Zara West's Blog, page 15

Meet Romance Author Delsora Lowe

~ Delsora Lowe -On Writing Full-Time ~

 

Delsora Lowe writes contemporary and western-set romances.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a full-time writer…finally, after working in many occupations over the years. All in people-pleasing related positions in hospitality, alumni relations and admissions, and event-planning. I’m a mom and grandmother (my favorite “occupation,” for sure). I’m a big-city gal turned small town inhabitant. As a kid, I spent years living overseas. And summers in a rustic cabin overlooking a lake in the Adirondacks, at the beach in a small-town in Delaware, and at my grandmother’s in a tiny town in New York state. I enjoy the city I was brought up in and visit as often as possible, but I love small-towns. Hence my penchant for writing about small-town heroines and heroes.

What are some of your favorite things?

As noted above, my grandsons are my absolutely favorite thing. But that is probably a given. I do love dark chocolate, every kind of cheese on the planet, and occasionally a sip of Scotch. Tea (I have cupboards full, because you must match your tea to your mood and season). Tulips and Calla lilies, purple and peach are my favorite flower colors. I LOVE to cook. My grandmother was an incredible cook, and both my parents were great cooks. I used to cater. To me cooking is a bit like writing a story—a creative process. Start with an idea and main ingredients, then throw in a bit of this and that. You do have to taste and revise the seasonings until it is perfect, write down the recipe, and continue to tweak some more each time you make it. Yup, just like writing and editing a book.

Is writing something that comes easy to you or not?

Writing the first rough draft is usually easier, as long as I can spend the time in big chunks and keep at it day after day. When I only have time to write one or two days a week, it is very hard. Almost like starting over each time you pull up the work in progress. Now editing—that is the hardest, pull-out-my-hair part. And usually it takes me about three times as long to work on editing, with lots of help from my critique partners and editor, as it does the first draft.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

There are times when I lack the energy to be creative. Life has its up and downs, so it is natural that the brain may be concentrating on life’s problems or celebrations or day-to-day work and chores. Those days that tire you out. Then, yes, it is hard to write. I have gone for months without writing. In the last few years, I have tried to make myself sit down daily and write. Some days I know I have a lot going on, and I may only write one hundred words. But if I keep the momentum up, moving forward, whether it is one hundred or three thousand words, I can get through those days when the brain just refuses to be creative. I plan days off and I try to plan days when I will do writing-related things, like blogs and website updates and Facebook posts. But truthfully, some days are a lot harder than others. And some weeks fly by and I write a ton every day.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I enjoy reading all types of books. I love reading historical romance, but I know it is not something I could write. I am in awe of authors [image error]who write historical or paranormal. But I seem to gravitate toward reading a lot of small-town and contemporary westerns romances. And that is also what I love to write, whether on the coast of Maine, the country side in Vermont or the Adirondacks, or the mountains of Colorado.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

As a writer, you put yourself out there for the world to see. Sometimes it is tough. You open yourself up to criticism, every time you send a manuscript to an editor or agent, and every time you publish a book, and have no clue who is reading it or what they think. You learn to grow a tough skin, and understand that what you write is not for everyone to love. But you do hope enough readers will like or, better yet, love what you put your heart and soul into writing. I have great critique partners, who do not hold back. So you learn to take criticism as long as it is constructive—and theirs always is helpful and right on. I had one rejection where the editor said, that although I had good writing form, they didn’t even want to finish reading it because they hated both my hero and heroine. I still reread that rejection, and I read it aloud to writing students as an example. I then let the students know that at the same time, another editor really liked the story and offered me constructive feedback. It puts things in perspective, that not everyone will like what you write or do in life. And that as long as you like it, move forward and embrace your own work.

As for compliments, those are always welcome, and puff me up for about ten minutes, until I sit down and face my awful first draft

Meet Awesome Romance Author Erica Alexander

~ Books to Make You Laugh and Cry, and Laugh Again ~

 

Awesome Romance Author Erica Anderson writes contemporary romance full of heart and hope with a side of sexy. She is here today to talk about her newest book.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m Erica Alexander, married to my real life book boyfriend, mom of two boys, two cats and a dog.  Books are my passions. My earliest memories have books in them. I love to read, and I love to write. For years I have written stories in my head. Sometimes I put them to paper. Sometimes they just stayed in my imagination. Life gets in the way of dreams, so it took me a while to turn my imagined stories into real books. But I finally did it. I published my first book in 2016. It’s a novella called Seventeen Wishes. And I published two full novels last year.

Do you have an unusual hobby?

I don’t know if it is unusual or not, but I love watercolor painting. In a way it is similar to writing. You start with a blank piece of paper or a blank screen and you create something where there was nothing before.

What other genres of novel would you love to write?

I’m a huge fan of paranormal and fantasy books. I have this story playing in my head, taking form right now, and I hope to start on it soon. I love the freedom that paranormal gives. You can create your own world and set of rules, and you don’t have to conform to what we perceive as the real world and it’s laws.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

There’s always a little bit of both in my books. Seventeen Wishes is about very real situations and something that is very dear to me, even if I have never experienced it myself. This book came to me in a dream.

Because of Logan and Because of Liam have scenes that happen in real life. The readers can try guessing.

Romance Author Riley Cole is Back with a New Book

~ Developing a Regency Adventure Series ~

Victorian romance author Riley Cole was here on my blog in November to tell us about the first two books in her Restitution series. I hope you had a chance to read these two great books, because today she is back to share Book 3 in the series and give us some hints about Book 4.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I’ve been a historical romance fan my whole life.  Rakes, rogues, pirates…what’s not to love?  That said, I’m particularly drawn to the combination of romance and adventure. Amanda Quick hooked me early on with that, and I’ve wanted to write humorous, adventurous historicals ever since.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

For this book, definitely the ending!  –I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that Caleb, the hero, TOTALLY surprised me.  I had NO idea he was going to do what he did… and I’ll leave it at that for now J   But that magic, that part in a book where the characters take over, is why I write.

Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

All of my characters—I LOVE writing big casts, and I’m thrilled that my publisher, Marie Force, has encouraged me to continue characters’ stories in ongoing books.  All of the main characters introduced in the first book in the series have ongoing stories that thread throughout the entire series, so readers get the chance to see how Meena and Spencer, the couple featured in Rejecting the Rogue, cope with mixing marriage and the Restitution League’s ongoing adventures.  I hope readers enjoy these continuing journeys as much as I enjoy writing them!

Do your travels influence your writing?

Maybe not so much my travels per se, but my surroundings certainly do.   I live in Reno, Nevada, right in the middle of both gold and silver countries.  My daily bike rides take me straight across the Emigrant Trail, or around abandoned mining towns dating from the mid 1800s.  We’re surrounded by nineteenth century history here. I’m lucky to be minutes away from historic sites and wonderful museums. Although my books are set in Victorian London I get a huge amount of inspiration seeing historical exhibits and artifacts from the time. There’s something about being inches away from real tools and artifacts that’s incredibly inspiring. It makes the period real to me. And, one never knows, I imagine some members of the Restitution League will find themselves out West for an adventure or two.

What do you do when you are not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m most likely outdoors. Living at the base of the mountains in the high desert, we have wonderful weather most of the year. I love kayaking, bicycling, skiing, hiking…anything outdoors. Maybe that’s why my characters –especially the women– are so physical.

What project are you working on now or what book will be next?

I’m finishing the fourth book in the Restitution League series (Briar’s story) right now. I’ve had her story in my head since I started this series, and I can’t wait to get it out there!

I don’t have a preorder date yet, but I’m hoping it will come out early this summer.  Books 5 and 6 should come out this year as well.

 

 

Daring the Detective by Riley Cole [image error]

He’s everything she disdains. She’s nothing he admires.

But love has its own delightful logic.

Whether bartering with Barbary pirates or angry Gypsy kings, Zadie Whitlock lives by her wits… and the business end of her parasol.

Detective Caleb Burke lives to right wrongs. He can’t abide Zadie’s daring, impulsive ways, especially after she leaves him bound to a library shelf with his own handcuffs.

Still, the damned woman ignites a passion he can’t ignore.

Nor can Zadie. Which is troublesome in the extreme, because Caleb Burke isn’t the man for her.  He’s too honorable, too loyal, and far too likely to follow the rules.

Dazzled by her indomitable spirit, Caleb makes a fateful choice that sets the two of them on a hunt for lost Viking treasure.  Failure will see his career in ashes, and Zadie on trial for her life.

Pursued by deadly forces, they’ve got the power of the Restitution League on their side… and their own stubborn hearts in the way.

Available From:
AMAZON  |  B&N |

 

Learn more about Riley Cole [image error]

Riley has a long fascination with all things Victorian. She loves the peculiar mix of science, mysticism and innovation that collided in the Victorian Era.

To say nothing of bustles. Bustles and elaborate hats and parasols. Parasols for rain. Parasols for sun. And parasols that morph into swords…of course.

Sadly, Riley has little use for umbrellas in the dry foothills of the Eastern Sierra, but she consoles herself with forest hikes and dips in cool mountain lakes. Besides—no matter where one resides—a proper cuppa never comes amiss.

Website https://www.rileycole.com 

Newsletter http://bit.ly/rileynews

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/riley.cole.official/

Twitter https://twitter.com/Rileycolewrites

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/riley...

Amazon Author Page http://viewauthor.at/rileycole

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/61491209-riley-cole

Instagram @rileycolewrites

Do you love Victorian romance? Riley Cole is waiting to hear from you. Post your comments and questions below.

 

The post Romance Author Riley Cole is Back with a New Book appeared first on Zara West Romance.

Romance Author Janet Lane Walters Shares Her Writing Life

~Really Wanting to Write~

Janet Lane Walters writes fantasy and paranormal romance. In her long writing career, she has also written nurse romance, cozy mysteries, young adult, and even a children’s book. Today she shares her writing life and how it took sixteen rejections to get her first book published. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 I’ve been a published author for 50 years though there was a 10 year break in my writing career when I returned to work as a nurse to help finance children’s college educations.  I’ve always been a reader, and one still finds me with a book loaded into my Kindle to read. There are four children and seven grandchildren to keep me amused. My writing varies from romance, just about any kind from sweet to spicy to paranormal and fantasy. I have a string of cozy mysteries and one medical suspense. My imagination takes me to familiar places and to those of the mind. I’ve published short stories, poetry and non-fiction as well as fiction. Discovering electronic publishing and my great publisher have kept me moving forward. To explore new places and ideas.

Where is your favorite place to write?

 I have a great study with windows that give me a view of the Hudson River, especially in the winter. In the summer, there are too many trees. The room is huge and has bookshelves as well as my computer desk and all I might need. I often sit in my recliner and use pen and paper to write rough drafts and often two of three more drafts. While this is my favorite place to write, I’ve been known to write in doctor’s offices, at the hospital waiting for news of my husband’s surgeries. I once had an idea I just had to write down while driving through town. The light was red. I grabbed the pen and pad from the passenger’s seat and scribbled. A tap at the window showed an officer telling me the light had changed three times and to move on.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I began writing during my teens and tried to write novels but I had so little experience with life, my writings were merely what today is called fan fiction. I went to school to become a registered nurse and my writing turned to  case studies and papers. After I married, I decided I really wanted to write. Perhaps this was because my husband an I were in a small town with a limited library so I tried to write what I wanted to read. There, I read books on writing and slowly around 1966 began to write short stories. In 1968, I sold my first short story and took a few college classes on writing fiction. An editor rejected one of my short stories telling me is sounded like the synopsis for a novel. I buckled down and in 1972 sold my first novel. Three more followed before I returned to work as a nurse. In 1998, I found electronic books, resigned from nursing and wrote full time.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Maybe not challenges but a learning experience. When I began looking for a publisher, publishing was a different place. For fiction you had to submit the entire manuscript. The editors often replied and there were many places to send your book in a box with return postage. A good bit of money for a full mss. The first editor sent a rejection but with a comment. I like your idea but your characters exist in a vacuum. She took a single paragraph and showed me what to do. There were other rejections with other comments that taught me how to write a novel. A bit about dialogue, about strengthening the conflict and many other things. Sixteen times by different publishers, the book was rejected. The seventeenth one took the book, and I was off applying all I had learned.

What project are you working on now or what book will be next?

Just finished a fantasy romance, Children of Fyre, the final book in a series. I’ve begun Forgotten Dreams, Book 5 in the Moon Child series. The heroine, Emma is a cancer and a nurse practitioner in private practice with her doctor friend, Manon. The hero Chad is a Leo, an action adventure actor who has made it big in Hollywook. He forgot their high school dream of love and tired of being type-cast needs a change. When he sees Emma again, he wants to rekindle their romance. She wants to forget the dreams of the past.

Have you written non-fiction or children’s books? How has that influenced your fiction writing?

 I’ve written one children’s story that was published and two that weren’t. I also have two YA fantasy series. For a time, I did some ghostwriting for doctors and saw several published. I’m not sure any of these influenced my writing. The non-fiction books were mainly self-help or advice books. Though there was one Words Perfect; Becoming Your Own Critique Partner that won an EPIC Award for non-fiction. Written with my writing buddy, Jane Toombs, this book made me think more about all that goes into writing fiction.

Do you have an unusual hobby?

This question made me think. Over the years, I’ve had some interesting hobbies. There was needlework, making chair cushions, and hangings for the church. I played with making candles for a time and making candy another. For several years I composed music and some of it was played at a church. My most unusual hobby was doing horoscopes for people with a friend. She did the math. I interpreted the information from the charts. That was fun but like other hobbies, the desire to pursue lasted only so long. Writing began as a hobby, but the desire to move on has never left.

[image error]Children of Fyre by Jane Lane Walters

In this return to the Island of Fyre, each of the heros and heroines of the three previous books have children.

Lorton is the youngest son of the Wizards of Fyre, and has bonded with the yellow dragon. The dragon through the magic of the stones has been rejuvenated and is now green. Dragon sends Lorton to travel to where the Dragons of Fyre are raised. There he meets Arkon, son of the hero and heroine of the Dragons of Fyre.

There have been four eggs laid, and two young men and two young women must be found to bond with them. On the island where the evil wizards were exiled, Cerene has grown up as little more than a slave. She can use all the fyrestones unlike her father. She learns about the kidnapping of Riara, daughter of the hero and heroine of the Temple of Fyre and vows to save her.

Can the four unite with their dragons in time to finally destroy the evil?

Where to Buy 
AMAZON  | BOOKSWELOVE

Learn more about Janet Lane Walters[image error]

 

TWITTER  

FACEBOOK

BOOKS WE LOVE 

 WEBSITE

The post Romance Author Janet Lane Walters Shares Her Writing Life appeared first on Zara West Romance.

New Romantic Suspense by C.F. Francis

Please welcome back romantic suspense author  C. F. Francis.  Since her last visit to my blog, she has added two more additions to The James Gang series. Today she is here to tell us about her newest book in the series.

Hi Zara,

Thank you for inviting back. 

Can you start by telling us about your romantic suspense series – The James Gang?

Book 2 Lovers Key came out in 2017.  It tells the story of Steve Brody and Josette Boussard.  Steve served under Colton James (hero of Book 1 Sanctuary Island*) in the Special Forces.  Josie, a freelance journalist, is in danger and turns to the only man she ever trusted for help.  Josie was/is Steve’s wife.  It’s complicated…  I’m thrilled that Lover’s Key was a finalist in a national contest along with two New York Times best-selling authors.

All the stories in The James Gang series take place in South Florida, primarily around the Southwest Florida coast.  I love living on the Gulf of Mexico and sharing the beauty of the area in these stories.  The tropical settings are so lush and steamy.  They make the perfect backdrop for mystery and romance.  My husband and I also do a bit of traveling, so occasionally another locale may make a cameo appearance.

[*Read my review of Sanctuary Island on Goodreads ]

How about the newes t book in the series – what is that about?

I’m really excited to announce that the third story in The James Gang series, Explosive Touch, is finally available.  I am so in love with the cover.  I hope you like it as well as the story of Troy McKenzie and Shayne Peterson.  The blurb below will give you a little taste.  I look forward to sharing their special story about trust, acceptance, and love with you.

I’m working on the fourth James Gang book.  The plot is still in process but it will have some twists and turns and, most importantly, an HEA.

I hope you’ll enjoy Explosive Touch and will continue down this road with The James Gang as the series grows.

Do you have any writing tips for my readers?

All my books are self-published, mostly because I’m a bit of a control freak.  I like controlling the marketing, time line, and artwork.  I don’t know how traditional authors are so skilled at writing on a deadline.  I envy their ability to focus.  I’m constantly distracted by shiny objects.  I’m working on that.  One trick I’ve learned is to set a timer and forbid myself to look or do anything fun until that period of time is up.  BUT…  I just have to remember to set the timer.

[image error]Explosive Touch by C. F. Francis

Shayne Peterson cheated death when she survived a bombing at a Tampa country club.  Still, she fights a nightly battle against the terror of being trapped in the rubble and her inability to identify the man who left the deadly package.   After a move to Sanibel Island, she finds herself surrounded by former Green Berets.  She feels safe—until it becomes obvious that she’s not.

A suicide bomber in an Afghani marketplace left Troy McKenzie, Special Forces soldier and former ladies’ man, disfigured.  He should have died that day—punishment for his arrogance and misplaced trust.  Unable to get past the memories and the boy he couldn’t save, Troy returns to Sanibel, seeking the support of his former brothers-in-arms.

Soon Shayne and Troy are battling their unexpected, and ill-timed, attraction to one another while staying one step ahead of a killer.

Buy Links
AMAZON  |  B&N  |  iBooks  |  KOBO

 

Find the links to the rest of the series here. http://www.cffrancis.com/book-shelf/

Learn more about C. F. Francis and her Romances [image error]

 

 

Website http://www.cffrancis.com 

Facebook:  http://bit.ly/cffrancisFB

BookBub:  http://bit.ly/cffrancisBBub

 

 

 

 

Do you like reading series set in the same locale?
C. F. Francis would love to hear from you.

The post New Romantic Suspense by C.F. Francis appeared first on Zara West Romance.

Seelie Kaye Writes Hot Lawyer Romance

Welcome back, Seelie Kate

Contemporary romance writer, Seelie Kaye, fills us in on how her background as a lawyer influences what she writes.

Is there an event that affected you as a writer?

Actually, there were two. The first was the day I discovered the power of the pen. My parents were teachers, so me and my siblings were taught to read and write early. When I was four, I was sent to my room for some reason or another. Apparently, I was so upset, I sat down and wrote a letter of protest in crayon. It had only three lines, but for some reason it forced my mom to apologize. After that, every time I was really upset, I wrote a note/letter to the person I thought was the offender. It became the best way for me to express my feelings. (BTW, my mother saved the note!) The second was the day that I discovered someone other than my parents thought I could write. I entered a national DAR essay contest in third grade and actually won. After that, there was no stopping me.

What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?

I began my career as a lawyer and a journalist. While I loved those jobs, when I wound up a single mom with a toddler, I was forced to find something more flexible, so I opened my own PR consultancy, of course, specializing in law firms and legal organizations. When I was diagnosed with MS, I was forced to cut back, so now do freelance writing for corporations when I’m not dealing with a book deadline. Since my books are centered around lawyers in love, obviously much of what I learned and experienced in Lawyerland sneaks into my stories!

How much research do you do for each book you write?

A lot. Reading news stories, secondary research, and chatting with “experts” helps me add depth to my stories and firm up my plots. I like to keep my stories as real as possible. Everything I write about in my Feisty Lawyers series, for example—slave trafficking, cloaking devices for planes, cult coercion—are based in reality. And while I am writing, I am constantly referring to and searching for backup information on the Internet.

What project are you working on now?

I have finished a first draft for Book 3 in my Feisty Lawyers series—Cult—and am now digging in with a tough edit. I am rather ruthless when I edit. Story flow and wrapping up all the subplots is very important to me. I think readers deserve an appropriate, though possibly surprising, conclusion.

Do you have any advice for writers?

To paraphrase an old running shoe ad, just do it. Writing is an art. It takes time and practice to develop your skills. It also takes hard work to become a successful author. Be willing to do the work.

What are some of your favorite things?

For some reason, cooking and baking soothe my soul. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me in the kitchen trying new recipes, experimenting with new ingredients, or playing with a new piece of kitchen technology. (I love the Instant Pot!) My family are willing guinea pigs, because not everything turns out well, but mostly they happily consume my creations. My love for cooking also plays into my interest in the farm to table movement. I love to grow my own food and I always try to cook with fresh ingredients. I seriously believe that most prepackaged foods are the spawn of the devil!

Seizing Hope by Seeley Kaye [image error]

When four former law school classmates get kicked off the marriage train, they band together, put on their big girl panties, and fight back!

Former Northwestern Law School classmates Dina Willoughby, Miranda Mena, Leah Fraser, and Melody Harris are living the dream. Each had fantasized about the perfect husband while in law school and happily—for a time—that dream became a reality.

Until Dina’s husband kicks her out two weeks before her prenuptial agreement kicks in, Miranda’s husband is arrested for securities fraud and flees the country with all of their money, Leah discovers that her royal husband misrepresented his feelings for her in order to get his hands on her money, and newly-pregnant Melody finally admits her artist husband is a sadistic, manipulative, jerk.

Facing the loss of their husbands and stripped of any financial support, the four women band together to fight back. Drawing on their unique legal skills and with the help of a few friends, including a hunky private investigator, a sexy law school professor, a determined cyber-security billionaire, and the Queen of England, these four women not only take what’s theirs, they build the path to a new future—one filled with hope.

Buy

 

AMAZON  |   B&N    eXtasy Books  |  KOBO |  SMASHWORDS   

 

 

Learn more about Seelie Kaye

Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink.

Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in 12 works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, and The President’s Daughter, as well as the romance anthology, Pieces of Us.

When not spinning her kinky tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

[image error] WEBSITE 

BLOG 

Twitter @SeelieKay

Facebook:  

Amazon author Page

Find out even more about Seelie Kaye in her earlier interview on my blog. 

 

 

Does your career affect what you like to read or write?
Seelie Kaye would love to hear from you. Post your thoughts and comments below.

 

 

 

The post Seelie Kaye Writes Hot Lawyer Romance appeared first on Zara West Romance.

Paula C. Scardamalia Talks About Dreams, Tarot, and Writing

~Getting Ideas~

I met fellow Wild Rose, romance author Paula C. Scardamalia at the New Jersey Writer’s Conference where I was privileged to participate in her Tarot for Writers workshop. Since then I have become a Tarot enthusiast too. Paula and I also share having been professional handweavers. My first book was also about handweaving. So let’s welcome Paula and find out about her writing life and where she gets her inspiration.

Take it away Paula…

Where do you get your ideas?

Everyone asks this question of writers. I wonder if artists and musicians get this question. The answer can be as varied as the types of stories and as the persons writing them.

The idea for my novel, In the Land of the Vultures, came from a dream. For years, as book and creativity coach, I’ve taught writers and other creatives how to remember, record and then use their dreams to inspire and guide their creative work. How could I do less?

In the dream, I was a woman of an ancient time and place similar to Egypt or Turkey, where things were dying and vultures feasted on dead horses. In the dream, I wasn’t afraid of the vultures or repelled by them. I knew they were doing necessary work. When I woke from the dream, something about it resonated strongly in me. I had to write about those vultures and that woman. She became my heroine, priestess to the goddess of Death.

If you pay attention to your dreams, you will never run out of ideas.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

Along with my dreams, the other source of ideas arises is myth and fairy tale. When I was in elementary school, my mother’s older sister gave my siblings and me The Fairy Tale Book, a beautifully illustrated, over-sized Golden Book. It contained fairy tales from around the world, and the images and stories influenced the name of my weaving business, and, along with Western myths, became part of my lexicon for storytelling. That book sits on the coffee table in my family room today, and is much treasured (and very worn).

What interesting jobs have you had? How have those jobs affected your writing?

My very first job out of college was as a visual merchandiser for the Gimbels department store in Pittsburgh. I learned two valuable things there, how to maximize display to catch a customer’s eye and encourage them to buy, and how to trust my own sense of design, my voice.

Years later, I put those lessons to work as a professional weaver on the craft show circuit as I sold my handweaving to shops across the country and abroad. Being a weaver taught me how to pay attention to my customer’s likes and needs. It also taught me how to deal with rejection, understanding that not everyone is going to like or is interested in what I create. And I learned how to deal with the competition of the marketplace.

All valuable lessons for an author.

Have you written non-fiction or children’s books? How has that influenced your fiction writing?

Even though I started writing and pitching fiction decades ago, my first published book was my self-published nonfiction book, Weaving a Woman’s Life: Spiritual Lessons from the Loom. I published it back in 2006 before all the social media and online places to market and promote your book. I won several awards for it, including Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Bronze for self-help.

And this month, my book, Tarot for the Fiction Writer, is being released from Red Feather, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing. The book shows writers how to use the tarot for improving their writing process, developing story, plot, character and settings, and for breaking through blocks.

I’ve been using tarot for my writing for years—I just used it the other day to give me insight about a new character on my current work in progress—so my fiction and how I wrote it informed the nonfiction instead of the other way around.

What project are you working on now or what book will be next?

I’m currently about a third of the way into my next novel which I hope will be the first in a series inspired by the mythology of the Muses. I’m also just fleshing out a new nonfiction book on using myths and fairy tales for writing based on articles from my newsletter and the workshops I’ve taught for the last several years.

What do you do when you are not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m often helping others write. I’m a book coach who offers story development as well as editing services. Often, coaching clients includes helping them understand the messages of their dreams, or doing tarot readings for story questions.

I receive so much joy from helping writers, especially new writers write their stories and find their voices. It’s why I teach workshops at writer events like RWA conferences and retreats, and the International Women’s Writing Guild annual weeklong conference.

I love to travel and meet new writers.

In the Land of the Vultures by Paula C. Scardamalia [image error]

“Secrets, betrayal and death… Can love be the bridge to a new life?”

Samara dreams of a man to love her and give her children. But she serves as priestess to the goddess of death. No man dares touch her, until she is rescued from the desert by a man who compels her to lie about what she is.

For Darouk, as Maker for the realm of Nehmir, death is his enemy. He’s lost too many of his family too soon, including his infant nephew. He’d rather give his care and attention to building roads and buildings that last. He won’t risk loving and losing a wife and family.

But in order to save the king, the queen, and their chance at happiness, both must honor death, then choose love.”

Buy Links

 

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  KOBO  |  GooglePlay  

 

[image error] Learn more about Paula C. Scardamalia

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

INSTAGRAM

BLOG

WEBSITE

Paula would love to hear from you.
Post your comments below.

The post Paula C. Scardamalia Talks About Dreams, Tarot, and Writing appeared first on Zara West Romance.

Organize and De-Clutter Your Writing Zone

~ Make It Beautiful! ~

Organizing is something you do before you do something, so when you do it, it is not all mixed up. ~ A.A. Milne

[image error]

 

 

 

Last month, while pondering my Big Word FOCUS, I learned that maintaining one’s focus on one’s writing is a challenge that requires you to become immersed in the creative process. While passion and motivation are high on the list for getting into that state of flow, it is helpful to be in a stress-free, distraction-free writing zone.

So, it seemed serendipitous that the Big Word I drew for February was ORGANIZE. I don’t know about you, but while I consider myself to be a fairly organized person, I can quickly build up piles of papers that need attention. I am also prone to saving magazines with writing articles I like, and to printing out helpful writing tips and to collecting research facts for the books I am writing. Then there are all my promo materials and calendars and journals. Add to that all my writing materials – pencils, pens, rulers, stapler, and other stationery supplies, and honestly, my writing zone was a mess. All that mess hovered around my writing area and distracted me before I even started to write.

Note: Although, I am just focusing on my writing environment, I am not alone in struggling with cluttered spaces. According to the blog, SimplyOrderly, the average American spends almost 12 days per year, looking for things we own but can’t find. As a writer working to deadline, I cannot afford to lose time searching for papers or waste a half-hour reading an interesting, but irrelevant to my writing, article. But even more importantly, I cannot lose time writing because I am distracted or stressed.

Organizing Reduces Stress

Apparently, cluttered spaces make people feel trapped and anxious and affect our stress levels. For example, researchers at DePaul University found that people who lived in cluttered homes showed more general dissatisfaction and frustration. A 2010 study by Saxbe and Repetti found that women who thought their homes cluttered had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva.

When I looked around at the papers littering my desk and those poking out of the file box sitting next to my desk, and then at the calendar I could see out of the corner of my eye with all those looming deadlines, I knew just how those women felt.

Every item was pulling my attention away from my creative work, scattering my thinking, and keeping me stressed.  I could feel myself thinking: “Maybe I should stop writing my novel and get that blog post done.” Or “Maybe I should check my calendar to see what is due next week.” No wonder I was having trouble focusing on my novel and finding that all important state of flow.

Setting Out to Organize and De-Clutter a Writing Zone

So to reduce my stress and make myself not only happier but also more productive, I set about creating a distraction and clutter-free zone around my computer where I write.

The idea was not to get rid of all those important papers or journals or calendars. That would be impossible and foolhardy. Instead, I kept my task limited. My goal was to make the area that I could see while writing distraction-free. So I moved my paper piles, magazines, and research notes to storage containers located on shelving behind me where I couldn’t see them while writing, but where they were near at hand for when I needed them outside my dedicated creative writing time.

Using the SORT System to Organize and De-Clutter [image error]

In order to accomplish this task, I needed a simple organizing method. There are many approaches to organizing clutter. I looked at a number of blogs and books and settled on using Darla DeMorrow’s simple and logical SORT system (Organizing Your Home With Sort and Succeed). Her very simple advice, in the long run, is the easiest to follow.

The key to her system is having you write down exactly what you plan to accomplish in the time you allot. Having a time frame and a goal keeps you from getting lost in reading an old magazine or wandering off with an item and then ending up reorganizing something else.

1. First, I Sorted my desk zone clutter.

2. Second, I Organized it using various containers and drawers.

3. Next, I Removed and Recycled items that were unnecessary (yes, there were some!).

4. Finally, I Tweaked the space so it became clean and beautiful for me to look at.

How I Organized

Here is some of what I did to give you an example. I sorted through all my excessive pens and pencils and kept only few on my desk. I moved the open file boxes to the counter behind me, and I filed my to-do materials and articles and promo items in those boxes so they were no longer lying in piles. Next, I put my journals and notebooks on shelves under my desk where I can pull them out quickly, but where they are not staring me in the face. I turned my calendar so it faces away, but is easily turned around when I need to see the date, and hung a restful picture on the back. I have to say, no longer having red-marked days staring me in the face while writing has lowered my stress level tremendously.

To make the space welcoming, I cleared away the piles of books blocking my view out the window, added a cactus garden and an ammonite fossil shell, and set out a few of my favorite rocks that I like to hold when thinking.

Now when I sit down to write every morning, all I see is the computer, my beautiful and inspiring objects, and the view through the window. I love it.

Making It Work

But it is not enough to just SORT. To succeed, you also have to maintain that space. Now that I have my stress-free writing area, I need to keep it that way. That takes resolve. So far, I have managed it. Every evening before I turn off the office lights, I make sure my writing zone is clear and ready for me in the morning. Now my goal is to keep it that way all year long.

[image error]Ready and Waiting

What do you see when you sit down to write?
How could you make it less distracting and more conducive to fostering your focus and creativity?

The post Organize and De-Clutter Your Writing Zone appeared first on Zara West Romance.

Focus on Writing: Discovering Flow

~ Becoming a Focused Writer ~

Being able to focus is always an issue for a creative writer. No one is telling you what story world to invent nor how to get yourself in the seat, start writing, and then keep at it. Somehow, you have to shut out the world around you and zero in on the words boiling up inside and aching to pour out on to the page. That takes FOCUS.

Since my big word for January was FOCUS, I spent the month, thinking about what distracts me from writing, and what methodologies I might use to improve my concentration.

[image error]

How I Write

I have been writing for many, many years. In those years, I have learned that there are some basics that I need in order to write anything. One is a comfortable chair and the computer at the right height. Otherwise, plain physical discomfort will do me in pretty quickly.

Another thing is having everything I need, or think I will need, within arm’s reach. I need my book research a click away – I use OneNote as my digital binder. I need paper and pen for jot notes. I need the little cards that I write my character’s names on and some of their favorite words.

But even with all these practical things in place, focusing on the writing to be done doesn’t always happen. I’d suddenly look at the clock and see that nothing was down on the page or what was there wasn’t what I intended to write. Not to mention, all the times I just wandered off to do something else.

Focus on Those Pesky Writing Problems

But despite these changes, the writing issues that stopped me in the first place were still there and still making me lose focus. The more I forced myself to focus on solving a writing problem, the more I became unsettled and distracted. Then off I went to do something else.

So, I started noting down those times and places I became distracted. There were three main issues that caused me to stop writing.

It was hard to get started on a new scene or chapter or blog post.
I couldn’t think of the perfect word or a way to say what I was thinking or what I was picturing or the right order in which to say it.
My writing was going in the wrong direction for my storyline.



Not Focus…Flow

But how to address these issues? I started searching for more focus tips and I discovered FLOW…

Flow and focus go together. Flow is defined by researchers as a mental state in which time, distractions, and everything around you fall away and all your creative energy is focused on the task. When you are in a state of flow, you are actually using your brain differently. The prefrontal part of the brain that controls critical thinking is deactivated and our sense of self lessens. Instead, norepinephrine and dopamine flood our bodies and time slows, impulse control decreases, and our performance becomes more fluid and creative.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book Flow (1990) characterizes this feeling as a time when you are so engrossed in an activity nothing else matters. My goodness. That sounds exactly how I feel when the writing is going great. (Also when I am doing photography or making a drawing or singing a song). So how do I make that happen all the time?

Csikszentmihalyi says that setting the stage for flow to happen requires:

A clear end goal
Immediate self-feedback that you are moving toward that goal
The task is challenging, but within your capabilities
No worry about failing
You are happy doing it.

Suddenly, my focus problem became clear. I lost focus writing when one of the above five things wasn’t happening. For example:

My end goal (or my character’s end goal) for the scene/chapter/writing piece wasn’t spelled out enough.
I had lost track of what I was writing so I wasn’t getting positive self-feedback that I was doing well.
I didn’t yet have the writing skills need to fix that storyline or paragraph or sentence.
I was on a tight schedule, or I felt my writing had to be perfect so I was afraid of failure.
What I was working on wasn’t what I wanted to be writing at that time. I had another idea or another task to do that I was drawn to more.



Putting Focus and Flow Into Practice

When I began my investigation into FOCUS at the beginning of January, I thought I would find some simple technique that would increase my ability to write more effectively and smoothly. What I learned is that it is impossible to eliminate all distractions, and that’s okay. When you are in the flow, you can ignore most of them. When you start to get distracted, re-examine what you were just working on. What can you do to solve the problem?

Here’s what I came up with.

Stuck on a start? Write a place holder sentence that simply states who, where and when at the start of a difficult scene or chapter to be revised later.
Need positive feedback? Note down what I have accomplished – word count, scenes completed, etc.
Don’t have the skill yet? Leave that spot a blank or highlighted and make a note to find a writing blog or workshop or critique partner to help me gain that skill.
Face the fact that sometimes getting in the flow just doesn’t happen. Then it is time to go do something else. But the important thing is to never give up, but to come back and dive into that writing again until it does.






I love to hear from my writer followers. 
What distracts you from writing or some other favorite creative pursuit?

The post Focus on Writing: Discovering Flow appeared first on Zara West Romance.

Marianne Rice Writes Contemporary Romance

~Writing to Escape ~

Marianne Rice, author of contemporary romance, is here today to tell us about her writing life, her life beyond writing, and to give us one very important writing tip. She also share her upcoming release Here With You. Be looking for it on Feb 28th.

Welcome Marianne…

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in southern California but have lived in Maine for the past twenty-five years. I’m a high school English teacher, a wife, a mother to three crazy-active kids (17, 15, and 12 years old), and when I have a few minutes, I spend my free time reading and writing.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Ha! It’s more like when I’m not doing “stuff” I’m writing. All three of my children are athletes and play sports year-round. Besides the day job, bringing them to/from practices and attending their games monopolizes at least six days a week. Often seven. When I can, I love attending writer meetings and conferences, visiting local wineries–because, WINE!, and I try to exercise 4-5 days a week. This compliments my weakness for all things sweet and chocolatey.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I started writing while on maternity leave and home with my newborn son and two and four year old daughters. Crazy, right!? Writing was a way for me to escape from the crazy world of being a mom of three young children and teaching high schoolers during the day. When I started writing, I had no ambitions of being published. I honestly didn’t think it was even a possibility. It wasn’t until I had three books written that I stumbled across the Maine Romance Writers and started attending writing workshops and conferences. And still another three years before I actively pursued a publisher. My first book took almost two years to write (granted, I had three little ones at home) and now I write three books a year.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I love reading small town contemporary romances so it seemed natural that I write them! All of my books take place in fictitious towns in Maine or New Hampshire.

Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?

I’ve written two of the four books in my Band of Sisters series. They’re about four women who met when they enlisted in the army; the stories take place twelve years later. Three are out of the army–for various reasons–and one is still in. Of course, they’re carrying emotional and physical baggage…and are looking (consciously and subconsciously) for love. I hope to have these books out in 2020.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Write what you love and find your tribe! I’d never be the writer I am without the support from the writer groups I’m in. They educate, inspire, and support.

[image error]HERE WITH YOU by Marianne Rice

Hiding behind her high-end fashion and even higher heels, Grace LeBlanc returns home to Crystal Cove, Maine to escape the scandal she’s created in Europe. Her relationship with her sister is rocky at best, and the last thing she wants is for her to learn about the string of stupid mistakes—-intentional and unintentional—-she has floating behind her. It doesn’t seem tomatter what decision Grace makes, it always end up being thewrong one.

Brady Marshall enjoys his simple life tending to his family’s blueberry farm and minding his own business. As the oldest son, it is his duty to keep their farm running after his father’s death. Now at thirty-six, he’s still living in his childhood bedroom in his mother’s house. It never bothered him until the LeBlancs’ wild child returns to town.

When his mother falls ill and Grace comes to their aid, Brady begins to see another side of the superficial pinup girl he’s never respected or cared for. Somewhere behind her false eyelashes and spiky heels, there’s a caring heart. If only he can get her to see her own value and worth.

As they spend more and more time together, something deeper than friendship forms between them.

But when Brady discovers the secrets she’s keeping go against everything he values, he has to decide if Grace is worth giving his heart to.

 

[image error]

[image error]

[image error] Learn more about Marianne Rice. Find her on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannericeauthor/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marianne-Rice/e/B00SICUIRM

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannericeauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut

Website: http://www.mariannerice.com

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marianne-rice

Reader Group (Ricecakes): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1255334934501071/

Do you have a tribe?
Marianne would love to hear from you.
Post your comments below.

The post Marianne Rice Writes Contemporary Romance appeared first on Zara West Romance.