New Cover!

Thrilled to present my cover for Baby in the Boardroom, my Feb. 2010 release.

First Comes Baby…
After her latest boyfriend breaks things off, Kristi Jensen can’t help but wonder
what’s wrong with her. As if that isn’t bad enough, her parents are pressuring
her to find a husband. So the unluckyin-love executive does the next best thing:
she asks Mitch Robbins, her tall, dark, traffic-stoppingly gorgeous personal assistant,
for a kiss.

But She Gets More Than She Bargained For.…
Corporate Rule #1: Never date your boss. Too late. Ever since they spent the night together, Mitch is more in love with Kristi than ever. And when she suggests they start dating to
thwart her matchmaking father, he’s only too happy to oblige.
That’s before he learns he’s going to be a father.… With his new family’s future at stake, can he forgive Kristi’s deception?

And will Kristi realize in time that Mitch is the man she’s been waiting for all along?

News!

I'm delighted to announce that I've been tagged to write The Complete Idiot's Guide to The World of Vampires. Look for it in July 2010.

What works for me

What works for me…

Might not work for you. It’s a concept I’ve been mulling lately as I get ready to teach another year of school, where I have to individualize learning to best reach all my students. I was thinking about this concept as I read an article in a writing magazine that said, “write every day, even if it’s for 20 minutes” and also gave other such advice as “keep a journal”.

It’s great advice, sure. But I don’t do either and I’m a published author of 21 novels. I write in big spurts, and then will go weeks and sometimes months without writing a thing. That “20 minutes” the author advises is spent doing all those things I didn’t do during that intense focus on writing.

But that’s me. My big on and off spurts are how I balance and prioritize my time, and that’s what I’ve learned works best for my life. During the school year my priority is on my family and my teaching job. Writing is third. Over the summer, I can easily make writing number two and devote 40+ hours a week to my craft.

To me, writing is like dieting. For some, Jenny Craig works. For others, it’s South Beach. For someone else it’s Weight Watchers. Others are naturally skinny and don’t need to do a darn thing. The same holds true for writing. There are plotsters, pantsters, and there are those who create scrapbooks, those who make scrapbooks, those who interview their characters, those who enter contests, those who sell the first time…the list goes on. Everyone is different, which is logical. As each writer should have a unique, individual voice, each writer will have his or her own individual writing style and system, that, through trial and error works for him or her.

This system, or process, is personal. I see too many writers get bogged down in the “how” they should be writing and trying to follow some system or formula and thus they lose the actual writing. If something isn’t working after a few tries, perhaps it isn’t for you. Just because it works for NYT best selling author or your critique partner doesn’t mean that the approach is perfect for everyone. I know writers who get up at 4 AM to create before their family wakes. I’d die if I had to get up at 4 AM. When my alarm goes off at 5:25 for work, it’s too soon. I know writers who run every chapter by a critique partner, and there are many writers like me who do that only on rare occasions.

Don’t be afraid to do some personal assessing and figure out what works best for you. Try new things and techniques, but don’t lose faith in your abilities or talent if they fail to work. Remember, what works for one person doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. So reassess and find something new. Writing should be a happy time—a creative and pleasurable escape into your mind. So just like trusting your own inner voice with your story, don’t be afraid to take advice, but don’t be afraid to trust your gut if it tells you that advice isn’t for you. After all, just as it’s your story, it’s your process. There is no one writing process answer for everyone except for passion, persistence and putting your fingers to the keys.

Bachelor CEO Review--Genre Go Round

http://genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com/2009/06/bachelor-ceo-michele-dunaway.html

Bachelor CEO
Michele Dunaway
Harlequin American Romance, Jul 2009, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373752690

In Chenille, Iowa, Chase McDaniel is the only one of his siblings who loves working at the family firm, McDaniel Manufacturing. He knows his grandfather will retire soon and expects to be named the next CEO; as he has earned it. Instead his grandfather orders him to take a year long leave of absence to determine whether this is what he wants.

While on his enforced vacation that is more of a prison sentence Miranda Craig of Chicago replaces Chase at the company. He is attracted to her from the moment he saw her bent over with a flat tire, but is also angry with her for taking his indispensable place. When his grandfather becomes ill, Chase returns home to take charge of the company, but Miranda battles with him every step of the way including falling in love.

BACHELOR CEO is an amusing family drama starring a matchmaking grandfather who worries that his “heir” to the business has no life so he decides to make his grandson find one. The romance between the two wannabe CEOs is jocular as they follow the classic path of meet, fight, detest and love. Although neither Chase nor Miranda is very deep beyond the job competition, fans will enjoy their gender war wondering who will be on top in the boardroom and the bedroom.

Harriet Klausner

Bachelor CEO Review--Rebecca Savage

Bachelor CEO
Reviewed by Rebecca Savage

Pure satisfaction. When the last two words of a book can make you grin like a fool, you know the book brought emotion to the table and carried it all the way through from start to finish. The emotions weren’t always pleasant. Not all things in life are pleasant, and happily ever after isn’t always achieved with ease, but the hardships make the sweetness all the better after the turmoil.

Such is the case with Bachelor CEO by Michele Dunaway.

The woman knows how to pen a novel that grips you from start to finish. Chase McDaniel is one heck of a guy, an alpha male who knows what he wants and hot fight for it. Not that he doesn’t get a bit lost along the way. All men do. And women, too. But he knows how to win in business and in life, and he refuses to quit.

Miranda Craig has no idea what’s about to hit her when she runs into the brick in the form of Chase McDaniel. She’s feisty, and she’s been trained to handle every situation in a company, but dealing with a man like Chase is a tough job. But someone has to do it, and she finds being with him more stimulating than anything or anyone she’s ever dealt with.

But can they work together and figure out who’s boss? And someone does have to be in charge…right?

Don’t miss Michele’s latest release, or any future releases, or anything you can dig up from her past publications. Check out her work. You won’t be sorry.

Facebook part 2

I said I'd given an update on Facebook, once I was on it for a while. I've discovered that unlike Twitter, which I remember to do about once a day, if that, I really enjoy Facebook. I'm on it two ways. One is my personal page, and the other is a page where anyone can be my fan, which is at this URL: http://tinyurl.com/r8hkd7

On my fan page I've got pictures of my book covers from other countries and a bunch of pictures not on my website. I talk about my books. On my personal page, I don't have that many pics and mostly I keep up with people and post stuff that might be relevant or interesting.

I'm having tons of fun with Facebook. Remember that statement that being friends with your exes is a bit strange? Well, I'm friends with my high school boyfriend and my first college boyfriend, and it's been cool to catch up with what's going on in their lives. I've found most of my college pals from UMSL.

Mostly, it's been a great way for me to keep track of my former students, a bunch of romance writer friends from all over the country and my journalism buddies. I'm up to date with all my best friends from high school. I'm up over 110 friends and if I added everyone I knew, I'd probably go insane, even though I have my feeds set up on lists. But I like to read everything. While I don't play mafia wards, do pillow fights, or take half those quizzes, it is rather fun to read everyone else's results. I'm enjoying viewing pics of my former student Ryan and his wife's trip to Alaska. I keep track of Peter, who is serving in Iraq.

The only downside is that Facebook is such a time suck. Being home for the summer, I check it several times a day for someone is always posting something and often chats pop up from people I haven't talked to in years, and we gab for a few minutes.

But what's been really fun is that I just wrote my first Facebook chat into Under Doctor's Orders, my latest Harlequin American Romance. Chandy talks to her brother Chase (hero in Bachelor CEO, coming in July) and then when he types something she doesn't like, she says she has to go and disconnects. I loved it. Texting and Facebook will play a role in this story, for that's the reality of how people communicate these days.

For example, I haven't talked to my best friend Susan, who only lives here in town, since she got back Friday night from her week-long adventure being at mom and me boy scout camp. But from Facebook I know she survived the bugs, the extreme heat, the torrential downpours, life in a tent and is now at home--which is quiet since her husband gave her a break and took her boys to his mother's for the weekend. I'll call her later in the week--and let her enjoy the silence and a nap in her own bed.

Facebook & Twitter

Feel free to be my fan on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/r8hkd7 and at Twitter at www.twitter.com/micheledunaway

New title

My February 2010 release has officially been titled. It's now called BABY IN THE BOARDROOM.

New sale

Michele announces that she's sold another book to Harlequin American Romance. Tentatively titled Under Doctor's Orders, it will be published in 2010.

Facebook

I have recently discovered Facebook. I’ve been on it since 2006, when my daughter made me a page. But I never did anything with said page. That changed this week, when I finally got my yahoo email working again and my Facebook password changed. Suddenly, I was online.

Then I had decisions to make. Exactly what type of a page did I want? As writers, we put ourselves out there all the time, such as through our websites and blogging. I have followers on twitter that I don’t know; people who read about what I’m doing that day. I read over 150 emails a day in regards to my job and writing. So I decided to keep my Facebook page invite only and my profile private.

I figured it just made sense. When I looked at who had friend requests waiting for me, I discovered it was friends and former students and a few writer buddies. Then I looked at to whom I was sending friend invites. This could be my window to all those people whom I never seem to get a chance to talk as much as I’d like because life is so busy. I’m either teaching, writing or being a mom. While I love picking up the phone and hearing someone’s voice, there aren’t very many extra minutes in the day, and my friends are equally as busy. Now I can read my wall.

I’ve already reconnected with my best friends from high school who I get to see every so often and who send me all those fun emails. I miss them, and dedicated my March book to them. I’ve found former students. I haven’t befriended my prom date or ex boyfriends since that seems creepy, although my daughter tells me it’s quite common. As to making another Facebook page for my books and fans—that’s something to think about for another day.

So I’m in the modern world, but keeping it close. If you want to follow me, catch me on www.twitter.com/micheledunaway. Or keep reading my posts right here on this blog or twice a month at www.harauthors.blogspot.com or visit me on the forums at eharlequin. That’s me out there. Facebook’s me “in there”, my tiny window into what once was my world, and I’m liking it.

RT's Review of Twins for the Teacher

4 Stars


TWINS FOR THE TEACHER (4) by Michele Dunaway: A wary elementary school teacher, a sexy widower and sweetly rowdy twins make this a warmhearted family romance with adorable characters and a realistic plot. Widower Hank Friesen manages a new resort and enrolls his children in the local elementary school. While he's not looking for romance, he becomes enchanted with teacher Jolie Tomlinson. Jolie, still cautious after her bitter divorce and her own personal tragedy, finds herself falling for the kids and their very sexy daddy, but can she put her past behind her? —Pat Cooper

Rebecca Savage's Review of Twins for the Teacher

Michele Dunaway has captured the spirit of the classroom teacher and all her worries. Jolie has to deal with a principal who should tell her students, their parents, the faculty and staff to mind their own business, but instead the principal is a busy-body and worries about the wrong things in life, both personal and professional.

On top of that, Jolie has had a tragic past. She’s in her thirties, and Hank is in his forties, also a tragic past. They’ve moved on, or so they believe, but they’re only surviving, until they find each other. They realize they’ve been simply existing, and they want more. They want to come out of the darkness of their past sufferings.

Jolie is a teacher and wants to be a mother. Hank is a father and wants to be a husband, again. Can they put their past behind them and take their friendship to the next level? They think they can, but then the dark moment hits them right between the eyes, especially Jolie. But if anybody can fix it and make it better, it’s Hank Friesen, but does he want to…after what Jolie let happen to his son…

Michele does a great job with the book, these characters, and the setting and plot. Her book is a charming, easy read, and I found it quite relaxing, even if I am a teacher and at time I wanted to pummel the principalJ

Yes, I know

I know, it's been months since I blogged. I've been mostly over at the harauthors.blogspot.com and that's kept me busy. I had a trip to Phoenix, and that took tons of my time as I took my students. I promise to do better!

New Cover

Here is the cover for July's Bachelor CEO!

Interview with Michele Dunaway

In celebration of her 20th book, Harlequin American's Twins for the Teacher, enjoy 20 questions with Michele Dunaway You can find the original interview at www.harauthors.blogspot.com on the March 12 date.

1) How did you make your first sale and how long have you been published? In 1999, I attended the RWA conference at the end of July in Chicago and had an editor appointment with the new American line editor, Melissa Jeglinski, who said “send it.” She bought Temporarily Yours four weeks later. She told me she hadn’t bought a new author in several years, and she brought three new authors into the Harlequin family as a result of RWA. Retitled A Little Office Romance, my first book came out in Oct. 2000. So yes, I’m one of those lucky ones you hear about who sold on the first try. This month’s Twins for the Teacher is my 20th book. I am working on revisions for #22.

2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out? Follow your own voice. It’s seen me through a great many things.3) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? I have one that immediately comes to mind, but it’s hard to explain. In a nutshell, my senior year of college I lost a guy whom I thought was my ideal because of a bunch of flukes and twists of fate—such as dating his best friend—who’d I met in another city two hours away while on vacation at the lake. I had no idea these two knew each other. Eke. It was a mess. But my friend Karen told me a few years ago that had I been "together forever" with either of them, I’d never be a writer or published. And she’s right. I’d be a soccer mom, probably not even teaching. I did base one of my characters on Rick , so he’s a ghost now as, once I write my characters, they disappear from inside my head. It’s like I have to give those voices life…and then they leave. I can’t even remember which book certain characters are in, and often can’t even remember the characters’ names once the book is out on the shelves. As for writing, I dread the day the voices in my head stop talking.

4) Describe your writing space. I built the house where I live in 2003, and when I went searching for floor plans, I wanted a first floor office. I’m in what the builders call a living room. It’s open to the foyer and dining room and has a great view of outside. I’m on five acres.

5) Are you a cat or dog person? Cats all the way. I have five strictly indoor, one indoor/outdoor, and one feral outdoor who adopted us. I had a dream the other day that I found and rescued a bunch of stray kittens, but luckily it was only a dream. I’m a sucker for kittens.

6) What comes first: the plot or the characters? The characters. As I said, I suddenly hear them and see them in my head, and their story comes next. And they never do what I want them to. I thought it was just me, until some NYT best selling writers admitted talking to their characters and even interviewing them. Then I felt much more normal.

7) What is your work schedule like when you are writing? I write in big spurts. I will go days and weeks without writing anything new. Then when I sit down to write a book, I’ll work 12-14 hours straight and write every day. Even if I can only do six hours when I get home from work, I’ll write.

8) Do you re-read your books once they're in print? I did for the first four books but really don’t anymore. I did reread Hart’s Victory because it’s my all time favorite—I wrote it for my daughter. I admit to getting a rush reading line edits, when I go “Wow, this is good. Who wrote this?” and realize it’s me.

9) What books or authors have most influenced your own writing? Harlequin Presents. I’ve been reading those since high school and always wanted to write one. My all time favorite remains Sandra Marton’s The Sexiest Man Alive. I laughed straight through it. I also loved Nora Roberts’ McGregor Brides and Grooms, which inspired my Grandpa Joe character. As for Presents, an author friend sent me a Harlequin newsletter from Australia and there I was with greats like Penny Jordan. When my Harlequin Americans are out in Australia and New Zealand, I’m out as a Mills & Boon Sexy author. So in a way I made it.

10) What did you do career-wise before becoming an author? I’m still doing the day job. I teach high school English and journalism and love it. Advising the newspaper and yearbook keeps me on top of the pulse of kids today, which keeps me young. I think. I'll be a featured speaker at the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association in Phoenix this April.

11) How has the American Romance line changed since you first began writing for it? My first book A Little Office Romance was crazy and funny and different. The heroine was between jobs, so she’s “hired” by her best friend Chelsea to break up her brother Alex and his girlfriend. Julia’s playing Alex’s temporary secretary—and she’s in a disguise until he jumps into the pool on a business trip to save her (she fell in) and comes up only with her wig. That type of plot is too far fetched now. Also, I did a princess continuity for my third book. Ditto to that.

12) If you were stranded on a deserted Island what kind of hero would you want with you--A Cowboy, a Viking Warrior, a CEO, a Forensics investigator, a Chef or an Accountant…and why? This is a trick question. Is the island fully stocked and equipped with a year worth of provisions and comfort? Because I write the CEO books for Harlequin American (Bachelor CEO—the July Men Made in America coming in just a few months) so I’d want the CEO since those are my favorite types of heroes. However, if this was an episode of Survivor, he probably wouldn’t last a day, unlike a few of the other guys up there. Unless the CEO was Chase…who is my hero in Bachelor CEO. He competes in triathalons and loves camping. He might stand a chance.

13) What did you want to be when you grew up? Exactly what I am right now. Seriously. I am truly blessed.

14) What was the hardest part of writing your book? The middle. It’s like going up hill. I hate middles. I’m so happy when I’m on the downward slope.

15) Describe your ideal dream date: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Too bad he doesn't know I'm his dream date.

16) What helps inspire you when you write? Do you have any ‘rituals’ (like music, candles, a favorite scent) that helps you find your writing zone? No. I’m rather boring. I often don’t even play music. When I do the same CD plays on repeat for hours. I hardly hear it.

17) Have you ever made a crank phone call? Once in high school I called a guy (he was a senior and I was a junior) and pretended I’d met him at the party that weekend (which I wasn’t at). We talked for 15 minutes before I hung up. It’s amazing how you can convince guys of anything. My friends were impressed—they thought the phone call would be like 30 seconds. He even wanted to see me again.

18) What is your dream car? Porsche 928S In high school I used to have cars hanging in my locker instead of magazine pics of guys. Let me tell you how many random guys came up to my locker to admire the sports cars. I wasn’t a dummy. Who wants to look at their competition? So girls—get the Jonas brothers out of your locker! Same with Edward!

19) If you were locked in a closet for one hour who would you want in there with you? Can I mention Dale Jr. again? I’m so glad NASCAR’s back. Whoo Hoo. Go #88 and #99.

20) Wow. Is this question 20? Yes! Thanks for reading this! Be sure to drop by http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on March 19. Susan Vaughn interviewed me, and I shared my first sale story there.

Interview Schedule

Don’t miss the series of online interviews I’m doing this month!

Check out 20 Questions with Michele Dunaway at www.harauthors.blogspot.com on March 12.

March 18 Susan Vaughn will post an interview at http://toberead.wordpress.com/ and you can check out ten things I’ve learned through writing 20 books at my agent’s blog March 19 http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

Then you can catch me again at www.harauthors.blogspot.com on March 20.

Watch this blog—Bachelor CEO cover will be going up soon!

Twins for the Teacher Review

Twins for the Teacher
By Michele Dunaway
Harlequin American
March 10, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780373752553

Reviewed by Christy Janisse


This is a milestone book for Michele Dunaway in a milestone year for Harlequin. Twins for the Teacher is Michele’s 20th book and Harlequin is celebrating 60 years. Congratulations to Michele as well as her publisher. Not only for the momentous books/years but for publishing such a terrific book!

Twins for Teacher is Michele’s best book yet. Normally I’m not the type of person who loves stories set with ready made families. However, Michele’s talent shines through with the way she has woven this tale.

The back cover blurb will give you a taste of the fantastic story:

Getting involved with her students' father is a definite no-no, but elementary school teacher Jolie Tomlinson is finding it hard to resist sexy widower Hank Friesen.
And she's falling in love with his ten-year-old twins, too!
Hank moved to Missouri to make a fresh start, but he never imagined that life as a single dad would be such a struggle. Good thing Jolie's on hand to ease the transition. It's been five years since his wife's death, and no woman has been able to hold his interest—until now.
It could be a second chance for both of them. But first Jolie will have to tell Hank about her past—if she ever wants them to have a future.

The characters in Michele’s book are real life, three dimensional and I totally fell in love with each and everyone. This is a sweet love story, a tale of triumph over the past, and fantastic family merging that will have you flipping pages quickly and wishing it wasn’t over at the end.

Valentine's Day

Okay, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. I have to admit, I’m a party pooper. There are no decorations in my house, and except for the cards my kids buy to give their friends, we don’t do anything special. In fact, I try to avoid the holiday and have found that by doing so, it works out better.

You might find this weird, given that I’m a romance writer. As I write this, I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever even used Valentine’s Day in a book. Maybe, but if so, it’s a blur. Not like the ones I did for Christmas, like Unwrapping Mr. Wright and The Christmas Date. Those are crystal clear.

Since I’ve spent all but nine years of my life single, most of my Valentine’s days have been as a singleton. They’re filled with all sorts of mishaps. There’s Steve who sent me flowers, and the florist never delivered them. So here’s poor Steve waiting for me to call all gushing…and that didn’t happen. He finally asked me, all disappointed, a day or two later what I thought of his gift. I had no idea what he was talking about. Oops.

Then there was the Valentine’s Day that I was supposed to go to dinner. Gene scheduled dinner at eight at this really posh restaurant, but I was chaperoning a school dance that night. I told him that, reminded him, and basically I ended up double booked as the dance didn’t end until nine and once I got there, I found I couldn’t leave early as I’d hoped. We ended up eating at ten-thirty—crammed in a table near the restaurant kitchen door. Oops. Thank goodness he didn’t mind and forgave me, although it wasn’t the evening he’d planned.

You have to admit, Valentine’s Day is a lot of pressure, especially for the guys. A romance hero would get it right, but somehow, in my life it doesn’t work out that way. My favorite Valentine’s Days was spent with my friend Jenny. Here we were, two dateless losers. I was young, next-to-broke and not about to be paid for another week, and really, we had not much to do. So she suggested Bingo. She was going with her mom and grandmother, and invited me along. I was down to my last $25 and here we were in our 20s—everyone else was at least 50. The hall was full of intense bingo players, and we sat with Jenny’s mom and grandmother and their bingo friends. They tossed bingo markers my way, and we were off. Except for playing in grade school, and one time watching my parents in eighth grade, I had no idea what “real” bingo was like.

It was wild. It went fast. We had a pile of “bring your own” snacks on the table, and plastic cups filled with beer or soda from the bar. The women around me were watching a minimum of ten cards. I had three—all I could afford and all I could manage. And then it happened. I had all but I-27 for bingo. The woman next to me leaned over and put a clear square tile over the number. “The minute you hear that, you yell,” she said.

Two numbers later, I was shouting BINGO! I won $100, which was a lot of money and a very nice way to tide me over to payday. That was a very good Valentine’s Day indeed—and I’ve never played Bingo since.

This year I’m spending Valentine’s Day in the back row of the FHHS auditorium, where the drama club is doing a 7 PM showing of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. My thirteen year old daughter is meeting friends, and since where I work is 45 minutes from my house, I’ll simply hang out with the other teachers present while she goes and pretends not to know me. Sounds perfect to me.

So now it’s your turn. What’s your best memory of Valentine’s Day? How are you spending it? Do tell….