Best Assistant…

kaleigh

Good Saturday morning everyone! Hope you’re having a good start to the weekend. Today’s post is about my writing and accounting assistant, Kaleigh.

Some of you, especially if you’re part of my street team, have met her through posts. She’s the person in the background that takes care of my website, my covers, my book designs and my sanity. It helps that she’s my niece, so she has a little of me running through her veins.

Kaleigh attends the University of Georgia and is finishing up her Poultry Science degree. I’ve had her with me again for the last three weeks, but sadly yesterday was the last day at the office for us for a while. But she takes care of me from afar, somebody has to.

She is the one that keeps me grounded, reminding me of release dates, word counts and such. A lot of times she has to get stern with me when it comes to my manuscripts. When she sees something that doesn’t work, she’ll tell me, but sometimes I push back. But in the end, we compromise and make the changes needed. Another issue will be sayings I use or names that make her laugh and shake her head, telling me no I can’t do that.

Everyone needs an assistant like her, because it makes things easier. I probably don’t tell her enough, but I appreciate everything she does to keep me on the right track.

Take the time this weekend to enjoy yourself. We’re not promised tomorrow.

As always, good writing and may God Bless You…

Stepping back …

Good Sunday morning! Here in Georgia it’s chilly but sunny. It will be a beautiful day. For me, I’m sitting by the fire, enjoying the early morning quiet.

This morning’s post is about the rough draft. I’ve had the rough draft completed and turned into my editor for a week. I haven’t looked at the rough draft since I handed it over. But it has work to be done. I want to embellish on the story, add several elements to help bring his story alive, but I had to step back.

What do I mean by step back? Well, it’s simple. During the writing process sometimes we get too close to a project, then get burnt out. For some reason, the story started slipping away. I still had the bare bones, but the flesh and all the other things that make it a whole story seemed to go out of my brain. I had to step away from it.

Now, I think I’m almost ready to step back into the story. Of course, I’m in the middle of Maggie’s story, but it helps to get into another story to get the one that slipped away back into your brain. It’s still a little foggy, but I think I’ll do fine.

Have you ever had to step back in order to get the story going?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Let’s get to know Lana…

Good Friday morning! It’s been a spectacular week, hope it has for you too! If you haven’t read any of my latest posts, I’m in the running to win a writing contract with Harlequin, yes, you heard me. I’m in the Top 50, so that means I need some votes, but first, let me introduce you to the leading lady in Tuscany, Lana.

Lana is a young woman from Zebulon, Georgia. She was raised by her grandmother, Mama Leona. Her life was as normal as any Georgia country girl. But when her grandmother dies everything she thought about her life changes. Now she has to go to Italy to take on the role as heiress of a huge olive oil farm, Olive Hill.

The problem with this is she never knew about the estate in Italy, much less her grandmother’s wealth. With everything else, she’s given a journal from her grandmother that helps guide her way. Then she meets Romeo, a handsome single Italian man that runs Olive Hill. The sparks fly as they disagree about everything, including the estate. She has one year to decide to keep the estate or sell it.

So, are you intrigued? Help Lana’s story get into a Harlequin romance by voting for the first part, the pitch at https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085/write/161892410.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Coffee, love, laughter…

Good Saturday morning all! How do you like one of my new rugs? I’m super excited about this one. Can you see why? If you’ve been reading my posts for the last three years then you know why. Hint, there’s three of them… Did you figure it out yet?

This morning as soon as I opened my eyes it was evident the rain was here. So much for some yard work this morning, but I can’t complain because we need the rain. Saturdays at our house are for cleaning and writing. For some reason this week and I’m still a little confused about this one, I actually finished most of my laundry early. That means more time for writing today 😉

If you haven’t checked out my Wattpad entry, then run, don’t walk over there. Votes and views are important for this one. I also enjoy the commments. As a firm believer in the close knit writer community, I want to hear from you. One friend has already helped out by pointing out something that needed tweaking. I’m ever grateful for that too! When someone that doesn’t see the story from your head makes an observation, then you can see it clearer.

Also, for you Five Oaks Ranch fans I have a nifty little surprise that I slipped in this week when you weren’t looking. Ridge is free on most sites for a while. With Chase riding on the heels of publication I had to get some things happening. The downloads have been pouring in, which means there’s an interest in catching up. As I’ve said before, i can’t wait for you to meet Chase, my favorite of the Cauthen brood.

So, what’s your plans for today? Writing? Cleaning? Just being alive? For me, all of the above! My advice for you on this rainy Georgia day, drink a pot of coffee, hug someone you love and laugh a lot…

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085-tuscany

One more thing before you go! When Tuscany’s entry on Wattpad reaches 25 views I’ll be doing a sweet giveaway, then at 50 and 100! So pass the word around and give me some reader/writer love!

Don’t push that button!

It’s Friday people and it’s time to celebrate the weekend, well almost time. For me it’s already the weekend. I’m taking a couple of days off to get over the 12 hour days for the last three months. But of course I’m writing and working on publishing things that have been left out in the cold for too long.

Since I’m working on the finishing touches of Oakley, my mind goes to deciding when to publish. Well sometimes we get so excited about our finished manuscript that our need to get it out there for everyone overrides the fact that we’ve left off a couple of needed steps.

When you publish a manuscript you have a responsibility to your reader to make sure the work is polished and pretty… Have you read over the work. Have you read over it more than once? Are you feeling really good about the finished product? When I get my work completely finished and edited I have this feeling of “Yes it’s as it should be” and that’s when I hit the button. If I have any doubts I read over it again and usually I find something that I missed the other times. It’s worth the time.

So, make sure you feel good about the finished manuscript, not just excited that it’s finished. It’s your work, shouldn’t you want it to be the best it can be?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Romance…Not for everyone…

So many people ask me why I write romance. Well, I love anything romance and believe that everyone needs a little romance. Of course I’ve met many skeptics that don’t believe in romance. They often tell me it’s only found in sappy novels, Valentine candy or something similar, but they insist it’s only in the mind. For me I don’t believe that. I don’t consider most romance novels sappy, but sometimes the sappier the better, but I’m a romance novel junkie and I readily admit to the problem.

Many have asked me when I started loving romance. My love for romance began when I was the tender age of 13 and picked up my first romance novel. I read many Harlequin and dime store novels, so many in fact that I carried them everywhere. One of my dear friends from school came to my book signing on Valentine’s Day and she told me that she remembered me carrying a romance novel everywhere I went. She said it only made sense that one day I’d be a romance author.

But the day I picked up the book “Remembrance” by Danielle Steele, well let’s just say I was lost in a world of the imagination. She took me to foreign countries and many adventures that stirred this country girl’s young heart. That’s when I started filling notebooks with the words that sprang to my heart. That was when I woke up to the world of romance.

Unfortunately not everyone shares my love of romance. Some people have been hurt by love and they turn away from romance. Some people look in the wrong places for the right person and they end up bitter and alone. But some try desperately to find romance and when it’s not found easily they become skeptics. I’m not saying everyone will find that once in a lifetime romance, but I will say this, in order to find romance you’ve got to believe in it with all your heart. That’s where romance comes from and if you believe, it will come.

I know I’m just a sappy romance writer, but I know romance exists. I’ve experienced romance and it’s wonderful. That’s one reason I love writing romance. I want my readers to see how real romance happens. My books explore romance but in real life form. It’s not always easy and sometimes my characters struggle to find it. But that’s how life is sometimes. Some of my fans say I take them away from everyday life and immerse them into my world of romance for a while as they read. That always makes me smile.

So, do you believe in romance? I hope so because everyone needs to experience it at least once in their lifetimes. It can happen in a simple touch, dinner or just a look across the way. But it exists for those that believe and when you find it everything seems better.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

When the mood strikes…Write!

Good Saturday morning! I hope all of you are well and enjoying a great day. Here in Georgia it’s cool, rainy, foggy, just plain out nasty, but it’s a great day to clean house and write. I’m coming off a great day off yesterday. I met my word goal and passed it. I’d planned on at least 2500 words but ended up writing almost 4000. Yes!

The funny thing about my excessive word count yesterday was that the mood just wasn’t there early in the day. I’d planned on writing early, but it just wasn’t there. I knew that if I started writing without the spark it would end up on the cutting floor in confetti, so I waited. Then later yesterday the mood struck and there it was. My fingers flew across the keys as the scene unfolded in my mind. I wanted to write faster, but these fingers can only do so much.

As you know I’m working on Ridge, which comes out February 14th. Yes I know, I’m running on overtime, but I had two main scenes that needed to be finished. Well, one down, one to go, then on to my editor. She’s chomping at the bit to get her hands on Ridge. It’s been a work from the heart and she’d sat listening to bits and pieces as the excitement takes over. Patience is the name of the game.

Just a peak at the man behind the book:

Cute huh! He’s mysterious, hard edged, a Cowboy, a Soldier, and family man. Yep he’s got it all going for him except the ride lady to spend his days with. Well, maybe the new vet can soften those edges and turn him around. We’ll see…

This morning I’m spending some time on cleaning my house, doing laundry and sorting mail, then on to Ridge. He’s filled my mind so much that some days I can’t concentrate. The next installment of this series is Oakley, but the funny thing is I’d love to start Chase next, but that’s not in the cards. But, I can write a couple of ideas into his portfolio. Yep, that’s in the works for today also.

What are you doing today? Staying in? Writing? Reading? Hope it’s great…

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

Writing in Sections

As a writer I’m constantly trying new ways to organize me thoughts for books. Some days my mind is riddled with different scenes and it’s hard to concentrate on just one part. So I’m trying a new way to do things that I’ve read other authors do.

Since my mind seems to want to go ahead of itself, I’m letting it. When I start a book now I also start another word document that I name Segments of “book name”. In this document I write the scenes that are later down the road, that way I don’t lose the thought process and also it helps with the current parts. I know where they’re headed and can keep everything flowing in the right direction.

I’ve noticed that my mind seems less tangled when I do this process. I guess getting the parts that are screaming at me on paper helps the words flow better without obstacles. Try this process out and see how it works for you. But don’t forget to label each section so that you can copy and paste it in when your writing gets to that point. It really helps!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

The love of writing

Do you love what you do? Whether you’re an accountant, doctor, writer, factory worker or a housewife, you have to love what you do. It helps keep you going. I love writing. I also love being an accountant and children’s ministry director. It makes things so much easier when you love what you do.

When I have a story in my brain I look forward to every time I open my laptop. It’s exhilerating just getting the story out to everyone. Maybe what goes through my brain doesn’t appeal to you, but some people like it. According to some of my adoring fans they love it, which for a writer is awesome to hear. That means I’ve accomplished part of my goal and thats to reach someone with my writing. A couple have asked me several times, where on earth do you get all these story lines.

What’s fun is when you’re writing and you actually laugh out loud or wipe tears. One of the stories that I’m working on is a Christian romance that is about grief and going beyond the loss of a spouse to find love again through faith. As I wrote the death scene I kept a box of tissues next to me. I wrote it while thinking of what if this was me. How would I react or feel? How would I handle telling my child? How would I move on from there? It was a very eye opening experience.

That’s what the “Lean on Him” series is all about. It’s to help people realize that faith can get you through life’s many facets. Life throws so many things at us and sometimes we need to be reminded that we are stronger than we think.

Another thing I love about writing is living my characters lives through their eyes. I emmerse myself in the character and imagine the way I’d respond to certain things. I get to live anywhere in the world through my characters. I get to experience things, ride horses, own a ranch, go to Switzerland (childhood dream), and so much more. Through my characters I get to right wrongs, build faith and just be myself. It’s a wonderful feeling.

Fans help make it a wonderful experience also. Hearing from those that love my books helps inspire me. It’s great when someone sends me an email and asks when’s the next book coming out. Some fans keep up with me through this post, my Facebook, Twitter and other areas. It’s awesome to talk to someone from across the world that has been touched by something in one of my books. That makes it so worth every long night, neck strain, finger trauma and everything that comes with being a writer.

So, come join me for the adventure that is a Writer.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Day 18 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 18 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Layla Tarar (Pen Name is Tara Quan) and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Layla and her book More Than Strangers – Safe Harbor 1.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

When the Excitement Wears Off

The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a romance author is a time-honored one—finishing my book. In this respect, not much has changed since the days of yore.

Beginning a story is a period filled with promise and hope. Plot bunnies are vying for attention. I’m in love with my characters and entranced by the world I’ve pictured. I can hammer out thousands of words per day, and the manic writing rate makes me confident about being able to type “The End” in a short while.

But soon enough, continuing the story becomes a chore. There are so many details I need to get right. Fatigue sets in, and adding pages becomes painful. The final chapter is now a light at the end of the tunnel, not a finish line populated by cheering fans.

Completing the story means the hard work has just begun. I read my own words over and over again, all the while marveling at the gaping plot holes and missing pieces. I slash word count, rearrange story arcs, and add details that never made it to the page.

Then I give someone else my manuscript, only to discover I have a long way to go. By the time I make those changes, I’m not excited about my book anymore. I just want the process to be over. The roaring fire of creativity is gone, replaced by smoldering embers I have to nurse until the bitter end.

After writing query letters, going through the submissions process, and reading the form rejections that are part and parcel of an author’s life, I get to go back to my manuscript. During content edits, I end up adding even more words as my story gets reorganized and whipped into shape. By this time, it’s been so long I don’t remember why I started it. All I can do is focus on the comment bubbles threatening to crash my computer.

And on one sunny day, I accept the final line edits and the manuscript is out of my hands. I’m free to give my full attention to the next plot bunny. It’s done, and I never want to see it again.

On so many points along the way, the urge not to finish is overwhelming. The excitement wears off, and it’s an uphill battle to send my story out the door. Whether or not it sells, getting a book to market is an accomplishment every author should be proud of. But for most of us, we’re too busy working on the next book to appreciate all the hard work.

Biography

Tara Quan spent her college years daydreaming about becoming a romance author. After graduating with two degrees she never uses, she tried to pursue a traditional career at a law firm. But the stubborn characters in her head refused to be ignored. She now spends most of her time overseas, crafting fun quick reads heavy on fantasy, paranormal, and suspense. If you’re a fan of kick-ass heroines, alpha males, and a smidgen of kink, visit Tara at http://www.taraquan.com.

Her latest release More Than Strangers, a contemporary romantic suspense set in the Dubai, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major electronic book retailers.

Scorching desert heat, ice-cold champagne, and a world of opulence—the perfect setting for a one-night stand. Certain they will never meet again, two strangers agree to casual, no-strings sex that turns into something more.

Jason Reynolds has his life mapped out, and it doesn’t include a smart-mouthed redhead on a mission to save the world. A security specialist at the top of his game, he is on the cusp of wealth and power. Love is a distraction he simply can’t afford.

Struggling to bury memories of an unforgettable night, Nulli O’Hara chases her dream to a city fraught with violence and death. Six months later, she becomes a kidnapping target, and Jason is the man sent to keep her safe.

Content Notes: Spicy, Light BDSM, Descriptive Erotic Sex, Light Bondage, Spanking

Check out Layla’s work on her website http://www.taraquan.com.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2tB