Romance Weekly's Authors answer questions about serious and non-so-serious aspects of writing. Enjoy! This week's questions come from JJ Devine. When someone finds out you’re an author, how do you handle the statement, “I have a story you should write”? This doesn't happen much. Many of my friends are writers. If they have a great idea, they use it or jot it down in their story file to write at a later date. Friends have suggested plot twists or that I use a situation in a story but never offered a plot to me to write. If a person ever did, I'd propose that he or she would have a better perspective for writing the story themselves and offer assistance and resources. Maybe he or she has a writer trapped inside just aching to be set free! Do you write what you read? Well, I read what I write (paranormal and contemporary) and what I call "Men's Fiction". I am drawn to stories with magic but where the hero or heroine must find the answer within themselves to save the day versus relying only on any special powers. Nora Roberts' Three Sisters Island trilogy is my favorite. She is a master at crafting a trilogy or series with that overarching theme/impending doom conflict. I especially love that the women are not actual sisters, but sisters in the craft and sisters in friendship. I also read adventure, thriller and mystery, which I'll call "Men's Fiction" because there's romance only where it suits the story. Hardly ever. My favorite authors are Brad Thor, Matthew Reilly, Brad Meltzer, Clive Cussler, Steve Berry, Lee Child and James Rollins. I love a book that grabs me by the throat and takes me on a runaway train ride of a story. All of these authors have books so well researched and written that I learn something new-and sometimes frightening-with the break-neck fast-paced plot. These men write the kind of men who are heroes in my stories: strong, moral but flawed men who stand up for what is right, even if it may not be lawful. People often mistake the lifestyle of a writer as glamorous, give us the scoop, what about your lifestyle would shock your readers? The only scoop: I'm personally pretty inhibited. I let loose with my heroes and heroines. Nothing about my lifestyle would shock a reader. I have a family and husband who require much tending and nurturing so I'm not sitting around popping bon bons and sipping champagne. Even if I could, it's not me. I'm totally down-to-earth and my ideal afternoon is curling up beneath a tree with a good book or working in the garden. I would say most authors are a bit more introverted and introspective. I definitely am a people watcher, a ponderer and a thinker. I am more comfortable in jeans and t-shirt than sequins and heels so I do not qualify for the glamorous life. This is what the actual writing process looks like much of the time: Romance Weekly's Authors answer questions about serious and non-so-serious aspects of writing. Enjoy! I am answering these questions based on my book, Guarding His Heart (Wiccan Haus series). 1. How did you get the idea for your book? Honestly, I watch way too much Animal Planet and SyFy Channel. So, I started thinking about how there could be so many Sasquatch sitings with no evidence. I came up with a theory: they're shifters. Naturally a tall, silent and stealthy shifter makes a perfect bodyguard, especially if he can "disappear" into his surroundings. 2. How did you decide on the title? Bigfoot are notoriously wary of humans. Trevor has a problem trusting humans, though he doesn't have any problem enjoying women's charms when he gets a yen. Cassidy is a kindred spirit- quiet, reserved, lost. 3. What motivated you to get the book completed and published? I met Dominique Eastwick at Chesapeake Romance Writer's conference a year ago and was intrigued with her shared world series. After reading Shifting Hearts, I was hooked and decided to write and submit my own story. My critique partner beta read and bled all over it and I finished the edits and synopsis at our annual retreat. I would say my CRW and RWA sisters were my motivation! Hop on over to visit JJ Devine's blog and see what motivated her. Romance Weekly's Authors answer questions about serious and non-so-serious aspects of writing. Enjoy! 1. Do you have a favourite character from any of your books? It's very hard to choose one because all the heroes could be my man and all the heroines have a part of me in them. My hero, Trevor Greene, from Guarding His Heart is a favorite because he is unique- a Watcher, better known as a Bigfoot- who shifts between his human side and his more wild side. A gentle giant, he uses his innate ability to blend into his surroundings to protect a little boy who's in danger. He's tall, dangerous and sexy. What's not to love? 2. If you were him/her what would you have done differently in their situation? I would have trusted my heart more, but Trevor's learned he can't trust humans. The boy's teacher attracts him like no other woman but she's human. Luckily for him, she's stubborn. 3. Do you believe in the traditional HEA or do you think sometimes characters don’t need (or maybe deserve) them? I love a Happily Ever After but there are situations where the best you can get is happily for now. And, of course, some characters don't deserve ultimate happiness. I like writing HEAs, though, so you'll find one in most of my books. It's been fun answering these questions. Hop over to Kate Robbins' blog to check out her answers to the same questions. It's bound to be great with an author who writes about Scottish Highlanders. I love a man with an accent. This is the location where my first paranormal romance takes place: Wiccan Haus. Cassidy Sinclair is a teacher who is recovering from an attack on her school. Trevor Greene is her student's bodyguard with the ability to shift and disappear. She thinks she saw him die protecting her; he thinks he can't ever share his secret with any human. Can these two put aside their past experiences and truly heal in each others' arms? Visit other authors' blogs in this Halloween blog hop in honor of All Hallow's Eve! |
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Shifters & Spice (e-book 99 cents!) AuthorRomance writer. Paranormal and contemporary. Mother of two and wife of perfect husband. Love the environment, travel and reading. Subscribe:Archives
May 2017
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