Happy Halloween!

I was going to do a post about the history and etymology of Halloween and Samhain (snore, right?), but because I have sinusitis and I feel like I have a pumpkin for a head, I thought I'd blog about Halloween costumes and pic spam you instead.

First let me say, I LOVE Halloween.  Love, love, love!  The time of year (minus the allergies, thx), the color of the trees, the cooler weather, the candy, the crazy decorations, the mystical feel, the candy.  It all adds up to make Halloween my favorite holiday (unless it's December and then Christmas is my favorite :)).  The best part of October 31st? Costumes!  It probably comes as no surprise that I love to play dress up. Here's a rundown of who I've been over the last few years:

This costume was b.a.  Did the full makeup and everything.

Everyone at work was a character from Oz.  I still have my ruby slippers!

Did this in a pinch & every kid knew exactly who I was.

Wingardium Leviosa!

And who I'd like to dress up as in the future:

They don't get more dramatic than Lucretia.  <3 her!

I'll run around saying "Fiddle dee dee" and "I'll think about that tomorrow."

Boopittidoo!



Does anyone else detect the underlying theme here? Because I just noticed.  Maybe our Halloween character choices tell us something about ourselves.  What about you?  Who have you been for All Hallow's?  WHAT have you been?  Share, share!

The Big Black Moment

Any excuse for gratuitous Sam & Dean displays, but seriously, the topic today is "The Big Black Moment." 

Why?  Because in few months, Elizabeth and I (along with Darcy Drake) get to teach this little gem of a lesson in a workshop.  Given the topic, the three of us stared at each other in bewilderment.  (That is to say we typed big bug-eyed symbols via text and email O_O).

The Big Black Moment (or BBM for short) is something we all know and feel when we read or see it, but none of us defined it exactly the same.   I began to poll the other writers I know.  Most people described it as that moment in a romance novel when "all is lost."  There seems to be no hope that the hero and heroine will ever find love and happiness together.  Some also tossed in the idea that it's the moment when "it seems like the bad guys are going to win."  Others added in that it's the time when external and internal conflict collide to snowball into one huge, freezing mass of emotional, downhill bull- well, you get the idea.

We all write in different genres.  We write in different styles, with different voices.  Our BBMs are not going to be identical. However, as we began to talk it out, explore our own moments with more attention to detail, we found that a lot of the core truths are the same.

I hate to be a tease, but we're not going to get into those truths right now.  That's for another blog post when we've really done our homework and can dazzle you with our knowledge and skill(z).  Right now we want to know:  What Big Black Moments really grabbed you and wrung your heart dry?  What Black Moments did you love, even if they weren't that dark?  It doesn't necessarily have to be romance either...

For me, some of the most memorable are:

Romancing the Stone: It wasn't too dark (in keeping w/ the movie's tone), but when he went after that crocodile, I just knew that couldn't be the end!  Even as a child, I felt despair! However, I also felt that HEA around the corner.  Showing up with the croc boots was an excellent end too. :)

One of my all time faves:  The Shawshank Redemption.  Stephen King is a genius and I particularly love his non-horror books, but the movie is what really got me.  I felt real despair for Andy Dupree when those cell bars slammed closed on a blatantly innocent man.  I knew he'd be in that prison forever if the warden didn't have him killed.  I had NO idea what Andy was up to!  It caught me completely by surprise and after the lowest of low moments, I was elated.  I get chills even thinking about that movie now!  Then, another BBM right around the corner with Red.  Would Morgan Freeman's character get busy living or get busy dying?  I was an emotional mess all over again.  Then, the final scene on the beach?  I felt like I could run a marathon after watching it.  Now THAT is how you do a Big Black Moment.

What are some of your faves?

Writers' Conferences - A Primer

TOP TEN THINGS LEARNED OR CONFIRMED AT MOONLIGHT & MAGNOLIAS

(Basic tips to be applied to all future conferences)

10.  Bring snacks. You never know when a hotel will have done away with ALL vending machines and you're going to be hungry at inconvienent times.

9.  Bring your own normal sized coffee pot and good coffee for your room.  Trust us, you'll need the caffeine and the little typical two cup pots in the rooms won't cut it.

8.  Bring cash for taxis and hotel bar.  Darlene, bartender extraordinaire might make the world's best Cosmos, but she doesn't run a tab and she doesn't take American Express.

7.  Bring comfy shoes.  Not for the use of walking around the conference (we prefer heels, bandaids, and numbing spray because that's how the M Shelf rolls), but for when you can't sleep at 4am, you're hungry, and you have to walk 5 blocks to the all night diner.  Again, because the hotel has no vending machines. :)

6.  Talk to everyone, and we mean EVERYONE.  You meet interesting people and there is something to learn from every writer at every stage in their career.  Mingling is a must!

5.  Bring eye drops.  You'll either have "I only got 4 hours of sleep" eyes or you'll need the drops after crying your eyes out at the Keynote Luncheon.

4.  Bring Physician's Formula yellow highlighter stick for dark, under eye circles.  Again, because you'll never get a full 8 hours of sleep and the dark circles will make their presence known.  Don't look a hot mess, slap on some yellow!

3.  Write down your pitch appointments & other key times on a post-it and slide the post-it into your conference badge.  It's easy to reach and always with you.  Plus, it's easy to add other appointments when it's so handy, which leads us to number...

2.  Hang out near the appointment area and support your friends who are spazzing out before their pitch.  Unless there's a workshop to attend, if you lurk (in a good way) near the appointment staging area, you might luck out and get a bonus appointment (or two).  It's amazing how many people don't show up for their appointment and the coordinator will need to fill it on the fly!

And...

1.  TAKE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS EVERYWHERE, even into the ladies room.  Especially into the ladies room.  A lot of networking goes on in the ladies room and y'all know it.  The cards aren't so much for  agents and editors as they are for your fellow writers.  You want to network, schedule workshops for your chapter, follow their blog, have them follow yours, be tweeter tweeps - they'll need your card!

And that's it for M&M posts and tips.  Makes me sad actually.

We can't wait to go back next year!  October 4th - 7th, 2012. 

Mark your calendars!

Overcooked Meat and Streaming Mascara

It was the best of times during the worst of times. 

When I registered for Moonlight and Magnolias Romance Writer’s Conference I had no idea what to expect.  I had no idea it would be a magical weekend of writer bliss.  I also had no idea I would have to leave my mom in life threatening condition in the hospital to attend.  And, I certainly had no idea how much I would need my friends, the distraction of the conference or the hope of getting a literary agent at such a time.  On top of this, add to the list of things I didn’t know: my thoughts on what the luncheon would entail on Saturday…

The afternoon I sat down at the white linen covered table for Eloisa James’ keynote luncheon with the rest of the #CRWbadgirlz I was anticipating generic words of writer encouragement served with overcooked meat.  I should have known better than to expect anything ordinary and mundane from the lips of writer goddess, Eloisa James.  There was dry beef but that’s not what I want to tell you about today.  What transpired over lunch was a total sob fest with me in the front of the room and guys with cameras milling about filming a documentary.  My deepest, most sincere hope is that they did not catch my streaming mascara, puffy eyes or blotchy skin on film as I am not a cute crier.  But, I digress.

Have you ever felt as if you are the only person in the room and a speech is being given to only you?

I’m not sure how Eloisa James knew what was unfolding in my life or exactly what I needed to hear that day and yet she did.  She told of a time in her life when she had nothing but a computer with a broken E key and no money for a replacement—I can relate.  She told of a strained relationship with her mother.  And then she told of a time when she longed to say, “I paid off my student loans, Mom.”  “I’m a best seller now, Mom.” Only by the time those things were true, it was too late and her mother was gone.  And this is when the tears started gushing.

I suppose I should back up and mention that I spent the previous day pitching to literary agents all day.  It was an amazing day of success that I will never forget.  I’d worked toward that moment for years and I felt like my dreams were finally within reach.  I even got asked for my full manuscript—which I was not expecting—only to return to my hotel room with my great news, call my parents, and discover I had been given medical power of attorney in the same day.  I knew my mom was not likely to survive the heart surgery she needed so desperately, but this seemed to drive that point home.  Extreme highs to extreme lows. 

After years of writing and working and writing some more it felt as if it might finally be happening, this dream of publication.  And there was a good chance my mother, like Eloisa James’, would not be there to see it. 

But then Eloisa went on to explain how that pushed her writing to a higher level.  She advised us to use the fear and raw emotions of our lives and channel them into our character’s plights.  So, as I sit here today in the ICU waiting room, I am attempting to channel my fear for my mom into what Lillian must have felt when her father fell ill in Thief of Hearts.  The endless waiting to learn if this will be the minute when that beige phone across the room will ring with news for me, not knowing if it will be bad news is the fear Eloisa James was talking about.  And if my heroine survived six years of this torment, I think I can make it for another hour.

So, thank you Eloisa James for making me gushy and ugly in public but most of all for reminding me to use the bad in my life to create good fiction. 

If you were at Moonlight and Magnolias this year, were you inspired by the keynote speech?  I would love to read your comments.

Moonlight & Magnolias - Part1

We are back from our first ever Moonlight & Magnolias Conference and ...
 I ... had ... the time of my liiiiiiiiiife!  *chair dances*  And I owe it all to youuuuu!

What we learned, discovered, and realized is too much to contain in one post.  Therefore, we will break it down into three posts.

I'm taking post #1: The pic spam portion of the weekend.  I'll stick to the main points that have pictures.  Otherwise I'll end up with the longest rambling blog post ever. I really could go on and on and on about this fantabulous weekend ... but I'll practice some self control. 

Day 1
We arrived JUST in time to shake off the drive down and go to the Chocolate Bar for the happy hour with Eloisa James and Karen White.  Both ladies are so gracious and willing to share tales and information.  The vibe of the whole place was very supportive and excited.  Plus: Writers, champagne, and chocolate. What's not to love?!

                            Eloisa James, Elizabeth Michels, Heather McGovern, & Karen White


Day 2
The Industry Panel began at 9am, ran as a Q&A session.  Very efficient and informative. The big takeaways were:
1) Historicals are hot/still hot/hot again.  Basically any era WWII and before, except for Civil War.  Apparently Gone with the Wind covered it and that's all until further notice.
2)  They all want Regency YA or Victorian YA.  Historical YA was mentioned a lot.  Who knew?!
3)  Contemporary is in demand too. 
4)  Paranormal is tightening up, so if you're submitting it needs to be new, fresh, and exceptional.

Taking notes on the Industry

We had lunch with the lovely Maria Geraci and Jax Cassidy at 246 in Decatur.  Brief aside, the restaurants in Decatur are the business.  Seriously.  Everywhere we ate was amazing.  And there's this pasta maker ... but, that's for another post.

Ladies who lunch



Friday was almost entirely pitching and, being my first attempts, I was most anxious about this part of the conference.  I thought it went very well though.  It's not the agents and editors that make us nervous; we do that to ourselves! Big takeaway: Deep breath and relax.  It's more conversation than sales pitch. Afterwards we had a celebratory toast with Conelius the Traffic Cone (he goes to every retreat/conference - it's a thing). 

That night we went to dinner at Two Urban Licks in Midtown with Carole and two new friends, Sharon & Sherry.  If you haven't been to this restaurant, go!  YUMMERS.  All I'm going to say is Gouda Grits.  Gouda. Grits. I don't even like grits, but ... wow! 

Day 3
We got over our nerves enough to remember outfit pics for this day!

There were a few more pitches that morning and then the Keynote Luncheon with Eloisa James as Keynote Speaker.  Elizabeth is going to do her post mainly about the luncheon, so I'll leave that for her.  I'll just say I'm not a big public crier, but was I weeping!  Once we all reapplied eye makeup, we went to a great workshop by Anna DeStefano & Michelle Grajkowski on "Turning Your Proposal Into I Do!" Also another first for me, someone was escorted from the workshop!  Still don't know what was going on there, but the curiosity is killing me!

That night was the Maggie Awards Dinner.  After polishing, buffing, shellacking, curling, and only one incident of, "OMG I'm hideous!" we were ready. 

Looking faboo and fiesty for the Maggies!

We were slick enough to grab a table near the front for the dinner and ended up with "The Best Table Ever."  You know those moments when you have the right mix of personalities and everyone is excited and wants to have a laugh?  It was one of those moments.  We met new friends in Trish Milburn, Tanya Michaels, and Michelle Grajkowski.  I was educated on what a Badger is NOT (Oops!), they had to hear the tale of Conelius, and we all shared a love of pretty dresses, shoes, and unique dance moves.  AND I got second place for the Maggie in my category!  Yay! *Snoopy dance*



Finally, the shoegasm! OMG THE SHOES!!!  There were squee worthy shoes everywhere, all weekend!  Special mention goes to Hillary Raymer, Carole St. Laurent, Sydney Carroll, and Elizabeth Michels for wearing some stand outs.  Work the heels, ladies!  Work the heels!

It was an epic weekend! Thank you so much GRW and everyone who made it happen.

 Only 364 more days 'til we do it again!!!