Words, Books, and Other Magic

How I put myself in my books

2012-02-23T14:56:00.002-08:00

I was just working on my latest manuscript (revising-- I love revising; so much easier than actually creating pages), when I reached a tiny event in the story. In the novel, my heroine's father has left her his journal, and she treasures it not because of its contents but because of the handwriting. Here's where that incident originated.

My father never went shopping for Christmas presents early. He was notorious for going out the afternoon of Dec. 24, and coming back with the coolest presents for my mother, my sister, and me. But in December 1989, my father died about two weeks before Christmas. Several months after his death, my mother gave me a Christmas present that my father had bought for me (he purchased one for my sister as well) early that year.

Apu (that's Dad in Hungarian) was a mechanical engineer, and one of his last projects was designing a nut or bolt--I don't know which--for the stealth bomber. Lockheed Martin made silver coins available for purchase to the people who helped in the production of the bomber. My dad bought one for each of his daughters.

I collected coins as a kid, and still keep interesting ones. When I received the commemorative silver coin, it wasn't the coin itself that held my attention. Tucked into the box, written on a tiny card made from the cut-out corner of one of the extra invitations from my wedding (my family was nothing if not frugal) were the words, "Love you, Apu." I have the coin to this day, but the treasure in its official box isn't the silver, but that piece of repurposed paper with three simple words in my father's handwriting. I would recognize that script anywhere.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway
Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

Bah Humbug

2012-02-14T11:37:00.001-08:00

I think I may have a genetic trait that appears on days liketoday (it’s February 14, in case you didn’t know). Call it the cynical gene,call it the disbelief gene, call it what you will. I like to call it my rebelgene (because if you knew me, you’d know how funny that was). I don’t getexcited about Valentine’s Day. My husband and I (I think he may have the samegene) don’t celebrate. There’s nothing wrong with a day to celebrate love, butwe don’t like to be told that today is the day, especially when commercials andads bombard you with messages about the importance of the day.

I was in a store last week and ran into a friend who wasbuying Valentine’s Day presents for her kids. Really? Don’t get me wrong. Itotally spoiled my kids (and still spoil the kid at home), but not in the nameof a non-holiday. I have the same reaction to my anniversary, my birthday, StPatrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, the Superbowl, and Halloween. I think I may justfeel that these “holidays” have spiraled out of control with bigger and biggerexpectations each year. Oh, we give each other presents on birthdays, but if wecan’t do it on the day itself, that’s no big deal. And for our anniversary thisyear we decided to get a bed (not the mattress; we have one of those; I mean apiece of furniture that holds the mattress; I’ve never had one), but we stillhaven’t bought it. The last anniversary we decided to get a bed (clearly not anew idea), we spent two days shopping, and then decided it would be more fun totake the family to Hawaii instead.

It could be that I’ve trained myself not to expect anything.After all, I married a man who can’t understand the appeal of buying metal withrocks in it that has no express purpose (jewelry, for you non-engineeringtypes). In the dark ages before the Internet really existed, he gave me a modemfor a present. I had no idea what it was. Turns out, he was right about itsimportance.

Now there’s nothing wrong with celebrating family,milestones, events, etc., but to me celebrations mean more when they are notprescribed by the day. When I’ve had a bad day and my husband bring home abunch of flowers just because, that’s romantic. When he calls up and offers topick up dinner, that’s romantic. When I ask for help and he drops everything todo what I’ve requested, that’s romantic. When he takes the dogs to the dog parkbecause the last time I went some idiot hit my dog and yelled at me becauseshe’s high energy, vocal (she barks when she’s exuberant—you should see her talkingto me while I’m in the kitchen), big, but so sweet and has never hurt anyone orany dog, that’s romantic. When he got down on the floor and played with ourchildren when they were little, and even now takes our developmentally delayeddaughter to basketball games and takes the time to play video games with her,that’s romantic. And when we still plan our future and what we want to dotogether despite having been married for 27 years, that’s romantic. And when welaugh together, and discuss politics together, and watch movies together,that’s romantic.

So go ahead and celebrate Valentine’s Day. There’s nothingwrong with it. I’ll do nothing special today except what we do every day. And Iwill love every minute of it, even the bad ones.

But I still expect special treatment on Mother’s Day. Oh,yeah. Nobody gets out of that one.

--Gabi

P.S. I have a giveaway running here until Feb 19. See thefollowing blog entry.

Books I’m reading now

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

It's February...

2012-02-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

It’s February, and you know whatthat means.

That’sright! My mother’s birthday. Anyu (That’s “Mom” in Hungarian) has reached anage where I’m sure she’d prefer using only the term “significant,” and in a“significant” age, she has reached a “significant” milestone (one easilydivisible by 5 or 25). An incredible woman with an incredible history: Sheescaped from Hungary at the age of 18; married to the same man (my father, alsoHungarian) for thirty-four years until his death; survived a burglary that robbedher of many sentimental Hungarian artifacts, an earthquake that damaged herhouse, and just two years ago a fire that burned her condo to the ground (shelikes to joke—yes, joke—how she’s been the recipient of Red-Cross care packagesthree times in her life—once when she was a refugee, once after the earthquake,and once when her house burned down). She speaks and reads English well, but westill laugh at some of her mangled idioms: just this past Christmas, she wasspeaking with my daughter about never having received a speeding ticket, “knockon the door”.

So in honorof February and my mother’s birthday, I’m giving away three Kindle copies ofTEMPTATION’S WARRIOR, my ebook release of an earlier hardcover novel (don’tworry; other formats coming very soon—and I’ll do a giveaway then too).Coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, TEMPTATION’S WARRIOR isdedicated to my mother. And if you’re confused about the author name, GabiAnderson is the name I published TW under. TEMPTATION’S WARRIOR is medievallight—look for fun, not density. (See this post for more details)

So if you’dlike to be entered for one of the three Kindle copies, please leave a commenthere telling me you’d like to enter or shoot an email to GabiStevens505@gmail.com. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you or heck back on Feb 20. I’d alsolove to hear a story about your mom. I’ll draw the winners on February 19.That’s Anyu’s birthday.

--Gabi

Books I’mReading Now:

One moreRITA®book to go. Still not telling.

Technophile

2012-01-31T13:30:00.001-08:00

I hate cell phones. No really. They suck. The reception isbad, they lose service at the most inopportune times, and frankly I don’t wantto be connected 24/7. I have never figured out why I need a camera on my phone(I’ve tried to use it, but I hate taking pictures. I used to hate it beforeevery phone had a camera. I had to force my self to remember my camera when wewere on our European adventure this summer). I have one mostly because you can’tnot have one these days, and honestly, how often do they get used in anemergency? (Parents always say their children need one in case of emergency—really?In a real emergency, they get in the way far more than they help.) I hate thenew mentality that everyone MUST be perfect at all times—no more errorsallowed, no misspeaking, no tripping and falling—because if you make a mistakeyour flaming takedown will be posted for all the world to see in a matter ofseconds. Really? I though being human was about learning from mistakes, but noone seems to be willing to give anyone a second chance any longer.

I don’t have an iPad, though I crave one, because I just can’tjustify it. I work at home. Why would I need a portable tablet? We don’t have500 TV channels or Tivo or DVR. Our TV is relatively small in comparison tomost that I’ve seen. I don’t have GPS in my car (although it was handy in the Europeanrental car) and when I taught, I rarely used technology, although I will admitto looking up facts on the Internet—on those sites that weren’t blocked.

You’d think that I’m a technophobe. I’m not. I honestlythink technology can save mankind. I’d rather fly in a plane with a computer atthe helm. I’d rather have a robot surgeon. I’d love the see the technology ofself-driving cars (keep the idiots from getting their hands on the wheel. BTW,Flying cars? No thank you. Can you imagine what dumbass drivers would be doingup in the sky? You really want that texter behind the wheel of a flying car? Idon’t think so.), and smart houses. My husband has a PhD in Robotics. He’s evenworse than I about gadgets. Because gadgets aren’t what will save the world.Oh, they’re fun, but is the world really a better place because we can takepictures with our phones? (Although in the case of the Arab spring, thattechnology was crucial, but that was a mighty powerful exception.) I haveembraced Twitter, and FB, and blogging, but they aren’t as important as solar energyor wind power or wave energy.

I guess what I’m saying is I don’t have any problem withgadgets, but don’t expect me to jump into the 21^st century any timesoon. I don’t want to be attached to my phone. Or have my picture taken.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

Still working on the Rita books I have to judge.

Why Romance is NOT porn

2012-01-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

To all you ignorant, self-righteous dullards^1:

In my last book, AS YOU WISH, the story is told in 306 pages.Of those, let’s say ten are pages of sex³. That’s approximatelythree percent of the novel. The sex is between two consenting adults who areattracted to each other and end in a committed relationship with each other.Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s usually how a committed relationshipexpresses itself—with sex. I’ve been in a committed relationship for 27 yearsand, yes, I still have sex with my husband. It’s the natural progression ofshowing affection for someone.

Porn is intended to do no more than cause sexual excitement.While passages in Romance may do that, the stories celebrate love,relationships, how those relationships form, and the characters the reader comes tolove (we hope), root for, and who earn a happy ending. Most often this relationshipis not with the pizza delivery boy or copier mechanic.⁴

For those of you simpletons who still insist Romance is justporn with a prettier name, let me apply your definition to other media:

Bridesmaids: clearly porn. The openingscenes and then the ones at the closing credits. It’s obvious really.

Shawshank Redemption: clearly gay rape porn. Forget the message. It’s allabout the sex. And those pin-up girls...tsk, tsk.

Schindler’s List: Again, message unimportant; the only scenes that matter arethe ones with sex.

Notting Hill: there is a sex scene, therefore porn.

The Firm:in the book Mitch cheats on his wife on the beach, therefore, porn.

“AfternoonDelight”: Really? Need I say more?

Don’t want to read Romance? Fine, but don’t parade yourignorance. You’re embarrassing yourself.⁵

¹In general I have nothing against nor am Ioffended by cussing or stronger words, but I don’t use them much myself. I likethe extra sarcasm offered by non-profane vocabulary. Shakespeare had insultsdown to an art without the crude language. As for those words, they haveappeared in my books, but not too often; only when I found them appropriate andconvincing, as when my two Guards in WISHFUL THINKING are yelling at someoneand drop the f-bomb. These two men are essentially military. I doubt they wouldsay, “Gosh darn you.” But feel free to replace “dullards” in your head with anyappropriate synonym you might think of.²

²And yes, it is okay to end a sentence with apreposition. That’s one of those fake grammar rules that teachers plague theirstudents with because it’s easy to remember. Others are never start a sentencewith a conjunction (I can think of many sentences that are just fine grammaticallyeven though they start with a conjunction) and never split an infinitive (thatone goes back to Latin and German construction.)

³I counted the pages and it works out to lessthan nine if we count actual lines, but I’m being generous here and counted theparagraphs leading into and out of the scenes.

⁴ I didn’t mean to single out you pizza deliveryboys or copier mechanics, but those are the clichés that pop to mind. And nowyou know how it feels to be judged on clichés and not substance.

⁵By the way, your parents had sex. At least once.Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

It’s RITA time. I’m reading, but I’m not telling you what. I’llcontinue with Discovery of Witches afterI’m done judging.

Error Proof?

2012-01-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here in the middle of January with the sky gray, the air cold, and the day too short, I have finally finished the last iteration of fixing WISHFUL THINKING. I've pored over the galley proofs, corrected errors and sent it back. I'll be receiveing ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) next to send out for review and then the final product, the book itself. The scariest part is that in 320 pages of galley proofs, I found 147 errors. Oh, most of them were commas instead of periods, or periods instead of commas, or missing end quotes (and a couple of missing beginning quotes), but I also found repeated words (I fixed those--and some repeats are on purpose), or awkward syntax, or outright mistakes, like a character standing in one line, then three lines later he stands again.

Collector's card

What's scary is that this book has been through so many reads. Not only by me while revising, but also by two beta readers, then me again, then my editor, then me again, then by the copyeditor, then me again, the typesetter (or person who puts it into the way it looks when printed form--they don't really set type any more), then me again. And yet in that last step I still found 147 errors. Now it goes to print. I honestly believe that no manuscript (of any significant length) can be error-free. There will be typos, wrong punctuation, and other mistakes. That's the reason why I have never read one of my actual books. At that point there's nothing I can do about it, so I don't want to know. I've had another author tell me in one of my early books (pre-Gabi Stevens) that I have envelope rather than envelop. Not helpful. I can't fix it. Maybe if it went back into print, which it won't, but in any case not helpful.

Now, in TEMPTATION'S WARRIOR (now available on Kindle and I'm working on the other formats) if I find errors, I can fix them. That's the nice aspect of self-pubbing.

I know some readers get very annoyed with errors in a published book. Every book will have errors. Especially after writing the thing and reading it umpteen dozen times, you can't see your own words. I guess I'm asking readers to be a little more forgiving. Oh, not if the book is error-laden (and I've read a few of those--that's just wrong) but you really need to overlook a few misplaced or missing commas, periods, and quotes. And I'm not talking about the ebook versions of books. I've had more trouble with the format of books than I care to deal with. (Not my own, other books)

Of course, WISHFUL THINKING will be clean now. I hope. :)
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
11/22/63 by Stephen King
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

The new year

2012-01-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

This is the second year in a row that I haven't celebrated New Year's because I was sick. I'm still coughing, but at least I'm healthier now. Except for cancelling our annual game night (we don't party, we play board games...with incredible competitiveness), I don't mind much because, honestly, it's just a date, but it is a traditional party date and I missed that. Twice now. So I think I'm going to throw my New Year's Eve party next week when I'm healthy again and ignore the calendar.

Speaking of calendars, it's 2012. Are you worried about the end of the world? Me? Not so much. As I used to tell my students when they'd mention that the world was ending this year, it's just the end of a calendar. We don't panic when we throw out our calendar and put up a new one. The Maya Calendar is just a longer calendar. (Don't harp on my accuracy, folks. I'm making a point). So I fully expect to drink champagne Dec 31, 2012, and see January1, 2013 and have my annual party.

Unlike this year.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Winning the Wallflower by Eloisa James
11/22/63 by Stephen King

Random movies

2011-12-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

While visiting family in California, my husband was flipping through channels and happened upon Casablanca. What a great movie. I was quoting the lines ahead of the actors (I'm sure it was totally obnoxious), loving the the humor that was thrown in throughout, enjoying Bogie and Bergman. I don't have cable TV at home, so I don't have that accidental access to great classics, but seeing Casablanca again made me think of other great, great movies that I love and I will watch every chance I get. These are oldies: nothing after 1970.

The Bridge on the River Kwai--Great actors, great story, great suspense, amazing movie. And the music is unforgettable.
The Great Escape--What a thrilling story. And again, the score is phenomenal.
The Magnificent Seven--I'm not a Western fan, but when it's done well, you can't beat a great Western. And have you heard this musical theme?
The Dirty Dozen--It's just fun. Turning bad guys into heroes. What more could you ask for?
It Happened One Night--if you haven't seen this classic comedy, quick, find it, watch it. It's said that Bugs Bunny was based on Clark Gable's role.
Bringing Up Baby--Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant in a zany comedy. Too fun.
To Catch a Thief--Again Cary but this time with Grace Kelly. During the filming of this movie she met Prince Ranier and soon after became Princess Grace.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers--musicals aren't for everyone, but this one is such a great romance. (Okay, you have to suspend disbelief a little, but I love it)
Singing in the Rain--perhaps the best movie musical ever made. It certainly tops my list.
Psycho--still one of the scariest movies I've ever seen.

I've left off so many. What are your favorites? I would love to see some oldies I've missed.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Bad Luck Wedding Dress by GeralynDawson

Best cookie recipe ever

2011-12-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

I don't cook or bake much. Really, I have burned water. (Making hummingbird nectar--almost burned the house down). But these cookies are the simply wonderful Rich, buttery, and not too hard to make.

Buffett's Sugar
Cookies

1 lb. butter

2 C. powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. salt (you can leave this out unless you use sweet butter)

1 tsp. vanilla

4 C. flour

Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add egg,
and mix well. Add salt, vanilla and flour (add the flour 1 cup at a time
and blend between cups). Roll dough on a floured surface 1/4 in.
thick. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes
(depending on the oven) until slightly golden around the edges. Cool on rack, and decorate as desired, or freeze and decorate
later. These cookies freeze well and are also good plain, without the
icing.

Cookie Icing

Combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifting
makes it smoother) with a couple drops of vanilla or other flavoring (I use
vanilla), and enough milk (2-3 Tbsp.) to make a smooth, slightly runny
icing. Color if desired. Decorate with colored sugars, sprinkles, crushed peppermint, etc. while the icing is still wet. Allow time
for icing to set to a firm, smooth, glaze finish, especially before
packaging. Once iced, these cookies store well and stay soft for several
days in a tupperware type container.

Credo (Partial)

2011-12-11T14:05:00.001-08:00

In this season of reflection, family, and festivities, I thought I'd post something about the things I believe. No, not religion, but random thoughts and ideas.

I believe everyone has the right to their own opinions, but too many people don't know what an opinion really is. You don't have the right to ignore facts just because you don't like them.
I believe no one should aggrandize themselves at the expense of others.
I believe life is not fair, but that doesn't mean there isn't joy in it.
I believe celebrities have the right to keep their lives private if they choose. However, even if they go public, I believe I don't want to hear about it. Entertain me. That's enough.
I believe vanilla is better than chocolate, umbrella drinks are better than wine, and books are better than movies. (Hey, this is my list. You want to make your own? Leave a comment)
I believe laughter works miracles.
I believe that just being human comes with responsibilities.
I believe space is scary. (I hate the idea of Earth floating in a vastness coldness. The moon in the sky during daylight hours freaks me out when I see it because that's when I see the universe and I don't want to.)
I believe dark humor can be really funny.
I believe that people are not created equal. Some people are smarter, or faster, or prettier, or stronger. But that doesn't make anyone better than anyone else.
I believe my book is just as valid as your book. (Or movie or song or TV show)
I believe you can judge a book by its cover. But that doesn't mean your judgment is correct.
I believe you can always learn something and should.
I believe the day I stop dreaming is the day I should die.
I believe this list has gone on long enough...for now.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Dos and Don'ts

2011-12-03T16:00:00.001-08:00

How is it December already? I have a crazy list of things I need to accomplish and I'm not even talking bout the upcoming holidays. So without further ado, here's the list:

Do:

Finish the Work-In-Progress rough draft and get it to my agent. I'm almost there. Only about a hundred pages to go. (If you're interested, the working title is MYSTIC)
Plan to get the word out there for the April release of WISHFUL THINKING. I have some contest ideas and giveaway thoughts, as well as some advertising ideas too.
Somehow promote my kindle book, Temptation's Warrior.
Come up with more original ideas for my blogs. You all must be getting sick of me constantly writing about why I like genre fiction.
Remember to take more time for myself and my health. I have got to walk my dogs more (don't worry, there are two others in my household who take them out too).
Enjoy not working the day job.

Don't:

Worry about Amazon numbers.
Compare myself to other author friends. Because the way I view things, I always come out on the short end.
Edit in my head as I write the rough draft. That's what revision is for.
Drive myself crazy with the things I have no control over.
Tell myself my writing and ideas aren't worthy.
Be so hard on myself.
Make impossible lists.

If you didn't know I was neurotic before, you do now.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Marked Son by Shea Berkley
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Optimism

2011-11-25T13:14:00.001-08:00

A few days ago I read a blog in which someone referred to a talk Jayne Ann Krentz gave. In this talk, she mentioned that, in her opinion, the difference between the literary genre and other genre fiction, was one word: optimism. For whatever reason I've been thinking about this since I read that message (Funny, since I was present when Ms. Krentz gave that talk and only now started thinking about it) and I find I agree with her. Optimism is the difference between genre fiction and literary fiction (which is just another genre, but I won't get into that here--much).

It's a little too simplistic to say that all genre fiction is optimistic, but for the most part it is. Even set in an apocalyptic world, the struggle of a man (or mankind) to maintain dignity or the right thing is optimistic. That's why Mad Max works. A loner anti-hero who has lost everything still does the right thing and fights for the right causes. After he does the right thing, the world isn't "cured", but he goes on to do more "right things". Optimistic. In Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, a book with NO heroes, justice does win in the end even if it's in a weird, unjust, twisted way. The book remains troubling because of its ending, which is what makes it a classic, but there is a weird sense of optimism in it. Justice does prevail (and if you've read the book**SPOILER** you understand the pun I'm making).

I think optimism is the right word. Optimism doesn't mean life becomes easy. It doesn't mean that the characters will live out the rest of their lives in pretty meadows filled with unicorns and rainbows, snacking on candy flavored flowers and never gaining a pound. Optimism means that no matter the circumstances, the characters will strive to seek goodness, justice, strength, and love. If death comes, and it will, hope will still exist. Optimism, whether it's the superficial belief that you will win the lottery or the deeply ingrained urge simply to wake up the next morning and slog through the day, is the strength of the human race.

Maybe life is futile. If that's the case, I don't want to read about it or watch it in a film or even know it. I prefer my optimistic delusions. Life is more fun that way.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Breathless by Dean Koontz
Blood Island by H. Terrell Griffin

I Like Light

2011-11-16T20:33:00.001-08:00

So how badly does it reflect on an author when she labels herself as a light read? I love my books, but my intention isn't to bog the reader down with characters who have depressing baggage, history that's too text book or research that's too dense (Not that I don't do research because I do a ton). I write the books that I enjoy--fun, with humor, and adventure. Yet I hesitate to label myself so. Case in point: I wanted to describe my new Kindle release as medieval-light. Doesn't mean that I didn't do research or that the novel is anachronistic. I will admit I glossed over many aspects of medieval life...because I wanted to. While I enjoyed the research and learned many cool facts, I didn't want to weigh down the light and lively aspects of my novel. I call it Errol-Flynn lit.

I love movies like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Notting Hill, X-men, Love Actually, anything by Pixar; books like Harry Potter, almost every Agatha Christie, Bewitching, A Kiss At Midnight, and so many more. (By the way, all these stories have themes and important ones at that, but that's a whole other topic.) I also love books/movies like Shawshank Redemption, To Kill A Mockingbird, Casablanca, and other heavier fare, but I stay away from anything like The Hurt Locker, or The English Patient, or stuff you have to use a crane to lift. I recently watched A Single Man. Thought it was slow, but a fascinating character study...and then it ended. If you don't want to know the ending skip to the next paragraph. It's the story of a man about to commit suicide, but through the course of the day he finds his will to live again. It's life affirming; the character finds joy in living again. Wonderful. And then he has a heart attack and dies. Really? REALLY? You want a great, GREAT book where people die and it's still life affirming? Read Dandelion Wine. It's about living life to its fullest, not about the futility of life.

So I hereby declare myself a light writer. I write stories that (I hope) will have you cheering at the end, laughing at parts and maybe even sheding a few tears. I write for fun--fun for me and for you.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
In Her Sights by Robin Perini
I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell

My Foray into Self-publishing

2011-11-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I had several historicals released before I was able to write paranormals. Well, I've now re-released the first of my backlist. TEMPTATION'S WARRIOR, an award winning manuscript, is now available on Kindle. I like to call it medieval-light--I definitely did tons of research (who wouldn't love reading about the middle ages?) but in the end I told a fun story (in my opinion). I've released it under my other name, Gabi Anderson. Originally it was released only in hardcover, so it didn't get the readership I thought it deserved.

The cover was so much fun to create. My husband and I found an image we liked (iStockphoto.com) and then we played with it. The more I looked at him, the more I fell in love with this model. So did my husband. :)

I'm still looking into how to get the book on Smashwords and into the Nook, Kobo, and other formats, so that will be coming. In the meantime, if you're a huge fan and want another Gabi fix and have a Kindle, this is your chance.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Beyond Ordinary by Mary Sullivan

Wishful Thinking

2011-11-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have a cover!

It so nails the characters, especially Stormy. You have the beach in San Diego, her usual garb, her tattoo...And Hunter...sigh. Love those arms. Release date is April 24, 2012.

And yes, this is a paranormal, but the cover fits the book. Even if they didn't quite get the dimple in his chin.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

Halloween

2011-10-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not big into Halloween. I don't mind giving out candy or seeing kids (I don't even mind the teenagers) come to my door. I don't mind the people who actually celebrate it as a holiday, and I sort of laugh at the ones who fear it, but it's not big on my list of days I look forward to. I really am sick of the way it's been built up into a merchandise bonanza; and I always laughed at my students when they thought they should have a day off for it (Yes, I was that kind of teacher--I laughed at my students). I don't like "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (I know, blasphemy) and I don't like to dress up.

I should retract that. I would love to dress up if I could get the kind of costume I would love to get. Probably something Steampunk, or Victorian, made of velvet and lace, with a corset and the right boots. Or something medieval with a wimple and chemise, overgown and laced up bodice. Or perhaps something fantasy--wings, something flowy. The reason I don't: I can't see myself spending the money. I'm frightfully cheap, especially when it comes to myself. The idea of spending the kind of moneyit would take to acquire the kind of costume I would love gives me hives.

I wish I was the kind of person who could just let loose and celebrate. I wish I could dress in the styles that truly appeal to me (Gothic, anyone?--you'd never guess that about me, would you?). Unfortunately, I'm too repressed.

So I'll sit back on Halloween in my non-costume and just say, "Bah,humbug." But have a good time anyway.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Honey Moon by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (really, Kindle people, have someone proof read it)
Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My Man Pendleton by Elizabeth Bevarly

The Reason I’m Sticking with Traditional Publishing

2011-10-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Don’t get me wrong. I think this is a brave new world inpublishing with so many new opportunities. I love that authors are re-releasing their backlists. Heck, I’m even dipping a toe intothe waters of self-publishing by releasing one of my historicals written undermy previous name . But for the most part, I’m stickingwith the non-indie books (hypocritical much?).

Before you start throwing things at me, let me explain. Ithink it’s great that authors have a choice right now. Really I do. You’vewritten a book and you want to see it published. I can understand that feeling.More than you know. But as an author (and let me just come out and tell youthat I am traditionally published by a traditional house), I don’t have a lotof time to read. When I read, I want the book to take me away, and for it to dothat, it has to be clean, well constructed, and sing (metaphorically speaking).

Again, before you throw things at me, let me continue. I’mnot saying that indie authors don’t know what they’re doing. I’m sure many ofthem do. And yes, I have read traditionally published books that areterrible—and I don’t mean “just not my taste.” I’ve seen error-laden, lazy asswriting from traditionally published authors. But—and many of us do suffer frombig buts—I have also read many, many unpublished manuscripts over the years. Notcomplete ones, but the opening chapters. Hundreds is not an exaggeration (Ican’t imagine going through the number of manuscripts an editor or an agent hasto). Of the hundreds of chapters I’ve read, I’ve seen maybe two or three, atmost five, that were ready to be published. Of the couple dozen that I thoughtwere really good, interesting concepts, great voice, etc, they still needed alot of work to be publishable—whether the grammar needed work, the pacing, thePOV, etc. A good editor could really help those manuscripts. And yes, I’ve alsoheard that good editors are hard to find. Probably true, but they are outthere. My concern is that most authors can’t view their own work withdetachment, and I don’t want to read someone’s book that only the author's mother/best friend/husbandthinks great. I want someone who has no emotional stake in the author tolike the writing.

Keep those rotten tomatoes in your hands for a while longer,please. Recently I’ve heard too many authors say that New York doesn’t knowwhat it’s doing, that so-and-so made it big without traditional publishing,that this big name author is now going indie, that publishing is dead, etc.Maybe that’s so. New York publishers are struggling, really struggling, tofigure out what’s happening in publishing. The fact that so-and-so made it bigis the exception, not the rule (that’s why we hear about her). The big nameauthor who is going indie knows her craft and has already proven herself awriting entity and has fans who will follow her wherever she will go (“she” usedas the default gender pronoun—I’m not thinking of anyone in particular).Publishing is not dead; it’s changing—some of the dinosaurs are gasping, someare blind, some have their heads in the tar pits, but do you really think publishingis dead? They said the same thing when Gutenberg invented the printing press.They said the same thing about movies when television came around. Do youreally think publishing will disappear just because we’ve entered a new phase? All authors should be educating themselves and not trusting one side or the other blindly.

But (so many buts in this blog, as if too many of us didn’talready have big buts in our lives), I want someone to have vetted the work Iread. I honestly believe I have a better chance at finding a good book thatway. I’m not saying that some self-published works aren’t great. I also knowthat I’ll never find them with this attitude, but I don’t have the time tosearch or the money, or the patience to wade through the muck. I’m just statingmy parameters.

And, yes, I know many people don’t like my books and that’sokay too.

Let the throwing commence.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Dragonbound by Jade Lee

Formula

2011-10-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Critics of Romance complain that the stories are all the same, that they're all formula. Well, sure, if you consider having an HEA (happily ever after) formula, but as a recent study (from UCSD, my alma mater) showed, people actually get more from reading if they know the ending. Spoilers don't spoil anything. In Romance the "how" the hero and heroine get to the HEA drives the reader, not the "if". Besides, within the formula you'll find an almost endless variety of styles, tones, themes, settings, conflicts, etc.

If you're a person who loves Romance, I don't have to convince you that I'm right. If you're no fan of Romance, then, besides wondering what the hell you're doing on this page, I feel I should inform you that all genres, including literary (yes, it is a genre) have their formulae.

Still not convinced? Well, I don't have time or energy to deal with you. I'm busy writing. But as a final thought watch this three minute short film. According to the restrictions placed on the film makers, the films were allowed to have six lines of dialog:

What is that?
It’s a unicorn.
Never seen one up close before.
Beautiful.
Get away, Get away!
I’m sorry.

Just watch:

Don't tell me formulae are limiting.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones
When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

I Guess it's Fall

2011-10-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today I was cold for the first time in months. I don't like cold. Mind you, I think I'm becoming really whiny, because I'm not liking the extreme heat either (Yes, I did complain in Rome and other parts of Europe while I was there because of the heat. Never going in summer again). To me Hell isn't fire, but ice. I was chilled on Friday and I actually took my first (of usually many) hot bath of the season (with a book--in this case a Kindle in a Ziploc--something to drink and a couple of cookies. TMI?) My favorite season used to be summer (before I became whiny about the heat), spring brings allergies like crazy, and winter is just too cold. So by default, fall has become my favorite season--especially since I don't have to go back to school.

But by far the coolest (no pun intended) thing about fall in Albuquerque is this:

The Balloon Fiesta. While five of the ten days were rained out this year, and one cannot depend on the weather, the Fiesta is worth a trip, the early rise (although they also hold evening balloon glows, but you MUST see the early morning mass ascension), and the crowds. Food is fun--Breakfast burritos (on the way home, my husband was wondering if the Fiesta serves the most breakfast burritos in addition to hosting the biggest number of balloons--really, what other event boasts as many breakfast burritos?), doughnuts and mini-doughnuts, funnel cakes, hot chocolate, coffee--even the pinon variety--and today we even spotted breakfast pizza. And the odd offering of things to buy--today's winner: flu shots.

But the big draw is the balloons. You can walk on the field as they lift off. Wave after wave launch right beside you.

My favorite:

Yeah. I'm a nerd.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Shadowman by Erin Kellison
A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

Why am I not an engineer or a computer scientist?

2011-09-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Who says the sciences and technology are not creative? I've had this argument with my students often. Science and math can be very creative--it's just a matter of understanding the language well enough to create in.

Want proof? Watch this. (And yes, I know it's an advertisement, but who cares. It's awesome.)

Gaps in my Education

2011-09-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

As we travel through life, grow up and get out of school, we realize there are some things we just never studied that perhaps might shock others. I can give you a couple of examples in my own education. I have never read Hemmingway, I didn't read The Great Gatsby until last year, and I first read Huckleberry Finn the summer before I knew I was going to teach it. Now I truly believe I had a great education. I had classses in high school in subjects that many students are never exposed to: an American West history class, an English class on science fiction (which was truly marvelous), a class called Ripping off Shakespeare, and in my Latin class we read Roman poetry, plays, and Winnie the Pooh. As a German major in college, I read a lot of books English majors have never heard of and Goethe's Faust in the original German, but that also meant I missed out on some English language books. I didn't read Frankenstein until a couple of years ago, never read A Tale of Two Cities, and still haven't read Hemmingway.

As a romance novelist, I believe it's important to understand my genre. So when people rave about a book, I know I should read it just to see what others are raving about. But that doesn't mean I don't have gaps in romance too. I am currently reading Outlander for the first time. Yup. I'd never read it before. I didn't pick up Lord of Scoundrels (widely regarded as the best romance novel written) until a year ago. I was late to Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Jayne Ann Krentz, but I've since caught up. There are still some big name authors I haven't read, but who shall remain nameless because I really don't want to hurt feelings (though why they should care if I've read them gives me way more importance than I'm warranted).

I really don't understand people (especially writers) who say they never read historical, or romantic suspense, or paranormal, or whatever. Limiting yourself creates gaps in your education (and yes, romance novels are a part of your worldview and therefore educating). So I'm challenging you to broaden your scope. Read something you wouldn't normally read, even if that means reading out of genre. There are some terrific horror novels out there, or mysteries, or even the occasional literary novel. Or pick up a historical if you don't read those, or a YA, or a category.

The bottom line is the story. The type is just the vehicle to tell it.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

In Defense of the Wallpaper Historical

2011-09-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love the wallpaper historical. Don't get me wrong. I love history. I love the details, seeing the the patterns, understanding the flow, recognizing modern repetitions (actually, that last one not so much). But when I'm reading a historical romance, one where I want to be taken to another world, I understand that world is a fantasy. A FANTASY. It never existed. I know most women of those days (whenever those days may be) didn't have rights and that society had different expectations for them, and yet it doesn't bother me to find women with modern sensibilities and attitudes in the historical romance. I think that juxtaposition makes for interesting plots. It's the ultimate "what if".

If I wanted to read history, I would pick up a history book. I know the difference. It doesn't bother me if a heroine from the middle ages uses words that didn't exist until the 1800s. Let's face it; if the author wrote a linguistically accurate novel, you wouldn't be able to understand it unless you knew middle English. Do you find it easy to read Shakespeare? He wrote in modern English.That doesn't mean I expect the heroine to say "dude" or "chillax" (Am I dating myself?), but honestly, I'm reading a fantasy even if it is a historical novel.

Mind you, I also enjoy the rich, detailed historical. I enjoy the density, the obvious knowledge of the author, but I would say the majority of the "wallpaper" authors do their research too. It just doesn't hit you over the head. I have read wildly inaccurate historicals and I will knock those as much as the next person. I read one once that took place in Venice and the author had the characters traveling around the city in carriages and even a coach and four! Ouch. That kind of inaccuracy is inexcusable, but I hold that the majority of authors don't make such errors. But I've read errors in contemporaries as well.

I used to write historicals and I can tell you that I did copious amounts of research, but the bottom line was the story. Yes, my historicals tended to gloss over the bad teeth, open sewers, and body odor of the past. Those are still the historicals I like to read; the ones with the endless number of dukes in England; with the governess who can end up married to the earl; the ones where they can have sex in a carriage because her clothes come off rather than being stuck in the accurate stiff and unyielding corsets and crinoline. Give me the Robin Hood where Errol Flynn can best real life swordsman Basil Rathbone.

Give me the fantasy.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:A Regimental Murder by Ashley Gardner

Critical Thinking

2011-09-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

It's a catch phrase in education. It's what supposed to be taught to students. It's what intelligent, thinking adults should possess. Yet often I believe it is the aspect that is most missing in our society. Critical thinking. It is the ability to come to conclusion based on evidence, logic, thought, observation, analysis, and experience. Unfortunately, it requires some work, and that's why I believe so many people opt out of critical thinking and prefer to be told what to think.

I'm on this rant because an acquaintance posted an inflammatory, "cutesy" political remark, and I called her on it. It wasn't logical, and I pointed out the flaw in the reasoning. Now granted, it was smart-ass of me, but it pissed me off. She proceeded to throw more sound bites at me that wandered further from the original topic of the post, and then her friend joined in, calling me a patronizing name (which made me just laugh-- that's how to win a debate--by resorting to name calling) and waving the patriotism flag, which of course is often the last resort when no valid arguments can be made.

Don't talk to me about patriotism. My parents escaped an oppressive, totalitarian regime by crawling through miles of mud and snow with nothing but the clothes on their backs. My mom had a new coat for the first time in her life, and her heart broke that she had to ruin it in the dirt by escaping. My parents lived in a refugee camp for two years after escaping. They had the chance to move to three other countries, but they held out for the chance to come to the United States. (These were my bedtime stories growing up--what their life was like, what they went through to come here, and what life was like when they started here.)

But that doesn't mean I accept what is told to me without evidence or proof. The political pundits on the radio and TV for the most part like to hear themselves talk, and several have been shown to stretch the truth so many times that it's a wonder they still have a job. But of course they do, because people would rather believe what is told to them than learn about an issue and think it through for themselves. It's easier.

Incredibly, thinking for yourself was a theme in so many of the novels I taught my students: And Then There Were None; The Crucible; Huckleberry Finn; I, Robot. Unfortunately too many people are willing to be led instead of questioning why they follow.
Think!
Sorry about the rant, but it's really a shame.
--Gabi

Books I am Reading now:
Seduce me in Dreams by Jacquelyn Frank
Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen by JK Rowling

The new Man

2011-08-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not trading in husbands. I'm talking about my new hero. He's so much fun. I turned in revisions for WISHFUL THINKING, the third and final book in my series (unless there's a huge write in campaign for a continuation of stories in the world) and I was just thinking of Hunter. He's my hero. He's a Guard--kind of magic military. His job is to protect the third fairy godmother. Of course, it's not as easy as he thinks, and he has to go through much soul-searching and changing before the end.

One of the interesting things about writing the male (which I'm not) is trying to understand their point of view. How do they think? For example, how would a man describe the heroine's blue eyes? Well, he'd probably say blue. When writing a scene from the male POV, one has to worry about how men think or it won't come off as authentic--especially if the guy is an alpha hero. For example, men usually don't ask for approval, so they don't use tag-ons like "right?" or "don't you think?" When they write e-mails then tend not to use a greeting like "Dear Mr. Brown." They just jump right into the meat of the message.

There are other male behaviors that make scenes more authentic, like their attitudes about nudity. Yes, there's a scene in my book that uses this aspect of male behavior. I think it's pretty funny.

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that I really like the male. And all of his quirks, strengths, and behaviors fascinate me. Maybe because I'm not one.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Stranger by Zoe Archer

Guilty Pleasure

2011-08-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Can I share a secret with you? Tomorrow is the first day of school If you follow my blog you know I'm not teaching any more, so what does the first day of school have to do with me? My daughter, the one left at home and not in college, goes to school tomorrow. The husband goes to work, the daughter goes to school, and I will have the house to myself for hours every weekday.

I truly hope I'm not letting myself in for a big letdown. I don't want to spend my free hours doing the things that will distract from writing--you know, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning. I have to tell myself this is a nine-to-five job (or in my case seven-to-three job--the daughter leaves the house early). And I also have to make sure friends and family understand the same concept. I am NOT a stay at home mom with time to run every errand. (Not that there's anything wrong with that role. I was that for ten years.) Errands will come. Like next week, Baby girl gets her braces off. I will be there for that. But I will be writing. And it's hard work. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Now if I can only find some way to communicate this to the dogs...
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Scoundrel by Zoe Archer
Rebel by Zoe Archer

Rom Con 2011

2011-08-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in Denver right now at RomCon 2011 and it got me to thinking. I know I thanked my readers in AS YOU WISH (see the acknowledgements) but I wonder if you know just how much you mean to us authors and to me personally. I'm not the kind of person to squeal, or jump up and down, or visibly demonstrate my emotions. Basically I was taught not to trust exposing one's emotions to the world. I tend to appear reserved, stoic and serious when you first get to know me. I don't dislike that aspect of me, but sometimes I wish I could just let go and whoop with abandon. I had a reader approach me here at RomCon and she told me how much she enjoyed my book. I was thrilled. I of course thanked her, gave her a trading card of my latest cover, and a little tchotchke that I'd brought with me, but inside I was whooping.

Deep inside I'm rather shy (I think I've said that before). The feelings and the exhilaration were all there; I just have trouble showing it. You can't overcome years (years and years--I had a birthday last week) of behavior. But that doesn't mean I don't feel it.

So to my readers: Thank you. You are appreciated. You are valued, and I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me. No, really, I can't. :)

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Silk is for Seduction y Loretta Chase
Heartless by Gail Carriger

For you Historical fans (of which I'm one)

2011-07-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled to have a guest blogger here today. I met Michelle Diener at the Orlando RWA conference. This woman impressed me. She was so refined and so elegant and so funny. Okay, maybe I hated her. Just kidding. She has this fabulous accent--because I'm an American; I'm sure to her ears, I was the one with the accent. And she writes historicals. You know, the meaty kind. So when I found out her book was coming out August 9, I knew I had to have her come by. Please welcome Michelle Diener.

GRAND PASSION

Thank you so much to Gabi for inviting me to visit today.

My debut historical novel, IN A TREACHEROUS COURT, is due out on August 9th, and it is set in Tudor London, in the pre-Anne Boleyn days of Henry's reign. My series was really driven by my interest in Susanna Horenbout, the heroine of the book, who was a real person, an artist from Ghent (which is in current day Belgium), who was acclaimed by some of the most famous artists of her day as exceptional. Unfortunately, no work remains today that can be attributed to her, except for a brass plaque, and even that isn't definite. She was obviously talented, and her father sent her across to England to work in the court of Henry VIII as an illuminator and painter.

I was fascinated by the idea of a woman who was so accomplished, working in a field which was almost entirely dominated by men, and the problems and trials she must have faced. Because I'm mean that way, I've also thrown her into dangerous court intrigue as well, and given her a dangerous (but delicious!) courtier to deal with. Lucky for me, she really did marry him in real life, so I could include a romance between her and Parker, the courtier Henry asks to look after her, with a clear conscience on the historical accuracy front.

But because this is a mainstream novel, and the elements of romance do not drive the plot, I build their growing awareness for each other in whispers, rather than bold shouts. I have always loved the more subtle approach to a growing relationship in novels, my tastes being defined early on by masters of understated but strong sexual tension like Mary Stewart. I hope Susanna and Parker's growing passion shines like a bright thread of gold through the book, in much the way Susanna would work gold leaf through the border of an illumination. It doesn't overwhelm the story, but the book would be the lesser for it if it wasn't there.

But I'm interested, do you love an over-the-top passion in your books, or the silent, simmering awareness like I have in In A TREACHEROUS COURT? Or are you happy with either? I've got a copy of IN A TREACHEROUS COURT to give away to a lucky commenter. (US residents only, unfortunately!)

Michelle Diener lives in Australia with her husband and two children. She's worked as an editor, a publisher, managed a small IT business, and now writes full time. Her debut historical novel, IN A TREACHEROUS COURT, is due out with Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books on August 9th, and the second book in the series, KEEPER OF THE KING'S SECRETS, is due for an early 2012 release. You can find out more about her at her website (http://www.michellediener.com), her group blog (http://www.magicalmusings.com) or follow her on twitter or Facebook

Thanks for coming by, Michelle. Can't wait to get my hands on this one.

Make sure you leave a way to reach you in your comment. The giveaway will run for a week (until Aug 2) , and then I'll pick a winner.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Killing Me Softly by Maggie Shayne
Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen by JK Rowling (Yes, in German)

Summer

2011-07-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm in the depths of revisions right now, so this one will be brief. One to make you laugh.

Remember THE EXORCIST?

Be sure to watch to the end.

Be sure to stop by next week. I'm having a guest blogger --Michelle Diener, author of In A TREACHEROUS COURT. With a giveaway.

--Gabi

Books I'm Reading Now:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (Yes,I've already seen the movie; then again, I've already read the book too.)

A Confession

2011-07-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. Yesterday was the first day in months that I felt like a writer again. Yes, months. This feeling goes back long before I left for Europe on my Grande Tour. Of course it was hard to work while eating gulyás made by my relatives on an open fire in a kettle like they used to do on the Puszta (Oh. My. God. Amazing).
I expected it to be difficult to work as we walked along the canals of Venice. I knew nothing would get done as hiked through the Alps trying really hard not to break into songs from the Sound of Music. But even before that I couldn't get into the right frame of mind because of the job.

Teaching. One of the most beastly, infuriating, frustrating, incredible, rewarding, satisfying jobs I have ever done. I couldn't write while teaching because I threw myself into my work. That's how I operate. I had one year teaching where I decided I wouldn't care about the kids, I would hold myself back and distance myself from the job so I could write. That was my worst year teaching. So I decided never again. I am happy to say that my final years of teaching were...well, see above. Thank you to my students for showing me so much and inspiring me. And to the administration (not the immediate administration) and the "laws" and the so-called improvements and the "new" ideas...yeah, not so much.

I always said that teaching would be what I was meant to do if I didn't know what writing was like. But writing did so much more for my soul. Oh, it is beastly, infuriating, frustrating, incredible, rewarding, and satisfying too. But even more deeply. And yesterday was the first time in months I fell into bed at 11:30 feeling like I did good work that day. I was a writer. Not someone who writes when she can, when she doesn't have essays to correct, when she has a spare moment. I was a writer and everything else was the second thought.

Can't wait for the rest of my life.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Warrior by Zoe Archer
In Scandal They Wed by Sophie Jordan

I'm Baaaaack

2011-07-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

The answer to the mystery I've been posting really isn't much of a mystery at all. I was in Europe for the past month. I didn't really want to publicize it because I didn't need the world to know that my house was empty, but I'm home now.

Things I noticed (not historical or touristy): cars have become bigger in Europe since the last time I was there; I saw a number of small SUV's and even one Dodge Ram and one full size SUV. However, the Smart car was everywhere. I love the Smart car. Instead of parallel parking, they would just park perpendicular to the curb and wouldn't take up any more width than a regular car. Also scooter riders in Rome are crazy. I take that back. Any drivers in Rome are crazy.

The food was wonderful everywhere we went (except when I cooked to save a little money). They eat more sensibly than we do too. A large breakfast with proteins, fruit, cheese, etc. A large lunch--that's the hot meal of the day. Then a small dinner--usually a cold sandwich or an omelet or a salad. And they walk everywhere. I lost five pounds without trying. And squid is a staple in a couple of the countries I visited. Yum.

Odd state of affairs: in the US, if you bring your own bags to the store, they pay you five cents for each; in Europe if they give you bags, you pay them.

Italian gelatto has put me off of inferior ice cream for life.
Ditto for Swiss and German chocolate.

The Europeans know how to do recycling.

But their showers are too small (especially if you're 5'10" and your husband is 6'3"). They don't see a need for screens (thus the mosquito bites covering my daughter's arms), and air conditioning is not everywhere, and where they have it, it's pretty weak. Now you could argue that we Americans are spoiled, but really, if you live in a country where it regularly is humid and temperatures in the summer get to 36 degrees Celsius, wouldn't you think air conditioning is lovely?

My hair was wild. The humidity everywhere made my head look twice as big as it normally is.

We had a wonderful time. So many experiences and adventures. But it is nice to be home.

If you're interested, I've posted an album on my FaceBook page under Gabi Stevens Europe Trip

Now to work diligently on my new project.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase

Need more help?

2011-06-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here's another hint about my activities.

And soon...

Answer next week.

Books I'm reading now (which should also give you another hint because I'm reading really slowly):
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

2011-06-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Just a brief notice to check in with everyone. I promise more details soon. Meanwhile here's a picture to give you a hint of what I've been up to...

Yes, explanations will follow.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

Luck

2011-06-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

I have none. I absolutely cannot rely on fate, luck, chance, the stars, etc., to get me anywhere. I don't win when I gamble, but I don't lose either (well, not more than an evening's worth of entertainment anyway); I don't win raffles; I've never been upgraded to first class on a flight; and everything I've achieved has been through my own hard work. I know there's something to be said for that last, but sometimes I wish for something to happen easily and without effort. Oh, yes, and wishes don't work for me either.

That's all. Just a thought.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

The Last Lesson

2011-05-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

As you know, this was my last week of teaching. A colleague, a science teacher whom I greatly respect and who taught one of my twins, shares final thoughts with parents and students every year. This year he shared them with me and with his permission, I'm sharing them with you.

A Final Mr. Brügge Story...

It’s a tale of the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet. In science we are far too lazy to write out the full name for ideas and concepts so we often use letters from the Greek alphabet as shorthand for math and science ideas.

The 18th letter in Greek is sigma, which looks a bit like an arthritic capital E. Although it’s not a symbol we use in 8th grade, it will soon become part of your high-school or college science vocabulary.

We use sigma to stand for the sum of mathematical terms. More broadly, however, we are all sigma. We are the sum of our experiences. Some of this we control and some is simple a given because of the circumstances of our birth.

I would like to think that we are actually greater that the sum of our experiences. It should be, then, our job to make the most of our sigma. I offer four free pieces of advice in order to get the most out of your life:

1. Be passionate! I know that passion and middle school probably should not ever appear in the same sentence, but I mean the passion for understanding. Become the local expert on how to take apart a computer—and put it back together, of course. Know the name of every aircraft that passes overhead. Memorize every baseball statistic since Babe Ruth. These passions may or may not lead to a career but they will bring you joy throughout your life.

2. Say “thank you!” Tomorrow at the promotion ceremony, thank the adults who are there to see you walk across the stage; they are there because they love you. Ten years from now when you think kindly about one of your former teachers, look her up and send a note. A sincere thank you will serve you well always.

3. Admit when you are wrong! I’ve made a point this year to give out homework passes when I make a mistake in GradeBook Wizard. While I don’t make too many mistakes, they do occur. The small things are easy to own up to; the bigger ones take character. Trust me, your marriage—please wait at least ten years—will be much happier if you understand this very important concept.

4. Be sigma! You have the ability to take your experiences and become more than the simple sum.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Brügge

Since I am now stepping into a new world, so to speak, his words spoke to me. No, I"m not an eighth grader, but I don't think these thoughts are limited to the young in years. The young in heart can always benefit as well. Thank you, Steve, for letting me share.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Last Week

2011-05-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Not as in the past, but the future. Why? Because this is my last week of teaching eighth grade. If I teach next year, it will be in a different job, probably at a different level. But if I don't teach at all...

Leap, and the net will appear. --John Burroughs

I still have one year of college tuitions (two of them) to pay, so the idea of not having an income is scary. But if I'm not working, I can write. Full time. Without distraction. For hours and hours a day. And I know I'm capable of it. I did it before I started working (to pay tuitions, unshockingly enough)

So this is my last week in the classroom. I will miss the kids and the occasional success I had showing them the joy of words and literature. But I won't miss the rules and regulations imposed upon teachers by people who claim to want the best for students but in practice end up seeming only to want to save their own jobs. Yes, I'm leaving the teaching field convinced that school does not exist for the students (how else can you explain a proposal to save money by having the students stay home for three weeks?). It's rather sad.

But on the other hand, it's with a sense of fear and freedom that I face the week after next.

I'll let you know if the net appears.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
Dark Jenny by Alex Bledsoe
Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

2011-05-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Min:1 Max:17 Result: 3 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

So the winner is Pamela Cayne. Yay, Pam. Thanks to everyone for entering. Pam, send your address to me: GabiStevens505@gmail.com

I will pop that in the mail as soon as I can.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Dark Jenny by Alex Bledsoe

Little contest

2011-05-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Right here on this blog site, I'm running a contest to celebrate AS YOU WISH. You can win this magic wand book mark (about four inches long) just by leaving a comment here. In one week I'll use random.org to choose a winner. I'll send it anywhere the post office will let me (So, yes, international).

So spread the word and leave a comment. (And check back in a week to see if you've won. I have to get your address somehow)

And pick up AS YOU WISH anywhere you buy books. If they don't have it, make them get it. Remember, ten percent of my royalties go to Best Buddies International.
--Gabi

Absurdity

2011-05-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes writing is like banging your head against the wall--it's an exercise in futility and painful to boot. There's so much you can't control: where the book is distributed, when reviews will be released, if reviews will be released, how much it sells, whether readers will pick it up, how it is received, etc. I've hit a few of those roadblocks in the past week--and it's only been one and a half weeks since the book has been released. So after moping for a day (or three, if I'm honest), my husband passed on his words of wisdom to me.

"Once you recognize the futility of it all, do it anyway. After all, what else are you going to do?"

So, I'm going to keep on going. and write the best books I can. Only sixteen more days of school, I have summer to regroup, and I have set an ambitious goal for myself. I will write a book this summer. A whole book. And when school starts again, I will probably be home because I'm taking the leap. That's another motto passed on to me by a writer I consider a mentor: "Leap and the net will appear."

So spread the word. I'm not done yet.

And also let everyone know that ten percent of my royalties from AS YOU WISH goes to Bust Buddies International. I'll blog more about that in a few days.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Indulgence in Death by JD Robb
Going Cowboy Crazy by Katie Lane

Good news

2011-05-02T19:15:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday I was notified that my novel THE WISH LIST is a finalist in the Reader's Crown Contest, the contest associated with RomCon.

I attended the first RomCon last year and had a great time. Here's a picture of me last year.

Although the winners will be announced June 30, I am attending this year, no matter the outcome of the contest. So look for me August 5-7 in Denver.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Indulgence in Death by JD Robb

Just a quick note....

2011-04-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

AS YOU WISH came out yesterday. Thank you so much for all the support, the reviews, the visits, the cajoling, the cheers, the woots, the opportunities, the shoulders, the friendly ears, and the love. For all that writing is a solitary endeavor, it really can't be done without, well, you.

So, thank you.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

Brenda Novak's Auction

2011-04-22T12:35:00.001-07:00

I know I've mentioned my book's tie in with Best Buddies International, but I couldn't let May arrive without mentioning the granddaddy of all romance related do-gooding. Brenda Novak holds and annual auction for Juvenile Diabetes. This year she has over 2000 items for sale and bidding. Go check it out today.

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com

--Gabi
P.S. AS YOU WISH comes out next week, April 26 !!!!
Books I'm reading now:
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Lord of Scundrels by Loretta Chase

The Glom

2011-04-16T18:29:00.001-07:00

Today I went out to get the latest Harry Potter movie on DVD, and then I watched it. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed it when I saw it in the theaters when it came out. The only problem was that it ended and I have to wait until July for the continuation of the story.

I have never been one to glom a series. I end up watching or reading all the ones I'm interested in, but order or immediacy never mattered to me. Good thing too, because my book that comes out in ten days (AS YOU WISH) is only the second in a trilogy. The first came out in April of last year (THE WISH LIST), and the last doesn't come out until March of 2012 (WISHFUL THINKING). I enjoyed the frustration and growing anticipation of waiting for each Harry Potter book to come out and to a (much) lesser degree, the movies (Let's face it--the books are so much better than the movies, although the movies are good). But lately I've been on a glom kick.

I started watching Bones over spring break (March), and I've now finished watching all five completed seasons. I've enjoyed the characters arcs that grow and become apparent as you follow the seasons. But on the other hand, the errors become more glaring as well. Nevertheless, it was fun to have something to concentrate on. I also picked up the Twelve Houses series by Sharon Shin. What fun to be able to read one after the other of these books. But these two gloms have pointed out the major drawbacks of a glom.

When you find something you like and then finish them all, you're setting yourself up for a letdown. When no more is left to a series, you have to leave it after you've become used to a certain style, humor, story, etc. And suddenly you need to find something new, but you've become so accustomed to whatever it was that you've become accustomed to that the new can be difficult to enjoy. At least that's my experience.

So I'm hoping that you won't mind that there's been a bit of a break between THE WISH LIST and AS YOU WISH, and that there will be another between AS YOU WISH and WISHFUL THINKING. Sometimes too much of a good thing isn't a good thing.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Taken by the Prince by Christina Dodd

Trading Cards

2011-04-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

The newest thing in romance are trading cards. If you're at the RT convention (and, no, I will not mention how jealous I am), you've probably seen them. If you're attending the RWA conference in New York this June, you'll see them there, and if you're going to RomCon in Denver in August, you'll find them there also. While I'll only be attending RomCon (and the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference in Atlanta at the end of September), I have trading cards.

Isn't he delectable?
And this is the back...with the stats:

So if you aren't going to RomCon or Moonlight and Magnolias and want one of my cards, you can send an SASE to me, Gabi Stevens, P.O. Box 20958, Albuquerque, NM 87154-0958, and I'll be happy to send you one. Just be warned. I don't get to my box daily, but I will check for your envelope more than my usual once a month. :)

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Perfect Murder by Brenda Novak
The Man who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton

A Very Special Post

2011-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

We are less than a month away to the release of AS YOU WISH. I’m sure by now, if you follow me, you’ve heard me talk about the magic, the hero and heroine; I’ve shown you the cover, the arcs, told you about the contests, and pretty much have shared my excitement about the upcoming release. Now I want to tell you about my author’s note.

In AS YOU WISH, I have two special characters, Tommy and Joy. They are bakers. And Tommy has Down syndrome, and Joy has...well, Joy is just Joy. My heroine, Reggie, has set up a bakery for her two friends. Reggie runs the business aspect of the endeavor and supervises her friends. And they are her friends first and foremost. Tommy and Joy have a real talent for baking. It doesn’t hurt that they have magic too, but I strove to keep them realistic. I came to love these two characters. Good thing too, because, you see, my daughter was the inspiration for them.

Like Joy, my daughter doesn’t have a specific diagnosis, but it wouldn’t matter anyway. She is who she is. We celebrate her accomplishments, fight for her rights, and simply enjoy her for who she is. I don’t want to make us seem like some ideal family—we fight, and she has those terrible teenage hormones and can give us attitude like any other kid. In fact she is more normal than not in many ways. And that’s what we focus on—all the many things she can do. She thrives on her independence, loves to sing (horribly off key—she inherited my husband’s singing voice), plays a wicked Wii game, makes her own lunches for school, and bakes the family brownies. Give her rules and instruction, and she can do almost anything. The hardest part of her life is getting other kids to accept her for who she is.

Did you know that fifty-four percent of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) never receive a phone call from a friend in their lifetimes?

When I first heard this stat, it shocked me, but didn’t surprise me. I know the loneliness my own daughter suffers from. Until she hit high school There she joined a group dedicated to breaking down the barriers society sees for people with IDD. Best Buddies International is a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing one-on-one friendships for people with IDD. They have groups in schools, colleges, communities, and even in the business world. You can find out more about them at www.BestBuddies.org. Because of Best Buddies™, my daughter receives texts on her cell phone, attends dances, goes out to eat, and has made friends who don’t judge her or look to help her. They are just friends.

So I’ve decided to support Best Buddies™ with more than just the words here. For the next five years, I pledge ten percent of my royalties from AS YOU WISH to Best Buddies™. That’s what my author’s note says. It explains my reasons, and talks about Tommy and Joy, and my own joy, my daughter. I hope you will support me in my endeavor, and besides, you’ll get a good read in the meantime. At least I think so.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
Destined for an Early Grave by JeanieneFrost

Giveaway!!

2011-04-03T16:43:00.001-07:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

As You Wish

by Gabi Stevens

Giveaway ends April 13, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Approval coming soon, I think.

Wanted: Magic

2011-03-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

The magic has gone missing (Please, no grammar lectures here. I know what I wrote.)

My weekend was filled with grand plans of rewriting, editing, creating, and producing. Instead, I did nothing. Nothing of value anyway (Video games don't count--I'm sorry, they don't). I can't even remember how I spent Saturday (don't tell me I'm old--I know), and I can tell you how I spent today, but I don't want to (it involved hours playing a mindless game on the computer). Really, I wasted TIME--time that should always be handled as if it were precious, because it is.

I could try to justify my time squandering as a needed break from the day job or that my mind needed to disengage for a moment, but the truth is I was lazy. And honestly, I was scared. I have a major edit to do on a proposal that was difficult to write in the first place, and now I've learned it really doesn't work as it is. And so I'm afraid. I'm afraid that when I look at it, I won't know how to fix it. I won't know what to do. The Magic wasn't with me when I wrote it and I'm afraid it won't be there when I try again.

The stupid part is that I KNOW the Magic comes the more you use it. Just doing it (Thanks, Nike) actually works. No good comes from finding excuses or avoiding the work or "waiting for the muse." The muse comes when you show her that you respect her and do the freaking work.

So I wasted my weekend, and tomorrow is Monday and I'm back at work. Maybe I've learned my lesson. I'll let you know next weekend. In the meantime, if you have any magic to spare, send some my way.

(By the way, if my editor or agent reads this, don't take it so seriously.)
--Gabi
P.S. My contest ends March 31 at Fresh Fiction. Be sure to check it out.

Books I'm reading now:
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn

Comfort...uh,...things

2011-03-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

I just finished spring break. I had a list of things to do, finished most of them, and still had time to just have fun. (Gotta love a vacation) I read, watched TV and DVD's, and enjoyed great weather. I even wrote a lot. Overall I had a lovely, relaxing week.

So I got to thinking, what are the things I turn to to find comfort? First foods. If I didn't dislike cooking so much, I'd make comfort foods all the time. This past week I did make one of my favorites--veggie lasagna. But the other ones (which I didn't make): clam linguini, rakott krumpli (a Hungarian potato and sausage dish), spaghetti carbonara (are you getting the hint I like carbs?)...okay, now I'm just getting hungry.

I watched "Bones" on Netflix on the Wii this week too. I hadn't seen the show before, but had heard good things, so I tried it. And liked it. I'm in the second season now and enjoying the brainiac characters and the sparring of the two main characters. I really don't watch a lot of TV. I havn't seen (No angry letters please) Buffy, Firefly, only a few of Monk. Heck I don't even have cable channels unless I'm in a hotel. Here are some of my other TV show favorites: Glee, Amazing Race, House, The Mentalist

Movies? When I want to laugh: Notting Hill. When I want to sing: Sound of Music. When I want to cheer: Star Wars. Others: Indiana Jones (I know that's not one movie, but you get the idea), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, LadyHawke, Casablanca, To Catch a Thief, Bringing Up Baby, The Shawshank Redemption, Disney (pretty much every one) and so many more.

Books: Bewitching, Dandelion Wine, To Kill a Mockingbird, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, And Then There Were None; I, Robot; Phantom Tollbooth, and so many more. Yes, I left out romance novels on purpose, except for the one listed first. That one has a special place in my heart.

I didn't even begin to list drinks, candy, places, clothes, or people. This blog was already getting too self-centered.

So what are your comfort items?
--Gabi

Don't forget my contest: http://freshfiction.com/contest.php?id=3261

Books I'm reading now:
Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn

The Indomitable Spirit

2011-03-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, sometimes you feel like the world is against you and that nothing you do seems to get anywhere or have any value. So and so's books are better placed than mine; my current manuscript is giving me trouble, I didn't earn enough money. I complain because I have to get up early, or it's too cold outside, or, damn it, we don't have any good snacks at home.

Then something happens that puts it all into perspective: the earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami.

I'd like to think I would maintain my dignity in the face of such catastrophe, but how do I know? I've been through earthquakes when I lived in California. Nothing like the one they experienced in Japan. I've never been hit with snow enough to bury me for days, no tornadoes, no wars (that I've personally been in--not talking about the one that we're in now that no one is expected to sacrifice for except those actually fighting).

My parents escaped from Hungary after the revolution there. They lived through the bombings of WWII. Me? My life is cushy. And I am grateful for that.

Someone has found my work worthy--I have been published. I have a job. I have a bed to sleep in that my early alarm clock disturbs me from. I have a warm house to escape the cold, and frankly, I don't need those snacks (Twenty-five pounds more to go).

I like cushy and I am grateful for it.
To those suffering right now, those we hear about and don't: well, I doubt you're reading this right now, but my heart and sympathy are with you.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
Bridge to Happiness by Jill Barnett

Contest

2011-03-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

I promised you and here it is. A Countdown to AS YOU WISH contest. You can win a magic wand and an autographed copy of THE WISH LIST. You know you want one.

To enter just go to Fresh Fiction and fill out the form.

A wand. Really.

Good Luck.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn

Wishful Thinking

2011-02-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have a title for book three. Drum roll...

No, wait I already announced it. It's at the top of this blog. The title is...

WISHFUL THINKING.

(Love, love, love it)

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn (still--heck it's only been a day since I last posted.)

KnickKnacks

2011-02-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

I have always loved trinkets. I have a collection of David Winter cottages, I used to collect parrots (ceramic, plates, wooden; not the real ones), I collect plates with folk art, and since my latest book came out, I have all sorts of figurines depicting magical beings. I have a copy of a medieval goblet from England, a lizard from the Grand Canyon, and all kinds tins, especially holiday ones that used to hold candy.

I'm a junk junkie.

I absolutely hate shopping, clothes or grocery. The minute I step into a mall or supermarket, I start to yawn (I'm not kidding). But get me in a knickknack store and I could spend hours gazing at every little thing (Book stores too). I love things that catch the light, collect dust, and serve no real purpose on this planet but to look sweet.

But not too sweet. I don't like the cutesy things. No teddy bears or kids with big eyes. Although my daughter has some Pocket Dragons (I should put a trademark here, but, oh well) that I find adorable (My poor daughter inherited my junk gene, but her tastes run toward dragons--of which I have a few myself).

So stay tuned. I will be posting soon about a contest I am running where the winner can receive a wand. Details are forthcoming, I promise. And it's a cool wand. One I would like to have.

Because you can never have too much fun stuff.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now;
Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn

A Word about Truth and Honesty

2011-02-12T16:04:00.001-08:00

Recently I was giving a talk on Theme, and I realized that AS YOU WISH, my April 2011 release, has truth and honesty as a major topic in the novel. Haven’t we all heard that lying is bad? Isn’t honesty the best policy? Well, I’m here to say the subject isn’t that black and white. I honestly believe that lies have an important place in this world.

Of course, I believe that honesty is necessary in a relationship, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Nothing irritates me more than a story where the hero believes he must always tell the truth when a good lie would let him get away from the villain. That’s just stupidity. Huck Finn lies throughout his story, yet we admire him because his lies are good lies. He lies to protect himself, to protect Jim, and to survive. I have nothing but admiration for someone who does that. (Yes, I am currently teaching the novel so it’s kind of in my head right now)

So does that mean you can’t trust me? Far from it. I am totally honest with friends and family, but if you ask me if your butt looks big in your jeans, unless you are my bosom buddy, I’m not going to tell you that you look awful. I will point out if you have spinach in your teeth, because that’s an easy fix and I’d hope someone would tell me if I did.

So I can understand lying, if the motive is there. I tell my students that I will always tell them the truth (at least as I see it), but that doesn’t mean I won’t lie to them. That leaves them scratching their heads for a while. But sometimes a lie is important and necessary.

And that’s the truth.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The First Review

2011-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

The first review for As You Wish is in.

Thanks, Felicia, the Geeky Blogger. :)
--Gabi
Books I'm Reading Now:
Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle

Timing is everything

2011-01-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note this week. A few events made me think about timing. The first is that job I told you about. I applied and within a few days of applying the job was pulled. When I inquired, the school said that they have filled the position for the year and if the position will be open for the fall, they would let me know. Yeah, I don't buy it. Really, I was highly qualified for this position and I didn't even get consideration. But it's not all bad. I will be a full time writing come the end of May, and that's good.

Second is RWA National. Because of hotel rennovations (that's what I heard, the conference this year is being held nearly a month earlier. Because of the change in date I won't be attending for the first time in years (I chose not to attend one other national conference for reasons that I don't want to get into right now.) But I'm missing the New York conference because--and this is a GREAT excuse--I'll be in Europe. Yes, one of the twins will be studying in Budapest starting in March, and we'll be flying over to join up with her in June, so I won't be back in time. (I know you're feeling sorry for me right now)

Third, my other daughter (they're twins, you know) came home from her study abroad program Dec 23, 2010. Why is this a matter of timing? She was studying in Cairo. I wish the people of Egypt the best in achieving a democracy and a government they can admire and support, but I'm glad she's home.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz
Fat Chance by Rhonda Pollero
Catch of a Lifetime by Judi Fennell

The adventures of electronic reading.

2011-01-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

I got a Kindle for my anniversary from my husband. I was afraid of it for the first couple of days. This is not unusual behavior for me. When I get new clothes, I can't wear them right away either. But I downloaded my first book (Pride and Prejudice) with ease (but I didn't read it), and then I bought another and read it.

My reaction? Meh.

I wasn't blown away. It was comfortable enough to read-- not too heavy--and it looks sleek and new and pretty, but the reading experience itself troubled me a little. The page buttons are not where I wanted (I think I may just hold my hands in a strange position), and too few words appeared on the page for me (Yes, I know you can adjust it-- I did--but it wasn't quite right no matter the adjustment). I like knowing what page number I am on, and flipping to the end, which is what I do with EVERY book I read (and I am not opening this to discussion--some people do read the end first; I am one of them), wasn't as easy as in a book. The chapters seemed short without page numbers. And the typos...they were glaring in the Kindle format. I don't know why, but they jumped off the page at me. I googled typos on Kindle and discovered that typos are an issue with the Kindle. I don't understand why unless someone has to type in every book they publish. Shouldn't they have some sort of electronic file from the publisher for the Kindle? Maybe they do, and it was the publisher to blame. Honestly, I don't know, but I found so many typos. For example, the hero's name was misspelled twice in a few lines and then correctly a couple of lines later. (Can't say on the same page because who knows if they were on the same page. They were when I viewed it.) The word torque was used instead of toque by an author I know wouldn't make such an error. Misplaced commas, misplaced italics in several spots, and others (and yes, I know this is a fragment). I make many, many typos myself, but I do try to eliminate them. I guess I just expect better quality when I've paid for something.

On the plus side, I love not worrying about trees. The book I read was not a keeper, so I'm glad no tree was harmed in the production of my book (Yeah, yeah, I'm sure the author did use paper in the writing--I'm being figurative). I do enjoy technology, and it feels cool.

Honestly, I haven't given the Kindle enough of a chance yet. I need to read more on it to get used to it, but I had some gift certificates to a book store and bought paperbacks, so reading book number two on the Kindle will wait for this weekend. And the work I have to finish. But I'm sure many of my complaints will disappear over time. I love the idea of reading on the Kindle. I just haven't gotten used to it yet.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Changeless by Gail Carriger
Blameless by Gail Carriger

Surprise

2011-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been filled with surprises--not the unexpected gift kind; the kind that life throws you when you become too complacent. First I was sicker than a dog (cliche) for New Year's. Didn't stay up to midnight for the first time since I was an infant. Then my husband drove my daughter out to Atlanta for school. She's moved into an apartment and needed her car out there, so they took a road trip to get it there. And then the STORM hit. Hubby was supposed to be home Monday night. Forty-eight hours later, he finally made it home, which meant I had to take the other daughter to the airport before work which threw my whole day off. But it all turned out well.

But the biggest surprise of all is an opportunity that opened up. I had planned on leaving teaching at the end of this school year. I could go into the political reasons for my quitting (not retirement--everyone keeps saying I'm retiring. I am NOT retiring. One cannot retire before one turns 50 with only seven years of work), but suffice it to say that NCLB, while a beautiful idea in theory, doesn't work in practice. Kind of like communism. I was jumping into writing full time. Full time writing made the household monetary situation a bit iffy, especially as we head into the daughters' last year of college. Then I discovered that the German teacher at the local high school quit over the winter break.

I have always wanted to teach German. I love the language, the way you can play with it, the sound, the music of it (unlike French which sounds like you're moving around phlegm--just kidding. Anyone who knows me knows I always make jokes about French--the language, not the people). Best poetry ever. So I have applied for the job.

I don't know if I'll get it. If I don't, this will be the last five months of teaching for me. If I do get it, I can see myself teaching for a while longer. My youngest is at the high school where the job is, we'd be on the same schedule, and it's GERMAN. Having a job will help with the twins' final year as well.

The interesting part of this whole drawn out story is that life throws you surprises--some good, some not so good--but I believe that's the joy in life. Not knowing what's coming. Oh yeah, you make plans, you SHOULD make plans, but life happens. So life is happening now and it makes me appreciate it all the more: the sweetness when my husband finally did make it home; the excitement and good fear of new possibilities; the uneven and unpredictable turns of the path we're all on.

Go out and find life. Oooo, and I have a kindle now too. I'll report on that next time.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Salvation in Death by Nora Roberts
The Lady Most Likely...: A Novel in Three Parts by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway

Hmmm

2011-01-04T08:14:00.001-08:00

I've decided I'm tired of trying to defend my genre. I have more important things to do than try to convince those who denigrate romance that there is value in the reading of our books (I'm sure this stance will change in time...again). But a recent conversation made me chuckle at the irony of reading snobbery.

A friend (and if she reads this, I hope she realizes that I'm not insulting her; she just made me think) read a "literary" book for her book group. She said that most of her group, including herself hated the book. So I started wondering why they would choose such books to read if they end up hating them? Because someone told them they have "value"? Because someone told them the such books are "good"? Why would I want to waste time reading something I hate?

I keep going back to the so-called "books that are good". I read one last year. It was a horrible painful story that featured, not one, but two child rapes. Yes, I know such things happen; yes, I know horrible things happen in the world; but when the novel couldn't even offer the hint of a triumph of the human spirit, I felt rotten and cheated.

Because I want to believe in the triumph of the human spirit. Whether or not it's real or possible is irrelevant. I want to believe in the triumph of the human spirit, so by God, I will, if only because it should be so.

So I will keep writing my HEA (happily ever after) stories where my characters have to triumph over evil, because that's the way life should be. And if it can't be so in real life, then, damn it, I'll make sure it's that way in the books I read.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Crazy for Love by Victoria Dahl
Earth by Jon Stewart

ARCs

2010-12-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

Look what I received yesterday. The ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) for AS YOU WISH. This stage always makes the process seem more real. I'm holding a real book in my hands; it has weight and dimension; it has a cover, pages and a back blurb. Really a lot of fun. It isn't the final version, but it's one step closer. And now I have to let them go. Three are already in envelopes ready to be mailed to reviewers. And that's the scary part. Letting the book out there where no guarantee of love exists. I hope people will love it; I hope they find what I wrote to be humorous, uplifting, exciting, and an escape. I hope I succeeded in making this book a stand alone book despite being the second in a series (I believe I have succeeded, but my own perception may be skewed). Let me assure you that I did write it so that anyone could pick it up and read it without having read the first book.

AS YOU WISH is Reggie's tale. Regina Scott comes from a prominent Arcani family, but she never had any magic of her own. And then she discovers she's chosen to be a fairy godmother. Unfortunately the transition won't be easy. Reggie faces a curse, an attempt to overthrow the magical Council, and an entirely too enthusiastic mother.

Let's not forget the hero. Jonathan Bastion is a man of power and wealth and a hidden agenda. He wants to use Reggie for his own purposes and never expects to find true feeling for her.

Throw in a couple of special bakers, an irascible one-armed gnome, a demanding family,and a mysterious friend and you have a story that flew from my fingers onto the page.

So...the reviews start. The rest of you will have to wait until April 26.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Somewhere Along the Way by Jodi Thomas

AS YOU WISH

2010-12-16T07:26:00.001-08:00

I know; I just posted a new blog yesterday, but I couldn't wait. Here, with much fanfare, drum rolls, and glee, is the cover for AS YOU WISH (Tor Books, April 2011)

Big, long, awe-filled sigh.
--Gabi

POD

2010-12-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

I ordered a book to read for the holidays and mistakenly ordered an older book. That's okay, though, because I hadn't read it, but when I received the book I stared at it for a while because it looked different. The cover was slick, the binding extremely tight, the paper slippery, and some of the line were squished on the page. It looked like an ARC, but it didn't have any sort of designation on the front. I had the book for a few days before I realized it was a print on demand book (POD).

So what is my feeling about this technology? Well, I'm happy that I can buy and read this older book. But it feels wrong. It's too shiny. I'm a spine breaker (of books, not people) and I absolutely cannot open this book wide enough to read it comfortably. That's probably an odd complaint, but it's hard to read the words close to the spine. It slips through my fingers as I turn pages, and the pages are too white. There's a glare from any light (and it's not even an e-reader). I'm finding myself unable to read the book for long periods of time.

Overall, I believe the technology has to improve before I give it my stamp of approval. I have yet to try an e-reader (I know, I know. I have absolutely nothing against e-reader, but I like the feel of a book in my hand. I've heard the experience on an e-reader is comparable, and I've finally decided which one I want, but I haven't acquired it yet...yeah, because the one thing I need is easier access to books because I don't have an addiction already), but I expect that it would be more comfortable than the POD.

Sigh. I really am too obsessed about books.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
As You Desire by Connie Brockway

Cookies

2010-12-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

I just finished making the traditional Christmas cookies (Vanilias kifli, without the accent marks, for those in the know) that my grandmother made for her family in Hungary so many years ago. When my mother married my father, she didn't know how to make them. They were my father's favorite cookies, so she asked my grandmother to teach her. We had them every Christmas ever since. She gave me the recipe the first time I wasn't able to be with her for Christmas. I plan to pass it along to my kids someday.

I don't have many traditions passed along in my family. My parents immigrated from Hungary. Their whole lives were uprooted for a chance at a better life in a new place. As I grew up, I never knew Santa Claus--he wasn't a Hungarian tradition--and they dropped a lot of the Hungarian traditions because they weren't American. I never had a stocking, and we opened presents on Christmas Eve. But the cookies were always there. The kind I baked tonight and the two other kinds. Frankly, I don't really want to learn how to make the other ones. They're not my favorites and, really, should I spend hours working on something that I just won't enjoy? (Rhetorical--don't remind me that we all have do do stuff often for hours that we don't enjoy. I'm talking cookies here.)

My father died 21 years ago this week. So as I make the cookies, I think of him, my mother, my grandmother (whom I met once when I was four--she lived in Hungary, I lived in the US), my kids, my husband, and his family, who have accepted me as one of them. And I realize traditions are pretty cool.

Especially if you end up with cookies.:)
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Eon by Alison Goodman
Big Jack by JD Robb

Pictures of Heroes

2010-11-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I rarely look for pictures of my heroes. I'd rather imagine all on my own, thank you very much. But with my upcoming novel, AS YOU WISH, I had a definite actor in mind as I wrote it. The actor? Simon Baker. Usually my heroes are dark haired (for whatever reason, I prefer dark haired men), but for Jonathan Bastion, Simon Baker wouldn't leave my mind. He and the way he plays Patrick Jane on THE MENTALIST was the perfect fit--the outwardly casual demeanor that covers a tortured interior, the confidence he exudes, and the looks don't hurt either. My heroine, Reggie, is less than confident in her own skin.

This actor thing seems to be a trend, because as I was writing the third book (title forthcoming) in the trilogy, I found the perfect picture for my hero again. This time it was Til Schweiger (Inglourious Basterds). He looks the part of Hunter Merrick, right down to the dimple in his chin.

So now I'm working on something new and wondering if I again will find a pic for hero. I've decided that it's not a bad thing. Gives me a great excuse for looking at lovely men, even if I totally love my husband. But I may just not tell him.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Thanksgiving...the easy way

2010-11-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

The number one easy way to have Thanksgiving is of course to be invited somewhere so you don't have to cook at all. But that's not happening this year for me. I'm not doing the number two way either (Number two...hmmm, I really have to stop cultivating the preschool sense of humor), which would be ordering the meal from a supermarket. This year I saw an advertising from Trader Joe's for half a turkey already roasted and cooked. Yup, that's what I'm doing. Only three of us are home for Thanksgiving this year(Last year too; I made a duck for the first time last year) and my husband informed me--after 25 years of marriage--that he's not all that crazy about turkey; could just be my turkey--so all I'm doing is preparing the sides. I feel slightly guilty about it; despite his avowed lack of enthusiasm for turkey, I love it: the smell of it roasting, the taste, and best of all the leftovers.

So I'm going simple this year, less work, more time to...WRITE. For which I am truly thankful. The earlier health scare turned out to be nothing (yet another reason for thankfulness), and I have have the opportunity to entertain readers. Not to mention that I do have a terrific husband, great children, and wonderful friends.

What's on your thankful list?

--Gabi
Books I'm Reading now:
Hot Rocks by Nora Roberts
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (yeah, it's going slowly)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Shyness

2010-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I'm shy. It works in odd ways. I have no qualms about standing up in front of people and giving a talk (or performing--but I haven't done that in many, many years-if you were at RT in Houston in 2000, you saw me perform), but throw me into a cocktail party situation, and I believe I come off aloof and cold...not because I am snooty, but because I'm shy. Add my height into the equation and I come off as doubly arrogant. I don't mean it, really (okay, I'm sure sometimes I do), but I've never been good at first impressions or making small talk. I'm so afraid of saying something stupid that I don't talk. Or if I don't know anyone, it's really hard for me to just jump in and enter a conversation.

I know most people are like that. The cocktail party situation is hard for almost everyone. I really admire those people I call magnets--the ones who can find their way anywhere. I know three of them off the top of my head. No matter where they go, they find friends, whether or not they knew those people before. They are entertaining, are never afraid to say something stupid because they are the first to laugh at themselves, and seem to attract a crowd wherever they land. I want that skill.

My own shyness extends to continuing situations. I met a big name author at RomCon this year. She was completely charming and pleasant. We had a great conversation together, even to the point of exchanging contact info so she could send me Hungarian copies of her books when they arrive for my mother. We ate dinner one night together. For me it was a BIG deal. I saw her again at the RWA National conference two weeks later. I said "Hi," but then slunk away, convinced she couldn't possibly remember me. I bet she thought I was being rude, but it was my shyness kicking in. I once saw a different BIG name author walking toward me once at National. She smiled at me in greeting; I averted my gaze in panic.

I'm trying to get better. I'm trying to practice talking to strangers and exuding warmth, but somehow it's easier in the grocery store than when I actually have to interact for a while with someone. I'm really not a snob (except in some things), or rude; I really am afraid that I'll say something stupid and make you hate me.

So if you ever meet me and you're underwhelmed, now you'll understand why. Not that I'm a comedian when you do get to know me, but I do do voices.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
The True Love Quilting Club by Lori Wilde
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (trying to plug that hole in my education)

Little things mean a lot

2010-11-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Silly? Perhaps. Illogical? Definitely. Today I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to do and how little time I have to do it in. And a ton of little things were adding to the stress--jackets hanging on the railing, dishes in the sink, no extra rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom--you know, stupid little things. So my husband, the smartest man on earth (at least today), stood beside me and together we took care of the those silly little things. One little thing after another. Straightened a book shelf, got rid of outgrown toys, put newspapers into the recycle bin, replaced the filter on the refrigerator, and so on ad nauseum. And it worked. I feel unburdened now, as if I can face the big tasks with energy and enthusiasm.

And then I got to thinking that even the big tasks require the little things. One little thing after another. For example, on my list of big tasks this weekend is writing the first chapter of the new series (assuming it will turn into a series because someone will buy it). The first little task--making a new folder for it on the computer. Second, opening word; third starting a new doc for chapter one. Formatting, etc., follow and pretty soon I have a paragraph, then a page finished. Still have 399 to go, but it doesn't feel quite so daunting any more.

One step at a time. One step at a time.

--Gabi
P.S. Finished my first pass page proofs for AS YOU WISH this month. I can't wait to see the cover and get ARC's. April will be here before I'm ready. Hope you're getting as excited as I am.

Books I'm reading now:
Running Hot by Jayne Ann Krentz
Sword of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor

Random List of Things that Made Me Happy in the Last Week

2010-10-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

1. Coming in from outside on a cold day and the house is warm!
2. Puppy licks.
3. Husband made banana splits and bratwursts (not at the same time).
4. Went to Red River, NM, for a Writers' Retreat.
5. Saw Jodi Thomas.
6. Daughter was home (but then she went back to school which made me not so happy).
7. Reading my first pass page proofs for AS YOU WISH (April 2011).
8. Teaching Latin (Yes, I subject my students to Latin).
9. Having high tea at the St. James Tea Room. (Oh. My. God. The food is richer than any I've ever had. Sooo good.)
10. Receiving author copies of FILLED WITH GLEE, which contains my essay titled "At the Heart of Sue Sylvester."

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Wizard Squared by KE Mills
The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medieros

The Fear

2010-10-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

I finished my book contract last month. All three books in the Time of Transition trilogy are done and turned in (heck, The Wish List is available right now at a book store near you). The dedicated author (That would be I) now needs to start on the next project. The idea has been brewing for a while. But along with the excitement and thrill of starting a new book comes the fear.

We writers are a neurotic group (I don't mean to speak for everyone, so consider that corrected to "I am neurotic"). The fear arises from so many different areas. Is the new idea at all good? What if it's stupid? Can I even finish another book again (the idea of writing 400 manuscript pages is daunting)? And if I finish it, can I even sell it? And if I sell on proposal, can I finish it in time? And if I sell it and finish it, what if no one likes it?

It's not like having books on the shelves is any easier. The first book of the trilogy is out and received mostly good reviews, but... "Will anyone like AS YOU WISH(the second book)? Will it have a good cover? Will it have good distribution? What if no one likes it? And the third book--I just turned it in and am still too close to it to make any judgments. What if it sucks? What if none of the book sell well enough for my publisher to want anything else from me? What if this is the death of my career?

Yeah, I can't concentrate on the good stuff--like the five heart review from The Romance Reader, like the positive review in PW, like the many readers I've heard from who loved the book. Nope, I focus on the negative possibilities--not even the realities.

The craziest thing of all? I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing than writing.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran
Wizard Squared by KE Mills

One step forward...

2010-10-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

I'm up at an ungodly hour on my day off because the puppy seems to have taken a step back in her training. She's had accidents for the two out of the past three nights, and I was determined we wouldn't have another one today. So far, so good. But my problem with being up so early is that my brain won't stop dwelling on problems or frustrations, and then I make the mistake of reading news on line. Politics has me depressed anyway (I don't care which side you're on--it's all depressing), and reading about the latest round of muckraking, stupidity, and selfishness only makes my mood worse. Politics aside, other topics haven't been much better.

But the story that thoroughly floored me was the one about the four suicides after bullying in Ohio. You think that couldn't happen at your school, in your neighborhood? What has happened to kids these days? How are they being raised? What makes them believe they have the right to pick on someone who is different or espouses different viewpoints? What happened to live and let live?

Yes, I am at a school where bullying takes place. As a teacher, I can tell you, it's hard to catch it in the act. I never have. Then again, I have a small number of students and don't know most of the student body. I'm isolated at school and I've always been a rather naive person. I can stand in the hallway during passing period, but most of the time, I have students who need or want my attention during those four minutes. But it makes me sick to realize that out there is a child who is afraid to go to school because of other children (monsters--the real kind). And then to see the parents who think their child can't do anything wrong... What have we turned into?

When I was in sixth grade, I was bullied. The child of immigrants, too tall and skinny for her age (Snort, skinny--not a problem these days), and one of the nerds, I was the target for a couple of kids in my class. We did square dancing every Friday. Since I wasn't popular, when squares were formed, I'd invariably never be picked for a square and be stuck with my bullies. As we'd promenade around the square, the ones left "at home" would kick me as I walked around. I reported it to the teacher, but she did nothing.

It ended the day they made fun of my Hungarian background. (Oh, Hungary? Hungry? Are you a hungry Hungarian?--trivial, right?) I whirled on them and told never to say anything that stupid again. They had no idea what my parents had gone through to get to this country. They didn't know what hunger was. My parents did. I told these sixth graders they were ignorant and spoiled and completely clueless about life.

I don't know why that particular taunt made me defend myself. Maybe because they were attacking two people I loved rather than me. They stopped bullying me after that and other kids in the class came up to me and told me how much they respected me after the incident. I'm glad I stood up for myself, but not everyone can. Especially if the abuse is physical and the victim isn't big enough/strong enough. And I also don't believe a physical response is necessarily the answer(But I'm not ruling it out).

Sometimes when I think about the major and minor problems in this world, I wonder why I bother with writing romance. It's frivolous and light. There are more important topics to tackle. And then I realize that my books talk about doing the right thing. About having to leave your comfort zone to stand up for good. And of course that love is the most important quality in life. I may not hit readers over the head with those topics, but they're there.

So go out and do the right thing. Spread some love. Let's do our little bit to make this world better. I don't think we can fix politics.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Phoenix Transformed by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.

2010-10-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's time. I haven't posted a new blog in weeks, but I was finishing up book three in the Time of Transition series. The book is now complete, turned in, and in the production process for publication in Mar 2012. Meanwhile, I also did the copy edits for AS YOU WISH (April 2011), and school is in full swing (and I would so ding my students for using a cliche like that last one.)

But now that book three is done, I'm feeling lost. Oh, I had a list of things to do when I finished (read some books, play a game, clean my office--which really needs to be done--spend some time with husband and family, catch up on correcting homework, etc), and I'm getting to them, but I miss the frantic writing, the being in my own world, a world of my creating. I'm feeling bereft.

So I guess that means I won't be idle long. I'm already mulling over the next project. I have two ideas. And there's an idea in the back of my head that intrigues me, but it's not ready to be written yet. It's still gelling, but knowing the character whom the story is about, he'd be the first to say that's right and proper.

In store for the next couple of weeks, Balloon Fiesta (my favorite part of living in Albuquerque), my daughter comes home for a visit from college, and our annual non-conference writers' retreat in Red River NM, a great chance to talk shop with other writers. And I'll have a chance to read a little bit more.

I feel downright lazy.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath
In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath
The Phoenix Transformed by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

I have a Title

2010-09-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

Book Two in the Time of Transition series lost a title back in July. Turns out another book book coming out from Torin the same time period had the same title. And I totally understand why they made me change my title instead of the other author. His books are SpellQuest and then Spellbound. Mine were THE WISH LIST and then Spellbound.

So I sent my editor a list of possible titles--yes, they were mine, although one was suggested by my husband.This is the kind of thing they don't prepare you for when you first start out writing. You need to talk to other authors about titles. And as clever as you may think a title is, it may not work for marketing, so you have to be prepared to come up with alternatives.

But now a title has been chosen. I like it. Yes, it is a famous line from another book and movie, but I love the book and the movie, and it fits.

And so without further ado, the title of Book 2 in the Time of Transition Series:

*~*~*AS YOU WISH*~*~*

Coming from Tor Books April 2011. Watch for the cover soon.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan
The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick

A laugh

2010-09-05T12:57:00.001-07:00

I'm in the middle of the final two chapters of the rough draft and don't have time for a long thoughtful blog, but I hope this leaves you with a smile.

see more Oddly Specific

Escapism

2010-08-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article on a current best selling novel. It features child rape and the aftermath of such rape. I had been considering reading said book because as an author I think it's important to read current trends and big hits. But right then and there I decided I will not read this book. The article was about how this book will be used to help victims of such violence almost as therapy. Wonderful. I think that's fabulous. I think that such books should exist and people can read anything they want to read and if it helps people, so much the better. But >I< don't have to read it.

I don't bury my head in the sand. I read newspapers daily, listen to real news, keep myself politically informed (sometimes too much I'm afraid). I grew up on stories of hardship from my parents who grew up during WWII (They experienced bombing, hunger, death, injustice) and then the takeover of Hungary by the Soviets. So really I'm not ignorant or hiding from reality.

BUT...
When I read a novel, I want to escape. I want to be carried away to a different world and I want to celebrate the triumph of the human will. OK, I don't know how said book ends, and I am inferring that it does end with the triumph of human will, but my own soul doesn't want to wade through the morass of human cruelty and depredation to get there. I want entertainment. To me, the subject matter isn't entertainment. Hell, I write romance novels. I want the HEA (happily ever after).

One of my favorite movies is The Shawshank Redemption. It, too, has a difficult subject matter, but, my God, how uplifting it is. Love that movie. But another of my all time favorites is Notting Hill. I love the post-apocalyptic YA novel The Hunger Games, but one of my favorite novels is also Bewitching. I am not a one note individual. I read and watch things for entertainment, and becoming thoroughly depressed is NOT my idea of entertainment.

So I'll pass on that best seller. I tried one before that everyone raved about and the story left me feeling ill. I won't do it again. Does it mean I'm not as strong as some people? Who knows? I've never been tested to that extreme before. Can any of us predict how we will respond when faced with horrifying situations? But I've had my share of troubles, some of them major and on-going, and I'd like to think that I've faced them with aplomb and have come through them with an optimistic outlook. I try to improve the world I've been given rather than weigh it down with more horror (not speaking about the horror genre here; I'm speaking of real horror, the horror humans do to one another).

Give me escapism and don't judge me. In return I won't judge you if you read novels that need Prozac to get through.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Sixth Surrender by Hana Samek Norton
(only one this time because I'm on deadline and back at work)

Why I love genre fiction (and movies too)

2010-08-16T16:42:00.001-07:00

This weekend I read a quote from Sylvester Stallone (yes, that Sylvester Stallone) that I can't get out of my mind. He said, "Good action films are really morality plays. They deal in modern mythic culture"(Time Magazine, August 23, 2010). I agree with him. We need to feed our souls with the mythic, cleanse the ugly in the world with a healthy dose of good vs evil where the good wins, feel that, at least in the story, things are as they should be.

This is the reason I love genre fiction. In genre fiction you can count on things to be the way they should be. The good guys win, the bad guys get their comeuppance, the murder gets solved, and people fall in love forever. In genre fiction we don't have to worry that the corrupt banker gets even more money and a hefty bonus after cheating the hard worker out of his life's savings. We don't have to deal with companies so greedy that they ruin the environment yet post major profits in following years. We don't have bombers escape justice year after year after year. In genre fiction, the banker goes to prison after having to pay back all the money he steals, the company and its CEO's collapse to be replaced with a company with a conscience that saves the otters, and the bomber is taken out by a Navy Seal, who also happens to be good looking.

In the movie SECOND HAND LIONS (love, love, love this movie), there is a speech given by the character Hub, played by Robert Duvall:
“If you want to believe in something, believe in it. Just because something isn’t true, that’s no reason you can’t believe in it. There’s long speech I give you young men. It sounds like you need to hear a piece of it. Just a piece. Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in most: that people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power, mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this: that love, true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in. Yeah. Got that?”

Yeah.

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Kitty goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch

Another Harry Potter Pic

2010-08-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

Me, very excited about Hogwarts.

Harry Potter World

2010-08-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

So I'm late with this, mostly because I'm in a writing frenzy getting the rough draft of book 3 finished by the end of the month, so I have time enough to revise before it's due Oct 1. (If you're reading this Heather or Marlene, no, worries, I'll have it done.) It doesn't help that I had to be back at school early for textbook training, which is a blog in and of itself and I'm trying not to think about it except when I absolutely have to.

But I thought I'd report about Harry Potter World. First, I am glad I went. I would have hated missing it. That said, I give it a B/B-. It looks great. Just like the movies. But as you can see from the pic, it's crowded, which is odd because we didn't have trouble getting on the rides at all. We'd heard horror stories about the lines, but they proved untrue. So...

The Dragon Challenge was a challenge for a woman who hasn't been on a big roller coaster in years because her youngest is frightened of anything with loops. But I did it, although I have to confess my eyes were closed for parts of it. It's disconcerting to see the sun shining in your eyes at weird angles. We didn't even ride the Hippogriff after the Dragon challenge. It looked cute, but it's a small simple roller coaster. We stood in line for Olivander's to buy wands. The little show is cute but disappointing in that they only chose one person to measure and go through the wand choosing process. I understand (think back to the crowds) but it was disappointing nonetheless. Especially since I share a birthday with Harry Potter (and JK Rowling for that matter).

So the big ride was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This is the one where you walk through Hogwarts. Some of the paintings move and speak just as you'd expect, and in Dumbledore's office, he speaks to you via a hologram projection, and it looks 3-D (-ish; close enough). You move to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom where the coolest part of the ride happened. Harry, Ron, and Hermione appear from under the invisibility cloak to talk to you, but Ron says something and gets excited and his wand goes off, and Hermione says, "Oh, Ron, you made it snow again." At this point the everyone in line let out an "Oooh" in awe, because SNOWFLAKES FALL FROM THE CEILING! Really. Snow. A couple landed on me and melted. And it was totally awesome hearing a room of people gasp in awe.

The ride itself is a combo of virtual reality and storybook ride (picture Haunted Mansion at Disney only the chairs --school benches that seat four--except the chairs swing, lay back, and whirl.) The 3-D film virtual reality part is really cool because it's 3-D without glasses and you slip almost seamlessly between the animatronics parts and the film parts. You go through a chimney to get "outside" and fly around the castle, then you see Hagrid looking for a dragon, then the dragon chases you, then you make it to the quidditch field, then the dementors appear, you end up in the forbidden forest with the giant spiders who spit "poison" at you, then you're in the chamber of secrets with the basilisk skeleton, and then you fly back to the Great Hall and it's over. It's not too bad.

But here are the negatives: the dementors look hokey, even though the blowing of cold air on you is a great effect. The spiders look fake too, but they're better than the dementors. The rest of the ride is good, but let's talk about the line. I've already mentioned we didn't have to stand in line long, but we wouldn't have minded because they entertain you along the way. In fact the second time we went on it, we decided we'd let people get ahead of us so we could take in the details. Dumbledore's Office and the DADA classroom were cool, as were the hallways with the talking portraits, but part of the line takes you through the greenhouse, where they had some mandrakes planted, but they were just figurines. They really should have been moving or squirming and they should have also had some of the other plants(they have some plants in hanging baskets, but not plants from the novel). The house hourglasses were the most disappointing. They look like those candy bins from candy stores (you know the ones--the huge tubes where you serve yourself out of the bottom) and they were filled with tiny bead size "gems." I really pictured them bigger, the gems I mean. And It would have been cool to see gems being added or taken away and the total points registering somewhere. That couldn't be too hard to do. And frankly I think walking through Hogwarts would have been a bigger thrill than an actual ride. To see the potions classroom and the common rooms. I guess I just think they could have done more.

Hogsmeade was so crowded with people, I was wondering if they miscalculated the flow of the area. And it was small. I mean I know they couldn't build an actual village, but it was surprisingly small. And while some of the window displays move (the Book store carries copies of Gilderoy Lockhart's books with Kenneth Branaugh primping on the covers) but there could have been so much more. Owls on the rooftops, more "magical" movement in the windows (The music store has some). I don't know. I just would have liked more. One semi-neat touch was Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom (at least the girls' room--I didn't go in the boys' convenience), but the acoustics were so bad that you can't understand her (the reason for the semi-neat).

So I'm glad I went; I had a fun time, and I won't even complain here about the humidity, heat and the thunderstorm that all but shut down Universal (everything except three rides).

--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh
Confessions of a Little Black Gown by Elizabeth Boyle
Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

RWA Conference

2010-07-26T17:06:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. The time when romance writers gather in a single hotel and discuss...well, everything. If you think 2000+ women are going to only talk about writing, you're nuts. It'll be loud and boisterous and wonderful. I'm on my way to Orlando tomorrow. Wednesday night, if you happen to be in the area, there is a book signing for literacy open to the public. Five hundred plus authors will be signing, including me.

So this is a brief post from me. I will write more when I return. Oh, and after the week with writers I"m stopping at Harry Potter World. So much excitement!
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins
The Giver by Lois Lowry (Guess what I HAVE to teach this upcoming school year?)
Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell.

Why I am Socially Inept

2010-07-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

So today I realized I should have posted about RomCon. I had a great time in Denver--probably the most relaxed and intimate conference I've ever been to. I should have posted the highlights when I still remembered them (Like having dinner with Jo Beverly; I don't mean listening to her speak, although her speech was great, I mean sitting next to her at dinner Friday night.And then having dinner with Julia Quinn on Saturday--again, I sat NEXT to her. Hey, I may be an author, but I'm also a fan). I met some wonderful people--readers and authors--and I am definitely planning on attending next year. In two weeks I Go to RWA and plan to post about that conference. We'll see how I do.

But I realized how socially inept I am. I had a lovely women invite me to have drinks with her and her friends in her room, and I turned her down, not because I was opposed to having drinks with her but because I can't switch gears that fast. If I have it in my mind that something is going to happen or I'm going somewhere, I can't just switch plans. It absolutely throws me. And about half an hour later, I was kicking myself for not joining in the fun this woman and her friends were having in their room. Spontaneity, you are a stranger to me.

I was on a panel at RomCon with others and didn't say a word. I suddenly froze up. If you know me, and know that I have an acting background (waaay back when), you'd be laughing at me. But suddenly this room was looking at us, and I had nothing brilliant to say, so I was afraid to speak up. There were words and ideas in my head, but I never peeped up. So I looked like a lump. Idiot!

I know we are all hard on ourselves, but I'm angry with myself. Few people are that outright mean to want to see someone fail, yet that is exactly what I am afraid of. Sigh.

So I'm determined to work on it. I'm neither glib nor witty in real life (That's why I write), but I have to remember that most people aren't judging me either. So if you see me at RWA, come engage me in a conversation, or if I sit down and say something stupid, just chuckle gently and love me anyway.

Yours neurotically
--Gabi
Books I'm Reading now:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

Dreams

2010-07-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to follow dreams (I mean the ones that occur while you sleep) or look for hidden meanings in them, but you don't have to be a symbologist to understand mine lately. My dreams have been so vivid lately--which also means more nightmares for me (I read once that that average adult has a nightmare twice a month--mine are like twice a week)--and they are clearly speaking about things going on in my life. Last night's was a doozey. It covered everything from the writing I'm doing, the travel that's coming up, the health stuff I've been dealing with, family, and teaching. Seriously. I hate dreams like that.

I often have dreams that tell stories. I've based at least four of my novels on dreams I've had (highly edited, of course, to remove the purple kangaroos and milk-flavored hamburgers). And I like sleep (unfortunately). I still love to sleep in, take naps, laze away under the covers. I don't think I ever left that teenage phase where kids want to stay up late and sleep in. I know that's how I'd live my life if I could (It would help if my youngest's summer school didn't start at 7:30 AM). As luck would have it, I'm not queen of the world and I don't get to set the rules. (Someday...Mwahhahaha)

So I'm cranky today. I didn't need my dreams telling me all the things I have to do and take care of. I wanted rest.

What kind of wacky dreams do you have?

As for that travel, I hope to meet some of you in Denver this weekend for RomCon. I'm really excited about it, and not at all cranky about going.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
(I told you; I'm going to Harry Potter World at the beginning of next month)

I'm on the Radio

2010-06-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

I just finished my very first radio interview (Thank you, Theresa Chaze). I think it went well. I haven’t listened to it yet—there’s that little fear of listening to myself to get over first—but I think it went well. I certainly enjoyed myself and I hope I didn’t say anything stupid. I think I spoke too fast at times (I get excited and start racing—I do that in class too. I start speaking about a book, and my face gets flushed, and I speed up; my students laugh at me) and I think I talked over the host a couple of times (Sorry, Theresa), but if you get me started, sometimes you just can’t shut me up. Not bad for someone who considers herself shy. (Really. Don’t put me in a situation where I have to mingle and mix—but ask me questions and I can get rolling).

We talked about the romance genre, fantasy, science fiction, the magic in writing, my puppy (Yes, I know I need to post a new picture—it’s coming…sometime), promotion, and stuff in general. If you’d like to listen to the interview you can download it or listen here at blogtalkradio.

So…how did I do?
--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (because I’m going to the new Harry Potter World at the end of July)

Good News

2010-06-22T15:36:00.001-07:00

If you remember that personal post of two weeks ago, I have the results. The pathology was negative. I don't have cancer. Good news. They did find what they called active tissue, which I will have to have monitored for a while (next MRI in December), but for now I'm fine.

So how does this affect my life? Well, it's freed me in my writing a little. I'm not afraid to be a little more out there, sink a little more of myself into the text. It's made TOIL & TROUBLE, the third book in my trilogy, a little more interesting to write because I'm able to turn off that internal editor with a little more success. That internal editor gets in my way a lot. That and being an English teacher. Hard to forget those grammar and essay rules I'm trying to drive into my student (That's right; it's driven into them; they don't want to learn them).

So now it's back to work, and loving it.

Happy summer everyone.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Duma Key by Stephen King
One dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare

A Tribute

2010-06-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our monthly writers’ meeting, and I was struck by something. Earlier in the week, I had received an inquiry from a film producer about the film rights to my book. I know most likely nothing will come of it, but it’s fun to speculate, and I shared this news with my writer friends, and they were appropriately excited. Our meeting was about screenwriting (wonderful speaker, great meeting, by the way), and through the course of questions one of our members revealed that her book is going in for screenwriting through a huge Hollywood agency. She had not mentioned this to me.

Now, let me explain. This author got the fairy tale, the Cinderella story. Her first book sold in a major deal, foreign rights are being sold right and left, and now I’ve discovered she’s got a movie or TV deal in the works as well. I did not get the Cinderella deal, but that’s okay. I’m really happy with what I have. I didn’t get the guy who can sing well either, or the guy who picks up after himself, and while I love to look at my guy, I wouldn’t say he was a babe magnet either. But you know what? I love him with all my heart and soul. He is my perfect guy and I love being around him and I’m still thrilled he picked me (after 25 years of marriage that’s saying something).

I adore the author who received this deal. We are at the start of real friendship (yes, we’re friends now, but we still don’t know the names of each others’ children—okay, maybe we do, but you know what I mean). I’m thrilled for her, but I’m afraid she might be holding back on sharing some of the exciting details of her fairy tale because she is afraid she might put some people off, or it will sound like bragging, or because people will turn nasty with her (it has happened with other authors) out of jealousy. Really, she got the deal we all dream about as authors. And it’s exciting to be a witness to. It proves that dreams do come true. It doesn’t diminish what I’ve achieved. So it will take me longer to reach her level—I may never get there—but who cares? There’s room for everybody. Her success is everyone’s success.

Is she not allowed to celebrate because of her success? Isn’t she allowed to bask in her glory and just enjoy the whole process? I’m sure she’s celebrating with family and close friends, but I hope she doesn’t have to fear celebrating with the rest of us too.

So I’m here to be a cheerleader for her. (Not literally. Me in a skimpy skirt with pom-poms? That’s the stuff of nightmares. Wouldn’t give the right impression. Frightening. >shudder<). I want to hear about everything, because even if I never get there, I’m learning from her experiences, and if it’s my turn I’ll know a little more. Besides, she deserves it. She worked hard. She wrote a great book (which I’m still waiting to read—but I suppose I have to wait like everyone else.) and she was recognized for it. Good for her!!!

--Gabi

P.S. I don't have the results yet in regard to my last post, but I will keep you informed.

Books I'm reading now:
Ten Things I Love about You by Julia Quinn
Duma Key by Stephen King

Take Your Health for Granted

2010-06-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I need to get a little more personal on this blog, and this is one of those times. It promises to be a long one, so either stop reading now, or be prepared for a bit of reading.

I’m going back to the beginning, April 21. My book was coming out April 27, and I had nothing but high hopes for the future. April 21 was my scheduled annual mammogram. I took the day off of school for the appointment and spent the rest of the day writing guest blogs, planning promo for the launch of the new career. Excitement, nerves, and fear about the new book filled me. And then on Friday, April 23, they called and said that they found something on the mammo and want to do another one. But that this was fairly normal and that I shouldn’t worry. (Really? I’m a writer. I earn money from using my imagination.)

So my book came out on Tuesday, April 27, my puppy arrived April 28, and on Friday, April 30, I went in for another mammo and a sonogram. The mammo still showed something, so they scheduled me for a scintimammogram—that’s nuclear medicine for those who don’t know. May 11 was the next available date. Great. Not quite two weeks of worrying.

In the meantime, I had guest blogs, comments to make, keeping up a good face at school, and trying to enjoy my book’s launch. I also had a puppy to laugh at. I did most of the time, but sometimes the worry would get to me. By the way, thanks to all those bloggers who let me appear on their blogs, all the interviews you all let me give. It was helpful to keep my mind off of things.

So the scintimammogram consisted of having radioactive stuff injected into me, and then a special mammogram that shows the radioactive isotopes that react to anything unusual happening in the breast. I had to laugh while taking the test. The vial of radioactive stuff was kept in a lead tube, the technician kept it in a lead box, the syringe vial was encased in lead, but they just shot it into me. It didn’t frighten me; I just found it ironic. But the test was positive. Definite reaction. Next step: MRI.

Now lest you think I’m feeling overly sorry for myself, I wasn’t. I didn’t tell people because I didn’t want people coming up to me and asking how I was. That’s not who I am. My daughter joked with me. “If it is cancer, they can just lop off the breast. Of course, then you’ll be walking around in circles.” Best line ever.

Meanwhile, I’m checking reviews coming in of my book, scheduling more blogs. It was surreal, really. The excitement of the book coming out, the end of the school year coming fast, and yet behind it all I was frightened of the “c” word. My husband kept saying it wasn’t fair. I should be enjoying this time, enjoy the success the book seemed to have. Yeah, well, life doesn’t work that way.

May 19 was the MRI. It showed not only the spot in the right breast that was causing concern, but also a spot in the left that hadn’t been spotted through all the previous testing. Great. Of course, by now I was thinking this wasn’t so bad. Breast reduction on the insurance company. Never have been able to find blouses that fit well.

Met with a breast specialist who is fabulous, and we decided on a course of action. I went in for a lumpectomy on June 7. We decided that because whatever this was was caught so early, it would just be best to cut them out. Then if it was cancerous, they would be out, and if it was precancerous, then they wouldn’t be there to turn cancerous. She also said that if I were 65, she wouldn’t have done this, and just let it grow for another ten years, but because I was so young (preening here) this would take care of anything in the future.

Between May and now, I decided I wanted people to know. I had gotten used to the idea, and frankly, I didn’t think about it much. I was ready for people to ask me how I was. I’m still not thinking about it much, except now my chest is wrapped in bandages and I can’t take a really deep breath, but I have so much going on. I’m working hard on the third book in the trilogy, putting finishing touches on my GLEE essay for the fall book, and enjoying summer. I wish I had the definitive answer to give you right now. The pathology still isn’t back on whether it is cancer or not (I should find out tomorrow or Friday), but whatever it is, it’s out, and I’m good. I’m a little uncomfortable (I did have surgery, after all), but I’m good. We’re talking cure, not treatment. And really, if it is anything, we caught it sooooo early.

So here’s the explanation of the title of this blog. Take your health for granted. I don’t mean you should eat unhealthy, or that you shouldn’t exercise or see a doctor regularly, but you shouldn’t worry about your health if you don’t have to. Once you’re given a reason to worry, you’ll do plenty of it. No need to worry about things until they happen. So take your health for granted. I’m ready to do just that with only the occasional reminder that something happened to me in April, May, and June of 2010. I’d rather remember that‘s when my book came out and my career started.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
Strangers in Death by JD Robb
Ten Things I Love about You by Julia Quinn

The Well

2010-05-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today the well was finally opened. I sat down and realized that I have nothing hanging over my head: no classes to prepare for, no papers to grade, no meetings to attend. So I ran up to my computer to write.

And I did.

Oh, I've been writing all along, but not like today. The pictures were vivid in my head, and I was in the world. My world. It was so liberating, so wonderful.

So happy summer everyone. I know it isn't even June yet (tomorrow), but happy summer anyway. Do you remember that feeling you had as a kid when school was out? Grab onto that memory and enjoy life.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Rogue in my Arms by Celeste Bradley

Reviews

2010-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

So that thing that was supposed to be resolved two Wednesdays ago wasn't, and it's totally distracting me. I'm not going to announce it here because I don't want to, but I could use all the good thoughts you have to spare.

Meanwhile the reviews are coming in for THE WISH LIST. I don't really know how book sales are going (they don't share that info with authors often, and extrapolating from Amazon numbers doesn't tell you anything--although I am obsessing about them) but I've had several wonderful e-mails from readers telling me they love the book, which thrills me to no end. For the most part, the reviews have been fair and I can accept them. The majority have been good. As for the bad ones...well, they happen. Frankly I don't want to appeal to everybody. I'd rather elicit strong reactions one way or the other. Tells me I have a strong literary voice. I know I should just ignore all reviews, but that would take a stronger personality than I have.

The only reviews that do bother me are the ones that say something like "I wish this or that happened in the book instead." Excuse me? It's my book. You want a different book, write your own. I can understand if you say my logic is bad, or if you hate a character, but it's MY story. My story goes just as I wanted it to (although I could get into a debate on whether my characters tell me the story or I manipulate it). And I like it.

I hope you pick up THE WISH LIST and decide for yourself.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Stormfront by Jim Butcher
What I did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Soulless by Gail Carriger

MIstakes

2010-05-09T14:33:00.001-07:00

I've been so busy blogging everywhere, that I've forgotten about my own site. Oops. Sorry.

So today I want to talk about mistakes. In the past two weeks I've written at least ten blogs for different sites. The easiest were the ones where the owner posed questions and I answered them. But the ones where I came up with original content weren't too bad either. I felt it important not to repeat myself and send the same blog to every site (although I will confess I did repeat a couple of them because it's also the end of the school year and I'm crazy busy. Plus I have something going on in my personal life that's occupying a great deal of my attention but will be resolved on Wednesday, and no, it's not the puppy.) So I hope you've all been able to find me all over the 'net, and that you found the content interesting.Repetitive perhaps, but not just the same stuff over and over again.

As I visited the sites I blogged at, the one thing that irritated me so much were the mistakes I found. I can't believe the number of errors I made in my content. I want to go back and correct "un" to "fun" and take out the misplaced words and the partially erased sentences. I've done it all in my blog file (I keep my blogs in a file just in case someday someone wants me to put together a book on my magnificent self --Hahahahaha. Had you fooled for a second, didn't I?), but I can't go to someone else's blog and fix mistakes. So now I'm just cringing and hoping that people realize that everyone is human and mistakes happen.

There is a lesson in this. I really need to proof my blogs. But as I said earlier, I've been crazy busy and I didn't always have time. Of course I also believe excuses are lame.

And I do have a puppy.

Her name is Pixie, after THE WISH LIST, my book that came out last week.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerrtisen
Devil in my Bed by Celeste Bradley

THE WISH LIST

2010-04-27T16:36:00.001-07:00

It's here!

And so am I!

The Search for a Puppy

2010-04-25T19:04:00.001-07:00

It started last summer (2009). We decided we were ready for a new addition to the family. Most especially for my daughter, who has IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), to give her something to love and care for and to love her back. But it would be a family dog. So we started our search. We visited the pounds and shelters of our city daily and never found a puppy. OK, we did once, but no kidding, we stood in line to adopt the dog, and the woman in front of us adopted the dog we were going to get.

Let me explain further. We had a specific idea for our next dog. We wanted a small breed, a puppy, but beyond that we were pretty flexible. And we were determined to rescue a dog.

Fast forward to today. We still don’t have a dog. As much as I wanted to rescue a dog, it just isn’t working out. Around here, every dog is either a Chihuahua or a pit bull. In fact we saw one puppy this weekend that was a Chihuahua/pit cross (don’t ask me how that happened). I know, I know. I’ve heard stories about great pit bulls, and perhaps they do have an undeserved reputation, but we didn’t want a pit. And sorry, we just don’t like Chihuahua that much (Don’t write me hate mail--it’s a matter of taste, just like dark or milk chocolate). From my experiences in the shelters, I’d say at least 50% of the animals available were pit bulls or pit crosses, and among the small dogs at least 50% were Chihuahua or Chihuahua crosses. I think if we lived elsewhere the outcome would be different. (I believe I’ve mentioned in the past how isolated Albuquerque really is.

So we’ve succumbed and bought a dog. For the first time in my life, I’ve paid to get a dog. I still firmly believe in rescuing dogs, and if we ever decide on a large dog again, I’ll definitely go to the shelters.

Oh what kind of dog? A cockapoo. I’ll keep you posted and maybe even get a picture up. The puppy won’t arrive for two weeks yet. ‘Til then, woof, woof.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Devil in my Bed by Celeste Bradley
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Making the Rounds

2010-04-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks. Want to see what I've been doing? I'm scheduled on the following blog sites for the release of THE WISH LIST. Yes, the blogs are all different from one another (although I can't be held responsible if they sound similar) and many include giveaways. So be sure to visit these sites to learn more about me and my novel.

Appearances:

April 13, 2010
Pen and Muse

April 16
PASIC To Be Read

April 22
Literary Escapism

April 26
Enchanted by Books

April 26
Paranormality

April 28
Borders True Romance

April 29
Lucy Monroe’s Readers at Home On-line Conference

May 5
Petit Fours and Hot Tamales

Paty Jager

May 11
Muse Interrupted

May 15
Speaker at the Rio Rancho Public Library (This one's live)

May 28

Much Cheaper than Therapy

Reviews:

The Pen and Muse

Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks

Single Titles

Genre Go Round Reviews

Larissa's Bookish Life

Wicked Little Pixie

Heather's Books

And I have a couple of items up for auction at Brenda Novak's 2010 Auction Anything for Diabetes Research. One for writers, the other for anyone. More details later.
Hope to see you there.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Texas Princess by Jodi Thomas

Twenty Days

2010-04-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Time slips by when you're not paying attention. I've been getting so much ready for the release of THE WISH LIST, that I haven't posted anything here in weeks. Sorry about that.
So today's blog is about what I've been up to to prepare for THE WISH LIST's release.

Actually the process started several months back. As soon as I received the cover (It was November), I posted it on my blog and web site. In December I placed my first ad (in Romance Sells). In January, I started lining up guest blogs and contacting people who showed interest in the novel. In February my ARC's (advanced reader copy) arrived, and I sent them out to various review sites. Also in February, I designed my bookmarks--in the name of full disclosure, I have to tell you that my husband designed the bookmarks--and ordered them. And thus followed many trips to the post office. I also decided what other if any promo I would do, and more trips to the post office to mail off ARC's and bookmarks. More promo followed in March, as well as blog writing, making knick-knacks (I have some vials of fairy dust with labels), and just keeping current.

Now we're twenty days away from the release. Hooray! The first of my blogs shows up next week, and in the meantime, I'm biting my nails as reviews come trickling in (so far, so good). I'm excited and eagerly awaiting the first real copy of the book to hold in my hand. I'm also writing the third book in the trilogy, working on other ideas and still holding down the day job.

Ack! Twenty days!
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Phantom in the Night by Sherilyn Kenyon and Diana Love

Blog Award

2010-03-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

I was awarded this blog award much too long ago (Feb 28) and I've finally had the chance to pass it forward. First thank you to Jessica Rabbit for giving me the award in the first place. She has been so much fun to talk with.

Now here are the people I'm sending you to:

Lydia Parks

Molly Evans

Belle Sloan

Darynda Jones

Cat Lovington

These ladies have offered me friendship and support whenever I've needed it. THey make writing less lonely and are wise women.

Here are the rules in accepting this blog award:

* Post the award logo & use it on your own blog.

* Nominate at least 5 other bloggers you feel have become part of your circle of friends. {link to your nominees within your blog post}

* Include these instructions in your post.

* Link back to the person who gave you this award in your blog post, to show appreciation.

Thanks again to Jessica for picking me for this award.
--Gabi

Book I'm reading now:
The Phoenix Endangered by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Readers at Home online Conference

2010-03-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Lucy Monroe, a bunch of authors have gotten together to provide a an online conference for those readers who can't make it to the RT confernce in Ohio. So without further ado, here's Lucy:

Okay, so you all know I'm going to RT, but *I* know a bunch of you
aren't and I got to thinking what I could do to make the week of RT
fun for you all and any other readers who might be feeling a little
left out. Then I hit on it - I would host a Readers at
Home Conference here on my blog. We'd have tons of
authors, tons of "door" prizes (more than 50!!!), tons of hotties
(cover models, hero inspiration...just plain yum factor) and tons of
fun!!!

I wanted something really special, something that made this a true
conference and my friends helped me make it happen! We are giving away
Swag Bags to the first 50
readers who register for the conference. To register, all you have to
do is send an email to me [lucymonroe @ lucymonroe
dot com] with your name and mailing address (for the Swag Bag) stating
your intention to attend the RAH Conference. The Swag Bags are for
conference attendees only and we are trusting that if you register,
you truly intend to attend the conference and interact with the
authors and other readers on the blog. :) I'm shipping the Swag Bags
at my own expense, but many authors have donated loot
for you all, and each Swag Bag will have a free book inside.

Yes, that's right - the Reader at Home
Conference is FREE. How cool is that?

Every day there will be multiple authors visiting and guest blogging,
with new blogs posting every 3 hours between 6 AM and 6 PM. And cover
models? We've got 'em - with behind the scenes action as well as hero
inspiration. There will be daily drawings for multiple prizes,
including dozens of signed books, a B&N gift card, a t-shirt, 3
prize tote bags filled with books & goodies (donated by Sue
Grimshaw from BTRB and Becke Martin), free online subscirptions to
Affaire de Couer magazine and 2 more Swag Bags given away each day.
What could be better?

Readers at Home Conference Sponsors
~ Guest Blogging Authors ~
Elizabeth Amber
Jules Bennett
Jenna Bayley-Burke
Leigh D'Ansey
Jami Davenport
Kate Davies
HelenKay Dimon
Diana Duncan
Cynthia Eden
Kimberly Fisk
Barbara Freethy
Tricia Jones
Nicola Marsh
Kaylin McFarren
Susan Meier
Elisabeth Naughton
Erin Nicholas
Lorie O'Clare
Rick Reed
Maggie Robinson
Patti Shenberger
Gabi Stevens
Kay Stockham
Helen Scott Taylor
Karen Van der Zee
Mary Wine
Other Readers at Home Conference Sponsors
(donated prizes, items for the Swag Bags, etc.)
Affaire de Coeur
Borders True Romance Blog
Monica Burns
Christie Craig
Lori Foster
Donna Grant
Faye Hughes
Margaret Mallory
Becke Martin
Lucy Monroe
Alexis Morgan
Laurie Ryan
J.L. Wilson

So, while a bunch of us are at RT going crazy, you can be visiting
with some of your favorite and some brand new authors - wearing casual
clothes, ditching the makeup and your shoes. Oh, that? I envy! :)

The Golden Heart is stupid...

2010-03-18T11:44:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Sheley Wimmer, wrote a brilliant reaction to next week’s announcement of the RITA and Golden Heart finalists. In it she expresses the ridiculous, angry, hopeful, illogical, and plaintive emotions many of us feel as writers. We want validation. Publication does that, but the euphoria doesn’t last. We want to know that we are loved, that we are good, that we have mattered. So, in her words, here is Sheley Wimmer:

The Golden Heart is stupid…
So says someone who was once addicted to entering this contest. But no more. No way. Know why? I will admit something here... but it's a secret. The Golden Heart contest makes me cringe, especially the day the calls go out.

My first entry went in 2002. I heard nothing on that day. In fact, I received a whopping 28 [out of 45] on my scorecard. If I were made of lesser stuff, I would have stopped writing right then and there. Nope. Kept plugging along. I started entering other contests about three years later. Becoming a contest finalist was my new goal. Goal achieved. Twenty-five wins altogether, but still no Golden Heart call. One year I was at Disney World, refusing to ride anything because it was call day. Another time I was on the beach with the phone in my hand.

"Why do you have your phone?" the husband asked.
"No reason."
None at all… just hope.

Again, last March, I spent the day on the computer watching the calls come in one by one. Sigh. Still no call for me. My scores got better thought. I went from 28 to 35. From a 35 to a 38 and then last year, a 42 and a 40, on two different entries.

This last year I said to myself there is no friggin’ way I am going to enter the Golden Heart a-g-a-i-n!!! No way! I'm not doing it. That's for crazy people. Contest wins had already blessed me with a wonderful agent… what more did I need?

So guess what I was doing the last week of November. That's right. You know what I was doing. Need I say more? Okay, I will, but only because I said it was stupid before. That was just a hook to get you to read this far. Two days before the entries were due, I was making crazy insane copies of three manuscripts, the first fifty pages, formatted just right, six copies each, and rewriting each and every synopsis, because, of course, that had to be why I wasn't getting the call. Overnight mail really works! I won't tell you all what I paid. That's a secret between my credit card and myself. Suffice to say I had to hide that bill from my honey.

Through everything, something amazing happened. I had pre-paid for four manuscript, hoping that by some miracle I would finish my young adult novel. Well, I didn't. Not even close. But what I did have was three solid manuscripts, beginning to end, sitting on my kitchen table. Seeing them piled like that made me realize that I am indeed a true writer. There is a plaque I have hanging on my bathroom wall that says, "One shoe can make all the difference. Cinderella."

In my case, one phone call can make all the difference. It won't be the Golden Heart call… it will be the other one. The real call. Even so, what will I be doing on the twenty-fifth, next Thursday, between, roughly, I don't know, six am to, gee, midnight, because one can always hope they "forgot" to call someone? Nothing much. Mostly just sitting here. On top of my on my vibrating cell phone. With my house phone right by my side. Glued to my computer screen. Watching the calls come in. Hoping against hope that I might get one of them... or three. (Okay, now I am just being greedy!) Part of me thinks this IS all incredibly stupid on my part. But what if? I like the "what ifs?" So, like many of you, my fingers are crossed. That is my true confession. Anyone else care to admit a true Golden Heart confession??? =0)

Sheley

Sheley,
You are not alone. We all want that elusive feeling that today is the day. But I’ll let you know that the desire for that feeling comes back. Even after THE CALL. I was a Golden Heart Finalist way back when, and while I try to appreciate being published, I still crave that validation. So you know what I’ll be doing this November. Entering the RITA with THE WISH LIST.

Sucker. Right there, printed on my forehead. But beside it is also DREAMER. Because that’s what gets us writers through the day.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
Lord Of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Lessons in French y Laura Kinsale
The Phoenix Endangered by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

How to Write a Romance Novel--Dialog

2010-03-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

Dialog is a crucial element in romance novels. At least I think it is. I love writing and reading dialog. It moves the story forward (plot), lets us get to know the characters without telling (characterization), tells us what’s important (theme), defines the mood and tone (setting), gives us insight to the author (voice), gets us into the characters’ heads (POV), and exposes problems (conflict). Great dialog can lift a book to another level of enjoyment.

Personally I’m a dialog slut. I write books heavy on the dialog. I always have to go back and add introspection, description, and emotion, because I usually just write down my characters’ conversations for a rough draft (yes, there is more to writing my novels than just dialog, but hey, this blog is about dialog.) So let me start with mechanics. Just kidding, sort of. I won’t speak of punctuation. Comma if there is a speech tag, when to use single quotes, when to use double, how to use a question mark, etc. You can look that up, right? Let me jump right in and talk about the speech tags themselves.

As Elmore Leonard said, “Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue.” Who am I to contradict the great Elmore Leonard…but…I would also add use only “ask when tagging a question. Rarely use “whisper,” or “cry,” or “shout,” or anything else. Every “whimper,” “stated,” “retorted,” “answered,” or word other than “said” stops the reader, requires processing, and slows the pace. Any time the reader has to stop to process the word in dialog, it slows your novel. Yes, sometimes you need to use a different word (remember, there are no hard and fast rules for writing--use what works for you), but the word “said” becomes invisible to the reader.

Sometimes you don’t need speech tags at all, especially if only two people are in the conversation. Action tags can indicate who’s speaking. An action tag is simply giving an action to the character who is speaking and attaching the line of dialog to that tag (but not with a comma). For example:

“Now you look terrified.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Should I be?”
“No.” He drew his hand down his face.
“And I’m supposed to trust you?” Panic rose in her throat. “I don’t know who you are--“
“Ritter. Tennyson Ritter. I’m your arbiter.”
“The guy who’s supposed to test me?”
“Judge you, observe you, decide whether you pass or fail.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. I mean on the test thing.”
He let out an angry breath. “And you’re Kristin Montgomery, who lives at Seven Thousand Beadnell Way, Apartment Two C.”
She hated the Internet. Any creep could get all kinds of information.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know--” He stopped and peered at her, his eyes widening. “Good God, you’re a Rare One.” (THE WISH LIST, May 2010)

Notice that “said” doesn’t even appear in this passage. You might have also noticed that often no tag was necessary at all.

OK, I don’t want to drone on and on, so here are a couple of final points: avoid using the dreaded “-ly” in combination with your speech tag (she wrote vehemently). If you need an adverb to describe the tone, your words aren’t doing their job. And while we are trying to sound realistic in our dialog, we can’t be. We are writing. You’ve probably heard that communication is something like 85% body language (and 67% of all statistics are made up), and all we have are our words on the page. So, yes, strive for realism, but dialog has to convey so much more than just the way we speak, and if you analyze just how much goofy empty stuff we actually say when we speak, you don’t really want to write real dialog. (Yuck. What a horrible sentence.)

Spring is almost here. Yay!
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
The Golden Season by Connie Brockway

True Confessions

2010-02-26T22:00:00.001-08:00

I have reached that age when I’m supposed to be dignified and refined. Yeah, that’s not going to work for me. This is my true confessions blog. I’m going to confess and admit in public some embarrassing facts. Actually I’m not embarrassed; in fact I’d like to meet the people who think I should be embarrassed by my tastes.

I’m going to start with candy. You heard me. Candy. I don’t like dark chocolate. I don’t care if it has antioxidants, I don’t like it. I like milk chocolate, and it had better be filled with nuts or caramel, and from a European nation, preferably Switzerland or Germany. But chocolate is easy. I’m not a huge chocolate fan in any case. The candy I really like is bubble gum. The old school stuff--the stuff that’s pink and semi-hard: Bazooka, Dubble Bubble, etc. I also like Pixi Stix, Sweet Tarts, and Lik-M-Aid. That’s right, kid stuff.

I’m not a big drinker. I like my drinks with umbrellas and fruit. I don’t understand wine, and I’m not a connoisseur. I won’t drink red wine, I don’t like white much, but I will drink White Zin. I will also drink what I call Kool-Aid wine--those fruity wines that really have no right to call themselves wine and taste like fruit punch. I know, I know. I would hang my head in shame, but really, I’m fine with it.

I don’t drink coffee unless it has four packets of sugar and lots of cream. It has to taste like hot coffee ice cream. Or it has to be one of the International Coffees…but not the chocolate ones. I like hot chocolate, but I like the whipped cream on top more than the drink itself. I don’t like tea either, which is really a pain on cold mornings.

Pizza is far from my favorite food, I love sardines and liverwurst (although not together), and apples annoy me. I love Disney movies, cried at all the “Thanks, Mom” commercials during the Olympics, and enjoy big commercial movies more than deep artsy ones. I like to stay up late and sleep in late. I take two hour baths when I can and read in the tub, with snacks and drink. I’m afraid of moths (yes, moths, and butterflies don’t thrill me either), like snakes and rodents, and get thrilled when I see any animals of the non-insect kind in the wild, including the rabbits in our neighborhood.

So what about you? What confessions can you make?
--Gabi

What I’m reading now:
Finished my Rita books
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Dark Knight by Frank Miller

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

I don't do Valentine's Day.

I know, I know. I'm a romance writer, but I still don't do Valentine's Day. I have nothing against it. Go out and celebrate. Get candy, cards, gifts, etc. Enjoy it. Think warm thoughts about your lover, husband, significant other. That's all good. But I don't do Valentine's Day.

My husband and I are both too contrary. I admit it. It is a major character flaw. If someone (whoever may hold that power) tells us we must celebrate or do something, we don't. (OK, I'm not talking about paying taxes or seeing a doctor here--I'm talking about the fluffy stuff.) While we agree that we need to show each other our affection, esteem, and care, we just choose not to do it on Valentine's Day. Although I did make him bacon this morning because I love him.

No, I believe that little tokens of love, gestures, favors, surprises are better when they aren't proclaimed by some day, when they come spontaneously and are truly a surprise. It's too easy for my husband to bring flowers on Valentine's or my birthday. It's too expected and gets him off the hook too easily. It's much more difficult to show those feelings when it comes from the feelings themselves.

Now that I think about it, it's really hard, and there are definitely times we both fail in showing our love for each other, but when we do, it means so much more. And I think I'll make a resolution for myself now (you did read my post that said I don't do New Year's resolutions either, right?): I will make more of an effort throughout the year to show my husband and family I do think of them often with love. And I'll try to cut the hubby a little more slack.

So happy Valentine's Day. It's always a good thing to celebrate love.
-Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Still working on the Ritas, but I've picked up several for my TBR pile when I've finished.

Inspiration

2010-02-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

I’ve been waiting for inspiration to strike me for my next blog.

OK, let me say that’s a major error on my part. Inspiration doesn’t need to strike a writer. A writer has to write anyway. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it, you have to do it. If you are a writer. If you are a dabbler, then by all means write when the mood or muse hits you. But if you are a writer, then write. No excuses.

If you want to pursue this as a career, if you want to be a professional, you sit your butt in the chair and write. Even if every line feels like it has to be yanked from your soul with serious tongs. Even if every word makes your brain hurt. Even if you’re tired, lazy, unhappy, giddy, or not in the mood. You write. How do you expect to fulfill contracts if you don’t get in the habit of writing anyway? How do you expect to last in the business if you don’t produce?

The funny thing is usually, once you get started, the words will come. Sometimes they don’t, not even if you’re diligent, but usually they will start to flow. That’s because the muse is shy sometimes. Sometimes she wants to hide, so she leaves you without the inspiration to create. But if you start creating without her, she eventually wants to take part because it’s fun. There’s that lovely sense of accomplishment when you’ve finished with a short goal (2000K words or one chapter or any such goal you may have). You’ve added to your manuscript, you’ve revised, whatever, but you’ve taken concrete steps in your career or toward publication.

And see? Even though I had trouble getting this blog up and going, once I started, the words came and now it’s done.
--Gabi
P.S. I received my ARC’s for THE WISH LIST. Yippee!!

Books I’m reading now:
Still the RITA books, the titles of which I am still not sharing with you.

How to Write a Romance--Research

2010-01-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

So, research. The word alone makes lesser mortals tremble. I’m kidding. Research is the stuff you do that isn’t actual writing but you need to make your writing better. Besides, you shouldn’t be afraid to learn new things or learn things more in depth.
I can’t think of a writing project I have undertaken that didn’t require research.

For THE WISH LIST, I didn’t have much research to do. It was my world, my rules. But…the story is set in San Diego. I went to college in San Diego. My husband grew up in San Diego. My father-in-law lives in San Diego. Nevertheless, I had to do research on places. So not only did I ask my husband about all his memories of the city, I also played on Google Earth for days, pored over maps, and visited hundreds of web sites. And when we went to spend the holidays with my FIL, we drove around the city itself. I found the cottage that appears in my novel. And since then I have written the second book, SPELLBOUND, but before I finished we drove around Del Mar just so I could get a feel for the place.

Research isn’t always so physical, but it will happen in one form or another. Most romance writers think research is only necessary if you’re working on a historical. Wrong. There’s always something. Now that I’m working on the third book of the series, TOIL AND TROUBLE, I needed to do research on weaving. (My heroine weaves—she couldn’t be a German teacher, no. she is a weaver.) The worst thing about my research on weaving is that I suddenly started thinking that I want to learn to weave in reality. Don’t worry. I talked myself off that ledge pretty easily (Like I have time to add a hobby.) But the research was so cool.

Whether you need to find out if a person who gets knocked out, then rouses to have a conversation with the heroine, then passes out again, would live in the Middle Ages (It helps if your critique partner is a nurse—Thanks, Brenda) (Oh, and by the way, he probably wouldn’t) or if you need to know which poison works the fastest, its all about gaining knowledge. Knowledge is power.

Research is crucial because you WILL receive letters or comments from people who do know more than you. I remember reading a story set in Venice, Italy, and within the first three chapters the hero and heroine were driving around Venice in a coach and four. Really? In Venice? Uh, no. I read a romance set in New Mexico where the hero ate a dinner of typically New Mexican food: red and green chili. That’s not a meal. Red and Green CHILE are condiments. Even expertise in an area doesn’t make you immune to criticism. I have a friend who has owned or ridden horses her entire life. She participated in equestrian events as a child and still has horses today. She entered a contest with a manuscript that has horses in it. The judge dinged her on her horse information, then wrote that she had been around horses her whole life and if my friend needed help with horse stuff she could contact the judge.

I haven’t written one…yet…but I would wager that elements of sci fi stories need research.

The danger of doing too much cool research is using way more than you need in your story. Most people don’t read romances to learn about a topic (although you certainly can learn from romance novels). In using what I learned about weaving, I didn’t think I had to go into all the parts of the loom. I needed to know about it so I could write comfortably, but my goal isn’t to educate the reader. My goal was to be knowledgeable enough about the subject not to make mistakes when I wrote about weaving. I don’t want to receive letters that tell me my heroine couldn’t do that (Of course my heroine knows magic, so who’s to say she couldn’t weave that way with her powers-heeheehee).

So where do you begin? Wherever you wish. There is no right way to research. There are sources available everywhere, and all kinds of sources available. If you want a short list of sources you may not have thought of, visit my web site and click on the “For Writers” page. There you will find an article on Historical Research, but many of the items apply to all kinds of research.

So plunge into the research and don’t be afraid that you’ll do something wrong. Knowledge is good, and knowing more is better. And who knows, maybe you will teach yourself and readers about whole new worlds. How can that be scary?

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
My RITA novels, and I’m not telling you what they are—confidentiality must be maintained (For you non-RWA readers, the RITA is the award given for the best romance novels of the year.)

Rebuilding

2010-01-16T12:40:00.000-08:00

I know I said I would write about research this time, but sometimes life has other plans for us.

I just built a new web site. Building something new is an interesting idea right now. Two night ago, my mother's condo was destroyed in a fire (read: she left the building with nothing but what she was wearing. No shoes). Don't worry; she has insurance, and everything will be replaced. My mother doesn't care a lot about "stuff".This is the third time in her life my mother has lost everything: first time was when she left Hungary with nothing but the clothes on her back and my father; second was when my father died and within the space of a year she was robbed and then her house was seriously damaged in an earthquake; and now this.

But all the photos, mementos, and tangible memories are gone. We'll be able to replace some things, but the beret my father wore (they all wore berets in Eastern Europe then) when they left Hungary is gone, as is my baby book and the old family photos. But they aren't important. She is safe and unhurt. And we will rebuild.

That it happened in the same week as the Haiti earthquake puts many things into perspective. But they will also rebuild. With help and money and other aid, but I have no doubt they will rebuild. That's what we humans do. These trying times bring out the best and worst of human behavior.

I choose to focus on the best.

And rebuild.
--Gabi Stevens

Books I'm reading now:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Born of Night by Sherilyn Kenyon
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

A Season for Gratitude

2009-12-30T22:47:00.001-08:00

When I next pick up the “How to Write a Romance Novel” thread, I’ll speak about research, but it’s that time of year that requires introspection and resolution. Except I don’t make resolutions. I love new beginnings and making plans, but the contrary in me refuses to do so at this time of year. I’d rather look back on some dates. Like February, when I acquired a new agent, or April, when I sold my series. Those dates mean more to me. And I have dates to look forward to. I have to finish the third book in the TIME OF TRANSITION series, tentatively titled TOIL AND TROUBLE. I have new proposals to write and new novels to finish. I’m attending RWA national in July this year, and I’m still thinking about attending RT at the end of April and RomCon in Denver in July. Most of all I’m looking forward to May 2010 when THE WISH LIST comes out.

January 5 is another date I celebrate. It’s my 25th wedding anniversary. Yes, I do have a family and apparently a husband who still loves me. We are a team, Bob and I; he pulls me back to earth when I am in danger of getting lost in my emotions and imagination, and I make him fly when he’s too focused on work. I don’t like to talk about my family here, but this time I think it deserves some attention. I certainly don’t feel as if I’ve been married to the man that long. We have too much fun together, and I am not that old. OK, maybe I am, but I don’t think it, and it’s largely because Bob keeps me young.

The holidays are over, and the new year is coming. It’s just a date and a number--fairly arbitrary if you ask me. But I love the holiday season: time off from the day job, my family is home, and I am grateful for so many things this year. So instead of resolutions, I’d rather just bask in family, enjoy where I am in life, be grateful for the having the joy of writing. I hope you can bask in your life too.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Spirited Brides by Amanda MacCabe

Agent appreciation day

2009-12-11T07:27:00.001-08:00

A fellow writer told me about this day, and I thought it was fantastic. OK, Jen K Blom is also a client of my agent, but, nevertheless, I am ready to gush.

Marlene Stringer is wonderful. She is never too busy for her clients. She answers my questions and responds to my e-mails promptly and with great wisdom. I can bounce ideas off her, get as much or little support from her as I wish, and I trust her. Trust her to tell me if my work isn’t good, and trust her to tell me if it is.
I went through a long drought with my writing. Oh, I was writing, but I wasn’t selling. My confidence was low to the point of non-existence. I had won or finaled in contests in the meantime, but I had no confidence left in my writing.

The day Marlene e-mailed me, I burst into tears. After I talked to her, I was even happier. Here was an agent who knew the business, understood authors, and who wanted me as a client.

Well, she sold my novel (THE WISH LIST, May 2010) and two more a month after we had submitted it. I know it’s about the work and whether the editor likes the submission, Marlene added her insight to my novel and knew which editors to submit to.

I still have major doubts about my writing (a drought will do that to you), but knowing I have a champion in my corner helps me lift those doubts and think that maybe, just maybe, I can write.

So I thank Marlene Stringer of the Stringer Literary Agency for giving me back my confidence and giving me the strength to face this fickle business. It would have broken my heart to quit because I can’t imagine doing anything that would satisfy me more than writing.
--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig