VOTE!
For the first time in my life, I’ve actually gotten involved in politics to the point where I worked on a presidential campaign. I always vote–because I believe the adage: If you don’t vote, you can’t complain. And I would hate to lose the right to complain. I’m so good at it. 
You’re smart people. You can make up your own mind about how to vote. Nobody can say there wasn’t an abundance of information available on both sides. I feel passionate about my candidate for reasons that are important to me–the economy, health care reform and the environment. Hopefully, you feel strongly about the candidate of your choice. Aren’t we lucky to live in country where you’re free to pick and choose a leader based on your own beliefs? My father fought in a war to make sure we had that right. Please don’t let any of those sacrifices go to waste.
VOTE!
My hubby and I were at our local polling place at 7:10 a.m. We’re usually in the first ten names to have cast ballots. Today, we were in the first 20. Wow!
VOTE!
And after you’ve voted, you can begin to celebrate the fact that after today there won’t be any more mean-spirited TV ads, daft political pundits and annoying robo-calls! Yeah!
Deb
A lame video of the Falls
My apologies. I need a new camera–one that takes videos WITH sound. What a concept! I ran out of time before I left and didn’t get one ordered, so this lame video of the rushing water going over the edge of Horseshoe Falls is the best I can offer. I suggest you make a loud growling sound (spit optional) to simulate the roar. link
If this link doesn’t work, you can also find it on my blog at my MySpace page. Sigh.
Deb
More shots of Niagara Falls
The requests have been coming for more photos, so here you go. Again, let me say, that we loved our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls. The staff was really nice and I’m told the Starbucks in the Lobby is better than the other Starbucks. 
And the location! We walked to the Visitor Center built beside the Horseshoe, or Canadian, Falls, where you can stand right beside the swiftly moving water. The thundering sound takes your breath away and the force of the water makes the earth beneath your feet tremble. The mist is refreshing, but the view is so awesome you really can’t describe it with words.
Did you know that the first person to ride a barrel over the falls –and survive–was a woman? She was a school teacher who lied about her age. We chuckled about that, but, honestly, I can’t imagine even considering something like that.
Here’s what it looks like looking up from the boat when you’re at the bottom of Horseshoe Falls. I just held the camera out and clicked. Most of the shots were all wet, but this one isn’t bad. 
There are several adventures you can take to view the falls–including one on the American side, but since we were on a time schedule, we only took the Maid of the Mist boat tour. Waiting in line takes longer than the actual boat ride, and you feel like cattle shuffling along through the chutes, but the boat trip was definitely worth the $15 ticket price. 
We crossed the Rainbow Bridge back into the U.S.A. and drove through NY, Pennsylvania and Ohio, following the south edge of Lake Erie, on our way back to Michigan. We were happy to catch a glimpse of these states–the leaves were changing in many areas and we were treated to some Fall color.
Here’s my final shot. This is the bridge crossing into Michigan from Toledo, Ohio. I have to say, “Holy, Toledo!” — even though the comment is trite and unoriginal. But this is one cool bridge. 
Later this week, I’ll scan my advance jacket copy of my January book cover, DADDY BY SURPRISE. Early peek!! I love it.
Deb
Onward to the Falls…and lunch
So, after leaving Donna Hayes’s office, Wanda took us to lunch. It was fun to watch a real Toronton behind the wheel. Traffic is an integral part of the city life. It made me glad that I live in the country. 
I’ve forgotten the name of the restaurant, but it was in a very upscale Mall, not far from four amazing high rise apartments that look like small-scale Chrysler buildings (you know, the iconic NYC image).
Our lunch mates were waiting with our table, which was good since we were late. Here is the adorable but very quiet Megan Long, Superromance editorial assistant. 
(I love this shot. She is so cute. But that orange light above her head looks like a water balloon someone is about to drop. Sorry about that, Megan.)
Also waiting, was Victoria, who had to dash off before dessert and thus missed getting her photo taken again, and Executive Editor for Harlequin Books, Birgit Davis-Todd. 
Birgit is one of the kindest, most inclusive people I’ve met in this company–and that’s saying a lot because everyone is very friendly and nice. At RWA San Francisco, she came up to my signing table to tell me she’d just read about “the swoo” and knew the moment she saw it on the back jacket copy of my January book that this was pure Debra Salonen. I nearly swooned.
Our wonderful hosts we very concerned that we got onto the 401 before rush hour, which begins around 3 p.m. Since we were anxious to get to Niagara Falls before dark and didn’t relish sitting in a parking lot on the freeway, we jumped in our trusty rental car and made tracks. We could feel the bottlenecks closing in behind us, but we made it out of Toronto unscathed, and just as we hit vine country (honestly, there are vineyards all over the place) it started to rain. A cold gusty wind blew us straight to our hotel.
The Crowne Plaza was absolutely everything we’d hoped it would be–and more. Thanks to a fabulously kind desk clerk named Kiley (love the name, picture it one of my upcoming books :grin:) we wound up in a king suite with this view from our windows:
Once the rain stopped, we walked along the river and located the Maid of the Mist boat launch, where we planned to go the next morning. We gaped in a mixture of awe and horror at the carnival-esque atmosphere behind the hotels where every fast food restaurant chain and hokey tourist trap in the U.S. has set up shop. We didn’t linger. Instead, we went back to our hotel for a fabulous meal at a window seat overlooking the falls–just as the lights came on. Amazing.
We loved Niagara Falls. Cross one more thing off our bucket list.
Deb
Harlequin’s home office in Toronto
I was warned in advance that the Harlequin headquarters in Toronto is housed in a square, nondescript, plain-paper-wrapper kind of building. I thought the person telling me this was joking. I mean, come on. Harlequin? Home of red hot sexy Blaze stories? Wait. This is reverse psychology, right? Must be, because, yes, the building doesn’t scream romance. But like that sexy librarian who whips off her horn-rim glasses and slowly unbuttons her starched white shirt when the man of her dreams appears, inside this plain tan wrapper beats the heart and soul of romance–people who love what they do and are proud of the books they produce.
Here’s Paul standing on the steps of the building. He’s carrying my gift to our hardworking editors–Buchanan Hollow Nut pistachios. I knew they wouldn’t work for peanuts. (Wince. Sorry. Bad joke.) 
My editor, Wanda Ottewell, met us at the reception desk on the 9th floor. On the wall were rather understated tributes to Debbie Macomber (Way to go, Debbie, on the New York Time’s #1 Bestseller kudos!) and a selection of manga titles. Huh? I didn’t ask but assume it has something to do with Harlequin’s success in Asia. 
We then visited the editorial offices. Wanda’s was just what you might imagine–only neater. Lots of published books on the shelves. Lots of stacked manuscripts in various stages of the editorial process. She told me she’d already read the one I just turned in–PICTURE PERFECT MOM. Gulp. She said it made her cry. I’m sure she meant in a good way. 
We popped in to say hi to the ever-adorable Victoria Curran. 
Then, Wanda dropped us off with Darrell Cowan. I’m not sure what his exact title is…head of production, director of all things book, God… Darrell is amazing. He can also talk “guy”, which meant he had Paul in the palm of his hand when he started describing the number of train cars loaded with paper that arrived at the production plant each week. Remember: I do words, not numbers, so I’m not even going to try to summarize. All I can say is: we’re talking a lot of books. He’s also in charge of making the art, editorial, PR and ISBN numbers all come together so each author’s blood, sweat and tears comes out as close to perfect as possible. I love this man. In this photo he’s showing me a 36 (I think. Again with the numbers!) This is how our covers are printed. 
My last photo in this blog is my fave. This is going to sound so suck-up, but honestly, how often do you get a chance to sit down in the CEO of your company’s office and chat? Donna Hayes is a busy woman. 
She has better things to do with her time than hang out with one author, but she’s also very gracious, extremely knowledgeable and easy to talk to. AND she gave me a inside tip that I’m generously passing along to you: read
-
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I read it on the plane ride home. It truly is one of those books that you can lose yourself in. The members of the Wine, Women and Words book club are doing this book in January. We all thank you, Donna.
More to follow…
Deb
Travels with Debra…
Grab your coat–it’s cold where we’re going. Well…compared to California. It was 98 when we left Fresno and mid-50s when we arrived in Detroit. Felt quite refreshing, at first.
Detroit, Michigan, USA. What an interesting place! Our first landmark of interest: a giant UniRoyal tire on the side of the road. Sadly, traffic was zipping along too fast for a photo op. Same with Henry Ford’s first plant. There’s a big celebration going on right now. 100 years since the first car rolled off the assembly line.
But we got to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon in downtown/waterfront Detroit and were impressed by what the car culture created in its heyday. 
For a buck, the little girls got to ride a carousel and eat “Look, Mom!” color-coordinated ice cream. 
We enjoyed Detroit–especially getting to spend time with the Smiley family. Thanks, Frani and George, for the great hospitality. 
Next stop: Toronto, Ontario, CANADA. We emerged from the tunnel under the Detroit River and after a quick look at our passports (I highly recommend traveling with a current one, even if they might not be required by car travel until the first of the year), we headed out of Windsor on the infamous 401. Infamous? We were told two things about this highway:
1.) it eats multiple car pile-ups for breakfast (we didn’t see any)
2.) it’s THE #1 most-traveled road by volume in North America. (I’d like to add to that the view of the 401 from Harlequin CEO Donna Hayes’s office is mesmerizing.)
Here’s a shot from the QEW. I like its name. 
In the distance you can see that icon of the Toronto skyline, the CN Tower. We didn’t have time to go to the top, but I’m told the view is pretty amazing. Maybe next time. 
)
We had a corner room on the 24th floor of the Metropolitan Hotel METRO We were so happy to get there alive, we didn’t even blanch at paying $6.50 a bottle for organic beer in the mini-bar.
My dear friend and former editor, Laura Shin, gave us a native Torontan’s walking tour that included a stop a Chapters, a huge bookstore, where, yes, I found HIS BROTHER’S SECRET and we rearranged the shelf to put the Supers at eye level.
Toronto is a true melting pot (except maybe in winter-kidding) of cultures from around the world. After some debate–there are a million restaurants to choose from–we decided to eat at Harlem–a Cajun restaurant with the best jambalaya I’ve ever had. My only side note is don’t look too closely at the art work.
Many thanks to Laura for the most excellent tour. 
The next morning, we were up bright and early to tackle more of Toronto’s highways as we ventured north to the Harlequin Home Office. WOW! Was there a lot I didn’t know about the publishing business. And you’re dying to see candid, completely un-staged shots of the Superromance editors, right?
Tomorrow.
I still have a couple of hundred emails to catch up on. Sigh.
Deb
Meeting writers
I meant to write this as soon as I got home from the Susan Wiggs luncheon, but that 3-hr drive to and from Sacramento just doesn’t get any easier. The crazies have taken over the roads. 
But the drive was worth it. Susan Wiggs is as charming as her books are. She gave a fun power-point talk using cartoons to illustrate the “Writer’s Life.” 
I bought her new book and can’t wait to read it. Maybe the women of the Wine, Women and Words Book Club will be discussing it soon.
I met some new friends at our luncheon table: Sandy and Mary. (Thanks, Mary, for friending me at MySpace.) And I got to visit my old pal Barbs. It was a good day. Barbs sent me some photos from her very cool camera, but I can’t upload them so, here’s the link, if you’re interested. Jan managed to get a really good shot of my double chin. Thanks, Jan. photos
Good news: Rya is much, much better and the travelers are going to reach Detroit today. Yeah!!!
More good news: I typed “The End” for my May book. Now, I plunge into the art pages, so PICTURE PERFECT MOM can have a cover.
Busy, busy, week. Gotta dash.
Deb
a good deal and three cheers for South Dakota
My friend, Barbs, just forwarded this for those of you who are worried that your TBR (To Be Read) stack is getting too low. FREE BOOKS HIS BROTHER’S SECRET is on page 2, in case you don’t have it yet.
I love free books but I gotta finish writing this one before I can buy any new books. Although I’ll probably pick up Susan Wigg’s new book this weekend at the luncheon.
Also, my grandmother hat is off to the Avera Hospital system in South Dakota. The wonderful doctors and nurses and support staff took excellent care of my granddaughter, Rya, yesterday. Jon Paul and family were traveling east from Rapid City when their 2-year old daughter started having a difficult time breathing. (A cold that seemed to be getting better.) They pulled into Mitchell, SD, and found the Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. Rya was diagnosed with bronchial pneumonia. They kept her–and the whole family–overnight. She’s doing much better and they’re back on the road this morning. Will spend the next 3-4 days recuperating at my father-in-law’s home beside a lake in eastern South Dakota. My son says the caring, compassionate treatment they received has restored his faith in the people who are in the health care system for the right reasons. Everyone treated the family with loving care. Talk about Mid-western hospitality. Three cheers for my home state!!!
Deb
Closing in on “The End”
The latter chapters of any book can be tough–there are so many threads to weave together into a nice, neat conclusion. In connected books, you’re also setting up hints about stories to come and laying down the groundwork for those. Mac’s book, PICTURE PERFECT MOM, has been particularly tough because we’re dealing with his grandmother’s decline, which brings back memories of my mom’s last days. I thought I could handle this, but every scene is tough. 
To offset that intense emotional element of my days, I’ve been cleaning house (is there such a thing as Fall Cleaning?) and making plans for our trip. Yesterday, I spent waaay too much time looking for the “right” hotel for us in Niagara Falls. Here’s a shot of the one I picked. Cool, huh? 
Still haven’t booked one in Toronto, but I think I know which one I’m going with. Mostly I like it’s proximity to the Harlequin offices, but I wouldn’t mind giving the downtown area a try. It looks like an amazing city. Guess that’s why I haven’t booked it yet.
Ooh, ooh, Saturday is a quick road trip for my sister Jan and me. We’re going to the Susan Wiggs luncheon. Will get to see my friend and avid reader, Barbs. Hi, Barbs. See you soon!
Back to the story…tears and all.
Deb
My Top Ten Harlequin Moments blog…and more
Today’s my blog at eHarlequin. Help. I need some warm bodies so I don’t disappear into blog obscurity. Please, drop by and say “Hi.” I’m giving away books to people who come up with a snappy reply to someone who disses romance novels. Here’s the link: BLOG
Also: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kelly and Laura today. I love these girls. They’re both beautiful, smart and talented. (One is my daughter and the other is my great-niece so I might be biased, but, trust me, they’re wonderful young women.)
And, here’s an awesome new review of HIS BROTHER’S SECRET by Ansley Cooper at Romance Junkies. Gotta love that last line. Thank you, Ansley!!!
Title – MY BROTHER’S SECRET
Category – Contemporary
Reviewer – Ansley Cooper
Author – Debra Salonen
Publisher – Harlequin Super Romance
Release Date – September 2008
ISBN Number – 9780373715169
Author Homepage - http://www.debrasalonen.com/
Blue Ribbon Rating 1-5 – 4.5
Format – PRINT
Content Editor – Kimberly
Snippet: Mistakes, dreams, and crushes are things that need to be left behind when we grow up. Or are they? What would you do with a second chance to make a first impression?
Debra Salonen, returns to Sentinel Pass with another feel good story, HIS BROTHER’S SECRET. Once again, her characters stand out and make this book a delightful read.
Jenna Murphy returned to Sentinel Pass after being drugged and date-raped while away at college a shattered woman. Using her writing and her job at her late father’s side-show physic’s attractions, she rebuilds herself even as she never truly puts it behind her. Add in an eccentric hypochondriac mother and Jenna’s life is far from matching the peaceful serenity of town.
Shane Reynard, executive producer and head writer for the new television show based on life in Sentinel Pass, is far more than he seems. He knew coming to town was tempting Fate to put him in the path of the one woman he had always admired but never gotten the courage to approach: Jenna Murphy.
Years of longing and memory fall away at first glance. But one thing can stand in the way of their budding romance: his identical twin brother’s secret. When Jenna and Shane had shared a class in college, they shared a relationship characterized by secret longing. When Shane’s brother comes to town to discuss a family issue, he immediately spots Shane’s attraction and takes matters into his own hand.
Now, Shane has no choice but to tell her the truth about the identity of the man who took advantage of her in order to take their relationship to the next level. But is the new love between them enough to weather the revelation?
Debra Salonen takes a situation that could easily be over the top and makes it work with spectacular writing. Jenna is a heroine who pulls at the reader’s heart-strings invoking cheers instead of pity for her ordeal. Ms. Salonen gives her an inner strength that appeals to all of us and will make a reader laugh, cry, cheer, and applaud when the story is done.
