I will admit that I am one of those "the universe will provide," "visualize your dream," "whatever you believe in will come to pass" kind of people. I trade off my BCBG stilettos for Birkenstocks, I pluck my eyebrows but may not style my hair, I try to wear make-up that’s mineral-based, unless I’m in need of serious coverage and break out the MAC. So, do I believe in soul mates? Well, seeing how I write women’s contemporary romance, I think the answer is pretty obvious.

Still, I just read an article on Yahoo! Personals about how, if you’re single, you should probe your date’s soul before things get out of control (i.e. you get married). Well, okay. It makes good sense and everything but it just sounds so, I don’t know, cheesy and premeditated. What happened to spontaneity? What happened to going with your gut? I know the divorce rate is terrible, something like 50% of all marriages, so these questions probably serve a good purpose, but like many of you, I write romance because, well, I love a happy ending.

Let’s put some of those soul date questions to the test:

• What would it take to make you happy?
• If you only had 6 months to live, what would you do?
• Where did the human race come from?
• What is the meaning of life?

The author of the article recommends not firing off the questions in rapid succession. Good idea. There are about ten more questions if you’re having a great time and want more: just click here.

So, Berkley Babes, let’s do a little soul-sharing. Pick a question from above and bare your soul … 

I’m a nut about Christmas.  Every year, at the first HINT of cooler weather, I go into Christmas mode.  Never mind that Halloween and Thanksgiving are still to come, Im focused on Christmas trees, Christmas music (I LOVE Christmas music)  I start anticipating evenings in front of the fire place and just the warm fuzzy feeling that accompanies the holiday season.

As a child, I associated Thanksgiving with Christmas.  To me it was the kickoff to the holiday season.  They were extensions of each other.  Every single year on the DAY after Thanksgiving, rain or shine, the family trekked out to pick out the Christmas tree and we quickly put it up.  And the tree didn’t come down until after New Years Day.  It’s a tradition I’ve carried on into adulthood.  My husband knows, no matter what, we’re GOING to go get that tree the day after Thanksgiving

Christmas shopping?  I don’t love so much.  Honestly, I was positively orgasmic with the advent of online shopping.  OMG heaven!  Venturing out into the madness that is holiday shopping is the quickest way I know to lose that loving feeling.  But give me a computer and a credit card, and I am the epitome of obnoxious Christmas cheer.

So as much as I love December (my first child was born in December) it gives me the warm fuzzies that my first Berkley book releases in December (of 2007 that is hehe) but still, DECEMBER!  I can be a Christmas pressie!

Am I the only obnoxious Christmas lover?  This morning it was actually a balmy 58 degrees here in Texas, so of course people are breaking out the jackets *snicker* and me, I’m starting to hum Christmas songs.

Hey All,

It’s my day to post, which means I’ve gone into brain freeze and all creativity is out the window. This is a ‘minor’ (ha!) problem when I have a contract deadline! So short of sticking my head into a microwave to try to thaw my brain, I started considering all the weird stuff that’s come out in my writing over the years. And found it *very* scary. Heather Waters has a great blog site where guest authors discuss where their story ideas come from. You can visit that at http://www.ideaboutique.blogspot.com/ It’s very interesting and insightful.

But this post isn’t actually about where my story ideas come from. It’s about the fact that apparently there is some really weird stuff in my subconscious. Often, when I’m writing, this stuff comes pouring out, and I read it and think, “Where did that come from?” Like the first book I wrote, a futuristic (now safely ensconced under my bed, keeping the dust bunnies company). In that book, I have an alien encounter where the hunky alien comes into the intrepid heroine’s bedroom in the middle of the night. She thinks it’s a dream, but it’s not. He ends up abducting her. When a friend read the story, she said that she had read a book written by people who claimed to have been abducted by aliens, and that my descriptions had matched theirs exactly (and no, I had never read any alien abduction books). Janet decided I must have been abducted and returned, but didn’t consciously remember the experience. Hey, I’m not ruling it out! But how creepy is that?

Or the fact that I re-created the Holocaust in my Shielder series, and didn’t even realize it until someone pointed it out? Or that my hero in Shadow Fires is half reptile (????), or that when I wrote my vampire prostitute heroine for an upcoming anthology (Demon’s Delight, March 2007), all these dark and very graphic sex scenes came pouring out (boy, would my husband be surprised!). Who knows where all this stuff came from, or how it got in my head? It’s all news to me.

My point? Our subconscious is like a sponge. It remembers everything that goes into it—everything—every thought, word, impression, everything we see, hear, feel. And as I firmly maintain, “Thoughts are things.” That’s why I don’t watch the news or read a newspaper. Why should I dump horrendous and negative events into my psyche when I can’t do a darned thing about them? It also means we should be careful about what we think and say. The “I’m fat”, “I’m stupid”, “I’m worthless”, “I can’t do it”, “I can’t write”, “It’s hopeless” type of statements should be an absolute no-no. Instead, how about turning them around? “I’m losing weight”, “I’m learning new things”, “I do have value”, “I can do anything I set my mind to”, “I’m a creative child of the Universe” and “There is always hope”. See how much better that sounds and feels? And trust me, your subconscious is listening.

This brings me to another point: Read romances! They’re empowering, show protagonists overcoming problems, and are ultimately uplifting with a happily ever after ending. What positive things to put into your psyche. And if you can add some chocolate and a nice merlot to the mix, what an enjoyable experience.

So, got romance books? What’s on your TBR pile?

Win a copy of my first werewolf book, KILLING MOON. Tell me why you like paranormal–or why you don’t. On Monday, I’ll pick a winner from the comments on this post and ask the winner to e-mail me her address.

So why did I fall in love with werewolves? And how did I dream up monsters from another time continuum?

My "ah ha" moment came back in fifth grade–when the "book basket" from the D. C. Public Library arrived one morning. When the teacher put RED PLANET, by Robert Heinlein, up on the eraser ledge, the cover illustration made me want to read the book. So I fought my way up to the front of the room to get it before anyone else could.

That’s how my lifelong interest in science fiction and fantasy started. With adventure and mystery thrown in.

In the early sixties, I didn’t have a television set. I got a TV for one reason–-so I could watch a cool new program that my friends were talking about–Star Trek.

At a talk I gave recently, someone in the audience asked me–didn’t you write romance before you wrote paranormal?

Actually, no. My first novel was a kids’ SF story, THE INVASION OF THE BLUE LIGHTS, about a bad alien and a good alien that land in the woods across the street from my house. (Only I gave the house to a 12-year-old boy who was a lot like my son.). In the 80’s, the big romance boom started, and a friend asked if I’d like to write one. I told her I hadn’t read any, so she brought me shopping bags full. And I discovered they were all about the subplot that I’d loved in the science fiction and adventure novels I read–-the development of a relationship between a man and a woman.

Looking back at some of the influences on my career. I think the first alternate universe book I read was THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. And a good early example for me of the universe that runs parallel to ours but is somehow different was an episode of the original Star Trek, MIRROR MIRROR, where there’s an "evil" universe existing beside ours.

My first werewolf book was DARKER THAN YOU THINK, by Jack Williamson. He made me want to BE a werewolf. In the 90’s I read Robert McCammon’s THE WOLF’S HOUR. Those books really excited me. But it took years before I finally started writing KILLING MOON. It’s set in our world, but there are things here that most people don’t know about, like werewolves and monsters from another universe. After writing five books in the Moon series, I needed to expand my canvas. So for NEW MOON (which will be out in March 2007), I came up with the parallel universe, where the society is quite different from ours. (It’s a bunch of city states like ancient Greece, only the city states came from our gated communities.)

I also know that my readers have been used to my telling the story in THIS universe. So I start here, go there, and come back here–to keep the familiar elements yet expand my canvas.

Rebecca

What’s your chocolate?

Okay, so the truth is, my mind is a blank page today. I’ve stared at the computer screen for an hour, unable to think of what to blog, unable to answer emails, unable to write. So I’m pulling out the big guns. Chocolate.

Chocolate is my solution for everything. Sad? Chocolate! Frustrated? Chocolate! Bored? Chocolate! Hungry? Chocolate! Not sure what to say? Chocolate! Crying toddler? Chocolate! Yeah, I know, how healthy and mature! But hey, I quit smoking…don’t I deserve to have some sort of vice? Probably not, but I’ll never give up chocolate!

Sometime in October, my chocolate partner in crime–who also happens to be my critique partner—is coming to visit me for the first time and we’re going to Hershey, Pennsylvania.  In the chocolate capitol of the world, we’re going to learn how chocolate is made, make our own chocolate, and yes, eat lots and lots chocolate. I can’t wait!

Are you having a craving yet? I’m kinda dangerous for dieters. LOL.

I personally will eat any kind of chocolate any time of day…but give me chocolate covered cherries and I’ll love you for life (after all, that’s how my husband got the ring on my finger!)

So what’s your chocolate?

Next week is the official publication date of my first Berkley Heat novel, DOUBLE DARE.  You can see the sexy cover over on the right, with the gorgeous red-haired cover girl wearing the black leather corset. The book has already started shipping from some online sources, and will be on shelves soon.  This is my first print novel, and I’ve got to tell you it’s both exciting and nerve racking!  When an author is at this stage of the process the book is out of our hands, and yet the connection is so strong, because of the desire for it to be a fun, entertaining read for any readers who might pick it up. 
 
I’m surprised how anxious I am, to be honest.  My Real Life Hero, Mark, isn’t surprised, though. I think he knows me better than I do myself.  He foresaw this, and in a true act of heroism booked us a few days away from home, the very week the book was due out. Now, when he first announced this, I was horror struck.  What, go away from home, without my PC, the very week my first novel is due out?  Are you mad?! 
 
He just smiled knowingly. 
 
It began to sink in. Yes, he is right. I do need to get away and celebrate. I’ve been working towards this for a long time, haven’t had a break for ages, and stressing by my PC won’t really help at this stage.    That’s when it occurred to me how truly unique the most romantic gifts are.  Mark recognized what would be a special thing to do for me, something that would be fun and romantic, as well as meaningful in my life at that moment. 

He took a BIG risk, though, didn’t he?    I could have got really annoyed, I might have even insisted he cancel it or move it to another week. One of the things I love about writing romance heroes is putting them into these dreadful angst-ridden dilemmas, where they have to decide how the heroine is going to react to a decision or situation. Naughty me! I do this to Zac, the hero in DOUBLE DARE, so it’s quite appropriate that my lovely man has gone through this dilemma over the past couple of months.  Yes I am smiling here.  
 
Here are some snippets from the advance reviews for DOUBLE DARE.  If you pick up the book I hope you enjoy the story!
 
For those fans of Ms. Walker’s shorter works, you will immediately fall in love with Double Dare. From the emotional interactions of the characters to all of the heart stopping sex, this book is a brilliant romance that has definitely earned a place on my keeper shelf. Caye Kim, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Outstandingly sexy and superb, this red-hot romance is a fast-paced tale that will leave your head spinning. Romance and intrigue are the bases for this story, with exceptional characters and some interesting secondary characters that will amuse and entertain you. A witty dialogue and some sizzling sex scenes are woven in, tying this all up together for one magnificent read.  Wateena, Coffee Time Romance
 
These two characters are a perfect match and the combustible love scenes throughout the book serve to underscore their compatibility. I also enjoyed the unique flavor that Saskia Walker, as an English writer, adds to all of her books. Serena, Fallen Angel Reviews

I found this on Gena Showalter’s blog yesterday and thought it was fun (if more than slightly inacurate!) You can find this at www.myheritage.com. You have to register first, but it’s free and a great tool for procrastination! I remember growing up, everyone told me I looked like Candace Cameron. You remember, DJ Tanner from Full House? I’m never shaken off the damage that did to my self esteem! Have you ever been told you look like anyone famous? Who? Did you agree?

“There’s always some reason…

to feel not good enough…

and it’s hard at the end of the day.”

—Sarah McLachlan “Angel”

Sally Field is a brilliant actress. Her early career breakthroughs were in comedies like The Flying Nun, a delightful and entertaining television show. At that time, however, the elite film actors of Hollywood looked down on television (this was before award-winning cable films and series like The Sopranos, etc.), and because she’d been doing comedy, she had trouble landing dramatic roles.

Sally continued to study acting and to act. When dramatic film roles finally came along, she took them. Her work soon became too glorious to ignore and she was awarded not one but two Best Actress Academy Awards. Yet, when she accepted her SECOND award, she uttered the now famous lines that betrayed her obvious struggle with self-esteem “…I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!”

I’m a woman, so I can’t speak to the issue of male self-esteem, but I have to say that many of the women I’ve met in my life (even accomplished “can do!” women) have struggles with self-esteem. To put it in the words of Sarah McLachlan’s beautiful song “Angel”: “There’s always some reason to feel not good enough, and it’s hard at the end of the day…”

Yes, I feel that way too. Ten people might say positive things about me, but I’ll believe, even dwell on, the one negative thing instead. That’s the context in which I’d like to put today’s post. In the grand sweep of our lives, making a monthly bestseller list is no big deal. But to an author like me, who routinely and quietly puts herself down, making the IMBA list (posted below) is a postive so big and muscular that, for a little while anyway, it flattens those nasty little “you’re not worthy” negatives. It lets me channel Sally Field and think, “You like me, right now, you like me!” And, dang, for this moment anyway, it feels…like FLYING!

And now without further ado…I am psyched to the max to post the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association paperback bestsellers list for the month of August 2006, and I wish every author on it heartfelt congratulations!

Most people read reviews to find out about upcoming books that might be of interest. I do this too, but occasionally, I’ll read reviews after I’ve finished the book.

Once, I read a book and thought I found a giant pink elephant in it that none of the characters seemed to notice but was convinced I was mistaken because this was a NY Times Bestseller. So I went looking for reviews - and there were others who’d seen the elephant!

But mostly, I read reviews after the fact to find out what others thought of the book - sort of like a conversation in a virtual bookclub. Do any of you do this? Do you do it for books you liked or those you didn’t?

Just as I’m getting into a new book, the copy-edited ms for the book that will be out next Feb, A Lady of Scandal, comes back with an urgent need for attention.  (It has to be back in NY THIS Friday.)  So I drop everything, of course, to read the ms and make any changes.  Fortunately, the editor has asked for almost no changes, and–a rarity–the copy editor only has a few questions.  But I still have to read every page– first, to be sure that I’m happy with it, still, and second to see if I agree with any changes the copy editor has made.  (Should I mention that I’m–ahem–something of a perfectionist?) 

So far I’ve gotten through about 150 pages and I’m (sorry, no false modesty here) thoroughly enjoying the story and amazed at how it all came together because I remember when I wondered if it would, and I’m at that stage in the new book when I’m juggling all the strands of the story and hoping they will fit and interweave as I want them to and wondering where the #$@# the middle of my story is hiding, and how the mystery and the love story will balance and. . . and now I can go back and see, yes, the stories usually do work out, even when, in the first few pages, I may not see how it will all work. . . but the story will come together. . . the characters will show me what they have to do and where they want to go. . . because they always do.  So panic is not really called for, and when the story really gets going, I just go with it. . . and having written, by this time, a lot of books, I know it will work.  The sexy hero and the strong heroine will take over, as they always do, they’re show me where the book has to go, they will surprise me, happily, and hopefully also the readers. . .  So I’ll finish the copy-edited ms, try to remember that I go through the same stages with every book, and send this baby back and then plunge into the new story, and wait for the miracle to happen. . . one more time!

Nicole Byrd