I cannot believe how quickly June is zooming by! In less than three weeks my next book, TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING, will hit the shelves. Woo hoo! I'm so excited to introduce Sophie Darshaw to readers. At last!
Sophie is the poor, long lost cousin we heard about but never met in MISTRESS BY MISTAKE. In the opening chapters of DAMSEL IN DISGUISE she makes a brief appearance, but then mysteriously disappears. Finally now we can find out what the gal has been up to. And who she's been up to it with!
To tease you just a bit, here's a little excerpt:
“Lord Lindley, please,” she began, moving toward him, then stopping just out of arms reach. “You cannot take him. Not now.”
“You don’t know what he’s done, Miss Darshaw.”
“But I know what will happen if he does not see a doctor right away.”
“He’s wounded; nothing more. He’ll survive.”
“But the blood . . . please, have some compassion.”
She was so earnest it was all he could do to deny her. Her helpless, desperate eyes searched his. His resolve returned, however, as soon as he recalled another pair of helpless, desperate eyes that had begged him for rescue. Rescue he could not give. Those eyes had shut and never opened again and Lindley had finally caught the man responsible for it. Damn it, but Lindley couldn’t let himself be weak now. Four souls left in the cold ground of his family plot needed justice. They would get it.
“My compassion is buried with my family, back in Kent,” he informed her.
She must have recognized the icy reality of this on his face. She took a step backward, away from him. The glow from the lamp hanging near the doorway spilled out into the yard where they stood. The warm light played against the heavy shadows, making her eyes seem endlessly deep and her skin endlessly tempting. Emotion only allowed her to draw short, halting breaths. Her worn gown pulled against those unignorable curves. Hellfire, why couldn’t he forget just for these moments how beautiful the girl was?
“Maybe you can’t feel compassion, but surely you can feel something,” she said, swallowed, and gave the tiniest hint of a smile. “You are, after all, a man.”
Oh, he felt something, indeed. “My feelings are hardly your concern, Miss Darshaw. Go back inside and say farewell.”
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Let Your Flag Fly
Today is Flag Day here in the US. I had to go online and look it up when my daughter said, "Flag Day? What's that?"
Here's what I found. In 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution adopting the flag. You know, the original Stars and Stripes with the stars in a circle instead of all jammed into off-set rows because they had a lot fewer states to recognize back then. But apparently Flag Day wasn't much of a big deal to most people.
It sounds like throughout the 1800's various towns and communities celebrated the anniversary of the flag's adoption in a variety of ways, but it sounds like it was kind of sporatic. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson was the first one to give it national attention by signing a proclamation that officially made today, June 14, Flag Day. It wasn't until August of 1949 that politicians gave it full attention by passing an Act of Congress to establish it.
But why? What's the big deal about a flag? I thought I'd better look that up, too.
I found some conflicting stuff. I found references to stars representing the 13 original colonies, but also representing the heavens and the Divine intervention that brought our nation into being, as well as the Divine call on the people themselves to be something special. The stripes can represent rays from the sun, beaming down on the land to produce prosperity and enlightenment, or they could have something to do with the Biblical reference to Christ's "stripes", or wounds that rescue us from sin. The red could be a nod to the bloodshed of war, and probably means victory through suffering or hardship while the white is likely purity and freedom. The blue represents the heavens, and maybe justice and perseverance.
Basically, everyone has some opinion as to what the flag stands for, and it's all pretty good stuff. None of the references I found indicated that blue stood for Greed or white meant Dirty Politics while red stripes remind us of our Trillion Dollar National Debt. No, that's not why we fly our flags.
We choose to see the American flag as something better. It is a symbol of our hopes and our dreams, not our failures and our shortcomings. We proudly fly our flags in honor of great men and women who have sacrificed and done noble things, not for those who cheat and steal. The flag stands for military personnel, civilians, lawmakers, homemakers, first responders, the elderly, and school children who all do their part to uphold freedom, equality, kindness, creativity, independence, excellence, and justice for all. Yes, that should be all of us. The flag represents what all of us could be.
So, now I can explain to my daughter what Flag Day is. It is a day we honor this simple piece of fabric as a symbol for some really big ideas. Some great ideas. Sure, maybe we screw up as a nation from time to time, but it doesn't mean we quit trying. Today is a good day to forgive ourselves for past failings and let ourselves think nobler thoughts for tomorrow.
We can do better. We can be better. We can live up to this symbol, this representation of some really awesome stuff. After all, it's our symbol. We made it. It's what we truly want to be.
Here's what I found. In 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution adopting the flag. You know, the original Stars and Stripes with the stars in a circle instead of all jammed into off-set rows because they had a lot fewer states to recognize back then. But apparently Flag Day wasn't much of a big deal to most people.
It sounds like throughout the 1800's various towns and communities celebrated the anniversary of the flag's adoption in a variety of ways, but it sounds like it was kind of sporatic. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson was the first one to give it national attention by signing a proclamation that officially made today, June 14, Flag Day. It wasn't until August of 1949 that politicians gave it full attention by passing an Act of Congress to establish it.
But why? What's the big deal about a flag? I thought I'd better look that up, too.
I found some conflicting stuff. I found references to stars representing the 13 original colonies, but also representing the heavens and the Divine intervention that brought our nation into being, as well as the Divine call on the people themselves to be something special. The stripes can represent rays from the sun, beaming down on the land to produce prosperity and enlightenment, or they could have something to do with the Biblical reference to Christ's "stripes", or wounds that rescue us from sin. The red could be a nod to the bloodshed of war, and probably means victory through suffering or hardship while the white is likely purity and freedom. The blue represents the heavens, and maybe justice and perseverance.
Basically, everyone has some opinion as to what the flag stands for, and it's all pretty good stuff. None of the references I found indicated that blue stood for Greed or white meant Dirty Politics while red stripes remind us of our Trillion Dollar National Debt. No, that's not why we fly our flags.
We choose to see the American flag as something better. It is a symbol of our hopes and our dreams, not our failures and our shortcomings. We proudly fly our flags in honor of great men and women who have sacrificed and done noble things, not for those who cheat and steal. The flag stands for military personnel, civilians, lawmakers, homemakers, first responders, the elderly, and school children who all do their part to uphold freedom, equality, kindness, creativity, independence, excellence, and justice for all. Yes, that should be all of us. The flag represents what all of us could be.
So, now I can explain to my daughter what Flag Day is. It is a day we honor this simple piece of fabric as a symbol for some really big ideas. Some great ideas. Sure, maybe we screw up as a nation from time to time, but it doesn't mean we quit trying. Today is a good day to forgive ourselves for past failings and let ourselves think nobler thoughts for tomorrow.
We can do better. We can be better. We can live up to this symbol, this representation of some really awesome stuff. After all, it's our symbol. We made it. It's what we truly want to be.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Golden Hearts in Bloom
Ah, it's that season again. Last week RWA announced this year's crop of Golden Heart finalists. Gosh, what a flood of memories that brought back. Shall we wander down that lane again?
I almost didn't get the call telling me my manuscript (titled, at that time, MISTAKEN BY MOONLIGHT) had finaled in the 2008 Golden Heart. My family was literally walking out the door to head away for vacation. We had the suitcases loaded up, the bags of food for the long car ride packed, both kids were dragging the obligatory piles of games, stuffed animals, pillows and favorite blankies, and my husband was wrestling our two anxious dogs who were not looking forward to being dropped off at the kennel/doggy resort.
When the phone rang I stood in the doorway, debating whether to go answer it or to just let it roll over to the answering machine. After all, anyone I probably wanted to talk to already knew we were leaving town; this was most likely just a telemarketer. But by the fourth ring, my curiosity got the best of me and I put down my purse and my laptop case and the dog dishes and my husband's headache medication and ran to answer the phone.
Wow, was I glad that I did! I'm sure I was a blathering idiot. I know I said "Really?" about a hundred times. I hope I said "Thank you" at least once. I remembered feeling, in that moment, as if my life had changed.
As it turned out, I was right. From that day on it was a whirlwind of preparations to go to Nationals (my first!) and to get my manuscript ready for all the attention it was suddenly getting. I had to build a website, answer hundreds of emails, and begin to view my writing as more than just a hobby. I realized I'd somehow gotten into the big leagues and wasn't about to let this truly Golden opportunity pass me by. There would be parties and receptions and photo ops at National and I was determined not to miss any of it. I couldn't find a gown that was glitzy and glamorous enough for the big GH/RITA ceremony so I made one. There weren't enough hours in the day to meet with everyone I wanted to meet with at Nationals, so I skipped sleeping a couple days. As far as I was concerned, this was my one shot. It was terrifying, energizing, and blissful all at the same time.
That year I won the Golden Heart in my category. Two days later, I signed with a wonderful agent, and a few days after that we negotiated a two-book contract with Berkley Publishing. I guess they liked what they got because a few months later I signed another one.
I was asked to change my manuscript's title, but little else. In December, 2009, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE was released. DAMSEL IN DISGUISE followed it in the summer of 2010. My third book with Berkley, TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING, comes out this July and my fourth book is scheduled for April, 2012. Life has changed a lot since I answered that Golden Heart phone call. I'm glad our family vacation had to wait a couple minutes.
But the biggest lesson I've learned from my Golden Heart experience (and from my wonderful Pixie Chicks sisters who were also finalists that year) is that whether you final or don't, whether you take home a necklace or not, whether you sell right away or are eligible to enter again next year, life does go on after the Golden Heart. I could put my family vacation on hold for a little while to do a happy dance after that phone call, but eventually I had to come down from Cloud Nine and get in the minivan. I could go to National and dress like a princess, drink martinis and rub elbows with Who's Who, but at the end of the week I had to come home and catch up on laundry. And then, after all that, I still had to write. Even when I was tired, or uninspired, or too busy polishing my little heart-shaped necklace.
Golden Hearts and martinis with editors really and truly mean nothing unless we write. My advice to this year's finalists is to keep that in mind. Yes, by all means go to National if you can afford it. Enjoy the fun and the opportunities. Take advantage of everything you can, but don't lose sight of what's really important. Keep on living your life and being who you are and, most importantly, remember what that is. You are a Writer. And writers write.
I almost didn't get the call telling me my manuscript (titled, at that time, MISTAKEN BY MOONLIGHT) had finaled in the 2008 Golden Heart. My family was literally walking out the door to head away for vacation. We had the suitcases loaded up, the bags of food for the long car ride packed, both kids were dragging the obligatory piles of games, stuffed animals, pillows and favorite blankies, and my husband was wrestling our two anxious dogs who were not looking forward to being dropped off at the kennel/doggy resort.
When the phone rang I stood in the doorway, debating whether to go answer it or to just let it roll over to the answering machine. After all, anyone I probably wanted to talk to already knew we were leaving town; this was most likely just a telemarketer. But by the fourth ring, my curiosity got the best of me and I put down my purse and my laptop case and the dog dishes and my husband's headache medication and ran to answer the phone.
Wow, was I glad that I did! I'm sure I was a blathering idiot. I know I said "Really?" about a hundred times. I hope I said "Thank you" at least once. I remembered feeling, in that moment, as if my life had changed.
As it turned out, I was right. From that day on it was a whirlwind of preparations to go to Nationals (my first!) and to get my manuscript ready for all the attention it was suddenly getting. I had to build a website, answer hundreds of emails, and begin to view my writing as more than just a hobby. I realized I'd somehow gotten into the big leagues and wasn't about to let this truly Golden opportunity pass me by. There would be parties and receptions and photo ops at National and I was determined not to miss any of it. I couldn't find a gown that was glitzy and glamorous enough for the big GH/RITA ceremony so I made one. There weren't enough hours in the day to meet with everyone I wanted to meet with at Nationals, so I skipped sleeping a couple days. As far as I was concerned, this was my one shot. It was terrifying, energizing, and blissful all at the same time.
That year I won the Golden Heart in my category. Two days later, I signed with a wonderful agent, and a few days after that we negotiated a two-book contract with Berkley Publishing. I guess they liked what they got because a few months later I signed another one.
I was asked to change my manuscript's title, but little else. In December, 2009, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE was released. DAMSEL IN DISGUISE followed it in the summer of 2010. My third book with Berkley, TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING, comes out this July and my fourth book is scheduled for April, 2012. Life has changed a lot since I answered that Golden Heart phone call. I'm glad our family vacation had to wait a couple minutes.
But the biggest lesson I've learned from my Golden Heart experience (and from my wonderful Pixie Chicks sisters who were also finalists that year) is that whether you final or don't, whether you take home a necklace or not, whether you sell right away or are eligible to enter again next year, life does go on after the Golden Heart. I could put my family vacation on hold for a little while to do a happy dance after that phone call, but eventually I had to come down from Cloud Nine and get in the minivan. I could go to National and dress like a princess, drink martinis and rub elbows with Who's Who, but at the end of the week I had to come home and catch up on laundry. And then, after all that, I still had to write. Even when I was tired, or uninspired, or too busy polishing my little heart-shaped necklace.
Golden Hearts and martinis with editors really and truly mean nothing unless we write. My advice to this year's finalists is to keep that in mind. Yes, by all means go to National if you can afford it. Enjoy the fun and the opportunities. Take advantage of everything you can, but don't lose sight of what's really important. Keep on living your life and being who you are and, most importantly, remember what that is. You are a Writer. And writers write.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Interview with Holly Zachariah, Part 2
Back in February, 2010, I was interviewed by Holly Zachariah, journalist, blogger and romance reader. Here is another excerpt from that interview:
Holly: Why did you choose the English Regency time period for the setting of your books?
Me: The English Regency covered the years from 1810 to 1820 when the decadent Prince of Wales (who would eventually become George IV) ruled as Regent while his father, the king, was mentally ill. Lovely family. It’s the same time period we associate with Jane Austen. So think Mr. Darcy in a starched cravat—or better yet, in a wet linen shirt—and you’ve got the Regency. I’m forever fascinated by the ways of society from that time: the devastating trauma of misspeaking oneself in public, the shame of being an old maid by age 22, or being snubbed at the most influential ball of the season simply because one of your ancestors wasn’t genteel enough. With the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, the birth of the Industrial Revolution, and clashes between the classes, it’s the perfect setting for romance.
Holly: You have a degree in theater and were a playwright. Do you still foster those loves in any way? Do you participate in community theater, for example? If so, how does that help you as a writer, if at all?
Me: I have elementary age children, so the time element hasn’t allowed for me to be as involved in community theatre as I would like. It has allowed me to be involved in children’s theatre, however, and recently I worked with a very creative group of young people writing and producing their own scripts. That was a wonderful experience.
I believe a lot of what I learned in the theatre has been a great help in my fiction writing. Primarily, I think I approach my characters the way an actor approaches a role. I don’t direct my characters; I act them in my head and then somehow translate that into prose. Every author has his or her own process, and this seems to work for me.
Holly: Ever thought of working on screenplays? What do you think would be different about those?
Me: That’s a completely foreign animal to me! The live stage is very different from the screen and books are their own industry altogether. I’d love to write a screenplay someday (I’ve got friends who do) so maybe one of these years I’ll dig into that. I need a fabulous idea first… how about big blue people on a planet with lots of trees?
Holly: Why did you choose the English Regency time period for the setting of your books?
Me: The English Regency covered the years from 1810 to 1820 when the decadent Prince of Wales (who would eventually become George IV) ruled as Regent while his father, the king, was mentally ill. Lovely family. It’s the same time period we associate with Jane Austen. So think Mr. Darcy in a starched cravat—or better yet, in a wet linen shirt—and you’ve got the Regency. I’m forever fascinated by the ways of society from that time: the devastating trauma of misspeaking oneself in public, the shame of being an old maid by age 22, or being snubbed at the most influential ball of the season simply because one of your ancestors wasn’t genteel enough. With the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, the birth of the Industrial Revolution, and clashes between the classes, it’s the perfect setting for romance.
Holly: You have a degree in theater and were a playwright. Do you still foster those loves in any way? Do you participate in community theater, for example? If so, how does that help you as a writer, if at all?
Me: I have elementary age children, so the time element hasn’t allowed for me to be as involved in community theatre as I would like. It has allowed me to be involved in children’s theatre, however, and recently I worked with a very creative group of young people writing and producing their own scripts. That was a wonderful experience.
I believe a lot of what I learned in the theatre has been a great help in my fiction writing. Primarily, I think I approach my characters the way an actor approaches a role. I don’t direct my characters; I act them in my head and then somehow translate that into prose. Every author has his or her own process, and this seems to work for me.
Holly: Ever thought of working on screenplays? What do you think would be different about those?
Me: That’s a completely foreign animal to me! The live stage is very different from the screen and books are their own industry altogether. I’d love to write a screenplay someday (I’ve got friends who do) so maybe one of these years I’ll dig into that. I need a fabulous idea first… how about big blue people on a planet with lots of trees?
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Interview with Holly Zachariah, Part 1
Back in February I was interviewed by journalist, blogger and romance reader Holly
Zachariah (Columbus Dispatch). She asked some really great questions so I thought it might be interesting to post some of them here:
Holly Z: Has it been hard to be a romance writer and a pastor's wife at the same time? Let's face it, some people - whether we like it or not - call romance porn.
Me: I’m very sensitive to the fact that different people have different levels of comfort regarding sensuality in fiction. I never want anyone to be shocked or offended by the hot, sexy love scenes I include in my books so I’m careful not to promote myself as “the pastor’s wife” in case someone might accidentally mistake my work for something inspirational or sweet. Which is not to imply that there is anything shameful in what I write! I think the themes of honesty, forgiveness, commitment and love that are the very backbone of any romance novel are exactly the themes we wish to promote in our faith. I’m conveying this in my voice to my audience, and other authors are using their voice with their audiences. And that’s okay.
Zachariah (Columbus Dispatch). She asked some really great questions so I thought it might be interesting to post some of them here:
Holly Z: Has it been hard to be a romance writer and a pastor's wife at the same time? Let's face it, some people - whether we like it or not - call romance porn.
Me: I’m very sensitive to the fact that different people have different levels of comfort regarding sensuality in fiction. I never want anyone to be shocked or offended by the hot, sexy love scenes I include in my books so I’m careful not to promote myself as “the pastor’s wife” in case someone might accidentally mistake my work for something inspirational or sweet. Which is not to imply that there is anything shameful in what I write! I think the themes of honesty, forgiveness, commitment and love that are the very backbone of any romance novel are exactly the themes we wish to promote in our faith. I’m conveying this in my voice to my audience, and other authors are using their voice with their audiences. And that’s okay.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Keeping Warm Between the Covers
"Dear God, it's you!" he exclaimed.
And it was. The very woman who had disrupted his thoughts all day long was seated there on the dusty floor, a book open on her lap. She was wearing a drab gown, the color of dead moss. Still, her fawn colored hair was not tucked under a cap, but pulled up stylishly on her head. She looked prim and proper and untouchable. And with every fiber of his being he wanted to touch her.
Flustered, she slammed her book shut and sent a dust cloud into the air around her head. Another sneeze, and she struggled with her skirts as she scrambled to her feet. He chuckled at the delightful sight of one perfect ankle, but reached out a hand to help her. She did not take it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked quickly, glancing around, probably for a way to escape.
"I think I should ask you the same thing. Am I interrupting your reading hour?"
"No, I just—" she noticed the clock on the mantle. "Oh no! I had no idea it was so late!"
"Don't worry. I'll see that you don't get into any trouble."
"Oh, I doubt that," she replied. Smart girl.
That’s an excerpt from my recent Regency historical, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE. My heroine has found a book that she truly can’t quite seem to put down. (Trust me; we wouldn’t either, if we stumbled upon this little volume in our dashing host’s library.)
I love getting lost in a good book, don’t you? Especially when there’s a chance that, in my distraction, I might be found out by a smoldering-eyed lord with a penchant for seduction. Yeah, that’s my kind of reading hour!
And it’s a darn good way to keep warm as winter swings into full force here in the states. Brrr, as I type this my fingers are creaking with cold. The wind keeps knocking out my satellite connection for the internet. The dogs stand at the door with their little legs crossed saying, “No way! We are not going out in this.”
So, what to do that will get the blood flowing and pump up the heat index on a blustery day like today? Crawl inside the covers of a good book!
"Dear God, it's you!" he exclaimed.
And it was. The very woman who had disrupted his thoughts all day long was seated there on the dusty floor, a book open on her lap. She was wearing a drab gown, the color of dead moss. Still, her fawn colored hair was not tucked under a cap, but pulled up stylishly on her head. She looked prim and proper and untouchable. And with every fiber of his being he wanted to touch her.
Flustered, she slammed her book shut and sent a dust cloud into the air around her head. Another sneeze, and she struggled with her skirts as she scrambled to her feet. He chuckled at the delightful sight of one perfect ankle, but reached out a hand to help her. She did not take it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked quickly, glancing around, probably for a way to escape.
"I think I should ask you the same thing. Am I interrupting your reading hour?"
"No, I just—" she noticed the clock on the mantle. "Oh no! I had no idea it was so late!"
"Don't worry. I'll see that you don't get into any trouble."
"Oh, I doubt that," she replied. Smart girl.
That’s an excerpt from my recent Regency historical, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE. My heroine has found a book that she truly can’t quite seem to put down. (Trust me; we wouldn’t either, if we stumbled upon this little volume in our dashing host’s library.)
I love getting lost in a good book, don’t you? Especially when there’s a chance that, in my distraction, I might be found out by a smoldering-eyed lord with a penchant for seduction. Yeah, that’s my kind of reading hour!
And it’s a darn good way to keep warm as winter swings into full force here in the states. Brrr, as I type this my fingers are creaking with cold. The wind keeps knocking out my satellite connection for the internet. The dogs stand at the door with their little legs crossed saying, “No way! We are not going out in this.”
So, what to do that will get the blood flowing and pump up the heat index on a blustery day like today? Crawl inside the covers of a good book!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
MISTRESS Release Day
Golly, that headline sounds like I've been keeping some woman and I'm finally letting her go. That's not what I meant! But that is the theme for what I was going to write about today.
Today is the official release date for my debut Regency Historical Romance, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE. Yay! So exciting! It is also a day my husband has been seriously dreading.
You see, my husband is a good man. He's a dedicated man. He's a man of deep conviction. And he's a minister. Now, he's always been very supportive of my writing efforts but it wasn't until just recently he realized truly and intimately what exactly it is that I write. He tried to read my book.
MISTRESS BY MISTAKE is a fun, sexy romp. That's what it says right on the front cover and I assumed most people understand that means the book is, well, fun and sexy. My husband admits that he read the cover, that he’s heard me talk about the book, but he says he always thought “sexy” just meant, er, “sexy”. He honestly didn’t realize it meant “SEXy”, as in, it gets specific about who’s doing what to whom when and where. And how—I most definitely include the how.
My husband rather wishes I didn't, just on the not-so-off-chance that one of his parishioners might buy the book and also misinterpret "sexy" only to have a coronary at page three when things for my hero and heroine start to get a bit, er, "SEXy". The dear man really does care about his parishioners.
But this has been a lesson to me. Sometimes we can be so very precise in what we say or write, and yet still be misunderstood. When I wrote the title for this blog entry, I referred, of course, to the fact that today is the day my novel, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, is released onto the shelves of a bookseller near you. I can easily see, however, that someone might read that header and assume it means something entirely different.
So, at the risk of being further misunderstood, let me sum up what I am trying to say:
I’m very excited that my brand new slightly-obscene romance novel, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, will be available to the public today! Rush out now and buy a copy. If, however, you decide to actually read the copy, please don’t be surprised to find that it is chock full of hot sex. And a lot of really funny things happen along with all the sex, too.
I am not, however, releasing some woman that I’ve held in captivity for illicit purposes. I will, though, send a free copy of my book to some random person who finds this neglected blog and posts a comment today! Just make sure I know who you are and how to contact you.
And may you have a happy release of your own at some point today!
Today is the official release date for my debut Regency Historical Romance, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE. Yay! So exciting! It is also a day my husband has been seriously dreading.
You see, my husband is a good man. He's a dedicated man. He's a man of deep conviction. And he's a minister. Now, he's always been very supportive of my writing efforts but it wasn't until just recently he realized truly and intimately what exactly it is that I write. He tried to read my book.
MISTRESS BY MISTAKE is a fun, sexy romp. That's what it says right on the front cover and I assumed most people understand that means the book is, well, fun and sexy. My husband admits that he read the cover, that he’s heard me talk about the book, but he says he always thought “sexy” just meant, er, “sexy”. He honestly didn’t realize it meant “SEXy”, as in, it gets specific about who’s doing what to whom when and where. And how—I most definitely include the how.
My husband rather wishes I didn't, just on the not-so-off-chance that one of his parishioners might buy the book and also misinterpret "sexy" only to have a coronary at page three when things for my hero and heroine start to get a bit, er, "SEXy". The dear man really does care about his parishioners.
But this has been a lesson to me. Sometimes we can be so very precise in what we say or write, and yet still be misunderstood. When I wrote the title for this blog entry, I referred, of course, to the fact that today is the day my novel, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, is released onto the shelves of a bookseller near you. I can easily see, however, that someone might read that header and assume it means something entirely different.
So, at the risk of being further misunderstood, let me sum up what I am trying to say:
I’m very excited that my brand new slightly-obscene romance novel, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, will be available to the public today! Rush out now and buy a copy. If, however, you decide to actually read the copy, please don’t be surprised to find that it is chock full of hot sex. And a lot of really funny things happen along with all the sex, too.
I am not, however, releasing some woman that I’ve held in captivity for illicit purposes. I will, though, send a free copy of my book to some random person who finds this neglected blog and posts a comment today! Just make sure I know who you are and how to contact you.
And may you have a happy release of your own at some point today!
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