Four Questions

Haven't had a meme in awhile, mostly because nobody has sent me one. Well, my pal PiowaPuff cured that up yesterday when she sent me the following "Four" questions:

A) Four places that I go to over and over:

The bathroom... Okay, TMI!

The central California coast, namely San Luis Obispo. I went to college in that area, and my son currently lives there (just got back from a visit as a matter of fact). I would move there in a second if only I could afford it.

I go to Trader Joe's every chance I get. Yes, it's a grocery store but they have some of the coolest stuff (mostly chocolate).

The book store... ANY book store. I can't walk by one without going inside. There's just something about the sight and smell (Ever notice that new books have their own particular smell? Not quite "new car smell" but pretty darn good nonetheless.) of all those wonderful books.

The Mexican Riviera (aka the West Coast of Mexico). I love cruising from Cabo to Acapulco and all points in between. No matter how many times I cruise this particular geographic stretch, I'm always ready to go again.

B) Four of my favorite places to eat:

Just about any Italian place. I LURVE pasta! I LURVE pizza! I LURVE just about anything Italian (except tiramisu, because I do NOT love anything with a coffee flavor).

There's a local (California based) fast food place called Rubio's that has great burritos. The DH and I go there almost every weekend.

Any cruise ship dining room. Cruise food is THE BEST! If you are going to blow a diet of any kind, a cruise ship is the perfect place to do it.

Okay, I'll admit it, McDonald's because I LURVE their french fries. I'm sure McD's fries should be on an illegal controlled substance list of some kind, but thank goodness they are not!

C) Four places I would rather be right now:

Some place nice and cool. At the moment I'm not picky. If it is 70 degrees Farenheit or under, I'm THERE!

Hawaii. I know, I know, it's not particularly cool there, but it is so beautiful and relaxing, especially Maui...

New Zealand, because I've never been there and I'd LURVE to see all those spectacular landscapes from the Lord of the Rings movies up close and in person. Besides, it's winter there right now and most likely nice and cool...

In bed with this certain tall, lanky hunk... And no, I wouldn't want it to be cool there either!

D) Four TV shows I watch over and over.
This is a tough one for me since I don't watch much TV and really none that I'd watch over and over. Four shows I do like are:

Globetrekker -- great travel ideas

Rome, which I watched on DVD after it was canceled! ACK!

The Tudors. I watched this one on DVD recently also, and though it isn't terribly historically accurate, it was a ton o fun! Plus Johnny Rhys Meyers is so YUMMY!

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson because he's such a mischievious lil devil with the cutest accent!

Now it's YOUR TURN to play! Give me four answers to one or more of these quesitons.

My First Review

Remember waaaay back at the end of May when My Publicist told me she was ready to send out ARCs of The Wild Sight? I know, I know, it feels like another lifetime ago, even though technically it's only been 10 weeks. Well, HAPPY DAY! Yesterday, I learned that my first review has arrived! I'm so excited to take this significant step down my long road to publication.

Yes, it is a happy day because this was a positive review! What a gratifying feeling to know that a total stranger read my story and "got" it.

Yes, I was SCARED SPITLESS (just like when I received the file of my cover) when I opened the email! And once again, I held my breath while I read it. Thank goodness it was both short and sweet. The review will appear in the August issue of Booklist magazine. This is the trade publication of the American Library Association, which is very exciting! Librarians read tons of books and I've always had a mountain of respect for them.

If anyone can get a copy of the magazine (or even just the page with my review) and send it to me, there will be a chocolate reward for you!

I won't copy the entire review here, since that probably isn't legal and certainly not ethical, but I will quote the gist of it:
"Northern Ireland's violent past combined with supernatural elements add an intriguing twist to this modern love story."

Gimme Five! Things About RWA National

Another RWA National Conference has come and gone, and as far as I'm concerned this one was THE BEST EVER! I had a wonderful time, met many many wonderful people, and had some unforgettable experiences. Off the top of my head, here are five:

1. Meeting My Editor, My Publicist, and My Publisher face-to-face. And yes, when I met My Publisher, I had my Aunty Cindy riding crop in my hand (color me embarrassed)! Fortunately, once I'd met the fabulous Dominique Raccah and saw how friendly she is and the great sense of humor she possesses, I had NO WORRIES!
2. Having people I did not know congratulate me when they saw my First Sale ribbon. It felt sooo great to be able to smile and say, "Thank you!"
3. Hooting and hollering for my Banditas and friends at various award ceremonies and events, and having them return the favor for ME.
4. Riding in a stretch limo. This was courtesy of my aforementioned publisher (told ya she was fabulous!) who took all her authors to dinner and rented three limos to get us there and back.
5. Just being in the same space with so many great authors who totally "get it" about romance writing! Nothing sustains a writer more than getting to interact with other people who "get it."

And here's a lil piccie of moi and 15 of my closest friends!

Thoughts on RWA Conferences

Sorry I haven't been around with a new post last week. As most of you know, the RWA National Conference starts in a few days and I've been trying to get myself prepared -- mentally and physically. Definitely a toss up as to which of those is the most difficult!

This will be my first conference as a PUBLISHED AUTHOR! Okay, so technically my book won't be released for 65 more days, but still...

I've attended two previous RWA National Conferences and each was as different as I know this one will be. In 2005 I'd recently finished my first romantic suspense manuscript and I was a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier contest! I didn't belong to any local nor online writing groups. And just days before the conference I received rejections from the first two agents I'd queried. They'd both asked for partials and I had been flying high then really hit rock bottom when both rejected me. I think I walked around that conference pretty much like a victim of shell shock. I did receive my first editor request for a partial (ultimately rejected, but oh well), made some great contacts, all other writers.

At the 2006 conference, I was a Golden Heart finalist and on top of the world! I got to meet a lot of people face-to-face that I only knew online (including many of my fellow GH finalists who eventually became Banditas). People would see my ribbon and congratulate me, which was great, and my BFF who lived in Atlanta at the time got to attend the awards ceremony with me. I didn't win the Golden Heart (but my friend and CP Jo Robertson did!), but I still felt like a winner. I even met the editor to whom I would eventually make my first sale, though I had no way of knowing that at the time. As conferences go, they don't get much better. However, the post conference let down (and not selling my GH finalist manuscript) was a real B*TCH!

This year should be an entirely new experience yet again. This year I'll get to wear my "First Sale" ribbon and bask in the glow of being published! I'll get to schmooze with My Editor, My Publicist, and even My Publisher! I have even more online friends I'm looking forward to meeting face-to-face and I can't wait to hang out with all my Banditas. Who knows what other wonderful adventures are in store for me, but I can't wait to find out!

Don't worry, you'll all get a FULL REPORT when I get back!

Interviewing My Editor

Today, I'm interviewing My Editor (yup, still a thrill to type those words), Deb Werksman over on the Romance Bandits blog (click on the title of this blog to go there). Deb gives lots of good info about the four things she looks for in a submission and other interesting and fun stuff!

Plus, my Sourcebooks sisters Marie Force, Robin Kaye and I are giving away IOUs for free copies of our debut novels when they are released! Marie's contemporary romance Line of Scrimmage will be out on Sept. 1st, while you'll have to wait until Oct. 1st (75 more days!) for my own The Wild Sight and Robin's Romeo Romeo.

So hop on over and leave a comment!

If You're Going To San Francisco...

No, I am not going to serenade you with that 1960s anthem to Flower Power (you can thank me later), not that it isn't a perfectly lovely song, but Aunty's singing abilities leave a lot to be desired. But this post is for the 2000+ folks headed for the Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Francisco.

The DH and I spent a recent afternoon in The City in order to check out the hotel and surrounding area. For those of you with maps (or know the area) the hotel faces 4th Street between Mission and Market. St. Patrick's church is right next to it. Unfortunately, so are a lot of homeless/beggars. Pan-handlers can be aggressive in this area near the hotel. I wouldn't recommend going out on foot after about 9 pm when stores close. Better safe than sorry.

When walking out of the hotel lobby, turn right and Market Street is 1/2 block away. Ross is on the corner and handy for any emergency wardrobe malfunctions (pantyhose or knee highs, foundation garments, etc) and Old Navy is across 4th.

If you cross and walk down Market in front of Old Navy, a few doors down is a Walgreens, handy for any items (shampoo, conditioner, snacks) you might have forgotten. About 2 blocks farther is the Westfield Mall which is 4 or 5 stories with every store imaginable including Bloomingdales, Nordstroms, and a food court (below street level). There's a nice upscale grocery in the mall food court called Bristol Farms that has all kinds of hot and cold prepared foods, and beautiful produce.

Another handy store to buy most anything you need is the Rite Aid on Market. Rite Aid has all those silly little dust catchers that say San Francisco on them that you might want to take home to kidlets and others as souvenirs. When standing at Ross, cross to the other side of Market (sometimes a scary endeavor since it's one of the busiest streets in the city) and Rite Aid is in the middle of the block. Also, if you go out the back door of Rite Aid you will be about 2--3 easy blocks from Union Square which has Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and lots of other upscale shops.

If you continue down Market on the same side of the street as Rite Aid, about 2 blocks will be Grant. If you turn left on Grant and walk about 3 long blocks, you will be at the entrance to Chinatown. You'll know it by the ornate gate and lion-dog guardians. I love Chinatown and think it well worth seeing!

If you want to ride the cable cars, the end of the Powell Street line (and boarding) is on the same side of Market as Rite Aid, but down closer to the Westfield Mall. Last time I rode the cable cars (and it's been a few years) they were $4. The cost has probably gone up and it is a good idea to have correct change. There will be long lines so be prepared to wait.

Old fashioned trolleys run up and down Market to the Ferry Building, Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf which are way too far to walk. Not sure of the cost, since we had the car and drove to the Ferry Building. One fun thing to do might be to catch a pedi-cab (tricycle with a back seat for 2) from the Ferry Building to Pier 39 or Ghirardelli Square.

Directly across 4th is the Metreon Center and Yerba Buena Park. They had a free concert of opera in the park the day we were there. The Metreon has several nice places to grab a quick meal. One is called Just Desserts and looks very promising.

Those who want to see the Pacific Ocean up close, the nearest place is at the Ferry Building at the end of Market on Embarcadero. If you'd like to see authentic California wild life, dozens (sometimes hundreds) of California sea lions hang out on several of the slips at the marina next to Pier 39. (You will hear and smell them long before you see them!)

To actually find a beach, the closest will be near Fort Mason a short distance from the foot of the Golden Gate bridge. You'll need a vehicle (private or taxi) to get there. The prettiest is Sunset Beach. Go via The Cliff House for a spectacular view.

San Francisco is a unique and beautiful city and if you are going there for the conference, I hope you take a few hours to look around. You'll be glad you did!

Any specific questions? Ask away in the comments, or send me a private email via my website!

Gimme Five!

I am not much of a TV viewer, and the prices of movie tickets (not to mention gasoline to drive to the theater) has severely curtailed my movie going. I did manage to convince my BFF to play hooky from work one afternoon not long ago to catch a matinee of the new Indiana Jones film. Yes, we both LURVED IT! But I am a serious Netflix afficianado!

The DH and I watch three and sometimes four films every week. Our tastes are eclectic to say the least as this list of our last five DVDs shows:

1. Fools Gold -- this so-called romantic comedy was a disappointing, over-long, totally implausible endeavor. Matthew McC and Kate Hudson both looked great wet and in swimsuits, but that's about all the charm I could find, and the DH fell asleep in the first half-hour but woke up for the end.
   
2. Jumpers -- great premise but sadly, no discernable plot. What a waste of one of my favorite actors, Samuel L. Jackson. And what was with the pyramids/Sphinx fetish? DH slept through the middle of it.
   
3. Into The Wild -- beautifully photographed if depressing tale of a young man's search for meaning in his life, which ended during said search. Every parent's worst nightmare of what might have happened to their missing adult child. DH stayed awake through the entire 2 1/2 hour film!
   
4. Toulouse-Lautrec and Montmartre -- this was a short documentary on one of the DH's favorite artists, made all the more interesting by our recent (last January) visit to Paris and Montmartre.
5. Sleuth -- I was curious about this remake since the original Sleuth (with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier) is one of my all time favorite movies. Unfortunately, knowing the twist that was coming pretty much spoiled my enjoyment, as did the DH's snoring through the entire film.

So looks like I've had more misses than hits lately. What's coming up in my queue? Hairspray -- John Travolta in drag should be interesting. The Other Boleyn Girl with my ever-lovin Eric Bana. The DH will no doubt snore all the way through this one, and I probably won't like it as much as the book. And Miss Potter, which may or may not prove to be a charming tale of the woman who wrote those cutesy children's books.

What movies have you enjoyed lately? Recommendations for any I should add to my Netflix list? Will they pass the DH's snore test?!?!

Ask The Author...Who ME?

Recently I started a delightful email correspondence with a “newbie” fantasy writer, who asked me some questions about being “a professional writer.” I was thrilled at the chance to respond, and some of my answers to her questions turned out to be as enlightening for me as I hope they were for her. I thought I’d share a few and see if they give you any insight to your own and other writers’ processes.

1) Do you outline your story first or just write freely?
This is also known as being a plotter or a pantser (writing by the seat of your pants). I've always been a pantser. Write where ever the story and characters take me, never know what's coming next. Wrote myself into a lot of dead ends and corners that way! But lately I've been trying to reform. WHY? Because in order to survive as a published author (at least until you become as popular as Nora Roberts and could sell your grocery list), you have to do something called sell on proposal. What's a proposal? Approximately the first 3 chapters of the book and an outline or synopsis of the rest of the story. Can't exactly do that if you don't plan a bit of the story ahead of time! So far this has been very difficult for me.

2)How long does it usually take for you to complete your story?
All three of my romantic suspense novels have taken me about a year to write and research. I'm trying to get faster, but again it's been a struggle.

3)What is the process you use to complete a story?
I'm a very linear writer. I start on page one of Chapter one and I write through to The End. At least on my first draft. Once I start revising, I skip around all over the story.

4)Do you write every day?
Usually, however, I can't write when I'm on a vacation. Lord knows, I've tried! My CP actually loaned me her Alpha Smart TWICE (both times I was on a cruise) and I never did use the dang thing. So lately, I've quit trying to write when I travel. But I do read... a lot!

6)Do you write by hand or type? Why?
Definitely type! My handwriting is so bad that even I can't read it sometimes. Plus, it is far easier to delete and cut & paste on the computer than cross out words and write between the lines and in the margins.

8) Are you a character writer or plot writer?
Actually, I think one depends on the other, so both.

9) Why do you write?
I've tried "not writing" and discovered I was not a happy person then. And you know the saying, "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" LOL! So as difficult and frustrating as writing can be sometimes, it still beats not writing ALL TO HECK!

If you want to see a slightly longer version of some of these answers just go to my post on the Casablanca Authors blog (click on the title of this post to take you there).

99 and Counting

"99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer..."

NOOOO! Get that tune out of my head!

This is not a post about beer or repetitive songs that make you crazy. This is about 99 and counting...

99 more days until The Wild Sight is released!

HURRAY! I'm down to double digits!

Some numbers are just too much to conceptualize, like the national debt (GAH!). Or visualize, like when the pilot comes on the p.a. system and announces we are flying at 35,000 feet. I can't even wrap my mind around how much that might be, so I usually just say, "Are we there yet?" When I think that my book will sell more copies (I HOPE) than all the current residents of the small seaside town where my son resides, I even have a difficult time with that.

But 99 is easier to wrap my mind around. 99 is a doable number. Large, but not insurmountable. With 99 I can actually see that tiny shaft of light at the end of the tunnel, and it is definitely not an oncoming train.

In 99 more days, my dream will be realized! My book will be on the bookstore shelves! It still doesn't feel entirely real sometimes, but with only 99 more days to go, it's starting to.

Cruising

My DH had that look in his eyes this week. Not THAT look, the other one! The one he gets when he's itching to make travel plans. So it really wasn't a big surprise when I came home from lunch today and he told me he'd booked us on a cruise. This will be our twelfth and I'm tickled pink about it!

Cruising really has become my favorite way to travel. Beautiful surroundings, great food and entertainment, people waiting on you hand and foot -- What's NOT to love?!?!

What's that you say? You've never been on a cruise and you don't have a CLUE about it? Never fear, Aunty will share some cruise tips that she gave to her friend Terri S. who recently enjoyed her very first cruise and is already saving up for cruise #2!

Aunty's General Cruising Tips

DO NOT buy bottled water on the ship. It is horribly overpriced! Wait until you get onshore and buy a small bottle of already chilled water at a grocery store or pharmacy. KEEP the empty bottle and refill it on the ship for the next time you go ashore. Either refill it yourself in the buffet, or sometimes the waiters in the dining room will fill it for you if you ask nicely. If you have a fridge in your room, keep it cold in there, but be sure to get a brand of water they do NOT carry on the ship, or they might try to charge you.

You are not allowed to bring liquor onboard. Even if you buy it onboard, they keep it and don’t give it to you until the end of the cruise. However, you can smuggle on a small bottle in your purse if you are discreet. They have NO PROBLEM with you bringing in plastic bottles of water, juice or soda (or even cans). Again, don’t buy the same brands they carry (Coke cans) or they might charge you for them.

I never eat from street vendors, but I have never gotten sick drinking a soda with ice in any of the local bars or restaurants. They all have “purified” water or ice, so no worries! If you do get travelers' revenge, DO NOT go to the ship’s infirmary (unless you've had an accident or are truly ill). They can and do quarantine people to their cabins (esp. since the Nor virus)! Also buy medicine onshore, they have all the same stuff at half the price as onboard.

Speaking of the ship's buffet, don’t eat there unless you have to. ENJOY the dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner! The food in the buffet is never as good and it is always crowded around 8 am and noon (probably at 6 pm too but I NEVER eat dinner there!).

Take advantage of sitting at large tables as an opportunity to meet people. And do not be afraid to ask for something that is not on the menu. I can’t eat melons and most of the fruit at breakfast includes melons, so I always ask the waiter for strawberries or sliced pineapple. Most good waiters will bend over backwards to bring what you want. When they do, I always make a note of their name and mention them in my end-of-cruise survey as giving excellent service. These surveys do carry clout with the home office. Any comments less than stellar and HQ can come down on crew members, or so I’ve repeatedly been told.

It is also fun to ask the waiter or assistant how to say thank-you in their native language. They are usually pleased that you are interested, plus you can impress your friends when you get home by saying thank-you in Polish, Tagalog, or even Farsi! You’ll also notice that a majority of the wait-staff will be from a certain region. Our last Alaska cruise on NCL, the preponderance of wait staff were Filipino, and were wonderfully friendly and all around excellent! Our last cruise (on Royal Caribbean) had mostly Eastern European wait staff. Our waiter was from Bulgaria (but also spoke Polish and was impressed when I thanked him in Polish!) and was truly top-notch! Also, if they aren’t too busy (and sometimes even if they are!) they like it when you ask about their families back home.

The maps they hand out when you get off the ship are pretty worthless. Mainly they just show the stores that give the ship a kick-back. Likewise, those oh-so-important talks that the cruise director or staff give are a waste of time. They are one big info-mercial for the same shops (Diamonds International, etc.) in every port that give kick-backs and jack up their prices accordingly.

Also those “guarantees” they tout on the jewelry purchased onshore are worthless. We’ve been told by more than one frequent cruiser that when they contacted the cruise company about a defective watch or something else they bought with a “guarantee” they were told they had to go back to the shop… RIGHT! You’re gonna go all the way back to Mexico (Alaska, Bahamas) to get them to make good on that guarantee? Save your big purchases for stores back home, and buy something inexpensive from the street vendors. As long as you like it, who cares?

That is truly the bottom line on a cruise -- as long as you have a good time, WHO CARES?!?! And you will have a good time! Aunty guarantees that.

If you have any specific questions about cruises, feel free to email me (via my website) or use the comments. Bon Voyage!

Off and Blogging

I'm popping up all over the blog-sphere these days. Today I have a post up at Wickedly Romantic (http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com/ or you can click on the title of this post to take you there) about The Sight. The post includes a brief, heretofore unseen, excerpt from The Wild Sight, so I hope you'll take a peek.

Then, this Friday the 13th (very appropriate for those paranormal elements that tend to creep into my stories) I am being interviewed over at Romance Writer's Revenge (http://romancewritersrevenge.com/). If you haven't ventured aboard that pirate vessel with her crew of hearty wenches, you are in for a TREAT! And if you stop by and leave a comment, you might win some chocolate!

Galley Proofs and More!

HOORAY! My galley proofs arrived yesterday. In case you don't know what these are, they are the pages, fully set up and ready to go to the printer who will then produce the actual book. What I (the author) have to do is read through and make sure there are no errors.

YIKES! No pressure!

But this is one step closer on my road to publication, and I'm excited to make it.

Another first for me will be happening on June 17th. This month, Sourcebooks is the featured publisher at Enchanting Reviews http://www.enchantingreviews.com/ and they will be hosting a chat with upcoming Casablanca authors, Marie Force, Robin Kaye, Malena Lott and ME! The chat begins at 8 p.m. Central time. Hope you will drop by!

ARCs

Yesterday I received exciting news from My Publicist (okay, so she's the publicist for the entire Sourcebooks Casablanca line, but she's also MINE)! She is ready to mail out ARCs of The Wild Sight.

In case you aren't familiar with that acronym, an ARC is an Advanced Reading Copy, or in this case an Advanced Review Copy. These are copies of the book before it is finalized. They are sent to reviewers like Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and even online reviewers like All About Romance and Romance B(u)y the Book.

Yes, I'm a nervous wreck worrying about whether or not I'll get "good" reviews. I know not everyone has the same taste and not everyone will like it, but worrying about things over which I have NO CONTROL is a specialty of mine! Plus, I'll have a great excuse to over-indulge in chocolate or fruity alcoholic drinks no matter what the reviews are like.

Mostly, I'm excited that I've made one more step down that road to publication!

P.S. If you are a reviewer and would like to receive an ARC of The Wild Sight, please email me via my website (link is on the sidebar) and I'll pass along your request to my publicist.

Character Building

I'm blogging today, May 26th over at the Casablanca Authors blog. Just click on the title of this post (also the title of my blog post there!) to go there.

We will be trying something different starting June 1st. Each of the participating authors will post an installment of an ongoing story called The Bachelor Auction. My contribution will be on June 5th. This promises to be a fun and interesting experiment! Please check it out.

Back Cover Copy

A couple of days ago, My Editor emailed me the file of the cover flat for my Advanced Reading Copies! I was tickled pink to see not only my front cover but also the back cover and spine of the book. There were a couple of wonderful quotes from lovely and generous authors, Karin Tabke and Sandy Blair, neither of whom "know" me but were willing to read and say nice things about The Wild Sight. And best of all, I got to see and read the all-important back cover "blurb" written by My Editor!

So many readers (including yours truly) pick up the book, read the back cover, and make their decision whether or not to buy. Here it is, and I'd love to know what you think. Does this interest you to read further? I know it does for ME, but I could be a tad biased...

He was cursed with a “gift”
Born with the clairvoyance known to the Irish as “The Sight,” Donovan O’Shea fled to America to escape his visions. On a return trip to Ireland to see his ailing father, staggering family secrets threaten to turn his world upside down. And then beautiful, sensual Rylie Powell shows up, claiming to be his half-sister . . .

She’s just looking for the family she never knew . . .
After her mother’s death, Rylie finds tantalizing clues that send her off to Ireland to find the man listed on her birth certificate as her father. She needs the truth—but how can she and Donovan be brother and sister when the chemistry between them is nearly irresistible?

Uncovering the past leads them dangerously close to madness . . .

Donovan’s visions lead them into mystery and murder, and only by going deep into the fens can they defeat an ancient enemy and bring the truth to light . . . but will they ever be able to get out?

Turkey Talk

Oh dear! It's been a very long time since I shared a travel adventure. Better cure that up, right quick, as my Gramma used to say.

Last week, the DH made reservations for our holiday getaway. For the past three years, we've gone on a cruise, but this year we are going on an escorted tour of Turkey. We have been to Turkey once before, but that was twelve years ago. We had a wonderful time and I'm really looking forward to going back! The Turks are lovely, friendly people, always willing to help even if they didn't speak English (and we definitely didn't speak more than about two words of Turkish).

On our previous visit, we were limited to the west coast of Turkey. This new trip will revisit some of our favorite places and take us farther east into Cappadocia and Ankara. We will start in Istanbul, of course, a beautiful, exotic city that I can't wait to see again! The Blue Mosque (pictured), the Grand Bizarre, and the Topkapi Palace are all fantastic sights!

We will also go back to Kusadasi, which is now a cruise ship destination, so I doubt we recognize it. Of course, the whole reason to go to Kusadasi is to visit the ruins of Ephesus, and they are spectacular! On our last visit, we had just been to Athens and seen the Acropolis, saw Ephesus, then went on to Naples and visited Pompeii. Of those three I can unequivocally say that Ephesus impressed me most!

Don't know if things have changed (HOPE NOT!) but at that time, you were allowed to walk in, around, and over the ruins of that fantastic city. I kept thinking how Antony and Cleopatra walked the same streets (or more likely were carried on elaborate litters), of how the most intelligent and sophisticated denizens of civilization lived and worked there, and naturally St. Paul's letters to the Ephesians.

One of the more memorable things that happened when we were at Ephesus involved a photo. It was quite chilly the morning we arrived via dolmus (hired van) at the ruins. I am seldom bothered by the cold, rarely wear gloves, and a hat almost never. However, on this day it was cold enough that I sported both gloves, a hat, and about three layers of both tops and bottoms under my jacket. Basically, I resembled a homeless person wearing everything I owned.

I was snapping photos of everything, including DH, when I was approached by a lovely Turkish lady with a camera. I thought she wanted me to take a picture of her and her family, but after much gesturing and halting words, I figured out she wanted to take a picture of her family with ME and DH! So DH and I sidled up to her husband, two children and mother (or possibly mother-in-law) and smiled. This was in the pre-digital days, so I don't know what the final product looked like. But somewhere in Turkey, in a family photo album is a picture of me and DH bundled like the homeless and grinning like fools. I imagine the caption underneath reads: Us with a pair of weird Americans we met in Ephesus.

A Tiny Taste of Things To Come

A couple of weeks ago, my editor (yup, still a thrill to type that!) asked me to get some "blurbs" for The Wild Sight from other romantic suspense and paranormal authors. I've seen these "blurbs" in other books, of course, but I hadn't thought far enough ahead to obtain any on my own. So now I found myself in the very awkward position of having to ask friends, people I barely knew, and people I didn't know at all to "...please read my book and say nice things about it."

YIKES!

I had this big knot of fear in my stomach for every one of those emails I sent out asking for "a favor." And here I thought all those years of rejections had toughened me up. I need to pull up my "big girl panties" and GET OVER THIS! Asking for blurbs is just another little step down this twisty path of publication.

Very soon now (in less than 147 days!) "my baby" will be released to the world and not everyone will like it. GASP! I know I will get bad reviews and nasty comments from people who may or may not have read it. Waiting to hear back from other writers (who tend to be much kinder than reviewers) is just a tiny taste of things to come. Here's hoping there will be far more positive than negative!

My Cover Is HERE!

At loooong last!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so let me just say:
YES!!!! I feel like a teeny-bopper in the throes of a new crush!

I really do think it is THAT beautiful! I have been waiting a VERY LONG TIME to see a book cover with my name on it. I'm THRILLED this is the first.

My MySpace and Blogging Elsewhere

I finally caved in and did it. I joined MySpace.

Those of you who also have a MySpace place, please "friend" me! You can either click on the title of this post to go there or here it is: http://www.myspace.com/loucinda_mcgary

I will freely admit that I had help setting the thing up, and I'm still not completely pleased with it, but it's a start.

And a couple more quick plugs... I posted today on the Bandit blog about using characters' family members as a source of both internal and external conflict. http://romancebandits.blogspot.com/

Then on Monday, April 21st, I will be interviewed on "Jennifer's Random Musings" http://jennifersrandommusings.wordpress.com/
If you leave a comment, you might win some chocolates!

The Wild Sight... Top Ten

Okay, I stole this idea from Kelly Krysten. I just discovered her great personal blog (click on the title of this post to go there) and she recently posted " Top Ten Things That Make Your WIP Rock!"

Always one to latch onto a good idea, I now proudly present The Top Ten Things YOU (the reader) Will Love about The Wild Sight:

1. Donovan (and it's not an accident that he bears in uncanny resemblance to Hugh Jackman) and his psychic "gift"
2. Rylie and her sassiness. (but as Han Solo once said of Princess Leia, "She's got a lot of spunk to go with that sass.")
3. The way Donovan and Rylie can't keep their hands off each other. (This is a romance after all.)
   
4. The beautiful Irish countryside, and the real locales like the Giant's Causeway (pictured) and Rathlin Island.
5. Rylie's first meeting with her biological father.
   
6. The underlying theme of parent/child relationships, especially father/child.
7. Doreen, the bossy older sister. (Ask my siblings where I came up with the idea for that character!)
8. Jeremy Heany, "... not a bad sort for a lawyer..."
9. The Niall Marker (see my previous blog entry on Feb. 28th for more on this one)
10. How many ways can the Irish cook potatoes? (That's a picture of boxty.)
    

Of course there are many more things *I* love about the story, and I believe you will too! Most of my critique partners, beta readers, and friends who have read some sample chapters have loved the paranormal aspects and the ancient Celtic stuff.

If you are one of these lucky few, please share in the comments! If not (only 174 more days to wait!), please tell me your own top ten (or two or three) things you love about your favorite book or Work In Progress.

The Golden Heart, Rita and The Gap

The two BIG contests in the world of romance writing are The Golden Heart (for unpublished fiction) and The Rita (for published). The finalists for 2008 were just announced on March 25th, and I'm happy to say that several writer-buddies of mine are on both lists.

I'm even happier to say that this year I was not eligible to enter either contest. I sold my novel before the deadline to enter the Golden Heart, but the book was not out in time to enter the Rita. Several other Romance Bandits and I are in this same position and we've dubbed it "being in the Gap."

So how does it feel to be in The Gap?

Honestly, I feel greatly relieved! I've never been much of a fan of contests, and with the lone exception of my Golden Heart final (the one and only time I ever entered), I haven't had much luck with them. However, the annual awards ceremony for the Golden Heart and Rita is truly a glamorous affair and lots of fun to attend, if you are NOT one of the nerve wracked nominees. Being in The Gap this year means I will thoroughly enjoy myself before, during, and after the ceremony.

And you can be certain that NEXT YEAR and every year that I'm eligible, I'll be entering the Rita!

DO NOT Hurt the Puppy!

Warning: Rant about to happen.

A few nights ago, the DVD d'jour was I Am Legend. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, but plan to, then stop reading now.

I almost didn't finish watching this movie because the dog died! WORSE, the hero had to kill his beloved companion! And this isn't the first movie I've watched lately in which dogs were hurt of killed. In the movie Invasion (with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig), dogs could recognize the humans infected with aliens and as soon as they did -- bye-bye doggie. UGH! And don't even get me started about the dead dogs in No Country for Old Men!

What a disturbing trend! Now I'm a dog lover from waaay back (my family has had at least one dog for as long as I can remember). I like cats too, and most all little furry creatures, but I digress...

I'll admit that what happened to the dog in I Am Legend was germane to the plot, but I still didn't like it. As for the other two movies mentioned, NOPE! They could have totally left out the dog killing and not affected the story at all. I'm not very squeamish, and I even LIKE a bit of gratuitous violence now and then, but NOT when it is directed at animals!

Okay, rant over.

The Great Peep Hunt!

Happy Easter to those who celebrate the holiday!

We're having a virtual Peep Hunt over on the Romance Bandits blog today.(just click on the title of this blog post to take you there) So I decided to "hide" my Peeps (green of course! After all they are Irish Peeps.) here on my personal blog.

So happy Peep hunting and hey, you've already found one. We're giving away some great prizes!

My "Official" Title!

After long months of waiting, I finally have my "official" title! The book formerly known as Death in the Fens will be published with the title The Wild Sight: An Irish tale of deadly deeds and forbidden love.

I'm so excited after all this time to have a title to pimp! Er, um, I mean PROMOTE!

Plus, the book is available for pre-order on Amazon! Just search for my name. Right now my sales ranking is somewhere in the 6,000,000s. Nowhere to go but UP!

Now that I have a title, here's hoping that a cover won't be far behind!

An Infomercial

I now interrupt my own blog to plug some of the other things going on in my writing life...

First, and most exciting- -"the book formerly known as" Death In The Fens is AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON! Never mind that the title listed on Amazon is NOT the "official" title. But the publication date really is October, 2008! So still no title and of course, no cover, but A PUBLICATION DATE! That's progress! If you go on Amazon and do a search for my name, THERE IT IS!

Second, I'm now part of a new Yahoo group for Sourcebook authors and readers. Here's a link if anybody is interested in joining. But more than that, I'd love for you to join MY Yahoo Group (see the blog sidebar) for periodic updates on my book and my writing.




Click to join Discovering_Romance_with_Sourcebooks

And finally, since this is my Infomercial, might as well drop in a plug for the Romance Bandits. Romantic Times is holding their annual convention in Pittsburg, PA April 16--20th. Several of the Banditas (including Donna MacMeans, Christie Kelley, KJ Howe, and Trish Milburn) will be there. Here's your chance to meet some REAL LIVE Romance Bandits. Unfortunately, time and resources (read $$) have conspired to prevent me from attending. Maybe next year...

Progress -- Sort of

I received my copy edits yesterday! I know this is hardly cause for celebration, but these are my VERY FIRST and I'm excited.

I've heard a few horror stories about copy editors who changed huge hunks of prose or questioned writers' facts and research. After a fast scan of my manuscript (which still has no title -- ARGH!), I'm happy to report there are none of those things! In fact, I just might LURVE my copy editor!

And if I'm this happy over the copy edits, when I get the galleys I'll probably be in "First Time Author" Heaven! Pathetic, I know, but I just can't help myself.

Name Games

We're playing a NAME GAME over on the Bandit Blog today, courtsey of Kate Johnson/Cat Marsters who originally posted these nine ways to generate a cool name:

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current street name);

2. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, firstthree letters of your middle name)

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name,first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden)

6. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, favorite drink)

7. NASCAR NAME: (the first name of your grandfathers)

8. FUTURISTIC NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne and the name of your favorite kind of shoes)

9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name )

So hop on over to the Romance Bandits (click on the title of this blog for the link) and join in the fun! We are also giving away a prize for correctly guessing the identity of nine different Bandits based on their "new names."

Did Dennis Lehane Start This Way?

Very often, readers and new writers ask those of us who have circled the block a few times and have the completed manuscripts to show for it: Where do you get your ideas?

My usual answer is EVERYWHERE! However, since that might not be terribly helpful to those who seriously do want to know, here's an example of how story ideas can indeed be found EVERYWHERE.

A few days ago while I was out running errands, I stopped in at the lovely Golden Arches for a quick lunch. As I prepared to dunk my first McNugget into my chosen sauce, the lady at the table across from me came over and asked, "Are you going to be here long?"

"As long as it takes me to finish my lunch," I replied. (Obviously I exceed the size limit for the plastic tubes and paraphernalia in the "play yard.")

"Can you please keep an eye on my granddaughter while I use the restroom?" the lady asked, indicating a little girl of about four, who was busily munching a french fry.

I said I would and consumed my own fries and McNuggets while the child swung her legs and kept eating for the entire five minutes her grandmother was gone. However, once I finished and left, I was struck by how many possible story ideas presented themselves in my little scenario.

1. The grandmother doesn't return.
2. The grandmother returns only to find me and her granddaughter are (as in the succinct title of the DVD I recently watched) Gone Baby Gone.
3. The grandmother returns and accuses me of abusing the child.
4. While the grandmother is gone, the child shows me her bruises and asks me to protect her from grandma.
   

I think you get my drift, and I didn't even mention the hunky EMT drinking coffee at a nearby table, nor the homeless man hitting up people for change in the parking lot.

Now you know what I mean when I say ideas are EVERYWHERE, even at your local fast food joint! Who knows, maybe even Dennis Lehane (who wrote the original novel Gone Baby Gone) got ideas under the Golden Arches! Okay, maybe not.