I just rolled in –literally- after spending three weeks on the road. The suitcases are still in the car and I haven’t even thought of what we’re going to do for food, but first, I had to sit down and blog about where we’ve been.

This year, my family and I combined back-to-back, work-related conferences that were geographically near each other with our vacation. The result was a five-state, twenty-one day road trip that I’ll probably be blogging about in pieces and parts for weeks.

For now, I’ll give you the general rundown of where we’ve been and what we did:

First stop on the Thompson family tour was North Carolina. My folks live there and they agreed to keep our dog while we were gone. We were also able to coordinate a small family reunion while we were there. It was so nice to see everyone and catch up. The mountains are beautiful and the weather was great. I managed to sneak in a fabulous hike with my father – something that’s become a tradition when we get together in NC. Good times!

After that, we took off for Washington, D.C. The Romance Writers of America’s national conference was there this year. So, while I was “working,” (oh, how I love my job!) my family took the opportunity to see the D.C. sights. I managed to play tourist a bit myself – I went with my family to tour the White House (more about that in a future blog) and to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Two things that have been on my “must-do” list for a long time.

The RWA conference ended on a Sunday and Pyro Boy (that’s my hubby’s new nickname… since everyone seems to have cute pet names for their DHs, I’d been wracking my brain for one that fits mine… after years of watching him become a ten-year-old boy on the 4th of July, it became apparent this year that “Pyro Boy” was the perfect moniker for him – sorry, Honey!) Anyhow, Pyro Boy’s conference, which was in Boston, didn’t start until the following Friday. So we took the opportunity to go to New York City for a few days. We had such a good time! We got a two-day Gray Line city tour, hop-on hop-off bus pass and spent an incredible couple of days getting the lay of the land. Despite how touristy it sounds, it really was the perfect way to see all of Manhattan. We sat on top in the open air (even in the rain) and planned our course of action. Some of the high lights: We ended up going to the site of the World Trade Center to see the progress of the new project (a very emotional experience); we did the Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty experience and went shopping in SoHo, among other things.

Next, we headed to Boston. While Pyro Boy conferenced, the family and I had a crash course on American History, with an emphasis in the American Revolution (of course). Since we had such a fabulous time on the New York Gray Line city tour, we decided to snag the Boston “Bean Town Trolley.” While I don’t regret it, let’s just say I’m glad we only shelled out for the one-day pass in Boston. Perhaps it’s just the nature of the beast, but in NY, with every lap we made, I gleaned more and more interesting Manhattan factoids and probably could’ve kept riding and gleaning for days. But in Boston… For a city so rich in history and culture, the tour’s delivery sort of left me scratching my head. Especially when every tour guide (different guide each time you hopped off and back on a trolley) felt compelled to point out the largest parking garage in Boston… Okay. Good to know. They’ve got the parking garage covered, but they didn’t utter one word about the Boston Tea Party… which set me on a mission: to discover the location of the historic event. No one seemed to know (because the waterfront had been built out by landfill over the years). Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED Boston and I’m not judging it by the tour. I plan on spending more time there in the future… I guess I’ll just have to do more on this in a future blog post, too.

We took a day trip – twice – to Concord, MA. Suffice to say, I left my heart there. I communed with Thoreau at Walden Pond, saw Emerson’s “Old Manse,” and marveled over how the spot where the Revolutionary War began still is unspoiled and perfectly preserved. I imagine that today it looks very much the same as it did back in the day. Except for the obviously new footbridge and the monuments (as my daughter so aptly pointed out – Thanks for the buzz kill – Actually, no, she didn’t ruin it for me… It was that good!). But the stop that took the cake for me was the visit to Orchard House. Home of the Alcotts – as in Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women.” What a treasure, Orchard House. Many of the Alcott’s possessions are on display in the house – including the desk where LMA wrote “Little Women.” I had a personal guided tour by Sally Cody, manager of retail sales for the House and wealth of knowledge on all things Alcott. As, I’m sure you’ve guessed, I’ll be writing more on fabulous Concord in the near future, too.

Our fifth and final stop (before heading back to NC to pick up the dog) was Gettysburg, PA. We did a whirlwind tour of the battlefield. Not enough time to pay sufficient homage, but it was awe inspiring to set foot in a place of such historical significance. Will definitely go back.

I fear that you’re going to be hearing about my Big Fat Summer Vacation for a few posts to come. But I hope you’ll find what I have to share as exhilarating as I did. And there will be pictures, too… as soon as I can unearth the camera! Stay tuned.

As you might know from reading my books, each of my heroines has a guilty pleasure (or six). Recently I read Janet Evanovich’s How I Write, and she referred to this as “drug of choice.” Apparently, Stephanie Plum’s drug of choice is doughnuts. Hey, sister, welcome to the club! Jennifer Crusie also elevated the love affair so many of us have with doughnuts, Krispy Kremes in particular. Bridget Jones sticks with the more traditional overindulgence of alcohol and the occasional Pride & Prejudice marathon.

There’s something so humanizing about a guilty pleasure…we know we shouldn’t indulge in it but can’t quite resist, especially when the chips are down. In Fools Rush In, Millie turns to Cheetos when all seems lost. In Just One of the Guys, Chastity loved junk food and lots of it, as well as regular doses of Viggo Mortenson in Lord of the Rings. Grace in Too Good To Be True turned to Disgustingly Rich Brownies (recipe on my website, just in case you feel the need). And Lucy, the heroine of my upcoming novel The Next Best Thing, is a pastry chef who indulges in Twinkies. All of my heroines love Ben & Jerry. What woman doesn’t?

To be a true guilty pleasure, there has to be a trashy element, don’t you think? That’s why it’s guilty. For example, you can’t say that watching CNN is your guilty pleasure, because it educates and informs you. If you say that watching Anderson Cooper is your guilty pleasure because you ignore everything he says and just picture him naked and smeared in olive oil, hello! Now you have something to feel guilty about!

My own guilty pleasure…prepare yourself to think less of me, folks…is America’s Next Top Model. Now, now, settle down. I don’t watch it regularly. Maybe…I don’t know…once a month? Every other month? Okay, I’ll confess…there was that New Year’s Eve when McIrish worked and I inherited a couple extra kids who ran me ragged until about 11 p.m.. When I finally collapsed into my chair, there was nothing on…except a MARATHON of America’s Next Top Model! Whoo-hoo! For the next few happy hours, I rang in the new year with Tyra, trying to follow her instructions to lengthen my neck and make my eyes savage …hard when shoveling clam dip into my mouth, though I did eventually master being “mm-mm-mm” instead of “uh-uh-uh.”

Guilty pleasures, though trashy and pointless and often fattening, make us happy. Hence the pleasure part. Occasional indulgences are necessary, after all. Sure, we may wake up with a Cheeto hangover or feel a tinge of self-disgust at wasted hours in front of meaningless TV, but without guilty pleasures, maybe life would feel a little too squeaky clean.

So spill! What are those not-very-good-for-you things you do, eat or watch when you need a pick-me-up? Why does that particular guilty pleasure work so very well?

Yesterday something special happened. The UPS truck drove up and delivered my author copies of In the Tycoon’s Debt, my ninth book. There are a lot of highs and lows of the book industry, but getting author copies in the mail never fails to thrill me. It’s my book, in print, actually in my hands. What’s not to love?

And if that wasn’t special enough, when I went up to my office with the box of books, I realized something. My book shelf of my books had exactly enough room for one more book. I had a super cool picture of all my books on the shelf, but couldn’t get it to behave. So you’ll have to trust me. There are a lot of books there. Forty-five to be exact. That’s one of the perks of writing for Harlequin: foreign copies. My books have been printed in the U.S., Australia, and the U.K. I’ve also been translated into ten other languages: Spanish, French, Czech, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, German, Dutch and Polish. Which is pretty freakin’ cool, when you think about it.

One of the cool things about getting foreign copies is the glimpse is gives you into another culture. Before my first foriegn copies arrived (which was Baby, Be Mine in German), I sort of assumed books were books wherever they’re published. But the truth is, they’re slightly different all over. Here are some of my favorites.

This is my Mills and Boon release, Her Wildest Dreams. This was never released in the U.S. (though it is now available in a Kindle bundle). I love it simply because I love this book. Because it was never released in the U.S. it has sold fewer copies than any of my other books, but I think it’s one of my best. However, I really can’t imagine Reid wearing this odd purple suit. So I actually prefer this Dutch cover, which, to me, looks exactly like Reid and Jane.

Here’s the Greek edition of Baby on the Billionaire’s Doorstep. The Greek ones are always cool because the alphabet is so completely different I sometimes have to read the title page to tell which book it is. Plus, I’ve been to Greece and just loved it. So I always imagine someone reading my book sitting in a little cafe at the base of the Parthenon, eating the best yogurt known to man.

Here’s French edition of Baby on the Billionaire’s Doorstep. Lately, the French editions have been really cool. They’re trade size and have just beautiful covers.

Here’s my all time favorite foreign edition, the very first one I received. The German edition of Baby, Be Mine. I love it because, first off, the guy on the cover is smoking hot. Never mind that Sam doesn’t ride a motorcycle and Tabitha is pregnant throughout the book and would never get on the back of one. I don’t care. It’s a hot cover. One of the books I never sold has a motorcycle driving hero and I always imagined that the cover would look just like this.

Plus, the German editions are just cool (or they were back in 2003 when this one was released). The copies were more like magazines, with ads in the front and crossword puzzles in the back. It’s just fun!

Now, if you happen to read any of the languages I mentioned, let me know I’ll be happy to mail you one of my foreign editions. (The exception is the Russian edition. I never got those copies in the mail. But I’ve got spare copies of everything else.)

Emily For today’s special blog, I have the honor of interviewing my long time critique partner (and general partner in crime) about the release for her new book, Seduce Me. Before we get started, I have to admit that Seduce Me is my favorite Robyn DeHart book so far. It’s filled with grand adventure, sigh-inducing romance, and a hero you’d love to … well, some things are best left to your imagination (and to the pages of Robyn’s fab book).

Robyn Well, thank you, Emily, that’s so kind. And I’m thrilled you loved this book, I’ve been waiting to write that hero that would sweep you off your feet. Especially since you did that for me with the first book of yours I read.

Emily Oh, he definitely swept me off my feet. Whew … is anyone else getting hot in here?

But back to the interview. Years ago, when Robyn and I first met, we were both Entertainment Weekly fans. They had a weekly column called Five Stupid Questions. In a nod to our shared past as collectors of arcane pop culture trivia, I am resurrecting the tradition of Five Stupid Questions.

So, Robyn, if you were the heroine in one of your favorite movies, who would you be?

Robyn I think this one is pretty easy, I’d definitely be Evie from The Mummy. How awesome is she? Not only is she so beautiful, but she’s intelligent, brave, charming and has a wonderful sense of humor. And hello, she gets Rick who is so very hot! And while Rick’s quick gun wielding keeps them out of jeopardy many times, it’s Evie’s equally quick thinking truly saves the day.
While I didn’t consciously model my new heroine, Esme Worthington (from Seduce Me) after Evie, I know there must be similarities. It will probably be difficult not to notice especially since the tone of my new Legend Hunters series mimics that of The Mummy movies.

Emily You’ve often mentioned that you got your start writing romance as a child when you used your Barbie and Ken dolls to star in romantic story lines. I’d like to hear more about those stories. Dialogue has always been one of your strong suits. Can we hear some of the Barbie and Ken dialogue?

Robyn Oh, now I don’t know if I could recreate that dialogue, but no doubt it was stellar and oh-so-romantic. But I will admit that my Barbie “games” were very elaborate and would last forever, sometimes all the way through the night and into the next day. The Barbie dream house was too limiting for me, I needed more space for my story lines. I remember there were often masquerade balls and lots of kissing – wasn’t it amazing how perfectly Barbie’s head turned and you could mash her lips up against Ken’s? Ah, those were the days….

Emily I’ll never forget the time I tried to talk a boy into playing ball with me. He kept looking around for a basketball and I couldn’t understand why he would dance with me.

Instead of asking you where you get your ideas, I’m going to assume that–like me–you order yours from the Sears catalogue. Which department do you like to shop from?

Robyn Absolutely, and in a pinch I use Oriental Trading because you can buy in bulk. I tend to favor the Outdoor Living and Sports & Fitness sections since my characters so often are on the run and in danger, they need the appropriate equipment. But of course sometimes you need ideas from the Home department, always luxurious bedding to be found there.

Emily Wow, I think you and I should go shopping more often. You obviously have excellent taste! And speaking of shopping, tell us three things you bought the last time you went to the grocery store.

Robyn Rice Krispie treats for The Professor (he’s a snacker), cherries and Diet Big Red.

Emily No Diet Coke? It’s like I don’t know you at all!

Robyn Well, in your defense, normally I am a Diet Coke drinker, but since moving back to Texas I’m able to have Diet Big Red (no where to be found in SE Tennessee) and I haven’t quite gotten my fill just yet.

Emily I heard that for the release of Seduce Me, your publisher is sending you on a high-powered book tour. I’m thinking they’re sending you to New York, San Francisco, Tokyo … Can you tell us where they’ll be sending you?

Robyn Hmmmm….well, they are sending me on a promotional tour and I suppose I might reach readers in Tokyo and San Fran, but actually I’ll be able to participate in this tour from the safety of my own home and in my pj’s! How awesome is that? They’re sending me on a blog tour the first two weeks of August and boy is my schedule packed. You’ll find guest blots, lots of Q&A’s and plenty of reviews and giveaways. Not only will you have a chance to win copies of Seduce Me, but I’m actually hosting a scavenger hunt contest to coincide with the blog tour. All of this you can find more info on my website.

So come on show your excitement for the release of Seduce Me! Tell your friends, run to your bookstore, make some noise…

I love the unexpected. Visitors, a text message from my kids, a cool twist of a plot in a book – which I hope you’ll enjoy if you pick up a copy of my October release, Taken by the Laird. Wouldn’t you love to be in some public place when something totally amazing occurs? I’ve had to do the occasional “nurse assist” in a store or airport, but those were not fun because they involved someone in a health crisis situation.

But check out the following video. It was a very unexpected, fun event in a Belgian train station. It gets better as it goes along, so please turn up the volume on your speakers and … Enjoy!

When I write, my goal is the same as most writers…to create memorable characters. As I work on a new book, I keep in mind what draws me to a character. This got me to thinking about favorite TV couples. Several couples came instantly to mind:
Scarecrow and Mrs. King

In case you don’t remember it, Scarecrow and Mrs. King was an espionage television series with an unusual twist. Lee Stetson, codename “Scarecrow” (Boxleitner), is a top-level agent for the fictitious CIA-like “Agency”, who inadvertently embroils divorced housewife Amanda King (Jackson) in his mission. Amanda is too inquisitive to leave well enough alone, and with each episode becomes more and more involved with the Agency and with Lee. She starts just “helping”, but by the end of the series she is a full agent.
JAG

JAG (military-speak for Judge Advocate General) is an adventure drama about this elite legal wing of officers trained as lawyers who investigate, prosecute and defend those accused of crimes in the military, including murder, treason and terrorism. Navy Cmdr. Harmon “Harm” Rabb (David James Elliott), an ace pilot turned lawyer, and Marine Lt. Col. Sarah “Mac” MacKenzie (Catherine Bell), a beautiful by-the-book officer, are colleagues who hold the same high standards but find themselves clashing when they choose different routes to get to the same place. The unmistakable chemistry between them must be held at bay for professional reasons as they traverse the globe together with a single mission: to search for and discover the truth.

These are both older shows but I still remember the chemistry between the two main characters.

How about you? Is there a TV couple that you remember because of their on-screen electricity?

The winner from my win a copy of Seduce Me blog yesterday is Penney! Congrats, Penney, email me your mailing address and I’ll send you your copy.

The other night my husband and I were discussing the economy.  (Keep in mind that we’re armchair economists, not professionals.)  We decided that the current bad economy got started because of shady dealings by greedy people, and continues to be bad because of fear.

People are afraid they’re going to be laid off, or they have been laid off and fear they won’t find another job.  Either way, they cut back on spending.  Because people are spending less, sales are down and so companies let employees go.  And the cycle perpetuates, a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom.

So we how do we break the cycle? 

Recently I came across The 3/50 Project (www.the350project.net) and I think it might help, at least on local levels.  It’s certainly made me re-think where I spend my money.  Essentially, the project coordinators want each of us to choose three locally owned, independent businesses that occupy a physical building.  Of the money we’re planning to spend anyway each month, spend at least $50 (total) of it at those stores.

According to the site, if just half of the employed population spent $50 per month, it would generate more than $42 billion in revenue for small businesses.  That could help a lot of them stay in business.  The site specifies local independents because $68 out of each $100 of their income is returned to their community in taxes, wages and other expenditures.  By comparison, only $43 stays locally when you spend at a chain business, and if you buy online, most likely nothing stays in your community.  This really opened my eyes to some things I hadn’t before considered. 

Recently I asked a clerk in a national chain baby store where their cloth training pants were, and she pointed out the disposables.  No, I said cloth.  She looked at me, mystified; You want what?  When I inquired at a local, independent baby gear shop, the gal who owns and runs it and had greeted me as I entered the door had a dozen options plus information about each to help me choose. 

Don’t get me wrong, I like chain stores.  Among many favorable factors, their leverage in negotiating prices from wholesalers allows me to buy stuff I might not otherwise be able to afford.  But as big as their selection may be, there are some things you just can’t get at the big box stores or chain restaurants.  I would be sad if the family-run café on Main Street or the independent baby gear store closed.  I don’t go there often, but I buy stuff from her I can’t get at many places, certainly not at the chain stores. 

Now when I write my shopping lists, I think about whether a locally-owned store stocks an item for a comparable price.  I’m not spending more money, I’m just spending it in different places.  A friend likes a particular all-natural toothpaste that’s sold at a natural foods chain store, but it’s also sold by a local independent store which happens to be close to her favorite dry cleaner, so she combines her errands.  There’s more than one way to get one stop shopping.

I’m enjoying this re-discovery of local, unique stores where the person ringing up your purchase might even be the store owner.  Since I live in a large metro area, it’s also nice to recognize the shopkeepers and be recognized.  It makes me think of how things were for my Regency characters, who shopped entirely in the days before chain stores existed.

On a different note … this is my last post as a Jaunty Quill.  Regular readers of this blog know there have been some major events in my personal life the last couple years.  I’ve been thinking things will quiet down again, but instead things just shift.  It’s become like the arcade game Whack-A-Mole.  Family is my top priority, so something else has to give. 

I am still writing, and you’re welcome to drop me a line through my web site, www.ShirleyKarr.com or directly, Shirley@ShirleyKarr dot com.  I love to hear from readers!

Auf wiedersehen,
Shirley

Having just returned from RWA’s National conference and seeing so many lovely first sale ribbons I’m reminded of my own first sale. I know there are many of you out there who are aspiring writers and perhaps need the encouragement and for you readers well hopefully it will be an entertaining story. I started out reading romances the way many of you probably did. I was in high school and my mom was a big romance reader and she suggested I try one. I grabbed Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’s A Rose in Winter and I devoured it. To the point of staying up way too late and not studying for finals. But hey, what were they going to do? Fail me? I’d already been accepted into college. Reading that book not only transformed my reading habits and choice of books, but it answered a question I’d been struggling with for a few years.

I’d always known I wanted to be a writer, but I hadn’t yet found WHAT it was I was meant to write. Reading A Rose in Winter, it was like the gears in my brain shifted and I had an immediate A-HA moment. So I began my quest, which for the first few years primarily meant I read a lot of romances and went to a few conferences and took notes. I didn’t really start writing with any consistency while I was in college. I thought I was too busy. (feel free to roll your eyes) Seriously, what was I doing with my time? In any case, I read a lot, which is always a good place to start when you’re trying to narrow down your writing focus.

The one thing I kept hearing when I’d go to workshops of conferences was, “write what you know.” So the first novel I started was an historical set in Texas because I grew up in Texas and when you grow up in Texas, you know Texas history. But as much as I’d been told this, I longed to break the rules because I wanted to write British historicals. Well, I wised up after a trip to England and realized what they should be saying is, “know what you write.” Once this became my new motto, I put my Texas book aside and began my first British historical.

It took me entirely too long to write this book (2 years), mainly because I wasn’t writing consistently. I wanted it to be a priority, but I didn’t know how to make it that way. Eventually, it took, after joining RWA and spending time with other writers and going to more conferences. And one day I woke up and realized I was really on the track to pursuing my dream. It took 5 manuscripts and 7 years, but eventually (on June 12, 2004 to be exact) I got “the call” from Avon.

My sale is one of those you could consider a “slush pile” sale because I was un-agented at the time and my original submission was requested in a group appointment at an RWA National conference. The kind of appointment where the editor doesn’t remember you. Eventually I followed up on that proposal and she got back to me quickly and requested the full and then a few months later the call came.

And then came the total, utter disbelief. I’d done it. I’d made it. Sold all on my own. I couldn’t believe it. For months, it was still unreal. Even after I got my revisions and had to turn in a new proposal, it was still unreal. I got my first cover in the mail and it was so cool and yet, still unreal. I guess it caught on because next week my 5th book comes out.

I think my road to publication was unique to some degree since I didn’t have an agent at the time of my sale. Not only that, but I’d never done well in contests – only placed in 2 with the book I sold and always came in last place. ☺ I also never stopped getting form rejections that you hear will eventually go away when you get close. Never happened that way for me. Oh, I got some “good” rejections, but the others never stopped completely.

Just another reminder that the road to publication is as unique to each of us as the way we meet/met our spouse. No one’s story is the same as someone else’s and in that way we’re all special. But more than that, we all have something to offer the writing community.

Tell me about your own call? What dream have you worked toward that came true? As readers do you enjoy hearing about how your favorite authors broke into the business? Make a comment today and you might just win an autographed copy of Seduce Me which hits stores next Tuesday, July 28th!

A few weeks ago, Young Adult author and Rita nominee Tera Lynn Childs blogged with us. We are excited to announce that Tera is no longer a Rita nominee, but a winner! The Rita is the most prestigious award in romance writing. Many of your favorite authors have one, and all of us want one. Here’s Tera’s story about the big night last Saturday.

Four nights ago I achieved every newly published romance author’s dream: I won the RITA award for Best First Book. It feels strange even saying that. The RITA has, for so long, been that “ultimate dream”– far beyond getting an agent, selling a book, and receiving a first fanmail–that it’s surreal to think it really happened. Since I haven’t quite processed these feelings yet, all I can do is share a bit of what went through my mind that night.

I had actually been nominated in two categories, and Young Adult came first in the ceremony. I’d been nominated with my two friends, Tina Ferraro and Rosemary Clement-Moore, and thought we all had a fairly equal chance. When presenter Melissa Marr read the winner’s name and title, Tina and I cheered as Rosemary went up to accept her award.

Then the ceremony went on and my mind began to drift. In my second category, Best First Book, I was up against a ground of varied and very talented new romance authors. With young adult being the sometimes overlooked baby sister of romance, I didn’t think I had much of a chance. I started thinking about my other books, my future RITA chances.

“Goddess Boot Camp isn’t very romance-y,” I thought, “but Forgive My Fins is almost entirely romance. Maybe I’ll have another chance in 2012.”

When they finally got around to Best First Book, I wasn’t nervous, not like I had been for the YA. I wasn’t going to win, so there wasn’t anything to be nervous about. Right? They flashed my slide up on the jumbo screen and I realized I’d been too nervous to really see it the first time.

Then presenter Terri Garey said, “And the RITA for Best First Book goes to…”

I remember looking down at the program, iPhone, and hastily penned (and now obviously unneccessary) acceptance speech clutched in my hands. Then I heard, “Oh.”

My mind went blank. I looked up, heard my mom scream, and blinked a lot. I stood and stared at Rosemary and Tina before finally making my way on shaking legs and very high heels to the aisle. I waited for my editor and took her hand. (A good thing, too, because I don’t think I would have made it up there without her–in more ways than one!)

Somehow, I managed to read my speech in front of two thousand people. (!!!) My parents insist that I didn’t sound like a dork or talk too fast, but I’m not convinced. I just hope I made sense. It’s a moment, a feeling, an experience I’ll never forget.

And I can’t wait to relive it next year when I will hopefully get the chance to present the RITA fir Best First Book to another writer who is about to have the moment of a lifetime.