Posted by Elisa Beatty May 17 2012, 12:01 am
Today the Rubies are thrilled to host Laurie Sanchez, 2012 Golden Heart finalist in Single-Title Contemporary with her novel EARNING WINGS. Laurie’s a homegirl for Nationals this year—she grew up so close to Disney, she watched the fireworks from her backyard every night at 9:30, and she currently lives in the town where they film The Real Housewives of Orange County. “The awesome thing,” says Laurie, “is that my mom, who’s a voracious reader and big romance fan, lives so nearby that we can attend the RWA book-signing event together. She’s so excited!”
Laurie’s blog, http://mizwrite.com/, features her life with three teenagers and her own real-life hero, aka “Superman.” Laurie wrote their true-life love story in serial format one summer—G-rated because she knows her kids will read it—and you can swoon along at http://mizwrite.com/how-i-met-superman/.
Take it away, Laurie!!
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 So Why Aren’t You?
Sign up for first Nationals – check. Sign up for agent-editor appointments – check. Design business cards – check. Put Golden Heart pin in drawer for safekeeping – check. …
I’m slowly working through my list of things to do as a newbie Golden Heart finalist. But honestly – between you and me – I can hardly believe it’s happening.
I started writing romance fiction about six years ago, mostly because Oprah told me to.
I was standing in the kitchen one afternoon, drying dishes, watching her afternoon television show while I listened for my youngest to come downstairs and ask where his tennis shoes were for the millionth time. I was a stay-at-home-mom-who-freelanced, happy with my job(s), happy with where I was, happy with everything – or so I thought. Until, that is, Oprah stood up that day from her yellow studio couch and asked her viewing audience to imagine, for a second, what they would be if they could be anything.
My dishtowel hardly missed a swipe. “A novelist,” I said into the quiet kitchen, putting a glass away into the cupboard. But then I sort of froze: Where had that come from?
I grabbed the next dish a little slower as Oprah left a dramatic pause. Then she turned to the camera and said, “So why aren’t you?”
My dishtowel dropped to my side. I turned toward the TV and stared. I stared at Oprah. I stared at the other audience members, who looked similarly stunned.
Posted by jbrayweber May 16 2012, 6:15 am in Carina Press, Jennifer Bray-Weber, pirate romance, Romancing the Pirate, Ruby Release, Ruby Slippered Sisterhood, The Siren's Song
Pirates are a despicable lot known for pillaging and plundering, causing fear with their approach and leaving destruction in their wake. Theirs was a life of taking and giving nothing in return. Not to mention the drinking, wenching, and gluttony galore. Some might find it difficult to carve a hero out of someone so wretched. [...]
Posted by Shelley Coriell May 15 2012, 12:01 am in amanda brice, new releases, Ruby Release
Gotta Dance! or How Hobbies Sneak into Our Writing Today I’m wearing an old pair of battered pointe shoes and dancing on my toes as we celebrate the release of Amanda Brice’s young adult novel, Pointe of No Return. The second book in the Dani Spevak Mystery Series, Amanda’s latest novel for teens/tweens is a [...]
Posted by Cynthia Justlin May 14 2012, 12:01 am
I have release day jitters. I didn’t think I would, but the closer this day came, the more I started worrying about that horrible thing called reader expectation. So, I figured I’d turn my angst into a discussion and find out what things influence you, as a reader, to pick up a book. Because, I [...]
Posted by Elisa Beatty May 11 2012, 12:01 am in 2012 finalists, Deborah Wright, golden heart, Lazarus Gambit, steampunk
Today we welcome Deborah Wright, 2012 Golden Heart Finalist in the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category for her book THE LAZARUS GAMBIT. As a third grader, Deborah enraptured her classmates with installments from her first novel, Teddy Bear Invasion From Outer Space, but it wasn’t until 2002 (after a long, writing-free flirtation with computer [...]
Posted by Elisa Beatty May 10 2012, 12:01 am in 2012 finalists, golden heart, Kathleen Bittner Roth
Today we’re delighted to welcome 2012 Golden Heart finalist Kathleen Bittner Roth, who is nominated in the Historical Romance category. Kathleen was born in Minnesota but has lived everywhere: Washington, Idaho, California, Texas, New York, and currently Budapest, Hungary. Fittingly, she has a lot of personas: she’s a certified hypnotherapist but also a former choirgirl [...]
Posted by Liz Talley May 9 2012, 12:01 am in characters, girlfriend weekend, liz talley, shoes, The Boys of Bayou Bridge, Waters Run Deep
Yes, Yes Yes! It’s another Ruby Release Day! And I’m hosting myself…just giving the sisters a well-deserved break because they’re tired of asking me about my inspirations and ideas and blah, blah, blah. This is my 6th release day on the Ruby Blog, and I’m not going to interview my characters or talk about how [...]
Posted by Diana Layne May 8 2012, 12:01 am in Diana Layne, Impenetrable spy, Spencer Brokaw, teen author, young entrepenuer
When the Rubies heard about this amazing young man, we simply had to know more! Spencer Brokaw published his first book when he was twelve. Today, he is 13 and working on his next novel. Think about that, what were you doing at 12 and 13? As a homeschooling mom of six kids, I love [...]
Posted by Amanda Brice May 7 2012, 12:03 am in copyright, intellectual property
I often get questions from writers about their ability to use material in their writing that was obtained from other sources. Maybe you are writing a historical work and want to use other historical works as background. Perhaps your hero and heroine are slow dancing to a popular song, and you want to “show, not [...]
Posted by Elisa Beatty May 4 2012, 12:01 am in 2012 finalists, golden heart, Mary Danielson, YA
Today, as part of our series introducing 2012 Golden Heart nominees, we welcome Mary Danielson, who is nominated in the YA category. Mary is a medical student and YA writer from Austin, TX. She has a deep and abiding love for pumpkin pie, Broadway musicals, and unrequited love stories. All of these things make an [...]
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