Trends in Romance,

Mind boggling doesn't come close to trying to figure out the trends in romance writing created single-handedly by the big publishing houses. When I first began to read romance, my favorite historicals were centered around the War Between the States. Suddenly this was taboo. The houses were not accepting these stories. "Write something else they would say." Then as an after thought they would mention that the author had to be passionate about thier story, "Write from the heart" LOL. As I progressed in my writing skills and publish a western romance, I discovered that now they (the big pub houses in New York) wanted highland sories. So, I picked up my pen--keyboard--and wrote three highland stories. They sold well, but they were turned down by my previous house and picked up by an epub. But the epub wanted regencies. So, once again, I tried my hand at this time period. I went to London, bought numerous books, and studied them. I'm not sure how these books will do. I have one at awe-struck and another one about to be published. Time will tell :0).

Oh, and I forgot to mention loving pirate stories. And they to have seen thier time. It has come and gone--but I think they may have come back. By the time I write them they will probably no longer be a trend. Thank goodness for epubs. One can truly write from the heart and be passionate about the story.

January 20th, high school swimming is over for the year. And what a rewarding year. The girls team did a great job! I am so proud of them. As a team we finished 4th. My wonderful year round swimmer finished her high school career with an unprecedented 8 state championships swims. Our relays finished 3rd and 4th. I am so proud of them.

Last night while they were all shopping I was able to work on my St Patty's day anthology. I revisted my characters and started developing the bad guy. I love my bad guys as all my readers will know. They are my favorite to write because I don't have to be PC. I can pull out all the stops and make them just as bad as their evil hearts.

What fun. Now I have several months to decide if I will do this all over again, (coach swimming). Ah... it is so much fun when all goes well. And I have such a hard time thinking about giving up the team I built from the ground up.

Book signing was a success.

On Valentines Day the Angels had their first booksigning at the humane society, donating a dollar a book. We had a lot of fun with friends, family and new friends. Libby, a black lab, drew names for the door prizes. We will be planning our next signing for the year 2011 on St. Patty's day.

The Angels: Allana, Cinnamon, Sable and Amber.

District swim meet.

Prelims at districts were awesome. Cascade girls and boys swam great. Lots of personal records. The girls are hoping to win the meet tomorrow. If they do, I'll get wet. Wouldn't have it any other way though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they will all swim as well tomorrow as they did today. After tomorrow we are all looking forward to State.

Then more time for writing and publishing. I am so looking forward to the spring, sunshine, free time, Annaheim and the next Young to come on the scene sometime in June.

Writing today and trying to figure out how to put the time machine into play. Can I send the villain back to the future? Perhaps. I may have to see what my other anthology partners think about that.

Busy day, Super Bowl Sunday, a Bridal Shower, a Rogues Angels meeting, Sunday Dinner, and we were supposed to have Brian and Kari for lunch/brunch but she had to work. It must be tax season. Who has to work on Sunday?

Hoping to see them soon, maybe we'll treck down to Eugene for a dinner with them.

New Goal:

My villain is waiting to be heard. I have had his scene in my head for over a week and have had virtually no time to write. This weekend he will be put on paper as well as the pagan fairy godfather who is directing the poor young man's misdeeds. Oh how I love to write the villains story. I can do anything that pops into my head. What fun awaits.

The covers--

I wanted to thank everyone for helping me by advice and opinions. I believe we, Genene and I, have decided which cover we want. Of course there will always be a few tweaks to the covers. The heart cover popped. But it seemed, as Jenee and a few others said, a bit of a cliche. But the book is historical romance. As Alice said, maybe all we needed on the other cover was to bring the hero and heroine more into focus. With that done, I believe we have a cover. I can hardly wait to have Dakota's Bride re-published. It will be fun to have the book out again.

The heart cover? or the cover with the bracelet of bells?
Or one of the new ones?

I have a cover for the second release of Dakota's Bride. I am looking for input and would like to know your opinion. Dakota's Bride will be released by Rogue Phoenix Press March 1st. Please take the time to vote. All votes will be put in a drawing for a POD of Dakota's Bride. Be the lucky winner.

Casey and Kelly have taken one more step forward. Kelly realizes he is in love with Casey and wants to spend his life with her. He is awe-struck gazing into her eyes. The fae folk feel victorious. Unfortunately they also realize there are two huge stumbling blocks the star-crossed couple must climb over before they can marry. The feud and thier religion stand in their way. If it isn't enogh for the families to hate each other, one is catholic and the other protestant. With the help of Moya and Oran their faierie godmother and godfather I am sure they will over come every obstacle put in their way.

I have set a writing goal for myself. I fully intend to do my best to keep these goals. I am sitting down now at the computer and will read another ten pages of the new anthology. Hopefully I will start writing on the anthology by the end of this week. Setting goals are so important to me. I have always set goals and I don't understand why I stopped. I achieve so much more. My goals are tiny ones. I'm taking baby steps.

I am also intrigued by the story. Last night is the first time I've visited Casey and Kelly and the family feud that may keep them apart. Are they star crossed lovers? Will they end thier lives as Romeo and Juliet did. I don't think so since I have always been a fan of happy endings. But these two lovers will find it difficult to convince their families that theirs is a strong and true love, one that will survive through time.

I want to write, I want to write, I want to write. And I would love to teach if there weren't so many obstacles standing in the way. Why can't everyone love to learn? Learning is fun! And exciting! I think most writers love to learn, they love to research and create new lives through thier imagination. I love to learn everything. It doesn't matter if it is how to do a new type of math problem, something historical, or just something I can take home and tell my husband. Learning keeps the brain cells alive. That and fish. I guess that is why my family loves trivial pursit. We pursue all kinds of knowledge even if to most it is trivia. Why don't people care enough about themselves to try? Some psychologists might say it is because of low self esteeem. How does one have this condition when there are so many people who insist there are no consequenses for actions? I know the answers are convoluted, it is just that I have a burning need to vent today. After two horrendous days when the moon isn't even full, I am trying very hard to stay positive. If anyone is out there listening, thank you.

My daughter doesn't like my background. What does everyone out there think. Obviously, I really liked it. But she thinks it's scary. Where does one find backgrounds for blogs? As far as my resolutions have gone, I haven't done anything. I did ask my husband to find Ghost Dance on one of our archaic computers but he has been so busy with taxes that I think he probably forgot. I'll ask him in a couple of weeks. I have thought about my St. Patrick's Day story but I haven't looked at it. I need to read it again. It shouldn't take too long to get into the swing of things.

Crazy, crazy and it's not even a full moon, but I walked into swim practice today and got yelled at for absolutely no reason. I'm still not sure why. I'm a nice person. I don't try to take advantage of situations. And I always, well almost always, follow the rules because I'm always the one that gets caught if I don't. But this lady lit into me for no reason at all. And then when she called the mangager of the pool she found out I was right. So did I deserve an apology? Of course I did. Did I get one? Of course not. And to top it off she raked me over the coals for talking to my swimmers wrong. I just told them we could only swim for an hour today instead of an hour and 5 minutes. Go figure. I don't thin it is any of her business what I say to my swimmers. I guess I'm still ........

Resolutions:

Resolutions are like goals. We all have them either in our mind or written on paper somewhere. I've found that writing goals down will help me keep them. Goals have to be specific and time bound. They are short term and long term. So what are my goals for the new year?

To begin with I have to finish my St. Patrick's Day anthology story. I had hoped to finish it last summer but only managed to write about a third of it. Now, I have to start from the beginning. This is a good and a bad thing.

Second, I would like to pull Ghost Dance from the mires of my very old computer, reread it, edit it and submit it to RPP for publishing.

Then I would like to finish the third book in the 12 book series I began several years ago. Allura being the first book, The Wager the second book, and A Marriage of Inconvenience would be the third.

And I would like to publish at least one post a week on all of my four blogs. (Maybe I can do this one too)

Realistically though, I will be happy to just finish the St. Patty's Day story.

So goals vs. resolutions? Hmm are they one and the same or are they different?

Warm Ups:

It seems everything we do has a warm up. I coach swimming and we warm and we warm down. So it can also go in writing. To get the best writing during a short amount of time many of us warm up. When I'm writing daily, I like to warm up and/or warm down on my blog by giving a brief run-down of what is happening in my manuscript on that day. Many use writing drills to warm up and improve writing skills.

My favorite, a technique I use not only to warm up but to improve my writing.

Challenge: write 26 sentences begin each with a different letter of the alphabet. Make sure you write them in order beginning with 'A' and of course ending with 'Z'

What is your favorite warm up or drill?

Happy Dancing: Another great review Long and Short reveviews gives Forever His 4 books.

A captivating and intriguing story that sucks you in and takes you back into 1895 with a timeless tale filled with high drama, a ruthless criminal and two lovers who are intended to be together. If you want to keep on the edge of your seat , turning pages and wondering what will happen next or if Etta and Jacob will make it through all of their troubles, then this is the book for you.

Check it out the entire review at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/01/forever-his-by-christine-young.html

I'm hoping to find some time to write this winter break. But I'm not sure there will be time until this summer and possibly not until I retire. With RPP I'm trying to get a little bit ahead of the game so I won't feel so pressured as swim season picks up and finally come to a close in the middle of February. My faeries in the St. Patty's day anthology are waiting to play again as I read other people stories, hunt for comma mistakes and delete over used words. This can be frustrating and rewarding. I love it when I send a story to reviewers and it comes back with great comments and high reviews. Even though a story will never appeal to everyone, I have begun to appreciate other genres and I feel as if I am growing as a writer. I would also love to get back to the third story in my set of 12, A Marriage of Inconvenience. So you ask when will The Wager be published? I haven't heard. I alos haven't seen the new cover. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

I will be writing on my other blog tomorrow. Oh, I'm looking forward to the Oregon State game tonight. Go Beavs!!!

What makes people visit a blog? I am a member of serveral online loops. Sometimes I check on the blogs and the promos but I rarely leave a comment. How should someone aspiring to entice bloggers to read your blog and leave a comment? Do contests work? Does it help to have other authors become part of your blog? I'm really not too sure. I've studied a few and can never really decide what would be the best way to get people to particiate on my blog. I love to have readers leave comments. It is fun to have them turn up on my email and I always race to my blog to see what has been said. However, most of the time they are my friends and while I love that my fellow friends and authors leave comments I would truly like to hear from more people. And then, how does one know if they are successful of if the blog led to a sale of a book? Is all this just extra work?

Any one out there with comments? I'd love to hear from you.

So what if I am counting down. One day left. The first semester is almost over. I love all my classes except one. I guess that is pretty good. Better than in the past. So why talk about work? Probably because I just want to write. My creative outlets have been stifled. I have stories chasing around in my brain and no place to put them. How crazy is that?

Christmas is almost upon us. I'm looking forward to my family around the christmas tree and I am missing my husband's mother and father. I miss the Christmas' in Bend and all of his family. We are all spread so far apart now days that we hardly ever see them. I will be baking cinamon rolls for christmas morning and Ashley's and Arlo's favorite fruit salad. There is so much to enjoy.

And I hope I will have the time to work on my St. Patty's day anthology. My characters are going crazy.

There are just two days left untill winter break. Boy am I ready to have a few days to write and read. I've stretched myself too thin this year and will welcome a little rest and relaxation. I wish I could get away to the coast for a couple of days but I don't think that will happen. I am looking forward to spending a few days with Anaheim. It is wonderful to have a grandchild. She is a joy. Of course I don't have to get up in the middle of the night with her. We will be wedding shopping during the break. That will be lots of fun but coordinating the family to shop with Jenee will be challenging.

Still just two more days. Woo hoo!

Meet Author: Patricia Masingill, AKA Anne Patrick

What or who inspired you to start writing?
I've always had an over-active imagination, especially as a kid, and would often find myself in some kind of trouble. So my mother, probably as a way to keep me out of trouble, suggested I write these ideas down and turn them into make believe adventures instead of real life ones. It worked most of the time :o)
How did you come up with ideas for your books?
My writing muse comes at me from many different directions. Newspaper articles, conversations with friends, while driving, or walking the dog, and several have developed from a dream. Here's an example. Recently I was having lunch with friends and one of them was talking about the disappearance of some guy in a nearby state. Almost immediately I slipped into my zone. Then I hear one of my friends laughing and look over and she's handing me a pen and napkin. "Better write it down before you forget it," she says. It's scary how well they know me sometimes!
What expertise did you bring to your writing?
Lots of research and observation of people in their everyday lives. Plus I’ve had a variety of jobs over the years which helps.
What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?
My faith in God is one of the driving forces behind my passion to write. I not only want to entertain and thrill my readers, I want to share my faith through the written words.
As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
To keep spinning the stories and to someday land on the NYT bestseller list. Hey, when I dream, I dream BIG!
If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?
That's a tough one because I put my characters through so much I'm not sure I'd want to trade places with any of them. If I had to choose though, I would pick Maggie O'Brien. She's the high spirited widow in my upcoming Inspirational Romance, Reservation for Two. I hope I'm that sassy and adventurous when I'm in my sixties.
Do you belong to a critique group?
If so how does this help or hinder your writing? I live a small town, so no. I have worked with an experienced editor/author who works with several well-known authors, and she has taught me a lot about the craft. Just as important, she has inspired me to keep at it when at times I was tempted to give up.
When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
My mother was the first to encourage me to submit my work in the late eighties. I would from time to time, but would get easily discouraged by the rejections. Then in 2007 I really got serious about my writing, jumped in head first you might say, hooked up with a very talented editor/author and just kept at it.
What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)
Don't take rejection personally. There are many reasons a publisher will pass on your work, because you haven’t any talent usually isn't one of them. Keep at it and don't give up!
Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I begin with an idea and will make a brief outline of how I would like the story to play out. Once I've created my characters, though, and given them a voice, they inevitably take over and I just hang on for dear life. It's like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded and I love it!
Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you've gained from these carryover into your characters or the plot of your books?
Hiking, fishing, camping, and I love to travel out of the country. Oh, and I also like to play video games. I'm a big Tomb Raider fan!
Do you have an all time favorite book?
A series actually. The O'Malley series by Dee Henderson.
Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?
I'm working on two right now in between edits. One is an Inspirational Romance and the other a 'Sweet' Romantic Suspense involving another serial killer. I love writing and reading about serial killers. It's frightening how my mind works sometimes :o)
Your interview will be posted before Christmas. Is there a family Christmas tradition or recipe you would like to share?
Better Than Sex Cake (okay, so it's an exaggeration, but it's still really...really good!)
Yellow cake mix
Large can pineapple w/juice
1 cup sugar
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 large carton cool whip
1 cup of coconut
1 cup of walnuts

Bake cake as directed, while cake is baking simmer pineapple juice and sugar. When is done poke holes in it and pour mixture over cake. Fold your pudding, cool whip and coconut together and spread over the cake, sprinkle on the nuts, then chill. Best if refrigerated overnight. 15. What is your favorite reality show?
I'm a little embarrassed by admitting this, but here goes. It isn't on anymore but I loved the Osbourne’s reality show. What can I say, Ozzy rocks! Now the only one I watch, when I have time, is The Office.
16. And even though I already know the answer (unless you changed your mind) who is your favorite sexy actor?
Yep, it's Matthew McConaughey.
17. Anything else you might want to add?
Be sure to look for Lethal Dreams and Dark Alliance coming in Jan and Feb 2010. I have a few more being released in 2010 also. For excerpts, release dates, and giveaways please visit: www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com

Check out new review of Allura. Matilda at Coffe Time Romance gives Allura 4 cups. Check out the entire reveiw.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Allura.html

I really enjoyed this book by Christine Young. It has mystery, humor and, whew, steamy love scenes! An awesome group of characters make this read very entertaining, from the tough as nails Allura to her meddlesome younger sister, Aiden. There is never a dull moment throughout this book and you will surely not be disappointed. I can only hope that some of my favorites get a story of their own. Well done Ms. Young.
MatildaReviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Forever His is on sale now as an ebook at Rogue Phoenix Press:http://www.roguephoenixpress.com/ The print book will be on sale November 25th.

Forever His will be released as an ebook by Rogue Phoenix Press November 15th--tomorrow. Forever His is the last in a series of 5 beginning with Dakota's Bride published in 1998. Topping off the end of the series Forever His received a 5 heart review from Night Owl reviews.

I am currently working on a St. Patrick's Day Anthology with Rogues Angels.