Jennifer Crusie's Blog, page 70

Happiness is a Almost Instant Gratification

I haven’t had time to bake for months, so in desperation I spent two bucks on a paper cup that said “Kodiak Brownie.” Add some water, stir, stick in the microwave for a minute, and voila, hot brownie. Not quite as good homemade, but almost instant. Made me so happy.

What almost instantly made you happy this week?

This is a Good Book Thursday, August 25, 2022

I finally re-read Boyfriend Material, every bit as good as the first read, and started on Husband Material. Same great voice and characters but no push. I think it’s because the protagonist Luc isn’t in trouble and his goal–so far, to get a wedding venue for his best friend–is not pressing. He was so damaged in Boyfriend Material, and so was the Boyfriend, that I desperately wanted them to get together and take care of each other, which they did; wonderful book. Husband Material is more . . . pleasant. Luc’s voice continues to charm, but we’re losing the plot. It is entirely possible that this will pick up soon, but for right now, it reads more like fan service–yes, Luc and Oliver are still together and taking care of each other and moving toward Serious Actions–than like an important conflict for Luc. Luc appears to be safe and happy (YAY!) and suffering for others now (meh). I’d rather see Oliver’s Awful Parents get their comeuppance or Luc finally level his awful father (mom rocks, however) than watch Luc chase all over England to get Bridget a nice garden to get married in. Key requirement for fiction: the reader has to care a lot about what’s happening.

And lecture over. I’m still gonna finish that book.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Bob is ripping apart Lavender’s Blue, and I’m ripping apart the first half of One in Vermillion and forgot that today is Wednesday. I apologize.

What did you work on this week?

Happiness is Somebody Else Coming in With a Brilliant Fix

I am basically a loner. I like doing things on my own, no help. But I’d been writing this book for years, trying to get a grasp on it, giving up and then trying again until finally I invited a collaborator in. Yesterday, that guy said, “You know this opening isn’t working”–of course I know, I just don’t know how to fix it–“so maybe we could try this . . .” and then he laid out this obvious although complicated solution. I have been trying to fix that damn opening for years, no exaggeration, and he just figures it out, writes an outline rejiggering scenes, and in one e-mail makes the book 100% better. I’m so happy I could sing, but that would be bad, so I’ll just sit here and chortle.

It’s good to work with other people. Must remember that.

So what made you chortle with happiness this week?

Argh Author: Brenda Margriet’s Secrets Under the Covers, Now FREE!

Our own Brenda Margriet has a novella out now, SECRETS UNDER THE COVERS, (Book One in the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series. Can be read as a standalone) and it’s free, so thank you very much, Brenda!:

Two long-time friends…one impulsive seduction…zero percent chance their lives will ever be the same again.

The peace Helen Mansfield struggled to achieve after the death of her husband is threatened when she discovers a lump in her breast. Determined to keep the alarming news to herself until the biopsy results are revealed, she sets out to wring every drop of delight from her days.

Nathan Spieth stood by his wife while she fought and ultimately lost her battle with cancer. Since then, he’s devoted his energy to rebuilding the career that he neglected during her final years, and all his hard work is about to pay off.

As neighbours and friends, Helen and Nathan’s lives have been woven together for more than twenty years. One impetuous, impassioned night might destroy everything they share—or prove to this fiercely independent woman and determinedly solitary man that love is always worth the risk.

(Helen and Nathan are both 55.)

Ebook Available Now for FREE!

Amazon link
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Brainstorming the Ending

We’re closing in on the end of the rough draft/discovery draft of One in Vermillion, so we’re brainstorming it:

This is a Good Book Thursday, August 18, 2022

I really really really want to reread Boyfriend Material and then go straight to Husband Material, but instead this week I read Lavender’s Blue and Rest in Pink for the thousandth time, retconning the stuff that’s showing up in One in Vermillion. We’re at 50,000 words. Stakes have risen. The relationship has arced. The bad guy is going to get his. And then I can read Alexis Hall.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday, August 17, 2022

We’re at 50,000 words on One in Vermillion, I’m clearing off and repainting my (very small) back porch so I can sit out there now that the weather is fantastic again (fingers crossed it stays that way), and I’m taking the dogs to the vet this afternoon. The days are just packed.

What have you been doing?

Happiness is Somebody Else Doing the Difficult Writing

Bob and I have clearly delineated jobs in this collaboration: I do the Yucky Emotional Crap (YEC) and he kills people. But yesterday we had the following exchange:

And then he wrote the sex scene.

Of course, that means I’m going to have to kill somebody, but still, YAY for collaboration.

Happiness is having somebody help you over the hard parts.

What made you happy this week?

Argh Author: K. M. Fawcett’s Wilde Treasure

. Our own K. M. Fawcett has a new book out now, Wilde Treasure:

Rick McKinnon is on the hunt for booty…

…pirate booty, that is. With one week left to find the hidden trove before his mafia boss investor starts busting kneecaps, Rick discovers the location is inside a 200-year-old well on private property. Unfortunately, claustrophobic Rick gets stuck.

The last thing Willow Wilde needs after moving away from her thieving ex is to rescue a sexy hustler from her well. But when the fortune hunter offers a piece of buried treasure in exchange for her help, Willow gets swept into an adventure sure to solve her money woes and add to her man troubles. As long as she can guard against Rick’s charms, she won’t get hurt again.

But the two aren’t the only ones searching for the lost loot, and a threat from the past will do anything to get the gold. It’s now a race against time as Rick and Willow chase a string of clues throughout the small town of Candlewood Falls. And to survive this dangerous game, they’ll have to learn to trust each other with their lives…and their hearts.

You can find Wilde Treasure here: https://books2read.com/Wilde-Treasures

Author’s note: Although Wilde Treasures is book #4 in the series, each Candlewood Falls novel is designed to be read as a standalone, as each book’s hero and smart & sassy heroine find their happily ever after.