Lisa Plumley

People often ask me if my books are based on real people or real events in my life.

On the surface, the answer to that question is a no-brainer. By which I mean: No! Are you kidding me? I write to escape!

Not really. Actually, the plain fact is, most people/daily events are just too…well, boring to make interesting fiction. (No offense, friends and family. You are awesome of course.) Most people go to work every day, go out at night, visit friends on the weekends, practice recreational square dancing in their spare time…you know, the typical stuff. There’s not a lot of drama involved. Not for me and (I’m just guessing here) not for you. Not unless you decide to act on your threat to “get even” with that annoying woman three cubicles down from you who keeps stealing your Diet Cokes from the office fridge. And even then your personal vendetta probably only matters to you, your parole officer, and Ms. Klepto Pants herself.

On the other hand, real life does inform a writer’s fictional world. How can it not? We’re imaginative, sensitive, easily influenced folks. For instance, we often concoct elaborate scenarios in which we deliver the perfect stinging comeback to that snooty waiter from lunch. Or we get lost in flights of fancy (and order the wrong coffee at Starbucks–I hate you, accidental decaf Americano!) after an overheard snippet of conversation sparks a new story idea. Or we walk around sporting togas after viewing an especially good episode of Rome. Just for instance.

No seriously. What I encounter/learn about/fear often makes its way into my books. That’s the truth. That’s why I’m always writing about super studly, ultra successful men. They’re all around me! Adoring me! I can barely swivel my office chair! (Abrupt movement startles the hunks into dropping their peppermint foot-massage lotion.)

No. Even more seriously (for real), that life-bleeds-into-fiction effect is why my heroines are often unsure of themselves, feel like a fish out of water, or make jokes to get through a tough situation. They’re a lot like me, in big and small ways. Some of them share my obsession with cute handbags. Some of them are determined to blaze their own path. Some of them even learn to love football. (Go Eagles! Go Seahawks! Why oh why do I always seem to root for the underdogs?) All of my characters grow and change over the course of a book…exactly like me. Which is, for better or worse, one of my very favorite things about the writing life.

Till later,
Lisa

Hey! Have you checked out the RomanceWiki yet?

It’s really cool. Think of it as a user-generated on-line encyclopedia of romances. Anyone can add to it (just like Wikipedia), so it’s a work in progress. But there’s a ton of great content there already, like a history of the romance genre (including the awesomely titled section, The Romance Wars), lists of Rita and Golden Heart winning books, and a catalog of books searchable by title, location, author, anthology, continuity series, and more.

Is your favorite author/book included in the RomanceWiki?

If not, roll up your sleeves and go wiki-ing! It’s really easy.

I’m working on some new story ideas right now. It’s an exciting time. I’m totally blissed out. I’m in the creative zone, tossing off demo versions of witty repartee for my characters, envisioning juicy plot complications for them, and becoming deeply impressed with my own sparkling writer-style mad skillz.

No wait! I can’t lie to you. That’s not entirely true. New-idea-brainstorming time (aka NIB) is actually a scary time. And a thrilling time. What NIB most reminds me of is when I was a kid learning to roller skate. Everyone else made it look SO easy. They cruised around the roller rink, looking tres cool…sometimes even going backwards. They made it look so simple, in fact, that pretty soon I strapped on a pair of roller skates myself and–with a big grin on my face–clump-clopped my way to the crowded rink floor…

…where I immediately splatted butt-first, then wobbled like crazy, and very quickly realized that the only way to stop was to crash headfirst into the wall beside the snack bar. Ugh. Skating was not as easy as it looked.

Neither is coming up with new ideas. Or, more accurately, good and complete new ideas during NIB time. Transitory flashes of inspiration? I’ve got a million of those. I’ve got files, notebooks, scribbled notes and (lately) a personal wiki devoted to those tantalizing it-might-be-a-book story ideas. But fleshed-out scenarios with interesting characters and the sort of comedic premise I love? Not so much. Those take work, and that means sitting down and writing. Plain and simple.

My brain doesn’t turn on until I get near a pen and paper. All my synopses are written in longhand first–a weird and inconvenient quirk, akin to using your new Kitchenaid coffee grinder to wallop whole beans by hand until they’re suitable for making a nice latte, instead of putting in the beans and buzzing them into powdery oblivion like a normal person. But as you’ve probably guessed by now, writers don’t always behave like normal people. Sometimes we do things the hard way.

Will I come up with an idea I love? YES. No question. Partly because I do love to write books. It’s my passion, my dream, all I ever wanted to do when I grew up. So there’s no way I’m letting a teeny, insignificant thing like the challenge of it keep me down. Even if there aren’t baskets of gigantic cupcakes at the end of the road, like I sometimes wish there were.

So stay tuned! I’ve got several ideas down already, with a few more to go. Which ones will (eventually) make it into print? It’s anybody’s guess!

Okay. You got me again. Actually it’s all my editor’s decision. Please send helpful karmic vibes toward NYC!

Till later,
Lisa

Both of my publishers have gotten on board with e-books lately! Kensington Publishing now has a site dedicated exclusively to e-books (alas, not mine though :::sniff:::), and Harlequin now makes all its monthly releases available in e-book editions. The neat part is that all the books are discounted at least 30% (who doesn’t like to save a few $$?) AND you get them right away (for us impatient types).

I’ll confess that I like reading e-books…but I mostly check them out at the Phoenix ebook library. So awesome! I even check out downloadable audio books to listen to on long (boring) car trips. Your local library probably has a similar setup. Check out the Overdrive Digital Media Locator to find out.

Till later,
Lisa

I’m guest blogging today at RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk!

We’re talking about men in romance novels. That’s right. We’re having an entire discussion about yummy, rough-and-ready, stubbled-or-not heroes! (Okay, so we’re not really talking about who prefers the whiskery look and who doesn’t. Not yet. But still. It’s going to be fun.)

Join us, won’t you? One lucky commenter (drawn at random) will also win a free autographed backlist book. Don’t you know someone who might like to get a free book? Come on!

Till later,
Lisa

I’ve been working on some new story ideas lately. I think it’s making me a little crazy. Going back and forth between contemporary/historical/paranormal romances (I write all three) and some special nonromance side projects is giving me a serious case of writer’s whiplash. But the one thing I can’t get away from is that I want all my stories to be FUNNY. Not The Three Stooges funny (aka, debatably funny) or There’s Something About Mary funny (aka, raunchily funny…which is admittedly sometimes just the ticket), but funny, all the same.

The good news is, humor comes naturally to me. I can’t help but see things in a weird way. This includes my characters, plot setups, potential complications…the whole nine yards. The trouble is that romantic comedies have fallen on serious hard times lately. Over the past few years, romantic comedies have become the rail-riding hobos of romances. Those of us who love writing them have been sidelined into bundling our jokes in a bandanna on a stick, shoving our frothy situations in our oversize pockets, and shuffling off to find our fortunes elsewhere…or not. Because of market changes, a few hilarious and talented writers have taken up more serious writing (kudos to them, but I can’t bring the drama!). A few have twisted their books and hooks to find new markets. And a few (sadly) have fallen by the wayside.

But I think it’s okay essential to bring the funny back to romances, and here are a few reasons why:

(1) A funny romance won’t make you cry (even when you’re PMSing!) OR freak out and spill all your Cheetos if someone taps you on the shoulder unexpectedly. Bonus points if your funny romance is thick enough to bludgeon the first chump who makes fun of your reading choices. Sucker.

(2) Laughing on the bus/on the subway/in the break room while reading a funny romance is good karma. It makes your co-commuters/coworkers wonder what you’re up to…which means they’ll be nicer to you until they figure it out.

(3) One man + one woman = hilarity in the making. Want proof? Check out the Lucky Charms scene in Susan Elizabeth Phillips‘ classic book, Nobody’s Baby But Mine. You’ll never look at breakfast cereal the same way again.

(4) A funny paperback romance is a multitasker. It’s a hand-and-fingers exerciser, a door stop, a storage spot for Fruit Rollups, a useful screen if you’re being chased by (myopic) spies, a reference for finding things that are exactly 6.7 inches long (ahem!), a shim for that wobbly table, a sleep aid (noooo!), a substitute for a flag when sending messages by semaphore, an anti-conversation device for use on crowded airplanes, a conversation starter when you meet people you like, a bundle of paper…AND a powerful mood restorer!

(5) Speaking of multitasking…while reading a funny romance, you don’t have to (a) acknowledge the dust bunnies in the corner (b) do something about them (c) dust bunnies are my friends, so step off!

(6) When your jerkface boss DOESN’T give you a raise for the third straight review period, reading about an arrogant multibillionaire CEO with secret baby problems and a hot new girlfriend really sucks. Be different. Laugh your @ss off instead!

(7) It’s rumored that if you throw a funny romance against a wall, it will make a twee, high-pitched, ridiculously amusing sound. Nobody really knows for sure. People who read funny romances want to hug them, not hurl them.

( After you read a funny romance, you feel better than you did before. Pure magic.

Happy reading!

Till later,
Lisa

Hi! I’m doing the happy dance today, because I just learned that Let’s Misbehave has been named one of Booklist’s Top Ten Romances of 2007! Yay!

Here’s the full list. It’s great to be in such good company.

TOP 10 ROMANCE FICTION BY BOOKLIST
Adieu, My Love. By Lynn M. Turner. Avalon.
Agnes and the Hitman. By Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. St. Martin*s.
Billionaires Prefer Blondes. By Suzanne Enoch. Avon.
A Distant Magic. Mary Jo Putney. Del Rey.
The Landlord’s Black-Eyed Daughter. By Mary Ellen Davis. Five Star.
Let’s Misbehave. By Lisa Plumley. Zebra.
Rough and Ready. By Sandra Hill. Berkley Sensation.
Soul Song. By Marjorie M. Liu. Dorchester.
Tempting. Susan Mallery. HQN.
Virgin River. By Robyn Carr. MIRA.

Booklist is a terrific magazine published by the American Library Association, so I’m doubly honored to see Let’s Misbehave included in this year’s Top 10 list. Thank you, Booklist!

Till later,
Lisa

Do you (A) have a blog and (B) review romances on your blog?

If your answers to questions A and B are (yes) and (yes), and you’re interested in reviewing Let’s Misbehave, this post is for you! We’re offering copies of Let’s Misbehave (in PDF format only) to on-line reviewers. (Readers, please don’t feel excluded! I still hope/pray/make daily sacrifices to the Book Gods that you’ll buy/love/borrow/hunt down a copy of Let’s Misbehave, and I’d be delighted to autograph your copy if you’d like to send it to me.) But I love my shopaholic-meets-quarterback story, and I’ve got to spread the word about it–and that’s where I’m hoping my pals in the blogging community will come in.

Reviewers, to get in on this offer, please send an e-mail to booknews[at]lisaplumley.com and request a copy of Let’s Misbehave (remember, it’s PDF only, so if that format doesn’t work for you…sorry, but we’re not exactly techno-wizards around here). We’ll also need you to include include your full name and your blog URL, please, along with a valid e-mail address where you can accept the book as an attachment.

I think this will be fun, and I have my fingers crossed that you do too!

Till later,
Lisa

So I’ve been running around on a mini book tour during the month of July, visiting booksellers near me in Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego, and (this weekend) Las Vegas (woo hoo!) to autograph copies of my new book Let’s Misbehave, and it’s so much fun! If you’re one of the very nice booksellers I met along the way, thanks for being so awesome/enthusiastic/cooperative/allowing me to sign books even though you were insanely busy. You’re the best.

I have to say, my favorite stop so far has been the Romance World Book Store near San Diego. OMG! Although I’ve been meaning to visit this store for years, this was my first time there. I have to say, this place is a romance lover’s dream! I have never seen so many amazing romances all in the same place. And the helpful staff can’t be beat either.

I swear, I wandered around open mouthed most of the time I was there (well okay, so I found time to sign some of my backlist and buy a half dozen books too — I had to seriously restrain myself). It was awe inspiring to see SO many romances — single title/category, new, used, collectible, hard to find…they’re all there at Romance World (which is a totally appropriate name, BTW). So if you ever happen to find yourself in El Cajon, do yourself a favor and drop in. You’ll be glad you did.

What’s your favorite new or used book store?

Till later,
Lisa

Congratulations to Stacey S., Danetteb, and Linda H., who won autographed copies of Lisa’s books (Let’s Misbehave, The Scoundrel, and I Shaved My Legs For This?!) at the RRAH blog!

Till later,
Lisa