Romance Writer's Weekly- Three Burning Questions Answered (March 11, 2014)

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.

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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:

Hop on over to LaNora Mangano's blog to discover how glamorous her life is as a writer! 

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