As I think many of us agree, film and television often screw up our favorite books. Often, this is because they mess with the characters. The characters we’ve grown to admire develop different traits or, worse, act out of character!

The first Kathy Reichs book I read was her debut novel, DEJA DEAD, and I’ve been a fan ever since. So when the television show BONES came on, I had no desire to watch it. I was certain they were going to ruin the books.

Everyone told me I should watch the show. Maybe because everyone said I should watch it, I was dead set against it. I convinced myself that romance writers recommended the series because David Boreanaz was in it and they were going through Angel withdrawal.

Because I very much liked the books, I didn’t want to corrupt my reading experience with a sub-par television show which could not possibly be as good. I held firm to this opinion after watching the first four episodes of Rizzoli & Isles. I’m a huge Tess Gerritsen fan, and I could not accept the changes in character. Other than the names, occupations, location and some backstory, Jane and Maura were nothing like the books. Though the actors were great, watching the show was like nails on a chalkboard – painful.

I put the show aside. Then one night I couldn’t sleep and decided to watch it again. After all, my mom kept telling me that season two was even better, and it was one of her favorite shows.

I reflected that with a television series we can’t expect the same depth we get in a book series where the characters have the opportunity for self-reflection. We can’t condense a 100,000 word novel into a 43 minute show. Once I consciously put aside the Jane and Maura I knew from the books, I could enjoy the television series for what it was—a good show.

And that newfound ability led me to BONES.

One plus is that I hadn’t read the last couple Temperance Brennan books (lack of time, not lack of desire!) so while I remembered her character well (the hallmark of a great writer and character), she wasn’t at the forefront. I put her character as much out of my mind as possible, and watched Season One, Episode One as if I had never read any of the books.

Needless to say, four seasons later, it worked.

There are some basic similarities in the books, but for the most part the television show is completely different. The change of location and key changes in character helped to separate the books from the series. I wasn’t looking for similarities and differences, I wanted to enjoy the series so I wasn’t trying to “catch” them screwing anything up. I watched the series with fresh eyes.

There are many reasons why this show is a hit and why I love it, and while I really want to talk about character, I think it’s a given that the show is a hit because of the terrifically drawn and acted characters and well-written mysteries. But as I started writing this blog (with the thought of a character study) I remembered a conversation with my mom about a show that is rumored to be cancelled, BODY OF PROOF.

It doesn’t surprise me that BODY is on the chopping block. I’m disappointed, because I enjoy the show, but I understand why: it’s just another crime drama.

There are four things that must be in a successful television crime series:

• Character. Characters with depth, a complex or interesting backstory, fears and a realistic and compelling skill-set.
• Acting. Actors with the talent to bring the characters to life.
• Writing. Writers who can give the actors great material to work with, and a smart plot for me to enjoy.
• Premise/hook. What makes this crime show different than the other crime shows out there?

(As an aside, the above are identical to what makes a great crime novel as well—replace “acting” with “voice” – voice and writing are different. Voice is HOW the author tells the story; writing are the style and mechanics of how she tells the story.)

BONES blends the FBI/crime drama with forensic science in a new and compelling way, plus has the added bonus of larger than life characters and no easy “fixes.” The conflicts are organic to the characters themselves, which is very difficult in any series to pull off. We, the viewer, can understand why the characters do what they do, and when they disagree, they truly disagree–sometimes without conflict, but sometimes the disagreement is so fundamental we feel their pain. Another plus, which comes from the writing and acting, is the dark humor intricate in the storylines. This can be so difficult to pull off, which is why when it’s done so well, people are riveted.

The successful franchise of LAW & ORDER worked because they found a compelling way to blend the standard cop show with the inner workings of the legal system. What I love about this show (I only watch SVU) is that again, they don’t go with the easy answer. Everything is not wrapped up in a pretty bow. Two characters you like and admire can have a fundamental disagreement. I love these moral complexities, because they are true to life.

So why is BODY OF PROOF in trouble?

It’s not the actors. Dana Delany is very talented, and I really enjoy her in this series. I like the supporting cast for the most part, though I feel they are a little too stereotypical. For example, with BONES and L&O the ensemble cast might on the surface appear like a stereotype (example: conspiracy theorists Hodgins and Munch) but there’s far more to each than on the surface. In BODY, other than the main character, there isn’t anything substantive beneath the surface of any of the characters. The writing is good, with interesting storylines, but nothing is edge of your seat. There’s no “ticking clock” which to me, takes it out of the realm of crime drama into straight drama. And, if you look at BODY as a drama, it’s essentially a medical drama. The killer is rarely a threat to anyone but the victim, and there’s no urgency. It’s not ER where each episode deals with life and death. Ultimately, there’s nothing that makes the show stand out from other medical dramas or crime dramas, and there’s no unique hook that isn’t specifically related to character.

I don’t want the show to be cancelled, but I won’t be surprised.

Two other shows were axed that I felt were unjustified (because I liked them, dammit!) DETROIT 187 and PRIME SUSPECT, but I understand the reasoning. They both had solid acting (though PRIME had the stronger, better developed ensemble cast, IMO,) both had strong writing, and both had intriguing and quirky characters. But neither had a hook that differentiated it from other crime shows out there. The “tough female in a man’s job” doesn’t really cut it anymore because we’ve seen enough cop shows with a woman in a leading role. The sad thing is that the characters were so interesting, I really wanted to spend more time with them. For DETROIT, the city was the hook, and it simply wasn’t strong enough. I liked it because of the characters, but it wasn’t different enough from other big city crime shows.

BONES works on multiple levels. Each episode is a gripping story. The characters interact in an interesting and compelling way. Each is fascinating. Brennan and Booth carry the show, but the supporting cast is equally strong. The mysteries are interesting and even when predictable, they’re enjoyable. And like SVU, the writers don’t always have an easy fix for conflict.

My daughter Kelly isn’t normally a fan of crime shows, but she, too, is hooked on BONES. I’m nearly done with season four. NO SPOILERS or I’ll hunt you down, and it won’t be pretty.

What’s your favorite adaptation of book to film or television? What book series would you most like to see on television, or on the big screen? I know my daughter can hardly wait for THE HUNGER GAMES (and I promised her I’d read the book before the debut, so I’m taking it with me on my trip to NY next week.) My favorite adaptation is THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION which came from the Stephen King short story, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.”

One lucky commenter will win a $25 gift certificate to the on-line bookstore of their choice!

Have you heard that expression?  It’s kind of in vogue right now to say something is “in your wheelhouse.”  I use the phrase a lot, but admit to being clueless as to origin of the idiom. Is “my wheelhouse” some kind of mill that where I could grind up my favorite stuff into Happy Dust? A place where I could hang onto the ferris wheel of life and ride for free?  A store room full of rubber tires made for the express purpose of jumping for joy?

Turns out “the wheelhouse” is a baseball term, and it refers to a pitch that lands in the batter’s sweet spot where he can almost assuredly make solid contact with the ball.  When something’s “in your wheelhouse” it is, quite literally, in the comfort zone with a high possibility for a homerun.

So imagine my joy when I started writing Pick Your Poison, my novella that opens up the recently released Gus and Roses anthology, and knew in about ten pages that I was most definitely in my romantic suspense wheelhouse.  A delicious and satisfying sense of comfort and familiarity settled over me almost as soon as this story started to take shape.

Maybe it was because I was back in the Bullet Catchers world with my team of elite security specialists, kicking off the story with a classic Lucy Sharpe scene that introduces the professional and emotional problems plaguing my uber-alpha bodyguard.  Maybe it was because I just hadn’t written any romantic suspense in almost a year (I’ve been writing contemporaries and young adult) and this genre, my first, comes rather easily to me.  Maybe it was because I’d set up my favorite kind of adventure: one with high personal stakes, tons of sexual chemistry, and an assignment that appears simple but just keeps getting more and more complicated, dangerous, and sensual.

Maybe I simply loved Benjamin Youngblood because, let’s face it, this man is welcome in my wheelhouse anytime.

Whatever the reason, Pick Your Poison was pure pleasure to write.  The freedom of the ebook format allowed me to write a lengthier story than I’d first anticipated…with plenty of room for everything I love in my wheelhouse: a fearless hero on a difficult mission forced to team up with a spirited woman who drives him crazy.   Throw in some relentless baddies, unexpected twists, the occasional forced proximity (locked in a freezer this time), electrifying sexual chemistry, a show of brains, brawn, and bravery…and I’m a happy writer (and reader, for that matter).

So what’s your writing/reading wheelhouse?  What premise, plot, or story trope hits it out of the park for you?  The reluctant hero? Kick ass assassin? Opposites attract? Vigilante on the loose?  Guess what…you’ll find all those and more in Guns and Roses!  One commenter will win a $25 Amazon or BN.com gift card, allowing you to buy this book and several others that are right in the sweet spot of your reading wheelhouse!  

Here’s an excerpt from Pick Your Poison, the story of Bullet Catcher Benjamin Youngblood and Callie Parrish, the fiery flower farmer who can help him thwart an assassination.  When these opposites attract, things get hot enough to melt ice. Literally. But first they meet when Callie finds Ben breaking, entering, and stealing all her sanity…

Callie brushed more dirt off her hands and face and grabbed the rusted handle of the storefront door, opening her mouth to call out a greeting—the breath instantly trapped in her throat.

Her mouth stayed open, hanging in shock at the sight of a man behind the sales counter digging through her coffee can of receipts like it was a cookie jar and he was starving.

Another dang thief?

“Can I help you?” she demanded, her hand still on the door in case she had to bolt to the house and get her rifle.

“Jesus Christ.” He flipped a yellow slip of paper, tossing it aside without looking up.

“Last I checked He wasn’t in there.” Wow, this was a big guy. Six two, and an easy hundred and ninety. She hovered in the doorway, ready to run, but oddly mesmerized by his audacity and size.

“These are the shittiest files I’ve ever seen.” He smashed a bunch of her handwritten receipts on the counter and dug for more. “It’s the twenty-first century. Who keeps records like this?” He finally lifted his head.

“I do.” It was a small miracle the words even came out at all because in the span of one second and one good look, every cell in her head darn near flatlined. Shock and dismay at the intrusion would have been enough to throw her, but… that… face. He was like no man she’d ever seen. Certainly not in the rural stretch of agricultural purgatory known as Madison County, Florida.

His hair, black as midnight, fell around his face like handfuls of sin. His eyes, blacker still and fringed with coal-colored lashes, bore a hole right through to her soul. Harsh, unforgiving, angular features were dusted with a day or two’s worth of whiskers and slashed by a mouth that surely wasn’t put on this earth to do anything but… some really bad things.

He drew thick, sinister brows together, his gaze dropping over her and lingering a moment too long on her threadbare cutoff overalls, the sweat-stained tank top, and, of course, manure-splattered boots.

“You own this farm?” Impatience tinged his question, which took some nerve from a man breaking and entering and rooting through receipts.

“Yes and do you mind telling me what on God’s green earth you think you’re doing?”

“I need information,” he said, shaking back some of that hair and sending a blast of something low and warm and female all over her body. “And don’t even think about not giving it to me.”

The threat was all she needed to lift her chin and force him to meet her gaze. “If you don’t want me to get my .22 and shoot your face off, get your cotton-pickin’ hands out of my receipt can.”

He smiled, and, of course, the devil had dimples. “You’re cute, Daisy Duke. But, just for the record, you’re the one who stuffs ‘confidential information’ in a coffee can and leaves it on top of an unattended counter in an unlocked place of business with no proprietor in sight.”

“Still doesn’t make rifling through my stuff legal or right.” She crossed her arms as if that could offer some protection against him. “Who are you?”

He went back to the receipts. “Government.”

Government? A tax man? Shoot. Did she owe some stupid export duty on that batch of orchids she sent to that lady in Mexico? “Show me an ID badge.”

Without even glancing up, he flipped the hem of his black T-shirt, just enough to reveal a leather holster and something that made her rifle look like a BB gun. That would be… enough ID badge for her.

As regular MSW readers know, I left my long-time publisher (17 books!) for St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur earlier this year. My last Ballantine book, IF I SHOULD DIE, was released two weeks ago and is still available (or should be!) wherever books are sold. DIE is the third Lucy Kincaid book, but not the last as SMP has picked up the series. And on Monday, I turned in the final revised version of SILENCED, on sale 4.24.12. Whew! Though I sweated bullets on every page (literally and figuratively) in the end, I’m happy with the story. And that’s all you, the readers will hopefully see!

Recently, I was invited to join the SMP Romance Writers loop. I hesitated for a day or two because I was on a similar loop when I first sold, it was inactive, then went away. But I’m glad I joined, because these are an amazing group of writers (almost as amazing as the writers I share this blog with!) I decided that today, while I recuperate from a marathon writing session and decorate for Christmas, to introduce you all to some of the SMP authors (new and old) and play a fun game while we’re at it. These aren’t all the authors at SMP or even on the loop, but I only gave them two days to get me their statements. I hope the missing gals will stop by and introduce themselves!

Here’s how we play:

Below are fun facts about the authors that they provided. Except … Santa’s elves came in and changed FIVE of the facts to fiction. It’s up to you to guess which FIVE statements are FALSE. Post your answers in the comments section and the person who correctly identifies the most false statements wins. (In the event of a tie, I’ll use Random.org to generate the winner.) BUT if you don’t like games, that’s OKAY! Because ALL commenters will be entered in a random drawing for a second prize. Just tell me a fun fact about YOU that most people don’t know It’s okay, we’re all friends here. We won’t tell!

And what are the prizes? Each winner gets a $25 gift card to the on-line book store of their choice to buy themselves an early Christmas present.

Now, in the order from current releases to future releases …

CELESTE BRADLEY paid her way through art school by taking off her clothes!
A Courtesan’s Guide to Getting Your Man w/Susan Donovan, out now!

ALLISON BRENNAN was handcuffed and held at gunpoint last summer.
If I Should Die, out now!

LOUISA EDWARDS is a direct descendent of Lyndon B. Johnson
Some Like It Hot out this week!

Before turning to writing, ELIZABETH ESSEX used to be an underwater archaeologist.
The Danger of Desire, out now!

ELLIE JAMES broke the law while researching the second book in the Midnight Dragonfly series….
Shattered Dreams, out this week!

KIERAN KRAMER has been on two games shows–and lost both times.
If You Give a Girl a Viscount Out now!

CJ LYONS has been face to face with a serial killer.

Face to Face (Hart and Drake Book #3) Out now!

In her younger days when they were both single and looking, JULIANNE MacLEAN went sailing one sunny, breezy afternoon with Prince Edward.
Seduced by the Highlander, out now!

FRANCIS RAY delivered the winter commencement address at my alma mater, Texas Woman’s University.
The Wish – ebook only, out now!

GINA ROBINSON once saw a Bigfoot footprint at her family’s homestead property in Idaho.
The Spy Who Left Me, out now!

CARIS ROANE was a Smithsonian tour guide one summer.
Born of Ashes, January 2012

A coastal resident descended from a long line of seafarers, MANDA COLLINS is deeply resistant to living inland and thinks that weather forecasts without tide forecasts are “weird” and “unsettling.”
How to Dance with a Duke, February 2012

DONNA GRANT had an encounter with a ghost in a Scottish castle.
Darkest Highlander, February, 2012

DARYNDA JONES is fifth cousins with Abraham Lincoln.
Third Grave Dead Ahead, February 2012

A.C. ARTHUR loves sky-diving and mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Temptation Rising, March 2012

ANGIE FOX has ridden with Harley biker gangs.
Immortally Yours, August 2012

BETH CIOTTA once sang backup with two other vocalists (known as “The Knockouts”) for boxing legend Smokin’ Joe Frazier.
Fool for Love (A Cupcake Lovers Novel) September 2012

VALERIE BOWMAN was once a forensic pathologist.
Debut Novel! Secrets of a Wedding Night, a Regency Romp, October 2012

For the first six years of her life, LEIGH EVANS spoke with a thick Bostonian accent, which was odd, because Leigh was born in Quebec, Canada.
The MYSTWALKER series debuts January 2013!

Now remember, which FIVE STATEMENTS are NOT TRUE … answers (and winners!) will be posted this weekend … Or tell us one little known fact about you.

And check out some of their scrumptious websites, too.

My favorite vacations have been filled with surprises.

Thailand was no exception. I set out to visit this country on the way home to the States after living and working in Southeast Asia. My older sister also happened to be living in the region, and she decided to come. Then my younger sister joined in and it became a family reunion. Three sisters, two husbands, and a meticulously planned itinerary that would take us to one of the most beautiful

In Bangkok, Thailand, on a quest for a new passport.

islands in the world, Koh Phi Phi. (This is the scenic setting for the movie THE BEACH, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, BTW).

There is much to love about Thailand–friendly people, delicious food, and some of the prettiest coral reefs in the world. Unfortunately, we booked our trip during the rainy season and, guess what? It rained! And rained! And rained! After taking two planes and a ferry boat to get to this gorgeous island, we ended up trapped in the hotel staring out at the downpour. Finally, we ran out of vacation days and boarded the ferry, still very soggy, back to the mainland.

Which, of course, was when the sun came out.

We decided to make the best of it and went up on the top deck to soak up the sunshine. Then we took a taxi to our hotel and prepared to make our flight home. I knew something was wrong when I climbed out of the taxi and my sister gasped. While we were blissfully sunning ourselves on the ferry, her purse had been stolen, along with HER PASSPORT. This was a disaster, and I chimed in with my stern older sister voice, “HOW could you be so careless as to loose sight of your passport??” Then I thought for a second and turned to my husband, “Oh, damn, where’s my passport?”

I had left it back on the island in the hotel safe.

We had no choice but to change our flights. I had to get back on the ferry and make the half-day trip to retrieve my passport. Then I stayed over in Bangkok for three extra days with my sister, as she had a new one expedited at the American Embassy.

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, the setting for my story SURRENDER AT DAWN.

But there are so many silver linings to this story. I got to spend three amazing (unplanned) days exploring Bangkok with my baby sis. That last (unplanned) afternoon on Koh Phi Phi I swam in the ocean and saw the most beautiful coral and fish I have ever seen. The vibrant colors were straight out of a Disney movie. And the entire setting would later become the backdrop for one of my favorite short stories, SURRENDER AT DAWN. When I sat down to write this little love story, I put a postcard from Thailand on my desk and got to re-live the joy of visiting one of the most spectacular spots on earth.

So it’s a good thing the best laid travel plans, for us at least, often go awry.

Here is a glimpse of the story, which just became available for eReader.

Leave a comment about a vacation that went awry and you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon. Happy reading!

SURRENDER AT DAWN by Laura Griffin 

Former Navy SEAL Jack Brenner knows he’s in trouble the minute Charlotte Whiteside steps into a seedy Thai bar and asks him to help rescue her brother, who is being held hostage on a nearby island. Jack doesn’t want to get tangled up in Charlotte’s problems or anyone else’s, but an obligation to a SEAL teammate prompts him to get involved. They embark on a nighttime mission that turns out to be more dangerous–and passionate–than either of them ever imagined.

Available for eBook:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Surrender-at-Dawn-ebook/dp/B0055WXPHS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1310696367&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surrender-at-dawn-laura-griffin/1103657252?ean=2940011335730&itm=1&usri=surrender%2bat%2bdawn

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66644

The women in my family are the storytellers.

I remember lazy summer afternoons perched on the counter in my grandmother’s kitchen, making chocolate chip cookies (well, she was making, I was sampling) while she shared tales of growing up in southern California. She talked of meeting Shirley Temple on the beach one day and of being dismissed from school to “smudge” the orange groves during a cold snap. She talked about meeting my grandfather for the first time and told me how she was listening to the radio when the news came over the airwaves about Pearl Harbor.

“I didn’t give a hoot about the news,” she told me time and again. “I was too busy arguing with my mother about whether I was old enough to marry your grandfather.”

My other grandmother’s stories were set in Texas, where I grew up, but seemed no less exotic to me. She talked about attending college at Baylor, where dancing was prohibited and women weren’t allowed to wear pants.

I listened to a lot of stories as a kid, but one that made a particularly strong impression came from my mother. She was in summer school at the University of Texas when she was walking down the street and the woman next to her was hit by a sniper’s bullet. The gunman, the infamous Charles Whitman, killed sixteen people on that sweltering summer day.

I’ve carried that story with me for years, and I think about it often… the whole idea of “what if?”  It’s a theme that sticks with me. In fact, my mom’s story planted the seed for my next novel. I dedicated the book to my mother (a first for me). I don’t know how she’ll react, but I hope she’ll take it as a thank you for opening up about something that isn’t easy to talk about. I’m glad she did, because I feel like it’s part of her experience, and indirectly, part of me, too.

Repeating stories is one of our family pastimes. And it’s not just the dramatic stuff … sometimes the mundane ones come up over and over. My kids love to listen to my mother’s tales, especially the ones involving me. “Tell us about the time Mommy got in trouble for taking the car!”

What stories does your family pass down the line? Now that I’m a mom myself, I realize how important it is to share these things, so that our kids know about the people and events and lives that came before them.

I hope you have a good Mother’s Day weekend. I hope you get to be with family. I plan to hang out with mine and enjoy what I hope will be a relaxing day, free of chores and distractions. And while we’re together, I’m going to point my kids to the grandparents in the room and urge them to go listen to the stories they have to tell.

 What sort of stories did your mother or grandmother like to tell you?                                                              

In honor of Mother’s Day and all those moms who love to read, I’m giving away a $25 giftcard to Barnes & Noble and a signed cover flat for SNAPPED, my upcoming book that is dedicated to my mother. Just leave a comment for a chance to win!