Cheryl Harper's Blog, page 14

COVER! Can’t Help Falling in Love (August 2013)

Look what I found on Avon’s site! It’s Misty the dog, Randa the blonde, and Tony the guy! Look for them in the next Rock’n'Rolla Hotel book, out in August.

And doesn’t “Author of Stuck On You” look awesome under my name?! I loves it!

 

Tagged: Can't Help Falling in Love, Rock'n'Rolla

Dreams and thinking bigger

If you somehow missed my shocked tweets about the Barnes and Noble Top 100 Nook Books, let me tell you now…I’ve enjoyed it greatly. When my editor sent me an email saying “just a heads up” this was not the news I was expecting. I get a lot of messages in the same vein…just a heads up, I forgot to pay the phone bill. Just a heads up, I’ll be late with the project that’s already a week late. Stuff like that. This was like…WHOOP WHOOP GOOD NEWS INCOMING!

So I took a souvenir screen shot to show I made it to #99 on that list. As you do when you’re a beginner who has been focused on the writing and the selling and the praying that someday rejections turn into revise and resubmit and then acceptance letters. You’re pretty sure #99 is the tip top so you better enjoy it while you can. This shot is the pinnacle of my success (so far) at #39. Rubbing shoulders with some greats, y’all.

I wanted to write for Avon. I am.

I wanted a book I can be proud of. I have one (and a novella in a cute anthology and the next book is going to be darn good too).

I wanted a cover that makes me smile. Got it.

But I’m so not done.

I’m excited to see what’s next.

I have loved watching the Nook book list. For a brief shining moment, I was in Amazon’s Top 100 HUMOR books(?). Otherwise, I peaked in the 5,000 range over there. I knew new book Tuesday would shake things up and Stuck On You has slipped a bit, but it’s hanging in there. And I’m hoping readers are giving me a try. I hope they’re as happily pleased by my story as I am that they are reading it. This is what I want to do. Someday if I’m lucky this will be old hat, but I don’t ever want to forget the happy surprise and gratitude.

Tagged: Stuck On You, writing

Thank God for editors

I think I’ve already posted on my stages of edits, not like how  many rounds I go through (this time I think it was four before I called the first draft ready to go), but the various stages that my mind goes through when I get an editorial letter back. For a while, there is only the sound of clanging alarms in my brain because no matter how positive the beginning and ending are, there’s the complex middle filled with the clunks, bangs, and bumps I was afraid were there. Failure looms large in my brain at that point. I know how to sandwich bad news. It’s one of the first things I learned in management. The alarm bells are clanging because I’m certain that I’ll never figure out how to fix the messy middle part. And then I start to tell myself it will all be fine. I mean, I have a novella and a book out in the world. I’ve had a pretty good run. If this is the end for me, then I can accept it with grace and dignity. No. Not. Really.

First of all, there’s the blessed beautiful long-awaited and adored contract. And secondly, there’s this…determination maybe, a grim certainty that because someone’s asked me to do something and thinks I can, I’m going to do it, by gum. (It sort of sounds like an old west prospector in my head, by golly. Darn tootin’.)

So I goof off for a bit. Buy groceries. Email about RWA and clothes and parties and things that real writers get to enjoy (and possibly write a blog post). Because I am a real writer. And that means revisions.

Then I sit down, open up the manuscript, take a big drink of a caffeinated beverage, and read the comments. All of them. And I want to kiss my editor, like…you know, in total gratitude. The letter’s the general direction. Her comments inside the manuscript point the way. It’s like now I have company to figure this all out. And because she’s good and a professional and has probably dealt with more than one withering flower like me, she’s peppered in encouragement. When she comments “This gave me goose bumps,” I think to myself “That’s pretty darn good right there, hot stuff.” I might even tear up a little in relief. And I feel better. Stronger. Like maybe it’s doable after all and that maybe she can help me whip the new book, the one that’s running amok currently, into shape.

So here’s my PSA: if you are a reader and you appreciate what writers do, maybe think about this process when you’re writing your reviews. I’m just assuming many writers think like I do. Please write them, but try the sandwich technique. Withering flowers who are growing their way from good to…who-knows will thank you.

If you’re an editor, thank you. I love books. I loved them before I tried to write them. You are critical and mean the difference between good and great. Also, if you nurture withering flowers like me, you deserve a pat on the back.

And if you’re a writer, especially if you’re a successful one, leave me a comment to tell me it all gets easier, like clockwork, after the second book. Lie if you have to.

New book: STEP ONE

Since I met a lot of new, fabulous people last week, first I have to say: Hi. And welcome!

Now that that’s taken care of, the next thing is a confession. That idea you have a neurotic writer…I might be one. I don’t have any strange routines and I don’t drink for inspiration, but I’ve got my own little…quirks.

1. I’m pretty sure that, even though I’ve written several books now and actually have one and the novella out in the world, I have no idea what I’m really doing. Except sitting and staring at a blank page. I’m beginning to believe that this is the way it’s done.

2. I have a million ideas that want to be written. Because I secretly fear that I’ll forget to spike, get dizzy, and fall flat on my face (name that movie?), I want to finish up the first draft of the book that someone actually wants to see while I have time to fall apart without affecting the schedule.

3. So I started Santa, Bring My Baby Back early. Like, on Friday. Or Thursday. Early. I’m waiting on edits to come back for Can’t Help Falling In Love and honestly I need the distraction from watching Goodreads and reviews for Stuck on You.

4. The first thing I did was work on the first chapter. I’m going to need it soon-ish because it’ll go in with Can’t Help Falling in Love. And because I was pretty sure I’d forgotten how to write, I wanted to flounder around on paper for a bit before things got critical.

5. Then I built a spreadsheet. This is also called busywork. Busywork is easier than real work. I like spreadsheets. I like clip art. But more than that I like to see measurable goals set out on paper. I think that’s an indelible mark left from my day job. But now, I can go with bright colors!

6. Also, I cheat. I started sooner and built up a nice cushion as I set up my goals. I was one of those kids. I always did my homework right after I made it home because I had to get all my work done before I could play. Because my mother said so? Nope. I’m pretty sure I marched out of the womb aware of the work that needed to be done before I could relax.

All that is leading to this: THE CHART. Da da du-dah!

Edits will come. May they be light and easy. If they are not, I know how to change the spreadsheet formulas. I’m hoping to have the rough, rough, roughity rough draft of Santa done in May. And now I’ve put it out in the world…like a good goal-setter does.

 

Sneak Peek: Can’t Help Falling in Love

The next book in the Rock’n'Rolla Hotel series is Can’t Help Falling in Love. Look for it in August!

Excerpt

When Randa Whitmore pushed open the limo door, the furnace blast that was Memphis in August nearly knocked her over. She cursed under her breath about this latest assignment and straightened her shoulders before she slid over the cool leather seat to stand on the sidewalk. Thanks to the shade in this drop-off area at the front doors of the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel, the concrete was solid instead of tarry goo as she’d expected. Eggs wouldn’t fry on the sidewalk; they’d sprout legs and run away screaming.

“Can I take your bags, miss?” Randa turned to see a tall young man wearing a tacky Hawaiian shirt. He had a pleasant smile even in this heat. His name tag said “Sam.”

She smiled her “Mother Theresa” smile and tilted her head to the side. “Why, Sam, I would appreciate that so much. Thank you. Could you take them on inside? I want to take a quick look at this beautiful hotel before I go in.” She pressed a tip into his hand and nodded as he turned to the sliding doors of the hotel. She made a mental note that Sam seemed like a personnel asset.

“A very quick look,” she muttered as she forced herself out into the bright sunshine. The Rock’n’Rolla Hotel was boutique property situated right in the shadow of Graceland. Approximately 150 rooms, small meeting areas, and a full service bar and restaurant…all of them dedicated to the King of Rock and Roll. She shook her head. When the W Group bought it and renovated it, all that would be washed away in a sea of beige sameness. Then it would match every other property of the W Group and every member of her family for that matter.

The façade of the hotel was acceptable. Pink brick. White columns. It looked a little like what she’d seen of the pictures of Graceland. But when she turned the corner to check out the parking lot and the rest of the hotel, she knew she was in for an experience. Instead of the nice enough brick, these outer walls were painted with black silhouettes of music notes and records and the King, shaking his hips and doing his thing. Randa smiled as she tried to imagine hiring a mural painter who could translate pelvic gyrations. This one had done a damn good job. It was too bad it was about to be wiped away. This would never do on a Whitmore hotel.

She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead and wished she’d put her hair up in a sleek ponytail as she walked back along the front of the hotel. Sweat was another thing that would never do on a Whitmore. Cold blooded, calculating, and nearly perfect was the way to be in her family. She hadn’t quite mastered any of those things but her father and brothers did their best to lead by example and sometimes by lesson. And when they were on a teaching spree, she ended up in places like the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel. In Memphis. In August.

Her Brazilian blowout was about to be tested mightily. It had been her first and last. The price tag was impressive but not nearly as impressive as her stylist’s gas mask. She was willing to suffer for perfection, but she had to draw the line somewhere.

She stopped in front of the doors but they automatically swung open. The music notes were probably a nod to the gates of Graceland. They weren’t so bad. She decided to take a picture and think about it before she made a recommendation to replace them. And the air conditioning that wafted out was as beautiful and welcome as the smell of fresh-baked cookies. If she were a cartoon character, she would have floated in with her eyes closed in ecstasy.

Sam nodded as she waved and she stopped to absorb the lobby of the Rock’n’Rolla. It was green. Really, really green. And not like green paint or carpet. Green like the rainforest. Plants exploded along one wall of the lobby and she could hear the faint trickle of a waterfall. Heavy wood chairs were scattered around and the floors and walls were some kind of natural stone. What she could see of them. She could feel the cool stone through her shoes and she wanted to sigh with relief.

But she was distracted because right in the middle of the lobby floor was what appeared to be a dead dog. Well, not dead but surely dead to the world. Every now and then the loose lips would twitch. She approached it carefully because while Randa Whitmore thought she loved dogs, she didn’t really have much practical experience. Dogs didn’t work with the all-white, all designer, all expensive Whitmore design aesthetic. Her mother had told her that often enough.

Randa squatted and teetered on her four-inch heels for a minute before she reached out to pet the dog’s silky long brown ears. Little green bows fluttered as the dog drowsily stretched and moved closer to her. She knew she was wearing a stupid grin, but the softness of his…no, her droopy ears, and the satisfied “hmph” she let out before she went back to sleep were reasons to smile. Randa didn’t care who saw it.

Stuck on You: Excerpt 3

And one more taste on Stuck On You before this fabulous week is up.

Excerpt

And now, instead of pissed off, she was sad. He didn’t like the change. He liked the laugh better. Or even the smile she fought back. But failing those, he’d rather see pissed-off, hot tempered, and ready to fight than sad. Sad made him want to promise her things. With a mental shrug he said, “I’ve always wanted to see hot pink satin and sequins balled up beside my bed. Want to go disappoint them again?”

When she slowly blinked at him, he glanced around the bar to see if the audience for his coming set down was as large as the night before. There were only two other tables filled so no. That was a good thing.

He expected a hiss, maybe a growl, and unintelligible invective hurled at his head in rage. Instead, she gave a strangled snort and started to giggle. Eventually, deep belly laughs escaped as she leaned weakly against the bar. He smiled and relaxed a bit as he finished his sandwich. When she finally regained control, she took his glass to refill it. She set it down weakly and said, “Thanks. I needed that.”

Privately, KT was sure she needed a little bit more than that but he’d managed to escape a near-death experience and had gotten things back on track.

“You need to loosen up a little. Do you work every day, every shift?”

“I usually work both shifts three days a week, but Willodean’s asked me to work a few extra shifts until Almost Famous is over.” She muttered, “Wish I’d known what a jerk the producer was going to be before I said yes.”

KT wiped his mouth and balled up his napkin. “Yeah, me too. I prefer fawning toadies, thanks.”

She smiled. “Too bad for you, I guess. You’re going to be attention deprived before the day is over.”

He waved a finger around. “Is it always like this? Is this the quiet before the storm?”

“No idea. I’ve only been here about four months. Sal says the crowds on Friday and Saturday will be crazy, but this seems pretty normal.” She shook her head. “Well, except for Kim Kardashian over in the corner. That’s not a normal Wednesday.”

KT glanced over his shoulder at the…could-be-a-woman-but-was-probably-a-man at the table in the corner before he raised an eyebrow at Laura. “Don’t you wonder what her talent will be?”

She did a strangled snorting laugh and he felt the flutter in the pit of his stomach. It was pleasure. He got the feeling she didn’t laugh like that often. The fact that it embarrassed her was his first clue. It was damn cute. The light flush on her face spread down to her chest and he started to feel a little hot under the collar too.

Tagged: Excerpt, Rock'n'Rolla, Stuck On You

Stuck On You: Excerpt 2

Let’s meet Misty! (She’s been a blog stop, but here’s a little fact you did not know…just between us…the first time I saw the cover, the doggy model was very clearly not a girl. Photoshop works wonders!) Misty’s pretty important at the hotel, especially in the next book.

Excerpt

Fresh start, KT. Make a fresh start. “I was having a really bad day yesterday. When that happens, I get short tempered. And I make dumb mistakes like taking my problems out on other people.”

Laura leaned against the counter with a sigh. “Yeah, I get that. I might be guilty of it too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Might be?”

She nodded once. “Might.”

KT frowned. “Okay, moving along. Could I get a soda and whatever you have that’s close to a club sandwich?”

Laura tapped her pen on the menu in front of him. “We have choices. Don’t you want to check out the menu?”

“Nah, not this time.”

She picked it up and slid it under the counter. “Fine. You want fries or chips?”

“Fries.” He slid out the bulging folder of paperwork he carried everywhere. It was getting to the point that he secretly hoped to lose it somewhere. The consequences might be rough but he hated it with a burning hot passion. Once he made it out of this, he was never going to volunteer for a job that required spreadsheets ever again. “And a Coke.”

“Yeah, that part I remember.” Her lips twitched as she met his stare. “Oh, what I meant was, yes, sir. Of course, sir. Excellent choice, Mr. Masters.” She turned to walk down to the window to turn in the order. He watched her efficiently fill a glass and wondered how many places in the world he could get a drink made by the world’s shortest and most sarcastic showgirl. She had a smart mouth. He wanted to kiss it.

When she quickly, and it looked like subconsciously, shifted the halter to bring the low neck up and then tugged on her skirt to bring it down, he decided she probably hadn’t dreamed of a life in the showgirl spotlight. She looked a little bit like a teacher. As always, when he met new people, he had an entire backstory created before he really had a name memorized, and he was intrigued by her story.

He glanced around the nearly empty bar again but just as he heard her plop the glass down on the bar in front of him, he saw a dog in the doorway. He was long and lean, with tan fur and dark markings around his droopy eyes. Two long, floppy dark brown ears seemed to be melting from his head. He sat perfectly still, like he was waiting for the hostess to seat him at the next available table.

He turned to Laura. “I’m not hallucinating, right? You see that ugly dog in the doorway too?” He pulled out his phone, snapped a picture, and tweeted it with the caption: Please wait to be seated.

She whistled. “I would not say that if I were you. Willodean hears it and you may find yourself without a place to sleep tonight.”

He laughed. “So he’s hers, huh? That doesn’t really surprise me.”

“Yeah, okay, something else you should know. You may not be able to see the tiny green bows on the ears from where you’re sitting, but that beautiful, purebred bloodhound is named Misty. She’s a she and takes any slight to her femininity personally.”

KT tilted his head as he looked at Laura and tried to guess whether or not she was serious. The look on her face said she meant every word and, even better, knew how ridiculous it sounded, but he knew telling tall tales to outsiders was a Southern tradition. He didn’t know whether to hope it was all true or just a way to pull his leg. He heard a whistle and Misty the bloodhound trotted off before he could make up his mind about the chances of the little green bows being real.

Tagged: Excerpt, Misty, Rock'n' Rolla, Rock'n'Rolla Hotel, Stuck On You

The Elvis Sandwich

Two warnings: 1. I am not a cook. Grilled cheese is a staple at my house. 2. Bananas and I have a long, contentious history. But…

In the interests of Elvis accuracy and just plain ol’ curiosity, I decided to make an Elvis sandwich. Everybody knows this: peanut butter and banana, fried. If you decide to Google recipes, you’ll find a pretty good collection. White bread, peanut butter, banana…that we agree on. Sometimes we add honey. Sometimes we add bacon. And sometimes we add everything all at once. Nigella’s recommends mashing the bananas (not a bad idea). This one suggests Gladys Presley actually fried the bananas in bacon grease for the sandwich (but also adds blackberry and I canNOT get on board with that).

So I started with the basics: one sandwich of white bread, peanut butter, and banana in a skillet with butter. Things I learned: bananas are hard to fry. Peanut butter turns goopy. And this is not nearly as sweet as I expected. It was actually salty. Three bites was enough empirical evidence for me.

Then I decided to go for the all and everything: honey and bacon. And I started to understand. Bacon makes everything better. And honey is goooooood. Neither sandwich was particularly pretty (see frying bananas and goopy peanut butter). But…nom, nom…all the evidence is gone.

What about you? Ever had an amazing Elvis sandwich anywhere? Or do you have your own favorite odd combo? Leave me a comment for a chance to win Stuck on You!

Stuck on You and my shows

I watch too much television. It’s okay. I’m also a hermit so I have the time. Here are 10 shows that were always in the back of my mind as I wrote Stuck on You:

1. Castle. For many reasons, most of them beginning with Nathan Fillion (KT in my mind). I’m going to go ahead and give you a clip to enjoy.

2. Dancing with the Stars. Kelly Monaco…I think she’s who I was imagining as my showgirl waitress. Click for a clip!

3. American Idol. Not that I’m watching it anymore, but I needed an event at the Rock’n'Rolla Hotel…so…a talent competition for celebrity look-alikes? Sure! On April Fools’ Day…even better! You don’t need a clip for this one, right?

4. Hee Haw. Yes, for real. See if you can figure out why. It’s the dog, man.

Other critical pieces: Elvis, of course (Click here to see the video for “Stuck on You” but don’t be surprised if it makes you want to scream a little), Graceland, and 80s pop icons.

LEAVE ME A COMMENT to win! Let’s try…your favorite show…Go!

#Giveaway: Stuck on You

Who doesn’t love books? I don’t even know. Because I feel like celebrating, let’s do a little giveaway. I’m such a beginnery type, but I’m thinking I need to restrict it here to the US. In the comments, let me know your favorite Elvis tune! I’ll change the question tomorrow so enter again! On Saturday, I’ll draw winners. At the least, I’m giving away signed copies of both Kiss Me and Stuck on You. Depending on the number of comments I get (and how many I copies I have), I may send more. Make sure I have some way to contact you!

And I’m planning some Twitter giveaways this week and next so…don’t forget to follow me there! Other places to enter to win:

At every stop on the blog tour:

Starting next Monday, I’ve got stops, people. There will be chances to win there, too.

Monday, April 22: Ex Libris

Tuesday, April 23: Novel Reflections

AND I’m over at The Book Tart. This interview is epic, y’all.

Wednesday, April 24: Swept Away By Romance

Thursday, April 25: United By Books

Friday, April 26: Romanceaholic

BUT DON’T STOP THERE!!!

My anthology sister Codi Gary’s giving away a copy at her blog: CLICK CLICK CLICK!

AND this is gonna be fun: On Wednesday, Avon’s hosting a Post a pic of your pet event on their Facebook page. Put up a picture of your pet with any Avon book for your chance to win a copy of STUCK ON YOU!