Congratulations to the Grand Central 2009 RITA Finalists!

With links to their books if you wanna check 'em out before the award ceremony!

Big congrats, ladies!!


2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Single Title Romance


Out of Time by Samantha Graves
Grand Central Publishing, Forever (ISBN: 0446618373)
Frances Jalet-Miller, editor



Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
Grand Central Publishing, Forever (ISBN: 978-0-446-61787-1)
Michele Bidelspach, editor


Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley
Grand Central Publishing, 5 Spot (ISBN: 978-0-446-17814-3)
Alex Logan, editor



2009 RITA Finalists for Historical Romance


To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
Grand Central Publishing, Forever (ISBN: 0446406929)
Amy Pierpont, editor



2009 RITA Finalists for Romantic Suspense


Scream for Me by Karen Rose
Grand Central Publishing, Vision (ISBN: 0446509205)
Karen Kosztolnyik, editor



2009 RITA Finalists for Best First Book


Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley
Grand Central Publishing, 5 Spot (ISBN: 978-0-446-17814-3)
Alex Logan, editor

Most embarrassing moment

You know those mortifying moments we have on occasion? The one where you walk out of the bathroom with your dress tucked into your underwear (I'd say pantyhose, but as a rule, writers don't tend to wear hose). Or when you send a snarky email to your friend only to realize you've hit reply all. Terrible, sickening moments to be true, but for me, not the most embarassing. No, that came a couple of years ago on the tail end of a wretched deadline that had me not only hopped up on pain pills (long story) but a little less smart than I normally am. Okay stupid, I was sleep deprived and frankly stupid for a little while. 

I had gone to the UPS store the day before to overnight my manuscript to my editor and I was relaxing and enjoying a morning of waking up and not having to work on that blasted book. And then my doorbell rang. I'm fairly certain I was still injured and I had to limp to the door and I know I was expecting author copies from a different book and instead find a big envelope. A big envelope that looks suspiciously like the one I mailed the other book off in. Hmmmm….scan addresses, Oh crap! Wave frantically to UPS man, who waves back, I wave more, I'm not friendly Mr. UPS man so I'm not just waving good morning, please stop. He stops, jumps out and comes over to me. Did I mention I was wearing pink PJ’s with little rubber duckys and bars of soap on them? And I say rather sheepishly, “Um, I think I might have put the addresses in the wrong places cause this is supposed to be in New York this morning, I mailed this yesterday. Not to myself though.” And he just looks at me like I’m a complete moron, then goes back to his truck to get a new form. He fills it out (because he obviously didn’t trust me to do it) but tells me as he’s doing it. “The sender goes here,” and he points, “and the recipient goes here.” Well, yes, I see that now. I still think it was the people at the UPS store – maybe she pointed to the wrong ones. Or maybe I just can’t read anymore. Needless to say, I had to e-mail my editor and say, I know I told you it would be there a day early, but I lied cause I overnighted it to myself first.

Not exactly the way I'd suggest instilling confidence in your editor about your professionalism. And I suppose a good thing came out of that foolish mistake. Now when my writer friends are struggling with a mistake they've made, I remind them of this little faux pas and they chuckle and realize that yes, mine was worse, I'm still reigning champ of the stupid. 

So how about you? What's your most embarrassing moment?

ps. the first excerpt for Seduce Me is up on my website as is a contest for March and April with a great prize. www.RobynDeHart.com

Feedin' the Muse

Sure, as a writer, I use my imagination a lot. I'm always inventing characters, making up plots, crafting dialogue. As an historical author, I sometimes even create entire towns, castles, sieges.

But none of it would resonate with readers if it didn't have a ring of truth to it. All the research in the library can't substitute for real-world experience. That's why I'm delighted to be traveling in the U.K. this month!


I'm in Dublin for the first time, soaking up the moody skies, the lilting accents, the moss-covered stones, and the twinkly-eyed, dark-haired wee folk. I peered at the ancient Book of Kells yesterday, and today I'm walking the winding streets to Dublin Castle. Tomorrow I'll catch the ferry across the chill North Sea to England.

Some of it I'll capture in photos. Some of it I'll record in notes. But most of it I'll retain as an indescribable impression that I can call upon when I'm setting a scene or describing a person. It's that spark that brings a story to life.

So what's this photo? That's me...um...doing research.




Sarah McKerrigan...
Stories to keep you up all night!
LADY DANGER - Riding to the rescue April 2006
CAPTIVE HEART - Coming for you October 2006
KNIGHT'S PRIZE - Stealing your heart April 2007
DANGER'S KISS - Flirting with trouble May 2008

Do you twitter? Do I have to, twoo? by Diana Holquist

So, the next big thing is Twitter.

Do you tweet?

Did I really just type that?

Do I have to tweet? Twhat?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Twitter Frenzy

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day