Interview with Ryan Jo Summers

This week I have the ever-fabulous Ryan Jo Summers hanging out with me on my virtual couch for a lovely chat. Ryan and I are Soul sisters, both published with Soul Mate Publishing. Her latest title, Shimmers of Stardust, was released in September 2014. Alright, girl. Let's get this party started!


EJ: Have you always been a writer, or was there a specific event in your life that drove you to write? 

RJS: I always wanted to be a veterinarian, and write on the side. (I started writing at 10, but only later realized people did this for a living) I thought being a vet for financial security and write for fun was the sensible approach. For many years, I wrote and submitted, dreaming of publication. Now, with multiple publications and regular free-lance work, my focus has shifted to wanting to retire from the day job one day and write full time for both fun and financial security.

EJ: Sounds like a smart plan. Think back to when you were in school. Did your English teachers love or hate you? 

RJS: They loved me as I was a good student and wanted to learn, except when it came to book reports. They’d usually say reports had to be a minimum of so many pages. My hand would go shooting in the air, and I’d ask what the maximum was that we could write. Looking back, I am sure the kids didn’t appreciate my enthusiasm much.


EJ: We teachers love good students like that. What was it like when you finally received an offer on your book? Who did you tell first?

RJS: I didn’t tell anyone when I received my first offer. It was a different book with a different publisher. I was too scared to say anything for fear the deal would somehow fall through before the book actually came out. When I sold my fist Soul Mate book, I was a little quicker to spread the word, but it still took me almost a month to open up. In both cases, it was my co-workers whom I told first. My family is far away and I wanted this to be a face to face experience. When I reached the third book, a phone call was sufficient.

EJ: How does your family feel about you writing romance? 

RJS: My dad is very supportive, glad for any success I have. He has lots of advice, some I take and some I don’t. My mom is glad for me. She says with all the books I’ve read over the years, it should be easy to write my own now. They both want me to be happy, and if writing makes me happy, go for it

EJ: Aww. Sounds like you have lots of support. Where do you do most of your writing? Can you snap a photo and show us where you work your magic? 

RJS: My study. Behind me is my bird, Taz. The fish give me something to shift my eyes to for a quick mental break. Tons of natural lighting. To my right is another big fish tank, so there is surround sound white noise of falling water.

The white squares on the back of the chair is double sided tape to discourage scratching from the kitties. Three cats are shown: Whymzie, Kryshnah and Aspen.


EJ:  I'm a cat person myself but we only have one cat right now. I love the idea of adding a fish tank to my imaginary office. What's your writing process like? Hopefully it's better than mine is right now.

RJS: I get up in the AM, read over yesterday’s work, and revise. I add to it and stop when the time runs out for when I have to go to work. I usually write the story as I go, scene by scene, with lots of narrative up front. I go back and add details and descriptions while I revise. Then I go back and tweak, revising again.

EJ: Where do you get your inspiration?

RJS: Songs a lot of the time. I listen to music for the stories they tell as well as the sound of the music. Songs give me lots of inspiration when I am stuck. Taking walks in nature helps a lot too, getting my mind loose so it can just filter through things to find something to write.

EJ: Me too! Music is a huge part of my process, photos to. What celebrity hottie revs your engine? Have they ever inspired the image or personality of one of your literary heroes? 

RJS: I don’t watch television shows. No protest or anything, I just prefer to use my time on other outlets. So that being said, I have no clue who the current celebrities are. I glance at tabloids in the grocery store and they’re all strangers to me. My generation is George Clooney, Pierce Brosnon and Robert Redford. I don’t think they’ve ever inspired me literarily speaking but there is nothing wrong with enjoying the eye candy. I only wish we women could go grey as stylish and sexy as the men seem to.


EJ: Sadly, I'm addicted to my TV shows. Who was your favorite character to write? 

RJS: In this story, Shimmers of Stardust, I loved writing about Logan Riley. In most my books, I connect with the male lead more so. Even when I adore the female lead, he tends to be the one I identify more with.


EJ: Tell us more, please! 

RJS: Here's the trailer.

EJ: The book sounds amazing. I was really intrigued by the trailer and can't wait to pick it up. Are you working on anything new? Can you give us the log line and first paragraph of your current WIP?

RJS: I have two of them.

Winds of Destiny

Three stories of three free-spirited sisters finding love and adventure in their small North Carolina coastal town. 

The old man was dying. He knew it without the solemn stares coming from the doctor and the nurses. Before he parted, he had one more bit of unfinished business left. It was one he should have attended to a long time ago. Looking now into the worried faces of his two friends and neighbors of the last thirty-two years, he smiled grimly. It was time.

September’s Song

Ivey London was told her husband died in combat five years ago. So who is this amnesiac soldier who suddenly shows up, looks just like Keegan did and has superpowers?

It was going to be cold out, Ivey decided, snapping off the weather report. Jory needed to wear his heavier jacket. The clock in the hall chimed, alerting her of the time. 

“Jory,” she called upstairs, hand on the banister. “It’s almost time for Becca. Are you ready yet?” Listening, she heard only dull thumps to tell her he was moving around. Soon he came bounding down the stairs, followed closely by his oversized black and white dog.

EJ: I really like the concept for both of the books. The beginning of Winds of Change might hit a little close to home right now for me, though. If you ever need a beta reader, I'm your gal! Alright, it's time for . . . 

Rapid Fire Questions 

Salty or Sweet? 

Sweet

Coffee or Tea? 

Coffee all day, hot tea at bedtime

Coke or Pepsi?

Neither, but sprite once in a while

Chocolate or Vanilla? 

Chocolate of course. 

Cat or Dog?

Both. I prefer dogs, but don’t tell that to the five cats I live with.

Extrovert or Introvert?

Both. Depends on the situation, who is present and all that. At my core, I have always been and still am quiet and shy. My co-workers will probably disagree with that statement.

EJ: You are probably one of the only other people I have ever met that doesn't like Coke or Pepsi. We truly are soul sisters! 

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ryan Jo Summers is a bookworm and lover of words. She now even has favorite words she collects. She writes a gambit of materials, from short stories delving into mystery, romance, time travel, horror and especially Christian. She writes lots of non fiction Christian and some poetry. She free-lance writes for assorted markets. Her niche is contemporary romance with blended subgenre twists. When not writing, she likes to paint, explore the great outdoors and read. To feed her love of words, she also likes bent and twisted word find puzzles. She likes to cook, experimenting and finding new twists on old favorite recipes. She makes her home, along with several adoring pets, in the mountains of Western North Carolina, while she dreams of living on the beach lined coast of eastern NC.

GET CONNECTED:  
Website:  http://www.ryanjosummers.com/
Blog:  http:summersrye.wordpress.com 
FB:  www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Jo-Summers-author-page/312875648810797

GET READING:
Check out these titles by Ryan Jo Summers, available now on Amazon.com.

Thank you so much for joining us today. I hope to see you all again next week! 

What's next for Elizabeth Janette?

Next Tuesday - Romance Weekly Blog Hop #LoveWriteChat 

Next Thursday - author Zen DiPietro joins me for a chat

Romance Weekly: A Space to Write

I'm finally back on the blog hop train! For those who don't know, each Tuesday, the fabulous authors at Romance Writers Weekly spend the day chatting about love, writing, and pretty much anything under the sun. To join in on the fun, simply hop from blog to blog and listen in as we spill all of our secrets . . . trade or otherwise!

If you found me by way of Eden Ashe http://edenashe.com/, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay.

This week, I posed a question to the group. I want to know where everyone works their writing magic. How many authors have cozy little writing caves they hole up in while they plot their stories? Are they taking up residence at their local Starbucks? Or do they have the luxury of writing on location, traveling around the world on a whim?

I would love to say I have an office to call my own, a place where no one would complain if I plastered my walls with photographs and sticky note reminders. A whiteboard filled with plotting notes and character analysis would line one wall, while I sit at a huge desk with plenty of space to spread out. Of course I would have to have a cute, comfy couch tucked under a bank of windows where I could read or zone out at will. Of course, my view from my cave would be overlooking a sparkling lake or ocean, or even a forest. I'm not all that picky about this. Outside, a cute guy, would periodically wander by, shirtless, of course, and I'd have a new muse to inspire me each day.

But I don't.

Instead, this is where I do most of my writing.

I usually sit on the bed, surrounded by snacks, laptop open, noise-canceling headphones on, and try my darnedest to avoid any and all distractions. Which I usually fail at doing. But once I get in the zone, I can easily spend the entire day here, hopefully capturing my characters' conversations.

On a side note, the afghan at the bottom of the bed is one my mom crocheted. It use to hang over the back of our couch when I was a child. Just a little thing to keep her close to me.

While searching the net for cool images for my post (which I never did find), I managed to stumble upon a nifty link on setting up a writing space. http://stacyennis.com/5-tips-for-setting-up-a-writing-space/

Someday, I'll get my cool and cozy writing cave, but until then . . . . You can find me locked in my bedroom, surrounded by unhealthy snacks, chatting it up with waylaid lovers and killers on the run.

Next up on the blog hop? Dani Jace http://www.danijace.com. Swing on by to see how her writing space stacks up against mine!

Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

Have you ever read a book and wondered how in the world the author came up with the plot? Or created characters you could fall in love with? Or made you laugh out loud? Each week, the amazing authors of Romance Weekly share their trade secrets and chat about their craft.

If you found me by way of Gemma Brocato http://www.gemmabrocato.com/blog, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay. This week's topic is courtesy of Mishka Jenkins. She asked:

What would you say your writing strengths and weaknesses are?

Romance Weekly: Setting the Stage

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all..... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

If you found me by way of Victoria Barbour http://victoriabarbour.com/blog, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay.

This week's question comes from Brenda Margriet. She asked . . .

How do you choose the setting for your book? 

Does where you live inspire you? 

This can apply even to books set in paranormal worlds - what do you use from "real life"?

Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

Love reading sinfully delicious romance novels? Want to know more about how those novels come to life and wind up in your hands? Each Tuesday, a merry band of romance writers spill the beans on all their trade secrets. To join the fun, simply blog hop from one author to the next. And if that's not enough excitement for you, Romance Weekly has a new website to explore, Twitter feed to follow, Pinterest page, Google+ page, and newsletter to sign up for. We've got exciting stuff going on around here! 

Romance Weekly

Website * Twitter * Pinterest 

If you found me by way of Fiona Riplee's fabulous blog, welcome! This week's questions come from Vicki Mixon. Let's jump right in.

Was there a defining moment in your life when you knew you were going to become a writer? If so, what was it?

I don't there was ever one single moment when I knew that I would wind up as a published writer. I've always tinkered around with writing, using it as an outlet for my emotions, but dipping a toe into the publishing world was not initially an ambition I'd aspired to. I've always viewed myself as a teacher first, and a writer in my spare time. Someday that might change. 

When you write a story do you see it unfold as one big picture, or do you add layering in subsequent drafts?

Usually the story unfolds for me as I write. I may not always see the entire big picture when I first begin writing the story, but eventually I get small snippets of the storyline, enough to keep me going. Sometimes, the story stalls while I ponder the dilemma my characters find themselves in. That's when I get really good at procrastinating and my house gets uber clean. 

How many drafts do you usually write before you send your work to your editor?

Too many to count! Once the first draft is done, I play around with my story, adding more setting details, and tightening up the plot. As I finish up my first draft of Assassin P.I., I've kept a separate document with revision notes to myself. Stuff like, use Jack's hat as a symbol of his vulnerability, or mention his love of comic books again. The document gets pretty long by the time I'm done with the story. The way I see it? I'm still learning how to write novels, so I can forgive myself for writing a lousy first draft, but I can't forgive myself for publishing a subpar novel. Revision and rewrites are a vital part of the process . . . and kinda fun! 

Next up? Vicki Mixon http://vickimixon.com. See you next week! 

Romance Weekly: #LoveChatWrite

Come on, you know you're dying to find out what goes on inside the twisted minds of your favorite romance writers. What inspires them? What makes them tick? Each Tuesday, the writers of Romance Weekly will take you behind the scenes and tell all. So sit down and buckle up for the ride. Comments are always appreciated. 

If you found me by way of Mikki Cober, welcome!  This week's questions come from the ever fabulous Beth Carter. Ready? Let's dig in! 

What’s your favorite aspect of novel writing? Dialogue? Setting? Conflict? Narration? Explain.

Dialogue, definitely the dialogue. When I sit down to write a scene, it's the dialogue that I hear. It's as if my characters are inside my head having a conversation that only I can hear. I think a lot of that stems from the fact that I started out writing short plays. In a play, there are no character thoughts to contend with, the conversations drive the entire plot. With my first novel, I had to write in complete silence, so I could hear my scenes. With Assassin, P.I., I have a soundtrack that my dialogue is set to. Once I capture the lines I hear, I go back and layer in the setting details and flesh out the narration. 

How do you choose the setting for your plot? Are they always similar settings or does it vary? (i.e., small town, big city, castle, etc.)

I tend to lean toward small towns for my stories. It's what I know. It's all I know. We might not have the traffic, drive-bys, or the oodles of people big cities have, but small towns have secrets to hide, and decades old feuds that just won't die. Gossip could practically be considered a sport. But despite all the potential negatives that come with living in a small town, there's nothing quite like it. When tragedy strikes, the entire town pulls together. After all, everyone is connected in some way. We're practically family. 

When it comes to selecting a setting for my stories, trust me, I've got all the inspiration I need, right here in my small hometown. 

I’m a big six-word memoir fan. (Hemingway even wrote one.) Describe your writing day using just six words.

Only six words?! I'm a pretty chatty gal, so stopping at only six words is nearly impossible. But here's my attempt: 

Must teach students: write, revise, repeat. 

I might not have the pleasure of spending every day with my butt in the chair, writing until my fingers are numb, but I do have the distinct pleasure of sharing my writing knowledge with my students. Ergo, I am writing by default. I'm just not adding to my word count at the moment. 

Thanks for stopping by! Next up on the blog hop? Raine Balkera. Hop on over and show her some love.  

Romance Weekly: First Kiss

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all..... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

If you found me by way of Carolyn Spear http://www.carolynspearromance.com/blog, welcome! This week, we're talking about a staple of the romance genre: the first kiss. What was your first kiss like? Was it tender innocence, barely a whisper upon the lips? Awkward and embarrassing? Or filled with the passion between two lovers?

Did it look something like this YouTube video? 20 total strangers were asked to kiss for the first time, and do it on film. Can you imagine? Kinda of a cool, and bizarre, idea all at the same time.

Do you even remember your first kiss?!

If you don't remember this momentous event in your life, don't worry. I don't remember mine either, which is why today I'm giving you the first kiss scene of my romantic suspense, Redemption For Liars. Enjoy!

Jonah waited until Maya was busy in the backyard before beginning his last project of the day. He heaved the new front door out of the truck, careful not to shatter the glass. The mahogany door featured a stained glass image of a mother and child, enveloped by a bevy of butterflies, flowers, and music notes. It had cost him a week’s salary, but the look on Maya’s face when she saw it would be worth every penny.

Prying the old door off its hinges was shamefully easy. It took some shimmying, but before long, the new door was in place and Jonah went into the backyard to track Maya and Lily down. “It’s time. But first you have to promise to cover your eyes and not peek, Lily.”

Jonah pulled a bandana out of his back pocket and headed toward Maya.

Maya backed away, arms up in surrender. “I promise to not peek.”

He pointed at Lily. “Her I trust. You, on the other hand, not so much.” He tied the scarf over her eyes. “You, darlin’, have got a helluva rebellious streak in you.”

Slowly he led the girls to the front of the house and positioned them into place.

“Wait.” He turned Maya to face him. Lifting her chin, he leaned close and studied the anticipation written all over her face. Jonah wanted Maya as badly as he hoped she wanted him.

He studied the silky smooth skin of her neck, blowing softly. He ran his thumb across the delicate skin, delighted to find goose bumps had risen. Just like he knew they would. It wasn’t her body he was worried about pleasing. It was her heart.

Don’t do it. Don’t get involved.

Hell, who was he trying to kid? He’d fallen head over heels in love with her the moment she first landed in his arms.

I’m going to hell for sure for this.

Lowering his head, his mouth hovered above hers. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

The slight nod of her head was all the encouragement he needed. A zing of excitement shot through his body. His lips brushed against hers and she sighed into his mouth, lips parting, breath sweet like chocolate.

It took every last bit of his willpower to keep the kiss gentle and chaste, though he desperately wanted more, wanted to sweep her into his arms and carry her off to bed. Could she feel the same electric current he did when they kissed?

Not being able to see the expression in her eyes was torture to him. Would he find surprise, or passionate longing staring back at him, matching his? He had to know. Reaching up, his hand tangled with her hair as he tried to undo the knot that held the blindfold. The bandana dropped to the ground and Maya leaned into the kiss, resting her hands on his bare chest, sending another shockwave of electricity coursing through his body.

The kiss ended and he rocked back, trying to put some space between them. A surge of longing washed over him. One kiss would never be enough. Not with her. Maya had gotten under his skin, touching his soul in a way no woman ever had before, destroying his carefully thought out plan, leading him to recklessly get involved with her, the only lead he had in his case.

He was going to hell for this for sure.

Maya’s eyes fluttered open and sought his, dark with desire. “You call that a kiss, Cowboy?”

A slow warmth spread throughout his body. He smiled. “I can do better. Wanna see?”

“I should hope so.” The mischievous glint in her eye was infectious.

Discretion be damned.

Jonah pulled her into his embrace then, lifting her to her toes so their bodies fit together perfectly. He cupped her head, fingers tangling in her hair, leaving no distance between them. Her breasts crushed against his chest, her delicate fingers sliding over his shoulders.

“How’s this?” He tilted his head to the side to gauge her reaction.

She pulled back, serious-like as she pretended to contemplate their body positions. “So far, so good, but you ain’t got to the kissing part yet.”

Impish delight settled in his belly. Two could play that game.

Her arms slid around his neck and she stared at his lips. “Go on. Get to it.”

God, she smelled good, like chocolate chip cookies baked with pure sugar and summertime sunlight. To hell with playing games. He went in for the kill, tilting his head and zeroing in on his prize. Her mouth, soft and supple, locked with his, granting him full access. The kiss deepened as he plundered shamelessly. For a minute, he lost all sense of time. Nothing mattered but her. Every beat of her heart, each breath she took, was seamlessly synced with his.

Breaking the kiss, he captured one lip, his teeth lightly raked across the satiny skin, claiming her as his and his alone. Reluctantly he pulled away before he couldn’t stop himself and really did carry her off someplace secluded to have his way with her.

The searing heat of their kiss had done nothing to sate his craving for her, only left him panting, begging for more. And that scared the hell out of him. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.

“You can open your eyes now.” He gazed upon her ethereal face, her eyes still closed, mouth poised for more. The freckles on her nose called to him, begging to be counted.

She touched her fingertips to her lips. “I don’t want to.”

“Turn around,” he insisted, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Your daughter is watching.”

Lily stared at her mom, abhorred by their kiss. “Gross.”

“Never you mind, now go in the house. Mama needs to talk to Mr. Jonah.”

It was then that Maya finally noticed the new door.

She gasped. “Oh, Jonah . . . it’s beautiful.” Taking the porch steps two at a time, she inspected the door, tracing the intricate design of the stained glass window.

Jonah trailed behind. “Thought you might need a door that actually locked. Go on, try it,” he urged as he dropped a silver key into the palm of her hand.

She didn’t move.

Jonah leaned over and nibbled on her ear before softly whispering, “If you wait much longer, darlin’, I might be tempted to carry you through that door.” He kissed the side of her neck before continuing. “But then, what would I do for an encore?”

Want to read more? Redemption For Liars is available on Amazon.com for $2.99. Click here to purchase: http://amzn.com/B00GMXP43M

Next up on the tour of first kisses is Nina Mason http://ninamasonromance.blogspot.com. 

Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

It's my favorite time of the week! Time for the Romance Weekly #LoveWriteChat, where our merry band of Romance writers tell you all their writing craft secrets! If you found me by way of Gemma Brocato, welcome! This week's questions come from  Jo Richardson. 


How often do you write?
I write as often as I can. At any given time, I may have 2-3 different projects in varying states of disarray to draft or revise, plus blog posts to work on. During the summer, when I'm off from work, I try to spend at least a couple hours writing each day. Some days, I hole up in my bedroom and work all day while my two kids fend for themselves. Other days, I wind up playing referee, chauffeur, cook, housekeeper, or photographer. You know . . . begin a wife and a mom. 

During the school year, my "butt in the chair, fingers on the keyboard" writing time is seriously limited. Being a teacher often means that my day job takes over my entire life. I steal what time I can to write, usually nights and weekends, but it's definitely not easy.


Do you think it’s important to your craft to write as much as you can, and as often as you can?
Absolutely. You have to write or you're not a writer. There's just no way around it. BUT I don't think writing as much as possible, or even writing every single day, is enough to turn someone into a great writer. Writing involves so much more than that. You have to hone your inner editor, too. 

I saw this quote and picture recently on FB and it perfectly sums up my philosophy as a 5th grade teacher. 

William Faulkner by Vladymyr Lukash. C.C. by 3.0

When we read in my classroom, we are constantly analyzing how the author did what they did. How did they begin their story? How did they end each scene? How did they indicate a passing of time? You get the point. We analyze and discuss our findings, label each method, and then practice it for ourselves. After that, we critique, reflect, and revise. Then it begins all over again. 

Even when I'm not writing per se, I'm still involved in some part of the writing process, whether it's plotting, reading a mentor text, giving a critique, revising a piece, or teaching my class about writing.   


What is your opinion on the saying “if you don’t write every day, you’re not a writer"?
For some of us, it's just not possible. My job and my family need my time, too.That doesn't make me less of a writer. It makes me human. It just means I have to be smarter with the time that I do have. I need to learn to turn off the internet so I don't hear the siren's call of FB and Twitter. I need to set my DVR to record my favorite shows. When I need a break from writing, that's when I can binge on all my TV shows and get caught up! 


Can't wait until next week's chat? Then check out of Romance Writer's Weekly Facebook page.     Our authors are ready to chat with you right now and will give you the inside scoop on their latest contest wins, upcoming books, and sales. Oh, and before you go, be a doll and enter our Romance Weekly Giveaway. 

Now, if y'all don't mind, I left my muse tied to a chair where I intend to keep her for the next few hours while I write. Next up on the love chat tour . . . Carrie Elks, author of Halfway Hidden and Fix You.

Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all..... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

If you found me by way of J.J. Devine, welcome! Be sure to come back Thursday to help J.J. and I celebrate the release of her new paranormal romance, Into The Darkness. Click here to join her release party: Release Party Details. Oh, and before I forget, be sure to enter our Romance Weekly Giveaway. Click here to enter.

This week's questions come to us from Jeanne McDonald, and boy, are they tough this week, or what?! Here goes. 

How did you go about choosing the names for your characters? 

I swear my characters just pick their own names and personality types. ; )

However, when that fails to happen, I turn to the internet or baby name books. Sometimes, I need to research the origin or meaning of a name.

I also keep a list of cool names that I'd like to use one day. As of today, Delanie, Brooklyn, and Nahla are on that list. 

Where did the inspiration for your current book come from? 

I'll admit, I can't for the life of me remember where the inspiration for Assassin, P.I. came from. But I do know where it came from for my next two projects.

Sophie and Mateo's story concept came to me at school one morning. Every Friday morning, from 7:00 to 7:30 a.m. our school site plays music for the kids to dance to. It's our way of celebrating that we made it through another week of learning. However, our school is situated in a small neighborhood, and across the street from our playground are several nice homes. I started wondering how our neighbors felt about the loud music, and the ensuing conga line Mrs. Gonzales would surely start.

What if Mateo, a cranky ex-Marine, lived in one of those homes? Surely he would resent the early morning wake up call. What if he tried throwing his weight around in the school's front office? How would Sophie, the petite school principal, react? I'm guessing sparks would fly right from the start.

Last week, I talked about another character who is very similar to me. April's story began several years ago after listening to a song. You know how song lyrics can be maddeningly difficult to decipher? Yeah. I mistakenly thought part of the song lyrics said the phrase, "GOING SANE." Can't remember the song, or the correct version of the lyrics, but the phrase stuck with me.

From there, I began thinking about three different women, all high school buddies, who leave their crazy lives in order to find their sanity. One leaves her neglectful husband for the sake of her young daughters. Another wants to get out of the rat race after losing a big promotion she was sure she'd get. And April needs to figure out what she wants from life. The three women, and two children, move in together to support each other.  

What methods do you use to ensure you have no plot holes (journal, storyboard, outline, editor, etc.)?

Does pulling my hair out and praying for the best, count? I think I've tried every method known to man! Since I write romantic suspense, and usually from multiple points of views, plotting can be difficult and confusing, especially for me. I've tried using index cards to keep track of scenes, sticky notes, outlines, and an overabundance of journals that I always seem to lose. I even threatened to create a clothesline approach on one wall in our bedroom. My hubby was none too happy about that, though, so it never came to be.

Now I use Scrivener as my writing software. I create a file for each of my characters, along with a photograph, physical description, personality traits, and motivation for their actions. As I write, I refer back to my character analysis notes and keep a long list of questions that need to be answered at some point in the storyline. And then (because it's my favorite tried-and-true method) I talk to whomever will listen. Usually it's one of my sisters who is subjected to an hour long phone conversation where I try to work out the storyline. When they get lost, they ask questions like "How . . . ?" and "Why . . . ?" In turn, I have to find the answers and rewrite or revise accordingly.


Next up . . . Jeana E. Mann, award-winning author of the novel, Intoxicated. Visit her blog at:  http://jeanaemann.net. 

Don't forget to visit again soon. Tomorrow I dish on my current project (a noir-inspired romantic suspense),  and Thursday author J.J. Devine will be here to celebrate her newest release! See you soon! 

Pillow Talk

Pillow Talk:

The intimate conversations that occur before, during, or after sex. 

Romantic Bed & Breakfast by Visit Finger Lakes, C.C. by 2.0

Grab your pillow. Today we're talking about sex. Specifically the kind of sex that occurs in most romance books. 

When you pick up a romance book, hopefully with the intention of reading it cover to cover rather than skimming for the steamy parts, you typically know what to expect, right? 

The first chapter or two is dedicated to introducing you to the two hapless characters, who just happen to be unlucky in love. We see the characters in their normal everyday environment. For example, the fireman is doing what he loves best . . . saving people from the hot tongues of flame. The lawyer is delivering his final argument in what is sure to be a certain win for his firm. The clumsy waitress trips and spills coffee everywhere. You get the idea. 

Next comes the cute meet, the moment when the hero and heroine first lock eyes, falling into immediate lust. Not love, yet. Love comes after lust. 

The two would-be lovers spend the remainder of the book alternating between being thrown together by events beyond their control, and pissing each other off. Their fate is obvious to everyone but them, and they continue to deny their feelings, lying through their teeth. 

At some point in time, the two main characters give in to their attraction. But how far they go, depends on the type of book you've chosen to read. 

Inspirational or Christian romance books tend to have a no sex before marriage clause. The characters can have desires, so long as they don't act on them. There is a slow build up of emotions that culminate in the promise of marriage. Often these books are labeled "sweet". 

Closed door sex is just that. The sex occurs, but behind doors only. The writer ends the scene just as things start steaming up the windows. 

Warm to Hot level books have more of an open door policy and the reader gets an invitation to be a voyeur. There are usually one or three sex scenes per book, depending on how how the rating is. Euphemisms are typically used here. 

Spicy books leave no detail to the imagination. All bets, and clothes, are off. Anything goes. Authors trade in their euphemisms for graphic details. Longer and more frequent sex scenes connect the storyline. 

Here are more heat scales you might want to check out before making your next romance purchase:

http://www.romcon.com/romcon-romance-heat-scale

http://www.likesbooks.com/kissburn.html

My first novel had no sex in the storyline at all. Well, that's not entirely true. There was a sex scene initially, but it got chopped before it ever made it to my editor. *Still liked the scene, though* As it stands now, Assassin P.I. has two sex scenes that would garner the book a hot rating, at least in my opinion. 

So how hot do you like your romance books to be? Sweet, spicy, or somewhere in between? Do you prefer euphemisms to describe body parts or do you crave all the juicy, graphic details? 

Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

Want to know more about what goes on inside the mind of a Romance writer? Are you sure you want to go there? LOL. Well, suit yourself. You can't say I didn't warn you! Romance Weekly is the first place to go if you want the inside scoop straight from writers you love. 

Whether you landed here by happenstance, or were so kindly directed by author Ronnie Allen, I'm thrilled you found me. Enjoy your stay and don't forget to enter our Romance Weekly Giveaway before you go. This week's questions from the lovely Tessa Gray.

Do any characters you've written into your books remind you of yourself? Explain which ones and why.

Sure, to some degree. For the most part though, my female characters embody some random aspect of my life, rather than my personality. Maya from Redemption For Liars roller skates because I did growing up. Angie, from Assassin P.I., sings and dances, only she's doesn't have the horrid case of stage fright that I have.

I do, however, have a character patiently waiting for me to tell her story (which is really more like my story). April can't make up her mind which path she wants her life to take. As a result, she has become a perpetual college student, switching her major whenever the mood strikes. Her choices in boyfriends suffer the same fate. I like to call her a serial monogamist (which I was totally guilty of being!). To find her inner voice, April swears off men (which only has the opposite effect) and sets off on an adventure of a lifetime through Latin America. This photo is what I imagine April might have looked like as a child. Colorful hair, sassy attitude, and a unique sense of fashion. Just talking about her makes me want to hurry up and write her story!

Was there a teacher or mentor in your life who helped nurture your writing?

I had several inspiring teachers in high school, but there are two college professors in particular who unknowingly stoked my writing confidence, for very different reasons. One because she hated me, and the other because she loved my writing.

While taking a course in The Psychology of Women, we were required to read articles and respond in writing. Encouraged to add in our own personal narratives to make our point, I relished each assignment, and the comments that followed. One comment in particular said this:

"Overall, you are a superb writer & throughout have insightful comments."  I cherish those handwritten comments. She was one of the first to actually value my writing skills.

On the other end of the spectrum, was my English 306 class. I couldn't stand the vague and pointless writing prompts the teacher assigned and she, in turn, couldn't stand my snarky comments or the classmates I sat with. Rather than fold under the pressure, I dug my teeth into each new challenge, determined to prove my writing worth. One assignment called for us to write about a Mythic Hero. So who'd I choose to write about? That's right. Jack Kevorkian, the hero of my paper entitled, EXPOSED! Angel of Death. I didn't even know how I felt about good ol' Jack and his deeds. I just wanted to prove I could support my arguments.

Here's a couple of my other assignment topics and subsequent titles:

• Cultural Outlaws . . . Madman With a Bible (the Kool-Aid Suicides of the Jonestown cult)
• Race Card . . . Dancing Racists? Or Too White to be a Hip-Hop Diva?

I guess I kinda like to push the envelope whenever I can. The teacher might have seriously disliked me, but she couldn't fault my writing skills. She only made me work harder to earn her approval.

Every author has that moment when they doubt their ability to write. When that happens to you, how do you pull yourself up by the bootstraps and continue? What do you do to inspire YOURSELF? 

Losing a contest, or receiving a dreaded rejection email, doesn't bother me so much anymore. But when every sentence I write begins to sound stiff, I take a break. I realize this sounds totally counterintuitive, but it works for me. I go play the piano, write music, redecorate my home, crochet, etc. I do anything creative that isn't writing. Sometimes my creative juices just need to be recharged.

Then I talk. I talk a lot. I bore my friends and co-workers with whatever plot dilemma I need to figure out. And because they don't know any better, they offer suggestions, none of which I ever take.

Once I'm done avoiding my computer, and hashing it out until I'm blue in the face, I begin rereading whatever story I happen to be working on at the time. With enough distance and time, I fall in love with writing again. My fickle muse calls me back to the keyboard.

But if my wacko avoidance method doesn't work, all it really takes is for someone to issue a dare, and tell me I can't do it. I'll do whatever it takes to prove them wrong. Problem solved!

Next up on the Romance Weekly Blog Hop is Jami Denise. While you're on her blog, check out her Jayne book series, See Jayne Play (book 1) and Queen of Hearts (book 2). Trust me when I say, they both look, and sound, sinfully delightful. Check out her book covers below. 

Well, that's all for today. Don't forget to enter our Romance Weekly Giveaway!  

Click here to enter. 

See y'all next week!