Today (well it's actually tomorrow - but I'm away from my PC tomorrow so I'm posting early!) is
"My Writing Process" blog tour day, when writers answer questions
about their writing process. Last week,
fellow author Judith Arnopp posted hers. You can check it out here
Judith writes
fabulous historical romances set in medieval times, and also the Elizabethan
period. I once met Judith on a writing weekend in Fishguard a few years ago and she's a lovely lady. Many thanks for the invitation,
Judith.
So,
what is my writing process?
I
write around my working, and home, life (no surprises there!) Luckily for me I only work part-time now (3
days a week). But my job as an
Environmental Health Officer can be quite stressful, and I often find that once
I get home from work I’m emotionally drained to think about writing. But saying that, since I’ve had a contract
and a two book deal with HarperImpulse I’m finding that not to be an excuse
anymore as a deadline tends to concentrate the mind somewhat, so I’m writing
more or less every day now! I tend to do
most of my writing sitting in an easy chair in our bedroom with my feet on a
footstool and the laptop on a small laptop table. The DH watches TV whilst I type away to my
heart’s content. The only thing I need
to get into “the zone” is a pair of earplugs to mute the sound of the TV.
What
am I working on?
That’s an easy question to answer. My
second contracted book which is due in at the end of February! But notwithstanding that, I have a Viking on
the go and a Regency that’s begging to be written.
How
does my work differ from others of its genre?
Hopefully,
because my “voice” is different from others!
But my love of history definitely influences my work. Sometimes I have to reign myself in and not overload
my books with too much history. After all, I am writing a romance with a HEA!
Why do I write what I do?
I write what I love to read in a nutshell.
I’ve read romances of all different genres for over 30 years now, and
particularly love the “Cinderella” type story with a tortured hero and heroine
who journey to their HEA.
How
does your writing process work?
For many years now I’ve suffered from insomnia.
To get to sleep I normally make up stories in my head. The beginning of a love story between two
individuals set almost anywhere! Then by
the end of the first chapter I’ve normally fallen asleep. (My hard drive is full of “Chapter 1”
ideas!). I also get ideas from reading
voraciously. In my debut book for
HarperImpulse – “The Roman”, the idea
came from reading a children’s book about Herculaneum that I found in the library
one day. I often find children’s history
books (lots of pictures) spark an idea much more readily than a weighty
historical tome! In this particular book
there was a villa discovered at Herculaneum which had lots of bronze
statutes. Justina, my heroine in “The Roman” is a sculptress and she
lives and sculpts in a huge villa in Herculaneum! But when it comes to writing the whole book I’m
definitely a “pantster” though. The idea
starts and just flows from there. I’ve
tried to plot out books, but to no avail.
The characters just take over and demand to have “their” story written,
and not some script I’ve developed for them.
If you would like to buy my debut book “The Roman”, then it releases on the 20th
of February 2014. Here’s the blurb : The
Roman – Famous charioteer, Aulus Epidius Marsallas wants revenge against
Justina Philipus - the only woman he’s ever loved, but who’d betrayed him by
becoming his uncle’s mistress. Forced to
meet Marsallas for the first time in six years, Justina is shocked at the
changes she sees in him. Gone is the
carefree youth she once loved, now replaced by a hard muscular stranger. But there is no denying the attraction that
still flows between them, and when his uncle dies, Marsallas offers sculptress
Justina a challenge – a bronze stature of himself, and his four horse chariot,
to be displayed at the Circus Maximus.
Justina knows that this commission is just what she needs to make a name
for herself, and give her the freedom she covets, so she accepts Marsallas’s
challenge. However, Justina is
unprepared when Marsallas states one further condition – she must become his
mistress. But Justina has a secret,
she’s still a virgin, she just hasn’t told Marsallas yet…
Amazon.co.uk link is here
Any author’s wanting to participate in this Blogtour
– then please post a Blog on your own Blog on the 17th of February 2014
using this format and mentioning me in the blurb at the beginning. Then, if you can, link 3 other authors at the
end of your Blog who should then post their Blog’s the following week (i.e. 24th
February). Thanks – Caroline
