For those of our readers who don't know, Betty Magdalen was our first bona fide follower here on TUJD. By bona fide, I mean the first person who wasn't either A. Related to the Founding Bettys or B. Best friends with one or the other Founding Betty.
We're thrilled to share a recent email from her:
Hi, Founding Bettys:
I wanted to share with all my friends at TUJD the great news: My romance, Blackjack & Moonlight, is a Golden Heart finalist in the single title contemporary category. It’s got S*E*X in it, so not worthy of The Great Betty, but I’m proud of it. (Betty JoDee’s got a copy of the entire book...and I don’t believe I ever heard how she liked it....)
Here’s the blurb:
Jack “Blackjack” McIntyre is Philadelphia’s newest federal judge...and its sexiest. He goes out to rule on a routine motion when he sees Elise Carroll, a lawyer with “moonlight” hair. He’s instantly attracted to her, but he can’t date a lawyer appearing in his court, so he recuses himself, announcing that he’s “in love with counsel for defendant.” That’s a complication Elise doesn’t need as she’s trying to make partner at her firm, but she offers him to sleep with him instead. Her theory: men leave after they get what they want, and they all want sex. He refuses. They end up trading dates: candlelight & romance one weekend, hot & sweaty the next. But it takes a lot more to get either one of them to budge: he wants to marry her, and she doesn’t believe in “happy ever afters.”
The Golden Heart is a contest for unpublished authors. There are eight nominees in my category. The winner is announced at the big awards dinner at RWA National, which this year is in Anaheim, California at the end of July. And both Betty Ross and Betty Henry will be there with me. Yay! Good thing, too – I gather the process of being a finalist is exhausting.
I will definitely let you know if I manage to win.
Yours with a map of Brighton hastily hidden behind my back,
Betty Magdalen
Congratulations, Betty Magdalen. I hope you'll win!!!
ReplyDeleteBetty Anonymous
Wow, I'm so impressed! I've tried and tried to write a romance and just don't succeed. Well, I wish you the very best of luck!! XO
ReplyDeleteSquee, squee, squee!!! All the Bettys will be there in spirit to back you up! Gosh, I'm proud to know you.
ReplyDeleteAren't you guys sweet? Well, I knew that already, but it's extra-lovely that you're being sweet to me.
ReplyDeleteQuite the roller-coaster day for me -- first the phone call, then the shock of needing to have professional head shots done in less than TWO WEEKS. (I am absurdly unphotogenic.) Then lovely phone calls with lots of people, congratulations from various people on Twitter and Facebook, then tearful conversation with Betty Ross who happens to be in Oxford at the moment. I could have used him here. I mean, it's good news, but it's life-changing, and I really like to have help when my life starts changing. Then I was disabused of the notion that I could wear the same all-purpose frock that I wore last year and the year before. (Hey, it was dark & no one was looking at me...) So I need to get the genius who made my wedding dress (see photo to the left) to make me a GOWN. No sequins, I promise.
And that's my news.
Tell you what: if I win, I'll Bowdlerize it so all the "no stinkin' Brighton" Bettys can read a copy. For real. It's the least I can do.
Congrats! I'm so impressed and happy for you!
DeleteCan't wait to hear the results. If they've any sense at all you'll win. :)
Hugs!
me<><
Betty Cindy!!!!!
DeleteHow are you? You have been missed, big time! Now, go vote on some books. :-)
Betty Magdalen,
DeleteAbsurdly unphotogenic? Then who was the lovely bride at your wedding???
Betty Anonymous
Betty Anonymous -- More to the point, who was the absurdly talented photographer!! We hired a wonderful fellow who knew what he was getting into and really rose to the occasion.
DeleteThank you, though, for the vote of confidence. I'll be back in a couple weeks with the head shot and you all can decide: How much Photoshoppage did this really need?
Congrats to you, Betty Magdalen! I have *great* admiration for authors. I'm a reader but in no way, shape, or form an author. I'll never have the imagination or work ethic. Good on you!
ReplyDeleteBetty AnoninTX
Ms. Braden, congratulations! I'm happy for you. Thank you for your kind offer to Bowdlerize a version for us. Knowing that doing so would remove a certain element of reality (seeing how the times are Brighton-bent in a handbasket and all), I appreciate your consideration for those of us who don't move with the times.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad you'll splash out on a dress. Good luck in Anaheim! (I've been there only once. My high school orchestra competed there and took a side trip to Disneyland!).
Congratulations! And best of luck from an aspiring (but cowardly) closet writer!
ReplyDeleteZoweee! That book sounds steamy! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYes, Betty Kylene, it is.
DeleteBut, if I win (which I won't; see below), I've offered to produce a Bowdlerized copy for my fellow Bettys.
Betty Ross and I have figured out precisely how to do it. Here, then, is the blurb for the Bowdlerized Blackjack:
Jack “Blackjack” McIntyre is Philadelphia’s newest federal judge...and its sweetest. He goes out to rule on a routine motion when he sees Elise Carroll, a lawyer with “moonlight” hair. He’s instantly attracted to her, but he can’t date a lawyer appearing in his court, so he recuses himself, announcing that he’s “in love with counsel for defendant.”
That’s a complication Elise doesn’t need as she’s trying to make partner at her firm, but she offers him to play Scrabble with him instead. Her theory: men leave after they get what they want, and they all want to win at Scrabble. He refuses to play. They end up trading dates: candlelight & romance one weekend, Scrabble tiles at twenty paces the next. But it takes a lot more to get either one of them to budge: he wants to marry her, and she doesn’t believe in “losing on a triple word score.”
There. That would make everyone happy, right? (Except maybe the lawyer who send out cease-and-desist letters protecting the intellectual property rights for the Selchow-Righter company...)
*Oh, and I won't win. The final judges are editors, and no editor yet has ever liked Blackjack & Moonlight. And, sadly, it's not because it's too steamy.
When my kids were in grade school (back in the 80's and 90's) they loved to read those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books...maybe instead of bowdlerizing, you can just put a little symbol (I'm thinking a sea monster...as in "here there be dragons), and the Brighton avoiding reader will know to skip to the next symbol (possibly a Scrabble board...or to avoid copyright problems something else innocuous and uncopyrighted...maybe a jersey dress?)
DeleteI think you will win. It's an unique premise -- although maybe that's the problem for the standard editor. Anyway, when you do win, will someone automatically publish the book, so those of us comfortable in Brighton can buy it and push you onto the bestseller lists?
ReplyDeleteWhen you got the call, did you say, "Yea, yea, Betty Janet. Stop goofing around..."?
Alas, no. I did think it was going to be a wrong number. We have only recently gotten caller ID, and half the time I forget to look. But I did for The Call and it said it was Floyd Adams.
DeleteThere's a Ken Adams & a Wayne Adams in our poorly-populated neck of the woods, so I thought, "Hunh. Wonder who this really is?" and answered.
It was Jeanne Adams, the RWA board member for Region One (all of the Northeast, basically). She was very kind, explained everything quite clearly (getting the BAD NEWS out of the way immediately: I need to get a head shot to them in TEN DAYS. I'm still swooning from that blow, and not in a good way), and then waited for me to scream.
Which I didn't do. (I hope she wasn't disappointed, but her audiologist will thanks me...)
Instead, I explained about how the "Brit Hubs" (as Betty Henry and Betty Ross are known online) will be in Anaheim for the conference. There are three people on the planet who are essential for my happiness, and that's two of them.
I have a feeling my call will stand out for her, just a bit.
Now, about publication. Here's where we are on this. First of all, no, a Golden Heart win is no guarantee of publication--in any category. My category being one of the really tough ones.
But Betty Ross and I have our own publishing company, Harmony Road Press. {{WARNING: WE'RE CURRENTLY PUBLISHING VERY STEAMY BOOKS INDEED. It's okay to go look at the website's Home Page, but don't read much further. I'm not embarrassed, clearly, but I would hate to embarrass any Bettys. I love you all too much!}}
Anyway, if I don't get an agent and/or a book deal I like, we'll publish Magdalen Braden stories ourselves. Ironically, you'd get to buy them all that much sooner if we did publish them ourselves.
I have indeed read this Golden Heart finalist manuscript and am not surprised by its current lofty status. It is true that excursions to Brighton figure prominently in the story (as does the color cherry red). Having said this, these excursions are central to the plot of the story as opposed to the "I'm on my way to Coventry, but whoa, let's do a u-turn and head to Brighton because it's time to do so for an obligatory visit"-books. Betty Miranda is very good also at having a point in her novels for an exit ramp toward the seaside resort rather than just that required to complete a travelogue.
ReplyDeleteAnd Fellow Bettys, when I reached the part where Betty Magdalen's hero gives the heroine a house tour, I burst into laughter. All that was needed was a downtrodden donkey and some gypsies.
If I'm quite brave, maybe I'll try to do a TUJD-style review for it if Betty Keira will supply her clever graphics. Maybe Life after Betty?
We're popping our buttons with pride (oops, sounds like an ad for Brighton holidays again) here in Pennsylvania over our finalist!
Congratulations and good luck! (We really need that phrase in Dutch.)
And thank you so much, Betty JoDee, for the gorgeous TULIPS that came today (and my nickname isn't even Roly). I take back anything I ever said about your Texas roots, because I know that it's your finely-honed Southern manners and gracious generosity that prompted such a wonderful gesture.
DeleteAs for the House Tour o' Love, I don't know where Jack's going to stick the donkey or the gypsies -- this is Society Hill in Philadelphia we're talking about. But (SPOILER ALERT) there *is* a fully-decorated nursery in his house. That freaks Elise out a bit, I can tell you.
What's the book in The Canon where the heroine's never allowed to see the nursery even though they're married? With The Great Betty there's no reason to worry, but as a plot device, it had a whiff of "crazy first wife and a convenient fire" about it...
Oh, and did you see that Betty Miranda has a new book out this week?
DeleteConfessions from an Arranged Marriage (how Betty is that title?)
We call it "putting up a shelf." It was from an old joke we heard early on in our relationship, but we liked having a way to talk about it without...talking about it! :)
DeleteOh, and sorry for my somewhat prolonged absence. I got a new computer for Christmas and didn't just move my (vastly overcrowded) bookmarks over. As a result, I just plain overlooked getting this site back on the daily rota! I'm so sorry. I've missed you all.
me<><
"Play Scrabble"? Hahahahaha! Another euphemism for going to Brighton!
ReplyDeleteI am not making this up: Professor van der Hertenzoon and I called our sparking (decidedly NOT going to Brighton but gazing at the exit ramp signs fondly) during courtship "playing Monopoly." It comes from our being at my sister's house in the darkened game/tv room alone when my brother-in-law yelled in jesting, "What are y'all doing in there?" The Professor without missing a beat responded, "Playing Monopoly." We've called it that ever since.
DeleteLOL! I love it. And thanks for bringing up a fun memory. Prof. Vue der Plane started calling such before marriage behavior "meditating". We met on a pilgrimage of the BVM sites in Europe. So our alone time, (which I blush to say was sometimes in the back of a crowded tour bus or on a bench in the grotto at Lourdes), got dubbed meditation!
DeleteWhat's a "BVM site"? Is my Protestant slip showing?
DeleteBetty Barbara here--
DeleteBetty JoDee
BVM--Catholic shorthand for Blessed Virgin Mary.
In my and Mijnheer van Voorhees' sparking days, we both worked at the University laundry and I was in charge of the vast repository for excess towels and sheets and whatnot. So we called excursions in which we...er...played Monopoly...'inspecting the linen'...It mortifies me no end NOW to think that we were caught on more than one occasion snogging in the aisles!
DeleteAll this talk of Brighton - and Betty AnHK missing it all???
DeleteBetty AnHK, where are you?
I've missed your input frequently (on non-Brighton minded topics).
Betty Anonymous
re: We really need that phrase in Dutch
ReplyDeleteGefeliciteerd en veel geluk!
or
Van harte gefeliciteerd en veel geluk!
or
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd en veel geluk!
Betty Anonymous
Oh, oh, oh, BIG THANKS, Betty Anonymous!!
DeleteI'm going with "Hartelijk gefeliciteerd en veel geluk!" (This sounds great with a Texas dialect.)
(Doesn't "Hartelijk" sound a wee bit like an RDD name? Beats "Ralph"--I know, I know it's pronounced "Rafe"--still makes me see Jackie Gleason's face.)
hart=heart -elijk=-ily
Delete(hartelijk literally heartily)
Cardiologist Brand Hartelijk ten Borrel
Just kidding.
Betty Anonymous
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ReplyDelete