I recently picked up an issue of Oprah’s magazine. One of the recent ones on clutter and organizing. Sadly, this is always topical in my house. We’ve been doing a lot of that lately–cleaning out closets, whole rooms and my husband has been on a rampage to Get Rid of the Junk. It isn’t like our house is ready for an episode of Hoarders, but we live in a small house and now that boys have gotten bigger, it has gotten a lot smaller. So being creative with the space is a necessity.

But there are sections of the … Read more »

I really, truly hate Chapter 7. In any book. Now don’t all run out and check Chapter 7 in my books, because whatever finally made it into that section of the final version was definitely not what was bedeviling me while I was writing.

Let me explain.

Every time I head toward Chapter 7, I start to get really anxious. I finally know my characters pretty well. Have a good handle on the story, plot and all, but I just sort of bump into this mental wall when it comes to that point in the story.

In every story I … Read more »

Since I didn’t get a chance to schedule the link up on my Events page (the interview was supposed to go up in June), I thought I would share with you an interview I did with Sally Watts of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system. She was so kind to ask me to participate in their Meet the Author series.

So dash over here and read all about me.

Have I mentioned how humble I am? Probably not lately. Probably never. Probably never will. Just warning you. Giggle.… Read more »

While at RT, I picked up a lovely award for Mad About the Duke. The 2010 Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Love & Laughter Historical. I tried to tell a joke as I accepted the award but it sort of fell flat. Way to go for the funny writer. Let me tell you, humor is a lot easier to write than execute before a live audience.

But I have to credit the Duke of Parkerton for being the real comic genius of this story. He arrived in This Rake of Mine, all stiff and proper and ducal, and … Read more »

Back from LA and RT and all those other two initial acronyms that elude me right at the moment. Had this sort of glorious time doing nothing. Well, I wasn’t exactly doing nothing–my schedule was packed–but I had that sense of flitting from one thing to another and not really having to work all that hard. Plus, it was fun. Yes, I said fun.

I don’t always find big conferences fun. Too loud. Too many people. Too many costume changes. Too much. But having made the decision to go to RT rather late in the game, allowed me to put … Read more »

The closer a book comes to being released, the more I feel my life speeding up. I start writing faster, I panic faster, I get out of the house more. Which is probably a good thing–because then I can get a chance to see all of you. And in that, let’s get outta here vein, I’m off to the Romantic Times Reader’s Convention this week. Currently I am going through my usual, “what to wear, what to pack” panic but by the time I reach LA, I will have my SoCal vibe on and be quite mellow.

I hadn’t planned … Read more »

A real quick update for everyone: here are the names of the winners from my last contest–each of whom will/or already has received a gift certificate from the online bookseller of their choice: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or Borders.

With the appropriate drumroll and fanfare, the winners are:

Christina S of Tonasket, WA
Margaret R. of Grand Rapids, MI
LaQuita P. of Alma, AR
Patricia A. of West Miami, FL
Judy B. of San Diego, CA
Vanessa O. of Hanslett, MI
Sharon D. of Abbeville, LA
Miranda O. of Hamburg, NY

I’ve notified everyone, but not everyone has claimed their … Read more »