I Didn’t Mean to Start a New Book… aka No Piece of Writing is Wasted

My guest today, is a favorite Romance writer, Annie West. I'm thrilled to have her visit with us Over Coffee.

• Annie, as you may or may not know, hails from Australia. Her books are first released in Australia and then North America and England. I love her topic today and I can relate, as I've done the same thing. My mind catches and idea and before you know it, I'm at the computer writing.

When I was an unpublished writer I had all sorts of ideas swirling in my head. I’d grab onto one, wrestle it into some sort of order and start writing. Because I was serious about being published I’d try to finish the whole story but it didn’t matter too much if I didn’t because there was always another brilliant idea around the corner.

Now I write to deadlines, editor’s requirements and reader expectations as well as my own imagination. I have to fit in time for editorial approval of the concept, revisions and checking the proof edits, sometimes while working on a different story altogether. That doesn’t mean there are less stories in my head but it can be harder to pay attention and hook onto that fabulous idea before it disappears into the ether. Getting the inspiration for a whole book is a marvellous, precious thing. I trust myself enough to know that the ideas will keep coming, but it’s not simply a matter of sitting down in front of a blank screen or piece of paper and creating that idea there and then because it’s time to start a new story. Which leads me to the fact that NO PIECE OF WRITING IS WASTED.

Yes, I’ve had to cut words, scenes, pages, even chapters (sigh, I just ripped the whole of chapter two out of my current WIP and it’s better for it). But sometimes I have to write dross before I find gold. Sometimes I have to write around an issue or a character’s motivation before it becomes clear. Plus of course, there’s the school of thought that by writing regularly we exercise our writing ‘muscles’ and it becomes easier to write the next time. Sometimes I have to write things other than the book that my editor is waiting for, but often that process of writing something different and letting your mind stray into other avenues is just what you need to unlock a spark of creativity.

For instance, some time ago I’d promised to write an article for a writers’ magazine here in Australia. I came up with a topic I wanted to explore: how we can use our senses in our writing to make a scene more vivid. I soon discovered the topic was too big for the word count and settled on using the power of scent. (If anyone’s interested that short piece is at the ‘articles and links’ page of my website).

I looked for an example of a scene where the sense of smell could be used by a romance writer and, not surprisingly, thought of a wedding. So many scents to choose from there and we could learn so much about the bride or groom’s perspective by how they responded to what they smelled. I got quite excited as I began to explore the possibilities. It wasn’t long before I was imagining a scenario where the bride, far from being thrilled by the scent of orange blossom or her fiance’s cologne as she walked down the aisle, was nervous. More than nervous, sick with fear.

Instantly my curiosity was roused. I had to stop work on the article while I pondered why this heroine was so distressed by the idea of her impending marriage. I couldn’t resist the eternal writer’s question of ‘why?’ that goes so well with ‘what if?’. From there it was a simple step to realise this poor woman was entering into marriage, not for love, but to help someone she cares for (her sister, I decided). To make things worse (don’t we writers love to do that?) she has an inbuilt fear of marriage because of something in her past (the abusive grandfather who brought her up and taught her how dangerous a violent, manipulative man could be). Terrific!

I was thrilled to have a character and a strong emotion poised for a scene that promised lots of interest. Poor Alissa (she had a name by this stage – I couldn’t leave her anonymous) was forcing herself to go through with this marriage. She’d convinced herself she could do it and survive. After all, she knew the man she was marrying. She didn’t want to marry him but she felt safe with him. So, naturally, my evil writer’s mind then thought, but what if she gets to the wedding and her groom isn’t there? What if instead she finds the one man who represents everything she fears most? What if she discovers she has to marry him instead or fail in her bid to protect her sister?

It probably won’t surprise you to know that, despite the need to overcome some technical details (like what had happened to the original fiancé, and how much notice people have to give before they can legally marry) I was hooked. I finished my article in a surge of enthusiasm while my mind grappled with all sorts of exciting possibilities.

When I finished the article I wrote a chapter of that story. I couldn’t resist. I hadn’t intended to – I was working on something else at the time, but I wanted to get it down while the idea was so vibrantly alive and alluring. In the end the final version of that first chapter was quite different, but the characters’ emotions were just the same as I’d first imagined them.

The moral of my ramblings? No writing is wasted. Whether it’s searching for the perfect phrase for your manuscript or writing something completely different, like a non-fiction craft piece or a book review. The act of writing exercises your brain. It makes you think about writing and plots and wonderful descriptions and juicy situations. It’s a catalyst for creativity. I have non-author friends who write daily just as a means of ordering their thoughts, clearing their minds and making them feel positive about starting a new day.

How about you?

• Writers: Have you found unexpected benefits when you put pen to paper?
• Is it an outlet in times of stress? A way of sparking creativity?
• Readers: Or if you’re not a writer, what creative outlets have you found?
  
  To prove your writing isn’t wasted, I’ll give away a copy of one of my backlist books to someone who writes a comment!

Annie’s current North American release is BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE (Harlequin Presents Extra mid December). You guessed it - This is Alissa and Dario’s story, the book she didn’t mean to start but which she couldn’t let slip by. If you want to find out more about it, visit either Harlequin or Annie’s site to read an excerpt. Also out this month and available from Mills and Boon in the UK is FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD.

My Biggest Hurdle—Worry

My guest is, Holly Jacobs, award winning Romance author writing for Harlequin and Avalon.

As a new writer, we worry about many things; will we get an agent, will our book sell, will readers or agents/editors like my second book. You don’t think about published authors, with many books to their credit, as being worriers. What have they got to worry about, right? Wrong.

Regardless of where we are in the food chain, writers worry about their stories. Holly discusses her worries as a writer.

Ah, the holidays! I love this time of year. Maybe that’s why a great percentage of my books have been set during one holiday or another. The second book I sold to Harlequin/Silhouette was Do You Hear What I Hear? It was a Christmas book and the heroine was the mother of a hearing impaired child. I agonized about getting the daughter’s ASL (American Sign Language) right. It’s got an entirely different structure, so if I wrote it as the character actually signed it, it might have pulled readers from the story (the last thing any writer wants to do). Yet, if I wrote it as straight English, I felt I was not doing justice to a visually beautiful language. In the end, I tried to split the difference...and I worried. Worried that hearing impaired readers would be upset. Then I got a letter from a woman who worked at a school for the Hearing Impaired, and she loved it. Phew. I felt as if I’d got an A in class!

When Sia said she wanted to talk about the laughter and tears, the glitches and triumphs, authors face in the pursuit of their ambition to write I knew immediately what my biggest hurdle in writing is...the worry.

You see, in addition to writing a lot of holiday books, I really try to present characters from different walks of life, with different obstacles to overcome, and every time I do, I worry that someone will think I didn’t quite hit the mark. And still I write these characters because I think it’s important to point out that everyone’s different. This November’s SuperRomance, UNEXPECTED GIFTS, deals with a teacher who works with teen moms. Her best friend was a teen mom, and one of the major secondary characters is a teen mom. I was very nervous about this one. I’ve volunteered (in a very minimal way) with the Erie Teen Parenting program for years and am friends with the woman who was in charge of it until last year. She got one of the early copies and I fretted as she read it. What if she felt I didn’t have enough empathy for the girls? What if she thought I glossed over how hard being a teen parent is? What if... Hey, I’m a writer, asking what-if is second nature to me. :-) Of course, it leads to a lot of angst! When she finished the book she called me, and was happy with the way I’d portrayed the teen moms. Phew.

Worry. It’s something I do well. I have four kids and they trained me well! LOL In February, I have another SuperRomance release, A ONE-OF-A-KIND FAMILY. The hero’s brother is special needs. And I’m already worrying that someone will think I didn’t hit the mark. LOL

So, why? Why do I keep writing about things that make me worry? Because part of the reason I write is because it allows me to walk in someone else’s shoes. If every character was my clone...well, where would be the fun in that? (My kids would assure there was no fun at all in that! LOL) I don’t want to make it sound like worries are all there is to my writing. It’s my biggest hurdle. My biggest glee about writing...is well, the glee! Seriously, I feel blessed every day to do what I’m doing!

So, this holiday, I feel a sense of relief that so far, UNEXPECTED GIFTS, seems to have worked for readers and I feel a giant does of glee that I wrote a book of my heart and so far readers are liking it! And I also feel glee that the holidays are here!

• As a writer, what is satisfying to you about writing characters with special needs?
  

I don't always have special characters, but I like to include them when I can. One of my readers recently sent me a note and said she loved that my books felt so real, that the characters felt so real. I think part of that realism is presenting people from all walks of life. And presenting characters with flaws. Eli's ex is selfish. He doesn't want to be. He wants to think of himself as a nice guy, but in the end... Well, I don't want to give up the end! LOL All the characters I write have baggage. I think what makes a hero or heroine is how they deal with their particular baggage, whether is some sort of special needs, or a tragic past, or....

• Tell me, what did you like about your heroine? What makes her special or what makes her interesting?

I loved Eli's dedication. I loved that she'd worked so hard for 'her' girls, and didn't see anything special in that, but they did. Everyone around her did. And though the opening scene of the book had it's moments of humor, I thought there was something touching about her reaction. I especially loved her line about how she couldn't be pregnant because she drove a Mini Cooper! All in all, Eli and I could be friends...that's how I feel about all my heroines.

• You mention another book, One of A Kind Family, to be released in February. Is this one a Valentine story?

No, it's not a Valentine's story, but it is a story I think fits the holiday perfectly. It really is all heart. I didn't just fall in love with the hero and heroine, Liam and Anna. I fell in love with Colm, Liam's special needs brother. He's so open, so willing to love everyone, so willing to forgive everyone. He's truly all heart.

• You have some booksignings coming up with this book in your area, don't you?

I have a big signing around Valentine's at a local Borders. I'll have copies of both the November and February book there. It should be fun. I've been very fortunate that so many people in Erie have supported me and my writing. If anyone wants to keep up with my travels, there's a list of where I'll be at the bottom of the main page.

• You've written how many books now? Do you worry over each one?

I've written forty-two books. That seems like such a big number, but I wrote them one book at a time, so it didn't seem so overwhelming as I did it! And yes, I do worry. I want to make each book the best I can. I want to make each character true to themselves. I want readers to enjoy the books. Yep, worry! But like I said, with four kids, I'm good at it! LOL And to be honest, while that's my biggest hurdle, each of those books has given me so much joy. The glee so beats out the worry!

• Holly, as usual, I love chatting with you and having you visit Over Coffee. I appreciate you taking time out of your writing and family time to be here.

Thanks so much for inviting me over today, Sia!

So, how about you? Are you ready for the holidays?

• What are your favorite worries and even more importantly, what gives you the most holiday glee?
  
  

Since selling her first book in 1997, Holly Jacobs has sold more than thirty books. Her first sale to Harlequin was a 2001 Duets book, I Waxed My Legs for This? and she's gone on to write for Silhouette Romance, Harlequin Flipside, Signature Select and Harlequin's new Everlasting Love line. Her category romances have made Waldenbooks' Bestseller List and won numerous awards, such as the Holt Medallion, Booksellers' Best, Golden Quill, Golden Leaf and Madcap Awards. Her 2004 book, Found and Lost, won Romantic Times BOOKreviews' award for Best Harlequin Flipside of 2004, and that year Holly received the same journal's prestigious Career Achievement Award for Series Love and Laughter. She's presented more than thirty workshops on a variety of writing related subjects ranging from topics like writing romantic comedy to time management across the U.S.

http://www.hollyjacobs.com/

• UNEXPECTED GIFTS, Harlequin SuperRomance, 11/09
• EVERYTHING BUT A CHRISTMAS EVE, Avalon, 12/09
• A ONE-OF-A-KIND FAMILY, SuperRomance, 2/10

(Photo courtesy of Holly Jacobs, Christmas photos, courtesy of Christmas Graphics Plus)

Dear Mr. Manly ...

After the stress and fun of the holiday and the horrors of Black Friday, I thought a bit of laughter would be in order. I can't think of a better person to tickle the funny bone and create laughter, than John Philipp.

Everyone has problems. It's part of the human condition. Life is not designed to be fair (why is another column). So, we do our best to cope with life and yet, as with many other endeavors, we run into a double standard.

Women are inundated with advice to help them resolve their problems, even problems they didn't know they had. Entire wings of bookstores are dedicated to female "help" books that cover all possible past, present and future problems a woman might have. There are support groups for everything from recent breakups to body size and every newspaper has an advice column, occasionally written by a man but always with a female bias and byline.

Men not only have no male self-esteem section in the bookstore, they have no books. Men have no support groups unless you count sports bars, which only help a man by causing him to forget his problems temporarily. Most important, men have no one to write to for advice.

As a result, men are perpetual faux-pas machines, blindly stumbling through life, hopping from embarrassment to embarrassment. Women are no help here. They just comment "There he goes again," reinforcing the stereotype of the incompetent male.

The fact of the matter is that there are win-win solutions to most male problems, or at least solutions where the man walks away less damaged than he would be normally.

Today we offer a new advice column, hosted by, Mr. Oliver Manly, and targeted at today's muddling male.

Dear Mr. Oliver Manly: My wife always invites relatives over when there are really good sports games scheduled. Then
she gets upset when I turn on ESPN. I feel I'm in a lose-lose situation: I don't like her relatives and I don't want to miss my games. One year she even hid the remote. I need advice. I'd hate to move out.

Blacked Out in Baltimore

Dear Blacked Out:

Women don't understand the importance of regular sports viewing to today's modern male. Find a sympathetic doctor and get a "sports prescription." Have him include words like "increased testosterone" and "sustained foreplay ability" on the scrip.

If that doesn't work, wear a Bluetooth earplug. Your grandfather listened to sports. You can too.

Dear MOM: Now that we have three kids my wife wants to redecorate our game room so it can double as a guest room. The problem is she wants to replace my Wall-O-Beer —constructed of cans representing every different brand of beer I ever drank — with a large oil painting of some farmer's field and two sconces (whatever they are).

I'm willing to walk away from the foosball table but the Wall-O-Beer is my life's work.

— Dry in Des Moines

Dear Dry:

If beer is your life's work you need to get another life. Seriously, keep the Wall-O-Beer and cover it with tapestry draw curtains. As a sales clincher, let her "chance" upon you sitting in the dark in front of the Wall sniffling (there are audio tapes available for this purpose).

P.S. Take a photo off the Wall ASAP. Sometimes mementoes that lie in the way of decorative progress have accidents.

Dear MOM: I'd like you to settle a dispute. My wife complains when I leave the toilet seat in the up position and insists this is a social fo-pa [sic]. First, I don't see what her pa has to do with it and second I'm pretty sure tinkling with the seat down is unhygienic.

--Up or Down In Upper Detroit

Dear Up or Down:

Your wife is trying to be diplomatic in her explanation of the problem, which centers not on proper protocol but on feminine physiology. If this isn't clear, let her draw you a picture.

Women use a more ladylike posture in the powder room. When stumbling into a dark bathroom in the middle of the night, an upset commode can lead to social and physical embarrassment. If that's not clear, here's the straight skinny at your level: No one likes to sleep with a wet behind.

Social Maturity Hint: Once one is old enough to get married it is customary to stop using words like "tinkle."

Mr. Manly is open for your questions.

—###—

John Philipp is a weekly humor columnist for four Marin County, California newspapers and has won numerous humor and memoir writing awards. His humor columns are posted at http://johnphilipphumor.gather.com/humor.gather.com/.His wisdom (with Phil Prank's cartoons) is posted at Thought~Bytes http://thoughtbytes.gather.com/

A Journal For Jordan-- Review, Author Interview

A Journal for Jordan
A Story of Love and Honor
Random House
Written by Dana Canedy
Available in Hardcover and Paperback

In 2005, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King began to write what would become a two-hundred-page journal for his son in case he did not make it home from the war in Iraq. Charles King, forty-eight, was killed on October 14, 2006, when an improvised explosive device detonated under his Humvee on an isolated road near Baghdad. His son, Jordan, was seven months old.

A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s letter to her son–fierce in its honesty–about the father he lost before he could even speak. It is also a father’s advice and prayers for the son he will never know.

• He finished the journal two months before his death while home on a two-week leave, so intoxicated with love for his infant son that he barely slept.

Finally, this is the story of Dana and Charles together–two seemingly mismatched souls who loved each other deeply. She was a Pulitzer Prize—winning editor for the New York Times who struggled with her weight. He was a decorated military officer with a sculpted body who got his news from television. She was impatient, brash, and cynical about love. He was excruciatingly shy and stubborn, and put his military service before anything else. In these pages, we relive with Dana the slow unfolding of their love, their decision to become a family, the chilling news that Charles has been deployed to Iraq, and the birth of their son.

• In perhaps the most wrenching chapter in the book, Dana recounts her search for answers about Charles’s death. Unsatisfied with the army’s official version of what happened and determined to uncover the truth, she pored over summaries of battalion operations reports and drew on her well-honed reporting skills to interview the men who were with Charles on his last convoy, his commanding officers, and other key individuals. In the end, she arrived at an account of Charles’s death–and his last days in his battalion–that was more difficult to face than the story she had been told, but that affirmed the decency and courage of this warrior and father.
  
  A Journal for Jordan is a tender introduction, a loving good-bye, a reporter’s inquiry into her soldier’s life, and a heartrending reminder of the human cost of war.

"Full of wonderful treasures offered by a unique and spirited father...It is written with seren grace: part memoir, part love story, all heart."James McBride, author of THE COLOR OF WATER

My Thoughts:

What impresses me about this book is the candor of the author, about herself and her man. Her determination to create a clear picture of the man she loved, and their relationship, so her son would have a way to know him. When we lose someone so early, and in such a way, it’s all too easy to tag him as a hero, and sanitize his life. Make him larger than life; even posthumously award him sainthood, in our hearts and minds. Dana does not.

What emerges from these pages captures the essence of Charles King. He is not just a soldier or the man she loved. He was multifaceted and more complex. Charles was stubborn, had procrastination down to an art, a need for things to be done just so. I see a man who could brood and worry. I meet an imposing man with a strong sense of duty and honor, which came above all else in his life. I can see his shyness, his loving heart, and sense of humor, his dedication to doing what was right, regardless of what others thought of those decisions. The strong faith in God that guided him in his life. The deep love he had for his family.

Through Dana’s eyes I met the sexy, sensual man, her lover. I met the warrior, tough and strong, highly decorated, intensely loyal and deeply caring for the men placed in his care. I saw this fierce warrior, sculpted in body and incredibly strong hold his tiny child with such tenderness and love. He was a man who took his role as a father seriously, providing for his children. He took the time during the lonely nights in Iraq to give guidance and direction for his son through a journal while hoping it would never be necessary for his son to see it—because he wanted to be there in person to guide him and watch him grow.

Charles was so real to me, even knowing he died, my heart hurt for Dana when I read the part where she was told. Tears came to my eyes more than once during this book, but so did laughter. Only a good writer can take someone totally unknown to you and paint such a clear picture of him or her it touches your heart.

Grief is a funny thing. I’ve lost people very dear to me both family and friends everyone grieves differently. I have to make sense of it to heal to get past the anguish. Dana did the same. But what made an impact on me was the generosity of Dana Canedy. She shared the man she loved with us and with her son. She’s reached out to others who have suffered and are still suffering.

I loved the book. It’s well written and easy to read. Journal has it sad parts, true, but really it’s the story of family.

• And the joy of love.

* * *
I was curious, after I read the book. I had the chance to talk with Dana and ask her some questions.


Dana, tell us a little bit about you. I know you work for the New York Times as an editor. What’s your typical day like? What kind of stories do you pursue?

• Well, I don’t really have a typical day. I usually wake up – excruciatingly early -- to Jordan asking me his daily morning questions, such as; how do planes fly or what do butterflies eat or why is ice cream cold. Once I get him off to pre-school and head to the Times, I might be involved in an employee’s career development, sitting in on story planning meetings or meeting with senior management to discuss issues related to anything from the operation of our Baghdad bureau to how we are covering the Obama administration.

What made you decide on making Charles’ journal a book for all, not just something strictly for Jordan?

• I was so proud of what Charles wrote in the journal that I wanted to honor him by making it public so that the world would know what an extraordinary man he was. Also, I wanted Jordan to have a full picture of his father some day. I was also aware that many people have never known a military family that has lost a soldier, and so I thought that our story would personalize the war for readers. Then too, I simply needed something to do with my grief.

I know you do motivational speaking to servicemen and their families. How has this journal (and speaking) helped you in your healing process and what does it give others dealing with the same thing?

• One of the things I discovered after Charles died is that even in tragedy there are blessings. Getting to know so many amazing military families, who are living through the same grief that we are, has been one of the blessings for me. If something I have written or said helps someone else cope with their loss, then I am tremendously honored by that. Many military families have actually thanked me for giving them a voice by sharing the story of losing my solider.

Any stories you’d like to share?

• I will never forget one woman sobbing in my arms at an event, saying she wanted her baby back. He was 19 and died just a year out of high school. I saw her the next day and she said that she had started reading my book and that it was helping her to cope with her loss. All I can say to that is, “Thank You, God!”

The thing that impressed me about the book was your candor. There’s love behind the words but you didn’t try to make Charles into a saint. It seemed to me you were trying to capture the essence of the total man he was—the good, bad, and ugly. Grief has a way of idealizing the one we lost. What did you do to keep perspective?

• I think the fact that I am a journalist helped me to keep perspective. This is my life I was writing about, but it is also a “story” and in that regard I tried to apply the same standards of honesty and fairness that I do to writing news stories. In short, my professional training and ethics guided me. I was also mindful that the ultimate reader would someday be my son – so the book had to be authentic and real.

Tell us a bit about Jordan. I’ve seen pictures. He seems to have a sunny smile that melts your heart.

• Oh my goodness!!!! He is my Angel. That little boy has me wrapped around his finger, and he knows it. But he is an easy child, well mannered and kind and precocious but also playful and mischievous. Just the other day, he said “Mommy, you have such a beautiful heart.” I could not believe it. Charles used to say that I would see both of us in him, and I truly do. Sometimes he looks just like his dad, other times I see me in him. He is sensitive and a gentleman, just like his dad was, but he is outgoing and had a good sense of humor, like me.

Is there anything he does that makes you say, ‘oh my God, you’re just like your daddy’?

• Jordan walks like his dad, but is more his spirit that reminds me of Charles. He is a natural caretaker, which Charles also was to a fault. Jordan’s teachers in pre-school tell me he takes care of everyone in class, and he does that with me at home too. He will ask if I’m tired, or if I want a bite of his food or if I need a hug. One time, we were on our way to the airport and I was lugging a bag down the hall and Jordan grabbed it and wanted to do it himself. I asked if he needed help and he said, “no Mommy, it’s heavy.” Mind you, he is only 3.

How has he handled all the publicity around this journal?

• He has taken it pretty well. I was worried that I was exposing him to too much. Then one evening as we were settling into bed in a hotel after I had given a speech, he said, “Mommy, you talked really good to the people.” I couldn’t believe it. He is always surprising me with the way he thinks and feels.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

• Honestly, the hardest part was doing the research about how Charles died and reconstructing his final day. I literally vomited.

After reading the account, I can understand why.

What was your favorite part?

• I loved recalling and writing about the two weeks Jordan and Charles had together. I will always treasure that time, and I hope readers will treasure that part of the book.

Any future plans for another book?

• Yes, I may do a sequel because so many people have asked me to. I also may write a children’s version. This book has changed my life in ways I never expected, and it has made me feel like I definitely have more to say.

Thank you, Dana, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit with us today and share a bit about your family and your book.

• Thank you for honoring me by allowing me to be a part of your blog. I am humbled and grateful.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

DANA CANEDY is a senior editor at the New York Times, where she has been a journalist for twelve years. In 2001, she was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for "How Race Is Lived in America," a series on race relations in the United States.

Denzel Washington will produce and possibly star in a film “Journal for Jordan,” based on the journal. Escape Artists at Columbia Pictures acquired the film rights.

Raised near Fort Knox, she lives in New York City with her son, Jordan.

(Pictures Courtesy Dana Canedy, Book Blurb courtesy of Random House)

Being Thankful

~Sia McKye~

~Life doesn't come tied with a bow, but it's still a gift~

It’s that time of the year when we gather together as family and friends and give thanks for the blessings we have in our life. For some, that’s what this meal means and for others it’s a time when most are off work and a perfect time for family and friends to gather.

It’s the start of the winter holidays and one of the biggest shopping days of the year is the day after Thanksgiving. A ritual in some families I know. The men sit around and watch football and the women march off to the stores like Betty Rubble and Wilma Flintstone, yelling Charge!

It’s called Black Friday and the time of year merchants are enticing shoppers to the stores to begin the Christmas holiday shopping. Merchants look at it as a way of getting out of the red and show a profit for the quarter. Doesn’t always happen but they certainly want a ‘black’ Friday and profit. Retailers throughout the country heavily promote sales. Stores are often decorated for the Christmas season weeks beforehand and retailers open very early to offer door buster deals, loss leaders and other incentives to draw people to their shops. To them, Black Friday is a blessing.

Those that work Black Friday find it’s a time when insanity reigns. Long work day and hordes of rude people swarming to get to the sales items before someone else grabs it, even if it means trampling over whoever is in front of you ( as we’ve seen in the headlines the past few years). Store employees, while exhausted at the end of the day, count it a blessing they have a job, when so many don’t.

For those who love to shop, while chaotic, love the challenge and finding the deals. Many have lists and have faithfully studied the Ads and know just where they’re going and what they’re getting. They come home tired but happy they’ve gotten the main part of their holiday shopping done and saved money. For them that is a blessing.

Is this season merely commercial? Are possessions and getting more the only part of this season?

Traditionally, in many of the early colonies in the United States, it was a time to give thanks to God for the plentiful harvest that would take the settlers through the winter. It was sharing the abundance of that harvest in a community meal. You might say it was one of the first ‘potluck’ dinners held on these shores. Everyone brought something to contribute to the feast. Understandably, it began as a religious holiday, although today it’s lost most of the religious aspects and become a secular holiday. It wasn’t until 1941 it became a Federal holiday.

Early times in this country were rough and survival was a blessing. If there was a bad harvest, it meant winter rationing of the food and worse case scenario was starvation. There were no stores or markets to save the day because the few in existence depended upon the harvest as well. But the land was rich, game plentiful. The settlers learned to farm those things that would grow well here. European methods didn’t always work, nor did the usual fare they were used to growing. They learned from the Native Americans how to grow corn, squash, and many newer vegetables. The first feasts didn’t have huge golden turkeys, candied yams, fluffy dinner rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, or cranberries and pumpkin pie. Instead the first feasts included: duck, geese, some wild turkey, venison, fish, lobster, clams, swan, berries, dried fruit, pumpkin, squash, and many vegetables. Flour was almost non-existent, but they did have cornmeal. They also had little or no sugar, but there was wild honey, fruits and other sweet produce.

The feast was designed to draw families and the community together by sharing what they had in a community meal. They had many losses: of life, livestock, homes, and livelihood. But they gave thanks for those that did survive and the things they did have. They shared laughter and love to overcome the tragedies.

Today, for many families, this is a time to be thankful for food on the table, family around them. It’s a time of renewing family bonds, remembering those who have passed, rejoicing over the new ones born. Breaking bread together is one of the oldest rituals practiced by people.

Our family dinner is usually potluck and we coordinate with everyone on the menu and everyone brings something. The host or hostess, cooks the turkey and ham. With such a large group and the weather usually good, we tend to set up the food in Mama's garage on serving tables and carry it outside to eat at tables set up outside on the lawn.

I’m thankful for having my family and good friends around me. Coming together helps to overcome the year’s tragedies: loss of life, loss of livelihood, and some tough economic times. This year will be rough on my family, as we’ve lost our younger brother and my mother, her son. I'm thankful for the time we had with him. Good times. We come together to remind ourselves we are alive and we do have plenty to share. It’s a time to laugh over tales of the past and present, to lift a glass to those no longer with us, and share the ‘do you remember when…’?

At the core, we’re still a family. We have new ones coming in, either by marriage, or birth. We have plenty of love to go around. We focus on what we have, what remains, not on who or what we don’t have. Looking at the positives. My mother always told us that contentment comes from being thankful for what we have. Being thankful for the people we have in our lives. "Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need." She says, and I believe her, this is how we find happiness. Contentment with what we have and family and friends to share it with. When I look at it that way, I realize there is so much in my life for which to be thankful.

• What are your blessings? What are you thankful for this year?

Getting Lucky—Review

~Sia McKye~


Romance/Contemporary
By: Carolyn Brown
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Release: December 2009



BLURB:

ONE HOTHEADED SCHOOLTEACHER WHO DOESN'T TAKE GUFF FROM ANYBODY...

Single mom Julie Donavan is looking for a place to start over. As soon as she meets the absolutely infuriating, oh-so-sexy cowboy next door things quickly go from bad to worse...

ONE STUBBORN COWBOY WHO'S MORE THAN WILLING TO CROSS HORNS...

Single dad "Lucky Griffin" Luckadeau thinks his new neighbor is scheming to steal his ranch out from under him to benefit her own daughter. But when his daughter, Lizzy, decides she wants the new little girl who lives on the feuding property to be her friend, or better yet her sister, the sparks fly.

These two stubborn hotheads, who irritate each other beyond endurance, refuse to admit that it's fate that brought them together. And running from the inevitable is only going to bring a double dose of misery…

"Chalk up another great story by Carolyn Brown! I was immersed…right from the very first page."

Roundtable Reviews

My Thoughts:

There are authors who write good stories and build good characters. Carolyn Brown writes an excellent story and creates characters so alive you think you could sit down and chat with them. Her dialog is snappy with liberal use of humor and Texas speak. Definitely a must read book.

She captured my interest the first page. I couldn't help but laugh when I read Julie's thoughts about Griff and her reactions. And boy howdy, sparks do fly between these two.

I absolutely adore the ladies of the Lackadeau family. Their tart sense of humor and way of looking at things. A strong bunch of ladies with strong opinions but Julie can more than handle them; she sets them back on their butts. With out giving away spoilers, there is a favorite scene (actually one of several I loved) in the book, where Griff's sister has made some assumptions and Julie calls her on it. Then promises to wipe the yard with her. Julie, being a schoolteacher, uses the techniques one uses with little kids, you know, three occurrences and you're in trouble? Through out the book you'll see Julie put up one finger, or two...cracks me up.

"You like my sister?" Julie was amazed.

"Of course. We have a lot in common. She's not trying to take my baby brother for a cheap ride to the altar." Melinda said.

Julie held up two fingers.

"I'm glad I'm going home. I've had to grow three new tongues just to keep from biting mine off to keep you off my back..."

Julie giggled...

There's a lot of good bantering between all the characters and some of the situations Carolyn puts her characters into are real and hilarious.

For sure the course of true love doesn't run true. Both Griff and Julie have some real issues to settle, but you sigh and wish for more when you reach the happily-ever-after and the end.


I have to admit, I've taken a real liking to Alvera, I wonder if she could give me lessons on handling the Clarice's of the world, lol!

Carolyn Brown is firmly on my authors to read list! She writes wonderful contemporary Romances.

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• Getting Lucky is the last book of Carolyn's Lucky series. The first, which I haven't read yet, but I will, is Lucky In Love, the second is One Lucky Cowboy, and this one, Getting Lucky.
  

• All three stories center around three cousins: Beau, Slade and Griffin. They are all hot-headed, sexy-as-hell ranchers who meet their matches in Milli, Jane and Julie, sassy southern women.
  

Carolyn says, "...they are inspired by every cowboy in Texas and every woman who knows her mind and stands up for her rights."

• Carolyn is working on another series for Sourcebooks. The Honky Tonk Series, a four book series, will debut with I Love This Bar in June 2010, followed by Hell Yeah, My Give a Damn’s Busted, and Honky Tonk Christmas. Each book is set in the Honky Tonk, an old beer joint in Mingus, Texas (Population 238) and is filled with quirky characters, hunky cowboys and brassy bar maids.

Check out her website at carolynlbrown.com

© Sia McKye 2009 all rights reserved

Sins Of The Flesh--Writing the Take-Aways

I want to welcome back New York Bestselling Author, Caridad Piñeiro to Over Coffee. She writes paranormals, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction. I’ve spent some lovely hours immersed in the worlds she creates.

Caridad has an intriguing new novel out called Sins Of The Flesh and I loved the premise when I saw it. I was fascinated by the idea of genetic engineering when Bionic Woman was popular, many years ago. As a kid, I remembered thinking, wow, wouldn’t that be cool if enhancements were possible?

Unlike poor Jamie Sommers, in Caridad’s books, her heroines get to have a happy-ever-after.


Thanks for having me at Over Coffee again! It’s always a pleasure dropping by to chat with you over my morning cup of java (I so need it to get going!).

I’ve been on a major blog tour and one of the things that I’ve been thinking about is “What do readers expect out of a book?” My editors would call it “the take-away” and when it comes to a romance, the “take-away” is usually the Happily-Ever-After.

Of course, being a paranormal suspense writer, that Happily-Ever-After can have lots of meanings, especially in a book like SINS OF THE FLESH.

SINS is about a woman, Caterina Shaw, who is genetically engineered against her will. When one of the scientists decides to blow the whistle on the illegal activities, he is savagely murdered. Caterina soon finds herself accused of the murder and on the run from both the police and the mercenary, Mick Carrera, who is sent to track her down.

For me there was a bunch of “take-aways” in this book. Caterina’s strength and optimism in the face of a grave illness, and a hard-assed mercenary for one. Mick’s underlying honor and incredible love of family for another. Vigorously mix those two take-aways and hopefully you found yourself rooting for these two to something overcome impossible odds to stay together. The Happily-Ever-After.

But there was another take-away that I was hoping would linger with readers, namely, the wonder of how much of the science part of the story was real and if it was, could it possibly already be happening? Well, there is a lot of reality behind the science, the most visible of which is Caterina’s glowing skin. Not fiction, but fact. You can actually buy fish engineered with these proteins online and in some stores. As for the camo skin and healing? Splicing together genes is happening all the time, creating foods that last longer or ripen faster. Even creating hybrids of different kinds of animals, so the possibilities are here and because of that, I’m going to leave you with a thought:

If you could mix up some genes to make the ultimate human/plant/animal, what would you mix-up and why?

Sins Of The Flesh Blurb:

• Caterina Shaw’s days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment – a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body — and she’s been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.
• Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he’s hunting down is far from the vicious killer he’s been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she’s a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

Excerpt

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Caridad was born in Havana, Cuba, and settled in the New York Metropolitan area. She attended Villanova University on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated magna cum laude. Caridad earned her juris doctor from St. John’s University and became the first female partner of Abelman, Frayne & Schwab, an intellectual property firm in midtown Manhattan.

From the start, Caridad’s novels have received acclaim and have helped redefine the landscape of modern romance novels. In 1999, Caridad was published by Kensington as part of Encanto, the first line of bilingual Latino romance novels. In 2000, Caridad was one of the first Latino authors featured at the launch of BookExpo America’s Spanish Pavillion. In December 2006, Caridad helped Silhouette launch its successful Nocturne paranormal line with DEATH CALLS, one of the novels in the award-winning THE CALLING Vampire series. In addition, Caridad has appeared at BookExpo America on numerous occasions and has captained both the multicultural and vampire genre panels at the RT BookClub Conventions.
In 2009, Caridad will debut a new paranormal romantic suspense series with Grand Central Publishing. The first novel in the series, SINS OF THE FLESH, will be released in November 2009.

When not writing, Caridad teaches workshops on various topics related to writing and heads a writing group. Caridad is also an attorney, wife and mother.

• Sins Of The Flesh Trailer
• Caridad's Website