KELLY!!!!! Kelly Boyce, email me at mfechter @ gmail dot com with your snail mail and I'll get the book out to you this weekend!!!



Trish is heading out in the AM :( We managed to shop AGAIN tonight, and both bought cute Crocs. (They DO exist.)

Tomorrow is testing, so I'd better get to bed!

I mean, she's HERE, in San Antonio, but she's also HERE on my blog today! I know I said I'd have pictures from our big adventure but we actually didn't take that many (they wouldn't let us take cameras into the rodeo) and, well, I'll give you a recap later. Today is all about Trish's new release as Tricia Mills, HEARTBREAK RIVER. Remember, a commenter gets a chance to win an autographed copy. You have until Monday at, say, 10 PM CST, how's that?



Tricia’s first Young Adult title released this month, an emotional story of a girl who’s trying to find her way forward after losing her dad on the river she’s always loved.

1) Tricia, you write for two publishing houses and you have an incredibly demanding schedule. How do you manage? Do you work on one thing at a time?

I’m fortunate that this is my full-time job now. Granted, I’ve not yet made what I did when I worked full-time, but hopefully someday. I’m pretty organized, so that helps. I don’t tend to write two things at the same time, and so far my deadlines haven’t forced me to do this. I do, however, seem to be writing one, revising another, doing promo for something else -- different stages on different books.

2) Do you find it difficult to switch between YA and romance?

No, actually. I really like switching back and forth. Sure, there are differences such as the style and point of view, but you’re really writing about the same basic things – people’s reactions and emotions to finding love, dealing with external problems, relationships with friends and family members, etc.

3) What drew you to writing YA books? What’s the hardest thing about it? The most rewarding?

I’ve always been a fan of books, TV shows and movies targeted toward teens. I keep saying I have an inner teenager still living inside me. J Hardest thing is probably making sure the books read as authentic to today’s teenagers, not people who were teens when I was in the late ‘80s. Pretty sure today’s teens don’t listen to Duran Duran. Most rewarding – so far, it’s been when I read blogs run by teens who say they love my book. It makes me smile ear to ear!

4) Who are some of your favorite YA authors?

So many! J.K. Rowling, Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Rachel Caine, Libba Bray, Suzanne Collins, P.C. and Kristin Cast. I could keep going, but I won’t.

5) You attribute a lot of inspiration to TV. Was there anything on TV that inspired you to write this book? What about music? Did you have a “soundtrack” for this book?

Strangely enough, TV didn’t really influence this book. Rather, it was a train trip aboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr. For about 200 miles in western Colorado, it runs along the Colorado River. During the warmer months, lots of people go on rafting trips along this stretch of river, and I wondered what it would be like to run one of those rafting companies, what it would be like if you were a teen whose family did this. I love the landscape out West, so I combined those two things (plus my own very real fear of the water) and Heartbreak River sprang from that. I honestly don’t usually come up with soundtracks for my books, which is ironic since I am such a HUGE fan of soundtracks. Most of my CD collection is made up of movie and TV show soundtracks. I do, however, do some shout-outs to some of my favorite bands in my YA books.

6) What are you working on now? What’s after that? When is your next Harlequin American Romance (under Trish Milburn) coming out?

I just turned in revisions on my second YA novel, Winter Longing, which is due out in the summer of 2010. Next up is working on a rodeo book for Harlequin American, which I also think is coming out in 2010. My second Harlequin American is coming out here in a couple of weeks. It’s a May release titled Her Very Own Family.

7) And finally, (since you’re staying at my house) which of my cats is your favorite?

Oh, I wasn’t expecting this question! Hmm, probably YaYa and Skippy, though I like them all.

Who doesn't love YaYa? :)



Or Skippy.



Thanks for the insight, Trish! I hope this book finds tons of success!

Like I mentioned Monday, I've known Janet all my RWA career. I read this book in manuscript form a few years ago and I read it again this weekend. It's just the most adorable Christmas story, with characters who really came to life for me and put me in the Christmas spirit! Remember, I'll send a copy to one lucky commenter, so you can enjoy this story, too!

Now, welcome Janet!

You've had a long road to publication, including some children's books (which I have in my class library.) What kept you going when the business got you down?

Getting the children's books published really kept me going. The first came out in 1998, the two reading resource books in 2001, then the sequel to the first book in 2005. In between, I kept writing romances, entering contests, sending Santa's Angels to agents and editors. Although, up til a couple of years ago, Santa's Angels was rejected, I kept getting positive feedback on the book. The "good" rejections and encouragement from other writers (like you!) gave me the courage to keep sending the manuscript out until it found a home.

What is your writing routine like?


You know, I gotta get me one of those. I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, but a strict reviser. When I'm in the writing groove, I find I write a couple of hours every day--I estimated once I can complete about 4 pages an hour. After an hour, I need to get up and move around. I make handwritten notes in a spiral as new thoughts come to me, then work it in to the manuscript on the laptop next time I sit down with it. That way I reassure myself I'm still working on the novel even if I haven't opened my laptop in days.

What was your inspiration for Santa's Angels?

I used to be a teacher, and every year at Christmas, the staff would play Secret Santa, where we'd draw names and do fun stuff for each other in the weeks before Christmas Holidays. One year, the person whose name I drew said she liked reading "hot and steamy" stories. Being a writer, I figured I could come up with something, a story with a Secret Santa. It started as a short story, and ended as a novel--sweet, rather than "hot and steamy," but there's still a Mystery Santa.

You have other creative outlets - tell us about them!

I play keyboard in a band, The Seven Dutchmen Orchestra. My husband is the leader. At this time of year, we're playing a lot of Big Band music. We'll be playing on New Year's Eve. We play at some German festivals, including the Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, TX and Wurstfest in New Braunfels, TX. I also like to crochet. I still write poetry and children's books. I l-o-v-e baking.

What has meant the most to you since your sale?

There is nothing like seeing my story as a book. The cover is lovely. I was surprised and delighted by my first fan letter! Especially since the book had been checked out from a library and recommended to the person who sent me the email.

Can you give us a quick blurb about your book?

No one knows the local celebrity who is playing Santa Claus at Filmore's Department Store in downtown Dallas, Texas. Not even Janie Langston, the "elf" who takes pictures of the kids with Santa knows--and she's falling in love with him!

Lastly, do you recommend reading this book with eggnog or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate! With cinnamon and lots of marshmallows.

Here's where you can get this awesome book: Barnes and Noble

more animals

When I joined SARA in 1997, Janet Kaderli was one of the first people who befriended me. We were both music teachers, both seeking publication. Janet found it with two children's books about Texas heritage, but she had this terrific story and publication eluded her. I read it at least once in manuscript form and thought it was adorable, perfect for Silhouette Romance, but alas, no. I suggested Avalon, and after a really really long time, this book is finally here.



I read it again over the weekend and all I can say is, this is going to be a new tradition for me, reading this book at Christmas time. It's a dual identity hero, a la You've Got Mail, where the heroine falls in love with him in one form and doesn't want anything to do with him in his other identity. All of this is set in a department store at Christmas, with a struggling single mom, an adorable little girl, and a man who wants to change who he is.

Janet will be here Wednesday to talk about her book, and I will give away a copy to one lucky commenter! So come back by Wednesday!

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome first time Ellora's Cave author Jana Mercy here today.

Can you believe I forgot to ask her about the cow? Jana, tell us about the cow!

1) What inspired HER LAST FLING?

I wanted to write a book with an unusual hero. Someone with an everyday kind of job that you don't usually think of as sexy hero material. So, my hero is a dentist. Or as he and his partner are often referred to--the men who make you smile. :) My heroine was so much fun to write. She's funny, sensitive, the kind of person I'd love to have as a friend.

2) What is your process? Do you have the same process for every book?

I'm a total pantser. An idea or character will pop into my head, I start writing, and just keep going until I work all the kinks out. Sometimes that means going over the story several times, but I find that with each time I do that I can layer in different things--like humor, description, better word choices.

3) What has your journey been like so far? Is there anything you'd do differently in your career so far?

My journey is really just starting. At least from the published aspect. Her Last Fling is my first published novel although I've been writing for years.

4) What aspect of craft have you struggled with the most? How do you overcome it to write a selling book?

I've struggled with introspection. I love to be inside my characters' heads and that's not always a good thing. Especially when there's too much. One of those kinks I have to work out is introspection. I like my stories to be fast paced and too much introspection slows things down. With each pass through I cut introspection. And when I think I've got it right--I cut some more.

5) What one thing do you think beginning writers focus on that they probably shouldn't?

What other people think. Their family, friends, critique partner, chaptermates, etc. Write what you know. Write what you enjoy. Hone your craft. Never quit learning and trying to improve.

AMEN, Sister!

6) What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

Creating characters who are so real to me that I feel like they're good friends, that they're people I miss when the story is done. Another big plus to being a writer is the friends I've made along the way.

7) Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

In the future, I hope to still be writing books that I enjoyed writing as much as I enjoyed writing Her Last Fling. I really did have fun with this book and I hope that shows to readers when they read the story. I want those secret giggles with thoughts of "Oh no! She didn't!" and "OMG!" and lots of LOL moments and all the other warm fuzzies a book from Ellora's Cave should give a reader.

8) What are you working on now?

In October my second book comes out with Ellora's Cave. Titled Strip or Treat, it's also got a main character with an unusual occupation--she works for the IRS. Sound totally unsexy? Guess it all depends on who's books you're auditing and when it's Heavenly Hunks strip club, well, sex is what it's all about.

Hey, I think I remember when you were writing this one!

I've also sold a futuristic to Ellora's Cave called Underground Pleasure. My hero is a pleasure slave and has been given to my heroine to teach her the ways of being a woman prior to her marriage. I've never written books with fight scenes or to where I completely let loose of my inhibitions until this book. Honestly, if I could have any one hero to...meet...in real life, Romjin wins hands down. Pleasure me, baby!

Oooh, sounds GREAT!!! Definitely something to look forward to!

Okay, your turn - what do you want to know about Jana Mercy?

I've been awake since 2 AM. It wouldn't be so bad, but I didn't go to bed till after 11 because of the stupid time change. AND the weatherman said it would be 49 overnight, so I dressed accordingly and woke up sweating at 2, got up and turned on the fan. The dh got home from his gig at 2:30, came to bed at 3 smelling of smoke, and by that time I was so wound up, I couldn't get back to sleep. So....2 1/2 hours of sleep...20 kids....mmm, fun.

I watched 30 Days of Night Saturday and it was just terrible. Such a great concept, and so much that could have been done...and I HATED the ending. Then I watched House of Wax last night (I know, I know, Natalie warned me.) That was really not good, but better than 30 Days of Night! I also watched a few episodes of NCIS. The dh can't figure out why I'm watching it, and neither can I. There's nothing really special in the writing, though I like the Abby and Gibbs relationship.

Don't forget to come by tomorrow for my guest blogger, Jana Mercy!

Here's the book blurb:

HER LAST FLING

Janice Lynn

He was her last fling. She was his first.
Tired of dead-end relationships, KATY SIMMONS is determined to find her forever man. Only problem is every time she thinks she's found him, he turns out to be a dud and she no longer trusts her instincts where good-looking men are concerned.
After years of walking the straight and narrow while caring for his ill mother and building his career, NOAH HILTON has earned the right to let loose. He's ready to taste the wilder side of life. However, his matchmaking mother has other plans.
When Noah's mother and Katy turn to the same computer dating service, the embers of Katy and Noah's not so forgotten encounter spark to life in a flame that threatens to devour Katy's best intentions and Noah's worst.
Will Katy deny their sizzling sexual chemistry in her search for Mr. Right? Or can Noah risk his heart to become more than just Her Last Fling?

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Today The Romance Studio is giving away a copy of Where There’s Smoke! Go win!

1) work on Wayback – need to be bit more than half done by the weekend
2) come up with another idea for a Supernatural essay
3) The Romance Studio book giveaway – promote, promote, promote
4) Samhain blog – my first time! Need to figure it out ahead of time.
5) Get Merritt entry ready
6) Survive district assessments – two more days of testing, though the rules aren’t as strict. Poor kids, though.
7) Get boy’s NHS paperwork completed
8) Send friend and daughter birthday cards
9) Figure out how to make a banner for my books.
10) Color hair – it’s bad!
11) Make Vista Print postcards.
12) Keep up house.

This week I’m having a very special guest blogger on Tuesday. Jana Mercy is a new Ellora’s Cave author and this is why I adore her:

Whether she's sailing the Caribbean with Johnny Depp, dancing the night away with Brad Pitt, or stripping off Gerard Butler's clothes with her teeth, award-winning author Jana Mercy lives life to the fullest. Okay, so in her over-active imagination Jana lives life to the fullest. In reality she's a dreamer who never gave up on her life-long fantasy of writing romance. Dreams do come true, so keep reading romance and let your dreams soar.

Plus, we HAVE to find out the story behind the cow, don’t you think?

Welcome Guest Blogger Marianne Arkins, whose first Samhain Title came out this week! Click above to GO BUY!

1) What inspired ONE LOVE FOR LIV?

Liv was a character from one of my other novels (still unpublished) who ended up being written out. But I loved her! She was the incredibly nasty ex-fiancée in that book, snobby and perfect, and I loved her so much I wanted to make her a heroine instead. I knew it could be difficult, so I had to make her somewhat sympathetic despite her bad habit of looking down on everyone, so I worked through a plot that would encourage that AND force her to change. I created that book for Liv, and not the other way around.


2) It was a NaNoWriMo book. Did that make it easier or harder to write? To revise?

It made it a LOT easier to write – with NaNo, you just don’t have time to think of all the places you’re messing up. I also added things to that book because of NaNo that I would never have added if it had been written at any other time (like the secondary character, Frank, who is trying to break a Guinness Book World Record).

Conversely, what made it so easy to write made it a nightmare to edit. Motivation was missing in some places, I forgot certain plot points, and even changed hair color once. The book as it was following NaNoWriMo in 2005 is only a pale shadow of the book it is today.

3) What is your process in your non-Nano books? Do you have the same process for every book?

The main difference in a non-Nano book is that I allow myself to write a little while I’m brainstorming. Writing miscellaneous scenes (ones that I often times won’t even use in the book) helps me get in touch with my characters. I love to use writing prompts to get the juices flowing and do it frequently at the beginning of a book. I seldom write the book in order, and almost always write the ending after I’ve written the first few chapters. It helps me to know where I’m heading.

I do try to have 20 or so scene ideas brainstormed before I begin seriously sitting down to write a novel and hope that I’ll think of 20 – 40 more as I write (so far, that has never been a problem). I really believe that the characters write the story, and the better in touch with them I am, the easier it is to write.

For NaNo, I brainstorm and do character interviews and think up scenes. I also make a list of potential “dares” from their message board that I can use when I’m stuck. I love those, and often utilize them even when NaNo isn’t in session. I just don’t write scenes.

4) What has your journey been like so far? Is there anything you’d do differently in your career so far?

I’d have gotten serious sooner. I feel like I missed so much time. I’d also have sought a critique group earlier. Working with the talented ladies that I have been privileged to work with has been invaluable.

On the other hand, I firmly believe that things happen the way they’re supposed to, so I suppose this is when I was supposed to be published. I do think things are so different now, with ePublishing being so popular, and I have certainly benefited from that!

I do admit to being surprised that “One Love For Liv” turned out to be my first published novel. I have several others that are completed, but I just haven’t gotten them polished yet. Liv called to me, for whatever reason. She’s a pushy lady, and shoved her way to the front of the line.

5) What aspect of craft have you struggled with the most? How do you overcome it to write a selling book?

I struggled with and STILL struggle with all the techniques we’re supposed to use consciously. GMC, for instance. I understand the concept, but don’t like being shoved into a box. I have tried to use so many different ways to write, and fact is, I don’t like any of them—pieces of them, yes. But no one way works for me.

I also HATE to revise. I have one particular friend who loves that part of writing, but for me, when the first draft is done, I just want to be finished and move on. Realistically, I realize that’s impossible. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all write perfect first drafts? But still, I dread editing and revision more than being locked in a tiny wooden box full of tarantulas.

6) What one thing do you think beginning writers focus on that they probably shouldn't?

Writing to the market. Fact is, by the time you finish your draft, edit and submit, something else will be hot.

I think new writers should work more on technique and good grammar. I can’t tell you how many times I see ladies in a class who can’t spell, use words correctly or punctuate properly. In my opinion, there is no excuse for that. If you’re a writer, you gather the correct tools for your trade, and good grammar should be top of the list. It’s like being a brain surgeon and using a steak knife instead of a scalpel to do surgery.

7) What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

Writing! I have all these ideas bouncing around in my brain, struggling to get out. I love to write. I love to see my characters, my worlds, my stories take shape. They’re my friends and my children. I truly love the simple act of writing.

8) You also own the review site, The Long and the Short of It. How do you balance keeping up that site with your writing life and your family life?

Thankfully, I have an amazing business partner, Judy, who helps as much as she can, as well as two reviews coordinators (“all around big helps”) who do much of the “grunt” work. Mostly, my job is to work with publishers, coordinate advertising, guide the reviewers and I am responsible for building and maintaining the website. It can be a challenge… I’m also a homeschooling mom to a fourth grader, and so never have a time when I don’t have my daughter with me. My husband is VERY understanding and, in fact, encourages me to write as much as possible.

It helps that I’m an over-the-top type A personality and the queen of multi-tasking. I can’t NOT do more than one thing at a time. If I’m watching TV (which isn’t often), I typically have my computer in my lap or a pad of paper. When I cook, I read books for review. I’m also a very early riser, so have several hours in the morning without much interruption.

Is it a challenge? You bet. But it’s also rewarding as well. We saw a need, and we wanted to be the nicest reviews site out there—no snark allowed—and we hope we’re managing to do that.

9) Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

I’d like to be able to have a real career as a writer. My goal is to be a person with contracts and deadlines (I love deadlines!) and lots of published books on the shelf. I don’t have any desire to be famous—fame is a headache. I just want to be able to have a consistent and ongoing life as a published author, five, ten or twenty years from now.

10) What are you working on now?

I’m working on finishing my first mystery. This has been a real challenge! I’ve found that I tend to focus on either the mystery or the romance, and not both. I’ve had to go back scene-by-scene and layer in the missing elements every time.

When that first draft is completed, I want to polish up the novel that Liv was originally a part of. It’s a fun story that I’ve been working on for far too long, and I’d like to get it out the door.

I also have several short stories asking to be written, and I’ll get to those when I have the time. I love to work on my short stuff at the same time as a novel, because it’s encouraging to be able to write “the end” on something when I begin to wonder if I’ll ever finish a longer piece!

A shortage of ideas is not a problem. I’m sure I’ll keep busy.

To learn more about Marianne Arkins, please visit mariannearkins.com or www.reading-writing.blogspot.com, and for the most up-to-date news and information, you can join her announcement only newsletter at: her yahoo news group .

And please ask any questions!