The Romance World's National Holiday

Happy Valentine's Day! You'd think that as romance writers all my pals and I would be planning romantic outings with our significant others. Well, for me, Valentine's Day has included a dozen red roses, a box of candy, and a card that included a monkey sitting on a toilet. The card had the required "I love you" and made me laugh, so that's good. I also had breakfast made for me as I do most Saturday mornings. But going out? Not tonight. We're not into crowds and waiting an hour to get into a restaurant.

My friend Robin Kaye is blogging today on our Casablanca Authors Blog about how she's not really much into Valentine's Day because her domestic god Stephen, who I jokingly refer to as my second husband, does lovely things for her every day. She'd rather have the cup of coffee he brings her in bed every morning than a three-carat diamond for Valentine's Day (not that she'd say no to the diamond, of course). The general consensus among my romance writing pals is that it's not about hearts and flowers, it's about having go-to guys who make our daily lives a little easier.

That definitely includes my husband, Dan, who takes a lot of grief from me, but gets it done not just for me but for my single mom cousin and many of my friends who bring their pants over to be hemmed by him. Yes, you read that right. I gave him a Singer for Christmas a few years ago, which was easily the best gift I've ever given anyone. He views it as a power tool, right up there with his drill or saw. Of course he does require a full inseam measurement for all alterations because, as he says, there has to be something in it for him. Since my friends need him to sew for them, I'd better keep him around!

Another note on Valentine's Day... This was my first one as a mom that didn't require me to buy little kid Valentine's for my children's classmates. With a daughter in 8th grade--she makes beautiful cards for her friends--and a son in fourth grade--his response to my query about Valentine's was "Get real, Mom"--my life as a Valentine-buying mom has come to an end. Boo hoo!

Year in Review

As 2008 comes to a close, I'm watching snow and wind derail my plans for tonight. Boo hoo!

This has been a difficult year for our country. The publishing business, in no risk of receiving one of those lovely federal bailouts, has suffered just like many other industries. I've said before that the only thing we as writers can do in this economy is to keep writing and hope for better days ahead. I still firmly believe that the stories we're working on right now will contribute to the industry's resurgence in 2009 and 2010. Three weeks from now we'll inaugurate a new president, and I can't wait to be dazzled by him. But before we step into the New Year, here are a few of my writing highlights from 2008:

--Seeing a book cover with MY name on it for the first time.
--Getting PAID for my work. Twice. WOW!
--Gaining admission to RWA's Published Author Network, a major feather in a romance writer's cap.
--Returning from vacation this summer to find a box full of MY books on my front porch.
--Sharing the moment I first held Line of Scrimmage as a real live book with my husband and kids.
--Getting one excited e-mail after another from friends and family, letting me know their pre-ordered copies of Line of Scrimmage had shipped from Amazon.com.
--Receiving many wonderful reviews for Line of Scrimmage, including this one from Booklist, "With its humor and endearing characters, Force’s charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans." (To read all the lovely reviews, click on the "reviews" link below this post.)
--Signing with agent Kevan Lyon, who has been TERRIFIC to work with and lots of fun to hang out with, too.
--Walking into Barnes & Noble and knowing MY book was there after years of wishing just ONE of the thousands of books in the store could be mine. (Ryan and Susannah's wedding song, "You're in my Heart" by Rod Stewart, coming on the radio as the kids and I were pulling into the B&N parking lot gave me chills and made me feel like my late mother was with me, sharing in the joy.)

Here I am visiting Line of Scrimmage at my local Barnes & Noble!



We're in a very good neighborhood next to Lori Foster, one of my favorite authors and a new e-mail buddy this year.



--Holding a launch party for Line of Scrimmage, where I was able to recognize and thank the friends who'd held me up on the long road to publication.



--Befriending Elena, the author liaison at my local B&N, who referred to me as her "most successful local author" in the four years she's been with the store. She says we're going to lunch when the 100th copy of LOS sells in her store. At last check, we were at 88. She held a fabulous book signing for me in September, made me feel like a star on more than one occasion, and became a valued new friend and advocate.
--Receiving real, live fan mail! One of my favorite comments about Line of Scrimmage came in August from J. Kaye Oldner on her blog: "It was a book that made me laugh as well as cry. The three-dimensional characters were so vivid. I’d have no trouble plucking each one out of a crowd. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE is Marie Force’s first novel. Her next is scheduled to be out in the spring of 2009 and it’s titled SAME TIME SUNDAY. You can bet I’ll be in line to get my copy, because hands down, this is the best romance I’ve read this year."
--Attending the National Romance Writers of America annual conference for the first time in my favorite city of San Francisco where I met so many of my online friends, rode in a limo to the publisher's dinner, and met my editor, publisher, agent and publicist in person.

Here is the Sourcebooks Casablanca gang at the publisher's dinner in San Francisco:


Back row (l-r) Michele Ann Young, Linda Wisdom, Dominique Raccah, Gail, Beth, Sharon Lathan, and our lovely publicist Danielle Jackson. Front row (l-r) Deb Werksman, Robin Kaye, Marie Force, Malena Lott, Judi Fennell and "Aunty Cindy" Loucinda McGary.

--Selling my second book, formerly known as Same Time Sunday, during the RWA conference. (New title pending, hopefully in early January.) I'm very excited about this book and can't wait to hear what readers think of it. I take a few risks in this one by showing my hero and heroine with other people before they get together. (And when I say with other people, I mean WITH other people... Tee hee, yes, there's sex in chapter 2!)
--Being featured twice in local newspapers.
--Attending the New Jersey Romance Writer's Conference where I participated in a multi-author book signing for the first time and connected with readers, one of whom gave ME a gift to thank me for writing a book she loved so much. That was pretty cool!
--Signing books at Annie's Book Stop in Sharon, MA. Thank you Merry Cutler, a great friend of romance writers! Hope we can do it again when the second book comes out.



--Making an astounding array of new friends, both writers and readers, who have been so supportive and invested in my writing career. My fellow Sourcebooks Casablanca authors have been such a joy to me, keeping me sane, focused and enormously entertained. You ladies are my favorite writing friends, bar none. Our Casablanca Authors blog has been a lot of fun this year, and I look forward to the start of another terrific year together.
--Participating in a group signing in Baltimore's Inner Harbor B&N with my good friends Robin Kaye and Kendra Leigh Castle, with whom I also share agent.



--Starting this blog and committing to it as an almost-daily endeavor beginning in November. Nearly 3,000 readers have stopped by, which is a major accomplishment in and of itself.

Yes, there have been downs to go with the ups, but as I look over the list above, I realize that the highs have certainly outpaced the lows. I will look back at 2008, my debut year, as a year to be remembered and savored as I go forward, hopefully for years to come, with new books, new adventures, and more new friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who loved Ryan and Susannah, who wrote glowing reviews, who took the time to send me fan mail to tell me they loved the book, and who made my year by getting what I was trying to convey about a marriage in crisis. I know this may sound hokey, but I also want to thank Ryan Sanderson for being one hell of a fun character. He is the heart and soul of Line of Scrimmage, and readers have responded with passionate love for him. Publishers Weekly said of him, "Ryan . . . is a good guy desperate to fix past mistakes, a terrific change of pace from the typical reluctant hero."

By far, the best part of this debut year has been sharing the excitement with the people I love and seeing my Dad enjoying every minute of it after years of urging me to get serious about my writing. At every party, cookout, gathering, and event I get grilled on how it all works: how you write a book, how you sell a book, how it feels to be published, etc. As my fellow writers will attest, we love to talk about what is for most of us a lonely, solitary pursuit. My secret life came busting out of the closet this year. I'm a writer, and now everyone knows it.

Wishing you good health, good friends, and good books in 2009!

Signing Books in Baltimore

Yesterday, I signed Line of Scrimmage in Baltimore with my friends Robin Kaye (Romeo Romeo) and Kendra Lee Castle (Call of the Highland Moon and Dark Highland Fire). It was great to see Robin again and to meet Kendra for the first time. Besides sharing a publisher, we are all represented by the lovely Kevan Lyon. After talking our faces off over lunch, we spent the afternoon at the Barnes & Noble at the Power Plant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

It was fun to be back in Baltimore, where we spent a lot of time when we lived in Maryland (from 95-98). I remember my now 13-year-old daughter fighting to get free of her stroller as we walked through the stores in the Inner Harbor. My next book, the one formerly known as Same Time Sunday (new name pending, stay tuned), is set in Baltimore. I love the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Little Italy. It's a great city, and Robin, our new BFF at the B&N there was super to us. Thank you Robin!

Here are a few photos:

Marie, Robin and Kendra



Robin's husband Stephen, the original Domestic God, who kept us in coffee during the signing.



With my friend and co-worker April Pardoe, who "loaned" me her former home in Baltimore to use as my hero's home in the book formerly known as Same Time Sunday. I'll post some photos of that fabulous place when the book comes out!

Books Make Great Gifts!

As the holiday shopping season begins this Black Friday, I thought it would be a good time to pass along some personal recommendations for your book buying pleasure. I've read just about all of these books and each of the authors is a good friend of mine. Peruse the list below and you will see, there's something for everyone on your list. Now, of course, I have to start with my favorite published book from 2008:

Line of Scrimmage
By: Marie Force
The Hail Mary play of a lifetime . . . An NFL quarterback has just 10 days to convince his soon-to-be ex-wife to give him another chance, and he has to act fast—she’s already engaged to her ex-boyfriend. Readers will laugh and cry and hope—that at the end of the day, these two lovers, who clearly belong together, will somehow find their way back to one another.

“With its humor and endearing characters, Force's charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans.” —Booklist

BUY IT


Dating da Vinci
By: Malena Lott
A gorgeous young Italian, with nowhere to go . . .His name just happens to be Leonardo da Vinci. When he walks into Ramona Elise's English class, he's a twenty-five-year-old immigrant, struggling to forge a new life in America - but he's lonely, has nowhere to live, and barely speaks English . . .She knows she shouldn't take him home . . .Picking up the pieces of her life after the death of her beloved husband, linguist and teacher Ramona Elise can't help but be charmed by her gorgeous new student. And when he calls her "Mona Lisa" she just about loses her heart . . .

"Delightfully affirming romance!" —Booklist

BUY IT


Romeo Romeo
By: Robin Kaye
Rosalie Ronaldi is a woman focused on her career. She has no intention of ever getting married nor is she a domestic goddess—both major points of contention with her traditional Italian Catholic family. However, when she gets a flat tire and is stranded on the side of the road, a mechanic with a tow truck pulls over, and gives her a hand.
Turns out that “mechanic” is actually Nick Romeo, “Brooklyn’s Donald Trump,” a self-made millionaire and serial dater. He’s instantly attracted to Rosalie, even though she’s far from his usual type of girlfriends who are fortune-hunting sticks with breasts. He quickly realizes, though, that he would have no chance with her if she knew who he was—the multi-millionaire playboy who, back in his misspent youth, got her older brother arrested. So he neglects to mention that detail. Somewhat inexplicably to both of them, they click instantly (helped along by Nick’s protective instincts when Rosalie gets pneumonia), and Nick suddenly becomes her live-in caretaker, cook, housekeeper, and lover, all rolled into one. Looming over his head, though, is his hidden identity and the fact that his company is at odds with Rosalie’s.

“Wonderful Laugh Out Loud Humor, a sexy and precious love story with twists and turns until the very end. Do Not Miss This Treasure!!” —Single Title Reviews

BUY IT


The Wild Sight
By: Loucinda McGary
Cursed with the Irish clairvoyance known as "The Sight," Donovan O'Shea fled to America to escape his "gift." Fifteen years later, his father's illness has forced him to return to the family homestead where years earlier, Donovan's mother disappeared into the fens and was never seen again. Now the same fens are offering up secrets, both ancient and recent, and restoring a terrible legacy that just may drive him mad. And if this were not trouble enough, a beautiful woman walks into his life, claiming to be his half-sister.

Rylie Powell never knew her real father. Her mother would only say he was a charming Irishman who seduced her, married her, and then abandoned her and his baby daughter. But after her mother's death, Rylie finds tantalizing clues about her father that send her off to Northern Ireland and an archeological site on Dermot O'Shea's property, the man listed on her birth certificate as her father.

Did Dermot O'Shea father both Donovan and Rylie? What is Donovan's connection to the Celtic High King Niall of the Nine Hostages? And what secrets do the fens hold that invites murder?

"...brings elements of the supernatural into this smashing romantic suspense novel. ...McGary never shortchanges the sizzling romance... as she weaves in ancient legend and recent murders, building to a dramatic, memorable conclusion." —Publisher’s Weekly Starred review

BUY IT


Slave
By: Cheryl Brooks
Looking for something different? If you'd like a strong heroine, plenty of adventure, steamy romance, and hot, erotic sex with an irresistible alien lover who can purr, then this first book in The Cat Star Chronicles series is for you! Join Captain Jacinth "Jack" Rutland and Carkdakund "Cat" Tshevnoe on their rescue mission on a planet with facscinating world customs, danger, and a surprising secret!

"A hugely remarkable first foray into the written word, SLAVE will enthrall and entice. The sexual tension and compatibility of the two main characters are hot enough to start a fire. Add in a thrilling new world and my reading experience was complete." —Romance Junkies

BUY IT


Warrior
By: Cheryl Brooks
Action, adventure, sizzling romance, and another irresistible Zetithian lover are the hallmarks of this second book in The Cat Star Chronicles series. Join the powerful witch, Tisana, and Leccarian "Leo" Banadansk, a golden-haired Zetithian warrior, in their race to find two kidnapped boys and earn Leo's freedom from a lifetime of slavery! Plenty of laughs are provided by the local animals with whom Tisana can communicate telepathically, but watch out: This witch can set you on fire!

"Ms. Brooks masterfully combined Sci-Fi fantasy, paranormal elements, hot and sensual alien attributes and hilarity with characters that wiggled their way into my heart and dreams. My advice is to rush out and grab a Warrior of your own." —Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviewers

BUY IT


50 Ways to Hex Your Lover
By: Linda Wisdom
What’s a witch to do? 700 year young Jazz Tremaine lives the good life as a curse eliminator and driver for All Creatures Car Service even if ghostly Irma haunts her precious 1956 T-Bird convertible and magick bunny slippers Fluff and Puff make life crazy for her. Now her PI ex vampire Nick Gregory is back in town and needs her help with a serial killer of vampires that’s using dark magick. Can Jazz work with the sexy vampire without reliving the past? What do you think?

“With clever writing, a high sensuality factor and an unfettered imagination, Wisdom makes a sparkling entry into lite urban paranormals.” —Publisher’s Weekly

BUY IT


Hex Appeal
By: Linda Wisdom
Jazz’s life is never boring. Now she’s having disturbing nightmares that involve Nick and he’s having them too. Someone doesn’t want them together and to make matters worse, Jazz’s beloved magick bunny slippers, Fluff and Puff are accused of eating a carny were-weasel! Once again Jazz is doing her hexy stuff to find out who’s messing up her usually blissful dreams and who dared to frame Fluff and Puff when everyone knows were-weasels taste nasty.

“Bless Jazz Tremaine’s witchy, Prada-loving heart – she’s captured mine! I can’t get enough of Jazz and her vamp lover Nick. Kudos to Linda Wisdom for a series that's pure magic!” —Vicki Lewis Thompson, NYT bestselling author of Wild & Hexy

BUY IT

The Lady Flees Her Lord
By: Michele Anne Young
She’s desperate for peace and safety… Unfashionably plump Lucinda, Lady Denbigh, is running from a husband who physically and emotionally abused her because she has failed to produce an heir. Posing as a widow, she seeks refuge in the quiet countryside…
He’s returned from the wars, wounded and tormented… Lord Hugo Wanstead, with a wound that won’t heal, finds his estate impoverished, his sleep torn by nightmares, and brandy his only solace. When he meets Lucinda, he finds her beautiful, body and soul, and thinks she just might give him something to live for… Together they can begin to heal, but not until she is free of her violent past…

"This is a wonderful book. Beautiful historical background with two characters who just are not perfect. It makes the story so much more real when you can relate to them. I look forward to reading more from this author. Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended for those who love historical romance." —Arm Chair Interviews

BUY IT

SEALed With a Kiss
By: Mary Margaret Daughtridge
Even a hero needs help sometimes… Navy SEAL Lt. Jax Graham is as at home in the water as…well, a seal, but he’s completely out of his depth when his ex-wife dies and he must find a caregiver for the son he hardly knows. He intends to let
Tyler live with his grandmother—until he spends the weekend from hell with the two of them, that is. One look at bright, bossy, and sweetly sexy Pickett Sessoms and Jax knows she’ll expect more than he has to give. But right now, he needs help with his sad and silent son, and she knows a lot about kids. What about Tyler? Well, Tyler is only four years old. He doesn’t know a lot about anything. But he's sure he needs a mommy who isn’t dead, a daddy he can trust, a dog, and a bed of his very own.

"With a hero who's not only a tough Navy SEAL but also an insecure, vulnerable father and a pretty but unsure heroine with a big heart and a huge amount of love to give, how can this story miss? It doesn't; it delivers in a huge way. Throw in a lost little boy and some great dogs and you get a heart-touching story that will keep you smiling and cheering for the characters clear through to the happy ending." —Romantic Times, four and a half out of five.

BUY IT

Books to Look Forward to in 2009

What I'm Reading

I'm about half way through CATCH OF THE DAY by RITA winner (and my friend) Kristan Higgins. I love it! If you haven't read it, I'd recommend you run right out and buy it. COTD is a great story about an unlucky-in-love heroine who has one disastrous date after another while nursing a very public crush on the local Catholic priest. After a few laugh out loud dates, she stumbles into a relationship with an unlikely hero. I can't wait to read Kristan's other books!

I've also recently enjoyed books by my Casablanca sisters: The Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary, Romeo Romeo by Robin Kaye and Dating Da Vinci by Malena Lott. What do these books and COTD have in common? They're all contemporaries and are what I gravitate to as a reader and a writer. Some of my friends write paranormal, and I buy the books to support them. I read them and usually enjoy them, but if I didn't know the authors, I wouldn't be tempted. I've decided that it's my suspension of disbelief muscle. It's the one muscle in my body that's well toned. I have trouble making the leap from the world I live in to the paranormal world. Even though it's not my genre of choice as a reader, I have tremendous respect for paranormal authors because of the work that goes into the building a believable make believe world. I'm looking forward to reading my friend Kendra Leigh Castle's second book, Dark Highland Fire, next.

The other book I've really loved recently is Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas, who I met at RWA Nationals this summer when she signed my copy. This was Lisa's first foray into contemporary, and while it wasn't a true romance (until the very end) I really enjoyed the book. I'm looking forward to reading her second contemporary, Blue-Eyed Devil, soon.

What are you reading? Do you tend to gravitate toward one genre to the exclusion of all others? Or do you genre hop?

Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming

Last Friday night was, by far the best moment I've had yet as a writer. Our Sourcebooks Publisher Dominique Raccah and Editor Extraordinaire Deb Werksman treated us to a limo ride through the rolling hills of San Francisco and a yummy dinner at Vietnamese restaurant Ana Mandara. It was the first chance many of us had to meet each other after months of working together on our Casablanca Authors blog and supporting each other through the publication process. What a thrill to be in the company of these dynamic women!


Our chariot awaits...


In the limo with Cindy Munoz (w/a Loucinda McGary) and Judi Fennell, aka "The New Girl." Judi just sold a mermaid trilogy to Sourcebooks in June.


Once at the restaurant, Dominique and Deb offered up a toast to Sourcebooks Casablanca and their fabulous authors.


We'll drink to that!


Deb and Dominique graciously posed for photos with each of us.


Here's the whole gang. Back row (l-r) Michele Ann Young, Linda Wisdom, Dominique Raccah, Gail, Beth, Sharon Lathan, and our lovely publicist Danielle Jackson. Front row (l-r) Deb Werksman, Robin Kaye, Marie Force, Malena Lott, Judi Fennell and "Aunty Cindy" Loucinda McGary.


Back at the hotel, we hit the 39th Floor where they very smartly gave us our own room (read: PLAYPEN) behind a screen, away from their more civilized guests. (l-r) Robin, Marie, Judi and Cindy.


Malena, Robin, Marie and Judi. Note that Robin and I, fused at the hips, were unwilling to move to let others take photos. That was her idea, not mine...


And finally, here are Robin and I with her very own domestic god, Steven. I tried to find the faults. Really, ladies, I did. I gave it one hell of a try. But other than him chopping down her beloved tree, there were no chinks in the armor. He did, however, show up with a woman named Theresa who I was told was his "girlfriend." If you ask me, therein lies the scandal, but that could just be my overactive imagination at work.

While I was in San Fran, I had a funny lobby chat on Saturday with my New England Chapter mate Jessica Andersen, whose latest release, Nightkeepers, is on fire! She said something that really struck a chord with me when she was talking about how she has gotten better about taking the the time to celebrate EVERY moment along the writing journey—no matter how big or small. I've heard this advice before, of course, but after the Friday night, I had a whole new appreciation for it.

This was a very big moment for the Casa Authors, and I think we did it proud.

My Life is Now Complete

Yesterday I was in the same room with Nora Roberts. I know, take a breath, don't hyperventilate! Her chat was my only MUST on the workshop agenda at RWA Nationals. That makes me sound like such a fan girl, I know, but hey, I am! I love her books, I adore her practical, plain-spoken wisdom, and I admire her longevity in a difficult business—a staggering 193 published books and still going strong. I always knew I wanted to write fiction, but Nora and her books helped to steer me toward romance. I wanted to take a picture to post here, but I didn't want the camera to flash during her talk. Oh and guess what else? I even asked her a question. I did not, however, run my fingers through her hair like I did when I met Patrick Kennedy. I'd like to think I've grown up a little bit since then. When you read the next paragraph and see what ELSE happened yesterday, you will have a better appreciation of just how big a deal seeing Nora for the first time was for me.

Yesterday afternoon, I also met my editor and publisher in person, and we worked out the details of what will probably be books 2 and 3. That was a pretty big deal, too! More to come very soon on that! My editor, Deb Werksman, is as lovely in person as she is on the phone. I really enjoyed having the chance to sit and talk with her. This can be such an odd business where you have these intense and very important relationships with people you've never met. That's also true for fellow writers. I got to have dinner in Chinatown last night with my dear friend and Sourcebooks sister Cindy Munoz—again, someone I feel I know so well but had never met until yesterday. Do check out Cindy's book (written under the name of Loucinda McGary), The Wild Sight, out October 1 from Sourcebooks. Last night, I also connected with some online friends at the From the Heart Chapter gathering.

Later today, I'm looking forward to meeting Danielle Jackson, our Sourcebooks publicist, and to our Sourcebooks dinner where I'll get to meet online friends and blog mates Robin Kaye, Linda Wisdom and Michele Young. I hope to also run into my lovely new agent, Kevan Lyon. This morning I played hookey from the conference and went down to Fisherman's Wharf. It's a beautiful, clear day in San Francisco, my favorite city in the world. I'll post some photos when I find my doo-dad for the computer. I'm starting to feel ragged after eight days on the road and living out of a suitcase!

Will post more from RWA National over the weekend!