My Recent Comments

You couldn't make up many of the 'twists' that really happened to people, somewhere, sometime in history.

So true!  I often come across a story when I'm researching that makes me just shake my head and think if I put it in a piece of fiction, my editor and readers would say it was too far-fetched to be believable!

How cool that you deal with antiques, Amanda!   That will give you a real sense of the material culture of the past.  Little details you can slip in to make history come alive for your reader.  I got into writing historicals via genealogy.  I was always imagining stories to fit the facts I discovered.  A number of my plots have been inspired by incidents in my family history.

I'm a bit daunted by the notion of setting a story in Singapore because it's so far from my experience.  The up-side is, it was only founded in 1819 (contrary to Pirates of the Caribbean! ) so there is a wealth of information including first person accounts. 

Right now I'd better get back to work on Book 2, which is due the end of the month.  Hope everybody has a productive writing week!

Deb

Welcome Amanda and Catchianthe!  Glad to have you with us. 

Good for you getting an early start Catchianthe.  There is so much to master technically to write a compelling novel.  Once you have that, your cumulative life experiences will continue inform and enrich your work.  Congrats on the 15 pages!  I only manage that output on a really, really good day. 

You'll certainly find Harlequin and M&B Historicals very receptive to settings and time periods that other publishers aren't taking chances on.  The final book of the series I'm currently working on will be set in Singapore in the first decade after it was founded.  It's been a huge amount of research, but that's part of what I love about writing historicals!

Deb

What a great group to get together, Kim!  That's probably the best part of any conference or convention for me -- meeting up with people I know from the Community or other on-line groups. 

Though I'm still in shock from a chance elevator meeting with the Bat-Dame at RWA a few years ago.  I guess I'd sort of pictured her like the wise-cracking old broad on the Shoebox greeting cards.  She really should call herself the Bat-Babe.

Glad to hear you had a fantabulous weekend, FF!  Some rain isn't bad, espeically if most of it comes at night.  And it sure beats snow and ice.

The d/h got our taxes e-filed today.  Canada's deadline is later than the US, and we have even more time because I'm self-employed.  Thanks to our eldest's educational deductions, we should be getting a nice refund. 

May is going to be busy with my twins going on a school trip, my folks celebrating their golden anniversary and my deadline at the end of the month.   I only have another 20K to make my word count, but as usual I've got too much story left to tell.  So I'll let it go as long as it needs, then cut, cut, cut in revisions.

Deb

Well said, Aurlene!  I think it is easier to accept our years when we have accomplishments to show for them, things we've done, wisdom we've gained.

I wouldn't want to go back to my twenties, either, Michelle.  They were kind of a treading-water decade while the d/h was in grad school and I was under-employed and doing a post-grad program in special ed.  I had so much time on my hands then.  I often wish I could go back and have started writing seriously then.  But at the time I had no idea it was possible for someone like me to become a published author.  C'est la vie!

Deb

To me, the difference between RWA and RT is that one is a professional conference and the other is a fan convention.  I've enjoyed attending both.  What I really like about RT is meeting the readers who are so enthusiastic about the genre.  Some of the cover model shenanigans are a little much and I'm not a big party person, but I had a terrific time at RT the year it was in Toronto. 

Since that's Harlequin home turf and thy company was celebrating it's 50th anniversary, the spotlight was squarely on them/us.  It was a great opportunity to meet loads of people who work for Harlequin who don't usually get to conferences. There was also a focus on Canadian authors, which was nice.  Since we're a small community and so close to the US, we don't have a separate organization or conference like the RNA or the Romance writers in Australia and New Zealand.  I was totally star-struck sharing a table with Jo Beverley, Mary Balogh and Elizabeth Thornton. 

>>Anyhow, thank you for saying that I don't look old enough to have a teen.

I just assumed you must have been a child bride, Rae!

Deb

Hi FF!

I'll bet Aline and Lori had a blast.  Can't wait to hear all about it.  It's so nice to have somebody to hang out with in airports -- it can make an otherwise slow time zip by.

How are things in La Belle France?  No more snow, I hope. 

Deb

Love the RT pics, Rae -- thanks for sharing, so we can enjoy it vicariously!   I am very jealous that you got to have pics taken with John DeSalvo.  I was so thrilled when he was on the inside cover of The Elusive Bride.  I'd love to meet Mike Dale sometime.  He was on the cover of A Gentleman of Substance and I always get readers asking if I've met him.  I wish!

That does sound like a very useful reference, Michelle.  I'll have to add it to my "Must have" list.

One thing you'll find about HH, Angel, is that they really allow quite a bit of leeway with various story elements as long as core romance is strong.  But if you happen t read a certain number of books and they all share a particular story element, it is easy to think that must be a requirement for the line.  Especially since editorial moved to the UK, I've gotten a sense that they editors are working hard to figure out what each particular author does best in terms of setting, tone, types of characters, etc. and encouraging that individuality.

Deb

Let's see.  I've written five Regencies (nine if you count novellas and eHarlequin serials) and only one had a villain.  Of course that one had three, so maybe it balances out.  

Thanks for checking out my website, Angel! 

Deb

Hey Aline, are you back yet from the RT convention?  How did it go?  Hope you had a terrific time.

Spring has finally found the Maritimes!  It got very nice all of a sudden.  I kept expecting it to turn nasty but no sign so far.  I was even able to BBQ the past couple of nights.

The HH wip is coming along.  I should hit the 2/3 mark in the next couple of days.  This past weekend I attended the launch party of a friend who's first book has just been released.  It was acquired for the Everlasting Love line, but got put into Superromance, which I think is a good home for it.   Heart of My Heart by Stella MacLean -- a great blend of contemporary romance and women's fiction.

Deb

Great to hear you had such a good time at the RT booksigning, Kim!  Kate told the HH authors she'd met you and had equally lovely things to say about you.    It was so nice to hear about it.  I'd love to go to another RT convention sometime.  I really enjoyed the one I went to in Toronto several years ago.

Angel -- welcome!  Sounds like Michelle got you all set with info.  From my experience with HH, those aren't the kind of details editors would get particularly bent out of shape about.  It's often the stuff I assume I know that trips me up.  Hope we'll be seeing you around here often.

Deb