Kristen Ashley's Blog - Posts Tagged "colt"
Reader Interview of Moi Part 3
Here we go again. This is part three of four of my interview with my darling Searock of Goodreads. Now remember, read at your own risk considering we're discussing my books so there may be spoilers contained. And Searock's questions are bulleted, my answers italicized.
Away we go...
• How do you decide on your next book or series? For example, how did you decide on an upcoming series about the Chaos MC?
I couldn’t say good-bye. I struggled with finishing Motorcycle Man because I didn’t want to say good-bye. And I love Tabby. Then I introduced Shy and thought, “Hmm…” The stuff went down with Hop and I thought, “Hmm, hmm…” There is a rich tapestry here I haven’t even begun to sew. So I decided, SPIN-OFF!
As for other series, they just come to me. Rock Chick I knew would be just as it was, a sequence of stories interlacing this crew of friends. The goal was not to lose the heroes and heroines of the previous books. As a romance reader, if I liked a book and especially the characters, I was forlorn when the story ended. I missed them. I wanted to know more. I wanted to see their lives play out. With Rock Chick I wanted to give my readers the future of previous relationships in ongoing books. Weddings, babies, etc. It didn’t end. It would keep going. Not forever but you wouldn’t have to say good-bye after one book.
• Do you already know who will have books in that series? Will it be about other biker bad-asses coming up in the ranks of Chaos or will it be dudes that we already met like maybe Roscoe? I think you said Dog may be a future hero.
I have no idea. I knew with the Dream Man Series that the men in Gwen’s book would all have their own books so I knew it would be a four book series. With Chaos, I have no clue. I know Shy and Tabby will be first. Hop will likely have his story told. After that, no idea. Though, I’ll likely know more once I dig into Shy and Tabby. I will say, with Hop having his story told, it will probably be a back and forth… men we know, men who have been recruited into the Club since. Though, I can’t even say that for certain!
• Do you have to chart connections and timelines for your books?
Um… prior? No. Not prior? No. HA! Actually, right now I’m rereading a number of my books and doing some organization, character mapping, etc. They’re just notes on pieces of paper and in notebooks. But I normally just write and don’t spend a lot of time fiddling with stuff. I’ll take notes while I write so I close loops, finalize storylines, get the timeline right, but nothing terribly organized. It jacks with my obsessive writing to have to stop and write notes… so most of the time, I don’t.
• Do you have to plot out your books or series?
Nope. They just come to me and I go with the flow.
• Your writing gift seems nearly effortless. Is it possible that you simply sit down and write your story in full and then merely edit for grammar and clarity? That would be astounding! Do you edit much of the content while you are writing or when you are done? Do you ever second guess yourself or re-write scenes?
What I do is, I write down the action/dialogue as it happens in my head. This usually is rather manic because I don’t want to forget anything. You’d probably be surprised at how incredibly rough this first go is. Then, once I get the action/dialogue down, I’ll go back and add/delete things. Like I’ll type in a “she whispered” or edit a run-on sentence or take out an “he told her” or add more description. I’ll read it, reread it, reread it again and I won’t leave a scene/chapter until I’m completely happy with the flow. Then I’ll move on. The next day, I go back at least one but sometimes two to four chapters and read all the way through before I start again. This could also incur some minor editing.
I don’t tend to second guess myself and I very rarely rewrite a scene. The only time I gave up on something was Tack’s first book.
• You may have noticed a lot of us in the addict group on GR have our own playlists for your books. Do you have specific music that you listen to before, during or after you write?
If a song is in a scene, I will listen to it while I’m writing the scene and I’ll do it repeatedly as I’m writing the scene then going over it to tweak as it takes some time. For instance, in Fantastical, the song “Crash Into You” is pivotal in a scene and I must have listened to that song a dozen times while writing that scene. I’ll also stop, close my eyes and listen to a song over and over again before starting a scene or going back to it. This same thing happened with K’s Choice, “I’m Not An Addict” as used in Games of the Heart.
Other than that, I don’t listen to music before, during or after I write in order to write. I have no distractions at all when I write. However, when I’m not working, I listen to music all the time. THEN I’ll often get inspired to write.
• I know you have listed songs and playlists previously, but do you normally have a playlist that goes with different scenes in your stories?
Songs in my scenes come naturally to the scene. For instance, in For You, Feb put on Fleetwood Mac after Amy’s funeral and I just happened to be listening to Fleetwood Mac later because of that scene and the words to “Landslide” washed over me. I’d heard that song time and time again and never really listened to the words so it was like, divine intervention or something that I chose Fleetwood Mac for Feb and then “Landslide” hit me as perfect for her and Colt. Therefore, it came naturally into a later scene.
Or I’ll be listening to my iPod and a song will hit me and it’ll fit a story I’m writing.
The only time I researched music and carefully selected it was for Stella in Rock Chick Reckoning.
• My GR friend, Rain, wants to know if you could pick a song for the moment when Tack can't feel Tyra's pulse, what song would it be?
(she says she has a reason for asking).
God, I have no idea. But the very first thing that came to mind is Kate Bush’s song “This Woman’s Work”. An unbelievably gutting song. Pure beauty. Pure pain. I’ve just snatched up my iPod and am listening to it right now. My take on that song is that the woman in the song is dying during childbirth and these are the thoughts of her man or the words her man is saying to her. I know, Kate Bush doesn’t seem like something Kane Allen would slip in the CD player. But I can see the lyrics turning around to be from Tack to Tyra in their situation.
This Woman’s Work:
Pray God you can cope…
I stand outside this woman’s work, this woman’s world.
Oo, it’s hard on the man. Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I should be crying but I just can’t let it show. I should be hoping but I can’t stop thinking.
Of all the things we should’ve said that we never said. Of all the things we should’ve done but we never did.
All the things I should’ve given but I didn’t.
Oh darling, make it go.
Make it go away.
Give me these moments back.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your hand (effing hell, so Tack)
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I should be crying but I just can’t let it show. I should be hoping but I can’t stop thinking.
Of all the things we should’ve said that we never said. Of all the things we should’ve done but we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All those things that you wanted for me.
All the things I should’ve given but I didn’t.
Oh darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.
Uh, yeah. I think that works.
• Speaking of music, that is your favorite Carpenters song? I heard you are a fan. Mine happens to be “I Won’t Last a Day Without You” because it was the first “grown up” song I ever learned. I have a vivid memory of learning it while tee-tottering with my best friend’s older sister at the park. I think I was in first grade.
Um… weirdly enough, my favorite Carpenters song is “The Christmas Waltz” from one of their Christmas Albums. Karen’s clear, beautiful voice starting the “Frosted windowpanes…” Gives me the chills! I do dig The Carpenters but their Christmas albums are the… freaking… best. That’s my favorite Christmas song of all time too.
• Do you have any have any writing rituals or superstitions or obsessions? Do you find yourself eating certain foods while you write (I feel strange even wanting to know that as it seems rather personal) or do you have things you do for inspiration when you are writing?
Nope… nope… and nope. I have to have complete quiet and focus. That’s it. I don’t eat certain foods or have any obsessions. I breathe, I write and whatever goes… goes.
Okey doke... that's it for now. One more part to go. Stay tuned!
Away we go...
• How do you decide on your next book or series? For example, how did you decide on an upcoming series about the Chaos MC?
I couldn’t say good-bye. I struggled with finishing Motorcycle Man because I didn’t want to say good-bye. And I love Tabby. Then I introduced Shy and thought, “Hmm…” The stuff went down with Hop and I thought, “Hmm, hmm…” There is a rich tapestry here I haven’t even begun to sew. So I decided, SPIN-OFF!
As for other series, they just come to me. Rock Chick I knew would be just as it was, a sequence of stories interlacing this crew of friends. The goal was not to lose the heroes and heroines of the previous books. As a romance reader, if I liked a book and especially the characters, I was forlorn when the story ended. I missed them. I wanted to know more. I wanted to see their lives play out. With Rock Chick I wanted to give my readers the future of previous relationships in ongoing books. Weddings, babies, etc. It didn’t end. It would keep going. Not forever but you wouldn’t have to say good-bye after one book.
• Do you already know who will have books in that series? Will it be about other biker bad-asses coming up in the ranks of Chaos or will it be dudes that we already met like maybe Roscoe? I think you said Dog may be a future hero.
I have no idea. I knew with the Dream Man Series that the men in Gwen’s book would all have their own books so I knew it would be a four book series. With Chaos, I have no clue. I know Shy and Tabby will be first. Hop will likely have his story told. After that, no idea. Though, I’ll likely know more once I dig into Shy and Tabby. I will say, with Hop having his story told, it will probably be a back and forth… men we know, men who have been recruited into the Club since. Though, I can’t even say that for certain!
• Do you have to chart connections and timelines for your books?
Um… prior? No. Not prior? No. HA! Actually, right now I’m rereading a number of my books and doing some organization, character mapping, etc. They’re just notes on pieces of paper and in notebooks. But I normally just write and don’t spend a lot of time fiddling with stuff. I’ll take notes while I write so I close loops, finalize storylines, get the timeline right, but nothing terribly organized. It jacks with my obsessive writing to have to stop and write notes… so most of the time, I don’t.
• Do you have to plot out your books or series?
Nope. They just come to me and I go with the flow.
• Your writing gift seems nearly effortless. Is it possible that you simply sit down and write your story in full and then merely edit for grammar and clarity? That would be astounding! Do you edit much of the content while you are writing or when you are done? Do you ever second guess yourself or re-write scenes?
What I do is, I write down the action/dialogue as it happens in my head. This usually is rather manic because I don’t want to forget anything. You’d probably be surprised at how incredibly rough this first go is. Then, once I get the action/dialogue down, I’ll go back and add/delete things. Like I’ll type in a “she whispered” or edit a run-on sentence or take out an “he told her” or add more description. I’ll read it, reread it, reread it again and I won’t leave a scene/chapter until I’m completely happy with the flow. Then I’ll move on. The next day, I go back at least one but sometimes two to four chapters and read all the way through before I start again. This could also incur some minor editing.
I don’t tend to second guess myself and I very rarely rewrite a scene. The only time I gave up on something was Tack’s first book.
• You may have noticed a lot of us in the addict group on GR have our own playlists for your books. Do you have specific music that you listen to before, during or after you write?
If a song is in a scene, I will listen to it while I’m writing the scene and I’ll do it repeatedly as I’m writing the scene then going over it to tweak as it takes some time. For instance, in Fantastical, the song “Crash Into You” is pivotal in a scene and I must have listened to that song a dozen times while writing that scene. I’ll also stop, close my eyes and listen to a song over and over again before starting a scene or going back to it. This same thing happened with K’s Choice, “I’m Not An Addict” as used in Games of the Heart.
Other than that, I don’t listen to music before, during or after I write in order to write. I have no distractions at all when I write. However, when I’m not working, I listen to music all the time. THEN I’ll often get inspired to write.
• I know you have listed songs and playlists previously, but do you normally have a playlist that goes with different scenes in your stories?
Songs in my scenes come naturally to the scene. For instance, in For You, Feb put on Fleetwood Mac after Amy’s funeral and I just happened to be listening to Fleetwood Mac later because of that scene and the words to “Landslide” washed over me. I’d heard that song time and time again and never really listened to the words so it was like, divine intervention or something that I chose Fleetwood Mac for Feb and then “Landslide” hit me as perfect for her and Colt. Therefore, it came naturally into a later scene.
Or I’ll be listening to my iPod and a song will hit me and it’ll fit a story I’m writing.
The only time I researched music and carefully selected it was for Stella in Rock Chick Reckoning.
• My GR friend, Rain, wants to know if you could pick a song for the moment when Tack can't feel Tyra's pulse, what song would it be?
(she says she has a reason for asking).
God, I have no idea. But the very first thing that came to mind is Kate Bush’s song “This Woman’s Work”. An unbelievably gutting song. Pure beauty. Pure pain. I’ve just snatched up my iPod and am listening to it right now. My take on that song is that the woman in the song is dying during childbirth and these are the thoughts of her man or the words her man is saying to her. I know, Kate Bush doesn’t seem like something Kane Allen would slip in the CD player. But I can see the lyrics turning around to be from Tack to Tyra in their situation.
This Woman’s Work:
Pray God you can cope…
I stand outside this woman’s work, this woman’s world.
Oo, it’s hard on the man. Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I should be crying but I just can’t let it show. I should be hoping but I can’t stop thinking.
Of all the things we should’ve said that we never said. Of all the things we should’ve done but we never did.
All the things I should’ve given but I didn’t.
Oh darling, make it go.
Make it go away.
Give me these moments back.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your hand (effing hell, so Tack)
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet. I know you have a lot of strength left.
I should be crying but I just can’t let it show. I should be hoping but I can’t stop thinking.
Of all the things we should’ve said that we never said. Of all the things we should’ve done but we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All those things that you wanted for me.
All the things I should’ve given but I didn’t.
Oh darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.
Uh, yeah. I think that works.
• Speaking of music, that is your favorite Carpenters song? I heard you are a fan. Mine happens to be “I Won’t Last a Day Without You” because it was the first “grown up” song I ever learned. I have a vivid memory of learning it while tee-tottering with my best friend’s older sister at the park. I think I was in first grade.
Um… weirdly enough, my favorite Carpenters song is “The Christmas Waltz” from one of their Christmas Albums. Karen’s clear, beautiful voice starting the “Frosted windowpanes…” Gives me the chills! I do dig The Carpenters but their Christmas albums are the… freaking… best. That’s my favorite Christmas song of all time too.
• Do you have any have any writing rituals or superstitions or obsessions? Do you find yourself eating certain foods while you write (I feel strange even wanting to know that as it seems rather personal) or do you have things you do for inspiration when you are writing?
Nope… nope… and nope. I have to have complete quiet and focus. That’s it. I don’t eat certain foods or have any obsessions. I breathe, I write and whatever goes… goes.
Okey doke... that's it for now. One more part to go. Stay tuned!
