Thanksgiving Wishes

Remembrance Day 2009 is already a memory.  My ball gown and dance shoes are packed away until the next event.  Time to move on, but ripples from the Civil War, the era my husband and I reenact follow.  This Thursday is Thanksgiving.  Most folks are familiar with the Pilgrim and Indian origins.  Many Thanksgiving feasts were held afterward, but it wasn’t until Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady Book petitioned (pestered might be a more accurate word) President Lincoln to declare the last Thursday in November as the official date for an annual nationwide day of Thanksgiving that the holiday as we know it really took form. 

I’ll be taking a break from writing as I clean and bake and get ready to cook for my family on Thursday.  Our gathering has gotten smaller over the past few years, but it’s always a good feeling to sit around the table together and discuss the Macy’s Day parade (an annual event in my family), the coming Christmas Holidays and memories of past Turkey days. 

From my family to yours,

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Remembering Remembrance Day

This past Saturday I was in Staunton, VA, taking part in their Veteran’s Day parade.  After a miserable drive down in the mist and rain, Saturday turned into a beautiful ‘Indian Summer’ fall day.  The parade and following ceremony went off without a hitch. 

(Here I am with my friend, Teresa in our parade finest)

This weekend is Remembrance Day and the official end to the reenacting season.  Thousands of reenactors will descend on the small town of Gettysburg, PA to commemorate the Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address and the thousands of men who fell in battle 147 years ago.  My unit will start the day with a ceremony at the 88^th PA monument.  We’ll travel to Greenwood Cemetery to leave flowers in honor of the citizens who rose to the occasion and fought their own personal battles when the two armies arrived on their doorsteps. From there we’ll move on to the National Cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of three of the 88^th men who are interned there.  The afternoon is filled with the color and pageantry of a huge parade of all the units, both Union and Confederate.  As the sun sets, one luminary for each soldier who was killed will be lit in the cemetery.  The day will end with dancing to the strains of period music at a ball held in one of the original buildings of the Gettysburg Seminary. 

All of the above are distractions from my writing.  But I don’t care.  For those few hours I’m happy to remember the past and honor the fallen heroes of the 88^th PA and the brave civilians of this sleepy little town who suffered through three hot, dreadful days in July of 1863.

Thank a Veteran Today

My husband’s father and uncles and several of my uncles all served during WWII.  My stepfather fought in the Korean War. We both have friends who were in the Vietnam War.  My best friend’s husband is retired Navy.  He served in the Gulf during the 80s. My niece’s husband is currently an officer in the Air Force. One hundred and forty-eight years ago, both my husband’s great-great grandfathers and my great-great uncle fought for the Union during the Civil War.  One of Neil’s great-greats lost a leg at Chancellorsville. 

This coming weekend we will be in Staunton, VA marching in their Veteran’s Day parade.  My husband will proudly don his blue lieutenant’s frock coat, buckle on his sword belt and join the color guard consisting of Confederate and Union reenactors.  I’ll be with the ladies, attired in my finest 1860’s gown. With luck I’ll have some awesome photos.  As a group, we are always a crowd pleaser. 

The applause is appreciated, but that’s not why we do this.  We do it to honor veterans, all our veterans—past and present.  I know I’m grateful for the sacrifices of the brave men and women who willingly put their lives on the line so that I can live the comfortable life I lead in the freest nation in the world.  So I join with millions of other Americans today in saying, “Thank you for the service you have done our country.  Thank you for the standing on the wall and guarding me.” 

If you know a veteran, or bump into one today, please pass the message along.

‘V’ Revisted

I love science fiction.  As a kid, my older sister and I saw every grade B sci-fi film ever made.  Every Saturday afternoon we sat transfixed by giant ants, mole people from beneath the earth and invaders from Mars.  I discovered the genre in print in 7^th grade when I read Starman’s Son by Andre Norton.  From there it was on to Bradbury, Clarke and Heinlein.  I read them all.  It will come as no surprise that I was a fan of the Twilight Zone, Lost in Space, Star Trek and all the other Science fiction genre shows that have come and gone on television over the years.  In the 80’s when ‘V’ arrived as a mini-series and then went on to become a series, it was one of my and my son’s weekly fixes.  He was thrilled when I took him to a science fiction convention in Philadelphia to meet Robert Englund (Willie who went on to fame in the horror films playing Freddy Kruger)  He still has an auto graphed photo and I have several pictures of him standing with fans dressed as Visitors.  I also got to meet author A.C. Crispin who wrote one of the V episodes, several books and co-authored one with Andre Norton who started it all for me. 

As these things go, V has returned to television.  Like Battlestar Galactica, it is a reimaging of the original show from the 80s.  The sexy, snaky Diana has been morphed into the gorgeous, charming (and we know just as snaky) Ana.  Instead of the male cameraman and the female, almost doctor, we have a female FBI agent and a priest as the leads.  Many other things have been changed, but the basic premise of alien reptiles coming to earth for water and food (that would be us) to save their dying planet remains the same. 

In preparation for the new V, the SyFy channel broadcast the original mini-series and TV series the past 2 weeks.  I must confess, hokey as they are, I’ve enjoyed immersing myself in them.  The new V has a sharp, modern look to it and I love Morena Baccarin (Anara on Firefly) as Ana.  It remains to be seen, if it will draw a big audience.  As an author I’m fascinated to see how the writers on the show take the old and make it fresh.  That’s a skill we can all use with our own stories.  Some of the ones we’ve stored under the bed should no doubt remain there, but recent shows like Battlestar and V prove that a dated, problematic book, can, with some creativity, be retooled into a workable project.  So there still might be hope for a few of those books gathering dust bunnies under that bed.  Pull one out and dust it off today.  If this reimaging thing works for these shows, it might work for you too.

Fall Back

Time flies, or at least it seems to lately.  RomantiCon, the much anticipated first conference sponsored by my publisher, Ellora’s Cave, Inc., occurred almost a month ago.  An array of daily obstacles kept me from reporting about it right away.  Better late than never, I guess.  So much has already been said about the event in other blogs, I’ll confine myself to sharing a few of my favorite pictures.

 

Do you think I had fun?  I won’t be able to make it next year.  My son is getting married, so we’ll be having our own party in Las Vegas.  But I’ll be ready when 2011 rolls around. 

Last night I registered for the 2010 Romantic Times Convention in Columbus, Ohio.  This seems to be Ohio’s year.  In the next few weeks my hunt for the perfect red outfit and shoes will begin.  Hard to believe since I just packed away my animal print stuff from this past April’s jungle theme.  Somewhere between the holidays and the special shopping trips, I have to finish revising my fourth book, Palace of Dreams, and submit it to my editor.  Oh, and write the next issue of my newsletter, Hopeless Romantic.  I keep telling myself I can fit it all in.  My friend’s are equally as busy. It would have been helpful if I could have turned my clock back a few months instead of just one hour this past Sunday.  Where’s Einstein when you need him?

 

History Happening

While at RomantiCon I had my first experience as a conference presenter.  Three other authors, Tracy Cooper-Posey, Ruby Storm, Mary Ann Chulick and I served on the Researching and Writing Historical Fiction panel.  (Tracy and me below)

We had great information and covered a wide array of historical time periods in our books.  Obviously, lots to share.  The downside was we had to do it in 35 minutes which was cut to 25 minutes since we were the last session before all the authors were to set up for the big culminating book fair.  Still, we managed to pull off a decent program, considering we had no time to prepare and barely knew each other.  Best of all, we had an audience. 

The up side was that all our research didn’t go for naught.  Tracy Cooper-Posey set up a history portal on her website.  What’s a portal you ask? (I know I had to ask).  To really understand you’ll have to visit it.  It’s beautiful, easy to navigate and chock full of cool articles, hints on writing historical fiction and lists of fabulous resources.  You can find it at: 

http://www.tracycooperposey.com/historyportal.xhtml 

Authors, readers and history buffs will all find something useful and informative.  So check it out.  Then let me know what you think about it.  We’re hoping to expand on it, so comments are appreciated.

Awed by Alegria

Ever since I first saw them on TV I’ve wanted to see a live performance by Cirque de Soleil.  Last night that dream was fulfilled.  I attended the touring road show of Cirque de Soleil Alegria at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA.  The show, whose title means jubilation in Spanish, is a “baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth.”  To say it was fantastic is to use it in the form of fantastical.  The music and choreography and incredible timing of the performers as they seemingly defied the laws of physics was amazing and breathtaking as fire-dancers, contortionists, high-fliers and acrobats danced, leaped, flipped and flew across the stage.  It was almost dizzying at times to keep track of everything that was going on.  I loved every moment (most of which my sister and I spent sitting open-mouthed in awe). 

The circus as a form of entertainment had almost become extinct when Cirque de Soleil came onto the scene.  They revived the old, tired, worn-out version and turned it into a vital new art form by taking risks (figuratively and literally), by thinking outside the box and by not fearing being over the top with their performances.  All things we as writers could apply to our books.  If you’re starting to plot a new story, as I am, or have a stack of rejection letters on a current book, step back and take another look at your manuscript. Perhaps now is the time to jump out of your comfort zone.   Come at your plot, goals, motivations and conflicts from another angle.  Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to be a bit over the top.  Let your passion show.  Publishers are looking for the fresh and the new.  Take a tip from Cirque de Soleil and let your stories fly.  Alegria!

Countdown to RomantiCon

October 9^th to 11^th I’ll be attending RomantiCon in Ohio.  The event is the first conference sponsored by my publisher, Ellora’s Cave, Inc.  http://www.jasminejade.com/romanticon/)  I’ve been registered for nearly a year.  This week the countdown begins.  My promotional materials—excerpt brochures, book marks and pens are neatly packed and ready to go.  I’ve started pulling together the proper clothing for the three day extravaganza, including something special for the Psychic Soiree welcoming party.  Can you say granny dress?  Amazingly I have an original from the 70s that still fits.  Then of course there have to be cute, but professional outfits for Author Mania (2 half hour chat sessions with readers who are attending the conference) workshops and of course, the book fair and signing on Sunday.  I also have to prepare for my first workshop as a presenter.  I’m on the Researching and Writing Historical Fiction panel.  I’ll be the presenter wearing the medieval gown.  Since my medieval, Threads of Love, debuts in print, I’ve decided to go all out and dress the part for the signing which is directly after my session.  I think it’s called marketing.  It remains to be seen if it works.  I’m sure I’ll attract attention.  The big question is whether or not that attention will translate into book sales.  I’ll let you know. 

There are a lot of firsts associated with this conference—first time conference for my publisher, first time I’ve done a workshop at a conference, and my personal favorite, first time I get to meet my editor.  Helen hales from Australia. Up to now our contact has strictly been electronic.  She’s holding a special party for all her authors, another first, where we’ll be treated to two Australian culinary staples, Vegemite sandwiches and Tim Tams (a dessert cake that she refers to as ‘food of the gods’) 

I’ll be traveling with two other Ellora’s Cave authors, Kathy Kulig (www.kathykulig.com) and Cris Anson (www.crisanson.com) so packing is definitely a challenge.  I expect to have my suitcase on my lap for most of the trip.  Hmmm!  Three authors crammed into a car for six to seven hours.  Whatever will we find to talk about?

Blog Block

Ever hear of writer’s block—that painful syndrome when an author for some reason simply can’t find the words?  Most writers have probably had at least a passing acquaintance with the problem.  Well, now there is also Blog Block—the equally painful syndrome of having to write something scintillating on a daily or weekly basis.  With thousands of other bloggers to compete against for the public’s attention, it’s difficult to find something new and fresh to say. 

One solution I’ve read for breaking writer’s block (I’m assuming it also works for blog block) is to simply sit down and write.  Write anything—a list of to do’s, odd character names, e-mails, a letter to a friend.  You get the idea.  Supposedly the mere process of writing jiggles something in the creative side of the brain and helps you break through.  Since I’m struggling with blog block at this very moment, I’m going to put myself out there as a guinea pig and give it a try.

For months I’ve been hearing about Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series.  Some people seem to love the series.  Others that I know hate it.  So, I decided to make up my own mind.  After reading all four books, I can’t say I’m an avid fan, but the books engaged me and were very readable.  While I found the final conflict resolution in Breaking Dawn to be problematic, I definitely understand the allure of the series to the adolescent market. 

I followed up my reading by renting the movie which I thought remained fairly faithful in tone, character and important plot points to the book.  A bigger success than completing the entire series in less than two weeks was the fact that I conquered the DVD player, a fact that sent my husband into rapture since he’d been nagging me for years to learn how to operate the gadget. 

As for writing news, I’ve finished the first draft of my fourth book, an erotic futuristic romance, Palace of Dreams.  I’m well into revision hell at this point, but moving ahead.  Since this is my first foray into writing women’s erotica, I want to do it right, so I’m taking my time.  Another first is coming up soon.  I’ll be on the Researching and Writing panel at the Romanticon Conference in October.  I’ll be meeting my editor, for the first time as well, which just makes the entire event that much more fulfilling. 

Just a reminder, my newsletter, Helpless Romantic, can be found at groups.yahoo.com/group/Hopelessromanticnewsletter/  I’d love for you to take a look. 

Okay, all finished now.  The guinea pig survived the experiment.  Guess the trick really is to just keep writing.

Hopeless Romantic Arrives

The autumn equinox arrived today.  It’s officially fall, my second favorite time of the year.  To celebrate the change of season, I’m launching my quarterly e-newsletter, Hopeless Romantic.  In addition to book information and news there will be short articles of interest on a variety of topics, a sort of potpourri of everything romantic.  Each issue will also contain a tasty recipe.  Issues will be timed to arrive at the winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox.  Do you sense a pattern here?  To subscribe to my newsletter, go to:

 groups.yahoo.com/group/Hopelessromanticnewsletter/ 

In honor of my new adventure, I’ve decided to hold my first contest.  It’s simple and fun. The winner will receive an autographed copy of my medieval romance, Threads of Love and a lovely tapestry pillow made by moi.  Full details about the contest are in the newsletter.

 

    

 

 My life seems to be full of new adventures lately.  I will be a presenter at the Romanticon Conference in Ohio in October. (Another first and another reason to celebrate.)  Three other historical romance authors and I will be presenting a session on Researching and Writing Historical Fiction.  The days will be growing shorter after today, but like the night, my list of writing goals gets longer.  Life is good!