Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

I sat down today to figure out where all my time goes. If possible I seem to go through time even more quickly than money. Being a smart girl, I figured this couldn’t be that hard to figure out and fix. So, I sat down with Excel and did a lovely spreadsheet. (There is very little that can’t be solved with a good spreadsheet analysis IMO.)

Anyway, I have no clue where my time has been going, but I now know exactly how much time I have to play with –not much. I’m using five minutes of my travel time to pick up my daughter at the bus stop right now to chat with you. This is technically promotion time. Double Billing!! How great is that?

In case you think I am totally insane, rather than the normal writer state of just mildly neurotic, I do have a goal for this. I would like to have time for 1.) my family, 2.) writing, 3.) myself/excercise and 4.) household duties without winding up rocking in a corner–there is no time in my schedule for corner rocking.

So, how do you spend your time?

Lori

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I’m writing this in advance–so can’t report on mine yet. :) But I wanted to share a weight loss web site I discovered some time back that is FAB. I love it. It’s called fitday. It’s free and you can chart your calories eaten, exercise, nutrition, just about everything there.

I know this sounds like a bad infomercial, but I thought of few of you might be looking for some new tools now that turkey day is behind us and holiday parties are looming. Check it out. :)

Lori

Hope it’s a good one!

Lori

This is something a little different for me, it’s an interview, except instead of being with the author it’s with a character. :) Miranda Chase is the heroine in my friend Teresa Bodwell’s second book–Loving Miranda. For more information on the book, you can visit the Your Virtual Book Bag blog.

I met up with Miranda Chase when she stopped in Denver on her way from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Fort Victory in Colorado Territory. Let’s see what she had to say:

September, 1868.
Denver, Colorado Territory

?: You’ve been away from Colorado Territory for a year now. What brings you back?
Miranda: My sister sent a letter asking me to come. This might sound strange, but Mercy ain’t never needed me. Once I got that letter, you couldn’t have kept me in Philadelphia if you tied me to a tree.

?: Last I heard, you were planning to marry Harold Pearson. What ever happened to him?
Miranda: Harold? He found a gal who suits him better. I had hopes he would choke on his wedding cake, but last I heard he was still kicking.

?: You’ve lived in the big city and on the frontier–which do you prefer?
Miranda: You want some fun in Fort Victory you can go to Rita’s Saloon or a church social. Pa and Mercy never did allow me inside of Rita’s so that left the monthly socials. And my sister wearing her gun and glaring at every man who asked me to dance. In Philadelphia I chose my friends. It wasn’t near as easy as I reckoned it would be.

?: Can you describe your ideal man?
Miranda: My pa. He’s not a handsome fellow, but he’s good and kind.

?: What are your hopes and dreams for your future?
Miranda: Truth be told, I’m afraid to hope, but I reckon I still have dreams. From the time I was a little girl playing with my doll, I thought sure I’d have my own family one day. I still think maybe it could happen. When you grow up you learn there ain’t no such thing as sure.

To find out what happens to Miranda check out Loving Miranda by Teresa Bodwell, or start with her sister’s story, Loving Mercy. Both from Zebra. :)

Or more accurately, the pig.

I got my copy edits for Love is All You Need (working title Pig in a Poke) last Saturday. They have been sitting on my kitchen table staring at me ever since.

Thing is, I was expecting revisions, but there weren’t any, and I haven’t looked at this book in a full year. That’s right a full year. When I was writing it, I LOVED it. Was just down right tickled with myself. But a year later? How would the thing read?

Well, I’m happy to report I finally broke down and started reading last night. I got through the first three chapters and not only do I still love it, but I even got a good copy editor–a major gift as any author will tell you.

So, happy days. I can read on without cringing.

Wishing all of you light copy edits and easy reads. :)

Lori

I just love these cartoons.

Here’s my new cover …fun, don’t you think? And I love the back cover copy. It sounds like something I would want to read–always good. :)

When Del Montgomery’s boss sends her to the Missouri Ozarks in search of a legendary pottery pig, her mission seems simple: figure out which of the clueless locals has the pig, convince them to sell it for peanuts, and then hightail it back to Chicago. Local auctioneer Sam Samson could be the perfect secret weapon in her search–as long as he never figures out what she’s really after. But is it possible to resist a tall, dark, gorgeous guy who’s sly as he is sexy?

Everything about Del turns Sam on, from her city sass to her delicious cleavage to her habit of twitching her nose when she’s about to tell a whopper. And she’s been telling a lot of them. Still, Sam knows a true babe when he sees one, and he’s not about to let Del slip away…

You knew Googling is a sport, right? Anyway, I don’t do it much anymore, but every now and then I have to check it out. Look what I found today:

I’ve been translated!!

And some nice ladies in California are recommending me along with Jennifer Crusie and Carly Phillips. :) Scroll down to Diana Looks at Romance section.

I went through twenty odd pages of links about moi (scary) and there wasn’t a bad mention in the bunch. That’s nice.

Have a great weekend!!

Lori

p.s. Major CONGRATS to my friend Kathy Steffen who just sold her first book to Medallion. YeeHaw!!!!!

Karen Tabke. She’ll be speaking on plotting parties–sounds fun! If you want to join us, leave a comment and I’ll send you an invitation to join the group. :)
Lori

(the below written by Karin)
Let’s have a party!

A funny thing happened to this pantser after she sold. She couldn’t write. She was frozen, stumped, migraines became a daily visitor. She choked.

For all of the years I strived for publication, I wrote regularly, but on my terms. I began a story with a germ of an idea, my characters fairly fleshed out and a few good scenes burning to be written. Usually, I began my story in the wrong place and by the sagging middle, I could, without pressure, mull my way to The End. This method usually required heavy rewriting. My stories generally meandered and well, while there were some really good scenes, these stories usually needed to be cut by 20-30 K words. Writing 20-30 K words in my life now equals time, my very valuable writing time, time I don’t have to waste on one single word, much less thousands.

I learned quickly that deadlines don’t bode well for casual mulling. Deadlines don’t bode well for beginning your story in the wrong place with leisure time to dabble, tweak and rewrite multiple times. Rewrites that ultimately dilute your story.

After weeks of staring blankly at my computer screen, and the beginnings of an ulcer due to massive does of aspirin, I knew what I had to do. Plot. ( I don’t cringe when I type it or say it out loud anymore.) Plotting does not come naturally to this pantser, but thanks to Shelley Bates, I discovered the kewlest thing.

A plotting party. Here’s what you’ll need.

A day with no outside interferences, a couple of really smart writer minds, a few specific office supplies, munchies, and most of all: enthusiasm coupled with the will to plot the next NY Times best seller!

Stick around and find out how to utilize this sure fire plan of not only plotting your story, but developing your characters GMC’s along the way.

Karin’s Bio:
Hot cops you say? I say, write what you know.

Karin Tabke writes hot cops; who while they live, lust and love they take time from their personal passions for their other passion: Justice. Not always by the book justice. Sometimes her hot cops walk the very thin line between good and naughty, but in the end, the bad guy is caught, the lust finds love and life is good.

How does Karin know so much about hot cops? Naturally, she married one. ;)

So it’s no wonder Karin is one of the launch authors for Kensington Publishing’s new erotic romance line, Aphrodisia. Her hot cops fit right in. THE HARD STUFF will be released January 2006. Her second and third sales were to Pocket/Simon & Schuster. Doing what she does best, her hot cops lust, love and fight the bad guy from page one to The End. GOOD GIRL GONE BAD, an erotic suspense, will be released in September 2006 and SKIN (working title), February 2007.
Karin is also a member of Romance Writers of America National, and two local RWA chapters. The Heart of the Bay San Francisco, and the Black Diamonds of the East Bay. She is also a member of several on line RWA chapters, most having to do with murder.

Karin has also joined four indomitable multi published writers (Jennifer Apodaca, Natalie R Collins, Deborah LeBlanc, and Allison Brennan) as part of the Murder She Writes blog site. All five authors have one thing in common. Dead bodies abound in their books. For a sidesplitting laugh or the raucous discussion of how to kill someone and get away with it, visit the ladies at www.murdershewrites.comKarin is part of the Crime in Mind trio, www.Crimeinmind.com, comprised of Dr. Cynthia Lea Clark, forensic psychologist, and Rae Monet, former FBI agent and current Private Investigator. CiM presents workshops and guest speaking appearances. Karin’s part in the group is discussing the life, love and trials of cop family life and also basic CST information. Karin is currently enrolled in The American Institute of Applied Science’s CST program.
Karin is also CEO of her own company.

Her website www.karintabke.com offers Cop Talk, a very popular resource to garner basic cop lingo, procedures, miscellaneous information, and even a few funnies. There are also several links for more detailed cop information.

Karin resides in a quiet little town east of San Francisco with her husband, three of her four children, three over indulged dogs, one very naughty cat, a mouthy African gray and numerous koi.

Her other passion is watching her two sons kick ass on the football field.

Yep, an interview! With Lucy Monroe. :) Lucy, hmm how to describe Lucy? Contemporary author? Sensual author? Author of historicals? Paranormals? Yes, to all. How about publishers? Brava, Harlequin, Berkeley, Zebra? This woman is everywhere. What an inspiration.

Anyway, I caught up with her and asked her a few questions..

(me) You write for three publishers and a number of lines. When you started out was this a goal of yours? How do you balance it?

(Lucy) This absolutely was one of my goals. I’ve always written lots of different types of stories and it works well for me creatively to keep doing that. As for balance…there is insanity and there is utlra organization of my time. The prevaling approach depends on the book and what day of the week it is. :)

(me) What elements can readers count on finding in your books no matter the publisher?

(Lucy) Strong emotion and strong sensuality with characters that I love so I hope they will too.

(me) What is the absolute best compliment a reader could pay you? (besides buying your books)

(Lucy) To tell me that I touched their heart. It’s why I write for publication rather than just myself. I want to touch the emotions of others, to make their day a little brighter and maybe help them to keep believing in happy beginnnings.

(me) Your current release, Touch Me, is your first historical. What made you decide to try a historical?

(Lucy) I started writing historical but sold contemporaries first. It has always been a love of mine.

(me) Was it more difficult for you than the contemporaries?

(Lucy) It didn’t used to be, but now that we’ve got teenagers and live in the middle of my extended family again, it’s a lot harder to get into the historical period for writing when the phone rings so much more and there are a lot more drop ins that keep me in the present reality a littel too firmly at times.

(me) What about the Regency era attracted you?

(Lucy) I actually love most eras of history for many different reasons, but the Regency era worked best for the characters in this trilogy. It’s usually about the character for me, when you get right down to it.

For more information on Touch Me visit the Your Virtual Book Bag blog. :) Oh, and Lucy blogs too.

Next Monday I hope to have an interview–so check back.

Lori