Congratulations to Tracey, Adrienne, and Kelsey on their new blog!

Hi Brenda,

Great interview. I especially related to the part about keeping your expectations grounded and being realistic.

Also congratulations on the auction. It’s a wonderful cause and you do an awesome job each year.

Wonderful site!! I’ve already bookmarked it.

Hi Brenda! I love your books and the auction. I’ve bid on a couple of author critiques and hope I can win one. There are really fantastic items there. Congratulations on such a successful event!

I do have a couple of questions for you. How long does it take for you to write a book from start to finish? And, do you have regular writing hours?

Thanks, I enjoyed the interview! Congratulations on your upcoming releases — I can’t wait to read them!

Ladies, what a fantastic site and Adrienne Kudos on a great interview.

I have two questions for Brenda. First hello, Brenda. Iit’s nice to meet you via your interview.

1. How is your son doing?

2. Since you mentioned that you were orphaned before your first published work came out, were you ever able to see it in print?

3. (I know I said two) Have you remained with your initial agent?

Thanks Brenda and congratulations on the success of the auction. Diabetes has touched the lives of many that I know and is attempting to knock on my door.

Dyanne

Brenda,
Wonderful interview as always, I’m amazed at what a super woman you are! I check your auction every day to see how many more of my things have been out bid! LOL. Hopefully I end up with something. And our HOW RWA Chatper Basket is doing great!
Thanks for doing all that you do,
Mary

Congratulations on the new site, ladies.

Brenda, I really don’t know how you do what you do with five kids. You blow me away. I’m looking forward to reading your newest trilogy. Keep ‘em coming!

Great new blog. I’m looking forward to checking back frequently. Great interview with Brenda. Thanks for taking the time to share your personal story with us.

Brenda,

What a wonderful story! I especially love that you have been able to write and care for your family. I think the auction is a fantastic idea!

Do you have any advice for new authors (who have worked hard to craft the best manuscript they can) for how they can improve their chances of being published?

Also, could you comment on what impelled you to change focus as you mentioned your first novel was a historical?

Thank you!

Candice

Ladies, this is a wonderful site and we’ll visit often. We’re delighted to greet our dear friend and an amazing author here. Hi Brenda! We’ve been participating in Brenda’s auction for years. First as avid bidders. So many items that help writers connect with helping hand professionals along the way. Ultimately when we got the call we decided to donate to the auction, too – a privilege. Kathie’s husband was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a child, so she shares a devotion to Brenda’s cause. We continue to shop at the auction every year. Wonderful promotional opportunities for the bidding. We hope everybody checks out the auction and finds that perfect thing.

Hi Brenda! Welcome to RU and congratulations on your three releases this summer. Can you tell us a little about your agent and how she’s supported you over the years? Thanks!

Brenda,

What a treat to read more about your busy–and successful–career/life. They’re intertwined, aren’t they, career and life? Can you tell a little bit about how you organize your day to allow you to write top-notch books, care for your family, and lead such an industrious fundraising and education effort on behalf of juvenile diabetes? You are a true heroine!

Great to have this site here! I’m sure we will all get something out of it. Thank you, Brenda, for the interview. It’s wonderful hearing about your road to success, it gives those of us still walking along it some hope.

Thanks, Brenda for being here to launch our blog. Best of luck with the auction!

I’m just here to say that Brenda’s my hero. The woman is amazing.

Hi everyone–

Thank you for the warm welcome. I’m excited to be here. This promises to be a fantastic site, eh?

Jennifer, thanks for the kudos on the auction. It’s a lot of work–but well worth the effort, thanks to so many of you. I would love to see a cure in my lifetime.

Hi Lara Lee–

So glad to hear you’re bidding on some author critiques. Many of these authors go WAY above and beyond because they know someone has paid for this and deserves to get a little bit extra. Those are probably the biggest bargain on the site. If I was unpublished, I would be snapping them up right and left. LOL

Welcome to RU, Brenda! I can’t tell you how delighted we were that you agreed to be our first visiting professor. I would love your opinion on what it takes to sell in such a tough economic climate.

Best of luck on the auction. And if you decide you need a set of those camels, I bet I know someone who can hook you up .

To all of you who have congratulated us on the launch of RU…thanks! Adrienne, Tracey & I are absolutely thrilled at the comments and we’ll try hard to live up to your expectations! We’re still working out the kinks, but Jeannie Ruesch did a fabulous job on the site design. Thanks, Jeannie!

Oops! Forgot to answer your questions, Lara Lee–and to thank you for your kind words about my books! I am on deadline for three books and one novella each year (at least I’ve been on that schedule for two years and it looks like it might continue). So I have to write a book in four months. With the auction, that’s not always easy today. Last week, for instance, I had to rent a hotel and shut myself away for four days so I could finish the book that was due May 1st (but it’s done now–hooray!). At least I do have regular writing hours now that my kids are getting older. It was SO tough when they were little. All I can say to someone who’s trying to write full-time with little kids at home is…God help you. LOL I’ve been there, done that, and it was harrowing. LOL

Wow, a site after my own heart! Three of my favorite topics; writing, selling my writing, and MEN, all in one spot. Fabulous!

Hi Brenda, hope to be the winning bidder on something this year! Did you sell your GH final entry? And how hands-on is your agent? Thanks, and congratulations on your three releases this summer. Holy moly!!!

Hi Dyanne–

Great to meet you, too! My son is doing really well, over all. Diabetes is such a ball and chain that you just manage the best you can while dragging it around, you know? Because he’s just starting puberty, we’re struggling to keep his blood sugars consistent, and it’s seeming pretty impossible. His last HbA1c was horrible, and that just worries me sick. That said, he’s a resilient, brave, strong little boy with a fabulous attitude and more love than anyone I’ve ever met. Those traits really serve him well.

I was orphaned before my first book came out, but it was already in the schedule. My editor lost her job in…I think it was August. The book came out in November. I think it had a beautiful clinch cover, one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen, and did quite well considering it didn’t have any promotion budget and not that big of a print run. I bought all the copies when they remaindered it. I donated one to my online auction for diabetes research if you’d like to see it (or bid on it). It’s the only historical romance I have out to date. My career veered widely away from that, as you know from the interview.

I’ve actually changed agents several time. It was hard for me to find that “right fit.” I probably should’ve stayed with my first agent, but she wasn’t in NYC and I thought it was important that my agent be in the “mix.” I moved on and got with an agent at a big house, but she left that agency after only a few months. So I went with another agent, who was going through a difficult time in her personal life. She didn’t like “dark” books, which is what I write–kept mentioning romantic comedy or erotica, two things I’m not interested in. I also got the impression that, as a series writer, she wasn’t taking me seriously or even reading what I submitted to her (most of the time). At that point, I was pretty disillusioned and decided to go without an agent. I did that for a few years and felt it worked well. Then, when I started doing the bigger suspense books for MIRA, I decided it was time to try an agent again. That’s when I interviewed a few (I had a contract coming up so I was in a bit of a hurry) and settled on Kim Whalen, who has done a great job for me so far.

I’m glad you’re excited about the new releases. I am, too!

Mary, you are an amazing support. Your post doesn’t give your last name, but if this is the Mary I’m thinking it is, you just pulled back into the lead for the grand prize (For those of you who don’t know this–I’m giving away an amazing computer system to the person who places the highest number of bids at the auction, regardless of whether or not they actually win anything). Congratulations, Mary–and thanks for all that great bidding. It’s made a big difference to the auction.

I appreciate your chapter’s involvement, too!

Hi Jessi–

It’s getting easier. My youngest is now twelve. I’ll lose my third daughter to college in just a couple of weeks. The time has gone so fast–three kids in college, two at home. I never pictured myself getting old, I guess. LOL

You’re welcome, Angelina. Thanks for stopping by!

Candice, my best advice is to take advantage of every opportunity you possibly can. You just never know where that big break is going to come from. Networking is a very smart way to branch out and find opportunity. Are you already a member of RWA? If not, I would definitely suggest you start there. I never planned on writing contemporary novels. I thought I’d stick with historical. I’d sold my first book and already written my second (and had a third one partway done) when my editor was laid off. HarperCollins had merged with Avon, and the Avon romance editors took over the program. They thought my books were too dark for their program (and they were probably right), so I lost my slot. I could easily have been a one-book wonder, except that I’d gone to a small convention in Park City and pitched a contemporary story to the only editor in attendance (just because it was a good opportunity). That’s how I met my current editor, and I’ve been with her for 31 books so far!

Pat and Kathie (K.M. Daughters)–Great to see you here. The Kindle you donated to the auction is doing really well (folks, Pat’s husband even donated a gift certificate to Amazon so you can load that Kindle with books!). Thanks for all your bidding and donating. You guys are fabulous! How’s Kathie’s husband doing? How long has he had J.D.?

Brenda,
Who in the industry is not familiar with your amazing auction, yet I don’t believe I knew the touching story behind it. While penning one NY Times best seller after another, helping new authors get their start *waving and blowing kisses to Pat and Kathie*—and raising five children…(frankly, I doubt under those circumstances I could write out a grocery list). You are indeed an extraordinary person and an inspiration. Wonderful interview and I hope to see you again at nationals.

Congratulation on the site, ladies.

Joelle, The Wild Rose Press

Hi Tracey–

I haven’t been with Kim long, but she’s been very supportive in the two years that we’ve been together (Wow–has it been that long? It still feels new! LOL). What I really like about her is that she’s definitely on my side, you know? That’s what I was missing before. So many agents (who are basically brokers) try to cozy up with the editors (which is understandable but not always optimal). It’s nice if they can be friends and get along–you don’t want to hook up with a pariah or social misfit–but you definitely want your agent looking out for your best interests. I’m such a pushover that I needed someone like Kim, who will get angry, if necessary, when she feels something isn’t fair to me.

That said, I’ve been very lucky in that I have a great publisher. MIRA is amazing and has been very generous with me and supportive of my career. Kim hasn’t had to get angry. But I know she would if it was necessary.

Hi Amy–

It’s a juggling act–that’s for sure. And I won’t pretend that I’m always able to keep my life in balance. There have been times when I’ve put too much into my fundraising efforts or my writing, and that has cost me in other areas (usually personal time, which is virtually nonexistent for me right now, or family time, which is very sad to lose). I have three things that I focus on and I try to not sweat anything else (like the fact that my yard could look better or my house gets pretty dusty before I’m able to cycle around and get it cleaned up)–my career, so I can support my family; my fundraising, so I leave something good (besides my children) behind when I die, and my family. Sometimes I’ll put too much toward one of these three and it costs the other two a little, but then I switch. I definitely couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have a great husband and great kids. They’re all well-adjusted, happy, fun-loving. If they had emotional problems, weren’t doing well in school, or were getting into trouble, I’d have to let something go to focus exclusively on what’s most important to me–them.

Thanks for having me, Adrienne. Candace, good luck with your own writing endeavors. And Jeannie, you would be the only one who has a picture to go with her post. LOL You are such a technical genius.

Hi Gillian–

Great to see you here. I’m sorry to hear that your mother is dealing with diabetes, too. It touches so many lives. I hope she manages it well.

I switched to contemporary because I was initially planning to write for two publishers. I thought it would be smart not to put all my eggs into one basket, and that was probably the best decision I’ve ever made. LOL I sold to Harlequin only months before I was orphaned at HarperCollins. Avon (didn’t appreciate my next manuscript enough to purchase it) so half of my hopes withered and died. Someday I hope to write more historicals, but what I have in mind is a seven-book series of straight historicals. I just need the chance to write them. LOL

Hi Kelsey–

Thanks so much for having me. I’m happy to be here.

You ask what I think it takes to sell in this difficult market. I think it takes a page-turning manuscript, one that hooks the reader immediately and doesn’t let go. Pace seems to be more important than ever. You also need to figure out a way to set yourself apart so that you can get noticed. My auction is a fabulous opportunity for someone who is on the verge of selling, who just needs to get an editor’s immediate and undivided attention. If I were unpublished, I would take advantage of as many of the opportunities as I could afford. But there are other ways. I used the contests in RWA to set myself apart. I finaled in so many and so consistently that people began to think I might have a good manuscript, one worth checking out.

So, more than ever, the manuscript has to be almost in publishable form. And you have to be able to deliver another manuscript that’s just as good. Publishers don’t want to invest in just one book. They want to find an author they can build into a bestseller.

Hi Luanna–

Thanks for supporting the auction. I hope you win something fantastic, and that it does great things for your career. The author critiques are a real bargain and yet so many of these authors do so much to help.

I did well my GH finalist. I think the GH is a great stepping stone. Are you a finalist this year? If so, get as much mileage out of it as you can.

My agent is as hands on as I want her to be. If I asked her, she’d give me editorial feedback (and does a little). What I love about her is that she reads everything I write and she does it right away. I had the feeling with one of my past agents that she didn’t even bother to read what I submitted, and it was frustrating because she couldn’t talk intelligently about the work. But Kim’s real strength seems to be in negotiation. She’s done a fabulous job for me there.

Thanks, Joelle. It’s really nice of you to stop by. And it was a pleasure meeting you at national last year. I’ll see you in Washington DC!

Hi Jamie–

Fortunately, the time I spend with my family seems to do this. We travel, shop, exercise, go to movies, talk. My kids are amazing people who are always doing something interesting. Also, I believe that exercise is very important to a person’s creativity, so I work out for over an hours every day. Since I’m sitting in a chair for most of the rest of the day (especially while the kids are in school) it’s probably also imperative to my health, eh?

Hi Jody–

Actually, I am a pantser. If I do outlines and character sketches, I get bored with the story because I’ve already told it to myself. LOL I need to be surprised, too. It’s what keeps the story fresh. It also helps me let the plot grow out of the characters who reveal themselves more and more to me as the story unfolds. This also stops me from putting a ton of backstory in right at the beginning–because I don’t know much about the characters’ backstory. It leaks out as I write and come to know them, and that puts it in more palatable bite-sized pieces. My method does require some rewriting and going back to twist this motivation or clarify that, but I think your subconsious knows the story you’re writing before your conscious mind does, so it sort of guides you. I get writer’s block when I take a wrong turn. Then I have to unravel a bit and figure out why all the tension has leaked out of my story.

The one thing I have on my side is that I’m a very hard worker and I’m very determined. I don’t procrastinate (I can’t because my poor family would lose out if I did). I sit my butt down and I work hard every second that I’m able to. That’s the only way I can keep up with things right now. Also, I just recently hired an assistant, and it’s taken off just enough pressure that I don’t feel as if I’m about to have a nervous breakdown anymore. LOL

Hi Brenda! I love your work, and enjoy the auction so much. It’s my chance to indulge myself and not feel guilty because it’s for a great cause! My mom has diabetes too.

Did you switch from that first historical to contemporaries because your interests changed, or because your agent or editor encouraged you to branch out in a different direction?

Thanks for checking out the auction, Kit. I hope you’re able to take advantage of some of the amazing opportunities.

Susan–Orphaned means that my editor was laid off (or fired, but in this case she was laid off). When a writer loses her editor, she loses her advocate at the publishing house. Then she has to hope another editor at the same housee will “adopt” her. If not, she has to try and sell elsewhere.

Hi, Brenda. I’m amazed at awed at the success of your auction. Congratulations, and I hope it continues to grow in the years to come.

With five kids at home and the auction to run every year, on top of a full-time writing job, what do you do to refill your creative well?

Amy, I’m not sure I answered your question about how I organize my day. I get up, get the kids off and go to my office. I check my email and take care of all I can do there. Then I start writing and keep writing until the kids are home from school. I help them with whatever they’ve got going and head back to the computer in between. So I treat my writing like a regular full-time job, for the most part.

Wonderful job, ladies! The site looks fantastic, and you couldn’t do much better to break it in than with Brenda Novak! Thank you all so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience with us! I look forward to learning from all of you!

This certainly brightened *my* Monday!

Brenda,

I don’t know how you do it with five kids. My wife and I have trouble keeping up with our two boys.

Ladies,

Nice blog launch. I may have to come back and lurk when you discuss the “Anatomy of the Male Mind.” We’re simple creatures, really. Don’t know what the difficulty is.

Best wishes,

Walt

Brenda,
You are such a prolific writer, you must have wonderful organizational skills. Would you share your work habits? Do you sit yourself down and refuse to get up until you have a certain number of pages? Do you plot extensively before you start the ms? Do you do profiles of your character until you know them like your family?
Please say no, you are a pantser, so there is hope for the rest of us.
Thanks,
Jody

Walt – be careful! You might find yourself as a VP (visiting professor) on one of Anatomy of the Male Mind’s days. And yes, you are simple creatures, which is what makes you so complicated . Please do stop by on Wednesdays and chime in!

Hi Brenda,

Wow, I can’t believe all you’ve accomplished plus raising five kids! Thank you for your words of wisdom. I especially liked the part about believing in yourself and your work- that is critical to your success.

I’ve checked out your website for the auction, and I was truly impressed at the variety of offerings and the “offerers.” Too many good choices to decide. Have to narrow it down.

Best of luck this year with your auction and continued success in our industry!

Kit Donner

Walt, LOL. Thanks for stopping in. We always like the male perspective, but we don’t necessarily understand it! We’ll look forward to seeing you on Wednesdays.

Beautiful new blog ladies and what a great launch.

Brenda- you are an inspiration. I loved your Super series in Idaho. When I’m in future-planning mode (i.e. wishin’, hopin’, dreamin’ of the day…) I cruise around favorite author sites and yours is top of the list. I hope I can support a cause dear to my heart as successfully as you have some day.
By the way, I wish you’d quit promoting those author critiques… the one I want is going to surpass my bid limit!

Jen

In this context, what does “orphaned” mean?

Walt–Men *are* really simple. It’s not about the mind; it’s about the first part of that title (the anatomy). LOL (Just kidding, of course! I know some men are very complex.)

Hi Carla–Thanks for the infusion of enthusiasm.

LOL Jen! The good news is that there are more than ever this year.

I’m so glad you like the Dundee books. I have signed up for two more. I’m also doing a Dundee Christmas novella for 2010. It’s been a while since I turned out a Super. I’m looking forward to getting back into it.

And just look, my picture is on here now, too. Thank you, Jeannie!

Yeah! More Dundee, Idaho books! On that note, what would you say is the biggest difference between writing for a series such as Superromance v/s writing a single title? Length, I suppose, but is it more POV’s? More complexity to subplot? (or just more subplots?) More fully developed secondary characters? I do believe that I saw an evolution in your writing of the series romances that took them closer to single title and closer to suspense while still within the Super line. For example, including the heroine’s father’s POV, not just the H and h’s.

Thanks for letting us pick your brain.
Jen

This is a great site. I hope to visit it often. Well, when I’m not working diligently on my own writing projects.

Brenda, I’m looking forward to reading your novels this summer. You were the speaker at the first Saguaro Romance Writers meeting I attended two years ago. Hope to see you in Tucson again some day.

I took notes! =D Thanks for doing this. And congrats, girls, on a fantastic new blog. I’m going to link it up to mine.

Congratulations on your upcoming books Brenda – I can’t wait to read them…and congrats even more on the Diabetes auction. I’ll be bidding on a few items there myself….looking good!

carrie

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by and making our first day a success!!!

Brenda, you’re adorable! Thank you so much for the time you’ve put in today to make this a great post. I know you’re super, super busy this month. Well, probably every month, but especially this one.

Jeannie Ruesch, aka website/blog design goddess, I WILL accost you at Nationals to give you a big hug and sloppy kiss. The blog design is amazing!!

Walt – Better find a free Wednesday ’cause we’re coming for you!!

FYI, everyone – Romance University donated an amazing “Sampling the World” gift basket to Brenda’s auction. Check it out – http://tiny.cc/VJrTa

Hugs right back at you, Tracey! (and Adrienne and Kelsey.)

And Brenda — I know the pics are fuzzy and I can’t for the life of me figure out why yet. But I will!!! They shall be fixed.

Oh and for anyone else who’d like a picture attached (hopefully soon to be NOT fuzzy)…this website is gravatar enabled. Check out http://www.gravatar.com to get a picture to go with your email address that’s usable on lots of blogs. Thanks!

Congratulations, RU, on a wonderful launch! You couldn’t have had a better guest for launch day than Brenda.

Brenda, I’ve always been impressed with your work both as a writer and with the auction, and thank you for all your hard work and effort!

Congratulations on a great new site! Even though I know both Adrienne and Brenda, I’m being utterly unbiased when I say loved the interview!

Keep up the good works ladies!

Congratulations on such a sleek and professional blog. Great enterview with Brenda, she makes it seem possible to accomplish anything if you try hard enough.

Tracey, Adrienne and Kelsey,
Great website! Sharp and easy to use.
Brenda, wonderful interview! I am a longtime fan, you hooked me with the first book I read of yours years ago, and never fail to enjoy your books. I understand the challenges of raising a large family, we have six grown children now. I wasn’t writing in those days, fiction, anyway! But I went back to school to finish my bachelor degree when all six were home, plus added doing home daycare to pay for my tuition. Talk about harried!
We all survived, (no one starved or went naked) I got my degree (in Applied Behavioral Sciences) and have lots of stories to tell. I even made all six plus hubby come to my commencement ceremony.
Now that all but one are out and on their own, it’s easier. I doubt I could’ve written a book in those days, it’s hard enough to do so now with more time.
Brenda, I’ve participated in your auction since it started and have put in a number of bids this time, too. What a wonderful, win-win project!
I look forward to your next books.
Sherry

Love the whole concept of RU. Great job with the design too, Jeannie.

Brenda–When I complain that I don’t have time to write, I’ll think of you and be inspired. I tried many times to write when my kids were young, but I could never seem to eek out more than a few chapters before I gave up. My hat’s off to you for plowing through during those preschool years and not giving up on your dream.

Do you have any tricks that helped you concentrate with all the chaos around you? With a husband who works from home and no dedicated writing space other than my dining room table, I’m easily distracted. Noise-canceling headphones, turned on but not hooked to music, helps somewhat, but I’m curious to know what you do…other than sequester yourself in a hotel room. I’m totally digging that idea!!!

Hi Brenda,

It’s good to hear how you found success with your writing and it encourages me to hang in there and keep working on improving my craft.

I wanted to mention how much I’ve enjoyed your auctions. I’ve won a few bids for critiques and I can’t begin to tell you how helpful they’ve been. It’s a great way to get your proposals out of the slush pile and you get actual feedback from the agents/editors–not just a form rejection letter. It’s especially valuable for a newbie like me.

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute and am happy to see my money going to such a worthy cause. Also a big thank you for giving new writer’s such a great opportunity to get our work in front of agents and editors.

Good luck with this year’s auction.

Teri Riggs

Hi Jen–

The complexity is definitely one difference, as you’ve noticed. The bigger books are edgier, too. I don’t consciously go into more POVs but the story is bigger and it seems to require it. I only use a POV if the scene has something in it that makes it best told from the perspective of a particular person so I don’t set out to use a certain number. There’s more hearth, home and family themes in the Super books–although becaue those are the things that realy matter I bring a lot of that to my bigger books. To be honest, I wrote my first suspense novel as a Super, hoping that my editor would recognize that it was a little edgier than what I’d been doing in series and publish it as a bigger book. And she did.

Hope that helps!

Hi Judith–

I love your chapter! I’ve been to quite a few, and almost all of them are amazing, but there’s something special about the Tucson chapter. I’m coming back to Tucson for the book fair next March, so I’ll hope to see you then.

Thanks so much, Carrie. I really appreciate your support–of my writing and my fundraising efforts.

And Jeannie, I don’t mind the blurriness of the picture. I just appreciate that you were kind enough to figure it out for me.

Thanks so much, Natalie and Rashda. You ladies rock!

I’m really glad to have had the opportunity to share your big day with you, Tracey. This is the start of great things. I can tell.

Hi Jill–

It is possible to accomplish anything. You just have to be careful not to let yourself get overwhelmed. One step at a time, right?

Hi Sherry–

Thanks for dropping by. What an accomplishment–to get your degree with six kids at home. I think it’s easier to write a book while raising a brood. LOL I need to go back and get my degree sometime. It’s on my list. I left college early to marry and start my family, never did finish.

Good luck with the writing! And thanks for your continued support of the auction!

Hi Laurie–

Not too long ago I was writing on the dining table, too. It was located in the center of the house, the one room anyone had to pass through to get anywhere. LOL I don’t know how I managed to write like that, except that I’m pretty dogged. When I’m determined to finish something, I don’t get up till its done. My husband is the complete opposite. He floats around and takes lots of breaks and gets on the phone. I have a list of things to accomplish each day that I prioritize, and I don’t quit until I’ve hit as many of them as I possibly can. It helps to do the most important things first, whether that’s getting your exercise or your pages written. Then when things start to fall apart as the day progresses, you still get to cross off the top three or four.

One other thought for Laurie. Any chance you could write on a laptop in your bedroom? I recently bought a stand so that the laptop, which used to sit in my lap, doesn’t do that anymore (it would get so hot, you know?). It tilts the computer at the perfect angle and everything, and it was only $30 or so–a Christmas present from one of my kids. I used it at the motel recently, and it worked like a charm.

What a nice note. Thanks a million, Teri. I want to raise money for diabetes research, but I also want all those who shop at the auction to get something out of it, too. I’m a big advocate of win/win situations. LOL We’ve had at least one person get published because of the auction. We’ve had three others get good agents. It’s always encouraging to me to hear about these successes.

I’m glad you’re taking advantage of the opportunities, and I hope they pay off in a big way.

I hope I haven’t missed anyone. If so, please feel free to email me with your question. I’m happy to help.

Thanks, ladies, for having me at the blog today. I’ll be back to check out your other interviews!

What a great new blog ladies. I’ve added it to my Google reader. I’m especially interested in your Wednesday focus on writing from the male point of view. The site is quite professional. Kudos.

Brenda,

I remember meeting you for the first time. I don’t read romantic suspense since I’m a historical-loving gal, so I had no idea you were a famous NYT author. I’m glad, because if I had, I don’t think I’d have summoned the courage to say anything that day.

You and our fellow Sacramento Valley Rose chaptermate Karen Sandler visited the library in Placerville, California. I’d just started writing romances after having dreamed about doing so for decades. When I saw the flier saying two romance writers were going to be speaking in my small town, I got quite excited.

I arrived expecting to see hordes of people. After all, romances are awesome and romance writers some of the coolest people on the planet, right? To my surprise, I was the only one in the room besides you, Karen and the gentleman from Barnes and Noble. Later we were joined by a handful of Karen’s friends and the librarian who coordinated the event–an intimate group.

I sat in the front row and drank in every word you and Karen said and left so stoked my poor husband had to listen to me burble for the longest time. (And he did so without rolling his eyes or banging his head. Yes, I’m blessed.) You and Karen were such an encouragement. I’d never met another writer, let alone a romance writer, and when I realized later who you and Karen are and how many books you’ve sold, my chin scraped the floor.

I’ve been so impressed by your generosity, Brenda. You give back to the writing community in so many ways, and I’m one of many who say thanks.

A big thanks to Brenda for helping to make our launch day so much fun. Brenda, you are a gem and give me something to strive for!

Thanks also to Jeannie for putting up with the million questions we threw at her at the last minute.

Hope to see you all back soon!

Hi Brenda,

My son has autism. I am constantly torn between including or excluding advocacy in my books and writing life. Any advice?

Brenda,
You are an inspiration to us all. I’ve been bidding on lots of auction items, especially the ones for Washington as you have some great prizes. I’m travelling from Australia to my first American conference and can’t wait to see you and all the other inspiring authors there. Best of luck with the auction,
Suzi