ROGUISH LAUNCH PARTY

I've been waiting over a year to say this but REDEEMING THE ROGUE is out today. Woohoo!

The reviews have been wonderful:

"Irish rebellion, smuggled guns, and the assassination of American president James Garfield form a lively backdrop for this sweet, sexy, and smartly told Victorian romance." -

Publisher's Weekly

Romantic Times gave Redeeming the Rogue a 4.5 stars Top Pick review and called it "pure joy: funny, sexy and exciting."

Life is good - which means it's time to party!

Now I don't know what it's like in your next of the woods...but

it's darn hot here. So this launch party is being held pool side. I've got a nice cold wildberry mojito myself, an economy sized bottle of coconut scented sunblock, and some willing

and able cabana boys to slather it on. So pull up a lounge chair to join us.

For the one or two people left in the universe that I haven't buttonholed to tell about my story, let me do a quick blurb.

Michael Rafferty is an agent for the Crown, on the trail of a conspirator championing Irish independence through acts of violence. The trail leads to Washington, D.C., where Rafferty must assume the role of a diplomat in order to set a trap for the villain. To complete the pretense, he’ll need to transform his coarse image and find someone to portray his wife.

Lady Arianne Chambers, sister to a Duke and well-versed in high society circles, reluctantly agrees to assist Rafferty’s charade. She’ll teach him the finer points of being a gentleman, but she has no desire for a husband. The honorable and passionate man hidden beneath roguish rough edges finds his way into her heart. Can she risk sharing her secrets and jeopardizing her future...

One thing the blurb doesn't mention is that the Arianne Chambers is a bit of an accidental matchmaker. Whereever she goes people find their one true love. As women outnumbered men during Victorian times, this particular quality made my heroine very popular among mothers with marriageable daughters, but not so much around bachelors.

I guess if my heroine lived in modern times, she'd be the equivalent of eharmony.com - or some other internet driven matching service. So I thought that might be something we could talk about - stories about couples finding their true loves either by introduction, the internet, or like

me - in a bar. (grin). What quality do you think has to be present to make a relationship last?

I've got a couple of copies of Redeeming the Rogue to give away as prizes - just leave a comment and I'll let my new kitten pick two. I also have a contest running at my website www.DonnaMacMeans.com. I'm giving away a Kindle to the person who posts a review of Redeeming the Rogue in the most places. See my website for details.

So let's talk about the heat, let's talk about the love, and hopefully, let's talk about how they come together.

Publishing Coincidence...or...Serendipity

by Donna MacMeans

I imagine everyone by now knows that I have a new release coming out August 2nd. I've certainly posted the cover enough (and will do so again, because I love it! - haha).

But did you know that my REDEEMING THE ROGUE is not the only book of that title being released August 2nd? Yes, Harlequin is releasing a Love Inspired Historical by debut novelist CJ Chase with the exact same title on the exact same day! How cool is that? I've invited CJ to join us to talk about the similarities and differences in our two stories. That's CJ in blue.

First, I'd like to explain the big difference between our stories. Mine is single title which means a larger word count and is written to be "funny, sexy and exciting" (Per Romantic Times review). The sensuality between the hero and heroine is a huge part of the story, and the level is Hot!

My Redeeming the Rogue is dark and probably one of the grittiest books ever published in the

Love Inspired Historicals line. In addition to my hard-drinking hero, there's that little matter of what my heroine does on pages 173-174. (Nope. I'm not going to say what. You'll just have to read the book.) She causes a lot of people pain by her actions. The sensuality level is sweet, but the situations are not.

One of the first similarities I noted between us was not between the books as much as between the authors. CJ has a number of Golden Heart finalist entries to her credit. At the RWA convention in Orlando (2010), she won the Golden Heart for Inspirational Romance. I'm a two time past GH finalist and a one-time winner as well, though in a different category, so we have that in common. (FWIW, I finaled in Romantic Suspense and Long Historical.)

I won the 2010 GH for Inspirational. That was my 6th final. I finaled previously in Short Historical, Long Historical, Romantic Suspense and Historical (twice). The last couple historicals I wrote had a faith thread in them, so I switched to Inspirational. Historical inspirational, of course.

How did our stories manage to have the same titles? Originally, I called my book "Redemption of a Rogue" as its the third in the Chambers trilogy. The previous two books had Education, and Seduction in the titles so Redemption sort of fit right in. However as the time between this book and Seduction lengthened, my editor and I decided to make the title more active by changing the "Redemption" to "Redeeming."

This was the manuscript that won the GH with the title of Unforgiven. My editor suggested the Redeeming the Rogue title. I was uncertain at first, but then I realized that the very first scene is quite different from what one expects from an inspirational. The book starts with the hero drinking himself into oblivion. Inspirational readers should know right from the title and that opening scene that this is going to be an edgier inspirational than many others.

Can I just say here that I read CJ's opening on her website and it's beautiful. This lady can really write! I encourage everyone to hop other there and check out her excerpt!

Donna, your book's sensuality level might not be sweet, but you sure are! Thank you for the kind words.

Based on CJ's cover (and isn't it a beauty?), I'm guessing her book involves an overseas journey, as does mine. The methods of transportation are different. CJ's book is set in 1815 which meant masted frigates were de rigour. My book is set during 1881 so I had a few more options, steamship being one of them. Now to be honest, I originally had my characters traveling in a masted sailing vessel, but my editor early on nixed one scene and that changed everything - including the method of transportation. Currently, my couple travels on a tramp steamer more accustomed to hauling freight than passengers. Of the two, CJ's boat is far more romantic than my little steamer---however both promise close proximity and doesn't

THAT bode well for romance (grin).

Thanks! It is a great cover. I love the colors in the sunset. The ship on my cover is an American clipper ship, but I also have several scenes set on a British frigate, HMS Impatience. The Impatience brought the treaty of Ghent (the treaty that ended American's second war with Britain) to America. At least, in my book that's the name of the ship that transported the treaty. Originally, my Redeeming the Rogue opened with a scene on the Impatience, but that

scene ended up on the cutting room floor when I had to trim the manuscript by 7K words to fit Love Inspired Historicals' length requirements.

Both of our heroines travel great distances to reach their objective. CJ's Mattie Fraser leaves Washington D.C. on a mission that takes her to London, England. My story begins in London and travels to Washington D.C. Arianne Chambers is a sister of a duke, and well accustomed to luxury. Had she her druthers, she'd have chosen a different way to cross the Atlantic than a tramp steamer.

My heroine was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Choosing DC for her background was a no-brainer for me because I lived in the area for a couple of decades. Mattie was in Washington on August 24, 1814, the night the British army burned the city. She met a British officer who offered to help locate her brother, but then he never contacted her afterward. She traveled to London to see if she could find anyone with information about either the officer or her brother. In London, she meets Kit DeChambelle.

Mattie's had a difficult life. After her mother's death when Mattie was 8 (and her brother 6), her father, a Washington shopkeeper, consoled himself with alcohol. Her brother ran away from home. Mattie has always believed if she'd just been a better sister and daughter, she might have been able to save her family.

Both our heroes are in need of a little loving intervention. Both had violence in their pasts that haunt them in the present. I don't think CJ's hero required the sort of makeover my hero endures, he's pretty heroic looking to begin with.

My hero, Michael Rafferty, was born in Ireland but works for the British government. Fenian rebels had detonated a bomb years earlier that killed his parents and younger brother. Now he's on a mission to track down the one responsible. That trail leads him to America where he must play the role of a diplomat to lure the killer into the open. However, an Irish rogue needs a woman's touch to help him play the role convincingly. Who better than a sister of a duke?

Kit (Christopher James Michael -- yes, Michael) DeChambelle is the 3rd son of the Earl of Chambelston. he had a pretty normal childhood for a boy of his social class. Then when he was an 18-year-old Oxford student, the director of clandestine services discovered his facility with languages (he's fluent in 6 languages and can even mimic different French accents) and recruited him for the war effort against Napoleon. It sounded exciting at first, but looking back, he realizes that each compromise he made along the way cost a little piece of him. And now he's not sure what's left. All he wants to do is forget the past.

Romantic Times Bookreviews says this about CJ's REDEEMING THE ROGUE: "A suspenseful mystery highlights this budding wartime romance." Fresh Fiction (just got the review today) says "The story (my REDEEMING THE ROGUE) is witty and mysterious until the last page. Mystery! We have that in common as well. I know CJ's story deals with the Treaty of Ghent. My story concerns the assassination of President James Garfield. So I guess I can add that both of our mysteries have political implications.

Oh, yes. The Treaty of Ghent had an unusual provision that the British government was going to exploit. And Mattie's brother had discovered what it was.

Finally, and maybe most important, CJ has chickens and we have a rooster! Is that coincidence or what? Actually, she has a rooster as well, but I don't think he has the charm of our GR. (grin)

As for prizes:

I'm afraid my publisher didn't send me any arcs for my REDEEMING THE ROGUE, so I can only offer a copy of the published book which won't be available till August 2nd - or you can always request a copy of The Seduction of a Duke - which I can send now. I have my author's copies, and I've even gotten my first fan mail! Harlequin sends out books to their book clubs a few months before the official release date, so I'll offer a copy of the inspirational Redeeming the Rogue as well. It may even arrive before it's available in stores. Very cool! So let's choose two winners. The first can pick the book they want and the second gets the other.


Before I mention today's question for discussion though, I did want to mention that I'm running a new contest through August 15th that has a Kindle for a prize. Details are on my website (which is also new) at www.DonnaMacMeans.com.

And be sure to visit my website www.CJChase.com to read an excerpt.

So my question today is: Do you believe in serendipity? Have you experienced something fueled by a series of coincidences. While I'm not surprised that CJ and I have the same title - that happens - it is sort of unusual that we have both the same title AND the same release date. Anyone know of that happening before? I've seen releases that have had the same stockphoto cover. Anyone have examples? Let's chat about coincidence both personal and in publishing.

Those were the days...

by Donna Mac Means

An article recently sent me down a nostalgic path. Thought you might enjoy taking a stroll with me.

It appears vintage typewriters are making

a comeback. "Type-ins" are being held at bars and bookstores with speed and accuracy contests - or just to type out an old fashioned snail mail personal letter (remember those?)

Now I'm a real fan of computer word processing. I can't imagine writing a novel without that fabulous cut and paste option - or the ability to search. I'm a real fan of "find and replace." But I understand the charm of vintage typewriters. I grew up with them, after all.

My mother was a secretary like many young women in the early 1940s. And like many of those women, she was asked to leave her position when she married. That skill though, to

read copy and process with the pounding of mechanical keys, never left. It must have been ingrained on the system like muscle memory. One never loses the ability to ride a bike or type on a keyboard, apparently.

One of my earliest memories is the sound of my mother hammering away on an old black Royal - a typewriter must like the one in that picture. My father, employed as a manager with

International

Paper, had made a detailed study of printing presses and put all that knowledge into a manuscript. After we kids had been sent up to bed, my mother would haul out the old black Royal and hammer away, translating my father's handwriting into printed pages. There's a rhythm in the keys striking paper, the ding of the warning bell when one has reached the right hand margin, and the glide of the carriage as it slides to the left. I would fall asleep to that reassuring music.

We had a manual machine where the press of each key, signified by a round disk with a letter inside - now the stuff of jewerly) enabled a metallic arm to strike the page with one letter. Sometimes, if the timing wasn't just right, two keys would jam and you'd have t0

physically separate them. Pushing those keys down required a certain kind of strength. The ribbons were messy and left black and red smudges on your fingers when you had to change the ribbon.

Much to my joy, my high school had electric typewriters. These were faster versions of my manual one back home that just allowed me to make mistakes that much faster. These versions still had the carriage you "threw" back right after the warning bell. Even now when forced to use a typewriter, I reach automatically for that carriage lever to send the carriage back. Fortunately, white-out had been invented, but lining the carriage back up to type over mistakes was difficult. My mother had insisted that I take that typing course as she believed every girl should know how to type - just in case she had to earn a living. A woman's employment options were limited, even in the 1970s.

One thing about those old machines - there was no distracting email. When you typed - you typed and you thought about what you were doing because correcting an error was a pain in the butt. Even with white-out one had to line up the carriage to place the replacement

stroke in precisely the same spot as the original error. Somewhere along the line I learned the trick of a vellum window envelope. You slip the envelope - the kind with glassine over the window - not these new cost efficient windowless models - between the paper and the striking rod. You typed the correction and could see if things lined up correctly. When you had it just right you could pull out the envelope and retype the correction. There you go - an

archaic trick of the trade.

I worked years later at Proctor and Gamble as a clerk, not a secretary. Still I was given my own typewriter to use. It was a Selectric. Those long skinny rods that struck the page with each letter had been replaced with a letter-encrusted golf ball! The carriage no longer moved, just the golf ball. When you'd reach the end of a line, you pushed a button to send the ball back to the beginning. I'm afraid that signaled the end to the magic. No swat in mid-air required. No orchestrated swing of the tiny rods. No need to strengthen the fingers for the work of pushing mechanical keys. Just a hyperactive metal ball that jumped sporatically across the page.

Now I type away on a laptop keyboard. It's relatively silent - except for the voices in my head...but that's another post. While preparing this post, I noticed that one can download an app to make the computer sound like an old typewriter. I wonder if they can do something to simulate the feel of throwing the carriage return...

How about you? Have you ever typed on an old manual typewriter? Do you have an old electric typewriter tucked away in a closet? I do. Any collectors? Type in your comments and we can all share in the nostalgia.

BANDITA BOOTY!!!!!!!!

And the WINNERS are:

For a copy of Jules Bennett's HER INNOCENCE, HIS CONQUEST

DEB!!!!!!

Please go to http://Julesbennett.com and leave your contact information.

For a copy of Cheryl Ann Smith's SCHOOL FOR BRIDES, the winners are

JANE and CLAUDIGC

Please go to www.Cherylannsmith.com and send Cheryl your contact information.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE! Thanks for stopping by.

Debut Author, Cheryl Ann Smith, in the Lair!

hosted by Donna MacMeans

Join me in welcoming debut author Cheryl Ann Smith to the lair! It's so exciting watching a dream become a reality. Cheryl's first book is garnering rave reviews including this one from RT Bookreviews: "Debut author Smith makes a dazzling entrance to the romance community with a charming, sexy,

innovative tale that sparks the imagination. There's a bright future ahead of Smith, who has readers eagerly awaiting the next installment of her spinster ladies series."

Welcome Cheryl!

I didn’t set out to write about courtesans. I wrote about cowboys and earls and even an animal rescuer; all sorts of things. Though I loved historical romance, I often jumped betwee

n historical and contemporary writing.

As writers know, story ideas come from everywhere. For example, I’d read a blog about someone interesting, look them up, and end up spending hours on Wikipedia checking out other people mentioned in their biographies. I had to know who those people were, too! It’s such a time waster. Or so I thought!

It was through my endless curiosity that I learned about famous courtesans; married courtesans. I didn’t realize that some of these women actually gave up that life and settled down. I was dying to know more about these romances, but there was very little information to go by. Where were the interesting stories behind these relationships? How did they get together? Why would a man marry a courtesan? Did a former courtesan make a

good wife? Nothing. So I decided to make up my own story to fill in the blanks. THE SCHOOL FOR BRIDES was conceived from those questions.

The partial for this book got me my wonderful agent. She’d passed on another project but encouraged me to submit to her again. I sent her a partial for thi

s book that same day and she called and offered representation seven hours later. Kevan sent the book out on submission right before the 2009 RWA conference in D.C., and the waiting began. I’d hoped to get my first sale ribbon at conference that year, but there wasn’t time. However, three days after returning home, I got “the call” for a two-book deal with Berkley!
There was crying and jumping up and down, and then…well not much. After the sale, there would be almost two years between that call and my publication date. Sometimes the moment when I became a published author didn’t seem real. Though I was writing my second book, the Accidental Courtesan, things were otherwise pretty quiet. Of course the quiet didn’t last! These last few months have been crazy. Promo, covers, blogs, reviews; it’s all been pretty

overwhelming at times. But fun too! And now a third book is in the works for the “Brides” series. I know the wait will be worth it when and I can walk into a bookstore and see what seventeen years of hard work, lots of unsold manuscripts under my bed, and sheer stubborn determination can finally make happen!

THE SCHOOL FOR BRIDES is about the daughter of a former courtesan who dons a dour disguise, rescues courtesans from sexual servitude, and matches them with husbands. She angers the duke when she rescues his mistress and marries her off. The excerpt is from their second encounter when the duke has decided how Eva will compensate him for his loss by buying up her debts and striking a scandalous bargain. Until now, he’s been toying with her to get a reaction. As you’ll see from the excerpt, Nicholas starts the book out as, well, a jerk. In this moment, their relationship changes when he begins to

see Eva as a woman and not just a stuffy spinster.
I do love my dark duke!

“If you are unwilling to hand over a courtesan, I see no other option than for you to take Arabella’s place.” Her stubbornness reminded him of just how much he disdained everything about her, her delightful neck-hell, her mouth too- aside. He twisted his lips downward. “Though I fear you will be lacking in all areas of lovemaking, I will be happy to teach you how to please a man.”
Her slap jerked his head sideways.
“You are a horrible and disgusting man,” she ground out between gritted teeth. “I would rather lay down with swine.”
He worked his jaw and shot out a hand to grab her arm as she stomped past him. Spinning her about, he pulled her against his chest and locked her into his embrace.
The softness of her lush body took him aback. She was not as thin as he’d suspected. She possessed a few fine curves after all. However, it didn’t matter. She was Miss Black all the same.
Eva struggled. Fire flicked through her eyes.
“You have a choice,” he growled. "Accept my offer or hand over one of your courtesans. I’ll have your answer at the end of the week, or I will have you turned out.”
Eva pushed against him, and his hold on her waist slackened. She tried to step back but he slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her face up to his. She looked terrified, yet was there something, else? With each breath her modest breasts pressed against his chest and her heart beat erratically, hard enough that he could almost hear the beats. But it was her lips, pink and tipped up slightly at the corners and parted with her quivering breaths, that drew his full attention.
Without warning, he slammed his mouth over hers and kissed her, hard.

As you can see, I enjoy books with an arrogant hero that has to grow a lot to earn the love of the heroine. Who are your favorite hero and heroine (in books or movies) and what made their relationship so appealing to you? Cheryl is awarding a copy of THE SCHOOL FOR BRIDES to two lucky commentors on today's blog. So let's get this party started!

Jules Bennett: It takes an Army

hosted by Donna MacMeans

If you know me personally, you know how invaluable my friends and family are. Seriously. My life would not function at the chaotic speed it does without the group of people who make up my small army.

Let's start with the working side of Jules. The team that keeps me running consists of my agent, editor, my past editor (because I still keep in contact with him), about 6 published authors who give me advice, my critique partners (there are 3) and my husband. My books would not get out the door, at least in a timely fashion, if it weren't for these amazing people who give up their own time to help me.

This picture is just 2 members of my army: Leanne Banks and Charlene Sands. These two ladies have spent hours on the phone with me helping me sort my characters and find new ways to torture them:)

As for my personal life, there are simply too many to name. My husband, parents, children, sister, best friend, my old co-workers and many, many more. They all keep me laughing, happy, lending shoulders to cry on, ears to listen when I need to grumble and anything else I may need (usually before I know I even need it!) My personal army fill my days and keep me moving forward. On the days I want to drag, they pull me along, cheering me on the way.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't tap into one or more of my Army resources. And here I thought I was so independent:) But I need those people in my life to keep me moving

from day to day. Especially now seeing as how I'm under deadline until June 1^st.

So who is in your Army? Don't pretend you don't have one;) If you really think about it, you'll know it takes many members to keep your life machine well oiled and running!

I'll be giving away a copy of my April Harlequin Desire, HER INNOCENCE, HIS CONQUEST to one random person who leaves a comment!

Isn't It Romantic?

by Donna MacMeans

A friend recently sent me an article on writing tips written by Michael Hauge. Now I adore Michael for his spot on advice, but it this one item - I think it's clearly wrong.

Michael says "One of the most clichéd, hackneyed, and least romantic things you can have your hero and love interest do is to dance together in a situation where no one else is dancing: when music from a party is playing inside a building and they’re outside; in a recording studio as a tune is being played back; on the deck of a cruise ship away from the orchestra. This misdemeanor is elevated to the level of felony if you have them dance in a situation where no music is playing at all, and they have to pretend to hear it."

(For the writers amongst us, the full text of the article is here: http://www.screenplaymastery.com/Misdemeanors.html )

I object! I strenuously object! And not just because I just wrote a scene in my work in process that has the hero and heroine dancing privately away from the crush in the ballroom (grin).

I object because I've done this in my life and it was immensely romantic. My husband and I danced outside on a wooden deck after rain forced an outdoor party complete with a live band inside at a house party. The rain had stopped. The air was fresh. The house was crammed with people listening to the band play, so we went outside to dance. The music could be heard through floor to ceiling windows that separated us from the interior. We were in full view of the people inside, but dancing outside felt intimate and highly romantic.

And rightly so. Who could forget that scene from Witness when Harrison Ford dances with Kelly McGinnis to the tunes from a car radio? Talk about sexual tension!


How about Jennifer Gray taking (or giving?) lessons from Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing in the privacy of his cabin while the phonograph spins another classic? (Or how about practising that lift in the lake?)

Perhaps the private dancing scene is overused in rejected screenplay submissions, but when it works - when the motivation is right and the tension finely drawn - it works!

I found this clip that shows some scenes from Sabrina and the fabulous Audrey Hepburn (sigh). Note the romantic dance on the tennis court. Take that Michael Hauge!

So how about you? Do you think dancing away from the crowd is romantic or cliched? Should I keep the scene in my work-in-process? Any personal stories to share? Any movies to illustrate your point? Let's talk dancing cheek-to-cheek.

Guest Monica Burns in the Lair.

hosted by Donna MacMeans

Please join me in welcoming Monica Burns into the lair. I met Monica last year at a reader's event when we discovered we share a publisher and an editor. We had a ball. Today, we're celebrating Monica's March release. RT Bookreviews said this about PLEASURE ME: "Multilayered, sexually charged, innovative and emotional, Burns’ novel will touch readers because she compels them to believe in the beauty and tenderness of love, and the value of every person in a relationship." Can't ask for more than that!

Most everyone enjoys music, and no matter who you are, you have a favorite singer or composer that you like to listen to. I’m also betting that when you hear one of their latest songs without the announcer telling you who’s singing, you’ll recognize it’s your favorite musician. I love John Williams’ soundtracks from all the Star Wars movies, Jaws, ET and many others he’s done. I also love Jerry Goldsmith who’s done many Star Trek movies and others. I can pick out their work even without seeing their name on the screen.

A number of years ago NBC News changed their opening soundtrack. The first time I heard it I knew John Williams had written the piece. My husband told me I was crazy, that I couldn’t possibly know it was Williams’ work (umm, yeah, like I wouldn’t be able to tell whether it’s Pepsi or Coke if I’m blindfolded! LOL). When the credits rolled that night, he looked at me in amazement and asked me how I’d known. I said it was the sound, the chords that I picked up on.

Books are the same way. Ever wondered why an author’s work resonates with you? Some readers and authors will say it’s because they write wonderful characters that are well-rounded. Others will say it’s the ARC in the story, how the author develops the story and brings it to its full conclusion. Then there are readers who want to get to the sex right away. They want “the nookie” right up front, they don’t want to wait for it, and don’t care for sexual tension in their books. Then there are the readers who despise what’s referred to as purple prose, while others want more dialogue between characters. ALL of these things and more are reflected in an author’s voice.

I’ve been published since 2004, but I started writing for publication in 2002. During the first two years, I heard nothing but I had to do this and that in order for a book to be brilliant enough for me to get an agent and get published. I learned “rules” about GMC (goals, motivation and conflict). I learned about deep POV and character ARCs. So I worked on these things, but over time I’ve developed a new theory about what makes a good book. I’ve since come to the conclusion that it’s an author’s voice that is the most important thing in whether readers enjoy a book. I’ll even going out on a limb to state that all the GMC, deep POV, character ARCs, etc, doesn’t mean squat if an author’s voice doesn’t grab a reader. I admit that those things enhance a book, but I truly believe they’re a small fraction of what makes a reader think the last book they read was wonderful, meh or lousy.

A reader falls in love with an author when the book resonates with them, when they feel as though they’re seeing the book directly through the author’s eyes. The story is unfolding for them just as it would if they’d written it themselves. It appeals to their own inner voice and the reader can identify with the story’s characters. I firmly believe this is true because of reactions I get to my own work.

Pleasure Me is a good example. I’ve gotten rave reviews for the book and reviews where readers panned the book in a major way. With my work, I’m seeing a pattern. Readers either love my work or they find it annoying. They cite all the “rules” they’ve heard from other reviewers or writers as to why a book is good or not. But I’m convinced that these “rules” have nothing to do with what makes an author popular. My theory says it’s all about how the author’s voice appeals to the reader, and how the reader can identify with the characters.

For example, I have three author friends who write wonderful, sexy, angsty romance with delicious heroes (two are in the same genre, one isn’t). IMHO, they all have all the right “rules” in place in their work. Guess what, one of them is close to being a superstar, while the others aren’t even mid-list authors. Why? What makes one of my friends increasingly popular while my other two friends are struggling to climb the ladder? Voice. I’m convinced of it.

I’m the same way. My work tends to make readers love it or hate it. There’s not much middle ground with readers who read me. I’m a wall banger or a keeper. This is perfectly okay because I have never expected everyone to love me. My latest book, Pleasure Me is a good example of that love/hate relationship. It’s important to understand that when an author writes, they write for themselves first and then for readers. I love pleasing my readers, but I know that if I’m not happy with the book, then those who DO enjoy my books, won’t enjoy the book either

I analyze my work constantly because I want to improve the way I write my stories. I want to create

full-bodied works, but when I take into consideration all the “rules,” I keep coming back to the same idea. Voice is all that really matters. I tend to cite Dan Brown as an example constantly, but I think his work is wonderful example. I love Brown. I think he writes amazing books, but his characterizations totally suck IMHO. Langston is completely flat and one-dimensional. This opinion however is based on what I was taught about writing. The “rules” if you will. BUT, as far as

I’m concerned I don’t care about the “rules” because I love Brown’s storytelling, I love his books, and it’s because of his voice. His voice keeps sucking me into the story.

Now maybe I’m unusual, but I don’t think so. I’ve been reading for many

years, and not until I seriously considered trying to get published did I even think about what makes for a good book. I read, and either I totally fell in love or was just meh about a book. I can’t think of too many books that made me want to chuck them aside. Wait, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I just wince when I think how I struggled to finish that book. I eventually put it down. I never thought it was badly written, I just didn’t get it. Yet it was a hit. Why? Because people loved the author’s voice. They got the book. I didn’t.

Romance books are the same way. We can analyze a work all we want, but IMHO, it’s just to try and make romance appear literary, to give it respectability. I don’t care about respectability, I care about making myself happy writing a book I enjoy reading, and finding readers who like it too. My voice is like a dark and stormy night, followed by a beautiful sunrise when the grass is still damp from last night’s rain. I am who I am. Love me or leave me because it’s my voice, and even if I could change it, I wouldn’t. I like who I am, and I like what I write.

Read the first three chapters of Pleasure Me

http://monicaburns.blogspot.com/p/pleasure-me-with-romance-blog-event_28.html

So do you think we over analyze romance books? Do you have an author you willing forgive just about anything simply because you love the way they write? Leave a comment to have a chance at winning a copy of Pleasure Me.

Strange and Weird Taxes

by Donna MacMeans

If there's a truth that runs consistently through history, it's this - if the government taxes it, the populace will find a way around it.

As many of you know I'm a CPA which means I'm usually tied up in doing tax returns this time of year - and I hate it. I'd much rather be writing or reading a good romance ("it's research, honey"), or just about anything else. So to make this time of year, otherwise known as tax season, a little more fun, I thought I'd share some goofy and weird taxes and tax deductions that have existed, or in some

cases, still exist.

Taxes are by no means a recent phenomenon. They've existed as long as governments have needed money, and they've fueled a number of rebellions and revolutions along the way.

In 1696, the British government taxed everything they thought showed conspicuous consumption, including wig powder, male servants (as opposed to the female servants which were less expensive),

riding horses (as opposed to farm horses) and windows.

A house was allowed a certain minimum amount of windows. Any windows above that number were taxed.

Some chose to brick in there windows rather than pay the tax. You can still see buildings with those bricked in windows today.

In 1705, Peter the Great in Russia had a thing about men's beards. He much preferred the clean shaven look of Western society so a tax was levied on beards (presuming on the men only). You just don't see beards like this anymore.

More recently, taxes have been proposed in Ireland and Denmark on cow flatulence. The laws were voted down before they could be imposed, but there's talk of resurrection amid global warming concerns.

In the Netherlands, it's legal to deduct the cost of training in the art of witchcraft from taxes.

(I understand the finest witches trained in the Netherlands - grin)

In America, there's a form of architecture called a Shotgun House.

It's said you can shoot a bullet with a shotgun in the front door and it'll come out the back door.

The house is long and narrow. This is the result of taxes placed on the width of one's property. Minimum width meant minimum taxes and voila - the shotgun house.

Here's a classic - a stripper named Chesty Love deducted her expenses to "enhance her natural assets" to a size of 56-FF (ouch!). She argued she did so to enhance her tips. The deduction was allowable as a business expense.

How about this one: There is something called the Jock tax levied on the winnings

of athletes who compete in another state. California first levied this tax in 1991 on the Chicago Bulls after the bulls beat the LA Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals. Chicago, of course, reciprocated. Now the Jock Tax exists in just about every city and state that a team plays in - can you imagine the paperwork!

My favorite - Royal Navy ships that enter the Port of London must pay a tax of a barrel of rum to the Constable of the Tower of London.

I'm thinking of requiring a tax of a bottle of wine to visit my house - what do you think?

Personally, I'd like to see the expense of purchasing books be considered a deductible item as a way of raising the nation's literacy levels - and the government should give extra credit if the books are

romances.

So let's have some fun - what would you like to see taxed, or allowed as a deductible expenditure - maybe the cost of a hero developing a ripped set of abs should be deductible, or how about chocolate? Definitely a tax free item in my book. What do you think?

Don't forget to check out the Healthy Heart tip and free book opportunity below.



The healthy heart tip for February 23 is: Get active inside - winter is almost over, but there are plenty of ways to get moving indoors that don't involve a gym membership; start mall walking, hit the stairs at work, or check out a yoga video from the public library or your video store.

Romance Writers of America and the American Heart Association have partnered to raise awareness of heart disease. Visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/ to learn how to fight heart disease.

And just in case you missed it....

Sign Up for the Go Red BetterU Program and Receive Two Free Romance Novel E-Books

From Feb. 1 through May 31, 2011, receive one free romance novel e-book when you sign up for the American Heart Association's BetterU Program and one after you complete week six of the program. And look for the Eat Smart for Your Heart limited-edition magazine (that features this offer) on newsstands and in a grocery store near you.

To sign up for the BetterU program, visithttp://www.goredforwomen.org/betteru/index.aspx.
(Go Red For Women is trademarked by the American Heart Association, Inc. Romance novel downloads provided by Belle Books.)

Thankful for...Cancun

by Donna MacMeans

Thanksgiving is a great time to count one's blessings and I can tell you, one of the top items on my list (after health, love and success of family, of course) is ...thank you Cancun!

(Those toes are mine, BTW). This year my husband and I went to Cancun, Mexico to celebrate our 37th anniversary. While the vacation started slow, I think you'll agree it transformed into something out of a romance novel.

When we arrived, it was cold and windy - too cool to comfortably lay out on the beautiful white sand beach, and definitely too cold for the shorts and sleeveless tops in my suitcase. The picture to the left was taken from the balcony of our room, on the day of our anniversary. It's raining hence the lack of people.

My husband and I decided the day would best spent at the spa. We soaked in a jacuzzi with champagne (sorry - no pictures *g*)

and had a couples massage. When we returned to the room, we found the bed decorated to honor the day, and a bouquet of roses and daisies.

Cool, huh? So we went to dinner at an Italian dinner on the resort.

My husband ordered something called Mayan coffee which combines a lot of alcohol, a bit of orange and a little coffee. The waiter put a flame to the alcohol and then poured the concoction from a silver server to a silver server creating an arc of blue flame and fire that flowed like a waterfall until it's combined with the coffee. Amazing. Wish I had thought to take pictures, but I was quite frankly stunned by the process.

Afterward, we went to the disco for a Chippendale show. Much to my shock and amazement, I was pulled from the audience by a hunky Mexican desperado to join him up on stage. My husband took photos with my cell phone. They're a little blurred because he was laughing so hard. That's me in blue. Not the most flattering of photos - but I'm laughing hard as well.

Yes, I'm upon his shoulders. Yes, I ended up flat on the floor. (Aah...the things one must do in the name of research *g*)

The next day, the sun came out and so did everyone in the resort. Now I have to let you in on a secret. It's my secret fantasy to someday discover someone unrelated to me

reading my book at a

beach or at an airport. With the popularity of Kindles, Kobos, and Nooks - this is becoming an increasingly difficult

task. However, I did find two individuals at the resort who had read one of my books before coming to the resort. Even though a couple of weeks have passed since we were in Mexico, I'm still floating on a high from that.

Later in the afternoon, we were invited by some friends to join four couples on a cruise on the resort yacht, "Temptation." Our very own private first mate/cabana boy served drinks and lunch while we were on board. The ladies lounged on the front deck of the yacht as it raced across the Caribbean Sea. I felt like a millionaire (which I most definately am not *g*) - I think we all did. The bathing beauties above are the ladies on board.

As the weather forecast here is for snow flurries on Thanksgiving day, I wanted to leave you with a photo of the populated beach. This was our first foray to Mexico. It won't be our last.

So how about you? Tell me about a memorable vacation or anniversary. Have you been to Mexico? Any other cities/resorts that you could recommend? Any thoughts about being part of the Chippendale show? Any special blessings for which you're grateful that you'd like to share? While cleaning the house in prep for Thanksgiving guests, I discovered a conference tote bag filled with bookmarks and promo material. Now, I've noticed that all candies and pens were removed (grin), but I can replace some of that. If you're interested in receiving a bag of author promo material, let me know and I'll select one person from the comments to receive the goodies.