If you don't watch the Bravo TV show , this post won't have much interest for you, sorry! But TC is one of...three?...TV shows I actually make a point to watch, and something's been bugging me ever since this week's "Restaurant Wars" episode. (Warning: Spoilers ahead, if you DVR'd it and haven't watched yet.)
"Restaurant Wars" happens every season once the "cheftestants" are down to eight. They divide into teams of four, and each team opens a restaurant for one night. It's usually an episode filled with drama and strife between competitors and lots of frantic rushing around. This year's Restaurant Wars was no exception. The two team leaders were both chefs with lots of obvious talent and experience, and they're two of my favorites on the show. Michael V. has this sort of hotheaded, foul-mouthed renegade image going on. To me, he has seemed awesomely talented, but somewhat inconsistent. The other team captain, Jennifer, I've come to associate with precision, consistent quality, coolness under pressure. In an earlier episode, she lead the entire team of contestants and really impressed me with her toughness.
During Restaurant Wars, however, Jennifer imploded. Now, there could be lots of reasons for it. But I think she had the better team of the two, and they just fell apart at every level. Because each of them has mad skillz, they kind of decided to divide and conquer--each person working to his or her own strengths. Jennifer didn't get in anyone's face. She just trusted her teammates to deliver the stunning, high-quality dishes they've produced in the past, and in the end they all failed (including Jennifer herself) to do so. During the critique portion of the show, host Tom Colicchio said that they needed someone to step up and lead, and no one did.
On the other hand, Michael V's kitchen was a storm of drama, accusation, micromanaging and profanity. He had two people on his team who clash loudly and often, and a wider range of skills and experience to work with. He basically took control with an iron fist and a foul mouth, and in the end, all the food was amazing--his, most of all. The judges declared Mike V.'s restaurant to be the best Restaurant Wars effort on Top Chef, ever. Quite an accomplishment.
So what's bugging me here is this. It reminded me of last season, when fan fave Carla imploded in the season finale after coming on strong and improving with each challenge. Once again, her implosion seemed to have a lot to do with leadership -- she listened to her sous chef's suggestions too much, and trusted her to do things that didn't happen. Her consensus-building style ultimately worked to her detriment.
I know every man and every woman is an individual with his or her own unique brand of leadership or lack thereof. Generalizations are just that: generalizations. But what bugs me about this week's Top Chef is that once again, it seemed like a female chef leading with what I consider a more feminine leadership style--trusting the talent of teammates, building consensus, leading by example--lost BIG time to a competitor running in full-tilt Alpha Male mode, complete with bullying and cursing. Even Michael V's own brother said he was annoyed that Mike's bad behavior was rewarded. But it was rewarded...because it worked.
Clearly there were other factors involved in how the episode went down, and I know editing plays a big role in how the events appear on TV. But after the Carla disappointment and Jennifer's meltdown, I'm asking myself if a woman can succeed in a team challenge on that show (or in a real kitchen) without basically adopting an aggressive, dominant male personality. I find myself wondering, do the team members respond better to the Alpha male leadership because it's truly more effective, or simply because it's what they know and are used to?
I will admit, I never watched Top Chef very consistently until last season, so maybe I missed examples of women leading well and winning. Please bring them up if you have them. Other thoughts?
Lately, a fair number of people have asked me whether I plan to write stories for some of the peripheral characters in my debut trilogy. First, let me say that I love those questions! I love it that people want to read more about them.
Just in case anyone else out there is wondering the same thing, let me answer here on the blog. And I should probably add this to the FAQ, too.
Joss
Before A Lady of Persuasion came out, lots of people were asking whether I'd write a Joss book. I tried to reply with coy "we'll see" comments. And even after reading A Lady of Persuasion, some of them are still asking for a Joss book! (If you haven't yet read ALOP, the following is a spoiler. Highlight the empty space to read it.) I loved writing Joss and really wanted to give him a happy ending. Because I only had three books on this contract, I didn't know that I'd ever have a chance to write him a book of his own, so I wrote his romance with Hetta as a secondary romance, and I was really happy with how it turned out. But even so, a lot of readers seem to want more of them. I'm considering writing a novella. At the end of ALOP, they are on their way to marry...but they haven't tied the knot yet! Who knows what could happen... *wink* However, I can't even think about writing such a story until I finish the third book of the new trilogy.
Davy
I do adore Davy, the fifteen-year-old green hand from Surrender of a Siren. Some people (some of them my very close friends) insist that he would make a wonderful hero, and I'm not opposed to the idea. Some even want him marrying one of Sophia and Gray's daughters, which to me would seem rather awkward...but then, awkwardness makes for great story! Who knows. In my opinion, to make Davy into a hero who could carry his own novel, I would need to put him through a lot of hardship. And I'm not sure I want to do that to dear, sweet Davy! I haven't ruled it out, but I have no plans to write such a story now.
The kidlets: Tommy, Lyddie, and all the other children at the end
This was a question I just got asked for the first time. I'd never even thought of it before! Aside from the few readers angling for a Davy/Miss Grayson romance, no one had asked about the other kids yet. There are a lot of them! And it might be fun to write about them...but then again, the same problem rears its head. It's difficult to write a character-driven romance between two happy, well-adjusted people with parents who are living and loving, not to mention this entire circle of friendship and support they've developed. If I wanted to write a Tommy/Lyddie romance, for example, I would probably have to let something awful happen to at least one of them, and that would perhaps call into question the "Happy Ever After" ending of the original trilogy. So I don't know.
In all cases, I would never say never! But aside from a continuation of Joss's story, I don't have specific plans to write any of them at this time.
Any other characters I forgot?
In other news...
Over at , Surrender of a Siren was voted the readers' for the month September! How exciting, and what an honor! Thanks to any of you who voted.
Oh, and tomorrow I'm signing books at the Fullerton Reads book festival in Fullerton, CA - from 11 AM to noon. This is a big event with fun for the whole family, so if you're nearby, please drop in!
Thank you to those of you who left me blogging suggestions yesterday! How my writing process has evolved...great idea, will do. Teasers for next trilogy...oh, most definitely! But today I will direct you toward , where I'm blogging with my two critique partners, Courtney Milan and Amy Baldwin. We were invited to discuss our critique relationship, and how it has evolved over the past three years. And of course, you'll learn why the nickname for our group of three writers is "The Two Geniuses."
(That's a quote from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Ah, Lumiere.)
Hooray! Twice Tempted by a Rogue is turned in to my editor! (And not a moment too soon, since it has just shown up on the ! Release date June 22, 2010.)
This means I have emerged from the Deadline Cave. I am blinking at the bright rays of the sun, and slowly catching up with email, snail mail, grocery shopping, reading, sleeping, and the like.
I've posted a new contest for October and November. In honor of Isabel Grayson, heroine of A Lady of Persuasion and indefatigable advocate of social justice, and in recognition of the fact that October is I'm giving away gift certificates to , a nifty online store that specializes in fair trade products.
So, now that all my books are released and I've met this deadline, I should theoretically have more time to blog, hm? And I realize that my blog audience has changed a bit in the past few months, so I'm not sure what all to blog about. This year's books? Next year's books? What's new with the darelings? My writing process? Does anyone out there have a burning question...?
What should I blog about? Any ideas welcome! All (okay, most) questions answered!
Thank you all for a great time yesterday! Here are the winners, as chosen by Random.org:
Copies of A Lady of Persuasion:
82 - Barbara Elness
12 - Trish D
60 - Cheryl
Goddess of the Hunt:
43 - Donna Stratton
Surrender of a Siren:
2 - Jane
Heart of Christmas:
83 - Scott Romanski
33 - Tammy D
Congratulations to all! Remember, the prizes are all for you and a friend. If you're a winner, please use the contact form to send me your mailing address, plus the name and address of the friend you'd like me to send a copy to (don't worry, I promise not to use that address for anything else). It will probably be next week before I get them in the mail, due to my deadline crunch.
Speaking of writing and deadlines, today is the last day of the campaign to benefit cystic fibrosis research. I have been a total slacker about reporting my progress and soliciting donations, but I have made my 30K word goal and then some. Hooray! The is a great organization, and the money goes toward research and education as they work toward finding a cure for this genetic disease. If you can find even $5 or $10 to spare, please . I'll be making my own contribution today, too. Thank you!
If you haven't already read Goddess of the Hunt and Surrender of a Siren, this would be a good time to catch up. Because the third book of the trilogy, A Lady of Persuasion, hits shelves next Tuesday, September 29th! And you don't want to be that one person who isn't caught up and can't dish immediately about all the yumminess that it is Sir Toby Aldridge, do you?
Trust me on this. You do not.
(Is it weird to say I adore Toby? Absolutely had the time of my life writing him. Thus far, he is the only one of my heroes to inspire a t-shirt. That alone has to say something, right?)
However, chances are if you're reading this blog, you've already read Goddess and Siren, and therefore need something else to tide you over. A novella might be just the thing! And I know it's not even October, but it's never too early to be getting into the Christmas spirit, is it? (Just go with me here.)
My absolutely brilliant friend and critique partner, , has her print debut novella coming out in an anthology. has an official release date of October 1st, but copies have been found in stores all over and are already flying off the shelves. Courtney's novella, is touching, funny, sexy, and smart. You don't want to miss it. So buy your copy now, before they all get sold out! You do not want to be sadly deprived of her Christmas goodness, do you?
Trust me on this. You do not.
As for me, how will I be spending my weekend? It's back to the deadline cave for me. My second Stud Club book, Twice Tempted by a Rogue is almost finished. Which is good, because it's due to my editor next week.
OH. How could I forget? Something very exciting happened this week--I got to see the preliminary versions of the Stud Club trilogy covers. They are unbelievably gorgeous. And...brace yourselves...super HOT. I can't wait until I have the go-ahead to post them. Perhaps I'll post some teasing little snippets on Tuesday.
Pleeeze come back Tuesday--Release day! Prizes! Friends! Merriment!
Until then....
It's just two weeks until the release of book three in my trilogy, A Lady of Persuasion. I'm so, so excited for readers to gets their hands on Toby and Bel's romance. In some ways, it's more than just their story--it's a happy ending for their entire circle of friends, both old and new. On release day, September 29th, I'll be inviting all of my friends (yes, this means you!) to join me right here for a big release-day party, with lots of fun and prizes.
The other countdown is the dwindling number of days until my deadline for turning in book two of the 2010 trilogy. The days are few, and my unfinished scenes are many. As a result, I'm getting very behind on the blogging and email, and I apologize...
I had a wonderful (and busy) weekend with my RWA chapter events. My own presentation seemed to go well--at least, I didn't run over time! And Linda Howard was an inspiration and a joy.
Hey, it's never too late for a few more glowing reviews of Goddess of the Hunt:
gives it 5 hearts!
and
names it a Reviewer Top Pick!
Virtually, I'm guestblogging over at -- the topic is Gray, the scoundrely delicious hero of SURRENDER OF A SIREN, and bad-boy heroes in general.
In person, I'll be joining the book club at Sunshine Books in Cypress, CA (4931 Lincoln Ave.) at 1ish, to talk about and sign both GODDESS and SIREN. Should be a great time!
Thank you so much to everyone who left congratulatory wishes yesterday for the release of Surrender of a Siren!
If you haven't yet bought it and want to know more about it than the excerpt and blurb here will tell you, here are some ways to learn more, starting with a very cool widget from Random House that will let you browse the first scene and the first page of each chapter.
Some blogger reviews have started appearing online, at:
And finally, I'm guestblogging today at about SOAS's flawless beauty heroine with the slightly flawed personality. Come comment anytime in the next few days, and you could win a signed copy!
In just a few days, Surrender of a Siren, book two in my trilogy, will be hitting the shelves everywhere!
I know I've blogged about this book's sentimental title--amongst friends, it's known as "Goats on a Boat". Why, you may ask? Well, because much of the story takes place on a boat. And because there are goats on that boat--in addition to a runaway heiress, a band of sketchy sailors, and one devilish-hot former privateer.
Why goats? That has to do with shipboard provisions. An early 19th-century ocean crossing was no luxury cruise. The diet consisted of hardtack (also known as ship's biscuit), salted meat (that often went rancid as the voyage progressed), and perhaps a few root vegetables--potatoes, onions, carrots--for the first few weeks out from land. Goats were a portable source of fresh milk, which was a welcome addition to the menu.
to a template and directions for making your own paper goat, should you wish to do so! (Thanks to the ever-crafty, beadazzling !)
Don't worry--the goats don't take over the boat, or the romance. But if you've been wondering what the "Goats on a Boat" references are about...now you're in on the joke.
Here's a little excerpt, starring said goats, the book's hero, Gray, and one of my very favorite secondary characters, Davy Linnet.
A pale-faced youth trotted across the deck, a thick coil of rope threaded over his arm.
“What’s your name, again?”
“Davy Linnet, sir.”
“How old are you, Davy?”
“Fifteen, sir.”
“Come from the farm, have you?”
The lad shifted his feet. He regarded the goats warily. “Yes, sir.”
“Then I suppose you know how to tend a goat.”
The boy hesitated, looking toward Joss.
“Well?” Gray asked. “Do you know a goat’s teat from her tail, or don’t you?” When the boy still paused, he added, “Speak up now, or I’ll ask you the same about girls.”
“I’ve tended goats, sir. It’s just... I wasn’t expecting to tend them at sea. I rather thought I was finished with that.”
Gray laughed. “A man can’t shake his past, Davy. And don’t I know it."
GOATS ON A BOAT
Chewing their way through bookshelves, starting Tuesday next!
