Map of New Bethlehem Flat

Bowie Bravo, whose book I'm writing now, lives in a small Northern California town up in the Sierras.  As so many of my small Northern California towns tend to be, the Flat is modeled after Downieville, California, where I spent long, lazy summers in my very excellent childhood.

Both of my parents grew up in Downieville.  On my dad's side, the roots in that Sierra soil go back five generations.

Anyway, as to the imaginary New Bethlehem Flat, to which Bowie has just returned in a snowstorm after more than six years away, above is my working map.  It's hardly high art.  And it scanned a bit faded. (double click to get a larger, clearer view)  But I don't care that it's far from gorgeous.  I always love to get out the maps I draw of the towns I make up and add the new settings that will appear in whatever book I'm writing now.

Yesterday, I added the Rossi house, where Glory Dellazola Rossi (now a widow) went to live when she married good-hearted Matteo Rossi.

So great to return to New Bethlehem Flat.  Like checking in with old and dear friends I haven't seen in a while.

Proposal Done!

Had such fun writing it.  Working title is MARRIAGE BY DECEPTION.  A whole new branch of the Bravo family.  Spent a lot of time, as I always do with the first book, figuring out the names of the siblings who will be the heroes and heroines.  This time I'm writing four brothers and five sisters.

Starting the manuscript for THE RETURN OF BOWIE BRAVO tomorrow.  A lot of readers have waited a long time for that one.  Pleased to finally be getting it written.  Oh, and I turned in the manuscript for the Montana Mavericks e-read, which will be FREE on eHarlequin for eight chapters, one a week, starting June 13th.  It's called THE TEXAS TYCOON'S RUNAWAY BRIDE.

So...lots in the works and lots coming up.

I'm also going to try to fit in a proposal for a possible Women's Fiction story.  I need more hours in every day!  Can someone arrange that for me???

Cool and rainy and gorgeous here in the Northwest.  Hope it's beautiful where you are....

Transcribing...

Currently transcribing a recorded session from a previous plot group.  Once I transcribe the session, I'll create a synopsis.  From that, with my editor's approval, I'll start writing the book, which will be the first story in my new Bravo series, Bravo Royale.  This royal branch of the family consists of four princes and five princesses.  Or at least, that's how I see this group of books at this point.

But I'm getting way ahead of myself.  Right now: transcribing.

And you know, while I'm transcribing, it would be so nice to look like the pretty Victorian lady above.  However, I don't have long, dark hair.  Or skin like the inside of a delicate china teacup.  Or a cool lacy nightgown.  As a matter of fact, I make it a point never to work in my nightgown.  I don't even have a nightgown.  I'm more the pajama type.

Plus, well, the lady in the picture (who looks suspiciously like Ann Hathaway to me) is writing by hand.  I doubt she's listening to a plot group session.

Too bad for her.

So fun to listen to the voices of my plot buddies.  I get to share the laughter and the hard work all over again.  This session is about an hour in length and so far we are not down to the actual story.  We're kind of nipping around the edges of the thing, seeking the center.

When I listen to a brainstorming session from plot group, I always find myself wondering how I got along without plot group for so many years.  I always change a lot of things.  It never ends up the same as the session.  But I start so much farther ahead with a story this way than my old method of trying to make a story from scratch with just my own ideas to make it work.

Seriously.  Nothing like a few extra brilliant brains concentrated on your story to make it achieve liftoff in a swift and satisfying fashion.

Back to work....

Home from Plot Group...

Back from plot group.  It was a good one, but they're always demanding and exhausting.  There are five of us in the group--all professional writers, all totally brilliant.  I get so many fresh ideas during those four days and four nights in Vegas.

We each bring material to brainstorm two books.  This time, I worked on a new Bravo story for Special Edition--and a Women's Fiction idea I've been considering developing.  Sometimes you just never know when an idea will take off and you'll get some really amazing ideas and approaches.  That happened with my Women's Fiction story this time.  My plot buddies were so good!  I'm in awe.  Seriously.

Then home mid-week.  To do laundry and play catch-up.  Finished my short e-story for eHarlquin.  And Travis's book, A BRAVO HOMECOMING, the last of the San Antonio Bravo stories.  Now I'm on to write Bowie's story, THE RETURN OF BOWIE BRAVO.

Here in the Pacific Northwest it's...wet and rainy.  Duh.  Hope the sun's out where you are.