Susan's turn at bat with the RWQ Reader Quiz

First of all, I'd like to thank Jayne for the format. Yes, I ripped it off. Never reinvent the wheel if you don't have to, I always say. :) Secondly, a big thanks to the blog participants for such wonderful questions.

PIA and LIZELLE both wanted to know which Quill title I would like to see made into a film and who I think should star in it.

ANSWER: I'm with Jayne: I can't come up with a good answer to this question. I did a satellite radio tour a couple of years ago and that was always the question that stopped me dead. I started making up a cast to avoid dead air time or the sound of me scrambling to pull more out of my blank mind than um, oh, ah, but it simply isn't part of my process to think this way. That may be because I'm not very visual. My characters are these amorphous beings scratching at the back of my mind. A funny thing, though. While they don't play through my mental screens with movie clarity, I know exactly what they look like. And usually it's not any actor someone suggests. :)

KATE wanted to know if most romance novelists marry their ideals.

ANSWER: I met my future husband when I was sixteen and married him several years later. We raised each other, so I think there was a combination of luck that we grew in the same direction, hard work making it work and just plain stubbornness. But, yes. He is my soul mate. And most days he's also my hero.

KARENDE wanted to know how to find an agent.

ANSWER: I'd second Jayne's suggestion is to join Romance Writers of America. But since that won't work for you, there used to be a book called Literary Agents of North America, which I referenced back in the day. It listed agents by the type of books they represent.

RANURGIS wanted to know if there were others in my family who were creative types.

ANSWER: I'm the only one in my family in a creative-based job, but I'm related to so many talented people.

DEE from AUSTRALIA wanted to know if I felt I had grown as an author.

ANSWER: I've definitely grown as a writer. I've always had a "voice" (at least since I've been published) but I think my readers no longer have to slog through so much detritus to get to the heart of what I'm trying to say. I tended to overwrite in my earlier books. I'd both show and tell, which is redundant. I credit Micki Nuding, my editor at Avon, with teaching me to cut out the 'tell' portion. That tightened up my pacing and made my narrative more concise.

MARCIE wanted to know if my non-writing friends understand my frustrations or joys when I talk about my stories.

ANSWER: I hadn't really thought about this, but I rarely talk about my writing with my closest non-writing friends. Occasionally I do. . .but not often.

MICHELLE wanted to know how I keep myself from doing too much research.

ANSWER: Each book is a different situation, but I do most of my research as I go. I know other writers who literally spend months in their research, but I'm not one of them.

DFENDER wanted to know the three people I'd most love to have to a dinner party.

ANSWER: That would be my cousin Colleen, my best friend Mimi, and another longtime friend Martha. Deb, I imagine you had famous figures in mind with this question, but I'm an introvert. I'm not particularly shy, but I'm most comfortable with my family and a small circle of friends. I can't imagine trying to come up with small talk with a legend.

DARLA wanted to know if there was one thing I could change in my writing career what would it be and why?

ANSWER: I would not have hired my first agent. Also, as I'm a slow writer, I would have listened to my editor when she told me to set aside the historical I was writing long enough to build my career in contemporary romance, which was what my first book had just been published in.

BRANDY wanted to know if there is a book I wish I hadn't written.

ANSWER: No. I have three books that will never be published for very good reason, not the least of which is the way I shamelessly stole from other authors' voices. And not merely one, mind you--I was a virtual psych ward full of voices before I developed my own. But as I didn't find RWA until my second book was about to be published, I was on my own. And each of those books was a tool that taught me my craft.

KAREN wanted to know what my dream job would have been if I hadn't become a writer.

ANSWER: Even though there are days when struggling to get my thoughts on paper makes my ears bleed, I wouldn't trade this job for any other. My commute alone is worth any momentary frustration I may feel. Bedroom to office--you can't beat that.

SUSAN B wanted to know if I reread my own books.

ANSWER: It looks as though I may be the only Quill who does, but, yes. I write first for myself--and I sometimes cringe when I pick up an older book. (see answer to Dee of Australia's question) But other times I amaze myself, and that is such a lovely feeling. It reminds me what I'm doing right. And picking apart my mistakes helps keep me from making those particular ones again. Unfortunately, there are always new ones to make.

MS. OWEN & MS. KINDER wanted to know if turning my art into my job in any way distracted from the joy that I take in the writing and have I ever felt that I had to do less than my best to meet a deadline.

ANSWER: Nope. I feel so lucky to actually be able to make a living at my art. And as I mentioned above, first and foremost I have to please myself, so it does not go in until I'm happy with it.

TAMMY wanted to know if there was anything I'd like to change in one of my older books.

ANSWER: Oh, yes. Not the voice, not the basic premise and never the characters. But I would desperately love to edit all my earlier work.

CBELL wanted to know the top ten romance novels I would take to the beach.

ANSWER: Here are a few of the romances I have read over and over again: LORD OF SCOUNDRELS by Loretta Chase; REFORMING A RAKE by Suzanne Enoch; THE WIDOW by Ann Stewart; THE SHADOW AND THE STAR by Laura Kinsale; anything by Theresa Weir--and oh, my gawd, so many more, including, natch, my Sistah Quillers. But I'm also always on the lookout for new authors to read. Nothing thrills me more than discovering a voice that speaks to me and sucks me into a new world.

EVERSCOI wanted to know what comes first, characters or plot?

ANSWER: The characters for me, definitely. They start scratching at the back of my mind (generally the hero, but not always). From there I start kicking around ideas with my brainstorming partner Caroline Cross until I find his or her perfect mate and begin to get a feel for their story. I used to be strictly a seat of the pants type writer. But then I got kicked loose from my publisher in the mid-eighties and no one loves you quite as much as the person who discovered you--at least not early in your career-- so I had to learn how to write a synopsis and to do enough upfront plotting to sell another book. But it all begins and ends with the characters.

KATHY H wanted to know how we find time to read other authors' books and if we each have a favorite.

ANSWER: Reading is the reason I got into this business and I can't imagine not making the time. I'm more critical as a reader now, however, and that's a shame, but I find it difficult to turn off the internal editor. I have my favorite authors who are automatic buys for me, of course. But nothing thrills me more than discovering a new (to me at least) author.

REBECCA wanted to know how to make a green ghost martini and also how I keep my rear in the chair so that I can write.

ANSWER: I could tell you the green ghost martini recipe --but then I'd have to kill you. (And yes, I did originate that riff. People are stealing my best work alllllll the time) I keep my butt planted because I might as well. I'm just going to worry about my lack of progress anyway and not enjoy my stolen time, so I may as well sit there and get something accomplished. But unless I'm really under the gun for a deadline, I give myself weekends off. And when I take a holiday I REALLY take a holiday--none of this dragging my laptop along with me.

MEC wanted to know which of my books I would recommend to someone who had never tried any of my titles.

ANSWER: I think HOT & BOTHERED and my upcoming COMING UNDONE. The character of PJ Morgan grabbed my attention like none other I've ever written. Don't get me wrong, I love all my characters, but that little girl (in H&B) got hold of me in a way I've never experienced with any other.

JULES BENNETT wanted to know if I work on more than one project at a time.

ANSWER: No. There are days I can barely figure out where to go on my one and only project. :) What I usually do then is work on something work related (update my email list; blog, etc) until a solution for whatever stalled me in the first place occurs to me.

SIAN wanted to know if there is a novel by another author that I wish I had written.

ANSWER: Not really. But I do find that reading really good writing inspires my own. There's just something about reading a book that moves me, makes me laugh, makes me say, "Damn, that girl (guy) can write," that kick starts my own creativity.

SHOSHANA asked about organizing research.

ANSWER: It depends a lot on the individual book, but I mostly find what I need as I need it. Of course if one of my characters has a job I know absolutely nothing about, I need to do more upfront research. I like to talk to people in the fields. Sometimes you do all you can and still get it wrong. One of my favorite emails was for Head Over Heels, which featured a former Marine hero who took a bartending job in order to get information about his half-brother who was on the run for murdering the mother of his daughter. The email was from this guy who said something along the lines of, "I'm a former Marine and a bartender. But I really liked your book anyway." Clearly I messed up along the way with some of my research. But he was my kind of reader. Because I could probably spend an eternity and dazzle you with my research. But if I haven't engaged you with my characters, what's the point?

ANONYMOUS asked how many people who read my books would recognize me on the street.

ANSWER: The timing of this question is so interesting as I joined a NIA dance class last Tuesday and after it, a woman came up to me and said, "You're Susan Andersen, right?" She was the ex-wife of a chiropractor I used to see and she read my books. That was kind of cool. Usually, though, no one knows who I am and in all honesty I can't imagine it any other way. I wouldn't last five minutes living the goldfish-bowl life celebrities do.

AGTIGRESS wanted to know if the so-called "business side" of writing -- dealing with agents, contracts, conferences, blogs, reviews, etc. -- provides balance and counterpart to the intense concentration of actually writing, or just a distracting pain in the neck.

ANSWER: I think it's a little of both. Sometimes it gets in the way and takes up time that would be better spent writing. But I love talking with my agent and contracts usually mean money will be coming in, which is always good. The only conferenceI usually attend is national for RWA and I love it, as it gives me an opportunity to dress up a little and see industry personnel and my writer friends from all over the country/world. I'm not going this year, unfortunately, but look forward to next summer in San Francisco. The blog I have a sort of love/hate relationship with. I love the sisterhood communication with readers and other writers but it's tough sometimes to come up with a subject. And reviews...? Well, I rarely read those any more as its so subjective and who wants to waste time dreaming of bitch slapping the idiot who failed to see my brilliance?

This blog was fun. I didn't have to come up with the subject and I always adore talking writing. Thanks to all who participated.

Elizabeth G. spills her guts: ANOTHER Dirty Little Secret.

It was only four weeks ago today I came out of the closet and admitted right here at Running With Quills that I’m a pack rat. I gave all the sordid details, including the stilettos I have squirreled away for “someday,” while in reality I go barefoot most of the time, and the half dozen pairs of assorted blue jeans neatly hanging in the guest room closet when I haven’t worn a pair of jeans in a decade.

It is now public knowledge that I haven’t seen the floor of THE ABYSS (aka the large storage closet in my office) in heaven knows how long — certainly not in this century. I also volunteered that I’m a Virgo and blabbed about being an inveterate list maker.

So, here goes with Confession #2: I HATE PACKING!

Hold the phone, Josephine! I’ve just noticed something curious, folks, something odd, something kind of peculiar. Packing and pack rat are from the same root word: pack, meaning to make into a compact bundle, to crowd together, to increase the density of, to fill completely.

Hm . . . something to think about.

Anyway, as I was saying, I hate everything about packing starting with the thankless job of lugging the suitcases up from the basement. (Okay, so my husband carries them up the two flights of stairs, but I’m the one who has to make the tough choices: like which suitcase/s we’re going to need for the upcoming trip.)

From there, it’s one annoying decision after another. What clothes to take? Dressy or casual? Wrinkle-free or the ones that claim to be? Use the rolling method of packing or the plastic cleaner bags technique? What shoes will I need? How many pairs? Handbags? Jewelry? Cosmetics. Toiletries? (Tricky category, toiletries: you have to double-check every darned bottle and tube to make sure you’re not packing empties.)

The list goes on and on.

You’d think because I hate packing so much, I’d put it off until the last minute. Au contraire, my friends. I start at least a month beforehand with a computerized packing list tailored to the specific trip, taking into account climate, length of trip, type of activities planned, events to be attended, etc. Then I begin. You see, I trick myself into doing the odious job of packing one teeny, tiny task at a time. Press one shirt. Fold one nightgown. Fill one shampoo bottle. You get the idea.

It’s almost like I’m NOT packing at all.

Anyway, it's summer and that means a lot of traveling for a lot of people, which translates into packing and more packing. (I don't even want to go into that whole subject of UNpacking.)

So, of course, Inquiring Minds want to know: Are you an organized packer or do you procrastinate until the last possible moment? Do you have any helpful hints for the rest of us when it comes to the odious job of packing?

Happy Travels!
EG

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT JAYNE

Okay, my turn first to answer your questions. This is going to be a long blog because there were a LOT of questions, so let's get right down to it:

PIA and LIZELLE both wanted to know which Quill title I would like to see made into a film and who I think should star in it.

ANSWER: Here's the thing: I consider books and films to be two very different mediums with very different conventions. Great books rarely make great films and great films certainly don't make great books. So, long story short, I can't come up with a good answer to this question.

KATE wanted to know if most romance novelists marry their ideals.

ANSWER: I can't speak for other authors but I know I sure got lucky in the husband department!

KARENDE wanted to know how to find an agent.

ANSWER: My suggestion is to join Romance Writers of America. It is the best source of inside information on all aspects of publishing that I know. You can find the organization online at www.rwanational.org

RANURGIS wanted to know if there were others in my family who were creative types.

ANSWER: Yes. In fact, I think everyone in my family is creative in one way or another, but, then, I may be biased. I am the only writer in the bunch, however, and the only one who does her creative thing professionally.

DEE from AUSTRALIA wanted to know if I felt I had grown as an author.

ANSWER: Don't know that I've grown, but I've certainly changed. Authors are like sharks: If we don't keep moving we get real bored -- and boring.

MARCIE wanted to know if my non-writing friends understand my frustrations or joys when I talk about my stories.

ANSWER: I never talk about my stories to my non-writing friends. There is nothing more boring than having to listen to an author talk about her writing.

MICHELLE wanted to know how I keep myself from doing too much research.

ANSWER: You're right, Michelle, research can, indeed, become a form of procrastination. The secret is to do enough to get some plot ideas and then start writing. Once you start you'll find out what else you need to know. I research as I write.

DFENDER wanted to know the three people I'd most love to have to a dinner party.

ANSWER: Actually, there are five I'd like to invite: My sister Quills.

DARLA wanted to know if there was one thing I could change in my writing career what would it be and why?

ANSWER: I would not have hired the lousy agent who convinced me to sign away my birth name (Jayne Castle) for ten years. By the time I got the name back, I had fired up my "Krentz" and "Quick" careers. I now use "Castle" for my futuristic/paranormals.

BRANDY wanted to know if there is a book I wish I hadn't written.

ANSWER: Sure. But here's the deal: Writing is a self-taught profession. The only way to learn your craft is to write. I've learned from every book I've written so, even though I'd just as soon that some of my early titles never saw the light of print again, they were what got me where I am today. Therefore, I guess I can't entirely regret them.

KAREN wanted to know what my dream job would have been if I hadn't become a writer.

ANSWER: I have no idea but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go back to waiting tables if I could avoid it.

SUSAN B wanted to know if I reread my own books.

ANSWER: Nope. Never. When I'm working on a series such as my Arcane Society books I'll occasionally check facts or names of characters I've used in previous books, but that's it.

MS. OWEN & MS. KINDER wanted to know if turning my art into my job in any way distracted from the joy that I take in the writing and have I ever felt that I had to do less than my best to meet a deadline.

ANSWER: No to both questions. I love my work and I would never turn in a manuscript that did not feel "right" to me.

TAMMY wanted to know if there was anything I'd like to change in one of my older books.

ANSWER: I'm sure that if I ever reread my old titles I would find plenty to change but since I never reread them I'm saved from that misery.

CBELL wanted to know the top ten romance novels I would take to the beach.

ANSWER: Unfortunately, that's a moving target because I'm always looking for new titles, especially by my sister Quills.

EVERSCOI wanted to know what comes first, characters or plot?

ANSWER: For me, they come together. Ideas for one inspire ideas for the other. It's hard to explain. Creativity is a very chaotic process.

KATHY H wanted to know how we find time to read other authors' books and if we each have a favorite.

ANSWER: Can't speak for the other Quills but reading is as necessary to me as eating and breathing so somehow I find the time. No one particular favorite, though. I'm always looking for the next good read.

KATHY H also noted that, since I write under three names, how do I decide which book to write next?

ANSWER: That decision is driven by my contract and publishing schedules.

REBECCA wanted to know how to make a green ghost martini and also how I keep my rear in the chair so that I can write.

ANSWER: The green ghost martini recipe is, I'm afraid, a classified Quill secret. As for how I keep myself at the computer, well, deadlines have a way of enforcing a certain degree of discipline on the writing process. If I don't turn in the book, I don't get paid. Amazingly, simple things like that really work with me.

MEC wanted to know which of my books I would recommend to someone who had never tried any of my titles.

ANSWER: The latest titles which just happen to be THE RIVER KNOWS (under my Amanda Quick name) and WHITE LIES (under my Jayne Ann Krentz name)

JULES BENNETT wanted to know if I work on more than one project at a time.

ANSWER: No. That way lies madness.

SIAN wanted to know if there is a novel by another author that I wish I had written.

ANSWER: No. I admire other writers but the only stories I want to tell are the ones that are in my head.

SHOSHANA asked about organizing research.

ANSWER: For me research is an ongoing process. It starts before I sit down to write Chapter One and it continues until I finish the last chapter.

ANONYMOUS asked how many people who read my books would recognize me on the street.

ANSWER: Thankfully, no one would recognize me from my author photo which is a fine example of the fine art of makeup, lighting and digital enhancement. Trust me, I don't look anything like that in person. I can't imagine anything more dreadful than to be recognized by absolute strangers. Aaargh. I treasure my privacy.

AGTIGRESS wanted to know if the so-called "business side" of writing -- dealing with agents, contracts, conferences, blogs, reviews, etc. -- provides balance and counterpart to the intense concentration of actually writing, or just a distracting pain in the neck.

ANSWER: Hmm. I hadn't given the matter much thought but now that you mention it, although I moan and groan about a lot of the stuff that goes with the profession of writing, some of those activities do, indeed, provide balance and context. We live in the real world after all. Occasionally it is a good thing to be reminded of that fact. Just between you and me, though, I could do without the dipsquat reviews.

JOY noted that I had written a lot of books and wondered how hard it was to recall the content of a particular title.

ANSWER: Sadly, I'm doing good if I can remember the title, let alone the plot or the names of the characters.

I think that's all. Great batch of questions. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Jayne

Ode to Man's Best Friend

Morning everyone! Today I have a guest blogger, the incredible Carly Phillips.
Carly and I have known each other since our early Temptation days. She's a good friend, and an amazing author! Let's have a warm welcome for Carly!



Thanks Lori!
Let me start by saying I love the Quills. All the authors have impacted my thought process at one point or another during my career. They are talented and fun … and they’re having me here. Woo Hoo! Thank you!

I thought I would talk about odd topics that tie together for me – pets and stress.

We all have stress in our lives, right? Currently, I have a book overdue which is just not like me, my youngest daughter is graduating elementary school this week, she has parties every day, my oldest has high school finals … I am the carpooler, chauffeur, the wallet, the psychologist, the shoulder to lean on, the friend, the disciplinarian, and the meal giver, and that’s on a good day. I have a husband who definitely helps and definitely adds stress (hey, he’s a man, what do you expect?). Add to that my personal stress (hey, don’t ask what it is, that’s personal! ) … and I’m at an all time frazzled.


In the midst of this craziness I call life, I have a 9 year old wheaten terrier named Buddy who I adore and a brand new 14 week old wheaten puppy named Bailey who has quickly carved out a place in my heart. She needs feeding 2x a day now, constant walks, she barks up a storm because she wants to be with us and when she’s in her crate she’s annoyed. When I feed her breakfast, she drinks too much water first and she pukes, then she won’t eat breakfast. If I withhold water, she gets annoyed and stamps her paws. Seriously. She loves Buddy and she rides him like a horse, standing on her hind legs, putting her front paws on his back, and hopping to follow him around the room. And somehow, Buddy who’s been the only child for 9 years, has fallen in love with her too. If they aren’t together, they both get upset.

The point? I could call the dogs added stress but in fact they are just the opposite. They make me happy. Make me smile. Make me forget for a little while that right now I’m having a hard time finding time for ME. (and ME time = writing time). Because I love pets, they play an important role in many of my books.


In The Hot Zone books, Uncle Yank has a Labradoodle (a mix of a Poodle and a Labrador dog) that the irascible old man uses as his “guide dog”. In CROSS MY HEART (out June 26th) there is a mutt named DIGGER who steals my heroine Lacey’s heart and in its sequel SEALED WITH A KISS (out Sept. 25th) there is a Macaw named Ollie after Colonel Oliver North. (If you never saw him, I admit to having a high school crush on him during the Iran Contra Scandal years and years ago).

Though I wander in my thought process, basically, this blog is an ode to animals. All kinds of animals but really the ones who are man’s best friend and de-stress us in the midst of our busy lives.

Do you have a favorite pet that eases the stress of the day for you? What kind? And what did you name him/her? Please share!
Buddy and Bailey would love to meet them.



NY Times Bestseller, CARLY PHILLIPS
CROSS MY HEART, June 26th 2007
www.carlyphillips.com (see the video!)
www.plotmonkeys.com (blog)

ELIZABETH GETS GRILLED

JAYNE: Boy, howdy, am I excited! When it comes to edgy, romantic thrillers no one does them better than Elizabeth Lowell. Her latest, INNOCENT AS SIN, is out now in hardcover. It features a fascinating and very dangerous agent from the mysterious group known as St. Kilda Consulting. Gotta tell you, EL, I love the St. Kilda books!

ELIZABETH: What are friends for, right? I love your dust bunnies and the Arcane Society.

JAYNE: Thanks. Okay, let's get right to the good stuff. What gave you the idea for a thriller based on the illegal arms trade in Africa?

ELIZABETH: That’s easy. Headlines. When the son of France’s most powerful politician is accused of brokering/receiving bribes from the French/African oil trade, it intrigues me. A lot. As oil, like any other natural resource, is a source of cash, which is another name for power, rebels aren’t shy about hijacking a resource for their own uses.

JAYNE: But I read newspapers, too, and nearly all of the background of INNOCENT AS SIN was news to me.

ELIZABETH: Newspapers are just one information source. Books, magazines, internet sites, court transcripts, and hyperlinks in text are all great sources. There are some amazing blogs out there, including some by former government employees— everything from diplomats to special ops. (My husband is incredibly good at finding and assessing such blogs.)

JAYNE: You trust blogs?

ELIZABETH: About as much as I trust the average news reader on TV. Not much! But I’m not building a court case, so I’m free to juggle blogs from right, left, center, and parallel universes. Every opinion can suggest a piece of plot, an insight into a character, and a chilling appreciation of how fragile what we call civilization really is.

That’s the core of the St. Kilda Consulting books: the fragility of social order in an increasingly chaotic world. In the 21st century, big central governments seem either to disintegrate like the Soviet Union or move so ponderously that the transnational criminals easily evade national laws. Each victory for the criminals is a loss for civilization.


JAYNE: I love the combination of adrenaline and sensuality in your plots.

ELIZABETH: So do I! It makes the whole experience more intense for the reader—and the writer. People under pressure, particularly under threat of death, don’t have time to play dating games. There aren’t many shades of gray when you’re fighting for your life. All emotions are heightened. Greed, fear, lust, love, rage; everything is sharper, more urgent.

Kayla Shaw and Rand McCree discover that very quickly. They also discover that when everything is at risk, trust is a double-edged sword. Make the right choice and live. Make the wrong one and die.

JAYNE: Could you give us a little excerpt?

ELIZABETH: I will, if you send me the new dust bunny ms as soon as you finish!

JAYNE: Deal!

ELIZABETH: First some background. Rand McCree is an artist who is working for St. Kilda Consulting just long enough to find the man who murdered his twin brother. Kayla Shaw is a private banker who is being framed for money laundering. At the moment, Rand is painting a canvas for a “Fast Draw” competition being held at the Phoenix, Arizona, estate of Andre Bertone, whose vast fortune came from smuggling arms.


Rand’s first thought was that the surveillance photos hadn’t done Kayla justice. There were shadows and light, haunting sadness and laughter, heat and cold, a whole universe of possibilities in her fiercely intelligent eyes.

He felt like he’d been sucker punched.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

Kayla looked from the painting to the man. Somehow she expected artists to be short or slight or old or shy or … unthreatening. This man wasn’t any of those things. Tall, long-limbed, wide-shouldered, powerful, with gray-green eyes that could etch steel.

“I think,” she said, “that it’s too bad the subject isn’t worthy of the artist.”

Rand almost smiled, almost swore. She’d seen right through him, knew he thought the Bertone estate was a screaming paean to the bad taste.

What’s a woman like Kayla doing in a place like this?

But instead of asking the age-old question, Rand used a palette knife to blend some of the fresh oil paint, then applied a few dabs to the canvas. He squinted to measure the effect.

Then he gave Kayla a sideways look.

She was turned half away from him. If you didn’t look in her eyes, she seemed younger than he knew she was. Her body was athletic, fit, attractive, and so tightly strung she all but vibrated. Tan skin, black linen suit and a scoop-neck silk blouse that just revealed a small rose tattoo on her collarbone.

Rand wanted to lick it.

Kayla’s dossier had intrigued him, his dreams had been hot, and her reality was even hotter.

“I don’t remember you being on the program,” she said.

“I’m a late entry.”

With a feeling close to awe, Kayla watched Rand bring the canvas to life. The result was beautiful but not at all mild. A very masculine kind of beauty. Intense. Edgy. Riveting.

Like him.

Under the pretext of viewing the canvas from another angle, Rand turned sideways, coming closer to Kayla. She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla, sunshine and just plain woman. Her dark brown hair was streaked by the sun or a very expensive colorist. Ice blue eyes, minimum makeup, and that damned tempting rose tattoo.

I hope you’re as innocent as I believe you are, Rand thought grimly. But innocent or not, we’re stuck with each other.

Maybe we should just lie back and enjoy.

“You know a good place for us to have dinner after this is over?” Rand asked.

“I kind of have another commitment,” Kayla said.

The look on her face said she didn’t want it.

“Can you break it?” he asked.

“I’m thinking about doing just that.”

“So I’m not entirely out of the running,” Rand said.

“Why do I feel hunted?”

“My technique must need work.” He turned to smile over his shoulder at Kayla.

And saw his brother’s killer.


JAYNE: Oh, yeah, this is definitely an Elizabeth Lowell thriller, all right. Hot and edgy; a real rush. Readers, take my advice and run, do not walk to the nearest bookstore or click on any of the links below.

We're Listening . . .

Or, Now it’s Your Turn!

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that my sister Quills and I have been planning a special, "Because you asked," session.

This is it!

Throughout this week we’d like you to drop your questions in as comments--there will be regular blogs, of course. But for the following two weeks we intend to give you our complete attention (this may be less of an honor than you think...) and tell you everything you want to know about anything we know something about.

Nice sentence, that.

Roll up your sleeves. Spit on your palms. Give ‘em a good rub. Stretch. Flex. And give us your best shots:)

Cheers, Stella

If I hear Paris Hilton's name one more time... a rant, by Susan

Remember when news actually used to be about what was going on in the world or in your city? When Uncle Walter said, "And that's the way it is," and you felt that WAS the way it was? Then O.J. Simpson crept down a Los Angeles freeway and overnight, it seemed, everything changed. Top Story became Top Speculation.

And now we have Hollywood gossip dominating the news. What the heck is that all about? I find it hard to believe that I'm the only one who could give a flying fig what Paris Hilton and others of her ilk are doing. Yet you can't seem to pick up a magazine or turn on a television without encountering a story about them. When did vacant-eyed young women whose only claim to fame is drunken partying and/or narcissistic exhibitionism become the main story on the six o'clock news? How has it managed to overtake in-depth reporting on matters of actual importance?

Or maybe I should just take a deep breath. Okay, doing that here.
Still, I have to admit it feels good to get that little rant off my chest.

Anything you'd care to get off yours?

Elizabeth G. ponders: The Secrets of "Dark Energy"

I love the very thought of pondering the imponderable. How big is the universe? How many stars are there in the night sky? What would it be like to fall into a black hole? Could there really be ten or eleven or even twelve dimensions? (I have trouble visualizing three, by the way.)

I recently read an article about “Dark Energy” written by this brilliant female astrophysicist, who is also a professor at Yale University. Basically (and I’m talking real basic here, folks, because while it fascinates me, I don’t understand a whole lot of this scientific stuff) the discovery of “Dark Energy” is the biggest thing since sliced bread in Professor Meg Urry’s world.

To put it in a few simple words (mainly for my own sake), according to Professor Urry, most of the universe isn’t visible to us AND we have absolutely no clue what it is: Hence, the term “Dark Energy.”

You see, I love that! I love the fact that we human beings don’t know everything. I love the fact that there is still so much to be discovered, to be understood, to be truly in awe of.

And, in case you’re wondering if I intend to get around to relating the concept of “Dark Energy” to the world of books: I do. Right now.

I realize I still want mystery and magic when I read. I still want to feel in awe when I pick up a book. I want to be mesmerized by a story, or a writer’s knowledge of a subject I don’t know squat about, or her ability to touch my heart and make me feel the gamut of emotions: joy, sadness, wonder, fear, disgust, excitement, terror.

I don’t want to know too much ahead of time. Just a favorite author’s name on the front cover. Or the fact that a trusted friend recommended I read such-and-such. Or maybe finding the back-cover copy sucking me in as I wander around my local bookstore or library and stop to look at a book by somebody I’ve never heard of before.

Ah, the thrill of discovery!

Do you remember learning how to read? I don’t.

Do you recall learning how to write? Nope again for me. (I’m not talking about learning to print or write cursive, but stringing words together into coherent sentences and paragraphs.)

And I sure as heck can’t explain the process that leads me — or any writer — from the smallest kernel of an idea to a finished manuscript. (Okay, a whole lot of hard work, but that’s not what I mean.)

You know what? I don’t want to know, either. Furthermore, I have no intentions of trying to explain it to myself or anyone else. (My gut instincts tell me I couldn’t even if I wanted to.)



I have reached a conclusion here at the end of this mid-week mid-June blog, folks. To my way of thinking there should be more mystery in the world, not less. More enjoyment, less critiquing. More fantasy, less reality. More wonder, fewer explanations. But that's just me.

Of course, Inquiring Minds want to know: Are you intrigued by the unknown or does it bother you? What is a source of wonder/awe for you?

Happy Musings!

EG

Jayne Goes Green for Summer

Summer means a lot of things to people -- flip-flops, sunglasses, tee-shirts -- but to me it means PESTO! I love the stuff and I always make my own. The pesto that comes in jars is always too runny and way too garlicky for my taste. I've done a lot of experimenting over the years and the pesto that has evolved in my kitchen bears little resemblance to the traditional version. (My apologies to purists but, hey, I'm the one who eats it so I'm having it my way).

Speaking of eating it, back in our pre-carb-counting days I used pesto on pasta -- a lot. I also ladled it over baked potatoes. Yum! Sadly, we no longer eat pasta here in the Krentz household but I have discovered a world of new ways to enjoy pesto. It is fabulous with feta cheese, for instance, and it makes a great topping for fish or soyburgers. If you're still eating bread (we do eat the low-carb version) it is a terrific sandwich spread. If you process a very coarse version you'll get a wonderful side dish that can be served with anything.

So, in the spirit of summer, I offer below my favorite food of the season:

JAYNE'S SUMMER PESTO

(Another note to you purists out there -- you know who you are -- no, I don't add any garlic. I am not a fan of garlic. But if you like garlic I suppose it wouldn't hurt).

Wash and spin dry the leaves of the following green things. You'll need enough to fill the bowl of the food processor (lightly packed).

1 large bunch fresh basil leaves
1 large bunch fresh Italian flat leaf parsley (not the crinkly kind). (You could also use arugula and/or watercress).

Place washed and dried green things in food processor bowl. Then add the following. (All measures are suggestions only -- feel free to experiment).

1/3 cup of green olives sliced in half (just to make sure there are no pits). Yes, you can use the kind they put into martinis.

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts. (You know how to toast pine nuts, don't you? Just toss them in a dry pan over medium heat and let them toast until golden. Hint: Shake the pan a lot. The suckers will burn on you if you don't keep them moving.)

1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese or parmesan-reggiano blend.
Juice and zest of one lime.
1/4 tsp. of hot sauce (or more if you like).

Pulse all the above together until you get it down to the consistency that you like. I prefer mine with a lot of texture.

Now add some good quality OLIVE OIL a couple of tablespoons at a time and pulse or stir some more until you get it the way you want it. Again, I prefer a thick mixture but some folks like it thin and runny. I don't know why.

Taste. Usually the olives and parmesan add enough salt but you might want a little more.

And there you have it: summer magic, as least as far as I'm concerned.

What will you be cooking up this summer? And does anyone out there have another off-beat pesto recipe? I'm always on the lookout for a new variation.

Happy Summer!

--Jayne

Smell the Roses

I woke early today because the builder was due at 7 am, and I wanted a moment before the noise started. (They took out the kitchen wall yesterday. My kitchen is officially off-limits for at least a week.)

It was dark and warm, safe and secure when I went outside and sat on the step of my front porch. I never discount that feeling of safety, especially with so much going on in the world.
While my two most-adorable little dogs, Tootsie and Brock (pictured to the left), did their business in a leisurely fashion, I sipped my coffee.
Birds chirped.
Geese landed on the pond.

When it's quiet enough, as it is that time of the morning, I can hear the slow, lazy moos of the cows in fields a few miles away, mixing with the echo of a distant train whistle.

Not to sound poetic (though it's true) as I sat there, a giant neon-red sun rose into the sky. My camera doesn't do it justice, doesn't s how the vivid colors, but it always moves me.

And I can't help but think - dang, I am just so blessed.

I mulled over the night before, when I'd spent some time talking on the phone with my two older sons, both of whom are happy, settled, and have bright futures before them.
(Above is the sunrise, though my camera doesn't do it justice. To the left are my kids, starting with my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Bev sitting on Jake, then Mason and last, my oldest Aaron. This photo was taken at an underground river cave, while we waited for the tour guide.)

My oldest son spoke about his new position at work and how much he's enjoying it. He has his own private office now, and added responsibilities that both challenge him and motivate him. He moved a couple of hours south of me (he used to live a couple of hours north) and he loves his new home, and the new town he's in. After catching me up on work and life in general, he told me an amusing news story that he appreciated, and we laughed about it.

My middle son told me how his and his fiance's new cats always find a way into the bathroom, and how they sleep all day, then don't want to sleep at night. He thinks he'll somehow teach these enormous cats to adjust to his schedule. Of course I laughed.

If I haven't yet shared with you about the cats, take a look at these photos of one of the brother cats with Bev. He's as big as she is!
They took the pair from the animal shelter near my house because they were told the cats are brothers, and close to one another. The biggest of the two weighs 18lbs. The smaller one is only smaller by a smidge.

But they're beautiful, and Bev loves them, and Jake loves Bev, so it's all good.

Not long after talking to my two older boys on the phone, I kissed my youngest son and grandson goodnight, before they went downstairs to my son's "apartment" in our house. (That's them at the amusement park last week) My grandson smelled like baby lotion and was all squishy-soft and cuddly as only a sleepy 20 month old baby can be. My son had him dressed in Batman pjs, and he looked adorable. On their way downstairs, I heard him say, "Nighty-night, Daddy," in his very cute little voice. He talks all the time now, and says anything and everything, often taking us by surprise. Watching him grow is a joy.

That evening, in our normal routine, the husband and I talked for awhile before going to sleep. We worked over some problems on the horizon, but found no solutions. We discussed furniture for the addition. We made plans for the next day, and laughed over a few things that had happened earlier.

All in all, we just shared, as we've always done.

Did I tell you that on June 30th, we'll celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary? I thought it was 30 years, but then I'm terrible with numbers. I met my husband on the 3rd day of my sophomore year of high school, and I've been smitten ever since. Every year honestly gets better, and I'm so glad I've had him with me to share the ups and downs of life. When I tell people that he's honestly the core to all the heroes I write, I mean it.

The weekend before was my and Dianne's event, and I'm still amazed at the number of volunteers who turned out to help, and how friendly and generous everyone is. In one weekend, we made around (give or take) $4500 for charities. (Exact figures are still being calculated.) We have donations for the Battered Women's Shelter, the troops, and my local animal shelter where my son got his two cats. (That's me in the middle of the photo to the right, surrounded by truly incredible readers/volunteers.)


Sometimes the "good stuff" almost overwhelms me.
Do you ever feel that way?

I lost my mother to cancer years ago, and grandparents to cancer before her. But I still have the rest of my family - my two sisters and my brother, a houseful of nieces and nephews, and my dad and his wife, who is a very lovely person. I have my husband's family. And I have a wonderful friend, Dianne Castell, who is a dynamo with a heart of gold. (That's Dianne with me at the get together.)

Throughout my life, I've had problems big and small. But I've always had more blessings than not. I often look around myself in almost guilty amazement. There are so many things for which I'm grateful, family first, healthy and safety second, and so much beyond that, I could blog for a month and still be wondering at how and why I'm so blessed.

I don't know exactly what this blog is about - I just had to share with you. I sincerely hope that you're as happy as I am, that although you'll have problems (as I have) they'll be balanced with promises and love and good memories. I hope you smile a lot more often than you cry. I hope that for every loved one you lose, you welcome another into your heart.
And I hope that you remember the importance of attitude, that even when things seem to be at their worst, you have blessings that others might not have.

I'd love to hear of some of those things, life-altering or spirit lifting, that make your world better and happier, the things that give you peace. Anything you consider a blessing, whether it's your dog, or a friend, a new home or a new job, or something as simple as seeing another sunrise.
Never, ever take any of it for granted.

Big, BIG hugs from me.

ELIZABETH COUNTS DOWN

It's too early to get excited.

We don't leave until the 21st of JULY.

*wonders how I can wait that long*

So I try not to think about it.

But I do.

Dawn in Alaska, salmon fishing with Evan and other good friends. Four to a 25' boat, plus captain and deckhand. ("Bait, please!")

A salmon rod coming suddenly alive, bowed with the force of the fish on the other end of a hundred feet of line. The line going weightless as the coho salmon races to the surface and leaps in a flashing silver arc while I reel in with a frenzy of motion until I catch up to the fish.

Contact!

For a few minutes I walk an unruly 10-18 pound acrobat on the end of a hundred feet of monofilament line. Up, down, sideways, around the boat, over and under other fisherman, until the fish spits the hook (we use single hooks and mooching reels, so freedom is a real option) or I bring it to the net. If we have enough fish for the day, I simply slack the line, the fish shakes off the hook, and vanishes beneath the wind and waves.

But maybe it isn't a coho. Maybe it's a king salmon.

If you've fished enough, you know the difference instantly. At the first touch of restraint, a coho zooms for the surface. A king salmon, for all its size (25 lbs and up, waaay up) mouths the herring daintily. All I feel is a hesitation in the descent of the bait. So I reel gently down to the hesitation, four inches of line for each turn on the reel. If you yank, you'll snatch the bait right out of the fish's mouth.

Not good.

So it's cat and mouse time. Reel down until you feel resistance. Gently, gently reel more, inches at a time, until you feel the unmistakable tug of a king salmon. The game goes from gentle to fierce in seconds. Unlike its smaller cousin, the king salmon doesn't go for the surface. It goes straight to the bottom.

And it sulks, unmoving.

The men who are on the boat reel and tug and haul with all the glorious upper body strength of their gender, until they force the salmon up toward the surface--or miscalculate and jerk the hook free.

I wait, leaning in the opposite direction of the pull, while the rod makes a quivering arc between me and the salmon. (Did I mention we are on the open ocean, with all the wind, waves, and storm squalls to go with it?) When the salmon gives a foot, I reel it in. Two feet, I reel that in.

When you get a big salmon to the surface is when the fun really begins. The fish gets one look at the boat and takes off for Japan. The mooching reel screams as line races out. If you don't get your hand out of the way, you'll learn why mooching reels are called "knuckle busters."

Then the fish sulks.

Again.

I wait, leaning back on my end of the vibrant arc of the rod.

The fish decides to circle the boat. Chinese fire drill time--under, over, around other fisherman on the deck. If you weren't good friends before you negotiate the 2' wide passage around the boat, you are at the end!

The other fisherman probably have their own salmon to fight at the same time. In ocean swells with wind chop and rain foaming all around.

Depending on the size of the fish, or the size of the fight in that fish, we play the off-to-Japan game three or four times before the fish gets free or comes to the net. By then I'm panting, arm-weary, and grinning like an idiot.

It is glorious.

Not everyone's cuppa, but it sure is mine.

And then we get to eat the most wonderful food on earth--fresh salmon! We marinate a filet for half an hour in fresh lemon juice, herbs from the garden, and olive oil. Then Evan grills it flesh side down for just over half the cooking time (varies with thickness of filet). When the filet lifts freely from the barby, we finish it on the skin side. We like our salmon just on the hot side of sushi. *drools*

(Note: the first picture was swiped from the website of Angling Unlimited, the wonderful outfit we've fished with for ten years. The people in the photo are strangers, but the boat is exactly like the one we fish on. The other three photos are of yours truly with a king salmon. The pics we had from the stormy, wave-tossed days looked like yellow/blue/green slickers in rain, shot on the diagonal, horizon all over the place...which was the way it was.)


WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, CAN'T WAIT, LIKE A KID MARKING OFF THE DAYS TO CHRISTMAS?

KNICK OFF SUMMER!

1. AN ANNOUNCEMENT

Trumpets, please...

Questions, that is the answer. Recently one of our cherished boarders (yes, I know you don’t pay rent to be here) mentioned that it might be nice for all boarders (like that word) to be able to ask questions occasionally. The great heads put themselves together (one day I’ll qualify for summits) and decided that this is a very good idea.

When you have a question to ask of a writer please type ? EL, EG, Susan, Lori, Jayne or Stella at the top of a comment form and ask away. Each of us–in order–will use one of our two monthly blog days to answer questions.

To clarify, questions may be asked at any time. Questions will be answered by one writer each month.


2. KNICKERBOCKERGLORY

Or Knickerblockergloria as our son called them when he was little.

There was a request for a recipe for this faborama dessert and whatever our boarders want, our boarders get:

EQUIPMENT:

A large sundae glass for each person
A very, very long spoon--for each person
An ice cream scoop
Large number of napkins

INGREDIENTS:

Various flavors of ice cream
Various flavors of syrup
Nuts
Fruit: blueberries, pineapple chunks, chocolate chips from a chocolate chip bush, apricots, fresh mango, guava, lilikoi, bananas, strawberries, blackberries, marion berries, lingenberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, gooseberries, logonberries. This last is a list of possibilities. You don’t have to use all of them at the same time.

Sundries: M&Ms;Ms, Oreo crumbles, crumbled Butterfingers, raisins (sorry, that belongs with fruits really, I think), sprinkles, tube frosting in color of choice.
Cherries, whipped cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Gob of syrup in bottom of glass
Scoop of ice cream
Toss in nuts and fruit
Another gob of syrup–suggest different flavor
Scoop of ice cream–suggest a different flavor
Toss in nuts and fruit
Another gob of syrup–time for the third flavor
Scoop of ice cream–suggest a third flavor
Toss in nuts and fruit
Another gob of syrup–fourth flavor–let this drip down through ice cream, fruit and nuts a bit.
Final scoop of ice cream. Vanilla is recommended here to clean palate before the blast to come.
Nuts, Oreo crumbles, Butterfinger crumbles
Final gob of syrup–plenty, please.
Whipped cream to adequate point
Sprinkles
Cherry on top
Tube frosting is to write name of recipient if you can find somewhere to do this.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: THREE TIMES A DAY.

Hugs on Monday morning, Stella

Please share opinions of the Knickerbockerglory and share any favorite sunny foods or drinks. And if you have a summer memory that just makes you wiggle with happiness, we’d like an opportunity to wiggle with you:)

Susan mourns the loss of the wing window

Last weekend we went over to our cabin on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. It was a holiday weekend and I-90 was packed, so the drive took us longer than usual. The soulmate and I took Boo and Mojo with us, because they're good travelers and Moj in particular loves the mouse and lizard hunting to be found there.


But it's Spring. And they're medium-to-longhair cats. And they were shedding to beat the band.

Now, ordinarily I don't have an issue with their fur. Sure, I have to vacumn more frequently than I did with my last two cats, but big whoop. By the time we got to our cabin Friday night, however, my left eye was swollen and dry and itched like a sunovagun, and I was so stuffed up I could barely breathe. I felt as though I were covered head to toe in mohair--which wasn't too far from the truth as we discovered the next day when we saw the car in broad daylight. The interior was befurred from stem to stern.

That long, drawn out ride through the dark of the night, however, wouldn't have been nearly as uncomfortable if I'd had a wing window. Anyone else remember those triangular little openings one could use without having to roll down the entire window?

I kept cracking the passenger window to shovel out fistfuls of fur. (Hey. It's biodegradable--it's not like I was littering the highway with Starbucks cups or cigarette butts)

But I digress. The windows in today's cars and trucks aren't real condusive to ridding yourself of things, particularly if they're lighter than air to begin with. Trust me on this: If you flick a wad of wispy fur out the front curve of a modern window, chances are it's going to come right in again via the back curve.

Sigh.

I pine for the good old days when you could crack the wing window and efficiently dispose of the hair from your comb or the crumbs you'd picked out of the roll-and-tuck upholstery without having it end up in the back seat. I liked being able to get a breath of fresh air without having every ounce of style whipped out of my hair. And you never heard that awful whump, whump, whump that sometimes assaults your eardrums when one window is lowered in a modern car. Why would anyone think it was smart to lose such a cool design feature?

And don't even get me started on the air vents on the floor that once could be opened at will to cool down your scorching feet.

What do you miss because somebody new and improved it to death?