Guest – Nancy Gideon (and a prize!)

“It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock ‘n Roll”

(But, first, Debra’s going to jump in here and mention that with over 50 published books under her belt, Nancy has seen the highways and byways of publishing over the years! And she’s here to light a fire under us. She doesn’t pull punches, and I suspect that facing reality and investing in the journey is why Nancy has 50 published books. You know?)

You’ve got to pay your dues.

Writers are all too familiar with that phrase. Of course, it could mean heading for Pay Pal to pony up our membership fee for all those groups and clubs and organizations that fill our creative wells. But there’s another kind of dues, the kind that implies obligation, guilt, resentment and frustration. If life is a highway, the route to success is a tricky toll road. And exact change is sometimes necessary!

We start out in our writing career with our pockets full of dreams, ready to be fleeced of our innocence. The first thing to ravel is the concept that writing the best possible book is all it takes. “Genius, of course, will be instantly recognized and rewarded.” Well, sometimes it can work that way, but more than likely that fast lane to fame and fortune is reached from a two track filled with ruts and wrong turns. And maybe Yoda-like shepherd to herd us in the right direction with words of wisdom.

First toll: blood, sweat and possibly years. We learn our craft. There are no short cuts, no blue light specials, no osmosis that will transform a casual scribbler into an author. It takes practice and knowledge as well as instinctive skill. It. Is. Hard. Work. Butt in chair. Hands on keyboard. Nothing glamorous about it. We take classes in grammar, in GMC. Enter contests. This is where we trim that fluffy softness we’ve been spinning dreams with and wind it into a tight weather-resistant berber that can stand up to heavy foot traffic. Study, listen and learn. The school of hard knocks doesn’t end until we have something worth selling.

Next booth: Entering the Marketplace. We drop in our fears and our expectations before pulling through. We’re in the real writing world now. We’ve got a product to peddle…just like the five to ten thousand other writers who’ll be competing for that one space in the publishers lot. Parallel parking takes skill and timing. We knock over cones, go over the lines, miss the mark by a mile. But we keep working on it. Submit. Revise. Submit again. (Better their desk than ours.) We watch for opportunities: wear tight shoes and pantyhose for a chance to talk to an editor or agent at those hot and crowded mixers. We take that step out of our comfort zone and MEET the people who can help us get to our destination. (Don’t tailgate. That’s just rude.) Chat in the hotel bar, pass out cards, get introductions. We think of it as speed dating until we find the perfect match of editor/agent/author. And remember, no contact is a wasted contact. You never know when that assistant you tossed around titles with at one house will be the senior editor buying your book at another. Believe me, that was a worthwhile lesson learned (to the tune of six books!)

Watch out for detours. Don’t get distracted by all the things that keep us from doing the one thing we need to do, which is write the book. “Yes, I should. Yes, I can. Yes, I will.” We join twenty loops, speak at every venue we can find from the Cub Scouts to Senior Centers, volunteer to judge contests, alphabetize our reference books, critique for anyone who asks, bake cookies for home room, take junior to judo, offer to mentor, post on blogs because we need to give back. Whoa. Pull over. We’re going nowhere fast except in circles. Paying dues does not mean owing everyone every minute of our time. Learn to dole out time and money carefully lest it be all gone before we reach our goal.

Chose a lane and stick with it. “Why does the other lane seem to move faster? Why does that author get comped advertising, a best seller, a movie deal when I’ve worked so much harder? How come Ms. First Book Wonder neatly passes my semi-full of mid-list books on her way to a six-figure contract? Why wasn’t I nominated? I write so much better than…“ Deposit pride and ego and move on. On the weigh station of life, nothing’s fair. Suck it up or take the bus. We’re only responsible for our own path. We can’t hitch a ride on someone else’s. Don’t jump from your lane to the next unless you’re sure it will get you there faster. Sometimes it’s more expedient to stick with what you know than to hop onto every passing trend. But then again, sometime riding with the top down is its own reward.

Whatever you do, go boldly. If you want to rock ‘n roll, drive with the windows down and the music blasting on that less traveled road, enjoy every mile of the trip.

Currently, I’m rock ‘n rolling at Pocket Books with a new dark paranormal shape shifter series. I’m hugely excited about this exciting road I’ve chosen. The series is unique in that it follows the same hero and heroine through the first four books. He’s a shape-shifter searching for his past and she’s a dedicated cop hiding from demons of her own in a steamy New Orleans backdrop where a criminal empire filled with treacherous alliances, a clan of ferocious shape-shifters looking for their prophesied leader, and an inescapable fate conspire to pull them apart. I call it Romeo & Juliet meets Beauty and the Beast in the Big Easy. (See how much I learned at your workshop, Deb!) Hang on tight. It’s a road trip that will blow your hair back.

The first book, MASKED BY MOONLIGHT is on the shelves now. “Intriguing characters and zippy action,” says Publishers Weekly in a starred review. “Gideon masters the tension required to keep her complex and engaging story moving.” CHASED BY MOONLIGHT and CAPTURED BY MOONLIGHT follow in June and July.

Nancy Gideon is the author of over 50 romances ranging from historicals to paranormals and contemporary suspense. She works full time as a legal assistant and never leaves her car port without Map Quest.

To learn more about Nancy’s career road trip and her series, visit: http://www.nancygideon.com/.

For a taste of MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, check out her book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyawnTxvAuo&feature=player_embedded

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

And don’t forget to bring the exact change!

What dues have you paid to get where you wanted to go? Was it worth it? Comments don’t have to relate to writing. A winner for an autographed copy of MASKED BY MOONLIGHT will be drawn at random.

GUEST – Deborah Grace Staley

Christmas Traditions

There’s just something about December, isn’t there? Chilly weather, comfy sweaters, scarves and gloves, cheery fires in the fireplace, savory soups bubbling on the stove, Christmas decorations, festive lights on houses and wreaths on doors, family, and always, good books. December is my favorite month of the year. It’s a month-long celebration for me with my birthday (which is today!) at the beginning of the month and Christmas and New Year’s Eve at the end.

When I was growing up in Upper East Tennessee, we always put the tree up on my birthday. Mom would get me a birthday cake decorated with Christmasy things like Santas, wreaths, Christmas trees, and Christmas candles on toothpicks. We put them on the tree after we had enjoyed the cake. I still have some of them on my tree. When I unpack them each year, they never fail to bring a smile to my face and warm memories to mind.

Other Christmas traditions at the Grace household included getting very dressed up for church service the Sunday before Christmas. We made dozens of cut-out and decorated Christmas cookies, some of which would be left with a cold glass of milk for Santa. We would make a least one trip around town to look at the Christmas lights. We each got to choose one gift to open on Christmas Eve. You didn’t get up on after going to bed on Christmas Eve on threat of your life no matter how badly you might need to go to the bathroom. I was always the first one up on Christmas morning, and very early I might add! I would go check the tree to confirm that Santa had come, and then I would run screaming through the house, Santa was here! Santa was here!

Christmas Day, we’d have a big family dinner, and then we would play board games most of the day while Daddy watched football on TV.

Now that I’m older, the Christmas traditions vary a little from year to year. I put the tree up as soon as I can, and I’m ashamed to admit that with a Christmas book that I’ve been promoting every weekend since the beginning of November, a full-time job and masters classes, I don’t have my tree up yet! But soon I’ll have it up. I buy at least two Hallmark ornaments every year: one for the family and one for my son—something that is reflective of an event in his life the previous year. I’ve done this since he was born so that he’ll have a set of ornaments when he has his own tree.

I try to make cut-out cookies with my sister every year. She usually comes to spend the weekend so we can make them. If I can twist her arm, she also makes us Chex Mix. After all the goodies are made and stored, we go to the convenience store to get hot chocolate and Krispy Cream Doughnuts for a ride around town to look at Christmas lights.

The week of Christmas involves family gatherings with my in-laws and my parents. But Christmas Day is sacred at my home. It’s our day to be together at our home. My husband, son, and I get up and open presents. I’m still the first up, and I usually have to coax everyone out of bed. I still can’t wait! I usually make cinnamon rolls for breakfast. For lunch, we have a spiral sliced ham, biscuits, and side dishes to snack on all afternoon. In the evening, we go to the movies.

Oh, and I always read at least one holiday romance before Christmas. So, I guess its no surprise that I was inspired to write a Christmas tale of my own. A Home for Christmas was inspired by a home near mine. At Christmas, the two-story white Victorian complete with wraparound porch puts icicle lights in every eve. It looks like a Christmas card! So, I took the liberty of writing a novel where the hero is renovating that house. In the first chapter, he’s hanging out the Christmas lights.

So what are your Christmas traditions? Share them today and maybe we can get Dixie Ferguson, Miss Estelee, and others from Angel Ridge to join us and share theirs!

All the best,

Deborah Grace Staley

www.deborahgracestaley.com

FROM DEBRA DIXON- One lucky commenter chosen by Deborah Staley will receive a copy of A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS from BelleBooks.

GUEST - MARILEE BROTHERS

Help me welcome Marilee Brothers, a fabulous writer in both adult and YA fiction! How do I know? (You mean besides publishing her first YA novel?) Take a look at what the major trades are saying about her newest book THE ROCK AND ROLL QUEEN OF BEDLAM...

From Publishers Weekly: "Readers will want to see more of this dynamic teacher/teen crime-solving duo."

From Booklist: "At turns funny, suspenseful, and touching, this novel of romantic suspense will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers."

One lucky commentor is going to get a copy of the book.

Welcome, Marilee!

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My schizoid life as a writer in two genres would likely make a normal person crazy. Sixteen-year-old Allie Emerson is the main character in the young adult series (Moonstone, Moon Rise) I write for Bell Bridge Books. Allegra Thome is the teacher protagonist in The Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam, an adult mystery to be published by Medallion Press in October. True, I’ve been on both sides of the desk, most recently as a teacher. But, it seems like only yesterday I was on the other side, gazing at the teacher with what I hoped was a look of rapt attention, while busily checking out the cute guy two rows over. Consequently, I find it easy, even beneficial, to head hop back and forth between the two.

To further complicate matters, you may have noticed both my ladies have names that start with “A.” What was I thinking? Is my brain not already suffering from information overload, not to mention swirling madly with half-baked ideas for new books and plot twists yet to be written? Did I set out to complicate my life even more? Um, no. Apparently I just love the letter “A” because it was completely unplanned, like many things in my life including three children. Yikes, that sounded bad. Rest assured, I’m not sorry I had them! My theory, though slightly flawed, was - if you wait until the right time to have babies, you never will.

Oh yes, there’s a third leg on my stool. I started out as a writer of medieval romance. You gotta love hunky guys with big swords! Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to castles, knights and feisty maidens with magic crystals when I became committed to writing my other books. There is a limit to how much my brain can handle. And, no, my heroine’s name did not start with an “A.”

I have developed a method that makes writing two different genres a tad simpler. Both Allie and Allegra live in the same imaginary region of Central Washington state which happens to be my stompin’ grounds. Yakima Valley became Vista Valley. Parker and Parker Heights became Peacock Flats and Peacock Heights, an area I drove by each day when I commuted to my job as a counselor for behavior-disordered teens. Therefore, I’m able to use the same fake names in both books along with some real ones like: Cascade Mountains, Columbia River, Space Needle, Snoqualmie Pass and Lake Keechelus. Will Allie ever meet Allegra? Who knows, it could happen.

What about you? Have you figured out ways to deal with the complexities in your life? Does it involve a bottle of wine? A chick flick? A long soak in the tub? If you care to comment, there could be a book in your future, one starring a hunky knight with a big sword and a feisty maiden with a magic crystal whose name does not start with an “A.”

Kathleen Takes On the Fashion Police

First, a word from my sponsor. Mystic Horseman comes out (officially March 4 or Feb 26, depending) as a paperback original right about now. It's the sequel to my last RITA finalist, Ride a Painted Pony, released in paperback in October. You wanted Dillon's story? You got it. Library Journal says of Mystic Horseman : "Poignant, heart-wrenching, heroic, and overflowing with hope, this well-written, family-centered romance takes a few unexpected turns and uses the author's knowledge of Lakota culture to full advantage." You can read a little excerpt on my web site.

Now, let's dish about the Red Carpet. Specifically, the "Fashion Police" and a term that twists my ear into a knot lately: age appropriate.

When I was a kid--back in the days of one TV per family--we had a couple of family viewing traditions (besides "The Wizard of Oz" at Easter and the parade of Christmas Specials): the Miss America Pageant and the Oscars, both of which allowed us to pick favorites and keep score. I remember well the year of "Dr. Zhivago." I thought Julie Christie was the prettiest woman in the world. Fast forward to this year's Oscars and the Fashion Police--it's a cable show, don't know what channel--on 2008 nominee Julie Christie. "Well, she's a legend. She's 1000 years old, and the dress is age appropriate, but it's a bad choice." Okay, I don't know what was with those funny sleeves or gloves or whatever, but I hope I look like this when I'm 1000 years old.

The Fashion Police judged Ruby Dee's choice to be "age appropriate and absolutely elegant." Elegant, absolutely. Stunning, chic, tasteful, classy.

We're also told that 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, is wearing an "age appropriate" outfit, and the Police love the earrings. I don't know. The neck dips pretty low front and back, and the garnet chandeliers seem a bit much for a 15-year-old. Then we're told that Laura Linney looks like a "school marm." The dress is too plain, the hair dowdy, the jewelry too simple. Huh? This is dowdy?Nicole Kidman's necklace--which took my breath away when she came out on stage--was deemed "way too much. Overdone." No way! She's tall. She walks like a goddess. The simple black dress set the diamonds off beautifully. She appeared to be draped in icicles. You ask me, the Police were jealous.
They gave Marion Cotillard thumbs down for her "fish" dress. I thought it was different and fun and looked like a work of art. Heck, she's French. She's gorgeous. The dress was a fantasy, and it made me smile.

So did Diablo Cody, the former stripper from the Twin Cities who wrote the screenplay for "Juno" and won herself an Oscar. The Fashion Police simply gave her a pass on the dress because she's "being herself." Read: former stripper? I gave her a thumbs up for individuality. (Incidentally, they said you get your stripper name from the name of your pet and the street you grew up on. My stripper name is Wilder Grandview. What's yours?)


How about the men? The police said Viggo looked like an undertaker. But if you saw "Eastern Promises" you know the suit was movie appropriate. I liked it. But I wish he'd lose the beard.

I agree with the cops on Daniel Day Lewis and his lady. Her dress looked silly. His tux was a dud. He wore a gold hoop in each ear. Who did he think he was? Jack Sparrow? Speaking of whom, Jack's alter-ego, Johnny Depp, looked cute. The nerd at the senior prom. He's always a character. And an individual.



The color of Kelly Preston's dress didn't please the Fashion Police, but I thought it was fine. It stood out among all the black and red frocks. But what's with my man John Travolta's helmet hair? He looked like one of the original Ken dolls with the flocked hair. Just ask the Barbie expert. (That would be me.)

Okay, here comes another bias on my part. Calista Flockhart looks healthier than she has in a while, but talk about age inappropriate. I love Harrison Ford, and I hate seeing him look foolish. This photo says it all. He looks like he's suffering through father-daughter weekend. The FP loved this dress on Calista. It looked like a dish rag.

Here are my picks for best of the best: Forest Whitaker and his wife for the classiest couple. Heidi Klum for fab dress on fab femme. (Anyone watching Project Runway? Who's going to win?) Heidi's dress was later auctioned off for charity.

So what did you think of the Red Carpet this year? Who was stylin'? Which dress did you covet? Which jewelry? Whose hair hit the mark and whose hairstylist needs a refresher course? You can view most of the stars in their finery at this Oscar fashion site.

I didn't opine on the Oscar winners here, but did you think anyone got robbed this year?