Reading for a change

I’ve been doing a little more reading in the last few weeks in between the writing, editing, and pulling out my hair. I’ve made a big decision, you see, and it’s gotten me all stressed out. So what do I do when I’m stressed? I read, and I usually go for the guaranteed read—the books that I already know in advance will satisfy my desire for that special something. An emotional indulgence, kind of like chocolate to a premenstrual woman.

Besides a few ebooks on my Sony, there are a bunch of print books on my tbr pile. Based on some recommendations, I picked up Jennifer Ashley’s The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie, Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas, Nalini Singh’s Branded by Fire and Eloisa James’ This Duchess of Mine.

I have to admit, they’re fitting the bill quite nicely and I’m relieved. Because when I’m in this type of mood and the book that I’m reading isn’t living up to expectations, it really puts me in a bad mood—something nobody wants to see.

So who are your go-to authors when you need something guaranteed? Do you have a different book for when you want to feel happy, get all teary-eyed, or when you’re in the mood for a little action? (sorry about the post today everyone, there was a tiny window of internet access last night and I feared not getting anything up at all)

Our May Queen

Breaking News! Mark your calendar! The publication date for Maggie Robinson's MISTRESS BY MISTAKE has been moved up to May 2010! Huzzah!!!

Writing Characters with Addictions

I thought I’d take a turn for the serious and discuss addictions that shape our characters. There are all types of addictions but I chose opium since my characters work in the opium trade. During the 19th century, the British were flooding the ports in China with Opium grown in Africa and India.

I’ll start with the Marquess of Rothburn from HIDDEN BEAUTY who managed to overcome his addiction to opium, alcohol and other degenerate forms of [half] living.

When I first wrote Rothburn on the page I knew only a couple of things about his personality: he had tumbled down a path of self-destruction ten years earlier when denied the one thing he unequivocally wanted, my heroine; and, he was in love with my heroine—deeply and to the point of having her to himself becomes his one obsession and reason for navigating away from everything that destroyed him in the past.

While Jinan/Elena is not the sole reason for his downward spiral into dissipation, losing her to another man was simply his final straw in life. Another factor was his autocratic uncle forcing Rothburn into a mould that didn’t fit his personality in the least. It was easy for Rothburn to become dependant on alcohol, whoring, gambling. It helped him forget what he was running from. And as the years grew bleaker it was easy to fall into the clutches and temptation his trade in opium offered.

With the help of his friend Asbury (UNTAMED BEAUTY), he slowly manages to pull himself together before he meets my heroine again. But that doesn’t mean he’s completely cured of his old habits. His substance abuse allowed him to ignore any feelings of helplessness consuming him, most especially where my heroine is concerned. So the desire still exists to sink into that dark oblivion when things don't always go the way he wants them to.

Rothburn is arrogant, selfish, obsessive, determined. You wonder where the good in those traits is. He’s not an easy man to love but his devotion to the heroine is very real.

I don’t shy away from the fact that Rothburn could easily fall back onto his old ways. He’s often sloshing around a glass of amber liquid ready for the first moment of weakness to appear and drag him under the water again. It’s a constant struggle that he has to learn to triumph over and the major character flaw that shapes his thoughts and actions on the pages of Hidden Beauty.

I’ve revisited addiction with a minor/villainous character in my current book, Untamed Beauty. The Earl of Waverly I’m writing now prefers to live in a state of opium drunkenness. I’ve done the opposite with him. He will not be cured by the madness he’s sunk into with his addiction. His mind is ruined to the point that he constantly displays his instability and paranoia to those around him. He behaves irrationally and inhumanely to those he once cared for before succumbing to his weakness.

Even though Asbury, his business partner, tried to pull him out of the life that has destroyed his sound mind, as he’d done with Rothburn, it’s an effort in futility. Waverly does not want to be helped. Waverly was a man, who, like Rothburn, could have been on top of the world. He had wealth, a respectable title and lands but was of a weaker constitution and could not fight his character flaw of addiction.

I've taken one addiction and gone to two extremes.

I don’t know what future books might sprout in the form of addiction, but I will say, it’s a tough character flaw to balance when considering the character arc.

What do you think of various addictions that appear in books? Have you ever considered writing a character that needs to overcome some sort of destructive self-indulgence?

Saturday Hottie

Enjoy the holiday if you're in the U.S., and have a great weekend to everyone.


I don't know about you, but I really want to go back to bed.

The Queen of Rejects

I've debated about talking about this topic. I've gone back and forth, again and again. So instead of wondering about the wisdom of doing this, I'm just going to do it.

I'm going to share a number. And why I keep plugging away despite all the brick walls, the constantly being knocked down, the prevalent doubts . . .

It's because at the end of the day, I have this dream---this belief that won't shake away---that I will be published. Maybe it's an impossible dream, maybe I'm deluding myself like Don Quixote, but even the man who battled windmills and fought for the honor of a prostitute has words of wisdom:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

. . . This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

. . . And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

I know that most of you who read this blog are writers. Some are published, some are about to be, some are still looking for an agent, and some may just be writing their first book.

Let me be honest.

It's hard. It's a lot of work. And rejections can make you think: I suck. I really, really suck. I'm never getting published.

I've certainly thought it. Many, many, many times.

Know how many rejections I have so far?

172.

I counted.

So I could give up. We all could. There's always a choice. I choose to hope, to presevere, to keep breaking down brick walls.

What's yours?

Eureka!

The other day I had a Eureka! moment. Now I want to tell you, when I was a little girl and first saw the work in print, I read it as ‘urkeroo’, some crazy combo of Urkel and Underoos. My family made fun of me, but the word stuck. So we all would say “Urkeroo!” when something clicked.

I was online (when am I not?) when I read the most interesting (to me) article. “Urkeroo!” I said to myself, “wouldn’t that make a fabulous romance series?” I wonder how many other romance writers saw it and said the same thing. This idea is so new to me, I haven’t even divulged it to the Vixens, or even begun to seriously think about it, as I do have two books to finish and two novellas to write from scratch at some point. But now I have this pretty, shiny idea that’s bouncing around. An editor might hate it, though, so I’m not counting chickens or contracts. But this was really the first “Ripped from the Headlines” moment I’ve ever had, and now I’m curious. Have you ever seen something in real life that you’ve said, “Urkeroo! I’ve just gotta write about this!”

Celebrate!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

I’m hearing that other 70s song too…Aaahh Freak out! Le Freak, c'est chic…all that pressure got you down , has your head spinning all around…and I don’t even have a disco ball and platform shoes. Less than twenty-four hours after the first book of the Courtesan Court trilogy went out on submission, my wonderful agent Laura Bradford received an offer. Y’all probably know that Megan Records of Kensington Brava has bought the trilogy, a fourth book and two novellas for anthologies. That’s, um, six books, basically. I am beyond excited, and a bit daunted, too. My Dell is going to be on fire this summer as I attempt to get as much done before school starts up again, and I am so very tempted to ‘retire.’ Lord knows, I feel old enough, LOL.

Maggie Robinson's MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, a Regency-set historical romance and the first of the Courtesan Court series about the women who inhabit London's infamous mistress row, to Megan Records at Kensington Brava, in a four-book deal plus two novellas, for publication in Summer 2010, by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.

But mostly, what I feel is grateful, to my family, Laura Bradford, Kate Seaver at Berkley, Megan Records at Kensington and the three hot-pink Vixens, Ely, Kris and Tiff. They’ve lived though this past wild week with me while both my name and my book’s name changed for Berkley (Margaret Rowe! Tempting Eden!), and while several editors considered Mistress by Mistake. I know they’ll ride the roller coaster ahead with me. Wish me luck and constant, caring attention from the Muse! Yahoo! *blows disco whistle* Love you all!