We’re opening the cupboard door on deep dark secrets today on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop… What's the weirdest thing you've ever Googled in the name of research for your writing? Okay, maybe not too deep and dark, LOL! It’s not like I write murder mysteries or horror, so my Googling isn’t too macabre. I do honestly wonder how writers did it before the internet, though! I find myself searching for all sorts of things, from big to small. I recently used a business name generator to come up with a name for the motorcycle shop in my work-in-progress (Book 5 in the Silverberry series, Too Good for Words). And I frequently use an online thesaurus. Whenever my stories take me away from my hometown (where most of them are set), I spend a lot of time using Google Streetview to get the little details what bring location and setting to life. For After Words, I searched for videos of a tidal bore in Nova Scotia so I could give a credible description. I’ve studied black bear poaching (Mountain Fire) and university tenure qualifications (When Time Falls Still). I took a free online course to learn basic computer coding (Gateway Crescent) and looked up what it felt like to do a polar bear dip (The Promise of Frost). I spent a lot of time reading about the Barkerville Gold Rush (Richly Deserved), cancer diagnostic procedures (Secrets Under the Covers) and DNA testing (Turn the Next Page). I’ve even used Vancouver’s public transit website to get a character where she needed to go (Reservations of the Heart). Even though I write fiction, I like the details to be correct, even if most readers won't know (or maybe even care!). I also greatly enjoy learning new things and always have. Now hop over to Leslie Hachtel and see what she's researched! Pre Order Turn the Next Page here! Only two more days until you can read Aubrey and Phillip's sexy second chance love story. They haven't seen each other for thirty years...but the attraction that burned between them in high school hasn't dimmed over the decades. Fifty+ year-old character Steamy open-door sex Silver fox Divorce Adoption Strong woman alpharoll hero Search for family The Dream Dancer The Lady Bryce has a gift. She can enter dreams and persuade. It has served her well, especially in eliminating unsatisfactory suitors of her father's choosing. When she encounters Lord Rowland, she knows he is a man who likes women. Bryce decides to visit him in his sleep and make him desire her above all others. When she has driven Rowland to the edge of longing, she extracts a promise that he will marry her. She goes to Court to ensure he keeps his word. When he finally agrees to honor his word, Bryce is consumed with guilt. She knows she has extracted his promise unfairly and tried to demur. But he insists and they are wed. But what will happen when he finds out the truth?
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Get ready for some photos on this week's Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop! Here’s our topic: Where do you write? Do you need to be in the same place all the time or do you move around? Share photos if you like. I do have a desk in a corner of our family room that is my official writing place, but I LOVE to write in different places – both around the house and around the world (well, maybe not world, but you get what I mean). I’ve written in Mexico, on airplanes, on our boat, and in our trailer. When the weather is good, I write in our backyard and when it’s not I have a favourite armchair. Often I decide to write somewhere other than my desk because it helps get the creative juices going. Here are just a few places I’ve written over the years. Be sure to hop over to Leslie Hachtel when you’re done to see where she likes to write.
This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, we’re talking about what's special about our books and are being encouraged to share a snippet or two. If someone were to ask you “What makes you as a person special” what would you say? It might take a bit of introspection before you could answer. As much as we like people to tell us nice things, it can be hard to say nice things about ourselves. That’s what I felt like when I read the topic this week. As proud as I am of each one of my books, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes them different and unique. One of the things I try to do as a romance author is make my characters authentic to my own experiences. I enjoy reading about rockstars and billionaires, but I don’t write them. I also believe we all deserve a happy-ever-after and don’t have to be shaped like a supermodel to get it. Romance is often promoted as fantasies or fairy tales for modern day women, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. In my books, however, you’ll find people you might meet at the grocery store, people making a living but not mega-rich, people with sullen teenagers and aging parents. Here’s an excerpt from my upcoming release Turn the Next Page. I think it is a good example of what I’m talking about. And don’t forget, you can pre-order it in both print and ebook right now! *** As Phillip had predicted, it hadn’t taken Marjorie long to become deeply involved in the life of the Riverbend residents, so it wasn’t a surprise when, a couple weeks after she moved in, she invited him to the communal birthday celebration that was held on the first of every month. “But your birthday isn’t until December,” he’d said. “It’s not for me,” Marjorie had replied in the patient tone that made him feel twelve. “I want you to meet my new friends, and this seems like as good a time as any. Besides, at my age, you have to party when you can.” Which was why he’d left work at two o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon. In years gone by, skipping out early would have made him nervous and anxious, and sent him back to the office in the evening to catch up on what he’d missed. Today, it had been a relief, and he had no intention of returning until tomorrow. He’d tried to drum up his old enthusiasm by negotiating to takeover a smaller landscaping company. It hadn’t helped. Even completing that deal today had left him feeling flat and lacklustre. His enthusiasm had been waning for a while, but since accepting his son's decision to have no role in Twin Rivers it was even more challenging to generate any level of excitement. His attitude was in danger of affecting his business, and it was time he made some difficult decisions. But right now, he was in the Riverbend dining hall, seated at a table with Marjorie and two other elderly ladies, and he pushed aside his gloomy thoughts to focus on the party. Phillip let the conversation between his aunt and her friends wash over him as he ate his cake. Even his usual sweet tooth was dulled, though, and he had little appetite for the treat. He really had to break out of this funk. He was starting to drive himself crazy. His chair faced out of the dining room, giving him a view past the administration desk and lounge with its huge fireplace, straight to the main entrance. The glass doors opened and in walked Clarence Windt, closely followed by Aubrey. He lowered his gaze before she could make eye contact. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about her accidental reappearance in his life. He knew one thing, though. She still had the power to make him feel. The ennui blurring the edges of his everyday life vanished whenever he thought of her. Which was more often than he should, given everything else he had going on. His attempt to ignore her was foiled by Marjorie, sitting at his side, which gave her the same view. “Clarence!” she called. “And Aubrey!” She rose to her feet, the heavy chair screeching on the vinyl floor. “Come join us! Phillip, pull over a couple more chairs.” Her lack of surprise at seeing the father and daughter made it apparent she’d met Clarence at some point during the last two weeks. He wondered why she hadn’t mentioned it and felt a tug of unease. She had said she wanted Phillip to meet her new friends. Did she include Clarence in that group? He rose, intending to follow Marjorie’s direction to procure more chairs. “Oh, don’t bother,” said Imelda, the tiny, dark-haired lady seated across from him. “Mary and I will join Stan and Laura.” Clarence’s face retained its calm, judicious expression—one that had made a teenage Phillip queasy with nerves—as he strode to the table, limping slightly, cane in hand. Despite Aubrey’s casual dark denim jeans and teal T-shirt, she still had that perfectly put together, shellacked appearance he’d noticed the day they’d first met. But her eyes revealed an inner turmoil—wide and anxious yet somehow pinched around the edges. She looked like she was searching for a reason to refuse. Then she met his gaze and her shoulders lifted, as if preparing for battle. His initial instinct to ignore her dissolved. A slow-motion flurry of activity followed as Marjorie’s friends rose to their feet and rolled their walkers to another table, allowing Aubrey and Clarence to take their vacated seats. “Well, now.” Marjorie nodded with approval. “Isn’t this nice?” Phillip regarded her with exasperated affection. She did the fluttery old lady act well, though she was anything but. His suspicion that she’d insisted he come to the birthday party specifically for this contrived meeting strengthened. He sipped his coffee and waited for her to make the next move. “It’s so good to see you again, Aubrey. How long has it been?” He repressed a snort. There was nothing wrong with Marjorie’s memory. He’d be willing to bet she knew exactly how long it had been. “About thirty years.” Aubrey quirked a small smile, a pale imitation of the blazing brilliance he remembered. Was the incandescent woman that had left a burn mark on his soul nothing but grey ash? “My, how time flies.” Marjorie reached out and patted Aubrey’s hand where it lay on the table. “You look just as lovely now as you did then.” She turned to Clarence. “You must be so proud of her. A lawyer, a Member of the Legislative Assembly. So successful.” “She’s not an MLA anymore,” Clarence said gruffly. The slight frown on Aubrey’s forehead smoothed out and her eyes went blank. The bastard hasn’t changed one bit. His old instinct to protect her clawed its way out of the cave where he had entombed it long ago. “The last election was a blood bath for her party. I am sure her loss had more to do with the leadership being rejected than Aubrey herself.” Clarence’s pale eyes met his dismissively. “Doesn’t change the result.” He opened his mouth to defend Aubrey again, but stopped at the tiny jerk of her head. Right. Not my place. Not anymore. Switching gears abruptly, he turned to Marjorie. “So, when did you discover Clarence was living here, too?” And why didn’t you tell me? “Oh, a week or so after I moved in.” She fiddled with her teaspoon, her face averted. “It was lovely to find an old friend here.” “Old friend?” Aubrey’s dark eyes flicked questioningly from Marjorie to Clarence. “Acquaintance,” he muttered. “Old acquaintance.” Phillip watched Marjorie as Clarence spoke, and her eyelids twitched, an odd expression flashing on her face, gone an instant later. “Yes, of course. Acquaintance,” she said brightly. “Now, who would like cake?” *** I'd love to hear what you thought of that little scene! Leave me a comment below, and then hop over to PG Forte to read what's special about her books.
Did you have a spooky Halloween? We had the grandbabies come trick-or-treat with us. They are still too young to understand it all, but they are so cute it doesn't matter. The reason I mention this is that some of the costumes I saw yesterday were so creative! And that’s what we’re talking about this week on the Blog Hop: How do you stay creative? How do you feed your muse? What tips and tricks do you recommend to stay in the creative zone? You know the saying “a change is a good as a rest?” Well, changing things up is a great way for me to stay creative. When the weather is warm, I love to write outside instead of at the formality of my desk. When it cools down, I take my laptop to our sitting room and work there. Another way I stay in the zone is to be creative in ways other than writing. I never thought I’d say this (because I am not a crafty person at all) but I love crocheting. Certain stitches are mindful and relaxing and other patterns require fierce concentration (on my part, at least). Using different parts of my brain seems to help with the words. One of the ways I’ve been feeding my muse lately is by not being creative with words. I’ve been taking a break from writing since I finished a short story in early August. Until last week, that is, when I wrote the blurb for the fourth book in the Silverberry Seduction series. And can I just say – it felt so good to be writing again! I really needed the break, though. I’ve been writing pretty constantly for almost three years, with only short intermissions between projects. I still need to write the fifth book in the Silverberry series, and I was really struggling to build the enthusiasm for it. But in the last few days the ideas have started flowing and I can see the book now. It’s right there, laid out all shiny and sparkling, and I can’t wait to get started. However, I am not going to jump right in. I’ve learned that starting a book is easy. It’s keeping on to the end that’s hard. But I think by this time next week I might be ready to get going on it, and I’m so excited for it! How do you stay creative – in whatever way you define creative? I’d love to hear from you. Then hop over to Andie Fenichel (who has had an amazingly prolific year of publishing, by the way) and see how she keeps the words flowing.
Sorry I’ve been MIA in September. This is my first blog of the month. To be honest, I’ve lost a little bit of my writing mojo, so I’m hoping this week’s challenge will kickstart me. It’s Flash Fiction time! A.S. Fenichel says… Let's celebrate the equinox. Write a scene set in autumn using the words leaf, water, and coffee. Try to keep it to 500 words. Here we go… Fog draped the golds and oranges of the birches in the park across the street. She stood at the window and sipped her coffee. The quiet of the house still rang with the echoes of the kids banging and bickering their way out the door as her husband shepherded them to the van. He would drop them off at school on his way to work. As much as she enjoyed the unstructured, spontaneous days of summer, getting back to regular routines in September was its own delight. Despite the misty morning, the sun was supposed to shine this afternoon and the temperatures reach an unseasonable high. Many of the baskets and containers she’d planted in the spring had already been composted, but a few were clinging to life, and she should water them if she wanted the enjoy their blooms a little while longer. It seemed pointless, though. Hard frosts weren’t far off, and the first snowflakes would appear soon after. With a sigh, she headed to her home office. She always felt a little melancholy in the autumn. In the spring, the lengthening days held the promise of summer wonders. In the fall, the dark drew in earlier and earlier, mourning the end of yet another year. Maybe not by the calendar, but by the rhythm of her life. At her desk, she pushed aside her laptop. She didn’t feel up to staring at a fierce white screen and blinking cursor this morning. Instead, she opened her journal and turned a leaf over to a new page. After a few moments chewing on the end of her pen, she set the nib to paper, and began to write. “The fog draped the golds and oranges…” *** I’d love to hear what you think! Leave me a comment below. Then hop over to Jill Haymaker to see what she wrote about fall.
Ugh. This isn’t a pleasant topic this week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, though it is timely for me. How do you handle it when your work is rejected? I have submitted different manuscripts at different times to different publishers and agents, and been told no every time. Those rejections, while disappointing, are to be expected in the grand scheme of things. I often think it is as likely as being struck by lightning as to have a manuscript picked up by a publisher when there are so many stories being submitted every day. I’ve been lucky not too have too many “bad” reviews. Sure, not everyone loves my stories, and I’m okay with that. But in the last couple of months I’ve had more two- and one-star reviews on my recent releases than I was expecting. I tell myself that is the downside to getting my stories into more hands. The more people that read them, the greater likelihood one will not resonate with a reader and cause them to leave a negative review. The only thing to do is shrug it off and keep going. After all, the alternative is to quit entirely, and I’m not there yet LOL! There are plenty of books that I did not enjoy reading, and while I would never leave a public review for one of those, absolute strangers who read my books are under no obligation to protect my feelings. What about you? Do you get rejected in your line of work? How do you handle it? Let me know, and then hop over to Leslie Hachtel and see how she handles rejection.
Welcome back to the the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop! Here is this week’s discussion topic: Do you remember the first romance book you read? Tell us about it. Or, tell us about the book that made you want to write romance. When I was about sixteen, the wife of our next-door neighbour passed away, and I was given a large cardboard box filled with Harlequin Presents. As I have always been a voracious reader—I’d read the labels on cereal boxes if there was nothing else available—I whipped through that box pretty quickly. While I can’t remember the title or author (sorry!), I do remember the first romance that made me sit up and think, hmm, maybe I’d like to write something like this someday. I would have read it in the eighties, I’m sure. Romances then featured a lot of heroines who appeared (at least on the surface) to be sitting around waiting to be saved. Not this one - she worked hard to support herself and her child and not be beholden to anyone. I have no memory of the hero—that’s how impressed I was with the heroine. The story must have ended with the expected happily-ever-after, but I’ve always had the feeling that she would have been okay even without him. Before that box of Harlequins, I read mostly mysteries and classics. Anne of Green Gables and Lord of the Rings are treasured favourites – but it is Anne’s relationship with Gilbert and Arwen and Aragorn’s romance that stand out for me in both of these. Dick Francis was my main go-to mystery writer (he is still a frequent re-read) and my favourites of his have, if not a romantic subplot, a strong relationship arc of some sort (Proof involves a widower coming to terms with his wife’s death that is wonderfully done). Robert B. Parker is another favourite, but the stories where Susan is either not present or has a minor role are the ones I re-read the least. Once I put all of the above together, I realized writing romances was something I wanted to give a try. And even if I were to branch out to another genre someday, I am certain there would be a romantic subplot for sure. How about you? Do you remember the first romance you read? Then hop over to PG Forte and see what her memories of reading romance are.
It’s another writing topic this week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop. Compare the relationship with the characters in your book with real life relationships. How do they differ and how are they the same? This one kind of made me giggle. As much as I try to write “real life” characters, romance novels do need to be at least a little unrealistic to work. The main “unrealistic” thing? Men talk about their feelings. Now, I’m not saying all men would rather die by a thousand paper cuts than discuss their emotions, but I’d have to say most of them would. In a romance, though, the characters need to talk, or it is just page after page of introspection which gets boring pretty quickly. One of the things that is the same about men in romances and the real world is that they often prefer to show their feelings through actions. The guy that buys that gift she didn’t know she needed, fixes small things around the house even though she can do it herself, runs a bubble bath after a stressful day…those are definite possibilities in real life as well as fiction. Alfred Hitchcock is quoted as saying: “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?” Engaging romantic fiction cuts out the dull bits…and adds the bits we would like to experience more often. What do you think? Do you read romances because they relate to your life, as an escape…or a little bit of both? Now hop over to Jill Haymaker and see what she has to say!
Want a sneak peak at what I’m working on? This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, Andie Fenichel asks: Share five facts about your latest book or book in progress. I love doing these teasers. It is so much fun to pull out five unique facts about my newest stories. Currently I am nearing “the end” of the fourth Silverberry Seduction romance story. I’m going to stretch Andie’s instructions a little and share five facts about the series. Here’s a quick catch up for everyone: Secrets Under the Covers (Silverberry #1, Helen and Nathan) is currently available in the A Season for Love Anthology (check out the offer below to get seven free reads with your purchase!) Loving Between the Lines (Silverberry #2, Lynn and Benjamin) is now available for pre order. Reserve your copy by clicking here. Turn the Next Page (Silverberry #3, Aubrey and Phillip) is this close to being ready for pre order. I’m just doing the final run proofreading on it now. When I have a release date confirmed, I'll be sure to let you know. Strictly By the Book (Silverberry #4, Natalie and Rafe) is the one I am actually typing words on right now. So – back to the five facts Andie asked for…
I hope you’ll check out all the Silverberry books as they become available. Now hop over to Leslie Hachtel to learn five things about her writing projects! Do you have your copy of A Season for Love? If not, now is the time! Get seven free stories with purchase! (And if you already have it, you can still claim your bonus reads. Just email as directed below) Stay With Me
Two women. Years apart. Linked by common experience and a cottage that has survived since the Civil War. When Rebecca reaches out from the past, Evelyn finds it life changing. And in their own times, each must discover strength and fight to find and keep true love.
I do find it gets my creative juices going to write somewhere other than my desk. Even though our spring has been rather cold this year, I bundle up with a wool blanket, scarf, and hat and write outside when it’s not too miserable. Be sure to hop over to PG Forte http://rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com to see what writing habits she has!
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