Lately when I take a break from my own writing I’ve been escaping. I escape into books, movies. TV’s or video games. Just something that takes me away from the regular day. There are various ways I escape.

On the last long weekend I had I used it to escape. I didn’t turn on the TV or even read. Didn’t go near my computer either. I used the time to actually have some me time. I pampered myself with a decadent breakfast and also planned my lunch and dinner. Then I sat and enjoyed my breakfast. After I lounged around my house and listened to music. Sometimes I even got up and danced around my house. I went out and had my hair, nails, and toes pampered. When I got back home I napped, talked to friends I hadn’t spoken to in a while, ate and just lazed around. I did this for three days and it energized me.

Taking a moment to escape from the regular grind made me ready to dive back. It was fun.

So what do you do to escape?

McKenna Jeffries
http://www.mckennajeffries.com/
…. sensual, edgy, unexpected

Blog: http://www.mckennajeffries.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/McKennaJeffriesList
Free Reads Site: http:/ /www.satinnotes.com/

Conquering Jazz - What’s a woman to do when she unwittingly makes a tantalizing proposition to her best friend?

Be brazen, bold and set some ground rules.Her offer. One night of carnal bliss. No emotion allowed.

His counter offer. A continued affair to fulfill all their sexual cravings.

His hidden agenda. Conquer to make sure their affair never ends.

Buy here at Liquid Silver Book.

Howdy, Romance Junkies!!  My name is Sara Angelini and I’m the author of The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy, a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  I live in the San Francisco area with my husband Dominic, my daughter Sophia, my son Viggo, and my dogs Frodo and Sansa (listed in order of age and/or importance). 

Writing an introductory post is no easy task.  It’s difficult striking a balance between a cool, casual “Hey, this is me,” and a desperate, shrill “No, really, it’s MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”   I mean, the thing about characters is that they tend to write themselves.  *clears throat  and searches mind frantically for something to say…*

Trials is my first novel.  I started writing it when I found myself dissatisfied with much of the fanfiction that I read online.  Now, that’s not a slam.  There’s a lot of mighty fine writing out there.  But how many times have you read a story and thought, “hmm, that was really good, until the hero said this,” or “why doesn’t anyone write xyz?”  What are your favorite ideas/pet peeves when you read a story?

When I was a kid, every time I had a complaint about something, my mom would say “make a list!”  It was her maternal way of saying “shut your trap and do something about it.”  When I realized that I was whining, I started making my fanfiction wish list.  The list turned into scene ideas, and then a sketchy plot began to emerge.  Before I knew it, I was writing every night until 2 a.m., hiding my work from my husband, afraid he would laugh at my purple prose.

I took inspiration from my life.  Some of the courtroom scenes were taken directly from my experiences, and much of Darcy was based on my husband.  Like Darcy, Dominic is musical and also loves fast, sexy cars.  It was Dominic’s black racing helmet that inspired the idea of Darcy showing up to a Halloween party wearing a tinted helmet and racing suit. 

Far from laughing at my little hobby, my husband was incredibly supportive.  He let me bounce ideas off him and made sure my car references were accurate.  He was impressed that I’d started - and completed -  such an ambitious project, and bore it with good humor.  When I started posting chapters on the fanfiction websites, I distinctly recall checking my email for comments…from our hotel room bed on our wedding anniversary!

Ironically, Dominic still hasn’t read the entire book, even after I told him it was the owner’s manual to his wife. 

Since writing Trials, I’ve produced two other masterpieces: my children.  But with two kids under two years old, and my writing office converted to a nursery, I don’t get much writing done these days.  The desire is still there, and the ideas still pop into my head while I’m driving to work, so  I’m sure with the support of my husband I’ll be back into the swing of it in no time…hahahahaha!  In the meantime, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy, published by Sourcebooks, will be released on October 1, 2009.

Thanks to Romance Junkies for letting me ramble about myself.  Today is my birthday, and I couldn’t have asked for a better gift!

Sara Angelini 

http://www.judgedarcy.com/

I’m Jane Toombs.  Maybe some of you know me.  Maybe not. The Viking and I live on the south shore of Lake Superior with our calico grandcat, Kinko, who is as happy with the warm fall weather as we are.

After close to thirty years of selling to New York publishers as well as Harlequin/Silhouette, I decided electronic publishing was the  future as well as my own future, and have enjoyed the going-on-ten years I’ve been writing almost exclusively for them. In this period I’ve seen companies start and succeed, but also start and fail. More of the former attest to the health and future of electronic publishing.  I like the ease of of electronic submissions and editing. Plus the freedom to write my story without having to tailor it to fit a certain “line.” 

I was dragged under protest into the computer age, since I’m not mentally wired to deal anything more complicated than a typewriter.  But writing on a computer is a dream.  With effort, I’ve managed to download enough computer lingo into the hard drive of my mind to actually get here today–by following explicit instructions, of course.

Writers all know we’re lucky to have readers to tell our stories to.  What would we do without them,  when every one of us has characters in our heads yammering away to have their stories told? And, oh, the ideas! One of the Viking’s granddaughters works for a California zoo. On a recent visit she was telling us how even a hyena can be lovable. So what immediately leaps into my head? A were-hyena, wanting to present his side of the story. From that sprang a sketchy  outline for PRIME AND NULL, the saga of a were family, one of whom is a–you guessed it!  But before I write this one, there’s an array of others that have precedence.

What epublishers do I write for? I started with new Concepts Publishing, then added many others–Wings-ePress, Amber Quill Press, Double Dragon. DiskUs, Whiskey Creek Press, Champagne Books, Eternal Press, Crescent Moon Press,  Mundania, Freya’s Bower.  I recently added Red Rose Publishing and The Wild Rose Press.

What new books do I have coming out in 2009 and 2010?

From Champagne Books: Nightingale Man For their new gothic series IN THE CARDS, which features a Tarot card that influences each one: my story is Lady Luck

From Red Rose Publishing: For their new gothic series SHADOWED HEARTS: my story is Null and Void

From The Wild Rose Press: SKY HIGH, a roaring 20s historical romance 

From Crescent Moon Press: The second story in my fantasy UNDERWORLD Series: Unwanted

From Freya’s Bower: TWO HEARTS AND A CROW, a sweet contemporary romance

All currently available books have covers, blurbs and buy links at my web site: http://www.JaneToombs.com  

You know you’re married to a scientist when you complain about books falling off shelves and he dives into his workshop, surfacing with a pair of Bessey tradesman bar clamps (great as emergency bookends — you heard it here first!). 

When it comes to writing I wish I had patents or trade secrets. Some days I peer into my toolbox and come up gripping a sledge hammer. We all know you can’t brute-force a novel. It demands color and texture and nuance. True inspiration comes softly, and at odd times — during the twilight just before sleep, or in the morning, upon waking. Elegant plot solutions often hit me in the shower, and sometimes — if I’m lucky — I get a rinse-and-repeat. 

The story arc for my first novel hit while riding my stationary bike (on my way to losing 60 pounds — thanks Weight Watchers!) and balancing a