LABOR DAY?

by Suzanne Welsh

Tomorrow is labor day in the United States. Started in New York City back in the 1880's it was a day set aside to remember the contributions made by the city's workers. As the daughter of a Union plumber and pipe fitter, I've always known the importance of the day.

But for me, it's always had another meaning. As some of you may know, my dreaded night job is that of a Labor and Delivery nurse...(okay, by now you know where I'm going with this). My very first year out of nursing school I worked on Labor Day. How appropriate was that? Women in Labor on Labor Day...So today I'm going to share with y'all some of my favorite stories... (every one of them a true story!)

When I lived in Florida, the unit I worked on was 6 floors up. We had a separate entrance from the ER, clear on the other side of the hospital. One night I got a call from the security guard who sort of chuckled and said, "We've got a lady down here having her baby in her car." Because he laughed, I thought he was joking. Only, he wasn't. The laugh was an I'm-scared-please-come-help-me laugh. So my team and I run to the elevator, and hurry down to the entrance. Sure enough the mother was lying in the front seat of a Grand Marquis. She was trying to exit head first out the driver's side. Problem was, the baby was coming head first the other direction! We managed to delivery the baby without too much difficulty and up to the L&D unit safely. Let me tell you, leather upholstry makes a very nice delivery table!

One time, I was working in a University Hospital with residents and interns. A lady in very active labor comes down the hall, holding her stomach and breathing like she's a category 3 hurricane. Between breaths she says, "I need a birthing room." As the charge nurse that night, I showed her into a labor room, explaining it was the only empty bed, but if she was ready to deliver I'd move her over to the delivery room after we examined her. I turned to pull back the covers, and when I turned around, she was gone! I found her at the end of the hall, holding onto the guard rail we had on the wall, squatting and grunting. (NOT a good sign!!) So, I grabbed her gown and slipped my hand between her legs. Yep I could feel the baby's head touching my hand. As we maneuvered into a delivery room, (imagine here a cross between a waddle and a goose-step!), I yelled for a resident. Good plan, except for the delivery table was chest high!! No way could she climb on top to deliver. The little resident runs in and says, "What can I do?" After he gets his gown and gloves on, I told him to put his hands under her like a quarterback, and then when I let go, whoosh...he caught the baby with mama standing and holding onto the delivery table. Funny thing was, I looked into the observation window that this hospital had, and there was the rest of the staff all watching!!

One of my most favorite deliveries was this past winter when my daughter had my granddaughter. My hubby said I got to have every grandmother's dream. I picked the doctor, the nurses, the hospital AND I got to be in the room when she was delivered! Well, the dreaded night job has to have some perks, doesn't it? And here she is!

So, those are two of my stories...Do you have any fun stories about being pregnant, deliveries of yours or a friend's? Let's talk babies and births today!

Things That Go Bump in the Night

by Jo Robertson

Do you remember the lines from the old Scottish prayer,

"From ghoulies and ghosties/And long-legged beasties/And things that go bump in the night/Good Lord, deliver us!"

When I was a little girl, I had all sorts of fears.

We lived on the banks of the James River that sloped down from our property into a thick brush of sand and thickets and . . . well, for all I knew, a dead body or two. At least those were the stories my brother spun for me.

And I believed him.

Our house had an enclosed wraparound porch and we'd sit in the swing as evening came, looking out into the thick lush foliage and trees. As the night fell, and we could no longer see what lay outside the protected, screened porch, I knew there were things that not only went bump in the night, but that ate little girls alive.

My fears were seldom unfounded.

Okay, maybe the monsters living under my bed weren't real, but I wasn't going to test the theory by dangling my arms or feet over the edge during the night.

But I knew one monster which did exist -- Big Foot. I knew he was real from the stories my older cousins told me when we visited them in Kentucky. Somehow those isolated roads and far-apart country houses made the stories real.

Ghosts were real too.

I was about seven and my brother six, the summer my West Virginia cousins -- Bobby and Freddie -- great teenage boys way too old for such antics -- covered themselves in white sheets one night. They used flashlights for giant red "eyes" and came upon us as we made our way back from Aunt Edna's outhouse. They scared the living daylights out of us.

I was afraid of ticks, too. And with good reason. They heavily infested our area and dug into the flesh, sucking blood like manic miniature vampires. Scalp, arms, legs, bottom -- all were suspectible.

Once, a huge one, fat and drowsy with my young blood, buried itself into my little butt. They're almost impossible to remove and require gross things like alcohol and tweezers for their removal, items sure to scar you for life. Then you have to burn them to make sure they're dead.

My fear of water came from my military dad trying to teach me to swim and the vague notion that polio came from swimming in the ocean too early in the year. To this day I'm afraid of the ocean. While it amazes and fascinates me, I keep my distance from the water.

The ocean is a treacherous mistress, and any sailor knows she should be handled with wise caution.

One last thing I learned to be afraid of when I was older. That freaky Chucky doll.

What's up with that thing? He scuttles across the floor like a rat, so fast you can only sense the bloody knife in his hand.

What about you? Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night?

Did you have any childhood frightening moments or real-life frightening experiences?

Do you have irrational fears? Or do you have good reasons for being afraid of certain things?

Are you afraid of the dark? Being alone? The dentist?

Come on, fess up. What are your three greatest fears? The most creative and interesting experience/story will receive a $10 gift certificate from Amazon, courtesy of Dr. Big. Shhhh, he doesn't know yet!

HUGE RB Welcome to Roxanne St Claire!

Jeanne: A huge Romance Bandits welcome to fabulous Rita-award wining Suspense author Roxanne St. Claire. I've been a huge fan since I read French Twist, Tropical Getaway and Like a Hurricane in quick succession four years ago. Since then, Rocki has written 22 award winning books so far in four areas - romantic suspense, category, chick-lit, and novellas in anthologies. But one of the most fun things, I think are her the series she's created. Rocki, I'm dying to know about how you write these complex, interwoven series. First You Run was an April 2008 release, Then You Hide is just out as of July, 2008, and I'm waiting with bated breath for the September release of Now You Die. Rocki, tell us what it's like to write about The Bullet Catchers, and the hot, hot...suspense .. yeah, the suspense, that's it...that inspires your novels. :>

Rocki: Thank you, Jeanne, and thank you so much for the invitation to join the Romance Bandits! It’s an honor and a thrill to be here. And, of course, I’d lurve to talk about my fearless, gorgeous, alpha-to-the-bone bodyguards – the Bullet Catchers! Because they’re so…suspenseful. Right. That’s it.

You know, it’s kind of ironic that I write a series of any kind because I was never a huge fan of recurring characters or continuing series back when I was only reading, and not writing. I always had this sense that the author was being arrogant in *assuming* I’d read all her books, not to mention I hate the sensation that maybe I’ve missed something important. But when I was researching my fourth romantic suspense, KILL ME TWICE, and learning about the life of a bodyguard, some creative lightning struck (I read the slang term “bullet catcher” for bodyguard and the whole series just popped into my head) and I decided I’d give a series a try. It’s worked out well, since now there are six full length books in the series, and two novellas. But because of my earlier anti-series bias, I kill myself to ensure that each book stands completely alone and that recurring characters are included for a reason that makes sense for the story.

So things got real tricky when I decided to write a “trilogy within the series” – the three books that come out this year. They do stand alone, in that each is a romantic suspense adventure with a hero/heroine who ultimately find a happy ending, but there is a story thread that starts in the first, knots up further in the second, and is finally tied into a bow in the third. But, wow, a trilogy that’s released “close together” (mine are each two months apart) is NOT for the faint of heart. The first book is in production while the third one is being written, meaning, Thou Shalt Not Change the Plot.

But guess what I did? Changed the plot? Uh, yeah. And the heroine. And the hero. And the villain. And the entire direction of the trilogy I’d originally proposed. It worked out, but, wow, there were some dicey days last spring.

Jeanne: So for our readers, why don't you tell us who the Bullet Catchers are, and what the books are like?

Rocki: The Bullet Catchers are an elite, high-end group of bodyguards and security specialists that handle some of the most difficult, dangerous, and daring assignments doled out by their uber-controlling leader, Lucy Sharpe. In every story, the Bullet Catcher hero (or heroine) has to face both a physical and emotional challenge, bringing their particular skill set to the adventure (as well as their singular “weakness” – which Lucy, the boss, always knows), and, in the process, they save lives, solve a crime, foil a few villains, fall miserably in love, face daunting conflict, and, ultimately, find HEA bliss.

And, boy, was I wrong about recurring characters! Readers love them. In fact, the very first character I introduced was the woman who runs the Bullet Catchers operation, Lucy Sharpe, and from the get-go, she generated the most mail and interest among readers. I hadn’t planned on making the third book in the trilogy Lucy’s book (because I thought that when I ended the series, I’d do so with her book), but she is one of those *demanding* characters and she’s the reason I changed the entire trilogy so that she could be the heroine of the third book. That book came out this week, NOW YOU DIE, and I hope readers love the story I’ve given her. (Or, I should say, the story she insisted on having!)

Since so many people like to start a series from the beginning (although it’s not necessary!), here are the books to date, all still available.

KILL ME TWICE (hot Cuban-American hero with major libido issues)
THRILL ME TO DEATH (big, sexy former DEA agent brought to his big, sexy knees by former lover)
TAKE ME TONIGHT (spicy Italian boy who can cook and does amazing things with a canoli)
FIRST YOU RUN (Aussie hero on the hunt for a woman hiding secrets)
THEN YOU HIDE (slow southern boy meets feisty New Yorker girl in deep Caribbean trouble)
NOW YOU DIE (Bullet Catcher boss has to team up with the one person who makes her lose what she values most ~ control)

There are also two novellas, and, I’m delighted to say, at least two more Bullet Catcher books coming in the summer of 2009.

Jeanne: Wow! That's fabulous! Oh, man, even more Bullet Catchers! Sigh... But you also write for Harlequin - and several of their lines at that! I know that your first Single Title, Tropical Getaway and your first category, Like a Hurricane, came out one right after the other. How did you manage that? Was the experience bliss or terror? Grins.

Rocki: It wasn’t terror then because when I sold my first book, as is the case for most writers, it was complete. And I had another completed manuscript, also, which Pocket decided to release as my third book, KILLER CURVES (my first foray into the world of NASCAR). And, since those books were coming out two years apart (with FRENCH TWIST in the middle), I had a lot of time to write. So, I broke into category! I have to say that writing category books (specifically the Desire line) is F-U-N for me, because there are no dead bodies, no conniving villains, no heroines in jeopardy, but there is tons of sex and emotion and banter and romance. I’m not writing any now, as I focus on the Bullet Catchers, but I would love to do more at some point.

Jeanne: I know you've said that you love writing romance, and especially romantic suspense. You certainly put that love into your work, you've won everything from a Rita to the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence to Daphnes and Maggies and more. We've debated over and over, here in the Bandit Lair, if contests, both for unpublished and published, are worth the entry fee. What are your thoughts?

Rocki: I’m really honored that my books have done so well in contests. Before selling, I was a contest slut (Oh, who are we kidding? I was truly a contest whore.) and entered many unpublished contests. At first, all this did was validate my *suspicion* that maybe, just maybe, I could write a book. I really needed that, and that’s why I strongly recommend contests for new, unpublished writers. The feedback (even the tough stuff) can be invaluable, and the process forces you to hone your craft. When my manuscripts started to final in contests, that boost of confidence was just the magic elixir I needed as I was slammed with rejection after rejection.

As a published author, I entered contests to build my bio and reach more readers and booksellers who are the judges. Now, I only enter a few, because with an average of four books a year, it can be costly in terms of time and money.

But here’s why a published writer should enter contests: you can’t really put fabulous “reviews” in your bio, but when the first few lines are “winner of the RITA, the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne, the Maggie, Bookseller’s Best, Book Buyers, Best, Award of Excellence, etc.” – you have instant credibility with readers and workshop attendees. So, I don’t enter them all anymore, but I’m delighted to have won for almost all of my books, including the Reader’s Choice, which I just received in July for one of my Bullet Catcher books, TAKE ME TONIGHT! And, let’s just be honest here, there is nothing as sweet as a RITA. That night is simply magical. After I won, I wished that everyone in RWA could experience that night just once, because floating around with that golden girl is a little bit of heaven on earth.

Jeanne: I admire anyone who can write both single title and category. Several of our Banditas write fabulous categories for Harlequin, but I find it quite difficult to "write short" and tell a compelling, complete story within the word count. I really appreciate the mental flexibility you have as a writer to do both. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Rocki: I definitely think long and hard about the story premise before I start, and I believe that helps me craft a book that fits the page count limitations. In shorter books, I don’t have room for the complexity I have in longer books. Therefore, I outline a “simpler” story – a conflict that can be resolved without multiple steps, usually a very strong “external” conflict because that works really well as the spikes to “hang” all the internal conflict (assuring that you don’t have an “introspection heavy” book.) I’ve written three novellas, and, wow, those can be challenging to a writer who likes to write “big” stories, as I do. Two were Bullet Catcher novellas, and that was really tough to weave a suspense plot (with plenty of sexual tension, a scary climax and believable resolution) in 25,000 – 30,000 words. The trick, I think, is to start with a premise you can keep uncomplicated – and make sure the pace is lightning quick. Limit introspection, description, and backstory as much as possible, and stay focused on tight, clean storytelling.

Jeanne: Finally, do you have an inspiration for your heroes before you start a book? Do you use a movie star, an imaginary character (Captain Jack Sparrow, anyone?), or real life heroes you've met to build The Bullet Catcher heroes?

Rocki: Oh YES! I absolutely cannot start a book without two things: a picture of my hero, and a title that I love. My hero goes on my screen saver, and he is my MUSE. Without him, I will battle the book, and have been known to spend hours combing the internet to find just the Right Guy. (This is hard work, I tell ya!)

Oh, you’d like to see some? All right…

Here’s Jack Culver (to the left)…the hero who has the honor of snagging Juicy Miss Lucy in NOW YOU DIE (did I mention that book is out this week?)

And here’s Dan Gallagher… the hero who didn’t get Lucy but, fear not. I’m writing his book right now and he’s getting…plenty. I was so happy when I found this one, because the look totally captures my Dan.

You want MORE? Greedy, greedy girls. Okay, two of my favorite Bullet Catchers:


(Left) Johnny Christiano from TAKE ME TONIGHT.


(right) Adrien Fletcher from FIRST YOU RUN:

How can I thank these men for the inspiration??? I couldn’t have written a word without them.

Jeanne: Oh, my. Mymymymymy. I'd write too, with that for inspiration..... Okay, focus, Jeanne. Back to the matter at hand....Last but not least, you've been in marketing, public relations, television and now, writing full time. What's the best part of The Writer's Life, from your perspective? No pantyhose? What's the worst? Revisions? Do you still, like most of us, doubt your work from time to time?

Rocki: The best part is the writing, and the worst part is the writing. When it *works” – you know, that day that your fingers fly and the story spins like magic on a wheel, when you close a doc and push away from the desk with bone-deep satisfaction that you nailed it….priceless. The rest of the time, it’s like chiseling marble, tapping and digging and hammering into it for the characters, story, and emotion you know is hiding underneath. Writing is very hard work, but when it sings, it is the greatest high a creative person can enjoy. When it doesn’t, I lose sleep, tear out some hair at the roots, and drink large glasses of Kendall Jackson.

Doubt? Puh-lease! I doubt every book, every scene, every sentence, every word. The only difference is now I know what “doubt” sounds like – it’s a totally different nag than the screaming gut hollering “Something Is Wrong. Emergency! Emergency! You Are Screwing Up the Story!” When I hear that, I react. When I hear inner doubts, I try to let them do no more than keep me on my toes, always striving to write a better story than the last.

Jeanne: Oh, yeah, I listen to that one too. Like you I try not to listen to the other one. Bandita Nancy and I were talking about the line from Dune "Fear is the Mind Killer..." Okay, back to the Bullet Boys - YUM - and our fabulous fans. We usually get our guests to ask a question of our Banditas, and Bandit Buddies...get them to quit drooling over the pretty pictures and actually chat...So, do you have a question for the Lair?

Rocki: Oh, yes, I do have a question!! It’s about series – do you love them, hate them, insist on reading them in order, or are you indifferent to the series concept? What turns you on most about a series – what do you dislike? More recurring characters for you, or less? I’ll give one poster THREE BULLET CATCHER BOOKS (winner’s choice – get the first three, or, if you have them, the three books in the 2008 Bullet Catcher trilogy), signed and ready to read. Post away!!

ALONE TIME

by Suzanne Welsh

My husband is out of town this week, so I've got the house all to myself. While I miss his company immensely, I love being alone.

Mind you, I didn't say I like being lonely. In fact, I rarely feel lonely. Between the internet which allows me to chat with all the Banditas; my AOL chats with my sister, mother and at least two of my kids; and the phone which rings constantly with people worried about the state of my estate, my FHA loan rate and my need for exotic vacations in places no one has ever heard of, I'd say I have plenty of contact with people. In fact, at my work people leave their nice warm comfy beds just to come to see me...patients because of their labor and doctors because I took the time to call them! And then there is the gaggle of nurses, who love to chat into the wee hours of the night! All these interactions with others is good and provides fodder for both story ideas and characterizations.

No, I'm rarely lonely, but I do enjoy having time for me and my thoughts. I enjoy putzing around the house in my pajamas with no one home to wonder if I'm "getting dressed" today. Rocky, the wonder dog, doesn't mind at all! He knows that jammies mean one of two things. Either I'm writing all day or we're heading back to bed for a long nap at some point.



When I'm home during the daytime the television is never on. The CD player on the other hand is. I enjoy listening to mood music while I write. In an action scene? Usually you'll hear some ZZTop or Lynard Skynard pounding out in my office. A sexy scene? Some Sade or Alison Krauss.

Having alone time in the evenings allows me some freedom to catch up on reruns of The Closer, NCIS (a very cool, underrated show in my opinion) or any CSI, and the latest Project Runway (did y'all see last nights outfits?!)...I already have my hopeful finalists picked out!

And then there's the reading!! OMG...let's see I just finished Sherrilyn Kenyon's ACHERON,(absolutely loved it) and am reading Sophie Jordan's TOO WICKED TO TAME, (very good so far!). SLAVE by Cheryl Brooks is next on my list.

One other project I'm starting this week is a scrapbook for a Christmas present for one of my daughters. (can't tell you which one since they occasionally read this blog!)

So do you enjoy having alone time? When you do, what do you indulge in?

You, in five words or less

by Susan Seyfarth

So I've got marketing on the brain. Websites, specifically. Every published author has one, right? A whole bunch of unpublished writers have them too. You never know when that dream agent or editor might like your latest submission enough to google you. And you never know when The Call is going to come, either.

The Boy Scouts don't say "Be Prepared" for nothing.

So in an effort to be ready for success when it comes a-knockin', I decided to research websites. And I discovered something that struck terror into this author's heart.

Tag lines.

Oh yes, the dreaded tag line. Take everything that sets your work apart from its competitors, distill it down to three to five words, then make it witty & memorable.

People can do this. Honest to Pete. Here, want proof? See if you can name the companies that go with the following tag lines:

1. The Happiest Place on Earth

2. Finger Lickin' Good

3. Every Day Low Prices

I bet you knew all of them, didn't you? (And if you didn't, check the comments trail. I'll bet somebody has mentioned them all by now.)

Now how does this apply to your favorite writers? My tour of writers' websites garnered these beauties, the ones that left me both satisfied with a job well done & kind of pissed that such a good tag line was now off the market.

Susan Donovan--Brain Candy for Smart Women
Kristan Higgins--Real Life. True Love. Lots of Laughs.
Jane Porter--Classic Romance. Modern Lit.

So I sat down to think about my goals. When I write a novel, what am I trying to do? What's the experience I want to provide for the reader? What should my books be like? Here's what I came up with:

Honest.

Emotional.

Amusing.

It's taken me some time to figure out these aren't the easiest qualities to keep in balance. I mean, I can do honest & emotional. I can do honest & amusing. I can even do emotional & amusing, depending on what kind of emotion we're talking about.

But try keeping the emotion raw & honest & see how easy it is to get the chuckle. Geez. I'm sweating just thinking about it. Susan Elizabeth Phillips does this beautifully, but I noticed her website doesn't venture into Tag Line Land, so no guidance there.

Bottom line? I'm totally stuck here & thought I'd see what the rest of you are doing.

So, now it's your turn! What's your brand? Do you have a tag line? (For your writing or even yourself.) Three to five words (preferably witty & memorably, mind you) that sums you (or your writing) up in a neat, bite-sized chunk? Let's hear them!

With The Faire Folk

by Nancy

Today we welcome Gillian Summers and her alter-egos, Berta Platas and Michelle Roper, to the lair. Gillian writes the popular Keelie Heartwood paranormal YA series. The first book, The Tree Shepherd’s Daughter, came out in 2006 and was quickly optioned for film, and the second, Into the Wildewood, came out this June. Welcome, Gillian!

Keelie’s adventures take place in an unusual setting but one many banditas and our buddies love. Could you tell us a little about it?



(Michelle) Keelie’s adventures take place in a Renaissance Faire, where the atmosphere lends itself to magical fun. I’ve been attending the Georgia Renaissance Festival for over fifteen years as a mundane and in costume. I love it. You can suspend belief and pretend you’re somewhere else. And as a writer my mind swirls with ideas, and I start going, what if?




(Berta) I'm a big fan of Ren Fairs, too, and I love the diversity of people that inhabit the real fairs. We decided that each faire would have a different theme, as real Ren Faires do, so the first one is pirates, and the second one is Robin Hood. The only thing we didn't add was kissing wenches. We'll have to put them into a future book!


Keelie makes an unusual discovery about her heritage. Can you give our readers a peek without spoiling the revelation in the book?



(Michelle) All of her life, Keelie thought that her one pointed ear was an accident of birth, something to endure, like her very unusual allergy to trees. When she goes to live with her father at the Renaissance Faire, she discovers that he has two pointed ears, and that her allergy to wood is altogether something different. She eventually discovers that her father is an elf, which makes her half elf and explains the one pointed ear. That tree allergy turns out to be something totally different from anything she ever dreamed it would be.


(Berta) We thought the contrast of a mall-loving girl from a big California city getting stuck in the woods with a father she barely remembers would be conflict enough! Then she finds out she's not entirely human, and it answers a lot of questions for her.




Her father’s pet gives Keelie fits. How did you come up with him and his antics?

(Michelle) Knot was based on my cat, Jean Luc. He would stalk me whenever I walked in our backyard. He would stare at something in the woods, his eyes would dilate, and he’d bolt up a tree as if something invisible was chasing him. He’d be walking along minding his own business, then take off in a run like his tail was on fire. I finally concluded the fairies were chasing him. He’d done something to them, and they were after him. That became the basis for Knot and his antics.

(Berta) Jean Luc's antics seem totally normal to me. Cats are so schizo. My cat Blender likes to be ON whatever I'm working on, whether it's cutting out a costume. He loves to trash tissue patterns, wrapping himself into them like a burrito. He enjoys laying across my computer keyboard, checking out everything I put into my mouth, and when he's bored, he swats Woody the golden retriever across the nose. Woody obligingly chases him, and usually is the one who gets into trouble for knocking stuff over. That Knot was more than a mere cat was easy to believe.

Of course, considering that both of you are Georgia Romance Writers, there’s a love interest. But the path of true love doesn’t run smooth here, either.

(Michelle) No, Keelie has some ups and downs with her love life just like any teen girl, except she has to deal with the fact the elf she likes is a lot older than her, even though he looks her age.






(Berta) Keelie's totally new to the romance stuff, and she's surrounded by dashing pirates and hunky guys in armor! Even though she's just lost her mother, she's distracted by the handsome elf who seems to like her right back. In the last book of the trilogy, we were set to say goodbye to Keelie, but then we discovered that our publisher wants three more books, starring Keelie! She's going to be a busy girl, and we have to come up with more Ren Faires and romance.

There seems to be a touch of Gossip Girls or Mean Girls in this series. Was that accidental or deliberate?

(Michelle) I’m the mother of two daughters, ages 26 and 19. I’ve been through the teen drama with them, and I think it’s just a part of life dealing with mean girls. There are going to be girls you like in school and girls you don’t like. I think it’s something our readers can identify with— having to deal with a bully, or someone who is less than nice. You have to find a way to handle it. Keelie does with the help of her new friends and the family she finds at the Renaissance.

(Berta) I remember my teen years very well, and I recall that high school was torture one day, heaven the next, depending on who talked to me, whether my locker jammed, and what heinous glop was served for lunch (and whether I could ditch it without being seen). Mean girls were a part of it, although I was never bothered by any. Gossip Girls and Mean Girls are fun to read because everyone loves a good villain.

There’s also a bit of falconry in Tree Shepherd’s Daughter, while Into the Wildewood features a unicorn. How did you decide which fantasy motifs to include?

(Michelle) Berta and I sat down and plotted out the books. The hawk and the unicorn are an evolution of the characters and settings from the original plots. We talked about what we liked in the Ren Faire, and we both love the Birds of Prey show. Having an injured hawk, like Ariel, who couldn’t live on her own, resonated with Keelie’s situation. When she first arrives at the Renaissance Faire, she feels trapped, and when she meets Ariel, she identifies with the hawk. They couldn’t be free. Keelie wanted her Mom back, and Ariel couldn’t fly. Keelie wants to see Ariel have her freedom.

(Berta) Yeah, what Michelle said. Also, Keelie's magic grows with each book. Maybe by book six she'll be befriending dragons. Just kidding.

In Into the Wildewood, a purple dragon figures prominently. Was there any particular inspiration for that?

(Michelle) Yes, there was a goofy purple dragon at the Georgia Renaissance Festival with big googly button eyes greeting the little kids at the gates. The image of the purple dragon stuck with me as we plotted Into the Wildewood. I kept thinking about Keelie being stuck in a suit like that at the Renn Faire, so I put her in one.

(Berta) And a right smelly suit it is, too!

Keelie’s love of shopping, and the trouble it causes her in Into the Wildewood must appeal to many teenage girls. Don’t you both have teenaged daughters?

(Michelle) Yes! My daughters are older but at one point for a year or so during their teens, malls, shopping, and Starbucks were essential to their social existence. One daughter loved Old Navy, and the other daughter loved Hot Topic, but they always found their way to the bookstore. However, now my thirteen year old son hates the mall except for going to the bookstore.

(Berta) My daughter is 14 and loves the mall, although she's just as comfortable buying t shirts online at Threadless. Her goal is not to look the same as everyone, but to look different, albeit cool. It's a balancing act, and I'm not sure I have a grasp of "coolness" when it comes to clothes. The best part of being a writer as that we can declare an outfit to be adorable, and each reader interprets that her own way!

You’re both members of Georgia Romance Writers and have writing interests beyond Gillian’s. Can you tell us a little about them?

(Michelle) I’m in the midst of revising two young adult novels, Whitney Wilbur Wipes Out and Jessie Fairechild’s Ride, and a middle grade fantasy, Odin’s Code. When I can’t stand writing about teen drama, I sneak off and work on my time travel.

(Berta) We both have so many projects! We're in the same critique book, which is how we ended up partnering on young adult books, so we get to read each other's "other lives." I write Latina women's fiction, and my next book, Lucky Chica, is about a lottery winner and will be out in January from St. Martins. There's more information on my website. I'm currently finishing the edits on a book about an accidental tarot reader, and I'm in the middle of writing a Pygmalion story about a photographer and a faux cowboy. Michelle and I also have a couple of non-Keelie books mapped out. We'll just have to clone ourselves.

Our guests are giving a copy of either The Tree Shepherd's Daughter or Into the Wildewood (winner's choice) to one commenter today. For more about Gillian Summers, visit her website.

Readers, have you ever been to a RenFaire? What did you like or dislike? What do you like about fantasy set in the real world? About teenage characters?

Michelle, Berta, and Gillian will be appearing at DragonCon over Labor Day weekend (www.dragoncon.org). If you’re there, catch them on a panel or at their 10 am Saturday book signing and say hi.

Bandita Booty!

by Anna Sugden

Thank you to everyone who dropped by and had fun with Virginia Kantra, Regina and Dylan.

The random number generator has picked a winner, who will receive a copy of Virginia's fabulous book Sea Fever.

Don't forget to check out Virginia's website http://www.virginiakantra.com/ and her MySpace page www.myspace.com/virginiakantra , where you will find a fun video about the selkie legend.

And the lucky winner is ...

Dina!

Congratulations, Dina. If you send your snail mail address to me at anna at annasugden dot com, I will pass on your details to Virginia.

To Spa or Not to Spa

By Kate

For my birthday, my boss gave me a $150 gift certificate for a massage at a luxurious day spa in my area. My problem is, I received this thoughtful gift on my birthday over a year ago.

That’s right, I haven’t used it yet. What’s wrong with me? I have friends who would absolutely love to spend the day lounging around and pampering themselves at the spa. Me? I’d rather walk on hot coals.

Don’t get me wrong. A few times a year, I do the mani-pedi thing because I admit I like my toenails to look pretty. And those ladies who double-team you with one doing your toes and the other doing your hands? I love those ladies, mainly because they’re so fast! Fast is good. I tell them, the faster you paint my paws and claws and send me on my way, the better I’ll tip you. It’s a win-win.

I have a friend who actually has planned a week-long spa vacation on a beach somewhere, where she’ll spend every single day going from massage to kelp wrap to waxing to—oh dear God—yoga? Then nature hikes, more massage, maybe a cucumber and radish sandwich for lunch and a mid-afternoon parsley juice refresher.

Just shoot me. Really, I’d rather eat dirt. I’m so not a girlie-girl.

Part of my problem may center around that table I have to spread out on. Is it just me, or does it resemble a torture device? Show of hands.

I guess I blame my lack of love for all things spa-centered on my childhood. I grew up with four brothers who treated my attempts to fluff and pamper myself with mockery and cynicism. My mother, while wonderful and thoroughly feminine, was hardly a role model due to her whirlwind life of bandaging or swabbing or rushing to the emergency room after one of my annoying brothers fell out of a tree or got hit by a stick or swallowed ant poisoning.

Because of that houseful of boys, I learned early on to eschew the joys of slathering and lathering in favor of bike riding, kite flying, tetherball and hide-n-seek. Today, I’m pretty much the same way, although I admit I do a lot more slathering in my futile attempt to stave off the many insidious signs of age. But that’s a topic for another day.

I suppose I’ll have to get that massage one of these days, but I’m not looking forward to it.

So help me out. I know many of our Banditas are girlie-girls and day-spa queens, so what do you love most about the spa? If you had the whole day to spend at a spa, what would you do? Sit in a jacuzzi? Wrap yourself in mud? Get a massage? Or would you rather go fly a kite?

Hiatus in Hawaii!

by KJ Howe



Aloha! I’m saying hello from the annual Maui Writer’s Retreat and Conference held this year for the first time in Honolulu, Hawaii. It’s a great opportunity to learn from the master’s in the field. Teachers include David Morrell, Steve Berry, James Rollins, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Ann Hood, John Lescroart, and Sam Horn. No matter what you write you will fit in, as everything from narrative non-fiction and memoirs to thrillers and literary fiction is covered. The aspiring authors are split into small groups for intensive workshops. But, there is always time to sneak off to Waikiki beach!

Before breaking into our home room groups, we are treated to general sessions such as:

Where does the next great idea come from?

Rejection, It’s Your Friend

Writing Human Nature: Is there such a thing as human nature?

From Despair to Delight: Developing a transformational attitude towards the rewrite

10 Things You Need to Do to Get Published

…AND MORE!

Whether you’re a reader or a writer, nothing beats getting away and immersing yourself in your favorite books. Where is your dream spot for a conference? How much time would you like to spend playing vs. working? Who would you most like to work with?
The person who designs the most compelling conference wins a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card, so dream big!

Mahalo!

Songs for Submissions

by Donna MacMeans

Do you remember the TV show Ally McBeal? I used to love that show. Ally was an attorney that worked with an ecletric Boston law firm. You might recall one of the threads dealt with personal theme songs. Ally had several. The Peter MacNicol character (Cage) channeled songs & dance routines to boost his self confidence.

In San Francisco I attended a motivational workshop which suggested everyone should have their own personal theme song to sing to themselves when a motivational push is needed. Facing a scary job interview? Sing to yourself first (grin). Of course it has to be a motivational inspirational sort of song.

Do you have a personal theme song?

Mine is Defying Gravity from Wicked. This is the showstopper, you know, the one they toss in right before intermission - the one that keeps playing in your head as you head out for souvenir CDs. Any way, here's a part of the lyrics:

Something has changed within me.
Something is not the same.
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone elses game.
Too late for second-guessing.
Too late to go back to sleep!
It's time to trust my instincts.
Close my eyes, and leap!
It's time to trust my instincts.
Close my eyes, and leap!
It's time to try defying gravity.
I think I'll try defying gravity, and you can't pull me down!

If you're unfamiliar with the song, try this link: http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/wicked/defyinggravity.htm

(I couldn't imbed the youtube version, but they do the full song on the clip on the website.)

Now personally, I think this is great music for mailing submissions. I have it on my ipod and play it when things aren't going great - it always pumps me back up.

I had this song playing in my head when I wrote THE TROUBLE WITH MOONLIGHT so it's only appropriate that a copy is the prize for today.

Do you have a theme song? There's some great ones out there. Does it help when times are tough? Anyone have accompanying dance moves? (I do mine while walking the dog at night)

And Another Winnah!!

The winner of Victoria Dahl's latest release, A RAKE'S GUIDE TO PLEASURE, is . . . Pat Cochran.

Pat, please email me at jo (dot) lewisrobertson (at) yahoo (dot) com with your snail mail address and I'll forward it to Victoria.

Congratulations!

LATE, BUT HOT BANDIT BOOTY!

With all the excitement of the Bandits meeting up in San Francisco, I forgot to annouce the winner of Jo Davis' TRIAL BY FIRE!

The winner is............drum rolllllllllllllllllllll...Jane!

Jane, send me your snail-mail addy to swwelsh2001 AT yahoo DOT com, and I'll see that Jo send you an autograph copy! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Meet Virginia Kantra and an extra special guest!

with Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to welcome one of my favourite authors and favourite people (and the lady who gives the best workshops any aspiring writer can attend!) to the Bandita's Lair ... Virginia Kantra.

USA Today bestselling author Virginia Kantra is a six-time RITA Award finalist and winner of numerous writing awards including the Golden Heart, Golden Leaf, Holt Medallion, Maggie, and two National Readers' Choice Awards. Her new Children of the Sea series debuts with Sea Witch (July 2008) and Sea Fever (August 2008 ).

Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of three kids, Virginia is a firm believer in the strength of family, the importance of storytelling, and the power of love.

Her favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations.

Visit her on the web at http://www.virginiakantra.com/ or www.myspace.com/virginiakantra

Anna: We have an extra treat in store for you too. Virginia has managed to convince a special guest to accompany her today. Let me hand you over to Virginia, who will introduce her guest.

VK: Thank you so much for inviting me to blog with the Banditas! I’m actually hard at work on Sea Lord, the third book in the Children of the Sea series, so I’ve asked Regina Barone to come with me today to talk about simple summer recipes. Regina?

REGINA: You didn’t say this was, like, some celebrity chef gig.

VK: Well, not exactly. But you’re such a great cook, and I know your mother doesn’t always let you try out new things at the restaurant, so—

REGINA: Sure. You want recipes, I got recipes. No problem.

VK: Oh, my gosh, Regina, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about Nick’s dad being a TV chef .

REGINA: It’s fine. It’s over. You want Food Network, I can do Food Network. How about Lemon Chicken Salad?

VK: That sounds great.

REGINA: Okay. You can substitute the chicken breasts in this recipe with leftovers. Or you can use that rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

VK: Good tip.

REGINA: Hey, I know how hard it is when you’re struggling to put food on the table for your family. Especially when you don’t have a lot of time.

So, you want two skinless, boneless chicken breasts—that’s four pieces, about a pound and a half. You can marinate them in some olive oil, a little lemon juice, some garlic…

DYLAN: She's marinating the Golden Rooster?

VK: No, no. It's chicken.

REGINA (to VK): Oh, my God. What the hell is he doing here?

VK: I thought...If you couldn’t come…

DYLAN: That’s not usually a problem for her. Not with the right partner.

REGINA: You shut up.

DYLAN: Did you think I wouldn’t want to see you again?

REGINA: I was counting on it.

VK: Guys . . . Could we get back to the cooking lesson?

REGINA (takes a deep breath): Um. Okay, so you want to cook your chicken breasts.

DYLAN: You mean, grill.

REGINA (ignoring him): Under the broiler is fine—about 5 mins a side. While the chicken cooks, combine in your blender or food processor:

1 egg
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 teaspoon of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
Then slowly add ¾ C olive oil, processing. . .

(hisses to DYLAN): What are you doing?

DYLAN: I’m watching.

REGINA: You’re brooding. What do you think this is, a romance novel?

DYLAN: Close enough.

REGINA: Too close. Back off.

DYLAN: That’s not what you said the other night.

VK: What are you supposed to do with the olive oil?

REGINA: Add the olive oil, processing until the dressing is thick and creamy. Arrange the cooked chicken on a bed of lettuce. You can use the pre-washed stuff, but for the love of Mary, don’t buy iceberg.

ANTONIA BARONE, Regina’s mother (shouts from the distance): What’s the matter with iceberg?

REGINA: Ma, I’m trying to cook here. Where was I?

DYLAN (softly): Chicken.

REGINA (takes a deep breath): Top the chicken with the dressing and serve with crusty bread and a nice cold bottle of Pinot Grigio.

VK: Thank you, Regina.

REGINA: Is that it?

VK: Well, if you have a question for everybody . . .

REGINA: Sure. What do you all like to cook in the summer time?

DYLAN: I have a question. Who wants to cook? How many of you just throw something on the fire and open a beer?

VK: And thank you, Dylan.

I, for one, would really like to hear your responses. We’ll be drawing one poster to receive a copy of Regina and Dylan’s book, Sea Fever.

DYLAN: We have a book?

Anna: Thank you Virginia, Regina and Dylan. That recipe sounds fab, Regina. I know we have lots of cooking fans here in the Lair who will be thrilled to exchange summer recipes with you. And Dylan, I'm sure there are a few grillers lurking too.

Bandit Booty

Thanks so much to everyone who commented on my post about some of my worst fashion moments. The winner of a signed copy of Tawny Weber's DOES SHE DARE? is:

Kestrel!

Congratulations! Please drop me a line at: beth@bethandrews.net with your snail mail info and I'll get your book out to right away :-)

Too Busy to Think

by Christie Kelley

Well, it now after 8 am and I just remembered it’s my day to blog. Does that tell you all anything about my life this week? If not, let me give you an idea of what has been happening with me.

Last week my husband and I took the kids to Disneyworld for the entire week. That’s seven days of standing in lines, walking around the parks, trying not to get sunburned, and fighting the masses of people who go there every year. I still don’t quite see the allure of it all, yet I know people who travel there every year (some even twice a year). Now, I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy myself. I really did have fun. But the only thing more exhausting than Disney is going to conferences.

We did have a blast and I finally stood in line for Rockin Rollercoaster and loved it. I think it has become my favorite ride in all the parks. And my husband has finally decided he likes roller coasters. At least the Disney variety.

I finally made it home on Saturday evening and started the laundry. Sunday was my day to start the catch-up from work (and finish the never-ending laundry). On Monday when I thought things were finally settling down, guess what comes in from the Fed Ex guy.

Yes, that’s right. My copyedits for Every Time We Kiss. I finally had the nerve to open them up on Tuesday to get a start on them since they have to be back to my editor by Monday. Yikes!! Lots of yellow Post-it notes. For anyone who doesn’t know, copyeditors will make comments and questions on Post-it notes. So I’ve been secluding myself in my office with the PC off, trying to get through them all. I’m just over half-way there.

And to make things more fun, my husband had to go to Northern Virginia on Tuesday for a training class and won’t be home until tonight.

The best thing of all this is...school starts next week!!! My life will start to get back to normal again.

Now that we’re all caught up on my crazy life, what’s been going on here? For those of you who have been to any of the Disney Parks, do you love it? What’s your favorite ride there? If not, are you an amusement park fan or not?

And now, for the best question of all...is anyone else getting excited about school starting soon?

I Must Confess

by Beth Andrews

I love fashion. I love reading fashion magazines, watching TV shows about fashion such as Project Runway and What Not To Wear, I even love to sew. While I don't consider myself particularly fashionable or stylish, I have learned over the years what looks good on me (boot leg jeans) and what to avoid at all costs (pencil skirts and wide leg capris).


However, when I came across this list of The Best of the Worst Fashion Fads, I realized how far astray my fashion sense has roamed over my lifetime. So, in an effort to clear my conscience, I give you the list of The Best of the Worst Fashion Fads along with my delcaration of guilt (or innocence) about each offense.

1. Mega Shoulder Pads -- Innocent! Thank goodness I never aspired to look like an NFL linebacker (although the women of Dynasty seemed to love 'em).

2. Ponchos - Guilty. The first time (or at least, the first time I remember) ponchos were popular was the mid 70's and I happily wore the colorful knit poncho my mom had made me. The second coming of ponchos was just a few short years ago and while my older daughter avoided them like the plague, my younger one (then in preschool) had one and even though I know ponchos are just plain wrong, she looked darn cute in hers :-)

3. Spandex Pants - Innocent. Me + Spandex = Scary. 'Nough said.

4. Midi Skirts - Innocent. Mostly because these were before my time *g*

5. Big Hair - Guilty (and proud of it *g*) I can't think of anyone (other than my mother who has had the same hairstyle forever) who didn't have big hair in the 80's (my sister's hair was shorter but still seemed to take up more space. That girl had BIG HAIR)

6. Stirrup Pants - Guilty. Yep, I had some stirrup pants, I think I even had a pair of stirrup jeans and yes, I believe I even wore them with flats. For those poor pants that didn't have stirrups already sewn onto them, I had the elastic clips that attached to the hem to keep my pants inside my boots (I had some really great boots in the 80's)

7. Visible Thong - Innocent. And really, REALLY glad of it :-)

8. Mullet - (sigh) Guilty. I had one for about a year while I waited for the sides of my hair to grow out.

9. Shrugs - Innocent. Although I have to admit, I thought some shrugs were sort of cute *g*

10. Harem Pants - Guilty. I had a pair of black ones I wore on my honeymoon (I was a child bride - and look how unhappy I was to be wearing them! And don't even get me started on those fingernails. Holy cow.) Besides harem pants, I had a pair of jeans (acid washed almost white) that were high waisted, with pleats (pleats! So becoming) and a tapered ankle. They were soooo wrong.

11. Acid Wash Jeans - Guilty. Hey, didn't I mention I was a teen in the 80's? *g*

12. Low Rise Jeans - Innocent. I do wear low rise jeans but I believe the list is referring to super low rise jeans. You know, the ones that go really, and I mean really-oh-my-gosh-I-think-I-can- see-things-I'm-not-supposed-to-see-that-is-indecent-low.

So, now that I've admitted some of my fashion failings (and shared some really bad pictures of myself) let's hear from you. Are you guilty of any of the aforementioned Fashion Flubs? Any Fashion Flubs they missed? (I can think of a few *g*)

I'll pick one lucky commenter to win a copy of our own Tawny Weber's Blaze, Does She Dare? And don't forget to pick up a copy of Tawny's latest Blaze, Risque Business (out next week!) a makeover story where the heroine learns how to dress to look and feel her best *g*

"The Complicated Heroine" with Guest Blogger Victoria Dahl

hosted by Jo Robertson

We are so fortunate to have Victoria Dahl, whose debut book To Tempt a Scotsman was released last year. Her newest release from Kensington, A Rake's Guide to Pleasure, is absolutely wonderful. Victoria writes my kind of historicals -- spicy, sexy, and smart. If you like clever heroines with nefarious backgrounds and a hero who's able to sift through her exterior layers, you'll love this book.

Victoria: It's so great to be back with the Romance Bandits! Thanks for having me again. I'm glad I didn't wear out my welcome the last time I was here. My first heroine, Alexandra Huntington in To Tempt a Scotsman, was a scandalous woman. A very naughty heroine (though that wasn't QUITE the word used to describe her in some emails I received). I've blogged plenty of times about writing a scandalous heroine, but today I'd like to talk about a different kind of heroine. Let’s call her The Complicated Heroine." (Some people might call her The Unsympathetic Heroine, but I’m not talking to them right now, so there.)

So who is this complicated woman whose story is told in A Rake's Guide to Pleasure? Well, her real name is Emma Jensen, but she has a few aliases. Actually… her real name isn’t Emma. Even I’m having trouble keeping track of this slippery girl. Her real name is Emily, but she goes by Emma, as well as the Dowager Lady Denmore… not her real title. And the widowed Mrs. Kern… also completely false. You may be catching on to a bit of the problem here.

Jo: I gotta tell you, Victoria. Emma sounds like my kinda heroine.

Victoria: So what do I mean by the complicated heroine? Well, she’s not simple, obviously. She’s not necessarily easy to love. Her darker motivations aren’t offset by grand, selfless ideals. You probably don’t want to be her when you grow up, even if you love her hero (Mmmm… Hart). Hell, I wouldn’t set foot in Emma’s shoes if you paid me. So what’s up with this chick? What’s so complicated about her?

Jo: I want to remind our readers that Hart, aka Somerhart, is the brother of our heroine in To Tempt a Scotsman. To have a sister like Alexandra, you know he's got to be one strong Alpha male and a perfect match for Emma.

Victoria: Let’s take a look at the complicated heroine in A Rake's Guide to Pleasure.

Complication #1: Emma is a liar. Seriously. I’ll let Somerhart, the hero, put it in his own words: “She was a liar. A consummate liar. A woman who lied about important things. Her life, her past, her feelings, her thoughts.”

Ouch! Emma isn’t mentally ill or anything. She’s lying for a reason. A good reason, though it has nothing to do with generosity. She’s not trying to save the widdle orphans or rescue her sister from a brothel. She’s lying for her own benefit. Sooo… I guess that makes her selfish as well.
Ha! Emma is simply trying to protect herself from a world that has been awfully cruel to her. She has a plan, and part of that plan has to do with pretending to be somebody else. The other part of the plan is…

Complication #2: She’s an unrepentant gambler. She will bet on anything as long as she feels she can evaluate the odds properly. A foot race, a card game, or an upcoming duel. If she thinks she can turn a profit, she’ll place a bet. In fact, the whole reason she is in London is to gamble her meager inheritance into an amount that will support her for the rest of her life and free her from dependency on anyone.

Complication #3: Her sexuality is a tangled mess. Emma is a virgin pretending to be a mature widow, and she’s very good at that pretense because she might be the least innocent virgin you will meet in a (non-erotic) historical. She witnessed her father’s orgiastic house parties from a very young age and is interested in trying some of that stuff out for herself. But she’s a virgin who’s not supposed to be a virgin, so she can’t really indulge her curiosity.

Or can she??? *snicker* You’ll have to read the book to find out.

Jo: Okay, you had me at "orgiastic house parties." I just finished the book and our readers have GOT to read it. It's an amazing historical with lots of pathos, emotion, and, yes, sex, the good kind with the person you're in love with even if you don't know it. Ooops, sorry, Victoria, I got carried away.

Victoria: It's okay, Jo.

Complication #4: Well, Emma can be cruel. When she pushes the hero away, she’s not screwing around. As Eloisa James said about this part, “This is no nimby-pimby novel where the heroine wails, ‘Go away,’ and the hero walks around the block before going back. Emma is a grown woman and she makes him go. Really go.”

Jo: This is a wonderfully heart-breaking scene too.

Victoria: I’ve already seen a few complaints about this scene. Emma is deliberately cruel to Somerhart, but she has a reason; she is terrified. Why?

Complication #5: She has trust issues. This probably goes without saying. *g* She’s scared to death of loving the hero and even more afraid he might love her. God, this is all making me tired. This was kind of a draining book! I think Eloisa James, in continuing her review, summed it up nicely when she called it a “complicated, somewhat demented love affair.”

Jo: I know what you mean. I had to put the book down and walk away for a moment or two, reminding myself "It's only a book, it's only a book." So much emotion!

Victoria: I love Eloisa's quote. I think it captures the feel of the book perfectly. If any of you have read it, you’ll have to let me know what you think.

Do you like your heroines complicated? If so, who’s your favorite complicated (maybe even unsympathetic) heroine? Was she redeemed by the end of the book? (FYI, mine is Sugar Beth from Susan Elizabeth Phillip’s Ain’t She Sweet. I thought she was completely unredeemable at the start of that book.)

Or if YOU were the heroine of a romance novel, would you be spicy and complicated or sweet and lovable?

We'll be giving away a copy of A Rake's Guide to Pleasure to one random lucky commenter, Banditas included, so be sure to leave a comment.

Fictional Families

posted by Aunty Cindy

Not long ago, I was working on the back stories for the main characters in my latest proposal. I decided my hero’s father had recently passed away and his mother died a long time ago. That’s when I realized how many fictional characters are orphans or have at least one deceased family member, usually a parent.

The hero of my Golden Heart final was an orphan, and both the hero and heroine of my debut novel The Wild Sight have lost their mothers. In yet another of my unpublished tomes, the heroine lost both parents in a car accident. SHEESH! Did I have a freakish propensity for killing off family?

But then I started looking at some other books I’ve read… I hope it’s not too much for a spoiler to reveal that Donna’s Mrs. Brimley is an orphan, as are Christine’s heroine Gemma in Scandal’s Daughter and Anna C.’s Verity in Claiming the Courtesan. Poor Gemma and Mrs. Brimley don’t even have siblings! At least Verity and my heroes and heroines also have a sibling or two, though usually in my stories the sib turns out to be a bossy older sister. (Can’t imagine where I came up with such a character!)

Nor is this a recent phenomenon. Remember Dickens’ penchant for orphans – Oliver Twist, Pip in Great Expectations? Can't forget Cosette in Hugo's Les Misérables. Or Bronte’s poor, plain Jane Eyre? Clearly authors have been killing off family members for quite some time. Oedipus Rex anyone?

Could it be that characters who have a “normal” family (whatever that is!) are just not good fodder for stories? Must a character be orphaned or suffer the loss of a family member to be interesting?

What do you think? Have you read, or written any books lately where the main character was not an orphan, but had a full family complement intact?

A Choice of Heroes

by Nancy

Today we'll revisit the popular topic of heroes (related to Elvis and Crushes from earlier this week). Do you remember who your first imaginary hero was? I remember mine, and he could be absolutely perfect because he wasn't expected to be remotely real. He lived in four colors and two dimensions, and his adventures cost me 12 cents each (yes, I'm really that old *g*). From him, I moved on, as we all do, to other heroes, real and imaginary. I can't help thinking that the qualities that drew me to him have drawn me to every other hero I've admired. Wander down memory lane with me, if you will, and let's see which traits and/or guys we might have in common.

As you may have guessed, the first hero who grabbed my imagination and my heart was none other than the last son of Krypton, Superman, whose geeky alter-ego, Clark Kent, held a certain sympathy for a book geek with no discernible athletic skill. The Superman pictured at left is, of course, Christopher Reeve. He was cuter than the original comic book Superman, and he used peronal tragedy to demonstrate that you don't need a cape--or even much mobility--to be a hero. However, Reeve lay far in the future when I discovered Superman. The Man of Steel was not only brave and strong and fast and, well, steely, but virtuous, kind and intelligent. And sympathetic, every time Lois looked past Clark to his dashing alter ego.

So I liked heroes with all these traits. They soon led me to Zorro and his caped and masked descendant, Batman. Batman (millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne) was also strong and kind and even braver and smarter than Superman. The bad guys could kill Batman with a mere bullet--and might've, if they hadn't felt compelled to rant and gloat when they captured him, giving him an opportunity to free himself from his bonds. He also had a secret identity problem. His playboy image and the need to keep his secret preluded him from forming a real attachment, except for an unsuitable one to the super-villainess Catwoman (a subject for another day). Over the years, Batman has acquired a darker side as his publishers decided that the tragic murder of his parents must have given him an anger that Superman, orphaned as a baby and sheltered on Earth, doesn't share. So he now has a brooding side that can be attractive, too.

Superman and Batman also righted wrongs and helped justice prevail, like two of my other heroes, the Lone Ranger (mask but no cape) and Sherlock Holmes (caped greatcoat but no mask). A friend who's a serious Holmes buff was appalled to discover that I'd never read any Holmes adventures. She pulled one off the shelf in a bookstore, thrust it into my hands and said, "My treat. You will love this, I promise," and I did. Holmes wasn't exactly romantic--too cold, a very different portrayal for Basil Rathbone, who was otherwise notable as the Sheriff of Nottingham opposite Errol Flynn's Robin Hood and as a pirate opposite Flynn's Captain Blood. But Holmes, too, was dedicated to the pursuit of justice.

Thanks to fellow banditas, I've recently discovered two new heroes between the pages of books, and they remind me a bit of my old caped buddies. Anna Campbell blogged, earlier this summer, about C. S. Harris's Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries (Timothy Dalton as Healthcliff--speaking of tormented heroes--pictured, absent any photo of St. Cyr and with apologies to those who carry a different mental image). I'd picked up the first book earlier, but I fished it out and read it because she recommended it. Oh. My. Golly. St. Cyr, or Viscount Devlin, has Batman's brains and wealth and a small measure of Superman's night vision and hearing. We meet him on a dueling ground, where he displays nerves worthy of the Dark Knight.

Kate Carlisle (at least, I think it was Kate) recommended recent RITA winner Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey mysteries. Again, I'd acquired the first one but had buried it on the TBR pile. I excavated that one, read it, and was so very happy to receive the second book as a freebie at RWA. The hero is Nicholas Brisbane, a "private enquiry agent" during the reign of Victoria. He doesn't come from money but made his own, on the strength of brains and daring, with a couple of Holmesian traits thrown in (Since they're not directly related to his heroism, I won't spoil them by revealing them.). The stand-in at left is the late Tyrone Power (with the same apologies as above), whose Zorro was fabulous. Brisbane shares Batman's and Holmes's skill with disguises and their tenacity. St. Cyr's and Brisbane's adventure have a great deal more to recommend them than their heroes, of course, but heroes are today's focus.

So here's the list of hero traits so far, I think:
courage
intelligence
tenacity
kindness
ingenuity
unusual physical skill of some sort
virtue, at least more than vice
dedication to justice or "might for right"
tortured heart in some cases

I've saved one of the best for last. My friend Judy turned me on to the late Dame Dorothy Dunnet's tormented hero, Francis Crawford of Lymond. I know Anna C. has blogged about him, too. We share a love of those books. We've probably gone on a bit about them in comments because we both just admire this series so much. There's no photo for this segment because I can't think of anyone who does justice to Lymond, though the internet holds lots of suggestions. His late creator, who was also an artist, supposedly painted a portrait, but it's not in circulation. When we meet Lymond, he's returned from exile due to disgraceful things he did (or maybe didn't), a course of action that cotinues (maybe with reasons, maybe not). Lymond is unusual on my hero list because he's blond, by the way. Most of my heroes are dark, including most of the ones I've written. Lymond displays physical courage, intelligence, ingenuity, a strong moral compass that's not always apparent, a kind heart, and tenacity. And a poor self-image, at times. If you've never visited Francis Crawford of Lymond, go get The Game of Kings. Based on other friends' experience, you'll love it or loathe it, but ti will hit you strongly either way.

So who was the first hero who grabbed your heart? Has he held onto it? Why or why not? Have you recently discovered any other heroes you'd like to share with us?

An Ode To Musicals

by Caren Crane

WARNING: This post is about MOVIE MUSICALS. Many of those overburdened with testosterone despise them (though a few openly admit to their charm, wit and magic), so remember you were warned.

I know many Banditas adore a musical. I could totally get the whole Lair singing "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria". As a matter of fact, that may or may not have happened at a certain Bash at the RWA conference. And Mary Poppins? Our Golden Heart winner, Susan Seyfarth, would knock some people out of the way to be the one who gets to dance with Bert. Don't let her pixie-like looks and size fool you, folks. She is SERIOUS about her Mary Poppins.

But why? Why do we love our musicals so?

My youngest and I went to see WALL-E last night. What a great movie! If you haven't seen it, you must know that WALL-E is a fan of the musical "Hello, Dolly". This is the 1969 version starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. WALL-E watches "Hello Dolly" often and, apparently, learns about love from the song "It Only Takes a Moment." In the song, the clerk, Cornelius, expresses his feelings to Irene. At then end of the song, they join hands and head off, strolling through the park. Poor WALL-E joins his little robot fingers together to simulate hand-holding. Heartbreaking! Though there is no dialogue, you feel all his pain and loneliness, his longing for love.

For me, the musical is a great ride because the music encapsulates the mood of a scene perfectly. As writers, we struggle for the perfect words to set the stage, create the mood, immerse the reader in our character's angst or joy. In a musical, the character simply bursts into song and takes us there.

I have noticed that musicals, like romance, are often marginalized by reviewers and the movie-going public. There are those who loathe them simply because they are what they are. Romance is regarded this way by lots of readers who don't understand, much less read, the genre. Fie on both those fickle groups!

I am proud to say I am totally immersed today in Loretta Chase's "Your Scandalous Ways". It is delectable! And tomorrow, my youngest and I have decided we MUST watch "The Sound Of Music" and, naturally, "Hello, Dolly". Of course, a side trip into "The King and I" or "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is likely. I have thoroughly corrupted my offspring.

So, are you a musical lover or does "Shall We Dance" leave you cold? If you love them, what is your favorite? And most importantly, was Dick Van Dyke cuter as Bert in "Mary Poppins" or as Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"? Or am I the only dork who will admit to thinking Dick Van Dyke is totally adorable?

Olympic Fever

Every couple of years I get to indulge in watching the excitement and spectacle of the Olympic Games. I've loved them -- both summer and winter versions -- as long as I can remember. I really admire athletes who devote so much time and effort to perfecting their skills. Superman of the pool Michael Phelps spends 30 hours a week in training. You can tell each time he steps up to start a race. I'm not sure there's an ounce of fat on that boy's body.

But it's often the stories behind the athletes and their performances that are really inspiring. Stories of parents who sacrifice by living in two different cities so their daughters can train with the best, ones of athletes who've come back from surgeries and painful injuries to compete on the Olympic stage one last time, athletes older than the the Olympic norm determined to show they are still among the best. But while these stories are remarkable, it's often the ones of the athletes from nations who don't enjoy the conditions American athletes do that touch the heart even more.

Last night, I watched as Kirsty Coventry, the gold-medal-winning swimmer from Zimbabwe, talked about how for a brief while her success at the Athens games four years ago helped her countrymen put aside their racial and political differences and celebrate in the streets. The Olympics had barely gotten under way this year when conflict broke out between Russian and Georgian troops. Yet, at the Olympics, athletes from those two countries didn't let the conflict affect their friendships. That's Olympic spirit.

And who can forget Eric Moussambani from Equatorial Guinea, who stole the show at the Sydney games not because of his brilliant performance, but because of the fact that he was there at all. He had only taken up swimming 8 months prior to the games and had never seen an Olympic-size swimming pool before arriving in Sydney. But he got into the Olympics through a wild card program established to encourage athletes in developing nations. Even though his finish time was more than twice that of his competitors and at some points people would wonder if he'd make it at all, his efforts touched the hearts of millions of those watching and earned himself the nickname "Eric the Eel" as a result.

I love, too, how the Olympics show the melting pot quality of America. Take, for instance, the men's gymnastics team competition a few nights ago. The three competitors for Team USA were of Chinese, Russian and Indian descent. And Nastia Liukin, who won the all-around gold last night for the USA, was born in Moscow. Her father had won gold for his home country.

Whether it's the Olympics, writing, or any other endeavor, I really admire those who give it their all to succeed but who don't forget to help others along the way. I'd like to see more of the true Olympic spirit spill out into all aspects of our lives.

So, any other Olympics fans out there? What has been your favorite Olympic moments of the Beijing games so far?

Who are you crushing on?

by Tawny

Joanie-T's blog made me smile. I mean, it was ELVIS! Hot guy, big... talent, what's not to grin about? Then it made me think of all those crushes I've had through the years. Oh, not the boy in homeroom crushes. The totally out of reach fantasy crushes. The OMG squealing giggly crushes. The posters stained with lipgloss crushes. And most recently, the cardboard standup of Captain Jack Sparrow crush (hey, Trish... I have Will Turner, too)

So I thought, for today's blog, I'd take on you a trip down Crush Lane.

My first crush was Davy Jones. Ahhhhh the Monkees. Fun music, campy skits, days and days of reruns. I secretly called myself Mrs. Jones and giggled while I played on the swingset with my friends, Mrs. Dolenz, Mrs. Nesmith and Mrs. Tork. I loved Peter's sense of humor, Mickey's goofiness and Mike's beanie, but Davy? Oh sigh. He was SO cute!

After Davy came my first SERIOUS crush. Poster crush. Album and TV show (Hardy Boys, anyone) crush. Oh baby, Shawn Cassidy was hot. My bedroom was a shrine to his perfectly feathered hair.

He was soooo cute, and the start of my rocker crushing. I love a guy in a band. After Shawn was a brief, but torrid crush on Paul Stanley of KISS (I made a pillow of his face. Seriously).

Then I found 21 Jump Street. le Sigh...

I juggled crushes then, my Johnny crush and the total hots for my long-term rocker crush, the hottest of the hair band hotties, Jon Bon Jovi! I crushed on him until he tried acting. Then my balloon sort of burst. I still can't quite figure out why. I'm still totally hot for his music, though!

After Jon, I sort of drifted. You know, marriage does take its toll on crushes. In between crushing on my sweetie of a hubby, I did still have a secret yen for Johnny in his bad boy, hotel-room trashing, wild aardvark visiting days.

and then there was Captain Jack... Johnny's hottest inspiring look. I don't know what it is about that swishy hero, but he totally hooked me. Maybe it's his sweet naughtiness, the wicked glint in his eye or just the fact that I'm a diehard Johnny crusher, but I publicly crush on him all the time. My husband, bless him, thinks it's because Captain Jack has such hot boots. I let him think that ;-)

So how about you? Did you totally crush on rock stars or movie stars? Did you outgrow the poster stage or do you still wipe lip gloss off the hottie on your wall? Who is YOUR ultimate crush?

Miss Bennett's Bandita Booty!

Thanks so much to the rip-roaring welcome you all gave to Sara Bennett/Sara Mackenzie when she visited the lair this week. Sara has chosen the lucky winner of her most recent historical romance for Avon, A SEDUCTION IN SCARLET. And that winner is...

KIRSTEN!!!

Kirsten, huge congratulations, my Bandita Buddy. Please email Sara on sara@sara-bennett.com with your snail mail details and she'll send your book out to you.

The King

by Joan Kayse

Ok, so it was between a blog about the Olympics or the anniversary of Elvis’ death which will occur in three days.

Which one, which one?

Well, as you can see The King won.

Oh, sure even as I type those athletes are dazzling the world with great feats of skill, training, prowess and talent.

But have they sold over a billion records? Been immortalized on thimbles, T-shirts, purses, black velvet? Have they gained renown for being the leader of a new era of American music and pop culture?

I watched the 4 man American relay swim team win the gold last night and cheered loud enough to be heard in China…or at least by my next door neighbors. I admired the physical effort, the dedication, (the, uh…swim attire), the determination of that last minute kick by the anchor to beat out a boastful French team by mere seconds. (And yes, I could identify as I aim for my goal of publication). A memorable moment in the 2008 Olympics.

But will this feat be remembered every year? Immortalized, honored and yes, even revered? Will they be known as The Kings?

Now, I’m much, much too young to remember Elvis in his “early” years (Do I hear sniggering?). I was aware that he existed. I remember watching the TV Special “Aloha from Hawaii”. I heard his music played on the radio and could recognize him as he sang “Hound Dog”, “Kentucky Rain” (my fave), “Blue Christmas” and countless others.

I passed many a weekend afternoon enjoying his uncomplicated, fun, predictable movies. I mean who wouldn’t want to imagine themselves as Ann Margaret shimmying on stage to “Viva Las Vegas”? (Nancy? Suz? Cassondra? Oh surely you have Anna?)

I think Elvis had some major talent when it came to acting. It was reined in, trivialized and manipulated by those around him in most of those iconic '60’s films. But watch him in King Creole and in my favorite “Change of Habit”. This was his last film where he played a doctor in a ghetto trying to make a difference who falls in love with a nun questioning her vocation. HINT: It has a HEA. ;-)

I can still remember the shock, the sadness when it was announced on Aug. 16, 1977 that he had been found dead. As details warred with speculation it became pretty apparent that factors such as drug use had contributed to the loss of a true star.

He is remembered by the fans who visit Graceland each year. (1/2 of who are under the age of 35). I’ve never thought I’d want to go there but I thought that about the Book Depository in Dallas too. (An experience that touched me deeply.)

Yes, he’s also remembered by key expressions such as “Elvis has left the building” and it boggles the mind to see how many Elvis “tribute artists” there are. Elvis sightings continue to this day not only in Burger King but also in Finland, Italy, and…I kid you not…Area 51. (There are some, um...INTERESTING websites out there.)

So what about you? Do you remember Elvis? If you’re a youngling like me (:-)) have you heard of him? Do you have a favorite Elvis song? Movie? Have you seen him in the Piggly Wiggly? If you did meet Elvis, what question would you ask him?

Sara Bennett Visits the Lair!

by Anna Campbell

Sara Bennett is a fellow Aussie and a fellow Avon historical romance writer. Not only that, but she writes great Victorian romances! Perhaps she and Donna could talk about the delights of writing about all that underwear! I'm delighted to welcome Sara as my guest today in the lair. Oh, and there's a giveaway - so get commenting, people!

Sara, you write historical romance as Sara Bennett and paranormal romance as Sara Mackenzie. Can you tell us something about the difference in your two personas? Are there yet more Saras inside you, yearning to get out, perhaps the Sara who writes chick lit or romantic suspense?


LOL, Anna. There probably are more Saras, but they’ll just have to wait their turn, at the moment I have enough to do. And don’t ask me to say which one I like the best, because I can’t. I just know how lucky I am to be writing my two favorite genres for Avon. Are they different? Yes, definitely. I like to think that my Sara Bennett historicals are lighter—they’re certainly easier to write, but I think that’s because I’m working within a framework of real historical events. The Sara Mackenzie paranormals are much darker in tone, and I have to create my own framework, my own world, so that makes it more difficult.

Can you tell us about your next release, HER SECRET LOVER, which comes out from Avon in November, 2008?

HER SECRET LOVER is the final book in my Aphrodite’s Club series, and a real page turner. It’s the kind of book that keeps you up all night. Briefly, heiress Antoinette Dupre, a practical heroine, has fallen into the clutches of a fortune hunter. Imprisoned at his country estate she makes the acquaintance of highwayman, Gabriel Langley, who also has his secrets, and sparks fly between them. The story moves to London and the Great Exhibition of 1851, where Antoinette and Gabriel must learn to trust each other if they’re going to defeat their enemy.
You’re clearly a huge fan of series. Can you tell us why you love to write interconnected books and why you think they’re so popular? Any hints to girls who haven’t yet written a series about the best way to go about it (um, not mentioning any names here!)?

When I wrote my first book, THE LILY AND THE SWORD, I didn’t start off planning it to be a series. No one made me do it. It just seemed like a good idea, because I had plenty of characters and I wanted to explore each of them in more detail. It also gave me an opportunity to revisit Radulf and Lily now and again. And I like writing series—there’s something very comfortable about dipping back into a world you’re familiar with, like visiting old friends. I think that’s why people like them. Any hints about writing a series? Mmm, I think you need to do all your planning first, because you’ll need plenty of characters—ie four books equals four brothers, or four friends, or four somethings. I like to have each book as stand alone as possible, but I also like to have a mystery or plot thread that runs through all of the books, as I did in the Greentree Sisters trilogy. I think writing a series is a bit like juggling and trying to keep all those balls in the air without dropping them—so what are you like at juggling, Anna?

You started out writing medievals but now write Victorians. What is the appeal of each period? I love a great medieval and regret that there are so few on the shelves these days. Would you ever go back to writing them?

I love medievals, too, and I’m sorry they no longer seem to be as popular as they were. To be honest, it was the current market that persuaded me to move into the Victorian time period. And I liked the idea of all that seething passion beneath the tight corsets and dozens of petticoats. The Victorians were so much about appearances and what was proper, and I just love my characters to break all those strict rules. But I do still hanker after those medieval alpha heroes, so who knows.

Can you tell us about your writing journey?

Mmm, can I remember that long ago? I suppose I was writing from a very early age—as a shy, introverted child I loved reading and make-believe, so it just went from there. I recently found a book of stories I wrote when I was seven and they weren’t half bad  When I was a teen I had some short stories published in magazines and won some contests, then I had a book accepted by Mills & Boon in 1982. Later on I wrote Australian mainstream historicals, and in 2000 I began writing for Avon. I’ve been lucky, really, even when times were tough—and there have been a few tough times—I’ve learned to have an open mind and not to be afraid to try something new.

What’s next for Sara Mackenzie?

Sara Mackenzie has a new trilogy pending.The Dark Lords, who are linked to my first trilogy, Immortal Warriors, are even darker and more dangerous. These books have taken longer to write than expected because I’ve been concentrating on my historicals, but hopefully they’ll be ready next year. I also have a short story in THE MAMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, which will be published in June ’09, so watch out for that.

What’s next for Sara Bennett?

Sara Bennett has just finished writing the first book in her new series, to be published in June ’09. I don’t want to say too much yet, but it will be a five book series and tells the stories of five friends who decide not to be content with just any husband—they go after the men of their dreams.I’m really excited about the idea and the series, and looking forward to starting on book #2.

Sara has very kindly offered one lucky commenter a signed copy of her most recent Avon historical romance, A SEDUCTION IN SCARLET, which you can read about here. So she'd like to know - Victorian or Regency? Do you have a preference? Why? Do you think there's a difference between romances set in these two periods?

Into the Melting Pot

by Christine Wells

Kill me now.

Someone just stole the most fantastic story idea I had for my next book--a series, actually. Well, OK, she didn't steal it. It was just one of those serendipitous things where two people in different parts of the world who don't know each other came up with the same idea at roughly the same time. Unfortunately, this New York Times bestselling author has already converted the idea (did I mention it was fantastic?) to print and now I have to come up with something equally brilliant. Or at least something that will convince my editor to give me another contract.*g*

Story ideas aren't often a problem for writers. We usually have too many ideas rather than too few. However, the process by which the germ of a notion gradually evolves into a concrete springboard for a one hundred thousand word novel differs from writer to writer, so I can only tell you about mine. The closest I can come to describing my so-called process is similar to the way Lady Malmerstoke described (perhaps not entirely accurately) to our hero the way women think in Georgette Heyer's POWDER AND PATCH.

"They jump, you see...From one thing to another. You'll arrive at a new thought by degrees and you'll know how you got there. Women don't think like that."

So here, as near as I can remember, is the leap-frog thought process by which I reached the premise for THE DANGEROUS DUKE.

*I read about the courtesan Harriette Wilson's threat to expose prominent clients if they didn't pay her to keep their name out of her memoirs.

*I thought about power and how a woman in the nineteenth century could seize her own power and wield it to get what she wanted. She might not be able to vote, but she might still play a part in world affairs.

*I watched 5 straight seasons of UK spy series "Spooks" and absorbed the continuing question in that wonderful drama--does the end always justify the means? I asked myself, how does a spy live with what he does? How does he leave it all behind and live happily ever after?

*At the same time, I took an interest in a debate about whether heroines were simply place-holders in romance. The theory goes that the reader doesn't care too much about the heroine's qualities, she wants to step into the heroine's shoes and fall in love with the hero.

*And finally, I thought about the difference between fantasy and reality and whether we really want our fantasies to come true. Could you really live with a hero like Dain in Lord of Scoundrels?

*Oh, and somewhere along the way, I found pictures of my hero and heroine. These were the people I wanted to write about.

After a lot of leaping about, all those snippets went into the melting pot. Then came dithering, writing, rewriting, sweat and tears but no blood, thank goodness, after which there emerged a story that went something like this (with thanks to Publishers Weekly for putting it more concisely than I could):

Maxwell Brooke, a dangerous operative for the Home Office, has unexpectedly become a duke, thanks to an arson that killed the four heirs ahead of him. Determined to bring the suspected perpetrators to justice, he has jailed Reverend Stephen Holt, who may know their whereabouts. Outraged, Holt's sister, widowed Lady Kate Fairchild, threatens to publish a diary that could embarrass high figures in government unless her brother is freed. Although the scandals are real, she hasn't actually written the book yet, and the handwritten volume Max steals from her home contains only Kate's sexual fantasies. He kidnaps her (on the thinnest of pretexts) and begins to make her dreams come true...

Simple, huh?

Where and when do you get great ideas? Have you ever tracked your thought processes? Do you believe women think differently from men? Are writers simply crazy?

One lucky commentor will win the sum total of all my crazy thought processes in the last year, THE DANGEROUS DUKE!

Out and About

by Anna Campbell

Or as my Canadian friends would say, oot and aboot, eh?

As regular Bandita Buddies know, I was really looking forward to seeing a lot of the San Francisco area when I visited for the RWA conference. So I thought rather than talking about the conference, which my Bandita buddies have done so beautifully, I'd give you a quick rundown on my travels in California.

I arrived the Friday before the conference and after a nap went shopping. Hmm, don't think that counts for the purposes of this blog. Although I think that Woman's section of Macy's was amongst the nicest scenery I saw in my whole trip!

On Saturday, I drove down the coast to Monterey and Carmel. We were enormously lucky - apparently this spectacular coastline is regularly shrouded in fog in midsummer but we had a beautifully clear day. You could see almost all the way back to Oz!

Highlights of the day were seeing the otters in Monterey - at a distance admittedly but still special - and the seals and sea lions lying around the shore. Those sea lions are SOOO noisy! I hope they never plan to move next door! The otters have an idyllic life, or at least it seemed so on such a sunny day. They just lie on their backs in the kelp and let the sun warm their fuzzy little bellies.

Sunday's trip was something I'd looked forward to for years. A visit to Yosemite. Sadly, my romantic dreams were dashed. Nothing to do with the national park which was utterly magnificent and full of awe-inspiring scenery that left me feeling as insignificant as an ant. But a couple of factors worked against my wholehearted enjoyment.
First, forest fires were raging so there was a tremendous amount of smoke in the air which badly affected visibility. Even worse, I was on a bus full of very rude, noisy, over-sexed Italian high school kids. They fought, they kissed, they cuddled, they screamed, they sang, they threw stuff at each other, they threw stuff on the ground. They were NEVER on time for the pickups which meant I spent a lot of time in the bus waiting for them. Sigh. I kept hoping we'd meet a bear with a taste for Italian food but alas, twas not to be!

Oh, well, perhaps I'll get another chance to go. I would have liked to have seen a bear even if he wasn't eating my unappealing travel companions!

On the Monday before the conference, I had a great trip to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. All adults, thank heaven! All keen drinkers, even better. I really like American wines - they're similar in style to Australian wines and vineyards are always in such pretty places. We managed five wineries. Well, they did. After four, I was fading a little so I went and explored the wonderful Sonoma Mission when we went to Sebastiani. I'd got interested in the missions which the Spanish used as the basis for settling the coast in the 18th century after we went to the gorgeous Carmel mission on Friday.

Cute moment of the trip - I was talking to a really nice English family. The father was an Oxford don and a real wine buff and traveling with his lovely wife and two beautiful children, a girl about ten and a boy about six. All had that gorgeous cut-glass English accent that I like to give my heroes! Anyway, I asked the boy what he'd done in America. He replied with beautiful poise, that he'd eaten an ostrich sandwich. I asked him what an ostrich sandwich tasted like. He looked at me like I was as silly as a wheel and replied, "Ostrich, of course." Right! One point to the Brits, nil points to the Aussies!

Oh, and by the way, I took a lot of pictures but they're all still on my old-fashioned film camera. I've had to borrow other people's brilliance for the illustrations!

So where have you been lately? Any places you're planning on visiting in the near future? If you were in San Francisco for the brilliant conference, did you get out and about at all? Come on, spill!

Bay City Banditas

As all of you know, the Romance Bandits have just returned home from the RWA Conference in San Francisco. As the week wore on, we tended to scatter more and to have less opportunity to discuss things with each other, so we're having a round table blog and sharing it with all of you. We also realize not everyone went to San Francisco and the world kept turning while we were gone, so we also want to hear from those of you who had other things to do last week. So please read down and comment appropriately. Some of us are answering to kick us off.

What was your favorite thing about the conference?

Beth: I have a few favorite things about the conference. I met my editor (she's wonderful!) and even had lunch with other new Superromance authors which was a lot of fun *g* I presented an award on Saturday night and got to cheer like a maniac for three dear friends when they walked away with their awards (one was our very own Susan and she was lovely on stage!) But the best part about conference is hanging out with friends :-)

Suz: This year it was a myriad of things. For the first time I got to go out sight seeing because a group of Texas friends and I flew in early and had planned tours. Then getting to see all the Bandits!! That was by far one of the best things for me. What our readers don't realize is how much we chat off the blog with each other. Getting to be with almost everyone, (we truly missed Christie), was the icing on the cake! Speaking of cake...the Bandit Bash party was another of my favorite things this year!! Watching my CP Jo Davis sign her debute book at the NAL free signing...her very FIRST signing. And who was her first fan? Jennifer Y!!

Tawny: Just one thing? There are so many things that I loved this year. The Blaze signing was fabulous, the Lit signing was amazing. I loved the Bandita Bash, even though I only caught the tail end of it and the Harlequin Party was fabulous. I think the time with my editor was one of the best things, right next to hanging out with incredible friends. Thats the one sad thing about conference, it always reminds me of how far away Beth lives... and thanks to my cat, she won't move to California :-(

Joan: Can't say it enough: Hanging with my Banditas. I've alluded to it this past week, but you couldn't turn around without running into one of us! Only an hour before, you'd left Jeanne, Cassondra, Nancy and then would run into them in the hallway and immediately sit down and start chatting some more! I swear it's like we must have known each other in another lifetime or parallel universe or something. I'm missing them something fierce!

Oh, and cheering on our Banditas! KJ for winning the Daphne, Nancy for HM in the Daphne, KJ, Anna and of course our own Susan as she won the Golden Heart! I'm still hoarse from all the cheering!

AC: Oh absolutely, Joanie! Hanging with our Banditas and our Bandita Buddies! It was such a thrill to hear everyone cheer when I was "booted out" at the TGN ceremony. Almost as much fun as cheering on the other Banditas at all the awards ceremonies! Meeting My Editor, My Publicist, and My Publisher was also a very big thrill and riding in a limo to go out to dinner with them and the other authors in our publishing house was also a huge thrill!

What was your favorite thing outside the conference?

Beth: My favorite thing outside of conference was hanging out at Tawny's house Sunday night with Tawny and Harlequin Intrigue author Kathleen Long. We relaxed, had a few margaritas and enjoyed a delicious dinner Tawny's husband prepared *g* Then, on Monday, Tawny and I spent the day plotting our stories and working on our goals :-)

Suz: My first limo ride with Dan, the very cute limo driver, the Foxes (my Texas girls) and tasting wine up in Sonoma! I even found a wine at Sebastiani that I brought back to TX. (oh wait...it's still got some in the bottle...hmmm)

Tawny: What Beth Said :-)

Joan: My CP's and I came in on Saturday so we did three bus tours Sun/Mon. Gave us a nice overview of the Bay area (though the "unnamed bus driver" with the creepy voice taking us to Muir woods was a bit iffy. Shopping at that fabulous mall, riding a cable car (and not dying), strolling along the wharf area, getting a massage :-) Lots of fun things.

AC: Getting to play tour guide a couple of times. On Thursday night, I took my Sourcebooks sister Marie Force and two of her chapter mates to Chinatown for dinner. We went to my fave hole-in-the-wall place and I wasn't sure they'd be game. You walk in through the kitchen and up three flights of narrow stairs. The waitresses are so surly they make the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld look congenial and heaven help you if you ask for a fork! But the three of them LOVED it. Plus we'd no sooner sat down than in walked two of the Writers At Play gals, Stacey Kayne and Carla Capshaw! Carla's sister used to live in San Francisco which is how she knew about the place!

Then on Friday, I got to take our Bandit Buddy and Writers Revenge Bo'sun Terrio over to Pier 39. I'm sure I told her waaay more than she ever wanted to know about Coit Tower (designed to resemble a fire hose nozzle), seal lions (which have external ears while seals do not), and the Bay (Alcatraz is from the Spanish word for pelican and Angel Island was once called Ellis Island of the West) than she ever wanted to know! I had a GREAT TIME even if we didn't wait the 1 1/2 hours to ride the cable car.

Did you have any disasters or embarrassing moments you're willing to share?

Beth: I had a few 'duh' moments but I blame them on the fact that by Saturday I was pretty much brain dead *g* And did I mention Tawny left me stranded at the Oakland airport? :-)

Tawny: Oh so many... but I won't take up the whole blog with my ooopses. I'll just say that "Oops" was my conference mantra, all starting with leaving Beth at the wrong airport.

Joan: You mean besides falling asleep with my mouth hanging open in the lobby in the middle of the Brazilian soccer team? Power outages....what are you going to do? And then there was the incident with Demetrius' shield....

He wants it back..........

AC: Well..... there was that lil incident at the Bandita Bash where I was wielding my crop and in walked my editor and another woman whom she promptly introduced to me as publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks, Dominique Raccah. Yes, I'm afraid I met my publisher for the very first time with my riding crop in hand. Oh well, she was bound to find out about Aunty sooner or later.

Did you meet any of your personal writing idols?

Beth: not this time. Although in the past I have introduced myself to some of my favorite authors and told them how much I enjoy their stories.

Suz: Well, I did get SEP to sign her double book release with No Body's Baby But Mine, for me. It's my favorite and we laughed about the delivery scene in the book. And Ms. Garwood wasn't at the conference, so she's safe from me for another year.

Tawny: I met so many of the Blaze authors who I've been reading and loving for years at the Blaze dinner. I felt like a total fan girl and kept telling myself to be grateful I was sitting in a corner. Thats about all that kept me from running from person to person to gush and ask for autographs.

Joan: I've been fortunate enough to get to know many of my author idols. I almost missed Susan Grant who has been such a supporter of my Roman boys. Then Sherrilyn of course, always encouraging. I did run into Gena Showalter on the elevator and had a fan girl moment. I had just finished the first two books of her Lords of the Underworld series...FABULOUS...and just had to tell her how brilliant she was!

AC: I had a "fan girl" moment in the elevator with Patricia Potter. She admired all the bling on my badge and I told her I'd trade them all for one of her "girls" (silver Rita nominee badges). Basically, I gushed like an idiot, and she was very gracious.

For our published authors, did you have any encounters with fans? What was that like?

Beth: I had a woman come up to me at the Lit signing and say she's heard so many good things about my book that she had to buy it so that was cool *g*

Tawny: I actually HAD fans. OMG it was surreal. Wild, even. One of my favorites, though, was our own lovely Jennifer Y! She is totally awesome.

AC: I absolutely LOVED all the people I didn't know congratulating me on my first sale ribbon! Also, during the Lit signing, I was standing in the crowd around our own Christine and Tawny when I heard a small voice ask, "Excuse me, are you Loucinda McGary?" Since only my mother when she was angry and the IRS ever called me that, I had to curb the urge to say, "Who wants to know?" Instead, I said, "Yes, I am." And I turned around to see Jennifer Y! As Tawny said, she IS awesome!

Now that you're back in your Ordinary World, what's next for you?

Beth: First I'm working on my revisions for my next Supers (Dillon's story which still doesn't have a title *g*) and I'm anxious to dig into a new story for Supers that Tawny and I plotted. Then it's back to my third Supers and hopefully I'll get more done on my YA as well. Oh, and since it's only two more weeks until school starts, I need to round up my kids and do some back-to-school shopping :-)

Suz: First getting out my requested proposal (three chapters and a synopsis) to the agent who requested it. Then hammering out pages on the Western Historical Erotica, since I have a request on the full manuscript when it's finished. :) (whoohoo!!) OH and yeah, working extra shifts to pay on my overheated credit card.

Tawny: My May Blaze (GOING DOWN HARD) partial is due next Friday so I'm working on that and fleshing out the ideas Beth and I plotted so I can send in a new proposal. By the time that's done, I'll have revisions here for my April Blaze (COMING ON STRONG) and school will be starting, so my days will get a little crazy.

Joan: Keep on writing. I've got my submissions in and would like to get Bran completed in time for the GH.

AC: Discussing "next steps" with my editor, and preparing for LAUNCH DAY! Only 52 more days to go!

If you didn't go to San Francisco, what was the high point of your summer so far?
Nancy: I did go to San Francisco, but I'll answer this set of questions just to start things off. A highlight for us was going to the NC Outer Banks and seeing The Lost Colony, the nation's longest-running outdoor drama, and taking the backstge tour. And no, the NC Dept. of Travel and Tourism isn't sponsoring this blog. *g*

Was there a low point to your summer?

Nancy: Not really. We almost had a low point when a thunderstorm fried the answering machine and knocked out the phones, but since it did not fry the computer, which was on at the time, we consider ourselves pretty lucky. Yes, I know to turn off the computer. I would've, if I'd known the storm was so close.

Did you do any fabulous shopping, for anything from books to furniture?

Nancy: Fabulous? No. But I did buy some "cute little tops that don't tuck in" (paraphrasing here), on orders from Caren Crane, who worries about my geeky fondness for polo shirts.

So those are our kickoff answers. What about you? Post a comment and let us know.

Oh, yeah. The bird, seen here contemplating robbing Donna's famous corset purse, made it to San Francisco (photo by Caren Crane). Stronger counter-measures will be implemented next year.

Blog photos from RWA by Caren, Kirsten, and Tawny.

No Rest for the Weary...or is it the Wicked?

Conference is so much fun. It's hard too. The thing is, it takes days to get over that east coast to west coast, west coast to east coast thing. What gets me too is that when you're at conference, there's all this energy to keep you going, even when you SHOULD be asleep so you can be sharp the next day! Ha! Then, you come home.

The house is a mess, the dog hasn't been walked since you left, and the laundry...shudder...don't even get me started on the laundry. (Actually, DO get me started so it doesn't take over the world!)

What I need to be doing, however is capitalizing on the meet-n-greets, the agent appointments and the editor meetings I had in San Francisco. I'm a business woman. Follow up is key to success. Why is it then that its Thursday and I haven't sent an email or letter out? Because I'm still recovering from plane and jet lag induced head cold. Bleeeech. I didn't want to write something or send something when I wasn't on top of my game. I think I've slept more in weird times - napping, ugh! - this week than I have since I was pregnant with my youngest.

So, if you went to SF, were you weary or wickedly energized when you got home? What about when you go to a professional conference in your "other life"?

Were you Johnny-on-the-spot with the requests or did you wait, plan, or procrastinate?

Do you have a request pending, perhaps from another conference? What can we do to help you get it out the door?

And the Winnahs Are...

by Caren Crane

We have two lucky winners resulting from our fabulous "overheard" post featuring Jennie Lucas and Trish Morey.

Gannon Carr is the lucky winner of Jennie Lucas's "Caretti's Forced Bride". Congrats, Gannon (and thanks for returning the GR in one piece)! Please contact Jennie with your snail mail addy at: jennie AT jennielucas DOT com.

And the winner of Trish Morey's "The Italian Boss's Mistress Of Revenge" (kinkiest title ever) is Helen! Please contact Trish Mo with your snail mail addy at trish AT trishmorey DOT com.

Congratulations, Helen and Gannon. Enjoy the Italian hotties for us!

Bad Choices

by Jo Robertson

Nowadays we speak to our children about making choices. You can make a good choice or a bad choice. We don’t tell them they are bad. Or did something bad. We’ve grown psychologically beyond the use of that esteem-deflating language.

"You made a bad choice, didn't you," we tell our children. Annie (above) makes a lot of bad choices. She's two.

But let's face it. As adults we make a lot of stupid, dumb, or just plain bad choices.

I for one have done my share of foolish things.

Made a lot of bad choices.

Oh, nothing I could be sent to jail for. Nothing really outrageous like the gross tattoo in The Red Dragon (below). Nothing illegal or even terribly dishonest, or even very dangerous or risky.

Stacked up beside the lives of some people, I’ve probably led a fairly tame existence.

But still.

Some of my choices were really stupid. Decisions I regretted almost the moment the act was completed.

Here’s a list of five foolish things I’ve done, in no particular order, and not even the most foolish, but stuff I would undo in a New-York minute if given the chance.

1. I made out with Ronnie H. after a first date one night my sophomore year in college. I didn’t particularly like him, but I wanted to see what it would be like to go hot and heavy with someone who was little more than a stranger. Yucky, that’s how it felt, and I didn’t learn anything I couldn’t have figured out on my own. Ewwwww.

2. I regret making fun of the two young girls who went to Scotland with us. I called them Barbie #1 and Barbie #2 and threatened to kill them off in my next book. They took the kidding in good-natured fun and I regret thinking how shallow they were talking about their clothes, jewelry, and boob jobs. Okay, they were pretty shallow, but they were really nice too and I should've been a kinder person. I know better. (The image to the right is blurred to protect the not-so-innocent.)

3. I truly, truly regret my separate surgeries of a c-section and hysterectomy. What was I thinking??? Those double incisions are just about the ugliest things I’ve ever seen and no amount of topical applications or sit-ups will fix them. Ugh.

4. I lied to a young teacher I was mentoring. I knew within the first week of school that she wasn’t going to make it as a teacher; she didn’t have that special kick. At best she’d be a pedestrian teacher. But I couldn’t bear to burst her bubble of dreams, so I kept encouraging her even though I KNEW she’d drop out sooner or later. She did. I felt bad. I could’ve saved her several years of her life.

5. I really regret getting permanent eyebrows. I convinced myself they weren’t tattoos. What a crock! Yuck!


What are some of the dumb things you’ve done? Come on, fess up and share. What’s said in the Lair, stays in the Lair!

Give a Girl Some ROOM!

by Cassondra Murray

Personal space is a strange thing.

And even stranger are our perceptions of it, and how we handle its being invaded.

I thought a lot about personal space this past week. Mine was invaded. I invaded the spaces of others. I didn't much like it.

I'm talking about the RWA national conference of course. 2500 women (mostly) jammed into one hotel (mostly) for a solid week.

Friends and neighbors, that's enough estrogen in one place to scare the muscles off Ahhhnold, Rocky, and the Italian hunks in yesterday's post, all at the same time.

Most of the Banditas have come home from conference bone tired and road weary.

I was so tired when I got off that airplane I was telling myself, "a few more steps and you can claim your checked bag. Steve will be there." Then, "a few more steps and we'll be to the van. You can sit down." Then, "One more hour and we'll be home. You can stop moving for a whole night. Maybe you can actually SLEEP HALLELUJAH!" I was pep-talking myself through the airport. That's unusual.

I generally attack life with a fair degree of energy. On Sunday evening, all the "attack" had been sucked right out of me. I can count on two hands the number of times I've been so tired that I wanted to lie down on the concrete sidewalk and sleep. Sunday night was one of them.

As I've thought about what, exactly, made me so bloody exhausted, I've come to the conclusion that it was, among other things, the loss of personal space involved in air travel, hotel stays, and the crowds at conference. While the keynote speakers are always fabulous and encouraging, the workshops are brilliant, and the meetings with professionals are uplifting, and a forward boost for a writing career, there is absolutely nowhere to get by yourself for any length of time at these events. It just doesn't happen. And even if it could happen, honestly, I wanted to be with my friends. The people I get to see only once per year. I wouldn't miss that for anything!

But it takes its toll.

See this hotel lobby? Looks rather Zen doesn't it? Okay, add a gazillion people to it. Poof. There goes the Zen and here comes the stress Baby!

I've recognized for a long while now that we create our own "personal space" using our own perceptions, and the need for "actual space" varies based on the situation. Or, maybe the NEED doesn't vary, but what we'll accept as okay certainly does vary.

As a rule, I need a lot of personal space. I can look out my front door and see fields. Soybeans this year--it'll be corn next year. And cows. Cows in the field don't intrude upon my personal space. Maybe it's the way they look up at me when I go outside. They lift their heads from grazing and stare in my direction, chewing their cud contendedly. Believe me, as a farm girl, I have no illusions about how cows actually are when one bothers them. But in the field right next door, they're okay. They chew their cud peacefully.

They're peaceful-feeling, those cows.


A conference is not a peaceful-feeling thing.

Of course, like everyone else, I have to adjust my need for personal space based on the situation. Still, long periods of space deprivation make me tired.

My roomie for this conference, Bandita Buddy Keira, did an outstanding job of dealing with infringements on personal space, as we had quite the party in our room on Wednesday evening. All the folks who've blogged with us over the past year were invited to this bash we threw, and poor Keira was trapped right in the middle of it and she handled it admirably well.

Any stay in a hotel room is, of course, infringement on everyone's personal space if the room is shared. The rooms are small, and I think even if you have one to yourself, living in that artificial environment makes a person tired.

But nothing makes a person as aware of personal space, or the lack thereof, as does travelling on shared transportation. Especially air travel.


I don't do that a whole lot. But this past week I did. I flew on a commercial airline. I hated it. I hate it so much that I usually work real hard to avoid it. I actually believe that this is at the root of Americans' addiction to their own automobiles. Inside your own car, you have a certan degree of personal space to expand--to just be. It takes a LOT more mental and emotional energy to use public transport.

Don't get me wrong--I have absolutely no fear of flying, but I HATE to fly on commercial airlines. First, there's something wonky for me about entrusting my safety to an entire group of people who neither know nor care about me, and any one of which may not care whether he or she does the job well.

You know. Little, insignificant jobs like putting the gas cap back on the airliner. Those jobs. It always gives me a bit of comfort to see the pilot out there, on the ground under the airliner, actually checking out the plane he's about to shove into the air under the power of jet engines, and hurl through the sky at a gazillion miles per hour and then...aim back at the ground and actually reconnect.

Time spent on an airliner is a long way--metaphorically speaking--from those cows in the field next door.

These days, flights tend to be full. One of the things I hate most about flying is being imprisoned in close quarters with a bunch of other folks.

I know. They don't like it any more than I do. And we've all developed a set of rules for how we behave in these circumstances.

The guy who rubs up against my butt as he tries to get down the aisle when we meet--he probably didn't mean to do that. If we were in a bar or an alley, he'd either back off fast or he might well get the back side of my fist to the side of his head. Or an elbow in the face. In the aisle of an airliner, we just say, "Oh, sorry." "Excuse me." And we move on, never actually meeting one another's eyes.

That's one way of maintaining personal space. Not looking at the other person.

I noticed that phenomenon in New York the second time I went there. The first time I went there, the people I met looked me right in the eye. But that wasn't The Big Apple in all its glory. That was an aberration. It was only a week after the attack on the World Trade Center. Everyone I met in New York City while I was there with my search dogs met my eyes, and they looked for hope in mine--and offered hope with theirs. Everyday New York City isn't like that. The second time I went, it was a bit closer to normal--everyone maintaining his "space" by simply imagining it to be there--by putting up an energetic wall and remaining inside it, somewhat oblivious to everything outside of it.

The whole process of shared transportation, and air travel in particular, is a fascinating study in how we adapt our personal space. This week I had to shrink it to almost nothing for periods of eight to twelve hours per day for two whole days while I flew across the country. Ugh. They shove you into two square feet of space for the flight, with no real choice as to who is in the two square feet next to you, and the "public" space--aisles and lavatories--has to be shared.

Even the waiting areas at the air terminal gates are studies in the need for space. People don't clump up. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, looks for the most open space--the most unoccupied chairs, and sits right down in the middle of them, preserving as much "personal space" as possible.

We shift our need for personal space based on who we're with and where we are I guess.

Have you noticed that when you're in line at the ATM, the people behind you (if they're smart) automatically give you a bunch more space than they would, say, in line for tickets to a concert? I appreciate that. But I've also noticed that some cultures don't place a high value on personal space, and when those cultures mix with others, it can be a little uncomfortable. Some folks will come right up to me in a shopping line, or wherever I'm standing, and get right inside my personal bubble, and I immediately back up. One time three guys were almost on top of me while I was using the self-checkout at the grocery. They put their stuff on the conveyor, it shoved up against my stuff, and they were standing almost against me where I was scanning my items. They were less than a foot from me and they were oblivious.

It was as though I wasn't even there. They were giving me NO space.

So I did something uncharacteristic for me. I put my arm against their items and shoved them all to the far end of the conveyor. Then I stared really hard at them and said, "excuse me, but I'll be finished in a minute, then you can have this station." The one sitting on the conveyor looked at me like I had three heads. They all got kinda quiet while the crazy lady finished checking out. I didn't care. They'd invaded my space bubble and darnit, I was defending it.

When we Banditas were together at conference--in our rooms or in the hotel bar, I didn't mind the space infringement at all. Because that was social time, with people I knew and trusted. Bandita Buddies would come up to the table and sit right down with us and start chatting and I loved that. We were shoulder to shoulder and I felt absolutely no sense of loss of space. Here's a picture of the gorgeous bar at the top of the Marriott. It was our Bandita hangout last week, and it does live up to its name. It's called "The View." That table with the yellow seats over on the far right? That was ours.

Imagine us jammed in there like sardines and you'll get the picture. I loved every minute of it. I was with people I trusted and wanted to mingle. To mix my energy with theirs and have us both be the better for it. I wanted to get close enough to really interact. No defense mechanisms with these ladies.

The bubble shrinks when you're with your lover too, doesn't it? Even more than with friends.

Y'all will get tired of this picture if I keep using it, but I'm not quite recovered from the week of having too little space, so I'm too tired to look for another. Besides, I love it. I think it's a perfect illustration of the trust between two people who are intimate, or moving in that direction.

When I studied photojournalism and portraiture, we studied how people act and how to show their relationship in a photo. One of the tools we used in our photos is the same one we writers use in our books. Having one person touch the other person's head. It is, perhaps, one of the most intimate gestures available to the human. Allowing another person to touch your head is a gesture of complete trust. And we don't give it automatically. This photo, of course, is staged. Those are professional models and they might not have known one another before this shoot. But that's not the impression we get from looking at it. They look open. Vulnerable.

Intimate.

We Banditas write about relationships, primarily. And one of the best ways to study relationships is to watch how people handle their personal space bubbles. The closer you are to a person, the less space from that person you need.

See? Even the verbiage for our levels of intimacy mirrors that of our physical relationship. We want a person "close" or "far away". As we write the meeting for the hero and heroine, the way we have them interact, physically, is very different from the way they behave when we're getting ready to write a love scene. I think it's fascinating.

Now that I've had a few hours of sleep I even find my exhaustion fascinating. I think it was caused, among other things, by having to keep my personal space bubble so small for such a long time. Sucked the very life out of me.

That energy-sucking time in transit, and the time spent in close quarters in workshops and ballroom banquets, crowded elevators and constantly having to be "on" was a real drain. The entire time my personal bubble had to be small--sucked in--held close so I didn't infringe on the bubbles of others. This, as opposed to the type of relationship in the jeans ad above, and the time spent with my friends this past week, where a person invites another, or others, into her space. Those invasions are actually energizing in their own way. Tantalizing sometimes, even powerfully provocative when it's a lover or a potential lover opposite us.

I'm already missing the other Banditas. And the most fascinating thing of all is that most of the "space" I would have needed because we'd never met in person has been bridged during the past year by conversations typed on a keyboard--through emails, and through this blog. Though I'd never seen most of you until this past week, and some I've still never seen, this blog has brought an entire community of people together. It's brought us Banditas closer, and it's brought me closer to you, our readers and friends.


So what do you think about this idea of personal space?


If you travelled this week, did you find your space infringed upon?


Does it make you tired when you have to be in big crowds? Or do they make you feel energized?


Have you encountered other people who don't have the same sense of or need for space that you have?


And did you ever have to defend your personal space bubble the way I did at the grocery store?

Have you ever felt that you "knew" someone after reading her book? Do you feel that you know characters after a great read? That if you sat down with them, it would be like old friends meeting--and your space bubble would be welcoming?
Have you come to know a close friend without ever seeing or touching him/her--in this way--through cyberspace? And when you finally met, was your actual "space bubble"--the personal space you needed to feel safe-- smaller and more intimate because of it?

Jennie Lucas and Trish Morey - Overheard At RWA

by Caren Crane

While at the RWA national conference in San Francisco last week, I kept my eyes and ears wide open. Not only are there romance writing stars aplenty at conference, there is also plenty of goss to be heard (that's "gossip" for us Americans). Then again, sometimes you overhear good friends indulging in a treacly love-fest, completely adoring each other's work. I overheard one such conversation last week between Harlequin Presents authors Jennie Lucas and Trish Morey.



Lean in close and let me play the tape I conveniently made of their conversation:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JENNIE: Trish, you were a pal and fave author long before you became a mentor. It's because of you that I got my first sale to my dream line, Harlequin Presents. You wouldn't let me quit writing that book, no matter how much I whined, "But I'm wasting my time, they won't buy another American author!" I've never been so happy to be wrong! I can't thank you enough!

TRISH: Well you sent a big basket of flowers to me in Australia when you got the Call, that was a nice start! The bouquet was even bigger than the one in the bike basket on your website! Seriously though, Jennie, I always thought you'd make it. And now look where we are - from Golden Heart finalists in 2003 to Presents shelfmates this month. Awesome!

JENNIE: I know, I can hardly believe it! Your books rock, Trish. I can't wait to read The Italian Boss's Mistress of Revenge. And not only are we shelfmates, but our stories both feature Italian heroes!

TRISH: Well, Jennie, there's probably a reason for that, and here's one of them... It's such a chore writing about Italian heroes when they look like this guy, when they're not doing the Presents scowl of course. So tell me about your Caretti's Forced Bride. I heard it was about a secret child. Maybe a little too secret? There's no mention of that anywhere on the cover.


JENNIE: The most beautiful princess in the world secretly had a baby at eighteen, the result of an affair with a poor Italian-American mechanic. To hide the scandal, her beloved elder brother passed off the child as his own. Ten years later, Isabelle desperately needs help and turns to that mechanic, now a self-made billionaire. Paolo agrees to help - but only if she'll be his one-night mistress. She accepts because she's never stopped loving him, but she's terrified. If he learns the truth, her "nephew" - who's now king of the Mediterranean country - could lose everything.

TRISH: That sounds amazing, I can't wait to read it. And you're probably not going to believe this, because the title doesn't give it away, but my story also features a baby, or at least a pregnancy, something that nicely complicates the bargain Dante Carrazzo has made to get hotel manager Mackenzi Keogh into his bed. A baby is something neither of them bargained on.

JENNIE: Babies, babies! What is it about these Italian men, do you think, that they're all so amazingly virile?

TRISH: LOL. Well, it's certainly got to be something good that makes people forget about protection, or renders it useless.

JENNIE: Ha!!

TRISH: Mind you, with the likes of men like this, I suspect I might not only forget about protection. I might just forget to breathe...

JENNIE: Phwoar. I take your point. Although I’m a married woman so looking at that photo is making me blush — I’m covering my eyes. (I swear!)

TRISH: Yeah. I’m covering my eyes too. *grin*

JENNIE: Ahem. (*still blushing*) I was just in Italy in May, attending a creative writing course with Sharon Kendrick. It was my first trip there and there really is something about those Mediterranean men. Even the waiters were incredible.

TRISH: I'm green with envy! Although I will be in Italy myself in just two short months.

JENNIE: Oooh, lucky girl! I only had one day to be look around Tuscany, as I was mostly hard at work on the writing course. Next time I just want to be a tourist!

TRISH: It's been years since we were last there and we're looking forward to taking the tinlids back and renewing our Italian love affair with the country. Here's a very ancient pic of me and a couple of the girls at Pisa, and to illustrate how ancient it is - or how short I am - all my kids are now taller than me, not just the one in my hubbies backpack while he took the pic but even the one that wasn't yet born. No wonder I write short contemporary. :-)

JENNIE: LOL. And I thought you were only in it for the men!

TRISH: It's research, Jennie, research. Here's another I think you might like. I slaved hours over a hot google looking for this one...



And this guy is so versatile. Not only does he look good dressed but he looks equally good undressed...



Now that's what I call versatile. :-)

JENNIE: Looks like he's hero material to me! But the beauty of our job is that we don't just have to limit ourselves to Italian men. It's the whole Mediterranean region.

TRISH: And that’s why I’m off to Greece right after Italy.

JENNIE: Grrr!!

TRISH: Don’t be jealous, Jennie. I promise I’ll be back with lots of photos! And then we can discuss our other favorite topic — Greek men! *wink*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trish Morey's The Italian Boss's Mistress of Revenge and Jennie Lucas’s Caretti's Forced Bride are on sale now in the U.S. Bring some Italian hunkiness home today!

Well, Banditas, who knew we would get our tender ears burned eavesdropping - er, listening - to that conversation? Wah! I feel slightly naughty eyeballing those Italian hunks, don't you? There is a better than slight chance that both Jennie and Trish will be with us today (barring jet lag on Trish's end and total conference meltdown on Jennie's). They saw me sneaking off with the tape recorder and Jennie twisted my arm (really hard) until I told her they could be guests and defend themselves and their love of Italian hunks.

Graciously, Jennie and Trish have offered signed copies of their books to lucky Bandita Buddy commenters. So tell us BBs, how do you really feel about Italian hunks?

Return of the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom

Interview by Nancy

Today we welcome award-winning author Julie Kenner to the lair. In addition to having been a RITA finalist, Julie has won the Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the National Readers' Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. In July, the fourth book in her Kate Connor, Demon Hunter, series, Deja Demon, was released. Welcome to the lair, Julie!

Thanks so much for inviting me here!

For those who may not be familiar with Kate Connor, can you give us a little background on the series?

Absolutely. Kate is a demon hunter. A formerly retired demon hunter, who was living a perfectly happy life in suburban California. Until a demon she sees in Walmart comes crashing through her window and she’s thrust back into her old job … all while having to juggle Gymboree, playdates, and a hormonal 14 year old daughter. And keeping her secret life a secret, of course.

In other words, your basic metaphor about stay-at-home-moms returning to the workplace ☺

Actually, Kate introduces herself best at the beginning of CARPE DEMON, the first book in the series:

My name is Kate Connor and I used to be a demon hunter.

I've often thought that would be a great pick-up line at parties, but with a teenager, a toddler and a husband, I'm hardly burning up the party circuit. And, of course, the whole demon hunting thing is one great big gargantuan secret. No one knows. Not my kids, not my husband, and certainly not folks at these imaginary parties where I'm regaling sumptuous hunks with tales from my demon-slaying, vampire-hunting, zombie-killing days.

Back in the day, I was pretty cool. Now I'm a glorified chauffeur for pep squad practice and Gymboree play dates. Less sex appeal, maybe, but I gotta admit I love it. I wouldn't trade my family for anything. And after fourteen years of doing the mommy thing, my demon hunting skills aren't exactly sharp.

All of which explains why I didn't immediately locate and terminate the demon wandering the pet food aisle of the San Diablo Wal-Mart. Instead, when I caught a whiff of that tell-tale stench, I naturally assumed it emanated exclusively from the bottom of a particularly cranky two-year-old. My two-year-old, to be exact.

You can see why the original, working title was Demons & Dirty Diapers. You can also see why my agent begged me to change that!!

You’ve given Kate numerous complications in this latest book. Aside from the demons, zombies, and so forth.

Oh yes! There’s a writerly (is that a word?) adage about putting your characters in a tree and then throwing rocks at them. Kate got a lot of rocks thrown at her in this story. Everything from good friends in mortal danger, nasty demons, teenage and toddler problems, and all those pesky issues that come from having your dead first husband come back to life when you’re happily married to your second. You know, regular life stuff.

Kate also faces some unusual parenting issues. Would you like to elaborate on those?

I don’t want to get into too much detail, since that could raise spoilers for folks who haven’t yet started the series … but lets just say that a determined 14 year old is an even tougher challenge for a mom than demons. Especially when that teen’s father happens to be alive and well … but hanging out in the body of another man.

What inspired this series?

It was one of those brainstorming moments that make you believe in the power of brainstorming! I was up for contract with the publisher of some of my romances, and so far I had written two stand-alone books (though they have a loose connection). I really wanted to write a series, and paranormal was starting to get really hot again. I had this image of five alpha males appearing over a hill, dressed all in black, dusters blowing in the breeze behind them. And these guys are demon hunters. That’s all I knew, but I liked the image. So I was pondering what to do next (other than toss in the women, of course).

At the same time, chick lit was on the rise, and while I thoroughly enjoy that genre, there really wasn’t any mommy-lit, and as a new mom, that’s what I wanted to read, and I was also itching to write it.

I was chatting with my critique partner, Kathleen O’Reilly, about both ideas, and somewhere in the conversation, demon hunting alpha males smacked up against soccer moms, and poof, Kate was born. I literally sat down and wrote the first scene in Carpe, and other than the very beginning (My name is …), that chapter changed very little from inception to publication. Kate has a strong voice, and it’s great fun to “channel” her.

You make greater use of the Catholic Church than most romance authors do. How does this fit into the series?

Well, I wanted Kate to be officially retired from demon-hunting, which means it needed to be an actual job. But I also wanted her to be a regular mom in a regular world, which means it had to be a super-secret job. And I figured that the job has been around forever, so I needed an old organization. And we’re talking demons, so a religious organization fit the bill. Plus, I wanted Kate’s faith to be very important to her. This is a woman who has really and truly seen hell. She understands what she’s fighting.

All in all, everything pointed to the Catholic church. It’s ancient, it has a central base in the Vatican, the religion itself has a wonderfully rich history to pull from, and many of the actual details of the Catholic faith embellish the stories (like the import of relics). Of course, I take tons of literary license, but that’s the fun of being the author.

Kate Connor’s very sympathetic for those of us whose nightmare is to be in charge of food or decorations for the PTA. Was that a conscious choice, or did that aspect of her personality just happen?

You know, it was a conscious choice in that I wrote it, but a lot of Kate’s character is discover-as-you-go. I don’t do character sketches before I start writing, but instead discover the character in the story. And considering who Kate is, that discovery was pretty expected! I think the real surprise would be if it turned out she absolutely loved chairing PTA committees!

Kate Connor has been so popular that she's headed for the big screen. Could you update us on that project?

I should probably clarify that the popularity of Kate’s stories didn’t have anything to do with the interest from 1492 and Warner Brothers. At the time of the original deal, I had written a grand total of three chapters and a synopsis and didn’t even have a publication date. But they saw the potential in Kate, and so far, I’ve been really pleased with the vision of the folks at 1492 and WB.

The truth is that the movie project is moving along on its own trajectory. I get updates from time to time, but I’m not involved day to day. I know that a script has been completed and is being tweaked, and I can tell you that Warner Brothers re-optioned the material last year (the original option had been renewed once, then expired by its own terms). So it’s still actively in development.

Your website mentions dark fantasy to come. Can you give us some hints about that?

Here’s a little teaser:

When Lily Carlyle set out to kill a child molester, she never expected to die and be resurrected as an assassin. Especially not as an assassin charged with fighting the forces of darkness in the ultimate battle of good against evil. It's the key into heaven, she's told. And in light of her sins, without that key, she's doomed to an eternity of suffering.

But what Lily doesn't know is that she's fighting for the wrong side. She's been duped by the underworld, tricked into killing those who would stand in the way of her demonic handlers.

And when Lily finds out the truth ... well, there really will be hell to pay.

The first three books: TAINTED, TORN, and TURNED will be published back to back in Nov/Dec 2009 and January 2010 by Ace.

You’ve also written super-heroes, which you know I love. What drew you to that sub-genre, and do you plan to revisit it at some point?

What drew me to it … hmm, that is a really good question. I think I like writing about larger than life characters, but who have to exist in this world. I also like the theme of finding out “who you are,” and then pursuing that for all it’s worth, a theme that fits well in the superhero genre. And, you know, I like characters that kick a little butt.

As for the subgenre, I’m working on a superhero story right now, but I’m writing it as a screenplay since I’ve conceived it more visually than narratively. But I love the character, and I may try to write it as a novel a some point (or a graphic novel, but I’m honestly clueless about that venue.) I also would love to revisit the world of the Aphrodite series, and I have a couple of ideas percolating that I may try to pursue at some point. (I recently did have the chance to revisit that world with a novella that came out in April in the These Boots Were Made For Stomping anthology).

Thanks again for inviting me to be a guest. This was great fun!

Have you ever felt you were juggling too many family commitments? What's your favorite of Julie's books? What do you like about stories featuring moms and children? What kinds of children do you most like to see in your books?

Julie's giving away a copy of Deja Demon to one commenter. !For more about Julie and her books visit her website.

Julie's traveling and signing today, so don't worry if she doesn't respond right away. She'll be with us in between commitments.

A special note to those in Houston--Julie's signing at Murder by the Book at 6:30 today. Pop in and say hi if you're in the area.

Running Amok at RWA National...

The Rooster is here, the Rooster is here! He's sneaked into the SF RWA Conference and is running amok. It's quite the sight.

Here are a few peeks at what the dear GR is doing around the town.


Here he is with our own darling Anna Campbell who did us all fabulously proud by winning a BOOKSELLERS BEST award for Claiming the Courtesan! YEAH, ANNA!!!!!













The divine Caren Crane and the most amazing Cassondra Murray in the baaaaaaaar with his most delightfulness, the GR.




Board member and Bandita Extraordinare, Trish Milburn was accosted by his Goldenness at the Annual General Meeting. Much to our Bandita amusement, The GR was winking and blowing kisses to RWA President Sherry Lewis. To my chagrin, he was also making googoo eyes at RWA Executive Director Allison Kelley. Oh, dear! I fear he has subourned the Board AND the staff!

Darling AC and I were delighted to show off our First Sale ribbons to the GR. He was more impressed by being clutched between two excited Bandtias, I think.

Friendship

By Kirsten Scott

There's one thing all the Banditas will agree on: Conference isn't really about workshops. It isn't about networking, free books, or pitching. It's a little bit about the parties, but really, it's about one thing.

Friendship.

It's about connecting with the critique partner who lives halfway across the country from you but you love and adore. It's about meeting in person the women who prop you up when you get that rejection, or have that interaction with your agent/editor/spouse/boyfriend/boss that you just need to talk about. It's about hugs and drinks and lots of laughter.

That's what it's really all about.

Anticipation is building for Golden Heart and RITA night!! Stay posted for more news!!

Hi, ya'll, Jo here. I'm gonna sneak in and add to Kirsten's comments. First, in the photo above are Kirsten and Susan, best buds, and let me tell you, flat out the funniest gals I've met in a long time. They kept us in stitches at Annabelle's with their street imitations and spontaneous quips, replete with accents and hand jives.

Below are Anna S. (of the ooohhhh-la-la shoes) and Kate C., who only pretends she's a demure soccer mom. From that sweet face, you'd never know our Kate can complete with the language of the saltiest sailor!

And last are moi and Bandita Suzanne, whose nursing knowledge kept us from doing too much harm to ourselves.

What about you? How have your best gal-pals kept you sane during those dark moments? Who do you share the happy occasions with?

More News from National

by Jo Robertson

If you didn't have a chance to see it live, check out the piece NBC did on The Today Show Friday about romance novels and featuring the National Conference.

Go to http://today.msnbc.msn.com/ and scroll right on "videos for today" until you reach "Romance novel sales bloom." If you look hard enough you'll see our own Bandita Donna MacMeans at the Literacy Signing. She's wearing her wide-brimmed designer hat!

RWA raised a whopping $58,000 for the event. Yay!


Additionally, our own Bandita KJ Howe garnered a first-place award in short contemporary for her manuscript THE MATADOR in the Daphne du Maurier Award for unpublished writers. She received the honor during the Mystery/Suspense Chapter of RWA's Death by Chocolate award celebration Wednesday night.

Congrats, Kim!

Also, what an honor for Pamela Bolton-Holifield, aka Doglady, who also won first place in the Daphne historical category. I met Pam at breakfast one morning and she's as much a delight in person as she is on the loop.

Congratulations, Doglady, aka Louisa Cornell!

Be sure to stay tuned for more announcements of upcoming awards and honors.