Thursday Tunes: The Soundtrack and other inspirations for Let It Ride

Jillian Burns discusses the music inspiration for her new novel Let It Ride and why sometimes it pays to go to Vegas.

I’m always curious to learn what sparked the idea for a particular book. Over the years when I’ve asked that question of authors, I’ve received answers as varied as, “an article in a magazine”, or “These people I saw in the mall.” Then there’s usually a “What if” moment.
For LET IT RIDE my initial inspiration was a movie called DOGFIGHT starring River Phoenix.
Marines, about to ship out to Vietnam in 1963 San Francisco, hold a contest to see who can bring the ugliest date to the party. The purpose—consciously or subconsciously--is to make sure they don’t get involved with someone since they might not make it home alive. But River’s character ends up falling in love. It’s a wonderfully romantic love story. And I thought, What if a modern day military officer rolled into Vegas and had a similar contest with his buddies? But the challenge was get the “Ungettable” girl instead.
But if I was going to have a hero do such a jerky thing, he’d have to have a really good reason, otherwise he’d be unredeemable. I knew I wanted my story set in Vegas and started researching the city. I discovered Nellis Air Force base is only 8 miles north of the city and that is where an elite team of instructors teach fighter pilots air combat. And that was it. What if my hero were a daredevil fighter pilot who couldn’t fly anymore? An adrenaline junkie who’d lost every outlet for his passion. But one.
My hero was inspired by Eric Bana and I pictured him riding a big Harley and wearing a black leather jacket. Then a few months later, a movie came to theaters called LUCKY YOU.Hey! There was MY hero, in Vegas, riding a motorcycle just like my fighter pilot! I bought the Lucky You soundtrack as soon as I could and listened to it every day as I wrote. The song LET IT RIDE by Bryan Adams was the inspiration for my title.A few other songs made their way into my story’s soundtrack. Chris Daughtry’s CRASHED is my hero’s, Major Cole Jackson, anthem.And WHAT IF YOU by Joshua Radin from the movie Catch and Release was one of the songs I played while writing love scenes.
And purely to put me in a Vegas frame of mind, I listened to the soundtrack from OCEAN’S ELEVEN.
Of course I had to take a trip to Vegas. I’d never been there before and I felt it was crucial to get a feel for Sin City for myself. Purely for research purposes, I promise. (wink) My fave hotel was the Venetian, with the Paris coming in a close second.

I’m giving away a DVD of the movie LUCKY YOU or a copy of my Harlequin Blaze, LET IT RIDE to one random commenter today. Just let me know, have you ever been to Vegas? And if so, which hotel on the strip is your favorite?

Let It Ride is Jillian Burns first Blaze Romance and promises a wild ride of passion set in Vegas!

Writer's Wednesday: Chicken or the Egg?

Jessica Matthews discusses that eternal question --What comes first Character or Plot?

I’ve noticed that people (i.e. non-writers) are fascinated by the mechanics of story-telling and invariably, they ask what comes first in my creative process – the characters or the plot. I’d like to give a resounding simple answer of one or the other, but the truth is, it depends.

On what, you may ask. The short answer is, on the idea itself.

We’ve all met people who had an interesting career/profession or hobby or experience. It may have been someone you met or someone you simply read about in an obscure news article buried on page ten, but there was something about this individual that grabbed you and wouldn’t let go. You simply knew that you had to develop this person into a hero (or heroine). Let me give you an example.

A number of years ago, a local doctor had announced he was closing his practice and leaving medicine. He was in his mid- to late forties, and I remember wondering what would make a physician decide to give up his profession after working so hard over the last ten, fifteen years to achieve his goal. I filed away the idea for future use until one day, I knew it was time to tell his story (or my version, anyway)!

I created Dr Ethan Locke--a physician who’d turned his back on everything he’d worked for in order to find a new place for himself in life. Next, I had to ask myself why he’d make such a choice, so I decided that he’d simply lost one too many critically ill patients, including his own son. And what better plot could I dream up for him than one where he had to choose between hiding himself away or preventing another parent from going through what he did? Out of those ideas, The Baby Doctor’s Bride was born.

Then, there are times when an event, a plot concept or a particular emotion sparked an idea and I could picture two characters in the middle of a particular scene. I didn’t know anything about them, but I knew what they were doing at that given moment. The Royal Doctor’s Bride is a case in point. One scene popped into my head and began rolling like a motion picture—the one where my heroine meets the hero and at the end, suspects that the hero is more than a doctor; he’s a prince. Which made me wonder how she, being an ER doctor in regular, everyday America, would suspect this in the first place! So, I began my research on royal families, asked myself the familiar questions of “why” and “what if”, and let my imagination run wild. Before long, I had my story.

As you can see from my examples, anything and anyone can spark an idea that results in a story. For me, the question of which comes first—characters or plot–is as pointless as debating the chicken and the egg issue because ‘plot’ is simply a series of events or situations that reveal who the characters are deep down inside, where it counts. The two must be woven together so closely that they simply can’t be separated without the story falling apart. Now, when I’m asked which comes first, I simply smile and say “both!”

***

Jessica loves hearing from readers and can be contacted through her website, http://www.jessicamatthews.com/. She’s currently working on her 30th novel for Harlequin!

Travelling Tuesday: The lure of Venice

Michelle Styles investigates the age old appeal of Venice.



There is a lure in the name, a hint of mystery and magic for Venice is a city like no other. To visit Venice is to step back into a world where there are no cars. Everyone walks or takes a boat. Life proceeds at the sedate pace of a gondola.
The ever changing light on the water ensures that Venice’s mood shifts and changes. As your ears become accustomed to the silence, you begin to notice little things like the sounds of bells echoing across the water, feet tramping over a bridge or even the laughter of children as they play football in a square, using the door of 18th century hospital as one of the goals. And you suddenly realise that it is a place to slow down and relx, to stop and have a cup of espresso and perhaps one of the chambella biscuits, or simply to be.
Venice because of its longevity has provided many things to the world. The words ghetto and arsenal come from actual places in Venice. The Arsenal was a large scale factory for producing ships. Among others things, it meant that Venice was at one time, the largest manufacturer of sail cloth in the world. This in turn meant that artists began to use the cloth as canvas for their painting, rather than paint on wood or plaster. And Venice became one of the biggest treasure troves of art in the western world. Its art and architecture continue to inspire.
Venice also can be over crowded and at the height of the hot summer its canals can be pungent. Pick your time to go, and Venice becomes magical. My husband and I went in early March, and experienced five glorious days of sunshine with relatively few tourists. I understand that November is also good for experiencing an uncrowded Venice.

Of course, even when the tourist season is in full swing, you can find places to get away from the crowds and truly enjoy Venice. Most of the tourists are concentrate in St Mark’s Square and around the Rialto bridge and the Accademia. Other lesser known churches, off the tour guide track yield their treasures up to the discerning visitor. For example Tinteretto’s parish church of Santa Maria della Orto is often uncrowded. When my husband and I went in early March, we were the only visitors. And if you take the number 2 water bus across to San Giorgio Maggiore, it is possible to take the lift to the top of campanile and get a good view of Sat Mark’s, rather than waiting to climb the stairs of the campanile in St Mark’s Square.

Venice is also a city in peril -- many of its buildings are crumbling, and it suffers from the effects of climate change. The Acqua Altes ( or high water floods) are becoming ever more frequent and things like motor boat wakes serve to undermine the city's foundations. But its faded grandeur make Venice all the more special.

Venice is a place where you can walk past ten mask shops before you find a place to buy a pint of milk, but it is also a vibrant place for those who love food. The daily Rialto markets provide a treasure trove of fresh ingredients and even if you are simply looking, you can get an idea of what might be good to order at the restaurant.

The one thing people should do with Venice is to make the time to see it properly and to enjoy the Venetian lifestyle.



One of the things that Venice did for Michelle Styles is to give her a new appreciation of what various Regency aristocracy must have gone through on their return from the Grand Tour. How did they cope? Michelle's latest book, Impoverish Miss, Convenient Wife is avaliable from Mills & Boon. She is currently hard at work on her next Regency romance.

Male on Monday: James Marsden

Medical Author Fiona Lowe talks about James Marsden, a Male on Monday to enchant your hearts.
I’ve been a PHS ‘Male on Monday’ devotee for a long time. I love being able to pop over knowing talented women who get out more than me will have put up a picture of a bloke who might just be inspiration for a hero. But I’ve never thought I would ever actually be given a Monday slot. Truth be told, the idea scared me silly. See, I’m pretty hopeless on popular culture, I don’t watch much TV and I have a terrible habit of re-watching favorite films and re-reading favorite books which leaves me in a lovely but limited world ;-) Many of my hero collage pictures are pulled from menswear catalogues and to quote Jane from Coupling, “ooh is he knitting pattern handsome?’

When I looked at the calendar and saw May 4th was a Monday I got chest pain! Then I thought about my Harlequin Medical Romance author mate, Emily Forbes, and I remembered last year she’d sent me a picture of a guy with a smile to die for. So, I rummaged through the files and found him. THANK YOU, EMILY, and without further ado, I’d like to introduce, James Marsden….or Jimmy as his mates call him.

Who is he? Well, thanks to Wikipedia and IMDH I know LOTS about the gorgeous Jimmy. Born September 1973, he’s American, and grew up in Oklahoma. After a year of studying ‘Broadcast Journalism’ he left college to pursue his acting career. His first job was on The Nanny as Margaret Sheffield’s boyfriend. It seems I would have seen him in season five of Ally McBeal (in the days before I had kids and I got to watch TV) and it was in his role as Glenn Foy that he proved that not only could he act but he could belt out a tune. A CD was pressedJ

He went on to play Lon Hammond Jr in The Notebook, and Cyclops in X-Men, starring with a PHS favourite, Hugh Jackman. Apparently he had to wear lifts as he’s 5’10”, well shy of the 6’3”required by the character.

The first time I recall ever seeing him was in Hairspray (those of you who read my blog know of my younger son’s affection for a musical so of course I’d seen that film) where he played Corny Collins and he sang two songs, ‘The Nicest Kids in Town’ and ‘Hairspray.’ Then I ran into him in Disney’s Enchanted (he was the foppish singing Prince Edward, but he still made me smile)
and then in 27 Dresses where he starred with Katherine Heigl from Grey’s Anatomy. I watched that film on DVD last year with a group of women ranging from 60 down to 12, and we all agreed, Jimmy was gorgeous!

PHS editor, Donna, will be excited to hear that James is a huge fan of the Canadian band, Simple Plan. He’s modeled for Versace and GAP and he’s married to Lisa Linde and has two children. He’s still busy making movies so expect to see him on the big screen in The Box, starring with Cameron Diaz.

As an actor I reckon he’s an all-rounder ….comedy, action, serious and he can SING!




Anyone who has read my books knows that my heroes often have dimples. Why? I’m a sucker for a man with a bone-melting smile. As you can see, James fits the bill very nicely indeed.


Callum Halroyd is the dark-haired smiling hero in Fiona’s latest release, The Surgeon’s Special Delivery which is out in the UK this month and available online in Australia in May and on shelf in June. To read an excerpt and to see pictures that inspired the book visit Fiona at her website.

Wild Card Weekend - Prom Dresses

We love it at the PHS when Ellen Hartman comes to visit, because somehow Ellen always makes us laugh. This weekend she treats us to a post on prom dresses, and we're wondering ...where's the photographic evidence, Ellen?

Take it away....

What did you wear to your prom?

My May Superromance is called The Boyfriend’s Back. So obviously, the boyfriend was around before and left. Yes, this is a high school lovers reunited story. I love that kind of story. And I love hearing about real life high school romance.

I’ve been having a great time in various spots on the Internet discussing old boyfriends, dating disasters, and the Prom with folks as I talk about this book. One of the most fun conversations started with me asking people to share a prom story…I thought we’d talk about our dates, but most of us ended up sighing over our prom dresses. Seems as if no matter how much luster our high school crushes have lost over time, we all still love our dresses.

Prom Dresses Photo by Jennifer Bond

I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of romance readers either had a purple prom dress or would have loved a purple prom dress. I went to two proms, junior and senior year, and both of my dresses were purple. For a long time I thought that made me a weirdo, or at least fashion-challenged. Turns out I am in excellent (purple clad) company.

So let’s hear it. What did you wear to your prom?

I’ll start the show. For my junior prom, I had a purple taffeta, Scarlet O’Hara number complete with hoop underskirt and a bustle held up by purple taffeta roses. (Based on this information, does anyone want to take a guess what year it was when I attended the prom? Hint: “Footloose” was on the DJ’s play list.) At my senior prom, I had a more sedate purple dotted Swiss dress—off-the-shoulder and totally unflattering, but I loved it because…it was purple.
Okay. Who’s next? What did you wear to your prom? (If you didn’t go to a prom, what’s your favorite fancy dress and where did you wear it? Maybe someone has a Rita dress they’d like to describe?)

I’ll pick a comment at random to receive a copy of The Boyfriend’s Back. Details about the book, excerpts, and a sneak peek at the exclusive eBook content (a 14-page scene set when the characters were in high school) are all available on my web site at http://wwww.ellenhartman.com/. The enriched eBook with the bonus content is available for purchase now from eHarlequin.com.

Brenda Novak's 5th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research

The Pink Heart Society is proud of the generosity of our favorite bloggers and reviewers! They've made some wonderful donations to a very worthy cause. Please take a moment to check out some of the amazing offerings like ::

Author Critique of a Full Manuscript (Aimed at Harl Presents) from RITA Nominated Author Heidi Rice

Autographed copy of THE MAGNATE'S MARRIAGE DEMAND from author Robyn Grady

Autographed HARDCASTLE Trilogy by Jennifer Lewis

3 Autographed Novels by Natalie Anderson

Duo of Autographed Books from Nicola Marsh

Duo of Autographed Novels by Donna Alward

The Millionaire's Proposal by Trish Wylie (A)

Autographed Copy of HER CINDERELLA COMPLEX by Jenna Bayley Burke

Must Watch Friday - Twilight

Modern Heat/Presents author Heidi Rice takes a look at the much-hyped movie of Stephenie Meyer's bestselling paranormal young adult romance and finds a wildly atmospheric teen gothic version of Jane Eyre with a blood-sucking twist and not a fang in sight. And just to give you an incentive to read her post, she'll be giving away a copy of her June release Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal to one lucky commentator.

I should first of all admit that not only have I not read Stephenie Meyer's stupendously successful book, but I'm not a big reader of paranormal romance (which has more to do with time constraints than taste). So I came to this movie without many expectations. 

From the hype, I was expecting to see a bog-standard high-school romance with a bit of blood-sucking action on the side.

How wrong was I? 

First off, Twilight is a very long way from being your average teen romance. All swirling fog, tortured passions and oddly stilted dialogue it is both wildly atmospheric and strangely compelling and has as its centrepiece Robert Pattinson's Edward Cullen as the embodiment of the brooding bad boy hero — and you know what a sucker I am for bad boys. 

Now Pattinson's already warranted a Male on Monday slot, so I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here about his looks, but suffice it to say, he is not conventionally handsome, rather he made we think of Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre (more about that in a bit). Pattinson's features are striking and unusual and a little bit odd making him ideal for the part of the tortured outsider he plays here. The fact that the young actor is also surprisingly charismatic and knows how to smoulder doesn't hurt a bit either. 

As soon as Pattinson's Cullen first appears — striding into the high-school dinner hall and giving awkward new girl Bella a magnetic stare — his pasty white skin, hunched shoulders, sculpted features and tortured expression make him stand out as a Byronic anti-hero with the gothic intensity of a Heathcliffe or a Rochester. This is a guy who is not one of the crowd. He's apart, alone, aloof in a way that makes him instantly intriguing — and of course he's pretty gorgeous too.

Right from the get-go Bella is fascinated and so are we... And then when she has to sit next to him in a chemistry class and he glowers at her and strains away from her as if he can't stand to be near her (as it turns out he can't but the reasons why are far from ordinary) we're not just fascinated we're enthralled and also a little bit repulsed... And then, when he saves her from being crushed to death by a van with a  superhuman display of strength and speed, well it's clear this guy has some very dark secrets. 

As he says to Bella when she compares him with Superman: 'What if I'm not the hero? What if I'm the bad guy?' At which stage, Bella, like any good heroine worth her salt, is thinking, I don't care if he is the bad guy, he's wildly attractive and frankly irresistible. 

Eventually, of course, Bella (played with commendable calm and certainty by Kristen Stewart) discovers that Edward's secret could be very bad for her health - but as it also means he can scale treetops in a single bound with her on his back, read people's minds, play baseball better than any pro and save her from a maniacal vampire tracker it's hard to hold it against him.

For a two-hour plus movie, there's actually very little plot, here. Instead what we get is oodles of moody atmosphere — the rainy, foggy, bleakly unsettling Pacific Northwest scenery adding a stark feeling of foreboding and beauty to every scene — and the slow evolution of the love between Bella and Edward. 

Their passion is necessarily repressed - if they get too close Edward might go into a bloodlust frenzy and accidentally suck all the life out of her, literally. But as in all great gothic romances, it's the fact that Edward and Bella are forced to deny themselves any real expression of physical love that adds a whole new level of intensity to all the touches, the looks and the subtlely nuanced dialogue between them. In fact, Bella doesn't actually touch Edward for the first time until we're a good way into the movie, by which time she's already half-way in love with him - and the moment is electric, not least because she discovers his skin is ice cold.

Now, there's been a lot of talk about Meyer's hidden Mormon subtext in all this. Is she embedding messages into her text about adolescent chastity and the like? Frankly, that's far too hot a potato to handle for this couch potato blog — and anyway, anyone with teenagers will know perfectly well that you can embed as many subtexts as you like into what you tell them about sex, but it'll be up to them whether they choose to listen. 

The point here is Edward and Bella's constrained situation adds a much higher level of sensuality to this movie than is usually the case with teen romances — and whatever Meyer's motives may have been, this movie certainly ain't chaste. The two young actors evoking a living, breathing eroticism in every one of their scenes together.  

Take the sequence when Edward describes his physical reaction to Bella: 'Your scent is like a drug to me, it's like you're my own personal brand of heroine.' Or when he tells her how dangerous he is: 'I'm the world's most dangerous predator. Everything about me invites you in. My voice, my face, even my smell. As if I would need any of that. As if you could outrun me. As if you could fight me off. I'm designed to kill.'

How's that for full-on sexual tension? 

Check out this YouTube link if you don't believe me.

In the end Bella's declaration of love is that much more powerful because of the danger she faces. She has to give Edward her complete trust, even when he's not sure he can trust himself.

So, my final verdict on Twilight is simply this. If you like your romance dark, driven, dangerous and full of gothic intensity... And your heroes the same way. You could do a lot worse. But don't expect to be entirely comfortable while you're watching. I found this film remarkably unsettling... but in the best possible way. 

Now if you're in the mood for something fun and flirty on the other hand... With a lot of sexual tension and some completely unrepressed passion, then leave me a comment and you might win a copy of my latest book, Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal.

How's that for a subtly nuanced shameless plug??

Heidi is hard at work on her seventh Modern Heat novel — when she's not watching teen vampire movies. Her fifth book, Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal is due out in the UK in June and the US in September.  While her sixth book will be out in the UK in November and is called Public Affair, Secretly Expecting. 

You can chat to her on her blog and read all about her books on her website. 

Along with lots of other great PHS bloggers, she's also taking part in Brenda Novak's Online Auction in aid of Diabetes Research which kicks off today — and is offering an author critique of a full manuscript aimed at Harlequin Presents, which you can bid on here.