This is a practice of my friend Felicia Mason, one of the most dynamic women, and writers, I know.  She says focusing on one powerful word can lead to unexpected results.  She’s right.

Last year, my word was Passion.  I strove to put passion into every facet of my life.  No, not kissing-in-the-throes type of passion but adventurous, “grab opportunity with both hands” passion.  My pursuit of living passionately allowed me to enjoy the twists life threw at me and sparked a new book series outside of my comfort level.

This year the word is Create.  I want to explore the different challenges of this word, the processes and the momentum it can provide, and already I’m surprised, and pleased, with the direction this word is taking me.

For example, on the writing side, I’ve developed a whole new cast of characters and stories that will have intriguing consequences–but that is old hat.  I would have taken that path eventually . .  . but perhaps I’ve pushed myself more?

On a whim, I took a class on mosaics.  The result of my class project is humble.  However, I found a pewter dragonfly to add to the picture with the word “create” engraved on its back side.  The word doesn’t show on the mosaic, but I know it is there.  Within hours of creating the mosaic, I began painting the backsplash of my kitchen.  I found myself embracing the colors in the mosaic and dreaming of how to bring color and beauty to other areas of my home.  That, of course, made me realize that in order to let in new needs and desires, I needed to clear out the old.  So, I hired an image consultant who “shopped” in my closet.  She helped me jettison years of worn, tired clothing and helped me create a new wardrobe reflecting me now, this minute.  She’s made me wonder what other “old” images of myself I’ve been nurturing over the years.  Time to create new ones.

I’ve also taken on the task of revamping my business calendar.  We all have business goals and ambitions we want to achieve, but I realize I haven’t set aside time in my schedule to even think about reaching out in new directions.  I’ve changed that.

I’ve also created some new, powerful friendships.  Friends, to me, are secret weapons in my arsenal of life enhancing skills.  They challenge and encourage me.  Each friendship is a gift in my life,.

And all of those new tacks have been in the first month of “creating.”  I can’t wait to see where the word will lead me over the next eleven months.

And what of you?  What word would you choose for this year?

My largest challenge is guarding my “writing” time.  This isn’t just time I spend in my office, but time I use to put words on paper.

Years ago, I started writing from four a.m. until seven a.m.  I tried writing in the evening but it seemed every time I started, someone in the family would need something that they’d forgotten to tell me–poster board for school the next day, a copy of the latest tax return, etc. and so forth and so on.

No one bothers you at four a.m.

Then again, it is too easy to hit the snooze button at four a.m. as well!

Now I have the luxury of writing full time, but I find I still need to “create” writing time.  I was told years ago that there would come a time when the business of writing would take more time than the actually writing.  I think I’m there, and if I want to do what I value, I must find the time to do it–even if it means clawing it out.

So, this week, I believe I shall start practicing the use of the word “No.”  There are many ways to decline an offer.  Living in the south, I hear savvy women say no all the time with such style, I want to apologize for having asked.  (I must master this trait!)

If we are serious about achieving our goals–whether it be meeting a page count or learning a new skill or exercising or any of the hundreds of activities that make our lives meaningful–we must learn to create time for ourselves.  Nor do I want my life so busy that I can’t say yes when something special comes my way.

I believe it is time to set my alarm for four a.m. again because writing is important to me.  Creating stories is what I value.

And what about you?  Can you say no?  Are you putting yourself, well, maybe not first, but high up there on the list?

Now for my true reason for sharing this.  I would love Tim to create a blog.  He’s a man’s man in a romance world.  He’s also a single dad.  Lots of material for him to mine.  I hope you will join me in encouraging Tim to hit the internet.  We need his talent AND his sharp sense of humor–

Cathy Maxwell

When they asked me if I would introduce someone at this year’s Retreat, I said, that depends. I have a certain standing to uphold, you know. I can’t introduce just anyone. I only work with A-listers. They said, what about Cathy Maxwell? So I said, well, she’s no Nora, but she’s up there. I could do Cathy.

Of course, I wanted to make sure I got it right, so I Googled her.

It sounds dirty, but it’s not.

So what did I turn up? Pretty much what you’d expect. New York Times bestselling author of two dozen novels and novellas. Prominent member of RWA and WRW. A generous mentor to fellow writers.  Upstanding member of her community.

So far so good. No surprises.

But I wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. So I tried another approach. I Binged her.

Which also sounds a little dirty, but it’s not.

I found more of the same. Cathy Maxwell was, by all accounts, a model citizen and a model human being. Again, no surprises.

So I asked around. Agents and editors described not just a brilliant writer but a consummate professional. Perfect manuscripts delivered on deadline with no drama . Friends and family told of a devoted mother, a trusted friend, a loyal American with an honorable record of service to her country. Talented, funny, generous, kind. Goes to church, pays her taxes, rescues dogs, loves horses . . . you get the picture. No surprises . . . at all.

No matter how widely I searched, how deeply I probed, how much I offered in bribes, no one, anywhere, had anything bad to say about Cathy Maxwell. No scandalous Facebook pages, no kinky sex tapes, no illegal Guatemalan nannies. I even saw her birth certificate. There was simply no dirt to dig.

It seems almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Now, when you have lived inside the Beltway as long as I have, you know that nobody’s record is that clean — unless it’s been wiped clean. Around here, “too good to be true” can mean only one thing.  Sleeper cell.

That’s right. Cathy Maxwell is a Russian spy.

Now that I’ve brought it to your attention, it jumps right out at you, doesn’t it? You’re wondering, how did I miss that? Well, you weren’t alone. It’s been going on for years, right under our noses. If you read Chapter 11 of Falling In Love Again backwards, it’s a list of CIA operatives currently operating in Eastern Europe. The Polish edition of The Earl Claims a Wife contains a microchip in the spine with the complete floor plan of the Pentagon. Written in invisible ink between the lines of In the Bed of a Duke are plans for the invasion of Alaska. With cross-hairs on Sarah Palin.

I have to give her, and her KGB handlers, a lot of credit. It’s really an ingenious plot. The romance novel is the perfect vehicle for transmitting intelligence. They fit neatly into a pocket or purse and are passed easily from one person to another. They are translated into dozens of languages and disseminated around the world.  And best of all, no one in the ruling elite takes them seriously.  They look at the covers and think “this is just a trashy bodice ripper; there can’t be anything substantial inside.” But we know better, Cathy. We’re on to you.

So now, Cathy will tell us all about her life and work. And then she will have to shoot us.

O, marvelous error-

That there was a beehive here inside my heart

And the golden bees were making white combs

And sweet honey from all my failures

Machado de Assis

This past weekend I was at a writers conference. During the question and answer period after my presentation, I was asked what advice would I offer my younger self knowing what I know now?”

It’s a good question since 2011 marks my twentieth year writing. Would I have done things differently?  Made other choices when more than one opportunity presented itself?  Or gone a different road altogether?

Absolutely not.  I learned more from my failures, from the things that didn’t work out than I did from my successes.  I’m where I am today because I wasn’t afraid to take a risk, ask a question, or make a choice.   Not everything rolled along in my favor and too often I’ve worked out of fear . . . but most times, things turned out better than I could have expected.

So here are five things Today Me would have said to myself:

1. Don’t be so anxious. Have fun with this. Enjoy the journey. Easier said than done but so important. Whenever I was uptight, I wasn’t at my best. Laughter draws people to us. It nurtures creativity as well.
2. The work is what is important. It’s all you can control.  The  politics of publishing, of markets, of writing groups can make a person crazy.  Firestorms often blow over and you don’t have to share your opinion on every topic.  Give yourself room to pivot to meet the demands of the marketplace and keep writing.
3. Celebrate every success along the way no matter how large or small. I’m not advocating blowing horns and throwing confetti for all to see–but realize when you’ve done something right.  Good things happen all the time and a pro recognizes them.
4. A career is built one reader at a time.  List placement and contest wins are gratifying, critical reviews a gift . . . but your career foundation is readers.  Don’t let your ego or laziness disappoint them.
5. And finally, enjoy the people you work with.  Pick the best publisher, the best editor, the best agent you can and form a team.  Good teamwork involves mutual respect.  Recognize they want to sell books as much as you want to write them.  Sometimes, yes, their decisions will be at odds with yours.  Sometimes, you will part ways.  But remember that publishing is a small community.  Always keep doors open.  If you’ve chosen the right people to work with from the beginning, that will not be difficult.

BORING.  It’s what happened but what a snooze.

The real story, the important one with life lessons and pot banging, is not about the sale, but of an agent calling and offering to rep my book.

I had been taking the two prong approach to selling my manuscript.  If I couldn’t get an editor, I tried to get an agent and vice versa.  Back then, if an editor or agent came within a hundred miles of me, I threw on makeup and a skirt and drove to meet her.

It wasn’t easy.  I worked full time.  My husband traveled.  We had three kids. I volunteered  And I was writing from 4 – 7 a.m.

The agent on the phone wasn’t one I’d met in person.  I’d heard her discussed at a writers’ conference, liked what I heard, and I figured she’d be a good agent for a first time writer.  I was right.

She called me on a Monday.  She said she liked my writing and thought she could sell this manuscript.  I thanked her, I think coherently, hung up the phone, and said in disbelief to my husband, “I have an agent . . . I’m going to sell my book.”

Kevin was as stunned as I was.  He’d given lip-service to the “Cathy is writing a book” endeavor, but he hadn’t believed.  Other people write books–not someone you sleep with.

Look, I don’t blame him for his doubts.  I was the one who had the vision.  It wasn’t that people expected me to fail . . . they just couldn’t wrap their brains around the notion of my succeeding.

But Kevin believed that day –because after we celebrated around the kitchen, after we pulled out pots and pans and banged them and shimmied and shaked with a gusto to make a Lebanese street festival proud, he said,  “I get it.  It’s little steps.”

“What’s little steps?” I asked, wooden spoon poised mid-bang.

“What you did.  This selling your book.  Getting an agent.  You didn’t do it all at once.  You took little steps.”

I had never looked at it that way, but it was true.  First step, sit down and write; second step, start connecting with other writers; third, attend workshops; fourth, network and so on and so forth.

Little steps.  Persistent ones and always in the direction of my dream.

Kevin had a dream too.  He’d wanted to be a stand-up comedian.  He’d tried an open mike night when he was in his twenties but I don’t think it went well.  As far as I knew he hadn’t tried it again.

But whether he believed I’d sell or not, he’d been watching me pursue my goal.  He’d noticed that, in spite of rejection letters and tough critiques, I’d created room in a life chock full of things I loved to write.

The next week, he signed up for an acting class.  A semester later he took another and then later one on improv.  His next step was to try out for an improv troupe.  He was asked to join.

Did he head for stand-up stardom?

No.

After meeting guys working the circuit, he realized the road life wasn’t for him.  He enjoyed the troupe, auditioned for commercials and the like, and had a couple of gigs at sales conventions–all great fun and very fulfilling.

As for me, a year later my agent sold my book to an editor who came within my one hundred mile radius.  I met the editor at a writers’ conference, introduced myself, and told her the book was on her desk.  She thanked me.  The following week, I received the call.

Now for the kicker–I was lucky the agent took me on that day so long ago that brought about changes to our lives.  I later learned that if my manuscript had arrived on her desk on Friday, she would have sent it back because she’d decided she was repping too many authors.  She didn’t need more.  She’d ordered her secretary to return all unread manuscripts cluttering her office with polite rejections.

However, over the weekend, she’d attended a writers’ conference, gossiped with other agents, and had decided she wasn’t repping enough authors.  She needed more!  Where are the manuscripts?  She had to have manuscripts!  Give her something to read!

And that, my friends, is when my manuscript was placed in her hands.  I came so close to being passed over.

Would I have sold eventually?

You bet . . . because I would have continued those small, persistent steps in the direction of my dream.

My response was short and to the point, a response I then, wisely, deleted without hitting the send button.  Instead, I sent the request to Avon’s super publicist Pam Spengler-Jaffee along with a note about how I needed help reframing this request.

I can’t decide if I’m more annoyed with the rolling out of a tired cliche, one that fans of the romance genre and its writers face regularly . . . or that someone who had impressed me as a strong human interest reporter was taking the easy road.

There followed a conversation by email, Pam’s opening salvo diplomatic but firm:

Pam: Putting her (Cathy) in an old fashioned bodice ripper pose isn’t going to help her stature in the local market. Sorry to be such a stickler. Romance authors are intelligent, educated women. I’d love to step away from the cliche and portray her for what she is.

The reporter: The irony is that romance writers’ stature in the market has been built on those bodice-ripper covers and stories. I don’t think anyone assumes that behind the lusty jackets is the work of a second-rate, less-than-intelligent author who’s not to be taken seriously. I saw her sense of humor in full swing that day and thought she would have no issue with a playful, over-the-top approach.  Unless you have another idea, I guess we can move forward with a photo illustration that incorporates her mug shot with some of the book covers she gave me. Would that be acceptable?

Pam: I’ve been doing this for about 15 years, and unfortunately, I’m seen time and time again that people find it all too easy to poke fun at these talented authors. NOT that you and your photo editor are doing so. But you’ll find that most romance authors would be VERY uncomfortable with the tableau you pitched.  Many years ago, Barbara Cartland made a statement on a fainting couch, surrounded by fuzzy white lapdogs and wearing a boa. We’ve come a long way, baby! And thank goodness.

In the end, the paper relented and a photographer shot me in my office.

I admit, it has been a long time since anyone has asked me to pose “lounging” on my bed for any reason.  I could gently argue with the reporter that when one sees a woman posed on a bed, the first thought isn’t, “She looks intelligent.  Bet she knows how to write.”  Well, perhaps if the woman is on her death bed.  Death bed photos always connote importance.

But I’m far from ill and, no, I don’t believe such a shot was what the paper had in mind.

Yes, I’m nervous about what will be in the interview.  I thought I’d mentioned that readers like our books just because they are good stories, but the photo suggestion makes me fear the direction of the interview had already been decided before the reporter and I met.  And I’m concerned for what I might have said that could be used to support the story’s premise.

Please, I don’t believe everyone has to like Romance.  I’m not a big Fantasy fan although I respect the talent of its authors.  We readers like what we like and that is it.

I even try to keep a sense of humor about the giggles and “trashy” references concerning Romance.  People usually don’t realize what they reveal about themselves with those comments.  Some have never read a romance novel for a number of reasons (no time, intellectual insecurity, lack of curiosity, illiteracy) and some of those who make such comments have personality issues.  If they could hear how rude, how condescending and rigid they sound, they’d be mortified . . . I think.  (Well, maybe not the personality issue folks.).  I try to be polite.  After all, I’ve been guilty of saying stupid things before.  I’m not here to fight every battle.  I don’t have the time.

But I won’t let anyone put down my readers, and in the end I felt the reporter’s photo suggestion was demeaning to anyone who enjoys reading Romance.  It was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion.  We haven’t opened one of those books up but we know what’s inside those covers, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. (Pun intended.  Old one.  Sorry)

The photo request warned me that the reporter didn’t get it.  Maybe never would.

So for the record, here is my belief:  Read what you wish.  Revel in stories.  Enjoy the moment when you and an author click, when the “movie” being created in your head completely captures your imagination.  When the very best use of your time is getting lost in a story.  And don’t ever apologize to anyone for reading.  No, no, no.

She wheeled her car into the steep, narrow driveway, clutched the gearshift and eased it forward into park. She turned off the engine, let out a breath and relaxed for a moment, letting the soft, warm curve of the driver’s seat embrace her tensed body.

After a few moments, she opened the door and slid her boot-clad legs out of the car and into the biting cold Virginia morning. She inhaled a deep, almost painful, gulp of frigid air, closed the door gently and began walking toward the front entrance of the two-story house. She climbed the front steps and paused, momentarily startled by her reflection in the glass storm door. Pulling back the mitten top of a fingerless glove, she knocked gently and waited. Dark, shadowy movement burst into sight behind the door …

Read Full Story

Christmas can be a tough time when you are alone.  And don’t get me started on St. Valentine’s Day or as I call it, “Singles Awareness Day.”  The holidays often emphasize what we feel we are lacking.

I have the antidote:  PASSION.

Yup, passion.

In this modern world, we forget that passion can be focused on something more than one person.  Passion also means having a desire, a will, a need to indulge in what pleases us.

Too often, we fall into the trap of allowing others to define what we should want.    I tire of people asking if I’m dating.  I’ve run out of snappy one-liners (although I’m always looking for new ones) to those who good-naturedly pry into my private life.  And  I will not stay home waiting for a mate before indulging all the passions in my life.

What makes the romance novel so entertaining is that we write about women who are doing something.  They aren’t waiting for their lives to start.  Whether set in corporate America or medieval England, books open when the smart heroine realizes that if her life is going to change, she’s going to have to make a plunge.  She can plunge into a new job, a wager with her friends, a masked ball, or an elopement–but she must do something and give it everything she has.

That’s true of us in real life.  My new passions are Zumba and cooking, along with my long time fascination with horses.  I indulge myself with tickets to a local speakers’ forum and revel in new ideas or spend an hour or more listening to the local symphony.  I adore my family and my children, but it is these new experiences that adds something extra to my week.  I’m living with passion and that excitement rolls over into all of my other activities.

The need to experience passion is also a theme in my writing.  HIS CHRISTMAS PLEASURE is the tale of a Spanish nobleman with a big dream and an English heiress who just might make his every wish come true.  Life really becomes interesting when we pursue our goals with everything we have.

So what about you?  What passions do you have in your life?  Are you dabbling in politics?  Studying a language?  Art?  Cooking?  Or are you planning a trip that has you so revved up you can’t wait?   Is there something you’ve longed to do but have held back ?

Romance and Christmas, the season of generosity, fit hand-in-hand.  Is there any miracle more empowering than Love?  In discovering not only that you love, but are loved in returned?  And that you will never again be alone?

As a romance writer, I don’t just trade on the belief that we all feel love is the purpose to life, I embrace it.  Whether in my current book HIS CHRISTMAS PLEASURE or any of the other twenty some novels I’ve written, I find three recurring themes, the things I know about love–

1. There are many types of love. Love doesn’t just have to be about a person.  It can be for a community, a country, ideals, a job, a feeling of being useful, or being productive.  There is love of adventure, love of art, of creating whether it is painting a landscape or painting a wall in your home a different color.  Love means we indulge in our passions, our desires, our needs, and our viewpoints and is manifested in kindness, compassion, empathy, and generosity.

2.   Love is a verb.  The heart is a muscle.  It must be exercised to be strong.  It’s sad when love contracts.  Sometimes that happens–out of jealousy, fear, or loss.    But Love is best when it has the opportunity to expand.  You can apply some of your love to your neighbors, your community, your customers and clients, your state, your country, your world and you will always have more to share.  Love never runs out–as long as it is used.  You know the saying that every time a bell rings an angel receives his wings?  Well, I’m convinced every time we witness an act of love, the world grows stronger.

3.  How well you love and how well you are loved in return is the only true measure of a well-lived life. There are many people who say they love but try to control their love.  They place conditions on it.  The best love is what I call “free fall” love.  You accept those you love.  You understand that mates, children, parents, friends, all of them must follow their own paths.  Yes, there is fear in losing control.  We want to protect them, to make them reasonable and safe.  However, sometimes, the most loving gesture we can offer is freedom and understanding.  This is why many of us long for an encouraging word from those we love.  A compliment, that little bit of thoughtfulness, helps build confidence that will be returned a hundredfold.

And what of you?  How do you define love?  During this holiday season as we slide from one year into the next, how do you share and show love?

I can’t wait to return to Peru, and I shall. The cuisine is one of the best in the world and the people are welcoming, generous and kind. Plus my ties to Peru are growing—my daughter’s now engaged to a Peruvian gent, a true pearl of a man. Sharing with you photos of the Parque del Amor which attracts lovers. Lover is truly the one language all cultures understand. The park overlooks the Pacific and El Beso, a sculpture by Victor Delfin, is located there. On this Peruvian visit I also saw loads of llamas. There is a variety of crafts made from llama yarn. This is all llama yarn in the photo with me. The colors are earthy and rich. See the young man weaving at the heritage site. One thing that surprised me about Peru was the art. I expected pre-Columbian, and was not disappointed, but the vibrant colors, the scope and depth of styles, were a true joy.

The true glory of Machu Picchu is the setting. Incredible. And amazing to believe they built a city in this place. At the base of Machu Picchu is the Inkaterra Resort, a low carbon footprint resort which is one of the best I’ve ever visited Lovely tiled huts nestled into the mountains. Every hut had these bulls for good luck on the roof.

My last day in Lima, tired and happy. Had to have a Starbucks fix . . . before heading out to do some last minute shopping. We visited everywhere that day–the grocery store, clothing stores, souvenir stands, and, of course, another bookstore!