All posts by Kerri Carpenter

The Waterworld Mermaids Proudly Welcome Avery Flynn

Interview, mermaids, , ,

 “I do believe I can arrest you for looking at someone like that. You’ve got to be breaking some indecency laws.” 

Taking a deep breath, she recovered her bearings. Mostly. “You’re out of your jurisdiction, sheriff.”

– A Dry Creek Bed, Avery Flynn

 

I read a lot of new authors in 2011 but one of my favorites was our very own Avery Flynn. I was first introduced to the town of Dry Creek, Nebraska in Up a Dry Creek and I’m thrilled to announce the sequel, A Dry Creek Bed is available now! I highly recommend both books and I’m not just saying that because Avery is offering a New Year’s hangover cure gift basket to one lucky commenter (U.S. only) today.  

In the meantime, I had the pleasure of interviewing both Avery and Hank Layton, her main character and, dare I say hunky, sheriff of Dry Creek. Welcome Avery and Hank!

 

Kerri: Avery, congratulations on A Dry Creek Bed, the second book in your Dry Creek series, being released this week! Where did the inspiration for the Dry Creek series come from?

Avery: Well with a hot couple like Beth and Hank, who wouldn’t be inspired? I think just about everyone grew up with a golden boy like Hank – and in Nebraska you can’t get more blessed than being the quarterback of the Nebraska Cornhuskers when they win a BCS championship. But Hank grew up, graduated and now not everything in his life is as perfect. Not that Beth Martinez would believe that. She’s loved Hank for most of her life but as the geeky best friend of his little sister, he never gave her a second look, except for that one summer … What? Hank why are you giving me a dirty look? Fine, fine I’ll skip that part, folks will just have to read about it in A Dry Creek Bed.

Kerri: Hank, what do you think of Avery’s series so far? Are you okay with her telling your family’s story?

Hank: Everyone in Dry Creek pretty much knows everything about us any way what with small town gossip, so what’s the big deal about a bunch of strangers knowing it? Of course, I had to skip a lot of Up a Dry Creek. No one should have to know exactly what their baby sister is thinking about – and doing with – a man. I just pray mom never read it.

Kerri: Your mother, Glenda Layton, seems thrilled with Avery’s books. She expressed her desire to have a grandbaby soon to show off all over town. Thoughts on marriage and children, Hank?

Hank: God love her, that woman is obsessed with grandkids. I can’t wait to have kids of my own to toss around the football and teach the intricacies of avoiding a blitz when the game is on the line. Course first I have to meet the right woman.

Kerri: So you still believe in marriage even with your previous divorce?

Hank: I thought we agreed not to go there. Wasn’t that in the pre-interview agreement?

Kerri: Okay, okay, stop giving me the evil eye. I was just asking. Speaking of men, Avery… what’s your favorite kind of hero to write about?

Avery: I’m all about the alpha heroes, but let’s be clear alpha does not mean asshole. There is a difference, just like beta does not equal wimp. Think John McClane from Die Hard and you’ve basically got my favorite type of hero.

Kerri: Let’s turn back to family. Hank, your sister Claire went through a really rough time not too long ago. How’s she doing?

Hank: Claire? She’s doing great, thanks for asking. She’s working with an architect drawing up plans to rebuild The Harvest Bistro and is hunting down a big old bar to replace the one lost in the fire. Jake relocated to Dry Creek so that has her happier than a pig in mud. Of course, now mom is watching her like a hawk wanting to know when the wedding will be. Poor girl.

Kerri: Speaking of Claire, her best friend, Beth Martinez, has been seeing her own share of trouble lately out at her grandparents old house. As both the sheriff and a family friend, are you doing anything to help?

Hank: What trouble? Beth hasn’t said anything to me about that, but you can be sure I’m going to find out.

Kerri: (wincing) Well, the gossip down at Margaret’s Bakery is that you and Beth had a little thing back when she was in college. Care to comment?

Hank: What the hell kind of tabloid interview is this? Avery, you vouched for the Waterworld Mermaids? (grumbles incoherently) That all happened a long time ago. Today, I can barely get Beth to say two words to me especially after that kiss at Claire’s party … oh hell, that’s off the record. Got it?

Kerri: (ignoring that last comment) This last question is for both of you. Any New Year’s resolutions for 2012?

Hank: Nah, I’m not a believer in resolutions. Of course, finding the right girl and settling down would be nice.

Avery: My resolution is to finish the Dry Creek novels this year with books three and four in the series. One of my super smart Waterworld Mermaid sisters (Kerri-Mermaid bats eyelashes) recommended I write a novella about how Glenda and Bob Layton fell in love and so I’ve added that to my list of things to get done as well.

 

Well, no matter what either of you decide to do, I wish you both a happy and prosperous 2012! Thank you so much for joining us!

Remember everyone, check out Avery’s new book here and her awesome website here. And leave a comment below for a chance to win a New Year’s hangover cure gift basket (U.S. Only) from Avery.

 

A Dry Creek Bed, by Avery Flynn (Available Now)

Dry Creek County Sheriff Hank Layton is the stuff of dreams. Nasty, steamy, delicious fantasies that leave Beth Martinez weak-kneed and desperately wanting the man she can never have. 

Hank can’t stop thinking about Beth to the point where he’s afraid of becoming permanently bowlegged. And even though the sexual tension between them is thick enough to trip over, she runs every time he chases. 

But when a mysterious developer forces her neighbors off their land, Beth becomes the one person standing between the scoundrel and millions of dollars. Only Hank can help her uncover the truth. Together they risk their lives exposing decades-old secrets and learn that everything is not as it seems in their rural Nebraska town. 

 

 

Happy Holidays!

mermaids

Happy Holidays!

The Waterworld Mermaids are busy drinking eggnog and decorating their magical lagoon with twinkly lights. They wish everyone a very safe and happy holidays and a glittery new year!

We look forward to returning on January 3rd! 

Favorite Holiday Movies

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, ,

I find it tough to be a writer during the holidays. With the shopping and the baking, festive movies and parties, writing time can take a serious backseat. So this year, I figure I’ll just go with it – there is nothing wrong with enjoying the season. Without further ado, here is a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies.  

1.   A Christmas Story

Nothing makes me laugh like this movie. It’s not only a favorite holiday movie, it’s an all-time favorite. There are so many quotable lines I could seriously write a whole thesis on this film. (And I know you’re all saying, “You’ll shoot your eye out,” right now. Admit it!) Whoever decided to play it nonstop for 24 hours on Christmas day was a genius!

2.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I’m talking about the cartoon, not the one with real people. What’s not to like about this movie? It’s short, it’s sweet and it makes my heart grow three sizes too big as well.

3.  Holiday Inn

I remember the first time my parents showed me this movie. I quickly got over my aversion to black & white because it’s so fantabulous! Plus, my mom and I like to guess what color all of the gorgeous costumes are.

4.  White Christmas

I find myself very drawn to White Christmas. The dance scenes are amazing and I would kill to be as thin as Vera Ellen.   And I love when Bing Crosby says, “what’s the beef” and how the train looks all clean and fun. Those were different times.

5.  Elf

Elf is so funny! But I think my favorite thing about it is how committed Will Ferrell is to the role of Buddy the Elf. He believes he’s Buddy and so do I. “Santa!!!!!!! I know him, I know him!”

As a self-appointed Christmas movie aficionado, there are many, many more movies I could have listed (Bill Murray’s Scrooged, Miracle on 34th Street). But I just wanted to give you the basic idea. No matter what you like watching this time of year, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a fabulous New Years!

What is your favorite holiday movie?

 

 

We Have a Winner!!!

mermaids

Thank you all so much for participating in the Waterworld Mermaids’ very first Giveaway Day!  All of the Mermaids thank you!!! We have a winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card. Drumroll please… Congratulations Stephanie Queen!

Stephanie’s favorite romance novel this year was “Texas Blue” by Jodi Thomas. She received this novel as a conference giveaway, read it and found a new favorite author. Stephanie said, “Who says book give-aways don’t help authors?”

The Mermaids say, “Who says book give-aways don’t help you win Amazon gift cards!” Congratulations, Stephanie!!!

***Thank you again to everyone for stopping by. Come back every weekday for more Mermaid thoughts, stories and interviews. And our next Giveaway Day will be held on December 9th. Good luck!***

Giveaway Day!!!

mermaids, ,

We are giving away a $25 Amazon gift card!!!   

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, the Waterworld Mermaids want to give thanks to everyone who stops by from time-to-time to read our thoughts and leave us comments. We truly appreciate all of you. With that said…

Come swim with us crazy mermaids. The water’s warm and calm. In fact, it seems like a good day to talk romance novels. Because here in the magical mermaid water, books never get soggy.

If you would like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, all you need to do is leave a comment answering the following question:

What is the best romance novel you’ve read in the past year?

 

(The winner will be chosen at random from all commenters who answer the question. I’ll post the winner in the comment section tomorrow morning. So, no, mentioning Kerri-Mermaid’s favorite books/authors will not help you. Nor will flattery, although that’s always nice. Good luck!)

You Always Remember Your First

mermaids

Having recently finished a manuscript, I decided to take a bit of a break and reflect back on some other things I’ve written. What an interesting catalog of unpublished work in the Kerri Library. 

I found the romantic suspense manuscript that had plenty of romance but lacked even an ounce of suspense. There was the lovely little jewel written half in first person and half in third. And of course, let’s not discount the manuscripts that were so eerily similar to already-established authors I’m actually embarrassed by myself.

That brings me to my very first manuscript. After turning twenty-one and reading a couple Nora Roberts books, I thought, “Doesn’t seem that hard to write a romance novel. I can totally do that too.”

Hence, my first attempt was born. I planned it as a series about quadruplets, three girls and one boy. I referred to them as “The Quads.” They came from a Kennedy-esque family, born in privilege in Boston, moved to Chicago where their parents had a bitter and public divorce and then off to Hawaii to grow up with their father. Each of them lived in a different state and struggled with issues stemming from their mother, a wealthy and uncaring socialite who paid off judges and got plastic surgery.

But the first book belonged to Maddy. Ah Maddy.

My chief complaint about romance novels at the age of twenty-one was the too-young heroine, someone in their early twenties who achieved way more than the typical person of that age. So when I sat down to write my first heroine, I remember thinking she needed to be worldly and experienced. No way would I make her too young to get married and have a fabulous job. I made a very conscious decision that she would be old.

She was twenty-five.

Also, her job at the age of twenty-five was a secondhand historical biographer, which is a career I made up. (It’s someone who interviews people who experienced a historical event from a distance, but weren’t necessarily involved in it, in case you’re wondering.) And yes, Maddy had many, many published works.

Good thing she lived in a two-bedroom studio apartment on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. Obviously, I did not understand what a studio apartment consisted of – or not consist of – such as bedrooms. Also, the fact that a twenty-five year old could afford to live on Wisconsin Avenue in a two-bedroom speaks volumes. Of course, if she already had several best selling published books, I suppose it makes sense.

Yes, it all makes sense. Somewhere in the far recesses of twenty-one year old Kerri’s mind the whole story came together. I loved Maddy and her completely insane story. So imagine my shock when Harlequin turned it down. Clearly, they didn’t know what they were missing.

Clearly, I didn’t either.

Do you remember your first pass at writing a romance novel?

You Write What?!?!?!

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, Motivation,

You know the drill. You’re having a nice conversation over dinner and your companion seems really interested that you’re a writer. He/she is even more impressed that you have finished a novel and are actively trying to publish. And then comes “the” question:

What do you write?

Romance.

The most recent time I told someone this, he literally laughed in my face. Seriously, sound came out of his mouth as he mocked me.

“Romance? Pssst.” (More laughing)

It was as if I said I take a razor blade to newborn puppies. Even though I’m really proud of what I write, I felt so embarrassed. Let’s face it, having someone laugh in your face is never a feel-good kind of moment, no matter how many glasses of wine you’ve consumed.

Leading up to this joyous encounter I had been doing pretty well with the haters. I’ve joined writing groups lately, which seems to have made a big difference in both my writing and my writing life. But my writing group wasn’t sitting at that table with me while someone laughed at my biggest dream.

And I know all the stats. I know how much money the romance industry generates each year. I know that there couldn’t seriously be anything wrong with a genre of fiction that promotes a happy ending. And I definitely know that this laughing person was a total d-bag.

Still, it hurt.

I remembered all the hours I’ve poured into sitting diligently at my computer. All the rejections letters I’ve received. All of the almost-published stories. The time, the energy, the emotions. And here is someone completely discounting all of it because they are, in essence, ignorant.

But, like so many things in life, I knew what to do. I had some more wine, brushed it off and wrote a blog post about it. 😉 Because seriously, you might want to think before you laugh at someone with the power to write.

So, I ask you fellow romance writers: How do you handle the romance haters of the world?

Job of Hotness

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, Motivation, ,

Can I get a Navy Seal over here to sweep me off my feet, while both protecting me and respecting my individuality as an independent woman? 

Where’s that totally ripped construction guy, who besides being able to swing heavy power tools, remains sensitive and in-touch with his emotions?

Let’s not forget about that super intellectual professor-turned-writer who happens to make geeky sweater vests seem uber-sexy.

I’ve been reading romance novels for awhile now and I think I’ve encountered just about every career path possible for the hero. Cowboy, prince, entrepreneur, teacher, chef, bounty hunter, landscape architect – they all have one thing in common: Hotness!

While I do have my favorites (FBI secret agent, veterinarian and just plain old, inexplicable super rich guy, to name a few), I have to admit that it might be more than just the profession. It’s the description. After all, you can have a bartender, or you can have a smokin’ hot Irish bartender with jet black hair and intense green eyes.

Oh yes, there’s a big difference between the guy who changes your tires and the insanely gorgeous yet wounded mechanic whose muscles are pulsating under his tight white work shirt while he gives you the once-over.

And I’ve never come across a lawyer in my real life who is anything like the toned and suave attorney who can both schmooze at the country club and take down the bad guy with his killer tai kwon do moves, all the while preserving his impeccably-fitted tuxedo.

So I ask all of you, what is your favorite romance hero career? And feel free to get descriptive!

#amwriting Word Metrics
Project: Contemporary romance
Deadline: August 31st (#amcrazyperson)
New Words Written: Not enough
Present Total Word Count: 37,552

Ain’t Nobody Gonna Mess With My Nora Roberts!

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, , ,

The Setting: A Barnes & Noble in Southwestern Pennsylvania
The Characters (emphasis on characters): Me, My Mom & My Dad Driving the Getaway Car 

I attended my first RWA Nationals this past June in New York City. Many, many things stood out to me but one thing that really caught my attention was the use of Nora Roberts. Nora was mentioned in almost every workshop I attended. People brought her name up at lunches and dinners. She was quoted left and right.

Annoying? Hardly. I know you all say you’re Nora’s biggest fan. But you are not. I hold that title and here is why.

About seven years ago, I was visiting my Mom and Dad in Pennsylvania. As with most visits to my parents’, we ended the night at a Barnes & Noble. If we’re in a Barnes & Noble, my Mom and I are in the romance section. And if we’re in the romance section, you know we’re checking the Nora Roberts section within the romance section … on the off-chance we haven’t read every title.

We have.

What should we find on this particular night? The Nora books were NOT in order. They weren’t even alphabetical. No, they were just sitting there all willy-nilly. Trilogies weren’t shelved together. The Stanislaski’s were miles apart. The O’Hurley Triplets were practically in different zip codes. And do not even get me started on how Cameron, Ethan and Phillip Quinn from the Chesapeake Bay series were placed between various single titles.

For two people who discuss Nora characters more often than some of our relatives, this is NOT okay. In fact, I dare say it was disrespectful.

So we did what any fan of Nora would do. We took every book off the shelf and re-shelved the entire section the way we felt it should have been. The way a reader needs to experience Nora.

Now don’t get your panties in a bunch. We did mankind a favor. Just think of the poor virgin Nora reader who could have possibly gone into that store and picked up Amanda Calhoun’s book and read it before knowing what happened in her sister C.C.’s book. What the hell kind of world is that? Certainly not one that I want to live in.

Of course, halfway through this little escapade my Mom and I looked at each other and just lost it. That’s right, in case the massive mounds of books all over the floor weren’t telling enough, my Mother and I were cackling like crazy people (or “laughing like loons” as Nora always says) in the middle of Barnes & Noble while my poor Dad just rolled his eyes and went on to buy a Venti Caramel Macchiato from the in-store Starbucks and pretended not to know us.

So take that supposed fans of Nora. While I may never be a speaker at RWA Nationals, I feel better having shared my story with you.

And yes, I fully intend to smile pretty when the cops show up with my restraining order about two hours after I post this. Viva la Nora!

Make a Wish

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, Motivation, ,

Today is my birthday. Those wishing to send me elaborate gifts, let me know and I will provide my address. 😉

Every year on my birthday, my BFF writes some variation of the following phrase in my card: This is going to be the best year ever!

Outwardly I roll my eyes, but secretly, I love reading that. It’s more than just a sweet sentiment. It’s reassuring, in a very uneasy time in my life.

The past year has been a big writing year for me. No, I didn’t get published or bag an agent. I didn’t even win any contests. Hell, I didn’t even enter any. But I found something more important. My writing mojo. It was gone for awhile but I just feel so assured that I’m on the right path now.

So this birthday I’ve decided to take my BFF’s advice and have the best year ever. More specifically, I’m going to have the best writing year. Butt in the chair, hands poised on the keyboard, these stories are getting out. And I am going to love every painstaking minute of it. That is my wish.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my favorite place to celebrate my birthday. At the beach with my family, my BFF and a good book.

While I’m getting my birthday tan on, I ask all of you: What do you wish for this year?