Tag Archives: writer’s block

Writers: Get Unstuck

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Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve been here and I do apologize…it seem I’ve been “stuck”. Authors, you know what I’m talking about, or maybe you don’t. If you don’t, you’re the lucky ones. With several projects in the hopper ~ and with most at midpoint, my goal is to finish what I’ve started, which is easier said than done.

As a pantser, I find myself faced with the grueling task of revising and editing the crazy first draft of one of the most complete of the above projects. I’ve got several scenes and now need to weave everything together. The thread I’m looking for is plot. This is a longer piece which I want to grow into a novel as opposed to a short story or novella. The characters and story have been awaiting my return. I really don’t want to disappoint them, but it isn’t fair to let them go without doing their story justice. That involves work, hard work…and so here I am, a pantser who got stuck:-( and has been procrastinating.

Will I ever become a reformed pantser? I doubt it, but I think I’d fare better if I attempted to use an outline and plot a bit more. To that end, I’ve discovered a great website called the Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers by Martha Alderson. She also hosts a YouTube Plot Series entitled Plot a Novel. The series features 21 steps to plotting a novel, memoir, or screenplay. Each step is approximately four to ten minutes in length. I watched the first in the series and found it to be quite inspirational and most helpful, just what I needed to great those creative juices flowing again.

I was impressed enough to order a copy of her book, Blockbuster Plots – Pure and Simple, and received my copy in the mail today:-). I don’t think this will be a book that sits on my bookshelf…Alderson really knows her stuff ~ she demystifies plot development and includes strategies on how to build a novel. From what I’ve seen so far, it is written with clarity and style. Her words really are pure and simple ~ very zen. I love it.

I’m committed to completing this workbook and promise to keep you updated on my progress…From the back cover:

“If you are having difficulty seeing where your story is headed, or if ideas are rolling around in your head but you are having trouble getting started, or if your book has been rejected time and time again, you most likely need help with plot. This is the workbook for you.”

She also has a website: blockbuster plots for writers (Check out the plot tools!)

Now it’s back to the book for me ~ I’ve got to get unstuck. Wish me luck:-) All the writers out there…How do you get unstuck?

Say Hello to Author S.R. Claridge!

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Today our special guest is Vanilla Heart Publishing author, S.R. Claridge! S.R. lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.  She loves thunderstorms, and chilly fall evenings when she can hunker down in front of her computer with a Vodka Martini and write another romantic suspense novel.


Well, S.R. ~ that vodka martini sounds good, but so do your books! We want to hear more…let’s get this interview started:-)!

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

S.R.: Definite pantser….though, admittedly, I lay in bed at night and plot.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

S.R.: Write, listen, learn, precisely follow submission guidelines, re-write a million times and never, ever quit.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

S.R.: No goal.  In my hectic world with two young kids, my goal is simply to write every day…something, anything, even if it’s just one line.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

S.R.: I don’t freak out over it.  I put the manuscript away for a while and work on a different project. Sometimes just stepping back and taking a breather is all I need to refresh my brain and get it active again.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

S.R.: My very first acceptance of anything I had written was the publishing of a greeting card, then came song lyrics and scripts for one-act skits.  It’s always exciting when someone believes in your work enough to publish it. The most exciting of all was when Vanilla Heart offered me a contract for my first novel, No Easy Way.  I smiled A LOT that day!  ☺

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

S.R.: To keep writing and to get my books out there into as many hands as possible.  My goal is to give readers something to look forward to.  I want them to dive into my books to the extent that they can’t wait for the next release.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

S.R.: Bible, Evanovich Plum series, several by Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton and some non-fiction by Priscilla Shirer

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

S.R.: Plum Lucky by Evanovich;  Forgotten Covenant by J.J.Woods

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

S.R.: I wouldn’t go back in time…. I’d go forward to see the future of our world.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

S.R.: Basic grammatical editing… I get bored with it because it’s not the “creative” stuff, it’s the logic stuff that leaves me feeling dry.

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

S.R.: I’ve taken 3 years on one and written another one in 3 months….so I suppose it just depends on the novel and the season of life.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

S.R.: I am currently writing the second and third books in a mystery series called “Just Call Me Angel.”  Book one in the series (Tetterbaum’s Truth) was just released this month.  I am also writing another stand-alone mystery novel and working on a tender love story.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

S.R.: I LOVE vacations and traveling!!  Two of my absolute favorite spots are Paris and Rome, and I’d like to see more of Italy.  Italy and France are two countries I will definitely visit again someday. China was an incredible trip and an experience of a lifetime, but I don’t know that I need to go back. Mexico is a must for me every couple years… just to clear my mind and truly relax.  In the States, Chicago is my favorite city to visit and my husband and I sneak away there for a few days every year.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

S.R.: I like so many books and authors but one of my fall-backs is Janet Evanovich.  I enjoy her stories because they are an easy-read and her characters keep me laughing.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

S.R.: In NO EASY WAY, there is an underlying message of faith and forgiveness.  In TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH and the whole Just Call Me Angel series, there is a message in life’s perspective… how one may perceive something as murder while another perceives it as family loyalty and protection.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

S.R.: I’ve written all my life.  It just never dawned on me that other people might enjoy reading my work.  It took to the age of 40 before I realized I could actually sign with a publisher and pursue writing as a career.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

S.R.: I love to dance…real wild, crazy, erotic dancing…the kind you can’t do in public because people will think you’re nuts.☺On the tamer side, I love to watch movies.  I love to let my mind drift away from reality and dive into the plot of a great action/adventure film.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

S.R.: Maybe, how important do you feel sex is in marriage?  I have a whole soapbox on that topic. ☺ Suffice to say if we all got laid once a day our world would be a brighter place.         www.desirethefire.wordpress.com

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

S.R.: Mystery/Romantic Suspense

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

S.R.: I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt my feelers, but I’ve learned not to take it personally.  What one person loves another will hate… it’s all very subjective… so just because I get rejected doesn’t mean my work isn’t good.  It means I haven’t found the right “fit” yet.  I have many people critique my work before it goes to the publisher and often times their opinions are not what I want to hear, but it helps me become a better writer.  My editors challenge me to improve myself so in the end, every critique is good and every rejection is a stepping stone.

Great interview, S.R.! Now, more on her books ~ where you can find them ~ and where you can find S.R.!


TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH Book Blurb:
Angel Martin plans to marry Tony and live happily ever after… until Tony disappears.  Nursing a broken heart, she takes a job at Tetterbaum’s Pub, unaware it is the most prestigious Mafia hangout in Chicago.
In a world filled with a pretense of innocence and a past filled with iniquity, Angel’s life hangs in a twisted balance of deception and revenge. Through an unlikely turn of events, Angel discovers her entire life has been a carefully orchestrated lie. No one is who they say they are and everyone has an agenda of their own.
Finding herself in the middle of a revengeful scheme from a past she’s never known and a Mafia blackmail scandal that’s already left several dead, Angel races to find answers.  The trouble is, the closer she gets to hidden evidence and tainted truths, the more the crime families want her out of the way.  With her true identity now exposed, learning who she can trust becomes a matter of life and death and unraveling the past is her only hope for staying alive.
Both books are available on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and various other outlets or via her publisher’s site: www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/S.R.html

A Visit with C. L. Exline, Author of the Sheryl Locke Holmes Mysteries Series!

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Welcome, Cassie! Please make yourself comfortable and begin by telling us a little about yourself:-).

Thanks for having me Ursula. I was born in the South and raised in the North, so when my Rebel-Yankee creative juices kick in, my readers are in for a real treat.  I’m married and have two children. Of course I also work full time for a weekly newspaper.  Love roses, African violets, and doing research.

We’d love to learn a little about your creative process ~ ready for a few questions?

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Cassie: Panster. I get a basic idea and run with it. I do keep notes when the story grows, but I don’t set and outline the story first.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Cassie: Write and write and write.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Cassie: I write at any time of the day and write as long as possible. No word total or page goal. Some days it flows, some days it doesn’t.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Cassie: Not writer’s block as in no ideas, but a block in writing at all. I’ll play games or read, but eventually those voices nag me enough that I have to write their story.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Cassie: Short story at Ruthie’s Club. I hadn’t planned on submitting but a fellow author encouraged me. I was thrilled and shocked when I got an email accepting the story. And a big smile when the check arrived.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Cassie: Write, write and write.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Cassie: Actually I’ve been reading ebooks when I get the time. I don’t read when I’m involved in writing a story.

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Cassie: Dolly Departed by Deb Baker (ebook)

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Cassie: 1800s but I sure would hate to give up my bathroom, potty and air conditioning. Not to mention the computer.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Cassie: Ending the story. It’s like my family is going away. Unless it’s Series story, then I know they are just waiting for me to continue writing their tales.

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Cassie: About two months, barring illness, family emergencies or extra work load at the office.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Cassie: Butterfly Dreams

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Cassie: Hawaii. I’d love to visit there.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Cassie: No, I love reading a variety of authors.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Cassie: Never give up. That a person can do anything they want if they want it bad enough. My characters struggle and cry but they will work hard to obtain their goal.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Cassie: Grade school. I read Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Cassie: World Search puzzles for fun. I also love doing research for my books for fun too. Amazing what a person stumbles across. Photography has always been my creative outlet, but writing has taken over.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Cassie: The Question: Have you ever written anything that would make you cringe to admit? The Answer: Yes.  It was a taboo topic. It was a story challenge and I rose to the occasion.  But oh my, my.

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Cassie: Mystery/suspense and romance

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Cassie: It hurts but it’s not the end of the world.

Great interview, Cassie! Can you tell us a little about, Book 2: Ruby’s Deadly Secret, in your Sheryl Locke Holmes Mysteries series? How about an excerpt:-)? Love your cover!

Blurb:

What do you get when you add a ruby, diary, secrets, and a mansion? A motive for murder. Sheryl Locke Holmes and her best friend, Dot Watson, have been offered an exciting opportunity to explore Bridgeside, a Victorian mansion, to search for items for their antique shop. Their adventure is short-lived when they discover a diary containing dark secrets and a newspaper clipping with a warning written in what appears to be blood. They get trapped in the attic, Dot is attacked and they find out the owner died inside the house. As if that isn’t enough, Jake is spotted with another woman. Clues are pointing to Sheryl as the next target, no matter who gets in the way.

Excerpt:

Sheryl gazed into Jake’s eyes and caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry for overreacting. For a brief moment, I thought I had lost you. I know better, but I’d just been with Mrs. Wallace and listened to how much her husband’s betrayal had hurt her. I wasn’t thinking, not with my head. Forgive me.”

“Take your hands off of me!” yelled a voice in the distance.

Sheryl and Jake looked over to see Dot being physically escorted out of the restaurant.

“Madam!”

“Look, you little toad, take your hands off of me.”

“I better intercede before Dot gets physical.” Jake hurried to smooth things over. “Lawrence, it’ll be okay. I’ll take over.”

Lawrence let go of Dot, but glared at her before facing Jake. “She and that blonde friend of hers are not welcome in our establishment. Both are troublemakers. We run a reputable business and cannot have altercations disrupting our patrons.”

“Like I care to go back in! I wouldn’t go in that rat hole if my life depended on it,” Dot said and rubbed her arm. “You better hope I don’t get bruises from your manhandling me.”

The man snorted before stomping back into the restaurant.

“You didn’t hit Lisa, did you?” Jake asked.

“Lawrence wouldn’t let me.”

**

Ruby’s Deadly Secret came in number eight in Top Mystery Book of 2010 at Preditors & Editors Poll.
Amber’s Mysterious Death is the first book in the Holmes Mystery Series. Start your collection today.

Wild Rose Press Author Rachel Brimble is here!

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It’s week eight of the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour! With us today is Wild Rose Press author, Rachel Brimble. Hello, Rachel and welcome! Today, Rachel will share a little about her creative process and her latest romantic suspense novel, Reluctant Witness. Shall we get started, Rachel?

Ursula: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Rachel: Bit of both – I plot in way of main character worksheets & arcs and then a five page synopsis. That’s my skeleton. Then I write the first draft by the seat of my pants all the way through to the end. Revision comes afterwards…

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Rachel: Give yourself permission to write a ‘dirty’ first draft – you can always revise a written page, you can’t do anything with a blank one.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Rachel: Scattered! I used to have a 1,000 word a day goal but when I start failing more than succeeding, it put on too much pressure. Once I reduced this to 500 words a day, I found I wrote more than ever! I write as and when around my kids, the house and a part-time job.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Rachel: Never – I don’t allow it. Just write. Anything.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Rachel: I received it via email and stared at the screen so long, I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading, LOL! Then I ran and told my husband and we danced a jig in the kitchen, drank a glass of wine before I emailed my editor back to thank her and generally gush so much, she probably thought I was mentally unstable.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Rachel: Too many! I want to write full-time as a career, that is the ultimate goal.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Rachel: Picture Perfect – Jodi Picoult, The Favoured Child – Philippa Gregory and Wanna Be a Writer We’ve Heard of? – Jane Wenham-Jones

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Rachel: The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous – Jilly Cooper

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Rachel: Victorian times – fascinating. I have just finished my second Victorian romance and plan to write more.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Rachel: Plotting!

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Rachel: From plotting to final polish – probably around six months

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Rachel: Just getting to the end of a final polish of the Victorian romance and then I will start on my next contemporary which I have already plotted. It is set in a fictional seaside town in the South of England and about the reunion of the hero and heroine after a friend’s death separated them years before.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Rachel: I love where we go every year in Wales – it is quiet, secluded and surrounded by beaches, mountains and forest. So relaxing for a writer! As for hotter climes? I would love a trip to the Caribbean!

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Rachel: Nora Roberts every time!

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Rachel: I didn’t think so until recently but I always seem to turn my stories around to learning to trust again after a disappointment – whether that be being let down by a parent, friend, lover, sibling or stranger.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Rachel: Very young – I used to make stories up at five, six and onwards. When I was eleven I wanted to be a journalist or novelist. Unfortunately, I didn’t pursue this seriously until my second child started nursery.

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Rachel: I love walking my Labrador in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside where I live so I do that as much as possible – I also love reading, knitting and watch good TV drama.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Rachel: The usefulness of networking for new and established writers alike – it’s huge and I wish somebody had made me understand that from my very first novel. Promotion is a lot of extra work but the rewards immense. I don’t necessarily mean in monetary terms but the friends you make, the support you receive and the following readers make writing more fun that I ever dreamed possible.

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Rachel: Romance – and I enjoy writing across the sub-genres. I write contemporary, historical, suspense and comedy.

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Rachel: I have developed a very thick and mature skin along the way and now view every rejection as a chance to improve my craft. I always read, absorb and apply the advice I agree with and ignore the bits I don’t. Every writer needs to understand this business is subjective so not everyone will like their work but on the other hand, editors and agents will provide you with huge ‘aha’ moments too!

Ursula: Please tell us about your latest release.


Rachel: The book I am promoting today is my second romantic suspense novel. It’s called Reluctant Witness and set in the UK revolving around the murder investigation of a much loved resident. I loved writing this book and hope you enjoy reading it.

How about a blurb for Reluctant Witness?

Professional singer Julia Kershaw is leaving town and moving on with her life. She desperately needs an escape from her mother’s grief over the loss of Julia’s brother – shot and killed by an overzealous cop – and an ex-boyfriend who refuses to accept it’s over.

But when she becomes the sole witness to the murder of a man she has known all her life, how can she leave without helping to find his killer? But how can she work with a cop after everything the police have put her family through?

When Detective Inspector Daniel Conway is removed from the city chaos he thrives on, and sent to a sleepy seaside town, the last thing he expects is a murder case.  With an impeccable record that he intends to keep that way, for  both personal and professional reasons, he refuses to allow his very beautiful, sexy – and secretive to walk away from the case. Or him.


Ursula: Rachel, where can readers find you?

A Visit with Noble Romance Author Sarah Ballance

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Welcome, Sarah:-) So glad you could drop by!

Sarah: Thanks so much for having me here today.  I came without my kids, so I’m content to crash on your sofa (otherwise known as hiding from the kids) until you kick me out.  Readers, I’d offer you a drink, but I’m not sure where Ms. Grey keeps the coasters and I don’t want to get stuck with the cleaning bill.  (Ya’ll know you’ve got some “rowdy” in ya!)  Oops – my host is giving me The Look. Let’s pay attention, shall we?

Ursula: Ahem…I thought it seemed a little quieter than usual;-). Tell you what, Rachel ~ I won’t tell the little ones you’re here if you promise to let us in on your writing secrets and tell us a little about yourself. While I’m searching for those coasters, please make yourself comfortable…Okay, back with the drink of Sarah’s dreams…And now for what we’ve all been waiting for! Let’s chat, shall we;-)?

Do you consider yourself a plotter or pantser?

Sarah: I start my stories with an outline – usually as simple as a list of 5-10 plot points.  I start there, and I change it as the story demands it.  I guess you can say I try to plot but my characters wear the pants in our relationship.

Ursula: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Sarah: Find a GOOD crit partner.  Your story will  never be perfect, so anyone who can’t find a flaw in it is not doing you any favors.  On the flipside, a good CP will find something nice to say right along with the constructive criticism.  It’s just as important to know what you’re doing right as it is to know where the weaknesses are, and when your CP is a good fit he or she can help you see those points without trying to change your voice.

Ursula: What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Sarah: I have six kids and they’re homeschooled.  The most consistent bit of structure to my day is opening my netbook, typing in my password, and closing the computer right back up before my file even opens.  I would LOVE to write 1,000 words a day, but as long as I have children under the age of three I know better than to expect it.  That’s as it should be, though.  They’re awesome kids.

Ursula: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Sarah: Sort of.  I tend to be a perfectionist on the first draft.  I need to reach a certain level of “BAM” with my manuscript before I can move on.  Ignoring that pesky criteria of mine does no good, so I live with it.  Best thing I can do when the words won’t come is walk away.  The alternative is to write a scene later in the book.  I don’t feel like *it* has to be perfect because I haven’t gotten there yet, so to speak, and when I do get there it’s a relatively easy edit.

Ursula: Tell us about your first acceptance!

Sarah: The whole experience was insane.  I subbed less than a week before we found out we were pregnant with #6.  Months later, I got the request for a full.  Then the contract offer came, and through all of this I was sick as a dog.  (I don’t get that.  I don’t even know any sick dogs, LOL, but anyway….)  I couldn’t jump around or cheer because it would have done nothing for my all day “morning” sickness, but fortunately for me I didn’t believe it.  I don’t think I believed it even after my book released, which – incidentally – was just a couple of weeks after my baby was born.  The baby was a shocker because I had my tubes tied after our fifth child was born, so that whole nine month period was just an insane mix of birthing both book and baby.  Unforgettable, to say the least.

Ursula: What are your writing goals?

Sarah: Ultimately, I’d love to write for Harlequin Intrigue.  For now – and to that end – I’d like to finish 2-3 novel-length romantic suspenses a year.

Ursula: What books are currently on your nightstand?

Sarah: Rosalie Stanton’s RIPPLES THROUGH TIME, Renee Vincent’s RÆLIKSEN, and a couple of nonfiction books by Dave Ramsey and Joel Osteen.  Over the nightstand is a shelf one of my kids made me and it’s packed full of Harlequin Intrigues.  My boy actually built it to spec, measuring the books so the shelves were just the right size for my “purple book collection” LOL.

Ursula: What is the last book you read?

Sarah: Renee Vincent’s RÆLIKSEN.  I bawled. Phenomenal book – a must read!

Ursula: If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Sarah: Well, at this point you’d find me hanging out with Dægan Ræliksen, LOL.  But seriously, I’m not much of a history buff – and I’ll take all of my childbirthing with an epidural, thank you – but I do love colonial America (and have a WIP closely tied to that time period) and also have a thing for the wild west thanks to HBO’s Deadwood series.  But actually being there without my hot showers and my computer?  Eh.

Ursula: What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Sarah: After a book is published, I almost refuse to look at it.  Every time I do, I find something I wish I could change.  Talk about maddening!

Ursula: How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Sarah: If I could stick to my goal of 1,000 words a day, it would only take a couple of months to write a 55k-60k word novel.  But then life interferes and it ends up taking six months or more.  I know I need to work on my own mental game because I’m easily distracted, but I don’t want to blink and miss the kids growing up so I try to keep that in mind when I get frustrated.

Ursula: What are you currently working on?

Sarah: A romantic suspense I’m calling UNFORGIVEN.  A year before the story begins, Gage tore Riley’s world apart.  She did the unthinkable in forgiving him, but did so under the condition that he stay out of her life for good.  He kept that promise until he found his brother dead on his back porch; once Gage realizes who pulled the trigger, all bets are off.  The next time Riley lays eyes on him, it’s a gunpoint.  From there, things get interesting.

Ursula: Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Sarah: I’ve been all over the U.S. and to Europe, but my favorite spot is right here – the Outer Banks of NC.  I’d love to go to Ireland, Italy, or Greece but the H won’t fly and I’m not going in a boat.  I’ll go to the Bahamas in one of our boats, but that’s as much open ocean as I want to see!  I can seriously see us anchored offshore of the Florida Keys, though.  I don’t have to worry about foreign laws there – I would SO  not fare well in prison.

Ursula: Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Sarah: I love the Harlequin Intrigue series.  I grabbed a free read and fell in LOVE with the whole romantic suspense concept, which is where my urge to write suspense originated.  I think those books will always hold meaning to me because every time I read one, I experience the thrill and the urge to write.

Ursula: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Sarah: No deeper meanings here.  ;c)  I want my characters to hit that third dimension and be real. That would be my greatest accomplishment.

Ursula: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Sarah: As a kid I wanted it as early as elementary school, but never took the first step in getting there.  In fact, I double majored in biology and biochemistry in college.  Then I married the H and went on to *never work a day in my life* so I could be a stay-at-home-mom for our herd of offspring. It wasn’t until after the birth of our 5th child that I gave it a go, and my first novel DOWN IN FLAMES was picked up on my first query by Noble Romance.  As soon as I saw that cover, I was HOOKED!

Ursula: What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Sarah: We live on the coast and head out in our boat every chance we get.  I also love riding horses (and had one for 17 years until we lost her last spring at the age of 25), cross stitching, cooking/baking, and anything to do with the beach.   We also enjoy hiking.

Ursula: What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Sarah: I don’t know if there is one!  I do love any chance to tell folks how awesome my publisher is, though, so … pssst.  NOBLE ROCKS!

Ursula: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Sarah: Romantic suspense.  My first was a romance and I tried for my third to be, but the idea kept resituating itself in my mind until it managed to twist into a suspense.  (That idea is on the shelf for now – a new idea took over.)  Bossy as it is, I think I found my comfort zone.

Ursula: How do you deal with rejection?

Sarah: It doesn’t bother me. I know everything doesn’t appeal to everyone, and even with a great story the timing has to be there for the publisher.  It’s a subjective business from one end to the other and I’m just proud to be a part of it.  One day down the line I may face a rejection I find devastating, but I’m hoping I can fall back on that inner logic when the time comes, LOL.

On that note, here’s the blurb to one which was not rejected: RUN TO YOU.

Mattie James can’t pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.

The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie’s life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.

BUY LINK:  https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=214

Reviews:

http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-run-to-you-by-sarah-ballance.html

http://mizlovelovesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/run-to-you-by-sarah-ballance.html

Ursula: Great interview, Sarah! Please stop in again sometime in the near future ~ and bring the little ones along! I have lots of coasters;-).


A Visit from Leanne Dyck, Author of The Sweater Curse

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It’s Week Six of the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour and our guest author is Leanne Dyck. Welcome, Leanne! Thanks for stopping by and allowing me to interview you:-)

Leanne: Greetings from beautiful Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada. Thank you, Ursula for this opportunity. I hope your readers enjoy the interview.

It’s my pleasure, Leanne. Glad you could make it. I’d like to begin by asking you a few questions about you and your writing process. Also, we’d love to hear more about your book, The Sweater Curse, and where readers can get a copy. So, Leanne…tell us more!

Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Leanne: I’m a flexible plotter. In my teens I wrote never-ending stories. Fearful of similar outcomes, I like to start with a plan. My muse grants me permission to change this plan as often as I wish.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Leanne: Make a daily commitment to read, write and promote yourself.

What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Leanne: My bum is in the chair from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Daily activities include answering emails, working on my manuscript, writing a blog post, researching and participating in promotional opportunities.

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Leanne: Have I? Oh, yes. In fact, I wrote an article on strategies I’ve employed to effectively overcome the BLOCK. I would be happy to share this article with your readers.

Tell us about your first acceptance!

Leanne: Encouraged by the success of my self-publishing cozy mystery (MAYNELY A MYSTERY), I made a pact that I would do everything in my power to find a publisher for THE SWEATER CURSE. I began hunting in October 2010 and by June of that year I found Decadent Publishing.

There’s nothing like the rush you feel achieving a goal you fear is unattainable.

What are your writing goals?

Leanne: Dream big or go home is my motto, so… I want to write a best selling series that spawns a hit movie.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Leanne: John Grisham’s THE INNOCENT MAN

What is the last book you read?

Leanne: Sheree Fitch’s PLUTO’S GHOST (YA). Jake, the lead character, is dyslexic. This story appealed to me because I’m dyslexic and am currently writing a novel with a lead character that shares my “disability”. PLUTO’S GHOST was a quick and entertaining read.

If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Leanne: The 60s.

What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Leanne: Writing a synopsis.

How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Leanne: It varies, and I’m happy to give each of my projects the time they need. THE SWEATER CURSE (novella) took me five years of often-interrupted writing. MAYNELY A MYSTERY (short novel) took a year.

What are you currently working on?

Leanne: TURNING is a young adult adventure loosely based on my time in the government-run youth group Katimavik. I’m approximately 50% of the way through and my estimated completion date is the end of June 2011.

I’ve also begun working on the sequel to THE SWEATER CURSE.

Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Leanne: On my mom’s bucket list was a trip to New Zealand. She never got to go. I would like to go in her stead.

Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Leanne: Joline Godfrey’s OUR WILDEST DREAMS:  Women Entrepreneurs Making Money, Having Fun, Doing Good.

This book gave me hope when I had run dry.

My mom’s death sent me into a deep depression. I knew who I was with her strength and support. Before her death, I was an Early Childhood Educator caring for children at a day care while studying to obtain my social work degree.

After her death, I was lost. I had nothing left to give to myself let alone anyone else. I was trained to work in the social services.  My career had to change. I had to do something else, but what? OUR WILDEST DREAMS helped me answer this question.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Leanne: Each of us shares a common bond.

Don’t accept the knitter stereotype

Believe in the power of art and the value of artists.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Leanne: I’ve always loved story. I was a shy teen—writing gave me a world to control.

What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Leanne: I like to spend time with family and friends, volunteer in my community and engage in solitary pursuits such as knitting and photography.

What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Leanne: Tell me about your blog. The Sweater Curse blog is devoted to my two passions—writing and knitting. Offered on this blog are podcasts of me reading from  The Sweater Curse, a knitting tutorial, samples of The Sweater Curse sequel, and interviews with authors and knitwear designers. I’m also currently running the “Your Favourite Sweater” short story contest and am accepting submissions of 500 words or less. Each story will be published on my popular blog. One lucky contributor will win a copy of THE SWEATER CURSE.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Leanne: I’ve enjoyed writing many genres. In fiction, I’ve written a cozy mystery and a dark thriller. In non-fiction, besides writing a learn-to-knit pattern book, I’m currently writing a creative non-fiction humorous young adult adventure. Each of these genres has their appeal, but I’m fickle. What I’m currently writing generally gives me the most comfort. TURNING is no acceptation.

How do you deal with rejection?

Leanne: To help me deal with rejection, I tried an experiment. I walked into my local bookstore. I wandered from book to book, reading the back covers. I realized two things. First, no one publisher published all of the books. Second, I realized how taxing it must be for a publisher to decide which book to publish. A good publisher not only creates a book, but also sells it. In order to do an effective job, the publisher must believe in the value of the story. I asked myself, “Did I like all the books I saw?” Truthfully, I answered, “No.” Surprisingly, I came to this conclusion:  sometimes the kindest thing a publisher can do—especially if my story doesn’t appeal to them—is to reject it.

Great interview, Leanne. Do provide us a link to your post on overcoming writer’s block. I know I’d love to read it:-).  Can you now share a blurb and some reviews for The Sweater Curse?

Blurb:  Aspiring knitwear designer Gwen Bjarnson is stuck in Purgatory. To escape, she must re-examine her life, journey through her past and right a wrong. But which wrong?

Young and in love, she works to establish her career, except fate has different plans. One rash act and she loses everything. Never resting, always seeking, and yearning for what she can no longer have, Gwen faces the truth:  if she remains, others are destined to die.

How will she solve the mystery before it is too late?

Reviews

Stitch by colorful stitch, Leanne Dyck knits a tale of intrigue with The Sweater Curse. Set against the backdrop of Canada and told in the first-person voice, the readers steps into the life–or rather, afterlife–of Gwen Bjarnson.

With a physician mother who has her sights set on career advancement, and a father who’s left emasculated in the wake of his wife’s ambitions. Gwen is placed in the care and keeping of her Aunt Oli’s loving and capable hands–gentle hands that teach her how to knit.

Her love of knitting stays with Gwen as she finds herself estranged from her family and squeezed into the lives of the upper echelon of society where trophy wives dangle from the arms of fragile, old millionaires. Drifting from house to house, she always has her knitting needles–the one constant in her life. Like a revolving door, men come and go, drawn like moths to a flame, enjoying erotic pleasures with Gwen. Until the fateful night when she meets Jaron Cardew, a self-published novelist who sees her for what she is–an artists–and believes in her.

Drawing her into his circle of friends, Jaron and Gwen become emotionally entwined. While purchasing skeins of yarn–a decadent blend of wool and alpaca–to knit a sweater for Jaron, the shopkeeper warns Gwen, “knit your boyfriend a hat, scarf, socks–anything but a sweater.” But she doesn’t heed the sage advice. Knit with love, the sweater turns out beautifully–quite literally to die for!

–reviewed by Laurie Buchanan

http://holessence.wordpress.com/

The Sweater Curse:  A Modern Edda

Leanne Dyck has crafted a tale as exotic and existential as Danish Isak Dinesen’s. Her novella begins with a Ship-of-Fools fashion, with a bitter voice in some mysterious waiting room beyond the grave. The speaker, Gwen Bjarnson, returns us to her childhood years in Bloudous, a small town in northern Manitoba with a major Icelandic population. Her sweet and easy-going father is a simple father, but her mother is an ambitious doctor bent on pursuing her career.

Gwen finds solace in the love and care of her Auntie Oli, she shows her the art of crafts. “Knitting wove us together.” But dark forces will take the family from their safe haven to Vancouver, where her storyteller dad falls quickly into alcoholism. Stubborn but vulnerable Gwen is torn between two worlds, the tradition of her common-sense, hardworking forbearers and the demands of the modern life with its soul-crushing and superficial definition of success. To marry? To go to university? To become a fashion designer and a master of wools, colours, and patterns? Or to drown one’s sorrows with liquor and the “sweet breath of Mary Jane”? IN the creative atmosphere of Kitsilano where “anything goes”, love may come to Gwen, but is she ready to receive it? Temptations come at a price.

Overhanging this brooding and complex story is the time-honoured tale of the Sweater Curse. Knitting a sweater for a man who is not yet a husband will bring tragedy. Creating modern characters against the fateful background of the sagas. Dyck gives them free will to choose their won destinies. This book defies genre definitions as it finds its unique place on the fiction shelves. Here’s hoping Leanne Dyck returns many times to the intriguing roots of her family’s past.

–reviewed by Lou Allin

http://www.louallin.com/

She Felt No Pain (RendezVous Press, Oct, 2010)

That Dog Won’t Hunt (Orca, Oct 2010)

On Kindle:  A Little Learning and Man Corn Murders

Where can readers find you?

Website:  www.oknitting.com

Blog:  http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com

A Warm Welcome to Author Kiki Howell!

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It is the fourth week of the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour and today we have with us author, Kiki Howell. Welcome Kiki! We’d love to learn more about you and your latest release, Torn Asunder. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser?

Kiki: Plotter, definitely! I even have a story board up for the current suspense story I am writing.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Kiki: Write your own story, don’t worry about what is selling, what you think publishers want to see, what readers want to read, etc… If it is truly your story, then it will show in the writing. All the second guessing yourself impairs your creativity.

What is your writing day like? Do you have a specific daily word or page goal?

Kiki: I don’t set page or word goals. I send my kids off to school in the morning, go through  my emails and handle any promo stuff set for the day.  If I am being good, then I exercise and handle any phone calls or lingering business, then I write the rest of the day. However, more often than not, I get my kids on the bus, answer emails, open my story and write right through lunch until they get off the bus! LOL

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you find your way back?

Kiki: Yes I do from time to time. I sometimes force myself to write anyway even if it all gets deleted later. But, mostly I start reading. That always inspires me to get back to my own story.

Tell us about your first acceptance!

Kiki: The stories aren’t available anymore, but my first contract came on my son’s birthday from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. I was getting things ready for dinner, my son had a friend home after school with him, and my husband says, “what is this book contract email about?” LOL The contract was for two short stories in their Celtic Love Knots Series. One of them is now available as a free read on Smashwords .

What are your writing goals?

Kiki: Right now, I am hoping to finish up my current novel and try the whole agent thing.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Kiki: I review for Suspense Magazine, so I am reading a book that hasn’t been released yet, “Spirit Dances” by C.E. Murphy which releases March 22and with Luna Books.

What is the last book you read?

Kiki: “Midnight Unseen” (The Watchers, Book 5) by D. McEntire I have reviewed all 5 books. The series is wonderful!!!!

If you could go back in time, where or in what period would you find yourself?

Kiki: Definitely Regency England where my current novel is set. I have long loved this time period, and only recently got up enough guts to write in it myself. It was as close to living it as I guess I will ever come.

What part of your writing do you enjoy least?

Kiki: When I get to the point that I have rewritten a story a few times and the perfectionist in me won’t let me say it is done, so I begrudgingly go back through it. Of course, this makes the edits worse! LOL

How long does it take you to write a complete novel?

Kiki: Hard to say really. Torn Asunder is my first complete novel, and it evolved from a short story into a novella then into a novel. The first draft of the novel I am currently writing took me about 2 months.

What are you currently working on?

Kiki: The current novel I am writing takes place in Salem, MA. It is a contemporary suspense inspired by my vacation their this summer. Looks like it is going to be a three book series now too.

Favorite vacation spot or place you’d like to visit but haven’t yet?

Kiki: Ireland! And, yes I will be setting a book there, or maybe several.

Do you have a favorite book and/or author?

Kiki: I don’t really. I go through phases of the genres I read, and I guess I have a few favs in each genre.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Kiki: I guess whether historical or contemporary, I always have parts in my novel about judgment. A huge pet peeve of mine is judging someone either by a stereotype or with out even trying to get to know them. My husband created and teaches a class in his high school called crossroads which tries to open kids eyes against this sort of thing whether by race, weight, etc.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Kiki: Very young when I found myself falling asleep at night rewriting the story I have just finished in my head because I didn’t like the ending.

What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

Kiki: I love watching movies with my family, or making a nice meal and sharing it. Other than that I read all the time, and when the moment hits me I knit.

What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Kiki: Hmm, I don’t know, I have been interviewed so much lately that I think it has all been covered. LOL

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Kiki: Paranormal Romance

How do you deal with rejection?

Kiki: Fairly well, I mean it just comes with this job. The only time I don’t is when someone takes a superior tone. You don’t have to like what I write, in fact I don’t expect every one too, we are all so different. But, don’t put me down as if you are better than me. It’s just one opinion.

Thanks, Kiki! That was an amazing interview. I really enjoyed learning more about you and your writing process. Now, how about more on your latest release, Torn Asunder. Can you share a blurb, some reviews, and where readers can purchase a copy? How about an excerpt!?

Torn Asunder

Kiki Howell spins a wonderful tale of passion, magic, betrayal, and a love that conquers all. Enjoy.”  ~NY Times Bestselling Author, Hannah Howell

Blurb: Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury.  He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey’s confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation.

However, it is when Edmund’s lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers.  Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic.

Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.

Genres: Historical (Regency), Paranormal (Witches & Shifters), Erotic, Romantic Suspense

Adult Content Warnings: Explicit Graphic Language, Violence

You can purchase Torn Asunder in eBook and Trade Paperback online at retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords, and Excessica Publishing .

Author Website http://www.kikihowell.com

Praise for Torn Asunder:

Kiki Howell I feel has a major hit on her hands with Torn Asunder. I was so glued to this book that I was up til 4AM reading it, and mind you, I had to be up at 7AM to see my kiddies off to school….lol. I was just so captivated… In between all the chaos our couple must endure is the most breath taking love story. Their hearts and minds are linked for all time by an unforeseen connection that real couples only dream of. On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a 10 and encourage everyone 18 and over to get a copy of this book and fall under Aubrey and Emund’s spell. It is so worth the ride.  ~5 out of 5 Stars,  Review by Raquel Vega-Grieder for Sinfully Tasty Reads

“Torn Asunder is what a Regency novel should be.  Prior to this book, I have never had a historical romance keep my interest for more than a chapter or two.  Kiki Howell has written a historical novel that sings. Her love for the time period is reflected in every part of the story, from the vivid characters to the clear imagery of her settings. I give Torn Asunder five of five hearts.”  ~D. Alexx Miller, Book Reviewer for Romance in the Backseat

EXCERPT:

The roses, elegant in their refinement, fell from one another with little grace as she undid the paper around them. Staggering back a few steps until her back met with the wall, she slid down to the floor letting the wrapping and flowers fall where they may. Aubrey wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection. Her chest ached more with each beat of her heart as she swallowed hard, blinked away the mistiness over her eyes, and remembered.

It had been the beginning of the season, a bit over a fortnight ago, when she first encountered Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. Although she rolled her eyes still at the title, she felt impelled to live through it all again–through the days of fantasy in which she had allowed herself to participate. Love at first sight didn’t always give way to rational thinking. It did, however, make possible even the wavering delusions of believing impossible dreams could come true. She had just come to London to live with Lord and Lady Sanderly, her cousins who had paid for her travels under the guise of giving a poor relation of marriageable age a chance to find a good husband.

Whereas, the truth of the matter was, she was a relation who had shown a great aptitude for learning of the magical powers she had inherited. The good Lord and Lady, while holding the public title of Earl and Countess, were actually descendants of one of the notorious Pendle witches. They were to teach her to harness and utilize her innate talents in secret while flaunting her about from various parties and balls in the public eye.

She recalled with a weak smile the first ball Lord and Lady Sanderly had thrown to immerse her into proper society. At the time, she had consciously gripped her hands before her waist to resist fidgeting while trying hard to fix to memory all of the titles of those to whom she was being introduced. Her level of discomfort had increased, however, as an unsettled awareness of someone in the room, a haunting premonition of sorts, had made her heart race and her mouth dry. She had paid mind to ignore the successive shivers which rushed the length of her spine until they pooled as heat in her tightening stomach.

Reminded she was holding her breath only when forced to speak, her ribs had begun to ache. When a chill more pervasive that any she had ever known even in the drafty county cottage she had been raised in permeated her shoulders, she had turned in the direction of the source, and her eyes had met with a man standing just across the room looking back at her. She had immediately felt challenged to not look away from the gaze of his dark eyes. They radiated a raw energy unlike anything she had ever encountered before even among those with her own esoteric abilities.

A connection was made. Her heart beat at a frantic, uneven pace like a horse racing over shoddy roads. At the same time, a vague forewarning had made her break out in a glistening of sweat while she fought the urge to escape as well the need to move toward the man. She had given merit to her reactions based only on the fact she had captured the glance of an aristocratic gentleman with a lady in a lavish satin gown on his arm of obviously higher circumstances.

Engrossed in his fine manners, she watched as his hand removed the one holding onto him from his arm with a slight nod of his head. The lady in return had given him a slight curtsy but glorious smile before turning back to her other acquaintances which Aubrey recognized to be a duke and duchess she had recently met. His tempestuous form fit in posh attire spun on the heel of his expensive footwear to find her again with his haunted and hungry eyes. He seemed an odd mix of rugged and refined. She had felt the thrill and danger of being pursued by a beast which lurked inside of the man.

Over at Dawn Brown’s…

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Dawn has a great blog…you should stop over and say hello! Did I mention she’s interviewing me there?:-) All part of that All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour. I’m really enjoying myself ~ hosting and visiting the blogs of other authors is exciting!

On the Road with the All Romantic Suspense Blog Tour!

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Hello All!

I’m over at Mindy MacKay‘s place today. Stop by for a visit and check out my interview! Hope to see you there:-).

Another great find:-)

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I’ve found the Procrastinating Writers blog quite inspiring. On my blog rounds I happened to pay a visit there today and have returned with a useful tool ~ the Tick Tock Timer! If you’ve been procrastinating about whatever it is you tend to put off doing, why not make the task more manageable by chipping away at it? You decide how long you want to spend, ten minutes, a half-hour, an hour – just set the timer and get to work. I’ve just used it to begin a new writing project and found the tool very helpful. In fact, I went beyond the allotted time I set for myself and am on my way to completing a new story. It’s amazing the results you can obtain by setting a goal for yourself and following through. The key is, again, to make it manageable, to divide it into smaller tasks that don’t seem so overwhelming.  It’s a strategy that works for whatever it is that you’re intent upon accomplishing.

After you’ve tick tocked, click on the link to the site’s blog ~ very uplifting and inspirational advice to be found there…amazing photos as well. I’ll be visiting often!