Squeezing another batch of lemonade...

Recently I've had a lot of lemonades hurled at me. From flooding basements to automobile breakdowns, to scary wind and electrical storms, it's been a wild couple of weeks. I've had a handyman in and out of the house the last two weeks trying to get some things done. When I'm not working, I'm priming, painting, weed killing, and decluttering--which put me way behind schedule on my writing. Earlier this week I decided that--come hell or high water--(pun ever so much intended) I was going to sit my fanny down in my office chair in front of the computer and get my next proposal finished up and sent out.

I had originally hoped to have it mailed off before the Romance Writers of America's National Conference so as not to have to compete with mountains of requested submissions making their way to editors' desks after the conference ends. Well, I almost made it. I sent the proposal material out yesterday. Now the real fun begins: the interminable wait for a response.

Quite frankly, I figured since the last ten days have been so incredibly crappy (those lemons) I had to have something positive to counteract the negative (the lemonade). So, I wrote and rewrote and polished and edited and had my English major kid proof the proposal before I mailed it out.

Okay. On one level I know that I could get beaned by another lemon if my proposal doesn't pass muster. However, until such time as that may or may not occur, I'm going to enjoy the satisfaction of having taken a sucky week and made something sweet instead.

On the suckiness scale, how has life treated you lately? Here's your chance to rant, opine, or boast--or all of the aforementioned.

Me? I plan to have a nice cold glass of lemonade.

Oh, and happy Independence Day! Be safe when you celebrate!

~Bullet Hole~

Opening Lines

Last night was one of those nights where I was desperate to read something, but couldn’t figure out what. I ended up over by the keeper shelf. Still, I don’t know what it was – I couldn’t even settle on a favorite. I did, however, read a lot of absolutely fantastic opening lines.

“Looking back, I guess my first mistake was to assume that a rookie reporter could pursue both a hot story and a hot sex life.”

Bubbles Ablaze by Sarah Strohmeyer

“The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry.”

Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

“The blackened shell of the house still stands on the edge of the moor.”

Greygallows by Barbara Michaels

“My philosophy is pretty simple – any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day.”

Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning

“Two blocks from the restaurant, Zoe Tarleton knew she was screwed.”

Gone with the Nerd by Vicki Lewis Thompson

“Captain Crosbie came out of the bank with the pleased air of one who has cashed a cheque and has discovered that there is just a little more in his account than he though there was.”

They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie

“Falling out of Heaven is the easy part. It’s landing that’s difficult.”

Angel with Attitude by Michelle Rowen

“Sometimes, it seems like all I ever do is lie.”

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

There were even more, but darned if I’m going to type them all. It was fun to get drawn into my favorite books all over again. So what about you? Do you have any favorite opening lines? Post yours and you’re entered to win a brand spanking new copy of any of the books above. Winner’s choice.

Coming Home

By Robin "Red Hot" Kaye


For those of you who don’t know, The Romance Writers of America’s National Conference starts today in New York and for me, it’s a homecoming.

I was born in Brooklyn and yesterday, my critique partners, my husband, and my youngest daughter packed up the SUV and went to explore my hometown. Of course, the first thing we did when we got to Brooklyn was eat. We went to L & B Spumoni Gardens and had great Italian food—and for me to say it was great is really saying something.


Then we were off to the Kensington section and Minna Street—my childhood home where my family lived for over fifty years. My grandparents’ house was on the end of the short street—only a few blocks long. Even the sections of the street had names. Our section is called old Minna. I looked at the two streetlights that formed the boundary of my little world as a young child, the place I could play stoop ball, kick the can, ride my trike or bike, and skate with one skate. Okay, I guess the one skate thing requires an explanation. My grandmother would allow me to only use one skate, which would be on the street, while my sneekered foot would be on the curb pushing me along. That way my sister and I could skate at the same time without falling—much. We were allowed to play between the lampposts at the far side of my house and the end of the row of homes my grandparents’ lived in. I realized the distance was only about 100 yards—I remember stepping beyond the lamppost wondering if lightening would strike me dead—it didn’t, but then I didn’t spend much time testing the theory. For a woman who was five foot two and one hundred nineteen pounds, my nanny could be pretty scary—she knew how to wield a broom like no one I’ve ever seen.


The planter my great-grandfather made still stands proudly out front of my grandparents’ house—not that there is any choice in the matter, the darn thing probably weighs a ton—literally. What I would give to go to the door and buy it from the new owners. I’m just not sure how I’d get it home. My husband figured it would take eight men just to move it.

After driving through Kensington and Park Slope we were off to Red Hook—the area where my next series will take place.

Red Hook, at one time not all that long ago, was the crack capital of the world. It houses the largest public housing project in Brooklyn—the Red Hook Houses. Ten years ago I wouldn’t walk through Red Hook in broad daylight. Now, the area is going through resurgence. It’s still gritty, but Ikea moved in—bringing folks across the river from lower Manhattan on a free ferry to shop. The Fairway Market—the world’s most awesome grocery store took over one of the old docks—condos were built above it with views of Lady Liberty (which faces Red Hook), Governors Island, the Verrazano Bridge, and the Manhattan sky line. Restaurants and art galleries are springing up, and the waterfront is coming alive.

After hanging out at the Fairview and buying more food—okay, we eat a lot. Who can resist miniature connoli cake? We got back into the car for a ride to Brooklyn Heights where we walked around looking at all the great brownstones and worked up an appetite.

After yet another nosh at the Height Restaurant and Bar, we walked the Promenade—a long park that runs the length of Brooklyn Heights all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge--and took in the Manhattan skyline at night.















The conference begins today, and for the rest of the week I’ll be working non-stop. I’m so glad that I went home yesterday and had one of the first relaxing days I’ve had in a long time. Whenever I go home to Brooklyn, I’m at peace in a way I am nowhere else. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to show my daughter her roots, to get a picture of her by the lamppost where four generations have now been photographed and to share the place I’ve never forgotten.

My Writing Process: Ever Evolving? Or Back to Basics?

For those interested in writing for Intrigue, I did a blog post for Harlequin a bit ago that talks about writing spooky. Check it out if you're interested.

It's another fabulous Monday morning and today I have a special treat for readers - a guest post by extraordinary Harlequin Intrigue author, Julie Miller. If you read the Intrigue line or have even scanned the books in a grocery store, I'm sure you recognize Julie's name. She's been so kind to provide us with an inside look at a piece of her writing process.

The more I write, the more I learn about writing. I've always believed that as a teacher, and I'm seeing it firsthand as my writing career progresses. Whether published or not, there's always something to learn from completing a writing project.

I recently finished revisions and updates for the first novel I ever had published--IMMORTAL HEART, a paranormal romantic suspense--that has been reissued as an ebook this month. That was 40+ novels ago. And wow, what an interesting trip down memory lane to read through that ms again. There were some obvious updates content-wise after 15 years that I needed to address--giving my techno-wiz heroine a cell phone, changing her videotape collection to DVD's, using flash drives instead of (groan) floppy disks.

But I discovered that my writing style has changed over the years, too. I discovered a few cliches in the ms--maybe they were fresh back then, but they've been overused now. I discovered that I must have had a favorite word back then because I used it a LOT in that ms (I've changed several of them, played with different phrasing in the new version so it doesn't jump out at the reader the way it kept jumping out at me). Plus, I think I'm a tighter writer now (ooh, that rhymes). For example, I can see that I took fewer chances with breaking the rules of grammar and sentence structure. Some sentences--dialogue, especially--I wanted to snap in half so that the pacing moved faster and it sounded more realistic to those characters. Of course, I was still teaching English full-time when I first wrote that story, so maybe all those rules I insisted my students use were stuck in my head, influencing my style. I hope I've given the story the contemporary, fast-paced tone I use now to go along with (what I'm pleased to discover) the same deep characterization that I still have today.

As I begin my next writing project (the first of a new Precinct miniseries for Harlequin Intrigue, tentatively titled THE MARINE NEXT DOOR), I'm keeping in mind the evolution of my writing style. No more 'darlin's' unless that hero is from Texas, and even then, probably not. And really, 'galvanized' is a cool word, but I think using it once in a ms is plenty since it's so unique. I'm giving myself permission to play with those grammar rules. My ms will still be clean and easy to read, but I will break some rules intentionally for certain effects in my story.
And there's something else in that first novel that I want to get back to in my writing. That truly was a book of my heart (in fact, the whole trilogy I wrote featuring that group of IMMORTAL HEART characters was a books of the heart project). While I know there are certain requirements in writing now--right tone for the line, required length, certain level of heat, hooks that readers like, etc.--I don't want to limit myself creatively. I want to dream more, let my imagination go, allow myself to feel the joy of writing that I felt back then. I want to revisit favorite characters who are near and dear to my heart, and create new ones who sweep my imagination off its feet. For example, in the first book of this Precinct miniseries, I'm already thinking of some tweaks I want to give my hero, John Murdock. Deepen the angst and conflict. Incorporate some things that have touched me in real life recently. And so on. As I write this 45th book, I want to try to recapture that book of the heart feeling. The ptb at Harlequin say that readers are looking for something a little unpredictable and fresh in their books, while still being able to bank on the promise of a particular line. I'm hoping to pull that unpredictability into my story by trusting my instincts and playing a little more.

So that's where I am in my process--reflecting back on how far I've come while giving myself permission to break a few more of those rules I didn't know about back then that I know now. I'm looking forward to writing my next slate of projects with this new attitude. That'll keep it fresh and exciting for me as a writer, as well as for the readers. I hope!

I've got a backlist title or copy of my upcoming August Intrigue, PROTECTING THE PREGNANT WITNESS, to give away to one lucky poster. Ask a question about writing or upcoming projects. Share what you would consider fresh or unpredictable in the Intrigues/Harlequins you read. Or just share what you've been reminiscing about lately.

Happy Reading!
Julie Miller





Please include an email address in your post so Julie has a way to contact you. Thanks so much for guest blogging, Julie! I loved your post.





Have a great week, everyone!





Deadly DeLeon

Laughing, Swooning, and Dying. In That Order.

And now for something totally different... when my friend and fellow Romance Diva, Mima, first talked about her new releases, my first thought was "Ohmigod, how cool!  And brilliant!"   I only wish I'd thought of this idea first. Tell me you don't have that reaction, too, after reading about her unique take on the romance genre...   

*   *   *

I understand the mandate of this blog is to laugh, swoon, and viciously kill fictional baddies. I’m thrilled to have been invited to Killer Fiction and would like to try to fit in. Recently, I had three choose your own adventure-style interactive books release. I call the series Take Control. Get it? Readers click on a choice they prefer and the heroine’s life takes a nose dive. Or a pumpkin coach. It’s kismet ala YOU. So let’s see if I meet the mandate enough to enjoy this real estate.

Laughing. In the contemporary western, Lauren, Riding Off Trail, a city girl has lots of awkward moments on a classy dude ranch. But perhaps the most classic is a near-death petit-mort. While enjoying an energetic cowboy, there is a slight mishap in a hayloft resulting in a falling bale and shocked square dancers. There is Lauren, in all her glory, framed at the top of the barn. Oops!

Swooning. The scifi has the most guys. Becca, Reporting for Duty is a space opera full of wild twists. Becca’s Captain is an experienced man with gorgeous eyes and a mobster past. Her Senior Chief is a lothario with a penchant for whiskey. He’s charming, but threatening. Then there’s the cook, who has a tail. He helps her discover her first zero-gravity planet swing. The ambassador with wings thinks she has what it takes to be a concubine, and two of her ex-con dock workers compete for her attention. And don’t forget the frozen guy. He’s waiting for his moment too. In the shower, in a narrow bunk, on silken sheets, on a table, against a cold cargo bay wall, or hidden in a crawl-space, Becca gets busy. Her guys are risky, mysterious, buff, and dangerous. Every single one. Watch those choices. They could kill you.

Speaking of death... In the paranormal Charlotte, Prowling for Enchantment, our heroine discovers she’s a foxfire. That’s a kind of fairy that uses moon and water magic. Charlotte happens to be on a Caribbean cruise, where there’s lots of both. The ruling Elder of the fantastical gathering on ship is a cruel Fairy Queen. Willing to use torture,drugs, and blackmail, she is accompanied by two formidable guards, Willow and Winter. She needs to be taken out. Find the right path and it’s a glorious (violent) smackdown.

I love books that blend humor, heat, and hijinks, and I hope readers will like that combination in the Take Control series. Try to thread your way through several of the choices to the perfect fairy tale ending. It’s fun.

~Mima

Visit Mima at her webpage, http://www.mimawithin.com/ to read excerpts and reviews of Take Control or any of her other 15 erotic romances. Comment here on your own experience (or lack thereof) reading an interactive fiction book and be entered in a chance to win one of the Take Control books!  Winner announced tomorrow.

Not going to RWA?

Not Going to Conference?
Attend Romance Divas' Annual Not Going to Conference Conference June 28-July 1



Romance Divas' annual virtual conference features workshops, publisher spotlights, pitch-your-book opportunities, fabulous doorprize giveaways and more.

It's FREE!

And nobody says you can't wear fabulous shoes while you're recharging your writer batteries from home.

LIKE the NGTCC on Facebook for future updates in 2012 and beyond.

A Little Shopping, A Lot Of Justifying

My birthday is coming up at the end of August and lately I've been thinking a lot about what that means to my skin. When I was younger my only skincare concerns revolved around my occasional breakouts. But now 40 no longer seems like just an idea. At this moment my skin still looks pretty good but there are little things that are bugging me. Subtle fine lines have taken residence on my forehead. My skin looks a little duller than it used to and it takes a little more concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes.

These are now the issues that weigh on me and then, in a sudden and rare fit of indulgence, I decided I was going to do something about it. I went out and splurged on a lot of different skincare products. I mean a lot, a lot, a lot.  I got the Clarisonic Mia (an exfoliator made by the people who make Sonicare toothbrush), Skinceuticals Renew Overnight Oily, Neocutis Lumière Bio-restoritive eye cream , Dr. Hauschka Lip Care Stick and L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream.

None of these products are cheap but something came over me and I just had to have all of them. I got most of them online from various sites (chosen based on who had the best-price/free-gift/free-shipping) so they were delivered to my door on different days. The whole of last week was sort of like Hanukkah with eight days of presents. The only difference is that instead of praying to God and lighting a menorah before opening each one I sent up a silent "Thank You!" to the skincare-lab-technitions of the world and kissed my InStyle magazine.

But of course I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. My son goes to a very expensive special education private school which I can barely afford and I'm splurging on luxury skincare? I needed to be reassured. I dialed up my friend M who picked up despite being on the treadmill.

"I spent a bundle on skincare," I moaned.

"That's good! It's an investment!" M chirped.

"Yes," I said, immediately warming to this idea. "And I did a lot of research before I bought each product. I found out who had the best price and who had free shipping!"

"That's smart," she said sagely. "Shipping can get pricey."

"I think if I don't take care of my skin now I'll want plastic surgery later!"I added.

"And that's really expensive!" she pointed out. "You're saving yourself a ton of money! If you think about it, this really isn't any different from spending money on medicine!"

"So what you're saying," I said excitedly, "is that it would have been financially irresponsible for me not to have spent this money on myself!"

"Of course it would have been! Now tell me about everything you bought."

And so of course I did. I've only been using the products for a week but I can honestly say that all of them are living up to my expectations (the Neocutis Lumière eye cream has surpassed them). So I'm happy I splurged. But mostly I'm happy that I have wonderful friends like M. Friends who understand that to be a true friend you have to know how to do more than just listen and talk and empathize (although those things are all essential).

You have to know how and when to justify your girlfriend's shopping spree. Thank you M :-)

-Kyra "Fashionista Fatale" Davis