Guest Author Judi Fennell w/ a giveaway

Hi, Wendy, and thanks so much for having me back.

So, the Top 10 Things I Do Before I Write? Here goes:
Go to the gym.
Shower.
Put on my blue, fluffy robe, slippers, and the tiara my brother-in-law got me for Christmas.
Laundry.
Straighten up.
Let the dogs out.
Cuss the kid who forgot something and needs me to run it to school.
Let the dogs in.
Get dressed and do my hair, tossing makeup on willy-nilly because the child needs that item NOW!
Drop item off at school, stop by my PO Box, drop off the drycleaning, get gas in the car, go to the grocery store for that one thing I forgot for dinner, stop at the local farm for the milk we ran out of, drop a letter off in my neighbor's mailbox that the mailman delivered to my house by mistake, come home and let the dogs back out, swap out the loads of laundry, fold said laundry, let the dogs back in, check my email, put the tiara back on, then open up my latest story. Me procrastinate? Surely you jest.


Top 10 Things I Do When I'm Writing
Open my water bottle.
Cue the playlist on my iPod.
Read the last thing I wrote and edit it.
Start writing the next thing that pops into my head.
Answer a few emails when the scene is kicking my butt.
Check in with my online friends, The Writing Wombats, when the scene is too complicated and I don't want to write it.
Contact my local bookstores to set up book signings when my muse clamps her mouth shut and refuses to tell me what happens next.
Force myself through the scene, even if it means playing "What If?" and remind myself that those scenes make good website freebies.
Re-read what I've just written and decide it stinks.
Go grab a snack, chat with the dogs, check the clock and realize that the kids will be home in a half hour, go back to the computer, re-read what I just wrote and realize it's not bad at all. Matter of fact, it's pretty good, and ya know? The next thing that happens is… 

Pretty soon, I’m engrossed in the story, fingers flying over the keyboard, that big, emotional moment is just about to happen when--

The kids come home and I have to go listen to their day.

Or, I can just pack everything up and spend thirteen hours at my local Borders and write a good portion of the book.

Yes, the lists are totally tongue-in-cheek, but that's because, really? It's always different. I might know exactly what I'm going to write, and I might not. Some days are a struggle to get 1000 words written; others, I can write 4000. The key thing is, however, to put my butt in the chair, open the manuscript and work on it.

I wish it were as easy as it seems. Before I started writing, I hadn't really considered all the time that goes into it. All the research, the editing, thinking of just the right word… I'd just pick up a book by my favorite author and allow myself to get carried away in the story.

Which is what I hope happens when readers pick up my books. Now that Catch of a Lifetime is in stores, you can sail through all three!

And don’t forget to stop by my website, www.JudiFennell.com, to register to win the last of the romantic beach getaways, this time in West Palm Beach, FL at the Hibiscus House B&B (www.HibiscusHouse.com)


CATCH OF A LIFETIME BY JUDI FENNELL—IN STORES FEBRUARY 2010!

She’s on a mission to save the planet…  
Mermaid Angel Tritone has been researching humans from afar, hoping to find a way to convince them to stop polluting. When she jumps into a boat to escape a shark attack, it’s her chance to pursue her mission, but she has to keep her identity a total secret…  

When he finds out what she really is, they’re both in mortal danger…  
For Logan Hardington, finding a beautiful woman on his boat is surely not a problem—until he discovers she’s a mermaid, and suddenly his life is on the line… The third novel in Judi Fennell's mermaid series, a fresh, exciting, and different entry in romance fiction!

About the Author

Judi Fennell is an award-winning author. Her romance novels have been finalists in Gather.com's First Chapters and First Chapters Romance contests, as well as the third American Title contest. She spends family vacations at the Jersey Shore, the setting for some of her paranormal romance series. She lives in suburban Philadelphia, PA. For more information, and a chance to win a romantic ocean getaway, visit www.judifennell.com.

Thanks so much Judi!

Now for the giveaway!! The publisher is going to send out a copy of Judi's newest book, Catch of a Lifetime, to TWO winners!

USA and Canada Only

Leave a comment along with an email

Extra entry - How many hours does Judi stay in her local Borders to write?

Winners announced on Monday, February 8th.