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07/26/2004: "Getting There"
Now that hubby is home, 
the house is finally 'getting there.' I'd say it's about 80% done now. Most of the boxes are unpacked (though the contents are scattered around the house until we can find places to put them,) the garage is cleared out enough to fit one of our two vehicles, and we can move around the house fairly easily. But there is still a lot of work to do. Ugh. I hate moving. Yeah, yeah, I've said it a million times, but I just can't say it enough! 
Today we're taking a short break from house stuff to drive to Biloxi and go shopping at the Keesler AFB commissary. For you non-military folks out there, a commissary is a giant military grocery store where the prices are freaking awesome. Last week I spent $80 on groceries there, and got about twice as much as I would have at a regular grocery store. Yes, my life is thrilling.
Also today...I'm starting my agent hunt. I'm in the process of transforming Emergency of the Heart from a long contemporary novel into a single-title novel. It's also getting a new name. Vital Signs. Wish me luck--both for the rewrite and the agent. I need it! 
Hubby showed me something hilarious last night. Y'all (still practicing Southern Speak, though if I wanted to be true to Mississippi, I'd say "all y'all" because here "y'all" is singular) have probably seen it already, but if you haven't, Jibjab's "This Land" is hilarious!
Okay, last but not least (slaps own hand for the cliche,) I finally caught up on all the blogs in my blog list. Words For My Enjoyment was first--I don't usually read every one of Paul Davidson's entries, (he's best in small doses) but some of them are quite clever.
Kristen Havens has an unusual site--she keeps a blog for both her novel writing and her screenplay projects.
Laurie Likes Books had the most interesting entry of the day. Well, it's an old entry, but new for me since I'm just catching up after a month away from the internet.
Anyway, in her July 9th entry she comments on two of my friends' novels. She made a comment about Alison Kent that made me nod my head in wholehearted agreement. Laurie said, "Kent may be the best Blaze author and she recently sent me the first in a series of romantic suspense novels she's written for Brava. I'm almost done with it and quite impressed that she can "do" romantic suspense; if I'm not mistaken that's new for her. As for the love scenes, when she's outside of Harlequin's restrictions, well, wow."
Okay, I'm not saying this because she's my friend. I'm saying this because it's true. She IS one of the best--if not THE best--Blaze authors. I've read a lot of Blazes. A LOT. The reason I started reading them is because in the beginning, they were supposed to have a "Sex in the City" feel to them, and I loved that show. Alison Kent's Blazes always had that Sex in the City edge to them. The heroines are independent, unafraid of their own sexuality, and they always had close bonds with their friends. The friendship between the women is one of the strengths of her Blazes.
I've read comments from readers who complain that her books are just about raunchy sex, and it always irritates me. I think the problem for these readers is that Alison's Blazes aren't heavy with external plot. The bulk of the conflict comes from the characters themselves. Her characters and relationships are complex and REAL, but I think that without a large external story, readers sometimes don't "get" what's really going on--that the story is about the people, not the blown-up outside plot that a lot of authors use to hide the fact that they can't dig as deeply into their characters to create a story that doesn't need bank robberies and kidnappings and alien invasions. 
And just to head off a bunch of angry comments, I don't mean that EVERY author who uses lots of external plot can't dig into their characters and create an emotionally compelling story. Many manage to merge the two together beautifully.
And I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with stories that are externally plot-heavy and plot-driven. Not at all. In fact, I enjoy them a lot, and that's what I tend to write because I usually like a read that's full of action, though I do enjoy a more character-driven story at times. What I'm saying is that many readers who criticize Alison's books are probably looking for heavy external conflict and don't see what's REALLY going on beyond the sex in her books.
Well, the good news for those readers is that her new Bravas ARE full of action and suspense and external conflict. Oh, and REALLY great sex!
Another of Laurie's comments, about author Jill Shalvis, also had me nodding in agreement. About Back in the Bedroom she says "Those who enjoy boss/employee romances should like this one, and one of the things that make it palatable even for those who find such romances often nudging the line of sexual harassment, is that Reilly isn't prowling after Tessa. Both are attracted to each other, but it's Tessa who is the aggressor in the book. Which is also a nice change of pace for those of us who like heroines to take matters into their own hands when it comes to 'getting me some.'"
Agreed. I don't usually like boss/employee stories, but I really liked how Jill handled this plot. Jill always makes me laugh--literally out loud--while I'm reading her novels, and I always enjoy her heroines, which is rare. I have a tendency to be REALLY picky about heroines, and if I don't like them, the hero had BETTER be wonderful or the book goes in the trash.
And speaking of trash, I need to go call the garbage idiots. Again. Still no garbage can. Mt. Trashington is growing so huge that the garbage idiots are going to need crampons, harnesses, and ropes to tackle it. Sigh.
Have a nice Monday, everyone!
