May is definitely my favorite month.

First there’s the flowers. I’m not a gardener, but my garden is best during May. I’ve planted the flowers of my childhood, the ones I grew up with–forsythia, lilacs in purple and white, and peonies in shades of pink.

Those particular flowers, especially their scents, bring back memories of playing in my backyard as a little girl, dressing up with my sister and acting out fairy tales. On other days we’d join with the girls next door and give roller skating shows to a paying audience! We even made costumes! And we were great! Both of these–the flowers and the performances–meant that summer was beginning.

And that’s still a reason why May is my favorite month. Summer really IS beginning. My classes are over, and I can linger longer over my coffee or take a long walk without feeling guilty. The days are longer. I have more time to breathe and think.

I even have time to watch movies. Three movies I’ve watched already this month are “Tangled” (loved it), “Rio” in 3 D (made me want to visit Rio), and “The Tourist” with Johnny Depp. (Loved Johnny Depp and I felt as if I were in a Hitchcock film–where the poor hero bungles into something and then has to get out, plus save the girl. I always loved those stories).

May also deserves kudos because the upstate New York weather has finally turned warmer. I’ve turned my air conditioning on three times already!

May is still the month when summer stretches endlessly before me with all its possibilities. This year I’m going to make those days count, I’m going to make at least some of those possibilities come to fruition.

Finally, May more than any other month seems the month of new beginnings. This month so far, I’ve gone to a baby shower, I’ve welcomed a new great niece Luciana into the world. Today I’m celebrating my youngest son’s first wedding anniversary, and two of my step-grandchildren will be graduating. I’m also starting three new books about three brothers who are going to fulfill (whether they like it or not) an ancient legend. Neither the stories nor the heroes are giving me any trouble yet. But that will change soon.

What are your favorite things about May? Or what are your childhood memories of May? Share your stories and I will choose three at random and send you your choice of a book from my backlist.

Happy May!

I think I have the mid April blues. It’s the fourteenth. I’ve turned my taxes over to my accountant. He’s going to have them ready for me to sign tomorrow, and that’s when I’ll get the good news or the bad news. (It will be bad. I never get a refund.)

Adding to my gloom is the fact that in upstate New York we’re going into our third straight day of gray skies and rain. “April Showers” here have a monsoon quality to them.

To keep myself from becoming even more glum, I started to think about the things I like about April. For starters, it isn’t February or March. Easter is still on the way, and for me that day has always been the official start of Spring. When I was a child, Easter always meant new clothes-a dress, a coat and, of course, a hat. And my parents were very, very good at hiding the eggs and Easter baskets.

Then for some reason that old Pat Boone song, “April Love,” popped into my head. “April Love is for the very young.” That’s part of the lyrics, and now I can’t get either those words or the music out of my head. I think there was a movie too.

Now that “April Love” is stuck in my mind, I’m thinking about young love, especially crushes–how sweet they are, how unrealistic they can be, and how much they can hurt. None of my personal “April Loves” ended particularly well. That may be why I’m writing a Blaze right now where the sub-plot turns on the effects of an unrealistic teen age crush.

Uh oh, I’m slipping into gloom again.

On to cheerier things. For the rest of the day, instead of thinking of the song, or taxes or the lost loves of my youth, I’m going to think about “April in Paris.” And how much I’d really like to be there. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting that city three times in my life, and I’d go there again in a heartbeat.

And now that’s the song that I won’t be able to get out of my head for the rest of the day! But as long as it’s there, I will be beating off the blues.

Do you get the April Blues? What do you think about to pull yourself out of them? Do you have any suggestions for me? (Because pretty soon, I bet I’m going to be really sad that I’m not actually going to go to Paris this April.)

Happy April!

Recently, I was remoting my way through TV stations trying to find something to watch, and I happened on “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial,” and I just had to watch that movie again. I caught it right near the end, but I got to watch Elliot and his brother free E.T., the flying bike scene, and then I got to see E.T. go home. I love that movie as much today as I did when I first saw it. I even remember when it first came out on VHS.

That got me thinking about what other films stand out in my memory and why they continue to attract me.

The following are films I’m always tempted to linger with a while when I trap them on screen with my remote control.

“Julie and Julia:” I actually saw this for the first time in the theaters. And while I liked Julie’s story, I loved Julia’s. I think part of what I enjoyed was that the move took me back to the days when I actually watched Julia Child on Public Television and tried to cook her recipes. If I stumble across this one, I’m a couch potato until it’s over.

“North by Northwest:” I may have seen this one originally in the movie theaters too. This is definitely one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best movies, and whenever I find it, I’m hooked. It’s got every thing–mystery, breath-stopping adventure, more twists than you can keep up with, and Cary Grant.

“The Sting:” I don’t see this one rerun as often any more. But it’s one of my all time favorites. Robert Redford and Paul Newman in their glory days and the story of a brilliant con. Lots of twists…and laughs. Plus it has Scott Joplin’s piano music. My mother and I used to watch it together on the small screen.

“Little Women:” It’s not the original one because that had Kate Hepburn in it. And it’s not the most recent one with Winona Ryder? My “Little Women” is the one with June Allyson as Jo, Elizabeth Taylor as Amy and Margaret O’Brien as Beth. (Was Janet Leigh Meg?) When I can catch this movie, it transports me back to my childhood. My sister and I used to dress up and play scenes from the movie.

Any of the “Thin Man” Movies: Because I love mysteries and in any of these you get to see William Powell and Myrna Loy “martini” their way through a great adventure. And their dog is cute too. My mother got me started on these.

Okay, that’s five. I could go on, but I’ve already glimpsed a pattern here.

The lure that these films have on me isn’t merely that they’re great stories–even though they are. They also draw me in because when I watch them, I can sort of revisit the times when I first saw them.

That happens to me with books too. If I pick up Dickens’ “Great Expectations” I always remember the time I first read it when I was fourteen.
Same thing with “Gone With the Wind” and “Wuthering Heights.”

What are some of the movies or books that you love and that recapture memories for you? Or maybe I’m the only one who has this kind of experience…?

And I want all my book winners from February 14 and March 14 to know that the books are finally in the mail! Thank you so much for being soooooooo patient. If you don’t get them by the end of the week, please let me know.
csummers@twcny.rr.com

Happy end of March!
Cara

Spring is on the way!

No matter that in Syracuse, New York, I have to practically be psychic to know that. Sure, there are still piles and piles of dirty gray snow on the ends of my driveway and in every parking lot I turn into. After all, we were number one in the nation for inches of snow this winter. And we’ll have more snow yet. One Mother’s Day, we got eight inches.

But the signs of Spring are definitely appearing.

Number one, is that I can hear the birds merrily singing in the morning. They’re definitely back from wherever they went. And they sound happy. And loud.

Number two–I can see great portions of my lawn again–a sea of dull beige grass that looks as if it’s out for the count. But it will turn green again and it will even ripple once more in a good spring breeze.

Number three–on Saturday, I saw a red-breasted robin pull a long, fat worm out of that beige grass. Yaaayyy!

Number four–I went to a gallery opening and I bought a bird house–hoping that the robins that built their nest on my front porch light last year will be tempted to use the house. (I”m sure they’ll be back. In fact they’re probably scoping out my porch light already!)

Number five–yesterday it was still light out at 6:45 PM. I know that’s a sign helped along by the fact that in the Northeast we turned our clocks forward Saturday night. But still, I’ll take longer daylight any way I can get it.

Number six–I’ve received invitations to to baby showers–each from a nephew and new niece of mine. Ryan and Colleen are having a little girl–Luciana. Nick and Kristen are having a boy–Luka. Yes, Spring is definitely in the air.

I love Spring as a season because it’s offers rebirth, a new beginning, and a chance for love. For me, it’s always been a great season to write romances. My parents got engaged on March 19th, so I’ll be celebrating that day in my heart this coming week. I guess you could say I’m here because he popped the question and she said, “Yes.”

What signs of spring do you see? Or what do you love about the season?

I’m in the mood to give three books away–any book from my backlist. Just choose a number between 15 and 31.

Happy Spring!
Cara

How lucky am I to be able to post a blog on the one day of the year set aside for romance? Chocolate, flowers, and a romantic dinner for two are some of my favorite things.
The day (the whole month, in fact) has me thinking of heroes and the qualities that I think make up the perfect hero.

Actually, I’ve been thinking about the perfect hero ever since I saw Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech.” He pretty much embodies the perfect hero for me. I’ve been in love with him ever since he played Mr. Darcy in the Arts and Entertainment Channel’s production of “Pride and Prejudice.” I bought the whole nine or so hours on VHS tapes, and that means I can always pop in the tape where he dives into the pond on his estate and then comes out with his wet clothes clinging to him. (Very hot! And I’d never before thought of Mr. Darcy as being hot.)

Mr. Darcy also has a few of the qualities I think are essential in a great hero. He’s a white knight. Very quietly, without drawing any attention to himself, he rescues Elizabeth from the scandal that her sister has caused the family. And he does so by paying off the man who tried and nearly succeeded in ruining his sister.

I also like a hero who listens and who “gets” the heroine. Mr. Darcy does that too. He listens to what Elizabeth says to him, and he tries to change. More than that, he does change.

Another quality I like in a hero is competence. Whatever his occupation–cop, P.I., attorney, cowboy, entrepreneur–a hero has to be really good at it. I suppose Mr. Darcy fills the bill there too. He’s a pretty good lord of the manor. And he’s an excellent older brother.

The final two qualitites that I deem necessary in a hero are kindness and a sense of humor. I’ve always thought that if the hero and heroine can share a joke together, they’ve taken a very important step down the path to true intimacy. Plus, there’s something very attractive about a man who can laugh at himself.

What do you value in a hero? Or tell me about the most romantic thing your own hero has ever done.
And since it’s Valentine’s Day, and I want to give away some books, I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 20. Whoever comes closest can either have my February book or the choice of one from my backlist.
Have a great Valentine’s Day!
Cara

I’m starting a new book, and I’ve discovered that I can’t get the story pinned down until I know exactly who my heroine is. (I do have some acquaintance with the hero, Jonah Stone, since he’s appearing in my February Blaze). But I need a clearer picture of my heroine before I can get to their story.

At this point I’m not even sure of my new heroine’s name. What I do know is that she is a Security Agent/Private Investigator and the hero will be pressured into hiring her to protect his life. The other thing I know about my so far namesless heroine is that she’s a tall, leggy brunette and she’s very good at her job.

Since I”m a list maker, I’ve started to write down random things that will help me get a clearer picture of her. My “listing” led me to think about what’s always important to me in creating female characters, and that led me to think about my favorite TV heroines.

At the top of my list is Brenda in “The Closer.” I like her because she’s so good at her job, she’s so focused, and she has a lot of quirks and flaws. I also like Mary in the USA series, “In Pain Sight.” She’s a US Marshall. Like Brenda, she’s incredbily competent, but she also has flaws and a really quirky family.

Some of my other current TV favorites are Alicia in “The Good Wife,” She’s very smart, she’s an excellent attorney, and she navigates her way through a world of men that includes her not so likeable husband. I also like Diana on “White Collar.” She’s a top agent in the FBI, she has a dry sense of humor, and she can draw a gun faster than any other woman on TV. I thought I would like Nikita. I certainly was hooked by the original one. But I can’t quite get into that series. It’s not that I have an aversion to violence because I really admire the woman on “Burn Notice” who can blow everything up.

But not all my favorite heroines can use a gun. (Note Alicia above.) One of my favorites is Abby in “NCIS.” She’s competent and adorable.

My current TV favorite is Kate, the heroine of the new USA series “Fairly Legal.” She’s not a lawyer but a mediator, her goal is to make everyone a winner, and she’s good at her job. (Plus, she gets the job done without using a gun!) I also love her energy, her quirkiness (she lives on a boat and her cell phone rings songs from “The Wizard of Oz”). I also love her (so far) amazing shoe collection.

Who are your favorite TV heroines? And what are the qualitities in a heroine that most engage you?
Let me know. I’ll try to add them to my “list.”
I’m thinking of a number between one and ten. Include a number in your reply and I will give a copy of my February Blaze to the three who either guess or come closest to the number I’m thinking of.
An early Happy Valentine’s Day!
Cara Summers

I have to say that January is my least favorite month. Sure, it starts out okay. There’s something exciting about beginning a new year. I love clean slates. But there’s a certain let down after the whirl of the holidays. No more parties, I’ve definitely cooked myself out, my house seems less cheery without the decorations, and I’m even tired of shopping. (And even though the Valentine candies and cards are out in the stores, that particular holiday is still a month away.)

I’ve tried listing and analyzing the reasons for the fact that I don’t like January. Since I live in upstate New York, there are several that are weather related. First of all, it’s cold. So cold that I’m actually using my treadmill instead of going for a walk. There’s also a lot of snow, snow, snow. The landscape which was lovely on Thanksgiving and Christmas has become boring. It’s not fun to drive in. (And I’m not going to see my grass again until March–and then only if I’m lucky!)

However, in my determination to have a happier new year, I’m trying to think of reasons why I like January–and I’ve come up with a few.
1. January is the best month for curling up in front of a fire and reading a book. (And I’ll take that over skiing anyday.)
2. I can continue to read that book while I’m walking on my treadmill. (Okay, so I’m lying about that one.)
3. I can continue to clean out closets. (Or spend more time reading books in front of the fire.)
4. I can rejoice that the days are getting longer–the spring equinox is on its way.
5. I can plan all the things I can do when I go to Florida next month.
6. January will eventually end.

So far that’s a pretty pathetic list. I’m open to any suggestions that will brighten up the rest of the month. I’m offering a copy of my February Blaze–”Take My Breath Away…” to the top five suggestions.
Help!!!!

It’s that time of year again when I usually start making a list of everything that I should do or at least do better during the new year. The goal is happiness, of course. However, my New Year’s Resolutions list resemble the to-do lists that rule my life on a day to day basis–except that my to-do lists eventually get checked off, while my NYR list looks remarkably the same every year.

Conclusion: I’m stuck in a rut and something needs to change.

So this year I’m trying something different. The big problem with my old NYR lists is that they always “take” a great deal of time. And since there’s not a great deal of fun involved, I tend to postpone them. (Cleaning out a basement or a closet or even a drawer can eat into my day in a way that makes me grumpy and leaves me with a pile of junk I have to get rid of!) And (like exercise), the only thing that is in any way “fun” about it is when the job’s done!

When I first started thinking about taking a new approach, I decided I was going to Eat (less), and Pray and Love more. I know, I know that the “eat (less)” part sounds like my old NYR list when losing at least ten pounds was a priority. But to eat more would not make me happier. And I find that I’m really interested in exploring ways to pray and love more. I was really into meditation when I was a teenager, and I’m going to try it again. It’s been a while since I did any formal volunteer work, so I’m going to actively look for something to do.

Then I came up with an idea I like even better. This year I’m going to experiment with new and different things to do–things that will take me out of my routine, out of my rut, and even out of my comfort zone. And I’m going to “make” time to do at least one of them each month.

I’ve just started my list. (What can I say, I’m a list maker).

1. Read a non-fiction book. (Since I’m a fiction fanatic, I should read a good non-fiction book a month. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve chosen my first one–”The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.)

2. Travel to a place I’ve never been before, not for a conference or business or to visit family–but just for the fun of it. (I’d like to do this once a month too–but perhaps at least twice this year.)

3. Take a class in something that I’ve never done before. I have never taken a yogo or a Pilates class. Or a formal computer class. Maybe I’ll even try pottery.

4. Try out a new church. I don’t intend to change religions, but trying out a new congregation may lead to volunteer work…

5. Write a different kind of book. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I’m going to make the time.

That’s my list so far. I’m not going to try to complete it before Saturday. I’m going to add to it as I go along. And if cleaning out my basement sneaks in there, well, it would be something new and different for me. We’ll see.

Now I’m going to share with you what started me thinking about change and getting out of ruts–even if I’m failry happy in my rut. A former student of mine sent me a Christmas email with the following quote:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sales. Explore. Dream. Discover.” (Mark Twain)

My list seems pretty tame compared to what Mark Twain is suggesting, but it’s a start.
What different things would you like to do in the New Year? What new dreams would you like to pursue?

Happy New Year!
Cara

I’m a list maker. And I have no idea who I inherited that gene from. (Or, more correctly, from whom I inherited that gene). I can’t recall ever seeing my father or my mother make lists, but I make them for everything. Primarily they are to-do lists–things I absolutely have to get done.

And of course, I have several to-do lists to work my way through before Christmas–the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, the baking, and the traveling! Plus there are all the job related things I have to do–like grade papers and finish a book. Just looking at the “lists” makes my stomach clench and reminds me that I have a few things left to add.

So this year I decided to make a list–not of the things I have to do–but of the things I really enjoy about Christmas. Just a few of my favorite things…

1. Putting up the tree has always been at the top of the list. My earliest memories are of helping my father do it. Tree trimming was a family affair. And with my dad it was a perfromance event. When my children were little, I carried on the tradition. I still remember Christmases where the bottom of the tree was very richly decorated and the top rather bare. The tree was still beautiful. Then trimming the tree became my job, and I experimented with different color schemes and designs. One year my tree was Victorian in style and the colors were white, pink and wine. I’ve also progressed from fresh trees to artificial and finally to an artificial pre-lit tree. I love it. Right now, it’s standing all lit up in my my window. Today, I’ll decorate it in all white and silver. I can’t wait.

2. Christmas music is another of my favorite things about Christmas. I love to listen to the songs when I’m driving or at a mall. At home, I load up my Bose sound system with four CDs and let it run all day. Currently, I’m playing James Galway on the violin, Yo Yo Ma on the cello with friends, and two albums that feature only piano music. When I was in high school, the choir always gave a Christmas recital. My favorite song was “Oh, Holy Night.”

3. Christmas Eve has always been my favorite day of the season. I love it even more than I do Christmas. I think it’s because the anticipation is still there. When I was growing up, it was the day that my family and I went to midnight Mass. I was always thrilled to be able to stay up that late and to be in church when Christmas began. I also got to wear my very first pair of nylon stockings to church on Christmas Eve. I’ve never forgotten. I was fourteen and all grown up. (Or so I thought.) Now, I love Christmas Eve because it’s the night that my family gathers at my house. No presents, no pressure, just fun and cheer with the tree, the music and really good food.

4. I do love cooking at Christmas. (I am a foodie, after all.) I love preparing traditional recipes that have been handed down to me, as well as trying out new ones. For years, I baked special Christmas breads that I gave as gifts. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a yeast bread rising. I’m thinking of baking bread again this year just for the scent of it in my house.

4. My most recent favorite thing about Christmas is seeing my grandaughter dance in her Christmas recital. I’ve been doing that for about five years now. I’ve seen her progress from a tiny tot who had to be escorted out on the stage to a nine year old who can really dance. For the last two years, I’ve also been able to see my grandson test for a new belt in Karate on the same weekend. And if we have time during my visit, we, of course, go shopping. And if I have a December book out, they watch me sign it at a local book store.

Those are some of my favorite things about Christmas, I think because they trigger memories of Christmases past and present–and hopefully future. What are some of your favorite things about the season?
And I wish all of you a wonderful season filled with joy! Be happy.
Cara

According to William Shakespeare, “…a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

But is that true? I don’t think so.

I still recall the amount of time I spent thinking of names for my three sons. (And I didn’t know they would be sons before they arrived! So I can’t even count the girls’ names I considered). Since my husband was Irish, we decided (after much discussion) to go for Irish first names: Kevin, Brian and Brendan (the Irish Saint who discovered America).

But we chose second names to carry on family traditions. David after my brother-in-law, Andrew for my father and brother, and Joseph for my husband’s father. But even those decisions took time and and a lot of carefully crafted persuasion. Brian Andrew went without a name for a whole day until I won that argument.

Maybe it’s just me who has to agonize over names. But now I find myself spending more and more time naming the characters in my stories. In fact, discovering the names of the hero and the heroine has become an essential part of my writing process. I can’t get to the plot until I have the names nailed down.

Sometimes a first name or a last name will come to me. But after over thirty books, they don’t come as easily any more. Often I consult one of my baby-naming books. Then I make lists and I try putting together first names with last names. For the last names, I use the telephone book. This part of my process takes me back to junior high when I would doodle my first name and the last name of my current “crush” over and over again in my math notebook.

Naming my characters is a fairly long process, but I literally can’t get a clear image of a character in my head until I have the name. Gabe Wilder (security specialist) and Nicola Guthrie (FBI agent) are the hero and heroine of my upcoming February Blaze, “Take My Breath Away….” (And I had to write two chapters before I discovered that she wasn’t going to have a nickname. She was definitely Nicola.) I began my July Blaze with half my job done. I had to name Air Force Pilot Nash Fortune in the February book, so he didn’t give me any problems. Best selling author Bianca Quinn did. (And she doesn’t have a nickname either). Their story, “Tailspin,” will be released in July.

And I’m still tweaking one character’s name in “Tailspin.” For secondary characters, I sometimes use family names that are importnat to me–sort of like the second names I chose for my sons. Right now I’m fooling around with Nash Fortune’s grandmother. She plays a key role in his story, and I think she’s Irene. At first, I thought I’d update the name to Rene. But Irene, at seventy, is running a multi-million dollar corporation and still finds the time to meddle her her grandson’s life. So I’m leaning toward Irene because that was my grandmother’s name. She was a strong woman, one I admired.

What do you think? Do you think I should go with Irene? Or do you have another suggestion?
Better still, share your naming stories. What’s in a name for you?