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Featuring reviews, author biographies, and special features, Romance Reviews is meant to be a guide to romantic reading - to help you select a good book to read, to help steer you away from a book that might be a disappointment. These reviews consist of mysteries and other works of fiction, not just romance, but there will always be some romance included in each story. A new edition will appear the first of each month.
At one time, Jodi taught home economics at Amarillo High School full time. For those 15 years she didn't even think of writing fiction. But when it came time for her sons to go to college, she realized that teacher's salaries wouldn't be enough. Just like that, she sat down and wrote a book and after the third published book, quit her teaching job to devote full time to her writing. Both sons are now graduated and she considers them her greatest accomplishments. Making it to the New York Times list with her writing can't even compare to those boys, she tells us.
Jodi says that she never thought she could be a writer, although she loved to
read. "I'm a horrible speller." she
explains. But thanks to computers and editors she found it was possible
after all.
"If I'm in the middle of something that requires continuity, I visit briefly, but don't sit down, just stand, so the visitor knows I'm not available for a long talk. Brief interruptions don't interfere with the flow of the story I'm working on. Since I've been writing at the office, I've been much more productive. I have to get organized in order to go to my office, so I get more done." Jodi admits she gets lazy sometimes and takes a few days off. And if she reaches a point where she isn't sure where she's going, she takes a walk or changes her environment. Like, "Sometimes I take trips to a town I've never been to or rent a lake house for a few days, or go to Wal-mart and walk around." Once she went to a car show. Said, "I don't remember much about the cars, but the people were great fun to watch." As for writing those steamy romantic scenes, Jodi informs us, "There's an old saying in romance writing, 'Write like your mama's dead.' It's really true. You have to write what is right for the characters and circumstances, instead of worrying about what someone might think. My husband and sons are very supportive of my work." She thinks it's fun to write both mainstream and historicals and says, "Kind of like watching two movies, flipping between channels." Jodi explains, "I used to read Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour books as a child and I absolutely loved them, with the Western setting and the action." But, she says, "One thing I felt was missing from these stories was the romantic relationships. When characters never really get involved with one another emotionally, it makes them seem less real. There are four great motivators of people - hate, greed, fear, and love. Many writers will spend entire novels involving their characters in hate, greed or fear and leave the love out. Humans are not that shallow. Love is a huge motivating factor in our everyday lives as well as the lives of my characters, To write a story and leave romance out makes the story seem empty." Jodi tells us that the stories never stop. She says, "As soon as I finish one, another is waiting to be born."
Jodi doesn't make an outline, for the most part. She says, "I've found that if the outline is too detailed at the opening, it starts to choke me somewhere in the middle of the book. But near the end of the book, I always stop to make sure I'm wrapping up all the ends of the story." Jodi explains, "I do a lot of research. I studied the oil industry for The Widows of Wichita County. To write The Secrets of Rosa Lee, I thoroughly researched roses. I spent two weeks with homeless people in Austin for Finding Mary Blaine. About 10-15% of my writing is spent on research, another 15% on the original writing of the story and the other 70% rewriting. My research occurs almost entirely in the actual location of the story." Jodi says she's never had writers block. She admits to having occasional burnout, tho, and says "Then I go driving along country roads. Soon the story draws me in, and I have to get back to work." Jodi says that only her first two stories were written before she sold them. Since then, "I submitted proposals only. I also finished my first mainstream, The Widows of Wichita County, before I marketed it. But six publishers were interested in it, and my agent put it up for auction. I was able to meet with them all and decide which publisher would be best for that book. The other two mainstreams were sold on proposal only, to the same house as the first." Jodi tells a funny story. She says, "I went to a workshop where the instructor kept stopping the lecture to have us all meditate. I didn't learn much from the workshop except I can't meditate. Thinking of nothing but breathing just doesn't work for me. About the time I was about to give up. she said some people meditate as they walk. Now that I can understand. To clear my mind I left the lecture and went to Wal-mart. For an hour I just walked and thought of nothing. A hundred dollars later I felt much better. I'd meditated and bought groceries, makeup, plant food, an extension cord and socks. Next week I think I'll meditate at the mall." And another amusing short story is, "Last week I went to a poetry workshop, thinking I would grow as a writer. I learned a great deal. I'm not a poet, will never be a poet, in fact, I should not be allowed to ever hold a book of poetry, I feel sure if the teacher of the workshop could have kicked me out of class she would have done so in rhyme." Jodi has her screen saver set to repeat, "A writer writes." She says, "You have to step out there and put in the time. Triumph comes through perseverance."
She says, "Don't be afraid to dream, but back that dream up with work. When I was teaching full time, raising two boys and taking care of a mother with Alzheimer's, I used to say that everyday I'd do one thing, one step closer to my goal. Also, no one can tell you how to write or get a book published for you. It's something you have to do for yourself. Take writing classes. read every book you can find on writing. Then, write, and write, and write." Another thing she stresses, "There are a number of common misconceptions about writing books. One is that if you get a book published you can retire wealthy. That is just not so. A book takes about nine months to write. Then it takes another year or so to be published. The return to the writer is only about 8% of the cover price. Even if you sell thousands of books, that not much money for the nine months of work. The hard part is, the first few books don't sell that many copies so you basically starve. After you become more well known, your income increases with each book as sales increase, but it is a long, hard road."
Rewriting Monday - With this story, Jodi explains there are two heroes. "Very different men who work together," she says. She says that she liked the main hero of this book. "He's not perfect, in fact he doubts himself most of the time, but he cares deeply about the people around him and the town." Her Next Book - Currently, Jodi is doing research on high school rodeo for one character. She says, "When I was in my teens I rode the rodeo every year when I stayed with my Uncle Leroy and my Aunt Dixie (anyone who doesn't know me will think I made up those names). I thought I was something, riding in the parade and every night in the Grand Entry. The last day of the rodeo I was riding out to the pasture and, after living in the saddle for four days, got tossed off. To this day when my leg hurts I tell everyone it's the old rodeo injury," Her Fan Club - Jodi says she has a great fan club. "No matter where I travel these wonderful readers turn out to welcome me. They usually set with me at the autographings and go out to lunch with me. It is grand to know I have friends wherever I go. They also write to me and encourage me." (For info about the club you can e-mail www.fanclub@jodithomas.com.) Today Jodi Thomas calls herself "A New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author, wife, mother, in-law, grandmother, sister, friend, and owner of one fat cat." Yep, I guess that says it all!
Coming next, the 4th of the Whispering Mountain series called The Lone Texan - the story featuring Drum and Sage.
A Texan's Luck - A western with a special
twist to the plot. Loved it! To Kiss a Texan - This was a very dramatic and different kind of a western. Gripping sequel to The Texan's Touch featuring the brother of Adam. The heroine had been locked in a cage and presented as a freak show, dirty and badly abused. Not your usual story!
Two Texas Hearts - Good love story. Whether she is writing a contemporary or a western, Jodi Thomas can be counted on to deliver more than just a good story, but a very special one that is unique and exciting reading. I don't like missing any of them and try not to.
The last time I wrote of her, I had these words to say and they bear
repeating: |
Jodi Thomas, 
Advice to
Starting Writers -
Whispering Mountain Series -