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Tag Archives: Megan

Today it’s time to clean some stuff up, out of my mind, if not my house.

Monday is Blog Action Day; so far there are over 11,000 blogs participating, and on October 15, every blogger will be talking about the environment. Maybe your blog (speak for yourself, Megan! I am!) doesn’t have the hugest amount of visitors, but if every little voice joins together, we’ll create a magnificent din.

Last weekend was the New Jersey RWA Conference; it featured really excellent panels, not horrific food, and the chance to hang out with fellow writers. Janet Mullany and I (along with two of my writing friends) had dinner Friday night, and I saw Diane Gaston inbetween her socializing, not enough, for sure, but at least I got a hug. So HALF of the Risky Regencies were represented in Jersey, which was cool. (side note: If you are in the New York area, and are free next Thursday evening, Jane Lockwood and Collette Gale will be reading from their respective naughty books at the Happy Endings Lounge. I’ll be there, too).

In addition to taking action for the environment (see the first item), I also encourage you, if you are a writer, to take action for your fellow authors–I can’t tell you how great it is to critique someone else’s work, to help them and be helped in return. Sure, I can ask my husband, who does have his degree in writing, to look at my stuff, but he doesn’t read romance. But fellow authors? Yup, they’ll know it’s okay that I spend a whole page describing how she walks towards him (although I am not Judith Ivory). I just did a critique for someone, and it is exciting to see someone else’s talent. I can’t do this a lot, but when I do, and the person is responsive to the critique, I feel as if I’ve given something back to all the writers who help me.

My son–dramatic eight year-old that he is–told me he would die if he didn’t do something nice for someone at least once a week. He also said he’s “rare,” because he does a lot of nice things, unlike other kids his age. Good thing he’s not full of himself. But it’s a good thought–what good things have you done lately? What are in your plans for the future?

Megan

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Today I head off to New Jersey, land of tomatoes, peaches, and Springsteen for the New Jersey Romance Writers’ Conference.

Conferences are great motivators; not only do you get to meet and talk with other women who do what you do and like what you like, but man, you’ve spent the registration fee, so darn it, you better do something besides sit on your butt and whine about not writing.

Which means, of course, that it is–let’s see–6:39am in the morning and I have to think of something to post here before I go.

[sudden switch of topic, I will bring it back around, just wait]

Another great thing about writing is that, contrary to what we whine about a lot, it is not a solitary endeavor; your comrades-in-arms (or keyboards) understand what you are going through and can commiserate. For example, I am heading to New Jersey with my friends KJ and EKM, who posts as the Lady Novelist.

A few days ago, EKM tagged me for a book meme. Which I now present here. Please comment and share your answers, too, so we can be a big community of obsessed book people!

Total number of books?

Oh, lord, I’m a reader, not a math person; I estimate about 2,000. My husband and I were both English majors, plus there’s the obsessive reader thing–maybe more, I dunno.

Last book read?

Traveling With The Dead by Barbara Hambly, a vampire story set in the 1920s. I am currently reading J.R. Ward‘s Lover Unbound. And next up in the queue is Deborah Simmon’s Tempting Kate, a Regency historical.

Last book bought?

Lover Unbound and The Devil’s Right Hand by Lilith Saintcrow (but honestly, I’m not ALL about vampires and demons, it just happened to be that way right now).

Five meaningful books?

Andrew Lang‘s The Colored Fairy Books: amazingly diverse tales that all usually have a happy ending.

C.S. Lewis‘s Narnia Chronicles: Kids surviving on their own, using their own innate good sense and morality, something I found myself doing when I was growing up.

Jane Austen‘s Pride and Prejudice: Romance, a seemingly irresolvable conflict, strong characters, plus that Mr. Darcy is soooo alpha-sexy. Le sigh.

Barbara Cartland‘s The Wicked Marquis: Ellipses and all, I read and re-read this book when I was nine or ten. And spent all my allowance money on more Cartlands. Eventually, I discovered the Heyers lurking in my parents’ library, but Dame Barbara was responsible for my introduction to romance.

Charlotte Bronte‘s Jane Eyre: First person, not a traditional heroine, a dark, tortured hero, melodrama, she turns down that prig St. John, thank goodness, and yet it’s got an HEA.

What about you? Share your obsession!

Megan

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During the summer, as I was mulling over ideas for future projects, I realized what a lot of authors already know: To make a fabulous story idea, add “in the Regency” to the end of it.

This is like the Chinese fortune cookie game where you add “in bed” to your fortune. Hilarity ensues. In this case, however, you might come up with some really useful ideas.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer in the Regency? Colleen Gleason‘s Gardella Vampire Chronicles.
Sex And The City in the Regency? A gazillion different authors, most notably Eloisa James.
Desperate Housewives in the Georgian? Eloisa James, again.
Charlie’s Angels in the Regency? Jenna Petersen.

What other examples can you think of?

Now every time I’m watching TV I pin “in the Regency” to the end. Unfortunately, since most of the TV I watch is due to my son, I’m left with Spongebob Squarepants in the Regency, or Scooby-Doo in the Regency (although Shaggy could be the Prince of Wales, couldn’t he?)


What piece of pop culture would you like to see “in the Regency?”

Megan

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Like Elena’s kids, my son is back in school. Hopefully unlike hers, mine is already hating it. I don’t think he’ll like school until college, and maybe not even then. Anyway. This has been an exhausting week, and I am completely uninspired.

But I do have pictures!

Our summer started out in Minnesota, where my son went to sailing school (my mom is from there, my whole family–except me–sails). That first picture is from the sailing school island, out on Lake Minnetonka.

Then it was Birthday time.Then we went to Cape Cod, to visit my dad. I forgot to bring my camera. Then to the Jersey Shore, where we frolicked on the beach and ate lots and lots of ice cream. The son made me go on one amusement park ride, to try to scare me, and although I wasn’t scared, I did get nauseated. Ah, the price of motherhood.

The beach was fantastic.

What did everyone else love this summer?

Megan
*I edited some pix from before.

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The past two weeks, I’ve been at the Jersey Shore*, observing egregious fashion choices (short shorts are NOT for everybody), eating way too much ice cream, and of course reading books.

I’ve devoured at least five thus far, with a sixth about to be finished, if I have my way.

During the summer, I don’t get a lot of time to do my own writing (my Son is in Camp Mommy, so I am on call most days), so I make up for that by reading a ton.

My favorite thing to do is to rotate genres: First romance, then action, then sci-fi, then historical fiction, then back to romance, etc. So this summer I have read Barbara Hambly‘s fourth book in the Benjamin January series, Die Upon A Kiss, Tara Janzen‘s Crazy Kisses, MaryJanice Davidson‘s Drop Dead, Gorgeous, Liz Carlyle‘s Never Lie To A Lady, and Lee Child‘s Tripwire.

I’ve read all of these authors before; summer beach reads are not for experimenting, because if you hate the book, you’re stuck in the sand with it.

I don’t do any research reading during the summer because I get too frustrated at not being able to write; instead, I try to figure out what it is I like about each author I read. Hambly I love for her language and ability to make any setting–in this case, 1830s New Orleans–come alive. Her hero, Benjamin January, is a complex character who you really come to know, and who grows throughout the course of the series. Tara Janzen’s Crazy series are fast-paced, delicious fun, great for her ability to get into a man’s head. Lee Child is just plain brilliant. Liz Carlyle’s writing is lush and gorgeous, and this hero is just about perfect for me–nothing gets to my heart like a tortured alpha male. And MaryJanice Davidson’s voice is so fantastic I don’t care her plots are as thin as some of the bathing suits I’ve seen on the beach this week.

Next week, we go back to reality: Brooklyn, school, writing, washing my own dishes, the possibility of sweatshirts. But right now I’m reaching for another book in the huge pile and savoring the last few days of summer.

Megan
*on dial-up, so no pictures.

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