Long Live the Queen!

We're off to England and Scotland today. Not sure if I'll get a chance to post while I'm there but feel free to amuse yourselves with previous posts.

Can't believe when we get back Nationals will be about 2 weeks away. Is it possible to lose weight eating scones, Cadbury chocolate and pub food?
Cheerio!

So What Do You Write?

That's usually the question that follows immediately after someone asks "What do you do?" and you answer "I'm a writer."

Sometimes I say romance. Sometimes I say women's fiction. And sometimes, depending on the crowd, I say contemporary paranormal.

How do you answer? Does it depend who you're talking to?

Six Degrees of (Blog) Separation

Do you blog hop? If so, how do you do it? Randomly or with thought? Do you hit the same blogs all the time? Try to find new ones? What brings you back to a certain blog time after time?

I spent some time this morning blog surfing based on the commentors on other blogs. In other words, I started at one blog, left a comment, then picked one of the other commentors and hopped to their blog and so on. I love finding new blogs and leaving a comment.

So, how do you do it?

Leaving...On A Jet Plane...

Hey y'all. I'm headed to England/Scotland on Friday with hubby, sis-in-law, the four-year-old niece and their 18-year-old cousin. Should be a blast! While he golfs, we'll be spa-ing it up and shopping.

I really like England and Scotland. The people are so nice! This will be my third trip but I'm looking forward to spending more time in Scotland this go-round.

I'll be sure to take pics. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most magical places I know. Well, that whole city is, really. The pic below is Slaley Hall, the Edwardian Manor house we'll be staying at. It's obviously been converted to a hotel, but from what I read, still maintains much of its original feel. And actually, we won't be staying in it, exactly - we have a lodge on the 1000 acre property.

And no matter how much Lara Santiago tries to convince me, I will not be eating Haggis.

Friend Me

Well, I've gone and done it. I now have a Myspace page. If you want me to add you, leave your page in the comments section!

http://www.myspace.com/kristenpainter

I feel so hip.

And The Winner Is...

Mel Francis and her caption:


"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for some postage today."

Once again, there were SO many good ones, but this one just tickled my funny bone. Maybe because it most closely captures Scooter's attitude. Anyway, great job to everyone who submitted a caption. I'll be doing this again in a few weeks (right before RWA Nationals, I think). Mel, don't forget to email me your mailing address!

Honorable mention to Bebe Thomas and her stinky breath caption.

Death by Coffee

I almost died yesterday. Or at least, I survived an unintentional poisoning. Via coffee. It's true! I met up with some chaptermates at the local Books A Million as we often do on Thursdays, and as we often do, we sat in the cafe and ordered beverages. I ordered a sugar-free raspberry mocha and so did one of the other ladies. We got our drinks, sat down and proceeded to discuss our writing.

I had a very hard time liking my coffee (even though one of our group had ordered it the last time and loved it). I mentioned that it tasted "icky" and the other lady who ordered the same thing said hers tasted weird too. Almost like the milk was bad, except she'd gotten skim and I had half-n-half. That left the sugar-free raspberry syrup.

We took them back up to the counter where the counter person did a sniff test. What you can tell from that, I have no idea. I watched as she poured a bit of mine out into the sink. It was lumpy. LUMPY. Not a word I want associated with my coffee, capisce?

I immediately felt ill. She made us new, different, non sugar-free raspberry coffees. (Straight mocha - big YUM!) Still, just thinking about that makes me queasy.

If I die soon, you'll know why.

Caption Contest II

Here's the second installment of the caption contest! The first one was such a blast and everyone had such great answers that I plan on doing this at least once a month. This week's picture:

This week's prize for the best caption is PC Cast's Goddess of Light and...it's autographed! This is a great read - if you're not familiar with her Goddess Summoning series, you're missing out.

The winner will be announced Saturday morning!

Pitching the Pitch

The upcoming RWA National conference in Atlanta will be the first conference I've attended since joining RWA at which I will not be pitching (or trying to corner in a convenient location) an agent. Having one changes everything.

I won't be up late the night before rehearsing and rewriting my pitch to perfection with willing friends (who are also in the same boat). I won't walk around the morning of my appointment with sweaty hands, nerves of jello and the inability to stop reading my pitch cards every five minutes. I won't be sitting in the hall, waiting with all the other pitching attendees, staring at the wall mouthing my pitch or smiling nervously at the person next to me, wondering if they'll get a request but I won't.

This year when I meet agents throughout the conference, I will be my normal outgoing self. Will I schmooze? Sure, on the behalf of Romance Divas. But on a career level, I will simply see them as people, not as minor deities in possession of some magical key I desperately crave to unlock a door I desperately want to pass through. (Yeah, I used desperately twice in one sentence. Do you think I didn’t want an agent?)

I’ve pitched numerous agents and editors and had numerous requests for both partials and fulls because of the appointments. Did anything come of those requests? No. Nada. Zip. Do pitches ever result in anything more? I’d love to hear from you if you found your agent or editor that way. I’m sure it happens, just not familiar with anyone who’d had success going that route.

Does that mean if I were still agentless, I wouldn’t be pitching? Heck no! I’d be pitching like an MBA all-star. I’m the last one to turn down an opportunity. Don’t you recall the time I handcuffed Harlequin editor Tracy Farrell to me? If you don’t believe me, ask Diana Peterfreund. She was there.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to this year’s conference with a sense of calm I’ve never had before.

New Agent Blog In Town

There's a new agent blog in town (not my agent - man, do I love saying my agent) but check it out, the chicks from Bookends are blogging!

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

The Biggest News of All

In case you aren't on any the same loops with me, or aren't a member of Romance Divas, or don't belong to any of the same chapters as me, or seen the billboard...

I just signed with Elaine Spencer at The Knight Agency!

I can't believe I not only have an agent but I'm with the agency that has been my number one pick since I started this journey toward publication. Life is good, God is great.

I'm A Finalist!

Hey gang, I just found out The Perfect Dish, my third book, is a finalist in the TARA contest! This means that every book I've written so far has finaled in at least one contest. Now, if I could just win one...

Maybe I need ginko?

I thought I blogged today. I could have swore I blogged. But apparently I didn't. So I'm leaving a reminder for myself to blog tomorrow.

Self? Blog.

On a side note, I figured out that between June 3rd and June 13th, I've written 96 pages. Holy cow! Does that seem like a lot to you? It does to me.

Write write write!

I've managed to keep up a pretty good writing schedule and actually hit the 1/3 mark on my WIP last night. My goal last week was 50 pages - I actually did 58. I have the same goal this week - 50 pages. I'm only 7 pages into that goal so far but have high hopes. In fact, today I plan for at least 12, maybe 15. I have my coffee at the ready and my fingers are warmed up.

What are some tips/tricks you use to motivate yourself?

And The Winner Is...

I'm really glad I ran this little contest. As many of you read over at RD, I had to put my eldest cat down last night - a very hard thing I'm still not over. It was great to read these captions and I was happy to have a reason to smile.

There were SO many good ones, I've actually picked two winners (both will receive copies of the book). They are:

"That short little man you sleep with? He's got to go. He burps and farts and takes my spot on the bed. You've got until Tuesday." Laine Morgan

(For the record, Sam would like everyone to know he really loves his daddy, even though everything the nice lady said is true.)

"This IS my happy face" Babe King

(Sam thinks expressing himself is NOT a top priority. After all, there is so much more that goes on in a cat's life...)

Congrats! Laine and Babe, email me with your mailing addresses so I can get your books out to you! And thanks to everyone who made me smile. I think I'll do this again next week!

Caption Contest

I've decided to run a little contest to test your creative juices. The best caption for the picture below will win a copy of Cheyenne McCray's Forbidden Magic. Sound good? Just leave your caption in the comments section. Enter as many times as you like and tell your friends!

Caption this pic...

To win this book!

(Winner will be announced Friday)

Coming Soon: Romance Divas Newsletter

At long last, the Romance Divas newsletter, The Diva Dish, is about to go into production. It will feature articles about writing and the writer's life (some from authors you know and love), book reviews, industry news, diva news, upcoming workshop info, contests, etc - it's going to be great!

And while I know we all probably belong to too many Yahoo groups already, this is a once a month newsletter, so you don't have to worry about it clogging up your inbox. Sign up today!

Subscribe to the Romance Divas Newsletter!
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Just Because

A few pics of my cats, Sam (tiger stripe) and Scooter (black) because I thought it would be fun and Mondays need all the fun they can get.

Scooter sleeps like this all the time. (And his head is on his black furry mouse, that's not some weird mishapen ear.)

Do you really have to write right now?

Brokeback Kitties

Enslave Me Sweetly - Now in stores!

Enslave Me Sweetly by Gena Showalter

She has the heart of a killer, and the body of an angel. . .

Eden Black walks among humans, protecting them from the murderous evil of other-worlders who abduct and enslave. And though she appears to be human herself, Eden is an alien, a Raka, distinguished by her golden hair and skin, and gifted with the ominous ability to kill without remorse – and with total accuracy. That is, until the fateful night she has one shot to eliminate her target, a human slaver – and misses.

“Failure” is not in Eden’s vocabulary. Neither is “partner” – but that’s what she is forcibly assigned after recovering from her disastrous mission. A sexy, steely-nerved human agent, Lucius Adaire enjoys nothing more than sparking the fury – and rousing the desire – of the fiery female assassin to proud to admit defeat. Locked in an assignment they cannot afford to lose, Lucius and Eden find themselves bound in two high-stakes, heart-pounding games: the dangerous web of kill or be killed, and the erotic dance of seduction. . .

Showalter first demonstrated her skill at blending sizzling romance and nail-biting suspense set in a convincing futuristic society in Awaken Me Darkly (2005). She now continues the roller-coaster-like adventure in an equally entertaining tale that will please a wide cross section of readers. *Starred Review* Booklist.

Order your copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or BooksAMillion.

For more information, visit Gena’s website at http://www.genashowalter.com/ and her blog at http://www.genashowalter.blogspot.com/

Drop Dead Gorgeous is Drop Dead Fabulous!

Where is love when you really need it?

Certain that she will depart this world at the tender age of twenty-eight, Madison O'Donnell is determined to experience breathless, passionate love in the two weeks left to her, no thanks to her stuffy boss, T. Laurence Hobbs!

T. Laurence is the perfect tax accountant, a man who likes his ducks in a row and his numbers in a column. But there is no way he will sit by while the lovely Madison throws herself at the absolute wrong man.

If the only way to save Madison from herself is to make her fall madly in love with him, then it's up to T. Laurence to make it happen. And as he turns his number-crunching skills to capturing his sexy secretary, he's beginning to think that there is more to life than death and taxes!

---------------------------------------------

I just read this book over the weekend and I have to say, it's just been added to my keeper shelf. It definitely goes into my Top Five for books so far this year. Do yourself a favor and read this book - you will not be disappointed. If you're a fan of Cruisie - you'll love Jennifer Skully! In fact, I loved it so much, I ordered her entire back list.

Check Out This Hot Read!

Sunset Key
Cassidy Kent
ISBN 1-59426-563-1

Freesia Daniels, personnel specialist and consummate planner, wasn't prepared to get the boot from her company for possessing a heart. When she decides to return home from Boston to the sunny beaches of Key West to lick her wounds, she discovers her heartbroken past has finally caught up with her in the form of Zachary Gray, her childhood sweetheart. He lures her to his island getaway and lands them smack in the middle of a raging hurricane. Lightning doesn't often strike twice, but this storm might give them both a second chance at love.

Size: HeatSheet
Rating: Pulsar
Excerpt: http://www.phaze.com/Excerpts/SunsetKeyExcerpt.htm
http://www.phazebooks.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=87

Note: Cassidy Kent is the pen name of my Romance Divas co-founder and personal webmistress, Jax Crane, so please support her by downloading this fabulous story - after all, it's only $2!

Getting Back In The Saddle

I'm done traveling for awhile, thankfully. Don't get me wrong, I love to travel - but I really want to get Date With The Devil done by conference. See, I just can't pitch a book that isn't done. I don't feel right about it. I will, however, pitch a book that might not be fully polished. I can polish a book in a couple of weeks but to have to finish one...I think it would just end up a mess.

Anyway, it's time to write again. So stay on me. I need to be accountable. Today's goal is five pages.

Pics from RT

Since blogger is finally cooperating, here are some of the costumes my roomie, Lara Santiago, and I wore to the parties.
Here we are at the vampire ball. Are we scary and cute?
The fairy ball was the most beautifully decorated of them all. And had some of the coolest costumes!
This is the fantasy party - I was Simi from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunters (note the horns) and Lara was Mata Hari. Fun stuff!

The Sound of Strangers Singing

I've been sung to twice today, once at breakfast and once at dinner. Ignoring the fact that it's my birthday, I'm just happy to be home from RT.

Pics and stories tomorrow!

Kauai Pics - Part III

Just a few more pics of Kauai - this time with us in them. I'm off to RT on Monday so when I get back, we'll be doing pics again! Here's us on the helicopter. I'm not feeling as carefree as I look. Seriously.

This one's pretty obvious. It's us outside the copter, after the ride. My smile is completely genuine at this point.
Here we are on our last night at the Bali Hai restaurant. And yes, my arm is completely sunburned thanks to riding in the golf cart with my hubby and not wearing sunscreen. Still, I'm looking very island-y in my native sarong. :o)

Kauai Pics - Part II

Today's pics are strictly scenic. Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This pic was taken at the Kilauea Lighthouse bird sanctuary.
Here's a shot from the helicopter tour we took showing the Na Pali coast line. Look familiar? It's been the setting for numerous movies, including Jurassic Park, Seven Days Six Nights and The Thorn Birds, just to name a few.
Speaking of movies, here's a shot of Bali Hai, made famouse by the movie South Pacific. It's also Hanalei Bay - as in the place Puff the Magic Dragon lives. (And it's Hana-LAY not Hana-LEE.) And here's a sunset over Hanalei Bay. Much more impressive in person, I assure you.

Kauai Pics

Today's topic: Flora and Fauna
I don't know what flower this is but I thought it was beautiful.

Ah, the Kauai icon - the wild chicken. They are everywhere! And the roosters like to compete to see who can crow the loudest. Usually at 3am in the morning.

Red hibiscus used to be the Kauai flower until the powers that be realized the red color was man-made. Now it's the yellow hibiscus because that color occurs naturally.
The national bird of Hawaii, the Ne Ne goose. Very sweet little creatures who seem to enjoy buttered toast more than you'd think. Not that we threw our buttered toast off the balcony or anything.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Back From Kauai!

Home now - great trip - hope to post some pics tomorrow!

Interview With RONDA THOMPSON

Ronda Thompson's Wulf brothers series is some of the best reading I've ever gotten my hands on. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor and read The Dark One, then pick up The Untamed One when it's released on May 1st. Following is a little interview I did with Ronda. Behave yourselves and I'll see ya when I get back from Kauai (with pictures!).

KP: What was your inspiration for writing the Wulf series?

RT: I actually had a dream about Sterling Wulf. He was dressed like he worked in a circus, you know, those tights.:) And no, it wasn't a dirty dream, darnit. I just woke up knowing I had to write a story about him. The story kept building in my head until it spilled out on paper.

KP: Do you have a favorite character from the series? Was any one in particular harder or easier to write and why?

RT: I seriously love all of those Wulf boys. It would be hard to pick a favorite among them. The heroines, I love them all, too, but Amelia was very fun to write. The hardest Wulf to write was Jackson. He had so many complex things going on inside of him, although that was hard to tell from the outside. I had to dig deep for him.

KP: What's your writing preparation for the series been like? Did you outline all the books/novellas first? Did writing one influence how the next would turn out?

RT: I had it all pretty much in my head from the beginning. I sold the series in a three book deal. I had a complete proposal of the first book, and short shynopsis on the other two, plus an overview of the series. Gabriel's book, The Cursed One, ended up throwing me a little. I decided to scrap the first idea I had for his story and go with another. But it all worked out. All of the books are now completed and turned in.

KP: What's your writing day like?

RT: Crazy. At least these days it is. My daughter is getting married in June, so it's do wedding stuff, write, do wedding stuff, write. That's about it. Wedding stuff and write. I'm ready for a vacation this summer.:)

KP: How long does it take you to finish a book?

RT: Depends. I'm not disciplined, so I do a lot of binge writing. I had to actually do a rewrite of the first book. I needed to take in a direction other than I did, so I ended up writing The Dark One in six weeks. Usually, anywhere from two months to six months, depending on what else is going on in my life.

KP: What's in store for the Wulf brothers?

RT: Well, they all live happily ever after of course.:) But they do all have children...we might be seeing them again.

KP: Any hints at what you're planning when this series is done?

RT: Actually, I'm hoping to spin a series off of the last book in the series. I'm waiting on word if that is going to happen, but once everyone reads The Cursed One, out this December, I think they will expect a series based on a couple of new characters introduced in the book. I also am working on something else. A series that is not considered romance. I'll let you know more about that later.

Teaser

As I am headed to Kauai in a few days and won't be around much to blog, I am going to leave you with a fabulous interview with one of my favorite best-selling authors and all around cool chick. Check back here tomorrow for a great read!

Names

The name of your hero and heroine can be as important as your plot. I've heard authors say their books didn't really work until they changed the name of one character and then the whole thing came together.

How do you find your character names? I use books and websites but sometimes a name will come to me and I can "see" the character attached and I know I have to write that character. I also like the meaning of the name to work with who the character is. Does that make sense?

What are some of your character names? (Here are mine, hero first, then heroine.)
Book One: Ertemis and Jessalyne
Book Two: Alrik and Calleigh
Book Three: Kelly and Meredith
Book Four: Calderon and Mena

Aloha!

Hubby and I have decided to take a trip to one of our favorite places, Kauai. It's beautiful, arty, laid-back and unassuming. A perfect place to write (or golf, in my husband's case).

Good thing I ate all that Easter cake. *insert rolling eyes here* How much weight can I lose in two weeks? I'd love to discuss it but I need to get on the treadmill.

Easter Cake

You know how I love cake. *grin* Here's the one I made for Easter. The inside is triple chocolate fudge with raspberry filling.

Let the oohs and ahhs commence. ;o)

Girl's Night Out

Here we are: Lara Santiago, me, my darling niece, Sasha and my sis-in-law, Michele. We had a blast! Sasha danced the entire second act along with the cast.

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Cultural

I've had a debilitating headache all day. Almost no writing. The upside? On Thursday night I am going to...

I can't wait! I've been to Riverdance and it was amazing. Lara Santiago is going with me (plus my sis-in-law and my almost four-year-old niece) - I hope to have some pics for you on Friday.

Back In The Saddle!

Happy writing is SO much better than sluggy writing. You know what I mean? Writing with flow, when the words come easily and the pages add up without much effort, beats staring at the last thing you wrote wondering what comes next and where your muse has gone.

My current WIP is happy writing. I'm loving the characters, loving the story, loving the words that are showing up on the page, the way the world is building itself. Sure, I'm in the honeymoon phase of the first three chapters but I can see most of this book in my head so I'm hoping the honeymoon lasts longer than the first three chapters. I'm hoping it lasts for 90K words.

Writing is good. Writing makes me happy. This is feeling is why I write - the pure joy of creative euphoria. Woohoo!

What's Your Poison?

When you sit down to write, what's your set up? Music or no music? Something to drink? Snacks at hand? Still in your pj's or dressed to kill? What makes your writing environment ready to go?

For me, it's usually no music but when I do play music it's the Soundscapes channel on the digital cable turned down low. That seems to be a kind of "white noise" for me.

I almost have a drink of some sort - I try to make it water but first thing in the morning, it's coffee. Right now there's a giant Cafe Du Monde mug sitting next to my laptop. It holds about three regular cups of coffee and it's about half-empty right now so today should be fairly productive. Hah!

I'm still in my pj's but since I'm getting ready to hit the treadmill, that will change. When I write, I stick to comfy clothes - yoga pants or drawstring pj-style pants and a tank top of some sort (I love those kind with the shelf-bra built in, you know the ones I mean?). Presentable enough to answer the door or run out and get the mail but not something I'd go to the grocery store in.

And no snacks. Snacks lead to widening of areas that are already wide enough. Although if I'm really into the writing, I'll make my lunch and bring it back to my desk.

What about you?

A Little Weekend Treat

Here's something to hold you over until Monday.

Agent Chat Tonight

Hey guys and gals, there's a hot chat at Romance Divas tonight at 7 EST with superagent Jenny Bent from Trident Media!

Should be a fun time - Jenny tells it like it is and I think that's something we can all appreciate in this business.

See you in the chatroom!

Breaking News

For the second year in a row, Writer's Digest has named Romance Divas one of its "Best 101 Websites For Writers"!!!

WOOHOO!

Blog Round Up

After yesterday's painted toes, I thought perhaps today I should get back to something less um, frivilous? Here's what's going on in the blogosphere:

Sex Is Hot - Industry news from Galleycat

Promo Questions - Go answer over at Celia's blog

Pitches That Worked - Insight from Kristin Nelson

What To Look For In An Agent's Website - Insight from the Writer Beware gang

Opening Lines - Paperback Writer chimes in

Who did I miss? What blog of note should I stop by today?

Girly Stuff

I felt the need to get girly yesterday so I went for a mani and a pedi. Thought I'd share a pic of my newly painted toes 'cuz they're just so freakin' cute.

Sometimes, I just gotta be me.

Where've You Been?

Here's where I've been. Where have you been?

My Visited Countries

Get your own Visited Countries Map from Travel Blog

Time To Blog

Hey guys,

I know I've been a little slack on the blogging lately but my dear, sweet, evil friend Lara Santiago volunteered me to take over our chapter's website and I've been slogging through that mess, trying to make it into something presentable one page at a time. (And can I just add that I am already the webmistress for my Virginia chapter?)

Also, I need to get my Daphne entries judged and out the door before my family comes to visit in mid-April. There's house stuff to be done before they show up too - some curtains to be hung, flowers to plant, you know, house stuff.

I've been writing but not as much as I'd like. Maybe I'll get some pages done tomorrow. Plus I really want to go see Failure To Launch. Have you seen it? Is it good?

And as if that's not enough, we have a contest going on at Romance Divas that I need to get judging. So much to do!

Thanks for all the congrats on the contest final - I really appreciate it! Makes me want to get all contest slutty and enter every one coming up. But I won't. That you know of. Hah!

So...what's occupying your life?

Breaking News

I'm a finalist!

I just found out my contemporary paranormal, Out Of The Ashes, finaled in the Winter Rose!

Dreams Of What's To Come

It's official. The dreams have begun. What dreams you ask? Dreams about Date With The Devil. This is what happens when I write - my characters fill my head so much that they show up in my dreams. Well, let me be honest. My hero shows up in my dreams. My heroine not so much. :o)

Calderon, as my hero is currently known, was rather poorly behaved in my dream. But I guess you can only expect a certain amount of civility from a werewolf. *wink*

Do you dream about your books? What do you dream? Just the hero? Or does the heroine show up too?

The Reading Writer

I have always been a reader. Always. I don't actually have a memory of not being able to read. My mother was a grade school teacher before my brother and I were born so we were taught that skill earlier on.

In kindergarten, I won an award for reading the most books of any of the students for the school year. (125 books, I believe.) My mother says I ran to the stage to collect my blue ribbon.

I wrote my first book in kindergarten, too. About the adventures of a pinecone. That book still exists somewhere. I'm sure my mom has it tucked away, along with the second book I wrote about my cat, Mystery. That would have been a best-seller, I assure you - any book written on loose-leaf notebook paper and bound with orange yarn is destined to zoom up the charts.

The gift of storytelling came from my grandmother. A petite, quiet German woman with a knack for crazy sayings (you're the boss of the chicken coop, tell it to the preacher, let an electrician check your shorts) and the uncanny ability to imitate Donald Duck, she would send us to sleep with wild tales of kittens and bunnies - all spun from her mind on the spot. Have you tried to make up a bedtime story on the spur of the moment? It's harder than you think.

Anyway, the point is I was a reader first but the desire to write followed very closely. I can trace where it came from, who nurtured it. Is every writer like that? Do you know what pushed you to write? Where your desire came from? Tell me, I'd love to hear it.

Book Four

I have finally started book four. I mean it this time. Even though I had previously started writing a fourth book twice before, this one is the one I'm actually going to write. I just wasn't excited about those other books - well, I was, but not like this one.

It's another contemporary paranormal but completely different from anything I've written before. And I think it's going to be fun!

So far, my working title is Date With The Devil but I'm pretty sure that's going to change. Something better is bound to reveal itself as the book comes along. How many title changes do you go through? Or do you just pick any old title knowing it'll probably get changed by an editor at some point anyway?

Agent Chat Tonight

Agent Vivian Beck will be chatting live in the Romance Divas chatroom this evening at 9pm EST. You don't want to miss this!

Thank You

To all those who took the time to wish me well and offer condolences, thank you. Really and truly. I may not have finaled but I'm a winner when it comes to having friends in this business. You're a marvelous bunch!

Now it's time to move on and get writing. After all, I want something new to pitch in Atlanta. Anybody want to join me in a writing challenge for April? Number of pages or words, doesn't matter - you set the goal and we'll check in here once a week to see how it's going?

Let's get writing!

The Results Are In

I didn't final in the Golden Heart this year. I felt very strongly that I would considering that between them, the two manuscripts I entered have: been requested in full by three publishers, been requested in full by two agents, been requested as a partial by one agent, finaled in another RWA contest.

Plus, the manuscript that finaled last year was a piece of crap compared to these two. There's no understanding it I guess. I'm bummed, I won't lie to you. It hurts because I felt so good about these two.

Onward and upward, but first some chocolate. Then I plan to sell and make myself ineligible for this contest next year.

Congrats to Candy Havens for her double RITA nomination!

The Writer In Limbo

I have a million ideas for books. But I'm not writing.

Right now I'm waiting for responses on fulls from several editors and several agents. That waiting has put me in an odd mood. I'm okay with the waiting, but it's left me feeling directionless. There are sequels to write but I won't write them until I know the first book is going somewhere. Of course, I should start something new - and have - twice. But it sits there on the page, dull as dry pasta. The words don't excite me. Sure, I visual scenes in each book (there are no less than five ideas whirling in my head right now, waiting to be written. Eight if I allow myself to think about writing another fantasy romance.)

In case you don't know me that well, let me tell you that finishing isn't a task for me. I've written three full-length manuscripts and numerous short stories and articles. I just don't seem to have the impetus in me at the moment to get going again.

Lara Santiago thinks I need to stop being so hard on myself, allow myself a break and then regroup on Monday. It's probably what I'll do. I have Daphne entries to judge and a book to finish reading for my romance reader's group.

Has this *funk* ever happened to you? If so, what's your advice? How did you get out of it?

Body Count

Yesterday's post got me thinking about death. (And isn't that a fun subject?) Death makes for interesting happenings when you're writing fiction. Who dies, how they die, how the death impacts the other characters and the story line in general are all points to consider.

I don't write romantic suspense but the occasional death creeps in anyway. I don't think for one moment that romantic suspense is the only genre with a license to kill. Death makes for good storytelling. Parents pass away. Spouses die. Enemies get whacked. Anything we can do to put our characters through hard times makes for great reading.

What do you write and who dies in your stories?

Shine On

LifeGem is company that will take your loved one's ashes (or your pet's) and turn them into a created diamond. I'm serious.

Depending on the color (blue or yellow), the cost ranges from $2700 to $20,000.

My question: Would you? What do you think of it? Is it romantic or just weird?

Five Days and Counting

This year's Golden Heart calls go out on Friday, March 24th. It's a bit nerve wracking. I'd love to final again and I feel like the two manuscripts I entered are much stronger than the one that finaled last year but you just never know.

Time goes by much faster if you try to forget you're waiting on something, don't you think? I've been reading a lot. Watching movies. Thinking about book ideas. Writing a little (I wish I could say I'm writing a lot but my current idea feels unsettled and I'm just not in love with it yet.)

What are you waiting on and how do you pass the time?

Breaking Industry News

Literary agent, Elaine English, has left the literary agency of Graybill & English and set up her own company. She can now be reached at Elaine English Literary, 4710 41st Street, NW, Suite D, Washington, DC 20016.Telephone: (202) 362-5190.

This is not a post

I'm not blogging today and nothing you say can make me.

Keeper Books

Ronda Thompson's Wulf series is amazing.

This historical werewolf series started with The Dark One, which came out last November. It came to me as an ARC for review from St. Martin's. I couldn't put it down. It was so riveting, the characters, the story line, the writing style - everything about it sucked me in and held me until the story was done. In my review for Romance Divas, I gave it 5 kisses, a rating I rarely give out.

This Saturday, two wonderful things happened. 1.) The ARC for The Untamed One showed up (actual release is May) and 2.) I found a large blurb from my review for The Dark One on the inside front page! I was thrilled. I started reading immediately.

This second book did not disappoint. In my opinion, it may even be better than its predecessor. At the very least, it is equal. I haven't written the review yet but when I do, The Untamed One will also be getting 5 kisses.

Ronda's writing is lush and evocative. Her characters leap off the page. These books are keepers, books I will read again. If you haven't read them yet, you need to. They are phenomenal!

The last book in the series, The Cursed One, comes out in December this year. I CANNOT WAIT!

Blog Round Up

Siren Superstar Lara Santiago has a blog! Go check it out to find out why you won't want her riding in your car or playing with your pens.

Romance Divas contest coordinator and columnist Gina Welborn asks an interesting question on her blog. Which kind of writer are you?

Lastly, superagent Deidre Knight is doing Q & A on her agency blog again. Now is a great time to get a question answered!

As Promised!

Not the best shot, I admit but I would have had to walk through a neighbor's backyard to get closer. I'll see if I can do better in the next few days. And his name? Well, it was a tough call but I think I'm going with Boris. :o)

Pictures & Names

A picture or two of the gator along with the name I've chosen will be posted here later this afternoon. You'll just have to wait until I get back from aerobics!

Reptile, anyone?

There's a small gator (four to five feet) that's taken up residence in one of the large ponds fronting the community I live in. I see him almost everyday. Would anyone be interested in seeing a picture of this lovely creature? If I get enough positive responses, I'll take my camera and go on a hunting expedition with promises to post the resulting photos here. (He's quite handsome. I could sit and watch him for hours.)

Also, I'm trying to think up an appropriate name for him. I originally thought he was a she and had decided on Evangeline but now I'm thinking the gator is a boy. He looks lonely. Anyway, my brother had a Caiman croc as a pet once - his name was Fester. I always thought that was a brilliant moniker for such a wicked creature.

So do you want pics? Thoughts on a name? What say you, people?

Upcoming Events

Here are some of the events scheduled for the next few weeks at Romance Divas. As always, all events are free to registered members. And of course, registration is free too!

Agent Chat: Vivian Beck, Vivian Beck Agency, March 27th at 9pm
Editor Q&A: Dave King, editor and author - Self-Editing For Fiction Writers, April 3rd to April 9th (in forum)
Agent Chat: Jenny Bent, Trident Media, April 6th at 7pm

Don't you think it's time you became a Diva?

Happy Wednesday!

I don't think words are really necessary, do you?

The Female Mind

So Lara Santiago and I are in aerobics the other day, sweating our not yet small behinds off, when the subject of Vin Diesel comes up. Maybe it was the sweating, I don't know. After that, I had a hard time concentrating on the steps and ended up doing my own thing a few times. What can I say? The man distracts me.

I did end up with an interesting idea for a book, though. Weird where ideas come from, isn't it? My third book was entirely inspired by a random snippet of a dream about Bobby Flay. My second book from a piece of artwork.

Where have your ideas come from? What's the strangest inspiration you've had?

One Down, One To Go

Revisions on The Perfect Dish are done and the manuscript and synopsis are out the door! Getting that done is a great feeling. During the editing process, I fell in love with the book and the characters all over again. Actually laughed out loud a few times reading my own stuff. (Is that weird or am I weird?)

A friend of mine, Lara Santiago, acted as a beta reader for me on my second book, Out Of The Ashes. No one has ever read that book from "cover to cover" so it was an interesting experience for me, a little frightening, a little scary. She writes erotica and the sex in my books is either behind closed doors or non-existant (I guess I write sweet pararnormals - is there such a thing?), so I was worried that she'd find the book lacking because of that. But she said she didn't miss it and the sexual tension was definitely there. She really seemed to like it, said she laughed out loud a few times, found a few spots that needed a line or two changed, some places it could be tightened - good stuff! Now I just have to finish those revisions and get that sucker mailed off to Berkley.

So here's my question - do you normally have someone who reads your work through once it's done or do you do that yourself and hope for the best? What's your process once you've completed a book?

Goals and Discipline

Most of us, as writers, set goals for ourselves. Daily word counts. Weekly page counts. Chapters written. Chapters revised. Queries sent. Contests entered. You know the drill. They differ for each of us but the end result is the same. Productivity. If we're unpublished, the push is toward publication. If we're published, we strive to meet deadlines and do promotion.

Meeting these goals takes discipline. And that's where the effort comes in. There is always something else you can do besides write. Gluing my butt in my office chair takes effort, I'll admit it. But as I said to a friend the other day, I try to live my "writer's life" as though I am already published so that when that day comes, I'll be ready.

How do you stay on track? What's your biggest time waster? Have you reached any of your goals for this year yet?

Breaking News!

This just in:

Out Of The Ashes (my second book, a contemporary paranormal) is a finalist in the Linda Howard Award of Excellence!

Yesterday Was A Big Day!

What a day yesterday turned out to be!

My friend Eden Bradley sold in an auction to Bantam Dell for a two book deal, my friend Jax sold to Amber Quill by winning their Heat Wave contest, another friend, Babe, sold to By Grace Publishing!

Me? Well, no sale but I did get a request from Berkley for a full on my second book.

Get It While It's Hot!

Want a free book? Or at least a teaser? My friend, Lara Santiago, has a free download starting today at Siren Publishing. Her book, The Blonde Bomb Tech, is being serialized and to get you started, the first two chapters are FREE!

Click here.

You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down

Rejections suck. That's the black and white truth. But I say bake a cheesecake, get over it, move on, strive to do better, work harder, get more stuff out there. Onward and upward and so forth and so on.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have revisions to finish and cheesecake to eat. I'll be clever tomorrow.

And The Hits Keep Coming

Two rejections today. One on a full, one on a partial.

In the letter from the editor about the full, she said my book reminded her too much of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover. While I am a fan of Kenyon's, I have yet to read that one. Anyone care to synopsise it for me?

Here Kitty, Kitty!

You must go visit this site: Stuff On My Cat

It's the best place I know to procrastinate when you have revisions to do. Not that I would procrastinate. Ever. I'm purely and utterly a non-procrastinator.

Yeah, that's me.

The Joy of Cake

I am addicted to cake. I think in many ways, it's nature's perfect food. All that soft, crumby goodness combined with the sweet, creamy icing...divine!

Issac Mizrahi has a talk show on which he offers his guests "a delicious coffee". If I had a talk show, I would offer them a selection of cake. Would you like a delicious slice of cake?

Chocolate?











Coconut?










Lemon Cream?











Take your pick!










What's your favorite kind of cake?

We Interrupt These Revisions...

To bring you a hot pair of thighs. Aye caramba!

These yummy quads belong to Michael Owens.
Google him.
You won't be sorry.

Tell Me A Joke

I'm serious. Tell me your best joke. Make me laugh. (You'll understand the need for this if you're also doing revisions.)

Revisions: Day Two

Yesterday was good. I finished rewriting one scene from her POV to his. Interesting switch and, I think, totally necessary.

I'll reread that scene today and see what needs fleshing out, more details, less details, whatever. Then on to threading the new subplot into the exisiting work while also looking for inconsistancies created by some of the other plot changes.

I'll be happy when it's done and polished, but I do enjoy the process. I'm making the book stronger - what's not to love? Sure it's work but it's work with fabulous rewards.

What are you working on?

And So It Begins...

Tomorrow I begin the serious undertaking of agent-requested revisions to my third book. In a way, I feel like this is an interview - or rather an audition. If the revisions accomplish what was requested, that should mean good things, right?

How do you go about revisions like this? Do you have a method you use? For me, it means printing the work out and doing edits on the hardcopy then transferring the changes to the computer copy, then one final print out for a proof read.

I will be changing the POV in one scene and adding a new subplot to provide additional motivation (and some increased conflict) for my heroine. I really think it's going to make the book shine. And oddly enough, I'm looking forward to getting into the revisions. I'm excited about what I think they're going to do for this book!

How do you feel about revisions?

What's your blog worth?

My blog is worth $17,500.74.
How much is your blog worth?

Five Guilty Pleasures

Sela tagged me.

Five Guilty Pleasures

1. Cooking. Is that weird? I love to cook. It relaxes me, makes me happy. And I really enjoy feeding other people. Guess that's part of my Italian side. The only problem with cooking is it leads to eating.

2. Catalogs. I adore catalogs - clothing, jewelry, household goods, food products, seed and plant -- you name the product and I probably get a catalog for it. I love the pictures, the descriptions, the possibilities...and the ability to walk away without actually buying anything.

3. Odd Research Books. Books can't be considered a guilty pleasure since they're part of writing. But I do enjoy picking up odd research books, even if they're on a subject I may never write about. Expecially books on weird things in history or unexplained events or civilizations that no longer exist. The mind rejoices!

4. Shoes. Do I really have to explain this one? Shoes are man's most amazing invention. I mean, think about it - how did people get to places before the wheel? In their SHOES! And although I don't need any more shoes, I keep buying them. Some of them are too beautiful to pass up. I have shoes in my closet right now that I haven't even worn but I like looking at them -- the lines, the colors, the curve of the heel, the slope of the instep. Marvelous things.

5. Sleep. Sleeping is one of my most favorite things to do. And I love a good nap. Too bad sleeping isn't a profession. I'd probably be the most highly paid individual in my field I'm so good at it. You know what's best of all? A nap outside on a balmy day. I've done some of my best sleeping on vacation in Maui and out by my pool. Hmm. I feel a nap coming on right now...

But first, let me tag Jax, Bonnie and Diana.

My Two Year Anniversary

I started writing with the goal of publication two years ago this month. I've had a request for the first book I wrote, so I'm doing my best to shine it up. Man, I had some issues back then. Seems like all my sentences had the same structure and I was overly fond of the prepositional phrase. Still, the story is interesting, the hero hot and the heroine sympathetic. Perhaps that's what helped it final in the Golden Heart? Or maybe I just got some really understanding judges.

My growth as a writer amazes me. I'm proud of myself for learning so much about this craft, for using contests & critiques as tools and not personal attacks, for not being afraid to ask questions and for surrounding myself with people willing to help.

Have you ever looked back at something you first wrote to see how far you've come? Was it good? Bad? Ugly? How have you changed as a writer from when you started? What do you credit that with?

Happy Valentine's Day

My office smells like roses. Three dozen roses, to be exact. Two dozen pale pink, one dozen apricot. And if three-foot, heart-shaped mylar balloons had a smell, I'd add that in too. All in all, it's not a bad way to wake up.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Perils of Birthday Cake

My husband's birthday is Feb. 14th. Before you get all ooo-y and ahh-y about him being born on Valentine's Day let me bring one thing to your attention. Because of this, V Day tends toward a less traditional focus in the Painter household. I'm not really complaining, mind you - I'm a well-romanced girl. The day just takes on a different flavor when the eldest member of the house spends it moaning about his advancing age. Ahem.

We did a little early celebration today with family. They brought cake and of course, I ate some. Butter yellow cake with devilishly dark chocolate frosting, my hubby's cake of choice.

It was too much - too sweet, too sugary, too heavy, too filling. I feel icky. And I know I will pay for this during aerobics tomorrow. Will that stop me from indulging in another bite before the night is over? Not likely.

Ugh. I am so easily wooed.

Contest Judging

I'm judging more contests in the next few months than I can count, but let me try: Golden Heart, Great Expectations, The Merritt, The Winter Rose, The Daphne...I know there are more but I haven't had my coffee yet.

Have you ever judged a contest? Have you ever entered a contest? If you answered yes to that last one, you should have also answered yes to that first one. Entering your work into a contest without judging is like trying to learn to ski without taking a lesson. Sure, you might do okay, but you'd go farther with the lesson.

Judging teaches you what to look for, what judges look for, what things work in a story and what don't. After you read the fifth block of passive phrasing in an entry, I guarantee you'll look twice for passive verbs in your own stuff.

Adverbs, POV switches, tense changes, comma errors, wordiness, lack of description, unrealistic dialogue, overuse of dialogue tags (he bandied, she cajolled, etc), no internals or not enough, dialogue without attribution, slow pacing - these are all recurring items that indicate a manuscript needs several more edits. And for some reason, they are so much easier to see in someone else's work than in your own. Until you've judged a few entries. Then they stand out like you wouldn't believe.

Judge. You won't regret it. If you're judging or decide to judge, post here and let me know. Not sure how to start? Try this yahoo group (I don't own it, I'm just a member but it's the best way to find out what contests need judges):

Click to join ContestsJudges

Now go! Judge! Learn! Contribute! Eat chocolate! (Hey, you don't need me to tell you that but it doesn't hurt.)

New Harlequin Line

As you may or may not have heard, Harlequin is launching a new dark paranormal line. Book lengths are to be about 75k to 85k words. And the biggest question? The name of the new line. It is...Nocturne!

STAR Conference Gossip

The STAR conference has come and gone but not without some memorable moments. Check out Diana Peterfreund's blog to get a hint of some of what went on: Diana's Blog.

Feel free to ask me for answers. I know most of them. Hah!

Weird But Oddly Satisfying

http://www.kawaiiness.com/blockie/index.php?blockid=3494

Blocks are about as fundamental as toys go. We all had them. Now we can all play with them again.

The record is 409. I think we can beat that, don't you? After all, I've stacked almost 200 by myself. (Yes, I do have better things to do but as a time waster goes this is phenomenal.)