Lara's Scratch Pad

Chick-lit Trivia Game

2009-02-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, here's a fun contest/ game being hosted by Sandra Lopez on her website. Check it out!

The schedule is as follows:

Feb 1-Mary Castillo---"In Between Men"
Ends Feb 7

Feb 8-Lara Rios---"Becoming Americana"
Ends Feb 14

Feb 15-Caridad Ferrer---"Adios to my old life"
Ends Feb 21

Feb 22-Margo Candela---"Underneath it all"
Ends Feb 28

Here's how to play:
1. Go to Sandra's website at www.sandralopez.info

2. Click on "Sandra's Online Book Club"

3. There, you will find a trivia question for that scheduled date based on the specified author's book. The answer will only be found in that book. Contestants will have a week to find the answer. A hint will be provided.

4. To submit an answer, simply click the link that will send you to the contest entry form. Fill it out and send it.

5. A winner will be chosen from the "correct answer" pile on each of the ending dates. The results will be announced the same day. Four winners will walk away with a $10 Borders gift card.

But wait, that's not all.....
There will also be a Grand Prize Winner announced on the very last day of February.

Grand Prize: A free autographed copy of Sandra's wonderful book, "Esperanza"

Here's how you could win the Grand Prize:
Along with each trivia question, Sandra will post a discussion question for that same book. Participants who share their comments by posting them on her book blog will automatcially be entered for a chance to win the grand prize. By posting on all four discussion questions, your chances of winning are four times greater! Please note that you may only post once for each question. Multiple posts will not be considered.

So head on over and good luck!

Lara

Latina Author Blog Tour

2008-12-29T22:19:00.000-08:00

Look for another awesome blog tour starting on January 1st!! I'll be posting under my new pseudonym, Julia Amante: juliaamante.blogspot.com

I'll have a sample of my upcoming novel: Evenings at the Argentine Club so come check it out.

Here is the line up of authors:
January 1: Misa Ramirez
January2: Jamie Martinez Wood
January 3: Julia Amante
January 4: Berta Platas
January 5: Mary Castillo
January 6: Alisa Valdes Rodriguez
January 7: Margo Candela
January 8: Caridad Ferrer
January 9: Gabriella Hewitt
January 10: Tracy Montoya

Lara

2008-05-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

How many of you live in the LA area? Is this crazy weather we're having or what? Last weekend the temperature was in the triple digits. Yesterday we had hail falling, tornado warnings in some areas (though I suspect it couldn't be anything like the real tornados in other states), an super cold wind. Very strange.

I'm enjoying all the Women, Words, and Wisdom blogs. I hope you are. Don't forget to check out Caridad Piniero today at http://caridad.com/blog

I'm writing at a coffee shop today, staying out of my house. I find it increasingly difficult to concentrate these days with my family around. And since I'm forfeiting my writing day tomorrow to take my girl scout troop to the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood tomorrow to see Prince Caspian, I figured I better get double the work done today.

I've decided that I live in a very uninspiring place. I read about writers that can walk in the forest or on the beach before they begin their writing day. How wonderful that would be. Although my neighborhood is nice, I don't have ready access to nature. Coffee shops with classical music aren't quite the same thing, but they seem to work for me.

Of course, we have to find the inspiration within ourselves. This is what we've been bloging about, right?

You all have a great weekend!

Lara

Barbara Ferrer's Blog Winner

2008-05-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

The winner of the iTunes gift card awarded by Barbara Caridad Ferrer is:

arianadawnhawk

Congratulations! Contact Barbara with your mailing information.

And remember to visit Mayra Calvani’s blog http://www.thedarkphantom.wordpress.com)/ tomorrow to see who wins the Starbucks gift card. And of course to read another wonderful Women, Words, and Wisdom post.

Lara

Wisdom Applied To Writing

2008-05-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Wisdom comes from many sources. Sometimes you seek it out, and other times it just shows up. If you’re open to learning from life, an experience may teach you an important lesson; a book can provide insight; even a song might awaken something inside you. As a writer who uses words to entertain and perhaps even inspire women, I’d like to share some of the wisdom I’ve learned that has helped make me a better writer. The three most valuable life lessons that I apply to writing daily are to be persistent, to focus on my work, and to enjoy the process.

Persistence - At one of the writer’s conferences that I attended as a recently published author, I was chatting with another author who had been published longer than I had, and she offered me the secret of being successful as an author. She said something like, "Lara, the secret to making it in this business is to never give up." Very simple. And very true. This wasn’t the first time I’d heard that concept. Stories about well known authors having been rejected a million times and finally hitting it big are familiar to most writers. But I thought about this comment and let it sink in.

We all attend writer’s conferences looking for the secret. Will it be learning to develop the perfect plot? Maybe we can find out what publishers are looking for this year? Perhaps a workshop to improve characterization is the answer? Or is it writing flawless dialogue? All that is important, of course, but even with all that, you can fail to get that perfect book published. There may be a similar story recently published and publishers aren’t interested in another. Or technically everything may be wonderful, but the timing may be off. We never know why a book will get rejected. We can’t control that part. We can, however, stick with it.

In a book called the ARC OF AMBITION by James Champy, the author tells the story of Russian Czar, Peter the Great, who wanted to modernize Russia and open a water way to the West. He attacks Sweden and loses the first battle, but he doesn’t give up. Nine years later after reorganizing and retraining his armies, and bringing in experts, he is victorious against Sweden and Russia overtakes them as the leading Baltic power. To quote the above mentioned book, A defeat calls for reorganization, not retirement.

Few of us become overnight successes. But, by sticking to our goals, we produce book after book, get better with each one, and touch people’s lives with our stories. By being persistent, we will become more familiar with the industry, we will attend more workshops and learn to develop those writer skills we need. We will become stronger writers. Like Peter the Great, by taking the time to improve our weak areas and not giving up, we can be victorious

This applies to all areas of your life. A marriage. A friendship. A diet. And your career as an author. If it’s something that you love, that’s important to you, be persistent. Don’t give up.

Focus - Years ago, I wrote a book about a race car driver. Sadly, it was never released. The line closed while my book as still on the printing press, and I still have the cover flat for the book that never was. But I learned something very important about focus while writing this book. I went to the Ontario Speedway and decided to actually drive a race car. It was fun, and I was excited. But I was also sort of scared. Nevertheless, I got in the car when the time came, and a trained driver sat next to me. He explained what I would do, and he told me to remain aware of what was going on around me, but to focus on where I was going. The track seemed flat, but it was not. At one point in a turn, the track slanted up and I was supposed to head straight to the wall, make the turn and then head down toward the inside of the track. I agreed to follow all the instructions, but as I drove, I found myself getting distracted by the other cars. My mind focused on the way I was strapped inside the car and how constricted I felt, and on the helmet on my head that made me feel like I couldn’t see. I was anxious about the wall and slowed down when I was supposed to maintain my speed and drive toward it. But I was afraid I’d crash. A couple of times the driver beside me had to hold the steering wheel and remind me to focus on where I wanted to go. But, I have to say that it was extremely difficult to put all the distractions aside and focus on what I was supposed to do. I gained a new respect for those drivers who race professionally. I ran ten laps -- they have to focus for hundreds.

That experience taught me that in order to accomplish anything, you have to focus. In order to write a 300 or 400 page book, I have to put aside all thoughts of my children, and the dirty house, and the bills that I’m not sure how I’m going to pay. All my attention has to be on the story and the characters in my book. And when that focus isn’t there, it shows in my writing.

The outside world can intrude on the magic of story telling. If you’re focused on the market or writing what’s hot, or meeting someone else’s expectation, you won’t do your work justice. All the outside disturbances have to be blocked, and it has to be just you and your writing. That’s the only way you can connect with your story and your characters and write the book that’s inside you.

Enjoy the process – I’m not a person who enjoys the process. When I travel, I want to get where I’m going. When I’m writing, I want to finish the book. A huge character fault, and one that I struggle to overcome. Because the process -- the journey of any trip is the point of the whole thing. In the actual writing of a book, in working out the plot, in taking the characters through their arcs is where we as writers grow.

I once sat in the audience of the Maui writer’s conference listening to Terry McMillian talk about her writing life. Someone in the audience asked about the characters in Waiting to Exhale. She immediately cut the person off, stating that she didn’t want to talk about those characters, because she was "so over" them. I was a little shocked by her response. But I understand now that Terri had gone through the process and grown as an author, and didn’t want to step back into that world anymore. It really was over for her. As authors, we should understand that as we take the reader through the experiences in the book, we are also on a journey. If a story is calling for you to write it, there’s a reason. Pay attention. We are learning and growing throughout the story. For this reason, we should enjoy every step in the writing process. The research, the initial draft, the re-writing, the editing, and finally, the end product – the book.

This last one might be the most important. Enjoy the book. I’ve found that I don’t! Like Terri, I’m done with it, and on to the next story. I don’t enjoy the promotion or the rehashing of the story. This wasn’t the case with my first couple of books. I loved promoting "my baby", and sitting for book signings. What an honor! But in the last couple of years, it has become exhausting. I’ve asked myself why. Am I crazy? But I learned that it’s a common feeling that upon reaching your desired goal you can find yourself feeling empty. Many people work so hard to achieve their goals that when they get them, they find they don’t enjoy them. The dream house or the ideal job or the big bank account doesn’t mean what they thought it would. Why? I think it comes from not enjoying the process. The reward at the end can’t be fully enjoyed, because there was no pleasure along the way. Focusing on the final goal without enjoying each step leads to an exhausting and an almost anti-climatic feeling about the end product.

If, like me, you are saying, "easily said, but not easy to practice", here is a website that tells you how to enjoy the process.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how_to_enjoy_what_you_are_doing_no_matter_what.html

I love to be inspired and I feel that this life is full of wise people, brilliant books, great stories. Share a story, a quote, a word, a book, a person who has brought wisdom into your life with me. You will be entered to win a $10 Starbucks gift card. The winner will be announced tomorrow on Mayra Calvani’s blog (http://www.thedarkphantom.wordpress.com)/

Check back here later tonight (Wednesday evening) to find out who was the winner of Barbara Caridad Ferrer's prize.

I look forward to hearing from you all!

Lara

New Blog Tour!

2008-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that in honor of May being Latino Book month, a group of fabulous Latina authors and myself are lauching a ten day blog tour! You'll be treated to wonderful stories, essays, or non-fiction articles, and wonderful prizes.

Mary Castillo will get us started today at: http://marycastillo.blogspot.com/

The entire line up is as follows:

May 19 - Mary Castillo(http://marycastillo.blogspot.com/)
May 20 - Barb Ferrer(http://fashionista_35.livejournal.com/)
May 21 – Lara Rios(http://www.lararios.blogspot.com/)
May 22 – Mayra Calvani(http://www.thedarkphantom.wordpress.com)
May 23 – Caridad Scordato(www.caridad.com/blog)
May 24 – Jamie Martinez Wood(http://jamiemartinezwood.blogspot.com/)
May 25 – Berta Platas(http://bertaplatas.blogspot.com/)
May 26 – Tracy Montoya(www.tracymontoya.blogspot.com)
May 27 – Kathy Murillo(http://thecraftychica.blogspot.com)
May 28 – Misa Ramirez(http://chasingheroes.com)

Enjoy!!

Lara

What is the American Dream?

2008-04-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Having finished the rewrite on my upcoming novel, I've finally found some time to do some reading in all formats: books, magazines, and internet news.

I came across an interesting article called Deporting the American dream. http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=a6bfe3963301ce5d1a46880857a147d1

Curious, I read it, and found it was about the Salvadoran deportees, and their re-acculturation into Salvadoran society. First, I have to say, I'm completely clueless about the whole deportation thing. Mainstream media makes it sound like this never happens. So I read on, wondering, what does happen once an immigrant is deported. How do they reestablish themselves into a country they might not have lived in for years?

The article answers some of these questions, quoting deportees on how difficult it is to get used to a different, non-American way of life. But, mostly the article talks about how they have taken American ways back to their country, and how they are unaccepted by their society. Yet admired by some as well.

But what are these "American ways"? A gang culture. Tattoos and hip hop.

This is what they took back. After reading this, I couldn't help but question what those things have to do with the "American Dream". If that is all they were exposed to in America, and the only things they were able to take away with them, our country is in serious trouble. Used to be that people would think of progress, and a positive work ethic when they thought of America. When my father would think about returning to Argentina and leaving America, the things he knew he would miss were things like being able to get a job anytime he needed one and make money for his family. Or having access to the newest and best technology. Then of course there were material things that he had gotten used in this country that would be harder to come by in Argentina. And if he had returned, he would have been an asset to his birth country. They would have been lucky to get an citizen with American traits back.

Now, it seems, Latin American countries dread getting their Americanized countrymen back.

Sad.

Lara

Who is Julia Amante?

2008-01-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally completed that outline. Yesterday. See how slow I am? I could have easily written 100 pages in the time it took me to hammer out an outline. But it's done.

Now, I'm moving on to other things that need my attention. Namely, my new name. When I started writing, I never gave any thought to using a pseudonym. So when it came up the first time, I had fun with it, and spend a lot of time going over names in my family and looking up the meanings of the the names in baby books. It was an enjoyable process and in the end I liked Lara Rios. The name is easy to say. It's short and quick to sign. I figured I'd live with it forever and after about three years I even responded to it when people called me by that name.

This time around, having to choose another pseudonym, it's not as easy. Maybe me mindset is different. Well, no maybe about it. It's a pain. No only having to produce websites, business cards, etc. for the new name, but feeling like you own the name takes a while. I wasn't kidding that it took me about three years to get used to Lara. I would go through a momentary stall when people called me by my author name until my mind said, "hey, that's you."

So, now I sit here and wonder who is Julia Amante? She's not me yet. The name hasn't sat on the cover of a book yet. I've never signed it. She has a small place on my website where the name flashes from Lara Rios to Julia Amante in a schizophrenic sort of way, slowly changing from one to the other. So now I have to decide if I'd like a brand new website for this pseudonym or if I want to truely combine the two author identities into one site.

Lara Rios will continue to represent the romance, chick-lit books, and Julia Amante will write women's fiction. Is there a huge difference between these genres? Yes and no. Women's fiction doesn't have to have a happy ending, and it focuses more on women's issues concerning family and friends. Romance and chick-lit focus on mostly one character (maybe two if the hero has his own goal and arc) and certain period in her life. So, I tend to look at women's fiction as life after the romance type of books. After the hero and heroine have fallen in love, gotten married and lived with each other for a number of years, and they've dealt with problems and real issues of family, jobs, children, etc. Where are they now? I don't see a huge disticition between romance and women's fiction. For that reason, I think what I'll probably do with my site is find a way to combine the two pseudonyms. Maybe I'll surf other author sites and see who other authors have handled this dilemma. Any suggestions?

Alone with the Java

2007-12-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I've decided to escape the chaos of my house for little while. I'm hiding out at the coffee shop down the street. There's something about coffee and people watching that inspires the muse in me. My mind is finally able to set aside the household chores and the kid's schedule and get into writing mode. The soft music and great smells help a lot too.

I'm supposed to be working on the outline for my next book, but I can't seem to get into it. I'm not an outline kind of author. I find that my characters and my story develop as I get further into the book. To say character X is going to do this and this and this feels unnatural. As I work on the outline I keep asking myself, how do I know the character is going to do this? I need to live with the characters a while and learn what motivates them. But I'm learning to be a bit more organized and to focus more on making each scene count. My books tend to be long. Too long. Although I did have someone once tell me that she bought my book because it was the thickest chick-lit book she'd seen. So I guess you never know.

Well, my coffee is almost gone and my outline is still bare. I'd better get a refill and get to work.

Ciao chicas,

Lara

2007-12-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

It's official, I'm finished Christmas shopping! Yaayyy. At my toastmaster's group this morning, a member was saying that she hated shopping even though she enjoyed wrapping and giving presents out. I have to agree with her. Shopping isn't much fun when you're strapped for time.

So, I'm glad to be done. Now tonight I can begin wrapping.

I got a chance to read Tracy Montoya's 12 Days of Christmas Blog and loved it! I'm going to spend the weekend catching up on those I missed.

I also agreed to read a friend's partial. I don't usually do that, mostly because I just don't have time, but also because it's tough to comment on a new writer's work. But I'm actually eager to dive in and see what's he's come up with, because I know he's been working on it for a long time, and he's shared a bit of the plot with me and it sounds exciting and well thought out.

So that's the plan for the weekend: read, write, clean up and organize, and wrap presents!

Lara

The Five Golden Rings

2007-12-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to day five of our Chica lit Christmas Blogging Tour!

Yesterday's contest winner was: jennikmahal
Congratulations! Contact Caridad Piniero to make delivery arrangements.

All right, moving right along to story number five. I hope you enjoy it!

The Five Golden Rings

Christmas Eve was always crazy in Carina Romero’s family. But it had become especially frenzied the last few years with the addition of spouses, boy/girl friends, and children all gathering at her Tia Lula’s house (since her grandmother had gotten too old to deal with the horde descending onto her little three bedroom 1920's home built for normal families). Everyone arrived loaded down with food and presents that literally filled the kitchen and living room. To say that Carina was not looking forward to it all was a huge understatement. And it wasn’t that she was a scrooge or anything, just that the entire evening wore her out.

At six in the morning when it was still pitch black outside, the phone calls started. "Did you say, you’re baking the pecan pie or the apple, because your pecan pie was too sweet last year and if you’re planning on making it again this year, I suggest using less sugar." from her mother. "Are we going to midnight mass this year? I’m going to take a nap if we are." from her cousin who always fell asleep in church. "My car’s not running well, can you pick me up?" from her sister.

Then there were calls from friends wishing her a nice couple of days off. And even one from a charity for the blind, asking for a last minute donation and promising that she’d be able to make a Christmas wish and the universe would grant it. Yeah, right. She donated twenty bucks.

"And what’s your wish?" the lady asked.

Carina sighed. "I don’t know."

"You must have a wish."

"Sure," she said, taking in the unwrapped items on the floor, the basket of clean laundry she hadn’t had time to fold, and the inch of dust coating every exposed spot of her house. "I wish someone would help me clean my house."

"Is that your wish?"

"Tell you what, since you help the blind, make it possible for me to see what all this crazy running around is for. All I’ve done for three weeks is go from store to store like a crazy person, trying to guess what people like, fighting insane mobs, and for what? Is anyone going to appreciate it? I’m exhausted. I want to see the point in all this. That’s my wish."

"A wish for vision. I like that. Okay, I’ve got it down. Good luck."

Carina ended the call and put on the radio to 103.5FM which plays Christmas music the entire month of December, hoping this rendition by Josh Groban of I’ll Be Home For Christmas would put her in the holiday spirit. Then she got back to work. With all the morning interruptions, she’d barely had enough time to cook and wrap presents.

So when her phone rang again, while she was encircled by ribbon, bows, and wrapping paper, she screamed. Crawling across the living room floor, she picked up the receiver. "What?" she yelled.

"Ah, excuse me, is this Carina Romero?" a voice that didn’t belong to any of her family members asked.

"Yes."

"Well, you don’t know me, but my name is Andrea Garcia and we both work for Sanford Transport. I work out of the San Francisco office."

"Okay." She said more hesitantly. "How can I help you?"

"Well, do you know Samuel Lopez?"

"Sure, he’s my fiancé." Who she was annoyed with, because he’d chosen to work on Christmas Eve rather than spend it with her.

She heard a part gasp, part cry come through the phone line.

Carina frowned. "Are you okay? What do want with Sam?"

"Samuel is my fiancé too," she said, with another high pitched cry.

Carina figured the woman was crazy or at the very minimum getting hysterical for no reason. So her fiancé had the same name, big deal. "Look, it can’t possibly be the same Samuel Lopez. Calm down."

"Last night after we went out to dinner, I dropped him off at the airport – he was going to see his sister in San Diego for the holidays, he said. Well, when I got home, I noticed his cell phone had fallen off the clip. There it was, on the passenger seat. I picked it up and took it into my house. I knew his plane had already left, but I was going to call him and let him know I had the phone. He’s a sale’s rep and absolutely needs his to be able to reach his contacts."

Carina was only mildly concerned that her Samuel was also a sales rep who happened to supply Sanford Transport with all their high tech software.

"But before I could call him," she continued. "His phone rang and I answered it. It was a woman who demanded to know who I was and why I was answering Samuel’s phone. I told her, and she freaked out, cursing in both English and Spanish. She works for Sanford Transport, San Diego office, and she was most definitely not Sam’s sister."

Carina sat on her sofa, feeling sick "Another fiancé?"

"I quickly looked through his address book, and found your name with girl #3 on it. I’m girl #4, Sandra from San Diego is #1. There’s a #2, and a #5 in his book too. And we all work for the same company."

Carina gripped the phone so tight, her fingers started to go numb. She tried to think of what to do? How could Samuel do something like this? Her only desire was to look into his eyes, face to face, and ask him if it was true. And if it was . . . Que Dios lo protecte. "Is he on his way to see Sandra?"

"Yes, and she’s going to kill him when she gets her hands on him."

Carina stood, feeling a need for vengeance surge through her veins. "I don’t think she should have all the fun. What do you say we all meet him at Sandra’s house tonight? Can you call the other two women and verify that they’re also . . . engaged to Samuel?" She could barely get the words out.

Andrea agreed to arrange the meeting, and book the first flight out of San Francisco. Carina dropped everything and got in her car for the three hour drive from Long Beach to San Diego on Christmas Eve of all days.

* * *

Sandra, a thin, tall woman with gorgeous straight black hair, had a rich accent, and shared with Carina that she’d been recruited by their company from Mexico City. She’d worked in the US for four years. She met Samuel two years ago.

Nicki worked in the Desert communities office located in Palm Desert. She had a Tex-Mex style and intonation to her speech. Apparently, she’d been girl number two. Samuel must have figured they were far enough away from each other and worked in different departments so they’d never meet. He must have gotten bold after that, because he’d picked up Carina, Andrea, and most recently, Linda from Los Angeles.

All five women held their left hands out over Sandra’s round dark walnut table. Five identical golden rings glinted under the yellow light of her chandelier. One average sized diamond rested on the top.

"Did he buy these at a discount?" Carina asked, royally pissed, because she’d been so understanding that he couldn’t afford more. And he’d promised he’d buy her a bigger diamond as soon as he could.

"What are we going to do?" Linda asked as they all pulled their hands back.

"Get his sorry butt fired," Nicki said, pushing away from the table.

"Not enough," Sandra was definitely the one most out for blood. She’d known him the longest and couldn’t believe he’d gone out and picked up four other women after her.

"When he gets here tonight, we have to find a way to torture him slowly and painfully." Carina agreed.

Sandra smiled wickedly. "I just bought a set of sharp Henckle knives."

"We can tie him up with some of your Christmas ribbon," Nicki got into the torture fantasy, adding a festive accent as she poked through Sandra’s box of decorations on her coffee table.
"Then slowly cut pieces off his anatomy."

But Andrea continued to look at her ring, rocking it slowly from side to side. "I really thought he loved me."

Painful silence replaced all their voices. Carina thought he loved her too, though she hadn’t been completely satisfied with his lack of attention. He traveled so much and sometimes forgot to call. Now, she knew why. "I wondered when he was going to introduce me to his family. He said they lived in New Mexico and that we’d go for a visit before our wedding next year."

"His family lives here in San Diego," Sandra said. "That’s where we’re going tonight." She stood, and walked to her fridge, pulling out a carafe full of eggnog. "That’s where we were going, I should say."

Carina joined her in the kitchen. "Glasses?"

"Left cabinet by the microwave."

Carina set the glasses on the table while Sandra poured, as if they’d been doing this for years.

"I just don’t understand why he had to propose to all of us," Andrea said. "I mean, he could have just dated us. Why this kind of deceit?"

"Maybe he figured he’d keep us all around until he decided who he really wanted to marry," Linda suggested.

"Maybe he’s a no good, rat that needs to be taught a lesson." Sandra slammed the carafe on the table. "Hijo de p–."

"Hey, hey," Carina said. "Whatever his reasons, they don’t matter now. The game’s over and he’ll have to deal with each of us individually."

They all knew that was true. As much as they savored the idea of killing him, they were rational, civilized women, with the only option being to dump him. Question was, how?

Sandra left the table and reached into her box of organized Christmas wrappings on her coffee table. She pulled out a gold foil box. Then she placed the box on the table and slid the gold ring off her finger. She dropped it in the box and it landed with a hallow sound of finality. They each followed suit, Andrea being the last, but exhaling as if a giant burden had been lifted off her shoulder. Sandra closed the lid over the box.

"So what are the rest of you going to do this Christmas Eve? I’m suddenly without plans. I should have gone home to Mexico." Sandra pulled out more food. Pan Dulce, and a pot of steaming tamales. "I was going to take these with me to Samuel’s parent’s house, but let’s eat them now, no?"

"Mmm," Linda said. "My grandmother used to make the best Tamales. And she always let us help. Even though we were kids, she still let us get in the kitchen and contribute to the Christmas meal."

They each took one. "Does she still make them?" Carina asked.

"No, she passed on a couple of years ago. My sister makes them, but they’re not as good though we don’t tell her."

Sandra put on some Christmas music. Resigned, like the other four women, to pass the time awaiting their scheming fiancé's arrival as pleasantly as possible.

Carnina nodded. "Yeah, my abuela is getting up there in age too and doesn’t do much anymore. We’re glad to at least have her with us. We take everything, including her, to my tia’s house."
Andrea smiled for the first time that evening. "That’s nice. My grandparents are still alive, and my grandmother insists on doing everything herself. The only thing we all bring are poinsettias, la flor the nochebuena she says, and her entire living room is filled with them. It makes her so happy."

They took their drinks and some pan dulce to the living room, sharing more of their holiday traditions and finding that they had a lot in common. Thoughts of Samuel temporarily on hold as they reminisced.

"My aunt married a Cuban who always makes a huge lechon asado in his back yard every year." Nicki said. "He digs a hole in the dirt and sticks a pole through the pig that he killed earlier in the day to roast over the hot coals."

Everyone cringed.

"Yeah, his white neighbors wanted to string him up over a fire pit when he first moved in."
They all laughed.

"But now they love it, because he invites them all over and it’s a huge feast. And let me tell you, this meat that’s been basted in lemon, lime and orange juices taste amazing."

Sandra took a seat, seeming to calm down. "We had a quiet Christmas in Mexico. It was more of a religious holiday than it is here in America. We went to church and participated in la posada. The celebration at the end was festive and fun, and not commercial. My family in particular always went to the orphanages to take a little something to the children. Christmas used to mean something. but here in America, it feels so hallow."

"Well, I’ve lived in the US my whole life and I feel the same way," Carina said. "Every year I go through the motions, buying gifts out of obligation, decorating hastily, because I don’t have time to do it right. Christmas has lost it’s magic."

Sandra caught Carina’s gaze. "Well, let’s bring it back."

"What do you mean?"

Everyone waited for Sandra to explain.

"What if we took our engagement rings to a pawn shop, exchanged them for cash, bought a bunch of presents and took them to the local shelter tonight. I loved doing that with my family."
Nicki and Linda checked their watches. "Well, I have plans tonight," Nicki said. "After I give Samuel a good kick in the nuts, and tell him using all his precious CD’s as target practice." She arched an eyebrow. "I recently bought a gun and am learning to shoot."

"I’ve got to get home tonight too," Carina said. "But, do we sit around and wait to yell at Samuel or do something useful?" Something good had to come out of their pain, and maybe Sandra was right and at the same time, they could create their own magic.

Andrea nodded. "I’m not getting back to San Francisco tonight anyway, so sure, why not."
In a sudden flurry of movement, they got their purses and coats. Sandra picked up the box of rings. They found a pawn shop that was willing to give them each $100 a piece for their rings. Not much, but enough to buy a few bags of toys.

Carina shopped with an almost cathartic feeling of joy. Later she would allow herself to cry, because though she hadn’t had time to think about it yet, Samuel had shattered her dreams of happily ever after. He’d betrayed her in the cruelest way, playing with her heart, and the hearts of each of these women who had turned out to be wonderful. She’d eventually get over him and would have to spend hours asking herself why she was willing to fall for a man who was rarely around. But later – not tonight.

Sandra found a woman’s shelter, and they arrived as Christmas dinner was being served. The staff, welcomed them, and allowed the five women to pass out the gifts to the children. Carina’s heart swelled at the excited expressions on the children’s faces, and ached at the same time that they found themselves here tonight. Later, after dinner, they would get another present from what had been donated by others during the month of December, but it still felt good to offer them one more gift.

They didn’t stay long after that. Nicki and Linda wanted to get on the road. And Carina knew she had to as well. They gathered by the front door.

Linda shrugged. "I can’t confront Samuel tonight. I’ll call him later. Or maybe not at all."

"I think we should each send him a thank you card." Carina said.

She was treated to a bunch of skeptical looks.

"And we would do that because?" Sandra asked.

"You know, I was so frustrated with going through the motions of the holidays and wanting to make sure everything was perfect for tonight, that I actually forgot that Christmas is more about getting together with people you care about, and doing something nice for someone who needs it than it is about baking the perfect pecan pie. Thanks to Sam being the jerk that he is, and ruining my perfect Christmas Eve, I think I’m actually happy."

They walked outside, and stood in front of the building that gave shelter to women and children who had suffered much more than the five of them. Christmas lights twinkled all around them, and there was a chill in the air. Yes, there was much to be grateful for, and reasons to feel fortunate. A broken heart would heal in time. But they had great families, and maybe a group of new friends. Everything would be okay.

They drove back to Sandra’s house, exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch. Carina doubted they would, but it didn’t matter. For today, she’d shared a special Christmas moment with four amazing ladies and had been reminded about the true meaning of charity and even forgiveness.

As they were saying their good-byes, Samuel pulled up to the curb of Sandra’s condo. He got out, looked their way, and froze. The pure look of dread on his face was a sweet Christmas gift they would each treasure.

Sandra walked up to him, the rest of the women followed.

"I loved you all," he said, but before he could finish, Sandra slapped him across the face. She turned around and nodded as if her job had been completed.

"Merry Christmas," she said with a smile and hurried up the walk of her building.

No one else said a word to Samuel. There was no need. He got in his car and drove away.

In the distance, carolers could be heard making their way through the neighborhood, singing, "on the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five golden rings".

Carina smiled and shook her head as she got into her car. Next time, to hell with the golden ring. Her true love better be prepared to offer his heart or nothing at all.

THE END

Copyright © Lara Rios

Answer the following question in the comments section to win a copy of BECOMING LATINA IN 10 EASY STEPS and BECOMING AMERICANA.

Question: Who was the third person to call Carina on Christmas Eve morning?

The winner will be announced tomorrow on Caridad Ferrer's blog.

I don’t know about you all, but for me Christmas isn’t Christmas if I don’t gain at least ten pounds. Eating all the goodies is part of what makes it feel like a month of celebration. So, I have a couple recipe’s to share with you.

The first was mentioned in the above Christmas story – the roasted lechon. Not to worry, I’m not going to suggest you dig a hole in your back yard and roast and entire pig. I will however, first share the real story of why I added this particular detail.

The real story stars a traumatized little girl (me) and an adorable, chubby, pink pig. On Christmas Eve my family used to get together with other Argentine families, and party until the early morning hours. They had loud music playing usually in the living room out of a boom box, where they congregated and all yelled to speak over each other. We rotated houses so that all the work wouldn’t fall on one family every year. One Christmas Eve we were visiting an older Argentine couple who either didn’t have children or they were grown. The man had a small house, but a huge lot, and in the back he grew chickens and raised a couple of pigs.

My brother and I and a few other kids spent all day playing with the pigs. The were cute! And clean. Not at all what you think of pigs. Well, about 5pm, when the sun started to go down. All the kids had to come inside, and the men all went outside. We heard laughing and yelling (I’m pretty sure the guys were drunk), and squealing (my mom still swears there wasn’t any squealing and that the pig didn’t suffer, but I heard something) so I went outside even though I was told not to, and saw bloody water running down the driveway. I screamed hysterically. A bunch of Argentine women came running out to pull me inside, and my mom explained that the pig was going to be roasted for dinner that night. I was horrified, disgusted, and cried on my mom’s shoulder. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that night, and didn’t touch pork again until I was an adult.

I still wish I hadn’t had that experience, but I have to admit that I've gotten over it. I love roasted pork. I know Caridad Piniero shared an absolutely delicious recipe yesterday, and I’m going to try it, but here is the Argentine version (I know, how can I give you a recipe for pork after sharing that story, but I wanted to let you know that it's a real tradition among Argentine's and Cubans (at least those living in Cuba).

ARGENTINE ROASTED PORK
Take a 3 to 4 pound pork shoulder or loin roast and brush it with olive oil, then season it with salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic (about 6 cloves, minced). On the bottom of the roasting pan, add maybe a teaspoon more olive oil to keep the pork from sticking to the pan, and about a ½ cup of white wine (the alcohol must evaporate, because it doesn’t taste like alcohol at all, and gives it a great flavor). Cook on 350 degrees F for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Add carrots (real carrots cut in quarters, not the baby ones because they turn into mush), potatoes, and halved onions the last hour.
Very simple and very tasty!

Now, the second recipe does not appear in my story, but I just have to share with you, because once you eat a steak with Chimichurri, you won’t pull the A-1 ever again.
This sauce is great on flank or skirt steak or, but my father used it on all red meat.

Chimichurri
You need 1 bunch of leaf parsley
8-10 garlic cloves minced
3/4 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 fat lemon wedge / or 2 tablespoons of red sherry
tablespoon of diced read onions
teaspoon of dried oregano
teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt
(optional)1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

Put the parsley in the food processor first and chop it up. Then add the rest of the ingredients in any order you like, and mix it all up. Use about half of this mixture to marinade your meat. The rest is set on the table to put on your grilled beef.

Tomorrow, on December 16th, visit Caridad Ferrer at:
http://fashionista-35.livejournal.com/ http://fashionista-35.livejournal.com/ http://fashionista-35.livejournal.com/ to enjoy another wonderful Christmas story and enter to win copies of ADIOS and IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT and and iTunes gift card. Wow!

Best of luck, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Day Four for the Blog Tour

2007-12-14T17:40:00.001-08:00

I'm am enjoying the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Tour. I hope you are! If you haven't had a chance to read the first four stories, check them out. You'll be glad you spent a few minutes doing something for yourself.

12/11 Mary Castillo - http://www.marycastillo.com/

12/12 Berta Platas - www.myspace.com/bertaplatas

12/13 Mayra Calvani- http://thedarkphantom.wordpress.com/ http://thedarkphantom.wordpress.com/

12/14 Caridad Pineiro - http://www.caridad.com/blog

You still have time to throw your name into the hat to win the prize: A copy of SEX & THE SOUTH BEACH CHICAS and Victoria's Secret bag with goodies.

And I'll see you back tomorrow to add my contribution to the 12 Days of Chica Lit

Do Store Return Policies Suck?

2007-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, store return policies really irritate me. I think Walmart is the only store that doesn't give you a hard time about not having a reciept. Last year I got very irritated with Target, because my son recieved three identical gifts. A remote control Hummer truck -- the only difference was in the color. Since he obviously didn't need three, I decided to take two back and let him choose something else.

Both trucks had Target tags on them, and I even think they can scan them and verify that they were purchased at Target, but the guy at the "customer service" booth was incredibly rude, and warned me that because I didn't have a reciept, I wouldn't be able to return anything else to Target the rest of the year. Whatever. I figured I simply won't buy anything else at Target. Plus, the exchange that he so grandly granted me had to be done that exact day, in the same department from which the original item was puchased. Meaning that if you recieved a hideous sweater, you'd better hope you could find a better one that day or you were out of luck. The rules were so obviously intended to make it difficult for the customer to exchange anything, that it really left me with a negative feeling toward Target.

This year, after my son's birthday, which falls at the beginning of December, I go through something similar with Toy's R Us.

So I'm thinking, these stores are simply trying to take advantage of people. They know an item has been purchased there and that people who recieve a gift don't usually want to say, "Hey, I have this already, or I don't like it" and will not ask for the reciept. The store therefore, avoids having to deal with returns, and ends up making more money at the expense of their customers.

Something just didn't strike me as fair or very customer friendly about all that. After all, if making an exchange makes the customer happy, isn't it worth it?

Well, I still feel that way, but I had a new experience that made me see another point of view. My son, who goes through phases and only likes one type of thing at a time, which is the reason, I'm always having to exchange his things. Because he gets a zillion of the same item. I don't go through this with my daughter or anyone else in the family. Well for his birthday, he gets a box of Bionicles (a Lego product) and when he opens it, we find that someone has taken all the Bionicle pieces out of it and refilled it with pieces of broken toys! He was obviously crushed, because he felt like a cruel joke had been played on him. After we explained that his uncle wasn't the one to blame, but that someone had bought it at a store, stolen the Bionicle and returned the glued box back to the store, he felt a little better. Not much better to be honest. But he's a kid, and only understand that he didn't get his toy.

I, however, very much shocked that someone would do something like that, came to understand why stores are getting tougher with their customers. Because there are people that will steal, cheat, and take advantage of the lenient store policies that allow them to bring things back. And understandably, they don't want to take a loss.

Of course, it could have been a person who had a reciept who did this, and in fact, they probably did and were not questioned.

So how does a store fairly deal with honest customers that want to make an exchange, and at the same time keep from being cheated by the community they serve?

What do you think?

Lara

12 Days of Chica-lit Holiday Blog Tour!

2007-12-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Beginning December 11th Chica-lit authors will have an original holiday story, recipe and prize giveaway every day until Christmas Eve!

The all star line up is listed below:

12.11.07: Mary Castillo, author of Switchcraft
12.12.07: Berta Platas, author of Cinderella Lopez
12.13.07: Mayra Calvani, author of Dark Lullaby
12.14.07: Caridad Pineiro, author of Holiday With a Vampire
12.15.07: Lara Rios, author of Becoming Americana
12.16.07: Caridad Ferrer, author of It's Not About the Accent
12.17.07: Margo Candela, author of Life Over Easy
12.18.07: Kathy Cano Murillo, author of Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul
12.19.07: Tracy Montoya, author of Telling Secrets
12.20.07: Jamie Martinez Wood, author of Latino Writers & Journalists and Rogelia's House of Magic (coming summer 2008)
12.21.07: Misa Ramirez, author of Lola PI: Living the Vida Lola (January 2009 from St. Martin's Press)
12.22.07: Sofia Quintero, author of Juicy Mangos
12.23.07: Toni Margarita Plummer, author and editor

Returning!!

2007-01-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

I've been gone forever, I know. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was swamped with work last year. This year promises to be busy as well, but I think I'll have more breathing room to do a few extra things that I enjoy -- like post on this blog.

For now, you can read today's PASIC blog where I posted on the topic of Volunteering!

http://toberead.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Lara

Villaraigosa's plans to take over L.A. schools

2006-06-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

While doing some reading on education for my new website for my upcoming book, BECOMING AMERICANA, I came across an article on how the mayor of L.A. Antonio Villaraigosa plans on taking over the schools. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools16jun16,0,5418816.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines

I'm a product of the L.A. Unified School District, and though I can say that for the most part they did an okay job, this is an over inflated district that is way too large to function properly. But should the city/mayor take it over? What is Villaraigosa going to do differently? Does he even realize what a mess the educational system is in? California schools do not allow teachers to teach. They want teachers to follow prescribed lessons in textbooks and instruct students on how to take tests. And with @ 40 kids in their classroom, it's amazing they can even accomplish that. These students who are graduating from the L.A. schools are not prepared to enter the workforce and do much more than follow rules, obey orders, and accept that they are a number in a pack of ignored citizens.

Students are not taught to think. Students are not taught not to creatively solve problems. Students are not free to participate in their education.

So, what will Villaraigosa do to bring the district into the modern era? How is the city going to improve the system? Usually when the government takes over something, it doesn't make things better. At the same time, Bill Gates is working to create schools that are different from the current models, where students want to learn and actually apply for the opportunity to attend his school, and hope they get accepted. They WANT to go to school. Interesting. He doesn't test them, or force them to sit behind a desk all day, or make them memorize useless facts. Students decide what they want to learn. Interesting.

So if anyone is going to take over the LA schools, how about we allow someone who has proven that he can be successful? The way I see it, unless Villaraigosa is planning to completely overhaul the entire school system and start fresh, why bother?

2006-06-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to launch a new site that will link off of my regular lara-rios .com
The web designer is doing an awesome job. I saw the mock up today, and I really like it. The fun thing about this site is that it will be updated pretty much weekly. I'll have a blog from the point of view of my main character, as well as some informative articles for all of you who are interested in higher education and/or how to achieve success in life. I'm very excited about it! I'll let you know when it's ready -- probably by the end of this month.

Other than that, I'm enjoying being home and taking a break from the book signings. I'm working on The Fat Contest -- my next book, and hanging out with my children. During the summer there are so many great things to do for kids. All the camps, and events at libraries, and fun activities keep them and me busy.

Anyone have their kids home this summer? What fun things do you have planned?

Lara

Getting Cozy with the Media

2006-06-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today, I'll direct you to the group blog I belong to since I've blogged there this morning. Click on the title to be redirected.

Editing under a campfire

2006-06-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

Got back from camping with my son's pack of cub scouts this past weekend. Man, nothing like spending a weekend with a bunch of testosterone-filled men. The dads, not the little boys. I actually had a dad tell me (when I refused a bag of Doritos in the food line because I don't eat some foods with certain chemicals) that I eat what I'm given. Excuse me!! When I repeated that I don't eat chips that are bad for me, he said, "hey, so is smog and we have to breathe it". Whaco. I took the stupid chips and went back to my tent. My husband had a good laugh at what the guy said. Later, I went back to the food area and gave back the chips to a more sane man.

But other than the drill sergeants, it was a good weekend. I hadn't been camping in probably twelve or so years. The kids had a blast. My daughter was stung by something out there and her face and right eye swelled pretty bad -- had me worried. And my son was tackled by another boy, fell and sliced his hand on something sharp. But even with their battle wounds, they were happy as can be. Didn't want to come home.

Of course, I spent every spare second going over my copy edits for BECOMING AMERICANA. I got the edited manuscript Thursday as I was packing to leave. Figures, doesn't it? They expected it back in NY tomorrow. So, let's see, if I had put it back in the mail Friday without even reading it, it might have made it back in time. Even though I sat in my tent with a flashlight Friday and Saturday night trying to read it over, there's just not way it was getting back in time. In fact, I need to go over it one more time tonight.

Today, I hurriedly unpacked and cleaned up as much as I could before a reporter for the Spanish paper La Prensa came for an interview. Her story has to do with how stay at home mothers manage both career and a business. Not really sure how we do it. By getting very little sleep, and having a home that is never entirely clean, and having a great partner. My husband and I are good about sharing responsibilities and working together. We also work in tents in the mountains, at kid's gymnastic and swimming classes, and appear very antisocial to other parents. The article will be in Spanish, but maybe I'll post it anyway when it comes out.

Now I'm off to finish reading through the copy edits.

Lara

Love Is All You Need

2006-05-31T22:23:00.000-07:00

Time to share with you another Virtual Bookbag author. This week, I'd like to introduce you to Lori Devoti, if you don't already know her. Her latest release is LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED, and here is the back cover copy:

When Del Montgomery's boss sends her to the Missouri Ozarks in search of a legendary pottery pig, her mission seems simple: figure out which of the clueless locals has the pig, convince them to sell it for peanuts, and then hightail it back to Chicago. Local auctioneer, Sam Samson, could be the perfect secret weapon in her search-- as long as he never figures out what she's really after. But is it possible to resist a tall, dark, gorgeous guy who's as sly as he is sexy?
Everything about Del turns Sam on, from her city sass to her delicious cleavage to her habit of twitching her nose when she's about to tell a whopper. And she's been telling a lot of them. Still, Sam knows a true babe when he sees one, and he's not about to let Del slip away...

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED received 4 stars from Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine!!

Check it out. You'll love it!

Lara

Chica Lit Fiesta and Alisa Valdes Rodriguez

2006-05-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! Amazing! Nothing else like it for Latina's who love to write and read books. I'm talking about the inaugural Chica Lit Club Fiesta that I attended over the weekend of May 19-21. I felt like I was at a three day slumber party where I got to meet and share stories and books with women who are a lot like me in their tastes and passions.

Alisa Vales-Rodriquez brought together the hottest authors in the genre of chica-lit and women's fiction, along with top Hollywood producers, editors, and magazine columnists. The energy was explosive. Most importantly, it was intimate enough for readers and authors to get to know each other. This event is going on my must attend list from now on. Alisa really needs to be congratulated for putting something like this together.

It's funny because I remember the first time I met Alisa -- it was at BEA (book expo america) for the launch of DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB. I was pretty excited about her book -- mostly because the Latino line of books I had been writing for, Encanto, had recently folded and many of us believed that the idea of seeing commercial fiction for Latinas in the marketplace was going to be a faded dream. Alisa's book gave us all hope that maybe there was a market after all. So, I eagerly attended a panel where she was to speak about her book. She was asked if she was the answer to the eagerly awaited Latina Terri McMillian, and she responded with something like she wasn't the next Latina anything. That she'd written a book about a group of friends who happened to be Latina. I'm sure I'm misquoting, but I left with the impression that she wasn't embracing Latino literature at all, and I was disappointed.

But everyone has to follow their own path, and I knew I sure hadn't accept my Latino roots for many years, so I shrugged off her comments. I still loved her book, and recommended it to friends, and knew that she'd tapped into something important whether she knew it or not. Of course, she did know, and I hadn't actually understood what she meant up there on that stage that day. What she apparently resented was being compared to another minority group. Why wasn't she the next Janet Evanovich or Jennifer Cruise? Why compare her at all. None of us can really be compared, because everyone writes from their own unique experiences and life views.

Following her career the last few years, I figured out where she was coming from, and realized that my original "hope" (as silly as that sounds) for the kind of author she would be was right, and my brief BEA impression was wrong. And now with this fiesta where she brought together such a diverse group of writers (something she didn't have to do), she's made her point again about how different we all are and how our literature is not a reflection of an entire culture, only a snapshot of a small section of the huge Latin American umbrella. I enjoyed learning more about the Mexican immigrant experience from one of the authors for example, and about Puerto Rico from a documentary producer. Though I'm Latina, I'm familiar with very little of the Latin American world. So this was a special opportunity to learn more. Besides, the location couldn't have been more fabulous! Right on Miami Beach! Gorgeous!

This was a much needed event for readers and authors as well. A safe place for us all to share our experiences and our hearts with each other. I highly recommend it -- can you tell? I came home inspired, and sick (but you can't have complete perfection), but mostly grateful to have been given the opportunity to share this special time with so many awesome people.

HOW LUCKY ARE YOU?

2006-05-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

I try to call my grandmother who lives in Argentina once a month. I don't always get around to it. Mostly because when I think about it, it's 9pm when my kids are finally asleep and I have a few moments to myself. The problem is that there is a five hour time difference, so it would be two in the morning there. As much as she loves me, I don't think she'd appreciate the wake up call.

But today, I thought about it early enough to check in with her. She was thrilled of course. She filled me in on all the relatives and asked how we were doing here. She told me she got the article in the newspaper I sent her recently. And she reminded me that she will be 89 this year. Wow.

Eventually, the conversation turned to my father as it usually does. My father passed away about ten years ago. He was her baby. To me it's sad. To her, it's devastating. And I could hear the tears in her voice. And, I can do nothing but repeat a few words to console her -- though nothing really can. But after a few moments, she pulls herself together, and tells me how lucky she is. She has a wonderful family, with great grandkids. She has her health. She's lucky.

On my end, I'm thinking, "You're not lucky. You live in a country so unstable that you don't know if your money is worth anything from year to year. You have to fear for your safety everytime you leave your apartment because there is so much crime and poverty. You lost one of your two sons (that alone would be enough to crush the spirit of most women). You only have four grandkids and two were raised in America, away from you. " Of course, I didn't say any of this. I just told her that yes, she's lucky because she's had a good life. And we all love her very much.

Afterward, I sat in my office by myself thinking about her and her wonderful attitude. What a strong woman. To be able to look at only the positive and say, I'm lucky. In this country where we all have so much -- so much wealth, so many opportunities, so much freedom, so much of everything -- so much of the time, we aren't happy. We complain about our lives, rather than looking at what we have and saying, I'm lucky.

I've always admired and loved my grandmother, but I was never sure where the admiration came from. After all, I never got to spend much time with her. A few weeks here and there, when I've visited or she visited us. Not enough to really get to know a person. But through those visits and through phone calls I've gotten a sense of the kind of person she is. Strong, confident, persistant, and most of all someone who looks for the postive in life. Now as a woman who has gotten to know her as a woman, I absolutely know why I admire her so. Everyday, I strive to incorporate some of her traits into myself. One I have to work on is to learn to look at my life and say I'm lucky. Because I am.

I'm guessing most of you are too.

Sorry to get so personal today, but on Mother's Day weekend I wanted to share with you one of the great women in my life who has shaped who I am.

Have a great Mother's Day!!

Lara

Virtual Book Bag Authors

2006-05-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

In the next few days I'd like to share some of the great releases coming out by some of my Virutal Book Bag buddies. I know you'll love the variety. We'll start today with Melissa Schroeder's newest: VOICES CARRY.

VOICES CARRY includes the three action-adventure books, Voices Carry, Lost in Emotion and Hard Habit to Break, previously released in ebook form, together for the first time!

A Federation under siege. A Counter-Terrorism Department overworked. Paranormal abilities outlawed. But when no one suspects what you can do, criminal Voices Carry. Called by lust and longing, three telempaths risk their lives to put their skills to work for the Federation Counter-Terrorism Department.

Voices Carry
When a criminal organization stealing secrets jeopardizes her boss’ life, secret telempath Shana Adams risks everything to uncover the truth and save Marcus. Drawn into a dangerous web of passion and suspicion, she’ll offer Marcus more than her body to survive.

Lost in Emotion
Alien Gorgons, Federation enemies? No contest. Telempathic anti-terrorist agent David Adams can fight anything. Antying, that is, but his feeling for Genoa, the sassy, sexy spy he’s been charged with protecting.

Hard Habit to Break
Once a powerful paranormal, psychically crippled Drug Enforcement officer Nolete Ashford has rebuilt her life from ashes. Now she’s on a mission to stop a drug that is killing paranormals,. nothing to it, no problem–until she’s assigned to work with Drake, the one man she could never forget.

Three stunning stories of lust and peril by critically acclaimed rising star of erotic romance.

Voices CarryReviews
“Strong characters, intergalactic espionage and lots of steamy ecounters to sizzle up your day.”
Shelley Bradley, Bound and Determined, Berkley

“Melissa Schroeder packs adventure, spice and emotion into every story.”
Lucy Monroe, Tempt Me, Berkley Sensation

“Ms. Schroeder has written a sizzling science fiction tale of espionage, telepathy, romance, and hot and heavy sex. Voices Carry is a twelve out of ten, I couldn’t put it down until I found out who the enemy was, and how Marcus would react to Shana’s secret. Ms. Schroeder is quickly making her way onto my list of favorite authors, read Voices Carry and see why… ” - 5 Angels, Ansley at Fallen Angels Reviews.

“Reading this book is like watching Han Solo (or any other space ranger) on a mission. Besides the smoldering bed scenes, there are bounty hunters after them, back stabbers aplenty, and some pretty fancy space piloting! It is a stand alone story; however, the author has what seems to be a series shaping up for this future universe. Do not begin reading this space opera tale until you have plenty of time, because you will not want to stop reading. And make sure your lover is near by.” - 5 Stars! Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews on Lost in Emotion

“I loved this story! Melissa Schroeder writes an exciting, fast moving plot, characters that leap from the pages and lots of hot, sizzling sex. Both hero and heroine are somewhat tortured and it was very satisfactory to see them work out their issues and find their way to true love. I love the way Ms. Schroeder gets the characters right into the reader’s heart. This is a very emotional story. Ms. Schroeder writes a villainous villain, who just drips with evil. Surprises are also in store for the reader while reading this story, so that there is no chance of getting bored with the story. So, if you like a fast paced futuristic, with hot, sensuous romantic sex, and characters that reach into your heart, I say, read a book by Melissa Schroeder, she will fulfill all of your desires.” - Plot Factor: FIVE CUPIDS, Pleasure Factor: FIVE CUPIDS. Valerie, Cupid’s Library Reviews on Hard Habit to Break.

To find out more about Melissa Schroeder and her books visit her website at authormelissaschroeder.com

Can you afford new books?

2006-04-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like a new mommy with these puppies, showing everyone their pictures and gushing, "aren't they cuuuutte?" LOL. Here's a few pictures of them.

Had a busy weekend attending the Hispanic Lifestyle Latina Conference in Ontario and then a book signing event in Palm Desert. My family went to see the Chronicles of Nardnia. Although it's been out for a long while, the kids hadn't had a chance to see it yet. In Palm Desert they have a dollar theater. The kids and my husband got in for three dollars! Can you believe that? Cheaper than renting it a Blockbuster. Got me thinking about how ridiculously expensive it is to go to see a movie these days, and probably why we don't go very often anymore. When most theaters charge about $10 a ticket, you've spent $40 before you've bought soda and popcorn. That could add another $40 to the night. Crazy. But at the dollar theater they had a great time for about $20.

On the other side of town my book event didn't go well. I wondered if the cost of the book was like the movies, simply too much and people could not afford to pay $14 for a book. Maybe. But when compared to a $10 movie a book is still a bargain for me. You actually get to keep it and read it over and over again. Or pass it on to your family and friends and let others enjoy the story.

Still the cost of entertainment is astounding! Buy a couple of books and a cup of coffee and you've easily shelled out $50! Ouch. Does anyone else out there find these numbers crazy!? When I think I've make less than a dollar a book; or less than $100 when I substitute teach for a day, I sure think it's nuts to spend this much on entertainment.

I know that I'm not alone in feeling like this. Which is worrisome because I'm in the entertainment field. I want to be able to afford to buy books and I want other to be able to afford it too. Hopefully, the price of movies and books and music will stay put for a while and our incomes will catch up. Wishful thinking?

Library Author Events

2006-04-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Hope all is cool with you all. I'm finally getting settled into my new mommy-hood with the puppies. They are actually excellent dogs. I'm sooooo happy I got two. They totally entertain each other, and do great when left alone.

Tonight I'm very excited because I'm going to attend a booksigning and talk with Victor Villasenor who is a legend in my book. I'm going to be in the audience for a change so I can sit back and listen and enjoy his talk. Our local library is hosting this event. I love this librarian. She's fairly new, but she's done so much to bring authors from all walks of life to our library. Something that was badly needed in our community where there seems to be a definite lack of stimulating activities and events. Sure we get fairs and NASCAR is really big and we have a AAA ball club, and of course concerts. But the arts seem to be lacking. I remember buying season tickest at our playhouse, and they ended up having to refund my money because of the lack of attendance.

I'm happy to say that the author events seem to be doing pretty well. Let's see how tonight goes. I'll let you know. Now, I'm out the door!

Hugs,

Lara

New Contest Winner & Newspaper Interview

2006-04-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a lousy blogger guys. I get swamped with work and just never get over here. But I've had a couple of great interviews to tell you about. The first was with Hispanic Lifestyle. This is a program that features Latinos in our community. Sometimes you learn about great Mexican restaurants to visit. Other times, fun conferences or musical events. This time the audience was treated to a sneak peek at BECOMING LATINA! My kids got a kick out of seeing me on TV, and I had a great time doing the show. Then today The Sun newspaper had an great article. I've attached the link so you can read it (you have to click on the title of this blog). So lots of media exposure in the last couple of weeks!

That's the news on the book front. At home, my two puppies are doing their best to destroy my carpet. Not that I mind too much. I need to replace the carpet anyway. I'd forgotten how adorable puppies can be, and how much work!

Now for The Virtual Bookbag contest. I never did hear from Rhonda so I'm sorry, but I had to choose a new winner. Shawn was my runner up and will receive Janice Lynn's great JANE MILLIONAIRE! Congratulation Shawn!

Until next time!

Hugs,

Lara

LAST CALL FOR CONTEST WINNER!

2006-04-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ronda, honey, you won!! But you don't have a profile on blogger and I don't know how to get a hold of you.

Does anyone know who Ronda is??? I need an email address and mailing address.

Hopefully, Ronda will check in with me soon.

I'll have to choose a new winner if I don't hear from you by Friday, Ronda. So email me with your info, that way Janice can send you a copy of her wonderful book : )

Thanks! Now I'm off to pick up the new puppy.

Lara

Puppies, puppies, puppies

2006-04-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

Last October, we lost our mini-doxie and it was bad. Really bad. She was our spoiled baby, and the household was in deep mourning for weeks.

But at that point we decided (my husband and I both) that we'd take a break from dogs for a few years. As cute and adorable and wonderful as they are, they are also a huge responsibility. You can't leave the house without thinking of them. Who will feed them? Who will walk them? How long can we really be gone? Not to mention the expense. Food, vet bills, leashes, dog beds, replacing broken things.

As much as we miss out doxie, it's been nice to be dog-free for the past five months.

But . . . lately I started thinking that it's not as much fun to live in a house without pets. (okay, we have a couple of fish, but let's face it, they don't do much) Besides, the kids really benefit from growing up with pets. And they've been asking about getting another dog quite a bit.

So, today I took them to a shelter -- just to look. We found what they tell us is a doxie-mix puppy. Doesn't look like any doxie I've ever seen, but what do I know. They took him out of his little cage and let the kids play with him. Of course they loved him. So I decided (probably decided before I walked into that shelter) that we are never going to be a dogless family.

I'll have to invest in a good dogsitter for those times we go on vacation or are away for the weekend, but I hope I made the right decision. Tomorrow we bring him home. He had to get neutered today -- poor thing.

Lara

Contest Winner!

2006-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Virtual Book Bag contest winner on my site is Ronda!!!!

Congratulations Ronda! You won JANE MILLIONAIRE by Janice Lynn.

Please contact me with your full name and address and Janice will get the book shipped out to you.

Thanks to all who participated. Hope you thought it was as much fun as we did. Feel free to offer feedback. We want to keep trying new things, and redoing things that you enjoy.

Hugs,

Lara

CELEBRATE ROMANCE

2006-04-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the Celebrate Romance convention this past weekend. I got a chance to chat with both readers and writers that I normally wouldn't have had the opportunity to spend so much time with. And we ate constantly! Doesn't get any better than that.

I've got to get better at taking pictures. Sylvia Day might have some so check out her blog.

I always enjoy getting away for a few days and reconnecting with the industry in some way. When you spend so much time behind your own computer focusing on your own stories, you start to lose touch with what others are doing. Conferences and conventions remind you who you're writing for and let you share your experiences with other writers. All that is good for the writer's soul.

This one was particularly nice because it was in Long Beach. I feel like my entire adult life got its start in Long Beach. This is where I moved when I got out of high school. I got my first jobs in Long Beach. They weren't big jobs. One of them was at McDonalds even, but they were jobs I got on my own (and some of the ones after McDonalds were actually nice jobs). Prior to this I always worked for my father or baby sat. I started college in Long Beach and was told by a counselor not to become a writer because I'd never make it, and even if I did I'd be poor all my life. LOL, well she was partially right. I had my first love affair in Long Beach and got my heart broken for the first time here. I met friends that I cherish to this day, and one who is partially responsible for my decision to adopt my children. And met my husband.

So, I spent some time away from the convention, driving around, and checking out old places where so much happened in my life. It was nice to be back.

My next conference will most likely be RWA in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to it already!

Lara

Spring Break

2006-03-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Some schools celebrate spring break this week, some last week, some next week. Very confusing. Well, kids in this immediate area seemed to be out of school last week so I spent all week doing activities with my children and their friends. With the cub scouts we got a behind the scenes tour of a newspaper plant. That was interesting, and amazing how many departments all getting everything done on time it takes to get a newspaper out every day. I was appawled to learn that it takes 17 trees to produce ONE of their large reams of paper. Yikes. Being in the publishing business myself, I felt a little guilty. But then he added that they do use recycled paper as much as possible. Felt a little better.

Then we finally got up to the mountains to play in the snow! Yeaahhhh! We're only a 20 minute drive up, but it seems like we can't ever find the time to do it. But now we're hoping for one more storm to be able to go up once more before Summer.

On Saturday, they got to do the behind the scene thing again at a bowling alley. This time dad took them because I had a great book signing event with five other talented authors. Fiction, non-fiction, children's books -- lots to choose from for readers. Thanks to all who made it to the signing. I enjoyed meeting you, and listening to your stories.

Hopefully, this will be more of a regular week, and I'll be able to get here more often. I AM going to the Celebrate Romance conference in Long Beach on Friday, though. Will I see any of you there???

Lara

Lazy, Rainy Day

2006-03-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've spent the day writing, cocooned in my house where it's warm and dry. Still raining out here in California. My family went to the desert to look for fossils, so it's been peaceful too.

But maybe it's been too quiet. I can't seem to get inspired. I've written quite a few scenes, but they aren't great and will probably be dumped some time in the future. Some days things just flow. I know exactly what has to happen and I just can't type fast enough. I'm so into the story that I get annoyed at interruptions and when I have to leave my computer I grumble and moan, and leave my brain in my office as I walk out. Then there are weekends like this one where I can sit here all day and nothing happens. I'm sure I'm not alone here. This must happen to all writers.

Yesterday, I went to the bank that happens to be at a mall and when I'm pulling out of my spot, another car (behind me) zooms out of her spot. I stepped on the brake, but not quick enough to avoid the collision. Wasn't a big deal. No one was hurt, and the other driver was 16 year old kid who was freaked out, so I couldn't even get mad. But it ruined my concentration for the rest of the day. (I'm so not looking forward to having teen-agers)

Guess I should have gone fossil hunting with the kids or skiing in the mountains. Looks great up there, doesn't it?

Legoland

2006-03-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my son's adoption day. This is a day very similar to a birthday (or more appropriately an anniversary) when we celebrate the joy of adopting our child. Rather than having a party -- this is reserved for actual birthdays -- we let the children choose something fun that we can do as a family.

My son is a Lego lover. He's been building complex lego creations since he was three. So it wasn't a surprise that he chose to spend the day at Legoland. And I have to say, I love this park. Unlike Disney or Knotts or other amusement parks, it isn't overly crowded. And there are always great spots for kids to do something creative, not just jump on rides. For instance, in one area, they build race cars and race them against other kids. They get to test their skills and then alter them depending on if they made their car too heavy or too bulky or whatever. And what do parents do? They rest : ) We offer some suggestions, but mostly we kick back and watch them play. At other amusement parks we spend the entire time standing in lines to ride a 30 second ride. I enjoy those too, don't get me wrong. But Legoland is so different that I don't leave exhausted.

So if you're ever in California or if you live in California and haven't visited yet, give it a try. The only think to keep in mind is that it's targeted to younger kids. Probably 10 and under. There a few rides that are for adults or older kids.

Oh, and about the contest, Nicole pointed out that there is nothing to prevent people from copying answers, and she's right. I commented on her concern, but I'll do it again, just in case people don't read the comments. Please double check the answers. Do not just copy them. They might not be correct. (can you tell I used to be a teacher?) I will draw a winner from all correct answers at the end. Have fun and good luck!!!

Contest!

2006-03-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Starting tomorrow the authors of Your Virtual Bookbag are having their first contest!

There are eleven great books being given away–and you can have multiple entries by visiting various Your Virtual Book Bag authors' blogs.

For all the details visit the Contest Page (see my links on the sidebar), then come back here and enter your answers to win a copy of Jane Millionaire by Janice Lynn.

Easy and fun!

Good luck!

Currently Reading

2006-03-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

When you belong to two or three writer's groups and you get to know hundreds of writers, your pile of to be read books becomes enormous. Mostly, because you want to read the books you've heard so much about!

Well, I'm happy to say that this week I've finally gotten a chance to read Allison Brennan's THE PREY. I started reading it while on the eliptical machine at the gym, and it grabbed me immediately. And that night, I couldn't put the darn thing down. I stayed up half the night reading it! And I don't do that. I HAVE TO be up at 5am to write before my kids wake up. But I couldn't help it, I had to keep turning the pages. And believe me, it was worth losing sleep over.

I won't do an actual review, because there are lots of them out there. But I will say that I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read the next two in the series. THE HUNT and THE KILL.

Way to go, Allison!

2006-03-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

CALIFORNIA IS FREEZING

We are such wimps. Rain, snow and cold weather really freak us out. My husband who is from Maine is really getting a kick out of Californian's running around in heavy sweaters and jackets because we're having 50 degree weather.

But, hey, I'm one of the wimps. It's cold! Yesterday, though, my kids had a great time because it hailed. These were large pieces of ice, about half the size of a golf ball. We watched it come down, then as soon as it passed, the kids got bundled up and ran outside with plastic baggies to collect some hail. It was great.

Our low mountains have snow too and they are gorgeous. So, I'm enjoying a little winter here in Southern California. I wish I was better with technology so I could provide a picture. I'll see if I can figure it out and post it later!

2006-03-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

AMERICAN IDOL AND CRITICISM

I was not an American Idol fan. I don't have time for TV programs. With homeschooling my kids, writing, and involvement in the various organizations I belong to, who has time for TV? Especially reality TV. So, I've never watched a season of American Idol. That is until this season (okay, I watched season two about a year and a half after the fact, because my mother is a Clay Aiken superfan and taped the entire season and I had to see what all the fuss was about).

I have to say, that it's addictive and you start to root for these artists so much you don't want to see any of them kicked off.

My husband and I were discussing this morning how very indicative of life, this show is. Take the judges for instance. Randy loves music and knows the industry. His criticism is okay, but he's so close to the music that at times it seems he fails to give constructive criticism. Paula is an artist. She knows how difficult it is to perform and to be good each and every time. She's so nice that it's irriating. But I can understand where she's coming from. I find it challenging to critique other writers for the same reason. I've been where they are and I know what they're going through. I don't want to kill their creative spirit. But in doing that, I can fail to be an effective mentor and help the person grow. Now Simon. I hate to say it but he is mostly right. He is the guy with the money. He is only concerned with finding a person who is marketable. And he tells each artist the truth (as he sees it). He doesn't baby them. Doesn't try to protect their feelings. Doesn't give them false hope. Is he mean? Yes, lots of times he is, but reality isn't always wonderful, is it?

Coming back to real life. In each phase of our lives we can see these three "type" of people who will try to help us in their own way. In school, didn't you have some very nice teachers who just wanted you to be happy and love school, but didn't quite challenge you (Paula)? And how about the real jerk who forced you to re-write reports or took off points for just a tiny mathematical error? This was the one who forced you to improve, sometimes just to prove to them that they are wrong about you.

How about in your love life? When you dated a guy(or girl) that wasn't quite right for you, didn't you have friends who told you it would all work out no matter what, while others told you to dump him immediately. And a bunch who were in middle?

And I'm sure in your professional life, you've found the same thing.

The challenge seems to be in being able to listen to the differing opinions, and figure out who is being the most honest. Not who is trying to spare your feelings and not who is trying to hurt you, but who is speaking the most truth. Then alter your behavior just enough to improve yourself. And then trying again.

The reason my mom's Clay Aiken has been so successful, in my opinion, is because he took all the criticism that was valid and helpful and used it to make himself more marketable. And he ignored the dumb criticism about his looks. He focused on his assets -- his incredible voice.

So, I'm enjoying watching MY first season of American Idol. The competition, the striving to be the best, the lessons about learning not giving up -- it's all inspiring.

And I love to be inspired! Don't you?

2006-02-19T06:26:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Today, I have the pleasure of sharing an interview I did with author Sylvia Day! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did chatting with Sylvia. Here goes:

1) Can you tell us a little about your current release, BAD BOYS AHOY?
BAD BOYS AHOY! is a collection of three loosely intertwined stories. The idea for the anthology came from my editor, Kate Duffy. She loved my novella "Stolen Pleasures," which was the Readers' Choice Winner of the 2004 Lori Foster/Brava Novella Contest. She asked if I could write two more novellas to make up the first ever historical BAD BOYS anthology.
"Stolen Pleasures" - Sebastian’s story was thought up on a whim when I heard about the Novella Contest. I knew I wanted to write a historical, and I had 750 words with which to snag the judges’ and, hopefully, the editor’s attention. I’d always wanted to write a proxy marriage story, so that was the leaping off point. Then I added in a pirate, and the rest just fell into place.
"Lucien's Gamble" - For Lucien’s story, I wanted a really bad boy who wasn’t a nobleman. He appears in all three stories, and his gentleman’s club is frequented by many of my characters. (So far, he's the readers' choice by a long shot! *g*)
"Her Mad Grace" - Hugh’s story came to mind because of the resurgence of gothics. I wanted to take the standard gothic and spoof it. Some elements are must-haves, like the creepy mansion, so I kept that. But instead of a tortured or scarred hero, it’s a mad duchess with a household of misfit servants.
BookList called it "wickedly entertaining", and yesterday I found out it made BookScan's Top 100 Bestseller list in its first week!

2) Great!! Congratulations! That’s really awesome. I'm sure you were thrilled. My second question has to do with the genre of your book. You're an erotic romance writer? Can you define that for us? How does it compare to a simply hot romance title?
A hot romance is a romance with hotter sex. An erotic romance is a romance where the relationship grows through the sexual interaction. The sexual content couldn't be removed without damaging the story.

3) That's a great definition. Thank you. My third question has to do with the path to publication. Writing success is usually long and frustrating, but you were published after a relatively short time, weren't you? How long was your journey?
From the moment I finished reading my first romance novel, I knew I wanted to be a romance author. I just loved how wonderful a great romance can make the reader feel. College, the military, and raising a family happened first. Then, once I'd settled down into being a homemaker, I had the time I needed to dedicate myself to writing and getting published. I sat down at the keyboard in Oct. 2003 and sold BAD BOYS AHOY! in Dec. 2004.

4) That’s really amazing. As most struggling writers know, it usually takes much longer than that. I guess all that waiting time and reading prepared you for the eventual sale of BAD BOYS AHOY. Now, Sylvia, many readers have no clue what "the writing life" is all about. What is your typical day like?
I get up. Start the computer. Make coffee. Check email. Drink coffee. Drop son off at school. Answer email. Drink more coffee. Open my work-in-progress. Drink more coffee. Start writing. Pick up son from school and tidy up the house a bit. Write more. Cook dinner. Write more. Watch a little tv. Write more. Then I go to bed. :)

5) What's the best part about being an author?
Hearing from readers. There's nothing in the world like knowing your story brought a bit of fun and happiness to someone.

6) I completely agree. Let me congratulate you on signing a new three book contract with Brava. Can you give us a sneak peek at your next books?
Thank you! It's very exciting for me. The beginning of any career is a bit rocky, so it's wonderful when you feel like you're wedging your foot in the door. *g*

I'd love to share my upcoming stories with you. :)

Here's my Aug. 06 Brava:
England, 1770. Beneath the silk and lace of London society lies a secret, elite organization of spies. Protecting the Crown from its enemies is hazardous, but for Marcus Ashford, protecting his heart from an unyielding passion is the far greater peril…

A MATTER OF DANGEROUS INTRIGUE…
As an agent to the Crown, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield, has fought numerous sword fights, been shot twice, and dodged more than any man’s fair share of cannon fire. And yet nothing excites him more than the primitive hunger his former fiancé, Elizabeth, arouses. Years ago, she’d jilted him for the boyishly charming Lord Hawthorne. But now, the elegant widow is his to defend, and he will do so while tending to her other, more carnal needs, showing her the depth of a real man’s desire…
…AND UNDENIABLE PLEASURE
Dangerous secrets led to the murder of Lady Hawthorne’s husband. Secrets she now holds in a diary many would kill to obtain. But to entrust herself to the protection of the most seductive man she’s ever known? Outrageous. Unthinkable. Irresistible. For it was Marcus’s strong passions and burning desire that frightened her into abandoning him years ago—and her answering craving has never waned. Now, he means to be at her service, in every sense. And perhaps the only sensible course isn’t to resist temptation, but to surrender to it completely…

And here's my Jan. '07 Brava:
Lady Pelham could not have designed a husband more suited to her needs. The Marquess of Grayson is a dear and enchanting friend and an unrepentant ladies’ man. Their union is solid; their hearts safe from one another. But every marriage has its surprises…
THEY WERE TOGETHER FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS…
They are London’s most scandalous couple. Isabel, Lady Pelham, and Gerard Faulkner, Marquess of Grayson, are well matched in all things—their lusty appetites, constant paramours, wicked wits, provocative reputations, and their absolute refusal ever to ruin their marriage of convenience by falling in love with one another. Isabel knows such a charming rake will never appeal to her guarded heart, nor will she sway his philandering one. It is a most agreeable sham…until a shocking turn of events sends Gerard from her side.
Now, four years later, Gerard has come home to Isabel. But the carefree, boyish rogue who left has been replaced by a brooding, powerful, irresistible man who is determined to seduce his way into her affections. Gone is the devil-may-care companion who shared her friendship and nothing more, and in his place is temptation itself…a husband who desires Isabel body and soul and who will stop at nothing to win her love. No, this is not at all the man she had married. But he is the man who might finally steal her heart…

Thanks so much Sylvia! I enjoyed our chat. To read more about Sylvia, visit her website at: www.sylviaday.com

2006-02-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

SANTA MONICA? WHAT'S UP?

I had the pleasure of driving around Los Angeles and the surrounding communites this past weekend as I visited bookstores.

The good news was that they all carried BECOMING LATINA and were thrilled to have me stop by to autograph their stock.

The bad news was that I barely recognized this area. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, spent summers on the Santa Monica pier, went to the theater (movies --this isn't NY) in Encino, the Argentine club in Burbank. These were my old stomping grounds.

So, I was so sad to see how many people are living in the streets in Santa Monica. I parked my car in a parking structure -- because there is no parking in LA unless you pay for it -- and walked out into an alley where a homeless guy was urinating against a wall. It was dark, and at this point, I was not feeling terribly safe. Now I know why people in LA carry mace. Once I got to the actual 3rd St. promanade, it was not much better. Every bench was occupied by someone who lived out of his shopping cart. It saddens and shocks me that a city as vibrant as Santa Monica can't do more to help people not have to live in the streets.

Maybe I'm naive. But what's going on Santa Monica?

Lara

2006-01-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

PROMOTING A BOOK

As this month ends I'm trying to catch my breath. For an author, the release of a book means that you have to switch hats from author to sales person and publicist. I love some of it. Spending lots of time in bookstores. Talking with booksellers. Meeting readers. All that is great! If forces me to get out of the house and away from my computer for a while. I feel like a hibernating bear, waking up and blinking at the brightness of the world, and finding that I like it and have missed it.

The part I don't like quite as much is the selling of the book. I'm not a sales person. In a perfect world, I'd buy them all myself, open up cartons of books, and give them all away. Maybe I'll get to do that someday. Another challenge is finding time to write the next book while you're busy visiting bookstores, paticipating in chatroom discussions and interviews, and answering emails. This takes a huge chunk of time from my writing schedule.

So, what do authors have to do to promote a book, you might wonder? If you're lucky and have good distribution, your book will be in major bookstores. This is a huge hurdle in and of itself. Assuming the books are in the bookstore, you now have to let the world know they are there before bookstores decide your title is not selling and send them back to the publisher. This is where the author/publicist comes in.

Somehow, the author must create a buzz about the book. The author must notify the media --newspapers, radio stations, etc. that the book is available and something their audience would be interested in reading. Not an easy task. Books usually are not newsworth, but if the author is lucky and has either an interesting topic or angle, they can get a mention in the media. The internet is yet another way to publicize the book. The author has the opportunity to contact writer's groups who will usually share with their members that the book has been released. But an author can not rely on a passive mention of the book by media and websites -- she had to get out in front of her reading public and tell readers about the book. This is done by participating in book signing events, giving workshops, and talking to anyone and everyone who will listen. Sometimes an author can use writing as a medium for promoting her book, by writing related articles and attempting to publish those. As you can see, this is all very time consuming and none of it has a gaurantee of translating into book sales.

But if the book is well written and touches the hearts of readers, eventually enough people will become familiar with that author and begin to search out the her books on their own. It's a long, difficult road to success, but anything worthwhile requires work.

So, during the waking hours my husband and I swap babysitting and working time. I run around doing promotion type work, and then when everyone goes to bed at night I finally get a chance to focus on the new book I'm currently working on. Crazy life, but I love it anyway.

Hope you enjoyed the peek into the life of a promoting author.

Now, off I go to take care of those adorable kids for a while.

Much Love,

Lara

2006-01-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

Be Careful What You Ask For

My birthday being tomorrow, my husband asked me to give him a list of ideas on what I'd like to do. Hawaii, a fruity drink, and a good book came to mind, but I quickly shoved that image aside and decided to be reasonable.

So I told him that I didn't really care. Just spending time with him and kids would be great. A pic-nic. Or breakfast in the mountains (a good idea before the fires started this week). Or dinner and a movie if my mom could babysit. Then before I gave him the list I wrote "adult" in front of movies, meaning I did not want to see Narnia or a cartoon.

He read over the list, smiled, and said, "really?"

"Really what?" I asked.

"You want to see an adult movie?" A surprised and strangely happy look on his face.

We haven't been out alone (without the kids) in a while so I could understand why he'd be excited, but after I thought about it for a second, I realized what kind of movie he was thinking about. I had to laugh, and explain what I REALLY meant.

So, he's been teasing me about it all week.

Isn't it funny how easily we can misundertand each other in everyday conversation? What have you been misunderstood about?

Much Love,

Lara

2006-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Lara's scratch pad!

My idea for this blog is to post some topic of interest every few days. I belong to a virtual book bag with other authors so on some days when my creativity or mind had been completely zapped, I might share a good book with you or invite guest authors to blog instead.

Feel free to comment and share your thoughts!

Much Love,

Lara

2005-11-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Testing blog.