Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fabulous Interview With Captain Jack Sparrow: Susan Sey Gets All Bubbly
Hellion: Susan! Welcome to the ship, and the first thing I want to say is don’t worry!—we’ve had a long talk with Jack, so I’m sure we’re not going to run into any of those problems we’ve had with new authors in the past where Jack has run off with them to an undisclosed location and done Lord knows what. *handing Susan a tankard of rum*Susan: *hopeful look as she takes rum, looking over her shoulder* I’d heard the rumors, of course, but I thought with how outrageous stories get, it was an exaggeration at best….
Captain Jack Sparrow: Exaggeration? *Jack sliding down a rope from the Crow’s Nest and landing on his feet to pose with his hands on his hips, taking up as much room in the camera angle as possible* I assure you the rumors of my prowess in the bed chamber are not an exaggeration.
Hellion: *sotto-voice* They’re completely made up. *Jack turns to glare at her; she smiles* Jack, darling, I’m so thrilled you could show up on time for a change. I was just telling our guest all about you. She was just telling me how disappointed she was that she missed out on your interview skills the last time she was here.
CJS: *taking Susan’s hand and making bedroom eyes at her* Extremely glad and honored to meet you, luv. Might I escort you to the couch?
Susan: *blinking* Oh…my. Would you? *Jack makes great strides in his wooing efforts in the three feet to the couch until Susan is practically lying sideways*
Hellion: *rolling eyes and hurrying over to the table with a bottle of rum and a notebook with pen; plunks down rum in front of Jack, then seats herself to record the interview* Please proceed.
CJS: *straightens and sits, arranges his coat* I’m quite capable of conducting my own interviews. You treat me like I couldn’t find my way out of a telephone booth.
Hellion: Well, there was that one time….
CJS: *ignoring Hellion, smoldering at Susan* Just ignore her. I do. Why don’t you tell me about this book of yours?
Susan: Book? *shakes herself, snaps out of it.* Book! Yes! I have a book! It’s called MONEY SHOT, and it’s fabulous. Nearly as fabulous as you... *trails off, staring. Shakes self, snaps out of it.* Okay, here’s the skinny: It’s about a secret service agent--Maria “Goose” di Guzman--who, after a little speed bump at work, finds herself exiled to a frozen island in Lake Superior, chasing a counterfeiter who may or may not exist. And the only local law enforcement available to help out is Mishkwa Island Park Ranger Rush Guthrie.CJS: The hero’s name is Rush? *cocking eyebrow* I hope that’s not an indication of everything he does. It’s not, is it? If I had a name that spoke of my prowess, it would be Boulder. Rock hard and huge, massive, intimidating….
Susan: *Pause* I would *love* to know if that’s true.
CJS: I’d love to show you.
Susan: *Mind wanders. Day dreams are wonderful. Shakes self. Snaps out of it.* Hmmm. Maybe later. Let’s get back to Rush, shall we? To answer your question, no. He is absolutely not a guy in a hurry. If anything, he’s a fan of slowing things down. Goose is all about the hurry up; Rush is all about taking the time to do things right. Which is an excellent quality in a hero, don’t you think?
CJS: I knew you were a woman of keen intellect as well as beauty. *kissing her hand and then the inside of her wrist* Do tell me are your heroines all as beautiful and intelligent as you are?
Susan: *giggles. Shakes self. Snaps out of it. Takes hand back, though reluctantly.* Oh, much more so. Maria--Rush doesn’t care to call her Goose for some reason--is nearly six delicious feet of brainy sex appeal. But she’s hiding some dark secrets behind that pretty face and designer suit. And Rush doesn’t do secrets any more. The decade or so he spent as a Navy SEAL left him with some serious scars on his conscience and he came back to his tiny island home town to heal. He wants a real life now--honest, authentic, open--and a real-life happy every after. But Maria’s as determined to hang on to her secrets as Rush is to unravel them, and convincing her to take a shot isn’t going to be easy.
CJS: Secrets should stay secrets in my experience. I don’t know if your hero—Rush, you said his name was?—can handle a fine woman like Maria. I knew a Maria once. *dreamy look* She was going to become a nun, but I changed her mind. Black was not her color. Maybe for your next book, you’ll have a hero who is more pirate-like, like me. What will you be dazzling your readers with next?
Susan: Right now I’m trying to drum up interest in my Devil’s Kettle trilogy. Like any Minnesotan worth her long johns, I have a thing for Lake Superior, so I put my little town of Devil’s Kettle right on the shores.
CJS: *cocks a brow* Long johns, eh? I don’t suppose you’d care to give a fellow a look? I knew a girl once who wore long johns…*dreamy look* I quite enjoyed them.
Susan: *disappointed* Oh. I’m not wearing them right now. It’s summer.
CJS: Not wearing them? I knew a girl once who wore nothing. Can I look? *famous smile*
Susan: Well… *Leans in, too. Enjoys soulful eye contact, Hellion clears throat meaningfully, Susan snaps out of it.* So! My Devil’s Kettle trilogy! Right. It’s about three women, each of whom gets her own book but I should warn you, they’re not sisters. They’re not college roommates or childhood friends, either. Seems like those are the standards when you’re talking about romance trilogies, but my women have nothing in common but a man. And he’s dead.
CJS: Charming.
Susan. I know, right? Strangers at best, enemies at worst, they’ll be sisters by the time I’m done with them. Let’s hope my editor’s interested in finding out exactly how that happens.
CPS: *counting off on his fingers* Well, we’ve talked about your book, the hero, the heroine, and your next book. I think that about covers the small talk. How about I give you a tour of my bedroom?
Hellion: Nice try, Jack, but Susan is too smart to fall for your wiles.
Susan: Oh, I don’t know. *wistful look* I could be, if someone would give him a bath.
CJS: I just happen to have a bathtub in my cabin.
Hellion: We have more questions for Susan. You’ll have to show her the magnificence of your bathtub at a later time. *hands him a stack of notecards*
CJS: *grumbling, flipping through the cards* Fine, but I definitely get a Bubble Bath Check. *winks at Susan, who winks back despite herself* You really won’t believe how big my tub is.
Hellion: He says that to everybody. It’s not that impressive. It just looks bigger on a ship.
Susan: *shrugs* Doesn’t everything?
CPS: I’m ignoring you both now. *takes a drink of rum* First pirate question—this is dreadfully organized, Hellie darlin’, really you should consider being a secretary—what was your favorite part in writing Money Shot?
Susan: Ooooh, torn on that one. Mishkwa Island is home to an ancient coven of pagans who perform their ceremonies sky-clad--
CJS: Sky-clad? As in naked? *Cocks a brow* On a frozen island? In the winter?
Susan: Yep. And checking out stacks of books on witchcraft from the library with my two little kids in tow was hilarious. I’m sure the librarians were talking about me. But what I really loved about writing this book was that all-important declaration of love scene. Goose fesses up first and she does it so badly. She’s all awkward and reluctant and pissy and completely, devastatingly honest. Rush isn’t exactly Mr. Hearts and Flowers himself, after all, so he’s completely knocked sideways by this and pledges his own troth. And yeah, he actually uses the word “troth” he’s so carried away by her. *big, happy sigh*
CJS: That does sound lovely. Not as lovely as a bath with the incomparable Captain Jack Sparrow, but there you go. *flips through the cards* Oh, yes, *waving a card* can’t have an interview without this question. This is the Missionary Position of Interview Questions here: “What is your writing process like, and what happened when you got the call?”
Susan: Oh, my process. It’s so generous to call what I do a process. It’s more like what happens when you up-end a bucket of toys and release the toddlers. It takes me forever to write a draft and then I have to re-write the entire thing three full times before I get it right. Then there’s the polishing and proofing, the fighting and whining, the tantrums and breakdowns. A smart person would find something to do she’s better at. But me? Heck, no. I just write another book. And as far as what happened when I got The Call? Let’s just say there was much rejoicing throughout the land and the tankards of rum flowed freely. There may have been a bubble bath involved.CJS: Now that sounds promising. Tell me, darling, if I give you a call, will you stop talking and get into my bath?
Susan: *twinkling* I could be persuaded.
CJS: Excellent. Last question, then, before I insist Susan has a bath. Who are some of your favorite authors, and what are you reading right now?
Susan: When it comes to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jenny Crusie and Eloisa James, I’m a rabid fan-girl. I also heart J. R. Ward and Jessica Andersen for the paranormal. And I’m not usually a SF/F girl (not speaking Elvish or Dwarvish or Klingon or what have you) but I’m mad, crazy in love with George R. R. Martin right now and his Game of Thrones books. It’s like Tolkien wrote a soap opera, and I’m addicted. All I want to do is read those books.
CJS: Great answer. *standing and taking Susan by the wrist* You know I might have one of those books in my cabin right now. Let’s go look.
Susan: Which one?
CPS: Doesn’t matter.
Hellion: Jack, stop harassing our guest. She may have questions for the rest of us. Susan, do you have any questions for us—or do you mind if the crew asks some questions?
Susan: You know, Jack’s question about my favorite part of writing MONEY SHOT made me realize that one of the reasons I love romance novels is the declaration of love scene. I love that moment where a person strips himself utterly bare and just splats his heart on the sidewalk at the feet of his beloved. That’s the scene that takes my breath away, and when an author really pulls out all the stops it’s the one I’ll remember and circle back to with a big, happy sigh years later. So I’m interested to know--what’s that scene for you? The first kiss? The meet cute? The proposal of marriage? The first fight? First sex? What’s the scene that makes the romance for you? And is there a particular scene from a particular book that comes to mind?
Impress me and there could be an autographed copy of MONEY SHOT in it for you! (Continental US only, though. Sorry.)
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75 comments:
Well! Hi, Susan!
Now, if only we could get Jack to take a bath when there isn't a pretty female author on the ship. As a guest.
Ahem.
(And no, Hector would object if I showed any interest in bathing with Jack.)
Now, favorite scene...well, I just finished one last week with the hero declaring what he'll do if she'll just put up... You know, I really shouldn't say! Oh, screw it... He offers to be her 'man on shore' since he admits she won't give up the ship... Two years later, he waits for her on the dock after a six week absence and when she arrives, she tosses him her seabag and reveals... Nope, not gonna give away every secret!
Looking forward to Money Shot!
Now, I gots me some nice spiced Kraken Rum (yes, there is really a Kraken Rum and I'm pushing for them to sponsor me on a book tour) or a magarita?
Hi Susan
Afraid I haven't read your books yet. They don't seem to exist in the UK except as paperbacks and I don't read trees any more unless forced.
I read your bio and can't believe that you gave up a lucrative exciting glamorous job teaching FORTRAN (only computer language I use for my science!). Though reading on, I can see that children would take over your life.
I'm currently following your advice to 'read several thousand romance novels' before attempting to write one. As one of the 'gentlemen out there' I don't often follow advice from lady authors. But this strikes a chord as do your other tips for aspiring authors.
As I like your advice so much, I reckon I might fall in love with your books, even if it does mean handling trees again.
Also any author who can handle CJS like that just has to be read! 8)
May I ask which aspects of a romance you find the most difficult to write.
Is it humor, passion, conflict, sex, or .....?
This enquiring mind would love to know!
Lovely to meet you. :D
Susan, I've been looking forward to this book, since I loved Money, Honey. And I will confess to enjoying hearing about your process, and how much work it involves. LOL It makes me feel better about my own WIP. :)
I really love the declaration of love scene too. I was just re-reading that part from a couple of fave books, and in one of them, the hero says, "I am defeated." He's been trying to fight his feelings and he can't anymore. I melted. LOL
I also love seeing how couples meet--in real life and in fiction--so that's always one of my favorite scenes too.
Congrats again on your latest. I can't wait to read it!
Susan! Welcome back aboard the ship!
I loved Money Honey. Can't wait to read Money Shot!
I'm not sure I can pinpoint it. I think my favorite scene might vary from book to book.
Like in CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET (Sophie Kinsella), I really LOVED the kiss scene. I was really impressed by how swoon-worthy she made it. But...I think I'm going to like the make up scene most. *LOL* Because it's going to have to be HUGE. He just told all her secrets on national television, and everyone knows it's her. So I almost like the betrayal scene best in this book. *LOL* Sucker for a really good black moment.
But in HARRY POTTER, my favorite romantic gesture is when Ron starts talking about saving the house elves, and Hermione drops everything to start kissing him. It's so romantic and hilarious because Ron is not exactly the most evolved male. He's not into saving the elves or being "environmentally conscious" in any of the other books, but Hermione is. So it's like he's finally arrived to a point in their relationship, he loves her so much, that her concerns are his also genuine concerns. I love that. Especially if in the beginning, there was no way in hell he would ever care about that.
THE LAST BACHELOR (Betina Krahn) also had something like that; and I loved that book for that reason as well.
I have to admit that the scene that does it for me in a romance novel is the black moment. The moment of not knowing if the couple will make it. There's something very bittersweet about that moment that I'm a glutton for and love to write those myself.
Or confessions from the a-hole who did you wrong in the first place realizing he screwed up big time.
I really like the fighting between the couple. It makes the make up better later.
I'm a big fan of the black moment too. It just makes the declaration scene that much sweeter!
I have to admit, I'm a sucker for the declaration of love scene, both the ones I've written and the ones I read. :) I've had a heroine stand on the bar in the middle of a crowded pub on NYE and make both her grand apology and her declaration of love, and it still makes me laugh and tear up when I read it. I just read a contemporary (YOURS TO KEEP by Shannon Stacey) last night that had a sweet scene where the hero declared his love accompanied by all of the things (pink shirt, pink gladioli) the heroine's 10yr old self had made notes about in a wedding keepsake box. Best of luck with the new trilogy, it sounds excellent!
2nd Chance wrote: Now, favorite scene…well, I just finished one last week with the hero declaring what he’ll do if she’ll just put up… You know, I really shouldn’t say! Oh, screw it… He offers to be her ‘man on shore’ since he admits she won’t give up the ship… Two years later, he waits for her on the dock after a six week absence and when she arrives, she tosses him her seabag and reveals… Nope, not gonna give away every secret!
Ooooh, intriguing! And I like the idea of the hero waiting for the heroine! As for that revealing secret....are you sure you won't share? Just a little bit more? Here, have some spiced rum....
Donna wrote: I was just re-reading that part from a couple of fave books, and in one of them, the hero says, “I am defeated.” He’s been trying to fight his feelings and he can’t anymore. I melted. LOL
Oh, my stars, I think I just melted too! Which book is this? You must share. I have to read it, too!
Hellion says: So it’s like he’s finally arrived to a point in their relationship, he loves her so much, that her concerns are his also genuine concerns. I love that. Especially if in the beginning, there was no way in hell he would ever care about that.
I actually squealed when I read that scene. Because you're so right. Ron isn't actually concerned about the house elves but he is deeply concerned about Hermione--like way in over his head, can't hardly see straight, would die for this girl concerned--so what she loves he loves. Period. Man. Good stuff right there.
But I'm definitely going to check out Sophie Kinsella's CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET now, too. Man, I love the Revenge. You guys grow my TBR pile like no other blog.
Sin wrote: I have to admit that the scene that does it for me in a romance novel is the black moment. The moment of not knowing if the couple will make it. There’s something very bittersweet about that moment that I’m a glutton for and love to write those myself.
When the author pulls out all the stops & really makes that black moment genuinely dark, I love it, too. What do you suppose that says about us that we like our characters really, really tortured before they get their happy ending?
I have been waiting for this book for what feels like forever. And now you tempt me with this awesome sounding new trilogy?? You are so cruel. Cruel, I tell you!
I've been thinking about this and my favorite scene would have to be the one where the characters realize they're in love. Might be another hundred pages before they admit it aloud, but that moment when they know this is the one. And it's usually a "Holy shit!" or "No effing way!!" moment. I love those ones.
I'm still early in the new WIP, but that scene is going to be so fun to write for my hero. Totally a "Holy shit!" with a little "FML" thrown in. (The heroine is engaged to his brother, after all.)
scapegoat wrote: I’m a big fan of the black moment too. It just makes the declaration scene that much sweeter!
You're in good company! We're all confessing today how much we like it when our favorite characters get put through the wringer but good. :-) What can I say? I like a good journey.
I had to stop reading AJ's comment because I want to read that book and was afraid of a spoiler. LOL!
lol...ahoy maties! And hello to Susan! Glad you found my favorite band of pirates...or did they find you? Best of luck on your new book!!!
I agree with Bo'sun I love it when a character is gobsmacked when they realize they're in love.
This book sounds like a lot of fun. I can't decide if I want to buy it now or if I should wait until I get to NYC and the literacy signing.
Decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll buy my copy now and stalk you to get you to sign it.
Di
Di - That's what I did with Money Honey. LOL! And I already feel the depression coming on about missing Nationals. You must report in when you get a chance!
Carrie - I thought we shang-haied her... (How do you spell that, anyway?)
Susan - Uh uh, can't drop that spoiler, you'll just have to wait!
I've been stalking Susan for years. Funniest lady ever. If you get a chance to corner her at Nationals, be prepared for your face to hurt from laughing.
bo'sun wrote: I’ve been thinking about this and my favorite scene would have to be the one where the characters realize they’re in love. Might be another hundred pages before they admit it aloud, but that moment when they know this is the one. And it’s usually a “Holy shit!” or “No effing way!!” moment. I love those ones.
Ha! I love those, too! Especially when it's really a hammer-to-the-head moment. And your latest WIP sounds like a blast! Can't wait to hear more about it!
AJ wrote: :) I’ve had a heroine stand on the bar in the middle of a crowded pub on NYE and make both her grand apology and her declaration of love, and it still makes me laugh and tear up when I read it
Got to admit, that does sound excellent. But read a few a those & I always end up looking squinty eyed at my husband who never stood on a bar & declared anything for me. Not that I wouldn't have died if he did. Just...he didn't, you know?
Carrie wrote: Glad you found my favorite band of pirates…or did they find you? Best of luck on your new book!!!
I don't think anybody can hide from Captain Jack Sparrow! But I have a real soft spot for the revenge. They once named a drink for me, did you know? Something about a hot engine? A warm car? I can't remember--it was a boozy sort of day--but I do recall feeling very warmly toward everybody there at the end. :-)
Thanks for the luck on MONEY SHOT! I kind of hoped the second book would be easier but no. I panicked anyway.
Di wrote: Maybe I’ll buy my copy now and stalk you to get you to sign it.
Oh, stalk me! I love putting faces to people I only know from the internet! Thanks for giving MONEY SHOT a try!
bo'sun wrote: And I already feel the depression coming on about missing Nationals. You must report in when you get a chance!
Ah! You're skipping NYC?? Oh, I mourn. We'll have to raise a tankard of rum in honor of all our absent comrades. Who else will be missing??
2nd chance wrote: Susan – Uh uh, can’t drop that spoiler, you’ll just have to wait!
Cruel. Okay, I'll be patient but I won't do it quietly.
bo'sun wrote: I’ve been stalking Susan for years. Funniest lady ever.
She only says this because we once held down the corner at a party where I was too scared to make the rounds. I believe I knighted her into my Best Friend Ever and refused to let her leave me.
I'll admit, it does seem a bit funny now. I'm just grateful she took it as ha-ha funny & not oh-dear-I've-picked-up-a-psycho funny.
Never, Susan! LOL! There was no reason to leave that corner when I was having so much fun.
The only pirate who will be in attendance is our errant foodie, Galley 'Ho Santa. Unfortunately, this was the year the wallet could not sustain the conference. And I was SO excited. I've never been to NYC and staying in Times Square had me all aflutter.
Now I'll have to wait until 2015. But I am attending M&M in the fall. (You should come. Some of your Bandita buddies will be there!) And I have my fingers crossed for Anaheim next summer. Chance is going to take me to Disnelyland!
I remember the warm engine convo...Susan made her big splash on the Revenge by talking about sex! *LOL* And I think women were equated with warm engines. Takes a while to warm up good and proper, but once good and proper, they're warm for a long, long time--or something to that effect. :)
Okay, I had to look it up. The drink WAS the Warm Car. It's a sipping drink, best served...warm. Kind of the automotive equivalent of the Hot Toddy.
Welcome back, Susan!!
I'm going to agree with everyone who says that the black moment is what makes it for me. How they react when they think they're going to lose the other. Heartbreak. Because I know that it's going to get better.
Great interview Susan and Captain Jack!!
The moment for me varies from book to book and sometimes there is more than one. In general, I'd say it's that moment when one or both characters look at each other and have a kind of "deer in headlights" moment, that point in time where he/she realizes that live without this other person would be unimaginable. It can be accompanied by a "declaration," or it can just be an bit of internal dialogue/thoughts.
Anyhoo, your books look like a lot of fun. I haven't read a contemporary in while. I'll have to try one.
PS, you mentioned Jessica Andersen and I just read her latest Nightkeeper book. The best so far I think. :)
bo'sun wrote: Now I’ll have to wait until 2015. But I am attending M&M in the fall. (You should come. Some of your Bandita buddies will be there!) And I have my fingers crossed for Anaheim next summer. Chance is going to take me to Disnelyland!
2015?? Oh, the mind boggles. M & M would be so great but for me the stopper is childcare as much as the budget, & until my little one is in school full time (two more years!) I can't swing more than one conference a year. So I do RWA unless I can drive.
But I'm definitely doing Anaheim because there are Seys out in CA & we're going to make a family vacay out of it! Wheee! So you might see me and Mr. Sey & the kiddoes climbing all over that Robinson Crusoe tree house thingie--say hello! I promise I'll let you leave if you want to. Unlike that party...
bo'sun wrote: There was no reason to leave that corner when I was having so much fun.
See? Best Party Friend Ever. Catch you in Anaheim, for sure.
Yeah! Warm car! I remember now! We were talking about how some people--men in particular--like to vilify romance as porn for women & while I absolutely do NOT believe that (faceless sex with strangers = porn, sex between two people in love = NOT porn), I had to ask why the heck a man would object to his wife getting her own engine warmed up. God knows the sexes are mismatched enough in terms of how long they prefer to spend on foreplay. If a girl can take care of some of the ground work ahead of time (i.e. warming up her own engine), why the heck would a secure man object??
So, yeah. I said that right on the internets & earned myself a warm sipping drink. And I stand by it. :-)
Susan: Honestly I think it’s the balance that I find most difficult. Romance vs. mystery, internal growth vs. external action, dark vs. light, humor vs. emotion, even dialogue vs. prose. I can write any of them but striking that exquisite balance where the story is emotionally rich without feeling ponderous, where the dialogue sings but the setting is still richly realized, where the mystery is involving and yet the romance is fully fleshed out…
No easy task there. Takes me a couple rewrites. And I mean REWRITES. Like several hundred brand new pages each time. It hurts to write that way & yet I haven’t ever figured out another way to do it. If anybody out there knows of one, please do let me know!
Fascinating! I think I would describe it as symmetry rather than balance. If one could quantify the different aspects in some way, one could imagine using group theory to establish the perfect symmetry. Alas, much of good fiction writing seems very qualitative so that balance must be judged by 'feeling'. It's right when it feels right. In this case a 'seat of the pants' approach seems the only option.
Though maybe a mixture of plotting and pantsing could work first time round. The peaks at one place must be balanced by the troughs in other places so when a peak is identified in the plot and has been written, you know how deep the trough must be for balacne, before you write it.
There's the theorist for you ..... got an answer for everything! :lol:
Marnee wrote: I’m going to agree with everyone who says that the black moment is what makes it for me. How they react when they think they’re going to lose the other. Heartbreak.
Yep. What Marnee said. Without that heartbreak the HEA doesn't shine quite so brightly. We need it.
I think boys (not men) call it porn so they can feel better about their actual porn. *LOL* Justified. And I don't really care about their porn, per se, so long as you're not trash-talking comparing me to it and I come up unfavorable. Actually I don't want to be favorable either. Don't compare me in the same paragraph, period.
p. kirby wrote: I’d say it’s that moment when one or both characters look at each other and have a kind of “deer in headlights” moment, that point in time where he/she realizes that live without this other person would be unimaginable.
That's such a game-changer right there, isn't it? I remember after my first date with my husband I drove home thinking, "What the HECK was that???" It was like being hit very hard on the head, where there's a lot of noise & confusion & then you discover yourself lying on the ground & wondering how you got there. It took me a while to connect the dots, but that's a lovely moment when Life Changed Because of You.
I've yet to meet a man who dissed Romance, at least to my face. Just lucky, I guess. But I read men dissing it all the time (especially that idiot recently) and they are usually writers or academics. Which leads me to believe these men are way more intimidated by the idea a) that women are more intelligent and b) women write books that are more popular to the masses.
The male ego is more fragile than the thinnest spun glass. Thus insults must be delivered.
NOTE TO Q: Excluding you, obviously.
Re: Attending conferences. I have the luxury (though it feels more like misfortune) of my child spending her entire summer about 2000 miles away. So though I miss her like crazy, I am able to attend Nationals without the guilt and hassle of leaving a child behind. The only reason I can attend M&M in the fall is because my entire family is coming to stay with my daughter. One of the pluses of living three miles from the ocean.
I also can't afford more than one conference a year, at least not yet. Maybe someday. (We shall have a pic together in our Mickey Mouse ears!)
The egos of writers and academics are even more fragile than those of men. *LOL* We may have discovered the problem. The problem is doubled considering the sex and profession.
(Then again, aren't writers and academics pretty underlaid as a rule? That could also be a part of the problem of these jealous petty remarks. *LOL*)
quantum wrote: Fascinating! I think I would describe it as symmetry rather than balance. If one could quantify the different aspects in some way, one could imagine using group theory to establish the perfect symmetry.
Sometimes I jot down on index cards each point at which one of my plots (romance, mystery, subplot A, whatever) moved forward. Then I highlight that card with the color I've designated for that plot. Then I pin them all to an enormous bulletin board in order so I can see, visually, how my colors are balancing.
Obviously I'm looking for a romance/mystery dominance with a scattering of the other colors throughout. It doesn't solve everything but it does give me a really concrete way to SEE if subplot B dropped off the map for 150 pages.
It's not as mathematical as your way but I was an English major. :-) It's all I've got.
hellion wrote: I think boys (not men) call it porn so they can feel better about their actual porn.
I know! People are so sensitive about their bad habits, so quick to justify them by accusing other people. For heaven's sake, just own it! If you like porn, go ahead & like it, but that's your thing. Keep it off my romance, thank you. :-)
bo'sun wrote: I’ve yet to meet a man who dissed Romance, at least to my face. Just lucky, I guess. But I read men dissing it all the time
What gets me is *women* who diss romance. Now I don't expect women to love the same kind of book I do just because we have the same plumbing but when a woman makes a big show of being above romance it always feels to me like she's working a little too hard to be "not your typical woman."
Come on. We're *all* your typical woman. It's like claiming to dislike cooking because it's women's work & you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen while the guys are watching football. If you like cooking, say you like cooking. Then say you're not going to do it while the game's on because you want to watch, too. It's way more honest & people will respect you for it. And they'll order pizza.
hellion wrote: The egos of writers and academics are even more fragile than those of men. *LOL* We may have discovered the problem. The problem is doubled considering the sex and profession.
Ha! And there you have it. Tread carefully, ladies.
Susan: If a girl can take care of some of the ground work ahead of time (i.e. warming up her own engine), why the heck would a secure man object??
Absolutely. I know exactly which books to buy Mrs Q!
Don't dismiss the inverse either. Many women like high powered cars but are careful to warm them up before stepping on the gas.
They will understand the concept perfectly .... I think! *grin*
Bo'sun: NOTE TO Q: Excluding you, obviously.
Glad you included that, my typing fingers were starting to twitch! :lol:
bo'sun wrote: I have the luxury (though it feels more like misfortune) of my child spending her entire summer about 2000 miles away. So though I miss her like crazy, I am able to attend Nationals without the guilt and hassle of leaving a child behind.
Nothing's free, is it? sigh. So you have to enjoy your summer to make up for the sadness that comes with the freedom. I hope you have lots of late nights & cursing planned. That's what I do when I'm childfree. :-) Mr. Sey & I listen to a lot of hiphop when we have the car to ourselves, too. F bombs aplenty!
Oh, the women. *growls* They do bother me more. As I mention, no men dissing to my face, but women do it without hesitation. I had an 800 word story of "Romantic Fiction" published in Woman's World magazine and my cousin, who subscribes to the magazine, said, "I don't read that usually but I'll read yours." Really? Those WW stories are incredibly innocent (compared to the books we talk about) and because it's called Romantic Fiction, she avoids it.
Makes my teeth ache!
Hate to admit it, but the cursing and hip hop happen with Kiddo in the car. To be fair, my Kiddo is in Jr. High. Big difference from yours. :) (Though in pre-school she knew every Nickelback song. Which was okay until she walked into school singing, "I like your pants around your feet...")
Whoops! Talk about absent-minded spoiler on YOURS TO KEEP. My apologies!
When it comes to balance, I have always been hugely challenged by that; I tend to forget to work on my conflict because I'm having too much fun with sassy banter and, you know, sex. I'm interested to see how a program (Scrivener is its name) I'm about to test on a new ms. will help out. It's great appeal to me is the ease of turning its virtual note cards into outline points or actual blocks of text. I understand that you can tag the cards too, so that you can track where your subplots or different aspects are coming into play. I'm hoping it will keep my wandering mind on track. We'll see...
Hey, Susan! I just ordered Money Shot since I couldn't find it locally. I can't wait to read it.
I confess I'm a scene ho. There are kissing scenes that I love madly--such as the first kiss in Julie Anne Long's What I Did for a Duke. I can recite lines from my favorite declaration of love scene, the one in Nora Roberts's The Return of Rafe MacKade when Regan wears a very short red leather skirt and 4-inch heels to play pool for Rafe and he quotes Shelley for her and brings her silk lilacs because he couldn't find real ones in February. When he is trying to propose and says, "But the least you can do is look at this from my perspective for one damn minute. It's not just sex for me, and it never was. I'm in love with you," I get misty-eyed every time I think of that scene.
Then there's the hero going all protective. It's even better when the hero is not the sort who typically fights. I loved, loved, loved the musicale challenge in Julia Quinn's Just Like Heaven.
Finally I adore scenes where the H/H laugh together, as Cora and Francis do in Mary Balogh's The Famous Heroine. Shared laughter is a wonderful intimacy IMO. I can't imagine loving someone and living with someone with whom you can't laugh.
Just when I'm thinking I'm a well-rounded Romance reader, having read Romance for more than 25 years, Janga goes and talks about books I've never read. Happens all the time. *sigh*
Janga, your comment reminded of Damon in Eloisa's Desperate Duchesses. I adored him throughout but when he turned serious dueler in defense of her honor at the end, I could have swooned. Hot and sweet at the same time.
Ter, Jane Austen was still living when I started reading romance. :) I have a couple of decades head start on you. OTOH, you've read books I haven't read, and two of those I mentioned are 2011 books. You may yet read them. LOL
Oh, you girls are too funny! You're like funny pirates!!!! Oy, why are you waving a cutlass in my direction! Waving madly at the Revenge types and my Bandita sister Susan. And hubba hubba, Jack!!! Just swinging in quickly off the rigging to share the fun. Susan, I loved MONEY, HONEY. Can't wait to read MONEY SHOT! Congratulations on your new release!
quantum wrote: Absolutely. I know exactly which books to buy Mrs Q!
I like how you roll, Quantum! And yes, the inverse is absolutely true. High performance cars must be treated with respect. :-)
bo'sun wrote: Those WW stories are incredibly innocent (compared to the books we talk about) and because it’s called Romantic Fiction, she avoids it.
I'm evangelical when it comes to romance because I feel like so many women are MISSING OUT! I turned on a friend to SEP & she was amazed and in love. I was like, "Yeah. Here's the rest of my Top Ten Authors to Autobuy." Opened a whole new world to her. She just had this image of romance of something it totally isn't. Had to open the girl's eyes.
And huge congrats on WW story! I knew you'd published, but hadn't remembered it was WW!
As for the hiphop thing, yeah, when they hit jr. high you know they're hearing (and saying) worse every day when our backs are turned. We can try to keep 'em innocent but...middle school. Not happening. At that point, just enjoy your music, you know?
AJ wrote: I’m interested to see how a program (Scrivener is its name) I’m about to test on a new ms.
Oh, my CP (the fabulous Inara Scott) uses that! She has a Mac, so of course everything is beautiful but that program makes me want to eat it it's so pretty. Let us know how it works for you!
Janga wrote: When he is trying to propose and says, “But the least you can do is look at this from my perspective for one damn minute. It’s not just sex for me, and it never was. I’m in love with you,” I get misty-eyed every time I think of that scene.
Well, shoot, now I need to go re-read that one. I totally remember it but now I want to sink into it from the beginning, knowing it's coming. Yum! Thanks for reminding me!
And thanks for seeking out MONEY SHOT! I hope you enjoy it!
Anna Campbell wrote: Oy, why are you waving a cutlass in my direction! Waving madly at the Revenge types and my Bandita sister Susan. And hubba hubba, Jack!!! Just swinging in quickly off the rigging to share the fun.
Man, nobody livens up a party like La Campbell! Welcome to the Revenge, Ms. Campbell! Have some rum & give Captain Jack a little leer!
And thanks for the congrats! I just love MONEY SHOT (biased I know but there you have it) and hope you enjoy it, too!
Hi, Susan! Lovely interview, and love your interviewer :) As for *the* moment? I think I like that point in the story where the hero and heroine come to realize that yes, they're in love and YES, they're meant to be together... that almost riding-into-the-sunset moment :) I also do love that whole ramp-up-to-the-resolution, too, where the villain/problem gets conquered, and the couple realize and confront their feelings... I read and re-read that section, like the last chapter or two of Money, Honey. Very satisfying :)
Oops--also meant to say how much I loved MONEY, HONEY and am looking forward to reading MONEY SHOT (which I already have).
Hi Susan and Revengers (and Captain Jack)--
What a fun post! It's hard for me to say one particular moment makes the story. For me, it varies from book to book.
One of my favorite relationship turning point scenes is in the 2nd or 3rd J.D. Robb book, the scene where Eve finally caves in to her feelings for Roarke. It's painful to read but oh, so rewarding at the end.
I get this confused all the time because I went to Catholic school and missed out on the Jr High/Middle School experience. I've always thought they are the exact same thing. When I said Kiddo is in Jr High, I meant middle school. She'll start 7th grade next year.
So, I'm guessing you now think I'm the most degenerate parent. Which is possible.
Heya, Anna and Nancy! I knew the Banditas would send a contingency eventually. Grab a Warm Car and get to idling.
I hope I can keep up with all the drinks! I better get Hector in here behind the bar...long as he keeps his head on mixing drinks and not other things!
So good to see Bandittas visiting! They hosted me a few months back and were so welcoming!
Even after I slipped a squirrel into Anna's tote bag! She's so forgiving!
Fun post -- fun blog site!
I'm an absolute sucker for the first kiss. I love the moment when the H/h are shocked to find out their lives have changed because the first kiss is so much more than just a kiss. Whatever happens to them afterward, they never expected the fire in that first touch! Good luck with the new book, Susan. I'm excited for it to soar!
Fedora wrote: I think I like that point in the story where the hero and heroine come to realize that yes, they’re in love and YES, they’re meant to be together… that almost riding-into-the-sunset moment
Ah, yes, the almost. And then the black moment we all love that must be overcome and then...the grande finale! Really, is there a scene we don't love? :-) I love them all, but I do have a soft spot for the "yeah, this is it, you're the one" scene.
Nancy wrote: One of my favorite relationship turning point scenes is in the 2nd or 3rd J.D. Robb book, the scene where Eve finally caves in to her feelings for Roarke. It’s painful to read but oh, so rewarding at the end.
Oh, you make me want to re-read that series from the beginning just to get into that scene & savor the slow build. Or I should say the slow crumble of Eve's walls. It really is satisfying because those walls were so tall & so strong & it did take two or three books for her finally just let him in.
Okay I have GOT to reread...
And thanks for the kind words about MONEY HONEY. I hope MONEY SHOT doesn't disappoint!
2nd chance wrote: Even after I slipped a squirrel into Anna’s tote bag! She’s so forgiving!
Now that sounds like a story I'd like to hear over a drink or two. :-)
bo'sun wrote: Grab a Warm Car and get to idling.
Heh. Is it just me or does that sound dirty?
p.s. You're absolutely not the worst parent in the world & I always assume middle school/jr high are for all practical purposes the same. I know for me swearing really hit its peak as a novelty item in about 4th grade & that was in the 80s. I doubt bad language is a secret to our kids as long as we'd like to think.
LOL! Me, too! What's this about Anna and squirrels in totes??? :)
Well, she swore me ta secrecy. If'n I keep the secret fer three years, she might share the bestselling romance author password wit' me.
Sorry!
Thanks for having me on the Revenge yesterday, ladies. I had the BEST time with you all! I always do.
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