Renee Roszel's Blog, page 3
November 13, 2012
WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT?
As a writer, I am interested in anything and everything that might spark my imagination. I love heroes. Being a sniveling coward myself, I especially love men and women who are brave, who strive to be the best they can be. Be it physical, mental, emotional. I also love animals, and hate animal cruelty. Many of my books contain animals, some odd and unusual, like a shy hedgehog or a sock stealing squirrel. Some of my animal characters are helpless or handicapped, like orphaned kittens or a three legged dog. And never fear, these creatures always find happy places in my stories. I volunteer for our local Humane Society Thrift Shop, which I helped get going. Being the coward that I am, I can't work in the shelter, because every time I have gone in, I've slunk fearfully home with a dog or cat. My husband, who didn't grow up with pets, has drawn the line at four, so the thrift store is my way of saving little lives while saving my marriage.
I like to laugh. I especially like to inspire laughter in others, so humor is very important to me. I try to find the funny side of situations in my stories, sometimes sliding over the line to slapstick--but, hey, so did Chaplin, Abbot and Costello and the Stooges to namedrop a few. Since what I write are love stories, my hero and heroine, once they have found each other and once their obstacles to true love are surmounted, they get that happily ever after that we are are striving for. (Or, for the grammar police among you--for which we are all striving.)
Yes, romances have been snidely referred to as 'little' books, that many put down as beneath them. However, they have not received my letters from readers who have found great comfort in their time with my books. The doubters and belittlers have not heard the stories of grief or depression that has been lifted from heavy hearts, of those who have been able to laugh, once again, after loss. But I have. So it is my honor to have been, and to continue to be, a part of the little escapes we all need at times in our lives. Romance novels are not the trauma centers of our world, but the amusement parks. Without our little escapes, life would be much more difficult to deal with on a day to day basis. So, to make a very long story short--that's what the hell is the point.
www.ReneeRoszel.com
I like to laugh. I especially like to inspire laughter in others, so humor is very important to me. I try to find the funny side of situations in my stories, sometimes sliding over the line to slapstick--but, hey, so did Chaplin, Abbot and Costello and the Stooges to namedrop a few. Since what I write are love stories, my hero and heroine, once they have found each other and once their obstacles to true love are surmounted, they get that happily ever after that we are are striving for. (Or, for the grammar police among you--for which we are all striving.)
Yes, romances have been snidely referred to as 'little' books, that many put down as beneath them. However, they have not received my letters from readers who have found great comfort in their time with my books. The doubters and belittlers have not heard the stories of grief or depression that has been lifted from heavy hearts, of those who have been able to laugh, once again, after loss. But I have. So it is my honor to have been, and to continue to be, a part of the little escapes we all need at times in our lives. Romance novels are not the trauma centers of our world, but the amusement parks. Without our little escapes, life would be much more difficult to deal with on a day to day basis. So, to make a very long story short--that's what the hell is the point.
www.ReneeRoszel.com
November 9, 2012
Skyfall and Me--and probably you, too.
I went to a late night showing of Skyfall tonight. I've been to most of the James Bond movies over the years (I'm that old). The first Bond movies I saw on dates because if there was a Bond movie out there, my date (male) would take me to a James Bond movie. Sadly, I was not a fan. I know, I'm in the minority. Many woman liked what's-his-name, the orig Bond. It wasn't really him that I disliked, it was his attitude toward woman. And those Bond women and their horrible names! To me, they were nothing but, well, to give it a g-rating name--bed-buddies. To be bedded and then tossed aside, or even worse, shot, stabbed or painted (Goldfinger, I think) to death.
I thought women could/should be more than 'kiss 'em/kill 'em toys. At least when Pierce B. become Bond, the women were strong, and he treated them with more respect. Nevertheless, it's the blond, blue-eyed Bond who stole my heart.
Maybe it was because in his first time out at Bond, he loved a woman, even betrayed by her, he loved her. And (this may be a slight spoiler about Skyfall, but it won't really spoil anything) in this latest outing he sheds tears again. Love that in a man. Strong, yet sensitive. To me this is the man of the 21st century. That's my kind of hero, the kind I like to write about. Strong, sexy, sensitive. Of course James Bond is over the top as an action star. But what do we go to see Bond movies for? What do we read romance novels for? Escape. Men escape for the action. They can 'be' the hero for a couple of hours. I escape for the 'shirtless' moments, and the 'sensitive guy' moments--yes, and the 'sexy guy' steaminess. For whatever reasons we go to movies or read books, aren't we glad they're there for us? Life ain't a bucket of roses most days, so hurray for our little escapes, whatever they may involve. Oh, and Danial--thanks for taking off your shirt a couple of times, sweetie pie. Not that I was counting. :-)
I thought women could/should be more than 'kiss 'em/kill 'em toys. At least when Pierce B. become Bond, the women were strong, and he treated them with more respect. Nevertheless, it's the blond, blue-eyed Bond who stole my heart.
Maybe it was because in his first time out at Bond, he loved a woman, even betrayed by her, he loved her. And (this may be a slight spoiler about Skyfall, but it won't really spoil anything) in this latest outing he sheds tears again. Love that in a man. Strong, yet sensitive. To me this is the man of the 21st century. That's my kind of hero, the kind I like to write about. Strong, sexy, sensitive. Of course James Bond is over the top as an action star. But what do we go to see Bond movies for? What do we read romance novels for? Escape. Men escape for the action. They can 'be' the hero for a couple of hours. I escape for the 'shirtless' moments, and the 'sensitive guy' moments--yes, and the 'sexy guy' steaminess. For whatever reasons we go to movies or read books, aren't we glad they're there for us? Life ain't a bucket of roses most days, so hurray for our little escapes, whatever they may involve. Oh, and Danial--thanks for taking off your shirt a couple of times, sweetie pie. Not that I was counting. :-)
November 5, 2012
Flight
Had the day off from our Humane Society Thrift Shop, so I went to Joplin (a 45 minute drive away) to the movies. Saw Flight. I don't know what I expected. Maybe another 'Airport.' Wrong. This was a much darker, thought provoking movie. However as a two-decade recovering alcoholic, I related. It's not a 'feel good' movie, but a movie that moves you through an addict's denial, in a life he has almost totally destroyed for himself. I won't give anything away. I'll just say Flight can be appreciated by a thinking audience. Additionally, for anyone who has never seen an AA meeting in action, especially those who may have been told 'you need help', it might be an uplifting glimpse into a world that is positive, where you can laugh at yourself, hold another person's hand who understands, and where you can find a better way to live. That, I think, is the true gift of 'Flight.
November 3, 2012
Weekend Mental Ramblings
I'm so excited, my newest cover, which is for my upcoming e-book edition of Legendary Lover, is in its final prep stages. I've added several new covers to my Renee Roszel Romance Author fan page on Facebook and on my Tumblr page and my Amazon Renee Roszel page, and I'll get them onto goodreads.com with a link to purchase as soon as they are available. Legendary Lover's cover is not up yet, but will be on Monday. I found out the cover model's name is John. Don't know his last name. The cover people probably want to save him a lot of unnecessary stalking and late night break-ins by amorous females. 'Cause he's CUTE! Well, enough about my fantasy life. I'll just say this--"Hey, John, wherever you are tonight, thanks for loaning me your great--er--chest and six-pack abs. I will try to use them wisely." :-)
Renee Roszel
Renee Roszel
November 2, 2012
Here comes the weekend!
Hi all,
I spoke with my agent today. She's still without power at her New York office and is working, as well as she can, out of her home. Seems subways are not all in operation, yet, either. Man! It's scary what Ol' Man Weather can do to us, huh? She said she'd been without power from Monday until Thurs evening. I'm sure there are many thousands still without power, so my heart goes out to all of you. And to all the hard working folks trying to get that power restored.
One good thing came out of my business day. A third of six covers is now finished, and I've posted it (along with the first two) on my Facebook Fan Page. One of these days I'll learn to link goodreads.com to Facebook. Meanwhile, if you're curious, go to Facebook, and in the search box just type "Renee Roszel Romance Author." Let me know what you think!
Have a relaxing weekend. I'll be working at my local Humane Society Thrift Shop--all Christmasy and twinkly. Anybody started their Christmas shopping yet?
Best, Renee
I spoke with my agent today. She's still without power at her New York office and is working, as well as she can, out of her home. Seems subways are not all in operation, yet, either. Man! It's scary what Ol' Man Weather can do to us, huh? She said she'd been without power from Monday until Thurs evening. I'm sure there are many thousands still without power, so my heart goes out to all of you. And to all the hard working folks trying to get that power restored.
One good thing came out of my business day. A third of six covers is now finished, and I've posted it (along with the first two) on my Facebook Fan Page. One of these days I'll learn to link goodreads.com to Facebook. Meanwhile, if you're curious, go to Facebook, and in the search box just type "Renee Roszel Romance Author." Let me know what you think!
Have a relaxing weekend. I'll be working at my local Humane Society Thrift Shop--all Christmasy and twinkly. Anybody started their Christmas shopping yet?
Best, Renee
October 30, 2012
Hurricane Sandy
Living in Oklahoma, I watch in horror at the havoc Hurricane Sandy has wreaked along the East Coast! My heart goes out to the millions without power and the families of those who lost loved ones in this epic storm! God bless.
Renee
Renee
October 27, 2012
Whoo Hoo, here I go!
It's been awhile since I've been out and about in 'book people' world. I've been very involved in volunteer work at our local Humane Society Thrift Shop, that I and some other woman began several years ago. We needed to do something to keep our little shelter open!
We started in a little 'out' building about 10 by 10 that had been on the property. Talk about tiny. Still, it was a start. Then, when the Board realized we'd actually get donations, other bigger stronger (hunky, manly) volunteers helped construct a building on Shelter property which was a little bigger than most 2 car garages.
A year and a half ago, we moved to a bigger 'downtown' store (I live in a little Oklahoma town, so 'downtown' is a relative term) and I've remained involved, working Tues, Thurs, Fri and most Saturday's. A true labor of love!
You can see my writing time has suffered! However, I did write for over 25 years ALL THE TIME, and have 40+ novels out there floating around. The good news, and why I'm blogging here, is, 6 of my books that have become very hard to find, are coming out in e-book form on Amazon and Nook. I've posted one cover, and will be adding the rest as they are developed. Next will be sample chapters of the books. It's fun to get back into the 'book people' world, though my time helping the less fortunate dogs and cats of the world won't take a back seat. Both my writing and my volunteer work are important to me. As a matter of fact, my most recent book "Sex Lies and Cellulite" included a character that volunteered in a thrift store benefiting homeless critters. We write what we know, right?
I'm excited to be starting a blog here on goodreads.com, and I hope to generate some great friendships. Once I figure out how to link this to my Facebook page, if you're interested, you can see my own, personal pets, all rescues. Otherwise, I'll get the rest of my up-coming e-book covers posted ASAP!
All best, Renee Roszel
We started in a little 'out' building about 10 by 10 that had been on the property. Talk about tiny. Still, it was a start. Then, when the Board realized we'd actually get donations, other bigger stronger (hunky, manly) volunteers helped construct a building on Shelter property which was a little bigger than most 2 car garages.
A year and a half ago, we moved to a bigger 'downtown' store (I live in a little Oklahoma town, so 'downtown' is a relative term) and I've remained involved, working Tues, Thurs, Fri and most Saturday's. A true labor of love!
You can see my writing time has suffered! However, I did write for over 25 years ALL THE TIME, and have 40+ novels out there floating around. The good news, and why I'm blogging here, is, 6 of my books that have become very hard to find, are coming out in e-book form on Amazon and Nook. I've posted one cover, and will be adding the rest as they are developed. Next will be sample chapters of the books. It's fun to get back into the 'book people' world, though my time helping the less fortunate dogs and cats of the world won't take a back seat. Both my writing and my volunteer work are important to me. As a matter of fact, my most recent book "Sex Lies and Cellulite" included a character that volunteered in a thrift store benefiting homeless critters. We write what we know, right?
I'm excited to be starting a blog here on goodreads.com, and I hope to generate some great friendships. Once I figure out how to link this to my Facebook page, if you're interested, you can see my own, personal pets, all rescues. Otherwise, I'll get the rest of my up-coming e-book covers posted ASAP!
All best, Renee Roszel
