Ode to Girls Night Out

by Maria Geraci

I just finished the cutest book--Neanderthal Seeks Human. It's a romance but it's also got a small undercurrent women's fiction plot going on. The main character belongs to a knitting group, you see, although, technically she doesn't knit (the other members of the group do). Still, it's a great excuse for the characters to get together and drink wine, which, let's face it, is the basic premise of most book clubs, or Bunco groups, or any other girls night out group.

Last night I went to my writing group. There's about 9 of us and we're all writers and female. The first 2 hours were dedicated to eating and catching up on gossip. The last hour? Well, we did talk about writing. Some. And to be honest, a lot of time the focus IS on writing. But not until we socialize and get the niceties out of the way. Do men do this? I'm not sure since any men's- only-outing is limited to men. I suspect they do some small amount of socializing, but I also suspect we, as women, have that covered much more nicely than they do.

Recently, I ran into an article about a new game called Mommy Tonic. It's a card game you play with other women (moms, I guess) and there are four different versions of the game. There's even a website.  So, being a lover of all things party and girly related I ordered a game. I haven't hosted a Mommy Tonic party yet, but it's in the works. How about you? Do you participate in a Girls Night Out? And if so, what's the theme?

Welcome to Summer and book giveaway!

by Maria Geraci

We're just a couple of days from Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of summer, arguably, most people's favorite time of year. Summer means vacations and warm weather and trips to the beach and the lake and wherever else you like to go in your free time. It also means beach reading! My most favorite thing to do in the world is set up my beach chair along the shore, slather myself in sunscreen, stick my feet in the water and open up a good book.

In honor of the upcoming holiday (and just because) I've been doing a beach book giveaway over on my blog and Facebook page. I'm giving away a free autographed copy of my second book, BUNCO BABES GONE WILD. All you have to do to enter is click on the word blog or Facebook page in the previous sentence and you'll be take to a link to
leave a comment. Contest ends Friday night at midnight and is limited to US entries only. I'd love it if you stopped by and entered!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! And remember to thank a Veteran for their service!

Literary Moms

by Maria Geraci

Mothers Day is just a few days off and the buzz is heavy in the air. Flower shops are working round the clock and restaurants are prepping for their biggest day of the year.

I noticed that one of the cable channels is running a Mother's Day marathon of "Mommy Dearest" and "Carrie." Yikes. Talk about two dysfunctional moms! Which got me thinking about moms as portrayed in literature.

Other than the moms I've written for my own characters (hands down favs are Emma's 2 moms from my novel A Girl Like You) undoubtedly my literary favorites would have to be the Mom from Little Women, and Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. And the more I think about it, Mrs. Bennet wins hands down. How could she not? Yes, she's silly, vain, and embarrassingly crude, but she's out to get her daughters married in a time when marriage was the only recourse for a woman. Plus, it's hard not to love someone who makes you laugh and roll your eyes at the same time. Brilliant characterization!

Who are your favorite literary moms?

How Norah Jones helped to make me a better writer

by Maria Geraci


The other day I was getting my eyelashes worked on (long story for another post) and while I was blissfully laying there on the table, a Norah Jones song came on Pandora. I can't remember which one exactly, but Norah Jones has such a distinct voice that you always know it's her when she's singing. I've always been a fan of Norah's but hearing her sing brings a smile to my face. Norah, you see, helped make me a better writer.

Years ago, (about 12 to be exact) when I first began writing I belonged to a small online critique group. I was new to writing and thought that a critique group would help me hone my skills. Our process went something like this: Every week a member would upload a chapter of their work and the other members would critique it. When my first time came I was nervous, to be sure, but mostly I was excited to see what people thought of my work. Because of course, I was going to "wow" them with my genius. Right?

Um, not so much.

That first critique was brutal. In a nice way, because the members of my crit group were nice people, but brutal to my precious ego, nonetheless.

I can remember opening up the crits and seeing what I perceived as negative comments everywhere. My first chapter sucked (my words, not theirs) but essentially, I needed to start again from ground zero. I spent the day driving kids around in my minivan, waiting for evening to come when I'd have some alone time to get a good cry in (because generally it's not good form to have an emotional meltdown in front of your kids). I questioned whether or not I had the chops to start another career in what was probably the busiest time of life.

That night with the kiddos (and the hubby) all tucked in bed, I opened up a bottle of wine and put on a Norah CD and reread the crits again. And again and again. While her soft voice crooned in the background, I began to see the wisdom in my crit partner's words. I didn't "suck" but I needed to learn to write. I knew I could tell a story. Like Norah, I knew I had a unique voice (like we all do!). I just needed to zero in on my voice and learn the writing skills necessary to tell my stories the way they needed to be told.

It turned out to be the best crit of my writing life. I woke up the next day and started again from scratch, because that's what writers do. They learn from their work and rewrite until they get better. And in twelve years, that hasn't changed. Even though I'm published now, whenever I hear Norah, I think back to that day 12 years ago and am inspired all over again to never give up and keep writing better.

In the Company of other Writers

by Maria Geraci

I can think of no other solitary profession that craves company more than writers. Because writers need other writers.

Let me explain.

When a writer sits down at the keyboard, they're alone. Well, except for those crazy characters running around in their heads. My husband swears I have someone stashed away in the closet of my den because he keeps hearing "voices" coming from the room whenever I'm in there writing. The truth is, I'm one of those writers who can't write dialogue unless I hear it out loud. There's more of you out there who do that right? Right?? Please tell my husband I'm not crazy. Not sure he'd believe you, but it's worth a shot.

I will admit, however, that after hours and hours of sitting alone at the computer, a person could get a little stir crazy. You begin to question whether what you've written is as good (or maybe as bad) as you think it is. You need perspective. You need fresh air. For God's sake, you need to go to the bathroom! But most of all, you need to interact with other people. Mainly, other writers. People who get the imaginary world you live in, because, let's face it, non-writers just don't get it. Try to talk to them about your plot, or the big turning point or whose pov you should put a scene in and their eyes glaze over.

Of course, there is the Internet. That place other writers can interact with each other daily and still stay in their pjs. But while the Internet is awesome, it's still no substitute for honest-to-goodness real life interaction, face-to-face conversation, hugs, laughter and tears (the stuff life is made of!). I'm fortunate enough to have a couple of venues for this. My awesome STAR chapter (a chapter of Romance Writers of America from central Florida) that meets monthly, and my more local Red Pen Writers, who meets twice a month. Both groups fill my writer's soul. They replenish my emotional well and allow me to spend those long solitary hours at the computer talking to myself. In other words, they keep my sane.

    Tallahassee Red Pen Writers

Thank God for other writers!

Outlander!

by Maria Geraci

Every once in a while, a book comes along that not only engages me as a reader, but inspires me as a writer. I have to admit that I first read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander well before I ever thought of becoming a writer. My husband gave me the book as a Christmas present some 20 some years ago. Being an avid reader, I devoured it in days (it's a big book!) and instantly fell in love with the characters. Most especially the character of Jamie Fraser, a mid 18th century Scottish warrior torn between his love of country and his love for a time traveling modern 20th century woman.

If you've read Outlander, then you know what I'm talking about. Jamie is one of the most complex, interesting, and deliciously wonderful characters you'll ever read. He's smart, funny, heroic and strangely enough real. Yes, he has flaws. He's not perfect. And yet, he is.

The novel Outlander is just the beginning of a wonderful series that's not completed (part of me hopes it never will be!). To my delight and the delight of hundreds of thousands of fans world-wide, the novel had been turned into a mini-series on Starz. Soon (this May!) we can turn on our TVs and see the adventures of Jamie and Claire and a world that up to now, we've only been able to see in our imaginations.

If you follow Diana Gabaldon's FB page (and if you're a writer, you should. She offers some fabulous writing tips) then you'll know that Starz recently put up a "pocket Jamie." Or basically, a paper doll version of the actor playing Jamie Fraser. And yes, I did print and cut one out. It's taped to my desk lamp where I sit and write. For inspiration, mind you.

Rather lovely, don't you think? If you're interested, you can go here for your own Pocket Jamie!

 

 

Professional Jealousy is not attractive

by Maria Geraci

With tomorrow being Valentine's Day, I had this cute little post planned, typical romance writer style. But like a lot of America, I've been glued to the Olympics and then something happened that I haven't been able to get out of my mind. Professional athletes dissing on other professional athletes. As in the Shaun White thing.

In case you're not familiar with Shaun White, he's an American gold medal Olympic Snow boarder. Four years ago he was the talk of the Olympics. He made snow boarding an Olympic sport to be reckoned with. He put the sport on the map. Made lots of money. And paved the way for other snow boarders to make lots of money. Heck, he even made ME want to snow board. And I don't like the cold!

Sadly, this Olympics have been a different story for Shaun. It began when he pulled himself out of one of the first snow boarding events. The one where they go down this cool looking slope and do all these loops and things. Yeah, you know. That event. Then the tweeting began. Other snow boarders mocking Shaun White saying he only pulled out because he knew he couldn't win, etc... And then Tuesday's debacle. Shaun, who was expected to win the men's halfpipe, came in fourth. As in, no medal. And then the tweeting and nasty remarks got kind of vicious. Professional (and I say that loosely) athletes gloating that their king had been dethroned.

Now, I don't know Shaun White personally. Maybe he's a jerk. Maybe he's a nice guy. But regardless, it's sad to see athletes dissing on one another. Especially in the world arena.

I hope as writers we're above this kind of behavior, but I've seen stuff like this happen in the publishing world too.

Lesson learned: One day you're up, one day you're down. Every dog has his day. Let's all be nice to one another. Especially on Twitter. Most especially on Twitter.

The week of the big snow

by Maria Geraci

Please. Humor me a moment. I live in north Florida. It's not like we really got any snow here in Tallahassee. I know that. But again, I live in Florida. Repeat that at any moment while reading this post and it will maybe make sense to you.

I used to work with the loveliest lady named Jean. Jean was a great storyteller. She talked about her husband, her grandkids, her life in general. Every so often, Jean would begin a story with, "The year of the big snow..."

I knew the year she was talking about. It was 1989. I didn't live here in Tallahassee at the time, but that year was infamous in these parts.

In response, I would smile and say, "Jean, you mean, the year of THE snow. Not the big snow. Big implies there are years when there's a little snow."

Jean would smile patiently at me and continue her story anyway.

Fast forward a couple of decades.

I grew up in central Florida, where there is zip chance of snow. I lived here in Tallahassee as a student, and returned with my family in 1996. No snow here since then. Don't get me wrong. I've seen snow. I've skied (sort of) and I've lived in Dallas and in north Alabama where occasionally, we did get some real snow. But no one here in north Florida is waiting with baited breath for the white stuff to come down.

Until this week.

You'd have thought the apocalypse was on its way. Stores have been on alert. Schools have closed down. Roads are closed. People are huddled in their homes. Waiting for the worst. And then it happened. This is my rooftop.

Yes, I know. Some people might call this ice. Some people might call it nothing.  I call it snow.

Remember: Everything is relative. Or, snow is in the eye of the beholder!

My Ten Books

by Maria Geraci

Ack! I hate to be a  copycat, but when I went to post this blog I saw that Bethany had done a similar post yesterday. Yet... I think this is one post that can be repeated. After all, we are writers and writers love nothing more than to read. So here I go.

You know all those annoying Facebook versions of chain letters? Where you get tagged by a friend and you're supposed to respond in some sort of fashion and tag others? I generally ignore that kind of thing mainly because it's too time consuming and eats into my precious writing time. But this was a request I couldn't ignore.

Rules: in your status post 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Don't take more than a few minutes and don't think too hard. They don't have to be the "right" books or "great" books, just ones that have touched you. Tag friends and family and tag me so I can see your list!

Okay, this one I can work with.

Here goes (in no particular order):

1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Little Women
3. Persuasion
4. The Stand
5. The Help
6. Frederica
7. These Old Shades
8. The Fault in our Stars
9. Anna and the French Kiss
10. The Count of Monte Cristo

Well, I can see a pattern. Sort of. I think it means I love romance (didn't need to do a list to figure that one out) and that Georgette Heyer was (and still is) a huge influence on romance writers. As for Stephen King's The Stand? Well, chalk that one up to great writing.

Take a second and make out your own list. It's fun!

Finding your story

by Maria Geraci

People (as in readers and fellow authors) always ask me how I find my stories. If you're a writer, then I'm sure you get asked this question a lot as well.

My answer is always the same. I don't find my stories. They find me.  Now, lest you think this is some kind of woo-woo post, let me assure you. It most certainly is :)

By woo-woo, I mean something that I can't readily explain. As in mystical. Or magical, for want of a better word. Stories come from deep within us. They're extensions of how we think and how we experience life. Kind of like dreams. Only dreams that manifest themselves during our waking periods in such vivid detail that we're able to write them down in 300 or so pages.

That's also the way theme works. Theme evolves from story. Not the other way around. So when someone asks me what the theme of my current wip is, I can honestly answer I don't know. Not until I finish writing my story, that is. Maybe not even until I finish a second or maybe even third round of revisions. But I digress...

When I begin a new story, I open up my word doc to a blank screen and one tiny idea. Usually, it's  a character in some sort of situation. And that's it. No outline. No character sketches. Nada. It's me, my laptop, and that one idea for the next 90,000 or so words. Kind of scary. But also kind of exhilarating. I write hard and fast and yes, I have to revise. Sometimes a little, but more than sometimes, a lot.

I love how characters I thought to only give a couple of lines to, become major secondary characters, sometimes taking over an entire scene. I love how I think my character will react in a certain situation, only to write the scene to discover something entirely different. I love how I think I know how my story will end, only to discover that's not the way it will end up at all. And how that ending was the way it was supposed to be from the very beginning, because all the time I was writing, my subconscious knew what my story was.

I know. I said this was going to be woo-woo. I hope I didn't disappoint.

How do you write your stories?

Sometimes it pays to be lazy

by Maria Geraci

Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch catching up on the shows on my DVD when I decided to get something out of the freezer. Okay, I'll just get this out of the way and admit it was ice-cream. An ice-cream Snickers bar, to be exact.

So I got my ice-cream Snickers bar and put the box back in the freezer, when something horrific happened. I couldn't shut the door back again. It was stuck. Like something was in the way. Only I couldn't easily find what that something was.

Let me give you a little background on this fridge. It's old. Like 20 years old. But it still runs perfectly and with 2 kids in college I'm not replacing my fridge anytime soon unless forced.

So with my rapidly melting Snickers bar in hand and the rest of Chicago Fire to catch up on, I was faced with a dilemma: Take the time to figure out what was causing the freezer door to stick, or enjoy my ice-cream and my show.

Anyone who knows me, knows I choose Option B. Yes, I have always preferred instant gratification.
Now, I will preface this to say that I didn't have anything expensive in the freezer. No big cuts of meat or anything. As a matter of fact, probably the most valuable thing in the freezer at the time was the rest of those ice-cream Snickers bars.

So I enjoyed my ice-cream and my show and by the time I got back to the freezer some of the stuff in the bottom drawer had began to melt. I went to the garage and got the biggest trash bag I could find and began tossing stuff away, which mainly consisted of countless bags of tired looking frozen vegetables and other semi-frozen products of questionable origin. Once I had that bottom drawer cleared, a miracle happened. I was able to close my freezer drawer. Mystery solved!

But of course, I couldn't stop there. I emptied out the rest of that freezer, scrubbed it down with soap, rinsed it out and now it shines like the top of the Chrysler building. I was on a roll. So I figured why stop there?

Next, it was the oven. Yes, it's self-cleaning, but hey, someone has to push the button to start the process.

The microwave and stovetop came next.

Then my pantry.

My husband came home from work to find me in a flurry of kitchen activity. Not exactly the activity he would have preferred at that point (which would have been me cooking dinner) but hey, I now had a near spotless kitchen. With a freezer door that easily opens and shuts and lots of room for more stuff.

I'll be honest. If I had chosen Option A, I would have quickly discovered I had too much stuff in the bottom drawer, rearranged a few frozen vegetable bags, been able to close my freezer door and gone back to my cozy couch and my tv. I'd also still have a messy kitchen.

The moral of my little story? Sometimes procrastination wins the day.

Being Tim Tebow

by Maria Geraci

 

 

Okay, so first off, don't run. This isn't going to be a blog about football or Christianity. This  is going to be a blog about inspiration. Something I seek desperately every day to get the thousands (seemingly) of things done I need to get done in my multiple jobs as author, small business owner (because let's face it, every author today is their own business,) nurse, mother, wife, and all around everything-else-I've-promised-to-be-to-everyone-else.

 Some days, my Catholic guilt really gets to me because on most days I think I really suck at doing it all. And it's on some of those days that I sometimes just give up and think, "If I can't do it all, then I might as well not do anything at all."

Those are the days I throw in the towel and flop on the couch with a tub of ice-cream to catch up on episodes of Breaking Bad (OMG, that's another blog entirely). But this sort of pity party only leads to more feelings of inadequacy with the only benefit being that I'm really glad I'm not in the business of cooking crystal meth.

But I digress.

So recently while in the aftermath of one of those pity parties, I opened up my computer to find that Tim Tebow had been cut from the New England Patriots. No big surprise there. The guy has been floundering in the NFL. I was never a college fan of Tebow's. He was the quarterback for the Florida Gators and being that I'm a die-hard Florida State fan, he was naturally, an enemy to my state. But once Tebow graduated college and went pro I wished him nothing but luck. He seemed like a nice guy and in NFL football these days, nice guys are hard to find.

Soon after the announcement from the Patriots, dozens of sports reporters began speculating on Tebow's future. Despite the fact that he was a Heisman Trophy winner and a star quarterback who led his team to a National Championship, he had "never been" NFL material. His style of football wasn't for the NFL. He wasn't good enough to be in the pros. Team after team tried him out, only to cut him in the end. But hey, the reporters said, Tebow is still a gold mine. He could make millions in other sports, like arena football, or NASCAR (yep, I actually read an article about that) or more likely as a motivational speaker. After all, his book was a national best seller. I still remember the lines of people standing outside Barnes & Noble waiting to get their copy.

This was Tim Tebow's response to being cut by the Patriots. "I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback." He also included some really nice stuff about the New England organization, thanking them for the opportunity they'd given him, etc...

I have to say at first, I shook my head. "Why doesn't he just give up?" "Why doesn't he take the countless other opportunities that are flying his way?"

Because those aren't Tim Tebow's dream. He stated his dream clearly. And frankly, I have to admire the guy. There is something so powerful about seeing someone struggle to achieve something that maybe they never will, but continuing on nonetheless. I really hope Tebow doesn't succumb to the pressure to give up. I hope he knows he's inspiring a lot of people out there.

My new mantra? "I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being a full-time writer."

There. I said it.

Thanks, Tim Tebow. Thank you for the inspiration.

Time to get off the couch and back to the computer.

My Celebrity Crush

by Maria Geraci

Go ahead and admit it.

 You have a celebrity crush.

Not a crush as in, that guy is cute (I have those too! Mine would be Jesse Spencer from Chicago Fire). But if you're like most people you have some sort of fascination for someone in the limelight. Someone say, like, Princess Kate.

Yep. I'm a sucker for Kate and William. And now, add little George to the mix. I can't go by the checkout line at the grocery and NOT buy a magazine that has their picture on it.

I was never a big Princess Di fan. Nor am I an anglophile. I do admit to staying up years ago to watch Diana's wedding to Prince Charles, but I think half the nation did that and I was young and in college and it was kind of the thing to do. But any fascination I might have had with Diana slowly ebbed as it became apparent that her life was anything to be admired.

Not so with Kate. She seems to have it all. A somewhat handsome (if slightly toothy) husband who seems genuinely devoted to her, a loving family (normal parents and sister), a career, a good relationship with the mother-in-law, and a sensible head on her shoulders  Plus, she has great hair. What's not to love about her?

Please, Kate. Stay normal. The world needs more celebrity role models like you.

My In Between Writing Style

by Maria Geraci

There comes a time in every book's life when the author sits back from her keyboard, scratches her head, and asks, "Now what?"

I really hate when this happens. And it happens every time. At least to me it does, and I imagine it happens to most other authors as well. For me, that time usually comes sometime after writing a "big" scene. And by big scene, I mean those pivotal scenes that usually act as sequence climaxes. Those scenes that bring us to the next phase of our story. The scenes that on the surface seem to almost write themselves, except we know that no scene truly writes itself. Writing is hard. I get that. And it should be, because nothing worth doing well is ever easy.

So how do I go from "Now what?" to "Oh, that's what comes next!" I wish I had a magical answer, especially since I'm in that phase as I type this blog! I stayed up last night, thinking, pondering, wondering. I know how my story needs to end. I know the pivotal scenes I need to write to get to that end, I'm just now sure about some of the stuff that happens in between. You know, the important stuff that keeps your story together?

This is the time when I wish I was a plotter. But I'm not. I've tried pre-plotting, but I just can't do it. I've written novels "pantser" style and it works better for me, but it also causes a lot of head banging moments (like now). So, I've created something that's kind of in-between, a sort of plot-by-the-seat-of-your-pants method. I'm a very visual person, so I use a large three sided poster board that allows me to "see" my story as it progresses. It's filled with lots of little post-it-notes scattered through out as you can see below. Pink is a scene already written. Blue are the emotional highlights of the scene or story "progressers" as I call them. And Orange is stuff I know I need to write. As you can see, there's a lot of orange down there, which means it's time to get back to work.

 

How do you create your stories? Plotter? Pantser? Or something in between?

Writing from my Happy Place

by Maria Geraci

Before you begin to snicker, I'm not talking about that happy place (mind out of the gutter, please!), I'm talking about writing from a place of internal happiness.

Happiness is something I've thought about a lot lately. We all strive to be happy. But how many of us can define what it is that makes us happy? Sure, we all want good health, a healthy family, financial security, success. These are the things we've programmed to think we need to make us whole. But those vague definitions aren't enough to show us the way to happiness. How well do you need to feel to be healthy? Is the absence of disease enough? Or is it losing those last elusive twenty pounds? How much money do you need in the bank? How many possessions?

Once upon a time (eleven years ago, to be exact) I began writing on a lark. More an epiphany, to tell the truth. I never really expected to be a multi-published author. I dreamed about it, of course. But it seemed like a fairy tale. Something out of my reach. I was happy writing (as bad as those early stories were), and learning, and going to conferences. And yes, even rejection could make me happy. Because after a while, the rejections became better. And then some of those rejections became requests, and then finally offers, and I thought I had made it. I reached the pinnacle of writing happiness.

Are you shaking your head at my foolishness, yet?

By the time my first book came out I was a hot mess. Happy and hopeful one day. Shattered and depressed the next. I spoke in a language that was almost as foreign to me now as it was back then-- Print runs, sales, reviews. I thought being a published author would make me happy. But it didn't. Not really. Writing my stories is what made me happy. But everything else? It stressed me to the point that I hardly knew myself. And then came another book. And even though my sales were hardly impressive, I was fortunate enough to land a third book deal. The pressure was on me to produce. So I did the best I could and hoped beyond hope that this third book would be my break out novel. I wrote, but I wasn't happy.

And then I waited. No more contracts until my numbers came in. Which probably meant no more contracts from my publisher (since I'd seen my previous sales numbers and they were dismal). My agent and I met and I told her I wanted to write a story in first person. And this time I wasn't going to hide what it was. I didn't care that chick lit was "dead". I had a story I wanted to write and I was determined to write it my way. She told me to go for it. To write the kind of story I wanted to read with no expectation of ever getting it published.

So I did.

I went back to my early writing roots and wrote for the shear joy of writing. I poured my heart and soul in the story and half-way through the writing, my agent called. My publisher wanted to see what I was working on, so I reluctantly sent in the first 60 pages. Reluctantly, because those pages were rough, but I already loved them. I didn't want anyone raining on my parade or discouraging me from finishing that novel. Miraculously, my editor loved it too and offered me a contract. And now that novel A GIRL LIKE YOU is nominated for a RITA, one of romance fiction's highest awards. 

This is what I have written on the bulletin board above my writing desk:

If you don't love what you write, then neither will anyone else.

Have I achieved a grand success in my writing? Certainly not from a business stand point. But I now know that I have achieved something more important to me, and that is personal success. I may not be a New York Times best selling author and I may never be. I might never receive six figure contracts or be even be able to live off my writing alone. But it doesn't matter. Because writing makes me happy again.

Girl Scout Cookies and Ducks who Refuse to Die

by Maria Geraci

With a title like that I'm sure you're going WHAT? Currently, I'm in full writer mode frantically typing away on a manuscript that was supposed to be due to my agent a few weeks ago. Granted, that deadline was one of my own making, but still. I hate getting behind on my writing but this winter has seen the death of my computer along with numerous other set backs including a lot of extra time spent on the day job (labor and delivery nurse) that just can't be helped.

But the good news is that I am now on a roll. With the help of a genius husband who it seems can fix anything computer related (love my nerdy engineer!), the help of an old story, and a few boxes of Tagalongs I'm back in the proverbial saddle again.

Hemingway had his liquor. Me, I have my Girl Scout cookies. It seems there is nothing like a good old fashioned peanut butter and chocolate sugar high to keep my butt firmly planted in the chair in front of my desk. Of course, soon, my butt might not fit in said chair, but that's another story. Inspiration is not something to be taken lightly. No matter where it comes from.

Speaking of which, my current wip has taken a little inspiration from a real life duck tale I blogged about a few years ago.

A duck (later nicknamed Perky) who had been shot by a hunter and presumed dead was found alive by the hunter's wife in their refrigerator. The duck had been in the fridge for 2 days when the wife heard something strange, opened the fridge, and found the duck staring at her (I think I would have lost my Girl Scout cookies at this point). She took the duck to an emergency vet where the duck had surgery and was later adopted by the local wildlife sanctuary, giving Perky a happily ever after.

For some reason, I've always been intrigued by this story. Maybe it's the sheer improbability of it all. Or the quirkiness of it. I'm not sure. All I will say is that whenever I think my story is dead in the water, something miraculously brings it back to life. Sort of like Perky. It just doesn't want to die.

The point of all being is that when Inspiration comes, in no matter what form, jump on it.

A Heroine to Root For

by Maria Geraci

This Saturday, I'll be giving a workshop for the Ancient City Romance Writers of America (great group, btw!) on Creating a Strong Romantic Heroine. It's my contention that the heroine in your romance novel is the back bone of your entire story. If your readers don't connect with her in a strong way, then your story is going to fall apart. No one likes a wimpy dumb heroine. Nor do they like a Perfect Polly either.

I put together a list of the qualities I most admire/like in a heroine and came up with the following.

Smart.
Capable.
Loyal.
Quirky.
Sense of Humor.
Kind.
Ambitious.

Who are some of my favorite heroines from literature/film? There's lots to pick from but without a doubt my top favorites are:

 Kathleen Kelly (so wonderfully played by Meg Ryan)  in You've Got Mail

 Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

And last but not least, my personal Fave: Jo March in Little Women

Who are your favorite literary heroines? And what characteristics do you admire most in them?

Getting through the first draft

by Maria Geraci

You know how I know I'm excited about starting a new book? I begin writing at all sorts of strange hours. And by strange hours, I mean 2 a.m or 4 a.m or maybe even in the middle of cooking dinner which can create all sorts of problems if one wants their dinner to not be burned to a crackly crunch (as Mike Geraci and I generally prefer ours not to be).

I'll be honest, this sort of shake up to my routine is not only expected, it's highly desired. Nothing is worse to me as a writer than to sit at my computer forcing myself to come up with something to put on the page. I have plenty of stuff I could be doing instead.

Multi-pubbed and ultra-famous author Nora Roberts is generally credited with the quote "...just get the story down." And that's exactly what I do.I get that first draft done in snippets, sometimes writing for as little as five minutes because inspiration can come at the oddest moments (in the shower, while driving a car, standing in the grocery line) which means I have to be creative about the way I write.

The other day while I was waiting at the deli to order lunch meat, a brilliant (yes, brilliant!) line of dialogue came to me and I had no paper or pen. So I whipped out my iPhone and began typing dialogue in my Notes app. I was so engrossed that I completely missed hearing my number called. I mumbled a quick apology and the clerk took my order, but I have to wonder what she would have thought if I'd said, "Sorry, I was writing my novel!"  I'm sure that would have garnered me some strange looks but I wouldn't have cared. Writing the first draft is like inching your way on your belly through the trenches. You get to the finish line any way you can.

My favorite recipe

by Maria Geraci

As I write this post, I have a confession to make. I'm all blogged out. That's because in less than 2 weeks my new release A Girl Like You comes out and I'm going on a huge blog tour, which means I've been writing blog posts galore. So in the interest of keeping it fresh, I decided to share my most favorite recipe with Stiletto Gang readers.

Now, lest you think you are getting cheated here, let me tell you whenever I make my Asian Salad I get stampeded for the recipe. Seriously. It's the best. And now it's yours to try. Plus, it's easy!

ASIAN SALAD

1-2 heads of Nappa Cabbage, finely chopped. Combine with 1 bunch of green onions, also finely chopped. Place in a large container. Cover and refrigerate.

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Take 2 packages of Ramen noodles (any flavor). While package is still sealed take a rolling pin and smash the ramen noodles, crushing them into bite sized pieces. Discard seasoning packet and add smashed ramen noodles into the frying pan. Add 1 bag slivered almonds, plus one small jar of sesame seeds. Saute noodles, almonds and seeds until lightly browned (about 15 minutes). Let cool, then place in a sealed container and refrigerate.

Dressing: 1 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup plain rice vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce plus 1/4 cup sugar. Mix well and refrigerate.

Let the cabbage mixture, noodle mixture and dressing all cool for at least 2-4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, add the noodle mixture into the cabbage and toss with dressing (I usually only use about 1/2- 3/4 of the dressing) and serve immediately.

Writing the Fly Lady Way

by Maria Geraci

I have a confession to make. I'm probably one of the most naturally disorganized people you'll ever meet. Oh, I can fake it pretty well, but beneath my iPhone's carefully filled calendar is a field of chaos so large I can barely wrap my arms around it.

This is something I've always known about myself, but it's really struck home lately. You see, I'm in the process of filling out various Q&As for my upcoming blog tour to promote my August 7 release of A Girl Like You. One of the most common questions has to do with my writing process/routine. I shudder at the real answers to most of these questions.

Q: What is your writing routine like?

A: Oh, I like to get up in the morning, drink a cup of coffee, then get in 2 solid hours of good writing time before I start the day.

REAL A: I get up in the morning, drink a cup of coffee and immediately start looking at my email, which then takes me to a plethora of other sites that seem sparkly and distracting and before I realize it, 2 hours have gone by! 


Okay, sometimes I really do write for those 2 hours in the morning, but most times, not. My writing routine is all over the place. Sometimes I write for a couple of hours straight, but most times my writing is done in fifteen minute intervals because I have the attention span of a flea. But that doesn't mean my writing routine is wrong. It just means that it's the way I think and the way I create a story.

I guess I'm the Fly Lady of writing. Never heard of Fly Lady? Fly Lady is a fantastic site that stresses decluttering, destressing and organizing your life in Baby Steps. Awhile back it occurred to me that Fly Lady's cleaning tips could also be applied to writing. Fifteen minutes here, Fifteen minutes there, and eventually, you have a manuscript. Believe me, it works!