Susan Vaughan: CONFESSIONS OF A TRIVIA JUNKIE

My name is Susan and I'm a trivia junkie. I love learning something new. A new word, an unusual little fact, a new process, no matter how obscure or weird. I've always enjoyed crossword puzzles, partly because of the new things I learn as I do them. And now as I get older--not that old yet but hey--crosswords keep my brain firing on most cylinders. Scrabble is fun, too, but more a search of the brain for words I already know. Here's an example of the trivia I have picked up from lord knows where. My neighbor was worrying about his father whose doctor had just told him something seemed to be going on with the older man's heart. My neighbor couldn't figure out the term the cardiologist used, couldn't figure out how to spell it to look it up. But once he said the word, I knew the spelling: i-s-c-h-e-m-i-a. Ischemia means coronary heart disease, or narrowing of the arteries. My neighbor was happy because now he could learn more on Web MD. See what I mean about trivia?

As a trivia junkie, I love acquiring new information as I research my books. I think it would be so difficult to write historical novels because of all the research involved, even the clothes and activities of daily life. But you'd be surprised how much research goes into contemporary novels as well. I found with my first book, Dangerous Attraction, I was looking for information constantly as I wrote the book. For my new release, Primal Obsession, I did a lot of direct research, personal research, with a canoe and camping trip. My husband and I took a six-day trip in the Maine wilderness with a guide and three other campers. I used the skills and experiences of the week to help me give authentic background and to plot the book. Later I had other research to do, either online, in books, or by calling people.

I did a blog post awhile ago on research being fun, but I saw one recently by another author who listed what she learned in the process of writing a book. I thought it would be fun to do the same. Here are ten things I learned while writing Primal Obsession.

1. In the state of Maine, the Maine Criminal Investigation Division handles murder cases. Only the cities of Bangor and Portland have homicide detectives. All other jurisdictions defer to the state.

2. Police often use cell phones instead of police radios because they can keep the calls more private. No one can listen in with their scanners at home.

3. There's never been a serial killer in the state of Maine. (Mine's the first!)

4. A serial killer's signature makes his crime stand out with his personal compulsion, which remains static and represents what he is. A signature is different from a modus operandi, which can change. I learned this from Mindhunter, by John Douglas, one of the founders of the FBI Investigative Support Unit.

5. The Cessna Caravan pontoon airplane can carry the pilot and eight passengers.

6. Maine Guides were first licenses in 1897. Guiding at first was primarily for hunters and fishermen but today Maine Guides are licensed for recreational guiding as well. That first year 1316 guides were licensed. The first licensed guide was a woman, Cornelia "Fly Rod" Crosby.

7. When navigating rapids in a canoe, watch for "funnels," rocks with water streaming before them. Head down the V's between the funnels/rocks.

8. Use a Radical Paddle--pull the paddle in to the canoe to make a quick turn--then power paddle through the V. The rear paddler sets the direction by switching sides and by pulling back in a J move.

9. When using a simple compass, place the red N arrow in the red section pointing north, or put "Fred in the shed," as our guide said.

10. When heading for a target spot in the woods, plot your course in short distances. Aim for a rock or tree ahead, then recheck the compass and choose a new target.

This isn't a picture of our guide but who cares. This is Sam from Primal Obsession. Watch for my book trailer, where you'll see Sam again.

Susan Vaughan

Life can bring you some zany surprises, can't it? Two years ago, right after an unexpected death in the family, I was away from home, picking out a casket on my birthday because the next of kin were too devastated, when I got a call from Marsha Zinberg at Harlequin, asking me to be a part of the upcoming Harlequin NASCAR series.

Her request, while something I told her I was completely unsuited for, was the one bright spot in a very dark day. I didn't tell her what was going on in my life right then, but when she urged me to consider the request and offered to send me more information, I reached for that ray of sunshine and said okay.

Even though, as I'd told her, "Not only do I know nothing about NASCAR, Marsha, it looks like a really dumb sport, cars just driving around in a circle."

Famous last words.

Fast forward a few weeks. I'm back at home, we're all trying to settle back into real life. I get the information and start researching. I find Nascar.com. Discover the Speed channel. Start filling up my DVR with pre-race shows—Trackside Live, coverage of qualifying, of practices, even wading my way through episodes of Performance, where crew chiefs talk about the innards of the cars (my mechanic granddaddy would have been so proud of me!!!) I pore through NASCAR for Dummies. Start absorbing terms like camber and tight and loose and downforce. I watch my first race (Bristol spring race, if anyone's interested.)

And get hooked on the continuing drama that is NASCAR—feuds and friendships, folks to cheer, others to boo, something new each and every week. At last, I understand just how complex the sport is, how much strategy plays a part, right along with skill and cunning and Lady Luck.
And then, I attend my first race, the Bristol night race—called the hottest ticket in NASCAR. And have to inform my indulgent honey, who is endlessly amused at this new fascination (okay, obsession) of mine, "Um...you know how I said all this was just research for a book? Hate to break it to you, darlin', but...I'm pretty sure I'm still going to be following racing even after I finish writing."

Of course, during all this, I have friends and family who think I've lost my mind. Who can't imagine anyone less likely to be a fan and think I'll outgrow it. I also discovered—in all sorts of unexpected places—interesting people who just happen to be race fans. (One in four Americans is a NASCAR fan, and nearly half of those are women, just so you know.)

So here I am, one Christmas novella and one 2008 book later, now unveiling the first of two books in the 2009 series, with two more stories coming in 2010...who knew?!?! The three series all have connected stories and a continuing cast of characters. Black Flag, White Lies, my February release, is about Will Branch, one of the twin driver sons of Maeve Branch, heroine of Extreme Caution, my December 2008 release. And in 2010, I'll be doing the story of Will's twin Bart.

But for those of you who, like I did, think you don't give a hoot about NASCAR, well, hey, that's your choice, for sure. You might turn out, like me, to need to eat a little crow, should you decide to check into it—or you might not. Regardless, rest assured that these book are, first and foremost, romances, so even if you're not a race fan, you'll find the same qualities in these books as my others—powerful emotion and complex characters I hope you'll root for to find love in the end.

And for those of you who were NASCAR fans long before me, well, what can I say? I came late to the party—

But I'm here to stay!
Jean
Visit Jean's website!

John Wayne, John Belushi, and Me - Barbara Bretton

For years I avoided watching The Quiet Man. WPIX played it every St Paddy's Day and by the time Sean Thornton showed up in Innisfree, I was usually heading for the kitchen to clean the oven or do something equally entertaining. I hated John Wayne back then. I hated his movies. I thought he was a lumbering, strange-looking, no-talent actor and that The Quiet Man perfectly showcased all of those qualities.

And then on St. Patrick's Day 1980 I fell in love. I don't know if I'd opened my mind to the movie or to the man, but suddenly The Quiet Man became one of my all-time favorites. I loved the theme, the scenery, the wonderful faces of those character actors in the supporting cast, but mostly I loved John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. I loved seeing strength pitted against strength. I loved the way she gave as good as she got in every situation and hung onto the things she believed defined her as a woman and as a wife. I loved (and still love) the scene in the doorway of the rose-covered cottage with the storm outside and within, the wind tangling both her hair and her emotions. She pulls away from John Wayne but he doesn't let go of her wrist. I see them, caught almost in a dance move of exquisite tension and possibilities, There is between them love and respect and desire that went deeper than reason. It's a lusty, bawdy, funny and touching movie and I almost missed it.

What was it about The Quiet Man that revealed itself to me that day that had eluded me all the times that had come before? You see, I have a theory about how certain movies turn into beloved gotta-buy-the-DVD favorites and it has to do with timing. It's a lot like love at first sight. On another day you might very well have turned away from the love of your life and wandered aimlessly and alone across the romantic horizon for the rest of your life. Same way with movies. (And with books, for that matter.) You need a serendipitous blend of mood and atmosphere and magic to turn an okay movie into one of your personal never-fail favorites.

Don't laugh, but that's how Animal House ended up near the top of my Can't Miss List of Favorites. I was in a rotten PMS mood the night The Husband and I went off to see Animal House during the summer of 1978. And to make it worse, I was retaining water. You could've used me as a buoy in the Great South Bay. After supper (which I skipped in favor of mass quantities of chocolate brownies) The Husband suggested we take in a movie. Animal House was playing at the theatre next to the bowling alley. I said I'd rather be strapped to my seat and forced to watch a Clint Eastwood Festival than go see Animal House but it was a miserably hot and humid night and the thought of air conditioning finally lured me out the door.

So there I was thirty minutes later, slumped down in my seat, determined to hate the movie with every fiber of my being. But to my surprise I didn't hate it. I loved it. I laughed until I cried. I loved Flounder and Bluto and Otter and Boone and Katie and every other idiotic character. I fell out of my seat when they trashed the new applicants to Delta. "Toga! Toga! Toga!" became my mantra. If Belushi had arched his brow in my direction that night I might have run away with him.

I've often thought that the manuscript buying process in publishing is a whole lot like Delta's screening process for pledges. Flash a manuscript page on a screen and watch overworked, underpaid editors throw crushed beer cans in its general direction. First editor to score a direct hit with a crushed can of Coors gets to make the live-or-die pass-or-buy decision.

You have no idea how much I love that image.

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
--Dean Wormer, Animal House

Donnell Ann Bell: Just be professional... It's not that hard

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in my local sheriff's office citizens' academy. After sitting through six weeks of law enforcement demonstration and opinion, I believe the experience brought realism to my writing. Out of all the personnel I met during this time, there was one sergeant who impressed me above anyone else. Her words still resonate with me to this day.

Just be professional, it's not that hard.

Sadly, I can't remember her name, but I took note of her words. She was a beautiful Hispanic woman and when she stood before the class and explained that she worked in the jail -- unarmed -- among male inmates, I thought, Holy cow, this lady won't live long. Silly me. She'd worked among them for years. What's more, she was required to turn her back on this criminal element -- often.

For anyone who's been in a jail, you know there's intense security and surveillance, and the deputies can call upon immediate assistance. But knowing this didn't make me feel better. I kept thinking she could be injured or dead before help could arrive.

Turns out she hadn't made sergeant for nothing and understood the risks. What's more, she carried herself with amazing grace and an even more amazing sense of who she was. She didn't look tough on the outside, but as she called one six-foot naysayer to the front and brought him down with such ease, she filled me with a whole new appreciation and respect for who she was and what she did for a living.

After she dropped my classmate to his knees, she modestly helped him up and shook his hand. Then she turned to the class and said, "Just be professional, it's not that hard."

She also went on to explain that as a Hispanic female charged with watching over incarcerated inmates, it oftentimes presented problems. Particularly, when many of those inmates were Hispanic and grew up in households in which men did not take orders from women. So not only did the sergeant face an authority issue, she encountered a cultural barrier.
How did she handle it? By treating everyone with respect. "Those men don't know me," she said. "Their slurs and insults can't reach me. When my shift ends I go home to my family whose opinions do count."

So why do I tell you this story? Because today I'm seeing exactly what she talked about -- a reduction in professionalism. Worse, we are not inmates. I'm seeing dry wit replaced by so-called snarkiness (I have another term for it). What's more, this type of behavior is applauded. In an on-line society, where we are faceless individuals behind a computer screen, it's so easy to react and push send and forget there's a real live, flesh and blood human being on the other side.

I recently listened to a radio ad in which two actors portrayed school-aged girls, one of whom said the most horrible things to her peer. I sat back stunned, thinking what on earth? Then at the end of the message, the voice over said, "You wouldn't say it to their face, why would you say it on line?"

I don't know about you, but for anyone to even feel the need to air such a public service announcement made me incredibly sad. As for me, I think I'll follow the sergeant's example. I'll take her words to heart. I’ll strive for professionalism. I learned from the very best that it's not that hard.

Natalie Dunbar: Musings From An Edited Author

When a reader purchases an author's book, the credit or the blame for the quality of the reading experience usually goes to the author, whose name is on the book. Many readers do not understand that prior to the book getting on the shelf it goes through an editing process that the author usually participates in, but often has less than optimal control. As a multi-published author I have been edited many times. Sometimes the experience has been gratifying such as when an editor has shown me ways to make the work better as in ways of tightening a plot or character focus, removing or changing words I use too often, suggesting more effective words in some areas of the work, suggesting additional scenes to heighten the focus or impact.... The list can go on.

The relationship can be difficult, such as when you find yourself trying to reach a lofty goal of perfection that only the editor knows when it has been obtained, or when large portions of the work are summarily deleted to save paper or meet a specific word count, leaving a short and Spartan echo of the original, or new errors are somehow introduced in the editing process, or your editor is a repressed writer who really wants to write your book. In the non vanity publishing houses an editor makes the decision to buy an author's work and once it is purchased, that editor works with the author to make it the best it can be.

The relationship between an editor and the author of the work is really a partnership and when it is good, an author can flourish and grow, and when it is bad, it can stifle author creativity and turn away readers. What can an author do? Making sure that author approval is required for the final manuscript version by contract helps, but nobody introduces mistakes to a manuscript on purpose and I've seen and heard of this instance and previous manuscript versions ending up on the bookshelves in error. It should also be noted that when you are a new author you generally have little power to dictate what happens to your book. If you want your work to be published and you don't want to be self published, you don't usually get to choose your editor. They choose you by making the decision to buy your book.

This blog is not intended to bash editors. They're just doing their job. I've had some very good ones and some not so good ones. As the occasional recipient of sometimes pointy fan criticism for books with errors, books that were too short, or elements that were too much, I wanted to say that a writer can keep their work as it is for their personal use and enjoyment, but if they want to sell it and have it published, the work will most likely be edited and changed in some way, hopefully for the better and hopefully with author agreement.

What are your thoughts on the editing process? Have you been burned? Or is your editor a dream to work with?

Natalie Dunbar

Vegas Bites Three of A Kind, Parker Publishing

Jessica Andersen: OF MAYA MYTHS AND HOT MEN

As I talk to people about Dawnkeepers, one question that comes up repeatedly is one of inspiration, and how I came to take pieces of ancient Mayan mythology and bring them into a modern day paranormal romantic thriller. Given that I'm a scientist by training and have spent the last bunch of years writing medical romantic suspense, it might seem a little off-topic
for me to be writing about Maya mythology. But really it isn't. . . it goes back to being a little kid and visiting a big pyramid. This was back when Cancun was just starting to become Americanized. My parents and I stayed at small local hotels and took rattling bus tours to Mayan ruins across the Yucatan.

Ever since, I've been fascinated with the Maya. I can still close my eyes and feel the damp chill of the narrow stone stairway inside the great pyramid at Chichen Itza, or remember the squirrelly quiver at the pit of my stomach as I stood at the edge of the Cenote Sacrada. It's those images, those memories of history and grandeur and a deep sense of otherness, that came back to me, grabbed me by the throat and dragged me along for the ride then I stumbled over a reference to the endpoint of the ancient Mayan calendar, and how it aligns with scientific concerns about a stellar conjunction set to occur on that very day. . . December 21, 2012.

I mean, how cool is that?

So I started working on the concept for the Novels of the Final Prophecy. But the stories that I love to read and write aren't about a place, or a situation. . . they're about the people in those places and situations. In
Dawnkeepers, ex-lovers Nate and Alexis are forced to work together to recover seven lost Maya artifacts that are critical to the end-time war. In the process, they're forced to deal with their pasts and each other, and things heat up fast! But really, it all goes back to a rattling bus tour and a guide who'd never seen snow before (that really blew my kidlet brain).

. . and a bit of inspiration.

So tell me… what inspires you?

Jessica Andersen

Linda O. Johnston's Obsessions 2009!

This is the time of year we usually are obsessed with our New Year's resolutions. Did we make any? Can we keep them? If so, how long--all year?

My resolutions are combined with my obsessions, as usual. What obsessions are those? Well, I'm obsessed by writing, and I'm obsessed with animals--most especially my adorable two dogs, Lexie and Mystie, both Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

I combine the two obsessions by writing as much as possible about animals. In fact, my three (or possibly four) books to be published this year, as well as my e-novella, all feature animals.

They all star some very interesting characters, too, who are all animal lovers. Some of them are animals as well as humans--shapeshifters. My characters tend to be very diverse. Part of the fun of the writing process is to take people and put them into different situations and see what they do. Do you think writers control their characters? Not always...

My first book this year, available now, is Alpha Wolf, a Silhouette Nocturne. My first Nocturne, in fact. It's about Alpha Force, a new super-secret military force I've created that will appear in other stories as well. Many of its members are shapeshifters.

In Alpha Wolf, the hero is a werewolf who's helped to develop an elixir that allows Alpha Force members to shapeshift at will, and also enhances their human cognitive abilities while in shifted form. The heroine is a veterinarian who helps him--while not, at first, believing werewolves exist. Conflict? Sure! It's a fun, romantic, dark and sexy story.

Also available in January is my Nocturne Bites Claws of the Lynx. It's an e-novella, and its heroine is a member of Alpha Force who shapeshifts into--what else?-- a lynx. Her mission is to retrieve something stolen by a shady journalist... and the guy assigned to help her is her lost love who couldn't accept that she is a shapeshifter. Conflict again!

With less (although some!) romantic conflict but more mystery is my next Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery, Never Say Sty, an April release from Berkley Prime Crime. It involves potbellied pigs, dogs, and other kinds of animals, including some who participate in a TV reality show. There's a murder, of course. Kendra, to her chagrin, is a murder magnet. And her romantic interest also loves animals.

My next Silhouette Nocturne, Back to Life, will be a June 2009 release. It's not an Alpha Force story. Instead, the heroine has Valkyrie powers over life and death. She can bring back the dying in some circumstances... and those circumstances include saving the hero's life when he's closer to death than anyone else she has ever saved. Uh-oh. No animals here? Hah! My heroine is also a K-9 cop! And, yes, as a Nocturne, this is another dark but fun paranormal romance.

I'm also working on another Alpha Force sequel that will be published in late 2009 or early 2010. The hero's a werewolf whose cover is being a sled dog musher in Alaska, and the heroine is a nature writer.

Okay, as I said, my obsessions intertwine. They're also involved with my New Year's resolutions.

What are those resolutions? Write, write and write some more! And get organized. I expect to fulfill the first one. The second is more problematic, and I'll only take the time for it that won't eat into my ability to take excellent care of my pups, and to write, write and write. Oh, and yes, I'm still a lawyer, between jobs and projects right now, but I also hope to change that sometime soon.

Please come visit me anytime at my website. I also blog weekly at KillerHobbies.blogspot.com And what do I mostly blog about there? Pets (although I consider them family more than hobbies)! I'd love to hear about your New Year's resolutions and obsessions, and if they're in any way connected.

And have a wonderful, prosperous, healthy--and obsessive--New Year!

Linda O.