Writing Process by Vicki Crum @RebeccaJVickery #author #books

Every author has his or her own distinctive writing process. For me, writing is very much like reading in that it is a journey of adventure and discovery. Discovering new worlds, meeting new and interesting people, visiting places and doing things that I would never be able to do outside of a book.

Writing allows me to create my own worlds and populate them with characters from my imagination. It can be quite a heady feeling at times—when it’s not frustrating the heck out of me. As odd as it sounds, once I’ve breathed life into a character, they often take on a personality all their own and go off in directions that I don’t even anticipate. It’s a very strange phenomenon, but I know every writer understands exactly what I mean. It’s kind of like having children. You breathe life into them, but you don’t always have as much control over them as you’d like.

Take the hero from my latest release, Once in a Blue Moon. Jake Benedict has it all. He’s tall hot Harley Davidson motorcycle. Jake has all the physical characteristics of a great romantic lead. Then there’s his hefty bank account. Jake is the co-owner of a multi-million dollar advertising agency, so money is clearly not an issue for him. But Jake wanted more. Not money or possessions, he wanted to be more…more mysterious, more unique and potentially dangerous in the right situation. So I created a major aspect of Jake’s character that was completely new to me. I made him a werewolf.
and strong, handsome as sin, has a to-die-for-smile, an excess of natural charm, and a really

           
But still he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more for Casey, too, the woman he was destined to meet and fall in love with.

For her part, Casey wants nothing to do with Jake. He’s just one more version of the macho, adventure-driven, alpha male prototype that has been her Achilles heel for as long as she can remember. She’s taken a vow to stay as far away from men like Jake as she can. Unfortunately for Casey, the dynamic attraction she feels for him is stronger than any willpower she can muster. Why? Because Jake saw something in Casey that even I didn’t see until the last moment, starting with an unusual birthmark partially hidden behind one ear that identifies her as a rare and elite breed of werewolf. A stubborn case of recessive genes is responsible for Casey having never experienced her first transition into wolf form.

Who would have known?

 
My hero, Jake, did.

           
Then he left it to me, the lowly author, to explain where Casey’s werewolf heritage came from, and why no one in her family had ever bothered to tell her about it!

           
And that’s how a character of my own creation can sometimes push me around—and immensely enrich the story at the same time. Thanks, Jake!

           
What is your writing process? How do you make your characters come alive on the page?

           

About the Book: Once in a Blue Moon

Casey Montgomery's lifelong addiction to bad boys has brought her nothing but heartache. Just as she swears off alpha males forever, a brief, torrid encounter with one of the hottest, Harley-riding, leather-jacketed hunks she's ever seen leaves her reeling – and worse, jeopardizes her carefully laid plans to meet and fall in love with a nice, dependable nerd.

Jake Benedict has been around the block enough times to recognize his mate when he meets her, a gorgeous werewolf with a case of latent genes who doesn't have a clue about her true identity. Jake is just the were to teach Casey about her ancient heritage and coax her feral side into revealing itself.
While Casey can't resist the intense physical attraction she feels for Jake, she's determined to freeze him out emotionally. Can Jake break through Casey's defenses and prove to her once and for all that he's one bad boy who's playing for keeps?


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About the Author:

I can't remember a time when I didn't love to read. Some of my favorite books growing up included Little Women, Black Beauty, Nancy Drew Mysteries, every single book in the Little House on the Prairie series, and as a teenager I devoured every Victoria Holt novel I could get my hands on. In

1972, a friend loaned me her copy of The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. It was a roaring adventure from start to finish, daring and exciting and oh-so-romantic. That book was the beginning of the romance genre as we know it today, and I was instantly hooked! I went on to read all of Kathleen Woodiwiss' novels over the years, adding a host of other romance authors to my "must read" list. Amanda Ashley (Madeline Baker), Linda Howard, Nora Roberts, and Julie Garwood are just a few of my favorites. In the late 90's, with both my young daughters in school, I joined Romance Writers of America and sat down to try my hand at crafting my own special tale of love and redemption. I have learned so much since then, made many wonderful friends, and even forged some lasting relationships with a few of the authors who inspired me to embark on the journey that has brought me here. I can't thank them enough.

When I'm not traveling with my husband of 39 years, or playing with our two adorable grandchildren, I'm at home near the ocean in Southern California, letting my imagination run wild. I love to write contemporary romance because of the endless reservoir of plot ideas. I write straight contemporary romance, romance with an other-worldly flair, and look for my next book, in which I will be delving into the paranormal world.  Website / Facebook

THE COURAGE TO RESEARCH by Sarah J. McNeal

Yep. It takes courage to research. I’ll admit, some of it is so much fun and so interesting that I can disappear for hours into the research hole. I’ve come out feeling dazed and excited at the same time. Learning new stuff is exhilarating.

But then there’s the other kind of research that can strike fear in our hearts or make us squirm and wonder, “Can this be true?” This kind of research usually involves personal participation of the third kind…contact with something I may dread—like flying in a small plane when I fear flying in anything, braiding a horse’s mane and tail when the horse acts like it would like to kick my lights out, or maybe digging into the darkness and reality of casting spells and discovering there are truly people who worship Satan and are willing to do unspeakable things to children and animals.

I discovered this scary side of research years ago when I wrote my first novel which, by the way, has never seen the light of day. The story involved horses and took place in the southern United States prior to the American Revolution (and that was the fun part of the research). I knew zip about horses except for that one horse ride back when I lived in Omaha, Nebraska. The horse spent most of its time in the alfalfa field and then, upon seeing the barn as we were returning, took off at a full run straight into the barn almost taking my head off in the process. Maybe I should have taken some riding lessons before I went with my friends on that excursion. Anyway, it left me with a fear of riding any more of those big critters. I still can’t figure out why they do what people want them to do when they’re way bigger than us. Needless to say, writing about something you only know about in a negative experience requires a new experience and some dang courage.

(This is not a picture of me, by the way. I didn't look this good on a horse)

So, when a friend of mine from CCU told me she had a daughter who competed in hunt seat riding and asked me to go along, well hey, I was all in. I agreed to braid that horse’s mane and tail even though I was in a cold sweat doing it. She taught me so much during those competitions like the different bits used for different purposes, feeding and caring for horses, and that horses remember people who do them harm and might even take revenge. Yikes!

Sometimes the things we fear the most are the things we wish we could do. As much as I am afraid of heights and terrified to fly, I always thought how neat it would be to deliver medical care as a bush pilot in Alaska. See what I mean? There’s no way I would ever do that unless I was crazy drunk…but one of my characters might. In the first book of the Legends of Winatuke trilogy, Dark Isle, I created a character who flew planes—like for fun. Hawk, the only shifter I ever wrote, was a detective for the Wilmington, North Carolina police department whose daily encounters with death and the dark side of life was beginning to eat at his spirit. He flew to get his happy place.

Well, if I was going to have a character who flew planes, I was going to have to know something about flying so I kept bugging one of the ER doctors who flew to give me details. He told me a few things, but then he said the only way I was going to be able to write a believable experience about flying, I needed to fly. He taunted me with, “Come on. You’re a writer. You can be brave for the sake of a story, can’t you?” Well, that got me. So, with extreme trepidation, I took him up on his offer and I flew. Sick with fear, I clung to the back of his seat and a hand bar by my door. He said, “If the plane did go down, do you really think hanging on to the plane will save you?” I gave that thought and concluded it might even make things worse, so I let go. One thing about taking a big risk and doing something scary is that, once I’d overcome my dread and done it, I felt this exhilarating feeling of accomplishment. I get it why some people are driven to do crazy scary things. There’s a high that follows the rush of fear and adrenaline I can only describe as wild, uncontained euphoria.

In both the Dark Isle and the third book of the trilogy, The Light of Valmora, I wrote a villain who loved chaos, bloodshed, and inflicting pain on her victims. Mahara was a witch of the dark and deadly kind who was out for revenge and a vendetta against the patriarch of the McKnight family, Raven, who had escaped her clutches years before. To enhance her character I needed to research dark magic and all that lies beneath.

It just so happened, while I was researching for this character, I went to an emergency nurses’ convention in Fayetteville, North Carolina. One of the workshops titled, “Ritualistic Child Abuse”, turned out to be about satanic cults and their use of children in their rituals. That workshop opened my eyes to an evil subculture of people who are capable of anything.  The knowledge that there are professional people like doctors, lawyers, judges, and successful business men and women involved in these dark activities shook me up. I read some books on spells, the kind white witches perform—not too scary. But then I found a book about witches and witchcraft that related true stories of people who participated in the dark arts and ran into crimes against humanity and creatures so heinous, I had to stop reading it. Even the evil Mahara would not do some of these monstrous acts. I couldn’t finish that book. Not even research for a story could make me reopen that book.

When I stood browsing the bookshelves for that book about black magic, I found it near the satanic bibles. Something repelled me from even touching those bibles. Ordinarily I am a realist. I don’t believe in ghosts and such, but just standing before those bibles gave me the creeps. A man came around the shelves and pulled out one of those bibles and started thumbing through the pages. His presence gave me such an uncomfortable feeling down into my core, I had to leave.

What are some of the brave or unusual things you’ve done to research for a WIP? Have you ever entered into a dark place that made you want to run? Are you able to tell when an author has done their due diligence in researching for a story?

THE LEGENDS OF WINATUKE is available in print or ebook including Kindle or you can buy the books, DARK ISLE, LAKE OF SORROWS, and THE LIGHT OF VALMORA, may be purchased separately. Each book is a standalone, but has a common thread with the trilogy.

DARK ISLE, Book 1

The legend begins when love and evil collide.

LAKE OF SORROWS, Book 2

The legend continues with a curse, a quest and undying love.

THE LIGHT OF VALMORA, Book 3

A quest for an enchanted light...a Gypsy’s love...and a warrior’s sacrifice to save Valmora.

PENNYTOOK, a short story included in the anthology, MYTHS, LEGENDS, and MIDNIGHT KISSES, is about the wise Gypsy, Pennytook who befriends the brave crusaders on their quest against evil. He likes to party and has an unusual knowledge of magical relics and uncanny intuition about the other adventurers. In this story, he finally finds love.

Logline: Myths are supposed to be false…but some are terrifying and true.

Legends of Winatuke trilogy: (all 3 novels for 99 cents!): Buy Link

Myths, Legends, and Midnight Kisses anthology: Smashwords  Amazon

Sarah J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER and Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press. Some of her fantasy and paranormal books may also be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales Press. She welcomes you to her website and social media:

Facebook

Twitter

Website

My Amazon Author’s Page

Prairie Rose Author Page

The Wildings

PbRV Author Page

Fantasy and Dreams Blog

Once Upon A Word

Sweethearts of the West

Prairie Rose Blog

    

Mind, Body, Soul by Karen Michelle Nutt @KMNbooks @RebeccaJVickery #yoga #romance

Sitting at a computer all day can take a toll on the body. We're meant to move, but it took me a while to find just the right motivation to make me want to exercise. For me, I wanted something that would benefit my mind, body, and soul.

Let's face it: if you dread the exercise program, you won't stick with it.

Trust me, you aren't alone. I purchased an exercise bike, but no matter what I did to make this routine something to look forward to, I began to dread taking a seat and bicycling for forty-five minutes. Now this lovely item sits in my living room as a wonderfully expensive coat rack. 

Walking was fun, when I had someone to chat with, but this also became too easy for me to say, 'I'm too tired, let's skip it tonight'.

I've always been curious about Yoga. My girlfriend and I took a beginner's class a few years ago, but everyone seemed to know what they were doing, and we both felt lost. The yoga instructor didn't show us any of the poses, she just rattled off what she wanted us to do next. I finally glanced at my friend and said, "What the heck is a Vinyasa?" And when I glanced at the other students, I still hadn't a clue. We paid for the class but only attended two of the sessions. Another waste of money.

I thought I would never give yoga a chance again, but a little over a month ago, I decided to see if there was an online course I could try in the privacy of my home. I still felt this was something I wanted to do since Yoga is for the mind, body and soul. There just had to be a 'Yoga for Dummies' video. There seems to be videos for everything else. Why not Yoga? Besides, I could wear whatever I wanted in the privacy of my home, look as foolish as I wished, and I could pause the video if I needed to. Yoga is all about what makes you feel good. I was ready to try it again.

I came across 'Yoga With Adrienne'. She's a wonderful instructor, and I swear she knows exactly what I'm doing and will give encouraging instructions to correct a position, or simply remind me to breathe. Who knew that I held my breath so much?

She explains every move and how good it is for that part of the body she concentrates on. I finished her 30 Days of Yoga With Adrienne, and I'm now starting on 30 days of Yoga Camp. I usually do the class before work, and if I'm inspired, I may do another one of her classes at night. She has videos for the abs, back pain, weight loss, balancing, relaxing, and even breathing. You name it, she probably has a video for you to follow.

I finally found what works for me. I look forward to taking out my mat and tuning into a new Adrienne yoga video.

I may not be able to stand on my head – yet, or do anything fancy, but my flexibility has improve, and it makes me feel like I can take on the day.

And yes, I know what Vinyasa means now. It is a Sanskrit term that refers to a transition between two different positions, but my favorite word is Namaste (nah'-mah'-stay). Meaning: The divine light within me salutes the divine light within you. Isn't that beautiful?

Yoga may not be for everyone, but it works for me.

 For my character in Soul Mate, Isabella Lucci, finds meditation and crystals a way to relax her mind, body and soul.

In my tale, Soul Mate, Isabella Lucci, finds meditation and crystals a way to relax her mind, body and soul.

In this snippet.  Garran (Grim Sith, a Scottish vampire) was showing Isabella (Necromancer) how to defend herself and after the session, she wanted to repay him for helping her by showing him a technique she uses for relaxation. Garran grumbled a bit, but finally he stretched out on the floor, wearing worn jeans and no shirt. Believe me, Isabella thinks he wears this look well. In her thoughts: 'He stood with his hands on his hips, looking James Bond kind of sexy, even with the way he was dressed with his jeans hanging low on his hips and his bare chest looking as if the gods chiseled him into perfection. Yep, dangerous and suave, all in one lovely package.'

Now for Garran's POV.

She kept doing that. Surprising him. Every time he believed he'd figured out Isabella Lucci, another intriguing aspect revealed itself.

He'd never bonded with someone so completely and he'd only used a minor blood ritual with her, one where she didn't even taste his blood. The only bit of him that could have gotten into her system was his saliva he used to close the wound.

So instead of ushering her into the library, while he made himself scarce, he decided to take her up on her asinine request. He planned on being relentless with his training in hopes of deterring her from the fantasy she held that she could defend herself from a preternatural being. Instead, this human female refused to be intimidated and refused to give up. Her muscles had to be screaming by now.

He admired her audacity to confront him at every turn and he found he liked that.

Now the woman wished to soothe him. She placed crystals around him and rubbed the stones on his bare skin. He gritted his teeth together, wondering if she knew what sweet torture she bestowed upon him. Warm, soft hands on his body… He had not felt such warmth, such gentleness in a long time. To his surprise, his muscles relaxed as her long fingers lightly caressed him.

For a petite female, she handled herself like highland lassies of old. She'd have made a good wife back then—strong and built for the rough life along with the added pleasure of possessing the face of an angel. Her dark wavy hair and those hazel eyes with golden rims did him in from the start.

He inhaled deeply, letting her essence envelope him. Her womanly scent drove him to distraction and it took all his will power not to act upon it. He doubted she knew the danger she was in, and in more ways than one. Heck, maybe she did know, and believed she could handle it.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Harrison announced at the doorway, leaning against the wood frame with his arms crossed against his chest and a Cheshire grin plastered to his face.

With a curse, Garran flew to his feet, scattering the crystals and knocking Isabella over in the process. She landed on her behind with a grunt of annoyance. Her eyes narrowed as she glared up at him.

"Forgive me." He offered his hand and helped her to her feet. All the blood rushed to her face, making her cheeks a beautiful shade of crimson.

Harrison chuckled, obviously taking great joy in their discomfort.

"Garran showed me some moves," Isabella stammered.

"Oh, I just bet he did." Harrison continued to smile like a fool.

In case you're wondering, Harrison is a long time friend of Garran's, a werewolf from the Mac Tire clan. He's the one who recruited Isabella to help them catch the Soul Taker.

I hope you enjoyed the post, now take on the day, and remember every breath you take is precious. Fill those lungs and just breathe.

Namaste,

Karen

Only 99¢ right now for the Spring Sale!  

ABOUT THE BOOK:

No soul is safe…

A vampire from the Grim Sith sept is sucking the souls out of young women from the Boston area, but this sinister crime is far worse than a vampire seeking substance. He’s selling the souls to the highest bidder and it seems business is booming.

A vampire, a werewolf, and a Necromancer are a most unlikely team, but Garran, Harrison, and Isabella plan on putting a kink in the dubbed Soul Taker’s plans. It’s personal now. One of their friends has fallen victim to the Soul Taker’s charms, but to stop him from hurting anyone else, their efforts may involve raising the dead.

E-book Available at:

Amazon Kindle US / Amazon UK /Smashwords /Nook /ARe/ OmiLit 

Print Available at:

Amazon /Barnes and Noble

                  

Audible is narrated by Guy Veryzer.

 

Available at: Audible US  / Audible UK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband, three fascinating children, and houseful of demanding pets. Jack, her Chorkie, is her writing buddy and sits long hours with her at the computer.

When she’s not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates pre-made book covers to order at Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”.
 

Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, historical or time travel, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.

If you're interested in Yoga With Adrienne, here's a link to one of her videos to learn the 'Victorious Breath' or Ujjayi Pranayama. This is the first video in her Pranayama Series that focuses on breathing techniques. Ujjayi is used to focus the mind and assist in the synchronicity of movement and breath. Enjoy. Here's the link just in case the video doesn't work for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQrsJ-yZWV8