It’s always fun to start on a new novel … and it’s work too. But hey, I’m a writer, and mulling about plot and characters on paper and then working to transform the ideas into real book equals “living the dream.” As I sketched out basic thoughts for Almost Like Being in Love, my second […]
Readers’ Challenge: Pick 2 authors in 2015 and have some fun!
It’s the end of 2014 — and you know what that means when it comes to books, right? Reviewers and readers are making their lists and checking them twice, a la Jolly ol’ Saint Nick, who is now resting up for next December. Only these lists have nothing to do with who’s been naughty or […]
5 Reasons I am Thankful for My Readers
I read my novels a gazillion times before they go to print. And yes, that is a slight exaggeration – but only a slight one. But for all my reading and rereading, I do not write for myself. No, I write in hopes that my novels will be read by others. I write in […]
Guest Post: Award-Winning Author Cathy West
I’m thrilled to step back and let one of my favorite friends and authors write this blog post. Cathy West is talented and fun. I’m excited that Cathy has launched an updated Kindle version of Yesterday’s Tomorrow (new cover, new scenes). To this day, I can still recall some of the scenes from this novel, which I first read […]
What’s in a Name?
William Shakespeare’s Juliet asked the question “What’s in a name?” And yet, writers spend quite a bit of time wrangling with names. Truth be told, I just may spend more time pondering the names of my imaginary characters than I ever did selecting the names of my children. Surely not. Maybe. I’ve developed several different […]
How I Fell in Love with Romance Novels
My NaNa introduced me to romance novels. Of course, like all little girls I read Cinderella and Snow White and Beauty and the Beast. But I didn’t think of these stories as romances so much as fairy tales inhabited by both evil and fairy godmothers, as well as princes who rescued fair maidens from unfair […]
When the Writing is Real
I always try to weave real life into every novel that I write. Yes, I write inspirational contemporary romance novels — but I like to say that I write “real life” romances. What do I mean by that? I believe relationships are messy — all relationships. Husband-wife. Parent-child. Sibling relationships. Friendships . . . you […]
Imaginary Characters: Ain’t Misbehavin’ — or are they?
Writers often define themselves as plotters or pantsers. Plotters prefer to plot out their stories — beginning, middle, end — scene by scene. We know what’s going to happen to our imaginary characters in our detailed imaginary worlds. Pantsers advocate a write-by-the-seat-of-their-pants approach to stories, following the lead of their imaginary characters or their […]
Come Plot With Me: Survey Results
Back in April, I invited Inspy Romance blog followers to come plot with me. Twenty-seven people took me up on my invitation and answered the 7 questions on the Come Plot with Me survey. This month, I thought it would be fun to share the first and second place answers for each question. There were […]
Readers: It’s Your Turn to Plot a Novel
I’m in the midst of brainstorming a book idea. I’m taking the basic synopsis that I sent to my editor and expanding it — diving in and figuring out who my main characters are and discovering more in-depth details of the book. Today, I thought it would be fun to let you, readers who […]