music that fires the imagination

Not every writer wants music to write by. It has to be the right kind of music. I have a friend who needs absolute silence and no distractions. Earplugs, in fact. Me, I'm a bit of a mix. I cannot write to Spongebob Squarepants no matter how hard I try. Ditto Scooby Doo and all those boomerang cartoons! But lately I've found the perfect music for writing or editing - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Brooding, intense, romantic, moody. Perfect for those Colonial battlefield scenes and the untamed Kentucke frontier. The violin and cello therein are divine:)

I've never considered Russel Crowe a catch but in uniform he's quite respectable and his acting here is quite fine. Plus he plays the violin. Could I ask for more? I'm also a huge fan of the Horatio Hornblower series. I'd thought of writing a series on the British Navy (well, the Americans) but Kaye Dacus beat me to it!

On the publishing front, the Baker Books catalog for next summer is out and Morrow Little is in it:) I found my copy in the mailbox today and it was an extra blessing. I'm always humbled that I have such a fine publisher and I hope my books do well for them. They really have a heart for new authors. And their covers are the best out there:)

Some upcoming books I can't wait to read: Masquerade by Nancy Moser and She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell. Any in particular on your wish list? How about music?

corsets, hats, and other 18th-century things

I'm in the midst of helping dress Morrow Little, my protagonist for book 2. Unlike Lael, Morrow likes her corset. And you won't find her going barefoot much. If she and Lael were to meet in the Kentucke woods I'm not sure anything but sparks would fly. But I'm very fond of them both, flaws and all:) And I hope you'll feel the same.

A few days ago the art team sent me pictures of some beautiful 18th-century dresses and I picked my favorite. JOY! There are many amazing parts of publishing but the cover art ranks right up there with signing that contract:) And then there's holding the finished book in your hands...and dreaming of that next novel...and packing for your first writers' conference. These memorable things offset the downside of deadlines, competitiveness, critics, etc.

Did you know that readers tend to prefer historical fiction and historical romance set in the time period of 1880-1900? This is what sells best, or so I've heard. Can anyone guess which movie the above picture is from? The lovely hat you're seeing is straight out of the century I love. I'll not give you any other clues!