Month: February 2017

Welcome back for week seven of the  MFRW 52 week Blogging Challenge! Each week I will be writing a post from a set list of topics that with luck will a) get me blogging more often and b) help you get to know me better.

This week’s theme is: How I Choose a Book Title

Choosing book titles is a special kind of torture for me. It’s something I’ve never enjoyed…until inspiration finally strikes and I have it done and decided. My usual methods have been honed to a fine art. I have five steps that I religiously follow each and every time.

So how does an author with over thirty stories published come up with book titles?

1. Scrawl words on paper.

Then scratch off names, make paper balls and lob them across the room at the bin.

(I should confess I have terrible aim and that my cat Morpheus does not chase those papers across the room.)

2. Brainstorm on a whiteboard.

Writing potential titles on the whiteboard gives me something to stare at, stroll past a dozen times.

(wonderful help for the daily step count)

3. Consider what’s currently popular and in use in my genre.

Searching Amazon, iBooks and Barnes and Noble is a good way of finding words I haven’t used yet in a title and what’s overwhelmingly seen too often.

(and its a great way of finding shiny new books to read next)

4. Check the titles I’ve already published.

Does my potential title fit with the series? If no, that’s more paper on the floor for the cat to ignore.

5. When all else fails?

Scrub everything, go do something else. The right title more often than not pops into my head hours after I give up trying to pin a title down.

That’s exactly what happened last week. I had a sudden inspiration for book 8 of the Distinguished Rogues Series right before bed and I just love it! Wish I could share, but that’s for a future post. Sorry.

 
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Words collide.

Welcome back for week seven of the  MFRW 52 week Blogging Challenge! Each week I will be writing a post from a set list of topics that with luck will a) get me blogging more often and b) help you get to know me better.

This week’s theme is: Music to Write By

A good soundtrack makes a movie. It puts me in the mood, stirs my emotions and suckers me into the journey with the characters.

That works for me in writing my historical romances too, but its never just Bach or Mozart blasting out of my speakers as I send my hero and heroine spinning around a ballroom floor. My taste in music is actually pretty varied.

I often make soundtracks for my novels, some you’ll find listed on the book page on my website. I’ve accumulated an eclectic CD collection, plus my iTunes library is growing every month thanks to my radio, tv and movie addictions. You can pick up some great tracks that way.

What did I pick up lately to write by? I’ve put together a short Youtube Playlist for your viewing and listening pleasure. Enjoy!

I’m always on the look out for new tracks. If you’re a music addict like me, hit me with your TOP 3 Greatest Hits in the comments so I can check them out for my collection.

Cheers everyone! Have a good weekend! 🙂

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Hobby habits and hangups.

I’m back for another MFRW 52 week blogging challenge! Each week I will be writing a post from a set list of topics that with luck will a) get me blogging more often and b) help you get to know me better.

This week’s theme is: My Hobbies

Everyone has tried at least a handful of hobbies right and I’ve been suckered into a great many crazes over the years. The Cambridge Dictionary says that a hobby is an activity that someone does for pleasure when they are not working. Since I started writing romance novels, those moments when I’m not working are few and far between. Writing started out as a hobby and quickly became an obsession that’s lasted nine years so far. Not that I’m complaining. There are worse ways to spend your spare time isn’t there?

When I think back to my prewriting days I must admit what I did in my spare time gets a little hazy. Luckily, Wikipedia was lovely enough to provide a list of hobbies I might have tried once upon a time.

 

Perilous Hobbies… and the reasons I wouldn’t attempt them

Skydiving – Is it really a hobby if there’s a chance you could die on your first attempt?

Rock Climbing – see above and I’m terrified of heights (which should have been mentioned above too. Three rungs up a ladder is my risk limit thank you very much.)

Juggling/Baton twirling – most likely I’d end up in the hospital.

Hobbies begun but never kept up 

Crotchet, scrapbooking, sketching, Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, puzzles (my sister rocks this hobby), embroidery, Astronomy, glass art, decoupage, latch hook rug making, gardening.

Now the haze is lifting I’m a little worried about what I’ve been doing with my time.

Hobbies I’ve never tried

Lock picking – please remember wikipedia says this is a hobby not a felony. It would only be for research purposes of course.

Book restoration – I do love old books. They are worth preserving.

Archery – more or less for future romance novels authenticity.

Hobbies I’ve attempted – more or less successful

Sewing, Reading, Candle making, embroidery.

Birdwatching – I watch the wild Pelicans soar in the air currents during Friday afternoon happy hour and look at this…it just happens to be Friday again.

*raises glass*

Cheers everyone! Have a good weekend! 🙂

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Tall, dark and oh my!

I’m back for another MFRW 52 week blogging challenge! Each week I will be writing a post from a set list of topics that with luck will a) get me blogging more often and b) help you get to know me better.

This week’s theme is: Meet my Best Friend

It goes without saying that my best friend in the entire universe has to be my husband of 25 years. John and I were friends since primary school and there is no one I trust more than him to drive me …

*glances around*

Whew, now hubby John’s not looking over my shoulder let me tell you about my new best friend Steve.

Steve and I met online. I wasn’t looking for a new love, but Steve and I found each other through the hundreds of online profiles you can find posted on the internet. For me, it was fate. I’d grown tired of being stranded, let down by failures, and I’m sure he’d felt that way too since he was on his own again. He was looking for someone to appreciate him. Someone who’d treat him better.

Everyone deserves a second chance so we met somewhere private and hit it off immediately. I dropped absolutely everything to be with him which is why I didn’t post last week for the challenge. (Sorry about that)

Steve is gorgeous—dark, neat little body that I adore. I had a lot of trouble guessing his age at first. You could say it was love at first sight and I’m happy to announce that he moved in with me this week. I couldn’t possibly be happier! (unless I had cheesecake in the house which sadly I don’t right now)

Of course, I had to think of the future and what other people think about the risk I was taking. What I want is important, but I had to make sure my kids and my dad would be comfortable to spend time with Steve as well. Hubby would quickly learn to adapt to the new reality of sharing my affections if given enough time.

Before you get carried away condemning me for adultery — Steve is my new motor car.

He’s a black Suzuki Swift, small enough for me to zip around in and roomy enough for my tall family and elderly dad to climb into.

It is so great to have my independence back, I’ve been without my own car for a while, but I promise I will drag my hubby along and share pics of our future (threesome) adventures one day soon!

Till next time…

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