Kaylee Baldwin's Blog, page 9
November 29, 2012
Six Days of Christmas
My story in All I Want is called Six Days of Christmas. It's a little over 100 pages and it was a ton of fun to write. I've never written a comedy before. All of my writing is usually so serious--but my husband challenged me to avoid any issues that were too heavy--and instead focus on making people smile.
I took his challenge and I was the one who smiled the whole way through writing it.
Here's the long blurb for my story (the one that wouldn't fit on the back of the book!):
Natalie Ekins is on the pathway to success. She’s dating a gorgeous lawyer who’s up for a promotion, has a fabulous internship at Alderman Ad Agency, and her boss just gave her the opportunity to turn her dream internship into her dream job. Just make a killer ad for a new children’s toy and the job is hers. The only problem is that Natalie doesn’t know anything about kids. Or toys.
When Natalie’s best friend, Janessa, invites her to come home for Christmas, Natalie accepts, hoping that she’ll have ample quiet time to work on her ad. She doesn’t anticipate the over-the-top Christmas wonderland at her friend’s house, the Six Days of Christmas Tradition that is taking up way too much time, and grandchildren who invade her space and somehow seem to be multiplying.
And she definitely doesn’t expect Jimmy, her best friend’s brother. Although she can’t help but notice how well Jimmy’s grown into himself, he’s as infuriating as ever: teasing her, daring her, distracting her… Natalie has to stay focused on finishing her ad and reminding herself that she and her boyfriend are the perfect fit, especially with Jimmy making her question what she really wants.
I want to share the first chapter with you here... I hope you enjoy :)
Natalie Ekins flicked one of the bright colored Magneto Blocks she had spread across the floor. How could so much of her future depend on a toy? A pretty lame toy, actually. She stacked a few of them together, alternating red, green, red, green and racked her brain for an idea. This was what she was going to school for, what this whole internship at Alderman Ad Agency had been about. This was her chance to get her dream job, and it was about to get blown because she knew nothing about children.“I need that contract emailed to me in the next fifteen minutes if it’s going to make a difference,” Natalie’s boyfriend, Grant Leaver, said from where he sat at her kitchen table. Natalie stopped playing with the blocks so she could watch Grant talk on the phone. He still wore his suit from work, but he’d draped his suit coat on the back of her couch and loosened his tie. She’d met Grant almost six months before at a company party—just weeks after starting her internship—and they’d hit it off right away. He was one of the ad agency’s lawyers and was the only person she knew who was as driven as her. “Save me, please?” Natalie pled after he hung up his cell phone with a terse goodbye.Grant tore his gaze from his computer for a second, a black eyebrow raised against his olive forehead. “The Nat I know can save herself.”“Yes, but look at this. Toys.”“And…” “And, I don’t know anything about kids! How am I supposed to win this thing if I can’t even figure out why this product would appeal to someone?”“You’ll figure something out.”Natalie ran her fingers through her blonde hair with a sigh. She’d think of something—but would it be better than what anyone else thought of? There were five other interns vying for a full time job after graduation in six months, and only one position. Robert Billings, her boss, had designed a contest using a new product from one of their clients. They were to take the product, come up with an ad campaign, and turn in their idea before the end of the year. Whoever had the best ad got a full-time job with Alderman after completing grad school in the spring. Since Natalie got hired on, she’d been dying for a chance to work with Fantastique—Alderman’s number one client that dealt in make-up, perfume, and hair product. She’d even come up with several sexy ideas for their new cosmetic line: Luminescence. Instead, Billings called a meeting, explained the competition, and handed out a bag of blocks. How in the world would Natalie make blocks appealing to anyone? They were the last toy she’d ever want to play with. At least give her a doll or a play make-up set. That, she could work with. Now, unless she could come up with a killer idea to sell Magneto Blocks, she’d never get on the Fantasique team. “I need to brainstorm.” Natalie stood and walked to the kitchen, giving Grant a peck on the cheek before grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. “Blocks. Kids play with blocks. They stack. Bright colors. These ones have magnets on them. Why? So they stick together better? What about that feature makes it more appealing to children?”She looked at Grant for an answer, but he’d already returned his attention back to whatever he was working on. “Grant.”“Hmmm?” He angled his head as if to show he was listening, but his fingers still kept tapping over the keys.“The toy? Brainstorming here?” Grant mumbled something unintelligible, then snagged his phone before it even finished its first ring. “I still haven’t received the Archer contract,” he barked, his complete attention back on the computer.Natalie sighed. Grant’s dedication to his work was one of the things that she liked most about him. Two driven people in a driven relationship. Together, they were going places. With him, she knew she’d never be carted around the world on humanitarian trips, uprooted every few months, always hoping there was enough money to live off of. No, with Grant she was stable. Secure. Successful.Jingle bells jangled against the door as Janessa, Natalie’s roommate, walked into their apartment. “Brrr. It’s cold out there!” she exclaimed, shutting the door loudly behind her. Grant shot Janessa a glare and pointed to the phone at his ear. Client, he mouthed, obviously annoyed.“Sorry,” she said. Not, she mouthed to Natalie as she unwound the knitted scarf from around her neck. Janessa’s long brown hair lifted with static that she tried unsuccessfully to smooth down.“Be good, please,” Natalie begged quietly. Over and over she’d heard that Grant was arrogant and self-absorbed, and Janessa was flaky and immature. Nothing she said so far could convince the other that they were both awesome people. At this point, Grant and Janessa barely tolerated each other for Natalie’s sake, but she was willing to take what she could get.“What’s all this?” Janessa plopped herself beside Natalie on the couch and rooted around the cushions for the television remote control.“Work. Some dumb contest that I have to win or I lose everything I’ve worked for.”“Yikes.”“Exactly. At least I’ll have something to work on for the next couple of weeks.”Janessa put the television on mute. “Aren’t you spending Christmas break with your parents?”“They bailed again.” Natalie batted her blue eyes and held her hands under her chin. “‘We can’t leave all these children, Natalie. They need us,’” she mimicked her mother’s saccharine, sweet voice.“So wrong. I know you’re anti-travel and all, but can’t you fly down there for a few days?”“Nope. My passport expired. So my parents and the children of the Honduran orphanage are just going to have Christmas without me. It’s really not a big deal. I’m used to it.”“Still sucks.”Natalie sank down beside her blocks with a shrug. “I’m honestly not all that into Christmas anyway. I deal with enough commercialism at work.”Janessa sat up suddenly, her feet knocking down one of Natalie’s block towers. Natalie noted that the tower mostly stayed together after falling. Another selling point? Can accidentally get knocked over, but won’t destroy all of your hard work. She grabbed her notebook to write that down. “Oh!” Janessa grabbed Natalie’s shoulder. “I have the best idea. You have to say yes.” “She doesn’t have to ‘say yes’ to anything, Janessa,” Grant said. Fire lit Janessa’s gaze and she sat up straighter. “Mind your own business, Grant.” “Maybe if you weren’t so pushy all the time.” “Oh, that’s hilarious, Nat. Did you hear that? Grant Leaver just called me pushy.” Natalie rolled her eyes to the sky and prayed for patience. “Guys, stop. This is ridiculous.” She pointed at Janessa—who already had an open mouth and a battle-ready posture. “And don’t say he started it. Please, just try to get along.”“Okay.” Janessa took a deep breath and pointedly turned her back on Grant. “As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, I have the best idea ever.”“Ever?”“Grant, shut it.” Natalie threw him a stern look. This was really getting ridiculous. Natalie usually hung out at Grant’s apartment, but his roommate was having his parents over for dinner and neither of them wanted to be there for that. Luckily Grant’s phone rang again and he was too distracted to mock Janessa anymore. “So my mom called today. She’s kind of upset because Jimmy just told her that he’s not coming home for Christmas this year.”“Where’s Jimmy going to be?” Jimmy was Janessa’s younger brother by a couple of years. They’d all hung out in high school—or at least Janessa and Natalie hung out while Jimmy got his kicks out of annoying the girls in any way possible.“His girlfriend’s parents.” Janessa made a sour face.“Is he still with the girl that speaks like everything is a question?”“Uptalk Girl? Yes. I don’t know how Jimmy can stand it. ‘I love your shirt? I’m hungry? I want to have your babies?’” Janessa fluttered her eyelashes.Natalie knew she shouldn’t laugh at this poor girl, but couldn’t help it. She’d never met Jimmy’s girlfriend—in fact it had been years since she’d even seen Jimmy. But Janessa always liked to give Natalie updates on what he was up to when she got back from visiting Phoenix to see her mom. Natalie’s parents had sold their home in Phoenix after she’d graduated from high school so they could travel the world freely for humanitarian efforts.“Anyway, Jimmy’s not coming, and without him, I’m going to be home all alone with the newlyweds.” “Oh, no. Are your mom and Stan all icky-lovey-dovey?”“No, thank heavens. But he’s weird, and I need a buffer. And that’s where my great idea comes in.”Natalie shook her head before Janessa could finish. She knew where this was going. “Not happening.”“Please, Natalie. Come home with me for Christmas. I promise that we’ll have way more fun than you’ll have here by yourself.”“I have Grant.”“Grant’s probably working anyway. And my mom’s house is only a three hour drive from here. He can come down and stay for a few days, too.”Natalie laughed. “You must be desperate if you’re inviting Grant.”“I’m totally desperate. I should have thought of this sooner. You, Natalie, have the power to save my Christmas. Having you come home with me would be like my own personal Christmas miracle.”Should she go home with Janessa? Natalie picked up one of the colorful blocks while she debated and ran her thumb across the smooth edge. These things were pretty heavy. If she threw one at the window, there was a good chance it would break. Maybe she should write that down in her notebook, except it wasn’t really a selling point. “Please.”Focus. Janessa’s house. It could be fun. She’d always loved Janessa’s mom. And Grant did just mention that he’d picked up another client and he’d be working overtime for the next few months, which meant a lot more nights of sitting together on the couch, each on their own computer, working. She liked it that way, really, but could admit that it was a little lonely sometimes. He could come down for Christmas day. She knew he wouldn’t be thrilled about it, but he’d do it for her. And maybe a change of scenery was just what she needed in order to come up with a winning idea.“Who am I to deny you of your Christmas miracle?” The last of her words were lost in Janessa’s squeal-and-tackle-hug that took Natalie down onto her pile of blocks. “I have to make sure that I get a lot of time to work on my ad campaign. This is really important for me to win.”“You will, you will, I promise. You’ll see. This is going to be the best Christmas ever!”Natalie rolled away from the blocks digging into her back. Really sharp edges. Maybe she should write that down. Janessa pulled out her phone to text her mom while Natalie wrote down her latest observation of the awful blocks. Unfortunately, those blocks were her ticket to a successful life.She didn’t care about having the best Christmas ever. She only cared about making sure she came up with the winning ad and turned her dream internship into her dream job. * Natalie dragged her large suitcase behind her and hiked her duffel bag higher on her shoulder as she knocked on the Janessa’s mom’s front door. The bright red and green sparkle Christmas wreath was only a minor dab on the gaudy Christmas painting of Janessa’s mom’s house. Natalie was pretty sure she’d seen their lit up house from over a mile away as that faint glow that lit up the dusky sky. Stan must have had an unhealthy affinity for Christmas decorations because Janessa’s house had never been so…festive. A full size sleigh with nine reindeer sat on the roof. Colorful, twinkling Christmas lights covered nearly every available square inch of house—roof, wall, porch, and even the walkway that led to the street. On one side of the yard, a functioning train with a nutcracker conductor circled elves, Santa, and other Christmas themed blow-up decorations. And on the other side—oh, no that was just wrong. Nestled in bales of hay they’d set up a nativity, and in place of baby Jesus in the manger was a baby Santa. Wearing a baby Santa suit. Okay, baby Santa was actually kind of cute, with his plump, rosy cheeks, the tiny Santa clothes, and someone had even painted a loveable little sparkle in his right eye, but still. Wrong in so many, many ways. The wreath jingled and jangled, and a shower of glitter fell to the “Welcome to our Ho-Ho-Home” welcome mat when Janessa’s mom answered the door. “Natalie!” Janessa’s mom pulled her into a Janessa-type suffocating hug that managed to make Natalie feel both unable to breathe and extremely welcome all at the same time. Janessa’s mom rocked with her side to side and said, “I am so glad you could make it.” “Thanks for having me, Mrs. Clouse.”“I’ve told you again and again to call me Anne,” Janessa’s mom said.“I know. Thank you, Anne.” The name felt awkward coming from Natalie’s mouth.Anne laughed and took Natalie’s duffel bag before leading her into the cinnamon-scented house. “Seriously, my name is not a four-letter word. Actually, it does have four letters, but you know what I mean. You don’t have to do that little choke thing every time you say it.”Ah, Janessa’s family. Always so honest. It just wasn’t in them to politely pretend they didn’t notice other people’s awkward moments. Jimmy had always been the worst at remembering every, little embarrassing thing. One bright spot of him not being there for the holidays was that she’d get a reprieve of reliving The Underwear Incident of senior year. Natalie had a feeling that Jimmy was never going to let her live that one down. She’d just as soon forget that she’d ever been that socially awkward teen who traveled so much she only had two good friends: Janessa and Jimmy.“Janessa had to run to the store real quick, but she should be home any minute now.” Anne led Natalie down the hallway. “Stan’s in the kitchen starting dinner, so after you get settled come on down and meet him.”“Okay.”Anne opened a bedroom door and threw Natalie’s bag onto the floor next to a dusty weight set. “I’m going to have you stay in Jimmy’s old room for a few nights. You and Janessa will probably have to bunk up together once Stan’s kids get here, but at least you can have your own bed for a few days.”Natalie looked around the room after Anne left, remembering the fun Janessa, Jimmy, and Natalie had when they were younger. Stan’s Christmas love hadn’t reached this room, so it still looked the same as Natalie remembered—even though she hadn’t been in here in almost three years. Blue plaid bedspread. Bookshelf filled with sci-fi and fantasy novels. A picture of Jimmy and Janessa together on her graduation night exactly how Natalie remembered him: over a head taller than Janessa, mostly knees and elbows, long-ish brown hair, thick glasses, and his trademark mischievous smile that always seemed to be daring Natalie to do something that would get her into trouble. Natalie washed her hands in Jimmy’s bathroom after pulling the clothes out of her bag that she didn’t want getting wrinkled. She stared intently in the bathroom mirror when she spotted something. Wait, was that…? There was no way she was this lucky. Yes, her parents had abandoned her right at Christmastime and she’d fallen into some sort of Christmas-themed rabbit hole, but this might make up for everything. She crouched down beside the toilet and retrieved the bikini waxing kit she’d spotted. He’d been a swimmer in high school, but he would never talk shaving with the girls. Now she had proof. And did he still swim, or why the heck was he waxing? She did not want to know, but he deserved the teasing she was going to dish.Except he wasn’t coming home for Christmas, and she didn’t know when their paths might cross again. She picked up the box anyway and put it into her suitcase. She was so getting the address of where he was staying for Christmas to send this to him. Maybe he’d even open it in front of his girlfriend.That would teach him to keep his mouth shut the next time she saw him. Move over, Underwear Incident. Bikini Wax was moving in. Natalie didn’t even realize she was humming a Christmas tune until a painfully tall and even painfully thinner man in a Santa Clause sweater began to sing along with a surprisingly deep baritone voice. “And saints, and saints, and angels sing,” he finished with a low note that should not have been possible outside of a tuba. Natalie clapped as he took a bow. “Stan Clouse,” he said, extending his hand. “And you must be Natalie.” “I am. Nice to meet you.” “I’m glad you could come here for Christmas. It’s kind of a big deal for me, so I want to make sure that we include any Christmas traditions that you’re used to. I love hearing about what other people do and adding other’s traditions to our own.” Natalie nodded and followed Stan into the kitchen. “Um, thanks. We never really did much for Christmas, though.” Stan stopped in his tracks. “Nothing?”Natalie shrugged, feeling like she’d said something wrong. “We traveled a lot when I had breaks from school. My parents usually remember to get me a gift,” her words faded.“Okay. Wow.” Stan shook his head and let out a deep breath. “You’re in the right place. We’re going to show you how Christmas should be done.”Natalie followed him into the kitchen for dinner, taking in the kitschy Christmas decorations filling every available nook and counter space, a leaf-and-bulb-filled garland wrapping around the banister and doorways, and way too many cowboy-themed Santa figurines for any one family, and suddenly Stan’s promise felt more like a threat.
I took his challenge and I was the one who smiled the whole way through writing it.
Here's the long blurb for my story (the one that wouldn't fit on the back of the book!):
Natalie Ekins is on the pathway to success. She’s dating a gorgeous lawyer who’s up for a promotion, has a fabulous internship at Alderman Ad Agency, and her boss just gave her the opportunity to turn her dream internship into her dream job. Just make a killer ad for a new children’s toy and the job is hers. The only problem is that Natalie doesn’t know anything about kids. Or toys.
When Natalie’s best friend, Janessa, invites her to come home for Christmas, Natalie accepts, hoping that she’ll have ample quiet time to work on her ad. She doesn’t anticipate the over-the-top Christmas wonderland at her friend’s house, the Six Days of Christmas Tradition that is taking up way too much time, and grandchildren who invade her space and somehow seem to be multiplying.
And she definitely doesn’t expect Jimmy, her best friend’s brother. Although she can’t help but notice how well Jimmy’s grown into himself, he’s as infuriating as ever: teasing her, daring her, distracting her… Natalie has to stay focused on finishing her ad and reminding herself that she and her boyfriend are the perfect fit, especially with Jimmy making her question what she really wants.
I want to share the first chapter with you here... I hope you enjoy :)
Natalie Ekins flicked one of the bright colored Magneto Blocks she had spread across the floor. How could so much of her future depend on a toy? A pretty lame toy, actually. She stacked a few of them together, alternating red, green, red, green and racked her brain for an idea. This was what she was going to school for, what this whole internship at Alderman Ad Agency had been about. This was her chance to get her dream job, and it was about to get blown because she knew nothing about children.“I need that contract emailed to me in the next fifteen minutes if it’s going to make a difference,” Natalie’s boyfriend, Grant Leaver, said from where he sat at her kitchen table. Natalie stopped playing with the blocks so she could watch Grant talk on the phone. He still wore his suit from work, but he’d draped his suit coat on the back of her couch and loosened his tie. She’d met Grant almost six months before at a company party—just weeks after starting her internship—and they’d hit it off right away. He was one of the ad agency’s lawyers and was the only person she knew who was as driven as her. “Save me, please?” Natalie pled after he hung up his cell phone with a terse goodbye.Grant tore his gaze from his computer for a second, a black eyebrow raised against his olive forehead. “The Nat I know can save herself.”“Yes, but look at this. Toys.”“And…” “And, I don’t know anything about kids! How am I supposed to win this thing if I can’t even figure out why this product would appeal to someone?”“You’ll figure something out.”Natalie ran her fingers through her blonde hair with a sigh. She’d think of something—but would it be better than what anyone else thought of? There were five other interns vying for a full time job after graduation in six months, and only one position. Robert Billings, her boss, had designed a contest using a new product from one of their clients. They were to take the product, come up with an ad campaign, and turn in their idea before the end of the year. Whoever had the best ad got a full-time job with Alderman after completing grad school in the spring. Since Natalie got hired on, she’d been dying for a chance to work with Fantastique—Alderman’s number one client that dealt in make-up, perfume, and hair product. She’d even come up with several sexy ideas for their new cosmetic line: Luminescence. Instead, Billings called a meeting, explained the competition, and handed out a bag of blocks. How in the world would Natalie make blocks appealing to anyone? They were the last toy she’d ever want to play with. At least give her a doll or a play make-up set. That, she could work with. Now, unless she could come up with a killer idea to sell Magneto Blocks, she’d never get on the Fantasique team. “I need to brainstorm.” Natalie stood and walked to the kitchen, giving Grant a peck on the cheek before grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. “Blocks. Kids play with blocks. They stack. Bright colors. These ones have magnets on them. Why? So they stick together better? What about that feature makes it more appealing to children?”She looked at Grant for an answer, but he’d already returned his attention back to whatever he was working on. “Grant.”“Hmmm?” He angled his head as if to show he was listening, but his fingers still kept tapping over the keys.“The toy? Brainstorming here?” Grant mumbled something unintelligible, then snagged his phone before it even finished its first ring. “I still haven’t received the Archer contract,” he barked, his complete attention back on the computer.Natalie sighed. Grant’s dedication to his work was one of the things that she liked most about him. Two driven people in a driven relationship. Together, they were going places. With him, she knew she’d never be carted around the world on humanitarian trips, uprooted every few months, always hoping there was enough money to live off of. No, with Grant she was stable. Secure. Successful.Jingle bells jangled against the door as Janessa, Natalie’s roommate, walked into their apartment. “Brrr. It’s cold out there!” she exclaimed, shutting the door loudly behind her. Grant shot Janessa a glare and pointed to the phone at his ear. Client, he mouthed, obviously annoyed.“Sorry,” she said. Not, she mouthed to Natalie as she unwound the knitted scarf from around her neck. Janessa’s long brown hair lifted with static that she tried unsuccessfully to smooth down.“Be good, please,” Natalie begged quietly. Over and over she’d heard that Grant was arrogant and self-absorbed, and Janessa was flaky and immature. Nothing she said so far could convince the other that they were both awesome people. At this point, Grant and Janessa barely tolerated each other for Natalie’s sake, but she was willing to take what she could get.“What’s all this?” Janessa plopped herself beside Natalie on the couch and rooted around the cushions for the television remote control.“Work. Some dumb contest that I have to win or I lose everything I’ve worked for.”“Yikes.”“Exactly. At least I’ll have something to work on for the next couple of weeks.”Janessa put the television on mute. “Aren’t you spending Christmas break with your parents?”“They bailed again.” Natalie batted her blue eyes and held her hands under her chin. “‘We can’t leave all these children, Natalie. They need us,’” she mimicked her mother’s saccharine, sweet voice.“So wrong. I know you’re anti-travel and all, but can’t you fly down there for a few days?”“Nope. My passport expired. So my parents and the children of the Honduran orphanage are just going to have Christmas without me. It’s really not a big deal. I’m used to it.”“Still sucks.”Natalie sank down beside her blocks with a shrug. “I’m honestly not all that into Christmas anyway. I deal with enough commercialism at work.”Janessa sat up suddenly, her feet knocking down one of Natalie’s block towers. Natalie noted that the tower mostly stayed together after falling. Another selling point? Can accidentally get knocked over, but won’t destroy all of your hard work. She grabbed her notebook to write that down. “Oh!” Janessa grabbed Natalie’s shoulder. “I have the best idea. You have to say yes.” “She doesn’t have to ‘say yes’ to anything, Janessa,” Grant said. Fire lit Janessa’s gaze and she sat up straighter. “Mind your own business, Grant.” “Maybe if you weren’t so pushy all the time.” “Oh, that’s hilarious, Nat. Did you hear that? Grant Leaver just called me pushy.” Natalie rolled her eyes to the sky and prayed for patience. “Guys, stop. This is ridiculous.” She pointed at Janessa—who already had an open mouth and a battle-ready posture. “And don’t say he started it. Please, just try to get along.”“Okay.” Janessa took a deep breath and pointedly turned her back on Grant. “As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, I have the best idea ever.”“Ever?”“Grant, shut it.” Natalie threw him a stern look. This was really getting ridiculous. Natalie usually hung out at Grant’s apartment, but his roommate was having his parents over for dinner and neither of them wanted to be there for that. Luckily Grant’s phone rang again and he was too distracted to mock Janessa anymore. “So my mom called today. She’s kind of upset because Jimmy just told her that he’s not coming home for Christmas this year.”“Where’s Jimmy going to be?” Jimmy was Janessa’s younger brother by a couple of years. They’d all hung out in high school—or at least Janessa and Natalie hung out while Jimmy got his kicks out of annoying the girls in any way possible.“His girlfriend’s parents.” Janessa made a sour face.“Is he still with the girl that speaks like everything is a question?”“Uptalk Girl? Yes. I don’t know how Jimmy can stand it. ‘I love your shirt? I’m hungry? I want to have your babies?’” Janessa fluttered her eyelashes.Natalie knew she shouldn’t laugh at this poor girl, but couldn’t help it. She’d never met Jimmy’s girlfriend—in fact it had been years since she’d even seen Jimmy. But Janessa always liked to give Natalie updates on what he was up to when she got back from visiting Phoenix to see her mom. Natalie’s parents had sold their home in Phoenix after she’d graduated from high school so they could travel the world freely for humanitarian efforts.“Anyway, Jimmy’s not coming, and without him, I’m going to be home all alone with the newlyweds.” “Oh, no. Are your mom and Stan all icky-lovey-dovey?”“No, thank heavens. But he’s weird, and I need a buffer. And that’s where my great idea comes in.”Natalie shook her head before Janessa could finish. She knew where this was going. “Not happening.”“Please, Natalie. Come home with me for Christmas. I promise that we’ll have way more fun than you’ll have here by yourself.”“I have Grant.”“Grant’s probably working anyway. And my mom’s house is only a three hour drive from here. He can come down and stay for a few days, too.”Natalie laughed. “You must be desperate if you’re inviting Grant.”“I’m totally desperate. I should have thought of this sooner. You, Natalie, have the power to save my Christmas. Having you come home with me would be like my own personal Christmas miracle.”Should she go home with Janessa? Natalie picked up one of the colorful blocks while she debated and ran her thumb across the smooth edge. These things were pretty heavy. If she threw one at the window, there was a good chance it would break. Maybe she should write that down in her notebook, except it wasn’t really a selling point. “Please.”Focus. Janessa’s house. It could be fun. She’d always loved Janessa’s mom. And Grant did just mention that he’d picked up another client and he’d be working overtime for the next few months, which meant a lot more nights of sitting together on the couch, each on their own computer, working. She liked it that way, really, but could admit that it was a little lonely sometimes. He could come down for Christmas day. She knew he wouldn’t be thrilled about it, but he’d do it for her. And maybe a change of scenery was just what she needed in order to come up with a winning idea.“Who am I to deny you of your Christmas miracle?” The last of her words were lost in Janessa’s squeal-and-tackle-hug that took Natalie down onto her pile of blocks. “I have to make sure that I get a lot of time to work on my ad campaign. This is really important for me to win.”“You will, you will, I promise. You’ll see. This is going to be the best Christmas ever!”Natalie rolled away from the blocks digging into her back. Really sharp edges. Maybe she should write that down. Janessa pulled out her phone to text her mom while Natalie wrote down her latest observation of the awful blocks. Unfortunately, those blocks were her ticket to a successful life.She didn’t care about having the best Christmas ever. She only cared about making sure she came up with the winning ad and turned her dream internship into her dream job. * Natalie dragged her large suitcase behind her and hiked her duffel bag higher on her shoulder as she knocked on the Janessa’s mom’s front door. The bright red and green sparkle Christmas wreath was only a minor dab on the gaudy Christmas painting of Janessa’s mom’s house. Natalie was pretty sure she’d seen their lit up house from over a mile away as that faint glow that lit up the dusky sky. Stan must have had an unhealthy affinity for Christmas decorations because Janessa’s house had never been so…festive. A full size sleigh with nine reindeer sat on the roof. Colorful, twinkling Christmas lights covered nearly every available square inch of house—roof, wall, porch, and even the walkway that led to the street. On one side of the yard, a functioning train with a nutcracker conductor circled elves, Santa, and other Christmas themed blow-up decorations. And on the other side—oh, no that was just wrong. Nestled in bales of hay they’d set up a nativity, and in place of baby Jesus in the manger was a baby Santa. Wearing a baby Santa suit. Okay, baby Santa was actually kind of cute, with his plump, rosy cheeks, the tiny Santa clothes, and someone had even painted a loveable little sparkle in his right eye, but still. Wrong in so many, many ways. The wreath jingled and jangled, and a shower of glitter fell to the “Welcome to our Ho-Ho-Home” welcome mat when Janessa’s mom answered the door. “Natalie!” Janessa’s mom pulled her into a Janessa-type suffocating hug that managed to make Natalie feel both unable to breathe and extremely welcome all at the same time. Janessa’s mom rocked with her side to side and said, “I am so glad you could make it.” “Thanks for having me, Mrs. Clouse.”“I’ve told you again and again to call me Anne,” Janessa’s mom said.“I know. Thank you, Anne.” The name felt awkward coming from Natalie’s mouth.Anne laughed and took Natalie’s duffel bag before leading her into the cinnamon-scented house. “Seriously, my name is not a four-letter word. Actually, it does have four letters, but you know what I mean. You don’t have to do that little choke thing every time you say it.”Ah, Janessa’s family. Always so honest. It just wasn’t in them to politely pretend they didn’t notice other people’s awkward moments. Jimmy had always been the worst at remembering every, little embarrassing thing. One bright spot of him not being there for the holidays was that she’d get a reprieve of reliving The Underwear Incident of senior year. Natalie had a feeling that Jimmy was never going to let her live that one down. She’d just as soon forget that she’d ever been that socially awkward teen who traveled so much she only had two good friends: Janessa and Jimmy.“Janessa had to run to the store real quick, but she should be home any minute now.” Anne led Natalie down the hallway. “Stan’s in the kitchen starting dinner, so after you get settled come on down and meet him.”“Okay.”Anne opened a bedroom door and threw Natalie’s bag onto the floor next to a dusty weight set. “I’m going to have you stay in Jimmy’s old room for a few nights. You and Janessa will probably have to bunk up together once Stan’s kids get here, but at least you can have your own bed for a few days.”Natalie looked around the room after Anne left, remembering the fun Janessa, Jimmy, and Natalie had when they were younger. Stan’s Christmas love hadn’t reached this room, so it still looked the same as Natalie remembered—even though she hadn’t been in here in almost three years. Blue plaid bedspread. Bookshelf filled with sci-fi and fantasy novels. A picture of Jimmy and Janessa together on her graduation night exactly how Natalie remembered him: over a head taller than Janessa, mostly knees and elbows, long-ish brown hair, thick glasses, and his trademark mischievous smile that always seemed to be daring Natalie to do something that would get her into trouble. Natalie washed her hands in Jimmy’s bathroom after pulling the clothes out of her bag that she didn’t want getting wrinkled. She stared intently in the bathroom mirror when she spotted something. Wait, was that…? There was no way she was this lucky. Yes, her parents had abandoned her right at Christmastime and she’d fallen into some sort of Christmas-themed rabbit hole, but this might make up for everything. She crouched down beside the toilet and retrieved the bikini waxing kit she’d spotted. He’d been a swimmer in high school, but he would never talk shaving with the girls. Now she had proof. And did he still swim, or why the heck was he waxing? She did not want to know, but he deserved the teasing she was going to dish.Except he wasn’t coming home for Christmas, and she didn’t know when their paths might cross again. She picked up the box anyway and put it into her suitcase. She was so getting the address of where he was staying for Christmas to send this to him. Maybe he’d even open it in front of his girlfriend.That would teach him to keep his mouth shut the next time she saw him. Move over, Underwear Incident. Bikini Wax was moving in. Natalie didn’t even realize she was humming a Christmas tune until a painfully tall and even painfully thinner man in a Santa Clause sweater began to sing along with a surprisingly deep baritone voice. “And saints, and saints, and angels sing,” he finished with a low note that should not have been possible outside of a tuba. Natalie clapped as he took a bow. “Stan Clouse,” he said, extending his hand. “And you must be Natalie.” “I am. Nice to meet you.” “I’m glad you could come here for Christmas. It’s kind of a big deal for me, so I want to make sure that we include any Christmas traditions that you’re used to. I love hearing about what other people do and adding other’s traditions to our own.” Natalie nodded and followed Stan into the kitchen. “Um, thanks. We never really did much for Christmas, though.” Stan stopped in his tracks. “Nothing?”Natalie shrugged, feeling like she’d said something wrong. “We traveled a lot when I had breaks from school. My parents usually remember to get me a gift,” her words faded.“Okay. Wow.” Stan shook his head and let out a deep breath. “You’re in the right place. We’re going to show you how Christmas should be done.”Natalie followed him into the kitchen for dinner, taking in the kitschy Christmas decorations filling every available nook and counter space, a leaf-and-bulb-filled garland wrapping around the banister and doorways, and way too many cowboy-themed Santa figurines for any one family, and suddenly Stan’s promise felt more like a threat.
November 26, 2012
How I met Jolene and Rachael
Right now the ALL I WANT blog tour is going on, and I've been answering a ton of interview questions about the book or how Jo, Racheal and I decided to do this, but I haven't had anyone ask me how we all met.
Jolene and I started emailing each other almost two years ago. We both belong to a writers group for LDS women (ANWA) and she'd asked for someone to critique her manuscript. I volunteered to do it and we traded. I read The Next Door Boys and she read a book of mine that I'm querying. I loved The Next Door Boys. I'd gone through a spell of critiquing books that still needed a ton of work, and Jolene's book was so good and so publishable--which was awesome.
After this, we were both querying books at the same time, so we traded lists and research on agents, and emailed each other the statuses of where we were on rejections and requests. It was awesome to have someone doing this at the same time, because it really does take courage to put a book out there and query agents--knowing that you are going to be rejected at some point.
In May 2011, we both went to the LDStorymakers conference in Salt Lake City. She flew in from Alaska and I drove up from Arizona. I was really nervous about meeting her, because we'd been emailing for months and knew a lot about each other, but didn't really know each other, if that makes any sense at all. (I wonder if that's how people who date online feel...) Anyway, we met up at the conference and she was just as cool and easy to talk to as it had been emailing. We spent the whole day together, going to classes and sneaking M&Ms. It was so much fun.
Here we are:
I knew who Rachel was long before I met her. Her first book, Divinely Designed, came out several years ago, and my mom picked it up from Deseret Book and told me that I needed to read it. I was just finishing up my edits on Meg's Melody--so I had LDS publishers on the brain. I really liked Rachael's book and her writing style--and I remembered doing the whole dream thing: If I can get my book published, would I get to meet people like Rachael? That would be so cool. (Yes, I'm a nerd. And for the record, it is really cool to meet people who's books I love)
So at the same writers conference I met Jo at (Storymakers 2011), I also met Rachael. We saw each other in passing here and there in the halls, and we were both finalists for the Whitney Award in the romance category, so we set up that we'd sit by each other at the banquet. I wasn't going to know anyone there and was feeling pretty awkward.
My husband and I sat with Rachael and her husband for dinner and the awards ceremony--and had a great time. Both of our husbands are engineers, so they were able to talk easily to each other (and Rachael and I both understand what it's like to be married to an engineer.) Rachael was so great and easy to talk to, and really made the awards banquet so much fun for me.
I wish I had a picture of the two of us together. I don't have any pictures from the Whitneys, which totally stinks.
I'm actually not sure of how Jo and Rachael met. I'm pretty sure they met in person at that conference as well. Maybe one of them can pipe in and let us know.
It's been way fun getting to know these girls--and just so you know--they are as friendly as they seem on their blogs and in their books.
Any other shoutouts from the Storymakers 2011 conference? I know I met a few more of you there. If you've met one of us before, tell us how it happened!
Jolene and I started emailing each other almost two years ago. We both belong to a writers group for LDS women (ANWA) and she'd asked for someone to critique her manuscript. I volunteered to do it and we traded. I read The Next Door Boys and she read a book of mine that I'm querying. I loved The Next Door Boys. I'd gone through a spell of critiquing books that still needed a ton of work, and Jolene's book was so good and so publishable--which was awesome.
After this, we were both querying books at the same time, so we traded lists and research on agents, and emailed each other the statuses of where we were on rejections and requests. It was awesome to have someone doing this at the same time, because it really does take courage to put a book out there and query agents--knowing that you are going to be rejected at some point.
In May 2011, we both went to the LDStorymakers conference in Salt Lake City. She flew in from Alaska and I drove up from Arizona. I was really nervous about meeting her, because we'd been emailing for months and knew a lot about each other, but didn't really know each other, if that makes any sense at all. (I wonder if that's how people who date online feel...) Anyway, we met up at the conference and she was just as cool and easy to talk to as it had been emailing. We spent the whole day together, going to classes and sneaking M&Ms. It was so much fun.
Here we are:
I knew who Rachel was long before I met her. Her first book, Divinely Designed, came out several years ago, and my mom picked it up from Deseret Book and told me that I needed to read it. I was just finishing up my edits on Meg's Melody--so I had LDS publishers on the brain. I really liked Rachael's book and her writing style--and I remembered doing the whole dream thing: If I can get my book published, would I get to meet people like Rachael? That would be so cool. (Yes, I'm a nerd. And for the record, it is really cool to meet people who's books I love)
So at the same writers conference I met Jo at (Storymakers 2011), I also met Rachael. We saw each other in passing here and there in the halls, and we were both finalists for the Whitney Award in the romance category, so we set up that we'd sit by each other at the banquet. I wasn't going to know anyone there and was feeling pretty awkward.
My husband and I sat with Rachael and her husband for dinner and the awards ceremony--and had a great time. Both of our husbands are engineers, so they were able to talk easily to each other (and Rachael and I both understand what it's like to be married to an engineer.) Rachael was so great and easy to talk to, and really made the awards banquet so much fun for me.
I wish I had a picture of the two of us together. I don't have any pictures from the Whitneys, which totally stinks.
I'm actually not sure of how Jo and Rachael met. I'm pretty sure they met in person at that conference as well. Maybe one of them can pipe in and let us know.
It's been way fun getting to know these girls--and just so you know--they are as friendly as they seem on their blogs and in their books.
Any other shoutouts from the Storymakers 2011 conference? I know I met a few more of you there. If you've met one of us before, tell us how it happened!
November 22, 2012
The Overlooked Thankfuls
When I say my prayers, I always remember to thank God for my kids, my husband, my home, the food we eat, the talents we have, our health, my awesome friends, modern medicine, the opportunities we have, my country, etc. I repeat these things probably two or three times a day. I'm not trying to be repetitive--I am just abundantly grateful for the most important things that I have.
But there is a list of overlooked thankfuls. Things that I might think of as my day goes by--that I would have a really difficult time living without--but that don't make it into the nightly prayers.
1) Scented candles. I have four kids--two in diapers. Plus, with the smelly sweat of kids that love to run around outside and having three boys, I need my cinnamon candle burning all day long.
2) Mickey Mouse Club House. Without that half-an-hour of entertainment for my three year old, I'm not sure when my dishes would get done.
3) Google. How did I live without it. My son accidentally broke the Z key on my laptop, and all I had to do was search "Replacement Z keys" and found a place that sold them and got it sent out the next day. I accidentally ordered the wrong one, so it doesn't fit, but that was my fault, not theirs.
4) Chocolate chip cookies. I make them about once a week. There is nothing healthy about this. (Sometimes I add oats and call them healthy, but we all know that for the lie it is). But it makes my family very happy, which makes me happy, too.
5)My son's iPad. He's finally able to start communicating with us through an app that was developed for the use of people with special needs who have a hard time speaking. He's still learning on it, but we LOVE it.
6) Marshmallows. I don't know if my daughter would be potty trained without them.
7) Disposable diapers. Enough said.
8) The cologne my husband wears. He's been wearing the same kind since we were dating and he only wears it when we go out on dates. I just want to snuggle in close every time he has it on.
9) Unlimited minutes on my cell phone for other people that use T-Mobile. I know this is really specific, but I talk a lot on the phone and I talk a lot to my family, and this habit could cost us a fortune. I've convinced most of my family to switch over and now I can call them any time and talk as long as I want...
10) Really good books with amazing stories that are impossible to put down. Finishing a good book is one of my favorite feelings.
What are some of your overlooked thankfuls?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
But there is a list of overlooked thankfuls. Things that I might think of as my day goes by--that I would have a really difficult time living without--but that don't make it into the nightly prayers.
1) Scented candles. I have four kids--two in diapers. Plus, with the smelly sweat of kids that love to run around outside and having three boys, I need my cinnamon candle burning all day long.
2) Mickey Mouse Club House. Without that half-an-hour of entertainment for my three year old, I'm not sure when my dishes would get done.
3) Google. How did I live without it. My son accidentally broke the Z key on my laptop, and all I had to do was search "Replacement Z keys" and found a place that sold them and got it sent out the next day. I accidentally ordered the wrong one, so it doesn't fit, but that was my fault, not theirs.
4) Chocolate chip cookies. I make them about once a week. There is nothing healthy about this. (Sometimes I add oats and call them healthy, but we all know that for the lie it is). But it makes my family very happy, which makes me happy, too.
5)My son's iPad. He's finally able to start communicating with us through an app that was developed for the use of people with special needs who have a hard time speaking. He's still learning on it, but we LOVE it.
6) Marshmallows. I don't know if my daughter would be potty trained without them.
7) Disposable diapers. Enough said.
8) The cologne my husband wears. He's been wearing the same kind since we were dating and he only wears it when we go out on dates. I just want to snuggle in close every time he has it on.
9) Unlimited minutes on my cell phone for other people that use T-Mobile. I know this is really specific, but I talk a lot on the phone and I talk a lot to my family, and this habit could cost us a fortune. I've convinced most of my family to switch over and now I can call them any time and talk as long as I want...
10) Really good books with amazing stories that are impossible to put down. Finishing a good book is one of my favorite feelings.
What are some of your overlooked thankfuls?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
November 20, 2012
The Time is Going to Pass Anyway
It took my mom ten years to graduate from college. In that time she had three kids, worked multiple jobs including babysitting six other kids and doing shifts as a CNA at the hospital. For most of my childhood, she took one night class a semester at the local community college, working on her pre-recs for nursing school. I was sixteen when she graduated with her nursing degree.
She always had people asking her how she could just keep going with her school even though it was taking so long. Ten years is a really long time to be chasing after a dream--especially with life just getting busier and busier as the years went on. I love what how my mom would respond to people who said this. She would say, "The time is going to pass anyway. In ten years I can have my nursing degree or I can still be taking any job I can find to make ends meet. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as I get there."
I think about this all the time. I was just thinking about it this morning, actually, because I still have that extra five-ish pounds left from having my baby this summer--and I just can't find the motivation to a)stop eating my kids Halloween candy and b) work out consistently. I got my rear end off the couch this morning to go for a walk, knowing that the one mile I had time for wasn't going to make that much of a difference in my weight. But maybe one mile every day for a year might--and I found myself saying, "A year is going to pass anyway. Am I going to make a tiny sacrifice and be five pounds thinner at the end of it?"
And I say it all the time with my writing. Some days I am really busy. Crazy busy. And time flies by and I wonder where it's all gone (we're already in November, folks. This is nuts.) And sometimes I only have a few minutes here or there to add another scene to my manuscript or another page or even just another paragraph--and I have to remind myself: The time is going to pass anyway. In two, or three, or more years, I can have a well-written book that I love, or I can still be dreaming of one day being a writer and not be doing anything about it. It doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as I am doing something to make sure I get there.
She always had people asking her how she could just keep going with her school even though it was taking so long. Ten years is a really long time to be chasing after a dream--especially with life just getting busier and busier as the years went on. I love what how my mom would respond to people who said this. She would say, "The time is going to pass anyway. In ten years I can have my nursing degree or I can still be taking any job I can find to make ends meet. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as I get there."
I think about this all the time. I was just thinking about it this morning, actually, because I still have that extra five-ish pounds left from having my baby this summer--and I just can't find the motivation to a)stop eating my kids Halloween candy and b) work out consistently. I got my rear end off the couch this morning to go for a walk, knowing that the one mile I had time for wasn't going to make that much of a difference in my weight. But maybe one mile every day for a year might--and I found myself saying, "A year is going to pass anyway. Am I going to make a tiny sacrifice and be five pounds thinner at the end of it?"
And I say it all the time with my writing. Some days I am really busy. Crazy busy. And time flies by and I wonder where it's all gone (we're already in November, folks. This is nuts.) And sometimes I only have a few minutes here or there to add another scene to my manuscript or another page or even just another paragraph--and I have to remind myself: The time is going to pass anyway. In two, or three, or more years, I can have a well-written book that I love, or I can still be dreaming of one day being a writer and not be doing anything about it. It doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as I am doing something to make sure I get there.
October 22, 2012
A Contemptible Affection by Ranee S. Clark
Ranee has a new Regency out that I, ahem, got the chance to read before almost anyone. And I loved it. So now that it's available on Amazon, I snagged Ranee for an interview so you can learn more about her book and her.
Here's the cover:
Beautiful right? I really want that dress even though its pure whiteness would last all of two seconds in my house.
Ranee! I'm so happy to have you here on my blog. Tell us a little bit about your book.A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION is a Regency romance novella about an heiress who is spurned by her childhood sweetheart the season before, and now she's intent on staying very far away -- despite his intent to win her back.
Love childhood sweethearts. *sigh* Where did you get the idea from?The idea came from a line in a Georgette Heyer novel. I can't remember the exact line, but I know the circumstances were that this young man had always intended to marry the heroine. They don't end up together, but of course, it got me thinking about what if ... and then Iris and Dersingham's story came to be and it ended up wildly different than I imagined.
Yes, that happens sometimes. It seems like characters can take on lives of their own. Are you an outliner or a pantser?I used to be mostly a pantser -- I'd have four or five plot points to work towards and would know the ending. But, as I've grown as a writer, I realize now that doesn't work. My early stuff lacks good pace and I'm ending up having to go back and rearrange stuff, which is such a pain. So now I'm definitely more of an outliner.
I know you are a mom, too. When do you find time to write?Right now I'm lucky enough to have a 4yo at home who still naps about three hours every day, so that's when I do most of my writing. I also have my desk in the kitchen, so if he's occupied during the day, I'll snatch 10 to 20 minutes of writing time. I know it's not ideal, but it works for me. Evenings are for my family and my husband, so for now, I don't write at night. And if I got up at 5 am to write, so would my 4yo, which would make for a CRAZY day! I know someday that will have to change, but for now, where I am in my writing, it works.
Naps. LOVE naps. Do you have a favorite book about writing?I don't read a lot of writing books -- perhaps I should! So, no, I don't have a favorite.
What is the best advice you can give authors?The best advice actually comes from my editing life rather than my writing life (but a little of both, since I can see both sides now). First, find a critique partner you trust. Second, trust them. One of the things that I see a lot is me asking a question in an MS and the writer explaining to me why they don't need to clarify. Nine times out of ten, if the question is being asked, you're not getting the point across you thought you were. So when your CP's and readers ask about something you think is obvious, go back and take a good hard look at it. I had to do that with your (Kaylee's) questions when you did the crit on A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION, as well as with what other readers thought.
It was fun critiquing for you. Do you have any projects you're working on now you'd like to tease us with? Right now I'm working on something totally different for me and also very fun. It's a contemporary LDS romance about a famous college football player (Think Jimmer Ferdette, but football) and the girl who goes to great lengths to win him over. I really like it, but I've just started revisions, so who knows how long that will last!
That sounds so good. Thanks for stopping by.
Here are a few places you can catch up with Ranee:
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Goodreads
And you can buy A Contemptible Affection at Amazon and Smashwords.
Here's the cover:
Beautiful right? I really want that dress even though its pure whiteness would last all of two seconds in my house.
Ranee! I'm so happy to have you here on my blog. Tell us a little bit about your book.A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION is a Regency romance novella about an heiress who is spurned by her childhood sweetheart the season before, and now she's intent on staying very far away -- despite his intent to win her back.
Love childhood sweethearts. *sigh* Where did you get the idea from?The idea came from a line in a Georgette Heyer novel. I can't remember the exact line, but I know the circumstances were that this young man had always intended to marry the heroine. They don't end up together, but of course, it got me thinking about what if ... and then Iris and Dersingham's story came to be and it ended up wildly different than I imagined.
Yes, that happens sometimes. It seems like characters can take on lives of their own. Are you an outliner or a pantser?I used to be mostly a pantser -- I'd have four or five plot points to work towards and would know the ending. But, as I've grown as a writer, I realize now that doesn't work. My early stuff lacks good pace and I'm ending up having to go back and rearrange stuff, which is such a pain. So now I'm definitely more of an outliner.
I know you are a mom, too. When do you find time to write?Right now I'm lucky enough to have a 4yo at home who still naps about three hours every day, so that's when I do most of my writing. I also have my desk in the kitchen, so if he's occupied during the day, I'll snatch 10 to 20 minutes of writing time. I know it's not ideal, but it works for me. Evenings are for my family and my husband, so for now, I don't write at night. And if I got up at 5 am to write, so would my 4yo, which would make for a CRAZY day! I know someday that will have to change, but for now, where I am in my writing, it works.
Naps. LOVE naps. Do you have a favorite book about writing?I don't read a lot of writing books -- perhaps I should! So, no, I don't have a favorite.
What is the best advice you can give authors?The best advice actually comes from my editing life rather than my writing life (but a little of both, since I can see both sides now). First, find a critique partner you trust. Second, trust them. One of the things that I see a lot is me asking a question in an MS and the writer explaining to me why they don't need to clarify. Nine times out of ten, if the question is being asked, you're not getting the point across you thought you were. So when your CP's and readers ask about something you think is obvious, go back and take a good hard look at it. I had to do that with your (Kaylee's) questions when you did the crit on A CONTEMPTIBLE AFFECTION, as well as with what other readers thought.
It was fun critiquing for you. Do you have any projects you're working on now you'd like to tease us with? Right now I'm working on something totally different for me and also very fun. It's a contemporary LDS romance about a famous college football player (Think Jimmer Ferdette, but football) and the girl who goes to great lengths to win him over. I really like it, but I've just started revisions, so who knows how long that will last!
That sounds so good. Thanks for stopping by.
Here are a few places you can catch up with Ranee:
Blog
Goodreads
And you can buy A Contemptible Affection at Amazon and Smashwords.
October 8, 2012
Tag! The Next Big Thing
What is the working title of your book?Six Days of Christmas
Where did the idea come from for the book?I knew that I wanted to write a Christmas book and I was brainstorming with my husband about ideas. After I tossed out his zombie apocalypse idea (and the twisted love story idea where main character snaps and kills everyone in the end—so romantic that husband of mine) I somehow stumbled on the idea of a family that celebrates different Christmas traditions from around the world in the week before Christmas.
What genre does your book fall under?Romantic comedy
What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?I’ve got to be honest here… I can only think of Disney people since that’s what my kids watch…
Natalie: Bridget Mendler in her twentiesJimmy: A just-woke-up Zach Effron
What is the
Will your book be self-published or repped by an agency?I am self-publishing it with the always fabulous Jolene Perry and Rachael Anderson. It will be in a Christmas collection called All I Want.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?Three weeks. (It’s about 25K words.)
Opening sentence:Natalie Ekins flicked one of the bright colored Magneto Blocks she had spread across the floor. How could so much of her future depend on a toy?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?Rachael approached me and Jolene about a year ago with the idea of writing a book together—and in the spring we decided to write Christmas stories. It was so much fun writing about cold weather, Christmas traditions, hot chocolate, and fires when it was over a hundred degrees outside.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? Jolene and Rachael also wrote really great stories for All I Want that I can't wait for everyone to read.
Jolene's is called Pretty Near Perfect and it's an awesome combination of awkward moments and sweet love story as Nora spends the holidays with her deceased fiance's parents, but starts to fall for their handsome, intellectual (and, yes, awkward) house guest.
Rachael's is Twist of Fate and it's so much fun and hilarious. Tyler's been in love with his neighbor, Kenzie, for a while. Problem? She's engaged to someone else. When he accidentally receives a postcard for Kenzie from her fiancé calling off the wedding, he decides to wait to give it to her until after Christmas--and maybe he can get her to notice him as more than just a friend.
Check it out on Goodreads or add it to your read list here.
Okay, I'm tagging:Ranee ClarkKaren AdairJenny MorrisShaunna GonzalesHeidi Murphy
*Use this format for your post
*Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
*Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.
September 13, 2012
Dark Days of Promise by Shaunna Gonzales
Thirty-four year old Vicki Laramie must learn to trust before she can love, but she might die trying.
While Vicki’s children grapple with the death of their father -- a man whom she’s successfully fabricated as loving, a lie her rebellious teenager recognizes -- she must find a way to support her family and find a role model for her boys. She never intends to fall for Staff Sergeant Chase, her best friend’s son, who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She’d much rather choose a safer man to love, but her children have a voice in the decision she makes. With two deaths to deal with, a suitor after her money, a rebellious son, and Sergeant Chase’s repeated attacks, she can only hope to survive the danger she faces. If she doesn’t, her children will be left without either parent.
Here's where you can purchase the book.
Shaunna's websit
Shaunna's blog
July 22, 2012
Five Random Things (Including a Winner)
1. I FINALLY picked a birthday winner for Meg's Melody using Random.org. Congrats Amanda!! I'll send you an email to make sure I have the right email address so I can get the book to you.
2. I blogged today over here: http://fortheloveofcontemporary.blogspot.com/2012/07/its-friend-thing.html
So go check that out if you get the chance!
3. My son came through surgery well, just to come home and have us all get the flu bug! That's why the silence over here on the blog for the past few weeks. We're just starting to get back on our feet, healthwise.
4. Emily and Jef. You just made my night. Seriously. I am still smiling. And sighing. So great. (I still want to hold Jef down and take the clippers to him, but I don't know if I could. The hair is part of the charm.)
5. I just went to the best writing critique session ever this Friday and I am really excited to blog what we talked about, so stay tuned. All I know, is that I learned more in two hours about good writing than I have from reading whole books. I have the best crit group ever.
6. And the most random thing of all: I just had to explain to my husband what a rick-roll was (someone mentioned that Jef from the Bachelorette looked a little like Rick Astley) and then I spent way too long watching You-Tube videos of people being Rick-rolled. Why is it so funny? I really don't know, but it is.
2. I blogged today over here: http://fortheloveofcontemporary.blogspot.com/2012/07/its-friend-thing.html
So go check that out if you get the chance!
3. My son came through surgery well, just to come home and have us all get the flu bug! That's why the silence over here on the blog for the past few weeks. We're just starting to get back on our feet, healthwise.
4. Emily and Jef. You just made my night. Seriously. I am still smiling. And sighing. So great. (I still want to hold Jef down and take the clippers to him, but I don't know if I could. The hair is part of the charm.)
5. I just went to the best writing critique session ever this Friday and I am really excited to blog what we talked about, so stay tuned. All I know, is that I learned more in two hours about good writing than I have from reading whole books. I have the best crit group ever.
6. And the most random thing of all: I just had to explain to my husband what a rick-roll was (someone mentioned that Jef from the Bachelorette looked a little like Rick Astley) and then I spent way too long watching You-Tube videos of people being Rick-rolled. Why is it so funny? I really don't know, but it is.
July 6, 2012
Birthday Giveaway!
We're back from vacation! We had a great time up in Utah visiting friends and family and being crazy. (4 kids in a hotel room... wow.)
While we were there, I celebrated my 29th birthday. One last year in my twenties. I can't think about that reality too much. Anyway...
To celebrate with my blogger friends, I want to give away a book for my birthday. :)
I'll be giving away one e-copy of Meg's Melody (Kindle file).
To enter, just leave a comment with your email.
Giveaway ends July 13th.
While we were there, I celebrated my 29th birthday. One last year in my twenties. I can't think about that reality too much. Anyway...
To celebrate with my blogger friends, I want to give away a book for my birthday. :)
I'll be giving away one e-copy of Meg's Melody (Kindle file).
To enter, just leave a comment with your email.
Giveaway ends July 13th.
June 26, 2012
Finding Bits of Time
I've never been one of those people who can sit down and write in snatches here and there. I like to have huge blocks of time where I can really get into the "zone" and just hammer out a bunch of scenes. I love that feeling. The phone can ring, my husband can try to talk to me, my kids can be knocking at the door and I completely block it all out. In the past, that's always when I've been able to do my best writing.
Well, huge blocks of time are a luxury that I don't have anymore. Nap time in a thing of the past, summer means that I have all four kids home, and I have a sweet little baby who really seems to like being held by me. So I've decided that I need to take advantage of every bit of time I get for my writing.
Some advice I've read on this is:
--Think about my wip during any downtime or while doing mindless activities (like laundry)
--Always carry a notebook/laptop with me so that I can jot down thoughts or scenes whenever I get a spare minute
--Get into my characters head as soon as I can, so that when I sit, I don't have to go through the transition phase of being Kaylee to writing for the character that can take a few paragraphs (if I'm lucky) to get into.
--Stop trying to make everything perfect right out the gate. First drafts can be embarrassing. It's okay.
--If I keep waiting for the perfect time to write, it's never going to happen. Even 25 words is better than 0.
What are your thoughts on this? Can you write in just small snatches of time here and there? Do you have any additional advice?
Well, huge blocks of time are a luxury that I don't have anymore. Nap time in a thing of the past, summer means that I have all four kids home, and I have a sweet little baby who really seems to like being held by me. So I've decided that I need to take advantage of every bit of time I get for my writing.
Some advice I've read on this is:
--Think about my wip during any downtime or while doing mindless activities (like laundry)
--Always carry a notebook/laptop with me so that I can jot down thoughts or scenes whenever I get a spare minute
--Get into my characters head as soon as I can, so that when I sit, I don't have to go through the transition phase of being Kaylee to writing for the character that can take a few paragraphs (if I'm lucky) to get into.
--Stop trying to make everything perfect right out the gate. First drafts can be embarrassing. It's okay.
--If I keep waiting for the perfect time to write, it's never going to happen. Even 25 words is better than 0.
What are your thoughts on this? Can you write in just small snatches of time here and there? Do you have any additional advice?
