Cynitha Eden | Getting Lost In A Book

I love to get lost in a good book. Love to let the hours slip away as I become drawn into a great read. I love to laugh and cry and have my husband look at me like I’m crazy. Oh, yeah, sometimes getting lost in a book can be a wonderful thing.

When I’m reading—I want to get so drawn into a story that I consider myself lost. But, when I’m writing a book, well, getting lost can have a whole new meaning for me…

I’m finishing up work on my latest novel, part of my "Midnight" paranormal series for Kensington Brava. And I have to say—I think I’ve gotten lost in this book—but not necessarily lost in the good way. You see, all of my free time is consumed by this book. I’m so deeply into my demon story that all my energy is consumed by the tale. So that means the rest of my life is getting a bit lost, too.

I walked into my dining room earlier and wondered when all of the lights in the chandelier (there are twelve of them) had stopped working. Surely not all at once. This had to be a gradual thing—and I missed it.

I looked in the closet and realized there were no clean clothes to be found—but the pile of dirty laundry is large enough to eat me now.

I’ve got phone messages from friends that are over a week old—and calling them with an apology that I was lost might not cut it.

Sigh. Getting lost in a book—sometimes, it’s so easy to do.

So tell me, have you gotten lost in a good book lately? Or, if you’re a writer, too—has your own story pulled you in so deeply that your family has written you off as being lost?

Cynthia Eden
http://www.cynthiaeden.com/
HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT—Available now from Kensington Brava
"Wicked Ways" in WHEN HE WAS BAD—Available now from Kensington Brava
Believe in monsters. They believe in you.

Denise Swanson | School Psychologist, Writer, and People Watcher

One of the first questions I’m often asked when I speak about my writing is why I chose to write mysteries instead of romances (I assume this is because I have such an innocent, baby face). My answer is simple: after twenty-two years in public education there are a lot of people I want to kill, there are very few I want to have sex with.

Seriously, although I enjoy writing mysteries because I like knowing that the bad guy is going to get caught and pay for his crime at the end, I would like to write in other genres such as romance and fantasy.

On the other hand, I love the sense of justice a well-written mystery brings to its readers. One thing I’ve learned from being a school psychologist for so long is that justice rarely happens in real life, so it gives me a sense of fulfillment to have it happen in my fiction.

Having worked in almost every type of school setting, from the poorest areas surrounding Washington DC to upscale suburban Chicago, and from rural to urban, I’ve heard so many stories and seen so many bizarre situations I’ll never run out of plots.

My Scumble River Mystery series is set in a fictional small town in Illinois, and features a school psychologist-sleuth named Skye Denison. It's got a lot of humor, a bit of romance, and I’ve based many of the stories on my personal experiences—although I've never found a dead body—at least not yet.

When I decided to write a series, one of my goals was to highlight the profession of school psychologist. Most people have no idea what a school psychologist does, or even that they exist. I still get reviews where they call Skye a school counselor or a psychiatrist, both of which are very different jobs.

One of the reasons I enjoyed being a school psychologist is my abiding interest in people. I love studying them and figuring out what makes them tick. This is also, why I enjoy writing. My books are character-driven, and one of the things I like most is examining the relationships. Throughout the series my sleuth is torn between two men, and my readers seem very interested in this relationship. When I do book signings there have even been some skirmishes between readers who have different opinions on which guy Skye should end up with.

Another aspect of writing that is similar to school psychology is that the characters surprise me every time I write about them. In Murder of a Sleeping Beauty, which deals with body image among teenagers, I was surprised by my research when I found a large number of parents living their lives through their kids, as well as by the rising number of teenage girls who think they are only a pretty face and thin body. (Girls should be judged for something besides their looks. For that reason I made Skye a plus-size woman who is comfortable in her own skin. I’m hoping that the teens that read my books will come to understand that people come in all sizes, and weight is just another attribute, like hair or eye color. Skye shows that whether a woman looks like a Barbie doll or a Rubens painting, she can do anything and experience life to the fullest.)

In Murder of a Barbie and Ken, Skye’s then boyfriend, Simon’s mother appeared out of nowhere. I had thought she was dead up until that point. In Murder of a Smart Cookie, nearly all my characters surprised me, especially Simon.

In my newest book, Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry, Skye’s current boyfriend, Wally’s father comes to town and reveals their family secrets.

--Denise Swanson writes the Scumble River mystery series published by Penguin/NAL/Obsidian. Her books have been nominated for the Agatha, Mary Higgins Clark, Daphne du Maurier, and RT Reviewers Choice awards. She is married to classical music composer, David Stybr. To hear some of David’s music go to Denise’s website http://www.deniseswanson.com/

Farrah Rochon | Anticipation

I’m not sure how I feel about that word. Just saying it conjures feelings of expectancy and excitement, but it can also lead to anxiety and good ol’ fashion worry.

My life is filled with anticipation. Whether it’s wondering what will happen next on my favorite TV shows (Seriously, aren’t we all wondering if McSteamy will end up with Nurse Rose or go back to Meredith Grey?), or waiting with bated breath for my niece to be born (FYI: She was born on April 30th after a twelve day delay, and she is the most precious child to ever grace this planet), anticipation has become a constant life companion.

My writing journey has been filled with anticipation. Finishing the book, finding an agent, landing my first contract, finally seeing my debut novel, Deliver Me, on the shelves, et cetera. I though the edgy, bumble bees fluttering around in my stomach feeling would ease up after the first book, but no such luck.

As I anticipate the release of my next novel, Release Me, those bumble bees are having a field day and that excited, ready-to-jump-up-and-cheer-one-minute-and-lose-my-lunch-the-next feeling is keeping me up at night. The anticipation of receiving reviews, wondering if fans will think the book lives up to the first one, and whether the book will even get out on bookstore shelves on time is enough to make me overindulge in highly fattening, but delicious and expensive chocolate to help ease the worry (hey, I need an excuse, okay!).

Of course, the best thing to do would be to accept that what will be will be, and just put it all out of my mind. I’m anticipating the day when I’m smart enough to do just that. As for now, I’ll stick with chocolate covered anxiety.

Cheers,

Farrah Rochon
http://www.farrahrochon.com/

Richelle Mead | Writing Pressures

The release of a new book is always a scary thing. The debut novel? Especially terrifying. A new series? Yikes. Nail-biting. Yet, none of these compare to the pressure of when the second book in a series is about to come out...

When Vampire Academy was released last fall, I didn't know what to expect. Adult urban fantasy was where I felt most comfortable; I'd kind of stumbled into YA. Fortunately, Vampire Academy had solid sales early on, which was a huge relief. (When you write full time, you always have the weight of the rent and the grocery bill on you!) But then something else started happening. I started getting fan mail--lots of it. I'd gotten a fair amount of it with Succubus Blues, but nothing like this. And reading through these emails, I discovered something. People weren't just buying my book; they loved my book.

That's every author's dream. It was my dream--and is still my dream today. I've often said that I don't need J. K. Rowling fame, so long as I have a large enough group of devoted fans to let me keep writing. I stand by that--only, I didn't realize how daunting that would end up being. Frostbite, the sequel to Vampire Academy, was written while I was in the process of getting divorced. Those writing conditions were, uh, not optimal in the least. I had just about finished its revisions when Vampire Academy really took off, and suddenly, I started freaking out. These fans were telling me how much they loved the first book and how they couldn't wait to read Frostbite. I panicked. Was I going to let them down? Was this manuscript good enough for them? I felt like I should have been locked away in a pristine mountain retreat to write the book, not plotting chapters in the throes of depression and monetary settlements. I was certain I should have done something more in writing the book--only, considering the circumstances, I didn't think there was anything more I could have done.


And it was too late anyway. The book had to go to press. I had a great editorial team at my back, and I had to believe that all of us had done our jobs. Still, the worry stayed. Mail from people who were excited about the book was still coming in, and soon, it was joined by people who were also excited about the third book! I have a new series coming out in the fall, beginning with Storm Born, and friends were asking me if I was nervous about it. My response: "Hell no! That one has no expectations yet. All the pressure's on Frostbite." I so, so wanted it be good enough for my readers.

Then, last week, I got an unexpected email. It was from someone who had apparently gotten a hold of an early copy of Frostbite, and--they loved it. A huge pressure suddenly lifted from me. A day or so later, I heard from someone else with an early copy of Frostbite--and they loved it too. Slowly, it began to occur to me that maybe I had done it after all, that I really had written a book my readers loved as much as the first. It’s an amazing feeling.

Knowing this has suddenly taken the stress off from book 3, Shadow Kiss. I finished it a week ago and had a bit of that same fear while writing it: should I be doing more? Should I be in the mountain retreat to make sure this is perfect? But, the truth is, books aren't written in mountain retreats. Well, not most of them. They're written in chaos, while we're happy and while we're hurting, and that all goes into the pages. That’s how authors write, and that’s what makes good writing.

Thank you so much for letting me blog today! More info about me and my books can be found at: www.richellemead.com/





Richelle Mead

Tawny Weber | Spontaneous Goal Setting

Before the confetti settles, the champagne bottles are tossed into the recycling bin and the sound of fireworks dies away, talk turns to that time-honored New Years tradition... Resolutions.

Or, as I prefer, setting goals. I love goal setting. I’m big on writing lists and color-coding is definitely my friend. There’s something so satisfying about making a plan, setting a goal, and then working through the steps to see it become a reality. Call me a control freak, but it’s the only way I feel like I have much say in this crazy roller coaster that is life.

Isabel Santos, the heroine in my January Blaze, DOES SHE DARE? is exactly the same. She’s all about success and has not only a yearly goal list, but a five year, ten year and life goal list. Wow, even *I’m* not that obsessive. Then again, as goal focused as I am, even I wouldn’t write a Man Plan. But Isabel did. She based her plan on the hottest guy she’d ever known, listed her ultimate sexual fantasies, and created a set of rules to let her maintain control.

This got me to thinking. My planning and goal setting bleeds into every aspect of my life. When I travel, I make a packing list. I write menus for the week so I know what to get at the grocery store. As a writer, I have a career plan and am a die-hard plotter. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. And while this works great for me, I’m a little envious of those totally spontaneous people out there who decide on Saturday morning to take a trip and toss a few things in a tote before running out the door to destination unknown. The pantzers who write with the assured faith that the story they are writing is going to unfold beautifully for them as they go along.

For me, as there was for Isabel in DOES SHE DARE?, goal setting is vital. But that total focus on the goal has some definite pitfalls (as Isabel finds out!). And then there are those spontaneous types who simply live for the moment. Like Isabel’s hero, Dante Luciano. People like Dante have an awareness of opportunity that many goal setters don’t. It’s like a special sense that lets them grab onto a random happening and turn it into a huge success. They don’t need goals or resolutions, they simply make the most of whatever comes their way. And boy does he make the most of what comes HIS way!

Hmmm, ya think that created a few sparks when a total goal setter finds out the object of her Ultimate Man Plan is so spontaneous he travels with just what he can fit in his Harley’s saddlebags. Definitely!! What’s even more fun than watching Dante rearrange Isabel’s plans is watching the two of them fall in love.

My plan for the New Year is to embrace it all – goal setting AND to be more open to opportunities. It’s going to be all about flexibility –which is what both Dante and Isabel had to learn (and no, I don’t just mean to have the wild love scene on the Harley like they did *g* although flexibility did come in mighty handy then, now that I think about it).

How about you? Are you a planner or totally spontaneous? Or maybe like I’d like to be –somewhere in between? Do you make New Year’s Resolutions or set goals? Or do you simply take it as it comes, with that extra awareness of opportunities?

Tawny Weber’s latest Blaze, DOES SHE DARE? is in stores now. Tawny’s so into goal setting, she and her awesome CP, Beth Andrew’s even giving a workshop on it for From the Heart Romance Writers, http://www.fthrw.com/ starting early January. She’s also hosting a chat on http://www.eharlequin.com/ to discuss the Ultimate Man Plan and how to create your fantasy guy. And you can check out more goal setting tips at www.TawnyWeber.com/goals

Tawny