Running With Quills

This, That, and Every Other Thing

2008-05-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so zoned these days, I don't have it in me to come up with a creative blog. Sorry.

So I'm just going to list the busy-ness of my life and hope y'all will forgive me for being boring.

I've included lots of photos to make for lack of creative content.

So first...

OUR CONTEST!

Don't forget that you get entered into the contest to win all the fabulous prizes above just by posting a reply to the blogs up to Sunday, Mother's Day.

At that time, we'll draw a random winner from all the posts in all the blogs!
Good luck!

Order of the day.

I'm going to go through the busy-ness of the last month or so, just for the :::cough::: fun of it, to show why I'm a wee bit zoned!

Clarification:
First, a clarification.

After my RT blog, I got a phone call from the RT conference coordinator, Jo Carol, and 2 calls from Carol Stacy, who runs the magazine. Both ladies were very gracious. They wanted me to know that, regardless of what the hotel told me, THEY did not cancel my reservation, the hotel did.

Given that the hotel was a real pit, and these ladies are both wonderful, I believe it. So I wanted to correct that part of my blog.
(BTW, they said they were told repeatedly that the construction would be done in time for the event, and when they realized it wouldn't, it really was too late to try to get 1200 attendees set up in a different spot.)

As to the rest of my blog, they were unaware of many of the less-professional happenings and were earnest in their desire to make the conference comfortable for everyone.

Spotlights:

I had a busy month of traveling here and there and everywhere. After RT, I had a smaller speaking engagement at our local college, Miami Hamilton, which was wonderful!

Next week I fly to GreenBay for a conference.

Last weekend, I got do a bookclub meeting with local radio host "Queen Janeen" at a Kroger store!
She and her husband Chris do the morning show for 103.5 WGRR.

I listen every morning.

Janeen is a hoot, and the bookclub ladies were fabulous!

Here I am with Janeen, and below is with the entire bookclub group!

Day to day:
The busiest part of my life is the day to day stuff.

You think writers write? Well we do, but there's SO much more involved.

Right now, I'm writing like a fiend to make the June 1st deadline for my current romance contemporary, featuring Michael "Mallet" Manchester in MY MAN, MICHAEL, due out in February 09.

But in the middle of long days writing, I also got galleys for SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE.

Galleys are the last time I'll get to see this book before it's published, so I need to read it very carefully for errors, which means I go from romantic comedy of sorts to more gruesome urban fantasy/horror.

Big brain switches!

Luckily, I have my trusty and invaluable assistant Whitney Price, who will also read the galleys to give me a fresh pair of eyes. Whitney has been a godsend, here when I need her, but not for 8 hour days.

And she read the first Servant book, which came out around her birthday, so she's boned up on the story.

The same day that the galleys arrived, my publisher asked me to write a reader letter for their newsletter, talking about the inspiration behind the THE POWER OF LOVE. This is a very special book because all 12 authors and their agents are donating all proceeds to my local Battered Women's Shelter.

The book will hit stands early June, deliberately timed to coincide with my and Dianne's annual READER & AUTHOR event.

I wanted the letter to really convey how important this project is to us. I'd like to do a benefit anthology every year, with proceeds going to different organizations.

The anthology that Stella is in, so far titled LOVE TAILS, will be out next year, with proceeds benefiting my local no-kill animal shelter.

These anthologies will be the gift that keeps on giving throughout the life of the book.

May the books have long lives!

I also got an email my editor asking if I could tell her what the next Servant book, tentatively titled SERVANT: THE KINSHIP, will be about. Well, I sort of know. I always sort of know about 8 books ahead of writing them. But to put it down in coherent words? Yeah... uh, no.

So I need to work on that as soon as I finish the galleys, and then finish the manuscript that's due.

Boy, having things-to-do on my plate always frazzles me!

While doing all this, I'm also finishing up mega big details for the 4th annual June READER & AUTHOR event. It happens June 6th-8th and I'm so excited!

(Note: Registration for the event is only $35 and is open till May 19th.)

We had MAJOR growth this year, which tells me that people are enjoying themselves. We went from around 160 people to 250! 107 of those are authors.

We also have a great representation of editors, publishers, agents and industry professionals.

One of the highlights of the event is our raffle. Tickets are sold throughout the event for donated raffle baskets. As you can see, last year we were able to make a very nice donaton to the Hamilton Co. YWCA Battered Women's shelter. (My grandson was along for the ride on that check delivery.) In the beautiful blue is my best friend, Dianne Castell.

This year, because the book proceeds will go to the Battered Women's Shelter, we'll be donating raffle money to the Conductive School of Learning for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy.

That same day, I stopped by my local, very wonderful no-kill animal shelter to drop off a check for them too. I always do a special basket to raise money for the animal shelter. I could tell you some stories, but it'd make me cry, so let's just say, they are truly incredible with the care they give to needy pets.

Animals:
And speaking of pets!

You've all heard already how my husband and I trapped 6 feral cats, got them all neutered or spayed, got their shots, and then turned them loose again.

They forgave us for disrupting them by returning to our house for cozy shelter on our porch, and a constant fresh supply of food and water.

Well, not too long ago a new "kitten" showed up who was unfamiliar to us. She's truly beautiful with long black hair and one beige foot. I tried, I really did, but she's as skittish as they come and wouldn't let me get anywhere near her. She just wanted to eat, sleep, and be left alone.

Then a few days ago my husband said, "That kitten is looking kind of fat."

Uh oh.

Sure enough, the very next morning she'd dropped a litter in an animal carrier we have on the side porch to let the feral cats get out of the weather. In the photo, you can just barely see the babies. I didn't want to get so close that I spooked her, causing her to move them.

She has two black kittens, two yellow kittens, and one white kitten. Adorable!

But now I have to figure out how to keep her around long enough to get them ALL fixed. Six more cats to deal with. Oy.

But I'd prefer to get them taken care of rather than know they're running loose, maybe breeding more.

To make matters a little more difficult, a wily raccoon decided to take up residence on the porch, too. He's curled up there in the bottom space of that cat habitat, only a few feet from the carrier to the left, where the mommy cat and kittens are.

He crawls out early evening to eat, drink, and make a mess, then wanders off, only to return the next morning.

We have a cage to catch him in, but I don't want to leave it out overnight for fear the mommy cat will end up caught in there, leaving her babies unattended.

So far, he's not crawling into the cage before our bedtime, so we'll have to keep trying.

If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! I won't kill the raccoon, but I'd just as soon he hit the road.

Movies:
So you want to know what I do to unwind after all day marathons of writing and fending off raccoons and planning an event?

I hit the movies! Yay. LOVE sitting in a theater and watching a flick while eating popcorn and slurping cola.

Usually we go to matinees, but since I've spent all my days writing, we've had to go early evening when it's busier. Not idea, but at least I can kick the plot out of my head for a bit.

Movies I've seen recently are:

THE RUINS - scary, unique and fun! I enjoyed it, and laughed at the most inappropriate times. I guess I have a twisted sense of humor.

PENELOPE - Oooooh, I LOVED this romantic comedy. Just fabulous. A real feel-good movie.

PROM NIGHT - typical slasher movie. We were the only people in the theater over 15 I think.

21 - A Vegas card playing movie. Slow in spots, but once it got going, it was pretty good.

LIONS FOR LAMBS (a rental) - Typical news media crap. The actors were great, the message not so much so.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHAL - HILARIOUS! I loved this movie. I was laughing out loud through most of it.

KING OF THE STREETS - Keanu Reeves gets better looking with time! He did a fabulous job in this action packed, twisting and turning, movie.

BABY MOMMA - Ridiculous and funny and it had some of the best "make you roar with laugher" lines I've ever heard.

88 MINUTES - Al Pacino is too old to have college students falling in love with him, but other than that gag-factor, I thought it was a good suspense flick.

IRON MAN - Oh wow. The best of the best! Can't wait for the next one. Even my friend, Dianne Castell, enjoyed it, when she usually only sees chick-flicks. Fun stuff!

LEATHERHEADS - Interesting only in that it was based on facts that formed the current football mandates. Otherwise... it sort of fell flat a lot.

So what about you? What's been happening in your lives lately? Seen any good movies? Read any good books?

Had any confusion?

After my long dish, you can surely tell us what's up with you!

Big hugs,

Name that dog, that dog, and that cat...

2008-05-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

But first, don't forget our absolutely, humongous, splendiferous, staggeringly beneficent, overwhelmingly bounteous, outrageously munificent, unstintingly sumptuous. . . (half a mo', out of breath) MOTHER'S DAY CONTEST! Get your entries in by Mother's Day, then we'll make a random drawing for a winner. You lucky people!

-~~~-

Fluffy won't do it.

Rover is out.

For my love story--A KNOTTY TAIL--in which two dogs and a cat play major supportive roles, I need just the right names for my four-footed reprobates.

Two runts from a litter of Labradoodles, a boy and a girl, and a very svelte tabby lady of indeterminate but obviously upper crust beginnings (she told me so) are unwilling conspirators in A KNOTTY TAIL.

Devious, dastardly and downright cunning, this trio works to manipulate another pair of natural enemies: The Male and The Female.

You'll have to wait for TAILS OF LOVE to find out more of the story. Berkley and Lori Foster, with a little help from a few others including moi, are putting this anthology together to aid animal adoption.

You can help out by coming up with some fabulous names. Any ideas?

Cheers, Stella

Mother's Day Blowout!

2008-05-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

Have we got a contest for you!! Well, actually, it's not so much a contest as it is a drawing. But the Quill Sisters are in the mood to talk Mums-- and I'm not talking flowers here. So from now until Mother's Day everyone who posts in response to our posts will be entered for a chance to win. And wouldja...lookit...

All
That
Loot!!!

Yes, my pretties, everything you see here can be yours. Why, you'll think it's Christmas, Momma's Day and your birthday all rolled into one when these babies start rolling in. (The mailman is gonna LUV you. Or maybe hate you--there's a lot of stuff, it could go either way) We've got books, books, a bag to carry them in, more books, a tee to wear while reading them, books and...did I mention books? All personally inscribed to you, natch.

So come on out of lurkdom and join the fun. You might be very glad you did.

Susan's sweet baby boy and strawberry waffles

Oddly enough, this isn't a story of my mother but about me. (And yes, I can hear those of you who know me well saying, yeah, yeah, isn't it always?) But becoming a mom was a very big deal for me. It took me several years to get pregnant. We went through a battery of tests, ingested fertility drugs, took temperatures on a Basal thermometer and had sex on a schedule. (sucks the joy right out of the act, lemme tell you) When my OB-GYN ran out of procedures and ideas, he sent me to the University of Washington's Fertility clinic.

The doctor who did the original workup was on an Endocrinology Fellowship from Ireland. So when he found a lump in my throat, everything fertility related came to a screeching halt. Turned out I had a cancerous growth on my thyroid. That was in December and I went home pissed off and discouraged. Which pretty much shows how young I was (25) because I wasn't as concerned with the fact that I probably had cancer as I was that they hadn't finished the tests. I decided then and there that I didn't need a baby, that we had each other, Steve was back in college, we had a mortgage and a dog and I was looking at weeks, if not months of tests, surgery and recovery --and that was more than enough.

You can see this one coming, right? Because having decided this, the next month I began waking up sicker 'n a dog and, yep, I was pregnant. So the Mother's day before our sweet baby boy was even born, the soulmate made me strawberry waffles for breakfast--a tradition that endures to this day.

(I love this pic. It was taken the day we brought our baby home from the hospital, then discovered 27 years later when we took the mantle off the fireplace. It's usually pinned to my bulletin board in my office)

We aren't talking Eggos--he makes his own waffles, combines fresh and frozen strawberries and whips up the highest fat cream in the universe. And, oh, mama, it is to die for. (Our son is a chef--I think he got his abilities more from his dad than from me) In the thirty-three years since that first Mother's Day breakfast, we've only missed our time-honored strawberry waffles once--and that was because the soulmate was on a three month start up on Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic and my son had to work.

So how about you? Have any Mother's Day traditions?

ELIZABETH RECYCLES

2008-04-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

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 paperback. 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: 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.

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.

THE THIRD CIRCLE is out!

2008-04-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that the latest book in my Arcane Society series, THE THIRD CIRCLE, is now in stores. By the way, if you're a fan of the contemporary novels in the series, here's your chance to find out how the Society got into the matchmaking business.

I also wanted to remind you that I'll be doing the following signings in the Seattle area. For those of you who can't make it to any of the events, remember, you can reserve one from the Seattle Mystery Bookshop if you act fast. I'll be signing there this Tuesday (April 29) and I'll inscribe your copy at that time. The delightful store staff will then mail it to you. Makes a great Mother's Day gift!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP
117 Cherry St.
Phone: (206) 587-5737
Email: staff@seattlemystery.com

Saturday, May 3, 2008
2:00 p.m.
BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC
16549 N.E 74th St
Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: (425) 869-1907

Saturday, May 10, 2008
12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS
300 Andover Park W. #200
Tukwila, WA 98188
Phone: (206) 574-3010

RT Con - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-04-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

I love Romantic Times - the magazine, the advertisements, the support of authors and readers. Usually I love the convention. Please understand that this blog isn't meant to belittle anyone or anything. A few bad impressions can sometimes spoil all the good impressions. And I really have no idea how much of this was in RT's control, approved by them, or just happened.

But now, since it DID happen, I'm really, really curious what YOU think.

From Thursday to Sunday last week, I was at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. In many, many ways, I had a FABULOUS time. In some ways, I was beyond frustrated. In other ways, I was outright shocked.
Because this is a convention meant for readers and authors to connect, I'd like to get reader feedback. I hope you'll take a moment to share your thoughts.

First, the good!
For me, most conventions are a way for me to reconnect with authors and readers I seldom see except when we're both at an event like this. It's cool too that I get to meet new authors and readers as well.
And even more fun, I get to hook up with booksellers from far away.
The photo shows the oh-so-lovely Australian bookseller, Rosemary Potter (in yellow) with new to me booksellers from Perth on either end. That's me in white.
Isn't it grand that these dedicated ladies will travel so far for the books they love!? More than worth a trip to the convention. I signed a LOT of bookplates for them to take back to Australia with them.

Authors friends I got to see - first Holly Jacobs, who will usually sweep all into "Holly world" where it's fun and carefree. Then the hilarious JC Wilder, who I adore, and her friend Isabo Kelly. (Thanks to Linnea Sinclair for this terrific shot of JC and Isabo!)

Next up is me with Brenda Jackson. Man oh man, do I adore Brenda! She's one of those ladies you talk to, and you immediately feel like you've known her forever. She's very humble about being a big star, and very nice. Last is Maddie James and Marcia James - part of the "James gang," as Marcia calls them.

I also did a panel for the convention, which allowed me to hook up with two author friends, and two new to me authors.
I'm on the far right in black.
On the far left, front row, is Ann Christopher and Lori Wilde, good friends and lovely ladies.
Sharon Sala and Christie Craig are behind them.
I felt like a lump in that very professional panel as each author explained aspects of her writing. You see, I can't explain what I do as an author. It just sort of happens for me (thank heavens!) and I'm unable to dissect it.

Other new to me authors and readers...
First, fabulous reader Annie, who was gracious enough to take part in a special video gig that Lifetime.com did with me, then amazing author Jacqueline Frank who I knew all about, but hadn't yet met!

Author Jaide Fox sat next to me at the signing and kept me entertained during lulls. What a nice lady, and her mother and sister are authors too! Amazing. Deborah Barrett was one of the super-nice readers I got to meet in person after the author panel!

Speaking of Lifetime.com and videos... I had a blast taking part in a special video they organized where they taped readers getting their books signed by me, then "surprised" one mega nice reader by leading us both to the hotel restaurant for a one-on-one visit.
On camera.
With lights and direction...
Can you say conspicuous!? LOL
The wait staff and attendees were all SO curious. An actress I'm not, but Regie, the reader who had an adorable twin with her, did GREAT! And Evan, the producer, was so nice and easy to work with.

Here's Regie during the signing, and at our little surprise, Evan and his audio guy at the signing, and then all of us together!

Here's the link to a quickie, spur-of-the-moment video I did for Barbara Vey and Publisher's Weekly. Man, when I see stuff like this, I realize I'm all off kilter! LOL. My nose is crooked, and I talk out of the side of my mouth! I KNEW I had that country twang, but I didn't know how I looked utilizing it. LOL
Anyhoo, here's a quickie (20 sec, I think) video of me touting my and Dianne's event during the bookfair! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_MJF1VTL04

Then there was the harmless, and entertaining fun!
Costume balls!
I've never attended - I'm not much for dressing up and I was too busy this time anyway with a lot of video interviews, regular interviews and shuffling back and forth from the overflow hotel and the conference hotel.
But these ladies took part, and didn't they look stellar!?
First up is my reader friend, Billie Jo, and then author friend, Tiffany Bryan in faery ball costumes. Next, authors Kathy Love, Erin McCarthy and Tiffany again at one of the galas, and then Tiffany for the vampire ball.

I understand that the vampire and faery balls are very, very popular with readers and authors alike. Everyone who attends them has a FABULOUS time.

So I'm curious... as a reader, is that something you'd love to take part in? Would you enjoy dressing up and being out late and hanging with friends to see their different costumes?
Or would you do like and dash into your room during those events?

Please note - I USED to hang in the lobby to see the awesome costumes as they went by. But being that I was in a different hotel this time, that wasn't really possible. :-(

I felt like I really missed out!

Oh yeah, on top of seeing great costumes, I also love to see everyone's jewelry. So many attendees have their own distinctive style, and it shows in their jewelry. I saw soooo many beautiful pieces this year!

Anyway, back to the balls... I think most of these events lasted late into the evening, so the hour also dissuades me. I'm too old to frolic past 10 P.M.

LOL. The most I can manage is a meal with friends before slinking off to my bed and an attempt to sleep.

And speaking of meals with friends - I had a wonderful prearranged breakfast with good friends Kathy Andrico (front left) and Daphne Wedig (back right). In the pink is author Jenny Gardiner and next to me in green is reader Jennifer Allison.

Kathy, bless her, saved me numerous time throughout the convention. I owe her personal assistant pay for sure! She went above and beyond in helping me in everything that I "suddenly" needed. I owe her bigtime!
(BTW, Kathy is also the one who takes the photographs at my and Dianne's June Event.)

I also had dinner with Michelle Buonfiglio from Lifetime.com's blog, "RomanceB(u)yTheBook." It was fabulous! Great food, and good company with Ann Christopher, Marjorie Liu, and Eve Silver. It was the first I'd met Marjorie and Eve, and they're such terrific ladies.

So there were some real highlights about the convention - namely friends old and new, good food (I really liked the one convention meal I was able to gnab) and the fun costume parties.

But this leads me into some of the FRUSTRATION.

I registered for this convention some time ago. The way it's set up, you have to register for the convention and the hotel through the RT site. It's one of the most expensive conventions I attend. Between the hefty conference fee, airfare and hotel, I spent well over $2000 for this, so you sort of go into it... expecting certain things.
Silly me.

First off, I got bumped from my room. How, I don't know, given how early I registered. And then later I found out that some attendees had registered AFTER me and still gotten a room.
So... go figure.
I got a call from a very nice person at RT during a dinner with friends, and because I had friends over, I only caught some of the details. The gist of it was that I MIGHT be bumped, but if I really truly needed to be in the convention hotel, I should call an RT rep. Well, I tried contacting people, but didn't get a response.

I had stuff lined up left, right and sideways, and NOT being at the hotel was unthinkable. I called the hotel the day of my flight, and was told I'd have to speak to someone in management, and was on hold about 10 minutes before I gave up and decided to take my chances.
I arrived at the hotel, tried to register, and was told - I'd cancelled.
Which I had NOT done.
The big problem here is that everyone who had a meeting with me on that Thursday was also told I'd cancelled. Naturally they filled my appointment slots with other appointments.
Understandable for them, given the circumstances. Not so understandable as to why RT would cancel me.
I ended up rearranging many things for Friday and Saturday, even though those days were already jam-packed with stuff. I literally only had time for coffee in my room, and dinner late at night.
In fact, I barely had time to breathe all weekend, which deducted a lot of the time I would have otherwise had doing what I like to do most - mingling with friends old and new.
Needless to say I'm not at all happy about any of this.
Let me explain more about WHY it mattered so much to me.

Everything is in the conference hotel, and the convenience of being able to dash to your room to freshen up is crucial, especially with back to back interviews - all interviews I WANTED to do and was grateful for, so I'm not complaining about that. But I needed to change in between, needed to touch up my hair and such...

To make up for that lack, I was told the Hilton would supply a shuttle back and forth. The hotels weren't all that close, but... yeah.
Forget the shuttle.

Sometimes it took up to 45 minutes for the shuttle to get to me. Other times, because there was only ONE shuttle apparently servicing the entire hotel not just the convention, I didn't get a straight trip to or from my hotel. I got taken to the airport, the bird aviary, shopping... sometimes as much as a half hour out of my way. Not the fault of the other attendees! They were in the same boat as me!

But I never knew how much time to allot to get from one scheduled event to another, because I never had any idea how long it'd take for the shuttle, or if it'd be a straight trip.
I gave up on the shuttle and relied on the cabs, which were easier to get, but roughtly cost $10 each way. I spent a LOT of money on cabs.

So... wouldn't you have been peeved, too?
I hate to think I'm a stick in the mud, but c'mon!

Then there's the conference hotel, which truly looked more like it was under demolition than remodeling. I can not believe a convention was scheduled in such a pit.

I kid you not - there was plaster dust THICK everywhere. Some of my friends (most of whom are still coughing with sore throats) said they had to dust off their hangars before they could unpack. One friend said her room was still wet with paint!

I saw many doors that had a paper taped on the outside to show the door number. Some papers fell, got thrown away - and then, no door number!
A lack of door frames meant that everything said in the hall could be heard in the room, and vice versa. It was almost like the door stood open, everything was so clear and LOUD.

Many of my friends had their towels and toilet paper sitting on the floor because there was no means to hang them. No towel bars, no toiler paper roller. Is that not insane???
I know of at least one person who didn't even have a shower door/curtain and had to keep mopping up the water from the floor.

The 6th floor was missing some ceiling. Some hallways ended with a half-hanging plastic barricade with dangerous tools on the other side. I swear, it reminded me of a horror movie where the lunatic always has a weapon at hand. Go beyond the plastic and grab up a saw. Or hammer. Or nail gun!

The carpets and walls in common areas were layered in grime and dust. If you leaned on the wall, you got dirty.

To my recollection, the rooms were $120 a night or thereabouts. I've seen better, cleaner rooms for $49. LOL
In comparison, the Omni, where I stayed, was lovely. Just so, so inconvenient.

So as a reader, would any of that matter to you? Or would you shrug it off and wallow in the fun of the event without giving the other stuff a thought, regardless of what you'd paid?

And now...

On to the UGLY.

This is the part I'm MOST curious about.
All of you know I'm not a prude. Not by a long shot.
And I'm not the moral police either, so to each her own. If what I'm about to details is your thing, more power to you. But I'd like to know how many really are into it, and how many aren't.
I guess what I'd really like is an overview of what it is readers look for in a big convention like this.

For instance, a few of the male models put on display were... crude. Very, very crude. To the point of being obnoxious and offensive.

After a military tribute ended, a strip show began. Yup. Stripping.

I don't think anything was actually shown (other than female breasts, which somehow got loose from clothing) because (are you ready?) much of it happened behind the American flag.

The. American. Flag.
I'm a huge supporter of our troops, and to think of our flag used as an accoutrement to a strip show... well, yeah, not my thing. In fact, it made me a little ill.

This was the tribute?

To who!?

One model (Part of a separate publisher party, not one of the RT models) was supposedly arrested 3 times over the weekend. (Check out J.C. Wilder's blog for more on that fiasco.) The "cavemen" as they're called, were embarrassing for many.

Simulated oral sex on a stage. Um, no thank you! Not my thing.

Manhandling, womenhandling (Depending on who initiated what.)

Feigned acts of intimacy... I mean, I KNOW I'm old, but I thought that sort of public behavior was horrid when I was young!

I'm not a person who feels compelled to run around defending the romance genre. Folks either get it or they don't.
People, are we TRYING to make them think the worst of us?

Do we want them to think we're all sex-starved, uneducated housewives just waiting to go wild?

Or, as I'm starting to wonder, is RT a mix of romance and something more? I know it's called "Romantic Times," but these days, maybe it's more "Erotic Times?" (Again, no insult to erotica authors or publishers. I respect all writing talents.)

But if that's the case, as a romance author, I've stepped into the wrong zone.

Like I said, I didn't attend the parties. But I didn't have to. There was the stuff happening in the hotel bar, elevators, etc... I saw more than I cared to.

Groping.
Lots and lots of groping.
Right out there in the open for all the world to see.
Anyone not involved in the convention surely has the wrong impression of romance readers and authors. At least from my perspective.
What about yours?

Would you enjoy seeing some stripped down (most were shirtless) buff male models in a competition?

Would you enjoy seeing MORE models (some of them professional strippers, one reputed to be a porn star) being openly fondled and oohed over by women?

Here are some photos (thanks to Linnea Sinclair for sharing!) that show the cover models. These are, I'm pretty sure, from the RT cover model contest where folks voted on their fave. All good clean fun. After all, we DO have gorgeous male models on some of our covers.

The problems happened with the Cavemen, not these guys.
I just thought I'd close out this long-winded blog with some more photos. :-)

Nice looking guys, right? And they were! Very nice. If there are to be cover models mingling around, let them be nice, well-manner guys.

PLEASE no stripping, groping, or pretend sex.

But that's me, so I'm asking you - readers and authors alike - what do you think? Is this your type of thing, or has the RT convention gone overboard?

If you could dictate the convention, what would you get rid of, what would you have more of, and what would be your FAVORITE and LEAST FAVORITE part of a reader & author event?

If you're to the end, then THANK YOU for reading through my long vent, and please share your thoughts.

My best to all!

Lori Foster

also writing as

L.L. Foster

http://www.lorifoster.com/

http://www.llfoster.com/

lorilfoster@gmail.com

Elizabeth G: Two Thumbs Up

2008-04-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

For a number of reasons, I haven't been out to the movies in months and months. And, as you may recall, I LOVE going to the movies. So I've been renting or watching on PPV a few of the films I missed in the movie theatres. Gotta tell you, folks, I'm sure glad I didn't pay full price to see most of them.

Until several weeks ago, when I rented AUGUST RUSH. The movie's tag line is: "The music is everywhere. All you have to do is listen." It's also described as "a drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents."

AUGUST RUSH stars Freddie Highmore, an incredibly talented young English actor, Keri Russell, mostly famous for being Felicity on the TV show of the same name, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, one of my personal favorites who does his own singing in the film, Academy-award winner Terence Howard, and Robin Williams in a non-comedic role that is one of his recent best.

What makes this film special?

First and foremost, the music. I love the cello. I love the guitar. The music performed in the movie, whether classical or rock, is wonderful!

Second, Freddie Highmore. Few child actors don't appear to be acting. He's amazing. He's also the reason the film works so beautifully. (Freddie is no novice. He's been in a lot of movies. I saw him in "Neverland," and "A Good Year," and he was excellent in both.)

Last, but not least, there is a romance, of course. And magic. And mystery. And an element of serendipity.

I guess you can tell: I LOVE this movie. I now own it on DVD thanks to my husband who surprised me with a copy after I kept talking about it.

So Inquiring Minds want to know two things on this beautiful spring day: Have any of you seen AUGUST RUSH? Do you have a wonderful film to recommend that's available on pay-per-view or rental?

Happy Spring!
EG

What year was it?

2008-04-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

The year I graduated from high school was a tumultuous year in history.

I was in the senior activity center kind of flirting with this black athelete from another school when we heard Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Martin Luther King had been assassinated earlier in the year and I thought the world was getting to be a very crazy place.

Laugh In and The Smothers Brothers Show cracked me up. The Graduate was different than any movie I'd ever seen and its Simon and Garfunkle songtrack just blew me away. Bonnie and Clyde showed every minute twitch and jerk of the bodies being riddled with bullets with all its accompanying blood splatter. (To this day, I'd rather see the hokey slap of a hand to the wound when a character gets shot and the victim staggering around unconvincingly than watch the impact of the bullets hitting bodies)

A boy named Steve Cameron read The Catcher In The Rye with the book barely open because he loved the cover and didn't want to crack the spine. We argued that one to a standstill as I did NOT understand how he could sacrifice the reading experience to preserve a stupid cover.

The Beatles dominated the charts but I played Otis Redding's Dock of the Bay until I wore out the record. Seattle's Jimi Hendrix was jailed in Stockholm for trashing his hotel room. (Lots of rockstars seems prone to that. Never got it)

Pantyhose had been invented but they were sort of one size fits all, so we still wore garters.

The Viet Cong launched the Tet Offensive and American soldiers massacred civilians at Mai Lai. Students protested the war in the streets, staged sit ins and took over college administration buildings. I was conflicted because I truly didn't believe in the war. But I was a middle class American girl who did believe in the soldiers. I knew people, had lost people to that war, and the soul mate who was my boyfriend at the time had been drafted into the Army (and would be shipped to Nam the following year).

Feminists protested the Miss America contest, protestors died in the Democratic Convention riot in Chicago, Baltimore burned.

And I struggled to grow up.

Man, this is way too easy, but what year was it? And what happened the year you graduated high school or college or perhaps another eventful time in your life?

OH, DEAR, WHAT CAN THE MATTER BE?

2008-04-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Where are they? This has never happened before and I'm really worried--I've lost my buddies and haven't the faintest where I should look for them. Well, that's a bit of a fib. I have a few ideas but I'm too embarrassed to mention them.

If anyone has some REALISTIC location suggestions for me, please send them along.

The problem is that I'm buried in a new book--the one I'm writing, OUT OF BODY, and my head is almost always down. Days go by and I don't notice what's going on around me.

Seriously, I'm up to my ears in psi. Psi this and psi that. Marley Millet is restoring a red lacquer Chinoiserie dollhouse and it's getting her into all kinds of trouble. Today I got nervous that she'd gone too far and wouldn't be able to get back:) I don't mind her making things difficult as long as I'm in control at all times.

Oh (Stella is casting about for fascinating information) it's snowing here in Washington State--on the shores of Lake Washington!

A couple of hours ago I heard sleet hitting my office windows so I went outside to look. Yup, not much happens around here. But guess what, I walked into non-stop excitement. Two cop cars with lights flashing were blocking the street at the corner because a water pipe broke! Imagine that. And the flood of water had swept piles of mud, pebbles and other crud downhill.

Wow, my heart is still all aflutter.

I'd better calm down and get back to poor Marley. She's stuck somewhere very, very cold.

Good tidings, Stella

JAYNE ANNOUNCES A NEW ARCANE SOCIETY NOVEL

2008-04-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to tell you all that the latest book in my Arcane Society series, THE THIRD CIRCLE, goes on sale Tuesday, April 22nd. This is an historical written under my AMANDA QUICK name. In it you will meet Thaddeus Ware, of the Arcane Society who has a psychic gift for mesmerism. Turns out respectable females are quite fearful of him. After all, a man who can control the minds of others could rob a lady of her virtue completely unbeknownst to her!

You will also meet Miss Leona Hewitt, a lady with a scandalous past who, with her psychic gift for crystals, makes a rather precarious and somewhat less than respectable — at least in the eyes of the Arcane Society — living analyzing other peoples dreams.

Here is a little taste of the story:

With a groan of startled anguish, Morton released her arm and reeled back. He clapped both hands to his temples.
"My head," he screamed.
"I fear our time is up for today," Leona announced, leaping to her feet.
She rushed to the door, yanked it open and dashed out into the reception room.
Thaddeus Ware caught her with one arm and scooped her close against him.
"We really must stop meeting like this," he said.
"What on earth?" Stunned she stared at him, unable to believe her eyes.
Thaddeus ignored her to fix Morton with a cold, dangerous look.
"What is going on here?" he asked in a voice that could easily have frozen the fires of hell.
"Now see here, sir," Morton sputtered. "You'll have to wait your turn. I paid for an hour-long session. I have a good thirty minutes left."
"You will leave now," Thaddeus said, infusing the command with just enough energy to create a deadly soft voice of doom.
Morton fled down the stairs.
Thaddeus looked at Leona. "Do many of your crystal consultations end in such an energetic fashion?"
"Really, sir, I hardly think—."
"I told you that I would find you again, Miss Hewitt. You will learn that I always keep my promises."

I will be signing THE THIRD CIRCLE at the following Seattle area events. As always, if you can't make it to any of these, remember you can always order a signed copy from Seattle Mystery Bookshop. Just be sure to give them plenty of advance notice so they can reserve a copy for you. I will inscribe it for you on the day of the event and the fabulous staff at the shop will mail it to you.

Here's the info:

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP
117 Cherry St.
Phone: (206) 587-5737

Saturday, May 3, 2008
2:00 p.m.
BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC
16549 N.E 74th St
Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: (425) 869-1907

Saturday, May 10, 2008
12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS
300 Andover Park W. #200
Tukwila, WA 98188
Phone: (206) 574-3010

Wishing you the very best of spring...

Sincerely,
Jayne
(Amanda Quick)

Michelle Buonfiglio-Romance: B(u)y the Book® -- Exclusively on myLifetime.com

2008-04-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Have I got a treat for you today!
Michelle Buonfiglio, from Romance: B(u)y the Book, is visiting us!
Michelle is a huge supporter of romance novels, a great blogger, and a lovely person.

Let's all give her a warm, friendly "Quill" welcome!

Lori

Buongiorno, Quillsters! Thanks so much for letting me join you for the day, and thanks, Lori, for giving up your spot for me.

The other night I was helping my son with homework. If you’re a parent, you may feel like me, that sometimes it’s like our kids’ homework is really more work for us, no?

Well, this assignment of my son’s really is like work for me. It’s called a “Book Talk,” and it’s basically the same as what I do: The kids pick a book, talk a little about the characters, give some plot points w/out leaking any spoilers, investigate the author and say what special things the author does that make the kid enjoy the book. They present it orally before the class.

Note that the assignment doesn’t ask the kids why they didn’t like the book. The kids just choose a book they love and express what about it they identified with, why they think their classmates might like it.

Um, yeah. My kid always scores perfectly on the Book Talk. So what of it? I just give him a teeny little bit of help corralling his thoughts. It’s not like I write the thing for him. Or pounce on his backpack when he comes home on Book Talk day to see what grade I, em, I mean we – shoot, I mean HE got.

It’s pretty cool that kids in grade school are learning to separate books into their parts, learning about authors and working on expressing their opinions and feelings about how books affect the kids and their lives.

Because that’s what books to, they affect us. And we love to talk about the ways books do that for us. I happen to get paid to read romance and write opinion columns suggesting to folks books I think are great which they might like to buy. Some folks call me a reviewer, but I consider myself a columnist, because I don’t write traditional literary criticism. Rather, I write a hopefully entertaining form of “Book Talk” for the woman sitting at her desk with a few minutes to surf the net and looking for a suggestion of what book to read.

Really, anyone has a right to her opinion about the books she loves. And today the Internet allows us to publish our opinions in myriad outlets. But what makes the difference between a professional “reviewer” and someone who posts user-generated content (UGC, as we call it in the Internet biz) like amazon.com reviews, etc.? Is there a difference just because one gets paid and another doesn’t? What types of reviews do you like best? What code of ethics would you write for reviewers? And…when your kid gets a good grade on a project you helped with, do you feel like you earned it, too?

I hope you’ll visit with us often at Romance: B(u)y the Book at myLifetime.com, and consider linking to my section at myLifetime from your own blog or site. Have a great day!

Michelle Buonfiglio

Romance: B(u)y the Book®

Exclusively on myLifetime.com

http://www.mylifetime.com/lifestyle/entertainment/romance-buy-the-book

ELIZABETH WONDERS WHAT HAPPENED TO...

2008-04-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

*darts in, trips over suitcase, rights self, kicks suitcase across room*

Yes, I've been places, done things, and even read a lot.

:-)

So now I'm curious.

I've just started CARVED IN STONE by Vickie Taylor. I'm really enjoying the world, the depth of detail, the emotion, the whole tortilla. I have FLESH AND STONE waiting to be read next.

But then I read the copyright date, and realized that there hasn't been a third book in the series in 2007 or 2008.

BIG BUM-MER!!!

Does anyone out there know what happened to the series?

A Case of Addiction

2008-04-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

To books, of course!

Just got back from beautiful Kauai where the sun was warm, the sand was warm, the sea was warm, and I think I broke my own record for hanging out under a ceiling fan and reading.

We stayed in a bungalow that belongs to Jill Marie Landis and her husband--they live next door. Jill and I got some great story talk done and I wrote some on my new book, but I've got to be honest with all of you--mostly, I read.

BTW, Jill is going to blog for us in June when her next book, HOMECOMING, is released. I've read the story and it's delicious, so eat your hearts out.

Back to those books I couldn't put down. I'm giving you a list of exactly half the titles I devoured:

Tami Hoag: THE ALIBI MAN

Robert B. Parker: SPARE CHANGE, PERISH TWICE, MELANCHOLY BABY and FAMILY HONOR (All in the Sunny Randal Series)

Lori Foster: HARD TO HANDLE

Donna Leon: DEATH AT LA FENICE, DRESSED FOR DEATH, QUIETLY IN THEIR SLEEP and DEATH IN A STRANGE COUNTRY (All in the Commissario Guido Brunetti Series)

THE ALIBI MAN (set against a backdrop of Florida polo, big money and bigger crime) is a complete nail-biter and not for the faint of heart. Some of the snappiest dialogue around and delivered at a pace that makes the reader breathless. Every character hops to life.

In Parker's Sunny Randall series, be prepared to wish you had Sunny's resourcefulness--and fearlessness. She is a PI and ex-cop with a fascinating ex-husband.

HARD TO HANDLE? You've probably read it but if not, do it now:)

Guido Benetti turns Venice into a city any reader can know--intimately--without yards of boring description. The man is the consummate policeman, and Italian to the marrow of his bones. Donna Leon spins gripping mysteries with a cast of characters you want to at least hang out with--other than the criminals! Guido's family is hilarious, his boss is a man you have to hate, and his love of life and justice make you cheer for him.

All the best, Stella
I'm on the hunt for more books to read. More stories from a variety of genres. What have you read lately that really rang your chimes?

Here comes da sun!

2008-04-03T23:55:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my wedding anniversary. As the soulmate and I boarded a train for Portland for a mini getaway, it was snowing.

Snowing, for heaven's sake! So close to April 1st it makes no nevermind.

This has been the craziest year for weather. I've seen atypical temps and weather patterns all over the nation.

But Spring has come to Seattle!!
Finally.
At last.
'Bout time.

I love the seasons in this town. Love them all. I have a genuinely tough time deciding which I like best.

Still, it's hard to beat Spring with all its flowers.

Not to mention sunshine. Man, am I grateful to see that again! I thought for sure it had forsaken our part of the world for ever and ever, amen. But it's back (if only for a short while) and everything looks so clean and bright, instead of gray and dismal. The greens are such a clear, tender hue, and the air is filled with fresh scents. My Daphne Odora (or maybe its Adora) is budding and Lordy does it smell divine. Our ancient lilac tree will be in bloom in about a month. Already I look forward to stepping outside the lower back door and simply breathing deeply.

How about your part of the world ? Has winter finally (at last. 'bout time) lost its grip? And what's your favorite season?

Elizabeth Guest presents her guest: Jayne!

2008-04-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Guest is busy finishing off the next volume in her fabulous Pharaoh's Rising series so Jayne here, again, to give you another scene from THE RIVER KNOWS, my latest Amanda Quick novel now available in paperback.

Also a reminder: if you enjoy my GHOST HUNTER books, you'll find a sneak peek at the next novel in the series, DARK LIGHT, at the end of THE RIVER KNOWS. You'll get to meet our latest heroic dust bunny, Elvis.

Meanwhile, here's another scene from THE RIVER KNOWS.

"You must leave at once, sir," Louisa said. "Emma must not find us together when I am in this state of undress. Hurry."

He reached for his boots. "You will note that this is one of the great drawbacks to an illicit affair. One must maintain constant vigilance."

She grabbed her robe off a hook. "You can't go out the front door. You will have to use the back stairs and leave through the garden." She snatched Anthony's hat off the table and tossed it to him. "Go."

"One question before I leave, Louisa."

"No questions. There is no time."

"My question is, did you experience anything approaching transcendence this afternoon?" he asked.

She was horrified by the delay. "For pity's sake, sir, this is no time to talk about that sort of thing."

"I am not leaving until I get an answer."

"Yes, yes, it was all a marvelously transcendent experience. Just as the novelists describe it. Now leave at once, sir."

He smiled, kissed her again, very quickly, very possessively, and departed.

She thought she heard him whistling in the garden.

I hope you enjoy The River Knows!

Sincerely,

Jayne

Lori Foster book on Ellen Degeneres

2008-04-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Jayne gave me permission to butt in early on her blog time, to let you all know something kind of fun. Okay, SUPER fun!

Thanks Jayne!

I was tickled pink, kind of embarrassed, and laughing hysterically when on March 31st, while shooting in Orlando Florida, Ellen Degeneres went to a pool, found an empty seat, picked up a book on a table - and it was MY book, FALLEN ANGELS.

She said, “Oh, this a good one!” and I almost fell off my seat.
The guy sitting next to her said it was his wife's book.
So what does Ellen do? She reads aloud to him from the book, of course the start of a love scene.
I screamed.
My hubby and son were telling me, "Shhhh!" because I made so much shocked noise over it, they couldn't hear.

If you want to see the bit, she has it on her website.
It was the "Video of the Day," but today it moved to the archives. http://ellen.warnerbros.com/EllenMediaPlayer/
then “Ellen’s Bits,”
and then “Not Really Swan Lake.”

It's a pretty short video, but first she's fooling around with some folks in a pool, then handing out towels, and then goes poolside and picks up Fallen Angels.

Hilarious!
Hugs to all - and big cheers to Ellen!

BTW, you can email Ellen to thank her for mentioning a romance book, and to encourage her to feature romance books more often! She has an email link on the site, in the upper right hand corner. We could sure use Ellen as a supporter!

Lori