Author Jeanette Baker Talks About Genre Labeling

It’s my pleasure to welcome award-winning author Jeanette Baker as the special guest blogger today as she makes a stop on her virtual blog tour for her latest release, CATRIONA.

Here’s a brief synopsis of CATRIONA: Kate Sutherland has always felt out of step growing up in Southern California, but it isn’t until her adoptive mother’s death that she travels to Scotland to discover the truth about her heritage. There, with the help of a high-priestess of an ancient Scottish sect, she experiences the visions that reveal she is one of the twice-born and that five centuries before she walked the earth as Catriona Wells, daughter of an English earl and a Scots princess, first cousin to James IV of Scotland, English spy and harbinger of a shameful secret.

Catriona, determined to save her young brother from the deadly political clashes of 15th century England and Scotland, embarks upon a fragile balancing act between the court of Jamie Stewart and his arch rival, Henry Tudor, King of England. But Cat’s cunning is no match for Patrick MacKendrick, laird of Hermitage, legend of the borders, right hand to Jamie Stewart who suspects her story for the lie it is. As intrigue in the Scottish court builds and Jamie Stewart’s enemies are unveiled, Cat realizes that the man who deserves her loyalty is the one she has bargained to destroy.

Meanwhile Kate, whose visions rapidly take on a reality of their own, is caught between a present-day attraction to Niall MacKendrick, a Scots historian, the drama of her own adoption—and risking everything in Catriona’s world of passion and bloodshed.

Jeanette is here to share her thoughts on genre labeling, how romance has evolved and on which shelf or shelves her novel belongs in a book store.

CATRIONA is, I think, my most sensual novel currently in print and yet, I would still classify it as historical fiction rather than romance. Because there is no designated spot for historical fiction, all romances from the steamy to the sweet are shelved under Romance in your local book store, and thankfully so. I'm not sure I would have been as avid a romance reader if I hadn't started with Georgette Heyer, Jan Cox Speas, and Mary Stewart, books heavy on plot and character with great tension, subtle romance and intensely satisfying, albeit innocent, happily-ever-after endings.

Romance, as a genre, didn't actually come about until the 70's. Before that, romantic stories and other genres, were lumped together as fiction. I remember standing in front of the shelves in my local library reading book jackets to insure that I would find a book with enough of a love story to keep me interested. Romance as a genre has come full circle. Although the bodice ripper is still out there, romantic fiction covers a tremendous span from the steamy heat of Virginia Henley and the wise-cracking comedy of Janet Evanovich to the satisfying warmth of Marcia Willett. 

A good friend of mine always makes a point of introducing me to his male friends as, "This is Jeanette Baker. She writes romance novels." Then he asks the proverbial question: "Have you ever read a romance novel?"

I know why he does it. He loves the reaction, the look on their faces that reveal the dilemma. Will she be offended if I say no? Will she think I'm strange if I say yes? Does this woman who looks like my Sunday school teacher really write those novels?

I don't know whether to put them out of their misery or keep silent and enjoy the game. The truth is, I have written those novels, the sensual kind like CATRIONA, and I have also written the kind that aren't the least bit R-rated. It depends on the story and whether or not the plot is enhanced by a sensual scene. 25% of those who read fiction, read romance. Amen to those publishers who continue to offer readers a wide variety of romantic fiction. 

CATRIONA began, as you might expect, in Scotland, at the ruins of Stirling Castle. After exploring the grounds, I climbed the stairs to the watchtower where Margaret Tudor, daughter to Henry VII of England and James IV of Scotland, waited for her husband to return from the Battle of Flodden Moor. This was a particularly difficult time for her because her husband and father fought on opposing sides. I’d read in the small brochure handed out when I turned over my nominal fee for visiting the castle, that she had carved a poem into the wall. The poem is no longer legible and no one really knows what her thoughts were, but standing there with a death grip on the parapet because of the terrifying wind, I imagined what they might be. 

Jamie Stewart was a handsome, charismatic king who spoke 8 languages, fathered 38 illegitimate children, founded universities and demanded that the nobility learn to read. History tells us the marriage was not a love match, I decided, for purposes of my novel, that it would be. That very day, the idea for CATRIONA was born. Why not, I thought, create a woman, with ties to both England and Scotland, a woman with a shameful secret who needed Jamie’s protection for her own purposes? Why not pair her with her equal in intelligence, Jamie’s favorite, a powerful border lord, who’d helped him win the crown? Why not set the two of them amidst the intrigue of the Tudor and Stewart royal courts? 

Then it was time to create the contemporary plot of my novel: enter Kate Sutherland, her descendent, an American born 400 years later, an educated woman searching for answers to the odd circumstances of her birth and her frightening ability to see what others could not. 

CATRIONA is offered in print as well as electronic format. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did creating it. Jeanette

Jeanette, thanks so much for guest blogging. I enjoyed your outlook on genre labeling. I especially like stories that fall into several genres as you mentioned. Life is not filled with just one emotion so why should books be labeled under just one. Wishing you much success with your writing and CATRIONA.

Now for a bit of background on Jeanette. She is the author of 15 novels, published by Pocket, Kensington and Mira Books, many of them set in the lush countryside of historical and contemporary Ireland where she lives and writes during the summer months. Her ancestors, the O’Flahertys, hail from Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands located off the coast of Galway. Jeanette takes great pride in the prayer posted by the English over the ancient citygates, ‘From the wrath of the O’Flahertys, may the good Lord deliver us.’

Jeanette graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in journalism and international relations and holds a Masters Degree in Education. When not in Ireland, she teaches in Southern California, reads constantly, attempts to navigate the confusing world of Facebook and, more recently, e-publishing, concocts creations from interesting cookbooks and enjoys the company of friends and children. She is the RITA award-winning author of NELL.

For more on Jeanette and her writing, visit and blog with her at www.jeanettebaker.com.

If you’re a writer, do you think genre labeling sometimes helps or hurts when readers are searching for your style of work? As a reader, do you go strictly by the genre labels or do you browse the shelves for your reading pleasure? Thanks, as always, for stopping by and sharing your thoughts today.

THE ARRIVALS by Meg Mitchell Moore

I'd like to share my review of THE ARRIVALS by Meg Mitchell Moore as part of the author's virtual blog book tour.

William and Ginny Owens had settled into a comfortable empty-nest lifestyle until their three grown children return home with major problems.

First to return home was the eldest, Lillian. She brought her 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, and her 3-month-old son, Philip, with her. Absent was her husband, Tom. She didn’t want anyone to know she had left her cheating husband.

Next to visit was the middle child, Stephen, and his pregnant wife, Jane. They only came for the weekend, but had to stay longer when Jane is confined to bed rest. Ginny and Jane seem to rub each other the wrong way. Ginny, who has been a housewife all her married life, doesn’t understand Jane, who is a Wall Street workaholic.

Last to return home is the youngest, Rachel. She is getting away from New York, her failing career, and her ex-boyfriend who doesn’t want to commit to marriage.

While the family is settling into living together again for a short while, each begins to learn more about themselves. The family finds new perspectives on responsibility, loyalty, and loving family that sometimes drives you crazy.

Author Meg Mitchell Moore has created a typical family with modern problems and glimpses of simpler times. THE ARRIVALS is a delightful summer read to help you remember how special family really is.

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore, Reagan Arthur Books, @201, ISBN: 9780316097710, Hardcover, 336 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of a virtual blog book tour and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.



**Thanks for dropping by. I’m still not able to be around blogdom, but I do appreciate everyone’s prayers and continued support.

Author James LePore, Guest Blogger

Today I’d like to welcome author James LePore to Thoughts in Progress as the special guest blogger as he makes a stop on his virtual book tour.

James’ latest release is ANYONE CAN DIE. Here’s a brief description of it - ANYONE CAN DIE is a collection of three emotionally charged stories written by James from the world of his widely acclaimed novel, A WORLD I NEVER MADE.

TILL DEATH DO US PART:  A young couple on their honeymoon in New Mexico find a bond they did not know they had when they are forced to confront trouble in the form of a surly trio of locals.
GOD'S WARRIORS:  A cynical American woman on her own in Europe makes a decision that both reveals and belies her true character.
MAX:  The childhood roots of Max French, a quirky, deadly and, in his own eyes, oddly lovable F.B.I. Agent.

On his stop today, James is talking about how his latest work came to be.

I knew when I was writing A WORLD I NEVER MADE, my first novel, that in-depth character development would have to give way to pace and plotting, the two key elements of the suspense/thriller genre. I did not know that I would get the chance, after the final draft was handed in, to expand on my characters in the trio of short stories that ultimately came to comprise ANYONE CAN DIE.

When I was given that chance, all of the non-essential thoughts and notes and back stories that I had relegated to a sort of literary limbo over the twelve months it took to write A WORLD I NEVER MADE, began suddenly clamoring for my attention. An attention I was happy to give them.

I turned first to Lorrie Nolan, who died at the age of twenty—twenty-nine years before the novel begins—while giving birth to Megan and leaving her twenty-one-year-old husband Pat (WORLD’s two central characters) devastated, so devastated that he pretty much abandoned Megan until she was a teenager. Lorrie is only mentioned in passing in the novel, but she is flesh and blood in TILL DEATH DO US PART, on her honeymoon with Pat—raw and wildly in love—in New Mexico.

My purpose in writing the story was to give the reader a deeper understanding of Pat’s loss, and therefore of his motives, both in abandoning Megan when she was a child and in desperately pursuing her across Europe as World unfolds.

It was my love for Megan Nolan, not an elucidation of motive, that drove me to write GOD’S WARRIORS. Though she would deny it, Megan’s heart was not all black, not completely hardened by the cards life had dealt her. Her decision to help a young girl who has been terribly abused, but to absent herself completely from the girl’s life while doing so, will give the reader an insight into the things buried in Megan’s heart, the things that force their way out when she has to make much more momentous decisions—life and death decisions—in the novel.

Max French, an eccentric FBI agent, also pursues Megan across Europe in A WORLD I NEVER MADE, falling in love with her, from a distance, along the way. What made him so quirky, and why did he fall in love with the women he pursued without ever really meeting or getting to know them? The answers are to be found in the two events in Max’s early life around which ANYONE CAN DIE’s third story, MAX, revolve. Max is a man with a past, and a big secret; to my mind exactly the kind of flawed but fearless soldier we want in the front lines of the post-9/11 battles we are fighting at home and all over the world.

James what a great way to give background to a story and more depth to your characters. Thanks for guest blogging here today.

Now to share a little more depth on James, his first novel, A WORLD I NEVER MADE, was written after extensive research into the history of Islam on the Iberian Peninsula, and travel in Europe and North Africa. He writes novels of suspense, driven as much by gripping stories as by strong, complex characters. His second novel, BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, was released on December 25, 2010; and his third, SONS AND PRINCES, in May, 2011. In addition, James is a writer of short fiction. He is currently at work on his fourth novel, the story of a Manhattan district attorney whose son is wrongly accused of murder, which The Story Plant will publish in fall, 2011.

James is an attorney who has practiced law for more than two decades. He is also an accomplished photographer (his work can be seen at www.nakedeyeimages.com). He lives in South Salem, New York with his wife, artist Karen Chandler. To find out more about James and his writing, visit James LePore Fiction

What are your thoughts? Do you enjoy learning background on a character after meeting them or would you rather have all the information at once?

Guest Blogger, Kimmie Thomas

Please join me in welcoming author Kimmie Thomas as the special guest blogger at Thoughts in Progress today as she makes a stop on her virtual book tour.

Kimmie’s current release is THIS SIDE OF CRAZY. Here’s a brief blurb about the book: “Maxine Payne’s poor self-esteem led her to marry the first man that showed any interest in her.  After five years of marriage and misery she has nothing to show for it.  Her sham of a marriage is falling apart and her dream of having a child is fading away each day. To make matters worst, she discovers that the people in her life are not there to love and help her as she has always believed. 
She struggles to come to terms with her failing marriage and her sick mother as she watches her chance at a happy home with children slip away.  Her two childhood girlfriends offer help and support but they have their own personal struggles.  The old saying, “what’s done in the dark will eventually comes to light” has never been more true. 
When tragedy strikes, Maxine will have to make the most important decision of her life.   But will the lies and secrets her husband and friends harbor bring Maxine’s life crashing down around her?”

Kimmie stopped by to talk about ‘encouragement to the aspiring author.’

I am frequently asked why I decided to write a book. I always enjoyed reading in a wide range of genres and often found myself writing short stories or poems in my spare time. When I think about it, I've always been a writer. I've maintained a journal all of my life. On a daily basis I use my writing as a way to relax and stay focused.

Another question I am asked by aspiring authors, is whether I can help them write their novel. I always feel bad because the actual writing of a book is usually a solo job or at least it was for me. There are something's that a new or aspiring writer can do to make the path a little smoother. The most important piece of advise I can offer is to write, write, write. Here are some additional tips that will help a new writer.

1. Use a outline. Writing is like taking a road trip with the family. It is a long and tedious ride that involves a lot bathroom breaks and you watch the scenery as it passes by going to your intended destination that seems to take forever. Like a road trip, your outline should plot out the story from beginning to end. The writer should have a clear idea of how the story would end. You wouldn't pack your car for a family road trip, get in and start driving without knowing where you were going would you?

2.  Know your characters. Each of your main characters should have a written bio, including a full name, address, occupation, marital status, hobbies, friends, general physical description, good qualities, bad qualities, motivations, etc. If you don't know your character how will the reader.

3.  Write what you know. It is always easier to write about what you know. Sure you can research any topic and write about, but will your readers actual feel you passion for it. Real life is much stranger than fiction, tell the reader what you know. There is always passion in what you know and believe.

4.  Keep  your writing relevant. Be careful to stay on task when you write. It is easy to wonder off the path while writing. Make sure that what you tell the reader is relevant to the story. Always ask your self is this relevant and would the story still move forward without this information. If you answer yes, copy and paste that information some where else, but delete it from your current story. Save it for later. You may be able to use it later.

5.  Find a good editor. It is true you only get one chance to make a good impression. There is nothing worst than unedited work. It is always a good idea to have a professional editor review your work before submitting it a publisher.

Most editors will give you a sample edit. This is very important because you need to make sure that you and your editor are compatible. Also be sure the editor you choose is familiar with your genre.

6.  Join a writing group. I belong to several writing groups. I have found it helpful and motivating. It helps to know that you aren't the only person with writers block and that there are other writers have problems with plot twist too.

7.  Don't give up!! My first piece of advise is still my best piece of advise.  Write, write, write. Keep writing. Never throw anything away. You never know when your creative juices will go into overdrive and propel you forward. You may find your self picking up a short story you wrote years ago and weeks later find you have produce a best selling novel.

Kimmie, thanks for being here today and sharing your tips for aspiring authors. These all sound very helpful.

For a little background on Kimmie. She is native Detroiter living with her husband and children. Her experience as a psychiatric nurse has given her the ability to create characters that display common personality flaws. She writes when she not working as a teacher and a nurse. To find out more about Kimmie or to learn more about THIS SIDE OF CRAZY visit http://www.kimmiethomas.com or http://kimmiethomas.wordpress.com.

What are your thoughts on advice for aspiring authors? Have any extra tips to add to Kimmie’s?

Guest Blogger, Susan Kearney

Please join me in welcoming bestseller author Susan Kearney as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Susan is beginning a Blog Tour today for her latest release, “Jordan.” The tour will conclude on Friday, March 5.

Thanks to Susan and the Hachette Book Group, I have five copies of Susan’s latest release to give away. The giveaway will deadline on Friday, March 5. To enter, simply send me an e-mail with “Win Jordan” in the subject line and include her name and address in the body of the e-mail. The giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents and no post office boxes will be accepted.

Susan joins us here today to talk about the authors and books that inspired her to become a writer.

I was always a reader. I stole books from my mother’s nightstand and put them back after devouring them in a day. I took Playboy Magazines from my dad’s stash and secretly read them (and probably ruined my eyesight reading by a nightlight). I grew up reading science fiction, Asimov, Heinlein, Clark, EE Doc Smith, and to me a library was heaven.

But I never considered being a writer—not even after my grandmother gave me my first romance and I started devouring them. I didn’t like English. Didn’t like reading the classics and graduated the University of Michigan with a degree in business.

After I’d had children and they were on a swim team, I continued readings during practice. I read a book by Johanna Lyndsay, Warrior’s Woman, a futuristic romance set on another world and loved it. She’d combined my two favorite genres, science fiction and romance. And I wanted to read more books like it . . . only there weren’t any. So I decided to write one.

I knew nothing. My first book had no commas. It was six hundred pages and had no chapters. I didn’t know how to type. And every thought was in
quotes. No it didn’t sell—at least not then but THE CHALLENGE was my 38th book published. My road to publication was a little sidetracked by the market. I couldn’t sell my first love—futuristic romance. There simply wasn’t a publisher buying them back then—not unless the writer was famous already.

But I was bitten by the writing bug and sold romantic suspense for a few years, then contemporary romance, even a Star Trek, book but finally, finally, finally, I got to write what I love. 

And JORDAN is one of my all time favorite books. It’s one of my best covers, too. But it’s the characters who I love. A warrior who’s lived for centuries. Men and women who can shift into dragons. And lots of adventure and romance. 

All of my books stand alone. You won’t be lost if you haven’t read Lucan and Rion before you read Jordan. Oh . . . did I mention the stories are tied to Arthurian legends?  If you’d like to read an excerpt they are posted on my site at www.susankearney.com

Susan thanks so much for joining us today. It seems funny for you to talk about a book with no commas and no chapters. I’m glad to know that you did finally get your first book published.

Susan’s 50-plus books include contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, futuristic, science fiction, paranormal novels. She resides in a suburb of Tampa with her husband, kids, Boston terriers and iguana. Currently Susan is plotting her way through her 52nd work of ficton.

Here a brief synopsis of “Jordan” - Vivianne Blackstone devotes herself to her career, putting her love life on hold. Her latest project is a spaceship designed to protect Earth from the deadly Tribes. But its engineer, the alluring Jordan McArthur, now threatens both her job and her wary heart . . .

Jordan's past goes back to King Arthur, and he must find the ancient artifact that can save the galaxy. Vivianne's ship is his best hope, but convincing the fiercely independent beauty won't be easy. Especially when the passion flaring between them burns through their defenses - and love is the last thing they need to survive.

Guest Post by J.M. Hochstetler

J. M. Hochstetler, author of the American Patriot Series, has been busy in recent days participating in a virtual book tour.

She makes a stop at Thoughts in Progess  to tell us about her latest novel and third in the series, Wind of the Spirit. She has agreed to guest post today.

Here is a brief synopsis of the book:  Elizabeth Howard’s assignment to gain crucial intelligence for General Washington leads her into the very maw of war at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, where disaster threatens to end the American rebellion. Yet her heart is fixed on Jonathan Carleton, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after he disappeared into the wilderness.

Carleton, now the Shawnee war chief White Eagle, is caught in a bitter war of his own. As unseen forces gather to destroy him, he leads the fight against white settlers encroaching on Shawnee lands—while battling the longing for Elizabeth that will not give him peace. Can her love bridge the miles that separate them—and the savage bonds that threaten to tear him forever from her arms?

When asked how her American Patriot Series came about, Ms. Hochstetler explained:

Back in 1983 I watched a TV movie, the Scarlet Pimpernel, with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. I was absolutely swept away. Talk about action, intrigue, suspense, heart-pounding danger, roll on the floor laughter—in fact, every emotion known to man including a really hot romance! I knew I absolutely had to write my own version of the story.

The trouble was the Scarlet Pimpernel was set during the French Revolution, and I wasn’t interested in that period. However, I was very interested in the American Revolution, so that became the setting for Daughter of Liberty. Then I decided to make my main character a woman instead of a man, so Elizabeth Howard came to life as the rebel courier, spy, and smuggler, while Jonathan Carleton, an officer in the British Light Dragoons, arrived as her nemesis—on the surface, at least.

I originally conceived Daughter of Liberty as a stand-alone novel. But after realizing that it would be easier to sell it as the first book in a series, I started thinking about a sequel. I’d included a minor detail in book 1 about Carleton having connections with the Shawnee as a youth. Thus book 2, by natural extension, became Native Son, in which General Washington sends Carleton to negotiate with the Indians to support the Americans in the Revolution, and he is captured and enslaved.
Book 3, Wind of the Spirit, started out as the last third of Native Son. My publisher at that time sent out an e-mail to all their fiction authors demanding that we keep our word counts below 90,000. Well, I was already above 120,000 and well on my way to matching Daughter of Liberty’s 127,000+. So ooops!! The editor did concede that I could go a bit higher than 100,000 words since historicals are generally longer than contemporary novels.

So after much agonizing, I cut the entire back end of the story off and wrote a new last chapter to conclude Native Son—on a real cliff hanger, by the way. And voilà! Wind of the Spirit was born out of the remainder.

Of course I added a whole lot more to it to develop it into a full-length novel. In the end, what initially seemed like a disaster turned out to be the best thing that could possibly have happened as far as the story was concerned because it’s a whole lot stronger than the original version. God indeed knows what he’s doing and has everything under control!

A huge concern for me in writing this series has been my concern that our citizens today know so little about the founding of our nation and the legacy handed down to us by those who laid everything on the line to ensure our freedom.

In the American Patriot Series I’m striving to write the only truly comprehensive fiction series on the American Revolution and make it as entertaining and engaging as it is educational. My goal is to portray all aspects of the period, including the experience of colonists, African Americans, Native Americans, and women.

In writing these stories, I simply drop my fictional characters into the midst of the actual historical events of the Revolution and allow them to interact with the real people of the time—both the leaders and, in a number of cases, the common people who were involved in one way or another on both sides of the rebellion.

Consequently, most of the plot and the cast of characters of each volume are already laid out for me. I just choose which specific events will make the most thrilling story and figure out what my characters would do in that particular situation. It’s been fascinating and fun—not to mention a real education!

Thanks to Ms. Hochstetler for stopping by today. Now let me give you a little background on her. She writes stories that always involve some element of the past and of finding home. Born in central Indiana, the daughter of Mennonite farmers, she graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Germanic languages.

Ms. Hochstetler was an editor with Abingdon Press for 12 years and has published four novels that include Daughter of Liberty (2004), Native Son (2005), and Wind of the Spirit (March 2009), the first three books of the critically acclaimed American Patriot Series which are set during the American Revolution; and One Holy Night, a retelling of the Christmas story set in modern times. One Holy Night is the 2009 Christian Small Publishers Fiction Book of the Year and a finalist for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Long Contemporary Book of the Year.

Ms. Hochstetler is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, Nashville Christian Writers Association, and Historical Novels Society. She and her husband live near Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information about Ms. Hochstetler and her work visit www.jmhochstetler.com or at this book’s blog http://americanpatriotseries.blogspot.com

Wind of the Spirit is available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979748534/