Kickin' back...

You've all heard me shouting from the rooftops that I'm done, done, done with my latest manuscript. My next book (2nd in my SERVANT series under the name L.L.Foster) isn't due until December. That means I've had time to just kick back and relax and do a little of this, a little of that.

My blog today is a random scattering of the happenings in the life of the Foster clan. I'm sort of all over the place on topics, but I figured we'd just converse, catch up, say hey... that sort of thing. So here are the things I've been doing, thinking, watching...

Hope I don't bore you!

First, my son now has a new kitten, and I'm so proud of him!
Here's the scoop: This is the son who recently married.
He and his wife have one more year of classes at EKU, then Jake will have the police academy, etc... So they're attending school while they both work at a pizza place. Busy, Busy.
Bev is a waitress, Jake delivers.
The other night he had trouble finding a house, and so he went up to the door to check on the address. No one was home, but he found something horrible.
Abandoned kittens that had perished in the driveway.
Disgusted and upset, he started to leave when, wonder of wonders, one tiny little "guy" mewled. Of course, Jake rescued it.

In between deliveries, he bought an eye dropper and special milk and started trying to feed the starving little "guy." That was a Sunday evening.

The next day, in between classes, they took "him" to the vet and that afternoon, Jake called to say, "Mom, he's not a boy, he's a girl."

Cracked me up.

Anyway, the little darling was dehydrated and has worms (ewwww), but the vet is confident that with lots of care, she'll be fine. Jake says she's already up and about and annoying his big ole lazy cats.
Remember, Jake and Bev already have Liger and Gremlin, BIG kitty cats:



But the new baby, who Jake says only weighs a couple of ounces, is fitting in.

Allen suggested they name her "Cactus" because... are you ready?

She was all dried up.

Yeah, that was bad, but funny.

Bev named her Foxy, because she's adorable, but Jake says she might change it, given how mischevious the little girl kitty is.

In other news... I devoured a new television series! Yep, Season One. Gulp, and it's gone!
You see, I wait until
1) I've finished a book and need the downtime and
2) the first season is on DVD so I can glom.

So I'm watched Dexter - and it was FASCINATING!

Dexter is a serial killer, but he's not a bad guy.
Intriguing, huh!?
Before he was adopted by a loving family, terrible things happened to him to make him the way he is. His adoptive dad, a cop, taught him how to deal with his "tendencies." Instead of hurting the innocent people, Dexter is a serial killer who hunts...

I do love this...

Serial Killers.

Is that awesome or what?

I couldn't get enough of this show, and I even dreamed about it. If you don't mind a little blood and gore, I highly recommend it! It'll keep you riveted!

On the domestic side, I found tile for my kitchen backsplash. Took me forever!
Man, am I picky, I guess.
It should get installed in about a month, after the ordered tiles arrive and our contractor can fit it in. I can't wait! I also changed the brand new paint color in my family room because it just wasn't right.
The painters must love me.
Here's a photo of the kitchen - you can see where the tile will go beneath the range hood. I have a little picture hanging there right now, just to fill in the space.



What do you think? It's hard to get a clear image of the hickory wood (oak for the stove cabinet and range hood) corian countertops and granite on the island. But can you see why choosing tiles wasn't easy! I like things to coordinate and there's a lot going on in the kitchen.

I've also seen several movies.
INVASION - it was okay, but why did Nicole Kidman keep sitting down to kick back when she knew if she fell asleep, she'd turn into an alien? Ugh.

SUPERBAD - Hilarious!! Made by the same guys who did 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP. (Great titles, huh?) Anyway, I laughed myself sick.

RUSH HOUR THREE - what can I say? I adore Jackie Chan.

WAR - good movie till the end, then a total unbelievable bust.

BALLS OF FURY - Kind of dumb, with only a few yucks. Not nearly as funny as the previews made out.

My favorite lately: BOURNE ULTIMATUM. That Jason Bourne is just one incredible character! I sure hope there are more in that series.

Because even in my downtime I like to keep busy, I've had two big family gatherings with extended family, and have another planned for Monday, Labor Day. I'm sure a good time will be had by all! I love having family gather at my house. It's especially nice now that we have all ages.

Oh, something super cool that I hope you don't mind me sharing!! Good news - I got an award from BORDERS again this year. Well, they run a year behind, so while I just got it, it was for an 06 book.
Last year I received an award for "Bestselling Contemporary Romance" for THE SECRET LIFE OF BRYAN.
This year it was "Bestselling Romantic Comedy" for JUDE'S LAW.
Sweet!
Most reviewers might not like me, but I'd rather have readers on my side anyway.

And I don't know if I already dished on this, but if not...
MMAWorldwide named SIMON SAYS the "MMA Worldwide Book Of the Year."
(You can see the label they attached on the front page of my website. Makes me grin real big every time!)
The UFC is coming to my town in October and I already have my primo seats for the whole family - that is, hubby and me, and our 3 sons, and my out-of-town friend, Shana. Can't wait!

Add to all that good stuff that RT gave me 4 stars and a great review for SERVANT: The Awakening. (I usually get not-so-great reviews from everyone.)
Here it is:

"New York Times bestseller Lori Foster uses an alter ego to jump headfirstinto a dark and dangerous world where one woman stands against the demons.Foster's new heroine balances on the edge of sanity and is forced into herdemon-slaying quest by a divinely given ability. This is a gruesome story ofa young, emotionally damaged loner who copes by any means necessary."

Oh yeah, I added a TON of photos to my Myspace account, so if you're on Myspace, check it out. It's on my Lori Foster site at www.myspace.com/mostlymam

So, as you can see, I've caught up on publicity/promo stuff, watched lots of tv and movies, and all in all, enjoyed life. I could get used to chillin' like this! But alas, the time has come to an end. Soon as we wrap up Labor Day, it's back to work. Truth is, my brain is getting twitchy, so I know it's time to write!

What have you all been up to this summer?

Heard any good news lately? Any bad news?

Seen any good movies?

I hope you'll share!
Happy Friday to everyone!

ELIZABETH DROOLS

Last night I bit into a ripe tomato and was immediately transported to a summer in Indiana, when I was fifteen years old. The flesh of the tomato was tender yet firm, sweet, altogether silky, with a taste that filled my mouth and didn’t peel my tongue. I could smell the plant the tomatoe came from, the rich garden earth, the humid heat.

Ahhh, a real tomato, one of Mother Nature’s masterworks!

Nothing like the pale hockey pucks they sell in grocery stores today.

No, I didn’t grow the tomato I so enjoyed last night—on the coast in northern Washington state, there’s a whole book of green tomato recipes, because we just don’t get enough heat to ripen a big tomato.

From the tomato I went to a peach. When I sniffed the uncut fruit, I smelled…PEACH.

I drooled and bought four.

When I cut into the peach at home, it drooled on my fingers. I licked. Sweet, a hint of tart to deepen the flavor, succulent texture, a smell better than any perfume. I hadn’t had a peach like that since I picked one off the tree.

Nope, I didn’t grow that peach, either. Same problem as with the tomatoes.

I moved on to cantaloupe. Golden rind with beige veins. No green in sight. I sniffed. Ohmigod. It smelled like vine-ripened fruit. When I got home, I cut into the rind. The big knife slid right through to the cutting board. The sunny smell of cantaloupe filled the kitchen. The seeds came away easily. The rind was just thick enough to guide my knife along the flesh when I cut the golden-orange fruit away.

It was like eating a dream and a memory.

I could go on and on. Green beans that were crisp, succulent, summer green, neither sweet nor bland, firm but not seedy, tasting of a distant summer when I was fifteen. Lettuce with the heady smell of sun and life, green onions so savory I couldn’t wait to chop them into a salad, raw sugar snap peas better than any refined candy…

Okay, I’ll stop.

Well, not quite. I was at a local farmer’s market when I discovered all the above, and more. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is now a pleasure. Dessert? Pass the cherries, please. Tree ripened, of course. Some local white cheddar to go with it? Don’t mind if I do.


How many of you are lucky enough to have found a place to buy the kind of seasonal fruits and vegetables that our grandparents ate?

Stella introduces M. J. Rose and THE REINCARNATIONIST!

When I was three years old, I told my great grandfather things about his childhood in Russia that there was simply no way I could have known. He became convinced I was a reincarnation of someone in his past. And over time, after more incidents, my mother – a very sane and logical woman -- also came to believe it.

Reincarnation was an idea I grew up with that my mom and I talked about and researched together.For years, I wanted to write a novel about someone like my mother – who was sane and logical – who started out skeptical but came to believe in reincarnation. But I was afraid if I did people would think I was a “woo woo weirdo”.

I tried to start the book ten years ago after my mother died but I was too close to the subject and missed her too much to be able to explore it objectively. Every once in while the idea would start to pester me again but still I stayed away from it. Then a few years ago on the exact anniversary of my mom’s death my niece, who was a toddler at the time, said some very cruious things to me about my mother and I – things she really couldn’t have known -- and the pestering became an obsession.

Josh Ryder, the main character has my mom’s initials, her spirit and her curiosity and like her, he’s a photographer. But there the similarities end.

When Josh starts having flashbacks that simply can’t be explained any other way except as possible reincarnation memories he goes to New York to study with Dr. Malachai Samuels -- a scientist and Reincarnationist who works with children helping them deal with past life memories. In the process Josh gets caught up in the search for ancient memory tools that may or may not physically enable people to reach back and discover who they were and who they are.

Rather than me tell you anymore about it, let me pass on what a wonderful author, New York Times Bestseller Douglas Preston, says about it:“The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose has got to be one of the most original and exciting novels I’ve read in a long time, with a premise so delicious I’m sick with envy I didn’t think of it myself. The novel’s exhilarating story sweeps the reader across the centuries, from ancient Rome to the present day, with stops in between. It will open your mind to some of the incredible mysteries of the past and the greatest secrets of existence. The Reincarnationist is more than a page-turner—it’s a page-burner. Don’t miss it.”

The book has garnered stars from both Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal and is a BookeSense pick for September. I think of all my books, this is the one my mom would be the most proud of which is fitting since it’s really the one she inspired. Please visit my website for an excerpt, an interview with me about the book, a booktrailer and more.

Cheers,M.J.

Jared and P.J., reunited at last!!

Lori: It's coming! It's coming!

Susan: Yep. Coming Undone.

Lori: No! I mean, sure, that's the title of your MOST AWESOME book, but I meant that it's coming Tuesday to a store near readers.

Susan: I know! Yaddadaddadadda, Yaddadaddadadda, Yaddadaddadadda, Wah-AH-um!

Lori: Good gravy, what was that? Did somebody run over a cat?

Susan: Um, no, that was me singing. Okay, poorly, I admit, but you gotta cut me some slack here--I'm totally jazzed about COMING UNDONE but I'm also dragging my tail. I just finished my newest effort, CUTTING LOOSE. And I do mean JUST finished--like five minutes ago. I'm a little rummy.

Lori: Trust me, I know that feeling well. Still, do us all a favor, okay? No more singing.

Susan: :::Sigh::: Okay.

Lori: Especially not while I’m trying to tell readers how they HAVE to get this book. Delish. Just plain delish. Everything I’d hoped for and more.

Susan: Now see, that rejuvenated me. So you liked it?

Lori: LIKED IT? I LOVED IT! And that means mega-talent on your part, because we all know how it is when readers are hankering for that highly-anticipated book. And I have been hankering, as you well know. P.J. stole my heart when I first read her in HOT & BOTHERED. In fact, I think that’s how we first met.

Susan: Yep. You wrote me, demanding to know whether or not P.J. would be okay, because you didn’t want to finish HOT & BOTHERED until I reassured you. :::rolling my eyes:::

Lori: Sorry, but I just loved P.J. and Jared. And I was afraid for them both. But oh baby, what a payoff!

Susan: Thank you again!

Lori: So why don’t you give readers the scoop on what happened with those two, so they can feel reassured, too.

Susan: Sure thing. Jared went into business with Rocket, the former Marine who became a PI. He was the hero of Hot & Bothered.

Lori: Oh, baby! Come to mama! :::Clears throat::: Sorry. But I LOVED “seeing” Rocket and Tori and Esme again. That Rocket is just as hot now as he was in his own book.

Susan: Take a deep breath here, girl. Deeeeep breath. You gotta calm down.

Lori: I’ll try. But this book was so seriously good -

Susan: :::laughing giddily::: Talk about making my day, Lori! Anyway, when Jared joined Semper Fi Agency, they expanded the business to include personal security. And on the P.J. front--well, she's really come a long way from her trailer park days with her mama. She's a rising country music star, known by her first and middle names: Priscilla Jayne.

Lori: Way to go, Peej! I have to tell you, Susan, it was like watching my little sis grow up and come into her own. I LOVED how P.J. matured, and how she still stayed P.J., that is, the girl with the edge, and the girl with that heart-wrenching touch of vulnerability.

Susan: Oh, bless you, bless you! She was such a special character for me in both books, and it means a lot that you felt she was special, too. In COMING UNDONE, P.J. is about to begin the biggest concert tour of her life, one with the potential to really catapult her career. That's the good news. The bad news is, it's kicking off in the midst of a huge scandal.

Lori: :::SNORT::: Bout damn time, if you ask me. I remember what happened in HOT & BOTHERED, so I’m glad she canned her good-for-nothing mom!

Susan: Me, too. But Mama's talking trash to the tabloids and now Wild Wind Records, Priscilla Jayne's label, is getting very nervous about her reliability.

Lori: Which--hello!-- is where Jared comes in. Sweet!

Susan: Yep. They hired Semper Fi Agency to supply a watchdog for their new million dollar baby to make sure she gets to her concerts like she's supposed to.

Lori: Stupid people. It’s not like P.J. has been unreliable in the past and they can't trust her to get herself to them.

Susan: I know! She's never missed a performance in her life.

Lori: And that’s why I KNEW Jared would eventually set them straight in a big way.

Susan: Yeah, but it took him awhile, because Jared hasn't seen P.J. in fifteen years. And I don't know if you remember this, but she sort of disappeared out of his life.

Lori: Remember it??? It broke my heart! Of course I remember.

Susan: And then there were those reports of her being difficult to work with, which were bandied about by her first label.

Lori: Right. And at first, I was a little disappointed in Jared for not defending her quicker. But hey, he’s my very favorite kind of hero --a conflicted one. :) And given his story in HOT & BOTHERED, it’s no wonder that Jared has some trust issues.

Susan: Very true. But he also had that phenomenal connection with P.J. when they lived on the streets of Denver together.

Lori: :::Sigh::: Yeah. They were so clued in to each other. That’s why I was so anxious for this story, and why it is SO satisfying.

Susan: So you feel that Jared redeems himself?

Lori: You betcha! And that’s before the Fundamentalist Whacko Fan starts sending Priscilla Jayne letters...

Susan: Shhhhh! You know what P.T. Barnum said: Keep em coming back for more. At least I think it was P.T. Maybe it was somebody else. Or maybe I just made that up. (Toldja I was rummy).

Lori: Well, I’ll just wrap this up then by saying that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book, and you deserve a good long break now. Rest up – before I start begging for the next one. Um, what did you say the title is again?

Jayne Explains Dust Bunnies

Next week the fourth book in my Ghost Hunter series, SILVER MASTER, arrives in stores. (Tuesday, August 28th, to be precise but it will probably show up sooner in some places and later in others. Such is the nature of the book publishing business). As anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows I write this series under my Jayne Castle name. Anyhow, as I was saying, the book will be out soon and, like the others, it features a dust bunny.

Fans of the Ghost Hunter series love the dust bunnies. As a result, I always get a lot of email asking me what dust bunnies actually look like. In the stories they are variously described as looking like "something that came out of the dryer lint tray" or that "rolled out from under the bed". They have fluffy gray fur. They also have four eyes -- their daylight baby-blues and a second, amber pair that they use for hunting. Dust bunnies are cute and they form psychic bonds with their human companions but they have a dark side that is pretty well summed up with the old saying: "By the time you see the teeth, it's too late".

In spite of my astounding powers of description, I always get a lot of email from readers who want to know what a dust bunny looks like. I have been keeping an eye out for a small beast that closely resembles a dust bunny. I am happy to report that Cissy (my glorious webmaster) and I have found an actual dust bunny, thanks to Betty Chu. So, for those of you who have always wondered what dust bunnies look like, here's your visual. Her name is Araminta.

And if you click the "play" button twice she will tell you a little about SILVER MASTER.

--Jayne

FROM THE X-FILES TO THE SEX FILES

Okay, I confess, the title of this blog ia a rather pitiful ploy on my part to grab your attention. (Gotta love that alliteration though.) It seems that actor David Duchovny (Agent Mulder of the long-running TV cult classic "The X-Files") is starring in a new series for Showtime called "Californication" and it's all about --- you guessed it --- SEX.

But I digress . . . as I so often do. This blog is, in reality, the final Q & A with Elizabeth G. So here goes with part three.

CBELL asks what top ten romance novels I would take to the beach.

Oh, boy, I’ll name ten romance authors instead. (I could easily name a hundred.) This is just off the top of my head and not in particular order. I’d pack historical romances by Stephanie Laurens, Loretta Chase and Julia Quinn. I’d take Christina Dodd’s new paranormal series. Something by each of the Quills, natch. (That’s not cheating. As you may recall from Part 2 of my Q&A, I count the Quills as one.) A Cathie Linz contemporary romance. Ditto for Shirley Jump. I’d like to read a Nalini Singh book, so I’d pack one of her recent paranormals. The latest from Christine Feehan — maybe a Drake sisters book. And just for old time’s sake: a vintage Julie Garwood historical.

EVERSCOI is curious about what comes first, characters or plot?

In the case of NIGHT LIFE, it was definitely the character of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Seti had been in my mind for a long time, which is why it was so exciting to see him get his own book and spawn an entire series, Pharaohs Rising.

But the kernel of an idea can come anywhere, at anytime and from anything. I still remember driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike once when I glimpsed a building up on a hill. I pulled off onto the side of the road and said to my husband: “You drive.”

Now my husband is used to my sometimes “unusual” behavior, so without a word we got out of the car and switched places. He drove. I got out a pen and a pad of paper and began scribbling like mad. From that one glimpse came an entire book.

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

I’ve always been a reader first and foremost. I became a writer as an extension of my love of reading. I’m also very lucky because I’m a very fast reader. It took me a long time to realize what an advantage this was. (As a kid it seemed like something of a bother. I was only allowed to check out four books at a time, so I had to make endless trips, it seemed, back and forth to the library on my bike.)

Do I have a favorite author? Again, I could list a dozen. No, make that two dozen. No, three. You see the problem. :-)

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

See Jayne’s answer regarding the green ghost martini recipe. (Hint: It’s a classified Quill secret.)

As for how I keep myself at the computer: love of writing, fascination with my characters, looming deadlines, fear of deadlines, wanting to get paid, eagerness to move on to the next story (which always seems to start about 80% of the way through the current WIP), boredom, searching for just the right word, a deep desire NOT to clean our house, an even greater desire NOT to run errands— not necessarily in that order. :-)

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

NIGHT LIFE, the first book in my new vampire romance series based on ancient Egyptian mythology; an older book and a personal favorite, THE GOLDEN RAINTREE, about a young Quaker woman during World War One; and for a contemporary romance with humor probably LADY'S MAN. (The last two were written as Suzanne Simmons.)

JULES BENNETT asks if I work on more than one project at a time.

Yes and no. I frequently get an idea for a character or a plot point for a book I’m not currently writing. When that happens I simply create a computer file and dump everything out of my brain into it. BUT I'm never actively writing two books at once.

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

For a while I wish I’d written REBECCA (by Daphne Du Maurier.) I first read the book when I was very young and always thought it was so cool that we never learn the name of the narrator/lead character. Of course, I went through a phase when I wanted to be Jane Austen writing about Elizabeth Bennett. (Or maybe I just wanted to be Elizabeth Bennett.)

SHOSHANA asked about organizing research.

LOLOLOLOLOL If you could see my office, Shoshana, you’d realize there is nothing organized about any part of my writing, research included. :-)

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

On a good day and if Michael Angelo (my hairdresser) has just done my hair and if I took enough time to do my makeup properly, I look like my author photo, if that’s what you’re asking. :-) But I’ve never been recognized by a stranger in a “celebrity” sense. I always thought that was the really great part of being a writer: anonymity.

AGTIGRESS wants 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.

Sometimes it seems like a counterbalance. Sometimes it’s a royal pain. It all depends on the timing. The closer I am to the end of the book, the more I resent any interruptions.

JOY asks how hard it is to recall the content of a particular title.

If it was a very special story to me (THE GOLDEN RAINTREE for instance), I still remember it vividly 15 years later. If it was one of my early category romances, I might have to “cheat” by taking a peek at the book.

Okay, here's another "weird" confession: I think of my books as different rooms in a very large house. If I deliberately open the door to one of those rooms, step inside, and look around for a while, more and more memories come flooding back. I may even recall the scenes that were a particular pain in the butt to write, the ones that made me laugh or cry, or the ones I never quite got right. Then I walk out again, closing the door behind me. That's how I think of my books after the fact.

I hope you enjoyed our Q&A here at RWQ, and glimpses into the writing life and a writer's life.

Now it’s your turn. What is one thing outsiders would be surprised to learn about your job or profession?

Cheers!
Elizabeth G

Vacation anyone?

Yes, I finished my book last Friday and mailed it off to my editor. This morning I had an email from my her saying it was wonderful and I didn't have any big revisions. What a relief!


With my time now temporarily free, I wanted to vacation, vacation, vacation! The first trip was a quickie drive south to drop in on the middle son and his new wife, and to drop off some of the bigger wedding items they received that wouldn't fit in Jake's smaller Ford. That's them to the left, and don't they look grand!


After breakfast at their apartment, it was on to the Cumberland Falls!
<--- I didn't take my camera this time, so here's an older photo of the newlyweds on a prior trip to the falls. Usually that water is pretty cold, but on my trip this time, it felt like bath water, and the rocks were scorching!


It's about a 3 hour drive for us, and we stay in this somewhat simple hotel that's two minutes away from the falls. They welcome my dogs---> and they're so convenient. But this time... we only walked to the falls twice. Good gravy, we've had a drought, and then to top things off, we've had weeks of 100 degree days.
It was so hot out that even my little doggies kept trying to swim in the calmer water that leads to the falls.

We finally gave up and went for dinner, then a movie. We saw Rush Hour 3 and laughed ourselves silly.

Anyway, the next mini-vacation I want to take is to Turkey Foot Part, where we can rent a cabin on the lake, and a boat for the weekend. There are trails and caves, and there's a hot tub on the back porch. I want my kids to all come, too, and we could have our last hurrah of the season.

But those tempts aren't letting up, so I'm not sure how fun an outdoorsy vaca will be.
I considered one of those indoor water parks, where you swim and play all day, have dinner out, watch movies... but you know, we're really outdoor-type people!

So I dunno...

What type of vacation do you prefer? Considering I'm in Ohio and I'm not going to fly anywhere where I can't take my two little fur babies, do you have any suggestions for me?

Have you had these miserable temperatures in your neck of the woods? My grass is all dead and it's so ugly. With over 5 acres, I can over water the flowers - which are surviving nicely!
How's your yard holding up?

Yeah, that's a lot of nothing this morning, but I'm obsessing on this weather, and watching my free time tick away!

Hugs to all!

Elizabeth L. says:

Remember how they always said there would be some of "those" days?

I'm having one.

Later, Elizabeth...

IT'S STILL ABOUT CHARACTER...

The sun is not shining. I am not enjoying a long, cold drink and gazing at gorgeous scenery. My dog would really enjoy a good cuddle and, of course, a treat or two--not happening. The last day of the PGA is on TV, but I'm not watching--which really sucks.

I know I can't make the sun shine but I should be able to do something about at least one of the other things I'm not doing, right?

Wrong.

One of my characters has managed to completely mess with my mind and I've got to sort him out or have no peace regardless of what I do.

What do I mean? How can someone who has been writing as long as I have wake up one morning, jerk all over and know something is really wrong with my book?

Writing is the most inexact science I can think of, that's how? And I mean that a character in my story doesn't belong there.

**Swoons...**

This Horrible Happening does help make a point for the writers (and interested readers) among us; there is nothing in a story that can't be fixed as long as we keep our heads.

These are the stages I've passed through since my inconvenient discovery:

1. Horror. 2. Confusion. 3. Panic. 4. "Get a grip!" 5. Brain burn. 6. Inspiration. 7. Relief:)

The Big Fix. No sweat. Just pull that character right out of there, unwind him from all the scenes you couldn't have imagined working without him. Analyze why he arrived in the first place. Figure out exactly why he needs to take a vacation until his real story comes along.

A plot grows from scenes and when a number of them are removed, the gaps must be filled, either by complete removal or by giving essential tasks to another character (preferably one you won't decide got into the action by mistake).

And the real Biggie--Ta Da!--be happy that you're going to put in a bunch of work but it'll be worth it. After all the sweat, the book will be better--with luck, it'll be the best it can be.

Cheers, Stella

PS: I just watched Tiger win the PGA and I've got a big grin on my face. I'm going to cuddle my dog and give her a treat. The sun still isn't shining but it's a clear, beautiful day and I've already got that cold drink waiting.

What really makes you happy?

Susan Asks: Is Harry Potter too heavy?

I've been a Harry Potter fan for years. But this newest one, J.K. Rowlings latest, greatest, and last? It's still sitting on my coffee table where it's been for two or three weeks now. The problem isn't that I don't want to read it. The problem is how to do so without giving myself a hernia.

I'm a big bath reader--I'll stay in my clawfoot tub, letting a little of the cooling water out and adding more hot, until I'm a prune. But I picked up the newest H P and immediately set it down again. The thing is a 759 page hardback. It must weigh six pounds. I have arthritis in my thumbs--holding up a book that size unsupported is just too achy-breaky these days.

I'm leaving tonight for a week at the beach, though, and young Harry is going with me. Somehow, I'll figure out a way to read him while on vacation. Maybe sitting at a table with a fruity drink sporting an umbrella in front of me. Maybe with a pillow that I can use to prop Harry up in my lap.

One way or the other I'm reading that book, cuz I'm just wild about Harry. I'd be a lot wilder about him, however, if he came in two slimmer editions.

Is this just me? Am I getting old? (Say it isn't so!) Or is Harry just too darn heavy for comfort?

HARRY AND THE POTTERS: WIZARD ROCK

Honest, folks, I didn’t make that headline up. (There was even a sub-headline: “Wizard bands rocking and Rowling.”) Apparently the whole H.P. phenomenon has created a gazillion off-shoots, including a rock band named for J. K. Rowling’s character and an entire genre dubbed “wizard” music.

Who knew?

But I digress: This is the Q&A with Elizabeth G: Part Deux. Inquiring Minds — that’s you — asked questions. The Quills — that’s us — are attempting to answer them. So, here goes . . . again.

First up this week is DFENDER who wants to know the three people I'd most love to have to a dinner party.

I assume you mean dead or alive, Deb. First and foremost, Jane Austen. (While I'm at it, I’d get her to autograph a first edition of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.)

The Quills, of course. (Yes, I know, there are five of them. Six counting me. But I’m counting us as one.)

Hm . . . only three? Then I’ll go with J. K. Rowling as my third choice. I’d love to pick her brain and find out how much — if any — her original story changed as she wrote the Harry Potter series. Her personal life story also boggles the mind.

DARLA is up next. She asked if there was one thing I could change in my writing career what would it be and why?

1. I wish I had written all of my 40+ books under the same name, Darla. Name recognition is so important in this business. In my defense, I was sometimes required by my publisher to use a pen name. Although it was my decision to go with Elizabeth Guest for the paranormals.

2. It’s a waste of time and energy to have regrets since none of us can change our past, but I still wish I’d handled my writing career with more wisdom, more determination, and less perfectionism. I could probably have written twice as many books.

Oops, I guess that’s two things.

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

You betcha! But as Jayne pointed out in her Q&A: Writing is a self-taught profession. The only way I’ve learned to do what I do is by reading and writing A LOT, including mistakes like writing less than convincing villains and scenes that seem downright silly to me now. It was all part of the learning process. It always will be. Every writer I know is still learning her craft.

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

I’m sure glad you didn’t limit me to one or even three answers, Karen. At different times in my life I’ve wanted to be a singer, an actress, a lawyer, Secretary-General of the UN (dream big, I always say), a nun (I’m not even Catholic), a college professor teaching Chaucer or Milton, or someone who works in a bookstore.

I’ve still got that last one in mind should this whole writing career ever go south.

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

Nope. Never. Well, almost never. I'm working on a series, so sometimes I have to delve back into a previous book to check my facts.

MS. OWEN & MS. KINDER want 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.

Yes, definitely, doing anything as a profession is less “fun” than doing it as a hobby. But — and it’s a big BUT — it’s also more satisfying, more challenging, more rewarding and more lucrative. I love writing. Just not every minute of every day I spend writing. Nobody loves the work they do all the time. (As a wise friend once said to me: “That’s why it's called work, Sue.”)

I realize this is going to sound a tad peculiar. But I can “hear” when a word, or a sentence or a paragraph or a page or a scene or a chapter sounds right to me and when it doesn’t. I’ve learned to accept that it’s an essential part of my writing process, even though I’m also quite certain that 99.9% of the time I'm the only one who notices. This means I'm always rewriting right up to the moment I FedEx off a manuscript. I even do some tweaking in the copy-editing stage. BUT once the printed galleys/author's pages are done and there's no going back, I never look at the sucker again.

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

Absolutely. In a word: SEX. Earlier in my career I wrote sex scenes between secondary characters: meaning the villains. If I were going to re-release those books — which, thankfully, is not on anybody’s radar screen — I would delete those scenes. While there was a method to my madness at the time, it’s not something I would write today.

Inquiring Minds want to know (because you’re not the only ones around here who get to ask questions): Did your job turned out to be what you thought it was going to be in the beginning? Have you ever changed careers?

Until next time and Part Three.
Elizabeth G.

Jayne Takes a Walk in the Park

I live in the city for a reason. Nature is all very well and good but I prefer it at a distance. Every time I go out into the wild I get traumatized. I've had some scary experiences whenever I've ventured too far away from pavement. I won't go into details but bears were involved in Yellowstone, a pack of coyotes in Arizona, and stingrays in the Caribbean.

Until recently, however, I have felt safe in city parks. Aside from the odd flasher or panhandler, the wildlife has always been relatively harmless. I regret to report that situation has changed. There is no question in my mind but that squirrels have become dangerous. I feel like Cassandra trying to warn everyone about the Trojan Horse: No one pays any attention because everyone thinks squirrels are cute.

I discovered the truth about squirrels the hard way on a recent stroll through Freeway Park here in Seattle. (What little chunk of urban greenery could be further removed from the harsh reality of nature than a park built over an Interstate?). The first indication of trouble was a faint rustling in the undergrowth beside the path. I caught the flash of a squirrel tail and assumed that the little fellow was scurrying away, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the big human who had invaded what he considered his territory. Such was not the case. It soon became clear that the squirrel wasn't running away, he was stalking me.

That sucker set up an ambush. I kid you not. Exhibiting the cold-blooded cunning of a professional robber, he raced ahead and leaped out onto the path directly in front of me. He then rose up on his hind legs and made menacing gestures. It soon became clear that I would not be allowed to proceed until I had given the little runt a treat. I tried shooing him away but he didn't budge. There was no fear of me whatsoever in those little beady eyes, just glittering hostility and a demand that I turn over any food that I might have on my person.

Alarmed, I retreated a few steps. The squirrel followed and uttered threats. I turned and quickly started along a different path. The squirrel made a beeline through the trees to intercept me. In that harrowing moment one terrible word came to mind: rabies.

In the end I am happy to report that I was able to outrun the squirrel but it was a near thing. What's more, there have been additional incidents and they are getting worse. I have discovered that my experiences are not isolated events. Google "Squirrel attacks" and you'll get nearly two million hits.


Squirrels may look cute but we must never forget that they are actually RODENTS. What's more, the beasts are evolving and getting smarter. Check out the following film clips if you don't believe me: Twiggy the Water Skiing Squirrel , Carling Black Label - Mission , Squirrel on a Impossible Reggae Mission . Something very unnatural is going on here.

I have been giving the looming problem of squirrels a lot of thought and I have come to the only logical conclusion. Squirrels are obviously aliens in disguise and they are here to take over the planet.

You have been warned.

Bookseller of the Year!

Morning everyone. I'm still a week away from finishing my book, so my very, very, VERY good friend, Linda Keller, is filling in. She was recently honored by RWA, so I thought the timing was perfect.

Linda and I go way back. Long before I'd ever told anyone that I wanted to be published, we met at the first local writers conference in our area. I can't remember the exact year (although Linda might) but we were immediate friends, and over the years, we've shared so much that I could muse on it for hours.



She's the best of friends, but she's also a fabulous Barnes and Noble community relations manager. Linda does some of the greatest book signing events around, and she's the bookfair coordinator for my and Dianne Castell's June event, which usually hosts over 50 authors.
But that's only a very small part of all that she does to support the writing community.

And so I give you... LINDA KELLER!

Good morning, everyone!
Thank you, Lori, for inviting me to blog.

Saturday, July 14th in Dallas, I was honored to receive Romance Writers of America's 2007 Steffie Walker Bookseller of the Year Award at their national conference. The award is given based on letters of nomination from the organization's 9500-plus membership. To say I was humbled and thrilled is an understatement.

I've always been a reader and my mother set an excellent example. We were always in the library and I remember the days Mom received her box of books from Doubleday Book Club. Nothing was done at home except meals. As long as there were unread books, we dedicated every precious minute to being lost in the pages. Whether Mickey Mouse or the Grimm Brothers' classics, Frank Yerby or Phyllis Whitney, at that time, in that moment, it was all about the book.

I joined Romance Writers of America in 1990. In 2000, I began my bookselling career. I'm in a position to honor the memories of those who delight us, warm our hearts, set our pulses to racing, and our tears to flowing with words from their hearts. I have the opportunity to encourage new readers and a responsibility to do my share in helping the careers of those who thrill and delight us today.

I've seen both sides of the bookshelf. Through RWA, I'm well aware of the artist and craftsperson in the writer. The wellspring of creativity welling up in that tiny secret place is priceless and goes beyond entertaining. It's the permission, the final nod of approval, we give to authors to join us in the midst of our own hopes and dreams.

Standing Saturday before 1800 fellow readers and several hundred published authors, I realized every book I'd ever read, every author who puts pen to paper, and every person who lovingly holds a book in his or her hand, grants permission for the story to encircle them like a close friend. We open a book and let the world fall at our feet. In that moment, it's all about the book.

So... as a bookseller, I want to know:

What does your favorite bookseller do that you like?
What doesn’t she/he do?

What was your favorite booksigning and why?
What do you think makes a booksigning successful? More fun? More appealing?
Other than a must-see author, what would entice to stop by a booksigning?

Linda
www.authormba.com