Make sure to drop by my blog and add your list of favorite of romantic movies so you are added to the contest to win an advance copy of Samantha James's new book.

Is come out of the woodwork and comment like crazy. Wow! Was I overwhelmed at how many of you took the time to enter my contest. Keep those comments coming because they all count. What also overwhelmed me was that so many of you have said that you can't wait for Tempted by the Night to come out, and believe me I really, really appreciate hearing that. You don't know how much such bubbly praise makes an author's day.

Nor should I tell you that I have a copy of the book sitting on my desk--I usually get a few early copies--because I really don't want to start a housebreaking riot here in my neighborhood. So rather than incite a mob to resort to larceny, I thought I'd share an email I got from Rachel this week. We were chatting about knitting and crocheting and our respective grandmothers and she said (without any prompting from me),

I'm sure I'll enjoy Tempted!! It's going to be my way to unwind after a frenzied baking spree, since my husband's birthday is the 24th, and my other grandmother's and brother-in-law's birthday is the 26th. My family recently designated me the Official Birthday Baker, so I've promised the DH and Grandma Boston Cream Pies (at their requests), and I need to figure out what will ship well from northern Pennsylvania to the D.C.-area of Maryland for the b-i-l. So my plan is either to grab Tempted the morning of the 26th and take breaks whilst things are in the oven, or stop by the bookstore in the evening and enjoy it with a bath and a cup of tea after the celebrations are over and the kids are asleep. We'll see how the day goes. But it'll almost be like an un-birthday present for me, amidst everyone else's birthdays, lol.

Now I'm no expert on baking Boston Cream Pies, let alone shipping them, but what really got to me was that Rachel, bless her heart, amidst all that mayhem was planning on how she was going to get her copy of Tempted by the Night and wedge in the time to read it. I'm lighting a candle to the patron saint of bakers (Saint Honorius) and postal workers (Gabriel the Archangel) that Rachel's pies turn out fabulous and ship perfectly.

Keira also mentioned that the 26th was her birthday in my last posting, so we all know she's celebrating the date as well. And Keira, if you want to think that HarperCollins chose the date just to commemorate your natal anniversary, I won't argue the point. We should all be free to celebrate any way we choose. Bubble baths, cake (preferably chocolate), bubbly drinks, or just a few quiet moments after the kiddos are down for the night.

So to get the comment party started, tell me how do you celebrate when you get a book you've been waiting for? How do carve out that time?

Preview: Today I covered what Readers Do, and On Monday I'll go into the angst ridden world of writers and tell you, What Authors Shouldn't Do

When you go to the RWA conference there is a ton of free stuff to pick up. Everywhere. Books, bookmarks, pens, pencils, publisher's tchotchkes, and more books. This year I exercised due restraint, mostly because I knew the DH would be around when I was packing up and I'd have to hear the complaints of "why are you bringing that stuff home?" Okay, he'd probably call it all junk, but he's a man and just doesn't get it.

But quite honestly, I just don't have the room for more books and goodies, so my over-stuffed, downsized office makes for a good blog contest. So here it is, the Conference Goodie Giveaway, with these very simple rules:



1) Who's going to win? Some lucky, random commenter on my blog between August 1st and before noon PDT on August 25th. All you have to do is leave a comment. Comment every day if you like (well, at least try to say something relevant, but if you want to start an entire discussion, that's cool too!). Want an extra entry? . . .
Click here to read the rest and enter.

Okay, another book is done. Pippin and Dash have their story. And I am no longer chained to my office and computer. I've spent the last few days blinking owlishly at the world and of course, shopping for RWA's national conference in San Francisco next week. Shoes, a couple of new dresses, makeup, the usual stuff. I asked my editor if she stresses about going to conference and what to wear, then we laughed over it, because she actually has her work clothes, so for her the clothes aren't the problem, but apparently getting all her shoes in the suitcase can be a bit tricky.

Now for me, clothes are the problem. And the shoes (more of a lack of than too many) and don't even venture into my poor selection of makeup. And since . . . Read the rest

The weatherman made a huge mistake and we had a beautiful weekend here in Seattle--despite his dire predictions of rain and cold. So between writing 15 pages (which is what The Plan had me writing over the weekend) I also replanted my deck pots with new annuals,



planted a new rock garden in the front yard,



ignored the rock garden still to be planted,



walked twice with my old critique partner, Darcy Carson, went for a bike ride and out to dinner with the DH for our anniversary (15 years!), swam at the local pool with the kids, helped the DH with his fence project,



sent the DH to the emergency room after a little mishap with a chisel (3 stitches and a tetanus shot later), and finally ended a lovely, busy, restful, delightful weekend with a dinner of Copper River salmon, lemon couscous, and vegies



on the deck watching the last of the weekend sailboats heading back to their respective marinas.



And you?

Part of this business of writing is promotion. Finding the right promo piece that will be different and yet far reaching. Something that isn't going to take a pipeline of oil to finance, and in the bargain, will be easy to share with as many people as possible. Just call me brilliant because I think I may have put it together with the always talented help of Emily Cotler of Waxcreative and a few friends who wanted to test the waters of my grand experiment.

So I was surfing blogdom the other day (yes, when I should have been writing, shame on me) but there I was and I came upon this blog where she was highlighting these recipe cards her sister had designed for download. I thought they were great and so easy to have--just click and print and you have some really cute cards to use, plus they showcased the artist's (Julianna Smith) work in a quick way that a potential client could have and hold. As I sat at my printer admiring these cards, something inside me clicked.

If you could do this with recipe cards, what about bookmarks? How would readers like to be able to have an instant bookmark? Then I thought it would be fun to make it so a reader could have several bookmarks at once, from a variety of authors--well, that's the green part of me--I hate to waste paper. So why not have four bookmarks to a page all ready for a scissor toting reader?

To read the rest and get your bookmark, visit my blog . . .

So I really did let it slip in my Monday blog (down below) what it is I am writing. Yes, it is true, I am writing Pippin and Dash's book. If you can't recall who Pippin and Dash are, then you haven't read This Rake of Mine or Love Letters from a Duke. I'm not holding it against you, but really this news is hardly going to be as thrilling to you as it would be if you'd read those books. So if you haven't, stop here, go read those two books and then come back so you can join in with all the other "Pippin & Dash" fanatics in a collective "huzzah!" We'll wait for you. Really we will.

Well, of course we won't really, because I know you P&D folks. You want their story like NOW. Well, it will come out close to now. As close to now as you can get in publishing. Because, here is the real news, Tally's book and Pippin's book, (now if you don't know who Tally is, you really are in trouble, so your only choices are to go read the two aforementioned books or there is always my woefully out of date knitting blog to keep you entertained) so now if you are still with me, Tally's and Pippin's stories will be coming out next year back to back.

Yes, you read that correctly. In March of next year you will have Tally's book (which, have no fear is finished and in NYC), then in April, P&D finally get their story told. No waiting 12 months. No waiting for an age. First one book, then four short weeks later, the next. Phew. And me? I'll be the one in hand braces from all this furious and frantic typing.

But what if you can't wait until then for something cool? Then remember, Tempted by the Night comes out August 26th, and if you can't wait even until then, I have a really cool surprise, a freebie like you've never seen before, designed just for you coming out on Monday. At least I am told I will have it by Monday. And since Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Laura Lee Guhrke are also part of the surprise, doesn't that make you perk up and take notice. Intrigued? Come back Monday.

Anyhoo, what are you doing reading my blog when you could be reading the sneak peak for Tempted by the Night? Did I forget to mention that? I've posted a sneak peak. Right here.

So there it is. Tell all your friends, post it on all the boards. Sneak peak now. Very cool freebie on Monday.

Between now and then? Well, I don't know about you, but I'll be writing.

I was asked recently how I start writing a book. Well, I'll let you in on a super secret: it all starts with the right notebook. Really.

And it can't be just any notebook. I like colored ones. I have two that I work between--one that is sort of lime green and the other is bright blue. I like those colors because when my office turns into a bomb scene, either because I am in full writing/research/what the heck did I call that butler mode, my office can get a tad bit messy. So a neon bright notebook stands out and at the very least I can find my working pages.

Here is the one I've got started for the book I am calling Pippin & the Pirate. That's just the working title, so don't start looking for it.

The first step in getting a notebook together is getting just the right cover sheet. Normally this means a trip over to Candice Hern's Print Collections where I find just the most perfect fashion plate and, ahem, borrow it for the cover. Sorry for the lopsided photo. I've tried for like the last 45 minutes to fix it and I've lost patience. But you get the point. Actually this isn't the right print and I will probably be swapping it out for this one of Lyme Regis when it was hit with a storm last March. Fits the mood of the book better.



Well, you really shouldn't judge a notebook by its cover, so what's inside this notebook that makes it work, at least for me? Well, I have it divided into chapters, and then into various reference sections in the back. I like having all the chapters neatly divided because I will go back to make changes while I am writing and with the notebook at my elbow, I just flip it open to the right spot in the book, make a hasty note and go back to the pages on the screen. I never go back and rewrite sections of the book until I am completely done with the manuscript.



Since these characters, Pippin and Dash, have appeared in so many other books, I have copied out their previous scenes so I have them readily at hand. I also keep all the notes I take in my pre-writing stages. I hand write out notes and ideas about chapters before I compose it on the computer and I file these notes away once the chapter is complete because sometimes when I am rewriting, I go back to those initial thoughts as a starting point to see where it was I intended to go with a scene, what happened when I was writing it and if the final sequence is missing something. This is what a note page might look like:



In the research section, I currently have pages I've copied from the internet on Turkish Delight. Well, who said hunting recipes on the internet isn't a good use of your time! I'll be adding pictures and diagrams of ships, history timelines and fashion plates from the years that the story covers. My notebook is like my security blanket, but also the end of my procrastination and hemming and hawing about getting to work. With a notebook at the ready, there is no excuse but to write.

So you'll excuse me while I get to work . . .

Okay, the weekend is nearly here and I know some of you are probably making plans. Good idea. And even if you haven't, I have already done your weekend entertainment itinerary. I know, I know, how kind of me. You'll thank me even more once you've gone and seen:

Ironman.

Believe you me, if I can find a way to go see it again, you'll find my backside planted in a multiplex with a bucket of popcorn and my eyes all over me some Robert Downey Jr. Now, first off, I am HUGE action film, superhero sucker of a movie goer. But I never get choked up over an action film. You won't catch me getting a bit misty eyed over Spiderman or feeling the need to give Arnold a hug. But damn, if RD Jr doesn't have your heart beating and make you feel his pain. He's always been a great actor, but he's hit his stride with this role.

And even for all the big bangs and crashes, it is at its heart just a really, really good movie, great acting and some wonderful comedy. An afternoon with Ironman is an afternoon well spent.

But then you might be feeling, well, in need of a little culture. You know, what my husband calls "those old ladies in bonnets" movies. Well, get your bonnet out and settle down for Cranford on Masterpiece Theater. Even if you missed the first installment this past Sunday, there is a good chance your local PBS station will be repeating the first episode before this Sunday's next installment. Find the time, grab the remote and settle in for a beautiful story of small town England in 1842 and on the verge of finding itself in, horrors of all horrors, the "modern age." Add to that, some gracious and sublime acting. Even the skeptic in the house, who was dismayed that I was calling dibs on the TV during the sacred 10:00 o'clock news, was riveted after the first hour. And make sure you have a hankie or two nearby by the end. Even my husband was crying. You can use the one you nearly need when you watch RDJr.

This week I am turning over the Monday morning duties to my good friend, Sophia Nash. Sophia has graciously offered to helm the blog today and tell you all about her new book, The Kiss, which hits the shelves tomorrow. I love Sophia's books, which are lush, wonderful stories, and I like Sophia because she makes me laugh.

EB: The Kiss received a Top Pick from Romantic Times and is an All About Romance Desert Isle Keeper, congratulations. What drew you to writing this story of unrequited love?

Sophia: I had always wanted to write a book about unrequited love because it's almost universally experienced by everyone at one point or another. Is there a more difficult sort of love? And what if the person afflicted was a lady of courage and strong character but who was unwilling to declare her love for fifteen years because he is her best friend? Can you imagine the intensity of the moment when she finally tells him? Can you imagine her happiness when the hero pulls her into his arms and kisses her? That was the premise of The Kiss.

EB: You use Cornwall as the backdrop for your books. What makes that your favorite setting?

Sophia: Cornwall is one of the most startlingly beautiful places in earth. The windswept cliffs echo stories of love lost and love found. And there is such history there. The Kiss is set in Helston, Cornwall on a fictitious estate. But the prominent landmark, Loe Pool, does indeed exist. It was once an ocean inlet until a shingle bar formed naturally transforming it into the largest lake in Cornwall. It's a sanctuary for many birds, and yes, even otters! But I shall hint that the next book in the series, will move to London and further north.

EB: Oh, thanks for the great pictures. I'm adding Cornwall to my long list of "must visits". So we share a love of England, but the Regency as well. On the Enter the Era page at your website, you have a Regency lexicon, which is a "must visit", but do you have any other favorite Regency interests you want to share with us?

Sophia: Fanology! Who knew opening and closing a fan could be so dangerous? Here is a fictitious situation to illustrate a few gestures and their meanings taken from 1791 "Fanology" by Charles Francis Badini.

Say a lady spots a handsome gentleman across the ballroom staring at her. She touches the tip of her fan with a finger indicating "I wish to speak to you." Or she may twirl her fan in her left hand to indicate, "We are being watched." He glances toward the garden and disappears. When she spies him in the shadows there she is too nervous to speak so instead she presses a half closed fan to her hips, suggesting "you may kiss me." And if she is very bold, she might even place her fan near her heart, meaning "I love you." Is this not better than text messaging "want 2 hook up"?

EB: If someone wants to reach you or read an excerpt from The Kiss or A Dangerous Beauty (which I understand is also up for an RT award, so again congratulations!) where can they find you on the web?

Sophia: I always like to hear from readers who can reach me via www.sophianash.com. But I regularly hang with the hilarious gang at Romance Novel Television and avonauthors.com. If you want to see me make a fool of myself riding a mechanical bull or make inane comments a la Joan Rivers during the RITA awards, you can check it out at www.romancenovel.tv. And don't miss the best interview ever with Elizabeth herself who has promised to teach me how to cable stitch this summer!

EB: Sophia, thanks for dropping by! Questions for Sophia? Please drop here to ask them.