Writing Realistic Romance . . . new one coming soon!

Very excited to announce that I'm releasing a new contemporary romance novel in March. I’m thinking this one fits a little more neatly into the category than my other two romances did. While I like contemporary romance, I also like books with multiple story lines, and multiple points of view. I think they tend to be a little fuller, a little more real.

What I like best is fiction with romantic elements. Unfortunately, no one has that specific category anymore. When I first started writing, Romance Writers of America offered that as a romance sub-genre. The first year I published, they did away with it. And none of the retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, offer that distinction. So I have to choose general fiction, romance or women’s fiction. Then I worry that there won’t be enough romance for the people who really like traditional romance, and there will be too much for people who don’t like romance at all.

It’s kind of a quandary.

I entered my first novel into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition last year. It did well. It got past the first stage. And then passed the next round, too. So it was a quarterfinalist in the Romance category – top five percent. But at that point, it was judged by a romance reader at Publisher’s Weekly, who stated that the novel was not a romance. Erg. Had I put it in General Fiction, I’m afraid the exact opposite would’ve happened.

To sum it up, even when I’m writing romance, I like there to be a little more to the story. That means my characters will have multiple issues going on – some completely outside the boy-meets-girl scenario. If you’ve ever read books by Barbara Delinsky, I’d say my books are similar in style. They tend to be realistic. I hope the characters are like people you might be friends with, people you can relate to in real-life situations. The women are generally strong and self-sufficient. The men are, too, but they aren’t super-macho arrogant ultra-alphas (alpha-holes, as I’ve heard some described) who sweep the heroine off her feet, toss her onto the bed and have their way with her.

I like books that are grounded in reality and relationships, so that’s what I write. That being said, the new one is, indeed, more of a true contemporary romance. It’s fairly mild in language and sex, so if you like a lot of hot, steamy sex scenes, this might not be your cup of tea. But if you like stories and romances that develop between interesting characters that seem real, remember March 28th – release day for “Something Good.”

Happy reading!

So sad that we can't trust the world

Just thinking how sad it is that we can’t trust the world with our kids. We spend half our lives having kids, raising them, teaching them, caring for them, loving them. They may cause us pain, grief and frustration, but they are our greatest joy. We’re proud. We’re fiercely protective. We love unconditionally.

Yet we can’t cushion them from external blows. Can’t keep them in a safe bubble. Eventually, they are exposed to the world – whether it’s babysitter, day care, church, school, a date, the grocery store or even our very own yard.

Kids are bullied, hurt, abducted, molested, raped and killed. It happened again just the other day. A young girl was snatched from the street near her own home, in front of witnesses.

What in the world is wrong with people? Something like that is clearly premeditated. How does a person think about doing that and then go through all of the motions required to actually pull it off without somewhere along the way some kind of inner brake taking hold?

It truly boggles my mind how many men out there must have some screwed up DNA, some predatory animal instinct or a complete lack of conscience that would allow them to follow through on that kind of sick behavior. Is it their upbringing? Their environment? Their chemistry? Our society?

And the bigger questions – how can we identify them, and stop them?

You can’t possibly know everyone your child will intersect with. Yet you know not everyone can be trusted. That’s the outrage. We should be able to confidently let our kids out of our sight and not fear for their lives, not fear the people around them.

We can’t keep our kids locked indoors all the time. We can’t be with them around the clock their whole lives. They have to live their lives. It’s so sad that some of those lives get cut short simply by being out in their world.

It's all the rage . . . food fads

There’s always a new fashion fad going on out in the world – usually one or two that confound me. I’ve noticed lately, that there are also food fads.

My family eats out a lot. I may have mentioned a time or several, that I’m not much of a cook. At my house, everyone asks where are we going for dinner, not what are we having. I’m OK with that. Restaurants offer something for everyone. And they clean up the mess!

A couple of years ago, lots of places all of a sudden added roasted beets and sweet potato fries to their menus. I have to say, I enjoy them both.

These days, I’m seeing some new items crop up on menus that I used to know by heart. The new things in good-for-you veggies? Brussels sprouts and kale. Oh, and a grain I’d never even heard of before – quinoa.

I’m guessing that I’m not the only one who was disgusted by brussels sprouts as a kid. Gag me! But I’ve gone out on a limb a couple of times, and tried them. The key, I’ve found, is how they’re prepared. These are not your mom’s Brussels sprouts. Baked, fried, sauteed and seasoned. These odd cabbage-looking balls are quite tasty. If you haven’t yet, give them another try.

Kale. Hmmm. Not a fan yet. I’ve had it fried to where it basically disintegrates in your mouth, and I’ve eaten it raw in salads. It’s thicker than lettuce, and tougher. Hidden in a blend of other greens, it’s not bad. Have not acquired the taste. But maybe it’ll grow on me.

Quinoa, I’ve had only cooked in other items, and really, I can’t even distinguish a taste for it. Apparently, it’s sweeping the nation, though. Even made Time Magazine a couple of weeks ago.

So, next time you eat out at a favorite tried-and-true restaurant, have another look at the menu, you might find something you’ve never seen before –– and never tasted quite the same before.

Ready for the Real World

So, we’ve sent our daughter off to college. We’ve watched her board a plane for a foreign country by herself twice. We’ve moved her from dorm to sorority house to apartment.

This week, I drove half-way across the U.S. with her to move her again. This time, it seems for real. She’s starting a job in another state, and we probably won’t see her for several months.

On one hand, it’s exciting to see her start her life and branch off on her own. On the other hand, it seems so official. This time, it feels like she’s really left home. For good.

I realize this isn’t unique. But it is a milestone. It’s more letting go. It’s a big step for her, but also for us as parents. Loud and clear, it’s a sign that we’re getting older. Got that one, for sure. After two solid days in the car, and another day of moving in and errands, I could hardly move at all.

It’s also confirmation that we did our job! She’s confident. She’s gainfully employed – with a paycheck and benefits. This is very exciting. I guess that while it’s a little bit scary to leave her, it’s also a proud mommy moment. :-)  She’s ready for the real world!

Socializing gives positive vibes

Went to a wine-tasting fundraiser for the women's programming of my church this evening. Met a few new people, and chatted with friends and reconnected with former colleagues I hadn't seen in a while. It was fun, not only from a socializing standpoint, but as a budding author.

I guess I should do these things more often because people are so excited to know I'm writing and that I've published books. Most people think it's soooo cool! Even though few readers know my books exist, when I talk to people they are encouraging and impressed!
I had to put this in writing so that on those days when I'm not selling books, and I'm feeling discouraged, I can remember that others want me to succeed and are supportive. Knowing that other people think I'm doing something worthy of excitement and celebration really helps me keep going.

I listened to a webinar on self-publishing all day today, and heard loud and clear how hard this is, and how much time and dedication it takes. Following that up by being around so much positive encouragement was inspiring. Okay, maybe I can get that next book done!

Time to get the photos under control

For the first time ever – in the 23 years since I’ve had kids – I’m seriously behind in my photo albums. Both of my kids have stuffed-until-bulging baby albums. When they started school, I began annual albums, and they both have an album for every year. Until now. The boy kid doesn’t like me to take pictures as much. It’s apparently embarrassing to have a mother who wields a camera in pubic. So . . . I stopped.

Now it’s his senior year of high school. And guess what? He has a total of maybe five photos in his senior album. I hate that!  There are other reasons, of course. He’s an athlete, and it’s really hard to take good photos from a distance. He’s also a debater. No parents ever go to debate tournaments, so no photos exist. I have never seen the kid debate!

I used to be more involved in the PTA and school functions. Used to constantly volunteer for something. But I’m not at the school very often anymore. Still, there was homecoming, and summer vacation, and college visits, and Christmas.

Since my son’s been in high school, I’ve launched a new career. I'm busier. Have to say, my writing gets in the way of my scrapbooking.

And then, there’s Costco. This, I believe, is the biggest reason I’m behind in my albums. There isn’t one close to my house. Every time I go, there’s an issue with their machine. The place is always crazy busy. Unfortunately, it is the cheapest place to have prints made.

But as I look ahead to spring break, and lots of pictures, I’m reminded that I still haven’t done anything with last year’s spring break pictures. If I wait any longer, that puts me a whole year behind, and that begins to sound overwhelming. I’m going to have to set aside some time to deal with this. And though I dread it, I think I’m looking at a trip to Costco in the near future.

Girls weekend . . . fun times to treasure

Ah, it's the last day of my girls weekend at home with my daughter. Dad and the boy kid are off skiing. Of course, we'll be glad to have them back, but it's been a fun -- and too quick -- few days. We've done a lot of eating out. We've watched several movies, both at home and in the theater. We've munched on cookies and popcorn and chocolate. Turns out we're quite compatible in these things.
We've spent quality time together, and also apart, each retreating with our laptops for a few hours.

She's given me valuable feedback on some of my works in progress. I haven't done a lot of writing, but I've done some reading. Was able to finish my book club read for the month, and completely read back through my newly finished romance novel.

Even though we've been at home, it's been like a mini retreat. Staying up late, sleeping in (a little). Being on our own schedule has been nice. Reality will hit tomorrow. And we'll have home issues to deal with, laundry, taxes and FAFSA to get done, and activities to schedule. And in a couple of weeks, she'll be gone again. These little weekends will become less frequent as she moves away, goes back to school and launches her career. I think this one will stick in my mind . . . fun times to treasure.