NEWSLETTER – SUMMER 2008 – A SEASON OF WRITING AND FAMILY VISITS

Writing News:Stories: Two new Harlequin Superromances are in store for next year. I loved writing both of them! NIGHT MUSIC is first. It’s the story of a burned-out, saxophone-playing New York cop who wants a new career. He meets his match in a feisty young widow who asks for his professional help in finding the man who hurt her daughter. Add in a beautiful mountain lake, a therapeutic German Shepherd, a flute, and lots of family…

Then comes THE ARRANGEMENT. The title might change, but the story remains of a young lawyer who gets custody of her infant niece upon her sister’s death. When her abusive parents threaten a custody fight, she must seek out the baby’s father – a premier quarterback in the NFL.I actually learned all about football in order to write this one.

Now, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that THE SOLDIER AND THE ROSE is a finalist for the Booksellers Best Award sponsored by the Greater Detroit chapter of Romance Writers of America.. The bad news is that Harlequin closed the Everlasting Love imprint which published that book. I’m thankful, however, that this story had a chance to be told. Your feedback has been wonderful. And while I’m mentioning contests, HOUSEFUL OF STRANGERS was a finalist in the Holt Medallion, sponsored by Virginia Romance Writers. Both acknowledgements are very satisfying.

Conferences: Writers work alone 99% of the time, but every so often, we yearn for the company of other writers. That’s the signal to attend a writers’ conference. This spring, I spent three days in New York enjoying workshops, seminars and informal chatting with a delightful group of fiction writers. The conference was sponsored by Novelists, Inc. a professional organization for published genre writers. The friendships and sharing re-charged me – not to mention the food. It was New York after all….

At the end of July, I’ll be going to Romance Writers of America’s national conference, this year held in San Francisco. Many writers aspiring for publication attend this event because the workshops are held all day long and provide an education you can get nowhere else. I’ll be meeting with my editor as well as with my Superromance pals. Most important, I’ll be chatting with readers, too.

Family Visits: Whew! We put some miles on the car, but who doesn’t love a road trip? From Texas to Florida, then north to New York and Connecticut, Mike and I spent most of June visiting our children and grandchildren. Wonderful visits including a pre-school graduation, and a dozen new words from the fifteen-month-old. Miracles happen all the time, but we’re usually too busy to notice. Not this time. Not this grandma. I cried when we had to leave. I always do. Sigh. Why can’t they all live next door to me???

I hope you have some fun this summer. Grab a Saturday. Reserve a Sunday. Do something different, something relaxing, something you want to do - if only for a day. As always, thanks for stopping by and catching up. Happy reading!

Linda

Click here to read about my contest winners!