Men drive me crazy sometimes. And not in a good way.

Take my husband. Now, there is lots to love about the man. He’s good-looking, smart, and can totally handle himself. BUT, he aggravates the fire out of me when we get ready to go on vacation. If you don’t know by now, we are going to Disney World on Friday. I’ve worked for six months on this vacation, booking the dining, reserving the hotel, researching air fare and comparing rates. Well, needless to say, we are not flying because I actually like having two kidneys and not sure how organs on the black market are selling. But three days ago, my husband decided he can get a better price and we’ll just fly.

Really?

No. Guess he had to see it for himself.

Now I’m washing clothes, packing, getting the pets sitted, etc. and this morning he gives me a list. Yes, you didn’t read wrong. A list. Here’s what it looks like:

pick up his medicine at Walgreens

get the license plate put on car

get the oil changed on car (we bought the car two weeks ago)

get an extra set of headphones

secure the camp

Oh, and he just called to tell me the garbage didn’t get down to the road. Could I do that, too? Sure. I don’t have anything better to do. Ugh. Men.

Sometimes I wonder if he married me for an extra set of hands or something. He hands this stuff off to me like I’m an employee. Yessir, Mr. Husband. It’s no wonder we gals love to escape in  a romance book when we can wrap our wrinkly hands (from washing dishes) around at book. I want to read about men who sweep me off my feet, not demand I put my hiking boots on because I’m going to be a little busy for the next century. I want a man to whisper sweet nothings in my ear, not the instructions for how to charge the video camera. I want moonlight and roses, not bank deposit books and estimated tax payments.

All I can say is “Thank God for Romance Writers!” Maybe I’ll just escape into my new Victoria Dahl book before I go match up those socks and hunt for the old headphones for the car DVD player. Yeah. That sounds nice, huh?

What about you? Have anything that’s been driving you to escape into a book?

Scorpio M.! You won a copy of On The Steamy Side!

And Maria Geraci, you picked up the apron and spatula set!

email your address to Louisa at: Louisa @ LouisaEdwards .com

Congrats and stay tuned for more fun and prizes!

So today’s my birthday! Yay me! Cyndi had this idea that I should do a little celebrating, so here we are and Louisa’s with me kicking off a great month long party! (Devon did make me a cake, right? And it’s got some awesome filling and icing? I’ll watch for a delivery truck) For the rest of this month I have some treats for you. More book reviews and Jennifer Haymore is popping in at the end of the month—so do drop by! Hint: There will be more book giveaways! (you can follow me on Twitter for the lastest: @KeriFord)

Hi, Louisa, and welcome to Everybody Needs A Little Romance! Thanks for sharing in with my birthday celebration this month on the blog. I completely enjoyed your debut release, Can’t Stand The Heat and I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed with On The Steamy Side—and I wasn’t!

Keri: If you were here yesterday, then you found out a little about Devon and Lilah and how much I adored them during my review, but you really can’t get enough of these two. So tell me, Louisa, where did you get the idea of mixing in the fast lane Devon Sparks with trying to break out of Small Town USA Lilah?

Louisa: I had Devon as a character, almost an antagonist, in Can’t Stand the Heat, and I thought about what woman would be his perfect, diametrically opposed opposite. I wanted a heroine who could shake jaded, cynical Devon out of his rut. Lilah is a character who is very close to my heart; as soon as I thought of her, I knew her mix of Southern charm and down-to-earth practicality was exactly what Devon needed.

Keri: Lilah was raised by her Aunt Bertie and Uncle Roy. These two were never on page, Lilah never even spoke with them on the phone, but I know them just as well as the other cast members we did meet. Aunt Bertie doesn’t approve of Lilah’s move to New York City, but then Auntie better is one of those old birds that wouldn’t approve of much of anything that was a lot of fun. And Uncle Roy, we got to know him even less, but I pictured my Grandpa. Solid, honest, faithful, but would teach you to drive the tractor even though Aunt Bertie said that wasn’t for a little lady to learn. Are they modeled after anyone in your life?

Louisa: Oh, I love Bertie and Roy! They’re not really modeled on anyone in my own life, but Bertie’s earthy little sayings are cobbled together from many sources: my mother, her friends, some relatives…my editor actually had to rein me in a little! I love Aunt Bertie.

Keri: Frankie and Jess. What, you thought I might let you out of an interview without mentioning these two? Not a chance, babe. We learned a lot about Jess during Can’t Stand The Heat but it was so Frankie’s turn for attention in On The Steamy Side. And did he ever deliver! He thinks he’s so tough, but is rough exterior is about as thick as a piece of paper. When will you put us out of our misery with these two and tell us what’s holding Frankie back? And are these two ever going to get their happily ever after?

Louisa: Oh, Frankie and Jess! They’re my favorites. It was a great challenge to write the next chapter of their story from Frankie’s point of view. I loved getting into his head. Fans of Frankie and Jess don’t have too long to worry about them–their story arc will come to a wonderful climax in JUST ONE TASTE, on sale August 31, 2010. I promise, it’s worth the wait! 

Keri: There’s a little teaser (and when I say little folks, I mean little. *cuts eyes at Louisa for not giving enough*) at the end of One The Steamy Side of the next story up in the Recipe For Love Series, Just One Taste. It features Wes and a new character, Rosemary. Now from what I’ve seen in these precious few pages is, there are hundreds of side splitting laughter moments ahead. Can you give us anything on this story?

Louisa: Because I love you, Keri, I’m going to give you a sneak preview of the cover copy for Just One Taste. Enjoy!

HE HAS A HUNGRY MIND.

Bad-boy chef Wes Murphy is dreading his final-semester cooking class—Food Chemistry 101—until he meets the new substitute teacher. Dr. Rosemary Wilkins is a feast for the eyes, though her approach to food is strictly academic. So Wes decides to rattle her test tubes by asking for her hands-on advice—on aphrodisiacs…

SHE’S GOT LOVE DOWN TO A SCIENCE.

Rosemary is a little wary about working with Wes, whose casual flirtations make her hot around the collar. But once they begin testing the love-enhancing power of chocolate, oysters, and strawberries, it becomes scientifically evident that the brainy science nerd and the boyish chef have some major chemistry together—and it’s delicious…  

Keri: And bonus question (and because my husband can use all the help he can get), what would Devon buy Lilah for her birthday?

Louisa: Hmm…it depends on where Lilah’s birthday falls in the story. At the beginning of On the Steamy Side, he’d definitely spring for something pricey and ostentatious–something that visibly proves he cares. By the end of the book, after Devon’s learned a few things about love, family, and how to let himself be vulnerable–I think he’d buy her something like…a first edition, signed copy of the first cookbook by Virginia cooking legend Edna Lewis. Lewis was the first cook/food writer who brought traditional Southern foodways to national attention; she would’ve been a huge influence on Aunt Bertie and Lilah’s cooking.

Keri: Thanks for hanging with us for the day, Louisa! And THANK YOU so much for offering up a copy of On The Steamy Side to a lucky commenter and an apron and spatula set to someone else (are those not adorable?? I want that set!).

Louisa will be popping in through the day answering questions! Leave a comment for a chance to win!

Well I had to LEARN to wait!  I still wait around today for a lot of things.  There are things I still want badly today, but I just can’t have right now and probably never will.  Sometimes, the things I want are not good for me, and I need to stay away from them.  Although it’s kind of difficult sometimes when you love them so much.  I don’t want to be flirting with trouble, right? 

I have waited for years for the right editor to ask me for my work, and now I have TWO editors who want my full manuscript!  I went to the conference this weekend, and another editor wants a full manuscript!  She is the second one with the request!  I’m so excited!  Now I have five chapters left to finish, and I have to get busy.  The writing career is most certainly going in the right direction!

I am getting more hours with the job I love.  I have waited for the entire time I have been with my patient to have more hours, and now I will have plenty!   I enjoy working there and taking care of her.

Appreciating the little things in life and being patient for those bigger things is what is so important.

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?

1—Devon Sparks. If you like Gordon Ramsey, then my friends you will fall head over heels for Devon. He has it all and so much more because we get to see under that chef shirt and also how he uses it! And what’s also really fun is you get to see the drive in the man that pushes him to demand excellence….even when that excellence isn’t always coming through for him. Devon has his own tv show and his one and only true friends are slimming to the one and only, Adam (whom we all love and know from Can’t Stand The Heat). Adam’s going on vacation with the love of his life, Miranda, and asks Devon to step in as head chef in his kitchen. Devon agrees, but he won’t be doing the song and dance instructions left for him. With his successful tv show, Devon has been away from the head chef position for far too long and he wants to flex his taste buds. But ouch, those buds have been a bit inactive and need to be awakened by one Lilah Jane Turkle. 

2—Lilah Jane Turnkle. Southern. Sweet. Kind. Loving. And if you’re thinking all that means ‘mouse’, then my friends you would be wrong. So very, very wrong. Are you seeing the friction already between this Belle and our Devil in the Kitchen above? Lilah is anything but a quite woman in the corner. Raised by her prim and proper aunt, and always following the guidelines and rules her aunt set forth, Lilah expected a set life. And she probably would have kept that life, but funding was cut in the art department at her school, taking her job. Lilah is tossed and turned in all kinds of different ways. What’s a gal to do but reinvent herself? Off our Belle goes to the big city to stay with a childhood friend. Lilah has one mantra in mind, Whatever Aunt Bertie did, Lilah will now do the opposite. Which works out very nice for Devon because Devon is the kind of man Aunt Bertie would cross the road to avoid. 

3—Lilah and Devon together. Let’s just say it’s not the kitchen stove getting things steamy. *wink* Devon has a bit of a soft side for Lilah. When they first meet and are together, Lilah has no idea Devon is a super famous chef who has his own tv show, but when she wants him—just him, this hot and flirtatious guy she just met anyway…ohhh, heaven for Devon there. And for Lilah, in the beginning she sees this very worldly man and he’s totally flirty and hitting on her. Doing the opposite of what Aunt Bertie would do, Lilah flirts back and the book gets so hot, it’s like sticking your finger in apple pie right out of the oven. Scorching hot and sinfully sweet. Of course, the real fun begins when the two realize who each other is and their strangers-for-the-night-never-see-each-other-again doesn’t last beyond twenty-four hours. 

4—The food, the food, the food. With Lilah and her southern roots, I saw a few staple recipes make the book and I was thrilled. If you think homemade biscuits and greens can’t be sexy, then you’d be wrong. Even better, some of southern staples Devon got his hands on and updated them. I’m telling you, reading the descriptions of the food will have your pudgy areas thinking of expanding—but no worry! The amount of laughter will work anything off. I’m going to have to beg Louisa for some of these recipes Devon tinkered with. 

5—Frankie. We finally get in Frankie’s head and it is one delightful place to be. During Can’t Stand The Heat, we weren’t in Frankie’s pov and he was very much a mystery to me. He’s *still* a mystery to me, after getting in his head in On The Steamy Side, I’ve been given hints. Little tiny hints to let me know there’s so very much more to Frankie than what’s he’s telling anybody and I am dying here to find out what his secrets are that are holding him back from his Happily Ever After with Jess. (Jeepers, that’s a long sentence!)

I’m very much a foodie. I love to cook food. I love to bake food. I love to eat food. But that doesn’t mean I’ll eat just anything you plop in front of me. I won’t do foods that are looking more alive on my plate than dead and don’t you dare ever bring me anything that’s still bleeding. Over the weekend I talked with a couple people and I made the comment that you don’t mix desserty foods with other foods (do we have a clue here of my favorite foods to cook?). The item in question at the moment was cream cheese. I’d made the comment because there was a block of cream cheese in front of us that had some spicy jelly stuff poured over it. You’re supposed to eat it on crackers. (Perhaps Liz, Melissa or Jamie will remember–hey girls! Great meeting you all this weekend!) To me, cream cheese should ONLY go in a graham cracker crust (or something similar) with lots of sugar, but I think if I turned Devon loose with a block of cream cheese and told him to get to mixing, I’d nearly try anything he brought me. Especially if I got to sit there and watch him cook it. 

Do you have any no-no foods that you’d give a shot if a man like Devon served it up for you? Have you picked up Can’t Stand The Heat or One The Steamy Side? What did you like about them if so? Be sure to pop back in tomorrow when Louisa will be here giving away One The Steamy Side and an apron and spatula set!

**I was given a review copy for this review. But I’m a Louisa fan and the review was scheduled well before the idea of sending me a copy came along. Also, I bought the book over the weekend too because there’s nothing I like better than supporting my favorite authors.

What it makes me think about are the settings for our books.  We settle on a place, and then we have to settle on the time of year, unless of course we’re writing about Hawaii or something equally temperate where it doesn’t really change much over the course of twelve months.  My current WIP is set in Nevada, which to the best of my recollection features two seasons: winter (COLD — at least in the northern parts, which is where my WIP is) and summer (HOT — which goes for anywhere in the state).  I don’t want it to be winter, so it’s not cold, but I don’t want it boiling hot, either.   I’m afraid I really can’t remember what the spring and autumn are, to the extent they exist.  Fortunately I’m going to eastern Nevada in person at the end of this month, partly to rev up my memories, and I figure whatever it is in March, as long as it isn’t snowy, is what it’s going to be in my book.  At least that’s the current plan.

My last effort was easier — it was spring in northern Michigan, which is cool and short.  We tend to tumble into summer rather precipitously.  So the warming weather went with the tension in the plot.  Now, thinking about it, I can’t help but wonder.  Am I seasonally sensitive because I live in a place with such marked seasons?

So that’s the question I’ll bounce out to you all.  Is the season important to you in your books?  How do you pick the season for each story?  What kind of book should be set in winter?

Of course next week we well might have deep snow here.  We had a horrendous ice storm one April 1st.  What kind of story would that fit?

CONGRATS!!

I am SO THRILLED to have Nancy Martin here today (**fangirl squeal**) Nancy is a WONDERFUL mystery writer famous for her Blackbird Sisters Mysteries. (She also has a shady past as a ROMANCE AUTHOR!)

Visit her website http://www.nancymartinmysteries.com/ for more information on her Blackbird Mysteries (which I just LOVED) as well as links to buy these books.

Today, Nancy is kicking off a BRAND NEW series starring Roxy Abruzzo. Roxy isn’t your usual good girl heroine, in fact, I don’t believe “good girl” has even been used to described Roxy! Read more about Roxy here on Nancy’s website.

To celebrate Nancy’s new series, I am giving away one autographed copy of OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION. And you have TWO chances to win. Leave a comment here, then go to my review of OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION on my blog HERE and leave a comment there. Good luck.

Take it away, Nancy!

NO CHINAMEN

By Nancy Martin

In his Ten Commandments for Detective Novels, Ronald Knox declared that no mystery should include a “Chinaman.”  He composed his list in 1929, mind you, but a lot of mystery buffs still take those rules very seriously.

If you write such stories, thou shalt obey these laws: *

1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.
2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.
3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.
4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.
5. No Chinaman must figure in the story.
6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.
7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.
8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.
9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader.
10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

* In truth, most of these rules have become outdated in current mystery fiction.

Mystery readers, in general, I’ve discovered, have a lot of rules.  I learned early in my mystery writing career that hardcore mystery lovers particularly hate sex.  On the pages of their mysteries, that is.  Hate it.

So like a good girl, I wrote my first mystery, HOW TO MURDER A MILLIONAIRE, making sure that my amateur detective and Philadelphia society columnist Nora Blackbird, kept her panties on.

But in a previous career incarnation, I paid the mortgage by writing romance novels (I have more than 40 under my Gucci belt) and I couldn’t see why a red-blooded woman needed to be celibate in order to solve crimes.  Or why she needed to have such an unbalanced life.  So a “love interest” soon strolled onto pages of my Blackbird mysteries. When Mick Abruzzo, felonious son of a powerful mafia kingpin, meets genteel Nora Blackbird, for him it’s love at first sight.  He determines to leave the life of crime and make a life with her instead—although his criminal tendencies tempt him like an addiction. Nora and Mick long and lust for each other, despite their differences in class, sensibility and moral code—classic romance novel stuff, right? But it worked in a mystery novel. At least, I thought so.

Turns out, my Blackbird readers were women like me who like to see the rules broken now and then.  They actually wanted their detectives to have love lives.  So in the 3^rd book in my Blackbird Sisters series, Nora and Mick Abruzzo had sex.  In a car.  In the parking lot of a Home Depot.  I couldn’t help myself!  Neither could they!  And lots of readers seemed to love it. (Note from Cyndi – OMG is Mick H-O-T. The classic bad boy. And that scene at Home Depot. Scorched my fingers holding the book! But back off ladies…Mick is ALL MINE!)

Sure, I heard tsk-tsking from the mystery poohbahs.  My books were too romantic, they hinted, to be taken seriously in the genre.

Well, fasten your seatbelts, everybody, because my new mystery series features Roxy Abruzzo—Mick’s naughty half sister who has a lot of sex.  With a lot of different men.  Anytime, anywhere. She’s got a problem that way, in fact, and readers will learn why this certain addiction afflicts her. She’s going to struggle against it, give in, then fight all over again in a terrible, heart-breaking, sometimes unsavory battle.

Already I’m hearing shrieks from the sidelines.

She’s too unlikable! She’s not nice! She’s a con woman! Who’s corrupt! And worst of all–she’s promiscuous!

Well . . . aren’t a lot of male detectives unlikable?  How come one currently revered male detective even tells readers about his diarrhea, but he’s still beloved?  Many male detectives actually enjoy beating up people and taking multiple women to bed.  And don’t get me started on the overload of drunks in mystery fiction.  More than half the male detectives are alcoholics, but women don’t dare forget to feed their kitties or readers scream.

Do I smell double standard?

Or is sex the hot button for readers?  Killing is grand, but don’t kiss anybody? Does lovemaking give mystery fans the heebie jeebies?  And if so, don’t you think it’s time for a little group therapy?

Okay, I’ll admit that Roxy Abruzzo’s sex life is unsavory.  She knows it, too.  Like a serial killer, she keeps little tokens from each of the men she seduces. A little twisted, right?  She’s Got Issues that will require many, many books to resolve, just as those alcoholic male detectives do. If you’re one of those don’t-forget-to-feed-the-cat readers, Roxy’s not for you.  But if you like to read about a character who struggles with problems, I think you’re going to enjoy OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION.

Once again, I think it’s romance fans who are going to lead the way.  Romance readers are famously open-minded and like to see the rules broken.

So, what did Reverend Knox mean when he declared no detective novel should include a Chinaman?  Nowadays, we haven’t a clue.  But I’m tempted to break that rule, too.

Nancy Martin is the author of nearly 50 popular fiction novels, including the Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series and OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION, due in stores today.  She serves on the board of Sisters in Crime and was awarded the 2009 Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for mystery writing. Visit her at www.NancyMartinMysteries or on Thursdays at The Lipstick Chronicles.  (www.thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com )

My first conference was a little scary.  I didn’t know what I was doing or what to expect.  I didn’t really know anybody there.  I had appointments with the wrong editors who were not looking for my kind of story, but it was still a lot of fun.  I met such wonderful and interesting people and made friends with them, and I still talk to them today. 

Last year’s conference was a blast!  I didn’t really go to any workshops, and I only heard one speaker.  I listened to Jennifer Blake, and she had a fantastic speech.  I made more writer friends there and had a couple of glasses of wine with them.  I even met an editor and agent who wanted my full manuscript!  I was overjoyed and still am!

This year will be great too, and I will take a lot of pictures again.  It’s always nice to look back at all the fun or memorable times.   And now is the most fun I’ve ever HAD in my life!  Just within the past month, everyone around me has noticed a huge change in my personality, and they love it! 

They tell me I’m very outgoing and funny!  (I’ve never been like that kind of person…until now!  What a drastic change!  LOL)  Yes, I am MORE than ready for the conference!  

I have a busy day Sunday after the conference too.  I have to wake up extra early, leave, meet with some good friends, go see my Papaw and Garg (my 99 year old uncle), and then I have a date!  Busy busy weekend, and I’m looking forward to ALL of it! 

What’s the best time you’ve ever had at a conference?  What is your favorite part about it?

And it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out.  At least as far as baseball goes. LOL How many strikes do we get in the writing ballpark?  I really need to know because I suck when it comes to trying to tell someone else what my story is about.  Now take that, add the fact I have to squeeze out the essence of my story, tie it up in about three or four sentences and you’ve got me pulling my hair out and wanting to run for a dark corner to wallow in my pathetic attempts.  Can you tell how much I hate pitching? 

This week is going to be a bit stressful for me.  I pulled some strings, sweet talked my husband and managed to get everything in line so that I can attend the Nola Stars Conference in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Look out Keri, Amy, and Jamie here I come.   I’m excited that I will finally get to meet a few more of my great blogging buddies.  I feel like we’ve known each other for along time already, but a face to face chat is going to be so cool.   And they have some really great workshops scheduled too.  I can’t wait! 

It’s the idea of having an elevator pitch, or any kind of pitch for that matter, ready in time that’s got me going in circles.  I know my story backward and forward, upside down and sideways.  I love my characters and their struggles.  But getting all that to come out into intelligent conversation will be my biggest hurdle.  Shoot, I still get tongue tied trying to brainstorm with my writing friends.  I know it takes practice and time to perfect this.  Maybe attending smaller conferences will be the key for me.  Fingers crossed!  

So how do you say all you need to in such few words?  How do you keep your cool when your insides feel like someone ignited a batch of firecrackers in your gut?  How do you gain courage to do what terrifies you the most?

* I received this ARC free from the author in exchange for an honest review*

 Product Description:

In the wilds of Oklahoma, three sisters have a date with destiny…

Bound: When Valerie left for the big city, she kissed her foreman husband goodbye-along with the best sex she ever had. Now, seeing him brings back sizzling memories.

Branded: Watching Gage wrangle untamed horses leaves Brea hot and bothered. But can she live out her fantasy with a man who may ask for more than she’s willing to give?

Brazen: Ranch hand Walker Morgan can’t afford to get too close to his new boss, Jolene, no matter how she tempts him. But Jolene’s prepared to take the first step.

3 Sisters are brought together by one ranch, the Bar M in which they all have equal ownership of.  Valerie ran away from the ranch and her husband to become a Doctor.  Brea ran away to Tulsa where she is a freelance programmer/analyst.  Jolene has been running the ranch the past few years.

Valerie has been running from love since their parents were killed in a car accident when they were teenagers.  Every time she gets too close to someone or something she gets scared and leaves.  Mason hopes to change her mind and show her why they belong together.  Circumstances pull at her heart while she is home on the ranch and this time she might just stop running.

Brea is more comfortable hiding behind her books and baggie clothes.  She lacks self confidence and is inexperienced when it comes to men.  She loves reading steamy romances and dreaming they are about her.  She can’t believe that the sexy ranch hand, Gage is interested in her.  She decides for once to take a chance on what she wants and go for it. 

Jolene knows what she wants and she goes after it.  She has been running the Bar M ranch and has turned it into a successful cattle business.  She now has set her sights on Walker but he refuses to get involved with his “boss”.  Walker has a secret that he is worried will affect Jolene and the Bar M ranch.  She is worried that he sees her as one of the guys until things start to heat up.  Who will win this battle of wills between them?

I loved all three of these stories.  Each of the heroines had some quality that I could relate to in my life.  Valerie was the one that took care of her sisters when their parents died, Brea isn’t very confident in herself or appearance and would rather hide behind her books and Jolene was the one left at the ranch to take care of it when they both left.  I take care of everyone in my family, hide behind my books and am left to clean up any mess there might be.

Jaci Burton gives you real working cowboys and the women they love.  The men are rugged, tough and not afraid of hard work.  They love just as hard as they work.  They are the real deal not some cheap imitation.

The stories have plenty of sizzling sex in some very unique places, which made it very entertaining.  All three of the stories are separate reads but I like the fact that they all flow together and you get to find out how things are going for the others as the book progresses.

I really enjoyed these stories and would recommend if you haven’t read anything by Jaci to definitely take a chance and pick it up.  I give this book 4 flaming hearts. 

Have to sing a little song of praise here.  All of us (or at least it feels that way) have lamented from time to time about how easy it is to have time eaten up by all the various forms of electronic contact.  But on the other hand, the chance to share with each other, to pass on snippets of knowledge, just to cheer for or bewail with is so tempting! Well, I have to stand up on my little hind legs and say that one of the reasons is because romance writers, in particular, are so particularly generous, giving, and kind.

As I’ve said before (repeatedly), I was a published nonfiction writer for years.  During that time, I had no contact with other authors — nor, as far as I knew, was there any way to establish contact.  It was sink or swim, baby, and you and your agent and your editor were out there, each with slightly different agendas, cooperating when it was best all around.

Once I started fiction, and discovered the RWA, the whole picture changed.  Suddenly I was part of a community.  And the nicest part was that the community was there for me whether I’d published anything or not.  Very fortunately, because publishing in the 21st century is a whole different game from the 20th.

This week I’ve had the best demonstration of that.  I was trying to enter a contest held some distance from the United States.  (Don’t want to specify, because I don’t want everybody in a position to take advantage of their good-heartedness.)  Being distracted by the press of ordinary things, a frequent condition with me, I didn’t realize the deadline was approaching so rapidly, nor did I appreciate the horrendous expense of priority mailing (USPS, UPS, Fedex etc.).  Plus the little difficulty of translating metric margins into inches, an entirely different format, and so forth.  In desperation I turned to the site of the RWA equivalent, asking for help on the technical issues.  I figured I’d just have to eat the cost myself if I wanted to enter — and by that time I was determined to enter.

The president, no less, promptly responded.  Knowing, she said, from entering US contests, how expensive it is to mail full manuscripts, which is what the contest requires, she suggested I just email it to her.  She’d print it out to their format and enter it for me.

Now is that kindness or what?  I have been going around all week in a golden glow, trying to figure out what I could do, short of sending her my right arm, to express my gratitude.  I have no idea how I’ll fare in the contest, but that is now of little importance.  What the experience has already done for me is made me glowingly aware of what generosity and comradery there is in the world of romance writers, and it is a world.  Also how glad I am to be one of that number.

Is this a fortunate fluke or have you been gifted as well by your sister (and occasional brother) writers?  All we can do if we are, I guess, is pass it on.  I’m looking for an opportunity myself . . .