Claim of Innocence

By KJ Howe

Please welcome talented MIRA author Laura Caldwell to the Lair.

I asked Laura to answer a few questions about her background and book. Laura, thanks so much for joining us today!

Describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer

In Claim of Innocence, Izzy and her best friend, Maggie, defend a woman charged with poisoning her own best friend.

What inspired you to write CLAIM OF INNOCENCE?

I'm admit I'm sort of marrying my real life with my fictional life in Claim of Innocence. My character, Izzy McNeil, is a redheaded Chicagoan who worked as a civil lawyer most of her career but has fallen into the world of criminal defense. That comes pretty close to my life. I used to be a civil lawyer, defending doctors who were sued. I never thought I'd be working with exonerees. I feel incredibly fortunate.


Where do you do most of your writing?

In one of two places: If I’m in Chicago, I write in what the real estate agent grandly called ‘the penthouse room.’ Basically it’s a sunny room off the roof deck. It’s filled with red and white furniture (keeps me awake), a curvy book shelf laden with reference books and a street sign bolted to the wall that reads, STOP HERE ON RED.

The other place I love to write is in Long Beach, Indiana, a place of hidden beauty. In the summer, I sit on the deck and am surrounded by a sea of green from all the trees. In the winter, you can find me in front of the fire.

Which part of CLAIM OF INNOCENCE was the most enjoyable to write?

I love writing about 26th and Cal, which is the home of Chicago criminal courts and many of its jails. Everyone who has ever been there will tell you that it has the craziest energy—part thrilling, part desperate, part seen-it-all, part wildly optimistic. I like appearing there as a lawyer and I like writing about it too.

What inspired you to write your first book?

When I first started writing after law school, I wrote a story called Burning the Map about a girlfriends’ trip to Italy and Greece that changes their lives. I had taken a trip to Italy and Greece similar to the one that the character followed, but mine, albeit ludicrously fun, was not life changing. It was a blast to write that book.

And now, a little bit about Laura:

Laura Caldwell is a former civil trial attorney, now Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Director of Life After Innocence, published author of several novels and 1 nonfiction book.

Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a partner in a Chicago law firm, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. In 2001 she joined Loyola University Chicago School of Law and has taught Advanced Litigation Writing and International Criminal Law among others.

Laura began her writing career in women’s fiction and soon turned to mystery/thriller. Her first book, Burning the Map was voted as one of the best books the year by Barnes and Noble.com. Booklist declared “Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive…writers around,” after the release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I got Lucky. The release of her trilogy in 2009 received critical acclaim and nominations for prestigious industry awards.

While researching her sixth novel, The Rome Affair, Caldwell was led to the criminal case of Jovan Mosley, a young man charged with murder, sitting in a Cook County holding cell for nearly six years with no trial date. After hearing about his case, Caldwell joined a renowned criminal defense attorney to defend him, ultimately proving his innocence and inspiring her first nonfiction book, Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him (Free Press, Simon & Schuster).

She is published in over 22 countries and translated into more than 13 languages. Laura is also a freelance magazine writer and has been publi shed in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others.

Inspired by Mosley’s case and his challenges of rejoining society, Caldwell founded Loyola’s Life After Innocence that assists wrongfully convicted individuals or other innocent persons affected by the criminal justice system in order to help them re-enter society and reclaim their lives.

So, Laura, your writing space sounds fabulous - both in Chicago and Indiana!

Readers, what's your favorite place to curl up with a great book, like Laura's Claim of Innocence?

Also, statistics show that women are more likely to use a "hands off" method of killing, like poison rather than a "hands on" weapon like a knife or gun.

Laura, have you found this to be true in your practice of law?

Readers, which do you believe? That women will use poison first? Or do you think you'd be more direct? Grins.

Adrienne Giordano in the Lair

hosted by KJ Howe

Please welcome Adrienne Giordano to the lair today so she can establish our favorite legal authority - Man Law!! Adrienne is kind enough to offer a copy of Man Law to one lucky commenter, and a pair of bullet earrings (yes, seriously!) to another commenter, so please ask your questions.

Call me crazy, but I'm entertained by loud-mouthed alpha males. I blame it on my Italian Jersey girl upbringing.

Need I say more?

I love to settle in and listen to a loud-mouthed alpha tell a story. Give me some chocolate covered peanuts while he's telling that story and I 'm in heaven. The thing I love more than a loud-mouthed alpha is finding their weakness.

And exploiting it.

The hero in my debut romantic suspense, Man Law, is Vic Andrews. Vic is an alpha who has no faith in his ability to understand women. To his credit, he does try, but he likes his bachelor life and having no familial strings attached. It keeps his life simple and with his job as a private security contractor—err government assassin—he needs simple.

He's also a rule breaker. Yep, the only rules Vic follows are his own goofy man laws. Man law eighteen? Never touch another guy's grill. That's one of his minor laws. He does have some that are important.

Ones like:

Never mess with your best friend’s sister.

Never leave a man behind.

Never wonder if you should have thrown the asshole off the roof.

That last one just might be my favorite. J Vic has been playing outside the lines so long that he considers the man laws his lifeline, the thing to cling to when the craziness of the world befuddles him. I dare say they anchor him and give him structure when chaos ensues.

Unfortunately for him, they also make him vulnerable. With a little help from me, he winds up obliterating all of his man laws in this book. I'd like to say I feel bad about destroying his lifeline, but really, not so much.

He was a tough one to break, I'll give him that much. He pushed me. At times, he laughed at my attempts to break him. Then I got mean about it and he finally understood what it was I wanted for him.

He finally understood that his man laws alone wouldn't get him through life. Yep, I wanted my loner, loud-mouthed alpha to connect with someone on a deeper level than he'd ever known. Not an easy task. My guy had to hit bottom—hard—before he gave up the fight.

That's the fun of bringing down a loud-mouthed alpha. When they go down, they go down in a big way and no man law is going to save them.

Readers, do you have any loud-mouthed alphas in your life? Have you identified their weakness?

Bio:

Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and women's fiction. She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her work-a-holic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaton Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog. Adrienne's debut romantic suspense, Man Law, is available from Carina Press. Her second book, A Just Deception, will be available from Carina Press on September 5, 2011. For more information please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com. Adrienne can be found on Twitter and Facebook

Man Law available at:

Carina Press

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Undiscovered Gems of The Lair

Whew! Another long day in the writing cave, thought Jeanne, Duchess de Snorkville as she closed out the latest Deadly file. Rolling her shoulders, she grabbed her bottle of Diet Coke and headed for the door.

Click, click, click…*&^$$$%^

What was that noise? It was pretty late. Even the Aussies should be in bed..or in their pool or off on an exotic Japanese vacation.


“Stop it! I don’t want you two making out right now! We have conflict to resolve!” a frustrated voice growled.

Curious, the Duchesse followed the sounds of plotting out the corridor, turned right and headed down the auxiliary tunnel. Funny, she thought, this was the secret passage to the cabana boys locker room but the noises coming from behind the golden door at the end were not the usual…um, noise one heard.

Ever the RS author, she grasped her Coke bottle by the neck. Hey, it wasn’t C4 but it could do some damage…and with less calories. Slowly she opened the door and stared.

Eight Banditas sat hunched over keyboards. The clacking was deafening, the only light in the room shone from their computer screens. “Hey guys,” she said, strolling in “What’s up?”

Eight Bandita heads shot up. “You scared us, Duchesse,” said Caren, “And that’s not easy to do with with KJ and Cassondra and their arsenal.”

“Sorry,” she answered, abashed. “But it’s late. What are you doing up?

“We’re creating brilliant novels,” replied Suz, stroking the bunny in her lap.

“Yeah,” piped up Joanie T, signaling to Demetrius to bring her another glass of sangria, “We’re AYU-As Yet Unpublished-but we’re working our butts off to get there.”

Jeanne, frowned, pulls up a chair and sat down. “Yeah, I don’t get that. Ya’ll are great writers. We should be seeing your book covers on the sidebar.”

“Perseverance,” said Anna S. tossing Nancy a hockey puck. “Keep at it till the right editor and agent recognize what they…and the publishing world... have been missing. We are the next best thing!”

“It’s hard to hang in there,” admitted Jo aka JoMama, grabbing a dark chocolate kiss from a jar marked ‘Perseverance’ “but there’s an old saying “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

Nancy tossed the puck to the dragon who chased it like a dog. “Adding boom helps a lot,”

“It does,” agreed Cassondra, molding a lump of C4 into a tiny cabana boy, “And staying in the chair on track does too.”

“Research,” added KJ, “Lots of trips and top notch conferences fuel our determination."

Jeanne nodded. “We’ve all been there, done that. What's the first story you ever wrote?"

Caren: My first story was about a Highlander-obsessed sword-wielding Wal-Mart worker who lived on her parents' screened-in porch. It had less than no chance in New York, but it was hilarious.

Suz: Mine was REFUGE. My writing wasn't bad, but over the years I've improved my craft, so a few years back I went back to this story, because I loved it so much, rewrote it and am now featuring it on my blog as a serial book...one chapter a week! (Talk about torturing your readers!!)

Anna: My first romance was ‘Paws for Love’, about an ex-business woman who runs a cattery and who has to go back to work in business to save it. The hero is a customer and the owner of the business she joins. Very Special Edition , complete with nasty ex-girlfriend, an even nastier ex-husband, a pair of cute old ladies and some fun cats.

Nancy: If we're moving beyond the crayon stage, the first
story I remember writing was science fiction about a girl who saved a Mars colony from alien attack by building a giant space mirror. Highly improbable, dreadfully flawed science, and a definite wish fulfillment heroine, but I enjoyed writing it. My first complete book-length fantasy was about mages saving a kingdom threatened by dark magic.

Jo: When I was fourteen I wrote a story about a high school reunion. Of course, the heroine had turned from ugly duckling to beautiful swan and the hero was immediately attracted to her, wondering how he’d missed her clever wit and graceful beauty ten years ago!

KJ I’ve always loved books that can make me laugh, so I tried my hand at a romantic comedy about a flagging furniture company headed by an feisty wheelchair-bound octogenarian. A romance bloomed between his designer granddaughter and a Greek marketing guru they hired to rescue the bottom line. Needless to say, that novel will never see daylight—too many references to Cleopatra couches and tiger-striped lamps. Also, Grandpa completely stole the show! But the experience of writing was so much fun that I was hooked.

Joan: Does a parody of “The Little Matchstick Girl” called “The Little Flashlight Girl count”? No? Ok, well my first focused manuscript was my 2006 GH entry Roman historical, “The Patrician’s Desire.” It was my learning manuscript and it took a while to get it molded into shape. I had to…the hero Jared wouldn’t LET me put him under the bed :-)

Cassondra: The first story? Oh, man…I dunno if I can remember back that far. I remember one in the sixth grade. It was based on one of the color plates in my Literature textbook. A couple of guys from pre-Revolutionary War days. They were in a canoe and it looked like they were running trap lines (for fur trade) and I wrote a story about them. After that, there were too many to count. Focused, book-length fiction? It was the story which, after a whole bunch of incarnations, became the manuscript that finaled in the Golden Heart.

Jeanne picked up the mimosa that had suddenly appeared in front of her. Man, those cabana boys could be sneaky. “Wow, those all sound great! Hmm…since it’s late and I have a mimosa and you’re all taking a break, let me give you another question. Let’s talk about the really yummy stuff. Who is your favorite hero, in film and why?

Caren: My favorite film hero is Brendan Fraser's Rick O'Connell in the Mummy movies. He's smart, funny, handsome and swashbuckling PLUS he loves a strong woman. How could I resist?

Suz: My favorite hero in films would be Clive Owen as King Arthur. Oh mama. Makes you want to go all medieval, doesn't he? Strong, handsome, honorable...and boy can he wield a mean sword!

Anna: Oooh tricky question – my instinctive answer is Cary Grant in pretty much any movie. But, I think it should be Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in ‘Tombstone’. A great flawed hero, who tries to do the right thing, even when the odds are against him. I love all the different facets we see of him – brother, family man, husband, gun-slinger, marshall, boy in love. .

Nancy That's a toughie. Clive Owen as King Arthur, Viggo
Mortensen as Aragorn, Christopher Reeve as Superman, Errol Flynn as Robin Hood. I can't really pick. For me, a hero has to buckle a mean swash, as it were, and all of them do. The one exception to the swashbuckling mode would be Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Fits all other criteria and was a fabulous dad. And a crack shot when the need arose.

Jo: Way too many to list, but among the top ones are George Clooney (a classy and classic media presence), Gerard Butler (when he’s fit and trim not carrying fifteen extra pounds), and Shia Labeouf (okay I just want to pinch his cheeks and feed him cookies).

KJ: Harrison Ford as Richard Kimball in THE FUGITIVE. The hero had to conquer unbelievable odds (who’d believe that a one-armed man killed his wife???) and he used his ingenuity and intelligence to solve the mystery of the killer. Brilliant writing and plotting coupled with stellar acting from Harrison.

Joan: There are a LOT of heroes from big screen (and little screen) who are favs but when you think about the genre I write in it would have to be Daniel Day Lewis in LOTM. He had everything and the buckskins too, to make a woman fall at his feet….or jump over his shoulder to be carried away from danger…or to his lair :-)

Cassondra: It depends on the day. Today it’s probably Viggo as Aragorn. I like Bill Pullman in “While You Were Sleeping” too. He’s kind of earthy in that movie. Most heroes I fall for are that way. Tomorrow I’ll like somebody else though. I’m like Joanie in that Daniel Day Lewis in LOTM always comes out in the top two. Always. On any day. I don’t much like him in any other films, but he rocked that role.

“Wow, those are all great picks,” Jeanne sighed as Sven came out of the shadows and started massaging her shoulders. “Thank you Sven, that right shoulder...ahhhh, yes. Oh, sorry. Okay, new question, same vein. If you had to cast a current or past star as the hero of your WIP, who would you pick and why?”

Caren: The hero of my WIP (which is more a Mess In Progress now) would be perfectly portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Oh, yes, I DID go there!

Suz: The hero for my current MIP is Shemar Moore. In fact the moment I thought of this hero, I knew Shemar was my inspiration. Love him on Criminal Minds and he can so bring Gabe Danville to life.

Anna: I’m battling with that at the moment. Normally, I have the hunk all picked out. This time, it’s more difficult. My heroine has been likened to Detective Beckett in ‘Castle’. I think I see my hero as kind of Eastern European in looks – like Viggo or Travis Fimmel from The Beast or one of my fave footie players – Nemanja Vidic.

Nancy Also a tough question for me, as I don't ordinarily do this. The hero of my WIP exists in my head, and I don't generally put anyone else's face onto him or onto the heroine. That actually interferes with my vision of the character since the face tends to bring with it the tendencies of the last character I saw that actor portray. However, for purposes of this one blog, I'd pick Christopher Reeve, who's closest in appearance, though not a twin by any means, to the hero I'm working on now.

Jo: Actually, I had my middle son in mind when I wrote Tucker Gage, the haunted Marshal in my historical suspense-thriller WEAK FLESH. Take a look at Tyler with his son Barett and you’ll see why!

KJ Clive Owen. He’s action-oriented, rugged, yet sensitive—and that accent! Do men like him really exist???

Joan: Well, my current WIP is a paranormal and Matt Bomer fits the bill nicely for my image of Ruarc. Mischievous, sensual and ……sigh...magical.

Cassondra: Hmmm. I’m writing in a new-to-me genre right now, and I guess Viggo would fit best, but he really doesn’t look completely like the hero. Nobody does. I don’t know who would look like the hero…he’s sort of a combination of Viggo’s scruffiness mixed with a young Harrison Ford mixed with Brendan Fraser mixed with a 30-year-old Jon Bon Jovi. But way more heroic than any of them. (grin) But I DID find a guy who looks like the hero of the second book in my romantic suspense series. Saulo Melo with about three days worth of beard and longer hair. Slurp.

Jeanne, blinked her eyes, back from the happy place she’d gone to thinking about heroes “Yes, I can see alllll of that. Hmmm. Okay, next question. I think I know the answer, but ya’ll always surprise me. What genre do you say you write, and if there's more than one, what are the others? What genre would you never want to write?”

Caren: Um...I write humorous contemporary romance and some women's fiction. I would love to write mysteries, but I don't think I'm clever enough. I could never, ever write my all-time favorites - Regency- and Victorian-set historical romance. Too much historical detail required!

Suz: I write several genres, American Historical, Western Historical Eroticas (The Surrender of Lacy Morgan has won two erotica contests), Contemporary, Romantic Suspense (both KIDNAPPED and HUNTED finaled in the Golden Heart). Lately I've been playing with a series about nurses and another book for a Contemporary Christmas Fantasy. I don't write Paranormals or YA books. Only because I don't think I could world build for fantasy that well.

Anna: I write contemporary category romance – Special Edition/Supers – like my two GH finalists ‘Love by Bequest’ and ‘Mortgaged Hearts’. I have written a contemporary single title – ‘Gay by Day’ – which did really well in contest, but sadly was a casualty of a changing marketplace and the demise of Queer Eye. I’d planned the second book, ‘Going Straight’ too, which would have been a lot of fun and involved one of my fave progs, Trick my Truck. I also write category romantic suspense/Intrigue and am keeping my fingers crossed for In Safe Hands, which is under editor review. My latest, Past, Imperfect, is more likely to be single title romantic suspense with a time travel element. I would never want to write Inspirationals or erotica, and I’d be uncomfortable with a dark paranormal. I’m unlikely to write anything Scottish or Irish I wish I could write romantic comedies – but I’m not funny!

Nancy: I write romantic suspense, historical and paranormal
romance, and genre fantasy. They're all heavy on boom of some kind or other, and I like action. If we're talking romance alone, I don't have the right mindset for inspirational. I wouldn't want to write literary fiction because it seems to me more focused on beautiful words and sentences and artistic structure than on plot and story and because the endings are so very often dismal. And I'd never want to write horror.
Again, not the right mindset! The current WIP skates the paranormal romance/urban fantasy line.

Jo: I write historical, romantic and mainstream suspense, I’m thinking of dabbling in young adult, and I’d never, EVER want to write sci-fi.

KJ: I write international thrillers. My father worked in telecommunications and I moved a lot while growing up and every country was a different adventure. The travel bug bit and I still love exploring new parts of the world. The combination of intrigue and exotic locales fires me up!

Joan: Historicals are my first love and yes, I bucked convention and dared to set them in Rome. I think there is a great amount of interest among readers for a variety of historical settings. My newest venture, and one that I’m very excited about is a paranormal series with yes, you guessed it, an Irish flavor. I don’t see me writing RS…boom scares me as do maniacal villains…and inspirational.


Cassondra: Until recently I’ve always written romantic suspense, which for me, actually tends more toward the thriller in some manuscripts. But last fall I plotted one historical that I’ve had percolating on the back burner for a long time. I’m now writing a futuristic series. I could absolutely not write romantic comedy because I’m just not funny in that way. Nor could I write inspirational because I can’t keep my characters from doing the nightly naked two-step before the end of the manuscript. I’ve tried. They just won’t cooperate.

An evil grin creased Jeanne’s face.” Of all the research you've done for your writing, which research is most likely to get you in trouble with the FBI? (Or your mother?)”

Caren: I go down a lot of rabbit trails when researching. I was doing a lot of research on the war in Afghanistan and skirmishes the US Marines have had with terrorist combatants. I'm sure I'm on a bunch of watch lists now!

Suz: In my second Romantic Suspense book, HUNTED, I had a scene where the heroine has to know how to field strip a Glock, recognize a shotgun behind a door ambush for the hero and be capable of assembling bombs. Between the online research and my conversation with a local police officer, I'm pretty sure the local and federal law enforcement groups are watching me closely!

Anna: LOL – they’re probably watching me right now! I’m researching murder, poisons, forensics and security devices. I’ve previously researched hockey (up close and personal - oh yeah!), domestic violence and abuse, identity theft and fake identities. I had a lot of fun researching the New York Marble Cemeteries, which will feature in Past, Imperfect, using Google Earth.

Nancy The research most likely to get me into
trouble with the government would probably be the blogs I read on terrorism and the Google searches on various types of weaponry and explosives, but I try not to visit websites where the actual bad guys gather. My mom's dead, so I don't need to worry about her opinion, but I don't think she'd like the weaponry and terrorism research either. When I earned my yellow belt in karate, her response was, "Well, you be careful." So she might worry about these interests.

Jo: Oh, nothing I wrote would get me in trouble with my mother. She was as game for something quirky as anyone. The FBI, hmmm, I really want to stay clear of three-letter acronymic government organizations – IRS, FBI, CIA, DHS – those fellows can really make your life miserable, so I fly very low under the radar in my research.

KJ I wouldn’t be surprised if I have been red flagged for my intensive research on sniper rifles, the French Foreign Legion, and anything that goes boom—in another life, I would have loved to have been a spy!

Joan: Well, I have no idea what the FBI would think about it but my mother would be horrified to know I’ve, er….(sorry Mom) researched …um, stuff in the Kama Sutra. Hey! Just trying to get a er, grasp on things :-)

Cassondra: Hmmm. This is a tough one. All the government agencies have already looked up my fanny with a microscope a few times and I think they’ve determined that I’m not a threat. Except the IRS. I do not want their attention, so I behave myself and do regular sacrificial ceremonies in worship of my accountant.

I will say that I’ve recently begun trying to find out how to poison somebody and how much of a given drug it would take to commit suicide or kill someone, and I’m having trouble because I can’t get any pharmacists to cooperate with that, and I really do need to know this stuff. Honestly now. Look at me. Do I look the least bit untrustworthy?
I’ve interviewed everybody from the head of the regional drug task force to the doc in charge of a drug rehab to the FBI’s expert on gangs and occult practices. I sleep with my own resource for weapons, explosives, and black ops, so anybody who makes a list already knows me well. If I ever disappear, y’all send help. And three or four good lawyers.

“Banditas,” Jeanne said, draining her third mimosa, “It’s got to happen soon! You’ve got great stories, industry smarts and the drive to get it done. Not to mention the considerable support of the rest of the Bandits and the BB’s!”

“Thanks, Duchesse!” Joanie said, Googling Irish male models. “Now, we gotta get back to work.”

“Right,” replied Jeanne, weaving out of the room.

A loud boom sounded as she closed the door. “Shite, will ye get that blathering mess out of here!” Shouted an Irish accented voice. Another yelled “Rabbit! Somebody catch that rabbit!”

Jeanne smiled. Man, she couldn’t wait for these books to come out!

What about you? What questions would you like to ask the AYU Banditas? About their work, their stories?

Dream Big--It Could Come True

By KJ Howe

I'm a big believer in having dreams...and in dreaming big! Sometimes, when we least expect it, our dreams come true in the best way possible. Today is a perfect example of a writer's dream come true. Our guest today is my fellow 2009 Golden Heart Finalist, Darynda Jones, who has just signed a three-book with St. Martin's! I'll let Darynda take it from here:

Thank you so much for inviting me, KJ, and everyone at Romance Bandits!

This has been such a surreal experience, and I've had many people tell me it’s also been inspirational for them. I’m so glad, because I never thought of myself as being an inspiration.

Just finaling in the Golden Heart garnered so much attention, I was able to get eight agents offer representation on my manuscript First Grave on the Right, at which time I learned is actually more urban fantasy than paranormal romance.

Private investigator Harley Davidson was born with three things: a smoking hot ass; a healthy respect for the male anatomy; and the rather odd job title of grim reaper. Since the age of five, she has been helping the departed solve the mysteries of their deaths so they can cross. Thus, when three lawyers from the same law firm are murdered, they come to her to find their killer. In the meantime, she's dealing with a being more powerful, and definitely sexier, than any specter she's ever come across. With the help of a pain-in-the-ass skip tracer, a dead pubescent gangbanger named Angel, and a lifetime supply of sarcasm, Harley sets out to solve the highest profile case of the year and discovers that dodging bullets isn’t nearly as dangerous as falling in love.

I had some seriously fantastic agents suddenly knocking on my door and found the decision one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make.

Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep that week.

But when I spoke on the phone with Alexandra Machinist of the Linda Chester Literary Agency, I felt a real connection with her. We got to meet at the RWA National Conference in DC and sadly, my very first words to her were, "You're so tiny and cute." Yeah. Not one of my better social moments.

Winning the Golden Heart helped too. Within days, we had several requests. And about a week after Alexandra submitted First Grave, we had our first offer from Jennifer Enderlin of St. Martin's Press for a three-book deal.

It was so much more than either of us was expecting, Alexandra called me and asked if I was sitting down. I admit it. I started crying. Then I slipped into a state of shock which I stayed in for quite some time. My husband freaked out too. It was funny.

I had meetings all that first day and I could barely sit through them. It was quite torturous really. And don’t even ask how I slept that night! By the next morning we had a couple more offers, and just before it went to auction, Jennifer swept in with an amazing preempt we couldn't turn down. We both wanted Jennifer (the woman defines bestseller), so we were on cloud nine. Or possibly ten. I can’t be positive at this point.

Jennifer called me that afternoon so we could meet "voice to voice". She was so wonderful and I am thrilled to be working with her. Like, over-the-moon thrilled.

Both Alexandra and Jennifer have such sparkling personalities, I'm fairly certain I hit the agent/editor jackpot. I now have about seven months to finish the next one in the series and six months after that to finish the third. The plan thus far is to release them two months apart from each other, starting in January 2011.

At this point, I’m about 78% positive I’ve entered the Twilight Zone. I never imagined I would get such a fabulous agent, editor, or deal. This is truly a fairy tale come to life. Any other stories about "The Call" out there? I simply love hearing them.

Again, thank you so much to Romance Bandits for inviting me. I will be in and out all day today (darned day job), but I will answer any questions as timely as possible. I look forward to hearing from everyone!

KJ: Thanks, Darynda, for sharing your incredible story...it truly is inspirational that all those hours sitting behind your computer do pay off. Congrats to you for making it to the twilight zone. I can't wait to read your tales.

Darynda Jones recently won a 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance for her manuscript First Grave on the Right, which just sold in a three-book deal to Jennifer Enderlin at St. Martin’s Press. Though she can’t remember a time when she wasn’t putting pen to paper, she has been writing toward publication for seven years and has three complete manuscripts—and many, many partials—under her belt.

She graduated Summa cum Laude from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor's in Sign Language Interpreting and works as a full-time interpreter during the day and a college instructor at night. Despite her hectic work schedule, the tales in her mind will not be tamed, so she writes every spare moment she can find. She lives in a small town in New Mexico with her husband of 26 years and two beautiful sons, otherwise known as the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. Visit Darynda at www.daryndajones.com. She'd love to hear from you.

Gabi Stevens Climbing Mt. Everest

by KJ Howe

The publishing industry is a challenging one during the best of times. In this economy, finding a home for our books might parallel climbing Mt. Everest--a true test of nerves, an endurance event including the risk of life and limb, and a feat to truly admire. Today I'd like to welcome someone who has recently reached the summit! A warm welcome to Gabi Stevens who will tell her tale on the rocky path to publication:

Three weeks ago, my new agent sold my new paranormal series, Time of Transition, to Tor. The first book, THE WISH LIST, is due on bookshelves May 2010. I'd had publishing success in the past, but my career stalled when an editor left my publishing house. Despite having an agent, despite contest wins, good reviews, and a burning desire to succeed, my writing career was going nowhere. And then, as an added insult, I had to get a day job to pay tuitions for twins (yes, I know I was lucky before). When the first two years passed without any nibbles, I thought it was a fluke, but as the drought continued, it became harder and harder to keep going, to keep writing, not to quit. I started doubting my abilities, believing that I didn't have what it takes, that I'd never have another book published. I tried switching genres, switching critique groups, and going through many, many months of utter despair. So why didn't I quit? Here are...

The Top Ten Reasons I am Still in the Game:

10. I already owned the equipment — Computer...check; research books…check; paper...check. Are you kidding? I buy my paper by the case at my favorite office superstore.

9. The lovely fellow writers I have gotten to know over the years — They are a support group. They wouldn’t let me quit. They "get" me.

8. I couldn't turn off the voices in my head — If you're a writer, you know what I mean. Too many characters were demanding life, and every time I considered leaving them behind, they'd protest.

7. Nothing feels as good as typing "The End" — It’s a sense of accomplishment when you've finished a novel. And now I have three completed novels and three proposals that I can regale my agent with.

6. Time means nothing — Time exists, but the way we measure it is arbitrary. Why do we have a twenty-four hour day with sixty minute hours made up of sixty second minutes (I know, I know, the Babylonians)? I read a book once where the calendar was kept with a deck of cards. (Think about it: fifty-two weeks in a year, fifty-two cards in a deck; four suits times thirteen cards equals fifty two, and you have jokers for leap years.) And age is just a number. In my head I will forever be twenty. Only wiser than when I was actually twenty.

5. The importance of teaching my children that having a dream and pursuing it is (almost) as important as succeeding.

4. It's just cool to say you're a writer — the Muggle world...I mean the non-writing world...doesn’t "get" it anyway, but they're impressed.

3. I needed an excuse to keep my book buying habits — I read a lot. Too much. No, really. When I run out of books, I read my husband's robotics journals. I don't understand them, but I read them. I have no TBR pile. Actually I do right now, but it's only three books. Check back in a week.

2. I enjoy it — Yes, writing is hard, yes, it can be frustrating, but I like to play with language and words. I like looking up grammar rules and definitions. Diagramming sentences should be required for all students. It's fun.

And the number one reason I haven’t quit…

1. Embarrassment.

Yup. My prime motivator was not being able to face my family and friends. I couldn't tell them I failed. I try not to care about what others think about me, but this was different. I couldn't quit because I felt I made a liar of myself and disappointed those who believed in me. I wanted to be able to hold my head up, and I couldn’t have done that if I had quit. (Hey, this is about my reasons for not quitting.)

Wiser men than I have written about persistence, so I leave you with these words from Isaac Asimov: If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success—but only if you persist.

--Gabi

Thanks for sharing your story, Gabi. Your perseverence is inspiring and I can't wait to read your novels! If you're a writer, what are you willing to sacrifice to make your dreams come true? If you're a reader, do you like hearing "CALL" stories about your favorite authors? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Gabi Stevens was born in California to Hungarian parents. They never understood how she could make up stories and entertain herself for hours at a time. She must not have understood that she was a storyteller either because she waited until her twins turned one and she feared her brain was turning into mush to write her first book.

An award winning author, Gabi now lives and writes in New Mexico where she lives with her robotics engineer husband, three daughters, and a neurotic dog. She loves to play games, has a wicked addiction to reading, and avoids housework and cooking whenever she can. She is the author of a new paranormal series, The Time of Transition, from Tor. The first book, The Wish List, appears in stores May 2010. You can follow her blog at http://www.gabistevens.blogspot.com/.

A special congrats to Bandita Donna MacMeans who is going to be up on stage tonight at the RT conference in Orlando accepting a special award. We're cheering you on, Donna! KJ

SURVIVOR—Who’s left on the American Title island?

by KJ Howe

Reality television has infiltrated the literary world with the American Title competition—talented writers vie with each other to impress fans with excerpts from their novels and the author with the most votes conquers the literary island! Our very own Bandita, Trish Milburn, has made the top two with her paranormal romance, Out of Sight. Please visit http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php to vote or click on the American Title on the sidebar. Trish has had an unbelievable year, selling a traditional romance to Harlequin American and a Young Adult novel to Razorbill (Penguin). You may ask, “Who is this masked Bandita and how is she swashbuckling through the romance industry?” Let’s get Trish to answer a few of your questions!

KJ: First of all, congrats on making the top two of American Title. Your writing has obviously stood out as judges and voters alike are raving about your work. What do you like best about your hero and heroine in Out of Sight? And—give us the low-down on their faults. After all, the more interesting the faults, the more tantalizing the characters!

TM: Jenna, my heroine, has a special place in my heart because she’s tough and insists on being herself even when it might be easier to not be. Because of her special ability – she can make herself invisible – she’s recruited to work for a secret government agency. The catch? She doesn’t have a choice. If she doesn’t comply, her worst fears of becoming a government lab rat might come true. But she’s not going to just play Miss Meek Mouse. She balks on occasion, dictating her own terms even when the hero, Daniel, who is an agent for the secret agency, thinks she’s lost it and pushed his superiors too far. And even when she’s quaking inside despite her outward appearance. I guess this reason I admire her might also be seen as a fault because she finds it near impossible to trust anyone who works for the federal government, even when that person (like Daniel) might be on her side. Her distrust stems from the fact that her father once worked for the government in covert ops, but after he went missing the government refused to admit he’d ever worked for them.

As for Daniel, he’s sexy, is a fun mixture of serious about his job and a teasing smart aleck. He’s the perfect match for Jenna, even though she’d rather eat live worms than admit it. Perhaps his biggest fault is not questioning the why behind his own ability and the agency’s mission more.

KJ: You wrote 17 manuscripts and finaled 8 times in the Golden Heart (winning twice!) before selling. During that time, what is the most important lesson you’ve learned about the publishing industry?

TM: That you just have to keep at it. Perseverance is key to achieving that dream of publishing. After so many years of going to workshops, reading craft books, learning about the industry, and trying to improve my work with each new manuscript and each set of revisions, it was hard to keep going after so many “no, thank you” rejections. But we’ve probably all thought about quitting at some point. The thing is to not allow yourself to act on that thought if you really, really want to see your books on store shelves. It’s like athletes who fight through pain and injury for their one chance at the Olympics. Eventually, you will find the right editor at the right time with the right project.

KJ: Given that you write Young Adult, Traditional Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Romantic Suspense, what rituals do you have before sitting down to write to get those different voices down? Do you listen to different music, dress in unique clothes? Please give us the scoop.

TM: Honestly, I tend to watch TV shows or movies in the same genre to get the mood and feel. I have always loved TV and movies; I connect with them and the stories they present. They seep into my subconscious and put me in the right mood. For instance, if I’m getting ready to write YA, I’ll watch shows like Gossip Girl or Smallville or movies like 10 Things I Hate About You or The Prince and Me. That gets me to thinking “teen.” Same thing for the other sub-genres.

KJ: A Firefighter in the Family will be coming out September 2008. Your first Harlequin American. What is it about this line that appeals to you?

TM: I enjoy so many different sub-genres of romance that mix in other elements with the romance, but it’s nice to have a place to present stories that are just pure romance. A Firefighter in the Family has a bit of a mystery going on, but it’s dialed way back from some of my grittier romantic suspense manuscripts. Nobody is finding dead bodies in the woods. :-)

KJ: Adventure is as passion of mine as is nature—and you have combined those two in your YA novel Heartbreak River that comes out in Spring 2009. Can you tell us a little about your rafting experiences? I had the opportunity to raft in Pennsylvania and can’t wait to tackle it again!

TM: LOL! This is where my ability to research comes in rather than real-world experience. In reality, I’d be scared to death of getting in a raft and getting anywhere near whitewater. That’s actually good because I tapped into that fear for part of the story. Part of my fear comes from the fact that I can’t swim (Trish’s embarrassing admission of the day); part comes from the fact that I’m just a wienie. That’s why I like to write about tough gals who can take on anything physically. They can do things that I doubt I ever will. But while my idea of adventure is driving cross-country by myself (I have no problem doing that), I do love nature and being outdoors. Actually, I have this dream of through-hiking the Appalachian Trail, but that is not my dear hubby’s idea of a good time. :-) Heartbreak River is set in Colorado, and I drew inspiration during the writing of the book by simply looking out the window of the Amtrak train I was taking from my home in Tennessee to California. It was so cool to write about the river and rafting as the train meandered along the Colorado River.

KJ: I heard y’all from Nashville, the site for RWA’s National conference for 2010. Planning ahead is always fun. Can you give us a list of must-see sights when we venture into the land of country music?

TM: Of course, if you like country music, the Grand Ole Opry is a must-attend show, and it’s conveniently located next door to the Opryland Hotel where the conference is being held. You can also do one of those bus tours where they take you around to see the country music stars’ homes. A few years ago, they opened up the brand new Country Music Hall of Fame downtown, which replaced an older museum that was on Music Row, which is where a lot of the country music-related businesses are based.

For me, however, I love the historic homes and buildings in Nashville. Belle Meade is a plantation which has a thoroughbred horse raising history. Kentucky Derby winners such as Secretariat and Barbarro have bloodlines stretching back to when Belle Meade was active in the horse business. Historic Carnton Plantation was used as a field hospital during the bloody Battle of Franklin during the Civil War. One of my favorite places here is The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson. A truly unique place to visit in Nashville is The Parthenon, the centerpiece of our Centennial Park. It is the only reproduction of Greece’s Parthenon in the world. Built in 1897 for the state’s Centennial Exposition, The Parthenon also houses a 42-foot statue of Athena and a city art museum. There’s a lot more to see, so you might want to take time to visit the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau site before arriving in Music City USA.

KJ: Thanks for joining us today, Trish, and best of luck in the finals of American Title. If you would like to learn more about our intrepid finalist, visit http://www.trishmilburn.com/ where you will have a chance to win free books!

TM: Thanks, KJ! It was a fun interview. And thanks for all the support given to me by my fellow Banditas and all of you fabulous people out there in Banditaland. :-)

STOP, POLICE! James O. Born handcuffs mistakes in fiction

by KJ Howe

KJ Howe welcomes talented author and police expert, James O. Born who talks about common mistakes in fiction. If you have any questions for James, please fire away. He'll do his best to answer.

I am of fan of books and authors. No matter the genre, no matter the subject, I can usually find something I appreciate and enjoy in every area. I happen to write novels in the area of crime. We like to call it “Crime Fiction” as opposed to “Mystery”. No real reason other than I like to explain that my books tell more about how crimes are solved rather than guessing who did it. I’d prefer to write fantasy like the story of a middle-aged, slightly over-weight cop that women find irresistible. Regrettably that would be the genre of science fiction.

My career before writing, as a U.S. drug agent and state police officer, has given me an insight into realism in crime stories. Let me stress right now that good story-telling and writing are far more important than realistic tactics and situations. That being said, there are some common mistakes that frustrate military and law enforcement people. These are easily correctable story bumps that wouldn’t effect the plot or characters.

The most obvious mistake to me is when a cop “racks” the slide of his or her automatic pistol before they enter a room. That action, when an officer grasps the top of an automatic pistol and pulls back the slide, means the pistol did not have a bullet in the chamber and was useless. That would indicate the cop is an idiot and should be fired on the spot. It looks good in movies but it is the mark of the clueless.

Another common mistake is a writer putting a safety on a revolver. “He fumbled with the safety allowing the killer to knock it from his hands.” Some bull like that appears in a number of detective novels and movies. Modern revolvers do not have safety levers on them. Revolvers generally carry six rounds of ammo (the exception being compact five-shot “back-up” revolvers). Revolvers are reliable, usually slightly more bulky than a comparable automatic pistol and quickly fading form the professional law-enforcement ranks. When I graduated from the DEA academy, I was issued a Smith & Wesson model 13 revolver. I doubt if most recruits in the academy today have even seen a Smith & Wesson model 13.



Guns don’t go off when dropped on the ground. There may be the fluke or freak of physics that causes an accidental discharge (that sounds vaguely sexual) but in the real world the gun going off, causing a distraction, is about as likely as Andy Dick making a funny movie.

It is very difficult to race the ownership of a handgun if it has been bought and sold a couple of times. Books and movies make it seem like the ATF or FBI can go to a random computer and call up everyone who has ever had contact with a handgun. In real life it would take a determined cop to search forms then conduct any number of interviews, relying on people to tell the truth and hoping that the weapon had never been stolen, to get an idea who had own a gun prior to a crime.

Now these are just a few of the gun related items that come to mind. K.J. Howe is a nut for research and getting things right in her novels. That was one of the reasons I knew I couldn’t say no when she asked if I could contribute to the blog. Don’t think I’m a gun nut or won’t read a book that’s not 100% accurate in realistic details. I like creativity and good characters. I read for plot and emotion. But one thing I’ve learned; if you put in some tidbit that’s not accurate one of your faithful readers will definitely let you know.

If you haven't had a chance to read James O. Born, his latest release FIELD OF FIRE is available today and his next novel featuring ATF agent Alex Duarte, BURN ZONE, is coming in Feb 08. Visit James at www.jamesoborn.com or at the Naked Authors blog on Thursdays where Jim reveals all his secrets! Jim is an entertaining speaker who shoots straight from the hip!

Jim, thanks for joining us today!