The Vacation (HA!) Edition

Okay, I'm currently in Dallas, spending pre-conference time with the parental units (and my small child units) as well.  Not a vacation by ANY stretch of the imagination.  However, in the midst of this tranquil and serene (NOT!) milieux, I've been adjusting to the news that Harlequin has discontinued the Temptation (MY) line.  I love Temptation.  It's fun, it's sexy, it's....sassy (okay, I hate that word, but it really fits the line, so I'll suck it up).  Anyway, I HATE that they are discontinuing the line.  So....because I make my career as a writer, I'm now on the quest for a new line. 
Quest for a Line: Day 1
Read 1.2 Silhouette Desires.  Desires is sorta the kissing cousin to Temptation.  Blaze is sorta the boinking cousin to Temptation.  So, as much as my people boink, I think I'm going to start with the Desires.  The first one was fun and escapeful (is that a word?  Probably not, but it should be).  Lots of pink.  No heavy sex, but some steam and one or two good squirm moments.  About to delve back into Desire #2.  It's much more carnal and frank.  I'm wondering about the euphemisms for men's parts, which is always how I differentiate the lines.  I'll report back as I research.

In the mean time, I finished the revisions on Halo, Goodbye (short story for New Year's Eve Anthology), watched Rescue Me (firefighter show on FX, I give it thumbs up).  Somewhat icky humor (according to my more refined critique partner), but from what I've read, it's true to most professions that deal with much more stress than they are equipped to deal with.  STILL waiting for my revisions on Diva's Guide to Selling Your Soul (did you see that cover, isn't it great?), and if my editor is reading this, I know your suggestions will be brilliant, absolutely brilliant. 

I'm still researching the firefighter book (see above), which will hopefully turn into a single title (if I don't mention it again, you know the ax has fallen).  Thinking that I have another few pages I've written that would make a good Desire.  Will keep you posted.

TTFN.

My first hunky guy picture (sorry, you single non-hunky voter, but the hunky voters won).

When Real Life Trumps Fiction

In my computer there are files, numerous files, of characters that have been tried, found guilt of being either ew-inducing or yawn-inducing, neither of which is acceptable and then condemned to the character recycle bin. I've been starting up my next book for Harlequin, and it's giving me fits. Usually I get ideas of characters and then craft a story and conflict from there. This is MUCH easier. In this case, I'm given certain plot constraints and then have to craft characters and stories around them. HA! This is NOT easy. I've just condemned my previous hero to the recycle bin. He was a little whiny and too morose. If I'm going to have a hero in pain, I want his external demeanor to be happier. It's a nice balance. Anyways, Andy went bye-bye, and I like Kevin much, much better (he's of Irish-Cuban-Puerto Rican-American descent, how can I not like him?).

Because Kevin is a fireman, I've been reading a lot of FDNY books. After 9/11, there are some truly astounding books that have been written about the brotherhood. I do not think people truly comprehend the pain and loss that these men went through. In the span of two hours, FDNY lost 343 men. From 1865-September 10, 2001, the total loss in the line of duty for the department was 774. On that day, there were three retired firefighters killed, men who came down, simply to do what they could. There were so many numbers that came out of that day, so much loss, that it's impossible to comprehend it all.

The New York City Fire Department is a generational organization. There are fathers who are firefighters, who have sons who grow up to be firefighters, who have sons who grow up to be firefighters. Joseph Angelini, Jr, from Ladder 4 was killed that day, as was his father, Joseph Angelini, Sr from Rescue 1. Dennis Smith, the author of Report From Ground Zero, recounts in heart-breaking detail of stories of fathers searching at the Ground Zero site for their sons. Lee Ielpi, one of the most decorated firefighters in FDNY history, who searched for his son, Jonathan, Squad 288. Jonathan's remains were found on December 12, 2001. And Jimmy Boyle, retired firefighter and past president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, who searched for his son, Jimmy from Engine 33. Jimmy's remains were found in January of 2002. Captain John Vigiano lost two sons that day: John Vigiano II, from Ladder 132, and Joe, a member of NYPD. Chief Jim Riches lost a son, James, from Engine 4. Chief Eddie Schoales, lost his son, Tom, from Engine 4. Tom lived in Stony Point, NY, which is about 10 miles from my house. Captain Bill Butler lost a son Tom from Squad 1. Lt. Dennis O'Berg, lost a son, Dennis, from Ladder 105. Lt. Paul Geidel, lost a son Gary, from Rescue 1. We hear so much about the children and widows of September 11, but I hurt so badly for the parents who had lost their children that day. No parent should have to bury their child.

One of the traditions of FDNY is that you never leave a man behind. If a firefighter is killed on the job, it's tradition for the firefighters to bring the body out as well. By October 1st, only the remains of 16 firemen had been recovered, by November 1st, that number stood at 100. Firefighters worked day and night at Ground Zero, not only to help control the fires that still burned on the site, but also to bring their lost home. On November 1st, the city reduced the number of firefighters on the recovery process to 25, and over a thousand firemen showed up to protest the move. Their job wasn't done. The city worked out a compromise and the recovery crews continued.

As of this day, 160 men are still reported as missing.

On July 4th, 2004, I watched the ceremony at Ground Zero. They put in the cornerstone for the new Freedom Tower. I'm not a fan of the tower's design, it's very fancy. However, I can live with it. It's time to build new history and on Sunday, they made a start….