J.R. Ward's Blog
December 1, 2015
BLOOD KISS, BDB Legacy #1
BLOOD KISS, the first in my new BDB Legacy series, is out today- and I thought I'd reflect a little on how this spin-off came to my tiny mind.
I don't read reviews; it's true. For one, you can't write by committee- reading is very subjective and what one person likes is what annoys another. Two, the stories aren't interested in even my opinion of them- if I try to make plotlines or people do things, the voices and the pictures go silent and dark and I got nuthin'. And three, by the time the reviews come out, I'm two, or sometimes, three books down the line- and trust me, my own catalogue of failures is so extensive, there's no space in that file cabinet for anybody else's list of what they wished were different or better.
What I do tap into is the zeitgeist about my books. People come up to me at signings, or drop me PMs or emails, or talk to the team- and my team keeps tabs on everything in the market. About three or four years ago, it became apparent that although a huge portion of my readers loved the big, more complicated BDB books- and I loved writing them- a portion of the folks mourned the shift away from the more traditional, PNR feel of the first four stories. DARK LOVER, LOVER ETERNAL, LOVER AWAKENED and LOVER REVEALED are at their core true paranormal romances with the kind of hero and heroine focus and HEA that readers who love those stories have every right to expect. As the Black Dagger Brotherhood series continued, however, the world kept getting bigger and more complicated- and keeping up with that required a bifurcation of focus that ramped up the overall drama, but did, by necessity, mean that other POVs and plotlines outside of the main romances had to get air time.
Again, there is no right and wrong when it comes to story or storytelling- or personal preference. But in my line of work, only a fool doesn't consider the opinions of their audience and at least explore whether they can be met. And in this case, it was a resounding OHHHH SHINY! About a year ago, as my GM and I were putting our heads together and looking at the next work cycle, he said, Hey, you know what people would really like...?
A return to the good ol' days.
Needless to say, Nath is always right. The Black Dagger Brotherhood books are going to remain big, juicy, epic releases with lots of drama and erotic stuff in them. I have no intention of stopping that series or slowing down its production schedule- every spring, I'm booked to release another BDB! (God willing and the creek don't rise, etc. etc.) Meanwhile, the BDB Legacy books will come out in early December, and they're going to be a more traditional love story, interspersed with updates about the original Brothers' lives and snapshots of their general... well, Brother-ness, as it were.
I think this strikes a nice balance between keeping the world in Caldwell, NY going and growing while at the same time, not leaving behind the true roots of the series that has changed my life and my career forever- and that I love with all my heart.
In BLOOD KISS, for example, you have Paradise, the sheltered daughter of Wrath's First Advisor, and Craeg, the fighter from the wrong side of the tracks, meet, fall in love and overcome their differences to a resounding HEA. You also have an update on Butch and Marissa- where they're at, what they're struggling with as a couple, how they work together to grow and deepen their relationship. There are four POVs in the book. That's it. (Well, one scene where you get in Peyton, Paradise's best friend's head.) By keeping the lens tight, I made sure that the love stories are the primary two plots of the book, and that the romance feel is really in the forefront.
Just like, yup, in good ol' days.
Oh, and you get to see a crap load of the original Brothers as they work together to teach the trainees- well, and kill the poor SOBs on First Night. Jeez. And then there's Lassiter in the pool...
WOW.
Anywho, that's my two center on this new series- I really hope folks enjoy BLOOD KISS. I had a great time writing it and I'm already outlining the second in the series which I will start drafting as soon as I get ANGELS' SHARE, the second in the Bourbon Kings' series in the bag!
As always, thank you so much for all your support! I wouldn't get to do this job I love so much with out it!
Hugs, J.R.
I don't read reviews; it's true. For one, you can't write by committee- reading is very subjective and what one person likes is what annoys another. Two, the stories aren't interested in even my opinion of them- if I try to make plotlines or people do things, the voices and the pictures go silent and dark and I got nuthin'. And three, by the time the reviews come out, I'm two, or sometimes, three books down the line- and trust me, my own catalogue of failures is so extensive, there's no space in that file cabinet for anybody else's list of what they wished were different or better.
What I do tap into is the zeitgeist about my books. People come up to me at signings, or drop me PMs or emails, or talk to the team- and my team keeps tabs on everything in the market. About three or four years ago, it became apparent that although a huge portion of my readers loved the big, more complicated BDB books- and I loved writing them- a portion of the folks mourned the shift away from the more traditional, PNR feel of the first four stories. DARK LOVER, LOVER ETERNAL, LOVER AWAKENED and LOVER REVEALED are at their core true paranormal romances with the kind of hero and heroine focus and HEA that readers who love those stories have every right to expect. As the Black Dagger Brotherhood series continued, however, the world kept getting bigger and more complicated- and keeping up with that required a bifurcation of focus that ramped up the overall drama, but did, by necessity, mean that other POVs and plotlines outside of the main romances had to get air time.
Again, there is no right and wrong when it comes to story or storytelling- or personal preference. But in my line of work, only a fool doesn't consider the opinions of their audience and at least explore whether they can be met. And in this case, it was a resounding OHHHH SHINY! About a year ago, as my GM and I were putting our heads together and looking at the next work cycle, he said, Hey, you know what people would really like...?
A return to the good ol' days.
Needless to say, Nath is always right. The Black Dagger Brotherhood books are going to remain big, juicy, epic releases with lots of drama and erotic stuff in them. I have no intention of stopping that series or slowing down its production schedule- every spring, I'm booked to release another BDB! (God willing and the creek don't rise, etc. etc.) Meanwhile, the BDB Legacy books will come out in early December, and they're going to be a more traditional love story, interspersed with updates about the original Brothers' lives and snapshots of their general... well, Brother-ness, as it were.
I think this strikes a nice balance between keeping the world in Caldwell, NY going and growing while at the same time, not leaving behind the true roots of the series that has changed my life and my career forever- and that I love with all my heart.
In BLOOD KISS, for example, you have Paradise, the sheltered daughter of Wrath's First Advisor, and Craeg, the fighter from the wrong side of the tracks, meet, fall in love and overcome their differences to a resounding HEA. You also have an update on Butch and Marissa- where they're at, what they're struggling with as a couple, how they work together to grow and deepen their relationship. There are four POVs in the book. That's it. (Well, one scene where you get in Peyton, Paradise's best friend's head.) By keeping the lens tight, I made sure that the love stories are the primary two plots of the book, and that the romance feel is really in the forefront.
Just like, yup, in good ol' days.
Oh, and you get to see a crap load of the original Brothers as they work together to teach the trainees- well, and kill the poor SOBs on First Night. Jeez. And then there's Lassiter in the pool...
WOW.
Anywho, that's my two center on this new series- I really hope folks enjoy BLOOD KISS. I had a great time writing it and I'm already outlining the second in the series which I will start drafting as soon as I get ANGELS' SHARE, the second in the Bourbon Kings' series in the bag!
As always, thank you so much for all your support! I wouldn't get to do this job I love so much with out it!
Hugs, J.R.
March 31, 2015
THE SHADOWS SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!!
********DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS ON THE SHADOWS**********
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SPOILERS! THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS BLOG POST! Please stop now if you do not want them!
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First of all, I know there's a way to hide spoilers somehow, I'm just not smart enough to figure it out. So I hope the title and all that starring crap up there is enough.
If you keep reading, it's at your own risk, k?
*clears throat*
Okay, so today is March 31st, the official release day of THE SHADOWS. Usually, I don't make a big deal out of release days. There are no parties, no celebrations- I don't wake up with a glow of satisfaction. For one thing, I'm always working on something else. For another, as you're only as good as the last thing you didn't f*** up, releases are just a chance to potentially fail. (Can you tell how much fun I am to be around?) I typically just duck my head, stay focused on whatever I'm working on, and get excited for the event on Saturday (now THAT is something I get totally pumped for because I love hanging with my readers!)
The other reason I don't get all juiced up is because, when it comes to the BDBs, there's usually something in the book that is controversial, and I always worry about the market response.
Which brings me to my Rice Krispies, yo.
So, I know I've said it before, but I have no control over the stories. They are what they are, they do what they're going to do, and if I try to change anything, the pictures in my head shut and I got nothing.
Nada. Ziltch.
Anywho, with that in mind, let's go back to last summer...
So, there I was, in a small corner booth, eating stew-
No, wait. That's my favorite line from The Private Eyes with Tim Conway and Don Knotts.
(Once more with feeling, before people give up on this blog post.)
So, there I was, starting to outline THE SHADOWS, setting down the pictures I'd been shown in a document... when I realized something was off. To the point where I had to stop.
I can remember going to walk Nomers to try to get my head together.
The thing was, I'd known that Selena and Trez were going to end up together since LOVER AVENGED. There were actually a couple of deleted scenes up at the Great Camp of the pair of them together from that manuscript. Back then, like five years ago?, I thought it was really interesting to see this sequestered Chosen with Trez- but there just wasn't enough space in that particular book so they had to wait their turn.
I knew, eventually, they'd come to the surface.
Cue the passage of time. Fast forward a couple of years and a couple more stories, and it was funny, the idea of doing another Chosen falling in love- considering that I'd already done Phury and Cormia- was a total snooze to me. One of the issues with the Chosen is that, as they have been emerging from their cult-like upbringing, there isn't a lot of personality to them. They're just blank slates- and given that I suck at writing women to begin with, that is a big problem for an author with my specific set of weaknesses.
But, as I said, I'm stuck doing what I'm told- so last summer, when Trez and Selena's outlining process froze early on me, I wasn't sure what to make of it.
At that point, I'd seen first iAm, and then Trez, go back to the Territory, to try to find a cure for Selena's disease. Extrapolating from there- which I should really know better not to do- I assumed that iAm would find his love, and Trez would find his cure for his female, and then yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, classic HEA sh*t all over the place!!!!
Yawn.
NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE MY HEAs. It's just that felt so predictable.
Still, I was going to write it. Because that's all I can do.
So there I was, walking Nomers, thinking, thinking, thinking... when all of a sudden, I wanted to vomit.
It was at that moment that I realized I hadn't gotten the rest of Trez and Selena's story.
It was their hands, you see. I had a vision of her hand in his, the light and the dark skin twisted and turned as they held on to each other.
And Trez was leaning in....
Saying the words I had spoken to my Jonah the day he died.
"Are you ready? Is it time?"
Now let's go back two years. I lost my beloved golden retriever and writing partner, Jonah, aka Da Boo, back in 2013, in the fall. He had cancer, and it was the kind you couldn't treat because it doesn't respond to chemo. Thanks to my buddy, who's the best vet on the planet as far as I'm concerned, I had ten weeks with my boy, and though they were so very hard, I wouldn't have traded a moment of them.
See, I knew Jonah was going to die. The path report had told us exactly what he had and the sh** was lethal. I had no idea how long we had, though, so I was forced to get through each day, loving him and knowing, at any second, that I was absolutely, positively, going to lose him.
It was an extraordinary time. A time of unimaginable sorrow, of resonant joy, of terrible pain and fear, of great laughter.
Back to my Rice Krispies. So, I do what I'm told, write what I'm shown, follow the leader... and because that is my experience, when readers demand to know why I "killed off Wellsie," for example, I just shake my head and tell them that I didn't want her to die, either.
I don't "choose" things. I don't get to pick who ends up with whom, or what happens. I appreciate from the outside how it must appear, that the author is some how "in control," but that is simply not my experience.
I didn't want Selena to die. I can assure folks that the LAST thing I wanted to do was spend four months writing a book that put me right back into the head space I'd been in losing Jonah. Some of the scenes in THE SHADOWS made me cry so hard, I couldn't see the dayum computer screen. I hated editing it. I hated copyedits. I hated galleys.
Oh, and PS, it was so much fun pitching the outline to my boss: oh, yes, I know THE HEROINE F***KING DIES, but it's a really good...
So much fun. Yup.
But I think it's an extraordinary love story.
I've heard people say that conflict is the basis of all good storytelling. The more I'm in this business, the more I think that's true. And with regard to Trez and Selena, there is no greater conflict with their love... than her death.
I feel like Trez manned up in ways that surprised even himself. And Selena was strong and interesting and valuable because of what she had to face with such dignity and strength. Together, they bloomed as people and triumphed as a couple... but only because she dies at the end.
Otherwise, it would have been a yada, yada, yada, ending that wouldn't have resonated for any longer than the split second it took for you to close the back cover of the book.
Can I just say that the loss, the death, when it comes, makes me tear up even now.
And yup, just like LOVER AWAKENED, I will never read THE SHADOWS again.
To make a long story short- too late (Clue reference, sorry, I had to)- on this release day, I am worried about what readers will think of what's in this book. People were pretty p***ed when Wellsie died- and I totally understood way.
My hope is that even if folks don't like it, at least they get it. Because that means that I've done my job. But I also understand if people are like: seriously, I have enough bad sh** in real life going down, I don't need it in my fiction.
Trust me, I SO get that. I hated writing this book.
That's what I do, though. I write what I see, what I'm shown, what I'm told. Without Jonah's death, I don't think I could have written this book- maybe some will argue my unconscious side was working through his passing still and that's why Trez and Selena went down as they did. I don't know- it's not even all that relevant to me. As soon as I saw that pair of hands together, the rest of the book unlocked... and led to one of my favorite scenes that I've ever written.
THE SHADOWS ends with Trez, iAm and maichen in the kitchen at Sal's- and iAm is cooking the three of them dinner. When they're finished, Trez tells maichen he wishes she could have met Selena- and it becomes clear that iAm has told his mate all about her sister-in-law. Trez ends up looking to the ceiling, and realizing if he'd stayed in the Fade, iAm never would have found his own happiness: after years of living and suffering for Trez, iAm finally has his own, happy life.
Trez is able to give back to his brother- and he remains connected to his love, even after her death.
I'm not really sure how to end this post- except to say, to readers who are disappointed and/or angry, that I get it, and I'm sorry, and I wish it had been different, too. And I still think it's a beautiful love story.
I miss Jonah everyday. Still.
And I love my new little girl, Nomers. Not like I loved Jonah, but that was for him- and she and I have our own special bond that will never exist with anyone else.
That's kind of the way life goes.
Anyway, I'm sending hugs, and so many thanks for your support. Without you all, I wouldn't be doing what I love every single day.
J.R.
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SPOILERS! THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS BLOG POST! Please stop now if you do not want them!
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*
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First of all, I know there's a way to hide spoilers somehow, I'm just not smart enough to figure it out. So I hope the title and all that starring crap up there is enough.
If you keep reading, it's at your own risk, k?
*clears throat*
Okay, so today is March 31st, the official release day of THE SHADOWS. Usually, I don't make a big deal out of release days. There are no parties, no celebrations- I don't wake up with a glow of satisfaction. For one thing, I'm always working on something else. For another, as you're only as good as the last thing you didn't f*** up, releases are just a chance to potentially fail. (Can you tell how much fun I am to be around?) I typically just duck my head, stay focused on whatever I'm working on, and get excited for the event on Saturday (now THAT is something I get totally pumped for because I love hanging with my readers!)
The other reason I don't get all juiced up is because, when it comes to the BDBs, there's usually something in the book that is controversial, and I always worry about the market response.
Which brings me to my Rice Krispies, yo.
So, I know I've said it before, but I have no control over the stories. They are what they are, they do what they're going to do, and if I try to change anything, the pictures in my head shut and I got nothing.
Nada. Ziltch.
Anywho, with that in mind, let's go back to last summer...
So, there I was, in a small corner booth, eating stew-
No, wait. That's my favorite line from The Private Eyes with Tim Conway and Don Knotts.
(Once more with feeling, before people give up on this blog post.)
So, there I was, starting to outline THE SHADOWS, setting down the pictures I'd been shown in a document... when I realized something was off. To the point where I had to stop.
I can remember going to walk Nomers to try to get my head together.
The thing was, I'd known that Selena and Trez were going to end up together since LOVER AVENGED. There were actually a couple of deleted scenes up at the Great Camp of the pair of them together from that manuscript. Back then, like five years ago?, I thought it was really interesting to see this sequestered Chosen with Trez- but there just wasn't enough space in that particular book so they had to wait their turn.
I knew, eventually, they'd come to the surface.
Cue the passage of time. Fast forward a couple of years and a couple more stories, and it was funny, the idea of doing another Chosen falling in love- considering that I'd already done Phury and Cormia- was a total snooze to me. One of the issues with the Chosen is that, as they have been emerging from their cult-like upbringing, there isn't a lot of personality to them. They're just blank slates- and given that I suck at writing women to begin with, that is a big problem for an author with my specific set of weaknesses.
But, as I said, I'm stuck doing what I'm told- so last summer, when Trez and Selena's outlining process froze early on me, I wasn't sure what to make of it.
At that point, I'd seen first iAm, and then Trez, go back to the Territory, to try to find a cure for Selena's disease. Extrapolating from there- which I should really know better not to do- I assumed that iAm would find his love, and Trez would find his cure for his female, and then yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, classic HEA sh*t all over the place!!!!
Yawn.
NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE MY HEAs. It's just that felt so predictable.
Still, I was going to write it. Because that's all I can do.
So there I was, walking Nomers, thinking, thinking, thinking... when all of a sudden, I wanted to vomit.
It was at that moment that I realized I hadn't gotten the rest of Trez and Selena's story.
It was their hands, you see. I had a vision of her hand in his, the light and the dark skin twisted and turned as they held on to each other.
And Trez was leaning in....
Saying the words I had spoken to my Jonah the day he died.
"Are you ready? Is it time?"
Now let's go back two years. I lost my beloved golden retriever and writing partner, Jonah, aka Da Boo, back in 2013, in the fall. He had cancer, and it was the kind you couldn't treat because it doesn't respond to chemo. Thanks to my buddy, who's the best vet on the planet as far as I'm concerned, I had ten weeks with my boy, and though they were so very hard, I wouldn't have traded a moment of them.
See, I knew Jonah was going to die. The path report had told us exactly what he had and the sh** was lethal. I had no idea how long we had, though, so I was forced to get through each day, loving him and knowing, at any second, that I was absolutely, positively, going to lose him.
It was an extraordinary time. A time of unimaginable sorrow, of resonant joy, of terrible pain and fear, of great laughter.
Back to my Rice Krispies. So, I do what I'm told, write what I'm shown, follow the leader... and because that is my experience, when readers demand to know why I "killed off Wellsie," for example, I just shake my head and tell them that I didn't want her to die, either.
I don't "choose" things. I don't get to pick who ends up with whom, or what happens. I appreciate from the outside how it must appear, that the author is some how "in control," but that is simply not my experience.
I didn't want Selena to die. I can assure folks that the LAST thing I wanted to do was spend four months writing a book that put me right back into the head space I'd been in losing Jonah. Some of the scenes in THE SHADOWS made me cry so hard, I couldn't see the dayum computer screen. I hated editing it. I hated copyedits. I hated galleys.
Oh, and PS, it was so much fun pitching the outline to my boss: oh, yes, I know THE HEROINE F***KING DIES, but it's a really good...
So much fun. Yup.
But I think it's an extraordinary love story.
I've heard people say that conflict is the basis of all good storytelling. The more I'm in this business, the more I think that's true. And with regard to Trez and Selena, there is no greater conflict with their love... than her death.
I feel like Trez manned up in ways that surprised even himself. And Selena was strong and interesting and valuable because of what she had to face with such dignity and strength. Together, they bloomed as people and triumphed as a couple... but only because she dies at the end.
Otherwise, it would have been a yada, yada, yada, ending that wouldn't have resonated for any longer than the split second it took for you to close the back cover of the book.
Can I just say that the loss, the death, when it comes, makes me tear up even now.
And yup, just like LOVER AWAKENED, I will never read THE SHADOWS again.
To make a long story short- too late (Clue reference, sorry, I had to)- on this release day, I am worried about what readers will think of what's in this book. People were pretty p***ed when Wellsie died- and I totally understood way.
My hope is that even if folks don't like it, at least they get it. Because that means that I've done my job. But I also understand if people are like: seriously, I have enough bad sh** in real life going down, I don't need it in my fiction.
Trust me, I SO get that. I hated writing this book.
That's what I do, though. I write what I see, what I'm shown, what I'm told. Without Jonah's death, I don't think I could have written this book- maybe some will argue my unconscious side was working through his passing still and that's why Trez and Selena went down as they did. I don't know- it's not even all that relevant to me. As soon as I saw that pair of hands together, the rest of the book unlocked... and led to one of my favorite scenes that I've ever written.
THE SHADOWS ends with Trez, iAm and maichen in the kitchen at Sal's- and iAm is cooking the three of them dinner. When they're finished, Trez tells maichen he wishes she could have met Selena- and it becomes clear that iAm has told his mate all about her sister-in-law. Trez ends up looking to the ceiling, and realizing if he'd stayed in the Fade, iAm never would have found his own happiness: after years of living and suffering for Trez, iAm finally has his own, happy life.
Trez is able to give back to his brother- and he remains connected to his love, even after her death.
I'm not really sure how to end this post- except to say, to readers who are disappointed and/or angry, that I get it, and I'm sorry, and I wish it had been different, too. And I still think it's a beautiful love story.
I miss Jonah everyday. Still.
And I love my new little girl, Nomers. Not like I loved Jonah, but that was for him- and she and I have our own special bond that will never exist with anyone else.
That's kind of the way life goes.
Anyway, I'm sending hugs, and so many thanks for your support. Without you all, I wouldn't be doing what I love every single day.
J.R.
February 10, 2015
The Black Dagger Legacy Series
I miss the Brothers.
The original ones. We're talkin' the ones who started it all.
Z.
V.
Butch.
Rhage.
Wrath.
Tohr.
Phury.
Rehv.
Etc.
I miss that scene, in DARK LOVER, when Fritz kindly asks the Brothers, if they're going to bloody the human, please take him outside.
I miss Sox hats and grey Goose, Tums and Tootsie Rolls, Biggie Smalls in the Escalade, and Wrath putting a dagger into the wall next to Hollywood's head.
As much as I LOVE the BDB series where it is now, and as much as I'm psyched to keep writing it and will continue to do so, I miss the good ol' days.
The issue is that the nature of a series is that it must continue to grow, and change, or it dies. The Black Dagger Brotherhood books started off with the original Brothers, but after their meet-and-greets with their shellans were told, by definition, they had to background it in subsequent books: With a world as big as the BDB one, you have to train your "camera lens" in a controlled manner, or you run the risk of a given story bleeding out for too much extraneous stuff.
(Something I've been tagged with doing from time to time, and it's certainly a fair point.)
So when my boss (my editor) and I were chewing on things last spring, I told her... hey, I got this idea.
I have a lot of ideas. She's used to this.
I described to her a new series, where the BDB training center is reopened to a new cast of recruits, and THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS teach these FNUGs wassup. In the process of the new recruits falling in love and getting into a sh*t ton of trouble, THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS could be shown with their shellans, their Brothers, their people in the mansion, in a more prominent way than I'm able to do in the BDB books.
Paperback, yo. Not hardcover. Traditional PNR, just like DARK LOVER was in the old days.
Sex. Lot of sex.
As in, you might need your BBQ tongs. Maybe a flame retardant suit.
Maybe a fire truck on standby out in your front yard.
My boss, who's brilliant, was like, wow, that really doesn't suck. (Okay, that's paraphrasing.)
So... we have the first of the Black Dagger Legacy books, BLOOD KISS, coming out this December.
Now, let me say this: the ORIGINAL BROTHERS are still going to show up in the BDB books. Hell, yeah! And from time to time, a BDB book is going to be about them and their mate if there's a big thing going on in their lives (think THE KING.) I am NOT taking a step away from the Brothers at all- if anything, I'm bringing them further to the forefront with the Black Dagger Legacy books.
But I miss my boys :( I want to show you where they're at. I want to take you back to them- in their new roles as... well, role models and teachers.
Before you ask, yes, they will still be colossal a&&holes- I mean, let's be clear. Things haven't changed THAT much. (As an aside, Doc Jess and I were talking the other day, and she was like, I'm so impressed with your ability to be offensive with your heroes. LOLOLOLOL)
This is not to say that the Black Dagger Legacy books will solely be about the Brothers, however. The book will have a lot of the Brothers in them, but the Legacy books will feature a main romance between a couple, and the Brothers will help that along.
eHarmony the BDB way.
Jeez, I gotta be insane for signing up for this. Can you imagine V offering dating advice? "Well, sh*t, just get her some black candles and dog collar, true? Then order her to pop up her ***** **** * * ******* * * * ************** At that point, you're going to want to inform her, that you'll tell her when she can beg."
Great. Really looking forward to this.
*sigh*
Anywho, the first Brother who's up?
A certain cop. From Boston. Who's going to have his hands full with the new recruits- two of whom you'll meet in THE SHADOWS.
A cover reveal is coming soon- but I couldn't sit on BLOOD KISS any longer!!!!
Gahd, I suck at keeping secrets. But come on now, don't lie. You've missed those leathers, those sh*tkickers... that golf cart... the Pit.
V nakey in the shower.
Don't lie.
I know I have!
Happy Reading, and thank you for all your support, J.R.
The original ones. We're talkin' the ones who started it all.
Z.
V.
Butch.
Rhage.
Wrath.
Tohr.
Phury.
Rehv.
Etc.
I miss that scene, in DARK LOVER, when Fritz kindly asks the Brothers, if they're going to bloody the human, please take him outside.
I miss Sox hats and grey Goose, Tums and Tootsie Rolls, Biggie Smalls in the Escalade, and Wrath putting a dagger into the wall next to Hollywood's head.
As much as I LOVE the BDB series where it is now, and as much as I'm psyched to keep writing it and will continue to do so, I miss the good ol' days.
The issue is that the nature of a series is that it must continue to grow, and change, or it dies. The Black Dagger Brotherhood books started off with the original Brothers, but after their meet-and-greets with their shellans were told, by definition, they had to background it in subsequent books: With a world as big as the BDB one, you have to train your "camera lens" in a controlled manner, or you run the risk of a given story bleeding out for too much extraneous stuff.
(Something I've been tagged with doing from time to time, and it's certainly a fair point.)
So when my boss (my editor) and I were chewing on things last spring, I told her... hey, I got this idea.
I have a lot of ideas. She's used to this.
I described to her a new series, where the BDB training center is reopened to a new cast of recruits, and THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS teach these FNUGs wassup. In the process of the new recruits falling in love and getting into a sh*t ton of trouble, THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS could be shown with their shellans, their Brothers, their people in the mansion, in a more prominent way than I'm able to do in the BDB books.
Paperback, yo. Not hardcover. Traditional PNR, just like DARK LOVER was in the old days.
Sex. Lot of sex.
As in, you might need your BBQ tongs. Maybe a flame retardant suit.
Maybe a fire truck on standby out in your front yard.
My boss, who's brilliant, was like, wow, that really doesn't suck. (Okay, that's paraphrasing.)
So... we have the first of the Black Dagger Legacy books, BLOOD KISS, coming out this December.
Now, let me say this: the ORIGINAL BROTHERS are still going to show up in the BDB books. Hell, yeah! And from time to time, a BDB book is going to be about them and their mate if there's a big thing going on in their lives (think THE KING.) I am NOT taking a step away from the Brothers at all- if anything, I'm bringing them further to the forefront with the Black Dagger Legacy books.
But I miss my boys :( I want to show you where they're at. I want to take you back to them- in their new roles as... well, role models and teachers.
Before you ask, yes, they will still be colossal a&&holes- I mean, let's be clear. Things haven't changed THAT much. (As an aside, Doc Jess and I were talking the other day, and she was like, I'm so impressed with your ability to be offensive with your heroes. LOLOLOLOL)
This is not to say that the Black Dagger Legacy books will solely be about the Brothers, however. The book will have a lot of the Brothers in them, but the Legacy books will feature a main romance between a couple, and the Brothers will help that along.
eHarmony the BDB way.
Jeez, I gotta be insane for signing up for this. Can you imagine V offering dating advice? "Well, sh*t, just get her some black candles and dog collar, true? Then order her to pop up her ***** **** * * ******* * * * ************** At that point, you're going to want to inform her, that you'll tell her when she can beg."
Great. Really looking forward to this.
*sigh*
Anywho, the first Brother who's up?
A certain cop. From Boston. Who's going to have his hands full with the new recruits- two of whom you'll meet in THE SHADOWS.
A cover reveal is coming soon- but I couldn't sit on BLOOD KISS any longer!!!!
Gahd, I suck at keeping secrets. But come on now, don't lie. You've missed those leathers, those sh*tkickers... that golf cart... the Pit.
V nakey in the shower.
Don't lie.
I know I have!
Happy Reading, and thank you for all your support, J.R.
February 9, 2015
Why I'm afraid of the Bourbon Kings
Okay, so rolling up to the July 28th release of the first book in my newest series (THE BOURBON KINGS,) I know I'm supposed to talk about how fabulous the book is, how much people are going to like it, how great the world building is, etc., etc., etc., how my readers should jump into the...
Blah, blah, blah.
Look, the sh*t doesn't suck, okay?
Let's just get that out of the way up front. (Oh, and in case you're wondering, that's about as much praise I give my own work lol, so take the statement with that in mind.)
Yes, I love the BOURBON KINGS. Of course, I do. I wrote the book from the heart, and I want to write the other books in the series because I see them so clearly and so urgently that it takes me back to DARK LOVER days.
But I'm sh*t terrified.
And the truth is, that's the way it SHOULD be.
I've been successful at this writing gig so far. I've worked my a&& off, true, but I've also had that intangible, magical luck that sometimes you get, and sometimes you don't. As I've always said, there are writers FAR more talented than I who are struggling for no good reason I can see simply because...
Well, see that's why I'm terrified. I'm not sure I understand why the BDB worked so well. If I did, if there was some sort of mathematical equation to define success, if I could say YES I'm back in the sweet spot with this idea... then maybe I wouldn't be so scared.
But that's not the nature of this business.
DARK LOVER came out ten years ago this September. I can remember when I sent in the proposal for the series to my then agent- I was in tears at the post office. (This was back in the old days before everything was emailed in.) I was convinced the story was too out there, that no one was going to relate to the material (Marriage ceremony involving scarification? Sure! Hero who almost kills the heroine's buddy who's a cop in front of her? Why not! Secondary hero who turns into a dragon unless he f**ks women? What the hell!), and that I was going to lose the chance to write the rest of the stories.
That's how I feel about the Bourbon KINGS.
See, what's cool, but also scary, about this business is that you have to earn your stripes with readers every single time you put a book out there. No matter how "big" your name is, you can't get away from that reality- nor should you. The world doesn't owe you a pat on the head because you "birthed" "the book of your heart." Your friends care. Your family care. And that's about you- and PS, that kind of support really matters in life.
But as a professional writer, it's not about you.
(N.B.: I need to sideline here and say that I have a ton of writer friends who preach this gospel, too- and I see a TON of other writers in this market believing it as well- even if I don't know them personally, every time they release something, it's as good if not even better than the already great stuff they're putting out.)
As an analogy, not that you're stupid by any stretch and can't extrapolate on your own, say Coke started putting crap in its red and white cans? It might get away with that for day or two. Maybe a week. But pretty soon? Everyone's buying Pepsi. Or Snapple. Or drinking water from the sink.
This is what I think of every time I get tired at the computer, or want to get lazy, or think, meh, maybe I'll have someone else do my galleys.
Which is not to say I'm a saint or a machine or setting myself up as some perfect example. I f**ked up the end of V's book, for instance. I wish I'd left more on the page for Lover Unleashed. The Fallen Angels series was a great intellectual puzzle for me, but was low on emotion. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Readers are right to pick and choose because romantic notions of writing aside, they're buying a product and nobody wastes money on something that is only a brand. Brands exists because they mean quality- but if that goes away? Then the market goes away.
(N.B. Okay, Keeping Up with the Kardashians disproves this theory. But work with me.)
Back to the Bourbon Kings.
I came up with the idea for the series about five, six years ago- and I toyed with it on my off hours for so long, checking out the pictures I got in my head, wondering about where the stories were going to go, trying to tease out whether there was enough meat in there.
I got the meats, yo. Just in case you were wonderin'.
When I pitched the concept to my publisher, they hopped right on board, and I gotta say, I love my editor. I have poured over this manuscript over and over again, tweaking, refining... leaving it all on the page.
The thing goes into copyedits next Tuesday.
Naturally, I want to vomit.
The BOURBON KINGS is a different series than the BDB in some ways-for example, if there's blood shed, it's not because someone's hungry. And if there's a scent of baby powder around, it's because someone's burping an infant on their shoulder. At its core, though, you have a group of people confronted with a series of monumental problems that require them to either band together... or sink like a stone.
There's even a guy with a lot of scars. (And before anyone asks, yes, Edward is my favorite. And yes, he pays for sex. And yup, he's in love with a woman he's not involved with. And uh-huh, she has her own issues. Whyyyyyyy whyyyyyyyy do I always love the complicated hurt ones the most???)
And so I'm scared of the BOURBON KINGS in the same way I was scared of DARK LOVER. I want the opportunity to write the whole series- whether it's six books (like my Fallen Angel series) or open ended and forever like the BDBs- and that is only going to happen if readers embrace the people, the places, the stories.
And I have no control over that.
Nor should I.
That's the readers' sacred space. That's theirs and their alone: Just as I had my private time with the material where they weren't welcome (when I was writing it all,) readers who get the book are entitled to their private experience. It's their right, and their privilege, and I respect the sh*t out of that boundary.
See, that's the other thing that's interesting about this business. Even though the Coke analogy works on some levels, writers are not manufacturing machines. I can only write what I'm shown- as I've often said, I'm not smart enough to think this stuff up. The stories come or they don't, and my job is to describe what I'm shown sufficiently so that a reader can get close enough to touch what's in my head. I'm not allowed to have an opinion of the material- if I change things, the voices and pictures go away and I'm left with nothing- so I get when readers are sometimes frustrated with the way things go. I get frustrated, too.
However, I can only work with what I got. And I judge my job on whether I got it on the page right. I do not allow myself to go any further than that- just as readers are allowed their sacred space, I need to have mine.
When it comes to the BOURBON KINGS, I wrote what I was shown, and I gasped, and I cried, and I laughed, and I ahhhhhh'd along the way. If I did my job, hopefully some readers will hop on board and come along for the ride. That would be great. That would be awesome!
I would get a good night sleep for at least an evening or two (until I get another wasp in a bathroom ceiling fixture.)
But no one knows what people are going to think. And that's what keeps me on my toes. And makes me grateful for the people who love my books enough to spend their hard earned money on them. It would be an honor to get to keep writing the BKs. That's my dearest hope.
But not my expectation.
And there's a world of difference between the two.
Jeez, just like the old days, huh?
Happy Reading! And thank you!
Blah, blah, blah.
Look, the sh*t doesn't suck, okay?
Let's just get that out of the way up front. (Oh, and in case you're wondering, that's about as much praise I give my own work lol, so take the statement with that in mind.)
Yes, I love the BOURBON KINGS. Of course, I do. I wrote the book from the heart, and I want to write the other books in the series because I see them so clearly and so urgently that it takes me back to DARK LOVER days.
But I'm sh*t terrified.
And the truth is, that's the way it SHOULD be.
I've been successful at this writing gig so far. I've worked my a&& off, true, but I've also had that intangible, magical luck that sometimes you get, and sometimes you don't. As I've always said, there are writers FAR more talented than I who are struggling for no good reason I can see simply because...
Well, see that's why I'm terrified. I'm not sure I understand why the BDB worked so well. If I did, if there was some sort of mathematical equation to define success, if I could say YES I'm back in the sweet spot with this idea... then maybe I wouldn't be so scared.
But that's not the nature of this business.
DARK LOVER came out ten years ago this September. I can remember when I sent in the proposal for the series to my then agent- I was in tears at the post office. (This was back in the old days before everything was emailed in.) I was convinced the story was too out there, that no one was going to relate to the material (Marriage ceremony involving scarification? Sure! Hero who almost kills the heroine's buddy who's a cop in front of her? Why not! Secondary hero who turns into a dragon unless he f**ks women? What the hell!), and that I was going to lose the chance to write the rest of the stories.
That's how I feel about the Bourbon KINGS.
See, what's cool, but also scary, about this business is that you have to earn your stripes with readers every single time you put a book out there. No matter how "big" your name is, you can't get away from that reality- nor should you. The world doesn't owe you a pat on the head because you "birthed" "the book of your heart." Your friends care. Your family care. And that's about you- and PS, that kind of support really matters in life.
But as a professional writer, it's not about you.
(N.B.: I need to sideline here and say that I have a ton of writer friends who preach this gospel, too- and I see a TON of other writers in this market believing it as well- even if I don't know them personally, every time they release something, it's as good if not even better than the already great stuff they're putting out.)
As an analogy, not that you're stupid by any stretch and can't extrapolate on your own, say Coke started putting crap in its red and white cans? It might get away with that for day or two. Maybe a week. But pretty soon? Everyone's buying Pepsi. Or Snapple. Or drinking water from the sink.
This is what I think of every time I get tired at the computer, or want to get lazy, or think, meh, maybe I'll have someone else do my galleys.
Which is not to say I'm a saint or a machine or setting myself up as some perfect example. I f**ked up the end of V's book, for instance. I wish I'd left more on the page for Lover Unleashed. The Fallen Angels series was a great intellectual puzzle for me, but was low on emotion. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Readers are right to pick and choose because romantic notions of writing aside, they're buying a product and nobody wastes money on something that is only a brand. Brands exists because they mean quality- but if that goes away? Then the market goes away.
(N.B. Okay, Keeping Up with the Kardashians disproves this theory. But work with me.)
Back to the Bourbon Kings.
I came up with the idea for the series about five, six years ago- and I toyed with it on my off hours for so long, checking out the pictures I got in my head, wondering about where the stories were going to go, trying to tease out whether there was enough meat in there.
I got the meats, yo. Just in case you were wonderin'.
When I pitched the concept to my publisher, they hopped right on board, and I gotta say, I love my editor. I have poured over this manuscript over and over again, tweaking, refining... leaving it all on the page.
The thing goes into copyedits next Tuesday.
Naturally, I want to vomit.
The BOURBON KINGS is a different series than the BDB in some ways-for example, if there's blood shed, it's not because someone's hungry. And if there's a scent of baby powder around, it's because someone's burping an infant on their shoulder. At its core, though, you have a group of people confronted with a series of monumental problems that require them to either band together... or sink like a stone.
There's even a guy with a lot of scars. (And before anyone asks, yes, Edward is my favorite. And yes, he pays for sex. And yup, he's in love with a woman he's not involved with. And uh-huh, she has her own issues. Whyyyyyyy whyyyyyyyy do I always love the complicated hurt ones the most???)
And so I'm scared of the BOURBON KINGS in the same way I was scared of DARK LOVER. I want the opportunity to write the whole series- whether it's six books (like my Fallen Angel series) or open ended and forever like the BDBs- and that is only going to happen if readers embrace the people, the places, the stories.
And I have no control over that.
Nor should I.
That's the readers' sacred space. That's theirs and their alone: Just as I had my private time with the material where they weren't welcome (when I was writing it all,) readers who get the book are entitled to their private experience. It's their right, and their privilege, and I respect the sh*t out of that boundary.
See, that's the other thing that's interesting about this business. Even though the Coke analogy works on some levels, writers are not manufacturing machines. I can only write what I'm shown- as I've often said, I'm not smart enough to think this stuff up. The stories come or they don't, and my job is to describe what I'm shown sufficiently so that a reader can get close enough to touch what's in my head. I'm not allowed to have an opinion of the material- if I change things, the voices and pictures go away and I'm left with nothing- so I get when readers are sometimes frustrated with the way things go. I get frustrated, too.
However, I can only work with what I got. And I judge my job on whether I got it on the page right. I do not allow myself to go any further than that- just as readers are allowed their sacred space, I need to have mine.
When it comes to the BOURBON KINGS, I wrote what I was shown, and I gasped, and I cried, and I laughed, and I ahhhhhh'd along the way. If I did my job, hopefully some readers will hop on board and come along for the ride. That would be great. That would be awesome!
I would get a good night sleep for at least an evening or two (until I get another wasp in a bathroom ceiling fixture.)
But no one knows what people are going to think. And that's what keeps me on my toes. And makes me grateful for the people who love my books enough to spend their hard earned money on them. It would be an honor to get to keep writing the BKs. That's my dearest hope.
But not my expectation.
And there's a world of difference between the two.
Jeez, just like the old days, huh?
Happy Reading! And thank you!
January 29, 2015
Times When A Writer's Head Sux
My bathroom was done in the sixties and it's so beautiful and funky and magical. I haven't touched it since we moved in here a while ago, and I love everything about it- including the bathroom stall. It's this little inset hidey-hole so you can have privacy in your privacy.
I haven't been in there for nine days now. The good news is there are plenty of other loos to use. The bad news is that this little sabbatical is yet another example of my writer's head getting in the way of normal life.
I got a wasp, yo.
So nine days ago, I went in there, turned on the overhead light and heard zzzzzZZZZZZZ. Looking up, I saw this thing that was the size of the horse buzzing around INSIDE the inset light. I have no idea how the sonofab*tch got in there. It's sealed all the way around- did he break into it? Pull some V sh*t and get his sneak in? My thing is, why bother? No TV, no food, no friends- how you gonna watch the game? Lot of effort for not much reward IMHO.
Unless he was looking to permaminently displace me from my bathroom.
Then yeah, mission accomplished, you little sh*t.
See, nine days ago, I stared up at that mad b*astard and I was like, Jess, seriously, you got this. He's trapped in there. No way out. You're good.
And that was when the writer's head kicked in. Next thought I had was of me sitting on the throne and that stinging crazed one ounce dive bomber shooting out and going Uzi down the back of my neck and spine until it nailed me in the a&&. Specifically, I could feel the buzz at the short hairs at my nape, and the tickle of the wings under my clothes, and the electrical shock of the sting in my skin.
Thought two was of me in anaphalaxis in the ER getting paddled because my heart stopped when they EpiPen'd me.
Did I mention I'm not actually allergic to wasps?
Like any reasonable crazy person, I slammed the stall shut and ran around the bathroom like someone had stink bombed the place, fanning my hands around my head and scaring the dog. Then I ran out, shut the other two doors and panted like I had narrowly escaped from a dark alley.
This is all crazy, of course. The fear, the trembling, the thought racing. The trouble is, I spend my life living in parallel universes where I sense and feel and see everything with such clarity and specificity that I am WITH the people I write about. Thus, when I get a OHOHOHOH WASP thing, I ride it out until it's like I'm in that Mercedes with Trez and Selena and we're ***** ** ****** * ** ******* (edited out so no spoilers from The Shadows.) It becomes impossible for me not to be convinced that the wasp is down the back of my shirt every time I think of going in there, or even look at the outer door of the bathroom. And this happens in a thousand contexts in a million ways every single day of my life.
Yes, I'm in therapy.
And my husband in an angel on this earth.
And some of the best writers I know are really flipping crazy (I know I am. Crazy, that is.)
Anywho, next day, I decide I'm going to BBQ the wasp by turning on the light and letting it get good and hot in there. (Fry, mother*cker, firrrrrrrrrrrrre.) Hours later, I checked and didn't see anything buzzing in there- but I still closed the door and haven't been back there since. I know I'm going to have to get over this, but it's exhausting to fight the fear- especially when I have to finish The Bourbon Kings and then write the first book in my third series (which comes out December 2015!!!)
I got to get on this. I mean, really. The da*n thing has to be dead by now. Really.
*insert ZOMBIE WASP plotline here*
Crap. Now that I've admitted all this, I feel like an idiot. But I don't know, I'm more comfortable being honest about things. And the irony is that talking in front of a thousand readers is something I love and look forward to- but I've heard public speaking is the most come phobia? Man, I love that sh*t. But ask me to do ten rounds with my writer's head over a wasp in a ceiling light and I'm shakin' in my boots.
Wouldn't change a thing, though. The Brothers make it worth it ;). So yeah, shout out to all the writers who also deal with squirrely heads and scary hypotheticals and have to conquer baseless fears daily. We're in this together, people.
Write on!
I haven't been in there for nine days now. The good news is there are plenty of other loos to use. The bad news is that this little sabbatical is yet another example of my writer's head getting in the way of normal life.
I got a wasp, yo.
So nine days ago, I went in there, turned on the overhead light and heard zzzzzZZZZZZZ. Looking up, I saw this thing that was the size of the horse buzzing around INSIDE the inset light. I have no idea how the sonofab*tch got in there. It's sealed all the way around- did he break into it? Pull some V sh*t and get his sneak in? My thing is, why bother? No TV, no food, no friends- how you gonna watch the game? Lot of effort for not much reward IMHO.
Unless he was looking to permaminently displace me from my bathroom.
Then yeah, mission accomplished, you little sh*t.
See, nine days ago, I stared up at that mad b*astard and I was like, Jess, seriously, you got this. He's trapped in there. No way out. You're good.
And that was when the writer's head kicked in. Next thought I had was of me sitting on the throne and that stinging crazed one ounce dive bomber shooting out and going Uzi down the back of my neck and spine until it nailed me in the a&&. Specifically, I could feel the buzz at the short hairs at my nape, and the tickle of the wings under my clothes, and the electrical shock of the sting in my skin.
Thought two was of me in anaphalaxis in the ER getting paddled because my heart stopped when they EpiPen'd me.
Did I mention I'm not actually allergic to wasps?
Like any reasonable crazy person, I slammed the stall shut and ran around the bathroom like someone had stink bombed the place, fanning my hands around my head and scaring the dog. Then I ran out, shut the other two doors and panted like I had narrowly escaped from a dark alley.
This is all crazy, of course. The fear, the trembling, the thought racing. The trouble is, I spend my life living in parallel universes where I sense and feel and see everything with such clarity and specificity that I am WITH the people I write about. Thus, when I get a OHOHOHOH WASP thing, I ride it out until it's like I'm in that Mercedes with Trez and Selena and we're ***** ** ****** * ** ******* (edited out so no spoilers from The Shadows.) It becomes impossible for me not to be convinced that the wasp is down the back of my shirt every time I think of going in there, or even look at the outer door of the bathroom. And this happens in a thousand contexts in a million ways every single day of my life.
Yes, I'm in therapy.
And my husband in an angel on this earth.
And some of the best writers I know are really flipping crazy (I know I am. Crazy, that is.)
Anywho, next day, I decide I'm going to BBQ the wasp by turning on the light and letting it get good and hot in there. (Fry, mother*cker, firrrrrrrrrrrrre.) Hours later, I checked and didn't see anything buzzing in there- but I still closed the door and haven't been back there since. I know I'm going to have to get over this, but it's exhausting to fight the fear- especially when I have to finish The Bourbon Kings and then write the first book in my third series (which comes out December 2015!!!)
I got to get on this. I mean, really. The da*n thing has to be dead by now. Really.
*insert ZOMBIE WASP plotline here*
Crap. Now that I've admitted all this, I feel like an idiot. But I don't know, I'm more comfortable being honest about things. And the irony is that talking in front of a thousand readers is something I love and look forward to- but I've heard public speaking is the most come phobia? Man, I love that sh*t. But ask me to do ten rounds with my writer's head over a wasp in a ceiling light and I'm shakin' in my boots.
Wouldn't change a thing, though. The Brothers make it worth it ;). So yeah, shout out to all the writers who also deal with squirrely heads and scary hypotheticals and have to conquer baseless fears daily. We're in this together, people.
Write on!
January 23, 2015
I miss reading!
I can't believe after all these years that I've finally joined Goodreads! Undoubtedly, I'm going to screw this up somehow, but they say to add a blog so here it goes lol (and yes, this really is me- only the real JR Ward could be this confused about something that shouldn't b this hard to figure out!)
I love my job writing. It is the single best thing in the world- aside from dogs, a good cup of coffee, and the Louisville Cardinal Men's Basketball team winning against anyone who's ranked especially that other team in the state- and is one of the few endeavors I'm really good at. The only thing that hasn't been so great about having this career is that I don't read anymore. Part of that is the reality of time constraints; another part is the fact that my eyes are usually so burned out by the end of the work day, the last thing I have any interest in is reading anything. I want to watch a football or basketball game, or some Real Housewives thing or a rerun of The Office.
That being said, I'm having a ball going through and listing the books that I've read that I've loved soooooo much. I'm not done, but finding them and putting them on my profile?board?whatisitcalledhere? has reminded me of the great joy I had when I was between their covers. Elizabeth Lowell is probably the biggest star in my night sky- her books were the ones that got me started in romance. And then there's Suzanne Brockmann who made me cry because she was so good and I was convinced I was never going to get there. Doc Jess is there, too- my very best writer friend and a woman I couldn't respect more. And my mentor Sue Grafton. And Lisa Gardner. And Karen Marie Moning. And I have to add Christine Feehan!
Anywho, I'm babbling. I don't know how to do blogs or any of this, but one thing I am sure about? Without these women, I wouldn't be where I am now.
Oh, and I'm a Howard Stern fan. From the way back. RIP Eric the Actor. Hail to Bababooey. Fred is an alien. Ronnie is the man. I miss Artie.
What was I talking about? Books! Man, I gotta start reading again...
I love my job writing. It is the single best thing in the world- aside from dogs, a good cup of coffee, and the Louisville Cardinal Men's Basketball team winning against anyone who's ranked especially that other team in the state- and is one of the few endeavors I'm really good at. The only thing that hasn't been so great about having this career is that I don't read anymore. Part of that is the reality of time constraints; another part is the fact that my eyes are usually so burned out by the end of the work day, the last thing I have any interest in is reading anything. I want to watch a football or basketball game, or some Real Housewives thing or a rerun of The Office.
That being said, I'm having a ball going through and listing the books that I've read that I've loved soooooo much. I'm not done, but finding them and putting them on my profile?board?whatisitcalledhere? has reminded me of the great joy I had when I was between their covers. Elizabeth Lowell is probably the biggest star in my night sky- her books were the ones that got me started in romance. And then there's Suzanne Brockmann who made me cry because she was so good and I was convinced I was never going to get there. Doc Jess is there, too- my very best writer friend and a woman I couldn't respect more. And my mentor Sue Grafton. And Lisa Gardner. And Karen Marie Moning. And I have to add Christine Feehan!
Anywho, I'm babbling. I don't know how to do blogs or any of this, but one thing I am sure about? Without these women, I wouldn't be where I am now.
Oh, and I'm a Howard Stern fan. From the way back. RIP Eric the Actor. Hail to Bababooey. Fred is an alien. Ronnie is the man. I miss Artie.
What was I talking about? Books! Man, I gotta start reading again...
