I heart Antonio...

Posted by Christine

The Many Faces of Eve

New Year’s Eve, that is.

I’ve done it all, I think. At first it was those party-hearty New Year’s at a bar wearing a goofy hat. We then moved on to New Year’s with a group of friends that included nice clothes, good food, too much booze for our usual little-drinking selves. We’d wake up in the morning in our sleeping bags at the host’s house and take our amateur hangovers home with us. Next came our move to a house and then kids and we started hosting a neighborhood-wide New Year’s party. We’d roll up the living room rug and dance, kids would scamper up and down the stairs, no one would have to worry about driving home.

Then one New Year’s Day I woke up to a huge mess and decided I was done with that for a while. Worried about people just showing up on our doorstep, we grabbed the kids, a few other families, and took off for the beach as the sun went down. Appetizers, boxes of fire fuel, and blankets were trucked out of the cars and to a fire ring on the sand. It was a glorious way to spend New Year’s Eve night, ending with burning the previous year’s Christmas tree (I used this real-life experience in my book Must Love Mistletoe). We would get home way before midnight, but feel we’d done something special. It became our new tradition.

But then we were rained out one year. The next everyone had a bad cold. And so we stayed home and did nothing two years running. And it was good. Very good.

Son 1 is talking about having a New Year’s gathering this year. Okay. I’ll vacuum, get the ice, stock up on sodas. But don’t count me in for the countdown. I have Maureen’s Beyond the Boardroom to read, as well as Susan’s The Unexpected Millionaire and her latest single title, Sizzling (I just bought it yesterday!). I’m planning on settling in my room with some cheese, crackers, white wine, and my books. Happy New Year to me, indeed.

What about you? What are your New Year’s Eve plans?

P.S. I have a book out too, and the title captures my current feelings about the date--it's called Not Another New Year's. I tried to upload a cover image, but blogger has foiled me again! I hope you'll look for it.

Writers Need to Know...

Posted by Christine

A lot. Too much.

Which is why I can’t even remember how I got along without the internet. I know, know. Much of the info online is suspect. Take Wikipedia. Great stuff there. But you have to keep in mind that anyone can add onto any page at any time. Yes, Wikipedia has people fact-checking constantly, to be sure any given page hasn’t been maliciously falsified. But still…

You have to be careful out there.

I am. Honestly. I try to check and cross-check any info I'm going to put in a book and call a fact. Still, I know stuff gets by me. Sorry, I do my best to get it right. But it’s the nature of the beast that now and then we stumble.

And you know what? Even with the above caveat, I’m still in love with the things I can find out online. I have a folder in my Favorites links devoted to Research and Reference. That folder has a hundred addresses of places online to find out stuff. That folder should be better organized.

One of these days… (hah!)

And my Research and Reference folder isn’t the half of it. Every book I write gets a Favorites folder and then there are sub-folders within the main folder. For Settings and Flora and Fauna, for information about my hero or heroine’s profession, for things like how to kill someone with digoxin or Spanish slang and idioms. It’s all quite dizzying.

And wonderful!

And my very favorite research sites—I mean aside from the basics like Ask.com and Wikipedia and About.com?

The ones about time and the phases of the moon. I love this site: Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day. You go there, you fill in the blanks, you can find out sunset and sunrise anyplace in the world on any given day. And the phases of the moon on that day. I love the whole moon phase thing. Sorry. Just do. It’s something I really need to know so my H/h can look up in the sky and see the moon as it really is in that place. On that day.

Weird? Maybe. But all writers have their weirdnesses and this is one of mine.

Love this one, too: http://www.timeanddate.com Tells me the time and date—right now—anywhere in the world. I need to know that! I really, really do.

And there’s my friend, Betty Sanders, a member of my local RWA chapter. She keeps a blog that’s a…reference of reference sites. Everyone needs that. So here you go: http://bettysanders.blogspot.com/

What about you? Favorite info sites I should know about? Share, share!

Merry Christmas to All!!

Two things I'm eternally grateful for this Christmas:

1. The best family in the world, and
2. The fact that Blogger allowed me to post these pictures! *g*

These are some goofy and charming photos of me and some of the fam on Christmas Eve.

I sincerely hope to post some shots of the aftermath later today. It won't be pretty!
Meanwhile, featured in these pictures are my darling, talented niece, Dandelion, and my handsome, brilliant nephew, Spartacus. (Their names have been changed to protect their identities.) (The green scarves they're wearing are part of their costumes from the Christams play they performed on Christmas Eve.)


Also, captured on camera are two brothers, Tim and Jim (aka The Great Jimmy) and Pammy (Tim's wife) and of course, The Mother of Us All.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!!

Cheers!!

Successful Getaway

Surfer Guy and I went away for the first time alone since our kids were born. I told that to several people while we were gone (for a mere two days)—well, I told it to everyone I met, it was that much on my mind!—and Surfer Guy kept denying it. No, no, he said, we’ve been away before.

Um, no. Never together. He’s gone on surfing or ski trips. I’ve been to writer’s conferences or on girls’ getaways. Last summer Son 1 stayed home for one night alone before I came back from the RWA conference in Atlanta, but Son 2 was with Surfer Guy. Before we left on this trip, I was a little concerned. What if we had nothing to say to each other? What if we were bored without some child complaining about being bored?

Well, not to worry. We had a fab time. Maybe it was Malibu. It was cold, but so clear that you could pick out each grain of sand. We stayed on the beach both nights. Right on the beach. The first night we stayed in the “John Travolta suite” at the only B&B on Carbon Beach…aka Billionaire’s Beach. Apparently John spent three months in the same room we were in after he made his first movie. There’s a photo of him in the room holding the owner’s cat. The next night we stayed up the beach aways…again right on the sand, again, with a fireplace and the sound of the surf soothing us all night long.

We walked along the beach, hiked into the canyons, shopped at the surf stores (Surfer Guy loved that, natch), gawked at the incredible homes. The owner of the B&B, Charlou, 86 years young, drove us up to an overlook so we could check out Mel Gibson’s complex and Britney Spears’s house. But we never spotted one celebrity (unless dolphins at dawn count). That was okay. It was novel enough that we were together alone.

And did I mention this? My next three books are set in Malibu! We’ll be going back for more “research.”

Do you have a particularly memorable vacation or getaway? Now that I’ve done this once, I’m thinking I can tear myself away from the kids again and so I need ideas!

I'm Fine. Really. Just Terrific...

Posted by Christine

Don’t look at that picture on the left. That’s not really me. Honest.

Just because I have a December 28th deadline? As in three days after Christmas. You think that fazes me in the least?

Oh, no. Uh-uh. I’m just dandy here in Oklahoma. Just fine. Superb. Magnifique.

And we all know I've done all I can to minimize the holiday challenges this year. You know more than you ever wanted to about the way I decorated. The cutting back. The going for minimalist. It helped--my stress level, I mean. But you know, it’s really not a good idea to set up a deadline of 12/28. Not if you celebrate Christmas, anyway.

There are simply too many fun and distracting things to do during the holidays. We’ve been to parties. We gave one last Friday night. A Cranium party. Picture Trivial Pursuit with crafts and charades. That’s Cranium. I cooked nothing. Bought various finger foods from the local La Baguette and put them on my own plates. We had plenty of champagne. I played my favorite Christmas CDs. It was so fun. I want to do it again. Maybe tonight. Forget my page goals for tomorrow...

Also, I blew off an afternoon’s work last week so that Hunky Mensa Man could take me out with him to pick out my Christmas gift. Yes. I confess. I’m one of those women. Especially when diamonds are involved, I want to pick it out myself. And I did. It’s under the tree as I write this. I love thinking about how, in just a few days, I’ll be wearing it.

In fact, I love thinking about my bling more than my book right now. I am so bad, I just can’t stand it.

Cranium, anyone?

And what in your life gets back-burnered this time of year?

Oh, and if you haven’t already, vote for Kate, who is sizzling hot and doing us all proud as she continues to move up in RT’s American Title competition! Scroll down to read her entry’s synopsis. And for voting made easy, click on the Vote for Kate button to the right.

If it's Monday, American Title Results Are In!!!

That's right, it’s American Title Monday and that means I can finally reveal the results …

I made it through to Round Three!!! Woo hoo!!!

And oh YES, it’s time to VOTE again!!!

But first, I have to thank everyone for voting for me in Round Two, so Thanks, everyone!! Honestly, I’m shocked and thrilled that I’ve made it this far because I’m up against some fierce and talented competitors.

Now, the easiest way to vote for me is to click the button over there on the sidebar, the one that says "Vote For Kate!!!" Yes, that’s the one! Click on it, and it takes you to an email form that's all filled out and ready to go. Just hit “SEND,” and that's it! I can wait here while you vote ... hmm-de-dum ... hey, see how easy and fast that was? *g*

Okay, thanks again for voting and for spreading the word to all your friends!!

This month, your vote will determine the “Best Story Summary.” Here's my entry...

Gracie Sinclair is Librarian and Book Curator for a small, prestigious university. When she finds an antique French version of the Kama Sutra in a used book store, she’s stunned by the erotic drawings and her fantasies sparkle to life. Just once, she’d love to have a fling, but wild and willing men are scarce in her world. Her girlfriends recommend an intriguing online dating service and Gracie decides to join.

Seventy-two hours later, the biggest, baddest, sexiest man she’s ever seen shows up at the Library, and he’s not there to check out a book.

Cane Winslow has emerged from deep cover to salvage a critical overseas mission after a photograph of their most secret operative’s twin sister turns up on a monitored internet site. If the enemy finds the sexy Librarian before Cane does, Gracie could be killed in retaliation, Cane’s operative assassinated, and years of intelligence destroyed.

Gracie realizes she’s truly in danger and accompanies Cane, despite one little problem – she doesn’t have a sister.

At Gracie’s house, they surprise an intruder and find proof that the enemy has infiltrated Headquarters. Now Cane doesn’t know who to trust and he won’t risk Gracie’s safety by taking her to HQ. Gracie mentions her family’s isolated beach house and Cane agrees it’s a good hiding place.

In close quarters, with danger threatening, the tension builds until Cane and Gracie succumb to their overwhelming attraction and explore the dazzling rituals of the Kama Sutra. And vanquish the enemy, of course!

So, that's the condensed summary -- in less than 250 words! Not much room to mention any complicated plot twists! LOL. So now the question is ... what in the world will the judges have to say this month? Check out their comments and read all the entries at http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

It’s the holiday season and everyone’s busy, so I truly appreciate you taking the time to vote! And again, if you have an extra minute, spread the word and tell all your friends to vote, too!! I need all the help I can get!!!

Happy Holidays!

I Like Paul Walker....

Posted by Christine


He always seems so sincere.
And, in this case, wet.
And wet is always good. :)

Great Expectations

Today is the last day of school before Christmas vacation. And boy, have my kids earned time off, especially Son 2. He started high school this year and in his Honors English class they’ve been reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Parents were encouraged to read along with them, as the teacher acknowledged it was a challenging book for kids of this age.

Uh, yeah.

It was challenging for me, and I was an English major in college, I’ve read other works by Dickens, including A Tale of Two Cities, and I’m a very good reader. Not only does Great Expectations have a long cast of characters, but more than one character is not well-educated and speaks in a sort of dialect. For example, right away a man is demanding “wittles,” his pronunciation of “vittles.” And that’s one of the easier to decipher.

Don’t get me started on how the testing for this book was conducted in their class. Suffice to say that these kids who had tested into the honors track came out of the first exam with mostly Ds and Fs. But they kept on reading and kept on testing and I kept on encouraging. There were times Son 2 would read aloud a passage and ask me what it meant and I had absolutely no idea. Even when I went back to it in context, I couldn’t be entirely sure. And so I grumbled (silently) to myself about this literature choice while aloud I just told him to keep on keeping on.

And then it came to the last 100 pages. “It’s getting good now,” my student said. By this time, the cast of characters were familiar, the mysteries were being solved one by one, and there was a sense of impending threat. Pip’s life was almost taken, it looked as if the girl was gone for good, and on behalf of his “benefactor” there was an exciting attempt at escape on the Thames River.

When Son 2 turned the last page, he looked up. “I think that’s the best book I’ve ever read.”

Wow.

I still think it’s a lot to bite off for freshmen. And perhaps there are some better ways to ease them into the story. But to Mr. Charles Dickens…my hat is off. Dude, you’re still relevant.

Do you have a book you thought you wouldn’t enjoy, but then ended up loving? It doesn’t have to be a classic!

The Joy Thing...

Posted by Christine

This is me, slaving away on my latest--which just happens to be due 12/28. Can you hear me screaming? That smile is actually a rictus of pure terror. Oh, yeah.

But even for a writer facing a crushing deadline during the holidays, there are bright and shining moments of pure joy. A couple of examples...


I cut back my decorating this year. No light-bedecked garlands dripping with holiday florals and shiny decorations. Only a tasteful wreath on the front door--no light display. We do have a tree and I piled four boxes of shiny red balls into this bowl you see here. I just love it. It's so...shiny and red. Every time I look at it...you guessed it:

JOY!





And then there's this picture, taken by a lovely lady who goes to all the University of Oklahoma football games with the band. That's the J in the middle, hands up, mouth open in a JOYous shout. This was the moment they won the game against arch-rivals, Oklahoma State. I adore this picture. All of it. the girl on the cell phone, the kid beside the J holding up his clarinet almost reverently, the laughingly JOYous girl in the front. Every time I look at this photo, it brings a smile.

So. What about you? What brings you joy--in this holiday season, or any time?

The Perfect Stocking Stuffer!

Posted by Kate

One week from today, the world will know which six finalists made it to Round Three of the American Title III Contest. I’m so on edge, I can barely type the words!!

As many of you know, my entry in the ATIII contest is The Kama Sutra Chronicles. I like to think it’s funny, sexy, suspenseful, and a fun, fast read. The one thing my book has never had is a paranormal theme.

Until now.

That’s right, paranormal is hot! So I’ve decided to spice up my hero and heroine and give them a touch more bite. Oh, it’s going to be sweet! And I’m going to change the name just slightly. I think you’ll like it.

I’m calling it The Cookie Sutra Chronicles!!

First there were vampires, then came werewolves, shapeshifters and demons. And now, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the kitchen ... aaarrgh!! Look out for the Gingerbread People!

Check this out! The Cookie Sutra is the cutest book and a perfect stocking stuffer! It combines the wit and wisdom of the ancient Kama Sutra with, you know, a gingerbread recipe. It's the perfect gift for the romance writing baker on your list!
The full title is The Cookie Sutra: An Ancient Treatise: that Love Shall Never Grow Stale. Nor Crumble, by Edward Jaye. I've already ordered my copy! And I'm sending thanks to my American Title III buddy, Jenny Gardiner, for the heads up on a book that could revolutionize my writing--and baking--style.

Yes, I'm a little crazy, but this holiday season will do that to you!

So ... what's cooking with you? Have you moved into holiday baking mode yet? Are you finished with your shopping? Need a stocking stuffer? *g*

This Saturday, the Seasonal Hunk....

Posted by Christine


See? All he wants for Christmas...is you!

Love a man who's got his priorities in order.

Decorating the tree today. In spite of all my previous Scroogieness, I'm having a ball.



Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Shopaholic and Sister-in-Law

On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), I had the intense pleasure of going shopping with my sister-in-law and my niece. Oh, the joy! Surfer Guy doesn’t shop. Son 1 and Son 2 think shopping means Mom has puts new clothes in your room and you try them on and tell your personal shopper (Mom) what works and what doesn’t. Not a one of them wants to browse, to feel, to sniff new perfumes. And it’s hard to coordinate shopping trips with my girlfriends—many of whom have daughters to shop with and so don’t need me to get their mall fix.

But with my favorite family girls in town, and with the guys occupied playing with the Wii and putting up the Christmas lights, I hit the stores with my female posse and happiness in my heart. I never stop at perfume counters, but my 21-year-old niece wanted to, and so we did. Because my sister-in-law had a yen, we went into a cool stationery store where I would never have shopped on my own. I walked out with several gifts.

We tried on jeans together in a tiny dressing room (niece is a size 2, sister-in-law a size 4, but I didn’t think about that) so we could get on to more shopping quicker and also be right there to critique style and fit. We all bought a pair of pants. Together, we agonized in the Nordstrom shoe department about which pair of Ugg boots my niece should get for Christmas. She had her heart set on a particular style until another caught my eye…and then hers. Now why did I feel so happy when she went with my favorite pair?

Finally, we even browsed the kiosks. I never do that, but my sister-in-law and niece are more adventurous. I ended up with a great hat for my mother-in-law (a straw-like sunhat that folds into a convenient shape, perfect for storing in the boat) and then…

My sister-in-law and I both bought these scarf-covered headbands. There was a big picture of Lindsay Lohan wearing one and it looked so hip! We tried several on and kept telling each other we also looked hip in them and could think of dozens of places they’d be convenient to wear. And they were on sale, the final trigger. Two for $7.

That night, when we got home, we told the (mostly) uninterested males about our shopping success. My brother, more used to the shopping talk, nodded his head a few times. Surfer Guy made martinis. The sons and nephew kept playing with the Wii. And then, after dinner, we all sat around our coffee table to play Texas Hold ‘Em. There was nothing at stake (except pride) and Son 1 and my nephew put on their shades and lowered their ballcaps in order to hide their poker tells. My sister-in-law and I decided to put on our new matching headbands, because, well, Texas Hold ‘Em is hip and so were we. Right?

Right. Until my brother looked over. Rubbed his chin as he surveyed our Lindsay Lohan coolness. And said…

“Why are you two dressed up like Rhoda Morgenstern?”*

So DD Shopaholic Tip #2 (#1 was the Target T-shirt, remember?): Those scarf-covered headbands look cooler in the kiosk than they do on your head.

So tell me, who is your favorite shopping companion? Do you have someone you enjoy shopping with or do you like to browse by yourself?

* Remember her from the old Mary Tyler Moore show and her own spinoff sitcom? I tried to upload an image of her and Blogger would not cooperate.

Nothin' like a Christmas Song...

Posted by Christine


It’s that time of year again. You know what I mean. We’ve been discussing the season at length here on DD. Ho-ho-ho and all that jazz.

Here in Sooner country, our local pop radio station, 104.7 on your dial, switches to all-Christmas-all-the-time the week of Thanksgiving. And I listen. Oh, yes, I do. I can’t wait to get in the car between November 20th and New Years’ Day. A bounty of Christmas is right there, waiting for me with the punch of a button, and maybe a slight adjustment of the volume dial.

See, I like it loud. Very loud. And it’s not like I don’t get plenty of Yule sounds at home. I’ve been collecting Christmas music since the J was born. As of today, I’ve got 28 Christmas albums, total, in two formats; CD and cassette. I’m loathe to ditch the cassettes, since I’m afraid I won’t find these treasures again. So the holidays are also the one time of year when my old-as-the-J cassette player gets a workout. We are talking the classics, here, folks: Burl Ives’s Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Willy Nelson’s Pretty Paper and Elvis’s Blue Christmas. How am I going to say goodbye to those?

You guessed it. I’m not!

Plus, every year, I feel it’s my holiday duty to add one more great CD to my collection. Last year it was Diana Krall’s Christmas Songs. Amazing. And this year it’s Bette Midler’s Cool Yule. Love it! I try to hold it to just one a year and I’ve already got Bette…

But.

So I’m driving in my car with the radio on full blast and here comes that Christmas Song that reduces me to a blubbering mass of holiday tears. The Christmas Shoes by Newsong. Heard that one? Don’t listen without a box of Kleenex. I warn you.

In case you’ve missed it, a little boy is buying the perfect shoes for his dying mama. He wants “her to be beautiful. If Mama meets Jesus tonight.” Oh, God. Can you spell s-o-b-b-i-n-g? Because I was. I do. Every time I hear that song. I drive with the tears just running down my face.

No, that poor little boy doesn’t have enough money to pay for them, and yes, the holiday-hardened singer ends up putting his money down so the kid can give his mama her Christmas Shoes… Okay. I need that one. I really, really do….

How ‘bout you? A favorite Christmas song? An album you recommend?

And for your further Christmas pleasure, both Maureen and Susan have Desires on the stands right now.





Check it out at Amazon





















Check it out at Amazon

Dear Diary, I'm On Deadline!

Posted by Kate

For the first time in years, I didn't enter RWA's Golden Heart contest.

I admit I was happy and looking forward to cruising through the holidays with plenty of time to shop and feast and enjoy the company of my friends and family instead of my usual pattern of frantically writing and re-writing and polishing manuscripts to send off before the December 10th deadline, after which I would crawl to my couch, a shell of my former self, broken and drained and suffering a mini-breakdown complicated by bronchitis or worse.

Ah, those were good days.

But really, I was hoping I might avoid all that this year.

But guess what? I'm on Deadline, people!!!

It's my own fault, really. This deadline is self-imposed. Am I insane? Maybe. But what could I do? I want to sell some books before I die!

So the week before Thanksgiving, I set up a writing schedule with two deadlines. One was to get a 100-page partial out by December 1, and the other was to finish a rewrite of a full manuscript by December 18.

I made that December 1 deadline and it felt really great! And no mini-breakdown! Woo hoo! (And many thanks to Susan and Maureen, my nags--er, my idols!)

Now I'm busting my butt--and fingers and eyeballs and back--to get the second book out by December 18. This will pretty much ruin any chances I might've had of spending quality Christmas shopping time with the rest of the thundering hordes out at the malls. So, thanks to Michele Cwiertny, I found this great gift online. Everybody on my Christmas list is getting one.

The small picture doesn't fully convey the wonder of this gift. It's called "WWBD" or "What Would Bacon Do?"

It's a folder you can use for papers for a business meeting or a class at school. The dial is a piece of bacon you spin when you have a question or get bored during the meeting. Possible answers include "Smoke!" "Taste Good!" "Boycott Tofu!" I'm thinking I might make up my own answers. Oh yes, I'm getting one for myself, too!

My family is going to be so excited with this gift! And I'll be able to make my deadline! It's going to be a very merry Christmas at my house!!!

So, all you Deadline veterans, any suggestions on how to work through the holidays without going insane? And how about gifts? Can you help me find some more great gifts online? I mean, in case they run out of Bacon Folders??

Sometimes Just the Eyes and the Mouth Will Do It...

Posted by Christine




















But just in case they don't, I'm including your regular hot, wet guy!

It's My Party...

…and I’ll bake if I want to!

I’m throwing a party tonight. I’ve been preparing for days, making lists, checking them twice, thrice, four times. Counting RSVPs, counting again, looking around my house and wondering how best to accommodate the group. Surfer Guy, still recovering from his recent surgery, is doing what he can, but no heavy lifting and he needs to be flat on his back a lot of the time. Still, he’s able to wonder aloud do we actually need this much food?

What’s a hostess to do? I’m only comfortable if I have plenty. So I made two ziti casseroles, two macaroni-and-cheese casseroles (it’s a comfort food Christmas party, obviously), two huge salads (one spinach, one regular), garlic bread, and…

…three cakes. Carrot cake, sherry cake, and an old-fashioned cake with white layers and chocolate frosting. Is it too much?

Maybe, but I used my secret weapon, the Cake Mix Doctor’s cookbook. All the recipes start with a store-bought cake mix and go from there. They turn out wonderful and don’t look or taste like a cake mix cake once you’re done. Even the carrot cake is easy, which is saying a lot. (I’ve made it from scratch before and had that horrible moment when the layers fall apart as you try to remove them from the pan.)

I’ve still got cleaning to do and salad dressings to mix up, but the cooking and baking are done. It’s going to be a great party and it’s for a special group of people. The women are from my “moms” group. We all met when our kids were in kindergarten. We used to have coffee together once a month, then it was lunch, now it’s happy hour and the occasional party that includes the husbands. It was these women who were with me last Christmas on Coronado Island the night I started researching for my book that just came out, Must Love Mistletoe. We had a few cocktails, a few appetizers, and then took a walk to admire the tree at the Hotel Del Coronado. Tonight I’ll be handing out the book that came from that excursion as a party favor.

And Cady, you get a book too! Remember, I said I’d give away one of my books to a commenter from this week. It’s you! Go to my website and click on the e-mail link and send me your snail mail addy and I’ll get the book right out to you.

So tonight I’ll be partying with my friends and my cakes. Do you guys have any special party tips you can share? Recipes for cakes or cocktails? Tips on getting someone else to clean up tomorrow?