WOW! I can’t tell you how excited I was to be asked to join the Stiletto Gang. I mean, so many of the authors on this blog are the ones lining my bookshelves. Being offered a spot in the blog family made me dance the tarantella in my living room before I gave my answer – a resounding YES! Only, now I have to confess something and I’m worried it’ll get me kicked out of the club.
I don’t wear stilettos.
Before you start digging around in your refrigerators for those overly ripe tomatoes, let me explain. I think stilettos are awesome. Stilettos are sassy. They make a great weapon if you want to lay waste to someone’s toes and they make legs look like they go all the up to here. (Okay – you can’t see me holding my hand over my head, but you get the point.) The weapon part I love. The sassy part is totally awesome. The tall part….well, adding extra height to my legs means turning me from an already tall person into an Amazon.
Yeah – I’m tall. Add in the red hair and you have a person that sticks out like a sore thumb.
That’s not to say I don’t wear heels. I do. Well, I do now. When I was a teen I was agonizingly aware of my height and refused to wear heels. Over the years, I’ve learned that my height isn’t any less noticeable in flats, so I’ve embraced the idea of towering over folks. But stilettos still don’t work for me. The tiny heels that look so sexy on everyone else always make me feel like I’m going to end up flat on my face. And face it – as a red head, I’m a magnet for trouble. Have you ever tried to run away from someone in stilettos? I’d be nose to nose with the floor in minutes. Which is why my feet sport wedges. On wedges I can run like the wind.
So there’s my dirty little secret. Although, I guess all things considered really isn’t all that surprising. For some reason, I never am able to completely conform to the way things are supposed to be done. The cozies that I write aren’t really cozy…at least that’s what I am told. I guess a socially frisky grandfather and a hat wearing camel aren’t par for the cozy course. When I tried to write a ‘real’ cozy for my next series I ended up writing something I’m told is even less cozy. Thankfully, an editor was okay with that. And now….well, the new book I’m writing isn’t even in the same hemisphere.
I guess I’m doomed to march to the beat of my own drummer while wearing wedges. They are still sassy and sexy. And while they clomp instead of click down the hall, they are all me. So please, make me feel less like a rebel. Tell me what rules you break in your writing and in your every day life. And hopefully, the Stilettos will let me stay a member of the club long enough to see your replies!
Happy Tuesday all!
Joelle Charbonneau - the new kid on the block:)
Welcome Joelle!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good place and you'll fit right in.
BTW, I love that your book is a little bit cozy and a little bit different.
Looking forward to hearing more about the new series you're writing.
Joelle, you do fit right in (Dru's so right!). We just do the "stiletto" thing for our image, ya know. Behind the scenes, it's all fuzzy bunny slippers, flip-flops, and sneakers (okay, and wedges--I love wedges, too!). Love your post, and welcome to the Gang! We are very happy to have you on-board, no matter what shoes you're wearing. :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Susan, fellow redhead
Great post Joelle!! So funny! I'm short and can't wear heels do to clumsiness(if that is a word)!!! Can't wait for the next book!!
ReplyDeleteShannon Johnson!
I do wear Stilettos every chance I get but as I get older, I'm finding that I'm less confident in them and fear the face plant.
ReplyDeleteLove having you Joelle! I always tell my husband that inside of me resides the personality of a redhead even if I'm a brunette. Love the red-hear personality. Maggie
Maggie, you most definitely have Red Hair Personality. Maybe someday you'll have to cross over to the dark (red) side. I'm thinking something like a copper mahogany. ;-)
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Susan
Welcome, Joelle! Yeah, they let me in as a card carrying member of the flip-flop club. A wonderfully warm and laid back group! I'm sure you'll fit right in!
ReplyDeleteI am so thrilled you have joined us. I have trouble keeping up with all these youngsters. I gave up high heels eons ago and never wore a stiletto in my life. Great post, by the way, Marilyn
ReplyDeleteGreat post Joelle!
ReplyDeleteI traded in suits and heels for yoga pants and bare feet when I started telecomuting.
Writing rule breaking? Well, you've 'met' Holly. I'm not sure she's cozy material either!
Cathy Perkins
Wow - I come back from a morning of teaching and find a great party going on.
ReplyDeleteDru - I love being a Stiletto and I hope I do fit in...at least as much as a 5'10" red head can fit in:)
Susan, Marilyn, Laura - thanks for the welcome and for not kicking me out for my footwear choice!
Shannon - Thanks for dropping by! I hope you like the next book!!
Cathy - yep - the two of us can march to the beat of the same drummer....not exactly cozy, but hopefully lots of fun!
Hi Joelle,
ReplyDeleteI've never worn heels. I need to stay close to the ground and fight my inner klutz. I can't keep track of all the rules of writing, so I'm sure I've broken a few. I entered a contest and was told my heroine was too strong. Softening her up would help. I put twenty pounds on her. Was that another rule?
Mary Jo
Awesome post Joelle!
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow member of the 5"10 club, I know what you mean about heels. Though I do own a fair amount of flats, some kitten heels, and a wedge or two, I admit to loving stilettos. Not so much now that I'm older and gravity has stacked the odds of that faceplant in favor of the shoes, though ;).
I'm glad you've joined such an excellent and talented line up of writers and given me another rocking blog to visit.
*waves*
Mary Jo - I have to admit that I never won or even placed in a single writing contest. Probably because I broke the rules. But what fun is it if you are always doing what everyone else around you is doing. Something tells me you are doing exactly what you need to do!
ReplyDeletePam - Waves back! Thanks for coming to visit and these ladies are all really wonderful. I know you are going to love their posts. (And I love that you are a fellow member of the 5'10" club. I always feel normal standing next to you!)
But this is great - I love wedges and red heads (see ex 1: husband)! I'm glad the rest of the gang are secret comfy clothes wearers - it means I really do fit in here. :D Glad to have you around Joelle!
ReplyDeleteDear Joelle: Stilettos! Ahh. So Carrie Bradshaw for the fashionably elite, and so traction in a hospital bed for the rest of us. Personally, I admire you bucking with stiletto tradition and doing a two-step to your own drummer. A redhead in wedges, now that’s a red carpet entrance. Question: would my wooden clogs be considered a fashion hit or miss? When I asked the Little Dutch Boy, he threatened to pour paint down my pantyhose. Yes, even itchy pantyhose are making a fashion resurgence, thanks to Kate Middleton. Which means we women shouldn’t toss out our Wang Chung shoulder pads or fishing lure earrings… one never knows when those things go retro. I’m definitely holding onto my banana-striped Waldo leg warmers.
ReplyDelete