THE QUIRKY LADIES

Gone Fishing!

2011-05-30T12:51:00.000-04:00

The Quirky Ladies are embracing summer vacation (just a tad early). We will be taking a break from the Quirky Lady blog for a while, but you can find us at these other locations....Please stop by!

Samantha Wayland

Michelle Picard

Vicki Morgan

Tara Truesdale

Dalton Diaz

Michelle Polaris

Kate Macarthur

Penny Watson

Happy Summer!
Penny

NECRWA Conference This Weekend! Woo!

2011-04-28T06:57:00.000-04:00

The NECRWA Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference is coming up this Friday and Saturday, April 29-30 in Salem. Our New England Chapter hosts this event every spring, and it is a wonderful conference. This year speakers include Annette Blair, Anne Stuart and Lani Diane Rich. The Quirky Ladies can't wait to attend. We hope to see some of you there!

Fun Theory

2011-04-11T06:00:00.003-04:00

I read a blog recently about The Fun Theory. Yes, it's an initiative of Volkswagen, which makes it suspect since any PR effort by a corporation is ultimately about making money, even if it promotes other positive outcomes. I was willing to put this aside when I heard the thrust of the idea: that "something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it's change for the better."

I am endlessly fascinated by how change occurs, so this idea caught my attention. Lasting change, I believe, most often happens incrementally and with much repetition of a change to behavior. This aruges that in order for these fun experiments to really cause lasting change, Volkswagen better keep them around for quite a while.

Below is a YouTube video of one of Volkswagen's change through fun experiments, the result of a contest for ideas to promote the concept. It's called Piano Stairs. If you visit The Fun Theory site you can see the rest of the contest winning experiments. Maybe you saw this one circulating on social media. Enjoy. And tell me what you think about this pathway to change. Do you buy it?

Quirky Bit O' Fashion

2011-04-07T17:44:00.000-04:00

Fergie wore an age-appropriate dress for the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards recently. This quirky dress is made entirely of Legos....by L.A. designer Michael Schmidt. My son would have been impressed if the whole thing was made with Bionicle pieces.

Sitting down might be a problem.

Rock on,
Penny

Golden Heart Finalist

2011-03-28T20:14:00.008-04:00

Last Friday I got the call that changed my life. It wasn't the "I-love-your-book-and-want-to-purchase-it" but it was equally as exciting. I learned that my manuscript Changing Fortunes is a National Romance Writer's of America® Golden Heart® Finalist in the Historical Romance category. I think my neighbors heard my screams. My dog was cowering under the table. I was stunned, excited, and honored. My fellow Quirky Ladies kept telling me that this was 'the one', but sometimes it's hard to believe. With this nomination, I'm a little bit closer to believing.... :).

Changing Fortunes is the story of Garrett Sinclair, the Earl of Kendall who is a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade. Suffering from post-traumatic stress and survivor guilt, he has spent the last six months trying to drink himself to death. It is not until he learns of a plot to kill him, that he is surprised to discover he wishes to live.

The only person holding clues to the men plotting his murder is Lady Alexandra Langdon, who recently lost her fortune to Garrett in hand of cards. While preferring to see the murderous plot succeed and Garrett six-feet under, Alexandra reluctantly agrees to assist Garrett in identifying his assassins. If the two don't kill each other first, Garrett might survive.

Despite these obstacles threatening to tear them apart, the two are drawn together when Alexandra assists Garrett with his post-traumatic stress and Garrett begins to unravel the secrets to Alexandra's past. Defenses are lowered, hearts are opened, and they find that their life together is worth fighting for.

To read an excerpt, visit me at my author's blog.

She's Got A Golden Ticket!

2011-03-26T09:27:00.000-04:00

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! The Quirky Ladies are very excited to announce that our very own Victoria Morgan has been nominated for a Golden Heart Award by the RWA!

YEEEEE HAWWWWWWW! Go, Vicki! Go, Vicki!

Hugh Jackman just stopped by to say.... "Congrats, Vicki! That is fabulous news. I'm cheering for you."

Vicki's wonderful historical, Changing Fortunes, has been nominated in the Historical Romance category. The Quirky Ladies and everyone at NECRWA is thrilled for her. Can't wait for nationals! Woo!

Happy, happy days!
Penny

Change or Perish - A Bookie Learns to Love Technology

2011-03-20T22:16:00.007-04:00

Last week I had the privilege to see President Bill Clinton speak at a conference I was attending in San Francisco. He is, as he has always been, a captivating speaker. His talk focused on the power of the Internet to transform lives and how our lives have changed, and will continue to change, as we move forward, and sometimes stumble forward, into a global economy driven by technology.

As I absorbed his words I thought not only of the implications in my work, but also the changes in my personal life due to technology. Just a short 7 years ago, I still had a desktop computer that would have been way too heavy to drag home every night, so when I was I done with work, I was done with work. I also only had a phone with a cord at my desk – couldn’t take that home either. My brick of a cell phone was for personal, emergency use only. Now I have a personal smart phone, a blackberry for work, an iTouch for cool apps and music, a laptop for work, a laptop for home, and a netbook for travel, not to mention I work more than ever since I’m always connected (I could write a whole other blog on that subject). I also have a Kindle, which brings me back to Bill Clinton and how I think his words relate to the ever changing publishing environment.

While in San Francisco I stopped by a Borders Bookstore that is closing soon. I was able to find some good books that would fit in my suitcase for steep discounts (always fun for a bookie), but as I was checking out, I had an interesting conversation with the clerk. Come to find out, that Borders location, perfectly located in the heart of Union Square, was once considered a flagship store when the company first expanded nationally over 20 years ago, and now it doesn’t stand a chance because of a changing marketplace and high real estate premiums.

Growing up and into my twenties, I loved going to smaller bookstores and finding that special gem of a book, but as time went on, I was more than happy to go to the one stop shopping mega-bookstores. I know, I know, blasphemy. But hey, the big stores had coffee and music too, how could I resist? As e-books began to become popular, I told myself I could not cave. I had to remain a staunch purist. I might succumb to buying most of my books in one place, but I was still physically buying books.

Times change. Again. And Again.

Just a few years ago, e-publishers were considered fringe at best. The literary elite in New York turned their noses up at the idea – as did a lot of bookaphiles. E-publishing was a marginal way in to publishing, but most everyone still wanted a book with their name on it that they could hold in their hands and put on their bookshelves. No such much anymore.

I was a late adapter to e-books, not only as a reader, but as a would-be novelist. However, after getting the Kindle for my birthday last October, even I have to admit I enjoy getting books as quickly as I can type a few keystrokes. I also enjoy seeing so many of my friends getting their stories published, earning decent money and finding their way as authors. I would also now consider e-publishing as a means to publish my own manuscripts. Part of my transition is that I grasp that the marketplace has changed, and one must change with the marketplace, or perish. As a reader, I also like the fact that I don’t have to lug five books in my suitcase whenever I travel. I can just bring a device that can hold 1000s of books.

Bill Clinton told us that he felt that the Internet is now an inalienable right of every single person in the world given the benefits it can bring to our lives. I agree. Look what it did for college kids in Cairo, look at how quickly we can help earthquake/tsunami victims in Japan, and think of how your doctor can now look at your older medical records and compare that information with your new test results with a device they holds in their hands while they are consulting with you. Brilliant.

Technology is a powerful force for good. Yes, there is some bad too, closing bookstores and limited print runs being just the tip of the iceberg, but as Bill Clinton mentioned; it is okay if we stumble a bit, as long as we stumble forward.

Puzzle People

2011-03-17T03:15:00.006-04:00

I am a puzzle person.

(Disclaimer: this does not include Sudoku. Sudoku=numbers, numbers=math, math=hell.)

My favorite are jigsaw puzzles, and Quirky fact I may have mentioned before, my favorite jigsaw puzzles are Thomas Kincaid. No, I do not have pictures of cottages and waterfalls in my house, and I don't plant ivy up trellises, etc. In fact, I don't plant anything. I kill plants. Even my MIL, past president of the local garden club, has given up on me there.

So, back to puzzles. There is something relaxing about sitting down and making pieces fit. Not forcing anything, not having to use a lot of brain power, just the ease of, "It goes there, therefore it always works." Can you think of anything else in life that is that clear? Certainly not writing books, though I am a pantser, puzzler there.

When I first started writing, I wasn't even a linear pantser puzzler. I literally started with a sex scene and/or the black moment and wrote scenes as they came to me. Inevitably, those first scenes never made it into the book because I didn't know the characters well enough at that point to have any real development. It worked, but there were a lot of rewrites. I still edit to death, especially those first three chapters, but I'm no longer working with multitude sticky notes, napkins, notebooks, whatever I could get my hands on when inspiration struck.

I still love that magical moment when it all comes together. It's toward the end of the puzzle, when each piece makes sense. When you can look at it and know where it goes. When you've built sections and you figure out the connection that glues them to the main picture. Whether I'm talking about intricate plot lines or cheesy jigsaw puzzles, that moment exists and it's gratifying. Any puzzler worth their salt knows what I mean.

My puzzle awaits...

Quirky Stuff about Kate George and Bree MacGowan

2011-03-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

The Quirky Ladies are thrilled to have author Kate George visiting with us today. Welcome, Kate! She is a fellow member of the NECRWA, the conference chair for this year's exciting conference happening in Salem, MA (hope to see all of you there!), and a wonderful, humorous and quirky author. Her first book, Moonlighting In Vermont, was a fun, sexy adventure in Vermont (my favorite state in the USA), and I loved it. (See Penelope's review here). I haven't had a chance to read California Schemin' yet...can't wait. Kate has been gracious enough to share some quirky traits with us....her own, and of course some from Bree, the heroine of her new book. Take it away, Kate!

Five Quirky Things about Author Kate George.....

1) I’ve had something like fifteen or more different careers. Among them are answering service operator, motorcycle safety instructor, actress, assistant to the dive officer on Catalina Island, and foreclosure officer (that one was awful).

2) I come from a musical family. Sometimes when someone is talking my mother and I would break out into the same song at the same moment. For example, if you were to say “That happened yesterday,” we might start singing “Yesterday” by the Beatles. I still do this even though my mother passed on several years back. My daughters are afraid that one day they will start to sing with me. The boys figure they are immune.

3) I can quote lines from Megamind. “It can be reheated in the microwave of evil…” and “I’m not sure what to do with that.” Or how about “Oooh! I’m shaking in my custom baby seal leather boots.”

4) In my mind’s eye I’m still a twenty-something young woman with a wicked sense of humor – not a stodgy old woman – which is what I see when I look in the mirror. Is it possible to be a young of mind stodgy looking old woman with a great sense of humor?

5) I prefer not to read serious books or watch serious movies. I love humor. I get addicted to books and movies that make me laugh. Among my favorites are The Thin Blue Line, (English Comedy), Welcome to Temptation (Romance by Jennifer Crusie) and… heck. I can’t think of any more. I know there are more. That’s another quirky thing about me - I lose things in my head. Words, movies, how to cook noodles. You name it, I’ve forgotten it.

Five Quirky things about Bree MacGowan......

1) Bree can’t resist rescuing dogs. She makes an effort to find them homes, but if she can’t find one in a week or so she becomes too attached to give them away. In the same vein, Bree would rather make friends with a skunk and figure out how to keep it from spraying her dogs than to kill it.

2) Bree doesn’t realize that just because she thinks she in control of a situation that doesn’t mean she is. In other words, the skunk is still is only cooperating because it wants to.

3) While Bree doesn’t mind snakes in the out of doors, she’s not over fond of finding dead ones on her pillow. Still a dead snake on your pillow is better than a live skunk. Who let that animal in the house?

4) Bree’s not sure why she goes through men faster than chocolate. She doesn’t realize that while the boyfriends she had are mostly nice, it’s going to take a guy with balls of steel and an exceptional sense of humor to keep up with her.

5) Bree reads Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Bree secretly wished she could be a bounty hunter and date Ranger and Morelli. Author Kate George secretly wishes that too.

*****

Thanks, Kate, for the fun lists! I love your quirky jobs....my weirdest job was analyzing Bowhead whale songs at a research station. I got to listen to whale songs all day long!

Any visitors have quirky jobs they'd like to share with us? Let us know! Best of luck to Kate with her new release.

Award winning author, Kate George, originally hails from Northern California, where she was raised on a ranch alongside two brothers, feral cats, cattle and at least one mountain lion. After working in a variety of occupations from actress to motorcycle safety instructor she earned a degree in anthropology from UC Davis before deciding to return to writing. She now lives in Vermont with her dogs, kids, husband and currently several feet of snow. You can reach her at www.kategeorge.com. Her latest release is California Schemin’ available at http://mainlymurderpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=52, http://www.amazon.com/California-Schemin-Kate-George/dp/0982795246/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299175652&sr=8-5 and can be ordered from any bookstore.

Writerly Life Lessons From A Mad Professor Chef

2011-03-10T09:37:00.001-05:00

Any Top Chef fans out there? My husband and I only watch 2 shows on TV....Project Runway and Top Chef. Both of these shows are appealing to me because of the creativity factor. It's amazing to watch fashion designers take burlap sacks and create gorgeous and innovative clothes. Likewise, it's totally inspirational to see master chefs produce wonderful meals using.... stuff from vending machines, kiddie-friendly fare, and fish they catch themselves. I love seeing creativity in action.

Which brings me to the finale of Top Chef, and my light-bulb epiphany last night. There are 5 contestants left in this Top Chef season, and one of them is Richard Blais. (Let's call him Richie, shall we?) Anyway, he is the mad professor of the bunch. He loves liquid nitrogen, he loves thinking outside of the box. He's part chemist, part chef, part scowling, self-doubting faux-mohawk dude.

Last night he made the fatal error that may break him. He stopped focusing on the food, and focused only on the win. The competition. He wants to redeem himself and his past failure. He wants to out-think his colleagues. It's all about "the game." And that, my friends, may be the kiss of death for Richie. Because it has to be about the food.

I've been struggling with my WIP, Lumberjack In Love. (Yes, it's about a lumberjack in love. I'm not great with titles.) It was feeling flat and I didn't know why. Instead of brainstorming about the story and the characters, I've been thinking about where to publish it. Self-pub? E-book? Try for a larger pub? Print? I haven't been letting my brain do its typical stream of consciousness thing. Where scenes and dialogue and romantic moments pop into my head. I've been too consumed with the endpoint, the game, the competition, the win, and not focusing on the creative aspect of writing.

As soon as I decided to forget about the game, I figured out how to fix the story. (Suffice it to say, it has something to do with a humorous POV and an English bulldog. But I digress). Anyhow, I owe it all to Richie. Maybe I'll dedicate Lumberjack in Love to him. He made me realize it has to be about the writing, not the win.

Because the writing is the win.

Ode to a Quirky Man

2011-03-08T09:31:00.007-05:00

Dr. Suess (Theodor Suess Giesel, 1904-1991) was one of the great men of our times. For many of us, the name immediately invokes images of green eggs and ham, of lanky cats in red and white stripped hats, and a green pot-bellied menace that would try to steal Christmas from Cindy Lou Who.

But he was really so much more than that. He was an everyman, in a way you never hear of anymore. If you read about his life, he seems at once extraordinary and normal. Foolhardy and brave. Always adventurous. And with a gift for words the likes of which has not been seen since.

He went to Dartmouth, where he began writing under his mother's maiden name because he'd been thrown off the school paper for getting caught drinking gin in his dorm room in the heart of prohibition.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

He went to Oxford in search of a PhD and found love instead.

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

He penned a series of political cartoon during WWII that scathingly denounced Hitler and Mussolini.

"I meant what I said and I said what I meant."

His work there got him noticed by Warner Brother's studio and he moved on to help create Private Snafu, a series of very raunchy animated soldier training films.

"I like nonesense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope, which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities."

After the war, he and his wife would move to California and he would turn his attention to writing children's stories. His early books would win countless awards, but incredibly, he would never, in all his years, win the Newbury or Caldecott Medals, the most prestigious of the children's literature honors.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who will decide where to go."

Then in May of 1954, Life Magazine published an article about illiteracy among school children, and concluded that part of the problem was that their books were boring. William Ellsworth Spaulding, the Director of the Education Division at Houghton Mifflin Publishing, would then sit down and compile a list of the 348 words he felt were most important for first graders to learn. He gave this list to Theodor Giesel, who none months later would return with a book that used 236 of those words - The Cat in the Hat.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Within a few very short years, Dr. Suess would transform children's literature forever. Many authors who have come since have emulated his style, his class, his gift for language. For this alone, let alone what his books brought into our lives, he bettered all our worlds. He empowered children, put them in the spotlight, made them feel special, embracing that they are not little adults (quite the opposite - see below) and encouraged them to laugh, to think, to read. To be quirky!

"Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them."

And for this we thank him. Daily. In 2009, Green Eggs and Ham sold 540,366 copies, Cat in the Hat sold 452,258 copies and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish sold 409,068 - each outselling the majority of newly published children's books.

"And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed. Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed!"

As authors, we could only hope for a legacy such as this. Not the sales, though I'm sure our grandchildren would not mind overmuch, but to be remembered so well, so foundly, and by so many. Over the course of his career, his honors would include two Academy Awards, two Emmys, a Peabody Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Or perhaps his alma mater honors him most nobley, when 90% of incoming Freshman at Dartmouth take pre-registration wilderness trips as part of their orientation, and upon their return are always served green eggs and ham for breakfast.

For all this man did for us as children, my very favorite quote is one that I have returned to again and again as an adult. I don't think I knew it was a Dr. Seuss quote when I first found it as a teenager, having moved past the age when silly rhymes and fantastical drawings could soothe me. But, as it turns out, he was still there for me, urging us to keep learning (Oh, The Places You'll Go) and reminding us that those who love us, love us quirks and all:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Quirky Bit O' Fish

2011-03-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

My son has always been fascinated by deep sea life, even as a young toddler. We spent hours watching cool National Geographic movies and researching funky creatures like giant squids and bizarre deep-sea fish.

Anglerfish are probably the quirkiest fish in the sea. They are fabulously-well adapted to life at the bottom of the ocean floor, often times a mile below the surface. Their appearance is grotesque. The massive mouth, sharp, jagged teeth, and diabolical lure make them efficient predators and hideously ugly. The females have a modified dorsal spine that hangs over the mouth, tipped with a luminous bit o' "bait." They are able to swallow prey twice their size due to this huge mouth.

It's too bad mere mortals can't explore the deep sea....it's probably one of the most amazing experiences on earth....and scary, too.

Hope y'all have a good weekend!
Penny

A Quirky Conference

2011-02-28T06:00:00.005-05:00

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The TED conference is a yearly event where the world's leading thinkers come together in an immersive environment to share more than fifty talks over the course of four days, cross-fertilizing their thinking and inspiring attendees. From the pod casts I've seen of the talks (available for free on the web at http://www.ted.com/) it is truly a magic environment.

Although it's an invitation only event (but still non-profit), and is prohibitively expensive for the average Jane, it's expanded to sister conferences and has reached the people through it's on-line presence. The feel of the organization is not exclusive, but inclusive and community building. Global community building. Interconnection of the world. Check out the website and start to watch some of the extraordinary videos. We all need some inspiration.

Charlie Rose recently interviewed the current curator of the conference, Chris Anderson, who said that in a world where we fear that globalization is a force that is "dumbing down" the population, this global, almost viral phenomenon centered around the excitement of thinking, innovation, connectedness and new ideas is disproving that. It instead creates hope.

Here's the four minute documentary "A Taste of TED" that should give you a feel for the phenomenon. I hope you get a chance to watch some of the pod casts and find inspiration where you can. I know I need some.

Quirky Bit O' Food

2011-02-25T07:04:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of my recent trip to NYC was visiting China Town. My sis, her boyfriend, and several of their friends who are connoisseurs of Asian cooking, took us to a fabulous restaurant for dinner. Even my picky kids loved the food!

The waitress talked us into a special dish they were offering which celebrated the Chinese New Year. It's called "yee sang" and has a mixture of raw fish, daikon, jicama, candied papaya, candied persimmon, wonton crisps, rice crisps and colorful taro chips. The waitress adds the contents of a red envelope to the top (I thought it was real gold leaf bits, but now I'm not so sure!), and drizzles honey over the salad (for sweetness for the new year). Everyone at the table uses their chopsticks to toss the salad together, ensuring a lucky year for all.

The salad was bright, crunchy, flavorful. What a sweet and symbolic tradition!

Another "quirky" detail about China Town....we loved the outdoor markets. This one had tons of crazy stuff, including a dozen different kinds of dried sea cucumber! Cool!

Happy Weekend!
Penny

Interview and Giveaway with Author Ella Drake!

2011-02-23T06:00:00.008-05:00

Interview and Giveaway with Ella Drake!

Penny: Welcome to The Quirky Ladies, Ella! I am so glad you're here today. I have really enjoyed reading two of your sci fi/romances, Jaq's Harp and Silver Bound. Science fiction and romance do not seem like a complementary pairing. Sort of like wearing combat boots with a couture dress. What are your feelings about this quirky sub-genre? How difficult is it to weave sci fi details and romance together in one story?

Ella: It’s not difficult. For me, it’s a natural. No matter where people are, what their setting, there’s a fundamental drive to have relationships whether familial, platonic friendship, or romantic, it’s part of being human. Put a bunch of people on a space station, they’ll form connections. They’ll gossip. They’ll fight. They’ll have sex in the virtual reality room!

Penny: I love stories that put a funky new twist on an old legend or fairy tale. (Can you say Santa Claus? hee hee) Jaq's Harp is a cool futuristic twist on the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. How did you come up with this awesome idea and what were your sources of inspiration for the bioengineered plants? Did it ever occur to you to make the plants more insidious? I like how the human characters are still the main source of good and evil in this story; there is a satisfying sense of temporal universality of basic human good and evil. Regardless of our technological advances, we will always be the source of our own demise. Very cool.

Ella: The idea came from reading the original fairy tale to my kids and the resulting discussion of why in the world was Jack the good guy? He was poor, sure, but did that give him the right to climb up a beanstalk to steal from a giant and then kill that giant? From there, it was my own imagination taking it to “what if” and wondering what would make it okay for someone to climb up to a castle (mansion) in the sky to steal something. Of course, stealing to make things better, to stop the bad guys, wasn’t too big a stretch. And believing the giant was a bad guy in the original helped, so of course, in my story, the giant would have to be bad. It’d a big game of if this happened, then this might… The beanstalk came from wanting to make the story futuristic but not magic based, so the plant had to be science based. Never occurred to me to make the stalk insidious but that does open interesting possibilities! But yeah, it all comes down to good guys and bad guys in the end, or maybe misguided guys.

Penny: Could you tell us about some of your favorite sci fi stories (books/movies/TV shows, anything) and what premises really appeal to you? Who are your favorite sci fi villains? heroes? (My all-time favorite heroine is Ripley from Aliens...she is the ultimate feminist kick-ass heroine.)

Ella: Ripley is right up there! She’s a fantastic character. A premise that has always appealed to me is the one in The Abyss. The idea that there’s unexplored territory down below the oceans. That movie has a strong heroine lead as well. I think James Cameron knows how to write a heroine. Ripley (Aliens 2), Lindsey Brigman (The Abyss), Neytiri (Avatar), Max (Dark Angel), Mace (Strange Days), Helen Tasker (True Lies) and Sarah Connor (Terminator is one of my favorite movies, though not so much into T 2&3). Basically, Cameron’s entire body of work.

Oh, oops. I got off on a tangent about kick-ass heroines. Who can blame me?

My favorite scifi villain has to be Dark Vader, as he was in the first original Star Wars movie. He was such a scary character when he was first introduced. And of course, my favorite hero is Han Solo. Of course.

Penny: Oh, I totally LOVE the movie The Abyss. Good one! I also love the original Terminator...it's a great sci fi love story, and Sarah Connor is a fabulous heroine...especially her transformation from sweet, regular gal into kick-ass warrior. Nice choice.

What is your writing process like? Do you plot everything out ahead of time? Pants it? Do your stories and/or characters ever surprise you? Do you have a tough time adding in the "spicy" parts, or is that an integral part of the story?

Ella: I’m in-between plotting and pantsing. I usually have an idea, write somewhere between a chapter and three by pantsing it, then I stop and do a rough outline. This outline is generally a bullet list of something like ten points of where I want to go. When I write short, I may only have an idea of where I need to go to get to the end and one or two points to get there. The spicy parts aren’t difficult for me. I think mostly because when I start a story, I already know how much of the spicy the story needs. Some need more than others. I don’t force it there if it doesn’t need to be. The growth of the characters and their relationship are the driving force behind those scenes.

Penny: How difficult is it to write a satisfying story when the word count is low? Do you approach it differently than writing a full-length manuscript? As a reviewer, I find some short stories incredibly satisfying, like an "amuse bouche"--a quickie taste of something wonderful. Other quickies leave you feeling unsatisfied, and wishing the story had been longer. How do you circumvent this problem as a writer?

Ella: Writing short to me means sticking to the barebones essential conflict. Usually this means a minimal of secondary characters, though that can be done if the story needs it. It means dealing with a plot that can be resolved satisfactorily in the space available. It also means paying close attention to pacing. Most importantly, the ending becomes crucial. The close of the story can’t be too abrupt or the reader will feel like they’ve been left hanging. And that ending needs to feel substantial, whether everything is resolved or not.

Penny: Are you planning sequels for any of your books? What projects are you working on now? Is sci/fi romance your favorite genre, or are you jonesing for something different?

Ella: I am planning sequels to both of the stories you’ve mentioned. I’m almost done with a prequel for Silver Bound and I’ve planned a story that takes place after the events of Silver Bound. I’ve also finished the next story in the world of Jaq’s Harp. Hopefully I’ll have more news on that one soon. Sci-fi and paranormal romance are my favorite genres, but I also love historical romance and there are a select few contemporary authors I follow and snap up their new releases like candy.

Penny: Since you're on The Quirky Ladies blog, I have to ask....what's quirky about Ella Drake? Do you have a favorite quirky book/movie/music/food?

Ella: Not sure why, but the first thing that popped into my head with that question was a quirky book that’s one of my favorites, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fford, which in round-about way reminds me of The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. That brings me to Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. These three novels are some of my favorites of all time, which is amazing since I mostly love and stick to Romance. But when I read outside of Romance, I love to read books that are a bit quirky. All three of these have what I’d call speculative elements. I guess there’s a bit of a theme, there.

Quirky food. I’ve loved this since I was a kid: Take a small bottle of Coke (it has to be a bottle) and pour a packet of salty roasted peanuts in it & drink/eat!

Penny: Those books sound cool. And your quirky food sounds....well....quirky. I'm not sure I could eat that!

Ella, thanks so much for hanging out with The Quirky Ladies today.

We'll be giving away one copy of Jaq's Harp to a random commenter. Just tell Ella who your favorite kick-ass heroine is!

PURCHASE LINK FOR JAQ'S HARP

eHarlequin author page

Bio: As a child Ella read books under the covers with a flashlight. There she found a special love of elves, dragons, and knights. Now that she's found her own knight in shining armor and happily ever after, she loves to write tales of fantasy, hot enough to scorch the sheets. No flashlight needed.

Ella writes dark paranormal and science fiction romance. She loves to talk with readers and can be found most days on Twitter, Facebook, & Goodreads. She can also be found on her website and her eHarlequin author page.

Blurb:

Jaq’s Harp

Futuristic Romance/Twisted Fairytale/Biopunk -- Short (ebook)

In a world of floating islands and bio-engineered beans, the bad guys are taken down by agents of the Mother organization—agents like Jacqueline “Jaq” Robinson. Instead of accepting her next routine assignment, she sets out on a mission of her own—to destroy Giant Corp, the company responsible for her sister’s wasting illness. Jaq must steal her cure from Giant’s headquarters high above the city…even though she’ll be brought face-to-face with Harper English, the man who left her to go deep undercover at Giant.

For Harp, Jaq had been a distraction the mercenary thought he couldn’t afford. But once he sees her again, Harp knows he’s made a mistake. Even though she vowed he won’t have her again, it’s clear they still have a powerful attraction. Harp’s determined to get a second chance with Jaq—if they can escape Giant Corp and get back to solid ground in one piece…

Please visit her website to read an excerpt of this fantastic story!

Looking For A Quirky Biopunk Sci Fi Romance? Try Jaq's Harp!

2011-02-21T07:15:00.002-05:00

It's release day for Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake! Congrats to Ella, a fellow NECRWA member. I reviewed this book several weeks ago at Penelope's Romance Reviews, and I thought I would reprint the review here at The Quirky Ladies. Ella will be joining us on Wednesday, Feb. 23 for an interview and giveaway. Please stop by on Wednesday to chat with her and enter the contest.

From Penelope's Romance Reviews.....

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake:

The premise for this story is fantastic. It's a futuristic sci fi take on the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. I adore funky new twists on fairy tales and legends. Drake calls this book a "twisted fairytale, biopunk romance." What I liked....the sci fi details are awesome. Drake does a tremendous job with her world-building. The bio-engineered beanstalk, the floating "islands," the hovercrafts, the dark, gritty, and desperate feel to life for the poor schmucks left on the surface of the earth, all make for a stunning vision of a world gone awry with technology. I also liked the heroine, Jaq, a lot...she is the quintessential kick-ass heroine, complete with roundhouse kicks, etc etc. The storyline was solid (with bitchy villainess and a-hole villain), had lots of action and suspense, and was extremely well written. Which may have worked against Drake in the end...I wanted more to this story. It was too short for me. The sci fi part worked great, but I wanted more about the characters and their relationship. I tend to gravitate to character-driven stories, not plot-centered stories, but even so....I still was fully engaged in this one.

Grade: B+

(If you haven't tried sci fi/romance yet, this book is a great introduction to the sub-genre. Action packed, filled with cool world-building details, and has a smoky romance, too!)

Happy Monday,

Penny

Self-Promotion Is Not A Dirty Word

2011-02-20T06:54:00.000-05:00

Guess what I'm doing today? Talking about one of my favorite subjects...promotion for romance writers! I'll be speaking at the NECRWA meeting at Brandeis University at 1:00. (Unfortunately, the Chippendale's dancers cancelled, but hopefully there should be chocolate.)

Here are a few tips on self-promotion to get us started...

1.) Don't post naked photos of yourself on your website. Unless you look like Bo Derek. And even then it's probably not a good idea.

2.) Including 5-star review snippets from your mother is ineffective as a promotional tool.

3.) Choose appropriate sites for your blog tour. Doing an interview on "Flyfishing For Big Boys" is most likely a waste of time and won't increase book sales. Although you never know.

Looking forward to chatting with everyone!
See you soon,
Penny

Quirky Bit O' Canine

2011-02-18T06:50:00.001-05:00

Need a mop?

A new wig?

A warm, snuggly blanket for winter?

This awesome and out-of-this-world dog looks like a great multi-tasker.

This Hungarian dog is a corded Komondor from the Westminster Dog Show. (It's sometimes referred to as a "mop dog" for obvious reasons.) It was bred to protect livestock.

I just couldn't resist posting it since it is pretty much the epitome of quirkiness. My daughter got a photo of one sleeping in his kennel at the dog show, but I thought this photo was much more dramatic. You get to see the wonderful movement of those luscious locks!

Happy Weekend,

Penny

Circling Back

2011-02-16T19:32:00.004-05:00

Sometimes life comes full circle. Once in awhile, you reconnect with childhood friends, or visit a place and get a sense of deju vu before you remember you had been there before. Sometimes you pick up a book, get half way through it and realize you've read it before. Or is that having a senior moment? Anyway, I recently had this strange experience of life coming full circle.

I love Robyn Carr's Virgin River Series. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, you are in for a treat. The series takes place in the mythical town of Virgin River (pop. 600), which is set against the picturesque backdrop of the towering redwoods and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in northern California. Carr paints the town with a colorful ensemble of heroes and heroines, their extended family, as well as the eccentric and loveable towns people populating Virgin River.

While Carr's characters are delightful, many too good to be true, her stories are well written, humorous, and engaging. She also addresses a wide range of topics such as domestic violence, post-traumatic stress (most of the heroes of her books are war veterans), Down Syndrome, infertility and even rape. Through the support of the town community, her characters find their peace as well as a road to their own HEAs. Diving into the next book in the series is like revisiting cherished friends as Carr weaves the characters we've met throughout her books.

In regard to rediscovering old friends and circling back, last fall I heard Robyn Carr speak at the New Jersey Romance Writers conference. She was as entertaining as her books. However, she mentioned that she had begun her career writing historical romances, and suddenly a strange sense of deja vu swept over me. Once upon a time (okay, around two decades ago), my favorite romances were historicals written by a Robyn Carr. I still own a beloved beat up copy, it being a timeless favorite. The book was Chelynne.

As first, I didn't believe the Robyn Carr speaking was the same author I loved all those years ago. I couldn't be obsessed with this author's work twice in my lifetime. Could I? Yes, I could.

Decades later, Robyn Carr still writes beautiful, engaging stories, and I'm lucky to have found her -- again. She has a career to envy and I do.

Penny's Quickie Quirky Updates From The Big Apple

2011-02-15T16:21:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I survived my trip to New York City....42nd Street, Toys R Us, the Natural History Museum, and best of all....the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show! (First photo is an adorable pug at the dog show, taken by my eight year old daughter, Natalie).

Barosaurus at the Natural History Museum.

Anakin and Obi Wan at Toys R Us, 44th Street, NYC.

Statue of Liberty, Lego-Style, Toys R Us.

Topiary Bushes (I mean poodles...heh heh) at Westminster.

A whole bunch of wieners.

Penny, American Girl Doll, and Daughter on 42nd Street.

A Wiener!/Winner!....Chewie, the Sweetest Doxie Ev-ah!

Hope everyone had a festive Valentine's Day! Love, Penny

Chocolate! 'Tis the season.

2011-02-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Chocolate! We all love it, crave it, become obsessed by it, particularly at certain times of the month. (You know what I'm talking about, ladies.) Perhaps it's our inner child demanding to be let out. But chocolate and romance go hand in hand. Think Valentine's Day, so fast approaching. Think the research saying women who eat chocolate regularly have a better sex life. So no wonder romance writers are fascinated by the stuff. I thought I'd include some interesting facts about the substance here. And to find an erudite source, I went to the experts -- articles written for kids. I found the following tidbits in the National Geographic Kids magazine, February 2011 issue, so all the research credit goes to their staff.

Fact #1 Chocolate is made from seeds of the cacao plant, grown only near the equator.

Fact #2 Theobroma cacao is the scientific name for chocolate. It means "food of the gods."

Fact #3 The ancient Aztec believed chocolate had magical properties.

Fact #4 There are 30 to 50 seeds in each cacao pod, which is football-shaped. That can make seven bars of milk chocolate.

Fact #5 Average Americans eat roughly 12 pounds of chocolate per year.

Fact #6 As early as 1000 B.C., the ancient Olmec are believed to be the first people to use the cacao plant.

Fact #7 Just one whiff of chocolate can make people feel happy. A chemical in cacao releases "feel-good" vibes in the brain.

Fact #8 Chocolate has a natural chemical in it that helps suppress coughs, so eat up next time you have a cold.

Fact #9 It would take 15,133,852,800 Hershey bar squares laid end to end to reach the moon.

The magazine lists more interesting facts, but I thought I'd stop here. I need to go now. I've gotten a bit hungry, go figure. If you can resist impulsively searching for chocolate of your own for a few more moments, let me know what else you've come across about this "food of the gods."

Michelle

Quirky Bit O' Music

2011-02-09T15:24:00.002-05:00

This is a fabulous rendition of Smooth Criminal by the cellists Stjepan Hauser and Luka Sulic. Enjoy!

What's Sexy?

2011-02-07T10:05:00.016-05:00

Honestly, I'm all for the only non-profit community-owned professional sports team in America winning the Subperbowl. Go Packers!

But what I really want to talk about is that freaking Doritos commercial. You know the one...

Maybe it's an occupational hazzard, but I spend a lot of time thinking about what's sexy and what's not. For example, the other day I got it in my head that I wanted to describe something as spongy. And I tried. I really, really tried to work it into my scene - because the object in question does feel spongy. But then I had to accept what countless other authors have no doubt had to come to terms with in the past - there is no way to make "spongy" sexy. There just isn't.

So what is sexy? Love? Yes! Romance? You bet! Erotic romance? Oh, hell yes! Homo-erotic imagry in commercials? It sells! You don't believe me? Look at the picture above again. Is that how your coworkers behave? And note that even Doritos apparently thought they'd taken it too far, since they felt the need to put wedding rings on both the men. Those kinds of details don't happen by accident in advertising.

And what's not sexy? Finger-sucking! Oh, wait... I am certain this can be a very sexy thing to do. If you'd asked me before yesterday, I might have told you that it's always a sexy thing to do. But I would have been wrong.

When that man sucked his coworker's finger into his mouth, I (a woman who I think we can all agree has a very strong fondness for homo-erotic imagry) screeched like a banshee. It was hilarious. It was disturbing. And it sure as heck was incedibly effective marketing (because here I am, talking about it and craving that nacho cheese goodness every time I type the word Doritos). But definitely not sexy.

So does this ruin finger-sucking for everyone? Definitely not. As my wise friend Eric Ruben commented last night, it's not in the dust, it's in the delivery.

And thanks to the Frito-Lay corporation, I have finger-sucking on the brain today. I wonder what I'll write about tonight...

Yinz Guys Reddy For Da Game?

2011-02-06T07:35:00.001-05:00

It ain't easy being a native Pittsburgher in New England. I am surrounded by rabid Patriots fans. So, I'd like to apologize in advance if I offend anyone while I wave my Terrible Towel and chug some Iron City beers during the Superbowl. I wouldn't want to rub it in....you know, about the fact that the PITTSBURGH FREAKIN' STEELERS are in the Superbowl, and the New England Patriots are....well...probably sitting at home, eating nachos.

No offense. Seriously.

Here's a fun vid showing the awesome superiority of Steel over Cheese.

I don't think we need to get into a discussion about whose hair is better....Troy Polamalu or Tom Brady. (Troy)

Happy Superbowl Sunday!
Penny

Quirky Bit O' News

2011-02-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice Bostonian story. A woman lost her 3-foot pet boa constrictor on a Boston subway car a month ago...she had the snake around her neck (!!!) when somehow it escaped. The lost snake (named Penelope! Win!) was discovered on a subway car this week, and rescued by a train attendant. Penelope's owner is overjoyed to be reunited with her scaly friend. And she's still planning on taking Penelope out into public. Oh joy for Bostonians everywhere.

Happy Weekend from The Quirky Ladies!

Happy Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T07:17:00.000-05:00

It's Feb. 2, time for the most celebrated of all holidays....Groundhog Day. Unfortunately for those of us living in the New England area, the groundhog is unable to make an appearance since he's buried beneath 5 ft of snow, ice and freezing rain. Hopefully he'll survive and drag himself to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the festivities.

Anyone looking for a quirky activity for the day (since we're all house-bound and it's a school snow day!), I would suggest watching one of my all-time favorite movies, Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It's hilarious!

Best of luck to groundhogs everywhere,
Penny

Quirky Bit O' Fashion

2011-01-28T14:55:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of celebrities rocking a quirky style. Rihanna's kooky red hair. Johnny Depps' blue glasses and fedora. Lady Gaga's meat dress. But my favorite is Helena Bonham Carter. She always looks like she just escaped from a wind tunnel. When asked recently about her innovative style of dressing, she responded "For me, fashion is all about fantasy and putting unlikely things together. That's what I love." Her outfit at the 2011 Golden Globes is typical. It's a Vivienne Westwood dress and mismatched shoes. Red and green...maybe it's for Christmas!

This ensemble is wicked witch meets housefrau meets old Jewish guy (socks and cardigan). Love it!

This is just...um....black shoes with hunks of satin and a chenille snake? I'm not sure. Oh yeah, and some rags in her hair.

Well, I'm not sure if Helena won a Golden Globe. But I'm nominating her for Quirkiest Celebrity Dresser of the week. Congrats!

Happy Friday,

Penny

People Watching - An Essential Tool in a Writer's Toolkit

2011-01-23T18:01:00.009-05:00

People watching has always been one of my favorite things to do. Observing human behavior can be amusing, confounding, poignant, even irritating. A simple smile or touch, an act of kindness no one else notices (seemingly), or an act of bonehead proportions that makes me realize my friend Joe is right - half the world are jerks. Time for me to put my favorite pair of rose-colored glasses back on, but I digress.

After a lot of thought (I'm a Libra, we weigh all our options forever until ready to take any plunge), I have decided I will likely (see how my scales are still balancing there) purchase a condo or small house this year. I saw five properties in one day. On this rapid fire Sunday everyone I met brought me back to my favorite part of people watching, it's always grist for the mill of character development.

People watching can be so illuminating, especially when you are plotting your current WIP and working on character sketches. This weekend while looking at various properties, I felt like an actor doing Improv. Going from property to property, meeting real estate after real estate agent, reminded me that there are so many different types of people in this world, many of whom do the same job, but approach it from so many varied directions.

There was the long-term real estate agent that scuffed at a neophyte such as myself, forcing me to get my game on and ask real questions so at least I would know what I was doing at the next property I saw.

There was the geeky agent with a nervous laugh, who couldn't look me in the eye, but admitted he was the owner's cousin and they were just throwing him a bone. Even though I knew the property wasn't for me, I still took his card. I guess I threw him a bone too.

There was the bewildered agent struggling to unload an undesirable property, doing her best to keep herself interested, while trying to get me to want to buy it. I stayed for 20 minutes because she reminded me one of my aunts, and I felt bad she had to waste her Sunday in a home that will be on the market for months, I'm sure, since it was over-priced, falling apart and came with creepy neighbors peering through windows to see what was going on next door.

There was the pushy agent who swore he had so many potential buyers that unless I gave him a check today to hold the property, had 20 percent to put down and could move in February, I was wasting his time. I made him show me three condo options. Yes, I did waste his time, not because I couldn't afford the property, but because I would never buy anything from him.

Then at the last property, which I almost didn't bother with because I was tired, I found a real potential property of interest, and a real estate agent who was kind, thoughtful and really wanted to make sure I find the right place for me. She had six other buyers she was showing the property to at the same time, yet found a way to make us all feel welcome. Regardless of what happens with the property I saw, this very nice lady is now my real estate agent.

As writers, we spend a lot of time in our heads. We are all borderline schizophrenics if we are really honest about it - after all, multiple people talk to each other and have whole lives inside our heads. Observing our own behavior, and the behavior of the people we meet is a great way to add nuances to our characters, so they remain as alive in our heads and hearts as they are to our readers on the written page.

Happy People Watching!

Quirky Bit O' News

2011-01-19T11:19:00.006-05:00

Here's a quirky bit o' news for the week....hee hee! I love this! From Germany.....

"An owl that had evidently drunk too much Schnapps from two discarded bottles was so inebriated that it got picked up by police. The bird will be released once it has sobered up.

'A woman walking her dog alerted police after seeing the bird sitting by the side of the road oblivious to passing traffic,' Frank Otruba, spokesman for the police in the southwestern city of Pforzheim, told SPIEGEL ONLINE." (From Spiegel Online International).

The owl was not subjected to a breathalyzer, but one of its eyelids was drooping!

I hope the owl enjoyed the Schnapps.

Happy Week,

Penny

P.S. Please don't forget to vote for Sam's review at The Romance Studio. Voting is open until Sunday, Jan 16! Thanks!

Little Tiny Squee

2011-01-18T19:21:00.006-05:00

First, let me say that I'm really, really sorry that I've been so long between posts to the Quirky Blog. It's not because of a lack of love or desire for being a part of the blogosphere. It's that I have this crazy job that keeps me away from the thing I truly love -writing in any form. Novel, blog, an email to my poor friend Amy in Tacoma who probably thinks I'm dead it's been so long - all have been waiting for me to get some headspace and put pen to paper. Well, okay, fingers to keyboard, but you get the idea.

Anyway, the point is that no matter what - you name it, I like to write it.

A close second on my list of joys is reading. And nothing makes me more stupid giddy than reading a review for something I wrote. Good, bad and ugly - it means someone read it, took an interest and is being kind enough to offer me and my potential readers their feedback. Now sure, a bad review can make a girl cry, but a good one can make a girl's week!

And here's a goodie for sure:

And as if that wasn't enough to make me do a happy dance, I'm up for 5-Heart Sweetheart of the Week. If you think that's just as great as I do, please vote for me HERE.

So, that's all for me. I know - too short. But it's baby steps for now. Maybe someday I'll be able to quit the pesky job, but until then, I will carve out more time for The Quirks and my characters.

In fact, I think I hear Patrick, Brandon and Destiny calling me now...

Shivers Up My Spine

2011-01-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I heard a story from another mother as I sat in a group discussion about how children understand death. Her son, five years old, had been adopted from Korea as an older baby. I'll call him Matt for expedience sake. Eight years ago her biological son had passed away. I'll refer to him as Luke. It turns out that as best as the record trail can determine, her adopted son Matt was born on the exact day of Luke's death. When he was three, Matt (an early precocious talker) spontaneously told her that he had met Luke in heaven when he had died and God was giving him a new body. The comment came out of nowhere. He's the kind of kid with sixth sense written all over him. I call this an old soul. He's made other pronouncements over the years, talking about how he's met such and such a person who knew his family before when he was in his other body.

These are the moments that confirm the famous Shakespeare line from Hamlet: "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Life is a strange thing. Too strange for us to ever understand. I've always wondered if we as writers are actually channeling the stories that are out there in the universe, some pre-existing cache that are just as real and alive as any other piece of creation. I believe any act of creativity is part of the great mystery of the universe. I don't mean to be morbid in my post. The backdrop of the story is tragedy, and the grief around it is real. Death is perhaps the ultimate mystery. But from time to time we run into a particular reminder of these mysteries and we stand in awe. Or at least I did last night.

Writing fantasy, as I do, is not so strange in light of the actual oddities of life. It's actually quite boring compared to the real deal.

What do you do in face of Mystery? Somehow, as uncomfortable as it makes me feel, it also brings comfort.

Is Steampunk Here To Stay?

2011-01-13T08:59:00.001-05:00

It seems like something new crops up every week as the "hot new thing" in romance. M/M stories. Comedic vampires. Snarky first person heroines. Amish dudes?

Steampunk has really taken hold in the last year as a sub-genre of romance. I inhaled Gail Carriger's quirky Parasol Protectorate Series. The Iron Duke was universally hailed as one of the best books in 2010. It makes me wonder...is steampunk here to stay? Or is it just a flash-in-the-pan? A temporary trend that's not going to last?

What is steampunk exactly? According to Wikipedia, its a "sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used--usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain--that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy."

Two examples that I've read recently are Gail Carriger's quirky series (Soulless, Changeless, and Blameless), and The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook. Carriger's books are light-hearted fun, a mix of historical/paranormal/steampunk romance. I can't imagine a quirkier mix of elements...vampires, werewolves, paranormal politics, funky mechanical inventions, tongue-in-cheek comedy, and proper tonnish protocol strictly enforced by the spunky heroine, Alexia. There are dirigibles, mechanical beetles, automatons, a fully loaded parasol covered with weapons, and more. The steampunk inventions are silly and fun, but the glue that holds these books together is the romance between the soulless heroine and her lusty werewolf spouse.

The Iron Duke is an altogether different species of book. The steampunk vision in this world is dark and threatening. There is no comedic relief in sight. Brook's world is perilous indeed, and we find microscopic mechanics that have insidiously infected the human body and forced it into slavery. Steampunk is not merely a backdrop for this story; it is the story. This frightening alternate world has been horribly transformed by these strange mechanical inventions...zombies roam the land, the human populace has been permanently altered, and the romance is intense and feels desperate at times. This book is a fascinating example of steampunk world-building.

I'm not sure if the steampunk genre will be a long-term component of romance. However, I do think that sci fi and romance is a daring and successful combination. Whether it's steampunk or biopunk, or aliens or water-based societies, the choices are endless. The sky is the limit with the imaginative options for this marriage of genres. For authors looking to flex their creative muscle, steampunk offers a glittering opportunity to imagine an alternate world and re-write history.

Just don't forget the romance.

If you're going to tack "romance" at the end of this genre, then you need to remember the most important element--the relationship between the hero and heroine, their conflict and resolution. Funky inventions and nail-biting adventures need to complement the romance, not fight with it, overshadow it, or replace it altogether. It's a tall order....incorporating all of these complex elements into one story, but that's the challenge for the writer of this genre.

I'm not sure if steampunk will fizzle out or continue to gain popularity. But the interest in sci fi/fantasy romance, which allows a huge creative outlet for authors, certainly will. I find it curious that steampunk has gained so much, well, "steam" (pun intended). Maybe folks are eager for an alternate reality. Maybe they wish they could re-write history. Or maybe they just want to be entertained. Whatever the reason, steampunk looks like it will be here for at least the foreseeable future. Enjoy it while you can!

What do you think about this new sub-genre? Do you love it? Or are you tired of new trends?

For more information about these books, please check out the reviews at Penelope's.

Soulless

Changeless

Blameless

The Iron Duke

Happy Reading,

Penny

In Defense Of Adverbs

2011-01-10T07:24:00.010-05:00

As I work on my WIP, I become acutely aware of the "rules" of writing. You know, the ones that say passive voice is bad, adverbs are bad, adjectives are bad. Each and every sentence gets scrutinized and rewritten, as I attempt to leave just two approved parts of speech behind.

Nouns and verbs.

And not just any old verbs....must be ACTION verbs.

Which makes me wonder...who the hell decided these rules, anyway? It seems like word discrimination to me. What if your character is passive? What if your scene is lazy? What if an overabundance of action verbs becomes irritating? So, it's time for me to make a confession....

I like passive sentence construction.

I like adverbs.

I like adjectives.

The bottom line is that writing with only nouns and action verbs gets boring. The other parts of speech help mix it up a bit, keep things interesting.

Consider this....

A dishrag.

Now, consider this....

A bloody dishrag.

A dirty dishrag.

A starched, pressed dishrag.

These wonderful, unfairly-discriminated-against-words called adjectives give us important clues about a scene and/or character. Why is the dishrag bloody? What kind of person irons his dishrags? Adjectives are getting a bum rap for sure.

Here's another sentence to consider...

He smiled.

Noun and action verb are present. And boring!

Let's try....

He smiled brilliantly.

He smiled wickedly.

He smiled tentatively.

Think about how much more information we now have about the character and his action. Way more interesting. Adverbs rock!

Now, let's address passive sentence construction. Here's a "proper" sentence...

Annie regarded her plain reflection in the mirror.

Here's another way to do it using the frowned-upon, evil passive verb...

Annie was plain. Annie was boring. Annie was the most unpopular girl in school.

I personally think using this passive construction is more effective. Annie looking at herself in the mirror is a passive activity, she's not a go-get-em type of gal. She has bad self-esteem and that comes across using this type of passive sentence structure and repetitive style.

So, in conclusion, I would just like to say that word discrimination has no place in writing. And anyone who passes judgment on these sad and misbegotten words should do a little bit of soul-searching. There is a time and place for all parts of speech and all forms of sentence construction. And don't even get me started on fragments.

Seriously.

Rule-Breaker Extraordinaire,

Penny

A Brand New Year

2011-01-09T07:16:00.005-05:00

Happy 2011! I am personally thrilled to leave 2010 behind me (that whole irritating heart attack thing) and am looking forward to a brand new year. The Quirky Ladies are busy working on new books, finishing up old books, entering contests (go, Vicki!), submitting manuscripts, and embracing change with positive attitudes.

We have decided to expand our blog to include other topics that touch on quirky/fun/entertaining/pertinent bits of news, in addition to writerly subjects. This will include movie/book/music reviews, links/discussions to cool websites and news, photos and discussions about travel and hobbies, and interviews with favorite authors. We will also be spotlighting fellow NECRWA members from time to time, and of course continuing to discuss topics that affect us as romance writers.

Coming up on the horizon...an interview and discussion with NECRWA writer Ella Drake, whose upcoming release Jaq's Harp is a "twisted fairytale/biopunk/futuristic romance." I love the idea of putting a new, funky spin on the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. This week I will be exploring steampunk, a hot new sub-genre of romance. I think steampunk is about as quirky as you can get!

I hope that all of you are excited about the new year and new possibilities!

Happy Quirky New Year To All!

Penny

Christmas Is Coming....

2010-12-23T06:11:00.003-05:00

It's that special time of year....Christmas carols playing on the radio, sipping gingerbread lattes as you shop like a maniac, and doing tons of promo for your holiday Christmas story. (Okay, not everyone is probably doing that last part). But I still am!

Today I will be visiting Book Chick City for her cool "Where Stories Are Made" feature. There are photos of my work space and a discussion of my writing habits. Please stop by to check it out.

I hope everyone is having a merry season!

Penny

It's December!

2010-12-04T09:58:00.005-05:00

The Quirky Ladies are taking an early holiday vacation. We're busy drinking peppermint martinis, planning festive family get-togethers, and watching "Elf" for the 10 thousandth time. I'm excited to post my new book cover for Sweet Magik, #2 of the Klaus Brothers Series, published by The Wild Rose Press. It will be out next year (2011). Sweet Inspiration, #1 of the series, is still available (at Amazon, Fictionwise, TWRP, etc) and is currently being read by a group at Goodreads for their holiday reading challenge. So cool! I also posted a free quickie teaser for Sweet Adventure (#3 of the series) on my website. Stop by to check it out.

I've developed an obsession with holiday romances this year. My favorite so far is Robyn Carr's A Virgin River Christmas. Check out my reviews at Penelope's Romance Reviews.

Hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season!

Penny

Merry Christmas from the Klaus Family!

A Happy Ending is Worth its Weight in Gold

2010-11-08T19:20:00.010-05:00

When asked why I write romance novels, I always give the same answer - there are not enough happy endings in the world. And I mean it. Call me a Pollyanna. I like my rose-colored glasses. That’s not to say I don’t live in reality, I can assure you that I do, but when I want to relax and unwind, I want to read or watch a good love story. I want the same thing when I write. “Once upon a time” is one of my favorite phrases in fiction, right up there with “And they lived happily ever after”.

I want to experience the hero and heroine falling in love, going through all the relationship firsts, and struggling to be together against all odds (the more substantial the odds the better). I want to know that no matter what their love will conquer all. They will triumph in the end. They will get their reward and so will I as a faithful reader. Or when I’m writing, I can get the same thrill my characters do when my hero and heroine achieve their Happily Ever After (HEA).

With hard economic times, lots of pessimism out there, too much stress and too much work, who needs a book or a movie where the hero or heroine dies, someone gets maimed or the villain wins in the end.

Screw that.

I want to smile, to laugh, to cry “good” tears. I want that “damn, that was good” feeling ala Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone. I refuse to read a wall-banger because “everyone else is reading it” or wish I had watched the news instead of the latest film meant to make me “think.” After a hard day at work with only a few moments to manage my personal life each day, do I really want to use my limited free time to get depressed at how harsh life can be? I would rather eat a bucket full of broken glass, thank you very much.

That being said, I like it best when our favorite characters earn their happy ending. Characters that are flawed, get a few bumps along the way, and have to wrestle some internal as well as external demons along the way.

A heroine does not have to be pure as the driven snow when she meets our hero, but she does have to worthy of falling in love with, worth the struggle he must endure to win her heart, not to mention to overcome the obstacles in their path. She must be strong, smart and courageous in her own right, helping the hero (even if begrudgingly at times) at every turn throughout the course of the story. Dim bulbs need not apply.

The hero can be a jerk on his way to redemption, but he can’t be a heel forever. Wounded alpha-males trying to prove they don’t need anyone only to find out they most certainly do are among my favorites, but so are the Everyman beta-types finding their true calling on the way to saving the world, who also can’t believe they finally found the one girl who "gets" them.

With all the ups and downs in life, a good love story can give us all some comfort – a proverbial port in the storm. So, as we hunker down for winter and the days are bleak outside in New England, remember a happily ever after has the power to chase your troubles away – if only for a day.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T16:13:00.022-04:00

Our haunted house was a success this year. How do I know this? We made two kids cry, and one who wouldn't even go up onto the porch.

I don't know why. I mean, here's the approach. This isn't all of it, just one view. There was stuff to the right, strobe lights w/silhouettes in the windows, and the creepy eyes in the bushes were on an off cycle when I took this pic. Looked amazing from the end of the driveway.

We did end up moving the pumpkins to the stairs, which was much better.

This was my fave guy, but I can't take credit for him. You can make it, too, by clicking here and getting this guy's books. Freakin' amazing. Getting a pumpkin with growths was my idea, but one I won't do again. They are hard as a rock - took DH's jigsaw to carve him!

There were lots of teenagers here to help. Two were at the end of the driveway daring people to come down. Three were under the porch with a fog machine and noise making devices. Three more were up on the porch to the left, at the end of the gamut, tho it was hard to tell what was real and what was stuffed until they jumped out at you. DH monster was on the right with his mic, scaring the kids as always. There were all sorts of gimicks like blood splats, dropping spiders, lots of cobwebs, etc. The real star this year, tho, was one of our kids. He was at the end of the line, just when they think it's safe to stick their hand in the candy...

Picture this without the camera flash. It was really hard to tell if he was real or not.

Ignore the little candies. We used them to cover him up better. You can see a couple of the big Crunch Bars and we had Butterfingers and some other big bar, but I keep forgetting the name. It has coconut in it, so in my book, it's not worth remembering! I had 120 big bars, but we did end up putting out the giant bags of mixed candies, too, and had very little left. We couldn't possibly have had that many trick or treaters, so I'm thinking the 8 teenagers dug in. They earned it.

The happy couple. Again, camera flash kinda takes the scary out even with the soft flash on, but you get the gist. Til next year...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Jersey-licious

2010-10-26T10:25:00.007-04:00

Going to conferences can be good (meeting your favorite authors, schmoozing with friends, working out problems with your WIP while day-dreaming in a workshop) and bad (feeling like the biggest loser on the face of the earth because you don't have enough conflict in your story, getting a hang-over from hell after too many mango martinis, deciding your WIP is the biggest piece of crap in the New England area after attending too many workshops).

I just got back from the NJRWA writer's conference and I am pleased to announce it was a positive experience! Uplifting! Fun! There were no hang-overs, no second guessing of manuscripts, and I even got to meet Anne Stuart in the elevator.

All in all, a great experience.

Here, in no particular order, are observations and high points/low points.....

Robyn Carr gives a great workshop (ensemble casts) and a great speech. Classy lady.
Kiwi-tinis are delicious.
Sharon Sala is hilarious....I love her barking out quotes like this in her Southern accent...."Dish out bad stuff, and it will bite you in the ass!" and "Ignore the bitches who will take you down." Note to self: Don't piss off Sharon Sala.
Even though the publishing industry is in flux, I am not worried or suffering from an anxiety disorder. Everything will be OK. (repeat three times while sipping herbal tea).
Not everyone gives out great advice. Serving cupcakes at a book signing to promote your book on release day is missing the point. Cupcakes? Cupcakes!!!!!!!! Gah!!!!! (Deep, cleansing breaths......)
I get irked if the DJ doesn't play Britney Spears songs. Come on, Buddy!
Hannah Howell has really cool sneakers.
Robyn Carr was stymied by my "What's Quirky About Robyn Carr" question....she has to think about it.
Best part of the weekend...Heather et al doing their Nora Roberts' impression. In a deep, smoker's voice, Heather barked out "It's a job!" I can totally see a hilarious SNL skit happening with that material.....

I'm already looking forward to the New England Chapter's spring conference in Salem. Can't wait! Should be Salem-icious!

All my best,

Penny

Quirkies Welcome Lena Goldfinch!

2010-10-20T08:00:00.006-04:00

Today I'd like to welcome the wonderful Lena Goldfinch to our blog. We're celebrating her new release, The Language of Souls, with a quirky author interview. So howdy Lena. I have to tell you that your cover is gorgeous beyond belief. I'm envious. Now, having gotten that out of my system, on to the interview.

Michelle: Let's get going. Lena, could you please take a moment to tell us a bit about yourself and your book.

Lena: Hi, Michelle, thanks for having me here! I started out writing historical inspirational romance, which I still love, but these days I write mostly romantic fantasy, both for adults and young adults.

My first book, The Language of Souls, is being released TODAY, which is kind of surreal, but very exciting. Here's a quick summary: In this short-but-sweet fantasy novella, a healer accused of being a spy and the soldier who captures her find love despite their lack of a common language.

M: That's a great sound bite of an idea. I'm already excited. Tell us, where do you get your story or character ideas? What are your inspirations, either in general or for this release in particular?

L: I love language, the sounds of words playing off one another and the subtle rhythm of sentences coming together to form a story. Very geeky, yes? In general, I also love a good romance and the more deeply romantic the story the better! (Why do I hear the priest in The Princess Bride uttering those immortal words: "Wuv, twue wuv?" LOL)

Although The Language of Souls is a quick read at only 76 pages, it's a story I've worked on for many years. It kept calling to me and I'd pull it out again and tinker with it. It all started with the voice of an old ailing prophet, facing his imminent death and worrying what will happen to his adopted granddaughter when he's gone. That much has remained the same.

What continued to drive and inspire me was the premise: how could two people fall in love without words? That fascinated me and also presented a wonderful challenge as a writer (how in the world do you keep a story going when you don't have dialogue as a ready tool?). So I took it and ran with it, exploring how two people from disparate cultures, having no common language, might find themselves falling in love, through action and not words.

It was more than just a premise though, because Solena and Rundan became very real to me. Solena, a healer with a genuine desire to save her beloved grandfather. Rundan, a conflicted soldier, who strives fruitlessly to please his military father, though he'd rather spend his time pouring over an ancient text.

Even with those elements inspiring me, the story just wouldn't...quite...come...together. Then one day I read an article about speculative fiction. The author talked about turning one aspect of our world on its head and asking what if? For me that question was: what if our soul was a physical, tangible thing we carried around with us, maybe as embers in a small molten jar? With that, the concept of the votif was born and I finally had my story.

M: Wow, I'm completely hooked. This sounds like an amazing project. So given the excitement of a first release, what has been the most difficult part of your writing journey?

L: Pursuing publication at times feels like it's a marathon in which all you do is collect rejection letters! The discouragement can wear on a girl after a while and erode the will to continue. You have to look much deeper for that something that drives you, that spark of passion that just won't go out, no matter what's thrown at you.

M: You obviously found that spark, because here you are. What has been the biggest blessing of your journey to publication?

L: My writer friends, hands down. Critique partners, best buds, fellow chapter members, conference friends...I can't tell you how much it means to have friends who stick with you through the years and offer encouragement. Much of the time, writing is a solitary, all-consuming activity, and it's easy to feel alone. You're the only person who is ever been stuck in the Dreaded Middle, or gotten a stinging contest comment, or received a particularly disappointing rejection. Just knowing someone else is in it with you, who likes you and believes in your writing, can keep you going another day!

M: Wise words. And so true. I can't tell you how the people in my writing life made my journey so much more fulfilling. So, what's your next project after The Language of Souls? Anything in the works?

L: I'm currently working on a young adult fantasy novel that is trying to kill me. If you don't hear from me in a couple of months or so, you'll know it succeeded.

M: LOL! I'll keep on the lookout for you and call the appropriate authorities if you're MIA. To switch tracks, can you tell us what is your favorite snack to munch on while writing?

L: An apple, cut up and mixed with walnuts. Oh, and a tall Arizona Iced Tea, Arnold Palmer Half & Half Lite.

M: Way too healthy, dear. But what is your biggest guilty pleasure?

L: Leftover Halloween candy. (But don't tell my kids. ;))

M: The witchy season is approaching quickly, so you're in luck. Or maybe out of luck. We're reaching the end of our time today, but I want to ask where you see yourself in five years in your writing career?

L: Still writing romantic fantasy! But I wouldn't rule out returning to my historical romance roots too.

M: It's a wonderful feeling knowing that no doors are closed to us as writers. Finally, because we're the Quirky Ladies, please tell us something quirky about yourself people may not know.

L: Uh... Quirky? Me? I don't think any one's ever called me that. My stories are much more quirky than I am. LOL.

Case in point, once upon a time, I married my first (and only!) boyfriend and we now have two kids & a spoiled black lab, own the requisite silver minivan, and live in a quaint small town about an hour northwest of Boston. (Could I be more vanilla? LOL) I haven't always lived in New England, though. I grew up as a Navy brat who moved all over the place and, though I never lived overseas, I developed a deep appreciation and interest in other cultures and languages, which slips into my writing. As part of a campaign to "get moving" (writing involves way too much sitting!), I recently started taking Tai Chi, which is as beautiful as it looks, but more challenging than I ever expected.

M: As far as I'm concerned you've gotten quirky covered, Lena. I'm envious of the Tai Chi. I always meant to try that practice. But thank you so much for joining us today. It was a special treat. And I want to urge everyone to go check out Lena's book, The Language of Souls, and check her out at all of her links. Thanks again. And good luck on release day. Yay!!!!!

Links: website
book excerpt
facebook
twitter

Changing Perspectivies

2010-10-11T21:37:00.010-04:00

My art teacher is on sabbatical until February, and I've joined a new class. It was listed as intermediate-advanced watercolor. Well, it turns out most of the people in the class are advanced with a capital 'A'. We critique students paintings at the beginning of class and my only comments are 'sign it, frame it, sell it.' One of my classmates also teaches watercolor and others have taken from this instructor for years. They whip off these beautiful masterpieces within minutes. It is as inspiring, as it is intimidating.

I'm not a beginner painter, but I have so much to learn to catch up to them. I'm still struggling with learning to mix color correctly, the amount of water to use, brush strokes, and various techniques to employ to make a painting come alive and sing. I want to learn, love the process, but this class has been hard for me. I feel like I'm wading in the shallow end of the pool, while they are doing flips in the deep end.

Frankly, I wanted to quit. Then one class, instead of tackling a whole painting, I took the techniques demonstrated in class and applied them to smaller pieces. We were working on a huge still life arrangement featuring pumpkins. I couldn't finish painting the whole set up, and my pumpkins looked like oranges (that's being generous). Discouraged at being unable to complete my painting and at my citrus pumpkins, I came home and dove into painting just pumpkins, lots and lots of pumpkins. My teenage son finally groused, 'I don't mind the paintings all over, but please don't ask me what I think of your pumpkins again.' Okay, so I got carried away, not to mention missed the whole double entendres so intent was I on getting it right.

I brought a couple of my pumpkin studies into class and my art teacher really liked them. He said he thought I had pumpkins down and demonstrated good use of watercolor technique (see above picture). I was thrilled. I felt like I had succeeded.

It made me realize that sometimes in order to grow and challenge ourselves, we can start small and work our way up to the more difficult. We shouldn't always focus on the complete picture, but perhaps tackling a piece of it. More importantly, we need to work at our own pace and at our own level. Mastering creativity is not a competition unless made into one.

It is the same with writing. If you can't finish 10,000 words/day on your WIP, maybe try 5,000. If you can't churn anything out that day and suffer writer's block, work on revising a scene that isn't clicking or try plotting. So you're not published, there is still incredible accomplishment to be derived from typing 'the end' when you arrive there -- published or not.

So, instead of becoming intimidated when something appears beyond my grasp, I'm going to take smaller steps, enjoy the walk, and arrive at my destination in my own sweet time -- but I won't quit. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. No guts, no glory.

Next week, we turn to landscapes in my art class. Perhaps I'll concentrate on trees....

Happy October!

Rock this Vote

2010-09-28T16:00:00.005-04:00

It is my civic duty to vote.

That said, if I get one more bleepin' phone call in the middle of dinner, I'm going to buy one of those horns and blow the person's ears out. Which, of course, will get me nowhere since most of the calls are automated.

In the beginning, I was kind. I understood the need to interrupt my family time with their phone calls, my personal time with their TV ads, and the environment with their postcards. In the middle of the blitz, I tried to have a sense of humor. (Yes, I was messing with the live volunteer when I said in my best Stepford Wife tone that I didn't know who I was going to vote for because my husband hadn't told me yet, and excuse me, but I have to get his dinner on the table.) During the Senate race, the joking became a family affair. We brought the phone to the dinner table and ran a pool for how many calls we'd get, and would the famous retired Red Sox pitcher call that night?

It got old pretty darn fast, though. Go ahead, call me once. DO NOT call me once a day, sometimes more.

My sense of humor about this is now long gone, and that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is, I wasn't even interested in voting during the most recent round. I didn't want any of the players in office, representing me at any level, especially the guy who had his mother on an automated message. His mother? Seriously?

So here's my plea to politician's everywhere: Stop wasting donations by showing those vicious ads at every commercial break. All of the non-stop backstabbing on TV, the daily mailbox full of postcards, and the constant phone interruptions has to stop. All it is doing is pissing your constituents off, and ultimately LOSING their vote.

I can't be alone here. Am I only speaking for myself?

To Blog or Not to Blog

2010-09-20T20:09:00.009-04:00

It’s my turn to blog again – lions and tigers and bears, oh my! What to write about? You would think as a “writer” pithy words would flow from my mind to my fingers and onto the computer screen effortlessly.

Sometimes that actually does happen, sometimes not so much. So…this blog is not going to be about writing, it’s just going to be.

I’ve decided like Nina that I need to “get off the treadmill” of my own making and not stress unless absolutely necessary. What a novel concept, especially for women, right? If it’s not in my circle of influence, it’s not my problem. I don’t need to fix everything or save the world every day – I just need to find balance, and focus on the things that make me feel good deep in my soul.

I also need to turn my mind off, or at least tell it to shut up for a while, so my heart can push me forward to where I need to go. I’m a thinker – 24/7 – and my mind needs to go on vacation so my heart (or my instincts depending on what you believe) can run the show for a while. Intuition is a powerful tool and right now it’s telling me to share some of my favorite quotes with you and call it a blog, so I can get back to some much needed soul-searching. LOL!

In all seriousness, I hope you enjoy the quotes and are doing what you need to do right now to find balance in your life. Your soul will thank you.

Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success - Swami Sivananda
True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly - Jason Jordan
Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock - Author Unknown
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt
Just when the caterpiller thought the world was over, it became a butterfly - Proverb
When you are going through hell, keep going - Sir Winston Churchill
Rainbows are just to look at, not to really understand - Unknown
Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like it's heaven on earth - Mark Twain
It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary - Paulo Coelho
May the force be with you - Star Wars

Stepping Off The Treadmill

2010-09-13T10:25:00.005-04:00

Once upon a time, I decided to write a book.

I didn't know about agents or editors or POV changes or central conflict, I'd never heard of RWA or blog tours or royalty checks. I just had an idea in my head and I thought I would try to write something.

So, I did. I wrote three chapters of a werewolf romance story and I showed it to my college roommates who were visiting for a "girls' weekend." Well, they loved it. They asked me what my "goal" was. I was stymied. I was supposed to have a goal? My goal was to write a story, and I wanted someone to read it. You need to get this published, they told me.

And thus began my path to publication. I joined the NECRWA, I honed my writing skills with The Quirky Ladies. I entered contests. I finaled in contests. I won some contests. I bagged my werewolf story and started a new story. I finished that story. I sent queries to tons of agents and editors and publishers about that story. And finally, after months of rejections, I got an email that said....I love your story.

But I was soon to discover that getting a book contract was not the end of this path, it was just the beginning. Soon, I had edits and galleys and blog tours and reviews. I had a sequel to write. I had a deadline.

I missed the deadline. But I kept writing. And finally, months later, I finished my second novel. I submitted it to my editor and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

One week later I almost died.

Literally, I almost died.

I had a massive heart attack and had a stent put into my heart.

Suddenly, all of my old "goals" didn't seem so important anymore. Staying alive seemed pretty freaking important. Sitting in a chair for ten hours a day and writing was not conducive to me staying alive. I needed to stay active, exercise frequently, jet my sedentary lifestyle, and most importantly, decrease my stress.

My good friend Vicki, a Quirky, a writer, a mother and wife and artist and traveller and all-around well-balanced and awesome person said she wasn't interested in getting on "the treadmill." She observed that many folks are on a "treadmill of their own making"--and pretty much driving themselves nuts. (Yes, I noticed that Vicki is a very wise person).

I also noticed that Vicki works sometimes, and writes sometimes, and paints sometimes, and goes on camping trips sometimes, and enjoys martinis with her friends sometimes. She doesn't set stressful goals in her life that squash the joy out of her hobbies, and she keeps her priorities straight. This is not a simple task for many people, but it is an important task and one reason that I admire Vicki so much. She has rejected the treadmill and embraced her life, full of friends and family and multiple hobbies and moments of joy.

Which brings me back full circle to why I write. I don't need an agent or a multi-book contract or a bestseller list or a huge royalty check. I just want to write a story and have someone read it.

Simple.

So, I'm back to writing a couple of hours a day. Pantsing the hell out of a cool idea I've had for a while. Don't care if I finish it this year or in ten years. I go for a walk before I write. Then, I go for another walk after I write. Then, I putter around the garden, play with the dog, chat with my neighbors, bike around the block with my kids, and cook dinner with my husband.

And hopefully someday soon, I'll be enjoying a martini with Vicki and the Quirky Ladies. (Or maybe a glass of heart healthy red wine!)

I am making a choice.

I am stepping off the treadmill....

Quirky End of Summer Update

2010-08-31T07:32:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Time for a Quirky Update....

Michelle Picard is launching a blog tour to promote Surviving Eden starting later in September so is busy typing the interviews and blog snippets to shout out her release news.

Dalton Diaz is hard at work on her second book for the Cougar Challenge series for Ellora's Cave. Once that is done, it's on to another collaboration with Samantha Cayto for the long-awaited sequel to Illegal Moves, and at the same time another collaboration with the one and only Ashlyn Chase.

In between, Dalton will try to find the time to eat and sleep!

Tara Truesdale has been busy brainstorming her crazy idea for a sci-fi/fantasy series focused on an ancient prophecy about a chosen one destined to save the world while working on a homespun, World War II women’s fiction family saga. Yes, it’s true – writers are one gene away from schizophrenia. Tara has also been busy on NEC RWA activities since taking over as president in July. Go NEC RWA!!! With summer nearly over, she is looking forward to getting her butt in her writing chair on a regular basis for the rest of 2010!!!

Victoria was thrilled to recently finish her current WIP, a single title historical set during the Crimean War. Woo hoo! Nothing is more rewarding or exciting than typing those last sentences or THE END. Definitely martini-celebratory worthy. Finishing that project, she is enjoying a brief hiatus from writing (being a lazy bum before the crazy school year starts). During her bum status, she is mulling over the idea of dragging an old contemporary novel out from under her bed to revamp it. The story and characters are still old favorites, and time away from a work often brings new insight as to why it was shoved under the bed in the first place or ideas about how it can be fixed. (I think/hope). We shall see come September. Otherwise, I'll sit down and start typing something new. Maybe I'll even try plotting one this time..... Nah, not gonna happen.

Michelle Polaris is hard at work at a novella tentatively called Fettered Love. She has one big scene left to write. If all goes well, it may be part of a new Ellora's Cave series launching this Fall.

Samantha is just putting the finishing touches on Destiny, Patrick & Brandon's story and hopes to have it off to her editor in the next month or so. Then she's going to dig into some edits on the Hockey Trilogy so that those, too, can be shipped off. Then, she won't even know what to do with herself, since these projects have been looming for a good long time! Nothing like being at loose ends to get the creative juices flowing.

Finally, my own update (Penny Watson): My editor at Wild Rose Press loved Sweet Magik, and we are commencing edits. I am also excited to start my botanical paranormal story called L'Araldo di Primavera...should be sexy, short and sweet.

Hope all of you had a wonderful summer!

Penny and all the Quirks

Lyrics Challenge - A Love Story Encapsulated

2010-07-27T15:58:00.007-04:00

Songs inspire my writing, my muse jumping up and down yelling, here's your damn story, pay attention, capture the feeling of this one and you're all set. I've written about this before. I'm almost obsessed by this process. So today I thought I'd challenge blog readers to post the lyrics to a song that encapsulates for them an entire love story. The one that recently hit the mark for me was "Glitter In The Air" by Pink. The song is the yearning moment of the heroine on the cusp of...

You decide.

Here are the lyrics to Pink's song, Glitter In The Air:

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?

Closed your eyes and trusted, just trusted?

Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don't care?"

It's only half past the point of no return

The tip of the iceberg

The sun before the burn

The thunder before the lightning

The breath before the phrase

Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?

You're whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone

Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?

Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion

The hourglass on the table

The walk before the run

The breath before the kiss

And the fear before the flames

Have you ever felt this way?

la la la la la la la la

There you are, sitting in the garden

Clutching my coffee,

Calling me sugar

You called me sugar

Have you ever wished for an endless night?

Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight?

Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself will it ever get better than tonight?

Tonight

Of course it's better with the music, but this did it for me recently. Created the yearning. So which song would you choose for the lyrics in particular? The one that seems to have an entire story inside of it just waiting for a romance writer to unfold beyond a few stanza's? Please tell.

Michelle

Back in the Saddle

2010-07-15T08:55:00.011-04:00

This week was supposed to be another hum-drum week. I guess you never know when you're going to have the epiphany, that moment where you realize your priorities have been off and you can and will readjust them. You can't predict what you'll have that perfect instance of clarity as you look at the insufferable ass you're forced to work with and think, "I could be writing a romance novel and not dealing with YOU".

But I digress.

To back up a little, I should mention that the last few months have been extremely challenging for me. Aside from a boatload of stress at work (which I will get to in a moment), I've had to move twice, had some health issues in my family and generally just had a couple months where I was sure Murphy and his damn law were targeting me with a vengeance.

Now, I'm not really complaining (though, I guess it looks like I am) since I'm just about out the other side. Heck, I have a nice new place to live, I still have my job and all are healthy and well. But in the meantime, I have had to put my writing on hold. I literally have not sat down at the computer for more than 4 months. And as all of you fellow writers out there know, this has been, at times, extremely painful. Like I was trying to snuff out some part of my soul. But there just wasn't TIME to do it and my priorities were (rightly) elsewhere in the short term.

Then Monday happened.

I work with this guy. Let's call him ... Cozmo. To help you understand who this guy is, try to imagine the rowdiest frat boy you ever knew, only it's 20 years and 50 pounds later. He drives a Porsche he can barely fit into, he has a bulging vein in his forehead if you so much as look at him funny, and he hasn't seen his ... er ... belt buckle over the horizon of his own belly since 1992. Got an idea forming in your mind? Now add in that he once told me a story about how he gave his mother crabs (no, I'm really not kidding) and that he thinks he's God's gift to women - and that women are God's gift to him. Now do you have an image of the kind of man I'm talking about?

Needless to say, I just love working with this guy. And on Monday, all that "love" came to a head, with him deciding to take over my meeting and announce to all present that I wasn't "in a position to do what I was doing" and that it wasn't my "place to decide these things any longer".

Say WHAT!? Now, bear in mind, this guy isn't my boss. Got that? Not. My. Boss. In other words, without the authority to determine any of the above and, in fact, had no idea what he was talking about. Not that this made the moment any less humiliating.

And for that, I thank him.

No really, I THANK him. Maybe I won't actually tell him how grateful I am, as that might take away from the royal SPANKING he got from my boss, who flipped his lid at this a**hole's antics, but in the end, Cozmo did me a big favor. Because as I sat there, quietly fuming and wishing I could hurl myself over the table and wring his disgusting neck, it made me stop and really think about this crazy job and why I do it. Simple: The Paycheck. Then it made me think about what I might be doing instead.

Writing.

And suddenly, I just didn't give a crap about Cozmo. I mean, sure, I went to my boss and stood up for myself, I went to the participants of the meeting and apologized for the intensely awkward moment (they all were very sympathetic and thought Cozmo a monster: bonus!), and sure I'm going to keep on the corporate climb for as long as I have to. But when the jerks, the sexist pigs, the looney-tunes and the totally incompetent HR department start to get me down, I always have my lunch break and an office with a door.

Sweet bliss. Writing.

Reality Check

2010-07-06T23:36:00.004-04:00

I'll admit it; I write fantasy because sometimes reality tends to suck. Sometimes it all piles up at once, and there's nothing you can do but get through it because you know it doesn't ALWAYS suck, it just does right now.
You know what gets me through? The Serenity Prayer. No, I'm not going religous on you, but that is my post for the week. It can be used by the minute, hour, day, whenever you feel the need. Try it. If things already suck, what have you got to lose?

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference

Make Your Own Kind of Music

2010-06-28T21:25:00.008-04:00

A few years ago, almost by accident, I learned that listening to music while I write can spark tremendous creativity and inspire me to write words I didn’t even know I had in me. I was working on a new manuscript at the time and couldn't get past the first five chapters. I wasn’t even stuck in the middle; I was mired in the quicksand of a good idea that wasn’t turning out so hot on the page.

I was, however, determined not to give up on yet another almost manuscript. I decided to dig in, to stubbornly press on, and of course not much happened. Then I moved, and we all know how much writing usually gets done when a major life event occurs.

But, the move ended up providing me with a fresh start for my writing in a most unexpected way. I found the CDs for a music course I took in college again and feeling nostalgic I listened to the CDs. The CDs were filled with many of the classics, Mozart, Copeland, Smentana, Lidzt, and Brahms, to name just a few.

The music was powerful, emotional, compelling. It moved me, so I listened to it again and again, and then, almost like magic, the music and my characters began to fuse together and I finally I knew how to fix my story.

Life is tremendously busy these days and finding ways to write can be difficult. I’ve been trying to do at least an hour a day, no worries that the words are far from perfect, just as long as they reach the page. To keep me focused and motivated, I’ve been listening to tons of music while I write and I’m thankful to report the magic is still along for the ride.

For me, I think music gets all the parts I need to write (my head and my heart) headed in the same direction. Music is like a force of nature unto itself – it can move you physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. The word music finds its origins in the Greek word for muse, so I suppose it is no surprise it can be such an effective tool while writing.

I tend to stick to movie soundtracks, think Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, LOST (composer Michael Giacchino is a musical gem I would recommend to anyone), and Pride and Prejudice (2008), among many others, but depending on what I’m writing, more contemporary music can help to spark my imagination as well (thank you Coldplay, U2, Lifehouse, Sarah MacLachan, The Killers, and anything from the 60s and 70s).

Hey, it’s good to be eclectic.

I’m not one to give advice, but I hope if you ever get stuck with your writing, or if you never get stuck, but want to enhance your creativity, listen, really listen, to the music.

Cover Wars

2010-06-21T07:49:00.006-04:00

There's a discussion going on right now at the Amazon Romance Community about how irksome it is when the cover of a book does not reflect the actual story itself. Some examples....the hero is actually terribly disfigured and he looks like Brad Pitt on the cover, the hero and heroine are Caucasian but there are African-American models on the cover, the heroine is a petite blond pixie-like woman and there is a tall brunette Amazonian model on the cover....etc, etc, etc. Other potential cover issues: they are tacky, poorly executed, embarrassing for readers to show in public, creepy, etc. I have seen readers give books a lower rating at Goodreads, Amazon, etc because THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE COVER!!!!! Jiminy H. Cricket! Which brings me to the reason for this post....as much as authors say, "I'm going to ignore my hideous cover and just know that my writing is good and can stand for itself"-- the truth is....a book is the sum total of all of its parts and that includes the cover.

I see absolutely no reason whatsoever why authors should not be pushing for cover control in their contracts. Why not? Why does the publisher have the ultimate decision about covers? Why can we not have some input, work with the cover artists and make sure the artwork is accurate? Why can't this be a team effort instead of the authors being forced to accept whatever the publisher decides? "This is how it's always been done" is not an acceptable response to this question. So what? The publishing world is in the midst of a huge adaptation due to the advent of ebooks. It is possible for "The Publishing World" to grow and change and adapt...it's a necessity in order to survive in this new technologically changing world. I think authors need to step back and think outside of the box. Just because we have never had input re:covers in the past, does not mean this is something crazy or unattainable. I think discussions should be initiated with agents and publishers, and authors should be included in the "total package"---for goodness sake, that's our book. That's our name on the cover. Allowing us to be included in the final product makes a whole hell of a lot of sense to me.

But maybe I'm just crazy.

Release Day for Magician's Chains

2010-06-16T11:24:00.005-04:00

I'm awfuly excited. Magician's Chains, my new erotic romance title from Ellora's Cave, released today. I posted the cover at my blog: www.michellepolarisblog.wordpress.com if you'd like to take a look. This is my first fantasy erotic romance in comparison to Bound Odyssey which was a futuristic. The hardest part was making sure I did justice to the fantasy worldbuilding despite setting the story almost exclusively in modern day Las Vegas. No respectable fantasy author can create a world without understanding how the magic works there and their particular flavor of fantasy creatures. In my case it's the Fae for which I had to find my own spin. I hope you enjoy.

I'm chatting at the Whipped Cream yahoo group loop today if you want to join in. I was interviewed at their site yesterday. If you want to take a look it's still up.

My website has the blurb for the story at www.michellepolaris.com. You can also take a peek at an excerpt from the first chapter if you visit the Ellora's Cave listing for the book.

Hope everyone can take a look.
Happy Wednesday,
Michelle

Interview with Samantha Wayland

2010-06-01T16:42:00.013-04:00

The Quirky Ladies are excited to interview our own fellow Quirk, Samantha Wayland. Samantha's first novel, WITH GRACE, is due to be released this Friday, June 4th by Ellora's Cave. A hot menage story, Samantha's three protagonist are so beautifully drawn that the reader falls in love with them almost as quickly as they fall in love with each other. Added to the hot romance is suspense, sizzling sex, and a tear-jerker of an ending. To entice you further, let's get Samantha to answer a few questions about her story, her writing and herself.

Victoria Morgan (VM): So can you give us a quick blurb about your book?

Samantha Wayland (SM): Of course!

Grace loves her boyfriend, Philip, she loves her job, and she might just love her boss, but she can ignore that. She and Philip are building a life together and it's almost perfect. So what if their sex life is less than spectacular?

Philip loves Grace absolutely. She's the only woman for him. But the more he gets to know Mark...well, he can ignore that. After all, he's well practiced at suppressing his real desires.

Mark lives for his restaurant, Valentine's, but he can't resist flirting with Grace, his hostess, any chance he gets. And he can't remember ever being more attracted to a man than Philip. Not that it matters, as Grace and Philip are committed to each other and Mark respects that.

A lawyer yearning to shed his inhibitions but afraid to turn up the heat, a brilliant PhD candidate with the secret desire for more spice, and the chef who craves them both. When three passionate people dare to fulfill their appetites, they find the perfect recipe for love.

(VM): Told you it was a hot one!

So where did you come up with this story idea?

Same place all my stories come from -- the wilds of my imagination. I'd like to tell you that this story, a menage with one seriously happy woman, Grace, in love with two smart, interesting, gorgeous men, comes from some kind of personal experience, but it's not the case. Sadly. Not that I don't have smart, interesting and gorgeous man in my life, but I don't think he's going to let me add another like him.

(VM): Well said. Wouldn't we all love to be the heroine in our own romances.... Grace is a really endearing character, sexy, sassy and sensual.

What do you admire most in your characters?

(SM): Wow. That is an interesting question. I think in With Grace, the thing I love most about these characters is how honest they are with each other and themselves. It takes a lot for Philip, a man who has to this point always been in straight relationships, to even consider being with Mark. But he does, and he doesn't try to tell himself it's anything but what it is -- the hopeful beginnings of a new love.

(VM): Very true. Philip's character arc is really poignant as his love story takes him on a whole new journey, and I love how you have him embrace it with such honesty. I loved your characters, their humor, the strength of the emotions, and how you seamlessly join them together so the reader knows that only with each other can they find their HEA.

There is a suspense subplot in your story which pulls in the police to investigate matters. Did you have to do any research for this story?

(SM): Uh, golly. That's a kind of a funny question given the genre. See note above about my own smart and gorgeous man. Safe to say, some of my research is all about the imagination! And some is thanks to very patient friends answering some questions while we all pretended our faces weren't bright red. And then some credit does have to go to my darling man -- but he'll be embarrassed if I admit it, so we'll leave it there.

As far as the suspense plot, there is a wealth of information out there on how something like the Boston PD works, so I started from the internet and went from there. Also, I relished the opportunity to dream up a great restaurant in a neighborhood of Boston that is a foodie's dream come true. If you haven't explored Boston's South End, start saving up your points and get ready for a treat!

(VM): And you get to avoid using the etymology.com dictionary which really bogs down those of us who write historicals! I think I like your research better....

So what are you working on next? What do we get to look forward to?

(SM): I've got a couple things going right now which I'm really excited about. In With Grace, you'll meet Detective Patrick Brown, whose got a story all his own I'm eager to share. You won't believe the mischief, he, his best friend and fellow police officer Brandon and their old friend Destiny get into. I'm also working on a trilogy of shorter stories involving Garrick, a professional hockey player who falls in love with two people (one of whom is his team mate!) and has to make it work!

(VM): Having critiqued some of the chapters in these WIPs, I want to say that Patrick's story has one of the hottest first kiss scenes that I have ever read. Not only does it rock the charts with its intensity, but the setup leading up to it is a riot! It's smoldering and hysterical if at all possible. And I'm not the only fan of this scene --it was a finalist in our own NEC Chapter's 2009 First Kiss Contest. Congrats, Samantha! Now we're really waiting for these HEAs....

On another note, when did you first fall in love with the romance genre?

(SM): Well, it would gall her no end to hear of this now, particularly given the genre I'm publishing in, but my stepmother is entirely responsible for my life-long addiction to reading and writing romance. I used to be bored stupid on weekends at my father's house and my stepmother had an absolute trove of Harlequin romance novels. And I'm talking the old-school white cover, little drawing in the circle Harlequins. The ones where the dramatic conclusion included a kiss and a marriage proposal? LOL.

I tried to read one of those recently and, with all due respect to the many fine authors that create these books, it made me want to poke my eyes out. Now, HQ has some good lines I enjoy sometimes -- like Intrigue and Blaze - but the originals? No longer for me. My stepmother, on the other hand, still adores them. Which, goes to show that one of the greatest things about romance novels is that there is so much variety in the genre, there really is something for everyone.

(VM): That is definitely one of the assets of romance writing. If one line doesn't work for you, there are so many others that can take you on a completely different romantic journey.

In regard to your craft, do you have a writing schedule? Are you a plotter or a panzer?

(SM): Well, as far as a schedule, I work full time and have a bunch of other commitments. In spite of all that, I try to set aside a certain number of nights per week and one day on the weekend to write. Of course, that gets blown to hell on a regular basis, but I think it's important to try.

And I'm definitely a plotter. In fact, I'm kind of a nutty plotter, sometimes writing a third of the book in outline form before going back and fleshing it out. Sometimes I think I love outlining way too much. I mean, this method works pretty well for me about 80% of the time, but on those occasions that I realize I've gone wrong in my story, it can be torture because I've already fallen in love with Plan A. Not that I won't eventually love Plan B, but the transition is tough.

(VM): One day your plotting will inspire me rather than scare me... It is impressive.

On to more important matters, do you have a secret indulgence?

(SM): So You Think You Can Dance. There. I admitted it. I just can't stop watching that damn show!

(VM): I'll have to check it out!

I know you've traveled extensively (I say that with total jealousy). Do you have a favorite city or country? What's the best romantic getaway abroad?

(SM): I've been all over, but I think if I was told I could only go one place for the next five years, I would choose London. I lived there for a time and while it's not necessarily the prettiest, the most romantic and sure-as-shooting doesn't have the best food, it's got so many wonderful people I love in and around it, I couldn't possibly choose anywhere else. Now, that being said, it is pretty, it can be very romantic and and the food has come a long way (baby) in the almost 20 (gasp) years since I started traveling there on a regular basis. Also, it's not possible to ever ever ever run out of things to do and see in that city. It's incredible -- art, history, fabulous jewelry! What more could a girl want?

And it's a quick train ride (through a very long tunnel which is way better than that damn ferry used to be) to Paris-- one of the top three most romantic places on Earth. And can we talk about the food there? Ymmmmm....

(VM): I went to school in London for a semester, and I'd have to agree with you. Add in the fabulous West End Theatre and Colin Firth and who could ask for anything more?

(SM): Colin Firth....ymmm.....

(VM): Yes, well, we digress. Then again, Colin Firth is always worth a detour....

Samantha, thanks so much for sharing insights on your new release, your writing craft, and tidbits about yourself!

We're looking forward to the release THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH of your first book, With Grace. It is the perfect kick-off for the weekend! Grab a glass of wine, download this sexy romance, sit-back and enjoy! I did!

We wish you the best of luck!

Career Choices

2010-05-24T03:15:00.008-04:00

I had a very tough decision to make last week. Is it time to quit the day job? I’ve been there for four and a half years, and I love my job. I love the people I work with, the clients, the five minute commute, the mother’s hours. Stress free jobs like this are hard to come by and even harder to leave.

Even the impetus for leaving is a good thing. Business is booming; something everyone in the very small veterinary practice has worked hard to achieve. More business means they need me to work more hours.

The problem is, more hours spent there equal fewer hours spent writing.

There were quite a few factors to consider. Giving up a steady, though small, second income when we’re (hopefully!) facing college X 2 in the next three years was a big one. Especially when the writing income is not a steady paycheck, nor is it a large one despite what you hear from pirates trying to justify their actions. To put it bluntly, I’d be putting in three times the hours for half the pay.

So what was my decision?

I need to write. I love to write. And I’m damned lucky to be given the opportunity right now.

I’m going for it.

Four Star Review!

2010-05-18T09:58:00.000-04:00

Happy dancing because RULING EDEN got a Four Star review in RT Book Reviews magazine. I arrived at the RT convention in Columbus to my copy of the June magazine with the featured review. Gail Pruszkowski calls it "a satisfyingly magical story." Given my recent contract for the sequel, Surviving Eden, this news made my day and the entire Romantic Times convention for me. Just thought I'd share.

Michelle

Check Out This Great Article!

2010-05-11T08:39:00.003-04:00

Check out this great article by Eileen Dreyer (title: I write romance novels--so what?) about writing romance. I love this quote....

"...when I read a romance, I can return to that moment in a blooming relationship when I could be perfectly selfish, when nothing existed but my lover..."

Viva romance!

Kodak Moments

2010-05-05T21:02:00.007-04:00

Spring in New England doesn't creep up on you. It arrives with a bang. One day it is fifty degrees and frigid and the next it is in the eighties and sweltering. If you blink, you can miss it. And I often do. Busy with work, carpooling my kids, writing or painting, I glance up and the flowers are suddenly in full bloom, our brown world is a vibrant green, and I have no clue as to when it happened. It is little wonder where the expression 'take time to smell the flowers' came from. It came from our treadmill lives and our inability to stop to appreciate these moments of beauty whether in nature or in our own lives.

My kids are older. My son a week away from his fifteenth birthday and my daughter coming up on her thirteenth in June. Over night, they grew up on me. They are more independent and their friends have replaced me as the nucleus of their world.

I've recaptured my life, becoming involved in my own activities and projects, but I find myself struggling to bridge that gap between being there for my kids and coveting my own time. I will be typing away on my latest WIP, and my daughter wants to share her latest melodrama with me and we both get annoyed. My daughter will then do something so twelve and so sweet that it reminds me that these moments are precious, and I need to stop what I'm doing and savior them. I'm talking about those Kodak moments. When you see your child's first smile, hear their first words, or when they pedal off solo on a two-wheeler.

Being older, my kids moments are more subtle now and sometimes harder to appreciate. Pre-teens and teenagers should wear 'approach with caution labels'. The first time my daughter addressed me with her hand on her hip and that grating tone of attitude, it caught me off guard. My son stares at me and my husband with this blank look on his face while we are discussing his not too stellar Spanish participation grade. My husband said we've become the parents in Peanuts. We speak and my son hears that incomprehensible monotone in the background 'wawowwo...'. These are the Kodak moments you delete.

But there are so many others, and I find myself having to watch for them for fear of losing them. Like when I walk to the car and my daughter skips to it. That is so twelve. Or when she dances around the kitchen showing me the new steps she learned in her hip hop class. Or when I walk into her room and on one closet door she has a picture of the latest teen heart throb but on the other, she has posters of puppies. It illustrates that poignant pre-teen bridge between childhood and puberty, reminding me that she is hovering between the two. I am so not ready for her to cross over.

Of course, moments with a teen-age son can be bitter sweet as well as funny. Like when he advises me that I am no longer allowed to cheer him on at his baseball games unless the other mothers are cheering and to please not get out of my car in the school pick-up line and bellow his name (like I bellow -- it was a soft yell. Really.) Then there are those special moments when I'm trying to write a love scene for my WIP, and he interrupts his social studies homework to share with me the pertinent fact that ancient Chinese scholars grew their nails two inches long to show that they don't do manual labor. Or he breaks into a perfect imitation of Stewie from Family Guy to ask me how my novel is coming. Kind of kills the romantic mood, but it does make me laugh.

Yes, I want to finish my book, or my painting, or go out for a martini with the Quirky Ladies, but I don't want to lose these moments. I want to take the time to smell the flowers before they are all grown and it's too late. In doing so, I might find a wealth of lovely details to incorporate in my WIP.... After all, a good writer is a good observer.

As Ferris Bueller says, 'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.' Sad, but true.

Contracting a Series

2010-04-18T20:24:00.031-04:00

Good news on the home front, ladies and gentlemen. Crescent Moon Press has offered me a contract for the sequel to RULING EDEN entitled SURVIVING EDEN. This second book is part of a planned four book sequence I'm affectionately calling the Eden's Court series. Details on cover and release date will follow.

The news is fantastic because I love Rachel and Gabriel and want everyone to hear more of their story. Not to mention that of Tarn and Sebastian and Morven and a few others. Although Surviving Eden is a bit darker book, I finished writing this installment feeling that Rachel's character growth was well entrenched. I have a solid story conflict in mind for the third book and of course I do know how the plot arc over the entire series will end, if not specifically then in general.

Here's the tentative story blurb:

Rachel Rieh wields enough magic to make a goddess jealous, or so she learned three weeks ago when she thought she was an ordinary, reclusive and short-tempered gal from Boston. In this second story of Eden's Court, Rachel, now the new ruler of the Kesayim, (angels, demons, dragons, faeries, vampires, shapeshifters and witches--the goddess-created protectors of mortalkind) finds herself faced with the task of stopping vampire hunters from annihilating the vampire race. Her lover, Gabriel, half-angel, half-demon, stands by her side to help if she can escape her obsession with protecting him at all cost.

Earth is already on the verge of destruction within six months because magic is out of balance. The new threat to the vampires destabilizes the situation more. But is the cold-hearted goddess intent on changing Rachel into her image the greater threat to Rachel and everyone she loves?

Like what you read? I hope so.

This contract news got me thinking about series endings. I recently plowed my way through the netflix instant episodes of a BBC television series called Torchwood, about a team of alien hunters who work above the law saving the planet Earth from certain destruction. Although there is talk of a fourth season, the show had ostensibly been concluded with season three. And in a very dark and morose manner, leaving me depressed. Now I love series. I'm an urban fantasy chic by nature and that stuff is all about series. Particularly series which feature the same main protagonists. But it takes supreme talent to carry through quality for an entire series and end it on the perfect note. I'm not sure Torchwood did that, even if the writer/producer felt he'd took the artistic risk on his vision. It had all the important pieces almost perfect up until the end. But if I walked away aching for the main characters and not feeling any hope, as I did, the end didn't work.

In book series there's an art to matching the nature and severity of the conflict and the development of characters to the perfect number of volumes. Draw it out too long and the reader feels she's getting the same old, same old. Boring. Have your characters finish growing too early in the series, already reaching their final development and the magic leaves the story. On top of it, if you can't end delivering on hope, I'd say the series has not done its job. Hence my complaint about Torchwood.

I feel comfortable with my vision of four books. I believe the number does justice to the overall story conflict, and gives me enough room to answer all of the questions and resolve the relationship issues between my main characters. If I end this series as I intend, there's nothing to say I cannot revisit its world in another form. I've even played with the idea of doing a separate third person story set in this universe once I'm finished with the first person story of Rachel and her adventures.

What do you think about series and what makes for satisfying conclusions? Who has done it well? Who has jumped the shark? There's a wide difference between authors who write a series from the same protagonists' perspectives and those who write stand-alone but related volumes. Share your opinions. It can only help this poor author struggling to deliver the goods for her readers.

Quickie Quirky Interview with Debut Author Carolyn Crane

2010-04-13T09:15:00.005-04:00

As soon as I read Carolyn Crane's debut novel Mind Games, I knew I had to interview her for the Quirky Ladies blog. Why? Because her book is one of the quirkiest, coolest, most original, refreshing and bad-ass books I have ever read. It's a UF/paranormal romance about a hypochondriac who learns to use her neuroses as a weapon. Heh, heh, heh....ev-il!!!!!

Without further ado, here is Carolyn Crane's Quickie Quirky Interview.....

Penny: Hey, Carolyn! What are your top 3 quirky qualities?

Carolyn: What a great name for a critique group! Okay, quirks....

1) When I first sit down in the morning to hand write on draft (if I'm in a handwriting phase) I have to listen to at least half of this one Led Zepplin CD, or I superstitiously think things will go poorly. I am so sick of that CD.

2) I don't like killing bugs. I always trap them and put them outside, or with spiders, I ignore them. Though of course, these are Minnesota spiders.

3) I couldn't think of another, so I asked my husband. Quote: "How about that you lose things in the house constantly? You lose your keys, you lose your cellphone, you lose your purse, you lose your glasses..." The list went on from there!!

Penny: I can totally see the whole Led Zepplin thing. Any tips for aspiring writers? Any words of wisdom?

Carolyn: I think it's all about the work ethic. Plugging away every day. Being in a mode of learning every day.

Penny: Thanks, Carolyn!

Here's a link to Carolyn's website, and to her awesome blog, The Thrillionth Page.

Check out Penelope's review of Mind Games!

Is Storytelling Embedded in our DNA?

2010-04-08T18:29:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I happened upon a new television show, Who Do You Think You Are? - the premise if fairly basic, take a celebrity and using all means possible trace their family heritage. I am not one for reality shows, in particular celebrity reality shows, so I was surprised how quickly I became engrossed with the program. In fact, afterwards I went online and started searching for my own family tree.

My family is the quintessential stoic, stiff upper lip New England family, so very little family history has been passed on down since our motto has always been, no matter what happens - good, bad or indifferent - keep moving forward and keep it to yourself.

As a writer, I have a hard time keeping things to myself - to put it mildly, so in many ways I have always felt like I am an odd fit for my family. If I was not the spitting image of my father, and more closely his mother, I might wonder if I were adopted or a random stray picked up along the way.

My quest for my family history is not unique, but as I searched and found connections to people I have never met, I was struck by how swiftly I started picturing my ancestors in my writer’s mind; how easily I could imagine their lives and their stories; and how alive they felt to me as if they were characters cast in my current work in progress instead of long forgotten relatives lost to an unknown history.

Then, I realized why the reality show and my searching had such an impact on me - both elicited an emotional response. The very point of storytelling.

My research proved fruitful in more ways than I could have imagined. My Dad, whose parents died when he was very young, now knows more about where they grew up, what their childhood nicknames where, when they married, where their families are from.

On my Mom’s side of the family, I learned that there are other storytellers in my family, in fact my grandfather used to write stories. He also played minor league baseball with the Pawtucket Red Sox. Pretty cool!

Like real life people, our characters are alive. They live in our writer’s hearts and minds and then upon the printed page. We want our storytelling to matter, to leave a trace on this Earth, to have a lasting impact of some kind on our readers, just like we want to leave a trace in our own lives.

I am comforted to know I am not the only one in the family who enjoys telling a story. I don’t feel as out of place now. I also got a kick out of the realization that I used the first name of my great-great-great grandmother in my current work in progress without even knowing it. Maybe just a coincidence, but something tells me there is more to the story - no pun intended.

I have had a lot of ups and downs with my writing, and I’m sure my journey towards publications still has a few more bumps in the road before I hopefully find my way to a contract, but my need to tell a story, to leave a trace, is revitalized.

Who knew a reality television show could do all that.

To learn more about your story, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/. Good luck!

Tara's Turn To Shine!

2010-03-29T09:59:00.007-04:00

The NECRWA conference was a wonderful mix of inspiring workshops, hilarious speakers, fun-filled schmoozing, and debates about Nora Roberts (Vicki and Kate, I promise to read a Nora trilogy ASAP). The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the Goldrick Award. This award recognizes one NEC member who has gone beyond the call of duty for our chapter. I am thrilled to announce that our very own Tara Truesdale won this prestigious award on Saturday. Jessica Smith wrote an amazing tribute to Tara, which our president Cindy Gregory read in front of all the attendees. Here is Jessica's lovely tribute to Tara, which brought me to tears....

"Tara has helped the chapter in so many important but quiet ways that she might go overlooked. As someone who has held the post of 'snack lady' you know what goes into furnishing goodies for the meetings. There is a lot of lugging and a fair amount of coordination required to get these snacks on the table. Given the number in the membership, the percentage of people who help the snack lady in this effort is actually quite low. Tara did this service well and with little complaint. Much the same way she did when she helped me on the conference committee. She was so calm, patient, and helpful, and it is only in hindsight that I can appreciate all that she brought to the table during our sometimes stormy committee proceedings. She went on to run her own conference committee at a time of big change to the conference -- a new venue, a new board, and new financial constraints on the planning. She handled all with her typical grace and get-it-done attitude, and the conference was a success because of her leadership. And now she is finishing up year three on the conference committee as Book Fair chair. During a year when she should be basking in the glow of the success from her own conference, she chose to spend one more year helping the chapter . . . bringing a steadying presence and the voice of experience to a set of new and untested conference committee recruits. If Tara doesn't embody all that is good and unselfish of volunteerism, I don't know who does!"

Well said, Jessica! Huge Congrats to Tara....you totally deserve this award! All of the Quirkies are so proud of you! We are lucky to have such a wonderful, loyal and supportive friend in our group.

NEC Conference Time

2010-03-22T17:07:00.006-04:00

It's time once again for The New England Chapter Romance Writers of America to hold their annual conference, and there will be Quirks in attendance! The conference starts this Friday, March 26 -27th and it’s being held at the Sheraton Tara in Framingham, MA. There’s still time to register if you’re interested in writing romance. Simply visit www.necrwa.org/Forms/conference.html for registration and links for the hotel discount rate.

If you’re there for the Fri. night dinner, you’ll hear my name mentioned along with Samantha Cayto when they announce the finalists/winners of the Bean Pot award. Illegal Moves finaled in the erotic category!! Our names are in the same category as some heavy hitters, and we’re thrilled to pieces just to be nominated. You know, I’ve always wanted to say that…true story!

If you’re not interested in writing romance, but love to read it (as we all do!), the conference is followed on Sat. by a bookfair that’s open to the public, 4-6 pm. Loads of authors, so feel free to come on over and say hello, get some autographed books, whatever! Visit www.necrwa.org/BookfairFlyer.htm for a full list of signing authors.

Hope to see you soon!

Life Lessons from a Dog

2010-03-17T16:41:00.007-04:00

I belong in a book group, and once in awhile the group's selection is one I would not pick up on my own. Last month's choice was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It is the story of Denny Swift who is trying to become a professional racing car driver, and it is written from the point of view of his dog, Enzo (seriously). I had little interest in a dog's narration, and I have blogged about my illiteracy with cars. This book was not for me, so it was with pleasant surprise that I found myself falling in love with it. Go figure.

Denny repairs high end cars while he struggles to become a Formula 1 racing car driver. He marries Eve and they have a little girl, Zoe. Their family story takes a detour when it hits a series of roadblocks (racing analogies litter the book). Eve gets sick and Denny finds himself in a bitter custody battle for Zoe. The book became a page-turner that had me staying up way too late to get to the end of the race. And it was well worth the ride.

Not everyone in my book group gave it the five star rating that I did, but it made me realize that once in awhile, you should listen to a friend's recommendation and pick up a book you might not otherwise read. Depending on what road your book travels (hard to resist those driving analogies), you might fall in love in a romance, visit an exotic land through a travel memoir, or learn some life lessons from a dog. I did.

Listed below are just a few of Enzo's tips to navigating a smoother life course or at the very least, becoming a better driver. Enzo collected these aphorisms through racing with Denny or watching Formula 1 racing videos. Makes me reconsider what t.v. shows I watch in front of my dog. I might have to tune into the Dog Whisperer and get Ceasar's help to teach my dog to stay off my living room couch....

How do you drive in the rain? Very gently, like there are eggshells on your pedals and you don't walk on them.

We are the creators of our own destiny.

Getting angry at another driver for a driving incident is pointless. You need to watch the drivers around you, understand their skill, confidence, and aggression levels, and drive with them accordingly.

The true hero is flawed -- and a hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience.

To voluntarily restrict one channel of information is foolish for a racer; to allow information to flow unfettered is divine.

The race is long -- to finish first, first you must finish.

There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.

You can't exist as a separate entity. You must give yourself over to the race. You are nothing if not for your team, your car, your shoes.

Learning My Lessons

2010-03-09T09:34:00.006-05:00

So, I'm not complaining at all, but I'm in the midst of my first set of full edits from a professional editor, and I've realized that this is not a business for the faint of heart or those with egos easily bruised. Wow!

Of course, lucky for me, I am neither of those things and while I can see how someone might freak, I'm DIGGING IT! First, my editor rocks and couldn't have been nicer about the edits. She actually says please in some of her comments. I mean, not that The Quirks aren't the most super-nice women on earth, but they kick my ass a lot harder for some of the same sorts of mistakes.

Now, I'm sure it helps that I agree with just about all of the edits. And frankly, even those few I'm not 100% sure about, I'm willing to make the changes because this woman gave me - a newbie with no previously published stories - a chance and I'm content to defer to her considerable expertise. The learning experience on this is awesome. I can think of 10 things off the top of my head that I will know going forward and that will make future edits (a girl can dream, right) all the easier. These same things will be in my mind when I edit other Quirk's manuscripts, so I feel like I'll be a better Quirky Lady when it's all said and done, too. Sweet!

So really, in case you can't tell, the process has been going well. My first hiccup in the process was last night, when I tackled those darn story edits (I did line and quick/one sentence kind of edits first). Again, my editor is totally right - the sex scenes need more emotion, and are vastly improved by knowing more about what the characters are feeling. And because I know I'm improving my story, I'm motivated and excited to be doing it. The issue is that I'm constantly questioning myself. Does she want me to drop in a word, or a phrase, or even a new paragraph? Should I be going back to build in what she wants through out the sex scenes, some of which are 10+ pages long? Or is she going to freak when she sees all those edits at this point? Am I doing too much? Too little? Am I spinning myself in circles worrying about it? (Answer to the last question: YES)

Ultimately, I decided last night that the goal is to produce the best book possible for the readers, for myself, and for my publisher, who would like it if I sold lots and lots of copies to those happy readers. Based on this unified goal, I tried to limit my edits to what my editor asked for, and in some cases this did mean I had to back and layer in the emotion for the whole scene. I don't think she'll disagree and I'm really hoping she'll be pleased with the end result.

And if she isn't? First, I'll thank God for the "Reject Changes" button. Then I'll remind myself it's another learning experience to take to heart and into my next editing process. (A girl can dream, right?)

Surprise!

2010-02-28T09:12:00.021-05:00

A little over a week ago I experienced one of those sweet, wonderful moments in life. My beautiful, amazing, fantabulous husband threw me a surprise party. The sweetie had been planning it since early December in order to celebrate my first successes in publishing.

Now, I am a hard woman to surprise. He's tried a party before for my thirtieth, but called off the surprise attempt when I put up too many roadblocks. Inadvertently of course. There's a disadvantage to being the one holding the reins on the family schedule. Any attempts to change that schedule are suspect. But the big lug pulled it off this time. I swore like an inspired sailor when my guests all showed up in one big lump outside my door as I innocently answered the knock, but I think they forgave me.

The party got me thinking about the nature of surprises. They come in all shapes and sizes. I am a plotter by nature (big shock given that tight rein I mentioned earlier). Unless I know where a story is going, I can't begin to write. That being said, age has mellowed this approach. As long as I'm relatively secure in my direction, I can become pleasantly surprised when a new twist leaps into my stories via my muse. It happened to me recently as I neared the end of my current work in progress. I thought the story would end at one point, and then an avalanche of ideas buried me with ways to take the final action scene farther. Once I learned to trust enough in my stories I opened to the surprises along the way. This allows for richer stories and greater satisfaction as my mind makes unexpected connections that add depth to my books.

I believe that same process is what made it possible for my husband to plan the party successfully. Although my general nature remains the same, I've mellowed into my life, creating room for fun in new wild and wacky combinations. Having successfully maneuvered the big question marks of my youth and established a general tempo for the middle years of my life, I feel safe enough to appreciate a divergence from that tempo. So maybe I still look before I leap, but at least I leap more often.

How is everyone else with surprises? Are you open to them? Can you relax into them when they arrive? (In this case I mean the positive surprises. The unpleasant ones are the subject of another post.) Has maturing affected your view of them? And if you are a writer, do you surprise yourself in your stories?

Let me know.

Michelle

Goodbye, My Friend

2010-02-23T23:35:00.004-05:00

I got some horrible news today. It came in the form of an email, from the husband of a friend I had made online. My friend had passed away last Sat. after being diagnosed with lung cancer a mere 6 days prior. Her husband faced the daunting task of going through her computer to notify her friends who may not have heard.

Claudia was a wonderful woman I "met" on a stay at home mom's chat on Compuserve. Yeah, that long ago! I think the twins were about 2. It started out simply sharing recipes, child-rearing issues (she was ahead of me on that one), and whatever anyone wanted to talk about during our hour in the chat room. Other members came and went, but always showed up, every Wed, and we soon realized it was because we liked to talk to each other. We started emailing directly, made phone calls, shared more recipes, and both the ups and downs of life over the next 13 years.

Somewhere during that time, I mentioned that I wanted to write a romance. Claudia was so excited, and so encouraging, that I actually sent her the first drafts of my first 3 books. She even had a namesake in number 3. Those didn't sell, and it was before I discovered erotica, but she was damn supportive of that move, too.

I do have one favorite memory above all others. She had a great long-term marriage and one thing she always said was to make sure to set aside a bit of couple time at the holidays by making love under the Xmas tree. She referred to it as "getting tinsel up the nose". One year, as the holidays rapidly approached, I got a manila envelope in the mail from Claudia. I opened it up and couldn't stop laughing. It was stuffed with tinsel.

You'll be greatly missed, my friend.

Another Rare Character: The American Curler

2010-02-22T13:10:00.009-05:00

So, as Sam was discussing with our poor, much maligned New England Meteorologist, I've discovered another rare and interesting character. What brings this on, you ask? Well, because I AM that rare and interesting character: An American Curler.

Now, the really sad thing is that around here, no one actually cares about this character or curling for 42 month at a stretch, then the Winter Olympics hit and the once again the US becomes fascinated. I admit, I began curling 8 years ago when after watching the Olympics I was chatting with a friend who curls and she suggested I give it a try. As it turns out, the very first team I ever played on had this nifty guy named Dan on it - he was also a newbie - and we both fell in love. With curling, and with each other.

So since this precious time, an interesting cycle has begun in my life. Every four years, I go from people looking at me and asking, "you do what exactly?", to a line of people (literally a LINE of people this morning) outside my office door, all eager to ask, "why would you blank an end?", and "what are ends?", and "does everyone sweep?" and "do you fall down a lot?". And I patiently answer with diagrams all over my whiteboard and office notes, with physical demonstations in the hallway and a department-wide search for a 42 lb object to simulate lifting a stone.

The sport of curling (and it is a sport and anyone who says it's not hasn't tried it) is fun because, like golf, you can learn all the physical basics you need in the space of a 30 minute open house at your local curling club. And like golf, you'll have days, even fairly early in your career as a curler, where you will feel like Tiger Woods (the exceptional golf player, not the philandering sex addict), and then the very next day, you'll play the worst game of your life and will spend the rest of the season chasing the moment of perfection. It's a game where anyone of any age, body type, gender and flexibility can find a way to do it well. Bad knees, spare tires, decades of desk surfing won't stop you from playing a decent game and enjoying the heck out of it.

Add to that the second half of the sport, that which you have to learn - the strategy. It's not a requirement, but I would contend that it takes some brains to do this well. And because of it, I'll bet you too will find that curlers are an interesting and thoughtful bunch.

Which brings us to, perhaps, the best part of all. When the game is over, you and your opponents engage in the age-old tradition of "broom stacking", where the winners buy the losers a drink and you settle down in the warm room to enjoy good company.

So I encourage you all to watch curling. To go out and congratulate the curlers you know, particularly if they live in the US, and to ask them all the questions you have. Heck, ask me all your questions and I will do my level best to answer them all. Even better - see if you have a local curling club and give it a whirl - you're going to like it a lot more than you think. Trust me.

The Best Thing about Winter...Reading!

2010-02-14T18:54:00.027-05:00

So I have to admit, this year, I'm so not into winter – at all. It has never been my favorite time of year. I don’t ski, I don’t ice skate, I don’t sled, and I shovel only out of necessity.

Quite soon after New Year's rolls by, I'm ready for spring, for tulips and daffodils and the smell of the Earth renewing itself, but usually I can grin and bear it until April like most good New Englanders.

Unfortunately, this winter has been rife with peril for me. I’m struggling with all of my New Year’s resolutions – most are blown, but I refuse to give up completely yet. I’m stubborn that way. There is a lot going on in my personal and professional life – some good, some not so good, but all stressful.

My usual contented ritual of hibernation has turned into a bad case of the winter blahs. And it’s only the middle of February. Yuck! What to do between now and late March? How do I make sure I don’t lose my marbles while I wait for 60 degree or better weather?

Read, read and then read some more.

This winter I have gone back to basics – to Harlequin romances like the ones I first read as a teenager. Some shrug their shoulders at romance novels, even more shrug at the thought of Harlequin romances. Quick reads with funny titles and clinched covers are outdated and not worth the time, right?

WRONG.

Can you read them quickly – yes, do they have goofy titles and covers – usually, but they are pure, escapist fun meant to entertain. There is something intrinsically comforting about knowing exactly what you are getting once you start reading. It does not matter I know how the story will end – I can simply enjoy the ride.

Men watch sports for the same reasons. It’s a game, with set rules, two opponents, and though there are twists and turns along the way, one team will win and one team will lose. With romance novels, its boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, and then boy and girl triumph over adversity and live happily ever after. It’s controlled escapism in a chaotic world. How can that be a bad thing?

So off I go, curled up under a blanket with a cup of hot tea by my side, ready to go headlong into another romance novel. Happy reading! See you in the springtime.

New Character Idea: Meteorologist

2010-02-11T13:17:00.005-05:00

So this morning I woke up and immediately looked out the window, ready to see the wreckage brought by the epic blizzard that was to have raged all night long here in the Boston area. As I looked out across my green and utterly snow-less lawn, I had the idea for a great character: The New England Meteorologist (a word, it turns out, i cannot type without looking at my fingers).

Who is this man? And does he have ANY self esteem? I mean, in the big picture, with years of New England weather forecasting experience under my belt, this was absolutely an EPIC FAIL. I had been promise (and dreaded) as many as 10 inches of snow! And I'm a good New Englander. I know that a 10" forecast means anything from 5 to 15. But less than 1? Come on now. Really? All that fancy software and modeling logorithms and god knows what, and my grandfather could have more accurately determined the outcome based on how stiff his knee was the day before yesterday.

So my next hero is going to be the man who questions himself constantly. That's worried about not delivering on his promises. He's going to be a man that has to stand up in front of everyone and predict the future and be wrong 75% of the time.

He's going to be a New England Meteorologist.

The next question is, who would fall for this guy?

Quirkies' Favorite Valentines

2010-02-08T06:23:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! I just mailed some cool Victorian Valentine postcards to Mom and Dad, my daughter Natty is dreaming about chocolate every night (well, actually, she pretty much dreams about chocolate 365 nights a year!), and I'm expecting a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from hubby dearest. The best part of this lovely holiday? Reading a lusty, heart-wrenching, super romantic tale. Here are some of The Quirky Ladies' favorite Valentines....

Victoria Morgan: The Reef by Nora Roberts still tops my favorite list after all these years. It's like two wonderful love stories in one. We follow Tate Beaumont and Matthew Lassiter's story as they first fall in love in their young twenties, and after tragedy separates them, we get to see them come together again when they are older and more mature. It also has adventure, treasure hunting, hot sex and Nora's great dialogue to keep the pages turning.

(Woa, Vick, this sounds great. Thanks for the hot tip.--Penny)

Tara Truesdale: I'm going with Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah. You jump into the story of Liam and Michaela "Mike" after they have been married a few years and are raising their daughter and son. Mike has an accident that leaves her in a coma, and Liam, a small town doctor, is a gentle, strong hero who nurses her back to health only to have her wake up with retrograde amnesia. She thinks she is still in love with her first husband, the complete antithesis of Liam, and the story unfolds with Mike picking up the pieces of her life, realizing that Liam is her true love, memory or no memory.

You know me...I love soap opera type books. I was a Days of Our Lives junkie for decades.

(That sounds angsty. I was a General Hospital fan myself....go Luke and Laura!--Penny)

Dalton Diaz: Brace yourself for a surprise: LaVyrle Spencer, Twice Loved. The love, the history (both physical and emotional), the angst...this book has it all, and it's so beautifully written. Sweet Memories, Home Song and Bygones do it for me, too, but Twice Loved is the winner by a nose.

(Ha! Our naughty Quirk has a secret love for true romance. I knew it!--Penny)

Sam Wayland: I'm going to choose Gaps In Your Soul by Shayla Kersten. It's just a Quickie Erotica, but in 55 pages, the author manages to make you fall in love with not one but two men, so that in the end, you genuinely believe they fill the gaps in each other's souls. Oh, and it's smoking hot. :)

(Soul mate sex. Doesn't get better than that, baby.--Penny)

Michelle Polaris: My choice is Rough Canvas by Joey W. Hill. I love this book because the heroes are so in love with one another it hurts down in their souls. And although they each carry terrible personal burdens, it's clear from almost the first page that they complete one another and if they can only find a way to fit together the love will be everything for ever and ever.

(Ohhhh, Michelle. That sounds incredibly romantic! And I love Joey Hill.--Penny)

Kate Macarthur: I just read If He's Sinful by Hannah Howell and I loved it! It's got fabulous characters in tough situations that you desperately want them to conquer so they can be together. And all that with a little paranormal thrown in to keep things fun and even more interesting.

(A pinch of paranormal is always welcome in a romance novel.--Penny)

Penny Watson: I was just thinking about the most romantic scenes I've read, and one stands out. When Zsadist, the big hulking, horribly tortured hero of Lover Awakened (JR Ward) shyly shows Bella that he has learned to read and write, and he scribbles "I love you" in a childlike scrawl for her to see, I am moved to tears. I've read that scene many, many times, and I still cry. It is such a romantic gesture from this scary-looking vampire, I just love it!

We'd love to hear about your favorite romance novels and Valentine traditions. Let us know!

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

Love, The Quirky Ladies

Can someone please shave that nasty thing off Brad Pitt's face?

2010-02-02T21:06:00.006-05:00

Brad's Current Look:

Really? Are those braids? Because while I can repect Penny's fascnination with facial hair and the men that wear it well, I consider this "plaited" thing to be over the line. I mean, how much food gets stuck in there? And how long would it take to find it? Why not cornrows instead?

When, oh when will I be able to enjoy indulging in People Magazine again without being in constant fear of turning the page and seeing THIS? (Can you tell I had a bad incident at the gym today?)

Now, let's take a moment to enjoy what Brad's look was BEFORE:

Sigh. Enough said.
(Penny, in deference to you and your love of the beard, I chose a picture where he's got some of that yummy scruff going on)

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-02-01T03:30:00.002-05:00

I used to roll my eyes when women said they were turning 29…again. Then I turned 29 for real. Er, quite some time ago.

I spent a few years in denial. A few more hating every birthday. Then I realized two very important, undeniable facts:

1. There is only one alternative to aging.
2. You couldn’t pay me to go back to being young.

Life is good. I’d rather live it than worry about it. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going to admit my age anytime soon.

So happy birthday to me. I’ll be celebrating with my family over a sushi boat at my favorite restaurant as I turn 29…again.

A New Year's Gift

2010-01-29T20:51:00.007-05:00

T.S. Eliot writes April is the cruelest month or so he laments in The Waste Land, but I'd have to go with January. After the festive chaos of the holidays and ringing in the New Year, January arrives with a bleak, reverberating silence.

Friends and relatives have returned to their winter hibernation. The holiday sweets and food you have gorged yourself on now weighs down your butt and loads you up with guilt. You're then confronted with those pesky resolutions you made while ringing in the New Year. You're going to lose weight (that lasts about a month or so). You resolve to understand your in-laws (that last about a week). And of course, you will finish all those projects that you've procrastinated on forever. (You jot a 'note to self' to start tomorrow).

A recent study showed that 22% of people gave up their resolutions in the first week. By March, more than half of the rest of the resoluters fell off the bandwagon. It makes one empathize with those glib folks (my husband included) who proclaim their resolution is to not make any more resolutions.

I may not carry out all my resolutions, which often are a 'ditto' of the prior year, but each time I make them, I feel as if I'm given a chance to turn a page and write a new outline for the year. January may arrive in a bleak follow up to December's brighter festivities, but it also heralds in a new year and with that, comes new beginnings.

The month was named after Janus, the mythical god of beginnings. Perhaps last year, things didn't work out the way I wanted. I might have gotten another rejection on my latest submission, or I might not have finished my work in progress, or I might have shied away from pitching my novel at a writer's conference. With such setbacks, I'm ready to climb into my cave and hibernate for the rest of the year --or plead along with Green Day to Wake Me Up When September Ends or, in my case, next year.

But during January, we can pack away last year's failures and start anew. Yesterday's disappointments sail into history, for with the New Year, comes hope. We are given a clean slate and a second chance to achieve our goals, either through small resolutions or bigger steps. For all the gift giving in December, January's gift of a new beginning is most special.

So as January comes to a close and we move into February, we must grasp onto this gift and as Thoreau says, "go confidently in the direction of your dreams." For if you don't try, you won't succeed. Or as the queen of romance says:

"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place."

- Nora Roberts

Hints from the Promo Queen

2010-01-14T12:02:00.006-05:00

After announcing the unexpected news that my debut novel Sweet Inspiration was a bestseller at Fictionwise, various folks began to ask me what I did to promote my book. Since the jury is still out as to my actual sales, you can take this advice with a grain of salt. Also note, Sweet Inspiration was only available as an e-book, but the suggestions are still applicable for any on-line sales, including print books at Amazon or other locations. Here are some suggestions from the Promo Queen (I can't believe a found a photo of a dachshund wearing a crown!).

1. Don't wait around for your publisher to contact reviewers. The sites might be backlogged, and your review may come out 6 months after your book is released. That's good for long-term sales, but not helpful for your launch day push. Make sure you contact your own reviewers 3-4 months ahead, and schedule the reviews to be posted 1 wk before and several weeks after launch day to create buzz. How to find reviewers? Look for romance review blogs, ask your author friends (and make sure you offer to reciprocate), contact larger review sites and fill out their applications. Whatever it takes. As soon as you have good reviews rolling in, you can post them on your website, and announce them through twitter, facebook, etc.

P.S. No, you cannot insist that the reviewers write you a sparkling recommendation. Yes, it is nerve-wracking not knowing if the review will be good. Believe in your book and have faith. Readers realize that everyone has his/her own opinion about things. Don't send your sweet, rated-G YA novel to an erotica reviewer. Use common sense.

2. Run adds for 1-2 months prior, and 1-2 months during release. Pick places with high traffic and visitors who read ebooks or your particular genre. I splurged on All About Romance, and ran my banner there for the entire month of December. It's worth the investment if it gets you sales and exposure. Don't waste your time/money running ads (even if they are cheap) on places that are cluttered with banners and ads, or visited mostly by authors and not readers. Ads are fairly simple to make. You can either just take a jpeg of your book cover with a link (use your website if it's prior to the purchase link being released). Moving gif banners are also cool...my awesome website designer made me a gorgeous one.

3. Don't forget the golden rule...promo must reach readers!!!! It's OK to run promo on your publishing loops, but it's more important to reach readers. Try reader loops/bloggers who specialize in your genre, and have a lot of followers/traffic. However, be warned. Self-promoting on the reader boards at Amazon, AAR, Barnes and Nobles is not a good idea. Self-promotion is forbidden on some loops. Read the rules and regulations carefully before you post.

4. Contests are good! Why? Because it draws in readers, and announcements for contests get posted on a lot of other sites on-line. Lots of exposure! You could give away a $5 or $10 gift card from Amazon, which is not too high of an expense. Tie in prizes with your book theme... I gave away xmas ornaments, hot cocoa, cookies, etc--all tied into the theme of my Christmas story.

5. Post your cover, your blurb and don't forget a good excerpt. People want to see what kind of writer you are, so choose your excerpt wisely. Post on facebook/myspace, twitter, your blog, your friend's blog, your website, etc.

6. Get a Goodreads acct! Pronto! Goodreads is fantastic...you can do self-promotion without looking like a jerk. Make an author page so you can post book info, excerpt, trailers, announce contests/launch day, etc. Goodreads is viral....if you get one good review, "friends" read it, add your book, discuss on ami boards (there are a lot of cross over people on ami and goodreads, also AAR)--do it!

7. Invest in a good website designer. You want your website, ad banners, book trailers to all look polished and professional. You can post your book trailers on youtube and place links on facebook, websites, etc. You can do these things yourself, but make sure it looks professional. If you make a nice banner, ask your author friends to post it on their webs/blogs too if possible...

8. Book bloggers often post covers with the release date on their side bars. This is awesome free publicity.

9. Set up interviews and guest blog posts. Make sure most are on high-traffic reader sites. It's OK to do some author sites too. Everyone has his/her own followers and you might get into a new "crew" of folks! Make a big calendar with your schedule, try not to overlap or over schedule. Spread it out. Make sure you send confirmation emails, thank you notes to everyone, even people who might give you only mediocre reviews. Always be professional and polite.

10. Even mediocre reviews are helpful. Don't get into a sparring match with a reviewer you disagree with. It's totally uncool and unprofessional. Remember...what goes around comes around.

11. Do things to set you apart from the masses....be creative! My 5 Klaus brothers "took over" my blog for 5 weeks prior to launch day, gave away prizes, readers got to know the brothers and wanted more. It really drummed up interest, and the unexpected benefit was that it helped me get to know my characters better!

12. Visit other blogs and leave comments...your url is attached, so you will get visitors to your blog. However, don't waste too much time with this! The internet addiction can eat up a lot of time (and I should know!--that's new year's resolution #6).

13. Post about good reviews, good news to keep up buzz. Make it fun and interesting. Don't just say "I got another 5 star review!" Take a fun snippet out of the review ("The Klaus brothers really cranked my Christmas tree....5 stars!") and use that instead. Make it fun and creative.

14. Google yourself. Find out if anyone is talking about you/your book....then post good stuff!

15. Make your blog fun...post news snippets, reviews of books you're enjoying, do mini interviews, run contests...have fun with it. It should not be too much work or too stressful!

16. For those of you with print books: Don't waste too much time scheduling book signings, etc. Focus on on-line sales. A lot of people buy their books online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Always include purchase links when discussing your book....either to Amazon, your publisher, etc.

If anyone has any other good promo tidbits, please let me know!

Penny

A Pit Stop at Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem

2010-01-10T10:52:00.002-05:00

I'm at Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem today being interviewed. Guess what creature I said I'd prefer to be if given a choice?

I hope everyone is pleased with how 2010 has begun for them. I know I am.

Happy 2010 from The Quirky Ladies!

2010-01-03T19:09:00.004-05:00

Happy 2010!!! Time for a new decade, new resolutions, and hopefully new dreams to come true this year. Here's a round-up of some "quirky" goals....

Vicki: Enter some contests and finish Changing Fortunes. (and drink a lot of delicious martinis with Penny...okay, I added that part)

Dalton: Recover from Holiday 2009! And to publish a sequel to Illegal Moves. (yay!...I think I might print up some Team Seth T-shirts!)

Tara: Tara wants to send her finished WIP to a few contests (go, Tara!), start a new manuscript and complete it by her October birthday, find more time to relax and de-stress(I hear martinis are really good for that!), go on at least one dream vacation, and stick to her new diet and exercise regimen. (Criminy. I'm exhausted just reading that.)

Michelle Polaris: Finish Magician's Chains. Finish sequel to Bound Odyssey. (Start collection of thigh high leather boots. hee hee hee. Okay, I added that part, too.)

Kate Macarthur: Survive construction project in one piece, get her son enrolled in preschool, and start writing the romantic suspense she's been threatening. (hurry up, I want to read it!)

Michelle Picard: Start the third part of the Eden Series. (I'm ready for 2. I'm ready for 3. I'm ready for Gabriel to stop by for a martini....)

Sam Wayland: Finish Destiny Calls and Breakaway Love (the third in the hockey series). (I predict a big party in 2010 for Sam's first publication! Woo hoo!)

Penny: Okay, it's my turn. Write Sweet Magik, the 2nd part of the Klaus Brothers Series. Finish Diabolical, the botanical mystery/romance I started last year. Try to avoid a severe kindle addiction which threatens to take over my life.

Here's to a wonderful, amazing and inspiring 2010!

Penny

Quirky Interview with Ashlyn Chase

2009-12-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

Dalton Diaz here, with the great pleasure of welcoming the one and only Ashlyn Chase to the Quirky Ladies! Hey, Ash! Wow, you have been one very busy lady. First and foremost, IT’S RELEASE DAY!!
I’m so excited about your new Total E-Bound book, Green Card. (In keeping with our pg-13 blog, I promise to behave!)

Green Card by Ashlyn Chase
Rubenesque/BDSM/mfm
Novella available TODAY from Total-e Bound
Buy Now
Let’s start off with a blurb and excerpt to whet the appetite:

Blurb:
Mason Germaine is close to a contract for his graphic novel, but if his model Katia is deported to Russia, his hopes will die...all of them. Mason Gremaine is taking a life drawing class to improve his chances of breaking into the graphic novel industry. His job as a high school art teacher has almost sucked the creativity out of him. When he meets Katia, he has found the perfect voluptuous model for his dominatrix super-heroine "The Totalitarian." When her uncle sees money exchange hands and gets the wrong idea about what she's doing in her spare time, he fires her and demands she leave his home. Now her sponsor is gone and if she can't find a new one quickly she'll be deported. Mason has an appointment in one week to present his idea to a publisher. If he lets her stay with him and his roommate, she can pose for him, but is he getting in over his head? And what about his roommate's crazy request for a ménage in exchange for free rent?

Exerpt:
Mason Germane tipped his head from one side to the other and stared at his life drawing. In his mind, the thin, short-haired, flat-chested model resembled a ten-year-old boy.
Peering over his shoulder, his instructor Ms. Tempest said, “I think you may do better with our next model. Hang on a minute and I’ll tell you why.” She called out, “Break for lunch, everybody.”
The model gathered her robe from the floor, slipped it on and disappeared around the partition behind her.
Lunch? Already? Mason glanced at his watch. Sure enough. Twelve thirty. He could get lost in his art, mostly when it was going very well or very badly. Before he set down his pencil, Ms. Tempest continued. “I’ve noticed that your style is very sensuous. Katia is curvier. She’s late, but by the time you come back from lunch, I’m sure she’ll be here.”
The other dozen students filed out of the room, and Mason figured he’d pick his instructor’s brain while he had her undivided attention. “Are some bodies better suited to an artist’s style than others?”
“Oh, absolutely. Unless you’ve apprenticed with an old master. They really put their students through hell.” She chuckled. “Andrew Wyeth’s father had him draw nothing but cubes and spheres for months. When he finally got the shading exactly right, he was allowed to move on to drawing a skeleton. Most artists don’t have the time or patience to learn that way anymore so they adapt by finding subjects that suit their style. What do you hope to do with your talent?”
“I have talent?” Mason asked and chuckled.
“Of course, you do. I’ve seen other drawings you’ve done.” She pointed to his easel. “This isn’t your best work.”
“I’m glad we agree. Actually, I’m creating a graphic novel about a kick-ass, female super heroine called The Totalitarian.”
“A comic book?” His teacher smirked then tried to cover it with her hand and a fake cough. “Well, good luck with that.”
Mason was just about to defend his idea when a nude brunette streaked from behind the screen into the studio, clutching her robe in her hand. She leapt into the air and landed on the platform with a thud. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said, huffing and puffing.
Mason’s eyes popped. To say this model was curvy was an understatement. She was almost plump. The firm flesh, however, would belie the word ‘fat’. Voluptuous was the word he’d use to describe her hourglass figure.
“You must be Katia,” the teacher said, crossing her arms.
“Yes, I am. And I’m very sorry I’m late.” A slight, hard-to-place accent accompanied her apologetic voice.
“Well, everyone has gone to lunch. I had the other model stay longer so I’ll have to dock your pay and give it to her.”
She dropped her head. Her long, wavy hair fell forward. “I understand.”
As she began to stuff her arm into her robe, Mason spoke up, “No. Wait.” Looking to his instructor, he raised his pencil. “Ms. Tempest, I’d like to try drawing her? Right now. If I pay her, is it all right with you?”

Woo-Hoo, this is going to be a fun interview!

DD: Ok, so it’s a ménage BDSM, so you can see why I can’t ask too many questions here. I’m going to sneak in a couple, though. Is this the first ménage you’ve written?
AC: This is my second manage. The first is an F/M/F threesome in Oh My God. Two best friends want stories to tell about their wild youth when they're in a nursing home, and our hero has amnesia. They flashed him at Mardi Gras and he was so drunk, when he went to toss them beads, he fell off a balcony onto his head! They felt guilty so took him to an AA meeting and then home until he regained his memory. What none of them knew at the time was they'd just taken home Dionysus, the biggest bad boy of Mount Olympus. The bodies weren't hard to manage since they took turns with him. There was no F/F action at all.

DD: So for all of us salivating, here’s the buy site for Oh My God, which I have to agree, has an incredible cover. I understand it has also been nominated for both a CAPA and an Eppie award. Go, Ash!

Oh My God by Ashlyn Chase
Available now from Total-e-Bound
Buy Now

DD: On with the grilling, er, interview. How about an example of what makes you, Ashlyn Chase, quirky in your own right?
AC: LOL. Okay. When I write, I do it backwards. I come up with the title first, then I write the blurb, then the story. Almost everyone I know does it in reverse order, so I guess that makes me the odd one.
DD: Uh-huh. That’s definitely the pg-13 version! I belong to your yahoo fan site, ashlynsnewbestfriends, and I have to say, it gets pretty wild in there. Anyone can join through your website at www.ashlynchase.com so folks, if you haven’t already, you’re missing out on lots of fun.

DD: I happen to know that you have a very special room in your house. No, not that kind, people! You and your man LOVE to watch movies, and you have a pretty sweet setup for movie nights. Since you write comedy so well, inquiring eyes want to know… what is your favorite comedy, and why?
AC: Good question! A really old one I find hysterical is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Also Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Although, the last time I watched it, I didn't think it was as funny as I remembered. Jim Carey makes me laugh my ass off in most of his movies. I love Army of Darkness and Clerks. Most of these movies are off the wall, which matches my sense of humor, but if I look for one commonality I think they all have an unflappable protagonist.
As far as romantic comedies, I love the charming hero who can't be shaken...like our Dorian in Love Cuffs. Hope could hit him, call him by the wrong name, or pour ice water over his head, but he never once had a knee-jerk reaction. Always cool. Come to think of it, a lot of my heroes are like that. Not Alpha a**holes, not exactly Beta, maybe I should create a new category of hero. The charming, unflappable Cappa.

DD: Yeah, Dorian was kinda special. Then again, so was Hope! Dorian’s going to have a fun time trying to keep up with his woman. So How many books and publishers have there been over the last few years?
AC: I think it's easier to count publishers than books. Six, although two have gone out of business. The survivors are: epubs LSB, Ellora's Cave and T-e-B, and Sourcebooks is a traditional print press that’s getting into the e-business now. I published at least 18 books (some are novellas and a couple are short stories) and a few are no longer for sale. I may revamp and repub a couple of those.

DD: You’ve helped a lot of people along the way. Any special people you want to give a shout out to who helped you in the beginning?
AC: My biggest mentor is probably Annette Blair. Not only does she write awesome similar books (her witch urban fantasies) she read my Vampire book, recommended it and then me to her agency. I've called her my "unofficial mentor." Others have certainly helped along the way. Jess Anderson did my first critique and proved that it wasn't that scary. Sylvie Kurtz did my second critique and proved that it can be brutal, but it made me a much better writer and began the process of skin thickening.

DD: Wow, like I said before, you have been one very busy lady. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to say hi, and special thanks for letting us announce the release of Green Card. It’s an honor.
AC: Thanks so much for the interview and for the opportunity to reach more readers!

Time for a little Christmas Spirit, and maybe a peppermint martini?

2009-12-10T14:48:00.008-05:00

The Quirks have been discussing favorite Christmas movies. Some are humorous and some are serious tearjerkers. Here are our favorites....

Tara: Tara loves It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. She thinks "It embodies all that makes the holidays so wonderful, especially family and friends pulling together to help someone in need. It also chronicles the story of a good man, who doesn't understand his own worth, who realizes with the help of his guardian angel that every person has a purpose and has value. Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends."

(excuse me while I wipe a tear from my eye.....sniffle, sniffle....)

Her honorable mention goes to A Christmas Story.

Kate: She casts a vote for Love Actually, as well as Holiday Inn, which she watched every year growing up. (She is now horrified by the "racially inappropriate/offensive black-face scene"). Woops!

Dalton: A Christmas Story. She says, "So many great scenes, I don't think I could pick just one. The leg lamp, the dogs, the bunny suit, visiting Santa, the tongue, xmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant, 'You'll shoot your eye out, kid!' I could totally go on." (I also love the scene when the little brother gets dressed in his winter clothes and can't get his arms down. Hee heeeee.....)

Michelle: Her favorite movie is also It's A Wonderful Life. The reason? According to Michelle, "Jimmy Stewart, so I need not say more. Plus it had a dark edge to it and magic and a less than pristine Angel."

Victoria: "It's A Wonderful Life, hands down. It was the first movie that made me cry and everyone needs to be reminded that 'no man is a failure who has friends.' I still cry when I watch it. I love A Christmas Carol, also. I like to watch the ending over and over, the scene when Scrooge redeems himself with Bob Cratchet. That one makes me cry, too."

What a bunch of crybabies!!!!! On the totally opposite end of the spectrum, here are my favorite irreverent and completely secular favorites....

Penny: First of all, if you have never seen Olive the Other Reindeer, you must go out and rent it ASAP. Drew Barrymore voices Olive, Joey Pants is Martini the Penguin, and Michael Stipe is a hilarious reindeer who sings. What more could you ask for??? In the same vein, Elf with Will Ferrell is fabulous...funny, sweet, quirky. Right up my holiday alley. And left over from childhood days is Santa Claus is Comin' To Town, narrated by Fred Astaire. It's the story of a young Kris Kringle and his bride Jessica. Sigh. Hey, that's a great idea for a romance novel....love in the Klaus family.....hmmmm......

Happy Holidays to All!

Penny

A BLOG BY ANY OTHER NAME

2009-12-07T16:23:00.011-05:00

I need your help. As I embark on the journey which is my writing career post-publishing, I find myself running in a million directions. Popular opinion is that a published author needs to blog on their own blog site. If only to act as a forum to post promo updates and exciting, hot off the presses news. I am sure my readers stay up most nights holding their breaths waiting for my latest news. NOT. But still, there is an allure about an interesting blog post. Hence, I do blog. But what's a writer to do with limited time and a million decisions to be made about how to spend it wisely?

Hence, I need your opinion. What attracts you to read an author's blog? A catchy title? A contest? Humor? Do you click over to their weekly specials such as HOT HUNK day? Does the subject have to be provocative? Or perversely, would you click to a site posting a position with which you passionately disagree and spend your time ranting in the comments of the poster?
So what draws you more often than not? We all make random forays from time to time outside our typical patterns, but what is the typical pattern? Assuming it's not a blog you follow religiously, what topic brings you to that new site to peek?

Oh ye wise olde blog readers, help a gal out who needs to figure out how to use her precious time to fill the pages of her blog. So that when aliens visit our dead planet millennium in the future, excavate the remnants of our society, discover the gem which is my blog as they rig up a way to play our dinosaur computer and web structure, I'll give them only the best to read. I'm considerate like that (grin).

Comments? Leave them here or on my blog, just for the heck of it. http://www.michellepicardsblog.wordpress.com/

Oh, and I'm appearing at the Romance Junkies blogging (imagine that?) about Gateways and Portals on Tuesday, December 8th. Visit and join my contest for my book. Check out my blog at http://www.michellepicardsblog.wordpress.com/ and read how to double your chances to win the book.

Stay sane (relatively),
Michelle

Sweet Inspiration Has Arrived!

2009-12-02T06:25:00.004-05:00

My release day has finally arrived! Sweet Inspiration is now available for purchase at The Wild Rose Press. Yippee! Please stop by Penelope's Romance Reviews today to celebrate...I'm giving away some cool snowmen holiday ornaments, drinking egg nog, and probably surfing the net for photos of Hugh Jackman dressed in a Santa hat. Thanks to the Quirky Ladies for their undying support and excellent stalker-like tendencies as I begin my "virtual tour" of promotion.

Here's the purchase link for Sweet Inspiration at The Wild Rose Press.

A great review just got posted on Outlandish Dreaming! Check out this awesome blog.

Stop by Penelope's to par-tee!

Another great review...yay! 4.5 stars at the Romance Readers Connection!

Guest Blog at Between the Pages

2009-11-30T00:05:00.003-05:00

I've blogged about my cross-genre journey over at Between the Pages. Please visit. And while you're at it, visit my blogsite at www.michellepicardsblog.wordpress.com to check-out my What's Behind the Gate contest.

I'm busy with promotion, so stay tuned shortly for my Quirky blog on finding time to write once you're published. Maybe you can help me out.

RULING EDEN RELEASED!

2009-11-19T00:03:00.009-05:00

After mucho waiting, RULING EDEN is finally out! My romantic contemporary fantasy is available at Crescent Moon Press. The formal announcement is at my blog today at:

http://www.michellepicardsblog.wordpress.com/.

Please visit. There's a contest to enter and, face it, don't we all love contests?

With oodles of happy dance excitement,

Michelle

Winters' Thaw is here!

2009-11-17T22:09:00.003-05:00

Dalton's new release, Winters' Thaw, available now from Ellora's Cave!
Winters' Thaw
Book 3 in the Cougar Challenge series
http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-7809-50-winters-thaw.aspx

Blurb:
OR nurse Elizabeth Winters is forty-one, divorced, and determined to figure out what all the fuss is about sex. Her ex spent over twenty years crushing her sensuality, and it was long past time for release. Literally, dammit! In her quest, she befriends a group of woman her age who admit having a passion for younger men. That seems like a damn fine place to focus her quest.
Thirty-year-old engineer Kevin Springer loves solving puzzles, and “Elle” has him aching to fit the pieces. The more he gets to know her, the more intrigued he becomes, especially in bed. He quickly realizes he wants more than her offered no strings attached wild sex, but convincing her to take a chance on a relationship isn’t on her agenda.

Check out the series blog at: www.TempttheCougar.blogspot.com

Winters' Thaw CONTEST!

2009-11-17T21:26:00.004-05:00

Dalton Diaz is having a contest over at www.theblackraveneroticcafe.blogspot.com, and the prize is $25 in downloads from Ellora's Cave! Go on over and find out how to win. Look for the header, Black Raven Eating Crow Contest...
Good luck and have fun!

Review of Ruling Eden at Smexy Books

2009-11-12T22:48:00.005-05:00

Earlier in November RULING EDEN, my soon to be released novel from Crescent Moon Press, was reviewed at Smexy Books. And the lucky authoress I am, the book received

Four Stars and enough praise to make me glow. A first review is an exciting thing. Below are a few excerpts from it. If you want to read the full text, click over to her site here.

"Michelle Picard writes very engaging, deep characters and I can't say enough about how much they captured my attention and left me satisfied throughout the story....Ruling Eden is a great tale of romance, mystery and just a wonderful beautiful world Michelle Picard has created. I like it so much, I gushed all over an email I sent to her and asked if she wouldn't mind doing an interview with me."

In fact, she did indeed interview me later that same day she posted her review. If you want to read the text of the interview, click here. I had a lot of fun at Smexy.

Visit my site at www.michellepicard.com to read more about the story and my blog at www.michellepicardsblog.wordpress.com to read the excerpt I posted for Excerpt Monday just this past week.

Enjoy!

What's So Quirky about Dalton Diaz?

2009-11-02T07:01:00.010-05:00

-DD pen name came from Ashlyn Chase, for being top heavy (& a klutz)

-Fosters Guinea pigs from the local shelter

-Has identical twins

-Is a coffee addict who limits herself to one very large cup a day

-Is lactose intolerant

-Favorite drink - Starbucks soy (see above)latte

-Drinks about 3 Poland Springs soda water w/lime a day (see above coffee limit, darn it!)

-Favorite food is salad, and it's not a salad without olives

-Favorite body part - her toes, and has a thing for toe rings.

-Has to wear socks at night or can't sleep

-Has a toy poodle with separation anxiety

-Is a certified PBX telephone operator

-Is a real live Valley Girl, which also means she hails from the porn capital of the world

-Used to sell flower bouquets on streetcorners for extra money, and was mistaken by an old acquaintance as having joined a cult

-First concert ever was Shaun Cassidy, and almost got kicked out when someone handed her a sparkler

-Is a big fan of Richard Cheese

Character Interview and Contest for Bound Odyssey

2009-10-28T08:52:00.007-04:00

Hey folks, I've invited Dalton Diaz to pop over to my blog to interview Roman Nash, one of the heroes from my new release BOUND ODYSSEY out at Ellora's Cave. And boy did she throw fantastic, if tough questions his way. Luckily, Roman can handle them.

Please visit. There's a contest to win a yummy vanilla scented massage candle. Until I found it in the store, I hadn't even known what a massage candle was (grin).

I'd love for you to meet Roman, he's quite the devil. Go to: http://www.michellepolarisblog.wordpress.com/

Later,

Michelle

The Pimp Room

2009-10-26T09:19:00.012-04:00

Okay, seriously, let's say you are designing a corporate hotel and have to come up with a design scheme. Dark leather sofas? Neutral colors? Non-threatening art work? Boring ass lounge area with beer nuts and wood paneling? Well, if you are the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin, NJ, you might actually decide to go with a funky 70s-inspired bizarre mix of weirdness that includes giant chessboards, 6 foot long red beaded chandeliers, white fuzzy chairs sized for Vikings, and of course, a pimp room. Yes folks, didn't you know that corporate America has been jonesing for a lounge with a disco ball, lava lamps, sequined walls, leopard skin throw pillows and of course love bead curtains. Let's just say the decor at the Woodbridge Hotel, site for the New Jersey RWA conference this past weekend, was....well....extremely unique. Extremely. Unique. And I've got the photos to prove it....

Here is the disco ball:

Here is the lava lamp:

Here we are lounging in the pimp room:

from left to right, Frances Stockton, Victoria Morgan, Kate Macarthur, Michelle Picard, Heather Laskowski, and Tara Truesdale.

BOUND ODYSSEY IS RELEASED!

2009-10-22T22:55:00.009-04:00

Finally! It's happened. Release day for BOUND ODYSSEY at Ellora's Cave. I'm dying for everyone to meet Mira, Jace and Roman, my three protagonists. I fell in love with them from almost the first, and consequently, they fell in love with each other. Please visit my blog today to check out my post on the book. I'll be running a contest there as well. This book is for mature audiences, so no one under 18 need go any further. Heck, I've told my grandmother, who insists she wants to read the book, that she in fact may be too young to read it (grin). Although I'm only slightly prejudiced, let me say that this book is all that. Please check it out, check out my website at http://www.michellepolaris.com/, and join my newsletter. The link to join is available on my website. I can be found on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter as well.

And for more fun, Dalton Diaz is planning to interview Roman on the Quirky blog next week on Tuesday. He's a kick in the pants, so plan to stop by. He'll probably be running a contest of his own that day.

Remember, safe, sane and consensual. Be well and join me in my personal happy dance about the release.

Michelle

MY BOOK COVER!

2009-10-16T19:13:00.003-04:00

My book cover got released today at Ellora's Cave. Can you guess a bit about the subject matter from the lovely crop my heroine is wielding? (LOL) And my brand new website went live today. Visit me at www.michellepolaris.com.

BOUND ODYSSEY can be purchased as of 10/23/09, next Friday. Stay tuned for the date for my release party both here and on my blog at: www.michellepolarisblog.wordpress.com.

WHAT'S SO QUIRKY ABOUT MICHELLE PICARD?

2009-10-12T07:53:00.014-04:00

Although I'm sticking in my own picture at the top of my "What's So Quirky About" blog, I thought I'd add a picture of the hero in my current work in progress above to spice it up. Two for the price of one. Kyle was the vampire character star of the short lived TV series called Blood Ties based on the kick-ass novels of Tanya Huff.

So now, like the others, I'll wow you with a list of peculiar, completely unasked for minutia from my life. Here it goes:

-Wrote a poem in fifth grade about capybaras, the largest member of the rodent family, and a sure first sign of literary genius.

-Pet two baby Bengal tiger cubs at eight years old (without losing my fingers).

-Produced and narrated a radio show about Possums including a segment recorded live during a release from captivity into the wild. Not so riveting as the medium of sound does not work well with Possums who don't make loud noises. (I'm sensing an animal trend here, ya think?)

-Named her first tropical fish after Aayla and Jondalar, the protagonists of Jane Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series.

-Played trombone (badly) her freshman year of high school. And aren't we all glad I stopped after that?

-Wrote, produced and video taped a short play about WWII air force veterans. (Definitely not an instance of "write what you know.")

-Was the only teenager on a six week volunteer summer program for adolescents to Antigua that did not take the trip because of the lack of a drinking age on the island. Go figure.

-Was about the only soul who graduated from the University of Michigan who saw just two football games the entire four years I attended.

-Was asked to pose as a model wearing only a toga for a photography major at college because I had the classic roman nose for the shot. (No, this wasn't a twisted pick-up line. The photographer was female.)

-Participated in a riot in Ann Arbor the year when Hash Bash and a Grateful Dead concert intersected with U of M's team winning the NCAA championship. (No, I didn't turn over any vehicles or smash any windows. The police don't monitor these blogs, do they?)

-Got my Masters in Social Work after being warned by the five other social workers in my family that I might want to go into another line of work.

-Was tricked by my husband, who planned our honeymoon, when he told me we were going to London, but surprised me by taking me to Italy instead. Apparently I was the only person in the universe who had considered it reasonable to be flying to London from the east coast of the US via a change of planes in Germany. Don't worry, my husband told me our true destination when we arrived in Germany and I tried to ask for the connecting gate to London.

Okay, quirky facts done.

SHAMELESS PLUG: Remember, RULING EDEN will be released soon at Crescent Moon Press. Probably sometime in late October. It will be available in e format and then, a month or so later, available for order in print copy from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

AND THE WINNER IS...

2009-10-09T20:50:00.005-04:00

Zora Stout! Zora, you've won Ella's contest and the e copy of Scent of Cin. Congratulations! Ella will be in contact.

And thank you everybody for stopping by. I loved having Ella join us.

Don't forget to visit her at http://www.elladrake.com/