Congrats to
anne
cheryl c.
and Leona Bushman
Each of you has won a signed copy of a Christie Craig book. Email your address to shana@shanagalen.com and we’ll get those out to you ASAP!
It’s only August and already I’m seeing back-to-school commercials. It seems every year school starts earlier and earlier. This year my little one will be going to “school” two days a week for a few hours. I can’t believe what a big girl she is getting to be!
I know when I was a kid, the weeks before school began were always filled with thoughts about who my teachers would be. Would they be nice or mean? Would they give lots of homework or none at all (hey, I could dream!)? Would they be funny and playful or serious and boring?
I suppose in all my years at school I had just about every kind of teacher. My favorite was also one of the nicest. Her name was Mrs. Fannett, and she taught eleventh grade English. The class was not easy. Mrs. Fannett was not easy. We had to learn about infinitives and gerunds (something I never understood until I taught 10th grade English myself!) and read books like The Scarlet Letter and Faulkner’s The Bear. Now I love a lot of classic literature. I adore Shakespeare and Dickens and Twain and many, many more. I did not, and never will, love Hawthorne and Faulkner. I respect them and their talent, but they’re not fun when you’re sixteen and would much rather be hanging out with your boyfriend or shopping for earrings than reading about some lady with a red A on her dress.
But somehow Mrs. Fannett made those books accessible. Somehow she got me to read them and, if not enjoy them, understand them. She pushed me to be a better writer. She pushed me to go deeper, work harder. Writing was easy for me. I could get an A with very little effort. Mrs. Fannett made me want the A+.
When I taught middle and high school English I tried to be a teacher like Mrs. Fannett. I don’t know if I succeeded. The most frequent comment students gave me was about how calm I was.
Hmm. Well, I guess calm is a compliment of sorts, considering some of the chaotic places I taught. I would have preferred inspiring or fascinating, but kids tell us the truth, not what we want to hear.
Do you have a favorite teacher? Give him or her a shout of appreciation today!
When Anne Mallory blogged with us (we miss you, Anne!), she would often celebrate LOL Cat Friday. I think it’s time to celebrate again.
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Which is your favorite?
When I think of summer, I think of concerts. It seems like every summer, I’d go to numerous concerts. I lived in Houston as a teenager, so my friends and I would go see all our favorite groups at Southern Star Amphitheater in Astroworld. Sadly, Astroworld in no longer. It’s just a field on the side of the freeway.
The first concert I saw was when I was in sixth grade. I went with my dad to see REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick. Remember “Can’t Fight This Feeling”? I loved that song, and I’m sure all the other sixth graders did.
One of the first concerts I saw without parents was Depeche Mode. That was in 1988. Let me tell you, the guys from DM made an impression. I thought they were the coolest thing ever. I went out the next day (or rather had my mom drive me to the mall) and bought their Black Celebration album on cassette. No CDs back then.
I started dressing in all black and listening to bands like The Cure, New Order, and The Smiths. I remember one summer I saw Heart, New Order, and Erasure at Southern Star. At fifteen, I was a little surprised to see a man in a pink tutu on stage (Erasure), but for me, anything could happen at Astroworld. It was a place of discoveries.
I never did see The Smiths. I guess they didn’t come to Southern Star or maybe Morrissey was on his own by then. I would have liked to hear “Meat is Murder” live. That was my favorite song and one reason I became a lifetime vegetarian.
My musical tastes now run more toward the Newsboys, TobyMac, and Chris Tomlin, and if you were to peek in my CD player in my car it would probably have a Baby Einstein lullaby CD in it. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten those days of black lipstick and Depeche Mode.
What about you? Any concerts you wish you’d seen?
In the interest of full disclosure, this blog was previously posted at the Casablanca authors site. But I liked it so much, I had to share with you too!
As you know, this month, we’ve been highlighting the 2010 Rita nominees. One of the most popular categories is Paranormal Romance. The competition in this category is hot! The descriptions I’ve posted are from BN.com.
First up, Laurie Brown with What Would Jane Austen Do? Laurie is a fellow Sourcebooks author.
When a modern woman goes back to Jane Austen’s time, she needs to know how to tell a villain from a rake. Otherwise, she could fall into a most shocking scandal…
Kresley Cole is a double finalist with Untouchable and Kiss of a Demon King.
In Untouchable, Kresley Cole brings us the story of Murdoch Wroth, a brutal vampire soldier who will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden—the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in 300 years. But Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can only be touched by her own kind.
Here’s the synopsis for Kiss of a Demon King. From New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this spellbinding story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes—and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive.
Carolyn Jewel is a nominee for her novel My Forbidden Desire.
TORN BETWEEN…
Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he’s hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can’t deny the white-hot passion between them.
DESIRE AND TEMPTATION
Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he’s been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them…or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.
Marjorie M. Liu is nominated for her novel The Fire King.
The world has yet to learn the power of the tortured Chimera shape-shifter prince-and the scarred yet brilliant Soria has yet to know his love.
Former Jaunty Quill, Anne Mallory is a nominee for her novel For the Earl’s Pleasure.
Beneath every scornful smile . . .
They were once cherished childhood companions, until a scandalous secret tore them apart. Now Valerian Rainewood and Abigail Smart are the fiercest of enemies. To Abigail, Rainewood is a notorious rake, hell-bent on mischief and not fit for polite society. So what if it seems as if he can seduce her with nothing but his eyes? She will not succumb. But when the earl is viciously attacked, Abigail’s distress tells her that something still binds her to the wild Rainewood.
Lies an unquenchable desire . . .
Though the ton believes there is nothing between them, Rainewood knows the truth. Abigail tempts him the way no other woman has. Wanton lust overwhelms him whenever she is near. But keeping her too close may put her precious life in danger. He must destroy his enemies—so that with every touch he may prove to Abigail that though their past was filled with trouble, their future will be nothing but pleasure.
Darkness Unknown by Alexis Morgan is the next nominee. Alexis Morgan’s seductive Paladin series continues with a red-hot romance between a powerful warrior sworn to secrecy and the irresistible woman who makes him lose control….
Gwen Mosely’s life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight — a trait he shares with Gwen’s teenaged half-brother Chase.
Jarvis Donahue can’t keep his eyes — or his hands — off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen’s warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist…but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins’ dangerous lifestyle.
As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen’s farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover — but if he reveals his identity, he not only betrays his people’s secret, he risks losing her forever….
J.R. Ward is once again a nominee with Covet. Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about — his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.
Vin diPietro has surrendered himself to his business—until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior, and a woman who makes him question his destiny. With an ancient evil ready to claim him, Vin has to work with a fallen angel not only to win his beloved over…but to redeem his very soul.
And lastly, but only because I’m highlighting these in alphabetical order, is Eileen Wilks with Mortal Sins.
FBI Agent Lily Yu and her werewolf lover are embroiled in a series of murders, each linked to a form of dangerous “death magic.”
Any of your favorite authors nominated this year? Who are you hoping takes home that coveted Rita?
The winner of the copy of THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS is Laura! Laura, email me at shana@shanagalen.com and let me know your address. Thanks for all the great comments. I had a lot of fun and read 2 books (worked a bit on mine too!).
Today I’m going on a girls’ weekend. It’s been far too long (years) since I’ve been on one of these. This isn’t a true girls’ weekend. We’re only going for 24 hours. But I’ll take what I can get, you know?
My friend and critique partner Tina suggested this little outing. (Remember I blogged about her last month?) She’s in her third trimester with baby #4, so who can blame her for wanting some time away before the little guy makes his appearance? I thought this would be a good opportunity for Ultimate Sportsfan and our little one to have some daddy-daughter bonding time.
And what do you know? My parents have a house they’re not using this weekend. It has a pool and is far enough away that we can’t be called back for any minor emergencies.
I’m all packed and ready to go, and not in the least worried because Tina told me to brush up on my baby delivering skills. This weekend is all about relaxation, so that baby will just have to wait until his due date. I plan to read, sleep, sit out by the pool, and read some more.
What about you? Do you have any fun summer plans? If you’d like to take a book along, I’m giving away a copy of my latest, THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS, to one randomly selected person who comments. And don’t forget every comment also enters you in the Sony e-reader contest!
It’s my husband’s birthday today. Happy 34th birthday, honey!
And here’s a weird thing. It’s also my ex-boyfriend’s birthday. I think I learned once, in an intro psychology class, that 1 in 40 people have the same birthday. Math types have argued with me when I quote this statistic, but when they sit down and do all the calculations, they usually figure out it’s pretty close to accurate. That doesn’t mean if you meet 40 people, one will have your birthday. It just means if you get 40 people together, chances are pretty darn good two of them will share a birthday.
Sharing a birthday with someone gives you an instant connection. I was born on December 25, and anyone who shares that birthday can automatically sympathize with the plight those of us with Christmas birthdays face. If I could choose my birthday, I would choose June 25. That’s six months from Christmas. That way I would get presents at equal intervals. I wouldn’t have to wait all year for December 25th to come around again.
Here’s another thing about birthdays—they affect your life more than you realize. My daughter was born at the end of September, and when I went to enroll her in a little day school program at our church for a day or two a week starting this Fall, I realized she will be the oldest in her class. I also realized she will always be the oldest in her class. I have several friends pregnant and due in early August. Their children will be in the same grade as my little one. How crazy is that? Their babies haven’t even been born yet, while mine is already sitting and eating applesauce and green beans. You can’t tell me that doesn’t translate into some advantage or disadvantage.
Here’s the disadvantage—my daughter will be about 20 days from being 5 when Kindergarten starts, but will she be able to begin Kindergarten? No, she’ll have to wait almost an entire year. But kids who might have turned 5 only 3 days before will start before her. That’s just crazy, I think. But I guess there has to be a cut-off, and no matter when it falls, some kid with some birthday will be on the winning or losing side. And I’m sure it all evens out by second or third grade, anyway.
What do you think about your birthday? Has it been a blessing or a curse? If you could choose your birthday, what day would you choose?
We writers tend to be solitary types. We work alone, isolated inside our heads, creating characters and worlds only real to us. Granted, some of us write with a partner, but these are few and far between. And for some of us, the first time any eyes but our own see our work is when we hit SEND and the manuscript whooshes through cyberspace to our editor.
Brave souls, indeed, in my opinion.
I don’t know the percentages, but from my observations maybe 50-60% of romance authors work with a critique partner or group. We’re still brave, but we want a little feedback before we hit SEND. That’s where the critique group or partner comes in.
Every group works differently, but usually critique groups operate something like this: members submit chapters from their current work-in-progress and the other members use Track Changes to make comments and suggestions. Some groups prefer to meet in person at a restaurant or coffee shop. Their members might take turns reading chapters and receive oral feedback. Other groups meet solely online. Still others are a combination of the two.
I’m not even sure how long I’ve been working with my current critique partner, Christina Hergenrader. I think we started working together in 2003, but it might have been early 2004. In any case, it’s been so long that she’s now one of my best friends. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding, and she and her husband are godparents to my daughter.
There’s something about writing and sharing that writing that engenders close friendships. Maybe it’s because in those early drafts of our work, we feel vulnerable. There has to be some element of trust in order to share such a personal part of ourselves.
I started critiquing with Tina and another friend, Courtney, before I was published. I hadn’t even told some members of my family I was writing romance novels. It wasn’t a secret, exactly, it just wasn’t something I wanted people laughing at me about. I wanted to see if I would have any success before I started calling myself a writer. I can’t tell you how much my CP’s praise and encouragement meant to me at the time. They believed in me, so I believed in me. They shared my successes and commiserated with me on my defeats. They understood in a way that no one who isn’t an author can understand. When I signed with my agent, I called Tina first. When I got that first contract, I called Tina first. And when I found out I was pregnant, I told my husband first (I’m not stupid!). But I told Tina second.
Do you have close friends who support you like this, friends with whom you can share those most vulnerable parts of yourself?
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