The lovely and talented Michelle Ziegler tagged me for this
tour. You can find out about Michelle’s writing process here.
1) What am I
currently working on? I’m revising a manuscript I completed sometime before
2010. I can’t remember exactly when I finished it. The working title is Laurel Heights. It’s paranormal romantic
suspense and I’m very excited about the project because it will be my first
time self-publishing my work. Not only do the main characters have to deal with
desperate characters and bad guys, but they must also contend with pushy and
sometimes mean-spirited—um, sorry about the pun—ghost or two. Of course the
heroine is a woman who can take care of herself if she wants, but she asks for
help from a man just because she wants to. The hero is a hunk with past, but
then...aren’t they all?
2) How does my work
differ from others of its genre? The most common romantic suspense trope
seems to involve a damsel in distress who needs rescuing by a big strong, hunky
male. The heroine must fall in love with the big strong hunky male while he is
rescuing her from certain a horrible fate.
My heroines are rarely damsels in distress. I like my
heroines to be strong, independent women. Survivors. They don’t wilt and cower.
They stand tall and face adversity. Okay, so they fall hard for the hero, and
he plays a large part in resolving the conflict in the book, but only because
my heroine chooses to allow him to help her not because she has to have his
help. My heroine is usually the one who saves the day. Because she can.
3) Why do I write
what I do? I write romantic suspense because I love the moment where the
breath catches. I like to read those moments and I like to write those moments.
With romantic suspense, the reader gets a two-fer. Both the romance plot line
and the suspense plot line must come to a pivotal moment, the moment the reader
has been waiting for, anticipating. The first kiss. The confrontation with the
villain. The I love you moment. The
revelation of the deep, dark secret that makes everything make sense. When a
reader keeps reading because he or she has to reach that wonderful ah-ha
moment, I feel as if I’ve accomplished my goal. I live to read the words, “I
couldn’t put the book down.”
4) How does my
writing process work? Something will give me a bit of inspiration. The
opening scene of the book will somehow pop into my head, and I’ll start writing
the first chapter in my head while I’m driving or showering or eating or
prepare another stinking tax return (I’m a CPA.) I decide where I want the plot
to go. With the beginning and the end in mind, I’m a certified pantser in the middle.
I let my characters dictate all the different directions the plot will twist.
I usually edit as I go. I’ll write a few chapters, then go
back and rework them until the flow feels right, checking for continuity and
deepening the characterization. Then I’ll write a few more chapters. It’s a
stop and go process, but it works for me.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting a little insight into my
twisted writer’s mind. I’m tagging author Krista Ames to keep this hop going.
Krista Ames was born and raised in Indiana. She now resides
in Northern Michigan with the love of her life and their 4 children. She is a
full time stay-at-home mom and pursues her writing career when she's not
chasing kids, cooking or doing laundry. Krista can be found at http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.comand
would love to hear from you any time via mailto:krista@kristaames.com.
