power sawing going on, not to mention the fuses blown and the contractor’s questions that come up with regularity. Have I written one sentence since they started work yesterday morning?

And then there’s Atlanta. I look forward to National all year. It’s my time away from home, doing what I love best – being involved with romance authors and readers (of whom there are very few in my personal life). The downside is that, since I work at home, I’m not particularly on top of my wardrobe. My usual uniform consists of jeans and a T-shirt. Those just won’t cut it at National. I also lost some weight, so the few appropriate things that I had, are now hanging on me like potato sacks. This means shopping. One of the things I try to avoid like, well … like the plague.

But my dh and I are going on a big trip a couple of weeks later, so all that shopping will not be in vain. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to wear a lot of the clothes I plan to buy, although we’ll be doing a bit of hiking and running around the big city (Edinburgh and York). So jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers won’t exactly be out of place.

The point is that all these goings-on are very distracting to my creative process. Instead of thinking of character traits and plot points for the wip, I’ve got lists running in the back of my mind. (Black shoes, black purse. Beige linen pants, white sweater. Raincoat, eye drops, ibuprophen, make-up. Make-up?)

So now I’ll get back to the work that has to be in a finished and polished state by October 15th. Wish me luck!

Here are a few pics from London. I’ll post some from Greece next week.

A peek into Piccadilly Circus.

The beautiful greenery of Hyde Park.

The Serpentine (and some paddle wheels that weren’t “quite” there in the Regency period…)

The Tower of London – highly recommended for a visit.

King George III’s Library in the British Museum.

Windsor Castle – favored residence of the Queen with a long history behind it.

The Long Walk – Windsor Castle is there at the end. Might have to squint a bit at this size and resolution.

Anne, at the end of The Long Walk from Windsor Castle, imitating the statue of George III. Gorgeous view of Windsor and Heathrow from here, but bring your walking shoes!

First I want to thank Jenna for blogging for the last three weeks. Thanks, Jenna!!!

I’m not sure what to say about my trip. It was excellent. If you haven’t been to London…get thee on a plane! It’s a feast for the British historical lover, no matter what time period you prefer. Just walking through Mayfair, Hyde, the Tower grounds, medieval castles, period houses…well, it’s wonderful, no doubt. I can’t wait to return. We didn’t even hit the countryside, only getting as far as Windsor/Eton (also a definite not-miss) in our London stupor. However my feet definitely felt as if we had walked to Yorkshire and back. Not sure I’ve ever walked that much so many days in a row… Next visit…Cornwall!

The London trip was a sandwiched trip around our adventure to the Greek Islands (Cyclades) where we chartered a sailboat for a week (9 of us), self-captained and crewed. It was awesome. Sure, the winds were gusting and we sailed on days that even the ferries wouldn’t run, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. If anyone is thinking about a trip to the Greek Islands, go! You can take ferries to almost any island and hop around to your heart’s content. The islands are beautiful, the water color is unbelievable, and you pretty much can’t beat the change from archaeologic digger to jet-setter, depending on where you are and what time of the day it is. And the food…one word…yum.

I have lots of pictures and lots of stuff to share. Anyone interested in anything in particular?

Anne in Hyde Park…where we walked and walked and walked…nearly every day we were there…great place for a sunset and some good old-fashioned people watching. Tried to get Enginerd to horseback down Rotten Row, but he wasn’t having any of it. Next visit I’m doing it anyway!

Ever since the premiere of Dead Man’s Chest, I’ve been following a lively on-line discussion board where the most active topic is an analysis of the movie. The people taking part are primarily women, from all over the world – literally – and range in age from older teens to great-grandma’s.

Of course I have my favorite bits in the movie as well as parts I could have done without, but it’s interesting to see how my favorites and not-so favorites compare to everyone else’s.
There’s a scene on board the Black Pearl where Captain Jack is walking and talking, taunting his nemesis. In the middle of the taunt he tumbles down the steps from the quarterdeck to the main deck, then jumps up, his precious jar of dirt unbroken, and continues the taunt. Now see, I think this pratfall was mildly amusing but I wished they’d let the Captain have just a smidge more dignity on his ship. Someone else thought this was one of the funniest gags in the whole movie (and there are a lot of funny gags). I liked how Captain Jack got hit with a wave, interrupting what is now apparently a running joke in the trilogy (“You will always remember this as the day you almost—”), but someone else wished that part had been left on the cutting room floor.

There’s also debate as to each character’s motivation for various actions. When the Kraken was attacking the Pearl and Jack was rowing back toward land, was he abandoning everyone else while trying to save his own cowardly skin? Or was he merely going back to retrieve the (spoiler) with the same single-minded focus and determination that got his ship restored to him in the first movie? Will we get the definitive answer in part three next year, or will it always be left open to interpretation?

Many questions have also been raised as to why this snippet, shown in previews, was left out, or that bit was included but was it really necessary? Shouldn’t it have been left on the cutting room floor to leave room for another scene that now we’ll only get to see as part of the extras when the DVD is released?

Which has all led me to this conclusion: Ricky Nelson was right. You can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself. The decisions I make as an author can be analyzed, dissected, questioned and challenged by my critique partners, editor, agent, and readers, not to mention my mom. But it’s still my story, my characters, my career. I have to make peace with those decisions and have the courage to stand by them.

May you have the same courage to stand by your convictions.

Is there anyone in the world who enjoys looking for a new car? I’ve test drove a bunch of vehicles in the last month and talked to more salesman than I can count…and I’m sick of it. I absolutely HATE being on a car hunt.

For one thing it takes way too much of my time. With working and writing time is something I have to judiciously guard. It’s also depressing to think how much money I’m going to have to start shelling out every month. My current vehicle is paid for…and I love not having a car payment.

Thinking of features and MPG and crash test ratings zaps my creative juices. So, for tonight, I’m not going to even think of any of it. I’m going to focus on Trish and Theo (the H&H) in my upcoming book for a Harlequin continuity that will begin in June 2007 and run for a year. Mine is book 3, tentatively titled “The Tycoon’s Son” and it will be out in August of 2007 (book #3). Each of these books will stand alone but will have an ongoing suspense arc going through each book that will be resolved in book 12.

Ok….I said no more car talk….but I want to know….luxury vs mpg….which should put as priority one??

So I’m pretty excited because this week Booklist gave me a really great review for my book REALITY TV BITES. I read it quickly and then showed it to Ultimate Sportsfan, who paused over the word “gadfly,” used to describe Dave, Allison’s on-again-off-again boyfriend type.

“What’s a gadfly?” USF asked.

“Um…hmmm.” Funny how you know a word but the meaning can completely escape you. “I have no idea,” I answered and promptly googled it.

“Oh, that’s right!” I said when I clicked on the Wikipedia page. “It’s a ‘term for people who upset the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions, or attempt to stimulate innovation by proving an irritant’.”

I remembered learning the word when I studied Plato in college English.

“Hmm” was USF’s response.

But I’m still thinking about my gadfly character. I hadn’t intended Dave to be a gadfly, but poor Allison needed someone to make her see things differently.

And don’t we all sometimes?

Don’t we all need to be shaken up from time to time? To have our ideas and views of the world challenged and maybe even changed? I know USF has changed the way I see things as have movies, books, and TV shows. Right now that movie An Inconvenient Truth is shaking up a lot of people’s ideas about global warming. Even my mom! She emailed me the other day complaining about the rain and blaming it on global warming.

Coincidence that she had seen the movie a day before?

I don’t think so.

So what have been gadflys for you? Who or what changed the way you see things? For better? Worse?

Lately I have found myself reflecting a great deal on the allure of forbidden love and the intangible something that seems to draw certain couples together against all odds. Couples who–for whatever reason–are not supposed to belong together. Never mind that their families are feuding, that the heroine has a perfectly nice boyfriend that she has supposedly pledged her heart to or the fact that the hero is the worst possible match for her. They are opposites in every way, yet there is an undeniable chemistry, a certain spark, and we can’t help but be drawn in. We enjoy these sorts of pairings on television, in our movies, and in our romance novels. After all, there is a reason why Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. So, just what is it about forbidden love that we find so titillating?

Shirley mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean 2 in her blog entry on Sunday, and to me this is a great example of what I am talking about. In this movie, we have the makings for a delectable triangle. We know that Will/Orlando is the good guy in this scenario. He’s handsome, dashing, full of honor and integrity, and willing to go to great lengths to save the woman he loves. There should be no question about which man Elizabeth/Keira belongs with. So why is it that we can’t help but secretly wish that she would give Captain Jack/Johnny a shot? That hair, those teeth, that sometimes mincing manner. There is just something vaguely…icky about Captain J. (Sorry, Shirley!) And I don’t think anyone could argue that his morals tend to be a bit sketchy at best. (Though, as Shirley says, he is a far better man than he wants to be.) But I am the first to admit that the single kiss he shares with Elizabeth towards the end of POTC 2 just about blew me out of the water. Poor Will. Even before the magic compass pointed to Jack when Elizabeth was on the beach trying to get it to reveal what she truly wanted, I could see the writing on the wall.

Examples of these sorts of pairings are everywhere. On Lost, Jack is quite obviously the better choice for Kate. He’s a born leader, a good-looking doctor with a good heart and driven by the need to do the right thing. Though–like all of the other characters on this complex show–he is far from infallible, we know that he is more than likely the man who would take better care of Kate’s heart. So why am I rooting for Sawyer for all I’m worth? Let’s face it. There is little doubt that if Kate gets any more involved with this devil-may-care, cocky con-man, she is going to wind up hurt. We know this. She’s been burned by him before. But still…

On Guiding Light, my favorite couple is still Jon and Tammy. Why? These two are half-cousins, a taboo subject to say the least. Not to mention that Jon is the product of an abusive home-life and has very definite anger management issues with everyone except Tammy, while Tammy is too sweet and naive for her own good. I should be turning up my nose, but I’m not. I love how protective Jon is of her and the way he looks at her, as if she is all that matters to him. All it took was one longing look between them back when she was still engaged to Sandy and I was hooked.

The forbidden love angle is a well-used staple in the world of romance novels. And there is a reason why it has been so successful. In the novel I am working on now, Lady Maura Daventry can’t help but be fascinated with the son of the very man who was once accused of her mother’s murder. True, it’s possible his father just might have been innocent, but Hawksley is just the sort of rakehell she should want nothing to do with. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what happens. So, just what is it about these couples that make us love them together when we know they would probably end up being oh so bad for each other? What do you think?