Word of the Year 2019!

Happy New Year! Can you believe it's 2019 already?

Well, it's true that the R8 have been MIA for the last few - ahem - years. We all had Life happen with a capital L, and consequently the blog kind of fell by the wayside. But we are still here, we are still writing, and we want to ring in the new year with you! 

So here are the words we have chosen to define our 2019. We hope that the coming year brings you everything you have hoped for and more!

Nichole Christoff

Word: Gear

Why this one: Whether we’re talking high, low, forward, or reverse, “gear” is my Word of the Year because it’s a good reminder to keep on keepin’ on. I figure gettin’ it in gear is the only way to reach the next destination on this road called Life. If I’m not ready to roll, Life could pass me by, and I don’t want that. So, whether my progress is slow or quick, I want to engage that gear.

Why this year: With the latest two Jamie Sinclair novels having hit the virtual bookshelves in 2018 and new works-in-progress for 2019, now is the perfect time to remind myself that there will be obstacles on the road ahead, maybe a detour or two, but I can put in plenty of mileage, too. By getting myself in gear, I’ll get where I want to go. And so will you.

So! “Gear” is my Word of the Year! Throughout 2019, feel free to keep in touch. You can find me, my books, and all my social media links at www.nicholechristoff.com.

Misha Crews

Word: Through

Why This Word: A few months ago, I was very despondent. I was far from home, having recently transplanted myself to the west coast, and life was not looking quite as sparkly as usual (which is quite a bit of an understatement). Suddenly, my sadness was overtaken by this thought: Wow, I am really going through something. And if I'm going through it, then at some point, I will come out the other side.

Why This Year: At the end of August 2018, my mother passed away very suddenly. That loss is one which can never be reversed. Although I do believe in an afterlife and I know we will see each other again, I will be without her for the rest of this lifetime. And that fact, to put it poetically, sucks big time. The adjustment period after this bereavement is a major part of what I have been going through.

I looked up the origin of "through" (researching word origins is one of my favorite forms of therapy), and it comes from a Dutch word meaning "door," which can be traced back even further, meaning "to cross over, pass through, overcome." There is a peaceful resonance to the idea that I am passing through a door, crossing over stress and pain, and overcoming difficulty to reach calmer shores. It feels like a truth that I can hold on to when waters get rough and stormy.

Robert Frost said, "The best way out is always through." Well, sometimes it's also the only way out. So, that's what I'm going to do in 2019: steer through my uncertainty and my grief, and find my way to the happiness and productivity that waits on the other side.


Mackenzie Lucas

Word: Rebuild

Why This Word: As the definition states, the word rebuild means to build somehting again after it has been damaged or destroyed. I’m totally restructuring my life, from the ground up.

Why This Year: I’ve just gone through a year of tearing down, or as my tarot friends say, I’ve been towered. It’s been a year full of loss. I went through a separation and divorce this past year. My nest is totally empty—the last of my boys has gone away to college. And I lost my dad this past year; my sole surviving parent. Thus, I’m an orphan. So the new year is all about rebuilding for me. And, girl, I’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do. It’s all good, I swear. If not a little hard. A fresh start. Right? I have the chance to start at ground zero and create something fresh and new. The possibilities are limitless. Which is exciting, if a little scary. But after the year I’ve had, I think I’m ready for the challenge and chance to restructure my future. And no matter how much you prepare for eventualities (lost relationships, empty nests, and the death of loved ones), the actual life events and grieving process can be so much harder to deal with in real life than you’d ever expect. Yet, there is life on the other side. So here’s to rebuilding! Let’s do this. Bring it, 2019.

Keely Thrall

Word: Ship

Why this one: Two reasons. 1) Hello! Romance writer, here. I'm all about the ship - friendships, courtships, relationships, loveships (would should totally be a word). Shipping fictional characters to Happily Ever After Island is the core of my writing mission. 2) It's time to ship my work and give my characters a chance to explore the world beyond the contest circle.

Why this year: In 2018, I made a number of small, crucial shifts in the hows of my life (my ecosystem of habits) so that I could focus more intentionally on my writing and what I want from it. What I discovered in the process is that I'm tired of being unpublished. I'm tired of holding back and hugging the shorelines, letting doubt whisper in my ear of shipwrecks and storms. At the dawn of 2019, I say: it's time to cast off for Romancelandia. I'm ready to set sail and ride the waves of adventure to meet my fortune. I am, in fact, ready to make like a captain and ship. 

In Which the Ladies of the R8 Leap into Summer

This summer the ladies of the Rockville 8 have a whole lot of fun planned,

from vacations to new books to a little something, something extra.

J. Keely Thrall:

Vacation: A staycation! Sadly, I’m not headed to RWA Nationals this year, but I *am* looking forward to spending some time at my condo’s pool! And wonder of wonders, I think it will be TWO FULL WEEKS. Aaaah, I can already feel my shoulders dropping from up around my ears as I turn into a boneless sloth...

Book release: Protecting His Own, by Cherise Sinclair, latest in her popular Masters of the Shadowlands series.This is a companion novella to the book Breaking Free, a look into Beth and Nolan's HEA. I'm also on tenterhooks for the next "Beyond" book from writing duo Kit Rocha. This post apocalyptic franchise swept me up in a whirlwind earlier this year and I'm salivating at the thought of getting my hands (and eyes) on the next installment of kinked out fun.

Movie: Star Trek Beyond (or pretty much any geek movie franchise installment. I’m not picky!)

Lagniappe: Earlier this year I submitted a MS to Entangled and received a "revise and resubmit" letter from one of their editors, with a due date of late June. Totally stoked to send it the requested edits and see where it takes me!


Misha Crews:

Vacation: I've been invited to Williamsburg, VA for a week's writing retreat. It's been years (decades?) since I've been to the Williamsburg area, and not only am I looking forward to hanging out with some writing friends and getting some good work done, it will also be fun to get reacquainted with a part of the state that I don't get to visit very often.

Book release: Neil Gaiman's The View from the Cheap Seats, which will be released at the end of May. I've pre-ordered the audio book, which he narrates himself (swoon!). Here's what the publishers say about it: "An enthralling collection of nonfiction pieces on myriad topics–from art and artists to dreams, myths, and memories to comics, films, and literature – observed in award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling Neil Gaiman's probing, amusing, and distinctive style. An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator, and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his fiction." Can't wait!

Movie: Hello, My Name is Doris. (It came out in March, but I missed it in theaters; now eagerly awaiting the dvd.) This movie looks hilarious and heartfelt, and those are two of my favorite things!



Lagniappe: Actually finishing my novel! I've been working on this book for years, and it seems unfair to leave the characters in limbo like that. It will be great to get it done and out into the world, and then get on to the next novel. It's going to be a great summer.




Mackenzie Lucas:

Graduation: My middle son is graduating high school in little over a week. Hoorah!!! I'm looking forward to this in that bitter-sweet way emptying-nest mom's do. Then summer will be all about preparing him for going off to university in August. I'm also looking forward to my own graduation from massage therapy school at the end of August. Yeehaw. Ready to get out there and get my business rolling.

Vacation: Hopefully a family vacation to the Outer Banks in July, if I can get it planned in the midst of the chaos that is my life right now.

Book release: Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis. This is a new series start by Shalvis, set in a coastal town, probably much like her popular Lucky Harbor series. Can't wait to devour this one when it

comes out on June 28th.

Movie: Bad Moms, which comes out July 29th. Looks hilarious. And, oh-so irreverent, and yet strangely applicable from the trailer.

Lagniappe: I had to look this one up, because I didn't know what it was ... it's broadly known as "something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure." So, my lagniappe for the summer is looking forward to enjoying the sun and fun one day at a time as it comes, and to writing a new novella set in the Essence world as well as the first book in a new series. As well as enjoying my kids this summer. Guess I've got a lot of lagniappe.

Lisa McQuay:

Vacation: Outer Banks. A corner condo with an ocean view and a screened porch with breezes from the front and side. I can't wait to slow down, walk on the beach, read and just plain chill. It's been a hectic 2016 thus far.

Book Release: Kiss Me That Way by Laura Trentham. I read her historical series, Spies and Lovers, and absolutely loved the books. It's released on May 31, 2016 and I can't wait to try one of her contemporaries.

Movie: Jason Bourne. My husband and I love, love, love the Bourne movies and have watched them over and over. When I told him recently that the "Tires felt a little splashy on the way over here," he knew EXACTLY what I was talking about. I was so excited when I saw the advertisement on TV for the new movie that I ran to the next room where he was to tell him the good news.

Lagniappe: Finish my current Romantic Suspense novel. Get it to the agents who requested it. I'm currently doing a schedule to make that happen.

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Beauty and The Beast and The Rockville 8

Question: who loves fairy tales more than romance writers? Answer: pretty much nobody. And one of the most enduring and romantic fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast. So today, we at the R8 thought it would be fun to discuss our favorite versions of this multi-faceted and much-loved fairy tale.

Misha Crews

Which version is your favorite? Like everyone, I adore the 1991 Disney version (a book-loving Beauty, plus Jerry Orbach and Angela Landsbury? What's not to love?). But I think my favorite is the 1978 book by Marianna and Mercer Mayer.

Why this one? It's the first time I remember being exposed to this story. And even as a child, I was touched and fascinated by the idea that even the meanest, creepiest beasts might have a tender side. Maybe there's a reason why they roar and rampage. In addition to the romance, this story helped teach me to look past the exterior and realize that with everyone - beauties, beasts, and betweeners - there is always something going on underneath.

Mackenzie Lucas

Which version is your favorite?
Really, the only version I know is the Disney version. I'm sure there is a Grimm Brothers version or a Hans Christen Anderson version, but I've never read any of them or really seen any other versions televised on in the movies. So I'm sticking with Disney's Beauty & The Beast.

Why this one?
What's not to love? Dancing candle sticks and clocks. Plates and forks and teapots that sing? It's magical. Seriously. And the beast is a good guy underneath his bluster. Plus, there's just something attractive to me about a man who needs to be tamed. And I think Belle does a mighty fine job of it in this version. I also adore that she's bookish. ;0)

What one thing (if any) do you wish that version had handled differently, and why?
I wouldn't really change anything about this version. The part I personally had the most anxiety over was when Gaston leads the whole village to rise up against the Beast. For some reason that kind of injustice tweaks me the wrong way--kind of a falsely accused trope that I really hate. Jumps all over my sense of justice nerve.

I do believe that the Beauty and the Beast trope is a core story I use often in my own fiction. Sometimes the woman is the Beast and sometimes it's the man. Either way, love heals and tames all. Gotta love it.

Lisa McQuay

My Favorite Version:

My favorite version is the first version I saw, starring George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere (real-life husband and wife).

Why this one?

Trish is so luminous in this version and George is appropriately prickly and ill-mannered as the Beast. I liked the moody and mystical quality this production had.

What would I have handled differently?

I remember being slightly disappointed as a young girl that George wasn’t younger and more of a Disney-like hero. As an adult, I see that there’s a sexy quality and intensity to him that is quite attractive. I wouldn’t change a thing.

J. Keely Thrall

Which version is your favorite?

Well, I adore the Disney version. A heroine with brown hair like me! And she reads! And what a cute beast. Love your whiskers and your library, dude! But for this occasion, I’m going with Beast by Judith Ivory. It’s an historical romance, but set around the turn of the 20th century, still not an era often visited in romance. Its heroine is Louise, a young woman so beautiful men go slack-jawed when they see her. Our hero is Charles, a French sophisticate who is blind in one eye, scarred, and walks with a limp. Definitely a little beasty boy in the looks department.

Why this one?

Ivory’s writing style is lush and textured, her conflicts heartfelt yet emotionally grown up. This couple’s issues are not easily solved “if only they would sit down at talk it over.” Their HEA is hard fought, passionate, and satisfying.

What one thing (if any) do you wish that version had handled differently, and why?

I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m a consummate re-reader of books. I will read a story into the ground if I love it hard enough. But the opposite is true for me, too, and this book falls in the latter category. I was so entranced while devouring Beast that I knew reading it again would be like trying to get back-to-back holes-in-one on the golf course. Sure, the second ace is cool, but that sense of surprise, awe, and uniqueness is somehow lessened with the repetition.

For nearly 20 years I’ve held my full immersion into Ivory’s world locked deep in my heart, a “pure romance” epiphany that needed no further enhancement (for this same reason I’ve not been able to re-read Lord of Scoundrels [another iteration of Beauty and the Beast, perhaps??]. Thinking about Beast for this post makes me wonder: with 20 years more reading and 15ish years of writing under my belt, is it time to take Beast off the shelf and see whether it continues to live up to my hype?

Our Favorite Romantic Movies

Good morning and Happy Monday! We hope that your Valentine's Day was spent with someone you love. And if you live on the East Coast, we hope that you stayed warm during this very chilly weekend!

This week we want to extend the love of Valentine's Day by sharing some of our favorite romantic movies! And we hope that you'll feel free to share your favorite romances with us in the comments.

Nichole Christoff

MOVIE: The More the Merrier from 1943

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Determined to do her duty as a patriotic American during the uncertainty of World War II, Connie (Jean Arthur) sublets half of her Washington, DC apartment to ease the housing crunch. Connie counted on a respectable lady roommate, but when the doddering Mr. Dingle (Charles Coburn) cons his way into the lease, things seem all right--until he sublets half of his half to the handsome Joe Carter (Joel McCrea). Sparks fly even though Joe doesn't fit into Connie's Washington, DC world, and Joe is due to ship out on a secret mission. Add in the mores of the wartime 1940s and the machinations of the ornery Mr. Dingle, and hilarity ensues.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: First of all, Jean Arthur is a treat. Cute, quirky, energetic, smart, strong, and able, she's the lady I'd love to be. Joel McCrea as Joe is an everyman, and he plays the strong silent type to a T. Charles Coburn's shenanigans are hilarious due to sharp writing, but also his deceptively cuddly demeanor. This movie was released in 1943, right in the middle of the uncertainty of World War II, and that's a very real part of this story. No one knows if they'll have tomorrow, just like our 1940s grandparents--and just like our military members and spouses, today.

FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: After Connie and Joe accidentally end up on a date, thanks Mr. Dingle's maneuvering, Joe walks Connie home--and he can't keep his hands off of her. Walking down the street, his hands are at the small of her back, the nape of her neck, her shoulders, ear, and throat. She's like a toreador with her cape as she politely but firmly redirects his touch. All the while, they cling to small talk about everything else except their feelings for each other and the fact Joe must leave for his dangerous mission. But they can't resist their attraction and end up in a mind-melting kiss that's a turning point for the remainder of the film. This scene is never out-of-bounds when it comes to 1940s propriety, but don't let that lead you to assume it's old-fashioned, cute, or quaint. It's smokin'!

Misha Crews

MOVIE: Enchanted April (1991)

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: In post-World War 1 England, four unhappy women from different backgrounds pool their resources to rent a castle in Italy for the month of April. As the wisteria and sunshine of San Salvatore works its magic on their troubled souls, the women begin to come into their own, and love soon follows.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: So many things! The women are well-drawn and beautifully acted by Josie Lawrence, Miranda Richardson, Polly Walker and Joan Plowright. Their love interests (Alfred Molina, Jim Broadbent and Michael Kitchen) are quirky, flawed, as well as attractive and heroic in their own unconventional ways.

This film is a symphony of happiness, but it's never cloying or overly-sentimental. It's funny, beautiful, and so lovely that you can feel your spirits rising like an armful of balloons.

FAVORITE LINE: There are too many to count, but here's one of them: "In my day husbands and beds were very seldom mentioned in the same breath. Husbands were taken seriously, as the only true obstacle to sin."

MacKenzie Lucas

MOVIE: The Ugly Truth

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Plot summary as listed on IMBd (Because who can do it better? Right?) "A romantically challenged morning show producer is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her chauvinistic correspondent to prove his theories on relationships and help her find love. His clever ploys, however, lead to an unexpected result."

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: I adore enemies to lovers stories. Period. This movie is the epitome of that trope. *:) happy.

FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: My favorite scene is the salsa dancing scene. What I love about it is you can physically see the sexual tension building for these two in this scene.

Lisa McQuay 

MOVIE: Sense and Sensibility

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Two sisters navigating love in Regency England.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: So much of what you know comes from what isn't said but portrayed subtly through body language and inflection.

FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: "What can I do?" - Colonel Brandon "Colonel, you have done so much already... " - Elinor "Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad." - Colonel Brandon, Sense and Sensibility

Keely Thrall 

MOVIE: I Love You Again (1940)

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: William Powell is a con man with amnesia. When he comes back to himself after a hit to the head, he plots to rob himself-and his business-and skedaddle. The only thing he doesn’t count on is falling in love…with his wife, Myrna Loy.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT: The chemistry between Powell and Loy is present in all their movies, but this might be the sweetest and kookiest of the bunch. Watch for the cooing, Bill dancing solo, and Myrna debating whether or not to give her guy another bang on the head to re-“cure” him of amnesia. I prefer my romance with a big splash of laughter and these two are pros at delivering both. They have such a good time on screen together that it’s impossible not to join them.

FAVORITE SCENE/FAVORITE LINE: “Ever since you got off the boat, you’ve been chasing me like an amorous goat. You’ve tried your darnedest to make me fall in love with you and now you have. So from now on, I’m going to do the chasing, and believe me, brother, you’re going to know you’ve been chased.” ~ Myrna Loy just before she lays a kiss Bill Powell.

Word of the Year - 2016 Edition!

Each year, the ladies of the Rockville 8 dig deep to find a guiding word to shepherd us through the coming months. It's one of my favorite posts we do and this year I'm blown away once again by the results. Read on, then let us know what word calls to you for 2016! ~ Keely 

J. Keely Thrall
WORD: Release

WHY THIS ONE: I actually had a different word in mind - phoenix - for several weeks, as the need for rebirth and renewal in the wake of a difficult year called to me. But on Sunday I was pacing in my condo to get my step count up and I passed my deck of Angel cards. Each card has a different word printed on it that can be used for reflection and meditation. I guess I hadn't really noticed it when I picked it out before leaving for Christmas, beyond thinking the word fit in with the phoenix concept, but that moment, Release jumped into my bones and settled into place.

WHY THIS YEAR: Why Release? Because this year I'll be published - and have a real, true, "release" to share. Because this year, I'm releasing my stranglehold on some habits that no longer work for me. Because to make room for the new, I need to let go of the old. 

Because the Kraken of my creativity deserves to be unleashed upon the world. 

Evie Owens

WORD: Fling

WHY THIS ONE: Because it strikes me as off the cuff. The work of a moment. Not something that takes great thought. I live in my head and overthink the way I overthink. Take a shot. Give it a whirl. Just fling it out there and see what happens.  

WHY THIS YEAR: Why not?

Mackenzie Lucas
WORD: Core

WHY THIS ONE: Core Values. Remember what's important and build into it. Core Identity. Figure out who I am today, going into a new season of life, and embrace it. Core Strength. Build the strongest me possible to withstand the storms and celebrations life sends my way this year. 

WHY THIS YEAR: It's been a challenging year, with more challenges ahead. It's important that I focus on what's important to me, who I am in the midst of it all, and how to remain strong in order to be more than just a survivor, but a conqueror. 

Misha Crews
WORD: Wow.

WHY THIS ONE: I looked back over my words for the past few years: Forward (2012), Persist (2013), Do (2014), and Create (2015). And in each of those years, the word really did summarize my thoughts and actions for those 12 months: in 2012, I was moving forward after losing my dad so suddenly. In 2013, I was persisting with the good changes that I had started making the previous year: health-wise, family-wise and creatively. In 2014, my family and I shifted gears in a major way when we moved out of the house we'd lived in for over a decade; that was, indeed, my year of DO. And in 2015, my life has been freshly created: new town, new horizons, new healthy habits, an entirely new outlook. 

Now I want to make everything come together: gather up my loose ends and fragmented pieces, and just blow the socks off this coming year. When I look back at the end of 2016, I want to say, "Wow!"

WHY THIS YEAR: Because it's time. 

Lisa McQuay
WORD: Willow

WHY THIS ONE: “The willow which bends to the tempest, often escapes better than the oak which resists it; and so in great calamities, it sometimes happens that light and frivolous spirits recover their elasticity and presence of mind sooner than those of a loftier character.”

~Albert Schweitzer

I thought long and hard about my word for this year. Then I remembered the quote about the willow and the oak. In the past, there were times in my life where I locked my knees and resisted changes that I didn’t want. I am learning to bend with them and adapt so I can align my attitude and my actions to the situation. I don’t think that you need a “light and frivolous spirit” to do this. It can also be a conscious decision to let go of control in some situations.

I even love the way it sounds—soft, soothing and beautiful.

WHY THIS YEAR: I’ve realized that when times are hard, sometimes you have to sway with a situation, not against it. It’s exhausting to fight everything that happens to you or to rail against the circumstance. Better to move with the issue until you get through it. It’s much easier to bend with the storm than to let yourself be uprooted and toppled over.  

Nichole Christoff

WORD: Dig

WHY THIS WORD: I love this word! It's a cool word (Can you dig it?) and a working word (I'm gonna dig in!) and a word that encourages getting real (I'm gonna dig deep!) no matter what a new year might send my way.

WHY THIS YEAR: After plenty of changes over the past two years, such as a new home, a new day job, and three new novels published, I'm ready to dig what I've done (I'm enjoying all that redecorating!), dig into more projects (There are more novels to write!), and dig deeply into  the opportunities this new year will offer. 

Our Fantasy Holidays

The holiday season is a magical time: twinkling lights, flickering candles, our hearts full of joy. But it can also be one of the most stressful times of the year: cash runs short, shopping lines run long, patience runs thin. So this year, we at the Rockville 8 decided to give ourselves a mini-holiday from The Holidays.

Letting our imaginations run wild, we asked ourselves, if money were no object, if distance were not a factor and if family obligations were magically suspended, how would we spend the holiday? Where would we go, what would we do, and who would we do it with?  We hope our fantasies give you a break from the holiday stress. Feel free to share your own holiday fantasies with us in the comments!

Nichole Christoff

Where: A deluxe cabin in the Adirondacks

What: Is there anything more dreamy than an old-fashioned Christmas like the kind Mel Torme or Bing Crosby sang about? I'd love my own personal blanket of white, Jack Frost, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Snowshoeing in an evergreen forest by day, hot toddies at night, and heaps of handmade quilts on an antique bedstead in a luxury log cabin? Ahhh! That's the holiday for me!

Who: Book boyfriends are a-okay, but when it comes to my dream holiday, I'd want Mr. Christoff snuggled up in front of that fireplace with me.

Misha Crews

Where: Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the past few years I've developed a fascination with the American Southwest, even going so far as to set one of my novels there. Something about the confluence of cultures, combined with the vast landscape, which in pictures manages to be both austere and lush, captures the heart and inflames the imagination.

Photo credit: Christmas Pics for All

What: I would take Barbara Harrelson's Literary Walking Tour of Santa Fe, and spend hours wandering, listening to stories, and reveling in the spectacular greatness of storytellers, authors and literature. Then I'd spend Christmas Eve Santa Fe Plaza, admiring the hundreds of farolitas (votive candles in paper bags full of sand), drinking cider and singing carols.

Who: This took some thinking over! And with all due respect to my real-life husband, I think I would most like to take Mike Hanlon, the fictional character from Stephen King's It. This may seem like an unusual choice (not to mention that the fellow doesn't actually exist, except in imagination), but as a librarian, Mike would appreciate the finer points of the tour. He also has a sense of humor and an appreciation for history. Plus, if we were confronted by ancient evil, he would know how to defeat it. And after everything he went through in Derry, Maine, the guy could really use some time away!

Mackenzie Lucas

Where: El Camino de Santiago in Spain.

What: I've always wanted to do a pilgrimage. This is the Way of St. James, one of the apostles, and a favorite pilgrimage of Christians since the Middle Ages. After watching Martin Sheehan in The Way and Reese Witherspoon in Wild, I've desparately wanted to experience this kind of pilgrimage walk to see who I meet along the way and who I find deep down inside myself when challeneged mentally, physically, and spiritually to this degree.

Who: I don't think I'd take anyone in particular, but I'd be interested to meet other seekers along the way and learn their stories. It would be a fascinating journey.

Lisa McQuay

Where: Perhaps it’s the influence of Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” but nothing says Christmas to me like England. Specifically, I’d love to be whisked away to Bath, England. I remember being fascinated the first time I read about Bath in a novel where the Regency heroine spoke of “taking the waters” there.

Picture from http://www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk

What: I’d love to visit the Christmas Market in Bath. Tiny chalets are interspersed between the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. Shoppers wander through the chalets, purchasing gifts, drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies. I’d also love to see the Christmas Carol service at the Bath Abbey. Of course, then I’d tour the city itself. After a full schedule of shopping, eating, touring, and caroling, I’d make a trip to the thermal spa to relax and wash off the dust of the day.

Who: My husband. I know that may sound boring but I’d only want him there with me. If he’s there through the tough times then, of course, he’s there for the fantasy trip.

Keely Thrall

Where: A Dude Ranch in The West

What: Riding dudes. No, wait! Riding horses. Yeah, riding horses. It’s not so much that I’m a fan of cowboys (although, come on, it’s not hard to see why a lady might linger over a pair of well-worn Levi’s). I’m not horse mad either. But ever since I first read the words “Big Sky Country,” I’ve felt a deep tug of longing to spend some time in Wyoming or Montana. The scale of the world is different there, in my imagination, the pace more relaxed, perhaps, and a little friendlier. What a perfect place to gather with family and friends for a little unplugged down time (as long as there’s hot water and indoor plumbing. Big sky, yes. Cold showers, heck no.).

Who: Lately, I’ve been falling in love with the Winchester brothers. I’m up to season 7 of Supernatural and I just can’t get enough of their emo vibe, even when I want to slap them upside the head when they act like doofuses (or possibly the writers’ heads when the plot goes awry). In Frontierland (Season 6, episode 18), Sam and Dean travel back in time to the Old West. Sam looks pretty hot. Dean wears a blanket. Snort. Regardless of Dean’s wardrobe fail, I think I’d take the brothers with me. Because if my holiday is ever invaded by monsters, these boys know a thing or two about saving the day. 

Behaving Badly in December

Surprise! I've got a new title coming out on December 15, 2015. Yes, in just a few weeks. We're revisiting the world I created for Essence, the spa in St. Augustine, Florida in my newest novella, Behaving Badly. You'll meet Jack Spaulding and Naomi Quinn.

You get the cover reveal here first. Isn't it sexy? Thank you Elizabeth Babski of Babski Creative Studios! She does great work, doesn't she?

So what's Behaving Badly about?

DHS Special Agent Jack Spaulding, a former Army Ranger--on an undercover mission that includes modern-day piracy and gang activity--runs into his ex-wife, Naomi, at the St. Augustine Spa Resort, Essence. Overhearing her conversation with a co-worker about her plan to end her sexual dry spell, Jack steps in to offer her a bargain she can’t refuse--a one-night stand with him, NSA--no strings attached. She agrees to hook up with Jack to work him out of her system, and prove to them both that she’s over him once and for all. Only she’s lying to herself, because she’s never stopped loving her ex. Naomi believes Jack will blow out of town just as quickly as he’s blown in, like usual, chasing the next big covert operation. Even though this time Jack’s swearing he’s on vacation and not on a mission, she's not sure she can believe him because she's been burned before. He assures her he's putting down roots and staying for good, and he plans to win her back, one hot seduction at a time. Too bad he’s lying to her about his supposed vacation and undercover work, because there’s one thing Naomi hates more than anything else, it’s lies. Read this sexy second-chance-at-love novella where passion burns out of control and two ex-lovers find out how behaving badly can rekindle a love of a lifetime.

Read on for a sneak peek of Behaving Badly.

Behaving Badly

Chapter One: Deal with the Devil

   Naomi Quinn’s sexual dry spell had out-lasted its shelf-life like a week-old opened bottle of Cabernet and she intended to do something about it. Only she needed help, because her barometer for picking a good guy for a partner was off. Way off. Her last sexual partner had been her husband, and she’d now been divorced from him for three years. Three long, dry years. 

   So go figure.

   She’d learned a long time ago that happy endings didn’t exist. No, this was about sex. Plain and simple. She planned to keep it light, no commitment. Wham, bam, thank you, sir. All she wanted was a good, smoking, one-night stand. That should do it. Get Jack firmly out of her head once and for all.

   “What about him?” Naomi nudged her fellow-bartender, Rue, with her hip as they stood side-by-side slinging drinks for the Tuesday night crowd at The Fountain Restaurant. The guy she’d indicated was, tall, blond, and built.

   “Girl, I don’t know.” Naomi’s friend, gaped, eyes widened, as she ogled the sexy customer in fatigues and army green T-shirt. She shook her head, her pony tail wagging back and forth. “You sure like them big, hot, and military. That’s the third Army Ranger you flagged tonight.”

   “Yeah, it’s a real problem.” Naomi huffed out a good-natured laugh. Rue didn’t know the half of it.    Her ex was big, bad, and military, too. Only she was ready to put Jack behind her once and for all. Move on. Have sex with something that didn’t include batteries or silicone. “So? Is that a yes, or a no?”

As soon as I have buy links, I'll update this blog post. You can always stop by my website, mackenzielucas.com, to find updated information about my newest releases. Or follow me on Facebook at MackenzieLucasFanPage to see what's happening in my world. For notification when any new titles come out, sign up for my newsletter.

Behaving Badly taps into the second chance at love romance trope as well as the military man archetype. So tell me what tropes and archetypes do you like to read in your romance novels?

Be sure to check out Behaving Badly on December 15th! I think you'll like it. Because who doesn't like behaving badly every once in a while? ;0)

The Writing Process Blog Tour: One Writer's Way

This week I'm part of a Writing Process Blog Tour, so I figured I'd share my post here with our R8 audience as well as on my own blog at www.mackenzielucas.com/blog-2/. At the end of this post, you'll see that I tag three other authors who will post about their writing process next Monday on their own blogs, thus continuing The Writing Process Blog Tour! Please follow them as they tell their tales.

A   T H A N K   Y O U  T A G

Thank you to the talented Evie Owens for tapping me for The Writing Process Blog Tour, a tour where authors talk about their process and why they write what they do. Evie Owens writes paranormal romance set in the real world. She likes to create worlds where you actually believe the hot guy next door can speak to dead people. And she does it oh so well with a twist and flare all her own. Believe me, you don't want to miss her hot stories! The Psychic Detective, a novella that's part of the Once and Forever anthology is available now, and her YA paranormal, Witch Boy, will be out soon.

To learn more about Evie, read her post from last week at: http://www.evieowens.com/

M A C K E N Z I E   L U C A S

What am I working on? 
I'm always working on multiple projects, because I get bored and need to switch gears often. However, since Essence my contemporary romance published with Soul Mate Publishing debuted in January, I've been focused equally on writing and promotion. Last week I completed a month-long virtual book tour. It was a fun tour, where I interacted with readers at every stop. And a few days after I finished that blog tour, I hopped on another to promote my Dragon Shifters of Derkesthai Academy series. The newest book out is From This Day Forward, also released in January.

As far as new writing projects go, I just finished final edits on an anthology piece called Matchmaker's Moon about a matchmaker who doesn't really believe in love but who is given a second crack at finding true love when her ex comes back to town.

I'm also editing my next full-length contemporary romance novel, called Every Heart Sings. It's the story about a rock star who's lost his way and the small-town community that helps him find his way back to the heart of his music. Bring in one heroine with an aversion to anything that smacks of the entertainment business and who is determined to run interference for her music-crazy nephew and you have enough trouble to keep everything hopping on this small North Carolina island.

I just started writing the first draft of my next category length (50,000-word) contemporary romance, Tricks. This is the story of a national snowboard champion who must face her biggest fear to qualify for the next Winter Olympics. Sparks fly when she encounters small-town police chief and SAR first responder, Eli Scott, when he's forced to rescue her during a freak blizzard.

Finally, I'm working on a new adult erotic romance called The Boy Next Door. When twenty-one-year old Gwen Sanders comes home, she wants only one thing . . . to get the attention of Brody Thompson, the boy next door, who she's secretly loved since she was sixteen. She'll do almost anything to find out what the sexy recreational sports tour guide does with his clients at his clandestine monthly Barn Bash. She's about to find out. One way or another.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
There's a lot of excellent contemporary romance out there. I love writing stories set in small-town communities where a quirky cast of characters gets involved in bringing two people together. My stories are also hot. I don't close the bedroom door. I love lots of sexual tension and steamy sex in my books. And, there's usually one protagonist who is trying to overcome or heal a past wound. Often, that protagonist's love interest is integral in helping him/her complete that process.

The tagline I've claimed for my brand is "contemporary and paranormal romance with heart and passion." Even in my paranormal romance, you'll find the same familiar contemporary romance tropes I employ in my contemporaries. There's a huge overlap. The only difference is that in my paranormal romance you'll find a touch of magical realism along with the small-town contemporary romance.

Why do I write what I do? 
I'm a small-town girl. Born and bred. I now live in the suburbs of Washington, DC. I miss the small-town way of life. It's amazing to me how much we crave community today. And I think that's why lots of readers love small-town-based contemporary romance. I know it's why I read it. I'm looking for characters who connect with their neighbors and learn how to navigate the sometimes sticky ties of dysfunctional family life. As always, I'm writing stories I want to read, because I always run out of titles and good authors to read.

How does your writing process work?
I’m what they like to call a Plan-ster. I do some initial planning, then I’m a pantser--I wing it. I know at least one character when I start out. I know the opening scene, and I know the ending. I usually plan a few high points between, but other than that, that's all I know when I get started. I enjoy the discovery process that comes for me during the creative writing of a story too much to worry about planning out every little detail of my book first.

So what I usually do is I come up with the core concept of the story and write a little blurb about it, combining a Michael Hauge and a Bob Mayer type of process. Once I have my short paragraph--maybe twenty-five or so words. I’ll come up with a list of plot points. Things I know need to happen in my story from beginning to end. It’s everything I know about the story. It can be in order, or it can be out of order, it doesn't matter. At times I've done this on the computer then printed the plot points out and taped them onto individual index cards. That way, I can shuffle the points around and move them as I need. These are the tent poles, as Jenny Cruise calls them--the plot points that hold up my story.

When I have my plot points written down. I sit and write an in-depth character sketch of my main characters, usually the hero and the heroine. So that I begin to get to know them. Understand their motivations and backgrounds and wounds. Something I've recently added to my process is that I write down each of their arcs. Where they are at the beginning of the story and where they are (usually emotionally) by the end of the story. This way, I know how they change. I may not yet know what changes them. But I see them at the beginning and the end. I've also begun to note the arc they have in their relationships with others beyond the main character. Say, for example, the arc my heroine has with her grandmother who is a secondary character.

Then, it’s time to begin writing in earnest. I open my word document (or sometimes Scrivener) and I begin … Chapter One. The beauty of my process is that it works for me (for now). Every book is a little different. And, sometimes, the process changes slightly. But I get down everything I know first. Then, I begin to write from one known point to the next, and as I do, fun and interesting things pop up to make my story richer and bring it alive. This is the part I love. It’s the dating phase. The discovery phase where we know each other well enough to go out and share a meal, but as we sit and have a conversation, we find hidden depths and fall just a little more in love with each other. So that by the time I’m finished with the story, there’s not a nuance I don’t know about the story I've just told.

T A G G I N G   T H R E E   O T H E R   A U T H O R S

Thanks for stopping by today to read about my writing process. Now it's my turn to tag three other authors to talk about their process and why they write what they do. Let's send The Writing Process Blog Tour viral, make sure you continue to follow these authors' posts next Monday--March 10, 2014--to learn more about them and find a whole host of new books to read! Here's who is up next:

 M I S H A   C R E W S

MISHA CREWS has been nominated for the Bronte Prize for Romantic Fiction and Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Book Award for her romantic suspense novels that perfectly blend romance and mystery while providing a twist on timeless tales of home and heart. She writes heart-warming stories set in small towns where intrigue and suspense intrude on her characters' lives. Her novels include: Still Waters, Homesong, and Her Secret Body Guard. She's written novellas for A Spirited Season and for At the Cafe and Other Stories.

Check out Misha's blog post on her writing process at: http://mishacrews.com/

M E G   M I M S

MEG MIMS hails from Michigan and is an award-winning writer of the western mysteries Double Crossing and Double or Nothing. She's one-half of the D.E. Ireland writing team, whose series of cozy mysteries will be published by St. Martin's later this year. Meg has also written two successful Christmas novellas, Santa Paws and Santa Claws.

Learn more about Meg's writing process by visiting: http://megmims.com/musings/.

N I K K I   H O P E M A N

NIKKI HOPEMAN writes a fascinating blend of horror and mystery. Her debut novel, Habeas Corpse, is about a zombie forensics technician forced to turn amateur sleuth when an alarming series of murders threatens his community and everything he stands for. She's also published an intriguing horror short story called "Blackbird" in the Mistresses of the Macabre anthology.

To find out why Nikki writes horror and mystery, check out her blog post at: http://nikkihopeman.wordpress.com/

H O W   A B O U T   YOU?

So if you're an author, what's your process and why do you write what you write? If you're a reader, tell us what kind of stories you love to read and a few of your favorite authors, and why you love to read those stories!

Thanks for reading!

New Beginnings

I love this time of year! It’s a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. No matter what you've done up until now, you can start over with a positive energy and hope for all the possibilities the brand new year brings.

Every year around this time, I begin planning for the next year. I start to think about what I’d like to do differently when the calendar year flips over, and I take stock of the past year, examining what worked and what didn't. I begin to make my lists. I dream big and I dream small. I broad-brush my goals, then I go back in and paint in the details by making sub-lists under those bigger topics.

After I've finished my plans, I post these goals on my office wall--yes, on an easel-sized post-it note to myself. So that all year long I can check off my progress. Usually, by the time June hits, I’m ready to re-evaluate my yearly goals, update and make new lists. Last year I found that by June, I’d accomplished everything I’d set out to accomplish for the year. So I had to plan again. Now, looking back at the list I had for myself in June, I've also accomplished the majority of those tasks and met those goals. It feels good to see a physical “track record” ... and to know that all the time and energy and sweat I exerted really did pay off in big and small ways for me.

One of those payoffs for me this year debuts later this week. My contemporary romance, Essence, will be released  on January 2, 2014 by Soul Mate Publishing. As you can imagine, I’m a little excited and a lot nervous. I have published a few Indie titles myself, but this is the first book of mine that a publisher has picked up. And it’s my first contemporary romance. The journey has been a good one. I've loved working with SMP. And I think this is a good next step for me. Okay, so I’ll squee now! All right, all right. Maybe not. I’ll wait until the pub day to do that because my control freak side worries about everything that can go wrong between now and then. Even though I really know better. It’s going to be fine.

So I’ll go back to focusing on my lists for a few more days, hammering out all those fun and exciting things I want to explore this year and the number of ways I hope to develop my writing career. Then, come January 2^nd, I’ll add learning the ins and outs of marketing a book to my daily and weekly writing routine.

Yes, one of my big goals this year is to figure out how to promote a book effectively. I've already begun to promote Essence and will start a blog tour January 27^th to get my name out there, and hopefully sell a few more books in the process. I’d love to see you on the virtual road! Check out my website http://www.mackenzielucas.com for details on the full line-up of my blog tour toward the end of January.

So what do you do at this time of year? Do you set New Year’s Resolutions? Do you set personal goals for yourself? Do you re-evaluate and take stock of where you’ve been and where you’d like to go? I’d love to hear what you’ve found successful or helpful over the years & if you have one or two goals you’ve set for yourself, shout them out! It always motivates others to know those around them are reaching for the next rung on the ladder or the stars.

Buy your copy of Essence starting January 2, 2014 at amazon.com and be sure to tell me what you think in a review on Amazon & at Goodreads. All my Indie published titles are currently available at http://www.amazon.com/Mackenzie-Lucas/e/B00DTEW6NS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0. To find me on the web, go to http://www.mackenzielucas.com. If you’re on Facebook, look me up at: MackenzieLucasFanPage or on Twitter at: @MacLucas_writer.

Book Giveaway:

Readers who comment on today’s blog by sharing one of their goals for the new year will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Essence.

$50 Spa eGift Card Giveaway:

And two lucky followers who LIKE my Facebook page MackenzieLucasFanPage between today and January 15 will each win a $50 SpaWish eGift card.

So come on, let’s play! Comment, like, and share. It’s always fun to have as many participants as possible in these contests. As Misha says, join in my reindeer games. It’ll be fun!

Happy New Year and happy goal setting. Let's see what we can do in 2014!

More about Essence. More about Soul Mate Publishing.