Cover Sneak

I got the cover for UNWRITTEN ROMANCE today. It won't be out for a month or so, but I needed a dash of happy in my blogger strife day, and this did it!

In other news...this book is humming along...the Jewish wedding is over, and it is on to the reception...call from sis...chat with step-Dad...and then my clencher scene...would joining the mile high club be gratuitous? I thought so, but then another MX author has THE MILE HIGH CLUB coming out, so it won't be the 1st time it happens in a MX...takes the pressure off...

Let's take a poll, shall we?

OK. So I am having a weird blog moment...anyone who was victim to the AngelFire debacle that was yesterday, I apologize. But...now the jury is out as to what my blog looks like to other people...and how comments are acting. Before I report to Blogger, I'd like to hear some opinions...

does the blog look weird?
do comments work?
are the comments in a pop up box, on the sidebar, or in the blog post?
Does it change if you hit refresh?

Bubbles, blogger, and comments

I *think* I fixed my comments. Ok. So I just lifted some code out of the Pink Heart Society. but I'd tried EVERYTHING! I even moved to a new template. So...

thoughts on the new template? Should I go back to the old one?

Romance Readers Luncheon

Every year my local RWA hosts a luncheon for romance readers as a benefit for Oregon Literacy. This year we upgraded from a restaurant banquet room to a swank downtown hotel. It was such a girlie day, I had to bring along my mom and grandma. Sherrilyn Kenyon gave a wonderful speach, encouraging up not to apologize for romance, but embrace the optimistic message of the genre. A great day, plus my mom won a tennis racket!

I love days like this. It does make me wish my books were available in the US. Maybe next year!

13 Opening Lines From My Short Stories

Thirteen opening lines from Jenna's short stories

1. Standing in the ballroom of his brother’s country estate, James Darby cursed himself for ever leaving London. -- In Silhouette, Wild Rose Press, English Tea
2. Rachel Hansen wrapped her hands around the coffee mug, letting it warm her chilled fingers. -- If We Listened, Wild Rose Press, Last Rose of Summer
3. Vanessa peered through the glass, narrowing her eyes to tighten her focus. -- Dream Ring, Wild Rose Press, Last Rose of Summer
4. The razor scratched across Jack’s face, removing the day’s growth of stubble. -- How About Tomorrow, Wild Rose Press, Sweetheart Rose
5. Ryan jerked to a stop, his arm shooting out, keeping Brenda from barreling past him on the overgrown trail. -- The Forest For The Trees, Dreams & Desires anthology, Freya's Bower
6. Julia Clayton thought Mariners were fishermen. -- All's Fair in Love & Baseball, Romance Diva's free e-book challenge (free read! Go ahead anc click!)
7. Eden stepped slowly through the dark house, careful not to make a sound. -- Found, Wild Rose Press, Champagne (DEBUT's FRIDAY!! As in tomorrow!)
8. Robert Hannigan was not supposed to propose to her today, not the third time she’d seen him, the first time her sister had allowed him to escort her anywhere. -- Treasured, Wild Rose Press, American (coming in May)
9. A warm finger tapped on Emma Riley’s bare shoulder. -- Kismet, Romance Central (free read! Go ahead anc click!)
10. “I did it,” Molly Wilson whispered, sliding into the bus seat next to her best friend, Anne. -- 71 DOWNTOWN, Harlequin
11. Brenda waited eight days for Nick to come around, wondering if more than pride and ugly words were getting in the way of their marriage. -- Follow Me Home, Coffee Time Romance (free read! Go ahead anc click!)
12. Kayla Bentley laid on her side of the king size bed, pining for sleep. -- On Again, Phaze(coming in July!)
13. It was sweltering outside, but boiling inside my black SUV as I made the commute home. -- Night of Inspiration (Phaze)
    
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Courting The Muse - Practical and Spiritual Tools for Writer with Tawny Weber

Workshop starts today!

A workshop not so much about the craft of writing... but about the art of making the most of your writing process, whatever that processis to you.



Stop by Romance Divas and check out this free class led by Blaze author, Tawny Weber.

South Dakota?

Trish is letting her characters drive her story, and since her word count is a thing of beauty I thought I'd opt for it as well...well...my hero took us from Nebraska to South Dakota...then on to Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada...

I know he's on vacation, but really. how is my heroine suppsoed to keep from killing him? I think I've decided on doing up a Jewish wedding for this one :) Not sure...I'll see when I get to the rehearsal dinner I suppose...

Fun For Friday...

While the boys are away tearing up Grandma's house instead of mine...I will attempt the daring feat of catching up to Trish in the word count race. For those of you who haven't been staring at her word count meter...she's 10K ahead of me. Can't let her get a big head about it, or she'll be unbearable at RWA in July. So...

Must. Get. Characters. Out. Of. Nebraska. South Dakota or Wyoming, that is the question!

Thursday 13 :: First lines from my romance novels and novels to be...

Thirteen first lines from Jenna's novels... 1…. “Stolen.” -- Driven to Distraction (WIP) 2…. Some things are better rich. -- Balancing Acts (next WIP) 3….“Those things will kill you, you know.” -- Drive Me Crazy (chapter 3 stall) 4….“You need to put some clothes on.” -- For Kicks (homeless) 5….“You’re late.” -- Her Cinderella Complex (coming 2008 from Samhain) 6….Tyler McNally’s heart stalled in his chest. -- Little White Lies (homeless) 7….Ben Cannon knew better than to take a midweek flight into North Bend. -- Par For The Course (homeless) 8…. The gunmetal gray sky outside his office window mocked him. -- Cooking Up A Storm (Mills & Boon) 9…. Scanning the line for the third time, Hannah crossed her legs tighter and tried to concentrate. -- Just One Spark (Mills & Boon) 10…. That's what you get for opening you big mouth, David Strong said to himself as he pulled his baby blue Corvette Stingray in front of Working It Out. -- Breaking His Rules (homeless) 11…. “Serena, have you heard a word I’ve said?” -- Getting Personal (WIP someday) 12…. Just don't trip. -- The Marrying Man (stalled at chapter 10) 13…. "I am NOT a virgin!" -- Party Favors (WIP someday)

Best Category Romance of 2006 nominees by CataRomance.com

Nominees are:

Learning Curve by Terry McLaughlin
Blind-Date Marriage by Fiona Harper
Wife For a Weekby Kelly Hunter
Just One Spark by Jenna Bayley-Burke




I am so geeked!

They made it to Nebaska...

Ever get distracted? You know, when you call your best friend and start trying to figure out where in Nebraska we were when we saw the giant roadside man...which led to trying to discern if my couple should stop in Salt Lake or just take them to Reno...and then I thought...hmmm. Ok. So I have used the revolving locations in the plot, what little I have...but...I don't 'need' another location until Crater Lake. Ugh. I feel a "two days later" coming on...

Great for moving the story, not good for word count. (Guess who is smoking me right now? Miss Trish and her lovely sassy characters...I think I still have a toe up on Ally...)

Drafting versus Writing

My CP was nice enough to read through what I have of Driven to Distraction and make me a list of things to fix (bless you!)...and as I am going through I am realizing...I'm not writing this novel, I am drafting it.

I wrote Cooking Up A Storm. I drafted Just One Spark. When I write, things stay pretty much the same throughout...when I draft I put down the bones, then go back and layer, then go back and edit...

Not sure what that means for this book...but the next one I am going to try First Draft in 30 again. I need to get some books out quick like! Characters are clouding up my head!

Sometimes...life is too frustrating for words.

On Saturday I skipped out on my RWA meeting, packed off BabyBoy with my brother and went to town writing. Great morning of work. Except...when I came back to it...al my morning work was gone.

Tried AutoRecover, but that seemed to be sending my saves into never never land. So...i am down a chapter, all that child care wasted...and...I am wondering if it is the writing gawds way of telling me I went the wrong way with the story.

Miss me?

I am over at the Pink Heart Society talking about pint and click characterisation...check it out!

Wyoming, here we come!

When I did my first NaNo, one of the dares was to use the na,e of ever state in the US. I tried it in my second Nano, where I hopped my heroine about the country to train retail-ites about shoes. This book isn't a NaNo, but this road trip is great for that dare. I even managed to work in Wisconsin, which my characters did not visit!

In honor of The Secret, Happiness Now, and my bad mood...

Thirteen Things Jennais happy about 1…. The boys are both in school for a few hours today 2…. Hotmail is down, so I can't be distracted by email 3…. I seem to be winning the word war with Trish and Ally 4…. Empire waist fashions are in (and quite forgiving) 5…. Chocolate soy milk 6…. Got my yoga in yesterday 7…. RWA conference is only three months away! 8…. My local RWA meeting is this weekend (I am craving adult conversation) 9…. Writing. 10…. BigBoy has inherited my love of board games 11…. My bed. I could live here, really 12…. Reading. Only thing better than writing. 13…. Art. Art supplies are my crack.

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Life is Tripping!

You know...when I started this war of words with Ally & Trish I thought for sure I would smoke them. I mean, I have a sexy Frenchman and a saucy Latina. No competition.

But then, life happened. I got the green light on the book the DAY my folks were heading back after entertaining my kidlets for Spring Break. Then Hubba Bubba became enamored with work and started to live in his little cubicle. Then my go-to brother up and bought his new bride a place to live and got all busy with moving into a place with an actual kitchen (The other brother and I have doll house sized kitchens, so we are pea green with envy that he was smart enough to find a place where he could turn around without ramming the fridge. Come to think of it, I bet it was the bride who figured that out.) Other brother has a job and a wife, hence he can't stare at the dervishes during the day. My cousin with the equally whirling small boy is in England, so no help there. And my mother-in-law hurt her back. See? The boys are all mine!

Now... my mission... and I have no choice but to accept... write a fun and flirty while emotionally intense book while keeping one eye on Trouble and the other on More Trouble. Wait, where is my eye for the screen?

Once in a Lifetime

What is on your to-do list for life? Things you want to try...someday. Collecting this list is the ultimate way to procrastinate, helps you see what matters to you beneath the everyday clutter of life, and is a great motivator to knock a few off the list ASAP. So...what's on your list?

• Spend the night in a haunted house
• Have a page long 'other books by' page in my novels
• Write in wet cement
• Take an 'unplugged' vacation
• Have a shelf with nothing but my own books on it
• Host a dinner party AND enjoy myself
• Reach the top of a rock climbing wall
• Stay in a posh hotel suite
• Get henna tatooed
• Win a writing award (yes, I pathetically need the validation)
• Spend 24 hours in solitude
• Finally get to the planetarium
• Send a message in a bottle out to sea
• Run the Hood-To-Coast race
• Read every book on my shelves
• Ride in a hot air balloon
• Have a professional make-up lesson
• Stick to a workout routine for more than a week
• Teach Bayley to LOVE to read
• Figure out this writing gig so that I can sell on a conversation with my editor and never write a synopsis again!

OK. So there are lots more, but it is my bedtime. What about you?

She's prickly.

Uh-oh. My sexy heroine has gone prickly on me. Probably because I spooked her with a haunted house, raced her from Pennsylvania to Illinois with a man who is proud France has the highest accident rate in Europe, and deposited her at her friends house, who seems to have the hots for said Frenchman.

Today she's supposed to go to Wisconsin...not sure how that will improve her mood....

As to yesterday...not details from Samhain as of yet. My darling editor guessed early 2008 for e-book, late 2008 for print. Which meant to me...I get to do a signing at the 2008 Emerald City conference :) I think I get to keep my title...that would be a first. Jenna Allen gets to keep hers, but I usually don't.

SAMHAIN!

Guess who just contracted a book with Samhain? I am so excited! Can you tell? I don't have my contract yet...but my editor there said the book would be a 2008 release, ebook and print. This is HER CINDERELLA COMPLEX, the story with the couple on the private island in Lake Shastina.

I wonder...if this will get me into another party at RWA...

I AM SUCH A FOLLOWER...

Thirteen Things I've researched for DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION 1…. Haunted hotels! No, this is not a ghost story book :) 2…. French Translations! All hail Babelfish. 3…. Olivier Martinez Yum! 4…. America Ferrera Adorable! 5…. Greyhound bus schedules Would you ride a bus for 4 days to make it to your sisters wedding? 6…. Driving Directions Are you a Mapblaster or a Google Mapper? 7…. Lincoln Memorial I needed to know what you could see from the steps, and I couldn't get my brother to haul his butt over there and tell me anything beyond "grass" 8…. Frank Lloyd Wright...why are men obsessed with his designs? It is as common as a football fetish! 9…. Teach America...had to find out where the schools were that you could work at to forgive your student loans 10…. Colonial furniture Goes back to the haunted hotel thing 11…. French customs And in true Jenna slacker form, I used phone calls, A Year in the Merde, In The Merde For Love, and Finding Your Inner French Girl. 12…. Cafe con Leche I always know my characters favorite drink and try to work it in to amuse myself. For Jaime it's cafe con leche...but she's Mexican and I worried that is a Cuban drink and wouldn't that be clashing...and then I chatted up some people and realized...she's American. Part of our charm is taking the best things from other cultures and adopting them as our own 13…. Sexy French Phrazes I researched them...but so far I chickened out on using them. But I REALLY wanna! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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Do you believe in ghosts?

So...I put my characters in a haunted hotel. For a long list of reasons. Local color, tension, illustrating the dichotomy between the characters (this is my ultimate show don' t tell)...but...I want to stay in the haunted hotel! They are checking out at the end of the chapter. This is only chapter 4! How am I going to top the supernatural in the rest of the book?

Oh...and I am quite torn in another way. The Unit and Deadliest Catch are both on tonight. At the same time. Why is it there is either NOTHING on TV, or a handful of things you want to see on at the same time?

Blaze Party on The Pink Heart Society

The Pink Heart Society is having another online party at their yahoo loop, this time featuring authors from the Blaze line. If the Romance party a few months back is any indication, this one will be TONS of fun!

So if you have questions about writing for Blaze, have a book that you've read recently that you'd like to tell us about or just want to meet these lovely ladies with their searing hot heros telling us about their latest releases then pop on by and let's make them very welcome!!!!

Just look who'll be there!

• Lori Wilde


• Leslie Kelly


• Stephanie Tyler


• Dawn Atkins


• Tawny Weber


• Sarah Mayberry


• Cindi Myers


• Jamie Sobrato


• Lori Borrill


• Samantha Hunter