PURSE-ONALITY! by Diane Kelly

Later this month, my first digital novella will release.  Like the rest of the Death and Taxes series, Death, Taxes, and a Sequined Clutch features IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway and her gang.  In the novella, Tara’s new clutch purse makes a great place for her to stash her gun and handcuffs while she fights crime and debates how to even the score with an old flame who did her wrong.  The clutch’s sequined bulls-eye pattern is total Tara. 

The type of purse a woman carries and its contents say a lot about her, don’t they?  Fortune tellers and psychologists could learn everything about a woman from her purse.  

When I first started carrying a tiny little blue jean purse in 5^th grade I had to search for things to put in it.  A Bonnie Bell lip smacker.  A ballpoint pen.  Spare change.  A comb. Fast forward to high school and college when I had dozens of purses in all different shapes, sizes, and colors to coordinate with my outfits, including a sexy clutch or two.   Gotta be in fashion , right, and a glittery clutch just says "Fun!"  At that point, my purses contained a quarter for the payphone, my fake id, and lip gloss in case I happened to meet the guy of my dreams. 

Once I got married and had kids, my purse became an over-sized carry-all that housed a half dozen Hot Wheels, a Barbie or two, and “mom” things like coupons, tissues, Band-Aids, and granola bars.  A few years later, as I juggled my roles as a tax adviser, aspiring author, and PTA officer, my sturdy, utilitarian purse became a mobile filing cabinet filled with manuscript drafts, paper clips, a calculator, and never-ending “to do” lists.

I recently bought my first nice purse that I’ve had in years, a Coach bag scored 40% off at the outlets.  It’s a great style that crosses over the chest, leaving the hands free for shopping, texting, and mixed martial arts, perfect for a busy woman on the go.  One glance inside my purse and you’ll find ultra fine Sharpie pens and stickers for my book signings, a cell phone loaded with great books to read on the fly, and a very worn Staples rewards card used to buy zillions of printer cartridges.

Tell us about your purse-onality.  What does your purse say about you?  Do you carry a sexy, carefree clutch or something more practical?  Is there something funny or unusual in your purse?  Do you change purses with each outfit, or do you normally carry the same purse every day?  One lucky commenter will win a free digital copy of Death, Taxes, and a Sequined Clutch.  Check back at 9 pm central time to see if you’ve won!  

DEATH, TAXES, AND A SEQUINED CLUTCH releases on October 30th for only $1.99 and is available for pre-order now! 

What's so Funny 'bout Peace, Love, and Understanding? by Diane Kelly

I recently read Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”  His best advice is that people should seek first to understand, then to be understood.  In other words, we need to empathize with those we deal with personally and professionally.  This can be difficult, and when the other person makes little attempt to understand where we are coming from it can be hurtful and frustrating.   

For a writer, the ability to empathize is critical.  Writers have to create characters that readers can empathize with, and to do so we have to put ourselves in the character’s shoes and think hard about what it would be like to be them.  How would they feel under the circumstances the story throws at them?  What thoughts would go through their minds?  How would they react to the situations and people they are dealing with?

Empathy can have a downside.  I have a hard time with books and movies in which horrifying, traumatic things happen to the characters.  Yep, I’m an emotional wimp.  I don’t like to see people suffer.  Besides, I don’t think a story has to be traumatic to be meaningful. 

Empathy can be a lot of fun, though, too.  My favorite writers create characters with whom I gladly empathize through their trials and tribulations because I know there will be a wonderful emotional payoff at the end.  I enjoy getting into the head of IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway, the star of my Death & Taxes series.  Through her, I get to be 27 again and have a kick-ass job where I carry a gun, work alongside a bad-ass bad boy, and take down crooks.  So much fun!  Tara also has an active sex life.  Hey, if you’re going to empathize with your character, you might as well treat yourself to a good time, right?  And it’s rewarding to empathize with a character whose ultimate goal is truth and justice, even if the means she uses to achieve those goals are less than exemplary.

It’s perhaps easiest to empathize with characters who are like us.  A character from TV that I empathize with is Claire from Modern Family.  She busts her butt to take care of a family that takes her for granted.  She’s treated as if she has a hair-trigger temper when, in my opinion, she’s justifiably frustrated that someone throws a monkey wrench into her carefully made plans.  I can soooo relate to that!  I also empathize with Frankie from The Middle.  She’s muddling through, doing her best but still falling short.  There are only so many hours in a day, after all!  Her house is a mess, sometimes she’s a mess, too, but in the end her children know she loves them and the important things get taken care of even if the laundry doesn’t. 

What characters from books, television, or movies do you most empathize with?  Are they like you or different?  What made you feel empathy with the character?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!  One person who posts a comment today will win a copy of either Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure or Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte (winner’s choice).  The winner will be posted around 9:00 PM central time.

My Tetherball Romance - by Diane Kelly

Recently, my son noted that he couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be married. Of course he’s 16 with raging hormones – in other words, girl crazy. One day he’s got a crush on a petite Asian girl, the next a tall blonde. When there’s so many potential mates to choose from, each with her own unique look and personality, he can’t imagine tying himself down to just one!

But, as I tried to explain to him, one day he’ll meet a girl who he knows is THE ONE. When he does, she’ll feel like an extension of himself, part of the unit that is THEM. “That’s how I feel about Dad,” I explained. “He’s such an integral part of my life and my identity. It’s like he’s one of my limbs, like an arm or a leg. I’d have a hard time imagining life without him.”

Of course, being 16 means my son is not only girl crazy but also a smart ass. “Sometimes a person is better off cutting off a limb,” he replied. “Like if it gets gangrene.”

Such a romantic, huh?

The conversation got me thinking, though. My relationship with my husband has certainly evolved over the years. When we first met, we had a lot of fun together, but we were independent and enjoyed time with our friends, too. Once we got married and had kids, we spent more time together, though our dates often consisted of sitting side by side in front of the dryer and folding laundry on a Friday night.

Now? I guess the best simile for our relationship is to say it’s like a game of tether ball. My husband is the pole – solid, rooted, doesn’t need to go anywhere to enjoy himself. Yep, he’s a bit of a homebody, happy to sit in front of the TV watching ESPN and munching chips and salsa. I’m like the ball, constantly on the move, flying first one direction, then the other as I go about the busy game of my life. But I’m firmly tied to the pole by a taut rope and at times am wrapped firmly around it, taking a short breather between games.

I’ve found that when I write the romantic parts of my books, I tend to give my characters a very similar type of relationship. The hero and heroine share an undeniable bond, yet they function fairly independently as they go about their days. Still, they are there for each other at the critical times.

Every relationship is different, of course, and what works for each couple is as unique as the couple themselves. How would you describe your relationship with your spouse or significant other? How has it evolved over the years?

Diane Kelly is the author of the Death & Taxes romantic mystery series. Her debut novel, Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure, will be released November 1st. Post a comment today and you could win a copy of Diane's debut novel! The winner will be posted around 9:00 pm central time. Visit her site, www.dianekelly.com, from October 21 - October 31 for more chances to win prizes in her countdown contest!

HAIRY SITUATIONS by Diane Kelly

That's me and my mother in the photo. The photo reveals several things about me:

1) I'm not a real blonde. (Is anyone???)
2) I'm from Texas, also known as The Land of Big Hair.
3) I have a mother who's such a great sport she allowed me to use this photo in my blog! (Thanks, Mom!)

The hair. Wow, huh? I can't imagine why this hairstyle hasn't come back!

My mother's hair must have been the subconscious inspiration for the beehive worn by Lu "The Lobo" Lobozinksi, Tara's stuck-in-the-sixties boss in my Death & Taxes series. Lu's beehive plays a major role in Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray, which will be book #3 in the series and will be out next summer.

I've never worn a beehive, but I have sported some other questionable haircuts in the name of fashion. I was in high school in the '80's, during the New Wave/Punk Rock era. I once had my hairdresser cut the top of my hair in one of those spiky hairdos that made the strands stick up like a palm tree on top of my head ala Kajagoogoo. (Remember that band? I Googled them. They're still around!) My high school boyfriend had long bangs that he bleached to an odd shade of orange-blond.

I once got a spiral perm. The rollers were so heavy they nearly broke my neck during processing. Between the bleach in the blond dye and the chemicals in the perm, my hair was fried beyond repair. I looked like I was wearing a tumbleweed on my head.

Got a bad hair story? Share it with us! One lucky poster will win an ARC of my debut novel, Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure. The winner will be announced here at 9 PM central time, so be sure to check back! Thanks for stopping by to visit us at Killer Fiction!