My strangest peccadillo

Okay, I have some quirks. A LOT of quirks but all-in-all I think I’m pretty normal.

I do, however, have one odd quirk and I’m sure it drives the people around me nuts, though they humor me a lot.

I change my sheets every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

If I don’t, if I try to sleep on the sheets I slept on the night before, I inevitably wake up at one or two in the morning, itching like crazy, having tossed and turned in the hours beforehand and change it anyway. So, I always change the bed.

I can even tell when in a hotel, if the sheets have not been changed. I’m sorry environment, but my peace of mind is more important to me. Once, when Ella and I were at a conference in Houston, I put the “please change my sheets” card on the bed. That night, as I’m getting into the freshly made bed, I touched the sheets and found they’d not been changed. Yes, I can tell simply by feel. I was not a happy camper and let the hotel know about it.

It was too late to have them changed and I spent a restless, uncomfortable night, even though the bed was huge and I slept on the mostly un-slept on side.

I know, I know, it’s crazy. Ludicrous, even, but hey, it’s just how I am.

And yes, I have an insane amount of sheets. More than can comfortably fit in a large hope chest.

As I said, the people around me humor me about it. When I ask for sheets for Christmas or my birthday, they no longer say “Again?” but instead ask “What color this time?”

My boyfriend only had 2 sets of sheets when we started dating a year and a half ago. He now owns 5 sets. Since he has to pay to wash, I tote the sheets with me and take care of that part. Fair is fair. I’m nuts, but I have some sensibilities.

Because there must be balance in the universe, my kid is the exact opposite of me. He doesn’t even sleep on a sheet. It’s creepy. I’m just saying.

Let sleeping dogs lie ... comfortably in fresh sheets!
Photo courtesy of Csuka András

I   know that I have way more oddities about me than that, but really, I think this is probably the most fun. It’s certainly an interesting conversation piece. 

What about you? What’s your strangest  peccadillo?

Happy reading,

Jennifer August

Fun With The End Of The World

In honor of the impending end of the world (you know, tonight at 6 though I'm still unclear on the time zone thing. Cause when it's 7 in NY, it's 6 in TX but 3 in CA, so yeah, good luck with all that) I thought I'd take a look at some favorite disaster flicks:

2012 - The movie with John Cusack. Loved it. For me, Woody Harrelson totally stole the show as crazy mountain man. Lots of action and screaming and blowing up of stuff. Yeah, good times.

Towering Inferno - Ah, Steve McQueen and a high-rise in peril. Who could resist? Lots of interesting action shots and panic-stricken faces in this one. Watching it now cracks me up, although watching it then probably would have cracked me up, too.

The Poseidon Adventure (Classic Version) - The one with Ernie Borgnine. This is such a good movie. Much more than a disaster flick, it actually had heart and character. And Shelley Winters in the swim scene? Get outta here. Sheer genius.

Volcano - there's a volcano under Los Angeles and it's gonna blow. I kept waiting for Tommy Lee Jones to whip out some sort of MiB accoutrement and take care of it, but he had to be all heroic and stuff. This one calls for a full bucket of popcorn and a couple of beers. Enjoyable.

Staying with the volcano theme, who could forget Dante's Peak? Yum cause it starred Pierce Brosnan and that right there is worth a look, but the contents of the film.... well, uh. Hmm.... My favorite part is when the grandma (Elizabeth Hoffman) wades in the horrible acid lake to save the kids and burns her legs off to tiny little stumps. Seriously, who writes this stuff?

And let us not forget the spate of meteors destroying the earth! In one year we had both Deep Impact and Armageddon. Deep Impact had a host of starts including Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Morgan Freeman and Robert Duvall. For a disaster movie, this one had a lot of heart and emotion, lots of character development and, not to worry, lots of explosions and death.

Armageddon, on the other hand, was nothing but a rock fest of adventure start to finish. Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi as RockHound. Giant asteroid, space shuttle and nuclear weapons. They pulled out all the stops for this one. I catch it every time it comes on. And I cry every time in the control room when they're saying their goodbyes.

The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhall. The ultimate global warning ... warning. This film really made me wonder why they always pick on New York City. Specifically the Statue of Liberty. That poor old girl continues to keep her head above water, sand, snow, lava, etc., but dang. You'd think she'd be tired of it all now.

My all-time number one favorite disaster film has to be Independence Day. I love that movie. Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum are our salvation? Can I get an amen? I didn't think so. Cause admit it, you're too busy cheering them on and waiting for Bill Pullman to give his "we will not go quietly into the night" speech. And, like me, I'm pretty sure you know all the dialog by heart. I quote that movie a lot, completely out of context, thought.

So, what are some of your favorite disaster films?

Happy reading,
Jennifer August

For the Love of A Puppy

I love my dog. That sweet little fuzzy face, those big brown eyes, the lolling pink tongue… I’m so hooked on him, it’s ridiculous. We got him as a rescue when he was 6 months old. We’d gone from shelter to shelter and each one broke my heart but none were “the one.”

Then … we met Ranger.

 He looked up at us through the bars, his little white butt and tail wagging so hard, we thought he’d take off. The staff let us leash him and take him outside to get acquainted. He ran around the little park in the back, zoomed between our legs then, the piece de resistance, he laid down and bared his belly.

We brought him home that day, almost 6 years ago and haven’t looked back since. He’s sweet and ferocious, adorable and demanding. He’s really smart and passed dog training, though most of it has been forgotten. He knows what “let’s cuddle” means and he knows when I say I’m going to change the bed, he has to jump off. He likes to talk and he snuffles and has the most endearing look on his face when he’s looking up at you. Especially when he wants something.

We live in a sort of rural area. Rural enough that our backyard is home to several kinds of wildlife including rabbits. One day, he went outside to play. When he scratched on the door to be let in, as he’d had hundreds of times before, I opened the door.
And screamed like a banshee then slammed the door shut on him. My sweet, little puppy was holding a dead rabbit in his mouth. The rabbit was big, it hung almost to the ground around his mouth. My mom was the heroine of the piece. She grabbed a Milkbone, opened the door and traded him the bone for the rabbit.
Then, she calmly ran through the garage and tossed it out in the front yard. The strange thing was there was no blood or anything on the rabbit and the next day he was gone. I like to think he was playing possum with Ranger and as soon as he was safe, he up and hopped away.

That day, Ranger gained a middle name – Elmer.

And like my kid, he knows when I use all his names he’s in real trouble and has only one avenue of safety. He runs to grandma!

Yep, I love my dog. He’s pretty special to me.

How about you? Any animals make your life special?
Happy reading,
Jennifer August

The Pleasure of Reading

This year, 4writers has been lucky to have a stellar bunch of authors drop by and share their thoughts with us and we are so happy they came. Each author has offered something different to the readers and I have read all of them and enjoyed all of them.

In fact, the most recent book I read from our guests was Sophie Oak’s Bound. It came out last Friday, I bought it, downloaded it around 10 p.m. and didn’t put it down until the very last sentence. It was that good. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the guilt-free pleasure of being able to stay up all night to read. What a treat! I read just about every chance I get and I’m lucky enough to get sneak peeks at works in progress through my critique partners. I love a traditional print book and I’ve been reading online for years. I downloaded the Kindle and Borders apps on my phone and I’m slowly getting used to those, but I still have some glitches with them.
How I read doesn’t matter, just as long as I do. Reading makes me happy. It takes me to places I have never been to, lets me revisit others, helps me visualize the impossible and improbable as absolutely doable. Reading is one of the things that I seek solace in. Inspiration. Hope. It’s like a movie for your brain, one you hold in your hands and cast yourself.  I don’t know about you, but I do a lot of accents when I read, especially the Scottish books.  Granted, they’re bad, but I still hear them in my head. I sometimes emulate the movement of the characters as I read (uh, I did say sometimes!).

I also find my mood while reading to be affected by what’s going on in the book. Woe betide someone who interrupts me during a moment of reading something intense, whatever that may be. If a murder just happened in the book, check my eyes for rage before asking me to make you a peanut butter sandwich. Often my poor dog bears the brunt of my shivers when I’m reading anything slightly spooky. Anytime I gasp and say “Holy crap!” and bury my head in his fur, he huffs patiently and waits for me to get a mental grip and let up on the undercoat.
I love the way I feel when I read. The satisfied “ah” that comes with an ending so perfect, it brings a smile, a sob or a gasp when you read it.  Speaking of those moments, there has been more than once instance when an author has moved me to write to him or her. The latest was Heather Graham. I read her book the Death Room and I was so floored, so surprised by what happened that I just had to write her. Yeah, it was an equally good squee of fangirl-itude when she replied.
The bottom line is that reading matters. A lot. I hope you all are prolific readers. Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite genres? What moves you when you read?

Happy reading,
Jennifer August

Informercial anyone?

When my son was small, let's say between 3 and 10, he was an absolute maniac for infomercials. He got hooked on them while watching daytime tv with his grandfather. I would come home from work and hear something like "Mom, did you know that metal spring mattresses are not good to sleep on because the springs hit your pressure points, which makes you achy in the mornings?" or "It's the easiest cooking machine you'll ever need, Mom. It can cook, steam, boil, fry, practically anything you need. And if you call in the next seven minutes, they'll deduct one entire payment." etc., etc., etc. It was actually pretty funny although it did warp him on the whole bed thing. To this day (he's 17) he refuses to sleep on a spring mattress. Good grief.

But, I will say I, too, am a sucker for as seen on TV stuff. I love that my local drug store has an entire section devoted to that. I have purchased a few things like the Ped Egg (mom loves it), the Topsy-Turvy planter (did not work out so well for us) and the XPress 101 (Love it!). Some things crack me up like the Shake-Weight. Seriously, did no one ever stop and just WATCH that thing in action? How could you get through demonstrating that without laughing your ass off?

Some things are a huge surprise. The SodaStream is one. We are a huge soda family. As in, I should probably buy stock in Coca-Cola or Dr Pepper. I had the opportunity last weekend to test out the SodaStream in a real-life setting and holy smokes it rocks. Even if you take out the flavorings, the actual carbonating of tap water (TAP WATER!) is incredible. Add a little lemon extract and you've got a nice substitution for Perrier. But it also has lots of other flavors. We tried four and they were all awesome. I'm seriously leaning toward getting one.

I watch the infomercials half for the entertainment value, half for the what were they thinking value. But sometimes, I find a real gem.
How about you? Any "but wait, there's more!" moments you couldn't resist?

Happy Reading,
Jennifer August

3 Cornerstones of Success

There are three things I believe every author must possess and use on a daily basis: Inspiration, Motivation and Determination.

For inspiration, I don’t mean story ideas or sudden thunderbolts of fully formed plot and characters. Instead, I mean surround yourself with people who inspire you, in any way you can. Some people don’t even know they’re a source of your inspiration, either, and if you can tell them, it’s a good thing. I had this conversation just the other day with a good friend of mine, Sophie Oak. We were at lunch and I casually mentioned how much she inspires me to do better, write better, be better. Her work ethic, her sense of community and her books are just phenomenal. She had no idea I felt that way and it really made ME feel better for having told her.

You never know when someone feels you’ve inspired them. Tell them. I have a few stories of people who have inspired me in different ways over the years: Shelley Bradley aka Shayla Black sat with me in a bar one time and told me I was a good writer and that she believed I could make it in this business. I carry that with me always. Here is this best-selling (now a New York Times bestselling author!) telling me she liked what I did. Wow. That was so many years ago, but I remember the spark in her eye and the fierceness in her tone when she said it. She meant it. And it meant the world to me. Still does.

Other people in my life are true inspirations: my mom and dad and their incredible love story of 46 years. Even though dad is gone, I still feel his love and presence everywhere. My son Connor, who is ridiculously proud of his mom’s chosen career. He inspires me to be silly and strong and to do all the things that I always wanted to do. My favorite authors whom I don’t know personally, but stalk when I can: Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Stephanie Laurens, Robyn DeHart, Amanda Quick. I read their books and they make me want to write. To keep writing. To never give up.

Which brings me to Determination. I just spent a grueling seven weeks writing an entire book. 85,000 words in seven weeks. It’s a hard thing to do and I don’t advocate such lunacy unless it’s the way you enjoy working. But I had a deadline and I was determined to make it. Because I’m determined to sell another book and another and another, etc, etc, etc. I am determined to make this my lifelong career. Some days, determination is all I have that puts me in front of the computer. Especially when I hate my current project. Or I’m bored with it. Or it’s spun into a direction I never intended and have no idea how to get myself out of. But, I sit down, I open my document and I try to kick some novel butt. I might write nothing but crap on that day, but as Nora Roberts once said, “You can fix anything except a blank page.”

The final important key to being a writer is Motivation, also known as Passion. I love what I do. Adore it. Then I hate it. Want to throw stones at it and burn it in a fireplace. Then I’m all gooey for it again. It’s like a bad bi-polar love affair. I’ve heard a lot of authors justify why they’re still in the game after years of trying with little to no successes, constant rejection, constant re-writing and always chasing the brass ball. The golden carrot. The <insert your own analogy here>. Whatever the reason, a writer needs to stay passionate and motivated to write. Even on those days they don’t want to. It’s kinda like going to the dentist. The sooner you do it, the better off you’ll be. Finding that motivation though can be hard. If you’ve ever been kicked in the proverbial teeth by an editor, an agent, a critique partner, a reader or a reviewer, you know just how hard it can be to stand up, dust the tread marks from your forehead, square your shoulders and sit back down to that manuscript. But you will. Because deep inside you, the motivation and passion lie wait. They stir and swim among the dreams of your subconscious. They demand to be let out.

So you do. And when you apply your inspiration, toss in that determination, let loose your passion and motivation… well, then you’re doing yourself proud. You are living.

Happy writing,

Jennifer August 

Music – the soundtrack of life

I don’t know about you, but music plays an important part in my life. Sometimes I’m not aware of it but most of the time yes.

I remember things a lot by music, too. Like anytime I hear Don Williams singing Tulsa Time or I Believe In You, I’m transported back to Wichita and 1981. An apartment complex, covered parking and hot pavement. Being sidled up underneath the car with my dad while we fixed it. I mostly just nodded. I was only 11.

When Grease 2 starts belting out Let’s Bowl or Reproduction, I’m flat on my back, enduring three months of bed rest while waiting for the kiddo to be born. But it also brings back warm and fun memories of my wonderful friends making a weekly trek to visit me and play Dime Store Bingo. I always won all the cheesy prizes. It was awesome.

Or when I hear Jason Mraz’ I’m Yours. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, I get warm. That song came on every single time I was in the tanning bed (I have since sworn off the orange-glo skin shade, thank you very much).

Sometimes music is great for tormenting your kids. I loved it when Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl would come on and my kid was in the car. I sang that song at the top of my lungs and chair danced for all I was worth. If he could have crawled under the floormats, he would have. Mwahahahahaha.

Today, I discovered something else about myself and music. My muse doesn’t like it when I mess with her soundtrack. For years whenever I wrote my Regencies, I would listen to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. Pounded out a lot of good story to those CDs and actually destroyed two different copies. Thank goodness for the advent of digital. This weekend, though, I picked up Adele’s new album “21.” FABULOUS. Serious shiver-inducing vocals on it. I thought while I was working, I’d listen to it.

Oh. No. You. Didn’t.

My muse fled immediately, if not sooner. No matter what I tried to write, no matter how much I knew about the scene, I couldn’t seem to string the words together the right way.

Finally, I gave in, put Phantom back on and Presto! she was back with a vengeance.

Lesson learned.

Music is not just about memories, it’s about emotions, too. And obviously, while I’m creating my characters and telling their stories, they only come out to play when Phantom is cranked to the max.

And one final shout-out here: John Williams is the man. Did you know he composed the music for Jaws, ET, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters, Superman and many, many more pieces of genius we listen to? You may have seen this already by ApprenticeA on YouTube, but it’s worth another look and listen.

Happy reading,

Jennifer August

The Sock Monster

Do you have a sock monster hiding in your dryer? Am I the only one? I love socks. I have a jillion (yes, a jillion) pairs of socks. I love funky ones, colorful ones, thin, think, athletic, low, high, tube, fuzzy, sheer, any of ‘em! Problem is, seems every time I do laundry, I lose a sock. I’ve tried pinning, tying them together, sticking one inside the other (yeah, it’ll keep them together but one doesn’t get clean), putting them in a bag.
Doesn’t matter.
That darn sock monster manages to rear its head and swipe my darn socks. Butthead.

Can you say adorable?!

As I was getting ready and packing for my conference this weekend, I thought what better place to wear my new heart socks than a romance writer’s conference? Yes, it was a flash of genius, I agree.

However, when I started to look in my sock drawer, they weren’t there. Nor were they in the hamper. *sigh* This means they are in the ginormous “missing sock” basket. Or at least, one of them is. Sure enough, I found one sock and not the other. I have torn up the house looking for it. Now, it’s not a matter of genius, but desperation. Suddenly, I MUST find that sock. My entire future with Avon Books depends upon me wearing that sock, don’t you see? *sob*

Photo courtesy of
cocktailtimes.com

Okay, a chocolate martini later and I don’t care about the damned sock. I’ve decided I’m going to paint my toenails a shade from O.P.I. called Keys to My Karma, wear a killer pair of heels (while hoping the editor is a shoe fanatic) and wow ‘em with the intriguing pitch I’ve worked up. Here’s a hint: It’s got ghosts, murder, hot romance and all manner of Victorian drama. I’m super-excited about it.

When I get back, though, that sock monster and I are gonna have a talk. This is unacceptable!  Although … it does mean I get to go sock shopping again, so I don’t suppose it’s all bad!

Happy Reading,
Jennifer August

Beware the apocalypse – the office supply one, that is

I have a problem.
I love office supplies. Post-It notes, pens, pencils, notebooks, journals, file folders accordion folders, brads, staples, mini staplers, rubber band balls, business card holders… well, you can see where this is going.

I think it’s a problem all writers have and most will own up to. However, I realized I’d gone overboard with this addiction just the other day. I was riffling through the stacks of wide-ruled paper (23 packages at last count) when I came across an odd package. It was light but colorful, a perfect little square tucked  into a bag. I tugged and several more fell out. Within moments, the floor was covered with a prismatic, plastic-encased plethora of book covers. Book covers. My kid hasn’t used those since the 8th grade. He’s a JUNIOR.
Why am I still holding on to those?

But it gets worse. Much, much worse. I decided to see just how bad my addiction was. Eek.  I really should have just left the lid on that particular Pandora’s box. Or the office supply box (which I have.) It’s really a Rubbermaid 30 gallon tote and it is filled to the absolute brim with the aforementioned office supplies. I have a particular weakness for journals. And nearly every one of the 72 (YES, 72!!) that are in there have some sort of meaning. I can remember where I got them or what kind of deal I made (seriously, WHO can resist spiral bound notebooks for 10 cents each? And buy only one? NEVER!)

A teeeeeeeeny tiny portion of my office supplies

Here, too, the spectrum of colors reign supreme. Pink, purple, blue, yellow, green, red, shiny, dull. You name it, I have a notebook of some sort in it.

This does not begin to cover the Post-It notes. At this moment, I have four packages of stickies that contain 12 pads in each pack. Unopened. The opened ones are like Ella’s cardboard boxes – they breed and breed and breed. Total pad count: 96.

Pens? Oh, my, I shouldn’t even go there. I get on a kick with them. I find a style that I like and I snap up a dozen or so. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. Two weeks ago, Office Depot came out with an awesome pen. It writes sooooo well and it comes in all sorts of nifty colors including orange and purple. I bought 12 of them. Multiples of the pink, blue and purple, if you wondered.

I also have a couple of whiteboards, a Dymo labeler, three razor-blade letter openers, four different kinds of staple pullers, index cards in full and half sizes, markers, pencils and an electric stapler.

Just to name a few.

I should address this situation. I know it. I just can’t seem to bring myself to do it.
Maybe the next time there’s a back-to-school sale, I will refrain from buying anything because I know I have everything we need. <twitch, twitch, twitch> Okay, maybe not.

What about you? Got any secret stashes? Any kind of oddly multiplying things you can't resist?

Happy shopping!
Jennifer August

Textspeak - Is it just me?

So, after much pushing and razzing and downright threatening from other writer friends, I finally joined Twitter (find me! @jennifer_august). It’s a lot of fun! I found my old editor from Red Sage <waves at TS>, started following some of my favorite authors (Yes, that includes Julia Quinn. Duh… What kind of rabid fan would I be otherwise?!) as well as Karen Hawkins, Shayla Black, Michelle Miles, Susan Gable, Diana Duncan and Sophie Oak.

I also, OF COURSE, have a feed from the most spectacular of all baseball teams, the Texas Rangers. I still am in heaven over last season and the World Series. Thanks guys. Though, I will like to say – quit trying to screw Michael Young over. That man should be nominated for Most Flexible Player EVER!!!

I don't always tweet, my friends, but I when I do, I spell correctly.

There are a  couple of other things I follow and, since I’m so new to this, I realize I have a lot to learn. But I find I’m having an extremely difficult time reading some posts because they use text speak. Yeah, yeah, 140 characters, blah, blah, blah. But you know what? That should be a challenge, not an excuse for idiotic writing. Seriously, it’s two freaking characters more to type your from ur. <shudder> And, in my mind, it looks and sounds stupid. I mean, ignorant stupid. Like a backwoods porch held together with chicken wire and cow manure. Or those hanging truck testicles. That kind of ridiculous.

It’s a daily chore for me and I find myself skimming posts that begin with UR or something along those lines.
I will pony up here, though. Recently, said former editor had a post that made me both cringe and laugh. To quote “Must. Kill. Dangling. Participle.” I have such a problem with those, I was surprised she didn’t suggest I seek counseling and a 12-step program. But still, all my words were spelled correctly, even if they were dangling.

Onward and upward, I suppose. I shall deal with it as long as I can, but I know my irritation is going to grow with each post and one day, I’ll just snap and WHAM! hit that unfollow button. *sigh*
As the mother of a horrible speller, I may be a bit more sensitive to this sort of thing but it still grates on my nerves. What about you? Are you okay with it or does it make you want to perpetrate mayhem on the poster?

Mayhem? Did someone call me?

Happy correct spelling,
Jennifer August

Puppets, comedy & teens

One of my favorite comedians is Jeff Dunham. For those of you who don't know him, he's a ventriloquist with very flavorful characters like Walter, Peanut, Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Bubba Jay.

A very, very long time ago I saw him in "concert" (if you can call it that) at a comedy club. We're talking 1991 or so. At the time, he only had Walter and Peanut. Oh, and Jose Jalapeno On A Stick.I remembered Peanut vividly. In addition to his purple skin and big teeth, he had a shock of fluffy hair and every time he made a joke, he'd pick on the guy sitting directly in front of him: Hey, Bill! Zooom! and he'd wave his hand over the hair.

Then, life intervened and marriages, babies and careers came along. I forgot the comedian's name, but I remembered that darn puppet. 

Fast forward several years to a chance viewing on Comedy Central of a show called Arguing With Myself. Lo and behold, it's Jeff Dunham. Funnier than ever and debuting a new puppet that night. Achmed The Dead Terrorist. 

This is an Achmed poster I designed for
a recent Jeff Dunham contest.

Seriously funny stuff, right there. My friends and I quote Achmed's routine like we wrote it ourselves. 

However, the coolest thing in the history of ever, is how much fun I have sharing it with my son. The one born just two years after I saw Jeff in concert. I never in a million years thought he and I would have so many laughs and giggles over that guy. And all it takes is one small word, just one hint of the Achmed accent and we're off and running. It's not only fun, but a real joy to bond like that. He and I had the pleasure of attending a Jeff Dunham concert two years ago - at an arena, not a comedy club! - and it was awesome. Of course. I hope that's as wonderful a memory for my kiddo as it is for me. I'm so glad I got to share that with him. 

It seems my family has always had inside jokes that tickled the four of us. We were a military family and traveled the world just the four of us. Most people agree that we made the Waltons look dysfunctional! And, through all those years, one of the things I remember the most is the laughter. We pretty much lived a country & western song - didn't have a lot of money or material possessions, but we had a lot of love and laughter. Some familiar phrases include "We're gonna need a bigger boat" (usually in relation to space in the house) "pulled a Clements" (doing something so polar opposite from common sense that it's funny) "motengator, motengator, getting it on" (when my dad and brother would whoop up on me and mom during a game of Pinochle) and the recently added "It's okay, you're pretty" (when you say or do something blonde-worthy). 

Even now, some *mumble* years later, those memories make me smile and laugh with fondness. I'm delighted to be able to pass this family trait on to my son and I hope he passes it on to his kids (his VERY FAR IN THE FUTURE kids). 

Hug your kid/pet/parents/siblings today,

Jennifer August

Top 5 Lists

I have a running competition with an old friend to see who's list of Top 5 lists are actually the biggest.  We each easily top 20 or so favorites in our top fives. So, in no random order...

MOVIES

1. Beauty & The Beast (1993, Disney) - This one has topped my list since the day I saw it. The artistry, innovation, storyline and music are wonderful. They form a cohesive story with a heroine we can root for and the ultimate wounded hero. Plus, all the underlying adult humor really cracks me up. One memorable line comes when Lumiere and Cogsworth are counseling the Beast on how to win Belle's heart long enough to break the curse: "Well, there's the usual things... flowers, chocolates ... promises you don't intend to keep."

2. Braveheart (1995, Icon Entertainment) - This movie captivated me with its rich detail to history (however fractured and fictionalized, but they made it SEEM like the gospel truth) and the double love story of William Wallace. In my opinion, the writers pulled off an amazing feat by creating this unique love triangle. William and Murron were the perfect pair - in love, defiant, willing to (and did) die for each other. His entire war campaign was for love of a woman, not Scotland (okay, only peripherally). So, this great love spurred a man to war how in the world could we root for him and a different woman? Quite easily, as it turns out. His affair with Princess Isabelle is both sensual and satisfactory.

3. Gigi (1958, MGM) -  Gigi, a young girl learning about love is swept off her feet by the older, suave family friend Gaston. Again, the heart of the movie is a love story surrounded by fantastic music, gorgeous scenery  and Maurice Chevalier. Eva Gabor also had a small part as Gaston's mistress Liane and she was wonderful. I never tire of watching this movie, it really is a feel good for me.

4. Star Wars (1977, LucasFilms/20th Century Fox) - Only Star Wars in my mind, none of that episode IV: A New Hope crap. The best hero's journey ever put on film. There are so many things I love about Star Wars, it is nearly impossible to pick out just a few, but I'll give it a try. I was 7 when the movie came out and I was in a blond-loving phase, so Luke Skywalker was my dream guy. My mom loved Han Solo (I admit, I switched allegiances when I grew up). But even now, I realize that Luke's heartfelt anguish and sense of helplessness, then growth, is what attracted me. Sure, he was whiny in the beginning, but he turned out pretty good in the end. I also liked Leia's character - she was a strong woman with definite goals and no one, not even Darth Vader, was going to stop her. And, of course, light sabers. The look, the hold, the sound. Every kid in the nation was ran around holding a vacuum cleaner hose making the light saber noise after that movie.

5. Jaws (1975, Universal Studios) -The movie that changed an ocean-loving nation forever.  Spielberg took some of our most basic fears (the dark, the boogeyman, the unknown) and created a masterpiece of terror. Right down to John Williams' shiver-inducing soundtrack. Martin Brody, Amity's sea-fearing Sheriff, is not prepared to face a great white shark using his beach as a snacking ground. His personal growth through the movie helps offer a human side to the terror. Helps us empathize as a viewer. The ancillary characters of Quint and Hooper are perfectly played as well. I know my family is not the only one to have ever used the "We're gonna need a bigger boat," line, but the scene I enjoy the most is the scar swapping one between the three. Such an odd bit of normality before the climactic ending.

Other movies in my Top 5: The Princess Bride (As you wish!), The Replacements with Keanu Reeves, Aladdin from Disney, Singin' in the Rain,   Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,  Star Trek (The 2009 reboot); Pure Country with George Strait, I could go on, but you get the idea.

MUSIC (Albums)

1. Phantom of the Opera, The Original London Cast Recording. Favorite. EVER. I listen to this soundtrack for every book I write. It's like a switch that helps flip my muse into ready-to-write mode. I have worn out two sets of discs. Thank goodness for the advent of mp3 players. It was the first thing I loaded onto my new iPod Nano.

2. Rockferry by Duffy. Duffy is a young singer from England who has a raspy voice which reminds of throwbacks to the early 60s. Her songs on this album are catchy, poignant and insightful. Very bluesy, very awesome. Warwick Avenue is fantastic.

3. Rock and Roll Jesus by Kid Rock. It's raw, rocking, danceable and just plain fun. I listen to it all the time. Some of my favorite tracks are very naughty (So Hott, Sugar) and in no way ever kid-friendly. But every time I listen to it, it puts me in a good mood.

4. The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters by Elvis Presley. I grew up listening to Elvis. I love his soulful voice, the way he digs down past every barrier he has and lets every emotion leech into his music. When he sings, it's with such a sense of vulnerability and depth which makes me appreciate it even more. Though it doesn't appear on this album, American Trilogy is probably my favorite song that he does. Or Peace in the Valley. Or Kentucky Rain. Shoot, just can't choose one.

5. Use Your Illusion I & II by Guns n' Roses. Their self-titled album was good as was Appetite for Destruction and GNR Lies,  But this double album is filled with myriad sounds, rhythms and styles that it's as addictive for me as chocolate. November Rain is genius. Swelling and soulful, poignant and pointed. Unbelievably entrancing. The video ain't half-bad either. Mr. Brownstone, though the subject matter is typical for Axl and Company, also rocks out. Ah, I miss the old GNR. <sigh>

Others in my top 5 favorites: Grease I AND 2 soundtracks, Back To Basics by Christina Aguilera, 25 All Time Doo Wop Hits by various artists, Riverdance soundtrack, ...Oops, I did it Again by Britney Spears, Golden Road by Keith Urban, The Four Seasons from Vivaldi...

QUOTES

1. On Friendship: A friend will help you move, but a real friend will help you move the body. Anonymous
2. On Success: "Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success” Napoleon Hill
3. On Humor: “Where humor is concerned there are no standards - no one can say what is good or bad, although you can be sure that everyone will”: John Kenneth Galbraith
4. On Children: Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble - Dennis Fakes
5. On God: What we are is God's gift to us.  What we become is our gift to God.  ~Eleanor Powell

Other quotes: Shoot for the moon, even if you fail, you'll still land among the stars - Brian Littrell; The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Eleanor Roosevelt; Don't stifle, you can do anything you want - Christiane Payton (my mom!); If you obey all the rules, you miss the fun - Katherine Hepburn; Be happy. It's one way of being wise - Sidonie Gabrielle

There you have the randomness of my brain. It amuses me to see the vast difference in taste I have. But being predictable is boring, don't you think?

Happy Random Day,
Jennifer August

A year in the life

Party like it's your birthday!

Today is my birthday, though if you ask my family and friends, they’ll tell you I actually celebrate all month long. It seems each day in February brings a note, an email, a phone call, an invitation to lunch – all with the special point of noting my birthday. I love it! It might come as a surprise to you (but probably not) that I am also supremely spoiled. My mom calls it being loved and believe me, I am very, very loved.

Growing up, my mom, dad and brother always took great pains to make my birthday special. I have so many wonderful memories, so many special cakes and gifts.  Although, I would like to point out that my brother, my OLDER brother, used to tease me mercilessly about my birthday being in February. All real members of our family, he would say, were born in October. Which is true. I was the only one born in February. When I was younger, it broke my heart. He also told me I was adopted and they traded (insert vegetation here) with Gypsies for me. My mom’s response? You were wanted.

I personally think they got the better end of the deal!

At some point, though, I realized being the only one born in February made me unique. Ha! Take that, older brother. Pfffft. This is probably when I started claiming the entire month of February as my birth month. I like that logic, at any rate.

Last year was a milestone birthday for me. I turned 40! I had a huge dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant and invited tons of friends and my family. We had a blast. I had tons of chips and salsa, a very large margarita and laughs out the whazoo. Then, the next day I took the first step on a rather surprising and alarming health journey. I like to say that my warranty expired. I have since purchased the extended warranty and all is well again. But the experience made me stop and reflect just how incredibly blessed I’ve been. I am.

So, today as I turn 41, it is with a thankful, loving heart.

Thank you to my family and friends for a year of support, care and concern. It might be my birthday month, but all of you are in my thoughts every day.

Jennifer August

The Art of Zen

I was recently told by my doctor that I need to relax more. Easy for him to say. Does he not realize how busy our lives are? I don’t know about you, but my day is full from start to finish and probably even after I go to sleep, I just don’t know it.

With family, work, writing, laundry and so on and so forth, it’s nearly impossible to find that essential downtime. And personally, I found it funny when he told me to “schedule” it.

But he has a point. And he made some valid suggestions. My favorite, though, was when he told me how I should end each night. For what it’s worth, I’ve done this several times and it is working for me.

1.       In a quiet room, sit comfortably either on a chair or on the floor. Do not lie down or you’ll fall asleep.

2.       Close your eyes and begin to visualize your body, beginning with your feet. Flex and relax them, imaging the tension flowing from your toes. Okay, this part cracks me up mostly cause I’m terribly ticklish, but also because I have problems with flowing. My tension apparently shoots from my toes in blue flames. The perils of being a writer, I suppose.

3.       Next, flex and relax your calves, then your knees, making your way up your entire body, ending with your head. Don’t ask me how you’re supposed to flex your head, cause that just makes my ears wiggle.

4.       Finally, take several deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, hold for a slow  count to five then exhale slowly. Do this five times. I have issues with holding my breath to five. What’s slow? What if I’m going too fast? What if I’m going too slow? Will I pass out? Will I hit my head? Crap… I just realized I’m tense again.

5.       In a quiet room, sit comfortably …

Since being told by him to create a peaceful bedroom environment (although I flatly refuse to remove my TV from my room!) I’ve looked into different ways to accomplish this. Lots of ideas and thoughts about this on the interwebs, of course. Aromatherapy, noise machines, pets, sleep masks and noise canceling headphones (which I would never wear while I sleep because I’m positive I would strangle myself!), all sorts of things. Some work and some don’t.

I really like the Lavender pillow mist from Bath & Body Works but I dislike going to sleep in total quiet.  I have my TV on as I go to sleep. Having it off makes me wake up a lot. Plus, my teenager INSISTS on having his music up loud and the bass thumping along the wall. Not conducive to a peaceful bedroom environment.  I am generally cold, but when I go to sleep, I have to have the A/C running. I change my sheets every day (yes, you read that right). I find slipping into a freshly made bed one of the most comforting sensations in the world. Right along with that first sip of ice-cold Dr Pepper. Which, apparently I’m not supposed to get up in the middle of the night to drink. Huh, still working on that.

One of the other things is to visualize something tranquil. Again, this is where I get into trouble. Oh sure, I always START off nice and relaxed. I’m on the beach, in a nice chair, the sun warmly (not too hot) beating down on me, the waves lapping at the shore. No, wait. I’m IN the water. On one of those long lounging floating chaise things. Hm, maybe not because my balance is crap. I’m in one of those huge round tubes you use for river tubing. Yeah, that’s it.

So, in the tube, warm sun, eyes closed, fingers gently trailing in the water, the soft screech of gulls from the shore… oh crap, what’s under me? Is that a shark? What just brushed my leg? Seaweed or sharp teeth?! HELP! … and just like that, there goes my tranquility.

So, I’m still working on perfecting my sense of Zen. Got any more ideas? How do you relax and find time for yourself in the hustle and bustle of your day?

Happy Zening

Jennifer August

What Makes You Pick Up A Book?

When I shop for romance books, I have tried and true methods for picking them up. First, of course, are my favorite authors – Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Jo Davis, Shayla Black/Shelley Bradley, Suzanne Enoch, Tracy Anne Warren, Stephanie Laurens, Susan Gable, Diana Duncan, Karen Hawkins – just to name a very few. Those are auto-buys for me and I eagerly await their new releases. I have a special calendar above my desk with upcoming releases penned in.

Beyond that, though, I pick up books first based on the cover – I’m a firm lover/believer of clinch covers. While my imagination will fill in the details and come up with my own hero and heroine as I read, I like having a head start on the cover. Bare chests and sultry women are good.

Next are titles. In historical romances, I gravitate toward books with words like royal titles (Dukes, Earls and Viscounts), knights, Templar, crusades, Scotland, etc. In contemporary books, I lean more toward the erotic and mysterious. I’m not really much on generic titles or the other spectrum of all-inclusive titles such as the Billionaire Cowboy’s Secret Baby with His Virginal Bride. Hey, it could happen. Now, some of those tags interest me, but by and large they don’t catch my eye.

I also love saucy titles such as Sarah MacLean’s Nine Rules to Break When Romancing A Rake. That was a darn good book, as are the sequels. Karen Hawkins’ phenomenal MacLean curse series also tweaks tradition tongue-in-cheek style: To Scotland, With Love, Sleepless in Scotland, The Laird Who Loved Me. Who could resist those titles? And you really MUST read those books. Wow.

Next is the back cover blurb. Those 30 seconds it takes me to read the back cover is like the trailer to a movie. Grab me, interest me and leave me with that I-have-got-to-buy-this-book feeling. Good cover/blurb writing is an art and those who excel at it do a lot to convince me to buy. Hopefully, but not always, the author does her (or his!) part and delivers an exceptional story.

After the blurb, I’ll flip open and read the first paragraph. If it doesn’t grab me, I KEEP READING. I know how hard I work on my books and there’s no way I’m giving up after one paragraph. I usually will read at least the first five pages of the book because I know if I don’t like it by then, I won’t at all. Most of the time. Once or twice I have been fooled.

Those are all the usual reasons people have for picking up a book. What are some things that pull you to pick up and buy a romance novel?

What makes you pick up a book?

Happy reading,

Jennifer August

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011, it’s going to be a great year!

Welcome to our brand new blog, too. Ella, Wendy, Geri and myself are tickled to be trying our hand at blogging. We don’t really have a gameplan, we just want to make it entertaining and informative. If you have questions whether as a reader or a writer, let us know and we’ll be happy to do our best to answer them.

I have been asked several times where I get my ideas from.  I love that question because my answers usually result in brow-furrowing looks of “Oh, realllly?” J You know, the kind of response that people take a step away from and surreptitiously dial the funny farm? Yep, those kinds of answers.

Okay, maybe it’s not really that bad. My ideas come from a variety of different spots. Once, I dreamed an entire book start to finish. It was a really good book. Even if it’s currently languishing in my To-Be-Revised pile! One of these days it will see the light of day.

Sometimes I will hear part of a phrase and think, hm, I wonder… My friends and family are used to seeing me suddenly have that faraway look in my eye before I start furiously digging for a pen to write down whatever it is I’ve seen. Often a factoid I hear triggers a germ of a story idea. Once, I heard that the President’s limousine carries two pints of his blood just in case. I immediately said “Oh, I could kill the President with that!” Fortunately, I have not received a visit from anyone in a suit about that statement. My immediate thought was if I could have an assassin try to get to the blood supply, switch it and then cause an accident which needed to result in an immediate transfusion – wham, instant assassination. However, I don’t write those kinds of books, so that mostly went away!

The strangest book idea I had came from an address. It was 1200 Midnight Drive. Really. I don’t remember what town, but I remembered that street address. It spawned a short ghost story involving murder, mayhem and romance. It was quite fun to write!

Other ideas are word association games, reading the dictionary (honestly! I find some good fodder just by doing that), brainstorming with my critique partners and good old fashioned brain sweating. It doesn’t always happen easily – more often than not it’s a great deal of work to create a viable idea. Then, you have to ensure the world you create is the right place for your idea and the characters the proper ones to populate it.

Sometimes a publisher sends out a call for a specific kind of story. That's where the idea for Strokes At Midnight (Amazon Kindle Store) came from. The theme was Halloween and the heat level was erotic. I came up with a twist on the classic Cinderella story with my heroine covered only in body paint and posing as a model in a living art collection. At a Halloween party. It involves some *ahem* adult themes. To give you an idea, the tagline is : An erotic short story of fantasy, fetish and forever after!

The inspiration for my book Her Dark Master (Red Sage Publishing) was actually borne from my favorite song in The Phantom of the Opera by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Masquerade is full of emotion both light and dark, promise and retribution. It has genius lines and captivating music. The lyric “Paper faces on parade” was the ultimate spark. From that line, I came up with the story of Victoria Ashford, a lady of the Regency Ton who is betrothed against her will. And not to the man she loves. So, being a sort of rebellious young lady, not to mention very adventurous (after all, she writes scandalously sexy stories for an underground paper) she decides to masquerade as a courtesan and have at least one night of passion with the man she truly wants. It was great fun to write!

So, tell us, what are some of your favorite books and storylines. What do you like to read about?