Conflict drives a story forward. And by conflict, I don’t mean yelling and screaming and fighting. And by conflict, I don’t even necessarily mean kidnappings and car accidents and various and sundry other near death experiences. (though, if you’re writing suspense, you might need those)

The conflict I’m talking about specifically is the internal conflict (IC). Internal conflict comes from withing the characters and should be what’s really keeping them apart. (not a half heard conversation or a snide remark from a wicked stepmother)

Something I’ve really been dealing with in my last three MSs has been conflict that needs to be solved in stages. I think to a certain extent, that’s natural, but it’s also tempting to keep everything going until the last six pages. Well, that was something that simply wasn’t possible with my last few books.

In my WIP, my heroine especially has an internal conflict that really needs to be solved in layers.

She first has to fix the way she sees herself, so that she can then begin the process of changing her worldview. Neither of those things is going to happen all at once. She doesn’t believe in love, and more specifically, doesn’t believe she’s loveable.

The way I tackled this, was by, first, realizing there was no way they could solve all of this right at the HEA. The second, was the try and figure out what events need to happen for her to begin to heal.

Her first personal turning point came when she was willing to let go of some of her past hurts. And now she can progress from there.

This is just another example of why it’s important, in the shorter cata romance especially, to keep things character driven so that you’re focusing on the characters and not simply plot points.

Because, and you all know I’ve been guilty of this, hence the title of Revision Queen, when you let the plot steer your characters you’re crippling their development.

I’m a little bit of a panster when it comes to the actual events and scenes in my books. With the past few MSs I’ve approached the synopsis by plotting my character journeys.

The way I do that is I outline their conflicts, I explain what they need to do separately to deal with their issues, and ultimately, figure out how much growth needs to take place before they can have a happily ever after that will ring true.

And somewhere in the there there’s a plot.

Anyway, just a little insight into my process. (at least my process as it stands at the moment!) What are your thoughts on conflict?

Oh, and I have to share this! Apparently, Hoo went to the shops today (my little octopus friend lives all the way in New Zealand!) and he snaffled the LAST copy of His Virgin Acquisition from the shelf. And then he went to Starbucks. Cheeky little octopus.

It is one exciting day!

For those of you who missed my Sassy Sisters’ post, here’s a little more info on Mistake:

When my editor and I were talking on the phone, during The Call, she said they were offering me a two book contract. Great! So before the buzz of selling my first book had even faded I had to start thinking about book number two.

I pulled out a MS I had written during my wait and submitted the partial. My ed liked the premise, she didn’t like the execution. And that meant…a rewrite.

I got the revisions on Christmas Eve, I had my daughter on December 30th, and I sold the book six weeks later.

That was a big relief. Because of course, the first thing you think is…what if I can’t do it again? Am I a One Book Wonder? So I’ll always love this book just for it helping me jump that hurdle!

The rewrite of it ended up going very quickly, because I had two characters very eager to share their stories.

Alison and Maximo are two good people, thrown into an impossible situation. Both of them want to do the right thing…although, they disagree about what the right thing is!

Alison Whitman, is a planner. She has everything in her life planned down to the smallest detail…including when and how she’ll have a baby. Alison opts to be artifically inseminated, rather than going the ‘traditional’ route.

Of course, every one of her well-ordered plans is upended by the revelation that she’s received the wrong donor sperm…in fact, the man in question didn’t intend to be a donor!

Prince Maximo Rossi and his wife tried for years to have children, and after her death, he’s given up on the hope of ever having a child. And then Alison, a woman he’s never met, comes to tell him she’s pregnant with his child.

Of course, it’s complicated since this baby is Maximo’s heir…and in order for his heir to inherit, he has to be legitimate.

So much for all of Alison’s carefully laid plans…

I compiled the entries and put them in the glowing chalice of romance.

And then I had the hunksband draw a name!

And then I felt sad. Because there were so many more names.

So intstead of giving away a copy of HIS VIRGIN ACQUISITION…I’m giving away six! So I made the hunksband draw five more names.

And the winners are…

Becca Heath

Cari Quinn

Sarah Werner

Joanna Terrero

Keira

Julie

So, if you could all send me your info using my handy contact form, I will get these mailed out to you ASAP!

To those who didn’t win…I’m sorry *cries* I always feel bad! But thank you for entering and expressing interest, and for commenting on your favorite themes!

It’s been nine months since I got The Call and it’s been quite a nine months! I’ve sold a total of four books and am working on the fifth now.

Don’t forget, UK friends….A Mistake, A Prince and A Pregnancy will be on Mills and Boon UK Sept 1st! And North American friends…His Virgin Acquisition will be on eharlequin Sept 1st!

In His Virgin Acquisition, Elaine is willing to do what it takes to achieve her goals…even if that means marrying Marco De Luca, notorious womanizer and gorgeous Italan billionaire. Of course, Elaine is all business, and their marriage will only be a convenient one…for a while.

I always LOVE a marriage of convenience story. Something about a married couple falling in love is very appealing to me.

What are some of your favorite romance themes?

Leave a comment to be enter to win a copy of His Virgin Acquisition! (I will have the hunksband draw names later!)

But it comes back to Kobe. Yes, it does. Among the elite, Kobe Bryant stands out.

There’s a big difference between guys who play basketball at the public school courts, and guys who play for the Celtics. But the difference between Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom is not as easy to define.

That’s the difference between good, and great.

I got another set of revisions on the partial of The Russian. And as I read the letter I felt…picked on a little bit. How could I have thought of all of those details? What reader would pick up on something so subtle? Surely, only an editor would notice that!

So, as I was having my customary, post-revision whine, my dad brought up Kobe. And how it’s the obvious things that separate amateur from professional, but it’s the subtle things that take ‘good’ to ‘great’.

Maybe a reader wouldn’t finish a book and think ‘hmmm, that book would have been stronger if the hero’s reaction on page 25 had been slightly less self-aware.’ (now, some readers would…I’ll grant you that! But I’m not one of them!) But a reader might finish a book and think…good. But it wasn’t AMAZING.

And I think that might be true. Maybe amazing is in the subtle. A great plot, awesome characters, that’s hugely important. But execution is the key. There’s the broad execution, and then there’s the details.

As a side note, I did the little tweaks and one of my CPs remarked that it was stronger, even though it was only little itty bitty moments that were altered (as part of the broad scope of giving my hero a bit more alpha confidence, and also having him be a bit less familiar with the heroine) but the changes really altered the partial in a positive way.

All that whining…I should know better by now.

So I’ll make a personal attempt at greatness, at the very least, I’ll be better than I was before.

Mistake will be available www.millsandboon.co.uk on September first, and available in shops in the UK and from Amazon UK and Book Depository (free shipping worldwide) October 6th!

She’s given him a baby….

An IVF clinic mix-up means eternally single Alison Whitman is now carrying the child – no, the royal heir – of Maximo Rossi, Prince of Turan!

Now he’ll take her for his wife!

Maximo gave up on the hope of fatherhood a long time ago, but now the ruthless ruler will seize this surprise second chance.  However, tradition is high on the Prince’s agenda, and he’ll never stand for an illegitimate heir…

Alison is about to find out that royal marriage is a command, not a choice!

A MISTAKE, A PRINCE AND A PREGNANCY will be released in the UK in October 2010 (Harlequin Presents/Modern)

Twitter friend and fellow writer C.J Redwine and her husband have been pursuing adoption a little girl from China for five years now. There have been a lot of hurdles to jump, times when the Chinese government has halted adoptions, followed by raising adoption costs etc.

But they’re in the homestretch now and getting very close to the moment when they will finally be united with their daughter, Johanna Faith.

They have funds saved for the adoption, but due to recent increases in fees they need a little boost. That’s why today, I will be skipping Starbucks, and donating to C.J’s paypal on her website to help bring her little girl home!

I love coffee, but this is bigger than that. Adoption is an issue that touches my heart, and I truly believe every child should have a family, and that’s why I’m blogging, and giving, today. If you feel led to skip your Starbucks today and put some cash toward giving a child a family!

There is a badge for your blog so you can let the world know you skipped Starbucks. (or don’t skip your Starbucks and donate anyway…I won’t tell.) You can read more of C.J’s story at her blog, donate, and get entered to win some REALLY COOL prizes!

And then it’s easy to sit there and question every word you write. Every. Word. And that makes things slow and heck-a painful when you’re trying to write.

That’s where I’m at now. Waiting about two weeks to hear back on a partial that was not well received way back before conference (conference sort of threw a wrench in the time frame of this book and it is now The Book That Never Ends).

I’ve been working on two proposals while I wait (You remember, the sekrit ones) and it’s been very hard to write them when I’m suffering (whimper) from a complete lack of…well, that confidence stuff!

(and do you hear me whining about waiting TWO WEEKS? Being published makes you a wuss.)

So what do we do when this happens, huh? Because it happens to all of us, I think, over big things, like rejections and major revisions, and over little things, like a snippy comment from a relative.

I’ve been thinking…and I’m hoping I’m right…that maybe it’s more about having some faith in ourselves and trusting our instincts, instead of feeling confident.

Today, when I sit down and write, I’m just going to do it. And I’m not going to question EVERY word. I’m just not. I’ll fix it later if I have to, but in my current frame of mind nothing is good enough with means I’m getting nothing done!

Sometimes we have to throw a little caution to the wind and throw the words on the paper. And maybe it will be crap. But maybe it wil be great, or maybe it will be crap that can be made great. Either way, it has to get done.

What do you do when your confidence goes AWOL?

And talking of release dates and titles…The Sheikh was titled forever ago, but I’m not sure I announced it! Bk #3 (yeah, I’m doing it backward. nyah) will be released in February of 2011 and it’s called THE INHERITED BRIDE.

So that’s my little bit of news…and…I wanted to share a couple of pics I stole..*ahem* that were **given** to me by Lynn Raye Harris.

There’s Susan Stephens, me, and Sandra Marton waiting to get into the RITAs ceremony.

And afterward at the Blue Zoo lounge…complete with our waitress’s thumb. Can’t be too hard on her though, she looked like she *really* needed a hamburger. *g*

Got any good news to share?

I have some more! Victoria Dahl is on the Sisters’ Blog today! Come get A Little Bit Wild!

But when she came back up from her potting shed (that’s where all her writing magic happens!) she found that her husband, who had been at a meeting for other motercyclists, had left her a surprise…

But, it gets better. Apparently, he went into the bookstore in full biker gear (leather, head scarf, wallet on a chain…) and proceeded to take pictures of my book on the shelves.

Now…this is a bookstore that knows what to do with romance!!

So her then picked up a copy of my book and brought it to the counter. Now, understand, this guy is a strapping man. He’s hero worthy really. A very handsome Irish man with dark hair and a square jaw that would make any alpha male jealous. (I like a strong jaw. So sue me.)

As he puts the book on the counter, the lady says, “something light for a change?”

And he says, “romance is serious business.”

He’s nominated for…some sort of award I’ve yet to make up….Spectacular Contributions to the Romance Genre by a Man or something…and also, if anyone needs any hero inspiration….look no further!