Dawn Atkins...sizzle...smile...sigh

Hot Guys and Facial Hair

2011-12-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

This is the cover of my January SuperRomance. The artist went to a lot of trouble to match it to the characters, even giving Gabriel his chest tattoo--TERCO--which means STUBBORN in Spanish. That said, I'm not sure the moustache works. I'm afraid he looks kind of, well, scuzzy. What do you think?

I mean, tell me I'm wrong. I love this story, by the way. It takes place in a school. It involves a biracial relationship and a sad history and healing and redemption and troubled kids who get a fresh start.

The Romantic Times Book Club review gave it 4 STARS and said

"This is a well-written story with lots of great chemistry."

Here's the book description from the review:

When Felicity Spencer begins her new job as magnet school principal, she reconnects with Gabe Cassidy, older brother of her high school boyfriend whose gang activity led to his death.

Gabe’s running a martial arts gym out of her school, and Felicity wants the space for an after-school program.

At first, Gabe’s still angry over Felicity’s abandonment of his brother, and over her decision to eventually close his school, but the two soon find themselves working together and unable to resist each other.

Here's hoping readers agree.
Best,
Dawn Atkins

Babies, Balloons and Birthdays, oh, my!

2011-06-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

It's here! The cover of my September Superromance, and it's perfect. The hair color, the faces, the little boy--even the gold earring. I'm really proud of this book. It was complicated and emotional and not easy to write, but I'm hoping readers will enjoy it as much as I do. It's a secret baby book that's a little different...at least that's what I intended it to be. Once you love the characters it feels all new, I guess.

I'm also celebrating that I got my next book turned in, HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER, out in January. This one has a tough-guy martial artist, Gabe Cassidy, and Felicity Spencer, a new principal at a failing inner-city school with something to prove. Two two share a painful history--she was his younger brother's girlfriend when he got in trouble with the law, then ended up killed in a gang fight. Working through their issues was tricky. I hope I handled it well. My editor will let me know.

In the meantime, I'd better get back to percolating new ideas. Tell me what you think of the cover. Come on, September!
Best,
Dawn Atkins

Two NEW e-book releases...Wahoo!

2011-05-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is so cool! I published two books--an erotic novella and a sexy romantic comedy on both Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook--and already the sales are coming in. Way, way cool. Check them out. On Amazon for the Kindle, here's Letting Go, an erotic novella and Cross My Heart.

For the Barnes & Noble Nook, check out Letting Go and Cross My Heart. You can always search by "(title) by Dawn Atkins, of course, and get there, too.

I'm curious about what you think of the covers, too, which I had designed. Let me know.

So now I'm part of the wild and wonderful world of e-publishing.

Wish me luck. Enjoy your e-readers. I'm loving mine.
All the best,
Dawn Atkins

Hot, new Dawn Atkins book for Kindle

2011-05-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

I did it! I placed a never-before-published Dawn Atkins sexy novela on Kindle. It's about two lawyers who turn out to be really hot for each other. Sex in the office...who knew how great that could be? I mean getting stabbed by letter openers, bruised by paper weights, oh, the possibilities. Check it out. Only $1.99! The title, Letting Go, turns out to be a popular one, so search for it as "Lettting Go by Dawn Atkins." The heroine has trouble with letting go, if you catch my drift. You can buy it here

This was so cool to do, I have to say. I got so excited I also posted one of my first published books from Kensington. It should appear in two days. It's a romantic comedy. Here's the cover I had designed for it.

What do you think? Let me know if you get a chance. I'll write again when it's up and ready for purchase.

Now back to the SuperRomance due soon. Yikes!

All my best,

Dawn

Rubbernecking a Car Wreck--new season of Real Housewives of Orange County

2011-05-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

My name is Dawn Atkins and I'm addicted to The Real Housewives of Orange County.

It's on it's sixth season and every time I see the teasers for a new season, I swear I'm going to stop. But I can't peel my eyes off the continually crazier high-school antics of this crowd of fake-boob-bedecked, Botox-puffed, gaggle of conspicuous consumers.

Of course, after each episode, I have to take a shower, but I come back for more next week. I'm not alone. I coaxed my husband into watching the first season with me, all the while listening to him say how dirty it made him feel, but he couldn't take his eyes off the screen and he watches every season lying right beside me, bugging his eyes at me, saying, "Can you believe she said that?"

Why am I like this? Every season when the women turn into mean girls and harpies and the show devolves into a scream fest between narcisists I tell myself, this is not good for me. This damages my soul. I must stop watching.

But, next week, I'll be right there with my DVR clicker to rewind to resee the most outrageous moments. It's like childbirth. You forget how much it hurts until the next time.

What gulity pleasure shows do you watch? Please share. Make me feel less depraved.

For now, I'm going back to writing fiction, where my characters could never get away with that behavior. Unlike real life, fictional characters have to earn their successes and grow and change in the book. The Real Housewives only seem to get worse.

Can you believe that Alexis spent the whole dinner party crying because her husband wasn't there?
Sigh.
Best,
Dawn

The Biggest Loser Mania

2011-04-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm late to the party on The Biggest Loser, but I adore this show. It keeps me from trotting down to the kitchen for ice cream late at night and gets me through a tough workout in the gym remembering the earnest expressions, the glee and thrill when the participants cross a new weight milestone or push through pain like they never thought they could.

I think I need a personal trainer for my writing--someone to urge me onward, read my doubts in my eyes and remind me how much I've achieved and how far I've come. What motivates you to push on when you're ready to give in?

I recently signed up at Author Central on Amazon and realize how cool it is. I also saw a bunch of reviews of my books I didn't know were there. If you care to give a thumbs-up to any of my books, I'd love it. Also, I'm now a Good Reads author, so take a visit and friend me if you'd like.

Now back to pushing through my blocks!
Best,
Dawn

Of Nooks and Books and Writing Hooks

2011-03-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

I did it. I succumbed to the urge and purchased an e-reader. The NookColor. I adore paper books, of course, but love the luxury of adjusting the font size and having a whole library at my fingertips. Had a little trouble with the backlight bothering my eyes, so I ended up taking the brightness down to nothing. Anyone else have this experience? I bought a cover that doubles as a stand, too, which is cool.

Also, just turned the revision for the September SuperRomance called THE BABY CONNECTION. I am soooo proud of this book. It's got great characters and powerful story and lots of heart. I know I shouldn't brag, but this book really kicked my butt. I had to do research on Iraq, on newborns, on Salvador, on embedded journalists, on J school, on photography, on the Army and more...Fingers crossed that readers will find it as lovely as I think it is--and my editor, of course. It's a secret baby book with some interesting twists, by the way.

Now the new book is driving me nuts. What made me think there was a story here? Who are these people and why do I care enough to put them in a book, much less spend MONTHS living their lives with them?
Help! Drop me a note of encouragement, pleeeeeeeze!
All my best,
Dawn

Make Love, not Fat

2011-01-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

Evidently, you use up twice the calories making out as you do watching TV. Make Love, Not Fat, I guess, should be the slogan. This matters because, sure enough, I packed on the poundage over the holiday party season....sigh. This despite great tips I got from people on an earlier post. So hug someone before you turn on Mad Men maybe?

HOME TO HARMONY has been on shelves for a week now, I reckon, and I'm hoping it's selling well. The four-star review from Romantic Times Book Club was nice to get. I was thrilled when a fan told me she thought my first Super, A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, was her fave of my 20+ books, so that's good news.

In honor of the release of my second Super, I'm giving away A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS to five commenters. Just share a New Year's Resolution or explain why you don't make them. Mine is obvious--more making out, less couch potato-ing.

I've joined the new SuperRomance Author blog. Check it out for news and book giveaways.

I got the title for the next book, coming out in September, THE BABY CONNECTION. It's about a baby surprise between an investigative reporter embedded in Iraq and a photojournalist in Phoenix and the title is spookily right on because their career and soul connection is boosted by the baby that hits the reporter between the eyes when he learns he exists. The cool thing is that the editor came up with this perfect title without having read a word of the book. Talk about psychic. I hope that means the book will sell like magic, too.

In the meantime, I'm off to find my husband. Gotta work off those Paradise Bakery cookies, doncha know.
All my best,
Dawn Atkins

Tickled Pink over January Review

2010-12-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

I just got the Romantic Times review of HOME TO HARMONY, the book that wouldn't die.

It had several versions and plot twists and turns and cuts until my head spun, but it came out pretty good in my humble opinion. I'm delighted to discover that the reviewer at Romantic Times Book Club agrees, giving it 4 stars. Here's the review:

Christine Waters returns to Harmony House with her young son, David, after 18 years away. She plans to stay just for the summer to help her mother recover from surgery, but meeting fellow Harmony resident Dr. Marcus Bernard may change her mind.

Living there while he finishes a book, psychiatrist Marcus agrees to help her son with his emotional problems. Soon Marcus and Christine are unable to resist a powerful attraction.

Atkins combines a great use of description with well-drawn characters for an interesting read.

Not sure I'm in love with the cover. The dog's perfect, the setting's right, but Marcus just looks...well...kind of blah. Sigh. There's always something.

The book comes out in January, which is supposedly not a good release month, since post-holiday empty pockets means people don't spend much...but one little book? Come on...You know you want to....Just this once... You can read it slow, make it last all month...

Best,

Dawn

Happy Release Day and Honoring Vets

2010-11-04T07:39:00.001-07:00

My first SuperRomance is hitting bookstores now and I find the thrill never fades. I hope to pop into a bookstore just to see it on the shelves, if you can believe that.

I hope readers enjoy this story, which has humor, tenderness and a little mystery, too. In honor of the release, I'm giving away backlist books. To be part of the November contest, answer the question at the end of this post.

Last night, I met with an Iraqi vet who is helping me with an upcoming book about a reporter embedded in Iraq. He was a sniper scout with the Army and I am in awe of what he endured during his tour.

He's a remarkable man, very squared away and I 'm honored to know him. He reminded me how important it is to remember the men and women who put their lives on the line in the Armed Forces.

In honor of Veteran's Day, I'd love to send him notes of thanks from readers, so that's my contest question: What message do you have for Iraqi vets?

All my best,

Dawn

2010-10-12T14:04:00.001-07:00

Wowser! What a week. Yesterday I got my author copies for A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS. The thrill never goes away. Then, today I got the cover art for my January SuperRomance, HOME TO HARMONY. They nailed the dog this time. Not sure about the hero. What do you think?

Also, I need a suggestion for a dog to put in the book I'm working on now. Has to be baby-friendly and big.

To celebrate my news, I'm giving away 3 of my backlist to those who make a suggestion and give me reasons why on my blog--get there from www.dawnatkins.com.

The Thrill Never Fades

2010-10-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here's the cover to my January SuperRomance. They nailed the dog, but I'm afraid the hero looks wimpy. Yikes. What do you think? They've caught the setting nicely, too. It's a commune in high desert country in Arizona. I also got author copies for A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, which will be out in a couple of weeks. The thrill never fades.

Save me from the Ravages of The Fat Season

2010-10-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

The Fat Season has officially begun. Help! I have a love/hate relationship with October, November and December. The love is obvious, but the hate is related to food, specifically sweets in my case. Halloween, Thanksgiving (a little, since the traditional holiday foods aren't my favorite indulgences--well, except for homemade rolls), and then Christmas with all the parties and cookies and alcohol and candy everywhere you go just about kills me.

I've maniacally exercised and been militant about staying lowish carb for the last couple months and I'm nearly my target weight.

Yet, I can easily slap on 10 pounds in the next month or so, while STILL exercising madly. Desperately need tips for controlling self at parties, etc., to not lose the ground I've gained. I'm watching THINtervention AND America's Biggest Losers in self defense.... Help!

I've threatened my husband if he brings home any of the homemade or high-end food gifts his patients bring him I will divorce him.

Gettin' Jiggy with a Kid Around

2010-09-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

So, I'm writing a scene with a reluctant father observing his previous lover--the mother--giving their one-year-old a bath.

He's only just learned he's a father and the mother insists he isn't needed--or wanted.

I'm having trouble juggling his attraction for the mother looking so lovely there, with his being slowly charmed by the little boy.

Is it possible to feel sexy with a kid around? Or is that just too gross?

Personally, I think a dad caring for a child is quite sexy, but maybe I'm just...ahem...odd that way.

What do you think?

Everyone's a critic

2010-09-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

I've been jittering like crazy about my first SuperRomance release, A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, out in November. How will it fit among the wonderful offerings every month? I thought I fit nicely in the Blaze line. Also Temptations, Duets and Flipside.

This story, and the next three I've written or am writing, feel right for Super. My editor loves it, too, but you never know. Readers could be scratching their heads or shaking them or throwing the book at a wall or, worse, not picking it up at all. Who IS this Dawn Atkins anyway?

Then a cataromance reviewer, Deb Gruyette, send me the link to her review. She liked it, she really liked it. She said, among other lovely things, "Dawn Atkins pens a beautiful tale that leaves us all feeling A Lot Like Christmas."

Here's the full review if you're curious: http://tinyurl.com/2w646vd

Can I just say, whew? Of course, she's only one reader, but she's an experienced one, at least, and I feel a little less jumpy in the tummy as a result.

You can't take reviews too much to heart, I guess, good or bad. I have to say my niece's eager expression over an old Temptation of mine makes me feel good, too. She's reading now, but too young for my stories.

Reviews are double-edged swords. If it had been negative, I would have just gritted my teeth and hoped that readers disagreed. What do you think about reviews? Do they guide you or annoy you or do you ignore them altogether?

Let me know to be entered in my contest, with the prize being a copy of my new book. If you're reading from my Website, please note you have to click through to the blog to post
Best,
Dawn

Only Sixty Shopping Days Left

2010-09-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

There are only sixty days until my first SuperRomance will be on the shelves and my heart is fluttering and my palms are clammy in anticipation.

This story, A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS was a long time brewing. I've had Sylvie in my heart for years--a girl who grew up in a mall, of all places, and makes it a home for everyone who works there. It was unusual, coming from a non-shopper like moi. I was happy to give Sylvie her happy-ever-after with the guy who learned to love the place as much as she did.

This is a Christmas book, too, which is also a first for me, and lots of fun, too. Nothing like playing holiday music throughout an Arizona summer as I wrote, let me tell you. We're talking serious imagination. Sweat and wool caps do not mix.

To celebrate the upcoming release, I'm giving away five early copies of the book when they arrive next month. Just tell me about your best, worst, funniest or most boring Christmas ever and you'll be entered in the drawing.

Until then...59...58...57...56...
All my best,
Dawn

Of Demon Dogs and Fresh Starts

2010-08-11T07:06:00.001-07:00

I just saw the cover of my November SuperRomance and got that old jittery feeling from when my first book was on the shelves--that was 24 books ago, by the way. This is my first SuperRomance and though it's solidly a Dawn Atkins book, with the same sensuality, emotion and type of story, it has a slightly different flavor.

I love this story. It has a long and complex history and has gone through many changes over the years since it first popped into my brain and demanded to be written.

It's about a girl who basically grew up in a one-of-a-kind shopping mall and the man who's about to sell it out from under her.

It's about more than that, of course, but just to give you a taste. Shopping mall, Christmas shopping, threatened job loss, sabotage and, um, Satanic puppies. Sigh.

I'm nervous. Will readers of my Blaze stories pick up this new book? Do people even BUY Christmas books? How about new readers? Will they take a chance on a "new" SuperRomance author? And, perhaps most importantly, will they choose a cover with a demon dog leering up at the couple?

This made me laugh--the weird dog picture--since the reason a Cavalier King spaniel is even in the book is because I think they're the cutest puppies EVER. I mean, melt-your-heart, stuffed-animal darling. Where this possibly rabid beast came from is beyond me. Sigh.

So, somebody reassure me that even spawn of Satan spaniels won't scare away buyers, okay? And what do you think about new/old authors writing for different lines? Oh, and Christmas books? Do they get you in the spirit or are they overkill?

Anyway, watch for this book to hit shelves in early November.
Okay, time to lie down with an ice pack on my head.

Best,

Dawn

Good-bye and Hello to New Story People

2010-05-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

I just sent HOME TO HARMONY to my editor! That's the SuperRomance that will be out in January. (A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS releases this November, by the way.)

It's set in an old Arizona commune called HARMONY HOUSE and it features a woman who returns to the Arizona commune where she grew up with her troubled teenage son, only to fall in love with a man and the place.

It was an emotional story for me, since it's based on the idea of letting go of expectations and accepting love and people as they come to you--a personal, um, issue of my own.

I have to say Christine, Marcus and David (the teenager) have been in my mind since I finished. I miss them, you know? I'd been working on that book off and on for five years or more. I'm so glad their story will be on the shelves. January can't come too soon.

So that means I've been working on new story ideas. My brain feels like a popcorn popper shooting out ideas right and left--some fluffy, some burnt seeds. It's always a relief that I have new ideas and can find characters I fall in love with whose stories I want to tell.

I'm excited about an after-school program in a mixed neighborhood and the man and woman trying to rescue it for different reasons and in different ways. Gabriel Golden is Mexican-Irish and tough as nails. He offers an athletic program that kicks ass. Blond and bubbly Felicity Sanders wants to change the program AND Gabriel... I'm talking SPARKS.

Then there's Tara Wharton dragged back to the small town named after her family when her sister and father die in a suspicious accident...that might have been murder. Her high school soul-mate, Dylan Ryland, now the town manager, seems to be protecting the chief suspect--his own father.

I'm starting to get attached to these folks and can't wait to fish their stories out of my fevered brain. It will be a struggle, I promise you. At times like this I need the address of that warehouse in Schnectedy--you know, the one where they store the good ideas?
All my best,
Dawn Atkins

No Man is an Island of Worry

2010-04-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

There is an island somewhere in the Caribbean that two countries have been hotly fighting over. There was diplomatic tension, ongoing threats of attack, etc.

Enter global warming and last month the island dropped into the sea.Gone...glub, glub, glub. No more dispute. Case closed.

That got me thinking about worry.

(Of course. Everything gets me thinking about worry.)

Specifically thinking about all the things I've worried about over the years that never happen at all. What's the saying? Worrying about tomorrow only sucks the joy from today.

So true.

A friend of mine is very, very popular. She's on numerous on-line groups, is active in clubs, well known and beloved everywhere she goes. Recently, her mother, a psychiatrist, mused, "You know, if I'd know how popular you would end up being, I wouldn't have worried so much about you being lonely in college."

That mother endured hours, months and years of needless worry. And she was a shrink, who, no doubt, knew better!

Meanwhile, the real troubles slam us out of left field. We're wringing our hands and sweating in the completely wrong direction.

That means that when I worry about whether my son will do well in college, find a good job, be loved his life long, or whether my first SuperRomance, A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, coming in November, will sell well, or if my editor will love the one I'm working on right now as much, I'm simply poisoning many lovely days, weeks, months and years. Right?

Absolutely. Gotta stop that.

Maybe I'll worry about how much I worry for a while...

What pointless worries do you have? How do you banish them?

My advice is Bobby McFerrin's: Don't worry, be happy.

I double dog dare you.

Best,

Dawn Atkins

www.dawnatkins.com

A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, HQ SuperRomance, 11/10

The Love That Needs No Valentines

2010-02-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

I want nothing from my husband on Valentine's Day.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn down roses or a card or anything. I guess I mean I don't need anything from my husband on Valentine's Day.

That's because he makes me feel loved, needed, wanted and appreciated all year long. That sounds hokey, I know. He's no saint, believe me, but he brings home flowers for no particular reason, buys me athletic socks after overhearing me mumbling about the holes in mine, and the words "I love you" roll off his tongue pretty regularly.

There have been periods of time over the years when I've felt lonely, under-appreciated, taken for granted maybe. If that went on very long, you can bet I'd be tapping my foot on my birthday or Valentine's Day, expecting some tangible proof that he'd thought about me. And it better not be from a Seven-Eleven, either.

There are also bad Valentine's Day gifts, as I'm sure you know. One year, he brought home a big box of chocolates and I wanted to throw them at his head.

Why? Because I'd been fighting a hard battle with about twenty pounds of post-baby cargo I had just begun making headway on losing The last thing I needed was a box of chocolates I would plow through without even sitting down first. That was no gift. It was an assault.

Which brings me to the question of what makes a good gift, for Valentine's Day or any day. My theory is it should be personalized, something your loved one noticed about you, only you, a secret wish or a longed-for treat.

What do you think about celebrating Valentine's Day and gifts and cards? What was your best Valentine's Day? What made it that way?

In honor of the holiday, I'm giving away a few books. Tell me your Valentine's Day tale and you'll be part of my drawing.

May you have the Valentine's Day of your dreams.

Best,

Dawn Atkins

Your First Bad Christmas

2009-12-08T06:32:00.001-08:00

Do you remember your first bad Christmas?

As a child, I loved listening for--and hearing--Santa's sleigh bells from my twin bed where I lay trying to fall asleep so I could wake up and see what he brought me.

No doubt this was actually a trash can adventure of one of the dozens of cats that seemed to roam our Tucson neighborhood at night, but to me it was the magic of Santa's visit. I remember seeing the passing shadow of the sleigh and reindeer taking off from our roof. Now, keep in mind, we did not have a chimney, but somehow I knew Santa worked it out just fine.

I pictured all the gifts he'd brought--just what I wanted, plus some he magically deduced I needed, but hadn't thought of--all cozy under the tree, with one special one--usually with some assembly required the night before--unwrapped and on display for immediate use.

Even when I was old enough to realize that Santa was really my parents I still retained the anticipation, the thrill, the delight of the days before and especially Christmas Day itself.

Then I turned thirteen.

I started with the usual excited feeling, anticipation, buying gifts my loved ones would enjoy, guessing what my loved ones would choose for me. Then it hit me...what's the point?

All this fuss and excitement, then a flurry of unwrapping and it's all over in a half-hour. After that, the letdown. A dress that has to be taken back because it has darts and I have no breasts to fill them with, the flicker of disappointment when I get the silver ID bracelet instead of the classier gold one all the cool kids have. And then, nothing, ordinary world, boredom, it's all over except taking the wrappings out to the trash.

Of course, most of my concerns at the time were petty and selfish and material, certainly not in the spirit of Christmas. I knew it then and I know it now, but that didn't help the feeling.

And even if we all got exactly what we wanted, soon enough the magic is gone and they're just objects. They don't love back. They don't last.

So what was all the fuss about? The excitement and anxiety? The thrill, the warm glow?

That awful Christmas, I longed to be small again, when the thrill seemed to go on and on and getting the baby doll who wet itself was the be all and end all of the season. Or, failing that,to be an adult who didn't care any more, who was content to open up a tie or a pair of slippers--can you IMAGINE?--and be content, vicariously enjoying Christmas through the shrieks and kisses of the young ones in the family.

Ah, adolescence. What a painful time. I still remember that hollow feeling in my stomach, that floundering around for real meaning beneath the tinsel and lights. This is not about religion, by the way or the birth of Jesus and all that. That's a separate consideration. I'm talking about Christmas in all its secular glory--Santa, surprises, chestnuts roasting, caroling, the whole magilla.

Gradually, of course, Christmas loosened its grip on me and my existential "what's it all about, Alfie?" angst faded. I was thrilled to see little kids open gifts and thought more about the love I felt for family and friends, the luck of being healthy and all together, the games we played, the jokes we told, the hugs we gave each other, the meals we shared, than the booty I hauled in.

But I'll never forget that one angsty 13-yr-old Christmas. It reminds me of that old Peggy Lee song "Is That All There Is?" It was when I first learned that I had to make meaning in my own life. It wouldn't arrive like a package on Christmas all wrapped up in a bow for me. Happiness and contentment take work and attention and time.

An important lesson. At the time, however, I really wanted that gold ID bracelet.

Tell me about a disillusioning Christmas you experienced and how you handled it. How do you make Christmas work for you?

My wish for you is a meaningful holiday season and all the gold ID bracelets you desire!

Best,

Dawn

http://www.dawnatkins.com/

A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, HQ SuperRomance, 11/10

The Author as Therapist

2009-10-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

I just turned in HOME FOR CHRISTMAS to my editor at SuperRomance and I'm feeling delighted! And nostalgic. I miss these characters and their struggle.

I miss Starlight Desert Mall, which is the setting for the book, the place that Sylvie had turned into a home. I've grown to love it, too, especially the island of plants in the center where my characters, um, got to know each other, um, better.

This is my first SuperRomance and I so want it to be fabulous!

It took me the longest time to wrangle Chase and Sylvie into shape. Actually, what I was wrangling was my own understanding of them--what they really wanted, why they'd hidden their true desires from themselves for so long.

It's hard to write about people who are different than you are. I'm pretty much out there with my feelings, but these two played their cards close to their vests and it took some time to convince them to spill to me, the author of their story.

I hope that doesn't sound too woo-woo. Sometimes being an author feels a lot like being a therapist, only you choose your "patients," they don't choose you. (Or maybe they do...now that's woo-woo.)

Anyhoo, you invite the characters onto your couch and ask them questions about their past, their parents, their goals and dreams, help them discover self-defeating behaviors and overcome them.

But, better than therapy, where the psychologist sends the client off with insights and tools to work it out for themselves, as an author I'm charged with doing the fixing. It's an honor and a responsibility. I hope I did Chase and Sylvie justice.

I hope you agree when you read the book, coming next November.

Best,

Dawn

The Thrill and Horror of Being in the Newspaper

2009-09-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

When Karina Bland, a reporter at our daily paper, called me for an interview about how romance book sales are up in a down economy, I was thrilled...and horrified.

Thrilled because it's an honor to be quoted or written about and the chance to advance the cause of reading romance is important to me.

Horrified because I'm going to be quoted and written about in the NEWSPAPER!!

Where people will READ my WORDS and FORM OPINIONS about me. That can't possibly be good, can it?

See, I am an introvert with extrovert tendencies, which is agony, believe me. I love talking and meeting people and saying outrageous things and making people laugh and gasp, but then I'm mortified afterward.

Why did I say that? What was I thinking? I looked like an idiot or a fool or whatever. Weird, huh?

How do you feel about public speaking, cocktail party chatter, karaoke, and, oh, getting hypnotized to squawk like a chicken?

If you're curious how the story came out, here it is in her online column, where it was reprinted from the Sunday Arizona Republic: http://tinyurl.com/ya2ehvl. The cover of the book she mentions is here. It's still available online, by the way. The book offers a last hit of summer when the fall is upon us!

Best,

Dawn, who is now working on a Christmas book...jingle, jingle...

Love the Book You're With

2009-09-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

I recently sent the book I've been working on to my beta readers for their feedback.

The book's working title is A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS and it's my first SuperRomance. It's set in a small, family-owned mall and it brings up all the joys and agonies of the holiday season--the traditions, the traumas, the surprises and disappointments, the lost loves reunited.

I loved that story as I wrote it. It was like a member of my family. And now I would be handing it over to strangers. (Well, not strangers, wise readers, but you know what I mean)

They'll look over my book with care, noting the good features, the broad shoulders, the kind eyes, the sensible attitudes, and they'll seek out his flaws and weaknesses--his muddy motivation, his unresolved conflict, his clunky dialogue. That is the point, after all.

The idea is painful to me as I stand in the post office with the red-white-and-blue Priority envelopes holding the pages still warm from the printer. What if they don't like it? I'll just die.

Luckily, time passes, during which my readers read and guess what I do?

I go to work on another book! Forgetting entirely about the story I loved so much. And guess what, I adore this one, too. Each morning I can't wait to take the characters a few pages farther on their life-changing journey.

That will all change next week when, armed with the critiques from my readers, I must set aside the shiny new book and fix up the book I so lovingly mailed away. Time to fix those flaws, spiff up those scenes, sharpen that dialogue, go for those missed moments.

Luckily, I'll fall right back in love again (cheating on the new book, of course), eager to spiff up my tattered beloved, smooth all the rough edges and soothe all the boo-boos before sending it to my editor for a last loving chance to make it better.

Then back to the new guy with, I hope, renewed love. And the entire process starts over.

It's a rollercoaster ride, all right, but then I've always loved a wild ride....

Here's hoping readers enjoy the results.

All my Best,

Dawn

The Sunshine Effect

2009-07-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

First, news: If you entered my new-reader contest, watch your emailbox as I'll be sending out prizes soon. (I'll do this again, so check back.)

Onto my topic.... Here in Arizona, we're having the monsoons. These aren't the tropical horrors that make CNN. They're mostly friendly bursts of wind, rain, thunder and lightning. Just enough to be thrilling.

They can be awful, of course, with deadly dust storms and horrific flooding, power outages and downed trees, but on this early morning, I enjoyed coffee, an engrossing book and the brilliant colors of a rainbow against gray clouds, sunlight turning the mountain a painted gold. It was gorgeous and the smell of creosote and ozone are intoxicating to me.

Of course, I live in a place that has more days of sun per year than any other major city. Here, rain and clouds are an exotic delight.

I love Seattle and Vancouver and often wonder if I could take so many gray days and as much cold as they offer. I'm not sure.

In the meantime, I read an article about research on the effect of weather on attitudes and behavior.

Sunshine makes us nicer, according to research. On sunny days, people answer more survey questions and tip more generously.

Cloudy days make us drink more alconol, coffee, tobacco and cholcate to elevate our mood.

Consider college admittance. Applicants who are more academic get admitted more often on cloudy days. Social butterflies get ushered in on sunny days.

Sunshine boosts the stock market. Cloudy days make more people buy lottery tickets.

Here's something grim: Suicides go up in warmer months as depressed folks see what they're missing and have the sun-generated energy to take action. Yikes!

Do you buy any of that? How do the seasons, sun, rain or snow affect your moods and behavior? How do you compensate for bad weather?

Sun or rain, I hope you have lots of time to read.
Best,
Dawn Atkins
www.dawnatkins.com

Giving Books to Celebrate

2009-06-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm giving away books to celebrate! I've just confirmed that my next book, A Home For Christmas, centered on holiday time at a shopping mall, will be out November 2010.

That sounds really far away until you consider I'm just now writing the story, wrangling Chase McCann and Sylvie Stark into shape to make a life together.

Believe me, that's not easy, considering how these two feel about relationships--maybe later, maybe never. Not to mention their different attitudes about saving Starlight Desert Mall.

They'll get there, don't worry. (That's my job!)

Celebrating this news, I'm extending my contest to gain readers. (Click "contest" at dawnatkins.com for details and to enter. It's easy!)

I've had plenty of entries so far and enjoy the kind words about my stories. I'm feeling generous during this long, hot summer, so drop me a line about a book of mine you loved and win a second you'd like to try.

Best,

Dawn Atkins

Dawn's Blog on Working Through Troubles

2009-06-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dawn's Blog, newly added to my website, so pop over any time and you'll get my latest meanderings right here. Cool, huh?

I've been struggling with my writing lately, distracted, troubled by personal and family worries.

I seem to believe that if I work hard and take care of business, I'll arrive at some magical smooth spot in life and stay there. For good.

Nothing is constant but change, as they say, so it's clear that I will never be able to sit down for a day's writing with a clear head. EVER.

I'll be juggling concerns about my father's cancer, my sister's struggle with arthritis, my son's new journey to college this fall, what the heck is making my cat sneeze crazily, and on and on. Ad infinitum, to go all Latin on you.

That's not even counting my doubts about my writing--have I lost my touch, will I make this deadline, have I tapped out on story ideas?

So, the Zen of all this is to release expectations and go with the flow. Yeah, right. I'm such a go-with-the-flow girl. Not.

I write fiction because I want to control how things come out, darn it, not because I'm easy with the rocky shoals and roller coasters life seems to bring.

So, how do I set aside these worries and fears and gather some writerly calm to get my head in the game every day?

Some of it is habit. Like Pavlov's slobbering dogs, or the old Dalmatian who takes off whenever he hears the fire bell, I sit at the computer and start tapping keys, no matter what else is going on in my head.

Beyond that, I try music, deep breathing, yoga postures, candles, guided visualization or a meditation mp3 I own. Sometimes these techniques work, sometimes they don't.

So, tell me, what do you do to quiet what the Buddhists call "the monkey mind"? I'd love some new approaches to get me through the next few white-knuckled, white-water months.

All my best,
Dawn

Do opposites attract?

2009-05-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Jensen Eccles of Supernatural fame is the actor most like Chase McCann, the hero of my next book.

It's HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.

Now I don't mean the brooding tortured soul part of Jensen, but the easy-going rascal aspects.

My heroine, Sylvie Stark, reminds me of a young Cameron Diaz, with long curly hair, who's wound a bit tight and way too serious about EVERYthing. Sylvie is all career, all the time, absolutely dependable and utterly responsible. Chase, well, not so much. But he knows how to enjoy the moment like nobody else.

As I tell their story, they both have some rubbing-off to do. Uh-oh, now where is your mind? I MEANT their personalities. They have plenty of those sparks going on already.

Sylvie needs to loosen up a little in both work and her personal life and Chase needs to buckle down and commit himself in both work and love.

Oh, and there's a puppy who brings out Chase's sense of home and Sylvie's sense of fun, which works out handily for all three of them.

I've been thinking about compatiblity--hey, it's easier than working through the plot snag in the story I'm struggling with.

My husband and I have differences. I'm kinda Sylvie-ish and he's pretty Chase, but we make it work. In fact, our differences strengthen our relationship.

Is that always the case though? Do you think opposites in personality spice up a relationship or doom it to failure? Does it matter what those differences are? What are the must-haves in couple compatibility?

Oh, and, while we're on the subject of Supernatural, what did you think of the season finale closer??? Don't get me started....

Best,

Dawn Atkins

It's All at the Mall

2009-05-13T10:17:00.001-07:00

What questions are you dying to ask about shopping malls? This afternoon, I'll be interviewing my friendly, neighborhood mall manager as part of the research on upcoming book with the working title, A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.

The original title was MALL GIRL and it opened with the line, "It's all at the mall for Sylvie Stark," who was a devoted gift-wrapper at a department store.

The story has morphed into a romance with a mystery set in the Starlight Desert Mall just before Black Friday. Sylvie is the interim manager, so she's come up in the fictional world.

Anyway, I can't wait to get the skinny on a day in the life of a mall manager. Also, I've deep into THE CALL OF THE MALL by a guy who spends every working hour studying malls and retail stores and how and why people buy what they do.

Did you know the reason covered malls are so ugly and nondescript on the outside is because they're built by property developers who own them, not by the stores. "A blank wall with a mouse hole" is how a mall architect describes it.

So throw out your questions and I'll ask them this afternoon!

Here's the book, by the way: http://tinyurl.com/qkeory

Best,
Dawn Atkins, who's putting on her shopping shoes...

2009-05-11T11:08:00.001-07:00

Daphne Atkeson
w/a Dawn Atkins
www.dawnatkins.com
dawnatkins.blogspot.com

2009-05-11T11:04:00.001-07:00

is thinking about writer's voice after watching Vicky Christina Barcelona, a Woody Allen film. Every line that came from the actors, including Scarlett Johansen, Javier Bardem (that gorgeous Spanish actor who played the snake-eyed murderous psychopath in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and here is a romantic and fiery Spanish painter), and Penelope Cruz sounded like Woody Allen and his usual hapless love interests, even in Spanish.

I could close my eyes and be listening to Annie Hall, Hannah and her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors as easily as the new film. There were the same neurotic repetitions, the angst, the emotional twists and turns. I'm not just talking the usual Allen themes of fidelity, romantic v. practical love, fantasy, unrequited love and existential longing, but the actual words and inflections felt the same.

Voice is supposed to be consistent in everything from the story an author chooses to tell to the syntax she uses, but it's startlingly true in Woody Allen's movies.

Sometimes this consistency ends up being boring--the writer begins to produce works that seem pale imitations of earlier successes--but other times there remains new turns and twists, new windows into the world view so there is consistency and freshness at the same time. What writer voices are most vivid to you? Chameleon-like? What did you think of this film?

2009-05-05T12:43:00.001-07:00

WANTED: The Perfect Dog for a Life Lesson

I need a dog...BAD. Not for me--our tabby pretty much rules the home front at the moment, though we do love dogs, too.

What I need is a puppy for my hero, Chase McMann, to give my heroine, Sylvie Stark, as a surprise gift. She won't like it at first--she's scared of commitment--but she comes around eventually.

Deep inside, Sylvie believes she has to earn every bit of love and affection she gets in life. She was left at seven with her grandparents by a young, flaky mother, so she spends her life working hard, being the best she can be.

Chase, meanwhile, is easy-going and flexible and assumes everyone will love and forgive him--and they do--he's a mischievous charmer. Of course, that's what this dog is all about--a canine embodiment of what Chase will be in Sylvie's life. The dog will teach her to to kick back, have fun, be flexible, get into trouble but charm her way out of it.

What do you think? Can you recommend the perfect dog to help my character find her true heart and get in touch with all the love she has to give?

So far this King Charles Cavalier is working for me, but I'm not sure he's perfect. These spaniels are loving, not yappy, friendly, behaviorably manageable, affectionate, devoted, almost a lap dog, but not sickeningly so, and smart.

What are your thoughts for my character and your own idea of the perfect dog?
Dawn
www.dawnatkins.com

2009-05-05T12:39:00.001-07:00

I need a dog...BAD. Not for me

2009-05-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

prize-winning dead mall

2009-05-02T10:25:00.001-07:00

The book I'm working on focuses on saving a small, quirky shopping mall. Doing research, I've been intrigued by all the reports of malls going down in flames. There's even a website, deadmalls.com, where they show photos and report on dead or dying malls. Are malls dying, do you think? Bear in mind, I'm not a shopper, so this is way out of my realm. I shop with friends who are pros at it and my sisters, who rock at shopping zen. What first drew you to the mall? Now what does it? Malls reflect culture, right? What's Life Beyond Malls like, do you think?
Best,
Dawn Atkins
www.dawnatkins.com

Willpower and Wishes

2009-05-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

I really regret eating the piece of Butterfinger cream pie I saved for my son. It was late at night, I took the cat to her sleeping area, was nearly asleep, then peeled off to the fridge to pull it out and wolf it down. I was almost asleep! Where is my willpower? I need it now facing a new story and its first draft, always stressful, always a challenge.

As I've gotten older, my ability to call up the strength to do something difficult seems to ebb and flow. I need some willpower tricks. I've made lists, but, somehow, when the chips are down, it's blood-sweating agony to push past the temptations.

What about you? What willpower tricks have you come up with?

Help me...I'm desperate...must resist homemade pirogi...

Best,

Dawn Atkins

www.dawnatkins.com

Stark Naked in Public

2009-02-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've published 22 books and I'm nervous as all get out over the book due on shelves in a week. STILL IRRESISTIBLE is the title. The cover's pretty good, right? The story's emotional and has mystery and humor. All good. So what's the problem?

The women in my exercise classes recently have discovered I'm a writer and are clamoring to know when and where to find my next book. I told them and now they might buy and read the thing.

I feel like I do in those dreams where you show up at school stark naked. Completely, um, exposed. Will they like it? Will they tell me? What if no one says a word? Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Such is human nature, I guess.

And, speaking of human nature, I recently got hooked up on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and eHarlequin, chatting away like a maniac. As I face those "what are you doing now?" queries each morning, I realize how utterly boring I am.

What am I doing? The usual: Writing, fighting writing, worrying about writing, revising writing, with an occasional "waiting for word from my editor or agent on my writing."

Who wants to read about that?

Though when I accidentally deleted an hour's worth of new writing on a synopsis and reported it on Facebook, I got several frantic posts of concern, and suggestions to hit "control Z" before it was too late! Very sweet, I thought. People care about frustrations and loss and want to help where they can. I find that comforting.

What other updates scored major comment? My post-martini misery, my jones for Paradise Bakery cookies, and my sick cat. At least I know we all know what's important.

I had a blast with "20 random things about me," tagging friends and getting tagged back. I'm impressed with all the wisdom and wide-ranging life experiences my friends have had.

What are your favorite updates? Do social networks help you stay close or irritate the crap out of you?

Oh, and, what are you doing right now?

Best,

Dawn Atkins

www.dawnatkins.com

Books Came Early--Let's Celebrate

2009-01-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Turns out that my April Blaze--here's the cover--is actually out in March, which is way cool, but also nerve-wracking because I haven't sent in an update for my Web site and I've been telling readers it's April, not March. Yikes!

So, in honor of my boo-boo and the always-exciting arrival of a box of author books, I'd like to give away 5 of these babies.

The story is about a Manhattan events planner who must return to her small town in southern Arizona to rescue her father's failing guest ranch...oh, and fall in love again with the guy she had a brief high school fling with, the foreman of the ranch.

There's suspense and humor and, of course, plenty of naked fun.

If you're interested in winning a copy of STILL IRRESISTIBLE, tell me what influences you most to buy a book: fave author, cover, back blurb, first page. If you saw MY cover, would you want to buy the book?

All my best,

Dawn, who has her box of books at her side
www.dawnatkins.com

Someone Else's Pain

2009-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

My 18-year-old son got his heart broken recently and I was reminded of something my husband said when we were contemplating having a child:
"Why would you bring into the world someone whose pain you'll feel more acutely than your own?"
I hate it when he's right. My entire body aches for my son, who's so puzzled because there was no sign of impending trouble, so he was caught off guard. The girl's confused and wants to be friends, but each encounter tears another hole in his heart.

My son is pretty stoic about his troubles, but after working an entire shift with her he called to ask me to wait up, if I could, so he could talk about it. He has always hated any of my questions about his social life. To ask for my support this way tells me he's hurting a great deal.

Of course I'm honored he trusts me enough to turn to me, but I so want to help him. What can I do to ease his pain?

I listened, I supported, I gave gentle advice, reminding him this is no reflection on his character or attractiveness, that he's been a terrific boyfriend, that he has to decide whether it's more painful to spend time with her as a friend than to go it alone. I told him that like everything in life, his feelings will change. It just takes time.

Still, I want to take this all away. Of course pain is part of life, but I somehow want to guard him a little longer. I guess that's a parent's eternal dream.

If only there were a guide for parents: "How to handle your child's heartbreak." Maybe I should get on that. Right now I'm going to pound a pillow and yell it all out.

Best,
Dawn Atkins
www.dawnatkins.com

My very own bare-chested cowboy

2008-12-31T09:10:00.001-08:00

Here it is, the cover of my April Blaze, Still Irresistable, about Callie Cunningham, a Manhattan events planner who must turn her father's failing guest ranch into a desert getaway and hooks up again with a high school love, Declan O'Neill.

I have to say this cover goes well with the story, though Deck never wanders around half naked. Well, there are those scenes in the hot springs...but I digress.

The desert hills in the background are important to the story and Callie and Deck's relationship, so I'm quite happy about it.

What do you think? This is only the second cowboy book I've written. Do readers still like a cowboy on the cover?

Here's hoping they do!
Dawn

Floggings will continue until morale improves

2008-12-30T07:27:00.000-08:00

Which works better, the carrot or the stick?

I have mixed feelings--oh, yeah? So what's new, Ms. Ambivalence? The carrot is much more pleasant and fun. Who doesn't like a nice juicy goal to strive for? But fearing that stick, the whack across the butt when you're lazy or screwing up, that can be very motivating.

Supposedly, according to behavior modification theory, positive reinforcement results in bigger gains that become permanent. Fear of negative reinforcement, or punishment, has more immediate results, but they don't last. Once the stick is gone, the mice will play, to mix metaphors.

Let's take a real life example. I take classes at my gym with two teachers. Both classes are fun and challenging and exhausting. One teacher teases and goads and jokes you into pushing harder, striving to get past that burn to greater strength and endurance--"Come on, you can do it, i know you can, just 8 more reps!"

The other takes a harsher approach--"Don't blow it, don't be weak, you're struggling? Too bad, don't stop, come on. Push yourself. Get with it." She shames you into pushing harder.

Over this holiday period, it's been damn tough to keep my motivation to exercise high and my cookie consumption low. So twice this week I was just too tired, too sluggish, too hungover from carbs and wine to make my class. One time I went. One time I didn't.

Each time I thought about what the class would be like. In the end, I went to the carrot lady's class because I knew that even if I didn't do my best, she'd make me glad I came. I skipped the stick lady's class because I didn't want to feel like a loser.

I might have pushed harder in the stick-lady's class--I would have, being ashamed to show weakness--but I WENT to the kinder class. Because I knew I'd feel good no matter how hard I worked. Even if I barely moved, I'd have done SOMEthing good.

There's my answer. I might work harder with a stick at my back, but I'll enjoy it more and stay with it longer if it's a carrot I'm after, not a stick I'm avoiding.

How about you? Are you a carrot or stick person? And what, specifically, are your carrots and sticks--rewards and punishments--when you're doing something difficult?

Here's to 2009! I wish for you all that you wish for yourself.

Best,

Dawn

New Year's Suggestions

2008-12-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

New Year's Resolutions--Can't live with 'em, can't tear 'em up and leave 'em at the side of the road.

I'm in a quandary about New Year's goals--I don't call them resolutions any more. Sounds too grim. For the last few years, I've taken some time each New Year's Eve day to look over the goals I set the previous year, analyze my success, then write a new set of goals. When I've achieved the items, I'm thrilled. When I've failed, abject misery and self-flagellation commences.

After a year filled with with family trauma, where several goals went right out the window, I'm afraid I'll be just too blue looking at all I failed to achieve. That's no way to start a fresh year.

That new mainstream project I was supposed to finish? Didn't touch it. The suspense that should have been sold by now? Out for critique. That regular meditation, daily fresh writing I swore I'd do? Didn't happen.

So I have some choices to make. Don't even look at last year's list? Start fresh? Or, make the new list so easy I can't fail? Things like: eat three meals, check e-mail, meet contract deadlines. That's lame. But I don't want to face a new year feeling like I blew the previous one. Already, I grasp at each passing week, trying to squeeze out a little extra time as it flies by.

The other problem is that even though I post the list in my line of sight at the computer, I RARELY read the damn thing. You can't achieve goals you don't keep top of mind, right? So that's not good either.

So, I'm thinking of changing my approach. I'll make a list of New Year's Suggestions: For example: "Consider spending an extra writing hour a day working on new projects. If you feel like it. If it's comfortable. If not, no sweat. Who cares? No biggie...."

Feels lame, like I expect to fail, right? Except I'm using reverse psychology. "You know you'll never do this, you lazy fool." Them's fightin' words. I can feel the fire stoking. You're damn straight I can do that. With one hand tied behind my back and my eyes closed!

Hmm, already it seems to be working.

Give it a try. Give yourself some New Year's Suggestions. I'd love to hear your plans or how you approach the Old Year/New Year conundrum. Maybe you treat it as the Buddhists do: "All is unfolding as it should."

Best,

Dawn

http://www.dawnatkins.com/

Christmas Card Hell

2008-12-07T09:03:00.001-08:00

I want to talk about Christmas cards. I'm not good with them. I'm kind of schizoid.

I LOVE getting them from friends and family, especially when they write a brief catch-up note, too. I love the mass-produced Christmas letters, too.

I'm not good at sending them. It's intimidating. I want it to be personal. I used to spend weeks doing it, selecting just the right photo for close friends.

The best I manage these days is "defensive card-giving," writing back to everyone who sends me a card.

For the last three years since, I've sent out very few cards at all. I had excuses--family crises, impossible deadlines, SOMEthing. I keep up a decent email correspondence with people I love. Friends have found me through Facebook and that's cool.

This year I have no excuse except a sense of despair. I feel like if I can't write a decent note, I shouldn't send a card and that's a lot of notes. I'm daunted.

My laziness is catching up with me. This year, we've only received a handful of cards. Does that mean our friends have crossed us off their list--determined we're the ungrateful slobs we are? As I stare into my empty mailbox I feel like the bad girl with coal in her stocking.

Do young people (21-30) even SEND cards? Or do they simply twitter their greetings?

What do you think about the Christmas card tradition? How do you handle it? How do you feel about people you never hear from? What about email cards? Yes or no? Cool or lazy? What would Emily Post say? I'm afraid to know.

Here's hoping your Christmas card status is green all the way! And if you're waiting by your mailbox for one from me....ulp.

Now back to this book that will not END.

All my Best,

Dawn

Diet Coke and Other Evil Habits

2008-12-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

I'm quitting Diet Coke...specifically Diet Cherry Zero. If you're a diet Coke drinker, you have to try this. Or maybe not, since it's a tough habit to break.

I've tried to quit carbonated beverages before with little success, buying flavors I don't like, substituting diet green tea or Crystal Lite, but that never lasted long.

I read on a writer's loop that carbonation leached calcium from bones. That was scary, so I researched it, finding that the only legit study showed some loss of calcium only with cola drinks. So I tried again, but cola has the kick that goes with the fuzz I love with soda, dammit. No one's taking that away from me! Soon my consumption doubled, as if to make up for lost time, and it was ALL the hard stuff, baby.

Little things happened over time. A dear friend told me she seemed to have reversed some bone loss by quitting her Coke habit. I noticed how much my stomach burned after the third can of the day, and how much hungrier I seemed when I snacked with a Coke. One of my exercise teachers declared she'd quit diet Coke and was feeling better.

Then my husband ended up in the emergency room with a kidney stone. Yikes. His doctor suggested carbonated soda contributes to the problem, though the ER doc claimed that was a myth.

Suddenly, I found myself cutting back and it was easy. It wasn't the kidney stone, really, at least not consciously, but like magic, I'm drinking more water, supplementing with Crystal Lite and those new Tropicana diet orange and lemonade drinks in cans and doing fine.

I don't really miss the Coke. I drank other sodas, too--Dr. Pepper Diet Vanilla Cherry, the new flavored Frescas, Mountain Dew Code Red, etc., but I'm down from a four-can-a-day habit to one, looking to go cold turkey in a week or two.

For the life of me I can't figure out why THIS time I'm succeeding. I suspect it's something my friend--and brilliant writing coach--Laurie Schnebly Campbell calls "sizzling," which is the period of time when you want to break a habit and flip-flop back and forth, doing, not-doing, like bacon on the stove.

Over time, the urges built, the false starts strengthen your willpower until you reach the tipping point and you're IN.

They say it takes 21 days to break or begin a habit. Somehow, you've got to last that long, right? That means sizzling your way to the peak and over.

So, how do YOU do it? Got any habits you're taking a swing at? What's working? Please share. We're all in this struggle to improve ourselves. Let's cheer each other on. Your tip might be someone's tipping point!

What's next on my habit hit list? Paradise Bakery cookies. That'll take a while. I'm cutting back...maybe... Sure. Just not this week. It's Saturday, after all, and what goes better with a Netflix movie than a few freshly baked cookies and the place is right up the street...
My best wishes on your habit zone,
Dawn
http://www.dawnatkins.com/

World's Best Time Wasters--We Need You

2008-12-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is my second post IN ONE DAY on my brand new one-author blog that I put together while on a web conference about digital media promotion from my publisher, Harlequin.

I've got a facebook page, but that's not author-based so much.

I blog occasionally on http://deadlinehellions.blogspot.com/ and I have a Web site, http://www.dawnatkins.com/, but other than that I'm not that social-media conscious.

What makes me think I can keep this up? Especially because I can't be too bitchy or controversial here--that's like showing up at the hospital in bad underwear, or inviting company when the house is a mess. I'm gonna give it a try, though, especially because right now I NEED it.

Anything to avoid my current book. Or maybe I'll go scrub grout in the shower. That, too, sounds more appealing than this plot snarl I'm stuck in.

Which brings me to the point...what's your favorite way to waste time when you should be doing something else? I'm looking for things to add to my list, heh, heh.

All my best,

Dawn Atkins

http://www.dawnatkins.com/

Dawn Atkins Blogs Alone

2008-12-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

Here it is! My very own personal blog. Stay tuned for the dribbles of thoughts, ideas and ponderings--profound, profane and mundane-- from romantic comedy author Dawn Atkins.

Be among the first five to say hello and you'll win a copy of my current release. I'm feeling pretty generous today.

Check out my Web site: http://www.dawnatkins.com/

For now, back to my deadline!

Dawn Atkins