First cup of coffee in Sydney. The message on the cup is appropriate.

We truly are two halves of the same coin. Years ago, American romance writers and readers started pushing back at those who would edit our reading by not stocking on bookshelves this genre we love. Today, the delegates of the ARRA (they call their members delegates) are doing the same thing with growing success. In their six years of existence, they have changed the face of Australian publishing and stoked a thriving romance market. Because of the demand for books, internet publishing has taken off as well as online bookstores offering book prices close to what the US charges.
So what is ARRA exactly? The organization’s membership boasts a number of bestselling Australian writers coupled with the most loyal, discerning fans of the romance genre. They host a conference along with a website and message boards where readers can talk about the books they are enjoying.
Of course the conference is when everyone connected by internet can come together. This year it was in Brisbane but the next one is rumored to be in Canberra. I highly recommend the venture. I traveled from the States by myself but found a ready made group of new friends. All I had to do was turn to the person to my left or right and ask, “So what are you reading?” The conversation took off from there.
By the way, if like me you have wanderlust and lack traveling companions, think about arranging your trips around readers’ conferences. I spent three days wandering around Sydney alone which was fine. There is plenty to see and do. Then I hit the conference in Brisbane (a lovely city full of art) and found a host of new friends, and some old, waiting for me. Reader/Writer/Reviewer/Blogger Megan Bamford was gracious enough to take me around to a wildlife preserve and for a wine tasting and I came away from the whole experience with host of new friends. Indeed, some of my very best friends are people I first met at conferences.

One of my new Aussie friends. By law, he can only work 30 minutes a day. Wish I had that law!

Keynote speakers for this year’s conference were American writers Rachel Vincent and Kristin Higgins along with bestseller Australian Anne Gracie. Panels of readers and writers gathered to discuss favorite subgenres such as Paranormal and Contemporary. There was food, giveaways, and the best “Bling” contest in the world.

Megan Bamford, Hope Tarr, and myself enjoying a lovely day in Brisbane.

My wife and I own hundreds of books. We read voraciously. I have, easily, a dozen books on my nightstand that I am in various stages of reading. I enjoy biographies, sci-fi, epic fantasy, crime drama, literature, just about anything well-written.

And so while in the initial stages of mourning my mother’s passing I truly needed something to transport me away for a bit. So I picked up a book, an Agatha Christie novel. Love her stuff. It was too, I don’t know, familiar? A science-fiction novel I’d been meaning to read was next. I just did not feel taken away or transported. I wanted to be immersed in someplace foreign. I wanted a smooth read, an enchanting tale. I needed to get away for a bit. I glanced at my wife’s dresser. Stacked on it were Cathy Maxwell’s latest two books, Lyon’s Bride and The Scottish Witch. I grabbed Lyon’s Bride, climbed in bed…and was transported. No thoughts of grieving or plans to be made. I was in Scotland, 1632.

Now before I go any further I will disclose that I know Cathy personally. My wife Scarlett and I are friends with her, having met some months previously. I also was familiar with the type of books that she has written so many of. I even breezed through one of them six or eight months ago. My wife had brought home one of Cathy’s books (the first of many). And we had picked up the two Chattan books at a book signing that Cathy was doing a few weeks back, a benefit for the Free Clinic of Powhatan. Those books were just not for me. The genre definitely seems to be aimed at wom

en readers. I love books and reading and writing, and I can appreciate the genre of Romantic Fiction, but as a Man Who Reads, I just was not into that type of literature.

So. There I was, wanting a story to take me away from sadness and worry. A pair of books, inscribed to Scarlett and I, on the dresser. Romantic Historical Fiction. If that couldn’t transport me, what could? So I tried it…and I liked it!

I read the first book in two nights, as I did the second. So now I, like so many others, am anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the trilogy. Because, here’s the thing, the stories are really good! Yes, sure, they have the requisite bodice-ripping (and much, much more than that! Oh my!). But Cathy Maxwell has written a wonderful tale of 19^th (and 17^th) century England and Scotland. Nobles and fallen gentlefolk, witches, familiars (maybe?) and good triumphing (hopefully) over evil. Love conquering all (still to be seen!). Mysteries to be solved! All written in the smooth, silky style that Cathy has obviously perfected over the course of many books. As a Man Who Reads, I am thoroughly enjoying these tales. They entertain and transport. And that is enough, plenty, for me. Thank you, Cathy Maxwell, for allowing me to travel to a distant time and place and forget my troubles. Now please hurry up and releaseThe Devil’s Heart!

–David Schwartz

And, no, I am not going to say “character, character, character,” although character is one of them.  Compelling characters—people we feel we must understand—can send a mediocre plot into the stratosphere.  A fascinating character, one with depth and true complexities, can drive me into a story and I’ll never let go until the last word.

The second element?  A question.  Why  are we in this story in this point and time?  What question lies between the characters that must be answered?  It could be as simple as whether or not John and Mary, given their differences, can start a life together.  Or as complicated as whether Mary can save the fate of the world. Either way, as a reader, I need to buy into the question.  It doesn’t have to have overwhelming importance to me, but it must be of vital importance to the characters.

The third element I must have is something very dry:  scene and sequence.  As I read, I create a mind movie in my head.  An author in full command of her story gives me the important details as I need to know them to understand the action and to pull full meaning out of the dialogue.   Without an orderly scene and sequence, I’m not only lost, I’m frustrated.  Sometimes, without this third element, not even dynamite characters or an intriguing question can keep me reading.  I will set the book aside.

So what about you?  As a reader, what three elements must you have to not only pull you into a book but make you believe the hours you spent with that story was the absolute best use of your time?

 ”Faith without action is only hope.”

There is a quote to hit you right between the eyes.  A friend said it to me the other night and since then I’ve been turning the implications of his words around in my mind.

Almost every day someone will tell me he or she wants to write.  They hope to publish a book. They go to writers’ conferences, they have friends who are writers, they have a critical eye for any book written, and so on and so forth.   And yet, these same writers haven’t written the first page of the book brewing in their minds let alone a complete chapter.   Few who finish their books have the faith in the direction of their dreams to send to submit or publish.  They are always polishing, revising, reworking.

I don’t blame them.  Writing is a dream for many people and following dreams is tough.  When I act on a dream, I’m putting more than my time, intelligence, and wishful thinking on the line.  I’m placing the very essence of who I am out there for all to see.

And I’m not just talking about writing.   I’m referring to any desire we hold deep in our hearts.  It is how we see ourselves and yet have not shown the world.  What if I can’t make a success of that business I’ve dreamed of opening?  Or achieve that degree? Or lose that ten pounds? Or quit a bad habit?

I believe that if I have a desire to do something in my heart, it is there for a reason.  I have faith it is what I’m meant to do . . . but it means nothing without action on my part.  When people ask me what is the secret to my career success, I say it is that I am not afraid to fail, a trait I see in almost every self-made, successful person I meet.

Failing is scary but risking failure is the necessary first step toward success in any endeavor.

Now I find myself wondering what other dreams I’ve hoped to accomplish—and what action do I need to take to make them a reality?

How about you?  What hopes have you not fulfilled?  Are you ready to have enough faith in yourself to take action?

Writers don’t think of stories like everyone else.  We instantly see the ropes and pulleys behind the tale and we love it.

Sure we can enjoy a good story like everyone else . . . but then our imaginations take over.  We envision different endings, see the possibilities in expanding characters, wonder what would happen if the action sequence in this part of the story was moved up or moved back and then the story takes on life in our minds.

My friend writer Felicia Mason demonstrated to me how rare it is.  She said that when she talks to lecture halls full of kids, she asks who likes stories.  Almost all hands are raised.  Then she asks who rewrites stories in their minds.  Only a few hands are raised.  Those are the writers and she said they need to know that their gift is not shared with everyone in the world.   Not everyone takes off with a story.  For many,  a story is exactly what it is to the last period and then done, enough, close book.

But to the writer, the story is just beginning.

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.