Romancing the Highlander

2012-01-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

The Lifeboat Test

I've been glued to the coverage of the Costa Concordia disaster the past few days and stunned by how the details have unraveled. It seems like there were failures on so many levels, and although it's difficult at this point to make any judgment of exactly "what happened"(so many stories to sort through) it seems that the Captain abandoned ship before all of the passengers had been evacuated. This, along with the number of reports that men were pushing past women and children to get off, really took me aback.

Now maybe it's because I spend way too much time reading (and writing) romance books with Alpha heroes, and it's probably not politically correct, but this feels so wrong to me. It's one of those situations where my modern woman sensibility can't explain my gut reaction. In a situation like the one that befell the Costa Concordia, I want men who to do the chivalrous thing and step aside for the women and children.

In the almost 100 years since the Titanic disaster (ironically the centennial is only a few months away), I think that might be one of the biggest changes. 100 years ago people didn't question the rightness of it--the men stepped aside. Not so anymore. I've seen a lot of comments from people saying: why should they? Maybe they're right. I'm not sure there is an intellectual explanation or one I can justify, and I'm sure I'd be begging my husband to come along with me in that situation, but it still somehow seems "wrong" to me.

I brought up the issue earlier on Facebook and mentioned that I kept thinking about my heroes and couldn't imagine Tor or Erik (or any one of them for that matter), jumping on a lifeboat before the women and children.

I've given an Alpha hero workshop with Jami Alden and Bella Andre a few times, and ironically one of the things I use to define what an Alpha hero means to me, is the lifeboat test. To me, an Alpha hero is the guy you most want on your lifeboat when the the apocalypse hits. He's the guy who knows what to do, stays calm under pressure, is tough, resilient, and a good leader. He's physically strong (to make you feel safe), capable, and dependable. In other words, he's Superman, Rambo, and MacGuyver all rolled into one--LOL. But what the Costa disaster points out is that for me, the guy I most want on my lifeboat is actually likely to be the last one to make it on!

What do you guys think of all this? Which member of the Highland Guard do you want on your lifeboat?

2012-01-03T15:52:00.001-08:00

A Little Unveiling...

Thought I'd kick off the New Year by posting the new cover for THE SAINT (which you might have noticed on the sidebar--obviously Amazon is quicker than I am, LOL).

I knew they were tweaking the old cover (which is why I hadn't posted the first one), but I was thrilled to see a completely new pose/take on it. I've been touched by the Cover Gods yet again! But it's actually the fabulous people in the Art Department at Ballantine. They really put in overtime on this one, and I really appreciate it. I didn't love the way he was holding the axe in the first version, but this one is perfect. I also really like the misty background. And, uh, ya, the abs aren't bad either.

Before you ask, no I didn't get invited to the cover shoot. But I'm still hoping . . .

Happy New Year to everyone, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday break. I did a lot of writing, if not a lot of skiing. There was absolutely no snow in Tahoe.

2011-12-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Decembers are always crazy, but this one seems to have been worse than normal. I've done quite a bit of traveling, which when combined with kids stuff, probably explains it. There is also the matter of a certain book that needs to get written! Deadlines don't care about the holidays, LOL.

Hope all of you are enjoying a great break with lots of family & friends. And for those of you like me who have to work--we can commiserate together.

Here's to a happy and prosperous New Year for us all! Can you believe it's almost 2012? Wasn't it just the millennium?

2011-12-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Sorry they're all gone

Cleaning Off the Bookshelf

I'm drowning in books! I realized I have a few extra copies of some of my books hanging around that need to find a home. Here's what I have: 3 copies of Highland Warrior, 2 copies of Highlander Unmasked, and 2 copies of The Hawk. I want to make this as simple as possible so my hubby can get them in the mail ASAP. If you want a copy send me your first two choices and your mailing address to the email here (make sure to check the "I'm a reader" box or it might get overlooked.) First come, first served :) Unfortunately, since my hubby is doing the mailing and wants to avoid the Post Office at all costs right now, only US addresses for this one. If you'd like it personalized let me know.

I also have some foreign copies of books to giveaway if anyone is interested in those (German and Spanish)--again only US addresses please.

I'm trying to think of a contest to do to giveaway a bunch of audio copies of THE HAWK as well, so look for that.

UPDATE: THE BOOKS ARE ALL GONE! Giveaway is over, thanks!

2011-12-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

And the winners of the ARCs of RUN FROM FEAR are . . .

[Insert drumroll]

ShellyE who commented on the blog and Betty Kohler Hamilton who commented on Facebook!

Congratulations! Please send your mailing address to the email address on my website: http://www.monicamccarty.com/contact.php

2011-12-01T15:34:00.001-08:00

Kicking off the Holidays Right! (With a Giveaway!)

The holidays are my favorite time of year and nothing sets the mood like getting together for a holiday luncheon with a fabulous group of friends. Actually, let me correct myself: there is nothing like getting together with a fabulous group of friends at Catherine Coulter's house for the holidays. To say it is decked out is an understatement. It's like walking into a winter wonderland. This picture shows the most miniscule part of it, but there are literally decorations everywhere--rugs, linens, wall-hangings, you name it. I am now officially in the holiday spirit!

So who are all those gorgeous women? From L to R: Barbara Freethy, Moi, Tracy Grant, Jami Alden, Catherine Coulter, Anne Mallory, Bella Andre and Veronica Wolff. Missing is Carol Culver who usually joins us but is traveling, and Penny Williamson who moved on us but we still miss. Pretty nice group of friends, huh? Not just one but two NYT #1 bestsellers in the group (Catherine & Barbara). Yes, I know, I pinch myself all the time at my luck. :) If you are wondering why Catherine is standing on a chair, it's because she always gives me a time for wearing high heels when I'm tall. This was to make her look not so petite in comparison, LOL.

To continue the holiday spirit theme, I thought it would be fun to giveaway two ARCs of Jami Alden's next release, Run From Fear, which hits stores in March. Jami is my CP, so you know how I feel about her books. We definitely share the same sensibility (or brain, LOL) when it comes to romance. This is the third book in her latest romantic trilogy. It's sexy, edgy, and has a hero to die for, what more could you want? All the usual rules apply (i.e. only one comment counts, must be 18 or over, must respond to email within 24 hours with snail mail addy, North America only, etc.). I will pick two winners from either the blog comments, Facebook comments or tweets.

During lunch, Catherine had the theme from Charlie Brown's Christmas playing. When she and the four(!) other ladies get together to decorate her house, that's what they listen to. Funny enough, Bella mentioned that it's the same music they play when they decorate. At our house, there are a couple favorites. I'm partial to John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas (it's what I remember from our family ski trips to Tahoe over the holidays), but my husband grew up with Johnny Mathis, so that's his holiday music of choice. I also like Elvis and Bing Crosby. Do you have any special holiday music that you like?

UPDATE: Oops, forgot to mention that I'll pick the two winners on Monday evening.

2011-11-17T23:00:00.000-08:00

The Holidays Already?

Huh? What happened? I feel like Rip Van Winkle. Wasn't it just summer?

I say this every year, but this year the holidays REALLY crept up on me. I was walking around a local mall last weekend and saw the Santa house going up! It gave me that little roll of anxiousness in my stomach, knowing that (1) I haven't done any shopping (2) I need to work on Highland Guard #6 through the holidays or I'll be way behind (3) parties and parenting obligations will be multiplying (4) all kinds of travel plans to coordinate (5) someone has to pay for all this (6) OMG, I feel ill...

Anyway, the holidays officially start for me tomorrow. My kids will be off all of next week for Thanksgiving. I really like having the whole week off, it makes travel much easier. Last year we went to London, and I was suffering serious withdrawals early today reading my buddy Candice Hern's FB page (she's there this week). I do have some fun things planned that I'll tell you more about later, but basically the whole clan is getting together on my side. My parents, sister, brother and both of their families. In total there will be 16 of us.

What about you, any big plans for the week? Does your holiday start tomorrow? Have you done your shopping yet? (And if anyone has actually finished I don't want to hear about it! :)

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

So Where's the Honeymoon?

Honeymoons are a big part of getting married nowadays, and although it was a long time ago, I remember one first questions I would be asked after learning I was engaged was, "Where are you going on your honeymoon?"

But it's funny, honeymoons don't figure much in romances. I can count on one hand the books I recall that have a honeymoon epilogue. If anything it's usually the wedding. Maybe readers find them anticlimactic (LOL!).

I was fortunate enough to have a dream destination honeymoon, a place that I doubt we will ever top in terms of luxury. We went to a private island in Fiji, and it was amazing. If I was doing it again, I think I'd still go for the beach destination. Although my preferred "normal" travel destinations are more sight-seeing type places, a honeymoon feels a little different. Private, relaxing, pampering, that kind of thing.

So I thought it would be fun to pick your ultimate honeymoon destination. If you were planning a wedding (cough, cough, Julie) or doing it all over again and money was no object, where would you go?

Me? I'm thinking Tahiti or the Pitcairn Islands. Can you tell I'm a MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY fan (Clark Gable or Marlon Brando version--doesn't matter)?

2011-11-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Red-Headed Hero

An interesting discussion on Twitter (is that what you call it?) came up a few weeks ago about the article in the paper stating that red-headed sperm donors were no longer needed--not enough demand. Now, as a mother of a red-headed girl, I can tell you that I LOVE my red-head and am very jealous of her hair. But I must admit, it's almost always the first thing people comment on when they see her.

We started going back and forth a little about whether red-headed guys were "hot." We came up with a short list of actors: Kevin McKidd, Max Martini, Damian Lewis, and a couple others.

I must admit, I've never contemplated doing a red-headed hero. I'm not sure why, but I've probably steered away partly because of fear that readers wouldn't like it. About the closest I got was Jamie Campbell, who had dark brown hair with some lingering red/auburn from boyhood.

But I do think there are some "hot" red-headed guys. The guys listed above, and my new discovery the guy who plays Mike on Homeland (Diego Klattenhoff) pictured above.

So what about you...what would you think if you read the back of the book and it said the hero had red hair. Would you put it down? Be honest, and I promise no stones will be thrown and no names taken, LOL.

2011-10-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

A Huge Thank You!

I'll be popping open the champagne tonight because of you guys. I just got the call from my agent that THE VIPER not only hit both the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists, but it's also going back to press already! So to all of you, for all your support, a very big cheers from me!

2011-10-18T08:04:00.001-07:00

The Viper is in Stores!

I'm so thrilled to finally be able to say The Viper: A Highland Guard Novel (B&N) is now available! If the reader mail I received about Lachlan is any indication, I know many of you have been looking forward to his story. I must admit that when I first conceived the Highland Guard series, his was the story I was most looking forward to writing. I knew it would take a special heroine to break through his very hard shell, and when I read about the Scottish heroine Bella MacDuff, I knew I'd found her. Bella's story is pretty amazing. Once you read the prologue, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I can't wait to hear what you guys think. The early feedback so far has been wonderful, I really appreciate it! This is a big book for me. I always get great distribution with Random House, but this book should be everywhere. As always I love hearing where you find it!

Finally, I hope you guys will go check out the special event that Ing is doing on her As the Pages Turn blog. I love the special Highland Guard graphic she did (why can't I do things like that?)! Please make sure to check it out for some great opportunities to win the books. You also get points for "spreading the word" on Twitter, Facebook, etc., which is such a great idea. Thanks, Ing!

2011-10-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Visiting Scotland!

A few weeks ago, when I was posting few pictures from my trip to Scotland last year on Facebook, Brenda suggested that I pass on my list of "must sees" on a first trip to Scotland.

I've been fortunate to visit Scotland 5 or 6 times now, the last couple of trips with my good buddy & fellow Scottish Historical author Veronica Wolff. She's been gracious enough to let me drag her across all corners of Scotland--literally--to visit some of the places in my books so that I can put together my "Picture Books" that I have in the Special Features section of my website. We've been to some pretty random places that had our tour guides scratching their heads. I've covered most of Scotland now--the biggest hole being the St. Andrews area and the far east borders. They are next on the list!

A little aside... I've received a number of emails from readers asking me what's the best way to see Scotland. I've done it on my own, with a group tour, and with a private tour guide. All were fantastic, but I think the answer really depends on what you are looking for in your trip. If you want to go to the "big" cities like Edinburgh, Inverness or Glasgow, and see museums, castles, etc., you can basically do that on your own. If you want to go off the beaten path and you are good with a map and driving on the "wrong" side of the road, you can do that on your own as well. I'm not that brave! But to cover the most ground a private tour guide can't be beat. I did a group tour on my second trip to the Isles and was on a small cruise, which was the best way to see some of the smaller and more difficult to get to Isles. It would have been very difficult--and daunting--to try to get to St. Kilda (picture above) on my own. So I guess that's my long-winded answer of saying that there really isn't a "best" way, it really depends on what, where, and how much you want to see.

On my first trip to Scotland back in 1993 with my hubby we went to Edinburgh, Stirling and Inverness by train. It was a great trip, and funny enough, with all my trips since then, those would probably still be my first suggestions. Edinburgh is how I pictured a medieval town. I'd been to London, but you don't realize how much of the old London is gone (from fires). Edinburgh still has a lot of its original character. You can walk the royal mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace:

and see what I'm talking about. At the time of my first trip I was really into Mary Queen of the Scots, so Stirling was tops on the list. I still think it's one of the most magnificent castles and small towns.

The view to Stirling Bridge where Wallace defeated the English and Bruce's statute

at the castle were moving to me even then (when the Highland Guard wasn't a glint in my eye :)). Inverness was our base for the Highlands. Tops on my list at the time was Loch Ness (yes, I had to see Nessie) and Culloden. To this day, Culloden was one of the most eerie places I've ever been (the other being Finlaggan on Islay). You could literally feel the ghosts of all the Highlanders who lost their lives on that horrible day.

If you have time, I'd try to add one of the Isles to your visit. The easiest to access are probably Skye, Mull and Arran. If you like whisky, Islay is probably tops on your list. Picking the best to visit is hard, but I'd probably say Skye. The terrain is so beautiful and varied, you really get to see it all. My parents and I took the West Highland train journey to reach Skye, and it was amazing. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful train journeys (it includes the famous bridge in the Harry Potter movies). We relied on cabs in Skye, which was a little tricky in the off season, so not sure I'd recommend that. Here's the magnificent kilt rock on Skye:

And--of course--Dunvegan Castle:

If you have the time and inclination, I highly recumbent trying to fit a "walk" (probably more accurately to Americans called a hike) into your itinerary. Veronica and I have done this on our past couple of trips, and I really think it's the best way to see the real beauty of Scotland. Those walks have ended up being the highlights of our trips. Climb to top of Varrich Castle last year:

And climb to top of Ben A'an a few years ago:

So maybe next time, I'll do destination for the second time or seasoned visitor.

2011-10-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...

Kalesmomma! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who posted on the blog and on Facebook. If you didn't win . . . there's only two more weeks to wait for THE VIPER! :)

2011-10-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

An Early Copy of THE VIPER!

I posted on Facebook last week that I received an early copy of THE VIPER, and I think it was unanimously decided that a contest to give it away was a good idea :) So if you want to be eligible to take Lachlan home a little early, either leave a comment on my blog OR on Facebook before Tuesday (10/4/11) at 5 pm PST. I'll post the name of the winner on my blog Tuesday night, and the winner will have 24 hours to respond, so make sure to check back on Wednesday otherwise it's on to name #2. All my normal blog contest rules apply--blah, blah, blah--you are only entered once so no multiple posts, etc.

I'd love to hear how you are buying books these days. It's funny, in some ways there are fewer options (i.e. Borders) but in other ways there are tons more options (online). I still buy the occasional hardback (recent examples: Unbroken, Seal Team Six), and will also buy paperbacks when I'm at Target (25% off), but over 50% of my purchases are ebooks now--mostly because I'm not out shopping much. I'm too busy writing, LOL. What about you? Of course you don't have to answer the question to win, a simple "count me in" is enough.

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Idiosyncrasies & Quirks

We all have them. Seinfeld made a number of hilarious shows about them. One of my favorites: George removing his shirt before going to the bathroom (see youtube video above). Along similar lines, anyone remember John Cage from Ally McBeal? He liked a "fresh bowl" when he went to the bathroom. I can get on board with that!

One of my oddities: I like to be the first person to read the paper. My husband has constant fun with what he (probably rightly) thinks is ridiculous--he'll purposefully mess it up before I get to it. Yes, we're still in High School. Don't get me started on the postman I used to catch reading my magazines on his lunch break outside my house.

I must admit, as I get older, I do like things a certain way. I find myself walking by things that are out of place and fixing them. I've even been known to move a few towels around in my day (I like them straight!), but my little quirks don't usually rise to "Sleeping with the Enemy" levels--at least not yet. :)

The other day I was printing off my manuscript and realized I've developed a couple of them with writing as well. I like writing in Times New Roman--other fonts really bug me. I've heard other authors mention this one as well. I also like to print off every morning and edit by hand in a colored pen. By contrast, when I'm starting a new book and writing out ideas, I do it with pencil. Not sure why, since I never erase anyway.

So what about you? Do you have any funny quirks? Are you over or under on the TP, LOL?

2011-09-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Remembering

On September 11, 2001 I was woken up early in the morning by a phone call--I want to say it was a little before 6:30 am. At the time I was a "single" mom of a 4 1/2 year old and 2 year old, my husband was still playing baseball. The team de jour was The Kansas City Royals.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not an early riser :) I remember thinking "who in the heck is calling me this early?" I let it ring, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep. But something bugged me. What if it was my husband calling with an emergency? He was in KC that day, the Royals were playing the Indians.

Half-asleep I listened to the voicemail. It was my mom--obviously upset. I just remember her saying something along the lines of, "Don't worry, I'm okay. I'm at Logan airport and they're turning us around. The airport's shut down."

Wondering what she was talking about, I tried to go back to sleep. But then the phone rang again. This time it was my sister in a panic. She was up early to return to work after maternity leave and was watching the news, knowing our mom was flying out of Logan that morning. I quickly connected the dots and told her mom had left a message, and she was okay. Together we watched in horror as the events unfolded. The images are jumbled in my mind by all that I've seen subsequently, but I'll never forget watching the first tower come down. Later I would discover that it had been hit by a plane my mom might have been on.

My mom was at Boston Logan airport that morning to fly home after visiting my aunt and was turned around by airport authorities when word of what was happening spread. But had my sister not found a babysitter, she would have been on an earlier flight--UA flight 175.

My sister and her husband are both doctors. As I mentioned, she was returning to work after maternity leave with a 4 1/2 year old and 3 month old. There was a childcare snafu, and my mom was going to take an earlier flight out of Boston and connect through LA to SFO. But at the last minute, my sister found someone and my mom kept her original flight for later that morning.

That's how things seemed to happen that day, isn't it? One person stays home or goes in late for a doctors appointment or sick child and escapes death, another person doesn't. No rhyme or reason, just a quirk of fate.

That to me was one of the hardest things about that day. Trying to find an answer for why. We like to think of reasons why something happened, but what that day made clear for me in such a hideously massive scale is that there weren't any reasons. That was the true horror and unfairness. The randomness of it all. The utter injustice. My family way lucky, so many others were not.

There were so many stories that came out of that day. Some of heroism. Some of tragedy. Some of survival. Some of heartbreak. And many of hope. The people who fought back on Flight 93--it still gives me chills. I'm sure we were all remember where we were on 9-11, as the previous generation remembered the death's of JFK and MLK. It's a day that will live on in our collective consciousness. We are all connected in some way to the tragedy of that day. But my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones in the two towers, the Pentagon, and on a field in Pennsylvania. We honor you today. I hope that ten years has brought a measure of peace.

And in case I don't say it enough, I love you mom.

How did the events of that day change you? What were you doing when you heard what had happened? Ironically, my mom was one of the last people to know what had happened as she spent the day in travel chaos trying to get back to my aunt's house.

2011-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

The truth about cats and dogs

Five years ago my husband and I gave in to the full court press from our kids for a dog. (That's Cooper above). Now, a dog isn't enough. My son is desperate for a cat. I come from a dog family and my husband grew up without pets, so we are at a loss here. What are the chances of the dog and cat getting along? Am I a masochist for even considering it? So all you pet owners out there I'm looking for a little advice. Why do I or don't I need a cat? Are they really as self-sufficient as people say? What's the training like?

2011-08-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you!

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support last week in getting my Facebook Page off the ground. I have to admit it was much easier than I thought it would be. I was going to hold off on doing Twitter for a while but decided it was probably better to do them both at the same time. So now I'm on BOTH Twitter and Facebook, LOL. That's me, living on the edge.

I think I missed the point about social networking. I wanted to do a "dip a toe in the water" kind of thing, but word gets out fast. :) The idea was to work out the kinks before the book launch when I send out my newsletter and not put it on my website until then, but I might re-evaluate. But I still like the idea of taking it really slow. Don't want to do something "wrong" before I learn the ropes.

My initial impressions: Twitter is VERY fast--it felt like it got around very quickly that I was on Twitter (and by extension FB), but FB feels more interactive.

I was going to integrate feeds from both the blog and twitter, but I decided to hold off. I thought about it and wondered if that would make Facebook status items not feel as "fresh" and interactive. Maybe a link works better? Any thoughts from you all would be appreciated.

Along the same lines, I'd love to get your impressions of things you guys think "work" on Facebook. Is it a regular feature? Certain types of status reports? Just shooting the sh*t?

Thanks again for getting the word out and making me feel so welcome. You guys are the best!

2011-08-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Monica Gets with the Program!

Okay, you guys convinced me! I set up a Facebook page that I'm planning to officially launch when THE VIPER comes out on October 18th. So stop by and let me know what you think. I'm hoping you guys will show me the ropes. It seemed much easier to set up this time around (I'd looked into it about a year ago), but hopefully I didn't screw anything up, LOL. It's a work in progress, so feedback is appreciated. I posted a bunch of pictures, so let me know if those don't show up...

Kids are back to school tomorrow...Hallelujah! (If you're in the mood for a little Jon Bon Jovi version of the song watch here).

2011-08-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ebook Sale! (The cover choice is for you Ing:)

If you haven't read my backlist and have an e-reader, Random House has reduced the price of some of my (and other authors') books. For example, Highlander Untamed is $5.99 on both kindle and nook, as is Highlander Unmasked. Highland Warrior, Highland Scoundrel (I think they mistakenly thought this was the second book), and The Chief are $6.99. Here is the list of all my books on kindle. And here they are on nook. They might be similarly priced on other sites, but those are the only two I heard about. Other RHs authors with trilogies have also been reduced. If you haven't tried Tessa Dare, Tracy Anne Warren, Allison Brennan, Christie Reece, to name a few, now's your chance.

You know how I found out about it? Twitter, LOL! Tessa Dare tweeted about it on Friday. And thanks to you guys, I'm inching closer to Facebook. I messed around with it a little this weekend. I'm probably going to do a "soft" launch soon and you guys can tell me everything I'm doing wrong!

2011-08-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tough Week

I didn't have any personal connection to any of the fallen soldiers in the horrible helicopter crash in Afghanistan, but I was deeply saddened by the news nonetheless. What a tragedy. All those young lives cut short. My prayers go out to all the families involved. And to the men who made the ultimate sacrifice, thank you.

From tragic to painful . . . how about that stock market. Ouch. Been a very bleak few days around Casa McCarty. It's getting so I don't want to turn on the computer anymore! Looks like the Fed tried to stop the bleeding by offering lower interest rates, but I sure hope it's enough. Didn't it feel like things were just coming back? Jeez. I guess the good thing is that we are quite a few years away from retirements, but I sure feel badly for all those people whose 401ks were hit hard the past few days.

I did have one fun thing happen this weekend. I had an out of the blue phone call from an old friend I hadn't heard from in about 5 years. Turns out he'd run into another old friend of mine in a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles--the funny thing is that I'd just seen her for the first time in about 10 years a few days before. How random is that? Anyway, it was great catching up with both of them. They are the type of friends that even though I haven't talked to them in years, I recognize their voice in seconds and within minutes we are talking like we never stopped. Since I'm not on Facebook (yet) I haven't had those random run-ins that I know a lot of you probably have. Anyone have any good stories? Any old boyfriends that you've always wondered what happened to them?

And finally, Ing is a frequent commenter on the blog. She had a really fun idea that I hope some of you guys might be interested in participating in. She wants to celebrate the release of THE VIPER by doing a series of blogs about the Highland Guard. If any of you might be interested in participating by writing a guest blog about your favorite guardsman, the series in general or your favorite book, she'd love to have you. It's still a couple of months away, so I'll remind you as it gets closer, but if you think you might be interested you can contact her on her blog here.

Hope you guys are having a better week than I am! Anyone going on vacation so I can live vicariously?

2011-08-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Monica Recommends . . .

A number of you mentioned that you liked getting recommendations from authors on other books/authors. I will try to find a regular place to update this list--either on FB (if I ever get there, LOL) or maybe on Goodreads (ditto). If I can figure out how to put it in a sidebar on blogger, I'll do that, too.

Here are some of my all time favorite authors (and I'm SURE I'm forgetting some):

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Julie Garwood

Shannon McKenna

Julia Quinn

Lisa Kleypas (historicals)

Linda Howard

Cindy Gerard

Karen Robards

Rachel Gibson

Marsha Canham

Judith McNaught

Also favorites (but full disclosure these are friends of mine):

Jami Alden

Bella Andre

Allison Brennan

Catherine Coulter

Carol Culver

Victoria Dahl

Tessa Dare

Barbara Freethy

Tracy Grant/Teresa Grant

Anne Hearn

Candice Hern

Christy Reece

Christie Ridgeway

Karen Tabke

Penelope Williamson

Veronica Wolff

Other Scottish Authors:

Julie Garwood (sigh)

Karen Marie Moning

Teresa Medeiros

Kathleen Givens

Lynn Kurland

Kinley MacGregor

Kresley Cole

Terri Brisbin

Margaret Mallory

Paula Quinn

Amanda Scott

Karen Hawkins

Karen Ranney

Terri

Maya Banks (new series coming out at the end of the month)

Veronica Wolff

Julianne MacLean

Sue-Ellen Welfonder

And our very own Laura Hunsaker

Melissa Mayhue

Pamela Clare

Recent Books I've enjoyed:

Just Like Heaven (Julia Quinn)

Unlocked (Courtney Milan) (note: anthology)

Bound by the Heart (Marsha Canham--old but new on kindle)

Any Man of Mine (Rachel Gibson)

Winter Sea (Susanna Kearsley--Scottish alert!)

Angel of Blythe Hall (Darci Hannah--Scottish Alert) (historical fiction)

The Silent Girl (Tess Gerritsen)

Breaking Point (Pamela Clare)

On my kindle TBR soon:

With No Remorse (Cindy Girard)

Can't Hurry Love (Christie Ridgeway)

Who am I missing? Any new romances you've read and want to recommend?

2011-07-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's Time for the Yearly Check-in on . . .

Social Media! Once again, I thought I'd tap your collective brain to get a sense of where readers are at on the social media front. I have a Facebook and Twitter account, but I am not active on either platform. I do, however, watch from the sidelines to see how they are being used by others and to what effectiveness. I have some thoughts on the matter, but I thought I'd see what you guys think. So here are a few questions:

1. Are you active on Twitter and/or Facebook?

2. What is your preferred way to interact with authors: a blog, Facebook, twitter, email (or it doesn't really matter)?

3. Do you follow all your favorite authors?

4. Have you ever bought/not bought a book because of an experience on one of the social media platforms?

If you have any other thoughts, I'd love to hear them!

And just to keep those eyes entertained, how about this picture of THOR's Christ Hemsworth. I guess hair color doesn't matter--blond or brunette looks good to me. Maybe he can inspire more than one Guardsman . . . LOL.

2011-07-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Three Month Count Down is on!

THE VIPER will hit stores three months from today in a special mid-month release. I just posted an excerpt on my website for those who want to get a little taste now.

Those of you who like surprises can stop reading now. :) I'd hoped to be able to wait a little longer to announce the next book, but amazon has had it up for a few days now. Tiffani, you guessed correctly: Book #5 will be . . . (insert drumroll) . . . THE SAINT! It will hit stores on 3/27/12 and is available for pre-order here. No cover yet, but should have one soon.

2011-07-12T18:01:00.001-07:00

Do you want to be surprised?

I was reading the USA Today on my ipad today (best newspaper APP ever by the way) when my eye went to the picture of Sean Bean in THE GAME OF THRONES. If you haven't seen the show, you are missing out. It's right up there with SPARTACUS BLOOD AND SAND as my favorite. Season One just ended so you'll probably have to catch up with it on Netflix. Anyway, I digress . . . the USA Today story was about George RR Martin's release today of the fifth book in the series.

I'd read most of the first book by time the show started and am currently about 100 pages away from finishing the second (they are LONG books). So there I am reading the news story and before I know it, they're telling me what certain POV characters are up to. Ugh. The catch-me-unaware spoiler! The stories are told from multiple POVs and just knowing who is still around was kind of a bummer.

In books and movies I want to be surprised. Even in romances, where I *know* the ending, I never read ahead (I'm looking at you CP Jami Alden!). With series, I think part of the excitement is wondering "who's next." I've really tried to keep things secret around here with my HIGHLAND GUARD series, but with the book industry being the way it is (books going up for presale well before publication date), I can only keep it under wraps for a while.

I know some of you (cough, cough, Ing!) don't like waiting and want all the spoilers they can find.

What about you: do you want to be surprised or do you seek out those spoilers?

UPDATE: I'm blogging over at Borders True Romance Today about stories that keep dragging you back. If you have a chance, pop on over!

2011-07-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the audio version of THE CHIEF is . . .

As picked by Random. org: Emily! Congratulations, email me your address, and I'll get it off to soon. I'll be giving away more copies on my website, so if you didn't win this time around there will be more opportunities. Have a great weekend!

2011-07-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

Guess Where I was?

Yep, Rome (that's Trevi Fountain pictured) among other places. I know I mentioned it would be quiet around here, but I didn't want to broadcast exactly why. The McCarty family took a long planned vacation a little early this summer. We went on a Disney Cruise to the Mediterranean! It was spectacular. We traveled with a friend of mine from law school and her family (as well as Jenny Garth of 90210 fame and her husband Peter Fracinelli from the Twihard movies--no I don't know them, but they were on the ship). We sailed in and out of Barcelona and had 11 nights on board with a stop in Malta, four in Italy, and two in France, including Corsica. We were originally supposed to stop in Tunisia, but after the problems Disney changed the port to Sicily. I absolutely fell in love with Italy. Rome was amazing as was the Isle of Capri. I know it sounds cheesy, but Disney really is a great way to go with kids--they had a blast.

We were gone for two weeks, and then I flew directly to RWA so I've been "unplugged" for quite a while. Lots of fun things to tell you about. First off, I mentioned that my friends Jami Alden and Bella Andre and I were going to be on the cover of RT, well it's out! Here's the link: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (you can click on the cover to make it bigger). We also did a video. It's about 7 minutes long and talks about how we got together as CPs and why we think it's worked so well. I managed to watch it without cringing too badly. God, I hate watching myself on video.

And finally, I found out THE CHIEF won the historical category of the OCCRWA Book Buyer's Best contest as well as the Top Pick overall (page down) and the Reader's Crown contest for best Long historical. All the books have been doing pretty well on the contest circuit. You can check out all the finals/wins on my website in the "news and reviews" section of each book.

Hope you guys are all off to a great summer and happy Fourth of July!

UPDATE: oops, almost forgot to mention some other exciting news. I came home to a huge package of my very first audio book! I'm often asked if my books are available on audio and now I can say "yes!" THE CHIEF is the first, but I'm hoping there will be more. I have a copy to give away to one commenter. I'll choose a winner on Friday. Usual rules apply.

2011-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Highland Guard Dream Cast

I'm often asked by readers whether my books will ever be made into a movie. The answer: I wish! It's very rare to have a romance made into a film, and even more so for a historical romance. I actually can't think of one. Not that I don't think the books would make a great movie--I would love to see it. But the chances are pretty slim.

That, however, doesn't stop me from coming up with my "dream cast" for the hypothetical movie. Take the very yummy Chris Hemsworth above--think I might have had him in mind for a certain swaggering, seafarer? LOL.

My friend Tracy/Teresa Grant told me about a very cool website that allows authors to "cast" their novels called Storycasting. I went ahead and did THE CHIEF. As I said in the note, some of the pictures they have for the actors don't exactly match up with my image (i.e. Viggo), but you get the picture.

I usually don't like when authors tell me actors they had in mind, so if you are like that don't click through. I don't want to ruin the image for you. But I thought some of you might enjoy seeing who I had in mind. :) The website also allows you to make up your own cast, so if your image differs have at it!

I'll be popping in sporadically over the next couple weeks, but let me know what you think!

[As an aside, I'm thrilled to announce that THE VIPER is going to be released a week early! So look for it to hit stores on October 18th!]

2011-06-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Spontaneity and Getting Old

I used to be more spontaneous, but as I've gotten older (and had kids) my spontaneity factor has really diminished. But yesterday when I heard on the news that there were still tickets available for the U2 show at the Coliseum, I called my husband and told him we should take the kids and go. The tickets were pretty cheap, and I figured that even if we had to leave a little early no big deal. We had an absolutely amazing time. Made me realize how I really need to do things like that more often.

I used to be a huge U2 fan. I think I saw the Joshua Tree tour about 6 times--in Los Angeles and Oakland. I was at USC at the time and my roommates and I found out where the band were staying and went down to watch for them. As I recall, we saw the edge, but no Bono. Yes, my name is Monica and I was a groupie--or want-to-be groupie, to be more accurate.

The funny thing was that as I looked around the parking lot and noticed all the gray hair, I realized how long ago this was. The average age of attendees was easily over forty. Took me a minute to realize that was me, too. :)

Do you consider yourself spontaneous? What is the most recent "last minute" adventure you had? Anyone else feeling old lately?

2011-05-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

A Little Bragging

No, it's not about my children! Today, I'm talking about my two CPs Bella Andre and Jami Alden. I know you've heard me mention them many times before, but it's been a while since I've given them a shout out. We met very early in our writing careers (literally my second RWA meeting and their first) and have been together every step of the way, through all the ups and downs. Fortunately there have been mostly ups.

It's been a pretty amazing ride. We all sold within a year of each other (Bella first to Pocket, then Jami to Kensington, and I brought up the rear to Ballantine). I literally got "the call" on the way to Bella's booksigning for her very first release. How's that for serendipity? It pretty much followed the same pattern for a long time: something good for Bella, Jami and then me.

Over the years our roles as CPs have changed, but we've all stayed the best of buddies. Anyway, I'm really proud of them. Bella has been in the news a TON of late. Both in the venerable Washington Post and Forbes (impressing even my father!) for the enormous success she's been having as a self-published author as Bella Andre and her YA pen name Lucy Kevin. It really is staggering what she's done the past few months, I'm super impressed but not surprised. If you know Bella, she is a can't-stay-down kind of person and an incredibly savvy business woman--not to mention a phenomenal writer. She's been working crazy hours, and it's fantastic to see if all work out. She also has a new small town series coming out with Grand Central in a couple of months under the name Bella Riley.

I'm thrilled to be pimping Jami's latest book, BEG FOR MERCY, which was just released today! I can still remember when she first pitched this idea to me. I knew it was something special. I don't want to give away too much about the series, but if you like Alpha heroes and gritty romantic suspense, you won't want to miss these. If you've never tried Jami before, think a mix between Shannon McKenna and Karen Robards.

Here's the blurb:

Megan Flynn thought she was falling in love. Cole Williams wasn't just handsome and passionate, he was one of the good guys. Or so she thought, until he arrested her brother-the only family she has left-for a murder she knows he couldn't have possibly committed. Now, with her heart broken and her brother's life hanging in the balance, Megan will risk everything to prove his innocence. Even if that means throwing herself into the path of a sadistic killer with a hauntingly familiar MO.

Seattle Detective Cole Williams had given up on making Megan see reason where her brother is concerned. But when she insinuates herself into the most shockingly brutal case Cole has ever worked, he can't stand idly by. Plunged into a secret world where the city's elite indulge their darkest desires, Cole will do whatever it takes to bring down a madman who has made Megan his most coveted prey.

Hope you guys get a chance to check it out! Look for all of us again on the cover of Romantic Times Book Reviews in August (RWA conference issue). We'll be talking one of our favorite subjects: Alpha heroes. :)

I can't believe summer is only a few weeks away. Memorial day was great at Casa McCarty: golf, barbeque and my daughter did fantastic in an Irish dancing Feis on Monday. Anyone do anything exciting? Any big summer plans? I'm going to RWA in NY in early July and a cruise. Other than that . . . I'll be busy writing Highland Guard #5.

2011-05-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

SEAL Appeal

Aside: Sorry for the radio silence around here. I've been dealing with an unexpected surgery for a family member, and things have been crazy. (Very happy to say everything went well).

As one of my friends tweeted about the above picture: makes you feel kind of . . . uh . . . patriotic, doesn't it?

I'll say. Hooyah!

I've been caught up in SEAL mania as it seems many people have since the news of Bin Laden's death hit. Well, actually, I've been caught up in SEAL mania since I read Suzanne Brockmann's first Troubleshooter book. As you guys probably know, it was my love of Navy SEAL/ Special Ops books that drove the Highland Guard Series. I pitched the idea to my CPs about 9 years ago as a "Special Ops in Kilts," blending my two favorite romance subgenres: special ops and scottish historicals.

My hubby and I happened to be watching 60 Minutes when they broke in for a special announcement. A few minutes later, they announced the rumor that Bin Laden had been killed. The newscasters were speculating on what had happened, and one of the CBS guys said that the CIA had taken him out. I turned to my husband and very authoritatively said, "No way, it was SEALs. The CIA might have had the intelligence, but special forces went in." (See, you do learn something from reading romance! LOL.)

I did a ton of reading about Special Forces to research the Highland Guard books, and there really is something different about these guys. I'm not sure I'd want to be married to one--I can't imagine how difficult it must be for the wives seeing their hubbies go into danger all the time--but I sure like the fantasy.

I'm looking forward to reading the new book about SEAL Team Six that just came out last week. I'd pre-ordered it some time ago, but Amazon sold out, and it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I've seen a nice bump in my books the past couple of weeks--I think readers are searching out those Special Forces books. The Washington Post had a fun article about it.

Are you swept up in the SEAL mania? Do you enjoy Special Forces books (other than the Highland Guard, of course :))? Any favorites? What do you think makes Special Forces heroes so appealing?

And to any of you out there who serve or have family members who serve this feels like a great opportunity to THANK YOU!

2011-05-05T12:25:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day Shopping! (No, it's not for Thor)

If you are out and about in the next couple of days and/or plan on buying any books at Barnes & Noble any time until May 8th, you can also support a great cause: The Tourette Syndrome Association. If you use the ID #10476034 AND check the book fair box when you check out and a portion of the sales will go to TSA. (The offer is also good in stores).

If you are wondering, "Why Tourettes?" it's not because I watch American Idol, LOL. (For those of you who don't watch it either, one of the contestants James Durbin has Tourettes). My 14 year old son has Tourettes. He was diagnosed about 7 years ago, and it is a constant challenge. You can't hide Tourettes--his tics are very loud. I usually try not to talk too much about my kids, but this must be my week for breaking the rules. First my daughter and now my son! But this is for a good cause.

I'm hoping to see THOR tomorrow night (Hello, Chris Hemsworth), play golf on Saturday, and go to brunch with my Mom on Sunday. Hope all you moms have something fun and relaxing planned. IMO it's a bit of a "Hallmark Holiday" but hey, I'll take it!

UPDATE: Another great cause...

Most of you are probably aware of Brenda Novak's HUGE yearly auction for Diabetes research? There are tons of great items to big on, including--you guessed it--a set of books from someone you know. :)

YET ANOTHER UPDATE! It's Highlander Week at Reading between the Wines and guess who has a giveaway?

2011-04-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Not As Good as Being There, But . . .

That's my 11 year old daughter at 2:30 am PST, celebrating with cupcakes and "champagne," as we watched Kate and William take their vows. I kind of debated on whether or not to wake her up, but I'm so glad I did. We had a great time hamming it up with our tiaras. It was really a special moment that I think we'll both remember for a long time.

As we were watching though, I couldn't help thinking that we should permanently excise the term "American Royalty" from our vernacular. We have absolutely nothing like the pomp and circumstance that they have across the proverbial pond. Most of the time that's probably a good thing--we did fight a rather significant war to rid ourselves of George III--but I can't help but get caught up in all the magnificence that is English tradition. It's hard not to be moved by the fact that Kate and William were standing in the same place William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066.

I think the high point for me was the first time William looked at Kate when she joined him at the end of the aisle. He murmured something like "you look beautiful." The exchange was both sweet and genuine. He also had that "shy" look on his face that reminds me so much of his mother. The reciting of the vows was also moving, but my second favorite moment was the always iconic shot of seeing Kate get out of the car for the first time. The dress surprised me a little bit--I didn't think it would be quite so traditional--but it grew on me. She's a beautiful girl, so she'd probably look good in a bag. I thought Pippa's dress was spectacular. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kate in something more streamlined for the party later tonight.

Anyway, that's this correspondent's take. :) My hubby and I are off for the weekend, leaving the kids behind with Grandma, to go to the annual "Passport Weekend" in Healdsburg (Sonoma wine country). It's a two day event of wine tasting and eating. Can't wait. I'll try to update the post with some pictures later--it's going to be a gorgeous weekend in the bay area.

Any other royalophiles out there who set their alarm clocks bright and early? What did you think of the dress?

2011-04-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Not-So-Grand Unveiling!

I know you've all seen it before, but I thought I'd post a big version of THE VIPER anyway. I swear that Amazon gets the scoop on me every time. As I mentioned in the comments of my last blog, I received the final version of my cover on Tuesday and Amazon had it up a couple of days later. I'd been planning to do the big unveiling . . . oh well. Hope you guys like it. :)

I've been busy getting started on Highland Guard book #5 (mums the word on who's story it is) and catching up on some of my reading. Sadly, I think I've exhausted Karen Robard's backlist on kindle, but I did have the chance to read an ARC of THE ANGEL OF BLYTHE HALL by Darci Hannah, which I will be giving a very enthusiastic quote for. I absolutely *loved* this book and devoured it in a couple of sittings, including staying up until almost 3 am last night to finish. If you like Historical Fiction you won't want to miss it. It takes place in 15th Century Scotland and it has everything you could possible want: fantastic historical detail, a great romance, a compelling mystery , and a little bit of a mystical twist. Most of you know I don't read much paranormal, but I really enjoyed this. It has a very gothic feel, and the writing was exquisite. Can you tell I loved it? I was pretty excited to see Bernard Cornwell's quote up there. He's one of my favorite authors and seeing my name anywhere near his will be pretty exciting. :)

I'm looking forward to Rachel Gibson's new book on Tuesday--love those Hockey players. I think I might start on Marsha Canham's backlist, which she recently put up on kindle. Not sure if you guys have noticed this trend, but a lot of authors with older, pre-ebook publications are self-publishing their backlist on kindle, etc. for really great prices.

So what's the last book that kept you up until the wee morning hours?

2011-04-14T12:42:00.001-07:00

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The . . .

I'm back from the Romantic Times Convention and had a great time except for the . . . yes, you guessed it: Bedbugs (screech!!!). I was fortunate not to have them in my room, but a good friend of mine wasn't so lucky.

So here's the thing: this kind of stuff freaks me out. I'm a bit of a germaphobe as it is, and after having dealt with a louse in the house I'm completely paranoid. Apparently with good reason.

I'm at the airport about ready to get on my flight and decide to look up the Westin Bonaventure on Trip Advisor. I see a number of reports of Bedbugs (on Yelp, too) and start to freak. My friends take pity on me, and we use Yelp to find a nearby hardware store that carries the spray. It took a while to explain to the taxi driver that we wanted to make a short detour, but eventually we are on our way, only to find out that Yelp has let me down for the first time: the address was wrong. Ugh. So not wanting to run up a huge taxi bill we decide to just go to the hotel.

At check in, I relay my concerns to the desk person, and she absolutely assures me (reiterating what I'd been told on the phone) that they DO NOT have bedbugs and that all those trip advisor reports were false. I have some land to sell you in Florida, too. This went on for a while, and she even gave me her card, which unfortunately I can't find. Anyway, I'm trying to believe her, but much to my friends' amusement I overnight bug spray from Amazon.

I get my room and take all the precautions: no luggage or anything on the floor, check the mattresses, etc. All my friends do this with their rooms, too. Everything seems fine until two days later one of my friends texts me: she'd just killed a bedbug on her comforter while she was eating breakfast. OMG!!! Boy was I glad for that bug spray. Talk about feeding the paranoia.

To make a long story short, the hotel moved her right away, comped her room, etc. On the surface their response was appropriate, but the underlying response was appalling. There was an attempt to dismiss her concerns ("Are you sure it was a bedbug" yada yada), and only did they admit she was right when her roommate happened to be in the room when the exterminator came and she quizzed him. Turns out there was the makings of the colony behind the bed at the baseboard. To me, there seemed to be a concerted effort by the hotel not to acknowledge the problem. So BEWARE the next time you are traveling. Ask questions and don't take "no" for an answer.

I came back and did the full "de-bedbugging" even though I didn't seem to have any in my room. The cost benefit analysis isn't even close. These things can be a nightmare. Big pain in the you-know-what, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

Okay, enough of my rant/public service announcement. The conference itself was really fun. That's me pictured with two of the cover model finalist hopefuls. I think the guy on the left was first runner up. He definitely had the best, or shall we say most appropriate, physique for my sort of covers. Cough cough muscles cough cough.

The big talk everywhere was the changes taking place in the industry, specifically the decisions by a number of authors to turn away from traditional publishers to self-publish on Amazon. I suspect we are only seeing the beginning of the changes in the industry.

My bedbug experience has me a little traumatized. I'm not sure what to do about RWA in NY. I've heard that hotel has had problems, too. Ugh... Anyone else have any phobias?

(P.S. Laurie, I tried to respond to your email but it keeps bouncing! Not sure what is going on).

2011-04-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Viper!

Just a quick update to alert you to a website update. For those of you who've asked for more info on THE VIPER, here you go!

2011-03-29T18:20:00.001-07:00

A Great Cause!

Not sure if you guys have heard about the horrible loss in the online romance community. Fatin, a familiar "face" around the blogs, etc, lost her husband in a convenience store robbery. You can read more about it here. Anyway, the romance community has rallied and there is an amazing auction going on right now to benefit Fatin and her family. I donated books, and tons of other authors have ARCs, lunches, critiques, you name it. You can check it on ebay here.

We are finally getting some nice weather around here, but wouldn't you know it...I'm stuck inside doing revisions. Sigh.

Anyone other than Highland Hussy going to be in Los Angeles for RT next week?

2011-03-22T18:00:00.001-07:00

What's Your Sure Thing?

I happened to have PBS on Saturday morning and got sucked into watching a new version of Les Miserables--the Twenty-fifth Anniversary concert filmed at the O2 a few months ago. The picture is of two Valjeans (including the amazing Colm Wilkinson) and Nick Jonas as Marius. Who knew, but Nick (one of the Jonas brothers) started out on Broadway years ago playing the little boy Gavroche when he was only 9 years old! He was AWESOME.

Now to fully appreciate this story you have to know something about me--I'm a not so in the closet show tunes geek. I love musical theater, and Les Mis is right up there with Jesus Christ Superstar as my favorite. I've seen it at least a half-dozen times in the theater, and I own not one but two copies of the 10th Anniversary concert DVD (my kids were watching the other one so much I had to get my own, LOL). I told my kids if Broadway every calls, they'll have to fend for themselves. Since they've heard me sing, they aren't too worried.

There's one thing you can count on when I watch Les Mis. No matter how many times I watch it, I cry at two parts (when Fauntine dies and at the end when Valjean dies) EVERY time. It kills my husband. He thinks it's hilarious. It's not like I don't know what's coming. But it something about the lyrics and the voices, I don't know--it gets me.

There are a couple movies that are guaranteed tear-jerkers for me, too: The Notebook, Brian's Song, and Love Story.

It got me thinking about what drew me to romances. I love emotion. I love when an author can make my gut clench or make me care so much that I find myself crying along with the heroine when things *look* like they're not going to work out. Emotion is the magic for me. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does . . . that's my idea of a keeper. Judith McNaught was a master of this. Susan Elizabeth Phillips does it to me pretty often, too. Lisa Kleypas almost always makes my heart tug.

What about you? What are your "sure things?" Or are you not a crier?

2011-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Little Irish Jig For You!

The entire McCarty clan is looking forward to this movie! Having just gone through the process of purchasing my daughter's first solo dress, it definitely hits home. My favorite line: "It's like a Shirley Temple convention."

I had no idea this world existed until about three years ago, but to say we've been sucked in is to put it mildly. This is Irish dancing busy season, LOL, and tonight my daughter will be doing a performance in a local pub, which is convenient for mom and dad. :) So happy St. Patty's day!

And there's nothing like a good review to put a smile on my face. Check out this great one for THE RANGER on TGTBTU. Gotta love an A+!

2011-03-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

Viper's Book is Done!

On Friday I hit "send" and sent THE VIPER on its way to my editor. There really is nothing like the feeling of finishing a book. This was actually my twelfth book (I have two Regency set historicals that I finished before I sold) and it hasn't changed much from the first to the twelfth. It's kind of this odd mix of relief and excitement. I'm really happy with how it turned out and can't wait for you guys to read it. I'll be posting a blurb soon--and hopefully a cover won't be too far behind.

Anyone else getting excited for spring? I know it's still a ways away, but with "Spring forward" so early this year I think I'm doing a little anticipating. I can't believe St. Patty's Day is just around the corner. I'm sure we'll be doing the usual with a round of Irish dancing performances for my daughter (and plenty of Guinness for Mom and Dad :)).

On a different note, I was thrilled to get a message from the ladies at The Romance Reviews that both THE CHIEF and THE HAWK were nominated for Best Historical of the Year. If you are so inclined, you can vote here.

Anyway, just wanted to do a quick update to let you know why it was quiet around here last week. On Monday it's on to book #5!

2011-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

E-Reader Check-In

It's been a while since I blogged about e-readers, and I thought it would be a good time to check in. I've had my kindle for over two years now, and the love affair is nowhere close to being over. I still buy some paper books--mostly friends' books and hardbacks that I know I'll want to pass on to my husband and/or look at the pictures. For example, I recently bought the paper versions of the new biography of Mickey Mantle (The Last American Boy), and Unbroken, by Laura Hilldebrand. [As an aside: If you haven't read Unbroken yet, I highly highly recommend it. You'll draw a lot of attention if you take it out. I've never had so many people come up to me in the gym and tell me how much they loved that book, LOL.] But the Kindle is hard to beat for ease, convenience, and instant gratification. I'd estimate 75% of my book purchases are e-books.

From the discussions online and the articles in the newspapers and industry rags, you'd think that everyone had jumped on the e-book bandwagon, but I think the numbers of e-reader owners are still relatively small (but growing). So how about you . . . do you own an e-reader (if so which one). If you don't, do you want one? Or are you happy with paper books and determined to resist all the hubbub?

There had been one interesting--and I think very exciting--development out of all this. Self e-publishing has become a very viable option for authors. I have a friend who is NY published with a major house but has also published a number of books on her own though Kindle, Smashwords, etc. She is having ENORMOUS success (can I stress enormous!). Self-publishing in the past year or so has really exploded, and I think has become a very exciting way to get books in front of readers that otherwise wouldn't have been published. For example, finishing a series that a publisher has declined to continue, or an author who's been let go by one house and unable to catch on with another, etc.

Anyway, just thought I'd check in and get your take!

2011-02-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

A Day In The Life: Process, Phone Calls and Sensibility

Kind of a broad title, isn't it? But I like anything that gives me a chance to post a picture of Willoughby. Sigh, one of the most yummy cads around. I know, I know, shoot me, but I was hoping Marianne would end up with him. :)

But I digress . . . as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when I blogged about the plan for the series, I thought you guys might enjoy a little peek into my writing day--aka "the process."

If there's one thing that writers can agree on is that what works for one person might not work for another. My writing process has changed over the years--mostly because of deadlines and publisher requirements (i.e. the synopsis)--but the past couple of years, I've developed a pretty steady rhythm.

It takes me about 6 months to write a book. That's not actually all writing time. I give myself a good month of "macerating" to think about and develop the story, research the characters/historical background, and then write a synopsis. It might sound like a lot of time, but it really isn't. Fleshing out characters, trying to find their romantic arc, figuring out the all important BM, and trying to sync it all with what's going on historically can be a challenge. But other than writing "the end" this is probably my favorite part of the process. It's the time when I'm most in love with my story--correction: POTENTIAL story. When you actually start writing, all those great things you planned don't always work out. :)

I'm not a "seat of the pants" writer or a plotter but more of a "tweener." (Allison Brennan, Candice Hern, and I did a fun workshop on his once). Basically, I like to have a flight plan in place for where I'm going, but I don't necessarily want to know all the details. I want to give myself "targets" but have plenty in freedom in how I'm going to get there.

So before I sit down to write I like to have a couple of documents in place: (1) a synopsis (usually about 10-15 pages, which I give my editor for approval before I start), (2) a rough "outline" for lack of a better term. But what it really is is ideas for scenes mixed with turning points that I've used to write the synopsis, and (3) a "timeline" for plotting out the bigger turning point and ARC points of the plot and character. It sounds much more complicated than it is. :) Recently, I've started using index cards to mark the big "beats" of the plot (screenwriting term). I really like it, so I'll probably continue to do that.

The actual writing time is about 4 1/2 to 5 months, depending on vacations, school holidays, etc. With whatever time I have left, I send it to my critique partner Jami Alden (romantic suspense), beg her to read it quickly, and sit on pins and needles until she gets back to me. Most of my revisions come from Jami. By time it goes to my editor it's typically in pretty good shape.

Here's where the day to day stuff comes in.

After I get the kids off to school, I usually sit down at the computer by about 8 am and start tackling email for about an hour. Then, pretty much every day unless one of us is on vacation, I wait for the phone to ring. It's time for the daily phone call. For a good half hour to an hour Jami and I talk about what we're working on. Sometimes it segues from a discussion about a current book we're reading, sometimes it's a panic call, but most of the time it's just the daily slog of here's what I'm thinking, what do you think? I can't tell you how much good stuff comes out of these calls.

I swear we could talk for hours about this stuff (and sometimes do). This is where sensibility comes in. I think one of the reasons we've been so successful as critique partners is that we have the same sensibility when it comes to romance. With few exceptions we like the same thing: Alpha heroes, emotional intensity, and big black moments. Sometimes we sound like teenagers discussing a book. You should have heard the recent discussion we had after I read Karen Robard's "Forbidden Love." God, I loved that book! :) But the important thing is that we really know what the other person is going for, and I trust her to let me know if I have or haven't gotten there.

You wouldn't believe how many times we're discussing things and realize we've overlapped in some characterization or motivation. It's crazy. Even to the point of coming up (independently) with very similar plot points that are definitely NOT typical in romance. When Viper's story comes out, I'll fill you in. :)

After the phone call, it's time to write. Typically, I strive to write about a scene a day (roughly 1,500 words). With an occasional break for working out, I revise until about noon, eat lunch, and then write on my alpha smart until about 5 (with a break for picking up the kids). Sometimes those 1500 words go quicker, but more often they take longer. The alpha smart is supposed to cut down on my revising as I go, but I still manage to do it. Can't help it. :) When I'm closer to deadline, I'm working until 6 or 7, and also, sadly, on weekends.

Any promotion I do--answering email, blogs, website updates--is typically done on the weekend. Because this seriously cuts into already limited family time, promo is pretty limited. When people ask why I'm not on facebook, twitter, etc. this is why.

After I finish a book, it's right on to the next one. Literally. Only when I'm between contracts do I get a month or so break.

So that's it. Boring, isn't it?

You guys will have to read Jami's new Romantic Suspense series when it comes out from Grand Central starting in July, I swear sometimes we share the same brain. :)

2011-02-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

A Little News Posted on my Website

Those of you wondering who is going to star in the next book, the wait is over. It's not often that you get to make 99.9% of your readers happy, but if the reader email and the comments on this blog are any indication, I think I just got to do that. :)

I'll be collecting on those bribes now, LOL.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

UPDATE: The Viper: A Highland Guard Novel is already up for pre-order on Amazon!

2011-02-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

Mini Update for Giveaway!

My planned post didn't materialize this week, but I wanted to pass on information about a big romance giveaway that Ing is participating in with a couple hundred other blogs here. Love that historical giveaway Ing. :)

I'm sure many of you guys back east don't want to hear about it, but we've been having amazing weather here. I think it's rained once in the past month and a half. Wish I could be enjoying it more, but somebody is chained to her computer right now trying to finish book #4.

Hope you have some fun plans for the weekend (is it here yet?) and Valentine's Day. I know this is probably heresy for a romance writer, but I'm not a big Valentine's Day fan. Never have been. It always felt so forced to me. But I guess it's a good excuse for a present. Dave, are you listening?

2011-02-02T17:31:00.000-08:00

The Plan

Recently, I put a new section up on my website called "All About the Highland Guard." If you missed a book, are new to the series, or just want a refresher before the next book comes out, it's the one-stop destination to find out what's been going on. I'll be updating it soon, but in the FAQs section, I answer (kind of :)) the most common question I get from readers: basically a variation of who's next or when is [blank's] story. You can read my answer here, but I thought I'd give a little more explanation of why I'm REALLY not trying to torture you. (Ing, this means you, LOL!) There is a plan . . .

I conceived the series to be between 10-12 books. If I get to write them all (I hope!), most but not all of the guys will have a story, however, there are some twists and turns along the way.

The series spans the period from 1305-1314, basically from the time Braveheart dies to the Battle of Bannockburn (the battle where Bruce definitively beats the English).

To do a big series like this, I needed to plan out the order of the books beforehand. I usually don't discuss the writer's process because I'm not sure readers are really all that interested in the nuts and bolts. But here it's relevant. I broke the period up into key events to give each story its own backdrop and to make sure it ended on a high note (i.e. The Chief ends with Bruce getting the crown, The Hawk ends with Bruce retaking his crown and Edward dying, and The Ranger ends with the big victory agains the MacDougalls). Then I tried to match up what was happening in that period with the hero whose skills would be the most useful. It was a little bit like working out a big puzzle, but most of them were pretty obvious (i.e. when Bruce is forced to take refuge in the Western Isles, it had to be my seafarer/navy seal--Hawk; when I read about a scout who warns Bruce about the ambush at Brander, I knew it had to be my scout, etc). From there, I came up with a very basic possible story line for each book, knowing I would possibly need to set things up in early books.

The point is that the order of the books and the hero have been set from the beginning and are determined by what is going on historically. So even if I know readers really want x's story, I can't write it out of order or the series would be jumping all over the place. This isn't to say that a certain book isn't on it's way--cough cough--but more to give a little insight into the order of things. :) In other words, there is method to the madness!

Planning and keeping track of all the characters and plot lines in a big series is a big undertaking and very different process from writing a trilogy. The initial document I had was over 50 pages single spaced. Now, it's hundreds of pages. But not long after I decided to write the series, I discovered an amazing writing software program that I was able to adapt to use as a series organizer. For those of you who are writers out there, SCRIVENER has been an amazing tool (right now only for macs, but soon for pcs). I wrote the developers about how I was using it, and they loved the idea so much they did a big interview with me, complete with pictures. If you are interested it's here.

My writing friend and I, Tracy Grant are going to be giving a talk to the Silicon Valley Romance Writer's Group in May on writing series. If any of you are local, you can find out more info here.

Having said all that, I hope to have some news soon as to what's next! My publisher is finalizing the schedule as we speak. Stay tuned . . .

Series are wildly popular right now. Every time I open up the latest issue of Romantic Times, it seems like the "series wrap-up" section is getting longer and longer. Of course, that makes me worry about reader burnout. I enjoy series in romance, as long as there is a happy ending for the main couple. In other words, I don't enjoy single character series as much (in romance at least). My favorites? Loved Julia Quinn's Bridgertons, Suzanne Brockmann's SEALs, Cindy Gerard's Black Ops, Tara Janzen's Steele Street. Right now, it seems like the biggest series right now are Paranormal and "small town" stories like Robyn Carr's.

What about you . . . do you like series? Are you getting series burnout? What are your favorite series right now (other than a certain Highland series, LOL)?

2011-01-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

What kind of reader are you?

With the Oscar nominees being announced this week, I thought it would be interesting to talk about how you "judge" a book.

I'm in the middle of judging my allotted RITA books for the year and, as usual, have been really enjoying myself. For those of you unfamiliar with the RITA, it's the annual contest for published authors sponsored by the RWA. It is generally regarded as the most prestigious romance contest for published authors, i.e. the Oscars for romance books. The judging is by other published authors. You can judge any category as long as it's not one you are entered in. I always choose Regency, Romantic Suspense and Contemporary categories (you have to choose three), and end up with mostly historicals, which is great.

Around this time the loops are always full with RITA related posts--you can't discuss which books you are reading--and something someone made a comment on the loops stuck in my subconscious and popped up when I was reading last night. I can't remember her exact words, but it was basically along the lines of how critically she judged the books. I have a number of writer friends who regularly talk about how hard they are to impress. When they read, it's like they're a high school english teacher with a red pen in hand, LOL.

It reminded me of a review I came across recently. Believe me, I try to avoid Amazon reviews, but sometimes it's inevitable that I see something. Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing one of those wonderful one star reviews. Goes with the territory, I know, but it doesn't stop the sick to the stomach feeling (as usually happens when I see something like that), until I hit the "other reviews" link. I don't remember the exact numbers, but this particular reviewer had about fifteen reviews. Of those THIRTEEN were one star reviews. The "best" review she'd given: a three star. Wow. That's one tough cookie.

By comparison, I think I'm pretty easy to satisfy as a reader. I've been charting the books I've read for the past 5 years or so--strictly for my memory only--assigning a letter grade to each one. I have probably only a handful of D's and F's, a few DNF's, maybe 20-25% C's, and the rest B's and A's. I start out with the expectation that I'm going to enjoy the book (otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up) and usually those expectations are met. My test is one of enjoyment--if I enjoyed it, that's enough--even if there are "problems" I notice as a writer, it doesn't effect my judgment as a reader. For example, I can forgive a silly suspense plot if I LOVE the romance.

So what about you . . . what kind of reader are you? Do you read with a red pen in hand or are you the kind of teacher we all wanted in school: an "easy grader"? :)

2011-01-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Quick update:

I'm talking dream destinations over at Monica Burn's blog today. She and I were Golden Heart finalists together in 2005 (I think that's right). She has a HUGE blog event scheduled for the next month with lots of prizes, so you might want to check it out.

Hope you all had a nice long weekend!

2011-01-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

I love you Karen Robards!

(Or: The Joys of Discovering a Backlist)

Karen Robards is one of the big romantic suspense stars in our industry. I've read a number of her books over the past few years and really enjoyed them. But it wasn't until recently that I learned she used to write historicals. That's when one of those great moments happens as a reader: I discovered her backlist. [Aside: this is where having a kindle is a great boon not only to an author but also to a reader. I downloaded about 10 of her books in a week.]

I think I've mentioned before that I've been reading romance off and on for more years than I want to claim. My earliest romance memories are of books like The Wolf and the Dove & Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss and Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. Catherine Coulter, Judith McNaught, Shirlee Busbey, Jude Deveraux and Johanna Lindsey were also early favorites of mine. I read romance off an on through college and a little less in law school, but I do remember reading Julie Garwood in the early 90s. From the list of author's above, you can see I was there to read most of the classics of our genre.

I'm sure this has had an impact on my writing. I love what has been called "old school" romance, and many readers and reviewers have picked up on this in their comments about my books. One of the things I love about old school romances is the emotional intensity and gut-clenching "black moments" (the disastrous point in the romance--usually about 3/4 of the way through the book when a relationship between the hero and heroine seems impossible).

Good black moments are hard to find in today's romances, in part, IMO, because it's harder to get away with some of the things "old school" romances used to get away with. By this I'm referring to many things, from story lines, to what would today be called asshole heroes, to the really really bad things that used to happen to characters, and to the fact that often the hero's POV wasn't often used, making him--and his thoughts--more of enigma. If the heroine couldn't be sure of the heroes feelings, neither could we.

I haven't gone back and read all my old favorites, but one of the problems I've found with some that I have is that they often don't quite hold up to my memories. I don't have the tolerance I used to for certain plot devices (from big misunderstandings, to "forced seduction", etc.).

So imagine my delight when I discovered an "old school" author who I'd somehow missed the first time around, but who's books have held up extremely well. She has some of the sexiest heroes I've come across in a long time--Alpha with a capital A. I must give credit to my friend and CP Jami Alden (who shares my love of old school) for pointing me in her direction. We sound like excited teenagers when we discuss these books, LOL, but I think the love and enthusiasm part of the magic. I love the romance genre, and when I find books like Karen Robards's, it reminds me of why.

So if you love old school romances, Alpha heroes, or just want a lesson in how an author can do a romance trope extremely well, here are some books I loved:

Forbidden Love: I know it's "wrong"--in this ward/guardian book the heroine is much younger than the hero--but God, I loved this book!

Loving Julia: Pygmallion done right. One of her most popular/well-loved books.

Dark Torment: Loved this one: Irish hero sent to Australia as a convict; heroine is daughter of his owner.

Scandalous: Read a while ago, but spinster sister saves family.

Desire in the Sun: slave hero with plantation owner daughter heroine

To Love a Woman: Not a historical, and sex might be on the edge at times for some, but loved this VERY alpha hero.

So what are the books you read that got you into the genre? Have you had an experience like mine, where you find a new author, and then gorge happily on their backlist?

2011-01-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

A Very Happy New Years!

Looks like my celebrating isn't over. Just found out that THE RANGER hit the NY Times Bestseller list at #24! Double the thanks to all of you for helping to get it on there. I'm doing the happy dance and breaking out the champagne tonight. :) Whoo hoo!!!

Don't forget to come check out my interview with Ing over at her new blog today (Thursday).

UPDATE: I think I'm still in the holiday fog. I forgot to mention that I'll be on Borders True Romance today (Saturday) talking about THE RANGER (and the inspiration for the characters), if you want to stop by and say "hi."

2011-01-04T09:41:00.001-08:00

A Huge Thank You!

I just wanted to thank you guys for all of your support and wonderful comments this past week. I know the time between Christmas and New Years is a busy one for everybody, so I truly appreciate the effort you guys made to pick up THE RANGER. You guys are the best. If you guys haven't checked out Laurie's review, you won't want to miss it here, and Ing is having a Monica McCarty week on her new blog, so check it out for some great giveaways!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Ranger is Here!

Just in time for the New Year, THE RANGER hits the stores today! This is Arthur Campbell's story. Arthur was forced to leave the Highland Guard in book #1 (The Chief) and has been embedded in the English camp for a couple of years but is anxious to return to the fold. On his final mission for Bruce, however, he comes face to face with the one woman who can unmask him. As always I can't wait for you guys to tell me what you think.

Happy New Year to everyone!

2010-12-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

And the winners are . . .

The TWO winners of this week's contest are Lynn Murphy Earl and Helga Marie! Congratulations you guys! Email me your choice of Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders, along with the email address you would like me to send the gift certificate to, and I'll get it off to you ASAP.

Happy Holidays to you all. Thanks so much for stopping by to comment the past few weeks. I know it's a busy time. Only a few more days . . .

2010-12-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Scent of a Man

Welcome to the last week of my giveaways leading up to the release of THE RANGER on December 28th. This week you have two times the chance to win. On Friday, I'll be using random.org to pick TWO winners from this week's comments. Each person will receive one $25 gift certificate from their choice of either Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders. Normal rules apply.

If you haven't seen the hilarious Old Spice commercial above, take a quick peek. It's a good starter for something that has been on my mind this past week. My husband bought some new aftershave lotion that had a pretty strong scent. It wasn't "bad" or anything, but it make me realize how much I don't like scents on men.

It's funny because I (like most romance authors) always write about how amazing my heroes smell (i.e. dark, spicy, wind, sea, forest, pine, sandalwood, myrtle, and the ubiquitous heather to name a few). It's kind of expected. Use the five senses we all hear in craft talks. But in reality I don't think I want to notice anything other than maybe the slight hint of soap. L'eau to Irish Spring, LOL.

I decided to go shopping for a new aftershave for my husband since he seems inclined to throw something on and couldn't find anything that I liked. To me they were all too strong and overpowering. You'll have to wait until after Christmas to hear what I decided to do. (He sometimes reads the blog).

What about you? Do you like scent on men? Do you have a favorite aftershave? Maybe I can be convinced . . .

2010-12-17T17:51:00.001-08:00

And the winner is . . .

The winner of the $25 gift certificate for this week is [drumroll] Madhura! Congratulations!! Email me your choice of Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders, along with the email address you would like me to send it to, and I'll get it off to you ASAP.

Thanks to everyone for commenting this week. Looking ahead to the FINAL week before THE RANGER, here's the hint: two times the fun. :)

2010-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Two Week Countdown!

Two weeks from today THE RANGER hits the stores. To celebrate the release of the third book in my new Highland Guard series, one lucky commenter of this week's blog will receive a $25 gift certificate from your choice of Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Borders.

I will use random.org to pick the winner on Friday. The same rules as normal apply (only one comment per person will count, must reply with a valid email by Sunday Dec. 19th, etc.).

I thought I was in such good shape this week. I did a lot of my shopping early and had some great ideas for the rest. So how did I end up running around all day yesterday to try to get some packages in the mail? Sigh. I also have a birthday coming up on Friday (43, yikes!), so it's a busy week.

Have you done all of your holiday shopping? Anything special you want this year? I'm hoping Santa brings me a new ski jacket (hint, hint, Dave). Or maybe you're taking a fun trip?

2010-12-10T19:53:00.000-08:00

And the winner is . . .

Marla at Stolen Bon Bons!!!! Just send me your snail mail address at the email on my website (here) by Sunday night, and I'll pop the early copy of THE RANGER in the mail to you. Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for the fabulous comments. You'll want to check back next week for another prize (hint: it might help with some of your holiday shopping :)).

2010-12-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Early Copy Alert!

One of the most exciting days in the publication process for me came last week when I opened a manilla envelope to find an early copy of THE RANGER. There's just something about pulling out that first copy and seeing it all bundled up in one beautiful package. I know I say this every time, but I really love this cover. Something about the soft greens and the horseman in the background (abs aren't too bad either, LOL).

Since THE RANGER is coming out right smack in the middle of the holiday break (Tuesday December 28th), I thought it might be fun to do a few special blog contests leading up to the release. So for the next few weeks I'll be posting a new contest at the beginning of the week and then choosing a winner on Friday. The first prize? You guessed it, an early copy of THE RANGER--signed if you want it.

Last night we brought home our Christmas tree, which the kids have pretty much taken over decorating. For my husband's and my first Christmas together, I bought the Reed and Barton annual Christmas bell ornament to mark the occasion. I liked it so much, I bought one the next year and a tradition was born. Some years I delayed a little too long and ended up having to hunt for the darn thing for days, but I've always managed to find one. Last night my daughter pointed out "we have too many bells," and I realized we have TWENTY of them! Wow. Hard to think we've been together that long.

So finding the annual Christmas bell has become one of our family traditions (along with baking Gingerbread Cookies :)). Have you started any new traditions in your family? What was your favorite holiday tradition growing up?

I'll pick a winner on Friday (using random.org) from the comments. Winners will have until Sunday to contact me with their email/snail mail addy. Only one comment will be counted from each person. All other typical rules apply. Can't wait for Arthur to find a good home!

2010-11-29T18:08:00.000-08:00

The McCarty's European Vacation

We're not quite the Griswolds, but sometimes it feels close, LOL. Sorry for the radio silence around here, but I just got back from 10 rainless but cold days in London with the family. We had a great time, managing to fit in day trip's to York, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and Warwick Castle.

I also toured Westminster Palace (better known as the Houses of Parliament) with my daughter. I've been to London 7 or 8 times, but it was the first time I'd managed to secure a ticket! The above photo is a plaque in the old Hall building (one of the two remaining buildings of the old medieval palace) marking where William Wallace stood trial! I had some serious shivers going.

Below are a couple photos of the Hall--it was truly magnificent. The most beautiful medieval hall I've ever seen. As Mel Brooks says, "It's good to be the King!"

As you can see they were getting ready to decorate the Christmas tree.

Every time I go to London my vow to live there some day gets a little stronger. I really regret not living there when I had a chance (i.e. before kids). I had an opportunity to do a semester abroad when I was at college, but I couldn't bear the idea of leaving all my friends. Sigh. Hindsight.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Anyone do any traveling? Have you ever wanted to live in a different country for a while?

2010-11-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

Time Travel

I've always been fascinated with the idea of time travel. I think it probably stems from watching a couple movies when I was young (Somewhere in Time and Time after Time) and then--but of course--reading OUTLANDER in the early 90s. That book not only helped to foster my love of all things Scotland (particularly those strapping lads), but also started me on a quest for great time travel novels. One of my all time favorites is GREEN DARKNESS by Anya Seton. I still have a soft spot for Scottish historical time travels, I suppose they are technically the only "paranormal" books I regularly read. I took a break from romance reading in college and law school, but "rediscovered" my love of the genre thanks to Karen Marie Moning's early Highlander books. I also loved Michael Crichton's Timeline--both the book and the movie (hello Gerry).

I love the fantasy of thinking that I could actually go back in time and experience the history that I love reading about. If I could pick one time period to go back to, I think I would pick medieval Scotland (Braveheart/Robert the Bruce). I'd love to know what it was really like. But I'd only want to go back for a quick peek. I don't think I'd want to stay there too long. Life was pretty brutal, especially for women.

What about you . . . what time and place would you want to go to?

2010-11-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

Sniffing Ski Season in the Air

With Saturday night's "fall back," it really feels like winter around here. Dark at 5 . . . yuck! Fittingly, it rained (poured actually) all day on Sunday and then today we had a nice cold snap. Was it only last Friday that I played golf?

I think I've mentioned before that I love golf. I've played off an on now for about 20 plus years, although with the exception of a few years early in my husband's baseball career (i.e. before children), I haven't really been able to play with enough regularity to get good. I'll have some great holes, and then some not so great ones. :) We've actually started to play quite a bit more the last year or two because our kids finally reached the point where they could play 18 holes decently. Talk about a whole new world opening up, a natural foursome!

With winter coming, golf will take a back seat to my other favorite activity: snow skiing. I've been skiing since I was five, and my kids have been on skis since they were 2. When my husband retired from baseball, he picked up the sport for the first time (which was hilarious (she says with an evil laugh)). Now the whole family can ski together. Unfortunately, we'll probably only get one big trip in this year because my son is going back for his second of three foot surgeries in January.

Golf and skiing are pretty much my main outdoor activities these days. One of the biggest changes for me over the past five years since I've sold is the pretty significant decrease in my physical activity. I had been playing quite a bit of tennis, worked out 3 times a week and walked most of the other days. Sadly, I haven't played tennis in a LONG time, I don't get out to walk, and I'm lucky to work out 2 days a week.

I should find the time to do more, but it doesn't seem to happen. My "goal" is to limit my writing time to school hours so I can be available when the kids get home. Taking time to up my activity level eats into those writing hours, and frankly it just seems to get harder and harder to get my butt out of the chair.

What do you guys like to do to keep active? Any fun sports that you are in to? Or, like me, do you find it hard enough to get all the other stuff done?

2010-10-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Better than Glee!

Sorry, Ing, I couldn't resist. :) This video has gone viral in SF. The cleverness of people on YouTube never ceases to amaze me. For those you wondering what my son's costume for Halloween is all about this video will give you an idea.

My mom found a picture of me as wonder woman so be on the look out for picture soon. :)

UPDATED: as promised here it is! I think I'm about 11, and that's my sister and brother with me. Hilarious, isn't it?

2010-10-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat!

Well I wanted to do this blog with plenty of "show and tell," but my Mom has been out of town and hasn't had a chance to go through the old pictures for me. So you'll just have to use your imagination . . .

With Halloween just around the corner, my kids are putting the final details on all their costumes. My daughter is going to be a Highland Dancer and my son is going to be Brian Wilson from the NLCS Champion Giants. If you guys don't know who he is, he's the guy with the black Bluto beard. :)

Since we're going to a Halloween party on Saturday night, I'm going to have to find something to dress up as, too. A couple years ago I dressed up as a "Scottish Soccer Hooligan." If you've ever seen the old SNL Mike Meyers skit, you know what I'm talking about.

When I was young, there were a few "standby" costumes that aren't so PC anymore. Anyone else remember dressing up as a Gypsy or a Hobo? Don't hear those much anymore, do you?

But I think my top three all time favorite Monica Halloween costumes are: Princess Leia when I was about 11, Wonder Woman when I was year or two older, and a Raiderette as a young teen. NOW don't you wish I had those pictures? LOL.

How about you...what were your favorite Halloween costumes when you were young?

2010-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

So Whatcha Reading?

I finally decided to get with the rest of the world and read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO when I was in Scotland. The traveling slowed me down for a while, but by time I hit around page 150 or so, I zoomed to the end. Really enjoyed it. I had a chance to watch the movie (foreign version) and it was great. Highly recommend, although be warned that there are some difficult parts to watch. If you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about. I'd be interested to hear what you guys thought, if you've read it.

I also just finished reading a book I picked up at conference that I really enjoyed: Margaret Mallory's KNIGHT OF DESIRE. I love a good medieval and this one certainly qualifies. I've heard great things about the rest of the "All the King's Men" series as well and look forward to reading the other two.

I just read the first few pages of Maya Bank's latest, THE DARKEST HOUR, and it's already sucked me in. That's on the agenda for tonight. Might have to go to be early :)

Other than that I've been dabbling in this and that. What about you guys? Anything you've loved lately? Anything you're really looking forward to? (Other than a certain book in December, of course!)

2010-10-13T17:42:00.001-07:00

Not Hero Material

I've been glued to the internet today, as I'm sure many of you have been, watching the amazing drama unfolding in Chile with the rescue of the 33 miners. Seeing that first guy emerge from the pod brought tears to my eyes. I can't imagine what an ordeal these men must have gone through.

But I also fixated on another part of the story--the six (thanks for the correct number B.E.) rescuers who agreed to go DOWN in the tunnel to help prepare the miners for their journey to the surface. My reaction was immediate and visceral--no way would I do that!

It made me think again about what sets heroes like firefighters, police officers, and soldiers apart. They do those things that the rest of us can't imagine doing. I can't think of many things more terrifying than descending thousands of feet into a mine shaft. Have I ever mentioned my biggest primal fear? You guessed it: being buried alive.

I guess that means I'm not hero material, LOL. What about you . . . would you go down in that tube?

2010-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

And except for a bad case of jet lag and the inevitable cold (why do I ALWAYS get sick when I travel?), I had an absolutely fabulous time.

It's hard to explain how exciting it is to see some of the places that I feel like I've come to know in my novels. Walking on the same ground as Bruce and his men did over seven hundred years ago and knowing that it hasn't changed much is pretty powerful and at times very moving. The above picture is a good example of this. That's me and Veronica at the Bruce stone which overlooks the battle site of Glen Trool (which you read about in THE HAWK). It was one of the two rain days that we had, but the weather only seemed to add to the experience--note those fingers of mist on the hill behind us. Pretty evocative. Here's a photo detailing the inscription on the stone.

I'm so fortunate to have found the world's greatest traveling companion. Being able to share these moments with someone who totally gets it makes it even more special. A large part of our itinerary was devoted to the Bruce sites and places that I will be writing about in my novels, but we also visited some extreme coastlines and Aberdeen which focus in Veronica's upcoming YA Vampire series and her Clan MacAlpin Scottish historical series. We joke that she's the Isaac to my Julie MacCoy, because I love all the planning and she just goes with the flow.

When she mentioned that she wanted to see some dramatic coastlines I knew exactly where we had to go: Northern Scotland. Not only did we visit Dunnet Head (the most northerly point of the mainland), but we also visited Cape Wrath--the northwestern tip of the mainland and undoubtedly one of the most remote places you can travel in Britain. We were one of 2,500 people a year who take the ferry ride and then a 30 minute (at time terrifying) minibus drive over some of the most desolate countryside you will ever see to reach the lighthouse and cliffs of Cape Wrath. Surprisingly "wrath" doesn't refer to the fury of the wind and waves that strike the coastline, but is an old Viking word for turning point. The area is used by the British SAS (special forces) to train and is often closed to the public--for good reason as they drop bombs in the area! That's Veronica, our travel guide Fiona, and me on the cliffside.

It's hard to capture the beauty of the place--or the danger--but this picture of some absolutely crazy (aka stupid) young tourist gives you an idea. I seriously thought the girl was going to fall off the cliff. If I'd been her mother I would have wrung her neck.

Anyway, I'll be posting many more pics from the trip over the next couple months on my website and flckr pages so be on the look out! Hope you all had a nice couple of weeks. Once I recover, it will be time for me to hit the keyboard again. Good news: three more Highland Guard novels will be on the way!

2010-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

All My Bags are Packed . . . (cue John Denver)

It's not a great clip, but the song is one of my favorites. And, in this case, quite appropriate!

It will be quiet around here for a couple weeks while I'm in Scotland, but I'll have TONS of great pictures for you when I get back. I'm planning to visit many of the places in the first few Highland Guard books, so you'll be able to see some of the things you've read about. Most of you already know about these, but if you are new don't miss the "picture books" on my website where I try to highlight portions of the novels with pictures.

Slainte!

2010-09-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

And the Winner is . . .

Mari M! Please contact me here with your snail mail addy to claim your prize. If I hear from you by Saturday, it will be ready to go in the mail next week. If not, it will have to wait until I get back. Congratulations!! I know you will enjoy Veronica's book.

2010-09-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Would you take this job?

Talk about a perfect set-up for a gothic novel! How would you like to live in a lighthouse on a tiny island in the San Francisco bay? I heard about the job posting in our local paper. You would be responsible for running the lighthouse and small inn on the island, as well as ferrying guests back and forth to the island. The pay is good: $60-100k a year, but you also need have a commercial boating license. The good news is that there is electricity and internet. Bad news is that water is dependent on rain. Any takers?

I've always loved lighthouses (and gothic novels), but I think even aside from the job responsibilities this would be too much for me. Although it could be romantic, I think the romance would wear off for me in a couple days and stir craziness would set in.

What about you . . . does this sound like paradise or a nightmare?

And speaking of paradise, in honor of my upcoming trip to Scotland with fellow romance author Veronica Wolff-appropriately dubbed Mommy Abandonment Tour #2--I will be giving away a copy of her latest release DEVIL'S HIGHLANDER. It's the first book in her new Clan MacAlpin series (kind of a Party of Five meets the Highlands--with claymores, LOL) that you guys are going to love. I loved the first book and am already looking forward to book #2. As a travel partner, I deserve an early copy don't you guys think?

I'll pick a winner from the commenters on Friday.

2010-09-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

USA Today and NYT!!!! (Think that's enough exclamations?)

Erik hit the bestseller lists today, debuting at #23 on the NYT and #58 on the USA Today. I'm absolutely THRILLED! A huge thank you to everyone who raced out to purchase the book the first week, I truly appreciate all the support. You guys are the best. I'll be toasting you tonight. :)

2010-09-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

The hubster and I spent a relaxing labor day basking in the sun, drinking beer, and eater lobster sandwiches (delicious!) at the ballpark. As you can see, we had some pretty cool seats. They are literally right on the field--you can see how close Chone Figgins was--and come with all you can eat food and non-alcoholic drinks. Funny enough they had nothing to do with being a former player, but came though a business contact of Dave's. Wish we'd had seats like this when Dave played, LOL.

It was actually a busy weekend. Aside from the A's game today, we went to the Highland Games yesterday (always a blast) with fellow Scottish author Veronica Wolff and her family, and Saturday was the first Stanford tailgate--I mean football game--of the season. I was able to try out my new tailgating margarita machine, which, you'll be happy to know, performed beautifully.

True to form we are FINALLY getting some warm weather in NorCal. It's been pretty cold this summer, but it was gorgeous this weekend.

Anyone take in any games this weekend? Hit the beach? Do anything else fun? Labor Day always feels like the end of summer to me. Tomorrow it's back to reality. :)

2010-08-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Erik is in the house!

No, not that Eric (didn't Alexander Skarsgard look yummy at the Emmy's last night, BTW?), but Erik MacSorley, my half-Viking, half-Gael seafarer hero of THE HAWK, the second book in my Highland Guard series, which hits stores today! (I told you August 31st would be here before you knew it. :))

I think I've mentioned before that I grew up watching a lot of old movies since my mom was an old movie buff. If you seen the list of "My Favorites" on my website, you know that Errol Flynn is my favorite old movie star. Well, Erik is somewhat my ode to Errol in his swashbuckling pirate movies (Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk). Hint: If you've seen any of those movies pay particular attention to the end of the first scene in Chapter One of The Hawk.

I'll be anxiously (and I mean anxiously) awaiting your reactions. Book release day is always a mix of excitement and nail biting for me as I wait for the "reviews" to start filtering through. But a HUGE thanks to B.E. for the great early first returns. :)

If you are new to the series or just want a quick refresher on what's happened, I'll be posting a new section on my website today called "All About the Highland Guard" that will catch you up. But BEWARE there are spoilers for THE HAWK in some of the sections.

I hope you are all enjoying the last days of summer. My kids go back to school on Wednesday, and I've been frantically running around trying to figure out how my son is going to navigate the thousands of stairs at middle school with two casts on his feet (corrective foot surgery). Boy, do I feel sympathy for those people who need accessibility full time. It's sad how we don't think about these things until they happen to us, isn't it?

So other than getting ready for school it's been pretty boring around casa McCarty. We've also been catching up on Glee (what a great show!) and watching True Blood, Top Chef, and Pillars of the Earth. We are also really enjoying the new show Rizzoli and Isles based on the Tess Gerritsen books--she's a favorite of mine. I've also been catching up on a little reading lately, including devouring MOCKINGJAY in one day last week. If any of you read it, I'd be intereseted to hear what you think.

Finally, I'm doing a couple of blogs this week. If you have time, come on over and check me out today at RomCon's blog and Friday at the Lovestruck Novice.

2010-08-20T08:45:00.001-07:00

And Erik Goes To . . .

Congrats to B.E.!!! Send me your snail mail address and I'll get him in the mail ASAP. Thanks to everyone for posting. I hope to be able to write all the stories you guys are looking forward to!

2010-08-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hot Off the Presses!

One of my favorite days in the publishing process is opening the package that contains the freshly printed copy of my next book. Last week, it was THE HAWK, which will be in stores on August 31st (thanks to Doreen for pointing out a typo on my webpage about the release day, which will hopefully be corrected by time most of you read this).

I love the cover of this book, but wait until you see the colors. I think it's the best yet, and hopefully those vibrant purples and blues will really pop off those bookshelves.

So I want to share a little of the excitement with one of you. From now until Thursday night tell me which member of the Highland Guard you are most looking forward to reading about. (I won't be writing about all of them, but hope to write most.) A winner will be picked from the comments on Friday. As the last time, you must contact me by the following day (Saturday) or another name will be drawn so make sure to check back!

2010-08-15T10:24:00.001-07:00

Winners!

Congratulations to Diane W. and DiP (Anonymous)! You are the winners selected by random.org! Please email me by Monday with your snail mail addy. Thanks to everyone for voting on the poll. Looks like Rory has pulled away from the pack, after running neck and neck with Tor for most of the week. Guess those first loves die hard, LOL!

2010-08-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

So Which Team Are you On?

This blog was inspired by an email I received from a reader who couldn't decide who was her favorite: Tor or Patrick? I thought I'd do a little poll and see who's the frontrunner. I chose the four guys who have garnered the most private votes from reader email, but feel free to post in the comments if you have a different choice.

Let me know WHO YOU PICKED in the comments and you will be eligible to win a set of books that I brought back from RWA giveaways. I think I have enough for TWO winners to get four books each (sorry, titles will be a mystery until you open the box :). I'll pick the winners on Sunday morning so get those votes in! Winners will have until Monday night to email my their email address or I'll choose another name.

Also: Make sure to check back next week as well, because I may have an early copy of THE HAWK to giveaway on my next blog . . .

UPDATED: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED BUT STILL FEEL FREE TO VOTE IN THE POLL!

2010-08-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

(Christie Hunter, Therese Walsh, Barbara Samuel, Jami Alden, Anne Hearn, Veronica Wolff, moi, Sarah MacLean, Christie Ridgeway, Bella Andre)

Hanging with the gang at RWA 2010 Orlando

Well, I'm back from Disney World and exhausted but invigorated as always. The RWA national conference is a crazy, fun-filled week of publisher parties, dinners with editors and agents, booksignings, workshops and networking (most of which takes place at the bar). This year we had karaoke! My friend Jami and I also managed to hit EPCOT on Wednesday before the big literacy signing. Fun, but hot. 97 degrees and humid is like walking around in a bread oven.

RWA national conference is the one week where it really does feel glamorous to be a writer. This year you'll be happy to know that I managed to talk to Linda Howard without babbling like a fool (I think).

But to me, far and away the best part of conference is the chance to hang out with friends without interruptions (yes, I'm talking to you kids!). I feel so fortunate to have such a great group of friends. The group seems to be getting bigger each year, which even makes it more fun. A few years back, our friend and chapter mate Barbara Freethy introduced us to her long time buddies Christie Ridgeway, Barbara Samuel and Liz Bevarly (who unfortunately wasn't there this year). We have so much fun hanging out with them at RWA, picking their brains and learning from some of the best in the industry. Congratulations to Barbara Samuel who won yet another Rita (I think she has 5 or 6 and has been nominated over TWENTY--OMG--times).

A special call out and thanks to PJ for bringing some of her amazing chocolates that I shamelessly begged for. :)

When I get a chance to catch up I'll be posting an opportunity to win some of the extra books I brought back from conference. Hope you guys had a nice week and are gearing up for THE HAWK. Can't believe it will be four weeks tomorrow!

Many readers commented this year again on the covers. I know I've asked this before, but with three new ones to add to the collection, which one is your favorite?

2010-07-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Who Do You Write Like?

Want to know which famous writer you write like? Plug in a few paragraphs of your writing here and find out.

I read an article about this fun website in my local paper yesterday and had to try it out. Interestingly, I received pretty consistent results when I plugged in my fiction and nonfiction writing. I tried three different sections from my books and they all came back with Dan Brown. When I plugged in three different sections from my Author's Notes they came back with James Joyce. Apparently the site is the brainchild of a Russian software programmer and is based on word choice rather than style. There are only 50 authors to choose from, so the comparisons are limited. When I plugged in a couple paragraphs of Sir Walter Scott it also came back as James Joyce. Supposedly, it's going to get better as the programmer ads more books, etc.

So who do you write like? Any fun "time suck" website you've come across lately?

2010-07-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Treats from RomCon!

(With Melissa Mayhue and Amanda McCabe)

(With my brunette mafia buds: Jami Alden and Veronica Wolff)

This past weekend I flew to Denver to attend the first annual RomCon conference. I had a blast. Intended as a conference for readers, I think the organizers really did a terrific job. It was great to be able to interact in fun workshops with readers (my favorites: building an alpha hero, speed dating a new author, and the "scavenger hunt" with historical authors set up by Courtney Milan). Compared to RT which is similarly devoted to readers, RomCon felt more intimate, allowing for a lot more interactions with readers and authors.

I'm already looking forward to next year! Despite my carry-on only baggage, I did manage to bring back a few "treats," including a signed copy of Julia Quinn's THE DUKE (probably my favorite of her books), an unsigned copy of Julia Quinn's WHAT HAPPENS IN LONDON, a signed copy of Elizabeth Boyle's CONFESSION OF A LITTLE BLACK GOWN, and brought back from RT (I forgot to give away) an unsigned copy of Sarah MacLean's NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE.

One book per person. First person to comment wins the book of their choice. You must specify title, and make sure no one else has requested it before you post OR YOU LOSE YOUR PLACE IN LINE!!! You also must register an email so I have a way of getting a hold of you. Winners will be posted ASAP.

So have you ever attended a readers conference? Is this something that interests you?

2010-06-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Summer, Painting, In-laws, and THE END!

That about summarizes what I've been up to. We finally have some nice weather around here and are getting a chance to enjoy the summer. Our typical "June gloom" in Nor Cal was pretty bad this year. Now that I've typed "THE END" on THE RANGER (yahoo!), I'm hoping to get out on the golf course and to the pool a bit more often. We've been painting the exterior of our house (boy did it need it, but talk about a very unglamorous way to spend money) and getting ready for a visit from my in-laws on Friday. Hopefully they'll get out of Houston before the hurricane hits.

We have a very fun, schmaltzy and old fashioned 4th of July parade where I live so that will be fun on Sunday. Other than that, I'm just gearing up for RomCon at the end of next week.

No big summer plans for us, a trip to Disneyland in August is about it. I'm heading to Scotland again in the fall so saving up for that. What are you guys up to? Anyone I can live vicariously through?

2010-06-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

A new take on the bard

One of my friends (& cps) passed this on. This guy is a riot. My favorite line is about the pleated pants. There are a couple of others (Romeo and Juliet & Hamlet) that are pretty funny, too.

Hope you are all having a good week. I went to the US Open last Sunday and had a blast--got to see Tiger, Phil, et al--but otherwise it's been the computer grindstone for me. :) The end, however, is in sight.

2010-06-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Amazon is too Fast!

I wanted to wait until my next website update in early July for the big reveal of my new cover for THE RANGER, but since it's already up on Amazon, I guess the "surprise" factor is gone. So here it is, what do you guys think?

I'm in love. Sigh. Once again the art department at Ballantine has outdone themselves. I feel like it is getting almost embarrassing how blessed I've been by the "Cover Gods." Not that I'm complaining, believe me!

A quick scroll down the page will probably tell you why I'm even more thrilled with this one than usual. Does this cover model look like Andy Whitfield or what?!?

Hope you all are having a good start to the summer. One more week of school for my kids, which, since I have a July 1st deadline looming, is a good thing.

2010-06-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Robin Hood Burnout?

Hope you guys had a great holiday weekend. Despite having to work for much of it, I managed to squeeze in a little golf and a couple of movies--one of which was the new Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe. Now, I have to admit I'm a Russell Crowe fangirl. I know he's a bit of a hothead and a guy's guy "bloke," but there's something about him (and he looks pretty snazzy in the costume--not quite as good as he did in Gladiator, but close :)).

The movie was MUCH better than I was expecting. The reviews I read were fairly lukewarm, saying it was dark and depressing, which I don't get. Compared to the Errol Flynn version maybe, but it's a really unfair comparison as they are completely different takes on the story. The Crowe version is gritty and has a real accurate feel. Of course, it helps that it's about a hundred years before the time period of my Highland Guard series so I'm totally lapping it up. The story itself was really intriguing, and the love story with Marion was exceptionally well done. I'd heard some negative things about her character being too serious, etc., but overall I thought she was great. I had one quibble with her character at the end (going back to what we talked about a few weeks ago with the attempt to make women into superheroes), but otherwise great.

I get the feeling that it's been a bit of a disappointment at the box office though, and I'm wondering whether people just aren't eager to see another remake? Have any of you seen it? Are you interested/not interested? Do you have a favorite version of the story? I love the old BBC series, but my sentimental favorite is the Errol Flynn/Olivia DeHaviland version. I just love him.

2010-05-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Random Question Alert

Although I'm loathe to say goodbye to the picture of Andy, I have a random question for you guys. It's another travel related one. My husband told me that I'm the odd duck who doesn't unpack when I travel. I just use my suitcase. He insisted that most people use the chest of drawers, etc.

I think I have a deep rooted fear of leaving something behind, probably the result of the time we were camping when I was a kid and we left our bathing suits. One of those stories my mom told us hundreds of times (probably to remind us not to forget something). See how it all comes back to Mom? LOL.

So do you guys unpack in hotel rooms? In vacation homes? When visiting friends?

2010-05-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hero or Heroine?

Do you read for the hero or for the heroine? No question, for me, it's all about the hero. Give me an awesome hero and I can forgive almost anything else. (This goes for TV shows, too, which gave me an excuse to put up another picture of Spartacus's Andy Whitfield--I'm stretching, I know).

For me the perfect book is a yummy hero that I fall in love with and a heroine who I can identify enough with that I can "see" myself in her place. In other words, I want to be able to step into her shoes for the duration of the book. I think that's one of the reason "kick-ass" heroines don't work for me--I can't really see myself like that.

Last night I stayed up until about 2 to finish Rachel Gibson's latest, NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. Loved it. Mark was one of my favorite heroes of the year. Right up there with my all time favorites: Nick Ward (Shannon McKenna's EXTREME DANGER), Cal Bonner (SEP's NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE), Bobby Tom Denton (SEP's HEAVEN, TEXAS), Brodick Buchanan (Julie Garwood's RANSOM), Alec Kincaid (Julie Garwood's THE BRIDE), and John Medina (Linda Howard, ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN).

So what about you...are you a hero or heroine gal? (or Both?)

2010-05-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Quick Update...

Just in case you haven't checked www.monicamccarty.com in a while, you might want to pop on over and check it out. I might have a little "sneak peek" surprise for those of you waiting for THE HAWK. :)

Today is one of my favorite holidays. Happy Cinco De Mayo! I guess I like to stay true to my heritage since my other favorite holiday is St. Patrick's Day. (My mom is Mexican and my dad is Irish . . . go figure, LOL). Tonight it's margs and carnitas at the McCarty dinner table.

I think I mentioned that I received a slow cooker for Christmas this year, which has become my new best friend. One of the reasons is the amazingly easy and delicious carnitas recipe. It has become a family favorite. I can even threaten my kids with it, "No carnitas for you tonight if you don't . . . "

The full recipe is here, but basically it's a couple of pounds of cut up boneless country style pork ribs, oregano, onion and salt and pepper. That's it.

What's your favorite meal to do in the slow cooker? Any recipes to share?

2010-04-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

Columbus, Ohio, Here I Come!

I'm off to the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention tomorrow morning to pick up my award (Highland Warrior won for Best Scottish Historical--it was supposed to be a secret but since the magazine is in the stores I figure it's okay) and to attend the massive bookfair on Saturday. I can't wait! It will be my first time to RT, and I'm really looking forward to it. Heard it's absolutely wild and crazy. Hopefully I'll have some good (and publishable, LOL) pictures to share when I get back.

If any of you are attending, please make sure to stop by on Saturday and say "hi."

I think it must be Murphy's Law that right before you are traveling you get hit with a massive (blank)storm of things that have to get done before you go. I've been running around like a proverbial chicken with its head cut off all day. So much for work. I had all these grand plans of picking out exactly what I was going to where, but now I'll basically be tossing stuff in a suitcase late tonight and hoping it looks good. Sigh.

Does traveling stress you out? Do you look forward to getting on the plane so you can relax? Any trips you're taking soon?

UPDATE:

Sorry for the blurry picture, but the iphone doesn't do great in low light situations. That's what happens when you forget your camera! The ceremony was really nice and made even more special by the presence of Barbara Taylor Bradford! She was accepting a special lifetime/achievement award.

2010-04-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

I love this!

A good buddy of mine, Karin Tabke, just posted this great blog over at Murder She Writes about some of the common misconceptions about writing and publishing.

I've received many emails along these same lines--especially regarding covers (running the full gamut from complaints about the hair color not lining up to asking me to do away with the torso covers). I'd also add that I don't get to pick the models, I don't get to meet the models and I don't get to go to the cover shoot. Bummer, I know.

Karin does a great job of pointing out some of the common misconceptions. Make sure to read the comments as well, there are some great points about choosing titles (author's have little control) and prices of books (author's have NO control). I've noticed the new trend on Amazon reviews to give authors one star reviews for kindle prices. I feel really bad for those authors. Many people don't take the time to read the reviews and just look at the overall stars.

I also appreciated the point about errors/typos. They happen. By time the manuscript is published I've read it literally dozens of times. My editor has read it. The copy editor has read it. Then two proofreaders have read it. Yet, they still sometimes slip by. As Allison points out, sometimes people have identified it and it just gets missed in production, and sometimes no one catches it. I don't see it after the proofreaders read it and sometimes they change things on their own. I've had one or two surprises (one of the reasons I don't like to read my books after they are published). For example, in The Chief dedication I had "Go Cardinal," referring to the Stanford Cardinal (the COLOR not the bird), it is not plural. The proofreader put an "s" on it. No big deal, but a BIG no-no to Stanford fans. I've already had one or two smart-a#$ comments. Sigh.

Did you guys know all this or learn something new?

2010-04-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Taxman Cometh . . .

The taxman taketh away. April 15th. My least favorite day is almost here. Anyone else depressed by the check they had to write? Is it just me or does it seem like a bigger percentage of our income is "taketh" every year? Sigh. From what I hear, I guess it's only going to get worse. And I know, living in CA doesn't help. Might be time to move to Texas . . . (no state income tax).

I took tax law many, many years ago (and my father was a corporate tax attorney), but our taxes got too complicated when my husband started playing baseball. We used to have to file 13 to 15 tax returns every year. A little known fact: you are supposed to pay taxes in a state when you work there--even if it's only for a day or two. Most people don't, but athletes and entertainers are easy targets. Even though he's been out of baseball for almost five years (hard to believe), we still have a preparer. I can't imagine trying to figure this stuff out myself (and I graduated from law school, LOL). I get a headache just going over them.

Okay, done with the grumbling. But I do have an urge to go toss some tea overboard somewhere.

Hope you guys all have your taxes ready to go and instead of writing a check are getting a nice big refund. I'll try to live vicariously. Anyone waiting until the last minute?

2010-04-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Spring Break!

The picture above is an ode to days gone by. In college (USC), we used to go to Mazatlan for Spring Break. Hard to believe it was over 20 years ago. Okay, now I really feel old. [As an aside: I remember going through Calexico and Mexicali on the train and have been watching the news of the earthquake closely. So glad to hear that the damage doesn't seem to be as bad as it could have been...scary.]

Alas, there is no rest for the weary at Casa McCarty. All spring break means nowadays is the kids are home for the week. Hope you guys are having more fun than I am, LOL. We'd hoped to go skiing, but looks like we'll be lucky to make it up for a day trip. How does life get so busy? (Answer: book deadlines!).

I am looking forward to my first book signing for THE CHIEF tonight at the Los Gatos Borders. It's the regular meeting for a local romance group and it's a great group of ladies. It's always really interesting to get a glimpse of what people are reading and enjoying. Borders has a number of romance reader groups like this one around the country who report back to Sue Grimshaw (Borders Romance Buyer) directly.

I've belonged to a couple of book groups over the years, but I always ended up getting annoyed by the selections--most of which I thought were a little along the "let's show how smart we are by reading a book that is supposed to be good for us." Slog-fest ensues.

But interestingly enough, I've been invited to talk to a number of neighborhood book groups. Though romances aren't usually the standard fare--most read Oprah type books--it's always ended up being a great experience. I think people love reading something different and are surprised that they aren't the "trash" that they've always assumed.

How about you . . . are you in a book club? Ever been in one? Good experience or bad?

2010-03-31T16:06:00.000-07:00

THE NEW YORK TIMES!!!! (DOUBLE THANK YOU!)

I'm breaking out the bubbly over here. I just heard from my publisher and agents that THE CHIEF hit #24 on the New York Times list for the week of April 11th (it's done a few weeks out). I'm absolutely thrilled. Thanks to all of you who bought the book the first week and helped make it happen. What an exciting way to start the new series!

2010-03-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Thank You!

For all of the wonderful comments and emails I have received the past week! I'm thrilled that so many of you seem to be enjoying THE CHIEF. It's been a crazy week, but I just wanted to remind you guys to put in your guesses for Andy Whitfield (so far we know it's not Tor, MacSorley, Campbell or MacGregor). I thought this one would be easy, LOL. Think intense eyes and a little scary...

Ing asked me a question recently about whether I would be putting up info on the team on my website. Eventually, I will have a "cheat sheet" of the guys and their specialties, but on my last website update I added a "Who's Who" in THE CHIEF page to my Special Features Section that you guys might find helpful.

I've also been asked quite a bit about who will be getting books. Since the answer to that question involves spoilers (and depends on how the books do!), I can't really answer. However, I will say that not all the guys will have books--there are a few twists and turns along the way!

2010-03-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's here!

I'm thrilled to (finally) be able to say that the first book in my new Highland Guard series, THE CHIEF, is in the stores. I first had the idea for this series about 8 years ago, so it feels like I've been waiting a long time to see it on the shelves.

I hope you get a chance to pick up a copy--and, as always, let me know where you are seeing it. I love those grocery store/airport sightings. :)

Don't forget to chime in on who Andy Whitfield might serve as inspiration for. Here's a hint: he has a decent size "part" in The Chief, but he's not Tor.

UPDATE: Laurie who is a familiar face around here did an interview of me for her blog today. If you get a chance, pop on over and say "hi."

And here's a picture of that cute custom Sigg water bottle for the first person to figure out who was inspired by Andy Whitfield (it says "Are you reading the Highland Guard?"):

2010-03-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!

It's one of my favorite holidays of the year! May the luck of the Irish be with you today! We'll be celebrating tonight at a local pub where my daughter will be performing with her Irish Dancing troop. Hope you all have some fun plans.

I'm blogging over at Border's True Romance today, so pop on over and say "hi." Oh yea, there's giveaways, too. :)

Until then, here's my favorite Irish toast to help you celebrate tonight:

May your glass be ever full.

May the roof over your head be always strong.

And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

2010-03-14T11:53:00.001-07:00

My Latest (Slightly Unhealthy) Obsession

Move over Gerry, there's a new sheriff in town and his name is Andy Whitfield (insert sigh here). The yummy Welsh born actor plays the lead role in Starz's new series: Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Even beyond the obvious beefcake eye-candy factor, it's a fantastic show. Both my husband and my current favorite on TV as a matter of fact, well above #2 Lost.

Here's a preview of the series:

Basically, if you liked the movie 300 or Gladiator this one is for you. I was able to get Starz for free for 12 weeks from my satellite service, so check your area, it's well worth it. I think you can watch the first couple of episodes online. If you don't love the first episode stick with it--the series really starts to pick up after that.

I know, I know, there is something pathetic about a 42 year old happily married mother of two acting like a teenager. My only excuse is I'm always looking for inspiration for my heroes. And you won't be surprised to know that Mr. Whitfield is definitely doing that.

With THE CHIEF coming out next tuesday (can you believe it!), I thought I'd let you guys see if you can guess what member of the Highland Guard is going to look an awful lot like a certain Welsh actor, LOL. The funny thing is my critique partner Jami Alden who also watches the show thought exactly the same thing. Here's a hint: it's not Tor MacLeod.

The first person who figures it out and posts it in the comment section will win a very cool, eco-friendly, custom "Highland Guard" Sigg water bottle. It's super cute--if I get a chance I'll post a picture.

Until then, who's your star crush?

2010-03-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Monica & Julia

Since watching the movie Julie & Julia, I've been wanting to try my hand at Boeuf Bourguignon, using Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Although I've owned the cookbooks forever (I'm a huge Julia fan). I've never really followed a recipe--mostly using it as a guide. Her "Way to Cook" is my definitive basic cookbook. So with a long night of OSCAR watching ahead of me (see below), I thought it was a good time to try it.

What a project! The recipe itself isn't that difficult, but the side dishes (pearl onions, mushrooms, peas and noodles) didn't let me sit down for nearly the entire 4 hours. But it really was worth it. It turned out fantastic and more importantly delicious. My ten year old and thirteen year old must have said "this is so good" twenty times each. They're already talking about next time. I hate to break it to them, but this is NOT a regular meal, LOL. Next time I do make it though, I'm going to do potatoes instead of the noodles. The sauce was incredible and the noodles didn't sop it up as well as the potatoes would.

I used to be quite a cook, but after kids I just didn't have the time. My biggest experiment before this was to make my own sourdough using Nancy Silverton's La Brea Bakery cookbook. You basically grown your own starter from grapes. I kept it up for about two years, making everything from weekly sourdough bread to my own bagels and sourdough waffles, pancakes, etc. You can freeze the starter for a while, but I can't tell you how many bags of flour I went through in those two years!

Those were the days. I barely have time to get pasta on the table nowadays, LOL.

So what did you think of the OSCARs last night? Sandra Bullock looked amazing. Her dress is probably one of my all time favorites. Gorgeous.

I was fine with Hurt Locker winning, although hubby and I didn't *love* it was much as the critiques. Here's my take on the best picture nominees:

Hurt Locker: Very good, but IMO didn't quite live up to the hype. I've seen much better war movies.

Avatar: Haven't seen it. Sam Worthington is a hottie, not sure I want to see him all in blue. :)

Inglorious Basterds: Coming from Netflix as we speak

Up: The single best love story I've ever seen in 20 minutes. Seriously, beautiful. Highly recommend.

The Blind Side: Absolutely loved this movie. Heartwarming. Inspiring. Funny. I would have loved to see it win. :)

District Nine: Good, but another one of those that didn't quite live up to the hype for me. I can see why it was nominated though.

An Education: Didn't see. Not sure I will.

Precious: Ditto. Subject matter is way too depressing.

A Serious Man: Didn't see.

Up in the Air: Haven't seen, but definitely want to.

I think I got them all.

So lots of questions today: Cooking or OSCARs take your pick. Are you much of a cook? What's the most intimidating cooking project you've ever taken on? Did you watch the OSCARs? Favorite gown? Did your movie choice win?

2010-02-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

New Cover Alert!

I was going to hold off on the grand unveiling until THE CHIEF hit stores, but since the cover is already up on Amazon, I figured I better not wait!

So . . . ta-da! Here it is, the cover for book #2 of the Highland Guard series, THE HAWK. The hero is Erik MacSorley, the best seafarer and swimmer in the Highlands (basically, he's my Navy SEAL). I'll be posting a blurb on my website soon.

I'm thrilled with how it turned out. Strapping lad in plaid, sword, cool lion rampant emblem, ship in the background . . . perfect!

But I do want to know how they keep coming up with different poses! LOL.

What do you think?

2010-02-16T15:48:00.001-08:00

Olympic Fever

Are you guys as caught up as I am in the Olympics? I *love* the winter olympics--especially the skiing and skating. My favorite events are the moguls and ice-dancing, but really just about any skiing or skating event will have me glued to the TV. I was thrilled to see Bode get the bronze yesterday, and very exciting to see the women's moguls have two American finalists. I even turn into a snowboarding fan around the Olympics, LOL.

My one complaint: the delayed and extremely LATE coverage of the main events. I really don't get it. Why can't NBC start at 6 or 7 and end by 11. Last night the skating didn't end until midnight!

What about you...are you watching the Olympics? What are your favorite events? Are you a summer or winter fan?

2010-02-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Too Much Reality

Last night my husband and I were watching one of our guilty pleasure shows, the Millionaire Matchmaker. Patti just cracks me up. But I have to say last night's episode really bothered me.

Here's the summary, but you can get the gist from the video. Patti (the Matchmaker) brought a woman millionaire back from last season to try again. Shauna is a 42 year old (same age as me, BTW) millionaire business woman (I think she owns hair salons) who likes to date younger men. Cougar is a frequently used term on the show. I usually don't like the term, but Shauna fits. Patti tried to get her to date older guys last season, but Shauna of the too-much-botox wouldn't do it. She was back this season to allegedly give it a try after dating a younger guy who wanted her to pay for everything (shocking!). Personally, I don't get the younger guy thing. A couple of years on either side works for me--although I'd make an exception for Alexander Skaarsgard.

So in last night's episode Patti gives Shauna some older (and younger) guys to choose from. Shauna eventually picks a fifty plus year old guy who was INCREDIBLY good looking. Very rugged masculine type with chiseled face. My husband and I both thought he was way too good for the unappealing Shauna. The guy arrives at the hotel to pick her up for her date, after sending her a gorgeous dress (that she made fun of), and arriving in a limo to take her to Spago. What does Shauna do? She takes one look at him and goes running back into the hotel, screaming like a madwoman that she won't date someone who looks like her grandfather.

I was appalled. This is where reality TV really bothers me. I didn't need to see that. It was beyond cruel to the guy and utterly unwarranted. We were forced to watch the poor guy eat alone at Spago while he wondered what the heck had happened. It was VERY uncomfortable. Shauna would have been lucky to go out with this guy, I hope he finds someone wonderful soon. I guess I think the show went a little too far. Kind of like when the TV crews stick the camera in the face of some guy who just lost a big game and is really emotional. I don't need to see it.

If you can't watch the video the show shots are here.

I don't watch nearly as much reality TV as I used to, and I think this is why. Now that the newness of reality shows has worn off, the producers are looking for ways to push the envelope and don't seem to know where to draw the line.

So what about you. Do you still watch reality TV? Have you had an experience like mine where you get a little disgusted with the show for going too far?

2010-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

Naughty Words

I was reading a book by a popular historical romance novelist recently and was struck by the abundant (or for me overabundant) use of "naughty" words. The "c" word for male genitalia and the "f" work in particular. It got me thinking whether in our effort to "write sexy," we romance novelists are over-relying on naughty words and what readers think about them. I realized that for me at some point the balance tips from "sexy" to definitely "not sexy."

I'll state up front that I use these both of these words in my novels. The "f" word very infrequently (maybe a couple times in six novels), the other fairly often. To me the "c" word is the best of not a lot of great choices, and when used appropriately, the sexiest of the bunch. When I started writing in 2001-2002, the "c" word wasn't used nearly as much. When I sold in late 2004 I remember asking my then editor whether it was okay for Random House (the copy editor at the time kept trying to change it). Now I think it's entered the romance vernacular, and I'm wondering whether I really need to cut back on it. "C" this and "c" that really started to bother me in the book I mentioned. But the problem is what else to use.

I'll admit to an immature, middle-school-age-kid squeamishness for the word "penis." Don't like it, never will. Not sure why, maybe it sounds too clinical? Other clinical words I don't like: clitoris, vagina, scrotum, etc. Non-clinical "naughty" words that give me the ick factor: juice, "c" word for women, quim, and the "p" word for women. When I read these words in a romance novel, they COMPLETELY stop me and take me out of the sexy moment. Some more than others. IMO the word juice and dripping should never be used in the same sentence, LOL.

On the other side are the euphemisms. Euphemisms for male genitalia in particular are often the source of many of the jokes made at romance writer's expense. When someone uses something like "man root" or "magic love stick," it's not hard to see why. :) Some authors abhor all euphemisms for genitalia. Catherine Coulter has a really good workshop on this that I've seen a couple times. For the most part I agree with her, but there are a few I don't mind in historicals (i.e. "staff" is fine).

I love when I come across an author who can write really sexy, intense love scenes (and create great sexual tension) without the graphic descriptive words. Linda Howard and Tara Janzen comes to mind, but I'll try to think of some others. Victoria Dahl and Shannon McKenna are a couple of authors that do use more graphic language, but IMO do so to maximum effect, writing some of the hottest, sexiest love scenes out there.

So I thought I'd see what you guys think. Do naughty or graphic words in love scenes bother you? Do you think romances are overusing some of these words? What hits the "ick" button for you?

2010-01-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

I know California needs the water (we've been in a drought for three years), but after four big storms with more to go, I've had enough! No singing in the rain for me.

I think I've definitely hit the winter doldrums (and I'm sure I'm getting absolutely NO sympathy from those of you in Seattle or the midwest). Admittedly, it's nothing like the below freezing winters we spent in Minnesota, but the dark mornings really seem to mess up my internal clock, and the past few days I've been really dragging.

I'm taking a mini-vaca this weekend to Disneyland for my son's birthday, but I think it's supposed to rain a little down there, too. Sigh. Hawaii is calling my name . . .

How do you guys beat the winter blues?