Fiona McGier, EroticRomance Author

 And one more place that you can visit in my books? The Chicagoland area! Yes, that's a real word. Having grown up in a suburb west of Chicago, I've been hearing that word on TV and radio programs my entire life. The other localism that confuses some people, is when we talk about going under the lake, to get to Michigan, where two of my kids live. No, there isn't a chunnel, like between the UK and France, though it would be really handy if there was! But if you look on a map, you'll see that you have to head south, hence, under, the tip of Lake Michigan, in order to pass through Indiana, to get to the state of Michigan. That's what we mean.

When I wrote my first book, I set it in a nebulous, unnamed suburb west of Chicago. Note: you can't be east of Chicago or you'll be in Lake Michigan! LOL!

I didn't name the suburb, nor did I have to, since I was only writing 1 book. Then the heroine's best friend wanted me to write her a romance too, so I wrote the second book. Then the children of their close friend started demanding that I tell the stories of their romances also. To date, there are 6 books in the series, and #5 is the free download on Smashwords.

An author friend has a blog in which she showcases each of the 50 states each year. I have a free book offer, so head on over to check out my posting, and leave a comment for a chance to win! Good luck, and see you around the western suburbs in Chicagoland!

annettesnyder.blogspot.com/

 Though it's embarrassing to admit, I've never been up to Maine. Husband used to get lots more vacation than he does now. So we're limited to how far we can get in just a few days, unlike the 2 whole weeks at a time that we used to enjoy. And since we have family up north, we always used to head straight north.

But Acadia National Park, up in Maine, is on my list of places I want to camp in, if we ever get enough time to do it. I did some on-line research about the natural beauty of Maine, and looked at maps and other information about the state, in order to write my werewolf saga. The Maine Academy is in a wilderness area, at least a couple of hours away from the nearest civilization. That's the way the residents like it. They have plenty of forested land for the ones who grow fur and four paws occasionally to run on, and trails for everyone to run on with two legs.

And the parents who send their teenagers there for the excellent, private education, know that if the unforeseen happens and a wolf "presents" itself to their child, there will be plenty of adults to help the new wolf/person adapt to a shared life.

Going kind of stir-crazy? Need a vacation, but can't leave the house? Why not read all about how wonderful Grand Marais, Minnesota is? For the Love of His Life features lots of local scenery, and local color. I actually got the ideas for this book when I was beginning the drive home from a week long camping trip up there, a few years ago. I started to tear up, which made it hard to see the road, and I was driving! So I began thinking about how wonderful it would be to fall in love with a local, so you'd have a reason to move up there. My bad boy "Raul" started to "talk" in my mind, and as soon as I got home to my laptop, I wrote his story.

Here's the link to an interview with him, published when the book came out originally, with the old cover. But be warned--Raul is easy to fall in love with!

http://dawnsreadingnook.blogspot.com/2013/05/get-under-covers-with-fiona-mcgier.html

 So with the past two weeks of "working from home", which for me means no work since schools are closed, I've had time to start getting my "orphan" books re-published. Since my free download is on Smashwords already, I decided to use their format to publish my 9 books that have been languishing in my laptop since the publisher closed.

Many readers, including reviewers, have said that this is my best book, so it was the first to go up! If you want a vacation, why not head up to Grand Marais, Minnesota, where the loons call all night, the lakes are always crystal clear, the air smells sweet, and the stars are so big and close to you, that you feel like you can reach up to touch them!

And fall in love with Raul, the man who has cruised through life on his good looks, oblivious to anything other than his own physical pleasures. No one has ever told him there were limits to what he can or can't do, and no woman has ever turned him down. Until now. Veronica calls him a "disease-ridden drug addict," so he calls her "fat." But she has to train him for a role in her cousin's new movie, to play their ancestor. They'll be working closely together for weeks, until her director-cousin gets the rest of the crew up to Grand Marais. How long can she resist the attractive actor? He tries to make small changes in himself, to fit in, like he's always done. But what happens when the changes go deeper than he ever dreamed was possible? Is there a real man of substance under his thick veneer of movie-star bravado image? And will Veronica ever believe a man who "Lies for a living?"

This week's blog subject is what are my favorite things to do in spring? First of all, my oldest child, our first-born son, was born on the first day of spring, so we all celebrate with him every year. His favorite is an ice-cream cake roll, which is much easier to make than you'd think. If anyone wants the recipe, leave me a comment, and I'll reply with it.

Next thing I like to do in spring is eat chocolate, though that really applies to 365/24/7, right? But Easter is a great excuse to buy chocolate for everyone I love! A couple of weekends ago we were out-of-state, at our second son's birthday party, in an almost deserted bowling alley. He chose the venue. I had pre-shopped and wrapped, and left him a bag holding Easter goodies for him, his wife, and the two grandsons (theirs was books, of course, and chocolate bunnies for the older one.) I also brought a bag for my daughter, who lives there also, to hide in a closet and "find" on Easter morning. That way I don't have to worry about them getting their packages in the mail in time. The goodies are already there.

But the thing I most look forward to in spring is the start of camping season! In spring there aren't that many skeeters yet, and the nights are cool enough to really enjoy a big campfire, and to wear a jacket to keep off the few bugs that are out. Husband took me camping in the spring when we first started dating. Previous guys had dragged me to places like a sister's horse farm that didn't even have an outhouse! I hated it. So when my new guy took me to a MN state park that had hot showers and flush toilets, along with the beauty of nature, and the solitude of falling asleep in my chair by the campfire, looking up at the stars, and thanking God for the miracle of having him in my life, I was hooked.

We were tent campers for years, until the fourth baby was born, just 5 years after the first one. We had to bring so much babbage (baby-baggage) that it was damn near impossible to even find the tent. So we got our first pop-up camper. We used it until the kids got too big for it. Then we traded it in and got a bigger pop-up. Then the 2 older boys decided they didn't want to come with us anymore, and the other 2 bought their own tents, so we traded in the big one for a smaller one again. Now that one is showing its wear, so for Valentine's Day, the husband gave me a card that had a copy of the order receipt, for the new Scamp that he ordered to be custom-built for us! I've been talking about Scamps for years. We visited their plant in upper MN last year, when we were camping by husband's brother and sis-in-law's place.

FYI, all Scamps are custom-built. They only put into it what you want, but they aren't available at any other place other than their plant. They operate like POD paperbacks from small publishers: they are only built when they get an order. But they're backlogged with orders, because their reputation for quality is undeniable. I wanted to get one to last us through to our retirement, when we want to tour all of the National Parks, in all 49 contiguous states.

We're also very fond of Grand Marais, MN, where I set my Minnesota Romances, and we'd love to spend a week or two up there, even though the temps were only in the mid-60's the last few trips we were up there...in July! My philosophy is that if it's not raining, and you can't see your breath, it's warm enough to swim in the lake. Husband says it's because of me Scottish ancestry--me late faither said our forebears used to swim in the North Sea--they didn't paint themselves blue, so much as that's the color they turned when they went swimming!

Our Scamp won't be done until mid-summer, probably sometime in July. So we'll still be in the pop-up until then.  And with state parks and forests closed for now, due to viral fears, it will probably be some time before we'll be out under the stars again. But every year when the weather starts to be nice, and you can walk out and smell the new plants growing again, and feel warm breezes on your face, the urge builds in everyone in my family. It's time for camping!

This month's Round Robin question is:
What draws you into a story?
I know what draws me into a story. I can only hope that when I write, I capture the interest of readers the way I've been drawn in so many times--totally, needing to finish; and finally closing the book with reluctance that such an engrossing experience has to end!

When I read, I'm all about the characters. If I don't feel an affinity with at least one of the characters in the first chapter, I usually give up on the book. I want to envy the heroine, and live vicariously through her for the length of the book. I want to empathize with her emotions, and share her joys and sorrows. And when she falls in love, I fall along with her.

So that means that I have to fall in love with the hero also.  I've fallen in love with all of the heroes in the books I've written. I joke with my husband of many years that the only men I cheat on him with are the ones in my books. Because I still want to feel that exhilaration of unexpected joy, when you first realize that someone you're interested in, finds you attractive as well. Then there's the promise of flirting, where you both toy with each other, ramping up the expectations until you're both ready to explode. Then there's the excitement of finally discovering how you'll be together--and the bliss of sexual release. Then you get to experience that over and over again, as you do what cultural anthropologist Desmond Morris calls pair-bonding.

I read a lot of non-fiction, especially involving the psychology of why we act the way we do. I spent many months a few years ago, reading everything that Desmond Morris ever wrote. His insights on human nature are insightful and eye-opening. To someone like me, who studies people constantly, he answered many questions, and allowed me to understand better what I was seeing all around me. I've used much of what I learned in creating my characters, trying to make them so realistic you might expect to meet them in the street. In fact, I sometimes see people who I think I recognize, only to realize they resemble one of my characters so much that I feel I know them. I smile inwardly, and walk on.

Of course, I want to respect the intelligence of the characters also. If I feel a character is too stupid to live, that's a huge turn-off. If trite tropes are used, like casual misunderstandings that could be easily handled by the characters being mature enough to talk about the issues together, I'll stop reading. Alpha-hole heroes or heroines who want to dominate and control someone else? No thank-you. A leopard doesn't change its spots just because you fall in love with them and want them to change.

And yes, I do read novels that are not romance. The same thing applies: I have to empathize with at least one of the characters. I love sci-fi books. I enjoy fantasy stories. But whenever I try to write stories in those genres, they always end up featuring a romance or two. I guess I'm just a romantic at heart.
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Find out what draws other authors into a story:

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1RR
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

So in my latest book, When a Wolf Howls, the heroine has to do a demo class in front of the sexy principal, to try out for a job as a biology teacher. She runs a lab on the efficacy of commercial hand sanitizer versus homemade: 2/3 cup isopropyl alcohol, 1/3 cup aloe vera gel, and 8-10 drops of the clove oil. They both work well, but the one you make is much cheaper. And when there's none left in the store due to selfish hoarders, it's a good substitute. End of public service message! ;-D

What is the weirdest thing I've learned reading fiction? Well, it's kind of embarrassing to admit, since I consider myself to be a very open-minded person about sex.  For 10 years I was a judge in EPIC's yearly book contest, and I was willing to read anything. I've read books that made me feel uncomfortable, but I was still able to put that aside and judge them on their story-telling merits. I've read BDSM, though I'm not a fan of the "lifestyle." I've read LBGTQ romance, and found that the ones written by writers who identify as that group, were better than the ones written by cis-writers...usually. But the one thing that I found very weird was that there is one word that pulls me out of a sex scene, every time.

I don't think I'm a prude. It's just that this particular word, c*nt, is a favorite swear word of mine, to be used sparingly, but only when I'm trying to get across my disgust at the person I'm upset with. C*nthair is even better. So when it's used in sex scenes, no matter how much I was enjoying the scene up to that point, I get pulled out of it every time.

I've commented on this many times to other authors, and most laugh at me for this particular foible. They tell me it's a legitimate word and they say they're negating the power of it by reclaiming it and using it in their sex scenes. I guess that's the problem. I don't want them to negate the power of this, one of my favorite curses. So many swear words have been rendered powerless by the constant repetition in rap music, or among teenagers who casually throw them around, even in classrooms. But a curse loses its power when it becomes casually acceptible.

 Have you ever wondered how authors choose the titles for their books? I always put a great deal of thought into my titles, since besides the cover art, they're the first thing readers will see, and I hope to interest as many readers as possible, with the front covers.

Come on over to Romance Junkies and see what I wrote about choosing titles. Hint: there's an offer for a free book there! Here's the deets:
romancejunkies.com/fiona-mcgier-ive-written-a-great-book-now-what-the-heck-do-i-call-it/