Time and the writer's life by Lisa Mondello

Time, time, time. There never seems to be enough of it. If I could extend the day by 12 hours I might be able to get through it getting everything done that I want to get done. But alas, the day is not 36 hours long. I have to squeeze my to-do list in a mere 24 hours like everyone else. Most of the time I forgo sleep to do it.

Like most busy people, I have to juggle work, family obligations, writing deadlines and manage to squeeze in the occasional book to read. It's really not unlike other non-writers who lead full lives. With one exception. My office is mobile.

Take today. I have a deadline on a freelance project I'm working on. I also have to cart the kids around to their summer jobs since they don't have a car of their own to drive. With two kids at home, that means I could easily spend 3-4 hours a day just driving when I could be writing! I'm no electronic geek by any stretch, but a few little modern mobile devices like my Nook Color, cell phone with Internet access, laptop with wi-fi connection and Dragon Naturally Speaking software I can turn just about anything from the car to Dunkin Donuts into my office. And since a lot of places now have wi-fi (I have them all mapped out.) I can do just about any kind of work that I need to get done while on the road.

I get a lot of strange looks from people. I'll give you that. But it gets the job done at the end of the day. And if I'm super organized and take 10 minutes to throw something into the crock pot in the morning, I don't even have to make dinner when I get home.

What are your time saving tools/strategies to get through the day? I'm always up for a new way to make things easier.

Many blessings, Lisa

http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com

The woes of waiting...by Lisa Mondello

I don't think I ever grew up. Seriously. Does one every grow up and out of anticipation angst? If so, I haven't.

I've had a proposal at Love Inspired for exactly a week and I'm already pacing the floor like a kid waiting for Christmas or my birthday. I'm quite excited about this as I always am when I send in a new proposal. Will my editor like it? Will the senior editor offer me a contract? I hope so. I so want to write this book.

But, since there is always a chance they may NOT like the story, I hold myself back from continuing too much on the story. Why finish a story that ultimately will never be published? (Let's hope that's not the case, but just suppose for a minute.) If I spend all my time writing this book and it's a no go, I may be wasting one to two months of writing time for something that will never see the light of day. Been there. Done that. Just because I'm published doesn't mean I never see the R word anymore. I do. And I have the bruises to prove it.

But, alas, sometimes it's hard to tear myself away from a story I've fallen in love with. So what do I do?

1. Keep a file and give myself an occasional day to work on that story just so I don't lose the passion for the story and characters, but not enough to keep me from writing other things.
2. Work on my next proposal. If this one is a no-go, I want to be ready with something else. That's not always possible. But if I can do it, it makes life easier down the road. If the story IS a go, I have my next story already started.

Does this help the waiting? Sadly, no. I still obsess. And I will keep obsessing until I get feedback from my editor on the story. Luckily for me obsession doesn't keep me from writing. And I have a vast many writer friends who are in the same boat as me so I can vent and whine. (Bowing head in shame. Yes, I occasionally whine about my writing.) And my agent is always good to me, so all is good on that front.

Rest assured, as soon as I know the status of my proposal. So will you! You'll just have to live with me obsessing until I do.

Until next time, many blessings...
Lisa Mondello
http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com

The Black Moment by Lisa Mondello

As a reader, the black moment is the point of the story that always has me glued to the story. It doesn't matter if I have to cook dinner (I read while I'm cooking) or pick up the kids from school or work (warning, I may be late) or have to work on my book. (Okay, I do tear myself away to get pages written.)

It's the point where the story picks up "speed" because all seems lost, I'm sure the hero and heroine aren't going to get together and they can't resolve their problems, and I can't wait to find out how they actually do!

As a writer, I hate the black moment. I do. I become fully invested in my characters as I write them. Usually by the time I get to that big moment, I care so much about them that I...don't want to hurt them. I don't want to put them through pain or have their heart ripped out. I'm a nice person and I want to be nice to them.

But that's no good. And I know this in my head and need to convince my heart to go along with it every time I write the black moment in a book. In real life, we hate seeing people we care about struggle and suffer. In fiction, it's perfection. The more torture we inflict on them, the better the payoff is. Don't you think?

What's your opinion? Nice black moment? Or put the characters through torture? I vote for torture. It's the only way that makes fiction grab me by the throat and keep me reading until the end.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

Snow, Plants, Sunshine and...more Plants by Lisa Mondello

After seeing Ramona's beautiful Tulip pictures yesterday, I'm longing for spring. But Mother Nature is playing an April Fool's joke on us in New England. Again. Yes, it's snowing. And all those beautiful daffodil and crocus sprouts that have been poking out of the ground in my yard for the past week are now covered with snow. In fact, there are plants all over my yard that are just waiting for beautiful sunshine and warmth so they can grow, grow, grow. And it won't be a moment too soon for me!

Today I want to talk about plants of another kind. These are the plants we use when writing novels or those that are put into movies. You know the kind I'm talking about. When the camera shows a picture of a knife on the counter for a few seconds, you just know the hero or heroine is going to need to use that knife to defend themselves later in the movie.

Plants (some call it foreshadowing) in a story are important. They create connection from one point in the story to another. They also give credibility to the story and add to the suspense. For instance, early in the movie What Lies Beneath with Harrison Ford and Michelle Phieffer, we see one of them trying to use their cell phone because they're stuck at bridge, try to make a call on the cell phone and there is no signal. That's a plant. Later in the movie (when the suspense kicks in) this earlier plant is important because then Michelle Pheiffer's character is desperate to make a call for help. Where is she? At the bridge where there is no signal.

In movies, plants can be introduced with a quick visual. In novels, we must describe them and integrate them into the story seamlessly. You can't rely on a camera to silently capture the knife on the counter. Like in What Lies Beneath, the plants in novels must be integrated into the story so it seems natural. You really want the viewer/reader to say, "Don't go to the bridge! You won't be able to call for help!" And then of course, send them there, because let's face it, it's suspense and we want to be unable to sit in our seat. As much as we hate it, we want to see the trainwreck coming just so we can see the person on the tracks miraculously saved at the last second. (Okay, that trainwreck thing is kind of cliche but it still works!)

Plants don't have to be tangible things like a knife or no cell phone signal. And they don't have to be in just suspense stories. Plants play an important part of all stories! A plant can be a unique character action that seem like nothing until it suddenly shows itself as something important later in the story. For instance, in the movie Julie and Julia, we see Julia Child walking in the park with her husband and looking longingly at a baby carriage as it goes by. It's a natural thing for people to do. Babies bring out smiles. But for Julia, it's more than that and yet we don't really know it at that moment. But later on when Julia gets a letter from her sister telling her that she's pregnant, the moment in the park comes to life when Julia reacts by breaking down in tears. At that moment we realize that Julia, while happy for her sister, is upset because she can't have a baby herself. We see that emotional struggle. Without that initial plant, the impact of this scene wouldn't be as strong.

A great movie that had lots of plants and then revealed them all in the end was The Sixth Sense. What are your favorite plants in movies and books? Describe them here. Did you see it coming? Or were you blown away and left making the connection to everything afterward?

Until next time, many blessings!

Lisa Mondello

http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com/

In a Doctor's Arms 3/11 Love Inspired Romance

Daffodils and Crocuses...and Prayers for Japan from Lisa Mondello

It's been a long, cold and snowy winter and the walls are starting to close in on me. Do you know what I'm talking about? We've had so much snow in New England that I thought I was going to have to permanently wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from the sun's glare off the snow. But all that is washing away...and I mean WASHING away. I live pretty high on a hill and with all the newly melted snow and rain (thank goodness it's rain and not more snow) there is a river running down my street. It's truly a mess.

BUT...and here is my silver lining...I can finally see the ground in parts of my yard. The newly melted snow has given way to the big reveal of crocuses and daffodils popping up out of the ground. It always puts a smile on my face when I see these beautiful little nubs of green. It means that pretty soon I can throw open all my windows and breath some fresh spring air in the house. I can get outside and clean up the mess winter has made in the yard. And it means that summer is on it's way!

You can tell I've been cooped up in my house too long, huh? I've got serious cabin fever and am ready to break out of these four walls. How about you? Do you have spring fever? I couldn't possibly be the only one. Let me know what you're doing to prepare for spring.

Changing subjects, I'm sure you've seen the news of massive earthquake in Japan. I just want to take a moment to offer prayers to everyone affected and my hopes that the coming tsunamis are not devastating to those involved.

Many blessings to all, Lisa Mondello

http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com
In a Doctor's Arms is on the bookstores shelf RIGHT NOW!

New York Times Best Seller's Extended List...

I had something else to post about today but this is just way too cool not to share. Our very own Craftie Lady, Lenora Worth, has made the New York Times extended list! WHOOHOO, Lenora! I'm so proud of you. Body of Evidence is out this month, so make sure you pick up a copy.

Here is the link to the list... Best Sellers - The New York Times

Please leave a comment and cheer Lenora on and let her know how excited we are for her!! You go girl!

Many blessings, Lisa Mondello

Having Your Book Come to Life on the BIG Screen...

Every writer dreams in movies. Well, I don't know about you but I do. All my story ideas come to me as if they've been filmed on location wherever they're set. I scout out locations to make sure my story is being set in the right place. As the puzzle writer, I write my scenes out of order as I see them play out in my head. I back up and reshoot scenes in my head as I'm writing to get things right.

As a novelist, I dream of one day having one of my books turned into a movie. But not all books are meant to be movies and not all books turn out the same when they're made into a movie. That's what I'd like to explore a little here.

With so much attention on the Twilight and Harry Potter craze, I hear people saying things like, "The book was so much better" or "I can't believe they changed my favorite character in the movie. He was so cool in the book." When I saw Lord of the Rings (A trilogy that I loved!) there'd been enough years (read many) since I'd read the story that a lot of the detail had become a blur to me. I wasn't upset by absences in the movie or changes that were made. But I sure heard some noise from others who were disappointed.

Think of a book that you've read that has been made into a movie. I'm thinking of The Horse Whisperer. Fantastic book and fantastic movie in my opinion. I won't give out any spoilers here, except to say that I thought the ending in the movie, which was different from the ending in the book, was much more satisfying.

That was a small change. What about a story with a big change. Meg Cabot spoke at the RWA Conference a few years back and talked about how when she wrote The Princess Diaries the dad has a large role in the story and the grandmother was very minor. Since the studio wanted Julie Andrews to play role of the grandmother, they needed to make her part bigger so they wanted to make the dad go away by having him die before the movie starts. Great fix. Get rid of dad. Swap lines. Julie's got a bigger part. I'll admit I didn't read the book. I only saw the movie. But my daughter read the book and although she enjoyed the movie, she thought it makes for a much different story with the dad being the one to guide Mia to throne.

Think of the books you've read that have been turned into movies. Which movies stayed true to the book and which ones differed greatly from the original story? Tell me about them and why you liked or disliked them.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/

http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com/

Killer Chocolate: A Valentine Mystery PART 12 Lisa Mondello

PART 12 - Lisa Mondello

As the grid disappeared, Rouen turned back and looked deeply in Lovey's terrified eyes. She looked up at him with eyes so vulnerable, yet strong and determined. And with such trust. It was if..

Did she truly not know that he was really Ryan? There was a moment when she'd uttered the date they were to be married 5 years ago that he wondered. The look on her face had brought him back to when she was his and they'd made plans for a lifetime together.

How could she have kissed him—even the brief kiss they'd shared—and not remember him? Rouen had shed his former identity 5 years ago when the Luxor Project had taken a turn for the worst and he realized that Creamer had betrayed everyone. He'd fooled everyone. But surely his Lovey would know him.

"Interesting that you just happened to have the combination to unlock the grid," Athena said. He'd almost forgotten about the gun Athena still had trained on Lovey. "All these years and I had the answer I was looking for right under my nose. I should have brought you here years ago, Lovey."

"How can you do this, Athena? I thought we were friends?" Lovey said, tears filling her eyes.

"Friends? Well, we had some laughs, sure. But there are more important things than friendship. Now walk on through ahead of me. If the information I uncovered in Egypt is correct, Ryan would have put the Luxor Diamond in this chamber. If you're lucky, it's still here."

"And if we're not?" Rouen said. Of course, he knew the Luxor Diamond was here. It was only recently that he deciphered the cryptic notes his partner had left him just before his death. There were five different places the Luxor Diamond could be. He'd checked 4 of them already. The last place was here.

"Silly me. I guess I'll be the only one who is lucky. You two will just be dead. Too bad Ryan isn't here to see me steal back the diamond he stole from me."

"Diamond? This is all about a diamond?"

"Keep moving," Rouen said quietly watching the two glowing lights meander toward Athena's back. "And stay behind me."

Athena's face showed twisted satisfaction as they slowly moved in the darkness of the chamber toward the platform where his partner stowed the artifacts Creamer and his cronies were selling for profit instead of giving them to the government. The platform was high enough that the water wouldn't reach it. All the artifacts were here, waiting for the time when Rouen had solid proof of Creamer and Athena's criminal dealings.

But there was only 1 piece that Athena and Creamer had been interested in. The Luxor Diamond, a 32 carat uncut diamond that when cut would be worth nearly 8 million dollars.

As he flashed the light onto the wall, the boxes of artifacts came into few.

"Which one is it? I know you know, Rouen. Ryan must have told you."

He knew. But only because of the description of the box his partner had left for him. His eyes immediately found the one brown leather box in the center of the shelf. His hands touched the dusty leather before flipping the lid open.

Lovey gasped when she saw the diamond nestled on blue crushed velvet. Even uncut, Rouen had to admit the stone was magnificent.

What should have brought hope and prosperity for the developing country that mined the diamonds, only brought despair when the riches were used for evil. Two key people on the project, his partners, had been mysteriously killed as well as their families. Everyone he was close to was in danger, especially Lovey.

How could he have married her and put her at risk? And for what? The chocolate diamond that would one day be cut and shine a brilliant canary yellow and be worth a fortune. Soon after his disappearance, Creamer had planted himself across the street from Lovey's chocolate shop and Athena had gone to work for Lovey. They were too close. They were watching her every move in the hopes that Lovey would lead them to Ryan.

That's when Ryan had become a ghost of the past and his fictitious twin brother was born as way for him to safely uncover the Luxor Diamond. And everything he'd wanted for himself…and Lovey was suddenly out of reach. If he'd contacted her to tell her the truth, she would have been used as a pawn to get to him. Only when he was able to deliver the diamond to the proper authorities and expose Creamer's criminal dealings would he and Lovey have a life together.

That is, if she'd still have him. After seeing her today, feeling her next to him, he prayed that she would. If they could make it out of the cave with Luxor, they had a chance.

"Out of my way," Athena snarled, snatching the diamond from the velvet box.

Just then, the glowing lights that had stealthy moved into the cave came into view. Only this time from above on the shelf. Cupid screeched and jumped onto Athena, scratching her face, startling her enough that she dropped the gun.

With Athena screaming in pain, Rouen grabbed the diamond from Athena's hand. Cupid whined and weaved around his feet as the sound of rushing water echoed in the cave.

"High tide?" Lovey asked. A rush of cold breeze blew Lovey's hair across her delicate face as a rush of water filled the floor of the cave and submerged them to their knees.

"We can't go back the way we came in," Rouen said. With the diamond in his hand, Rouen scooped Cupid up out of the water and handed her to Lovey. "Hold on to her tight. This is going to get rough. But I think I know a way out."

Taking Lovey by the hand he turned as a wall of water hit them in the back. He was able to climb onto the ledge and lift Lovey and Cupid up as well. The slice of light above was their only way out. It was either fight for life or die trying. Rouen knew one thing. He wouldn't lose Lovey again. He prayed with every fabric of his being that God would lead them out of the darkness and into the light before the tide swallowed them.

With So Much Talk of Tiger Woods...Where is Christmas?

Are we missing the reason for the season?

I don't know about you, but it's always been hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit until the week of Christmas. I put my Christmas tree up, decorate the house a little with some Christmas decorations and turn up the volume on the CD player as I listen to Christmas Carols.

This is my Christmas Tree in my living room. Okay, it's not as grand as the White House Christmas Tree or the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. But in the coming days I know I will enjoy looking at it more and more because I will find the meaning of the season that always escapes me this time of the year when I'm walking through the mall with the kids or going through the motions. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. And oh, what a splendid birthday celebration that is. It saddens me that we forget that when we become so wrapped up in buying presents and...well, wrapping.

But my Christmas spirit will come. It always does. And by the time Christmas Day arrives, my heart will be overflowing with Christmas cheer. I hope all of you are filled with the spirit of Christmas while you go through your daily lives. Tell me, what do you do to get into the spirit of Christmas? Do you have a favorite holiday tradition? If so, please share it with us.

If you're still looking for a great stocking stuffer, please visit your local bookstore or Amazon.com for Yuletide Protector, my December 2009 release from Love Inspired Suspense.

Until next time, many blessings to you all, Lisa Mondello

YULETIDE PROTECTOR INTERVIEW

Today we're welcoming Daria Carlisle, the heroine of Yuletide Protector by Lisa Mondello, Love Inspired Suspense December 2009.

Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.
Hi, I was married for all the wrong reasons. After traveling around from place to place as a child, I wanted a real home and thought my ex-husband would give me that. I was wrong. He wanted me dead and tried to hire an undercover police officer to kill me!

2. So, during the book you met Police Officer, Kevin Gordon. Tell us a bit about him. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love?
I'd met Kevin at the market and thoughthe was really cute. He told me he was a police officer and I foolishly thought he wanted to talk about the vandalism in my neighborhood.I've never been bold or brave when it came to men, but I invited him back to my house to show him first hand the graffiti spray painted on my house. Only he wasn't there about the graffiti. He was there to tell me my ex-husband had just tried to hire him to kill me. He wanted me to leave town, but I'd sunk all my money into my fixer upper and had no money to leave.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness?
I can do carpentry. Good thing because this old house needs a lot of work. I'm also pretty independent. Having to make friends quickly and leave town on a moments notice growing up made me learn the hard way how to do for myself. And I am pretty stubborn. When I get my mind set, it's hard to change it.

4. What scares you?
Right now? My ex-husband and feeling powerless.I'm not sure what he'll do next. Strange things are happening around me and I'm sure he's at the bottom of it.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would try to be less independent and allow people to help me. I don't ask for help and always think I need to do things on my own. It's been like that my whole life. But I'm learning through love that it's good to lean on others and allow them the opportunity to help. I don't have to be alone.

6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story?
I'd never had a relationship with God before I'd met Kevin Gordon. It's not that I'd rejected faith, I just wasn't exposed to it in my life. Kevin showed me how having a relationship with God could be a foundation that can give you strength and help guide you.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?
I've accepted God into my life and my heart. It was a big revelation for me. Even if Kevin Gordon hadn't stayed in my life, I realized that I still wanted to know God.

8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story. Tell us why this scripture is significant.
Jesus said that if you believe, all things are possible. It's sometimes hard to see that when things are so bleak. But when I opened my heart to God, I saw that I was stronger than I thought and that I could take back the security that I thought had been taken from me.

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why?
A Hershey's chocolate bar. I can't seem to get enough of those!!


Thank you Lisa for sharing Daria with us today. This sounds like an exciting read!

Inspiration and Susan Boyle

It's hard for me to believe that there is anyone who hasn't heard about Susan Boyle and her stunning appearance on Britain's Got Talent. Just in case you haven't heard about her, here is the link to her audition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcQ9A-5noM&feature=PlayList&p=41424DCD1015CA16&index=0&playnext=1

I find this video so very inspirational. Here's an unemployed woman who'd always longed to be a singer. Even though she didn't fit the stereotype of what a superstar was, she gathered her courage, walked out onto the stage in front of Simon (that's scary enough) and sang her little heart out. I cry every time I see this video. When I heard on the news that Susan Boyle has a new CD out I decided to watch the video again. And cried again. It's simply beautiful.

It's important to remember sometimes that dreams, though fragile, can be achieved if you take the step to reach for them. And inspiration can come from the most unlikely places. I'm fortunate enough that my dream of publishing with Steeple Hill was achieved and continues. If you have a story of someone who dared to dream and achieved it, please post it here. We can all use a little inspiration sometimes.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

Things to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving

Hello from Lisa Mondello. I was going to talk about the Project Runway finale (I really do love looking at all those fashions!) but I find myself a little sidetracked today.

I have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. You see, yesterday my agent called me to let me know that Steeple Hill is offering me another contract, this one for the Love Inspired line. I mean, how cool is that? I get to write the kind of books I love and I get paid for it!! Fly Away Home, a soldier's homecoming story, is scheduled to be released October 2010! By the way, that title most likely will change, so check back soon. I've very excited about this book because it'll be my first Love Inspired Contemporary.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. My December 2009 Love Inspired Suspense release, Yuletide Protector comes out next month! I'm really excited and feel blessed to be sharing the month's releases with Margaret Daley, Debby Giusti, Pamela Tracy and Ramon Richards, 4 amazing women who are part of the CRAFTIE Ladies of Suspense.

As Lenora Worth announced in her post the other day, some of the CRAFTIE Ladies will be participating in a short story. Each day for 8 days they'll be giving readers a new piece of the story. You won't want to miss this, so mark your calendars.

I know it's easy to get wrapped up in annoyances and worry about things that in the end really don't matter. It's easy to overlook the things that are important. My hope for all of you is that you stop and take a breath this Thanksgiving and enjoy time with your family and friends.
I know that's what I will be doing.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

A whole lot of fun...

I'm finally recovered from my trip to DC last week where I attended the Romance Writers of America National conference. I met a lot of wonderful people, including people on this blog. I know I'm posting at the end of the week and you've probably read all the juicy details from some of the other CRAFTIE Ladies this week so I'll just touch on a few things.

First, I loved meeting all the Love Inspired authors on the opening night of the conference. The LI ladies took over a back room of Harry's Pub and had dinner. (Thank you Janet Tronstad for arranging all of that!) I think there were about 25 LI authors there and it was nice meeting everyone and just getting a chance to chat before the conference went into full swing. I know Lenora Worth took some pictures, so keep checking the blog and the Love Inspired Authors website for more pics.

One of the highlights of the week was doing a wonderful workshop with Lenora Worth and Renee Ryan about the inspirational market. It was very well attended and everyone asked a lot of questions, which shows there is great interest from authors who want to write inspirational stories!

Another highlight was the Harlequin Party. Here are a few pics. I took them on my cell phone so I hope they came out okay.






I finally had a chance to meet my editor, Elizabeth Mazer. Harlequin was celebrati

ng 60 years of romance at this party and here we are standing in front of a beautiful collage of old Harlequin book covers.



I came home very jazzed to get writing. That can be good and bad because while I wanted to write, write, write when I got home, I had been gone for FIVE whole days and while the house didn't look like a bomb had exploded, you could tell I'd been gone. So I spent the week doing a bit of housework, writing and reading some of those books that weighed down my suitcase on the train coming home.
Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

April showers and...A dark and stormy night

April showers make most people think of flowers in bloom. But to the romantic suspense writer in me, it also makes me think of dark and stormy settings for my stories.

I'm glad you're with me on this Friday. I'm Lisa Mondello, one of Friday's CRAFTIE Ladies of Suspense. Since the weather is warm and rainy, with a little bit of fog floating over my garden, I thought I'd talk about setting in stories.

When an author writes a setting well, it's almost like another character in the book. But it's not just the town the story is taking place in, or the buildings or houses the scenes are happening, it's the location and weather and obstacles of the landscape that all work together to create drama and suspense.

Let's take this scenario:

The villain has just taken the heroine to a lighthouse at the end of a narrow peninsula and the hero needs to save her before the villain kills her. It seems simple enough for the hero to do the job on a bright sunny day, right?

Now make the lighthouse up on a hill.

Now make the lighthouse only accessible by a narrow foot path.

Now make it night.

Now make it foggy.

Now make it raining to the point where the hero has difficulty seeing.

Now make a windy Nor'easter blow up the coast during high tide.

You don't have to throw the kitchen sink in your story. But as you add detail to the setting, the simple rescue on a bright sunny day isn't so simple anymore. You've created drama and suspense. That's not to say that drama and suspense can't happen on a bright sunny day. They certainly can. But you could use another element to create drama. A fast moving river the character needs to cross. A boat that is sinking with the character still inside.

One of my favorite settings for a "last stand" is in the movie Thunderheart with Val Kilmer. The sun is shining on the reservation. Val Kilmer and Graham Greene are tucked away at the bottom of the mesa with nowhere to go. The FBI is surrounding them and Val makes a bold and heroic move. He and Graham turn and walk toward the mesa in what looks like certain death. I don't want to give any spoilers but let's just say it was a great and suspenseful scene that uses setting well. If you haven't seen the movie, put it on your NetFlix list.

Are there any books or movies you've read or seen where setting is use to make the suspense more compelling? If so, leave a comment and let me know. You'll be entered into our monthly drawing to receive 4 Love Inspired Suspense books.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

Fierce Heroes...and their softer sides.

Everyone loves a strong hero (at least I do) and so to keep in our theme of March Madness: In like a lion and out like a lamb, I thought I'd talk about strong heroes and what brings them to their knees.

For instance, take Gil Waite, the hero in Her Only Protector. Being a bounty hunter lends itself to being pretty brave right from the get go. If you've ever seen those bounty hunter series on cable, then you know these guys (and gals) go into dangerous places in search of fugitives who are doing their best NOT to get caught. Sometimes with a gun pointed in their face for their troubles. I don't know that you could call them fearless, because let's face it, you're stupid not to fear the unknown where criminals are concern. But you'd definitely call them brave, ready to take on any challenge. That why many times you see these guys (and gals) out playing hard and getting dirty. They live on the edge.

Now, introduce a baby into their lives and this fierce lion turns to a little lamb. If you have any doubt, just look at the cover of Her Only Protector. In Her Only Protector, Gil is big and bad when he's after Cash Montgomery. But faced with Cash's sister Sonny and Cash's baby in tow and the fierce hunter turns into the fierce protector.

What is your favorite story of fierce hero turning to mush because of a woman and/or baby? I know there are many. Remember, if you leave a comment you'll be entered into our drawing to receive 4 Love Inspired Suspense books for March. (Leave an email address so we can contact you if you win!) And you can always order Love Inspired Books from Amazon.com using our link at the top of the page.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

The Ritas vs. Elton John/Billy Joel

I make no secret that I'm a huge Elton John fan and yesterday I just found out that my favorite musical performer is going to be playing at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on July 18th with Billy Joel. I have wanted to see the two of them perform for more years than I can say. Last time they swung this way, I had 2 small children and 2 more had JUST permanently moved in with my husband and I. I went from a family of 4 to a family of 6 overnight and we just didn't have the funds for such a spectacular treat. (Never mind what it would have cost for a babysitter for 4 kids ages 7, 8, 9 and 10.) Well those 4 small kids have turned into teenagers and the funds are pretty much like water through my fingers. But unlike then, I do make time to treat myself with some things I love.

Why is this important to a suspense writer? Why am I writing about this in my blog?

Because one of my other passions is reading and writing. One of the other treats I look forward to each year is the RWA National Conference and the RITA ceremoy. The RWA National conference is being held in Washington DC from July 15 - July 18. When I heard the news that Elton John and Billy Joel were performing I just about jumped out of my seat...until I heard the July 18th part. You guessed it. That is the same night as the RITA ceremony. This is the one night that romance authors of all genres recognize excellence in romantic fiction. And I look forward to it every year!

Right now I'm reading my RITA books and I'm loving them. I've discovered so many new authors by judging the RITA contest. I have one single title suspense book that I've had at my side since I started reading it and I know it'll be finished by the end of the day. This is a new author for me and I know I'll read more books by her in the future. The RITA ceremony, much like the Oscars for the movie industry, is a special night and a ceremony I've loved attending in years past. I love rooting for a book that I've read and loved. I love seeing the faces of people who've not only won the RITA, but who've finaled in the RITA contest. And I love seeing the unpublished authors who final and win in the Golden Heart contest.

But then...there is Elton John and Billy Joel. I can't be in Foxboro and Washington, DC at the same time. I'm hoping that as the day draws closer and the excitement about hearing who finaled increases, the sting of not being able to see my favorite performer will lessen. Right now I feel like I'm in a tug of war. The RITAS vs. Elton John/Billy Joel. 365 days in a year and my two favorite things are happening on the same night...

Until next time, many blessings. Lisa Mondello

Creating Suspense without Special Effects...

Ever watch a really suspenseful Hollywood movie and find you can't STOP watching because you're so riveted by what's happening on screen? How does the hero make it through the tunnel unscathed just as the truck explodes, sending fire and debris raining down upon him. How does a tiny figure that can fit into the palm of your hand suddenly grow to mammoth proportions? How does a shot with a few actors in costume suddenly become a scene filled with menacing Orcs numbered in the thousands?

Special effects have become a staple in many Hollywood movies. It seems that almost anything can be created with the help of a blue screen, a computer and a sound studio. Special effects have become so popular that in 1939 an OSCAR category was estatblished dedicated to special effects, one for visual and one for audio. Visual and audio effects help to create an overall movie experience. Color, sound, movement all work together to build drama and suspense because they naturally dazzle the senses.

What about suspense books? Writer's don't have the luxury of writing their prose against a blue screen for a Hollywood film specialist to manipulate into a great action scene the reader can see. Or to have the reader hear that ticking clock or the blood curdling scream the heroine lets loose when the villain finally finds her. Books don't have soundtracks that go along with them. (Although I do admit to making a soundtrack for each book when I write them.) The only thing writers are armed with are words. Granted, those words are powerful...if we allow them to be.

Here are some tricks you can use to help build suspense while writing:

• Let the reader see the Hero and Heroine in a safe environment before the action starts. For instance, in Cradle of Secrets, Tammie Gardner is in her office grading papers at the University she works at. She has no clue that her world is about to be turned upside down so when it does happen, the reader has already connected with her on a "safe" level and feels how devastating the news she receives really is.
• Use setting and season along with the 5 senses to create drama. Too much information can bog down your story, but slowly feeding the reader information as the story moves along will help create the image in the reader's mind that danger is afoot. Your readers aren't going to be able to see the small cabin high in the hills or the fact that it is snowing, but you can show them with words that the lights flicker because of old wiring and that it is snowing heavy. So when the power goes out, the reader doesn't know if it is weather related, outdated electrical, or that the power has been cut by the villain. In the dark, anything could happen and it adds to the drama and suspense of the scene.
• Let the reader in on a secret that the hero or heroine doesn't know. This is especially helpful if you are writing in two different points of views. Let the hero talk to someone else about a particular danger or piece of evidence that the heroine is not aware of. That way when the scene changes to the heroine, the reader knows this information and can anticipate danger before the heroine does, adding drama and suspense.
• Foreshadow with foregone conclusions that are erroneous. Ever hear a scrape against the window and automatically think that a bush or tree branch is moving in the wind? Most people will explain away little details as being nothing. Of course you (and sometimes your reader) will know that the little piece of information is really a foreshadow of something that is to come.

There are so many ways to build suspense using words. You don't need special effects or a high-priced recording studio to make it happen. When you write suspense, allow your words to become powerful by building the scene in the readers mind. Use all the senses to allow the reader to see, hear and smell the danger ahead.

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello