Borders Winner!

Using the scientific method of the GR throwing the whirring chainsaw into the air, we have a winner for the $10 Borders gift card. And it is ..... DUCK!!!!

PATRICIA SARGEANT!!!!

Congratulations, Patricia. Please send your snail mail info to JoanieT13 AT gmail DOT com.

The Bandits Welcome Terri Clark!

Let's give a rousing Bandit welcome to Young Adult author, Terri Clark! Terri's novel, Sleepless, is out now (and check out that great cover *g*)

I've long been fascinated with dreams. Here are some interesting facts you may not know:̊

• Nearly six years of your lifetime will be spent dreaming.̊
• Your brain waves are just as active when you're dreaming as they are when you're awake.̊
• Dreaming takes place in the R.E.M.—Rapid Eye Movement—stage of sleep.̊
• Scientific studies have proven that animals dream.̊
• Elephants, in fact, sleep standing up when they're in non-REM sleep. When they're in REM sleep, they lie down.̊
• Mrs. Maureen Weston participated in a rocking chair marathon in 1977 and still holds the longest recorded period for going without sleep--449 hours (18 days, 17 hours). She suffered hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

While dream research in the last twenty-five years has certainly yielded some interesting facts, there's one question that continues to be debated—WHY do we dream?

A lot of people think dreams are just a way for our brain to purge the day's happenings. The images we see as we sleep are nothing more than nonsensical remnants of the things we came into contact with.

Other people believe our dreams are detailed truths and if we take the time to study them, interpret them, we'll discover hidden meanings in our mind's late night movies. Freud, the pioneer of dream interpretation, believed our dreams were symbolic of our deepest wishes.

Another common belief is that our subconscious is merely working through issues and trying to alleviate stress.

However, throughout history dreams have been given much more weight as they were often viewed as prophecies.

Still others believe that power can be found in our dreams. During our sleeping hours our mind is not restricted, our thoughts are boundless, and our brain can expand beyond its physical shell. Unimaginable things can be attained when we're not shackled by logic.

And some believe we can control our dreams, manipulate them and even use them as a tool for bettering ourselves and our lives.

As for me, I tend to believe dreams can be all the above, but the one thing that most fascinated me was that old wives tale, "If you die in your sleep, you'll die for real."Is that possible?

SLEEPLESS is about Trinity Michael's, an eighteen-year-old dreamwalker who's being stalked in her sleep by a killer. If she dies in her dreams, she'll die for real. In order to survive, she must stay awake and find her would be murderer before he can find her and the only person able to help her is the last person she thought she'd ever align herself with.

I guess the answer, for me, was yes....

So, what do you dream about?

Bookseller Debbie Meredith

by Joan

I’d like to thank Joan and Romance Bandits for having me as a guest blogger. It is a pleasure to be here!

My name is Debbie Meredith and I am a romance book addict. Do I have any desire to be cured of this malady? No thank you!

I’ve been reading romance for almost 40 years and have seen many changes in the genre over the years. Trends have changed and now instead of the “bodice ripper” that we expected in the 70’s we have a large variety of sub genres to choose from. Romantic suspense, paranormal, historical, contemporary, books with romantic elements, mysteries, there is something for everyone and they definitely suit my every mood. The variety and the knowledge that we will get that happy ever after is the why I love to read and recommend the romance genre.

I am fortunate enough to be able work part time for a local independent bookstore and I can honestly say that I love every minute of it. As the romance manager and author liaison I have the pleasure to arrange and host author book signings. We have had many best selling authors at our store including J.R. Ward, Teresa Medeiros, Elizabeth Bevarly, Lori Foster, Patricia Rice, Shiloh Walker, Lora Leigh, and many more. I love the excitement that comes from meeting and chatting with the authors and the reactions of the fans that come to the signings. When possible, we offer the chance to share supper with the authors after the signings. This seems to be a fan and author favorite event.

(Debbie with authors TL Gray and Sara Reinke. Deb is second from right)

We enjoy promoting the author signings. We send out press releases to all the local and surrounding area newspapers. We’ve had several articles published about the store signings. We make bookmarks and posters and take them to several key spots to post for the event. Bookmarks are placed in all the new and used romance books several weeks prior to the signing so that any customer has all the information ahead of time. We often put inserts in the shopping bags of our customers. Even if that person doesn’t read romance they may know someone else that does. We have a wonderful electronic marquee that we post book covers and signing information and that goes a long way to inform the public about the signing. I love decorating the store to reflect the special event that the author book signings really are.

One of my favorite things to do for the signings is to make goodie bags filled with author promo goodies. Bookmarks, note pads, pens, whatever promo materials the authors share with us, we put in the bags and share them with our customers that come to the signings. It gives a lot of exposure for many authors at one time and I love introducing new authors to our customers.

For over four years I’ve done the web site for the store, including monthly romance previews, lots of author interviews, a few reviews and announcements for store activities. Many of you know my online persona of BookstoreDeb. Now I have my own web site, http://leahsliterarylair.com/ where I continue the tradition of interviewing awesome authors, book previews, reviews, book excerpts and recommendations and author promotion. I also have a blogs and My Space accounts under both the BookstoreDeb and Leah’s Literary Lair names.

What do you expect or hope for when you go to an author signing? What do you think could be improved to make the author signing more pleasurable? I’d love to know your thoughts on this matter.

Tell me what authors you would like to meet and what draws you to their writing. I always enjoy learning about new authors!

One lucky BB will win a $10 gift card from Borders to find a new author to enjoy!

It's Not About the Dance Steps

by Jo Robertson

I’ve never been a “So You Think You Can Dance” fan.

I know, I know. The whole concept is anathema to my childhood dream to be a dancer. Given that I’m a fairly clumsy, unrhythmic klutz, the dream was a fruitless one anyway.

Still, you’d think I’d have taken up this increasingly popular phenomenon called “So You Think You Can Dance.”

But now I've reformed. I’m hooked. I love that show!

During her critique of one of last season’s performances, one of the judges said,

“It’s not about the steps.”

The steps are varied – quick or slow, complex or simple, smooth or jerky. But that’s not what the dance is about.

The dance is about the passion, the energy, the sheer heart and soul of the dancers – that special something that emanates from the execution of the steps.

What’s this got to do with writing? Writing is the same thing. Instead of dance steps, we talk about rules of writing; instead of the dancer’s heart, we speak of the writer’s voice; and instead of execution, we refer to a writer’s tone.

But what’s really important about a writer is his or her unique and individual panache, her one in a million sense of flair, her ability to elevate the work to an epic level that leaves the reader so moved, whether with sorrow, happiness, laughter, or pain, that she tingles both in her brain and in her body.

It doesn’t matter if the book is a romance, suspense, or comedy, the tingle has GOT to be there.

Lots of writers follow the formula. Put the correct words in the correct order. Dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s.” But their books are quickly read and easily forgotten. The ones who stay with us, the ones we read over and over and over again, the ones we have double copies of – one for marking and one for preservation, and perhaps even one for an autograph if we’re lucky – those books are the ones that move out of the realm of the ordinary and into the arena of legend in our minds.

We writers all want to be that kind of writer. All readers want to read their stuff. All editors and agents want to discover those authors.

I’ve recently become hooked on Loretta Chase’s books. Some of her books are so beautiful, so precisely executed, so damned emotion-wrought that I cry. Okay, maybe I’m a great big boob, but I usually don’t have that “stop and think about what I just read” feeling except when I’m reading the classics.

So what about you?

What affects you so deeply you can’t control your emotions?

Does your heart still pitter-patter when your lover does something unexpected for you?

Do you giggle uncontrollably during a ridiculously hilarious movie?

Or weep when one of your wee ones gets hurt, physically or emotionally?

Come on, tell us, share your stories. What moves you?

The New Addition

by Christie Kelley


Believe it or not, this blog is not about the remodeling of my house (otherwise known as the undertaking of the century) but another type of addition. A few weeks ago, we welcomed a 13 week-old Siberian kitten to our (almost finished) home.

We actually bought a purebred cat. I’ve never been a proponent of buying cats when the shelters are filled with cats that want a good home. But my husband is allergic to cats and for some strange reason these cats produce low quantities of the enzyme that people react to, and so far, she's causing no problems with my husband.

Sorry for the poor images. These were taken on my cell phone. But Misha seems to like Jane Austin, which I think is a good thing.

The entire bred is a little strange. As you can see with the picture below, the Siberians aren’t exactly short-haired cats. In fact, I’ve never seen a cat with more fur than our little Misha. And yet, I’ve never had so little cat hair in my house. Even the vet said the same thing when he was done examining her.

It’s been over twenty years since I had a kitten in the house and now I remember why. Within a week of being in our home, Misha had off-white paint on her tail and a bit of grout on one of her pads (kind of like my husband). So she’s fitting right into this crazy house. I'd also forgotten how sweet it is to be awakened at 4am to a purring kitten licking my face.

Growing up, my family always had pets. At one time we had a cat, a dog and a bird. Then there were the kittens my brother found and it took three days for my parents to notice them (don't ask). Having been without an animal for the past five years, I'd forgotten how nice it is just to pet a cat. Or just laugh as Misha runs from one room to another as if something or someone was chasing her.

Now for all you dog lovers, this bred of cat thinks they are dogs. Misha follows me around the house and usually naps in whatever room I happen to be in. Yesterday, she was waiting for me at the door when I came home from grocery shopping. She has been a great addition to our home.

One more picture but this time it's my new cover for Every Time We Kiss.

So if you want a signed copy of my new coverflat, all you have to do is answer a question or two. Are you a dog person, a cat person...a nonpet person? Did you have a lot of pets growing up? Are you the type of person who can't imagine not having a pet? Tell me all about your favorite pet.

Trumpet fanfare please as we welcome...LISA GARDNER!

Jeanne: A huge Romance Bandits welcome to my friend, New York Times bestselling suspense author Lisa Gardner. I’m a big fan – fan girl squeal here… - and am thrilled that Lisa has agreed to join us today.

Lisa: Thanks! I’m so happy to be here. I’ll confess, this is my first blogging experience, but everyone speaks so highly of the Romance Bandits, I figured I’d be brave and give it a try. Thanks again for inviting me!

Jeanne: Lisa, I know your first book to hit bestseller status was The Other Daughter, and The Killing Hour was your first NYTime lister, but the latest paperback, Hide, also hit the lists, didn’t it? And your latest hardcover, Say Goodbye is flying off the shelves.

Lisa: The Other Daughter was my second paperback novel, and my first book to hit the list (all the others have followed suit). I was standing outside with my new puppy, trying to get him to pee, when my editor called with the great news. So I half-talked with her, half-begging my puppy to please do his business so I could go inside and uncork champagne. It was a funny afternoon. Oh, and yeah, I think The Killing Hour was the first hardcover to hit. You know, I can’t remember.

Jeanne: I was thinking about your heroine, Kimberly Quincy, a determined FBI veteran, coming from a family of FBI agents. I was wondering if she might be willing to pop in for a chat as well. What do you think?

Lisa: Hey, Kimberly? Can you spare a few minutes to chat?

Kimberly: Sure, what’s up?

Jeanne: Hi Kimberly, I’m Jeanne from the Romance Bandits. I was wondering how you’re feeling, now that you’ve managed to get through Say Goodbye? You were pregnant throughout the investigation, that must have been challenging.

Kimberly: Please, pregnancy is easy. Working for the bureau, not so easy. Trying to talk to my father, harder still. And then, that whole business with spiders…that’s where it got a little impossible. I’m trying to think, in The Killing Hour I had to deal with rattlesnakes. In Say Goodbye, brown recluses and one really p*ssed off supersized tarantula. Spiders, snakes, spiders snakes. Nah, I still have to say, I hate them both.

Jeanne: Ugh, I’m not so afraid of snakes, but the spiders in Say Goodbye…*shudder* So you’re thinking about retiring when…

Kimberly: Never. Can’t do it. It’s in the blood. When my daughter was born, I tried to take up knitting, but every time I saw the needles all I could think of was this case I worked years ago where this sweet old grandmother got tired of her deaf husband screaming at her to fetch him a beer, so she put a knitting needle through his eye. Let’s face it, I’m not PTA material.

Jeanne: Heh-heh-heh. There are several of us, here in the lair who share the sentiment. All of us here at the Lair love a good Call story and a good “how did you meet him?” story. So, you met your husband Mac in Lisa’s The Killing Hour. (Book cover here) Tell us a little bit about that…

Kimberly: (rolling her eyes) Oh please, not that again. Look, so I was roaming Academy ground after hours. Still no good reason for him to sneak up on me like that. Action, reaction, right? He acted, I reacted, and for the record, my reflexes are better than his so I took him out. Got him down with a blade at his throat. ‘Course, then the silly man starts laughing, and trying to steal a kiss. (rolling her eyes again) What in the world are you gonna do with a man like that? Well, marry him, I guess. Hah, that’ll teach him!

Jeanne: Well, I know you have to get your little one down for a nap, thanks for stopping by…will you check in after a bit and see if any of our readers have questions for you?

Kimberly: Sure, I’ll be glad to.

Jeanne: Thanks!

Jeanne: Well, Lisa, that was fabulous! Thanks for letting us get a glimpse into Kimberly and her world. It’s really amazing. Did you just love doing the research for this?

Lisa: Absolutely. I got to visit the FBI Academy for both The Next Accident and The Killing Hour, and it remains one of my favorite places. Just very cool. Lives up to expectation and then some.

Jeanne: How do you structure your day, in terms of writing? I know you have a family, as do many of us, as well as the need to do extensive research that goes into the books you write. I’d love it if you could tell us a bit about that as well.

Lisa: Our house is a pretty noisy chaotic space, so years ago my husband lobbied for me to get an office outside the home. I fought him at the time—thought it would feel very CPA—but he found this great little place that used to be an artist’s studio, very quirky and charming. So now I check e-mail, tend to paperwork for couple of hours at home, then walk to my “writing space.” I have no phone or internet. It’s just me, computer, i-pod and mini fridge. It’s been excellent. I can get more writing done in three hours there than three days at home. So I work until early afternoon, then it’s off to pick up my child from school.

Jeanne: Wow, I would love to have a separate studio, I have to confess. But it would take some getting used to. How wonderful too that your husband is that supportive. I guess I should ask you one of those writerly questions...hmmm...let's see....What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Lisa: I still love the research, being able to discover something cool and unusual. Fortunately, forensics is advancing in leaps and bounds these days, so even when I’ve covered a topic for one book, there’s still something fresh and different to learn for the next. Probably my favorite part of researching Say Goodbye was setting up the crime scene. How the bodies were disposed, what would be the implications for decomp, how to make it even scarier, etc., etc. I worked with a great woman from the Body Farm on the scene, and she was just a blast to talk to. The things she’d done, the cases she’d worked on. I’d really like to visit some day. Nothing says family vacation quite like a visit to the Body Farm, right?

Jeanne: Lordy, you’re a woman after my own heart, girl. (Cassondra, let’s adopt her, shall we?) Lisa, it’s been a pleasure to have you and Kimberly visit with us, now, do you have a question for our readers?

Lisa: I’m always looking to the future for Kimberly. Now that she’s tackled snakes and spiders, what challenge should she take on next? Vampire bats? Soccer moms? Maybe I should give her a minivan…

Jeanne: Oh, my gosh! Giving her a minivan might send her into apoplexy. Snicker. Mac would probably soup it up and make sure it could move, knowing what kinds of situations Kimberly gets into. Ha! Our Bandits and Buddies can come up with some great suggestions, for sure.
Hey, everyone, Lisa’s graciously giving away a signed copy of both Hide and Say Goodbye to one lucky poster, so…*rubbing hands together* let’s get started shall we?

You Can't Take It With You

by Cassondra Murray

But if you could.....what would it be?

Let me back up just a bit....

Eight years ago we bought a house that was built in 1849. (I hear some of you groaning as you read this.)

Since we bought the house we've gutted most of it, (yes, old house lovers, we've preserved all we could of the original everything) moved some walls around (only in the new part though--the part that was built in 1900.) replumbed, rewired, re-kitchened, and almost everything else you can do to a house. We even jacked up the house, dug and poured footers, built a real foundation under it, and set the house back down on the real foundation. Before we bought it, the house had set, for 151 years, on pillars of stacked-up rocks.

And yes, WE, as in just my husband and me and whoever we could bribe with pizza, did all of this work.

Then we got tired. We hit a wall--a metaphoric wall--in this old house. We hit the end of our energy. And we stopped. We've had a bit of trouble getting going again.

Though we're not nearly done, we accomplished a lot before we hit the wall. We took the house from having big holes where the windows and doors should be (we moved those, or enlarged them) with all of the ceilings torn out, interior walls down to the studs, and no water or power, to a liveable structure. We live in it now. We've lived in it since early 2002.

What we have NOT accomplished yet is the creation of functional closets.

Two people, both creative, both with hobbies (and LOTS of paper) living in a house with no closets.

Oh, and there's a cat or two in here with us.

Can I just say that old-fashioned, furniture-style wardrobes go only so far?

Recently I've been trying, and failing, to clear stuff out. PILES of it. I need a certain level of Zen to be mentally healthy, and let me tell you, that level of Zen was breached a long time ago.

First my grandmother's house got sold. Guess what I got?

That's right. Stuff.

Then my Mother In Law passed away after a long illness.

Yup. More stuff.

The garage (not attached) is full. The henhouse (chickens have all gone to the Great Henhouse In The Sky) is full.

And the house is full.

The other night, as I lay on the couch with my husband, and stared at the glossy white beadboard ceiling (it's the only space in the house not piled up with STUFF) with the insulation poking through the hole where the ceiling fan should be, a couple of songs were running through my head--ones I'd heard on the car radio that day. One was a Brad Paisley song called "A Letter To Me."

You can hear "A Letter To Me" here if you want to see and hear. It's a cool video.

The other was a Tim McGraw song called Live Like You Were Dying.



Those songs melded with my wish for space and less stuff, and a question popped out, along with a heavy sigh.

What if I had to get rid of it? All of it? Almost.

That almost is what I'm after.

What if I knew that I had only three months remaining here, and I had to put my affairs in order, and get rid of everything EXCEPT a small cedar chest full of stuff? What would I keep?

You can't take it with you, but what if you could?

Let's suspend disbelief here for just a moment.

What if, when we die--or cross to another dimension, or go on to the next life, or whatever it is you believe we DO when we are no longer here, in these bodies--we were given the choice to take something with us....whether it's one significant item, or, let's say, a small chest of stuff of our choosing?

What would I take?

I've considered this at length, and I'm having trouble.

A picture of my dad? My scrapbooks--the visual record of my life? My manuscripts? Songs I've written? Chocolate, in case I am unfortunate enough to come back in a world where there isn't any?

My journals?

This is the big one. What about your journals? Your diaries?

I have bound notebooks going back about seventeen years--a page or two a day in longhand at most, with gaps of time in between when I didn't journal. Some of it angry, some of it heart-wrenching in its description of the emotional pain I was in at a given time. Some of it full of "I will never again...", some "I wish I hads." Incomplete perhaps, but there they are.

My guts. My pain. My joy. My life lessons.....my potential "letter to me" right there, all in thin, bound journals.

Should I take them? Would you?

The potentially good thing about dying is that it might allow us to "start over." Whether in Heaven, another life here, or some other existance. Fresh. New. No baggage.

And no wisdom.

And that's the trouble. If I take the journals, I get the wisdom. I get to know what I'd do differently and what I'd do the same. The proverbial "life instruction manual"--at least, for the person I was in THIS life.

But I also get the baggage and the pain of knowing the difficult times I went through here, in this life, as Cassondra. There's no way to separate it.

You know that saying..."Would you go back to being 21 again?" Most of us would say, "Not unless I can take my 40-year-old brain!"

Pretend for a moment, that when you die, you get to go to Rivendell. To be with the elves, the way Frodo and Bilboa Baggins did when they grew old or weary. You get to go and start over, in a brand new life. You can take a small chest with you. In it, you can place whatever you choose NOW, to help you along in your life THEN.

Would you do it?

What, in this life, can you not live without? What could you give up and maybe be better off? Could you, as I wish to, travel lighter, and perhaps live more fully?

If you knew that three months from now you were going to "poof" out of this dimension and into that one, you would be brand new again and wouldn't remember ANYTHING, what would you do?

Would you take something with you from this one?

Would you want to know who you were here? What you accomplished? Who you loved?

Would you want to know what you'd do differently, and what you'd do all over again? To learn from this life's mistakes?

Or would you want to take your chances with the world and all it throws at you--with no instruction book--no hints at all--just like you did this time?

Obsessing

by Tawny


Do you obsess?

I do.
I obsess over Johnny Depp (Yum)
I obsess over shoes (sigh)
I obsess over goals (lists, anyone?)

I obsess over tomorrow. I can't change yesterday, I'll do all I can about today. But tomorrow? I admit it, I do obsess. All the maybes and possibiliites and things I might not have done to get where I'm going (lucky for me, many of my obsessions tie in together so I can make a goal and list for this one. While wearing hot shoes. And looking at a picture of Johnny. See... tidy, yes?)

In Risque Business, my heroine Delaney obsessed over her image. In my current wip, Going Down Hard, my heroine obsesses over her past. I like obsessions, they keep things interesting.

Then there are my writing obsessions.

My friend Sheila Raye obsesses over process. Hers, mine, everyones. As long as she understands the process (be it writing, the handling of good/bad news, etc) she can take it in stride. And, of course, throw it in my face while I'm in the middle of one of my meltdowns. I think she and Beth conspire over this particular obsession, since they use "its just your process" on me way to often.
I don't worry so much about process (maybe because they are so good at pointing it out to me), but I understand their point. Because before I KNEW my process, I did wonder. Worry. Overthink. Were the characters on track? Enough sexual tension? Plot holes? Could I get from page 1 to page 280? I always think I won't have enough story to make my wordcount, then always go over. Always. So I've learned to set this particular obsession aside (okay, so not aside, but when it pops up I know I'll be fine). I admit even knowing my process, I have a whole host of writing and career obsessions. And I'm slowly coming to accept that they aren't BAD things, they simply are how I do my thing. They are a part of me- just like my automatic sigh when I see Johnny Depp.

How about you? If you write, do you obsess over it? And what parts? How about regular life obsessions? Not the OCD variety, but the other obsessions. Like office supplies and a certain kind of food. Or movie stars or bands. You know, things that are just so ingrained into who you are and what you do that they are simply a part of your personality?

Stories That They Tell

The stories I’m talking about aren’t the ones we Banditas slave over, trying to decide if “blue” or “cerulean” is the best adjective to describe a heroine’s eyes. The ones where we stare at the computer screen and think “Come on, story, I know you’re there.” The ones that we hope you will one buy from the bookstore.

Nope, today I’m talking about the stories family and friends tell on you. The ones that are told over and over much to your chagrin or occasionally to your amusement and frequently to your embarassment

Now, you have to know that I was a very good child.

{Snickering? Which Bandita is snickering?}

No, really I was. Platinum blonde hair, cerulean blue eyes. See? I was the perfect angel. (Those are too wings on the back!)

Ok. So I wasn’t.

First “Joanie” story told by my mother and capitalized on by my brother.

It seems when my parents brought home their new little bundle of joy aka “The Baby”, 18 month old Joanie didn’t know what to make of it. Who was this squalling kid? Was he staying? Is he looking at MY toys?

Now at 18 months, you’re not usually too verbal but evidently, even at that early age I understood the concept of “Actions speak louder than words.” While my Mom’s back was turned, I proceeded to push this intruder in his carriage into a back room.

Look at my stuffed pink elephant, will ya!

Bro loves to try to make me feel guilty to this day but the sin was compensated for several times over when we were kids. The Christmas that the original Jungle Book movie came out? HE got a cute stuffed Balou bear. Me? I got a stuffed vulture. HE got the nifty red fire engine pedal car while Joanie was the recipient of the sedate brown sedan.

Humph!

Years later he got even. He nabbed my baby doll carriage and filled it with caterpillers. GOBS of caterpillers! Wanted to take them for a ride up and down the driveway.

Humph!

Then there was the tale of my adventures as a 2 year old. My Mom came into the kitchen to find me climbing on the kitchen table. She reacted, telling me to get down immediately. Which I did.

Then I took off running out the front door, Mom hot on my heels. The whole way I was yelling “Don’t hit me anymore!” She said “I hadn’t laid a hand on you but when I finally caught you (in the field across the street) I took care of that!” I must have been part Billy goat because I recall another table climbing incident only this time I fell off and smacked my head on the concrete floor of our basement. I clearly remember driving to the ER (ahem, they didn’t HAVE 911 then) of our Catholic hospital where I thought it odd that a nun was x-raying me.

So what about you? What stories do your family and friends delight in torturing you with? What was the oddest toy you got as a child? Did you torture your siblings?


(To the left is a snapshot of one of the rare moments my Mom could catch me, LOL.)

A Little Bit Me and a Little Bit You

posted by Aunty Cindy aka Loucinda McGary

The other day, I was sent some interview questions for a guest blog I'll be doing in a couple of weeks (Aunty squees with excitement). One of the questions was: Do you base your characters on real people or are they purely figments of your imagination?

My first reaction was of course they are TOTALLY made up from my imagination. But then I realized that's not exactly true. So in order to honor the "truth in lending" law... No wait! That's not right! So in honor of honesty being the best policy- -yes, much better!- - Aunty will reveal some of the real people whose names or traits wound up in characters in The Wild Sight.

• The hero's older sister, Doreen. Okay, might as well start with the obvious! I have three younger siblings. It was my duty as first born to see that they did not run amuck too terribly much. THEY called me bossy (I suspect they still do), but I was merely doing my duty and trying to look out for their best interests. It was only natural that I give my hero's older sister some of these same wonderful traits.
• Doreen's husband, Sean. My DH has a cousin in Northern Ireland named Sean (imagine that!) who is a sweet and charming man, and definitely influenced my creation of this character.
• PSNI Inspector Colm Lynch. When I first went to work for the Department of Health Services lo these many years ago, my boss's boss had the last name Lynch. He was a big, beefy man with white hair, but I swear all resemblances end there!
• The heroine, Rylie is a petite, sassy young woman with the tenacity of a bulldog. One of my beloved nieces happens to be 4' 10" and a size two, with quite a mouth on her (can't imagine where she got that trait), but the resemblance ends there. She is a couple of years younger than Rylie and does not have blonde hair or gray eyes. There is, however, a certain pointy-chinned young actress who has portrayed several sassy characters in films that provided much inspiration for Rylie.
• The hero, Donovan is one of those strong, rather silent types who does not like to talk about himself nor his feelings. Gee, has anybody EVER met or known a guy like that? (To quote Craig Ferguson, "Remind you of anyone?") ME TOO! I even married a guy like that... AHEM! But Donovan's interest in art is definitely rooted in my DH and his artistic endeavors. And yes, there is a certain tall and lean Aussie actor who provided some physical inspiration for Donovan. But you already knew that Aunty likes 'em tall and lean. ;-)
  

Finally, I purposely named a minor character for my son. He has an Irish first name, after all, and he actually thought that was "cool." He didn't even mind that I gave his character two daughters who have the same names as two of my nieces. They don't know yet, but I think they will get a laugh out of it.

What about you? Have you ever read a book and thought you recognized one of the characters? Or certain aspects of a character? If you are a writer, do you base your characters on "real" people? Bits and pieces maybe? C'mon now, honesty is the best policy!

The Thinking Woman's Spy

by Christine Wells



Fiction writers take inspiration from everywhere--real life, research, classic stories, legends, even fairytales.

And I must admit ::hanging head:: that sometimes my inspiration comes from television.

I don't watch much TV but lately, I've been hooked on a UK television series about some dangerous men and women. Spooks is the colloquial term for British MI5 operatives, the spies who deal with threats to national security on a domestic level. This series about a small handful of top operatives, run by spymaster Harry Pierce, makes for compelling drama.

A stellar cast over 6 series (so far) includes:

Matthew McFadyen (Darcy in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie)

Rupert Penry-Jones (who also starred in the wonderful production Cambridge Spies) (right)

Hugh Laurie (House, Blackadder) makes an appearance as the snobby, insufferable head of MI6. I could watch Laurie in anything. He's such a versatile actor. Although if you happen to have only seen him in House and then watch Jeeves and Wooster, you might be in for a shock!

Soon to arrive on Spooks is Richard Armitage--that alone is enough reason to watch, quite apart from brilliant writing, masterly acting and edge of the seat action. I cannot WAIT for the next series!

Be prepared for casualties on the way--many of them central characters. Sad as I am to let beloved characters go, it definitely adds authenticity and an edge to the danger and suspense to know that no one is safe.

And while they're good at what they do, these Spooks are human, too. They struggle to maintain normal relationships outside the service and they question the morality of their choices and their methods every day. What's equally interesting is that they're not James Bond-style superhuman types. They can fight, but they tend to use intelligence, resourcefulness and a few dirty tricks rather than muscle to achieve their ends. Sometimes they don't win. And sometimes they win, but at immense personal cost. Can you see why a fiction writer would lap this stuff up?

And did I mention Richard Armitage will be starring in the next series?

In The Dangerous Duke, my hero Lyle works for the Regency era Home Office in a capacity very similar to these Spooks, until he unexpectedly inherits a title and the responsibilities that go with it. He's ruthless and competent, and his mantra has always been that the end justifies the means.

Then he meets Lady Kate, who is powerful in a different way. She has been the confidant and advisor to many important men in government. When she decides to wield her power to protect someone she loves, she becomes a formidable opponent for Lyle. But it's the danger each senses in the other that they find so compelling, and it's not long before they're playing the most dangerous game of all...

Do you like danger? In movies, books, real life? What's your favourite dangerous thrill?

I'm giving away a signed copy of The Dangerous Duke and assorted Dangerous Duke stationery to a handful of lucky winners!

Dream a Little Dream

By Anna Campbell

As most of our Bandita Buddies know, September is a huge month in the lair. Three Banditas have books hitting the shelves. Christine Wells follows up her sublime SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER with the sparkling and sexy THE DANGEROUS DUKE. Tawny Weber, who is an astonishingly good writer, has her third Blaze romance out, RISQUE BUSINESS. Trish Milburn sees her debut book, A FIREFIGHTER IN THE FAMILY, out from Harlequin American. Can't wait to read this - although Amazon don't seem to be hear me yelling at them to send the &&%%% thing pronto! Then next month, Aunty Cindy's THE WILD SIGHT is on sale. It's garnering some great buzz, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

That's an amazing achievement and I hope you'll all rush to your nearest bookstore and pick up these books! By the way, we can save you that trouble - if you click on the covers here, you go straight to Amazon. Can't get much easier, can it?

But what's even more amazing is that when all the Banditas met as finalists in the 2006 Golden Heart Award, NONE of us had sold a book. Since then eleven of us have been published! And I'd lay money (and you people know I'm not a bettin' woman unless it's a sure thing) that there will be more good news in the pipeline before we're done.

So when we all got together, one thing united us (apart from the Golden Heart contest!). We all had a dream. We all wanted to be published writers. A substantial proportion of us (more than half which is well over the odds!) have now achieved that particular dream in a little over two years. The other as-yet-unpublished Banditas are working hard and purposefully towards that goal and I know will achieve it before too long.

I'm sure if you asked the published Banditas, we'd all say that we still have dreams. To make the New York Times list. Or to win a RITA. Or to have a movie made of one of our stories. Or even, for those waiting for their first book to hit the stands, to get that first magical bit of fanmail which tells them that their characters and stories have become real to someone they've never met, who perhaps lives half a world away.

One of my dreams sounds a bit silly unless you've spent your life drooling over romance novels. I wanted a stepback! That's the cover art you get INSIDE the cover of a romance novel. And guess what? With my January release TEMPT THE DEVIL, I get a stepback. This is it here, the couple staring into each other's eyes with smoldering passion as they pose half-dressed on a rainy clifftop (as you do!).

Oh, and just to keep the heat quotient up, this is the cover for TEMPT THE DEVIL. I'm hoping this handsome young fellow will take your fancy in a bookstore near you in a couple of months. It's a gloriously brooding, sexy picture, isn't it? I adored my gothic covers with their clinches but I think this one is really going to grab readers' attention.
Anyway, congratulations to all the Banditas seeing their oeuvres in the stores this month! You're all brilliantly talented women and it's an honor to be associated with you.

And what about you? Do you have a dream? Is it a pipe dream (like Jeanne's three wishes blog this week) or is it something you can see yourself turning into reality? Have you achieved a long-held dream? What was it? How did that feel? What did you do to attain your dream? Let's talk about dreams before I start dreaming of Jeanne! Oh, and just before I forget, CONGRATULATIONS, BANDITAS WITH NEW BOOKS!