Slump Buster

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately.  Every now and then I realize I'm not enjoying books that I know I should be.  Not sure why it happens.  Reading fatigue?  Working too hard?  Sameness?  Probably a combination, but it is really frustrating.  

So to use a baseball saying, I now have a "slump buster":  Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  Excuse me while I gush and have a fangirl moment, but is there anyone more talented in romance today?  The woman is absolutely brilliant at characterization and writes some of the best dialogue around (Julia Quinn is my other favorite for dialogue).  I decided to re-read HEAVEN, TEXAS last night and I loved it just as much the second time around.  I pretty much read it in one sitting, staying up until 2 am to finish.  It's amazing how she can take what should be an unlikeable character and make him appealing.  Bobby Tom Denton is arrogant, selfish, vain, and utterly yummy.   On tonight's reading menu:  NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE (another re-read).

The funny thing is that I'm more of a historical reader, but SEP has definitely broadened my spectrum to contemporaries.  (Another really fun contemporary author is Christy Ridgeway--highly recommend).   Julie Garwood is another good Slump Buster for me.  

So do you have any authors that you know you can always go to for a good read?  

Reader E-Mail:  Lilly I'm not ignoring you!

I hate when this happens, but every now and then I'll get a lovely email from a reader and when I try to reply it bounces.  Usually it's with AOL.  I tried to send from two different email accounts, but no dice.  

I try to answer all my emails, so if you don't hear from me after a couple of weeks try again and make sure you have the correct email in the "from" box.  Also, make sure there isn't anything too generic in the "re" category.   Things like "thanks" or "for monica" or "n/a" often get caught by the spam filter.  Mentioning the title of the book or series is always good. 

So if Lilly is out there, thank you for your note!  You asked a great question and I thought I'd post the response here in case others are puzzled.  In the Author's note for OUTLAW I mentioned that I would have a link to MacGregor's testament.  Lilly looked for it and couldn't find it.  For good reason.  It hasn't been posted yet.  So sorry!  Because I have so much info in my SPECIAL FEATURES section it is necessary for me to stream it out (to give me time to put it together).  Up next (posted Monday) is the extended author's note for WARRIOR.  OUTLAW's will be posted in July (hopefully).  Until then, here is the link.  You have to scroll down to the appendix at the end.  

Dark Knights Anyone?

Hope you guys have a great Memorial Day. I'm getting close to crunch time with my book, so it was work most of the weekend for me.  On Wednesday I'll be blogging with a Golden Heart finalist buddy of mine TJ Bennett.  Her books, THE PROMISE and THE LEGACY, have earned great reviews on AAR.  I'll be talking about Dark Knights (and Patrick MacGregor), so pop on over if you get a chance.

Any fun plans for summer?

Precocious Little Readers?

I'm blogging over at Mamawriters today about my daughter and her precocious reading tendencies.  Pop on over and let me know what you think is an appropriate age to start reading romance and how I'm going to keep her away from my books until then!

The Clinch Cover

I was reading a book on the romance genre recently, and there was a funny section on clinch covers.  You know, those covers everyone loves to hate, depicting a man and woman caught up a steamy embrace.  (Sorry, couldn't resist one of Joanna Lindsey's old covers--she has some amazing ones).

As a long time reader of romance, my feelings towards clinch covers have evolved.  When I was younger, I used to be embarrassed by them--probably because if someone saw me reading one it made me feel a little naughty, LOL.  Now that I'm an author, I'm more in the "acceptance for those things we cannot change" camp.  I think maybe more than any other type of cover they immediately signal to the reader what she's going to get (usually a sexy historical romance).  And more importantly, they sell!

So how do you feel about clinch covers?  Do you hate them and wish they'd disappear?  Do you love them?  Or are you kind of ambivalent?  

Just a Quick Note . . . 

I'm blogging over at Jennifer's Random Musings today.  Stop by and say "hi" when you are surfing around today.  Have a great weekend!

Hot off the Presses!

My friend, CP, and fellow RT cover girl Bella Andre's new HOT SHOTS series kicked off today with the release of WILD HEAT.  If you like sexy firefighters, lots of emotional intensity, and a touch of suspense you are going to love this book.  If you're at the bookstore I hope you'll give it a look.  

So what are you guys reading right now? I'm in a bit of a rut myself--nothing's grabbing me right now (wish I had Bella's book to read :)).  

  

Spring Break--Not So Much

In the old days, I used to do things like go to Mazatlan for Spring Break.  But funny thing happens when you have school age kids.  All of the sudden those "holidays" I used to look forward to so much become a hassle.  These are the days that I wish I had an office to go to.  It's not that I don't love my kids, but negotiating squabbles all day long while trying to write a love scene can prove something of a challenge.  My son is now in middle school and has unfortunately outgrown the school child care so I'm stuck with trying to figure out things to keep them busy AND still try to get some work done.  Easier said than done.  Sigh.  Only six more days to go and back to school!

On a completely different subject, I thought you guys would enjoy a funny little exchange I had with my husband recently.  We were following the story of the American captain being held by the Somali pirates and I said, "Why don't they just send him some SEAL snipers and get rid of these guys."  My husband gave me a skeptical look and said, it would be too difficult (or something to that effect).  How vindicated was I when a few days later they did exactly that.  Everyone was quite amused when I mentioned, "See what you can learn from reading romance!"  LOL.  But wasn't that an amazing story?  

Have a great week...If I'm a little quite you'll know why.  (My kids have probably strung me up like a pinata).

  

Just a Quick Note...

Today I'm blogging over at magical musings today (Thursday).  It's a post about first loves that I had the idea for after a recent post I did here.  If you have time, stop by and check it out.

More Bubbly!

I've come down from the chandelier long enough to share my good news (but then it's right back up for more swinging!).  My editor called yesterday afternoon to let me know that HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL debuted on the New York Times extended list at #23!  It also hit the USA Today (#92) so I had the double whammy.  I'm absolutely thrilled.  Thanks to all of you who rushed out and bought the book--I truly appreciate your support.

My hubby took us out to celebrate last night, but I think we'll be doing something fun this weekend, too.  What about you guys...any fun weekend plans?  My kids aren't on Spring Break until the week after Easter, but it feels like we must be the only ones.  

All Six Strapping Lads on Display at Barnes and Noble

Thanks to Allison Brennan and Toni Causey for the very cool picture. :)  It still feels very surreal to me to have six books out in less than two years.  Talk about going from zero to 60 in under a minute, LOL.  

Seeing all the books like that got me a little reflective about my own writing--not that I can ever really "see" it objectively.  If there's one thing I've really learned since becoming published--I can never guess what readers are going to respond to!  

But I do think certain "themes" have emerged.  Clearly I love tall, good-looking, muscle-bound alpha heroes, mostly because (1) that's what I like to read--hey, it's part of the fantasy (for me at least) (2) the setting really demands it--you had to be pretty darn tough to survive in these times.  They all have honorable cores, although the "line in the sand" might be a little different for each of them.  (My CPs Jami Alden and Bella Andre and I will be doing a workshop at RWA this year on Alpha Heroes, BTW, if you're planning on going.)  If they happen to resemble Clive Owen in King Arthur, Eric Bana in Troy, Gerard Butler in 300 (minus the beard) and Viggo in Lord of the Rings, it's a coincidence.

My heroines, I hope, are also products of their time.  They have what I like to call "quiet strength" (they have to be able to tame these formidable warriors after all) and are smart, though they might start out a little sheltered and naive.  I tend not to do the "super-hero, kick-butt heroines"--because I can't see myself like that, but never say never, right?

Not surprisingly, I LOVE the Romeo and Juliet "Star-Cross'd Lovers" theme--but since I write Scottish that's probably a truism, LOL.  Feuding clans...need I say more?  Actually, I think in one of my author's notes that R&J was a bit of Tudor propaganda. Queen Elizabeth was very aware of the Scottish feuding clan/border situation and Shakespeare's play--thought to be written in the 1590s--certainly picks up on the dangers. 

A couple other favorite themes:  revenge and justice.  

HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL is the first "reunion" story I've done, which is surprising since that is one of my favorites to read.  Reunion stories have all kind of built in tension that I love--you have these two people who loved each other, but are separated and then thrust back together.  In Highland Scoundrel, Jeannie and Duncan fall in love when they are very young and are torn apart by war and betrayal.  When they come back together, they are older and "wiser," but all those raw feelings bubble to the surface and bring back all those hot emotions.  

Reunion stories tap into one of the reasons I like to read romance in the first place--what my friend Jami and I call the "high school emotions," where everything is raw, emotional, very dramatic and very important.  When I read a romance, I want to remember how it felt to be in love when I didn't have two kids, dishes, laundry and bills to worry about.  I want to feel that no matter how calm, cool and collected they might be on the outside when it comes to this other person they lose it.  

Most reunions stories (Highland Scoundrel included) also tap into the first love fantasy.  To me there's just something about the idea of a first love so strong that it can weather all kind of storms.  It also taps into the fantasy of "what if?"  What if you could go back to your first love...would it still be the same?  It's the same thing that makes people google old boyfriends, LOL.

So enough self-analysis.  I've told you mine, what are some of your favorite themes or story-types in romance?  Do you have a secret love for a good boss/secretary?  Secret baby?    

Number 3 is in the Stores!

I hope I'm not exhausting you guys with all these trips to the store the past couple of months, LOL.  Today's release of HIGHLAND SCOUNDREL will be the last one for a while--promise.  Hope you guys enjoy Duncan and Jeannie's story!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Okay, today is actually "The Ides of March," but I'm getting into the spirit a little early.  St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I'm part Irish which probably explains some of it (I'm also part Mexican and not surprisingly one of my other favorites is Cinco De Mayo), but I guess I'm a sucker for low pressure holidays that center around bars, LOL.

My nine year old daughter has been involved in Irish Dancing for a couple of years, making it an even bigger day in our family because of her shows--there seems to always be a call for Irish Dancers around St. Patrick's day.  I just love it and watch her enviously.  I danced ballet for over ten years, and was pretty bummed when at five she told me flatly that ballet was "boring" and she didn't want to do it, but I got over it quickly.  Compared to Irish Dancing can't say I blame her. :)

I poked around on you tube for a while to find a really fun Michael Flatley clip that includes a little bit of everything: soft shoe, a Michael solo, a duo and the whole troop at the end (isn't their timing is AMAZING).  Hope you enjoy it. :)  

So do you celebrate St. Patrick's day?  Did you dance when you were younger?  

P.S. HIGHLAND WARRIOR is up for the book of the month on a fun romance blog called Jennifer's Random Musings.  You can vote for it in the poll on the right column.  

 

Man vs. Wild Highlander Style

I could have also titled this blog: Inspiration strikes in the strangest places.   A few years ago when we were up in Tahoe snowed in, I discovered a new show on the Discovery Channel called, "Man vs. Wild."  Since then it has turned into something of a cult hit, but we were definitely early followers. :)  

If you haven't seen it, it's a reality show featuring Bear Grylls, a former British SAS (special forces) guy, who gets dropped off in the "wild" and has to find his way out, giving plenty of survival tricks along the way.  He also eats some pretty disgusting things--bugs, snakes, spiders, you name it.  One of the more memorable: squeezing water from Elephant dung.  Yuck.  It's a great show, our whole family loves it.  

But what does it have to do with Highlanders?  Well, it was in an episode where Bear goes to the Cairngorm Mountains in the Highlands (link to part of the episode here--squeamish alert!) that inspiration for HIGHLAND OUTLAW struck.  Bear mentioned how tough the Highlanders must have been, living in brutal conditions, etc. and it seemed to me that he HAD to be talking about the MacGregors.  

I hope you've had a chance to read HO, but if you haven't--without giving too much away--that toughness really became the core of the hero Patrick MacGregor.  There's also a section in the story where he has to put all his survival skills to work.

Are you a Discovery Channel or Man Vs. Wild fan?  Any good "cult" shows you recommend?  (I'm also a HUGE fan of the "new" but soon-to-be-over Battlestar Gallactica). 

HIGHLAND OUTLAW IS A BESTSELLER!

A huge thank you to everyone who bought the book last week and helped to propel HIGHLAND OUTLAW onto the USA Today Bestseller list this week.  I've been cracking open the champagne, and I thought I'd share it with you . . . so a big cyber-toast from me!  I truly appreciate all of your support.  

Can it be . . .

Release Day again?  

Yep, that "long" wait of a month is over and HIGHLAND OUTLAW, book #2 in the Campbell trilogy, is now in the stores.  

I know many of you have been eager for Lizzie's story, and this is it.  If you haven't had a chance to pick up HIGHLAND WARRIOR you can kill two birds with one trip and go for the "doubleshot" weekend, LOL. (Although each book does stand alone).

I think this is my favorite cover of the three.  I really wanted something with a bow and arrow and I LOVE what Ballantine came up with.  The Robin Hood allusion actually plays a part in the book, although if you've read HIGHLAND WARRIOR you'll know that it only goes so far.

So what is your favorite of my six covers (both the MacLeod and Campbell trilogies)?

Just a quick note...

I'm blogging over at Everybody Needs a Little Romance today and if you haven't had a chance to pick up a copy of HIGHLAND WARRIOR you'll want to make sure to stop by.  Keri is giving away TWO copies to commenters today.  

Household Projects

I'm just starting a new book and what that means in the McCarty household is that it's clean out time.  There's just something about starting a new book that gets me motivated to tackle the projects that have been staring at me in the face since my last book was over.  (And for purposes of full disclosure, some of them have been staring at me for a couple of books.)  Why in between or at the start of a new book?  I think it's because I don't have a deadline looming so I don't feel guilty spending my "free" time not writing.

Yesterday we did the closet purge.  With two GROWING (and I do mean growing) kids, they go through clothes like you wouldn't believe.  My son in particular.  It seems like half his closet was too small.    

My husband dreads this time because he knows it isn't going to be pleasant.  I go on a mini-rampage and drag him in for the ride.  In the past three weeks I've: organized the last two years worth of pictures, gone through all the kids art projects to figure out what to save, organized my books for storage, made a memory book with my daughter for a trip we took a year and a half ago, cleaned out the garage, got our tax info together and cleaned out the corresponding files, gone through my research files, and (here's the biggie) FINALLY got the earthquake preparedness kit we've been meaning to put together done.

I live in the San Francisco bay area very close to a major fault line that the experts say is due for "the big one."  Lovely.  We have an old house and although it's been retrofitted, if the big one hits it probably won't be pretty.  

So how can I have lived here for almost nine years and not have at least a basic earthquake kit?  Good question.  To some extent I think those of us who live in CA do the head in the sand thing.  The "maybe if I don't acknowledge it" it won't happen kind of thing.  But it's also a big undertaking to get something like this together.  You can buy pre-packaged kits, but they are at least a couple hundred dollars a person.  Putting one together is much cheaper, but takes time.   We have tons of water and some food, clothes, radios, lanterns, first aid kits, etc.  We also had to figure out when and how to store all this stuff.  

But it's done and I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  In general I feel so much better when all these projects are done.  It's amazing how freeing it feels not to see the box of pictures against the wall, or the bag of clothes for the earthquake kit in the corner, or the overstuffed file cabinet.  One of my cp's (Bella Andre) does a Feng Shui class for writers and I'm a full believer--de-cluttering your environment really relaxes me.  

So what about you?  Do you go through mini-rampages like I do?  Any big projects staring you in the face?  Do you hate clutter or does it really not bother you? 

P.S. I'm blogging over at Fresh Fiction today, so if you aren't gone for the holiday pop over and say "hi."

Economy Got you Down?

Head to Target where you can find WARRIOR at 25% off, LOL.  I swear I still get so excited when I see my book at grocery stores, airports, drugstores, etc.  So I hope you'll indulge my little "squee!"  Maybe one day I'll stop being such a dork. . . or maybe not.

Also, I'll be blogging over at Romance Novel TV on Tuesday.  Please stop by and say "hi," they have a great group over there!

"Picture Book" Sneak Peek

Rothesay Castle, Isle of Bute

If you've had a chance to pick up HIGHLAND WARRIOR, you'll want to check out this sneak peek slideshow of Rothesay Castle--one of the places featured in the novel.  The dank hole is the "pit prison."  I don't get claustrophobic, but let's just say I was happy to get out of there.

If you're new to my novels or haven't had a chance to explore my website, in the Special Features section I do a "Picture Book" for each novel (kind of like an illustrated version with photos and references to the text).  

I'll be posting the Picture Book for WARRIOR at the end of the month, but until then, enjoy!  Sigh, it gets me misty-eyed just looking at the pictures.  What an amazing trip it was.  

P.S. I'm blogging over at Yankee Romance Writers today and Karin Tabke's blog tomorrow, if you get a chance to pop on over and say "hi."