Murder in a romance novel…

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Ok, so who am I murdering? That’s a secret… No, I’m not murdering anyone for real, just in my manuscript. But you may be say, ‘you write romance’. Yes, I do, but I’ve expanded into the suspense, mystery romance side of things. So, murder is on the menu.

But, how do you solve a murder mystery while still having elements of romance? Well, that’s not as easy as it sounds. The trick is to know how to multi-task. You’ve got to keep your investigation going in the foreground while having some romance going on in the background. In a lot of suspense, mystery romances, the romance side is filled in between the mystery conversation. The characters can have romantic dinners, share some eye contact that lingers, and stolen kisses while investigating.

So, yes, you can have romance and solve a murder mystery all at the same time. Just make sure that you don’t do romance overkill. In a suspense, mystery type romance, most readers want more of the mystery suspense than the romance. Or at least that’s what most readers have told me.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Write what you love… Not what’s expected!

Good morning! I’ve been swamped with taxes and office work, so I’ve been a little absent lately. But don’t worry, there is still writing going on in the background. Safe is almost complete and I’m so excited to bring it to you soon. Now, on to the post.

There are so many trends out there right now that it makes my head spin. So many authors fall into the trend hole and can’t seem to climb back out. Yes, it’s alright to write following those trends, but not if it puts your writing style in a cramp. Sometimes current trends are not what you excel at and that’s alright. Be yourself, not what others expect.

Every writer has their own voice. And we have a passion for different things. Me, I love writing clean romance that inspires others. And now I’ve added mystery and suspense to that love. But for so long I wouldn’t add that element for fear that it wouldn’t be accepted in my genre. I was mistaken and now that I’m almost done with the first novel in that genre, I know that I made the right choice. It’s unexpected, but wonderful. I’ve never felt more excitement over writing as I do at this moment. I feel that this is a huge step for my career.

Now, you need to sit back and figure it out. What do you love to write about? If it’s a couple falling in love over a lost puppy, then write about it. What’s important is writing about what you’re passionate about. Just focus on that.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Plot Bunny or Dust Bunny?

Good morning! I’ve been filled with lots of plot bunnies over the years, but there have been many dust bunnies too. What’s the difference you might ask? Well, let me enlighten you.

PLOT BUNNY…

A plot bunny is a story idea. And like bunnies, it multiplies rapidly if not handled. They can appear at any moment and will haunt you until they get their way. Now, not all plot bunnies are good. Some of them can be quite worrisome and filled with holes. And nobody wants a bunny with holes… These are dust bunnies!

DUST BUNNY…

Now, a dust bunny is something everyone has under their bed. You know the ones that even after you vacuum, sweep, and mop, they are still there just floating around and annoying you. Well, in writing, these are the plot bunnies that go sour. You know the ones, they are the ones that don’t pan out. A dust bunny has no hope of ever panning out. They are full of holes, like I mentioned in the above paragraph. So, with some planning and plotting, you can avoid falling into a dust bunny well.

As always, good writing and May God Be With You…

Plotting through the hard spots…

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Good morning! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted, but tax season is kicking my backside. With all of the new tax law changes and programs having to catch up, well, it’s cost me a lot of writing time. And you know what that does to me.

But, on to this post. Plotting… Yes, it’s something I love to do. And there are so many ways to do it. Either on paper, on a computer program or in your head, which I don’t suggest this last one because sometimes our memory doesn’t serve us well.

Plotting to me is like building a structure. You’ve got to make sure to get the base right, or the rest of the structure will fall. Novels need structure in order to come alive. Why do I say that? Because with structure, you don’t just babble on and can easily lose the reader.

As I’ve said before, a novel needs a beginning, a middle and an ending. And in each section you need to start with a rise in action, then reach the climax, but come back down into the next section without losing your reader. Stay focused on the story, don’t add a lot of fluff that will make your reader lose interest.

This is where plotting helps me. I write down the scenes and then I make sure there is enough to the scene to make it work. It needs to be able to stand on it’s own and shine. If the scene falls flat, then the story will too.

So, try plotting and see where it goes. Not everyone is a plotter. Some are pantser’s which is fine. Just make sure your writing flows.

I’ll post a plot outline in my next post.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Deadlines and caffeine…

At this time of year I’m burning the candle at both ends. It’s something accountants prepare all year for. We know that for at least four months everything will be turned upside down and deadlines will be looming everywhere. But it’s why I love it so much.

Maybe that’s why I love a writing deadline. It’s the adrenaline. And it’s the excuse to drink more coffee, not that I needed one.

Can we say, it’s almost the weekend…

It’s Friday afternoon and the weekend is staring at me. With tax season, I don’t take much time off. I’ve been trying to take at least Sunday afternoons to refresh, write, and nap. So, here’s to the hope of a little time on Sunday to recharge. Sending good vibes to all of you for a great weekend.

Friday Editing Thoughts…

Good Friday morning! It’s been a crazy week in the tax office. Between deadlines and paperwork, I’ve been swamp. My reprieve is my writing. Yesterday I was able to get lost in my words for a whole thirty minutes. And that was an accomplishment. But for those thirty minutes, I was somewhere else…

Now, with this new book, I’m trying something new. Although I started sending my editor two chapters at a time during my last book, this time I’m editing some before I send it. And yes, I normally edit as I go anyway, but this time is different. I’m delving into my words even deeper the first time around.

I’ve been really working on the words that I tend to use a little too often. It’s funny how we lean on some words more often than we should. So, I’m finding new, more colorful words to take their place. Take for instance the word ‘look’. I seem to have a love for that word, lol! That is one word that I’m having a hard time letting go. I am replacing it with gaze, glimpsed, focused, stared, gaped, etc. You get the picture.

With this new form of editing, I’m using the thesaurus a lot. It’s a tool that is most important to a writer. And they say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but this one is learning so much from viewing the thesaurus. See, I’m using a new word.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

When writing…

Good Thursday morning! You may be wondering about the title. Here’s the scoop, there are many things that come with the phrase, ‘When writing’.

When writing, always keep in mind that it’s your writing, not anyone else’s. Why do I say this? I say this to help you understand that it doesn’t matter what others think, you know what’s in your head. Write what’s there. Don’t let other’s put words in your writing.

When writing, make sure to pace yourself. If you try to do too much at one time, you’ll risk losing the thought process. Pace yourself and get it right the first time. Don’t overthink it.

When writing, enjoy the process. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, then it will show in your work.

When writing… Just write… Enjoy it…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday Morning Outlining…

Happy first day of March! Can you believe we’re already into March? But, in other news, my new series, In Harm’s Way is coming along smoothly.

This weekend the first book, Safe, took a new turn, which means I’m adjusting my outline. You may be asking, why even outline if the story is changing anyway. Well, the original outline got me going in the right direction. And I’ve always said that the outline can change. That’s the fun of writing, sometimes your characters take over.

I was able to get in almost 5000 words this weekend, which was an accomplishment considering I working in my accounting office most of the day Saturday. But the story is filling my head with so many possibilities. Although I know how it will end, I’ve been thinking about the middle and last part of the story. As I was writing this weekend, I ended a scene and something else came to mind. I decided, or rather my characters decided to take another turn. Now the story is going in another direction. It’s the same story, just a little deep into the back story that will pull it all together in the end.

As with any outline, things can change. It doesn’t have to written in stone. And never, ever stick to the outline like glue if something isn’t going well. It’s best to make changes than to keep going in a direction that doesn’t make the story pop. Your story deserves the extra effort to make it flow as it should.

With this series I’m working extra hard on going the extra mile. Although I always work hard to make my work go as it should, this one is pulling something in me. I’m excited in a way I haven’t been in a while. And on top of that, I haven’t put it on preorder, so I’ve got the time to make it the best it can be.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Wednesday Afternoon Tea…

You read that right. I said tea… Sometimes I do drink hot tea. Usually I grab an herbal blend, green tea, or spicy cinnamon. This afternoon I have a stuffy nose, so I’m grabbing some therapeutic green tea. Hopefully it will open me up and I’ll get my head back in the game.

Have a great afternoon!