Totally Unrelated- Celebrity Sighting!

I went for a walk today and guess who I saw? Bill Gates! I was pretty excited, since I have never had a celebrity sighting before (if you don't count local news anchors).

Tell me about your celebrity sightings! Whom did you see and when? Let's live vicariously and have a little fun!

Are You a Monogamous Reader?

I don't know about you, but I have my nose in a number of books at any given time. Right now, I'm reading Judith McNaught's Whitney, My Love (which is pretty good), but I also have a couple of books at work on my shelf in case I forget to bring one from home. I am also partway through Memoirs of a Highland Lady by Elizabeth Grant (a book I bought in Scotland). And we can't forget the constant critiquing of books on Authonomy. Whew!

I guess it just depends on my mood, so I don't commit myself fully to one book at a time. Of course, sometimes a book is so amazing that I foresake all else until it's finished (including sleep- ha!).

What about you? Are you a monogamous reader, or do you have lots of books in play at once?

Atttributes of a Leading Man

I received a comment from Alex Riley on Authonomy (who is a great writer, BTW) and she mentioned her amusement at the Americanized romanticism of Scottish men because of Lindsey's reaction to Aiden's accent and kilt in Between.

It got me to thinking about the attributes that we find attractive in leading men. Sure, handsome is a given, but what about beyond that? I, in particular, have a thing for Scottish men (thanks to Diana Gabaldon). I could listen to a Scottish man talk all day; I adore the accent.

What do you like in a leading man? Is there anything in particular that really works for you?

(Side note: this is a topic at the upcoming RWA conference, too!)

Gold star for NEB

My four year-old son left his computer game to run over and get my attention. "Mom, I wrote my name on the 'pewter. Come see!" he said, his face lit up with excitement. And sure enough, on the screen were the letters "NEB". Trouble is, his name's not NEB, as I am not a horribly cruel mother. ;)

He was so proud of his accomplishment; I didn't want to burst his bubble with the truth. So I paused a moment before saying anything, and it was in those few breaths that I realized he truly had accomplished something. He'd chosen the correct letters and ONLY the correct letters of his name. He'd simply put them in the wrong order.

It got me to thinking about the first draft of Between, and how it compares to the manuscript today. Writing a book was an accomplishment, to be sure, and I was puffed up just like Ben when I finished it. Look what I'd done! So I ran out to agents to tell them the good news and over time, the message sunk in that maybe I needed to take another look, to refine, to reorganize the letters, if you will.

Ben was a little deflated when I pointed out his error (in the most loving way possible), but he made his changes with determination, confident he was going to get it right. And so have I. I'm still puffed up about the book and I know it'll get picked up at some point. But just like Ben, I had to learn that even though it might not be perfect the first time around, keep trying and eventually, the letters will line up just like they should.

Thanks, NEB. Mommy loves you.

Honorable mention in Nathan Bransford's contest!

Blogging agent extraordinaire Nathan Bransford hosted a writing contest this week. He challenged us to write a chase/action/suspense scene (500 words or less). He received over 300 entries! I told ya he's a popular guy. ;)

The prize was a critique of a partial (which would be fab), so I wanted in. Problem is, I write love stories, not action. In fact, I don't even read action or suspense, so I was starting out at a disadvantage. But hey, I wasn't going to win, so what harm was there in trying, right?

So I hammered out a scene over my lunch break and posted it. I was surprised at how good it turned out (in my humble opinion).

Results day today and voila! Nathan has chosen 5 finalists and 5 honorable mentions. Yours truly was in the honorable mention category! Woo Hoo! Happy dance of joy! :)

Click on the Cyndi Tefft link in his blog to see my entry! And thanks, Nathan, for the vote of confidence. I am so glad you liked it!

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/06/finalists.html

Caught in a bad romance

I watched last week's episode of Glee last night, and the theme was Lady Gaga. They did a rendition of her pop song, "Bad Romance" and it got me to thinking about what makes a bad romance book.

I love romance novels, chick-lit novels, any book where romance and love play a central role. But I get weary of the formulaic approach of 'boy and girl hate each other but are hot for each other' that you often find in romance novels. I don't find that romantic at all, to be honest, though some books pull it off better than others. I also don't like books where the leading man is a total neaderthal. And why is it that in romance novels the hero can be a 'rake' while the heroine is almost always virginal? The books I love the most bring romance in a fresh way and focus on the love, not the fighting.

What about you? What characteristics do you think take a book into the 'bad romance' category?

Deciding what's important

I've come across a few inspiring quotes from agents recently about doing what you love.

Rachelle Gardner with WordServe tells us we have to believe in ourselves and reminds us of God's greater purpose. It was just what I needed to hear today. "Believe you've been given this passion for a reason. Understand that you have to work to bring it to fruition - but you've also been given the energy and enthusiasm and time you need to make it happen. I believe it for you. I believe it for every single one of my clients. But you've got to believe it too. God gave you something powerful - a story or a message, and the desire to share it. God is not in the business of tricking people, or of squandering anything - not talent, not passion, not time. Pursue your God-given passions with an unwavering faith. Praise and bless the obstacles. And keep believing."

Jim McCarthy with Dystel & Goderich has these words of wisdom for the writer, which I thought particularly poignant. "If you think you can give up writing, then give it up. If you can't ... if you know that no matter how much stress or rejection or frustration you face, that you can never stop writing? In that case, never give up. Publishing is too hard to face if you aren't in it for the right reasons. But it's not too hard to break into if it's what you need to do."

Finally, Nathan Bransford with Curtis Brown has a Top 10 List that showcases his fantastic sense of humor but drives the point home. "Keep writing. Didn't find an agent? Keep writing. Book didn't sell? Keep writing. Book sold? Keep writing. OMG an asteroid is going to crash into Earth and enshroud the planet in ten feet of ash? Keep writing. People will need something to read in the resulting permanent winter."

Thanks to these and other agents who take time to remind us about what's important. Do you have some words of inspiration to share? I invite you to do so in the comments section!