Ever watch Inside the Actor’s Studio? It’s on A&E and I totally love it. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with it, it’s set in a film school (acting and directing) and the host has one actor on stage and they go through the actor’s work, asking questions about techniques and whatnot. And then at the end the students get to ask questions themselves. I always think it must be a scenario not unlike that RWA’s National conference where the cream of romance’s crop is often available for workshops and questions. And it’s just really fascinating to listen to actor’s talk about their craft in similar terms to how I’m used to creating characters and story. But the best part of the show is right before the host turns the actor over to the students and he ends with a famous questionnaire.

What is your favorite word? CRISP – it’s the perfect onomatopoeia

What is your least favorite word? ENVELOPE – I never know how to say it

What turns you on? MY HUSBAND’S LAUGHTER

What turns you off? ANY KIND OF HARM TO CHILDREN

What sound do you love? My DAUGHTERS’ GIGGLING

What sound do you hate? SQUEALING BRAKES

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? WINDOW PAINTER – I’d love to do those holiday paintings on store windows

What profession would you not like to participate in? PODIATRIST – I cannot imagine wanting to work on people’s feet

What’s your favorite curse word? BASTARD

If heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? YOUR LOVED ONES ARE WAITING OVER THERE

Answer it with me, and then tonight at midnight I’ll randomly pick a winner to receive an autographed copy of one of my books – your choice.

Step-back cover from Quick's Rendezvous

That being said I also really love just a good solid romance where you’ve mostly got the hero and heroine, maybe some secondary characters, but mostly it’s just them falling in love. There’s something so comforting about settling in with a book and falling in love right along with the characters.

my current hero inspiration

So how about you? How do you like your romance? Straight up or with a side of mystery or suspense or even some paranormal woo-woo?

*side note* I’m on round 2 of antibiotics with some steroids and my brain is really fuzzy so if this blog doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, I blame it on the drugs.

So back to that statement… I don’t know that I tend to feel particularly possessive about other people’s characters very often. But it has happened. Most recently it happened when I finally succumbed to Hunger Game mania and I dove in. Within a week I had downed all three books and I felt quite thankful that I had waited as long as I did so that I could gorge on all the books instead of waiting for their release as I had done with the Harry Potter books.

But it was after I had read the books and I was sitting in the theatre with my niece watching the movie. She hadn’t seen it and I had taken the advantage of my sister being in town to watch my kids so I could take her daughter to see it since she is also a lover of the books. I became agitated in the movie, annoyed at some of the younger audience members who giggled and snickered during some particularly tender moments. And I realized in that instant why, it was because I was offended that they weren’t getting it, they were making these moments cheap and belittling them. Because those were MY characters. That was MY Katniss and MY Peeta and they could just leave if they couldn’t appreciate what was going on on the screen. Now granted much of the emotional progression of the characters was missing from the movie for the sake of time, but still the movie does a lot very right.

Every now and then you read books. Magical books that dig inside you and burrow deep into your soul. Characters that hang on and refuse to let go. Lots of books are great, wonderful even, but some books go beyond just a good story. Their worlds become so real, so engrossing that to leave them is nearly painful, as if you’re grieving a dear friend. I don’t want to leave the world of the Panem, of Katniss and Peeta and Gale and Haymitch. I don’t want to walk away from them. I felt this when the Harry Potter series ended. Satisfied with the way the story was told, but also a great sadness that the tale was over, that my journey with the characters had come to an end. Of course I can re-read them, but nothing ever feels the same as that first time turning the pages as fast you can (or clicking the kindle button as was my case) and grabbing on to every word so as to not miss one morsel of story.

I don’t know if I ever accomplish that as a writer. I don’t know if I have any readers out there who have been that engrossed in the worlds I create. Mine aren’t as unique and original as those you find in books with a more fantasy bent. But when I read books like these, they make me want to be a better writer, make me want to strive to create characters that haunt readers all the way into their dreams, that make readers clutch the book to their chest and sigh heavily when its all said and done because they’re sad to leave the characters and the world in which they dwell.

So how about you? Can you easily lose yourself in the world of books? What are some of your favorites that have totally captured you and made it hard to leave the characters?

We don’t normally play the lottery at our house though we occasionally buy a scratch off ticket. But my parents play weekly. We’ll probably buy a ticket though for this one because why not. I mean what if? Yes, the odds are astronomical, but in the end someone has to win. So why not me. Why not you?

So for today let’s pretend we’ve won and let’s plan our money. What would you do if you won a huge chunk of cash? Let’s ignore all the responsible things we’d do like pay off debt and the debt of our loved ones cause well, that’s not all that exciting. Let’s instead jump to the fun stuff. Let’s dream and fantasize about all the lovely things we could do with a truckload of money. What would you do if tomorrow you won millions of dollars?

For me earmarking a lot of the money would be easy. First up for the DeHarts a trip for me and the Professor. We haven’t really been on a real vacation, that wasn’t tied to one of our conferences, since our honeymoon. So I’d immediately book us, first class, of course, to a lovely and quiet beach with beautiful ocean views, lots of spa treatments, and delicious fruity cocktails.

Other vacations I’d purchase:
*Walt Disney World for our whole family. Our girls are getting to the age that taking them to the magic kingdom will be such a blast!
*a research trip to Great Britain. It’s been more than 10 years since I was last in England and I’ve been dying to return. This time though I’d love to see Scotland and parts of the country I’ve only seen in my mind and in pictures.

I’d but a minivan. In fact, maybe this is the very first thing I’d do. Pretty much since The Professor and I got married we’ve been a single car family. This has always presented some challenges, but it has been particularly difficult since we became parents. And I’d love a fully loaded, brand new, Honda Odyssey.

Okay so I’ve listed several selfish indulgences, but I would also want to give money to some worthy causes. St. Judes has always been a cause near and dear to my fault so I would send them some money. As well as I would send money to or set up an organization to better fund foster families and families that deal with kids that frankly don’t have much more than the clothes on their backs.

So how about you? How would you spend a windfall of cash?

Now I know this series (which is on ABCFamily) is based on a series of YA books, under the same names, but I’ve never read them. I’ve heard the TV show is quite different. But here’s the basic premise – 5 teenage girls, the best of friends until one of them goes missing. The four remaining go their separate ways until a year later when a cyber-bully starts sending anonymous texts and emails with threats regarding secrets the 4 girls share, signing everything with a simple “A.” The show is over the top with all kinds of teenage melodrama and for the first several episodes I wasn’t certain that any of the main characters were even likable, but something kept us riveted to the screen.

It’s mostly the mystery that keeps us coming back. As I mentioned before the characters aren’t exactly stellar citizens. For one there seems to be a rather alarming number of pseudo-pedophiles in the fictional suburb of Philly – one girl has a romantic affair with her High School English teacher, but we’re to believe it’s okay because he’s young and well, they’re really in love. And then yet another of the girls has had a sorta affair with her older sister’s ex-boyfriend who is a successful doctor and we’re to believe that this handsome doctor, who yes is clearly in his 20′s, but still is hot and well, British, that he can’t find any suitable women his own age. Like I said, it’s totally over the top, yet like some sort of delicious train wreck, we can’t look away.

So here we are into season 2 and tonight we will finally find out the identity of “A”. I can hardly wait. Alright, I’ve confessed my guilty pleasure, what’s yours? Any other PLL fans out there?

The Professor and I have discussed writing a book about adopting through the foster care system and raising kids that have a, shall we say, bumpy past. But when it comes down to my writing itch, that thing that draws me back to the keyboard again and again, well, it’s all about the love.

Okay, that’s a little simplistic, but romance is where it’s at for me. I love to read them and I love to write them. All of my great ideas, the ones that tug at me and insist to be written, they’re all romances. Oh they always have subplots, mysteries and adventures and dead bodies and humor and suspense, but at the core, they’re about the hero and heroine. And they’re *almost* always historicals. More often than not the voices I hear in my head (it’s okay I can admit that, I’m a writer!) are British. I couldn’t speak with an English accent if my life depended on it, well, I could try, but we’d probably end up with a bad imitation of Margaret Thatcher. In any case, my characters talk, that’s how the books tend to come to me, in dialogue, that’s where the story comes alive and I hear their lovely English voices.

I’ve read plenty of great blogs out there on the merits of romance and I agree, romance rocks. I’m not sure I could speak eloquently on it though. But I heard Jayne Ann Krentz speak once on why she thought we were drawn to the stories. She talked about those key fairy tales that sit at the core of romances, you know Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty – just think Disney. In any case, she just talked about how those old stories resonate with us and if you consider who old they are, they’ve been resonating with people a very long time. Case in point, Beauty & the Beast is a retelling of Cupid and Psyche. That’s old stuff people! For us romance readers, when we are subjected to those stories (and we tend to be drawn to certain types of stories again and again) something clicks inside of us and we’re like YES, this is gonna be a good one.

I know for the books that I write, they’re all, in some form or another, Sleeping Beauty – or if you prefer The Ugly Duckling – it’s all the same core myth. A coming of age or coming into your own beauty and worth. People talk a lot about the reluctant hero, my heroines are often the reluctant ones, spinsters, the lot of them!

In any case, if romances aren’t real books then I guess I’m happy writing “fake” books. So how about y’all, do you ever get asked similar questions? Or as a reader, do you feel you have to defend your reading choices? And what core myth or fairy tale do you think draws you in the most?

In other news, I found out last week that my first two books, Courting Claudia and A Study in Scandal are going back into print (they’ve been out of print for a while) and will soon be available for order at your favorite on-line bookstore.

So without further ado, today I am sharon guy lady crushes. That’s right folks, here is my list of those women that I just find flat out mesmerizing. Some of have found their way into my books, but some are waiting in the wings to be case in just the right roll.

I mean y’all had to know this was coming. I know there are lots of Angie haters out there, but I’m not one of them. However you feel about her personal life and some odd choices she’s made over the years (hello, Billy Bob) you can’t really deny that she’s beautiful. Almost abnormally so. I mean really what must it be like to wake up in the morning and see that in the mirror. But it goes beyond her appearance. There’s something about her, the cadence of her speech, the way she moves, she’s just, well, mesmerizing. Its for that reason that I watch her in nearly anything, which explains why I am a fan of the Tomb Raider movies. Shut up, they’re entertaining.

Ah, sweet Minnie. Who doesn’t love her? Maybe it’s just the fact that her role in Circle of Friends resonated with me. Or maybe it’s her slightly awkward laugh. I don’t know, but whatever Minnie does, she charms the socks off me. She’s pretty without being obnoxiously so and well, maybe I just have a soft spot for her because she was the first actress who inspired one of my heroines.

Well, no list, male or female, is complete without the funny one. Oh how I love me some Emma Stone. Quirky and sassy, she’s the perfect inspiration for any heroine, historical or contemporary. She’s got a great wry smile and intelligent eyes and a one-liner for any situation. So I guess Jim Carrey isn’t the only one crushing on her.

Elegance and femininity are all I can think of when it comes to Kate Winslet. I suppose her lovely British accent doesn’t hurt, she just sounds so proper. And she can look stunningly beautiful but in such an unassuming sort of way it’s so easy to imagine her as that wallflower heroine that hero sees standing in the ballroom, fidgeting with her fan and trying not to roll her eyes when her mother tells her for the fourth time to stand up straight. He, of course, is entranced, and we follow right behind him.

Okay and just because I can, here’s a little more eye candy for you….

So how about y’all? What actresses catch your attention every time? Which ones are your favorite to imagine as the heroines you read about? I’ve got five copies of Treasure Me to give away so comment and you just might be a winner!

When I visited last time, I talked a little about SWEET ENEMY and how I came to write it. (If you missed that visit and want to know what I said, you can find it here.) I know that I should probably be promoting the book today, too, but as I sat down to decide what I wanted to write about on my release day, my story wasn’t what was on my heart. Instead, I thought I’d talk about what got me to this place.

It all started with an armadillo…

Last time I visited, I mentioned I might bring Armando, my cravat wearing armadillo, to meet Jaunty! Well, as promised, here he is (standing so suavely next to Jane Austen, of course!)

Isn’t he cute? And oh, so dashing! Now, let me tell you the story of Armando and what he has to do with how I became a romance author.

I’ve always been an avid reader, and it wasn’t until my early 30’s when I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing. When I did, I set upon the task with fierce determination, and like any good scientist—with research. First I had to decide what I wanted to write. I flirted with mystery/suspense (a genre I love to read), but realized I just didn’t want to write something so dark. Literary fiction? While part of me loved to read it, the endings so often left me frustrated or sad. So I decided I should write historical romance—my first love after Nancy Drew, and my rekindled love after a foray into horror and crime novels for a few years (blast that Stephen King for being such a good writer and leading me astray!). With my decision made, I got to work.

First, I dissected six of my favorite historical romance novels to see what made them work (yes, Robyn, I promise one day to do a post on that!). Then, I went the library and checked out “The Idiot’s Guide to Writing Romance”. Oh yes, I did. I don’t remember anything about that book now, except that it was the very first time I’d heard of Romance Writers of America®. A professional organization of romance writers? Who knew? The book urged me to look into them, and I quickly joined my local chapter. Then I learned of a national convention that was coming up that summer with Lisa Kleypas as the keynote speaker (LISA KLEYPAS, OMG!), and I decided I really must go, to see if writing historical romance as a career would really be for me. I found some ladies to room with and off to Dallas I went.

What an eye opening experience. 2500 romance authors, writers, and industry professionals, all gathered in one place to bond, confer, network and celebrate romance. It was amazing. It was overwhelming. It was inspiring.

I’ll never forget Lisa Kleypas’ speech. I was already in awe of her, as a fan. Her writing is truly sublime…interesting, engaging, highly emotional…just beautiful. I also knew she was smart and savvy, a graduate of Wellesley College. Her career was flourishing. She was exactly what I wanted to be as an author and I was really interested in what she would say about it.

And what she said was this: to make it in this business, an author has to be an armadillo. I’m paraphrasing here, and do keep in mind this was 5 years and 2 kids ago, but she said basically that armadillos are tough. The only way you can kill them is to run them over with a car. Everything else bounces off their impenetrable shell, making them resilient little creatures. And authors need to be, too. Like when rejection letters arrive in the mail, or when your book gets a bad cover and there’s nothing you can do about it, or when your editor quits mid-book, or when you get a negative review, or when you’re interviewed on a radio station and the man says something like, “Lisa, you’re obviously an intelligent, talented woman. When are you going to start writing real novels?” You just have to yell “Armadillo!” and keep shuffling along.

That part of her speech was very funny and she makes a great point. Having only been in the business a short time, I’ve met a few obstacles that I had to let bounce off of my shell. However, the part that really moved me was a story she told about losing her home. Apparently there was a devastating flash flood that came out of nowhere and wiped out many homes in her area, including hers and her parents’ homes. They lost everything, including their 14 year old cat…very sad. They were staying at a cramped hotel and Lisa and her mom made a trip to Walmart to get essentials for the family. Since they were in such tight quarters, they promised only to get what was absolutely necessary before splitting up to cover their list. When they met back at the check-out, besides their essentials, each of them had a romance novel in their hands, too. And that’s when she realized that writing romance was truly important. When she and her mother were faced with such a difficult time, they both turned to romance for comfort and escape. They needed to be swept up into that author’s world for a time. It would make them feel better.

And that’s when I realized that writing romance was what I wanted to do. I’d been struggling a bit, you see. I’d just finished 5 years of running a prison ministry inside USP Leavenworth, and I was wondering if I was turning my back on something very important to write fiction simply to entertain. Would I really be using my talents and my time to do any good in the world? To help anyone? Was I being selfish by wanting to write?

Lisa’s speech made me think about times in my life when I turned to a romance novel to get through a difficult situation. Yes, I read mostly for pleasure, but there have certainly been times in my life when I NEEDED to read, NEEDED to escape. And that’s when I realized that pursuing a career as a writer WAS important. I COULD help people, though I’d probably never see them face-to-face. Romance is a genre that celebrates love, growth, positive emotions and happy endings, and putting more of that into a world where endings are not always so happy, putting more of that hope out there, IS important work.

Now, back to Armando. Later that year, one of the ladies who’d roomed with me at that conference gave Armando to me as a gift. She bought a beanie-baby armadillo and actually went and found that fancy doll vest and made a cravat for him, complete with a “diamond” stick pin! (Fran Abram, YOU ROCK!). Armando sits on a shelf in my office, and while yes, he reminds me that I have to be tenacious and thick-skinned in this business, what he REALLY reminds me is that my work matters. Because one day my stories will be there for someone who needs them, if only for a few hours of escape.

Has there ever been a time that a good book was just what you needed? I’d love to hear what reading romance means to you.

One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of SWEET ENEMY, as well as your choice of DREAMING OF YOU or DEVIL IN WINTER, my two favorite Lisa Kleypas novels.

Sweet Enemy…
A Veiled Seduction Novel ~ Book One
“Historical intrigue and heart-pounding passion make Sweet Enemy a great read. Romance fans will love it.” ~#1NYT Bestselling Author JULIE GARWOOD

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates. His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs. When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford. But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

Liliana Claremont, a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a countess. If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge. However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.

Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can’t control…

Heather Snow is a historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab. She is forever trying to wrangle her left and right brain to work together (some days with more success than others!), but if her two sides had to duke it out, left would win every time—which can be a creative challenge. Luckily, she loves challenges…she just goes about solving them analytically.

Heather lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys and one very put upon cat. She sincerely hopes you find her stories have just the right chemistry.

Please visit her at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/authorheathersnow or on Twitter