Doing my Happy Dance- #1k1hr Challenges, #Writing & a 4 out of 5 #Review for Castaway Hearts! Squee!

Today has been rather exciting for me.

Castaway Hearts first REVIEW is up onMEL'S BOOK BLOG(click link below)   

I also feel great today as I added over 4,000 words to my current work in progress yesterday by doing #1k1hr challenges with a few other fellow writers. 3 hours of that and I had almost 4k. In total I knocked out 4,018, which leaves me not all that far from my 80k (approx) word count goal. Thanks for the kick in the tush to get writing- (You can follow them on Twitter if you click on their names)

Candace Havens

Alyssa Day

Amy Denim

Heather Riccio

Pamela V Mason

Seeing as how I'm not far from it, I can feel "the end" just around the corner and that generally gets me pumped to finish writing.

Add to that, I'm starting to get excited about writing the next one, which means I'm going to be scouring Amazon's Kindle Store for some books about Pacific Coast surfing, the history of surfing and competition, etc. for research. Gotta know how to speak the lingo and catch a gnarly wave. (If anyone has any good suggestions on books for researching that subject, please feel free to leave a comment about it.)

My visit to Hallee's blog yesterday also got me to thinking about whether there will be a continuation of Castaway Hearts somewhere in the future. It's definitely something I've thought about and I am considering it. I have notes and ideas jotted, though I know further research will be necessary to travel forward a few years in time with each new heroine/hero from Catherine and Dawson's family tree. It's not completely off the table, so I will be chewing on that for a bit until I feel the "draw" to begin another one. I have a feeling that it will have to wait until I'm at least finished with the surf novel mentioned above.

And now, seeing as how its the first day of summer vacation, I'm off to see whether I can get any writing done before the little monsters need to be fed (they do have to be fed, right?) ;)

Have a wonderful day! Write on/Read on!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- #Floral #Inspiration #Love #Spring

Spring brings plenty to inspire with the lovely colors and fragrances in nature. The soft aroma of lilacs and roses fill the air along with hyacinths and honeysuckles, welcoming and awakening the world around us and embracing it with the warmth that dissipated in the fall and winter months.

These scents also put me in the mind of romance and love because it inspires the softness and simplicity of beauty in it's most basic form- and in a way we don't get in the hazy heat of summer or the crispness of fall or the chill of winter.

That rebirth of Life in spring feels like falling in love, over and over again. What other time of the year, do you feel as young as you did in your youth? So full of hope and ideas and emotions. It's rejuvenating and uplifting to know you made it through the cold spell. That things are greening up and blooming out.I could spend all day outside under the pristine blue skies and enjoy the fragrance that abounds at this time of year. It spells hope for new growth, for transitioning into a new phase in your life, a brighter, fresher view of the world, the people around you and gives new focus to what your life is all about.Enjoy the beauty around us, the joy of new life taking shape, love renewing itself in our hearts and the world. Don't waste time on petty things. Enjoy the here and now.

What are some of your favorite fragrant blooms? Please feel free to share with me.
Would love the company!

Hope you have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#WIPlash Wednesdays~ There'll Be #LoveSongs...#MusicalMusings

♫Have love songs ever inspired an idea for a book?♫

I honestly can't think of any songs that have directly inspired any ideas for my books, though music is part of my writing. Generally it plays more of a secondary role, almost a persona of its own—it is part of the flow and undercurrent that plays in the background like a soundtrack to the movie playing in my head.

If there were any song that has been inspiration, in general, it would have to be Sara Bareilles' One Sweet Love.

I have actually used that song during the writing of several of my books because it depicts the main theme of all my stories and that is the eternal desire we all have to either find true love or our soul-mate and it expresses the hope that it hasn't already been found and lost without realizing it.

Music is a good medium for drawing forth strong emotions. sometimes all it takes is a song's handling of a topic or lyrics that speak straight to the heart of you to move you to tears of joy or heartache. Music is a vessel through which we experience new and old emotions. We are reminded of our youth, that first crush, the first kiss, the first heartache. It can provoke memories of the first kiss we had or our wedding day, the moment we realized we were truly in love.

Music opens up those parts of us—those portals—that can take us back in time or remind us of what we've lived through. That's probably why I enjoy having playlists of music while I write that, for me, defines the characters and the emotions that are embedded in my storytelling. Music is an audible way of storytelling and when meshed with my written word, it embraces the living flow of feelings that emerge.

There might not be a song which has inspired a certain story, but there are plenty of songs that are woven into the fabric of what I write.

I can't hear certain songs without thinking of certain characters or scenes because even when I read back what I've written, I can still hear the melody—the soundtrack—even when I'm not listening to the music.

Have a great Wednesday! Write On!
I can see the weekend from here.

#TuesdayswithTaryn with @MadisonJEdwards #Author #readers #Excerpt

Tuesdays with Taryn
with a very sexy twist-

Please help me welcome Madison J. Edwards to my blog today as she shares with us how she became a writer and a very sexy excerpt from According To Plan.

About the Author

The Prairie dust is in my blood, but no longer on my shoes.

Having grown up around ranchers and farmers, I always assumed I’d become a farmer’s wife, raise the requisite four boys, and make sure there was always enough pie at community social functions. Imagine my surprise when I found myself married to an Air Force pilot, moving around the country every two years on the government’s ticket and my family of four boys was decreased by two.

With hubby deployed all over the world, I became father and mother. I soon discovered, with two active, thriving, can find trouble anywhere – did I mention active? – boys that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Boo yah. Ask my sons. Don’t mess with the Mama.

My sons and I survived. They’re now grown, with families of their own, and I finally had the chance to pursue my dream, which was to put fingers to keyboard and write a book. January 25, 2011 I sold my manuscript, According to Plan, to Turquoise Morning Press.

What have I discovered through all this? Choices make you who you are. More often than not, we find ourselves not at a crossroad, but a frickin’ freeway exchange. My crossroad decision was – should I take that job? I’m glad I did, because somehow I found myself living in a town, near an Air Force base….

---

According to Plan

What do you do when things don’t go According to Plan? For starters, you’d trick, deceive, and lie to the very person who’d ruined your best laid plans.

Welcome to the world of Shelby Stewart, P.I., who’s been hired to find Harrison Grant. To complicate matters further, her ex-partner, ex-lover, ex-everything Tank has shown up looking for Harrison as well, albeit for a very different reason. Harry is the prime suspect in the grisly murder of a call girl, Lulu, in L.A.

That wouldn’t be so bad, but Tank plans on staying at her house, and has made it obvious he’s quite willing to help her heat the sheets, again. Shelby knows that sex with Tank is dangerous, fast, and sometimes a little dirty. Now is not the time to become side tracked. Besides, this job could launch her company into a whole new stratosphere, so it’s imperative she remain focused on the job at hand.

Frustration becomes Shelby’s newest partner as she makes plans to out manoeuvre Tank in their parallel quest. Tank on the other hand, always seems to be one step ahead of the game, and is not what, or who Shelby thought.

Excerpt

He stood behind me and placed a hand on either side of my body, effectively boxing me in against the pool table.

"Loosen your shirt babe, I think you're time has come." He drawled against my heated cheek. Ripples of anticipation careened through my midsection as he dropped a kiss behind my ear.

In dumb horror I watched while Tank picked off all his remaining balls, making it look easy. With cocky confidence, he called and sank the eight ball in the side pocket.

Because Tank won, he’d get what he wanted. If the tight bulge in his jeans was anything to go by, he wanted me... now. I was so screwed; figuratively, and soon to be literally.

What went wrong? I have always played pool better than Tank. This was not supposed to happen. From nerveless fingers, he took my cue stick and leaned it against the wall.

"Come here." He pulled me against his chest, the ridge of his erection hard and implacable against my stomach.

Head lowered, my forehead touching his chest, I whispered. "How did this happen? I've always won at pool."

"Yes, because I always let you. It was more fun that way."

I couldn’t stop the shivering when his fingers blazed a trail down my back and warm hands grabbed my hips and bare cheeks, leaving a fiery imprint. Pushing one leg between mine, pressing against my sweet spot, there was no mistaking his intentions.

"Do you want it hard and fast, or soft and slow?" His deep voice, thick and heavy with desire, flowed over me.

"Yes." I whispered.

God help me. I wanted it all.

You can find out more about Madison at the following links-

Madison's Blog

Follow Madison on Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

#MemoryLane Monday- #MyMom #MyCheerleader #Writing #Encouragement

One of my biggest cheerleaders is my mom. When I've felt discouraged or disappointed or lacking, she's my go-to who reminds me I can do anything, be anything, and fusses at me not to give up, especially on my writing.

As a teenager, I lacked a lot of self-confidence. I'd had the problems with school and the tragic loss of my grandfather as well as my weight issues, but after dropping out of school and taking home-school, I also became even more withdrawn and reclusive. I did go a few rounds with typical adolescent depression, probably compounded by the other circumstances in my life, but my mom talked to me—always keeping the lines of communication open—even when I'd rather have shut myself up in my room and pretended I didn't exist. She wouldn't allow me to wallow in self-pity and dislike and she took on the job of being my own personal cheering squad.

When I decided I wanted to be a writer—well, I knew for a long time, but when I told my parents it was something I wanted to pursue seriously, they gave me a Smith Corona word processor/typewriter, a lot of 3 1/2 inch disks and several books marketed to writers and toward the industry (one in particular was The Romance Writers Pink Pages) for Christmas when I was 17.

I dug out the old instructional typewriter book my dad had from his college days and taught myself the basics of typing, while my parents each gave me encouragement in their own ways.

My mom's way? Unadulterated encouragement and praise—

"You can do this."
"You're a born storyteller."
"You've always had a way with words."
"I believe in you."

The best by far was when she told me to hit "send" in my email in February 2011 to submit Castaway Hearts to Turquoise Morning Press- my very first submission. Then she told me she expected me to get published in HER lifetime, because she wants to be able to say "My daughter is a published author."

"I want to see your book and hold it before I'm dead."

I love her to pieces and I'm not sure she'll ever know just how important she is in my life. I tell her, but she brushes it off, never taking me too serious, but maybe one of these days she'll understand what her encouragement means to me. Though I doubt she'll see this blog, I just want to say-

I love you Momma!
Thank you so much for all you've done for me and
every supportive word you've ever given me.

WIPlash Wednesdays- Question from Joey R.

We're always attracted to the edges of what we are, out by the edges where it's a little raw and nervy.

~E.L. Doctorow~

Joey R.- Do you sometimes use actual events or things that has happened to you or people you know in your work?

Not really, but I do draw from life. Though I write romantic fiction, it is based in reality, so there are certainly bound to be topics or ideas that I've taken from the life around me, though I haven't written anything directly that could be tied to one event or person, or even myself specifically, because I take bits and pieces of knowledge, common sense, experience and mesh it together. They say, "write what you know" and I do, but not always the way you would think.

Any events in my novels are the indirect result of living and paying attention to my emotions, my situations as well as being observant of what others have gone through or are going through. There are a lot of things that are just common ground for all of us.

Most people have had their hearts broken by someone they love. Most everyone has lost a loved one or known someone in a bad relationship. Some have been abused, neglected, mistreated, or felt that way. Illness can strike anyone whether it's mental, emotional or physical and that includes things like bad habits, addictions, quirks and behaviors.

We are results of our environment and experience and subject to a plethora of things- accidents, deaths, debilitating disease, job loss, running into an ex at the grocery store. It's all happening around us, all the time, so I have a vast world of ideas at my fingertips. We're all also very adaptable, whether we like change or not, and we also all have a singular goal in common for the majority of our lives and that is to seek out love, regardless of where it comes from- parents, siblings, relatives, friends, acquaintances, lovers.
I draw from all that because I know it is the human condition, our compulsion, to seek love and approval through our work, our hobbies, our relationships and in most everything we do. Even my fictional characters need to be real, believable, fallible. They have quirks, mixtures of my own loved ones' idiosyncrasies, emotional outbursts, hidden sorrows, broken hearts and life experiences and that never-ending need to be loved, find joy and live happy, just like we all do.

Truth is, though that by the time they come to life on the page, I find it easily conceivable to believe they are living people who's situations are just as real to me as anything else I've ever seen or experienced myself.

Thanks for the question Joey!

If anyone else has a question, feel free to ask, leave a comment.

Feel free to leave me more questions in the comments here at anytime.
I'll be happy to answer them.

Happy Hump Day! I can see the weekend from here!

A Love Story was Born- Castaway Hearts

At some point in early 2007, before Facebook had appeared on the horizon and kicked Myspace's butt to the curb, I was on there a LOT. I posted blogs daily, or just about daily. I was catching up with old friends and making new ones. It was my hangout and there were awesome backgrounds to choose from for your profile, so one day I was searching for something to suit me and I came across a profile background with this image-

I sat, staring at it in quiet amazement- feeling drawn to the picture- the sadness it aroused within me, the heartache I felt the young woman feeling. The ghostly ship was ominous and the entire picture just gripped my heart and I felt tears prick my eyes. I thought, "Wow, she's just so, so sad. She lost her lover at sea...."

The idea made my chest hurt. Love lost is never a funny matter. I set the image layout to my profile and though I went back to doing whatever it was I was doing that day, I kept going back to look at it. I couldn't shake it and every time I saw it I was moved to tears again. I went to bed that night unable to put the image out of my mind.

Then I remembered somewhere in old scribbled notes and papers I has the beginnings of a historical I started to write when I was in my late teens. Just one sheet, front and back in my very youthful chicken scratch. A girl named Catherine, boarding her grandfather's ship in England to sail away to a life she's never known.

Bit by bit, the story started to unfold as I lay in bed, listening to my husband snore while I couldn't sleep for all the thoughts and story ideas that were swirling around in my head. What if she sailed to Virginia? What if she met a young man on the ship and believed she was in love with him? But what if he sailed away once she arrived in Virginia, and left her feeling lost and alone? What if she promised herself to him in secret? And what if his very own brother, burned by the past, became her confidant? Became her friend? And what if the sea took the man she thought she loved, after she'd already fallen for another? How devastating could that be?

It would be as devastating and heartbreaking as that image above. It would move me to tears, whispering the pain, the sorrow, the madness of grief and guilt that a young woman might feel in Catherine's shoes.

And so, my Myspace background haunted me and Catherine's story began to take shape over several months. This story, that I once put aside because I lost sight of my own writing dreams, a story that had once been frozen in thought at the outset, was beginning to warm, to incubate, beneath the heat lamp of this image that was searing itself on my brain. It was fertilized by that haunting picture that branded itself on my mind and my heart. It started to grow into a story that went much deeper and had more aspects than I first intended.

I didn't just start writing it though. I began researching and reading up on the history of Virginia, of the late 1700's. I spent several months researching online and with books I ordered online. And in a search for images that I could use purely for my own inspiration, I found Catherine Barrett, Dawson's sweet sweet Cathy, in this image of a young Kate Beckinsale.

And I found Dawson Randolph, residing in a plantation home similar to this, with dark blue shutters and a blue front door. A lonely man, widowed far too early in life, I realized that I saw Dawson Randolph in James Scott's portrayal of Stefano DiMera's father, Santo DiMera on Days of Our Lives. I've been a DOOL fan all my life (I remember watching when I was like 5 year-old.) I was watching Days at the time I wrote Castaway Hearts so "Santo" fit what I saw in my mind perfectly. Handsome, sophisticated and melancholy to find real happiness in a world that had failed him and taken love away rather than given it to him.

Catherine and Dawson deserved happiness, and I knew it was up to me to find it for them- to clear the path, to make sure they weren't two "castaway hearts."

And so there you have it. A love story was born from something seemingly as simple as an image.

Happy Valentine's Day, Lovelies!
Hope its special!

WIPlash Wednesdays- Questions from Mary Ellen & Katie

Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake.

~E.L. Doctorow~

Mary Ellen T.- Is your book about your life or someone you may know? I wonder how you can put everything together for a book.

Everything I write is fiction, so no, my book, nor any others I release, will be about my life or anyone I know. As a writer I know that parts of who I am, and those I love, are woven into the fabric of the story, but I never write myself or others intentionally. I do think it just comes with the territory that, as a writer, our stories are who we are, without ever meaning to be because they come from the heart of us.

(the 2nd half of Mary Ellen's comment also kind of blends into Katie's below)
Katie M.- Do your plots just come to you?

Putting together a story for me is rather free form. Sometimes plots come to me freely, spinning out off something I heard, saw or imagined. Some of those ideas percolate in my dreams, but being I'm a pantser (write by the seat of my pants), I don't plot or outline the stories in great detail.

In 2006, when I first started writing with the serious intentions of getting published, pretty much every story I had started with bare bones- character names, a general idea about what they do for a living, how they might get thrown together, what kind of conflict could exist between them and a tentative title.

All the stories I've written so far stem from those. In truth, I'm still working on writing all the ideas I already have jotted down and it hasn't been until more recently that several ideas sprung from the well I thought was dry. The only problem is that until I finish some of my others, the new ones have to be put on the back burner.

How did the new ones come to me? I fell asleep one night with all the thoughts racing in my mind and when I woke up they were still there, burning into my brain, so I wrote them down. Doesn't happen often, but I figured it was worth taking notes. Some have followed me to bed and taken their sweet time to congeal over long periods. The majority of them though, I wrote in a month, taking my cue from my participation in NaNoWriMo- conforming my writing patterns to nailing down the first rough draft within 30 days. I tend to produce a lot more when I work under such tight self-imposed deadlines.

How do you keep all the back stories straight?

Keeping the back stories straight is usually pretty easy. I don't outline, but I do usually keep a list of all characters, main and secondary, in a notebook wherein I also keep track of how scenes play out, how characters are connected (family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances- I've even jotted a sketchy-at-best family tree, just to make sense of how many siblings there are), how long the chapters run, and make notes of things to come as I'm writing or even research I've done online for certain things like preparation of certain meals or dishes or decorating jargon, rodeo information, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theater, or when the match came into existence, etc.

For Castaway Hearts, I was halfway through the story when I wondered if matches even existed in the late 1700s. A quick search on Bing found my answer.

Friction matches, were first invented by an English chemist in 1826, so no, my character couldn't light pipe tobacco from a match. So what did they do to start a fire? Before friction matches, also known as lucifer matches, men lit their pipes with a paper spill or carried a tinderbox with them for lighting their tobacco. This was a much more time consuming habit, but I knew I had a few places in the story where I needed to remove the match lighting and give a little insight into what would have been the norm in that bygone time.

Story timelines, most especially for those that play out in chronological order are definitely something I need to police myself over a little more. I realized at the end of January while reading through to finish my current WIP, that a secondary character, who was pregnant in a previous book, would have been due in March, but when the WIP started, it was already May, but she was due anytime...I kept thinking, wait...2 months OVERDUE? That's just not possible! And so I had to fix it. And then there's the whole, "did that couple get married in the last book, or are they getting married in this one?"

It's a juggling act, to say the least, but something I enjoy tremendously.

Thanks for the questions ladies! Tune in next week for a question from Joey R.

Feel free to leave me more questions in the comments here at anytime.
I'll be happy to answer them.

Happy Hump Day! I can see the weekend from here!