Alyne Hart's Blog, page 12

A Force of Nature from Kindle Scout winner author Kara Liane is LIVE!!!

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A Kindle Scout winning eBook and standalone novel. A steamy, contemporary, military, romance that will quake your world. 

TSgt Brenneth “Brent” Peters moves through life like a storm–it’s just his way. From the moment he met captivating and complicated Everly, he moved through her too. His years in the military have shaped him and led to this path of upheaval and turmoil in love and life. What he and Ev share, though, is an unstoppable force. But can he hold onto her, or will he lose her along the way? Find out what happens when the storm rolls in.

For to love is to consume–it’s just the nature of it.

*This story is intended for readers over the age of eighteen due to mature content (e.g.,  profanity, explicit sexual scenes, PTSD).

Grab your copy today! >HERE<

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My review:

Perfect title for this book. It’s a love story between Brent and Everly – Everly is a seriously feisty, saucy and outspoken woman who works as a journalist and Brent is a sweetheart hunk of a man and an Airman based on the author’s own husband, which I think is just about the sweetest tribute ever.

Both Brent AND Everly are forces of nature. They are outspoken and independent people. Neither of them is at all thinking of love, but once they meet – neither of them can get the other out of their minds and dreams. They are both likeable characters, and I found myself rooting for them both. he wasn’t an alpha-hole and she wasn’t a wimp. They complimented each other well, had great banter and tons of chemistry.

I wouldn’t really call it an enemies to lovers romance, but they definitely had a comical run-in, literally, with each other that gave them both a small taste of these “force of nature” personalities! This comical mishap is in true Ms. Liane form, she has a witty voice, and I love seeing it shine through her books.

The story itself is well thought out, well written and has tons of delicious lust, angst, love and toe-curling sex and of course, humor.

Besides all the lovey-dovey stuff and sex, I think my favorite thing about this novel is how Ms. Liane handled Brent’s PTSD. It wasn’t to add drama, it wasn’t to write off bad behavior or for shock value. It was an honest portrayal of the issue. I also really enjoyed getting some peeks at how characters from her first novel were doing

99 Penny Book Sale

 

There is a Kindle Countdown Deal on both The Island and Rocking Autumn! Grab them for just 99 pennies each before the prices jump back up!

The Island:

I went to the Island to find some peace and escape the problems I left behind me. But fate had other ideas and threw a complication or two right in my path. Complication one? Michael. Complication two? Gabe.

The other problem? They’re best friends and they’re in love with me too.

Can the three of us really love each other? Or is it the air of the Island messing with our hearts and minds?

WARNING. This is a MFM romance. While this book focuses heavily on the emotions and relationship(s) there is plenty of steam! If this is your cup of tea, you should know there is no MM action. It’s all about Amie, and her love of these two hot, loveable, sexy men. No cliffhangers, no cheating and a heartwarming HEA.

Amazon Kindle : http://amzn.to/2v0Vd6r

Rocking Autumn:

Jaxon West is nothing but trouble. He’s got a sexy smile, bright blue eyes and perfectly tousled jet-black hair that set the guitar strapped across his chest off perfectly.

You know what else? He’s broken my heart once already.

We were “that” couple in high school. We were supposed to be together forever – until something drove us apart and he left without even saying goodbye.

I moved on while he pursued his dreams of becoming a rock star.

Now he’s back after ten years away, determined to win me back. Something I plan to make difficult for him. When he finally does – can we survive the long distance? The tours and missed phone calls? Can we survive the secret he’s keeping from me? Does our second chance beat the odds and give us a happily ever after?

Author Note: This book contains mature subject content including: steamy sex, frequent use of F-bombs and alcohol use. Although it is part of a series, there is no cliffhanger. Please also note, this is a long distance relationship where the couple is together, but separate half of the time.

Amazon → US https://goo.gl/nNxvzK


Amazon → UK https://goo.gl/iC8hGK


Amazon → CAN https://goo.gl/7pSZrE


Amazon → DE https://goo.gl/AxgSAR


Amazona → FR https://goo.gl/ct7FzN


Amazon → AU https://goo.gl/tDJA8T


Happy Reading!
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Just 99 pennies

Hello readers!

There is a Kindle Countdown Sale on both Rocking Autumn
And The Island: a MFM romance !!! They are both on sale for just 99 pennies for a couple of days only. The prices jump soon, so grab them while you can.

Sitting Down With T.A. Moorman

I met T.A. Moorman at a takeover event for a fellow author friend’s release party. I was immediately taken with her books and teaser images – and it’s highly probable that I stalked her until she sent me a Facebook friend request. Not only does she write incredible books, and make insanely awesome jewelry – but she has an equally fantastic sense of humor. This interview was incredibly fun for me. [image error]

About the Author:

When you become a Mom, you begin to put yourself last, and your combat boots begin to collect dust. Going to your child’s PTA meetings in full Gothic, especially industrial, regalia is pretty much frowned upon. Especially by your own children, and your teens would die of a heart attack. But, one should not have to completely stop being themselves, uniqueness is greatness. So all of that darkness is put into words in her books, and designs in her jewelry sold in her GothicMoms DarkCharms shop.

Mother of five beautiful children, but by far more than just that. T. A. Moorman is an artist, a violinist, a seamstress, a crafter, a writer, a blogger, a reviewer, a dark confidant and a darkly dangerous, fiercely protective friend. And currently broke, so go buy something of hers. Lol.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

To become a known and loved top selling author. Mainly to become

lucrative enough to support all five of my spawns, since right now I’m

barely a step away from being homeless. Lol.



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

I’ve always written, it just took my first time doing NaNoWriMo to

actually finish my first novel. I’ve always been better at expressing

my feelings on paper than verbally.

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Do you have any interesting writing quirks?

Must have background noise, but can’t listen to music. With music, I

get way too caught up in it, and my own words become lost.

Which writers inspire(d) you?

The late L. A. Banks. She was the first woman of color that I read

that wrote paranormal. It was like, wow, she both writes about black

vampires and angels and looks like me. I want to be that person for

someone else one day.



What have you written and where can we buy or see them?

Witch Wars, Wait You Did What, Santa’s Curse, Resignation Letter, and

A Paranormal Easter coming 3/20; My books are on all of the major and

a few smaller outlets. Prints can be purchased online at B&N or

Amazon.

What are you working on at the minute? The final edits for the second

book in the Underlayes series.

Writer Wednesdays: Chemistry vs Attraction

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What better way to celebrate Valentines Day than to talk about creating chemistry between characters?

As a romance writer, my job at the end of the day is to create a love affair that leaves my readers without a shadow of a doubt that the two people I’ve written should be together. No matter how different they are, no matter what path they took to get there or how much growth it took – they belong together.

Love affairs do not spark from physical attraction alone. (That means all those flooded panties and hidden erections do not a love affair make) Think about it. There are A LOT of attractive people in this world. Do you fall in love with every person you find attractive? Physical attraction may lead to sexual desire based on that attraction – sure.

But chemistry is the magic sauce. It’s that inexplicable draw that two people have to each other. It’s an intimacy that goes well beyond the physical and the sexual – and it’s often times confusing in the beginning.

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where in the end – the couple fell flat? You had no buy-in that they belonged together at all or that they’d last past the manufactured happily ever after? Maybe all they did was have sex and the relationship was never built. Maybe there weren’t enough deep conversations to build on the characters and their relationship(s). Maybe there was no growth or change.

Most likely – there was no tension. That chemistry special sauce. There was no flipping of pages or waiting to get up and get a snack because you just had to know what was going to happen next. Would they end up together? Would they overcome all the obstacles in their way?

So how do you cook up that chemistry?

First, you should figure out what your characters want (even if they don’t know it yet) in the end. Plot out your characters interactions and plot out the tension in each scene. Tension makes readers want to know what happens next – this is especially effective when you create mini-cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.

When you plot out the tension – don’t get it confused with conflict. You don’t want them constantly fighting. Playful fight/flirting – tension. Actual fighting – conflict. Both equally important, but also important to know the distinction. If your characters are constantly fighting, why would we want them to end up together in the end?

(In romance, fight flirting is wildly popular and done right, adds so much romantic tension. Fight flirting is all about who gets the upper hand in an interaction. It’s fun. It’s a verbal sparring that feels like foreplay.)

What does romantic chemistry look like?

They can let their guard down (eventually) with each other. They may smile more when the other person is around. Feel relaxed, happy and warm.
They want to be near each other whether that is a conscious or subconscious act. They lean in closer when the other is talking. Maybe a hand reaches out to touch a forearm – and that electric connection between them ignites. They stand close to each other – and maybe even invade that personal space bubble because the draw is so strong.
Arousal. Shortness of breath. Pounding heart. Mouth running dry for a moment. Pretty sure this one needs no explaining.
EYE CONTACT. Eye contact is magic. It’s that smoldering thing that Edward was always doing to Bella. It’s that thing that connects two characters – when they look into each other’s eyes and see deep into each other. Maybe they don’t need words after they stare into each other’s eyes. Sounds cheesy – but it’s true. Early in the relationship, the eye contact may be so intense with things unsaid that one of them has to look away. Later in the relationship – it’s that silent communicator of emotions.
Physical awareness of the other persons nearness. Not just flooded panties and unexpected erections.
Being happy when they are around. Being with them makes the other character feel good. Laughing more. Smiling more.
Compromise. They take the other persons feelings (again – if you are creating tension this may be subconscious or they won’t admit it to themselves) they WANT to grow. They WANT to change.
Lastly – they have empathy for each other. One hurts, the other hurts. One grieves, so does the other. They have a shared joy.

Have fun with your words and your characters. Writing scenes that drive your characters to fall in love and not just into bed is the difference between an erotic romp and an epic romance that leaves your readers feeling satisfied!

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The Space Between Us Excerpt: The First Kiss

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The ride home he was just as quiet as the ride there. His electric blue eyes focused straight ahead, almost unblinking. We rode like that all the way back to the orchards, where he pulled in to one of the alcoves just off the road and put the truck in park before turning off the headlights.

“I had fun, Emma,” Dean turned toward me, and his eyes nearly scorched me on contact.

I smiled a little and gulped back the rapid pounding of my heart that seemed to be lodged in my throat at the moment. “So did I,” I managed to choke out.

Time stopped.

There was a conscious second when we looked at each other through the rain filtered white glow of moonlight coming in through the windshield. I swear we knew what the other was thinking and feeling, even if it was just for a fleeting second. In the dark cab of the truck lit only by moonlight, I could see his pupils dilate, and I knew he heard the way my breath stopped and caught in my chest. My lips parted in anticipation, and I knew there was no turning back. Not now and maybe not ever.

This was dangerous.

“Tell me you feel this,” he murmured darkly. “Tell me you want this.”

I couldn’t speak, so I nodded.

Dean’s eyes went from hard to soft in a flash, and the blood in my veins boiled hot beneath my skin, warming every inch of my body with a delicious tingle. His muscles contracted to propel him forward even before he touched me and when he closed the space between us and dove his hands into my hair, it was like we were the only two things on earth living, moving and breathing.

His lips were perfect. Soft and warm. They moved delicately at first, almost tentatively like I might stop him at any minute. My hand slid up to the nape of his neck, and I clung to his hair in a tight grip, like he was gravity and I might float away if I let go.

Dean’s kisses grew more urgent. Possessive. His tongue slid between my lips and danced against mine, his tongue played with me, stoking the fire deep in my belly. When his lips moved down, exploring the length of my throat and I moaned, a low growl rumbled from his throat.

I’d never been kissed like this. Ever. It was obvious Dean knew what he was doing, and I just hoped I was half as good of a kisser as he was. Everything in my body was on fire for him. My nipples pushed against the thin cotton of my t-shirt and warm wetness pooled between my thighs. I ached to be touched by him.

Everywhere.

“I need to catch my breath,” I pulled back slightly, laughing as I pushed against his chest with my palm.

Dean threaded his fingers through his hair, flashing me that wicked grin of his. “I think I like you breathless, Princess.”

“So, kiss me again?” I whispered back. Dean grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to sit facing him on his lap, attacking me with hard kisses, stoking that same fire that raged deep in my belly for him.

I have no idea how long we sat there kissing like that. I was oblivious to anything other than him and how his hips lifted against me, the quiet patter of rain against the glass and how my back felt pressed against the steering wheel.

When his lips found my throat again, a shimmer of pure pleasure tingled down my spine. Then one of his hands inched down to my breast. If I didn’t stop now, I wasn’t sure if I could. This felt too good.

“Dean,” I whispered into his hair. “We have to stop.”

“Mmmm,” he groaned and nuzzled himself into my ear, nibbling at the tender lobe.

“Dean, I can’t do this.” I cupped his hand in mine and guided it away from the nipple he was rubbing between his fingers.

“Okay,” his eyes flashed in the dark. “What’s wrong?”

Pulling my torso away from his, I wrapped my arms around my waist in a self-protective move. “I’m uh—I’m a virgin, Dean. I’m not sure I’m ready for this. It feels good. I just—”

There was a strange look that crossed his face. One I didn’t recognize at all, and he sat silent. Staring at me. “A virgin,” he gruffed.

Immediately I felt ashamed. Like maybe I’d led him on or something. That’s how most the guys I’d been out with or kissed reacted anyway. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to, I dunno, be a tease. If you don’t want to see me again, I totally understand.”

“You think I wouldn’t want to see you again because I can’t have sex with you tonight?” his brows pulled together creating a thick, savage line where they met, and the muscle of his jaw ticked rapidly.

“Yeah,” I muttered, staring down at my arms that were crossed together tightly.

Dean unfolded my arms and then gripped my chin lightly, lifting it up. When I let my eyes land on his, that thing happened again. The one where I saw inside of him. The one where we saw each other.

It took my breath away.

“Emma,” he tucked my hair behind my ear and stroked my cheek tenderly. “It’s gonna take a hell of a lot more than that to keep me away from you.”

Grab Your Copy Today → books2read.com/SpaceBetween

Featured Author: Robert B.L. – ARC copy giveaways

[image error]Bio:  I was born into the lower working class in Sweden, and raised by a single mother due to the death of my father. I’m no stranger to hardship and struggle. From hardship grows compassion, determination and the motivation to strive for something better. That’s a gift in my eyes. Writing is something I want to make my profession. I’m not only filled with stories, also the drive to finish them. I come from a family with no history of writing, nor any connections, and I hope someday someone will see the potential in me.

Why do I write? I write because my whole life I have felt like the dum athletic kid. I had trouble with multiple subjects in school and I never felt smart. Then, later on, I was determined to do something that people saw as intelligent. Writing has always been an interest already embedded in my DNA, but the spark lit the fire when I was told that I never read books. I read a few, but it never became an interest. So instead I began writing my own books and read them instead to flare my own interest in reading while writing.

My ambitions for my writing career?

My ambitions are to finish the Kelly Titan series. I want to create characters and a story that feels familiar, but secretly breaks the typical mold. That will make it easier for people to adapt and take it in. The next moment, the most old-fashioned people will nod in positivity while they figure out that their favorite character was gay. That’s what I want to achieve, to establish relationship with the characters, in that way, I can make people respect all kinds of people and natures.

Do I work from an outline? No, and yes. Often I come with a skeleton, the base story and a few big milestones. But in between I almost always want the story and characters to unfold for me to, I want it to surprise me too. Many times I write a scene, then make the total opposite just to inspire myself to think outside the box and create the unexpected. I want to explore my own world almost like a fog of war, revealing new thing and surprising myself.

Advice to inspiring authors. I would say that the most important thing that is crucial is to have the intelligence to take criticisms and learn from it. It’s the only way to evolve and move forward. Take what you need and grow. When you’ve learned to absorb and filtrate feedback and criticism, you will advance yourself many years. Don’t feel like you are your own book, detach yourself from your book, and it will make it easier to inhale the feedback, and exhale self-success.

Where do my ideas come from.  My ideas mainly come from watching series and learning how good movies or television shows build their characters and stories. It feels like I’ve watched a billion movies and series, so there’s no lack of imagination.

Do I get writer’s block and how do I combat it? If you don’t get writer’s block, there’s something wrong with you. Just kidding.  Though, I think almost every writer has encountered a writer’s block. I get it sometimes, when I do, I let myself take a few days off and just watch movies or play video games to relax my brain and let go of all the stress. That usually does it. Let go of your book and do something else.

Hardest thing about writing? The hardest thing about writing is to actually write, but also the easiest. It’s like knowing that you’ll have to walk 40 miles. It’s a long journey but it will also be a fun one.

Which writers inspire me? I would say that the writers that inspire me are all the famous authors that have gone through hell to get where they are. Writers that no one believed in, that everyone rejected and were hated by critics. Those are the writers I love.

Which famous person, living or dead would I want to meet? I would want to meet my dad that died when I was 19. He was a famous person for the reason that I knew he loved me and believed in me. That is enough for a person to be famous in my eyes.

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The Kelly Titan series is the beginning of science fiction universe with a supervillain subgenre to the story, where the reader will experience something that’s not the typical comic book tale. This series will explore the darker path of a more gritty origin series where the main character will slowly become the villain of the story. The perspective will change, and the reader will then read from the point of view of the antagonist.

It stars a boyish girl named Kelly Titan. She’s an advanced computer scientist with the brains over brawn to her advantage. She was taken as a child to work on an AI project she never knew the real purpose for. It’s a grounded story where everything is seen and learned from Kelly’s perspective. Characters are flawed and the story bends the typical genre with unexpected turns. The reader will explore the mysteries of this new desert planet that people call home. Kelly will be the one who has to face her own creation. A machine god that will control the entire infrastructure of planet Quill. Kelly was born to become a trojan horse, to build a system for the enemies she could later shut down when the time was right. But she was also raised by the same enemies she builds the machine for.

The story will explore why Kelly becomes the antagonist, and how the world will react to her AI creation. People will say that she created a god, a machine god. The ramifications of this AI will be explored in depth, as well as the relationship between the AI and kelly, and how Kelly’s love for the AI will eventually make her the villain.

Kelly Titan is available on Amazon, and FREE in KU!  books2read.com/u/31M7Ea

Kelly Has ARC copies to give away. Just leave me a request with your email and I will get that information to him. If you request an ARC – PLEASE leave him a review.

 

Featured Author Friday – Derek Borne (and a chance to win being a character in his UA universe!)

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Today I am sitting down with Derek Borne! I met Derek at Foster an Author, an annual event taking place on social media. He and I began chatting back and forth about our books and oddly enough – food – we’ve been friends ever since. Derek is an interesting and friendly guy, this interview was tons of fun.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I’m a Canadian indie author (wearing my tuque right now, eh). My wife and I have a bearded dragon named Ziggy for a pet, who loves to shoot me glares as if I’m an idiot or did something wrong. As for true backgrounds, I’m a bit of a mutt with predominant European genetics, which allows me to have a taste for many foods. Especially pizza. *runs off and orders some*

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

When I was little, I used to tell stories into tape recorders (dating myself here). My imagination had no bounds. As I got older, I loved to sit down and let the stories flow onto paper. From there, things just more and more interesting. At least, I think so.

Do you have any interesting writing quirks?

Pretty sure I make the faces I’m trying to describe when I write them. Maybe that’s why I get so many looks from my bearded dragon…

Which writers inspire you?

As I got older, I got into Michael Crichton’s work. Man that guy could write science thrillers. A lot of what he wrote made me want to one day get to his level.

What have you written and where can we buy or see them?

So far, my superhero/spy debut novel The Ultimate Agent is on Amazon Kindle and Paperback. Universal Buy Link: http://mybook.to/UADB

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Give us an insight into your favorite main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Don’t make me choose. Seriously. I love all of them for different reasons. I guess if I HAD to choose, it’d be Devon (I’m sure I’ll get some ribbing from the others later). The thing with him is, sure he’s got superpowers. But that’s not what makes him the hero. He’s got some demons from his past, as everyone does. But his ability to live with them or push them to the side in order to save the world, that’s a journey I love telling. And I hope that his example can inspire others.

What are you working on at the minute?

Lately, I’ve been working on rewriting my sequel in the UA series. It’s been a fun time adding the real guts to the story, as I’d written it when I was 15. So now at my nearly 30-year-old eyes, my writing ability has changed so much. (At least I hope so!)

What genre are your books and what draws you to that genre?

My books are of the superhero and spy variety. I’m a huge nerd, mostly Marvel (Sorry, DC). Writing about heroes and what makes a true hero has always been a big interest of mine.

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Why do you write?

Mainly I love to write for the fun of it. Creating worlds, characters, twists, it’s something that’s good for the brain. 15-30 minutes a day of writing and being creative even relieves stress. And if someone loves the stories you tell, then that makes it all the more worthwhile.

Do you work from an outline or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?

A general idea of where things will go is always in my mind. From there, I let my imagination do the rest. Why plan twists when you could surprise even yourself?

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

My novels aren’t just centered around one main character. There are many characters on their own little journey. But once those characters come together as a team, it can be challenging working out the dialogue and choreography. But it’s also fun when you get the hang of it.

When you aren’t writing, what are you doing?

I’m usually watching hockey, singing and playing my guitar, watching the latest superhero movie and spending time with my lovely wife.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

My advice is: If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to ask someone who’s done it. The indie author community is all about helping each other out. You may be on your own path, but don’t be afraid to make friends along the way. And when writing, make sure you’re always hydrated. And the best writing fuel is pizza.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

There’s a review competition on my author page right now! You could win the chance to be a character in the UA universe, and an early ARC of UA2! http://bit.ly/2DNSF3d

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About The Ultimate Agent:

Book Blurb

WARNING: THIS MISSIVE CONTAINS CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Your Mission:

Undertake an adventure of epic, global, and dire proportions.

Agent #524 – Devon Bertrand

Once a normal civilian, Agent Bertrand has been recruited by the Ultimate Agency—a secret organization of the world’s best spies. Now, after undergoing genetic upgrades, he has become a superhuman agent dedicated to fighting against all threats against the nation he now calls home.

Agent #146 – Brett Gallagher

A brilliant scientist, Dr. Gallagher invents and utilizes technologically advanced gadgets and weapons to fight against national security threats like a modern day superhero.

The Target – Maximus Romanov

Employed by a mysterious Russian terrorist group, Romanov is a superhuman operative wreaking havoc in the United States.

Mission Data – Confidential

Join Agent Devon Bertrand and Agent Brett Gallagher on a mission to stop Romanov from destroying the United States. As Bertrand and Gallagher work to discover why Maximus harbors a deep hatred toward America, they uncover a conspiracy brewing against the Ultimate Agency, and one man will make the ultimate sacrifice.

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Keep up with Derek on Social Media!

Social Media Links:

Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/2uz6cHl

GoodReads Page: http://bit.ly/2xsozxt

FB Page: http://bit.ly/2xzAmL6

FB Fan Club – The Ultimate Agency: http://bit.ly/2xjfgkp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dbultimagent

IG: https://www.instagram.com/theultimateagent.novel

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bPCUbH

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Writers Monday: The Art of Junk Writing

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I’m often pressed for time writing-wise. I work full time outside of the home, and I’m a single parent of two. People ask me how I do it – the answer is, I have a schedule and I stick to it.

Writing time for me is between the hours of 7 pm and 9 pm on work nights and as much as I can on days off – sometimes if my mind is really spinning, I’ll write instead of brushing my hair for work (hello messy bun).

But so many of those work weeknights my mind is tired. I have the ideas, but I’m too exhausted for coming up with clever similes and metaphors. The words that come out onto my paper aren’t crisp, and they read juvenile. And I know I’m not alone here.

I hold myself accountable for writing a minimum of 1600 words a day. Which means, I’ve learned to embrace the junk writing. I have the base idea for a scene, or a conversation – I know it’s a good idea, but it all comes out like jumbled crap. WRITE THE JUMBLED CRAP.  Get the idea out of your head( see the picture above) It’s a first draft, a rough copy – whatever you want to call it. First drafts are never perfect. They are meant to be amended and edited.

The above picture is “junk writing”. I had just finished my final round of edits on The Space Between Us – but I had these scenes swirling around in my head. My brain was TIRED from the previous book – but this meet cute and intro scene were just too good. I would never publish that in a book, I would never send that to a beta reader – but the base idea for the scene was there, the core of it is something to go back and work with.

Here is the same text, after round one:

A woman can drive a sane man to do crazy things in the same way hunger, greed and lust can. A woman like this could cause me to go insane.

I could fire her. I should fire her. What I really should do is call Sean, the staff manager, and let him deal with her.

But one look inside those big green doe-shaped eyes, and I crumbled into specks of dust. And just one word falling from her bow-shaped lips, smooth and sweet like honey, tempted my ears in the hopes for more. I wondered what she sounded like when she was having sex. Did she moan? Whimper? Scream?

Christ, I needed to get laid. I blanked my face to hide any devious thought or emotion from showing.

Outside my office, the kitchen was picking up in speed. The closer it gets to dinner time, the wilder it gets back here. It’s a carefully calculated orchestra of skill and chaos. A faint perfume of butter and sautéed garlic wafted through the door, and my mouth watered much like it did when I saw her wandering around the market.

It’s my driving force in life. Food that is.

Again, still not perfect, but better. Round two, round three – you get the idea. It gets cleaner, tightens up and flows.

Next time you’re stuck, I challenge you to try it. Don’t worry about the words and flow. Don’t worry about dialogue tags and actions. Get your ideas out of your head and move on. Yes, you’ll be embarrassed if someone were to read over your shoulder. Yes, you’ll read it and think “this is a flaming pile of shit” – and it is – but you can fix it later. I’ve written entire chapters this way, thinking to myself – this is such crap, I’m going to have to delete this and start over – some of them wound up being my favorite chapters/scenes in my book.

Next week I’ll talk about my other trick I use for when I get stuck. I call it, the what if game.

So go on now. Write some junk and turn it into something glorious.

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The Space Between Us is LIVE early and only 99 pennies!