Notes from a Drama Queen

Heroines

2012-01-15T14:10:00.000-05:00

This is the third in a series of Three Goddess Chats, brought to you by Krissie (aka Anne Stuart and Kristina Douglas), Lucy (Lucy March aka Lani Diane Rich), and Jenny (Jenny Crusie), who meet in a chat-room called ThreeGoddesses to talk about everything. Lucy and Jenny tend to write heroine-centered books (heroine as protagonist) like Lucy’s newest book, A Little Night Magic, in stores on

Supernatural Chat with Crusie and Rich

2012-01-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

This is the second in a series of Three Goddess Chats, brought to you by Krissie (aka Anne Stuart and Kristina Douglas), Lucy (Lucy March aka Lani Diane Rich), and Jenny (Jenny Crusie), who meet in a chat-room called ThreeGoddesses to talk about everything. Krissie has been writing supernatural romances for a long time, and now as Kristina Douglas she’s started a new series about fallen angels,

REINVENTING FABULOUS

2012-01-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

It's time for a change. I'm 63 years old and fat fat fat (I hate that word). I feel bad. My back hurts, my knees hurt, my stomach hurts. I want to live forever. I want to be as glorious as I can possibly be (though I'm not sure the world is ready for that). So I need to get healthy.I was driving to the grocery store (where else?) and I came up with a plan. Came back home, emailed Crusie

Merry Christmas

2011-12-19T12:52:00.007-05:00

I just read two absolutely fabulous historical romances. They made me laugh, made me cry, turned me on. They were glorious.And I happened to write them. So long ago that reading them felt like reading someone else's books, but someone I really really liked. No, it's not that I'm totally infatuated with my own work (though I confess I tend to be). It's just that the Anne Stuart who wrote

IVORY TOWER

2011-12-12T08:22:00.000-05:00

I need one. An ivory tower, that is. I'll need an elevator if I plan to leave, since I don't do massive flights of stairs that well. Then again, if I'm up there long enough and grow my hair down to the ground then maybe a very smart prince will climb up and then ... hmmm, I don't remember how Rapunzel ever got down. Maybe I'll just stay up there.Not with the prince, though. He can come up

Breaking the Rules

2011-11-22T11:29:00.006-05:00

I once broke the cardinal rule of romance writing. It wasn’t my fault. Back in the day, it seemed impossible to carry a believable, interesting romance over a number of books. If you followed up a love story you usually had stupid misunderstandings. When I finished a book I wanted my characters to have gone through hell and back, and not let stupid shit push them apart.So long ago, when I was

Mrs. Grouchy Pants

2011-11-07T11:13:00.001-05:00

In honor of the late, exceedingly grumpy Andy Rooney, I'm going to give in to my inner bitch. She's well-hidden, is Bad Krissie, partly because I had a raging virago of a mother (when she was in her prime) and I hate hate hate anger, in general but in particular directed at me. Nice matters. Kindness matters. I'm gonna really regret doing this.But fuck it.Usually when I'm attacked (and trust

NANOWRIMO TIME

2011-11-01T09:58:00.002-04:00

It’s NANO time again. No, not time to play your iPod, though that’s certainly the case as well. It’s National Novel Writing Month, the brainchild of Chris Baty, wherein forty-three gazillion people attempt to write a novel in one month (or at least 50,000 words of it). The rules are simple — sit down and write, averaging about 1800 words a day, every day. You don’t plan, don’t revise, don’t

AMAZON

2011-10-21T16:00:00.002-04:00

Oh, the wonders of Amazon! Okay, I know some people don’t like them, because there’s an ugly American trait to despise success. People adored Titantic when it first came out (and I guess the comparison is accurate in terms of size) and the moment it became a (I can’t spell phenomenom today but you know what I mean) it became the butt of constant jokes. I live in the boonies, and Amazon brings

Kindled

2011-09-20T13:16:00.003-04:00

Countdown to the amazing Kindle release and release of my books, but first, a word about my mother. She's spent all her life writing -- got her degree in Journalism from Columbia, worked as a speech writer and in PR most of her life. She had short stories published, by Harpers, Blackwoods, etc. but never got a novel published until she was 89. That was CANDLE IN A DARK TIME, a novel about the

Safe and Sound

2011-08-30T21:24:00.002-04:00

My darlings! I'm safe and sound in storm-battled Vermont. I live on a hill, a bit away from running water, so we've had to deal with nothing more than a little inconvenience. The rest of the state is a mess, and I hope you can send your prayers and good wishes for everyone hurt by Hurricane Irene. In the meantime, I'm writing my little heart out, and I'll have a big, formal announcement very

RESEARCH

2011-08-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

My darling niece Jenny is lucky enough to live at Lake Tahoe. She's a ski instructor in the winter and a wedding planner (among other things) in the summer, and she just brought something fascinating to my attention. She's at the Nevada state line and not that far from Reno. And not that far from a little town called Beatty, which contains not much more than a brothel named the Shady Lady

What's in a Name?

2011-06-19T08:59:00.005-04:00

Shakespeare. You gotta love him. At least, I certainly do. When I was young I memorized the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet (that's where the quote from above comes from). I collected Hamlets (Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier, many others), and worked my way through the teeny tiny print of a one-volume collected works of Shakespeare in my early teens.I grew up in Princeton, and our class

GONE WITH THE WIND (and good riddance)

2011-06-06T09:12:00.003-04:00

It’s the 75th anniversary of the publication of Gone With the Wind. Those were the good old days when a historical romance could win a Pulitzer Prize. As I remember I loved the book much more than I loved the movie (Clark Gable didn’t do it for me as Rhett Butler), so I’m basing this on countless revisitations of the movie, and for me it has one huge infuriating problem. I’d gotten over it

TIRED

2011-05-24T09:44:00.002-04:00

I really am not Superwoman, even though I often think I am. Having delusions of omnipotence usually serves me well — I just think I can write or do whatever interests me.However, as the advanced age of Not As Old As Mick Jagger (I figure that’s a good way to put it) I really cannot get on a plane at 1 in the afternoon, fly to NYC and then across the Los Angeles, arrive at the hotel at 10 pm, get

Why I Write

2011-04-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

I do happen to have the best job in the world. I get to spend the day immersing myself in fantasy, spinning it out, shutting out all the nasty, fretful, wicked stuff that likes to beset me (such as the IRS, bills, worrying about children, aches and pains) and just lose myself. For all the hassles involved in writing for a living, and there are many, the rewards more than make up for it.So let

Marathon Redux

2011-03-21T12:30:00.001-04:00

I don’t actually know what redux means. I assume it means again — lemme check friendly old google. Aha. It doesn’t actually mean again, it means revisiting, so I don’t mean redux, but WTF. I like the sound of it.I’m here at Squalor on the River, my home away from home, the place I come to when I’ve got masses of writing to do and too many distractions at home. Nobody wants a damned thing

SAVE "OFF THE MAP"!

2011-02-28T15:36:00.003-05:00

So I have a favorite new tv show and it's in danger of being cancelled. Anyone watch "Off the Map"? It's perfect inspiration for the first section of ON THIN ICE, the book (an Ice book, natch) that I'm writing because I can't help myself. It's not just the man, though he's pretty tasty. It's the setting, the mood, and the delicious sexual tension between the Martin Henderson character and the

RUTHLESS IN AUDIO

2011-02-11T13:25:00.002-05:00

RUTHLESS is out in unabridged audio, narrated by the divine Susan Ericksen (who usually does J.D. Robb) and I'm happy happy happy. It's at Audible.com or direct from Tantor Media, and it will be followed by RECKLESS, BREATHLESS and, in July, SHAMELESS. Happy dance over here, since I'm addicted to audio books.Plus FIRE AND ICE will finally join the other ICE books in audio, while I'm busy

TRIUMPH!

2011-01-05T17:39:00.001-05:00

It was nobody’s fault but mine. I could have worked on the next Rohan book in October, gotten a good start on it and then finished it up in November, ahead of time. But no, I wanted to spend time on the ICE book, and I figured I could do NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) and get most of it done, then sail on through to the finish in time to make my deadline of December 15th.I’m not sure

Blogging today

2010-08-25T19:26:00.001-04:00

I'm blogging today, two takes on the same subject, at both www.wordwenches.com and www.runningwithquills.com. Come read and comment.

RWA

2010-08-04T15:23:00.003-04:00

I went to the RWA conference at Disney World and had a fabulous time. Of course, I spent more time at the parks than at the conference, but then I had my darling husband and daughter with me, so who could blame me?I had a fabulous time, gave awards and received awards, zoomed through the hotel on my scooter and basically had a blast. I got a lovely review from Library Journal for RUTHLESS: An

WICKED HOUSE OF ROHAN

2010-07-01T11:01:00.005-04:00

It's here. Just go to my home page or the books page and follow the link and you can download this delicious treat for FREE!If you need it for Kindle or Nook you'll have to pay a small pittance, but it's more than worth it.Enjoy! And please run out and buy the series when it comes out -- you won't regret it.RUTHLESS ... AugustRECKLESS ... SeptemberBREATHLESS ... October

COUNTDOWN #2 – Reviews

2010-06-28T17:26:00.003-04:00

So reviews are funny things. On the one hand we’re told to ignore reviews – they’re one person’s opinion, critics have agendas, etc. On the other hand, we write in a vacuum and we’re desperate for pats on the head, validation, and yes, slavish praise, and we’d do just about anything for it.The problem is, if you believe the good stuff, think it’s gospel, then the bad stuff must be true as well.

COUNTDOWN

2010-06-21T11:32:00.002-04:00

I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve written all my life, and received my first paycheck for it when I was seven years old (I had connections). I’ve been published as a romance novelist since 1974 (I was very very young) and since then I’ve been writing constantly, books I’ve been fond of, occasionally book I’ve hated, more often books I’ve loved, and on vary rare occasions, books so

Music

2010-06-14T11:55:00.001-04:00

I love music. Live for it. Music has directed so many choices in my life. It was music that made me live in NYC in the early '70s, going to the Fillmore East every weekend and lusting after rock stars while I played the guitar and wrote songs and was a corporate drone. I saw Creedence, the Band, Eric Clapton with Derek and the Dominoes, Cat Stevens in a tiny club, the Who endless times, Iggy

Social Time

2010-06-01T15:18:00.002-04:00

Most of my life is pretty isolated. I live in a tiny town of five hundred people,and all our friends have either moved away or gone in a new direction, basically shutting us out. I used to be very social, inviting people over for dinner, enjoying company, but as my house started resembling something on reality tv (Clean House, anyone?)I started to find entertaining to be more trouble than it

HARD WORK

2010-05-10T11:06:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know, you haven't seen me much around here recently. That's because all I do is work. In the last year I've written three full-length novels, revised two of them, written a ten thousand word novellette for eHarlequin (available in June), buried my sister, watched my husband have a heart attack, and girded my loins for the IRS. It's been a busy time -- no wonder blogging tends to fall by

Done

2010-03-16T20:27:00.002-04:00

So I worked an insane amount, through the weekend, ending up with 57 pages on Sunday, which I think might be a personal best. But damn, it was a rough day.For one thing, I didn't sleep the night before. Just a couple of hours, but I figured out what my problem was, so I could move on ahead. Got up around seven, worked, took a two hour nap, got up and worked for about four hours, took another

No Days Off

2010-03-13T00:12:00.002-05:00

Well, I may have missed posting and tallying my numbers but I haven't had a single day off since God knows when. Yesterday I only wrote 8, because it was time to take our ancient Springer, Rosie, to the rainbow bridge. Though personally I think she's rollicking in the fields by the lake with my mother-in-law.So Richie and I were too depressed to do anything but watch stupid movies and I didn't

Again

2010-03-09T21:24:00.003-05:00

15 pages today, plus a long drive to the grocery store (20 miles away) to think out the subplot. I still have a little bit of other stuff to figure out but in general things are going good. And I like the cover.Tomorrow I have to hunker down and really plot the final race to the end.Pray for me.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2010-03-07T19:19:00.002-05:00

Did my 15 pages early and then visited with my son. I also stopped and made a list of each chapter and the scenes within, so I can navigate a little better. I'm thinking my evil kidnapper (who of course is the hero) should marry my heroine before they have sex. I just like him calling her his bride while he's dripping sarcasm and sexuality.

Ah, Toby!

2010-03-06T23:53:00.003-05:00

14 pages today -- wanted to make it 24 but hey, 14 is enough. And then I wallowed in Jane Eyre (Toby Stephens is my hero stand-in), worked on my collage, listened to Outlander on audio, took a nap, took my mother shopping, busy busy busy. But I got my work done.And here's a little treat to put you in the mood:

Another Day, Another Dollar

2010-03-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

Well, I looked at my schedule on Wednesday night and burst into tears. It seemed so overwhelming, and I desperately want to get away to see my daughter and niece (who's a second daughter). But I have so much work it's ridiculous.Yesterday I emailed my editor to see if there was anyway to rework things.This morning I spent hours playing with calendars and schedules, and now have the next six

Better

2010-03-04T22:10:00.001-05:00

14 pages today, plus mapped out where the rest of the book is going. Now it's hunker down time (as if it wasn't before).

Not so good

2010-03-03T20:16:00.002-05:00

Busy day, with a shrink appointment, a long call with my editor, and having my ancient mother over for dinner (along with watching Ponyo, the new Miyazaki movie, which was as wonderful as always.When I went back in I discovered to my horror that the last scene I'd written had head-hopping. Oh, the horror, oh the humanity! I start with my secondary heroine's POV, jump to my secondary hero's POV,

The Beat Goes On

2010-03-02T20:57:00.001-05:00

14 pages today. Hey, I figure that's enough. It's moving, I'm allowed to take a breath every now and then.

Oooops

2010-03-01T22:31:00.002-05:00

Okay, well, I only got 5 pages done (though I may get up in the middle of the night and write some more). I've got two good excuses. One, my math was all screwed up. I don't actually have to write 20 pages a day, it's more like 11.666666 pages a day.The other was that it was our 35th wedding anniversary, and since Richie had to take his sister to the airport in the big city (70 miles away) it

More Blitzing

2010-02-28T20:27:00.002-05:00

20 pages. And not even a nap. I paused long enough to watch the hockey game (Oh, Canada!) and even ran a crapload of vegetable through the food processor so Richie could make mega pasta sauce. I loaded software into my computer, scanned and cropped five pictures of my recently deceased MIL, typed in the changes to her obit and send everything off to the funeral home.And then went back to

Day 3 of The Blitz

2010-02-27T21:38:00.001-05:00

So, magnificent creature that I am, I wrote eleven pages, visited The Mother, came back, wrote a bit more, took a nap, watched my tivo'd skating, then came back and wrote more. A total of 23 pages, so that makes up for the 18 yesterday and puts me one ahead!I am the Iron Maiden.

Best Laid Plans

2010-02-26T20:16:00.002-05:00

Well, they oft go aglay or however Robert Burns put it (and I, a Scot, should know -- shame on me). I got up, went straight to the computer and did a fast 18 pages. Then realized I felt like crap. Dragged myself down to see my mother (because she's 95 and I'm all she has and I'm a Good Girl) and called the health center for her appointments and then realized I might have a low grade bladder

Oh ... My ... God

2010-02-25T20:46:00.004-05:00

I realize I've been wretched about posting, but I hate to natter on without a good reason. Now I've got a reason.I just realized I have to write at least 335 pages between now and March 15. That's an average of twenty pages a day. Then, when I'm finished that I have to write a proposal and a ten thousand word novelette by March 31. And then I have to write a 75k book by June 1st or DIE.Was I

Cabbages and Kings

2010-01-11T12:32:00.001-05:00

Occasionally, just occasionally, really good things happen. We had one of those things happen this weekend, when my darling son had the great wisdom to ask his girlfriend of a year and a half to marry him. Erin is a fabulous girl (woman) and hey, she comes complete with the most adorable baby who already calls me Grandma Krissie. So we're happy campers here at the Castello del Ohlroggio. Such

It's done!!!

2009-10-31T18:20:00.002-04:00

OH ... my ... god! It's done. 40 pages today, including 7 pages between 4 and 5 this morning. Now I have to wake Jenny up so we can go eat. I am a total and complete goddess. I've written 123 pages since I got here (three days plus the travel day from hell) and I'm ready to drink champagne and party like it's 1999.Except that Jenny's asleep and Lani's taken Sweetness and Light out for

DAYS LIKE THIS

2009-10-30T20:29:00.003-04:00

So yesterday dawned bright and early. I curled up in my recliner and began to write, watching the sun glint off the Ohio River. It went more slowly than I wanted, but you know, I had to stop and visit for at least a tiny while. The dogs came in to keep me company, I nibbled on cinnamon bagels and whole grain goldfish, and finally exhaustion overtook me and I dragged my sorry ass in for a nap.

Update

2009-10-29T10:52:00.003-04:00

Well, after a travel day from hell (cancelled flights, long delays, squeaking onto a plane after being on standby) I got to Jenny's. We had our traditional welcome home meal at IHOP, hugs and kisses when I got home, and then I curled up in the living room and wrote ten pages before I fell asleep. I've been up since a little after nine, writing like crazy, when a paddlewheel steamer just went by

2009-10-26T12:19:00.002-04:00

I've got the killer of all schedules right now. A book due at the end of the week, then two months to finish another book, then two and a half months to write a brand new one. It's totally insane.However, I'm currently in a white hot frenzy of inspiration -- I actually WANT to write (usually I prefer having written to the actual act of writing) and there's nothing I like more than immersing

Deep Thoughts

2009-10-06T11:06:00.003-04:00

I recently wrote a wailing, self-pitying post on a private bulletin board I'm on. A safe place, where I can express such fears. And I wrote:I'm afraid I'm going to die before I finish the books I want to write.I'm afraid my husband and I will never again .....I'm afraid I'm about to sink into a depression.I'm afraid of the IRS.I'm afraid I'm going to be a slave to someone I'm not going to name in

Fun and Games

2009-07-20T11:22:00.002-04:00

I've been searching the web but I can't find pictures. I had a fabulous time at RWA, but I'm afraid my fabulous-ness was visual. When asked to host the awards ceremony I had to promise to behave. I have absolutely not idea why people think I'll be inappropriate but I promised I'd stick to the script.But ... people expect better things from me. So I said to Laura Hayden, the magnificent director,

Come on Barbie, Let's go Party

2009-07-13T08:32:00.000-04:00

It's RWA time again. This week a thousand romance writers, from someone who just thinks maybe she might want to write a book some day, all the way up to the Goddess of us all, Nora Roberts, will converge on Washington, DC to party down, give speeches, see old friends, make other old friends feel inadequate, eat too much, dance our asses off at the Harlequin party, and basically spend the week not

PECKING ORDER

2009-06-22T08:24:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. RWA (Romance Writers of America) is having their annual conference, this time in Washington, DC. If you're a romance writer, published or aspiring, you shouldn't miss it. If you're a reader and anywhere near the area you should come on in for the largest book-signing in the world (probably), with everyone you love there. Check this out for details and start

TIRED

2009-06-17T21:09:00.000-04:00

It's been a hell of a week, which is why my blog is going up late. Jenny-my-niece (as opposed to Jenny Crusie) has flown back here

LOOKING BACK

2009-04-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

Thirty-five years ago this month my life was changed forever. I was twenty-five years old and my first book was published. It was a gothic romance, published by a subsidiary of Ballantine, and suddenly everything was magic. There it was, the cover with the ingenue in the front, the big old house in the background with one light on in the window. It was written in the

The Trip Winds Down

2009-04-13T13:50:00.000-04:00

We're in the Kabuki Hotel in Japantown, winding down our trip. We can see our daughter's apartment building from our balcony, yesterday the Cherry Blossom Festival was in full swing, and for breakfast this morning we had fresh California strawberries and pastries from one of the many bakeries nearby. Yum!While I'm here I'm going to use the deep Japanese bathtub (you sit on a little stool and

The Big Apple

2009-03-23T15:51:00.000-04:00

Hmmmph. Forgot all about blogging today. Today I dragged my sorry ass out of bed at 3:25 am, threw on some clothes and drove 65 miles to the airport. Got on a plane to NYC, arrived and had the taxi ride from hell (I was getting car sick). An hour to drive 1/4 mile (the driver couldn't figure out where to go). I still gave him money, the poor sweetie.But the blessed hotel let me check in early and

Almost Done

2009-03-09T09:46:00.001-04:00

I gotta finish my book today. The new historical, working title HEARTLESS, is so utterly delicious, and I don't have time to blog. So instead I'll give you a sneak peak at my hero, Francis Rohan. Let me know what you think. He's a Very Bad Man who's not nearly as wicked as he thinks he is or tries to be. And trust me, redemption is around the corner.Francis Alistair St. Claire Dominic Charles

Mental Health

2009-02-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

So, yes, I'm adorable. If you have any doubts, check this out:You can find more on Youtube.And I'm delighted to announce that DOGS AND GODDESSES has been on the New York Times Extended list for two weeks, which is really quite delightful. I love that book, and apparently other people do too (it got starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal).I've been listening to my books on audio

Home again

2009-02-16T09:41:00.001-05:00

The life of the New York Times Bestseller (yes, we hit #29!) returns to normal. The mini-book tour is at an end, the Goddess Reunion is over (we spent our last night rolling on the floor over Big Trouble (the Dave Barry movie) and Tropic Thunder (we have no class but damn, it was brilliant).We took off the next day after a delicious breakfast, I had a belated Valentine's Day dinner with my

2009-02-01T22:06:00.002-05:00

I've collaborated again. This time with Jenny Crusie and Lani Diane Rich, and we had absolutely the best time in the world. We met in an apartment in Greenwich Village, at Jenny's magic house in an enchanted forest, and on-line, and the three of us cobbled together a strange and wondrous tale of three women who discovered they are destined to be goddesses, the first sign being that their dogs

Sandwich Generation

2009-01-26T09:21:00.000-05:00

So did you think I got my office cleaned out? Ha! I got half the desk cleared off where I make my jewelry, plus emptied one banker's box that held some of my old Signet books (my agent has received interest from Thailand, of all places, for Nightfall and Moonrise and the like). But that's it. Nothing in my bedroom either, which is worse.I did, however, write thirty

Cleaning House

2009-01-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

So is everyone feeling as energized as I am? Everywhere I turn good things are happening -- the miracle on the Hudson, the miracle in Washington. Hope is all around, and I'm ready to jump in, feet first.The world seems like a wonderful place, and I don't have to go anywhere to take advantage of it.But first things first -- time to declutter. I wanted to upload a photo of my horrendously messy

Ho Ho Ho

2008-12-21T16:23:00.005-05:00

I once found some Christmas flannel with Christmas trees and "Ho ho ho" written on it, and I proceeded to make my children some Christmas nightwear, because I am undoubtedly a Christmas Ho. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention and their nightshirts said "oh oh oh".They didn't notice, thank God.It's Christmas! Most definitely, most officially. My darling daughter is braving sleet and several

You got to put up a fight

2008-11-12T12:10:00.002-05:00

I'm still celebrating. I heard this on Vin Scelsa's radio program and loved it, so I'm passing it on to you guys. It's great on the car radio -- you turn it up full blast, open your sun roof and pump your fist as you sing along.In fact, the entire album (Rebel Rockers by Michael Franti and Spearhead) is wonderful.Power to the Peaceful.

Cheap Fun

2008-11-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

So in less than a week the world has suddenly become a vastly better place. Even people of differing politcal viewpoints pretty much agree on that.But ... our economy is still in the crapper and that's not going to change quickly. We're in a mess and we're all going to have to be doing our part. I see it kind of like WW II, when everyone had to sacrifice to get things right. Fortunately we don't

YIPPEE!!!!

2008-11-05T10:55:00.002-05:00

Of course. Could you ever have had any doubts? I am so thrilled with last night's election results, thrilled with this country. We've finally lived up to our potential. We've had a gracious loser,a winner who's changed the face of our country forever, for the better.I'm in the midst of a hot writing streak, but for today I have to stop and celebrate. Days like this don't come along too often

Done

2008-09-16T11:25:00.002-04:00

I got so caught up the effing book that I forgot to post. I finished in a blaze of glory, came back home (hobbled back home), spent three days on revisions and then sent it off. And because it was so late my Darling Baby Boy Editor (or DBBE) says it's nicely creepy and he only has a few notes. Such a sweet boy!So now I'm sitting here with ice on my knee, ready to start on my fabulous historical

Day 3

2008-09-06T23:15:00.002-04:00

Out of bed around 9:30, ate mini-croissants and drank DC. Keyed in changes and wrote another new scene for Chapter four, giving me five new pages, then off to have lunch with writer friends. I'm limping around like Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein, popping ibuprofen and tylenol like made, and it's not doing any good, so I stopped and bought a heating pad on the way back to the hotel.I was so

Day 2 afternoon

2008-09-05T16:55:00.002-04:00

So we're at 27 pages so far. I downloaded Nick Cave's Murder Ballads and they're so freaking creepy that I'm going to have a hard time getting them out of my head when this book is done.Our heroine has finally gotten her shit together and decided to leave her husband when, like Bluebeard's wife, she discovers proof that he's the serial killer. Now she's got to rescue her daughter and kill her

Day 2

2008-09-05T11:11:00.001-04:00

Dragged my sorry ass out of bed at 9:30, grabbed a DC from the fridge and finished the read-through. Now I'm off for a huge breakfast since I didn't have dinner, then swing by the grocery store and then lock myself in again.The page counts come next.

Marathon step 2

2008-09-04T22:20:00.001-04:00

So it's now 10:21 pm, I've gotten to page 200, and I'm exhausted. I've eaten a package of mini-croissants and half a bag of potato chips, had a Diet Coke, a bottle of water and two mugs of Diet Lemonade, went swimming, sat in the hot tub because I'm full of aches and pains, and now I'm going to go to sleep.(Dinner, you ask? Who needs dinner when you've got junk food?)The book's better than I

The Time has come

2008-09-04T14:43:00.002-04:00

So I jumped into my car and drove 70 miles to the elegant Burlington (VT) Sheraton. I'm all settled in -- I had to go out to buy a new lap desk since I forgot mine and my computer's too heavy on my legs.Also had to get the necessities of life -- potato chips and whole grain Goldfish and croissants and Diet Coke and light lemonade (plus pitcher and mug and straws), plus some water. And now I'm

The End

2008-09-01T10:38:00.000-04:00

The end of what, you may ask. The end of the first draft of SILVER FALLS. I've been slaving away like a madwoman, tearing my hair, rewriting and rethinking and looking at it sideways and upside down. But we're coming into the homestretch. I've

Endings and Beginnings

2008-08-25T10:39:00.000-04:00

It's a time for a lot of things to end. Summer, for one thing. It's getting cool here in Northern Vermont, and there are splashes of color all around. There wasn't much of a summer at all -- nothing but rain -- but the clear cool days of fall remind us all why we live here.It was also the end for a dear friend of mine, Lewis Hill, a writer and a mentor. He was one of the loveliest people I've

More Good Times

2008-08-11T14:09:00.003-04:00

My darlings -- I'm back from San Francisco, crippled to the max (someone remind me when I have a bad knee, not to bound onstage dancing with joy). I'm hot on the trail of SILVER FALLS, which is due in a horrifying short time, but thanks to the help of Jenny Crusie and Lani Diane Rich I'm very clear on what I'll be doing and I should be able to just charge right ahead.And here's the delicious news

Wahoo!!!!

2008-08-04T13:29:00.001-04:00

I won!!! I got the RITA from the Romance Writers of America for Best Ro mantic Suspense (think Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) for ICE BLUE. Japanese-American assassin hero, Japanese setting, sex and violence and rock and roll. Hey, life is good!So let me tell you how ICE BLUE got to win a RITA. I entered three books -- THE UNFORTUNATE MISS FORTUNES with Eileen

Channeling my Inner Barbie

2008-07-19T10:41:00.005-04:00

It's conference time, and I've been busy channeling my inner Barbie. I'm not a girly girl kind of person, and I'm not a jock. I guess, in fact, I'm a drama queen, who likes dress up and fantasy except for most of my life when it's jeans and tee shirts. But when it comes time for the RWA National Conference it's glitz and glamour (if I'm in the mood).So I've been shopping on eBay for strange

I love Alan Rickman

2008-06-24T14:34:00.001-04:00

So I love Alan Rickman. This should come as no surprise -- any writer with taste would adore him. The snark, the wit, the elegance just make him absolutely delicious. I've used him as a hero in countless books and novellas (the impossibly hard to find novella in Avon's TO LOVE AND CHERISH would be the most obvious). I always use Richard Thompson as my sound track to any book that features Alan

Conundrum

2008-05-26T12:46:00.001-04:00

So here I am, spinning my wheels. I've been circling the new book, SILVER FALLS, like a suspicious Rottweiler sniffing at the butt of a Doberman. I've written chapters, tossed them, notebooks full of notes, I understand my characters, and I find the story fascinating. It was inspired by the fact that Ted Bundy lived with a woman and her daughter during part of his killing spree and never touched

Good Times

2008-05-12T10:48:00.001-04:00

So life has suddenly become splendid. I became fat, fair and sixty at Disney World (one of my favorite places in the world) along with my kids and my husband. We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside, which was gorgeous, I scooted around on a little scooter (the knee's still bad from the surgery) and struck terror in the heart of bus drivers with my parking skills, I rode lovely rides (favorites

Mort's Comic

2008-03-17T13:18:00.001-04:00

Mort (Maggie Shayne) had a house fire a few weeks ago, and she's been an absolute goddess coming to terms with it, helping the workers rip out the burned stuff and making her home her own again.But her stuffed critters got pretty well smoked, so I decided she needed a plushy to make her life complete, and of course it would have to be a vampire, and of course, since it's from me, it has to be

Knees and Berninas and Snow (Oh My)

2008-03-10T12:23:00.001-04:00

Blogger's not working for me today either. I wanted to upload a photo of my Bernina 1000 (I decided to call her Bernadette, not for Bernadette of Lourdes but for the song by the Four Tops) but the internet was being stubborn.But let me tell you about Phantom, the gray cat whose picture showed up last time.He arrived at our house last winter, slipping through the darkness like a ghost. We

Ohio part deux

2008-02-10T00:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it's actually a day three but what the hell. Yesterday we sat around the living room, hashing out plot points for Dogs and Goddesses and I had an epiphany about Abby, my heroine. We ate cookies and went shopping and came back and worked up a podcast on Lani's Will Write for Wine podcast series (available for free on iTunes). Today we dragged out butts out of bed, ate at Red Robin and

Ohio

2008-02-07T23:19:00.001-05:00

Finally made it here. For those of you who read Jenny Crusie's blog, you know that she and Lani and I have been daydreaming about our perfect writing and living commune, know as Clitoris. I was expecting them to greet me at the airport with a large sign saying Welcome to Clitoris and shocking the hell out of the businessmen but they were well-behaved and whisked me off to IHop, land of

Detour at O'Hare

2008-02-06T17:22:00.000-05:00

So the best laid plans of divas oft go aglay (or whatever). I'm sitting in a hotel 6 miles from O'Hare while Jenny and Lani get to have fun without me. Not fair. I thought I was so clever getting out of Burlington in the midst of a heavy snow storm. I didn't stop to consider that Chicago would be even worse.Grumble.No meds, no clean clothes, just my trusty computer and me. At least they do

Off to Ohio

2008-02-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

Not quite as cool as off to see the Wizard (of OZ = Australia) but still cool, because I get to go spend time with Jenny Cruisie and Lani Diane Rich in the magic house by the river. We'll work our butts off on Dogs and Goddesses, eat at IHop, go to Hobby Lobby almost every single day (interspersed with great quilt and fabric stores) and generally have a fabulous time. And I absolutely can't

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T11:11:00.000-05:00

I know, I promised 25 days of Christmas and once more I went MIA. First there was the fried Mac computer (better known as Apple Crisp). Then there was the decision to crash a book (which means writing it as fast as you possibly can). And then there was life.But I'm back, and one of my many New Year's Resolutions is to post at least once a week here.First off, no resolutions about my career.

Christmas Day 7,8 & 9

2007-12-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm unreliable. I've been finishing up my Christmas novella (CLAUS AND EFFECT) and working on the collaboration (DOGS AND GODDESSES) and haven't been keeping up with my Christmas-y duties. I made Richie put a new electric outlet on the landing so I can put a Christmas lamp on the window there (which get surrounded by tiny Christmas Cabbage Patch Kids that came from McDonalds Happy Meals

Christmas Day 5 & 6

2007-12-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

OK, so I got a little distracted last night. It happens to the best of us. I ended up running around being dutiful daughter and good wife and mother and didn't get any work done, but I hauled out the Laurel Burch Christmas quilt (pictures to come) and today I had Tim bring up the thirteen boxes of Christmas decorations (not counting the five still downstairs for the tree). I got about five

Christmas Day 4

2007-12-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

My darlings! I went searching on the internet and found a treasure trove of J-rock Christmas songs to download -- ones I'd never heard of. Ah, such joy!Fifteen pages of the Christmas novella today, working hard. Today I'm wearing green with embroidered wreaths on it -- I'm such a Christmas whore. I got tapped to provide the entertainment for our church luncheon on Saturday so I'm coming up

Christmas Day 3

2007-12-03T15:05:00.000-05:00

My darlings! Well, first of all I wrote 18 pages on the Christmas novella. No rest for the wicked. It took me till 2 pm because I had to keep stopping for email and a game or two of solitaire, but they're solid pages. It'll be done this week.And while doing that I uploaded a bunch of Christmas CDs to my computer while I listened to them. Hall and Oates were a little too rambunctious for me

Christmas Day 1 & 2

2007-12-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

My darlings! OK, so I already fell down on my promise to blog every day, but I've been doing my Christmas duty. Yesterday I went over to Sally's house and sorted through my Christmas fabric -- I'm going to make a quick Christmas throw for my mother out of Debbie Mumm Christmas teapot fabric. Tried to get the Xmas carol clock up and running but alas, no AAs, but in the meantime I hauled more

25 Days of Christmas

2007-11-30T13:53:00.000-05:00

My darlings! I'm turning over a new leaf, and since Christmas is my favorite time of year, even when I'm depressed, I decided to blog for the 25 days of Christmas, starting tomorrow. I've got my work cut out for me. I have to finish a Christmas novella (9 pages today so far, almost half done), sew my little heart out, deal with negotiations for a new collaboration, figure out how to reinvent

SEASONS OF CHANGE

2007-10-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

My darlings! You can tell by the picture that I'm feeling crazed, anxious and depressed. I'll try to always give you a hint of how I'm feeling.Five Reasons Why I'm CAD (crazed, anxious and depressed)1. My new book, ICE STORM, is coming out and the print run is, shall we say, not what I would have hoped for. Shall we say, appalling? And it's the book of my heart -- one of my most favorite

The last days of Reno

2007-10-03T17:29:00.000-04:00

So actually it was only 10 days. 13 pages on Monday, 7 lousy ones on Tuesday that I had to keep rewriting, and then an utterly fabulous 33 today. The draft is done, and it's a great, marvelous, brilliant, flawed, shaggy mess which I will now proceed to whip into shape. It's a little short, but like Elmore Leonard I try to leave out the stuff people skip. I should know how good it is by Friday

Reno Day 7

2007-10-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

So we ended up with thirteen pages yesterday. Brings me to 177 pages in under two weeks, with a bladder infection and a overnight conference and speech in between. My power knows no limit! Well, yes it does, since I can't make my career do what I want. But at least I can write the best books I possibly can, and just let go of the rest. It makes you insane if you let it.Actually yesterday,

Reno has a day of rest, Day 6

2007-09-30T12:26:00.000-04:00

So I got up and did my little talk (giving far too much information) and then took off, heading back home in hopes of getting Reno and company out of the showdown in one piece. Unfortunately for them I was just burned out, so I lay down and watched hours of tivo'd tv (some ok, some brilliant ) and remembered how incredibly luscious Will Yun Lee is (on Bionic Woman -- quelle opening!)That's what

Reno Meets God, Day 5

2007-09-28T17:19:00.000-04:00

14 excellent pages this morning (to page 304) and then I took off and arrived at the Episcopal retreat center. My room is like a cell (nun-like, not prisoner-like) and it's got narrow beds and a cross on the wall. Not so sure I can get Reno's pants off in a situation like this. (I'm at the retreat for the League of Vermont Writers, where I'm giving a talk on romance writing). I have to hike a

Reno days 2,3, and 4

2007-09-27T17:16:00.000-04:00

I had a good excuse. Tuesday I started out strong, wrote some, tore it out, wrote again. I had to write a love scene, and it wasn't coming together at all. Finally packed up my Clairefontaine notebook, my favorite pens, my iPod, and a folding chair and headed down to Dougie's beach. There are many places on the lake where I can write, but too may leafer peepers were lurking, and I needed

The Twelve (more or less) Days of Reno

2007-09-24T09:15:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm impossibly evil, but I'm on a deadline, and I want you all to suffer along with me. So I'm bringing my initial post over from Storybroads ad then I'll continue on, blow by excruciating blow, until Reno finally triumphs.I'm in the throes of deadline dementia -- that state of insanity that takes over your life when you're finishing a book, whether it's overdue or not. And this one is

Australia and New Zealand

2007-08-17T06:11:00.000-04:00

We're in New Zealand now, where the people are equally as lovely as the Aussies but the weather leaves something to be desired, as does the hotel room (previously inhabited by a smoker). But it's still great to be here.Before we left Sydney we went to the wild animal exhibit -- wallabies and koalas and reptiles and spiders. Jenny's and my favorite spot was the butterfly garden, where I fell in