The Novelty Girls

I’m going to try to post a few pitcures, but I’m on dial-up so who knows if it will work lol!

Some CP authors at dinner. (I hope Shelli’s version comes out better than mine. Crystal got cut out of the frame. :()

That’s Eden Bradley, me, Lia Sebastian, Emma Peterson, and Crystal on the back row. And in front, Stella and Audra Price, and Shelli.

Dancing Divas

The blond in front is Kristen Painter, behind her are Shelli and Lacy Danes, the back of Michelle’s head (woops lol), Lia, and Amanda Brice on the far side.

Drinking Divas

At the table starting from the left, Christina Cross, Alexandra (whose last name I’m sorry to say I didn’t get), Gemma Halliday, Sela Carsen, Robin Rotham, and Karen Steele.

And it wouldn’t be complete without Shelli singing. Sorry, I won’t be posting any flashing pictures lol.

That’s Jax and Michelle from Divas dancing in the background.

A good time was had by all. Hopefully, the Dallas crowd next year will be even bigger.

Yes! You guessed it. Our very own Novelty Girl, Shelli Stevens, took 1st place in the contemporary category of the Passionate Ink Stroke of Midnight Contest.

Let’s all give her a big shout-out and kudo’s for her win. I’m sure she’ll be online to post tomorrow all about her win, the RWA conference, and the rumors going around about her showing her tata’s in some bar. But I’m not the one to gossip, so you ain’t heard it from me.

Whoohoo Shelli!!!

You really have to wonder if RWA waited to do this one when they knew so many would be out of town? I’m talking about “the letter” which you can see at HelenKay Dimon’s blog. Now I saw this a few days ago at PI before everyone left for Atlanta, but most ppl hadn’t received the August RWR yet. Now there is also a discussion on RD about it.

I think people are upset on two fronts here.

One, who says people in m/m or f/f relationships aren’t moral upstanding Americans?

And two, wtf gets to decide what a “good” woman or family is?

Because according to this letter it is,

“college-educated, married, middle-class, monogamous, and moral”

Wow. The hell with who might actually be the largest buying block of romances, huh? Cause I know a lot of women who read these books. And they are so not that demographic. Which naturally makes me curious. Do you meet the June Cleaver demographic? Do you feel you represent that demographic? Or do you fall somewhere in between? Do tell. *grin* We are always interested in what our readers are interested in and maybe where the fall in the statistics will help us out lol!

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I’m off to Atlanta tomorrow! I’ll try to blog either here or at my blog tomorrow or Friday. Y’all have a great week!!

Since some of our number are off rubbing elbows with the *Pretty People in Publishing, I thought I’d give those of us left behind a chance to speak up.

So, imagine that you’ve just arrived at a convention. You are looking your best, of course. You are prepared for those random encounters at the bar. You know your pitch backward, forward and inside out. You’re convinced that you could make it sound good after seven margaritas and a shot of Jim Beam.

At your elbow sits **[insert a favorite author of yours], cheering you on.

On your other side, [insert your agent, editor, or an agent or editor you'd like to target], listening attentively.

After you’ve delivered your magnificent pitch, the agent/editor gathers his/her jaw and says: [insert awed offer of your dreams].

For example:

At my elbow sits Jacqueline Carey, cheering me on.

On my other side, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, listening attentively.

After I’ve delivered my magnificent pitch, the editor gathers his jaw and says: “Would six figures be enough?”

Want to play?
—-

*Please note that I am not seriously implying that the people attending National are any more or less pretty than the rest of us. I just liked the alliteration.

**Please also note that this is just fantasy. Comments do not imply that anyone actually believes these authors/agents/editors are their new best friends or entitled to act them out in any way, shape or form.

Well, as most of you know, the RWA Conference in Atlanta starts this week. Three of our lovely Novelty Girls, Lori, Shelli and Crystal, are off to the conference. They will spend the next several days having lots of fun, meeting many authors and aspiring authors, going to workshops, and getting free books. And hopefully, some wonderful agent or editor out there will ask for a manuscript or two.

But more important, these ladies will actually get a chance to meet each other in person after spending months on IM and email. And, the one and only super duper Shelli will also find out Friday evening how she faired in the Passionate Ink Stroke of Midnight contest. Let’s all wish her luck.

As for the rest of us, we’ll be sitting at home plugging away at our computers telling our stories, but wishing we were in Hotlanta with the rest of our crew. Come back and visit with us so we won’t feel so lonely.

Smooches, Lyric.

So, I was on the phone with Loribelle for like two freaking hours yesterday and we talked about goodness knows what, but you get two chatty chicks on the phone and they don’t shut up. Ev-er.
Among the gadzillion things we talked about included the present and future prospects of were-wolf/bear/dragon/rabbit stories and I got to thinking about my own writing and what I have in store. Personally, I think werewolves and vampires are so overdone. My Wereplanets series has bears, dragons, tigers, and merpeople, but no wolves. Tiiiired of the werewolves. And vampires. They’ve been done every which way they can be. Scary, suspenseful, funny, sexy, uncivilized, suave. Blech! HOWEVER, both Lori and I have werewolf and/or vamp stories coming up. Yeah, writers don’t make sense, just go with it.

Soooo, this begs a question. What does everybody think? Werewolves: still hot or overdone? And do you throw other wereanimals into the same category or a seperate one? What about vampires?

Soooo I can’t put this on my blog because my family may read it, but here? Ohhh yeah. Anything goes here. Right?

I’ve been thinking about this fling thing a lot. I used it as a premise in my book Tourist Attraction. I joke about it anytime I go on a vacation… but really. Am I ever gonna put my money where my mouth is? For three years now I’ve been saying I just need to have a fling, ‘get some’, and so on and so on. But have I? Not really. In fact were I to actually get some activity going on, they’d need to dust for cobwebs first.

So how long is too long? Is there a point when a person should get worried that they haven’t done the nasty in awhile? Or should we be content to put on our ‘abstinence hat’ and walk around like we don’t miss it. Because honestly, we do at times. But then most of the time, me at least, I forget it exists. Where we’ve gotten so used to going it alone (forgive the pun.) Until I’m in the midst of writing my next book and I’ve got my characters going at it like porn stars. THEN I get reminded. THEN I start thinking….
‘Man, I just need to have a fling!’

So how long is too long? How long do we continue down this path of abstinence, whether by choice or whether by, well, non-choice. Is there a point where a friend needs to stage an intervention? Like Lori attempted to do for me (Check out my blog) and I blew her off. *sigh*

Now I know this is a small boat I’m in, but I’m not alone. There’s ‘others’ like me. LOL. So what are your thoughts? What’s a girl to do when all the guys that come calling are losers and Prince Charming is MIA? And yes, I realize some of your answers will involve batteries.

Is it me or do we have two kinds of heroine in today’s market? There’s the super kick ass, gets on my last nerve, can’t admit she ever needs help heroine. And there’s the tstl couldn’t fight her way out of a paper bag heroine. Maybe I’m reading the wrong books? Seems to me the end goal of a romance should be partnership. Which implies equality.

Maybe it’s a reflection of my own personality? I mean, in Army personal defense training they don’t teach you to lie down and die ’cause you’re female, kwim? I know a couple of women who I’d trust at my back more than 90% of the men I know. And they don’t even all have my kind of background. So what gives? Why do we have these books that say loud and clear, hey you’re a woman and you might have something to contribute, but leave the rough stuff to us? What is up with that!?

I find the other kind just as awful to read. I was an MP. MP’s work in four man teams. Hell, so does every other specialized branch of the military. Why? Cause Rambo is a freaking myth. Hey, I think women can kick ass. Don’t believe me, come visit and I’ll show you.

I’m writing a character like this now and she’s getting on my last nerve. I write a lot of characters like this. I want them to evolve, to learn that they are not little armies all to their own, that teamwork and partnership are good things. If they find love on the way, more the better. But getting her there? Man, this heroine of mine is gonna have one hell of a rough ride. Cause she’s pissing me off.

So the question today is a two parter. First, which kind of heroine do you prefer? Honestly now cause those tstl heroines sell really well. And second, do your main characters ever get on your nerves? Puleaze tell me I’m not alone here lol!

Well, I was going to post yesterday, but Sara beat me to it. Which leaves me running in last. I have to admit, I feel sort of like when you rush to get ready for a job interview…constantly patting at your hair cuz you’re not quite sure it’s right, and you grabbed the underwear that are one size too small, but you keep them because you’re gonna lose that weight, darnit. End result: uncomfortable and unprepared.

So pardon me if I ramble.

Where to start? I’m a thirty year old mom of three (boys.) I live in Canada, in a 150 year old house that I occasionally find time/energy to renovate. Most of the time, though, I park myself in front of the computer, churning out stories.

I started writing romance this year, and wrote a couple ’sweet’ romances…but maybe it’s the company I’m keeping (eyes roving ever-so innocently over each of the Novelty Girls) but my stories are getting hotter. Scorching, in some cases. No one is more shocked than I. I still blush half the time while writing them (even moreso when someone is reading them!) But it’s SO much fun!!

Well, I can’t think of much else to say, and time is running short….I really need another cup of coffee, and some chocolate, I think…caffeine is my friend…

more soon!

Again. I always seem to bring up the rear.

(No comments from the peanut gallery, thank you.)

So hi! I’m Sara Dennis and I’m one of the Novelty Girls. Yep, they’re stuck with me. Start the pity parties now. Pour me a drink, though.

I’m a thirtysomething living in northern California with my cats and The Engineer and three horses who live not in the back yard but close enough to share the summer heat. Man, and I thought I had it bad having black hair and having to go out in the sun. At least I’m not covered with fur everywhere.

I may still have the title of Tame Girl of the bunch, as my currently published work stops at a “standard romance” level of heat, meaning you may get sex, but you won’t get graphic descriptions and odds are good you’ll have to read a few chapters in before you get to a kiss. I write contemporary and paranormal romance, and though I tend to write long (70K and up), I’m being corrupted retrained to write shorter and faster. Whatever the length, I promise it’s worth the reading.

And if you want to see me really ramble, you can swing by and check out my blog.

That’s it, intro done, I’m going to try to find some shade.