Squawk Radio

Here’s the photo of my wonderful friends who sat at my table at the luncheon and supported me so much through the whole conference while I sweated the speech. From left to right: Geralyn Dawson, Lisa Klepas, Connie Brockway, Susie Kay Law, Christina Dodd (the only person in the whole great photo who partially has her eyes closed), Eloisa James, Teresa Medeiros, Elizabeth Bevarly and Heather MacAllister. I love having glamorous, successful, exciting, interesting, witty friends who are also the nicest people in the world!

AND MORE PICTURES!!!

Here are the Chicks Who Lunch at the Pacific Rim Restaurant. That's Lisa sitting on the nest of carrots in front of Connie and Xtina.












Here's a close-up of Lisa. (Note the tiara.)














Here's Teresa schmoozing with the gorgeous Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jacquie D'Alessandro in her spectacular princess dress. (Please note alligator purse with magic wand.)











Here's Teresa with Squawkee regular and Dorchester author Sandy Schwab. Sandy brought Teresa delicious gummy's and a cat calendar all the way from Germany!










Here's Teresa and Eloisa resplendent in white at a signing at the Waldenbooks in the CNN Center.












Here's the glowing Jacquie D. with her adored and adorable husband. She always said she married him because he looked like Donny Osmond so she coaxed him into crooning a verse of PUPPY LOVE to Teresa! They were definitely the cutest couple at the prom that night!











Here's Teresa and Liz at the Librarian's Tea with Eileen Dreyer and Librarian Extraordinaire Joanne Hamilton-Selway. Festive tea cakes and witty librarian conversation were savored by all! (But don't ask Joanne about the cab ride, okay?)









Resident beauty and make-up expert Lisa prepares Xtina for her moment in the spotlight as luncheon speaker.













Teresa and Connie on RITA night. (Did I mention how fabulous Connie's hair was?)

Squawkers Unite!
Originally uploaded by Christina Dodd.

I’m posting one of Melissa’s photos of the whole group of our Squawkers at the luncheon! We were so happy and had so much fun! One question — who won the TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS t-shirts?

Erin Fry from RWA and Christina at the 2006 Literacy Signing!
Originally uploaded by Christina Dodd.

I know I speak for everyone when I extend my thanks to them for putting on the best conference ever! Everything about the hotel, the workshops, the food, the registration -- everything! -- was wonderful. And the Literacy Signing raised $64,000 for Literacy, the largest amount ever, putting RWA over half a million dollars raised since 1993. Isn’t that great? A big round of applause to everyone who helped put that on!

TERESA REACHES HOME SWEET HOME!

Just got home from the RWA conference after a 5 1/2 hour drive from Atlanta. It's rather lovely to drive alone, isn't it? Especially since you can listen to all of your favorite music on the Ipod plus stop and go to the loo whenever you please. (I counted 8 stops on this trip alone! Of course that's not counting the one to score a frosty Steak 'N Shake chocolate shake at 7 a.m.)




I want to thank our darling Eloisa for keeping the blog alive while we were gone. Of course what she MEANT to say about the RITAS was that it was an honor just to be nominated and that we all wanted to congratulate the wonderful and talented writers who...TOOK HOME ALL OUR FREAKING RITAS!!! Okay, just kidding. They really WERE wonderful and talented and we're not the least bit bitter. (Did I mention that this was my seventh nomination without a single win? Oh, I did? Well, I'm not bitter mind you. It's an honor just to be...oh, never mind!) I'm not sure about Connie but I snapped the candid photo of Eloisa on the left right after the winner in her category was announced.

We'll be sharing lots of Favorite Moments and beaucoups of pics in the coming days so I thought I'd kick it off with the pic at the top of us with hard working and beloved Squawkee Melissa, who orchestrated an official Squawkee lunch for us this year with incredible grace and panache! We also scored lots of amazing new Squawker memorabilia including crocheted chickens from Sarah, gummy chickens, and chocolate chickens from PJ. I had no idea chickens were so versatile! I'd like to show you a picture of the chocolate chickens but well...SOMEBODY ate them. (Probably the same greedy person who gnawed the head off of the chocolate RITA awards they handed out one year as souvenirs.) And here's a link to PJ's fabulous conference photos, many of which strangely enough include me and my fellow Squawkers: http://www.kodakgallery.com/pj/rwa

Welcome back to everyone returning home from the conference and a hearty thank you to all of those who kept the henhouse going while we were gone!!!

Hugs,
Teresa

The Squawkers are all wandering home today, our faces glum, our toes hurting (those heels!), our hearts....well....not exactly broken. But the sad truth is that the Squawkers were SHUT OUT of the RITAs! I took a picture of Connie at the exact moment it was announced that neither of us had won. I'm holding it for ransom at the moment...any more snide remarks from Ms. Brockway and I'll post it for the world to see!

I know we've been hopeless bloggers this week. Between us we gave two keynote speeches, nine workshops/panels, seven booksignings, one TV show (Christina), one radio show (Eloisa), attended too many parties, drank too many glasses of champagne to count, and danced wildly into the wee hours to Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

In short....we're a little tired, but I do believe that Kitty is coming by tomorrow and we'll start to post pictures!

Eloisa, signing off to fly back to Florence

You would spend your evenings at a party. In fact, some people (like the Squawkers) like to go to three or four parties in one night. Parties thrown by friends, by publishers, by agencies... Things can get really exciting as the evening wears on.

So would you expect to see:

1) Liz eat an entire jar of poppycock and then threaten to throw up in a 38 story glass elevator?

2) Lisa developed such an unnatural passion for DOG: Bounty Hunter that she told all the New York editors about the show?

3) Terri take off her shoes and parade around the hotel, up and down the elevators, in her bare feet?

4) Christina drink eight champagne cocktails and became very very very...chatty?

5) Connie put a chicken hat on her head and do a surprisingly sexy can can?

6) Eloisa spray on fake tan, deliberately leaving an untanned spot -- where?

Yes, it's been an exciting conference so far! So who do you think really did the above? And, for the bonus round, who did this:

Boast, in the presence of three New York editors that she'd slept with a man who looked just like Clive Owen and in fact, it might have been him. In fact, it probably was.

Bonus Bonus Round:

What did the New York editors say?

Hi everybody!

I'm sorry we dropped the ball yesterday - I was supposed to do something but...sob!...my computer broke somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. So that keynote speech I had to give...the one on Channeling Jane Austen?...well, I actually channeled Jane. Because if she had to give a keynote, she wouldn't have a typed speech to read aloud would she? No! She would have to give a forty-five minute speech from a hand-written list of six bullet points. And she would probably have gone ten minutes over too, just from the pure exuberant enthusiasm of speaking off the cuff and having no one go to sleep.

How am I writing to you now, you might ask? I took a cab to Comp USA where it was determined that my under-warranty Toshiba is dead as the proverbial doornail. No problem! The intrepid international businesswoman (because that's the role I was playing, what with the cab waiting outside and all) buys a new laptop -- anything but a Toshiba and heads back to the hotel.

Why is it that computers break ONLY when you really need them? Why would it break on an international flight when I had to give a keynote? Don't say I'm cursed...has this happened to any of you? Disasters at the last minute? Howls of unfairness echoing up to the heavens? Tears? Grinding of Teeth? Frantic calls to a husband a continent away?

Tell me I'm not alone!

Yours, The Tech Cursed Romance Writer

Dear Friends,

A framed copy of this wonderful Charles Dana Gibson print hangs over my desk. For three years I have contemplated this image, which Gibson titled “The Wall Flower” and it has become a personal touchstone and inspiration for my series.

What I love most about Gibson’s “Wall Flower” is that you can read so much into her expression and posture. She isn’t at all defeated or depressed. I see a hint of impatience in the way she sits, and a deliberate attempt to seem casual as she lounges in her solitary chair. I think she knows she’s pretty, and the mystery is why someone so delicious, with her upswept hair and slender neck and frothy dress, would have to wait at all.

This is what I know about the artist, Charles Dana Gibson : he was born in the mid 1800’s, and he was a magazine illustrator. Once he invented the “Gibson girl”, an ideal of womanhood for the 1890’s, he became insanely popular. He was the Elvis of illustration. Gibson girls were willowy, tall, athletic, dreamy, charming, vivacious, utterly romantic . . . they represented what young American women were, and what they aspired to be. And Gibson’s renderings were everywhere, on dishes, tea towels, advertisements, products of every kind. You couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a Gibson girl.

After the turn of the century, Gibson’s elegant young woman was replaced by an equally delightful creature--the flapper. But I still take pleasure in Gibson’s lovely illustrations, and I wonder why turn of the century romance novels have never caught on. I would love to read and research the fascinating period of the 1890s. Some people say it’s not appealing because of its proximity to the two World Wars. Others say a romance novel doesn’t work when it’s set in a time of exploding technology--in short, a hero is more dashing riding a horse than driving a Model T.

When I started writing early Victorian novels a few years ago, a lot of people warned the time period wasn't sexy enough, with all the corsets and voluminous skirts and starched manners. But that was precisely what fascinated me--the contrast between outward propriety and all the human urges that simmered beneath the surface.

What you you think about alternative time periods for romance novels? Do you like the comfort and familiarity of the Regency and Victorian periods to the exclusion of all other settings? Can American be an appealing backdrop for a historical romance too? If you could read a romance set in any place or time, what would you would wish for?

TERESA PRESENTS "A ROMANCE HERO'S GUIDE TO RELATIONSHIPS"

1) If you're suspected of murdering your first wife, by all means, don't spoil the suspense by telling your new bride that you're innocent. Why deprive her of the chance to wander around your town house/manor house/castle in her semi-transparent nightgown searching for clues? Women love a man of mystery!

2) If you have a lookalike twin/cousin/illegitimate brother, make sure and impersonate him at some point (preferably at a masquerade ball) so you can steal a kiss from your ladylove. Just don't pout and brood if she decides she prefers his kisses to yours.

3) If you fall off your horse, hit your head and develop amnesia, be very suspect of a pretty girl who tries to convince you that you're her long lost fiance or husband.

4) If you're ever afflicted with temporary blindness due to your own selfless, heroic actions in battle, insist that your butler hire the most sharp-tongued shrew he can find to be your new nurse. Her incessant nagging will surely inspire your rapid return to good health.

5) Never try to tame that stubborn forelock that tumbles over your brow. Women love any excuse to tenderly brush it back with their yearning fingertips.

6) If you're rendered unconscious for any reason, continue to feign unconsciousness until your ladylove is compelled to give you a bath. (This could take days depending on how fastidious she is). But do plan on waking up the moment she decides to steal a naughty peek beneath the covers.

7) Always make the time to practice your brooding, sardonic look in front of the mirror. Ladies love that.

8) Cultivate a friendship with a witty, smart-mouthed brother/cousin/friend/valet who can serve as both your confidante and your conscience when the light of your life isn't around.

9) If you find yourself strangely attracted to a slender lad with a particularly pretty face and long lashes, you might want to double check and make sure it's not really some buxom lass masquerading as a cabin boy/squire. (If not, perhaps you've been spending too much time at your gentleman's club.)

10) And most importantly, you may pine for a woman for months (or even years!) but you must never confess your love for her until you're standing on a windswept cliff with the villain thundering toward you and both of your lives in dire peril.

So what relationship advice would you like to give your favorite romance hero?

For today’s Sunday Music Blog, I thought I’d do something a little different. In light of the fact that so many romance writers will be heading off to Atlanta this week, I thought it might be nice to, oh...come up with a musical score for the conference. A playlist of songs to capture all the myriad special moments of that one week every year when we writers of romance novels congregate, communicate and detonate. Something besides Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," I mean. So today, Squawk Radio presents The RWA National Conference Playlist! You can thank me in Atlanta.

For the hopeful unpublished authors:

P!nk - “Get the Party Started”
Blondie - “Dreaming”
Plimsouls - “Magic Touch”
Teresa James/Rhythm Tramps - “I’m Gonna Be a Wheel Someday”
Don Henley - “The End of the Innocence”
Mason Ruffner - “Courage”
Anna Nalick - “Breathe”

For the jaded--uh, I mean seasoned--published authors:

Good Charlotte - “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”
Smash Mouth - “All Star”
Alphaville - “Big in Japan”
Stephanie Bentley - “I Will Survive”
Tom Waits - “Straight to the Top”
The Lazy Cowgirls - “Frustration, Tragedy and Lies”
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies - “No Mercy for Swine”

For Rita Night, a trio of songs by Social Distortion:

“Winners and Losers”
“Let It Be Me”
“It Coulda Been Me”

For those editor/agent panels that can be a tad frustrating:

Green Day - “Walking Contradiction”
Fine Young Cannibals - “She Drives Me Crazy”
Sixpence None the Richer - “There She Goes”
Foo Fighters - "Hell"

For those editor/agent appointments that can be a tad terrifying:

Cheap Trick - "I Want You to Want Me"
The Cast of "Buffy" - "Walk Through the Fire"
General Public - "Are You Leading Me on?"
UB40 - "Please Don't Make Me Cry"

And finally, for the general, overall conference experience, start to finish:

Marshall Crenshaw - “The In Crowd”
Dave Edmunds - “Girls Talk”
Gin Blossoms - “Hey, Jealousy”
XTC - “Senses Working Overtime”
EELS - “I Need Some Sleep”
Green Day - “Give me Novocaine”
Bowling for Soup - “Last Call Casualty”
Squeeze - “When the Hangover Strikes”
Hoodoo Gurus - “Good Times”

No matter what the conference holds for you--good times or bad, highs or lows, hilarity or melancholy, desolation or jubilation--live by my favorite Green Day lyrics: “A free-for-all. F*** ‘em all.” And have fun in Atlanta, everyone!

Okay, I just KNOW there are a lot more conference-appropriate songs that could be on this playlist. So c’mon! Add to it! What else should we be putting on our iPods for National this year?

ELOISA ON LUCKY FINDS

Here I am on vacation...and I suddenly realize that the two good books I brought with me are both finished, another one turned out to be a silly mess and I wish the heroine would lose her job and go homeless instead of just whining about it; and if I have to read The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation aloud one more time, I'll go crazy. Time to go to town!

The problem with vacations, though, is that you don't know where the good bookstores are. The problem is doubled if you are vacationing on a tiny island in Italy. Bookstore? Sure. With English books? You must be joking! But I managed to find a newspaper stand yesterday with a very small rack of foreign books: German, French and a few English. Eragon. My 12-year-old promised it was good, but I couldn't go for it. Don Quixote. A real commitment. Can't do it. A murder mystery about a nun who went homicidal. I'm getting desperate and put it to the side as a possibility while I riffle through four more German books. Finally...

Terry Pratchett. Going Postal A Discworld Novel for $14.00, mass market paperback.

I think I've heard of this person. More: I think that my 12-year-old can read it after me, therefore perhaps silencing a few of his "You're not the boss of me" remarks that are punctuating our vacation.

I buy it...and it's a delight! I'm in love with Pratchett! I may have to buy all 900 discworld novels listed on the back cover, although hopefully not for $14.00.

Truthfully...I would never have bought or read this book but for desperation. It has a goofy cover. The first chapter is "weird," as my 12-year-old reports. It's about a mailman. ho-hum.

But it turns out to be a sarcastic, funny novel about redemption and getting from "I know myself" to "I can do better than myself" -- and there was a romance too. A really nice romance. Plus, you add a bunch of supernatural creatures and a world with magic, and delivering mail is looking a lot more interesting.

What about you? Have you ever been stuck on a less-than-desert island and bought a book you never would have read normally? A drug-store in a one-horse town in the midwest where you discovered a gem? A hospital gift shop with a single rack of paperbacks? Have you ever had a FIND, in other words?

LUANNE RICE SQUAWKS WITH THE CHICKENS BUT SOARS LIKE A SEAGULL

I’m so happy to be here on Squawk Radio—for so long I’ve lurked, getting to know these wonderful writers a little better (for as much as I’ve loved their books, there’s something about this blog that makes me feel I’ve dropped in for iced tea with them)—and now here I am, guest blogger for a day!

In my normal life, I’m more of a seagull than a chicken; that’s because I’m a beach girl at heart and by vocation. June arrives, and the shoes come off. I have salt water in my veins, and I’m happiest with my feet in the sand. SANDCASTLES isn’t just a title: it’s a way of life.

I’m writing this blog from a salty little beach cottage on the Connecticut shoreline. My grandparents built it, and I’ve spend every summer of my life and written most of my books here. It’s not a bad place to fall in love, either. Let’s see…there was the summer cop who used to patrol the boardwalk, the boy who surfed in from the fog, the lobsterman who needed a crew, and the pirate who was after my buried treasure. These are not plotlines—they’re the story of my life. (And Johnny Depp notwithstanding, if you’re going to fall in love with a pirate, I have only one word for you: prenup.)

We have movies on the beach. Have you ever dug a pit in the sand, put down a beach blanket, and snuggled in to watch “How the West Was Won” with your sweetheart while the waves crashed and the moon rose over the sea? It’s pretty great. When I was on Nova Scotia last summer, watching a Lifetime movie being filmed of my novel BEACH GIRLS, there was some talk about substituting another scene for the beach movies—seems that the fierce maritime wind was wreaking havoc with the screen. My heart clenched, and I hoped against hope for the wind to die. Luckily it did, the screen didn’t blow away, and Stevie and Jack got to make out on the beach.




Was it hard going to the set to see Rob Lowe, Chris Carmack, and Wes Brown every day? Yes, of course. But I learned long ago that it’s necessary to sacrifice for my art—I do it for my readers. Because I love you all so much…

SANDCASTLES came with another sacrifice. Last September, for my birthday, I went to Ireland to research the land of my ancestors. I didn’t want to drive myself and risk forgetting to stay on the left side of the road, so I hired a driver. James took me from Dublin through Wicklow, down to West Cork. He was the sweetest red-headed Irishman you can imagine; I interviewed him all through Ireland. His brogue and some of his stories made it into the novel—and he completely made it into my heart. As I said earlier, writing is a very tough life.
Listen, as Teresa, Eloisa, Christina, Elizabeth, Lisa, Connie, and Kitty will tell you—we’re in it for the bird suits. And for having great readers like yourselves…

Teresa and I have the same amazing literary agent, which in the book world is a lot like being related. We hit the high seas together aboard the Levy Cruise in April; you could frequently find us aboard the Lido Deck, planning our next shore excursion. I tagged along with her and Michael to—you guessed it—a beach. It was on a deserted little island off Mazatlan. The sky was azure, the sea endless and blue, the sand as fine as pale pink sugar. Teresa and I shared sunscreen—bonded for life! And now here I am, squawker-for-a-day. I might cry…

Tell me just one thing, before I sign off. What has bonded you for life with someone? A love of the beach? A deep, dark secret? Helpless yearning for Johnny Depp and/or other bad boys? Or something else? I’d love to know…

You can visit Luanne's website at: www.luannerice.com

SQUAWK RADIO WELCOMES NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LUANNE RICE ON THURSDAY

I first met Luanne Rice when I was attending the RWA conference in Washington, D.C. a few years ago. She was already one of the bestselling women's fiction authors in the world, but there wasn't a hint of the diva about her. We connected immediately and I can honestly say that she is one of the most kind, warm and gentle souls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. The warmth you feel in your heart when you read one of her novels is simply an extension of the warmth she projects as a human being. (And we also share a healthy appreciation for pretty men ;))





She began her writing career in 1985 with her debut novel ANGELS ALL OVER TOWN (which was recently reprinted). Since then she has gone on to write over 20 novels, including such bestsellers as CLOUD NINE, DREAM COUNTRY, FIREFLY BEACH, SUMMER LIGHT, TRUE BLUE, DANCE WITH ME and THE PERFECT SUMMER. A number of her novels have been adapted for television including CRAZY IN LOVE for TNT, and BLUE MOON for CBS. Both FOLLOW THE STARS HOME and SILVER BELLS were Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations and BEACH GIRLS is a summer drama series for Lifetime Television.

This summer she has SUMMER OF ROSES out in paperback and her brand new hardcover SANDCASTLES is currently a New York Times bestseller. Luanne resides in New York City and on the Connecticut shorline, in the house where she spent her childhood summers.

Please join me in welcoming Luanne Rice to Squawk Radio!

CHRISTINA ADMITS THE TRUTH ABOUT HER ESCARGOT HABIT

I'm the youngest of three daughters. In fact, I was an “oops,” a change of life baby, the kid my parents did not plan. My two sisters are nine and eleven years older, and they’ve always delighted in telling horrible stories about me in my very young years, most of them probably true.

Some of them were cute — for instance, there was Christina and the hoppy-hoppy. Apparently when I was two, my mom checked on me in the backyard, and found me sitting very quietly by the dripping faucet, saying, “Hello, hoppy-hoppy. Nice, hoppy-hoppy.” Fortunately, the hoppy-hoppy was getting a drink and paying no attention to me. Unfortunately, it was a mouse.

Then there’s the disgusting stories — for instance, Christina and the empty snail shell. You don’t need me to fill in the details.

What about you? What really cute, really disgusting, really funny story does your family drag out to tell your boyfriend just about the time he's ready to get serious? And, heck, what stories do you tell for payback?

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!
TERESA GIVES YOU AN RWA CONFERENCE ETIQUETTE QUIZ

1) You spot a Squawker's table at the Wednesday Night Literacy Signing. You immediately...

a) Scream and squeal as if you just saw Donny Osmond/Hugh Jackman
b) Run over and rearrange her books in a more attractive fashion before buying them all to give away as Christmas presents
c) Throw yourself over the table and ask her to sign your breast (or your baby)

2) You spot a television crew approaching a Squawker's table at the Literacy Signing. You...

a) Grab as many friends and strangers as you can find and form a long line to make the Squawker appear more popular
b) Stick your face in front of the camera and snarl, "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille."
c) Bend over and moon the camera

3) You spot Teresa and Lisa strolling down the hotel corridor arm in arm

a) Start humming "Puppy Love"
b) Start humming "There She Comes, Miss America"
c) Rush over and tell them how much you've always loved Ellen DeGeneres

4) After Christina gives her luncheon speech on Saturday, you...

a) Spring to your feet, tears streaming down your face, and give her a standing ovation
b) Spring to your feet, tears streaming down your face, and give her a standing ovation
c) Spring to your feet, tears streaming down your face, and give her a standing ovation

5) You run into Christina in the hotel lobby after her speech. You immediately rush up to her and tell her how she...

a) gave you the inspiration you so desperately needed to fulfill all of your dreams
b) cured your insomnia
c) interrupted your dessert

6) Liz inadvertantly drops her IPOD in one of the conference rooms. You...

a) retrieve it and hand it back to her, telling her how much you love her music blogs
b) retrieve it and slip it into your purse because you know it's got a lot of fabulous music on it
c) wire it into the hotel sound system and start blasting the Clash's "ROCK THE CASBAH" during the Annual General Meeting

7) Investigating a strange noise, you open your hotel room door at 3 a.m. to find Kitty Kuttlestone staggering down the corridor with a lit cigar in one hand and a half-empty bottle of Tanqueray in the other. You...

a) double bolt your hotel room door and call Security
b) invite her in to finish off the bottle
c) call Ed McMahon's room in Vegas and ask him if he lost something

8) At the RITA awards, whenever a Squawker's name is announced, you...

a) cluck like a chicken
b) scream and applaud wildly
c) lean over to the person next to you and say, "She's a close personal friend of mine."

9) When Christina comes sweeping across the stage in her elegant gown to present an award, you...

a) cluck like a chicken
b) yell, "Hey, Xtina, did you know the back of your gown is stuck in your panty hose?"
c) yell, "Oh my stars! It's Julia Roberts!"

10) Realizing that Connie and Eloisa are competing for the same RITA award for Best Anthology Story, you...

a) Scream for Connie
b) Scream for Eloisa
c) Run screaming for the nearest fire exit

11) When Teresa fails to win the RITA after the seventh try, you ...

a) track down Kitty to buy her a drink
b) drag her down off the hotel window ledge by the train of her glamorous gown as she brokenly mumbles, "It's an honor just to be nominated. It's an honor just to be nominated."
c) tackle the winning author, snatch away her RITA and present it to Teresa with a bill of sale

Well, let me know how you do on the etiquette quiz! Do YOU have any etiquette tips for first time conference goers? Things like "Don't wear too much perfume in the elevators", "Don't carry latex balloons because they could kill someone with an allergy to latex" and "Don't slide your unpublished manuscript under the bathroom stall if there's an editor (or Teresa) inside"???

I was recently at an event for romance writers at which an editor, asked about what the new "hot" trend might be, suggested that vampires might be biting the dust--EXCEPT when created by master writers such as our own Teresa (who was specifically cited by this editor!). She felt that chick lit might be morphing into something other than 20-year-old girls who can't get their rent check together: essentially while really amazing chick lit writers will continue to write in that genre, others probably will move to a different genre.

It started me thinking about trends in writing. I distinctly remember being at an event quite a few years ago with a whole panel of editors who emphatically agreed that parnormal wasn't selling. Ha! Hello, Buffy (and lord knows what other creative trends) and suddenly paranormal is the only way to go. And frankly, though vampires may wane, I don't see our interest in paranormal going away.


So here's my question. I don't think any of us know which way the trends in fiction might be going -- although I have to say that I would welcome Westerns back to the table! But we can see which way trends in popular culture are going. What do you see happening in pop culture these days? How might the obsession with reality shows influence fiction? I'm thinking that pirates are due for a come-back -- which suggests gorgeous, swashbuckling adventures on the high seas!

What do you think? What's hot right now in pop culture -- and how might that fascination translate into fiction?

SQUAWK RADIO ALERT: RWA SQUAWKEE GET-TOGETHER IN ATLANTA!

One of our regular Squawkees Melissa has been kind enough to coordinate an official Squawkee Lunch at the RWA conference in Atlanta so our posters and lurkers can get to know each other. (Alas, all of us Squawkers had already overcommitted ourselves before Melissa came up with this brilliant plan...sniff...sniff...)

When: Friday July 28th 12 PM
Where: Allie's Restaurant in the Marriott Marquis

If any of you would like to join the party, please e-mail Melissa at: teadrinker56@yahoo.com so she'll know how many to make reservations for.

A huge THANK YOU to Melissa for coordinating such a cool event!

It wasn’t until my third listening of Relient K’s “Mmhmm” that I realized when lead singer Matthew Thiessen sang, “Oh, God, oh, God, I needed you,” he wasn’t talking to his girlfriend--he was talking to, um, God. After that, I started listening more closely to the lyrics and realized, “Yep. I’m listenin’ to Christian rock.”

It was quite a revelation.

Not because I have anything against Christian rock, but I’m about as far removed from organized religion as a person can be. I am, in fact, a heathen. An infidel. To put it in high-falutin’ terms, I’m an Emersonian Transcendentalist. (Try explaining THAT to the Jehovah’s Witnesses who come to the front door.)

No matter.

This music rocks, regardless of what your spiritual outlook happens to be. Not only that, it’s fun. And funny. And great for dancing. And driving. (It’s one of the CDs going into the car for my drive to Atlanta.) It’s not quite punk, or even alternative, but there’s some definite rough influence here. There’s also, though, a little pop. And extremely clever lyrics, which is something that always, not surprisingly, sucks me right in.

I bought “Mmhmm” after hearing and loving the song “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been,” but there are other songs on the album I’ve decided I like even more, especially “My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend,” which talks about how grateful the singer is to this guy who dumped his girlfriend, otherwise, she never would have fallen in love with said singer. And “Be My Escape” and “I So Hate Consquences” and “This Week the Trend.” All are lively, danceable, fun rock tunes that just make you want to move. There are a couple of nice slow numbers, too, that showcase Thiessen's smooth, fluid voice nicely.

I think what I respond to most, though, is the message--which is universal and by no means relegated to one belief. And that is that even when we make mistakes, there are second chances to be had. That we can always find forgiveness, whether it comes from our god or our partner. That sometimes things don’t work the way we thought they would, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be happy. It’s just a nice, uplifting, fun album that reminds me that nobody’s perfect, and that that’s okay.

Be happy, everybody. :o)

Lisa Is Haunted by THE MERCY OF THIN AIR

Dear Friends,
One of the perils of being a professional writer is that you have a hard time losing yourself in a story. You find yourself examining the technical aspects of the writing, figuring out why it’s working or not working, and you often lose that emotional involvement that makes reading a novel so gratifying.

Only a masterful storyteller has the power to bring back that magic to someone in the business of writing.

Three days after finishing Ronlyn Domingue’s “The Mercy Of Thin Air,” I am still putting my heart back together after it was delicately disassembled into 271 pieces, which happens to be the page count of this astonishing first novel.

I have to confess, I’m not much on ghost stories. The plots often seem contrived and too complicated. And the author’s explanations of the world beyond the veil often ring false to me, since they are all a matter of guess-work. But this novel is powered by an amazing story of love and loss that made me cry on the plane, until I’m certain everyone was wondering what was the matter with the woman sitting in 7B.

The basic set-up is this : a beautiful young woman named Raziela, is deeply in love with Andrew in the 1920s, and she dies tragically before they get married. As another character in the book says, the rest of Andrew’s life revolves around the moment he loses Raziela, who drowned in the swimming pool.

For the next seventy years, Raziela exists in the world “between,” gently haunting the friends and loved ones who knew her. She tries to find out what became of Andrew, who seems to have disappeared. At the same time, Raziela meddles to reunite a pair of modern-day lovers, Amy and Scott, who turn out to have a surprising connection to her own past.

It is the relationship between Raziela and Andrew, however, that drives this story like a arrow into your heart. Razi is a strong, independent woman ahead of her time, and Andrew is the only man capable of understanding her. Their moments together are exquisite. And painful, because they capture the exquisite fragility of human life, and the terrible longing we feel for a loved one who is gone forever.

One love scene, in particular, nearly caused me to drop the book. I’ve never read anything like it--and I marveled at the skill and emotional honesty of an author who could elicit such a visceral reaction from me. I thought I had seen it all--but I hadn’t, and I was shocked and moved by Ronlyn Domingue’s vision.

It took four years for Domingue to write “The Mercy Of Thin Air,” and I can see why. It’s a work of art, and more importantly, a work of love.

Anyone else who has read “The Mercy Of Thin Air,” please don’t hesitate to comment. And if you’ve read any ghostly love stories that you’ve really enjoyed, whether their flavor is comic, suspenseful or emotionally moving, please tell us about them! Now I’m in the mood to read another one, and I would love some suggestions.

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!

I thought you might enjoy trying to figure out what this darling little kitty (NOT Kitty Kuttlestone) is thinking about this fluffy little chick. (Or vice versa.)

JULIA QUINN--ON THE WAY TO THE GAME SHOW


So I’ve told everybody about my win on The Weakest Link. (C’mon, if you won wouldn’t you tell everyone?) But sadly, no one has seen it. The first time it was supposed to air, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan and NBC switched to 24-hour news, The second time it was supposed to air they cut it at the last minute in favor of “SuperCroc.” At that point, the entire show got cancelled. Finally, the Game Show Network bought the entire run, and TWL now runs in syndication, over and over, and over and over, and over and… well, you get the picture.

But it’s impossible to know exactly when it’s going to appear, so unless you’ve been to my house and been lashed to the sofa and forced to watch it, you probably haven’t seen me in all my glory. So I’m giving you the next best thing. Herewith, all the questions I was asked on the show. I’ll post the answers (and let you know which ones I got wrong) at the end of the day.

See how you measure up!

Which US President won a Pulitzer Prize for his essay, “Profiles in Courage?”

In transportation, what British automaker manufactures the Silver Seraph and Corniche?

What country singer recorded the album Trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris?

In geography, what British territory do Argentines call Islas Malvinas?

What US coin is currently being minted with 50 different designs, one for each state?

Which maker of “brisk tea” introduced the flow-through bag in 1953?

What former partner of Don Simpson produced the movie Pearl Harbor?

The green card allowing foreigners to work in the US is issued by which agency?

In the United States Army, what is the rank immediately below major?

In geology, sapphire and what red gemstone are derived from the mineral corundum?

What line of adoptable plush dog dolls did Tonka introduce in 1985?

What ancient Roman city destroyed by a volcanic eruption was rediscovered in 1748?

What renaissance artist painted The Virgin of the Rocks and also designed an early version of the helicopter?

What is the name of the relic at the cathedral of San Giovanni Baptista believed to be Christ’s burial cloth?

What bouncing device invented by George Nissen became a gymnastic event at the Sydney Olympics?

In geography, Addis Ababa is both the capital and largest city of what country?

In fashion, the name of which sheer transparent fabric is the French word for “rag?”

In the 1988 presidential debate, George Bush called Michael Dukakis a card carrying member of which organization?

What actor from the film The Empire Strikes Back is a spokesperson for Colt 45?

Which bird is depicted in the logo of the National Broadcasting Company?

Which ALW musical features roller skating actors singing the song Pumping Iron?

What country is the birthplace of the thick, brown, salty paste known as Vegemite?

Yokozuna is the top rank in what Japanese sport?

In television, which BBC cooking show is hosted by Jamie Oliver?

In geography, Lhasa is the capital of which region between Nepal and China?

In transportation, what car manufacturer recently unveiled its first convertible model, the SC430?

In December 1777, what Pennsylvania village became the main camp of George Washington and the Continental Army?

A poem that is written in iambic pentameter normally contains a total of how many syllables in each line?

What documentary filmmaker and author of Downsize This also had a prime time series called TV Nation?

In geography, what is the southernmost U.S. state capital?

Before becoming a U.S. president, George W. Bush was a co-owner of what major league baseball team?

What name for a type of single-story cottage surrounded by verandas is derived from the Hindi for “a house in the Bengali style?”


Cue the dramatic lights and music. I won!

SQUAWK RADIO WELCOMES JULIA QUINN!

Julie will be joining us tomorrow for a special one-day guest appearance to celebrate her new release ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING (which is currently residing comfortably on the New York Times bestseller list!)

Please pop in tomorrow and give Julie a hearty Squawk welcome!

LIZ PONDERS THE MYSTERIES OF THE WRITER'S LIFE

Silhouette is reissuing my first book this week. DESTINATIONS SOUTH was originally published in the Special Editions line in October 1989--nearly seventeen years ago. Which means I began writing it more than eighteen years ago. January 1988, to be exact.

My life was a lot different then. I’d recently turned twenty-six, and had even more recently celebrated my first wedding anniversary. I was still six years away from becoming a mom. I was living in a one-bedroom apartment in Haddonfield, New Jersey (the one right next to the manually operated elevator, so we heard the elevator door slam shut every time someone used it). I was working full time for The Limited at Cherry Hill Mall, making, if I recall correctly, $5.80 an hour. (I’d later be promoted to associate manager for a whopping income of $17,500 a year, more money than I ever thought I’d make with a degree in English.) I knew no one who even read, let alone wrote romance, and I had no idea Romance Writers of America or Romantic Times Magazine existed. I didn’t own a computer, so the entire book was written in longhand, in about five spiral notebooks. I had to charge a typewriter on my Sears card when the time came for that.

I did a lot of stuff wrong with my first book. I sited it on a mythical Caribbean island at a time when (I later discovered) books sited in foreign locales didn’t sell well. I gave virtually every character their own point of view, even if that character only showed up for a page or two. I took a major side route in the middle of the book to tell a story that had nothing to do with the hero and heroine’s romantic journey. I wrote the longest prologue in the history of the romance novel, revealing all kinds of things about my heroine and her motivation that would have been much more effective had I saved the information for later. But here’s the best thing I messed up: I was certain I was writing DESTINATIONS SOUTH for the Desire line. Imagine my surprise when Silhouette told me my word length was off by about 15,000 words, and my manuscript would be published as a Special Edition, a line I’d never even read before.

But there were a lot of things I did right with my first book, too. I wrote about a geographic area I adored and missed very much, having lived there briefly (and having moved from there only months before I began writing the book). I was able to capture the flavor of Caribbean life really well because of my love for it. That gave the story a strong sense of place. I had two characters in my brain I cared very much about, who were as alive to me as my own family was, so I was able to bring them fully to life on the page. I was so in love with the written word that I was able to string a bunch of them together in ways that made for evocative prose and therefore entertaining reading. But most of all, I was just wildly in love with the whole act of creation, and I gave myself over completely to the writing. I lived that book as I wrote it. I was back in the Caribbean again, on the same island as my characters, and I knew them both like old friends.

My love affair with writing has been a rocky one over the last two decades. Sometimes my books and I flirt and laugh like teenagers, loving the potential of what might happen between us, even if we’re not quite sure what that involves. Sometimes we’re like newlyweds, discovering all kinds of surprising things about each other we never knew before--and we’re not sure we like. Sometimes we fight like lovers scorned and don’t speak to each other for days. Sometimes we’re as comfortable as an old married couple, and everything flows seamlessly and with utter knowledge and devotion.

Eighteen years after starting my first book, I still--usually--love my job. But as is the case with so many things in life, there is only one First Time. Had you asked me eighteen years ago how I thought my writing career would be going in 2006, I can assure you I would have answered a lot differently than what the reality is. There’s a lot to be said for blissful ignorance.

But then, I am as ignorant now of the next eighteen years of my career as I was then of the first eighteen. So what else can I say except, “Bring it on.”

So how about you? How has your life changed in the last two decades? Are you living the life you imagined you would? Ever finally done something you’d aspired to do for a long time, then discovered it wasn’t quite what you expected? And all you writers out there, how has your writing journey been?

Christina Dodd Dips Deep in the Family History

My great-uncle was born early in the twentieth century in the Canadian Rockies above Lake Louise in British Columbia. The area was primitive, with long, dark winters, and the proof of that is — my great-uncle is the twenty-third child born to his parents. Before you say about his mother, “That poor woman,” listen to this — my uncle’s best friend was his adopted younger brother.

That’s right, the family adopted another child to make the family an even two dozen.

Do you have any mind-blowing large family stories? Or, heck, any mind-blowing large families?

ELOISA and THE PRE-CONFERENCE BLUES

The National Romance Writers of America conference is in about two weeks. Hundreds of romance writers, publishers, editors, agents, and fans. A sparkling dress-up dinner thrown by my publisher in a swanky restaurant. The RITA award ceremony -- long dress required and this time I might even beat out Connie, who keeps stealing my awards from me! Only two weeks away...

Which means right about now I should probably start writing the speeches I have to give: I'm the keynote speaker for the Beau Monde (regency writers) mini-conference; I'm giving a workshop on writing books in a series; the Squawkers are giving a workshop on blogs. OK, no need to be as worried as CHRISTINA (since she's one of the big Keynote Speakers for the whole conference!), but still... it's time.

Well, it would be time except that I promised my family, word of honor, that I would take a proper vacation and not hunch over my computer trying to figure out What Jane Austen Knew (I have a dim feeling my Beau Monde keynote is on that subject -- what was I thinking!). Anyway... calming down...

Last night I happily curled up after a lovely day of ocean water, Italian sparkling wine and sun-kissed children and went to sleep. Pretty soon I'm in a fun dream in which a makeup artist appears and pastes false eyelashes on me. I look like Bambi! I mean...I look TERRIFIC! I was a little worried in my dream, because my first speech wasn't until the next day, but he assured me that they would last overnight.

Which I guess they did, because next thing I know, it's the morning of my keynote and I'm wandering around the conference hotel. Guess what I'm wearing? Go on, I bet you.

My pink cotton bra and the black striped undies that I looked at a few days ago and thought, these are the anthesis of sexy. I'm not sure where my jacket is, but I'm pretty sure I drove over to the hotel in one. It's gone now. I've only got my undies and my false eyelashes.

I think my friends might lend me some clothes, but no one is answering their phone. I'm up on level five or six, because I can't go down to the lobby--not when the biggest thing I'm wearing is a pair of eyelashes!

So...tell me I'm not the only one out there with the most boring, redundant imagination in the world. My father once told me that he still occasionally dreams that he's showing up for a university examination in his underwear (and my father has given speeches all over the world --you'd think he'd be past that!).

Do you find yourself wandering through your dreams naked? Do you get to wear eyelashes? A bra? Just your birthday suit? What does it to you -- a speech the next day, asking for a raise, your wedding?

Teresa squeals, "CAPTAIN JACK IS BACK!!!" and Falls for a New Anti-Hero

Well, we didn't quite make the midnight showing but we were there front and center for the 7 PM showing on the opening night of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST. The theater was packed and all but vibrating with the sort of excitement usually reserved for INDIANA JONES and LORD OF THE RINGS movies. While not quite as good as the first movie, it was still great summer fun.

Without going into major spoilers, I will tell you that the new movie sports a number of delicious developments including a deepening of the romantic triangle between Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner and Captain Jack and an ending that makes you wish May 2007 was next month instead of a year away.

My most thrilling discovery during the movie came when I asked myself that eternal question: Captain Jack or Will Turner??? And discovered that my answer (surprisingly enough) was: Commodore Norrington! I must confess that I barely noticed Commodore Norrington (played by Jack Davenport) in the first movie (although judging by several fanlistings on the internet, some of the more astute female viewers did). I just remember him as the handsome, clean shaven, somewhat stuffy fiance of Elizabeth Swann who nobly gave Captain Jack a head start when he was escaping from the gallows and let Elizabeth go into Will Turner's arms at the end of that movie.

But in the new movie, the former commodore is unshaven, dirty, drunk, desperate, brawling and out for revenge. And of course (being a romance writer)--suddenly I find him utterly irresistible! He needs to be redeemed! He needs love! He needs the perfect woman! He needs MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

So did anyone else see the movie this weekend? And is anyone else as hopelessly enamored of "Bad Boys" as me? Which "Bad Boy" in either fiction or cinema would YOU most like to have a crack at redeeming?

I’m going to be mailing a book this week, which can only mean one thing: I need a vacation real bad. Unfortunately, I’ve already had the only thing that’s going to pass for a vacation this year, so I’m going to have to make do with a pina colada (or two...or ten) on the deck. Fortunately, I have Bob Marley’s “Legend” to listen to while I’m out there sipping, so it will ALMOST be like going to the Caribbean. (Well, except for the egregious lack of beach and ocean and having to make do with the frozen shrimp from Kroger. After enough pina coladas, I won’t even notice.)

I read somewhere that the term “reggae” was a Jamaican term that meant “raggedy everyday” stuff and was made popular by a Toots and the Maytals song back in the 60s. The genre itself came about when a number of musical styles collided on Jamaica--Caribbean and African rhythms, mostly, but Ska and Rock Steady were influential, too. Bob Marley is probably the artist who made the music popular beyond the Caribbean, but there are several different subgenres of reggae still cropping up on the island (and leaving for northern climes) even today.

If you only buy one reggae album in your lifetime (though, honestly, why would you only buy one?), this should be it. Bob Marley is the master of the genre and wrote some of the most memorable, most poignant, most evocative (and hey, danceable, too) reggae music ever. It’s totally accessible to even the most casual listener, mellow to the point where it can even bring peace of mind to neurotic, anxious, about-to-mail-a-book writers. And “Legend” is a collection of the best of what is already exceptionally good music. The best of Bob Marley. Which is actually kind of redundant, ya ask me.

It’s just all good. Every last number. And it covers the spectrum of the human experience. You have love songs in “Is this Love?” and “Waiting in Vain,” songs of celebration in “Jammin’” and “Stir It Up,” songs of protest in “Buffalo Soldier” and “Get Up, Stand Up,” songs for the soul in “Redemption Song” and “One Love,” even a song that just celebrates the joy of being alive in “Three Little Birds.” There’s no way you can listen to this album and not feel better afterward.

So break out the lawn chairs, fire up the blender, and put some Bob Marley on the CD player. You be jammin’ in no time. I promise, mon.

SQUAWK RADIO Welcomes JAMES ROLLINS Back to Answer YOUR Questions

Since we had our little technical snafu last Saturday, James Rollins wasn't able to interact with us in the Comments. He was very disappointed, but got excited all over again when we suggested turning YOUR questions into an interview. So here is James Rollins being interviewed by YOU!

SQUAWKEES: Do you visit all the countries in which you base your stories? If you do, what do you look for to use in your books, or do you just do the tourist things?

JAMES: I would say that I’ve been to 75% of the countries I write about. I wanted to go to Oman (which is featured in SANDSTORM), but then a little war broke out and the embassy said I should reconsider traveling there. I took them at their word. Still, to be honest, most of my traveling is not done for the purpose of research. I don’t start a novel and fly off to Venice to research the city. Usually it’s more backward. I travel to Venice, take a bunch of pictures, jot a ream of notes, then file it away for a future story. Once a book needs the character to race through the canals of Venice, then I pull out those old dusty pictures and notes.

SQUAWKEES: Do your books need to be read in the order they were published or are they all stand-alone?

JAMES: Despite what Publishers Weekly might attest (that BLACK ORDER is my eighth Sigma novel), all of my earlier books are stand-alone adventures: different casts, different adventures. MAP OF BONES is the first official Sigma book (though one character does make his first appearance in SANDSTORM…but it’s not necessary to read that book). BLACK ORDER is the second Sigma book, not the eighth. Sigh.

SQUAWKEES: How do you first find out about the science around which you base your books? Do you have favorite newspapers or magazines, or friends within the scientific community?

JAMES: All of the above. I even secretly shadow to a military web ring (shh!). But I also subscribe to a slew of magazines: National Geographic, Scientific America, Smithsonian, Discover, New Scientist, Entertainment Weekly. Okay, maybe the last one doesn’t help in the “scientific” research, but it helps me schedule my television viewing for the week. And lastly, I receive lots of articles from readers of the books…many of which I incorporate into future storylines.

SQUAWKEES: Do you find one particular idea that sparks a plot, then go hunting for the science to illuminate it? Or are you always collecting scientific bits here and there, then find that several coalesce into a plot?

JAMES: Oh dear God, are you asking “where do you get your ideas from?” Well, it all comes out of a dusty old cardboard box. Into that box goes any bit of historical tidbit, scientific mystery, exotic bit of local color. It’s disorganized, jumbled, probably has a few nesting mice in it (and it’s probably a snapshot of the inside of my own skull). From this box, not unlike a compost pile, ideas ferment and grow strange smelly things. Yet, sometime they bear interesting fruit. I’m always looking to connect a bit of historical intrigue with a strange bit of science, then looking for an exotic locale to hatch it all. It all comes out of that box. And no, you can’t look inside. At least not until you’ve had all your vaccinations.

SQUAWKEES: How long does it take you to research a book? Map of Bones shows a great deal of knowledge about a military site, about Vatican City, about Catholic relics in general as well as the history of Catholic relics. Is it an ongoing process with stories planned long in the future, or do you do a story research through writing without overlap?

JAMES: I spend about 3-4 months researching a book: reading, interviewing, taking notes, a little light traveling. Still, every page I write still seems to need that extra bit of fact-checking. Research never stops as I begin to write. Not a page goes by that doesn’t have me searching Google or diving into my pile of note folders.

SQUAWKEES: How difficult is it to write strong, believable female characters?

JAMES: Well, thank you for that compliment. For decades, the male action hero has dominated the domain of adventure thrillers. The role of women was relegated to the damsel in distress or the romantic foil. In my novels, I’ve always attempted to even the playing field, to create female characters who are as integral to the resolution to the central conflict as any of the men. Yet, at the same time, I don’t ignore the dynamism of such a relationship, both physically and emotionally. What is an adventure without a thread of romantic conflict? Where I’ve found great help in all this is from reading widely in the romantic field. Several of my writer friends here in Sacramento belong to RWA, and I read all their work and bounce sections of my book off of them (Hi, Patti!). They’ve been invaluable.

SQUAWKEES: Could you tell us about your academic and professional background? Also, I am a huge fan of Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" that, in my opinion, try to mix "science" with moral, religious and existential themes - Is that your style as well or are do you use fact a la Da Vinci Code or are you a "straight facts" kind of author?

JAMES: My background is in veterinary medicine. I graduated from the University of Missouri’s veterinary college in 1985. I practiced here in Sacramento for 18 years, and I still do volunteer work monthly at the local shelter. As such, I try my best to keep my “facts straight” in the story, but I also venture into uncharted territory, extrapolating science, questioning bits of historical dogma, etc. But I don’t set out to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. At the back of every book, I lay out what’s true and what’s not in my novels. And by listing the books I used in the research, I encourage readers to explore any topic in more depth.

SQUAWKEES: Do you spend more time in the research phase or the writing phase?

JAMES: Writing. Research is more a spare time/hobby sort of thing. The day job: butt in the chair and writing.

SQUAWKEES: What has been the "high point" of your career so far?

JAMES: I think getting invited by one of the flight crew to tour Air Force One. He had emailed me years ago, when my book DEEP FATHOM came out. In that book, I crashed Air Force One right in the prologue. He got a kick out of that. He told me he loves to hand that book to nervous fliers on the plane…and then watch their reaction as they read the prologue. You gotta love a guy like that! So to get a personal tour of Air Force One definitely was a high point.

Other ones: seeing your book in print for the first time, seeing MAP OF BONES break the NYT Top Ten, being mentioned in PEOPLE magazine, meeting authors I’ve been enamored with going back to childhood. It’s one of the great things about writing…there are high points every day (and I won’t talk about those days where writing a certain scene is like four root canals without anesthesia…but I guess another ‘fiction’ writer already wrote about THAT).

SQUAWKEES: Given your interest in caving, have you ever visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky?

JAMES: I have. I grew up in Missouri…which is basically cave central. I’ve visited most of the commercial caves in Missouri and neighboring states, but what I enjoy more is exploring “wild” caves. These systems are on private property and not open to the public. They are traversed by small groups with permission of the property owners. There is a great sense of discovery when crawling or slinging down in ropes into barely tread caverns.

SQUAWKEES: What do you think of your reader pool? Do you feel that you write for a primarily male audience, and if so, does that inform the way you write?

JAMES: If my mail is any reflection of my readership, a vast majority of my readers are women. The more common way my book gets into the hands of guys is from their girlfriends or wives. I’ve had countless notes that basically said, “My husband/boyfriend/significant other never reads, but I read your latest book and made him read it. He loved it! Now we have something to talk about!” Okay maybe I added that very last line.

SQUAWKEES: What authors have influenced your writing?

JAMES: I don’t know about influenced, but some of my favorite authors are Michael Crichton for the pure exhilaration of his science, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for their imaginative adventures, George R. R. Martin for his ability to combine history and fantasy, Nevada Barr for her ability to conjure settings, Sandra Brown for her ability to create complex characters with an economy of words. I could go on and on. The list is endless.

SQUAWKEES: Are your books available on audio?

JAMES: Most of the latest books are available as audio. My first three books were mass market originals, so there are no audio versions of these books.

SQUAWKEES: What is your most controversial book?

JAMES: I don’t set out to write a controversial book, but I’m passionate about certain issues. BLACK ORDER came about because I heard certain IMAX theaters were beginning to ban any films that showed evolution in a positive light. As a veterinarian with an undergraduate degree in evolutionary biology, I thought it was high time Sigma stepped into take a stand on this issue. So to dare wade into the quagmire of the debate between Evolution and Creationism was done with some trepidation. But that’s what great adventure is about: taking risks, pushing boundaries… with a bit of romance along the way!

Thanks to all of the SQUAWKEES for conducting this interview for us! (We won't tell Kitty. You know how jealous she can get.) And a special thanks to James for extending his visit to an extra week! If we didn't already love him, his confession that many of his friends were members of RWA and he reads their work would have won our hearts forever! :)

So we talked about "boy books" last week. This week I want to ask who is your all-time favorite male character in a NON-romance novel?

XTINA DODD Announces the Winners of the Two TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS Arcs!


As I promised yesterday, I'm giving away two advanced reading copies of my August contemporary, TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS!

The winners are Jacky Johnson and Elaine Pavlu!

Please email me at christina@christinadodd.com with your snail mail addresses so I can get these right out to you. Congratulations to both of you!

Everyone can read an excerpt on my fabulous new website, and when you join my mailing list, you can read the second excerpt and play games, including a fabulous new solitaire game with my covers as the backs of the cards and, cough, with my photo on the queen card. I had nothing to do with it, I swear! My web designer did it! Of course, I didn't object or anything ...

Dear Friends,

Now that we’re on our summer schedule, I go to bed at the same time as my children, because I have to wake up at four to start writing. (Thankfully I'll get back on a normal schedule once they start school.) My early bedtime means I miss all the great shows, like “Rescue Me”, the acclaimed and controversial drama about firefighters, starring Denis Leary in all his offbeat sexiness.

Apparently there’s been a furor in the blogosphere over a recent episode of “Rescue Me” in which Denis’s character has a sex scene with his ex-wife. To my regret, I didn’t see the scene, nor do I know anything about the show, but I don’t see why that should stop me from having an opinion about it. Heh.

From what I can gather, the scene was presented as a rape, in that it started out with the ex-wife being unwilling, physical force was used throughout, and--here’s the controversial part--at some point the ex-wife seems to enjoy it.

Now we find ourselves on the tricky, difficult ground of sexual reality-vs-sexual fantasy.

The idea of actual rape, reality rape, terrifies and disgusts me. It doesn’t belong in the same category as sex--it is a crime that causes damage both physically and emotionally, and there is never an acceptable excuse for it.

And yet in the dynamics of sex play, in sex as it is portrayed in books and movies, the elements of dominance and submission are a turn-on for most people. In the debate of what is acceptable in reality and fantasy, I think this is a crucial point : movies, books and TV shows are not meant to be instruction manuals for how people should behave. When I write a novel, I want my readers to enjoy it, to have fun, and hopefully to find the love scenes erotic. Obviously these books are not meant as a guide to life, nor should they be taken that way.

So here am I, a Wellesley College graduate and a feminist, admitting that in the depths of my working-mom psyche, I think the concept of what’s been called “forced seduction” is a turn-on. The idea of being overwhelmed, seduced, pleasured by a dominating alpha male, while the female has no choice and no responsibility, is a potent concept. It’s one of those things that I would never ever ever ever ever ever want to happen to me in real life, but in the realm of fantasy, it works for me.

All that being said, what position should we take on a creative work, such as “Rescue Me,” that portrays a rape in a sexually stimulating manner? Is it dangerous to women, in that it may influence men toward real-life rape? Or will most people view it in the context of a TV story with invented characters leading fantasy lives? Have any of you actually seen the episode I’m referring to, and if so, what’s your take on it? Also, do you have a problem with “forced seduction” in romance novels, or do you find it arousing?

Christina Dodd Discovers Her Theme and Offers Up TROUBLE

I recently realized that, as a writer, I have a theme. This came as quite a surprise, since I’m pretty much a seat-of-my-pants writer. I don’t like to look too closely at my work for fear that examining the inner works will result in some fatal discovery. Nevertheless, TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS is the first book in my new contemporary series, and the series is about a family, separated by tragedy, and how the family members slowly grope their way toward reunion. And, son-of-a-gun, my current historical series, The Lost Princesses, is about a family, separated by tragedy, and how the family members slowly grope their way toward reunion. And my previous contemporary series, The Lost Texas Hearts, is about a family, separated by tragedy, and how the family members slowly grope their way toward reunion. In fact, my new contemporary series will eventually include a story about Gabriel Prescott, the one unresolved story from The Lost Texas Hearts. Wow, I have a theme!

Obviously, I’m fascinated by families and reunions, and obviously so are millions of readers. Why? Because within families, there are millions of individual stories, and we can relate each story to our own experience and say, “Yeah, that’s me/my mother/my grandfather/my aunt.”



TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS hits the shelves on August 1, and since telling family stories is what I do well, I thought that over the next few weeks, I would share a few of my families’ treasured tales with you.

The first tale:
My grandmother and my father were apparently very much alike — opinionated and argumentative, and that’s putting it politely. Once during a family gathering, they were fighting about how many men were killed in the building of Hoover Dam. (Don’t ask why. I have no idea.) My grandmother said one hundred and thirteen men and my dad said one hundred and twelve. After much backing and forthing, my dad got out the encyclopedia, found the right article, pointed to the number and said, “See? It says right there one hundred and twelve men were killed during the building of Hoover Dam.” And my grandmother said —




Wait for it —




“Whoever wrote that book didn’t know what they were talking about.”

Do you have a relative like that? I’ll bet you have, and I’ll bet you have stories about him/her, too. Tell us all.

And I hope you’re on the Squawk Radio mailing list (you can sign up in the Bravenet box to the left of this page), because Friday night, I’m giving away two advanced reader copies of TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS, one each, to two lucky winners, randomly picked from the Squawk Radio mailing list. Do you want an arc? Read the excerpt at www.christinadodd.com and see. Good luck!

Teresa Presents TEN ESSENTIAL ROMANCES NO LIBRARY SHOULD BE WITHOUT

1) THE WINDFLOWER by Tom and Sharon Curtis (Laura London - 1984) - As I've said before, this is not only my favorite romance but my favorite novel of all time. You'll find the writing a little more detailed than most romances today but it's so exquisite that I love every syllable. The cast of unforgettable characters include Merry Patricia Wilding, whose innocence, courage, and good humor prove irresistible to even the most jaded of pirates; Devon, her handsome abductor, whose passion is exceeded only by his compassion; enigmatic pirate king Rand Morgan and his young protégé, Cat. To this day, Cat remains one of the most beloved secondary characters in all of romantic fiction. No longer a boy, but not yet a man, he reluctantly assumes the role of Merry's champion and steals our hearts just as surely as Devon steals Merry's. (Alternate Curtis Pick - SUNSHINE AND SHADOW and every one of their short Regencies and categories.)

2) A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR by Jude Deveraux (1989) - This is the ultimate time travel romance that rocked the publishing world back in 1989. It was fresh and unique because Jude brought her hero forward in time to the present day before sending her heroine back in time to search for him. It was the first time I realized just how compelling a "lovable loser" heroine could be. And I still smile when I think about Nicholas being introduced to the modern joys of the vacuum cleaner and can opener and get a catch in my throat when I think about the ending. Jude has always had the ability to write in almost any genre because she's such a consummate storyteller. (Alternate: WISHES, the VELVET series).






3) THE BRIDE by Julie Garwood (1990) - In this medieval and quintessential Garwood book, Julie brought something that was badly needed to the historical romance genre--delight. From the very first lines of Chapter One: "They said he killed his first wife. Papa said maybe she needed killing", you knew you were in for a treat. Garwood was a master at writing those "ditzy-appearing but actually pretty clever" heroines who swept into the castle/manor and made everyone fall in love with her...including us. (Alternate: HONOR'S SPLENDOR, THE LYON'S LADY, RANSOM.)





4) SOMETHING WONDERFUL by Judith McNaught (1988) - Judith McNaught has always combined fine writing with wonderful storytelling and she brings both to a culmination in this delightful and classic Regency historical. Her secondary cast of characters (loveable servants, a crusty grandmother, a sardonic "fairy godfather" type, the hero's sympathetic and sexy brother/cousin/friend) have become archetypes in the romance genre since this book was published. The end always leaves me sobbing (but in a joyful way). (Alternates: A KINGDOM OF DREAMS, ALMOST HEAVEN, ONCE AND ALWAYS, PARADISE.)










5) SEIZE THE FIRE by Laura Kinsale (1989) - Although some will swear by FLOWERS FROM THE STORM or THE PRINCE OF MIDNIGHT, it was SEIZE THE FIRE that gave me my first introduction to the wonderful and full-bodied romances of Laura Kinsale. In this extraordinary romantic adventure, plump exiled princess Olympia St. Leger wins the heart of nearly unredeemable rake Sheridan Drake. Kinsale was the first author I remember who wasn't afraid to make her characters less than likeable so that you could watch them grow during the course of the story. As a reader, I would gladly accompany her on any journey--either by camel through the desert or through the more complex and perilous pathways of the human heart. (Alternate: FLOWERS FROM THE STORM.)

6) LORD OF SCOUNDRELS by Loretta Chase (1994) - You'll find this Regency historical on almost every "Best of" list for a reason. Chase's tongue is as witty, sharp and delightful as her heroine's, as we quickly discover in the Prologue when we get our first sighting of our future hero Lord Dain as an infant--"His heir was a wizened olive thing with large black eyes, ill-proportioned limbs, and a grossly oversize nose. It howled incessantly." Fortunately, you know what they say about the size of a man's nose... (Alternate: THE LION'S DAUGHTER.)











7) IT HAD TO BE YOU by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1994) - I've never met a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book I didn't love. Of her earlier books, FANCY PANTS, HOT SHOT and HONEY MOON are my favorites but of her later, slightly lighter books, this introduction to the football team the Chicago Stars most definitely qualifies as a classic. The minute Phoebe Summerville shows up at her father's funeral with a French poodle and a Hungarian lover, we know that Chicago Stars coach Dan Calebow doesn't stand a chance of resisting the brainy beauty. Susan writes some of the most three-dimensional characters I've ever met and is a master at establishing empathy for them from the very first page. (Alternates: Pretty much everything she ever wrote.)

8) JUST A KISS AWAY by Jill Barnett (1991) - This book is like one of those wonderful slapstick comedies from the 30's and 40's starring Carole Lombard and Clark Gable. Think BRINGING UP BABY set in the Pacific jungle. The lovely thing about Jill's comedy is that she could put her characters in the most ridiculous situations imaginable without making them ridiculous. And just when you think she can only make you giggle, she leaves you with a lump in your throat. Her historicals, even the funniest ones, had tremendous heart and that's what makes them timeless. (Alternate: BEWITCHING, SURRENDER THE DREAM)

9) GARTERS by Pamela Morsi (1992) - Pamela Morsi has the sort of voice that only comes along once every decade or so--warm, witty, and uniquely American. The Americana genre has fallen out of favor in the past few years and I desperately miss these books about small towns and mountain communities populated by good-hearted and quirky characters. A Morsi character like mountain girl Esme Crabb in GARTERS may be poor in wealth but they're always rich in humor and spirit. (Alternates: COURTING MISS HATTIE, SOMETHING SHADY, SIMPLE JESS.)



10) HUMMINGBIRD by LaVyrle Spencer (1983) - Everyone was shocked when LaVyrle Spencer retired from writing a few years ago at the top of her game (and the top of the bestseller lists), but she left behind a rich legacy of books. YEARS (with its grown-up LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE vibe) is another one of my favorites but HUMMINGBIRD is the ultimate gunfighter/schoolmarm Western. There are plenty of opportunities for delicious and romantic encounters as gentle, prim Abigail McKenzie nurses wounded gunfighter Jesse back to life...and love. (Alternate: YEARS, TWICE LOVED.)

Okay, it's your turn to stock our romance library! My first book had already been sold when I read most of these books but they inspired me to hone my prose, my storytelling and my mastery of sensual tension. I wasn't allowed to put any classic Squawker novels on MY list but you may if you just insist. (DREAMING OF YOU, anyone? ;))If you could recommend 1-10 romances to stock a classic collection, what would they be?