Lil' Orphant Annie Remembered

by Caren Crane

A few months back, I was doing research on the internet and some random bit of text reminded me of a poem my father used to read to us when my siblings and I were little. After trying to recall snippets and doing a number of Google searches, I tracked it down: "Lil' Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley. The poem existed long before the cartoon of a similar name (and the cartoon bore no relation to it whatsoever).

Riley was a farm boy and a Hoosier (that's someone from Indiana for those of you outside the USA). He has been called the "people's poet laureate." One thing that impressed me about this poem (and others by Riley) was the country dialect Riley used, which my father recited as if it were written for him. Another was that it was slightly dark and creepy. The refrain was:

"An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!"

When I found the text of the poem on the internet (which is all in the public domain, by the way), I noticed there was a dedication. I believe my father read this sometimes, but hadn't recalled it before I saw it:

"INSCRIBED
WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION
To all the little children: - The happy ones; and sad ones;
The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;
The good ones - Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely
bad ones."

That last part made me laugh. We were a rowdy bunch of kids, my siblings and I. I think my father enjoyed us being "the lovely bad ones" at times. My father has been dead for 13 years now and was gone from our lives for many years before he died. My father was not a great man, but he had a wonderful, resonant voice and a marvelous talent for storytelling. I will always remember this poem and the other poems and stories he took time to bring alive for us.

My father gave us the gift of his animated storytelling. I tried to create a similar experience for my own children. My fond hope is that they will pass it along to their own children when they have them. I also hope to give my own stories to the world someday - but that depends on some extra smart editor. *g*

What about you? Is there a special poem, book or story that recalls your childhood? One you heard each night or on special occasions? One that brings memories back on a wave of rhyming couplets? Please share!

Inspiration Under the Golden Arches

posted by Aunty Cindy

Very often, readers and new writers ask those of us who have circled the block a few times and have the completed manuscripts to show for it: Where do you get your ideas?

My usual answer is EVERYWHERE! However, since that might not be terribly helpful to those who seriously do want to know, here's an example of how story ideas can indeed be found EVERYWHERE.

A few days ago while I was out running errands, I stopped in at the lovely Golden Arches for a quick lunch. As I prepared to dunk my first McNugget into my chosen sauce, the lady at the table across from me came over and asked, "Are you going to be here long?"

"As long as it takes me to finish my lunch," I replied. (Obviously I exceed the size limit for the plastic tubes and paraphernalia in the "play yard.")

"Can you please keep an eye on my granddaughter while I use the restroom?" the lady asked, indicating a little girl of about four, who was busily munching a french fry.

I said I would and consumed my own fries and McNuggets while the child swung her legs and kept eating for the entire five minutes her grandmother was gone. However, once I finished and left the place, I was struck by how many possible story ideas presented themselves in my little scenario.

1. The grandmother doesn't return.
2. The grandmother returns only to find me and her granddaughter are (as in the succinct title of the DVD I recently watched) Gone Baby Gone.
3. The grandmother returns and accuses me of abusing the child.
4. While the grandmother is gone, the child shows me her bruises and asks me to protect her from grandma.

I think you get my drift, and I didn't even mention the hunky EMT drinking coffee at a nearby table, nor the homeless man hitting up people for change in the parking lot.

Now you know what I mean when I say ideas are EVERYWHERE, even at your local fast food joint! Who knows, maybe even Dennis Lehane (who wrote the original novel Gone Baby Gone) got ideas under the Golden Arches! Okay, maybe not.

Have you ever found inspiration in an unusual way or place? What about a fast food experience you'd like to share? And be sure to check in on Sunday when we have a Peep Hunt in the Lair (Easter eggs can be so icky if you don't find them all!)

Be Careful What You Wish For

by Beth Andrews

Friday, after lugging in approximately 263 bags of groceries (Seriously. Those of you with teenagers in your home--or if you've ever had teenagers in your home--can feel my pain, can't you?) my daughter told me that while we were gone, Harlequin had called (the joys of caller ID *g*) I'd sent in two proposals just over two weeks ago so I wasn't really expecting my editor to call about them until the end of March or so. Plenty of time, I figured, to get a head start on the first story, just in case my editor wanted to buy it.

When my daughter played the message on the answering machine and we heard my lovely editor tell me she wanted to buy both proposals (she's so great - she was worried I wouldn't get the message in time to call her back and didn't want me to wonder all weekend what she'd wanted *g*) we both screamed and jumped up and down basically gave my husband a heart attack when he struggled through the door with the last of the groceries *g*
I sold two more books! I'm (almost) a multi-published author! My dream of having two stories under contract and writing to a deadline has come true!

What the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks am I supposed to do now??


Now, don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely thrilled to have sold again. And I'm already a good ways into this story and I love the premise and the characters, but every once in a while that annoying voice inside my head whispers, "You can't do it"

I hate that stupid voice.

Good thing I gave up doubt for Lent or else I might be tempted to listen to that voice instead of shoving it out of my head and into the path of a herd of stampeding elephants *g*

So while I'm a bit nervous about writing to an honest to goodness deadline for the first time, I'm also excited for the chance to prove my professionalism and my creativity. I don't want to just meet this deadline...I want to beat it (as the awesome Tawny always tells me *g*)

And I will meet/beat it by sitting at this keyboard each day and writing my best story--one page at a time :-)

Yep, I wanted this bunch of bananas, but unlike this poor little guy, I'm not going to let my wishes squash me ;-)

What about you? Have you ever wished and wished for something only to get it and suddenly decide you didn't want it? Or maybe it wasn't as great as you thought it'd be? What did you do?

And be sure to check back this Sunday to take part in our Easter Peep Hunt! There'll be plenty of fun and prizes for everyone so don't miss it!

ps - no monkeys (real or stuffed) were injured in the making of this blog.

The Life and Times of Sherry Thomas--An Author Interview

posted by Christine Wells

A good friend of mine, Joanne Lockyer, lent me the advance reading copy of Sherry Thomas's Private Arrangements, which Joanne picked up in Dallas last year. I read it, loved it and immediately asked Sherry to visit the lair. Now, Sherry is the best type of guest, because she's done all the work! Here is Sherry's interview...of herself. Let's give her a big bandita welcome!

Q: You don’t look like a Sherry Thomas.
A: Funny, isn’t it?

Q: So Sherry Thomas is your pen name?
A: And mostly my real name. I’ve been Sherry ever since the moment it was decided that I would come to live in the United States. My mom calls me Sherry. My husband calls me Sherry. Thomas is my married name. I’m Mrs. Thomas at my children’s school.
Q: So you weren’t born in the U.S.
A: No, I was born in the lovely coastal city of Qingdao, of Tsingtao beer fame, in China. And I lived there until I was thirteen. That year my grandmother, with whom I’d been living, passed away. My mother, who was a graduate student in the States at the time, brought my grandfather and me here to look after us. And I’ve lived in either Louisiana or Texas ever since, except for a year as an exchange student in France.

Q: I’ve had a look at your excerpt. I couldn’t tell at all that you weren’t a native speaker.
A: Thank you. Once I saw I had no choice but to learn English, I did.

Q: How did you come to write historical romances set in the Edwardian era?
A: You mean, having being born Chinese and all? How did a very prim and proper professor of English decide to write about hobbits and rings of power?

What an answer, eh, comparing myself to Professor Tolkien. Seriously, what happened was that I learned English reading historical romances. During summers, I used to loiter in the university bookstore and check out the—mostly historical—romance books one by one. I knew what dukes and marquesses were long before I knew what “modern” terms like “t&a” meant. So it is natural for me to write what I’m most familiar with and what I love to read.

As for the Edwardian era, I find it to be a fascinating time, and an interesting parallel to our current era. The British Empire was the most powerful force on earth, much as the U.S. is today. Technological advances were coming so fast you could scarcely keep pace. The world was changing rapidly. There was trouble in lots of places in the world, but England itself was at peace and prospering. It was the kind of time and place where it was possible for a significant portion of the population to lead secure, stable lives. That a generation later Europe would turn upside down gives La Belle Epoque, in retrospect, a certain poignancy.

Q: Now this might be a weird question. How come you don’t write the kind of books Amy Tan does?
A: Because I didn’t have a hard enough childhood? (Laughs) Amy Tan is a wonderful writer, and I’m glad she has written some marvelous book on the Chinese American experience. But I’ve never been a big consumer of experience-based novels, so I can’t write them either. I prefer imagination-based fiction.

Q: Is that what you consider romances?
A: Exactly. And the miraculous thing is, the most imagination-based fiction can turn out to be the most inspiring. When I think of poor Frodo struggling up Mount Doom, tears still well up in my eyes. And so it is with romances. Some of the most illuminating and profoundly moving moments I’ve lived through have come from reading romances. Because learning to love another person is one of the most deep-reaching, surprising, and sublime of human experiences. And because the genre boasts some of the best writers working today.

Q: Tell us a bit about your debut book, Private Arrangements, which has received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, a 4½-star review from RT, and a Desert Isle Keeper review from All About Romance.
A: (Cackles in secret delight; it certainly pays to write your own interview questions.) Do you have a couch I can jump on to tell you how much I love this book? No? Darn. Well, it is a rather unusual book, from the turn-of-the-century setting, to the storyline—girl loses boy big time thanks to her own devious machinations. As the story opens, they’ve led separate lives for ten years. She wants to divorce him to marry a lovely younger man, and he demands that she gives him a heir before he’ll grant her a divorce. Which leads to lots of mandatory sex. Woot!

Q: Mandatory sex is always good. And what about your sophomore book--Delicious, due out in August--does it contain mandatory sex too?
A: Alas, no. Which was why Delicious took forever to write and required 3.5 complete drafts before my editor would accept it. But it does contain buckets of voluntary sex, how’s that?

Q: Good enough for us. Tell us, what’s next for you, after two semi back-to-back releases in 2008?
A: Currently I’m taking a tiny sabbatical from historical romance to write a short, contemporary, angst-free romp. But once my next contract is finalized it’s back to historicals, though I do hope to break into science-fiction romances, too. And if I ever find time, I’ll fix my big historical fiction, a martial-arts action adventure with strong romantic elements, an homage to all the Chinese martial arts epics I devoured growing up. I call it Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon meets The Forsyte Saga.

Q: Sounds intriguing. Best of luck with all your future endeavors.
A: Thank you. And thank you for having me. It’s an honor to be breathing the same cyber-air as the Romance Bandits. Hope I didn’t stink up the joint too much. J

Aw, shucks, ma'am! We love having you here. Actually, Sherry, we do have a couch in the lair--made from the tanned hides of aged cabana boys *g* and we'd love you to grab yourself a cup of coffee or your beverage of choice, take a seat and chat with us about your books. Or there's a blue brocade chaise longue in the corner if you'd prefer...

And now I have a question for readers--in Private Arrangements, the heroine Gigi forms a scheme to win Cam and it backfires in a major way. Has that ever happened to you? What's the most outrageous thing you've done to win someone's heart?

Want to be a NYT Bestseller?

KJ Howe welcomes Maria V. Snyder, who just debuted on the NYT List at number 34 with her latest novel, FIRE STUDY.

I had the pleasure of meeting Maria when we were both completing our Master's in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania. Maria's career has really taken off. Her unique stories and powerful voice have created quite the fan base. Maria has kindly agreed to join us today to talk about the road to the NYT List dream.

Maria V. Snyder:

First off, I would like to thank the Banditas for letting me be their guest blogger today. Thank You!

Today I’d like to talk about reaching milestones. I’ve had some recent news – the kind that, for a writer is considered a major milestone. My latest book, Fire Study has reached the New York Times Paperback Best Sellers List! Yay! (My dh and kids brought me flowers and we celebrated by dancing around the living room. After that, I finished washing the dishes and started the laundry – such is the glamorous life ;>) And Fire Study has managed to stay on The List for another week, creeping up two places to be #32 for this week. Go Fire Study!

This is a big – no a huge deal in the publishing world. Publishers sell books – it is what they do and anything that helps them sell more is all good. For a writer – it’s a gigantic step forward in a writer’s career – or to stay on topic – a milestone.

How did I reach this milestone? I believe it was a combination of three factors. One part luck, one part editing and marketing savvy on my publisher’s end, and one part hard work on my end.

I have no control over luck – it’s a matter of the right readers picking up the books, buying them, and talking about them. I have no control over the publisher, either. J Harlequin decided to switch my Study books from their LUNA line to MIRA, change the cover art and format (from hardcover to trade size paperback), and re-release them, causing a 17 month gap between new books. When Fire Study finally was released as a trade paperback, many of my loyal readers were unhappy about not having a hardcover. But I had gained a bunch of new readers with the MIRA books, and with the cheaper paperback book, it eliminated the delay from some readers who would wait to purchase a copy until the book is in paperback. Obviously this worked well for sales – when you add in mailing out ARCs, and ads in a few choice spots, their efforts helped propel the book onto The List.

What I did have control over is the writing and promotion on my end. Writing a book that readers enjoy is fundamental to this whole enterprise, but there are plenty of books out there that are well written and enjoyable – so why aren’t they on The List, too?

Here’s where the hard work in promotion come in. I’m actively engaged with my readers. I answer every single email myself because I enjoy it. It’s a great way to connect with readers, and to market and promote my books. I usually add links to my other short stories and to my website and newsletter registration form. Sometimes the emails are from librarians and book store employees - then I offered to send bookmarks and signed labels to them - and discussion questions for the library's reading groups.

I’m on MySpace (I have a whole essay on how Myspace is a wonderful marketing and free resource for writers on December 4th 2007 on my Sfnovelists blog - http://www.sfnovelists.com/), and I have lots of “extras” on my website besides the typical “about me” and “about the book” sections. I have free writing tips, short stories, and run a number of contests to win signed books and other stuff.

I do as many book signings as possible. Even if only a few people show up for me, this is an excellent way to talk to the booksellers in person about my books. I tell them what the books are about, and who they can recommend the books to. I also will stop at bookstores and sign the books on the shelves (called signing stock) where ever I go, and talk to the employees about the books.

I have a monthly email newsletter that I send out every month. Basically, I include news about the books and my schedule, but I always include something fun. The fun stuff has been interviews with other authors, deleted scenes from my books, humorous pieces on the writing life, and short stories. Currently I’m sending out a short story in eight chapters/installments – one each month just for my newsletter subscribers. I think the short story and the newsletter have helped keep my readers interested in my Study world while they waited the 17 months between books.

I don’t say NO. Besides book signings, I’ve gone to conventions, spoken at book discussion groups, presented workshops for writers’ groups, done readings, had a phone chat with a high school book group over lunch, participated in live on-line chats, taught writing classes for the local college, presented talks at schools, done radio interviews, answered plenty of questions from readers who want to blog about me and my books, and answered students in school, doing book reports and writing articles in their school newspapers. Whew – I’m tired!

It is a ton of work and I’ve had to give up a few things (sleep, social life, and going to movies to name a few J) in order to dedicate more time to promotion. But it’s also fun – I truly enjoy talking to groups, and conventions are the only time I can catch up with my writing friends ;>
And I have an excuse not to clean the house – a true bonus!

Reaching a milestone has been very rewarding, but it doesn’t mean I can relax. Oh no – there is another milestone waiting in the distance. If I work hard enough, one of my books just might reach the #1 spot on The List – it might not – but it won’t be for lack of trying.

KJ: Maria, thanks for sharing your road to success. I know this is just the start of a long, very successful career! If anyone wants to connect with Maria, the links are below.

Links:

Maria’s website: http://www.mariavsnyder.com/
Maria’s MySpace page: www.myspace.com/mariavsnyderMaria’s MySpace Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/mariavsnyder

New York Times Best Sellers List for 3/16/08: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/books/bestseller/0316bestpapertradefiction.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
New York Times Best Sellers List for 3/23/08: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/books/bestseller/0323bestpapertradefiction.html

Booty-lishus!!

We have a winner!! This is from my blog a full week ago on Saturday. (Yes, I'm late, sorry. The mind is slipping.) Anyway ... I blogged all about books, and the winner chosen at random of a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate is ...

KIM!!!

Kim, write me at katecarlisle99@yahoo.com, leave me your email address and I'll send you the certificate. It's simple as that!

Congratulations, Kim!!!

And the WINNAH Is...

by Caren Crane

The random number generator has randomly chosen a winner from my blog about Dominic Monaghan and his CRAZY obsession with the plate-sized, bird-eating Hercules Baboon Spider.

Our winner, known for her obsession with books and chocolates, hails from West Virginia and works for a certain ginormous, globe-spanning retailer which shall remain nameless. Give it up for...DIANNA!!

Congratulations, Dianna! Drop me a line at carencrane AT gmail DOT com and give me the 411 on your e-mail addy. I will send your $15 Amazon gift card right to your e-mail box. Woo hoo! Thanks for commenting, everyone, and sharing your very HEALTHY obsessions!

Luck of the Irish

by Christie Kelley

I guess this is my lucky day. The Irish girl gets to write about St. Patrick’s Day. So as I sit here wearing my wool sweater hand-knitted in Ireland (and bought there too), I thought I’d give you a little history lesson.

St. Patrick’s Day is actually a Catholic feast day, celebrating Patrick’s death in the fifth century. Yeah, Catholics like to celebrate death and the Irish in particular. St. Patrick’s Day almost always falls during the Lenten Season, but the Catholics were given permission to eat meat on that day. So the people would go to mass in the morning and then celebrate with a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

Why a shamrock? The shamrock slowly became the symbol of Ireland as it originally stood for a symbol of spring. Then as the British started to ban the Catholic religion and Irish language, people started to wear a shamrock to show their pride in their homeland.

Snakes in Ireland? Well, no. The idea that St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland really is just a metaphor for him banishing the pagan religions. Within two centuries of his death, Ireland was Christianized. There never really were snakes in Ireland. Lucky them!

So how many of you knew that the first St. Paddy’s parade took place not in Ireland but in New York City?

And when?

March 17, 1762.

The question that plagued me during my quick internet research for this blog was simply: Why are the Irish considered to have such luck?

Whether you’re Irish or not, what’s the luckiest thing that ever happened to you? Anyone ever found a four leaf clover?

I leave you with an Irish blessing:

May you be blessed with

warmth in your home,

love in your heart,

peace in your soul

and joy in your life.

Giant Spiders and Other Obsessions

by Caren Crane

Fear not, dear Banditas and Bandmates, I am not obsessed with spiders. Nor are there any scary bug pictures in this post. Phew! BUT, I came across an article (while following a rabbit trail of research I no longer recall) stating that Dominic Monaghan is heading to Africa in search of the rare Hercules Baboon Spider. You may remember Dominic from the Lord Of the Rings movies and Lost.

Dominic, it turns out, is an avid insect and reptile collector. He is also, apparently, a young actor with way too much time and money on his hands. The Hercules Baboon Spider, which is approximately the size of a dinner plate, is quite rare and has not often been seen. One was found by a biologist in Nigeria in the early 1900s and is now on display at the Natural History Museum in London. That was the last verified sighting. If Dominic finds one, he will earn a place in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Hm.

This made me quite curious about obsessions. Why this spider? Why now? It may be somehow related to his recent break-up with his Lost co-star Evangeline Lilly. Perhaps heartbreak has driven him to search for giant arachnids! Maybe it's simply an obsession he can't escape. The giant spider taunts him and haunts his dreams or something.



I will admit I obsess about things. Lots of things. I obsess about songs and play whatever is my current favorite over and over until it drives my family insane. I can get an obsession on like nobody's business! I drove 10 hours each way to see an indie rock band that I had seen several times before. I have foregone food, exercise and the company of loved ones because I didn't want to mess up my hair. I have searched for the past five years for the perfect black leather jacket - even searching Manhattan - to no avail.

So, I have a great deal of compassion and empathy for poor Dominic. That said, I am fairly certain I would never, under any circumstances feel compelled to beat the bushes in Africa looking for a giant spider. This spider, by the way, is a bird eater. Does Dominic really think his collection of insects and reptiles would be safe with this beast around? And really, is the mention in Guinness worth it? I'm unconvinced. But I bet you anything Dominic will let his obsession be his guide, whether it's good for him or not.

What about you? Have you ever obsessed for something (or someone) you knew was bad for you? If so, did you pursue it (or her/him) anyway? A lucky commenter will win a $15 Amazon gift card, so do tell!

My not-so-secret love affair

by Trish Milburn

I'm a happily married woman, have been for fifteen years. But I have to admit I'm harboring a great passion for another. Who is this object of my affections?

YouTube. Yes, that fabulously wonderful waster of time. If only they'd had high-speed Internet and YouTube when I was in high school. I could have fed all of my various celebrity crushes to my heart's content. Why do I like YouTube so much? I'm so glad you asked.

1. Fan Videos

When I find a TV show or movie I like, I tend to obsess about it. That's just my personality. I can remember yearning for each week's episode of The Young Riders when I was younger. If I'd had YouTube then, I could have watched endless fan videos during those long days between episodes. There are actually a lot of talented fan vidders out there, who can edit video and set it to songs that help tell the story and evoke emotions. Here are a couple of examples.

From one of my new favorites, the BBC's North & South mini-series:



The last 50 seconds of the video are very inspiring to me as a romance writer. This example also illustrates Reason No. 2, below. I really like the song "Ache" by James Carrington. It's a beautiful song and so fits this story.

Other times, the vidders use music from the actual production they're celebrating, as in this case for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The video is about Will and Elizabeth, and the vidder uses "One Day," their love theme.



Oh, and I just have to put in a Buffy & Angel example, just because. :)



And here's a cute one for Stardust, a movie I watched recently and really enjoyed. I think I'll cast Charlie Cox as a hero in a future book. Plus, I really like Lifehouse, the band singing the song, "Hanging By a Moment." They're a great band to listen to when you're writing romance.



2. Discovering New Music

I've discovered new bands and songs that I like through watching fan videos. One such band, now one of my favorites, is HIM, from Finland. I found them when their song, "Vampire Heart," accompanied a fan vid for the show Blood Ties. But one of my favorite songs and music videos by them is "Pretending." Plus, I think Ville Valo, the singer, isn't too hard on the eyes either. :)



3. Creativity

Sometimes vidders like to mix things up with fun results, like in this example of a trailer for Pride & Prejudice done Harry Potter style.



And this ode to the Justice League on Smallville set to music from Pirates of the Caribbean.



So, any other YouTube junkies out there? Or am I alone in my obsession?

Superstitious?

by Tawny Weber

Today is Friday the Fourteenth. Ahhh, yes, we just escaped that dreaded Friday the Thirteenth by one day. Whew. The only thing worse could have been the thirteenth, filled with black cats, spilled salt and ladders to walk under. Ack - total bad luck! Are you superstitious? My first response would be to say, no I'm not. I love Friday the Thirteenth. Its always been lucky for me (got a fab kiss from my crush one memorable 13th), I have three black cats and spill things all the time. Then I realized I actually AM superstitious. Just not with traditional superstitions.

For instance, I used a very special pen to sign my first Harlequin contract. A gift from some amazing writers who I love to pieces, it's engraved with my sale date and title. It was a ritual of delight, as I filled the gorgeous purple fountain pen with ink, signed that page, then toasted with champagne. Now, my second Harlequin contract I couldn't find the pen. We'd built new cabinets and I knew it was in there somewhere, but had no clue where... so I went ahead and signed the contract with a plain ole pen. The results? Not nearly as positive as the first round. Insane line edits, an early release that affected numbers, promotion challenges... you name it. Let me tell ya, with my third contract due to arrive in the mail any day now, my purple pen is sitting right here on my desk, full of ink and waiting!

Another of my personal superstitions? Pajamas. Really!! The first year I finaled in the Golden Heart, back in 2004, I was still in my jammies on my way to get dressed having given up on getting a call, when the phone rang. 2005, I had just gotten up, still in my jammies when that GH call came in. 2006 the GH call woke me up! I was in my pajamas when I got THE CALL from my editor offering to buy Double Dare, and again when my agent offered me representation. I've always wondered if I'd have won at least once if I'd worn my pj's to the award ceremony.

Before I sold, I was a total contest diva. I always color coordinated my entry, so the rubber band matched the clip, which matched the colored paper between the entry and synopsis. Which color depended on which manuscript it was -each had their own "feel" and was coordinated accordingly. (Hmmm, maybe this post is simply letting everyone know I'm a little crazy, rather than an ode to superstitions).

In a week and a half, the Golden Heart and RITA calls will go out. How many of us will sit there, waiting by the phone with a rabbit's foot clenched in our fist, or a four leaf clover held between our fingers? Me, I'll be in my jammies, of course.

Do you have any superstitions that are yours alone? Any special steps or rituals you follow? How does that work for you? Have you ever skipped it and regretted it? If so, do you think the power of your superstition (mind over matter... you think something bad is going to happen and your belief creates the result) plays into the results, or are you like me and my special pen, and realize how vital that superstition is after the fact?

Turning on a Dime

by Joan Kayse

I had a crappy day at work.I know, I know. Most of you envision the life of a nurse as noble and self sacrificing. Well, I don't know about noble but I've done a fair bit of self-sacrificing for my patients over the years. Always willingly. Well, except for the time a lady insisted she needed me to squeeze between the wall and the chair she was in to scratch her....back and in raising up bonked my head on the thermostat and burst into tears. She spared me a "Are you ok?" and then pointed out the spot she needed scratched .But the reality and my years in the trenches (and I REALLY hope it's not the "years" part of it) have changed my perspective and my profession quite a bit. Nursing is getting harder. And today was no exception. I thought I'd scream if I listened to one more nurse whine, one more doctor complain, one more pass of the (*&^^ floor waxing machine!

Today was no exception. You know it's bad when everybody you pass in the hall says "Boy, YOU look tired." I had loads to do, complaints to listen to, a very ill man to transfer to the ICU and never got dinner.

Then I checked my voicemail. I had a message from the contest coordinator for The Suzannah, an outstanding writing contest sponsored by the NOLA chapter of RWA. My ms. THE PATRICIAN'S FORTUNE had won the competition. Just like that the fatigue, the stress everything just flew out the window! My Roman hero Damon had done it.

It's validation to have my Romans achieve such recognition. You see when I began writing in 2001....well, the very thought of a "different" time period was unimaginable to well...everyone I met. Your Romans do not have a place in publishing you foolish girl. No one would want to read them. Stay safe, write only to the market.

I listened and I learned and I shook my head politely. But I had three Roman heroes (eek..don't call Bran a Roman...he doesn't like it) who were demanding their stories be told. And so I could do nothing else. And now they are shining in wonderful contests like The Suzannah.

It's true Roman wasn't built in a day. Just one story at a time.

Can you think of a day when you thought nothing was going right and then something special happened to turn it around? If you had another chance what "different" job would you pick?

And the Winnah IS.....

Well, it's late but I DID pick winners for the nice little box of Godiva! YUM! Actually there are TWO winners....

(Drum Roll Please!)

CONGRATS to Brownone and Ellie! Please let me know your address so I can send you your well-deserved goodies! I'm at Jeanne AT JeanneAdams DOT com

Yeah!

Kay Stockham: Romance from the heart

interviewed by Donna MacMeans

Many years ago, I remember sharing Golden Heart anxieties with Kay as we both waited to hear if we made the finalist cut. Then Kay received the call from Harlequin and her writing career has taken off like a rocket. Known for her powerful emotion-packed Superromances, Kay delivers on her tag line "romance from my heart to yours" by tackling gritty topics like breast cancer and past sexual abuse. In the process she's been nominated for the Holt medallion, Book Buyer's Best, and last year - a RITA. Please welcome Kay Stockham to the Lair.

Kay, as a group that has either recently received "the call," or will in the near future, we always love a call story. Can you share yours?

Ah, memories. I got the call of February 11, 2005, about 1:34 - not that I remember or anything. I was curling my hair after a morning spent baking cupcakes for my daughter's Valentine's Day party at school. My husband gave me the phone and said, "It says Harlequin." My heart stopped. Seriously. I knew there was NO reason for anyone from Harlequin to be calling unless it was THE call. Johanna Raisanen, associate editor for Superromance, was on the other end, and sure enough those were the first words she said. She wanted to buy Saving Grace which would later be retitled MONTANA SECRETS. I was her first crier. LOL. After managing to explain that they were happy tears, she laughed, congratulated me again and said that she'd call back later after I'd had a chance to process things. LOL. She called back, we talked and the rest is history. Ten sales later, I'm on my third editor but Johanna will always hold a special place in my heart because she was the first one to really "get" my writing.

Ah, an insightful editor. I'm glad Johanna recognized your talent. MAN WITH A PAST was nominated for a RITA in 2007. What was that like?

It was thrilling! Thank goodness for Caller ID because the day the calls went out, I picked up the phone, looked at the screen and immediately sat down. I had to. No way was RWA calling me about the RITAs, right? LOL I received a lot of emails congratulating me, flowers from my agent, champagne from my publisher. Such a great, great time. Oh, and the dinner out with my editor and the other RITA noms from Superromance - it was fabulous! We had such a great time. Super had a wonderful showing last year, holding four of the eight spots. The downside for me was having my RITA flag stolen. I "still" get angry whenever I think about it. I want it back! Sigh. RWA told me they'd replace it at the SF conference and I'm going to guard that flag like it was 24 kt gold. If anyone even so much as looks at it twice, they're going to have one angry woman to deal with.

LOL - I doubt that will be your last RITA flag, Kay, but a warning for any banditas that might be nominated in 2008. Guard your flags! Of course, we have the heavily armed Cassondra watching our backs so maybe that won't be a concern.So what do you have on tap for this year?

My recent project has been The Tulanes of Tennessee series with Harlequin Superromance.

The first book in the five book series debuted yesterday with ANOTHER MAN'S BABY. (I laugh every time I type that - for two reasons. One: I'm still psyched that the series I pitched almost two years ago is going to be one on the shelves. Two: my father HATES the title. LOL Every time he sees it he shakes his head and scowls.)HANNAH'S CHOICE in the POWER OF LOVE will be released in June.

And after that is HIS SON'S TEACHER in July 2008. It features a recently divorced, overweight school teacher desperate to find her inner diva and take her dream vacation to Paradise Island, and Nick Tulane, the black sheep of the Tulane family introduced in book 1. We find out exactly what kinds of secrets Nick is hiding and, boy, they're doozies! Following them are Luke (March 2009, Ethan (July 2009) and Alexandra (November 2009).

Good Heavens, girl - When do you sleep! That's quite a line-up. Can you tell us more about the POWER OF LOVE?

Absolutely! The POWER OF LOVE anthology is the brainchild of NYT Bestselling author Lori Foster. Lori and Dianne Castell put on this great reader/author event every June and they pick a local charity to receive the proceeds of the event. The idea snowballed and Lori wanted to do something special for the Battered Women's Shelter. She chose twelve lucky authors to contribute novellas to THE POWER OF LOVE and the authors and their agents have ALL donated their earnings to the cause. Each of the novellas for THE POWER OF LOVE focus on women being empowered in their lives, and I am so thrilled to be asked to be a part of it. Hannah's Choice is my contribution, and begins with Hannah Pruitt jumping off a bridge to retrieve a large bag she's seen a man dump into the canal. Given her past, Hannah is suspicious of what might be inside. She's no longer a victim and jumping in just proves it. Hannah's come home to Orchard, Ohio to face her past and the man she was too afraid to love, but the question is whether or not she's strong enough now to make the right choice.

One of the absolute wonders of publishing a book is fan mail. With your emotional stories, I'm sure they've touched many hearts. Are you receiving lots of fan mail?

I'm not sure I'd say "a lot" but I get my fair share. I love the letters and notes, too. I keep every one of them and post some of them on my website under my Reader Comments section. I've only written a couple authors about their books, so I feel very special to be on the receiving end of those notes. Which makes me wonder... We all know blogs are supposed to end with a thought-provoking question so here's mine:
How many of you have written an author to tell them how much you've enjoyed their book? And if you haven't, why not? I'd love to hear the different views on this. To help entice comments, I'll choose a name from those who post and they'll receive an autographed copy of ANOTHER MAN'S BABY.
Enjoy your day! Here in Ohio we're still digging out of the snow. I'll be popping in to chat and hope you'll keep me company.

Glam-tastic

by Christine Wells

When I was eight, my best friend was Tabitha. She told wonderful--and extremely imaginative--stories about the things she did when she wasn't at school. Now, for all I know, she really did live as magical and eventful a life as her namesake from Bewitched. But for the most part, I devoured Tabitha's stories with a hefty pinch of salt. I was never sure whether she really expected to be believed.

Another friend used to say, Why do you hang around with that girl? She tells lies.

Not about things that mattered. Tabitha never lied to get anyone into trouble or get herself out of punishment. So she embroidered, embellished and sometimes downright fabricated stories about talking to animals or the enchanted pottery fairies her mother sculpted and glazed. Tabitha made life more interesting. She was a good friend, and her stories seemed to give her that extra, sparkly shine.

But then I've always been a sucker for glamour.

I write historical romance. I love research. I love delving into the English Regency period, a time of social upheaval, war, extravagance, poverty, marvelous architecture...

...And great hats.

And psst, I hate to admit this, given I'm *serious* about research--getting details, atmosphere, attitudes and expressions as accurate as I can, given reader expectations--but the thing I love most about the Regency era is the glamour. I love reading about aristocrats and balls and house parties.

The wit, the intrigue, the social mores and rituals, the sense of honour and tradition, the wealth of art and architecture, gardens and landscapes those old families collected, built and preserved.

The glamour of the Regency era wasn't limited to aristocrats, though. Highwaymen (or women), smugglers, spies, war heroes--for me, all of these glitter with a special kind of story magic.

Ordinary, middle class people finding love in a cottage? Not so much.

But glamour isn't just about wealth and beauty. It's about story, too, making it bigger, deeper, more. It's about high stakes and wrenching emotion, thrilling adventure and momentous, life-altering events. I think there's a place for the mundane, the ordinary, the obscure--but it's not in Regency historicals. I want the excitement, the thrill. I want the glamour.

And great hats.

So now you know my guilty secret. And that, as we say in the lair, is in the vault.

If you're a reader, what attracts you to a particular setting or subgenre? And if you're a writer, pretend you're my friend Tabitha. How would you 'glam up' your story?

And if you care to win a signed copy of Scandal's Daughter, plus some good old Aussie TIM TAMS, pitch me your most glamorous Regency historical in twenty words or less. It can be as fantastic or as silly as you like.

Just don't--please don't--make it mundane.

All Hail to the Queen!

By Anna Campbell

I'm delighted to welcome Michelle Buonfiglio, Queen of Bloglandia, to the lair. Michelle writes about romance fiction at myLifetime.com in Romance: B(u)y the Book. Within that is a blog called “Let’s Talk Romance.” She writes weekly columns about new romances, AuthorView interviews, Video AuthorViews and special features like this tribute to cover models.

Michelle has very generously offered one lucky commenter a prize pack of champagne bubble bath, chocolates and romance novels. Because I'm just so dang excited she's here at last, I'm offering another lucky commenter a copy of Sizzle, Seduce and Simmer, which features recipes and short stories from some of Australia's best romance writers.

So the long and short of it is, GET COMMENTING, PEOPLE!

Michelle, your blog began as Romance by the Blog and has since moved to myLifetime.com as Romance: B(u)y the Book. It has always been incredibly popular with readers and writers. The Banditas are a young blog and we’d love to know your secrets. To what do you attribute your blog’s long-lasting and unfailing success?

First, thanks so much, Anna, and my little Banditas for letting me join you in the Lair. What an honor, to be among such talent and wit! Can’t wait to chat today with everyone who hangs here.

Actually, Romance: B(u)y the Book came first! I wanted to write about romance fiction in a respectful way that appealed to the smart, savvy women who read and write it, as well as to introduce the genre to folks who don’t know anything about it. And I got a gig with WNBC.com and 80+ TV news websites to “webdicate” my opinion columns, AuthorView interviews, etc. It wasn’t so much about reviewing, as my trying to entertain and engage – hopefully! - while writing about books I love. The blog, Romance: By the Blog came about six months later, and I actually wasn’t too hepped to do it! I mean, I had a ton of work and deadlines as it was. But my husband, an Internet sales and marketing guy, kept saying, “If you blog it, they will come…” Plus, he thought of it as a way for me to meet women to talk with about romance, probably so I’d stop talking about it to him.

I think you Banditas probably are experiencing what I did, that you build slowly and welcome every single viewer who cares enough to make a connection by commenting at your blog. All the while, we write for the folks who are loyal, non-commenting readers. I don’t believe high page views equal success in “genre” blogging; it’s kind of a “who’s” reading your thing, who’s taking your info and sharing it with friends, either online or non-digitally. We used to call that word-of-mouth! It’s remarkably hard work, but the emotional payoff is enormous. I have no secrets, I simply did another thing my husband kept telling me when I’d get frustrated, wanting everything to happen yesterday. He said to just keep doing the work. Write as well as I can, interact with viewers, make friends, develop and be true to my ethics. That worked for me, because the right “who” saw my content, recommended it to someone at Lifetime, and it moved forward from there. I couldn’t be happier to have the platform to represent romance fiction to such a broad audience.

One of the things I love about RBTB is how you’ve established such a strong community. There’s a definite sense of girlfriends getting together to have a good goss and it makes guests feel immediately welcome and comfortable. How do you achieve this warm atmosphere?

I love the intimacy – and often outrageousness – of our blog, and was amazed from the beginning at how much women craved a “safe” somewhere to share how they felt about reading romance. The Bellas also are welcoming of new viewers, go out of their way to say hi, etc. The right mix of women seems to like dropping in, and I think the only really good thing I’ve done is let them help me set the tone, and afford them as much ownership as possible. And I’ve tried to make viewers feel not afraid to comment, though it’s always a challenge when there’s a core group of regulars. Empathy probably drives what I do - does that make sense? I’m just hardwired to worry about how I make people feel, to tap into their emotions. Recently, I think I lost a viewer because I communicated poorly, possibly ignorantly, and I’m feeling pretty awful over it.

Do you have any advice for people setting out to conquer the blog universe?

First, write what you know, as well as you know how, and as honestly as possible. You’ll gain viewership and reputation among people who want to read what you want to communicate. Next, decide your goal/s. Are you cyber-journaling? Do you want to make money with the blog? Do you want to build a community of like-minded folks, but not monetize the project? Second, work like a fiend to “virally” market. Connect with other similar bloggers, help each other promote, search out places like blogher.com to list your blog. blogher is the premier aggregating site for women bloggers, and is amazing. Finally, accept that the Internet is not anonymous. Make sure that you’re comfortable with something you’ve written coming back to haunt you. You can get in trouble for slander, copyright infringement etc. While there’s some leeway for non-commercial bloggers, look up laws on posting rights-limited images and content.

Have you noticed any differences in your blog since you’ve moved to Lifetime?

Since Lifetime’s a large cable network in 90 million U.S. households, they obviously have style and content standards, legal eagles, branding issues – checks and balances you don’t have to deal with when you blog on your own. But they also have a built in female viewership who love romance, sex, hot guys and the stuff we love to talk about at RBTB. Add to that the ability to produce multi-layered promotion packages for authors and books, and I’ve got the platform I dreamed of the very day I envisioned RBTB. Only better: I get to shoot video interviews and upcoming romance features shot and produced by the Lifetime Television crew in our LA studios! I’m considered the editor of my blog, but even so, I really erred toward the side of caution at first, staying kinda mainstream in the content. But now, looks like anything’s fair game. Which is good, cause as my Bellas would tell you, I can pretty much turn any blog discussion into a naughty celebration of the merits of length vs. girth. Technically, we had lots of glitches at first. But myLifetime.com’s in the process of rebuilding their blog tool, and in the second quarter, we’re actually consolidating all RBTB content into the blog, which I’m totally psyched about.

Could you describe your ideal guest?

You, Anna! Now, I’m not just doing the pretty here. But when you came, you did the things that make GuestBlogs successful. First, you made it about connecting, not about book promotion. Book promotion always should happen as secondary to making friends with readers, and giving your friends a new experience. To that end, you brought along the Banditas and your readers. This infuses new life, gets a different vibe jazzing, and often encourages lurkers to be brave enough to comment. Most important, you take time to swap comments with individual viewers. That’s the connection that RBTB is all about. Guest blogs – any promotion – should be symbiotic. The buzz phrase of Internet 2.0, or the “new age” of encouraging “users” to direct/generate content (UGC) and thus make it more vibrant is: Be Generous. That means link, share and reciprocate. It all comes back to you.

Wow, thanks, Michelle, she said, blushing. Now I’d love to talk about you, seeing you spend all your time on the net offering authors a wonderful opportunity to promote themselves! Could you tell us about your background? I notice you didn’t read romance when you were younger. What books influenced you when you were growing up? Were you always a reader?

Oh, yeah. Like so many romance lovers, I was a total nerd about books; they were my best friends, etc. I used to fantasize I lived in “olden” times, because I was chubby, and figured they dug chubby chicks then. Once I got to college, I was lucky to be introduced to sophisticated stuff, and learned how to study it. Some of the books that still affect me were by Kozinski, Nabakov, Percy; at least I think of them often in a series of images and emotions. I love A.S. Byatt’s Possession. That and The Witch of Blackbird Pond are two of my fave books ever. But my writing style, I think, is most influenced by sports writer Rick Riley, and Fr. Bede Hines. Riley, of course, wrote for Sports Illustrated and writes succinctly, always tying in real life and his readers’ realities to the issue he takes on. Bede Hines taught me a valuable creativity technique. We pulled random photos from the paper, and created a tight short story from each. Now, I can pretty much link any vignette or riff to a book I’m featuring, and work a smooth transition in the process. It’s also a great blogging technique. I’ve also worked in PR, marketing, sales, fund raising and I spent many years as a stage performer and public speaker, wrote and voiced, produced radio and TV ads. All this stuff comes into play when I create a package to promote an author and, in doing that, the romance genre.

What was the first romance you read and what was it about that story or subsequent stories that converted you into the tireless advocate for the genre that you’ve become?

Vicki Lewis Thompson’s The Nerd Who Loved Me was the first contemporary romance. Although when I look back, I’d always fantasized about love, loved the opera – which is romance set to score, no? (Anna: YES!) – and so it makes sense I’ve been drawn to the genre. Anyway, I’d read only lit that was “good for me,” and Oprah books and stuff. And this book was so sexy and joyful and kinda funny, it hooked me. Then when I found historical romance, the deal was sealed; I could read an historical romance every day for the rest of my life and never get tired. I hope they have them in the afterlife. My drive to promote the genre comes somewhat from being a zealot, partially from being an “advocate” from way back. I always seem to need a cause. But writing about romance, spending time with fellow readers, moving within the industry and having fellow writers as colleagues – it’s about as perfect a place as I’ve been in my life. It’s very empowering to feel that I’m helping women embrace their fantasies. Those fantasies can be readers wanting to be part of a large community of women whose tastes matter, or writers who wish to further their careers by meeting a broader audience.

Have you ambitions to be a romance writer yourself?

Ugh, no. But RBTB did start from my thinking I’d like to write a romance. Then I decided quickly I wasn’t any good at it and didn’t enjoy it. Having had that experience, as well as being a writer, these things make me better at what I do. I look at books I consider for promotion with an eye toward the sweat and blood and heart that goes into writing a manuscript, let alone getting it published. It keeps me humble when I’m doing my job, and reminds me that I feel really good about the way I choose to write about authors and books.

Michelle gets paid to read romance novels. How cool would it be to have her job? Would you rather have long-range deadlines of novel writing, or daily deadlines of feature writing and blogging? Michelle will drop in to answer questions - I know I've got lots I want to ask her (and I got to do the interview!). And don't forget the Bandita Booty for two lucky commenters.

Of Golden Hearts, Golden Ladies, and Grungy Guys

by Nancy Northcott

This is a big month for some people in RWA. The calls go out in late March to the finalists in the Golden Heart ("GH") and RITA contests. The people who're most relaxed on the designated calling day are the ones who don't have a horse in either race. Those who do cope with it in various ways--sitting by the phone, avoiding the phone, watching hungrily for posts online, checking occasionally, or avoiding RWA email loops altogether. Or eating chocolate. When all is said and done, though, some people are going to be very, very happy while others are going to be very, very disappointed, with a bunch in between.

Having a little perspective helps us deal with any exciting success or stinging disappointment. When it comes to contests, I like to remember the wise and gifted writer, J. R. R. Tolkien (which may clue you in to which grungy guy we're going to be discussing). In The Fellowship of the Ring, the hobbits meet Strider at the Sign of the Prancing Pony in Bree. He then takes them into the wild, protecting them from the black riders. Tolkien includes, later, a poem about Strider that starts, "All that is gold does not glitter." And so it is with manuscripts and books.

Finaling in the GH will not, contrary to what some entrants think, sell a book. It gives the author exposure, which she (or he) needs to be ready to use to advantage. Finaling in the RITA will not catapult an author up the publishing house ladder. As Joan comments, finaling in the GH is an honor that helps "validate and nourish the frustrated writer's soul." The same would go for the RITA. Neither is, however, the secret elixir. Ask any bandita. Anyone who judges these contests can tell you that fabulous books, every year, don't make that final few. It doesn't take much to keep one out, and a lot depends on how the book strikes its randomly allotted judges. So a book that finals really wowed its judges. We should all celebrate that.

The RITA, of course, is a golden statue of a woman seated and writing. It's gorgeous. I think it's safe to say we all want one someday. Several banditas have the Golden Heart pendant (not shown at right, but this resembles the pins RWA gives finalists for their name badges). They're also gorgeous. And the nice thing about the GH is that while only one person can win, more than one can have a manuscript requested by an editor or agent judge. And everybody has the option to dress up for the ceremony.

Which brings me, at last, to the grungy guy. Tolkien's Strider appears to be a woodsman. He doesn't look much like what he is, Aragorn, Dunedin and rightful King of the West. The poem speaks, in beautiful word images, about strength not withering and about the fact that wandering doesn't mean you're lost. So it is with the quest for success in any creative endeavor. Success requires the strength to persevere. Wandering, which is often signposted with rejection, is an opportunity to develop the skills that make grasping success possible.

Good luck to everyone with a horse in the March RWA races!

How do you deal with waiting for contest results? In what endeavor have you had to persevere? Have you ever felt that you're wandering in the wilderness while others find the success you seek? How do you keep going?

Soon-to-be-published bandita and bibliophile mystery author Kate Carlisle shares this photo from the night Gemma Halliday presented her with the Golden Heart for the Novel With Strong Romantic Elements category. Congratulations and thanks for sharing, Kate!