Shirley Jump and a chocolate fix...

Joining the Wranglers today is a good and generous friend and one of the most prolific writers I know (if you think that sounds envious...well, you're right). Help us celebrate the re-release of THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE and weigh in on how what you like in books.

A lot of people ask me where I come up with the ideas for my books. A good question, if only I had the answer more often!  Most of the time, I have no idea where the idea for the book came from. It’s just one of those things that just kind of…happens. 

Except with THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE. I had had this dusty unsold manuscript about a woman who wakes up in the wrong man’s bed two weeks before her wedding. 99% of the book was too terrible to fix, but I had that opening scene that I’d always liked, and wanted to use it. But the problem was framing an entirely new plot around that one scene. At the same time, I really wanted to hone in on what I wanted to write (outside of category romance). A friend of mine suggested I make a list of what’s important to me, and I did:

1.      Food

2.      Shoes

3.      Family 

Okay, whoops. The order’s a bit off ;-) but that’s the list I made, and I thought if I could find a way to combine those things into one book…heck, I’d have a book that made me happy every time I worked on it. I toyed with that number one for some time, then realized, being an amateur cook, that I really wanted a book with food in it. And I wanted that book to not just be entertaining, but also useful. So…why not put recipes into the book?

These weren’t just ordinary recipes (although they were all tested by me…I know, the sacrifices one makes for a book ;-). They were PART of the story. The 30-odd recipes in THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE are written by different characters and foreshadow the events to come in the next scene. So they’re a bit of cooking, a bit of wisdom, and a bit of plot. 

This month, THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE is being re-released as an ebook, and was also picked as part of the Nook First program, which gives BarnesandNoble.com an exclusive for 30 days (then it’ll be on Kindle, etc.). I’m thrilled to see this book reaching readers again, and even more thrilled with the new cover design.  

Tell me—do you like books that combine your favorite things in life (whether it be chocolate or gardening or whatever) with the story? I always feel like it’s bonus ;-) and hope readers feel the same way about THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE! :-) 

Shirley

Link to the book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bride-wore-chocolate-shirley-jump/1006330359?ean=2940014387750

My website: www.shirleyjump.com

This Ain't Sexy

When it comes to romance, there are certain things that will make me put a book down. Un-hero like behavior is one of them. I'm not saying that heroes should be perfect angels. That would make them boring. They have to have flaws. But there are flaws that would make me stop reading. Fast. Here are a few.

Verbal abuse. A hero that calls a heroine a disgusting name is one such behavior. Calling the heroine a slut, bitch, c*nt, or whore is unacceptable. But there are exceptions to this rule. If the heroine is a prostitute, then the shoe fits if he calls her a whore. Isn't that what a prostitute is? I once read a book (actually I read half of it) where the heroine slept with the hero on their wedding night, then he sailed for America. By page three hundred, she hadn't slept with him again, but she had slept with every other male character in the story. I couldn't finish it.

Rape. A hero that rapes a heroine turns me off. Dubious consent is one thing, but flat out rape is a different story. It's brutal, demeaning, and has nothing to do with love or romance.

Violence against the heroine. If this happens, it'd better be the villain that does it. I abhor a man that hits a woman in anger. To me, this makes a man a punk. It's abuse plain and simple. And to have her declare her undying love at the end? Really? To her abuser? That's a throw the book across the room moment.

What about you? What do you consider un-hero like behavior?

The Muse is Loose

Sometimes I think you just have to shut the muse up. Not in a bad way, but in a disciplinary way.

As regular readers know, I'm on the homestretch of the rewrite of my novel. Honestly, the end is so close I can taste it.

I have about five chapters--averaging 5-7 pages--left to write. I know what's coming, having written part of two of them.

But the other day, the muse tried to throw a wrench into the end. I was writing a scene in which five characters are discussing a major revelation and the muse whispers in my ear, "Maybe a sniper should take a shot at them."

I stopped writing and considered the idea. 

"Think of the questions a sniper shot will raise," she whispered in a deep throat kind of way.

"But I'm at 90k and counting. I can't possibly add another major glitch at this point."

"How about a fire?"

Because apparently my muse is a homicidal maniac.

"No!" I gave her an internal shout. "I am going to stay the course. I am going to finish this book."

She pouted.

"But," I conceded. "Maybe we can use one of those in the next book."

So, do you ever have to turn off the muse?

A Little Southern Comfort...

Designing Women - my favorite bit of southern comfort!

I love my life. Seriously. I have a wonderful husband, an amazing daughter and the career I always knew I wanted but never had a clue how to achieve. I work most days in my jammies or my most comfortable jeans and tees, I talk to really interesting people all over the world and I have a supporting cast of friends, CPs and family who push me to be better.

My debut, What a Texas Girl Wants, releases on June 4 and that has me absolutely flying!

And yet, I have those days. You know, the not-enough-chocolate-in-the-world days? Those days, I need a comfy blankey (my Coke blankey is my fave), my super-duper Betty Boop pjs and a great story. Most times I pick up a book. Nora is always a feel-good read, maybe Lisa Wingate -- especially if I'm in a wanna-sniffle-a-bit mood or Jayne Ann Krentz if i want some action mixed in with my drama. But there are days when a book just won't do it. When I'm too overwhelmed to engage my imagaination enough for a take-me-away read...or I'm sick. Those days I reach for feel good television and - 9 times out of 10 - I reach for 1 specific show writer. Linda Bloodworth Thomason, the creator and original writer (all 35 episodes of the first couple seasons) of Designing Women...a show that is still my favorite sit-com. Sure, I love all the 'today' favorites, but Designing Women holds a very special place in my heart. I think its a kid-from-the-80s thing.

Four women talking about life, figuring out love and telling people off on a weekly basis? I was in heaven!! I could escape from farm-ville (not that I didn't love it) and be part of oh-so-glamorous (to me) Atlanta, where Scarlett O'Hara might still be found...where adventures happened every week (even if the adventure was just a washed up baseball player finding himself in Suzanne's bedroom or Mary Jo confronting a purse snatcher or Charlene giving her singing dream another shot) and the characters always knew exactly what to say at the exactly right moment to really get their point (or zing) across.

I kind of was Charlene -- a naive, country girl. But oh, how I wanted to be as glamorous as Suzanne, as mouthy as Julia or as innocent-yet-tough as Mary Jo. I still do, actually. I want to be all the Designing Women wrapped up in a Kristina bow. And that is why Linda Bloodworth Thomason is one of my favorite writers...sure, I can't pick up a copy of one of her books, but I can pop in a DVD and revisit those characters that helped me figure out who I was, who I wanted to be and what I would believe in. Things I still believe in to this day.

Friendship. Honor. Love. Family. Isn't that what we all strive for? Who is your comfort read - or watch, as the case may be?

Review, Review, Review

Since I've gotten my galleys for Wild Horses, I've been sending it out for review.  I've been lucky, blessed actually, to have gotten some really great reviews.  All have been positive, and have made me grin from ear to ear.

Before this, I never paid much attention to reviews.  Never cared what someone else thought of the books, movies or music I like.  In fact, as far as movies go, I rarely agree with reviews.  I go for the big summer movies, and not the artsy ones reviewers love to gush over.  I like the authors I like...I could care less what a review says. 

But now, I'm gobbling up book reviews like they're candy and I'm a starving woman on a desert island.  Authors I've read for years?  Gotta see what they're saying about it on Goodreads.  And the Amazon reviews.  Got to read them.  Am I swayed by them?  Honestly, I'd have to say no. 

But are there people out there who are?  Are there people who will read my book because of all the great things the reviewers have said? Are there people out there who won't read it if they can't find a review? 

It's nerve wracking.

All I can do is write the best book I can, hope the readers like it, too.

What about you, how much stock do you put into reviews?