I'll be at a book signing/concert at the Elmira Barnes and Noble, Saturday 12/11/10! Be there and hear the Finger Lakes Women's Chorale singing excerpts from our Many Moods of Christmas concert, plus pick up a copy of both Mike's Best Bet and What Ian Wants! I'll be signing with Lisa Hill (Loving Purity) and Carol Henry (The Amazon Connection). We'll also have a couple of baskets to raffle, and they alone are worth the trip!
In other news, Charming Dave, the third in my At The End Zone series, is now in the hands of my editor!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What Ian Wants, Romantic Times review
Ian earned four stars from Romantic Times Book Club! I'm so excited!
Four stars! "This book has a great storyline, believable characters and a love story that takes its time to develop. Visually stimulating scenes allow the reader to feel and see everything that takes place. The author gives readers a chance to grow with the characters and experience first hand."
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Charming Dave
Yes! Finally I can announce that the third book in the At The End Zone series, Charming Dave, is done! At least I have a complete first draft. Now come the revisions. I've got to get rid of 45 to 55 pages. Piece of cake, right?
The title, Charming Dave, is a new title. The working title was Dealing With Dave, but Dave ended up being too charming and wonderful.
Don't forget that Mike's Best Bet and What Ian Wants, books one and two of the series, are still available from Amazon and from thewildrosepress.com. There's also a free read up at The Wild Rose Press, with characters from the series, that you don't want to miss, called Bobby's Girl. It makes more sense after What Ian Wants.
So excited about Charming Dave!
The title, Charming Dave, is a new title. The working title was Dealing With Dave, but Dave ended up being too charming and wonderful.
Don't forget that Mike's Best Bet and What Ian Wants, books one and two of the series, are still available from Amazon and from thewildrosepress.com. There's also a free read up at The Wild Rose Press, with characters from the series, that you don't want to miss, called Bobby's Girl. It makes more sense after What Ian Wants.
So excited about Charming Dave!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Book Signing
Booksigning on Friday the 20th at the Barnes and Noble in Greece, NY, 7 PM!
I'll be signing both Mike's Best Bet and What Ian Wants!
I'll be signing both Mike's Best Bet and What Ian Wants!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Free read is up!
"Bobby's Girl" a short story set in The End Zone, is up at thewildrosepress.com. Check it out!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Toni Blake's Destiny series
Back and feverishly finishing Some Like It Lukewarm. I'd rather be finishing Dealing With Dave, which is almost done!
Found a new to me author to love - Toni Blake and her Destiny series. Even though Destiny sounds like it would be a paranormal romance, it's actually a small town set, contemporary romance. According to some of the agents I heard speak, this is the kind of series they're looking to represent. Hmmmm. Who else has a series that's contemporary and set in a small town?
Found a new to me author to love - Toni Blake and her Destiny series. Even though Destiny sounds like it would be a paranormal romance, it's actually a small town set, contemporary romance. According to some of the agents I heard speak, this is the kind of series they're looking to represent. Hmmmm. Who else has a series that's contemporary and set in a small town?
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Good bye RWA!
So, this is the last night of RWA. I went to every agent/editor panel I could find. I met some new friends and saw some familiar faces. I was happily surprised to run into Magdalen Braden and Tracy St. Hillaire, both STAR members. I've got my fingers crossed for Terri Walsh to get her RITA!
The end of the conference is always bittersweet. I've got tons of ideas running around in my head, including the basics of my next book, No Hope in Hell, featuring Hope Monahan from At The End Zone. It'll be a stand alone, though, not an official part of the series. I'm very excited about it. A big part of it will be Hope's Facebook page and blog.
I'm bringing home tons of promo ideas from the goody room to share with my STAR buddies!
I'll first finish my Dave, but that'll have too wait until I've got the second Star Search script written. I'm not excited about that at all. But it has to be done. It would be nice if I actually got paid to write the script, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I'll have a week to write it if I write every free minute I have.
But, I can't wait to share everything I've learned here with the rest of you!
The end of the conference is always bittersweet. I've got tons of ideas running around in my head, including the basics of my next book, No Hope in Hell, featuring Hope Monahan from At The End Zone. It'll be a stand alone, though, not an official part of the series. I'm very excited about it. A big part of it will be Hope's Facebook page and blog.
I'm bringing home tons of promo ideas from the goody room to share with my STAR buddies!
I'll first finish my Dave, but that'll have too wait until I've got the second Star Search script written. I'm not excited about that at all. But it has to be done. It would be nice if I actually got paid to write the script, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. I'll have a week to write it if I write every free minute I have.
But, I can't wait to share everything I've learned here with the rest of you!
Friday, July 30, 2010
My big honkin' RWA report
As always, RWA National is an exercise in balancing being a professional writer and being a fangurl. I have done very well, except when I went through Suzanne Brockmann's line at the Literacy signing and went all fangurl on her.
I've only taken workshops on branding, selling to and working with editors and agents and leadership at the National level. Frankly, being active at the National level is less work than working for STAR.
But, I've got lots of information for Carol Henry about changes in the way we run things. This year is the continuation of the work we began last year.
I've been looking out for my STAR and critique group buds. I've got a list of agents for Lisa.
I saw in person some people I've known online, which has been the biggest thrill. I'm looking at you, Nancy O!
I did get to swim, but the water was too warm to work out in and there were too many kids, even in lap pool. Also, not enough chlorine. There were kids in diapers in that pool. Ummm, yuck.
Met some Wild Rose Press authors at breakfast today and then with some the E-Span authors at a lovely tea. E-Span is a special interest chapter for writers who are published digitally or with small presses. I had a plan about what to do about Wild Rose now wanting shorter stories and going to Print on Demand. Dave is a big book. Even though Rhonda said she'd contract it, she may no because it's long. So, I'm worried, and making plans A, B and C. I've six books in this At The End Zone series.
All in all, I'm having a great time and learning a lot and making some good contacts. The executive director of RWA knows me without looking at my name tag. That's an accomplishment!
The RWA staff has done an awesome job, especially since they had to move the conference at the last minute.
Smoochies to all!
I've only taken workshops on branding, selling to and working with editors and agents and leadership at the National level. Frankly, being active at the National level is less work than working for STAR.
But, I've got lots of information for Carol Henry about changes in the way we run things. This year is the continuation of the work we began last year.
I've been looking out for my STAR and critique group buds. I've got a list of agents for Lisa.
I saw in person some people I've known online, which has been the biggest thrill. I'm looking at you, Nancy O!
I did get to swim, but the water was too warm to work out in and there were too many kids, even in lap pool. Also, not enough chlorine. There were kids in diapers in that pool. Ummm, yuck.
Met some Wild Rose Press authors at breakfast today and then with some the E-Span authors at a lovely tea. E-Span is a special interest chapter for writers who are published digitally or with small presses. I had a plan about what to do about Wild Rose now wanting shorter stories and going to Print on Demand. Dave is a big book. Even though Rhonda said she'd contract it, she may no because it's long. So, I'm worried, and making plans A, B and C. I've six books in this At The End Zone series.
All in all, I'm having a great time and learning a lot and making some good contacts. The executive director of RWA knows me without looking at my name tag. That's an accomplishment!
The RWA staff has done an awesome job, especially since they had to move the conference at the last minute.
Smoochies to all!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
What Ian Wants, out now! Here's an excerpt!
He wore his eagerness to please like a cub
scout wore his first merit badge. Her heart melted a
little more. “Coffee sounds good, but don’t worry
about it.” She reached in her purse. “I can get it.”
“No, I’ll get it. I insist.” He came from around
the table and glommed onto her elbow, then pushed
her into a seat. “Your feet must be aching. Just rest
a second, and I’ll be right back.”
Stunned, Gina had no choice but to do as he
said. Curious about the array of blue books, she
picked one up, one he had already graded. It was all
in French. The questions, the answers, his red pen
comments, all in French.
She couldn’t understand a single word. She felt
like a total doofus.
“Don’t mind those. I’ll gather them up and put
them away.” He placed the large coffee in front of
her, then moved into the booth and started to pick
up the blue books. “I feel like I’m constantly grading
papers. If I don’t keep up, they bury me.” Stuffing
the papers into the open briefcase at his side, Ian
dropped the lid. It landed with a soft thud. He looked
at her, his eyes hopeful. “I don’t know how you take
your coffee, so I brought both cream and sugar.”
Jamming his hands in his pockets, he pulled out
enough packets of sugar to put her in a coma, as well
as a handful of creamers.
She reached for a creamer. “Just cream,
thanks.” It made a hissing sound as she pulled the
wrapper off the top. “What’s up?”
Ian looked away for a moment, pulled the
glasses off his face and cleaned them with a paper
napkin. “There’s no graceful way to ask this.” He
studied his glasses before slipping them back on his
face.
“Why don’t you just spit it out?”
“Right, then.” He nodded. “I need you to marry
me.”
Check it out!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Book Signing
Tomorrow come join me and two of my buddies at a book signing in Vestal at the Barnes and Noble, from 2 to 4. I'm very excited! It's my first book signing. I'll be signing Mike's Best Bet, Carol Henry will be signing her romantic suspense The Amazon Connection and Lisa Hill will be signing her historical novel set in the Regency, Loving Purity.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
reviews
Mike's Best Bet got 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times Book Club! I couldn't see it online, so I called to see why I couldn't log in, and the lovely person on the phone at RT read the review to me. She was very nice!
Anyway, I'm every excited!
Anyway, I'm every excited!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Why Woodiwiss' Shanna is important
Kathleen Woodiwiss' book Shanna is a book which was ahead of its time when it was written. I won't lie, I have re-read Shanna at least once a year since I first found it in 1978.
Romance to that point was full of helpless heroines who were often too stupid to live, and who were the most beautiful, desireable, talented and pure women in the world.
Not Shanna. She was thoroughly a total and unapologetic brat. She has to get past her father's rule to marry or else. She hasn't found a man who is good enough for her, so she goes to the death row of a prison to pick a man, clean him up, marry him and then send him back to face the hangman, all to spite her father who has given her everything she ever wanted. The father is an honest man who only wants some grandchildren. I suppose it would be better if he could birth those grandchildren himself or adopt a couple, but his added sin is to see his daughter settled, married, and most important, happy with her husband as he was happy with her mother. He falls into the category of gruff but loveable parent.
Too bad for her plans that the man her servant chooses cleans up really well - and I do mean REALLY well. The marriage happens but she reneges on the one promise she made to the man, Ruark (I pronounce it Rourke nor Roo-ark, but that's me, to spend one night together as husband and wife. He goes back to gaol and she goes to her father's island in the Caribbean as a widow.
Shanna goes around being one of those totally mean girls who have the best clothes, best father, best everything. Everyone dotes on her, gives her everything she could ever desire, for no other than the fact that she is who she is by birth and not really a nice person.
Then her life gets tough. Ruark didn't meet his appointment with the hangman and ends up an endentured servant on Shanna's dad's island. Once there, he amazes and astounds everyone he meets because he can a) read, b) is a horse whisperer as well as an engineer and c) goes around all day in cut off shorts and no shirt. He is shirtless, tan and buff and sets all the girls hearts a-pumping and their girls parts singing "zing!" He is a perfect man and seriously doesn't deserve Shanna. Did I mention he was seriously hot?
That changes when he rescues her practically single handed by pirates on a nearby island. In the getaway, he saves two of the island's non-pirate inhabitants, destroys the pirate island, and sails the getaway ship by himself with a wood splinter the size of a baseball bat stuck though his thigh.
They survive and Shanna finally sees him as a worthy man and falls in love with him. I kinda wish he had made her grovel, but the perfect man does't make the bratty heroines like Shanna grovel.
There's lots of other stuff that happens on the island, like a murder for which Ruark is framed, an extremely unappealing suitor for Shanna's (remember, everyone thinks she's a widow still and not married to Ruark) and some petty embezzling by another unappealing character. The book is pretty full of action.
There's a happy ending and I'm happy to say Shanna fell in love with Ruark before she finds out that he and his family are richer than the King of England.
To see what I mean compare this book to one of Woodiwiss' earlier books, The Flame and the Flower. The hero (Brandon) is cruel and the heroine (Heather) is vicimized first by her family, then by her guardian, who almost rapes her, to the hero who DOES rape her, the hero's former fiancee who wrote the book about bitchy. The heroine does grow a backbone, the hero shapes up, though never enough for my taste (I hate Brandon Birmingham!) and the mean girl gets betrayed by the man who wants to have Heather for his own. Of course, this guy is completely unappealing, physically and morally, and only wants to be taken seriously as a dress designer. Tim Gunn would be very concerned.
If you haven't read either book, I recommend you youngsters read both books to see where we were and how Woodiwiss pointed us to the future, May she rest in peace.
dka
Romance to that point was full of helpless heroines who were often too stupid to live, and who were the most beautiful, desireable, talented and pure women in the world.
Not Shanna. She was thoroughly a total and unapologetic brat. She has to get past her father's rule to marry or else. She hasn't found a man who is good enough for her, so she goes to the death row of a prison to pick a man, clean him up, marry him and then send him back to face the hangman, all to spite her father who has given her everything she ever wanted. The father is an honest man who only wants some grandchildren. I suppose it would be better if he could birth those grandchildren himself or adopt a couple, but his added sin is to see his daughter settled, married, and most important, happy with her husband as he was happy with her mother. He falls into the category of gruff but loveable parent.
Too bad for her plans that the man her servant chooses cleans up really well - and I do mean REALLY well. The marriage happens but she reneges on the one promise she made to the man, Ruark (I pronounce it Rourke nor Roo-ark, but that's me, to spend one night together as husband and wife. He goes back to gaol and she goes to her father's island in the Caribbean as a widow.
Shanna goes around being one of those totally mean girls who have the best clothes, best father, best everything. Everyone dotes on her, gives her everything she could ever desire, for no other than the fact that she is who she is by birth and not really a nice person.
Then her life gets tough. Ruark didn't meet his appointment with the hangman and ends up an endentured servant on Shanna's dad's island. Once there, he amazes and astounds everyone he meets because he can a) read, b) is a horse whisperer as well as an engineer and c) goes around all day in cut off shorts and no shirt. He is shirtless, tan and buff and sets all the girls hearts a-pumping and their girls parts singing "zing!" He is a perfect man and seriously doesn't deserve Shanna. Did I mention he was seriously hot?
That changes when he rescues her practically single handed by pirates on a nearby island. In the getaway, he saves two of the island's non-pirate inhabitants, destroys the pirate island, and sails the getaway ship by himself with a wood splinter the size of a baseball bat stuck though his thigh.
They survive and Shanna finally sees him as a worthy man and falls in love with him. I kinda wish he had made her grovel, but the perfect man does't make the bratty heroines like Shanna grovel.
There's lots of other stuff that happens on the island, like a murder for which Ruark is framed, an extremely unappealing suitor for Shanna's (remember, everyone thinks she's a widow still and not married to Ruark) and some petty embezzling by another unappealing character. The book is pretty full of action.
There's a happy ending and I'm happy to say Shanna fell in love with Ruark before she finds out that he and his family are richer than the King of England.
To see what I mean compare this book to one of Woodiwiss' earlier books, The Flame and the Flower. The hero (Brandon) is cruel and the heroine (Heather) is vicimized first by her family, then by her guardian, who almost rapes her, to the hero who DOES rape her, the hero's former fiancee who wrote the book about bitchy. The heroine does grow a backbone, the hero shapes up, though never enough for my taste (I hate Brandon Birmingham!) and the mean girl gets betrayed by the man who wants to have Heather for his own. Of course, this guy is completely unappealing, physically and morally, and only wants to be taken seriously as a dress designer. Tim Gunn would be very concerned.
If you haven't read either book, I recommend you youngsters read both books to see where we were and how Woodiwiss pointed us to the future, May she rest in peace.
dka
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Contemporary romances are coming back!
I am excited about the trend to bring the single title contemporary back! The love story without the paranormal/sci-fi/ or suspense! Single title contemporary romance is what I want to read and what I write.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Mike's here!
I just got the news that Mike's Best Bet is available for pre-order (an early bird special!) on the Wild Rose Press store. It will be available to order at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, Baker and Taylor, Barnes and Noble, and Ingram Book company on March 26, 2010!!!!
Yay! Thanks to everybody who helped me get Mike to this point! It's been a long time. But it's true, don't ever give up on your dreams.
My journey as a writer began when I was a little girl, but becoming a singer and conductor took a lot of love and work. Then, in 1993, Eberhard took a teaching job at the Universitaet in Trier, Germany. We were there for a year and a half, pre-Amazon.com time. I ran out of things to read, so I wrote stories for myself. So instead of going for a Doctor of Music, I got to work writing romance, my first reading love.
So, here's Mike!
Yay! Thanks to everybody who helped me get Mike to this point! It's been a long time. But it's true, don't ever give up on your dreams.
My journey as a writer began when I was a little girl, but becoming a singer and conductor took a lot of love and work. Then, in 1993, Eberhard took a teaching job at the Universitaet in Trier, Germany. We were there for a year and a half, pre-Amazon.com time. I ran out of things to read, so I wrote stories for myself. So instead of going for a Doctor of Music, I got to work writing romance, my first reading love.
So, here's Mike!
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