Happy New Year!

Here's wishing everyone a healthy, happy, productive year ahead. I appreciate the visits and the comments and the support.


12.31.05 @ 02:14 PM MST [Link to Entry] [No Comments]

Creating the Bible

I put together the big bible for my Blaze suspense series yesterday. Such fun. I printed out pictures of the characters and made them each their own little section. Then I went into book 1 and printed out all the pertinent info I'd established regarding the characters and the shared story elements, and put those into the book. Now, with each book, I'll continue to build and add, whether it's location descriptions, character history and motivation, and pictures of items that will be shared. Very satisfying in that the universe is coming to life, and exciting, too. I'm working on back-stories today. Who are all these people, how did they get to the moment before the book starts, and how their history impacts the current situation.

I love this part of writing. I imagine it's like sculpting, building the base, shaping the form layer by layer. I know I've talking about the core decision here on the blog before, and this is where I pull it into the process. Each of these characters will have as part of their history, something that resonates with my personality and history. Whether it's an attitude, a formative event, a fear, a struggle, I will be part of these people. I will understand their reactions to events, even if they act out in ways I never would. But I will "get" them. And, the hope there is that their reactions and actions will feel so real and true that the reader will be immersed in the story. Nothing will jar them away, or make them shake their heads.

So, off to work, and to a day of creation. Pretty neat way to wrap up a damn fine year.


12.30.05 @ 12:08 PM MST [Link to Entry] [1 Comment]

Baby, it's cold outside

Alrighty, then. We have 25 brave souls signed up for the Challenge. Personally, I can't wait. Yeee Haaaaw!

As for other things, um, well, I'm working on putting together the next book, but I have to wait for Jan 3rd to hear from my editor, which makes things a little tricky. I would much prefer to go to http://www.here_is_your_plot.com, but alas…

The other things to do today: knit. When I was in Pasadena, I went to this incredible yarn store called Skein and I bought a private lesson. For an hour and a half, I worked with this guy who showed me how to use double pointed needles. And a new cast-on. I wanted to spend a few weeks going daily, but alas… And then there was the yarn. Holy crap, it was gorgeous. And cost as much as a small apartment complex. Totally worth it, I'm sure, especially if one is (like me) knitting wrist warmers. Nothing says heaven like cashmere wristlettes. (I didn't buy the cashmere. Because I didn't win the lottery, although I tried with a five dollar quick pick.)

The pooch, for those of you sitting on the edge of your seats in eager anticipation, is doing better today. She's less pouty, although she really, really misses her sister. Someone brought another doggy up to the mountain yesterday, and Jess was so damned excited. Unfortunately, the other dog wasn't interested in playing, which left Jess on the porch, looking so forlorn. ::sniff::

I'm going to play with her now.


12.29.05 @ 01:13 PM MST [Link to Entry] [1 Comment]

Are You Ready For the Challenge?

It's almost January, which is when the Uber Challenge swings into gear. I've gotten several emails asking what the Challenge is, so here's the recap:

Each year for several years, I've been choosing one subject that I need to work on regarding my writing. One year it was dialogue, another was metaphor and simile. What I did was choose my topic, then dig into every resource I could find about that subject. So I'd goggle the topic and order books and articles, I'd go to workshops if I could, and basically focus on improving that one skill. I didn't limit myself to how-to books for romance writers. I read everything I could, and experimented with different approaches and exercises. Each year I've learned a tremendous amount, and I think my writing has improved as a result.

This year, I thought it would be very cool if a whole group of us did the Challenge, with each of us choosing our own subject, of course. I'm doing something a little differently - my 2006 Challenge is writing discipline. You can choose a specific goal, say completing and submitting your novel, or perhaps writing first person books. There are so many things to learn, to improve upon, that the choices are unlimited.

The group is here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uber_challenge/
It doesn't matter where you are in your career. We can all learn something and share with each other. There's a database started that lists great resources books. Don't be afraid to add yours. There are no assignments, no deadlines. Just learning in an atmosphere of friendly encouragement.

I hope you all join, and I'd love it if you got the word out on your blogs and web pages. The more folks we have, the better the experience for all of us.

To help, here are some of the challenges you could tackle:

Point of View
Dialogue
Narrative
Humor
Suspense
Action
Grammar
Metaphor and Simile
Exposition
Pacing
Great Endings
Great Beginnings
Synopses


I'll bet you can think of more.

Again, here's the link: Uber-Challenge




12.28.05 @ 01:31 PM MST [Link to Entry] [7 Comments]

Well, Damn!!!

Sorry about being missing in action. We got to LA and found out the laptop wasn't happening, so no posting over Xmas. But we're home now, and while I have a lot of stuff to put away, a lot of laundry to do, and a lot of catching up on my internet addiction, we're safe, well and happy. I hope all of you are, too.

It was lovely in LA, although hot! 86 on Saturday, can you stand it? Of course, we just arrived home to a couple of feet of snow. Also, we picked up Jessie, who grew a lot in our absence. She's so sad, though, missing her sister. They had such a wonderful time together. I hope I'm not being too mean wanting her here with us. I missed her! She's napping in her brand new doggie bed right now, looking so beautiful. ::sniff::

I read nothing while gone, but we saw King Kong (I loved it), Harry Potter (I liked it) and Syriana (I liked it). We were going to see Narnia, but we just crashed last night. We're getting the Sin City special edition and Serenity for Xmas, so that's fun. We ate out, but didn't get Thai, dammit. We saw loved ones, and generally had a lovely time. Our hotel room was, um, interesting, and will be used, I'm sure, in a book where it will all be hilarious. Uh huh.

Tomorrow, when I have more energy, I'll remind everyone again about the Uber Challenge, so that those who want to can join up.

It's great to be home!



12.27.05 @ 06:54 PM MST [Link to Entry] [No Comments]

Exit, Stage Left

After a wonderful first Christmas dinner, we're out of here today. I'm bringing the laptop, so if all goes well, I'll check in from the road.

The most difficult part of the trip is going to be deciding which movies to see. So many choices. It's odd when you've lived your whole life being able to see anything, including obscure art films, at any time, and then don't have a theater anywhere close. I covet my movie experiences. And yeah, we can see it on DVD later, but there are some movies that deserve a theater. So we'll probably do Kong, maybe Narnia. And we'll seek out Good Night and Good Luck, because we'll be in LA and it'll be showing there. We're also picking up, as gifts to ourselves, the DVDs of Sin City (the new one with the extras) and Serenity. I also want to go to a bookstore and just wander around. I'm farther, actually, from a bookstore than a movie theater, and how awful is that? Yeah, there's online to buy books, but I miss the actual brick and mortar stores. The scent of books, the look of them all stacked and neat. God, I love books. Even the library here in my little town is sucky. Really sucky.

I think the one most excited about the trip is the puppy, because she's going to spend 6 days with her sister! They're such a riot together. They squabble like they're going to kill each other, teeth bared, much growling, only they don't ever really bite. They'll even stop mid-growl if something distracts them. (Oooh, shiny!) So we figure this is like camp for her, and I know she's going to have a great time. We just hope she remembers to be a good girl (not even 4 month old and she's really, really good at letting us know she needs to go outside), and doesn't pick up any bad habits from her evil sister. Or vice-versa. Puppies. So damn cute.

Okay, I have to pack. Weee! Road trip!



12.21.05 @ 11:34 AM MST [Link to Entry] [8 Comments]

Resolutions? Nah. Focus? Oui.

There's a busy day ahead, but mostly fun stuff so it's okay. We're spreading out the holiday festivities, and today is the first event.

I made this little knitted mouse last night, and it's so cute! I'm sure the cat won't give a damn about the cuteness, as it's filled with catnip, but I love it. So I think it's official - I've become the most boring person in the universe. Knitted cat toys. ::sigh:: Watch, next I'll be knitting dishcloths and those thingies you put on hangers. The kind my aunt used to make when I was a kid, that we'd make fun of the moment she wasn't looking. Yep, sounds like a plan.

I'm thinking about the whole resolution thing, but I'm not gonna this year. I'm focusing on some areas, but that's different. Health - paying more attention to make 2006 healthier than 2005. Better eating, more exercise, some nurturing would be good, too. Work - doing the whole Uber Challenge to get myself into a schedule that works for both my life and my career. Joy - listening to more music, reading more for pleasure, fooling around more with the DH. Yeah, I think that's a good way to approach a new year. You?



12.20.05 @ 11:36 AM MST [Link to Entry] [5 Comments]

Presents and Cooking and Snow

First, there's some great dialogue going on over at Alison Kent's blog about category and young readers. So go on over, read the comments and put your two cents in.

Up here on the mountain, I've made a gazillion brownies, knitted a whole bunch of scarves, and made the sauce for my killer lasagna, which is on the menu for tomorrow night's Christmas dinner with friends. I've also wrapped up a number of neato puppy toys for Jessie and her sister. Can't wait for them to see all their goodies, because, well, puppies!

Since I forgot to get something for Deb's kitty, I'm going to try (operative word- try) to knit a little kitty mouse, but I may end up buying something at the market because as I've said before, all I can really knit are scarves. It's so sad.

I'm just coming out of my finished-the-book blues. I'm not sure whether I'll be writing the entire series that I started with this one, or if I'll just be doing one more. I have to wait to hear back from my editor. I want to write the series, but I also want to do the best I can overall for my Blaze readers, so we'll see. But it feels as though I should be thinking about the story, which I can't do yet. I'm not that great with worry-free time. Huh, I should work on that.

We got about a foot of snow in the last couple of days, which is pretty, but a pain because we have to go to town several times this week. And to L.A. So, if we could stop now, I'd appreciate it.

And, just FYI - it's one month until my birthday. I know, at my age I shouldn't give a crap about that, but I do. Can't help it. Love birthdays.


12.19.05 @ 12:03 PM MST [Link to Entry] [5 Comments]

Your Harlequin

I know some folks have talked about the changes at Harlequin with regard to story length. I had heard about the word count changes, but I don't like to jump to conclusions, so I called my editor to ask her about it. She told me that I shouldn't worry about it. My books were fine, and my word counts were fine. No problem.

The reason I'm posting this on the blog is so that folks didn't think every book by Harlequin is now going to be half a story, or that the reader will be cheated. Some books, by some authors, have been coming in very long and when printed, the print bleeds into the margins, making it difficult for some readers. From what I understand, that's all they're trying to fix. The aim is to give folks a more pleasant reading experience.

Interestingly enough, I read an article just yesterday in AARP (yes, I'm that old) that begins: "Call me ecstatic: the days of tiny type in paperback books may be ending. Publishers Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group and Harlequin Enterprises have begun releasing taller paperback books that allow for bigger type and more space between lines - a move aimed almost entirely at older readers." …."Market research shows that buyers over 50, who are the core market for pocket-size books, want the bigger type…"

I don't know if the core market for Harlequin is over 50, but considering that the population is aging and that the most money and the most buying power now rests in the pockets of those 50+, I think it's important to pay attention. Not to ignore a younger market, because well, where are you going to get the new readers, but it's true. The Boomers are getting up there.

Anyway - for those of you who love category romance, don't give up on them. If you find you're not pleased with the direction of a line, or that the books aren't meeting your expectations, let them know!

The snail mail address is:

Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
225 Duncan Mill Road
Don Mills, Ontario
M3B 3K9



12.17.05 @ 12:05 PM MST [Link to Entry] [4 Comments]

Yummy squared

Oh My God --- I made the brownies yesterday and they are the best brownies I've ever had. Good lord, I had to pack them up instantly or eat them all. Seriously. Best brownies. And the house smelled so unbelievably good. However, way not enough for the gift giving express, so I'll be making more this weekend. If you missed the recipe, here it is: (Courtesy of Ina Garten)

Outrageous Brownies

Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa CookbookThis was adapted from a recipe for chocolate globs in the Soho Charcuterie Cookbook.

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Go make them. Right now. It will make your life happier.

What else will make your life happier? Waking up and not having to finish the book. Oh, yeah.


12.16.05 @ 12:17 PM MST [Link to Entry] [4 Comments]

Yippee!!

Missed the eHarlequin Open House chat last night…won't go into details, but it wasn't pretty. The good news is that I've basically finished the book (yay!) and after some edits today, the book goes in. I have to say that while it was a difficult write, I'm very pleased with how it came out. We'll see if the editor agrees.

So, holidays! I have to wrap stuff and finished knitting stuff and mail stuff and cook stuff (and clean stuff but that's not part of the fun). We're leaving the 21st and we'll be back the 26th, but we'll have a laptop this time, so I'll be able to check in from time to time.

We're planning on doing movies - Kong, Good Night and Good Luck, Narnia, maybe Family Stone. We try and catch the movies that are much more impressive on the big screen. We're also going to visit with friends and family, including the wonderful Barbara McCauley, who is one of my plotting partners. She's having a party today and I can't go, which sucks, cause her parties are fabulous. Oh, wait. It was yesterday. Hmph.

I'm also buying a new coat, which is something quite necessary here on Mount Doom. I haven't bought a new one in something like 10 years, so it's time. I just want the warmest damn thing there is. It's so friggin' cold here.

Oh - yesterday, I had to run to the store for something and we had a limited window of opportunity, due to icy roads. So I dashed out, looking like crap on wheels, and tried to do some stealth shopping. I'm standing in line in my little town, and the women in front of me, whom I didn't recognize, says (loudly) "Oh, you're Jolie Kramer! I read your last book. Are you coming out with anything new?" There were lots of people in line, and they all started asking me about the books and writing, and how their mothers read Harlequin (cough) and it was just a real slice. When I say I looked like crap, you can trust me on that. Now, how come that can't happen when I've got makeup on? When my hair doesn't look like I stuff my finger in a socket? And, uh, the sweats I was wearing? Total glam. Right. ::sigh::


12.15.05 @ 12:37 PM MST [Link to Entry] [5 Comments]

And.....Action!

Rewrote the scene yesterday, and yeah, it's a whole lot better. I'm so glad. Now I'm facing the ending. Oodles of action and tension and revelations and other good stuff. So while I have the idea of the action in my head, I'm going to be blocking the scene today. Staging it with the held of the DH, so that I make sure everything that needs to happen can happen in the physical world as well as on paper. After that, writing furiously. When I do action sequences, it's all about the pacing and I have to write in a white heat in order to get it all in there. This causes a gazillion typos and errors that have to be corrected, but that's okay because the essence of the scene should be there. Let's all cross our fingers.

I'm quite curious about who you read that writes great action sequences. Anyone in particular? Anyone I can glom onto?


12.14.05 @ 11:51 AM MST [Link to Entry] [4 Comments]

Bummer

I woke up in the middle of the night with the horrible realization that the entire scene (almost a whole chapter) I wrote yesterday is all wrong. Believe me, if I could make it work, I would, as I'm thisclose to the end. Alas, the scene does not make the book better, it doesn't move the action forward, and it doesn't reveal anything new about the characters. The alternate scenario, which I will be writing today, does. So what's a writer to do?

That's the thing about plotting. The scene sounded good on paper, but I know these characters now and I need to honor their path. Not the path I came up with months ago, but the path of the story. Not easy to do when I'm already late on the deadline.

Mostly, I want to finish (and be happy with) the book so that I can focus on the holidays. I have brownies to bake, scarves to finish, a couple of presents to buy (but only a couple) and anticipation to savor about going to L.A. We're going to see family and friends, see movies (yay!) and enjoy getting out of the snow. I will, however, miss the puppy.

Oh, the other thing I promised to do when the book was finished was clean the house. Ugh. But since the cleaning fairy has lost my address, I have no choice. Ah, for a magic wand.

What's on your to-do list, and are you getting to it?


12.13.05 @ 11:48 AM MST [Link to Entry]

Announcements and stuff

Check out my column at Romancing the Blog. I'm going public with the Uber Challenge. (See the neato icon the DH made! on the sidebar!). You can sign up now if you know what your challenge is going to be. The group will go live Jan. 1st. Hot damn!

I'm zeroing in on the end of the book, with all the action stuff coming to a conclusion as well as the romance, and man, it's…hard. But it's happening. I just wish I wasn't so late. I know, however, that I'll be very proud of the finished product.

Oh, another announcement. I'll be speaking at the St. Lake City RWA conference on Feb 4th. So if you can, sign up! It sounds like a fabulous conference.

Okay, so one more announcement, then I'll stop. I promise. See sidebar, part 2. Minute by Minute is coming out really, really soon! It's the 24 hour book, and technically it's a January book, but it'll be on the stands any minute. Let me know if you spot it, mkay? Cause living here in the boonies, I never get to real live book stores.

And how was your weekend?



12.12.05 @ 12:25 AM MST [Link to Entry]

Signature Select and Category

So the Signature Select program at Harlequin is now officially defunct. What? You never heard of it? Yeah, I thought so.

Well, I did two novellas for them. One was the Elvis book, and the other is the time travel - called Time After Time in the collection called Perfect Timing, that will be out in May. It's going to be one of the last of the Signature Select books put out, and wouldn't it be neat if it sold like gangbusters? Yeah, they probably won't print a whole bunch of them, but I do hope you all take a chance and read the stories. Time Travel! The other authors are the wonderful Julie Kenner and Nancy Warren. You can't beat that.

What does it all mean? (Not the book - the demise of Signature Select). I have no clue, except there's another market gone. It was supposed to be a stepping stone for category writers - a way to move them from category to single title. Did it succeed? No. Did they give it a chance? No. I feel so badly for the writers who were contracted and now don't know what will become of their books. It's scary out there.

I truly fear for the future of category romance. With so many choices out there, it seems that fewer people are choosing to read it. But it also feels as though Harlequin doesn't believe so much in category any more.

I'm lucky, I write for Blaze. But even Blaze isn't selling like the older Harlequins did. I heard a rumor that Silhouette Desire is changing its format, moving more toward a sexier Presents. I'm not exactly sure what that means, or even if it's true, but if that's so…Desire! One of the most dependable reads out there, with loyal fans and happy writers. Are they going to get more readers? Or just alienate their fan base?

I don't know. I just know I have to finish up the book, make sure it's the best it can be, and then start on the next book in the series. Will the whole series be written? I have no clue. Can I afford not to write single title? I don't think so. Yikes.


12.09.05 @ 12:15 PM MST [Link to Entry]

Ow and stuff

Whoa - had a rough one yesterday. A full blown migraine, which I haven't had in years. Knocked me to my knees. Which was not only painful, but took a day of writing from me. I need that day back.

The one thing I did do was order Xmas (Hanukah) presents for the puppies. Now there's a good way to spend a whole crapload of money. I exercised restraint, which is not easy for me. But OMG, you should see the adorable stuff they have for doggies! I don't do clothing on pets - I always feel like the animals are embarrassed in front of their animal friends. But I do love getting the toys. Naturally, I'm spoiling Jessie. The floor to my office is covered with everything from chew toys to squeakers to the empty plastic bottle she adores. Becoming a mom at my age isn't pretty.

Well, I've got a lot to work to do today, so off I go. Have a wonderful day, everyone.


12.08.05 @ 11:24 AM MST [Link to Entry]

Do-Overs

I just found out I had to do the bonus section of the time-travel (Perfect Timing, out in May) today. It can be anything - a top ten, funny kind of thing, a personal story, you know, whatever. So I decided to write about the issue of time travel because, well, duh.

The question is: If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? And an even bigger question - would you do it at all?

I'll tell you later what I said.


12.07.05 @ 12:47 PM MST [Link to Entry]

Quick Gift Survey

What stocking stuffer (something under $25 bucks) would you most like to receive this holiday season?

Me? I want yarn and knitting needles. Also some Lovely perfume. And a Joss Stone CD. And books, of course.

Tell me what you'd most like to see, in the small gift range, when you open your presents.


12.06.05 @ 12:10 PM MST [Link to Entry]

0

Woke up, it was a chilly morning and the first thing that I heard…the dog. She didn't care that I could have easily slept another hour. Nope, it was vitally important that she be up in time for all her important doggie meetings and appointments. All I can say is that I'm very glad I don't have to go out in the 0 degree weather and pee in the snow. ::shiver::

I had a very productive weekend, what with changing the Big Thing in the book, and today is all about sex! There's a scene I need to write which changes the whole dynamic of the relationship between the h/h, and it happens in bed. What a cool thing it is when the writing gods create a perfect opportunity to illustrate character, turning points and wet spots all at the same time.

I'm also getting a wee bit stir crazy, and wanting to go out to dinner. Except for trips out of town, we haven't eaten out since we got the pup. But I don't think we're going to get away for awhile - did I mention it's 0 degrees?

Oh - I'm also making brownies this week. Outrageous, gorgeous, rich brownies, which are going right into the freezer because they're gifts and if they're on the counter, they'll be in me, and that's not gonna happen. Gifts. Hear that tummy? Gifts!


12.05.05 @ 12:27 PM MST [Link to Entry]

The Uber-Challenge Reminder and Request

A reminder to those of you who are interested in joining me on a year of discovery: Starting Jan 1, I'll be hosting a group that will explore the idea of choosing one thing, writing related, to focus on for 2006. We'll share our research, our experiments, our triumphs and transformations.

This approach is something I've done for about 5 years now. I pick one topic - one year it was description, one was dialogue, one was metaphor and simile, one was pacing - you get the idea - and I read everything I can about it, try different techniques and I try to give myself some measurable goals so that I don't let myself settle for less then my best. I've never done it with other people, but I think it could make the process even more exciting and fulfilling.

This year I'm working on a different kind of goal - discipline. I need to re-think my work habits and make serious changes. I've not been very successful at this, mostly because I've approached the subject so haphazardly, so I figure it's a perfect challenge.

So, think about what it is that you'd like to improve with your writing and/or your habits. I'll be making the official pitch on Dec 12th at RTB, and the group will go live Jan 1. It's not about pressure, it's about succeeding in a way that can transform the way you write.

Check out Jordan's blog (because she's who reminded me to make this post) and then tune into RTB on the 9th. It'll be fun and informative.

And before I forget - I'm trying to come up with a catchy title for this thing. I've always called it the Uber-Challenge, but that's because I haven't come up with anything better. Suggestions, anyone???


12.02.05 @ 11:55 AM MST [Link to Entry]

Ooops

Sorry about that. Today's been a blur, with going to the store, walking, but mostly revising. I also got the copy edits for the time travel novella, so there's that.

I had to change something fairly large in the Blaze, and making sure I've taken care of every reference has been tricky. I think I've got it all. I'm sure my editor will tell me otherwise, but I'd rather have it right before it gets to her.

I'm still in shock that it's December 1st. How is it possible? I'm not ready!!!! Although I only have 3 more scarves to knit. I'm also making some outrageous brownies, and those will accompany to the scarves. Everyone deserves to have a cozy, warm neck when they're scarfing chocolate, right?

I must get back to work. It's dangerous for me to stop, even to check email or write blog entries, because I have the attention span of a two year old. Sad but true.

Happy December everyone. Are you ready?


12.01.05 @ 06:50 PM MST [Link to Entry]