“Make your house interesting — not perfect.” ~Emily Henderson, stylist One thing I know for certain: My house is not perfect. But you know what? Mulling this quote over for a few minutes … I also am certain that my home is interesting. In a disorganized, my-house-won’t-ever-be-featured-in-Better Homes and Gardens magazine kind of way. Walk through my house and you’ll …
Contemporary Romance Writers: Telling the Truth
I love the characters I run into when I read a novel. It doesn’t matter whether I’m reading a romantic suspense, a la Susan May Warren, a low country romance, a la Rachel Hauck, an historical a la Siri Mitchell, or even a contemporary romance, a la … well, all three of those authors (and even my upcoming debut novel, …
In Others’ Words: Bold
“Laugh at yourself, but don’t ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don’t leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.” -Alan Alda, actor I like bold people. Those friends who run ahead of me, then stop, look back and ask, “What are you waiting for? …
Opposites Attract — or do they?
We’ve heard it so many times it qualifies as an overworked, underpayed cliche: Opposites attract. Really? Do they? And if those opposites get all attracted to one another, is this a good thing? There certainly are certainly plenty of novels where two very different personalities fall in love. Here are two from two of my favorite authors: Joy and Luke, …
In Others’ Words: Ninety-three
“May you live all the days of your life.” ~Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish satirist My mother-in-law celebrates her 93rd birthday today. That’s her in the photo, getting ready to blow out the candles of her cake. And yes, she got ’em all blown out in one try! As she reminisced last night, she recounted how she was born several days before …
In Others’ Words: Snow
“I used to stare up at the sky trying to see where the snowflakes were born. I could do it for hours. Well, minutes. But it was always the waiting that was the most fun.” ~Author unknown, from a package of Starbucks coffee, 2010 The longer I’ve lived in Colorado, the more I’ve come to love snow. I love …
The Romance of Words
Just the other day, I wrote about how romance requires a kiss. Last night I wrote my blog post over at the WordServe Water Cooler — using the movie The Princess Bride as an analogy for the writing life. Thanks to Westley, aka “Farm Boy,” and Buttercup, I realized how vital words are to romance. As you wish. Three one-syllable words. But, …
In Others’ Words: Surpised
“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.” ~ John Barrymore, American actor It’s delightful when happiness tiptoes up behind you, taps you on the shoulder, and then — when you turn around — yells “Surprise!” Yesterday that happened when … my daughter’s laughter mingled with her boyfriend’s my 10-year-old crawled into bed wearing …
Kiss Da Girl
If you write romance, plan on writing a scene with a kiss in it. Maybe two. And, yeah, I know there are authors out there who write scenes with a whole lot more than kissin’ going on. I am not one of those authors. You know what? It’s tough to write a good kiss. I know what a good …
In Others’ Word: Hero
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” ~Joseph Campbell, American writer & lecturer My friend’s son was killed in Afghanistan on October 22. As I write this, she is meeting the plane that brought his body back to the States. Her son laid down his life for others for others. For …