Best wishes for a fabulous 2012

There's nothing we can add that hasn't already been said in dozens of other places across the blogosphere, so we'll keep it simple: we wish our blog readers all the best for 2012.

This blog re-opens for business on Wednesday 4th January, with our first Author Spotlight of the year.

A Minxy Holiday Treat

As of today the Minxes are now officially on holiday, and the blog is closed. We wish you a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to seeing you back here in the new year.

I'm going to leave you with my current favourite Christmas song, Santa Baby from Kylie Minogue. Don't you agree that Kylie looks particularly Minxy in this video?

Happy Holidays!

Author Spotlight - Rachael Johns

Today the Minxes are very proud and pleased to welcome one of our very best writing friends to the blog. We are all overjoyed that Rach's hard work and wonderful writing has been recognised by Carina Press. Here's Rach to tell you all about her debut!


What is your writing process?

There’s supposed to be a process? Oh dear! Well... I guess maybe I do have SOME sort of process. I generally start with a premise or a seed of an idea. In ONE PERFECT NIGHT I wanted to write about a hero who had night terrors and I wanted a Christmas story. The characters evolved from there. I’ll then usually write some notes about their conflicts – but this is something I REALLY need to work on. For my last few novels, I’ve written a rough synopsis before starting to write – either to enter into a contest or to show an ed. After the synopsis and the character conflicts, I dive right in. I usually steam ahead for the first four or five chaps and then DOUBT overwhelms me. I wail a lot to my CPs and think this is the worst thing I’ve ever written and there’s NO WAY I can do it. But I plod on.

I do VERY little rewriting – but polish a lot as I go. So far my only major rewrites have been the result of revisions from editors. I LOVE the idea of rewriting but just can’t seem to work myself up to it unless I have a request for revs.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

I’m pretty lucky in that I live in a small town and there’s not much opportunity for shoe shopping. I DO love shopping online but shoes have never worked for me that way. I DO however procrastinate in a zillion other ways – the Internet being my biggest time-waster. I don’t know if I have any method as such, other than trying to reach a word goal every day. And I try to write every day (although I often fail miserably at this)!

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

I’m rolling on the floor laughing at this question. Does that count as a fitness routine? The short answer is no. The expanded answer is that I go through exercise binges, not generally when I’m in the middle of writing a book though. I use no-time as a fabulous excuse 

Do you believe in writer's block?

Yes and no. Yes, when I’m struggling – lol – and no, when I’m on a writing roll. Although I think if you’re writing as a career, you sometimes have to write through such down times. I think blocks are often the result of taking a wrong turn or not having enough conflict in the story. When I’m blocked I often go back and read everything I’ve written in a wip so far. Yes, it’s time-consuming but I figure it’s better to do that than waste time on crap words.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book?

If so, did it get you into trouble? Hmm... am trying to think, but I don’t think I have. I’m sure a lot of the things in my books have happened to other people but not to me. The closest I’ve probably got is writing a magician hero – my grandfather was a magician!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

To be honest, I barely FEEL published yet. Am still pinching myself at regular intervals. I think the difference is I feel less guilty for taking time to write. Aside from that, I’m still doing everything pretty much as I was before. Promotion is no longer a dirty word.

In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

I try to blog regularly (lol) and have a Facebook Author page and a Twitter account. I could hang out on Twitter all day but I’m trying to limit myself. I’m also on Good Reads but not very active there. Oh and I love guest blogging on fabulous sites such as this one 

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

Write more books.

What did you learn while writing this book?

That sometimes you do have to follow your gut and doing revisions that don’t sit right with you is not always a wise move. I’ll clarify – this book was first aimed at Mills & Boon. I was asked to make revisions, which included removing the Christmas element and the family element and losing the boss/employee hook. While I’m all for doing revisions if requested, I think you need to look at whether the revisions will stay true to the story. Mills & Boon may as well have asked me to write another book. I tried, but it just didn’t work out because it was no longer my story. Saying that I did quite heavy revisions for Carina too but they didn’t ask me to change the essence of the story.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Can I say typing The End? No? Alright... I have to say it was brainstorming the characters and coming up with their premise. I love the beginning of creating a novel.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

I think Cameron would take Peppa away at Christmas to a place that is covered in snow. He’s a bit of a romantic underneath his tough exterior and I think he’d like to experience the magic of Christmas in a cold climate with her. I’m thinking there’d be an isolated log cabin and a wood fire involved.

ONE PERFECT NIGHT

Peppa Grant's fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she's also heard that he's aloof and distant. Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company's annual party...but he's also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family's holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron's only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

Carina Press

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Rachael has kindly offered a give-away to one non-minxy commentator so please get commenting to get yourself in the running for a fab early Christmas present!

Everyone Needs a "Kalinda"

First off, if you don’t watch The Good Wife, then you’ll probably not know what I’m talking about.

Secondly, if you don’t watch it, why on earth not??! The Good Wife is like, the best show on earth, for goodness’ sake! Ahem…*reins self back in*

To give a thumbnail sketch, The Good Wife is a drama series set in a Chicago law firm of Lockheart Gardner, and Kalinda Sharma is an investigator for the firm. But she is oh-so-much-more than just an investigator. Kalinda’s stock phrase, “I’ll take care of it”, is usually uttered in a little more than a whisper. And boy does she!
From discovering that one of the consultant’s ex-wives who’s looking to run for the senate seat used to sleep with Osama’s cousin (cue supersized hilarity), to rescuing the daughter of The Good Wife, Alicia Florrick, from a baptism her parents didn’t approve, Kalinda is a must-have-would-give-an-arm-and-a-leg-for accessory in everyone’s life.

Especially as we hurtle towards Christmas (less than a week away, ack!) I find myself wishing I had my own personal Kalinda. Believe me, this is the time of year when it seems everything that can go wrong, does. In the past week, I’ve had to deal with a work appraisal, organising an almost 10-year old birthday party, organise a family trip for next summer (had to do it or lose out on a good deal), deal with extended family issues whilst organising care packages for said family, attend school Christmas plays (note the plural), and take extra care of my mother-in-law who was missing her son as much as I was missing my DH who was away on a business trip.

Believe me, there were days I didn’t want to get out of bed, let alone take care of my kids and get myself to the day job and back again. As for the writing, it didn’t even get a look in.

So I’m here, at the day job, wishing the work would magically take care of itself, all the shopping get done by itself, the turkey magically appear in my freezer… But especially that my Kalinda would managed to get the eds to respond to my CPs who've been waiting for answers from various editors for months and months, and in one case a *year* on a partial...

Ah, what the hell… *closes eyes and makes a wish for very own Kalinda*

In case Santa’s too late with my Kalinda and I get buried under my rubble of insaneness, I just want to wish you love and a peaceful holiday season. If you have a moment though, I’d love to know what you would do with your own personal Kalinda?

Author Spotlight - Shirley Jump

Our latest author under the glare of the spotlight is Shirley Jump. The first book she sold to Silhouette Romance THE VIRGIN'S PROPOSAL, won the Booksellers' Best Award for Best Traditional Romance of 2003. Two of her subsequent books were finalists in the Golden Quill Awards and two others were finalists in the Madcap Awards for best romantic comedy. She is also a Reviewers' Choice Award winner. In 2007, she won the Holt Medallion for RESCUED BY MR. RIGHT and the More than Magic Award for "Twelve Days" in SUGAR AND SPICE. Right, now that's out of the way, on to Shirley and the questions!

What is your writing process?

I start with a what-if situation (what if a man who never wants children suddenly finds out he’s a father), then figure out who would be in that situation and why. I don’t do a lot of plotting or preplanning on my shorter books but will do it on the longer books that have multiple plot layers. In all my books, though, I start writing and go about three chapters in before I step back and figure out the rest of the plot. Then I ignore my synopsis and write straight through, entirely by the seat of my pants. I do all the revisions and final read through and then write the last scene, because until the entire rest of the book is done, I have no idea how it will really end. I find I tend to bury the clues to my ending in the book, and when I pull them out at the end, the whole thing just comes together.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
I use shoe shopping (and other fun things like lunch with friends) as “carrots” to keep me working. Like today I want to get to the mall for Christmas shopping, and my deal with myself is that I have to finish one chapter and revise another before I go anywhere. If I don’t do it, shopping has to wait :-(. That tends to keep me on track.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
I’ve found the older I get, the more that is a HUGE necessity. It’s not just about combating “writer spread,” it’s about having energy and overall wellbeing. I go to the gym 5 times a week. I do spin classes, run on the treadmill and do one overall body class that uses weights, so I get a nice variety in there every week. It also helps me keep up with the kids, LOL.

Do you believe in writer's block?
Not at all. I know there are people who swear they are blocked, but to me, there are just days when the writing is hard and days when it is easy. It’s the same as any job—some days things go well, some days you’re slogging through oatmeal to get that project finished. I used to write for a newspaper and had to produce two stories a day, 365 days a year, no matter what. That taught me pretty quickly that there is no such thing as writer’s block—there’s only getting the job done.

What have the changes to the current Harlequin lines and branding meant to you? Have they affected your writing process?
No, not really. To me, a Shirley Jump book is a Shirley Jump book. I write the same kind of book I always have, and try to vary it by doing some comedies and some more dramatic books. But other than that, I really don’t think about the shifts in the lines or branding.

What do you think makes a Riva book Riva? (or a Cherish book Cherish?)
I’ve had books in both, and to me, a Riva book is more fun, more cosmopolitan (meaning city settings, and the kind of energy and adventures that come with that) while the Cherish books tackle the harder subjects and have more of a cozy, small-town feel.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
Real life inspires me, and some things from my real life will sneak in from time to time (like the fainting goat I put into “The Marine’s Kiss”, a true funny story from my son’s birthday party). I grew up in a small town and lived in one for a while when we moved to Indiana, so there are lots of elements of small town living that make it into my books, too!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
LOL—it’s not all feather boas and reclining on the sofa with a poodle! It’s far harder work than people think, and it’s not glamorous. But that’s okay, because I’m really a person who likes to cozy up in my sweats and work. I also think a lot of writers don’t understand that this is a business and there’s a huge business component to being an author. It’s not just about writing the books—it’s about being savvy and plugged in to the publishing world.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I still like to do it on a more personal level. I have done some mass newsletters, etc. But I really like connecting with my readers on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. It has more of a friend feel, and I’m not just selling the newest book to them—I’m building a relationship.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Treat every reader special. If they take the time to approach you, talk to you, write to you, become your friend on FB, etc, treat them special. Everyone wants to feel special, and without our readers, we wouldn’t be here.

What did you learn while writing this book?
That I’m a sucker for anything Christmas, LOL. I absolutely, positively love writing Christmas books. They’re my favorite ones to write and every time I do one, I get that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling again.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?
It’s my fourth book set in Riverbend, and for me, returning to those familiar characters is a blast. I love Earl and Betsy, and seeing their romance come along has been a blast. Readers really connect with those two characters, too, and love being able to return to these familiar neighbors.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
My hero is a romantic at heart, and he’d whisk the heroine off to a tropical destination. Maybe something a little different, like Fiji, where he could spoil the heroine mercilessly. She deserves the time away—and after a chilly Christmas in Indiana—the time in the sun!

Thanks so much for going Minxy for the day, Shirley! Here's some details about Shirley's latest book, A Family Christmas in Riverbend, which sounds just the read for the holidays!:

Christmas miracle: from tough tycoon…to daddy?

Edward left Livia because he knew he couldn't give her the family and marriage she wanted. But when he's forced to return home to snowy, sparkling Riverbend, he discovers Livia has moved there, too—with her tiny baby in tow!
Livia had hoped desperately that Edward would remain away until time blurred the memory of his lips on hers. Now, she longs for him, but how can she tell him her precious daughter is not just hers…but theirs?

You can buy Family Christmas in Riverbend by clicking the links that follow for Amazon.com, (this one is for the paperback)
Amazon.com for the ebook edition,
Amazon.co.uk for the paperback
Barnes & Noble and all the usual places.