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The one constant about the month of September is that it is all about change. September is that funny in between transition period when all our lives are thrown upside and change into something else. Summer is ending, and fall will soon be beginning. Leaves start to change from green to vibrant reds and browns. Children return to school, to discipline themselves to spend their days in musty classrooms rather than outside in the warmth of the sun. Be sure to check out the sizzling September releases on the Spotlight page. |
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Writerspace: Romance novels, also, are about change. Two people meet and fall in love - yet in order to overcome whatever obstacles they face, they must grow as people, and change. How do your protagonists grow and change in your course of your current novel? Susan Kearney: In
UNDER WRAPS the heroine finds herself on the run from the law with a baby
that she kidnapped. Her life is turned upside down--talk about change! Dealing
with a baby is very different from her archaeology job and dealing with the
baby's father brings conflict to a whole new emotional level. Judie Aitken: Jesse
Spotted Horse and Kathleen Prescott, the hero and heroine in DISTANT
ECHOES, are at complete opposite ends of a debate that has been raging for
over 118 years. It's an historic debate and it is a very personal debate for
both of them. Although the process is emotionally, and sometimes physically
painful, for them to accept their mistakes, Jesse and Kathleen learn it is all
necessary in order to find the truth. Because the reality lies somewhere in the
middle of their argument, they both win – the dispute…and each other. Dana Stabenow: BETTER
TO REST is the fourth of the Liam Campbell novels, and state trooper Liam
Campbell has in the space of four novels involving a six-month time period gone
from being reunited with his long-lost love, pilot Wyanet Chouinard, to finding
out that she has adopted a 12-year old boy, to discovering that she may or may
not have inherited a kind of psychic power from the Alaskan old fart who is the
bane of Liam's existence and who also turns out to be her grandfather. To say
that it has been a roller-coaster is to understate the case. Liam has big-time
woman trouble, and truthfully? I myself don't know how that's going to turn out.
Dee Davis: Eric D'Angelo honestly believes he is married to his job. A detective with a failed marriage behind him, he is convinced that there he's better off on his own. Until he meets Sara Martin. In her eyes, he sees something he hasn't dared to dream about -- the possibility of a future with someone at his side. Still, he is afraid that he has nothing to offer her, and is hesitant to deepen the relationship. He wants to give her everything but isn't sure it will be enough. Sara Martin lost her husband and young son in an accident. Since then she's
been closed off in her grief, uninterested in moving forward or condsidering the
even the possibility of a future with someone else. When she meets Eric
D'Angelo, something inside her responds, and for the first time in years she
considers the possibility of a falling in love again. But those same feelings
also invoke strong feelingls of guilt. She struggles with the two diametrically
opposed forces as her relationship with Eric continues to deepen and bit by bit
she learns to let the past go. Joanne Rock: Character
growth is one of my favorite elements of romance. I love thinking about how love
has the power to inspire positive change and have found that my characters
always walk away from my stories as different people. In Sex & the Single
Girl, my take-no-crap heroine Brianne goes head to head with an unconventional
FBI agent, Aidan, who thinks she might be up to no good. Ultimately, Brianne
must learn to let down her defenses and let other people help her. She learns
that she can't be a one-woman island... she needs Aidan's expertise sometimes
too! For his part, my hero learns to see beyond outward appearances and
preconceived notions to the people within. Susan Sizemore: All
fiction is about change and growth, not just romance novels. At the end of any
book, the characters should not be the same people they were at the beginning.
In fact, I believe a book starts when the world changes for the main characters.
The journey of the book is about how the characters deal with that change.
HEROES is a vampire fantasy novel (it has romance and relationships in
it, but isn’t a romance novel. My first vampire romance novel, I BURN FOR
YOU comes out next month). In HEROES the vampire and human
protagonists must put down a vampire revolt, and fight to save Las Vegas from a
dragon (among other perils). Along the way relationships shift and change, and a
couple of young vampires begin to realize that it just might be able to change
the rules that vampires live by. HEROES is about the first stirrings of a
revolution that will be continued in future LAWS OF THE BLOOD books.
Janice McDonald: My
September SuperRomance,SUSPICION, is indeed about change. The hero, Scott
Campbell, a Los Angeles journalist, has come to Catalina Island hoping to change
everything about his life. He's had it with cynical, big city existence, jaded
attitudes etc. He wants to believe the best of people. By contrast, Ava Lynsky,
the heroine, has led an enchanted life as the daughter of a prominent island
family. Although she would like everything to stay the way it has always been
things are changing in a way that makes her question her entire life. Katherine Garbera:
IN BED WITH BEAUTY is a story that's all about fear of change so your
question is particularly interesting to me. Harris has found a place in his life
where he is comfortable. He works alone as a consultant in financial matters and
never stays in any one location longer than two months. Sarah has surrounded
herself with family and friends and struggles to keep the restaurant her parents
started open. As they fall in love they both have to change to move forward.
Harris has to stop moving on and Sarah has to be willing to step out of her
safely ordered world. Colleen Collins: LET IT BREE: The heroine, Bree Brown, who's terrified that putting down roots (falling in love) means she'll get stuck in a smalltown for the rest of her life, learns that being in love with the right man means she can live her dreams and travel the world and never feel "stuck." In fact, that love=roots. CAN'T BUY ME LOUIE: The heroine, Alicia Hansen, has never had anybody
say "no" to her. And because she comes from money, she's accustomed to buying
whatever she needs or wants. But all that changes when she meets the hero. By
the end of the story, Alicia has let go of money, literally, and embraced a
lifestyle that's richer in experience, possibilities, and love. Carly Phillips: My
heroine, Sloane's, life is thrown into turmoil at the beginning of THE
HEARTBREAKER when she discovers the man who raised her isn't her biological
father. Her life is further complicated by a one night stand with the hero,
Chase Chandler, and the subsequent search for her real father in Yorkshire
Falls. Meanwhile Chase is on the verge of carving out his own life and career
after raising his brothers and the last thing he wants is family or more
obligations. Then he meets Sloane and everything he thought he wanted is called
into question. Throughout the story, both Sloane and Chase learn the meaning of
love versus duty as well as the meaning of acceptance, but not without a lot of
twists and turns along the way! Lisa Wingate: In TEXAS COOKING, Collie Collins is definitely going through a life crisis. She's lost everything she thought she valued--her high-profile job, her live-in boyfriend, her fast-paced life in Washington, DC. She's forced to travel to small town Texas to write cooking articles for a women's magazine, a sort of waking nightmare for a girl accustomed to being among the movers and shakers. But, as she settles into life in small San Saline, Texas, Collie finds that the desires of her heart are changing to include things she never thought she wanted and a man she didn't think she liked. True McKitrick isn't at all her type. He's a Texas-talking local boy who owns the local tractor dealership and does a lousy job of running the San Saline newspaper. Or maybe he isn't. Collie soon finds that True isn't at all what he seems, either. As Collie and True find themselves drawn into a relationship, they struggle to overcome the secrets of the past and their own ideas about what they thought they wanted for the future. When Collie once again finds herself in the middle of a big DC story, she is
forced to reevaluate her life and her priorities--to decide whether to return to
the fast lane or start all over on an entirely different kind of life with True.
Karen
Templeton: After losing people close to us -- parents, spouses, lovers --
it's all too easy to wall ourselves off from getting involved with anyone else,
rather than risking that searing pain of loss, ever again. For Hank and Jenna in
FATHERS AND OTHER STRANGERS, this is especially true: Hank watched his
fiancee die after a drive-by shooting, while Jenna watched her husband, and only
love, slowly succumb to cancer after more than fifteen years of marriage. When
they meet, due to Jenna's discovery that Hank is her niece's hitherto unknown
father, both are convinced they've been coping just fine. . .until each sees the
truth reflected in the eyes of the other -- that they're only living half a life
as long as they're afraid to connect romantically with another human being. The
challenge, they each discover, is being able to put that truth into practice. :)
Brenda Harlen: My heroine, Riane, undergoes incredible growth and change when she learns that nothing in her life is as she believed it to be. She is forced to re-examine everything about herself, face difficult questions about her past, and decide upon a course for her future. With the hero's help, she learns not only to accept but also to appreciate the woman she is. This, in turn, gives her the courage and conviction to go after what she really wants in life: him! My hero, Joel, also grows and changes as a result of his relationship with
the heroine. At the beginning of the story, he is bitter and cynical; by the
end, he not only believes in happily-ever-after but is looking forward to living
his own fairytale with Riane. Most importantly, he learns to let go of past
resentments (particularly toward Riane's family) and to accept the love she
offers. Lindsay Longford:
In DEAD CALM, Judah Finnegan, burned out, disillusioned detective, learns that he can, with love, shape a different life, that life doesn't have to be all darkness. Sophie Brennan, an ER doctor, is the woman whose love of life and of people causes him to change. She changed through the course of the book because she realizes that her life, a life she'd thought was perfect and exactly the way she wants it, is, in fact, incomplete. She and Judah are brought together again by the case of the baby abandoned in the manger of a local church. It is this baby that causes Sophie to realize that she wants more out of life than she has. This baby, a fragile infant, needs her, and Sophie turns her life upside down as a result. Lynn Kurland: Like most
of us, they are trying to reconcile their futures with (if I could use a
waterskiing analogy) the wake they've left behind them. In the process of doing
that, they manage, of course, to fall in love! Darlene Graham: How
DON'T they change? I slam both Greg Glazier and Ashleigh Logan right into the
middle of a gigantic Hero's Journey in the heart of New Mexico's Enchanted
Circle. I hope readers will love the ride as they watch Greg and Ashleigh
"answer the call" of their lives and see how they are both miraculously
transformed. For one thing, Greg and Ashleigh are about to be gifted with the
child of their dreams ... but not the child they bargained for. For another,
they are about to get an unexpected bonus from the fates -- each other!
Susan King: Sir Aedan
MacBride and Christina Blackburn in WAKING THE PRINCESS have something in
common at the beginning of the story, though neither would admit to it -- both
hold themselves back from life and its passions, and both have secrets. Keeping
his intense nature under strict restraint, Aedan honors his obligations to home,
family, and legacy, although he longs for something more. But he believes real
love does not exist for him, and if he ever tries to claim it, a family curse
says he only invites tragedy. Christina gave her passionate nature free rein
years ago with such disastrous results that she now hides behind prim
intellectualism. Longing for love, they deny themselves the freedom to accept
it. But when an ancient legend begins to stir in their lives, creating ripples
that will inevitably change their lives and their hearts, Aedan and Christina
feel the magical stirrings of love and passion. Yet both must find the courage
to reach out before it is too late. The challenge to step away from what is
known and safe, and find the courage to risk heart and soul in order to grasp a
finer joy in life, is something many of us face at some point, in some way. If
you'd like to know how Aedan and Christina face this challenge, please look for
WAKING THE PRINCESS in September--I hope you will love their story.
Diane Farr: UNDER THE
WISHING STARr is the tale of two people who are so accustomed to loneliness,
they no longer even recognize how lonely they are. Each is profoundly alone, but
neither realizes it until they encounter each other ... and catch a glimpse of
what life could be, if they dared to trust each other. Their meeting sets in
motion powerful forces within themselves, like spring sunlight falling on frozen
earth, warming and awakening it. The changes they experience during the course
of the book are life-altering. I hope that readers will identify with, and
share, Malcolm and Natalie's journey toward joy as they risk what they hold most
dear, and gain more than they ever dreamed possible. Lillian Stewart Carl: LUCIFER'S CROWN is not actually a romance novel but a fantasy, a contemporary quest for the Holy Grail. There are, though, two very different romantic sub-plots -- and the novel is ultimately about love. (And hate, and pride....) Maggie Sinclair is a teacher facing a mid-life crisis and struggling against disillusionment. She must make a leap of faith in more ways than just falling in love, although falling in love is very much part of her growth and change. Rose Kildare is one of her students. She goes with Maggie to England hoping to find adventure and romance -- and finds that she never really understand just what either word meant. Mick Dewar is a young Scot who wants to find out what happened to his father--but even when that question is answered, there are many others facing him, not least whether Rose's personal journey and his own will bring them together or break them apart. Thomas London has been growing and changing for many, many years, and yet he
wonders whether he's grown enough not only to help humanity safely into the next
millennium, but also to redeem a terrible crime from his own past.. Meg Chittenden: In
the beginning of MORE THAN YOU KNOW, Maddy Sloane is about to leave her
husband Bart and divorce him, but before she can do so, he disappears! He is
supposed to pick her up outside Seattle's Pike Place market--is very late
showing up, then says he's going to the restroom and vanishes. Maddy worries
he's met with an accident or foul play. She wouldn't wish either on him even
though she no longer loves him. Nick Ciacia offers to help her find Bart. Maddy
doesn't know Nick is an FBI special agent, but accepts his offer when he
convinces her they have friends in common. During their search for Bart, passion
grows between them and Maddy begins to think she can be happy again, until she
discovers that Nick has a deadly agenda of his own. By the end, ah the
end....but I can't possibly give away the ending! Susan Krinard: My hero, werewolf Morgan Holt, has a huge change to face at the beginning of TO CATCH A WOLF. He's been living as a wolf for several years after being released from prison, in which he was incarcerated for many years as well. He has no interest in rejoining the human race, but is forced to do so when a traveling circus rescues him from hunters and learns his secret--that he can take the shape of a wolf at will. Morgan must learn how to trust and love again, and to appreciate the human within himself. The person who most helps him do this is the heroine, Athena Munroe, whose
legs were crippled in an accident when she was a girl on the threshold of
womanhood. She appears competent and strong, even in a wheelchair, but she's
being held back by her brother, Niall, who feels responsible for her accident,
and by her own secret fears. Morgan is the person who can release the "wildness"
in her, and teach her to challenge the assumptions she's always held about
herself and the world. Linda Style: Excellent question, especially since J.D. Rivera and Maddy Inglewood's story takes place in the fall, and the story is all about change. Maddy and J.D. are similar in that both have had a traumatic experience causing them to withdraw from life. But Maddy is determined to change all that, and Tripplehorne Ranch in Arizona is the place she's chosen to do it. For J.D. Rivera, the ranch is just another way station. Fate has taken away everything he ever held dear. His parents, his best friend, his fiancée, his career and his future. Just getting through each day is a supreme challenge. Can two wounded people help each other? That's exactly what happens in this story when one woman's determination to change her life ends up changing the lives of many others. It's a story about dreams and courage. I hope you enjoy it. If you'd like to read an excerpt, you'll find one at www.LindaStyle.com and another at www.superauthors.com. Josephine Carr:
My protagonist, Allie, changes PROFOUNDLY, even though she is forty
years old. From a woman who has never really experienced sexual love,
she is hit over the head by physical desire. Because she is intensely
intellectual, her way of coping is also intellectual...until she
finally learns to listen to the wisdom of her body. The challenge of
life and love is to listen to ourselves, and that means tuning into our
minds, our souls, AND our bodies.
Cherry Adair: AJ Cooper spent the first part of her life rebelling against being beautiful--it never got her anywhere. Now she's in TFLAC based on her brains and ability, but is faced with using her beauty to get the job done. She has to reconcile both sides of herself.
Kane Wright is used to going it alone. He's the one called in when everyone else messes up. Now, he's stuck with AJ and is forced to recognize his own needs for companionship and love.
Nicole Byrd: A year after the death of her husband, impoverished young widow Lucy Contrain fears she will soon be out on the street. When the Viscount Richmond comes to her door, seeking the recovery of a stolen crown jewel and hinting that her husband could have been involved in the theft, Lucy demands a share in his investigation. She hopes to prove her late husband innocent and also claim part of the reward the Prince Regent is offering.
Both Lucy and Nicolas have emotional wounds and mysteries in their past. Lucy, as she faces some startling discoveries about her husband, has to rise above a sterile marriage and an unsatisfactory love life that she fears might be due to her lack of appeal. She must gain confidence in herself as a woman and a lover. Even the enigmatic Nicholas, whose reputation as a lady's man is well deserved, has secrets in his past, unexpected vulnerabilities and long-buried pain which Lucy will help assuage. Together, as they elude present day enemies determined to find the missing ruby before them, Nicolas and Lucy will grow and overcome the painful legacies that haunt them.
Susannah Carleton:
Madeline Graves and Lord David Winterbrook, the heroine and hero of A TWIST OF FATE, are both widowed, and their first marriages were far from pleasant, although for quite different reasons. Lynn learns that there are kind men in the world, men who deserve the designation "gentleman" because they can be gentle while still being manly. In order to discover that, though, she has to risk both her heart and herself, and learn to trust again. Given her past experiences, it's an enormous leap of faith. David must take similar risks to win Lynn's trust, and even greater ones to win her love. Because of her wariness, he has to be the first to talk about the past, opening himself to possible ridicule and scorn. In some ways, it is easier for him because, like all his relatives for several generations, he recognizes Lynn at first sight as the love of his life. But that knowledge also makes him impatient, and patience and understanding are the traits he most needs to win Lynn's heart.
Writerspace: What changes are you anticipating - or dreading - in your life this September? Do you eagerly await silence when the children go back to school, or anticipate the vibrant hues of autumn leaves? Or are you just relieved that it is getting cooler, finally? Perhaps you are an "A" personality and are gearing up for the next big bump -- the end of year holidays? Susan Kearney: My
youngest just went off to college, my my oldest has graduated and is back in
town. And I'm also training a puppy and have forgotten how much work that
entails. Luckily, Florida is still quite warm and the dog can spend some outside
time while I get to write. :) Judie Aitken: I don't
have any children to send back to school. I suppose I could send my Newfoundland
dog for another round at obedience training, he could certainly use it. I am
currently working on my next book, a romantic suspense entitled SECRET
SHADOWS, a December 2004 release for Berkley, and I love sitting outside on
my balcony and writing until the wee hours of the night. Unfortunately, the
coming colder weather will soon force me back inside. Autumn is beautiful with
all of the reds and golds in the leaves, but it is also the harbinger of winter
and I'm not a good ice and snow person. Of course, I live in a state where the
weather changes every 15 minutes so hopefully we'll skip winter altogether this
year. I usually go out of the country for the Christmas holidays and I'll
concede the need for glorious drifts of white snow on Christmas Day – but the
darned stuff had better be gone on December 26th until the next year. Dana Stabenow: In
September I pick raspberries and make my grandmother's framboise, I take down
the screens and put up the storm windows on the doors, I pick the last tomatoes,
mulch my trees and perennials, I refresh the wolf urine on the trees I don't
want the moose to eat. I take a last bike road on the Coastal Trail out to
Kincaid Park, take advantage of all the tourists going south by going to the
museum shows before they end, enjoy the turning of the leaves, mourn the
decrease in daylight, go on book tour, plan my vacation, and start work on the
next book. Dee Davis: This is my
absolute favorite time of year. The weather cools. The air smells clean and
crisp. And there’s a promise of new beginnings. Maybe it started back when I was
in school, new notebooks, new clothes, and the possibility of anything
happening. The return of old friends, familiar things, and the excitement of the
new school year looming ahead. Or maybe it’s just that the world is springing
back into action -- the lazy days of summer behind us. Either way it’s an
energizing time of year, with the promise of wonderful things to come. Joanne Rock: I love September! Maybe it's the work-oriented Virgo in me, or maybe it's just that my birthday happens to fall this month, but I always feel creative and productive as the weather turns cooler and the kids head back to school. Traditionally, this is the time of year when I am most efficient and can tackle extra projects with ease. I write, organize and still bake cookies to pull out of the oven just as the bus arrives to bring my kids home. Of course, by October I'm usually slowing down a bit and relishing those
shorter days! But September finds me supercharged and ready to take on the
world. Susan Sizemore: What
I’m eagerly anticipating for September is a trip to England! I’m off to visit
friends I haven’t seen for twenty years, and to research Britain’s Roman history
(research for the next Laws of the Blood book), and to just generally have a
relaxing time. After a long, hot, stressful summer, I’m really looking forward
to an interim of two weeks before coming home and settling down to work again.
The change I’m both hopefully and nervously anticipating is the release of I
BURN FOR YOU in October. While I’ve written many romance novels, and many
vampire fantasy novels, I BURN FOR YOU is the first book that I’ve
written that blends both genres. It was a joy to write, but I’m quite anxious to
find out what readers think. For an advanced taste of I BURN FOR YOU, and
all my other books, excerpts are posted on my Writerspace website Janice McDonald: I'm
not expecting many changes in September or October--mostly I'll be finishing up
a book that's due the end of October. Early November though, I'm planning to
drive up to Port Angeles, Washington, to house sit for my daughter and
son-in-law who are planning an around-the-world trip. I love the northwest and
the idea of spending a few months up there, enjoying fall weather (in S.
California where I live we have a very subdued fall!) appeals to me a great
deal. Katherine Garbera:
I'm glad my kids are back in school and am looking foward to fall and the
upcoming holidays. Right now I have two huge writing deadlines looming in front
of me. Since we've moved so much in the last two years I'm looking forward to
some time without change--settling into our new home and finding a nice routine!
Colleen Collins: It's
been so hot this summer, I'm eager to be cool again! Carly Phillips: I'm
excited for my kids to go back to school so that I can have more writing time,
but since my oldest is starting middle school, I'm nervous for her too! I love
the fall and the changing of the leaves and the cooler weather. Autumn is my
favorite season! I'm nervous about my first book tour in September and I don''t
like leaving my family behind, yet I'm excited too! My life is full of as many
changes as the seasons! Lisa Wingate: Fall always brings a mixture of feelings for me. I'm always sad to say good-bye to summer and send the boys off to school. I can't help thinking about all of the things we were going to do "this summer" that we didn't get to. I realize that all of those possibilities are gone for another year, and the house is quiet. At the same time, I look forward to the cooling weather and all the upcoming
holidays. I watch for the first bits of color in the leaves, and the first
autumn decorations on porches in town. I think about Halloween costumes and
Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas parties, winter trips, and if we're lucky, a snow
day or two. I look forward to the shortened days, when we're all inside by
five-thirty, and the fire is burning. No one is off to soccer or baseball or
youth camp. No one is rushing in from play to get a bath and hop straight into
bed. In the winter, it's just us curled up as a family through the long, cool
evening hours--plenty of time to talk, and play games, and draw pictures, and
write stories ... and plan for all of the things we're going to do next summer.
Karen
Templeton: Definitely the cooler weather, although since I live in
Albuquerque, that doesn't really kick in until October. But when it does, I can
go walking again without melting after half a block! I can close the windows and
hear nothing but the hum of the computer! I can vacuum the living room and it'll
still be clean when I come down for lunch! (Yes, I have kids, can you tell?) And
I do start thinking about the holidays -- I already bought the cutest fuzzy
spider to hang outside our door for Halloween! And of course, I'm SURE I need
some new sweaters. . .and boots. . .and a jacket. . . ;-) I love the fall. Got
married in the fall, had four of my five babies in the fall -- it's basically
one huge nonstop celebration for this family, and I love it! Lindsay Longford: What I am anticipating--and also dreading--is the need to change how I've been leading my life. After a 4-year break in books, I realize that I'm almost starting my career over in spite of 17 books. I have to evaluate what I've done, see where I need to go, and concentrate on the work to a degree I haven't in the past. That's scary--but also exciting. I look at it as another one of those life doors that opens to a new and fascinating room!
Brenda Harlen: September is definitely a month that evokes mixed feelings for me. My eldest son will be returning to school this month--in "SK" now, he will proudly tell anyone who asks. My youngest son (who doesn't go to JK until next year) will miss his brother and likely mope around the house for the first several days complaining that he has no one to play with. But I'm looking forward to the opportunity to get my life back into some kind of routine, and with my referee duties reduced to part-time, hopefully I'll finally finish my current work-in-progress. I'm also a little sad to see the summer end. I think summer is my favorite season, and this one seemed to pass so quickly. But there are a lot of things to look forward to: Hallowe'en is just around the corner, and Christmas won't be too far after that. And while I would never describe myself as a type "A" personality (I'm far too disorganized for that distinction!) I must confess to having started my holiday shopping already. So while I mourn the passing of the season, there is a lot to look forward to
in the fall and winter. And once the snow hits the ground, I won't even be
tempted to stray outside to play--which means I should manage to get a lot more
work done :-) Lynn Kurland: My
favorite month is September. I love the last days of summer, the return of the
Northwest rains (so I can get back inside and get some work done!), and the
falling leaves and cooler weather to come. The thing I dread about September is
the fact that almost everyone in my family/extended family is born in September
and we hardly have time to recover from the too-much-cake-and-ice-cream
headaches before Halloween comes! Darlene Graham: No, no, I'm not a "Type A." I'm more like "W" (for writer) or even a "Z" some days. I have an empty nest now, so these days my life is about lots of friends, travel, chocolate, dancing ... just plain fun! It's a miracle I get my books written. I'm emerging from a huge sea change in my life, and this September feels like my long-awaited new beginning. Life is finally settled and very, very good. My new-found happiness is showing up in my books, too. The deep emotion is still there, but now I'm having much more fun with the characters! I think this fun, light side shows up in TO SAVE A CHILD, my Superromance that's due out next May. And it will definitely pop out in the book I'm writing now, about a hero and heroine who form a family with three wild little boys. This is my 10th Superromance -- quite a milestone for me. And goodness, I'll be starting to work on my new trilogy later this fall. Exciting times for this writer! My children are never silent, even when they are back in school. Anybody ever heard of cell phones? Both my daughters are off at college now, and having an empty nest is bittersweet. The joys are about sharing exciting times with my girls and seeing them become women and fall in love. The poingant part is realizing that one's time as a mommy is truly over. For those of you still in the trenches, even though I loved being a mother, I do remember what a relief it is when school finally starts. In Oklahoma, "cooler" means below 100, so it's all relative. If we get an
Indian summer, we will still be running around in shorts a month from now. Even
so, just the hint of autumn gives me a rush of of giddy coziness. Light the
housewarmer candles! Put on a pot of soup! Curl up near a sunny window with your
favorite romance author's latest book. (I'm still a reader at heart.) Bliss!
Susan King: End of the
year holidays?! I can't think that far ahead--I've just survived another summer
with a houseful of Guys! At last my sons are back in their various schools (high
school, college, and medical school for my three), and my house is quiet (well,
almost--we have a little Westie who feels obligated to bark at every squirrel,
bunny, and UPS guy brave enough to enter her territory--though she really hopes
they'll come play with her!). So now, with my loyal Westie underfoot, it's time
to reorganize my office (well, one more attempt anyway!), and clear the clutter
that comes from living with a bunch of young males (picture dirty socks and
pizza boxes that mysteriously appear overnight). Then I'll catch up on some
reading (THAT ought to take me a lifetime or two!), and soon I'll settle down to
serious work on my next book. I'm hoping to surprise my readers with something
fabulous next year--visit my website soon to see what that will be! Diane Farr: I am looking
forward to sweater weather, fires in the fireplace again, crisp apples--and new
books to write! Lillian Stewart
Carl: As a Texan, I always look forward to September and the end of the
long, hot summer. I love the return of blue skies and the reds and golds of the
fall leaves, and being able to go outside and walk without frying -- this
climate is not kind on us Anglo-Celtic redheads! Of course fall is also ragweed
season in Texas Meg Chittenden: My
children are grown and married with little children of their own. I still
remember looking forward to the end of the school vacation so I could get back
to writing, but I also remember missing my son and daughter dreadfully when they
went back to school. Now, I'm happy to be finishing up my next book, which is my
37th! It will come out in 2004. It doesn't have a title yet, and it still needs
some work, but it's going to be finished in time for my October 15th deadline.
I'm about to start out on a mini book tour to promote MORE THAN YOU KNOW.
After that, I have to start thinking about the next book and yes, planning for
Christmas, which is a big deal in our family. Mostly, though, I spend my time
planning, writing, and revising my novels. As I truly love what I do, my life
feels very complete to me. And I'm lucky to have a husband who supports what I
do in all ways. Susan Krinard: I always regret the end of summer and warm weather, since it's my favorite time of year. And since I've become an avid gardener, it's always a little sad to see the plants gradually fade and prepare for winter sleep. But I also know that this change is essential in the cycle of life and to assure a new spring next year. I'm making quite a few changes myself, some of which are quite challenging.
For the first time, I'm writing a fantasy novel for the new Luna imprint, as
well as writing romance. This means I must write more efficiently than ever
before, and stretch muscles I didn't know I had. My feelings about myself as a
writer are also undergoing a big transition, and I expect this will continue
throughout the fall and winter and into next spring. I just won't be able to
hibernate like the plants! Linda Style: Living in
Arizona I'm definitely relieved that it's getting cooler. I love fall, and it's
usually a relaxing time for me. However, since I'm working on a new continuity
for Harlequin Superromance with six other authors, and also a series of my own,
I don't think I'll be able to relax for a while. By the end of October I'm
always getting ready for the Holidays, which I adore because our whole family
comes to stay. Jill Shalvis: Well I
can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll be sad to see the girls (3 of them!) go
back to school. We've had a lazy summer run and I just don't want to get back
into the grind, not yet!! Jill Shalvis Josephine Carr:
I am in the midst of the biggest change of my life. I have begun
to live alone after 25 years of marriage. I've relocated to a new city
(though it is the city of my childhood), and have just seen my youngest
child settled at Yale College, where his older sister is a senior. I
am excited and exhilarated by all this, including the publication of my
novel. It is particularly gratifying that in the midst of such
upheaval and change, I have written a novel that's funny. I'd have to
say that my philosophy is one of joy and laughter.
Cherry Adair:
We're finally in our new house and the only boxes around are in the dumpster. Settling into the new space and the new routines has taken all summer. I'm so looking forward to the fall and getting back to what I love best--writing. Plus I have some fantastic holiday decor that's been in boxes for three years while we built the house...hmmm...Christmas...:)
Nicole Byrd:
To me summer is always hot and hectic, crowded with writing conferences and other trips. Michelle and I were in New York at RWA in July, and I was in Los Angeles in August. I love autumn, when the leaves change, the air cools, and I can settle back into a pleasant routine of writing, writing, writing, with my cat curled up in the big chair and a cup of tea at hand.
Susannah Carleton:
I'm dreading my son going off to college. He may be eighteen, but he's my baby (and undoubtedly always will be, no matter how old he is). I must be even more of a mother hen than I realized because seeing my one and only chick preparing to leave the nest is very difficult. He's a bit of a chatterbox, and I think the quiet may well be deafening. I'm also anticipating (and earnestly hoping for!) a break from the hectic summer pace of my day job.
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