July Newsletter

Greetings to all!

            It's that time of year again, the "lazy, crazy days of summer."  Here at the lake, the buzz of motor boats can be heard at any time, from dawn till dusk.  Fishing tournaments are in full swing, and we often watch people at play on jet skis, water skis and that old stand by, the inner tube.  Our Fourth of July celebration will have a lake theme this year.  At 9:00 PM on the great day, we'll be cranking up the pontoon boat and joining our neighbors at a nearby cove where they put on an annual fireworks display.  As with similar displays set off over water, the reflections in the lake will double the delight.  It should be a fine night for it since temperatures are predicted to be in the balmy 70 – 75 degree range. 

            I've only been back a couple of days from the two-week Mediterranean cruise I told you about last month.  Jet-lag is still has me in its toils.  The main symptom is a tendency to start yawning around six in the evening—since that's midnight in Rome.  And then, of course, I awake at 3:00 AM, ready to get to work.  But all will be back to normal in a day or two, and the trip was well worth any minor wear-and-tear.

            The cruise, undertaken with my two daughters, Lindy and Kathy, was wonderful; we saw so much, did so much, that my mind is a jumble.  My main impression, however, is absolute wonder at the incredible feats people accomplished with their limited means 2000 – 3000 years ago.  We saw the Parthenon and Acropolis above their olive groves; the Blue Mosque and also Topkapi Palace with its outrageous jewels; Ephesus; the crusades-era castle at Rhodes, also everything in Rome worth goggling at.  We drank from the Trevi Fountain, or at least the designated public water spout of it—I didn't know until this trip that you could still drink from the spring-fed fountains of Rome.  The last time I was there, the Trevi was being renovated so I missed tossing my coin in it, but did that this time.  We saw all three "active" volcanoes in Italy (Mt. Vesuvius, Mt. Etna and Mt. Stromboli) and walked the streets of Herculaneum where Roman philosophers had trod.  We bought Murano glass jewelry and jewelry made of ancient Roman glass, ate true Italian pizza and gelato.  I also took a solo day trip to the Cinque Terre seacoast, seeing the town of Lerici where Shelley died in a storm and his wife wrote about Frankstein's monster, and Porto Venere where Bryon stayed.  And at a small shop in the seaside resort town of Monterosso, I met an elegant, older Italian gentleman in a doorway.  He looked me up and down, made a delicate gesture with thumb and forefinger toward my outfit of ankle-length dark blue/white printed skirt, white, lace-edge tank, white over shirt with embroidery in shades of blue and navy sandals, and said with a warmly appreciative smile, "Verry Niczze."  What more could a romance author want?

            Waiting for me on my return were the AAs, or page proofs, for my February 2009 release, GALLANT MATCH.  It's my job as the author to read through these for any final errors—in case you ever wondered what writers do when they aren't writing.  Since the package arrived just after I left for Rome, the deadline for returning the corrections was near.  It was necessary to plunge into them as soon as I could get cobwebs out of my brain caused by 24 hours of traveling.  Rather than try to ship the whole proofed manuscript back, I listed the errors and sent that by email yesterday—only to discover than my editor had gone on vacation and won't return until July 8.  Will my corrections be included in the final book?  We'll see.  (Update here: Messages from both an editorial assistant and administrative assistant arrived a few minutes ago, assuring me the corrections would be added at once.  Big sigh of relief.)

            The cover for GALLANT MATCH should be available soon.  Since a large section of the book takes place aboard a sailing steamer and in Mexico, I'll be interested in seeing if Mira catches this exotic flavor in the artwork.  I'll let you know as soon as it's posted on my web site, at: www.jenniferblake.com.

            One thing my two daughters and I did, while cruising in the Mediterranean, was to plan new book projects.  They will be collaborating with me on a series of historical romances set in New Orleans, circa 1840-1850.  What fun, planning these stories!  Three heads are always better than one when it comes to brainstorming, and what developed between us while hovering around a laptop on the Lido deck was neat beyond words.  These stories will have a quirky originality that readers are sure to enjoy.  I can't wait for them to hit the stands.

            Meanwhile, I'll be creating a proposal for another romance set in the same time period.  Though not precisely a continuation of the Masters at Arms series, it will use a character from CHALLENGE TO HONOR, Denys, brother to the book's heroine.  Another story or two in a similar vein may follow.  This all depends on upcoming contract negotiations, however, so isn't set in stone.  But what a great way to spend the rest of the summer, leisurely making up stories that won't have to be written until the fall and winter.

            Yesterday I received, by DHL delivery, four copies of the Czech hardcover publication of an older title, ROYAL PASSION.  It's fascinating to see the covers for these foreign editions with their different interpretations of romantic figures, and I love having a copy on my shelves.  But what to do with the extras?  Some writers toss them, some donate them to libraries, others pass them on to readers, at least for the more common languages.  I've done all three at one time or another.  After more than two decades of getting multiple copies in different languages for more than 50 books, however, I'm running out of room to house what I can't use, and I hate destroying them!  FYI: ROYAL PASSION is available in the U. S. as both a print-on-demand title and electronic download from a variety of sources, from Amazon.com and Fictionwise.com to E-Reads.com.

            I don't do a lot of public speaking these days, but have agreed to one engagement so far in 2009.  This will be for a reading group, the Arcadia Literature Club.  The meeting will be at the Bienville Parish Library, Arcadia, Louisiana, February 9, 2009 at 2:00 PM.  If you're in the area, feel free to join us.

            Writers, being human, enjoy fan mail, and email makes this an easy process these days.  Now and then, a message comes along that strikes a special note.  The one that follows popped up in my email box this past month:

            "I'm writing to ask if it is possible to get signed bookplates or if there is an address to which I could send a SASE with some blank bookplates to be signed (provided you have the time to do so, of course.) I'm asking because I've just fallen in love with the Masters at Arms Series. I was out looking for books to take to the beach this week and I picked up the first book on SAT thinking, "Well, set in New Orleans, different type hero, strong female lead...this looks like it might at least be a little different from the norm." I read the book in one sitting that afternoon! So SUN I went out for the next book (to take it to the beach) and stayed up SUN night to read it. MON I went out, bought the next two and IMMEDIATELY packed them in the luggage! These stories are a perfect combination of romance, suspense, history and just enough spice. It seems many historical romances have gone the way of 'erotica goes to the costume ball' and frankly, if I wanted erotica, I'd read it. When I pick up an historical romance, I want romance. Yes, passion is part of that, but some details I just don't need to read. Anyway, these books will be kept in my personal library, something very rare for romances. It's been over ten years since I added a romance author to my favorites list. I read many (many, many, many) but very few appeal enough to make me want to reread them and as I have over 2,000 books in my home, if it won't be reread, it has to go. There are a few others, but up until now, only Stephanie Laurens and Julia Quinn were guaranteed a trip to the bookstore on release day and a spot in the library. FEB 2009 will find me eagerly awaiting Gallant Match (as it comes right after my birthday (1/31) I'll even have a gift card to purchase it. So, if at all possible, I would like to add signed bookplates to my copies. Please let me know if this can be arranged. And most of all, Thank You for a great series. (Now if I can just stay out of the luggage for a few more days...)"

            Nothing is quite so gratifying to an author as the knowledge that their books have become "keepers."  It suggests that something about the story world they created made the reader want to hold on to and revisit it at some point.  Did I sign bookplates for this lady?  Of course!  And I'll be glad to do the same for anyone else.  Just contact me directly to arrange it.

            That's about it for this month.  Have a grand Fourth!

           

Warmest wishes,

Jennifer

--
Challenge to Honor, 2005
Dawn Encounter, 2006
Rogue's Salute, 2007
Guarded Heart, 2008
Gallant Match, 2009

Triumph in Arms, 2010

June Newsletter

 

Greetings to all. 

As I write this, my printer is spitting out the pages for the final draft of TRIUMPH IN ARMS, Book 6 of my Masters at Arms series.  It will go to my editor tomorrow, if not sooner.  The deadline was June 1, so it's a bit late.  As this book won't see publication until early 2010, that's fine, however; a day or two won't make much difference.  And yes, this is my excuse for why the newsletter is late this month…

For those new to the newsletter list (welcome!), I will have another a book out before TRIUMPH sees the light of day.  This will be GALLANT MATCH set for release in February 2009, with the Kentucky sword master Kerr Wallace as its hero.  I recently read and okayed the copy edits for this book.  In the letter from my editor which accompanied the copy-edited manuscript, she said:  "the scenes following the shipwreck (yes, there is one in the book.) are amazing, and I adored the dueling scene at the end."  It's always inspiring when your editor likes what you've done.

So what's next?  I'm not sure, since TRIUMPH IN ARMS is the final book of the Masters at Arms series and the last book in my current contract.  I'll be taking time off this summer to make up my mind.  It's not a case of having nothing to write, but rather of too many ideas.  I need a clone!  Meantime, I'll be leaving later in the month for a Mediterranean cruise with ports of call for Rome, Naples, Florence, Athens, Rhodes, Istanbul and a couple of others.  It's a "girl" trip, with my two daughters as traveling companions.  I'm sure we'll have a grand time, since we always do.  Who knows, we might even plot a book or two in collaboration on this trip.  I'm taking my laptop, just in case.

I'll also be taking my Sony eReader that I told you about last month.  At this moment, I have more than 40 books loaded on it, everything from travel classics by Robert Lewis Stevenson and Virginia Wolfe to contemporary romances.  My luggage will be much lighter without the 4 – 5 books I usually take on vacation.

Foreign sales this month include DAWN ENCOUNTER, book 2 of  the swordsmen series, to Japan.  I often wonder what people in other countries think of my stories.  Sometimes, I get a hint.  Not long ago, a reader in Austria sent bookmarks with a request to have them signed to go in her German language book collection.  When I received them, they were enclosed in several different envelopes.  To get them to me, she had sent them (in care of my pen name) from Austria to my German publisher in Munich.  The person assigned to forwarding author mail there apparently made a trip to Malta, for the next envelope was postmarked from there.  This went to my agent in New Y ork.  Then someone in his office enclosed it in the final envelope with my home address.  So much trouble for my signature.  Amazing.

The summer is moving along here on the lake.  My daylilies are a sea of color in three large beds between the house and the water.  Often on weekends we notice boats easing past the house to look at them.  But it's getting hot here, with temps in the 90s this week—it will soon be time to retreat from Louisiana's heat by staying under the A/C or else heading to our summer place in the Colorado.  Who knows, that may be where you'll hear from me next.

The printer has finished its job now, and it's time for lunch.  Afterward, I'll write the letter to my editor that will go with the manuscript.  Then I think I'll go stretch out somewhere and read something written by somebody else!  Hope your afternoon and evening are just as relaxed and your first month of summer as glorious.

Warmest wishes,

Jennifer

 

Note:

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March Newsletter

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter – March, 2008

Greetings:

The newsletter is late this month, I know—but I have the perfect excuse. I’ve been hard at work these past few days on the final chapter of book 6 in the Masters at Arms series. I wrote its last line yesterday afternoon in the middle of a thunderstorm and tornado watch. For better or worse, the rough draft is done then. I still have three months of editing and polishing ahead of me before it’s shipped to my editor, but the hardest part is over.

The final line of the book (for the moment, at least) turned out to be: “Oh, why not?” In celebration of the book’s completion, I had a couple of Dove dark chocolates after I wrote them. Guess what the positive affirmation printed on the wrapper of the first chocolate said? Right: “Why not?” You can’t make these things up…

E-reads, the electronic book publisher (http://www.ereads.com/) is going online with more and more of my older, out-of-print titles, with 22 listed at present. As electronic book readers gain in popularity and decline in price, I believe this type of sales outlet will become more and more important for writers. E-Reads is a pioneer in the technology, and has literally hundreds of books available for download in all genres. Do check out their databank of authors and titles if you have a little free time. The web site is well organized and has amazing content. You never know, an e-reader may be in your future.

The Romantic Times Convention in Pittsburgh is drawing closer. I’ll be on hand there April 16-20 at the Hilton Hotel Downtown. Along with Bertrice Small and Roberta Gellis, both of whom I’ve known for years, I’ll be presenting a workshop of a different kind on Friday, April 18, 3 – 4pm. The title: “How to Use Historical Facts without Crossing the Line into Plagiarism.” We will all be on hand for the convention book fair as well, a huge book signing with more than 250 authors that will take place on Saturday, the 19th, 11am – 2 pm. This should be a fantastic event. Do drop by if you’re in the neighborhood.

My husband and I live on a lake in northern Louisiana, as you may know if you’ve ever read the bio in the back of my recent books. This morning, I looked out and saw a flock of about two hundred large black birds resting on the water. They turned out to be migrating cormorants, known locally as water turkeys, and not too unusual a sight for us since we’re in the path of the Central U. S. Fly-way. Mixed in with the cormorants, however, were a dozen or so huge white birds. Were they geese, herons, swans, some type of tame duck? Out came the binoculars. Pelicans! Wow. Since we are over 250 miles from the coast, it’s unusual for us to see these—this is our first time in the ten years we’ve lived on the lake. Last week, we also saw a small group of sea gulls, another first. I can only guess the visitations have something to do with the change in the weather pattern this winter. Record snow for some, sea gulls and pelicans for us—I’m okay with that. Really, I am.

It’s chilly today, in the low 40s, but outside the daffodils and narcissus are blooming, also the red buds and purple-leaf plums, the camellias and, my favorite, the sweet olives. Maple trees are shedding old blooms and weeping willows showing whips of green. It’s been a long winter for us with few of the balmy days that normally make the Deep South such a nice place to spend the winter. Spring is on its way, however, and I’m doing everything I can to send it northward to all of you who are still enduring snow and ice. Hold on. It’s coming.

Warmest wishes,
Jennifer

A Day in the Life

Ever wonder what a day is like in the life of a writer?  As with everyone else in the world, it differs according to what's happening around them, still, just for the fun of it, here's today, 02-07-08:

 

Up at 3:30 a.m.  I woke earlier and couldn't go back to sleep, started thinking about the book in progress and just decided to get up.  Made a cup of coffee and carried it from the kitchen to my office, a matter of a dozen steps.  On the way, I turned up the thermostat, since I was in robe, gown and slippers and the second floor of the house was chilly.

 

My computer was up and running – it's been sluggish lately, taking forever to boot up after being off, so I'd left it on.  Sat down in front of it, brought up the book file, Masters at Arms #6.  Annoyed all over again by the problem I've been having with the paragraphing.  Somehow or other, the format style in use inserts two double spaces between every paragraph.  Not good, since it's throwing off the page count.  Sudden bright idea: change the formatting to "Normal" then use Ctl-2 to create the required double spacing for the lines.  Then change the font from Arial, the default, back to Courier New 12.  Aha, problem fixed!  Except the "fix" removed all the indentions for paragraphs.  Rats.

 

On the theory that it will take less time to redo all the indents than it might to figure out how to retrieve them, I set out to do that.  Fine.  Except going back through the manuscript calls for a change here, a change there.  Three hours later, I'm only half done with this job and it's time to walk the dogs (Maltese-poodle mix named Luckster and shih tzu called Buffy) then head back upstairs to make coffee so my husband and I can have it in bed.

 

An hour spent, coffee up in hand, watching Robin on CNN and Carl, Becky, Joe and the gang on CNBC's Squawk Box.  Crawl back out of bed again and jump in the shower, get dressed in jeans, turquoise T-shirt, blue jean shirt and walking shoes.  Breakfast is cereal for my husband, but an omelet for me because I'm on a high protein diet.  He didn't want an omelet, okay?

 

Back at the computer, I finish indenting everything, then decide to make certain all my chapter headings and the space above them is the same, also that no one chapter is longer than I want it – trying to do shorter chapters these days for the sake of readers .  Divided one chapter, so I am now working on Chapter 15 instead of 14 out of a projected 24 chapters.  Great.  Except that with the removal of the extra space between paragraphs, I've "lost" 18 pages.  I'm now on page 233 instead of 255 for my goal of a 400 page manuscript.  Hmm.  Looks like I may need to come up with a couple more scenes to go in here somewhere.  So I'll figure out how much story I have left and what else can happen.  Nothing like being organized…

 

Since I enjoy writing in pen and ink, I turn from the computer to my desk and a nice legal pad from Levenger's.  Do I feel like the Sheaffer pen with black ink or the Lalex with Bahama Blue.  Blue has it.  But maybe I need a cup of tea to help with brainstorming.

 

Got the tea, Twinings Lady Gray with artificial sweetener in the gift cup from my daughter that reads: "Live Boldly.  Take Risks.  Make Somebody say, What the Hell was THAT all about."  Good advice.  Time for serious concentration since half of writing is thinking about what can happen next.

 

Uh-oh.  Ran across the handwritten notes made yesterday about the book's next scene, which happens to be a major love scene.  Since I have another idea or two about it, I capture these first.  My hero has to settle an issue for the heroine that's left over from her first marriage to a wimp.  Plus, he has to put the theme of the book into words.  Tall order for this sword master, but he can do it.  I hope.  Somehow.  Eventually.

 

Well, darn, drank my tea while pondering a love scene with an injured hero and still haven't solved the problem of creating added scenes.  The love scene is clearer in my mind, however.  Maybe I should just write that first.  Nah, not in the mood.  Still need to work on the emotional aspect, not to mention the hole in his side.  Let it simmer on the back burner a little longer. 

 

Jotted down a point or two which should add 20 – 30 more pages to the story.  Still need more but can't think just now.  Too close to lunch time for serious contemplation.  Maybe I'll check my email since I haven't done that today.  Lovely message from Natalia in Spain ("Dear fantastic Jennifer Blake" she writes – good thing she doesn't know I'm having such problems today.).  She loves my books and I've inspired her to write.  Always grand to hear.  Zap a note of thanks.  Another message from someone who would like my advice on what to do with her historical romance manuscript as to agents, publishers and improvements.  Whoa, that could take a while.  Recommend joining Romance Writers of America and accessing all the great how-to articles on the web site -- but also relent and take five minutes to give basic newbie advice such as to avoid vanity publishers.

 

Lunch is a hot dog minus the bun and served with leftover sautéed cauliflower—the diet, remember.  Yeah, leftovers.  What, you thought I had a chef?  Time to walk the dogs again, afterward.  Stroll to the "Y", which is the Y-shaped junction where our private drive joins the main road, about a half mile for the round trip.  Stop at the rural mailbox on the way back.   Nothing interesting, a gardening catalog and a notice from AT&T.  Lovely sunshiny day with temps in the 50s though the cool wind off the lake makes a jacket feel good.  Stop to pick a bouquet of narcissus.  Make a note to go look at the camellias later.  They're trying to bloom out again, though the last round of blooms were turned to brown mush by a freeze.

 

Arrange the flowers in an antique blue and white vase and set it on my desk.  Lovely fragrance, ought to be inspiring.  Back to pen and ink, the Sheaffer and black this time, to try for the basic events that will happen in the remainder of the book.

 

Success at last.  Two full pages of notes, approximately 50 different ideas divided among the final 9-10 chapters as a blueprint.  A good day's work, after all, even if the book isn't a single word longer.  It's now 3:30 and I've been at this, one way or another, for 12 hours.  Time to quit, go look at the camellias, then pick up the old Patricia Wentworth murder mystery on my bedside table.

 

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February Newsletter

Hello Everyone:

So here we are, in the month of romance.  Drum roll, please!—GUARDED HEART was officially released on 01-29-08.  That's right, this new story, book #4 in the Masters at Arms series, should be on the shelves now, in plenty of time for Valentine's.  It was shipped a couple of weeks ago in boxes stamped with January 29 as the "lay-down" date, or the date it should be shelved.  The purpose of this was to cluster initial sales around a single day so they show up together for positioning on best seller lists.  Well, we can hope anyway…

Reviews continue to come in for GUARDED HEART.  Maria Shaink at Romance Junkies gave the book their highest award of Five Blue Ribbons.  It's at:

http://www.romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/historical/Guarded_Heart.shtml

Romance Reviews Today's Lisa Baca has also been complimentary: http://www.romrevtody.com

Well-known reviewer of romance novels, Harriet Klausner, had good things to say as well, avowing that this Masters at Arms tale was written by "(a) master writer:

http://genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com/2007/12/guarded-heart-jennifer-blake.html

In the meantime, I'm finally in the writing groove after the holidays, have progressed to just over the halfway mark with book #6 of the Masters at Arms series, TRIUMPH IN ARMS.  (For those new to the newsletter, book #5, GALLANT MATCH, is on my editor's desk and will be published in 2009.)  It's taken most of January to get to this point since several new ideas cropped around Christmas, ideas which required going back and inserting quite a few extra pages in the first few chapters.  I think the book is stronger for them, however, which makes the delay worthwhile.  Also, you may remember that I was debating back in the fall over whether to cut the prologue written for the story?  It has a permanent place now.  It seems the book wouldn't be same without it.

For foreign sales this month, two older titles were licensed for publication in Poland, ROYAL SEDUCTION and WILDEST DREAMS.  One of these days, I'm going to add up how many times RS has been issued in different formats (hardcover, trade paperback, book club, large print, mass market paperback, electronic, etc.) and also how many different languages.  This 1983 title just goes on and on.

I mentioned last month that I'd been doing email interviews to be posted on a couple of blogs.  The first of these covers my career, including working methods, research, New Orleans as a setting, etc.  It's now posted on the blog of fellow author Shauna Roberts.  Shauna is a member of SOLA (South Louisiana chapter of Romance Writers of America) and former resident of New Orleans though she's recently relocated to California.  Be sure to take a look at her other blog entries and the rest of her great site if you investigate this interview.  The address is:

http://shaunaroberts.blogspot.com/

Shauna has also begun a monthly interview series on the Orange County Romance Writers blog which is called, appropriately enough, "A Slice of the Orange."  Her focus here is on things authors wish they'd known when they started in the business, so is personalized advice for beginning writers.  For this one, go to:

http://occsliceoforange.blogspot.com/

Over the past few days, I've been playing with my latest toy, high speed Internet.  We live so deep in the backwoods here on the lake that this is just getting to us.  What fun—though it's also a time-stealer.  Because of this new set up, I have a different email address.  Though my old AOL address will remain active for a while, I can be contacted now at either jennifer@jenniferblake.com or jenniferblake001@bellsouth.net

Valentine's Day, as we romantic types know so well, is just around the corner.  My husband and I will probably eat out since that's our tradition.  There will be decadent chocolates, of course, and I'll make a pie for him as I've done since we first married.  What kind?  Lemon, as that's his favorite.  At one time, it would have been a Cherry Pie-O-My, made with the milk, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice then topped with cherry pie filling.  I made this every Valentine's for nearly twenty years, and he ate it, too -- until I overheard him telling someone he really doesn't like cherries!  To eat a pie you don't like for twenty years just because your wife made it for you?  Ah, romance.

With warmest wishes for love and romance every day of the year,

Jennifer

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Link to Romantic Times Content

Below is the link to the content posted on the Romantic Times Magazine Web site for GUARDED HEART.  When I was asked to provide the 500 word excerpt that's included, I knew exactly the scene I wanted.  It really captures the essence of the story, I think -- not to mention being immense fun to write.  It will be available until January 28.

 

http://www.romantictimes.com/jenniferblake.htm

 

Warmest,

Jennifer

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January Newsletter

Hello to all:

I love this time of year, don't you?  The holidays are over, the winter solstice has come and gone so the days are getting longer, and a New Year full of possibilities lies before us.  My resolutions?  To simplify my life, de-clutter my home and somehow, some way, add 30 minutes of exercise to my daily routine.  Other than that, I plan to make 2008 count.  I haven't quite decided what Big Thing I'm going to do to achieve this goal, but it will be something to make this year memorable.

Want to know what I got for Christmas?  I won't bore you with the whole list, but a smashing pair of diamond solitaire earrings was the gift from my husband.  I bought a Garmin GPS for him, which means we will never be lost again while traveling.  Maybe!  One other special gift came from my older daughter: copies of two of my vintage books that have become extremely scarce, MURDER FOR CHARITY and HAVEN OF FEAR, both published in 1974 under the pen-name of Patricia Ponder.  I was delighted to have them since I own only a single copy of each.  These are priced at around $25 as collector's items, which honestly blows my mind.  Another book published a year earlier, STORM AT MIDNIGHT, written as Elizabeth Trehearne, carries a $99 price tag.  Ouch.  But I have no say about the pricing; won't see a penny from these copies.

By this time every year I usually have new book on the shelves—I've had an end-of-the-year shipment date for a January release for over a decade.  Not this time around.  GUARDED HEART was considered such a perfect Valentine's Day story/gift that its release was delayed.  Its official "lay down" date is January 29, which will put it on the shelves during the weeks before and after February 14.  Reviews are beginning to come in for it, however.  Just yesterday, I received the February issue of Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine which gave GUARDED HEART their highest rating of 4 ½ stars with a "Top Pick" designation.  The reviewer said: "Blake adds another memorable book to her Maîtres d'Armes series.  With dialogue filled with subtle nuances and a fine overview of the art of fencing and duels, she brings together a noble, honorable hero and a heroine bent on revenge in a compassionate, sensual and emotionally intense love story."  Am I happy?  What do you think?!

Another great bit of news is that I've been nominated for an RT Career Achievement Award as Historical Storyteller of the Year.  The competition is stiff since the other nominees are Shirlee Busbee, Beverly Jenkins, Julia Quinn and Bertrice Small.  The award will be presented at the RT Convention in Pittsburgh, April 16 – 20, at the Hilton Hotel Downtown. More than a hundred other authors will be on hand for this event, as well as for workshops and panel discussion on writing, special parties, and balls, a male cover model contest and a huge book signing.  The focus this year is on e-publication, e-books and e-readers.  Should be both a fun and informative time.

The scuttlebutt in romance writing circles is that historical romances are in demand by editors and the popularity of the genre is heating up.  I've been saying this would happen for some time now, and placed my bet on it by beginning the Masters at Arms series five years ago.  Vindication is a grand thing.

The book-in-progress (TRIUMPH IN ARMS, Masters at Arms book 6, to be publish after GALLANT MATCH that's currently on my editor's desk) hasn't progressed too much this month.  The holidays make such a lovely excuse for procrastination, you see.  Time for writing really is short and the distractions many, but the main thing is that my brain refuses to buckle down to the job.  I've learned not to fight it, but to do small tasks such as editing text already written and mapping out future scenes.  It will all be the same in the end, because the book will take every available minute between now and its June 1 deadline, no matter what.  But I did learn something this month about the way I write.  I'd thought I was editing/ polishing my work much more than in the past.  Then I was asked to contribute to an article on archiving for writers that's destined for a future issue of RWR, the magazine of Romance Writers of America.  The article's author, Susan Anderson, aka Lindsay Randall, requested a corrected page from an old manuscript as an example of what future historians might stumble upon in a writer's archive.  I waded into my storage room to dig out a rough draft of PRISONER OF DESIRE from 1985, hoping for a suitable page with changes.  Looking through this old manuscript, I found hundreds upon hundreds of minor changes and dozens of additional lines and paragraphs scribbled on the backs of pages.  Apparently I've always rewritten as much as written!  What a relief, to know the brain is still in okay working order.

I've been asked to contribute to a couple of blogs in the coming months, one for Orange County Romance Writers on the subject of "things I wish I'd known as a beginning writer", and the other in interview format for the blog of a fellow writer and former Louisiana resident, Shauna Roberts.  I'll post the links to these when they are up, in case anyone is interested.  Oh, and I was offered the opportunity to add unique content concerning GUARDED HEART to the website for Romantic Times Magazine this month.  The posted material includes a 50 word description of the book plus the cover art, a short article about writing it, and a 500 word excerpt.  This content can usually be seen by subscribers only, but I will post a special link for my readers in a few days.

As an additional note under the heading of other work, a book to which I contributed a few quotes, TIME TO WRITE by Kelly L. Stone, has now been published.  Take at look at: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquire.asp?z=y&EAN=9781598694383&itm=1

I'll be attending a quilting retreat this month.  This will be a 4-day stay at a cabin on a local lake.  Some 20-plus members of my quilt guild will be on hand, and we'll sew "from can to can't."  I'll be taking several projects, including a couple of simple Linus Quilts for charity, an embroidered quilt and one that features paper-pieced stars.  It's good for writers to do other things now and then as a means of "refilling the well."

A change will take place on my Web site soon.  Book contests seem to have become passé.  It's reported on the author loops that participation is down and winners often fail to pick up their prizes, and I can only agree.  Accordingly, my web mistresses will be removing the contest link from my home page and replacing it with the simple opportunity to subscribe to my newsletter list.  My apologies to those who may have joined this list because of the contest, though of course I hope everyone will stick around for future news and views.  As a replacement, I intend to write an occasional short story to be posted on Yahoo for you in the coming months – though I'm not setting any deadlines!  I have enough of those already…

Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful and productive New Year,

Jennifer

 

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December Newsletter

Greetings of the Season:

The holidays are upon us once more.  Amazing how often this comes around, isn't it?  My shopping is almost done, thank goodness.  A major portion was accomplished online.  Nice, to have it delivered to your door with no driving, no waiting in lines.  My tree this year will be a tall arrangement of a dozen or more potted poinsettias in a tree-shaped holder.  Colorful, neat, and no complicated removal of lights and ornaments when the season is over, plus it will brighten the garden room next to my office until spring.  I do love fresh flowers.  And the older I get, the more important it seems to keep things simple.

 

Busy, busy…

The past month has been full, as usual.  The special projects continue in conjunction with the late January release of GUARDED HEART.  Though they mean extra work, I'm grateful for every one as an indication of industry and reader interest in the book.  One of the most exciting was notification that GH (shorthand for the title) will be carried by the Rhapsody Book Club, along with a spotlight in the club's brochure on its heroine as the "Heartbreaker of the Month."  For this presentation, I was asked to create a 100 word profile for Ariadne, my heroine, explaining what makes her a real heartbreaker.  Since she is out for the hero's blood in a daring vendetta for most of the story, this was no great problem!  I also received a request to share my views on "Romance in the 21^st Century" from a writer who is doing a magazine article on that subject.  This is in addition to a request for an article on "building" to a climax in popular fiction from the editor of IAW ("In Accordance With..."), a Wisconsin magazine.  Then my publisher forwarded a request from The Borders Group for a "Dear Reader" letter to be included in this major chain bookseller's February newsletter that will showcase GUARDED HEART.  What they needed was an informal note explaining how I came to write the story and anything that was unusual about it.  What a lovely perk; I was certainly happy to oblige.  Finally, I received and okayed the proof for the two-page spread for GH which will appear in the February issue of Romantic Times BookReview Magazine.  The art department at RT did a beautiful job on this ad; do check it out if you come across a copy of the magazine.

 

Foreign Sales, etc.

One of the books of my Louisiana Gentleman series, WADE, was published in Poland as BRAMY RAJU  this month. I also received the royalty statements from a variety of publishers, both foreign and domestic—some of which even had checks attached, wonder of wonders.  And…and there was another foreign sale, I know there was, but my desk is piled so high with notes, letters, catalogs, chapter and character charts, order confirmations and I-don't-know-what-all-else just now that I can't find the letter of notification.  There's a reason I clean my office every January…

 

The Book

Did I tell you last time that I'd changed my book files over to a laptop, using it for writing instead of my desk top PC?  It seems to be working.  I'm better able to focus on the story while looking at the smaller screen, this instead of having my attention wander away to revise previous paragraphs.  It doesn't hurt, either, that I'm more comfortable in my nice blue leather lounge chair than at my desk with its ten-year old office chair!  At any rate, I'm well into Chapter 6 of TRIUMPH IN ARMS at this point, and making my minimum daily quota of five pages without too much trouble.  Of course, this will probably change as the holiday nears.  It's not easy, thinking in historical terms while preparing for a big family gathering.

 

The Holiday

Our family will all be together this season, the daughter from Florida and her two children, the daughter and husband from Mississippi with their four; the older son who lives 40 miles away and the younger who is only 20 minutes distance, both these last with their respective families.  Then of course there's my mom who loves to be in the middle of things.  The head count will be 24–27, depending on how many of the grands have other plans.  I'll bake a turkey or two and a clove-studded, spiral cut ham.  There will be cornbread dressing with giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, sweet potato casserole, veggies, hot yeast rolls and iced tea—all the traditional Southern country favorites without which this grand meal would not be "right."  Then there will be the pies: coconut cream, pineapple cream, pecan, sweet potato, maybe chocolate, lemon and mincemeat.  Oh, and fruitcake, the "icebox" variety from a Fifties recipe that's my mom's specialty.  We'll all open our gifts in a storm of red and green wrappings.  Then we'll squirrel away our treasures and finally fall upon the food.  Afterward, we'll all sit around groaning because "somebody" let us eat too much. ("Somebody" being like The Little Man Who Wasn't There at our house since no one is rude enough to actually accuse anybody of a personal failing.  It's Southern thing, okay?)  So does this holiday scenario sound anything at all like what happens at your house?  I hope so!  Nothing like keeping the grand old traditions.

 

The winner of this month's autographed book is: karenxyzmart@yahoo.com

If this is your email address, please send a message from it to: pamrjb@aol.com.  In the subject line, type "Book Winner" and include your name and USPS address in the body of the message.  Since the publication date for GUARDED HEART is so near, this will be the autographed title sent.  Good luck!

 

With warmest wishes for all that's joyful and bright during this magical season,

Jennifer

 

PS: To receive a copy of my newsletter via email, click on the "Contest" link, then Click on "Join This Group".  You will be added to a Yahoo listserv, but only the moderator is permitted to post.  You will not receive other unsolicited emails.

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