I’ve informed my family they won’t be seeing much of me for the next few months. Why, you ask? I’m diving into my second novel. Which is due to my publisher, Howard Books, in May. Yep. Four months from now. No. I am not panicking. Much. My editor approved the synopsis for my next inspirational contemporary romance — but …
Contemporary Romance Writer: A Glimpse at Setting #2: The Stanley Hotel
httpv://youtu.be/85qgvXkts14 My friend Dee Topliff corrects me on some misinformation in the vlog: Author Stephen King stayed at The Stanley Hotel (in room 217) when he wrote The Shining. The Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon was used for all the exterior shots. Thank you, Dee! 😉 Last week I ventured into the vlog-o-sphere and gave you all a …
Contemporary Romance Writer: A Glimpse at Setting #1 — Estes Park
httpv://youtu.be/uxpwvgRdyTU I took the plunge into the vlog-o-sphere! Thanks to the inspiration of my debut buddy, Katie Ganshert, who is a vlogging trailblazer, I took my FlipShare with me when I wandered through Estes Park right before Christmas. My debut novel, Wish You Were Here (WYWH), an inspirational contemporary romance published by Howard Books (May 2012), takes place in both …
Contemporary Romance Writer: You are Here — Choosing the Setting of Your Novel
I spent a few days in Estes Park, CO right before Christmas. While wandering through town, my 11-year-old daughter looked up at me and said, “You should write a book set in Estes Park.” My reply? “I have.” To which she replied, “Oh. Well … I haven’t read your romance novel yet.” Perhaps she now understood why we were traipsing …
Contemporary Romance Writer: How Do I Achieve Success as a Writer?
Some days the writing road is lined with ledges. Ledges perfect to climb up and then stand and ponder the “why” of my existence in the writing universe. And yes, these ledges are ideal to throw myself off of when my hopes are dashed, my dreams seem nothing more than taunting specters, and my efforts seem … wasted. (I need …
Contemporary Romance Writer: How Do You Define Happily Ever After?
Every self-respecting romance novel or movie ends with a happily ever after, or HEA in writer-speak. But if we were all sitting around my family room talking romance (lovely idea, that!) and we tried to determine the components of a HEA … well, I’m not sure we could. Spoiler Alert: I give away the endings to some books, so …
Contemporary Romance Writer: What is the appeal of Christmas Romances?
A blog post or two ago, we chatted about how romance sells. Side note: I love when the conversation flows on this blog. I read every comment and am determined to respond to every one. After all, if you take time to read and comment on my post, I want to respond in kind. Back to today’s topic: ‘Tis …
Contemporary Romance Writer: What’s Your Inspiration?
Over at my author page on the Simon & Schuster website, someone in the editorial department wrote a blurb (great word, that!) about my debut novel, Wish You Were Here.* Within the blurb is this phrase: “WYWH … is sure to be a pleasure to inspirational romance readers.” Ah. Yes, it’s true: WYWH is categorized as an inspirational contemporary romance …
Contemporary Romance Writer: Romance Always Sells — But Why?
Reader alert: The publishing industry has experienced nonstop upheavals for the past five years or so. Some people would say the industry is convulsing. Others would say it is dying a slow, painful death. (I’m mentioning this for those of you who’ve been walking around in some sort of daze. Or who never read the news–not even just the headlines.) No …
Contemporary Romance Writer: Do You Read Debut Novels?
How do you feel about debut novelists? Not personally … I mean, do you read a novel by a debut author? I’m not asking for myself. Really. I have other friends wearing the title “debut novelist” too: Lisa Jordan (Lakeside Reunion, available now!) Camille Eide (Savanna’s Gift, available Dec. 3, 2011!) Gina Conroy (Cherry Blossom Capers, January 2012) …