Hi, all! Before I get started on writing today, I wanted to tell all of you what a great time I had at the Celebrate Romance conference. This conference brings writers and readers together to talk about books they love. We had great roundtable discussions about the various sub-genres of romance, including suspense, science fiction, fantasy and paranormal. Authors spoke about how they began writing and how they're inspired to write their stories.
We gave away LOTS of books, and my roomies and I (Stephanie Bond, Jacquie D'Alessandro and Jennifer St. Giles) had a free pizza party on Saturday night that was open to all attendees. The conference is held each Spring, so be sure and mark it on your calendar for next year. It's an event you don't want to miss!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Welcome Back, Boys!
Whew! What a weekend of racing!
Junior wins. Major congrats to him and his new team!
The other big story was, of course Smoke versus Busch. There are a lot of people coming down on both sides of this duel. The behavioral issues, the safety issues. Personally, I think it's great. (Of course, I'm not NASCAR, the owners, sponsors, or crew members of either team, so I don't have to make decisions, make apologies or make new cars.) To me, it's all compelling, controversial, infinitely debatable and watchable. The FOX executives were no doubt opening champagne after Friday night. I see great memoirs for these guys in the future. As a fiction writer, I bow to the greatness of action and emotion.
As for a plot twist, there isn't much of a surprise, though. Do you expect a duck to bark? These guys are both driven, volitile, competitive people. You don't turn that off like a light switch. That's WHY we're riveted to every lap--to see what'll happen. This isn't Gardening for the Elderly Wheelchair-Bound, this is big-time auto racing, and I, for one, am glad it means so much that these guys forget what's proper or PC or kind or agreeable.
It's been a long, cold off-season. Welcome back, boys!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Your Humble NASCAR Correspondent
I'm working, I really am. But I'm also listening to/watching all the NASCAR action from Daytona. For those of you who aren't race fans, Media Day is underway at Daytona International Speedway, where the 50th running of the Daytona 500 will take place in 10 days. Us NASCAR fans are--to say the very least--hyped. So I thought I'd give you a rundown of all the action.
I should probably start on the romance side. First, there's the cover model looks of Jimmie Johnson, who's married to an equally beautiful woman (Chandra). This couple's kids are destined to be stunning. Next, there are the super sexy accents of Dario Franchitti (Scottish), Jaques Villeneuve (French Canadian), and Juan Pablo Montoya (Columbian). I may finally be able to get my buddy, Jennifer St. Giles, to a NASCAR race, as she's known to have a soft spot for those Scottish boys. NASCAR is beginning to have a bit of a United Nations feel, which I think is great.
Riki Rachtman is one of the NASCAR.com hosts of live web-streaming video interviews today. He was a metal rocker back in the 80's, but now does a lot of NASCAR announcing/programming. He's one of my favorite media guys. A little edgy, a little different (in a good way) from the sterotypical racing media personality, and he always seemed relaxed with the guys, managing to ask both the necessary questions, as well as getting the drivers to open up about a variety of subjects. He's just plain fun, and he obviously preps for his interviews. This is no talking head who really couldn't care less about racing. I hear he isn't going to be part of RaceDay on Speed Channel this year, and I'll certainly miss him. I hope NASCAR.com uses him often. He's a gem.
Dale Jr. looks happy and confident, which is so great, though it's still odd to see him in a green and white uniform. I guess The Red Army is just Jr. Nation now. Somehow, The Green Army doesn't have the same punch, does it?
Other highlights: Tony Stewart messin' with everybody to keep his spirits up. He's notoriously not a big fan of Media Day. A.J. Allmendinger and Patrick Carpentier talking on Sirius about how nobody is NASCAR is willing to strap you into your car (which apparently is the standard in open wheel racing). The safety harness in a stock car snaps between the driver's legs. And no crew member is going there.
Everybody at Sirius is working hard, as usual. If you're a NASCAR fan, and you don't have a Sirius subscription, you're seriously (ha, ha) missing out. I'm completely addicted and always have the shows on while I work.
Okay, back to the writing duties.
I should probably start on the romance side. First, there's the cover model looks of Jimmie Johnson, who's married to an equally beautiful woman (Chandra). This couple's kids are destined to be stunning. Next, there are the super sexy accents of Dario Franchitti (Scottish), Jaques Villeneuve (French Canadian), and Juan Pablo Montoya (Columbian). I may finally be able to get my buddy, Jennifer St. Giles, to a NASCAR race, as she's known to have a soft spot for those Scottish boys. NASCAR is beginning to have a bit of a United Nations feel, which I think is great.
Riki Rachtman is one of the NASCAR.com hosts of live web-streaming video interviews today. He was a metal rocker back in the 80's, but now does a lot of NASCAR announcing/programming. He's one of my favorite media guys. A little edgy, a little different (in a good way) from the sterotypical racing media personality, and he always seemed relaxed with the guys, managing to ask both the necessary questions, as well as getting the drivers to open up about a variety of subjects. He's just plain fun, and he obviously preps for his interviews. This is no talking head who really couldn't care less about racing. I hear he isn't going to be part of RaceDay on Speed Channel this year, and I'll certainly miss him. I hope NASCAR.com uses him often. He's a gem.
Dale Jr. looks happy and confident, which is so great, though it's still odd to see him in a green and white uniform. I guess The Red Army is just Jr. Nation now. Somehow, The Green Army doesn't have the same punch, does it?
Other highlights: Tony Stewart messin' with everybody to keep his spirits up. He's notoriously not a big fan of Media Day. A.J. Allmendinger and Patrick Carpentier talking on Sirius about how nobody is NASCAR is willing to strap you into your car (which apparently is the standard in open wheel racing). The safety harness in a stock car snaps between the driver's legs. And no crew member is going there.
Everybody at Sirius is working hard, as usual. If you're a NASCAR fan, and you don't have a Sirius subscription, you're seriously (ha, ha) missing out. I'm completely addicted and always have the shows on while I work.
Okay, back to the writing duties.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Risking Her Heart & Mini Contest Winners
I need prompts from you guys to tell me what you're interested in, and Kim from Texas (one of the contest winners) gave me a good one. She wanted to know who Risking Her Heart is about. Helloooo! Of course, that's important! :-) Thanks for the reminder, Kim.
RHH is Rachel and Parker's story (yes, wealthy, sophisticated, ultra-handsome Parker who Cade punched out to start all the troubles he's dealing with in No Holding Back). As was plainly obvious, Parker had a bit of a crush on Rachel, but--unfortunately for him--his big plans for romance don't go precisely as planned.
Brooding Bryan comes last, in the tentatively titled Winning It All. I wonder who'll be winning? Is it someone or something? Maybe both. Hmmm....
For the contest, it's already over. (Thank you, my oh devoted--or possibly bored--readers. I didn't even have to start calling relatives to enter, so I could declare winners.) Nathalie from Quebec, Kim from California and Kim from Texas will each get an advance copy of What Happened in Vegas... Thanks to all who entered!
I'm back to work now. And on Sunday night, too! See what devotion I have in making sure you're getting quality reading material? ;-)
--Wendy
RHH is Rachel and Parker's story (yes, wealthy, sophisticated, ultra-handsome Parker who Cade punched out to start all the troubles he's dealing with in No Holding Back). As was plainly obvious, Parker had a bit of a crush on Rachel, but--unfortunately for him--his big plans for romance don't go precisely as planned.
Brooding Bryan comes last, in the tentatively titled Winning It All. I wonder who'll be winning? Is it someone or something? Maybe both. Hmmm....
For the contest, it's already over. (Thank you, my oh devoted--or possibly bored--readers. I didn't even have to start calling relatives to enter, so I could declare winners.) Nathalie from Quebec, Kim from California and Kim from Texas will each get an advance copy of What Happened in Vegas... Thanks to all who entered!
I'm back to work now. And on Sunday night, too! See what devotion I have in making sure you're getting quality reading material? ;-)
--Wendy
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Welcome!
Well, I've broken down and joined the real world. (Actually, updating my website all the time was becoming too cumbersome and I wasn't doing it often enough, so this is an easy way of posting news.) I'll still make changes to my website every few months, but this way I can post contest news, new covers, etc. quickly and easily, since I know all of you are lamenting the lack of constant information about my life--exciting as it is. :-)
So, to kick off the blog launch, I'll have a quickie contest. The first three people to e-mail me that they've read this first post at wendyeth@sc.rr.com will receive an advance copy of my March release from Harlequin Blaze, What Happened in Vegas.... (Be sure to send your snail mail address with your e-mail.)
I'll have a regular contest starting February 1st, which I'll announce on that day. Big surprise, it'll be some kind of Valentine theme.
For today, I'm working--believe it or not--on the 3rd book in mine and Liz Allison's NASCAR-themed trilogy. (Book 2, Risking Her Heart, to be released in October is still in the editing stages.) We're just getting started on this book, which won't be on the shelves until fall of 2009, but that's the way things are in publishing--the process is long. So we're getting to know our characters and figuring out how we're going to torture them for 400 pages before we let them live happily-ever-after.
So, I'd better get to work. I'll post again soon!
--Wendy
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