Please welcome USA Today bestselling author Leanne Banks!

Thank you so much Margo for letting me visit with the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills. What an honor!:)

I’m so proud of my heroine, Princess Bridget Devereaux, in THE DOCTOR TAKES A PRINCESS. She’s the underestimated princess. She works hard to maintain her careless charm. Her family demands that she take on tons of royal duties, but at the same time they underestimate her. After all, her ultimate goal is to take a long vacation in Italy and flirt with handsome Italian men. (I frankly don’t see anything wrong with that, but I know Bridget has more going on.) Her sister-in-law Eve Jackson rescued her from terrible injury. After that, Bridget can’t help wondering if she deserved being rescued.

She has one last royal mission before she takes her well-earned break. Find doctors for her small island country. She needs the help and cooperation of Texan Dr. Ryder McCall, but for his own good reasons, he’s not amenable to her plans. Bridget wishes she could dismiss him, but the more she learns about him, such as the fact, that he has just inherited twin baby boys, makes her surprisingly attracted to him.

And…Princess Bridget is not a baby person. So she needs help! I was recently reintroduced to infants via my niece who gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy. I quickly remembered the walking and jiggling necessary to keep him from crying. When my kids were little, they usually responded well to the swing and rides in the car. What are your best tips for dealing with babies? I’m all ears!

I’m drawing a winner from the comments to receive a copy of THE PRINCE’S TEXAS BRIDE.

Happy Summer!:)

Leanne Banks
You can learn more about me and my books at LeanneBanks.com Friend me on Facebook to get the most up to date insider info!

I’m in the Big Apple this week for Romance Writer’s of America’s national conference, a week jam-packed with books, authors, gossip and wine.

New York isn’t my favorite city in the world (I suppose if it was, I’d move heaven and earth to move here), but it’s sure a fun place to visit. It’s big, bustling and sprawling in a way no other city on earth seems to be. (But I bet that’s just because I’ve never been to Tokyo.) Today I got away from the hotel for a bit and met with one of my editors and my agent. I got to see a bit of the city and eat some great food. Later in the week, I might take in a show. But for the most part, I’ll probably stay close to the hotel and just enjoy the company of the people I love best–other writers and other people who love books like I do. (Best, besides my family that is.)

I’ve been to New York twice before. Once for the RWA conference right after I sold. That trip was so fun because I got to visit the Harlequin offices and go to the Harlequin party at the fabulous Waldorf Astoria. The second was with my husband when we just hung out for a long weekend and ate fabulous food. So now, for my third trip, I feel less like a total yokel and little more like a traveler. Still, our hotel is right on Times Square and I felt a little overwhelmed just getting out of the cab this evening. So much noise. So much light. I suspect I’ll do a little more sightseeing. Maybe hit some of the shops nearby. Eat more yummy food.

Have you ever been to New York? Do you have a favorite part of the city?

I love a classic idea in a romance novel—secret babies, arranged marriages, marriages of convenience turned real. And I love the reliability of a romance novel, delivering the goods I expect as a romance reader. That being said, there are certain devices we romance writers often employ, myself most definitely included. And when exaggerated, they can be kind of funny.

Heightened sense of smell. “She smelled like sage with an undercurrent of honeysuckle and elderberry.” Come on. No straight man I’ve ever met could identify any of the above, not with a gun to the back of his head. In fact, I believe men can only distinguish three smells: meat, smoke and new car. This sage-identifier—is he taking a special drug or something? Is he part dog? Once, I took McIrish shopping and attempted to pick out perfume. I’d spray, he’d sniff. “Nice,” was his first comment. Also his second, third, fourth and fifth. No elderberries were ever mentioned.

Dead parents. Romance novels are positively littered with dead parents. In historical romance, it’s the ill-fated carriage accident. I had no idea horse and carriage travel was so dangerous! Did the horses come back and trample the people before they could pick themselves up? In contemporary, it’s car accidents. I do not want to be on the road in these novels, because dead parents are strewn everywhere. I admit that I had an orphan as a hero (Ian from All I Ever Wanted). His parents died in a small plane accident, evidence of my ferocious creativity (I’m kidding…it was just as bad as a car accident). But I have to wonder why there are so many dead parents. Are parents just boring to write about? I love writing about parents, especially troublesome parents. (Sorry, Mom! You’re the best!)

Inheriting children. I love children. Should certain of McIrish’s or my siblings meet an unfortunate end (see above), we stand to inherit a few kids. It would be so sad…and so awesome! Yes, I confess! I’ve fantasized about it. Have eyeballed bunk beds at the furniture store…you know, just in case. That being said, the odds of me getting my nieces and nephews are small…except in a romance novel. Must study these books further to see how to get my hands on those kids.

So many single men/single brothers. I do not have four straight unmarried brothers in their thirties because I don’t live in a romance novel. I only have one brother, and I never offered to fix him up with my best friend (and she never asked). In general, I wonder about all those single men in romances who are content to spend 15-20 years shooting the breeze and drinking beer (or fencing and drinking whiskey) with their buddies from high school (or Eton). I don’t know about you, but when a guy hits 35-40 and has never even come close to the altar, I start to wonder why. Is he gay? Does he live in a leper colony? Did his mother lock him a bathroom and force him to wash her unmentionables, scarring him for life? I’ve only written two heroes who’d never been married. One had been rejected after popping the question and was a mere 28 years old; the other had been in prison. I thought those were pretty good reasons for singledom.

Coincidence? I think not! Romantic characters run into each other all the time, don’t they? You can’t even pump gas in a romance novel without running into him. You’re out to eat, he’s out to eat. You go to church; he goes to church. He’s at Starbucks, you’re ogling his butt in those jeans. There’s another word for this kind of coincidence—stalking. Personally, I think some of these characters should be served with a restraining order.

I’ll be at Romance Writers of America’s National Conference this week, gang, and I’ll be bringing home a bunch of fabulous romance novels (some with inherited babies and the scent of elderberry, perhaps!). Want one? Leave a comment, and I’ll pick three people to share some of the loot.

Have a great week!

Kristan

www.kristanhiggins.com
www.Facebook.com/KristanHigginsBooks

Quick question…what do you think of value added items placed in books? Things like recipes (often dishes that the characters in the book have made) or perhaps a knitting pattern (if the characters knit)

Do you like them? Hate them? Don’t really care one way or another?

Have you ever really made/used something like this you’ve found in a book? I haven’t but I’ve been tempted on the recipes a time or two.

This will be a drive-by post. I’m in NYC this weekend for the Romance Writers of America Board of Directors meeting. (I’m just finishing up my second term as a Region 2 Director. I’ve enjoyed it so much I’ll be running for PAN liaison in the fall)

Since I’ll be picking up lots of free books at the conference , I will be drawing THREE names from all those who posted a recipe and commented about value added items in books. Those three will each win one of the books I’ve picked up at the conference.

PLEASE CHECK BACK SUNDAY NIGHT July 3 at 9 pm to see if you are a winner!

I love my job as a writer. Really, I love it. I’m so lucky to have this gift with words and the ability to turn them into stories. But I don’t love the publishing industry. I don’t love how slow it is.

I know before I was published I had no concept of how long it took for a proposal to become a book. Let me give you a typical scenario.

I finish the last book in a contract and turn it into my editor. Hopefully, I’ve been thinking about an idea for a new book or series while I was working on that last book. So I start writing a proposal for that new book. Let’s say, for simplicity’s sake, it’s a stand-alone book like Lord and Lady Spy. I write the first 50 or so pages and a synopsis of the entire book and send it to my agents.

My agents have a bunch of other authors, so they probably don’t get a chance to look at the proposal for two weeks, at least. Then they get back to me and ask for revisions. Usually, they want small changes, but sometimes the revisions can be more substantial.

I make those changes and then send the proposal in again. I wait another couple of weeks. Then, if my agents are satisfied, they write up a pitch. This may take another week or so because it needs to be good. Finally, they call my editor, verbally pitch the idea, then send the written pitch and my proposal via email.

Then we wait for the editor to read it. Now, she has a ton of authors, too. She’s writing cover copy, approving cover designs, working on titles, editing books (including the one I turned in recently), so again, this takes some time. It might take a month or more.

If I’m lucky, the editor likes the proposal and the negotiating with my agents begins on the contractual terms. I start writing the book, if I haven’t already out of sheer boredom waiting for everyone to read the proposal!

So, if I’m lucky, it might take 2 months to go from proposal to contract (well, the handshake part of the contract). Usually, it’s a lot closer to 4 months and often even longer. And remember, this is before the book is even written!

Readers, does this surprise you? Did you have any idea how slowly the pre-publishing process is?

Comment below and one random reader will win!

When school was in session, my daughter had a great homework assignment for her psychology class called, “The Soundtrack to my Life.” She had to identify eight turning points in her life, chose a song that related to or reminded her of the turning point and explain why. It was a fascinating glimpse into her life.  She had so much fun doing it, she suggested I use the exercise for my blog.

We’re a musical family anyway, but when I read over the songs she selected and started thinking about the songs I would include in my soundtrack, it made me realize how profoundly music can transform and transport you back to specific times in your life.  Victor Hugo got it exactly right when he said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.”

With that in mind, I’ll give you the eight songs from the soundtrack to my life. Will you please share yours? If you’re in a hurry, it doesn’t have to be eight songs – any number will do. In fact, if you’re up for presenting a double-disk compilation, go right ahead.  I think our life’s soundtrack is a work in progress.

The Soundtrack to Nancy’s life:

Morning Has Broken, by Cat Stevens – One of my earliest memories is of my father singing. He used to sing all the time. Still does. The first song that comes to mind is him singing Cat Steven’s Morning Has Broken. It always makes me smile and miss him.

Shake it up, by The Cars – Actually, whenever I hear anything by The Cars, it takes me right back to my high school days and makes me want to dance.  Those were the days. Gosh, it doesn’t seem like it what that long ago.

La Isla Bonita, by Madonna – A few years after high school, I met a guy… He wasn’t the guy, but at the time I thought he was. The minute I saw him the world tilted and I fell head-over-heels. When we broke up (about four years later) I thought I’d never get over him. I did, and not too long afterward, I did meet Mr. Right…Well, actually, I met and married Mr. Thompson. Still, I must confess, when I hear this song it transports me back to another time. ** Note to my husband: It’s only a song and a very distant memory.

All I Ask of You, by Sarah Brightman and Cliff Richard – Which brings me to the song that reminds me of my husband. It was supposed to be our first dance at our wedding, but a few days before the big day, the string quartet we’d booked to play informed us that they didn’t know it and, of course, there was no time to learn it. Never fear, some good friends of ours who are opera singers came to the rescue and sang it for us during the ceremony. They did such a beautiful job, I turned to my husband and whispered, “I want to clap.” He answered, “I know.” But by that time the minister had moved on with the wedding. I wish we would’ve clapped.

Amazing Grace – This one reminds me of my mother passing away. I always tear up when I hear it.

I Hope You Dance – by Lee Ann Womack.  Although, this song came out several years after my daughter was born. It’s everything I wish for her.

Mad World, by Gary Jules with Michael Andrews – It’s been a tough year for my family and me. Last week, we lost my step-mother (to whom I was very close) and tomorrow will be the year anniversary of my sister-in-law’s death. It’s been a year of heartbreak and change. Never before has it been clearer that life is fleeting and precious. Through it all, I’ve realized how important it is to make the most of every moment we have with our loved ones, especially when life seems to spin at a mad pace.  This song speaks to the shades of blue that have colored my life lately.

That’s Life by Frank Sinatra – Well, I can’t end this post on a downer. So, last, but not least, I wanted to  share my theme song for my writing career. Actually, I guess it’s sort of my personal anthem. The lyrics are self-explanatory: “You’re riding high in April, Shot down in May, but I know I’m gonna change that tune, when I’m back on top, back on top in June.” Doesn’t that just sum up a writer’s life?

What are some of the songs that would be on the sound track to your life?

I know that most readers (and even some unpublished writers) believe that being a published author is glamorous and fun and a dream-come-true. . . and it is, most of the time.  Most of the time I’m writing and blogging and interacting with readers and other writers, this is what I look like >>>>> Yes, as glamorous and pink as Dame Barbara, with little (is that dog pink too?!) dog in tow, secretary and bon-bons at the ready. I conduct myself with confidence and a sense of joie de vivre that puts people at ease and encourages conversation and laughter. Yeppers, that’s me most of the time…..

And then we come to the real writing worktime — my deadline binge o’ writing times. During the last weeks of my deadline, I hibernate. I disappear into my writing cave and email dwindles, FB posts dwindle, and, HOW CAN IT BE!, even my Gerard Butler watching dwindles, as the characters in my head claim supremacy and begin to force their stories through my brain, down my arms, into my hands and out onto the computer…..in a mindless rush of words. And it’s not pretty!  So, we come to this morning when I was supposed to post my Jaunty Quills blog and instead found myself like this>>>> Overtired. . . overwrought. . . all written-out with no energy to do much at all.

Yes, the sad truth is that I used to be able to party hardy with the best of them. All-nighters? No problem! Dancing, imbibing all night long? No problem! At 20 years old, all that was fun stuff and I would get up the next morning and go right back to it…or to work…or to school. But now, at 55, it’s a different story and as I said, it’s not pretty to watch.

So, rather than force you all to watch this pathetic example of why I should learn to write in a nicely-paced, orderly fashion and not let myself get to this point, I’m going to ask you all to give me your suggestions for your best method of recuperating and restoring yourself after a . . . difficult. .  time — what do you do? I have a pile of books to read now that mine is done, but even those are not calling to me yet…. Do you read? Sleep? Sit on the beach? Sip something cold with an umbrella in it?  Your help would be greatly appreciated. . . and I’ll take notes for the next time this unfortunate situation happens…LOL!

Terri

Terri is also preparing for: 1)the release NEXT WEEK of her newest Kensington Brava story – MISTRESS OF THE STORM!, 2) the re-release in DIGITAL of the novella that begins it all – A STORM OF LOVE, and 3) the RWA Conference in NYC!!  If you’re in the Big Apple on Tuesday, June 28th (RELEASE DAY!!! YAY!!!), stop in at the huge Literacy Signing at the Marriott Marquis — more than 500 authors (and TERRI!) will be signing books for the benefit of literacy projects across the country and in NYC. Visit her website for the deets. . . .

Four years ago I got divorced and I found myself for the first time in my adult life alone for a few weeks in the summer as my kids went to visit their father. It was odd to the say the least and not at all what I’d anticipated for my life. But I adjusted and life moved on.

I’m working on a book right now where my heroine has a plan for her life. She’s done everything she’s suppose to and somehow the plan isn’t working out the way she wants it to. I guess I’m using some of my own “reality” on her. But I think it is true for all of us. Its like John Lennon said “life is what happens when you are busy making other plans”. I honestly didn’t get that until my divorce.

Since then I’ve traveled and tried new things. I’ve fallen in love so deeply I can’t believe it some days. I’ve watched one of my kids become and adult and am awestruck at what a wonderful person she is.  And have found a new idea of what a family can be.

What about you? Have you ever found yourself suddenly in a life you didn’t plan to live or expect to have?

Happy reading!!
Katherine

The one aspect of the digital world that I hate is the security issues. Companies have gone to great expense to implement programs to stop security leaks, and hackers are a step behind (or closer) to them trying to crack it.

At work, we are constantly prompted to change passwords. (Note that this prompt always comes at the most inopportune times.) Nine out of ten times, you can’t just change a number. It has to be a whole new thing. Some sites want xxx number of letters, numbers and symbols.

And it must have a minimum of characters. They advise not to use common words, but to invent something unique, like a jumble of letters and numbers. Or a shortcut phrase, like “are you ready for a great day” shortened to rureadE4agr8day.

It gets pretty maddening at times to remember the plethora of passwords. And that brings up another security breach.

Like a lot of people, I keep a list of all my passwords. For me, most are on my smart phone. For some workers, they are jotted on paper and tucked beside the computer. Pretty secure, huh?

Oh, don’t use the same passwords for your shopping and banking as you do for shopping, media sites, and lists. Yeah, I was guilty of that in the past.

So what’s your pet peeve or greatest concern about online security?

Wendy P is the randomly chosen winner of Vicky’s ARC and romance trading cards. Congrats, Wendy! Send me your address, and I’ll forward it to Vicky.

Email me at shana@shanagalen.com