Taking a Break

My contracted story is in the hands of my editor so I'm taking a break until edits arrive...I'm currently poolside dreaming about him as my pool boy - I mean, hunky man.

Hope you enjoy the eye candy.

Happy Tuesday!

Late as usual!

Can't help it. Busy! Fridays are tough because my husband works from home, we get out hiking at the crack of dawn and then he likes to actually eat breakfast and drink coffee. I usually just grab a banana. Okay, no more complaining!

I'm at Book Lovers, Inc. today: http://www.bookloversinc.com/2011/08/guestpost-ghost-romance-say-it-aint-so.html

Stop by and maybe win a copy of Incorporeal! Happy weekend! Julia

I recently read another article that blamed Erotic Romance novels for the crumbling moral fiber of the entire planet! Who knew we authors had so much power??!

Romance novels have been around for a very long time; full of larger than life heroes, extravagant locations, and undying loves that triumph over insurmountable challenges.

So, does the evil lie in the use of correct terminology for the human anatomy? Maybe it’s the honest exploration of all of the many facets of the sex act?

What concerns me most is that in these modern times, much of the negative dialog suggests that female sexuality is something that shouldn’t be discussed and celebrated openly, and that women are not intelligent enough to separate real life from fiction. Seriously?

I think we all fully understand that most men are not in excess of six-feet four inches tall, possess a perfect set of eight-pack abs, and whose only reason for living is to protect/worship/understand/support/satisfy their woman! Vamps, aliens and shifters are wonderful characters, but I’m betting the vast majority of female readers are pretty damn clear on the fact that they aren’t going to be meeting one any time soon.

I’d call bullshit on anyone who declares their relationship with their significant other “perfect”, or who blames the demise of a relationship on a book. But can Erotic Romance really affect a woman’s life? I say, “Hell yes”!! Isn’t it empowering to read about women who overcome all kinds of issues on their journey of self discovery? What about discovering new positions, toys, and games that spice up the real world bedroom? How about the simple fact that a beautiful love story makes the reader happy?! Yep, all terrible consequences…

Speaking of evil Erotic Romances, Pampering Jessica, received a wonderful review from Book Wenches~

“Jessica is a very relatable woman, as she is someone who is so busy with her life and responsibilities that sometimes she ends up sacrificing too much, including her own needs, to take care of those around her. She is a strong, caring person who would do anything for those she loves, and the author gives her an incredibly vulnerable aspect which we get to see pop up throughout the story. Jessica is luckier than most women, though, because she has the love and support of a great husband who sometimes understands her better than she understands herself.
David is the epitome of a dream husband. He works hard to support his family, and he is fully devoted to his wife and their marriage, even when times are tough. He is also incredibly sexy, romantic and creative. His pampering treats for Jessica will set your heart aflutter and get you all tingly where it counts.”
www.bookwenches.com/august11reviews.htm

Have a great weekend!
Tessie
www.tessiebradford.com

Smells like pre-teen spirit

Where did summer go? School is ready to start! Yesterday I sat in a school gymnasium through a lengthy parent orientation for my son’s upcoming first day of junior high. I wasn’t ready for any of it on so many levels. This summer has been wonderful, packed with lots of time with family and friends and I hate to see it end.

I also have horrible memories of junior high school and it’s hard to watch my only child heading into that caldron… I don’t want him to suffer the negative experiences I had.

My son actually enjoyed the first day orientation. He walked out of his new school beaming. He didn’t seem intimidated at all by the many little things that easily overwhelmed me at that age, and he has a couple of big challenges of his own to cope with. Sometimes I don’t know where he gets his confidence.  He always seems to have plenty, and I hope it stays that way.

I keep hearing from the other kids in our school district that this is a great school and they love it. I also hear from the others that the parents and teachers don’t allow the kind of oblivious stuff that certainly went on when I was in junior high school. People are much more aware that bulling is a serious matter that destroys lives, but I worry because there are so many embarrassing ways nowadays to cyber bully.  Our children are facing so many difficult pressures.

Junior high is one of those invisible boundary markers that warn you the child part of childhood is over and only limbo-land lay ahead.

So far my son seems fine with all this. He’s having a good time, but what about me?

If your children survived junior high school, please leave me an encouraging comment—please!

XXOO Kat

Out of Whack!

The DH returned to work on Monday and so the late night/early morning feedings returned to me. I’m so exhausted I don’t know if I’m coming or going.
My hopes were to finish edits and send them off to my editor, but I had to change a scene and well, that changes the rest of the book, so…let’s just say things aren’t going smoothly.
Other than that I discovered I’m going to be in another anthology. I found this lovely cover on Barnes and Noble. My story Dante’s Desire is part of the book. I’m excited! You can check it out here.
That’s all I have for today.
Happy Tuesday!

History lessons at the movies?

As a professionally trained historian (with grad degree in the Old Stuff), I love to write historical fiction and read it.
A few nights ago, a professor of American history gave a big slam on prime time TV to the new movie, THE HELP. Her critique was, IMHO, the one of the "More Knowledgeable Academician" telling the lowly world how inaccurate, improper and downright disgraceful the film was to have portrayed that time and place and characters with joy, humor or compassion. Her conclusion was that the film is a gross glossing over of the truth.
Now, first, I must tell you, I read this book months ago. Loved it for its humor, compassion and finely drawn characters. Most of all, I loved it for its portrayal of the times and the milieu. I lived through that time and I remember it well.  And while I lived in a fully integrated city and went to public school in one, I also went to college with women (and men) from the Deep South. I know what my friends thought and how they lived. I listened to them as we watched riots and hosings, the aftermath of the murder of Medgar Evers and Dr. King. I visited the South with my friends, met their parents and siblings. And while I am not a professional historian of slavery in America, I can say all of the following with certitude:
1. No book, non-fiction or fiction, can portray the total truth of a period or a people.
2. One book, non-fiction or fiction, can explore only one angle, hopefully, well.
3. One author, especially a fiction author, does not aspire to write the definitive picture of a person, place or period.  (If she does, she'll never finish that book.)
4. The author's job is to pick one premise, one theme and one or two morals of the story. If she's doing her job well, she's going to use the best of her talents to accomplish that limited goal.
5. This author chose to portray a group of white women and a group of black women whose intertwining relationships were representative of a culture and a period.
I think she accomplished her goal well.
If she didn't accomplish this TV historian's goal well, she didn't have to.
And clearly, since THE HELP continues to strike a chord in hundreds of thousands of people who have read and continue to read it--and smile and laugh and shake their heads and feel the pain of those characters--the author did her job.
That is the only thing she was supposed to do.
The only job any author of fiction has or should.

Gol durn dang it!

What is it with me? I cannot remember to post on Fridays and blogger hates me so much it won't let me schedule posts!

I think the problem is that hubby works from home every Friday, which is a mixed blessing. Yes, he hikes with me early in the morning, like at the crack of dawn so he can get to work by 8 a.m. But he's here all day, using my space and asking for things like...coffee, lunch, afternoon delight...you know, gotta take the bitter with the sweet, I guess - but he throws off my timetable!

So, what's new? I have the two indie books up on Amazon, working on getting a third book up within the next few weeks. I'm working on In the Flesh - a sequel to Incorporeal.

Many thanks for all your kind words earlier this week - I needed them desperately. Have a wonderful weekend! love, Julia