More About Dogs

Me?  Mention dogs? 

Of course!

I'm here at Killer Hobbies because my mysteries always contain dogs--not exactly my hobby, but part of my life and family.   If you read this blog much, or otherwise know anything about me, you already know that.

Even some of my romances contain canines--like my paranormal romances for Harlequin Nocturne about Alpha Force, a covert military unit of shapeshifters.

I also write for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and I've received some interest in an idea that will involve--you got it--dogs!

Because that would involve different aspects of dogs than I'm used to, I've started doing some fun research.  I don't want to get into any details now, not until the new miniseries becomes more of a certainty, but I'm talking to a lot of different people and learning all I can, partly so my stories will make sense, and partly because, if I take poetic license, I'll know some of the reality so I can still ensure that what I say sounds plausible.

Meantime--well, I'm currently working on my next Nocturne, although I had to set it aside for a few days to finish edits on my upcoming Superstition Mystery UNLUCKY CHARMS, to be published in October.  But before it's published my next Romantic Suspense novel COVERT ALLIANCE, which does not contain dogs, will be published--in August.

And in a couple of weeks I head to San Diego for the Romance Writers of America National Conference.

So... writing.  Dogs.  It's all fun!

Back to Romance

Last weekend, I was busy with romance.  Not personal romance, although I did spend some quality time with my husband.  But mostly it was with Romance Writers of America.  The two local chapters I belong to both held meetings, and I attended them.

And that's a good thing, since my writing is more on the romantic side than mystery at the moment.

My next release will be a Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel called COVERT ALLIANCE.  It will be published in August.

 

And the next book for which I'm under deadline is a Harlequin Nocturne, the eighth in my Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters.  In fact, I finished some edits I was working on for my next Barkery & Biscuits Mystery, UNLUCKY CHARMS, and immediately had to change my mindset to start writing my paranormal romance which for now, at least, is called HERO WOLF.

That's some change, since although I wrote a proposal for that book a few months ago, it's a shift to get back to writing romance after keeping my mind mostly in mystery gear for a while.  Definitely fun, though.  And I've also written a proposal for another miniseries, this time for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, that looks very promising... hopefully, more to come about that soon.  My mind is used to doing that kind of shift, although I have to tell it to get busy!

And as you know, if you read my posts here, I'm into attending writing conferences--and the next two I've got coming up are romance oriented: the Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Diego next month, and I just signed up for next year's California Dreamin' conference, given by the four Southern California chapters of RWA every other year. 

So romance is sort of at the top of my list at the moment.  But as I've said often, all my romances contain some element of mystery or suspense, and all my mysteries contain some romance,

Guess I'd better think some more romantic thoughts for now, though.

Weekend, Work and Waiting

Last week I blogged about a weekend that was fun--except for the traffic.  That's because I went from L.A. to San Diego and back again for my book launch for TO CATCH A TREAT at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.

This weekend was busy, though not as nuts.  I had three chapter meetings to attend for organizations I belong to: the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America; LARA - Los Angeles Romance Authors, the L.A. chapter of RWA; and the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Chapter. 

OCC met on Saturday a distance from my home, although traffic wasn't as bad as it could have been.  LARA and SinCLA both met on Sunday, and I also was doing a chat on Sunday evening to introduce--what else?--TO CATCH A TREAT.

I have to admit that I skipped the LARA meeting, even though the chapter meets not far from my home.  But as much as I'd have loved to network again with the members, the talk that day was on how to pitch your work, and that's not of great interest to me at the moment.  And I needed the time, considering everything else going on.

I did enjoy OCC on Saturday and SinCLA on Sunday, and had fun networking at both of them.  My online chat was held when I was alone, except for my dogs--my husband was out of town--and it was enjoyable to attempt to catch up with my racing screen as other people present at the chat corresponded and asked questions.

Now that weekend is over, too, and I have some time to write.  I'm polishing a draft of Barkery & Biscuits Mystery #3, one I can send to a friend for comments, then review again before I send it off to hopefully meet my June 1 deadline--or at least shortly thereafter. 

The timing is working out well, since although I have more to write (I always do!) and have some edits coming in soon, I'm also anticipating the arrival for a few days of my older son, d-i-l and two young grandsons.  Can't wait!  But I also know I won't get much work done while they're here. 

They're worth it!

Back from RWA National

As I figured last week I'm a bit late posting this today.  My return flight yesterday was delayed, which didn't help.  The reason? Well, for one thing it was too hot in Chicago to fill the plane with enough gasoline to get to California, so we had to stop and refill the gas in Kansas City.  Go figure.

Anyway, I had a great time in my travels.  For one thing, the end of my trip was a stop to visit my son, d-i-l and two grandsons, which was Icing on the Cake--which you know is also the name of the bakery for humans in my Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries.

The first part of my trip was the Romance Writers of America National Conference in New York City.  It was a great conference--if you don't count the hotel I stayed in with two friends with whom I was on a panel.  It was an overflow hotel since the main conference hotel was filled, and it was awful.  First, they were redecorating the main level and it was a mess and hard to get around.  Then, there were hardly any lights in my room, which made nighttimes difficult.  There were a couple of bugs--termites?--that may have been permanent fixtures on the bathroom floor.  There weren't enough towel racks.  I could go on, but I won't.

Instead, I'll tell you some of the fun parts of the conference--networking, for one thing.  Also, I wound up with some additional insight on what to do with my website.   I spoke with my Harlequin editor and attended Meet and Greets for the two lines I write for, and got additional ideas for what comes next.  I met with my agent.  I learned more about the changing publishing industry. 

And I of course attended the always-fun Harlequin party!

Next year RWA National is in San Diego, much closer to my LA home.  Will I be there?

What do you think?

Off to RWA National

Every year around this time I wind up blogging about the Romance Writers of America National Conference--because I attend a lot of them!  This year's is in New York City, and I'll be there starting today.

Of course I'm writing this post yesterday--Tuesday--since I'm taking a red-eye overnight and am not sure when I'll be able to check into my hotel, a block down from the one where the conference takes place.  I've put together a calendar of a lot of the things I'm doing, and Wednesday is quite full--a couple of events for Harlequin, my romance publisher; a librarians' and booksellers' reception, and the Literacy Signing, where the publishers donate books for us to sell for the benefit of organizations promoting literacy. 

I don't want to give too many details today since I suspect I'll want to do some further blogging about the conference next week.  But don't be surprised if I post my blog a little late.  I'm getting to stop on my way home to visit my son, d-i-l and grandkids so I won't be back in LA till late on Tuesday.

Meantime, I've gotten my author's copies of my next Harlequin book--one of my Alpha Force paranormal romances for Nocturne, CANADIAN WOLF, about a covert military unit of shapeshifters.  It's a September release, but it's always fun to receive copies early!

 

Have a good week.  I know I will!  But I'll miss my husband and dogs, who'll be taking care of one another in my absence.  And if you post a comment, thanks... but I won't be able to respond to it for a while.

My Class

In addition to everything else I'm doing right now, I've just started teaching an online class for the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America, although there are plenty of non-OCC members in the class, too. 

The class is Kiss Me or Kill Me: Writing Cozy Mysteries 101 for Romance Writers.  This is actually my second time presenting it.

The class runs from June 15 through July 12, and I've started having fun teaching students how to have their characters solve murders while falling in love! 

So far I've posted the introduction and first lesson.  I've given the first assignment which is mostly just to have members introduce themselves and where they are in their writing careers, in addition to what they've written, and possibly published, so far. 

Not everyone has responded, but that's okay. 

 

I've also taught a couple of online classes at Savvy Authors, but not recently.  It's always a fun process but, yes, it is time-consuming.  I agreed several months ago to teach the OCC class and didn't realize how swamped I'd be around now.  Fortunately, since I just met a bunch of deadlines--as I've mentioned before--the timing is actually okay.  I've been a member of OCC for a long time and like to give back to the group when I can, and since I don't have time to be an officer or major volunteer, doing something like this now and then works fine. 

And besides, it's fun to teach online classes and hopefully help people with their writing careers! 

Have you ever presented, or taken, an online class?

Dental Chair Ideas

Blogging rocks!

What am I blogging about here today?  I'm still not entirely sure, but thinking about it yesterday really helped me get through an unpleasant dental procedure.  Instead of focusing on what was happening to me, I brainstormed about what I'd blog about. 

And it wouldn't be that dental procedure. 

I thought about what I should be doing that day: continuing my final edits on the manuscript for my second Superstition Mystery, which is due on November 1. 

I thought about the promotion I've been doing for my first Superstition Mystery, which will include my Orange County, California, launch party this Saturday at 11 AM at Mystery Ink, in Huntington Beach.  And the article on superstitions that I just sent to Fresh Fiction, although I'm not sure when it'll be up on their website.  And the remaining blogs and articles that I've committed to write, although nothing like the volume I undertook for my wonderful Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. 

I thought about last weekend, when I attended the Birthday Bash of the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America on Saturday, and the regular meeting of the Los Angeles Chapter on Sunday. 

I thought of my upcoming fun at Bouchercon, which will be in Long Beach next month and the wonderful questions I just received from the moderators of the panel I'll be on at 8:30 on that Saturday morning, "Must Love Dogs and Cats."  Very appropriate, don't you think? 

I told myself I should check to see if there were any superstitions about dentists when I got home, which I did.  I didn't find any, but there are quite a few about teeth.  For example, you can make a baby's teething process easier if you put bag of others' teeth around his neck.  And of course there's the tooth fairy, who leaves money under the pillows of a child in exchange for the baby teeth that fall out.   Oh, and it's good luck to have a gap between your front teeth.  I wonder if orthodontists know they could be ruining their patients' futures.  

Anyway, my procedure was soon over and I was able to leave--to head home and start writing this post! 

How about you--do you find ways to distract yourself in a dentist's chair?

Back from RWA National

I'm home!  I returned a day early from the Romance Writers of America National Conference this weekend, but I was there long enough to have a great time.

I arrived last Wednesday in time for a party that included librarians and booksellers, mostly those who were local to the venue of this year's conference, San Antonio, Texas.  I said hello and schmoozed a bit, then got ready for the next event: the Literacy Signing.

If you've never been to RWA National or haven't been to a Literacy Signing, you've missed one huge, wonderful book sale!  Authors are set up mostly alphabetically in a big room, and all of them sign books that are sold to each other and the local public, mostly copies that were donated by their publishers.  The proceeds are then donated to organizations that support literacy.  Hey, if people don't know how to read, how can they enjoy our books?  I sold copies of my most recent Harlequin Nocturne: UNTAMED WOLF.  And I talked to a lot of people, both other authors, conference attendees and local readers who came in to buy books.

The next day was Thursday, and although I had a few events scheduled I actually got to attend a few workshops and panels, as well as the official conference luncheon. 

Then there was Friday.  Talk about a busy day!  I had breakfast with one of my Harlequin editors and others who write for that series: Harlequin Nocturne.  Then I went to the Harlequin book signing, where there was a giveaway of the 2-in-1 version of UNTAMED WOLF combined in one volume with Alexis Morgan's Nocturne IMMORTAL COWBOY.  Lots of other authors signed their books, too, in this giveaway to conference attendees to acquaint them even more with our work.

Next, I had lunch with another Harlequin editor and some authors who write for the other series I also write for: Harlequin Romantic Suspense.  I had to hurry and leave early, since next I got to sign copies of my books for the Berkley giveaway: TEACUP TURBULENCE, fifth in my Pet Rescue Mystery series.

Later that afternoon, was the panel I had put together: Multiplicity Rocks: Writing Concurrently in Multiple Genres or Subgenres.  Four of us, including two other authors and my wonderful agent, discussed the pros and cons of writing in more than one genre at a time.

That was followed by the Berkley cocktail party, then the Harlequin party which was as wild and delightful as ever.  Imagine hundreds of women (with a few men among them) dancing in the middle of a dance floor to songs like "It's Raining Men!" and you'll get the general idea!

I was exhausted after that.  But on Saturday I did get a chance to do some sightseeing before leaving for home, and sightseeing in San Antonio is definitely fun--although at this time of year it's also miserably hot and humid.  Even so, I got a boat tour along the river and also got to visit the Alamo.

I'm glad to be home now.  My dogs are glad I'm home.  But as I said, I definitely had a wonderful time.

By the way, I returned to a deadline.  The manuscript for my first Barkery and Biscuits Mystery is due on August 1!  That's also the publication date for my next Harlequin Nocturne, LOYAL WOLF.

So what did you do while I was enjoying my latest conference?

Malice Domestic Upcoming

I leave tomorrow for Bethesda, Maryland, and this year's Malice Domestic conference for cozy mystery writers and readers.  I've been going to Malice for several years now and really enjoy it.  Maybe that's because I love writing, and reading, cozy mysteries! 

The panel I'll be on this year is Murder with a Little Education on the Side: Mysteries that Tackle Social Issues.  The social issue I tackle is, of course, pet rescue and how humans deal with animals.  My Pet Rescue Mysteries each have a theme involving pet rescue as their background but my intent is not to hit people over the head with the moral of the story.  Instead, I hope to provide an enjoyable mystery that just happens to involve something important.  So now you know some of what I intend to say on the panel!

This will also be an interesting Malice for me for another reason.  The Pet Rescue Mystery TEACUP TURBULENCE, which was published in January of this year, is the last one scheduled for publication by Berkley Prime Crime.  In fact, I don't have any other books currently scheduled with Berkley.  I've had a great run with them: 9 Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries, plus the 5-book and 1 e-novella Pet Rescue Mystery series.  I'll be joining the Berkley crowd for dinner on Friday night.  And I hope perhaps to write for them again in the future. 

But I'll also be joining the Midnight Ink crowd at the Agatha awards ceremony on Saturday night.  My new Superstition Mystery Series will be published by Midnight Ink, starting with LOST UNDER A LADDER in October of this year.  I'm also working on a second series for my wonderful new publisher, although it's still premature to say much about it.  But both of them, of course, involve dogs.

So this Malice will be special to me in many ways.  Plus, I'll have the opportunity to see and hang out with a lot of fun people with whom I keep in contact over social media during the rest of the year. 

By the way, I'm delighted to repeat that I also have more romances coming up for Harlequin Nocturne and Harlequin Romantic Suspense.  There's no romance presence at Malice except perhaps for panels that happen to address romances in mysteries.  But I will be at the Romance Writers of America National Conference at the end of July to celebrate that aspect of my writing, too. 

Usually, after Malice, I've gone to Pittsburgh both to visit family and to attend the Mystery Lovers Festival in nearby Oakmont, Pennsylvania.  But there won't be any Festival this year.  And my Pittsburgh family is, unfortunately, dwindling.  As a result, no Pittsburgh for me this year. 

So... will I see you at Malice?  If so, what are you especially looking forward to there?

RWA National Brief Recap

I’m home!  I had a wonderful time at the Romance Writers of America National Conference in Atlanta, but it’s good to be back and returning to my regular writing groove. 

I not only networked and met up with a lot of wonderful people, sold and gave away copies of some of my books, and attended a lot of parties, but I also went to workshops.  The program this year reflected the change in the publishing industry.  There were a lot of workshops relating to self-publishing, along with more usual topics like writing craft and promotion--not to mention spotlights on certain publishers.  I had a lot of fun going to Harlequin and Berkley-related panels and events. 

One topic that I focused on more than many of the others was promotion.  I attended several panels on branding oneself, and although I don’t think I have that nailed down yet I doubt anyone’ll be surprised that my brand includes suspense, romance... and animals. 

The other subject that particularly interested me was how to form a street team.  That sounds like so much fun!  What’s a street team?  Well, it’s a group of people who can be friends and fans of a particular writer, who in essence help with that writer’s promotion by reading her work and posting and encouraging reviews, receiving bookmarks and other promotional material and passing them out in bookstores, libraries, and other relevant places, and generally talking about that writer’s work.  In return, they receive free copies of the author’s books and other fun stuff like swag--T-shirts, for example.  And of course they stay in contact with that writer and learn what’s yet to come.

I’m currently considering whether and when to form a street team.  Do you have any ideas?  Do you have, or belong to, a street team?  What’s your opinion of them?  And... if and when I get around to trying to form one, would you be interested in joining??? 

The RWA National Conference--it rocked yet again!

Yet Another Conference

I’m currently in Atlanta for the Romance Writers of America National Conference for 2013.  It’s my fourth writers’ conference this year.  I’m feeling somewhat conferenced out, but I’m intending to have fun anyway! 

I keep an online calendar to tell me what’s happening when.  I’ll be attending the meet-and-greet for librarians and book sellers; the Literacy Signing; meetings with Harlequin, which publishes my Nocturne paranormal romance Alpha Force miniseries as well as my Harlequin Romantic Suspense books; parties by Harlequin; book signings and parties for Berkley, which publishes my Pet Rescue Mysteries; meetings and events with others including my delightful agent; and, yes, I even intend to attend some conference workshops, lunches and other events.  One of these days I have to learn how best to print the pages on my calendar, but I found a makeshift way to handle that. 

I’m sure I’ll return home jazzed and inspired and even more eager to work on the novels and proposals that I was already working on before I left.   Even though I have a smartphone, I’m learning how to use it gradually and remain technologically challenged.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to respond to comments on this blog, but please don’t let that keep you from posting some anyway.  Be sure to mention what you think of conferences and if they inspire you to write or read or perform.better in whatever your day job is.

Let the Conferences Begin!

I never start out a year trying to figure out how many writing conferences I can squeeze in.  Nevertheless, this year there seem to be a lot.

The first one, California Dreamin’, is this weekend, in Santa Ana.  It’s being presented jointly by the four Southern California Chapters of Romance Writers of America.  I happen to belong to two of them, Los Angeles Romance Authors and the Orange County Chapter.  The other two are the East Valley Chapter, and the San Diego Chapter.  I’m not able to attend the whole thing, but one advantage of having a local conference is that I can come and go at will. 

Next will be Malice Domestic, in Bethesda, Maryland.  It’s an annual conference that applauds cozy mysteries, encouraging both fans and authors to attend.  I’ll be on a panel there called Lights, Camera, Murder: Mysteries Involving TV and Movies.  That’s because my latest Pet Rescue Mystery, OODLES OF POODLES, involves the film industry. 

After that is the California Crime Writers Conference, in Pasadena, California.  Again, it’s local to me and should provide lots of helpful research information as well as an opportunity to schmooze with other local mystery and suspense authors.

Then, I’ll be at the Romance Writers of America National Conference, in Atlanta, Georgia.  It’s a great way to get together with friends and other romance writers from all over the country and learn more about what’s going on in the publishing industry, particularly involving the romance genre.

Around all that, I still have deadlines and ideas to flesh out, local signings and library panels and talks to present, not to mention spending time with family.  Fortunately, my husband understands and he’s content to stay home and take care of our fur-kids while I’m gone.

How about you--do you enjoy attending conferences for writers, readers, or other vocations or avocations?

Romance Writers of America National Conference 2012

When you read this, I’m likely to be either on my way to Anaheim, California, or already at the RWA National Conference which is being held there this year.  It’s sort of my backyard since I live in L.A.  I’m used to traveling across the country for this annual event so this is kind of fun.

That also means I’m not sure when I’ll be able to respond to your comments.  I’m bringing a laptop but don’t know when I’ll have time to sit down with it.  Nope, no smart phone yet. 

I have a lot of events and meetings scheduled there in addition to the usual workshops and conference lunches.  Parties, too.  Those kinds of things are what really make this conference special to a long-time writer like me.  I get to chat with a lot of people I haven’t seen for a long time, including my Harlequin editor and my agent. 

I’ll be at the Literacy Autographing tonight at 5 PM, at table 607.  This is the first year that authors won’t be seated alphabetically, so I’ll get to meet new people whose last names don’t begin with J.  I’ll be signing both UNDERCOVER SOLDIER, my first Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel that is a new release this month, and HOUNDS ABOUND, my latest Pet Rescue Mystery for Berkley Prime Crime.  The public is welcome--and is in fact encouraged to come.  The publishers donated the books, and attendees who purchase them can get them autographed by the many authors who’ll be there.  All proceeds go to benefit literacy programs.

Then there’s the panel that I’m on and moderating: Sell a Series You’re Passionate About.  Four authors, including me, and my agent will be talking about writing and selling one or more series on themes that are particularly appealing to the writer.  It’s on Friday afternoon at 2 PM.

I’m also participating in the Berkley signing, where I’ll be giving away, and autographing, copies of HOUNDS ABOUND for conference attendees.

I’ll miss my dogs but my husband--whom I’ll also miss--will remain at their bark and call while I’m gone.  He’s been organizing some areas in our house that we haven’t touched for a while, and one of the things he found is the collar and nametag worn by Panda, our first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  We put it temporarily on a table in our living room, and our two current Cavaliers Lexie and Mystie glommed onto its scent right away, barking to meet their distant relation.  It was hard to tell them that was impossible.

My writing gets put on hold at conferences like this, although I’m bringing a printed copy of a very rough draft of the beginning of the story I’m working on now--another Harlequin Nocturne about Alpha Force, my covert military force of shapeshifters.  Will I have time to work on it?  Doubtful.

If you’re at the conference, be sure to say hi to me at the Literacy Autographing, my panel, or anywhere else you run into me!  I’m sure I’ll have a nametag around my neck.

Will you be there?  What’s your favorite kind of conference?

My Class Started

You’re probably getting tired of my blogging about my online class, so I’ll keep this short--but it has started!

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s called Kiss Me or Kill Me: Cozy Mystery Writing 101 for Romance Writers.

So far, I’ve posted only my introduction and the first lesson, which is about what a cozy mystery is and how it compares with other fiction genres. My first assignment was for class members to introduce themselves--their backgrounds and what, if anything, they’ve already written.

Some class members are already prolific writers and have sold. Others are hoping to learn enough from the class to organize their ideas and start, or continue, writing.

Quite a few, to my surprise and delight, are from Australia! It turns out that another class member who’s a friend of mine from one of the local Romance Writers of America chapters just returned from an extended visit to the Land Down Under, and she’d joined the RWA chapter there. She passed along the information about classes to her new friends, and some were interested enough to sign up.

I started out by individually answering everyone’s response to the assignment, then realized that I was probably clogging up a lot of email boxes. But there are so many interesting backgrounds that I wanted to get to know everyone! I’ll reserve that now to giving input to the next class assignments.

Have you ever taken an online class? What did you like, or dislike, about it? Even though I’ve written most of my classes, there’s still time to edit them!

Plotting a Class

I’m currently plotting an online class on plotting. And more. It’s actually called Kiss Me or Kill Me: Cozy Mystery Writing 101 for Romance Writers.

That name is a misnomer of sorts. Yes, the class will be about writing cozy mysteries. And yes, this class is one that I think romance writers will like, at least those who are also interested in writing cozies. However, I plan to do lessons on all aspects of cozy writing, from coming up with a theme, to who the protagonist is, to how to put a cozy plot together.

Romance? Well, I’ll definitely get into how the protagonist may have a love interest and how that can be handled in a cozy. I’ll also describe the differences between cozy mysteries and, say, romantic suspense novels. But people taking the class don’t need to have any background in romance writing.

So why the title that implies otherwise? That’s because I’m presenting this class through the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America, a wonderful chapter of a wonderful organization to which I’ve belonged for years.

The class will take place from Monday, February 13, to Sunday, March 11, 2012. I intend to give two lessons a week plus assignments and feedback. Am I nuts? Maybe. My next Pet Rescue Mystery is due in April. But this is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.

So if you’re interested in learning at least one cozy mystery and romance author’s perspective on how to write a cozy mystery... join me! Here’s the website: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb12.html

I’m also inviting you to give me a lesson. Have you taken any online classes? What were the topics? Did you enjoy them? Any suggestions for me to make my class the most fun yet most educational online class so far?

Welcoming 2012

This is my last Killer Hobbies blog for 2011. Where has the year gone?

This holiday season has been an offbeat one for me. It started with a wonderful visit with my niece and her husband and my nephew on a beach in Ventura County. The next day, my younger son and I had a delightful holiday meal at the home of some close friends, but we won’t be celebrating by exchanging presents until sometime next week. That’s because my family is doing Christmas at different locations and at different times. My husband Fred celebrated with his mom and our older son and d-i-l this week at the family farm in Ohio. Fred and his mother are heading here for a further celebration with our younger son, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and our other nephew and his girlfriend... sometime soon. I’m not sure of the date yet. We also will have another house guest soon, a friend of the family.

If you think I haven’t kept track of what happens when, you’re right!

But I have been busy nonetheless. What have I been up to this week? Writing! I’ve just finished proofreading the page proofs for the next Pet Rescue Mystery, HOUNDS ABOUND, which will be an April 2012 release. I’m also writing the next in the series, OODLES OF POODLES. I’m plotting and planning for what I hope will turn into more Harlequin Nocturnes in my Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters. There’s already another Alpha Force story in the works but I don’t yet have its title or publication date confirmed. My first Harlequin Romantic Suspense, UNDERCOVER SOLDIER, will be published in July 2012.

Plus, although I haven’t gone into full preparation mode yet, I’m doing some planning for the online class I’m teaching beginning in February for the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America: Kiss Me or Kill Me: Writing Cozy Mysteries for Romance Writers. Participants don’t have to be romance writers, though, since I intend to start from scratch about how to write cozies.

How about you--how long does your holiday season last? Did you do anything different this year? What are your plans for next year?

Have a very Happy New Year and a wonderful, safe, healthy and productive 2012!

Dogs and the Fourth

I’m back! I had a wonderful time at the Romance Writers of America National Conference last week. I’ve got some of my thoughts about it posted on another blog--A Slice of Orange at http://occsliceoforange.blogspot.com/. It’s the blog of the Orange County Chapter of RWA, where I post on the 6th of every month--like today. A twofer!

Rather than repeat what I said there, I’ll talk here about how much fun it was to get home and back to my husband and dogs. My husband was glad to have me back, too, since he’d been the only one at the dogs’ bark and call for a few days.

Now, they’re back to taking turns demanding to go outside. Usually, one of us obliges, and then at least one of them usually makes a showing of using the outside as their bathroom facilities. My husband calls it “maximization of treats” since both get a treat if either produces.

On the Fourth of July, we stayed home this year to watch fireworks from our upstairs balcony. We could see at least 15 fireworks displays across the San Fernando Valley, plus the closest, really spectacular ones in Burbank. We left the dogs in the familiar environment of our kitchen but they still barked intermittently at the sound of the firecrackers, especially when the booms and crackles first started.

We talked to a neighbor yesterday who said that her Doberman had spent the evening in the bathtub to feel secure during all the noise.

What do your pets do during the Fourth of July? Do the sounds of fireworks freak them out?

Social Networking

I’ve written about networking here before. My most recent discussion was about networking in person. Now, I want to mention social networking once more.

I joined Facebook a few months ago because I heard great things about it, and it sounded like a good way to let people know about some of my upcoming books--primarily my new Pet Rescue Mystery series and my Harlequin Nocturne Alpha Force miniseries.

I started a friend page, and I keep adding friends... and others add me. I’ve found I really enjoy it. I can even keep track of what some of my relatives are doing, when they post what they’re up to on FB.

I’ve found it interesting to see what kinds of posts I get the most responses to. Putting up new book covers gets a lot of attention. So do discussions of what my dogs are doing to give me orders. When I post a link to my Killer Hobbies posts, I also get responses on Facebook, even though the people who like or comment on those references don’t always post comments here.

So, yes, I admit it. I’m glad I joined Facebook and enjoy both posting and reading it.

And, no, I don’t tweet yet. I’m still intimidated by Twitter, and I have heard mixed things about how effective it is for letting people know about an author’s work.

So what do you think? What kind of Facebook posts are you most likely to respond to? Are you on both Facebook and Twitter? Which do you prefer?

BTW, I’ll be networking in person on Wednesday when this is posted and will probably not have Internet access. No, I haven’t gotten a smartphone yet. I may not respond to your posts till my return from the Romance Writers of America conference, but I’ll definitely read them then. Meantime, maybe my dogs will give my husband orders to check out any comments to this post!

Organizations Galore

I belong to a whole bunch of writing organizations. I’m also considering the possibility of joining at least one other.

Yikes!

Am I an addict? Not to joining things, but I’ll admit addiction to the camaraderie, networking and information I glean from each of them.

Which am I talking about? Well, I currently belong to the Romance Writers of America, and to two local chapters: Los Angeles Romance Authors and the Orange County Chapter. I belong to the Mystery Writers of America and its Southern California Chapter. I belong to Sisters in Crime, and to its Southern California Chapter. And, I belong to the Thriller Writers of America.

I’m definitely not addicted to paying dues, but I do so anyway for most of the organizations--and additionally for most of their chapters to which I belong.

I’m also a lawyer and pay bar dues. That’s different from my writing but is a necessity for my other career.

I attend meetings, too. Time consuming? Yes, especially since, as I mentioned, I belong to four local chapters of various organizations. But I don’t go to every meeting, only those where I think I’ll get helpful information from the speaker. Although I do sometimes attend just because I want to meet with fellow writers, compare experiences, get out and about with friends.

Is it all worth it? It is to me. For one thing, I owe my first book sale, indirectly, to Romance Writers of America and my attendance at one of its national conventions. I still go to many RWA National annual conferences and always find them great for networking and more.

I spend a lot of time in front of my computer, so seeing flesh-and-blood people now and then, besides family, is a good thing.

There are plenty of other writing organizations that intrigue me, too. But some restraint is necessary here. Maybe.

What about you--do you belong to any professional organizations, writing or otherwise? What do you like about them most? Any dislikes?

Pets and Travel

When you read this, I will be in Washington, D.C., at the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I’ll have flown here on the red-eye on Tuesday night. Hopefully, this blog entry will get posted when I requested it to.

I noted that this week starts the inaugural flights of Pet Airways. I’ve seen some features on TV, and it looks like a good way to send pets from one of the cities it services to another. The animals are stacked in separate crates, so I hope they’re safe in turbulence. But in addition to the pilot, there is a special attendant just for the animals. Humans are not intended to travel along, but presumably you can send your pet to the place you’re going and pick him or her up when you and your pet have both arrived.

I’ll be interested to hear people’s opinions about how the airline works in actuality. People apparently think it’ll be great, since I heard they’re already booked up 2 months in advance.

I’d love to hear what you think about traveling with your pets--but I don’t think I’ll have Internet access this trip and won’t be able to respond for a while.