Turning Points in Life

Well, I'm home from the RT Convention with plenty of stories to tell, but I have some news to share first.

I'm thrilled to announce that My Lady Below Stairs, my novella in A CHRISTMAS BALL, has finaled in the 2010 Reader's Crown (the contest sponsored by Rom Con, the new Borders Books Romance conference being held in Denver this year!) Click here for the list of finalists in all the categories. I'm in extremely fine company.

This story is very dear to my heart. I was about half-way through writing it when I was diagnosed with colon cancer at the end of 2008. I was hustled into surgery and was profoundly grateful when we learned that the cancer had been discovered at an early stage and my prognosis is excellent.

But surgery is no light matter. I went through several months of constant pain. This was during the time when I was doing my 50day/50blog Vexing the Viscount Tour. My writing production on My Lady Below Stairs slowed to a crawl of 2 pages per day. (I did meet my deadline. I'm a fanatic about that. I'd have to be dead myself to miss one.)

In the midst of pain and weakness, the time when I slipped into the fictive dream of My Lady Below Stairs was the high point of my days. And when I turned it in, my editor said it was the funniest, sexiest thing I'd ever written. (I'd blame the drugs, but I was off them within a couple weeks of surgery!)

Finishing that novella taught me something about myself. Norman Mailer says, "Being a real writer means being able to do the work even on a bad day." My Lady Below Stairs convinced me that I'm a real writer. It was a turning point in my career and in my life.

And now I'm so delighted that this novella has been honored by the judges of the Reader's Crown Contest like this. Thank you, whoever you are!

I'll be sharing about my RT experience during the rest of this week, so I hope I'll see you here again! Right now, I need to get back to TOUCH OF A THIEF, my current WIP. It's due June 1st and I'm 250 pages in. I'll keep you posted on my progress as I go through the writing marathon my new contracts have set for me.

Today's question: Has there been a time in your life when you learned something about yourself that changed things for you?

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Readers have been flocking to my website since the announcement of the Merry Christmas Ball Contest at the beginning of October. Thank you all for entering and signing up for my newsletter. I'll always send you something fun!

Today I'm thrilled to announce that we have a WINNER! Congratulations to Tonya of Taylor, Michigan! Your $100 B&N gift card is on its way!

To everyone else, may I offer a free read as a consolation gift? Click here for A Dragon Caern Christmas. It's Christmas Eve with the characters of PLEASURING THE PIRATE and VEXING THE VISCOUNT. Plus, a new contest is starting on my website today! (All my contests are exclusively for my newsletter subscribers--don't worry! no purchase necessary!--but be sure you click the confirmation email you receive when you sign up and add my newsletter to your list of trusted senders.)

When I researched A CHRISTMAS BALL, I ran into lots of fun facts about having a Regency Christmas. I revamped my website and tucked in 6 bonus pages about how the holiday was celebrated in 1822. For example, we start in on our Christmas around October (at least that's what retailers want us to do!) In the regency, celebrating Christmas ran from December 24th (and not a day sooner!) to Twelfth Night (the eve of Epiphany.)

I share about Regency decorating for the holidays, special foods, games, traditions, and all about the heart of the 12 days spent celebrating. Every time you see one of these Christmas balls on www.emilybryan.com, click on the image to find the special page. (Of course, you can always check my site map if you don't want spend time surfing for the hidden pages!)

And be sure to pop back here each day throughout December. I have lots of guests lined up so there'll be plenty of prizes and fun! If you're wondering what to get the romance readers in your life, may I suggest a signed copy of A CHRISTMAS BALL at 10% off?

I always put up my Christmas tree and all the trimmings on the day after Thanksgiving. How do you kick off the holiday season?

A Reader Speaks

As a writer, I sometimes feel like I'm in the dark. Reviews are wonderful (and I'm grateful for every one!) but it's hard to gauge how a book is being received by readers. I won't know any actual sales numbers for over a year after a title's release, but even that won't tell me what a reader thinks about what they've read.

That's why I really love chatting with readers here and receiving emails through my website. Then yesterday, I ran across this reader review of A CHRISTMAS BALL on Amazon.

"I often buy Anthologies for one Author and usually the other stories included are not up to par. This is NOT the case with this book! I bought it for Jennifer Ashley's 4th installment of her Nvegarian series. Loved that story but thought Emily Bryan's story was even better. I will definitely be ordering more of her books. She made me laugh out loud, cry and thoroughly enjoy myself in 100 short pages but when the story was over I felt the story was well told and satisfying! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK for all 3 stories!" ~ J. Still from Bradenton, FL.

And she isn't even a relative of mine!

Publishing is a tough business. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. That's why it's important to cherish every victory and try to keep a sense of perspective.

Thank you, Ms. Still. You made my day!

When I read a book, I feel as if I'm having a conversation (albeit one-sided!) with the author. Have you ever wanted to talk back to the writer? What did you want to say? Did you ever want to change the storyline?

PS. If you haven't entered my MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL CONTEST, there's still time. The drawing for the $100 gift card will be held December 1st! Please tell your friends!

Odds & Ends Friday

It's been a busy week!

First thing I'd like to share is this totally fabulous review of A CHRISTMAS BALL from the very prestigious Library Journal!

"Although the title of this anthology sounds terribly traditional, this diverse trio is anything but. From Emily Bryan's "My Lady Below Stairs," the story of a bastard servant girl called in to impersonate her missing aristocratic half-sister with results worthy of Shakespeare, to Ashley's "The Longest Night," in which a shapeshifting nobleman attempts to win the heart of the wary woman he loves while on the trail of a spy, to Alissa Johnson's "Traditions," the tale of an earl who sets out to woo one woman and falls for her intriguing companion instead, these light, entertaining romps are not typical holiday fare.

VERDICT A unique anthology of Regency holiday novellas that are risqué and diverting, making for an intriguingly off-beat addition to the seasonal slate."

"Worthy of Shakespeare?" Moi? (Actually I was shooting for Oscar Wilde, but I'll take it!) I'm thrilled to share that A CHRISTMAS BALL keeps inching up the Bookscan top sellers list. Thank you sooooo much to all of you who've made that happen!

Next, I want to share my new Dutch cover for PLEASURING THE PIRATE, better known in the Netherlands as Alleen jij, mijn schat. It's available from CandlelightRomans. Nynke (my Dutch reader and regular commenter here) says the Dutch title actually can be translated as 'Only You, My Treasure,' which is a nice pun for a pirate hero.

VEXING THE VISCOUNT won't be far behind. (Nynke, how do I say thank you in Dutch?)

Friday Freebie! As you know if you follow my blog, I did a day on pirated e-books and the detrimental effect they have on author's careers and ultimately readers' choices in what's available. (For my trouble, I was targeted by a determined pirate and all my books were splashed over multiple sites. I did manage to get most of them removed, but not before several hundred illegal downloads had taken place.) I've concluded that nothing can stop someone who's determined to steal. Until technology provides a solution, an author's only hope is in the innate decency and honesty of readers.

But that doesn't mean there aren't free LEGAL downloads of books out there for you. Booklorn lists a number of them. These are downloads made available by the publishers and authors so they are absolutely cool to use and enjoy. (I'm hoping to make one of my titles available this way next year. Cross your fingers for me!)

And lastly, I'd like to invite you to join me at The Chatelaines today. It's my regular posting day on that group blog and, in honor of Halloween, I'm sharing my real life GHOST STORY! See you there, if you dare!

PS. Enter my MERRY CHRISTMAS BALL CONTEST if you haven't already! The drawing for the $100 B&N gift card will be held on December 1st!

From this post, you can probably guess my biggest frustration this week, but my delights far outweighed it. Hope your scales tipped that way too. Care to share?

Two-fer Tuesday!

I'm blogging here and at www.romcominc.com! I'm talking about making Halloween costumes with my kids over there. We had some wild ones. Please come share your bright ideas for do-it-yourself Halloween fun! Oh! And you might win your choice of my backlist over there as well.

Here, I'd like to share the new widget from Dorchester of A CHRISTMAS BALL! It's really quite cool. There's a feature that lets you read an excerpt as well as linking back to the Dorchester site for a cool deal on buying the book.

You'll also notice a tab that says "Get this for your site!" Click on it, copy the html and paste it where ever you want the widget to show up. If you have a myspace, blog or website and would like to share A CHRISTMAS BALL with others, this is a terrific way to do it. Thanks so much in advance to those of you who are able and willing to do this. Think of it as "cyber-word-of-mouth."

Please let me know if you are able to add the widget and I'll add your site to my favorite links!

ttys,
Emily

Merry Christmas Ball Contest!

Exclusively for my newsletter readers . . .

Merry Christmas Ball Contest

Someone is going to win a $100 B&N gift card! It might as well be YOU! Here's what you need to do:

1. Make sure you're signed up for my no-spam, no-advertisement newletter. You can sign up here or at www.emilybryan.com! Be sure to respond to the opt-in email you'll receive if you're a new reader so your subscription will be activated. Your contact info will be held in strictest confidence. I will never sell your information.

2. Enter the contest at www.emilybryan.com/Contest.

One entry per person. No purchase necessary. You must be signed up for my free no-spam, no-advertisement newsletter to be eligible. Winner will be randomly drawn from all correct and complete entries on December 1st!

Good luck!

PS. I'll be at Risky Regencies on Sunday, Oct. 11th. Please leave a comment there for a chance at a copy of A CHRISTMAS BALL!

Celebrate A CHRISTMAS BALL!

Bobbie of BookReviews by Bobbie made this lovely badge for me now that A CHRISTMAS BALL is available. (Bless her heart! She's forgiven me for the snafu on Monday and we're rescheduled to be at BookReviewsByBobbie next Monday, Oct. 5th!)

But today, I'm at Penelope's Romance Reviews where i had great fun with an interview and am giving away a book from my backlist to someone who leaves a comment.

And speaking of backlist,Etirv (Blog touristas will recognize her!) was at her local Honolulu Borders looking for A CHRISTMAS BALL and found VEXING THE VISCOUNT and PLEASURING THE PIRATE instead. She was sweet enough to snap this pic with her cellphone. Sounds like ACB hasn't reached the islands yet, but I'm tickled that some of my books are in paradise, even if I can't be just now. Thanks, Etirv! I really appreciate hearing about where my books are living.

If you happen to spot A CHRISTMAS BALL and have a way to snap a pic for me, I love to track the distribution! Thanks.

Hope to see you all over at Penelope's Romance Reviews today!

PS. My "virtual signing" is still going on at NightOwl! I'm sending out goodie packages to readers who buy A CHRISTMAS BALL between now and October 6th!

Virtual Signing!

Oh! It's finally here! Today is the official launch date for A CHRISTMAS BALL!

Now I know some copies got out early because I've already received emails from readers who loved it! But today is the "official" day and the day the sales begin to count toward hitting those all important 'lists.' It's a little known fact that bestsellers lists aren't actually made up of the books that sell the most copies. It's a measure of the velocity at which the books fly off the shelves during the first week of release.

So, while every sale is important, if you really want to support an author or a genre, buy a book during the first week of its release.

Now I don't expect A CHRISTMAS BALL to hit a bestseller list, but I'd love to see it make a good showing. To that end, I'm doing a "virtual signing" through NightOwl Romance. If you buy A CHRISTMAS BALL between now and October 6th, I'll send you a good package (including a handmade Christmas ornament made by me!) Please see NightOwlRomance for the details!

And I'm also blogging at NightOwl and giving away a backlist book to one lucky commenter. So please also pop over to the NightOwl Blog today too!

Hope to see you there.

Free Book Friday!

Today the 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour is off to a new romance site--Romantic Crush Junkies! And for the first time ever, we're giving away a copy of A CHRISTMAS BALL to a commenter (along with a couple backlist books) so there will be 3 winners today!

Start your weekend early and come join the party!

PS: Friday is my regular day to post at The Chatelaines. I'm on a tear about being a "pleaser." If you know what that means, you probably are one. Come share!

Spear Carriers and Supernumeraries!

When I was singing professional opera, the chorus was dubbed the "spear carriers" because the men especially often stood by to make the scene more spectacular by carrying . . . well, spears. However, the secondary characters and the chorus played an essential role in telling the tale. And even in a novella length story, the heroine and heroine need a few others to carry the story ball from time to time. Today at PopSyndicate USA Today Bestseller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I talk about the extras in A CHRISTMAS BALL!

Just think how many boring "mulling things over" scenes there would be if the heroine didn't have a confidante. Who would the hero turn to when the heroine vexed him beyond bearing if he didn't have a best bud? Secondary characters are essential and we're happy to share a few of ours.

Please pop over to PopSyndicate today to learn a bit more about these important second bananas. 2 commenters will win a backlist book from me or Alissa Johnson!

ttys,
Em

Christmas Plunder Down Under

If you follow my blog, you're already familiar with The Eclectic Reader . Teddy-ree sent me the pic of this delightful little reading circle when VEXING THE VISCOUNT came out. And she was instrumental in organizing (dare I say it?)Emily Bryan Week (even now that sounds so weird to my Midwestern ears!) a few months back at THE ROYAL REVIEWS, a terrific group Aussie blog.

And now, Teddy's helping me get the word out again by hosting Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and me at The Eclectic Reader . We're talking Christmas recipes in honor of our upcoming A CHRISTMAS BALL, so please come share your favorite holiday goodie! We're giving away books to 2 lucky commenters, of course.

ttys,
Emily





RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

Day 7 ~ Pillow Talk!

The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour is at Pillow Talk today. Hope you'll come over and join us!

Whenever I do my workshop on characterization, I always ask for people to name their favorite hero. No one waits long enough to raise their hands to be called on. The names fly fast and furious, as though folks can't wait to share their favs.

Then I ask for favorite heroines. Silence reigns. Finally a brave soul will lift their hand and ask, "How about Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz?"

Which tells me that I need to do a better job creating memorable heroines. Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I tried to do just that in A CHRISTMAS BALL. And we're talking about our heroines at Pillow Talk today. Come on over and leave a comment for a chance to win a free book from my backlist or Alissa Johnson's!

Day 6 ~ How do you celebrate Christmas?

USA Today Bestseller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I are guest blogging at FreshFiction today.



We're talking about celebrating Christmas in honor of our upcoming release A CHRISTMAS BALL! Ok, I know it's early and you're not in the holiday mood, but if you pop over and leave a comment, I'll share a cup of cyber-wassail with you. And you'll have 3 chances to win a title from our backlists!

Not a bad way to stuff your own stocking!

Jingling all the way,
Emily

Day 4 ~ Regency Christmas Decorations

Christmas was celebrated differently in 1805 than today. Please join the 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL blog tour at Romance Junkies. We're talking about the Regency phenomemon called "the kissing bough."


You'll get a chance to visit with my co-authors, USA Today bestseller Jennifer Ashley and Alissa Johnson! And when you leave a question or comment, you'll be entered in the drawing to win a free book from me or Alissa.

Here's the roll of winners so far:
Virginia
Tamsyn
Debbie Haupt
Lindsey
Tucco
Library Pat
Bridget

Hope to see you along the way!

Day 3 ~ Yankee Romance Reviews

The 12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL Blog Tour rolls on and today we're visiting Yankee Romance Reviewers. There's a fun interview with USA Today BestSeller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and me. PLUS EXCLUSIVE EXCERPTS of all our stories from A CHRISTMAS BALL!
The party's already started, but it'll go on all day! Please pop by and leave a comment for a chance to win your choice from my backlist or one of Alissa Johnson's titles!





RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

ttys,
Emily

12 Days of A CHRISTMAS BALL!

This is it! The first stop in a 12 day blog tour celebrating the Sept 29th release of A CHRISTMAS BALL! Each day, USA TODAY Best seller Jennifer Ashley, Alissa Johnson and I will be be giving away goodies to people who leave a comment and sharing the inside scoop on our three very different stories set at the same glittering ball.

Hope you're up for a cyber-jaunt! Start by clicking over to www.RomanceBuyTheBook.com today. We're talking about heroes and if you follow my blog, you've already heard a little about Ian Michael MacGregor, the head groom who loves the heroine in My Lady Below Stairs. But you haven't met Jennifer and Alissa's heroes, and I promise you won't be disappointed!


So let's roll. And be sure to check back here each day for the new location of the tour, so you won't miss a moment!

ttys,
Emily

PS. If you usually buy your books at an independent bookseller, would you mind doing me a favor? Would you please ask if they intend to stock A CHRISTMAS BALL (ISBN: 978-0-8439-6250-5)? Also, if you use your local library for your reading, please visit my "Free Books" page for all the info you'll need to request that they stock my books! Thanks!

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries." ~ Henry David Thoreau

I Just Can't Wait!

I hope you're ready. It's time to strap on your blog tourista shoes and join me in another trek through cyber-space.

That's right! The 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Blog Tour starts on Monday! We'll be talking about A CHRISTMAS BALL, giving you the inside scoop and backstory for this holiday anthology, and at the risk of rushing the season, sharing some Christmas fun along the way.

And if you don't know my co-authors, USA Today BestSeller Jennifer Ashley and Alissa Johnson, here's your chance to meet some new favorites! Every day there will be prizes and give-aways, so be sure to leave a comment.

Here's your itinerary:

September 14th ~ RomanceBuyTheBook
September 15th ~ Love is an Exploding Cigar
September 16th ~ Yankee Romance Reviewers
September 17th ~ Romance Junkies
September 18th ~ The Romance Studio

Then you get a weekend off to change your socks!

September 21st ~ Fresh Fiction
September 22nd ~ Pillow Talk
September 23rd ~ The Eclectic Reader
September 24th ~ Pop Syndicate
September 25th ~ Romantic Crush Junkies

Another weekend to catch your breath!

September 28th ~ Book Reviews by Bobbie
September 29th ~ NightOwl Romance & A CHRISTMAS BALL's RELEASE DAY!


RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

Then as a bonus, I'll be at Penelope's Romance Reviews on September 30th, a sort of cool down day after the tour. I hope you'll join me. And speaking of Penelope, she just posted an early review of A CHRISTMAS BALL. Here's a taste:

"It is extremely difficult to write a novella. Bryan totally nails it. This story has all the things I love about her longer historicals...it's beautifully written, has lusty love scenes, wonderful humor, and a very satisfying ending.

This story is truly like an unexpected Christmas gift...I opened the package having no expectations, and I found a real treasure. Thank you, Emily, for this sweet Christmas story."

You can read the whole review at Penelope's Romance Reviews.

Hope to see you along the way!

P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who emailed me to say they'd be willing to post my Save the Date A CHRISTMAS BALL badge on their blog! I appreciate you so much. If you meant to do it, there is still time. Please email me at emily@emilybryan.com with your request and I'll shoot you the code for the invitation. The more the merrier! Thanks so much!

Which Rocks to Polish?

From my Write Stuff pages . . .
Today's post is mostly aimed at writers, but I hope readers will enjoy a peek into some of the issues writers grapple with as we craft our stories.

When my kids were little, we visited a gem mine. They had a ball picking up moonstones and amethysts right off the ground. Of course, they also picked up rocks that even weeks in a rock tumbler wouldn't turn into anything of value. Only the experienced gemologists could tell the precious from the ordinary with any degree of confidence.

So how do writers decide which ideas are worth developing and which will only wear out the tumbler?

First, make sure your story idea is something that ignites a fire in you. There's no point in writing about time-traveling shape-shifting vampire fighters because you think the market is clamoring for them if YOU aren't excited by them. Lack of passion will shout from your prose so loudly, no one will be able to hear your story.

Don't re-tell stories that have been done to death UNLESS you put an exceedingly fresh spin on it. If you want to do the virgin and the rake, make the guy the virgin. Create characters who are not the usual suspects.

A story thrives on conflict. Make sure the place where your story lives has conflict built into it intrinsically. One of the biggest complaints about romance novels is that the conflicts are contrived or so shallow a simple five minute conversation between the hero and heroine would solve the issue. Make your conflicts matter.
 
Your story needs two kinds of conflict--internal (problems stemming from personal tension between characters) and external (outside influences-villains, unfortunate events, forces of nature). Remember the conflict must be strong enough to propel you 400 pages.

Make sure your story's idea kernel does not violate the conventions of the genre. Romance readers will not accept a rapist as a hero. They dislike heroes and heroines who act in less than admirable ways unless there is a hidden heroic reason for it. Likewise, we mistrust protagonists who are too poisonously good. Give your hero and heroine a few flaws. They need a chance for growth.  


Don't forget to ask yourself the eternal writer's question: "What if . . . " When you're in the planning stages, you can run as wild as you like. Don't be afraid to ask yourself outrageous questions. Think about your characters before you go to sleep and let your subconscious bubble the story all night. You might be surprised what your dreams tell you.

When you're brainstorming your plots, take a fresh sheet of paper and write at least 20 possible twists your story can take. Chances are the real gem will be toward the end of the list. It will be something out of the box, something no one else has thought of, something untried and fresh.

Then all you need do is toss that idea in the tumbler of your imagination and let the precious stone emerge.

We interrupt this post for a brief commercial announcement! A CHRISTMAS BALL is almost upon us. If you'd be willing to post this invitation on your blog or myspace to help me get the word out, I would bless your name! Please send me a quick email at emily@emilybryan.com and I'll shoot you the code for this graphic. Thanks so much!

Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan & Alissa Johnson
invite you to . . .


RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

Ok, back to the topic at hand. How do you decide which story to throw your heart and time into? Happy Writing!    

HumpDay GiveAway!

Please join me today at Sapphire Romance Realm for a chance to win YOUR CHOICE of my backlist!


We're talking about A CHRISTMAS BALL (Jennifer Ashley, 1/3 of that book, has already popped in!) my other books, writing in general and whatever you'd like to bring up!

TTYS,
Emily

PS. Here's your invitation to A CHRISTMAS BALL!




RSVP at your favorite bookseller!

There's Only One Right Way to Write a Novel!

Unfortunately, no one knows what it is.

I have friends who plot extenstively, even down to the POV of each carefully laid out scene. They 'interview' their characters and know exactly what's going to happen from beginning to end before they ever put a word to paper.

Oh, to be so well organized.

There are some in my RWA chapter who 'layer' their work. They start with a powder-keg of a sentence, reducing their premise to its most elemental state. Then they write a 2 parargraph blurb. Then a one page synopsis. Then a 10 page synopsis. Then 50--with each pass they add layers of dialogue and action until after many, many times through the story, they arrive at the desired page count.

Some writers are "puzzlers." Their stories come to them in chunks, out of order and disembodied, like magma rising from the deepest place in their psyches. Once they have all the pieces, they patch them together with connecting material and voila! A manuscript is born. This method is more like magic than any other I've ever heard of, but it has some well-known practitioners, like Diana Gabaldon and my friend Rowena Cherry. I'd try it, but I think it may involve chanting at midnight and killing a chicken.

Then there are the 'pantsers,' as in "writing by the seat of their pants." They get up in the morning and wonder what's going to happen in their story today. I count myself in their number now . . . again.

When I first started writing, I followed my characters around because I didn't know what else to do. That's how I wrote MAIDENSONG, my debut Diana Groe title. Then when circumstances forced me into a 9-5 job, and my writing time was severely cut back, I decided I needed to learn to plot in order to get anything accomplished. As a plotter, I wrote ERINSONG and SILK DREAMS (2 more Diana Groe books) and I first dabbled with my light-hearted Emily Bryan style as a plotter. That's how I wrote DISTRACTING THE DUCHESS, PLEASURING THE PIRATE and VEXING THE VISCOUNT.

Then my editor asked me to contribute to a holiday anthology, A CHRISTMAS BALL. And I decided it might be the perfect time to experiment a bit. I didn't have to submit three chapters and a synopsis. I had a totally blank slate with this contract. So I assembled my cast of characters--Jane Tate, hard-working, deserving scullery maid. Ian Michael MacGregor, hard-muscled, drool-worthy head groom. Spoiled Lady Sybil Sommerville, Jane's well-born half-sister. Her Italian portrait painter lover. Viscount Eddleton, the gentleman to whom Sybil is supposed to become affianced at the Christmas Ball, and grasping Lady Letitia Darvish, a black widow in the hunt for her 5th husband.

I stirred them in my head a bit and brought them all together at the appointed place (the previously described ball at Hartwell House) and the result was MY LADY BELOW STAIRS, my novella in A CHRISTMAS BALL.

'Pantsing' that novella was such a success (as judged by the love my editor professes for the story!), I decided to pants my current WIP, STROKE OF GENIUS, too.

But my 'pantsing' now is much different than it was when I was working on MAIDENSONG. I've been a student of the craft for more years. I understand novel structure and have a basic outline of major plot points in my head. The road map is there. It's just not on paper. So you might call me a closet plotter. And occasionally, I go back in the story, tucking things in that hadn't occured to me on the first pass. You might say I 'layer' a bit.

I still haven't 'puzzled' (can't seem to find the right incantation or a chicken!) but I won't say never. Keeping the process fresh keeps the writing fresh. And I'm game for just about anything to accomplish that.

So how about you? If you're a writer, what's your process? If you're a reader, do you think you can tell how a story was put together by the way it reads?

PS. Today is the last day to enter my CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST contest! Don't miss out on a chance for your choice of my backlist! And if you've already entered, please tell your friends about it. Thanks so much!