INTERVIEW WITH NINA BRUHNS/NIKITA BLACK

Here is another in my series of interviews with fellow Daphne Award nominees. Nina Bruhns is the best-selling author of many Silhouette books, including Silhouette Intimate Moments/Romantic Suspense and Silhouette Nocturne. Writing as Nikita Black, she has also written three erotic romances. Although Nina is a full-time writer now, she has held many different jobs and traveled the world. She lives with her husband and children in Charleston, SC. A previous Golden Heart finalist, Nina’s books have won myriad awards, including the Daphne (twice!), Romantic Times Book Review Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Dorothy Parker Award. In 2007 ENEMY HUSBAND is a finalist for the RITA Award, Romance Writers of America’s most prestigious award. Her Daphne nominated book is ROYAL BETRAYAL. In addition to all those honors, she’s a witty and generous person and a good friend.

Here’s Nina!

1.) I read and loved your RITA-nominated book ENEMY HUSBAND, but I have to admit I haven’t read your Daphne book, ROYAL BETRAYAL. What is ROYAL BETRAYAL about and what did you especially love about writing it?

ROYAL BETRAYAL is part of a Silhouette Intimate Moments (now Silhouette Romantic Suspense) continuity (see #2) called CAPTURING THE CROWN, so it wasn’t really my original invention. Sometimes it’s a challenge to take someone else’s vision and make it your own. I won’t say I actually love doing that <G>…but it’s always interesting. And I think I ended up with characters who were “mine” and I was very happy with that. But what I especially loved about this one was working with the 5 authors who wrote the other books in the series. In fact, we enjoyed working with each other so much that we came up with another, spin-off series called MISSION: IMPASSIONED! which kicks off next month (July 07)! There are repeat characters in every book from the first series. My book in that series is TOP-SECRET BRIDE.

2. In a continuity series, like the one ROYAL BETRAYAL is part of, the books are penned by different authors. Would you talk a little about what it’s like to participate in a publisher-generated series?

I absolutely loved working with the 5 other ladies in the series (see the CAPTURING THE CROWN webpage for details!). What happens is that your editor calls and asks you if you are interested in doing XYZ continuity, so it’s your choice to accept or not. If you say yes, you are told who the other authors are, and are given what’s known as the “bible,” which is essentially a catalogue of the setting, the characters, their backgrounds, the mystery set-up, the continuing suspense plot, and some of the individual threads in the books (just like for a TV series). Then you take those basic elements and come up with your own individual story to fit them. Generally you have to invent an additional mystery that you can actually “solve” in your individual book, or the readers will feel cheated. But the larger, overriding suspense thread continues from book to book, with parts of it exposed, developed and solved along the way. It can be very complex to work with 5 other authors to make sure everything fits together, and all ongoing elements are consistent. It’s both what makes it fun, and what can make it frustrating! Luckily, we were all so into the series, it went like clockwork .

3.) Your books for Silhouette are very sensual and sexy but you also write erotica under the pen name Nikita Black. Erotica is very hot these days (pun intended) but you were an early author of this type of book. Why erotica? And what is the difference in the sensuality in your Silhouettes and your eroticas?

Hmm. Well, I actually started writing erotic romance (and there is a difference between erotic romance, sensual romance, and erotica) because I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do in my Silhouettes. After all, it’s category!!! To be fair, I have to say that Intimate Moments (now called Romantic Suspense) was and continues to be very, very open to ultra-sensual stories. However, there are certain guidelines that you must follow, and they only go so far <G>. I have had handcuffs and mild bondage and even a spank or two in my Silhouettes, but it’s always in the spirit of having fun. I mean the characters. But as an author, I wanted to go further than that. Sexuality is often a very dark, forbidden part of one’s psyche, and I wanted to explore that. Partly, I wanted to help show everyday women that we all have fantasies, and that no matter what those fantasies involve, even if it’s terribly politically incorrect, it’s OKAY. They’re just fantasies! A woman should not feel guilty for having certain ideas turn them on, like rape fantasies or multiple partner fantasies, or anything else. It’s not like that means you really want to go out and do these things or have them happen to you in real life! Reading (or writing) of those adventures between the pages of a book is the very safest way to enjoy them. The other reason is because I wanted to explore the dark nature of some relationships between men and women, and the part sex plays in them. I find that very compelling. I really wish I had more time to write Nikita books. I’d love to do more of them. But unfortunately, they’re too dark and edgy for NY publishers, so right now I can only do them in-between books that actually pay the bills (well, some of them anyway!).

4. What in your opinion is the hardest part of writing romantic suspense stories? What is the easiest?

For me, hands down, the hardest part of writing RS is plotting the suspense. Argh, that is SO hard! I can plot the romance fairly easily. But my way of writing suspense is to come up with a basic premise and just start writing, letting the suspense part grow organically, throwing in twists, dead bodies, and subplots as needed ;D. I have a terrible time trying to organize a complex mystery plot in advance, with all the clues, twists, villains, etc etc.

5.) How do you keep track of your story–note cards, lists, outline, etc? Or are you an author who does no planning, who just writes?

Well, I usually do a 2 page chapter by chapter outline, listing 1 major thing that happens in each chapter for each major thread (romance, suspense, subplot, etc). I also do a main-character chart, which includes goals, motivations, conflicts, major personality traits and what they have to lose by falling in love. Once I start writing, I keep a chart chapter by chapter of whose POV each scene was in and for how many pages, along with overall word count. That’s pretty much it.

6.) You’re ready to begin a new project. What’s the first thing you do? Character bios? Plot and plan? Or just jump in and let the muse take you?

First I need an inciting vision <G>. In other words, that all-important kernel of Story that has intrigued me to the point that it won’t leave me alone. I’ve found that’s often a visual of the opening scene. Something quirky or wildly incongruous or shocking. Then I figure out who the character is and why they’re doing this outrageous thing. And who would be the perfect person to foil them. Then I start writing. After finishing the first 2 or 3 chapters, I go back and do the chapter by chapter outline and character chart (tho sometimes I do the character chart before starting to write…it just depends). Unfortunately, sometimes one has to write a synopsis in order to sell a book. I hate doing that. Because I know it’s going to change completely before the book is done. Luckily editors tend to expect that, so I don’t worry overly much about what I put in the synopsis, as long as it sounds great <G>.

7. How did you get into writing? What is your background?

LOL! Well, I’m actually an archaeologist. Egyptologist to be exact. But the job market for Egyptologists is even more dismal than for writers <G>… So when I got married and started having kids I looked around for something else, that I could do at home. I’d always wanted to write mysteries, so I figured that was the time to give it a try.

8. What would you like to say about your next releases, the books we can look for in September and October?

Well, as I mentioned in #1, my Sept 07 SRS release is TOP-SECRET BRIDE. The hero works for a secret international investigative firm, the Lazlo Group, and the heroine works for British MI6. It’s a page-turning spy thriller, in the vein of ENEMY HUSBAND. The excitement starts in chapter one and doesn’t let up . It was great fun to write.

In October 07, I have my debut book coming out for Silhouette Nocturne. Unlike my past “light” paranormal IM/SRS releases (GHOST OF A CHANCE, etc) this one, titled NIGHT MISCHIEF, is a full-fledged paranormal romance. I had a totally awesome time writing it, and to be perfectly honest, I think it’s the best book I’ve written to date. I love the characters, the world, and the story. It was also interesting writing for Nocturne, because they let you get away with language and plot elements that even IM/SRS won’t . I actually wanted to release this book under the Nikita Black name because it is beyond sexy, but they wouldn’t let me… ::sigh:: Trust me, NIGHT MISCHIEF pushes the envelope like you have NEVER read before in a Silhouette .

Both books seem like must-reads. I’ll be sure to pick them up.

9. What advice can you offer to writers who are working toward publication?

There is really only one piece of advice that an aspiring author needs to follow. That is: write every day. If you do that, everything else will fall into place.

10. And lastly, the blog fairy is granting you three wishes. If you could have anything or do anything you wanted (not necessarily about writing), what would they be?

Okay that’s easy! 1) two million dollars (hey, inflation!), 2) #1 on the NY Times bestseller list, and 3) my kids to start behaving like angels. But seriously, my only wish is to be able to continue writing stories that I love and for readers to continue to enjoy them! That’s the greatest gift of all. For anyone who wants to read more about me and my books, check out my multitude of websites <G>. http://www.NinaBruhns.com , http://www.NikitaBlack.com , http://www.MySpace.com/NinaBruhns , http://www.MySpace.com/NikitaBlack. And of course the SRS website, http://www.RomanticSuspenseAuthors.com !

Thanks Susan!!! This was fun! And good luck in Dallas. One of us needs to bring home the trophy for the Silhouette Romantic Suspense line!

Thank you, Nina, for a fabulous interview. And thanks for the good luck wishes. I’ll be pulling for you to win the Rita…but not the Daphne.

Library musings

Tuesday I went down to the Washington (D.C.) Convention Center.  The American Library Association was having its annual conference, and the Romance Writers of America had a booth in the exhibition hall.   RWA had scheduled 19 writers over the course of the convention’s four days to sign their books.  Other authors had sent books to be given out to the conference attendees.  RWA’s Stephani was holding down the fort during my turn at the signing table, and she did a great job of introducing the librarians who came by to RWA’s quarterly advertising magazine, Romance Sells, telling them things RWA can do to help them, and encouraging them to have a strong romance collection.  I flew through my case of Naked Earls and even depleted my supply of Naked pens.

It’s always fun to be around people who love books.  The Convention Center is a huge, cavernous place and it was full of bibliophiles.  But here I have to confess to just the smallest feeling of ambivalence. 

I love libraries–I think all writers must.  Before I was a writer, I was a reader.  My family made frequent trips to the library.  Our local librarians introduced me to so many wonderful books.  It was a librarian who first pointed me toward Georgette Heyer whose books still inspire my own writing.  And I encourage readers who write me in search of my first book to check their libraries since the book is almost impossible to find in bookstores.  But here’s the thing–while the artist me loves libraries, the little business person me thinks, oh, well, but wouldn’t it be better if readers bought the books?  It’s a feeling similiar to the one I get when someone tells me she loved my book and passed it on to all her friends.  I’m delighted she loved it; I’m delighted she shared her delight–but couldn’t her friends have bought their own copies?

It’s not so much about lost royalties–what’s a few pennies here or there?  It’s more about decreased sales numbers.  Better numbers mean a better chance my next book will be bought, published, and sent out for readers to enjoy.

But I do totally understand the need to be frugal.  Heck, I’m finding I can’t let myself buy any more books because my to-be-read piles are mountains.  I now know too many writers.  Sadly, I can’t buy ALL their books and still navagate through my house.

I happened to visit my local library just last week.  It’s a beautiful new building–really awe-inspiring.  And there I found my second book on the shelves.  It was looking very well-read, in fact I think I was on the verge of losing a page or two.  It really was a thrill to see it there in the library.  It made me feel just a little more like a real, live author.

Hmm.  Writing this post made me nostalgic for my childhood library.  I have to say I hardly ever go to the library these days.  When the kids were little, I took them all the time and we’d leave with stacks of picture books.  I felt the children’s librarian was a friend.  But then we moved, had another kid, and the older kids got busy with sports.  The new library–a regional library–felt less welcoming and didn’t have adequate parking.

So in honor of the American Library Association’s recent conference and to bring this rambling post to an end, would anyone like to share some cherished library memories or what you love–or don’t love–about your neighborhood library?

Manic Monday — YES!

 What a perfect theme for me today, though hopefully you can all talk me out of my mania.

I had a wonderful visit up at Harlequin last week, drove up to meet eds and talk shop and we had a great time, very inspiring, though it hit me in the middle of the night that I came back with a few more projects than I went up with — good news, they like my ideas and want proposals, always a good thing, but now I have to actually get them all written on top of the 2 I’m working on. And have line edits sitting here today as well.

I’m also sitting here chewing my nails waiting anxiously for contractors to show up who never confirmed their appt today, so who knows? Just ordered kitchen cabinets yesterday, so have 5 weeks to get the kitchen walls stripped, finished, and painted and a bunch of other stuff attached to that.

Have three quilting projects in the works, need to be done by Sept.

Should try to keep the house clean, and dh says, rightfully, that we need to make sure we find time to enjoy the summer. I agree.

Just writing this, my chest tightens and my breathing gets a little shallow, and as I described to a friend, it seems the only way to do it is nose down, move forward, don’t look sideways too much, just keep moving through it, like a shark, ever forward.

But that doesn’t sound too enjoyable. I want to enjoy all these projects — I’m excited about my ideas, my new kitchen, and the quilts. And so I need to let go of the anxiety about getting it all done, and have faith that it will.

I’m also thinking about doing my first book signing ever — never have done one, didn’t want to, and for some reason, now seems to be the time — why, when I have so much other stuff going on, who knows.

Any tips, advice, or general commiseration would be lovely.

Sam

Interview with Roxanne St. Claire

As part of my own celebration of having my book BREAKING ALL THE RULES final in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery & Suspense, I’m posting a number of interviews with fellow award nominees. Roxanne St. Claire’s novel THRILL ME TO DEATH is also a finalist. Here’s a brief bio of this stellar writer. Roxanne St. Claire is a bestselling author of sixteen novels of romance and suspense for Pocket Books, Silhouette Desire and HQN.  Her books have won numerous industry awards and routinely reside on the Waldenbooks Top Ten lists. In addition to her Daphne final this year, the book is also nominated for the Booksellers Best and Book Buyers Best awards. Two of her novellas have RITA nominations. Prior to launching a full time career as a romance novelist with her first release from Pocket Books in 2003, Roxanne spent nearly two decades as a marketing executive and public relations consultant.  She lives in Florida, with her husband and two children.  Visit her web site at http://www.roxannestclaire.com. Hi, Rocki. (Waving frantically from Maine to Florida!) Welcome and congratulations on all your successes. I’m thrilled to have you participate in my interviews. 

Thank you so much for the invitation to join your blog and celebrate the Daphne nominations!  Congrats to you, Susan, and to all the finalists in this highly regarded contest!  I can’t believe the company I’m in – what a talented group of writers! 

  1.      THRILL ME TO DEATH is part of your Bullet Catchers series. I absolutely loved your hero, stoic Max Roper, and Cori is the perfect heroine to test him. How did you develop those two characters to be so perfect for each other yet so at odds? 

Thank you!  I don’t do a lot of “reunion” romances because I really love to write (and read) about the first meet and the initial rush of attraction, but Cori and Max have a deep history, and were once engaged, until tragedy pulled them apart.  I thought that would really solve the problem of presenting intimacy early in the book – since they’ve already been there, how difficult could it be to get them in bed together?  Uh…very.  I’ve heard that reunion romances can help on that score, but these two had so much baggage and history that setting it aside for the sake of sex seemed unrealistic.  So I used the opportunity to build sexual tension, and play on the fact that they knew what they were missing, as opposed to just wondering what it might be like.  Max is a indeed the definition of  stoic, a man who prides himself on being unemotional…except that Cori is the only woman who turns this six foot four beast into a bowl of Jell-O.  I had a blast with that, and I think that added to the sense that they were perfect, yet, as you say, at odds.

 2.      You wrote KILLER CURVES, which involved auto racing, and are participating in the Harlequin NASCAR series. Is writing about racing a stretch for you or are you a fan? 

When I wrote KILLER CURVES…no one mentioned that “romance” rule of “no race car heroes.”  Remember that from about six years ago?  Back in 2002, when I wrote the manuscript, I was blissfully naïve and quite unpublished. Pocket ultimately bought that book, and published KILLER CURVES as my third single title.  In the process of researching that book, I became a NASCAR fan.  So, when Harlequin and NASCAR teamed up for a “racing/romance” series and invited me to write a few of them, including one of the series launch books, I was delighted to accept.  The sport is just plain fun, and writing about the world of racing was challenging and rewarding.  KILLER CURVES remains one of my absolute favorite books, and I still get mail on it two and half years after it was released.

 3.      You have four Bullet Catcher books scheduled for 2008, three more books for Harlequin in 2007, and who knows how many for 2008. I know you have a husband and two children. How do you juggle such a complex writing schedule and family life?  

Wine, chocolate, caffeine, a cleaning lady, religious adherence to a productivity schedule and a family that loves me even if the laundry baskets overflow and I miss a baseball game or two.  I don’t know any other way to live.  I don’t have to commute, and I usually only write while my kids (9 & 14) are in school (except in the summer, and then I get up at 4:45, write until the house stirs around 9, play mom for three or four hours, then write all afternoon and late in the evening until I crash).  I strive for one good scene a day and by reaching that goal I’m able to produce about four books a year.  I am also viciously organized, focused and able to function on about five hours of sleep.  I do have a secret weapon in my arsenal, however.  My husband retired early from IBM, and he is the official “kids chauffeur” and he does all the grocery shopping and cooks every dinner (gourmet, too!).  I’d be lost, lonely, miserable and really hungry without him.

  4.      As a writer whose output is slow and painstaking, I’m wondering how do you keep all those different books separate in your mind? 

I guess because each story, character and scene are so vivid in my imagination, I feel as though I’ve lived them and don’t forget them.  I don’t worry too much about “repeating” something because I write in a fairly deep point of view, and every single character is unique to me.  I do keep an individual binder for each book, with print outs of research, story notes and characters all three hole punched for easy referral.  I didn’t start this until book 10 or so (I am just finishing my 20^th manuscript) and I highly recommend this technique to writers.  I heard someone describe this system on an RWA workshop tape and it absolutely clicked for me.  (Listen to those CDs – there’s a gem in every workshop.)

 5.      What in your opinion is the hardest part of writing romantic suspense? What is the easiest? 

Nothing about romantic suspense is easy.  Seriously, it is such a challenge to braid an escalating romance and suspense, to create a story that makes sense and is compelling, that isn’t cliched or obvious, yet isn’t so out there that no one wants to read it.  And all along, it’s got to have romance and sizzle and be scary and move fast and not have too much sex but plenty of sexual tension and the villain shouldn’t be obvious, nor should he appear from left field on the last page and please don’t forget that the hero has to be perfect, but not too perfect, and you better know how to shoot a Glock if you’re going to write about one and the heroine should kick ass, and not do anything remotely stupid, but be vulnerable and wonderful and flawed and ….oh, oh, oh this genre is not for the faint of heart.  But, honestly, all of that is true for any romance, for any good book. 

But when it works, it’s so darn satisfying.  THRILL ME TO DEATH, the book that has been nominated for a Daphne (and a Booksellers Best and Book Buyers Best!!!) was very, very hard to write.  There were times I wasn’t sure where to go or how to get there.  I called my editor mid-book, something I rarely do, and needed to be talked off the ledge.  While stoic makes for a good alpha hero, it also became a challenge to dig humor and heart out of big bad mad Max. Also, the reunion romance aspect of the story was hard.  And then I had this secondary character who I knew all along was the villain but I couldn’t make that obvious, and that person darn near stole the book right out from under me.  But, somehow, it all came together and that’s what makes the Daphne final all that much sweeter!

  6.      How do you keep track of your story–note cards, lists, outline, etc? 

The three ring binder I mentioned where I keep every article, email, outline, character chart and note and that binder stays next to me for the duration of the writing.  Sometimes I use a plotting board.  Once I’m into a story (about 1/3 of the way), I usually end each day with a long list on a yellow notepad of “where the book is going” – a handwritten outline of the next few chapters. 

  7.      You’re ready to begin a new project. What’s the first thing you do? Character bios? Plot and plan? Or just jump in and let the muse take you? 

Shop.  Experiment with the latest in martinis.  Call a friend and whine.  I hate, loathe and despise page one.  In fact, I detest every single new chapter and scene.  Here’s a dark and ugly secret:  I don’t like to write.  I love to rewrite.  I love to edit and revise and polish.  Love it so much I don’t want to leave a scene because I’m having so much fun perfecting it.  So when I begin a new project, I try to get that first chapter on paper as soon as possible so I can be finished with the most despicable part of the book – starting it. 

I’ve written 20 manuscripts that have been (or will be) published…and the process for every single one has been different.  Sometimes I start with a premise or story question, and that drives the characters and they drive the action.  Sometimes I pick two people and their issues drive the plot and that drives the emotion.  Sometimes I get a “gimme” – a book so easy it sings.  Sometimes I want to shoot the characters, and be done with it.  It’s never, ever the same experience twice, and that’s the fun of it.

  8.      What are your new projects? What can readers look forward to from Roxanne St. Claire? Four new Bullet Catcher books in 2008!  First off is a paranormal romantic suspense anthology with Allison Brennan and Karin Tabke called WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE.  My story is a Bullet Catcher novella entitled “Reason to Believe” pitting man of science Chase Ryker against woo-woo TV psychic Arianna Killian.  Completely fun!  Then my first real trilogy hits the bookstores in April, July and October, featuring three Bullet Catchers on the hunt for triplet sisters who were separated at birth in a black market adoption.  Turns out the sisters, when finally reunited, unwittingly hold the answer to a thirty-year-old murder mystery that has kept their birth mother unjustly behind bars.  Although each book stands alone, there will be an overarching suspense and mystery that isn’t solved until the end.  The books are titled FIRST YOU RUN, THEN YOU HIDE and NOW YOU DIE.  As you can tell, I’m very excited about the project.  9.      What advice can you offer to writers who are working toward publication? 

Run fast, little bunny!  You might still be saved!  No, JUST KIDDING.  My advice would be to listen to your gut.  I don’t mean that as a cliché – I mean really, really, really and always Trust Your Instincts.  In storytelling:  if that little voice is telling you the scene has no purpose other than to show that the hero is cool, but doesn’t move the story and needs to GO, the cut it.  In business: if that same voice is telling you this agent doesn’t get your sense of humor and makes you uncomfortable, no matter how big he/she is, don’t sign with him/her.  In craft: if the dialogue sounds unnatural, don’t tell yourself no one else will notice, just change it.  In the writing community:  if that woman in your chapter is toxic and sucks the life and creativity out of you, avoid her.  In life:  if your friends treat your writing as a cute little hobby, don’t share with them anymore.  In your heart:  you know if you were meant to do this.  When a rejection comes in, don’t let it derail your confidence.  This business is about believing in yourself. 

 10.  And lastly, the blog fairy is granting you three wishes. If you could have anything or do anything you wanted, what would they be? 

Well, obviously I wish for good health for my family, world peace and a night of wild monkey sex with this particular truck driver:

But I assume you mean writing wishes.  Okay…I’d wish for characters who are so crystal clear that I can hear their voices and only have to listen to them tell their story.  I’d wish for a fresh delivery of colorful, killer, right-on-the-money, rarely used, image-conjuring words every single morning, directly to my head.  And I’d wish for a laugh on the first page, a gasp in the middle and tears on the last page of every manuscript I write.

Thank you!!!

 Thank you, Rocki, for a fascinating interview. I have just finished reading TAKE ME TONIGHT. I have to say I loved it even more than THRILL ME TO DEATH. I see more bestseller stats and more awards in your future.   

The Year of JoAnn

Happy Summer! Also, this is Thankful Thursday, and when I signed up to post today, a couple months ago, I was going to say I was thankful that the edgy and innovative book trailer created by COS for No Safe Place had won so many Cameo awards: Best Suspense trailer, Excellence in Writing, the Viewer’s Choice Award, as well as a Cameo for Promotional Excellence, the top award for all trailers. Now that’s sorta old news, but anyone who’d like to check it out (and it’s worth a look!), it’s at my website.

Anyway, while I’m still happy about the awards, I decided to ditch the post I was initially going to write. Which had me all of a sudden this morning remembering that — yikes! — I still needed to chat about what I was thankful for. . . Well, as it happens, that’s an easy topic.

The last few years have been, not exactly difficult (actually in many ways, quite good), but always challenging. Sort of like going through a constantly changing corn maze. In the dark. With wolves howling.

Then something happened. Maybe the stars aligned differently, maybe the fickle fates who control the universe decided to give the girl a break, because this year something cosmic shifted and everything started coming up roses. (Literally! Despite a drought here in East Tennessee, my roses are rioting with color.)

In fact, life is so blissful, the other day I was driving to the dentist (and even that’s turning out lovely because he’s been putting crowns on all my teeth and they’re starting to look TV anchor-lady gorgeous) and I glanced up in the rearview mirror to see how bad the humidity was frizzing my hair (it wasn’t!), and noticed I was smiling. At nothing. Actually, just at life in general. To make things sound even sappier, I’ve found myself singing — songs about wearing flowers in your hair when you go to San Francisco, Happiest Girl in the Whole USA, and, heaven help my poor sweetie, Here Comes The Sun.

When things started turning around in January, I kept waiting for life to get back to normal. But, here we are, nearing the end of June, and hey, life is still so bright, as I told my very sweet dentist, I’ve dubbed this The Year of JoAnn.

So, celebrating this Year of JoAnn, I’m going to share just a few of the things I’m thankful for.

My new agent, who lets me pretend I’m her only — and hugely important — client. My new publishing house, where everyone constantly reminds me that I — and my stories — are much loved.

My sweetie, whom I married twice. He’s been in my corner, been a cheerleader to my writing going back to when I was a teenager. He also, twenty-six years ago, dug a manuscript out of the wastebasket, where I’d thrown it in despair after my 12th rejection (the third that day!), taped the pieces back together (I wrote on a pretty blue IBM Selectric in those days, so salvaging a book was more difficult than just clicking on print.) That book ended up, after revisions, being my first published novel. Coincidentally, for my new (again) publisher.

He’s also the only person who knows the story I’m writing ahead of time, reads every draft, including the dozens of versions of the first chapters, proofreads it before I send it in, often again at galley stage, and amazingly, he even reads the book when it comes out. AND, has recently been listening to the unabridged audio versions as well. He, of course, always proclaims every book brilliant. Which is lovely to hear, even though I know he’s prejudiced. Better yet, since taking way early retirement, he also does all the grocery shopping, and cooking. But best of all, he’s my very best friend in the entire world.

I’m thankful for my son, Patrick, another super cheerleader, who also has read every book since he was fourteen, searches them out in whatever town or country he happens to be visiting, is a continuing source of pride and pleasure, and who has given me Marisa and Parker, the worlds’ two greatest grandbabies. I’m also grateful for his wife, Laura, who’s made him so happy. Which, being his mom, makes me happy.

When I was a little girl growing up, I used to suspect that I was a princess, who’d been mistakenly born into a family living in Oregon’s remote ranching country. Now I realize being a princess is way overrated, and I’m thankful that I was born in a country where, whatever our political or religious differences, we don’t assassinate our leaders (well, hardly ever) or shoot each other in the streets.

I’m thankful for all the publishing people who’ve bought my books, edited my books, gave me some terrific covers (and since this year is all about bliss, I’m even thankful for the not so terrific ones), the people who went out across the country, and the world, selling those books to accounts. I’m thankful for the booksellers who bought them, and especially thankful for the ones who went to the trouble of handselling my stories to their customers. And I’m also grateful to the people who drove the trucks to get them there.

Which brings me to a biggie — I am sooo thankful for all those readers out there, most of whom I’ll never meet, who have spent their hard-earned dollars to take my characters home with them and allowed me to spend the past twenty-five years sitting at home in my jammies (well, actually, right now I’m wearing a T-shirt and shorts) telling stories. I mean, how cool is that?

I’m also thankful for all the wonderful, talented, and supportive writer friends I’ve made over the years in this business. You all are, indeed, a special blessing.

And I’m hugely thankful for that anonymous and very brilliant Aztec, who, 4,000 years ago, figured out how to make chocolate from a cacoa bean!

Finally, because my cup is so overbrimming with bliss, I want to give two lucky people who comment a book of their choice from my backlist. Now, a JoAnn Ross book admittedly might not change your year; but it will provide a lazy summer afternoon’s enjoyment. My sweetie will be choosing two names at random, and I’ll post the winners here tomorrow morning. So, the question for this lovely summer solstice day is, What are you thankful for?

How Daring Are You?

Last week I heard an interesting interview on our local morning radio show.  The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (roSPA) had just come out with a report in which they suggest that children need to “play in the wild.”  Evidently the feeling is that children today are so cocooned that they don’t know how to get by in the real world–they don’t know how to (or dare to) take risks.  The roSPA media spokesman brought up a number of good points about how we learn to weigh situations and make decisions based upon what we’ve done before and how that affects our ability or desire to dare try something new.

It got me thinking, which may be a good thing .  It seems to me this idea can be applied to pretty much any aspect of life (which shouldn’t surprise me–I gave birth to a CTRS (that’s a certified therapeutic recreation specialist, btw ) and know that play/games/activities can be used to teach, to encourage, to learn new ways to deal with life).  It can certainly be applied to writers and writing. 

Are writers risk-takers to begin with?  I think we have to be.  Why else would we write books–often entire books–on the off chance a publisher will sign us up and get our work out there where readers can enjoy it?  I don’t play the lottery, but since I’m a writer I figure that can be at least as much of a gamble as a Megabucks ticket (and let’s face it, royalty statements alone can be their own form of adventure–is there a check in the envelope?  Does the amount on the check have a comma in it?  And what the heck do all those numbers on the statement mean, anyway?).  But in my opinion, even writers can become cocooned.  You can keep writing the same type of book (which is sometimes encouraged by publishers or agents), and of course writing those books is challenging, too–but how willing are you to spread your wings even more?  Do you have a book bopping around in the back of your mind, but it’s like nothing you’ve ever written or published?  Or perhaps you’d like to submit to a new publisher, but don’t know if it’s worth the risk to try to change (or expand) your horizons?   Are you afraid to try–because you might fail, or because you might succeed?

So my question is this–just how much risk are you willing to take?  How wise is it to take more risks?  Is it better to write what you know how to write, to keep working to build upon what you’ve done before?  Or will you become a better writer by pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, out of your cocoon and into the cold, harsh world?

Mirror, Mirror

I spent last week in Toronto, filming. Yes, I said filming. No, it’s not that exciting, it was a DVD on healthy eating for children.

Still, when I saw myself on film, it was weird. I mean—that’s not really how I look, is it? Do I really bob my head like that? And my voice, it’s not really all breathy like a school girl’s?

Is it?

Made me think. There’s the way I see me. The way others see me. And then there’s reality.

And who’s to say which is the real me?

This was an ah-hah moment for the new book I’m writing. What if you’re a health care professional who has devoted your career to helping others survive trauma and illness?

What if everyone sees you as a nice, good-hearted person, but you know different? You know the reason behind your career choice, your dedication, is because of a secret buried in your past, a secret that you seek redemption for, making the life you live everyday a lie….

And what if this secret was exposed?

Hmmm….gave me a whole new take on both my main character and the badguy. I realized they’re basically the same: living a lie, hiding a secret.

The fact that they share the same secret should really liven things up as well!

What do you think? Do we all live secret lives, hide our real selves?

Or is what you see in the mirror what you get?

Thanks for reading!
CJ

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

  Disclaimer:  I am NOT a glutton for punishment.  However, I do read reviews of my books.  I have Google Alerts set up for my book titles and my name, and I do occasionally Google myself and my books (because I’ve found that Google Alerts sometimes doesn’t do such a hot job of Googling on its own.)  Why?  Because I want to know what people think of my books.  Do they *get* them?   

I certainly don’t expect everyone to love my books.  Taste is subjective.  Just as I have my personal likes and dislikes when it comes to books, I accept the fact that others do as well.  And I can’t complain about the reviews I’ve been receiving for my latest release, LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION.  By and large the reviewers have been extremely positive about the book.   

However — and chalk this up to my weird sense of humor — I have to laugh at a few of the less than stellar reviews the book has received.  One person, a guest reviewer on a review site, complained about the “sex, drugs, hate, jealousy, anger, blackmail and revenge” in the book and said she wouldn’t want her daughter reading it. 

Hello?   

What did she expect from a ROMANTIC SUSPENSE?  I’m sure there are romantic suspense books out there that don’t contain drugs and others that don’t contain blackmail, but I think you’d be hard pressed to find any that don’t contain sex, hate, jealousy, anger, and revenge.   

As for not wanting her daughter to read LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION, did she think she was reading a book for kids?  I write ADULT fiction.  However, my book is pretty tame compared to many romantic suspense books on the market.  Yes, there are a few sex scenes, and the book does deal with some weighty issues, but most of the violence happens off-camera.  Although I hope the book will keep people up at night, it’s in the hope that they won’t be able to go to sleep until they finish it, not because I’ve scared the bejeebers out of them and they’ve double-bolted every window and door and turned on all the lights in the house. 

Oh, and by the way, I don’t know how old this woman’s daughter is, but I read PEYTON PLACE when I was thirteen years old.  I doubt there’s anything in LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION that this woman’s daughter hasn’t already read somewhere else. 

The other review that struck me as weird was from an Internet site where readers post reviews.  One particular reviewer gave me 2 out of 5 stars, stating that the rating was based on her own personal taste.  She goes on to say that she “dislikes romantic suspense with a passion” and complained because the book contained “no magic incantations, time traveling or other paranormal activities of any kind. Only lots of criminal activities, trips to jail, and tears.”  She went on to say that “the writing isn’t entirely horrible and the book is a fast read. Thankfully, it put me out of my misery quickly.”   

So glad I could accommodate her!   

But why on earth did she even bother reading a book from a genre she despises?  This wasn’t an official reviewer who was given the book to read for a review site.  This was a reader who PURCHASED the book!  If you want to read about magic and time travel and “other paranormal activities”, sweetie, don’t join a book club where you’re going to be sent ROMANTIC SUSPENSE or any other genre you don’t want to read.  Seems like a no-brainer to me.  But then again, that’s just me.  My TBR pile has morphed into a TBR bookcase.  Too many books, too little time.  Why would I spend it reading books I don’t like? 

And speaking of TBR piles, I received a Google Alert recently where someone on a message board had written about having read my book and enjoyed it.  There was one comment to her post.  The commenter said she was glad to hear the poster liked the book because it was sitting on her TBR pile.  She’d recently bought it at Wal-Mart because it was so cheap.  LOL!  People buy books for all different reason — the cover,  the back cover blurb, the author, the genre, the title, a quote from another author, a review they’ve read.  But this is the first time I’ve heard of someone buying a book only because it was “so cheap.”  Makes me wonder just how much Wal-Mart is discounting the $7 cover price of my book, but at least I now know there are some Wal-Marts carrying it (and I certainly hope after reading the book the woman feels she got her money’s worth.) 

So…anyone else ever get a good laugh out of a review?   

Late (early) or Lost or both

I seem to be building a reputation for myself on the blog of posting early or posting late. The early was definitely a function of the old Blogger not saving my posts, the late is, well, just me somehow forgetting despite post it notes, calendar references and a tattoo on my forehead. (The latter is a slight exaggeration.)

Somehow I think this whole blog experience mirrors my writing career. I’ve often found myself either ahead of my time or a little late. Hybrid supernatural redemption thrillers? A love story that’s also a mystery? That was early. A female p.i. in LA who is an ex-cop?  I just bought three of those. Late!

Okay, moving on. Who watches Lost and what does this have to do with writing? Well, I managed to hook my kids on the series mid-season two, and my husband thoughtfully bought us Season One on DVD for Xmas. So we can tell you lots of things – if you want to know – about the numbers, Locke’s father, Jack’s father, the fact that Jack’s father is also Claire’s father – much more.

The show is different – unique (early?) – as opposed to if it came on now (what, another multi-character nighttime serial format with supernatural elements and some redemption thrown in? We have twenty-seven of those) – but what holds up with repeated viewing, what makes the show fun, is something that is a part of any good writing -

-the hero has a serious problem (or in this case, many heros. All stranded on an island)
-there is an element of change, real character arcs, emotional catharsis
-the characters have multiple dimensions and you want to know more about them (okay, maybe not Boone, but they killed him off the first season anyway)
-there is a villain (or many villains – the Others! Polar Bears! Personal demons!)
-the dialogue is fun
-there’s love, sex, anger, hope, and faith afoot

Okay, so I’m a fan of this show.

But then I’m also a fan of writing that involves readers and/or viewers as opposed to the type of writing I see lauded far too often that holds one off at arms length, that has no plot, no involving characters, no human emotions, but lots of clever ideas and pretty phrases — which does not good writing make. Sometimes it makes for good criticism of writing, but it doesn’t make good writing. Sometimes it makes for lengthy analysis, but it still doesn’t make good writing. Does it reach out and grab you by the throat, heart, soul, neck, make you jump, make you cringe, make you sigh, make you laugh, make you smile? Then it’s good. I think it’s really that simple, and that hard.

What do you think?

Interview with Ann Voss Peterson

My post sort of fits today’s theme. I’m so thankful for DEADLY MEMORIES being a finalist for the Daphne duMaurier Award of Excellence in Mystery & Suspense that I’m doing interviews with fellow finalists. Here is an interview with one of my best buddies, Ann Voss Peterson. 

First, a quick bio of Ann.

Ever since she was a little girl making her own books out of construction paper, Ann wanted to write. So when it came time to choose a major subject at the University of Wisconsin, the only subject she could choose was creative writing. Of course, that wasn’t a very practical thing to do. One needs to earn a living. So Ann turned to jobs ranging from proofreading legal transcripts, to working with quarter horses, to washing windows. But no matter what she did for a living, she continued to write the type of stories that captured her heart and fired her imagination. Romantic suspense stories. In 2000 Ann saw her first novel published by Harlequin Intrigue, and her wide variety of job experience became material for her stories. Since then, she has published eleven novels and novellas with several more on the way.  Her books have been nominated for many awards, including the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award in 2002 and the Daphne du Maurier Award three years in a row! Now Ann spends her days writing, reading, and enjoying life in her home near Madison, Wisconsin where she lives with her husband, her two young sons, and her Border collie. VOW TO PROTECT, Ann’s Daphne nominated book, is also a finalist in four other contests, including the Book Buyer’s Best Award. That’s very impressive, Ann. Congratulations!

Now for the interview: 

1.      VOW TO PROTECT is the third in a miniseries spun off from an earlier book about serial killer Dryden Kane. Kane is, by the way, one of the creepiest villains I’ve ever read. What prompted you to develop further books based on a villain?

 I love Kane.  His mix of narcissism and insecurity and utter evil intrigued me, haunted me and generally scared the starch out of me.  I didn’t want to let him go after the first book he was in, ACCESSORY TO MARRIAGE (1/02), but for several years I couldn’t think of a way to bring him back that satisfied me and did justice to him.  When the idea for the Wedding Mission series (SERIAL BRIDE, EVIDENCE OF MARRIAGE, VOW TO PROTECT) came to me, I knew that was it.  Kane was too important to me to only give him one book or even two.  He needed a three-book series to tell the rest of his story.  In VOW TO PROTECT, Kane finally gets his due.  

2.      You have very strong characters in VOW, especially the hero. Can you describe a little about how you developed him?

 Since Kane was such a real and strong character for me, one of my biggest challenges for the series was finding heroes and heroines capable of standing up to him and ultimately defeating him.  As the hero of the final Wedding Mission book, Cord Turner was the most crucial of all the characters.  Cord is Dryden Kane’s son, and from the very first I set out to give him many of the same challenges Kane had and show how he was able to make different choices than his father.  Cord is not a serial killer (obviously), but he had a challenging childhood, killed a rival gang member as a teen and has spent many years in prison for his crime.  Now that he’s out, he must choose what he is:  a killer or the good man his childhood love, Melanie Frist, always believed he could be.  And he must choose what kind of legacy he will pass on to the son he didn’t know he had. In the process of developing him, I read many books and watched documentaries about prison life.  But mostly I had to examine my own attitudes about crime and retribution and forgiveness.  And I think that’s why the characters (especially Cord) come off as strong–even strong enough to defeat Dryden Kane.  In the end, they are able to forgive and sacrifice and move on, things of which Dryden Kane will never be capable.  

3.      You had four books published in 2006. I know you have a husband and two sons. How did you manage the books and family life, too?

Well, it sure wasn’t easy!  I said no a lot.  I wrote every day, even weekends.  And I didn’t do much else.  I had to be very disciplined.  Either I wrote, exercised and/or spent time with my family.  But my biggest challenge was continuing to write even if what I was putting on the computer screen was garbage.  I had to trust I could rewrite it into a book of which I could be proud and get it all done before deadline.  Exercise was key during that year.  Without it I wouldn’t have been able to keep my stress level in check.

4.      What in your opinion is the hardest part of writing romantic suspense? What is the easiest?

The hardest part of romantic suspense for me is the love relationship.  Showing two people falling in love and making it not only convincing but truly moving, is really tough.  I work very hard on this part of my stories, rewriting nearly endlessly to bring out true emotion between my characters.  Luckily, rewriting is my favorite part of the process.

 Conversely, action scenes are relatively easy for me, not that they don’t require a lot of work, too.  I love raising tension and stakes and generally making life hell for my characters.  I guess I’m sadistic that way, or maybe masochistic, since I have to put myself through it with them on an emotional level.  When I write a story, I write toward the big, black all-is-lost moment without any thought of how I am going to get my characters out of the mess they are in.  Giving them a happy ending can be tricky at times, but I find if even I am not sure how I’m going to resolve the story, readers won’t see the solution coming either.  

5.      How do you keep track of your story–note cards, lists, outline, etc?

 I plot my major turning points on a dry erase board and then write an outline.  I have also used note cards, but have found the dry erase board is so easy to alter that it encourages me to make changes.  Never be afraid to make changes, hopefully changes for the better.  

6.      You’re ready to begin a new project. What’s the first thing you do? Character bios? Plot and plan? Or just jump in and let the muse take you?

I start by coming up with a suspense situation that intrigues me.  It can be something “ripped from the headlines” or ripped from my imagination, but it has to be urgent and intense and it has to scare me. 

 Once I find that suspense hook, I turn all my attention to character—the hero, the heroine and the villain.  I ask myself not only who my characters are, but why is this situation especially horrible or frightening for them?  What do they stand to lose?  What do they want and why?  Then I use the answers to those questions to plan the course of the story. Once I have a draft down, the real writing begins.  It’s in the rewriting process that the story comes alive for me.  My first drafts are horrible.  Luckily, no one sees them but me.    

7.      How did you get into writing? What is your background?

I’ve been writing stories since I could form letters.  When I went to college, I really wanted to get a degree in a respectable field, but soon realized that either I had to major in creative writing or drop out.  So I chose writing.  After graduation I had to earn a living, so I worked in jobs ranging from horse show groom to bartender to window washer.  The hard, unglamorous work not only prepared me for the unglamorous reality of being a novelist, it gave me grist for the mill.  In VOW TO PROTECT, my hero works as a window washer.  Guess where that research came from!

  

8.      I thoroughly enjoyed your April release, SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT. What are your new projects? What can readers look forward to from Ann Voss Peterson?

Next March Harlequin Intrigue is releasing a series of books I’m really excited about.  They will have a THRILLER flash on the cover, and mine will be the first in the series (3/08).  It’s a story of an accountant who goes on her company’s big game hunting trip in the mountains of Wyoming with hopes it will land her a promotion.  But instead the boss starts hunting her.

9.      What advice can you offer to writers who are working toward publication?

 Learn the craft of writing before you start worrying about the business end.  There is no business end without first producing a stellar novel.  

10.  And lastly, the blog fairy is granting you three wishes. If you could have anything or do anything you wanted, what would they be?

I hesitate to make wishes, because I have seen Darby O’Gill and the Little People more times than I can count.  There’s a lot of thought that has to go into wishing.  And if the blog fairy is anything like King Brian, I wouldn’t want to make a fourth wish and blow the whole thing.  But here goes.

First wish:  great health and peace for everyone on earth.

Second wish:  a way to pause time, so I can have more of it

Third wish:  a thousand more wishes!

Oops!  I suspect I broke the wishing rules!

No prob. There are no rules. But I should tell you, I have no control over whether the blog fairy actually follows through….

Thank you, Ann, for a fascinating interview and some tips on writing romantic suspense.

This interview and one with bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire are also posted on my website, http://www.susanvaughan.com. Click on the Bits ‘n Bytes link.