Jaci Burton’s Muse

Time to conventionize. I’m off to the Romantic Times convention in St. Louis, where much schmoozing and note-taking and observing and photo ops will take place. I’ll try to take copious notes on any snarky bitchisms, cat fights and general misbehavior and duly file my report upon my return.

Seriously, looking forward to mingling with my fellow authors and hanging out with the readers. RT is always a blast!

And when the pictures come back, that was NOT me dancing on the table in the bar. Honest. No matter what they all say.

Please say you’ll miss me *g*

Jaci

Yes, I stole this from Shannon. Can I help it if I’m knee-deep in packing for RT and have no unique ideas of my own? *g*

Directions:
1. Take first five novels from your bookshelf.
2. Book 1 — first sentence
3. Book 2 — last sentence on page 50
4. Book 3 — second sentence on page 100
5. Book 4 — next to the last sentence on page 150
6. Book 5 — final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph.
8. Feel free to “cheat” to make it a better paragraph.
9. Name your sources
10.Post to your blog.

Okay so here’s mine:

A can of Coke fell out of the soda machine and into Captain Bree Maguire’s hand. “Damn,” he muttered, turning away from her. “Dammit all to hell.” She wanted him. “Read my mind like that.” Life was good

Sources:
Book 1 - The Legend of Banzai Maguire by Susan Grant
Book 2 - Jacob’s Faith by Lora Leigh
Book 3 - The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
Book 4 - Summer Heat by…uhhh…me *g*
Book 5 - Lucavarious by Stephanie Burke

*snicker*

that was fun

Now off to fold laundry. Shouldn’t I have servants or something? *g*

I’ve been reading some comments here and there lately posted by someone who writes erotic romance. She basically stated that erotic romance is akin to porn, it’s fluff and should be read purely for the sexual tittilation factor and immediately forgotten. That no romance novel could be considered a literary classic and in twenty years won’t be remembered.

Well I’m sorry, but I 100% disagree. I love what I write and it’s so much more than just hot sex meant to excite. I don’t write porn, though I have no objection to those who do. And to me there’s a night and day difference between romance and porn. What I write is romance. I write romances that are geared toward a woman’s heart and emotions, not her libido. I love my work. I love my heroes and heroines, their turmoils and struggles on the road to coming together. I love that part of my soul exists in every book I write.

I’ve laughed and celebrated triumphs with my characters. I’ve sobbed in the middle of writing a book, my characters’ pain tearing at my very soul. I feel every one of their emotions, and sex is such a tiny part of it all that to label my work as porn offends me deeply. Sex is the celebration of my characfters’ love for each other, only a small part of the relationship whole.

Maybe not everyone who reads my books will remember them, but if one person does, that’s a tribute that will stay with me forever. I’ve worked my ass off to gain respect as an author. Some will respect my work, some won’t. But I would expect my fellow authors to stand with me and protest the labeling of what we write as porn, not stand on the other side and label it as forgettable fluff.

How can you respect an author who clearly doesn’t respecft her own work, her own genre?

I read Kathleen Woodiwiss’ The Flame and The Flower over twenty years ago. To this day it remains one of my favorite novels. I’ve owned many copies of that book and read it over and over and over again. I will never forget that book as it was my introduction to romance, so don’t tell me that romance is forgettable. Anyone ever heard of Jane Austen? ;-)

I won the Smart Bitches Random Title Generator contest for my uber odiferous romance, “Fragrant Stinkweed”!!!!!!!

It’s a moment I’ll never forget. *sniff* It’s even more momentous than a new pope being named today.

Now if I can just figure out how to upload my new title and pic, my life will be complete.

Jaci…who thinks she’s going to go shopping for a new pair of shoes to celebrate becoming Countess Bytchenson~

I’m getting ready for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention next week in St. Louis.

What this means is that every witty brain cell I might possess has been sucked dry with thoughts of promo and packing and costumes. There’s so much to do and my head’s like a carousel going round and round and round and…

where was I?

Oh yeah. And not only that, my mother who’s 83 and forgetting everything I tell her on the phone but she wants me to come visit. This convention is non stop gatherings and workshops and parties and schmoozing and I have to leave at some point to see my mom, who can’t keep straight the days I’m going to be there anyway.

I’m going to need a vacation after this conference.

I want to write. I have great books to read. Karen Marie Moning’s …uhhh one of those Highlander books….is calling to me and I don’t have time to read it!

Sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it. The time, the expense, the travel, the hassles, the expense. Did I mention the expense? Oy.

But soon I’ll be there and I”ll have a wonderful time. Then I can come back and get ready for the RWA conference in July, along with hubby’s business trip in June and a visit to see my sons after RWA.

I’m insane.

The Smart Bitches are having a contest based on their random Romance Title Generator, which came up with some hysterical romance titles.. Yes, I entered. I chose “Fragrant Stinkeweed” as my title because…well c’mon folks…does that title reek of romance or what? *g*

Go check it out and vote for somebody. Shannon entered too (arrrrgh matey *g*).

From Shannon, who stole from others, so that makes it okay, right?

Interesting facts about me. (I don’t know how interesting, but they’re factual)

My name is Jaci Burton (sometimes, though I’m always afraid I’ll sign that name when I write a check since I use it more than my own). I was born in the midwest and lived there until I married. Then spent 2 years in northern California, 6 years in Oklahoma, 13 years in northern California and 2 years in southern California before moving to Oklahoma 4 years ago. I have been to Hawaii, Australia, Mexico and various states in the U.S., but not nearly enough of them.

It took me 20 years to get my college degree, but I did it.

I have given birth twice, raised sons and now raising a stepdaughter. I have been raising children for 26 years (yikes!). I swam with dolphins in Mexico, have seen humpback whales in Hawaii and boated alongside jellyfish and sea turtles at the Great Barrier Reef.

I spoke fluent Italian as a child and can’t remember anything but the cuss words now. I took enough French in high school to adequately butcher the language.

What haven’t I done that I wanted to? More travel. I’ve never seen the Grand Canyon or toured the south. I’ve never seen the Grand Tetons. I’ve never seen a volcano erupting. I’ve never been to Europe or Asia or South America (no, Cancun doesn’t count *g*).

I want to learn another language and speak it well enough to hold a conversation with a native of that language.

My goal in the next ten years is to retire somewhere warm with sand and beaches and ocean.

I’ve been rewriting/revising a book for the past week, and I finally realized that I have nothing cool to blog about because, frankly, revising is boring. There’s no excitement, no dilemma, just page 1, page 2, page 3…ad nauseum.

Revision Day 1 - Blog entry - I’m revising a book. Nothing exciting is happening in my life.

Revisions Day 2 - Blog entry - Still revising. Still nothing exciting.

Revisions Day 3 - Blog entry - I hate the heroine in this book. I”m going to kill her off at the end.

Revisions Day 4 - Blog entry - The hero is an arrogant prick. I’m going to have the heroine kill him before she offs herself.

Revisions Day 5 - Blog entry - Thinking of having a nuclear explosion and killing EVERYONE in the book, including the plot.

Revisions Day 6 - Blog entry - *whimper*

Revisions Day 7 - Blog entry - Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I’m sure in a few days I’ll be interesting again. Clearly it’s not happening today.

You know, the kind where nothing of importance or relevance happens? Yeah, I had one of those weekends. Nothing happened.

Well, nothing happened purposely, because both my wrists have been killing me. Bad computer posture and wayyyyy too much time on the computer. I live on this damn thing 7 days a week, 12-15 hours a day. So this weekend I took off. Went to the mall with my daughter on Saturday, watched tv Saturday night. Today I spent about 8 hours in front of the television watching golf and Van Helsing (not simultaneously *g*)

It’s probably the best weekend I can remember having for a very long time. I rested, I recharged my creative batteries, and most importantly, I gave my poor wrists a break. The last thing I need is to lose the use of my hands. Right now they’re my livelihood and it’s really too scary to even think about, let alone blog about in detail.

So now that I’ve had my Seinfeld moment and talked about ‘nothing’, I’m going to bed. :-)

My 20th Ellora’s Cave Release!