August 31, 2006

Another holiday

Well, we are heading into the Labor Day weekend and swiftly leaving August behind. It’s so hard to believe that the summer is almost over! I will definitely be spending the next few days “laboring” as I continue to pound away at the keyboard trying to finish my next book. Deadline is fast approaching, so I hope you’ll forgive me for the brevity of this week’s blog entry as I am in the midst of a major marathon writing session.

So, what are your plans for the holiday weekend? Family picnics? Just relaxing? Taking in a good movie? Those commercials keep claiming it’s a good time to go see Pirates of the Carribbean 2 again, which doesn’t sound like a bad idea. (Wink-wink, Shirley! How many times have you seen it by now?) And I’ve seen some previews for a couple of movies that look really good, The Illusionist and The Covenant. I’m dying to see them, but it will probably be a few weeks before I have the time to do so. Since I’m chained to my desk, I’ll have to listen to all of your plans and sigh longingly…

Have a great long weekend everyone!

August 30, 2006

New ideas

I’ve been tossing a few ideas around of what to write after I conclude the Ladies’ Amateur Sleuth Society series. I want to do another series. Readers seem to like them. Although I still get requests for Poppy’s book on a regular basis. Poor, sweet, Poppy. But yesterday I worked with my critique partner on fleshing out one of the ideas I had. I already had the basic concept that tied the books together and therefore who the hero’s were. Yes, it’s a hero driven series. But you can’t have romance without heroines.

So the next step was to toss out some general ideas of heroines that would create a unique plotline and conflict for each hero, but would keep in the line of the big idea. We came up with three. Then we named them all. Then I looked at archetypes just to get a thumbprint of their character. And right now I’m flying high, thinking I’m pretty brilliant. It will be several months before I’m up for contract again, so I can’t do anything with this idea just yet. It’s stuck percolating in the back of my mind until I send it to my agent.

What comes with a new idea? Total excitement. Adrenaline starts pumping, and scene possibilities out of nowhere start popping into your head. Dialogue snippets, character traits, possible visual attributes all swim about. It’s rather distracting. I still got my writing done yesterday on my current WIP, but it wasn’t easy to switch gears like that. Moreover, I didn’t want to. I wanted to still play with my new toy. It’s pretty and shiny and not broken in any way. At the moment.

I went to sleep and what did I think about? All of it. The marketing, the titles, the covers, how I would pull it all off. It made sleeping difficult. But I still have my current WIP to finish and then one more before I can even write one word on these books. *sigh* So they’re waiting in the wings and my hands are itching to get started on them. Perhaps that will make me write these other two faster.

That’s the beauty of new ideas. They don’t come with all the ick your current idea has grown. The ick is like a fungus that begins to appear after you’ve worked on the idea for a while. After you’ve fleshed out the characters and done your scene outline, after you’ve started writing. And you begin to feel as if the characters are lame, or you’ve written them before, and there’s no sexual tension, and the external plot is boring and has too many holes in it. They just stand around and talk about the same things over and over again. How will this ever feel like a book? Thank God for multiple drafts (in my case) and revisions. Somehow I mange to clean them up and I remind myself of that daily while writing the rough draft. “I can fix this later.” That’s my motto while I write.

So having the excitement of a pretty idea waiting for me as soon as I’m done keeps me going. Keeps me eager. Keeps me excited about writing and about the growth of my career. How about you? How do you come up with your ideas?

August 29, 2006

Jaunty September Books

Two members of the JQ Sisterhood have new books out today! Be sure to look for Shana Galen’s No Man’s Bride and Margo Maguire’s The Perfect Seduction, on shelves now!

Home Sweet Home

It’s great to be home after a wonderful trip with my husband. We spent 11 days in the UK, five in Edinburgh, then three in York and three in the Lake District. Did you know that Edinburgh hosts the largest Arts Festival in Europe during the month of August? There are hundreds of productions that go on EVERY DAY! Besides the legitimate festival, they also have something called The Fringe, which are smaller productions, smaller venues, for performers who are just starting out. And then there are the street performers. It’s a wonderful time in Edinburgh, though a bit crowded. Some day, I’ll figure out how to make my pictures small enough to post. But for now, I’ll have to send you to my website, margomaguire.com, to see them.

Come and check out my other blog: http://www.margomaguire1.blogspot.com/ where I’m posting excerpts of a manuscript I’ve never published. I’d like to get this thing critiqued. I know it’s not publishable as it is, nor will it ever be (it’s not the kind of thing publishers buy these days). But I thought it would be interesting to run through the process of writing a book, then revising it - with your help! Everyone who submits will be entered into a drawing at the end of the month. The prizes will be books and goodies from your favorite Avon authors! See you at blogspot.

August 28, 2006

Mackinac Island

If you’ve never been to nor heard of Mackinac Island, it’s a small island nestled right under the upper peninsula of Michigan, a short distance east of the Mackinac Bridge (which connects the lower peninsula of Michigan to the upper). Mackinac boasts the Governor’s summer mansion and Victorian homes, cottages and inns. One of the most interesting things about Mackinac Island is that there are no cars. No motorcycles. No scooters. No motorized transportation (*). The island runs on bicycles and horses and fudge. Ok, so maybe it’s just the tourists that run on fudge. Mackinac Island fudge is world famous, and it would be quite a feat to visit the island and not taste a sliver.

One of the ferry docks:

We went to Mackinac Island two weeks ago. I must say it was a treat. An at times odd treat, but one nonetheless.

A view of Main Street:

The main street is a bit…touristy. You know, the kind of touristy where you’re not quite sure what’s real and what’s not. But get off the main street and into the island and it’s BEAUTIFUL. We did the normal tourist excursions - rented bikes and rode around the island - took a horse carriage tour through the island - ate lots of fudge. The ride around the island is really lovely, and at 8.3 miles, very doable. The color changes in the water rival any I’ve seen anywhere. Seriously. The entire coastal area is rocky, so there is a nice dramatic contrast. And the Mackinac Bridge makes for a very nice view. There are plenty of horse trails, though we didn’t venture upon them, content with our quickie excursions on our day and a half trip.

Views from Mackinac:

There’s a fort on the island (the British took dibs originally) where they do historical reenactments, and many other historical areas. And we got to see the illegal underground…the island’s two firetrucks, ambulance and police car were out on the streets due to an emergency that, fortunately, turned out not to be an emergency. The vehicles usually stay tucked away from prying tourist eyes, but my Mom has photographic evidence. Maybe we should go in for a spot of blackmail.

If you are looking for five star accomodations, look no farther than The Grand Hotel, built in 1887. No two rooms in the hotel are the same. After 6pm, women aren’t allowed to wear pants, and men must be in suit and tie. Visitors must do the same — and pay $12 for the privilege of sticking their noses in the door. My main impression from the hotel was the line, “No one puts Baby in the corner.” LOL. Probably only funny to me, but for some reason it reminds me of the resort from Dirty Dancing. More seriously, The Grand Hotel has a long and starred history, and has hosted five presidents. Six first ladies helped design suites. Click the link above if you want to learn more.

A view of the Grand Hotel from the ferry…it boasts the world’s longest front porch…

But perhaps one of the best things about Mackinac Island is not in the sights, but in the sounds. The constant clippity clop of horse hooves tromping down the street. You can close your eyes and imagine yourself in a place long ago. Just watch where you step.

So if you’re going to be in the upper lower Michigan area, or the lower upper Michigan area (heh), then give Mackinac Island a try. But don’t forget your pocketbook!

(*) = emergency vehicles and snowmobiles excepted (the horses go on holiday in the winter).

August 27, 2006

Itchy feet

A friend just got back from two weeks in Scotland, and I want to go, too. In a few weeks, another friend is moving there for six months. Six months! Imagine all the weekend trips she can take, jaunts across the Channel to various cities in Europe, while we settle in for Oregon’s mild but soggy winter.

But my passport expired when I was ten, and besides, that would require how many hours on board a plane without my bottled water or moisturizers? So maybe a shorter trip, then.

Less than 1,000 miles away in California, they’re finishing up the third installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. The Black Pearl is clearly visible in the harbor at Redondo Beach, and a certain actor exhibited very un-pirate-like behavior this week, three nights in a row staying more than an hour to sign autographs well past dark, after a 6:30 a.m. call time.

They’ll be filming there until at least Tuesday. According to Mapquest, it’s only a 15 hour drive…

But with the cost of gas, maybe something closer. Oh, and there’s the fact I’m supposed to show up at the office on Monday, and they actually expect me to stay all day.

Camping, then. We have a four-wheel drive pickup, but because of various deadlines and commitments, we’ve only gone camping with it twice, and the most recent trip was last August. Something about sleeping out under the stars, the whisper of wind in the towering pines, the crackle of the campfire late into the night, really soothes my spirit. We couldn’t go last weekend because the kitties were still on twice-daily meds, and this coming weekend is Labor Day – you couldn’t pay us to fight the crowds.

And then as I was washing my hair Saturday night (all my best ideas come with the application of shampoo) I realized it’s not so much wanting to go to something, but getting away from something that’s so appealing right now. (Aside from the chance to go see you-know-who in person. I’m trying really hard not to be jealous of a certain 15-year-old girl in LA because Thursday night was her fourth meeting with him. Four! And not just seeing him from the distance in a crowd — I’m talking handshake, eye contact, exchange of small talk, “how do you spell your name,” the whole works. But I digress.)

The thing I want to get away from is a proposal. Mine. It was rejected several weeks ago, but would be fine with some revisions. Like adding a conflict. Katie and Nick have known each other their whole lives, and there just isn’t much keeping them from achieving their happily-ever-after fairly early on in the story. Nice in real life, but the kiss of death for a romance novel. If I weren’t so much in love with Nick and his ship, I’d think seriously about giving up on him and writing something simpler. Say, a sequel to War and Peace. The maddening thing is, I know this stuff would work itself out in the book. But I have to get it in the synopsis first. (And synopsis, as we all know, is a Greek curse word.)

Kitten update: Sneezy and Wheezy are both are over their URI and doing well. I knew Dakarai was feeling better Thursday when he hopped (yes, he hops when he’s feeling buoyant) down the hall and again initiated what my hubby calls the “tim-ber” attack: he rears up on his hind legs and just kind of crashes to one side, landing on Derby. Today we were in Home Depot, and saw a display of lambswool dusters on a shelf. Dakarai would blend right in. Derby, meanwhile, has been busy earning the nickname Spaz. He’s especially fond of attacking our toes through the blanket at night, or jumping up onto the kitchen counter. And I’m gradually getting used to having two pairs of eyes stare at me as I step out of the shower. We steamed both kittens twice a day while they were congested, and apparently they still associate the shower with extra cuddling and attention. Even if they’re sound asleep elsewhere in the house when I start, there they are when I finish. Waiting to be adored.

August 26, 2006

The danger of “Candid Comments”

Tom Cruise’s fall from grace, er release from Paramount Pictures, brought front and center a concern I’ve had about information sharing. When is too much information about a writer, too much? When does sharing your thoughts and feelings about personal matters or other opinions turn off the very readers that you’re trying to build a bond with?

If I would tell you that I’m a Republican, would it matter to you? What about if I say I’m a Democrat?

Christian? Non-Christian?

Pro-life? Pro-choice?

Love animals? Hate animals?

Smoker? Non-smoker?

Should any of these even matter if we like an actor…or an author’s work? It shouldn’t, but I confess I’m as guilty as the next one on being turned off by some comments actors or authors make.

Blogs let us assuage our curiosity about people we’d like to get to know better…but too close may not be such a good thing.

Your thoughts?

August 25, 2006

Behind-the-Scenes with Jaunty P. Quills (Porcupine Extraordinaire)

JAUNTY: Hello, Shana! Thank you so much for being here today.

SHANA: Um, it’s my day to blog, Jaunty. I’m always here on Friday.

JAUNTY: Yes, but today is a very special day. Today is the last blog before the release of your new book NO MAN’S BRIDE.

SHANA: That’s right. It’s the first book in my Misadventures in Matrimony series, and it will be on shelves Tuesday, August 29.

JAUNTY: I, for one, can’t wait to read it. How many scenes am I in?

SHANA: What?

JAUNTY: Oh, don’t be shy, Shana. I know you put me in the book.

SHANA: Um, Jaunty…

JAUNTY: I am in the book, right?

SHANA: Actually, no. The book is a love story between two people, Catherine Fullbright and Quint Childers, Lord Valentine. See, Catherine has this horrible father, and—

JAUNTY: So I’m not in the book at all?

SHANA: No.

JAUNTY: But surely there are porcupines in the book. Tell us about them.

SHANA: Actually, I don’t think there are any porcupines in NO MAN’S BRIDE. (Jaunty gasps) Sorry, Jaunty, but the book is set mainly in London. There aren’t a lot of porcupines in London.

JAUNTY: I see. So tell us about this so-called book without porcupines in it. I suppose there are some out there who will still want to read it. (Mutters) Can’t imagine who…

SHANA: As I said, the book is a love story. The heroine is Catie. She’s sort of like Cinderella in that her whole family is pretty nasty to her. Her younger sister is the “pretty one,” and she’s engaged to Lord Valentine. But Catie’s father thinks he can find someone better (i.e. richer) for Catie’s sister. So he decides to switch the two girls at the altar.

JAUNTY: How does he get away with that?

SHANA: You’ll have to read the book to see. And, of course, after Quint and Catie are married, things get really interesting. Quint wakes up the morning after the wedding in bed naked with Catie — his fiancée’s sister! Needless to say, he’s none too thrilled.

JAUNTY: I read somewhere that you recently got married. Did your own wedding inspire this story?

SHANA: No, my own wedding was wonderful, but I got the idea for the Misadventures in Matrimony series when I was planning my wedding. There was so much to do and think about and so much that could go wrong! Sometimes I’d say, “Why did I want to get married again?” And the truth was that I never really thought I would get married…until I met my husband now.

So then I thought, wouldn’t it be fun if I took four girls (cousins) who actually vow never to marry and even go so far as to form a Spinster’s Club, and then find a way for each of them to meet a man she can’t resist? The first story, NO MAN’S BRIDE, is about the eldest cousin, Catie.

In February 2007, Josie’s book, GOOD GROOM HUNTING, will be out. And I just finished Maddie’s book, but it’s still untitled. It’s supposed to be out in December 2007.

JAUNTY: You said there were four girls.

SHANA: The last cousin is Ashley. I have big plans for her, and I’ve already started writing her book.

JAUNTY: And do you have plans to feature porcupines in the upcoming books?

SHANA: Um, sorry, Jaunty. No.

JAUNTY: In that case, that’s all the time we have with Shana Galen today. This is Jaunty P. Quills, Porcupine Extraordinaire signing off.

SHANA: Jaunty, this is my blog. You can’t sign off before I tell everyone to check out my website for an excerpt from NO MAN’S BRIDE and a chance to win a signed copy.

August 24, 2006

What IS Erotica?

Please join us in welcoming our special guest blogger for today, Avon Red author Toni Blake!

Hello there, and color me thrilled to be invited to guest blog here at Jaunty Quills! I’m Toni Blake and I’ll start by telling you that my book, SWEPT AWAY, is the first full-length novel being released by Avon’s steamy new Red line and it will be hitting the shelves any day now. (And if you’d like to read an excerpt or learn more, just pop on over to www.ToniBlake.com.)

Now the Red line is being labeled as erotica – erotica is all the rage right now, of course. But don’t let that fool you into thinking every book being called erotica right now is real, true erotica.

What do I mean by that? Well, erotica, by traditional definition, is generally a story of one (or more) person’s “sexual journey,” and it doesn’t necessarily or even usually contain a romance or monogamous relationship. But these days, erotica means – oh, a lot of things. Pretty much any book that has a lot of sex in it is being called erotica.

Now, I’ll be honest – this has been hard for me, as an author of super sexy romance novels, to swallow. People keep saying, “Toni, when did you switch over to writing erotica and why?” I have to explain that I’m writing the same kind of books I’ve been writing all along – emotional and fairly complex (if I do say so myself) romance novels that happen to have a heavy sensual/sexual element to them. But at heart, they’re definitely romance novels, filled with conflict and emotion and yearning and all that good stuff we all love.

But apparently, this is erotica now ; ) I’m really trying to embrace that, since it seems out of my control. Yet, of course, erotica is a lot of other things, too. It can be a lot more graphic/blunt in language and sexual situations than my books are. It can also follow that traditional definition I mentioned – being mostly about the sexual journey without a happily ever after. And it can straddle any of these lines.

So what do you think? How do you define erotica? Do you care how a book is labeled, or do you choose strictly on story, cover, and that sort of thing? And if you are a reader who enjoys hot, sexy books, are you open to reading all the forms of erotica I touched on above, or do you prefer to stick to “erotic romance?”

I’m writing this about ten days before it will be posted, as I’ll be winging my way back from vacation right around the time you’re reading this. But I shall do my best to pop in and respond to any comments. And thanks again to Kim and the other ladies here at Jaunty Quills for having me!

August 23, 2006

Calling all aspiring authors

Being a member of RWA is just about the greatest thing you can do for a budding writing career. They are the only professional writing organization that allows unpublished writers to be full members. In doing this these writers are a part of a sophisticated system that essentially teaches them how to better their craft. It also gives them unparalleled access to industry professionals. There are actual writing conferences out there where you have to submit a sample of writing and be approved to attend, that couldn’t be farther from RWA’s conference which allows attendance simply by paying.

In addition to the resources RWA provides, the internet has opened up all kinds of doors for aspiring authors. There are blogs written by editors and by agents that give you an inside peek into their likes and dislikes. This was unheard of when I was trying to break in. And these kinds of details could be the difference between a sale or not. At the least it can save you from sending your book to an agent who really loathes romances between aliens and fairies or whatever the case may be.

Such great resources right at your fingertips. But for the next 8 weeks, there will be an invaluable opportunity for you. A chance to get your writing in front of editors who buy new authors all the time. Did your heart just skip a beat? This chance is golden. Before I sold, I would have given anything for a chance like this one. I know some of you have heard about it already, and hopefully you’ve already signed up to participate. So what is it that has me so excited? Avon’s FanLit. And on-line interactive blog-type thing that will enable would-be writers to submit ideas and actual pages to get them in front of not only your favorite authors, but Avon’s editors as well.

If you’ve ever heard an editor talk, then you’ve probably heard them say that they can tell a lot about a writer within one page. What are they looking at in only one page? Voice. Which is what they look for when they buy. A new and fresh voice that will appeal to the masses, something original, yet familiar enough for readers to flock to. Here’s your chance to get your voice, your one thing that makes you unique as a writer, in front of an editor. Do you have that voice? Are you the next budding Avon star? You’ll only know if you try. Come on, what have you got to lose?

For more info, click on .