A Peak into the Cave...

The last time I posted pics from my writing cave was...well, a while ago. Things have changed since then. New house, new office, and even more clutter :)

The white furniture is from my childhood bedroom suite, which my parents bought when I first started writing. I wrote so many stories on my box of a computer that it seemed that my muse lived in one of the drawers. It might still hold magic powers.... The muse is more fickle these days and inhabits a desert island with Captain Jack several months out of the year. I only get her back when the rum's gone. The Dell desktop is my buddy Roarke. When the neighbors hear my office speakers kicking, it usually mean Roarke and I are making magic together...story magic, I mean. Get your head out of the gutter ;)

The gold plaque on top of the modem is my "Never, never, never give up" adage. Words I certainly write by! My booksigning tags hang on the wall. I can't wait to hang a framed poster from the musical Wicked. Speaking of which, this bad boy at left here is my Toshiba laptop who I know as Fiyero. Since my office is an offset of mine and my husband's bedroom, I do a lot of night writing with Fiyero so I can do my music-listening through a headset. He also spends a few nights a week in bed with us. The painting above this section of the desk is my grandfather's bicentinial painting, a recent and cherished gift from my father.

Though there aren't any personal photos in the cave, my loved ones are still very much around me. For example, the geisha doll pictured with Fiyero was a gift from my sister-in-law, which she brought back from a trip to Japan. The snow globe on the other side of my stationary box was a Christmas gift from my sister several years back. There's also a small white plaque that hung in my first bedroom with the words "Amber's Room" and pink ballet slippers. Girlie girl? Why, yes indeedy! The tiger paining has significance as well - it was a gift from a fellow Auburn fan and good friend from high shool. The verse reads "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall ; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:30-31 followed by "War Eagle" on the bottom. Words to live by, all!

Finally, I couldn't write without one of these furry critters at my feet. My chocolate lab especially likes to keep them warm and snooze under my desk, particularly when there's a storm rolling through. The hub is currently building epic shelves to house my mountainous TBR pile. Can't wait to share them with all you Cozies! In the meantime, I'm working on proofs for the Wayback Ridge trilogy audibles. More on those as the countdown to Blackest Heart's September 7 audio book launch continues....

Kiss me...I Really Am Irish!!!

Aye, tis the day when the green hills, the blarney stone, and a tall glass of Guinness call me home to Ireland. I really am Irish, I promise. Somewhere on my dad's side...and possibly my mom's though there's a wee bit of an argument as to whether they're really Scottish or not. Anyway, the point is I've got SOME Irish blood in me and YES, I celebrate St. Patty's Day, thank you very much!!!

To anyone who loves Ireland, I highly recommend Nora Roberts' Irish trilogies. Born in Fire, Born in Ice, and Born in Shame was her first. But before those I read Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea and fell in love with not just Ireland but its people as well. Or like me you could just read her J.D. Robb In Death series and fawn over Roarke.... I'm so re-reading Naked in Death. Like right now!

Ah...I love me some Irish :)

Want a taste of Ireland? Visit Nora's travelogues on adwoff. Here's a lady who knows a little something about The Green Isle: http://adwoff.com/nora-travelogues/ireland2004/.

And...ahem...am I the only one who got really giddy to see the trailers for Nora's new movies? (http://www.noraroberts.com/movie2009.htm) But, hey, where's Roarke?

What's in a Man?

 As romance writers, we have the undeniable pleasure of bringing the men of our dreams to life. This is what drew me to writing love stories to begin with. I wanted to bring my daydreams as close to live and living color as possible. Wouldn’t it be fun? How hard could it be?
I knew from the start my heroes would have to be as irresistible as fiction’s favorites. Historically, my heroes would be competing with the likes of Jane Austen’s deliciously broody Mr. Darcy and Margaret Mitchell’s simply irresistible Rhett Butler. In the contemporary world of romance, my boys would have to go up against the unswerving devotion of Nicholas Sparks’ Noah Calhoun and Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb’s most insurmountable and fascinating leading man, Roarke—for me, this name is synonymous to perfection.
My first hero, a young, World War II Air Force lieutenant named Charles Tyler was too much of a boy. He was almost too wimpy, and I quickly grew tired of him. I had to revise the entire book just to give him some “meat”—a tasty term for muscle as well as grit and fortitude. My second attempt, an Italian man named Alex Cappollo, was far too moody and complicated. As the heroine became increasingly exasperated with him, my own consternation began to churn.
Third time’s the charm, they say. For me, this was fortunately right on the mark. I was writing a contemporary romance about two wronged jewel thieves who form an unlikely partnership and eventually end up falling hopelessly for each other. This brought me face-to-face with Todd Orso.
Todd has all the ingredients for “dreamy.” He’s from Texas, and his yummy accent just can’t be beat. I’m not referring to George W. Bush twang here. It’s more rugged and sophisticated than that. Not only is my heroine, Celestia, melting on the spot; I’m getting pretty hyped up just writing the dialogue! The voice is just one of the delectable things about Todd. He has a penchant for worn jeans and whiskey and has a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt. (“Coincidence? I think not!”)
It’s pretty much love at first sight for Celestia…and me. I know she’s a goner because I am. It’s a good thing this man is fiction because he might give my husband a good run for his money if he showed up on my real welcome mat.
Since I finished my third novel, I’ve found it easier to create several different intriguing heroes. Cole Savitt, a haunted cop in search of solace. Gerald Leighton, a British writer on a quest for the perfect muse. Mark Welles, a burned-out bodyguard determined to protect a hunted woman. Brock Sullivan, an Alabama boy who does everything he can to wrangle the heart of a stubborn, childhood sweetheart. They get better and better every time. They are a joy to write. They are one of the main reasons I eagerly sit down at my desk every morning and stay there as long as I possibly can—on lucky days, that’s until after midnight!
I believe that a writer can only make readers love his/her characters if he/she truly does. A writer’s affection for his/her protagonists shows. When I entered Lt. Charles Tyler’s revised story into a summer contest, a judge commented on my score sheet, “I see your heart in it, so please keep at it!”
Love your characters. Have fun writing them. I can guarantee, when they finally do get the recognition they deserve, the reward will be all the sweeter because of it.