Sparks of Story Ideas--by Ami Weaver

So, as I thought and thought about a topic for this blog, I tossed aside several topics. Many have already been done, and done well, here already. (Dialogue and POV, I’m looking at you!) And then I started thinking, I need a spark--just like when I start a new story.

    I’m an out-of-the-blue writer. I have yet to start a story with, I’d like to write about xyx. Instead, something kind of pops in my brain and it will spark off another random idea. Rub each other the right way--or the wrong way, as is often the case in the beginning of a romance novel--and there’s the little teeny flame that will become my story.

    I’m actually quite good at dousing the flames of story. This is something I’ve had to learn to NOT do over the years. If I over think, attempt too much plotting, or take a seriously wrong turn, I’m out in writing land with no fire. Usually, I can backtrack and get it going again, but not if I’ve over plotted. (That’s a whole ‘nother post!) It’s a lot more work to get back on track, though, so I have learned over the years to keep an eye on the fire. What are the flames doing? Are they getting low? One sign of that, for me, is the daily word count drops off. If that happens, then I’m probably heading down the wrong path.

    Every writer is different in what sets off those sparks. I love how it can be something totally unrelated that gives that aha! moment. For my Christmas Special Edition debut, it was the slightly frayed belt loops on a pair of guy’s pants. Those pants ended up on my doctor hero and it’s one of the first things my heroine notices about him. The connection? Who knows? I never tried to reason it out. But it was the (admittedly odd) spark that brought the story to life.

    Other times, it’s more obvious. In my April Harlequin Romance, my heroine owns a flower shop. There is a lovely one in my town, and after driving past it for years, it hit me it’d be a great place for a romance heroine to work. Of course, the flower shop itself is not a novelty. But it was the thing that set off the spark for that particular story on that particular day.

    So, I’ve learned to trust myself, even when it seems odd. Because when two ideas bump up against each other, you never know what kind of magic will spark from there.
       
    How about you? How do your ideas become books?

Q&A with Author Victoria James: A Risk Worth Taking

It is always a pleasure to chat with my good friend and fellow HPT member Victoria James, and I am delighted to have her with us in the hot seat this morning in celebration of her newest release, A RISK WORTH TAKING. For those of you who love a great reunion story or small-town romance, Victoria's second release won't disappoint. I read the book cover-to-cover in one sitting, and only found myself let down when I reached the last page and realized the story was over. Well, lucky for readers, this book is also the first in Victoria's new Red River Series!  

Interior designer Holly Carrington worked hard for her success. Then tragedy struck, leaving Holly the sole guardian of her infant niece. Now she’s swapped her designer purse for a diaper bag, and is going ahead with plans to renovate—and sell—her childhood home in Red River. But facing her past also means coming face-to-face with Quinn Manning all over again...

Quinn was the object of her girlhood crush—and heartbreak— and is more gorgeous than ever. He’s also the only person qualified to oversee the renovation. Now they’re butting heads every step of the way... and their attraction is more electrifying than ever! But once the house is sold, Holly needs to return to her real life. And falling for Quinn all over again is one risk she can’t take...

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Congratulations on your newest release, Victoria! Can you tell us a little about your second book, A RISK WORTH TAKING?

Thanks so much, Olivia!

Sure, A RISK WORTH TAKING is about second chances at first loves, letting go of fear, and the finding the inner strength to persevere.  It’s set in the fictional town of Red River.  I love small town settings so I had a blast creating some eccentric, nosy townspeople.  My heroine, Holly returns to Red River after living in the city for ten years.  She thinks she’s back to sever ties with Red River once and for all.  She is there to renovate her grandparent’s old Victorian house and then sell it.  Quinn and Holly both have very strong personalities, so when it’s time to collaborate, sparks fly-especially because they have so many unresolved feelings from the past.

This book is the first in a series. What can we expect from this series?

Family drama, passion, emotion, and humour.  The heroes and heroines are the types of people you’d meet in real life, with problems and insecurities that anyone can relate to. 

Did you always plan this book to be part of a series, or did the other ideas come after you wrote this one?

When I cast my hero, Quinn I knew he had two brothers and I knew I’d want to write their stories.  As I wrote RISK, his brothers sort of came to life and their personalities really emerged.  I kind of had an idea that I wanted to get Holly’s best friend, Claire and the middle Manning brother, Jake together.  I’m busy working on the last Manning brother’s book-and he’s quite different from his older brothers-he’s much more difficult, lol.

If you had to pick one scene in the book that was your favorite, which would it be?

Definitely the night of the big rainstorm.  I don’t want to give too much about this scene away, because it ties in a few different threads from the book and I’d hate to spoil it.  But, Quinn and Holly’s personalities really clash that night, and the exhaustion and emotional toll of everything they have been dealing with culminates into, well…you’ll have to read it to find out!

What inspired you to write this book?

I wrote this book a few years ago and I’ve re-written it once before it was bought by Entangled.  Someone very close to me had suffered through many losses and I was in awe of her and her husband’s strength and faith.  People who go through really traumatic losses and go on to live life to the fullest really inspire and humble me.  I find that kind of strength of character admirable, and I’m desperate to see people who’ve gone through so much receive the best possible happily ever after-in real life and in fiction.

Small-town settings are always my favourite to read and write.  We have a place we go to regularly to that is on Lake Erie, it’s in a small town, and every time I go I’m inspired.  We take the country roads to get there and I find it so scenic and so relaxing (well, if the kids are sleeping in the backseat.  If they’re awake, it’s not really a relaxing ride).  Red River is loosely based on this town-including the old lift bridge that Holly mentions in the book. 

With your debut already under your belt, can you tell us what you learned from that experience and how it shapes the release of your second book?

I’m still learning.  But I vowed that this time around I’d be less nervous.  I was a basket-case last time.  I really want to have fun this time, and not be ready to hurl whenever a new review is posted.  I’m normally a very positive person, so I need to apply that attitude to my writing career as well.  I need to crush the insecurity and enjoy the ride!

If you could give any piece of advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?

Write what you love, and not what you think you should be writing.  Sometimes I think when you’re just starting you can get so caught up on targeting specific lines (if you write category) and you can be so focused on the guidelines that you forget to let your characters tell their story.  You might discard ideas that you really want to explore because they don’t fit.  Be true to your voice, true to your real passions.   And of course, never give up.

Can you tell us what you are working on now and what we can expect from you next?

I’m working on a few different books at the moment-which is exciting and a bit crazy at the same time.  I’m trying to finish up the third book in the RED RIVER SERIES, while also working on a really special project for Entangled as well.  The second RED RIVER book will be released in July, and then the last book in the series will come out in November.  

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Victoria!
To learn more about Victoria, please visit her at www.victoriajames.ca

Out with the old and in with the new, old dogs and new tricks, rolling stones gather no moss …

I do love a good handful of clichés to kick start my day, something to appall my inner editor, something to make me feel as if I've been very naughty and just got away with it, when what I really want to talk about today is technology. Yes, technology, new-fangled gadgety, microchippy stuff that you can’t make yourself. Well, not usually anyway, unless you’re one of those genius type prodigy people. We’re surrounded by it, it’s part of daily life, but there are times when it has me running for the hills and a much simpler life – one that runs on wood and coal ...

Here’s a good example of one of my personal Technology Terrorists; the intruder alarm system.  Picture the scene, all is calm and tranquil in Lyndhurst land when there is a loud beep. I dismiss it as something passing in the street or a very modern birdy outside that’s imitating a car alarm. I hear it again and a prickle of something goes up my spine, it’s coming from inside ... Instinctively I ask The Exec if he's heard it and get a shake of the head and a monosyllabic “nope” – he’s watching rugby after all (on a great big cyber- connected, very-technically superior screen which runs on remote controls I have never dared touch). Another beep, I swear it’s getting louder and more sinister but know in my heart now where it’s coming from. The intruder alarm system panel in the hall confirms it with an even louder beep and an ominous flashing orange triangle with an exclamation mark in it.

Neither of us knows what the orange triangle means. We spend a fruitless hour searching for the instruction manual, while the steady Beep of Doom keeps on beeping. And we know the beep will go on FOREVER because the panel is connected to the mains electricity and we daren’t disconnect it in case The Machine thinks it’s being tampered with by a burglar and will go off all bells ringing (also FOREVER). And someone will call the police eventually even if it’s just to complain about the noise. The Exec jabs a finger randomly at the control panel keypad (and I really do mean randomly) until I completely lose it because the longer he does that, the more likely it is he’s going to set the tamper alarm off and we won’t know how to turn it off because we can’t find the wretched, rotten, pristine wherever-it-is instruction manual.

I start to sneeze from the dust we've stirred up hunting for the elusive document. The beep is relentless. The cat sits and looks at us as if we’re quite mad, he’s probably wondering what the horrid beepy thing is as well. I am SO stressed that I actually squeak when The Exec calmly sits back down in front of the telly to watch sport – how can he be so composed when I’m going into panic meltdown?! I want to scream “Just fix it!” as he picks up his iPad and languorously strokes its sleek black screen, no doubt checking a cricket score or a share price or something equally male and mysterious. He suddenly gets up and starts jabbing at the control panel again and I feel like ripping the sofa apart with my teeth.

“Three AAA batteries,” he announces on his return. “Got some?”

“In the electric tin opener,” I reply sulkily, exhausted by the Beep of Doom and his apparent lack of interest in the current crisis.

“Good.” He points to a wireless sensor above the fish tank.” Because the beep is telling us that the batteries in that unit are low. Clever isn't it? I downloaded the instruction manual from the internet.” He smiles as I visibly wilt with relief. “Easy”

And, lo, human male plus internet plus swish technical device saved the day but I still wanted him to disconnect the entire system, which would be daft (and he hasn't! ) but technical crises like that can really do me in mentally.

So it's clear that technology scares the pants off me sometimes and it's a nightmare when it misbehaves, but there’s no escaping the fact that, in the last year since Entangled publishing took a risk on me and my Greek Billionaire, technology has changed my life. All my books are distributed in digital form, which is mega technological and means they can only be read on a machine of some sort. No paper cluttering up the place, but without the chips and screens and cables I’d have no readers. Even if I stood on a street corner wearing a The End is Nigh Buy My Books While You Still Can placard round my neck it would make no difference, because without an internet connection nobody can even buy them. Here's a pretty (and completely gratuitous) picture of my latest book on a Kindle Fire to illustrate the fact:

I can’t ignore it, I can’t ‘unplug’ it and I can probably never manage without it again. If it wasn't for technology, I wouldn't be here writing on this blog via my computer and you wouldn't be reading it. (You are reading it, aren't you? Not just looking at the pictures and clicking on all the book buy links? Ah, good.).   So there’s no getting away from the fact that technology pays my Visa bill and that really is useful. As is the dishwasher, washing machine and wireless router. I still loathe that alarm system though and would love to stamp on my Blackberry …

How about you? Is there a modern device that messes with your inner tranquility? What amalgamation of microchips couldn't you live without? Am I the only person who can remember sharing a bedroom with a big grey night storage heater that was the size of a coffin? Those were the days … ;0)

And we have a winner! "MUST LIKE KIDS"

Congratulations to Jane Linfoot for winning a copy of Jackie Braun's KISS release, MUST LIKE KIDS!

Jane, to claim you gift, please contact Jackie via her contact page on her website: http://jackiebraun.com/

A big thank you to everyone for stopping by and saying hello.  

And Jackie, thank you for visiting. We hope you'll come back again real soon. :-)

KISS author, Jackie Braun Q&A plus GIVEAWAY

Please welcome Jackie Braun!

Jackie is a RITA award and National Readers’ Choice Award finalist. She has penned over 29 romances for Harlequin. Her latest book, “Must Like Kids” is part of Harlequin’s new and exciting line KISS.

She has generously offered to giveaway a copy of her KISS novel to one lucky commenter. So make sure you leave a comment before you go. We’d love to hear from you. J

Thanks for stopping in and chatting with us, Jackie. And congratulations on being chosen to head up the new Harlequin line KISS. There’s lot of exciting buzz going around about this fun and flirty line. And let me tell those covers really catch a person’s eye—they’re beautiful!

              Now available at:

                     Amazon

                     B&N

                     Harlequin

Could you share a little with us about your first KISS novel, “Must Like Kids”?

Alec McAvoy is the single CEO of a fictional company called for Best For Baby. After a seemingly anti-child remark that Alec makes goes viral, his company’s board of directors brings in an image consultant to do damage control. Julia Stillwell is a widowed mom of two. She’s not looking for love, but she can’t deny the sparks that fly whenever she and Alec are alone. Thanks to her efforts, she eventually has the public believing that Alec will make the ideal family man. But is the transformation only skin-deep?  

And could you tell everyone a little about the KISS line? What should the reader expect between the colorful covers of a KISS novel?

These are fun and flirty contemporary reads with varying heat levels. They’ll find a little sass. A little humor. And a lot of sexual tension. 

How does KISS differ from the other Harlequin lines?

It’s the writers’ voices, I believe. Our writing is very contemporary and in the moment.

Are KISS novels steamy? Or sweet? 

They’re both! Each month readers will find two steamier novels and two that are more “closed door” when it comes to sex. The titles and covers are good indicators of the heat levels readers will find. 

Now, tell us a little about yourself: 

I am a Michiganian born and raised. Other than a summer in New York City as an intern at Good Housekeeping magazine and 10 months at The Niagara Gazette in Niagara Falls New York, I have lived in “the Mitten” my entire life. I’ve wanted to write since I was in grade school, and followed my dad’s advice to “get a day job.” I chose journalism, since it involved writing, and have spent the past 25 years working in various capacities for newspapers. For the past nine years, however, my full-time gig has been writing books. I’m married, with two kids, and we recently added a dog to the mix.

I read on your website that you spent six years writing your first really, really long manuscript. Talk about determination. It never took me quite that long but sometimes it sure felt like it. J How do you manage your writing now that you have deadlines? Do you have a regular schedule? Any quirks?

Before I was published, I foolishly waited for my muse to inspire me. I had plenty of excuses for not sitting down at my computer, sometimes for weeks at a time. That all changed when I went to my first RWA conference, pitched that abomination of a book to an agent and realized it was, well, crap. When I got home, I started another book. This one took me a few months to write. It eventually sold to Silhouette Romance. More sales followed until I was writing about three books a year in addition to regular freelance work for the local newspaper. Now, I usually write every day—yes, even weekends and sometimes even holidays.

What does HEA mean to you as an author for the KISS line?

It means the same thing it always has, I guess. My hero and heroine ultimately overcome all of the obstacles I cruelly place in their way and wind up together. Whether that means getting married or finally admitting their love, they know there’s no one else on the planet more perfect for them.

If you could only share one bit of advice with an unpublished writer, what would it be?

Don’t give up. And don’t keep massaging those first few chapters trying to make them perfect. Write the entire book and THEN go back over.

Before you go, could you tell us a little about your next release and when we can expect to see it on store shelves and the Internet? 

I have two releases coming up, both in September at this point. One is another KISS titled Greek for Beginners. It’s about a woman who finally works up the courage to dump her dud of a fiancé and then goes alone on her honeymoon in Greece, where she meets and falls for a sexy Greek businessman.  

The other is a novella in an anthology from Entangled Publishing that includes stories by Susan Meier, Barbara Wallace and Shirley Jump. I’m not sure of the title yet, but it features a matchmaking Jack Russell terrier named Charlie who helps reunite my hero and heroine.

Jackie, it’s been wonderful having you. Thank you so much for stopping by The Hot Pink Typewriter!!! We hope you’ll stop by again soon.

Thanks for having me! I enjoyed being here. And I’m eager to give away a copy of my book to one lucky reader!

And readers, please don’t forget about the chance to win a copy of “Must Like Kids” by leaving a comment. The winner will be announced tomorrow.

"Children have a place and it's anywhere I'm not!"

It was one off-the-cuff remark. But when it goes viral, Alec McAvoy is labeled the playboy CEO of Best for Baby—who hates kids!

Enter Julia Stillwell, image consultant extraordinaire. The widowed mom of two has a knack for changing public opinion, and she'll teach Alec all he needs to know. But once they start this makeover, they don't want to stop…and that's when one little kiss leads to many, many others!

So now Julia's worked her magic, but is Alec's transformation only skin-deep? Or can this hunky executive convince her that he is ready to become a family man—so long as it's with Julia?

Amazon / B&N / Harlequin