Farrah Rochon

My Early Christmas Present: A New Cover!

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:53:00 +0000

I received a great early Christmas gift this year. I have the cover for my next book release, HUDDLE WITH ME TONIGHT! I was lucky enough to have the book included in Kimani's year-long "Kimani Hotties" promotion. Every month will feature a different "hottie." Torrian, the hero in HUDDLE WITH ME TONIGHT, is Mr. September.

Check out this eye candy!

Here's the back cover blurb:

All Paige Turner wants is to be taken seriously as a journalist. The entertainment columnist and blogger extraordinaire gets more notoriety than she planned when her scathing review of NFL superstar Torrian Smallwood's memoir sparks an online confrontation. But that's nothing compared to the sensual heat that tackles her when she meets teh heart-stoppingly sexy athlete face-to-face...

Torrian can't let Paige derail his dream of a new career as a restaurateur. Even if the sassy, sultry writer is making America's favorite wide receiver yearn to be on the receiving end of her desire. And with a reality TV cook-off propelling them into the spotlight, Torrian can no longer hide his passonate secret goal--to build a future with the woman who's making an end run around his heart...

HUDDLE WITH ME TONIGHT hits stores September 2010!

And as an extra Christmas treat, my latest release, HOLIDAY BRIDES, is being featured today at Romance B(u)y the Book! Come on over and discuss your favorite holiday-themed books and movies.

Happy holidays, all!

Top Book of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today I'm blogging over at Novel Spaces (well, actually, I'm enjoying my Christmas present to myself--a Carribean cruise), and I want to know what was your top book of 2009? Was it by one of your favorite authors, or did a brand new write step in and blow your mind? Hop on over to Novel Spaces and let me know!

National Buy a Book By A Black Author and Give It To Someone Not Black!

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

It's December! My favorite month of the year!

I've always loved December because I cherish the Christmas holiday. I now have another reason to love this month. It's National Buy a National Buy a Book By A Black Author and Give It To Someone Not Black month!

National Buy a Book By A Black Author and Give It To Someone Not Black month is the brainchild of author Carleen Brice. Her blog, White Readers Meet Black Authors, was started this last year to raise awareness of books by black authors and show readers that it's okay to venture into the black/African American section of the book store.

Make sure you check out her video on YouTube. It is hilarious.

As a special treat, I'm giving away a copy of Carleen's absolutely fabulous novel Orange Mint and Honey. I just read the book and was blown away. Shay, the book's main character, will fascinate you.

Orange Mint and Honey will make it's television premier on the Lifetime Movie Network on February 7, 2010. The movie, titled Sins of the Mother, features the extremely talented Jill Scott. I know she is going to be great as Nona. I cannot wait to see these characters brought to life. (A plea to LMN: Please do not mess up this book!)

To win your own copy of Orange Mint and Honey, simply recommend a black book you would give to someone not black.

When life gets in the way of life

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:29:00 +0000

You ever found yourself wondering just where in the heck two weeks went? That's how I felt tonight when I checked my own blog and realized it had been several weeks since I updated.

When I first started this blog I religiously posted every week. My blogging days were either Tuesday or Wednesday. Sometimes, I'd throw in a random post over the weekend, just to keep my readers on their toes. But over the past year, life (i.e. a full time job, two-book contract, tons of outside obligations) has gotten in the way of what was once my normal schedule. There is no such thing as a normal schedule anymore.

As I forge ahead into the busy holiday season I don't see things calming down all that much. Well, except for the week that I'll be on a cruise ship sailing around the Eastern Carribean. Things should be very calm that week, but you won't see me posting.

However, I plan to return to a regular posting schedule and I'm hoping to bring a different flavor to my blog. While I'll continue to talk shop--because, hey, I am a writer and writing is what I love to talk about--I also want to bring in the sights and sounds of the world around me. Prepare for more "vlogs" (that's video blogs), pictures of a few exciting places I plan to visit in the near future, and sights around Austin, this wonderful city I now call home.

Oh, and stay tuned for my next post. I'm planning to usher in National Buy A Book By A Black Author And Give It To Someone Not Black Month with a contest!

My Friend, the CIA Operative!

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:38:00 +0000

Okay, so I know this will sound like something out of a fiction novel, but believe me, I can't make this stuff up.

On September 20, 2009, I lost a very dear friend to breast cancer. I hate cancer. Despise it. Wish I could run it over with my car. But I digress...

I met my friend Andrea via a message board nearly a decade ago. She, along with a group of the coolest women in the world, became some of my closest friends in the world.

Several years ago Andrea moved from Texas to Washington D.C. and joined the State Department (or so everyone thought. The title of this post should tip you off to how this story will end). Andrea went to Iraq twice. Her first trip was interrupted by the breast cancer diagnosis. She came back to the States, kicked the cancer's butt, then went right back to Iraq. I remember thinking she was out of her mind to go back and do "administrative work for the State Department" in Iraq. Why couldn't she do it from a safe little office in D.C.?

Anyway, earlier this year, Drea (our name for her), was once again forced to leave Iraq due to cancer. This time the news wasn't so good. Stage Four cancer in various parts of her body. It was a crushing diagnoses, but she would not allow it to ruin her spirit. She fought harder than anyone I've ever seen with this disease. She was such an inspiration.

Several weeks ago at her memorial service on the campus of her beloved Texas A&M, the sixteen women from our group of friends who were able to make the service found out there was much more to our friend Andrea than any of us knew. That job with the "State Department" was actually with the Central Intelligence Agency. She was a covert operative who performed dangerous missions to gather intelligence for US Special Forces.

That's just cool, people. Seriously, seriously cool.

I still can't wrap my brain around it. For such a girly girl, it's so amazing to imagine her carrying weapons and infiltrating enemy sites. My friend, the CIA Operative.

Check out the picture of her with a rocket launcher! Yes, a rocket launcher! I'm so proud of our girl.

Here's a link to an article published today about Andrea: A CIA operative's fight against terrorism reaches Texas A&M

Rest in peace, Drea.

The Great NaNoWriMo Mistake

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:10:00 +0000

This past Sunday I blogged about November being National Novel Writing Month, and my sudden desire to participate. After less than a week, I remembered why writing events such as NaNoWriMo are detrimental to my writing. I’ve been totally obsessed with word count!

This constant checking of my word count after every paragraph is driving my crazy. I don’t want to be a slave to word count. And I don’t want to compare myself to others who are churning out 4000 words a day. That’s not my natural writing rhythm, and usually I’m fine with it. It’s not until I join something like NaNoWriMo and start questioning why can’t I do that that it becomes a problem. I need to be okay with having a 700 word count day, because I know the 2000 day will come soon enough.

So after less than a week, I’m out of NaNoWriMo. Best of luck to those who are participating. For me, it’s back to one page, one paragraph, one word at a time. That’s good enough for me.

#NaNoWriMo

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Today is November 1st. Being a Catholic, for most of my life this date has meant visiting cemeteries and placing flowers on grave sites. But ever since I stepped into the world of writing, the first of November has taken on a whole new meaning. Today is the start of National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo for short, or even NaNo for the really lazy people.

I'm pretty sure my blog readers who are also writers have heard of this growing phenomenon, but for those of you who haven't, here's how it works: You write. That's it. From November 1st to the 31st, you write your butt off with the goal of reaching 50,000 words. For me, that's a novel.

I had pretty much made up my mind not to take part in NaNoWriMo. I don't do well with structured writing tasked. However, when I awoke way earlier than I wanted to this morning (the sun shines right into my bedroom window, ack!), there was a sense of purpose surrounding me that had not been there when I laid my head on the pillow last night. November is the month I promised I'd have my current work-in-progress completed, and I knew I had to do something.

So, yes, I'm now "unofficially" taking part in NaNoWriMo. I'm debating whether I should login to the official site or use places like Facebook (there are several groups there), or even Twitter (use #NaNoWriMo) to keep track of my progress.

Whatever medium I choose to track my progress, the most important thing is that I make progress. I will have this book done by Thanksgiving. Hopefully, NaNoWriMo can help.

The obvious question is how many of you out there are participating in NaNoWriMo? If not this year, have you done so in the past? How did it help or hurt?

"The" Discussion Again

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:15:00 +0000

Because I've been super extremely busy these past few weeks (not just extremely busy, but super extremely busy), I'm taking the lazy blogger's way out and directing you to a very interesting post over at Dear Author. It's about "the" discussion: race and romance novels.

I've only had a chance to skim many of the responses, but there's good dialogue going on over there. I sometimes grow weary of this debate, but the non-colorblindness in genre fiction--specifically in romance--is something I personally want to keep in the forefront of people's minds. In my own little rose-colored-glasses view, I think it will eventually make a difference that goes far beyond romance novels.

Go over to Dear Author and take a look post on "Cultural Appropriation".

Historical Fiction Writer Shauna Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

I am super excited to have my good friend and critique partner Shauna Roberts visiting the blog today. Shauna's first novel, Like Mayflies in a Stream, was released on October 5, 2009. If you love history and reading about ancient civilizations, you need to go out and get this book right now! It is fabulous!

Shauna, I remember reading The Epic of Gilgamesh back in my World Civilization class in college, and being intrigued by the story. What interested you in this time period?

When I was in high school, I came across Samuel Noah Kramer’s History Begins at Sumer and read it. I was totally blown away. Here was this civilization I had never heard of, that existed thousands of years ago, yet it invented things we still use today, such as writing, literature, and monumental architecture. Enthralled, I read all I could about ancient Mesopotamia (which today is part of Iraq) and took classes about it in college.

Why did you, a science fiction and fantasy writer, write a historical novel?

Personally, I consider many historical novels, particularly those set long ago, as part of the speculative fiction genre, along with science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Many science fiction and fantasy writers have also written historical fiction or alternate history—off the top of my head, I can think of Ursula K. LeGuin, Barbara Hambly, Harry Turtledove, and Robert Silverberg. (Silverberg, in fact, wrote a historical novel about Gilgamesh.)

Science fiction, fantasy, and horror rely heavily on the author making an alien world believable and engrossing, so much so that the reader understands that world and feels a part of it. Other places and other times are alien to us, and we have far from a complete record of history, even for some recent events. When a historical fiction writer recreates a place and time and fills in the blanks in the historical record in a novel, I consider it worthy of being called speculative fiction.

Interestingly, Like Mayflies in a Stream is the second in a series of archaeology-related novels published by Hadley Rille Books . . . a company that otherwise publishes science fiction.

http://www.HadleyRilleBooks.com

How did you go about researching the story?

Like Mayflies in a Stream is based on the “Epic of Gilgamesh,” so one source of information was Stephen Mitchell’s translation (Gilgamesh: A New English Version), which contains a thorough introduction and copious notes. The epic, other myths about Gilgamesh, and an ancient list of kings all place Gilgamesh in the city of Uruk, which has been discovered and heavily studied by German archaeologists. As a result, I was able to use actual buildings and the city layout in my book; I even worked in a huge vase from the temple of Inanna that had been broken and repaired in antiquity.

To keep from having to spend years reading primary and secondary sources, most of which were in French, German, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian, I relied heavily on tertiary sources: textbooks, books intended for students and laypeople, Wikipedia articles, articles found through Google.

For a more detailed discussion of my research, I refer your readers to my recent blog post at Novel Spaces.

http://novelspaces.blogspot.com/2009/10/researching-ancient-times.html

For those who know the story of Gilgamesh, what might they encounter in Like Mayflies in a Stream that may surprise them?

For one, my book is told primarily from the viewpoint of an intelligent upperclass woman. This woman, a priestess of the goddess Inanna, patroness of Uruk, has a quite different view of Gilgamesh’s exploits than Gilgamesh himself does.

Second, the epic we are familiar with today is a very late version from 1200 BCE. The Babylonian editor/author was, of course, unfamiliar with Sumerian society of 1,500 years earlier, so the epic is riddled with anachronisms. My book relies on archaeological and historical evidence to create as accurate a depiction of Uruk and its people in the time of Gilgamesh as possible.

Third, the epic contains many fantastical elements. The gods meddle in human affairs, Gilgamesh has superhuman powers, Enkidu the wild man not only survives but thrives on a diet of grass, Shamhat and Enkidu encounter a caterer in the wilderness, and so on. My novel is not a fantasy; nothing in it contradicts natural law as we know it.

Fourth, although I have kept some of the themes of the original epic—the conflict between civilization and chaos is still relevant today, as is the conflict between knowing we will die and wanting to live forever—I’ve added a few of my own, such as the conflict between duty and personal desire, which most of my characters struggle with.

What does the title Like Mayflies in a Stream refer to?

I believe I came across the phrase in an old translation of the “Epic of Gilgamesh.” I was struck both by the beautiful image and by how in a few words it encapsulates the epic’s theme that our time on earth is short and then, without exception, we die.

Fascinating! Thank you so much for stopping in at the blog and giving us some insight into what went in to crafting this fabulous story, Shauna.

Mayflies in a Stream is available now! You can also learn more about Shauna through her website, blog, and Novel Spaces.

Ahh...Freedom!

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:44:00 +0000

Oh, how great it is to break free of the prison I've been in. Yes, I was shut down, blocked behind the bars of some imagined violation of Google's Terms of Service, resulting in a temporary revocation of my blogging privileges.

Thank goodness things have been cleared up, even though I'm still not sure what I did wrong. Google didn't say, and I'm not asking. Don't want to upset the Google gods.

I'm happy to say we're back to the regularly scheduled programming. And as a treat to all my blog readers, I will soon have a fascinating interview with novelist Shauna Roberts, whose wonderful first novel, Like Mayflies in a Stream, was just released this week! I've read this book and I loved it. It is a marvelous blend of history, adventure, and just a touch of passion.

Stay tuned for Shauna's interview!

Interview with Jewel Amethyst

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0000

***Update*** The contest winner is Patsy!!! Congratulations!!!

I am so very happy to have brand new author Jewel Amethyst at my blog today. Jewel is a fellow member of the Dorchester Publishing family who launched into this crazy publishing world with both feet, having her debut novel, A Marriage of Convenience, and a novella in the anthology Holiday Brides (you’ll notice a familiar name on that cover) hit bookshelves within a couple months of each other.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jewel!

First thing's first, when did you start writing?

I’ve been writing since I was seven years old. My first book was written in ink on 3 x 5 scrap paper, stapled together and covered with clear plastic. It was for my sister’s 10th birthday and it was all about princesses and happily ever after.

Since then, I’ve written poetry, short stories and other novels none of which were published until “A Marriage of Convenience.”

What is “A Marriage of Convenience” about?

In a nutshell, it is about a woman, Tamara Fontaine, who after being ditched at the altar and jilted by a con-artist who leaves her broke and in debt, becomes desperate enough to enter a pre- arranged green card marriage with a Ghanaian. It is a business deal where he gets his green card and she gets the financial help she so desperately needs. All seems to be going fine until Tamara finds herself falling in love with her husband, Kwabena Opoku, and Kwabena starts pushing to consummate the marriage.

What gave you the idea for this novel?

As an immigrant you hear stories of people entering marriages for the sake of attaining a green card and remaining in the US. But a few years back a friend of mine entered into a marriage strictly for the sake of obtaining a green card. Somewhere between the wedding and the interview, they fell in love and now years later are still happily married.

I realize your lead character is not your typical romance novel heroin, and being a “more to love” woman myself, I was happy to see it. What inspired her character?

You know, after reading one too many romance novels where the women are tall slim, shapely and extremely beautiful and the men are outrageously handsome and rich, I had to ask myself: “Don’t ordinary people fall in love?”

So Tamara’s is short and overweight. She loses weight and gains it back throughout the book, yet the focus is not on her weight, but on her inner beauty. Like me, she is very light skinned and has some issues with that. Yet she is smart and confident and witty. Physically and emotionally, I would say Tamara is a complex amalgamation of several people who have touched my life, including myself.

“A Marriage of Convenience” has been given a 4 star rating by Romantic Times and has received great reviews. Any tips for first time authors on successful novel writing?

Stick with it, and have a great editor. Monica Harris was my editor. She is excellent. Like most authors, “A Marriage of Convenience” was not the first book that I tried to get published. After receiving a thousand and one form letters of rejection, I decided to write a different novel and try to get it published. That too came with tons of rejection as many in the industry are unwilling to invest in new untried authors. But then just when I began contemplating self publishing, I got the call from Monica Harris that Dorchester publishing was interested in the book. The point is, no matter how many novels it takes you, keep writing them until one gets accepted. Have your friends or close associates read and critique your book, and use those as pointers for improving your writing.

So when can we expect more of your work?

“From SKB with Love” part of the Holiday Brides Anthology, featuring novellas by Stephanie Worth and Farrah Rochon, and Jewel Amethyst will be out on September 29th. It is a great read for all who believe in the happily-ever-after of romance. I also have a few WIP up my sleeve.

Jewel, thanks so much for sharing some of your story with us. I can't wait to delve into my copy of "A Marriage of Convenience.”

To celebrate the release of Holiday Brides, I'm going to give away a copy of the book to a lucky poster today!

Good luck!

Book Recommendations: Better Than Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:13:00 +0000

If there’s one thing readers enjoy, it’s getting recommendations for other good books. I am first and foremost a reader, and other than the occasional browsing of a bookstore shelf for a cover that catches my eye, virtually all of the books in my “to be read” pile have come from recommendations from friends.

Over these past few days I’ve been reflecting on some of the great book recommendations I received from a very dear friend, one who I’m having a hard time accepting is no longer here. We had very similar reading tastes, so I never questioned when she told me “You have to read this book.” In fact, when she told me I had to read Richard North Patterson, I went out and bought all of his books just on the strength of her word. Of course, she was right.

She never steered me wrong when it came to suggesting reading material, but one of her recommendations did much more than provide entertainment. It changed my life as both a reader and, eventually, a writer. It was her insistence that I read Suzanne Brockmann’s series about Navy SEALs. At the time, I didn’t know what a Navy SEAL was, and after I found out I wasn’t all that interested in reading a romance about military guys. It’s a good thing my friend was so persistent. Not only did she open my eyes to a world of amazingly good stories, but I later used Ms. Brockmann’s writing style to study things such as characterization and deep point-of-view.

When my dear friend recommended those books, I’m sure she was only interested in introducing me to yet another wonderful read, but she gave me so much more. She played a part in helping me develop as a writer. Just one in a long line of things in our relationship that I’ll always be grateful for.

Have any books that have been recommended by a friend profoundly touched your life?

A different look at the shelving issue

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:49:00 +0000

As you probably noticed, I took a week or so off from the blog. I was on vacation and spent a week disconnected from everything. It was glorious!

I'm back, however, and blogging today at Novel Spaces about the always controversial issue of shelving African American books in their own special section of the bookstore. It's a practice I don't support; one I've discussed on this very blog several times.

At Novel Spaces I look at this issue from the reader's perspective. Hop on over and check it out and let me know what you think about this issue. You can find the post here: The Shelving Issue: Another Perspective.

Required Reading for a New Generation

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:40:00 +0000

It's back-to-school time again, and it has me in a certain frame of mind. I'm at Novel Spaces again, talking about required reading list for school kids. I want to know what are some books you would like to see on the list. I'm pretty sure Gossip Girl will never make it, but are there some modern favorites that should be read and discussed in schools? Hop on over to Novel Spaces and let me know!

The Return of the Evil Crossing Guard

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:00:00 +0000

School crossing guards are good folks. In my heart I know this. They provide a valuable service to schools and the community in general. But this week, I curse the crossing guard. Because the sight of that crossing guard means the end to my lazy days of summer.

You see, even though it’s been &%$^ years since I graduated high school and had those nice, long summer vacations, I have a habit of taking things just a bit easier in the summer. This summer, I intentionally gave myself a break. Instead of waking at 5:30 a.m. every morning, I awoke at six, and sometimes slept until seven. Ah, how glorious were those mornings! As long as I got in my required writing hours and/or pages, it didn’t really matter what time of the day or night I worked.

However, I told myself that when the kids started school again, I would go back to my pre-summer schedule. Up at the crack of dawn, churning out pages of fiction before most people even raised their sleepy eyelids.

I haven’t looked forward to that day. And this past Monday it arrived with the return of the evil crossing guard. I groaned the moment I saw her. And even though I’d love to pound her shiny whistle with a hammer and write “I hate you” in magic marker all over her bright orange vest, I will curb these awful urges and instead thank the crossing guard with a smile and a wave. After all, she is only doing her job. And by waking before the sun rises and writing my little heart out, I’m only doing mine.

Writers vs. Storytellers

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:39:00 +0000

Today I'm over at the fabulous group blog, Novel Spaces, chatting it up about the differences between storytellers and writers. Yeah, there's a difference. I discovered that I am all storyteller. I have to work at being a writer.

If you haven't checked out Novel Spaces yet, you're missing something good. We're a unique blend of authors from multiple genres, blogging about all aspects of writing, the publishing world, and life in general. Check us out!

From the Book Buyer's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:54:00 +0000

As an author I'm always focused on the book buyer, as in, the "the reader." You know, the person who will walk into a book store, be drawn to my snazzy cover, and eventually spend their hard-earned money purchasing my book for their reading pleasure.

But there's another book buyer whose eye I have to catch before any reader can get their hands on my book. Every bookstore, from the big guys like Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Wal-Mart, to your small local independent bookstore has a book buyer who decides which book they're going to stock. If that book buyer isn't interested, then you don't have a shot.

I've learned much about this side of the business over the past few years. Let's face it, if I want to sell books, I have to learn the game inside and out. The fabulous Sue Grimshaw (you can follow her on Twitter), the romance buyer for Borders, is always incredibly helpful in providing writers useful information from the "book buyer" end.

To get another buyer's side of the business, hop on over to Michelle Buonfiglio's fabulous new blog on BN.com, Heart to Heart. She has Tommy Dreiling, the romance book buyer for Barnes and Noble stores. It's interesting to see the business from his perspective.

Finding Inspiration in the Most Unlikeliest of Places

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:00:00 +0000

A few months ago, while on one of my eight hour drives from New Orleans to Austin, I was inspired by a Sheryl Crow song that was playing on the radio. Just the title, My Favorite Mistake, conjured all kinds of yummy story ideas.

When I started working on the actual story, I decided to set it in a fictional Louisiana town, complete with a main street at the heart of it. Problem is, I was having a hard time finding inspiration for my quaint little town. I did Google searches using phrases such as “Main Street” and “Small Town USA” but nothing clicked for me.

Enter the small lakeside town of Marblehead, Ohio.

Yes, Ohio.

I recently visited a friend who is lucky enough to live steps away from the shores of beautiful Lake Erie in the charming lake town of Marblehead.

I had no idea that a small town in Northern Ohio would serve as inspiration for my fictional town of Gauthier, Louisiana, but it did.

Here are a few shots of the sights I found in Marblehead. I can't wait to breathe life into these pictures by bringing my characters into the shops and restaurants.

I'll have to have at least one scene where my hero and heroine have coffee under the awning of the local coffee shop. This one was called Spill The Beans, which I thought was just adorable, but I've got another name in mind for my coffee shop.

I'm not sure if the town of Gauthier will have an art gallery, but this building would be perfect for the salon that will play a part in the story.

This building is the old schoolhouse in Marblehead, but in Gauthier, I think it's going to be the church at the center of the town.

Can anyone say hardware store/bait shop?

Yet another shot that just screams Small Town, USA.

I can't wait to get back to writing this book!

RWA 2009 Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:55:00 +0000

For the past seven years I've devoted a week in July to learning, networking, and just enjoying everything there is to love about the Romance Writers of America. This year was no different. RWA gathered in our Nation's Capitol at the beautiful Wardman Marriott in Washington D.C.'s Woodley Park neighborhood.

As it does every year, the conference kicked off with a bang on Wednesday night. Nearly 500+ authors signed books donated by their publishers with 100% of the proceeds going to organizations that help in the fight against illiteracy. This was the third year I signed, and I had a marvelous time.

This year, I decided to give back to the many fans who spend tons of money at the book signing by giving away super cute reusable tote bags. Here are two of my friends, April and Gabby, posing with their bags.

Readers were very appreciative. Several came to my table to thank me personally, and two got me to sign their bags. They'd also had their bags signed by Suzanne Brockmann and Nora Roberts. I so hope they put the bags on eBay so I can bid on them.

Even though I didn't get a pink bag signed by two powerhouse authors, I did get a chance to sign many books and meet a bunch of great fans. I had tons of fun, as you can tell by the smile on my face.

After the book signing, the real work starts. Thursday and Friday were filled with fabulous workshops. I learned about promotion, how to put fire into my fiction, and so much more. Now I just have to try to apply them.

On Friday night, I had the absolute pleasure of attending my very first Harlequin Party. Not only does the publisher rule in putting out consistently fabulous romance novels, but those folks at Harlequin throw one heck of a party.

Here's my fellow Austin RWA member, Emily McKay, fresh from the dance floor.

People danced all night long, and I have to admit to joining in way more than I usually do at such functions. One of my favorite memories of the night was watching half the room dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. It was fabulous!

Saturday was another day of workshops and networking. Here I am with fellow Kimani authors, Kimberly Kaye Terry and Celeste Norfleet.

The night ended with the RWA Awards Gala where the coveted RITA and Golden Heart awards were handed out to the best of published and unpublished romances.

This year's conference lived up to all of my expectations, as usual. I am already anticipating a great time in Nashville next year.

Christmas in July

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:31:00 +0000

I have a wrap-up of the 2009 RWA National Conference coming soon. I'm just waiting to find pictures since the three on my camera are of the wall at the Harlequin Party. I posed for so many pictures. Why don't I have any on my own camera?

Anyhoo, I wanted to make sure all my loyal blog readers entered my contest over at Fresh Fiction. It's a special Christmas in July contest! You can win a copy of my two holiday anthologies, THE HOLIDAY INN and the upcoming HOLIDAY BRIDES, along with a $25 gift card to Borders to stock up on some of your favorite reads.

Just go on over to my contest page at Fresh Fiction and enter to win!

Good luck!

Taking D.C. by Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Greetings from the RWA National Conference!

I'm writing this several days before the conference, but today is the start of this fabulous gathering of authors. I love the camaraderie of RWA's annual conference. There's just something about spending four full days with like-minded people that reminds me that I'm not as strange as most people think I am. Or, maybe it's just 2000+ very strange people. Either way, RWA's National is where I belong!

And so do you! If you're in the D.C. area come on down to the Wardman Park Marriott tonight for the 2009 Literacy For Life Autographing. There's no other place to find 450+ romance authors signing their books just for you! The great thing about this signing is that all money goes to help in the fight against illiteracy. Yes, that's all the money. One-hundred percent!

The first 400 people in line will get a special treat from Farrah Rochon!

Visit me on Friday at Novel Spaces where I'm blogging about the joy of being around like-minded people at places like writer conventions and group blogs.

Slaying The Green-Eyed Monster

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:30:00 +0000

I'm at the Readers Rooms today talking about personal and professional jealousy. I'm sure we've all experienced it a time or two. I know I did after selling my first book.

Let me know how you handled jealously from family and friends in your life at Slaying The Green-Eyed Monster.

Novel Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:14:00 +0000

I am super excited about joining Novel Spaces, and brand new group blog featuring a mix of authors from various genres. Novel Spaces will cover a broad range of topics about the publishing life told from our varied and unique perspectives.

Today, I'm blogging about the author/reader relationship. I want to know how much contact does a reader really want with an author in this extremely connected world we now live in.

Share your opinion: Author, Friend, or Both?

Remember to stop in at Novel Spaces daily!

For The Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Farrah Rochon) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:27:00 +0000

This is for all my blog readers who are also writers. And, well, those readers out there who maybe have interests in different aspects of novel writing. I just ran across a fabulous Writing Advice Database at literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog. It's a categorized list of past posts he's done on craft and the industry.

I hop over to his blog ever so often because I love his easy writing style, and his posts are always so interesting. I'm sure there's one of two tidbits you can glean from all this great info.

Enjoy!