Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

Tis the season...no, not THAT season.  The other one.  If you're a parent, you know what I mean. End of the school year. My son is 16.  He's fairly self-sufficient and really, he should be looking forward to this more than I am.  And maybe he is.  All I know is that I CANNOT WAIT. We don't get a bus for him so I do carpool duty twice a day.  The school is only five miles away but at 6:30 in the morning, it feels like 50 miles.  And in the afternoon, it totally disrupts my day.  So yeah, maybe I'm whining but summer break can't get here soon enough.  To be able to sleep in and not deal with an alarm, is like a fantasy right now. Three weeks. And for the first time in a really long time, we have some plans for the summer.  Last summer we did a trip to New York for a week and it was fine but it was partially for work so I didn't love it.  This summer?  Some of the trips are work related but so much more fun!  Plus, ...

by Danielle Jackson Do you ever go through reading dryspells? I do! More often than I like to admit. In fact, I’m going through one right now… And when I do, I re-read tried and true favorite books and authors of mine. Here are a few that I turn to: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts —so, you guys all know by now that when I was younger, I used to steal my mom’s romance novels and read the dirty parts when I was far too young… but when I was finally a little bit older and slightly less immature (verdict is still out on that one), my mom actually recommended I read Nora Roberts’ Born In Trilogy. The first book, Born In Fire , is SO GOOD. First of all, the heroine is super sassy and a glass blower. Second, the hero is a successful art dealer and hot. Third, it takes place in IRELAND. When I’m looking for reminders about why I love romance, I go to one of the first ones I read and loved from start to finish. Thanks, Mom! Persuasion by Jane Austen— Persuasion was my first A...

There are women in my life who have made a difference...so from my point of view...they were fascinating. Growing up I was lucky enough to live next door to my great aunt and uncle, and two doors down from my grandparents. What's not to love about that? The door was always open at both houses. My great aunt always had cookies in the cookie jar she kept right by the back door and on hot summer nights, she would read poems and stories to us on their screen porch. One of my favorites to this day was hearing The Owl and the Pussycat. ;) My great uncle loved to barbeque and at the drop of a hat would pull out his grill and cook up hot dogs and hamburgers. He'd whistle early in the morning, and I remember waking up to the sound and being too young to tie my red plaid sneakers, but I'd slip them on and go outside before anyone else was up. He'd tie my sneakers and we'd start the day hand-in-hand. My grandmother was a cheese and crackers grandma. She baked ice box cookie...

By Anita Clenney We all know that the writing business is tough, whether you're just starting out and waiting for The Call or a veteran author, as I learned in my retreat this weekend at the published authors' roundtable discussion. Getting published opens up another set of fears. What if it doesn't sell? What if I can't write another book as good as the first? What if it gets bad reviews? How am I going to promote? What is I can't stay published? And for me a biggie was, what about booksignings? I imagined this nightmarish image of me sitting in a big bookstore, my face pale, looking like a deer in headlights as people walked through the door and past my little table. My experience was anything but. First, let me start with the day before. My dear friend and critique partner, Dana Rodgers and I headed to Boonsboro, Maryland, where Nora Roberts husband's bookstore is located. What a drive. It was gorgeous, the storms from the night before were fading away. And i...

by Danielle Jackson For some strange reason, I always amp up my reading efforts in the summer. Perhaps I was in too many advanced English classes growing up and having summer reading assignments, but there’s pr etty much nothing more I’d rather be doing on a sunny day then sitting out on my parents’ deck, reading a big book and getting lost in the world inside it! In fact, even in my post-college years, I give myself Summer Reading “projects”—yes, I’m a dork. My first summer project this summer is to re-read all 7 Harry Potter Books; and wouldn’t you know it, overachiever that I am, I’m already on Book 6! Up next, I’m having trouble deciding… I’ve thought about reading through Tolkien—and I’m talking, starting with The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and then tackling all three volumes The Lord of the Rings ! But that might take me well into the Fall! So, my next idea is to re-read Austen—all 6 of the novels, and reading her shorter and unfinished pieces, and perhaps even her letters to Cass...

I’m probably not being very original with how the next few blog posts will follow for the next week or so, but the RWA 2009 National Conference this year was one of many firsts for me! My first national conference workshop panel, my first time speaking at the Sourcebooks Spotlight, and our first Sourcebooks sponsored signing! I apologize for my lack of photos, but I’m not sure I have the brain power to maneuver them around in the blogger set up! My Workshop Panel I like to think I’m an OK public speaker—I’ve never been one that hated speaking in front of others, but I’ve never really been that person to volunteer either!! But I have to say, RWA was the perfect place to start out, mainly because everyone is so nice, but I was extremely lucky to not only be on a fabulous panel, but I had many of the lovely Sourcebooks Casababes there for support. Judi took pictures (and Mama J says thanks!), and many more sat in places I could easily see—and it was nice to see smiling faces...