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Showing posts from January, 2011

Where I Write

Our special theme for Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop is: Where Do You Write? I started writing stories at a desk in my guest bedroom, where my internet connection resided. Then I stepped into the 21st century with wireless and haven't strayed from the comforts of my living room sofa. Usually my plus-sized cat Izzie is with me but she wasn't cooperating with this photo session. A cat not cooperating? Shocker! I'm trying to rein her in. Watch her try to escape, ha ha.  Check out the favorite places to write for the other authors on the Blog Hop, hosted by Lisa Sanchez !

Interview with Author Brenda Pandos

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing the author of The Talisman Series, Brenda Pandos. Before I get started, I want to announce a couple of fun events happening soon. We decided to do a monthly theme for our Meet an Author Monday Blog Hop (see below), and January's theme is "Where Do You Write?" I'll be posting a photo of my favorite writing spot next week, after I clear the clutter and clean a bit first. *blushes* Secondly, we're approaching the one year anniversary of Omnific Publishing. Who knew the home of "Romance Without Rules" could publish so many great romances in less than a year? I'm currently reading Shades of Atlantis by Carol Oates and loving it. Omnific is hosting a " Lookin' for Love Webhunt " with nine authors' websites. Basically, I hid a heart somewhere on my website with a secret message (it could definitely be something Sophie tells Grant in  Bad Behavior ). Starting February 1st, if you find the hidde

Alpha or Beta: How Do You Like Your Heroes?

I've been fortunate to receive some wonderful reviews of With Good Behavior , and several readers have commented that they fell hard for romantic hero Grant Madsen in all his McSailor McMuffinicious goodness. However, a couple of reviewers commented that Grant was too soft and sensitive, particularly since he's a former Navy lieutenant who just emerged from prison. I've learned that I shouldn't hang my hat on any particular review, but one of the most intriguing parts of writing for me has been the wildly different reactions readers have for the same novel. Challenging the believability of an emotionally expressive romantic hero really got me thinking about two questions: 1) Can a man be sensitive and kind, shedding a tear when pushed to his limits, and still be masculine ? My answer to this question is a resounding YES! In my role as a psychologist, I observe men cry. Most of the times they're embarrassed as hell and promptly apologize for their tears. But

Stylish Blogger Award

Today, I received a Stylish Blogger Award. *beams* And now I'm passing it on! Here are the guidelines: Link back to the person who gave it to you. Give 7 facts about yourself. Award 15 great bloggers you've recently discovered. Contact them and tell them about the award. So here it goes. I got the award from Angela Rain, Author in Training Seven random facts about me: * I played piano as a kid, but begged my mom to stop making me take lessons because I was too tired from swim team to practice the piano. * I can touch the tip of my tongue to my nose. * I like a good cry. It's very relieving. * I wasn't sure I could handle being a therapist at first, but now I love it. * I'm anxious about cars. I know nothing about car repair. Sometimes I obsessively worry I haven't screwed the cap to the gas tank back on. * Prison Break is my all time favorite TV show. Wentworth Miller = SWOON. * When I was about twelve, I wrote an essay about why my mom should b

Psychoanalyze Your Characters 6: Bulimia Nervosa

Today I'll wrap up the "Psycho Author" series with a discussion about the eating disorder Bulimia Nervosa. I might return later to tips about characterization based on psychopathology, particularly if I receive requests to cover different disorders. I'll post links to the series on the right of my blog for authors to access. Earlier I said that Anorexia Nervosa was the deadliest eating disorder, but there are increasing data that Bulimia Nervosa (BN) might be just as lethal. BN involves binge eating episodes (eating a significantly larger amount of food than most would consume in one setting plus feeling out of control) and purging (trying to get rid of calories through self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, overexercise, etc.) Purging can greatly disrupt one's heart and electrolyte levels, as well as a host of other health risks. Bulimia is Latin for "ox hunger", referring to the intense hunger preceding a binge. Most eating disorders start

With Good Behavior Review Candy

I wanted to post a couple of sweet and yummy 5-star reviews I received this week. The first is from Megan (magan bagan), an aspiring author herself. She wrote: "When I first heard that this lovely lady was having her book published, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of it. Then, when I learned that it would be a little romance, mixed with mystery and organized crime, I knew that I would absolutely love it... and I was right. In her debut novel, Jennifer Lane takes on a journey with her main characters Sophie Taylor and Grant Madsen. They first meet outside of their parole officers office after being released from prison. Each has a story to tell on how they ended up in prison, while learning to trust and rely on each other. Gripped by a world of organized crime and families that only seem to bring them down, these two convicts have to come to terms with what lead to the biggest mistakes of their lives and how to move past them. From the very beginning the em

Psychoanalyze Your Characters 5: Anorexia Nervosa

If you took a blog break during the holiday, here's my late December post about creating realistic characters who have survived trauma. Today I'll focus on the most lethal eating disorder: Anorexia Nervosa. There's actually a link between one kind of trauma -- sexual abuse -- and eating disorders. One study found that 1 out of 4 women with Anorexia Nervosa has been sexually abused. The rates of sexual abuse were even higher for other eating disorders: 1 out of 3 women with Bulimia Nervosa, and 1 out of 2 women with Binge Eating Disorder. I'll cover Bulimia Nervosa in my next post. "Anorexia" means a lack of a desire to eat, but it doesn't necessarily mean a lack of appetite. Individuals who develop this disorder at first have to stave off severe hunger to achieve weight loss. The diagnosis must also include "Nervosa", referring to psychotic thinking including intense fear of weight gain, distortion of body image, and obsessional preoccupati