Welcome to my blog and the My Writing Process Blog Tour.
First I would like to thank author Jeanine McAdam who tagged me in her blog
post last week. Jeanine is a fellow Secret Cravings author and we’re also
members of the RWA/NYC Chapter, she writes fantastic sexy cowboy stories with a
lot of heart.
What am I working on?
I’m currently working on a
women’s fiction type story with a romantic edge. It’s about a woman who’s made
a name for herself as a travel photographer and now has to return home to run
her mother’s B&B. As soon as she drives up she is faced with the one person,
who’s kept her away from home for so long, an old flame she’s never gotten over
who’s doing the renovations on the inn. Any
big problem she has is that she can’t cook, and that’s not good when you’re
faced with running a B&B. She has the support of friends and family to help
her along. I’m picturing this as a series, its set in a small town in upstate
New York.
How does my work differ from others of its
genre?
I enjoy writing stories that are based on reality. I also like writing
about people that already have a connection, like reuniting old lovers, which I
did in Love and the Economy and working partners in Murder in Paradise rather
than two people who just randomly meet. I like heartfelt stories, but I also
like taking readers on an adventure, someplace they haven’t been before.
Why do I write what I do?
I like
writing about how a person changes their perception about their situation,
which is really how change begins. It’s encouraging and enlightening to see how
much the little things we do for each other mean to those around us, especially
our significant others. While writing Love and the Economy I enjoyed showing how the relationship changed once the heroine, Andrea, started to see things from her
ex-husband’s point of view and vice-versa.
In Murder in Paradise, the hero and heroine are authors who write together
and have become friends. They’re also of different races, but that’s not a
factor in the story, it’s just describes who they are. I have to admit that
when I created the hero Sam Stewart, visions of Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle crept into my
head. I’m a big Castle fan, but I wanted it to be a writing partnership
rather than a writer/cop relationship. In real life my fiancé and I were
partners in a job where we worked together very closely. Someday I will write a
story loosely based on it.
How does my writing process work? I start
brainstorming ideas. I usually start with a premise or sometimes the characters. It
changes depending on the story. I keep asking the “what if” question until I’m
satisfied I’ve got a feasible story that has wings. When I wrote Murder in
Paradise, I wrote a 300 word start to a story based on a picture prompt on the
Tuesday Tales blog. The picture was of a cute row boat lying on an isolated
beach. I pictured my heroine, Claire, getting out of that row boat and making
an incredible discovery on the little island, while she’s attending a writing
conference in Hawaii. I recently started using WriteWayPro, writing software to write my stories. I write each chapter and scene separately and have a place for adding in notes.
Once I’ve
got an idea and the characters in place, than I’m off and running till I get
the end, sometimes taking a detour or two. I had fun writing Murder in
Paradise, it my first time writing a romantic suspense, and I liked bringing
the characters to the edge. I look forward to writing more suspense stories; they’re
exciting and fun to do.
Now I’m tagging two talented fellow Secret
Cravings authors. They'll be blogging next Monday on their writing process.
Lena Hart
Lena Hart is an author of sensual romances with alpha
heroes and smart, sexy heroines. Though she enjoys romance stories of all
kinds, she mainly writes interracial romances with a hint of mystery and
danger. When she is not writing, reading, or conferring with her muse, you can
find her on Facebook, Twitter, or blogging about everything and
nothing. To learn more about Lena and her work, visit www.LenaHartSite.com and
her blog at http://scatblogging.blogspot.com/
Karen Cino
Karen Cino is a single mom living in Staten Island, New York, with her two adult children, Michael and
Nicole, and three cats. Secret Cravings Publishing published her debut novel Roses in April 2012. Her second novel The Boardwalk takes place in her hometown of Staten Island, New York. Her four book Mystical Wonders Series is also set in her hometown. Her next Contemporary Romance Love Challenges and Desires is due out in May 2014. Currently she is working on a Baseball Series. Visit her blog at karencinobooks.blogspot.com and her website karencino.com.
