I just watched Last Holiday with Queen Latifah, and it was so good! I just loved her character, and the secondary characters - no one was cardboard, IMO. She's diagnosed with lesions on the brain, takes all her money out of savings and blows it. But as she does it, she affects all these people along the way, and it's just really nice. I had one bone to pick at the very end, when one of the people she changes doesn't show the change, but minor. I liked it very much, and she's just so beautiful.

Here's the evil kitty. Doesn't he look evil?

And I love it!


Ignore my head - look at the dress!

I finally hooked up with my agent yesterday when I was walking back from taking my kids to PE. (Had my phone with me - wise, yes?)

Here's the deal:

OPENING SCENE

She didn't think the first scene was as good as it could be. The first scene used to be Gabe coming to the firecamp and finding out he was getting a reporter, Peyton, on his crew. The problem with that was his ex-wife was on the scene, and she was the one assigning him the reporter. The bigger problem is that Gabe still is hurt by his ex-wife, still has feelings for her. Which makes sense, but not in romance land - not if he's going to be hooking up with Peyton.

So I'd rewritten the opening scene where Peyton meets Gabe the night before they meet at firecamp, at a dancehall/restaurant/bar. It was hard to write, since that other scene had been the first scene for years, literally. My friend Kris said when she read it that she could see my goal, but not the character goal, and Emily echoed that (though I thought I'd fixed it.) So Emily wants it to be a scene where Peyton's taking control of her life, she sees Gabe and decides she wants him. Which could be fun. But I don't want them to go all the way, so I have to figure out a) how to stop them and b) what makes Peyton special enough that he won't blow her off (which he's adept at doing).

GABE

He needs to be more adamant about never wanting to leave the job. This, I can do.

PEYTON

Oy, Peyton. This one is the toughie. From the dawn of time, her motivation has been that her husband died in the line of duty and she's doing a series of articles on people who do dangerous jobs so she can figure out what makes them tick. This changed during the last revision to where she's still doing the series, but SHE wants to be heroic. Emily doesn't think that's strong enough, but she wants me to keep it tied to these things so I just don't have to gut the whole book. My friend Norah suggested that Peyton have a secret that could be revealed if she does this job, a secret that would lower her in Gabe's estimation, but I just can't wrap my mind around what.

THE GOOD NEWS

The suspense plot is good and strong. Thank God. That was the hardest part!

AND she wants me to write something new after I do this. I told her about Alex's story and she really liked it.

SCHOOL

OMG, I have to get ready for work, and I'm staying there today till everything's done (I've been carpooling with my mom and she likes to leave right away.) I have to get ready for a sub for 2 days, get progress reports out (which requires grading papers), schedule conferences and do paperwork for the kids who are going to summer school (3 - half of what I had last year), do my self evaluation and good Lord, organize my room. It's awful.

When my grandmother was teaching, she would tell her mother, "It's time to go back to school. I smell pencils."

So you see, I come by my office supply addiction naturally.

Back in the day, when I first started writing, my needs were few - pens and spirals. They couldn't be any old pens, though. No Bics for me - they had to write nice. That requirement lasts till today, where my favorite pens are the Dr. Grip Gel pens (though I've lost my pink one - wah!) Even Nora has a favorite pen, though of course I've forgotten what it was (but I used it for awhile, too.)

I soon learned spirals, while great for transportation, were too limiting, so I moved onto binders, the fatter the better. There are these really cool ones my friend Robyn uses, that come in colors, but I prefer the ones you can slide pictures in, kind of make your own cover.

Then there are notecards, ostensibly for brainstorming scenes. They have to be in color, don't you know - certain colors for certain storylines. I buy them every time I start a new story. Don't ask how many packs I have now. I never quite can get into it, but buying them is still sort of a ritual. (I even have some that are marbelized.) I do the same with colored Post-Its. Only the real ones, now, because once I made a huge storyboard and taped it on my hallway closet with all the generic stickies and every time I came home, the foyer looked like the parade had been through.

When I was contesting, binder clips were a passion - the prettier, the better. Until I stopped getting the pretty ones back with my entries. Hmmm....

My new thing is the highlighters with the Post-It flags in the barrel. Have you seen these? I go through my hard copy, make changes, flag them and then I can find them easily when I go to enter them in on the computer.

If the jerk cat doesn't tear them all out.

What are your favorite writer toys?

What I’ve done since I haven’t been writing:

Okay, it’s only been a week, and not quite that.

I’ve judged 6 contest entries and read a partial for Trish.

I’ve mopped my living room and cleaned my kitchen and bathrooms.

I used that Oxy refinisher stuff for my living/dining room floors.

I’ve created a rubric for some trade books in my classroom.

I’ve updated my school website for a contest next week.

I’ve gone through my blogroll three whole times!

Got Mother’s Day gifts and cards – on time!

Watched Talk Soup and every Blockbuster movie the day it came. (Matchpoint, which was COMPLETELY not what I expected, and Hoodwinked, which wasn’t as funny as I was led to believe. Except the hyper squirrel. We liked the hyper squirrel. And it’s a good lesson in POV.)

Cruised the Internet – did you know Denny from Grey’s Anatomy is also in Supernatural and that his birthday is the day after mine? SURRRRE you did ;) Also found some new Gerry pics.


What I haven’t done:

Sit on my patio or in my big chair and just READ.

Exercised.

Cooked or baked.

So really, not that much more. I did watch a lot more TV. I slept later. I went to bed earlier. But all in all, not that much more. I can find balance, if I work hard enough.

Emily is calling tomorrow. Fingers crossed it’s not something huge.

I think of any business, the book business benefits from word of mouth. The first book I bought based on a friend's recommendation was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I scarfed that baby and the three after it right down.

I was looking at my TBR and marveling how large it’s grown since I started using the Internet. Word of mouth has had me trying books I never would have picked up otherwise.

Case in point, Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase. It won some contest on AAR and so I got it. I’m reading it. It deserved the award.

I’m also reading Icebound, which Trish had recommended. It hasn’t gotten to the Antarctica bit yet, but it’s good.

I categorized my TBR pile by where I’d heard of the books and decided to give them a try. Here are some samples, or I’d be here all day.

From online reviews:
Medusa Rising by Cindi Dees
Rules of Engagement by Katherine Caskie
Michele Albert books
Sophie’s Last Stand by Nancy Bartholomew
Secret Soldier by Dana Marton

Books by people I’ve met online:
Catherine Mann’s books
Off the Map by Dorien Kelly
Tracy Montoya’s books
Primary Suspect by Susan Peterson
Carrie Alexander’s books
Karen Templeton’s books

Books recommended by blogs, message boards or email loops:
Gena Showalter books
Diana Peterfreund’s book
A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court by Marianne Mancusi
Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen (okay, I read this already, but it’s a prime example)
Vickie Taylor’s Gargoyle books
Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel
Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner

Books recommended at RWA workshops:
The Price of Pleasure by Kresley Cole
Lisa Gardner books

What books are in your TBR and where did they come from?

The radar looks like someone dashed a lot of red and orange paint on it - I guess I won't be hitting the grocery store for a bit!

The countdown continues….

3 more Fridays
3 more Thursdays
4 more Mondays
4 more Tuesdays
4 more Wednesdays

4 more mornings of duty.
14 more lunches to make.
One field trip.
One talent show.
One field day.
No more trips to the school library (inventory starts next week) and one more to the public library across the street.
One more story in the reading book.

Did I mention I might move to 4th grade with these kids? Loop with them? I’d keep the same class, complete, and perhaps get my GT (gifted and talented) hours and add three more kids from Cindi’s class. It would be hard to leave my unit, but I have only had three classes in 17 years that I was so fond of, and who knows when I’ll have such a group again? And seriously, y’all, I miss these kids on weekends. At least if I know I’ll have them again, I can look forward to next school year.

So, why am I counting down?

I’m tired. I fell asleep at 7:30 last night.

The drive – 30 minutes each way. Tiring AND expensive, though now I’m riding with my mom who teaches at the school across the street (it isn’t as convenient as it sounds, though we’ve been going to Starbucks everyday.)

I’m just tired of bring on a schedule. I want to be on my own time.

And when I do, I hope I can make the best of it.

I’m so glad I’m taking this month off because I can watch Sweeps Month without guilt. So much happening!!!

Grey’s Anatomy – am I the only one who didn’t recognize Chris O’Donnell as McVet? And for McDreamy to come in and assume…If Denny dies, I’m going to cry for a week.

24 – OMG, bad pilot, possibility of getting shot out of the air! Pres. Logan will do it, too, I have no doubt. Devane kills himself, Audrey is bleeding to death. Who is the guy running the thing behind the scenes, though? (Other than the jerky dr. from ER) They’ve kind of abandoned the real-time issue though, haven’t they? 4 more hours!

American Idol – no suspense, really. Chris or Katharine will win. I’m glad Taylor survived! He’s fun. Did anyone see the results show? Was there a bottom 2 or 3? Who else was there with Paris?

Alias – last week with Will and Anna ROCKED. This week, Nadia woke up from her coma. Yawn. Anna looks like Sydney, so the whole time, I’m wondering which is real Syd and which is Anna. Then Nadia goes to Sloan and tells him to choose Rambaldi or her. Guess who he chooses? I didn’t think it would be so bloody. I almost was sad to see Nadia go. And the French chick. Next week looks GOOOOOOOOD!!!

Lost. The minute it was over, I jumped off the couch and ran to email Trish. My email? Subject heading: OMG! Body: OMG!!! OMG!!!
Wow. Good episode overall, I looked up and saw it was ten till nine! Then all the shooting and the dying and now the female body count is up, and I want to know why! Also, Henry said Ana had killed TWO of the others. I know she killed the one on the hillside – who was the other one?? And man, Henry can play Locke like a flute, huh? I wish I hadn’t watched the previews for next week, though.

I’ve lost interest in Invasion. The only part I remember last night was the dying teacher.

I know I’m sick of my story when I don’t even want to look at a picture of Gerry….

Sigh. My agent emailed. She wants to talk about Hot Shot. Again. I don’t think I can go back to that book one more time. It’s as good as I can make it. If that’s not good enough, maybe I just need to step back.

For the millionth time in twelve years, I ask myself, Why am I doing this? So I went out back to water my plants and started playing the “If” game. You know the game; you’ve all played it.

If I quit writing, I would have time to sit out in my yard and read, just for pleasure, without feeling guilty about not writing. And maybe after awhile, I’ll stop diagnosing “just how she did that.”

If I quit writing, I could sell all those how-to books I bought but never read, and almost make up for the cost of the contests I’ve entered. Plus, I’d have more shelf space for the books I could buy to read for pleasure without feeling guilty.

If I quit writing, I could go on a real vacation, not have to plan it around National.

If I quit writing, I could stop running to the answering machine and the mailbox as soon as I get home, hoping for word from New York.

If I quit writing, I could stop spending so much time at the post office, stop spending so much money on ink and paper.

If I quit writing, I could paint the sunroom. And the bedroom.

If I quit writing, I could be a world-class teacher, could keep up my house better, could become a great cook. (Okay, let’s not go crazy here, Mary.)

But…

If I quit writing, my husband would kill me after all the money I’d spent on books/conferences/contests.

If I quit writing, I won’t have an excuse to have a picture of Gerard Butler hanging by the computer.

If I quit writing, I’ll no longer have a place in the writers’ communities I’ve become a part of. That may be the hardest of all, to explain to them, to turn away from friendships forged in the flames.

If I quit writing, the persistence I want my son to emulate will be wasted. I’ll never be able to say I’m not a quitter again.

If I quit writing, I’ll never walk into Barnes and Noble and see my books on the shelf. I’ll never know if the next book might have resulted in The Call.

If I quit writing, I’d be giving up on a dream I’ve had since I was nine years old.

So, will I quit? I don’t know. Writing, and waiting, is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and to think I’m doing it voluntarily almost makes me insane. How can something I’m so compelled to do bring me down?

So it may be time to take a step back, reevaluate. But I have a feeling that walking away will be harder than moving forward.

We had a badass hailstorm here last night, from out of nowhere!

I am finished with Don’t Look Back. I’m going to let it sit till the end of the week, since that’s the first I can mail it anyway, in case lightning strikes and I come up with something new. I’m still light on pages, am hoping my agent can come up with suggestions.

The rest of the month, I’m taking off (you can start making wagers now how long that will last.) I’m going to read and watch movies and TV and not feel guilty.

I’ve been slogging through The Hostage in the name of research. It’s…interesting to read outside the genre. I’m on page 60, I think, and good heavens, we have done everything but gone to the bathroom with the hero. I keep waiting for something to happen to disrupt his mission, but no. He gets on one plane. The stewardess makes him check his bag because there’s no room in the overhead compartment. So he’ll have to check it and then need it later, right?

Wrong.

He gets on another plane and starts watching Ransom with Mel Gibson and thinks of what a good job Mel did in We Were Soldiers, and how he’ll watch to see what choice Mel makes in the movie.

He falls asleep.

That’s not even mentioning the times the story has stopped dead still for backstory or to introduce a new character.

No wonder this book is over 450 pages.

Clearly the author has done his research, but can we please. Get. To the hostage rescue. Already.

Before this, I read A Demon’s Kiss, which, I hate to say, is a rotten title, and it has a crummy cover, but what a cool concept. The Grail as the cure for vampirism. It’s been forever since I’ve read a medieval, and it was awesome.

I also started Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase, and it is set in Egypt, which is very cool. Has great characters – the hero is a bad, bad boy – and a bluestocking heroine, a kidnapped brother, exotic setting. I may just give up on The Hostage and indulge myself in this one.

I saw Casanova this weekend. Very fun little farce – I would have liked it to be longer. Not as sexy as one would think a movie about Casanova to be, just some ribald humor and one brief love scene. Surprising considering the R rating.

Saw Tristan and Isolde last night. Bleak. Blech. Crying James Franco. Rufus Sewell as a good guy for a switch. More love scenes than Casanova, yet PG13. I don’t get it.

Tonight, Aeon Flux. I know, I’m not holding out much hope.

We haven’t had a hunk picture in awhile.

Today is the 7th anniversary of moving into our house. Weird for me to remember, I suppose, but I never in all my life dreamed we’d be able to live in this neighborhood. My dh and I each grew up less than 5 miles from where we live now, but in less grand houses. When we married at 20, we lived hand to mouth, and we got in some financial trouble. We went to counseling, and because of that, were able to be debt free and save for a down payment. We qualified for this house, and while I was uncomfortable paying as much as we ended up paying (we more than doubled what we’d been paying in rent, but we’d also tucked away extra each month as if we were making a larger payment, which was how we saved the down payment.)

My brother and his wife had bought a house in October before we bought this, and recommended their real estate agent to us. She was awesome. She gave Dale and Sonia a gift certificate to Outback for the recommendation, gave us one to Saltgrass Steakhouse for something, and another to Texas Land and Cattle the day we sold. Anyway, I mention Dale and Sonia because they paid the same, and bought a house the same size. We are such copycats! Theirs is about 30 years newer, though.

We found this house the first day we looked, February 6, 1999. We were in the neighborhood looking at another house (that my son’s best friend ended up moving into), and we had seen some pretty crappy ones. We walked into this house, and there was so much light from the skylights and the sunroom, the people who owned the house were making chili and beans. The floors gleamed. We both knew right away this was where we could live. Like I said, though, I didn’t want to commit to the house payment, so we looked at other houses, but came back to this one. And came back. And came back.

After our offer had been accepted, we took every excuse to drive by and look at it. We planned our furniture, our decorating style, where everything was going to go.

I swore I would never take this house for granted, and I have lately. I promise to be better, especially since I’m nearly done with DLB.

I found pictures we’d taken when we were moving in. We have a LOT more stuff now.

The front of the house.



Here’s the front door, which isn’t in such good shape anymore.



The living room from the entrance (that’s my grandmother)



The living room from the other end.



The kitchen.



The dining room. I loved how open everything is.



The sun room – not particularly sunny ;)



The main bathroom. The other is just like it, only peach.



The boy’s room. When it was clean.



I don’t have any good ones of my bedroom, or the other two bedrooms. Or my patio ;) But I do love my house!

Pictures from Fiesta:

Me and Cindi



Cindi and her family



The boy



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My GH dress – won it on eBay last night





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Two of my friends had to put their cats down this week, Paula and Esri. As a cat person, this made me sad. So I thought I’d introduce you to my kitties.

Dukey is my eldest, about 6, I think. I hate her name. My husband and son named her after that Budweiser commercial, you know, the “WHASSUP?” commercial? “Yo, Dukey!” I wanted to name her Precious.



Dukey has always been a little different. She was born on my son’s bed, and her mother had a little trouble getting the sack off, so Dukey’s different. She has these eyes that are straight at the top, and she knows things. She hardly ever talks, will sometimes mew when she’s running up and down the hall, spazzing out. She also likes standing upright on her back legs at the back door and pawing at the glass. She doesn’t want out. She doesn’t like to be outside, unless we’re out there. We don’t know why she does it.

She sits at the dinner table with us, in the chair next to my husband, and looks at him adoringly.

If the alarm goes off in the morning and we don’t get up, she comes in and jumps on the bed.

She was not happy when we brought the other two home, but she adjusts. She would love to be the only cat.

YaYa is a cat. She was a rescue kitty, wandering around my Land Cruiser one night after the Christmas PTA meeting. A big cold front was coming in, already there was wind and lightning and I couldn’t leave her there. She was so sweet, she came right up to me. So I scooped her up and put her in the car. I told one of the kids my husband would kill me for bringing home another cat. The next morning that child was at my classroom door, waiting for me to make sure I was okay ;)



YaYa is a great lap kitty. She’s little and light, and she really likes to curl up on you when you’re wearing black. She’s very talkative. And has horrible breath. She loves to sleep belly to belly with my husband. She likes to go outside, but not for long. She comes in filthy. But usually, she’s a lady.

Then there’s The Boy. Napoleon. Named after Napoleon Dynamite. I got him last year, the week before my birthday. He was about 4 weeks old and I had to bottle feed him. He was so covered with fleas and flea bites that he was bumpy to pet. (Gross, I know)



He is a Jerk. He is 100% boy. He picks on the girls. He lays in wait for the door to open so he can run out. He attacks the dog. He attacks us if we aren’t looking. He sleeps on the back of the computer chair. Even getting fixed didn’t calm him down much. But he sure is pretty. Isn’t that typical of the bad boys?



Not a kitty, but I can’t leave out Stormy.



She’s the best dog, good natured and eager to please.

Who do you share your house with?

Yesterday, on the last holiday of the year ;), I woke up late (for me), told myself I’d run to Target (bought a microdermabrasion kit with one of my gift cards, still have one left) and the grocery store with a stop at JoAnn Fabric and I’d be home writing at 10. I didn’t make it back till 11 and I felt guilty.

Um, why? Why did I put myself under that kind of pressure?

Because it’s what I do. I stress out over getting my book to my agent so I can take advantage of this whole GH thing. I stress thinking I want to sell before July so I can have a pink ribbon. All things beyond my control.

Why do I have to put myself on a schedule? Why can’t I just let things come as they will? Is it just that I’m afraid life will get away from me?

How can I stop?

---------------------------------------------------------------

Today – the King William Fair – arts and crafts and food on a stick. Always see my very first principal there – his son has a house in the neighborhood, so it’s a big party. I’m looking forward to antichuchos and fried Oreos.

EDITED TO ADD - NO FRIED OREOS!!!! WAHHH!!! AND NO ANTICHUCHOS (REALLY SPICY SHISHKABOBS!) I consoled myself with a bloomin' onion and part of a funnel cake. Grease is coming from my pores.

It's FIESTA! No school today. Everyone was going around yesterday saying, "Enjoy your last holiday" and I'm thinking, we only have 24 days left! May can be long, though. Anyway, dh is already gone - he directs the parades for TV - I slept till 7:30 and now I'm thinking of going to Target to spend the rest of my gift cards (I did get the sandals the other day - VERY cute.) Then I'll hit the grocery store, then settle in for some writing. The new scenes are done, they just need to be fleshed out.

I mentioned in my list that my grandmother used to read for me. Now don't think she was every critical - every word I wrote was gold. I learned that that was not always good, but I knew who to turn to for strokes when I needed them!

I think I was reading Rachel's blog where she was talking about her husband reading her work and being her #1 fan. (I'm sure he gives her more feedback than Gigi gave me, though.) But my dh doesn't read my stuff. He'll listen when I talk about it, will help me brainstorm on occasion, but he won't read it. It used to hurt my feelings. Now, I don't know. I don't know if he'll ever read it, even if it gets published.

What about your significant other? Does he read your stuff? Do you like him to?

The Magic Formula | How To Plan, Write, Sell, and Promote Your Romance Fiction Novel

NO, this is NOT an endorsement. What do you think about this???

Today’s book recommendation is The Givenchy Code, by Julie Kenner. Yes, I admit I bought this book because of the title. It is the Best Title Ever. I didn’t know how I’d like it, because it is another “chick lit.” What I am learning is that chick lit is quite broad.



While this book started out as you would expect a chick lit to, with the heroine in NYC, shopping at high end stores with her best friend, lusting for brand names, it quickly turned to something more my style.

Murder. Intrigue. Woman in jeopardy. Hero as a bodyguard. Yum.

All the intrigue stems from a video game that has gone “live.” Both the hero and heroine used to play the complicated game (I’m not EVEN gonna try to explain – I don’t think I could) whose rules have transcended the medium and infiltrated Manhattan. The hero and heroine have to solve clues to save their lives.

I loved Mel. She was a SMART heroine who didn’t panic, didn’t pout, but worked her way through this book. She was sympathetic and sexy and sharp.

Stryker was hot and dependable and did I mention hot? My only complaint was that the love scenes, well, weren’t.

But I definitely have The Manolo Matrix on my wish list!

Paperback Writer: Timely Ten

1) I can’t write romance without an external plot.

2) I come up with my heroes first 90% of the time.

3) I always have a new idea before I finish my WIP.

4) Criticism can kill my love for a story.

5) I only write well when I have a chunk of time. I can’t write well in 15 minutes.

6) I write best after 10 PM, when I’m on vacation.

7) I write best at the computer – which surprises me because I used to write everything longhand. I rarely use my Alphasmart, though I have lately to get through a tough scene. I still like cook pens and notebooks, though.

8) I don’t delete anything permanently. I have files of cut scenes for each of my books. Some of them are over 300 pages long.

9) I’m really particular about character names.

10) I can’t give up reading when I’m writing.

11) I used to write large casts, but now I can’t keep track of them now.

12) I’m a terrible housekeeper when I’m in a story…which is bad, since I’m either writing, stuck, or researching.

13) I have notebooks for each of my stories, with covers and everything, including my research.

14) I go to the library for research and sometimes have to get people to help me carry the books to my car!

15) I love writing new. I’m less enamored of revisions.

16) Endings give me fits. So do love scenes.

17) I have a charm bracelet for writing. I have charms for Surface, DLB, Hot Shot, Midnight Sun, Where There’s Smoke and two of my Golden Hearts.

18) I’ve targeted almost every line at HQ/Silhouette: Desire, Temptation, Super, SIM, Intrigue, Bombshell, HQN, American, Special Edition, and Mira.

19) I feel guilty when I’m not writing. ALL the time.

20) My grandmother was my biggest fan. I miss giving her a cleaned up copy of my latest book and hearing her tell me I was the next Nora Roberts.

Now you. Here or on your own blog.

I watched this yesterday for inspiration. He’s still very very inspirational.

My friend Tracy gave up buying books for Lent, so she’s looking for some good suggestions. I’m going to help her out.



I really loved Do Me, Do My Roots by Eileen Rendahl. I bought the book because I met Eileen at RWA in NYC, when we were waiting to get into The Today Show. She’d just sold the book then, and by Dallas, it was out in print. I bought it at the literacy signing. It sat on my TBR shelf for 2 years. I’m not a big fan of chick lit, but I did want to read what Pocket was buying.

My other friend Kris read it and recommended it (okay, GUSHED about it), so I pulled it out.

Wow.

Wow.

It’s the story of three sisters who meet regularly to do each other’s roots, make a girls’ night of it. The heroine (OMG, I forgot her name, and I loaned the book to Cindi, since she’s the youngest of three girls like the heroine) is recovering from the loss of her husband, who died of a brain tumor. The description of what she went through is just so heartwrenching. I particularly loved the scenes at the survivors support group. She has a daughter, and her husband’s best friend is on hand, needing the connection in his own way. Everything is through her eyes, and we feel everything she feels. Everything.

She has a controlling older sister who falls for a younger man, a musician, a vivacious middle sister, a nurse who found herself married to a drug addict.

Her parents are loving but quirky (and I mean that in a good way.)

There is romance, there is humor, there is sadness (at one point, I was SOBBING. Sobbing. Can you remember the last book that made you sob?)

It certainly deserved its Rita nod last year.

We’ve talked about best first lines, but they say while the first line will sell your book, your last line will sell the next book.

Do you agonize over your last line as much as your first? I do. Endings are TOUGH for me. But I kind of like the last lines I came up with for DLB and Hot Shot.

In DLB, very action packed, the last bit of dialogue goes like this:

“I had to know you wouldn’t wait for a proposal.”
“You know me,” she said, twining her arms around his shoulders. “A woman of action.”
He pulled her against him. “Just the one for me, then.”


In Hot Shot, where Peyton has worried about stability through the whole book, the exchange is this:

“Peyton.” His serious tone carried over the walkie. “Come home safe.”
Home. A tent in a fire camp that she shared with Gabe. And she wouldn’t be anywhere else.
“I will,” she said. “Cooper out.”

It also shows they’re married, and that he’s made the turnaround to worry about her for a change.

In Vanished, the exchange is not between the hero and heroine, but between the heroine and her best friend, who they spend the entire book looking for. The best friend has been in an abusive marriage and runs away when she finds out she’s pregnant. She’s had the baby when they find her.

Danny fought back another surge of longing to see Gabrielle holding his child, and went to help his sister.
“What’s her name?” Gabrielle asked, stroking a finger lightly over the baby’s cheek.
“Hope,” Tess said.

Okay, that one’s not as strong as the others, but it does reflect what the story has been about.

I went to my keeper shelf for other examples. Amazing how many end on a kiss, or on a declaration of “I forever do.” It got to be a bit generic.

Here are some of my favorites.

From Karen Templeton’s Saving Dr. Ryan, the preacher has just completed a double wedding and looks from one groom to the other:

“And the good Lord knows it’s about damn time the two of you came to your senses!”
And the congregation shouted as one, “AMEN!”

If you’ve ever read Karen’s books, you know there is always a community, so this fit really well.

In my very very favorite Navy Seals book by Suzanne Brockmann, Out of Control, the last POV is Savannah’s grandmother’s:

Her granddaughter was infinitely lucky. Rose knew this firsthand. She’d had a husband who loved her an eleven, too.

Nora, who is queen of first lines, was less noticeable in last lines. But I liked the ending of The Welcoming:

“You were awfully sure of yourself.”
“No.” He kissed her again, felt the curve of her lips, and the welcoming. “I was sure of you.”

In Diana Duncan’s action packed Midnight Hero, her first 24-Hour book, Bailey and Conall have been trapped in the mall all night, hiding from bank robbers. They’d had a history, but she’d decided they were like fire and water, that they could never mix.

Misty white vapor curled around them, enveloping them in a cozy, rose-scented cocoon. He stroked a wet finger down her cheek. “And together they make….”
Grinning at each other, they spoke as one.
“STEAM!”

In Evelyn Vaughn’s second Grailkeepers book, Her Kind of Trouble, our heroine Maggi has the Isis Grail. Before she puts it into hiding, though:

For a moment, I felt I was there again – underwater in Cleopatra’s palace, amid submerged artifacts and relics.
“And thank you for allowing me the honor of championing you.”
Then I drank.
And it tasted sweet.

In my favorite Lisa Kleypas book, Someone to Watch Over Me, I loved the exchange between Grant and Victoria:

“Never,” Victoria repeated, holding his gaze. “I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.”
“Well, milady,” he replied softly, “that’s why I married you.”

Emily McKay’s third book, Perfectly Saucy, had one of the sexiest heroes out, Alex Moreno. He’s the bad boy to Jessica’s good girl. She’d crushed on him since high school. The last sentence convinces me they’ll be together forever.

She was the one person in the world he could say anything to. She always had been.

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale is a classic for a reason. Another bad boy/good girl story, but much more angsty:

A buffle-headed bad wicked man he might be – but he could recognize a miracle when he saw one.

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley isn’t a romance, per se, but an awesome book. Graham, the hero, is trying to get the heroine to spend the holidays with him, to toss a coin to see if she should go home (heads) or stay with him (tails):

He might be right, I thought – a toss of the coin did seem the only fair way to decide where I ought to spend Christmas.
And it only took four tries to make the penny come up tails.

So what are some of your favorite last lines? Yours or from a favorite book?