About Karyn Good

I grew up on a farm in the middle of Canada's breadbasket. Under the canopy of crisp blue prairie skies I read books. Lots and lots of books. Occasionally, I picked up a pen and paper or tapped out a few meagre pages of a story on a keyboard and dreamed of becoming a writer when I grew up. One day the inevitable happened and I knew without question the time was right. What to write was never the issue - romance and the gut wrenching journey towards forever.

Holiday Movie Favorites

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Karyn Good

“Tis the time of year to watch Christmas movies. I have my personal romantic favorites like Love Actually, The Holidays, The Family Man, etc. I also love to watch Casablanca this time of year. Because it’s fun to get all cuddly on the couch and force your husband to watch with you while he pretends not to enjoy it. It’s a couples tradition. Everyone likes holiday movies? Don’t they? I did a short poll at our house the other night when miracles of miracles we all happened to be there at the same time.

Our Favorite Christmas Movies (Youngest to Oldest):

Daughter: Christmas Vacation
Son: Home Alone
Me: The Sound of Music
Husband: Elf

I adore Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the 1965 version and when my son was little he called it the Captain and the Barness show. So cute. I miss those years. Anyhoo, It so happens that this year–have you heard about this–NBC is putting on The Sound of Music Live! With Carrie Underwood playing the role of Maria.It’s live on December 5th. I’m excited. The more times I get to here the My Favorite Things song the better. But apparently, not everyone is a fan. Carrie Underwood is getting hate tweets for even attempting to play Maria.

Sigh.

How much happier would life be for everyone if we did our best to lift people up rather then tear them down?

On a happier note! My publisher The Wild Rose Press is giving away a $25 gift certificate every day this December. All you have to do is go to their blog, check it out and enter the Rafflecopter. Easy peasy.

What’s your favorite holiday movie?

Hots Drinks and Book Review

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Karyn Good

It’s December and that can mean chilly nights. In fact, today there is a Winter Storm Warning for my small part of the Canadian prairies. Nothing warms a cold winter day or night more than a book, BUT while your reading you might choose to sip a warm beverage. I’m a fan of several hot drinks.

I love the peppermint tea from David’s Tea. My husband and I drink this in the evening some nights and the scent is so fresh and addicting. I also love hot chocolate, see below. Who can forget about hot apple cider this time of year? I love making a big batch for guests in my crock pot. Chai tea lattes! And it’s always fun to add a snip of Bailey’s, Kahlua, or Peppermint Schnapps to the various mixes.

Now for the book part. My book club the Sanity Seekers read The Paris Wife by Paula McLain for our November selection. I picked it. Since it was my pick I figured I should review it.

I’m always intrigued by books of fiction based on real people, events, and well fact. Hadley Richardson was Ernest Hemingway’s first wife. The story is told in Hadley’s point of view which peaked my interest as much has been made of Hemingway’s women. Their time together was short but huge at the same time. There were parts of this book that fascinated me. I thoroughly enjoyed McLain’s style and her writing. I’ve read other fiction based on fact but none that read as smoothing or believably as this. I loved the setting of Paris in the 1920’s. Loved the parts that talked of writing. But reading about their relationship and how they lived their lives was hard work at times particularly towards the end. And parts of the book dragged along. There was no temptation to stay up late and read all the way through, but the necessity of having to put it aside for a while and think about what you’d read. There is no happy ending for these two although I like to think Hadley found hers with her second husband, I wonder if Hemingway ever truly did. If he came close I’m betting it was with Hadley. But that’s probably the romantic in me.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Now about that hot chocolate. Although I haven’t been much for experimenting in the past, I’m trying to eat less of certain foods and cut others out altogether. Like cow milk and refined sugar. Which creates challenges when craving hot chocolate. It’s actually easy enough to replace the milk with coconut milk or almond mild, but the hot chocolate mix is another story. Until I found the following recipe in our local paper:

Hot Chocolate Recipe

6 to 7 medjool dates
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups hot water

Method: Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Adjust quantities to suit taste. Serves 2 Adapted from Ashley Clark: www.naturallyashley.com

I used hot almond milk instead of hot chocolate. It was wonderously thick and frothy but very sweet. If I were to make it again I think I’d use less dates and more cacao powder. Also, from using the medjool dates in my smoothies as a natural sweetner, I put them in the blender first with a little liquid and puree as I find they don’t blend up well and the end result is chunky.

Which hot drink is your favorite? Read any good books lately?

A Moratorium on Man Boob Book Covers

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Karyn Good

Romance heroes are a sight to behold. We get it. Don’t get me wrong, I like to look at nice pair of man boobs as much as the next person but could we please, please call a moratorium. The other day on Facebook I saw some promotion for a lovely heartwarming Christmas romance. It pictured a house out in the country, snow everywhere. A real snow globe moment. With a fence and a cowboy lounging against it, no coat, open shirt, man boobs on display. In the winter.

Brings new meaning to freezing your nipples off.

I mean, come one book publishers. Wake up. No one in their right minds would ever–okay football fans but they’re the exception– be outside in winter without a shirt. Not even romance heroes. Because they’re smarter than that. Hopefully. Or else I’m putting that book down and never returning.

There was another cover. This one with a huge storm brewing in the background. Dark, heavy clouds ready to break open any moment and rain down a heap of trouble. Another cowboy. Hat, jeans, nice belt buckle, oh wait – NO SHIRT. Out on the open plain waiting to get struck by lightning.

You can tell they weren’t boy scouts. They aren’t prepared. They didn’t even know enough to wear a shirt. Let alone a coat. They did have the hat part covered so I suppose they should get points for something. Or maybe those points should go to the powers that be deciding on what book covers will sell the most books.

I’ve noticed a couple of times lately, authors on Facebook asking opinions about covers or asking readers to vote on the one they prefer. I like that idea. Let’s do more of that. Then maybe publishers will get a better idea of what readers are looking for in book covers. Sexy people with their clothes on, especially during winter or a storm. Readers can see them undressed, in all their glory, later on. Inside the book, using their imaginations.

I love sexy covers. But I also don’t want a stockpile of naked man chests in my TBR pile. Whether it’s my ereader or the literal pile on my nightstand. I like the book covers with landscapes. I also seem to be drawn to ones that are black and white. or have objects significant to the story.

So I went to my Facebook page in search of a cover without a half-naked someone on the cover. I scrolled down and down, until I gave up.

So how about you? Had enough of man boobs on covers? What to see a different type of cover? Do you have a favorite book cover?

Decorating in Discontent

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Karyn Good

I hate when that happens and I’m usually pretty good at not going there. But the last couple of days I did just that. It’s time to come back from the dark side. Because it does lead to darkness. You start to question your commitment. Worse your abilities, and it’s all downhill from there. Before you know it you’re wallowing. It’s lowering to admit. I don’t want to be the person who gives into jealousy and it’s poisonous head games. That’s when I knew I had to nip this shit in the bud.

First order of business. Figure out what’s making me crazy. I’m in the midst of a writing challenge. Not NaNo but within my own small writing group. My goal is to write a 1000 words a day. By no means an impossible task. I’m two-thirds of the way through. Writing first drafts always make me in turns euphoric and cranky. Add to that, I’m impatient to get to the revising/rewriting part of the process. I love revising. But writing the last third of a story, tying up all those lovely threads, pushing towards the end, makes me double crazy. And doubtful I’ll find a resolution that doesn’t completely suck. Cue my lurking insecurities.

So what do I do? I go to Goodreads. I visited the other day and was checking out new-to-me authors and looking for something to read. Because that’s what you do when you’re doing your level best to avoid your own writing. Found a couple of books I thought looked promising with 20,000 ratings and 2,000+ reviews each. When I checked further I found neither one of the stories were for me. <delete> There I saved you from my rant on selfish, abusive heroes.

That’s when jealousy moved in, signed a lease, and decorated in discontent.

I hate when that happens. It makes me feel small and petty. Not to mention unproductive. And unhappy. That’s when I have to start asking questions. Like what’s really wrong? Because it’s not poor Goodreads fault. And people like the books they like, end of story. They don’t need any more reasons than that to talk about the ones they loved reading. We’re as unique as the stories we prefer.

So, lesson learned? Writing first drafts stress me out. What should I do to avoid more stress? Perhaps this is the month to reread a book. One of my favorites and an old friend. One I know will not only soothe my battered brain but inspire me. And I’ll try to remember I’m not trying to find a cure for cancer and stop taking myself so seriously. Sheesh. I’ll take a walk. Get some fresh air. I’ll choose to be positive and productive.

Three of my favorite writers are Tara Janzen, Suzanne Brockmann, and Nora Roberts. How about you? Do you reread books? Think of them as old friends? What do you do to keep from stressing out?

Let Them Eat Soup

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Karyn Good

There are lots of things I love about autumn and winter. And one of them is soup. Because I love soup! I love the taste, the aroma, the warmth it provides. There is nothing better on a cold night then a bowl of soup.

This is one of our family’s favorites and fits in with my new love–cauliflower. I roasted some for lunch yesterday and it was delicious. It also incorporates my daughter’s love of sweet potatoes. It makes a lot so there will be leftovers which works for my son so he has something to eat when he decides to show up. My husband? As long as he doesn’t have to cook he’s happy. And he does the clean up. Because that’s the kind of save-the-day hero we really need.

So, if you’re writing away madly or deep in a good book or wrung out from the day’s activities take a break from the trauma of trying to decide what’s for dinner and make some soup. It doesn’t need to simmer for hours like plot twists. It’s not hard to put together unlike difficult chapters. It’ll be the hero of the supper hour. The warm comfort of a heroine. And will result in the happy ending of a full belly.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups Leeks thinly sliced (about 3 large)
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Garlic minced (I used more)
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper freshly ground
1 medium head of Cauliflower broken up into small florets
1 ½ cups Rice – any kind (You can also use frozen, leftover rice)
1 medium to large Sweet potato (but not ginormous 2 – 2 1/2 cups) peeled and cubed
1 can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of Curry powder
1 ½ teaspoon Ground cumin

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic. Cook and stir until leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Stir in cauliflower, sweet potato, curry, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Add broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Transfer soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot. Stir in cooked rice and coconut milk. Heat soup for 1 more minute. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

I Can’t Resist a Craft Show

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Karyn Good

Coldstream Pottery

This past weekend saw my Mom and I schlepping our hinnies down the aisles of the annual Best To You Arts and Craft Sale. Three and half hours later we were tired, hungry, and peopled out. But also productive. I was on a mission and I think I scored some pretty good stuff. I’d much rather shop for Christmas gifts at a craft show then the mall despite the noise and the crowds.

But you always have to get a little something for yourself, as a reward for…something. Things I always watch for:

Pottery mugs with a hint of blue in them.

I collect handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments.

My special find were wooden vintage picture postcards from Cedar Mountain Studios. I thought they would make a wonderful future giveaway.

Maybe you’re not a craft sale junkie. Maybe you’re a crafter? Or DIYer? Maybe you just like to look at crafts others have made on Pinterest? Me too. You can find me there too!

Today is also the first day of my writing group, The Saskatchewan Romance Writers, November Writing Challenge. Yay! Can’t wait to finish this story. We report our ups and downs on Facebook. We cheer each other on to whatever goal we’ve chosen. Mine is a 1000 words a day until the story is finished. I’m about two/thirds of the way through and struggling away at what is the hardest part of any story to write, for me anyway. The time where some things are wrapped up, some things are only started to be revealed, and your stringing others out. The hero and heroine are indulging in their need for each other and navigating new found feelings blissfully unaware of what’s coming at them.

Which means I’m going to need some new music. So after as a reward for 1000 words written I’ll be heading to iTunes to see what inspires me for tomorrow and the day after. Right now I’m listening to Aaron Lines and The Lights of My Hometown. It’s working my fictional small prairie town of Aspen Lake is calling and scenes need to be written.

Yep, I love what I do.

Happy writing! If you’re not writing, then happy reading! If it’s neither of those two, then press on and enjoy the hell out of whatever it is you’re doing! And remember to reward yourself and add to your precious collections when you’re able.

Ready, Set, Write!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Karyn Good

Today it’s all about the ghosts and goblins but National Novel Writing Month starts tomorrow. And that’s all about the writing.

November is also about mustaches and raising money for a good cause.

And that’s a random picture of Kim Coates who plays Tig on the TV show Sons of Anarchy which I love and don’t know why. He sports some pretty awesome facial hair. Anyway…

I’ve never written a story about a guy with a ‘tache. But I’m writing a story about a guy with a Dodge Demon he calls Veronica.

He’s into grunge rock and wood carving.

And he’s falling for Kate. Who lives in this tiny apartment above her boutique.

So while I won’t be doing NaNoWriMo, I will be writing. I’ll be participating in a writing challenge along with other members of my writing peeps, The Saskatchewan Romance Writers. They’re an awesome bunch. And November is the perfect time to get some writing in before all the Christmas festivities start. Although I’m Canadian and therefore have already celebrated Thanksgiving. Some of you will have to write and cook a turkey.

When Kate Meets Seth…

Kate’s quick scan started at his scarred work boots, past cargo pants with more pockets then she had good intentions, she lifted a brow, and not in favor, at his Pearl Jam t-shirt. Great hair. Six feet plus in height. His stance made it clear he didn’t give a crap about any of it which added a little bit of wild to the Mr. Long and Broad look he had going on. Her fingers twitched. That made her nervous. And nervous didn’t project the right image.

“Can I help you?” She plunged into the Kate Logan act. Relished the comfort of the fit. The shaky Kate disappeared behind a raised brow and the strut that had made her famous.

My second Aspen Lake novel is taking shape. Happy writing, Everyone!

A Short List of Scary Books I’ve Read

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Karyn Good

I wasn’t kidding. It’s a very short list.

1. The Shining by Stephen King

That’s it.

Although I must say, I enjoyed it.I was braver back then. Oh, I also read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and that was scary. And there were times Harry Potter freaked me out.

In other words I don’t do scary.

So, I won’t be seeing this rendition of Carrie. I saw the original and that was enough. I think it was a right of passage kind of thing. Must watch Carrie like everyone else. So was Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 80’s edition). I was eighteen and a couple months in to living on my own for the first time. We watched it at a girlfriend’s house. After they dropped me off I climbed into bed and read an entire Harlequin before allowing myself to drift off into nightmare land.

I’ve watched Criminal Minds. Once. My husband forbade me from watching it ever again. He complained my lack of sleep tired him out. But I mean come on, why be terrified alone when you don’t have to. Plus, I’m pretty sure there was a clause in our vows pertaining to him having to talk me down from those kinds of situations.

So now he’s proactive when it comes to stuff like that. Like this summer when camping and I realized the book I’d brought along to read was about the Campsite Killer. He told me, and I quote, “put that book away. Immediately.”

That doesn’t mean I won’t be watching Sleepy Hallow and Dracula! That’s too much awesomeness to ignore! Besides, there’s no such thing as headless horsemen or vampires. So, it’s not scary. Although…there is a Sleepy Hallow campground thirty minutes down the highway. By the way, my husband refuses to let us camp there.

What’s the scariest book you’ve ever read? Or movie you’ve watched?

Letting Go Of Summer

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Karyn Good

So…two things.

1. Either Harper Lee was comfortable existing with very little…or that was one hell of a friend.

2. It suggests that To Kill A Mockingbird was a story she’d been thinking about for a long time. An opportunity presented itself and she took it. Because To Kill A Mockingbird was meant to be written and shared and loved. Yep! Indulging in a fangirl moment.

I’m thinking of my favorite book today. Probably because summer and the ending of the season usually make me think of TKAM. Even though I love autumn, the older I get the tougher time I have letting go of summer. This also might have something to do with our Canadian winters seeming harsher the older I get.

If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance. ~Bern Williams

Enjoy the last days of summer. Read that last book outside, take that last camping trip, toast that last s’more. Until next year. Now the gathering starts. The organizing. The settling in.

A Sneak Introduction to Off The Grid, My Next Endeavor

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Karyn Good

Well, my edits are back in the hands of my lovely editor. I have a feeling Off The Grid is this close to preliminary gallery territory. Yay! I’m so excited about this story. Besides creating (hopefully) engaging characters, I loved exploring the widening gap between the rich and the poor in this one. Off The Grid takes place in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, which has long been dubbed Canada’s poorest postal code. My heroine, Dr. Sophie Monroe, is a Doctor for a Downtown Eastside clinic and an activist. Caleb Quinn is a Family Law lawyer, ranked one of Canada’s Top Lawyers Under 40.

Working Blurb for Off The Grid

A committed doctor to Vancouver’s inner city, nothing fazes Sophie Monroe. Until a pregnant teenager shows up at her clinic on Christmas Eve requesting sanctuary and claiming the baby’s father is one of the city’s most influential businessmen. One who has threatened to do whatever it takes to safeguard his reputation. Sophie is in over her head and thankful when aid shows up in the form of an attorney who’s a little too confident and a lot too sexy.

All Family Law expert Caleb Quinn wants is a date. One chance to prove he isn’t the elitist jerk Sophie assumes. Helping deliver a baby is not what he has in mind. But before long protecting a traumatized teenage mother and her son become his first priority. Even if saving them pits him against the baby’s father, a childhood friend. A man who will do anything to keep his dark side private.

But justice never comes cheap. Will doing the right thing cost Sophie and Caleb their reputations? Or their lives?

The First Paragraph

Dr. Sophie Monroe lifted her face to the cold sting of falling snow. The flakes cooled her heated cheeks. Their fresh scent cleansed her mind of the day’s battles. On the ground it covered the everyday debris of crack vials and castoff condoms. Litter from the urgent business dealings conducted in the shadowed alley behind her clinic. In the waning light of the gathering storm she studied the dark doorways relieved to find them empty.

A Look At Who Inspired The Leading Characters

I feel bad that I don’t know the name of the gorgeous guy from The Bay flyer. I was struggling finding a real life image of the hero in my head but the minute I saw this flyer I knew.

This is Diablo Cody who, among many other accomplishments, wrote the screenplay for Juno.

There you have it. I was getting too excited not to share. Can’t wait to share more, like cover reveals and release dates! Here’s to surviving Monday and the last days of summer.