The Vacation that Wasn't

Vacation: a time to relax and enjoy yourself. No cooking or cleaning, not things I must do, no one to tell me when to eat and where to be. It was a nice dream.

I just recently returned from Hilton Head, South Carolina. And my non-vacation. Unfortunately I spent two days in my hotel room on my bed watching TV. The beach was only two blocks away, but it might as well as been a thousand. I never even saw it. Yep, the dreaded neck injury while I slept ocurred in the wee hours of Thursday morning. I'm talking about spasms and excruciating pain that kept me screaming whenever I moved the wrong way.

This was my first few days off since Christmas and I had such plans. I was going to sun and swim, read and draw, and just enjoy every moment with my daughter. Didn't happen. Didn't get to eat crab legs or drink beer, shop or read or draw or swim. But I did see the Hilton Head hospital and all the really nice people there. Got muscle relaxants and a sling to release the pressure on my neck.

There is a truism here that has been brought home to me. When you have your health, you truly have everything. I'm doing better and should be fine in enough time to go back to work on monday. Goody. Life is indeed a bitch sometimes.

Six Weeks and Counting!

Here is the house and it's beautiful. It definitely deserves the Snoopy Dance!! Each day, they do something more to the inside and it's really starting to look like a home. It may have taken Centex Homes to erect this house in four months, but it's been twenty years in the making for me. I've reached a lot of goals this year. Had a lot of hardship, but I had faith--one of the hardest things to do. For you see it or touch. It just is. Thank you God for listening, thank you all for reading. I'm truly blessed.

Harper's Ferry Retreat

I was out of the loop this past weekend as I took a trip into the wilds of West Virginia. Every year Washington Romance Writers hold a retreat in the mountain of Harper's Ferry where the Rappahannock and the Potomac Rivers meet. I've snapped a few pictures for you to see the granduer of the place. It's such a quiet and peaceful place to be. We ate, attended workshops, drank a little wine, and reacquainted ourselves with the joy of writing. Can't wait until next year.

Birthday Month

Yes, I believe that if your birthday falls on the first of the month, you have the right to claim the whole month as your birthday month. I intend to celebrate my birthday for the whole month of May. Here are some tidbits about May birthdays.

Birthstone - emerald (characteristic is love), flower is Hawthorn, Lily of the Valley

Here are some interesting facts about birthdays.

In England, when you reach 80, 90 or 100 years of age, you receive a telegram from the Queen.
In Japan, usually only the birthdays of 60, 70, 79, 88, and 99 rate gifts. Also, gifts consisting of less than ten items in a set should be given in odd numbers (tea cups are sold in sets of five). Avoid the numbers 4 and 9 in general. White gift wrap is associated with death (so is four of something).
Germans take birthdays seriously, sometimes receiving a half-day of vacation. Flowers and wine are common gifts among friends.
In China, small birthday gifts are given by family and friends. Age 30 is considered becoming an adult (there's quite a celebration). For men, age 60 is usually combined with retirement (for those doing physical labor). Don't give clocks as gifts (the Mandarin word for clock is similar to one for death). Avoid wrapping the gift using white, black or blue colors.
The French and Italian celebrate Name Days more so than birthdays.
In India, black and white gift wrapping is considered unlucky.
In the Islamic world, green is a good color to use for wrapping.
In Korea, the two most important birthdays are the 100th day and the 60th year.

Tam

My daughter has been doing some oragami. I bought her an oragami calendar and she's been making all different kinds of shapes. Tonight though, she brought in what she is calling Tam. You take pieces and you can make different shapes with them by assembling in different patterns. I thought it was cool. What do you think?

It's Framed!

Omygosh - do you see this? It's framed and the roof is on. I'm beside myself with excitement. I walked through the house with the windows in, the door on, the fireplace in and the rooms framed. I'm imagining what it will look like when everything is done. Since I've been through the model, it's not hard to think about what my house will look like. This is amazing. I've also included a picture of the porch and entry door of the model. This is what it will eventually look like. I'm planning my garden now. Can't wait to get dirty.

I'm still pinching myself!

Are You Superstitious?

The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia. There are many myths surrounding the fear of Friday the 13th. It's considered bad luck for 13 people to sit down to a meal, Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Adam supposedly ate the apple on Friday, ancient man could only count to 12, and so on. But the most interesting tidbit I found is this story: One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again. Every year has at least one and at most three Fridays the 13th, with 48 occurences in 28 years an average of 1.7 times per year. Some famous people who were born on Friday the 13th are Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Fidel Castro, and Steve Buscemi.

Dragonriders of Pern Fly

Looks like the Dragonriders of Pern will be getting their own movie. I've been waiting a long time to see them up on the big screen. After the leaps and bounds that were made in bringing Jurassic Park to the screen, I had hopes that Pern wouldn't be far behind. I've read recently that a Canadian company is going to make the film and that Anne McCaffrey is very happy with the script and them. I sure hope they do a good job. It'll be very disappointing if they don't. I'll be eagerly waiting for the release sometime in 2008.

New Contract

I just received word from my agent that Harlequin Blaze has bought the first book in a three book trilogy. Yipppeeee! It's time for an all out Snoopy Dance. It feels great to be under contract again. The trilogy is called Undercover Lovers. The tentative title for the novel is Going Ballistic, but most titles end up changing. I usually get to suggest them and my editor usually likes what I come up with, so we'll see what happens. Good news.

Oops! It's Really Urban Fantasy

Okay, I just posted on dark fantasy. After re-reading an e-mail from my agent, it seems that what I'm really writing is urban fantasy. So, how can an author who has been reading Kim Harrison, Laurell K., and Jackie Kessler not realize what urban fantasy is? Geez Louise. I love this stuff. I can't get enough of it. So, I'm thinking my subconcious took over and I plotted myself an urban fantasy without even realizing it. I say, go me! But, after thinking this, I realize that I'm going up against the above authors who are amazing at this. I'm going to have to bring my A game here. But I think I have a winner. Here's the tagline to my novel.

A banished goddess and a prince of the underworld

join forces to battle an evil so old

even the gods have forgotten its name.

I've decided to rethink the whole thing and give it my all. After all, if I'm going to be in the company of Kim, Laurell, and Jackie, I'd better really bring my A+ game.

Dark Fantasy

I'm in the process of developing a single title proposal. When I started this project, I had originally conceived it as a superhero novel. Well. . .it's still a superhero novel, but I noticed recently that a certain publisher is actively seeking dark fantasy. Hmmm, I thought, my superhero novel fits into fantasy, but what exactly is dark fantasy? I googled, of course, and this is how Wikipedia describes it, "Dark fantasy is a subgenre that combines elements of fantasy, including marvelous abilities, with those of horror." Okay, my novel doesn't really have horror elements. Then, I thought, since I'm not such a big horror fan (except for movies like The Mummy and The Mummy Returns), what are the elements of horror.

Horror by it's very nature wants to make the reader fearful, repulsed, and feel helpless. Fantasy on the other hand includes supernatural or magic. But horror can also encompass these elements. Just pick up a Stephen King novel.

Dark fantasy is then more stylized. In character, dark fantasy explores the nature of evil and the darker side of human nature, but the characters are heroic. They face the dangers in the novel to save others and possess special skills, knowledge or power. In Setting, the world is fantastic or supernatural. Examples can range from Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series to the subtle magic of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the action-comedy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you start out in a world where vampires or ghosts or magic are treated as a "normal" occurance by the characters, it's a fantasy world. In plot, the characters usually don't die.

After studying all these elements, I realized that I had a dark fantasy in the making. My character does explore the nature of evil and has to fight a dark side, she is heroic and cares more about protecting the people under her care, she has special skills, knowledge and power, and, although, she dies metophorically, she doesn't really die. Hot damn, I'd already plotted and planned this whole novel as a dark fantasy.

I can't wait to actually start writing it.

New House and New Employee

Here is the foundation of my new home. I took this picture today while showing my new employee and new friend Amy my lot. Amy's been with me at my new job since March 20 and it's been an absolute pleasure to have her. We've really clicked and she's such a hard worker and a team player, I know that nothing will be too hard for us to complete in the coming months. It was nice to share this with her and also with you all. I still pinch myself sometimes when I realize this will be a real house come July 3 when I get my keys.

There will be a celebration that day.

Romance Buy The Book

Hey, check me out. I'm guest blogging at Romance Buy the Book. Michelle Buonfiglio is such a great advocate for romance. She visited us last year at the Washington Romance Writer's Retreat in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia and her talk was so inspirational, I asked her about featuring me on her site. We've invited her back this year. She's such a sweetie!

Visit www.romancebuythebook.com to see my guest spot and to check out all that Michelle does on her blog. You'll want to come back often.

Why I love writing category romance: Mixing Business with Pleasure

I have written many books for Harlequin and I love it. In addition to providing millions of readers with escape, there are many other reasons why I’ve stayed with my category roots even with thoughts of single title success dancing in my head. Category romance is lucrative and the fact that Harlequin Enterprises sell more than 4 books per second and about ½ of those sales are international isn’t the main reason that I write category. It is the business part, an important part, if you want to feed your family and make a living. But, there’s a crucial part to writing category romance that fills my well everyday and that’s the pleasure part. I can begin by telling you that first and foremost, the most pleasure I receive from writing category romance comes from the readers. The unique and special bond that exists between us fuels my prose and my attempts to hone my craft everyday. When a reader writes to tell me that my book got her through her fight with cancer, the thought that I could make such a powerful impact touched me on a very deep level. I have a duty to write the best book I can for the people who want to continue to read them.

Category can be amazingly flexible. The lines evolve with the times. The author has the freedom of writing in a variety of story directions as long as the author remains true to the line guidelines. The versatility of the lines creates many opportunities for authors to write what their imagination dictates and for readers to find the exact kind of story they wish to read.

Category has framework and reader expectation. With the established guidelines for each line, a natural framework evolves, solidifying reader expectation of that particular line. The framework sets a stable foundation source for novels that fulfill all reader expectations. When a reader picks up a line they can be assured they won’t be disappointed.

Category can absorb and incorporate so many elements from so many other genres and still remain true to its form: a) contemporary stories that take place in the modern world, with modern or conventional values; b) historical stories that take place in an earlier time, such as the Regency era or Medieval era; c) alternative reality stories that encompass elements of paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, time travel or horror elements; and d) suspense stories that encompass elements of mystery, espionage, thrillers and suspense novels woven into a romance plot.

In category the shorter format allows the author to focus in on the relationship. Category romance narrows the focus down to two people falling in love in the context of their lives while they work to reach their goals. It’s about the intimacy, the wonder, and the excitement experienced when falling in love.

I love writing category, too, for the people involved in bringing this wonderful art form to life, people who also enjoy the business and pleasure of category romance. These are careers and jobs for them, but they also love the genre, the editors and industry professionals that work tirelessly to shape a novel into the finished product, all those behind the scenes people: typesetters, marketing, production, and art specialists. They are the ones that help us authors to shine and, again, make a sensational product for the readers.

I love the research that goes into each book, the process of learning about a heroine’s job or the city in which she lives. The past of the hero and what motivates him to act the way he does and gives him just that hint of danger. I love delving into each detail to make my novel come alive.

I love writing about the characters—heroines who go after their goals despite all the obstacles standing in their way, heroes we love to love who are flawed and magnificent, and the myriad of secondary characters that add to the richness of the world we’ve created.

Then there is the “The happily ever after.” It is the element that sets this genre apart from all the other genres. When you pick up a romance novel, you don’t have to worry about whether or not it ends happily. It’s a mainstay, a given, inevitable. In the changing world and the stresses that come with it, it’s wonderful to know that this will never change. We can always escape into romance and fall in love all over again and get ourselves that happy ending.

Readers read for the emotion and authors must give it to them. After all, what is a novel without the emotions? It’s a connection, a universal symbiotic relationship between the words on the page and the reader’s heart. It’s what they’re all searching for in a novel. Whether it's a chic lit novel or traditional romance, Harlequin Books Executive Editor Leslie Wainger says romance authors "have to believe in the fantasy because if you don't, you can't fake it." At their core, she says, romances are about emotion. "They're about people falling in love and the reader has to experience the feeling of falling in love and you really can't fake that in fiction any more than you can in life."

And I think Leslie has summed it up. Category romance is about the emotion. We love love. Romance will always remind us how we are subject to forces beyond our control. Category writers will always give readers exactly what they want and that’s the pleasure side of writing category romance. As a category author, that suits me just fine.

A Dream House is Realized

When I moved from Virginia to Raleigh, one of my main goals was to build my own house. I've begun that journey in February and today I walked on my very own foundation on my very own lot. One of the American Dreams is owning your own home. It gives me great pride and satisfaction to have made this dream a reality. Working hard, making hard decisions, and making sacrifices is nothing compared to the feeling I'll get when I receive those keys and walk into my first house. What a thrill that will be. As my house goes up, I'll keep you posted on my continuing journey.

A Wish For Friends

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after showers—

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours—

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through!

What do pastries have to do with it?

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. Some of you are probably wondering why I named my blog Romance Cupcake. Yes, I have a reason and it's a good reason. I'm pretty much a creampuff. I don't do controversy. I'm here to talk about the things that I like with a positive attitude. You won't see me bashing anyone or anything. I might have some strong opinions, but I usually have a very positive attitude. I'm here to have fun. So, I'll feature stuff about romance, love, current events, my book releases, (gotta get in those shameless plugs), books I'm reading, will read, and books I think you might like. I'll also be giving away prizes when I hold contests or giveaways. Stay tuned for my very first contest coming up soon.