Packing for Trips – What’s in Your Suitcase?

Last night, we had a writer friend spend the night in our room.  Her “official” roommate wasn’t going to arrive until Wednesday, so we rolled out the Welcome Mat for her.

 Now, I’m always fascinated by the kind of things people bring with them when they travel, both for business and for pleasure.  For example, some people like to bring their own alarm clocks because they don’t trust the in-room alarm clocks.  (Personally, I’ve never been able to figure out how to set the darn things but maybe that’s just me.)  Other people might pack a few of the comforts of home, such as their favorite brand of coffee for the in-room coffee maker.

 Our overnight guest had two large suitcases and a huge box that she had shipped to herself at the hotel ahead of time.  Of course, with the baggage restrictions and the multiple functions writers have to attend at this conference, it’s understandable she might need a lot of stuff.  But her suitcases and box weren’t filled with fancy shoes and sparkly outfits.  Nope.  She’s packed things like a 12-cup coffee maker, filters, coffee and condiments.

 Now, I totally get the need to bring the coffee maker.  The in-room coffee makers are one-cup wonders and there is nothing like the smell of your favorite coffee in the morning.  But the full-sized coffeemaker wasn’t all she’d brought.  She’d also brought a mini pharmacy filled with every kind of over-the-counter pill, tablet and liquid you could imagine.  The oddest thing, though, by far was the large container of Carpet Fresh.

 Yeah, you read that right.  I said, “Carpet Fresh” as in the powder you sprinkle on your carpet before you vacuum it.  She said she brought it because sometimes the carpets in hotels smell a little funny.  Makes sense, I guess.  Still, it’s no wonder the TSA guys had opened the container to check it out – wouldn’t you if you found an unopened container in the checked luggage of a passenger?  LOL.

 So, what kind of strange items do you pack for business/pleasure trips?  Share the details, if you dare.  And remember, one lucky commenter is going to receive a copy of Alexis Morgan’s new release, Dark Warrior Unleashed.

RWA National Conference in San Francisco – An Update

Well, here we are on the unofficial Day One of the RWA National conference in San Francisco.  I arrived on Tuesday afternoon, met my roommate Christie Craig at the airport – good thing she decided to wear her hat; with so many people milling around the SFO, I almost didn’t see her – and we shared a ride to the hotel with authors Mary Strand and Heather MacAllister.   What a great couple of ladies!

 

Now, if you’ve never attended an RWA national conference, here’s the scoop.  Once a year, about 2,000 members of Romance Writers of America, both published and unpublished writers, along with literary agents and editors, descend on a host city for a four day conference.  National, as we like to call it,is a lot like a huge slumber party for romance writers.  We get together with friends we haven’t seen since the last writers’ conference; there’s a lot of eating, drinking, reminiscing and laughter.  And, occasionally, we even get some work done.  LOL.

 

Like today, for example.  We don’t have an official schedule – the workshops begin tomorrow – but today is the Booksellers and Librarian’s Day.  There is a luncheon this afternoon, and Christie and I, along with dozens of other romance authors, are going to be schmoozing with all the folks who help to put our books into the hands of readers.  This evening is the literacy booksigning.  It’s a great event and it’s for a great cause – every penny of the money we take in during the booksigning goes to literacy.  I’m hoping we set a new record this year!

 

Well, that’s the latest from San Francisco.  I’ll try to post another update in a few days. 

 

Faye

 

 

Two new releases!

 

This is an exciting time for me.  You see, I have two very different stories coming out within a week of each other, something I haven’t experienced before.   Each story present its own set of challenges. 

          WHAT’S AT STAKE? is not only my first short story, but also my first vampire hero.  An editor contacted me at the end of last year to see if I’d be interested in participating in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF VAMPIRE ROMANCE even though my paranormals aren’t vampire stories.  I jumped at the chance because I’ve always wanted to write about a hero with fangs.  It was such fun to develop my own twist on the vampire mythology, and Rafferty was born.  The story opens with him awaiting execution.  That’s the bad news.   That his assigned executioner is the woman he loves is the good news—maybe.

          Writing a short story was an interesting exercise for me because I’m used to having 90,000 words to play with when it comes to telling a story.  My vamp story was limited to 7,500, so it had to be far more linear and much more focused.  My first draft was fifteen hundred words too long, leaving me with the problem of what to cut.  Nouns?  Verbs?  Adjectives?   With a lot of  work, I finally pared it down to 7,495 words, squeaking in under the wire.  Needless to say, I learned a whole lot about careful word choice during the process.    

          DARK WARRIOR UNLEASHED, the first book in my new Talions series from Pocket Star, will officially be released on July 29.   I love writing my Paladins series,  but I had this rugged redhead who kept shoving his way to the front of the line and insisting that his story needed to be told.  Ranulf Thorsen is a centuries old Viking who drives a 1940 Packard convertible through the Cascade Mountains with the top down.  He’s a warrior who has carried the heavy burden of protecting his people, the Kyth, for too long.  He’s burned out and longs to live out his life in lonely peace.  But his honor demands that he respond when the leader of his kind calls on him one last time to defend humans and Kyth alike from a serial killer.  In the process, Ranulf meets a woman who captures his heart and reminds him how it feels to be loved and happy.

          World building is one of my favorite parts of writing paranormal romance.  It was especially challenging to create a world for Ranulf and his people that was different than the one my Paladins live in, especially because Seattle provides the backdrop for both series.   Equally interesting was developing my own take on the vampire myth.  Rafferty’s story is my tip of the hat to all  those wonderful vampire series that are out there. 

          Gotta love a guy with fangs, you know, not to mention a big, tall redhead with a hot convertible!

         

This Week’s Contest

Again, congratulations to DixieGirl for winning a Barnes and Noble gift certificate from Faye Hughes.  Remember to contact Faye at her website within the next 30 days to receive your prize.

********July 27 – August 1 Contest********

This week’s winner will receive an autographed copy of Dark Warrior Unleashed from Alexis Morgan.  Alexis writes the wildly popular Paladin series about powerful warriors and red-hot romance. She’s also just started a new series featuring the oh-so-sexy Tallions, and Dark Warrior Unleashed is the first book.  You can also find out more about Alexis at her website.

To be entered in the drawing, comment on any of the blog entries this week.  One lucky winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday.  Happy Reading!

 

This Week’s Winner

Congrats go to DixieGirl!  You are this week’s winner.  You will receive a gift certificate from Barnes and Noble.  Contact Faye at her website.  (Reminder:  prizes need to be claimed within 30 days after the winner is announced.)

Thanks for all the great comments this week.  Check back Sunday for details about next week’s contest.  Happy Reading

Why Can’t Life Be Like a Romance Novel?

Two romance novelists ponder the meaning of life, love and anything else that comes to mind.

 

 

Have you ever tried to talk to a man?

 

I mean a serious conversation, like the State of our Relationship kind of a conversation.  Okay, sure, nobody likes having those little chats but they’re necessary for the growth of a relationship, and more likely than not, a woman will be the one who has to initiate them.  The thing is, when she does, the man usually starts planning a fast getaway.  He gets this frightened look on his face, as though a couple of stern-looking Homeland Security agents just arrived on his doorstep and asked him to explain the truckload of C-4 in his driveway and all those money wire transfers from overseas accounts he’s been getting in his Chase checking account.  Now, a visit from Homeland Security instilling fear into the soul of a man with a bunch of explosives and money he can’t explain is understandable.  (Hey, he should be afraid.)  But getting all terror-struck when his girlfriend casually asks, “Where do you see our relationship going?” 

 

Please.

 

 It’s all a bit much, don’t you think?

 

And yet, it keeps happening.  And odder still, a man’s communication skills don’t seem to get any better once he’s made that huge leap of faith into a committed relationship.  If you need proof, just announce, “Honey, we need to talk” and watch him freak.

 

Honestly, communicating with a house plant would be a lot easier, don’t you think?

 

 

 

Five Things That I’ve Learned About Having an Important Conversations With a Man from Reading Romance Novels:

 

1. If a man is reluctant to talk about his past, it’s usually because he has a deep, dark secret involving ancient curses, his involvement in some top-secret government agencies or an evil drug lord/war lord has placed a bounty on his head, all of which will likely get you killed if you know about it.  In other words, he’s not being cagey, he’s just thinking of your personal welfare, like any good hero would.  That means you’re going to have to try doubly hard to get him to fess up . . . just like any good heroine would do.
2. Real heroes agonize over where the relationship is going, just as much as heroines do, or how else can you explain all of those pages of internalization in his POV?  Sure, he’s usually reminding himself how he can’t let himself fall for the heroine because he’s a lone wolf/an international jewel thief/a government assassin who can only survive by remaining single, but we know it’s just a cover.  He’s already fallen for the heroine, or why else is he bitching about it for so many pages? 
3. If a man can’t, or won’t, talk about his childhood, it’s probably because he grew up on a planet far, far away, he spent his childhood in the Middle Ages, or his parents rule the Underworld.  Again with the secrets but he’s hiding these from you because he’s afraid you won’t be able to love him if you knew the awful truth that he’s an alien/vampire/heir apparent of the underworld. 
4. Serial killers, hordes of the undead and any number of natural disasters usually strike moments after you and your guy decide to have a heart-to-heart.   Trust me.  It never fails and it’s always something.
5. It’s amazing what a woman can get a man to say when he’s tied to the bedpost and she’s sitting on top of him.   Sometimes it’s not what you ask but when and how that matters.

 

 

Faye

 

 

About the authors:  Christie Craig, an Alabama native, is a multi-published photojournalists and award-winning writer of both romance fiction and non-fiction who is happily married to her prince charming.  Faye Hughes, a Mississippi native, is single and an award-winning romance author who is still searching for her own prince after having kissed a lot of frogs.  Together, they are the co-authors of The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel (Adams Media, September, 2008.) and an upcoming humor-filled relationship/self help book (Polka Dot Press) slated for release on Valentine’s Day, 2010.  Visit them online at www.WritewithUs.net.

Writers, it’s about time.

There’s an interesting article in the latest issue of The Writer about ten stupid things writers do to sabotage their careers. The author, Lauren Kessler, nailed me with number one: “I’ll just clear the decks before I start writing.”

Yup. I’m guilty. I rarely sit down to write before noon. First, I have to walk and feed my dog. Then I have a routine of reading the paper, working the crossword puzzle and Jumble, having breakfast, cleaning up the kitchen, starting a load of laundry, then going for my walk. By the time I get back, it’s time to put the laundry in the dryer and … well, you get the picture.

But wait! It doesn’t stop there. After I boot up the computer and log in, I have to clear out my Inbox before I can write, right? I have several e-mail accounts: one for family and friends, one for writers, one for writing under my alter-ego’s name, one for readers, one for my Yahoo! groups, and one for all my financial and business accounts. By the time I’ve cleared the decks, it’s time for lunch!

If you’ve seen me, you know I rarely miss lunch, or any meal for that matter. Before I allow myself a break, though, I open the file of my work-in-progress and return to where I left off. See, I do start writing by noon.

I’ve seen my routine spoofed in forwarded e-mails alternately as “but first” syndrome and “Aging Adult Attention Deficit Disorder” or AAADD. I have that disorder! You’re probably wondering by now, “When does she write?” The answer is afternoons and evenings. Since I’m a morning person by nature, I’m short-changing my career by not giving it the best of me, begging the question: am I a writer or am I a hobbyist?

Here’s what Kessler’s article taught me, plain and simple: “The decks will never be cleared.” Furthermore, if I’d start my day walking me and my dog, I could write following breakfast and produce in a couple of hours as much writing as I do stringing it out throughout the day. The dishes, laundry, paper and puzzles, and e-mails will be there when I take a break later in the day. I’m not saying write at the expense of everything else in life, but I want to be more than a hobbyist. I’m a writer and should behave like one.

I’m trying a new routine, starting today. I call it Butt First Syndrome, meaning my butt goes into the chair to write before I clear the decks that will never be cleared anyway.

But first **grin**, I’ll ask for your time management tips. How do you manage your writing time?

Cheryl's butt in chair to write.

Summer Reading

Summertime, and the living is easy. Or at least, so we hope. We long for lazy days at the beach, around the pool, in a hammock under a shady tree. Preferably with a very hot “pool boy” bringing us tall, icy, alcoholic drinks. And, of course, we want a good book in our hands. (If we can’t have the pool boy, that is [g].

At my website, I run an opinion poll contest each month. I always love reading the answers. On some topics, people tend to agree. For example, when my book She’s on Top came out (with a plus-size heroine who finds a sexy guy who loves her curves), I asked if society pressures women to have “perfect” bodies, and the response was an overwhelming “yes”. But on other topics, there’s a lot of variation in the responses I get, and that’s the case with my July topic.

For July, in honor of summer, my question is, “What’s your favorite summer reading?”

Some people think summer’s a time for light reading, and others go for the heavy books they don’t have time to read during the rest of the year. Some like nonfiction, some like magazines, but the majority prefer novels. And those novels may be everything from horror to sweet romance to erotic romance. Some people like to re-read old favorites and some delight in buying new titles. Some readers like long books and some prefer shorter reads. Here’s one of my favorite responses to date: “I love reading erotica in the summer since it makes a reader feel even warmer. I also like anthologies because after each short story I know it’s time to put on more sunscreen.” Who needs a timer, if you have an erotic romance novella? LOL.

So, how about you? What do you like to read in the summer? And, while you’re at it, where do you like to read, and what’s your taste in pool boys and summer beverages?

Oh, and please hop on over to my website and enter my contest as well (http://www.susanlyons.ca). You could win an autographed copy of one of my books plus a sequined turquoise scarf, just perfect for draping those bare summer shoulders!

My time in Bugville (or how I’ll find the silver lining)

People often ask me where I get my ideas. I guess I’m the type of person that drama seems to find. Last Wednesday I left for Commerce, Texas. I flew into Dallas and first I visited with a former student who is doing an internship with American Airlines. I got an insider tour of the pilot and flight attendant training areas, including getting to step inside a flight simulator and see the pool where attendants learn water evacuations. I was thrilled. All this stuff is great background and may be useful in a book someday.

From there I took Chris and his boss to lunch, and then Chris drove me to Commerce, where things went downhill. The conference has been using the University Inn successfully for lodging for years, but since last summer the place has undergone a few changes, and not necessarily for the better. New management took over approximately two weeks ago and they have quite a few challenges. The mattresses leaning against telephone poles and the trash piled by the dumpsters should have been a clue that something was amiss. But no, we conference attendees naively believed it would be fine like in previous years. I even reassured Chris, who left shaking his head.

Chris had it right. I wasn’t the only room where the beds were made (but with unclean sheets), the showers came with used soap and shampoos (although new stuff was on the counters) and the roaches came out at night (or in the case of one attendee, out of her folded towels the next morning). One instructor had a single room, but he didn’t sleep alone as two roaches woke him up when they crawled on his arm to check him out. Even though I’d gotten a new room and new pillows after complaining about the state of my room (and the roach on my door frame), I didn’t sleep well as I had the light on all night.

Needless to say over ten of us checked out the next day, but not without the manager first refusing to refund our unused stay (we were supposed to be there for three nights) until the conference director stepped in. The conference itself was held on the Texas A & M Commerce campus and they were wonderful hosts. As for the conference content and instructors, I have never attended a conference where I learned so much and had such a great time doing so.

The Holiday Inn Express itself was nirvana compared to the other hotel; my room spacious and wonderful. The experience became the subject of my convergence journalism project and I even made a video about how great the place was. I remained paranoid, though, and never did unpack my suitcase. I kept it zipped unless I needed something. That was probably a good thing, since Saturday morning, one of those large tree roaches decided to visit and began crawling on the wall opposite my bed.

Figuring my room fee covered bug disposal, I called the front desk. Housekeeping came and I’ve never seen anyone pounce so fast–those critters can really move but she was quicker. However, the irony rankled. Could it not have picked someone else’s room, especially after I’d made such a great video on how this hotel was bug free? I guess I wasn’t quite a liar, since in my video I’d stated that at the Holiday Inn at least the bugs die. Of course, housekeeping had to help. I’m sure she thought me quite the sissy, but I hate bug guts and had enough of them Wednesday.

Over breakfast, the Texans began educating me on the different types of roaches (and which ones are good and bad) and stressed you can’t ever totally get rid of them. They told me the flying tree roaches aren’t like the other ones, which indicated filth.

While I love all these people dearly, I was never quite so happy to see Missouri and my own bed. I’m still quite creeped out, and planning on packing Raid for this Friday night’s hotel stay in Kirksville when I go pick up my daughter. I got the idea from one of the conference attendees who bought a can of Raid at Walmart and sprayed the perimeter of the room and around her entire bed. After a night from hell in the first hotel, she wasn’t taking chances.

So how does this relate to writing? After hearing bug stories since Wednesday (and everyone had them in abundance to share), I’m thinking that a hot sexy exterminator would make an excellent hero. I mean, the Orkin man of the TV commercials doesn’t quite do it for me, but I could give this guy six-pack abs and have him save the day (or maybe the heroine’s century-old house). I’m not sure. I can see the other hotel from hell factoring in somehow as well. While I never quite thought bugs would be characters in a book, after this past week, I’m starting to visualize the possibilities. Maybe that would help exorcise the twitches I’m still having. Or at least justify the paranoia.

Michele

Summer Days, Writer Style

July is slamming me with work, so when my blog time came up, I had the inevitable thought, “What can I blog about?!?”

And then it came to me: July. Summer. Summer. July. Add in writing and you get a secret not many non-writers know: For writers, summer is very often our busy time.

While everyone else in the country plans lazy weekends and knocks off early on Friday to picnic, travel, boat, or just enjoy the longer days, writers often try to figure out how to write more, not less. One reason for this is that day jobs (most writers don’t support themselves with writing alone and have interesting…or just busy…day jobs) often ease up in the summer, and where non-writers see opportunity for lazy days at the lake or ocean, writers see extra hours to finish the book that they need to write.

My family has gotten used to me schlepping along work when we go to the lake or the beach. To my going into overdrive in the summer when the days are so long and full of promise.

This year is a little different, though. First, my children are officially grown and out of high school, so I am no longer writing in between driving them to summer camp, friends’ houses or trips to the pool or playground.  Second, we’re not traveling, as we usually do during the summer break when everyone is out of school.

Instead of trying to write more this summer, I’m trying to take more time off. Except for July. July I am: writing three projects (two young adult book proposals and a screenplay); tutoring three children with dyslexia; teaching an above normal load in my day job as a writing instructor. My creativity levels are off the chart this month (I tutor using a multi-sensory approach, which means thinking of fun and effective ways to train the dyslexic brain to fluenty recognize the building blocks of the English language…today it is dot markers and Dry-Erase board races).

Of course, sometimes that level of creativity fries out my brain. Like last week. When I could not write. Not even a grocery list.

So I went to the lake, instead. And to the ocean. And to the movies. And to the ice cream stand. And then my brain unfroze and my creativity came back.

Summertime is great, that way, isn’t it?

I’m really looking forward to August, when I will only be tutoring one student, not three, and my screenplay will be completely drafted, and my book proposals sitting on editor’s desks.

Then, I’ll go back to the beach, the lake, take a hike. Of course, I’ll schlep along work. I don’t really know any other way. Maybe I’ll save total no-work vacation for a birthday getaway in September. Maybe.

Enjoy the long sunny days while they last!

Kelly