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Monday, May 9, 2011

Personal Rituals

I was looking through my old emails the other day (which I have broken up into files for each of my publishers and other categories) and I noticed something interesting. I had kept the very first emails I’d gotten from each of my publishers – that note that said ‘welcome to the company’ or ‘we’d like to offer you a contract on your submission.’ But it’s not only the very first email, but nearly all the letters pertaining to that first book with that company. I just can’t bring myself to delete those emails. I guess I’m afraid I’ll jinx myself if I do. Saving those emails is my personal ritual, a comfort of sorts. I occasionally go back and reread one or two, just to pump up my confidence when those pesky self-doubts creep into my head.


Another little ritual I have is to celebrate on the day of a book release. And today is one of those days for me. Not only is Protective Custody out today, but tomorrow is my birthday, so I’ll be doing a little extra celebrating.


In Protective Custody, Megan Jackson has a different type of ritual, a way more personal one. She has a candle at her bedside that she lights when she has male company. (Nod, nod, wink, wink.) Her ex-boyfriend, Will McCoy knows this ritual and when he goes into her bedroom after they’ve been apart for months, the first thing he notices is that candle and whether it's burned down at all since he was last there. But you'll have to read the book to find out!


Here’s a little about Protective Custody from Carina Press:

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?



What about you? Do you have any rituals (that you can share;-) that you’re not willing to deviate from?

Text Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels
Cover Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

20 comments:

Clare London said...

What a lovely double celebration for you, and happy birthday! :)

I try not to have too many rituals - I'm always afraid they'll abandon me at critical moments LOL - but I do have a favourite "writing" sweater in the winter. Plus I always try to have a vase of fresh flowers beside my laptop at home, and my "Muse" model on the left side of my keyboard. And my favourite lucky purple notebook for passing notes. Oh, and my best Clare London pen for showing off when I'm writing those notes...

OK, so maybe I have more than I think :).

You're not alone in hanging on to all your old correspondence, though, I'm sure many of us are like that. It's very re-motivating to read back on them, to remember the shocked delight of those first acceptances!

Maureen A. Miller said...

You might say a ritual of mine is to NOT clean my Inbox. I have something like 6000 email lurking there. After that, I am an avid Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan which brings with it a host of insane rituals that never seem to result in a win.

A very happy birthday to you, Miss Wynter. And congratulations again on your release!

Toni Anderson said...

I have a writing mug--a really expensive Highland pottery mug that fits my hand perfectly and that I need for getting in the writing mood. And I never throw away those emails. I just thought I was a pack rat ;)
Congrats on the great story and release--and Happy Birthday to a fellow bull.

Unknown said...

I'm so glad we all have our rituals. I keep my emails/letters too. I also have a pottery mug that makes that writerly coffee taste exactly right. I write notes with my best Shirley Wells pen and my pottery 'guardian angel' has to be in her spot when I'm writing...

Like Maureen, I also have lots of rituals designed to induce my football team to win. I have more lucky underwear than I know what to do with. ;)

Congrats on the release of Protective Custody and Happy Birthday. Enjoy the celebrations!

Anne Marie Becker said...

My daily ritual is getting the kids off to school, sitting down with a cup of mocha coffee, and going through emails and blogs before clearing my mind to write.

My celebration ritual usually involves some kind of pampering... massage/mani/pedi and a bottle of wine with my husband.

Happy release day! And happy birthday! What a fun excuse to go wild with your rituals. :)

Wynter said...

Clare - your reply put a smile on my face! I think you have more rituals than anyone so far.

Wynter said...

Thanks, Maureen. 6000 emails? Wow. That would be a bit overwhelming for me. I try to keep the number under 100.
Go Bucks!

Wynter said...

Toni - it's comforting to know so many of us keep those special emails. Thankfully, they don't crowd up our living spaces like hard copies of things!

Wynter said...

Shirley - Now that I think about it, I have a special mug, too. I got mine at an RWA conference. It's a Jessica Trapp mug and it's so big that one cup holds me for a while. Lucky underwear, huh? Too funny.

Wynter said...

Anne Marie - a mani and pedi is my birthday ritual, so I will be doing that tomorrow, and now I have a hankering for a mocha coffee...

Rita said...

A ritual? Really? Heavy sigh. Don’t have any. Does telling myself I can do anything I set out to do before I get out of the bed count? I feel woefully lacking

Wynter said...

Rita - LOL! We can count your personal pep talk as a ritual;-)

Marcelle Dubé said...

Congratulations on the release and happy birthday, Wynter! I'm afraid I'm like Rita in that I don't have any rituals. Habits, maybe, but nothing with the importance of a ritual. Maybe I should slink back into my office...

Wynter said...

No worries, Marcelle. There's still plenty of time to develop some rituals;-)

KC Burn said...

Congrats on the new release & happy birthday!

I'm reasonable sure I can't excuse the sheer mass of emails in my inbox as "ritual"... uh... I may be pushing 35,000 unread emails. Which I occasionally prune.

The only real ritual I have is that I like to write during my lunch hour at work. If I'm planning to do so, and it falls through, my day is just wrecked.

Wynter said...

A typical sign of a ritual - disaster if you fail to do it;-)

Thanks for the birthday wishes.

Josh Lanyon said...

I never thought of my inability to clear my email out as an important ritual and of value in my creative process. :-D Here I've been thinking I was a disorganized mess!

Seriously...hmmm. No. I don't seem to have any personal rituals other than forcing myself to sit down and write when I'd rather do something else. I've noticed my work patterns seem to change depending on how much I'm struggling with my deadlines. So sometimes I must have music -- and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I need to break the day up and sometimes I need to work right through.

Maybe I should try to develop a ritual or two. It might be easier.

Josh Lanyon said...

Holy moly, Clare. You're one of those eccentric writers we always read about in books! :-D

Marcelle Dubé said...

35,000...? Holy...

Wynter said...

Josh - my work patterns vary as well, depending on how much I am struggling with plot issues. I am a practiced avoider!

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