Gotta Love a Book Club

by Donna MacMeans

One of the best things about publishing is the opportunity to address bookclubs. What's not to love? A gathering of women (sometimes one or two men) who not only appreciate a good read, but also enjoy a good meal as well. My kind of people.

I LOVE speaking to bookclubs. I thought I'd share some of the experiences and modus operandi of some of clubs I've visited this summer.

My neighbor invited me to speak to her book club, a group that has been meeting
monthly for ten years. In that club, the hostess selects the book to be read and purchases copies for everyone. The members then pay the hostess for their copy of the book. I spoke to them in advance of their reading of The Education of Mrs. Brimley. I asked "how many read romance?" Only two people in a group of twenty raised their hands. So we discussed the genre, the expectations, and specifics surrounding my book.

Now in this club, the rule is that the members are expected to start the book, but they don't have to finish it. The book they discussed at this particular meeting was Obama's book, so you can see - this wasn't specifically a romance reading group.

The following month, I checked back with the hostess to see the reactions. She said everyone liked it and more importantly, for the first time in the history of the club, everyone actually finished the book! Hopefully, if I'm invited to speak again, a few more hands will acknowledge romance.

In August I visited the Heron Bay Bookclub. The weather was beautiful so we sat and ate outside and talked while the husbands toured Buckeye Lake in a boat.(Darn, can't get the photo to upload - trust me - it was beautiful and a perfect setting for romance).

My next bookclub visit was a writer's dream. I was invited to speak to a group of ladies who read The Trouble with Moonlight. I arrived at the hostess's house in shorts and was greeted by a man in a tuxedo with a rose in his lapel next to a name tag bearing the name of my hero: James Locke. Inside, all the ladies were wearing long dresses. One had a string around her neck with
a cowbell attached to signify the little brooch with a bell that my hero gave to my heroine. The menu included tea and crumpets (iced tea and english muffins) along with finger sandwiches, brownies and salad. This photo is a bit dark, but I hope you can see the dresses. At one point, the back door opened and a bunch of people trooped in with filled wineglasses. They posed for a photo (not this one) then left.

Last week, I spoke at Novel Tea. They meet at a local library and read The Trouble with Moonlight. If you look carefully, you can see the teapots and munchies on the table. Once again I had readers come up afterwards to say they hadn't read a romance in years and now planned to start again. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

So my question to you: Do you belong to a book club? If so, tell us about them. Have you spoken to a bookclub? Tell us about the experience. What's the best book you've read in a bookclub? I'll send a bookclub tote bag to one commentor.

All together now!

by Anna Sugden

One of my favourite English lessons as a teacher (no groaning!) was Collective Nouns. You know - the name for a group of things:

A pod of dolphins
A tower of giraffes
A prickle of hedgehogs
A leap of leopards
A mob of kangaroos
A company of moles
A crash of rhinos
A harem of seals
An ambush of tigers
A sneak of weasels

It was such fun seeing how children's minds worked as they came up with their own examples. Could they more innovative than:

A murder of crows
A cast of falcons
A chattering of goldfinches
A twittering of magpies
An exultation of larks
A convocation of eagles
A match of nightingales
A parliament of owls
An army of caterpillars

If you Google collective nouns, you can pass an entertaining few minutes seeing what others have come up with - and not just for animals and birds. These sites had some really funny ones.

http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/

http://www.guy-sports.com/months/jokes_collective_nouns.htm

So, for a little Wednesday fun, I thought we could come up with some collective nouns of our own. What would you call a group of:
golden roosters
Banditas
BBs
cabana boys/hockey hunks/gladiators/cowboys/dukes
romance heroes
romance heroines
romance authors
romance readers
romance novels
nasty villains

And I'm offering a prize. Real English Cadbury's chocolate for the best/funniest/most creative answers.

A Harvest of Expectations

posted by Aunty Cindy aka Loucinda McGary

Since it’s the harvest season here in the Western hemisphere, and time for sowing and new beginnings for our buddies down under, I’ve been thinking about the whole cycle of planting and reaping and anticipating rewards.

Most of the time, when I do something, I have certain expectations of the process and the outcome. For example, when I read a new book or watch a new movie I expect to be entertained by characters and situations, maybe learn something along the way, and generally enjoy myself for a few hours. When my BFF plants seed or seedlings in her garden, her expectations are to eventually have pretty flowers or delicious fruits and vegetables.

When I began my journey to publication, I had some definite expectations, some realistic and others not so much. I also developed new expectations as I went along, and each milestone along the way had me changing, discarding, and even achieving new and different expectations.

This whole journey has been a gigantic learning process. From learning the writing basics of plot, character development, and conflict, to the vast mysteries of query letters and submissions, down to copyedits and self-promotion, I’ve stumbled along, always expecting I’d find my way through, and I have. Sometimes the lessons haven’t been pleasant, but far more often I’ve enjoyed what I learned, and either way, I know I benefited.

And speaking of benefits… I’ve experienced many unexpected and wonderful ones!

When I finalled in the 2006 Golden Heart, I had some pretty big expectations, but I never thought I’d meet nineteen of the best friends I’ve ever had! I certainly didn’t expect that a contest would ultimately result in being part of the coolest community in cyber-space, but here I am with all of you!

Over a year ago, when I sold my first book, I knew that ultimately I would see my dream of publication come true. Well, just a few days ago I finally saw my first book on the store shelves, but now I know that this is only part of the harvest that I’ve enjoyed and will continue to enjoy for a long time to come. Thanks to the magic of the internet, I know that my book is in libraries all over the country and in the hands of readers all around the world! And I know unforeseen dividends will continue to surprise and delight me and far surpass my wildest expectations.

What about you? Where are you in the process of sowing and harvesting? What kinds of expectations have you had that happened or didn’t? Care to share some unexpected rewards?

Mistress of Pleasure Treasure!

Hey, better late than never, right? Poor Delilah is dying to give away her books, and it's been far too long to wait! So here goes...

Delilah has generously agreed to give away THREE copies of her fabulous book: One to a commenter from her originally scheduled blog day, one to the winner of the Golden Rooster on her actual blog day, and one to a second commenter on her blog day! 

WOW! 

So the winners are...TERRIO (she who speaks of angels), FEDORA (she of the Golden Rooster) and JANE (she who captured Delilah's heart). 

Ladies, please send your addressses to Delilah at: delilah @ delilahmarvelle.com

Congratulations!!

This Will Make You Feel Better...

Thanks to Fiona Lowe and all our visitors for a fabulous day in the lair discussing Medical romance and why opposites attract!

I'm delighted to announce that Fiona has chosen the winner of her new Mills & Boon Medical romance THE PLAYBOY DOCTOR'S WEDDING PROPOSAL (and a fridge magnet). Stand up straight for your medical examination...

PAT COCHRAN!

Congratulations, Pat. Would you please email Fiona on fiona@fionalowe.com and give her your snail mail details? She'll get your book off to you faster than they talk on E.R.! Happy reading!

Totally Awesome!

by Beth

I admit it, as a child of the 80's, I watched way too much television. Other than curling up with a good book, TV was my favorite past-time. Okay, so it was my favorite past-time until I reached my mid teens when hanging out with my friends became priority number one. :-)

But I digress (as I often do). Last week, a few things happened that made me think of some of my old favorite shows. The ones I watched week after week (the only show I watch faithfully now-a-days is Supernatural, but that's a whole 'nother blog about scary things that go bump in the night, awesome dialogue, heartbreaking emotion, the bond between brothers and two very good-looking actors who drive around in a super cool car *g*).

Ahem. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, old favorite shows. Today, I'm going to share with you my Top Ten Favorite TV Shows of the 1980's (in no particular order):

1. Family Ties - I still think this was a great show and I still remember how happy I was when Alex kissed Ellen (his real life wife Tracy Pollan) on one of the episodes.

2. Quantam Leap - this show was about Dr. Sam Beckett who is trapped 'Leaping' into a new body in a different time period (but only within his own lifetime) each week, righting wrongs with the help of Al, his only contact from hom. Even though this show didn't come out until 1989, I'm still counting it. *g*

3. Kate and Allie - a show about two divorced best friends (easy-going, sexy Susan St James and an uptight worrywort, Jane Curtin) who move in together (with their children). I honestly don't remember much about this show but I remember I HAD to watch it every week and my favorite character was Kate's daughter. Wonder if it's out on DVD?

4. Who's the Boss? - (I'm seeing a theme here about family oriented comedy shows. *g*) Come on, don't tell me I'm the only one who wanted Tony and Angela to end up together!

5. The Greatest American Hero - Slightly nerdy teacher Ralph gets a super suit and is turned into a superhero and fun was had by all!

6. The Facts of Life - (now I have this theme song stuck in my head - aurgh!!) My favorite was Jo, the cute tomboy who drove a motorcycle and put snotty Blair in her place :-)

7. Roseanne - only the first few seasons but I remember being mesmerized by the Conner family. And I still think the character of Jackie is one of the funniest ever.

8. Growing Pains - remember when Kirk Cameron was a teen idol??

9. The Cosby Show - the cute kids, Bill Cosby's contorted facial expressions and those LOUD sweaters he wore all. the. time. Man, I loved that show.

10. Doogie Howser - another show I don't remember much about except that Doogie finally got together with his very pretty friend (Wanda?) and he had a wise-cracking friend named Vinnie. Okay, I just looked this show up on IMDB and it lists Steven Bochco (of NYPD Blue and Hillstreet Blues fame) and David E Kelley (The Practice and Boston Legal) as Doogie's creators. Who would've guessed it?

So that's it! Okay, there are more but really, wasn't that list long enough? I'd rather turn it over to you all and hear what you have to say. What 80's TV shows were your favorites? Any you'd forgotten about until now? Were you a fan of ALF, Highway to Heaven or maybe Cagney and Lacey?

I also thought it'd be fun to do a little TV trivia. What I'm going to do is ask a few questions throughout the day. The first one to answer correctly will win! Only one win per person please. *g*

The First TV Trivia Question is:

What academy award winning actor played Alex's favorite uncle on Family Ties? (I started off with an easy one. *g*)

The first person to comment with the correct answer will win a signed copy of Tawny's September Blaze, Risque Business!

Medical Author Fiona Lowe in the Lair!

by Anna Campbell

I'd like to offer a big Aussie welcome to my friend Fiona Lowe who writes wonderful emotional Medical romance for Harlequin Mills & Boon. I met Fiona at the Australian romance writers conference just before I (and she) sold so it's always felt like a fated partnership somehow! Her new book THE PLAYBOY DOCTOR'S WEDDING PROPOSAL is just out in the UK and Australia and she's here to celebrate in the lair! If you'd like more information on Fiona and her fantastic Medicals, visit her website.

If you'd like to order any of Fiona's books, a great place to buy them is the Book Depository in the UK. They will post any book anywhere in the world, post free. Well worth checking out!

Congratulations on the UK and Australian release of your latest Harlequin Mills & Boon Medical, THE PLAYBOY DOCTOR’S WEDDING PROPOSAL. Can you tell us about this story?

Thanks so much for having me! And a BIG WAVE to everyone. This story is the second in the Outback Warragurra Duo and my working title was ‘The Reluctant Groom’. I guess it is a story of opposites attract and it tells Emily and Linton’s story. Take one country nurse with bright pink hair, raised with five brothers and who can shoot pool and hotwire cars. Put her on the same page as one urbane citified doctor, raised as an only child and who has never got his Italian leather shoes muddy, and watch the sparks fly.

Both this book and your last, A WEDDING IN WARRAGURRA, which as you know I thought was fantastic, are set in the fictional outback town of Warragurra. Can you tell us a bit about this community?

Warragurra is your quintessential outback town. Set on the banks of the Darling River in outback New South Wales, it sits in a land of heat and dust and the buildings tell the story of bygone boom days when silver lined the streets and Merino wool was gold. Today life is tougher with drought and younger people moving to the city but the resilience of country people shines through.

I’d also love your ideas on using setting as a character in a story because I think you do. One of the things I love is that reading a Fiona Lowe takes me into a whole community.

Oh, thank you, I am so glad you think my towns become a character. I love creating settings and in both Warragurra books the heroes are outsiders and the town wraps its arms around them and holds them close as much as the heroine.

Have you ever lived in the outback?

I haven’t lived in the outback but I have visited often on holidays.

Do you use real places as the inspiration for your settings?

I create fictional towns based on real towns and Warragurra was based on Bourke and Broken Hill with a bit of Menindee thrown in and almost every country town in the Mallee area of Victoria where the wheat is grown and sheep and beef are raised. I have also lived in small town USA and I have to say there is a definite connection between small town life in both places…where everyone knows you and probably knows you too well.

What’s coming up next for you?

I’ve hopefully got three books coming out in 2009…books nine and ten are certain and I’m waiting to hear on 11 as I type. My next story THE DOCTOR CLAIMS HIS BRIDE is set on an island off the northern coast of Australia - outback with a sea twist! THE SURGEON'S SPECIAL DELIVERY is back in the red dust of the outback but it also goes coastal for a bit with a sea-change of sparkling turquoise water.

Ooh, I look forward to both of those! In the lair, we LOVE call stories. Will you share yours with us?

Oh, wow, what a treat to revisit this. It’s been just over three years since I got ‘the call.’ I had got very close the year before but the book had been rejected after a revision request on something never mentioned in the request. My hero wasn’t quite there. It was my first ‘no tears’ rejection. Instead I got steely determined and hunted down what was ‘hot in Medical Romance.’ Instead of one theme, I gave them three! My pregnant doctor, in the outback and working for the Flying Doctor’s story got a revision request by phone. I was getting closer. One month later I was reading my son a goodnight story and the phone rang and I let it go as it was bound to be telemarketers at that time of night, right? Wrong. It was my editor. I rang her straight back but she had left her desk for a moment. She finally rang back ten minutes later. She talked about the weather, the RWA conference and I steeled myself for ‘You did those revisions OK but…’ Instead she said, ‘We’d really like to buy your book,’ and I said, ‘That would be lovely.’ The squeals didn’t come for another day and a half as it finally sank in that I was a Harlequin Mills and Boon Author. That book was published as PREGNANT ON ARRIVAL in 2006.

Great story, Fiona. And I'm not surprised that book sold. It was full of conflict and emotion! What do you think is the enduring appeal of medical romance?

I think it’s health professionals who put the health and wellbeing of others ahead of themselves, whose professionalism drives them no matter what the circumstances, no matter the cost to their own lives. And hey, who can resist an incredibly handsome doctor who is in complete control of his professional domain but the love of a good woman can bring him to his knees?

How much research do you do for your stories? Has a stray piece of research ever sparked an entire story for you? It sure has for me!

I do quite a bit of research because I like my medical scenes to be not only interesting but to drive the emotional journey of the hero or heroine. In A WEDDING IN WARRAGURRA, the opening medical scene came from a tiny ‘news in brief’ in the paper about a little girl who had been attacked by a rooster.

Can you give us a glimpse of a typical day for Fiona Lowe?

The alarm goes off at 5.30am and DH jumps out of bed for a bike ride and I fall out of bed and stumble up the spiral stairs to the office, cup of tea in hand. I spend an hour doing my other job as an online counsellor for teenager girls. Then I go into ‘mother mode’, make lunches for my two sons, supervise piano practice and do the school run. (This involves running to and from the school so I can get exercise in, except on Tuesdays when I play tennis in the morning.) Then it's back home where I march through the shambles of a kitchen, ignoring the mess and I finish off the non-writing job. Then I make a pot of tea and start writing. I write until 3.15pm and then it’s back to mother-mode and the afterschool activities and the breakfast dishes get cleaned up around then. I usually write for an hour on Saturday and Sunday as well which I would prefer not to but I basically have less than 6 hours a day to do 8 hours work. I am hopeless at night so this is the pattern I’ve developed. I try and walk along the river with a friend once a fortnight and I’m on school council as well so I don’t become a hermit but just recently I have decided I need to get out more, sit in cafes, and listen to the world as that is an important part of prompting my muse.

Man you're a busy woman! Fiona, do you have a question to get the party started?

I had a lot of fun writing THE PLAYBOY DOCTOR’S WEDDING PROPOSAL and Emily who had grown up with five brothers and called a spade a spade was completely opposite from the type of woman Linton usually dated. What do you think it is about opposites that attract?

Fiona has very generously offered one lucky commenter today a copy of her latest Mills & Boon Medical Romance, THE PLAYBOY DOCTOR'S WEDDING PROPOSAL, and a fridge magnet. So get commenting, people!

Too Much Competition!

by Caren Crane

When my older daughter was about 3, I picked her up from daycare one day and found her in a frowny mood. This daughter has always, since birth, been moody and prone to deep thinking, so her 3-year-old frowning didn't concern me overmuch. I did, however, ask what was wrong. She pulled the finger she was sucking out of her mouth and said (very clearly), "There's too much competition."

Yes, friends, my preschooler had figured it all out. There is too much competition in the world. Some people love it, some hate it. Daughter dear despises it. Now that she is a sophomore in high school, she still avoids contests and competitions like the plague. She had to take the PSAT Wednesday and was in a twist about it Tuesday night.

On the other hand, my younger daughter stayed up late Tuesday night baking cookies until almost 11 o'clock. We let her do this on a school night because...she had to finish baking her entries for the NC State Fair baking competition. The exhibitors had to turn in their entries Wednesday morning. Her cookies turned out great and she is likely to place this year. Again. Like she has the two other years she competed. This daughter thrives on competition and the chance to let her talents shine.

As you will note from the sidebar, many of us Banditas have a competitive streak. We love (and hate) writing contests. Many of us compete in other areas, too. We have Banditas who have played instruments, played sports, competed in pageants and baked competitively. I'm sure there are other contests we have pursued in our lives and not yet discussed. What drives us to compete? Why haven't we decided there is "too much competition"?

For me, writing contests are a way to measure where my writing stacks up in comparison to other writers. I am not published, so I can't point to sales numbers or fan letters. Writing contests, flawed as they are, are a real chance for validation of the most important work I do. Contest finals also give me a bit of a boost - an impetus to keep going when things are hard and my stamina wears thin.

So, are you competitive or do you, like my older daughter, think there's "too much competition"? What sorts of contests have you undertaken? Any big wins or shows you would care to share?

Fall is in the Air!

by Christie Kelley

While Anna and Christine (and all our Bandita Buddies in the Southern Hemisphere) are enjoying spring, here in Maryland it’s fall. And I love it! I’m writing this on Thursday but it doesn’t really feel like fall here yet. Some of the leaves are starting to fall but most of the trees have only just started to turn. Not to mention, it’s almost 80 degrees here.

Luckily, a cold front is heading our way.

Fall is that time to hunker down and make sure every thing is in working order before winter comes. This year, I’ll have heat!! For anyone who wasn’t reading the blog last winter, my home was being remodeled and for 4 months I lived in a house with only two portable heaters. It was cozy living in one room with my husband and two boys but this year, I’ll have two gas fireplaces and working heat pumps. I’m actually looking forward to the cooler weather.

Fall makes me want to bake things like warm cookies with cinnamon. Last night with all the windows opened, I made peanut butter cookies and banana bread. With the warm weather, it just wasn't the same.

Fall also brings one of my favorite holidays: Halloween. There's nothing more fun than handing out candy to the little kids all dressed up. Their excitement is contagious.

And for some reason fall makes me want to start things. I guess it’s good that I just received word that Zebra wants three more books. So I’ll have a lot to start this fall and winter.

What does fall put you in the mood for? (well, that didn't come out right) What do you enjoy doing in the fall?

Or if you're in the land of sping, what do you enjoy doing in the spring that you don't or can't do in other seasons?

Today (Friday) my husband and I are packing up the kids and taking them the Shenandoah Mountains in western Virginia. We plan on doing Luray Caverns one day and maybe a hike up Old Rag Mountain on Saturday. So if I’m not responding much to comments today, that’s the reason.

Denise Rossetti on The Hero Dimension

posted by Christine Wells

My dear friend and critique partner, Denise Rossetti is with us in the Lair today and she is giving away a signed ARC of her November 4 release, THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW. You don't want to miss this wonderfully sexy, dark, angsty fantasy romance. Hmm, can I think of any more adjectives? Yes, I believe I can! Superb!

But here is the delightful Denise in a less dark and angsty mood, musing and amusing about heroes...

I’ve always been intrigued by missing socks. I mean, where do they go, the little devils? Must be the same place wire coat hangers go to breed. I’m convinced there’s another dimension – beyond the paltry three we know. Or perhaps a fold in the time-space continuum, a wrinkle.

For want of a better term, I’m calling it The Hero Dimension.

You have to admit, it’s a really cool idea and it explains so many of life’s little mysteries - like why all heroes are totally buff.

Come on, can you remember a romance with a hero who wasn’t hard-bodied? I can’t. Our dude might be massive and muscly, or lithe and compact, but I guarantee, there won’t be an ounce of fat on him.

And guess what? The Hunkalicious Quotient isn’t affected by what our hero does for a living! Sure, he could be a special ops guy like a Navy SEAL – I’ll give you that one - but he could equally well be the CEO of some vast international corporation, or the guy next door, or a Pink of the Ton.

He’ll spend the book living a mile a minute, rushing from pillar to post, with no breath to spare between beating up bad guys and having mad, monkey sex with the heroine. We mere readers never get to see him working on his fitness, those chiseled abs are just…there. Same with movie action heroes. Cap’n Jack Sparrow pumping iron? Ridiculous! Though the rowing machine might be a possibility…

At this point, I’m pausing to think about the men in my life. You can too, if you like.

See? Developing a six pack takes hours and hours of sweat and dedication. Just ask Sven.

So, what I want to know is this: Given his packed program between the book covers, when does our hero get to the gym, hmm?

There’s only one answer – he goes to the gym in The Hero Dimension! It’s the special place where the beefcake gathers to bake itself to the perfect muscly consistency.

Amid idle conversation, and possibly a few beers afterwards.

Can you imagine being a fly on the wall? Ooooh…

There’s Sven, bouncing on one of those big exercise balls, happy as a Swedish clam, totally in his element. Mr Darcy is looking down his aristocratic nose at the hunky dudes from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. “My dear fellows,” he drawls, loosening his cravat, “I generally advise removal of sh*tkickers prior to exertion.”

I really do ponder the logistics of all this, honest. Actually, I think about the male physique a good deal, but only in the line of duty. (And I have a bridge to sell you.)

Gray from THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW (out 4 November from Berkley Ace) is partly a musician, partly an adventurer. He’s one dangerous dude, a mysterious sorcerer of shadows, all internally tormented and stuff. *happy sigh* In terms of studliness, he’s of the lean and mean variety. I made him a former mercenary and a deadly swordsman. (And I did give him a partner to practice with.) This short scene is our heroine’s first sight of him. Let’s just say he makes an impression. *grin*.

The singer’s accompanist sat on a stool in the furthest corner. Because he wore a black shirt and trews, he merged with the shadows as if he were part of them, scarcely there, his face a pale blur marked by dark brows. But the light washed over elegant, long-fingered hands, the lap harp he played gleaming with the rich patina of old wood and pearl inlay.

Dark and dangerous, as Krys had promised. Cenda dragged a breath in and didn’t let it out.

He’d rolled up his sleeves and she focused on the strong wrists, the muscle flexing in his forearms, the delicate precision of his movements. The extraordinary feelings that had washed over her in front of the fireplace returned in full force. Abruptly, her skin felt too tight for her body, as though she were netted in fire.
And a few pages later…

She’d thought his eyes must be as dark as his hair, but this close, they were a clear, limpid gray. Long-lidded eyes, full of secrets, shielded with extravagant lashes, surely the gift of some besotted goddess. His brows were strongly marked, with an upward slant at the corners. They gave him a sardonic air that went well with his lithe, self-contained grace.

“Mistress, may I sit?” he asked patiently, obviously not for the first time.
At her nod, he slid onto the bench beside her, bringing with him a wave of body heat, the clean, earthy scent of healthy male. His shadow wavered behind him, dark as slate. All the hair rose on the back of Cenda’s neck.
Aaaah, mine too.

I can imagine Gray out at night, running endlessly, padding in and out of the shadows of the street lights. He’s rather a solitary type – most of those dark, tortured, heroes are. No team sports. In terms of the gym, he’d be very interested in martial arts and possibly yoga.

What (or who) would you send off to this special dimension, if you could? Remember, you might not see it (or them) again!

What sort of sport or fitness training would your favourite hero be doing at the heroes’ gym? Would you like a job in The Hero Dimension? And if so, as what?

One commenter wins a signed Advance Review Copy of THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW!

I wonder what they do with all those single socks? *wicked chuckle*

THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW, coming 4 November, 2008 from Berkley Ace. For more information check out Denise's website.

And a quick heads-up: Denise will be interviewing James Griffin, the artist who created the magnificent cover for THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW (and, incidentally, the covers for THE DANGEROUS DUKE and SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER), on her blog on Friday 24th October (23rd here in Oz). Come along and find out how it’s done. We’ll be giving away more books!

And the Amazon $$ Goes To ...

... Natalie Hatch!!!

You're the randomly chosen winner of the $15 Amazon.com Gift Certificate for your post on my blog a few weeks ago, all about crafts! Woo hoo!

Congratulations, Natalie!!

Email me at katecarlisle99@yahoo.com, leave me your email address and I'll email the GC right back to you!


Thanks, Natalie, and thanks to everyone who posted!

Ode to San Antonio

by Trish Milburn

I’ve decided one of my favorite cities is San Antonio, Texas. In fact, I’m in the land of the Alamo as I write this. It’s one of those places I like to return to again and again and think I’d like to live at some point. So, I thought today I’d give you a list of the top eight reasons why I like San Antonio, then invite you all to share the name of a favorite town or city and some of the reasons it draws you back again and again. You never know, you might convince one or more of the traveling Banditas to visit it too.

8. It’s warm. Sure, it’s really hot in the summer, but it’s so nice here during times of the year when I’m bundled in layers of fleece at home.

7. Live oaks. I’d love to have some of these gnarly, cool trees in my yard.

6. Taco Cabana. I like Taco Bell fine, but Taco Cabana is several steps above for Mexican fast food.

5. History. The Alamo and the Mission Trail allow you to visit several old Spanish missionsl. It’s an aspect of American history that I wasn’t exposed to a lot, and I find it fascinating. That's the archway to San Jose Mission (circa 1720) to the right.

4. Day trips. There are lots of fun places to go on day trips from San Antonio. I’ve been through parts of the lovely Texas Hill Country before. Yesterday, I got to visit cute, historic and artsy Gruene (pronounced Green), home to The Gristmill River Restaurant, housed in an 1870s cotton gin on the Guadalupe River, and Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas. Gruene claims it's been "gently resisting change since 1872," and the town is on the National Register of Historic Places.

3. Biscuits and gravy at the Guenther House. Oh. My. God. These are the best biscuits I’ve ever put in my mouth, and I have to go there for breakfast every time I’m in San Antonio.

2. The Riverwalk. This is what makes the city’s downtown so unique. Visiting the shops and eating in a restaurant overlooking the Riverwalk are musts for any first-timers (or returning visitors) to San Antonio.

1. Visiting my friend Mary. Tonight, she and I had a joint book signing at a local Barnes & Noble, a fun event at which we both sold several books. Yay! Our roads to publication have been so similar, we are so similar. It seemed only fitting that we would have a signing together since both of our debuts have firefighter characters and were released the same week.

So now it's your turn. What is one of your favorite towns or cities? Why do you like it so much? Do you revisit favorite restaurants, sites, etc., each time you visit, or do you try to explore new aspects of the locale? Or a mixture of both? Go ahead, convince me and the other Banditas that it's one of the best places in the world to visit.

Happy travels!

The Quest for Discipline

by Tawny

Ahhhh, Discipline. Not the spanking kind (altho that might be an interesting blog, huh?) I'm thinking about the focused, do what you have to do to achieve what you want to achieve kind of thing.

Now, I thought I had a pretty good grip on this discipline thing. I'm a goal guru, for one. I know inside out the wonders of setting a goal, applying SMART rules to it and the wonders of deadlines. These were tools I learned and honed long before I sold my first book, all in my quest to make sure I could handle the dream I was shooting for --a prolific career of 3-4 books published a year.

So it's not the goal setting that's tripping me up this week.

It's the discipline itself. The day to day ins and outs of doing that necessary work.

I'ts like losing weight... I know what I have to do, I just can't make myself do it. Yes, it's going to take 10 hours of exercise a week for me to see the scale budge. I've proven this to myself many times over the years. And yet the best I'm logging on the elliptical is 2 hours, max, each week. Why? I know better, how can I moan and whine when I know what it takes?

But it's harder and harder to get myself focused. To care about that goal of fitting in the favorite pair of jeans gathering dust on the back of my door in psuedo inspiration. I feel like I've been fighting against it so long, it no longer has that golden glow of achievability.

And the longer I fight- and don't achieve my goal - the more it seems impossible. The less energy I have to put toward it, and the less faith I have that I'll ever achieve it (yes, I could be talking about writing here, but I'm really thinking of my weight loss fight... you can substitute writing if you want, though *g*). I've steadily gained weight since I started writing (okay, so maybe you can't substitute writing in this part LOL) and am so frustrated with this struggle, I just want to beat my head on the table. The table with no food on it, because I've restricted my eating so much I'm exisiting on air these days. It's a study in frustration and the easiest answer is to just buy bigger jeans... but I don't want to. Instead, I seem to want to keep myself in this miserable quest for the right key that will unlock my missing discipline.

Then, at my chapter meeting on Saturday the speaker, the amazing Stephanie Bond, mentioned weight and sitting metobolism. Widening asses seem to go hand in hand with writing, sadly. She fights it by taking her Alphasmart on the treadmill with her. I, the one who breaks my foot walking out the front door, am terrified to try this idea.

But it did get me thinking. There have to be other ways to respark my excitement and belief that the goal is achievable. There have to be other ideas that I can mine for discipline and focus that will help me on my way back into those jeans.

So... I'm begging for help. Inspiration, ideas, suggestions for finding that fabled discipline to lose weight. Or, barring that, diet and exercise tips *g*

Ain't Your Grandma's Country Music

Joan

I'm here today my fellow Americans to campaign for a better understanding and acceptance of country music.

Thunk.

Ok, who just fell over aghast at the thought? I know it wasn't the GR because he has a thing for Taylor Swift :-)

Seriously, today's country music has a little bit of everything: a deep, well established history and evolution through multiple musical genres. I kind of "knew" some of this but in preparing this blog post I looked up some basic info. ( A disclaimer. I do not purport to be a scholar nor am I a musician and any insights from our BB's with more knowledge are wholeheartedly welcome.)

The roots of modern country music started in the 1920's through the 1950's with a blend of different sounds. Honky Tonk heralded the freedom that came from the end of prohibition when the average person could finally relax with a cold brew and enjoy their favorite music of steel guitars and drums. Hank Williams characterized this sound. Come on. Even if you are not a big fan, how many of you can say you don't know the beginning to "Your Cheatin' Heart"?

The western-country music touched a chord with the sense of pioneer spirit ala Gene Autry. I did not include a link but add a little swing to the mix and you have another of my fav bands Asleep at the Wheel. Rockabilly gained popularity in the 50's and 60's with..yes...Elvis but also Jerry Lee Lewis and a handful of others.

The Nashville Sound was the seed behind the classic music brought to the National arena by a little show sent out nationally on the radio called the Grand Ole Opry. Chet Akins and his guitar and the dulcet sounds of Patsy Cline.

Country music began to change in the late 60's with the additon of orchestras, a more promient melding of other genre overlays ala Outlaws Willie and Waylon (and the boys) and rock influences. Did you know the Rolling Stones had a crossover hit with Honky Tonk Woman?

http://countrymusichalloffame.com/site/explore-history.aspx

So that brings us to today, to the music I listen to the most. The songs that reach out to me touching my heart, stirring laughter, promoting pride in a belief, a viewpoint or just making me want to dance. (Note to Posh: Making me WANT to and actually having the NERVE to are two separate issues. Plus my friend convinced me the DJ in Atlanta wasn't likely to play "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk").

Trace Adkins song "Songs About Me" sums it up nicely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJkRsj-CaHk

There's something really HAWT about a guy with a Stetson........

Oh, sorry....I went to my happy place. Singing. Yeah, he sings good too :-)

Shania Twain is a vibrant cross over artist whose roots are in the country market but whose amazing style remakes the image of country music. I like a lot of her songs, but this one is a favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWNtLt-pJik

(If the Shania link does not take you straight to the video, enter "She's Not Just A Pretty Face" in the search box)

A fluke that she included "romance novelist" in her list of great female accomplishments? I think not.

I have to include a tribute to our Aussie friends and plus...well, I have a thing for Keith Urban :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeXWkN_EHF4

Aren't these lyrics at the heart of many of our heroes? And if the hero is barefoot in a pair of jeans...all the better :-)

So, if you're a country fan already who are your favorite stars? Favorite songs? What would be the title of your own personal country song? And if you aren't I hope you listened to the lyrics and found that SOME of the songs just might be a "Song About You."