Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Welcome to my entry in the blog hop, a kind of relay race for authors!  First of all, a huge thank you to  Nerika Parke who tagged me to do this.  Nerika is an amazing author of two books; Defenceless, and Paving Paradise.   Check out her blog, Nerika Parke or visit her Facebook page.

Now for the answers to the questions that I know are keeping you up at night!


1)   What am I working on?

Well, right now I'm working on the fourth book of the Hidden Springs series.  It's called A Chance on Love.  Do you remember Ben, the town's doctor?  This is his story.  I have also started a contemporary novel called Tempted, which I will complete after I'm finished with Ben.

2)     How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Although I write historical romances, they have a contemporary feel to them.   The setting is the late 1800s but the emotions are just as real as if the stories were taking place today.  Just with a lot of uncomfortable clothing on the women.  And no running water. 

      3)  Why do I write what I do?

      I've always been a fan of the Old West.  There's something about the ruggedness and lawlessness that appeals to me.  You fought for what was yours, you provided for yourself and your family, and you depended on the people around you.

           4)  How does my writing process work?

      I just write.  I have all of these ideas in my head, and I  sit down and start putting the words to paper, or the computer screen, whichever one is closest.  I know the major plot but I let the characters take me where they want to go.  There are times when I come up with plots that I hadn't even thought about beforehand.  Somehow, by the time that I'm finished, the jumble of ideas that were in my mind have become a story that hopefully, you'll want to read.
  
      You can find out more about me at www.kristineraymond.com or visit me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, Amazon, or contact me at  kristineraymond.author@gmail.com.  I'd love to hear from you!  And don't forget to check out my books - Here to Stay , Hearts on Fire, and Abby's Heart.

Next up are three talented authors, (and friends), who will be sharing their own writing processes.

MaryAnn Jordan


           I have always been an avid reader. I joke that I "cut my romance teeth" on the old bodice ripper romance books. Last year I started a blog to showcase wonderful writers. In 2014, I finally gave in to the characters in my head pleading for their story to be told. Thus, Emma's Home was created. I work as a counselor in a high school and have been involved in education for the past 30 years. I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for 32 years and have 2 adult, very supportive daughters. When writing, my dog or one of my cats will usually be found in my lap! I love to hear from readers, so please email me!  authormaryannjordan@gmail.com

           You can find MaryAnn on Facebook and Amazon.  She is the author of two books, Emma's Home, and Laurie's Time.

  Andrea Michelle
     

  Once upon a time in the boot of Louisiana, a young girl made a mess of things and began writing dark poetry to cope. She often found herself day dreaming, creating stories in a far away land that didn't exist and was always out of her reach. Her mission was to move on, find love and a reason to believe in the beautiful things in life. She didn't expect to be counting her blessings daily for all that she has found since then. Her once dark poetry became colorful and bright—it became music. She found purpose and her make believe stories slowly vanished away. Her poetry also sat in the backseat as more important things took priority. However, life can catapult you in the blink of an eye. A long forgotten coping mechanism of writing would once again become her escape. This time, though, she realized that this escape where she created stories was not a curse, but a gift. Embracing her vice, she breathes life into her characters and poetically weaves together stories for readers to enjoy. She is no longer the young girl who feared the unknown, but is stronger and has faith that beautiful things will always be in reach. She is married to her best friend, and is a mom to three beautiful daughters who are her favorite cheerleaders. She is excited to have the opportunity to share her love of writing with readers. The stories are fictional, but they are real to her. She has always felt things passionately and this new journey as an author is no different. She is no longer looking back, but looking ahead to this amazing adventure with all of you. She invites you to connect with her if you desire to do so.

  You can find Andrea on Facebook , Goodreads, and Amazon.  She is the author of two books, Escape the Doubt and Embrace the Moment

  Katija O


           Not to stray from the common Author cliché, I loved to read as a child – I actually excelled in reading from a young age. This was definitely to my advantage. In saying that I only enjoyed reading “happily ever after stories.” As I grew older my pleasures turned to “teen romance stories” with the obvious transition being heavy love stories and of course Jackie Collins’ novels. Then due to relationship and work commitments my reading all but ceased until my children were at an age where I could steal and hour or two (which then became and hour or four). A few years ago I discovered the Twilight Saga, this kept my thoroughly entertained for years as I read and re-read numerous times… Enter 50 Shades. Whilst I was a little fearful to read this erotic tale, something tugged at my inner thoughts and I succumbed, like everyone around me falling for the likes of one Christian Grey. I continued from that moment reading many many stories and getting involved with Indie Authors from around the globe – something then happened to me. I awoke one Saturday morning with a whole story fixed in my mind. This had happened to me a lot over the years but this story was so clear and concise and I acted on in with the inspiration of the Indie Authors. That’s when my first novel Majestic Pearls was born – it has grown from there and is a beautifully work in progress. In the interim, I wrote my current story, a novella entitled Que Sera Sera. When I'm not at my desk, I'm reading – beta reading, or just plain reading. As a full time mother and wife my life is very full. My other passion, other than writing and family is Music … music from yesteryear is my genre.

You can find Katija on Facebook and Twitter.  She is the author of two books, Que Sera Sera, and Majestic Pearls.
 






 


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Wow...I'm really slacking!

I haven't written a post in two months.  Sorry about that.  This book promoting stuff keeps me way busier than I ever imagined.  I'm trying to set reasonable goals for myself, and one of them is to write a blog post at least once a week.

Yeah, right, we'll see how that goes.  Best intentions and all of that!

Fingers crossed...