Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
 
I’m still on a vacation high, even if it snowed two feet the other day. Yes. Two feet. But I came home filled with a refreshed zest to write and have knocked out thousands of new words on four different projects (amongst them, more spice to the two Courtesan Court books, which my agent likes. Hurray!). My new hero is haunting me, too. If Paradise had a really tortured heroine, this next book is going to have a really tortured hero.
He’s Scottish. Bad. Bent. Looks like an angel with golden curls and blue eyes. Right now his name is Andrew Rossiter. The Rossiter stays, but I’m not sure about the Andrew. He’s done things he should be ashamed of. Isn’t. But his reformation is right around the corner, aided by an Italian-speaking governess (who isn’t necessarily Italian) named Miss Something Peartree. And that’s all I know so far. I’m kicking titles and names around, and I need help. I’m thinking of Master of Something (to go with the Mistress books). Here’s your chance to name my book and my characters. If I ever get published, you’ll be in the dedication.
Andrew is not quite a drag queen, but he’s crossed a line or two. That’s Daughter #2, who encountered these gentlemen on the street in Key West and had the presence of mind to take the picture. Ah. Memories.
Posted in Uncategorized  18 Comments »
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009
 
No I’m not talking about Marathon Key, although we did drive through it on the way to Key West. The vacation was in so many ways perfect—the weather, the laughter, the girls dancing in the street outside Sloppy Joe’s, seeing my handsome son for the first time in almost two years. But while we were away, I never checked e-mail or phone messages. Didn’t watch the news or pick up a newspaper. Apparently a lot of stuff happened.
One thing was that my agent requested the first two books in the Courtesan Court trilogy. Paradise has made the rounds. Although it’s still out with three houses, the upshot is that the writing’s good but the subject matter’s too edgy. I knew that it was risky from the get-go (not for nothing do I think of it as “The Bad Book”). But almost everyone who’s passed on it wants to see what else I’ve got. So I spent all day Sunday—over 12 hours—making sure Mistress by Midnight and Mistress by Mistake were all shiny and devoid of those pesky red and green lines in an editing marathon. (If someone knows how to turn off the sentence fragment warning feature, please let me know.)
I’d already done revisions, but wanted to double-check that everything was clean. It was kind of weird. I cried at the sad parts and laughed at the funny parts, as though somebody else had written the books. I don’t know what that means, but I’m hoping it will spur me on to finish the third book, Mistress by Marriage. I did indeed lie under the palm trees in Florida in 2009 and contemplate London in 1820, and I’m raring to go.
So, I’m ready to be in limbo again. Or still. Or always. I’ll keep you posted.
Do you ever write outside your comfort zone? What plot points turn you off?
Posted in Uncategorized 10 Comments »
Sunday, February 15th, 2009
 
True confession. The writing—it’s not going so well. Well, that’s an exaggeration. It’s not going so fast. I’ve been in the middle of Edward and Caroline’s book for almost a month. I love them—it’s an ‘Opposites Attract’ story. Caroline is frisky and feisty and Edward is proud and prickly and there are sparks galore. They are the last book of a trilogy, and I’ve been analyzing why it seems so difficult to finish. Mistress by Midnight was done in 6 months, Mistress by Mistake in 4. Am I experiencing separation anxiety? I do have something to look forward to—I actually know what I’m going to write next and am relatively enthusiastic about it even though it’s all very amorphous.
I didn’t start Mistress by Marriage until the beginning of December, so it’s not like Edward and Caroline are withering on the vine, their edges curled, their skin fragile. They’re still plump and juicy. But I spend many of my waking hours wondering just how to get them to their HEA. So far I haven’t a clue.
So I’ve done something shocking. I took Stephen King’s On Writing out of the library. I love this book so much I might have to break down and buy it. Now, I’m the original bumble-around-in-the-dark girl. No helpful hints about craft for me, which explains why I didn’t know about GMC and POV for the first three years I wrote. The book, in King’s words, is ‘snapshots out of focus,’ vignettes of his development as a writer. I stopped reading King’s fiction somewhere during his alcohol and cocaine-fueled years—the books were becoming progressively darker for me and I do hate waking up in the middle of the night wondering if something is under the bed (besides my first three manuscripts). But he is a brilliant writer (my favorite is The Stand) and still married to his college sweetheart, which I love. He includes a poem his wife wrote in one of the chapters, and to me it was a truly romantic gesture. It is obvious he respects her words and her consistent support. Without her partnership, the first few pages of Carrie would have stayed crumpled up in the trash can.
I’ve been thinking a lot about support systems. Everyone who visits here (especially the Vixens) is part of mine. My husband is convinced without ever having read one word of my stuff that it’s absolutely great (poor sap). My heroine Caroline is a writer, and she’s blocked, too. I believe it’s time for Edward to overcome his prejudices and help her out. So by writing this blog, I may have uncrumpled a page or two. And major, major public thanks to Elyssa Papa, critiquer extraordinnaire, for reading the first 50,000 words and giving me so much insight into my own characters. I’m bringing her notes with me on vacation this week, where I shall sit by the pool with a drink or two and think about what she wrote. Become inspired. Or drunk. (But that won’t be Ely’s fault.)
How ‘crafty’ are you? Do you know what you’re writing/reading next?
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth
Posted in Uncategorized 10 Comments »
Friday, February 13th, 2009
Come slowly, Eden
Lips unused to thee.
Bashful, sip thy jasmines,
As the fainting bee,
Reaching late his flower,
Round her chamber hums,
Counts his nectars -alights,
And is lost in balms! ~Emily Dickinson
May your Valentine’s Day be filled with nectar, kisses and humming chambers.
I generally hate Valentine’s Day, though. I keep having flashbacks to grade school, where the number of Valentine cards you got was such a big deal. It didn’t get much better as an adult. Once my husband gave me a metal table for the basement so I could fold laundry. He has been since warned that practical presents are prohibited. What’s the best/worst gift you’ve ever gotten?
Posted in Uncategorized 11 Comments »
Friday, February 6th, 2009
 
I woke up the other day—just another morning in Maine. Daughter #2 got us the handy-dandy L.L. Bean weather station which is perched on an old-fashioned oak icebox (very fitting) in the hallway. Without stepping outside and squinting, I could see it was minus 13 F. Daughter #1 got me ice creepers to put on my shoes for Christmas, because one morning I slipped under the car as I was brushing snow off it in my driveway. Daughter #3 put a pumice stone in my Christmas stocking for my dry wintry feet.
Enough. These feet are going barefoot during my school’s February break. All the schools in Maine shut down for a week for the state basketball tournament. Yes, it’s true. And the games are televised. For this old New Yorker, I couldn’t quite comprehend it when my husband told me he’d been on television playing high school basketball a thousand years ago. But I’ve got videotape of Daughter #3 shooting baskets when she captained her high school team, and last year I got to watch my husband make announcements on TV when he served on the Maine Principals’ Association tournament committee. Weird or what?
This year, no one’s playing or announcing, so we’re going to Key West to see Son #1 and Only, and all three girls (and one son-in-law) are sharing a condo with us at the Parrot Key Resort. I’m more than ready to be stunned by the paradisiacal gorgeousness. It will be the first time in over two years that the siblings will all be together. I can’t wait.
Of course, the last time we went to Florida, there was an ice storm which completely screwed up our travel plans. I need you all to keep your fingers and toes crossed for me that Mother Nature behaves herself on the 16th. I don’t care if we get trapped in some airport on the 20th, so you only have to pray for me once.
How do you feel about winter? Where’s your ideal vacation spot? What should I order to drink?
A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking. ~Earl Wilson
Posted in Uncategorized 9 Comments »
Friday, January 30th, 2009
 
I hit Wal*Mart the day after Christmas 2008, looking for presents for Christmas 2009. I found a cute Santa mug, a Santa plate, some scented candles and ornaments, and a bamboo tray loaded with bath and body products reduced to $7.50. The tray itself was worth that, I reasoned, and I needed a body polisher bad, not to mention bath crystals and a rubber massage thingy. Yes, I bought it for myself, but when I got home and opened it, there was a curious sticker on all the potions and lotions: Do not apply around eyes or lips. Keep out of reach of children. Hmm. So now I’m freaked out, wondering if I’ll go blind or kissless…or if the poison will go directly into my bloodstream when I nick myself shaving.
There’s been so much talk of dangerous products coming out of China, yet so many items are made there. My Wet n Wild lipstick? Fabrique` en Chine. The wide-mouth thermos my husband got for his lunch? Made in China. My black velour sweater? You guessed it. I read an amusing article about one family who tried to go without buying Chinese products for a year, how difficult it was not only because of prevalence but pocketbook. Things cost a whole lot more when they don’t have those three magic words on the label.
And even if what you buy is made/assembled in the U.S., there’s this: almost 80 percent of the world’s wheat gluten (found in most breads, cakes and cookies) comes from China, and 80 percent of all sorbic acid (a preservative in almost everything) is made there too. I’ll never look at a Twinkie quite the same way again.
In these tough economic times, many people want to buy American, shop locally, shop green, concepts which should be easy but aren’t. Most of us are being conservative with our money. As someone who used to easily spend $25 a week on books, I spend much less than that a month now. I haven’t been to the movies in ages, or out to dinner anywhere fancier than our local Chinese restaurant, LOL. Yum to chicken lo mein and crab rangoon.
Has the economic downturn affected your entertainment choices? Are you buying fewer books/reading less? Got any tips for stretching my allowance? I’m working on a display for the library and looking for ideas teens can use to consume less and conserve more.
And just because I’m hungry, what do you order when you go out to eat?
Posted in Uncategorized 9 Comments »
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
 
Those of you who’ve been my cyberfriends for a while know that Third-Rate Romance, that late lamented novel that spent a year (almost to the day) on an editor’s desk (only to be regretfully rejected*), featured a total of five red-headed heroines. (Hmm..perhaps a few heroines too many. But I digress.) My latest project, Mistress by Marriage, mercifully has just one red-headed heroine. As the last in a trilogy featuring a blonde and a brunette, a redhead was obligatory—not to mention reflective of my own three daughters, who look very little alike except for their beautiful smiles.
 Redheads are hugely prevalent in romances (hence my choice in the spoof TRR), but did you know they make up only about 2% of Americans? Scotland has the most at 13%. (yay, Jamie Fraser) According to National Geographic, redheads are headed for extinction. Thank goodness for L’Oreal.
I’ve had two forays into the world of coloring my blonde hair red. The first time, right before I got married, it just looked weird. The second time, about fifteen years ago, I had a strong resemblance to Ronald McDonald. The hairdresser who colored my hair on Saturday called me up that night at home and opened up her shop for me on Sunday morning to fix it. I was so stunned when she was done Saturday, I was speechless, but she didn’t miss the look of shock and possibly tears welling in my eyes. So I’ve learned my lesson to admire redheads from afar and in fiction.
Good thing that I have this lovely site to look at them in nineteenth century art. Enjoy!
Do you have any hair disasters to report? Written about a redhead? Any rejections (see below) to share?
* Sorry you had to wait so long and sorry to say no. Third Rate Romance was very clever and often quite funny—I just can’t see how to market it to romance readers, who, as a rule, do not like their beloved genre mocked, except maybe on websites like Smart Bitches Trashy Books or Rip My Bodice. Satire, even one as affectionate and witty as this, has always been a tough sell and it’s tougher than ever these days.
But please keep us in mind for other projects. I like your originality and I like your style. Best of luck.
Posted in Uncategorized 13 Comments »
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
 
We all know that the five senses are important to writing. I never feel I incorporate them enough. While I’m primarily a visual person in RL, I’m pretty sensitive to scents, and love to wear perfume. Unfortunately the woman I work with is allergic, so I’ve abandoned my Chanel No. 5 in the interest of keeping my job. The most aromatic I get on weekdays is from applying Gold Bond Skin Therapy Lotion, which works wonders on my dry elbows and feet. It has a very pleasant smell that so far has not made my boss sneeze. But I miss eau de cologne.
My first grown-up perfume was Arpege by Lanvin. My parents always bought it for me for Christmas, but I can’t even remember what it smells like anymore. I was a Charlie girl in college (cheaper), tried Shalimar but it stuffed me up. Chanel No. 5 and 19 are old favorites, but I also loved something called Champagne, which had to change its name because of conflict with the wine trademark. I’ve worn Beautiful and Sunflowers and Green Tea. I like floral and citrussy things, but can’t deal with musk. One whiff of something and I can be instantly transported to a different time and place. Who will ever forget the sharp tang of Clearasil at a high school dance or the soft scent of baby powder on a little bottom?
My interest in aroma must be genetic. Distant relations manufactured Murray and Lanman’s (my maiden name) Florida Water, which has a pretty bottle. (That monkey above thinks so too. The illustrations here are from vintage advertising cards.) In doing research on the product, I’ve discovered some people use it in witchcraft rites. I don’t think my dead relatives would approve. *g* I prefer something less spiritual on the men in my life—Old Spice will do just fine. My current hero Edward’s signature scent is lime; his heroine Caroline wears jasmine.
 Are you a perfume person? What do your characters smell like? What’s your favorite scent? I love fresh-cut lemons and oranges. Peonies and lilacs. Raspberries and blackberries. Coconut sun lotion and ocean breezes. Fall leaves and summer rain.
Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume. ~Jean de Boufflers
Posted in Uncategorized 15 Comments »
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
 
I Brake for Culture
I was an English major. My college even tapped me for the English honorary society. I took a million English courses, but just one in Shakespeare in my sophomore year. I had a dreadful teacher who must have been in the middle of a bad divorce or something. He seemed to hate Shakespeare, students, and women in particular. I have absolutely no recollection of a damn thing except I got a B. It might even have been a B-, the bastard.
I’ve pretty much avoided reading Shakespeare since then, but I’ve been to numerous stage productions and movies, even the highly energetic and amusing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) in London. I recently spent a delightful Saturday afternoon watching some of the BBC’s Shakespeare Retold mini-series, watching Much Ado About Nothing and Taming of the Shrew in nine nine-minute increments on YouTube at my computer instead of writing like I was supposed to. Set in modern-day England, the familiar plots got a distinctive twist. If you have the patience and frugality to follow my example, I highly recommend you do so, if only to enjoy luscious Rufus Sewall in high-heeled boots and eye makeup. Or you can order the whole four-part series on Netflix like a normal person.
Fess up. What classic English literature have you shunned?
Posted in Uncategorized 15 Comments »
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
 
I’m not juggling quite so many balls as I used to. No kids at home, no elderly parents to take care of, no 4,000 square foot house to clean. No smelly basset hound, no volunteering. I only work 27 1/2 hours a week, although believe me, it feels like 40+. So why does it seem there aren’t enough hours in the day to do things?
Since it’s a new year, I’m supposed to make New Year’s Resolutions. But when I make them, I always break them. I’m not good at setting limits and goals, and I hate the guilty feeling I get when I fall short of my own expectations. But there is one thing I was determined to do before 2009.
Clean my closet. My seasonal-appropriate clothes are all in the small bedroom I call the Writing Room. (Note the capital letters—it’s where Important Issues are Addressed, as well as where I get dressed every morning.). My desk wasn’t so bad, but the closet—let’s just say I lost my favorite red handbag in there for a year and had to go out and buy another red handbag because every woman should have a red handbag. The initial impetus for the Pre-New Year’s Resolution was to search for the black tank top and the black sweater that I knew was in there somewhere. I won’t bore you with a list of the other stuff I found, but it was an educational experience. So now I’m ready to face the new year, a lot smarter and dressed in black.
What have you been putting off in your own life that you’re determined to tackle in 2009? (My dresser is next, I promise.) How are your writing goals coming along? What’s in your closet? Do you own a red handbag?
Many congratulations to Stephanie, who is the randomly selected winner of my MRMR Second Birthday/Anniversary contest! Please e-mail your mailing address to maggierobinson8@yahoo.com Many, many thanks to all of you who visit and comment. My year would not be the same without you. Posted in Uncategorized 12 Comments »
|
|
