Getting Summer Write - THE WHY'S of your CHARACTER

Often your main characters, the hero and heroine, define the conflict in your story, so it's important to know them before you start writing. Have a character sketch in your mind about who these people are - and why the reader/editor should care about them.

If you don't have characters that are sympathetic, meaning they don't evoke emotion and aren't people a reader can relate to, then you might as well not write the story. So often, I've tried to start a story without really knowing my characters and the results were not pretty. I usually ended up scraping the story. The characters weren't working, therefore, neither was the conflict.

Some writers do a complete bio of their characters in writing. They know what their favorite movie is and why. They know their favorite foods, colors, type of cars, etc. For me, those things come naturally as I write the story, so I don't set them up that way. But I do know WHO they are before I write. I know their past and what they want in their future. The backstory of your character defines them.

In BETWEEN the CEO'S SHEETS, I knew that Gina was desperate for work. She'd been embezzled by her partner and needed a job to get her lifelong dream -- GiGi Designs back on track. Since she'd been tricked by a con man, she had trust issues. But that wasn't enough. I knew I had to dig deeper with her character. She needed a reason to be wary of Wade and his job offer.
Gina and Wade had a past history together. Both felt betrayed when their very young and innocent relationship ended. Both had lost something in knowing each other.

The characters grew from that knowledge. Who they are today, was a direct result of what happened between them in the past. Knowing the backstory and how they once felt about one another, helped me to design their story today.
Each were motivated from sources and conflicts that had occured when they'd first met. So, when they meet again, nine years later, their conflicts, emotions, resentments and anger were easy to bring to the surface.

The best thing a writer can do is constantly ask yourself WHY? Why is he acting and reacting this way? Why doesn't she trust the hero? Why does he want to gain revenge on the heroine? Why... why ... why?

You must know the answers to these key questions. Sometimes the answers are simple, but sometimes they are complex. And how do each characters' WHY's intersect in the story?

In my upcoming western Bodine's Bounty - my bounty hunter hero is after the man who killed his brother. That in itself wasn't enough. That meant my hero wanted revenge. But he needed more WHY'S -- so it wasn't JUST for revenge and a sense of justice. His brother Josh was his TWIN. He was shot innocently when the outlaw had mistaken him for Bodine. NOW -- we have more Why's. NOW, we have more conflict. Bodine wanted revenge, but he's also dealing with guilt. His brother took a bullet meant for him. That rounds out the character and we know his motivation. We feel his pain. And the vows Bodine made to his brother to take care of his wife and child, keep Bodine from allowing himself to fall for my heroine. He's committed to another woman - it's his way of easing his guilt. He sacrifices his own happiness to honor the vow he made to his dying brother.

Everyone has their own style in developing their characters. It's up to the writer to figure this out for themselves. As I said earlier, I don't do bio's on my characters, but I jot down key points. Mostly, I develop a character in my head and I think a long while about them, before I write a single word. When I do finally begin writing, I LOVE how the characters come to life. They TELL me who they are. THEY often say and do things - true to their character that I'd never consciously planned out before. It's what I love most about writing them. They surprise me. They become real. Their motivations are clear.

Think about your characters and the Why's in their lives. Delve as deep as you can. All of us are very complex beings. Our "character" is defined by how we were raised, our culture, background, religion and the friends we keep. We are defined by events both good and bad in our lives. We have issues, fears, loves and desires. When you write your characters know as much about them as you can before you write a single word. Then let them tell you who they are. It's a collaberation and a partnership that you'll come to enjoy.

Coming Next on the Blog -- Emotion!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL HOLIDAY!

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG:

MORE ON CHARACTERS AND GETTING SUMMER WRITE!

WINNER OF "BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS" CONTEST

And the winner of two autographed Desires and a $20.00 Borders Gift card is:

Carol Mintz --- Congratulations!

Here's what Carol wrote:

Thank you so much!

I really enjoy your books and I'm looking forward to reading more of them. I would love to have copies of Bunking Down with the Boss and The Heart of a Cowboy!

Be sure to enter my new

Summer Contest at Romance Junkies!

GettingSummer Write! Good Guys Don't finish Last - the Beta Man.

So much has been written about the Alpha Man, the strong, confident silent type that sometimes, we don't realize that there's a place for the Beta man in our romances. Beta heroes are sexy. They are compassionate. They are sometimes the heroine's best friend.

The Beta Man has many of the same physical attributes as the Alpha man. He's handsome, strong and appealing. But there's a more sensitive side to him. He's Joe Average, who sometimes wears his heart on his sleeve. He's not JR Ewing of th oil business. He's Bobby Ewing. He's not Dr. McSteamy in Grey's Anatomy. He's George, everyone's best friend.

The Beta Man is the father trying to raise his teen-age daughter or the mechanic who loves what he does for a living. He's the boy next door in love with the girl who got away. He's a man struggling for success, or just plain happy with his lot in life, whatever that may be. He has a tender side and at times. he can't help but show it. He is NOT James Bond, but he too is a man every reader can fall in love with.

Berkley Sensation author Karen Kay says that her ideal man is never cruel. "It takes real strength to be understanding and refuse to budge from one's ideals when it would be way too easy to lash out and be cruel.

Bestselling author Maureen Child says, "A real man has to have a good sense of humor ... the most important thing for me."

Probably the most "Beta" hero I've ever written is Shane Graham in my western historical, Abducted at the Altar. In fact, the original story had been rejected because he was too "beta", too willing to help the heroine. I sat on that story for a while, but loved it so much, that I reworked his character a little and was able to sell it to my publisher. He's a great hero, strong when he needed to be strong, a true reluctant caring man-next-door type for my feisty heroine, Dorie McCabe.

Another great example of Beta Man is the hero, Danny Tucker in Erin McCarthy's book, Heiress for Hire. It's a story that has stayed with me for a long time and recently became a 2007 Rita nominee.

A Beta Man is often:

Understanding

Caring

Boy next-door type

Shows his emotions

A man worth knowing and loving

Traits he shares with an Alpha Man:

Often misunderstood

Sexually appealing

Capable/skillful

Comfortable in his own skin

Next up on the blog: The "Why's" of your character. How to develop your character's traits before you write a single word.

This weekend I'll be doing copyedits for my upcoming western romance, Bodine's Bounty and I'll be volunteering my time with Operation Gratitude - helping to assemble and fill boxes of essentials in mass numbers for our US soldiers around the globe. It'll be a busy time. Wishing you a great weekend!

We'll be picking a winner for my Between the CEO's Sheets contest on June 30th. You still have time! Good luck and always:

Happy Reading!

Getting Summer Write - Traits of the VERY Alpha Male

I love writing alpha males. As you might know now, the new Desires are chock full of them! Women love a take-charge kind of man. Reese Fortune from Fortunes Vengeful Groom and Wade Beaumont from Between the CEO's Sheets fit that bill perfectly.

If you don't believe me, think about Janet Evanovich's lastest - Lean, Mean Thirteen, the 13th book in the series. Why does that book enchant, intrigue and satisfy us? Well, for a romance lover, it's not only the humor and crazy situations, but it's the well-defined male characters we all want to know more about. And Stephanie Plum is one lucky lady. She has TWO Alpha Males in love with her.

Ranger is the extreme of an alpha male. You don't get much more alpha than him. In fact, he's soooo cool, calm and collected, he's almost not human. We never see his emotions. I really hope they don't make a movie or TV series about these characters. No one man can fill Ranger's shoes. There isn't a man out there THAT COOL. He's off the charts and that's why we love him.

Joe Morelli, the other Alpha male character is a cop. He's soooo HOT. Women love him because he's a loyal guy. He's got principles. He's good at his job. He knows what he wants. He was once a BAD BOY, but he's matured now. And we love that about him too. Again, no actor can fill his shoes. Our expectations are Joe are that high.

So to pinpoint :What are Alpha Male characteristics?

THE ALPHA MALE is ALWAYS:

Confident

Cool

In control of his emotions

Self-Made

Dominant

Shows his vulnerable side rarely

Sexually appealing

The man every woman wants

Senior Mills and Boon Editor, Linda Fildew says this: "We

believe readers seek out the Alpha Male as a fantasy, an

embodiment of heroic qualities, including the positive use

of power." She goes on to say, "Above all, remember that he is the man every woman wants. If you are in love with your hero, then your reader will be too."

For me he's James Bond in a business suit, or wearing a Glock and keeping the streets of Everytown, USA safe, or the ultimate gladiator 0r the bad boy next door or my favorite, the rough, tough cowboy. He's what we call a REAL MAN. And we all know we love real men, right?

Coming next on the blog:

Nice Guys Don't Finish Last - the Beta Man.

BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS -available now in bookstores. Also available as an Ebook or online at Eharlequin.com or Amazon. com

Enter my Summer Romance Junkies contest.

And there's still some time to enter my

Between the CEO'S Sheets Contest.

Characters Don't Live in a Vacuum/Layering

Summer Write!
Here's some more on Characters and why we love/hate them.

What is it about your favorite characters that draw you to them? Are they flamboyant or loners or happy-go-lucky or stick-in-the-muds? Are they Debbie Downers or Susie Sunshine? On a different note, who is the villain who stayed with you long after you finished the book? Did you hate or fear him? Did he provoke emotions in you? If he did, the writer did her job.

Do the hero/heroine have character quirks, are they flawed somewhat in a way that has the reader rooting for and caring about them? Make your main characters three-dimensional. Give them traits that ring true. Know them as much as you can BEFORE writing them. No one is perfect in real life and in romance writing, often it’s the physical or emotional flaws that create the story or conflict. At the very least, their flaws will enhance the story. If we don’t care about the characters, we don’t care about the story.

Characters don’t exist in a vacuum. They are a product of their environment. Character traits are influenced by culture, location, occupation and the historical period. Their behavior, attitudes, expressiveness, philosophy are all influenced by their background. What religion are they? How much education did they receive? What is their social standing? And so on. All this greatly influences WHO they are.

Characters need to be consistent, but that doesn’t mean they are stereotypes or predicable. Their CORE personality defines them. If they deviate from their CORE, they may come across as incredible (and I mean unbelievable), their actions won’t make sense. The reader won’t buy the situation you’ve put them in, making you as a writer lose credibility. I once got a rejection where my editor didn’t buy what my hero was doing. It was inconsistent to the character I had created. When building a character, start with broad strokes, make them true and consistent then fill in the details; those character quirks, qualities of emotion, values and attitudes that make them interesting, unique and special.

In essence, LAYER your character, giving him or her many facets to their personality. Often you have to actually write many chapters, for me it’s usually 3, before you can really get a good handle on the characters. You’ll know the basics about them, but perhaps you won’t know some of the more interesting things that make the story work.

When I was writing Between the CEO's Sheets, my June Desire, I knew something about Gina and Wade's relationship in the past. I knew they'd fallen in love nine years prior and I knew that Wade didn't fall in love easily. Gina had broken his heart, but Wade wasn't a man to show his emotions. So when they reconnected nine years later, he had revenge and payback on his mind. I also knew he felt bitterness toward his father for abandoning his family in favor of building his beloved company, Triple B. But I had to tie those emotions into his story with Gina in order to really see who he was.

Gina came to Wade out of desperation. She'd held a secret for many years and sacrificed her love of Wade to protect him all those years ago. Gina was a character who'd been knocked down a few times in her life. She had the courage to stand up again and again. I knew Gina had to be really strong to be a match for Wade. So, here we have a heroine who'd had a great life and future taken away from her as a young woman when her parents died. She'd been forced to leave a wonderful man behind and start a new life for herself in another city. Gina had a fear of the water and I knew, no matter how much Wade wanted revenge, he would never prey on those fears. Instead, I knew that Wade had to be the one to help her overcome them. Even when Wade thinks the worst of Gina, he would not take ill advantage of her.

I knew Wade was stubborn. He'd felt he'd been wronged in life. He was a good brother, a hard-driving but fair businessman. He was a man who protected his heart. He grew up hating his father. The more I wrote about him, the more I understood him. He came to life and became a great character- one we'd seen first in Bunking Down with the Boss as Sam's brother. I

If you think of the movie, Jerry McGuire -- Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger have a great first meet in the airport, where she is frantically looking for her young son, who had wandered off. What woman can’t relate to that feeling? Immediately we like her. Immediately we feel her unease. She can't find her son. This is a great device to gain instant sympathy for a character. Put them in a precarious situation from the get-go. Make it fun, or serious, or dangerous, but make it INTERESTING .

This movie is a great example of characterization. Jerry McGuire is a hero, a good guy, but he’s so flawed that the heroine can’t help but see it. There’s this great line where she says to her disapproving sister, “I love him for the man he wants to be. I love him for the man he almost is.” The movie was successful for many reasons, but the one reason it stands out is that there is character growth. We see a change in Tom Cruise’s character, it’s gradual, and it really doesn’t hit home until the very end of the story when he achieves his goal, both monetarily and professionally, but feels at a complete loss because he has no one to share his success with. He goes home and lays his heart on the line to his wife.(something he was never able to do in the past) In this movie, we see facets of each character which clearly defines them. Layering the characters, makes them believeable.

We are the sum total of all of our life's experiences, whether good or bad. We are molded by events in our lives. Some authors write a character trait list. This is a good exercise to see how well you know the characters. For me, I write three chapters and the characters tell me who they are. They speak to me. It's best put this way:Anne Lamott, in her book, “Bird by Bird” says of characters: “Just don’t pretend to know more about your characters than they do, because you don’t. Stay open to them. It’s teatime and all the dolls are at the table. Listen. It’s that simple. "

Next up on the blog: Traits of the very Alpha Male.

Getting Summer Write! What Makes a Memorable Book?

Summer Write!

Characters:


Have you ever asked yourself what makes a memorable book, story or movie? Why did you get into it? What compelled you to keep reading or watching the screen? If you had to label one thing that you remembered most about a story or movie, what would that be?

For me, and for most editors and readers -- it's the characters. Great characterization brings interest and intrigue. It's hard to enjoy a movie or read a book if you can't relate to the main characters. It's even harder if they aren't sympathetic meaning they are someone that you want to learn more about, someone you can sympathize with, someone that will hold your interest. If you don't find them worthy or redeemable in some way, you won't care about them.


So does that mean that you have to make your characters perfect in every way? Do you have to sugar coat them to make them sympathetic? The answer is a big resounding NO. In fact, perfect characters make for boring reads. The reason we root for and cheer on a character, is because they're FLAWED and we can sympathize with them. Or if not, we can certainly understand them even if we don't think much of them in the beginning.


The movies that have stuck with me, have done so because the story told was compelling. And why? Because the hero wasn't such a nice guy. He wasn't a man you'd expect. Same with the heroine. Think of "An Officer and a Gentlemen". Richard Gere's character came with major baggage. He didn't get along with his fellow boot-campers. He was a loner, a man who needed no one. He had issues with his father. Didn't believe in commitment. He was selfish in the beginning, but mostly, HE WAS INTERESTING. And in some ways, we could relate to him, though we didn't necessarily like him.



Think of Patrick Swayze's character, "Johnny" in Dirty Dancing. He thought Baby was a spoiled rich daddy's girl. He wasn't nice to her. He was every mother's nightmare for their daughter. But we saw his layered character, when he comes to the aid of his friend. We saw a softer side of him, and gradually, we came to understand him. Baby on the other hand, never really took risks. She was truly "daddy's little girl." She was the good daughter, the one her parents could always count on. She was the "baby." Until she met Johnny. Then everything in her life changed. She began to take risks, to come of age, to become the woman she was meant to be. WE LIKED HER, because at one time in our lives, maybe, we were just like her. Or maybe, we remember falling for the unattainable dangerous boy who'd never be within our grasp. Whatever the reason, both of these characters STUCK with us. We knew them. We liked them. We rooted for them.



In Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, we see a really ditzy character in our heroine. From way back in the first book, (she's up to #13 now) Stephanie captures our imagination. She gets herself in big trouble every time, finds herself chosing between two hot sexy boyfriends, Joe and Ranger. She's got a nutty grandmother, a pet hamster named Rex who is her best friend, a flamboyant partner, ex-hooker, Lula. With the Plum series, I was a late bloomer, not having read them from the beginning, yet after reading the first paragraph on the first page, I knew I'd read the entire series. Couldn't wait to catch up. AND I turned my sister and best friend onto the series.



Why?



Stephanie Plum was different than any character I've ever read. A female bounty hunter in the heart of New Jersey? She was witty and silly and fun. Being a romantic at heart, I couldn't pass up the chance to see who Stephanie would end up with. Would it be Joe Morelli or Ranger? I still want to know -- but I do have a favorite. Do you?



What character stuck with you for days or weeks or months after you've read the book or seen the movie? Ask yourself why that is.


Tune in on Tuesday for: Characters Don't Exist in a Vacuum/ Layering your Characters.


And be sure to enter my Summer Contest at Romance Junkies:
http://www.romancejunkies.com/summernewsletter2/CharleneSands.html

Good News: Between the CEO'S Sheet's hits #7 on Borders/Waldenbooks list in June! Bunking Down with the Boss is nominated for the National Reader's Choice Award!

GREAT TIPS FOR SUMMER AND BEYOND

Unique and Useful Tips! (I love these - Martha would be proud)


Reheat Pizza: Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done. Easy clean up.


Expanding Frosting: (I like this one a lot! Especially the lower calorie count)

When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.


Reheating refrigerated bread: To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.



Newspaper weeds away: Start putting Wet Newspapers around your plants. Work the nutrients in your soil. Put layers of wet newspapers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic fabrics but they will not get through wet newspapers. {NOTE if you are ever stuck and have to sleep outside and it is cold, put newspapers inside your clothes The layers of paper trap air and act as insulation.



Broken Glass: Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of Glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!



No More Mosquitoes: Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.



Squirrel Away!: To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.



Flexible vacuum: To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to the end of your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.



Reducing Static Cling: Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.



Measuring Cups: Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.



Foggy Windshield? : Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!



Reopening envelope: If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include Something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.



Conditioner: Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper Than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...



Goodbye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2" With Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!



Get Rid of Ants: Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!



Take baby powder to the beach: Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.


Great tips aren't they? I hope you can use many of these. I know I will!



Enter my contest at Romance Junkies: http://www.romancejunkies.com/summernewsletter2/CharleneSands.html





Coming next Monday on Charlene's Blog - Getting Summer Write! Writing hints, tips and ways to sell your story.

TOP TEN LIST OF MY FAVORITE THINGS - NOW THAT THE TV SEASON IS OFFICIALLY OVER!

I'm not really a TV junkie, but this past season I have to admit I've been hooked on some of the shows. I had an auto-watch list that went far beyond my usual television viewing. Every night, I'd relish sitting down in front of the tube, after a long day at the computer and vegging-out. My list is long, but here's a few: Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with Stars, American Idol, Lost, What About Brian, Smallville, Deal or No Deal, Numbers. The reality shows were a must -- must know, must be able to speak about the contestants the next day with friends, must have a vote. And I miss game shows from my youth, so I'd watch everything new like 1 vs 100 and Identity. I'd gotten lost in TV land and now that all the shows are off or airing repeats - I don't watch repeats, probably for the same reason I don't eat leftovers, now I'm filling my nights when I'm not editing or reading emails with the other joys of my life.

Top Ten List:

Playing cards with Hubby. (new game Phase Ten is awesome!)
Playing tennis
Reading books in one sitting (or two - if my vision blurs)
Taking evening walks
Doing pilates
Talking to friends
Working for Operation Gratitude (see last post)
Arranging my photo albums
Dreaming up new story plots
Getting to bed earlier

That's my Top Ten list of Non-TV Nights.
Can you relate?

OPERATION GRATITUDE

On September 12, the day after our country was attacked, Carolyn Blashek tried to sign up for the armed services and was denied. She decided she had to do "something" and so she began in a small way, collecting donations and sending care packages and letters to our troops abroad. From that inspiration, came Operation Gratitude, now on all-volunteer organization that continues to support and lend comfort to our troops. To date, they have sent out an phenomenal 223,000 care packages to the troops ... and counting.

On Saturday morning, my husband and I volunteered for the first time at the California Armory not far from our home to "work the assembly line" in the ongoing effort. When we walked into the big factory facility, we were greeted with hugs and friendly introductions. The place is one well-oiled machine, set up to put out more than 8,000 care packages in one day through the efforts of volunteers like myself. We were shown what to do, my husband volunteering to do some heavy lifting of boxes, while I worked with approximately fifty others, putting batteries, then bags of Corn Nuts into the boxes that were people-powered, moving the boxes from one station to another. Once the boxes were filled, they were people-powered speed-wrapped and then labeled.

The neat thing is that these care packages go to individual soldiers. They get to enjoy items from home, like popcorn, dvd's, much needed batteries, new socks, candy, Girl Scout cookies, toothpaste, hand cream, TY toys for the children, among other things. There are 60 sponsors who donate a minimum of 10,000 items each, the huge armory walls are lined with donations, and I stood in the middle of all this, thrilled and humbled to be a part of such a good cause. Here's just a small sampling of what the assembly line looks like -- there's about 300 people working together at one time.

After a few hours, announcements were made. "One thousands boxes packed and ready to ship" and by the end of the day, we had reached our goal of 8,000 boxes. The problem facing Operation Gratitude now, is the mailing costs. Since the Post Office raised their rates, it now costs this non-profit charity $10.00 a package to send overseas. That's $80,000.00 in shipping costs alone for the day I worked. Here's a picture of a Marine getting the news that he "won" a brand new car which he'll receive when he returns home. He's to be married soon.

It's something I wish I'd known about before as we

have always sent our own care packages when we knew of a particular soldier's needs. Now, we'll be joining in Operation Gratitude on a regular basis and we're happy to do it.

If you'd like to send a donation to help with shipping costs or know someone who can, this is definitely a worthy, noble cause. Information below.

MEDIA ALERT: Operation Gratitude Fourth Annual Patriotic Drive Kicks Off During Memorial Day Weekend
Organization to send 50,000 Care Packages to Support Our Troops
During the Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-27, Operation Gratitude, the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, will commence its Fourth Annual Patriotic Drive, to assemble and mail over 50,000 care packages to reach deployed troops by July 4th.
Operation Gratitude's ( www.operationgratitude.com ) mission is to put a smile on a service member's face, lift morale, and express the appreciation of the American people for the sacrifices of the men and women defending our freedom. To date, Operation Gratitude has sent more than 211,000 care packages to troops deployed in harm's way. For more information on Operation Gratitude's program to Support Our Troops, click here: Operation Gratitude
On Saturday May 26 and Sunday May 27, members of Operation Gratitude's 3500+ Volunteer Corps, along with Military personnel will start the Drive to assemble and ship at least 50,000 Patriotic Care Packages filled with Flash Drives, Phone Cards, DVDs and CDs, Mr. Potato Heads, Beanie Babies, Candy, Gum, Cough Drops, Girl Scout Cookies, Bandana Cool-Ties, Skin Care Products, Coffee, Greeting Cards, Batteries, Energy Drinks, T-Shirts, Socks and assorted Snacks. During the Press Conference scheduled at 11:30 am on Saturday May 26, the organization's Founder, Carolyn Blashek, will reveal the exciting new item created exclusively for our troops to be shipped in all Operation Gratitude care packages this year!

Double Finales this week! Who are you voting for?

I'm making a prediction based simply on my own personal favorites. Yes, I admit I'm hooked on Dancing with Stars and Idol. And I do have my favorites.

I've loved every minute of Dancing with Stars! It's entertaining and I can sit back and marvel at how far the celebrity competitors have come. In the scheme of life it's not important, but I don't apologize. It's my hour or two of enjoyment away from the computer. And those are the ONLY reality shows I do watch. I enjoy Smallville, Grey's, Lost and Desperate. With books of authors we automatically buy, we call them Auto-buys, so with TV shows I automatically watch, I call them Auto-View. My DVR is set for those shows.

So, here's Apolo. For a guy who never danced before, his competitor spirit shined thru this season. He's got good moves, on the dance floor and in the short track arena. I love the athletic mentality of no defeat, no surrender. Each week, he and Julianna came back with dynamite performances. Julianna is an amazing choregrapher! I think they are the youngest couple from all seasons -- and I'd be surprised if they didn't win. Kudos to Joey Fatone and Leila Ali too - they're great entertainers as well.

Here's Apolo Anton Ono competing as a short track speed skater.

He's got my vote!

Now on to American Idol. I have to say I was stunned when Melinda Doolittle was voted off, but I know she'll be around. She's too talented not to be in the public eye. I'll buy any record she makes. And equally, I enjoy Jordin Sparks. She's multi-talented and has a broad range. Not to mention, she's adorable, vivacious and personable. She's young too -- at 17 I don't think I've seen a more poised young woman. So my vote and my prediction goes to Jordin.

She's the Las Vegas odds on favorite right now. But who knows -- this year's talent and the ratings for Idol have been mediocre. Except for a few like Melinda, Jordin and Blake, there hasn't been too much to get excited about.

So, who has your vote?

"Non-writing" News from a Proud Aunt!

I have to say I'm thrilled that my nephew is helping UC Irvine win the most games in their baseball history this season. Here's the little boy whom I'd watch play T-Ball, now contending for a College Conference Championship, his team ranked #10 in the Nation. In high school, Eric broke loads of records, won MVP awards, batted 480 and and pitched an outstanding game to win the High School City Championship in Dodger Stadium. Now, he's pitching with the big boys -- a Freshman who'd fought his way to the position of starting pitcher toward the end of this season and is yeilding a 3-0 record! It's a joy to watch him play.

Eric Pettis #55 UC Irvine

New Contest and Happy Mother's Day!

Be sure to enter my new Between the CEO'S Sheets Contest to win a $20.00 Borders Gift Card and two selections from my backlist of Desires! Contest ends July 1st. Just click here
to ENTER and good luck! I really just love this cover!

And wishing you and all the devoted, hard-working, loving, kind, compassionate, diligent, beautiful mothers out there - a joyful day
You deserve it!

CATALINA WILDFIRE - Setting for BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS

If you received my newsletter yesterday, then you'd know that my next Desire, June's BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS is set on Catalina Island. My hero, Wade Beaumont is a yachtman and sailed over to the island on business, with Gina Grady, his one-time love, who is now his personal assistant.

I've visited Catalina Island many times

both in my youth with the Girl Scouts and as an

adult, riding over on the Catalina Express, enjoying the 22 mile boat ride to come upon the cresent-shaped bay with its small strip of beaches. I have fond memories of Catalina, and I think many southern Californians hold the island with possessive pride in their hearts.

As you can see, the pics of Catalina Island are amazing, a virtual paradise just minutes from the big city, the harbor, Avalon, named for an Arthurian legend, means just that, "paradise". The turqouise waters in the bay are so filled with marine life that it's been called southern California's largest aquarium.

But now, as I watch the news reports on TV this morning, I see that the island is engulfed in flames, a wildfire breaking out, causing 3300 inhabitants along with tourists to be evacuated, waiting in long lines on the shore to be taken to safety. Ferry-like boats filled with fire engines and paramedic equipment have made their way ashore as the local small island fire-fighting forces were simply overwhelmed by the intensity of the fire. Being so far from the mainland, has made fire-fighting efforts difficult to say the least. I can only hope that the fires are contained quickly and that the island is not destroyed. I pray for the safety of all inhabitants and the firefighters and first response teams on the scene.

NATIONAL READERS CHOICE AWARDS!

I'm taking a minute out of the day to congratulate all of my fellow Desire authors who have finaled in the prestigious NATIONAL READER'S CHOICE AWARD! This is a nationwide contest judged by readers in all romance categories. I'm honored to announce that BUNKING DOWN WITH THE BOSS is one of the nominees this year.

Congrats to the Desire authors and to my friends, Diane Gaston and Terri Brisbin for finaling in the Regency and Historical categories!

Short Contemporary

House Calls, Michelle Celmer
The Expectant Executive, Kathie Denosky
Under Deepest Cover, Kara Lennox
The Texan's Convenient Marriage, Peggy Moreland
Bunking Down with the Boss, Charlene Sands

Contest at Romance Junkies and more

I'm happy to announce that Pam Pellini was the winner of my Valentine Contest at Romance Junkies. Pam received an autographed copy of Fortune's Vengeful Groom and a beautiful red heart beaded necklace.

Check back soon when I announce my next contest at Romance Junkies and don't forget to enter my Fortune's Vengeful Groom Contest II. You still have time. Contest ends on May 1st!

BTW-- my page at Myspace is growing in leaps and bounds. If you're on Myspace, stop on over to say hello. www.myspace.com/charlenesands .

ARE YOU A SUCKER FOR SAWYER?

I'm a huge LOST fan and it's due in part to the character of Sawyer. He's the show's bad boy and he's often misunderstood. But more often than not, Sawyer isn't a nice person. I've heard that his popularity on the show have made the writers make him more appealing by softening his con man image a bit. There's nothing better than seeing a "bad" boy do something good, and then hate himself for it.

I saw Josh Holloway (Sawyer) interviewed on an awards show, and he's nothing like who we see on the screen. He's NICE and seems so down to earth. He's got amazing eyes, adorable dimples and likes fishing. If you watch the show, you know there was one episode where Sawyer made a complete mess of gutting a fish. That was a great story where we actually saw the "human" side of Sawyer. Though, he fought it, he realized he really can't exist on his own -- he needs the other survivors. But he'd be the last person to admit it.

So, yes I'm a sucker for Sawyer. Aside from his incredible good looks and on-screen charisma, he has what I think is essential for a "bad" boy image. ATTITUDE! If we're talking fantasy here, he's the one you'd want to be stranded with on a remote island. But then again, there's Jack...

Are you a sucker for Sawyer too?

Catalina Island - Inspiration for my June Desire

Believe it or not, but the title of my June book isn't what it seems. Well, okay, it's partly what it seems. BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS is actually the name of my dear friends' 52 foot Jeanneau sloop sailboat. The sheets, being those ropes that hold the sails up.

And one of my favorite places to visit during the summer months, is Santa Catalina Island. I can't even tell you how many times I've traveled there in my youth for fun day trips with my friends, my daughter's girl scout troop and later with my husband. Twenty-two miles out from San Pedro Harbor lies the crescent shaped island harbor of what was at one time both a place for trade and a real pirate hideaway. It seemed only natural that I'd set a book there, and have my one-time Texas rancher hero develop a love of the ocean and sailing.

Fond memories and maybe a chance to go back there one day soon helped decide where to set my story. This is definitely a place that's 50 paces slower than any big city. There are no cars on the island, replaced by golf-like carts and those two parts of our anatomy designed specially for getting around, feet. Walking is a national pastime in Catalina Island, along with swimming at the small stretch of beach, golfing, fishing, scuba diving and horseback riding. This pic to my left is Descanso Beach and beyond that is the famous Casino landmark.

Here's a picture of Avalon Bay harbor. Cruise ships stop by almost daily and the passengers disembark for a day of touring the island or sunning on the beach. Then there's always ... shopping!

More soon on Catalina Island and Wade and Gina's story in BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS.

Fortune's Vengeful Groom Hits #1and A SNEAK PEEK

Hi All,

Just a quick little blog this morning to thank all of you who've helped make Fortune's Vengeful Groom a #1 Bestseller for two weeks running at the Borders/Waldenbooks stores! I'm thrilled that the book is so well-received! And if you haven't gotten a copy yet, it's still available at bookstores and online and Eharlequin and Amazon among other online sites.

I've been busy working on my next Silhouette Desire and I'm thrilled to say it's all wrapped up and ready to send to my editor! We have a tentative title BLACKMAILED BRIDE, but that's bound to change. It's due out in January 2008!

And for a sneak peek at my upcoming JUNE Desire, BETWEEN THE CEO'S SHEETS, here's the cover. I'm thrilled with it. I think my hero looks like the new James Bond.

I'll be posting an excerpt soon!

SMOOTH-TALKING, HEARTSTOPPING, HUNKY HEROES AND WHY WE LOVE EM!

What makes a hero? Are they real or fantasy? I say, they are both. As a writer, I love inventing hot, sexy, passionate, take-charge men who know who they are. They are definitely rough around the edges. They are seriously appealing. Men who shield their heart and emotions. They are not your everyday run of the mill man. They don't send flowers. But they'll do something unique that will make the heroine fall a little bit in love with them, even though she knows she shouldn't.

In Fortune's Vengeful Groom, Reese Parker makes no mild gesture to Eliza. No, he has an agenda of his own, so he tempts her with something he knows she can't resist. He's about as unyeilding as they come, wanting revenge. A true hero shows only a small measure of himself to the heroine, and slowly, little by little, his defenses against her crumble. It's that slow melting down that romance readers cheer on and hope for.

I love my western cowboy heroes. There's no doubt about that. But heroes, whether contemporary or historical have many things in common. They are strong in body and mind. They show little outside emotion, but we know what they're thinking, by the arch of an eyebrow, the ticking of their jaw, the swagger of their walk. They ooze sex appeal. In short, heroes have MAJOR ATTITUDE.



For me, the key to a really great story is a really hunky, jaw-dropping, what's-he-going-to-do next hero. I love heroes who never doubt themselves. They are cocky, determined, strong-willed, intelligent, confident men who know exactly what they want. Often time, their attitude defines them. They rarely show the true measure of their emotions to anyone, until they meet our heroine. They don't like that there's a woman out there who can steal into their hearts and bring them to their knees. Yep, loving the right woman can do that. And it's a joy to see our heroes fall in love, the rollercoaster ride of emotions is an E-Ticket. (and I'm not speaking of electronics here).

Some of my own personal favorites from my stories are of course, Reese Parker in my latest release, but I did love Jake Griffin in Expecting the Cowboy's Baby. Kane Jackson, in Renegade Wife and Sam Beaumont in Bunking Down with the Boss. BTW, Sam's brother's story is coming this June in Between the CEO's Sheets.


So, tell me who are your favorite heroes?
What traits do you look for in a hero? And if you've read Fortune's Vengeful Groom, what was it about Reese Parker that you liked the most?