Welcome to the first Tuesday Blog Hop of 2016 with Romance Writers Weekly! I'm kicking off the new year by asking my fellow RWW members about firsts (doesn't that seem appropriate?):
Choose your top three "First" memories and write about them. Suggestions are: First book you remember reading (or being read to you). First romance novel you fell in love with. First "big" trip. First love/kiss. First pet. First Christmas/other holiday. Once I started thinking about this topic, the ideas came fast and furious. So many great firsts in my life – so hard to only pick three! I decided I had to narrow it down to reading and writing. Here goes: First Time I Believed in Myself as a Writer: I've always been a voracious reader, which led to English and Creative Writing being my favourite lessons in elementary school. But it wasn't until Grade 7 when I can truly remember thinking I might have a talent for story-telling. I still have the story on which my teacher wrote his belief that I should try and sell it to a magazine. The memory of that note still makes me warm and gooey inside. First Time I Wrote "The End": My first published work, Mountain Fire, was a long time in the making. With a job, a young family, and only one computer in the house, it was hard to find time to write. But then in December 2010 my husband bought me a laptop for Christmas. A few months later I finished the first draft of Mountain Fire. The sense of accomplishment I had was tremendous. At that time, I didn't even care if it ever was published – I had set a goal for myself "to write a book" and I had done it! First Book I Fell in Love With: This was an easy one - Anne of Green Gables. It's been a while since I've re-read the story of Anne-with-an-e, but I think it's safe to say that I've read the entire series so many times I'd need my toes to count. Gilbert was my first book boyfriend, and the vivacious and free-spirited Anne a girl I longed to meet in real life. Best of all – for a young girl dreaming of being a writer, to know that a Canadian woman wrote one of the best loved characters of all time was a true inspiration. And speaking of awesome Canadian women writers, your next stop on the hop is with Victoria Barbour. Which firsts did she decide to share?
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Welcome to another Tuesday Blog Hop with Romance Writers Weekly! Betty Bolte starts the conversation this week: Our surroundings influence our mood and view of the world as much as setting in any story. What is the view outside your window, or what would you like the view to be? If you’ve joined me from Tracey Gee, hello! Isn’t she a hoot? As I write this post, this is my writing view. I write with my laptop on my knees in the living room (thanks goodness the TV is in another room or I’d never get anything done) and I’ve just washed the floor in the kitchen/dining area so all the chairs are keeping me company. If you look close you’ll see Gilligan, our cat, on her stool looking out the window. I totally agree with Betty that our surroundings influence our moods, and they certainly can influence our writing. However, a professional doesn’t have the luxury of writing only when the atmosphere is perfect. I’m lucky in that my main writing background is TV commercials, and for most of my career I’ve worked in big open offices with lots of other people and plenty of distractions. That makes it easy for me to write wherever and whenever I need to. I do find, though, that if I am stuck on a scene, sometimes moving to a different space can help me break through the block. And over the years I’ve written in quite a few different locations, not just at home but on camping trips, while waiting for Only Son to be done sports practices, and others. I’ve included a few of my favourites here. Time for me to pass you on the next in line, Carolyn Spear. Happy Tuesday!
Jenna Da Sie is one of our newer Romance Writer Weekly members, and she’s starting off by posing a tough one this week on our blog hop. Jenna asks:
Romance. There are many different meanings. What does it mean to you? Yikes! If you didn't get here from there, why don’t you hop back to Leslie Hachtel for a minute while I think about this. Oh, good, you’re back! Here’s the way I see it. Just as there are many different types of love, there are many different types of romance. In the beginning of a relationship, romance might be staring into each other’s eyes over a candlelit dinner or enjoying a long walk while holding hands. Maybe it’s a breathtaking ride on a motorcycle along a winding road or snuggling next to a snapping fire in a remote cabin. Here’s where I’m going with this – at this stage of love, romance is just the two of you, learning about each other, spending time together, with the focus on becoming a couple. But just as love changes, becomes less intense but deeper, as your relationship grows so does the romance. Daily life will intrude, no matter how hard we try to keep that first flare of magic alive. I told my husband once that it was romantic when he took out the garbage, and he laughed. While that example might have been a bit extreme, what I meant was, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, romance doesn’t have to mean bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates. It can be taking the kids for a walk so your husband can get the lawn mowed without interruption. Or buying that jug of milk on the way home without being asked, because you noticed the shelf was empty. It can be making the coffee in the morning so your special someone awakens to the smell of love and comfort. Or a foot rub while watching TV together before bed. I think in many way, romance for me comes down to paying attention, and making those little gestures that say to someone “I love you. I see you. I know what you need. Let me be the person that shares it with you.” What’s your take on romance? Leave me a note in the comments. And then be sure to keep going on the hop by visiting S. C. Mitchell! He's up next. The internet is an invaluable research tool for writers, but sometimes we Google subjects that would raise more than a few eyebrows if seen out of context. So this week Carrie Elks has challenged the Romance Weekly writers to 'fess up on the strangest thing we’ve ever googled, thus giving us a chance to explain why we were grubbing around in that particular search string.
Now, I’m pretty sure Collette Cameron has NEVER Googled anything too disturbing (she is much too sweet!) but who knows what lurks beneath that demure exterior? If you haven’t come here from there, be sure to hop back and take a look. As for myself, here’s a list of my most recent searches based on my writing: 9 things you didn’t know about Disney’s Cinderella Blue (colours) Avant garde I am writing a scene where my heroine (a blue-collar construction worker) needs to buy an evening gown for an event being put on by the hero’s symphony orchestra. I want her to feel out of her element – hence the avant garde search to make sure it meant what I thought it meant. But I also want her to feel good about herself, so I am giving the hoity-toity boutique she goes to a warm and cuddly manager. Maybe you can guess who that character is loosely modelled on by my next two searches – blue (so many different shades!) and Cinderella. In the past, I’ve also Googled grizzly bear poaching, the symptoms of concussion, where to go canyoning in the Azores, videos on paragliding (because you’ll never catch me jumping off a mountain voluntarily), what security guards at universities do and more. To be honest, I don’t know if I could write without Google. I’m not the type that can just leave a spot blank and then do the research later. I need to know NOW, before I can move forward. The internet is truly a wonderful thing! Well, time to send you on your way. Head over Victoria Barbour to see what interesting things she’s been caught—er—needed to know. It’s game time on Romance Writers Weekly! Victoria Barbour wants to play “Would You Rather…” She’s leaving it up to us how much explanation we will give, and as an added challenge, wants up to find photos for each question. She says she’ll be giving a prize to the winner – although how that winner will be chosen she isn’t really telling us! I love what she says about the prize, though “It'll be lack-lustre, I promise! ;)”. If you joined me from Kristi Rose, what did you think of her answers? Would you rather - eat haggis or chocolate covered bugs? Bugs, all the way. At least I’d get chocolate! One condition though – it would have to be a very small bug. And nothing poisonous looking, like these godawful, terrifying scorpions. Okay, maybe two conditions. Would you rather - skydive or scuba dive? Scuba. I love snorkeling, and have always wanted to try scuba. Besides – why would you EVER jump out of perfectly good airplane? (Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. But, yes, that is me hiding behind that mask, snorkeling off the coast of Puerto Vallarta.) Would you rather - red headed hotties or blonde haired hunks? (Cause we all know we love brunettes the best!) If the red-headed hottie was called Jamie Fraser? No contest. (Or, in this case, Jamie as played by Sam Heughan.) Would you rather - no reviews or all three star reviews? Three star. Feedback is essential. And at least they mean someone is reading my work! Would you rather - be stung by one wasp 10 times or 10 bees one time? Uh, neither. Because I might be dead. Can you say anaphylactic shock? Well, other than the possibly murderous intent of the final question, that was fun! I wonder how many points I’ll get from QuizMaster Vicki?
Hop on over to Eden Ashe's blog for the next stop in our hop today! Thanks for joining us this week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop! Sarah Hegger’s secret passion is shoes and B-grade fantasy movies. Now she’s challenged us to reveal our own guilty pleasures. If you’ve hopped here from Leslie Hachtel’s blog, welcome! While shoes are definitely something I could get hooked on, my real trouble lies in two other accessories – scarves and bags. I LOVE scarves. There’s actually a very practical reason for this – I hate having a cold neck. As long as the back of my neck is warm, I could go barefoot long into the Fall. This gives me wonderful justification for buying more scarves – it’s a health issue! The other reason is that I’m not much of a shopper. A new scarf or pashmina can revive the look of my wardrobe on the cheap. Besides – they’re just beautiful, all on their own. I didn’t have a bag problem until stores started offering reusable bags. Some of them are so pretty, with interesting patterns and designs. Plus – hey, reusable! So I have bags of bags, all of which will come in handy some day, I am positive! One of my other pleasures is wine, but I don’t feel guilty about that at all, so it doesn’t make this list. That goes for books, as well, of course. I wonder what Kristi Rose feels bad for enjoying? Hop on through to find out. Thanks for joining us this week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop! If you traveled to me from Carrie Elks, welcome. This week, we’ve have four interesting questions suggested by Kristi Rose. I think we were only supposed to choose one, but they were such fun I decided to do them all. Here goes: Describe your life in 20 words or less. A slightly frantic blend of full-time work, part-time writing, twenty four hour family, and all out love of life. If your life was like Seinfeld, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Golden Girls, what character would you be? I was in my early twenties when the Golden Girls were the Queens of TV. Even then I identified with Sophia Petrillo, the sharp tongued mother of Bea Arthur’s character. She had such a zest for life, didn’t suffer fools gladly, and a sarcastic wit that always had me laughing. I still want to be her when I’m 90 years old. Who would win a fight between Chuck Norris and MacGyver? Well, MacGyver – duh. It wouldn’t be hand to hand, of course - MacGyver is too smart to battle someone in a straight on fist fight. He’d be sneaky and inventive and set traps that Norris wouldn’t be able to escape. He’s my ultimate beta hero – athletic and physical yet with the smarts to out maneuver the bad guys. Plus, he plays hockey. What more could a good Canadian girl want? Would you rather be bald or have a huge mullet for the rest of your life? An interesting question, especially since MacGyver sported one of the best mullets ever. But I'd say bald, definitely. And then I’d invest in a whole closet full of wigs. They would be my new wardrobe – short and sassy, long and luscious, red and blond and brunette. Think of the characters you could play with a new hairstyle every day! Thanks for hopping by my blog today. Be sure to keep on the loop by visiting Collette Cameron next. Thanks for joining us this week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop! Our topic this week comes from Tessa Gray: Romance novel readers are said to love emotionally satisfying endings. Are there issues you feel are taboo in romance novels that you wish you could write about? What are they? I actually don’t think anything is taboo. The definition of romance novel is “a novel whose primary focus is on the relationship and romantic love between two people. It must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.” Within that structure, you can explore all levels of personal interaction and beliefs. However, as the hero and heroine must end up together in the end, you cannot break the romance contract by having either of them be the villain, the cause of the other’s pain and struggles. This, therefore, pushes the taboo subject to a subplot, or perhaps even backstory. Many romances have heroes and/or heroines who have suffered from sexual abuse, broken homes, religious prosecution, the effects of war, and other life-altering, character-changing events. These are often the characters we most connect with, even those of us lucky enough to live a kinder, gentler life. I love romance novels because I am guaranteed that happy ending. But the more difficult it is for the characters to achieve it, the more satisfying the read. And on that note, I should get back to torturing my own characters – all for their own good, of course. Thanks for visiting me today! Be sure to hop along to the next in line Leslie Hachtel. This week on Romance Writers Weekly, Susan Scott Shelley asks: Given the choice of any authors in the world (living or deceased), who would you want as a guest? If you’ve joined me from Kristi Rose, welcome! So many choices – so little time! I approached this topic a little like word association – just go with it. And you know whose name first popped into my head? Stephen King. Here’s the weird part. I’m not a huge Stephen King fan. Trust me – it’s not him, it’s me. I’m such a chicken when it comes to horror. Suspense I love, horror, not so much. But one of my all time favourite short stories (and movies) is The Shawshank Redemption. I loved The Green Mile in movie form, although the book sent me a bit sideways with the alien mouse. And while I haven’t read Misery, the movie still resonates in my mind. But my favourite Stephen King book is his On Writing. That is one of the most insightful, interesting craft books I’ve ever read. After I’d finished it, I felt like I knew him as a person, not just as the writer of odd, freaky stories. I’d love to pick his brain on the day in, day out process of writing. No matter what anyone thinks of his writing, he is obviously a professional, who takes his work and his craft very seriously. Now, if I wanted to have an evening with a witty, charming and slightly off-the-cuff guest, I would chose Jennifer Crusie. I love her books – love the banter and repartee of her characters, their quirkiness and vulnerability and individuality. I follow Jenny’s blog, www.arghink.com, and her posts are always interesting and compelling. She can be a bit obsessive, and her craft posts make me despair that I’ll ever be able to understand my writing as well as I should. But I’m pretty sure I’d spend most of the evening dying of laughter and feeling invigorated and uplifted. Who would Teresa Keefer invite to dinner? Click HERE to find out. On this week’s edition of Romance Writers Weekly blog, Jeanne McDonald asks: “What is one of your favorite quotes from your book(s). Explain the reason why it's your favorite and its significance to the story and characters.” If you’ve joined me from Fiona Riplee, welcome! When I first read this topic I was like pffft – easy peasy! I’ll use the opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice. I think it is one of the most perfect sentences ever written in the English language, and so beautifully encapsulates, in an ironic way, the entire theme of the book. Excellent! Then I re-read the topic and saw the word your. A favourite quote from one of my own books? This easy task now became almost impossible. And not for a good reason. Not because I have so many favourite quotes that I don’t know where to start. But because I cannot think of one off the top of my head. Not a single one. So now I’m scrambling. How to fulfill this week’s assignment? I start off by decided which of my two published works I will chose from. While MOUNTAIN FIRE is close to my heart because it was my first book baby, from a distance of years it is easy to see things I should have done differently. So that leaves CHEF D’AMOUR. My next step was to think of my favourite scene in that book. This is a bit easier. Jemma has just had a disastrous first day on the job, including an accident with a tray full of squid that end up draped all over her. Then her car won’t start. The only person who offers to help is Paul, the sexy chef and reality TV star she’s already had the displeasure of meeting. He insists on driving her home, and despite her sour mood he finds her intriguing and different. At the end of the chapter he drops her off and heads on his way. The last sentences are: “The car seemed oddly empty without her prickly presence. The smell of squid kept him company the rest of the way home.” Now, these words should not be immortalized in bronze and mounted in Westminster Abbey. But I can remember writing them, and thinking how they were the perfect way to introduce Paul’s attraction to Jemma. She is not going to be an easy woman to love, and yet he misses her only moments after he leaves her. And describing the unpleasant odour of squid keeping him company gives a unique sensory image of the difficulties she will bring him, while showing that he will greet these troubles with cheerful good humour. I don’t know – am I crazy? What do you think? But don't stop here! Be sure to visit, Carolyn Spear, as she's the next stop on our hop today. Enjoy, and be sure to leave a comment. |