I was tagged by Barbara Winkes, author of Autumn Leaves and the thrilling mystery Secrets, which I have had the pleasure of reading. The purpose of this blog tour is to get authors to answer the same four questions about their writing process—and along the way, you may even find your next set of books lined up and ready to read. These are my answers:
#1 What am I working on?
I know I am not the only one working on multiple writing projects.
- Recently I submitted a short story for a Christmas anthology. Its proceeds will be used to help homeless LGBT youth. Whether my story is chosen or not, I am picking up a copy. It’s for a wonderful heartfelt cause and you know with R.G. Emanuelle partnering up with Ylva Publishing it’s bound to be a treat.
- I am in the final stages of edits for my second novel, Aspen’s Stunt and looking forward to publishing it in the Fall. If you love a budding romance with Hollywood lights and girls on dirt bikes, this is certainly for you. Ready, Set, Action!
- My third novel, Brave World, and brainchild from accomplishing nanowrimo 2013, comes out next year. I have really had to think outside the box on this one and am very pleased with its progress. The setting is very different than the scene outside your window… and how the characters manage to live in such a place is both extreme and ingenious. I can’t wait to share it with you.
#2 How does my work differ from others in the same genre?
Symbolism. My adolescense was during the “Purple Rain” era afterall. I have a lot of symbolism in Tainted Elite and I do mean A LOT! It’s subtle, but most certainly there. For me, part of my journey in learning to improve my storytelling each time I sit down to write has been attempting to master the art of showing instead of telling. When I dig deeper into each character I learn so much more about them. Their names, their zodiac signs, their speech, their clothing choice, and everything else one could imagine plays a key role in who they are and why they do what they do, no matter how great the conflict… and I love conflict. Give me the heart-pounding, can’t-put-the-book-down feeling every day and I’m hooked.
#3 Why do I write what I do?
Quite simply, I’m a story teller who writes what they like to read and writes what they know—and I know adventure. Martial arts, motorcycles, outdoor adventures with my kids, are just to name a few.
Whether it be a seductive dance while making taffy—like in my short erotic story Candy Striped, or making nightly slalom runs down a mountain and getting “stuck” together at the base, like in my newly submitted short story Gift of Hearts, there is a strong sense of action and adventure every step of the way.
Entwining my characters romances in between these exciting romps of whatever interests them at that moment is how I like my stories to unfold. It’s like a bout of cardio without even having to leave the couch. Feel the burn.
#4 How does my writing process work?
My writing process varies and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Most of the time a scene goes through my mind—it could be from a dream, a fleeting thought, or even a daydream. No matter what it is, I embrace it. If I can’t grab my notebook at that very moment I think about that scene over and over until I have the chance to jot it down. Yes it’s distracting, but a necessity and one that I relish.
If my thoughts race too fast to write them all down, I will make a quick outline—usually in bubble form, so I don’t forget and miss something that has already come to mind. Afterward, I go back and write the scenes out that I want to keep and roundfile the ones I don’t.
Planning everything ahead of time works great for many a writer, but I tend to lean more toward the fly-by-the-seat process, which also means I end up spending a lot more time toiling in the editing phase. Tainted Elite took me about five years to write. Still worth it.
Authors I’m tagging:
J.L. Gaynor, Author of Drive
Nancy Ann Healy, Author of Intersection
In The Bardroom 