But it’s time to get them off the notebook page, and it occurred to me that if I blogged about what I was going to write about, maybe I wouldn’t spook my just-emerging muse still tired from my last deadline back into hiding. And maybe this would be fun for readers to see (sort of “behind the curtain”) as well as fellow writers. In fact, I spoke on a “What’s Love Got to Do With It” panel at Thrillerfest, and these are many of the “how romance blends into suspense/thriller plots” things I wished I’d had time to say but didn’t.

So, here’s a quick peak at some of the notebook pages:

And here’s what I have so far that makes enough sense to work with, based a few weeks of research refreshing my mind on what works in genre RS.

Character Contradictions

While this is an important component to any character, in category romantic suspense especially (where you have less space and time to develop internal and external conflict) nailing character contradictions is even more key. Things that might work in my two new ideas…

Keep in mind that I’ll likely reverse many of these traits (between the heroine and hero) as I write, because, well, I like to shake things up, and that in each case the parring is between a strength and a weakness, but which trait is the real weakness??? That will become the most fun dynamic to write ;o)

Heroine

Resourceful but Naive

Resilient but Vulnerable

Assertive but Dependant

Illusive but Familiar

Indomitable but Weak

Fighting but Frightened

Practical but Stubborn

Defiant but in Danger

Hero

Strong but Careful

Instinctive but Cautious

Brilliant but Reserved

Ruthless but Loyal

Closed-off but Heroine is His Weakness

Fearless but Old Barely-healed Wounds

Powerful but Restrained

Decisive but Reasoned

Deadly but Fair

Alone but with Broken Roots

Reserved but Engaged

Common Character Traits

From all the category stories I’ve read over the last few weeks, these are the character traits that most intrigued me–dominant traits, one or two of which will most likely drive the lead characters in my proposals.

Heroine

Surprising

Enigmatic

Nurturing

Intriguing (naturally)

Protective

Hero

Intriguing (again)

Forceful

Brooding (sigh…)

Comforting (surprising, but true)

Protective (no surprise, another trait the heroine will repeat)

Story Hooks/ Relationship Hooks

Continuing the heroine/hero obsession, I jotted down possible story and relationship conflict hooks that came to mind after reading (and while dreaming of how to thrill my own readers all over again). Not an exhaustive list, but these are the top pics I’m considering playing with. Again, this is for category romance, but I think you’ll see these enticements have a lot in common with mainstream suspense and thriller plots you’ve recently read (maybe even some of mine ;o)

These story elements will need to drive tension and suspense higher and higher from the first page to the last…

External Story Hooks

Crime must be solved before victim (hero/heroine) harmed further

Crime must be solved before suspect (hero/heroine/other) strikes again

Amnesia/Secret past preventing solving mystery

Secret that others are willing to commit crime to get

Business at stake–with a larger “at stake” effect for society

Legal ramifications at stake–beyond the hero and heroine’s lives

Underworld/Organized Crime power in the balance (I’ve done this a lot, but never tire of it)

Small Community at stake–and through them some part of society at large

Witness Relocation (again, a personal favorite)

Scientific Secrets or Discovery at stake/being protected

Relationship Hooks

 Old Relationship, thrown back together

New Relationship, mystery/suspense makes them distrust

Disaster forces working closely

Boss/Subordinate and Role/Power Reversal

Peers in Law Enforcement on opposing sides of case

Stranded/Cut off from others–could one of them be the villain?

Relationship Ties To Plot

In every suspense/thriller I’ve ever written, the relationship drives the suspense story elements, and vice versa. In the shorter genre of category romantic suspense, it’s even more key that the characters, suspense plot and relationship conflict are established pretty much from page one. Every story I read while on vacation reinforced this necessity.

Here are the notes I jotted down to remind myself to hit and hit hard from the first scene of my new books:

Put characters in instant danger, giving them edge and appeal to the reader

Show instant attraction between the romantic leads, whether they want to be attracted to one another or not (in fact, they don’t want to be and that’s a BIG part of their problem dealing with whatever’s blowing up around them)

Make lead characters intelligent and cunning, and make sure these traits are appealing (a turn on) to one another (setting up reader expectation for just how tricky things are going to be, if they’re going to solve the crime/mystery/threat)

Draw characters that would ALWAYS avoid one another under normal circumstances, than make circumstances as atypical for each of them as possible

 Intertwine characters’ story lines so they can only escape danger/solve mystery/”save the world” if they fight together (and eventually stop fighting each other

Again…nothing new here, but seeing it in the notebook and typing in on the screen (combined with the chapter outlines I sketched for each new story) is making me smile and look forward to writing the pages coming my way. This is going to be sooooo much fun!!!

Let me count (pulls fingers from keyboard, just to be sure)… Yep–that’s 6 winners in all ;o)

And, yep, that means you can scroll back through the entire month and leave a comment on every post. In fact, I’d kinda prefer it that way ;o)

Also means I’ll be blogging every day from now through the 30th (now that my finger’s not bleeding all over the keyboard and I’m allowed to type with both hands again)–so watch out, I’m on deadline and who knows where things will go from here.

But I have a GODDESS reading a very rough draft of Secret Legacy for me (we’ll call it a Beta version of the book, but honestly the ending’s still too newly formed–or reformed, since I keep revising it–to be Beta), and I’m beginning to see the beauty amongst the muck. So I’m ready to share the dream that is me falling in love with revisions again–next week…once I have the final ending I wrote last week rewritten…again…

I know, I know… I’m a writing craft geek. But you love me, right?

And because you do, here are a few more FAB pics from my NY trip (haven’t meant to tease everyone, but I’ve had to conserve typing for the book, since it’s mostly been one-handed for two weeks):

My fab. agent Michelle Grajkowski at Serendipity (one of the COOLEST lunch spots in NYC, because you can buy a $1,000 Solid-Gold Sunday, not that we did, but we will, as soon as she gets me on the NYT list ;o)

And, believe it or not, a very fuzzy ROB THOMAS covering “Save the Last Dance For Me” for The Hollies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last month, because an amazing friend got me in and I spent the entire night gawking from my seat up in the rafters. Squeee!!! I can’t WAIT to tell you who else I got to see perform ;o)

So tune in and call in with questions about anything you’d like, including my latest Atlanta Heroes release, The Firefighter’s Secret Baby.

More tomorrow on the hand injury that kept me from blogging last week, as inteded, plus news about the fun stuff coming up on Wednesday, including guest blogging at Fresh Fiction!

A NEW Spring to enjoy…

A NEW novel to revise…and it’s already a “Guaranteed Read” from Dorchester–learn more about this amazing publishing program I’m lucky enough to have been chosen for, and look for Secret Legacy in stores in November!

A NEW Harlequin Superromance release on shelves 4/10…and there’s already only one left on Amazon, so don’t miss your chance to pick on up on B&N or in your local bookstore/section of choice. Cool!

New contests to offer…win $20 Amazon Gift Certificates here AND here  (AND out here the week of the 10th, when I launch my blog release contest for everyone who visits and comments the rest of the month).

New travels to share…from the two weeks in March that saved my sanity and got me back to one (where I could relax into Secret Legacy and make it sing for you).

Of course I have more pictures to share than just this one with cover model and friend Bill Freda, but what a lovely place to start, right ;o) All week, I’ll be uploading pics to the blog so you can see why I’m feeling so amazing and new this Spring morning, while my teenager is upstairs sleeping ’til noon because it’s Spring Break, and my body’s luxuriously tired from hiking all day yesterday on a nearby mountain and my mind is dreaming up dream things to write so you can feel this new, too…

(NOTE: Many of these pics and stories were posted from the road last month on my Facebook feed and Twitter profile, where I do more frequent updates. Part of my new and improved “revised” year is to put content up when it’s happening, and social media seems to be the way to go for that for me. So, if you want to see the news while it’s happening, friend me on Facebook or join the 1,800+ strong (wow, really???) already following me on Twitter!)

To open this week’s picture show with more of what I KNOW you love most–NEW HUNKY GUY Photos!!!

I committed to several teaching gigs scheduled for early this year, BEFORE I learned I’d be having January surgery. It wasn’t easy to get packed up and hit the road for nearly two weeks, but lots of friends were there to make the experience amazing and liberating rather than just exhausting.

When cover model friend Bill Freda learned I’d be teaching at an event near him, he hopped over the night of the book signing to give me a hug and make me smile, and to wow the crowds as usual:

Of course, I taught while I was there, too, with my agent Michelle Grajkowski, and I spoke on a Romance panel with fab authors Virginia Kantra and Tara Nina. See–I was working. Really I was!

What I am is mired in the writing, and rewriting of Secret Legacy  (what do you think of the cover and my C. L. Wilson quote???).  

AND I’ve been travelling like a nutcase fulfilling teaching obligations I made before my surgery, even though I have the SL deadline looming and need every minute I can spare to write. AND it’s Bunny Day and Spring Break season, so my son’s busy life is making mine even crazier.

Which isn’t to whine, but to explain my absence. But I’ve reached a happy place with drafting (just the BIG FINISH to complete now in my latest paranormal romantic thriller) and am taking an extended break from the writing cave to revise and enjoy holiday/family time.

So, while I’m out and about amongst you muggles, I wanted to share:

–this article about bonding between fathers and daughters that made me cry,

–and that I have a new romantic suspense (that rocks an “In Plain Site” theme) on shelves in April–the long-awaited The Firefighter’s Secret Baby,

–and that to celebrate I’m giving away a $20 Gift Certificate over at Fresh Fiction  (who will be handling my contests from now on, because they do such a good job of keeping up with all the details and entries, and I’m working hard to revise my life and my year of the guilt of NOT doing a good job of it lately around here ;o)

If you follow the Fresh Fiction link to the contest, you’ll see the bunnies. See, no naughty. Just cute bunnies and a chance to win free $$$ for books and fun stuff. Aren’t you ashamed for assuming differently???

Enjoy, everyone! I’ll be back in the next couple of days with lots of pics from my travels (including cover models ;o), and some fun news and teasers about cool stuff to come. And, of course, more Secret Legacy excerpts now that things are firming up!

Happy April, my friends ;o)