The waiting game known as publishing will drive you to the brink of insanity.  For some of us, the brink is close enough that we can walk.  Still, it requires dedication to keep plotting and plodding when it feels like time is deliberately backpedaling.  Dedication bolsters your belief that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's from the spotlight shining on your bestseller in the bookstore.

But sometimes dedication to your manuscript starts to waver.  You are beaten down, wondering why you ever attempted to write anything longer than your Celebrity Freebie List (2010 Edition).  It's not easy to write, rewrite, revise, and polish (lather, rinse, and repeat) AND keep your spirits buoyant.  Some days it's too difficult to keep that dedication from crumpling to the ground, whimpering, defeated by the hardship that is the writer's path.

Fortunately I have something that will instantly revive your dedication.  It will not only resuscitate it, but rejuvenate it. 

(I know you think I'm talking about the Hotties right now, but I'm not.  Because they're, um, busy---decorating the DRD portion of the ship.  *whistles*  Hey!  Hottie guys.  When I said "decorate", I meant arrange yourselves artfully on the two king-size beds you put in my quarters earlier.  Yeah, just like that.  Wait!  There's not enough room?  *grips the railing to stay upright as knees give out*)

Okay, what was I talking about?  Oh yeah.  I'm here to tell you about something creative, yet extremely cathartic, that is guaranteed to refresh your writing mojo.

It's the Dedication page.  Of YOUR book.

I know you've imagined writing this.  Don't even pretend you haven't.  Wait a minute--I'm really the only one who's done this?

Well, no matter.  It's easy enough to get started.  Just think back to all those people who spewed their beverage when you said you wanted to write a book.  At the time you simply gritted your teeth and, after sheathing your weapon, you thought, "I can't WAIT to include them in the Dedication of my book!"

The same with the angelic souls who have nurtured you along this perilous route.  They definitely deserve a place of prominence, since they had faith in you when the haters did everything possible to force you into their Non-Believers Club.

It's time to work on our Dedication pages, so they'll be written and polished when we get The Call.  And, just to speed things along, I prepared a few ahead of time to share with you.

*unfurls a parchment scroll, which rolls down the deck for several minutes before coming to a complete stop*

"To the Pirate Wenches of RWR.  You gave me one of the biggest thrills of my writing life when you asked me to join your blogging crew.  It was exciting to be picked because you liked my writing (yeah, I actually believed it, so we're gonna stick with that as the official reason).  You somehow set things in motion which led to other great things in my writing life.  I consider all of you the reason for my good luck, and if I could, I'd wear you every day on a charm bracelet—although, now that I think about it, it would make more sense to put you on cocktail stirrers instead."

And here's another:

"To my BFF.  You're the first one I trusted to read my manuscripts, and I never realized just how devoted a fan, and friend, you would become.  Even though I want to kill you every time you loudly announce in the bookstore, "I can't WAIT to read the new book by Donna Cummings", I'm also secretly delighted by your unswerving belief in me, before I've even signed a publishing contract.  You can easily differentiate the nineteen thousand variations of my whining, determining in an instant whether to prescribe a mojito, or a kick in the butt.  I do not know how to thank you, except to promise this:  you will always get first dibs at the casting couch when Hollywood comes a-calling."

Okay, pirates!  Grab some rum and a stack of parchment.  I've got plenty of sharpened quills for you here.  Get creative, get vicious, get emotional.  But get to it!  *claps hands*  I wanna see a boatload of dedication here!  And to minimize any potential lawsuits, let's use initials or fictitious names.  I've got the shredder right here, but it doesn't seem to work so well on blog comments!

Your history moment of the day: May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, the last spike was laid for the First Transcontinental Railroad in America. This accomplishment is considered one of the greatest American technological feats of the 19^th century, even beating out the Erie Canal, which brought about the ability to settle the West, mainly because it made tradegoods so much cheaper to buy for settlers heading West.

Settling the West was big business in the 19^th century. The Americans couldn’t do it fast enough. They did it so fast, in fact, that in 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner wrote a thesis about the importance of American expansion on the American spirit and ingenuity. He was rather worried that without the West to occupy our minds and hands, we were going to lose our creative edge. (He was wrong, since clearly Star Trek was the final frontier, not the American West.)

More seriously, we’ve expanded our creativity in other ways. Our discoveries in science in the 20^th century can easily be compared to the Industrial Revolution accomplishments of the 19^th, and science hasn’t begun to be tapped for all its resources. There is always something new to discover or enhance. I think Freddie would be impressed with how we’ve turned our minds to making the frontier a better place to live through medicines, curing diseases, and improving technologies.

It’s always funny though that people think that there is an end to something. That everything must be finite. The world is flat—and there will come a time when you get to the edge and fall off it. Or we’ve settled all the land ever possibly available, so civilization is going to die off and degenerate.

Writers aren’t exempt from this sort of crazy thinking. Here we are, exploring new frontier in our WIPs, mapping out a story, and finally determining where the final frontier might end, and we start panicking that this might be all there is. There is no other frontier to explore. Nothing new to create or mold.

I bet even Nora has even thought this. For a second or two at least.

Sometimes we get so nutty in thinking we’ll never find a frontier as cool as the one we’re in, we refuse to finish the frontier we’re in. We keep taking the wagon train back to the beginning and going a different direction to get to the same end. It’s like we’re playing a perpetual game of Oregon Trail. Occasionally we do this because we died somewhere on the trip and you have to do a do-over, but a lot of the time, I think it’s because we like the game. Which route is the best? Which route is the right one? Which route is the version that the editors will buy? Never mind that you might be in a frontier that an editor is simply not interested in buying.

Oh, well, no experience is without knowledge. Even if you keep playing Oregon Trail like some compulsive gamer, I’m convinced you are learning something. Still, I do recommend you try new frontier every once in a while. After all, people stopped using the Oregon Trail in 1869 because the railroad made it obsolete.

I’ve realized I’ve been on this particular Oregon Trail for three years, and I still haven’t gotten to Idaho yet. My oxen are skeletons at this point because I keep re-inventing the wheels on my wagon. I’m not sure why I’m doing this, only that maybe, perhaps, I’m a little apprehensive what I’ll do once I actually get to California. I’m going to have to forge a new frontier again, and I’m not sure I have another idea as good as this one.

Which is stupid. Look how wrong Freddie was.

So are any of you afraid of running out of frontier? Afraid of not finding new frontier? Do any of you re-invent your current frontier over and over again? And most importantly, did any of you like the orphan train books?

A latent fantasy has re-emerged lately. I blame New Moon. Because if you just put the characteristics of Jacob and Edward side by side, I have to admit, they're pretty equal with their annoying behaviors. And as I was staring at Jacob's too-young-but-still-greatly-desirable chest on the screen, it occurred to me. I have a thing for Native boys. That's why I like Jacob--because he has a tan. And plenty of his tan showing.



I admit part of my fascination is that Indians naturally come with horses, and before I ever loved boys, I loved horses. Falling in love with an Indian brave just seemed like a simple way of acquiring that horse I always wanted as well.

Even in Last of the Mohicans, though Hawkeye was hot and all, my love was for his brother, the actual Indian. And when he died, I agreed with the girl who jumped off the cliff to be with him.



Anyway, all the fiction I've been reading lately, has been Indian related. One of the first books I ever remembered getting was called "Autumn Dove", and I read it until the covers fell off. Not only was he an Indian, but he was a half-breed. And I love nothing more than an outcast who finds true love. Another book I adore is by Pamela Morsi called "Runabout" which features another "half-breed", who is gorgeous and ends up falling in love with his best friend and Plain Jane, Tulsy.

When I went looking for Native American books, All About Romance came to my rescue.

Then I watched a movie I own called Now and Forever, with Adam Beach, who is soooo pretty, and not as young as baby Taylor.



Here are a few more. Some more legitimate than others. Native boys are hard to find I tell you!






























So do you have any Gone Native fantasies? Read any really great books featuring Native American braves? Done any big heaps of writing this weekend? (Did the Great Spirit move you?)

I've been making goals for myself, when it comes to writing. Terri inspired me with her fabulous 30 pages a week goal that she not only made but is keeping! How awesome is that?

Me? Not so much. I wrote a few hundred words yesterday. A few hundred here and there over the last few weeks. But no forward progress, no new scenes or new chapters or new ideas.

It's the pirate version of being a responsible writer, right?



Arrrrrrggggghhh! I also need to be researching. I have all sorts of things I need to know for this book. Have I been doing it? NO! I ordered a book on undercover cops in bomb squads, so that will help. When it gets here. When I get around to reading it. My current novel is set in Spain too (WHY do I keep choosing these settings that require so much research? Next book, I'm setting it across the street).

Going along with the theme of being a "responsible" pirate, I was also absurdly late with this blog. But we're pirates, right?

What things in your life do you give the pirate-heave-ho to when it comes to being a responsible adult or writer? Anyone let the dishes pile up? Set your books next door so you don't have to research the setting? Put off revisions or the synopsis until you can't stand it? Come on wenches, time to fess up!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In totally unrelated news, RWA has announced that its 2010 conference will officially be moving from Nashville to Orlando, due to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel closing due to the recent flooding. The new conference is at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort, at the same price, with rooms for $149. No word about flights or those who already paid for the Nashville room. I know there's a lot of pirates planning on going to Nashville -- what does this do to your plans? Excited about going to Orlando instead?

*camera zooms in on Captain’s Quarters, specifically onto a bright tartan blanket, which appears to have a pair of bodies writhing beneath it*

Captain Jack Sparrow: Did….

*high pitched feminine squeal and a slap of flesh hitting flesh*

CJS: I suppose I deserved that. Excuse me, luv, I work better with light in the room. *pops up from the top of the blanket* There, that’s much better. Don’t you agree?

Blythe Gifford: *emerging from the blanket as well, hair rumpled, slightly disgruntled* I’m sorry we didn’t find your rum bottle. *straightening hair*

CJS: What were we doing before my rum went missing? Oh, yes… *grins roguishly* We were talking about your new novel, His Border Bride, and about heroes who are born on the wrong side of the blanket, like me.

Blythe: You were born on the wrong side of the blanket?

CJS: I think so. Isn’t that what it means when people call you a bastard?

Blythe: Not always. But in my hero’s case, he really was born on the wrong side of the blanket. He’s a bastard by birth, not personality. Gavin Fitzjohn is the illegitimate son of a prince of England and a Scots woman. Not only is he torn between royal and noble, he’s torn between two kingdoms. “A rebel without a country,” as the back cover copy says, he’s a man with a reputation so terrible, he’s outcast by both sides. He refuses to try to change anyone’s opinion of him. He just puts on that lazy smile lets them think he’s as bad, or maybe even worse, than the rumors. He’s my first “bad boy” hero.

CJS: You mean I’m not your first?

Blythe: *bats eyes and smiles*

CJS: He sounds like he has a reason to be cranky--*sniffs*--much like me. I feel sorry for the poor girl who ends up with him. What’s she like? A hellion who can match him toe-to-toe, or an angel of the house who he couldn’t even begin to deserve?

Blythe: A woman who is looking for the perfect “knight in shining armor,” of course! Clare Carr expects perfection in herself and in her future husband. But Gavin’s business, like that of any knight, was violence, dominance, and death. It’s no wonder that a “knight in shining armor” might hide some dark deeds beneath the shiny façade. Or, that the bad boy might see beyond a woman’s spotless reputation to the things she’d prefer to keep hidden…

CJS: Ooo. A beauty with hidden secrets. I like her already. What is it about Medieval history that interests you? And how much research do you do for your stories?

Blythe: I’ve been interested in the 14^th century since I read Anya Seton’s Katherine in Junior High. It is the story of a lifelong love affair between John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III of England, and Katherine Swynford, his mistress of many years. They had four children together, eventually married late in life, and their descendants sat on the throne of England. It sparked my interest in the royal family, the 14^th century, and children born on the wrong side of the royal blanket – all the things I write about today!

In addition, I write angsty historicals and to me, the medieval period seems very conducive to the wounded hero. I do a lot of research, but that’s one of the things I love about writing historical. Somehow, I’ll discover an historical tidbit and it’s as if I’ve found a piece of my character’s backstory. The story grows as I explore the period.

CJS: And do you find it challenging to write Medievals when it seems like most historicals are set in the Regency or currently, the Georgian era?

Blythe: There are many wonderful writers of Regency. No reason to be a “me, too” in a popular time period when another one really speaks to me. Writing medieval means it may be a little more challenging to find my readers, but it would be even more difficult if I were trying to chase the market.

CJS: That’s my philosophy. I let the ladies come to me, if you know what I mean. *Blythe raises an eyebrow; CJS clears throat, changing subject* The crew always—ALWAYS—wants to know about Call Stories. What is your Call Story?

Blythe: Actually, my best Call Story was when I got the call that my manuscript had finaled in the Golden Heart contest. This was back in the dark ages and they made the calls on a Sunday night instead of posting on the internet after each call while we all hit refresh every ten minutes. I had no expectations, so I was watching the Oscars at 8 p.m on a Sunday when I got a call from a Phoenix phone number. It was Tara Taylor Quinn telling me I was a finalist. I was totally, totally incoherent. She was trying to explain what was to happen next and finally, I sort of blubbered, “Do I have to do anything intelligent tonight?” I have a picture of myself that evening in my jammies with a bottle of champagne! (Rule to live by: Always keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge in case a celebration breaks out. Although rum will do in a pinch.)

My real Call Story, which came nearly two years later, wasn’t quite so dramatic. Harlequin had had the Golden Heart manuscript for months and I had spoken both to the editor and senior editor, so The Call (at 10 a.m. in the morning) wasn’t exactly a surprise. I was prepared with my list of questions and all, but I had just gotten out of the shower and had one contact in and one out. So I really did need to ask if I could call back because without my eyes in, I was even more disoriented than you might expect!

CJS: What are you working on now?

Blythe: I just signed a contract with Harlequin for three more historicals, so I’m working on the first. I’m a little superstitious about saying too much too soon. I will say I’ve stayed on the Scottish borders, but I’ve changed time periods. (And no, not to Regency!)

CJS: And lastly, what writing advice would you recommend to aspiring authors?

Blythe: Know why you write what you write, beyond the desire to be published. I do not downplay fame and money! I’ll happily accept more of both. But when you are sitting at the keyboard facing a blank screen, those aren’t the things that bring forth your most authentic work. It’s the soul you bring to the page that connects to the reader. That’s what brings them back for more.

CJS: Blythe, I must say, you have been a most gracious, beautiful guest, and I’ve had a most lovely time rolling around in the blankets with you. I still think it would have been perfect with a bit of rum, but nonetheless, just lovely. Is there anything you’d like to say or ask the crew?

Blythe: Thanks so much for having me! I love to have visitors so come see me at www.blythegifford.com or at www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford. I’d love to hear from the crew about what everyone is working on (or reading!) and what calls to them about their own genre or setting.

BLYTHE GIFFORD is the author of five medieval romances from Harlequin Historical. She specializes in characters born on the wrong side of the royal blanket. With HIS BORDER BRIDE, she crosses the border and sets a story in Scotland for the first time, where the rules of chivalry don’t always apply. Here’s a brief description:

Royal Rogue: He is the bastard son of an English prince and a Scotswoman. A rebel without a country, he has darkness in his soul.

Innocent Lady: Daughter of a Scottish border lord, she can recite the laws of chivalry, and knows this man has broken every one. But she’s gripped by desire for him—could he be the one to unleash the dangerous urges she’s hidden until now?

Her 2009 release, IN THE MASTER’S BED, has just finaled in the Readers Crown contest. Blythe loves to have visitors at www.blythegifford.com or www.facebook.com/BlytheGifford.

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ®and T are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and/or its affiliated companies, used under license. Copyright 2010 ■ Author photo by Jennifer Girard

If there is anything I have learned about science fiction, it’s that they love their own conventions. Star Trek makes a fine art of this. You don’t even have to be a Star Trek fan (and clearly I’m not) to get the cultural jokes of Star Trek. We all know that the guy in the red shirt is the one who dies. We all know that the new technology is going to catastrophically fail; and we know that they’re going to re-route power from life-support to whatever is malfunctioning. We also know when they land in the new and foreign land, there will be exactly one survivor; and we know Captain Kirk is going to sleep with her. (Incidentally, if American Airlines failed at the same rate that the Holodeck does, they wouldn’t be allowed to fly. Someone should get the FFA onto the Enterprise.)

But fans like those conventions. They look for them. They’re the inside joke to the reader, the faithful fan who expects a certain number of things to play out the way they’re supposed to be played.

Romance writers are constantly dinged for clichés, whereas science fiction is never trite or clichéd. (I was informed of this at a coffee date by a sci-fi geek who said I was writing chick porn. My crap was clichéd, his stuff was original.) Right. Let’s go over a few of the major ones my coffee date harped into the ground, shall we? (His complaints are in bold.)

Happily Ever Afters. Romantic stories always ends with a Happily Ever After. What a kiss of death! Completely unrealistic! my date informed me, probably because he was a geek who had yet to have a happily ever after of his own. Um, hello, in every Star Trek episode, doesn’t the re-route from life support always make the new technology work and end up saving the day? Is that realistic? Has anyone not wearing a red shirt ever died in an episode?

The sex is always amazing, and usually involves throbbing members. (I don’t know why my date was complaining about great sex, but one can only surmise he had ascertained he couldn’t live up to the hype. Big surprise.) I can’t deny it, but are you telling me the sex with Captain Kirk isn’t always amazing or involves a throbbing member?

The heroes are always perfect! No man could live up to that ideal! Two words for you: Dr. Spock. If Dr. Spock can exist, so can my dukes. Incidentally, I don’t think we’re reading the same books, because the heroes in my books are emotionally handicapped fuckwads, but whatever. If that’s your argument, here’s my rebuttal: Dr. Spock.

The women are always the same plain Jane geeks who get the gorgeous guy. (I always like a guy who is no great shakes, telling me I’m not good-looking enough for him. Always flattering. I find it laughable that sci-fi geeks don’t see the irony of the geek Jason Alexander boy getting the uber-hot Angelina Jolie girl. Sure, that happens!) I do suppose in Star Trek, it’s handsome Captain Kirk sleeping with all those geeky alien girls, but the response is still the same: Don’t be a hypocrite.

The conclusion could never had have happened that way because of XYZ. I empathize. There are many times I shut a historical novel and think, That never could have happened because I can hardly find a handful of men in modern society who think that non-sexist, and I’m supposed to believe Mr. Duke is that free-thinking, modern, and open to his wife wanting to pursue a career? Unlikely. And again, I bring up for comparison: the Holodeck. How many times have we rolled our eyes (usually within the same episode) of Star Trek and gone, “That could never have happened!” Not the point. As any writer will tell you, it’s not “is it probable?” but “is it possible?” Many, many more things are possible than probable, my friend, and free-thinking dukes and faltering Holodecks that prevail are both possible, even if they’re not probable.

Well, science fiction shapes opinion and thought about race, sexes, sexuality, and other issues that bother modern society. Romantic fiction doesn’t do any of that. Says who? I can give you a hundred romance novels that have shaped and influenced and opened the minds of the people who’ve read them. All dealing with issues near and dear to us, like sexuality, marriage, career, race, equality, and anything else you want to bitch about. And I’m sure there are better read readers who can offer up hundreds more that do the same.

As you might have surmised, Mr. Sci-Fi and I never went on another date together. I thought he was a complete dickhead; and he thought I apparently wasn’t attractive enough for him anyway. But the moral of the story is this: whatever genre you’re writing in (science fiction, thriller, horror, romance, et al), each has their own conventions you must meet for audience expectation and quite a few of those expectations are the same across genres. After all, we’re all telling the hero’s journey in our own voices. The Hero’s Journey never changes.

So what science fiction/fantasy convention do you find that is similar to a romance convention? What type of sci-fi geek are you? (I find a lot of sci-fi geeks don’t cross within their own genres, like they’ll be a Star Trek fan but not a Star Wars fan, which I find odd, but okay.) Are you a LOTR, Harry Potter, POTC, Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Dr. Who, or insert your own brand of geek here? If you’re a hardcore sci-fi/fantasy reader, how hard for you was it to read romances (or is it still hard for you to read romances)? Do you admit you read romances when you’re with your sci-fi friends? Does anyone write sci-fi/fantasy novels? Are there any romance authors who have broken the science-fiction barrier with their writing? Who are they and what do you recommend?

As we all know, I'm not a big fan of dukes. I mean, I like them, but I do find they seem to overpopulate in literature much more than they actually could have possibly exist. And before anyone reminds me it's "fiction", the first thing any good author must do is be able to suspend the reality of their reader into believing: That could have happened that way. Honestly I think dukes have replaced "princes" in fiction. For a while there, there were a lot of princes-without-a-country populating the fiction. Now that's a fantasy: what little girl doesn't dream about growing up to be a princess and marrying a prince? Especially if he looked like this:



Even if he's just as likely to cut off your head as keep you. (Picky, picky.)

Then there's Victoria's sugar baby. Rupert certainly is sexier than a pack of dukes! 

But even the real thing isn't bad to look at either. If I were only a little younger, born in a different country, and completely hot, I might have been a contender:



Okay, the last one doesn't count because he's already married...but he did marry a commoner from another country, so that's pretty much a modern day fairy tale right there!

So: did you ever want to be a princess when you grew up? (Have the whole Cinderella fantasy, believe your sisters were actually stepsisters and the whole bit?) Anyone a fan of the show The Tudors? Anyone following the William and Kate (When Will He Propose?) articles like I am?