Cait Miller's Blog: Sizzling Scribes Blog, page 3

Writing outside our genre

When Nora Roberts wanted to write a detective novel, she and her publisher decided to write under the name J.D. Robb. They figured regular readers of Ms. Roberts' romance novels wouldn't like it if they picked up her newest novel and discovered it wasn't romance, but something else entirely.

More recently, J.K. Rowling wrote a mystery and created a new name, not to see if she could sell using a different name, but to "brand" her writing. Rowling writes young adult (specifically one particular series), Robert Galbraith writes crime novels. Same person, two different names.

The point here isn't the branding, however, it's the fact that authors have many stories inside us. The genre that makes us famous isn't necessarily the genre we want to write in for the rest of our lives. In fact, most of us would tell you the story dictates the genre and sometimes we writers don't have a lot of say in the matter!

Which is why I have released a book of poetry.

Yes, you read that right: a book of poetry.

I've been reading poetry all my life. In fact, nursery rhymes are the first poems most of us learn by heart. My mom wrote poetry for special occasions - I still have the poem she wrote for my fourteenth birthday when they said yes to a school trip to New York City and my dad used to write couplets on our hard boiled eggs. I was the only kid at the table who had an egg everyone wanted to read before I cracked it!

So it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that I've been writing little pieces for years. I've never tried to publish any, however, until now. Diana's Little Book of Poems contains eighteen of my favorites and is now available for purchase!

In tribute to my mom, here's the poem I wrote about her (it's included in the collection):

Mom
I never thought much of my mother and the English language,Except to note that her grammar wasn’t good,Neither was her spelling.
But then one day as we drove past a field of wheat, she made mention of the factAnd then said,“I like to watch the wind dance across the tops.”
My mother is a poet.
(May 26, 1995)
Once you've read the poems, please consider leaving a review. Thanks and play safe!Diana

The Story Behind "Trouble in Boots"

Last summer, I was at my hairdresser's getting my hair dyed…uh, cut and styled, when I received a call from my agent. She wanted to know if I was interested in writing two novellas for Kensington Aphrodisia for upcoming anthologies—one firefighter story and one cowboy story. Such a silly question! Of course I wanted to write them.

So what to write about for the cowboy novella? Although I was born and raised in Texas, I'm far from a country gal. I know nothing about rodeos or ranching or anything to do with cattle, other than I like steak. Luckily I have a friend who used to have a lot of cattle, so I could use him as a resource.

After a conversation with my friend, I decided my hero would be a cattle rancher. I liked this idea because I think there's something very sexy about a guy on a horse. My heroine would be a waitress in the local Western bar.

Now that I had my characters, I had to come up with a way for these two to fall in love. I asked myself, what if they've secretly loved each other since high school, but circumstances have kept them apart? What if they can now be together, but different circumstances still interfere with their happiness?

The answer to those questions can be found in "Trouble in Boots" in the In a Cowboy's Bed anthology, coming July 30th from Kensington Aphrodisia.

Here's a little except from "Trouble in Boots". I hope you enjoy it.

* * *
It should be against the law for a man to look so sinful in a pair of jeans.

Keely Sheridan waited at the end of the bar for her drink order and watched Nicholas Fallon talking and laughing with the other three guys at his table. He sat with his chair half-turned toward the bar, giving her an excellent view of the enticing bulge behind his fly. The mild, late autumn temperatures meant he wore a simple T-shirt that showed off his forearms. He had the tall, lean body of a man used to physical labor. His muscles came from working on his cattle ranch, not from a gym.

She admired the way his dark brown hair curled over his ears and nape. Olive skin that came from his mother's Italian heritage, a straight nose, high cheekbones, perfect white teeth, and smoky gray eyes made him one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen.

Her heart clenched every time she saw him…as well as other, lower parts of her anatomy.

"You're staring, honey," Dolly said with humor in her voice.

"I know." Keely answered Dolly Mabery, the woman who owned Boot Scootin', without taking her gaze off Nick. "I can't help it. Nick is just so gorgeous."

"Yes, he is." Dolly placed the last bottle of beer in Keely's order on the round tray. "Why are you staring at him instead of dragging him off to your bed?"

Keely released an unladylike snort. "Yeah, right, like that's ever going to happen. Nick doesn't know I'm alive except when it's time for another beer."

"You might be surprised. I've seen him watching you while you wait on tables."

Keely studied the woman who had been her boss and second mother for the last two years. With her poofy, dyed blond hair, false eyelashes, and heavy eye makeup, she looked like a throwback to the go-go girls of the '60s.

Keely adored her.

Dolly didn't know about the one time Keely had been with Nick eleven years ago. Having loved him since her freshman year in high school, Keely took advantage of his less-than-sober state the night of their graduation and had freely given him her virginity. He'd never acknowledged what happened between them. He'd been completely wasted, so she doubted if he even remembered it.

Pushing aside the memories, Keely picked up her filled tray. "He's a guy. He's going to look at my breasts and ass every chance he gets.

"Looking can lead to more."

Keely shook her head. "Not with Nick."

She wove her way through the tables with fresh drinks, staying a few moments to chat with each customer. She knew everyone in the bar, which didn't surprise her. Unlike the restaurants along the main road through Lanville, which drew tourists, the location of Boot Scootin' on a small county road made it more of a locals' hangout. Rarely did someone come in who Keely didn't know.

She caught and held Nick's gaze as she walked toward his table. A thrill shot through her when his gaze slid down her body to her thighs and back up to her face. A crooked grin turned up the corners of his mouth.

Despite her heart pounding and her palms growing clammy, she did her best to appear calm and in control as she picked up the empty beer bottles from the table. She glanced at Kory Wilcox in time to see him looking down her scoop neck T-shirt. That didn't surprise her either. Like she'd told Dolly, a man would look if he got the chance. "You ready for another, Kory?"

He flashed her a boyish grin, one that probably made many gals tumble into his bed. Since she thought of him as nothing but a friend, it didn't affect her. "Sure."

She looked at the other two men at the table. "Ready for another?"

They both nodded, which left only Nick to place an order. She faced him, her tray propped on one hip. "How about you, Nick? Want another cold one?"

He slouched a little more in his chair, hooked his hands together at his belt. His movement drew her attention to his fly again. The bulge appeared bigger than it had a few minutes ago.

"Yeah," he said in a low, husky voice. "I want another."

* * *
In a Cowboy's Bed available July 30th in ebook and print. More information on my website.

http://www.lynnlafleur.com/cowboys_bed.htm

Books...and A Clean House

When I’m planning a trip, big or small, two things loom large in my mind: When do I clean my house? And what am I going to read?
These are seriously the two most important items as I prepare.
I have to time the cleaning so everything is bright and sparkly when I leave (so I can’t clean too early) but I also have to make sure I have enough time to clean everything. 
The week before a major trip usually sounds like this in my head...
“On Monday, I’ll pick up the living room. Tuesday, I’ll do all my laundry, Wednesday I’ll vacuum the house and Thursday, I’ll clean the bathroom and the kitchen.”
I love the feeling of coming home to a clean house...though with my normal state of untidiness, I sometimes feel like I’ve come home and my house as been robbed (what happened to all my clutter?!).
My second focus is what I’m going to take to read on my trip. I’m planning a two-week trip to Scotland here soon. I’ll be traveling with my iPad-mini to read and good old pen-and-paper if I feel the need to right. 
I'll be staying at a house with no wi-fi and I cannot, cannot, run out of things to read (it's happened and it's not pretty).  I need to load up my iPad with plenty of books. And yes, I’ll be carrying a paperback as well (take offs and landings) but still, I want to be prepared.
So, any recommendations for what I should take with me? I like steamy books but it’s not a necessity. Primarily romance (m/f or m/f/m or m/m/f or m/m) but I’m open to a good thriller now and then.  
Let me know what you think would make a great summer traveling read!
~Tielle

BOC Beach BBQ 2013

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the third annual Book Obsessed Chicks beach BBQ. It was held at Lido Beach on Long Island. After all the stormy weather we've been having in this area, it was a blessing the day was so beautiful. This event was created by a group of phenomenal readers and authors who love to get together and enjoy life and reading is a big part of it. Last year I met a wonderful woman named Carol. She bought one of my Cursed MacKinnon's series books then went home and bought the rest so she could read them from beginning to end. She made my day yesterday by telling me she loved the series and wanted to know where the rest of it was. Oh lordy, I wish I wrote faster. LOL.  It's readers like her that make me feel good about what I do. Readers are why every author writes. I used to say I did it to keep me sane, to let the voices out of my head. This is still true but I've learned so much more over the years. It's women like Carol who push me to continue creating imaginary worlds filled with Hot, Sexy Men and romance. A huge THANK YOU goes out to all the readers out there.
 Here's a picture of me and Kim who is the creator of Book Obsessed Chicks & runs the BBQ.
 You can't have a BBQ without Hot, Sexy men running the Grill. The guys were awesome cooks.
Here's a picture of my BFF C.H. Admirand and Jennifer. Colleen was the DD so I got to drink Sangria. Gotta love the BFF.  Did I ever tell ya'll she's the reason I'm published in the first place? LOVE, LOVE LOVE C.H. Admirand. It's through her I met Kim and the BOC gang.
Each year they also have a great big Tricky Tray kind of event where you buy tickets and pick which baskets you want to win and place your ticket in the bag next to the basket and hope your ticket is picked. It's so much fun. The money goes to a charity of BOC's choosing. These ladies are great at raising money for different causes. :)  I got lucky and won Bianca D'Arc's basket. Can't wait to read the books that were in it.
As ya'll can see, fun was had by all! Hoping to be invited back next year.
Tara Nina
 

It's Summer!

And the living is. . .busy! I'm hoping it will get even busier with more writing and less running. As a teacher, a mom of three busy girls, and an active volunteer, I run a lot during the school year. My calendar is packed all school year long so I get very little writing done.

Last summer I wrote SON OF A PREACHER MAN, which was released in May. My goal for this summer is to finish CAT SCRATCH FEVER and write another story that has been brewing in the back of my mind for a while. Whether or not that happens is anyone's guess, but I'm going to try my hardest.

Part of my problem is, I'm my own worst enemy. I do my best writing in the mornings, but that's also when I get the most work done around the house or in the garden. And then there's always the errands that need to be run or children who just HAVE to be taken somewhere, fed something, or need to talk. If I could learn to write at night when everything is done and the kids are asleep, I bet I could get a lot more written. It would probably suck, but I'd have a lot of words on a page!

I think we all have our "optimal" times for working, or at least when we're the most on the ball. What about you? What's your best time? Do you have a job where you work at your worst time? How do you manage it?

Aaaand relax...

This weekend I am learning the art of forced relaxation. I've joined my parents on their boat on the Lancaster canal. For those who have never been on a canal boat before they only go a maximum of four miles per hour which means it takes HOURS to get anywhere. You have no choice but to sit back and relax. To add to this, there is no TV, no internet and in fact very little electricity. So no charging your phone up every few hours either. It's been 24 hours and so far I'm a little twitchy but haven't lost my mind yet. Even though I discovered yesterday my new book released ahead of schedule. So promo has been...difficult.
On the positive side, I've had no choice but to relax. I'll be posting pics to facebook and twitter of our trip over the next few days so if you want to follow along you can. In the meantime, tell me whether this is your idea of heaven or hell. What do you do to relax?

P.S. Please buy my new book Unconventional Romance about two hot cover models behaving badly with each other in a hotel full of women. Available now from Ellora's Cave

Restless

Restless.
That’s the perfect word to describe me these past few days.
I can’t sit still. My hands are always looking for something to do. I wander around the house only to end up exactly where I started.
I have a dozen things that need doing and not one that I want to do. Usually I suck it up and just go do it because the chore ain’t goin’ anywhere.
But once in a while, I just get, well, restless.
Shopping sometimes helps. So does taking a ride around one of the lakes (There are ten Finger Lakes. Can you name them? Bonus points for adding in the five Great Lakes. First one to list all fifteen (correctly) in the comments wins a free download of Remembered Love – a short story I’ll be re-releasing soon).
But what mostly helps when I get in this mood? Reading a good book. Read one yesterday and one today. Both romances, one new, one old. Have to admit, I liked the new one better, even though the old one was still pretty good.  The new one was Lorraine Heath’s Lord of Wicked Intentions. Yes, I’m a sucker for a good Regency. Wouldn’t ever write one, myself. I’d goof up some piece of etiquette and the Regency readers would hand me my head. Minus the platter. I’ll stick with reading them.
And the old one – Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I’d read it about ten years ago or so, but it was on my Nexus (free download from Kindle) and I was out of other reading material—and still restless. A good read and I love Anne Elliot. Too much of the story is told, however, not shown and I wanted to watch (and hear) dialogue, not be told about it.
So how about you? What do you do when you can’t seem to settle down and the chores are a chore to do? What settles your restlessness?
Play safe!
Diana

Series: Love Them or Hate Them?

I've written five series so far, plus a collection of books which takes place in my fictional town of Lanville, Texas. I have more series planned for the future, and more books that will take place in Lanville. I love revisiting my characters, letting my readers know what those characters are doing ever since they received a happy ending in their own books. A series lets me do that.

I enjoy reading series for the reason I mentioned above—so I can find out what some of my favorite characters are doing once their book reaches the end. I received so many wonderful emails and comments about my Men With Tools series from readers wanting more of my hunky Coleman triplets. I've incorporated Rye, Dax and Griff into the firefighter books I'm writing now for Kensington Aphrodisia. You'll find out more about them, plus other characters who live in Lanville, in my upcoming books.

How about you? Do you enjoy reading series, or would you rather the book and characters wrap up in one volume? I'd love your opinion.

Lynn

Find out more about all my series by visiting the series page on my website:

http://www.lynnlafleur.com/lafleur_books_series.htm

The Sizzling Scribes and the SWEET SPOT SERIES

Today I had a different blog subject planned but immediately changed my idea once I sat down with the computer. Today I would like to give a shout out to my Scribes sistas! We are a group of seven who have been together for quite some times. I’ve written about these six fine ladies before, but I guess today I’m just really feeling the love again. LOLI thank god for writing. It was creative genes and love of books that brought the Sizzling Scribes together, but after all these years it has become only one of the things that KEEPS us together. We’ve grown as a simple generic clutch of friends to something amazing. We’ve tested the waters of friendship and watched that rapport explode to an all-encompassing trust and respect for each other. At one time it was only books we spoke about, now it is daily emails and phone calls. We share emotions of the ups and downs of everyday living, the joy of the birth of grandchildren, the frightening dark days of cancer and the bright days of remission. We share a bond that is special because it involves seven unique personalities. Lynn, Diana, Tara, Ari, Tielle, Cait and myself. We’re sort of like the recent lottery, a 1 in 175 million chance that we could happen!  I’m thankful that we did. What can you say when you understand on a deep level your life is better because these six woman are a part of your daily existence?

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let’s talk SERIES! If you haven’t had a chance to pick up the Sweet Spot Series you really need to do so. Just a quick catch up: the series was developed by the seven Sizzling Scribes and takes place in the imaginary town of Port Clef on the east coast. Each book is unique in genre and main characters, but you will revisit the secondary characters in every sexy hot self-published story! To read about each story you can visit our shared SIZZLING SCRIBEwebsite!My addition to the series is called SUNDAY LOVE. It’s my second gay romance, which I discovered I really enjoyed writing. Tony and Jake….ahhhhh, two hunks meant to be together. So hope you have a chance to read the books!

Have a great week and one more cyber hug to my sistas!Ruby

Happy Mother's Day!

Good Morning to everyone on this wonderful Mother's Day!
Some consider this to simply be a Hallmark holiday, another reason to spend money on a card.
But really and truthfully its not the card that matters. It's the time spent with each other. I love my
kids even though they are the reason I have gray hair and lose sleep some nights. All in all, they've
turned out to be decent semi-adults. Not sure how we managed to accomplish that feat but damn glad it
happened.
The only thing I'd like for Mother's day is time with my kids. Since they've shifted into this semi-adult stage, our schedules have kept us apart. I'm hoping to spend the day with my feet in the garden dirt, planting my veggies for the season with my kids helping. I plan to hold them to the fact they said they were cooking me dinner. Yippie! Gotta make sure that includes them cleaning up afterwards. LOL.
How are you hoping to send your Mother's Day? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear how everyone plans to celebrate Motherhood.

As a little side note:
This past month I was at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention in Kansas City. I'm sharing a few pictures here of  the fun I had while meeting some wonderful people.
EC's Cavemen   Jose & Ramrod Disco Down I was lucky enough to be seated at the giant bookfair event between two awesome writers. Erin Nichols on the left and Brenda Novak on the right. Brenda Novak started the Diabetes auction event several years ago and has raised a ton of money. So let's continue the fight and go to the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction site for a little bidding fun.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Mother's Day!
Tara Nina