Hey all,
It's been a while, but tomorrow I have another book being re-released. This story is another of my favorites (I know I always say that), one I did way back when I first started writing professionally. It's been revamped, restructured and expanded, and IMHO, is now a better book because of it.
It's one of my favorites not only because of the unusual premise
and fun-loving secondary characters, but because it was the first book I
ever really did on-site research for. Let me share again how the book came to fruition.
Now as you know I only write books that take place in an area I've traveled to.
(Even my Sci Fi and Fantasy books have a specific place that was used as
a base.) But
Luck Be a Lady's destination was the first book I traveled to JUST because I wanted to write a story.
Where did the research actually take place. Vegas? Reno?
Atlantic City? Maybe New Orleans? Stay tuned and I'll tell you!!!
First off, the idea for the story came from
a commercial. It was one of those romantic, airy types where a
gorgeous man in a tux is kissing a beautiful woman as the sun sets over
the deck of a ship. *sigh*
As they murmur their love to each other,
the camera pans out and you see it's not a cruise boat but one of the
special nightly casino cruises. Excitement fills the air as dealers
spread out winning cards, and slot machines sing out the glad tidings that
someone just won a huge pot. The lovers kiss one last time before
disappearing into the casino to see if their luck with the tables can
match their luck with each other.
Well, that's all it took. I
dreamed about that commercial, and out of the dream emerged Lara, Justin
and all the wonderful characters from
Luck Be a Lady.
But I'm not a gambler. My Nana
(maternal grandmother) was, and she dragged me along to the casinos when
I was old enough, but I hate playing the tables. I don't like waste,
and losing money is just too bloody wasteful for me. LOL Plus I've got
that whole electricity thing going (remember I stop watches and cash
registers and turn off lights), so I'm pretty sure the PTBs would frown
on me spending much time near their machines.
Even with all that, Nana's love
for the game was one of the reasons I wrote this story, and the book is
dedicated in part to her. Yet, the memories of Nana stuffing coins in a
slot machine didn't help me when it came to making sure I described the
rich ambiance and exuberance of a gambling cruise. So I decided to go
to the source.
Since we were living in Florida
at the time, it was easy to sweet-talk Jonathon into a beautiful summer
night cruise on a casino boat. Especially since the one we chose was
free. Sterling Cruise lines did cruises most evenings. The trips were
four to five hours long and started and ended in Port Canaveral,
Florida. The cruise route took you out to international waters since
that is where actual gambling can legally occur.
So we bought tickets, (Yeah,
they were free, but you had to have them) put on our best duds and
headed out for a fun-filled cruise. I was really excited, looking
forward to learning all the nuances for my story. My sweet baboo was
excited, because there was free food.
Did I mention neither of us gamble?
Anyway, once on board we
explored the ship, had some drinks, and munched out on the buffet. Not
the best spread we'd ever seen, but it was filling. (Made sure I
changed that part in
Luck Be a Lady. Lara's guests WILL be impressed
with their buffet choices.) Then we listened to the band play and even did a little slow dancing. *wink wink*
Then it was time to go to work.
Jonathon went back to listen to more music, and notebook in hand, I
went to the casino to do my research.
Did I mention that casinos frown on people taking notes?
Yep. I wasn't there for more
than ten minutes before I was surrounded by big, strong security men.
Not the worst position I'd ever been in, but with my luck the smelly one
named Bubba would be the one to strip-search me and demand the truth.
Luckily,
in stepped in my hero. Yes. That's right. There actually is a Justin
Savage, and he turned out to be every bit the wonderful man I portrayed
him to be.
His real name was Warren, and he
was one of the floor bosses. (He looked a little like Robert DeNero) A
foreign national who had worked on this type of vessel his whole adult
life. Once he heard my stammering story and peeked at my notes, he
shooed security away. He let me keep my notebook and escorted me back
behind the VELVET ROPES (the inner sanctum) and became my
mentor. If I had a question, he answered it. If I didn't understand
something, he explained. And he did all this while keeping an eagle eye
on all the tables under his purview.
I had a wonderful time, gained a
great deal of knowledge, and a lot of respect for the position of floor
boss. Those men and women have to be constantly on guard, making sure
pit bosses, dealers and customers alike are acting fairly. They are the
ones who alert security when a problem develops, and they get to be the
ones to hand out the big winnings if a guest hits the jackpot.
Warren was a great guy. When
his break came, he toured me around the rest of the ship answering
questions and telling me about his life on the high seas. He explained
all about the legalities of cruise gambling and shared story after story
about his time on board ship.When Jonathon came to find me at cruises'
end, my sides ached from laughing so much at the different people Warren
had met. You'll see some of them in
Luck Be A Lady.
They are some of the secondary characters. I dedicated the book to
Warren and even sent him a copy when it was published. Sexy romance or
not, he deserved to know he was my hero, if only for that one moment in
time.
Sterling Cruises may not have
cruises out of Port Canaveral any longer, but the night I spent
researching on one of their ships is truly a highlight of my career. I
met the perfect hero for my book, enjoyed learning how the ship was
run, plus I was able to spend a romantic evening with my husband.
Not too shabby for a trip that was a tax write-off. *VBG*
And yes, as we sailed back into port, Jonathon and I replayed the scene from the commercial that started it all. Another reason to love being a romance writer!!!!
Anyway, the book comes out either late tonight or tomorrow. I believe
THIS LINK should take you to where you can buy the book. I'll check when it goes live and redo if necessary. Keep an eye on my FB page or website for any update.
Be back on Sunday with a glimpse into how I feel about moving from city to city while on tour with Cirque du Soleil!
Hugs,
CJ England
http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/
3) The atmosphere is different. Not being home with all the familiar sights and scents DOES make a big difference. I can't pull out my crock pot and do my Christmas potpourri or spend hours in the kitchen making up all my favorite cookies, candies and breads. That's a part of Christmas I can do a little here, but not what I would normally do.
