Tag, You're It!

Ladies, check Stephanie Julian's blog at http://onamoonlitnight.blogspot.com/ for your mission, should you choose to accept it.

Stephanie Julian

Story Ideas

I have a bad habit. I collect ideas.

And then I put them in a nice organized pile.

Where they languish.

Because I usually dream my stories. The ones I dream have to be written down fast before they fade like mist. The ideas from an article, or a news story... they'll be around, and I don't jump on them right away.

If I were more organized, I would actually file my ideas somehow, because I know there will come a day when I don't have a group of characters in my head telling me their stories, and I'll need some solid inspiration.

But for now, when I need to be inspired, a nap usually does the trick.

What would I do if I became a really really really famous author??

On youtube Kaleb Nation and Jackson Pearce have answered the question listed above. The top five things.... hmmm. Well, there are definitely a few more, but these are the first that come to mind:

1) Pay off all our debts, buy the house of my dreams, the cars we want, and put money away for the future. Ok, whew, got the reasonable one out of the way first.

2) For this house of my dreams - hire staff: landscaper, maid, and a cook. I'm just not good at it and I want to eat well and look good for all my public appearances. Better hire a massueur and a personal trainer as well.

3) Have a TOTALLY awesome writing space with lots of desk top room, a great computer and printer, all my favorite pens and regular shopping at Staples for more supplies (yes, I completely adore Staples - could shop in there forever). There would be lots of light, a small library of books (reference and favorite fiction). I would be excited to be there every day. Except when I'm traveling

4) Travel and shop to my hearts content - first class all the way. To NYC, to London, Paris, a month in Italy. I'm a self trained retail therapist and I adore the whole process of shopping... and buying! Vacations to Disney, California. Cruises. Yeah, let's face it -- I want it all.

5) Create places for writers to write! First, I'd buy a bed and breakfast on the Jersey Shore and turn it into a low cost writers' retreat where writers could come to relax and commune with their muse and be inspired by one another. I'd get to be there whenever I could, meeting and encouraging folks.

I'd also buy a brownstone like place, have a bookstore cafe on the first floor, a daycare place in the basement, and rooms upstairs that can be reserved for writing. Hey - if your gym can provide child care while you work out, I should be able to find a way to do this for writers. We all deserve a place to become the writers we want to be.

I have to add one more
6) Invest in projects I believe in. I have friends who are working hard to achieve their artistic dreams and I would love to be able to give them funding, no strings attached so they could go full force towards what they want.

So... what would you do? Oh, and if your curious Jackson's video response, which I really like, is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB1G7xtk-B8

Have a great week,
Rowan

ROMANCING THE STONES- Aug 19

ROMANCING THE STONES, my romantic suspense novel, becomes available as an ebook August 19th from Samhain. It's getting great reviews so far, which has me smiling!

I'm very excited about this book. It combines my love of archaeology with that CSI vibe and a touch of paranormal to keep you guessing.

The heroine, Charlotte "Charlie" Blair arrives home from a dig in Peru only to find a serial killer has stashed a body in her house. Since she's got her own problems- namely the fact that she lost a legendary  artifact- a solid gold phallus- she wants nothing to do with Rob Vaiden, the detective assigned to the case.

Trouble is, somehow their paths keep crossing, and somehow her troubles and his case are connected. But can they figure it out before it's too late?

Revisions, revisions, revisions................

Hi All, I'm coming out of the revisions cave to say hello.

While I was at RWA, my editor sent me revisions. They included a 7-page revisions letter and just about one content note on every page. Eek! Deadline: 3 weeks. So I've gone directly from an incredibly intense, busy conference into heavy revisions and I have hardly come up for air.

So I have a revisions question for those of you who are writers:
How do you know when you're revising that you're not making the book worse rather than better? I think that's my biggest fear!

New Release Date and Cover

Isn't it beautiful? This is the fourth book in my Magical Seduction series from Ellora's Cave and once again I have to thank the amazing artist Les Byerly for an amazing cover.

SEDUCED AND ENCHANTED is a take on the sleeping beauty story, where Rosie, a sweet librarian, meets the man of her dreams, youngest de Feo brother, Rio, and discovers she isn't exactly the person she thought she was.

Add hot sex and an evil undead witch and action ensues. All sorts of action.

ENCHANTED will be released Nov. 12.

Besieged

Okay, I'm jealous, I'll admit it. I didn't get to go to RWA either, and today all my mail lists will be besieged with posts from tired, delirious, motivated writers, fresh from their fun, fabulous conference.

Man, I feel more jealous than when I started this blog entry!

I've tried to fill my time: 

I've had a three-day headache, trying its best to become a four-day headache (so really, if I had gone to RWA, wouldn't that have been horrible?). 

I dragged my kids to a historic cemetery, a historic plantation, and a baseball game. 

I worked on edits (because I can edit with a headache, most of the time. I just can't create with a headache.

And I planned out this coming week of places to drag my kids to (gotta get some learning in).

So I am tired, even though I didn't travel across country. But still jealous!

And I can't wait to read all the posts!