Give a big welcome to Heidi Betts! Today marks the release of TANGLED UP IN LOVE, so be sure to head out to your nearest bookstore and grab your copy.
Here's a little blurb to get you started:
ARE THEY FIT TO BE TIED?
Ever since Dylan Stone beat Veronica Chasen out of a prime position at the Cleveland Herald, they’ve been bitter rivals, engaging in a very public war of words in their competing newspaper columns. They routinely challenge each other to go bungee jumping, white water rafting, or into tattoo parlors to see who will wimp out first. But Veronica’s latest taunt may be Dylan’s toughest assignment yet: She dares him to learn to knit.
OR WILL DESIRE UNRAVEL THEM BOTH?
Dylan is not going to let something his grandmother can do scare him off. He’s man enough to make a scarf—and attend Veronica’s weekly knitting circle. But when the infuriatingly handsome Dylan shows up at the craft shop and charms all the ladies, Veronica begins to get all knotted up in something that feels a lot like love… But will the two ever stop needling each other?
Heidi Betts has graciously agreed to blog for us and without further ado, here's Heidi!!!
Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for having me at Romance Reviews Today. I’m thrilled to be here to chat about
TANGLED UP IN LOVE, which is releasing
TODAY!!!!If you’re wondering what that high-pitched sound is that you hear in the background…why, that would be me, shrieking with glee. It seems like forever that I’ve been waiting for the first book in my “Chicks with Sticks” trilogy to arrive, and now finally it’s here. I can’t wait to see it on the shelves, and hope you’ll all look for it, as well.
I have so much I want to share about Dylan and Ronnie’s story that I’m not sure where to begin. (It’s also a little hard to type when you’re literally vibrating with excitement, but I’ll give it my best shot. *vbg*)
Let me start by saying that this story is super-sexy, super-funny, and definitely like nothing you’ve ever read before where knitting is concerned. As my editor and I are fond of saying, “This is not your grandmother’s knitting romance”—although I would certainly love to hear that grandmothers are, indeed, reading and loving
TANGLED UP IN LOVE. :D
What else? Well, you can read an excerpt at my website (
http://www.heidibetts.com/books/tangled.php), and an even more exclusive, extra-special excerpt if you check out yesterday’s post at my WIPs and Chains blog (
http://www.heidibetts.com/wipsandchains/). You can also visit my brand new knitting and romance blog, Must Love Yarn (
http://www.heidibetts.com/MustLoveYarn/). Admittedly, it’s been a bit
TANGLED-intensive this past month, but my goal for Must Love Yarn is to have “guest knitters,” post patterns, and even share readers’ pictures of their knit and crochet projects so it can be very fun and interactive.
So let’s get down to business, shall we? Patti gave me several options for today’s blog, and after much consideration, I thought it might be interesting to collect some questions from readers (Patti included) and share my answers to them with you. A look into the writer’s mind, if you will. And only a small part of me wants to warn you to Be afraid, be very afraid. :P
ON WRITING:
Do you keep a notebook by your bed or in your purse in case an idea comes to mind? It’s more of a mini tablet than notebook, but definitely. I never know when I’m going to see or hear something that will give me an idea. And late at night, when I’m just starting to drift off seems to be when I have my best revelations. Not even new ideas, usually, but solutions to problems I might be having with a story, details I maybe forgot to include in a scene, or some brilliant new element I just have to put into the book I’m working on.
While you’re writing, is there a lucky charm, a favorite snack or drink that you keep close at hand? I don’t have a lucky writing charm and I try to stay away from the snacks while writing, but I do guzzle iced tea like it’s…well, I was going to say water, but since tea is mostly water… Still, I go through the stuff like you wouldn’t believe. We’re talking probably two gallons a day, and that’s on top of other normal liquids like milk, juice, and water. And before you ask---yes, I do go to the bathroom six zillion times a day. Running up and down the stairs is part of my daily exercise routine.
What book have you read that you wish you would have written? Ha! Just one? I seem to wish on a regular basis that I would have written just about anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Susan Andersen, Rachel Gibson… (Have I mentioned that I want to be them when I grow up?) The Harry Potter books, of course. (I mean, duh.) And though I haven’t read them, something tells me I wouldn’t mind having written the Twilight books.
Have you been hit with writer’s block? How do you deal with it? My first impulse is to say that I don’t believe in writer’s block the way most people think of it. To me, writer’s block usually means that I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere; that I need to go back and rethink the last chunk of what I’ve written or that I’m headed in a direction that isn’t moving the story along the way it should. But then I have to stop and admit that yes, of course I’ve been hit with writer’s block. Granted, it’s usually because of one of the above reasons, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still stopped in my tracks and left to bang my head against the wall at times.
My solution for getting unstuck varies. Sometimes you really do have to just wait it out. I’ve learned that part of my process sometimes includes being stuck, not being able to write for a day or two, then suddenly having a breakthrough---the crumbling of those mental blocks, if you will---and being gifted with a light bulb moment that fixes everything. (This often happens late at night, in bed, and puts that notepad on my nightstand to good use.)
The other way I work through writer’s block is to go back over the last few pages, scene, or chapter I’ve written and try to figure out where I went off track. Did I veer off into a bit of dialogue that’s put me in a corner? Did I forget the main goal of the scene? Has the action slowed, or am I taking too long to get to the next plot point? Once I know where I went wrong and how to repair it, things usually start to flow again.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Pretty early. Sixth grade, at least. We had Creative Writing day every Friday and I loved it. My teacher told my parents that I had “quite an imagination.” (Which I think now may have been code for, “have her evaluated by a mental health professional,” but hey!)
After so many books over the years, how does writing still challenge you? Are you kidding? Writing challenges me every single day. I am the Sisyphus of romance writing. Some mornings, just getting out of bed is a challenge. Dragging myself away from e-mail and blogs and the internet is a challenge. Sitting down and picking up where I left off the day before is a challenge. And working to meet my deadlines is always a challenge. I’m not exactly the most structured of writers. :P
Okay, now I’m just starting to sound pathetic. Let me try again… On a creative level, every book is a challenge because every book is new and something I’ve never done before. Each story has elements to it that I’ve never written about before. For the “Chicks with Sticks” trilogy, I had to research alpacas and ice hockey.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk? I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my writing. I know I would be much more prolific if I just banged the words out and didn’t think about them ad nauseum. But I’m slow because I agonize over every word choice, every bit of phrasing. I like cadence. I like alliteration. I struggle over whether a sentence reads better with ellipses or dashes. I apparently suffer from literary OCD, though it never occurred to me until this very moment.
ON LIFE:
What advice would you give to your younger self? I think that would have to be, “Be nicer to your little brother, because someday he’s going to major in computer science and be the only one able to update your system, remove viruses, and fix your PC without charging you through the eyeballs.” Sigh.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure? You’re going to make me admit this, aren’t you? Okay, The People’s Court, Judge Judy, and peanut butter. Sometimes, I eat peanut butter with a spoon while watching The People’s Court and Judge Judy. There, now you know my secret shame. Are you happy with yourselves? Are you happy?!? (I need to call my therapist.)
What is your earliest childhood memory? I honestly do not have many early childhood memories. Very strange, I admit. But I think I remember playing with a margarine container, playing that Parkay commercial. You know, burping the lid and saying, “Butter. Butter. Parkay!” Or so my mother tells me. LOL
You are blessed to be writing full time, and your parents seem to have always supported you (even though they did suggest a backup plan *g*), but if you couldn't do this what other career choice do you think you would have made? Boy, that’s tough because I’m qualified for zip. Even “Would you like fries with that?” would take intensive training. :-p However, I did seriously consider becoming a veterinarian. I love, love, love animals and would do anything to help them. That was actually the plan for a while, until we took my dog to the vet and he started stirring a stool sample to check for worms. Um, yeah. “Stir poop on a daily basis” as part of the job description really turned me off. Then there’s the fact that if I had to deal with seriously sick or injured animals or put them to sleep, I would pretty much end up sobbing on the floor in a fetal position. Not exactly what you want in the doctor who’s supposed to be taking care of your pets. :P So now I specialize in keeping my own local vet in business instead. *vbg*
What three items you would want with you if you got stranded on a desert island? Please, God, never let me be stranded on a desert island. A regular island, with hotels and restaurants and all the amenities would be fine. Although, I guess we couldn’t call it “stranded,” then, could we? Okay, well, let’s just say toilet paper is a given. And I think I’d really want toothpaste. And some kind of fresh water and food supply. And bug spray. And matches for a fire or blankets if it was cold. I know, I know, that’s more than three, but can we just say I would make a terrible Survivor and leave it at that? *shudders*
ON TANGLED UP IN LOVE:
Tell us about your newest release. Oooh, goody, I get to talk about the book. I am so excited about TANGLED UP IN LOVE. It feels like forever that I’ve been waiting for it to come out, and now here it is---today! TANGLED is a hot, sexy knitting romance. Now, I know you wouldn’t normally think, “Knitting? Oh, yeah, that’s hot, baby!” But in TANGLED, I make it hot, I promise! How hot? Well, do the words naked knitting pique your interest at all? *vbg*
Dylan Stone and Ronnie Chasen are bitter journalistic rivals who, over the past year or so, have been doling out anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better challenges to each other through their respective newspaper columns. They’ve forced each other to go bungee jumping, get tattoos, have vital body areas waxed… But Ronnie really thinks she’s got him this time; she’s ready to offer a dare she knows he’ll never win---she’s going to challenge him to knit.
Oh, if only it were that simple. Though Dylan is a little taken aback at first, he soon rises to the challenge and decides to go one better…he dares Ronnie to teach him to knit. And there’s more than just pride at stake---there’s also a beloved Harrison Award. Not to mention the possibility of public humiliation when one of them will be forced to write an article conceding defeat the following month.
When you started writing TANGLED UP IN LOVE, did it flow easily, or did you experience that dreaded writer's block? Oh, TANGLED definitely flowed the best of any book I’ve ever written. I think because I really loved, loved, loved the characters and story. Humorous contemporary is something that I’ve always wanted to write. Not only was I given the chance to do that which this book, but my editor gave me the complete freedom to go as funny and sexy as I wanted. Pull out all the stop, let ‘er rip, she said. And I did! This is not to say that I didn’t still get slowed down from time to time, but those pauses were more due to life intrusions than any form of writer’s block. Every word was a total joy to write.
If TANGLED UP IN LOVE were to be made into a movie, what would you want the theme song to be? Wow, that’s a toughie. Now, if you’d asked me to suggest songs for Book #3 in this trilogy, that would be no problem. *g* But this one…I don’t think there were any songs that inspired me while I wrote TANGLED. Still, a quick shuffle through my iTunes library did yield a few decent results. One that I think would suit is Aerosmith’s “Jaded”---because Ronnie really is in the beginning. ABBA’s “Winner Takes All” would be good, too, because of the rivalry between these two. K.T. Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” maybe because…well, you’ll have to read the book to see for yourself. Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” just ‘cause I like it. And…oh, here’s a good one that I think is quite suitable: “Fire” by Ohio Players. You know what I’m talking about, right? The super-sexy song you hear at the opening to every episode of Hell’s Kitchen and during the stripper scene in Walking Tall. I mean, come on---yum.
I know you are extremely excited about all three books in the “Chicks With Sticks” trilogy, but is there one character that you are just extremely excited about? One that is saying to you "you know I'm your favorite"? You know, there really isn’t. And I’m not just saying that, I swear. I honestly love all of the characters in this series and have been delighted to finally be able to tell their story with each book. There’s also a match making aunt and an adorable Saint Bernard running around that I absolutely adore. The two of them crack me up!
What is your favorite scene in TANGLED UP IN LOVE? Gosh, that’s a tough one, too, because there’s so much I love about this story. Well, I do dearly love the naked knitting scene. That one’s such fun! The first love scene was pretty darn hot, in my humble opinion. I love the opening, too. Ronnie is so darn annoyed with Dylan and they have this little war or words in the middle of their favorite hang-out, The Penalty Box. But underneath it all, you can tell these two are hot for each other. *g* And the end…I just love the end of a good romance when it gives you a little “sigh” moment, and that’s happened for me at the end of both of the “Chicks with Sticks” books so far. (I’m pretty sure it will happen at the end of the third, too, but we’ll see. ;))
What is coming up next for you, writing-wise? I’m still working on the final book in the “Chicks with Sticks” trilogy, currently titled KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP. It’s a busy one, because the situation taking place in this story has been building throughout the previous two books. There are also a lot of threads to keep track of, weave through, and tie up, so it’s keeping me on my toes. But I’ve been looking forward to writing about this hero and heroine for almost two years now, so I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
And what about new release-wise? Well, I don’t think it’s any secret by now that
TANGLED UP IN LOVE IS ON THE SHELVES TODAY!!!! TODAY, PEOPLE!!!! Please do not make me scream any louder than that; I don’t have any Chloroseptic in the house! Yes, my sexy, funny contemporary debut, the first book in my “Chick with Sticks” knitting romance trilogy is in stores
TODAY, Tuesday, February 3rd. If you love me---and I know…well, okay, hope---you do, please, please run out and buy a copy. I want so much for you to enjoy this story and for the book to be successful enough to show my publisher (and the world) that humorous contemporary romance can succeed and that I really am meant to write funny, sexy books. I know that’s a lot of responsibility for me to put on your shoulders, but I believe in you. :D
Okay, deep breath.
After
TANGLED UP IN LOVE, I’ll have a very sexy novella in the REAL MEN LAST ALL NIGHT anthology coming from St. Martin’s Press in July, with Lori Foster, Lora Leigh, and Cheyenne McCray. (Oh, yeah, very excited about this one, too, but I thought I’d hold off on the screaming until June or so. *g*)
In August, the second “Chicks with Sticks” book, LOVES ME LOVES ME KNOT, will be out, followed by KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP in February 2010.
After that…well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. :)
All right, now it’s your turn. (If you weren’t frightened off, that is. ;)) What would you like to know about TANGLED UP IN LOVE, the “Chicks with Sticks” trilogy, my writing habits, or just my life in general? Ask away, and I’ll do my best to give you answers…as long as they don’t have to vetted by the CIA first. *vbg*
And though I don’t have copies of TANGLED UP IN LOVE yet, I’d very much like to pick three winners from today’s questions/comments and let them each pick an autographed title from my backlist (
http://www.heidibetts.com/books/index.php#back). (This includes the HOTTER THAN HELL anthology, by the way, even though it’s a bit higher on the page.)
Thank you again for letting me spend my big, exciting RELEASE DAY with you! I hope you’ll all run out and pick up a copy of TANGLED UP IN LOVE this week now that it’s here, it’s here, it’s really here!!! (Can you tell I’m excited? Nah, didn’t think so. *g*) Then, after you’ve had a chance to read it, be sure to drop me a line and let me know what you think of this funny, sexy yarn.
Love and stitches!
Heidi Betts
http://www.heidibetts.com/www.HeidiBetts.com/WIPsandChainswww.HeidiBetts.com/MustLoveYarn
