 Fresh caught trout and a lake view - priceless As the lone Canadian in the Romance Writers Weekly group, sometimes the blog topics don’t quite line up with my calendar. This week is a case in point… Memorial Day Weekend is coming up. What traditions do you and your family have? Will you start any new ones? In Canada, we do have a long weekend in May, but it is the third weekend of the month. For you non-Canadians, it’s called Victoria Day, and was originally intended to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria, the longest reigning monarch (at the time – Queen Elizabeth II has her beat by several years, now). It has morphed into the unofficial start of summer, with many Canadian heading out camping for the first time of the year. Where I live, it's also the weekend when it is generally accepted to be safe to leave bedding plants and such outside without danger of frost! Back to camping, though. We followed that tradition for several years when our children were young. Now that we are quasi-retired, we postpone that first trip until the Tuesday after the long weekend to avoid the crowds. This year is no exception…as you read this, we should be on the road to a favourite spot, ready for six days of campfires, canoe rides, and cookouts. What about you? Is there a May long weekend where you live? And if so, how do you celebrate it? Leave me a comment below, then hop over to PG Forte to find out what her Memorial Day weekend plans are.
0 Comments
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!
 We’re taking a walk down memory lane on the RWW Blog Hop this week. What is the one thing that immediately sends you back to childhood? Is it a food, a scent, a swingset? You know what sends me back? Country music. My dad is a big fan, as well as being a singer and guitar-player himself. I know the words to so many songs from the 70’s and 80’s!! One of my strongest memories is linked to “On the Road Again” by Willy Nelson. My mom’s parents lived an eight-hour drive away, and we used to visit them a few times a year. My dad made a mixed tape of driving tunes, and it started with “On the Road Again.” I am sure it was playing before we even backed out of the carport on those trips…or any other road trip! What about you? What evokes memories of your childhood? Keep the hop going with a visit to Debra Elise!
 I'm back blogging after a couple weeks away. One of those weeks I was in Las Vegas for the first time ever. What a place! Definitely somewhere to see at least once in your life. But it’s always wonderful to be home and get back to the usual routine. This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, we’ve been asked… Are you superstitious? Tell us about it. It’s coincidence this was the topic this week, but I think it’s timely because of my recent visits to casinos LOL! Good luck charms and favourite teams are definitely on the list of things people are superstitious about. While I wouldn’t think I go overboard on it, I did find myself gravitating to the same slot machines because I thought they “liked” me better. Riiiigggghhhtttt. When it comes to Friday the 13th, walking under ladders, and black cats, I’m not superstitious at all. But when we play cards, I don’t touch those dealt to me until the dealing is done, because my grandparents told me that was bad luck. And I have been known to get up and run around my chair to try and change my luck…another thing my grandmother said would work! What about you? Are you superstitious? I’d love to hear some of your good luck charms…maybe one will work for me! Then hop over to Andie Fenichel to read what she is...or isn't...superstitious about!
 A free stock image from Deposit Photos - but isn't it pretty? This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, here’s our topic: If you weren't a writer, what would you want to be and tell us why you would choose this. Many authors have two careers – writing and something that actually pays the bills, LOL! In my case, though, my other job was writing – TV and radio commercials, mostly, but the occasional short video or even television program. So if I was looking for a career completely separate from writing, I think I’d like to do window dressing. As a television producer, one of my favourite things was creating product displays. In TV, it only matters what the camera sees, so it was fun to choose a small space, move things in and out and see what looked best. I often scavenged plants and lights and other items to add ambience to the shots we were doing. I think window dressing would be much like that. How about you? What kind of job would you like? After you’ve commented, hop over to Leslie Hachtel to find out what her alternate career choice would be. Looking for a new read? Check out three collections of romance reads! Just click the image to browse.   
 The best advice is often not what you expected. This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, Leslie Hachtel asks… Who gave you the best advice ever? What was it and how did it help you? The best life advice I ever received came in fifth grade from my dad. I had been placed in a class with the “scary” teacher – the one all the kids told horror stories about. I’m pretty sure I came home from school in tears. My dad told me to give it one month. If the teacher was a bad as everyone said he was during that month, my parents would ask to have me transferred to another class. While that teacher never became my favourite, by the end of the month I realized I could handle it. He was still terrifyingly strict and had very high standards, but I learned how to work with his expectations. Since then, I’ve used the “just give it a month” mantra when I moved away to go to post-secondary education, when I had troubles with a new boss, when my first child was born, and in many other situations. It really does work for me. In regards writing advice, this might not have been the “best” advice, but it made a huge impact on me. So much so, I share it all the time with other writers. It is: Never start a sentence with “there was.” Now, like all rules, there are exceptions. But the thought behind this advice is best shown by example. There was a house on the corner of the street that stood tall and grim and always scared me. The grim, tall house on the corner always scared me. See how the second sentence is so much more engaging? How about you? What is the best advice you ever received? Let me know below, then hop over to Leslie Hachtel for more free advice!
 As I write this, it is the first day of spring! We were well below freezing when I woke up, but it is warmer now and the sun is shining. Which makes it the perfect day to answer this week’s Blog Hop topic: It's creeping out of winter to the spring. Is this your favorite season? If not, which one is and why? I have a love/hate relationship with spring. I love it because it means winter is over and the wonderful days of summer are on their way. But where I live, it is also one of the uglier times of year. Sometimes I like to say we have five seasons. We’re in the fifth right now, semi-affectionately called “The Melt.” As the snow starts to disappear, piles of gravel and refuse are left behind. Our city has a special Clean Up day in April specifically to clear all the debris that’s been hidden by snow all winter long. Until then, though, it can be kind of awful.
 Yet another easy at first look but tricky upon reflection topic this week... What is your favorite book and how many times have you read it? I love to reread books. It’s like visiting old friends. I know how the story ends but it doesn’t matter…I just want to spend time with the characters. Which makes this question more difficult than it first appears. I’ve reread Anne of Green Gables (the entire series) and The Lord of the Rings more times than I can remember, but not for several years. I also have every print copy of Dick Francis's mysteries, some of which are falling apart from too much loving. Then there’s Pride and Prejudice, which is my desert island book. It, too, has a peeling cover and loose pages. But then there’s the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin stories and the Spencer series. Also Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances and the Lord Peter Wimsey novels…and…and…and... You get the picture. What about you? Do you re-read books? And if so, what’s your favourite? Then move on to Leslie Hachtel for her re-readable list!
 This week’s topic really made me think… What was the last NEW thing you tried? Was it a writing in a new genre or tense? It could be skydiving, eating haggis for the first time, meditating at a Buddhist monastery, or really anything at all. Did you learn anything? I am a creature of habit, and the last two years has only solidified the structure and schedule of my days. So the challenge to do something new is a good one for me. It doesn’t do to get too set in your ways - and it's been a long time since I took a true leap into the unknown. It made it difficult to come up with an answer to today’s question. What was the last new thing I tried? One new thing I did recently was I wrote a short story with a retired military officer as the main male character. I don’t write apha males, and have no experience with the military so don’t feel comfortable writing people with that career. But I had chance to submit a story with just such a character to an anthology and thought, what the heck. My alpha male is a bit of a marshmallow, and his military career doesn’t really play into the plot too much, but it was fun to write. If it doesn’t get picked for the anthology, I’ll be releasing it this fall as it is a Christmas story, too. On the non-writing side of things, the last dramatic new thing I did was several years ago when I rappelled into a cenote in Mexico. I really don’t like heights, and am not a huge fan of hanging three stories up in a cave filled with water, but it was an amazing adventure. It was over too quick, actually – I would like to do it again! How about you? Done anything new lately? Let me know below, and then hop over the Andie Fenichel to see what’s she’s been daring to do.
 Yikes. This week’s topic is an odd one! Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Write about what someone else might think reading your books. That person could be someone from a different generation, a different country, or a different species. This is kind of scary to think of, but fun, too. If someone from the future discovered my books, this is what I would hope they would think. That the women of my time were bold and brave, not afraid to ask for what they want or to work hard to get it. That the men were strong and supportive, willing to explore a masculinity that didn't depend solely on how tough they were or how much money they made. That men and women would collaborate and compromise to make a safe, secure world for their families, no matter what the structure of those families. To me, this is the foundation of all my stories. The characters may get to this conclusion in different ways, but that is always their goal. I’d love to here what you think my stories say. Then hop over to Jenna da Sie for her take on this topic.  A SEASON FOR LOVE comes out one week today! Pre Order it now for only 99 cents.
Sometimes forever begins after forty. A collection of fourteen fiery and passionate contemporary romances featuring characters in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond. These authors don’t close the bedroom door on the good stuff, so be prepared to get hot and bothered in the best of ways. After all, lust has no age limit! From billionaires and alpha military heroes to nerds and single dads, this limited-edition collection of sensual and sexy stories will keep you up all night and daydreaming all day! The one thing they have in common? They’re about to discover it’s never too late to fall in love. Includes my brand new novella, SECRETS UNDER THE COVERS. Two long-time friends…one impulsive seduction…zero percent chance their lives will ever be the same again. |
