Molly O'Keefe's Blog, page 34

I Felt Like A Writer

So I had some time off over the 4th of July holiday and I’m cranking through my current WIP. Hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday just writing, writing, writing.


It was so good to be in a grove. So amazing not to have to think about anything else but these characters and what I’m doing to them.

I’m not going to lie, most days I feel like a Claims Operations Director of a small software company. That’s way boring. But during those beautiful three days I got to feel like what a full time writer gets to experience and I have to say I really really liked it.

I never thought I could quit my day job even if financially I could afford it – which I can’t so it’s never had to be a real decision.

But I always thought I would need the buzz of people and the office chit chat and the day to day “grind” of life in an office to keep me focused.

Now I’m not so sure. Just listening to all the characters talk in my head was like having my very own water cooler with fictional characters keeping me entertained.

So shhhh… Don’t tell my bosses, but if I ever do make the NYT list because I’ve written a story about a boy wizard, or an angstsy vampire, or a guy who likes to spank women…. Then maybe, just maybe I might have to consider becoming a real full time writer.

City of Light!

Hey, drunklettes! I am on vacation like I've never vacationed before. I'm in Paris. The real one in France. Not the fake one in Las Vegas or the one in Texas. Actual Paris. I was going to upload a photo, but I'm having technical difficulties. Suffice it to say that it's awesome here. I'll be back next week. Ready to out my nose to the grindstone. Maybe I'll discuss the movies I watched on the plane.

Winner Navy Rules! And John Carter

Rissa8 - you are our winner! Thanks for coming by and commenting, please email me at molly @ molly - okeefe dot com with your address and we will get your book in the mail to you!!

Quick side note - I saw John Carter this weekend. There were so many ticks in the win column for this movie - Taylor Kitsch, directed by Pixar genius Andrew Stanton, screenplay (I think, fixed in part?) by one of my favorite writers Micheal Chabon. But so strange that all of those wins didn't manifest into something huge.

I think there were a few things working against it - people went into that movie expecting sci-fi lite. And got Sci-fi old skool. That initial whiplash can be back breaking. Parts of it seemed silly in the way old skool sci-fi can seem silly: long monologs, by the ambiguous bad guys, herky-jerky set up, very complicated world building that required a lot of explanation in a couple of key parts. And I think Stanton and Chabon, confessed genre nerds, loved those aspects and perhaps couldn't see past them to the audience reaction.

I wanted to love it, didn't, but still enjoyed it.

Good Will Hunting and character introduction

So I feel a little guilty using Molly's favourite movie as a blog post, but I rewatched it last night and it struck me that it introduces its main character almost perfectly.

I love that the first time we see Will Hunting, he's running into a fight, and unlike his friends, does not know when to stop fighting and to run, and the next time we see him, he's eviscerating a pompous Harvard student with his knowledge of economics.

It's a complete contrast, but works perfectly because Will is so smug about what he knows, but so rough in the way he holds himself, the way he dresses and so obviously in pain underneath the surface. And the movie takes the time to show us all sides of him, so when he does solve the unsolveable equation, we are not surprised.

It goes against a pretty solid rule which is show us character during the progression of the story, but this movie is basically the progression of a character, so they can do this and because he's so unique and so interesting.

I love the way the movie unfolds, but that beginning is so engrossing. He could be an unlikeable character except for his love for his friends and Matt Damon's clear likeability.

Now I'm trying to figure out, should I go see Savages soon? It does have Taylor Kitsch, and it  does look pretty interesting, but reviews are mixed...

Everything I know about love and life I leanred from Nora Ephron

1.      Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
2.      You can’t take it back. It’s already out there.
3.      Everyone thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor but not everyone could possibly have good taste and a sense of humor.
4.      He’s never going to leave her.
5.      I’m not your consolation prize.
6.      And I’m going to be forty! Some day.
7.      How long do I have to stay here and hold her. Is five minutes enough?
8.      When I took her hand for the first time it was… magic.
9.      Elizabeth Bennett is the greatest female literary character of all time.
10. I could never be with anyone who likes Joanie Mitchell.

And the most important of all... 11.  I’ll have what she’s having.
                                                                                      
Your voice and your romanticism will be truly missed Ms. Ephron. Thank you for everything.

Got Cover?

I do. :)

I expect many people who frequent this blog have seen this already, but just in case...

Here is the front of the dust jacket for DEVIANTS. The first book in my YA sci-fi thriller series that comes out October 30, 2012.



It's available for pre-order in hardcover, kindle and audio formats. More links to come when available. :)

Barnes & Noble
Amazon US
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK

Welcome Geri Krotow!

Every month Harlequin Superromance puts out some amazing books. It's a line that consistently challenges and fulfills the promise of category romance. One of my favorite authors is Geri Krotow, whose books are as interesting and surprising as her life!

One lucky commenter can win a book!!







Hi Molly and thanks for hosting me!

My new book, NAVY RULES, is the first in the Whidbey Island Series and published by Harlequin Superromance. It stars Commander Max Ford, an injured naval officer who is back from the war and in need of healing. Winnie Armstrong is the Navy widow and wife of his best friend who died in a Navy crash. Winnie offers Max relief in the shape of her therapy dog, Sam. Max and Winnie have a history, though—she became pregnant the one night they were ever together, almost two years ago.

I’ve wanted to write a military family series since I first sought publication. My desire is to highlight the strengths and struggles of military families who, world-wide, sacrifice and serve so that you and I can go after our dreams in the freedom we enjoy. As you know this business can be a bit convoluted and rarely do we get to write our “book of the heart” right out of the gate. I was thrilled when my editor suggested I focus on military romance and particularly that involving an entire military community. Our family was stationed on Whidbey Island, Washington for a total of 5 years, and my husband had the privilege of commanding a squadron there. I was blessed with so many friendships and the opportunity to see first-hand how we can all come together in the toughest of times—I learned about the September 11, 2001 attack while my husband was deployed and I was alone with our two children. But I wasn’t alone—I had the entire Navy and civilian community of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island to join hands with.


Our navy life came to an end just two weeks ago as my husband retired from active duty. But our many duty stations and overseas experiences continue to inform my stories. The increase in word count to 85,000 for Superromance came just in time for me, as I long to write subplots and richer character arcs.
Thanks to you and your readers for having me!

Awesome or unlikeable

Like Maureen, I read the first scene of Can't Buy Me Love pretty much in it's first draft and my first reaction, besides seething jealousy, was awe. In ridiculously few words, Molly had created a heroine I instantly loved.

I loved her at the beginning and loved her more at the end, and always, always found Tara Jean fascinating and compulsively readable.

And then the reviews came out. That most were incredibly positive came as no surprise, but where I was dumbfounded came the reviews that called Tara Jean unlikeable and difficult. Because I truly did not understand.

She's not perfect, certainly not at the beginning, but writers learn quickly that our characters have to grow and change and become better people over the course of the book, and if she's perfect to start with, then there's nowhere for her to go.
And she had to create sparks with the hero and a passive, nice girl is not going to create sparks with a hockey legend.

Some of my favourite romance heroines start their stories as challenging. Ain't She Sweet's Sugar Beth was a genuine highschool bitch who made life miserable for those around her, and I adored her story.

Jenny Jones in Maggie Osborne's book starts the story in jail for killing a man, in self defense, and she's rough and hard, even with the little girl who recently lost her mother, but over the course of the book, she changes and becomes one of my favourite romance heroines ever.

I prefer heroines with hard edges, smart, even a little opportunistic. They're more interesting than the heroine who is great at her job, kind to old people, a great friend, even when those friends are walking all over her, and in general a doormat to everyone around her.

I'd like to see more heroines like Tara Jean in romance and I'm glad to say a lot more people loved Tara Jean than hated her.

Game Changers...

It’s Can’t Buy Me Love release week and I was thinking about what I wanted to write about because anything I say is probably going to be interpreted as … oh she’s Molly’s friend and she’s just supporting her.


And while that’s true – I think it’s important to look at this book and talk about the change I believe it’s going to have on contemporary romance. One of the things I love about the DBSA podcasts with Sarah Wendell and Jane Litte is that they are two intelligent women talking about romance books intelligently. In a genre that is much maligned this was a huge deal for me because finally I could relate to people who were taking what I did and more importantly what I read seriously. I feel like Can’t Buy Me Love falls into that category of books that says to the world, yes this is a romance novel, it’s smart and damn good, so stick it.

These characters are real and engaging and flawed. Many reviewers have commented on how difficult it is to like them right away until they fall under their spell. I think Molly’s effortless voice makes that easy. But it also made me realize how accustomed we are to “likeable” and “easy” characters.

That goofy heroine with the crazy wide smile who trips over her own feet but is so deserving of love… and look she’s finally found it!

And yes sometimes you want a light read and that’s all good. But sometimes I want a little meat to go with my potatoes and Molly does that. She brings the meat. She challenges the reader and she makes us think and feel and laugh and cry. That’s what a good book is supposed to do.

Making everything so darn easy… well it’s like vanilla ice-cream. Sure vanilla ice-cream tastes good. But when you get super rich deep dark chocolate you realize that the vanilla just isn’t as satisfying. So are we clear? Molly is meat and super rich deep dark chocolate ice-cream.

I think historicals went through this transition in the last few years with authors like Bourne, and Thomas and Milan. These are smart women writing at the top of their game. And suddenly the expectation of what constitutes a “good” historical has changed for me. Enter Cecilia Grant. To the point where there are authors I won’t read anymore. Not worth the calories for plain old vanilla.

I think – completely objectively – Molly’s books are going to be game changers. The bar has been raised and I think it’s going to make readers think about what they should expect from a really good contemporary romance going forward.

Renovating the romance genre

Dear Author gave Molly's new book an awesome review. In the review, among other great things, the reviewer said, "It’s as if O’Keefe understands the genre so well that she’s renovating it from inside, from the very center of its archetypes."

Not that any of this praise is surprising to me. I loved this book right from the first paragraph, the first time I read it, in the first draft of her proposal for this book. I don't think the opening changed a whole lot since the first time I had the privilege to read it.

"This was not how Tara Jean Sweet imagined her engagement. Perched on the edge of her eighty-nine-year-old fiance's wheelchair wearing a skirt so short there was a good chance the photographer was getting a shot of her uterus.

But at the top of the very long list of what was wrong with this picture were the cows. "

Is that not the best opening for a contemporary romance, ever??? I mean: it raises questions, it's intriguing, it shows character, it sets up the situation -- and it's freaking funny. I think I snorted, loudly, when I hit the word uterus. People's heads turned.

I knew from reading this line the very first time that I was going to love finding out more about Tara Jean Sweet. (Even if I was a tiny worried about how Molly was going to pull off a romance where the heroine falls for her rich husband's son.) But only a tiny bit worried because I know Molly and her talent well enough to know that if anyone could pull that off, it was her.

And boy did she.

If you haven't bought this book yet, here's a handy link for Amazon:  Can't Buy Me Love and Barnes & Noble.

Not every reader of romance is going to love this book. And while I believe everyone should love it as much as I do, I think any time you're doing something different, something bold, something that pushes the limits of the genre, not everyone is going to immediately love it or recognize its brilliance. Look at any author who's taken the romance genre places it hasn't gone before--J.R. Ward comes to mind--and there will be haters.

But there will also be rabid fans. Of which I am one. :)

Congratulations, Molly!!!!