My Harlequin Moment: Carrie Weaver

OH, THE PLACES YOU WILL GO....

Please forgive me if I butchered Theodor Geisel's phrase.  As a child, I was absolutely fascinated with the worlds Dr. Seuss created....But I digress.

When I first started thinking of writing this blog, I figured it would be easy to pick one defining Harlequin moment that stood out against all others.  Boy, was I wrong!

So I decided to narrow it down to places I had gone as a result of writing Superromances and Harlequin NASCAR Series books.  Easy, right?  NOT!  Even after eliminating the places I'd visited online and in my mind while researching my stories, I still had an impressive list of actual, honest-to-goodness, physical locations:

The Black and White Ball at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City exceeded my wildest expectations of the infamous Harlequin parties at RWA Nationals!  Let's just say I felt like Cinderella at the Ball.  Sigh.  I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

Then there was the RITA ceremony in Atlanta, where editor Johanna Raisenen kindly held my shaky, sweaty hand while we waited to find out if I'd won a RITA.  With, I might add, about three thousand of my nearest and dearest RWA writing buddies, dressed to the nines.  I didn't win, but the evening was magical just the same. 

And on my home turf last September, I experienced the Scottsdale area through the eyes of a visitor.  I rubbed elbows with writers I'd once only dreamed of meeting: Stephanie Bond, Brenda Jackson, Kat Martin and Maggie Shayne.  I'd admired their talents from afar for so long that I felt like a fraud appearing on the same panel with them at the Harlequin Sales Conference.  It was flattering all the same!

But the most memorable may have been my research trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to explore all that is NASCAR.  I had a ball getting to know fellow authors Ken Casper, Wendy Etherington, Jennifer LaBrecque and Gina Wilkins.  It was totally worth the turnaround trip from Phoenix to get an insider's view of the sport.  I remember the heart-pounding, visceral pull of the engines that seemed to roar within feet of us as we checked out the pit area at Lowe's Motor Speedway during driver testing of the new track coating.  And, later in the day, hearing stories of the filming of Talladega Nights.  Then there was the thrill of touring Roush-Fenway racing and seeing the production stages of a race car from beginning to end.  And hearing firsthand what it's like to be involved front and center in NASCAR from the NASCAR folks themselves.  

Fast forward to the Subway 500 in Phoenix, where I received a cold pass to the pit area and was able to meet Carl Edwards' mom, who is just as pretty and gracious in person as she seems on TV.  And the race itself was even more exciting than the events I'd seen on TV, living up to every bit of the NASCAR reputation.

So, looking back on my mere five years with Harlequin, I'm amazed at the places I've gone and the wonderful, talented people I've met.  Harlequin authors are, bar none, the very best!

Oh, the places I you will go. Yep, Dr. Seuss was right.

I'd love to hear about others' experiences with unusual/interesting research topics and settings.  Or ways in which Harlequin books have enriched YOUR life.  And I'd be happy to field  any questions you might have about my adventures in writing.  Feel free to let the questions fly! 8-)  

About The Author:

Carrie has loved books forever. Her earliest childhood memories include snuggling with her cocker spaniel while her mother read a bedtime story. She treasured the cozy, all-is-right-with-the-world feeling of those special times.

Reading still provides an anchor for Carrie when life gets crazy. With two boys, two dogs, a cat and a potbellied pig, life frequently does get chaotic. But chocolate and a good book generally make any problem look more manageable.