Most people think that with over 50 published works in 20 years that I can just sit down and write and write and write. Many know that I normally have a strict regimen of writing every day (work and family permitting). But like many there are moments when self-doubt grabs me and drags me down, especially in this constantly changing publishing landscape. Self-doubt is one of the most debilitating things in life and not just for writing. It can become an anchor that can keep you from success at whatever you want out of life regardless of whether it’s a relationship, career or writing. When those moments come on me, I tell myself to look not at what’s not been done, but at what’s been accomplished. I tell myself that the person who did all that can do anything they absolutely want to do. The only thing standing in the way is my own self-doubt. If you have those moments as well, take a second to share what helps you get over them and move on.
Original Image by Jean van der Meulen from Pixabay
Some people may know that I started out writing contemporary romance. Eight of them in fact for Kensington Publishing’s defunct ENCANTO romance line. I had written those novels over the course of about three years and I wanted to challenge myself by writing something totally new and different. Being a fan of The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I wondered what I would do if I mashed the two genres — suspense and vampires — and tossed in some romance as well. That’s how THE CALLING IS REBORN series was created. Little did I know I would be sucked into a world of both regular and paranormal suspense for the next ten years. WOW! But like I had before, I felt myself craving doing some different and definitely something lighter. That’s how ONE SUMMER NIGHT and WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER came about as well as the TAKE A CHANCE Military Romance novellas.
It is a risk to mix genres like that. For an author it’s like playing roulette because you never know if you’re going to have a winner and make a reader happy. Ultimately, that’s one of the big end goals – happy readers. But there is also another goal: loving what you do as a writer.
Will writing in multiple genres work? It has for some people, but I always caution first-time authors to focus on one genre for at least a few books. Develop a following before you go off and try something different. If readers like you, they will follow. If not…
Publishing is a crap shoot for sure. If you’re going to be a winner in the long run the most important thing is to be passionate about what you write.
Being a writer is not only a solitary life at times, it’s a sedentary life. Plus, putting words on paper doesn’t have an immediate sense of satisfaction at completing something, mainly because it often takes weeks or months for your work-in-progress to be completed. For that reason, I take time to explore my other creative sides which provide that burst of “I got this done!”
Sometimes it’s making SWAG for you guys, like bookmarks or necklaces. Other times it’s about building something, like this tree hall I just finished this weekend! I had been shopping around and most of the tree halls were $300 plus and I have to confess to having a very big frugal streak (my husband calls it cheap, but I prefer frugal).
Since I had wood lying around and also a door that was no longer in use I thought: How hard would it be to turn this into a hall tree?
Well, after three weekends it turned out that it wasn’t so hard. Scrap wood, the door, some pipes and spray paint I had lying around, hooks that were on sale at Hobby Lobby, a door knob, and some gloss white paint and voila! Upcycled hall tree. Total out of pocket cost about $40. Yep, $40 and not $300. I’d say that worked out well and I got to exercise that other creative muscle in my body.
When you write it’s good not to have a self-editor that keeps you from putting certain words or scenes on the page. It’s important to let the story flow and then step back and see how a scene works and how it fits into the story you want to tell. That stepping back sometimes shows you that a scene doesn’t belong somewhere and Snip! It ends up on the cutting room floor. That’s what happened with this very sexy scene between Connie and Jonathan in WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER. It was just too much too soon sadly, but don’t worry. The story has other sexy and emotional and tender bits between Connie and Jon. LOL!
WARNING: For Mature Audiences
“I missed you,†she said as she tumbled back onto the mattress and brought him down with her, all earlier trace of playfulness gone as she stared up at him, her exotic green-gold gaze serious as she swept it over his face. Her wavy hair was a dark cloud against the bleached white of the linens.
“I missed you, too,†he said and knew it was more about the separation to come in a week and not about the long hours since last night.
He bent his head and kissed her, his touch tender and caring, and she answered in kind, her lips soft and coaxing. Inviting him to join with her.
Reaching down, he slipped his hands beneath the hem of the cotton nightshirt she wore and eased it off her body. He touched every inch he revealed, savoring the womanly curves. Bending to kiss the tan lines just below her navel and then higher, along the swells of her generous breasts. Feathering his lips across her passion-tight nipples. How he’d wanted to see and taste those breasts last summer when she’d first caught his eye as he’d been surfing down on the beach.
Although Maggie had been bringing her friends to the Jersey Shore every summer since they’d met freshman year in college, he’d never really paid much attention at first. He’d had his share of the girls from his high school class fawning over him.
But when Maggie and her friends had come back the next year, he had finally, gratefully, noticed what a real woman should look like. Like Connie, all luscious curves and gorgeous breasts, he thought as he bent his head and kissed the tips once more. Caressed them into harder nubs with his fingers and sucked them deep into his mouth.
She keened his name and threaded her fingers through the longish strands of his hair. Bumped her hips against his erection and he couldn’t be patient.
Neither could she as together they undid his jeans and peeled them off. He paused only long enough to pull a condom from his wallet and she took it from his hands, opened the packet, and rolled it down his length.
A shudder worked along his spine at her caress and at the knowing smile she gave him from beneath half-lowered lids.
“You’re a hard woman, Connie Reyes,†he teased.
“And luckily you’re a hard man, Jonathan Pierce,†she teased right back and her smile promised he wouldn’t be disappointed.
He slipped between her thighs as she lay on the edge of the bed, eager for him, but he didn’t want to rush. As impatient as he might be to make love to her, he wanted her to know how much this meant to him. How this wasn’t only a summer romance for him.
He leaned over her, his gaze locked on her face. He wanted to say the words, Lord how he wanted to, but they stuck in his throat and so he let every kiss and touch tell her what he couldn’t voice. He reaffirmed his love with caress after caress of her body until she was straining beneath him, wild with need. Begging for him to be with her, not that Connie was normally the kind of woman to beg.
His Connie was proud, smart, and independent. That she pleaded with him to take her only made him that much more aware of how careful he needed to be with the gift she’d given him. Slowly he entered, possessing her inch by tempting inch until he was buried deep inside her warmth. He watched her face as he took her, their gazes locked together as they lost themselves to the pleasure they could bring each other.
Her gaze became molten, golden, as her release pulled her upward and she moved beneath him. She ran her hands all over his body, her every touch a fiery brand against his flesh. Her hot hands smooth against his harder body.
Her breasts moved with each shift of his hips, enticing him until he could no longer resist. He bent his head and tasted and sucked as he drove into her over and over, forcing desire ever higher until her release burst over him.
She grabbed hold of his shoulders, digging her fingers into his muscles as she cradled him with her knees and pushed up, deepening his possession. Her body convulsed around him, embracing him until with a rough shout, he came, shaking and sweating from the force of his release.
He dropped onto her and she held him close. Ran her hands across his shoulders as he gulped in a few rough breaths. Against his ear her heart was pounding wildly beneath her passion damp skin. Her breath was shaky until little by little, peace enveloped them both.
He’d never had such peace with anyone else before. Okay, maybe his brother Owen, who always stood up for him and had his back.
But never anyone else. Never a woman, especially one like Connie.
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You can purchase WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER at the following locations:
I always look forward to my local group’s conference! It’s always a great experience to spend time with readers and writers and to attend the awesome workshops and be inspired about something I love to do: Writing!
This is a picture of me taken at the book fair which is open to the general public.
This year’s conference is from March 24-25 and if you’ll be in the area, I hope that you’ll consider joining me! For more information on the conference and the book fair, which is open to the general public, please visit www.lsfwriters.com
You’ll have to excuse as I’m a little punch drunk today. No, not too much wine, just a lot of work! I was up until close to midnight finishing up a project!
But speaking of wine . . . Some wine fun for you today!
Have a great Wednesday and don’t forget to check out all the giveaways going on for ONE SUMMER NIGHT! You can find them all on my Facebook Page and on Twitter and on Instagram.
I was a Science Major in college and so my mindset was very much one of if I did A and added B I’d get C result. Logical and sensible.
But then there was the artist side of me who wanted to create stories for people to read and enjoy. Step A.
The Type A side of me said, Get that book finished and published. Step B.
The dreamer in me said, Once it’s published, all will be as it should be. Uh, no, not Result C.
In fact, the result of chasing my dream of being published and having a career in publishing was never as logical and sensible and results oriented as the scientist in me wished. It’s been an up and down process and like many, sometimes I wondered why I continued writing.
After a lot of soul searching, the answer was always the same: I had to write because I couldn’t imagine not writing. I would never stop having stories in my head that I wanted to share with people because it’s in the sharing that they come alive.
So for all the aspiring authors and my published author friends, those are my words of wisdom for today.
