Job Complaints - A Guest Post by Romance Author Ashlyn Macnamara

Please welcome Ashlyn Macnamara to the Nook today. She's touring blogs in celebration of her new book, "A Most Devilish Rogue", releasing today! I'm not a huge fan of historical romances but I read them occasionally and the cover on this one, Yum! A very nice backview indeed; the smuthound in me is quite happy.

Ashlyn Macnamara writes Regency romances with a dash of wit and a hint of wicked. She considers this writing gig her midlife crisis, but figures it’s less risky than rock climbing or skydiving. When not writing, she looks for other excuses to neglect the housework, among them knitting, reading and wasting time on the internet in the guise of doing research. Despite her insistence on looking toward the past, she can be found on her website, Facebook, and Twitter. She also likes to play at being a Duchess from time to time. 

Top Five Complaints About My Job

They say baseball is America’s favorite pastime, but I’m not sure I believe that. On the other hand, I’m Canadian, so what do I know? Still, I think your average North American spends a lot of time complaining about his or her job. So that’s what I’m here to do today: share the top five things I hate about my job.

1. My co-workers are spread too far apart. There’s no standing around the water cooler shooting the breeze on a daily basis when you’re a writer. Unless you happen to live nearby, you see your fellow authors, your agent, and your editor only once or twice a year, and personally, I don’t think that’s nearly often enough. And it means no girls’ nights out with my writing pals. Yes, I actually did spend a couple of hours at the recent RWA® National Convention watching Sharknado with some friends and laughing my hind end off. (Sigh, I haven't met any of my editing co-workers. :( ~ Bea)
2. I don’t live in the time period in which I write. Okay, let me qualify here. I don’t live in the romance-novel fantasy version of that era where things like personal hygiene and backwards medicine are conveniently ignored. But I don’t get to spend my days dressing in various gowns depending on the hour and my planned activities. I don’t get to attend balls and house parties and go riding in Hyde Park. And above all, I don’t have servants to take care of the dusting and the laundry for me or a cook to figure out what we’re having for supper, because I sure as heck don’t know.
3. I have more ideas than I know what to do with—and they always hit me at a moment when I can’t write them down, like when I’m going to sleep at night or in the shower. One of these days, I’m going to use up a bottle of shampoo taking notes on the tiles and hoping they don’t wash away before I get dressed.
4. My characters hate to listen to me. Seriously, this is a huge problem. They have minds of their own and very firm opinions on what needs to happen next in the story. I have no idea where they get that from. Oh, wait... And okay, just occasionally, they may come up with something better than I can.
5. I’m not a New York Times bestseller. Yet. J Although I hope the starred review I got in Publisher’s Weekly on my latest release will help with that. They called A Most Devilish Rogue (available today, August 27th) “a gem to be savored.”

What do you  hate about your job?

Heh, I love most parts of my teaching and editing jobs but there are days I'd happily trade them both in for a nice hermit cabin somewhere where it's always spring and I have an unlimited supply of books. :D ~ Bea

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Blurb from the author:

Years ago, when Isabelle Mears was still a young miss too infatuated to know better, she surrendered her innocence to a dishonorable man. Though ruined and cast out from society, she has worked hard to shelter her illegitimate son, Jack. Having sworn off men in her quiet but dignified life, Isabelle is unprepared for the deep longing that rips through her when a handsome stranger rescues her rambunctious six-year-old from the pounding ocean surf.

George Upperton is a man in trouble with debts, women, and a meddling family. He is, by all accounts, the last gentleman on earth Isabelle should be drawn to. But loneliness is a hard mistress, and caution gives way to desire . . . even though Isabelle is convinced that happiness can’t be found in the arms of such a devilish rogue. Only when Jack is kidnapped does Isabelle discover the true depth of George’s devotion—and how far a good man will go to fight for the woman whose love is all that matters.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Genre: Historical romance

Format: Paperback, ebook

Release Date: August 27, 2013

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