Heidi Betts - www.heidibetts.com

things to do now that my book is turned in

That's right, I printed that sucker & got it in the mail. Yay! Such a nice feeling to have another book finished (on time!) & be footloose & fancy free.

Well, okay, maybe not so much. Two minutes after dropping the manuscript in the mail, I e-mailed my editor to get her final approval on the storyline for the next book, & now I get to start work on that proposal. But I'm not under as much pressure at the moment, which does make me somewhat footloose & moderately fancy free.

And now that I've got a moment to pry myself away from the computer & take a deep breath, there are some things that must be taken care of. Such as...

Bathe & wash hair. Yes, sad to say it's been a couple of days. At the end of a book, I never want to waste even a minute doing something that's not directly related to getting that book out the door. And while I'm not terribly offensive yet, my hair is beginning to get a sort of "Flock of Seagulls" look to it. LOL

Laundry. If I've put off bathing for a few days, imagine how long it's been since I actually took the time to do laundry. It's not pretty. We're talking about three very large baskets full. It will take me probably two days to get thru it all. Thank goodness I have a rather large collection of pajamas. (My idea of "work clothes"...I never even ran out. :-))

Dishes. Not quite as piled up as the laundry, but definitely in need of scrubbing. But again, I have a fair number of plates, bowls, & silverware, so I was okay.

Eat a decent meal. I don't stop to do laundry or the dishes & I don't take much time to prepare decent meals at the end of a deadline. We're talking Spaghetti Os & breakfast cereal, here. Frankly, I could go for a nice salad or piece of fruit.

Feed the birds. The poor things. I used to feed them every other day, regardless of the weather, but I have really slacked off lately. I wouldn't be surprised if they all flew South for the winter, even the ones who usually stick around.

Figure out what day it is. I'm not great at keeping track of this sort of thing on normal days, but at the end of a book, I get really confused. I tend to get glued to my computer chair, barely leave my office, & am cut off from human contact. Going to bed as other folks are just waking up & waking up when they're just coming home from work doesn't help, either.

Install a new towel rack in the bathroom. Bought one before Christmas. It's been propped suggestively against the sink ever since. If I didn't stop to bathe or cook, do you really think I'd stop to do carpentry work? Ha!

Fill in my new address book. Something else I picked up quite some time ago. After my little computer disaster when I lost all of the entries in my e-mail program's address book, I thought it might be a good idea to jot these things down in hard copy. So now it's just a matter of taking the time to actually write in all my contacts' information. (That one may actually take me until after I turn in my next book. :-P)

Write the synopsis for my next Desire. This is one I'm actually looking forward to. I started thinking about the story & even plotted it out while I was still working on BEDDED THEN WED, so I'm eager to sit down & get the whole thing mapped out on paper. And like I said, my editor gave me the thumbs up, so we're all systems go!

Monday guest blogger

More from Connor Riordan of SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION:

The wedding went well. Nick & Karen are happy, which is the important thing.

Of course, the rest of the weekend looks like it's going to suck, at least for me. I finally got Beth to talk to me at the reception. Even got her to dance with me. But then Lori saw us together & got it into her head that something was going on between us. (Lori would be my girlfriend, by the way.)

Can you believe that she kicked me out? Of my own house! I own the damn thing, for God's sake! But Lori made it clear I wasn't welcome back--at least not for a while.

Thankfully, Nick & Karen were headed straight for the airport & their honeymoon in Hawaii, so he said I could stay at his place as long as I needed. Or until they get back, anyway. That's cool, I guess. And hopefully Lori will get over her snit soon. There's nothing going on between Beth & me, that's for sure.

Hmm. I hear something upstairs, & the house is supposed to be empty. I'd better go check on that, & then I need to check on my breakfast. I left some eggs on the stove.

Take care!
CR

two new reviews for SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION

I'm up early after having spent one of the most restless nights I can remember in a long time. I went to bed early last night because I was tired, but never really fell asleep. I drifted off, only to wake up & roll over every hour or so. And the reason I kept waking up was because I kept dreaming about--ack!--spiders.

Spiders are a sign of creativity, so I try not to hate them too much, but I can't say I love them, either. Esp. this one I dreamt about--it was huge, with these long, creepy legs & the body of a mouse. (Hey, don't ask me; it was a dream.) It ran really fast, right up the leg of my shorts to bite me on the ass. Then, as I was screaming, dancing around like my feet were on fire, I managed to dig it out of my pants, only to have it bite me over & over on the hand. Can you say "rabies shot"? And every time I threw it away from me, it came running back. Sheesh, a psychiatrist would have a field day with me, huh?

But after being attacked by the...spouse? mider?...that's when I decided to just get up & start my day. Amazingly, I actually woke up feeling more refreshed than usual, so I think it will be a good day for getting some work done.

And I did get two new reviews for SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION this week that were--thankfully--not nightmare-inducing. In fact, both had me jumping with joy. (As tho my feet were on fire, but with no spider-mouse biting my butt for added encouragement.)

Melissa of JoyfullyReviewed.com said:

"I have to say that I am loving Heidi Betts! She is quickly becoming my favorite Silhouette author. SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION is the perfect quick romance fix! Both Connor and Beth have to face the past before they can work on the future, giving the story a great deal of emotional depth. The passion that burns between them makes for scintillating love scenes. Readers of contemporary romance will most definitely find themselves satisfied by SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION."

Whoo-hoo! Just when I thought it didn't get any better than 4 1/2 stars from RT. And in a personal note after the review was posted, Melissa told me that she consideres me the "Queen of Silhouette Desire." How fab is that? You can bet I'm going to be pasting that in big, bold letters on every piece of promo I do from this moment forward. I may even have it tattooed somewhere on my body. (And, yes, I did ask her permission first...about using her comment as a quote, not necessarily about the tattoo thing. :-p)

Then Debby of CataRomance.com said:

"Heidi Betts has written a beautiful love story of two people who lost each other but were given another chance at happiness together. Beth and Connor were brought to life so realistically that you will want to cry with them and you will want to laugh with them. It comes through clearly on the pages how much they love each other. SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION is destined for your keeper shelf. Another winner for Heidi Betts."

I already used "whoo-hoo" so now I'll say yahoo! I couldn't be happier. These are the things that get me thru days like today--rainy, dreary days when I'm trapped in my office proofing a completed manuscript. I can't even listen to the radio or have the TV on in the background because I have to focus. Blah.

So I'm going to print out the reviews & post them right above my monitor as added inspiration.

quote of the day

I've got big work ahead of me today & tomorrow, proofing & polishing BEDDED THEN WED so I can get it in the mail to New York, so I leave you with this quote that will hopefully make you laugh & help you get thru the weekend:

"The higher you climb on the flagpole, the more people see your rear end."
--Don Meredith

a few thoughts on pov

I've been thinking a lot about Point-of-View lately.

Probably because I've been reading a story where the author head-hops. Just about every character has a POV, regardless of how large or small a part they play in the story, & the POVs switch back & forth every couple of paragraphs. Normally, this would drive me crazy. It's wrong!

Isn't it?

When I first started writing--& more importantly, learning the craft of writing--I was taught that ping-pong POV was a bad thing. The rule of thumb was to stay in a character's POV for at least one full page before even thinking of switching. And also that the hero's & heroine's points-of-view were the only acceptable ones to use, unless you had a good, strong, & pressing reason to get into the head of a secondary character. For instance, a villain or perhaps a matchmaker.

But the problem with this book I'm reading, with its ping-pong POV that's so offensive to my delicate sensibilities :-P, is that it's good. It is a fabulous story, one I can hardly bear to put down. And the frequent POV switches that I was taught were wrong with a capital W don't bother me at all. The story is so compelling & keeps such a great pace, I barely notice them. (Well, all right, the intellectual, writer's side of my brain makes note every time it happens, but the less retentive side that reads only for entertainment couldn't care less.)

So what should my opinion of POV switches be now? There are authors out there who use ping-pong POV all the time & have been very successful with it. Nora Roberts comes to mind. Nora's point-of-view jumps around quite a bit, but she's not the least apologetic about it. It's a part of her voice, her style, & I don't think anyone would argue with the fact that it obviously works for her. Her readers certainly aren't complaining.

But then you also have what a friend of mine calls the "POV Purists." These are the writers who don't believe it's acceptable to change POV ever unless it's within the boundaries of a very strict structure. Those boundaries range from sticking with one POV exclusively through the entire novel...to two POVs only (that would be the hero's & heroine's), using one for an entire chapter before switching to the other...to perhaps, at most, changing from one point-of-view to another only once per chapter.

I fall somewhere in between. I definitely believe POV changes are okay, I just don't think they should be made willy-nilly or without reason. When I switch point-of-view, it is a conscious decision. I know exactly what I'm doing & why I'm doing it.

One of the "rules" I learned early on was to write from the point-of view of the character who has the most to lose. This factor is much easier to define when you're writing something like suspense (i.e. when the potential loss is frightening or life-threatening...say a heroine being stalked by a demented killer; of course being in her terrified POV the majority of the time is going to have a greater impact than spending most of the book in the cop hero's POV). But in any story, you can ask yourself the same question--who has the most to lose?

And that is, for the most part, how I decide what point-of-view to use. But the longer I write, the more natural & instinctual the decision becomes. I rarely even have to think about it anymore.

I also follow my instincts when it comes to when to switch point-of-view. I've noticed that I switch more often in some books & not as much in others. It all depends on how the story needs to be told to have the greatest emotional impact. The same is true of which character's POV I tend to use more...some stories seem to lend themselves more to one character than another or need to be told more from one POV than another, while others don't. That's the sort of thing that can't really be taught, it has to come from your gut.

So, after all these deep thoughts about point-of-view, this is what I've decided: There's no such thing as "right" or "wrong" POV. There is only the method in which it's utilized & whether or not it works.

In my opinion, that's the most important aspect of any story. Does it work? If it does, you're golden. But if not...then you might need to rethink your personal opinions about point-of-view & how you apply them to your own writing.

it's official, I'm done

Fell into bed at about 6:30am & didn't wake up until after 2pm. And then I was groggy most of the day. I felt like a balloon that had been blown up to its fullest capacity...& then let go to sputter down to nothing. All I wanted to do was stare at the TV screen & zone out. American Idol was especially good for this, & my cats loved it because I just laid there like a lump, letting them sleep on top of me instead of moving all over the place or propping my AlphaSmart on them. :-)

But finally, around 1am, I did pick up my Alphie & start working on that epilogue. Got it finished, too. Yay! I really like it. It doesn't answer any questions left open-ended by the last chapter, but I was able to come full circle with the story, which I love. I don't get the chance to do it very often, either.

And now, once again, I get to crash for a while. Don't know if I'll read or go to bed early, but it feels great to have another book finished & know for a certainty that I'm going to meet my deadline.

I'm also starting to get excited about the next story already. I have what I think is going to happen plotted out, but I need to run it past my editor. Then I'll whip up a synopsis & get started on the actual writing of that book.

No rest for the weary, right? :-D

I'm crawling, but I made it

It's 5:56am & I can barely keep my eyes open, but I'm done with BEDDED THEN WED.

Well, just about. I have an idea for an epilogue, so I'll probably do that tomorrow. But for the bulk of the book, I am finished. Wha-hoo!

The page count is perfect, I'm really happy with how the story turned out--especially the end, I think--& I'm 3 weeks ahead of my deadline. (Thank God. I hate being late, I have never been late, & I wasn't going to start now.) Of course, it will probably take me until at least the end of this week to proof & polish & be happy enough to mail the manuscript off, but as far as my brain is concerned, I'm done & can begin to relax.

Oh, look, I'm relaxing already. (She types as she slips slowly into a coma.) No more stress that I might not get the book finished on time. No more staying up until the wee hours out of panic. I'll only stay up this late if I want to. Or if there's something good on TV :-)

My joy is doomed to be short-lived, since I have a new proposal due right after I get BEDDED turned in, but I'm going to worry about that tomorrow. Or maybe next week.

For now, I'm going to bed before my brain liquifies & drains out my ears.

has this ever happened to you?

This will probably only apply to those of you who read more than one book at a time, but have you ever noticed the same names popping up in different books at the same time?

This happens to me quite a bit, & I don't mind telling you that it's beginning to freak me out.

For instance, I've got three books going right now, & all three of them have two characters apiece with the same names--2 Treys, 2 Amelias, & 2 Kates.

What is going on?!? Now, a repetition of Kate I might buy. It's a fairly common name, & a good one for a romance heroine. But Amelia & Trey aren't very common at all. So what's the deal?

Is this a sign that I'm picking up the right books to read all at the same time? (And if I have more than one book going without the same character names popping up, is that a bad sign?) Or perhaps it's a foretelling of the end of the world--you know, like frogs or locusts or something. Except that this has happened before. In fact, it happens to me quite often.

So what I want to know is: has it ever happened to you, or should I be worried? 8-\

Connor Riordan's scrambled eggs

(as eaten on pages 56 & 57 of SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION, Silhouette Desire #1709 -- available in February 2006)

For each serving, break 2 eggs into a bowl.
Add about 2 tablespoons of milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, & a dash of pepper.
Mix with a fork.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in skillet over medium heat until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.
Pour egg mixture into skillet.

Add:
1/2 cup chopped ham
1/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar recommended)
1/2 of a small onion, grated or finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 green pepper, chopped

Cover.

As mixture begins to set, vegetables begin to soften, & cheese begins to melt--about 3 minutes--gently lift cooked portions from sides of skillet with spatula and turn to center of pan so uncooked portion can flow to bottom & sides.

Cook until eggs are thickened throughout. (About 5 more minutes.)

Serve to the houseguest of your choice, even if she's supposed to be a vegetarian or part of the raw food movement. She'll like it, trust me. :-)

quote of the day

With the late night/early morning writing schedule I've been keeping lately, I thought this one was appropriate:

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
--Sarah Williams

sad news

(I tried to post this last night, but either the blogger site or my computer wouldn't let me.)

I just learned yesterday that romance author Virginia (Gin) Ellis died earlier this week. I don't know many details, except that she was found in her home & an autopsy is pending. Apparently she'd had heart problems in the past, but seemed to be doing well lately.

Gin was the author of several Harlequin Temptations, & more recently The Wedding Dress & The Photograph.

I'm always saddened when the romance community loses one of it's talented members, & tho I didn't know Gin personally, I know she will be missed.

Rebecca Brandewyne knows who I am!

Well, okay, that might be stretching it a little. But the neatest thing just happened. I received an e-mail from JoAnn Ross, a fellow author & personal friend of Rebecca's (that's Ms. Brandewyne to me, thankyouverymuch) telling me that she'd seen my blog post & passed it on to Rebecca (Ms. Brandewyne), who was very pleased to hear I'd enjoyed The Outlaw Hearts so much. How cool is that? So while she may not know who I am, per se, she at least knows I exist. :-D

In other news, I have been writing my little heart out on BEDDED THEN WED. This is the part of the book where, no matter how fast or how many pages I write, I never seem to get very far. I've been writing & writing, & the pages are piling up, yet I still seem to be smack dab in the middle of chapter 12. I feel like I've been in the same spot for days. Don't ask me how that's even possible, it's just what seems to happen every time I near the end of a new book. But I keep telling myself, The End is near, crawl if you have to. A nifty piece of advice passed on to me by Maureen Child. (LOL Am I name-dropping tonight, or what? Sorry, didn't mean to.)

Anyway, while I was on the phone with The Donald...

Kidding! I don't know any Donalds...unless you count Donald the Duck. :-P (And this is me completely sober. Last night, I had a beer with my dinner & fell asleep afterwards. Scary, huh? Welcome to my world.)

Anyway... It's going well. The words are coming to me fairly easily--knock on wood--& I'm having fun with the scene I'm working on now. Which I can't tell you about because I'm kind of hoping it will come as a surprise when you actually read the book.

Time to get back to it! I can't leave my hero & heroine alone for long or I may never finish ch12.

is it just me, or...

...is Detective Lily Rush's hair (on CBS's Cold Case) worse this season than last?

Since the show began, everyone's been complaining about how awful her hair was. (When I say "everyone," I mean television critics & such--you know, my nearest & dearest friends. :-p) And, really, it wasn't good. It was kind of shaggy in the front & on the sides, then in the back, she had this sort of ponytail that looked like it belonged on a gerbil.

This season, the gerbil tail it gone, but it's basically the same hair style--only longer. And, honey, it doesn't look any better. In fact, I think it might look worse. Every week when I watch, I'm distracted by her hair & am sort of beginning to wish she'd go back to the old style.

I like Cold Case, & I like the actress who plays Lily Rush, but I do wish they'd get a stylist on the show who can do something decent with that woman's hair. And I've seen her in other things when her hair looked good, so I do believe it's possible. :-)

question of the week

Since so many of you have admitted to being just as addicted to romance novels as I am, this week I want to know...

What is the first romance you remember reading that truly began your love of the genre?

For me, it was Rebecca Brandewyne's The Outlaw Hearts. I have three copies--one that's pristine & autographed & put away where no dust or air or moisture can reach it; one that I read until it nearly fell apart; and the one that I bought to replace that copy, even tho I haven't yet discarded the original. I love, love, love this story & remember just about every detail of it to this day.

Thomas Jane cannot die

Which is lucky for me, since I happen to have a huge crush on the man.

But I was watching Dreamcatcher with half an eye this past weekend while writing, & I started to get concerned when one after another of the guys who had gone to this cabin in the woods started to bite the big one. And with these movies based on Stephen King novels, you really never know...he kills off a lot of characters, so you can never quite be sure who's going to make it & who's going to be eaten by a giant alien worm or sewer spider. Right?

So I was nervous. And it was only as the movie neared its end that I started to think, "Okay, Thomas Jane's character is not going to die. He can't. He's too cute, & if they kill him, there won't be anyone to save the day." (Because Morgan Freeman sure didn't seem to be helping matters.)

But, I'm telling you, the film roles Tom Jane takes on are hazardous to my health. The first time I saw Deep Blue Sea (which happens to be one of my favorite movies, regardless of most critics' opinions) I kept covering my eyes & praying the shark wouldn't eat him next. I mean, that thing was hungry & determined. Who could tell which characters were going to live or die in that one? I didn't expect Samuel L. Jackson or the red-headed doctor to become fish food, that's for sure. And I didn't expect LL Cool J to survive.

So, as you can see, I'm not very good at predicting who's going to make it out of these horror films alive. But I am hoping that Thomas Jane is a big enough star now that he won't be offered roles where he winds up dead. If he does, I can tell you right now that I'll be scarred for life. I might even need therapy afterwards.

Before I forget, did you see his guest stint on Arrested Development? Fabulous. And he didn't die on that show, either!

And as The Punisher? Well, I still loved him & he didn't die, but I can say with absolute certainty that he makes a better blonde than a brunette. Unless his shirt is off...then I don't care what color his hair is. :-D

Monday guest blogger

And now, a few words from Connor Riordan, the hero of SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION (Silhouette Desire #1709), available in February 2006.

*****

Hey, there. I'm not much for computers, but I'll do my best at this blogging stuff.

My best friend is getting married soon. We've known each other since we were kids, when I moved in with my final set of foster parents right across the street from his house. Truth be known, I practically lived at his place, and his folks treated me like one of their own.

But it's not Nick's wedding I'm worried about, even though it will mean dressing up in a monkey suit for the whole damn day. No, I'm more concerned with seeing Nick's little sister, Beth, again.

She's been avoiding me for seven years now, ever since I took advantage of her one night after a high school football game. Oh, I didn't force her...don't be thinking that. (I'm not that kind of guy.) If anything, she seduced me. Not that I put up much of a fight. I'd been wanting her for years, and there's only so much a man can take.

But I shouldn't have touched her, and I knew it almost as soon as the deed was done. For seven years, the guilt has eaten at me. And soon, I'll be escorting her down the aisle at Nick's wedding. Ha! Let her try to avoid me then.

Of course, finally managing to be in the same room with her, possibly cornering her for five minutes to have a serious heart-to-heart, brings its own set of problems. Because when I finally do get her alone, I need to apologize...and see if we can't go back to being friends. The way we were when we were kids, before we became lovers.

CR

a very blustery day

As Winnie the Pooh might say, "It looks like it's going to be a very blustery day." Yesterday, it was warm enough that I could go outside to feed the birds without even a jacket, & today it's not only freezing, but snowing & blowing & every other cold winter day description you can think of. Such a shame. I was really enjoying the decent weather there for a while--tho I knew it couldn't last forever.

In fact, it's the perfect day to stay inside & curl up with a good book. I hope that's what you're all doing! I've got three going at the moment, even tho I've barely had time to read much at all--unless you count the few seconds here at my computer while I was waiting for the dial-up to connect or the five minutes a cat was on my lap earlier. Still, as slowly as I'm reading them, all three are excellent so far.

Bloodlines by Dinah McCall is great. This is only about the second book I've read by this author...not because I wouldn't like to have read more, but simply because I haven't gotten around to them. The one I did read & absolutely loved was Jackson Rule. Oh, my goodness, what a fabulous book. And this one is right up there, too. A great romantic suspense that caught my attention from the very beginning & is holding on strong. If I didn't have a manuscript due so soon, I don't think I'd be able to put it down.

Don't Tempt Me by Julie Ortolon is, again, only about the second book I've read by this author. And again, not so much by choice as timing & overwhelming TBR piles. But so far, I'm enjoying this one just as much as the other.

And last but not least, The Trouble with Valentine's Day by Rachel Gibson. I meant to read this one last year, but of course got sidetracked. So I'm glad I remembered to dig it out this year. Gibson is an author I always enjoy...I love her sexy stories & even even sexier heroes, as well as her sense of humor.

I've also been writing, always writing. I'm coming up on a love scene & am really looking forward to it because right after that, all hell is going to break loose. :-D

Currently watching: Underworld on TNT

check this out

The Desire Authors website (www.DesireAuthors.com) just got a complete overhaul & launched with its gorgeous new redesign this week.

The new site has lots of great features like new releases, upcoming titles, a blog/author spotlight, & more. (SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION is featured on the "What's Next" page, since it will be available very soon--February for those of you who are taking notes. :-) And also watch for yours truly to have a spotlight blog the week of February 6th.)

So take a couple minutes to "Surrender to Desire" & check it out...then bookmark the site so you can drop by again & again.

The URL again is: www.DesireAuthors.com

Enjoy!

hello, my name is Heidi & I'm a romance novel addict

I've suspected for some time that this might be the case, but after today, I'm sure.

Weeks ago, I made arrangements to meet some people at the local library, then never gave it another thought. Until this morning when I was getting dressed & realized I was practically vibrating with eagerness.

Why? What was so special about today? Nothing much. Don't tell them I said this, but it wasn't meeting with this group of people that had me worked up. I wasn't loathing the trip, but I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, either. It was just one of those things that needed to be done.

And then it occurred to me: I was going to a library. I would be in a big room full of books. Yep, that was it. The minute I thought it, my stomach gave a jolt of excitement.

I didn't even check out any books while I was there, but still I made a point of arriving several minutes before the others in my party so I would have time to wander through the shelves, touching spines & looking to see what was new. What had I already read? What was I hoping to read soon? What had I not realized was out?

This, I believe, is a clear sign of book addiction. You know...if the piles & boxes of books cluttering my house almost to the point of having to move out wasn't enough of a clue.

I buy so many books, the people at my local bookstore set aside titles they think I'll like or new books by authors they know I love. I would rather spend money on books than clothes, shoes, movies, music... My day can suck, but if I come home with a new book or even have a chance to sit & read for a while, I consider it a success. When I'm in a bad mood, if I stop to read a chapter in a book I'm enjoying, it can actually put me in a better mood. A book "fix," if you will. And I need it, or I start to sweat & get the shakes.

So when did this addiction start? Many people who suffer from the same affliction may not know when their love of books went from a casual interest to a full-throttle physical need...it might have sneaked up on them, & before they realized it, they were the proud owners of thousands of books & a TBR (to be read) pile the size of the Eiffel Tower.

But I know exactly when & how my addiction began. It was the summer between graduating from high school & leaving for college. All through junior & senior high, I'd been reading romance novels, only I had to do it secretly because my mother didn't approve. (It should be noted that she didn't disapprove of romance novels, per se, but of her 13yo daughter reading them. And I'd gone straight for the good stuff--Catherine Coulter, Johanna Lindsay, etc. :-))

So for about 5yrs, I was sneaking around to get my romance fix. Then, when I turned 17 & was getting ready to start college, my mother suddenly informed me that she didn't care what I read. I was officially old enough to choose my own reading material.

Yippee! Whahoo! Glory be! From that moment on, every time we went shopping, I came home with at least one romance novel. By the time they packed me off, I had a nice size box of reading material to take along to college. And even tho I'd promised my mother it wouldn't happen, I often read romance novels instead of studying. On the night before my first year finals, I stayed up late to finish a historical romance...& that was the moment I decided I wanted to seriously pursue writing myself.

So that's how it began, this little addiction of mine. First, I wasn't allowed to read romance novels, then I was given free rein to buy & read as many as I liked, & now it's gotten completely out of control. There's this tiny spot in my brain that tells me I need to buy, buy, buy. I need to own every romance that comes out, even if the chances of reading them all in my lifetime are slim to none. I'm never without a book, never without the niggling thought of "What will I read next?" And for me, there's nothing in the world like seeing, touching, skimming, reading a good book.

If I'm addicted, so be it. But please don't send Dr. Phil to my house yet. I like my addiction & I'm definitely not ready to be rehabilitated anytime soon.

question of the week

Here's one that will really make you think...

If you could become famous for one thing in your life, what would it be?

praise the Lord, I finally finished Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix

Started my day by watching Will & Grace while I biked. I don't care what anyone says about this show losing its edge or being on its last legs, I still think it's hilarious. This episode--which I recorded last week but hadn't gotten the chance to see yet--was called "Von Trapped," & centered around a Sound of Music sing-along. It was a riot. The play on words...Karen in a nun's habit...Grace dressed as Maria & getting stuck babysitting a bunch of kids... I laughed so hard, I almost fell off my bike!

Then later, I ended up with a cat on my lap & had to stop writing. Well, I didn't have to, but you'd be surprised by just how much my cats do not appreciate having an AlphaSmart propped on top of them. So I keep a book handy to read until they get tired of using me as a bed & move. Of course, Angel didn't much appreciate having the 800-page Harry Potter book propped on top of him, either. But I finally, finally finished. I admit that I liked the end, the way everything came together & we were told some stuff we never knew before. I even cried when Sirius died--something I'm still upset about. But this was by far the hardest book in the series to get thru. At least for me. It might not have been so bad if I'd had time to just sit & read the thing, but going at it a paragraph or page at a time...it takes me long enough to get thru a 200- or 300-page book that way, but the 800+ pages just about did me in.

Still, I am eager to start the next one. I may not jump right into it, but I have a feeling I'll try to get to it soon. Then I'll be caught up...but of course, by the time the next book or movie comes out, I will have forgotten everything. :-P

And then I got back to writing. I'm on ch10, which only leaves a few more till the end of the book, & it's going well. Not as well as I'd like...I always wish I could whip out 10 or 20 pages in a sitting the way I know some authors do...but good for me. I'm starting to get excited about a couple of things that are going to pop up, & about finally reaching the end. Soon. Not soon-soon, but before too terribly long. Yay!

Monday guest blogger

Since SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION (Silhouette Desire #1709) will be out next month, I thought I'd dedicate one day a week to a guest blogger who can give you a bit of an insider's view of the story. This will be similar to the "Tuesday Trivia" that I ran before my last book was released...& I may even resurrect that a time or two if I come up with any interesting tidbits I think you'd like. :-)

So today, I'd like to welcome Beth Curtis, the heroine of SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION. Welcome, Beth, I'll turn the forum over to you...

*****

Thanks, Heidi.

Well, my name is Beth Curtis and I'm a founding partner in the law firm of Vincent and Curtis. We're based in Los Angeles and specialize in entertainment law.

But next week, I'll be going home to Crystal Springs, Ohio. I don't particularly want to go, but it wouldn't do for me to miss my own brother's wedding--especially since I happen to be the maid of honor.

It's been a while since I've been back east. As much as I love my parents and brother, going home is just too hard because I might see him.

Might? Try definitely will. Connor is my brother's best friend. They grew up together--we all did, really--and now they own a construction company together. He's over for dinner at Nicholas's or my parents' places probably three nights a week. There's no way I could go home for a visit and be lucky enough not to run into him.

And now I'm not only going to see him, I have to walk down the aisle with him, since he just happens to be Nick's best man.

Boy, I am really not looking forward to this. Anyone have a rare tropical disease or massive case of food poisoning they'd be willing to share for a few days? Just long enough that I have a terrific excuse for missing the wedding altogether.

BC

this is what sleep depravation looks like

Go ahead, ask me what time I went to bed last night.

7am.

I think that may be a record, even for me. Before I drifted off to sleep, I actually saw daylight beginning to shine thru the window blinds. Oh, man, that can't be good. And I have a doctor's appointment Monday morning, which means I'm going to have to do one of three things tomorrow night... A.) take some sleeping pills & go to bed early, B.) stay up half the night, get maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep, then wake up & start my day feeling like a zombie, or C.) stay up all night, never go to bed, & go to the doctor feeling like a zombie.

Hey, that's one way to convince the doctor you're sick, huh? Go in looking like an extra from Shaun of the Dead. LOL Except that I'm not sick, this is just a check-up. Still, I may be able to score some tasty prescriptions if I look like death warmed over or fall asleep on the exam table. :-P

But the writing is still going well, so it's totally worth it. Even tho, when I woke up at noon today, I thought it was Sunday. I actually started to go out for a Sunday paper, then happened to notice that the on-screen television guide said it was Saturday. Good thing. I would not have been happy if I'd bundled up & gone out in the cold & snow for nothing.

All right, back to work. I've got hours of writing left to go before I can climb into bed. :-)

whoever said "nothing good ever happened after midnight" didn't know what they were talking about

It's 3:00am & I feel like it's noon. Of course, that could have something to do with the fact that I only woke up at 1pm. :-P On Close to Home tonight, one of the attorneys was discussing the alibi of a murder suspect, & she made a remark about no one being awake at 12:30am to see him. I had to laugh. Hey, just because most people go to bed at a normal hour doesn't mean we all do. For some of us, 12:30am...or even 4am...is when we shine!

Anyway, as soon as I got up, I had to make a couple phone calls. And I had to do it quickly because normal people who work at normal businesses go home at 5pm. I'd gotten an e-mail from Amazon.com--oh, sorry...allegedly from Amazon.com--saying that my bank had contacted them about a possible problem with unauthorized charges on my account & that my account would be suspended unless I verified my information within 48hrs. This is crap & yet another scam someone has cooked up to get personal information from people. Because A.) I hardly ever shop at Amazon, but when I do, I use a credit card; my bank wouldn't even know about purchases I made there, & B.) if there was such a problem, I would expect my bank or credit card company to contact me, either instead of or in addition to Amazon. So be warned folks...if you ever receive one of these, either delete it or call your bank & credit card company. No matter what, DO NOT respond to or click on any links provided in the e-mails until you know what's really going on. PayPal is another logo you'll see on this sort of thing...& it's not actually PayPal or Amazon, it's someone out there making things look so authentic, you just assume the message must be real. Since this is the first time I've gotten this type of thing with Amazon's name on it, I wanted to be sure it was a fraudulent claim, so I called both my credit card company & my bank. And sure enough, it was bogus.

After that, I spent a few hours working on promotional projects. Packing up bookmarks for conference goody bags...getting one of my website prizes ready to mail (Jennifer, if you're reading this, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get your gifts to you, but they'll be on their way soon!)...writing copy for a couple of upcoming ads...& putting some website updates together. I'm really not good at this sort of thing, which is probably why I put it off for so long. :-p The Queen of Procrastination, that's me!

And then I started writing. This would be the part where I maintain that good things can happen after midnight, because my fingers have been flying over the keyboards all night. Even before midnight, but that's neither here nor there. :-) And I've got to get back to it before my muse gets bored & decides to go to bed. Not to mention, I made a cup of hot tea that's getting cold.

Nite, all! Or should I say Good Morning? :-D

the honeymoon is over

Sad but true. 22 days without an accident, & last night, the record was blown all to hell when Angel walked into my office & sprayed on the side of my file cabinet. Not a lot, but enough to warrant a pill...& a stern talking to. Man, I was disappointed. He'd been doing so well & I really thought we might be able to keep him off the medication forever...or at least thru the winter.

But we're starting over today, back at zero with a clean slate. He had a small chunk of pill last night to counteract whatever had caused him to go back to his bad habits, but he hasn't needed anything yet today. I'm watching him carefully, keeping an eye on how he acts, & will only drug him again if I absolutely have to.

A repairman from Sears was here yesterday to fix my airbike. Been having a lot of problems with it lately. First, it was squeaking so loudly, I could barely hear the TV, which drove me nuts. Then, the day after someone came out to deal with that problem, one of the pedals started to come off. No warning beforehand, I was just on it, biking, & suddenly the pedal & handbar started to wobble. And if I hadn't jumped off to tighten a bolt myself, it would have fallen off completely. But the darn thing wouldn't stay tightened, so I knew it needed replaced. But of course, parts had to be ordered & I had to wait for those to arrive before someone could come out to do the repairs. But finally, finally it's taken care of & I was able to bike today while watching the beginning of Office Space. Yay!

And after my shower, I changed into a brand new pair of Spongebob Squarepants pajama bottoms. I love that little yellow sponge, & I love these pants. They're really comfortable. I didn't get them for Christmas, but I did get them from an after-Christmas clearance rack. My favorite kind of shopping. :-)

I've also been writing. No huge, multi-page successes worthy of writing home about, but enough to keep moving forward & keep things interesting. Speaking of which, I've got to get back to it...

question of the week

This one's a no-brainer...

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions this year? And if so, what are they? (Provided they're appropriate to share, of course. :-))

My only New Year's Resolution, ever, is to not make New Year's Resolutions. I'm terrible at them. Instead, I prefer to set small goals all along the way. They're a little easier to achieve.

happy new year!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a safe & fun time watching the ball drop last night.

Personally, I didn't bother...I was too busy writing, as well as keeping up with the Law & Order: Criminal Intent marathon that was on USA & trying to remember to eat saurkraut at exactly midnight.

Ick. I really do not like saurkraut. But I spent my entire childhood hearing that if you ate it on New Year's Eve, it would bring you good luck for the coming year. So, of course--superstitious basket case that I am--I have to eat at least a couple bites or spend the next twelve months waiting for the axe to drop.

In fact, since I can't pin down exactly when I'm supposed to eat it for the very best luck to strike me, I've started eating a few bites on New Year's Eve, then a few bites at exactly midnight, and a bit more again on New Year's Day. You know, to cover my bases. I don't want any potential good luck slipping thru the cracks.

Today, I've been watching the Monk marathon, also on USA, & trying to write. I've hit a slight snag, in that I don't feel the current scene is going quite the way it should, so I need to back up & rethink the angle. I do have an idea for revising the scene, tho, so it shouldn't take me much longer to get back on track.

Off for more of the obsessive-compulsive detective & obsessive-compulsive writing... :-D

Here's wishing you all a safe, happy, & prosperous 2006!

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