Have you ever attended an interactive murder mystery party? If game sales are any indication, people love them. A few years ago, I did a take-off of the concept and wrote the audience participation mystery, Belladonna in the Bouillabaisse. I staged it at a local Bed and Breakfast and am proud to say I made a profit. Well okay, let’s say I made enough to buy the cast a round of drinks after the play.

Would you believe that two weeks ago I was approached once again for a murder mystery play? Yippee! Since I got the news, I’ve managed to set aside the saner portions of my unbalanced mind and create. What can I say, it’s not a paying gig but it sure is fun.

I’m currently developing the adventures of Dagmar Bromide, International Crime Fighter. Think Shirley Booth meets Austin Powers with a touch of Miss Marple thrown in. The play itself revolves around the eventual murder of Stella Swainbridge, a terrorist who never quite found her niche.

KGB, IRA, even a stint at the IRS, terrorism left Stella cold. Our budding adventure seeker wanted to live—really live. So she dropped the terrorist angle and found recognition as a novelist. Her tombs include, Is It Terrorism or PMS?, Terrorists Have Mothers Too, and her breakout book, Road Rage in the WalMart Parking Lot, the stirring expose of a PMS suffering terrorist who comes to terms with her mother in the Midol isle.

Stella’s book sales didn’t stay on top for long and soon she was forced to pen her current tell-all memoire entitled, I was Valdimir Putin’s Love Slave. Naturally, her publisher organized a book tour. Sex sells.

The problem for Stella is none of the characters in the play want her to have a successful tour. To add insult to injury Vladimir has wrote her a letter demanding she retract the book or else. Yikes. Poor Stella. It’s no wonder she winds up face down in the Cucumber Jell-o.

This week I’ve found myself creating a host of whacky over-the-top characters for the play. Allow me to give you a peek at three:

Wendell Wendell: Remember the kid in school who always wore pocket protectors and made straight A’s in Geometry? That’s Wendell. His life challenges range from enduring the same first and last name to sleep apnea. Stella recommended an experimental laboratory for his nasal issues. The sleep apnea is cured but now every time he hears the name Barry Manilow, he has an uncontrollable desire to form a Conga Line. Does Wendell blame Stella for his Conga condition or the scientist who gave him the cure?

Luther Snodgrass: Stella’s KGB mentor whose former name was Ivan Klomick. Has been turned by Dagmar Bromide. After changing his identity with facial reconstruction and taking an intense home study course in redneck, he is now living in Branson, MO where he is known as Luther Snodgrass. Luther has recently became the proud owner of Luther’s Bait & Video. The problem is that no true redneck bait shop owner in Branson, MO sells beluga caviar. Will Luther be able to keep his new identity a secret? Has his old boss, Vladimir Putin, turned him back? Will Luther stop Stella or is he content selling night crawlers and stocking his shelves with copies of Amazon Women Gone Wild?

Casper Van Diem: Gracious, Mannered Scientist. Think Jekyll and Hyde with proper table etiquette. Laboratory interests involve experimental sleep apnea cures and the study of poisons used by the Dyack Headhunters of Borneo. Stella steered Wendell to Dr. Van Diem’s laboratory, and a most unfortunate accident occurred. If news of Wendell’s current Conga condition gets out, it will ruin Van Diem’s otherwise sterling reputation. Goodbye Nobel Peace Prize; hello laughing stock of every respectable mad scientist worldwide. He blames Stella.

So I guess the logical question is why would sane adults agree to make fools out of themselves and take on these roles? You tell me. They also have to Conga every time the name Barry Manilow comes up.

I don’t have the answers to why adults enjoy these types of games. I guess I need to finish my play, and maybe the next gig will pay enough to buy my cast Nachos to go with the drinks. Then we can sit around and figure it all out.

I was searching the web for some Wednesday Weirdness gems when I happened upon this strange picture of a cake. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Surely it wasn’t a cake. It looks just like my Smokey’s cat pan after he’s made a few trips. So I Googled it, and sure enough, it’s a real cake. I thought I would do a little change up this month and try something different. Wednesday Weirdness, Crazy Cooking edition. So here, I present to you the not so delectible looking Kitty Litter Cake. Yummmmmm-Y!

Kitty Litter Cake

Ingredients:

1 spice or German chocolate cake mix
1 white cake mix
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies
green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Roll candies

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new kitty litter pan liner
1 new pooper scooper

I love that this recipe has been made idiot proof. Can you see someone trying to use a litter pan their cat’s already… well you know what I mean.

Directions

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix until completely colored.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it too soggy. Combine gently.

Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Put the cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put 3 unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything — this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top. For the coup de gras take one Tootsie Roll and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around for a truly disgusting effect!

Mmmmm… enjoy!

Arianna

Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting with family…and that’s what I’ll be doing starting Thursday.  I’m off to North Carolina, the state of my birth.  I’ll get to see my brother and my nieces, my sister and my nephews, Mom and Dad will be there and of course me and my brood.  It will be a full house.  But will it be a fun house?   That remains to be seen.

Anyway, I’m going be stuck in the car for about eleven hours…yes that’s eleven hours in a row!  Nonstop driving, eating junk food, trying to get a little writing done before the motion sickness makes me have to stop.  It will be eleven hours of hurrying toward our destination and waiting to get there.  Hurry up and wait at its finest.

But what if we weren’t in such a rush?  What landmarks could I see between Nashville and my North Carolina destination?  Kingston, Tennessee would be on the list for strictly personal reasons.  I’m a genealogist and there could be clues there!  That could take days of picking through old papers and books.  That would have to be a trip I did by myself.  I can hear the kids complaining and I haven’t even mentioned the idea out loud.  They’d complain and my dear husband’s eyes would gloss over before he began to snore.  They just understand my quest for my heritage.

 Maybe stop in Knoxville.  Have some lunch.  Look around the city.  I’ve only ever been through Knoxville but I’d love to  explore the zoo.  See the James White Fort, an historic pioneer house…yes, history!  I love it.  Again, my kids would complain.  I know this because when I told my youngest daughter I wanted to visit James K. Polk’s house in Columbia, Tennessee, she said, “Is that history?  I’ve already done history.”  Nice, huh?

A more family friendly destination would be Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  I’ve never been to Dollywood.  I would love to see the shows and maybe, if I could gird up my loins (Yeah, I hate that term.  Just how does one gird up their loins?  Give me an ugly mental picture), I’d even ride Daredevil Falls…  And who knows Dolly herself might decide to take a turn around her park. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Back in the car I’d head straight to Asheville, North Carolina and whether they like it or not, we’d stop at the Biltmore where I ‘d finally get to see just what all the fuss is about.  I’d like to wander the gardens and see every single room the place had to offer.  Oh yes, it would be great, if I only had the time. 

Who knows.  Maybe next year…

You just landed a huge publishing contract. What is the first thing you do?

Renee: Bow to the porcelain god.

Alice: Pft!  I was sure you’d say hire a good lawyer for your db.

Brynna: Either open a no kill shelter or donate a huge sum to one already in existence!

Arianna: Are we talking a $100K advance? I’d fix up my parents home and pay off my car loan and credit card bill. Wow that was just way too simple.

Christiana: Gosh!  I don’t really know.  Probably put my kids in a really good private school.  Pay off the house and refurb. my kitchen! The rest?  Rainy day fund.

Sasha: I want to steal Renee’s answer because I’m pretty sure that would be my first order of business, too.    After I quit hyperventilating, I would probably look around and start thinking about the practical needs like a reliable car, and if there was really a lot of loot, maybe a good down payment on a for real house that actually sits on a concrete foundation instead of on axles that have lost their tires.   

Renee: Alice, that would come after I do my bowing. 

Kelly: I would have the advance paid to me in hard cash. Small bills, preferably, so that it’s in piles and piles. And then I would dump it all on the bare floor of my living room and roll around in it for at least an hour, reveling in the fact that, for the first time since I bought my house (YESTERDAY!!!!!), I was not completely and utterly broke.

Or, alternatively, I would put it all in the bathtub and take a treasure bath, a la Dom DeLuise in History of the World Part 1.

Then I would gather it all up and do something responsible, like put it in the bank, pay off student loans, or make headway on the mortgage.

But I’d definitely have to revel in it first.

Brynna: OOOOOOOoooooo!  Congrats on the house, Kelly! 

Laurie: Congratulations, Kelly!!! You had better have give all the 411!!!

Terri: Kelly,
Congrats on home ownership!  Welcome to the world of mortgage payments, principal, fixed interest rates and the ever ongoing fixit repairs.  LOL.

Okay, Blog question.  I’ve just landed the big contract, what do I do?

1. Give thanks to where it belongs, to God.
2. Get Sam a hip replacement and purchase him a 14 carrot gold beer bowl.
3. Call my favorite author (Laura Levine) and treat her to Margaritas on me.
4. Buy a small island in the Caribbean so Sam can learn to snorkel.
5. Invite my FanLit buddies to vacation on my small island in the Caribbean anytime they want–with or without pets!

Brynna: Ah, Terri, #5 is perfect!  Let me add to go along with it “buy a private jet” to take us all (and our pets) to Terri’s island. 

All right, so what would you do if you got that ultimate advance?

Today I intended to blog about getting the cover for my debut novel, Sinful Surrender. Then sometime around dinner time today, I got the news from my sobbing sister that Michael Jackson had died. Now earlier I found out that Farrah Fawcett died of cancer. While sad, her death was expected. Three or so weeks ago the media had suggested her end was near, so I wasn’t surprised. Michael’s death shocked me speechless.

There is much about Michael in the latter stage of his life that I had problems with; the allegations and his appearance being two of them. But when I heard that he had died all I could remember was the Michael Jackson of my youth. The young boy with the voice of an angel and the young man who was responsible for Off The Wall and Thriller (arguably the biggest album of all time), both of which are two of my favorite albums of all time.

So today I just want to take this time to say good-bye to America’s favorite and beautiful pin up girl, and fine actress, Farrah Fawcett. And to Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, a master performer and an icon who will forever be a part of not just America’s fabric, but that of the entire world. May they both rest in peace…

In remembrance, I’m posting the most anticipated and watched music video of all time, THRILLER.

When discussing what they should review this year, Kelly came up with the fantastic suggestion of reviewing the 2009 Rita finalists, and Brynna loved the idea.  Since many of the finalists are familiar to us, we decided to pick those authors we had yet had the pleasure to read.  We begin this month with our first selection.  From the Rita historical category, we present Pam Rosenthal’s The Edge of Impropriety.

A previously published erotic novelist, Pam Rosenthal says when she decided to write a romance novel, she knew “[it] would have to be historical, of course, like the Technicolor epics of my childhood. And it should be sexy-because sexy writing is its own reward.  I began to read history, and to imagine characters who were rebellious, conflicted, and sometimes a little bookish (write what you know, they say).  And then I sat down and tried to write. And tried and tried again: I tried for three years until I got the hang of it, and I’m still trying to keep my stuff hot, sweet, smart, and original.”

With this novel, Rosenthal’s definitely covered her four primary elements. The Edge of Impropriety is hot, sweet, smart, and original. For more about Pam Rosenthal, please visit her website at http://pamrosenthal.com/

Brynna said:  Jasper Hedges is an unusual hero.  A scholar more interested in antiquities than social gatherings, he has never been comfortable in the center of society’s spotlight.  Still, to care for his niece and nephew, he will do what he must to ensure their legacy is secured.  So to London he comes to appraise the art of a wealthy collector and to try to form some kind of relationship with his nephew.  As fate or luck or circumstance would have it, it is Anthony, his nephew, who introduces him to the most beautiful work of art he has ever witnessed, Marina Wyatt, Countess of Gorham.

Marina Wyatt has made a life for herself by maintaining a distance just close enough to London society to keep her at the center of their attention and their gossip.  Famous for taking younger lovers then modeling her characters after them, Marina has found a way to live the life of a novelist, to live the life she wishes, for however long she can.  And while the ton thinks Sir Anthony Hedges her latest paramour, the truth is she has found much more than she ever imagined in the arms of Anthony’s uncle Jasper.

Their affair is passionate and daring and secret.  The gossip columnists don’t know how to interpret her latest behavior, but Marina does not care. She and Jasper have found a freedom to explore, to discover, to be more themselves with each other than either has ever known, to push the boundaries in each other’s arms far past the edge of impropriety.

But Marina has secrets.  Secrets only one man knows, and she will do whatever it takes to keep him from telling them, even if it means leaving the life she has created and the only man she has ever truly loved.

Pam Rosenthal has crafted an unusual romance both in the characters she’s drawn and in the way she’s told their story.  Reminiscent of literary works such as Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, Rosenthal tells Jasper and Marina’s story with a more distinct narrative voice than is usually found in romance novels today.  Through the author’s omniscient point of view, we are allowed not only glimpses deep into the minds of the two main characters but into those of some of the minor characters, as well.  For some readers, this narrative voice will keep their sharing of Jasper and Marina’s experiences at a distance; for others, the more formal tone of the regency period will delight and amaze.  Either way, Pam Rosenthal has crafted a sensual, powerful story of two individuals who find when lovers take the chance to discover themselves and each other, truth and passion and love can be found at The Edge of Impropriety.

Kelly said: Jasper Hedges is not what he seems to be. The noted antiquarian unexpectedly becomes the guardian of his orphaned niece and nephew, and is forced to keep alone the secret that could devastate his family. But when circumstances compel him to take up residence in London, and during the Season, no less, the socially awkward Jasper ventures into Polite Society for the sake of the nephew he barely knows.

Marina Wyatt is not what she seems to be. The beautiful countess and renowned author’s wild success could be attributed to her talent for basing her characters on her peers. Or it could be her notoriety for taking younger lovers, like Sir Anthony Hedges, then dramatically casting them off. But hidden behind the facade of a carefree lady is a secret that Marina would do nearly anything to keep concealed.

From the start, Jasper and Marina are drawn together, their fierce passion inexplicable, their bond natural and instantaneous. They embark on a discreet affair, but neither banks on falling so deeply. And when Marina’s secrets threaten to destroy the life she’s carefully crafted for herself, she fears Jasper will be caught in the backlash.

Pam Rosenthal has given us an unusual story about two strong individuals forced to face their own vulnerabilities. Written in a prosy style reminscent of the classics, yet with the boldness of a more modern romance, Rosenthal’s unique voice carries us through Marina and Jasper’s journey and the sacrifices they must make to set themselves free. While that voice may not appeal to every reader, when one steps back from The Edge of Impropriety, at the heart is a strong story and a rich and engaging cast of characters.

“Who makes the rules?”

My students often ask me this question when we’re studying grammar. My answer invariably doesn’t satisfy them:   A group of scholars with advanced degrees convene yearly to look at the language and . . .  When their eyes glaze over, I (with my innate wisdom) surmise they are no longer listening, so I end my explanation there.

Then, I usually hear:  “But if that’s the rule, then why does (insert author name) write with so many (insert broken grammar rule)?”

Ahhh.  This answer is simple:  “It’s her style and she has chosen to break that particular rule for effect.”

A flash of light, clear understanding, a connection is made and . . .

“Okay, then how do you know I’m not breaking the rule for effect?”

My answer is always the same:  “If you’re using it for a specific reason, the reason must make sense to the reader.  In other words, the effect has to be effective.  If breaking the rule leads to confusion, then it doesn’t work.”

“So who decides when it does and doesn’t work?”

And here we go again . . .

In truth, I understand my students’ questions and their frustration. Sometimes we writers get the same sense some majestic overlord sits on his/her throne and determines what we can and can’t do with our fiction.

Who says?

I know industry guidelines exist and those must be followed, but many of the “hard and fast rules” some critics and contest judges pride themselves on identifying are really just pet peeves and not rules.  Our craft must be practiced.  We must learn and understand the rules guiding it.

And we must be willing to break these rules, whether rules of grammar or some other type of writing convention, when it serves and enhances the purpose of our story.

Bestselling authors get away with it because . . . well . . . they’re bestselling authors.  But somehow I don’t think Nora Roberts ever read the article that said, “You should never begin with a prologue;  you should never open with an alarm clock buzzing;  you should never begin with too little dialogue . . .”  (Take a look at her latest release Vision in White if you question my example.)

Nor do I think she’d care.

What about you?  Do the rules you’ve heard float around in the back of your brain while you’re crafting your future bestseller?  What do you consider the hard and fast rules of our craft, the ones you’d never consider breaking? Have you changed your story based on someone else’s definition of what you can and can’t do?

As I write this, I’ve just finished watching Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Since we’re down to our last few Chinese Mondays together before I move, and summer reruns of How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory weren’t doing it for us, Dad and I decided to try a film that we’d both wanted to see for quite some time.

The plot goes something like this: Nick, a New Jersey high school student and owner of one of the only Yugos left in existence, has been dumped by his beautiful girlfriend Tris, who tosses into the trash every mix CD he makes her. Norah attends private school with Tris, and fishes the scorned mixes out of the trash, since she thinks Tris’ much-lamented ex is her musical soul mate. Nick and Norah meet in the city and go in search of the secret location of a concert by their favorite band. Along the way, and with a bit of “help” from their friends, they try to discover what the true meaning of love is.

Aside from the fact that this was a terrific movie, with just the perfect blend of humor, wit, angst, and heart, there were moments that I know will stick with me for a long time to come. I’m not going to tell you, although I’m dying to mention it here, but the last line of the movie is quite possibly one of the most perfect ending lines I’ve ever heard in a film. Or book. Or any love story, for that matter.

It wasn’t a big, momentous line. It didn’t make me choke up, or laugh out loud. My breath didn’t catch when the line was said, nor did my heart race. Rather, just a sense of rightness settled over me, as if a puzzle piece had just clicked into place. The line wasn’t something grandiose, crafted to stand the tests of time or serve as a catch phrase. No, it was natural, something you could truly believe someone would say to another human being and not sound like a complete tool.

If you think about it, many of the great memorable love stories are like that. While Gone With the Wind is a sweeping epic, it’s the line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” that millions of movie-goers remember. I can completely imagine an ordinary man getting frustrated and tossing out that line, can’t you?

Or what about Pride and Prejudice? There’s no high drama, no one-liners that really stand out. But yet, we hold that novel and its brilliant author as the epitome of a true romance. What is it about Elizabeth and Darcy that resonates with us? Is it that they find love, despite the odds? Or is it that we can so easily put ourselves in their shoes, and still believe it?

That’s not to say that there’s no place for the high drama, or the mythical, or even the farcical in romance. It’s not necessarily even the characters that make us connect to the story. The common theme throughout all of it is the emotions involved. Dukes and mermen, Highland warriors and CEOs, high school seniors and FBI agents all have one thing in common - their capacity to feel. And because we feel those same feelings, too - hope, heartbreak, anger, humor, and above all love - we can connect to the characters on the page or on screen.

In the movie, Contact, Jodi Foster argues that mathematics is the universal language, and therefore, one versed in mathematics should be able to communicate with other cultures and other worlds. But I would argue that there’s an even more universal language, one that is inherent to us all. And when we feel that puzzle piece snap into place, that sense of absolute rightness settle over us, we know that the language of love has made it onto our own personal playlist.

What’s the most memorable romantic moment or line you’ve seen in a movie/read in a book? Did it knock you for a loop? Or did it settle over you like a warm blanket?

Any country music fans out there? I’m not huge on country music, especially since I was raised on Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin and Three Dog Night. I grew up with the sound of drums beating throughout the house and my dad singing Eli’s Coming. The lyrics Joy To the World were probably my first words, or at least the ‘Jeremiah was bullfrog’ part.  My life has always been filled with music, from the musician father to my mother who sings off key, but she loved to fill the house with the classical sounds of Bach, Beethoven, and Pachelbel.

When Mr. Scott and I began dating, he’d sing to me all the time. Mostly Elvis songs like, “You can shake an apple off an apple try,” since that was the major influence in his house growing up. I would melt every time he’ curled the right side of his lip in that Elvis sort of way (and I so did not like Elvis) and he’d sing in a lazy Louisiana drawl. Not that he was from Louisiana, but the accent would always kind of take over, and my seventeen year old heart would pitter patter like crazy. Talk about weak in the knees and every other part of the body. Talk about total seduction, that seventeen year old girl saving herself for the marriage bed never looked back.

Shortly after we were married (5 years after we started dating), Mr. Scott became one of the worship leaders at the church we had attended. Most of the time there wasn’t a dry eye. When Mr. Scott opened up to sing, he would sing with passion, and it was so beautiful and filled with meaning.

So, now imagine that the following song comes on the radio, the entire world stops. Because this man stops what he’s doing, even if he’s in the middle of a conversation, he stops, and he looks deep into your eyes, his blue ones so very intense and filled with love, and he sings. And he isn’t singing for anyone but you, and you know this because he’s looking straight at you, sometimes even holding your hand. And if there was any doubt about who he’s singing to, he inserts you name into the tune without breaking the flow of the song. And as it winds down, as the last strands play out, he whispers, “And I thought I loved you then.”

If you have heard the song, I recommend looking for it on youtube. For now, let me introduce you to the lyrics of Brad Paisley’s Then.

I remember, trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mezmorized
And three weeks later, in the front porch light
taking forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet
but I thought I loved you then

Chorus

And now you’re my whole life
now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it’s ever been.
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

And i remember, taking you back to right where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didn’t care
Got down on one knee right there once again,
I thought I loved you then

Chorus

And now you’re my whole life
now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it’s ever been.
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

I could just see you, with a baby on the way
And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before

And now you’re my whole life
now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you, girl
We’ll look back someday, at this moment that we’re in
And I’ll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then

So tell me, have you ever been serenaded to? Was it a big hit or did your serenader fall flat on his face?

At my office’s Christmas party last December, my co-worker’s wife mentioned that her sister was a romance writer who just so happened to be releasing her debut trilogy this summer. Little did I know that this sister was Judi Fennell, whose fun and, dare I say, feisty debut novel, In Over Her Head, can be found in stores now. I recently chatted with her to talk about books, getting The Call, and life after publication.

Kelly Arden: Thanks for chatting with us today! How are you?

Judi Fennell: Busy. Heading to Long Island tomorrow for their annual luncheon. Always a good networking thing. It’s also where I sold the trilogy last year, so it holds a special place in my heart. I’m actually giving a “scholarship” to one of the ladies of LIRW - we’ll draw a name out of a hat for a free luncheon.

KA: I can see why the event means so much to you. So, you said you sold the trilogy at the luncheon last year - how did that happen?

JF: Deb (my editor) and I already knew each other and she’d already rejected two of my stories, but I have a habit of drawing pitches out of people whenever there’s an editor/agent in the area, and Deb likes that in me. So she said to send her the one she’d just rejected and she’d give me feedback b/c she wanted something to work for us. Then I told her she had In Over Her Head on her desk, so she said she’d look at that when she got back.

Then I was chatting with another woman across the table about the Gather.com contest and I mentioned that I had two more Mer stories and Deb jumped on that. She wanted to see the partials. I sent them on Monday and a month later I accepted a 3 book contract.

KA: Sounds like things moved very quickly after that!

JF: For all we’re told not to pitch more than one book at a time, Deb is all about building a career and likes to hear that you’ve got more than one.

KA: How long did you actively pursue publication before that?

JF: I joined RWA in 2004. I had one story that needed a lot of work and a dream.

KA: Will that story see the light of day someday in the future?

JF: Hopefully. It’s a time travel, so they’re not exactly in vogue at the moment, but it’s been reworked enough that I think it’s good enough.

KA: Did something in particular inspire you to write stories that center on Mer-people?

JF: I’d written Beauty and The Best (which was in American Title III and the Gather.com original First Chapters Contest), as well as CindaBella and Fairest of Them All. I wanted to twist The Little Mermaid. The easiest way to do that was to make HIM the Mer. Voila! In Over Her Head was born. When it made the Top 5 in the Gather.com First Chapters Romance contest, I wanted the editors to know I had more than just one story in me, so I came up with the partials for the other two Mer stories.

KA: Your sense of humor really comes off the page well. And yet, there was a depth of emotion in the story as well. What was your biggest challenge in writing IOHH?

JF: I honestly didn’t have one - at least, not for the original version. In the original version, Reel had a tail. When I met Sue Grimshaw who was one of the 4 final judges of the contest, she told me the reason it didn’t win was b/c they didn’t find his tail sexy. If I could change that, I could sell the story. So I had to sit down and figure out how to do that. I never had a problem with his tail - he lost it for the “important” parts (LOL) - so I had to wrap my brain around the new Reel. Turns out, there actually wasn’t much to change. His character was his character and not having a tail actually made his internal conflict much stronger.

KA: But I wonder, won’t that tail problem arise when we get to Rod’s story? (Of course, I wouldn’t ask you to give anything away … :))

JF: Oh, I’m not giving anything away. There’s a blurb on my website. Rod has to bring the lost Mer princess back to Atlantis to gain the throne. Problem is, she lives in Kansas and has no idea she’s a Mer OR a princess. So, if you can figure out how a Mer with a tail would get to Kansas, I’d love to hear. :) The problem was getting around the 2 sunset stipulation. We’ve also got dive-bombing albatrosses and snarky seagulls and bad guys. It was fun!

KA:  I hear you also spend a lot of time at the shore. Did that provide an extra draw towards writing about the Mer world?

JF: Well, I’ve got this irrational fear about sharks - saw JAWS at an early age and it left an impression. So, how cool would it be if there were a race of people off the coast ready to swim in and protect me? Especially if he looks like Reel!

KA: I’d like to take a moment to ask you about your publisher. Sourcebooks is a independent publishing house, correct?

JF: Yes. It’s the largest woman-owned publishing house in the country. Our publisher Dominique Raccah is amazing!

KA: Do you think there are definitely advantages or disadvantages to publishing with an independent house?