Friday News & A Poll

You know that show So You Think You Can Dance? Ever thought of attempting it? No? Me neither! But, for every writer out there, there’s another challenge - So You Think You Can Write? For most of us the answer is...yes, or maybe.

Whatever your response is, the lovely people at Harlequin are setting us all a challenge. In their words…

Does your imagination run wild with vivid characters? Have you ever dreamed of becoming a USA TODAY bestselling author? Well, our editors want to make those dreams come true. We are hungry to find talented new writers for Harlequin Books. Through podcasts, blogs, and discussions with our expert editors and current authors, we’re going to help you understand the appeal of the romance genre. And there’s a special daily challenge with feedback that will give some great insights into crafting the perfect story. So for the next week, come by to hone your skills and get started on the path to publication. So you think you can write? Here’s your chance to show us!

Seriously, this a truly spectacular chance to show what you can do. And, pssst! We’ve heard one of the podcasts is by friend of the Minxes, Maisey Yates! We've also heard she's got the cutest accent so do check it out!

So, sharpen your pencil, or pens, or keyboards (hmm, maybe not the last one) and prepare for this awesome event. For more details click on the link below

http://harlequinblog.com/so-you-think-you-can-write/

In other news, I wanted to chat about pitches. In case you haven’t heard (yet), I did an online pitch on Wednesday for Carina Press and I truly wanted to encourage anyone who's ever been too intimidated or (like me) too scared out their wits, to attempt one. Yes, it's scary, yes you'll shake like a leaf in an autumn wind, but believe me, it’s so worth it just for the experience. I know some people prefer face-to-face pitches where you can tell the other person’s body language, see their smile of encouragement, or hear the nuances in their voice, but for me, letting my fingers do the work was enough for me. Of course, sitting in my jogging pants and covered in biscuit crumbs also gave me comfort like nothing else, lol.

What also helps is the pitchee. In my case, Executive Editor Angela James was so lovely and put me at ease immediately. According to Rae of eHarlequin, they hold pitches for various lines every few months, so if you’ve never thought of it, I can attest that it’s a great way to get your work in front of an editor. So go for it! And if you have awesome cheerleaders on your side or an Unstoppable Force aka a pom pom waving sister high on sisterly love like Jodie’s sister Nini, do bring her along!

Romy's addendum:

What our Modest Minx Maya has neglected to mention above is that she got a FULL REQUEST from Angela James in that pitch. Way to go, Maya!

In other news, Lorraine Minx brought to our attention that Mills&Boon recently ran a survey among readers looking for the celebrity who makes the best Ultimate Romantic Hero.
The winner was an interesting choice: Simon Cowell.

However, we Minxes know who we'd prefer. (Hint: here he is!).

We're pretty sure all our blog readers have an opinion on their Ultimate Romantic Hero, so check back here next Friday for the Minxy version of this poll.

Author Spotlight - BJ Daniels

I'm very excited today to welcome one of my all time favorite authors, BJ Daniels to the Minxes Blog.  BJ is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes for Harlequin Intrigue, and has won a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times. She has published over fifty books and more than forty short stories. Right, after that introduction, on to the Minxes questions!

Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

Five years ago I wrote a book called Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch. It changed my life. Seriously. Harlequin picked it for a reader survey, it did well and they decided to give it away. They are still giving it away as an Intrigue promotion. That opened up all kinds of doors for me. But it also began a change in my writing. That book was more like me. It came from a childhood memory. I began to trust my own judgment about my writing. (I know it took a while, about 30 books) A year later, I began my Whitehorse, Montana series. That series reflects me, my love of Montana and the place I live and how I feel about life and writing.

Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

The idea for the Whitehorse series began with a move to a small western town in north central Montana -- in the middle of the prairie, but a place with a wonderful history. I wanted to write about it. Now 24 books later in that series, I am still writing about it. My last three books made the USA Today bestseller list (Gun-Shy Bride, Hitched! and Twelve-Gauge Guardian). I still have to pinch myself. But I believe that writing what you love pays off.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

Boy, that's a good question. I feel there is something "next," but right now I'm not sure what that is. I love writing Intrigues. I'd love to write a single title. Hopefully, I will know when the time is right. I'm working on several things and have something kicking around at the back of mind. :) Of course I would love to have a bunch of single titles on the New York Times bestseller list in five years. But only if they were books I loved.

Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax. I thought one of my friends wrote the book. I had to meet the author at the latest Romance Writers of America conference just to make sure she existed.

Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

I come from a family of storytellers so that is where my desire came from. I didn't read a lot as a kid. But I caught the bug my junior year in high school when my English teacher made me read Exodus. That did it for me. I've been reading ever since -- and I read everything.

Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

I actually enjoy the love scenes but mine are pretty tame. They completely depend on the characters. The book I'm finishing now...well, they might not get together on page. They're both a little shy and only on their third date. We'll see. Other characters, well, they are very passionate so of course they have to make love in the book.

What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

That's a tough one. My husband is very romantic. He cooks for me, which I think is very sexy. But I'd have to say the other evening when we took the boat out on the lake and watched the sun go down. What could be more romantic than that?

What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

I always love this question because I think ignorance is bliss. Knowing too much about the business isn't good for creative juices. You have to believe in yourself when you write. You also need to completely submerse yourself in your story. How can you do that if you spend a lot of time hearing about how bad publishing is nowadays? The one thing I didn't know that has been so much fun to find out is that you make wonderful friends along the way. Fans, other writers, editors, publishers, agents...you actually get to know people you would never have met otherwise and these friendships are invaluable.

What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

Write. It seems so simple but so many aspiring writers don't write. They spend a lot of time promoting themselves even before they have a book. The secret in my humble opinion is: write. Finish a book. Write another one. Work to continue to get better. I still believe that if you write a good book, readers will find it.

Tell us about your latest release.

Boots and Bullets comes out in October followed by High Caliber Christmas (Nov) and Winchester Christmas Wedding (Dec.) These are all part of my Whitehorse, Montana series as mini series: Whitehorse: Winchester Ranch and Winchester Ranch Reloaded. Whew huh. The book has a different cover which is fun. It's the continuing story of the Winchester family. A very dysfunctional family and one of my favorites. The first three books in the series are: Gun-Shy Bride, Hitched! and Twelve-Gauge Guardian.

What's next for you?

I wish I knew. But I'm optimistic there are good things on the horizon. It's just my nature. :)

Thanks so much for including me in your interview,BJ

Thank you very much for the interview, BJ!

Find out more about BJ on her website : http://www.bjdaniels.com/

 BJ's books are available in the US at http://www.eharlequin.com/

From Mills and Boon in the UK at http://www.mills&boon.com/

And from http://www.amazon.co.uk/, and http://www.amazon.com/

 

Leading Ladies Part Two

Today is the turn of Lacey, Romy and Joanne P to share with us their favourite leading ladies of the silver screen.

Lacey:

My favorite leading lady would have to be Julia Roberts. Julia has demonstrated her talent and versatility in every movie she’s starred in, from drama, Erin Brockovich and romantic comedy, Notting Hill to psychological thriller, Sleeping with the Enemy, and crime comedy, Ocean’s Eleven.

Pretty Woman is an all time favorite of mine and it was actually the first of Julia’s movies that I got my hands on. She was every inch the spunky, uneducated, streetwise Vivian, you couldn’t help but love.

Sleeping with the Enemy came next, and once again, Julia personified her character Laura, an abused wife, who fakes her own death to escape her husband. You can’t help but become invested in the characters that Julia portrays and every single time she has had me on the edge of my seat hoping that she’ll get her happily ever after.

Julia ability to balance her incredible career with a family life, including three children, has made her an inspirational leading lady both on and off screen.

Romy:

I tend to idolise strong women. I've even been accused of writing "ball breaker" heroines. So when I thought about which leading lady I admired, it's hardly surprising that the first character to spring to mind was Linda Hamilton's Sarah O'Connor in Terminator 2. I'll admit I know very little about Linda Hamilton, but I love the concept of a woman who will do anything to protect her child, and who makes herself over in order to do what must be done. Sarah O'Connor shows us that any woman, no matter how ordinary she seems, has the potential to be extraordinary.

However, as movie actresses go, my favourites are those glamorous icons of the early 20th century: women like the sassy Myrna Loy or the classy Grace Kelly.

My current favourite is an actress who made very few movies and who is remembered not for the films she made in Hollywood (which she turned her back on) but for a couple of German art films, and that was silent movie actress Louise Brooks. Her life was as interesting and complicated as any movie. And that's just given me an idea for a story ....

Joanne P:

A favourite leading Lady for me has to be Barbra Streisand. I find her just fascinating to watch, she has such charisma and screen presence.

Although she isn't 'conventionally beautiful',  there's something captivating about her face  - her haunting eyes and her range of expressions that makes her stunning to watch on screen. 

Her performances as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and as Katie in The Way We Were really move me - she is such a 'real' actress.  I find myself drawn in by her completely and crying buckets for her characters, even if its a movie i've  seen ten times over. 

In more recent years, she really made me laugh as Roz in 'Meet The Fockers' - how genius to pair her up with Dustin Hoffman!  

Not to mention her brilliance as a singer and song writer, and the way that she has used her fame to speak up on political issues that matter to her.

She has proper old school star quality, and for me that makes her pretty perfect as a leading lady.

Happy Dancing!

Congratulations to our very own Maya Minx who has won the chance to pitch to Angela James of Carina Press over on eHarlequin. We're all snoopy dancing for you, Maya.

While we're celebrating, this seems like a great opportunity to give a round of applause and a huge thank you to all the editors at Harlequin. They have been busy this year! Aside from the Medical Fast Track and New Voices contest, they've signed seven debut authors this year - and the year isn't even over yet.

Congratulations to the following new authors:

• Elaine Golden - who sold to Historical Undone in June
• Natasha Tate - who sold to Modern
• New Zealander Soraya Lane - who sold to Romance/Cherish in August (better known to regulars on eHarlequin as Soraya Nicholas)
• Cat Schield - who sold to Desire in September
• Wendy Marcus - a follower of this blog (squee!!) who recently sold to the Medical Line
• Leonie Knight - also a recent sale to the Medical Line
• And last but not least, Amy Strnad, who has only just announced her happy news. Congratulations on selling to Modern Heat/Riva, Amy, and thanks for the lovely comments you left on some of the Minxes' New Voices entries. We love you too! Amy is taking the pen name Aimee Carson.

Ladies - we're hoping to host every one of you in our Author Spotlights when your books are released!

If there's anyone I've left out of this love fest, my apologies - and please drop us a line to introduce yourself.  And help yourselves to a glass of bubbly.

Author Spotlight: Julie Cohen

This week we're excited to welcome Julie Cohen back to the blog and to hear all about her new release with Headline.

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

In October 2005, I was working on my fourth Mills & Boon book, MARRIED IN A RUSH. I’d sold my first title back in July 2004, but because of scheduling and line changes none of them were due to start coming out until March 2006, when my first book was going to be a lead title for the new Modern Heat line. So I was steadily working on building a backlog of titles to be published. Meanwhile, my agent was working on selling my first single title book, SPIRIT WILLING, FLESH WEAK. Though I wasn’t actually published yet, because of all this frantic activity going on behind the scenes, within a year I would have five books out with two different publishers. A level of overachievement which I hope to never have to match again.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

I am a total sucker for twin stories. To the extent that when I ordered books for research for writing GETTING AWAY WITH IT, I realised when they turned up that I’d read several of them already. I also love, love, love writing books about deception and identity. So the idea of a story about a woman pretending to be her identical twin sister wasn’t new, but it was irresistible.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

On a Greek island, lying on a beach, being fed ripe grapes and retsina by David Tennant. Oh, wait. You mean in my career? Well, I have wild dreams of course of hitting bestseller lists and being invited to amazing parties et cetera, but really, I’d like to still be published, still be making a living by writing books. It’s been my lifelong dream and I can’t imagine anything better.

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME by Jill Mansell. Jill has a wonderful, effortless way of instantly drawing you into her characters’ lives. I love her voice, and I love how she makes you laugh and makes you care. There were some really touching moments in this book, too. Also, when I read it on a train, women who also love Jill Mansell books started chatting with me. Fab.

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

The Earthsea trilogy, by Ursula LeGuin. When I was ten or so, her richly-imagined fantasy world blew me away and I immediately started working on my own (blatantly ripped-off) version. Drew a map and everything. The map was way better than the story.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

Neither, really, though more giggly than cringey. As my books have got longer, I’ve found myself writing fewer and fewer sex scenes and they’ve started to be even more emotionally important. So I take them pretty seriously. That said, I may occasionally indulge in a glass of wine or two while I’m writing them, and then I might giggle. A bit. Well, okay, a lot.

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

I used one of my first advance cheques to pay for a holiday in Venice for me and my husband. As the holiday was because of romance, we agreed he would kiss me every time we crossed a bridge. And there are a lot of bridges in Venice.

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

How the writing itself doesn’t get much easier. Sure, the experience of having written several novels definitely helps. And it helps to have professionals on my side, giving me advice. But the actual writing can still be hard work, and I’m still beseiged by crows of doubt on a regular basis. I thought once you were published, it all got to be second nature. Ha! As a matter of fact, I’m more neurotic than I ever was before—not least because I know exactly how lucky I am to be published!

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

When I was starting out, bestselling M&B Modern author (and dear friend) Kate Walker told me, “Don’t be afraid of emotion.” Like so many beginning authors, I was afraid of really digging deep into my characters and putting them in situations where they would suffer. I liked my characters too much to put them through it. But if they don’t suffer, they don’t learn. And if they don’t learn, they can’t earn their happy ever after. I still use that advice today, often in revisions where I have to uncover another layer of emotion.

10. Tell us about your latest release.

GETTING AWAY WITH IT is my first standalone women’s fiction title with Headline Review. It’s the story of stunt woman Liza Haven, whose life is shattered when a film stunt goes horribly wrong. She goes back to the village where she grew up with her perfect identical twin sister, Lee—only to find that Lee has disappeared, leaving behind their difficult mother, their flagging family business and a dangerously attractive boyfriend. What’s more, everyone in the village thinks that Liza is Lee.

It’s a book about identity, disappointment, love, danger and the true meaning of ice cream, and it’s out in hardback and trade paperback on 28 October. It’ll be out in mass-market paperback in April 2011.

11. What's next for you?

Right now I’m working on my follow-up book to GETTING AWAY WITH IT. It’s another contemporary women’s fiction novel, about a woman who gets a job in a stately home where everyone’s pretending it’s 1814. It’s sort of two stories in one—the contemporary story, and the Regency story—and it is just fantastic fun to write and research. I’ve been going to Regency re-enactment events and meeting fascinating people. That book should be out in 2011.

Thank you to the Minxes for having me again!

You can order the discounted hardback of GETTING AWAY WITH IT with free shipping here:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755350605/Getting-Away-With-It

COMPETITION: If you’d like a chance to win a rare, exclusive early reading copy of GETTING AWAY WITH IT,

all you have to do is sign up for Julie’s newsletter. She’ll be holding a draw on her website to give away three copies. If you’d like to enter, either:

a) leave your email address in a comment to this post (to be safer from spammers, replace the @ symbol with the word “at”).

OR

b) send Julie an email: julie at julie-cohen.com (replacing, as above, the “at” with the @ symbol) Use “contest” or something similar as the subject line, so I know it’s not spam.

This is open to anyone, worldwide..

GETTING AWAY WITH IT
A little white lie. A whole lot of trouble...
Coming October 2010 from Headline Review

http://www.julie-cohen.com/
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