My March, 2007 book from Harlequin/Kimani Press, Just About Sex, is now available for pre-order from Amazon. I just posted an entry about it over on my plog. Here’s a link. Check it out if you have time!
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0373860110/ref=pd_rvi_gw_3/104-0320588-6767952

I think the following says it all, and much better than I ever could: Give Thanks When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself. –Tecumseh Have a wonderful day!

I spent most of the day today formatting and sending my very first newsletter. This was a long, tedious process since I’m not the greatest with computers - passable, but not great - and I wanted my inaugural newsletter to be perfect in every way. I formatted and edited, revised and deleted, and basically worked myself into a tizzy about the whole thing. My obsessive-compulsive gene kicked into overdrive, and it wasn’t pretty as I typed and typed, ignoring other things that needed to be done like, you know, writing a BOOK. Still, I managed to produce a decent newsletter that was cheery and, more importantly, brief. Finally, when every carefully chosen word was perfectly aligned, I sent the thing out and breathed a huge sigh of relief that the whole newsletter ordeal was behind me. I spent approximately three minutes giddy with happiness, and then I realized: I accidentally sent the thing to EVERYONE. No, not everyone on my Ann Christopher list. That would’ve been good, but no. I sent it to pretty much EVERYONE I’ve ever exchanged an e-mail with. Amazon, the American Girl Doll company, the good people at Target’s customer service department. Not just the people who actually WANTED to receive the newsletter. EVERYONE. So if I accidentally sent you an e-mail newsletter and you didn’t want one, please accept the following apology: I’m sorry for being such an e-mail/newsletter doofus. If anyone would care to share a G-rated embarrassing incident, I’d sure love to hear it right about now.

For all these years, I’d foolishly thought my opinion of O.J. Simpson couldn’t sink any lower, but he proved me wrong these last several days. Good sense and common human decency has prevailed, however, and I’m glad. Really, really glad.
Here’s a link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-11-20-oj-canceled_x.htm

Well, I did the teaching thing again this week. I hit the road and drove up to the sea of red that was Columbus (go Buckeyes!) to teach my SCENTS & SENSIBILITY craft workshop to the Central Ohio Fiction Writers branch of RWA. This lovely group of women welcomed me and made me feel right at home as I told them everything I know about infusing writing with sensorial detail. Questions were asked and answered, examples given, books awarded, and chocolate consumed. A good time was certainly had by me and, I hope, by all. So that was the teaching part. Here’s the student part. Bob Mayer and Jenny Crusie have a couple websites for their various projects, one of which is He Wrote, She Wrote.
Here’s a link: http://www.crusiemayer.com/blog/

These two fabulous teachers have posted a rough syllabus and are going to spend all next year?fifty-two weeks, give or take - teaching writing tips to peons like ME. For FREE! If anyone has a question, all they have to do is post it in the comments box, and Crusie/Mayer will answer. I can’t believe this amazing good fortune for us fledgling writers. After taking the Crusie/Mayer workshop two Saturdays ago, I spent last week reading Mayer’s Writer’s Digest book, THE NOVEL WRITER’S TOOLKIT. If you’re a writer, you need this book. It?s so full of fabulous, practical information that my head is still spinning from trying to soak it all in. So, yeah, I’ll be a student in their class. Can’t wait to see what else they can teach me. What about YOU, all you writers out there? What’re the names of your favorite writing books?

It’s been a busy week. First I taught my NO MORE LAZY SCENES craft course online to the Outreach International Chapter of Romance Writers of America. I was fortunate to have roughly twenty-five engaged and enthusiastic students study the structure of scenes and sequels with me. They did homework, asked challenging questions, and soaked up information like greedy little sponges. Teaching these online classes is a lot of work, but I really enjoy it because it gives me: a) the chance to pass along what I’ve learned; and b) feel like I actually know something about writing. The feeling never lasts long. Yesterday I attended the Jenny Crusie/Bob Mayer all-day writing seminar. Crusie and Mayer, you’ll recall, are the bestselling collaborators on this spring’s romantic adventure novel, DON’T LOOK DOWN. They are also phenomenal teachers who covered a wide range of topics - everything from characters and plotting to pacing and unity. I already knew lots of the stuff they covered. I didn’t know lots of the stuff they covered. *Sigh* I spent the day soaking up information like a greedy little sponge and thinking about all the aspects of writing a writer needs to master. Here’s what I’ve already studied: Scene and structure; Goal, motivation and conflict; Plot; Setting; Pacing; and Characterization. Here’s what I still need to study, or study further: Scene and structure; Goal, motivation and conflict; Plot; Setting; Pacing; Characterization; Viewpoint; Dialogue; Voice and style; and Theme. *Sigh* Learning about writing is, I suppose, one of those lifelong things like yoga. You can never learn it all. Or like tae kwon do, where the learning really starts only once you get your black belt. That got me to thinking about other lifelong journeys in learning: Cooking; Parenting; Crocheting. I’m a beginner at all these things, I suppose. But I’m learning. What about you? What are you working on these days?

I’ve joined the community at Access Romance, and am blogging about my fondness for anti-hero Luke Spencer today. Stop by if you have a chance!
http://www.accessromance.com/blog/

My to-be-read pile of books, which runs in the dozens and is always teetering dangerously out of control, is about to grow some more. Several books I’ve been waiting a long time to read are coming out in November, and I can’t wait. My great friend and co-workshop presenter, Eve Silver, who writes dark historical gothics for Kensington?s Zebra imprint, has a new book this month. HIS DARK KISS tells the story of governess Emma Parrish, who heads to creepy Manorbrier castle with its forbidden Round Tower to care for Lord Anthony Craven’s young son. Of course weird things happen in the castle even as she falls under Craven’s spell? I just love this Jane Eyre scenario, and can’t wait to see what Eve does with it. The book is sure to be as atmospheric, dark, and sensual her first novel, DARK DESIRES.

Another great new friend of mine, Patricia Sargeant, debuts with her first book for Kensington/Dafina this month: YOU BELONG TO ME. Patricia writes sensual romantic suspense, and YOU BELONG TO ME reunites science fiction writer Nicole Collins and her former husband, Malcolm Bryant, who?s adapting her first book into a movie. But when a deranged fan endangers Nicole’s life, everyone’s plans change and old passions rise to the surface?

Finally, one of my new favorite authors, perennial bestseller Anne Stuart, also has a book out in November: COLD AS ICE. Speaking of gothics, Stuart writes what I call contemporary romantic suspense gothics, where the hero is REALLY dark and may or may not also be the bad guy. This time out, Stuart tells the story of attorney Genevieve Spencer, who thought she was simply delivering documents to billionaire Harry Van Dorn’s yacht for signature. Little does she know Van Dorn is a sicko who has other plans for her. Riding to the rescue is personal assistant Peter Jensen, who apparently - according to Publishers Weekly - uses his sexuality to control both men and women. Hmmm? Gotta go. I’ve got lots of reading to do.

Bear with me while we have a teensy digression from the world of books and romance writing. Have you been watching NBC’s new show, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (FNL)? Why on earth not? This is one of the best TV shows I’ve seen in a really long time, not that I watch a lot of TV. USA TODAY reported that the show’s ratings haven?t been great, something I find unbelievable. If anything, FNL’s 8:00 slot may be a problem - this is definitely a grown-up show. FNL deals with Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler doing a wonderful job), rookie head coach of the Dillon, Texas high school team, the Panthers. I’m not from TX, but I understand that high school football is like a religion down there, and I feel like I know these people. Maybe it’s because my mother’s family is from a small town in Indiana, and high school sports are DEFINITELY a religion in that neck of the woods. Poor Coach Taylor is surrounded by fierce fans who all expect the Panthers to have a state championship season, and all feel free to tell him - loudly and repeatedly - how to coach the team. His wife, Tami, gave an impromptu barbeque party for all the townsfolk in last night’s episode, and she really ought to be nominated for sainthood. But I want to talk about the romances on the show. The Panthers’s first-string quarterback (or QB1 as we like to call them), senior Jason Street, broke his neck in the first game of the season and is now in a wheelchair in rehab with dim prospects of ever walking again. Jason’s a great guy - Boy Scout type from a nice family - and has a lovely, devoted girlfriend, cheerleader Lyla. Lyla has stood by his side and stubbornly insists that they’ll still get married, as planned. No problems, right? Enter Jason’s best friend and teammate, bad-boy Tim Riggins. Tim appears to be from the wrong side of the tracks, has got a sketchy home life, and is sullen and moody. One of his favorite pastimes is driving golf balls of some nearby cliff. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Tim string more than five words together at a time, so he’s definitely the really strong, REALLY silent type. Tim hasn’t gone to see Jason since the terrible accident because Tim feels guilty that he didn?t protect Jason better on the field. Naturally, Lyla marches off to let Tim have it for neglecting Jason in his hour of need. Can anyone see where this is going? Last week, Lyla, the devoted girlfriend, and Tim, the bad-boy best friend, shared an explosive kiss in the pouring rain. Last night, Tim showed up in Lyla’s bedroom to explain that he could no longer stay away from her, only in Tim’s succinct style, it came out as, “Lyla? I can’t ?” Next thing you know, Tim and Lyla are tumbling onto Lyla’s bed… I’m going to put aside my obvious concerns about teenagers having sex, and just go ahead and state the following: I LOVE this triangle. Clearly, Tim is deeply troubled and probably needs years of therapy. Jason loves Lyla, is a nice boy, and is the safer long-term choice. And anyway, these are TEENAGERS, and long-term to them is probably the length of, well, a football season. But, still - I kinda like bad-boy Tim. What’ll happen next? Will Lyla be able to live with the guilt? Will Jason find out? And what?ll happen with Jason and Tim’s embittered ex-girlfriend, Tyra? Is something brewing there? And what about the potential romance between sophomore QB2 turned QB1, sensitive Matt Saracen, and Coach Taylor’s daughter, Julie? God, I can’t wait to find out. Here’s my prediction: Jason’s rehabilitation will go much better than anyone suspects. He’ll be outta that chair in no time. Seriously. Check out FNL. Great show. Anyone else out there watch it?
http://www.nbc.com/Friday_Night_Lights/index.shtml

I’ve got a couple of cool things to report. First, the Bengals won this afternoon against the Carolina Panthers, 17-14. True, I didn’t watch the game and, yes, true, I didn’t know until ten seconds ago who the Bengals played. But does any of that matter? As I believe I’ve mentioned, Cincinnati is all about football right now, and I don’t want to be left out–that would be really uncool. So I just want to go on record right now and say the following: Who Dey? Second, Kayla Perrin has taken time out of her busy schedule to read an ARC of my February novel, RISK, and give me a cover quote. Here it is: “RISK packs an emotional punch!” So that’s about it from here. Bengals, cover quote, oh, and I’ve got delicious, fudgy iced brownies for dessert tonight. What more could a girl ask for?