tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39602501943812412962024-03-12T17:13:29.608-07:00Ellen HartmanLove is no joke, but it sure is funny.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-48051904019199511642016-09-24T11:33:00.000-07:002016-09-24T11:35:29.991-07:00Rink Rat<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/TIG4DgkFSFI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lNtFG3vgOWE/s1600/Harlequin+Rink+Rat.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512889789298591826" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/TIG4DgkFSFI/AAAAAAAAAGE/lNtFG3vgOWE/s200/Harlequin+Rink+Rat.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 127px;" /></a>A few years ago at the Romance Writers of America convention, Harlequin gave out the convention bags. They have pictures of Harlequin covers on them, including some vintage books. I love my bag. Anyway, I noticed a hockey book on the Harlequin bag. I looked it up online and now have in my hot little hands a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Rink Rat</span> (copyright 1951).<br />
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As a Harlequin author who wrote a hockey dad book, I was intrigued. I have to share a few tidbits.<br />
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1. From the back cover: <span style="font-style: italic;">Look behind the scenes of professional hockey...into the dressing rooms.</span><br />
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Okay. What? Really? I'm so in for that. (Except, I've been in the car with a hockey bag before and I really believe a hockey locker room must...well...reek. Maybe that's why we're just looking and not actually going behind the scenes.)<br />
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2. More from the back cover: <span style="font-style: italic;">Why did the young man from the back streets of a prairie town fight his way to the very top and then...but that's the story.</span><br />
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Back cover copy is a bit less obvious these days, but I like this direct approach.<br />
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3. One more from the back cover: <span style="font-style: italic;">Against the background of the fastest game on earth is laid an ADULT story</span><br />
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The caps are really on the cover, just like that. It's code, right?<br />
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4. Serendipity: The heroine in my hockey dad book is named Clare. Mr. MacMillan's heroine is named Claire. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? (Those caps are mine.)<br />
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5. Okay, here are the first few sentences: <span style="font-style: italic;">Cave Durrell was born in Spadina City, Saskatchewan. His mother died early and his father, hitherto considered a man most likely to succeed (he being both personable and brilliant) was so broken up by it he sought surcease in looking upon the wine when it was red, white, brown or just any convenient color.</span><br />
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Hitherto? Surcease? <span style="font-style: italic;">Nice</span>. I like the way the back story is coming out gradually.<br />
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I will read more and keep you posted on Cave's doings. (I'd keep you posted on the dad and the wine he looks upon, but he dies in the next paragraph.) <br />
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P.S. Harlequin has some of the vintage covers for sale on notebooks and other merchandise. I like <a href="http://www.eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=11254&cid=">the <span style="font-style: italic;">Doctor Scott</span> notebook</a> because it mentions the author's previous book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Nurse Ellen</span>. Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-38714957785229960542012-01-18T19:51:00.000-08:002012-01-18T19:53:34.491-08:00ScrivenerLast year, I started using Scrivener as my primary writing software. I wrote this blog before the new version of Scrivener came out. I have the new version and it's great. Most of what I said here is still applicable.<br />
Scrivener is a robust, powerful software program designed specifically for writers. Sounds great, right? Even better? It's cheap. Only $40.00. You can download a test copy or buy it direct from the <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html">website</a>.
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Here are some things I like about Scrivener.<br />
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1. The main window includes (from left to right) a working outline, a writing area, and labeling tools all in one view.
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="130" src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/main-top-whole.jpg" width="400" />
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The outline is on the left. You can change the titles of sections, move things, and expand or collapse the outline all while you have your manuscript open in the main window. I create a file for each scene because that provides more flexibility when reorganizing. Here's a closer look. (The outline is really just notes to myself about the scene. They wouldn't make much sense to anyone else. They do make sense to me, though, I swear.)
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/main-top-left.jpg" />
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The labeling tools are on the right. You enter a short synopsis of what's in this file--very useful when you want to scan what you've already done. For people like me with day jobs, catching up on the previous day's writing can be a battle and the synopsis is a great help. I use the labels to indicate the POV in the scene, the keywords to call out some important elements like the theme or secondary characters, and the whole set of tools to make my orderly soul feel happy.
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/main-top-right.jpg" />
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2. The Corkboard is Awesome! You can also view your Scrivener files in the Corkboard. It's exactly what it sounds like. I use this view mainly when I'm working with my research and backstory notes. I also have some character inspiration photos. I don't really do casting, but I like to have a photo that gives me some element of the character. I create notecards for everything from factual research, to theme, to his and hers thoughts on family. It's tons of fun and a very creative way to think. (It's also easier to keep cards organized when they're in the computer. I don't have an office so my notecards always end up scattered between my nightstand, my backpack, and who knows where.)
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="242" src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/corkboard-top-small-1.jpg" width="400" />
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3. Easy export to Word. I deliver my manuscripts as Word files and the export to Word is simple. I can answer questions about the process if anyone wants to know, but it's not hard. I've figured out how to format the exported file with the correct fonts and formatting including the header with page numbers!<br />
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4. Project Stats keep me on track. The Project Statistics are wonderful. You can see your progress toward an overall word count and keep track of the current session. You can also tell Scrivener which files to include in the stats so, if you're like me and you make lots of drafts of the same scene, you can only include the "correct" version. That means your word count doesn't get padded with lots of extra, but you can still keep all your drafts in the same folder and outline view in case you want to refer to one or include a different version.
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/stats.jpg" />
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In another stats view, you can see your overused words--what a great editing help! (Not that I ever overuse words...)<br />
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5. I can use the Outline view when I want "just the facts." I have a very linear brain and sometimes I just need to organize. In the outline view, I can use the synopsis and the labels I've set up to keep my manuscript in line. I don't always need to "think" this way, but the outline view is simple to use and powerful when I need it.
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/outliner.jpg" />
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6. I have always wanted to write "out of order," but I was never able to do that comfortably in Word. Scrivener makes it work for me. If I've written three solid chapters but then have an idea for a scene that will come later in the book, I can write it, but because I have the outline always open on the left, I can keep my sense of the story progression. The scenes feel anchored even if I haven't written the steps between them.<br />
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7. It's easier to recycle scraps. When I write in Word and I cut a section out, I have to put it in another file. It's hard to remember what I've cut and saved. In Scrivener, everything stays in the outline on the left side. I can easily pick out bits and pieces to put back into the manuscript. This program seems to be excellent with "scrappy" thinking.<br />
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8. Scrivener saves automatically all the time. I don't need to explain why that's a blessing, do I?
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So that's it. A quick overview of Scrivener and some of the things I like about it. If you have any questions or want to know more about the program, the floor is yours!<br />
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Ellen
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P.S. Scrivener comes with great video tutorials. Really easy to follow and understand. The Help and online forums are also good.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-48957868570692497162011-01-19T20:51:00.000-08:002011-01-19T20:55:19.783-08:00I NeverHave you ever started something with the certainty that you know exactly how it will go? You know, when you have such clarity that you can make a list of I Will Nevers?<br /><br />That’s how writing romance started for me. I had a whole list of things I’d never do. Here is a sample.<br /><br />1. I’ll never write a marriage of convenience story.<br />2. I’ll never write about little kids.<br />3. I’ll never write about a secret baby.<br /><br />My first book came out in 2007, which means I have almost four years under my belt. How am I doing with my Nevers?<br /><br />I’m 3 for 3. (Yep, I’ve done every one of them.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Heh</span>.<br /><br />So I’m not good with ultimatums. Or rules. Or maybe I’m just bad at predicting my career, because I do have some absolutes in my life.<br /><br />1. I’ve never gone to bed angry with either of my kids. (Although, I have broken this rule with my husband.)<br />2. I’ve never littered. (At least not in my memory—maybe back in my toddler days I tossed empty milk bottles out the window of my parents VW bug.)<br />3. I’ve never said no to chocolate. (Unless it was chocolate pudding.)<br /><br />See? I can do rules (as long as I’m allowed parentheses).<br /><br />I think the trouble comes in when I try to declare the absolutes before I find out how I really feel and, more importantly, what really matters. Those “nevers” I outlined for my writing career were superficial. I didn’t know then what my real never was. The truth is I’ll never write a book unless I can find some way to identify with the subject and the characters. That’s the key.<br /><br />My June Superromance, <span style="font-style: italic;">Married by June</span>, is a marriage of convenience story. (Well, technically, it’s an engagement of convenience.) I struggled with it for many months, mainly because the motivation wasn’t clear for me. Why would modern, intelligent, stable, employed people ever agree to get engaged if they weren’t already in love? I answered that question when I let myself write the engagement scene. I did it as a writing exercise to explore the characters, but it was never meant to be included in the book. Once it was finished, though, I kept it and it’s now the opening scene.<br /><br />Want a sneak peek? Here's Cooper Murphy proposing...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The spotlights on the front of the Capitol building glinted in his brown eyes, making them sparkle as he looked down at her. Suddenly he swung in front of her and dropped to one knee.<br />"Jorie, will you marry me?" </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />"What? No!" she said. The guard halfway up the steps straightened. He held his gun casually in front of his chest, but the Capitol was no place for messing around. "You've got to be—"</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />"The Wish Team granted your mom's wish," Cooper said, never looking away from her. </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />"What wish?" Jorie could feel her world starting to spin. </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />"She wants to give you a princess wedding. The one she's always dreamed of. The Wish Team is picking up the tab—" </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />"Wait— My wedding? To whom?" </span><br /><br />Thus begins Jorie and Cooper’s engagement of convenience—the story I thought I’d <u>never</u> write.<br /><br />What about you? Do you have rules you never bend? What about something you thought you wouldn’t do and wound up doing anyway? Leave a comment and be entered to win a set of my three most recent Supers: <span style="font-style: italic;">Calling the Shots</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Plan B: Boyfriend</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Boyfriend’s Back</span>.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />Ellen HartmanEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-38815641304666646692010-08-25T19:26:00.000-07:002010-08-25T19:29:44.563-07:00Excerpt: Calling the ShotsHere is an excerpt from my hockey dad book, <span style="font-style:italic;">Calling the Shots</span>. It's coming in October 2010 from Harlequin Superromance! There are purchase links on my <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/shots.html">website</a>.<br /><br />--------------------<br /><br />Bryan was beyond late. He’d missed Allie’s entire practice. He just hoped she was still at the rink. He’d texted her that he was going to be late, but she hadn’t replied. His sister, who watched Allie when he was gone, wasn’t picking up either.<br /><br />Not good.<br /><br />So not good. People weren’t almost an hour late to pick their thirteen-year-old kids up from hockey. At least not people who were good at being parents.<br /><br />He was going to have to arrange a backup plan for the nights he was coming in from out of town. One more arrangement he needed to get under control in this whole precarious mess he and Allie were calling a family.<br /><br />He sure as hell hoped Erin’s new life was worth it.<br /><br />He pulled into the drop off circle at the front of the rink. It was past nine o’clock—no one was going to complain if he left the Lexus there for a few minutes.<br /><br />He took the stairs three at a time, his bad knee twinging as he landed on the icy top step, but he ignored the old pain. Bryan yanked the doors open, the blast of warmth hitting him hard after the bitter cold air. He was already scanning the lobby, checking the worn, tweed couches for his daughter when Danny Jackson, the rink manager, popped his head out of his office.<br /><br />“Bryan,” Danny said. “I need to talk to you.”<br /><br />Bryan glanced over but kept walking toward the locker rooms. “I’ll be back in one sec. I’m late picking up Allie,” he called. She wasn’t in the lobby but she had to be there somewhere. She wouldn’t have asked someone to drop her at the apartment. Not when she knew he was out of town.<br /><br />“There was fight, Bry,” Danny said. “That’s what we need to talk about.”<br /><br />Just that quick there was no air in his lungs. No spit in his mouth. “Is she hurt?”<br /><br />“No.” Danny looked uncomfortable, pulling his wrinkled golf shirt down over his gut as he opened the door wider. “Allie’s fine.”<br /><br />“A fight?” He’d already started for the office, even though he hadn’t entirely processed what Danny meant. Allie took her hockey seriously, and yeah, she was still playing in the coed league at an age when most girls opted for the single-sex, no-contact league, but a fight? A hockey fight? At practice?<br /><br />That was when he noticed the mess around the skate shop on the opposite side of the lobby. The display in the front window was knocked to pieces, and the glass from the window glinted on the floor. A rack of jackets was overturned near the entrance door. Allie’s stick with the distinctive fluorescent purple tape lay partially under the collapsed sandwich board advertising current sales.<br /><br />He looked back to Danny who tugged at his shirt again.<br /><br />The top of Allie’s head was visible beyond Danny’s shoulder in the office. He tried to push by the smaller man but Danny locked his arm, blocking the doorway, and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry about this.”<br /><br />“Let me see her.”<br /><br />Danny stepped back and Bryan was past him and kneeling next to Allie. He barely registered that there were other people in the room as he put his hands on either side of his daughter’s chin and raised her head.<br /><br />Allie. His girl. For a second he couldn’t focus, he was so relieved that she was in one piece. He stroked her jaw with his thumbs, happy to have her there so close, and then he blinked and her features came clear. Her lip was split, a thin line of blood where the skin was cracked. Her small, upturned nose, with the exact same smattering of freckles his ex-wife had always hated on her own nose, was fine. She had a scratch on one cheek but nothing looked too bad except her eyes. She wouldn’t look straight at him, had her gaze fixed somewhere over his shoulder. Allie was scared. Not hurt scared, but scared scared in a way he hadn’t seen since those first panicked days three months ago when Erin, his ex-wife, had told them she was going on tour with Lush and Allie would be staying with him full-time.<br /><br />What the hell had happened to put that look back in her eyes?<br /><br />“You okay?” he asked, his voice rough.<br /><br />When she nodded, he let his eyes skim quickly over the rest of her. There was blood on the neck of the Sabres jersey he’d given her for Christmas and the knee was torn out of her jeans, the skin underneath raw and weeping blood, but she looked all right. She was in one piece and he’d made it home, late but not too late and whatever else happened, he could handle. He would handle. Somehow he’d make this right for Allie because although she deserved the best, all she had right now was him.<br /><br />He slid one hand around to the back of her neck and then down to rest on her shoulder, reassuring himself as much as her as he turned to stand. His knee protested when he straightened it, but he barely noticed. With his immediate worries answered, the other people in the room finally registered. His gaze jerked from the woman in the chair next to Allie to the boy sitting on the far side. The boy who’d hit Allie. The boy who better have a damn good explanation for himself.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-77508013383562920952010-08-25T19:18:00.000-07:002010-08-25T19:24:38.247-07:00My Writing "Process"One thing writers love to talk about is <em>process</em>. What’s your process? Do you use charts or worksheets? Outlines? Do you wing it or do you have a plan? What kind of highlighters? Do you edit on screen or on paper? Do you collage or fill out character sheets or let it come to you during the book?<br /><br />I can answer all of those questions about my process. I like to think I’m a fairly orderly, organized, and prepared writer. Except, once I hit a certain point in a book, the entire process goes out the window and the one word left to describe what I’m doing is <u>desperation</u>. <br /><br />Will I ever be able to finish? Will this pile of nothing turn into something someone wants to read? Will my editor ask for the advance back? How many times can the word “just” possibly appear in a manuscript? Who typed this thing? Who thought this was a good idea for a book? How is this ever going to end? Am I really out of M&M’s again?<br /><br />Etc.<br /><br />I thought it might be fun to share some pictures of what my “process” looked like when I was closing in on the deadline for <em>Calling the Shots</em>, my hockey dad book coming out in October. <br /><br /><strong>Note for the spoiler-phobes among us:</strong> I obscured any actual spoilers. If you can read my notes, that means it’s either not a real spoiler or it didn’t make it into the final cut of the book.<br /><br />1. This is a collection of some sticky notes that were either on the manuscript, on my desk, or stuck on some of the many versions of printed pages I generated during the course of my "final push." Some of them are quotes I want to get in, some are character insights, and some are pure dead ends. <br /><br /><img src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/many_stickies.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /> <br /><br />2. This book was short on word count for a while.To keep myself encouraged, I started a running count of my word count progress. It took me <em>*ahem*</em> a few tries to get to the proper point. On the yellow sheet is a list of some of the words I overused. When I got bored with other revisions, I'd search and replace these little buggers. Wish I could stop typing them in the first place! <br /><br /><img src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/word-count-stickies.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /><br /><br />3. This one cracks me up. I was stuck on a section of the book. Couldn't figure out what should happen or what sequence would make for the most tension. I had this tiny note that I carried around with me for a few days while I considered options. At one point, I dropped the note on the floor at my day job. Luckily, I found it before anyone else did. It's not a note a normal person would have just lying around their cubicle, you know?<br /><br /><img src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj251/elhart_photos/runaway-sticky2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /><br /><br />So there's a peek at my "process." Do any of you have systems that work for you that might look a bit odd to someone else? Ever made a list that might have raised eyebrows? Do you think I should change the tag line for this book to <em>Pizza, Sex, and Haircuts</em>?Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-81502809889384692722010-02-26T15:47:00.000-08:002010-02-26T15:59:04.800-08:00Top Ten Facts: Plan B: BoyfriendIn addition to doing FAQs about my books, I post lists of behind-the-scenes facts on my website. Here's the one for <span style="font-style:italic;">Plan B: Boyfriend</span>.<br /><ol><li><em>Plan B</em> is the sequel to <em>The Boyfriend's Back</em>. Included with the eBook version of <em>The Boyfriend's Back</em>, was an exclusive story set when the characters were in high school. You can see young Charlie and Sarah flirting with each other in that story. <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/boyfriend.html">The eBook is still on sale</a> if you want to check it out. </li><br /><li>Charlie loves his Phillies, especially Jimmy Rollins. I'm not a Phillies fan (my team is the Pirates), but I knew Rollins's name because my niece named her hermit crab after him. </li><br /><li>My niece also had a hermit crab named after Shane Victorino, but his name is too hard to spell so I didn't put Shane (the crab or the Philly) in the book. </li><br /><li>Yes, we have bar like Wilton's in my hometown. No, I never ordered a Rob Roy there while wearing my cheerleading uniform. (I wasn't a cheerleader.) I did appropriate that story from a friend but since she's now a respectable lady and mom, I won't out her here. Blackmail possibilities are <em>rampant</em> in a writer's life. </li><br /><li>I stole the name "Wilton's" from The Wilton House, a bar in Hoboken. I never ordered a Rob Roy there, either.</li><br /><li>The Wilton House should not be confused with the Clam Broth House, also a bar in Hoboken. My husband once thought I'd like to live in an apartment directly above the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmarks_of_Hoboken,_New_Jersey#Clam_Broth_House">Clam Broth House</a>. <span style="font-style: italic;">No</span>. No, I did not want to live above such a bar. That story is off-topic though, so we'll leave it there.</li><br /><li>The scene in which Charlie and Sarah play poker was originally much shorter. My editor liked it and encouraged me to "have fun." Hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. </li><br /><li>I submitted <em>The Boyfriend's Back</em> including the introduction of Sarah, suburban mom/former beauty queen, right around the time a certain other Sarah (also a mom/former beauty queen) entered the national political stage. By the time I knew how far that other Sarah was going to go, it was too late to change my character's name.</li><br /><li>This book was <em>not</em> originally scheduled to be a "holiday" Superromance, complete with a red bow on the cover. When my editor emailed me to say I needed to add something "holiday-ish" to the book, I had a panic moment--I'd written a water balloon fight, a baseball game, and a cookout with corn on the cob. How was I supposed to fit a holiday scene into that? Then I remembered the tie. Simon had a <em>reindeer</em> tie. I added Simon's tie to one more scene, wrote up a holiday epilogue, and ta da! My summer book now had a holiday scene. </li><br /><li>In the opening scene, where Sarah is worrying that she's not dressed properly for her meeting at school, I originally had her in a yellow cardigan. Several people in my critique group said that a yellow cardigan would not be a fancy, fashionable, yet business-like thing for a person to wear. Of course, I agreed 100%. I would never wear a yellow cardigan to a school meeting. Or to have my <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/bio.html">professional author photo</a> taken. No sir. Not me. <em>Oops</em>. </li></ol><br />Other top ten lists are on the individual book pages on my site: <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/wanted.html">Wanted Man</a>, <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/past.html">His Secret Past</a>, <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/boyfriend.html">The Boyfriend's Back</a></span>.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-33812331940159873652010-01-29T12:39:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:54:42.996-08:00FAQ for Plan B: Boyfriend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/S2NK5mAsL0I/AAAAAAAAAF0/TRLOzwQH4a8/s1600-h/planb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/S2NK5mAsL0I/AAAAAAAAAF0/TRLOzwQH4a8/s200/planb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432267928855392066" /></a><br />I’m a technical writer. That means I write Frequently Asked Question pages (FAQs) at work. It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to post an FAQ when I have a new book out. (Previous FAQs for <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/faq-for-boyfriends-back.html">The Boyfriend's Back</a></span> and <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/questions-no-one-ever-asked.html">His Secret Past</a></span>.)<br /><br />So here goes…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. In the first chapter Sarah’s son gets suspended from school for bringing a knife in his backpack. Would a school really suspend a kid for that?</span><br /><br />My friend’s daughter got the boot for a butter knife in her lunch bag. My husband said she must have been using it to spread anarchy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. I heard this book includes a Drunken Breakdown scene. What kind of research did you do before you wrote that?</span><br /><br />Have you ever seen the movie <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barfly-Mickey-Rourke/dp/B0000696I5">Barfly</a> with Mickey Rourke? I spent a few weeks immersing myself in that lifestyle, <em>Heh</em>. No, seriously. I didn't need to research to write that scene. I’m a writer. I make stuff up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. In the book, Charlie is obsessed with Jimmy Rollins from the Philadelphia Phillies. Are you a Phillies fan?</span><br /><br />No. Like all good Pittsburgh Pirates fans, I detest the Phillies. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. So how do you know about Jimmy Rollins?</span><br /><br />My niece has a hermit crab named after him. She has another one named after Shane Victorino, but his name is hard to spell so I went with Rollins.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5. I thought you were going to say you looked Rollins up on Google or <em>Sports Illustrated</em> or something. You really don’t do any research at all, do you?</span><br /><br />I think research would harm my process.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. <span style="font-style:italic;">You</span> have a <span style="font-style:italic;">process</span>?</span><br /><br />Yes. I make everything up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. Somehow I thought a writer would be more professional.</span><br /><br />You want research, watch a Ken Burns documentary. You want a fake Vegas night with mini-cheescakes, read my romance novel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. But there’s a poker scene, right? Don’t you have to know the rules of poker to write a poker scene? That had to be factual.</span><br /><br />I actually do know the rules of poker (thanks, Pop!), but Sarah and Charlie cheat their way through the game so it didn’t matter.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. If they’re cheating, how do they know who wins? </span><br /><br /><em>Everybody</em> wins in the poker scene<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. But… </span><br /><br />Trust me, everybody wins in the poker scene.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Trust you?!! You just admitted that you make everything up. </span><br /><br />Hmm. I'm not sure I like your tone, but to answer your question, this is an FAQ, not a romance novel. I’d never tell lies in an FAQ. <em>Honest</em>.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-86541929474648740562010-01-21T04:39:00.000-08:002010-01-24T17:36:19.120-08:00Reading: What's on Your 2010 List?For the past two years, I've been posting this challenge in my blog (originally stolen from my friend, Diana Holquist's blog). I've thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic book recommendations and conversation so I'm going to post a new round!<br /><br />How does it work? You post 12 books you're planning to read in 2010. Doesn't have to be all romance--it's tons of fun to see the range of reading we all do. Then we all sit back and enjoy the conversation.<br /><br />Here are my 12.<br /><ol><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Foundling</span>--Georgette Heyer. I really shouldn't admit this, but I've never read a Heyer book. (I hope they don't revoke my romance writing privileges after that confession.)<br /><br /></li><li><em>The Giant's House</em>--Elizabeth McCracken. I read a memoir McCracken wrote and absolutely loved it. This one is fiction and includes a love story.<br /><br /></li><li><em>Double Play</em>--Jill Shalvis. Shalvis was recommended several times in a best books post I did last year. I'm a fan of sports books, so I'm hoping for a winner here.<br /><br /></li><li><em>Playing with Fire</em>--Amy Knupp. I've been waiting for Amy's firefighter trilogy and this summer it will be here! It's been too long since I had a Knupp in my TBR!!<br /><br /></li><li><em>The Spymaster's Lady</em>--Joanna Bourne. Historical romance is my first love. Heard great things about this one last year but never got around to reading it.<br /><br /></li><li><em>Home for the Holidays</em>--Sarah Mayberry. I've been saving this one for a treat after I turned in my newest book. Can't wait!<br /><br /></li><li><em>Under Heaven</em>--Guy Gavriel Kay. One of my favorite fantasy writers has a new book out this year. Yahoo.<br /><br /></li><li><em>Sunnyside</em>--Glen David Gold. Gold's debut novel, <em>Carter Beats the Devil</em>, is one of my frequent rereads. I'm not sure I'm going to love his second novel, but I'm going to give it a try.<br /><br /></li><li><em>Elsewhere</em>--Gabriel Zevin. A YA novel that I've been meaning to read so I can discuss with my 7th grader.<br /><br /></li><li><em>A Dance with Dragons</em>--George R.R. Martin. This was on my list last year even though Martin wasn't finished writing it. I'm putting it on again. Hope springs eternal...<br /><br /></li><li><em>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em>--Stieg Larsson. This seems like a book my husband would like, and I like to share books with him. We're great fans of Alan Furst and I'd love to find another "shared" favorite. Fingers crossed.<br /><br /></li><li><em>The Iron House</em>--John Hart. I don't know anything about this book except I think it's coming out. John Hart wrote one of my favorite 2009 books (<em>The Last Child</em>) and I've been stalking him online, waiting for news of a new release. Hope this one is true! </li></ol><br />So that's my list. What's on yours?Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-9971630574010048792009-09-18T11:10:00.000-07:002009-09-18T11:24:48.018-07:00Excerpt from Plan B: Boyfriend<i>I like to post an excerpt of upcoming books here, but this time I'm torn. The opening scene is all the heroine's. It's a good scene (I think), and makes a fine excerpt. The issue is that I love the hero, Charlie McNulty. He's why I wrote the book. So...I'm posting the opening scene here, but there's a link at the bottom to <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com">my website</a> where there is a second excerpt that's all Charlie. :-)</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SrPQLrHUdXI/AAAAAAAAAFs/E5ltD7UaqzU/s1600-h/planb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SrPQLrHUdXI/AAAAAAAAAFs/E5ltD7UaqzU/s200/planb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382874878608438642" /></a>Sarah Finley examined herself carefully in the mirror on the back of the closet door in her front hall. The gleaming walnut woodwork surrounding the mirror provided a dark counterpoint to her “hip, yet involved and respectable mother” outfit—a knee-length charcoal skirt with a slight flare at the hem to soften it, crisp, white shirt patterned with pale pink circles from the newest Talbot’s catalog, and a cropped black knit jacket with chunky, artistic buttons.<br /><br />She was debating about the abstract print scarf. If she wore the scarf would it say “I’m taking this issue seriously” or “I’ve just come from shopping?” She’d never faced this situation before; wasn’t confident she was approaching it correctly. She seriously doubted, however, if even Emily Post knew the exact dress code for meeting with the school principal to discuss the possible expulsion of your first-grader.<br /><br />Sarah bit back a semi-hysterical laugh. She couldn’t allow that laugh. Not now. That laugh had burst out inappropriately with increasing frequency ever since Erik left her eight months ago. For a while she’d thought she was managing. But the repeated appearance of the laugh and its distressing tendency to morph into a sob made her wonder just how well she was coping. Not well, she was beginning to suspect.<br /><br />Which was bad.<br /><br />Because Sarah was a coper. It was her claim to fame. Her hallmark. It was why she was always the vice-president or the volunteer coordinator rather than the president of groups like the PTA, the pool association, even the block party committee. Sarah Finley could cope with anything.<br /><br />Except, apparently, her husband’s infidelity, her resulting divorce, and the fact that Simon, her well-loved if perplexing six-year old, was in danger of being chucked out of Carol Ryan Memorial Elementary before he’d mastered alphabetical order. <br /><br />Sarah ripped the scarf off her neck and stuffed it into her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle the laugh. Which did turn into a sob. Which she was only able to control by thinking of Simon. Her baby. Currently in lock-down in the principal’s office on what Jessica Jordan, the school secretary, had ever so sweetly informed her was a weapons violation.<br /><br /><em>Oh, Simon.</em><br /><br />Sarah dropped the scarf, grinding it under one tasteful, black sling-back as she headed out of the house.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Note</span>: Go <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/planb.html">here</a> to read Charlie's excerpt.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-19344130700037707992009-05-15T09:12:00.000-07:002009-05-15T09:25:29.518-07:00Super Title Puzzle GameI'm going to be part of the <a href="http://community.eharlequin.com/content/harlequin-superromance-group-author-blog">newly launched Super Authors blog</a> on eHarlequin. We're having an official kick-off week starting June 1, but since the space is there and the community is there…it seemed like a prime opportunity for a little word game!<br /><br />Last December a community member posted a game where we guessed retitled holiday songs? Example: <span style="font-style:italic;">Embellish Interior Passageways = Deck the Halls</span>.<br /><br />Jeannie Watt and I adapted that game by running the titles of the 2009 Supers (January-May) through the Obfuscation Machine. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to decipher the real titles. <br /><br />Jeannie and I will each choose a name from the comments to win a book. I’m giving away <span style="font-style:italic;">The Boyfriend’s Back</span>, and Jeannie is giving away <span style="font-style:italic;">The Cowboy’s Redemption</span>. (Both of them are on the list--there's a clue!) Kay Stockham is also giving away one of her books.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If you want to be in the drawing to win books, post guesses <a href="http://community.eharlequin.com/content/superromance-title-puzzles-win-books">in the comments on eHQ</a></span>.<br /><br />Here they are, the New 2009 Super Titles in all their incomprehensible glory. Have at ‘em.<br /><br />Hint: You can find title lists at the <a href="http://www.romancewiki.com/Harlequin_Superromance_1501_-_1600">romance wiki</a>.<br /><ol><li>Stances, Actions, Or Endeavors Undertaken As A Result Of Or In Direct Relation To An Emotional Attachment</li><br /><li>An Act Deemed To Be Inappropriate Or Wrong Perpetrated By A Heretofore Unfamiliar Individual</li><br /><li>A Factual Or Investigatory Exploration Into The Particularities And Networks Observed Among Individuals Descended From A Common Ancestor</li><br /><li>A Person Once Linked Romantically With Another (but Not Betrothed) Completes A Homecoming Journey</li><br /><li>A Diminutive Human Endeavors To Resolve A Difficult Or Possibly Dangerous Situation</li><br /><li>A Written Or Oral Record Of Events Creating A Barrier</li><br /><li>A Missive For The French Diminutive Of The Latinate Form Of Hannah</li><br /><li>Transgressions Against Accepted Moral Custom Enacted By A Heterogametic Individual Whose Normal Abilities Surpass Those Of His Peers</li><br /><li>A Party Bound In Troth Is Accessible Anew</li><br /><li>Post-infant Pre-adolescent Recreational Activity</li><br /><li>A Representative Of The Female Gender Could Not Consign an Adult Homo Sapien To Oblivion</li><br /><li>Maternal Being Soon to Exist</li><br /><li>One Of A Number Who May Resemble Or Appear Similar To a Female Individual</li><br /><li>A Child in the First Stage of Life in Her Upper Extremities</li><br /><li>A Fault Resulting From Defective Judgment, Deficient Knowledge, Or Carelessness, Committed By One Of The Feminine Gender</li><br /><li>Her Favored Companion's Male Gendered Sibling</li><br /><li>A Bovine Collector Loses The Fetters Of Shame</li><br /><li>Reproductions Of Me And Those Close To Me</li><br /><li>Structure Used As A Domicile, Most Often By Humans, Invested By Concealed Facts</li><br /><li>Having an Inherent Sense of Paternal Responsibility</li><br /><li>A Person Of The Male Persuasion Vocalizes A Short Form Of Her Occupational Title</li><br /><li>Arcanum Harbored By A Member Of The Fair Sex</li><br /><li>A Defective Period Prior to the Present</li><br /><li>Progenitor (Masculine) In Stupefaction</li><br /><li>French Form of a Name Meaning Wisdom's Clandestine Matter</li><br /><li>To Infinity And Beyond Accompanied By Relations</li><br /><li>Traditional Bonding Rituals Observed Among Genetically Linked Humans</li><br /><li>From Solstice To Equinox In Proximity To A Collection Of Matter Changed From Solid To Liquid</li><br /><li>Domiciled In Familiar Environs After Years Away</li><br /><li>A Peerless Reproduction Of A Childbearing Female</li></ol><br />Happy Guessing,<br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-2303333129588523842009-04-07T22:38:00.001-07:002009-04-07T22:44:06.051-07:00FAQ for The Boyfriend's BackI’m a technical writer. That means I write Frequently Asked Question pages (FAQs) on a regular basis. Did you know that most FAQs are made up by technical writers and have nothing to do with actual questions anyone has ever asked? Yep. It’s like writing fiction, except about bytes and bandwidth and secure passwords. And also the FAQs are usually nonfiction. Usually.<br /><br />Anyway, I wrote an FAQ for His Secret Past and the comments were a ton of fun so I thought I’d do one for The Boyfriend’s Back. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/Sdw4g3LYzYI/AAAAAAAAAFE/EBTQMie5dtU/s1600-h/boyfriend.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/Sdw4g3LYzYI/AAAAAAAAAFE/EBTQMie5dtU/s320/boyfriend.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322190996863765890" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. The title is The Boyfriend’s Back, but the cover shows his front. What’s up with that?</span><br /><br />Um. Good observation? But the title refers to the fact that The Boyfriend was gone and has now returned. He came back. Get it?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. See that part on the cover where it says “Going Back?” Is that because her hair is blowing back in the wind? Is it, like, a caption? Because I didn’t think her hair needed a caption.</span><br /><br />Well, no. Sorry. You’re 0 for 2 here. Going Back means this book is part of the Superromance themed series about characters who return to their hometowns. In this case, The Boyfriend. He is back. In his hometown. Get it?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. In the book, JT has a degree in robotics from Carnegie Mellon. You went to Carnegie Mellon. Is your degree in robotics?</span><br /><br />Not exactly. My degree is in Creative Writing—that would be the English department, not the engineering school. But I had a job in a robotics lab one time, which is what gave me the idea of sending JT there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. So you majored in writing and built robots in your spare time? Cool.</span><br /><br />No. I majored in writing and did some writing for a robotics project in my spare time. The project was an early speech recognition program. I had to copy edit the manuscript the robot created. It was pretty cool.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5. It doesn’t sound cool to me.</span><br /><br />I guess you’re not a writer/geek like I am.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. I think I'm okay with that.</span><br /><br />Did you have another question?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. I read the back cover copy and it sounds like a secret baby book—guy leaves home and comes back fifteen years later. Girl has secret she’s afraid to tell him, and she’s got a daughter. Secret baby, right?</span><br /><br />Well, fifteen years…not exactly a baby anymore, is it?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8. Are you supposed to be sarcastic when you’re answering these questions?</span><br /><br />Sorry. Not a secret baby. Not exactly, anyway.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">9. Are you supposed to be evasive when you’re answering these questions?</span><br /><br />Argh. Do you want me to give away the entire plot? Is anticipation not part of the fun?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10. Stop answering my questions with questions. So in the cover picture it looks as if Hailey is getting ready to have her way with JT. What page is that scene on?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Heh</span>. 30.<br /><br />Any other questions?<br /><br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-17838819767106579682009-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:002009-03-20T18:10:46.222-07:00Pride vs. Prizes or Why I'm too Logical to Compete Properly<span style="font-style: italic;">His Secret Past</span>, my May 2008 Superromance, has been invited to the Big Dance. It’s one of the 64 lucky books chosen to compete in the Smart Bitches/Dear Author March Madness Tournament (<a href="http://dabwaha.com/">DABWAHA</a>—Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweeet</span>!<br /><br />The author in me is delighted. What an honor.<br /><br />I must immediately go to the contest site, fill in my bracket, and crown my book the ultimate champion, right? Because it’s all about pride and I am proud of my book. (Look, I devoted an <a href="http://www.ellenhartman.com/past.html">entire page</a> of my website to it!)<br /><br />So yeah, I’m proud.<br /><br />The trouble is, on the tournament page there are <span style="font-style: italic;">prizes</span>. Really good prizes like a Sony Reader and fantastic gift certificates and more. You win those prizes by guessing correctly about which book will ultimately win the tournament. Of the more than 400 people (as of this writing) who have so far filled out a bracket, not one has picked <span style="font-style: italic;">His Secret Past</span> to win.<br /><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">Umm…Mom? Hellooo? Too busy for the internet today?</span>)<br /><br />So that’s my dilemma. If I pick my book, I’m obviously not going to win the yummy prizes.<br /><br />Pride or prizes?<br /><br />What’s a girl to do?<br /><br />It’s a tough choice, but…dude, a Sony Reader. Seriously.<br />..<br />..<br />..<br />..<br />..<br />Go <span style="font-style: italic;">Spymaster’s Lady</span>, Go!<br /><ul><li>Fill out your bracket <a href="http://dabwaha.com/">here.</a></li><li>See my bracket <a href="http://dabwaha.com/2009_Tournament/website/playerpicks120.html">here.</a></li><li>Check the champions list to see if my Mom gets on the stick and picks my book <a href="http://dabwaha.com/2009_Tournament/website/championssummary.html">here.</a></li></ul>P.S. Much like my hometown Cornell Big Red (invited to the NCAA Tournament through the auto-bid for being <span style="font-style: italic;">Ivy League</span> champs aka <span style="font-style: italic;">Best of the Nerd Schools</span>), I’m glad to be part of the party, even if I am a total underdog. Thanks Dear Author and Smart Bitches for making romance fun. ;-)Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-12063108574080127142009-03-17T14:28:00.000-07:002009-03-17T14:33:12.093-07:00Excerpt: The Boyfriend's BackThought I'd post an excerpt from my upcoming book, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Boyfriend's Back</span>. It's available from Harlequin Superromance in May 2009.<br /><br />Here we go:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Church, bar, church, bar.</span> Statlerville was exactly the same as the last time JT had been here. But he was lost. How did a person get lost in their own hometown?<br /><br />Move away and stay away for fifteen years. That’s how he’d done it, anyway.<br /><br />Now he was late which was just perfect. He was only coming because his brother, Charlie, said he couldn’t do this without him and now he wasn’t going to make it in time. He glared at the empty expanse of dashboard. Of course his rental didn’t have a GPS—why use technology when you can keep right on making the same stupid mistakes forever?<br /><br />He should never have agreed to this. But Charlie had asked him. JT rolled down his window and took a good look at the streets of Statlerville. Something would ring a bell—show him the way.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">There</span>. St. Pete’s, his high school. His mom’s funeral was being held at the Statlerville Volunteer Fire Department hall. Four minutes tops and he’d be there. Looked like he was going to be on time after all.<br /><br /><p align="center">###</p><br /><br />Hailey was on the floor of the main treatment room at Viva, the rehabilitation and physical therapy center she ran. Her first appointment of the day, Rita Temple, rehabbing after a hip replacement, finished her last set of lifts when Hailey’s cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She handed the check out sheet to Rita as she opened the phone.<br /><br />“Hailey?” It was Sarah Finley, her best friend, speaking in a barely audible whisper.<br /><br />“Sarah, where are you? The opera?”<br /><br />“Melanie McNulty’s funeral. Olivia’s here.” Sarah paused. “Hailey, she’s sitting with the family.”<br /><br />Hailey stared blankly at the photo of Bing Crosby in White Christmas hanging in front of her on the wall of the treatment area. She couldn’t make her brain process what Sarah had said.<br /><br />Melanie McNulty had died three or four days ago; she’d missed a curve on Route 6 driving too fast in the dark. Hailey hadn’t realized the funeral was today, but her daughter apparently not only knew about it, she’d decided to skip school to be there. With the family.<br /><br />“I’m on my way,” she said before hanging up.<br /><br />She asked the receptionist to reschedule her clients because of a family emergency—which was so ironic she almost laughed—and was putting the key in the ignition of her ancient Mustang convertible before she realized that she hadn’t asked Sarah if JT was there.<br /><br />But he wouldn’t be there, would he? He’d never come back. She’d heard he never even spoke to his parents on the phone.<br /><br />He couldn’t be there because Olivia was there and that was bad enough…but not unfixable. As long as JT wasn’t there.<br /><br />The funeral was already underway when she got to the hall. She had a clear view up the aisle at Olivia. Her daughter had dressed up, wearing the navy sweater and kilt from last Thanksgiving, the extra half inch of thigh between the hem and her knee a heartbreaking reminder of how fast her girl was growing up and out of childhood.<br /><br />It was funny, she thought a moment later, how she might not have recognized her daughter. Olivia’s narrow back and tall-girl, teenage slouch looked unfamiliar only because she had one hand on the back of Jack McNulty’s wheelchair.<br /><br />Hailey’s eyes moved next to the two tall, broad-shouldered men in dark suits standing next to Olivia. Charlie. And unmistakably JT.<br /><br />JT McNulty was standing with Olivia. Olivia thought she was standing with her dad.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-67848328737438004392009-01-16T06:20:00.001-08:002009-01-16T06:27:13.768-08:00Reading Challenge: What's on your 2009 List?Last year, my friend, Diana Holquist, posted a reading challenge on her blog. I stole her idea and we had quite a fun time on eHarlequin posting our reading lists. I thought we might as well try it again this year, especially since I found some great books and new authors by reading the lists other folks posted! The eHarlequin post from last year is here: <a href="http://community.eharlequin.com/content/reading-challenge-whats-your-list"> 2008 Book Challenge</a>.<br /><br />So, here we go. You post 12 books you're planning to read in 2009. Doesn't have to be all romance--it's tons of fun to see the range of reading we all do.<br /><br />Here are the 12 books I've preselected.<br /><ol><li><em>Natural Born Charmer</em>--Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This was on my 2008 list and will continue to be on my list for as long as I'm reading books.</li><br /> <li><em>How to Tame a Modern Rogue</em>--Diana Holquist. She's the godmother of the list so she deserves a place of honor. Plus she's my buddy and I've read a bunch of drafts of this already but haven't seen the finished work. </li><br /> <li><em>A Cowboy's Redemption</em>--Jeannie Watt. I don't miss a Watt book, no matter watt. Heh.</li><br /> <li><em>What I Did for Love</em>--Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I can NOT wait.</li><br /> <li><em>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</em>--J.K. Rowling. I read this in 24 hours the day it was released. We were driving home from the beach and I devoured the book. Yum. I'm going to read it out loud to my 4th grader this year. I'm looking forward to seeing things I may have missed during that rush read. </li><br /> <li><em>Fever 1793</em>--Laurie Halse Anderson. I love her writing. I bought this for my older son for Christmas and I'm looking forward to stealing it back pronto.</li><br /> <li><em>The Eleventh Man</em>--Ivan Doig. Doig's novel, <em>Dancing at the Rascal Fair</em>, is one of my all-time favorites. His new one combines, sports, war, and a writer, all topics I love. Highly anticipated book!</li><br /> <li><em>Too Good to be True</em>--Kristan Higgins. Higgins was new-to-me in 2008. I loved the book of hers I read last year. Looking forward to a new one. </li><br /> <li><em>A Kid to the Rescue</em>--Susan Gable. Susan is responsible for my career so I'm obligated to read her books. <img src="/sites/all/modules/tinymce/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /> I would read them anyway, actually, because she's so good!</li><br /> <li><em>A Dance with Dragons</em>--George R.R. Martin. I doubt this book will actually be out in 2009. I'm putting it on my list in the hope that I can manifest it somehow. It's been toooo long, George. </li><br /> <li><em>How Green was my Valley</em>--Richard Llewellyn. Another old favorite. I thought I might read it again and see if my older boy would be old enough to enjoy it. </li><br /> <li>TBD--I'm saving this spot for one I scoop out of the recommendations others may post. I wonder what will catch my eye/mind/heart the way <em>Not Even if You Begged</em> (Francis Ray) did last year. </li></ol><br /><br />So that's my list. What's on yours?<br /><br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-72531637864200647832008-10-22T05:10:00.000-07:002009-05-02T19:34:47.134-07:00Public Service: Offload Mental Clutter Now<p>I was folding the socks this weekend and I realized that I have memorized the sock preferences for three people who aren't me. My husband and my sons all wear similar socks, but with key differences. If I don't remember the differences, I can't get the correct socks into the correct drawers. </p><p>Evidence:</p><ul> <li>My husband is the only one who does not wear his socks outside without shoes. Therefore, his socks are relatively clean and he likes to keep them that way.</li> <li>#2 son wears only AND1 brand socks and only the style that doesn't show above the sneaker and only in his exact size—no bigger socks need apply. </li> <li>#1 son wears all the other permanently dirty, too tall, too big socks. Except if they're scratchy. </li></ul><p>That's a lot of information, right? Does any of it have anything to do with writing? <em>Absolutely not</em>.</p><p>Which is my point.</p><p>I'm carrying all this useless knowledge around in my head which means I can instantly categorize and sort <em>other people's socks</em> and in the meantime I'm losing the plot threads and character motivations I've worked so hard to develop for my books.</p><p><u>C</u>ounter <u>P</u>roductive <u>M</u>emory <u>S</u>tuffing (CPMS) is harming my writing. So I'm reversing it. Right here, right now. I've typed up this sock trivia, entered it in my blog, and, therefore, removed it from my brain. <em>Poof</em>. <u>It's gone</u>. </p><p>Feels great.</p><p>Want to try? You don't have to be a writer—this offer is open to anyone with extra mind clutter! Do you know the names of all the Thomas trains? All the lyrics to <em>Jessie's Girl</em>? Still harboring the astrological signs of every boy you ever crushed on in junior high? Now's your chance to clear these items out for good.</p><p>Simply type your extraneous facts in a comment and this blog will retain that information so you can make room in your mind for the important things. Like character details. Or the date of the next Nordstrom's sale. Or the pitching rotation for the <strike>Red Sox</strike> Rays. </p><p>Go ahead and give it a try. You know you wanna. Come drop some facts on my blog, baby!</p><p>Ellen </p><p>P.S. For anyone who wonders how I will sort the socks this week now that I no longer remember whose are whose, "Good question." I won't. Because I can't. But guess what? I bet the boys (big and small) will work it out. They might be picky about their socks but they're resourceful.</p><p>P.P.S. For anyone who didn't have the lyrics to <i>Jessie's Girl</i> memorized but now as the chorus on an unending loop, sorry. <i>You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl. da na na na na na Jessie's girl. Where can I find a woman like that? Like Jessie's girl...</i>Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-56280491394760061612008-06-02T17:57:00.000-07:002008-06-02T19:23:55.461-07:00Mommy, where do books come from?"Mommy, where do books come from?"<br /><br />"Well, dear, if they're Harlequin books, it's likely they come from the warehouse in Buffalo, New York."<br /><br />"A book warehouse? What's that?"<br /><br />Glad you asked...<br /><br />A few weeks ago I had the enormous pleasure of participating in the Harlequin Customer Service Representative Appreciation day. It was a fascinating day, meeting the customer service representatives and touring the Harlequin distribution center.<br /><br />First thing I saw when I pulled in? Geese. Okay, that wasn't interesting. But the very next thing I saw was an eighteen-wheeler with the Harlequin logo on the side. That was totally cool. Too bad I forgot to take a picture. Next time.<br /><br />When I met with the customer service representatives I was delighted to bring them gifts. Thanks to the generosity of the other Superromance authors, I had piles of signed books, bookmarks, pens, and other small presents. I'd also collected signed book covers and made them into a collage thank you card.<br /><br />Sorry about the flash on the glass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESd5qAuK9I/AAAAAAAAACk/LYpUmZzQAFU/s1600-h/thanks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESd5qAuK9I/AAAAAAAAACk/LYpUmZzQAFU/s320/thanks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207460683002555346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Meeting the representatives was fascinating. They deal with a lot of <span style="font-style: italic;">interesting</span> questions. I was intrigued by how much really personal service these folks provide. It made me want to call them up after I got home just to chat about books. ;-)<br /><br />After the luncheon, I had a tour of the distribution center.<br /><br /><b>Warning:</b> The rest of this post includes extreme book geekery. If your idea of heaven on earth is a bookstore, read on. The rest of you are going to be bored.<br /><br />Harlequin has a short-run press in the facility that they use for <em>*wait for it*</em> printing short runs of books. Sometimes reprints, sometimes advance reader copies. Lots of different applications.<br /><br />Here's some paper waiting to go on the press. (I did warn you about the book geek thing, right?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESe76AuK-I/AAAAAAAAACs/OkZK1bAqlks/s1600-h/paper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESe76AuK-I/AAAAAAAAACs/OkZK1bAqlks/s320/paper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207461821168888802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My book geek soul was on fire when I took this photo. It's an actual book being printed. Sweet! You wouldn't believe how fast and intricate the process is--these long rolls get printed, folded, cut, and turned into a book in a few seconds. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESfL6AuK_I/AAAAAAAAAC0/Wy9W3G0-RBk/s1600-h/book_on_press.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESfL6AuK_I/AAAAAAAAAC0/Wy9W3G0-RBk/s320/book_on_press.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207462096046795762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Serendipity! I actually know the author whose book was being printed. <i>Hello Maggie Shayne's book on the press!</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESfbKAuLAI/AAAAAAAAAC8/pwaCiEVwuQY/s1600-h/maggie_book.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESfbKAuLAI/AAAAAAAAAC8/pwaCiEVwuQY/s320/maggie_book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207462358039800834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the books are printed and bound, the covers are glued on, and then they go up this conveyor belt to the machine that chops the edges off clean. (I'm sensing a Mr. Rogers vibe here.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESipaAuLBI/AAAAAAAAADE/CqZfwvYesgg/s1600-h/finished.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESipaAuLBI/AAAAAAAAADE/CqZfwvYesgg/s320/finished.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207465901387820050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Want to know what's inside the book warehouse? Books! See?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESi2aAuLCI/AAAAAAAAADM/QwLVmStt4J8/s1600-h/floor.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESi2aAuLCI/AAAAAAAAADM/QwLVmStt4J8/s320/floor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207466124726119458" border="0" /></a>Well, actually those are mostly boxes that the books are going to go into.<br /><br />Here are books.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESl_6AuLDI/AAAAAAAAADU/dtUxck6DMRw/s1600-h/stacks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESl_6AuLDI/AAAAAAAAADU/dtUxck6DMRw/s320/stacks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207469586469760050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, a close up of the very best kind of books. Superromance! This picture shows some of the June Supers. This is just one small portion of the copies of these particular books. These pallets were destined for K-Mart, I think.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESmcaAuLEI/AAAAAAAAADc/sgm3GIMPVLw/s1600-h/june_super.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GbJYl9dYlmM/SESmcaAuLEI/AAAAAAAAADc/sgm3GIMPVLw/s320/june_super.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207470076096031810" /></a><br /><br />That's it. Tour is over, folks. Now if anybody asks you where books come from, you know where to send them!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-29809705689404326112008-05-15T20:12:00.000-07:002009-03-04T03:52:31.558-08:00Questions No One Ever AskedI’m a technical writer. That means I write FAQs. Did you know that FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions? I bet you did. <br /><br />Did you also know that most FAQs are made up by technical writers and have nothing to do with actual questions anyone has ever asked? Yep. It’s like writing fiction, except about bytes and bandwidth and passwords. And also the FAQs are nonfiction. <em>Usually.</em><br /><br />Anyway, I’ve decided to do an FAQ for <em>His Secret Past</em>.<br /><ol><li>The lead character’s name is Mason Star and he’s a rock star. Weren’t you trying too hard with the name?<br /><br>Excellent question. Yes. Of course, I was trying too hard. My sister told me it was cheap. My editor told me it was cheap. My critique group told me it was cheap. But I am a sucker for a cheap name. So pulling from my bag of tricks, I wrote fictional backstory for the name, blaming it all on the parents. (Because in fiction, as in real life, it’s the parents’ fault.) Mason’s mom was a stripper who changed her name legally to Sierra Star. So he can’t help it that his name is cheesy.</li><br /><li>Did you ever play that game where you make a stripper name for yourself out of the name of your first pet and the name of the street you lived on when you were a kid?<br /><br>No. <br>Signed, <br>Dusty Monastery </li><br /><li>I have the same problems with my golf game that Mason has. If I follow Anna’s advice will my swing improve?<br /><br>Umm. No. And also you’ll probably get kicked off the course. Even your more reputable miniature golf courses aren’t going to stand for that kind of carrying on. I recommend instead, that you do what I did when I realized my golf game stinks. Retire. You get to spend more time in the clubhouse that way, and the clubhouse is where they keep the gin and the pretzels. </li><br /><li>On the cover of <em>His Secret Past</em>, Mason is wearing a tuxedo but he’s at the beach. Who wears a tuxedo to the beach?<br /><br><em>Sigh.</em> He’s at a wedding. Those are tables behind him, not sand dunes.</li><br /><li>On the cover of <em>His Secret Past</em>, Mason is wearing a tuxedo and there is sand all over the tables behind him. Was there a dust storm or did the bride actually have “sand” as her wedding color?<br /><br><em>Next!</em></li><br /><li>Did you have to pay Rob Lowe a lot of money to pose for the cover?<br /><br>Okay, you know what? I thought this was going to be a serious discussion. Who’s asking these questions anyway?</li><br /></ol><br />Any questions?<br /><br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-39274629987524313632008-04-14T21:38:00.000-07:002009-03-04T03:54:17.303-08:00Book TrailerMy friend, <a href="http://www.dianaholquist.com">Diana Holquist</a>, makes funny book trailers. <br /><br />A book trailer is like a movie trailer, except with a really, really, really low budget and no actors. The exception to this is the trailer for a book written by Dennis Hopper's daughter. Watching it I learned that industry connections go a long way toward improving the look and feel of the trailer. Where are <em>my</em> movie star relatives when I need them? <br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> Because I'm petty that way I'm not posting the title of that book or the author's name because who wants to advertise the competition? But if you did happen to go to Amazon and search for "celebutantes" you might find it.<br /><br />Anyway. If you'd like to see MY no budget, cheesy music, cut and paste 'cause we can't afford actors trailer, click here. What we lack in funding, we make up for in wit. Or in hot, hot men. Take your pick.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1ZL1GBrmjFM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1ZL1GBrmjFM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />P.S. Okay. Fine. Whatever. I'm not that petty. Here's the link to the <em>other</em> trailer. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Celebutantes-Amanda-Goldberg/dp/0312362293/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b">It's not that great, right? So it has real actors. Pffft. I don't see a towel <em>or</em> a tux. But is that Taylor Townsend??!!?</a><br /><br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-17943045982007381652008-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:002008-03-30T14:29:44.177-07:00Why I WriteI write because it’s tidy.<br /> <br />No, not the process. The process sucks. <br /><br />The writing process is a horrendous disaster involving way too many stimulants (all unhealthy although not, in my case, illegal), way too little sleep, and way too much self-doubt and bad temper. (Plus a little euphoria but I’m on a woe-is-me kick here so I won’t be admitting to that.)<br /><br />The tidiness comes in when I take life--big scrambles of human emotion and chaos--and sort it out on paper. I write romances, so my books have happy endings. The villains get theirs, the hero and heroine get some, and my psyche is at peace knowing that these people, the fictional ones, will do what I tell them when I tell them to do it.<br /><br />Non-fictional people do not respond to me in this way. They persist in leading their own messy lives, making bad decisions, living with ambiguity, and even, at times, settling for settling instead of striving for their Happily Ever After. Blech. Who wants to spend their time with people like that? <br /><br />(Note: I’m not, of course, speaking of any of the actual real people in my life. These are just, you know, hypothetical real people. The people in my life are so healthily well-adjusted and serene it’s freakish. <span style="font-style:italic;">Hi, Anne!</span>)<br /><br />The made-up people follow the three-act structure. They’re not only familiar with the hero’s journey, they live it, in perfect structural order, every time. When I provide the fictional people with a brilliant insight into their motivations, for example, “You can’t commit because your mom screwed you up when she left home in 1979,” they not only get what I’m saying, they change accordingly. Their fictional black moments end after a reasonable amount of time, instead of stretching on for years or decades or entire lifetimes.<br /><br />Maybe if I were able to get myself a job as the dictator of a mid-sized nation I would give up writing. Dictators no doubt get a lot of opportunities to tidy the lives of real people—for example, they can dictate that today is National Confront Your Insecurities Day and next Wednesday is National Stop Dating The Wrong Guy Day.<br /><br />But until that happy time when I manage to seize power, and as long as real life remains sticky, ambiguous, and full of people who don’t do as I tell them to do, I’ll write. <br /><br />And I’ll be happy while I’m doing it.<br /><br />(Had to get that happily ever after in there.) <br /><br />The End.<br /><br />If you write, why do you do it?<br /><br />Ellen<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(This post was inspired by the blog, <a href="http://whywewriteseries.wordpress.com/">"Why We Write</a>."</span>Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-23766168109576947792008-03-21T06:54:00.000-07:002008-03-21T07:11:59.446-07:00I'm Banning Words Today!In romance circles there are periodic kerfuffles about offensive language, themes, descriptions, and situations. I have always believed that it’s a big world out there and we should all just find something we do enjoy and ignore the other stuff. Who am I to tell you what words to write or read?<br /><br /><em>So open-minded, right?</em> <br /><br />Except…I decided I do care. And I also decided that I’m in charge. There are words that are offensive to me and I want them banned <u>right now</u>. <br /><br />Except...(another exception already? I suck at fanaticism)...I’m too lazy to figure out how to get things banned through official channels and I don’t really like petitions, besides, would <em>I</em> have to walk to all your houses to gather signatures? I'm exhausted just thinking about it. <br /><br />So this is a list of words I will forthwith cease and desist from employing in speech or written expression both professional and personal. (That’s a little petition language in case I do decide to come around your neighborhoods with a clipboard.) Please do feel free to join me in the bannage, though, ‘cause a protest is always more fun with a group.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">You're Outta Here!<br /></span><br /><strong>Ping:</strong> When used to mean you’ve contacted or attempted to contact another human being. Example: Did you ping Roy about the meeting on Friday? <br /><strong>Acceptable exceptions:</strong> Ping pong, ping pong table, and when discussing Ping the Duck. <br /><br /><strong>Euphemisms for erection:</strong> Sorry. There’s just no way to describe that little (or not) piece of physical business without using the proper name. Euphemisms including <em>arousal</em>, <em>length</em>, and <em>heat</em> all make me laugh. Not the desired response, especially not in that important moment. <br /><strong>Acceptable exceptions:</strong> Anything goes if you’re writing on the walls of a public restroom. Also, if you’re under the age of twelve and can’t say erection without giggling, I’ll give you a pass; everyone else, let’s grow up!<br /><br /><strong>Hopefully:</strong> We’ve had enough chances and we keep getting it wrong. This morning I used it incorrectly for possibly the first time since Sister Raymond explained it to me back in sixth grade. Therefore…BANNED!<br /><strong>Acceptable exceptions:</strong> None. Hopefully (insidious, isn’t it?), this one can be released in a few hundred years once the improper use has died out completely. I guess if you're one of those people who aren't bothered by this one, you can use it. I can't because then I hear Sister Raymond bellowing about slouching and sloth and other bad habits of poor grammarians. (I am <em>such</em> a bad fanatic.) <br /><br /><strong>Podcast:</strong> This goes in the banned-on-account-of-being-unnecessarily-complicated category. You know what a podcast is? It’s a recorded audio file you listen to online. Why was a new word invented when we already had <em>interview</em> and <em>audio</em> and <em>sound</em> and about a million straightforward ways to describe this thing without the techno-babble?<br /><strong>Acceptable exceptions:</strong> Allowable only in the inverted form, as when discussing shelled peas thus, “I cast the pod in the compost bin.”<br /><br />All right. That’s enough for today. I need to start googling Government+banned+Words+ellen+hates+Language+reformation+Starts+Now. Anybody want to toss a few more words on the scrap heap while I’m doing my homework?Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-70565265303917718792008-03-11T20:39:00.000-07:002008-03-11T20:49:05.563-07:00Excerpt: His Secret Past<strong><em>One Night Changed His Life Forever</em></strong><br /> <blockquote><em>Mason Star spent his teens living the fast life on the road with his band. Tragedy struck one rainy night when his tour bus crashed and a young fan was killed. Fifteen years later, Mason is struggling with his own teenage son who wants to quit high school and with the local zoning board that wants to take his home. <br />Anna Walsh may be able to save his bacon but she just might ruin his life in the process. </blockquote></em><br /><p>Mason went back toward where he’d parked his black Pontiac Firebird. It was the last thing remaining of his rough living Jersey boy days—he’d never been able to trade it in for a Subaru. He rested the poster display on the hood while he leaned on the car, patting the pockets of the suit jacket he’d worn in the hopes it would make him seem trustworthy. He might as well have worn camo.<br /><p>Just when he pulled out a pack of Marlboros and his silver lighter, a breeze kicked up and he turned his shoulder as he put a cigarette in his mouth and flicked the lighter. He dragged the smoke deep into his lungs and held it there, eyes closed, feeling the burn and savoring the scent.<br /><p>“Smoking’s not good for you.”<br /><p>Mason startled, releasing the smoke before he was ready. A woman was standing in front of him. He’d been so absorbed that he hadn’t heard her come up. She was about Stephanie’s height, a little less than shoulder high, but that was the only thing the two had in common.<br /><p>Where Stephanie was all neatly contained planes, this woman curved and swerved. Her light brown, gently curling hair was streaked liberally with dark gold and tumbled down her neck with smaller curls springing around her face. Her eyes, golden brown with a dark circle around the iris, tilted at the corners, contrasting exotically with her small, slightly upturned nose. He thought he’d recognize her if she was from the neighborhood—the way she filled her jeans was hard to overlook—but he’d better be civil on the chance she was one of <em>them</em>.<br /><p>“I only take the one drag a day.”<br /><p>“What?” The woman’s eyes widened in surprise and her expression was almost studious, like she was taking notes. She shoved quickly at the soft curls the wind had blown into her face, twisting and pushing them behind her ear. Mason caught the flash of chunky silver rings on slender fingers as her deft hands quickly and decisively tamed the curls. <em>Woman 1, Wind 0</em>.<br /><p>“One drag,” Mason said. “I kicked the habit but I miss it. The smell of it, the taste, the fire.” He flipped the top of the lighter back and flicked the wheel, smiling at her through the flame. “If the day really sucks, I take two drags.” <br /><p>He took a second long drag and then carefully ground the cigarette out on the edge of the trashcan next to the Firebird before tossing it in. “Haven’t had to take three yet, though.”<br /><p>The woman studied him intently, seemingly unconcerned that he had no idea who the hell she was. He thought he’d have remembered her if they’d met before. And okay, she was round and sexy with her curvy hips and the black v-neck T-shirt shaping itself to her, but he didn’t pick up strangers on the street. He grabbed the display, intending to cut this encounter. She could be an old fan—that still happened, someone recognized him and approached. But this woman with her sharp, studying gaze didn’t seem awestruck like a fan. <br /><p> “One drag,” she said. “That’s a fascinating detail. Weird and oddly masochistic, but fascinating.” She stuck her hand out. “Anna Walsh. Good to finally meet you, Mr. Star.”<br /><p><em>Ambush number three. Suddenly that third drag wasn’t so far out of the question.</em><br /><br /><br /><br />Copyright © 2000-2007 Harlequin Enterprises Limited.<br />All rights reserved.Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-52874187177875409062008-02-18T04:42:00.000-08:002008-02-18T04:47:27.855-08:00Meet Cute--What's Your Story?How'd you meet your honey? <br /><br />I'm in the mood for some romantic stories. (Or funny ones. Or weird ones. Or sad ones with a happy ending. Or just, you know, whatever you have. <em>Your story.</em>) <br /><br />Here's mine: <strong>New Year's Eve, early 1990s...</strong> I'd be more specific but I suck at dates. I honestly can't remember what year I met my husband. I'm sooo not a satisfactory spouse....<br /><br />My best friend was dating a guy who was friends with a guy on whom I'd had a massive crush in high school. (My hometown is like that.) We'll call my crush FBIL. (This acronym makes sense. I promise.) So my friend told me she'd set me up with FBIL (pronounced Fibill) as my date to this fancy party we were going to.<br /><br />I got dollied up. I had a new dress I'd bought for my company holiday party. A new hair cut I'd gotten for the same occasion. I was also newly free of my most recent odious boyfriend and ready to celebrate with a no strings New Year's Eve good time. <br /><br />I went to the party with my friend who swore FBIL was meeting us there. I waited. Had a gin and tonic. Danced with some people I knew from high school. Waited some more. Eventually even someone as optimistic as me could tell FBIL had decided to blow me off. <br /><br />Then my friend came screeching up to deliver the bad news/good news. Bad news? FBIL was, indeed, a no show. Good news? His younger brother had come instead. She pointed. I looked. That, my friends, was that.<br /><br />Of course, it wasn't exactly <em>that</em>. He took some convincing. I employed wiles. I had to work the dress and ply him with strong drink and invoke the "you must kiss the person next to you at midnight" rule. But in the end I won. <br /><br />We dated cross-country (Seattle to Hoboken) for a year or so. I proposed. He was startled into a yes. We got married and he's still not quite sure what hit him.<br /><br />I know exactly what hit me. It was love at first sight. He is my New Year's prince and always will be. Sweetest guy in the world. Charming and poised. A very hot dancer. Deeply, subversively funny. Kind, kind, kind, and always thoughtful. Generous. Stylish. Patient. I definitely lucked out that night. <br /><br />So that's my "meet cute." What's yours?<br /><br />(FYI: FBIL = Future Brother-in-Law. As an in-law, he's just right. As a date, we wouldn't have made it past 9:00.) <br /><br />EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-11484962905131029972008-01-07T13:08:00.000-08:002008-01-08T17:08:50.697-08:002008 Reading Challenge--What's on Your List?My friend, Diana Holquist, posted a <a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=160681826&blogID=345039892&Mytoken=211CA8F1-FDE3-48C7-AA54A69EF9B390AD73921092">reading challenge on her blog</a>. I decided to take her up on it. The idea is that you post 12 books you're planning to read in 2008. She posted all romance, I'm not doing that because my romance choices tend to be based on my mood--I can't plan ahead!<br><br>I'm also joining the <a href="http://community.eharlequin.com/book-challenge" target="new">100,000 Book Challenge</a> at eHarlequin. If the participants read 100,000 books in 2008, Harlequin will donate 100,000 books to a charity. Sounds pretty nice! The "rules" say you should try to read 100 books, you have to keep a blog about them, and 50% should be published by Harlequin. I was a perennial participant in the summer read-a-thons at my neighborhood library when I was a kid so I hope I'll be able to keep up with this challenge.<br><br>Here are the 12 books I've preselected. <br><br>1. <i>Choke</i> by Chuck Palahniuk -- I LOVE his books.<br><br> 2. <i>The Zookeeper's Wife</i> by Diane Ackerman -- My mom gave it to me and she'll keep asking until I read it. Also, it looks great. <br><br>3. The first Hightower book by <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=169446377">Gwyneth Bolton</a> -- Have you seen the "inspirational" photos she used? Hummina! <br><br>4. <i>The Brother Returns</i> by <a href="http://www.jeanniewatt.com/" target="new">Jeannie Watt</a> -- I loved <i>The Horseman's Secret</i>. Plus! Brothers!!!<br><br>5. <i>Independence Day</i> by Richard Ford -- Do I have to say why?<br><br>6. <i>Outlander</i> by Diana Gaboldon -- My friend Diana had it on her list, I've always wanted to read it, and we can discuss it while relaxing with a drink at RWA. (Let's hope we've both read it by then.) <br><br>7. Whatever people recommend by J.R. Ward -- I have to find out what the buzz is about. <br><br>8. <i>Natural Born Charmer</i> by Susan Elizabeth Phillips -- I read this at least once every six months<br><br>9. The March Super Romances -- Baby Month!<br><br>10. Something by <a href="http://www.kimberlyvanmeter.com/" target="new">Kimberly Van Meter</a> -- I'm dying to read one of hers. (Not sure which one I'll get my hands on first...)<br><br>11. <i>Ysabel</i> by Guy Gavriel Kay -- I've loved every book he ever wrote. Just waiting for the paperback. <br><br>12. <i>The God of Animals</i> by Aryn Kyle -- I read about this one on the Amazon "Best of 2007" and it sounds up my alley--it's a YA about a motherless girl and a taciturn dad.<br><br>What books are you going to read this year?<br><br>Peace,<br>EllenEllen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-40449137520204565862008-01-01T19:46:00.000-08:002008-01-01T19:53:20.867-08:00Rock Stars and Romance, Why Not?When I started writing romance, I memorized the "rules."<br><br>1. Do write a happy ending.<br>2. Don't confuse a misunderstanding with dramatic tension.<br>3. Do make your characters honorable even when they're doing bad things.<br>4. Don't, <i>under any circumstances</i>, write about a rock star.<br><br>Oops. <br><br>[/whiny voice on] <i>I couldn't help myself.</i> [/whiny voice off] This guy showed up in my brain one day and he was a rock star. He just <i>was</i>. And I had to write about him, despite the romance rule that says rock stars don't sell. Because he was hot and funny and really wounded by life. <i>Oh, dear.</i><br><br>So I wrote <i>His Secret Past</i> and I like it and Harlequin said they'll publish it and I'm glad. Because I don't get it, what's not to love about a man with a guitar? Close your eyes for a minute and imagine your favorite rock guy. (If any of you are seeing a member of KISS, please close the blog and back away slowly until you can think of a more appropriate image.) Aren't the rock guys hot? <br><br>Faith Hill could pretty much get anybody and she picked Tim, right? Tim's a rock star and I'd read a book about him. Honest. I wouldn't just look at the pictures. <br><br>Watch the video for <a href="http://www.cmt.com/videos/tim-mcgraw/26532/the-cowboy-in-me.jhtml" target="new">"The Cowboy in Me."</a> I dare you not to approve her choice. (Yes, I'm aware of all the potential dont's involved with Tim McGraw, including the facial hair, the hat/tank top combo, the hat on its own, and the too-tight jeans. It doesn't matter. He's TIM. He's breaking the rules just like me. How very rock and roll of us.)<br><br>I'm perplexed about why this is the one profession that's off limits for romance. I mean, if you took a perfectly ordinary looking guy, draped a guitar around his neck, pointed a spotlight at him, and played the opening of "Sweet Child O' Mine" behind him, his attractiveness would sky rocket. I know this because I tried it with my own husband earlier tonight. Except the spotlight part, because that would be weird.) If you have a man and a guitar and some Guns 'n Roses tracks, test it yourself. Do a before and after. See what I mean? <br><br>I'm going to rewrite the romance rules. Rock is now <b>in</b> and the following professions are <b>out</b>:<br>1. […]<br><br>Huh. I'll have to get back to you because I'm having trouble thinking of something that wouldn't be sexy under the right circumstances. It's a big world. There's room for a rock star romance. Right? <br><br>Questions for you: Why do you think this taboo exists? And, on a completely shallow note, who is the sexiest rock star you know? (Video and/or photographic evidence is always welcome.)Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3960250194381241296.post-86987704689366920222007-12-07T21:07:00.000-08:002007-12-07T22:06:38.480-08:00I Need a Romance that SatisfiesOn the eHarlequin boards earlier this week we were talking about satisfying romances. In my opinion, (This is my blog, do I even need to say “in my opinion?” It’s pretty much a given, right?) it's harder for me to be satisfied by a romance than by literary fiction. <br /><br />I read a lot. All the time. I'm one of those reading-and-walking people who are always bumping into stop signs. Luckily I work at a college and the sidewalks are kept up so I haven't broken an ankle. Yet. <br /><br />I read a lot of literary fiction, some fantasy, and, of course, romance. (Thrillers give me nightmares and mysteries make me feel stupid.)<br /><br />I'm much more willing to keep reading literary fiction even if the book isn't working for me on some level. For example, I’ve been satisfied by great writing without much plot. (See Ford, Richard. <span style="font-style:italic;">The Sportswriter</span>.) I’ve been satisfied by great characters even when they aren’t people I’d ever want to meet. (See Bukowski, Charles. <span style="font-style:italic;">Factotum</span>.) I’ve been utterly satisfied for reasons I’ll never understand because most of the book was incomprehensible to me. (See McCarthy, Cormac. <span style="font-style:italic;">Suttree</span>.)<br /><br />But if a romance is going to satisfy me, it has to have each and every one of the following things:<br /><ol><br /><li>A hero I can imagine falling in love with. He’s got to be vulnerable and heroic. (Yes, at the same time.) Bonus if he has dark hair.</li><br /><li>A heroine I can imagine wanting to have as a friend. She’s got to be vulnerable and heroic. (Yes, at the same time.) Bonus if she's got some curves.</li><br /><li>Dialogue that surprises me and makes me laugh. (Hi. Hi. How are you? Good. Good. What’s for dinner? Noooooooo!)</li><br /><li>Believable people in believable situations that are fantastic enough to give the book tension.</li><br /><li>Villains who are deliciously evil and get their just desserts served up by the good guys.</li><br /><li>Tons of romance. Romantic gestures, slow dancing, quirky, just right wish-fulfillment.</li><br /><li>Love scenes I can read without skimming. (Interpret <span style="font-style:italic;">that</span> any way you like.)</li><br /><li>Double-bonus points if the ending makes me cry.</li><br /></ol>That’s probably not even all I need to be satisfied by a romance. That's a minimum.<br /><br />Hard to please, aren't I? There's a second list of things that ruin a romance for me: alpha men, pregnant heroines, shape shifters, to name three. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of these, they’re just not my romantic cup of tea. (In literary fiction I’d have no problems reading about any of them.)<br /><br />It comes down to reader expectations. When I read literary fiction I expect the author to hold my attention and show me something. I’m not fussy about the details. With romance fiction, however, I’m expecting a fairly specific emotional journey. If a romance isn’t emotionally satisfying, what’s the point of reading it? The plot? <br /><br />And now, if you’ve stuck it out this far, what do you need from a romance? What would make you throw the book across the room?Ellen Hartmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157536256687246821noreply@blogger.com4