On the Scent of a Woman

Shalimar.

Quick. What's that make you think of? Can you smell it?

Shalimar on cold fur, whispering against my mother’s skin as she came to tuck me in after an evening out at a fancy ball.

Shalimar means Temple of Love in Sanskrit. And really, isn’t that why we use perfume and cologne? To attract? To comfort. To leave behind a memory? I am fascinated by what people choose to dab themselves in. It’s so much more than smelling pretty, really, it’s more about who you are. Your scent says a lot about you. So don't laugh when I say this is probably the most intimate post I've ever done.

I don’t wear much perfume these days. Instead, I’m a dedicated fan of La Vanilla, which is a rollerball delivered essential oil of vanilla. It is yummy. Delicious. When I wear it my husband tells me I smell good. That’s good enough for me.

But I’ve tried my hand at a number of perfumes over the years.

I started out with the age-old classic, Love’s Baby Soft.

I remember how special I felt when I graduated to White Shoulders.

Then on to Charlie, which I always felt vaguely silly wearing.

Anäis Anäis, my first teenager girl perfume.

Tresor, my second teenage girl perfume.

Joy, which trumped all of the above and was without a doubt my signature scent from about fifteen to thirty.

Chanel no. 5, which they’ve sadly just changed the formula on.

Gio, which, to my utter horror, was discontinued and parades now as Aqua di Gio, a pale imitation of its scrumptious predecessor.

Arpege, which I still wear on occasion, but has a tendency to make drunk men corner me by the bathrooms and tell me I smell pretty.

Philosophy Love Me Tender, which I do still wear. Mostly in my hair, at the beach, for some reason.

Despite that list, I’m incredibly picky when it comes to scent. Patchouli makes me sneeze.Red Door gives me an immediate migraine. Obsession was just so, well, obsessive. Most perfumes seem too loud, too forward. And when it comes to men’s scents – forget about it.

My man wears this great subtle cologne that no one can smell but me, because you can’t smell it unless your nose is literally up against the skin. (He’s going to kill me for that. I foresee Randy being sniffed at close range at the next conference bar…)

But I’ve dated them all.

Polo – Sorry, boys, but GAG ME WITH A SPOON. Granted, Polo used with a modicum of discretion probably wouldn’t be bad, but for some reason, men loved to drown themselves in it. There was one guy in high school who you could literally smell coming from two halls away.

Royal Copenhagen – okay, that’s more like it. A subtle, powdery scent.

Davidoff Cool Water – I am so not going there… but I do still have the clear glass heart Christmas ornament he gave me. Shhh....

Drakkar Noir – It sounded so freaking cool – I wear Drakkar – but the guys who did were utter Guidos or on the wrestling team. I always wondered how that felt, being pinned to the mat by a guy wearing Drakkar. Well, how it felt for the guys. Ahem.

My Dad was an Aqua Velva Guy. I am immediately sent into his arms any time I smell it. Same with Old Spice and my grandfather.

But Shalimar… wow. A classic. We were watching MAD MEN the other night, the first season, and Joan’s roommate asks her is she’s wearing Shalimar, and I was thrust back in time, to the mirrored perfume tray on my dresser, chock full of lovely glass bottles. To the feeling of being a woman, fresh from the shower, dabbing perfume in my pressure spots – inside the wrist, inside the elbow, behind the knee, behind the ear, between the breasts. Seeing my olfactory palate change as I matured.

There’s something so indefinable, yet so concrete, about how a woman smells. And no matter what, those smells are attached to memories. Good memories, bad memories, indifferent memories. Memories that make us laugh, or cry, or feel vaguely ashamed.

Think of the pheromones we put off naturally, the undetectable aromas that attract a mate. Think of how we spent so many years disguising them, drowning out our natural scent in favor of smelling like a flower. To what end? Attracting bumblebees?

Well damn. That just makes me think about Spanish Fly.

I thought I’d drag you down memory lane with me. Tell me about your favorite scent, your favorite cologne, from now, or then. A scent that evokes a memory. Something that you love, or hate. That makes you tingle inside, or draw back in disgust.

Ready? Go!

On the Pursuit of Perfection

Randy and I were up way too late Friday night watching VH1 Classic - a favorite past time. The show was Rush in Rio, the concert that brought the band back together. We've always been big Rush fans - and I'm particularly fascinated by Neil Peart. An amazing drummer, Peart seems to me one of the great geniuses of our time, able to coax unbelievable beats from his drums, plus he writes many of the lyrics. Which are poetry, pure and simple.

I asked Randy if Peart ever talks about his gift, in terms of a gift. Or if he practices all day, every day. Or if it's a bit of both. Randy said it was definitely both and told me the story of how Peart went to New York and worked with a jazz coach to improve his skills. Neil Peart, people. Possibly the best drummer who ever lived, taking lessons.

It made me think of Tiger Woods, how back when he was at the top of his game, he got into what he perceived as a slump and switched swing coaches. Pro golfers, like pro musicians, and all pros, of every kind, practice. A lot. All day. It is their job. It is their purpose. It's how they maintain their level of professionalism. If they didn't put in the time, they'd lose their spot at the top.

Coming into the 2012 summer Olympics, we are about to see this relentless pursuit of perfection personified by the best athletes in the world. I think that's part of the draw to these events, the awe-stopping nature of knowing just how much work actually goes into getting to be world-class.

As writers, we too must practice. But I'm always surprised when I hear writers say they don't read books on the craft. It boggles my mind, really. How else are we to get better if we don't expose ourselves to other writer's stories, and either emulate or adapt our own processes and thinking to theirs? How else will we sharpen our intuition and experiment?

I just ordered WRITING THE BLOCKBUSTER NOVEL by Al Zuckerman, Ken Follett's agent, based on a conversation I had with Laura Lippman, Jeff Abbott and others on Facebook. Laura mentioned a method she was using to outline her story, and kindly shared her actual outline. In reading it, I realized what I was doing wrong. Not wrong, exactly, because it works, I was just making things so much more difficult for myself. I now have a new method to try, to practice with, to hone into my own.

We must read, and write every day. And if a cool craft book comes your way, by all means, read it. You never know what you might learn. Here's a list of craft books I think are tops in the field, in no particular order:

On Writing - Stephen King
Write Away - Elizabeth George
The Writer's Journey - Christopher Vogler
Screenwriting Tips for Authors - Alexandra Sokoloff
Forest For The Trees - Betsy Lerner
The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
The Creative Habit – Twyla Tharp
Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life – Winifred Gallagher
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Hamlet's Blackberry - William Powers
The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron

Do you have any favorite ways to learn?

On Those Naughty Sex Books

Remember when your mom hid that paperback in her purse growing up? She'd get flustered when you went diving into it's depth for change or a lollipop or a tissue. Its cover was white, its title was in big red letters, there were certain pages dog-eared, the crease so over-folded it was tearing a bit in the corner. You'd try to pull it out and your mom's face would whiten, here eyes would widen, and she'd grab it from you and stuff it back inside. "That's Mummy's book, honey. What do you need? I'll get it for you."

You took your quarter or lolly or tissue and went along your path. 

And maybe, later, if you were a precocious brat like me, you'd sneak into her purse after she went to bed, to see what was so forbidden.

That's how I discovered a few books that I perhaps didn't really understand completely. The Kama Sutra. Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid To Ask). Hot, steamy romances (those were most of the ones with the pages dog-eared.)

My parents, God bless them, were (and still are) huge readers. I was encouraged to read, and took advantage, because the escape, the imagination, matched my temperament perfectly. I read adult books alongside children's books. I read Roots in preparation for the miniseries, the same with The Thorn Birds. (Don't I remember a steamy sex scene in that? Forbidden sex?)

Every generation has their "book". You know the one I'm talking about - it's naughty. It's got sex - real sex, not the longing kind of stuff that fast forwards through the act itself. One of the more adventurous women in the neighborhood would get the book, read it, dog-ear the good parts, and pass it around.  Down and dirty and real. Women discuss it in hushed whispers, in person, passing along the books like contraband. 

Even teens always find a book that they relate to. In my time, it was Judy Blume's Forever. The concept of losing our virginity was fast becoming a reality, and that book taught us how it should be - with someone we love - and what can go wrong - free milk from the cow syndrome. It was titillating and terrifying, and so very adult.

This generation had Twilight - and yes, I know it's dumb that the vampires sparkle, but the message of abstinence until marriage - coming from the BOY - wasn't the worst thing our teens could hear. I don't know of anyone who was hurt by waiting to have sex.

Contrary to some schools of thought, we women do like sex. How else do you explain all these kids running around, not to mention the huge demand for birth-control, and the too-high abortion rates? And we like to read a bit of spicy writing. I daresay some of us even like to watch a little spicy television and see some spicy movies, too. A little spicy on the screen and inside the book covers equals a little spicy inside the bed covers, if you catch my drift.

So why has the worldwide phenomenon that is 50 SHADES OF GREY become a practically overnight sensation? It is hardly the first book featuring kinky sex to hit the marketplace, to get passed around, to have blow out book sales, to have everyone's tongues wagging.

BUT.........

It is the first of the digital age. It is the first completely private, far reaching book of erotica. It is the first time a private woman can go to a private bookstore with utter anonymity, ie: sitting by herself on her couch, and download a word of mouth sensation. She can read it, and be titillated by it, in private.

This is powerful. A major shift in the delivery method of the written word. I would bet that the erotic market is going to have a nice boom from this, at last. Some superbly written erotica exists already, so I hope the phenomenon continues.

I haven't read the book. It has absolutely nothing to do with anything I've heard from the book's detractors - the writing is terrible, it's just like Twilight (Hey, I LIKED Twilight), it's smut. No, I haven't read it because I don't get my jollies from S&M. Remember 9 1/2 weeks? I HATED how that went. His dominance, her submissiveness. Same thing here. I think we should all be equals. It's just me. Not saying S&M is bad, or anything, it's just not my particular kink. 

But if 50 Shades of Grey gets us talking about sex, gets us in bed with our partners more, helps save a few relationships, then I'm all for it.

See Page 76. I hear that's where all the good stuff happens. 

On Love Is Murder Release Day

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Between the Lines of LOVE IS MURDER edited by Sandra Brown a special bonus interview for Big Thrill newsletter subscribers by Julie Kramer LOVE IS MURDER says it all. Story after story. Romantic suspense is the theme of the latest International Thriller Writers anthology. Sandra Brown, author of more than sixty New York Times bestselling novels, immediately accepted the task of editing the short story collection even though she's never written a short story herself. “The challenge of writing a short story is so daunting to me,” she said.  “I'd rather write a full-length novel than even attempt a short story because a good one requires a particular talent that, sadly, I don't have. That's why I was so impressed by the cleverness of the stories.” The book's appeal is also that Brown shares her gut reaction to each narrative's mechanics and passion, heightening readers' expectations story-by-story. “These writers knew what they were doing,” she said. “Each is different. Some are poignant, others scary. Some focus on high octane action, while others are shatteringly emotional or psychologically terrifying.  Reading them for the first time, I was truly, jaw-droppingly amazed by the variety of talent.”          Brown says the allure of romantic suspense as a genre comes because it crosses over so many other genres -- mystery, thrillers, even science fiction.  “Diehard readers of those genres find all the elements they expect and favor, plus the love story angle. The romance adds spice, certainly, but it also raises the stakes for the protagonists.  Love is a dramatic and powerful motivator that can instill in a character strong emotions like rage, bravery, despair, all of which makes for great storytelling.”   Cameos by Series Characters    Many of the anthology authors used familiar characters from their novels in their short stories, including Allison Brennan. Her series protagonists Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan appear in “Vacation Interrupted” to save a drowning man only to discover he's not out of danger yet.   “This story gives my fans a snapshot of my characters between books and allows new readers a chance to meet them,” she said.   “No dead bodies, no psychopaths, no one trying to kill us.”   As managing editor of the ITW anthology, Brennan sized up the challenges: “Romantic suspense is more complicated than most thrillers because it requires three central characters  -  a heroine, hero and villain. That's a lot of conflict to fit in a few thousand words.”   Brennan says most of the sex in LOVE IS MURDER comes from sexual tension.    Lori Armstrong's short is definitely the exception. In “Holding Mercy,” her western series star, Mercy Gunderson, can't have a normal date night without things going wrong.   The bad thing about wearing a tight black dress? No place to put my gun.   Yet the story moves from Mercy and her man, Dawson, making up to making out to making love in a sizzling sex scene climax. How did Armstrong fit plot and sex in the three-thousand word story?   “I wasn't going to force putting sex in,” she said, “but it worked. When I started writing the story, I wasn't sure there would be time for the characters to have sex because I tend to write long. But in the end, it worked.”    Stand-Alone Shorts    Most of the stories stand by themselves, with no connection to previous work by the authors. But  romantic suspense is no guarantee the characters will live happily ever after. Take Julie Kenner's “The Honeymoon.”  A bridal couple on a road trip run into trouble...and when their honeymoon is over, so is their marriage.   “I need sleep.” She rubbed her hand along his thigh. “And sex. New brides need lots of sex.”   “I love noir films and novels, “Kenner said, “and I've always been particularly fascinated with endings that are both twisted and dark. I wanted to have fun with the journey, but knew from the start that it wouldn't have a happy ending.”   The time it takes to write a short story can stretch long.  J.T. Ellison wrote a version of “The Number of Man” - a TV anchorwoman stalker tale - and shelved it for six years.   It began in a single moment, the briefest of connections.   “When the chance came to write a story for a romantic suspense anthology, I immediately pulled it out,” she said, now having the confidence to write the multiple points of view and up the creep factor in her villain. “What could be more romantic than a stalker, really?”    Ellison says the obsession displayed in her story was inspired by an actual criminal. “The Wooded Rapist here in Nashville. We’d just moved to a house that backed to the woods – and I was warned about him. He only struck on rainy nights, at houses that backed to the woods. Freaked me right out, and variations of his character began to work their way into my stories.”   Tough Guys Penning Romantic Suspense?   Of the 29 stories in LOVE IS MURDER, eight were written by men, including Robert Browne whose story “Speechless” deals with a mother-daughter conflict over a boyfriend. Browne wrote the piece from a woman's perspective in first person so effectively the editor didn't realize he was male.     The only reason I was there was because of my mother.   So what's a tough guy like him doing in a romantic suspense anthology?   “Seriously, I'm not much for labels,” Browne said. “To my mind a story is a story and every story I write has some romance in it, so this didn't seem like much of a stretch to me.”   Browne has written five thrillers, but also found the short story format more difficult. “Fewer words makes it much harder for me. You have to tell a complete story in a few thousand words and that's a very tough thing to do. Novels give you room to explore. With short stories you have to get in and get out as quickly as possible, and hope you made an impact on the reader while you were there.”   Setting as a Character   In person, Heather Grahamexudes a theatrical presence, so no surprise her story, “Grave Danger” takes place in a special effects production studio. Stage props of zombies and werewolves abound, but it's the hint of real life paranormal that makes readers think about the life and death tale long after it's over.   The shuffling sound of footsteps had brought her here.   Graham's inspiration doesn't always come from her imagination. “I have a friend who works at such a studio and I was still in wonder of all the things I'd seen there,” she said. “She created the little pig that goes “wee, wee, wee,” all the way home in the car the insurance commercials. She also dresses Robert Downey Jr. When he's being Ironman.  Seeing her work and how so much was created was truly an awesome experience.”   If you can't get enough of where all her action happens, the studio setting plays an encore appearance in her upcoming thriller, The Unholy.   Wildcard Winners   While most of the LOVE  IS MURDER stories came from popular authors who were recruited to pen a piece for the anthology, three were selected from 68 blind submissions. Among them, Dr. D.P. Lyle - best known for his medical thrillers and acclaimed nonfiction forensics books.  He was stunned when “Even Steven,” the first short story he's ever written, was declared a winner. His premise centers on revenge: What if a couple decided to kill the murderer of their only child?   “I can still smell him.”   “I wrote it in a weekend,” Lyle said. “I knew the beginning, middle and end in my head. Months and months passed and I didn't hear anything.” Finally, the wait was over. “An editor at Mira called to say she loved it and that everyone in their office was talking about my story. 'We want to know what happens next,' she told me. “Have you considered turning it into a novel?'”   So he did. And Run to Ground will be released by Oceanview Publishing in August.   Lyle hopes the behind-the-scenes story of his success will inspire other writers to try short stories and not be discouraged by authors who claim they are difficult.  “I like to think of myself as a natural born teacher. I hope someone says 'If that dufus can do it, I can do it.”    Breaking Rules?   The unusual structure of Lee Child'sstory, “I Heard a Romantic Story,” stands out from the pack:  a six-page paragraph from the point of view of an assassin. He hooks readers from the first line to the last.    I heard a romantic story. It was while I was waiting to kill a guy.   “I re-read the story when I saw the galleys and I thought, what was I smoking?” Child said. “I treat all short story commitments as a chance to experiment and this is what came out that time. I wrote it in one sitting and didn't revise it. I think novelists see shorts differently from their readers. I just hope mine cut me some slack.”   As editor, Sandra Brown had no worries about his unconventional approach. “The only problem I have with Lee Child is that he doesn't write fast enough.  I could read something new from him every day.”   For readers looking for new material from their favorite writers or to find new authors, LOVE IS MURDER delivers plenty of intrigue. The anthology has garnered critical acclaim, including a starred review from Publisher's Weekly: “Chockablock with nifty plot twists, these stories aren’t to be missed.”  “Absolutely superb.” Doug Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author Now available online and in bookstores!   Go on vacation with Allison Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire’s “bullet catcher”–bodyguard Donovan Rush–who may have met his match in the sexually charged “Diamond Drop.” Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child’s pitch-perfect “I Heard a Romantic Story” puts a whole new spin on Love Is Murder. Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, PIs, killers–these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night. With original short stories from Lori Armstrong, Jeff Ayers, Beverly Barton, William Bernhardt, Allison Brennan, Robert Browne, Pamela Callow, Toni McGee Causey, Lee Child, JT Ellison, Bill Floyd, Cindy Gerard, Heather Graham, Laura Griffin, Vicki Hinze, Andrea Kane, Julie Kenner, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, Jon Land, D.P. Lyle, James Macomber, Carla Neggers, Brenda Novak, Patricia Rosemoor, William Simon, Alexandra Sokoloff, Roxanne St. Claire, Mariah Stewart, and Debra Webb, you won’t want to miss this! Join the Love Is Murder Thriller Roundtable discussion for a chance to win a free copy! Join Love Is Murder contributors William Simon, Laura Griffin, Jon Land, Alexandra Sokoloff, Jeff Ayers, Diana Love, James Macomber, and J. T. Ellison as they discuss the inspiration behind their anthology short stories. Post a comment for a chance to win one of 3 copies! May 28 - June 3 - only on The Big Thrill! Watch the trailer!   “An absolute must-buy for thriller readers everywhere.” Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author “I love this book and you will, too.” Tess Gerritsen, International bestselling author “Gripping, exciting, engaging–every story will leave you breathless.” Karin Slaughter, #1 Internationally bestselling author “A slam-dunk collection of the best in the business.” Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author “For romantic suspense lovers, this is magical mayhem loaded with bark and bite. Downright beguiling.” Jeffery Deaver, International #1 bestselling author “It’s like a box of chocolates–each one is different, but they’re all great.” Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author You are receiving this e-mail because you opted in at one of our web-sites. Unsubscribe <<Email Address>> from this list. Our mailing address is: International Thriller Writers, Inc. 2313 I Street Eureka, CA 95501 Copyright (C) 2011 International Thriller Writers Inc All rights reserved. Forward this email to a friend

On Rejection

I've been watching a young writer friend go through the tumultuous, difficult, heart-rending process of querying her first YA novel. She's been rejected half a dozen times now, but not form letters. The rejections have been constructive, and have changed her writing. She's taken each letter, carefully listened to the suggestions, gone back into her manuscript and tightened, revised, fixed. Several agents has offered to reread the manuscript if revised, or to submit new material.

I've been watching her work, and trying to help, to guide, though I know she is truly on this journey alone. It is her baby. It is her feelings hurt. It is her spirit that must survive the onslaught of people saying you're good, chick, you're really good. You're just not quite good enough for me, right now.

Right now.

Two very little words, that equal hope.

Right now means you've got talent, sister. You can turn a phrase and make it weep. But you need to keep tightening, keep revising, keep making that book as good as you can make it, and then send it out again. Which, in all facets, is rather uplifting. Revision is the writer's greatest asset, our finest tool. If you can't revise, you can't write.

Listen, getting rejected sucks donkey butts. There's no two ways around it. But it is also a part of the process. New writers often think that once you make it through the "doors" into the publishing world, by landing an agent and a deal, you never face rejection again.

Oh, darlings. If only that were true.

Not a lot of published authors talk about it, but we get rejected all the time. A proposal doesn't work. A reviewer slams us. Our agent doesn't like the new direction we're headed. Is it as sting-ey as those first few rejections when you start out? Actually, yeah, it is. It may almost be harder because you've done it before, once, or twice, or twenty times, and suddenly, all stop, now, this doesn't work for us can be very demoralizing.

I did a piece on rejection early on in my career. Back when I thought that once I was through the doors, the rejections would magically disappear. I share it with all of you again, simple because it bears repeating. Rejection happens. It's how we deal with it that defines us. I've pulled this from that piece. Hope it helps.

Rejection Do's and Don'ts

Do – Give yourself permission to be upset when a rejection comes. If a piece of chocolate or an ice cream cone will make you feel better, then have it. Enjoy a drink with friends. Be social.

Don’t – Comfort yourself with destructive behaviors, like going out on the town and ending up blowing in a tube. It’s just a rejection letter, not the end of the world.

Do – Go for a walk.

Don’t – Burn your manuscript, shred your notes, and delete all the files on your computer. Seriously.

Do – Take a day off from writing and read a book.

Don’t – Call all your friends and tell them you’ve decided not to be a writer anymore.

Do – Step away from the computer for a few hours, allow yourself a break from the cycle.

Don’t – Call the originator of your rejection to ask why they didn’t like your project. Really, that’s just not a good idea.

Do – Reorganize your office.

Don’t – Quit writing.

Do – Something productive that will allow you to feel better. My personal favorite? Staples therapy. New pens always put me in a better mood.

Don’t – Give up. We’ve all been there. Commiserate for a day, then get back to it.There will be more rejections in your life. But if you persevere, there will be bigger triumphs in the end.