Unbuckling

Blaunch Sign-Off

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:33:00 +0000

Thank you, everyone, for stopping by. I really appreciate it. Your comments were great. Some of them had me howling. I'm off to work on the virtual bookplates. If anyone else wants one, just email me at gwyn@cready.com.

Warmly,

G

Blaunch Party Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:30:00 +0000

Carol M, you're the winner of a signed copy of A Novel Seduction! Send your mailing address to gwyn@cready.com and I'll ship it out to you.

The Top 5 Reasons Women Love a Kilt -- Reason #1

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:22:00 +0000

And the #1 reason for loving a kilt: Kilts hide as much as they reveal. The shapely calf catches our eye, but the flash of knee and a hint of thigh remind us there are hidden worlds to explore. Say it, ladies. We know you want it. Up with kilts.

The Top 5 Reasons Women Love a Kilt -- Reason #2

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Reason #2: Kilts require courage. A man has to be willing to say, "I'm different" to wear one and to invite the gaze of those around him. A woman loves a man who thinks independently and embraces his individuality.

The Top 5 Reasons Women Love a Kilt -- Reason #3

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:52:00 +0000

Reason #3: A kilt undulates. It's rhythmic, it's eye-catching. He moves; it sways. Think Marilyn Monroe in that form-fitting dress. Think Beyoncé in that "Single Ladies video. Only it's the sword-wielding, hell-raising, testosterone-laden version of that.

The Top 5 Reasons Women Love a Kilt -- Reason #4

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:30:00 +0000

Reason #4: Kilts are versatile. In the olden days, when kilts, or rather plaids, were formed out of tediously folded wool that was belted at one's waist, the garment served not only as a display of one's affiliation but also a dress jacket, an insulator, a windbreaker, a rain coat and a blanket. Don't we love heroes who are canny enough to get the most out of the tools they've been given?

The Top 5 Reasons Women Love a Kilt -- Reason #5

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:14:00 +0000

First, let me point out the man on the cover of A Novel Seduction is not an eighteenth century Highland warrior—though I'm pretty sure Ellery, my heroine, not to mention about a gazillion other romance readers, wouldn't mind if he were. You can tell he's not an eighteenth century Highlander because—ta da!—he's wearing boxers. (Publishers are so smart.)

The man on this cover represents my hero, Ellery's ex-boyfriend, Axel. Things did not end well for Ellery and Axel, and, of course, who more to root for than two people who broke up for the wrong reasons and are clearly meant to be together? Axel is Canadian, and I actually tried to convince the publisher to put a Canadian flag tattoo on the cover model's arm instead of a Celtic cross, which isn't to say I don't love the cross—I do, and I think it captures the essence of Axel's bad boy past quite well--but I would have found the Canadian flag personally entertaining. I can't say why exactly, but I find almost everything about Canada personally entertaining.

Axel's father was born in Scotland—he's very proud of his Clan Mackenzie background—but moved to Canada as a kid, so Axel got a lot of practice wearing a kilt growing up. Because of this, Axel is not at all hesitant about donning one to fill in as bartender at the themed party at the hotel outside Edinburgh where he and Ellery are staying. Which is how Ellery ends up getting to live out every (reasonable) woman's fantasy of getting to make love to a kilted Highlander.

I have spent a little time ruminating on the reasons women love a kilt. Actually, I have spent quite a bit of time ruminating on this. In fact, there have been many times my husband has found me at my laptop, staring open-mouthed into space thinking about kilts, which no doubt explains why it takes me so long to finish a book.

I've come up with five reasons why, when it comes to heroes, women say, "Up with kilts" and I'm going to count them down, one by one.

Reason #5: Kilts represent ancient ties to one's family. What woman doesn't love a man who holds his blood ties dear? It means he respects tradition and honors the past.

Bad Boys. Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:46:00 +0000

Axel has a bit of a party boy past (pills, drinking, drugs), which is part of the reason he and Ellery broke up the first time they were a couple. Is it okay or not for the hero of a romance novel to have a bad boy past? Why?

Blaunching!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:25:00 +0000

Welcome to my live, online Blaunch Party. We're doing live Q&A, contests, surveys, pictures and more. Leave a comment on any of today's posts to be entered to win a signed copy of A Novel Seduction. Email me at gwyn@cready.com if you'd like a free signed virtual bookplate (with tartan trim!)

Haven't Gotten A Novel Seduction Yet, But Want a Taste?

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Here's a link to the first chapter. Enjoy!

Pittsburgh

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:43:00 +0000

The first city Ellery and Axel visit as they do research on the article they have to write is (naturally) Pittsburgh. This visit is a little bittersweet for them as it's the town in which they met and fell in love in. But after a year together they broke up and each headed to New York to pursue their respective careers--for Axel, being a photographer, and for Ellery, being a magazine writer. That was five years earlier. Since then, they've kept their distance from one another, so neither are happy about being forced into a magazine assignment together, especially when it brings them back to their old home

It's Easy to Be Entered to Win

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:23:00 +0000

Leave a comment on any of today's posts and you're automatically entered to win a signed copy of A Novel Seduction. And if you're interested in a free virtual signed bookplate (with a real tartan border!), just email me at gwyn@cready.com before 8 pm.

Another Picture

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:15:00 +0000

This is the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. It's a geothermal hot springs. I've never been there, but apparently one can swim all year long because the water is so warm. I have the book's two villains meet here, since it's about halfway between London, where the female villain lives, and New York, where her male counterpart is. It is a beautiful place. And I have to say it's sort of a shame to waste such a beautiful place on the villains instead of using it for the hero and heroine, but they had other things to do in the book.

A Quick Survey

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:54:00 +0000

How hot do you like your romances? No pepper, green pepper, serrano pepper or jalapeno pepper? Just leave a comment below. And anyone who leaves a comment on any of today's posts is automatically entered to win a signed copy of A Novel Seduction.

Time for a Picture

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:41:00 +0000

This is Cairnpapple. It's a hill in Scotland, not far from Edinburgh, upon which prehistoric folks did a lot of ceremonies and rituals. It's also the highest point between Edinburgh and the Solway Firth to the west, which is probably why the hill was of interest to them. It's a place Ellery, my heroine, reads about in Kiltlander and she wants to go there to feel the magic the hero and heroine in Kiltlander felt there. Cairnpapple also ends being a place that Ellery and Axel make a little magic of their own (he in the famed kilt.)

Win a Signed Copy of A Novel Seduction

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:34:00 +0000

Everyone who leaves a comment on any of today's post will be entered to win a free signed copy of A Novel Seduction. And if you're interested in a free signed virtual bookplate, email me at gwyn@cready.com before 8 pm tonight.

A Novel Seduction's Title

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Someone asked about the title of A Novel Seduction. As I said, unless you're James Patterson or Nora Roberts, authors don't get a lot of say in the title of a book. Publishers know that the cover, title and back copy of a book are probably the most important things in getting a book store shopper to pick up a book and they are very territorial about them. I'm lucky. I have an editor who always asks me if I have ideas for the title, but not all editors seek input. A Novel Seduction represents the first time the publisher has ever used a book title that I not only came up with but that I think represents the best possible title for the book. I love the play on words, and I guess they did, too. Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased.

What Inspired Me

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:19:00 +0000

A number of inspirations helped bring about A Novel Seduction. First, I get tired of people who marginalize romances and romance readers, and I wanted to write a book that talked about the joy and fellowship readers get from a great love story. Second, I wanted to honor the book that made me fall in loves with romances. Ellery, my heroine, mocks romance novels even though she's never read one. Then she reads Kiltlander, a wonderful, engaging story with a Highlander hero who's brave and true and honorable (can you guess yet which book inspired me?), and she finds, much to her surprise, that she can hardly put it down.

Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Thanks for stopping by my Blaunch Party. I'm here to talk to you today about love, writing and, of course, A Novel Seduction. If you pop down to the post entitled "Ode to an Autumn Night, 1981," you can read about my own love story, which should give you a hint as to why I love stories.

Please drop by on and off during the day. We're going running a couple contests, doing surveys, showing pictures and taking questions. There will be a lot of new stuff posted here each time you return. And everyone who leaves a comment on any of today's posts will be entered to win a signed copy of A Novel Seduction, so comment away!

First, let me ask: Has anyone out there begun to read A Novel Seduction? My next post will be on what inspired me to write it.

Welcome to the Blaunch Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:19:00 +0000

You're in the right place. It starts at 1 pm EDT. I'll be online all day, answering your questions, blogging about the different topics, sharing pictures from the books and giving away some free copies of A Novel Seduction. If you have a question, post it as a comment here or email me at gwyn@cready.com.

Ode to an Autumn Night, 1981

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Thirty years ago tonight, I borrowed a vacuum from my friend Diane's brother. Diane was a year ahead of me in college, and the apartment she shared with her older brother and a third roommate was a real grown-up place, with all the accoutrements one expects such places to have, unlike the cheerless place I'd sublet for the summer, though I freely admit my desire to vacuum, which is not exactly characteristic of me, had its motives.

When I returned the vacuum, I invited Lester, the brother, to a gathering of our friends later at one of our favorite bars, the Cove. What I hadn't told him was that I had no intention of inviting anyone else. I arrived at 10:15, after my shift at the local Greek diner ended, to find Lester holding down a table for eight upon which three pitchers of beer sat. The seats, unsurprisingly, were empty except for Lester's. "So where is everyone?" I asked. He shrugged. "Damned good for nothing friends," I said and poured myself a tall one. After drinking as much as we could (a lot in those days), we went to the Hyde Park Coffee Shop, an all-night diner, where I had my first-ever fried eggs at Lester's suggestion. We headed from there to Cyril's House of Tiki for more drinks, then to an all-night grocery store for snacks and, at last, to his apartment, where we listened to all four sides of The River (Yes, "sides." That's how long ago it was.) and looked for a dirty word on every page of the dictionary (an early hint of my future writing career?) Around three or four, Diane emerged from her bedroom, and suggested we take our non-stop giggling to Lester's bedroom. We did—and shared our first kiss (and nothing more, for the low-minded out there. Lester still had to prove he could go the distance.)

That was the Wednesday, the night before the first day of my junior year of college. On Saturday, I moved in with him (apparently he'd proved he could go the distance.) Though this might have been a surprise to Lester, it was not to me. After all, not even halfway through the very first few words we'd ever exchanged two months earlier, the thought, "Oh my God, this is the man I'm going to marry!" had gone through my head, shocking me into a blushing silence. I was as certain of it as I'd ever been of anything else in my life. By November, we were engaged, and we walked down the aisle the day after I graduated to the sounds of a string quartet playing "Jungleland." It was a long time before I admitted to Lester I hadn't invited anyone else to the Cove that night. It was an even longer time before Lester admitted to me he used to sit in the park across from my diner and watch me walk to my car at the end of my shifts.

Our marriage has been wonderful, and we do celebrate our wedding anniversary, but the date that means the most to us is September 30. Happy 30th, Lester. You are a testament to trusting one's instincts. Love at first sight happens. It happened to me, and perhaps, when you sweep away the hot, sweaty stuff, that's really what's at the bottom of my romance writing. I remain amazed and grateful that the person I was attracted to at 19 is still the one I'm attracted to at 49. Les, want to meet me tonight at Il Pizzaiolo? A bunch of us are getting together for a drink...

Grand Central

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Wrestling the Outline

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:26:00 +0000

Starting to writing a book outline is a little bit like going on a first date. I always needed to feel like the guy had a shot as a potential life mate or what was the point? Eight Minute Dating had nothing on me. I was able to come to a clear decision on a guy's odds of meeting the challenge in about eight seconds. Unsurprisingly with a vetting process like that, very few of them made the cut.

Writing a book outline is like a veeeerrrrry looooooong first date, which of course goes against every innate sensibility I have. I know I will be intimately involved in whatever idea I'm trying to hammer into shape for half a year or more, so I want it to be a goer, something I'll be happy to put my name on at the end, but, before that, something that will make my toes curl with excitement each morning. There's nothing worse than pouring eight or ten hours a day into a manuscript that doesn't make you dizzy with pleasure. At the start of outlining, every instinct tells me to ditch the idea, that it's too boring or too stupid or (mostly) too convoluted to work. But unlike a first date, when you can happily kick the poor fellow to the curb, an outline is your problem. If you don't like who you've set yourself up with, it's up to you to either find someone new or--egad!--fix the poor schmoe you've mistakenly said yes to when you were feeling sorry for yourself after a bad day at work and two double margaritas.

Aargh.

I hit bottom on this outline about a week in. At that point I have to go back to the core elements, the things that gave me that original tingle, in this case a librarian facing budget cuts and the bastard son of a nobleman. Feeling the tingle seems to be the only true gift I have been given as a writer. Learning to trust it and make use of it has been hard work.

A dozen ways to tie the core elements together into a coherent whole battled in my head. Each one, delivering what I considered to be a great twist, had to be worked back to the front of the book and forward to the end to see if the resultant structure fit with the characters and story. It's a lot to be going on in the head of someone with such an extreme case of attention disorder, and I found myself spending a lot of time frowning into the distance and wondering who was on Facebook. Suffice to say, I am not a natural writer.

But then, as it always has, the pieces have started to fall into place, most happily the ending, which is what the whole book should be laid down to pay off, so now I am in the process of falling in love with the story and finding myself looking forward to January, when I will begin to write.

Thank God. I'm not sure I could stand another first date.

BLAUNCH PARTY SIGN-OFF -- Giveaway Winner #3

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:11:00 +0000

Thanks, everyone, for coming to my party. I loved sharing my pictures with you and hearing your thoughts on many topics. Because your support, I know Aching for Always will be a success.

The winner of the last giveaway is Laurie Faelan. Laurie, send your mailing address to me at gwyn@cready.com.

Thanks, again, all. There will be more contests. Please sign up for my newsletter at cready.com if you're not already on the mailing list.

Best,

Gwyn

BLAUNCH PARTY LIVE -- Pictures #15 and #16

noreply@blogger.com (Gwyn Cready) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Burke's Building is the oldest extant business office in Pittsburgh, built in 1836. It's not really a home, but it looks like one, a fairly fancy one, which is why I made it the home of Rogan Reynolds, the very sexy millionaire who's trying to help Joss save her mapmaking company at the start of the book.

What I find interesting about the building, however, is that is sits right next to a soaring glass skyscraper, the PPG Building, home to PPG Industries, downtown. I love the contrast between the 19th century building and the late 20th century skyscraper.

By the way, Burke's Building is just down the street from Dollar Bank and its lions.