Poking around

I have some very bad internet habits. For instance, if I want to save something, I may forward it to myself. A year later, of course, I can't find it among all the Rowena to Rowena emails of forgotten, interesting stuff, unless by accident.

Poking around... actually looking for a Business Plan (yes, really!!!) I came across a list of questions that a readers' group leader had asked about FORCED MATE.

I don't have the answers, and I'm probably asking for trouble by stirring this up. Nevertheless, I thought this one was interesting and topical.

Q: What do you think will be your lasting impression of Forced Mate by Rowena Cherry? What will be your most vivid memories of it a year from now?

Do comment if you feel like it. Comments are moderated, so if a helpful gentleman happens to be selling a system to enhance the male anatomy, for instance, those recommendations will not show up, unless they are so cleverly worded to relate to my hero's needs that I cannot resist the wit.

Best wishes,
Rowena Cherry

FORCED MATE --EPPIE Award finalist

The self published, electronic version of FORCED MATE may not have won, but all the finalists in the Eppie Awards this year scored nine out of a possible ten points.

That's not at all bad for a science fiction romance with a chess title.

Best wishes,

Rowena

Hero search

INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL is the story of what happens to Djinn (pronounced jinn) Prince Djetthro-Jason after he loses the duel and has his face smashed by Tarrant-Arragon.

Now, I have to decide who will be my next hero in the alien djinn world which I've featured in MATING NET and FORCED MATE.

I'd love some ideas, if anyone would like to comment.

Thanks,
Rowena

Rowena Cherry

Insufficient Mating Material is on my editor's desk, on deadline --actually, a day early thanks to FedEx. For the last two months, I have been wrestling to remove 200 pages of scenes I thought were rather good, albeit a bit long winded, and to whittle Insufficient Mating Material down to a fast paced, cohesive page turner, where all the plot threads come together neatly.

Time will tell! Anyway, that is why I have been silent on this blog for so long.

On The Other Blog, www.outdamnedstory.com I agonized with my writing buddies about which scenes to cut, and which should be preserved. I may post some out takes here.... but not this week, nor next.

I'd like to thank everyone who took an interest in my successes in the PEARL award nominations. I was absolutely delighted that MATING NET was a finalist in the short story category. I was also astounded and thrilled that MATING NET came equal fourth in the short story (Romance) category of the Preditors and Editors poll.

My next newsletter will go live on the website www.rowenacherry.com as of March 15th. I've been busy correcting my own typos on a dummy page. Somehow, ones own mistakes don't show up half as well on a black and white page as they do fully illustrated and white on purple.

I hope March is going very well for everyone kind enough to drop in this blog.

Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry

Insufficient Mating Material and blog hopping

Did I mention that I sold INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL?
It's the sequel to FORCED MATE, and my deadline for getting the revised and complete manuscript to my editor is March 10th.

Therefore, I've been somewhat awol on the blogging, apart from popping in at www.outdamnedstory.blogspot.com
to post a few out takes. Comments are allowed at that site, and it is a lot of fun.

MATING NET "won" a cover award

Or so someone wrote on an authors' loop....

The truth is that the MATING NET cover came third,
and I am absolutely thrilled!

MATING NET also came equal fourth in the Preditors
and Editors readers poll, which is fabulous. A friend
emailed me with congratulations on coming eighth.

I couldn't believe my success, and immediately went to
the site to see how many other authors also came eighth.

To my disbelief and joy, I discovered that my friend had
been looking at an out of date tallying site.

I've also started my blog on Amazon Connect, and I am
blogging about manly masturbation and explaining the
trots to aliens on the authors' blog at
www.outdamnedstory.blogspot.com

Thanks for looking in!
Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry

Doggerel poem about Mating Net

I put out the challenge.
Now here's the result
(done in desperation by me
with a little help from my friend Jody)

Rowena writes about a race
Of alien Djinn from outer space.

Big, buff and ripped are these guys' bods
They strut around and claim they're gods

They're tall and big, and buff and ripped.
With predator senses, they're well equipped

But Earthling mates with psychic powers
Knock these Princes from their ivory towers

A mind reading wife's no easy thing
For a guy who's sexually inclined to swing

Who catches whom in a Mating Net?
There'll be a happy ending yet.
***
Rowena Cherry
www.rowenacherry.com

MATING NET poem challenge

Though this may sound like outrageous vanity,
I am absolutely serious about needing creative
help to compose a snappy little limerick.

The object of the exercise is to promote my short
story MATING NET --a chess term for a position
in which the King absolutely must be mated--
by crafting a few witty, sexy and attention-grabbing
words about my alien Djinn heroes and their high
handed ways with women.

Therefore, I've launched a little contest through my
newsletter, but since my deadline is January 25th,
I'm opening up the challenge to anyone.

Best wishes,
Rowena

MATING NET author chats with reigning Mr Romance

My January/February newsletter is "up" at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter.

Features include a lavishly illustrated interview with reigning Mr Romance, Andrei Claude; a love scene excerpt; an informative article on piracy by Eppie-finalist author Brenna Lyons; and an intriguing challenge for poets and limerick lovers.

My "occasional" newsletter comes out every second month, but I'm usually nearer to the ides of any given alternate month than to the first.

That is partly because I procrastinate. Actually, there is a great deal more I could get done if I did not put off doing That Which Must Be Done!

Procrastination includes sudden urges to scrub toilets or refill liquid soap dispensers. I don't know why this happens to authors, but several of my acquaintances report being overcome by the toilet-cleaning phenomenon, usually when they are under a deadline to produce a novel.

You wouldn't think Romance Authors would be so mundane, would you?

My newly released newsletter is basically a self-promotion vehicle, but I try to make it decorative and informative.

I invite you to go and look. The January/February newsletter is "up" at www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter

I also have some new interactive jigsaws (of attractive gentlemanly anatomy) for general, mild enjoyment and fireworks at www.rowenacherry.com/puzzle.

Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry
MATING NET--Helispeta wanted to marry well...but not THIS well.
SHORT story
ISBN 0976539713

CHESS TITLED ROMANCES

Mating Net cover

Wit don't come easy.

This is mostly a me-too posting.
I am sure half the blogging world is posting various greetings and good wishes for everyone to have a safe, joyous, and altogether propitious time tonight.

And I wish almost all the world the same.
I'm too late for my friends in Australia and Japan. They've already set off their glorious fireworks. I saw the pyrotechnics on CNN this morning.

I am so sorry to be late with my good wishes.
Happy New Year
In the Southern Hemisphere!

In truth, though, I am blogging today because of superstition.
Almost as powerful as the tradition about making life-changing resolutions at midnight is the idea that the way one spends New Year's Eve/New Year's Day dictates the pattern of ones days for the coming year.

So, I am being rude to everyone today!
Not intentionally, I'm doing a bit of everything in the hope of being more prolific in 2006.

I've written a chapter--quite a sexy one, actually; fixed the weekend Kedgeree for my husband; paid some bills; snail mailed a letter to a home-bound friend who does not have a computer, let alone the internet; done a sudoku--an easy one, I'm pushed for time; extended a subscription at the last minute; downloaded a contest entry form, so next I'll have to fund my Paypal account because that is the only way to pay the entry fee; signed up for another year with Coffee time Romance; line edited someone else's email to me (I did admit, it's not my day for diplomacy!); checked my yahoo groups account and discovered that I am soft bouncing.... or rather my mail is.

Soft bouncing makes me think of myself on a trampoline.

Now it is quarter past one in the afternoon. Past time I was preparing a light and healthy luncheon for my family.

There is, of course, another school of thought. The Jack of All Trades, Master of None one. Perhaps it is better to do one thing, take ones time, and do it well.

Nah! If I were to do that, it would only be propitious for that activity for the rest of 2006.

You can tell I'm decisive today.

Wit Don't Come Easy!
Whoever coined the phrase Quick Wit? When every word of ones romantic comedy has to be the "Right" word, writing can be a slow process, at least for me. Chosing words carefully is probably also a good idea when writing love scenes.... or blogs, or emails.

Here's to starting the year as I mean to go on, and to making a good start.

Happy New Year!

booksigning down the road

I've signed up to join a multi-author booksigning which will take place on February 11th between 1pm and 3pm at the Barnes and Noble booksellers in West Chester, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati.

Of drains, Favre, and Kedgeree

Dec 25th:

First of all, I wish to thank everyone who sent me kind messages or e-cards, or who entered a contest, or signed up for my newsletter, or visited my blog. I very much appreciate it.

I hadn't intended to do any creative writing today, but I had a rather good, but weird, dream which I managed to transcribe before the rest of the family woke.

Today being Sunday, I observed our own family tradition, and made kedgeree for breakfast, even though we'd be having a turkey-and-trimmings dinner later. For those who do not know, kedgeree is a bit like a spicy paella without the chicken, the vegetables, and the exoskeletons. It is made of rice, onions, five or six assorted types of fish. It is healthy because of the turmeric, garlic, sardines etc.

Since oysters were going in the oyster stuffing at lunch, I used clams and crab and imitation crab (in additon to the kippers, sardines, prawns, boiled egg). The latter works really well in a yellow kedgeree because of the artifical pink coloring.

After breakfast, unwrapping presents, and telephone calls to family, I felt I had to take advantage of the fact that this may be the warmest day locally for the next week, even though it is Sunday and Christmas.

The snow was melting, so I went to check the drains, and found an unbelievable amount of rotting leaves, which I scooped out. No worms, for once, which was good.

Until yesterday, looking out of our windows was a bit like looking out of a dragon's mouth, with very long, twisted and sometimes dripping icicles as draconian dentition.

The icicles had melted and collected into a four inch deep puddle up against the lower level of the house, so I dug a trench (with a trowel) to encourage the water to drain away from my foundations.

By the time I'd finished, I was late getting down to the real work of Christmas dinner.

The other major activity is a jigsaw of Niagara Falls in the dark, which is much too challenging, but we are doggedly persisting with it, and hoping Brett Favre has a good game today, whatever the final score.

Best wishes! Seasons greetings!

Morning person

If I don't write first thing in the morning, the day is lost... at least from an authorship perspective.

I've demonstrated this on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and now on Friday! However, I did learn some very interesting facts about tree sap from The Science Channel.

I also discovered Amazon's Author Connection, and set up my page there, although I think only the Paperback version of Forced Mate will be shown there.

The Epic organization surprised and delighted me by offering to send three press releases about the electronic FORCED MATE's success in the 2006 Eppies, if I could provide journalists' names and addresses, and also a customized quote about me for each of them.... within the week.

A favorite review site, The Romance Studio, also very kindly sent me an offer that I couldn't refuse, also contingent on a timely response.

Also this week, I sent deeply personalized interview questions off to two muscular male cover models who might graciously consent to be interviewed in my January/February and March/April issues of my newsletter, and corresponded with an author who will provide a love scene Sneak Peek for the March/April issue. (www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter).

In case I don't get back to blog before Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa and the Saturnalia, I wish everyone reading this a very happy weekend.

I don't like Mondays

I don't!
Unless, that is, I get a lot of writing done.

Today I wrote seven new pages for INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL, which is the sequel to FORCED MATE, and is basically Survivorman with Sex. It is actually a lot more than that, but I'm not trying to sell Insufficient Mating Material to anyone except my editor.

Seven fresh pages is OK. It's 1,700 words, and the protagonists weren't simply passing the time of day. The heroine was seriously upset with the hero for not telling her that he'd shot down a couple of people --his own troublemaking sister, and the heroine's ex-- and marooned them on a desert island.

Later in the day, my child --school is over for the winter holiday-- and I got out our artificial off-white, white tree, and we decorated it with dark sapphire blue, silver and white baubles .... we also added non-color coordinated plastic lizards, snakes and frogs, because my child thinks these creatures are cool.

Christmas is a time for give and take.

Me (not to be mistaken for an E-book cover model!)

I thought the pink hat photo would look good against the black background!

This photo was taken at the Pebble Beach concours d'elegance a couple of years ago by professional photographer Bob Puffer, who kindly gave me permission to use the photo.
You can't tell that the misty background is 18th Green at the Lodge, looking towards the sea containing bobbing knots of kelp and a few sea otters.

If you were wondering, that is why I wouldn't dream of trimming the photo, even if only I know what it is that you can't see.

The hat is a hand-me-down from my mother, who needed one for my wedding but otherwise is not a hat person. Inspired by the famous photograph of Princess of Wales wearing her pearls knotted down her back, I flipped up the brim at the back and affixed a bow-shaped brooch of mother of pearl and tarnished silver--I love the color of silver tarnish!

That is the color I gave to my FORCED MATE hero's eyes.

The dress was given to me by my maternal grandmother when her vital statistics shifted with age. My bust was, and still is, approximately in the right place for this dress, but I always found the dress more comfortable with the mandarin collar unbuttoned.

I love this dress. It reminds me of wisteria or one of those pastel-flowering vines that grow all over aged, ochre hued Cotswold stone buildings in Shakespeare country, with a touch of silvery green aspen leaves, and English sweet peas.

I have a paintbox of colored tights that I can wear with it, depending on my mood and the gravitas of the occasion. I figure, if Christian Dior makes opaque colored tights, they can't be a fashion No-No in all circles, nevertheless I am careful where I wear my elderberry purple tights.

:-)

E-Books, and good looking cover models

A couple of days ago, I was honored and thrilled to learn that the electronic version of FORCED MATE is a finalist in the EPPIEs, in the Science Fiction Romance category.

Google News link

Has anyone tried clicking the Google News link on the right hand side of my blog?
Has anyone tried it on anyone else's blog?

Is looking at someone else's News-reading preferences only of interest to sinister organizations???

While setting up this blog--and I do apologize for the very self-serving first post-- I clicked the Google link and found myself on a Google News page. Apparently I have the power to rearrange the news to my liking.

Almost immediately, I set about trying to get rid of President George Bush (photo of, on telephone, looking just as happy as a driver on a cellular phone). In case anyone thinks I'm being political, no, I am being very superficial and ...er... romantic. You see, I like good looking, bad boy heroes who wear very few clothes in public.

World leaders don't usually meet all of my criteria.

I decided to put in news headlines about e-books, books, best sellers, space etc in my efforts to bump President Bush.

Did I succeed in affecting the most important stories of the day? No. However, I did find plenty to interest me lower down the page.

I came upon several articles about e-books!

To read a novel on a screen is an appalling idea, the author seems to feel, if I have understood him correctly.

http://www.it-director.com/article.php?articleid=13014

He invites readers to comment. As an EPIC member, and author of two e-books, of course, I disagree. If you, dear reader, disagree too, I do hope you will either try this link or go to my Google News page and see if the article is still the most current E-Book news that Google could find.