Traveling ;)

I have been in many places, but I have never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can not go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone. I have also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They do not have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my children, friends, family and work. I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore. I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often. I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm. Sometimes I am in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older. One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!

Novel Research

Authors of non-fiction have to do a lot of research, but authors of novels have to make sure they get their facts straight too. My books (so far) have all been contemporary, so I haven't had to do the kind of research authors of historical novels do. But that doesn't mean I don't do any research. I once read an entire book about minor league baseball, even though the subject was a very minor point in The Perfect Guy--but I wanted to get everything right! I researched Scandinavian food for Hey, Nobody's Perfect, because the characters attend a Scandinavian Fair. I guess I did a good job, because someone wanted "my" recipe for Blueberry Kakar! (I don't have one. :) ) So the next time you read a book, realize that you may be reading the results from research about topics in that story, no matter how minor they might be to the plot.

I am the Tortoise

Well, okay, I am not that particular tortoise, but I fit the mold. I'm the kind of person who likes to do one thing at a time. I'm not a multitasker. I don't juggle several balls at one time. I don't burn the candle at both ends. And I don't write particularly quickly. I write about one book a year. Now, I have had more than one book published in the space of one year. But that's because sometimes manuscripts "stack up." Maybe because one has sat with a publisher for a year or more, or maybe it's because I've set one aside so I can look at it with fresh eyes. Or maybe one is being reissued. But I write at the speed of one-a-year. There are hares I admire, who just seem to have several things going at once and who finish everything, and on time. There are, however, some hares like the one in the story, who burn themselves out before the race is over. Everybody's different. Like the tortoise, I finish the race, and I "win" by accomplishing my goal of finishing the manuscript.

Knowing When to Let Go (of Your Manuscript)

Writing can be like raising kids. There's always that struggle with wanting to get a story out there and to hold on and polish it some more. It's sort of like raising kids—you want them to grow up and take on the world, but you want to keep guiding and advising "just a little longer!" You remind your kids to wear a seatbelt and drive carefully. You warn them to be careful about people they visit on the internet. You advise them to start saving money early in their careers. You think there's always one more thing you need to teach them before they leave the nest. You want to be the perfect parent! The same thing happens with your writing. You proofread your manuscript—and as you do you start to wonder. Should I use a different verb here, a different adjective there? Should I make this minor character more prominent or cut back the number of appearances of that minor character? Is the villain evil enough—or too evil? Maybe he should have a redeeming quality or two? Maybe the hero/heroine is too perfect and needs more flaws. Or maybe fewer flaws. Should you cut that comma? Should you add a comma there? You certainly want to go through you manuscript and make sure that it's the best you can make it. But you can't wait until you think it is perfect to send it out, because you'll never think it's perfect. And it won't be perfect. Nothing is. Even after a book has been edited and copyedited by long-time professionals, someone, somewhere will find something wrong with it. That does not mean the story isn't good or even great! It just means that it isn't perfect. So proofread your manuscript. Make the necessary changes. But don't fiddle with it forever. Get it out there. Let it go!

Is that Spring on the horizon?

Mother Nature seems to be tempting those of us in Oregon. The past few days have been tantalizingly-close-to-spring weather. One day we had a high in the 60s. Other days, though not as warm, blue sky and sunshine have dominated. Then, a few drops of rain. A chilly breeze. Oh, it's not quite as nice as the other days. Guess Spring will have to wait. But ... what's this? A robin? Crocuses, daffodils and periwinkle in bloom? Forsythia trying hard to blossom, just not quite there yet? It is March in Oregon, so before the official First Day of Spring who knows what the weather will do. March winds or gentle spring breezes? Sunny skies or pouring rain? Soothing warmth or goosebumps? Probably all of the above for at least another two or three weeks. :D But the day will come when it is really, finally Spring. The only question is, just when? Edited 3/4 to add: It was only 29 degrees this morning!!!!!!!!! :O

Sneak Preview of New Cover

Here's the cover for my soon-to-be released YA novel! Can Rebecca turn her new stepbrother into her new love? When Rebecca's mother marries Pres's father, Rebecca is sure that living in the same house with the guy of her dreams will have its perks and it will be just a matter of time before Pres sees her as more than a kid sister. Even though her best friend, Celeste, warns her to face reality, Rebecca doesn't listen. She thinks Pres is the perfect guy for her. But Celeste's brother, Josh, has been friends with Pres for years, and Celeste thinks she knows what she's talking about. Rebecca's not so sure about her relationship with her new stepfather. She knows he can't replace her real dad, but she thinks she can break through his cool surface by helping him with the school play. But things don't go as planned, and as friendships start to change, Rebecca faces surprising truths about herself and her friends. Will she find happiness in her new family and find The Perfect Guy? Available soon from Books We Love,Ltd. I'll post again when it comes out. :)

Happily Ever After or Positive Endings

Most of my books have what would be called the Happily Ever After ending, where girl and guy walk hand and hand into the sunset (not necessarily forever, since they're teens, but at least for the near future!). But a couple of my books do not have the traditional HEA ending. They are still postive endings, however. Or upbeat, or whatever you might want to call them. I even think (though I did not write) that in one book one of the couples will be together HEA eventually--after exploring other relationships. I don't write sad endings (at least, not yet) and I don't leave things completely hanging, such as the ending to the Sopranos series. That one really leaves what happens next to the imagination! In Gone With the Wind (Spoiler Alert for anyone who may not have read the book or seen the movie), Rhett leaves Scarlett and her next move is to decide to go to Tara to figure out how to get him back. This leaves the reader with imagining what might happen. I've read that Vivien Leigh and Olivia DeHavilland (from the movie) decided that Scarlett goes to a dinner party in Charleston 6 weeks later and wins him back. I like that theory! Funny thing, though, is that sometimes both HEA and and positive endings can be criticized. One reviewer thought one book was so HEA that it was unbelievable, while others thought that same ending was perfect. Also, that ending was a total surprise to some readers, while others figured who would end up with whom early on and rooted for the heroine to hurry up and make the right choice. :) So Happily Ever After or Positive, there's a reason an author had made the choice, and that is because the author thought it was the right ending for that particular story.