Lori gets the lowdown from Louisa Burton (if that really is her name)

Get ready for a treat everyone!

I'm chatting with Louisa Burton, whose new Hidden Grotto series of "epic erotica"—yes, I will ask her what that means—has just been launched with the publication of the first book in the series,
HOUSE OF DARK DELIGHTS.
Louisa and I go way back, having met on a bus about ten years ago during a five-day romance authors' tour of the Midwest.

Louisa: That tour is memorable to me for three things.
First, meeting you, of course.
Second, the constant ache in my jaw from the rictus grin I had to maintain for five freaking days.
And third, a live radio interview where the guy pointed to my current historical romance, asked me if there was any sex in that book, and shoved the mike in my face. On high alert (it was a crude trap—he didn't even try to cover it with leaves and twigs) I said, "Yes, there is."

Lowering his voice to a salacious purr (so help me God), he said, "Ooh, it's one of those dirty books. You write those dirty books, huh?"

The reply that leapt to my lips was, "Where's your head at?"

Later, he thanked me for being a good sport. I said, "I wasn't."

"I'm still befuddled by people whose primary response to sex is that it's filthy, and that right-thinking people don't talk about it, read about it, or do it except between freshly starched sheets with the lights not just off, but unplugged, and maybe the circuit breakers tripped. Personally, I think God knew what she was doing when she made sex fun.

Lori: Yeah, uh, Louisa... You got the conversation turned around to sex pretty darned fast.

Louisa: I do my best.

Lori: So, speaking of sex, (since I guess that’s what we’ll be speaking of!) what's this I hear about your father's dresser drawer, hmmm?

Louisa: Okay, that just sounds wrong.

Lori: Don’t I know it! But I heard the reason you have such a thing for Victorian erotica is that your dad had a collection of the classics in a locked dresser drawer, and you and your sister figured out how to pick that lock with a bobby pin. (You were obviously very clever girls!)

Louisa: Yeah, Pam and I were maybe twelve or thirteen—an impressionable age.

Lori: I have to mention that’d be Pamela Burford, known in romance circles as the Evil Twin of romance author turned mystery author turned erotica author Patricia Ryan. Oops. Was I not supposed to say that?

Louisa: I've already been outed. It's cool.

Lori: Shew! Okay then, is it all right for me to mention that one of your characters has his own MySpace page? http://www.myspace.com/inigothesatyr



Louisa: Yeah, Inigo the Satyr.He's one of the four immortals who lived in a secluded French château where my series is set. The others are a tall blond elf who can change his gender at will, the beautiful Babylonian goddess he loves but can't make love to, and a reclusive djinni who must fulfill the darkest desires of any human he touches.





They all qualify as incubi or succubi, "sexual demons" who satisfy their carnal hungers by seducing—sometimes by enchantment—human visitors to the château.

Inigo is the only one who isn't tormented to one degree or another. He's the incubus with the lampshade on his head, a total hedonist who always has to be up on the latest trend. He keeps a running blog on the MySpace page, but it's also on my website:

http://www.LouisaBurton.com

Lori: Very smooth, how you slipped that in there! I'm impressed.

Louisa: I've got to get the word out about this website. I really want people to see it. It's totally Byzantine and getting more so by the day. The entire world of the Hidden Grotto is explored on there in lunatic detail, or it will be before I'm done with it. Who am I kidding? I'll never be done with it. I'm way too into it. Somebody ought to stage an intervention and get me into a twelve-step program to stop adding new content.

Lori: ::: hauls Louisa back before she can run off to add new content::::
So, I guess now is as good a time as any to ask you what epic erotica is.

Louisa: It's how I describe the Hidden Grotto series, which doesn't really fit into any existing genre.

Lori: Didn't Romantic Times call HOUSE OF DARK DELIGHTS "literary erotica?"

Louisa: ::::puffing herself up self-importantly:::
No, they called it "exquisite and riveting literary erotica," but I don't like to use the L-word. It scares people. The way I think of it, HOUSE OF DARK DELIGHTS is made up of a half-cup of fantasy, a half-cup of romance, a pinch of mythology, a dash of history, and a great big gooey ice cream scoop full of erotica (rocky road—yeah, baby). I think that's why Bantam put "Fiction" on the spine, 'cause they couldn't figure out where it should be shelved. Just to further complexify things, the books aren't novels per se, but collections of connected stories, three or four to a book.

Lori: :::raising an eyebrow::: Complexify?

Louisa: It's a real word, just obsolete. The stories are set in different time periods, some in the present and some in the past, giving each book a lush, multigenerous quality—

Lori: Sheesh. Now you're just showing off.

Louisa: —so that as the series progresses, the books themselves will link together into an epic tale that spans centuries—millennia, actually. I'm hoping to create a universe of fantasy and sensuality that becomes real for my readers, one they can explore and savor and lose themselves in the way I have.

Lori: Um, about that twelve-step program...

Louisa: I know, I know.

Lori: That's it folks. Run, don't walk, to get your copy! You won't be sorry, I can promise.

GO JAYNE!!!!

WHITE LIES WILL BE NUMBER 4 ON THE NYT LIST!


:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

ELIZABETH LOATHES SPAM

Yes, I know. Everybody hates spam.

But I really loathe it. The fact that I’m paying good money to let it appear—and then remove it—really chaps my ass.



Loads of crap keep landing in my website guestbook and favorite quotes pages.




Most of the messages are for porn sites.

Or sites guaranteeing an erection.





Or a yard-long penis.







Or knee-length mammary glands. (Really gals, have a little patience. Gravity will take care of it for free.)



Yes, I had spam filters in place.

Yes, I had sign-here-and-decipher-that blanks.

Yes, I had spam up the wazoo anyway. Unbelievable how many people have so little to do.

I finally decided that the spammers could crap out the spam faster than I could shovel it.

So I’m removing the truly interactive parts of my website.

What I’d really like to do is put a spammer under an elephant and wait for nature to take its course.

I ask you, do you honestly think ANYONE with internet capability has to be constantly spammed to know that a (frankly revolting) variety of porn is available on the Web?

STELLA AND JAYNE TALK ALL NIGHT LONG

STELLA: The paperback edition of Jayne's contemporary novel of romantic-suspense, ALL NIGHT LONG, is now on sale and today we're going to chat with her about the book. Go, Jayne!


JAYNE: ALL NIGHT LONG features a former -- they are never ex -- Marine named Luke Danner, who, after some bad times in some very dangerous places is just looking for a little peace and quiet. Now, you'd think a Marine would know better than to go into the hospitality industry but that's just where Luke makes his BIG MISTAKE. He buys the old, rundown Sunrise on the Lake Lodge in the little town of Dunsley, California.

STELLA: I see disaster ahead.

JAYNE: Oh, yeah. It's been one exasperating thing after another. Luke has finally concluded that the biggest problems in the motel business are the guests. They lack training and discipline. They expect to be able to check in at all hours of the day and night. They don't have enough common sense to bring their own toilet paper. They actually have the nerve to ask for late check-outs. Time and time again they fail to read the rules and regulations clearly posted on the back of the door of each cabin. It's enough to make a man re-think his new career path.

STELLA: And now, the guest from hell has landed on his doorstep.

JAYNE: Yes, indeed. Irene Stenson -- a small town newspaper reporter -- is trouble from Day One. She leaves the lights burning all night long in her cabin in open defiance of management's instructions to conserve electricity. She doesn't take orders at all well, which is hard on Luke because he's so dang good at giving them. And just to complicate his life, she stumbles over a dead body.

STELLA: Sounds like Luke and Irene are made for each other.

JAYNE: Definitely. Lots of instant passion and sizzle. But there's this little problem Irene has with the way Luke is always giving orders...

STELLA: So, who's the dead body?

JAYNE: Irene's ex-best friend from high school. Turns out Irene has a history with the little town of Dunsley -- a very violent and unhappy history. Luke soon discovers that she has a very good reason for leaving the lights on at night.

STELLA: Did you do any special research for this book?

JAYNE: The story is set in a small town in northern California. I grew up in a small town in northern California. Trust me, the smaller the town, the darker the secrets. Enough said.

STELLA: I get a chill just thinking about it. Thanks, Jayne. Now I want to remind folks that ALL NIGHT LONG is available in stores as we speak or you can purchase it on line by clicking any of the links below. Remember, if you want a signed copy, contact the Seattle Mystery Bookstore. Trust me, when you read this book, you'll keep the lights on ALL NIGHT LONG.

Susan's in a conundrum about promotion

The other day I heard another author singing the Should-I-or-Shouldn't-I blues regarding bookmarks. She'd made them for her first three books but was currently on the fence, not sure if she wanted to do it again. I've done this myself. Early in my career I had some made up, but they frankly weren't very good, and that pretty much rendered them useless. Part of me thinks they're useless anyhow. Yet I've had readers email me requesting them and last summer when I was on two separate tours, I thought they would be nice to have. It struck me that even if I didn't sell a book to every person who stopped by my table, I could at least hand them something to remember me by. (What--you thought we did this for you?) *G*

Promotion is impossible to quantify and I have to wonder how effective anything can be that an author has to do on her own, if she lacks publisher support. In the current market, being able to write fast (an attribute I fail to possess, sadly) is probably the biggest factor to taking that next big step.

But a light bulb flashed on over my head even as I typed this. Hell-o! said I. You're surrounded by readers here.

So I'm bringing this to the experts. C'mon out of lurk mode and give me your input. What beyond the usual--cover art, back copy, the teaser page or the first few pages of Chapter 1—tends to grab your attention? Well actually, I’d like to know if it’s one of those as well. But in addition, has an ad ever made you go, "Ooh--gotta get me that?" A review? Meeting the author or reading her Dear Reader letter? If someone gave you a bookmark at a signing where you didn't buy their book, are you likely to consider that book somewhere down the road? Or did the fact that you didn't buy it then have less to do with the day's budget and more to do with it simply not punching your buttons? I gotta admit, that's happened to me. We're attracted to what we're attracted to.

Or is all of the above moot because you mostly rely on word of mouth anyway?

A bookmark wouldn't do it for me. But I have been grabbed by an ad. And I discovered Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series (and from there everything the woman has written) by way of a recommendation from a bookseller at the Seattle Mystery Bookstore when I was there for a signing. I discovered Nancy Martin when a friend gave me her first book. And I have to admit, its great, great cover is what moved it to the top of my TBR pile.

But that's me. What does it for you?

Suzanne’s Top Picks for 2006

As most of you know I love going to the movies. It’s one way I can escape from my writing – at least for a few hours. But the minute I walk out of the movie theater, my husband and I start to discuss and dissect the film we've just seen from a writer’s point of view.

Not total escapism, after all.

After years of movie-going, I have discovered seven elements that the best movies and the best books have in common:

1. They evolve from someone’s “vision” for the story.

2. They make us care about the characters.

3. They invite us into a world where we are perfectly willing to put “reality” aside for the experience we are promised.

4. They have an element of unpredictability. (I’ve been known to read a book or go to a movie because it promises to present a different point of view. Perhaps this is why I love off-beat fiction and foreign films.)

5. They have a love story as the primary or secondary plot. (It’s the romance writer in me!)

6. They know when to use action and when to employ dialogue. (And when it comes to foreign films, I want to hear the original language. I’m a big fan of subtitles. I dislike dubbing intensely.)

7. They have a thoroughly satisfying ending. (Although I prefer a happy ending to both movies and books, I will occasionally settle for what seems like the “right” ending.)

Drum roll, please!

Based on the criteria listed above, here are my top picks at the movies for 2006:

1. "The Illusionist." Set in 19th Century Vienna, it’s the story of a magician who comes from a humble background and the duchess he has loved since childhood. (This is my favorite movie of 2006. It has all seven elements I love in a movie or a book.)

2. “Casino Royale.” The latest and possibly the best James Bond movie. (For my money, the franchise had to go with a modern and gritty Bond without the gadgets, without the stunts obviously performed by stuntmen, and without the sensibilities that made sense in 1966, but which didn't in 2006.)

3. “The Queen.” Set in the week following Princess Diana’s death, it tells the story of the royal family’s reaction to the tragedy. (Frankly we went to see this film because I'd read so much about Dame Helen Mirren’s performance. Not only she is stellar as Elizabeth II, but she makes the queen a surprisingly sympathetic figure.)

4. “The Lake House.” The hero and heroine of this contemporary love story have one seemingly insurmountable problem: he's living in 2004; she in 2006. (Suspend your sense of “reality” and simply enjoy!)

This week we're off to see “Pan’s Labyrinth,” and next week “Curse of the Golden Flower.” Both promise to be great movie experiences.

Inquiring Minds want to know: What is your favorite movie of 2006? What are you looking forward to seeing in 2007?

Have fun at the movies!
Suzanne

Elizabeth Lowell Talks to Jayne About Lies, Dang Lies and WHITE LIES

ELIZABETH: *pulls her head out of a book called WHITE LIES* It's finally here, the first contemporary hardcover in your sizzling new series featuring the mysterious Arcane Society! And I'm supposed to talk about it instead of READ IT?!!!? *takes deep breath* Only for you, my friend, would I do this. *uses finger to keep place in book* Tell us about the Society and how you chose it as the background for these books.

JAYNE: I've always loved working with paranormal elements. Saw the vampire/werewolf craze coming a few years ago and yearned to get on board that train. But, sadly, I discovered that I don't write supernatural. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading about sexy vampires and werewolves, but for some reason I'm not compelled to write them. And, as you and I have often lamented, it's darn hard to write fiction if you aren't personally compelled by the underlying archetypes and myths that fuel it.

ELIZABETH: Try impossible. Remember the old glitz-and-glamour novels that used to be so popular? *yawn* We couldn't read them, much less write them. But if there had been vampires back then, I might have... *ponders the haunting specter of the might-have-been* I love well done "what if" book. And your Arcane Society is definitely one of my loves! Woo-woo without being whoa, can't go there.

JAYNE: You know, I can absolutely see you writing vampire novels. You'd be a natural for that genre. But as for me, I'm all over the psychic thing. Love it.

ELIZABETH: I know why I love it. *looks longingly at WHITE LIES* Why do you?

JAYNE: I think it's because I see it as an extension of normal human intuition. And who doesn't believe in intuition? I can make the fictional leap very easily. I love the way a psychic twist adds a whole new dimension to the romantic relationship. It also lets me put a different spin on the mystery. I knew going into this series that each of the books would stand alone and feature a different hero and heroine, but I wanted to provide a loose link between the stories -- a familiar world for readers to re-enter whenever they picked up one of the books. I decided to tie the novels together with the Arcane Society, a mysterious five hundred year old organization that is devoted to paranormal research. Ahem. This is probbly an excellent opportunity for me to mention that people can read more about the Arcane Society and the first two books in the series by going to www.jayneannkrentz.com and clicking on "The Arcane Society Files"

ELIZABETH: After folks read about the Arcane Society, they'll be slavering for WHITE LIES. And it's worth drooling over! This is flat-out psychic romantic-suspense. Your heroine, Clare Lancaster, is a human lie detector. Your hero, Jake Salter, is a private investigator who tells lies to stay alive. Obviously you set out to make life difficult for this pair.

JAYNE: Being endowed with a psychic talent that allows you to know whenever someone is lying is a curse, not a blessing. Turns out everyone lies. Clare's social life is a disaster. What man wants to date a woman who knows for sure he's not telling the truth when he says he'll call? As for Jake, he's working undercover, lying to stay alive. Clare is the one person who can really screw up his investigation. He knows he has to get her under control in a hurry. But Clare isn't the kind of woman who takes to being controlled.

ELIZABETH: Good thing Jake has a few psychic tricks of his own.

JAYNE: And, like Clare, a lot of relationship issues because of them. Let's just say that his unusual talents not only make other people nervous, they've done a real number on his love life. As far as Clare is concerned, Jake's problems with women all stem from the fact that his previous lovers haven't known how to set boundaries. But setting boundaries for Jake proves to be a real challenge. Jake doesn't do boundaries. He's the take-charge type.

ELIZABETH: Yummy, yummy alphas. *licks lips* Thanks for telling us about WHITE LIES. I'm happy to say that the book is available in stores as we speak or readers can click on any of the links below to order a copy. Obviously I have mine mine mine! Now don't take this wrong, Jayne, but ... go away. *sticks head back in WHITE LIES*

Full Service Authors

Yeah, so the other day I had to have my routine mammogram. Fun.
A laugh a minute, right?
But what does that have to do with my blog topic of Full Service authors?
Well, at the hospital I went to the registration desk as instructed, and was told that they had something wonderful and new.
I could now register myself at a Kiosk.
Do you believe it?
I said, uh, no thank you.
The receptionist gave me a blank look and said yes.
But I don’t want to.
Why not?
A MILLION reasons! It was 7 am, I'd only had 1 cup of coffee, I was in a hurry because I had a long list of things to do that day, and I'd gotten new insurance, which I just knew would get messed up somehow if they expected me to find all the right buttons and gizmos.
Most importantly, I wanted some service, blast it.

The whole world has become automated. No way should a mammogram be included in that craze. Would I have to run the machinery myself in a few years?
Maybe.

They registered me, but they weren’t happy about it.
(I noticed the lady behind me didn't want to use their new and fancy kiosk either!)

The rest of the day was rush, rush, rush, but when I got home I had a very nice letter from the AAF. (Animal Adoption Foundation.) They’re one of my pet projects – pun intended.
I LOVE animals. I feel for them. I suffer for them.

What did the AAF want of me?
A simple basket of books that they could auction off to help pay for their facility.

I said YES and then I did what I do best - I sent out an email asking most of the authors I know if they’d like to help out and donate something, too. I figured the more I had, the more money the AAF would make.

This is where the full-service part of my blog comes into play.
Over 20 authors of various stages in their careers wrote back and said they’d send all kinds of things from totes to mugs to books to arcs to jewelry.
The generosity was almost overwhelming.

I bugged authors from every level of the playing field.
Authors new and anxious to promote. Check.
Authors busily building their growing careers with no time to spare. Check.
Authors so successful it’d boggle most ordinary people. Check.

In a fast-track world where everyone stays busy to the point of insanity, authors are no different. They juggle family, friends, careers... all the same things as everyone else. Yet they find plenty of occasions to say yes.
RWA has a service award.
I saw something about it in my latest email from them. They spoke of the Fourth Annual PRO Mentor of the Year Award. What is that, you ask?
(I didn’t know either, until I read that part of the email.)

According to the email, it’s, “...recognition of those published authors who, despite their own writing deadlines, devote part of their time to answering the questions of the unpublished. From POV and grammar to agents and editorial guidelines, the questions run the gamut. And these authors who have "made it" remember what it was like before they made that first sale and want to help other writersalong the road to getting published. These authors run list-serves, answer lots of e-mails, present workshops, judge contests, give one-on-one critiques – basically anything that will allow them to share their hard-won wisdom with others in the hopes of easing anotherwriter’s journey.”

An author like that deserves kudos, right?


You know what?
That describes almost every author I’ve met. Seriously.
The folks I know in this industry are truly Full Service authors. They make time. They’re courteous and humble and humorous and sooo likeable. They share what they’ve learned, encourage when they can, and offer support when necessary.
They give, and give some more. Time. Money. Energy. Books and books and books.


(Which cost postage and packaging, and take time to send!)

In a world gone mad with kiosks and do-it-yourself grocery check out and pump your own gas and educations online and every other “we won’t help you, you have to help yourself” type of “service,” authors are stepping up to the plate more and more. Instead of withdrawing as the rest of the world has done, authors have found more ways to make themselves available to readers. (blogs, anyone?)

So here’s to the Full Service Authors of the world!

Care to tell me about an author who has gone above and beyond for you? Maybe one who replied to you when you didn’t expect it, or sent you a book you’d been looking for, or (ahem) takes the time to entertain you in blogs when you know she’s crazy-busy?
(Or in my case, just half crazy?)

Herald her (or him) here. I’d start, but then this blog would never end.
It'd take me days to name them all.

ELIZABETH THINKS ABOUT LANGUAGE

Having just received my manuscript of INNOCENT AS SIN from the copy editor, I’m spending an unusual amount of time thinking about the “proper” uses of language.

Copy editors have a “house” manual (depending on the publisher) of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. This is great if you are correcting an academic essay. If you’re “correcting” the contents of a popular culture novel, it’s not so great.

Notice the lack of contractions in the sentence concerning academic expectations. When I first began writing novels, contractions of words were allowed in conversation only, not in the narrative part of the novel. To do otherwise was bad writing. Even then, only a few contractions were accepted. Using “I’d,” “he’d,” etc. was bad. Use of the subjunctive was the hallmark of education.

A single sentence paragraph was wrong. Period.

As was a single word sentence such as the previous. As was a sentence fragment like the previous.

As was the use of the word “like” for “as.”

Shall and will? Interchanged.

That and which—interchanged, with that ahead by a length.

As for the subjunctive, the poor thing is dead, but not quite buried. (If I were you is still required. If I was you is bad, but gaining ground.)

I could go on.

And on.

For years.

The point is simple: English is a wonderfully, incredibly, stupendously protean language. (In writing a popular novel, I would lose the colon and use two sentences.)

In the common language, English changes easily, swiftly, and delightfully to cover any situation, even one previously unknown to the culture. Each change simplifies the common language for the broadest possible use and enjoyment. (I won’t even go into words acquired from other languages, a process that makes English one of the most difficult languages on earth to spell.)

You can love the process of linguistic change. You can hate it.

You can’t stop it.

I’ve chosen to accept kneeled instead of knelt, shined instead of shone, dived instead of dove, lit instead of lighted. By embracing the evolving popular language, more people understand more quickly what I’m saying. More people are comfortable with curling up with me. They trust me not to put them at arm’s length with academic necessities and niceties.

That’s why I chat with readers, whisper in their ears, let them dream with me.

What has changed about the language that you’ve noticed?

Jayne Ponders Writing a Book Proposal

I might as well say this up front: I suck at writing book proposals. Yes, I know, every writing expert out there emphasizes how critical they are. The books and journals that give advice on how to write and get published devote a lot of pages to the proper preparation of a proposal. A beautiful proposal -- a selling proposal -- is a thing of beauty. It requires skill, talent and creativity. When it comes to writing proposals, I lack all three.

Here's the thing: I write whole books, not query letters, synopses and cover letters. And as for the first three chapters of my proposed book (which often accompany a formal book proposal) well, there's just no point. The sad fact is, I never know where my book is going until I write the last chapter. Then I have to go back to the beginning and rework those first three chapters and all of the others that follow until they fit my final vision of the story. Two or three and sometimes four times to get it right. Therefore, sending an editor the first three chapters when the rest of the book remains unwritten would be extremely misleading, to say the least.

Luckily, I am now working with an editor who understands that I write lousy proposals and who has seen enough of my work to trust me when I turn in two pages of ramblings and ruminations about a possible plot and character conflicts that she knows probably won't look anything like the final story.

Ah, you say, that's all well and good for you. You've published a lot of books so editors will now buy you on spec. Maybe. But I don't like to give editors rude surprises. So what do I do when I change publishers as I did a few years ago or when I want to sell an entirely different type of story -- the first two of what became my Jayne Castle Ghost Hunter books, for example? I do what I did back at the beginning of my career. I write the whole dang book first and then send in the proposal.

Yes, it is a lot of work but there are two big advantanges. First, no surprises for the editor (or me). Second: The editor won't judge my writing on the basis of something I don't do at all well: the Proposal.

What do you do when you're faced with having to do something you know you don't excel at? Got any secrets?

Susan wonders: Where did the time go?

It's five pm Thursday and I just realized I've got a blog due tonight. Much swearing ensues, because I don't have a clue what to write about. Not to mention that I'm slogging through my current work in progress so sloooowly a snail just blew my hair back with its tailwind, or that I'm a tad on the anal side so I know I'll spend way too much time correcting what I do write. . .and all I really want to do is grab a book and flop on the couch for a few hours to lose myself in someone else's story.

Where does the time go? I'm not talking about the fact that I'm a couple weeks shy of my next birthday, which will put me that much closer to 60 than it does to 50. Age has never really worried me. But when I was a sweet young thing with a job and a kid and a husband and a house to clean and a yard that made me wonder what we'd been thinking to buy a corner lot, I always assumed that the older I got the more time I would have to relax.

'Scuse me while I wipe the tea I was sipping from the screen. Mustn't spew. Mustn't spew. Mustn't...

Um, where was I? Oh. Yeah.

Time really does fly. Every day seems to go faster than the day before and there are way more distractions than there used to be. (Can you say Internet?) I seem to have less and less time to accomplish all the things that I'd like to. And what happened to down time, to those entire days I used to wile away reading? Now I'm lucky to get in a chapter here and a chapter there. I actually like going to the gym because it means I can read for a solid hour while I work out on the ellipical machine. Whoever would have imagined that?

And when did twenty-four hours become insufficient for one day?

Please don't tell me I'm the only one dealing with this phenomenon. There must be stuff eating up your time. Right?

Am I right?

Suzanne reflects on the subject of Friendship

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship, probably because an old friend of mine was here visiting this past weekend. (I’m talking “old friend” as in the kind that knew me before I had children, even before I became a writer!)

Judy and I hadn't seen each other in over a year and yet, without missing a beat, we picked up our conversation and our friendship exactly where we left off. We talked about our families and our children, about what we're doing now, about our dreams for the future. And we reminisced about the past, of course, and the crazy things we did when we were younger and could stay up half the night with nary a dark circle under our eyes in the morning to show for it.

This past weekend we laughed. We confided. We remembered. And we got a few tears in our eyes. Life hasn't always turned out the way we thought it would back when we first met — we were both so young, could we ever have been that young?

And while I share my personal life with my best friends who are writers and my professional life with my best friends who aren't writers, I realize that after 20+ years in the “Biz,” I do tend to think of my friends as either being writing or non-writing.

I wonder if we all divide our friendships into two categories: those we meet through our professional lives and those we meet through our personal lives.

I also know I prefer women as friends. By far. In fact, most of my “nearest and dearest” are women. But I’m also thankful that two of my closest friends are men. (One is my husband, my best friend, and the other is my son.)

I remember singing a sentimental little song when I was a child. It went something like this: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.”

As the new year begins, I realize that I am so fortunate to have both silver and gold “friendships” in my life.

So Inquiring Minds want to know: What role do friendships play in your life? Do you have “silver and gold” friends? Please share your thoughts about friendship: our friends are some of the most important relationships we will ever have.

Here’s to 2007!
Suzanne

THE COLLECTOR by CAMERON CRUISE

It's been said, too many times to count, that taking a book from idea to print is like having a baby. We-ell, let's not get carried away, but I am certainly ready for CAMERON CRUISE'S, THE COLLECTOR to be out there in the world of "pick me up and give me all of your attention!"

This is a truly wonderful book and I'm so glad Cameron agreed to let me talk to her about it, then write the results for all of you:

SC: It says in your bio that you are an attorney. What made you leave the law to write?

Cameron Cruise: Who says I left the law? Did you think I was naïve enough to believe I’d make a living writing fiction? LOL. Actually, I’m going to light a candle for the Virgen de la Caridad, the patron saint of Cuba, that the gig works out! Writing is such a trip. Usually, it’s not considered a good thing to disappear into a world inside your head!
Actually, I thought I’d have a little more control over the process. The writer is godlike, right? You get to decide what happens to your characters: Torture the villain, deliver the happy ending to the good guys. That hasn’t been my experience, at all! It’s more like navigating through a maze. A lot of times, I’d make a wrong turn and need to double back to get on the right path. I’ve come to believe THE COLLECTOR existed in some alternate reality and I just needed to reach that place and channel it onto the paper.

SC: Speaking of channeling and alternate realities, THE COLLECTOR deals with the paranormal. What drew you to the idea of writing a paranormal thriller?

Cameron Cruise: The paranormal interests me specifically because I’m not sure it’s so beyond what’s "normal." What’s the difference between someone who is a concert pianist or a prima ballerina and someone who has a special acuity that enables them to see things others don’t? There are some incredibly intelligent theories out there to support a more holistic understanding of how we define reality. For example, theoretical physicist, David Bohm, proposes in his theory of "implicated order" that matter can affect consciousness and visa versa. In his universe, the past, present, and future coexist.

SC: Whoa. Implicated order? Sounds interesting ….

Cameron Cruise: Sorry! I didn’t mean to get all technical. I’m just really drawn to the "science" behind the "paranormal," if that makes any sense. But honestly, the fact remains, things we once believed impossible— cloning, nanotechnology, string theory—are now accepted as almost common place. I think it’s a bit presumptuous to believe that just because we can’t measure or quantify something like the spirit world that it can’t exist.

SC: So, tell us a little about THE COLLECTOR.

Cameron Cruise: Specifically, the book is about a serial killer targeting psychics in Little Saigon, a Vietnamese community in Orange County. Who knew there was more to the "OC" than a bunch of bored, rich kids, right? The collection in the book is actually haunted artifacts, pieces that can possess those who try to manipulate their power. Like the Hope Diamond, the artifacts are cursed—and so is the collector who brings them together.

The book really gets going when Gia Moon, a psychic artist, shows up at the police precinct claiming to have had a vision about the recent murder of a famous Vietnamese fortune-teller. Homicide detective, Seven Bushard (It’s a nickname; his real name is Stephen—seven letter; Seven. Get it?) is skeptical. But when her predictions start coming true, Seven begins to wonder if the very attractive Ms. Moon isn’t somehow involved in the killings. What else can explain her uncanny instincts?

I tried to write the kind of book I love to read: a roller coaster ride of a novel that keeps the reader turning the pages so fast, the reader almost starts skimming to find out how it all ends … only to discover how sad it is to say good bye to such wonderful characters and their adventure. I am very proud of THE COLLECTOR because I think I accomplished what I wanted, a book that reads like a Bruckheimer movie. I love that edge-of-your-seat kind of read.

SC: Who are some of your favorite writers?

Cameron Cruise: Actually, I’m inspired by the works of Stella Cameron—had to get that in! And books by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child and Michael Crichton. And John Lescroart. I asked both you and John for a cover quote because I enjoy character-driven novels so much.

SC: Heh, heh, notice the sly way I slid that question in? So, Cameron, what’s next?

Cameron Cruise: The sequel, of course! I’m working on DARK MATTER, my next book, continuing with the story and the characters from THE COLLECTOR. I hope to make it a series, but who knows.

SC: Time to get out that crystal ball?

Cameron Cruise: Right! Or maybe get out another one of those candles for La Virgen de la Caridad! Hopefully, people will enjoy the book enough to recommend it to their friends. There is nothing like word of mouth!


Cameron

Movies, Movies, Movies...

Sorry everyone. I don’t have any resolutions except a few easy ones –

1. Drink more water instead of coffee(even if the coffee is decaf)

2. Write fewer books.

Yeah, I know, write fewer books?
Am I nuts?
Sort of.
But it’s writing books that’s making me nuts. I love it so much that I can’t seem to not think of plots, even when I’m trying to sleep.
Insomnia slows me down a lot, let me tell you.

In fact, about the only time that I’m not constantly plotting or thinking of dialogue and character traits is when I’m watching a movie.

I LOVE going to the movies.
So that’s what this blog is about. MOVIES.

Hubby and I like the cheapie theater. Not because we’re cheap, really (though we sorta are) but because we can take in a matinee and often be the only two people in there.
It rocks to sit in the theater with your feet up on the seat in front of you, munching popcorn and drinking cola (just about the only time I drink cola) and asking questions when I feel like it. See, I have some hearing loss in one ear so sometimes I miss something that’s said, and Allen will clue me in.

At the theater we frequent, matinee tickets are $5 and for $10 you get two large colas and a large popcorn, with free refills. Heaven!

Action flicks are my faves. I know I’ll forget a bunch of them, because we almost always go once a week at least, meaning I’ve seen a LOT of movies in 06.
I’m going to mention the ones I loved the most.

Because I saw it recently, Rocky Balboa gets mentioned first. I know, you’re thinking Rocky 3 and 4 and 5 – I’ve lost count. But think the first Rocky. This was one heck of a powerful, character-driven, human movie. I loved it.

The Departed. Again, such great characters who carried the plot from beginning to end. I was so engrossed!

Casino Royal. Wow. Craig is fabulous in this Bond role! He brought new life and sensuality and more believable action to the old familiar.

The Hills Have Eyes. I know. Pretty gruesome. But that’s what I loved! You honestly didn’t know what would happen from one moment to the next, and instead of relying on special effects, this was reminiscent of Devil’s Reject, with scary and believable characterization instead.

Slither, because it was hysterical. The Descent, because I jumped and even yelped once, it was so scary and effective.

And Happy Feet because I love a good cartoon that makes me want to dance!

What were some of your favorite movies in 06?
What do you look for in a movie? Do you like action? A tear-jerker? Drama?

There are so many good movies coming out in 07 – are there any you’re anticipating?

That’s it from me.

P.S. In case you’re curious, here’s an attempt at naming some of the other movies I saw in 06. There are a lot, so I just stuck them here at the end.
But if you saw any of them, and liked them, let me know!
Thing is, I'm betting most of you are into chic flicks or dramas, and I'm just... not.

V for Vendetta
Crank
The Departed
Lucky Number Slevin
Casino Royal
Snakes on a Plane (loved it!)
Mission Impossible III
Fearless
The Protector
Firewall
Final Destination 3
Freedomland
16 Blocks
The Fallen
Superman Returns
Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man’s Chest
Little Man
Clerks 2
Miami Vice
Scoop
Zoom
Glory Road
Rocky Balboa
Invincible
The Black Dahlia
Open Season (cartoon)
Happy Feet (cartoon)
The Prestige
Déjà vu
Night at the Museum
Saw III
Texas Chainsaw, The Beginning
The Hills Have Eyes
The Descent
Underworld: Evolution
When A Stranger Calls
House of the Dead 2
Stay Alive
Slither
Silent Hill
An American Haunting
See No Evil
Pulse
The Covenant
Feast
The Grudge 2
The Return
Black Christmas

ELIZABETH SAYS SHEESH, STELLA

Stella, you didn’t leave me anything to say except SHEESH, because a lot of your resolutions were mine:

1. Be more available to family and friends.

Looking forward to seeing you and Jerry on our boat. *big evil grin*

2. Exercise more. (bet nobody else will have that one)

Reading is an exercise, right? The brain eats a lot of energy. RIGHT?

3. Lose a few pounds. (another original resolution)

Could you lose some for me, too? *fans eyelashes madly*

4. Stop stressing over what I cannot change.

YES! There’s nothing an author can do to make up for what a publisher can’t/won’t do. (hugs, darlin’, cuz we’re all in that particular crazy boat).

5. Take a day off each week. (I can already feel that one slipping)

Don’t you dare slip! I’m going for TWO days off each week, and only one of those days to be used up running errands. *visions of bliss*

6. Give regular thanks for all the wonderful people in my life.

Amen. Even when those wonderful people put me behind schedule, I ask myself, “Am I going to go to my grave wishing I hadn’t gone to dinner with friends, seen the grandkids, talked with the kids, and in general taken time to enjoy life?”

No.

Am I going to berate myself if I don’t keep each and every resolution each and every time?

Nope.

I’m human. I screw up regularly. I only kick myself when I screw up the same BIG thing more than once. Little things? I give myself twice, three times if it’s fun.


So how do you deal with resolutions and breaking/maiming of same?