It's December!

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

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.

Jersey-licious

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!

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
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Changing Perspectivies

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!

To Blog or Not to Blog

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.

1. Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success - Swami Sivananda
2. True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly - Jason Jordan
3. Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock - Author Unknown
4. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt
5. Just when the caterpiller thought the world was over, it became a butterfly - Proverb
6. When you are going through hell, keep going - Sir Winston Churchill
7. Rainbows are just to look at, not to really understand - Unknown
8. 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
9. It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary - Paulo Coelho
10. May the force be with you - Star Wars

Stepping Off The Treadmill

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

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

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

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.