Welcome to our new babe!!!

And a Big Apple wave from me!  I just returned from attending a screenwriting seminar BEYOND STRUCTURE presented by David S. Freeman.  Jam packed full of techniques.  It was intense, but I really enjoyed it.  You may be thinking why a novelist would attend a screenwriting seminar?  To stretch my mind, see things from a different pov.  I’m glad I went.  www.beyondstructure.com

But I digress. The subject is babies and children in romance novels.  From a writer’s pov, there are yays and boos.  Babies immediately up the ante in a story. They are so helpless and invoke a primal need to protect and take care of them.  More is automatically at stake when there’s a child involved, so having little people in the story can increase the tension.  That’s a good thing.  Little people can also provide interruptions at inopportune times (as they do in real life!).  They can get sick and cause a hero and heroine to bond.  They can reveal a different side of your characters and create empathy. 

On the boo side, unless the characters have a nanny, you can’t just put the kid in the closet while you develop the romance between the hero and heroine.  Children tend to require more attention and care than hamsters  and the story must reflect that.  And pregnancy, big sigh, that presents a whole other set of challenges.  Since I’ve been pregnant, it’s hard for me to suspend disbelief and forget about the swelling and nausea and feeling like a beached whale  and getting really pissed that I couldn’t have an epidural…  But I try to focus on “the glow” and the awesome sense of creation, and for many men, pregnancy brings out a great protectiveness.

There’s more to be said about babies, but I’ll let the other babes say it.  Now for my cool gift story.  Yes, I know it’s off topic, but it’s fun.   First, bear in mind that yesterday, three of my flights were cancelled and I had to take a connecting flight to Cincinnati from NYC to get to Virginia.  And of course my luggage didn’t arrive with me.  Not my most sparkling day.

I have this neighbor who has read a ton of my books and I’ve given her several, but we’ve never had lunch, coffee or anything together.  She ordered and read my most recent Silhouette Desire and sent me a note along with a plate of cupcakes.  In the book, the heroine, Lilli, brings birthday cupcakes to the billionaire hero at work to celebrate his birthday.

Here is what the note from my neighbor said:  Dear Brilliant and Beautiful,  Yet again – amazing! … The story was precious, sensuous and tender.  I loved it!  Here are some “Lilli cupcakes” as a thank you for your gift of creation…

Okay, so how cool is that for a reader to go to the trouble to use a scene from the book (cupcakes!).  I don’t know about you, but I do not get called brilliant and beautiful on a regular basis.  I think I should frame this.  Yes?

I’d like to pass some of this along. Unfortunately the yummy cupcakes can't be transported via my wireless connection.  So to all of you… Dear Brilliant and Beautiful, thank you for stopping by babesinbookland and have a great day!  

Xo,

Leanne

www.leannebanks.com