A Voice in the Dark

I would have loved the 1940's for their radio shows. I love those faceless voices, and if there is the occasional special effect in the background, so much the better.

I have listened to romances passed on to me that I would not have bought, and enjoyed them so much. I drive from school to school in my day job; Harry has been my traveling companion for years. It took me forever to branch out, but when I did Jude Deveraux was a wonderful distraction. And it's so much fun to listen to Janet Evanovich; just make sure you're in light traffic. Laughing to the point of tears and six lanes don't mix. :)

Finally, I began to understand pacing in a way I never had. I also finally realized the importance of reading my own manuscript aloud (a brilliant piece of advice passed on by a cp).

Are you a music-only person, or do you enjoy books on CD? Do you pick new authors or like to listen to familiar favorites?

The Most Unlikely Places

I've been tagged. And considering my small town, Midwest lifestyle, Alice can't even begin to touch the word "uninteresting". However, if she can take liberties with the process then so will I.

See me smiling and happy next to the incomparable Jo Beverley?

It's not (just) because of her book. It's because she made a positive impact on the health of my middle daughter. I owe her, big time, and it was a joy to be able to say "Thank you" in person.


This is the link that will take you to her 2003 New York RWA luncheon speech. It's one of the best speeches I've ever read.

It begins with an admonition to go get your Ferritin levels checked. Not blood iron levels--Ferritin. It's the iron reserves your body stores. If you're low, life is NOT GOOD. And doctors may pass this by. Do not let them!

My darling daughter, a young teenager in fact, was in the NEGATIVE numbers when I requested the doctors check her. Negative! And I would never have known precisely what to ask for if I hadn't read this speech.

Now this health alert was simply a segway into an amazingly motivational speech that all writers should read. I appreciate her passion for the profession, and her generosity of spirit towards all those just starting out.

But the ferritin info impacted me immediately, personally, and that's what I'll always remember.

Ok, this hardly fits the "tagged" guidelines, but it works in nicely with the "up with romance" theme I have going this month :) If you're reading and you're willing, consider yourself tagged!

And hey--what's the best piece of info you've found in a most unlikely place?

More Good Stuff!

Maybe this is what January is all about--enthusiasm and fresh beginnings!

Anyway, I found another site that is definitely worth your time. If I had a smidgen of computer talent, I'd know how to post one of those button things that link you--but I don't.

No problem!

You all know Romantic Inks. Of course you do. What, you don't? Never fear, just click on the link under my "Favorite Group Blogs" and hie thee over there. (My favorites are my favorites for a reason! :) )

Then read at your leisure, revel in all the awesome advice and interviews, and bid on some amazing prizes! The prize money is sending some lucky deserving writer to Nationals this year. (And it's San Fransisco, folks. They'll need all the moola they can get.) It's a win-win!

Let me know what treasures you claim as your own....

What an Excellent Way to Start the Year!

This is the "official" lowdown on the wonderful year-long goings-on over at the Wet Noodle Posse. These ladies are a sterling example of writers helping writers!

The Wet Noodle Posse had such a great time with our month of Golden Heart prep that we're giving away writing tips...one month at a time. In addition to book and critique giveaways, join Q&A sessions and read guest blogs from bestselling writers like Sherrilyn Kenyon and Gena Showalter.

Check out our line-up of topics!

January-Getting Started (goals, choosing story idea, focus, etc.)
February-Character Development (names, physical descriptions, backstory, etc.)
March-Plotting
April - Conflict
May-Research
June-Business side of Writing (market, marketing, promotion, etiquette)
July-Prepping for Conference (both for national and smaller conferences)
August-Inspiration (for stories and for keeping yourself going)
September-Writer Health (physical and mental)
October-GH Preparation
November-Writing Challenges (NaNo, BIAW, turning off the internal editor, etc.)
December-Editing/Revisions

Get great information in a fun community! Visit http://wetnoodleposse.blogspot.com

And this is what I found over at Word Wenches today:

With the holidays now past us, we Wenches decided we’d welcome in the new year in a new way, with a look at how we each begin a book. There’s no right or wrong way, of course. Not only does every writer have her own method, but every book and set of characters seems to suggest something different as well. During our January blogs, we’ll each post the beginning to one of our favorite books, and explain how and why we chose to start the way we did. We tend to talk more about history and characters than the craft of writing here at the Wenches, so here’s the chance to ask that question you’ve always wondered, from why we opened with the hero’s point of view, or how we chose the historical time period for the setting. We’ll be giving away copies of the featured books to a randomly chosen reply, so please post away.

You've just got to love the generosity of Romance Writers!!!

Happy New Year!

2008 will be magnificent! Trust me :)

We're celebrating the new year by redecorating the house, so I'm too busy running errands to blog much right now. And December was seriously disturbed by a huge ice storm that didn't disrupt our electricity too much (we were really lucky) but knocked out our internet access at home for over 10 days.

I hope you all have as many exciting, motivating plans for the New Year as I do.

Cheers!