New Release Dates

I heard from my editor and here is my schedule thorough May 2008:

Nine Months' Notice (4 stars from RT), out April 2007 (so look for it next month)!

Hart's Victory, my NASCAR continuity book, out in November 2007.

The Christmas Date (formerly titled Picture Perfect), out in December 2007.

Sweet Sensations (will have a new title), out in April 2008 as a Harlequin American.

Out of Line, another NASCAR continuity book (I'm with Gina Wilkins, Jean Brasher, Ken Casper, among others), will be out in May 2008.

After that, another Harlequin American not yet scheduled.

Michele

New Sale!

Hi everyone,

I'm delighted to announce that I have been invited to be a part of the 2008 Harlequin NASCAR continuity series books! This is my 19th sale to Harlequin and I'm still pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming! Out of Line will be a May 2008 release.

Michele

Fear of Flying

I have to admit, I have a fear of flying. I have nothing against airplanes once I get up in them or how little time they get me from point A to B, but I simply just don't like getting into a tin can and zooming 30,000 feet above the world. Perhaps it's something about being two feet or four wheels on the ground. (Of course the irony is I have been in 17 car accidents and never once had a bad flight.)

Anyway, one of the seniors at the high school where I teach is a pilot and he invited me to go up in the air with him. He chose a beautiful spring-like day and the two of us, plus his flight instructor and my daughter took to the skies to fly to Dexter, MO, which is down near the Missouri Bootheel. Our purpose: Chris is working on his high performance rating (which means he can fly bigger and more powerful aircraft). Our destination: Hickory Hollow restaurant for their ribs.

We went up in a Cessna 182. I had headphones on and I could hear all the conversation between Chris and Jeff, his flight instructor. I have to admit, I didn't understand much of it. But as both explaned to me later, pilots have to be able to multi-task. We took off at sunset and headed south. After one little, drop your stomach oops due to twist, not pull, we were off. It was the most relaxing flight of my life. Even though it was a clear day and a beautiful night, Chris flew most of the way with "foggles" which allowed him to practice flying instruments only in bad weather. Our landing was fine, once the lights at the airport finally clicked on and stayed on. I found it interesting that the airport was deserted, but by using a code only pilots know we could hang out in the lounge until the shuttle came and picked us up. Flying is a complete world.

Next year Chris will be in Warrensburg, MO, working on his degree in aviation. He wants to come out of college a commercial pilot. As for me, did you know Colin Morris (from Legally Tender) is a pilot? I didn't either, but he is and I've got some wonderful material now researched for the book. Coach Stroh, a PE teacher at my school, says he's going up with Chris next.

All I know is that neither my daughter nor I had no fear flying with him. If I'm ever rich and famous and need my own pilot, I'm going to snatch him up.

Michele

The Best Laid Plans

Today I thought I'd blog about how I finished my most recent Harlequin American and shipped it off before deadline. I've alreay started my next book, and need to have 3 chapters done for my editor's approval (since the book was bought on synopsis) by April first. I'm already half way there. I thought I'd talk a bit about the writing process.

But what you got above is all that's going to happen. One of the reasons I love the American line so much is that realist characters find love in all sort of places. I love that fantasy. I fall in love with every one of my heroes, and wonder where they are on days like today when my daughter wakes up with a cough and a 101.5 degree fever, meaning I call in using my last sick day of the year. From here on out, any day I miss is going to be very, very costly.

I'll take my youngest to the doctor, pray we don't have another strain of flu (she lost a week earlier this year and lived in my classroom's back office for 3 days since I had to work and she couldn't go to school) and while not at the doctor, I'll lose myself in my work in progress. I've got my older child home, too. I take her into the district where I work, and as I had to pick her up early for a doctor appointment for me at 3:30, it's just not worth making the 60 mile, 1.5 hour round trip for her to go a partial day. My youngest is also not up to two car rides.

So, I'm not feeling like a very good parent at this moment for one, while the other I'm waiting on her hand and foot and worried. I'm a single parent--the ex lives several states away so I do 365, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at all times. Have for years. It's days like these that get ya.

So like the Robert Burns poem says, the best laid plans often go astray. Today a sub is in my room, my student presentations have to be postponed, and like my current American heroine, I'm simply going to roll with it. She's feisty, like me. For today, I'm going to lose myself in creating Rachel. She's a pastry chef, recently transplanted to her home town after finding her fiance doing a few unsavory things with the sous-chef.

Since it's too early to drink wine, I'm following her example and have a pan of milk chocolate brownies cooking in the oven (yes, at 7:34 AM CST). There have to be some perks to parenting!

Michele

How a cover comes to life

I've always said that covers are like giving birth. You don't know what you're going to get until it comes out. Harlequin American has been doing some fantastic covers lately (I'm still with both Kathleen and Linda--moving to Toronto and finding that hot guy on her cowboy book. I'm single--I can do that, ha ha).

Above is my cover for my April release, Nine Months' Notice. I received the cover pdf via email about a week ago. At Harlequin American, here's how the cover process works (at least for me). It may vary for the other authors, but I'm betting it's 90 percent the same.

First step is completing an on line art fact sheet. These can be done up to a year in advance. For example, I completed this art fact sheet in either September or October this year. I haven't done one yet for my November American, but I have for my NASCAR book. The art fact sheet asks for all the pertinent details like hair color, height, etc., basically how the characters look. The sheet also asks for the setting of the story, any important landmarks, and three important scenes. We also answer some questions that allow us to describe the mood of the book and how the characters grow and change. If we have an idea for the cover, we can include that in this section.

Then we're done. That's our part. I don't submit pictures or anything like that, letting the art department take it away. From what I understand from a Harlequin workshop I went to, Harlequin holds a meeting with the editors, marketing, and art people. Then they brainstorm what they want. Someone writes the text. Models come in and are posed so that pictures are taken, and then the artist uses a computer to create the art. This is why some covers look so lifelike--because those people really exist out there and they were actually posed into that position so the artist had something to work from. Just like Disney brought in real lions for The Lion King, Harlequin brings in real people.

From there, they take it away, editing, fixing, and tweaking until satisfied. Then, around three to four months before the book debuts, I can request the cover be sent to me and I open it. There in full view on my computer screen is the cover of the book I sweated over and loved writing. I print it out, hold it, and show it off. Hence, the birth of a baby analogy.

I've been blessed to have some wonderful covers. (They are at www.micheledunaway.com Click on backlist.) The full cover text of my April cover is below if you want to see a larger image and read what it says on the back cover.

Thanks for taking part in this "birth" with me. My April book is child number 14 for Harlequin American since my first book debuted in October 2000. I still pinch myself every time that I get to do this.

All the best and happy weekend,

Michele

Sneak Peek!

Hi all,

Thought you'd like a sneak peek at what the cover of my April release, Nine Months' Notice is going to look like! Here's the back cover copy:

She'd Ended Their Perfect Affair…

Jeff Wright never saw it coming. One minute he was in the midst of a white-hot office fling and the next the lady was over him and leaving for Kansas City. He had no idea what went wrong....

For A More Permanent Arrangement!

Tori Adams wanted it all. Two years with Jeff had been long on passion but short on commitment, which is why she’d planned on a new start. But she hadn’t intended to get pregnant, and that was about to complicate her life in ways she hadn’t foreseen. Because the man who’d been a good boss and amazingly passionate lover would pull out all the stops over the next nine months to show what a doting dad and devoted husband he could be!

Soundtracks of our lives

Last night the Kings song "Slipping to Glide" came on the radio and I turned up the volume. That's the ultimate driving song and I first heard it in high school, when I was with friends riding to go somewhere. Didn't matter where, we were all hanging out and driving was one of the coolest kids in the school and it was just awesome being in his circle. Ah, those little moments.

My students are currently doing music projects. One of the things they have to do is find a song that has a deeper meaning and is designed to make the listener reflect and change behavior. They will then teach the song to the class, dissecting it as readers do a poem.

So I thought about songs and their influences. Here are some of mine and I'll post others as I think of them:

Ultimate driving songs: The Kings, "Slipping to Glide", Roger Hodson "Had a Dream"
My all-time favorite rock bands: Supertramp, Genesis, U2, Depeche Mode, INXS
Music I listen to a lot: 80s
Song that is my mantra: Richard Marx, "Satisfied"
Best break up song ever: Toto, "I know I can't hold you back now"


Michele

Flu season

My daughters have the flu. One would think that being off from the day job means that I'd get more writing done, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

I get less.

I do get a little more reading and TV viewing done. Being sick means wanting Mom in the room, and also wanting Mom at your beck and call. You know, more water. More food. More medicine. More hugs. More back rubs. That kind of thing.

My concentration is not on my lastest work. Instead, I'm distracted and worried. Not focused at all.

The flu last on average 10 days. Usually kids start to feel better about day 7. I'm there with one, two more days with the other.

Wish me luck.

What am I reading?

Since I'm currently revising two books, on the side I'm reading historical romances. I just finished Victoria Alexander's A Little Bit Wicked and Terri Bribin's The Earl's Secret. Both were excellent and if you like regency era romance, I highly recommend these two.

Once I finished, I turned my attention to rereading Hart's Victory, my November 2007 Harlequin NASCAR book. I'm really happy with it and currently I'm tweaking a few things.

At the day job I'll be reading book reports (about 75) while my 9th grade students read To Kill a Mockingbird and my 11th graders read Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Both are classics, and excellent as well.

Okay, chat at you more later and sorry so short! My daughters have the flu, and it hasn't been pretty.

Michele

Happy New Year!

It's the new year, and I'm thrilled that 2007 is here. The previous year was a blast, but it also had a lot of roller coaster moments and I'm hoping that those are all behind me now. (PS--above that's my cat Wiggy, short for Wiggly--her brother is Wu. She's starting 2007 with a snooze.)

As for me, though, second semester has started at my teaching at job and I'm working on revising Hart's Victory (my November 2007 Harlequin NASCAR release) now that my editors have seen it and made comments.

That's an interesting misnomer that the book simply goes into print the way an author writes it. The editor plays a very vital role. Once I submit the book, she reads it and then sends me what is known as a revision letter. This letter suggests changes I can make to strengthen the book. Often times my editor is right on the money. She's found little things that I've missed because I'm so close to the work. I'll make those this weekend and then finish up Picture Perfect, the manuscript I'm writing for Harlequin American.

So it's like now that January is here I'm getting my act together and getting back to the daily grind. The days are getting longer now and I'm starting to have a little more energy. Hopefully you, too, are finding the start of 2007 is something grand.

Michele

Happy Holidays!

I just want to wish you and yours a joyous holiday season. I'm taking a little holiday break to do some writing and some R & R, so I'll post again once 2007 is here!

Michele

Permission to say no

The holidays are upon us. I'm finishing my second to last day of teaching before winter break, which starts this Friday.

I have set a goal for the holidays: giving myself permission to say no.

I'm going to start by saying no to buying those extra presents that will destroy my budget. No, I'm not being scrooge, but rather you know those last minute impulse gifts that you really don't need--you've already bought the perfect gifts and think that they aren't enough. They are.

I'm going to say no to all eating more than I should. If my goal is to slim down, I have to practice my resolutions now, not starting Jan. 1. I'm also watching my favorite movies while I walk on the treadmill, saying no to being a couch potato.

I'm going to say no to things that sap my writing time. I'm on deadline, and the week after Christmas I'm going to do three 12-hour days Monday-Wednesday to kick a lot of my November 2007 American out. I'm leaving my calendar blank and rewarding myself by doing fun things on Thursday and Friday. Thus, I'm also saying no to crowds, doing my returns a little later in the week.

The holidays are draining, and I'm usually sapped by the end of them. This time, I'm saying no to stress (somehow) and I'm going to enjoy them. That means catering a dinner (hello Honeybaked Ham) rather than cooking. I like to cook, but the goal is to see everyone, not have me over a hot stove. Catering will give me time to do what is most important, spending time with those I love. I'm saying a big yes to that.

Michele

Under Orders

I just finished reading Dick Francis's book Under Orders. I've been a Dick Francis reader for years. I loved Banker and Bolt, and have read many of his other works. He's very prolific. A writer friend of mine, Eileen Dreyer (go to www.eileendreyer.com), and I were discussing Dick Francis's writing a while back. Her comment was that Dick Francis can lay everything out on the dining room table, but you won't see it until he's ready for you to see it.

Under Cover, which is set in England in the racing world and uses Sid Halley, a former jockey turned detective, didn't disappoint.

Michele

Blogging

My agent has a great blog on well, blogs. http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

While I'm not able to blog every day, having a blog has been a fun experience. Because of this blog, I've been able to reconnect with one of my former eighth grade students, and that has been a great experience! I always love hearing from former students. After all, we spent nine months of our lives together, at least one hour a day, and it's great to hear that they've turned into successful adults. (Not that I ever had any doubt, except for maybe a few.)

I also blog over at www.harauthors.blogspot.com

Blogging takes a lot of time. I'm here in my computer chair 15 minutes after I'd planned to start on something else. I admit to really liking blogs. Here I'll tell you a little about me, some background on my books, and a bit about what I'm reading. I promise to be frank and forthright, but not necessarily an open book. (A girl should always have her privacy.) I'll try not to bore you with laundry lists or how I spent my day. I'll also try not to hit you with endless promotion. You can also follow along with me as I work on my goal to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. That's related to writing this way: writing is very sedentary, and as I've become more prolific and publish more often, the amount of chair time has increased. So I need to increase my exercise.

That said, I'm off to the treadmill.

Michele

The Camel Club

I just finished David Baldacci's The Camel Club. It's the story of Oliver Stone (a former CIA agent turned squatter) who heads a group of conspiracy theorists. I had to admit, at one point in the book it was like being on the beginning of a roller coaster going click, click, click. You know that moment when you are full of anticipation waiting for the thrill ride and your patience begins to stretch?

The wait was worth it. Once the plot to kidnap the president all came together, the book was a non-stop thrill ride and I held on and found myself quite satisfied with the book once I'd finished. I also found myself impressed at how the author pulled everything together and tied up the loose ends. I also liked how the details were impeccable and wished that I could write so well. (Sigh.)

Up next for me is a Dick Francis novel. Oh yeah, and I need to get working on mine as well (I don't read in my genre when I'm writing.)

Michele

Tis the season for sales

My friend Julie called me today to tell me that Wal-mart in Union, MO, only had two of my books left on the shelves--meaning I'd sold eight out of 10 in a store I usually only sell half. I was thrilled.

Every time a book gets into the stores I worry about it. The books that I think will do really well sometimes don't. Case in point, Legally Tender, my January 06 American, didn't sell as well as predicted. Maybe it was January, when everyone is broke from holiday spending and making those resolutions to cut back. Maybe it was because it was of the cover. I know I read one blog where the woman loved the book, but she bought it only after someone recommended it to her. She blogged that she hated the title, and had it not been recommended, she never would have bought the book--just because of the title.

So The Wedding Secret is out there now. I can't fix anything about it and I am already writing my November 2007 American. But a book is like a baby, once it's born, you can't send it back if it's not what you expected. However, I love this book. It's one of my favorites. So I hope everyone will love my baby just as much as I do. I hope they'll spare a few Christmas dollars to pick up a little romantic escape. Until the January Americans arrive, I nervously check stores, Amazon numbers and pray. You'd think that after 13 times I'd stop worrying. But I won't.

So I'm like the stores holding their breath on sales numbers. Only time will tell. And come April, when Nine Months' Notice hits the stands, the butterflies and nerves will take flight again. I guess it's all part of the process.

Michele

The Hollow Men

One of the most influential pieces of literature on my philosophy is T. S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men." I taught this in class the other day and hope that my students get it.

Even though I read (and explained) the poem three times in one day, the ending still gave me chills. (This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.)

Even after more than 80 years, the poem is just as true today as it was then. Al Gore was on Oprah talking about global warming. He said (and I paraphrase) that the thing that worried him most was that people wouldn't take action. And I thought, hollow me.

Every day all of us have to make the decision to be men of action. We must decide if we are going to do something, or if we are going to be hollow men who do nothing at all.

I encourage you to look up the poem. I'll warn you, it's a bit dark, hard to follow, and at times depressing. But there's hope for hollow me. As we come into the holiday season, take some action even if it's as small as donating to the red Salvation Army bucket. I wrote my check today.

Michele

What am I reading?

I went to the Missouri Romance Writers of America (MORWA) holiday party on Saturday and one of the questions that came up was to share the best book we'd read in 2006. Frankly, I went blank. I know I've read over 100 books. I'm a voracious reader, and just like I write in large spurts, I also read in large spurts.

When I couldn't remember one specific book, I rationalized that books are like wedding reception food. No one will remember if it's good, but everyone will remember if it sucked. Unless a book is so truly exceptional that it really resonates, it's just a like a movie. A diversion. Entertainment. Something to discuss, mull over, and then move on.

One that really got to me was Mitch Ablom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I knew how it ended. I knew the entire storyline. But I still cried. I still found myself moved and thinking about how we are all connected to one another. I thought about how my books might allow people 2-3 hours of diversion and feel good moments before they move on back to what is going on in their world.

So, from here forward, I'm going to share every now and then the books that really got to me. I'm going to let you know here what I read that I liked--allowing myself to create a record before I, myself, move on.

Michele

No day like a snow day

I've been off work for the past two days. The first day my school dismissed early and the second one the district I work for called off the night before.

I love snow days. Thursday I took mulitple naps and worked on feeling better. By the evening I walked one hour on my treadmill--the first dedicated exercise I'd had in a long time.

On Friday I talked to my agent first thing and hammered out the details about my new contract. So December did start off on a happy foot! I'll have two releases in November 2007 and one in April 2007. The other two books will be in 2008. It's thrilled that my readers have brought me to this point.

As for the snow, four inches covers everything. Since I live in the country, everywhere I look is a blanket of white. I have the best neighbors as well. They got my mom (who lives 1,000 feet from me) out of the snow drift and they also plowed the entire road--getting me out to run some much needed errands. I had to do part of my driveway, but the exercise felt good.

By Monday, life will be back to normal. Back to work, with the winter break and finals looming on the horizon.

Until then, I'm loving the white.

Michele

Sold!

I'm delighted to announce that I sold another three books to Harlequin American Romance yesterday! Details to follow....