Fortunate is the Writer who has a Supportive Family

My husband surprised me with a wolf! Not a real one of course. It's a beautiful bookend to celebrate my new paranormal romance, CALL OF THE WILDS. So today, I want to thank him and my kids for being incredibly supportive.


When you tell someone you're a writer do you ever get the impression they're thinking - oh, it's just a hobby. I've gotten that vibe from a few people, but never from my husband and children. They always knew I was serious.

They understand when I lock myself in my office and spend hours on the computer. They're used to seeing me walk around with a book or notepad in my hand. And they don't think I'm weird because I hear voices in my head. A supportive family is a great asset to a writer - so thank you guys.

A Cover is Worth a Thousand Words

This week I had some input on the cover design of my new book and it got me thinking.

Do people really judge a book by its cover?

According to Wikipedia "a book cover is a protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book." But it's really so much more. It's that all important initial impression. Like buying a house. If you don't like the outside you might not want to go inside.

When I'm browsing in a bookstore, online or physical, and not looking for a specific title or author, an attractive cover will catch my eye. Then I'll read the blurb and the synopsis and if it strikes a chord I'll pull out my credit card.

I believe the cover can be a great sales tool - as long as it doesn't deceive the reader. My pet peeve is characters on the cover who look nothing like the descriptions in the story.

What do you think? Do you judge a book by its cover?

Feeling Squeezed?

Whew! Am I glad the holidays are over. I hadn't felt so squeezed since 2008 when I was still working the day job. I love the family time, the parties, the gifts. It's all exciting but forget the writing.

If I write every day, the words seem to spew. Even if it's just a few words, it keeps the juices flowing. When I miss days at a time, things come to a complete stop and writer's block rears its ugly head. Those are the worst of times.

Writing is tough. It demands a lot of perseverance, dedication and most of all time. One of the most challenging problems for any writer is finding enough time to write, not only during the holidays but all year long. If I tell myself I'll get to it when I have more time it never happens.

The biggest obstacle for me was working a full time job. My husband and I left at the same time, 5:30 AM. Yikes! Can't believe I did that for twenty-some years. Anyway, he would drop me off at my office and continue on to his own. The ride took twenty minutes and sometimes I'd be sitting in the dark car jotting down the dreams that percolated in my head overnight. I spent my lunch hour doing re-writes. While I'm no longer a city drone I still have plenty of stuff to distract me so learning to write on the fly still comes in handy.

I keep a notepad in my purse, on the night table, in the kitchen, everywhere. I love having hours to spend on my stories but when it's not possible I snatch extra minutes wherever I can.

It came handy this past weekend. I watched my grandsons and did diapers, drew pictures and played dinosaurs. My trusty notebook was nearby and when I pulled it out the boys were curious and anxious to help. Getting them involved turned out to be a real bonus. Now I have lots of good ideas in my file in case I ever want to write a children's book.

It all boils down to - If you really want to write - you will.

Call of the Wilds to be published in June!!

Please excuse me for a minute while I do a happy dance. Whew! Sorry. I'm euphoric! Siren Publishing is releasing my paranormal erotic romance - CALL OF THE WILDS - as an eBook in June and in print this November. I'm over the moon!

Writing a book is like giving birth, only harder - and it takes longer. But in the end there is a great feeling of elation, accomplishment and relief. Of course, there's still work to be done - edits, revisions, blurbs, the cover...

And this new blog. Let me know what you think. The hairy fellow on your left is Malcolm, the ultimate alpha male and the hero in my book. You'll be hearing more about him.

I'll still be posting book reviews at Camp Swampy. I hope you'll stop by to see what I'm reading. Updates on new reviews will go out on Twitter and Facebook so you'll always know when a new post goes up.

To say I'm excited is an understatement. I can't think of a better way to start a new year. A new decade emphasizes new beginnings and the promise of great things to come for all of us.

Nobody does this on their own and I'd like to mention some of the terrific help I've had along the way.

I learned so much from the two Nicole North workshops I took:
Take your Writing to the Next Level
& Turn Up the Heat! Heightening Sexual Tension and Sensuality in Your Manuscript

And big thanks to my drill instructors, Delilah Devlin and Elle James. Besides writing great books, they run an amazing Plotting Bootcamp and the best critique group ever. You can find them at Rose's Colored Glasses.

Check back for updates, excerpts and more.