For our final posts here at The Debutante Ball, we’re supposed to talk about what’s next and say goodbye. But really, what are they going to do if I fail to do either of those things? Drag me out by the hair? What I’d rather do is tell you what I love best about the incoming Debutante Ball class, and why they rock so hard they make me seasick. Here’s…
One of the strangest things about having my book hit shelves is the way people discuss my characters. A lot of reviewers have named Cookie – the former NFL player turned cross-dressing gourmet chef – as their favorite character. A few have referred to him as gay, which is fascinating, since I never made reference to his sexual orientation. For the record, he wasn’t gay in my mind. However, neither…
The thing I enjoy most of all in the world is travel. OK, that’s a lie. Travel is a close second to something else I love more, but this is a family-friendly blog and nookie doesn’t happen to be this week’s Debutante Ball topic. I’ve been profoundly lucky to travel the world over the past decade of hoarding frequent flyer miles, having jobs with generous time off, and not having…
For nearly twelve months, I’ve come here every Friday with a pretty good idea what I wanted to write. Sometimes it didn’t even involve dirty jokes. Today – at the end of a week devoted entirely to discussing the release of my debut novel, Making Waves – I have to confess that I’m totally, utterly, completely stumped. Part of it is the way I’ve always approached social media. I’ve never…
I’ve gotta be honest – I’m not usually a big fan of the Young Adult genre. Maybe I’m too far removed from being a teenager, or maybe I’m not removed enough. Whatever the case, it’s seldom my first choice in genres to read for pleasure. Deb Elise’s Populazzi made me rethink that It’s not hard to figure out why. Deb Elise did a phenomenal job creating a narrator who is…
I’ve always envied people who dream about fun things like flying or showing up naked to work. Though my dreams start out normal, there’s usually a point where my subconscious shifts and says, “You know what would make this dream about browsing the library even better? Gnomes! And let’s line the floor with Pop-Tarts. And what if all the books grew wings and started flying around sqwaking about a shoe…
If you told me to name my top three turn-ons, I wouldn’t need to pause for breath before answering. Great hands. Nice smell. Sexy voice. The latter is a big one for me, and I’m staggered to learn some women are capable of hearing Jason Mraz sing “After an Afternoon” without spontaneously dropping their panties. Years ago, I worked for the marketing department of a large corporation. My job required…
Earlier this year, I got a wallop of freedom I wasn’t looking for when my husband of 13 years decided he wanted to split up. I haven’t blogged much about it, mostly because I write romantic comedy and…uh, well, divorce isn’t very romantic or funny. But I’ve been muscling through like always, and am actually doing great now. One advantage of my new freedom is that I’ve acquired a surprising…
Right now, I’m in New York City for my first ever national convention of the Romance Writers of America. In addition to packing an assortment of fancy dresses and more shoes than any human could possibly wear in a week, I also brought a ridiculous collection of technological gadgetry. I have with me a camera, an iPod, a laptop, an iPhone, and a Kindle. Several of those devices can not…
From the moment I glanced at this week’s topic, “fuel for writers,” on Monday morning, I’ve had Dire Straits’ 1991 tune “Heavy Fuel” stuck in my head. In it, the band extols the virtues of cigarettes, hamburgers, scotch, lust, money, and violence as a means of fueling yourself. Though I’m pretty sure the song is meant to be ironic, I’ll admit I gain a good bit of writerly inspiration from…
