Tagged! I’m it! #mywritingprocess

I have been tagged in the #mywritingprocess blog tour game! The way it works is someone who has been tagged writes a blog answer to four questions. That person then tags other authors, who answer the questions and tag someone else.

I was tagged by Kate McLachlan (http://www.katemclachlan.com/ ), author of Murder and the Hurdy Gurdy Girl, as well as the RIP Van Dyke time-travel series, in the #mywritingprocess blog tour game. It’s just four simple questions about my writing process. I’ll tag other writers to share their writing process. So here we go!

1) What am I working on? I’ve recently finished edits on book 9 in the Lex & Amanda series, Beyond Always. Next up, I’m doing a little research and note-taking for the followup to Heart’s Resolve, tentatively titled Heart’s Salvation. Delaney and Gib have been tapping me on the shoulder for months, demanding attention. Of course, so have Sam & Janie from Piperton, Shelby & Rebecca from Diving into the Turn, and two new sets of ladies, who shall remain nameless for the time being.

2) How does my work differ from others in the same genre? Hmm. Different? I don’t know that what I do is much different, other than my early “fade-to-black” love scenes. There are so many great writers out there who do the hot and heavy stuff, there’s really no way need for me to compete. Besides, my mom might read it, and that is just too embarrassing to think about. 🙂

3) Why do I write what I do? All of my characters are from the same places I’m from, although I do change town names to protect the innocent, namely me. I make up locations, but they’re always somewhat based on things that I’ve done, seen, or at least been told about. For instance, most of my “ranch” experience was from taking care of critters when I was younger, as well as spending time at the ranch that my grandfather ran as foreman. Maybe I’m lazy and don’t want to learn new dialects – or maybe I’m just very comfortable in my twang. Although I don’t think I have an accent, others may disagree, LOL.

4) How does my writing process work? Sometimes, the littlest thing will catch my attention and get a story started in my head. At other times, previous book characters will wake me and tell me that they’re tired of waiting, and demand satisfaction. A dream started the whole Lex & Amanda series, and now they won’t leave me alone. (turns and yells, “No, Amanda. I will not tell them that!”)

I tend to write linearly, which is from beginning to end. I may have ideas for scenes scribbled on post-it notes or napkins, and I’ll insert them where I need to. Other times, I write an entire story around one scene – those are the ones that drive me nuts. In Trust Our Tomorrows, for example, the only scene I had on my mind when I started the book, was where Lex was stuck in the mud. Then I had to go and build an entire book around it. Fun times! Lorrie has a lot of my attitude, as if you couldn’t tell 🙂

I have tagged:  My wife, JM Carr, author of soon-to-be-released Hard Lessons.  MJ Williamz, romance and erotica author extraordinaire of such titles as Forbidden Passions, Initiation by Desire, Shots Fired and Speakeasy. And one of the first authors I ever read, the incomparable BL Miller, whose titles include: She’s the One, Graceful Waters, Crystal’s Heart, Accidental Love, and Josie and Rebecca: The Western Chronicles. Check out their writing processes, and their books too!