Fast Drafting to the Finish Line!

May 7, 2018

I’ve been in a bit of a writing slump for a couple of years (due to some crap life threw at my family) and haven’t released anything new (a couple of re-releases, but that’s it). I’ve started and stopped a few books in that time, but keep getting stuck.

With every book I hope I’ll find a process that works for me, but – big sigh here – my process is just a mess and I think I need to learn to accept that. I’m a pantser (I write by the seat of my pants, with no/limited plotting beforehand) who wants to be a plotter, who’s really a pantser who keeps trying to be a plotter. Yes, I’m confused. LOL.

It’s exhausting trying to be something you’re not.

Years ago, I attended an RWA workshop called Fast Draft, by the amazing Candace Havens. She is also a pantser who has written countless books. She says the first draft is the hardest (I’d have to agree) and she can finish the first draft of a novel in 14 days… by writing 20 pages a day.

Considering I can barely write 1-2 pages a day, this number is daunting. But she promises if you can stick with it, by day 3 or so, the magic will take over and you won’t be able to type fast enough to get the story out of your head onto the page.

Havens says the faster you write that first draft, the more your muse will take over, the less your bitchy internal editor will yell at you, and the more creative your story will be.

Sounds promising.

So… because I’m tired of spinning my wheels with this story (and the others I’ve attempted to write), I’m going to give it a shot. She says the average writer will take 3.5 hours to get 20 pages written. And the more you practice, the faster you’ll go. I don’t know if I’ll be able to hit 20 pages. But I’m going to try.

I’ve got nothing to lose. My first drafts are completely sucky whether they take me two years to write or two months. So why not try for two weeks?

The rules are simple:

• No whining.
• The only excuse for not writing is if you’re in a coma or dead.
• Write as fast as you can.
• No going back to read/edit what you wrote the day before, just keep going.
• No stopping to research, just make a note to yourself.
• If you’re more of a plotter, you can write up a synopsis beforehand or scene cards or whatever you need to do to start writing the first draft.
• No excuses.

The key is challenging myself to write more than I normally do, and to immerse myself in the story world every single day. I want to live, breathe and eat my story.

I’m going to give this a shot. Wish me luck. I’ll update you in a week on how it’s going. If you want to join me or try this yourself, let me know in the comments.

Week 5: The Artist's Way

Week 5: 

Recovering a Sense of Possibility

I apologize for my hiatus. My husband had major surgery and it kind of threw me for a loop. So if there’s any time I need a creative recovery, it’s now.  Anyway, I hope to be back on my weekly or sort-of-weekly schedule of going through this program.

This past week we were supposed to examine our payoffs to remaining stuck. Julia Cameron said most of us have a limited notion to what we are able to accomplish. I’d agree with this. Lately, with my focus elsewhere and not on my writing, I don’t believe I can write at all. So I haven’t even tried.

Cameron suggests we look to our higher power (whatever that is for us) for help, saying that we must not set a limit on how much He can help us or give us. Here’s the thing, while I’m not a religious person, I am spiritual. And I’ve prayed every night for my husband’s healing. I haven’t thought to pray for my creative recovery—it sounds so trite and trivial in comparison. But perhaps I shouldn’t limit my beliefs to thinking I’m asking for too much.

Cameron says we need to stop discounting our dreams, and not be afraid to ask for help, guidance, abundance. Hmm. That’ll be hard for me, given my circumstances now, but I will try. I will try to be open to opportunities and at least try to write again.

She also says we must have downtime to do nothing. That withdrawal from others is a necessity to an artist. If we deprive ourselves of this, we feel “vexed, angry, out of sorts.” I can relate to this. I have had no time to myself for weeks. I don’t begrudge my husband or the situation, but I guess it makes sense then that I have no creative well to draw from when I barely have time to myself to think. I will work on this. I will try to tend a bit more to my needs as I’m tending to his.

So… no major revelations this week. If my life wasn’t so topsy turvy right now, I would have really enjoyed this week’s exercises and readings. I’m going to assume my subconscious is taking in all Cameron’s advice to use sometime in the future.

Weekly Check-in:

Morning pages: Except for the few days I stayed at the hospital with my hubby, I have done these religiously. In fact, I believe they’re what have kept me somewhat sane.

Artist Date: Ummm, not really. I have been coloring in my adult coloring book, which I find enjoyable and meditative. I feel guilty coloring for more than a few minutes at a time, but some is better than none, right?

Any synchronicity this week? If there was, I wasn’t paying attention. LOL. Maybe next week…

Week 4: The Artist's Way

Recovering a Sense of Integrity

This is the week we start sorting through the differences between our real feelings (how we really feel) and our official feelings (what we project publicly). Julia Cameron warns this may be exciting or really difficult, or both. Uh, yeah. This week was hell.

When someone asks how we are, we usually answer, "I'm fine," or "All good," or some other innocuous answer. But inside, are we really fine? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Our morning pages help us get to the root of how and what we are truly feeling, not just about our art and creativity, but about our lives. 

Life has been a struggle for me and my family lately. My husband has battled unemployment and now cancer. People are always asking me how we're doing, how I'm doing. I always say, "I'm fine. It's all fine. We'll get through this." I do believe we'll get through this, but am I fine? Oh, hell no. Inside my head, I'm curled up in a fetal position wanting to ignore the world because it's all so overwhelming. I've been writing down my thoughts in my morning pages, unraveling how I'm really feeling rather than the way I project myself to the outside world. I didn't expect The Artist's Way to help me get a handle on this most difficult time in my life, but it is. You can't hide in the morning pages. 

Thanks to this program, I'm trying to find more alone time--time to think, cry, write my pages, do my weekly tasks, whatever. I feel like I'm nearing a break-thru, that I'll be able to write again soon. Every time I try, I just stare at the blinking cursor and no words come. But I really don't feel stuck anymore; I just don't quite know where I am at the moment. Cameron says that's normal. . 

This is also a week where we work on our changing self-definition. It encouraged me to finally start working on my goals for the year, in my writing business, health and fitness. I've been redefining what health and fitness means to me. Before my husband's diagnosis, it was all about losing those extra pounds I've gained, upping my workouts, achieving new feats of physical fitness. Now, it's about my general health and that of my family. I want to eat healthier and work out more consistently to be healthier, live longer and feel better, rather than to lose weight or look better in my jeans. 

On a lighter note...Ugh. This was the week of reading deprivation. Luckily, it took me 3 days into the week to read the chapter, so I *only* had 4 days of this special kind of hell. According to Cameron, reading deprivation "casts us into our inner silence." Even though reading is vital to a writer, by depriving ourselves of this inflow of someone else's words, new words will begin to form inside of us. Hmm, didn't really happen like that for me. I kept forgetting and would find myself accidentally reading. Oops. Instead of reading, I watched more Criminal Minds reruns, listened to some podcasts, and almost shot myself out of boredom as I walked on my treadmill with nothing to read. 

Still, Cameron insists it's a powerful tool--"and a very frightening one. Even thinking about it can bring up enormous rage." Yep, that was me. Rage-aholic for the the last four days. LOL

All in all, it was an... interesting week. Glad it's over. Ready to move ahead.

Weekly Check-in:

Morning pages--Did these daily. I start the pages with 10 things I'm grateful for. Monday, #1 was "I'm grateful I'm allowed to read today." LOL

Tasks--I did most of them.

Artist Date--Nope. Why do I resist this? I have no idea.

How's the program going for you? Any breakthroughs?

The Artist's Way--Week 3

Week 3

Recovering a Sense of Power

You may have noticed that Week 3 took me two weeks instead of one. While this program is 12 weeks in the book, I

figured there was no harm in going longer if I felt the need.

I ended up purchasing the workbook, and have been reading through it, doing some tasks from earlier weeks that I skipped. I think the workbook will be really valuable – I recommend getting it if you haven’t already.

Every section of this week’s chapter spoke to me. The first is about Anger. “In the recovery of a blocked artist, anger is a sign of health,” Cameron says. Well, good. Guess I’m healthy. She says with a little digging, we can figure out what our anger is trying to tell us, that it will always tell us how we’ve betrayed ourselves.

I’m angry at myself for all the time I’ve wasted over the last few weeks/months/years, worrying about this, that and the other thing rather than just writing. I spend a lot of time telling myself “I can’t” or “This is a waste of time” rather than just sitting down to write. I spend a lot of time being jealous and envious of others’ successes; if I spent as much time writing as I do comparing myself to others, I’d be way better off. If I could grab myself by the shoulders and shake myself, I would.

Cameron also talks about Synchronicity. This is probably my favorite part of this whole course, because it’s so true. “Watch out for what you pray for, you just might get it.” She says once we start our creative recovery, synchronicity (answered prayers, the open door, whatever you want to call it) will pop up everywhere. She says never to ask yourself if you can do something. She says to say instead that you are doing it. And amazing things will start to happen. 

“Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.”--Ovid

I haven’t experienced much synchronicity yet while doing this creative recovery, but I know I will. I just need to keep my eyes open to it.

Another thing Cameron talks about which really hits home with me is Shame. “What will the neighbors think” was my grandmother’s favorite saying. It must have sunk into my brain because whenever I write a steamy sex scene, I think my mom’s going to read this, or some of my co-workers might read this, etc. Why do I care? If I wrote graphic horror novels, I wouldn’t think twice about friends and family reading those scenes. Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten so many comments over the years about my choice to write romance. “I think it’s time you take your writing more seriously.” “Did you know Becky writes those smut novels?” “Do you actually read romances?” Yes. I love to read romance novels. It’s my favorite genre. It makes sense that I would write it. So what’s my problem?

I also feel shame that I spend so much time on my writing, when I could be spending more time with my family, or cleaning my house, or cooking, or any of the bazillion other activities I could be doing.

Clearly, I have some serious issues to overcome, LOL, thus this program and thus the reason for taking my time in completing Week 3.

Weekly Check-in:

Morning pages—I do these daily. They are pretty whiny and like a glorified To Do list lately, but my day would feel incomplete without them.

Artist Date: Last week, I spent about 45 minutes at the local Goodwill, looking at their huge selection of used books. I also like looking through the furniture and vases and pottery. This week, I didn’t do an artist date. I’m still resisting it. It still feels like a waste of my time, which means I really need it.

Tasks: I did the majority of the tasks. Now that I have the workbook, I plan to eventually go back and finish them all.

How’s your creative recovery going? Does my craziness make you feel better about yours?

Week 2: The Artist's Way

Week 2

Recovering a Sense of Identity

I just finished my second week of The Artist’s Way 12-week program. This week, author Julia Cameron talks about how we doubt our creative power. We question how on earth the “universe” might be cooperating with us as we strive to find our creativity again.

But I had at least one instance where this seemed spot on. I like to listen to writing podcasts while I’m driving. When one finishes, it immediately goes on to the next one. Well, one day last week, the podcast I was listening to finished and went right into the next. It was one about freelance writing—something I had no interest in listening to and normally would’ve deleted it and gone on to another. But I didn’t want to fiddle with my phone while I was driving. I ended up listening to that podcast twice, checking out the interviewee's blog and signing up for her newsletter.

Long ago I had a dream of being a freelance writer, but that dream got lost along the way of my life and my fiction writing career. But freelance writing makes so much sense—I have 14 years experience as a personal trainer/instructor/coach. Why have I not tried my hand at fitness writing? I have a background in graphic design and illustration. Could there be something in that industry I could write about? Hmm. The wheels in my brain are starting to turn…

Cameron wants us to set aside our skepticism. When a weird idea or coincidence pops up or presents itself to us, we should gently nudge the door open and peek inside, rather than slamming the door to new ideas and/or possibilities. Which is what I tend to do a lot. It’s all about being open-minded (or open-doored LOL).

She says creative blocks manifest in our fantasies, in our daydreams. We need to start paying attention to those. “Sanity lies in paying attention,” she says.

So starting today, I will pay attention. I will nudge that door open and peer inside.

What about you? What do you need to start paying attention to?

Weekly Check-in:

• I did my morning pages daily (easy for me; it’s been my routine for 10+ years).
• Tasks—I did a couple of them; resisted these for some reason.
• Artist Date—I went on a 4-day writing retreat with six other authors. So I basically had a 4-day Artist Date, and it was fabulous, inspiring and humbling.

Becoming a less neurotic writer (is there such a thing?)

Author's Note: I will be starting the 12-week Artist's Way journey beginning January 4. I'll be blogging weekly about my progress. I'd love for some of you to join me.

In early 2015, I set a goal to become a less neurotic writer. Well, it’s been almost a year, and I still have a long way to go. I have a lifetime of bad habits and neuroses to overcome. Julia Cameron of The Artist’s Way calls this journey “creative recovery.” Hmm. That has a much more positive ring to it than becoming less neurotic, doesn’t it?

My personal journey involves daily journaling, meditating, yoga and nature walks. I haven’t been doing any of those things as much as I would like, but despite some personal life bumps in the road, I’m making progress (but not enough, which is why I'll be doing The Artist's Way again).

I have the meanest, bitchiest internal editor to ever walk the face of the earth. She is downright cruel. You should hear what she says to me. It’s not even printable. I call her Helga. Ugly name for an ugly being. (If your name is Helga, I apologize--I’m sure you’re a lovely person.)

Some things I’ve been reading in The Artist’s Way have really hit home. Cameron talks about how anger is at the root of much of our creative neuroses. She says that “in the recovery of a blocked artist, anger is a sign of health.” Awesome. I must be a flippin’ health guru, because I’ve been mad a lot lately. In fact, it seems I’m always ticked off about something or other in regard to my writing career. Recently, a couple of writer friends/acquaintances who just started writing achieved greater success (ie: big sales to major publishers or making oodles of money self-publishing) than I have in all my years of struggling. I went through the mature reactions of “It’s not fair!” and “They haven’t paid their dues!” and listened when Helga told me that I’ll never achieve similar success because I suck as a writer. Yeah, it was a really pleasant time in the Clark household.

Cameron asks us to pinpoint what it is we’re really mad at. She says anger is our friend—it will always tell us when we have betrayed ourselves. This was an aha! moment for me. I’m not angry at these friends or even the situation. I’m angry at myself—for the opportunities I didn’t explore, the countless hours I’ve wasted not writing, the wrong turns I’ve taken. It’s all about me. Now that I realize it’s me I’m pissed at, now maybe I can redirect that feeling into my work.

Cameron also talks about synchronicity, which is another word for answered prayers. Be careful what you wish for. Knock and the door will open. Ask and you will receive. However you want to say it. Cameron says once we begin our creative recovery, synchronicity will pop up everywhere. It’s happened to me—a few months ago, I was telling a friend and fellow writer that I wished I had some sort of group to keep me motivated to write on days when I don’t feel like it (like today). Well, she just happened to belong to an international group of women writers with a monthly quota of submissions and critiques, and a few days later I had an invitation in my inbox.

Try it for yourself. Put your wish or desire “out there” and see what happens. And keep me posted. And if you’re a writer who is not neurotic, please tell me your secret in the comments.

Interview with... CHRISTY GISSENDANER

Thanks for being here today, Christy. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I’m Christy Gissendaner and I hail

from the great state of Alabama. I’m a busy wife, mother, office manager, and romance author - or author(s), as the case may be. I write under two pen names, but I’m here today as Christy. 

Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person? 

Oh my gosh, yes! Very, very shy and introverted. I’ve grown out of my shell a tad bit as an adult, but if I’m ever in a new situation, I revert back to the shy, introverted gal of my youth. 

In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?
Online, I’m not shy AT ALL. In fact, I would almost say the opposite. Where being shy has hindered me has been at conferences and promotional events. I hesitate to put myself out there and do anything that comes across as “look at me”. Book signings are the worst! I stare at the table, unable to make eye contact with anyone. In fact, I still can’t make eye contact, even in my day to day life. 

In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?

Hmm…that’s a hard one. Being shy also hindered me when I began to write sex scenes, which let’s face is a necessity in romances today. So I really don’t fell being shy helped me in any way. 

What’s the hardest part of this business for you?

Finding the time to write. Hands down. 

Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?

My day job requires me to give a financial summary at our monthly Board meetings. Even though it’s a small number of people, I absolutely dread standing up and speaking in front of people. 

What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?

It’s okay to be shy. Not everyone can have the “big” personality! 

Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?

CHRISTMAS SPIRITS (Available now!) Kia May has little time for anything as her lifelong dream of being a fashion designer comes to fruition. For Christmas, she takes time out of her busy schedule to visit her family, where her grandmother reveals a secret of her Baoule heritage. 

In Baoule, located on the Ivory Coast of Africa, the people believe in spirit lovers, which you are separated from at birth. Tedros, Kia’s lover from the spirit world, appears to her and reveals that he is there to assist her in finding a mortal lover.

Elliot Melton, the brother of Kia's new sister in law, is also invited to share the season with the family. With the help of a meddling grandmother and an otherworldly spirit, Elliot and Kia soon find out that Christmas is the best time to fall in love.

Where can my readers find you on the web?

Visit me at http://christygissendaner.webs.com

Thanks for having me!!

More about Christy:

Christy Gissendaner is a paranormal and contemporary romance author who believes laughter and love should go hand in hand.

Christy lives in Alabama with her husband and three sons. She’s always hard at work on her next novel, but in her spare time she loves blackjack, karaoke, and anything resembling a vacation!

To find out more, please visit http://christygissendaner.webs.com

http://www.twitter.com/christygis

http://www.facebook.com/christygis

http://www.goodreads.com/christygissendaner

Thanks so much for coming on today, Christy!

Stepping out of my comfort zone

As an introvert, I like to stay tucked inside my comfort zone. But occasionally, I force myself out of it, in big or small ways. 

The other day I did something I never do: I posted some photos of myself demonstrating exercises for a writing loop I belong to. 

Now, you might think this is no big deal, but if you know me or are friends with me on Facebook, you'll see that I rarely post photos of myself. If I do, they're just parts of my face, rarely my whole face or body. If I find a photo I like, I use it for years. 

I'm a personal trainer in my day job. If you saw me in person, you might think I don't look anything like you might have expected a personal trainer to look like. I'm 50 years old, and I'm far from a size two. I'm very fit, but I'm certainly not "skinny." In fact, like many women my age, I have a few extra pounds I struggle to lose. I post a lot on Facebook and my blogs about fitness, but I've never used photos of myself demonstrating exercises, because I know what people's expectations are, and I'm just not comfortable sharing photos like that.

But the other day, I did. I was trying to explain some exercises and finally thought, "Screw it. I'll just have my hubby take some pictures. That'll make it much easier." So I did. And you know what? The world didn't end. The internet didn't blow up. In fact, nobody even commented. So basically I was worried about nothing. 

Sometimes, we just need to do it. Push aside our discomfort and do it. Whatever "it" is.

What about you? Have you done anything recently to push yourself out of your comfort zone? Let me know in the comments so I can give you a virtual high five. 

Fabulous Firsts with... KATE HILL

First Five Sentences of... 

STARVING ARTIST

Blair remembered the day he first met Grace. He was working as a stable hand in the home of a wealthy lord. She was the blacksmith’s daughter and had come to the stable to fetch her father because her younger brother had taken ill. Blair had fallen in love with her at first sight, but being a young man and wanting to see the world, he had recently joined the army. They had little time together before he left and was soon sent to war.

Available now!

Amazon | Changeling Press | All Romance eBooks

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT KATE

What was the first romance you ever read?

I was in grammar school and it was an old Harlequin called My Tender Fury. If I remember correctly, the hero was a teacher. Even way back then I thought the romance was a little too sweet, but I enjoyed it. :-)

Tell me about your very first kiss?

I'm afraid this first wasn't so fabulous. :-) My first kiss was so disgusting it almost turned me off ever kissing again. Not the right person, not the right moment. Nothing about it was right, except that it showed me what I didn't want in the future.

What’s the first thing you do when you start writing a new story?

The first thing I do is start getting to know the characters. I spend a lot of time thinking about them, taking notes and imagining how they would react to different situations.

MORE ABOUT KATE

Always a fan of romance and the paranormal, Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story, a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out and spending time with her family and pets. Kate also writes under the pen name Saloni Quinby. She enjoys hearing from readers and she can be contacted at katehill@sprintmail.com. 

Find Kate online here

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Meatless Mondays--Mexican Lasagna

It's not that I don't love a good steak or cheeseburger every now and then, but I just feel better when I eat less meat. So, my family enjoys Meatless Mondays. Here's what we had tonight.

MEXICAN LASAGNA

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (I actually use about four, but I love garlic)
2 tsp olive oil
1 can mexican stewed tomatoes, pureed
1 can black beans, drained
1-2 cups frozen or canned corn (I use frozen)
1 cup salsa
Shredded cheddar cheese (I use lighter fat cheese, made with 2% milk)
Corn tortilla chips (I used baked chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 8x8 pan with cooking spray (I double this recipe and use a cake size pan). Saute onion in the oil until it's translucent. Add garlic. Stir until the room fills with yummy garlic and oniony smells, then add the tomatoes, beans and corn. Cook on low until bubbly.

Sprinkle a layer of crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of the pan. Spoon a layer of the bean mixture on top. Sprinkle light coating of shredded cheese. Repeat layers of chips and beans. Top the whole thing with the salsa, then add another light layer of shredded cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until it's all bubbly and yummy looking. Serve with a big side of non-starchy vegetables.

You'll never miss the meat. I promise!

Enjoy!

P.S. Trying to fit in exercise to your busy schedule? This is a CXE recipe: Cook. Exercise. Eat. Put dinner in the oven. You have 35 minutes to workout while it cooks. No excuses. 

Fabulous Firsts with... MYA O'MALLEY

The first few sentences of... WHERE THERE IS LOVE 

We were just finishing up our drinks when Derek slammed me with the inevitable question. The question that has been looming on the horizon for a while now; hanging there like a branch ready to snap if the slightest breeze blows by. It was a shame, too, because I was actually having a great time with Derek, relaxing and sharing a delicious meal.

Celia’s is on the outskirts of town. It’s a dark, romantic restaurant that takes you back to an old romantic era, one where life was simple. Old wine bottles from years ago garnish the walls and add to the old world charm. Sconces with thick, white candles adorn the wall next to our table. I hear Simon, the regular fixture at Celia’s. Simon plays the piano on weekends; I find myself lost in a sobbing rendition of Chopin. Butterflies come to mind, floating, dipping, flying. I shake my head to clear my thoughts as I hear Derek speaking to me.

“What do you think?” Derek gazes at me, grasping my hand tighter, with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Um, sorry?”

“Mia, will you move in with me?”

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT MYA

What was the first Rated R movie you ever saw? The first R-Rated movie that I watched was The Amityville Horror. I can remember being afraid to go to sleep. Several years later, I read the book and it scared me just as much. I really don’t enjoy watching horror movies, so now I pass on most of them.


What was the first romance you ever read? I don’t remember exactly which book it was, but Danielle Steel was definitely the first romance author that I read. At the time, I read one book after the other, she was one of my favorite authors. I have watched the movies of several of her books on television lately and I still enjoy her stories tremendously.

I have always loved the idea of romance, even as a young teen I can remember my aunt commenting that I seemed like a romantic at heart and that I should never change.

Tell me about the first novel you ever wrote? What ever happened to it? There’s something special about an author’s very first novel. The first novel that I ever wrote is Where There is Love. The original version is quite different than the actual novel that is now released with Solstice Publishing. My main character, Mia, struggles with a challenging past which has caused trouble in her relationships years later. Mia becomes a mentor for a student that she teaches and reevaluates her own choices in life. Will Mia open her heart to love or will she continue to repeat past mistakes? The story took me several years to write. I made some major changes in terms of characters and points of view in the story and then even after I received a contract for it, I made significant changes to the story. I love the story as it is now, but I have kept the very first original version, which I will always cherish as well.

MORE ABOUT MYA--Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students. 

Mya currently has two new releases: At First Sight, a contemporary romance about dating in the modern world, published by Astraea Press, and Where There is Love, a contemporary romance in which a woman struggles with past obstacles, ultimately faced with whether or not she will open her heart to love. Where There is Love is published with Solstice Publishing. Mya is excited to say that Astraea Press will be releasing her contemporary holiday paranormal romance titled If You Believe on November 25, 2014.

Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her sixth novel. 

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FABULOUS FIRSTS WITH... Christina Lorenzen

The first few sentences of... A HUSBAND FOR DANNA

Panting from the short dash from the church to the curb, Danna looked around wild-­eyed, spotting a limo at the curb. The fact that it wasnʹt her bridal partyʹs limousine didnʹt matter. She ran around to the driverʹs side and flung open the door. The sound of her wedding gown tearing broke the silence in the big empty car. Frustrated, she shoved away the seat belt and fumbled with the ignition key.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT CHRISTINA

What was the first romance you ever read?

I actually started with romantic suspense novels by Phyllis Whitney and books by Victoria Holt and Kathleen Woodiwiss. My grandmother was a voracious reader and always had a stack of books from the library. I would read hers and find new authors for myself.

Tell me about the first novel you ever wrote? What ever happened to it?

The first novel I ever wrote was a YA. Actually there were 3 YAs that I wrote but it was long ago and I was a teen. Around senior year I landed a job writing for a local paper and once I saw how writing articles could pay money almost instantly, I packed up my fiction dreams and those 3 manuscripts. To this day I don’t know what happened to them. I’m thinking they’re buried in the attic of my parents’ house never to see the light of day again.

What’s the first thing you do when you start writing a new story?

Like anything else that’s new in life, starting out is the most exciting part. When I’m ready to start a new story the first thing I do is head to my local office supply store to pick out a notebook. For each novel I write I keep a novel notebook. Since I don’t do formal outlines and I’m basically a pantster, the notebook is where I jot down the beginnings of the story. I write out the basic premise, the names of the hero and heroine, the setting and other details that I know at the start. Even when I’m not writing I’m planning that book so the notebook is where I jot down insights and sudden ideas and details. I play with this notebook for quite a while. Then when the actual writing of the first draft begins I keep the notebook next to my laptop. At the end of each writing session I jot down notes about what I wrote that day. If I have concluded a chapter, I write up a summary of what happened and to whom in the notebook. The notebook is also excellent for keeping track of things like days, time, months, hair color, eye color. It’s easy to start out with a blue eyed hero and then suddenly find yourself writing “his chocolate brown eyes” chapters down the road. The notebook helps with continuity, which is vital to authors because readers do notice.

MORE ABOUT CHRISTINA

Christina Lorenzen started writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head and down on paper. Her love of writing has sustained her through a myriad of jobs that included hairdresser, legal secretary, waitress and door to door saleswoman. Luckily for her, writing proved to be successful and a lot less walking than going door to door. A Husband for Danna is Christina’s first novel. She is busy working on her next. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found walking her dog, talking to her herd of cats and spending time with her family.

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FABULOUS FIRSTS with... Allie Boniface

The first few sentences of... 

BEACON OF LOVE

One of the 10 novels in the Passionate Kisses boxed set (see photo to left)

Just 99 cents and available now!

Sophie picked up her notepad and looked over the points she’d jotted earlier in the day. Her driver slowed the car to a crawl as rain poured down around them, dark and heavy, the thick, eggy kind of drops that thudded ominously against everything they hit and sounded as though they might turn to hail at any moment.

Reason for the murders?
Lights or voices or both?
Woman on the beach?

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT ALLIE

Tell me about the first novel you ever wrote? What ever happened to it?

Actually, the first novel I ever completed, back in 2007, was published by a small press under the title Lost in Paradise. It’s a story about a fresh Harvard grad whose family is embroiled in scandal, so she moves to the small town of Paradise, New Hampshire, for a summer and takes on an alias so she can escape the media circus. She moves into the upstairs apartment of a rental house…and our hero, the very sexy, single uber-bachelor of Paradise, moves in downstairs. First Ashton and Eddie become friends…they then become more…then Ashton’s secret is uncovered. Last year, I got the rights to this story back, added a couple of chapters, and re-released it as The Promise of Paradise – which also happens to be the prequel to the Hometown Heroes series! And the very sexy, single uber-bachelor Eddie is still my favorite hero to date.

Tell me about your very first kiss?

Oh, sigh. My first (real) kiss was with a guy I had an enormous crush on in high school. I was at a party and my date had deserted me to talk to his ex-girlfriend, so my crush took me home…only we didn’t go home first. We went parking. Enough said. I almost missed my curfew that night, but it was worth it!

If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy?

A plane ticket to London! I love to travel, and have been to some fantastic places both in the United States and abroad, but one place that’s still on my bucket list is London, England. I mean, when you’re an English teacher and a writer like I am, you practically have British roots in your blood. I’m dying to visit the home of Shakespeare, Dickens and Austen, among others.

More about Allie: Allie was born and raised in a tiny community in upstate New York, which probably explains her fascination with the magic of small town life. She earned her B.A. in English from the University of Rochester in New York and a M.A. in English Literature from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1997, she has enjoyed life in the northern NYC suburbs, where she lives with her husband and teaches English and Education to high school students. In her spare time, she and her husband love to travel.

Allie writes sensual contemporary romance, reads in all genres and loves chatting with other readers and writers about any topic under the sun. You can find her around the Web, at writers' conferences, giving workshops, swapping stories, and generally chatting about romance writing. Allie loves stories set in small towns and is a firm believer in the power of love and the emotions that connect us all!

You can find Allie online here:

Website: www.allieboniface.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAllieBoniface
Twitter: @AllieBoniface1 

FABULOUS FIRSTS with... Jessi Gage

The first few sentences of... RECKLESS

One of the 10 novels in the new boxed set, 

PASSIONATE KISSES, just 99 cents! (see the cover to the left)

Cami rang Mr. Johansen’s doorbell for the third time. Through the screen door, she heard him turn up the TV. For the third time.

Stifling a chuckle, she squinted through the dusty screen. The angle of the August sun made it impossible to see much of anything in the shag-carpeted living room beyond.

Passionate Kisses boxed set is available now!

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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT JESSI

Who was your first love?

Kirk Cameron. I mean look at that face! I was smitten with

him in Growing Pains. Thinking I was all sly, I even joined his sister Candace’s fan club, hoping that maybe, somehow it would result in a chance meeting with Kirk. I know, I know. Stupid. But that’s teenage logic for you!



What’s the first thing you do after you wake up in the morning (other than using the restroom LOL)?
Right now it’s summer vacation for my kindergartener, and I’m letting her and her 3yo brother go to bed a bit later than usual. Because I’m not setting the alarm to drive my girl to school, it’s usually one of my kids that wakes me up. I’m not going to lie; hugging my kids first thing in the morning is pretty sweet. Talk about starting the day off right!


What’s the first thing you do when you start reading a new book? (ie: read the back cover blurb again or the inside front cover, the acknowledgments, the last page, etc)

My Kindle always starts me out on the first page of the book, but I always, always go back to look at the cover. A great cover is just such an integral part of the reading experience

for me. Some of my favorite covers feature emotion. Whether it’s tenderness, passion, angst, trepidation… I love emotional covers. Here's one of my favorites right now:

More about Jessi: Jessi lives with her husband and children in the Seattle area. She’s a passionate reader of all genres of romance, especially anything involving the paranormal. Ghosts, demons, vampires, witches, weres, faeries...you name it, she’ll read it. As for writing, she's sticking to Highlanders and contemporaries with a paranormal twist (for now). The last time she imagined a world without romance novels, her husband found her crouched in the corner, rocking.

You can find her online here:

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