“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar. ” ~Victoria Moran, American writer & …
Celebrate! Book Cover for Wish You Were Here … is here!
What a way to start the week! I’m thrilled to show you the cover to Wish You Were Here, my debut novel with Howard Books (May 2012.) And, yes, to answer your question, I love my cover. Love my cover. Bruce Gore, the art director at Howard Books, and his staff were so supportive throughout the whole creative process …
Contemporary Romance Writer: Why There are No Aliens in My Novel
There are no aliens in Wish You Were Here, my debut novel. Llamas, yes. Aliens, no. This fact greatly disappoints my husband. Whenever I hit an I-don’t-know-what-to-write-next moment, my husband always suggested aliens. And I always, always overrode his suggestion with a polite “I don’t think so.” Or a flat-out “Not gonna’ happen.” I’m all for surprising my readers. My …
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: 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 …
In Others’ Words: Celebrate
“Celebrate what you want to see more of.” ~Thomas J. Peters, American writer Yesterday was a day of celebration for me as I held the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of my debut novel, Wish You Were Here. I did my version of the writer’s “happy dance” around my house (several times) and shared hugs and laughter with my family. And, …
Wedding Gown Magic … or Not
I love watching the show “Say Yes to the Dress.” I’m intrigued by the different styles. The extreme range of prices for the gowns–anywhere from a thousand dollars to upwards of ten thousand dollars (or more.) And the interaction between the bride-to-be and whoever she brings to help her choose her gown? Sometimes I’m stunned by the interaction between the …
Picking Favorites: Fact or Fiction?
In my debut novel Wish You Were Here (Howard Books, May 2012), one of the themes I explore is the issue of favoritism. What happens when one child is given preferential treatment? The topic of picking favorites isn’t a new one. Consider the biblical story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25). In that instance, parental favoritism tore a family apart as …