Yo Steven, walk this way

The year Adam Lambert didn't win American Idol was when I *almost* threw in the towel on a show I've been watching since Kelly Clarkson took the inaugural title in 2002. I'd grown weary of Simon and Paula's nonsensical banter, and was sick of watching the "underdog" lose out to the country or gospel singers.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. It just wasn't for me.

But then Idol did something genius. They hired Steven Tyler as a judge.

Oh sure, snagging People Magazine's Most Beautiful Woman of the Year Jennifer Lopez wasn't a bad move, either. But unlike J-Lo and the always solid Randy "Dawg" Jackson, Steven vaulted onto the scene with fluffy pink dress shirts, tight leather pants, a mouth that needs to be censored, and a killer smile that quite literally makes my heart skip. The guy is bursting with energy, enthusiasm, and personality.

Indeed, Steven is a character.

I'll also go out on a limb and suggest that while he's no Ian Somerhalder or Kiefer Sutherland, Steven embodies a special kind of sex appeal. And before you go scrunching your nose in disagreement, consider his impressive stage presence. Whether he's flirting with Idol hopefuls (a bit creepy) or slithering across the stage, Steven is a force to be reckoned with.

He's larger than life.

And isn't that what we strive for in fiction? Big stories, big characters, larger than life fiction that encourages - no, demands - readers to turn the page?

Well, that's what I'm working towards, and I'm going to lean on this week's worthy muse avatar for a little help. So go ahead, Steven, walk this way.

- Dawn

PS - I admit, I watched the last season of X-Factor, and though Simon Cowell has toned down his mean-factor, I still struggled with the chemistry between him and Paula Abdul, and was disappointed (but not surprised) by Melanie Amaro's win.

The Book In My Bag Today: Tunnel Vision, Gary Braver

Book #5: One for the Money

Yeah, I know, I'm only 15 or so years behind the 8-ball.

My Mom, my cousin, half my bloody family has been reading Janet Evanovich for years, raving about the Stephanie Plum books and casting sideways glances my way whenever I admitted to not yet reading them.

(Sidenote: At every used book sale, I searched for a Janet Evanovich book, but her novels hardly ever turn up in the second-hand piles. I once settled for a non-Stephanie Plum book and am ashamed to admit, it was one of the many, many novels I started but did not complete last year.)

I'll admit, it wasn't my family's harassment (and finger pointing) that urged me to finally pick up the first book of the series, One for the Money. It was this movie trailer:



Looks good, right?

The book's pretty good, too.

I don't know what I was expecting - maybe something less funny, or more thriller-esque. One for the Money isn't gritty or raw, it's not heart-poundingly scary, and Stephanie Plum isn't at all like Eve Dallas, one of my fave heroines (see Book #4 review). But it does have its merits.

Janet Evanovich is a damn good writer, and I'm envious of her seemingly effortless ability to infuse humor. I laughed out loud throughout the quick read, and after watching the trailer again, I bet I'll laugh during the movie, too. (I'm shocked this hasn't been made into a movie sooner, actually.)

Female bounty hunters seem to be a theme for protagonists in recent books, TV shows and movies, and I'm sure Katherine Heigl will make a brilliant Stephanie Plum. (She's a great actress anyway, and the role would be fun, I imagine.)

The trailer pretty much sums up what the book is about - Plum is down and out, no career, no car, hardly any furniture. She hits up her cousin Vinnie for a job as a recovery agent, pretty ambitious for a girl who doesn't know how to shoot a gun. She takes down a few "bad" guys, but has a bit more trouble nabbing her main target, the handsome and elusive Joe Morelli.

I enjoyed the chemistry between these two, and can see how Morelli might become a recurring love interest. Plum's character arc is solid, leaving room for further growth throughout the series. I liked her - and the book - well enough to pick up Two for the Dough next time I'm in a book store.

And yes, I will be going to see the movie.

- Dawn

The Book In My Bag Today: Tunnel Vision, Gary Braver

Book #4: Survivor in Death

There's hardly any point in me "reviewing" one of JD Robb's "In Death" series novels, because they're like the sitting duck of awesomeness for me.

Every. Single. Time.

There's a reason JD Robb (aka: Nora Roberts) has a loyal following of fans - she is simply the Queen of Romance, and she spins beautiful mysteries in the "In Death" series.

Not to mention she's got characterization nailed. Heck, three quarters of the reason I read JD Robb is for my regular dose of Roarke. I've fallen for many of Nora's sexy heros in the past, but none make my heart flip like Eve Dallas' partner, Roarke.

I have no idea where I'm at in the series. I don't know whether I've read the book just before Survivor, and have likely read a few after it. But it doesn't matter. I've tried starting from the beginning again, but there's only so many times I can read Naked in Death.


You should, however. Read Naked, that is, especially if you're new to JD Robb. Though set in the future, the series doesn't have a Sci-Fi feel, and while the heat between Eve and Roarke is scorching hot, I wouldn't categorize this series as romance.

Eve and Roarke each have a checkered past, and I admire the way the author has woven in their backgrounds to create giant character arcs that truly stand the test of time. And there's a brilliant supporting cast that just keeps growing. It's these characters that allow the series to continue breathing - and each book has taught me a lot about writing series fiction.

Ideal considering I'm working on two books for two different series right now. As my friend Kyle would argue, pretty much all of my ideas eventually want to be part of a series. It's kind of a curse.

I won't go too much into the plot of Survivor because frankly, if you've never read a JD Robb book, any key plot points would be spoilers. But what I loved about this novel is the way Eve and Roarke's tragic past is brought to the forefront, and how each of them deals with it in their own way - and then together. Brilliant.

As with all JD Robb books, I'm baffled by how easily I ignore mid-chapter POV shifts and dialogue tags that wouldn't pass Stephen King's "said and only said" test. Must be some of Roarke's charm reaching out from the page.

I wish.

*jumps up and down and waves hand* Here I am, Roarke.

- Dawn


The Book In My Bag Today: One for the Money, Janet Evanovich

When an error leads to opportunity

When Jessica first approached me about starting an online literary magazine, I actually giggled. She probably doesn't know that, but the thought seemed ridiculous. Not the concept (because that's brilliant), but the idea of me editing it.

What did I know about literary writing?

Turns out I have a deeper appreciation for the style than I realized, and going through the submissions for our inaugural issue was immensely satisfying. Kind of like I'd found one of the missing pieces of my giant writerly puzzle.

Of course the opportunity to work on anything with Jessica was exciting, but the more submissions I read, the more excited I became. So excited, in fact, that the magazine went out without the anal (and I do mean, anal) review I'd normally have given it.

Mistakes happen. I've been in and out of the magazine business for enough years to know that almost no editorial project launches without a few glitches. Some errors are bigger than others, and the impact of those mistakes have varying consequences.

Lucky for our readers, our boo-boo in this first issue will now net someone a $40 gift card to the store of his/her choice.

Want to know more? I'm not surprised. Get the details here.

And while you're at it, why not check out our submission guidelines? The second issue launches this April, and in addition to all of your wonderful written vignettes, we're hoping to see some submissions from illustrators, photographers and designers. Go ahead, floor our inbox - we can handle it.

- Dawn

The Book In My Bag Today: Survivor in Death, J.D. Robb

Rewind. Insert Muse. Play.

I'm big enough to admit when I've made a mistake.

Last week, I made one. A big one. I chose Ian Somerhalder over Kiefer Sutherland as muse avatar. (To my credit, I tossed and turned over the decision...)

Not that Ian is ever a bad choice. It's just that I couldn't have predicted I'd need more than a sexy smile from an on-screen bad boy to face the crap storm life threw at me last week. What I really needed was a kick-ass real bad boy - on screen and off.

Whether it's writing inspiration, tackling life problems, or simply providing eye candy, Kiefer's never steered me wrong.

Plus, he's been my muse avatar before. A few times, actually. So he knows the ropes - and how to kick my butt in gear. Gently, of course.

It's taken me a year to stop thinking about Kiefer as Jack Bauer and settle him into his role on the new series, Touch (coming soon!) Before that though, I really need to cast him as muse. I've scheduled some pretty big deadlines to catch me up on everything that didn't get done last week.

Not Ian's fault.

But this week, it's Kiefer's problem. I have no doubt he'll rise to the challenge.

- Dawn

The Book In My Bag Today: Survivor in Death, J.D. Robb

It's all Greek to me

I'll be honest, ever since Jessica told me she'd booked a flight from Greece to Canada to see me (in 44 sleeps, not that I'm counting), I've been clinging to all things Greek to take my mind off what has been a tough, tough week.

Without going into great detail, my amazing stepdad suffered a stroke, and while he is beginning the (long) road to recovery, it's been an emotional and frankly, scary time.

But there IS light at the end of the tunnel. For my stepdad, certainly.

And for me, there's been an outpouring of genorosity from my family and friends.

With Jessica's impending visit (44 sleeps, not that I'm counting), it seems fitting that after long days at the hospital, I've been fortunate to spend time with my awesome friend Sue and her good friend Paul. Not only is Paul Greek (and an incredible guy), he is a wonderful chef, and tonight, after a  tough day at the hospital, I'm more than grateful to come "home" to a wonderful meal (and I do mean WONDERFUL) and a delicious glass of Greek wine (Kretikos, Jess, in case you're wondering).

Great wine. Incredible food. Amazing friends.

A recipe to help get my mind off the tough stuff.

And a fitting reminder (not that I could forget) that in 44 sleeps, I'll be enjoying a glass of wine with my amazing Australian (not a typo) friend Jess, who will be flying here from Greece. From GREECE.

Just two weeks ago, Jess and I lamented how cool it would be to peruse Vine Leaves submissions over a glass of wine. See, dreams really do come true.

- Dawn

The Book in My Bag Today: Survival in Death, J.D Robb

Baby, I'm aMUSEd by you

Follow my blog for thirty seconds and there's a high chance you'll see Ian Somerhalder on it. A picture, of course. Not Ian in the flesh. Because that would just be...awesome.

Ian is one of about three regular muse avatars - logging as much blog space as Kiefer Sutherland and Alex Skarsgard.

I've been missing True Blood (or maybe just Eric) and considered asking Alex to step up as muse this week. Especially after recently watching the somewhat messed up movie, Thirteen, where Alex has an...interesting...role...

Sidenote: If you've seen this movie and have an opinion (about Alex or otherwise), please share.

I also considered Kiefer this week. Between his upcoming internet movie, Confession, and filming of the 24 movie (eep!), and his not-soon-enough return to the small screen, Kiefer has been on my mind more than usual.

Check out the trailer for Touch, coming to Fox in March.



I couldn't help but watch and re-watch this video after seeing a tweet from superstar writer and TV reporter extraordinaire Candace Havens, where after viewing the first episode said: Wow, just wow.

That pretty much sums up how I feel about Kiefer all of the time :-)

But unlike his kick-ass role in 24, Touch features a softer side of the former Jack Bauer, and this week, I need someone a bit grittier.

Enter Ian. Again.

Vampire Diaries is back after the mid season hiatus (a painful time period I tend to refer to as torture) and while he has been showing a more compassionate, softer kind of vampire, he's still a bad ass. If anyone can get the job done, it's Damon, er Ian.

And well, I need a lot of jobs done.

I'm totally stoked about the the launch of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, but it's time to shift my focus back to my creative writing for a bit. The idea factory is churning up a storm and my brain is on overload. I'm averaging a new idea a day, and even at my best, I could never keep up.

I'm definitely not at my best.

Here's hoping Ian can kick my butt into gear and get me past the blank page.

Wishing all of YOU a productive week. Feel free to borrow my muse...

- Dawn

The Book In My Bag Today: Survivor in Death, J.D. Robb