So I’m sitting here and pouting today. First of all, there’s a wonderful writers’ conference going on in Dallas, TX and I’m not there to party. Oh, unfair life can be!!! Then, to quote today’s headline news, “Scientist Fear Warming is Causing Gray Whales to Lose Weight.” Why not me, Lord? Why not me???

I know, I know… global warming is no joke. But neither are the Christmas pounds that are still sticking around.

Deep breath. Positive thoughts. So on the good side, I’m blog swapping today with Gabriella who is a super nice lady!! And my new book MY BODYGUARD is out. Well, sort of out. It’s out at www.eHarlequin.com at a 20% discount (you can read an excerpt there for free). It won’t be in stores or at amazon.com for another 3 weeks. I love the new cover. I’ll try to post it with the blog. I’m technically challenged, however, so if you see no picture, you’ll know what happened.

(The magic fairies at Gabby’s site have granted you a picture)

Today’s agenda: I’m supposed to come up with the next brilliant idea to submit to my editor Writing MY BODYGUARD was easy. I had sudden inspiration. I don’t know how other writers get their ideas, but I work with the lightning bolt method. I sit on the couch (or weed or do dishes or whatever) and the story just hits me. Trouble is, I don’t control the lightning bolt.

MY BODYGUARD came about because I wanted to write books about women who are not “the girl next door.” I wanted heroines with a past, people who had made a few mistakes in life already. What if they were serious mistakes? How could they come back? Could they come back?

So the idea hit me to write about 4 women who are in federal prison. The government recruits them for their special skills to go undercover to bring down a dangerous international criminal. (They’re a cross between Charlie’s Angels and the Dirty Dozen.) Samantha Hanley, the heroine of MY BODYGUARD, had grown up on the streets. She is rough and tough and not about to let her guard down, not even for the hot and sexy professional bodyguard she is assigned to infiltrate the enemy compound with. Heat grows to volcanic proportions when these two must pretend that they are a couple.

I knew from the beginning that Sam would need a very strong, yet gentle-hearted man. And Reese Moretti is just that. He’s got practically blackmailed into this mission by the FBI. But once he gets to know Sam, he’s a goner. You know what they say about, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall?”

I LOVED writing Sam’s book and the stories of the other three women. Maybe that’s why I find it so hard to move on.

While I’m grappling to find the next great idea, why don’t you pop over to my web site and see what Gabriellla is blogging there? www.danamarton.com. You can also read excerpts and enter my 2nd Chance Contest for a free book!

It’s been great visiting here! Thank you for reading my blog!
Dana