It’s a mistake

The other day I did something I don’t usually do. I reread one of my books. In a fit of writer’s block, I picked up ABOUT LAST NIGHT, a Harlequin American Romance released in February 2004. This book is one of those special ones. It outsold the rest of the line that month. It got 4.5 stars from RT. The funny thing, my editor didn’t like my hero. She kept saying, “I would never stay with a man like that.” But women do, and the book jumped off the shelves because she had the vision to let me keep Shane Jacobsen as he was.

Normally I don’t reread what I write, at least not right away, because I’ve already read the story about five or six times before I even sent it in to my publisher. Then I’ve read it again and again as the book went through revisions, copy edits and line edits. Yet, with all these things, mistakes can be made. I was reminded of this fact this week when a reader found an error in a Silhouette author’s book. A friend posted on a list serve that the reader wanted to know if she should let the editor know. The question then became, should she?

As an author, we want to hear from the reader first if you are so bothered by something. First, it’s our name on the cover. Second, editors are busy. Once the book is published, the fact that the hero got out of his truck on one page and into his car on the other isn’t something an editor has time to deal with. The book won’t be reprinted. An editor isn’t going to go search and try to figure out who made the mistake either. Yet as the author, I will. Why? Because my name is on the cover and I’m a perfectionist. I’ve put my heart and soul into the story. While I can’t necessarily change it, I want to know.

In my Harlequin NASCAR, HART’S VICTORY, on page 243, the spotter says “Pit car on pit road next pass.” Eke! It’s a pace car, and of course as a NASCAR fan (go #14) I know that.

But you know what? It’s my mistake. I wrote it that way in the original draft, and because I type really fast and a P is a P, pit and pace got jumbled in my mind. But I didn’t catch the mistake on edits. Neither did the NASCAR editor or the copy editor. Or my editor. Or anyone else for that matter. Still, I’m the one frustrated. It bothers me.

In EMERGENCY ENGAGEMENT, another Harlequin American, my corrections never got inputted. Production’s fault this time as they sent the book through without them—one of those glitches that happen. They thought they had the green light to start production on a Friday; my editor and I thought we had that same Friday to make final changes. My editor and I both winced—we discovered what happened after the book came out. And there it is—on one page the heroine had a glass of milk, and on the next it was Gatorade. Yet it didn’t detract from the story, which won Cataromance.com’s best Harlequin American Romance award for that year.

Unfortunately, mistakes things happen. I just read a Dorchester release and noticed a period was missing in one of the sentences. It didn’t ruin the book for me. I’ve found small typos where bat is pat and so forth in others, or thing is think and vice versa. Usually these happen because your brain fills in the blank or auto corrects.  Lik U can rede dis. Yes, there are those books out there that are so riddled with mistakes that you wonder if anyone ever read the thing or at least used spell check before printing. I am not excusing those.

I promise you I comb through with a fine-tooth comb, as does my editor. We work very hard to bring you the best book possible. My latest release, BACHELOR CEO, is on the shelves now and I’m praying it is error free. But I won’t read it for at least another few years to find out. But you can, and if you do find something, feel free to let me know.

Michele Dunaway

Bachelor CEO out now!

 

BACHELOR CEO, Harlequin American Romance, 7/09

BABY IN THE BOARDROOM, Harlequin American Romance, 2/10

Announcement: This Week’s Giveaway

This week’s contest giveaway is the brand new book from award-winning category romance author Bronwyn Jameson. MAGNATE’S MAKE-BELIEVE MISTRESS is a July release from Silhouette Desire and available in print and digital format from your favourite bookseller. Early reader response on eHarlequin’s Book Challenge reports:

“This was such an awesome read. I loved the make-believe world Bronwyn Jameson created. Another author goes on the must read list.”

“Bronwyn Jameson weaves a great story. I loved both Cristo and Isabelle. Both placed family first. Isabelle didn’t let Cristo browbeat her into following his plans. I am looking forward to more involving these characters.”

Visit Bronwyn’s website to read an excerpt and behind-the-book snippets. To be in the draw to win a copy, visit To Be Read between now and July 11 and comment on any post for a chance to win.

Jessica Scott–You’re a Winner!

Congratulations Jessica,

You’re the weekly winner of a copy of my book, Claiming the Rancher’s Heart for commenting on one of the blogs this week.

Please email me at CindyKirk @ aol.com (leaving out the spaces, of course) and I’ll get the book in the mail to you!

And thanks to everyone who posted this week!!

Searching for a little INSPIRATION

I think most of us strive to be the best we can be…but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded.

I’m a quote junkie. I admit it. I have inspiring words to the left of my computer. If I look to my right I have some more. What I like about quotes is in a few short words they motivate and inspire.

Here are a few favorites of mine:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit. Aristotle

This thing we call failure is not the falling down; it’s the staying down. Mary Pickford

Each of us makes a difference. It is from numberless acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. John F. Kennedy

I’m asking for your favorite quote(s). Why?

Because I need more to add to my collection….AND because I’ll be picking a winner from everyone who comments. That person will win a copy of my July Silhouette Special Edition Your Ranch or Mine? which is out on the shelves now!

Office Chic

People often ask where ideas come from. My topic today is sort of related. It’s a stroll through my creative den: my office. The worst thing I ever did was have a French door installed. Now people can see me playing Free Cell and Spider Solitaire when I’m stumped. I need to get a pretty lace curtain.

So a tour of where I spin my tales of lusty romance:

This sign hangs over the outside of said glass-paned office door. It was a gift. Go figure.
 
The little guy below tells me I need to keep whimsy in my process. Sometimes I need the reminder. 

 

My slippers admit to all that I sometimes stay in my pjs until 4 in the afternoon. My darling children used to lay bets on whether I was dressed or not as they walked by my office window on their way to the front door after school. You’d think I’d be embarrassed wouldn’t you? Nope.

  Here’s some inspiration for a project I’d like to sell:

I didn’t have room for another picture of my wall of covers. It’s a small wall, but with 3 more releases over the next year, it’ll expand.

Happy Canada Day…and may our American readers enjoy the Fourth!

 

 

 

Cross-genre conferencing

I went to ApolloCon this past weekend.

ApolloCon is a speculative fiction fan conference, and a totally different creature from the romance writing conferences I’ve been to. For one thing, it’s a FAN conference. I haven’t been to any romance readers’ conferences yet. I’m given to understand that the Romantic Times conference is becoming less of a reader’s conference and more of a writer’s. There is another reader’s conference I’ve heard about, but still haven’t made it. But, since my book crosses genres between romance and science fiction, I want to pick up fans from Both sides of the street. I’ve always been a “Yes” woman, not as someone who always says yes to the higher-ups, but when I’m asked questions like “Do you want vanilla or chocolate?” my answer is generally “Yes.” I want Both. I see no need to limit myself. (Except maybe by taking a small taste of both.)

So I loaded up my car with books and my page proofs that came in for Heart’s Blood (my next book) and an ice chest with plenty of Coke Zeros, and drove almost all the way across Houston to the con hotel through the horrendous Houston traffic. And I had a blast. The thing about SF/F cons is that they’re not just books. There’s an Art track, and a Music track, and a Film/TV/Anime track, and a room just for playing board games, or live-action games. There’s even sort of a science track. Yes, people do sometimes wear peculiar costumes–but there’s a costume contest, to see who made the best costume! And I’ve heard what people wear at the RT conference. The Jedi Knight costume was really cool. And LOTS of guys wear kilts. Most of them are gray-haired/bearded grandpa types, but not all of them.

I got to argue with people over whether the new Star Trek movie was any good or not. (Who CARES if they had stupid science? Karl Urban is playing Dr. McCoy!!! And Simon Pegg makes a fabulous Scotty!) I got to listen to some really cool fiddle playing with a lecture about the difference between classical violin vs. Irish vs. Scottish vs. American folk violin and other musical stuff. I got to listen in to a couple of artists in a discussion about SF covers and romance covers and how they create them. Did you know artists use “pen names” too? Bill Hodgeson (or was it Hodgman?) has four that he uses for different kinds of covers, many of them romance. This was a conversation they were having after the panel was over.

I came home with a totally cool dragon picture for a bargain. I picked up a few free books. I met some new fun people (a cop from San Antonio who writes horror and crime noir…). I went to room parties and had ice cream and Cheetos (not at the same time). And when I got tired–I arrived VERY tired–I got to go back to my room and enjoy my sinking spell. I took naps.

I think it was good for me. Not just in the “marketing the books” kind of way, but in the getting inspired and hanging with people who like the stuff I like and coming home refreshed and ready to go back to work. Yeah, I’m still tired, (I had to drive back across Houston again to get home to my island–not quite as stressful on Sunday, but still…) but the brain got its well refilled. I got more pages written today than I have in a week. I am happy.

What about y’all? Did you discover something recently that you maybe didn’t expect to enjoy–but did anyway? Or how are you refreshing and rebooting yourselves?

Late prize winners!

Because I’m so darn late (and I apologize again profusely), I am sending out two prizes. If Quilt Lady and Terry Odell will e-mail me (gail at gaildayton.com) with your snail addresses, I will get the prizes off to you.

Thanks for bearing with me. I have discovered that spraining my elbow has made everything take 3 times longer than ordinarily, and it has also switched off my brain. Beach swag and beach books coming up!

Win a Copy of “Claiming the Rancher’s Heart”

This week’s winner will receive a signed copy of Cindy Kirk’s CLAIMING THE RANCHER’S HEART. A March 2009 release from Silhouette Special Edition, this book is the first in the “Meet Me In Montana” Triology.

The Romance Reader recommends this story because of the easy-to-read nature of the tale, the details and descriptions that enrich the setting of the story and the strength and likeability of the two main characters. The reviewer goes on to add “a reader can’t ask for much more than that from a category romance and Cindy Kirk delivers them all.”

Visit Cindy’s website to read an excerpt: www.cindykirk.com

To enter the contest, comment on any To Be Read blog post this week. One winner will be chosen and announced next Saturday. All prizes must be claimed within 30 days. Happy Reading!

Winner of TJ Bennett’s THE PROMISE

THE PROMISE

Congratulations to Pat Cochran who wins a copy of TJ Bennett’s newest release, THE PROMISE. Pat’s name was drawn from all the visitors who commented at To Be Read this week. Pat, please contact TJ Bennett via her website, www.tjbennett.com, within 30 days to claim your prize.

Thanks to all the readers who stopped by this week to chat. Hope we’ll see you all again next week, and be sure to watch for the next prize announcement. There are so many authors, and so little time…but always new favorites to find here at To Be Read!

Sci-fi and why it’s fun

It’s everywhere you look, whether you admit to it or not. Everytime you look up at the sky and wonder what’s up there, you’re dabbling in science fiction (or fantasy, depending on how you’re thinking about it). Science fiction is a lot like romance, come to think of it: It’s everywhere you look, whether you identify it as such. Just like movies that would never be classified as romances almost always have a love interest (and if they don’t, they tend to be very serious movies and too often depressing), movies that certainly would never be classified as science fiction quite often have an element of sci-fi.

And why is that? I think it’s because science fiction is like introducing a little romance: It’s FUN. It’s wondering about that shooting star you saw cross the sky and whether it’s an alien coming to Earth. It’s noticing a fly on the wall and thinking about those sophisticated listening devices you’ve read about (I don’t know about you, but anyone monitoring my life would fall asleep). Science fiction allows you to explore the “what-ifs” around you. It allows your imagination to roam free, thinking about all the different what-if scenarios. A simple act of drinking a glass of water could be exotic, if you think of the possibilities. What if water were in achingly short supply and that glass of water was your ration for the week? What if that glass wasn’t filled with water after all, but maybe blood? (I’ve been watching TRUE BLOOD on DVD, so that was a logical leap.) What if your system wasn’t designed for water absorption, but something else entirely, not even liquid? The possibilities, as they say, are endless.

Similar thoughts went through my mind as I was plotting out ECHOES OF PASSION, my entry into the Hunters for Hire series for Cerridwen Press. I’ve read my share of sci-fi, courtesy of an older brother who was a science fiction nut from his earliest days. (And he would be turning over in his grave if he knew that the term “sci-fi” was now synonymous with “science fiction.” I was instructed from infancy that “SF” was the correct way to refer to science fiction in second reference!) In ECHOES, I started to think about how leaving home to settle in a new place would be different in another place, another time. And what if you actually met someone you’d dreamt about all your life, only to have that person turn and run from you?

See? What-ifs can be fun … and you can spin all sorts of stories to your heart’s content that way. My brother George would certainly have agreed.

Eilis Flynn
ECHOES OF PASSION, 7.2.09 (only 7 more days!)