Posts from — January 2009

Ahhh Panama…

by *Marianne

After fighting a bout of a stomach virus (much to the amusement of friend Annmanrie Ortega), I was able to get back to work today. Too bad I was too sick to write while home sick. Anyway, today I thought over my current project, a short for Harlequin’s Undone ebook line. I think I need to rewrite the beginning so it flows smoother. After doing my research on the morning of Pearl Harbor, I see mistakes in what I wrote already. Grr. Don’t you hate that, knowing something is wrong? Well, I’m not going to let it get me down. I’m reworking the beginning so I can get into the story flow. I want this short done before I head to Panama City Beach in February for a Writer’s Retreat with FPHRW. (I can’t wait until the trip. Who cares if I can’t go swim, it’s the beach!! And no kids. Whoohoo!)

I did come up with titles for these two projects. My Pearl Harbor short is entitled Honor After Dawn, and the connected novel is entitled A Soldier’s Honor. I have a basic idea of the novel, but it looks like I may need to do some plotting during the retreat.

January 28, 2009 Comments Off

Can the world handle a Japanese romance hero?

by *Marianne

This week was quite the adventure in writing. Well, not really. I am still adapting to working all day on my feet. My feet, surprisingly, do NOT hurt. I am tired from the walking though. I come home and I want to crash. Most of the time, I do. I am thankful for spending time last year on the treadmill and the crosstrainer or I would be completely wiped out by lunch.

Anyway, I am liking my job and I’m truly happy. I just wish I had more energy to write every day. I wrote a bit during one of my lunch breaks this week and that did work out well–until I needed to do some research for my current book that takes place on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor.

In doing this book and planning a few others that take place during WWII, I came up with an interracial romance idea featuring a Japanese hero. Does anyone think readers would be open to such a story in mainstream historical romance? I have doubts such a subject would be good for a line like Harlequin Historicals. Maybe it would work better as a single title. What do you all think?

Also, check out my latest blog entry over at The Danger Zone. Yeah, more on writing WWII action romance….

January 24, 2009 Comments Off

New blog, New job, new book

by *Marianne

Hey everyone,

I decided to go back to Blogger for my actual blog. I use Wordpress for my website but I don’t have the time to go there and update too often these days. I started a new job this year and time is definitely at a premium. Besides, isn’t EVERYONE at Blogger these days?

I selected a WWII/Vintage look for my blog because that is what I am writing these days–WII set romance. I am working on a Harlequin Historical Undone submission set at the beginning of WWII. For those of you who don’t know, this would be the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Oddly enough, a friend of mine, Amber Green, told me I should be writing historical. I had crept away from historicals due to an agent telling me that my historical voice wasn’t as good as my contemporary voice. I don’t know. I do have a historical as a RT Reviewer Choice nominee. Maybe there is something to that. (And the fact I haven’t landed an agent for my contemporary…) Soooo….I am going back to historicals. At least for a while. I am planning a short (the Undone submission) and a 70K WWII set romance novel. I am hoping to go ahead and pitch the finished novel to Harlequin (whomever is interested in WII romances) at RT this year.

January 18, 2009 Comments Off