Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Writing Process Blog Tour

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face; and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
~ Traditional Gaelic blessing

Writing Process Blog Tour

I was tagged for a Writing Process Blog Tour in which authors talk about their writing process and why they write the stories they write. So here it goes…

What am I working on?

Last year, I concentrated largely on writing historical romances. Historical romance is a popular genre, and fortunately my titles (The Ice Captain’s Daughter, Duke of a Gilded Age, Jessamine’s Folly, and A Gift for Lara) were all well-received. This year I’m writing whatever strikes my fancy. At this very moment, I’m working on a contemporary paranormal novel. Why? I don’t know. Sometimes stories just lodge in my head and I can’t work on anything else. The working title is Dancing with Raven, and the story revolves around a young ballerina who can see demons. I’m over 16K words into the book, and I plan to finish it sometime in April.

How does my work differ from others?

I like to write stories with unexpected humor and plot twists. My work is considered to be “clean” or “sweet,” but I prefer the words “fresh” and “original.” I prefer writing romance from the heart instead of the boudoir, and I enjoy slipping in a bit of adventure, too.

Why do I write what I do?

I write what I like to read. My goal is to create stories and characters that capture the imagination.

How does your writing process work?

Usually, I start with a particular scene that’s been running through my head. Then I try to figure out if the characters and conflicts have “legs” enough to become an interesting story. As I go along, I try to put in several twists or unexpected events to keep it fun. I rarely plan the entire story ahead of time became I don’t have the discipline. But then, I don’t like to ask for directions, either.

Thank you to award-winning author Meg Mims for tapping me to join the The Writing Process Blog Tour! I’ve frequently been inspired by her attention to detail, and I’m looking forward to her upcoming series with George Bernard Shaw’s Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins!