Maggie Marr

This Week....

2012-01-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

...is a big week.

I've noted that in my life multiple big events seem to arrive compacted into small bits of time. Like uranium--lots of power--small bit of space. I am nearly certain there is some sort of cosmic lesson I am meant to learn from this--and I must certainly still be learning as these dynamite weeks still arrive. I don't mind it--really--in fact pressure to perform and perform well may be my favorite adrenaline type. But I do note that the anxiousness that careens around the inside of my belly is less likeable as I age.

Granted part of what I do for a living will always create some bits of excitement--anxiousness--performance anxiety. You don't build movies and write books without thinking how the stories will be received. I must be emotionally invested in the projects or really neither would be worth the film/paper on which the stories are told.

But there are some weeks--some days--some hours--on which the outcome of a project depends more heavily and it is these hours that I will inhabit this week.

Excitement bursts, anxiousness careens, and my fingers cross.

xoMaggie

Spring Into Romance

2012-01-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to announce that for the entire month of March we will
Spring Into Romance. Guest authors and giveaways and all to honor the one genre that we love--Romance!

Why do we love romance? Why do we write romance? Why do we read romance -- obsessively?

These are questions that I've asked some of the most talented (and my most favorite) authors to answer. A different and great author each day for the entire month of March!

Did I mention the give-aways? Books, gift cards, chocolate--and more! Every person that comments will be entered in the end of week give-away and also in the end of month BIG giveaway--and when I say BIG--I mean BIG.

So stay tuned. Only 35 days until Spring Into Romance begins!!

xoMaggie

Can't Buy Me Love

2012-01-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Can't Buy Me Love got its first blurb. What is a blurb? Well--when a fabulous author reads your book and tells you what they think--that is your blurb. I must be the luckiest writer in the world because a very fabulous author read Can't Buy Me Love and gave me a fabulous blurb.

Jenny Gardiner! Yes--the best-selling author Jenny Gardiner. This is what Jenny has to say about Can't Buy Me Love:

"Maggie Marr does it again! Can't Buy Me Love is an entertaining hot and heavy high stakes Hollywood love story that'll keep you turning the page!"
--Jenny Gardiner, #1 Kindle bestselling author

Wow! Like I said--luckiest writer in the world. Can't Buy Me Love--it's coming soon--March 28.

xoMaggie

Say No To SOPA

2012-01-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

The United States Constitution
Bill of Rights

AMENDMENT I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The Greatest of Men

2012-01-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."

***

"To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction."

***

“We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”

***

“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.”

Baton Rouge Day 3

2012-01-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

We spent the day with our amazing location scout. Here are a couple places.

I now know the difference between a swamp and a bayou.

Let's see swamp....

Pretty awesome day.

xoMaggie

Baton Rouge

2012-01-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Okay guess where I am? Does the title give it away? Got here today.

I am location scouting--yes location scouting. For a film. An awesome film. A great script written by a great director.

I brought a camera, so you know, I could show you all the fantastic places we are looking at for the film--however I of course managed to forget the chord which I need to upload pics to the computer.

I will update here throughout the week, but tonight--sleep. Tomorrow--studios.

Stay tuned.

xoMaggie

An Appetite For Murder by Lucy Burdette

2012-01-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled that Lucy Burdette agreed to stop by and answer some questions about her book AN APPETITE FOR MURDER.

Tell us about the new book.

In AN APPETITE FOR MURDER, aspiring food critic Hayley Snow follows a new boyfriend to the Conch Republic, otherwise known as Key West. But instead of landing a coveted job as a food critic and living happily ever after, she ends up as the prime suspect in the murder of her boyfriend's new girlfriend. Or at least that’s what the local police think after she makes it publicly clear she’d like to curdle this woman’s cream sauce. Hayley must solve the murder, and fast, or the only food she'll be reviewing will be what’s served on steel trays in the Florida State penitentiary.

What’s the most difficult part about being an author?

For me, it’s letting go of the book and letting the chips fall as they may. After all, I’ve spent nearly a year thinking of the story and developing the characters and honing each word—gosh, I’ve fallen in love and I want everyone in the world to read it! Or at least lots and lots of readers. But I don’t have much control after I’ve put the news on my website and tweeted and facebooked and talked to friends until I’m blue in the face!

What do you love about being an author?

There are so many wonderful moments! I love it when a plot finally comes together in my mind. I love it when characters start to feel real and my family and I talk about them as if they were real people. I love seeing the cover design for a book. I love seeing the book on bookshelves in bookstores. I love hearing from readers. It’s such a hard job, writing and then running the gauntlet of publishing, but the rewards are immense!

What’s next for you?

I turned in the manuscript for book two in the Key West food critic series before Christmas. It’s called DEATH IN FOUR COURSES, and it takes place during the “Key West Loves Literature” conference, featuring Hayley’s food writing idols from around the country. I will be getting it back from my editor for revisions shortly, and it will be published in September. Very soon, I have to start hammering out the outline and opening chapters for book three. I know it will involve a top chef contest on the waterfront in Key West, but I’m pretty fuzzy on the details so far!

Maggie, thank you so much for letting me talk about writing and books on your blog!

And thank you, Lucy for coming by! You are on my TBR pile--now readers go buy the book!

Lucy Burdette can found at her website and on facebook and twitter and on her group blogs Jungle Red Writers and Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

New Cover for Can't Buy Me Love

2012-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

I am so so so excited! Here is the amazing cover, designed by Kim Killion, for Can't Buy Me Love!

The book publishes in ebook March 2012! Ages ago I was runner up in The Harlequin Presents contest--many of you read the first chapter. I loved the characters SO MUCH that I decided to write their entire story.

Also...Join me the month of March for my Spring Into Romance blog series! My favorite authors--Megan Crane, Jane Porter, Julie James, Maisey Yates, Marilyn Brant, Eden Bradley, Lynne Marshall, and many many more--a different fantastic author will stop by each day to write about why they read and write romance. There will be give aways of books and prizes! All so exciting!

xoMaggie

The Final Girlfriends Book Club Blog for 2011

2011-12-29T20:59:00.001-08:00

Come and join me at The Girlfriend's Book Club where I write the final blog for 2011.

Holiday Book Buying Guide

2011-12-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

My fellow Girlfriend, Ellen Meister put together this fabulous book buying guide for the holidays because what better gift than a book?

LOVE FINDS YOU IN NEW ORLEANS by Christa Allan

Set to release in February of 2012 and available now for pre-order, this 1840s historical relates the story of a woman whose grandparents must consider whether to stop keeping secrets and reveal the truth they’ve known—a truth that will make the difference between a life of obligation and a life of choice.Unlocking the past could open the door to a new future, but is the present worth the cost? Introduced in the novel is the custom of plaçage, known as "left-handed marriages" among those forbidden legally to be together.

Who would like this book? Readers of historical fiction and Southern fiction.

For more information visit http://christaallan.com/

SAFE HARBOR by Judith Arnold

Childhood pals Kip and Shelley spent their summers on Block Island, swimming, biking, discovering the world together. Then real life intruded, bringing tragedy and heartache. Years later, they both wind up back on Block Island. Can the island's rugged beauty and their loving friendship heal their wounds? An award-winning novel when it was first released, SAFE HARBOR is available to as a reissued e-book to a new generation of readers.

Who would like this book? SAFE HARBOR is the perfect book for lovers of romance fiction.

For more information visit www.juditharnold.com

LITTLE WOMEN AND ME by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

A contemporary teen finds herself literally sucked into the Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women and discovers she must change a major plot point in order to get back out again. "...a consistently entertaining read that delivers a genuinely original heroine and frequently hilarious satire." ~ Kirkus Reviews

Who would like this book? LITTLE WOMEN AND ME will appeal to adult fans of Little Women and girls ages 12 and up.

For more information visit http://laurenbaratzlogsted.com/

THE BLUE HOUSE DOG by Deborah Blumenthal

Love heals the heart is the message of this heartwarming picture book about a boy who saves a homeless dog and vice versa. Cody had his own dog once, but his painful loss is buried deeper than the feeding dish he hides away in his closet. All that changes when he comes upon a four-footed friend needier than he is -- a sad, lost dog from a mysterious blue house and both learn to trust and love again.

Based on a true story.

Who would like this book? Dog lovers of all ages.

For more information visit http://deborahblumenthal.com

MOTHERS AND OTHER LIARS by Amy Bourret

How far will a mother go to save her child? Ten years ago, Ruby Leander was a drifting nineteen-year-old who made a split-second decision at an Oklahoma rest stop. Fast forward nine years: Ruby and her daughter Lark live in New Mexico. Lark is a precocious, animal loving imp, and Ruby has built a family for them with a wonderful community of friends and her boyfriend of three years. Life is good. Until the day Ruby reads a magazine article about parents searching for an infant kidnapped by car-jackers. Then Ruby faces a choice no mother should have to make. A choice that will change both her and Lark's lives forever.

Who would like this book? Anyone, especially book clubs who like a good moral debate, will like this smart, haunting, and gorgeously written debut novel that propels a whip-smart plot that will keep you thinking.

For more information visit www.amybourret.com

A SUMMER IN EUROPE by Marilyn Brant

It’s not where you go, it’s what you take back with you… On her 30th birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives an unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand European tour in the company of Bea's Sudoku-and-Mahjongg Club. Gwen initially approaches her first trip abroad as if it's the homework she assigns her students, diligently checking monuments off her must-see list. But amid the gorgeous bougainvillea of southern Italy, something changes. She begins to live in the moment—skipping down stone staircases in Capri, racing through the Louvre and taste-testing pastries, wine and gelato. Reveling in every new experience—especially her attraction to a charismatic British physics professor—Gwen discovers the ancient wonders around her are nothing compared to the renaissance unfolding within...

Who would like this book? Romantics and lovers of travel fiction who might enjoy a grand journey of self awakening amidst the classic architecture and stunning vistas of Europe.

For more information visit http://www.marilynbrant.com

CHILDREN OF THE WATERS by Carleen Brice

Still reeling from divorce, Trish Taylor is in the midst of salvaging the remnants of her life when she uncovers a shocking secret: her sister is alive. After years of drawing on the strength of her ancestors, Billie Cousins is shocked to discover that she was adopted. Though Trish longs to connect with her long-lost sister, Billie's feelings of betrayal are waters too deep to cross. But when both women are forced to confront their demons, they begin to realize that each may have what the other needs.

Who would like this book? This is a contemporary story between two women who discover they are sisters. Great for fans of smart, moving women's fiction. Women in interracial relationships or with mixed-race children will especially like it.

For more information visit www.carleenbrice.com

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER by Lucy Burdette

Aspiring food critic Hayley Snow follows the man of her dreams to Key
West, FL. Instead of landing the job of her dreams as a food critic,
she lands in the police blotter, the main suspect in her now-ex's new
girlfriend's murder.

Who would like this book? Fans of Diane Mott Davidson's cozy culinary
mysteries will enjoy this book.

For more information visit http://lucyburdette.com/buy-the-books/

SLIM TO NONE by Jenny Gardiner

Abbie Jennings is Manhattan's top food critic until her expanding waistline makes staying incognito at restaurants impossible. Her cover blown on Page Six of the New York Post, her editor has no choice but to bench her—and suggest she use the time off to bench-press her way back to anonymity. Abbie’s life has been built around her career, and therefore around celebrating food. Forced to drop the pounds if she wants her primo gig back, Abbie must peel back the layers of her past and confront the fears that have led to her current life.

Who would like this book? SLIM TO NONE is the perfect book for anyone who's ever gone on a diet (or believes they should).

For more information visit www.jennygardiner.net

MY JANE AUSTEN SUMMER by Cindy Jones

A young woman who has squeezed herself into undersized relationships all her life hopes to realize her dream of living in a novel when she is invited to participate in a Jane Austen literary festival in England. She jumps at the chance to reinvent herself, imagining escape into Austen’s fictional world where bookish women are heroines. There, in the rich, promising world of Mansfield Park, Lily finds people whose longing to live in a novel equals her own. But real-life problems have a way of following you wherever you go and unless Lily can change her ways, she will share the fate of so many of Jane Austen’s characters who repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

Who would like this book? MY JANE AUSTEN SUMMER is a fast-paced, romantic, and humorous book that will appeal to book lovers, especially those who can't get enough Jane Austen.

For more information visit www.cindysjones.com

ALL THE NUMBERS by Judy Merrill Larsen

An arresting, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful first novel. A recently divorced mother of two boys, Ellen Banks is just learning to make her way through the uncharted territory of single parenthood when the unthinkable happens. Determined to seek justice, and to mend the deep wounds in her family, Ellen must first heal herself, finding a way out of a grief that soon turns to defiance. This is an unforgettable journey of power and emotion, poignantly depicting a woman as she reckons with her own vulnerability and finds in the wisdom of motherhood, the redemptive grace to begin again.

Who would like this book? ALL THE NUMBERS is great for discussion so it's perfect for anyone in a book club or who just wants characters you'll argue with, worry about, and hope they make the right choices (and yes, I love connecting with book clubs!).

For more information visit http://www.judymerrilllarsen.com/

LITTLE BLACK DRESS by Susan McBride

Two sisters whose lives seemed forever intertwined are torn apart when a magical little black dress gives each one a glimpse of an unavoidable future.

Antonia Ashton has worked hard to build a thriving career and a committed relationship, but she realizes her life has gone off track. Forced to return home to Blue Hills when her mother, Evie, suffers a massive stroke, Toni finds the old Victorian where she grew up as crammed full of secrets as it is with clutter. Now she must put her mother’s house in order—and uncover long-buried truths about Evie and her aunt, Anna, who vanished fifty years earlier on the eve of her wedding. By shedding light on the past, Toni illuminates her own mistakes and learns the most unexpected things about love, magic, and a little black dress with the power to break hearts . . . and mend them.

Who would like this book? The story of the Little Black Dress weaves together bits of history, mystery, magic, and family, so I hope it appeals to readers who love women's fiction in the vein of Kate Morton and Sarah Addison Allen.

For more information visit http://SusanMcBride.com

THE OTHER LIFE by Ellen Meister

"A resonant story about the importance of mothers, both having one and being one ... making for a riveting tale of love and choices." - BookPage

Quinn Braverman has a perfect life, with a loving husband, an adorable son, and another baby on the way.

Quinn also has an ominous secret: she knows there's a portal to another life, one in which she made totally different life choices. But she's never been tempted to switch lives ... until a shocking turn of events pushes her to cross over, and she discovers the one person she thought she'd lost forever. Her mother.

But Quinn can't have both lives. Soon, she must decide which she really wants—the one she has ... or the other life.

Who would like this book? Anyone interested in the beautiful, heartbreaking and complicated relationships between mothers and daughters.

For more information visit ellenmeister.com

MOMFRIENDS by Ariella Papa

Momfriends is a story of three vastly different people who meet through motherhood and become friends through womanhood.

Ruth is almost at the end of her rope with her new baby when a knock on her door changes everything. Claudia's life is all about rules. Everything is going perfectly until a flirtation with colleague makes her throw out her rule book.

And Kirsten is an artist and a dreamer. What she discovers late one night confirms that her life is not everything she dreamed. Momfriends is about how people roll with lives they can’t control. And whether they choose to swim with the current or against it, it’s about the realization that everyone needs someone to throw out a life preserver once in a while.

Who would like this book? Momfriends makes the perfect gift for your best friend, the new mom in the neighborhood or the mom you'd like to invite over. It's an ebook so it's even easier to read and multi-task.

For more information visit ariellapapa.com

DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD by Saralee Rosenberg

In Mindy's yoga-obsessed, thirty-is-the-new-wife neighborhood, every day is a battle between Dunkin' Donuts, her jaws-of-life jeans, and Beth Diamond, the self-absorbed sancti-mommy next door who looks sixteen from the back. So much for sharing the chores, the stores, and the occasional mischief to rival Wisteria Lane.

It's another day, another dilemma until Beth's marriage becomes fodder on Facebook. Suddenly the Ivy League blonde needs to be “friended,” and Mindy is the last mom standing. Together they take on hormones and hunger, family feuds and fidelity, and a harrowing journey that spills the truth about an unplanned pregnancy and a seventy-year-old miracle that altered their fates forever.

Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead is a hilarious, stirring romp over fences and defenses that begs the question, what did you do to deserve living next door to a crazy woman? Sometimes it's worth finding out.

Who would like this book? DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD is perfect for anyone who loves to discover friendship in surprising places ... while laughing out loud on every page.

For more information visit saraleerosenberg.com

MIMOSAS, MISCHIEF, AND MURDER by Sara Rosett

“Charm, Southern sass, and suspense abound in the sixth delightful cozy mystery.” –FreshFiction.com

Super-organized Ellie thinks she’s prepared for everything when she and her family set off for an extended visit with her southern in- laws in Alabama, but the one thing she hasn’t planned for is cold-blooded murder. When the patriarch of the family passes away under suspicious circumstances, the quirky Avery family closes ranks and Ellie can't help looking for motives among the mourners.

Publisher’s Weekly called it “winning” and described it this way: “A rumor of hidden money, secret letters from a famous recluse, a fire, a threatening message, and a crazed gunman add to the cozy mischief.”

Who would like this book? Fans of mysteries and southern fiction will enjoy Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder.

For more information visit http://sararosett.com

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER by Laura Spinella

As a college student in Athens, Georgia, Mia Wells meets Flynn, an enigmatic stranger who pushes every boundary she knows. Their relationship is intense, passionate and, for Mia, life-changing, making it all the more painful when he vanishes. After finding the wherewithal to move on with her life and pursue her goals, Mia eventually marries. Twelve years later, Flynn mysteriously resurfaces, gravely injured. Mia is terrified that he will die, awestruck at the prospect of his survival. Flynn’s return ignites a powerful tale, a story that is greater than honor or friendship or the passing of time. More than a romance, this 2011 Penguin release was recently named Best First Book in the NJRWA Golden Leaf contest.

Who would like this book? BEAUTIFUL DISASTER is women’s fiction with a heavy thread of romance, making it the perfect book for readers who like relationship fiction that includes a thought provoking love story.

For more information visit lauraspinella.net

LOVE IN TRANSLATION by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

After receiving a puzzling phone call and a box full of mysteries, Celeste Duncan, 33, is off to Japan to search for a long, lost relative who could hold the key to the identity of the father she never knew. There she stumbles head first down the rabbit hole into a weird, wonderful world where nothing is quite as it seems.

Not knowing Japanese, Celeste finds a friend in her English-speaking homestay brother, Takuya, and comes to depend on him for help. As they cross the country following a trail after Celeste's family, she discovers she's developing "more-than-sisterly" feelings for him. But with a nosy homestay mother scheming to reunite Takuya with his old girlfriend, and her search growing dimmer, will Celeste find what she’s looking for in Japan?

Who would like this book? Love in Translation will appeal to armchair travelers who love a good love story!

For more information visit: http://www.WendyTokunaga.com

Most of the these books are available at your favorite bookstore. To buy online, visit the author's page for ordering links.

Oh and of course--MY Books! But there are a couple surprises regarding both titles coming in January--so wait and fill up the Nook, Kindle or Sony reader after the holidays.

My Glam Life

2011-12-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Today in my glam life I am the only person (out of 4) in my home that isn't sick. I hold onto this wellness with tightly gripped fingers and toes. I don't have time to be sick. I have shopping and cleaning and writing and revising and calls (oh so many calls) to make regarding a couple films.

I will not get sick.

I will remain healthy.

xoMaggie

Mercury Direct

2011-12-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

So I dig astrology. I think it's fun. I think it's interesting. I even think, for whatever reason, sometimes it turns out to be true. Like today--Mercury has been in retrograde since I don't know--end of November? And while in retrograde I've had hold-ups, technical glitches, phone problems, lost emails--yes more than usual. But today? Well everything is moving again. I've got movement on a *number* of fronts. Who knows if it is just me believing something--who knows if it is Mercury--who knows if it is serendipity--or simply pure dumb luck. Whatever it is--I'll take it--movement on all fronts--film, tv, books--nothing to complain about there.
xoMaggie

A Summer In Europe by Marilyn Brant

2011-12-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

Please join me in welcoming Marilyn Brant, one of my favorite authors (and good friend!) to the blog. Her fabulous new book A Summer In Europe just hit shelves and she was kind enough to let me ask her a few questions.

Tell us about your latest book.

Thanks so much for inviting me to visit, Maggie! My new novel is called A SUMMER IN EUROPE. It's a story about a woman who's given a five-week-long European trip for her 30th birthday as a gift from her eccentric aunt (and the wild senior citizens in her aunt's Sudoku and Mahjongg club...). At first she's hesitant to leave the familiar behind for the summer, but she chooses to go. As a result, a new world of experience opens up to her, and she finds she has to really examine her life and the direction it's going based on what she learns abroad.

What pulled you into this story, and as a writer made you think ‘I have to write this’?

A SUMMER IN EUROPE is, in many ways, a modern version of E.M. Forster's A Room with a View. I loved both the book and also the film with Helena Bonham Carter as the young woman who's transformed by her experiences abroad. With that theme in mind, and having personally experienced the power of foreign travel to literally change one's worldview, I was passionately excited about getting to show that change in action. I also wanted to create a unique and fun-loving group of fellow travelers to accompany my heroine on her European explorations. Her aunt's Sudoku and Mahjongg Club fit the bill perfectly, and it also gave me a chance to bring a math/science element into a trip that is very humanities based. A love of music and theater, along with a growing appreciation for history and art, help draw my heroine out of her shell, and the British physicist she meets shows her how to connect the arts with her day-to-day life and the physical world...something she needs to learn so she can live more fully in it.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

I don't have regimented hours set aside to always do one task or another, but I work on writing or promotional things for most of every work day -- pretty much from when my son leaves on the bus for school until he comes back home. Then, after dinner, I often do some online tasks. When I'm approaching a deadline or when a book is just about to be released, I work well into the night also. There are a great many business-related aspects to being a novelist that many aspiring writers don't realize until after they've sold their first book. Those things (like designing/buying ads, doing guest blogs, giving phone interviews, preparing presentations, logging expenses for tax records, etc.) definitely cut into the time we're able to spend on actually writing our next novel or getting the final copy edits done for a book that's soon to come out. I try to make sure I'm getting in a little creative writing time each day, but sometimes the other sides of the career take over.

How do you promote your books? Are you going on tour for this book?

I'm doing an online blog tour for the book, but I'm going about it a little differently this time. I'm in the midst of a "Virtual European Grand Tour" right now, which is a blogging tour about the novel, geared toward travel lovers. I've set up visits with about 15 blogs and am sharing pictures and stories from a different European city on each site -- all of which are places my heroine visited in the course of the novel. Sometimes I'll tell a little about what I loved from the site; other times the focus of the post is on how I used a real experience I had in that city to help write a scene in the story. It's been a lot of fun, and I have the itinerary up on my website, if anyone wants to journey along with me: http://www.marilynbrant.com.

What do you love about being an author?

Getting to do something creative every single day. Truly, that’s been such a gift. Even when the plotting of a scene is giving me fits or the synopsis doesn’t seem to make sense at all...I love knowing that I have a place to play with these characters and storylines. My hope is that by writing about women’s dreams and experiences as honestly as possible, I might get closer to helping readers recognize truths about their own lives. It was this sense of “recognition” that my favorite novelists gave to me.

What’s next for you?

I enjoy writing in the romantic comedy genre as well as in women’s fiction. This past year, I chose to release two of my romances -- ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE and DOUBLE DIPPING -- on ebook, and it’s been an interesting and often exciting experience. I have several completed, never-before-published novels that are in the process of being revised and edited, and I’ll be working on getting one, possibly two, of those novels ready for digital release in 2012. I’m also working on a completely different fiction project in a genre that's new to me. I’m about 100 pages into it, and that’s a story my agent will be submitting to editors next year, fingers crossed... Hopefully, I’ll get to talk more about it soon!

Thank you, Marilyn. Congratulations on a great new book!

Win Great Stuff

2011-11-16T12:17:00.001-08:00

Today at Buzz Books you can preview my short story 'Dashing Through The Snow' now available in Sleigh Ride, also win a Christmas tree ornament, a signed copy of each of my books AND be entered into a bigger drawing for a Starbucks card--whew!
Check it our here!

Thank you for stopping by!

Sleigh Ride

2011-11-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

I've got a new short story out! Yes, 'Dashing Through The Snow' is in Sleigh Ride: A Winter Anthology. I am so so lucky to be in such great company! The book is filled with the best winter time stories. Buzz Books the publisher is having a 7 day giveaway you can check it out here.

And of course--buy the book!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

Please join me at The Girlfriends Book Club where I blog about things that scare me.

Brave Exposure

2011-10-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

To write is to expose oneself. It doesn't matter if you write literary fiction, thriller, horror, young adult, comedy, romance, womens fiction, or screenplays--when you write you expose not only your ability to put word to page but also your inner-self.

There are rules to writing. There is a definite order buried in each novel--no matter the type. First you learn the technique of writing and then you actually write.

I constantly question my ability as a writer to the point of neurosis--just ask the Hubs. I remember when I embarked on this journey I would often think 'if only I was published' or 'once I'm published' things will be different, better, easier, more fun, (insert any positive word here).

While there is some relief that comes with being published--that relief doesn't last. Like every endeavor, with advancement or the meeting of a goal the expectations and responsibilities change. Writing takes on a whole different quality when everyone expects you to publish. This isn't just about fun anymore. This is a career.

The goal line moved. My expectations changed. And my patience for failure walked out the door.

It is with dogged determination that I pursue my next story, my next character, my next book. I am a writer--no matter what the outcome--telling stories is what I do.

Target List

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

crumbles
taco seasoning
Rapunzel hair
hot chocolate
potato chips

Kick Me In The A** Before You Throw Me Down The Stairs

2011-10-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, the Universe it can be kind--with flowers--(I prefer daisies) and puppies and rainbows but it can also be a rabid bitch with blood shot eyes and a two-day hangover. And lately--well lately--I am really unsure which one I am going to wake up to in the morning.

Today? Today I feel like I've been kicked in the balls--you know--if I had balls. Today the Universe has served up a heaping helping of 'the unexpected' and not the 'Oh My God I Won The Lottery!' kind of unexpected but the
'What the hell did I just step in?' unexpected.

And whatever I just stepped in? Well it smells pretty f*&kin' bad.

Oy.

Cigarettes: My Fantasy Love Affair

2011-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

You know what I love---cigarettes. Oh-my-f*&^ng God--I love them. If I wasn't certain that I'd die from cancer I'd smoke them all day every day. I haven't smoked in YEARS--DECADES but sometimes--some days there is nothing I want more than a big old Marlboro Light.

Today is that day.

I want to slip out a cigarette, put it to my lips, light that baby and inhale so deeply that I cough so loud and hard that my throat hurts. I mean come on--what do they put into those things that after decades of not even having one I still want to puff on something akin to the end of an exhaust pipe? Crack?

Regardless--I won't be buying any cigarettes because I could be an addict--seriously--I could so easily slip into the 'I'm a smoker' routine but then what would I get for that. Lung cancer. Emphysema. Early death. Yeah--that's the crap of being middle-aged you take a serious look at the potential outcome of your actions.

Uh-huh. Two kids under age 10=No Cigarettes.

But once I hit 90 years baby--pass me the ciggy.

xoMaggie

Critique Training

2011-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Many of you readers know that I am the VP of Programs for the online RWA-Womens Fiction chapter--for two more months. In November my second term will be finished and I am not running for a third. As VP of Programs I got to organize the curriculum for RWA-WF Critique Training. This has been one of my favorite parts of volunteering with the chapter. In fact, we just began my final critique training. We have 20 participants. I love this programming because I believe it is by reading and editing other authors work that you hone your own editorial eye. Every writer knows the adage: It isn't the writing it is the rewriting.

Maggie

Deadline

2011-10-04T00:56:00.000-07:00

Was today. It came and I pressed send. Two things happen to me when I send in a manuscript. First all those things I thought I had to get done (which are truly a way for me to avoid writing) just don't seem all that important. Second, I get a melancholy feeling. I believe the melancholy stems from the book being 'finished' (a book is never ever really finished--an author simply has a deadline to stop working on a manuscript) and the book is now out of my hands. The book is sent away to be judged and evaluated and ripped apart--to return with lengthy editorial letters.

Well, it's finished for today. Tomorrow--well tomorrow I begin revising another project.

Maggie

We Will Never Forget

2011-09-11T15:57:00.001-07:00

The Girlfriends Book Club

2011-09-05T20:44:00.001-07:00

Join me at The Girlfriends Book Club today where I write about 'Becoming A Pro'.

MM

Grief

2011-08-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a long time. 8 weeks. And in 8 weeks my life has changed dramatically. When we view our lives in retrospect it is so very easy to see the signposts along the way of upcoming events but while we are in the midst of it...well clarity isn't so easy to find.

On July 18th my life and my family's life was irrevocably changed. My little brother, James Greg Mar died. A true artist in ever sense of the word. A self taught musician who could play anything by ear...just sit down and play. A miracle in my eyes that anyone could ever be given such a talent from G_d. A visual artist his drawings and sketches could boggle both the mind and the eyes.

I miss him. I find that as each day passes instead of pulling away from the pain of his passing I merely draw closer to the wound. A ragged edge mass of pain that clutches me at the most random times. I skirt around my life with moments of joy in my work, my children, my husband and my life and then, as if from nowhere, a sadness from deep inside wells upward causing an unfathomable sense of loss and dare I say it...anger. I miss him. I am angry for him leaving and I am angry at myself for my inability to save him. Selfish feelings of guilt wrack my being.

As the older sister was it not my responsibility to make sure my little brother always remained safe?

I don't know when the sudden attacks of grief will pass, perhaps never. I am told by those who have walked this treacherous road that a years time is some magical marking point for grief. But in a year my brother will still be dead and I will still be without him so my grief-stricken heart finds this nearly impossible to believe.

For now I don't seek joy as much as feel a sense of relief when it passes through me. I remember joy as if a friend who has moved to a new city far from me. I know, logically because I am told so, that one day I will no longer weep when I think of my brother but for now...for now...my tears continue to flow.

Book Tour Fun

2011-06-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite authors Ally Carter got to meet two of my all time favorite people!

Ally's got a great new book out. Uncommon Criminals is the second book in her Heist Society Series. Check it out!

xoMaggie

To Kill An American

2011-06-18T15:49:00.001-07:00

I just saw this post on the internet. I loved it so much I had to repost. Enjoy.

To Kill an American
Written by an Australian Dentist

You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)

'An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans..

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion.. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous

land in the history of the world..

The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each person

to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous.. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan ..

The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001, earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world.. But, in doing so, you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

Deadline

2011-05-20T17:34:00.001-07:00

I am on deadline. I have a manuscript due...soon. As in: two-weeks-from-today-soon. Granted it is a first draft that is due to my editor but every author knows that a first draft that is meant to go to an editor isn't an actual first draft. An actual first draft contains typos, inconsistencies, incomplete scenes, nonsensical dialogue, unmotivated characters, and flat descriptions. At least my first drafts do. If I sent my actual first draft to my editor she might reconsider ever asking me to write this project. No, the first draft that I send to my editor will actually be a third draft. There will be rewrites and hair pulling and trying to make it really as good as my timeline permits.

Yes, I am on deadline. Now that I think of it...deadline is an interesting word isn't it...what with the dead part.

xoMaggie

May 1, 2011

2011-05-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

Girlfriends Book Club

2011-04-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today I discuss juggling and glass balls on The Girlfriends Book Club. Please come by and leave a comment. Click here.

Womens Fiction Conference in NYC!

2011-03-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am the VP of Programming for RWA-Womens Fiction Online Chapter. Well I've got news! RWA-WF is hosting its first Womens Fiction Conference this summer in NYC! The RWA-Womens Fiction Mini-Conference is the day before the RWA National Conference begins and will also take place at the NY Marriott Marquis. Please read on for all the details!

The RWA-WF Board is thrilled to announce that on Tuesday, June 28th, RWA-Womens Fiction Online Chapter will hold the First Annual RWA-Womens Fiction Day.

Our line up begins at 1 pm with a two hour presentation by the fantastic Michael Hauge. Michael is considered a genius with story structure. A highly sought after speaker he travels the globe educating both authors and screenplay writers on three act structure. Michael has created a unique presentation for RWA-WF.

At 3:15 we will also host a panel of Womens Fiction Editors and Agents. This diverse and talented group of publishing professional will discuss Womens Fiction in the marketplace as well as answer questions with regards to this exciting genre in which we write. Confirmed members for this panel are Kristin Nelson founder of Nelson Literary Agency and the author of Pub Rants, Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen Agency, Andrea Cirillo at Jane Rotrosen Agency, and Shauna Summers Senior Editor at Random House.

Then at 4:15 we will have a panel of Authors dedicated to Womens Fiction. From Newbies to Veterans our pubbed authors will speak on Womens Fiction. They will answer questions about the genre as well as their personal experiences with writing. Our panel will include Megan Crane, Jane Porter, Barbara O'Neal, Therese Walsh, and Marilyn Brant.

After our break for the RWA Literacy Signing we will reconvene at 8 pm for the RWA-WF annual meeting.

Our guest speaker for the evening event will be internationally best-selling Juliet Marillier. We are thrilled that Ms Marillier will speak with our group while visiting the US. She is truly a remarkable writer.

We will conclude the day with a cocktail reception.

The cost for this amazing day will be 55.00 for RWA-WF members and 80.00 for non-members.
Payable in advance via paypal on the RWA-WF website here. Please include your name when you register. The space for this amazing day is limited so please register asap! This event will take place at the New York Marriott Marquis in the Duffy/Columbia Room.

Please join us for what is sure to be an amazing day!

You had me at bitches

2011-03-17T17:25:00.001-07:00

Uhm. Yes, please.

Then add Darren Starr. (Yes, that Darren Starr.) and Robert Harling (Laws of Attraction, Soapdish, First Wives Club). Ooo, yeah. I am ready for this show.

I Love TED

2011-03-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

I think Brene Brown's TED talk, The Price of Invulnerability, is just brilliant. I hope you enjoy it too.

News

2011-01-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

Quiet? As a church mouse. Busy? Yes.

As for television the past two weeks I completed a pilot I've been working on for a while. I also reworked/tweeked a pilot that I love. Both are projects I think are special in their own way.

As for books, I may have some news soon.

Sorry to be coy, but it's a necessity.

Maggie

A Fantastic 2011

2011-01-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

I've returned home from holiday travel. Already, 2011 is shaping up to be a great year. I am blessed by opportunity, a great group of friends, and a loving family.

I wish everyone a tremendous year!

Maggie

Have A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, it is the most wonderful time of the year! As I slow down my work schedule to spend time with friends and family I am reminded of how blessed I am. My life is truly a bounty of wonder.

May each of you have a joyous season!

Super Secret Good News

2010-12-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Such a tease. Such a naughty, naughty tease. I've got good news coming... I've heard a few bits and pieces but like a number of writer's I am a bit superstitious.

So I can't tell.

At least not yet, but as soon as the rumors of good news become fact due to handshakes and signatures and the dotting of 'i's' and the crossing of 't's' then you will know.

What about you, dear reader? Have you gotten any good news lately? Leave a comment, spread your good news good luck around!

Oooo! I love good news!

xoMaggie

The New Project

2010-12-06T10:00:00.001-08:00

Today, I start on the new project. I can't say much, because, well, for me talking about a project before it feels solid somehow disturbs the momentum. Kind of like a pressure cooker, you don't take the lid off if you want whatever is inside to come out cooked. I have to keep quiet about the new stuff until the characters have manifested and the story has assumed some sort of globby gelatinous state.

Enough food metaphors for you? Okay, off to write.

xo Maggie

Finished

2010-12-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

My absence can be explained. I *finished* the new manuscript. Well a draft. And it's been sent to my beloved Beta readers. Thank you, thank you, a million thank yous my beauteous Beta readers! They will now read, slice, and dice my latest draft. I hope that their fresh eyes will give me a fresh perspective on the story, the plot, and the characters. Then one more pass (fingers crossed.) And then...off to my agent.

A preview:

“Albie Hecht,” Sonia Valdez shouted in her thick Brazilian accent, “you are the biggest prick on this planet!” She clutched Sprinkles, her Chihuahua, to her over-enhanced cleavage.

“Well, if I’m the biggest prick what does that make you? Perhaps the biggest c-”

“Hey!” Tulsa held up her hand and stopped her client from continuing. There were certain words she definitely didn’t need to hear in the offices of her law firm. Divorce, no matter the pun, was meant to be a civil procedure.

“Let’s keep it courteous, shall we?” Tulsa said and eyed both her client and his soon to be ex-wife. But even with her and opposing counsel’s attempts courtesy had as much probability of thriving in this divorce settlement as a rose in a dung heap. Civility and her best friend courtesy walked right out the door when Sonia caught Albie in bed with his newest girlfriend.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, leave a comment.

xoMaggie

Sprinting (more like limping) To The End

2010-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

So close. So very very close to the end of this latest manuscript. As I ever so slowly limp toward the end of this manuscript I am of course haunted with the eternal questions that every writer asks:

Is it any good?

Why did I want to write about these characters?

Will it sell?

And the answers? Who knows and frankly who cares. It's not as if I

can *stop* writing. These characters haunt me until I write down their stories. They don't go away. They don't leave me alone. So write I must. And finish..well soon hopefully soon.

Today please go and

2010-11-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

V O T E

The Next Idea

2010-11-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Part of the job as a writer is finding The Next Idea. TV development season is coming to a close. I wrote a tv pilot Hart & Stone that got me a whole lot of meetings and even a little play at one of the studios. But guess what? Hart & Stone isn't becoming a tv show...at least not this season. I can hope that Hart & Stone goes the way of Breaking Bad (sat on a shelf for 2 years) or Mad Men (pilot written in 2000 and it didn't appear on air until 2007) but these are exceptions and there is no guarantee that anything will ever happen with Hart & Stone.

So what happens to this script that I love?

Hart & Stone becomes a sample. A piece of writing that is representative of my work...now...today. But I like to believe my writing evolves and that I become a better writer with each story I choose to tell or with each story that chooses me to be its storyteller.

That brings me to The Next Idea. Time to think of another idea, another show, another set of characters, another set of conflicts...another story.

Maggie

Girlfriends Book Club

2010-10-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Stop by and see me today at the Girlfriends Book Club where I post about my march through the trenches of Hollywood.

Thursday!

2010-10-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

All week I've been busy writing and taking care of the kiddies. This, has been the busiest week so far this school year. Back to school night, gymnastics, parents meeting for gymnastics, school pictures, sectionals on Saturday. Whew! I am the worlds best juggler this week.

Maggie

Friday Funny

2010-10-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

I love Coco. I also love this ad.

Happy Weekend!

Maggie

Magical Musings

2010-10-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I am a guest blogger at Magical Musings today. Please stop by and read my post about losing my voice as a writer and then, hopefully, regaining it.

Maggie

Quiet Please: Silencing Your Inner Critic

2010-10-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

One of the *major* perks of being VP of Programming at RWA-WF is getting to schedule our online workshops. I am particularly thrilled that this month we have Melissa Clark presenting Quiet Please: Silencing Your Inner Critic.

As an author I am constantly fighting the nasty little voice whispering in my ear that tells me: That Sucks! You can't write! No way that works! What are you thinking?!

You know this voice, right? The little demon that forever has you second guessing your plot, your characterization...well really just your entire *being* as a writer.

Melissa's workshop silences that nasty little bugger! Quiet Please: Silencing Your Inner Critic is a workshop designed to help writers get around this voice filled with fear and self-doubt.

And Guess What? This RWA-WF workshop is open to EVERYONE! Yes everyone! Any writer that is interested in strapping a muzzle onto that nasty little non-muse is welcome to attend. But here is the kicker--Registration Closes THIS Friday.

Please join Melissa Clark and RWA-WF while we silence our inner critic! You can register here.

Flux, limbo, or sigh just plain waiting.

2010-10-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a writer waits. And waits and waits and waits. We wait for edits, we wait for notes, we wait for 'the call', we wait. But the one thing I can't wait for is inspiration. I've discovered that if I wait for inspiration I might spend my whole life wordless. Inspiration comes by planting my butt in the chair and writing. Writing is my job. In my life I've had a number of jobs. I am an attorney, although I don't currently practice. I was also a motion picture agent. Whenever I find myself wanting to put off writing because I don't feel 'inspired' I have to giggle with the idea of what a judge would have said if I'd shown up in their courtroom on a trial date and said...

"Eh, don't want to go to trial today. I'm not feeling inspired."

Hmm. I think a contempt of court citation might have been in order and perhaps even a night in the hooskow. So although as a writer I may spend a lot of time waiting for others to get back to me about a specific project I don't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration to write. My stories don't write themselves (oh if they did!). These little golden nuggets only get written if I have the discipline to sit down and make my fingers do the tippity-tappity dance across my keyboard. Even on a bad day, when pulling words out of my mind is akin to shoving toothpicks under my fingernails, I still get words onto the page. These stories can't wait for my flitter flutter Muse to make an appearance. I figure while my Muse dances over a rainbow somewhere I can at least get the first draft finished and then maybe (hopefully) my Muse will be around to help me edit.

Have a Happy Weekend!

Maggie

Fall TV

2010-09-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

I am a tv addict and I love this time of year because there is a crop of new shows and my old favorites return to the air with new episodes. Just a little commentary on some of my faves so far.

Glee
Still love it. Love the songs and the dancing and the characters.

Community
Subversive. This show is brilliantly written with some great nods to former tv shows. I like that the characters are flawed and their flaws are very funny. Betty White in the pilot...well it's Betty White-brilliant.

Parenthood
Still enjoying this show. I like the dynamics within this big family.

Modern Family
The funnier version of every family. In every episode there is something that makes me laugh.

As for new shows...

Mike & Molly
I think this may be a winner. The comedic timing by the actors is spot on.

Lonestar
I was heartbroken they cancelled this show after only two episodes. The writing was tight and the acting superb. I would have liked to see more.

!@# My Dad Says
William Shatner. What's not to love?

xo
Maggie

First Week of School

2010-09-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well the first week of school is complete. Each year, I seem to forget how hectic this week is. I pack lunches, I go to school with the children, and I shuffle them to their various activities. As the children discover their new classes and teachers and classmates I am rediscovering some important things too.

First yoga. Aaaah. How I love yoga. The workout plus the endorphin release at the end soothes my soul. I am calmer, more fit, and happier when I practice. This week I discovered a class at the studio I attend that fits nicely wedged between my writing schedule and the children's school/activity schedule.

Second meditation. Quiet contemplative thought. With this busy summer I didn't often find time to sit peacefully and meditate or perhaps I didn't carve out the time. Now that our school year routine is reestablished I've found the perfect time to meditate. I like to sit in silence just before I write. The words flow more freely and I find a clarity of language that is more difficult for me to attain when I haven't meditated.

Finally more time to write. I must pat myself on the back as I was good this summer. I did stick to my writing schedule (mostly). Between the demands of pilot season and a new screenplay I had plenty to accomplish.

What have you rediscovered with the beginning of the school year and the entrance of fall?

On this day...

2010-09-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

I find that tears come easier. I hug my children more. I think about New York. I thank God for the many blessings in my life and seek grace.

Girlfriends Book Club

2010-09-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Come visit me today at Girlfriends Book Club where I blog about Film, Television, and Books Too!

End of Summer

2010-09-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

How can it be that this weekend is Labor Day?! As my children grow older (and I remain the same age) time goes faster and faster and faster. I look at the pages on my calendar and am shocked by how quickly the days fly by me. This summer, for our family, has been an adventure with travels to see family to book conferences to meetings to trips to the beach. While I love summer and all that it entails I look forward to the structure that the start of the school year provides to my family.

I hope you and your enjoy this final vacation weekend of summer!

xoMaggie

The Rewrite and A Prom Dress

2010-08-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Okay. I am rewriting an old-ish script. This is a pilot from hmm...about a year ago. And the closest thing I can relate this to is putting on an old Prom dress.

Shall I explain?

When I look at old pics of me in dresses that I've worn over the years I often go... "Oh my God! I wore that?!" or "What was I thinking!?" "Look at that color!" "That hemline and my hair...who uses that much hairspray??" Am I alone in this reaction to pictures from the past?

I've discovered that I have the same reaction when I return to writing I did over a year ago. "Oh my God! I wrote that?! and "What was I thinking?" "An act break there?" "Where is the conflict?!! You can't have a story without conflict!"

I believe (clutch to) the idea that as a writer I get better with every project I complete. My skills are better. My dialogue is better. My story structure is better. My spelling...(well that is what spell check is for) remains the same.

Revisiting a piece of writing that I haven't read in a while is akin to slipping into an old dress. I sit there in front of the computer and wonder how can I make this fit me, the writer that I am now. Well...it ain't easy. I've gotten out the scissors in the form of cut and paste. I've found some new material (that word works in the dress analogy and the writing.) And I sit and stare at the screen...a lot. And think. And pull my hair. And pace. And bite my bottom lip. But the one thing I know that makes this story worth it? The material is classic. It's a great idea that I still love. I want to take my (hopefully) better skills and make this script better. Make the story structure tight and the characters stronger with all that I've learned from all the stories I've written.

And perhaps that is the key. That we do change and we aren't stagnate. In embracing this script, the past script, a core idea that is really a good one, and using my skills I can make this a unique piece of material.

Now if only I could get rid of all the pictures of that gold lame´ prom dress.

RWA Pictures

2010-08-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

I promised more pics from RWA and here they finally are. I am the worst about downloading my pics! First here are pics from the Literacy Signing.

First, one of my roomies the amazing Jen Barnes with her latest book Raised By Wolves. Wolves is garnering great reviews!

My other roomie Ally Carter. With a copy of Only The Good Spy Young. Ally was also a RITA finalist in the Young Adult category.

Finally our fearless leader for RWA-Women's Fiction Chapter, Therese Walsh. Therese's first book, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, was a finalist in the Best First Book Category for the RITA.

Our room at The Swan Hotel.

And the amazing Donald Maass who spoke at the first annual meeting of the RWA-Women's Fiction Chapter with Therese Walsh our president.

I enjoy this conference so much and always learn a great deal. Thank you to the organizers at RWA who found a new venue for a conference with 2500 attendees in approximately 60 days! They did a great job.

Maggie

Meetings, Meetings and Yes, More Meetings!

2010-08-19T07:45:00.001-07:00

Ah, yes. This week is the week of the meeting. I've had three thus far. And I have loved them all. The companies I met with this week are fabulous. They do great work. Are highly sought after and well respected. So of course I was a little shocked (clutches heart) when they asked to meet. And very humbled. And very very grateful. And completely honored.

I won't name names as it isn't the Hollywood Way. But I can tease you a bit (in meeting order of course). The production companies I met with made these....

Anyone *love* this show as much as I love this show?

WOW! Just WOW to that season ending, that trailer and this next year.

What about this film....ooo one of my favorites!!!

And finally what about this huge hit!

Yes, I humbly admit, that this week, I may be the luckiest woman alive!

xo
Maggie

Girlfriends Book Club

2010-08-16T09:08:00.001-07:00

I love book clubs. And I love authors. So it is inevitable that I would become part of a group that merged these two things! Beginning today there is a *new* addition to the blogosphere:

Girlfriend's Book Club

An incarnation of The Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit, the Girlfriend's Book Club consists of 35 authors. Each of us will post on various writing topics as well as our new books. The brainchild of Karen Neches the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit has flourished and continues to do so, but the GCC thought it was time for a permanent home and hence our new blog!

Please, stop by and celebrate with me this fantastic community of authors and books!

xo
Maggie

Hello LA!

2010-08-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

After much traveling I am back home! First RWA and then R & R (with work thrown in) but now I've returned to Los Angeles. I have deadlines and timelines. I still have kiddies home from school. Plus I have a slew of producer meetings over the next two weeks.

As for good news?

I am a bit superstitious and it is Friday the 13th... But hopefully soon, very soon, I will have some great news to share!

xo

Maggie

Fabulous RWA

2010-08-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

So many fabulous things about RWA and the RWA National Conference. Really, a spectacular conference with amazing workshops and presenters. This is such a diverse group of amazing writers. I feel privileged to be a part of this group. As is always the case, my brain is feeling a bit scrambled after conference. I learned so much, met so many amazing people, and I got to reconnect with great friends. Sensory overload? Yes. But in a good way.

This is my tribe.

I feel those words to my core from the moment I arrive at RWA to the time I leave. My tribe: Women who love to read and write and explore through words the complexity of human relationships.

Thank you to RWA for putting on such a brilliant conference. Thank you for your tremendous effort to put on this conference after the original venue was flooded.

See you next year in NYC!

xo
Maggie

RWA - Saturday

2010-07-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

As is always the case with RWA by Saturday afternoon I am tired, a little cranky, hungry and my feet hurt. And yet, I am still having a fabulous time. How does that work? Well, first off, I love coming out of my cave...I mean room, at least once a year to see all my author friends. And while I am a natural introvert who can fake the extrovert thing after 5 days of smiles I start to feel a bit tired. But I still want more! More of the great workshops. More of the great books. And of course, more of my great friends that I only see once a year. But this shindig is nearing the end. I will post pics as soon as I download. And I will write more about the conference (RWA-WF annual meeting was a hit!) once I return home.
xo
Maggie

RWA - Tuesday Night

2010-07-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here we are after our sushi meal. Mmmmmm sushi! Was fab once all the roomies arrived. Of course I was the first and indulged in some naughty conference behavior (that may have involved a mojito and a nearly illicit substance) before Ally and Jen arrived.

A pic for your pleasure.

More later....

RWA

2010-07-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

So next week, I am attending RWA, Romance Writers of America, National Conference. This year we meet in Orlando. I love this conference because there are a number of writers that are my friends that I only get to see at conference. Also, this year, is the first meeting of the RWA-Women's Fiction chapter. I am president of programming so have been steering the ship for the meeting.

I am particularly thrilled because not only is this our first chapter meeting but we also scored Donald Maass as our speaker for the meeting.

I am taking the camera and will attempt to post between meetings, socializing and yes...still writing.

xo
Maggie

Summertime

2010-07-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Love the summer. Even though I am deep into a script and have a manuscript I desperately want to rewrite I still feel this wonderful summertime vibe. The vibe that allows you to take a long walk just at dusk. Or the need for ice cream (okay frozen yogurt) at 4 in the afternoon. A trip to the pool with the girlies. All of these summertime excursions have a relaxed feel to them. The pressures of school and homework a faded memory.

But as I've mentioned before, even with this slowed down let's relax attitude I still write. Must write. If I don't write, I get cranky and frustrated and no amount of frozen yogurt can cure me. Summer, I admit, is a trickier balance with the girlies home. But I also think my writing is actually *better* because I take these breaks. I relax a little. When I sit down I concentrate fully without distractions. Turn off the internet and turn on the writing portion of my brain. The little bits of breaks and excursions and fun provide some down time for my brain to work out the plot knots and character questions. When I get back to my keyboard I am amazed to see what flies from my fingertips.

Happy Summer!
xoMaggie

Friday Funny

2010-07-10T09:32:00.001-07:00

I think this is pretty representative of how every father feels.

Packing The Box

2010-07-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today I am busy working on a rewrite of a screenplay. I've rewritten this project about a dozen times. This pass, I've made some drastic changes in an attempt to get the 'fun' back into the funny. The first act, I believe, is close. Now it is time to move on in an attempt to rework the second act.

Screenplay writing is an art unto itself. I love the structure requirements of a screenplay.

Imagine a box.

A box that is approximately the same size--always. Now each time you write a new screenplay you are given a ton of stuff to pack into the box. Odd shaped characters, long and short dialogue, irregular plots... No matter the size or the shapes of the items they *must* fit in the box...the approximately same sized box that is your screenplay each and every time. It is my job to determine exactly how to pack the box so that all these items get included. And nothing breaks.

The current box I'm packing includes: romance, love, comedy, mystery and some odd shaped characters.

Packing the box can be difficult. Packing the box can be amazingly fun. But everything you need to tell this story has to fit into the box.

xo Maggie

Happy Holiday!

2010-07-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!!

This Writer's Life

2010-06-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of platitudes about writing. And although platitudes are overused expressions and sometimes trite, these little tidbits spring from somewhere. The original message may contain a nugget of wisdom but overuse often causes any kind of insight in the original words to wear thin.

I recently read the following at Mud, Mambas and Mushrooms a blog written by middle grade author Kurtis Scaletta:

I’m not a big fan of platitudes, and they abound in writing (or any creative endeavor): that you should follow your dreams, that persistence will be rewarded, that you have to believe in yourself, etc. My main opposition to such platitudes is that they are untrue. Which is not to say they are false, just that they just don’t have enough substance to have a factual status. I think people become preoccupied with the platitudes, thinking of themselves as that storied ant with the rubber tree plant as they query an eighth round of agents, rather than taking stock of the situation after the seventh round of rejections. The truth is that the secret to success at anything meaningful is impossible to condense into a memorizable principle.

While I agree with Mr. Scaletta on some level, I also believe that platitudes do serve a purpose. They encapsulate a belief, a truism, that upon further inspection can push a writer through a tough time. I do agree that some authors rely on platitudes instead of doing the necessary work. On the eighth round of rejections you are no longer the proverbial ant but a writer with a problematic manuscript. There can be any number of problems but there are problems and you, the writer must address and determine what you want to do to fix the challenges present in the writing.

The first challenge can be that the writing isn't there yet. I think after eight rounds of rejection you must assess your skill level. You need to determine *what* exactly has gone wrong in the pages. Ask yourself some hard questions about the work. Join a critique group. Workshop your pages/manuscript. Take a class. Read craft books. Pick up information from the rejections you receive. It's not easy sifting through the rejection letters for nuggets of gold but they are often in their. Take the bits that confirm what the nagging editorial voice in your head has been telling you about the piece and fix the problem.

Another challenge, which I see more and more is that the publisher doesn't believe they can market the work. This is a tough economy. There is little margin for error in any industry much less publishing. If the marketing department can't tell you exactly where the book will be shelved, and who the target reader is then guess what? An editor can *adore* the project and still you will not sell. But there is a big difference between the first challenge and this one; the editor will tell the author that they adore the project. So please, don't mistake the eight rounds or rejections with a marketing department that is unable to market your masterpiece. There is a fix for this challenge too and neither is pleasant especially if you have a piece of work that editors rave about but can't seem to get traction within the house. An author with this challenge can rewrite or wait out the market.

With both of these challenges I believe that: you should follow your dreams, that persistence will be rewarded, and that you have to believe in yourself. Any creative endeavor requires the belief in all three. Not a blind unseeing faith that all will work out if only the writer recites the above as if a creative mantra. But instead as a credo that can get a writer through challenges. You must do the work. A platitude does not replace the necessary work. The hours at the keyboard. The weeks spent rewriting, editing and rewriting again. A platitude is never a substitute for taking a hard look at the writing and diagnosing the problems. But the little platitudinal words, may, on a bad day (and their will be bad days) help you to get through to the next page.

xo
Maggie

Friday Funny

2010-06-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my. Change is frightening. Enjoy!

Criminal Instinct by Kelly Parra

2010-06-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ooo boy! I love it when a friend has a new book on shelves. And I love it even more when said book can be downloaded to my handy-dandy Nook. Criminal Instinct by Kelly Parra is a brilliant knew romantic-suspense. Kelly is the author of Invisible Touch (currently under option to be made into a film), Graffiti Girl and now Criminal Instinct.

Great cover, right?

Kelly was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her latest book and her writing process.

Tell us about Criminal Instinct

Hi Maggie, thanks so much for chatting with me! Criminal Instinct published by Carina Press is my debut into adult fiction. CI is a fast-paced urban romantic suspense story involving drug trafficking. Here’s the official blurb:

Five years in prison or five years working as an undercover agent?

Not the easiest choice for Ana Moreno, who has a history of B and E convictions and a problem with authority. But it’s a decision she and four other felons are willing to make to stay out of a jail cell.

When a deadly shipment of Ecstasy heads for San Francisco, Ana’s team is sent to stop it. Ana’s task: get close to the handsome and dangerous Jonas Saven, right-hand man of a suspected drug dealer with a deadly agenda. As Ana uncovers a web of secrets, betrayal and revenge, her heated attraction to Saven grows.

But with time running out to stop the dangerous drug lord, Ana must complete her mission—even if it costs her everything...

What is your writing process like? Do you outline or are you more organic?

I often use a short synopsis to keep me going when I get stuck, but I don’t usually outline. Ideas usually come to me as I’m doing my everyday life stuff, groceries, running errands. Haha!

What is a typical writing day like for you?

A typical day usually consists of getting the kids ready for school, then a morning of emails and promo followed by shifting into creative mode for some writing. All the while fielding phone calls and urgent emails. Can you tell I’m not very organized? *wink*

What's surprised you about being a published author?

I think what surprised me the most in the beginning of my career was all the time and promotion the author has to squeeze in while trying to keep writing and with a busy family life. It’s really tough when you have young ones. I try my best to keep a schedule but there are times when life overwhelms.

But what has also surprised me is the warmth and reception I’ve received from readers. If readers connect with one of your stories, it’s amazing the lengths they will go to let you know how much they have enjoyed your story. It’s always a pleasure to hear or read positive feedback!

What's next for you?

Right now, I’m working on two projects. A new young adult title and hopefully another romance!

Thank you Kelly! Best of luck with the new release Criminal Instinct. Now, Dear Reader, go buy the book!

Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise and an Orangutan

2010-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I was asked to comment on Tom Cruise and his current career and how he might rejuvenate his place in the movie world. You can see my comments as well as Reed Tuckers' article here.

PS my quote is on page 3

Happy Reading.

Maggie

The Sit Down

2010-06-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, there it is again THAT word: *Notes*. I believe I've mentioned the process once, twice, (perhaps a hundred times) on the blog. But here it is again. Like a rash. Notes.

Yesterday was all about Producers and Development Notes and The Sit Down.

But we may have cracked the story. Or at the very least discovered ways to get around the primary challenges within the material. Challenges that had me stumped. Stumped. I'd sit and stare at the first 25 pages. Read. Reread. Stare. And ask; "Why isn't this working? This should be working. But it is totally NOT working." Then read these pages again...and again...and again. Plus it is time to nail this sucker down. Kick the script to the next level... 'break on through to the other side' to lift a fantastic line.

But it wasn't...breaking through. And I couldn't seem to find a hatchet, or a hammer, or an ax. Until yesterday and The Sit Down. With The Producers. At my request. Yes, they provided notes last week. Actually excellent notes. But there is something about a face to face meeting that I think when all the parties are invested can bring out MORE. Perhaps even the BEST ideas.

Lucky for us the Sit Down did provide good ideas. We discovered more twists. Twists, that we quite possibly, we wouldn't have discovered without The Sit Down.

Love The Sit Down.

So the meeting is over. And I have notes. Notes on top of notes. Which means I have an awful lot of work to do.

Posts + My Top Ten Favorite Foods!

2010-06-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of posts. Lots of deadlines! Lots to read! Lots to edit! I hope to get back to a normal-ish schedule next week. But now?

Top Ten Favorite Foods:

10. Cheetos

9. Pancakes

8. Lox, Cream Cheese, and Bagels

7. Grilled Salmon

6. Houston's Spinach Dip

5. Chocolate..anything.

4. Brie

3. Fried Chicken (although I don't eat chicken or red meat anymore...love this and miss it!)

2. Mashed Potatoes

1. French Fries! Loads and loads of French Fries!

Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2010-06-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lynn Barnes, newest book Raised By Wolves is out and it looks absolutely fab!

Jennifer writes for the young adult market. I have a deep and abiding love for all things YA so I am excited about this book.

The Plot Summary:

At the age of four, Bryn watched a rogue werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by the mysterious Callum, the alpha of the local werewolf pack. Now fifteen, Bryn's been raised as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule (mostly). Little fazes her.

But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn ges exploring against Callum's direct orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen WEre locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her mom and dad come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It's Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

An exciting new paranormal adventure with a heroine who rivals Buffy, Raised By Wolves will leave you howling for more.

The Reviews:

"RAISED BY WOLVES is, quite simply, the most compelling YA werewolf book out there. I want it to be a series so I can linger longer with these characters." - Melissa Marr, New York Times Bestselling Author of Wicked Lovely

"The mysteries of Bryn's identity should keep readers hooked, and there's plenty to discuss in terms of gender roles and Pack politics." - Kirkus Reviews

"Fascinating glimpses into pack family dynamics add depth and texture to this latest entry in the werewolf oeuvre... Barnes has produced an appealing addition to the ranks of contemporary fantasy-horror." - Booklist

Congratulations Jennifer. Now, Readers, go pick up a copy of Raised By Wolves!!

Friday Funny

2010-06-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

Hello June!

2010-06-02T08:41:00.001-07:00

I hear the flip flops of Summer slapping the pavement behind me and I am shocked that we are in June. June?! Wasn't my birthday 2 days ago? I wore jackets and long-sleeved shirts (this accounts for winter-wear is Southern Cal) a mere yesterday. And now the pavement is hot and people sport pedicures (my toes are so not ready for their summer debut) and tank tops and beach tans. The children are about to be released on summer parole and me with a mere handful of activities to keep them busy for the 90 days that I am activities director. In two and a half weeks they are home full time.
Sixteen days.

I must accomplish a great deal of work before the girls are home, as once they are here, well the rhythm of the house changes, not in a bad way, but in a summertime way. The rules grow lax. Bed times become a distant memory as the sun stays up well past 8 pm. More ice cream. More beach time. More pool time. More friends and more travel. And somehow with the demise of the children's schedule, my writing schedule feels negotiable instead of concrete. As much as I rail against structure, I thrive with it. The metronomic beat of; they get up, they go to school, I write, fades... A distant beat as life, summertime life, eats into my writing life.

I must fight harder for all the writing hours I need (as this is my job, I just happen to do it from home) when the children are about. And it's not just them. Oh no, it's me too. What a delicious procrastination tool. I can think of nothing better than putting off a tough scene by eating ice cream with the girlies or swimming in the pool, or visiting family. No. It isn't the girls. It's me too. But the writer in me needs the time to put down words.

So Summer, we can hang and all, but I still need to get my work finished.

In Memoriam

2010-05-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

Freedom is not free. There is a price to pay for the liberty that I take for granted each day.

There are no words to express the debt I owe to each and every person who serves. And to those who pay the ultimate sacrifice so that I might be free.

G_d bless you and yours. You are not forgotten.

Friday Funny

2010-05-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

For all you backyard chef's be careful out there.

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Weekend!
xo
Maggie

Vampires

2010-05-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met with a producer friend who has a myriad of projects that come from books. And, of course, Vampires came up. Because, these days, when it comes to books, well Vampires or some other paranormal are in a great number of them. And our question was this...a question by the way I've heard over and over the last two years posed at writer's conferences, by authors, and even readers.

Are there too many Vampires?

Now please, before you drive a stake through my heart realize I LOVE vampire books. I am a huge Anne Rice fan and read the entire Vampire Chronicles years ago. To this day I would stack Rice's books against ANY recent vampire book. I've read all but the final Stephanie Meyer's books, I've read Chris Moore, and I've read Charlaine Harris. So I enjoy this genre as much as the next reader.

But really. My bookstore? Overrun with the undead. To the point where I don't know if a new author is a good author or just part of this market slide into blood suckers. And this has gone on now for a number of years.

So I pose the question to you...wonderful reader. Do you still NEED the blood. Can't get enough of the undead? Or is your love for the Vampiric starting to wain?

xoMaggie

The R & R's of Writing

2010-05-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Rest and Relaxation? Oh no, no, no. The R & R's of writing, as any good writer will tell you, are Revisions and Rewrites.

And boy do I have a lot of them to do. Revise and Rewrite. Three projects. Three. But when you ask for notes...well you get them.

And I did. This week. Many notes. Lots of ideas. From editors, agents, friends and managers... Oy. And while these notes help me. My initial reaction is always the same: No.

No! No! No! No!

Much like when I ask my youngest to brush her teeth, turn off the television, go to bed; anything that she needs to do but just doesn't want to.

Why? Well, I get very close to what I write. And while the famous quote states: Show me a writer who loves their writing and I'll show you a very bad writer... Well that's me. I often fall deeply and madly in love with my characters and their story. So much in love am I, that without notes or putting a project aside for a month or more, I am unable to see the flaws in my telling of the story. Therefore, when notes come in, I am resistant to anyone telling me anything wrong with my beloved....for the first 24 hours. But, then, the other great quote starts to wander through my brain. After my initial reaction of No! I embrace this quote:

I'm not a very good writer, but I am an excellent rewriter.

And while I may not have reached 'excellent' yet, I know that by allowing myself time away from my stories and by getting a second opinion, I am able to view the story and the characters with more clarity.

And that clarity is just exactly what I need for my R & R.

Let the Revising & Rewriting begin.

xoMaggie

Friday Funny

2010-05-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Not much makes me laugh as hard as Jon Stewart of The Daily Show. But a spewing geyser of crude oil? Can someone, anyone get that thing shut off!!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

There Will Be Blame

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Why I Read and Write Romance

2010-05-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

I read romance novels. I also write them. I love a happily ever after.

I returned to romance years ago, after a stint of only reading women's fiction and literary fiction. I am a solid fan of the romance genre. Like a wonderful friend that I hadn't seen in years, I quickly fell back into my relationship with romance. Today, this very moment, I have 6 contemporary romance, along with 3 young adult, 2 literary and 1 legal thriller sitting in my tbr (to be read) pile. I also have a category romance on submission and a full length contemporary romance I am currently rewriting.

Romance fiction is the most popular genre in the world...the entire world. And still, once and again, I get quizzical glances when I tell friends my next book will be a romance. This week, I came across an article about writing romance on CNN.com by Eileen Dreyer. She was kind enough to let me repost the article.

I Write Romance Novels -- So What?
By Eileen Dreyer

I write romance novels.

That obviously means that I am a sexually frustrated loser dressed in a robe and bunny slippers who lives in a dreary apartment with my cat and lives vicariously through my devastatingly beautiful heroines.

At least that's how I'm portrayed in most media.

OK, maybe I do wear bunny slippers. But that's only because my daughter bought them for me as a joke, and they keep my feet warm.

Oh, all right, I also have a couple of cats. And yes, in fact, I do have a libido. But that's as far as I go in resembling the caricature.

I actually don't write or read romances because I'm lonely, or because I feel inadequate, or want the chance to sneak a peak at dirty words. If you want to get political, I write romance because I like to remind myself (and everyone else. Writers are compelled to make other people listen to them) that I deserve everything I want in a relationship. I deserve to be happy, to be satisfied, to be safe, to be an equal. I deserve to be solvent and for my children to be taken care of.
As a genre written by women primarily for women, it is our promise to each other that life is worth reproducing. It's our commitment to the future. Pretty heavy stuff for heaving loins, huh?

If you think about it, though, we're in the business of hope. No matter what happens in a romance (and trust me, after 26 romances, I've had absolutely everything happen, from attempted suicide to the battle of Waterloo), everything comes out all right. We romance writers say, "If we just commit to each other, if we work together, we can get through anything." Very powerful message, if you ask me.

But romances are just fantasy, you protest. Of course they are. So is every Tom Clancy book, Shakespeare play, and political ad. I make no apologies for the fantasies in romance.

Yes, the heroines tend to be relentlessly orgasmic. The heroes are just as relentlessly manly (as much as I'd love to say that my heroes are everyman, not one of them has looked like Steve Buscemi) and impossibly stoic when wounded.

(Most people assume that women love an injured hero because it brings out her nurturing instincts. They expect us to go all Marion to Indiana Jones' reluctant winces. Baloney. Any woman who has had to put up with her husband's near-fatal colds knows that the fantasy of an injured hero is that he doesn't whine.)

But after 20 years of writing romances and 36 years of marriage, I have to admit that there is one fantasy that is becoming more and more important to me.

I have children. I have grandchildren. My husband and I are both getting gray, and over the years we have collected responsibilities and distractions like dust bunnies.

We love each other even more than when we first married, but it's a tempered love, well-worn and familiar. It isn't new. It isn't exciting. It isn't a revelation. It isn't completely, utterly, magically all-consuming. We have to share it with kids and careers and the responsibilities of the wider world.

But when I read a romance, I can return to that moment in a blooming relationship when I could be perfectly selfish, when nothing really existed but my lover.

When love was an exhilarating surprise, and the world seemed a bit brighter, tasted sweeter, made me smile more, just because the man I loved was in my life. When we could disappear for an entire weekend, doing nothing but lying in bed naked reading (well, some of the weekend reading, anyway) and suffer no consequences (like the state wanting to know why our 12-year old is out driving our other kids to ball practice).

After all, after 36 years of marriage, it's been a long time since I've been able to indulge in one person like that. And I admit it: I miss it, too.

But sometimes, when I open a book and read about a man and a woman who are just discovering each other, I can relive it. I can remind myself that it was a wonderful part of my courtship and marriage.

And, if I'm very lucky and the stars are aligned and nothing calls us away, I can remind my husband of it, too.

Not a bad fantasy at all.

Eileen Dreyer and her evil twin Kathleen Korbel have written more than 36 books in romance and suspense. Her July 2010 release, "Barely a Lady" will be her first foray into historical romance.

Slim to None by Jenny Gardiner

2010-05-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Jenny Gardiner is our first GCCer to go direct to digital! I am so excited for her and her digital adventure. Jenny stopped by to discuss her latest book; Slim to None. Here is the fab cover.

And now from Jenny Gardiner!

Many of you may know me as a novelist who was able to successfully market my way into a publishing contract with my first novel, SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER, which was the winner of Dorchester Publishing's American Title III contest a few years ago. Back then I sort of stumbled into the frontier of capitalizing on what would soon become the most comprehensive way to market and publicize books—via networking on the internet.

Since that time, the industry has shifted in none-too-subtle ways as the internet has become an integral part of the publishing picture. So much so that e-publishing, which used to be considered an unconventional means of publication, is clearly being viewed now as the wave of the future. The future is already upon us, and I hope that you will join me in this brave new "frontier" and check out my debut e-novel, SLIM TO NONE, in which Abby Jennings, Manhattan's premier food critic, is outed on Page Six of the New York Post, and to her chagrin she realizes she's too recognizably fat to now remain incognito in her job. Her editor gives her six months to shape up or ship out, and so this ultimate foodie--a woman who is paid to eat for a living--must vastly curtail her eating in order to continue being able to make a living.

SLIM TO NONE is a story near and dear to my heart. Like probably every female out there with a heartbeat and a stomach pooch, I have been on the dieting treadmill since I was oh, born. Well, wait, I guess after I started walking. It was then that I knew I needed to stop cramming down the Froot Loops my mother kept insisting was the only thing I would eat, and instead turn to steel-cut oats direct from Ireland for the best proper nutrition.

Alas, Froot Loops won the day, over and over again. In what seems like an omnipresent dietary smackdown between Brussels sprouts and Fluffernutter sandwiches, the latter prevails every time. And with that has been the roller coaster of dieting and hating to diet and then never having pants that fit and a closet full of awesome clothes collecting dust that I really ought to just purge and give to someone thinner and more deserving, but instead I hold out mournful hope that I again will jam my fat ass into a size 6 pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans (yes, friends, it has been that long).

With that albatross secured snugly around my neck, I decided to tackle the ups and downs of this way of life in a novel—and decided upon a foodie for whom food had to become the enemy. I loved the idea of taking someone who has to eat for a living then not be able to eat in order to continue to be able to eat for a living. Such a quandary! And then of course I wanted to pile her up with all sorts of issues that she has to overcome.

I hope you'll join Abbie on her journey of self-discovery and while you're at it enjoy many of the yummy recipes you'll find within the pages of SLIM TO NONE.

Take a sneak peek at the first chapter of SLIM TO NONE here.

Jenny Gardiner is also the author of the recently released WINGING IT: A MEMOIR OF CARING FOR A VENGEFUL PARROT WHO'S DETERMINED TO KILL ME (Simon & Schuster's Gallery books), and the award-winning SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER (Dorchester books).

Absence & Illness

2010-05-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. The entire family was sick. We are nearly well so I hope to have a longer post tomorrow.
xoMaggie

TV Time

2010-05-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Television pitch season approaches...fast. The German and The Big Russian called just the other day to check in with me about my pitch.

"Pitch?" I asked.

"Yes, your pitch," the Big Russian said in his Big Russian voice. "For television. How's it going?"

*Long awkward pause.*

"Okay?" I warbled.

"You'll come into the office when you're ready with your pitch, so we can hear it."

"Uh-huh."

"What are you thinking about doing this year?"

"You know, I think I hear...Oh yeah, the baby is crying...gotta go!"

And my escape was made. Why? Because I am just not ready to share the specifics...yet.

I *know* what I'm doing...when I say *know*, I mean that I know the milieu (I really wanted to use that word) and I even have my lead character. I am fairly confident I have her family and friends too. I even know what her primary conflict is. This idea steeped in my head for a couple years, but the past couple seasons other ideas jumped over this one to get my primary attention. Finally the time is right for this idea and I have concrete details.

Why my reticence? My hesitation? It is the same for all writers, painters, photographers, poets, (insert creative endeavor here) is it not? You spend hours, days, months...even years developing something; painting, novel, screenplay, photograph and you've reached the point where it's time to share your creation and what happens?

Well for me, an overwhelming wave of self-doubt happens. At least for a moment. A flood of 'this isn't good enough' or 'I'm not showing this to anyone'. I'm told most of humanity shares these feelings with the stories, sculptures, presentations, (pick your poison) that they create. The act of sharing your creation is equivalent to marching naked through the street. Often times your most private thoughts, hopes, fears and dreams are masked in the costume of words, paint, clay and then presented to the world's critical eyes.

To create and then share your creation is an act of sheer courage. So while I ran the other day, I won't be running much longer.

Yes, it is nearly time to pitch.

Friday Funny

2010-04-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Oooo...this one may be even funnier! Our troops in Afghanistan performing Lady GaGa!

Telephone Remake @ Yahoo! Video

Friday Funny

2010-04-30T14:40:00.001-07:00

A little Lady GaGa as performed by On The Rocks for your Friday Funny.

Gimme A Call

2010-04-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski, one of my favorite authors and good friends is out today!

This book is fab! I pre-ordered mine weeks ago. Senior in high school Devi drops her cell phone in a fountain and voila the only person she can call? Her younger high school self.

I love this premise.

And I have to admit, I've been asking myself this question all week. If I could call my high school self what would I tell her?
Seriously...what?

I have a list. My top ten;

1. Wait. Just wait, you are reallllly hormonal. So wait.

2. Do not throw a party at the Bandy's house, they find out.

3. Don't get the beer at the party after you lay out on the lake all day...you pass out in front of the cop.

4. You're not fat, enjoy it.

5. Be nicer to your friends, family, and little brother.

6. Get good grades. It's worth it and you can, school is easy for you.

7. The home life? It gets better. Years later...but it does.

8. Be nicer to David H. He's really a great guy.

9. Spend more time writing. Consider an MFA and a JD.

10. Oh yeah, and Pat P? Definitely not worth the tears.

Great idea. Great book. Now go buy it. xomm

Good Morning Monday

2010-04-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Good morning Monday! I find myself struggling to get to work on this sunshiny southern California morning. The sky is bright blue, their is a warm breeze, the temperature will hover around perfect all day and yet, these are normal events in LA and not the reason for my distraction.

I am frustrated.

I am working on another rewrite of a manuscript that I've now worked on for what seems like forever. The story feels flat. The tone is off. There isn't enough funny. And I am starting to loathe the process.

This frustration with my WIP happens every time for me and to nearly ever writer I know. There is a moment (usually several) where I just don't like my WIP (work in process). I've found, that these moments, happen just before I crack through to something that makes a scene, a chapter, even a sentence better. There are days when I pace around my writing room, muttering and pulling my hair feeling as if all that comes out of my fingers are reams of slop, destined to be cut or burned.

And a whole lot of it is slop. But some of it isn't. I guess the tricky bit is knowing the difference. That, and accepting this is my process. I gnash my teeth. I get irritable. I hate what I've written. I vow never to put pen to paper again (or finger to keyboard). Basically I act like a horrible toddler on a terror all within the privacy of my writing room. Once this is complete. I write. I do the work. And usually what comes out...well it may be bad at first, but I can edit it. I can mold it. I can work with it. I can, if I just sit down and do my job, make it better.
xomm

Friday Funny

2010-04-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Why I love Jon Stewart. I only wish he did the network nightly news.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

South Park Death Threats

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Love Your Mother

2010-04-22T14:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Earth Day!

Filling Up With Words

2010-04-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

I write every day. Well, mostly every day. There are days where I sit and stare at my computer screen. There are days when I forget to turn off the internet and I cruise the web as if an addict looking for some sort of fix. But, for the most part, unless I am traveling, I try to write every day.

This is my job.

On the days I consider skipping out or cutting or being lazy I always ask myself, if someone else paid me to go to an office would I take a vacation day today? Would I call in sick? If the answer is no, I show up here, at the computer.

But in order to write everyday, I must fill up with words. Lots of them.

In the past week I've finished three books.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

You Suck by Christopher Moore

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins

A disparate mix to be sure. But the one common factor with regards to these three books is that they are each very good. These books, are books in which each author can be happy with, proud of, and know that their readers will enjoy. Yes, one is a Pulitzer, one is a mainstream horror/comedy and one is a romance but each is lovely.

Well written. Great language. Intriguing characters.

A read, that once finished, I felt was time well spent. Because, isn't that what every author strives to do? Hopefully, our readers, no matter what genre we write in, when they finish with the book, take a small breath and say 'that was a good story', or 'that was worth my time' or 'I'm glad I read that.'

And if I need to fill up with words, I'd rather have them be well-written ones.

xoMaggie

Ellen Meister's Contest

2010-04-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the release of The Other Life next year, my fellow GCC'er Ellen Meister author of The Smart One and Secret Confessions of The Applewood PTA has a contest going at her site.

Sign up for Ellen Meister's mailing list and you could win a $25 gift card!

Ellen Meister has a book coming out next year and she wants to keep readers abreast of the news. So if you sign up for her mailing list now, you will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $25 amazon.com gift card.

Just click here, fill out the form, and remember to click through when you get the confirmation email.

Ellen only sends out a few updates a year, so you won't be bombarded. Plus, you'll get to hear about Ellen's breakthrough novel, THE OTHER LIFE (Putnam/2011), which is already garnering great early buzz.

And while I wait...

2010-04-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have a script to rewrite. Or, I should say, WE have a script to rewrite. The man with the orange highlighter and his partner, the Big Russian gave us notes. Good notes. Again...a theme?? Or just a way of life if you are a writer. Since pressing the send button on the email to which my classic romance manuscript was attached I've been working on incorporating notes into the latest script.

Love the script.

Love the bird scene.

I must finish my pass this weekend, so that Mike can take his pass. And then hopefully we can keep the German aka the man with the orange highlighter and the Big Russian happy.

xoMaggie

Classic Romance

2010-04-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

Dear reader, you remember this little contest (I say little with my tongue firmly entrenched in my cheek) I entered last year. The judges made me runner up. I was shocked, surprised and thrilled. But here's the thing...I entered one chapter. One. And one chapter does not a book make.

Soon after the announcement I spoke with Bryony Green, who is beyond brilliant, and she gave me some fab notes on my one chapter. I incorporated her notes and continued to write. Once I finished three chapters, I forwarded them to Bryony. I have to say, it is a brilliant experience to email and discuss bits of a manuscript with an editor, especially one as astute as Bryony. I wish a similar experience for every writer. Bryony responded with notes (are you seeing a theme.) Notes I incorporated into the first three chapters and then continued writing the rest of the book.

Well, the rest of the book is finished. I wrote. I edited. I rewrote. I polished. I had Beta readers read. I edited some more. I rewrote. And now...well now I've gone and done it! I pushed send on my email and the manuscript is gone. Gone! The Billionaire's Proud Mistress, my humble attempt at Classic Romance, is now safely in the hands (errr, the email que) of a fabulous editor.

Now the worst part. I wait. Wait, darn it, (fingers crossed) for the call.

The Genie on My Shelf

2010-04-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've placed a shelf above my desk. For my genie to sit while I write. Perhaps the below video will put to rest the doubts you now have about my sanity... (Just NOW? Now you question my sanity?) The writer cackles maniacally...

This blog has moved

2010-03-31T13:57:00.001-07:00

This blog is now located at http://maggiemarr.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://maggiemarr.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

We Have A Script!

2010-03-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

Kind of.

As most of you have surmised writing a screenplay is a process. And as I wrote earlier part of Mike's and my process is to pass the script back and forth until we have a solid draft.

We have a solid draft. 91 pages of a solid draft.

I've passed the script back to Mike and now he will take another pass doing clean up. He'll pass the script back to me and I will take one final read...more clean up. And then we will send the script to the producers for their weekend read (1).

But we aren't finished. Not. Even. Close.

The producers will read. Discuss amongst themselves. Find flaws. Weak parts. Have questions. They will write down all of these things, knocking our script and potentially shredding it to pieces. Mike and I will then pick up the scattered and battered bits of script left over once the producers are finished and then recraft based on their notes. Each time, in theory, this process is meant to make the script better. And sometimes it does. At the very least the process points to areas that need to be reworked and tightened.

So we have a script. Let the fun begin.

xoMaggie

(1) Weekend Read: The EVER important read that takes place on the weekend. Everyone in entertainment has to read a ton of material. Since most entertainment execs work a 14 hour day, reading is often relegated to the weekend. Thus, as a writer you want to turn projects in to Producers in time for the weekend read aka Wed. Thurs. or Fri. Hopefully then you wait 3 days for a response instead of 7 (if you turn in a project on a Monday.)

Patience

2010-03-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have a manuscript. A nearly completed manuscript. I also have an editor who wants to read the manuscript. This is not a problem, this, as every writer knows is a blessing. A bountiful, wonderful, most hoped for blessing.

So what am I kvetching about?

I want to send the manuscript NOW. Now, now, now, NOW! And while it is ready-ish. I know the manuscript will be better if I wait just one more week.

Why?

Beta readers. Those beautiful beta readers(1). I have received comments from one Beta reader. (Thank you, thank you, thank you!) But have two more Beta readers to hear from. Granted, I just did ask my third Beta reader yesterday if she'd mind taking a quick look. And of course being the ever lovely person she is, she said yes. But it takes time to read. And make notes. And people have lives.

So while the impatient part of me just wants to send, send, SEND! The realistic and rational part of me realizes that with each Beta reader I get some good input and information about a manuscript that I've read so many times I could recite the dialogue in my sleep. Therefore...I wait. I wait for my Beta readers to report back. And as I wait I continue to read, make notes, and then once all the Beta readers notes are in, I will revise one final time.

The impatient part of me screams and kicks as I write this. But the rational part nods.

Damn, I hate being rational.

xoMaggie

(1) Beta reader: The most trusted of author friends that you allow to read your work first often before editors, agents, and even family. They provide you with notes, guidance, and often times good wishes so that you may persevere toward another rewrite/revision and a better book.

Oh Screenplay, why do you taunt me so?

2010-03-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

So dear readers, you may or may not remember the very LENGTHY film treatment my writing partner, forever after called MM male (or until he tells me I can use his name on my blog) and I wrote for our producers. Well now I am in the process of co-writing the script. I say co-writing because MM male and I write screenplays together. And no MM male is not just some weird male version of me, he is an actual person who is a guy, who just happens to share my initials. In the early stages it is our process to pass the script back and forth until we have a full draft. And I am currently up to bat. Have been for a...uh...while now. And although the process is going along swimmingly, due in part (I hate to admit to the German (1)) to the LENGTHY treatment. I still find myself starting, and stopping, and doubting, and rewriting, and swearing, and gnashing my teeth, and pulling my hair...because I just want the darn thing to be right.

What is right?

Good question.

Glad you asked.

How the heck do I know? If I could capture the definition of right there wouldn't be nearly as much starting, stopping, doubting, rewriting, swearing, gnashing of teeth and requisite hair pulling.

But then, what fun would there be in that?

xoMaggie

(1) The German: One of our managers who just so happens to be from Germany and is the sadistic operator of the dreaded Orange Highlighter about which I often tweet, blog, and curse. (The pen, I curse about the pen, not The German. Not ever. I promise.)

Maggie Marr

This Week....

Spring Into Romance

Can't Buy Me Love

Say No To SOPA

The Greatest of Men

Baton Rouge Day 3

Baton Rouge

An Appetite For Murder by Lucy Burdette

New Cover for Can't Buy Me Love

The Final Girlfriends Book Club Blog for 2011

Holiday Book Buying Guide

My Glam Life

Mercury Direct

A Summer In Europe by Marilyn Brant

Win Great Stuff

Sleigh Ride

Happy Halloween!

Brave Exposure

Target List

Kick Me In The A** Before You Throw Me Down The Stairs

Cigarettes: My Fantasy Love Affair

Critique Training

Deadline

We Will Never Forget

The Girlfriends Book Club

Grief

Book Tour Fun

To Kill An American

Deadline

May 1, 2011

Girlfriends Book Club

Womens Fiction Conference in NYC!

You had me at bitches

I Love TED

News

A Fantastic 2011

Have A Very Merry Christmas

Super Secret Good News

The New Project

Finished

Sprinting (more like limping) To The End

Today please go and

The Next Idea

Girlfriends Book Club

Thursday!

Friday Funny

Magical Musings

Quiet Please: Silencing Your Inner Critic

Flux, limbo, or *sigh* just plain waiting.

Fall TV

First Week of School

On this day...

Girlfriends Book Club

End of Summer

The Rewrite and A Prom Dress

RWA Pictures

Meetings, Meetings and Yes, More Meetings!

Girlfriends Book Club

Hello LA!

Fabulous RWA

RWA - Saturday

RWA - Tuesday Night

RWA

Summertime

Friday Funny

Packing The Box

Happy Holiday!

This Writer's Life

Friday Funny

Criminal Instinct by Kelly Parra

Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise and an Orangutan

The Sit Down

Posts + My Top Ten Favorite Foods!

Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Friday Funny

Hello June!

In Memoriam

Friday Funny

Vampires

Flux, limbo, or sigh just plain waiting.