I met Lorraine Heath years ago in Denver on a bus trip to a booksigning. I found her to be one of the nicest people I had ever met. She is also one of the smartest and savviest writers I’ve ever met as well. While shy and reserved in person, once you get to know her, she’s definitely someone you want to know and more importantly, read.

So without further ado, here are five things about Lorraine Heath.

1) Favorite indulgence: Massages. My favorite kind is the 4-hand where two massage therapists work their wonderful magic.

2) The last book … Read more »

When I worked in an office in the real world, we had OOF. The Out Of Office Notice. So this week I am officially OOF–off to the Romance Writer’s of America National Conference. Publisher’s meetings, agent lunch, all kinds of adventures, laughs and hijinks.

Just what you would expect when you put 2000 romance writers under one roof.

But I came with an accessory this year, my oldest son. So if anything, he is keeping me out of trouble–and out touring the city and keeping him fed–which seems to be all a tweener boy wants to do–well, that and video … Read more »

This week’s Five Things features Toni Blake, who has written all sorts of wonderful contemporary stories, is always a hoot to hang out with and was willing to subject herself to the ruthless screening process that makes up the Five Things review. So without further ado, Five Things About Toni Blake.

Favorite indulgence: TV, plain and simple. My name is Toni and I’m a TV-aholic. People come down on TV-watching like it’s a horrible thing, but I disagree. So much of what’s on TV is very well done – comedies make me laugh, dramas make me think and feel. As … Read more »

Over the years I’ve gone to a number of RWA conferences. I’ve pitched. I’ve gone to workshops. I’ve sat in my room and wondered what I was doing there. I’ve signed books. I’ve collected books. I’ve met agents, editors, publicists, professionals that I now call friends. I love conference. I loathe conference. All for the same reasons. So here are the quick links to the blogs I’ve written over the years with advice about going to conference:

1) My GLEE Inspired Conference Tips. Even if you have never watched Glee, there is advice here to that should be taken … Read more »

Every once in a while, I come to a place in a book where I need an unexpected character. Someone I wasn’t planning on. Usually I have all my characters mapped into the outline, names picked and they wait in the wings until their curtain comes up.

Then a story will take a little bit of a twist and I find myself making a quick casting call.

In the case of Lord Langley is Back in Town, that character was Lord Andrew Stowe. Suddenly, I needed a young agent from the Foreign Office willing to help Langley. Basically, I … Read more »

As is with my Thursdays, I’ve dug up Five Things about fellow Avon Author, Jenny Brown. Here they are:

1. The last book you read: Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike by Charlotte Gray.

2. Favorite place to shop online: The Book Depository.com. Free shipping on English books not for sale in the U.S.

3. If you could go on a date with one of your heroes, which one and why? Captain Trevelyan from my next book, Star Crossed Seduction. It might end up being only a one night stand, but I’d remember that night for … Read more »

Recently, a clerk in the store was truly helpful and just wonderfully nice–this doesn’t always happen when you shop and have a child with autism, so I made a point of finding the manager and telling them what a fine job the clerk had done. To which the manager said:

Really? I never hear anything nice–I thought you were here to complain.

That sort of set me back. No kidding? No one ever takes the time to say something nice, but they will go out of their way to complain. Her confession really bothered me.

When I mentioned this to … Read more »

Want to know a little more about one of my fellow Avon authors? Here are five things you might not know about Debra Mullins:

1) First memory: Putting salt in the sugar bowl. I was about two or three, and my dad took his tea with a LOT of sugar… You can guess the rest.

2) If you could go on a date with one of your heroes, which one and why? Lucien DuFeron from Three Nights… He’s a self-made man in a time when that was looked down upon, having to fight the taint of illegitimacy while at the … Read more »

For all of you who were worried about the quality of my house elves, worry no more. The little imps produced my lost shoe! I was about to order another pair from Zappos when the missing foot dropped. So to say.

Hurrah! Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.… Read more »

This weekend was such a whirl. Trip to Portland, a booksigning, come home and then over Puget Sound to Silverdale for the last signing. I can’t believe how fast the time went. But I thought you might like to see some pictures from all these adventures.

Powells

Julia Quinn and I were there for a duel event–the booksigning and the Romance Live event–which when they post it, I’ll share a link, just in case you missed it. Let me say, it was way too much fun. Great questions from the audience and via the online folks. I hope Avon plans … Read more »