I love to dance.   Despite the fact many of the guys I dated looked more like the strawman from Wizard of Oz while dancing, I never hesitated to step onto the dance floor with them.  As long as they danced on their toes and not mine…

When I was four years old my mom enrolled me in dance classes.  I stuck with it through high school and even dabbled in choreography.  It was fun and challenging, but I didn’t have the body or the drive to make a career out of it. 

Professional dancing is damned hard work!

That’s surely evidenced on the reality show So You Think You Can Dance?  While many talented people audition and gain a slot, just a select few are chosen.  

Hmm, a lot like the writing career when you think about it.  But I digress.

One of my all time favorite movies was Dirty Dancing starring Patrick Swayze who recently lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.  To me that was the first modern movie that brought out the sensual/erotic chemistry between two people on the dance floor. 

Then there was John Travolta in Grease.  Then Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.  And recently Travolta with Uma Thurman in Be Cool.  Yeah, real men can dance.

It’s interesting how large a role dancing has played in movies and plays.  From the Fred Astaire movies featuring elaborate ballroom dancing to Antonio Banderas doing the Tango in Take the Lead, dancing has played a huge role in movies and plays. 

Dance plays a major role in many novels as well, especially historical romances.  How many regency romances have you read where the heroine waits nervously for the hero to claim a slot on her dance card?  With dance, so many emotions are at play.  The crush of his strong legs against her skirt.  The curl of her fingers in his.  The intensity of staring into each others’ eyes to the beat of music and the pulse of attraction.

I was going to list a few novels where a dance scene really stood out, but there sre simply too many for me to name.  So I’ll leave that to you.  Do you have a favorite scene from a novel where the hero and heroine dance?

So it turns out I’ve been a very lazy Quill lately. (Remind me to never again have a book release the first week of school. It’s just no fun.) You may be wondering, what exactly did Emily do?

I never picked a winner from my September 1st post (Jane Austen and Sock Puppets) or my September 8th post (Lost Loves, Broken Hearts and Teenage Angst). I know! It’s shocking!

But I’ve decided to reward you for my negligence. If you responded to either of those posts, email me at EmilyBMcKay at Gmail.com and I’ll send you a copy of either Baby on the Billionaire’s Doorstep, Baby Benefits, or Tempted into the Tycoon’s Trap.

Be sure to include which book you want and your snail mail address. And make sure you email me before midnight on Tuesday. ‘Cause this offer won’t last forever!

(And once again, sorry I’m a slacker!)

Back in 2005 Harlequin asked over 1,000 people in United States about their guilty pleasures. I’d be interested to know if you think the stats are on target:

Only 5% of both men and women would flirt and use their sexuality to get a job or promotion if there were no consequences.
Only 8% would have sex in a public place, even without consequences.
If there were no negative repercussions 7% would approach a stranger and ask them on a date.
Locating their first love and rekindling the romance was the number one “no strings attached” fantasy of 23% of the respondants

Personally the percentages seem a bit low to me…what do you think?

Hi! Thanks for having me back here at Jaunty Quills.

This month marks the release of my third paranormal, TO CRAVE A BLOOD MOON – all very exciting as the early reviews have been great and the reader feedback very heartening. Like most writers, I always bite my nails over that stuff. I would say this is the darkest of the three in my paranormal series and probably the most adventuresome with exotic locales and a deepening of the paranormal world I created with the first book.

When I first began the series with MARKED BY MOONLIGHT, I had no plans for future connected stories. I simply wrote a “lycan” (werewolf) book with plans and hopes to sell it … beyond that, who knew? When my brilliant editor bought it and asked, “what’s next?”, I suddenly had to look at the first book and see where I could take a second book. The first idea I tossed at her, my editor claimed was too similar to the first book, and correctly so. After further conversation with her, I finally understood the importance of building and layering my paranormal world and the stakes with each subsequent book. With that in mind I added hybrid lycans (dovenatus) to my second paranormal, and increased the stakes with world-wide threats … not simply threats to my h/h.

When I sat down to brainstorm my third paranormal, it took awhile to come up with a book that differed but also built on the first two books, ie, weaving in with the mythos that I’ve created. This is the tricky part in creating a paranormal series. You want to build off each book while not contradicting anything previously established in earlier books. Also, I never want to invent something totally from left field either. For instance, I’m not going to include vampires in my paranormal world as late as book three of four. At that point, it would just feel contrived.

Consequently, TO CRAVE A BLOOD MOON took even more brainstorming than my first two books. Since I already did lycans and dovenatus … what could be next? What kind of hero or heroine could I create that differed from the others? The result was a dovenatu hero and heroine who happens to be human but an empath. The idea of an empath came to me after watching some of those paranormal reality shows on A&E. After a little research on empaths (fascinating!!) I arrived at Ruby and Sebastian’s story. Here’s the summary:

A BITE TOO FAR…

Imprisoned and tortured by a lycan pack, half-breed Sebastian Santiago is determined not to break. But now they’ve come up with a cruel plan — starve Sebastian until he is half-mad with hunger, then force him to succumb to his werewolf instincts by giving him human prey to feed on.

Snatched from the streets of Istanbul, American tourist Ruby Deveraux has already seen the horror of her companions torn apart. Now she is thrown into a dark cell with a shadowy shape she can barely see. But Ruby is no ordinary woman. All her life she has been able to sense the emotions of others, and she knows instinctively that while Sebastian does not want to be her enemy, he is in the grip of sensations so dark and primitive that he can barely control them. But amid his surging feelings she can detect passion — passion for her as a woman. This, she realizes, may be her only hope. In the unrelenting dark, trapped in a hideous prison, can Ruby and Sebastian somehow forge a fragile alliance and break free from their deadly captors to seize a love neither dreamed possible?

Of course, having met the challenge of creating a new twist in book three, I’m facing the same issues with book four of the series, MY SOUL TO KEEP. Solution? My heroine is a dovenatu this time … and the hero? Well … let’s just say, he’s a dovenatu with a definite twist.

Thankfully, through no deliberation of my own (it’s lovely when those type of convenient flukes happen!) I introduced the existence of witches in the first book. Ever since, I’ve made it a point to reference witches, knowing it may come in handy. I’ve been able to link witches to demons … can you see where I’m going? Now I’ve opened up several more doors in my paranormal world. Turns out the hero in my fourth book will be a demon-slayer dovenatu. Hmm, say that five times fast! Anyway, it fits with the direction of the first three books, and maybe even more importantly, it keeps me from getting bored! Always important for a writer.

Well, I guess I’ve blathered on enough. Now it’s your turn. I would love to hear your thoughts on series and world-building.

Thank you, Jaunties, for having me here today!

Best to all,

Sharie/Sophie

Next month is a biggie for me. I have not one, but TWO books coming out in October! I know we’re only two weeks away, but I’m so excited, I just can’t wait the fourteen days before I share my covers and give you a sneak peek at the plots. Not that I’m eagerly counting down the days or anything…     Actually, I’m so excited that I’ll be running a contest, giving away a bracelet I had specially made to celebrate this double release! Stay tuned to the blog for more information on October 1.

 In the meantime, here’s a little bit about the books:

 If you’ve read ACCIDENTAL PRINCESS and WHAT HAPPENS IN PARIS, some of the characters in my new releases will be familiar ( don’t worry if you haven’t read them, the new stories stand on their own)…

ACCIDENTAL CINDERELLA is book two in my St. Michel series (the follow-up to ACCIDENTAL PRINCESS). In this book, you’ll meet Sophie’s best friend, Lindsay Bingham, who has come to St. Michel for Sophie and Luc’s royal wedding.  Little does Lindsay know, but the wedding souvenir she’ll take home is a delicious slice of true love.

 Here’s what Silhouette says:

A Fairy Tale Recipe For Romance

INGREDIENTS

1 beautiful woman

1 scandalous celebrity chef

1 heaping tablespoon of undeniable attraction

3 cups of pure chemistry

Unlimited measure of sizzling passion

METHOD

1.      Take one drop-dead gorgeous Lindsay Bingham.

2.      Place her at a castle on an exotic Mediterranean Island

3.      Add a little spice in the form of handsome celebrity chef Carlos Montigo.

4.      Make then the hosts of a TV cooking show set in Europe.

5.      Turn the heat up to an irresistible desire.

6.      Don’t get burned as their scorching passion explodes.

7.      Cook until Lindsay and Carlos fall hopelessly in love.

AN ANGEL IN PROVENCE is a follow-up to WHAT HAPPENS IN PARIS. I like to think of it as a cross between the movies THE HOLIDAY and UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, only set in Provence amidst the rolling lavender fields.

Rita Brooks (the sister of WHAT HAPPENS IN PARIS heroine Annabelle) can redesign anything – except her own life. She’s landed a dream project: transforming an eighteenth-century rectory in Avignon into a summer home. But the client insists on hiring local furniture artisan Philippe Beaulieu – young, eccentric, irritatingly… French. Their styles couldn’t be more different; his ultramodern designs definitely clash with Rita’s classic tastes. But as the saying goes, Vive la Différence!

Working closely in the romantic Provençal countryside, the colleagues discover shared passions outside the studio, and recently widowed Rita throws herself into their affair with appropriate French élan, never thinking her heart is at risk. But with her dreams so tantalizingly close, Rita must find the courage to take hold of them… and never let go.

Harlequin is publishing AN ANGEL IN PROVENCE in the larger trade paperback size. And it will remain on the shelves longer than the month that the category books are shelved. Plus, as a bonus, Harlequin has packaged the book with WHAT HAPPENS IN PARIS! It’s a double-volume set!

 What do you think? Which cover is your favorite? Don’t forget to check back on October 1 for details on how you can win the bracelet!

About a year ago I stumbled upon a blog that mentioned a revision technique I found very intriguing. It was something I wanted to try then, but wasn’t conducive to the book I was working on so I shelved the idea. But recently when it came time to do revisions for my next book I read up on the process again. It’s my understanding that the concept was developed by a children’s book author and is presented mostly to workshops for other children’s authors. And while the books I write are a tad longer than a picture book I figured the process was worth a try. Here’s what I did:

Basically you take your manuscript and you shrink it down so that it can be laid out on the floor and all examined at once. I managed to get my 300+ pg manuscript down to 44 shrunken pages. All the text is sort of smushed together so that you can read it enough to see what scene that is, but clearly you wouldn’t want to sit down and read the whole book this way – you’d go blind!

So I sat at the table with my 44pgs of tiny text and got our my highlighters and post-it flags. First I came up with a list of things I wanted to track – like point of view scenes (whose head I’m in in any given scene), action-driven scenes, major plot points, romantic plot points and then I wanted to track where I could add a new subplot I wanted to include. I assigned each of these items either a colored flag or a highlighter and then I went through and marked the entire 44 pgs. It didn’t take more than an hour, I don’t think.

Next I placed all the pages on the floor, 4 rows of paper and I sat back and examined what I saw. Right away I could see areas where I needed to add a more action-driven scene, places where my villain had simply disappeared and long stretches between my romantic plot points. I got out my post-it notes and began tagging the areas with instructions on what to add. I found places to add that secondary plot line. And as an added bonus, seeing the manuscript shrunk up like that really highlighted the areas where I too much white space. I’m a dialogue-heavy writer anyways, but seeing all the white space clearly revealed scenes that could benefit from another layer of detail and texture.

Frankly the whole process was pretty darn amazing. And I think if time allows I’ll use this technique on future books as well.

So how about you? Have you tried anything new lately? Do you normally like to try new things, like new types of food, new recipes or perhaps a new hairstyle? And fellow writers, what is your revision process like? Any favorite tricks you can share?

To read more about the shrunken manuscript revision technique, visit the following links:
http://kmessner.livejournal.com/9135.html
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/31-FE3-NovelRevision.html
http://sarahmillerbooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/incredible-shrinking-manuscript.html

Well, it looks like I have a newly renovated home! Welcome to the spiffed up version of Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills! My authors and I are so glad you’re visiting! In addition to the new digs, there are a few new authors I’d like you to meet!

Terri Brisbin…A three-time RWA RITA® finalist, Terri has been writing romance fiction since 1995 and has had 18 historical and paranormal romances published since then. She’s now working on more romance novels, novellas and short stories for release in 2009, 2010 and 2011 from Harlequin Historical Romances and Kensington Brava. Her latest release, The Conqueror’s Lady, was praised by BookList as “…an expertly crafted medieval romance with a dangerous hero and a smart, stubborn heroine.”

Catherine Kean…Catherine writes medieval historical romances featuring headstrong heroines and emotionally-tormented alpha male heroes. Her latest release, A Knight’s Temptation, was praised by Coffee Time Romance, which described the book as “…filled with stunning descriptions, hilarious events, remarkable emotions, and unforgettable characters.” Among her writing awards, My Lady’s Treasure won the historical category of the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Contest and finaled in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  A Knight’s Reward was a 2008 National Readers’ Choice Awards finalist.

Janette Kenny…Bestselling author Janette Kenny writes sexy western historical romances for Kensington and emotionally intense contemporary romances for Harlequin Presents. RT called her “a powerful new voice,” and Merrimon Books called her “a rising star in western historical romance.” Coming in October is A Cowboy Christmas from Kensington and Proud Revenge Passionate Wedlock from Harlequin Presents. 

Kathryn Smith…Kathryn is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 books. She has been published in Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and Historical romance. Writing wise Kathryn’s known for the emotional intensity of her characters’ relationships, but personally she’s more likely to be known for her inability to keep quiet! When she’s not playing video games with her husband, or playing with the cats, she’s more than likely playing with the plot to a new book.

And don’t forget the old gang, too…

Robyn DeHart… Robyn DeHart loves her job and the fact that most of the time creating great characters and putting them in dangerous situations distracts her from daily grindings like real estate nightmares, cleaning up kitty hairballs and mountains of laundry. A two-time Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice award nominee, Robyn’s most recent release, Seduce Me, launched her exciting new Legend Hunters series hit stores in August. Romantic Times gave it a 4 ½ star TOP PICK and said “Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in this pulse-pounding adventure romance.”

Shana Galen… Rita-nominated author Shana Galen recently signed a contract with Sourcebooks to write 3 Regency historicals. The first will be out in June 2010. Shana lives in Texas with her husband, Ultimate Sportsfan, and two adorable cats.

Katherine Garbera… Katherine is the national best-selling author of more than 40 books. Writing is the chief focus of her time after her family and the only thing she likes more than working on her own books is reading other authors.  She is a frequent speaker at conferences and loves the opportunity to talk about writing with anyone who’ll listen. Katherine writes for Silhouette Desire and for Brava. Her latest releases are The Mercenary and Taming the Texas Tycoon.

Kristan Higgins… The RITA-award winning, bestselling author of four contemporary romantic comedies and hailed as “one of the most creative and honest voices in contemporary romance,” Kristan loves to write big love stories set in small towns. “When I started writing romance,” the author says, “all the heroines seemed to be tremendously beautiful and staggeringly talented. I wanted stories for the rest of us.” Kristan’s most recent release, Too Good To Be True was featured on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition this summer, causing great squeals of excitement in the Higgins family. Look for The Next Best Thing this February.

Cindy Kirk… Cindy Kirk, is the author of more than 24 contemporary romance novels, including Your Ranch or Mine? Cindy has written books ranging from inspirational to sexy contemporary. She loves to write for Silhouette Special Edition because it allows her to write the kind of stories she likes; stories about everyday people who find their happily-ever-after with someone special in a context of home, family and community. Look for her next release this November.

Margo Maguire… The Chicago Tribune says, “Margo Maguire gives the classic historical Regency story a fresh, clever new twist…” She is the author of 17 historical romance novels, re-printed in 24 languages. Her books are full of adventure and soul-sighing happily-ever-afters.

Emily McKay… Emily writes for Silhouette Desire. When she’s not procrastinating, picking up toys, or cleaning up after her pets, that is. Somehow, amidst the chaos of her life with two small children, three pets, and one geeky, robot-programming husband, she’s managed to write nine books for Harlequin and Silhouette. In the Tycoon’s Debt is out now.

Nancy Robards Thompson… Award winning author, Nancy Robards Thompson/Elizabeth Robards has reinvented herself numerous times. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, television show stand-in, production and extras casting for movies, and has had several mind-numbing jobs in fashion and public relations. She earned a degree in journalism only to realize reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Much more content to report to her muse, Nancy has found Nirvana doing what she loves most – writing contemporary and historical women’s fiction full-time. Since doing that, she’s sold fourteen books, which critics have deemed “…funny, smart and observant.” In October 2009, Harlequin will release Nancy’s book, An Angel in Provence, as a title in its Next Novel trade paperback program. That same month, Silhouette will release her Special Edition, Accidental Cinderella.

So enjoy the new digs, poke around the website, and drop in daily for a smile and a chat. Until then, cheerio!

Jaunty

Readers, what do you think of the new site? Pretty snazzy, huh?

When Ultimate Sportsfan told me that it was time to get a new car, I was resistant. I love my car. I have a red Volkswagen Beetle, and it has been good to me. It did have a season a few years ago where the check engine light came on repeatedly, and we were not the best of friends at that point, but it shaped up and has been a wonderful car ever since.

But USF says we need a bigger car, so the Beetle has to go. Hopefully, another family will love it just as much as I do. The thing is that as much as I hate to give up the Beetle, I hate car shopping even more. Why does it take so long to buy a car? I mean, once you test drive the car and decide on the one you want, why does it take so long for the paperwork to be completed and the car keys to actually make it into your hands?

Whenever I buy a car, it always seems like the sales people have no idea what they’re doing and that this is the first time they’ve ever done this. How can that be since selling cars is all they do all day, every day?

I wonder if it was as difficult for people living in the past to buy carriages? Did they have to sign all these documents to finance it? Did they have to wait for it to be washed and waxed and inspected? I have a feeling my heroes would not have the patience for this. They’d want that carriage, and they’d want it now. Actually, they probably had servants take care of buying the new carriage and trading in the old one. Maybe I need a servant…

So what about you? Love your car? Hate it? Love car shopping? Hate car shopping?

The winner of Friday’s giveaway is Mitzi H.  Congrats Mitzi!  Please send me your mailing address at janette AT jankenny.com.  I’ll get your autographed copy of Pirate Tycoon Forbidden Baby mailed to you. 

Thanks to all who commented!

This week my relatively new (2008) Sonata had a flat tire. I was going out of town that day on business so I had to take our “extra” car, a 1992 Buick Skylark with 278,000 miles.

Now I don’t want to say anything bad about the “lark”, because it was once my baby. I got it when it was six months old and, as you can see by the fact that it’s still running, it’s been a great car. At the time I bought it, the vehicle was considered “loaded.” But what did I notice when driving it this week? No satellite radio, no radio controls on the steering column, no automatic temperature controls….and the list goes on. Again, I’m not complaining…it handled nicely and got me safely from Point A to Point B.

Yet as I traveled down the interstate I started thinking–if I could have ANY car I wanted, what car would it be? And that is the question I pose to you this week. If you could pick ANY car and not have to pay extra sales tax or insurance (but you couldn’t pick it only to sell it) what car would you choose?

Mine would be a Lexus ISC 10. It’s a six cylinder, so it would have pep but still get good gas mileage. This car has all the features I like in a vehicle, plus it’s not too little or too big. Although it’s a two seater, since I no longer have children at home or rarely transport more than one other person, it would work well for me. I’d special order it in matador red mica with the alabaster leather seats. Yes, I could be VERY happy in this car.

Now tell me, what car would YOU choose if money was no object?