Can you believe it’s Blaze’s Ten Year Anniversary?! Woot, here’s to another ten years of awesome fun.

I love anniversaries. They are such a wonderful affirmation of the longevity of love, or in this case, of hot love stories.

Anniversary celebrations are even more fun, right?!  Even better are anniversary gifts.  Cuz, yanno, I really love gifts :-)  And I’ve always been fascinated by the traditional anniversary gift list, so before I married, I was excited to follow it.  But as fun as that idea was, it really hasn’t worked out.  For our first anniversary, the paper anniversary, we bought a really nice camera and justified it as photos are printed on paper.  In the third year of our marriage, our stereo was broken.  There is some crystal thing in the stereo (my husband can explain it.  I just nod along) so we fixed it as our gift to each other.  Justifying the new stove in our seventh year took a more clever route – finally we came up with the fact that there were copper coils somewhere in that appliance, making it a suitable gift.

Pretty much the only anniversary that we did hit the tradition, well, traditionally, is the tenth when my husband gave me a gorgeous diamond anniversary ring.

Anniversary Gift List

More anniversaries here...

By our eleventh anniversary, we finally admitted that we suck at this gift thing.  So we started a new tradition of going away, just the two of us (no kids no kids no kids) for at least a weekend.  Our anniversary is in April, but we might make the getaway in March or May.  As long as we make it, it doesn’t matter.  I love this tradition.  It works really well for us since there is no clever gift-buying justification required.  And it gives us that one gift that we tend to ignore too often -time together to focus on just each other.

So how about you? What’s your favorite anniversary story? Do you follow the traditional gift list or do you have your own traditions?

An obscure little movie hit the theaters a couple of weeks ago based on a book.  It didn’t do too bad. You might have heard of it… Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

(Okay, first off, before I even go into the point of this blog, let me gush and say OMG I loved that movie!!! )

I know a lot of people who have seen the movie, who did NOT read the books (shock, yes, but really, I do.  I just realized they are all men, though. I wonder if there is a correlation?)   For me, I’ve seen HP:DH2 twice so far.  I’ve read the book at least four times that many times, though.  Which is pretty typical for me. I really do read a lot more than I see movies.

There are other books I’ve loved that they made movies of.  Little Women is one of my all time favorite stories, but while I’ve enjoyed the movies, there isn’t one that stands out in my mind the way the book did.   My daughter and I read the Percy Jackson series together and loved it so much that she begged to go see the movie opening day.  This movie, like Little Women, was good, but again not strong enough to take top billing in my memory over the books. I have a lot of books-to-movie memories that fall into this category.  I loved the book, and the movie was kinda eh in my memory.

Then there are the movies that I thought were amazingly better than the books.  Lord of the Rings, for instance.  I love the movies and have seen them a half-dozen times over the years.  But I’ve only read the books once (although it felt like it took me a half-dozen years to read *sigh*)  Howls Moving Castle (omg amazing anime movie with a hero that I still think is the ultimate in cartoon sexiness – probably because he’s voiced by Christian Bale) was a movie that I didn’t plan to fall in love with – it just happened to be on TV when I was doing spring cleaning and before I knew it, I was sitting with my daughter on the floor in front of the TV, entranced.  I loved it so much, I immediately ordered the book thinking it’d add so much depth and further insights.  Let’s just say it didn’t.

I’ve heard both sides of the argument… that the books are ALWAYS better than the movie. And that the movie is INEVITABLY better than the book.  At one point I figured it really just came down to whether you are a reader or not – if you are, you’re going to love the written word more.  If you’re not, then reading doesn’t give that extra zing of pleasure, so the movie will hold more appeal.  But I am a reader and I’m pretty evenly split between book or move love.

How about you? Are you a bigger fan of the books?  Or the movies? Which book-to-movie was your favorite?  Least favorite?  And the most important question (and please, no spoilers for those who haven’t made it to the theater yet) have you seen Harry Potter yet??? What’d you think of this epic ending?

I’m sitting at home.

There are no workshops here. There is no bar. There are, sadly, no happy writers thrilled to see me (unless you count my daughter, whose written 3 books for the Young Authors program, but I don’t think she’s very thrilled). I didn’t have to choose clothes and get a pedicure. I don’t get to strap on my cutest shoes and show them off. I won’t be dancing and drinking and celebrating at the renowned Harlequin Party. I won’t even have email, a plotting session or my CP to distract me.   And I wont’ be hanging with the fun Blaze authors, celebrating Blaze’s 10th Anniversary!

In other words, it’s hellishly boring here.

Which is usually okay, but not this week!!! Because I have to miss the Romance Writers of America National conference. It’s in New York. Right there, in Times Square. But I have family commitments and just couldn’t make it happen this year.

So now I have to find some way to distract myself.  To stay busy.  I could write — I have a book due September 1st.  I could scrapbook – I have about 10 years of photos screaming to be put in albums.  I could work in the garden – my backyard is horribly ugly and sad right now.  So I have plenty to do before I head to Idaho.  But… I don’t wanna.

I wanna be in New York.  Partying Blaze style.  Hanging and learning and enjoying.

So help me out – when all your friends are off having a good time and you’re not, what do you do to distract and entertain yourself?

May 29th is my anniversary. And while I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know it, that makes it Brenda Chin’s anniversary, too since it’s the date she called me to offer to buy my first book, Double Dare, in 2006. (Happy Anniversary, Brenda *g*)

I’m ecstatic, and have to say, the last five years have been both a learning experience and a wonderful ride. In no little part because of my fab editor, the amazing Blaze authors who’ve always been there for me, and all of the awesome readers out there. So I’ll start my celebration by saying Thank You!

Some people know my call story, and for those who don’t, here is a peek into just how neurotic I actually am (please love me anyway, though *g*)

So… I was born in a small Idaho town in the winter of… Oh wait, this is my call story, right? Not my life story? Okay – After about 3 years of writing and submitting to Harlequin (Temptation until they closed *sob* and then Blaze) I entered and won the unpublished category of the Blaze Contest in late 2005 with the opening chapter of my manuscript, Undercover Seduction. A part of the prize was to submit the full manuscript for consideration to Blaze. Since I had only written the opening for the contest, I then had to write and submit the rest. In April of 2006, I saw Brenda Chin at a regional conference (and got to go to dinner with her, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Kimberly Raye and many other fabulous writers, which was awe-inspiring, let me tell ya!) During a chat with Brenda, I mentioned that despite the manuscript having just finaling in the Golden Heart, I didn’t think I’d be attending the RWA National conference that summer -at least, not unless I sold.

It was Memorial Day morning (okay, as you can see by the photo, early is subjective. But still…), about a month after the conference, when the phone rang. My husband answered because I, of course, was asleep. “It’s Harlequin!” Oh man, talk about walking up fast. Or, at least, pretending to. After greeting me, Brenda told me, “Book your tickets, you’re going to conference.”

Holy cow.

I know she said more. I’m sure we nailed down details. I’m positive we discussed the story and what came next. But all that’s a blur. All I remember was hanging up and collapsing into my husband, who was hugging me through the entire conversation.

Then, because it was Memorial Day, we had a neighborhood party to attend. Nobody there really understood the hugeness of selling my first book, so after a couple of happy hugs, the celebration turned to pretzel jello recipes. I did try to call writing friends to share the news, but again, holiday happiness had taken them all off to celebrate. So I reached nobody.

By the next morning, I was second guessing if I really sold or if I’d imagined it all. I desperately emailed Brenda to ask her if it was real, because I was seriously doubting the reality LOL. So all in all, my I Sold celebration wasn’t quite what I’d always imagined. It was much more foggy

And here we are, five years later. This month saw my eleventh Blaze release and I’m putting the finishing touches on my fourteenth contracted book this weekend. I’ve got to say, I’m definitely loving this journey.

So how should I celebrate? Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries? Tootie horns and party hats? Dinner out and a decadently indulgent dessert? Sleep? What would you do to celebrate your first sale anniversary? Or the anniversary of something you’d worked really hard for and cherished as a major life accomplishment?

I’m super excited about May for two reasons. First off, I have a new book out. JUST FOR THE NIGHT is the first book in the 24 Hours: Blackout series, with Samantha Hunter’s MINE UNTIL MORNING out in June and in finishing up in July with Heather MacAllister’s KEPT IN THE DARK. So that’s reason one to celebrate.

Reason two is that my fabulous critique partner, RITA author Beth Andrews has a SuperRomance, THE PRODIGAL SON, out in May as well. It’s rare that we get to celebrate our releases together (even though we really do go through every step of writing those babies together), so we thought it’d be fun to make it a kind of party and share with you. Because while we write for very different lines, there are some strong similarities in our process (and not just the neurotic parts, either!). The main one being our focus on hooks.

Hooks are essential to any story, but in category, they define not only the story, but the line itself.

Tawny says: Blaze is all about the sexy hook. Yes, that means sex—and lots of it. But it also means the story revolves around something sexy. From there, almost anything goes.

Beth says: SuperRomance’s tag line is Real life, real love! To me, that means taking traditional hooks and making them as realistic as possible. Supers is a very diverse line with many story types: light, dark, suspense, family sagas and everything in between.

One of the things that makes each line so unique is how that line hook takes traditional story hooks in different directions. For instance, Beth and I have both used a variety of traditional hooks, but our stories end up nothing alike.

Tawny says: I love the Bad boy/bad girl. This is a hook I tend to use in quite a few of my books. I had bad girls in Double Dare, Feels Like the First Time and A Babe in Toyland, and bad boys in Does She Dare and Risqué Business. It’s a hook I’m fond of, because I love me them naughty characters. But it’s also a hook that works great for Blaze because naughty and sexy go so well together. Naughty characters almost create that sexy Blaze hook all by themselves.

Beth says: I’ve used this hook a couple of times. Kelsey in Not Without Her Family was a bad girl and her brother Dillon in A Not-So-Perfect Past was a bad boy (although I tend to think of him as more of a lost soul *g*) For these two books it was a hook that amped up the romantic conflict as the hero in NWHF was a by-the-book cop, and in ANSPP the heroine is the town good girl, someone who had a lot to lose by falling for someone like Dillon. And I’m all for anything that helps me torture my characters (in the best way possible, of course)

Reunion. I love reunion stories! There is something so powerful about seeing a couple with a past overcome their baggage and find lasting love. I’ve done three stories with reunion hooks, including my upcoming May release, Just For The Night.

I love reunion stories, too! In my August release, Feels Like Home, the hero and heroine are divorced and had a lot of emotional baggage to deal with in their story. And while I enjoyed helping them heal from all their hurt and anger, what I really loved was how they got to know each other as who they are now as opposed to who they were seven years ago. They’ve both grown and changed and now are able to work through the issues that tore them apart before.

Another hook I love is the protector. This is a great hook because it means someone (usually the heroine) is in jeopardy. Talk about a double duty hook with built in conflict. I’ve used this one a couple times. My last book, Breaking the Rules had a protector hero and a heroine who didn’t want his bossy protection LOL. And in my 2009 release, Going Down Hard, my hero was a bodyguard. Now that was a fun one to write

The protector is another favorite of mine as well! The hero if NWHF felt the need to protect the entire town while Dillon in ANSPP found himself protecting the heroine even though that was the last thing he wanted to do. His Secret Agenda and Do You Take This Cop? both had elements of this hook as well. I agree with Tawny – it’s a double duty hook with built in conflict and if that person being protected doesn’t want protected, it amps that conflict up even more *g*

So really, it’s all about the hooks, right? I mean, a strong plot, solid characters, an enticing emotional arc –those are vital. But for me, it starts with the hooks.

Yep, me too. I think it’s fun to pick a hook (or even better, more than one hook) and try to come up with a strong story to support those hooks. And it’s so interesting to me how Tawny and I can make the same hook work for two very different lines

What are some of your favorite story hooks? Are you drawn to a particular category line (like Blaze or SuperRomance *g*) because that line’s hook resonates with you?

Tell us what you think, and we’ll draw a name to win a copy of Beth’s new book, THE PRODIGAL SON and my latest, JUST FOR THE NIGHT.

It’s almost starting to feel like spring here in Northern California. Thanks to the endless rain, the hills are green and lush. My daffodils, with their cheerful yellow ruffles, are bright and happy.

Soon I’ll be filling my flower pots with annuals. Pansies and petunias, stock and impatiens. And finally this year, after living in our house for just over a year, we’re ready to plant the gardens. I’m beyond excited. My old gardens were a joy. My lilac and lavender, ground roses and daisy bushes, salvia and jasmine. I miss my koi pond, and know I can’t put one in here because the raccoons are a major problem. So instead, I’ve been mulling over garden designs and missing the joy of bright flowering colors.

But now I’m ready! (I think) I want to put in a dry creek bed meandering down the hillside, with lots of color and brightness along the sides, as well as some fun. Climbing roses along the fence and another lilac tree. Evergreens and Lavender, anything to attract the butterflies and lots of luscious scents. I love flowers!! So much, that I think I’ve been a little intimidated at the vast possibilities, and had trouble narrowing it down to a basic starting design.

Have you ever done that? Wanted something but had so many options and ideas, it was hard to narrow it down?

And what are your favorite flowers- spring or otherwise? Do you garden, and grow them yourself? And am I the only one who feels mean cutting flowers to bring inside when they look so happy there on the bush or in the ground?

edit: AND THE WINNER IS: ROSIE!! Thanks, everyone for all the wonderful Birthday Wishes

It’s my birthday and I’ll party if I want to, party if I want to… Yes. I’m ruining wonderful lyrics, but if you’ve ever heard me sing, you’d know that ruined lyrics are a given even if I did get the words right

But… it is my birthday (and yesterday was Jillian’s. Go Pisces Blaze Babes!). And I’m celebrating, as I always do, with cake. Because I love cake. The biggest discussion in my house each year in the last week of February is cake. What kind do I want? Almost always, I default to my favorite, German Chocolate. But the discussion is still great to have, because, well, it’s cake. I love talking cake LOL.

This year, besides the German Chocolate, we debated Black Forest, tirimisu cheesecake, ice cream cake and strawberry shortcake. Mmmmmm, I love them all. I love making them all, too.

But since I refuse on principal to make my own cake, this had to be something my daughter could make. So… we decided to go with both the German Chocolate and the Black Forest. Doesn’t that sound decadent? How will we do both and not be huge? She’s making cupcakes! YUMMMMMMY! Single serving, not too fattening, easily contained deliciousness. And so much easier to pawn off on visiting guests to take home, so all I have to face the next day is a single leftover cupcake.


So what’s your favorite birthday cake? Do you have a traditional one? Or do you like to change things up? Do you bake, or are do you do the bakery cakes?

Aaaaand… Because we all deserve pressies on a birthday, I’ll draw one random commenters name to win a copy of BREAKING THE RULES (or if you have it, any of my backlist)!!!

Did you hear the news? Harlequin filed a patent application for the Essential Romantic Kiss. And we’re going to be hearing a LOT more about that, later this week when Michelle Renaud chats with us!

So in the meantime, let’s talk kisses. There are story book kisses and hot, sexy kisses. Romantic kisses and ewwww kisses. There are sweet kisses and saucy kisses, and everything in between.

But what I want to hear about is first kisses. The first kiss is one of the sexiest moments in book. It’s the shift, that scary step over the line into intimacy. The first kiss can tell you everything about the relationship. Who’s in charge? Is the dynamic sweet or tender, sexy or intense? Is it equal ground or is one partner a little more aggressive than the other? Who initiates it? Who ends it? And most of all… did they like it?

I love writing first kisses. And in real life,since I adore my husband (this week *g*) I soft of figure I’m through with my own first kissing adventures. But I do have very, very fond memories of our first kiss. And I’ll admit, I have fond memories of other first kisses, too. Like my very very first kiss,when I was in second grade. Awwww, it was the fastest brush of two sets of lips, complete with giggles and blushing (heeeheee his, not mine). But even as sweet as that first kiss was, I’m still going to claim my first with my husband as my all time favorite.

Do you remember your first kiss? Do you have a favorite first kiss- of your own or in a book?

The reasons I love to write are endless (although if you’re following my Top Ten Tour, you can check out a few of those reasons) but one of my absolute favorite reasons to write romance, and especially to read romance, comes down to the heroes. I love heroes. Sexy heroes, alpha heroes, cowboy heroes, cop heroes, beta heroes, military heroes, geeky heroes… oh yeah, there are so many many kinds of heroes, aren’t there?

And what’s a better way to get into the groove of writing these yummy heroes than to find a little heroic inspiration. So here is my top ten list of my absolute favorite heroic inspirations!

Johnny Depp. He’s quirky, he’s sexy, he’s oozing with talent. He can inspire me any day!

Richard Castle. Cute and sweet, with ample charm and just as much talent.

Ryan Reynolds. Those abs. Need I say more?

Sean Connery as James Bond. The original Mr. Suave and Sexy.

Robert Downy Jr. The ultimate comeback kid, he’s the bad boy who turned it around.

Hugh Jackman. That voice. That body. That smile. Big sigh…

Jon Bon Jovi. Ahhh, the hair bands hunkiest hero. His smile is almost as great as his smile.

George Clooney. His smile is as charming and clever as his wit.

Colin Firth. I love his accent, and he’s got such a sweet smile.

Cary Grant. A classic gentleman, that duded rocked a suit.

So that’s my list of my favorite ten heroic inspirations. What are yours? What heroes make you think Romance? And how about hot, sexy romance?

To celebrate the release of BREAKING THE RULES, I’m giving away some Valentine’s treats to one Blaze commenter today! A hand-crafted (by me) heart-shaped tin filled with candy, and a book of the winner’s choice from my backlist!

Be sure and check out my upcoming party!
Valentines Party!

I’m so excited that my tenth release, BREAKING THE RULES, is on shelves now! I loved writing this story, because it focuses on something near and dear to my heart – a Military Hero (my own hero-hubby was in the Army). Even more fun was making this a Valentine’s story, complete with hearts and flowers.

To celebrate, I’m having an invitation-only Valentine’s Day Party! Including:

* A downloadable short story written just for this party as a door prize for everyone who attends
* A sexy Top Ten to wind up my Top Ten tour: Ten Tips for a Hot Valentine’s Night
* One lucky person will win a Valentine’s Basket!

All you have to do to join the fun is go to the Breaking the Rules Valentines Party page on my website, and RSVP!

It’s holiday time! I love this time of year. The delicious treats, the lights and pageantry, the family traditions… and even the family itself

I’m gearing up for the holidays in all my favorite ways. I’ve made cranberry bread, pumpkin bread, almond toffee, fudge and caramels so far this month and plan to do cookies, more candy and more bread in the weeks to come. I’ve baked the gingerbread for the house and tree we’ll decorate this weekend, too.

I’ve finished most of my shopping and the majority of my gifts are wrapped and ready to tuck under the tree, or shipped off to their new home. And I’ve taken three drives around the neighborhoods already to ooh and ahhh and sigh over the light displays.

You’d think I was kicking holiday preparation butt, wouldn’t you? You’d think I was on track for the smooth, easy and relaxing holiday season I promised myself I’d FINALLY have.

ahahaahahaaaaa. Ahem. Nope. Not even close.

I’m scary-behind in my decorating. My house looks as holiday ready as does in July. In other words, it’s the same, boring, everyday non-decorated house. And it’s driving my kids nuts. I’m going a little nuts myself. But am nagging my husband relentlessly to get my decorations down from the rafters! As soon as they are down, we’ll have that wonderful joy of one of my favorite traditions – decorating the tree.

Are you a fan of decorating the tree? My mother does a color coordinated, elegant tree. My father opts out of decorations and places the holiday cards he receives in the boughs of his tree. My tree is more of an ode to things that make us smile. Each of my daughters have their own collection of ornaments they and only they place on the tree. I have ornaments that celebrate special events – my first holiday with my husband, my first year as a published author, the birth of my girls, darling depictions of my puppies and cats, etc. Retelling the stories and remembering the years gone by that these same pretty decorations have graced many a’tree.

My absolute favorite ornament is generations old. It’s a gorgeous, long-legged frosted glass unicorn. Crazy fragile, it always sits at the top of the tree just below the star. It belonged to my great-aunt, who left it to me with the rest of her collection of unicorns because, well, I collect unicorns (I’d include a picture of it, except that, yeah, hubster still hasn’t got those decorations down. Grrrr)

I’m looking forward to the peaceful joy decorating the tree, then turning down the overheads, curling up with my family and watching the tree turn on it’s base, glistening and glowing with holiday cheer. Even more, I can’t wait to curl up next to it and dig into reading all the fab holiday books I’ve been hoarding to enjoy once the scene is set.

How about you? Do you have a favorite ornament? A story that goes with it? And is your tree up and decorated already? I’m counting the yeahs on this and using them as nagging ammunition with my husband ;-)!