My magnificently talented writer friend and critique buddy Mary Billiter (www.marybilliter.com) author of “Not My Kid…” and “The XYZ Affair” passed me the baton for the Writing Process Blog Tour (my first one!). Check out her post at http://marybilliter.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/blog-hop-lets-get-this-hopping/ (she is amazeballs and you all should follow her @marybilliter and Facebook.com/mmbilliter).
Here are my answers about my process and books!
What are you working on?
Resting up! Mary Billiter and I just returned from the 2014 RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans and we had such a great time I had to sleep for a week! 🙂 I’m currently working on promotion of “Paradise Point” my first full-length contemporary novel that released April 21, 2014 (http://www.crimsonromance.com/crimson-romance-ebooks/crimson-romance-book-genres/contemporary-romance-novels/paradise-point/), editing a contracted co-authored novella, editing a holiday novella, and developing a couple new stories. Never a dull moment for me when it comes to the publishing industry!
Why do you write what you write?
I write romance because I *love* romance, from the sorrow to the tingles. I’m completely intrigued by the chemistry, dialogue, emotion, and interaction that make up the entire experience of falling in, and out, of love. I’ve enjoyed reading since I can remember and when the romance genre was introduced to me in my 20s that was it, I was hooked. I read the greats like Jennifer Crusie, Suzanne Brockmann, and more, thinking that maybe someday I could put an entire story together. When my sister saw a class on advanced fiction writing in our local community college brochure, she prompted me to sign up. And, although the class was way out of my league, I stuck with it and haven’t looked back. It doesn’t hurt that my ever-spinning imagination on the subject feeds my need to write.
How does your work differ from others in the genre?
This is a tricky one because as the saying goes, there’s no new story, only new voices. So, with that being said, I think what I bring to the table is witty, strong characters, that are navigating life in a less than perfect way (as am I), but one that works for them and is fun and fulfilling for readers.
What is your writing process?
I’m a panser all the way. And, ya know what? That’s the way I love it! For the holiday novella I’m currently editing, I got out a roll, yes roll, of paper and plotted everything. I was so excited that I’d finally moved on to the plotter stage of my new career and thought my outline would make writing the story a breeze. What I found out, and am struggling with to this day, is that plotting made the story a bit boring for me. Everything was planned, nothing was a surprise, and my characters, I think, became a little mad about that. So, I’ve gone back to starting with a name, having a general direction of the plot and ending, and fly by the seat of my pants (happily). That way, we’re all on the journey together!
I’m passing the baton to the amazing Alexis Anne (http://alexisannebooks.com/). Alexis writes numerous series, including The Storm Inside (my personal favorite!), FILTERS, and the upcoming The Unspoken Game action/adventure series. She lives in central Florida and, especially during Wyoming winters, makes me jealous of her beautiful surroundings!
