Maggie Clare's Blog, page 8
August 29, 2022
Another Month With Five Mondays!
Not only is this the last Monday in August, but it’s a month with five Mondays, so you’ll find this post on both Monday Musings and Dear Maggie. It’s also the first Monday we’ve woken up without any children currently living at home. Strange and bittersweet, for sure!
Last week was a whirlwind of activity. Our first stop was SoCal, where kid #2 finally screened his senior project more than two years after graduating from film school. We got to have dinner with all four of our children and their...
August 22, 2022
When a Character Demands a Story
Dear Maggie,
Has a minor character in any of your books ever demanded a story of their own? Did you write that story?
Wondering in Woodstock
Dear Wondering,
Yes! I’d originally planned only five books for the Tactical Solutions International romantic suspense series. Before I put pen to paper, I’d identified the main cast of characters for each story, had a feel for their personalities and histories, and outlined the major ‘suspense’ arc for all of the plot lines. Then, shockingly, while in the mid...
August 8, 2022
Fun in the Sun
Dear Maggie,
Are you productive in the summertime?
Hot in Honolulu
Dear Hot,
Yes… and no. For me, summer is a busy travel and book signing season. Instead of inward leaning, my work life tends to expand outward for a while. But it’s also the season when I try to recharge my batteries. I appreciate the longer days and the sunshine. I want to feel the slower pace that comes along with the heat. But what does that mean for my productivity and writing? Well, I think about my creative life in terms of s...
July 25, 2022
Some Like It Hot!
Dear Maggie,
How do you decide when to include sexy scenes in your romance novels?
Sincerely,
Sizzling in Santa Fe
Dear Sizzling,
Romance is different from erotica. With erotica, readers expect sex, and a lot of it. With romance, they expect a relationship. In a romance novel, the emotional intensity of intimate scenes should be a focus. You can absolutely write explicit sex scenes if you’re so inclined, but it’s not necessary. The bedroom door can remain slightly ajar or wide open.
Whatever I’m wri...
July 11, 2022
Have You Lost the Plot?
Dear Maggie,
Have you ever had the plot of one of your stories turn in a direction you didn’t anticipate? How did you handle the detour?
Sincerely,
Tangled in Tacoma
Dear Tangled,
Yes, for sure! That can be a fun or stressful moment in the writing process, depending on my mindset at the time. I am a loose outliner, meaning before I begin writing the story, I’ve worked out the major plot arcs and sketched out the main and supporting cast of characters. I have an idea how the story should end, and I’v...
June 27, 2022
Books and Beer!
Dear Maggie,
Will you be doing any book signings this summer?
A Fan in Fairfield
Dear Fan,
Yes! During the summer season, my book signing and conference schedule ramps up. This year, for the first time, I’ll be bringing along the Maggie Clare collection to select events. Generally, I’m signing at Comic Cons, and the fans who stop by my table are speculative fiction readers hoping to grab signed copies of the HORIZON series. Mixing in the Maggie books likely wouldn’t be very productive. However, this...
June 13, 2022
The Countdown Begins!
Dear Maggie,
What do you do in the weeks leading up to a new release?
Sincerely,
Busy in Biloxi
Dear Busy,
There is so much to do in the weeks leading up to a new release, especially for an indie author! Once the book has been edited and formatted, and the cover art complete, it’s time to move into production and promotion mode. With my romance series, my goal is to get the book into readers hands, and garner sales and reviews.
I’ll use my social media platform to show off the beautiful cover art, gi...
May 30, 2022
The Space Between…
It’s another month with five Mondays, and that means a crossover blog post on both Monday Musings and Dear Maggie. In both my literary worlds I’m at an in-between phase with my projects. Dreamwalker is out on submission, and I’m not ready to dive in to writing the sequel or another speculative novel yet. Meanwhile, Maggie’s Moving Target is due to release on June 21st. Since I’m producing this romantic suspense series as an indie author, there’s a lot of busy work happening right now, and I don’...
May 23, 2022
Please Judge My Book by the Cover!
Dear Maggie,
Do you design your own book covers?
Sincerely,
An Artist in Astoria
Dear Artist,
I have a fantastic cover artist, Steven Meyer-Rassow, who is in charge of all my design work. It’s definitely a collaborative effort, but he does all the heavy lifting. When I knew I was writing a multi-book series, the first thing we did was ‘brand’ the look of the covers. Each one features a different couple and a different scene, but the overall style follows a particular pattern.
When we’re working on a...
May 9, 2022
Sneak Peek!
Dear Maggie,
Are you ever going to release a new book?
Sincerely,
Impatient in Immokalee
Dear Impatient,
Yes! The next book in the Tactical Solutions International series will be released on June 21st! The title is Moving Target, and it features Teagan Tate, drummer from the rock band Madison Grace and Fiona’s friend from Sing for Me, and Maria Ruiz, former Marine and TSI employee who we met in Lost and Found when she was part of Lissa’s security team. I can’t wait for you to get to know these two an...
