BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR PATTI BROOKS

Our guest today is Patti Brooks, author of  Fame & Deceit, the first book in her new mystery series set in New England. Patti has been a published author since she sold her first article to an international magazine when she was sixteen years old. She’s since published over 500 articles. Her first novel, Mountain Shadows, became required reading in many NY State high schools. Learn more about Patti at her website.

Patti is offering a copy of Fame & Deceit to one of our readers who posts a comment to the blog this week. Be sure to check back on Sunday to see if you’re the lucky winner. -- AP

As a novelist, I believe it’s my responsibility to deliver entertainment to my readers. It’s much too easy today for folks to put down a copy of my book and pick up the TV remote. I’ve got major competition out there; not only from my fellow novelists, but TV, movies, etc.

Therefore, readers have a profound influence on writers. And when you peel away the layers of influence, it all comes down to sales. Of course there are writers that profess to just having published a book fills all their dreams. And there are writers that insist they wrote a book to get a point across (preach).

I seriously doubt that any writer wouldn’t be more satisfied if his sales’ commissions were of the caliber to make it worthwhile to drive to the bank to deposit on the day the commission arrived.

A novelist hoping for a career, must search his soul and study the statistics of what is more than marginally saleable. Of course that won’t guarantee success, but at least it’s a step in the right direction. And, what readers seek (i.e. "buy") is constantly shifting.

I recall many years ago, in the days before I became a novelist, going to bookstores and pulling the thickest books off the shelf first. If it was a 1,000+ page novel, I would automatically buy it.

My reason for doing so was that I wanted to get thoroughly immersed in the characters’ lives. Like a particularly good dessert, I want to savor every bite.

My favorites were Anna Lee Waldo’s Soakage (1400 pp), and Prairie (1100 pp). And Helen Hoover Santmyer’s ..Ladies of the Club. Of course, James Michener’s thick books line my bookshelves alongside Shogun by James Clavell.

It’s next to impossible for books like these to find a publisher today. Agents and publishers tend to frown on manuscripts over 100,000 words. There are some, however, that get the go-ahead, but mostly because the writer already enjoys a reputation of delivering what readers want. I’m a fan of most things written by Ken Follett. His Pillars of the Earth and Fall of the Giants are among the BIG reads.

Before I became a novelist, I wrote over five hundred articles for magazines. Had a monthly column in a trade journal for a few years as well. All that time I "knew" there would be a day I would start my career as a novelist. Since I was a horse trainer, I felt it was inevitable that one day I would break a bone. That would give me, I reasoned, a good six weeks to mend. So, I certainly could write a saleable manuscript in six weeks, right?

So wrong! At least for me. When I did tackle my first historical novel, Mountain Shadows, it took about four years of research and two years of writing and re-writing before catching the eye of a publisher. Of course, I did not have research assistants like Michener and Follett.

It’s a sign that a successful novelist has matured when he chooses the audience for which he writes. He can’t be devastated when he see readers leaving his book (child) on the shelf in favor of another. (Or even worse, put it back on the shelf after taking a peek at the first chapter.)

If I want to see a hefty royalty check, I have to give readers something they anticipate they will enjoy. It doesn’t mean I have to give up my soul to create something against my nature. May be as simple as understanding the market for which I choose to write.

Novel readers want to be stimulated and motivate. Or escape into a different world. Or envision themselves in the role of a character.

A fellow journalist who turned to writing wonderful short stories once told me that after spending a career making sure he got the facts right, he started to lie and loved every minute of it.

And, if I do it right, readers will pay me for lying!

Thanks for joining us today, Patti! Readers, if you’d like the chance to win a copy of Patti’s new mystery, post a comment. -- AP

FASHION WITH TESSA -- GETTING READY FOR NATIONAL WEAR YOUR PAJAMAS TO WORK DAY

Tessa offers up a little tongue-in-cheek fashion advice today. -- AP

Next Wednesday, April 18th, is National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. No one knows who thought up this holiday, but it’s been celebrated for years at many work places. The holiday is supposed to take place the day after taxes are due because everyone has been up all week getting their taxes done and getting very little, if any, sleep.

Yes, I know taxes are due on April 15th, so National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day should be April 16th. However, the IRS has moved the filing deadline to Tuesday, April 17th for 2012, probably because the 15th falls on a Sunday this year. So all you procrastinators have two extra days to procrastinate.

Anyway, we here at American Woman are giving you fair warning about next week’s holiday because we know you still want to make a fashion statement, right? Or at least not show up to work wearing that Nirvana T-shirt from 1992 and your boyfriend’s happy face boxers.

So check out some of these suggested jammies to wear while you’re sitting around the office, sipping coffee, eating donuts, and shooting the breeze with your boss (who just might show up in a Nirvana T-shirt and happy face boxers!)

From Pajamagram.com:

Wild Style Bunny

Wild Style Leopard

Crossword pajamas

 From ilovelucysuperstore.com:

I Love Lucy Flannel pajamas

From Zappos.com:

PJ Salvage Working Girls! Just Put On Some Lipstick Flannel pj's

Natori Thein pajamas

From cartoonpajama.com:

Tickle Me Elmo pajamas

So, readers? Who’s going to wear pajamas to work next Wednesday? Let’s hear from you. -- AP

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- GUEST DECORATOR ANNA KAY

Diane von Furstenberg
Garden Sky pillow

Decorating editor Jeanie Sims has invited a guest today to tell us all about spring home fashions. Anna Kay loves to incorporate her fashion sense into interior designs. She's a fashion major who turned interior designer. -- AP

Spring Home Fashions

Spring is finally here! The lush floral colors and patterns are working their way into our fashion, not only in clothing, but in our homes as well. Enhance your spring decor this year by purchasing some home finds that celebrate the budding months to come. Sometimes a strong pop of color or a tiny detail can go a long way, so take advantage of the following home finds for less that will keep your house in the spirit of spring.

Begin by purchasing a new set of plates, bowls and a serving tray to host all your spring garden parties this year. Choose from classy, simple, yet elegantly detailed illustrations of spring vegetation that can be found on Kate Spade's Garden Street or Dandy Lane Collections. These intricate designs are a beautiful addition to your table. For a more bold, colorful set of spring tableware, the Madeira Court Collection is breathtaking. Brushstrokes of blues, violets and greens make this set a true representation of the floral rejuvenation and soft breezes of spring. Purchase one of these Kate Spade Collections with an online Kate Spade promo code, and be prepared for all of the springtime fun without breaking the bank. 

Accent pillows are a wonderful way to keep your indoor or outdoor furniture decorated for the current season. Diane von Furstenberg's decorative throw pillows are covered in wild patterns and bright colors, perfect for spring. Add a Garden Sky pillow to patio chairs for that little something that screams "Spring is here!". Other designer's, like Thomas Paul, make exquisite, artistic throw pillows with natural subject matter that are sure to bring spring home with you. Check out Amazon for more discount designer throw pillows that can easily come and go with the spring season.

One final spring touch, that every home needs, is a beautiful vase for those springtime blooms that you should be utilizing in your home for the next few months. Get a lovely bouquet of spring flowers in a classy glass vase designed by Vera Wang at FTD.com. Choose from orchids, calla lilies, hydrangeas and more. Knock two birds out with one stone, as the saying goes, by taking advantage of FTD's discount promotional codes, and decorate your house full of lush, springtime floral arrangements by Vera Wang. 

With simple additions, like tableware, throw pillows and flower arrangements, you can bring spring into your home decor without unnecessary spending. Take advantage of great finds that enhance the springtime attitude in your home by bringing out the color, fresh perfumes and floral delicacy of all the vitality and vibrancy that is spring.

Anyone planning a little spring redecorating? Let’s hear from you. Post a comment for a chance to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

COOKING WITH CLORIS -- KALE CHIPS

I have to admit, not only had I never heard of kale chips, I’d never eaten kale until Cloris whipped up a batch in our test kitchen a few weeks ago. Now I can’t get enough of the stuff. And better yet, it’s chock full of vitamins and extremely low in calories. I’m hooked on this super food. -- AP

KALE CHIPS

Ingredients:

1 bag of kale

olive oil

salt

Bagged kale will come minus the thick stems and already cut into bite sized pieces. If you buy a head of kale, remove the thick stems and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces.

Wash and dry the kale thoroughly. (Even though bagged vegetables are pre-washed, I always wash them again.)

Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread kale onto parchment. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until edges are brown.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- JUST FOR FUN

Something a little different today -- the craft of cartooning. Reader Chris Abraham sent the following cartoon from Direct2Dell, the official Dell corporate blog, because he thought our readers would get a huge kick out of it. I know I did. What do the rest of you think? -- AP

ForeWords Book of the Year Awards

The ForeWords Book of the Year finalists were announced this week, and Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun (that book about me) by author Lois Winston is a finalist in the Mystery category.

ForeWords is a trade journal that reviews books published by independent publishing houses. Finalists are chosen by a jury of ForeWords editors and reviewers, booksellers, librarians, and other industry professions. The winners will be announced at the ALA (American Library Association) conference in Anaheim on June 23rd. 

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR CJ LYONS

Today we’re thrilled to have author CJ Lyons back for a visit. As a pediatric ER doctor, New York Times and USA Today Bestseller CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart. CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday). Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.cjlyons.net -- AP

A Day in the Life

Two of the  most common things I'm asked are: where do you get your ideas? and what's a typical day like?

The two are inextricably linked. I have no typical day, no schedule, no idea what I'll be writing when I sit down.

You may have seen the excerpt from Jonah Lehrer's new book, Imagine, in the Wall Street Journal. Imagine has also been featured on NPR, in Salon, and elsewhere. It's an exciting book because it not only celebrates creativity, it provides a path to foster creativity.

Lehrer identifies several types of creativity or "genius."

There is the epiphany, that sudden lightning strike where an answer presents itself in the most unlikeliest of places or times, usually when we've given up or taken a break from working on a problem. This type of creativity depends on first hard work, followed by hitting a mental brick wall, followed by removing ourselves from the problem.

We've all been there, done that--especially hitting the wall, or as we writers like to call it, "writers' block."

But the trick comes after you remove yourself. You can't just give up, instead you give in. To a need to relax, to laugh, or even to drink.

Lehrer reports that "exposing subjects to a short humorous video…boosts the success rate by  about 20%. Alcohol also works…Drunk students solved nearly 30% more word problems than their sober peers."

No wonder writers are often portrayed as decadent, drunk, dreamers…but that's only a small part of creativity. Those lightning strikes of epiphany can reveal a solution but not only do you need to put in the work BEFORE they'll happen (that's the boring, banging your head against your desk part of creativity that no one enjoys and no audience wants to hear about) but you also need to take that epiphany and return to work armed with new insight.

As Lehrer says: "Sometimes, we just need to keep on working, resisting the temptation of a beer-fueled nap. There is nothing fun about this kind of creativity, which consists mostly of sweat and failure."

He quotes Nietzsche, "All great artists and thinkers are great workers" and Milton Glaser who engraved the slogan "Art is Work" above his office door.

Lehrer also mentions a third key ingredient in his recipe for creativity. In addition to hard work, sparks of insight, there is a wide range of diverse experience and/or knowledge.

To me, this last, is the most important. It's the catalyst that allows me to take a story from familiar and satisfying to remarkable and compelling. It's the spark that makes a reader lean forward and turn the pages faster while also allowing the writer to have so much fun that they forget the pain and hard work that comes with embarking on a new story (remember all that sweat and banging your head against the desk time that's a compulsory part of creativity?) and allows us to keep writing.

As Lehrer says, "Because they (creatives) don't know where the answer will come from, they are willing to look for the answer everywhere."

This is why I spent my day reworking an opening, sweating over word choices, researching the cries a leopard in captivity makes (yes, this is a mainstream FBI thriller set in North Carolina), watching videos on counter-moves against chokeholds, imagining what kind of lonely life an undercover FBI agent would lead in a small town where he's pretending to be a bad guy, stripping wall paper, playing Sudoku, pounding out a few more words, scribbling notes, free-associating plot ideas, and finally relaxing in a hot bath before coming up with the idea that changed everything and going back to work until 1am.

So there you go, the answer to "where do you get your ideas?" and "what's a typical day like?"

Art is work. And sweat. And laughs. And all sorts of amazingly different things that you connect and weave together to form a tapestry that is greater than the parts its made of.

If we do our job right, the reader sees none of that. But they'll never forget the world we take them to or the people we introduce them to and they'll be eager to come back to more.

Excuse me, I think it's time for another soak in the tub….

Thanks for reading!

CJ

And thanks for joining us today, CJ! -- AP