Darlene's Digest

Image via Wikipedia Reflections on Wedded Bliss I celebrated my 34th wedding anniversary this week. We went out to supper the night before with friends, exchanged gifts (he got cufflinks, I got a lovely peridot ring), and our plans to watch a movie and open up that special bottle of whisky morphed into watching ice dancing and drinking herbal tea, but hey, we're old. It got me thinking though. One of the remarks I hear about my heroes is that they're "nice". Sometimes I hear they're too nice. One faithful reader said she loved Jack Burrell from The Bride and the Buccaneer because he's my "sweetest hero yet", a description that would annoy Jack greatly and cause him to scowl ferociously. He sees himself as a fierce privateer, the scourge of Caribbean shipping. He is that fierce privateer. But he's also the hero. And I can't write a hero without looking at him critically and asking myself, "Could I marry him?" My perception...

Boskone 47 Recap Let me start by saying I had a wonderful time, and a huge "Thank You!" is owed the hardworking volunteer staff who put together this convention. I picked up my materials when I checked in Friday afternoon, and confirmed that I had two panels Friday night. Then I took a look at the Pocket Program to see what items I wanted to attend. That's one of the perks of Boskone. I'm not only presenting, but I get to see other writers share their expertise. My first panel was Seriously, Where *Do* Your Ideas Come From? I've done similar panels before, but I always manage to find something fresh to say. This time I mentioned how while I was out walking last week I saw a hot pink condom of unusual dimensions by the side of the road...and it gave me the idea for a story. So the short answer is, my ideas come from everywhere. The other panelists were Paul G. Tremblay and Mary A. Turzillo, with whom I've done panels at previous cons, and Hugo and Nebula...

BOSKONE 47 This is my, I think, really, truly final schedule for Boskone 47. See you in Boston! Dress warm! Friday 7pm Seriously, Where *Do* Your Ideas Come From? Lois McMaster Bujold David Anthony Durham (M) Darlene Marshall Paul G. Tremblay Mary A. Turzillo We know ideas don't come from a mail box in upstate New York. So, seriously, where do they come from? Do you muse on "what if's"? Are there personal inspirations for your tales? Do you find a particular setting evocative, and just waiting to be detailed in a story? Friday 8pm: Paranormal Romance: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Werewolf? Darlene Marshall Ginjer Buchanan (m) Rose Fox Toni L. P. Kelner Shariann Lewitt Since paranormal romance surged to popularity in the 1990's, there's been debate over whether to consider it part of that nebulous field we call "the genre." Paranormal romanc...

My turn to blog today at the HEA Cafe . The topic is "Reviews". Check it out!

New Review! 5/5 = "Awesome" from Smexy Books. "The Bride and The Buccaneer is a wonderful tale full of humor, adventure, and a lovely romance that will sweep you away."

Huge E-Book sale! Until midnight tonight, AllRomance and OmniLit are offering ebooks at 50% off, including The Bride and the Buccaneer and my other titles. This is partly in response to Amazon's price war with Macmillan, and you can read the details at the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books site. The code is SBTBARe1. It's only good until midnight tonight (Mountain Time) so act fast! The Mobipocket format works on Kindles as well as other units.

My Boskone 47 Schedule: An Addition Reading, 10:30 am Sunday

New Review! "Mrs. Giggles" reads The Bride and the Buccaneer : "The strongest aspects of The Bride And The Buccaneer are the chemistry, banter system, and likability of its two adorable main characters.... a wonderful time reading this story because Jack and Sophia are simply too much fun to follow." Rating: 84 Read the full review here .

My Boskone 47 Schedule Boskone is February 12-14 at the Westin Boston Waterfront. You can still buy memberships here . Friday 7pm Seriously, Where * Do * Your Ideas Come From? Lois McMaster Bujold David Anthony Durham (M) Darlene Marshall Paul G. Tremblay Mary A. Turzillo We know ideas don't come from a mail box in upstate New York. So, seriously, where do they come from? Do you muse on "what if's"? Are there personal inspirations for your tales? Do you find a particular setting evocative, and just waiting to be detailed in a story? Friday 8pm Paranormal Romance: Threat or Menace....Or?? Ginjer Buchanan (M) Rose Fox Toni L. P. Kelner Shariann Lewitt Darlene Marshall It seems that they're beginning to dominate the shelves, doesn't it? Many people find this fusion of the romance and sf/fantasy field * wrong * ....but is it really? Will it exp...

Image via Wikipedia Love your library--and the people who fund it. I was at a meeting today of the ACLD Trustees, thanking our local legislative delegation for their work in keeping state library funding alive this year. The Representatives there, Democrat and Republican, got an earful about what our Library District is doing in tough times. It's way more than books. In some communities, the public library is the only place where people can get free broadband and access to computers. Librarians are trained to help people fill out their government forms online to receive state and federal assistance. At our Partnership branch library, which is located in one of the poorest zip codes in the county, children can pick up rolling backpacks on Thursday and Fridays so they have food to eat over the weekend when they're not getting free student lunches. So if your lawmakers have worked to keep your public library going, thank them. They need the feedback. They need to know how i...

Book Clubs I had the privilege last week of speaking to "The Happy Bookers" book club, a group of local ladies who gather to, not surprisingly, discuss books. They'd picked Pirate's Price as their novel for this month's meeting, and it was fun to talk with them about the writing process, my work habits--or lack thereof--and the processes that go into my novels. One of the ladies brought a rum punch made with a 200 year old recipe. The potion was deceptively smooth, and I knew after a few sips that much as I'd love to drink more, I'd have a hard time making the words come out ungarbled, much less drive home afterward. One of the questions that evening, as usual, was who I would cast in the movies of my books. That's an idle pasttime I usually indulge after I've finished writing a novel. For The Bride and the Buccaneer I don't have a specific actor in mind to play Jack Burrell, though I'm leaning toward Ryan Reynolds. For Sophia Defor...

Image via Wikipedia Boskone 47 Got my Progress Report for Boskone 47 , a delightful regional SF convention in Boston this February. I'll be there, along with an amazing array of talented writers, editors, artists and fans. It's a mix guaranteed to produce a lively weekend. Only a group like this could convince me to fly to Massachusetts in February. Fortunately, I have a return ticket that says "Florida".

Reviews of The Bride and the Buccaneer! Reviews are coming in! Here's a link to today's posting at Dear Author: "A fantastically matched couple, fun and adventure, seeing Captain Sinister again = a happy Jayne when I electronically flipped the last page. B+" And from Pirates and Privateers : "Laced with a host of unique characters, intriguing clues that reveal the depth of Marshall’s research, and humorous lines, this spellbinding tale snares the reader from the opening page to the end."

Image by wallyg via Flickr Hey, it's a book! I hit 102,000 words today on Castaway Dreams! Woo woo! Now I just need to figure out how this darn thing ends. Oh wait, I know--the hero and heroine are together at the end and live happily ever after. Whew!

Image by acebot3000 via Flickr Dang, it's cold out there! I've lived in North Florida for most of my life, and I don't remember it ever being this cold for this many days in a row. Bundle up, Floridians! This too shall pass.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Have a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year! May your dreams come true in 2010.

Persimmon recipes were mentioned today over on Twitter. Here's one of my favorites: Julia Cooper, aka Lady Julia Delerue, is the heroine of SMUGGLER'S BRIDE, a follow-up to PIRATE'S PRICE. One of the ways Julia keeps smuggler Rand Washburn content is through her cooking skills, including a mighty tasty persimmon cake. I buy my persimmons at the Gainesville Farmers Market in the autumn. I love to see them on the kitchen counter, their bright orange color brightening everything around them. Julia Cooper’s Persimmon Cake From SMUGGLER'S BRIDE 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup margarine 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon allspice 1 cup persimmon pulp--approx. six Florida persimmons ½ cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 325F To get persimmon pulp: Take very ripe persimmons, cut in half, scoop pulp out. Remove pithy seed area, pulse a few times in food processor. Cream sugar and margarine, ad...

The Bride and the Buccaneer, Now in Paper! Just in time for you to order yourself some post-holiday relaxation! The Bride and the Buccaneer is available in paper as well as *ebook editions. Click on the link to order, or go to Amazon.com *Kindle editions coming soon

Image by c r i s via Flickr Happy Holidays! Odds are, you're celebrating something this time of year. I just wanted to take a moment to thank all my readers, and wish them a happy holiday and a wonderful new year. There are days when I stare at my computer wondering why I ever thought I could write novels. Then I get a note from a fan, or read a review, and it's like my batteries have been recharged to "full". Thank you all very much for reading my books and for letting me know you enjoyed them. It means the world to me. Darlene

Want Paper? Or Kindle? If you'd like to be notified when the paper or the Kindle editions of The Bride and the Buccaneer are available, drop me a line at darlenemarshallATdarlenemarshallDOTcom and I'll put you on my list. I got the paper cover jpg today, which means paper editions are coming soon. I'm very excited! While I love my ebooks, I know some readers want their books in a more traditional package, and I'm happy to be able to accommodate them.