Thanks for stopping by my blog and the world of an aspiring author.

I’d like to first thank Regina Kammer for tagging me in the Writing Process Blog Hop. She’s a fellow Romance Writer of America author who writes erotica. I recently read her novel, The General’s Wife: An America Revolutionary Tale. All I can say about Ms. Kammer’s writing is that it sizzles! You can find her books on Amazon, so pick up a copy today. If you’d care to see her writing process from last week, you can find her blog at: http://kammerotica.com/writing-process-blog-hop/

Now it’s my turn. Ever wonder what’s inside an author’s head or how they came up with their ideas? Then read on and let me take you into the world I’ve been building along with how my thought process works.

What am I working on?

I have a lot on my plate right now since I am furiously working on getting my debut novel, If My Heart Could See You, published this summer. It’s an historical romance set in twelfth century England. My heroine, Amiria of Berwyck Castle, has her home invaded by Dristan, the Devil’s Dragon of Blackmore and champion knight of King Henry II. Lies, deceit, and treachery attempt to tear apart the fragile truce they have, but only love will hold them together.

When I started writing this manuscript, I had no idea that I would continue the next four novels with secondary characters. I guess I just fell in love with them so much that I felt they deserved a story of their very own. I certainly didn’t expect the second novel, For All of Ever, to turn into a time travel. I’ve just finished the next round of edits on it. When I started writing this story, I came to the conclusion that one book wasn’t going to cover everything I saw for my characters. Unless, of course, I wanted some huge tome that no one could hold without a fork lift. I hate cliff hangers but it had to be done. Riorden and Katherine’s story will continue in Only For You.

My current work in progress is entitled A Knight to Call My Own. Originally this was going to be the second book in the series. My heroine, Lynet, is the youngest daughter from If My Heart Could See You. It’s coming along although it may be a little slower than I would like especially with everything else I have going on. When I was looking around for cover designs, I came across Estrella Cover Art. I loved this cover so much that I had to purchase it before I had even managed to get a few chapters done. I just knew “she” was my Lynet!

If you’re not an author trying to break into the whole Indie Author craze of self-publishing, I’ll tell you that it’s an insane process from start to finish and I’m only in the beginning phases. Sometimes I think that writing the manuscript in the first place was easier than trying to figure out all the do’s and don’ts of attempting to do everything on my own. Or maybe I’m just a stubborn mule and control freak who has a hint of OCD in her. Still…there’s a lot to do. Editing, editing and editing some more until you can barely look at the storyline anymore; formatting for different platforms; copyrights and licensing; business cards and updating your website; and then there’s social media. Yes…it’s like a four letter word because you can get lost in a time suck from hell trying to get yourself visible. And it never ends. It’s all part of the whole marketing process and something you have to commit yourself to. There are days when all I want to do is write and forget the rest.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I didn’t set out to write an historical romance novel filled with pages and pages of descriptions of scenery, clothing, or actual history. Let’s face it…as a reader, I tend to skim over those pages to get back to the plot and those characters that keep me turning the pages in the first place. I think my stories are more for historical setting. Does that break the rules of writing in the historical genre? Maybe and yet maybe that’s why I plan to self-publish.

Nor do I fill my scenes with a lot of explicit sex scenes and language. That’s just not me as a writer and not what I want to bring to my readers. Yes I know…but sex sells you might say, and I’d have to agree with you. So I try to bring some heat into my love scenes but also leave some of it to the reader’s imagination. Sometimes less is more.

I suppose trying to brand myself as an author would be difficult if I were to try and find an agent or editor given that I’m writing time travels interwoven into my historical series’. At least that’s the story of what I was getting from the rejection letters for traditional publishing. But my stories are all connected, and I like bringing in glimpses of the other characters from my other books. Not all my manuscripts are time travels although I sure have a lot of fun writing them. Maybe that will be my niche. I write because I love to write. I weave a tale that I myself enjoy reading and hopefully you will too and post a nice review when the time comes.

Why do I write what I do?

This question is easy. I read my first romance novel when I was just a teenager. The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss started my journey into historical romances. I’ve been hooked ever since. She was one of my favorite authors for many years until one day I came across A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. These two authors, along with many others, blazed the path ahead of me as I fell into their worlds along with falling in love with their characters.

For the most part, I’m pretty particular about what I read. When it came time for me to finally make an attempt at writing, there really was only one thing I could write about that was near and dear to my heart: an historical. They say you should write about what you know. Personally, I’ve never set even one foot on English soil, but I love the whole time period from medieval all the way through the Regency era. It took two and a half years to write my first manuscript, One Moment in Time. It will probably take just as long to re-write the dear thing since I’ve learned so much in the past several years on the craft of writing. Yes, dear readers, writing is a craft. When you really think you’ve honed in on it and finally got it down, you end up learning something new that only makes your writing stronger. And then you edit your manuscript again, and again, and again…

How does my writing process work?

I have voices inside my head.

No really…any writer will tell you the same thing. We breathe life into our characters that become so real they take over the story. Literally…as a writer, you only think you know where your plot will take you until your characters start jabbering away at you at all hours of the day and night. They’ll tell you in no uncertain terms that you will conform to their ways and the direction they want to go. Lead on, I tell them! Lead on…

Generally I have an idea of where I’m going with my story lines but I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t plot nor do I spend a lot of time writing outlines of chapters. I can get my inspiration from a song on the radio to an overheard bit of conversation while I’m walking down the street. I can be driving in my car and realize I’ve “spaced off” while I listen to my characters dialog continue from wherever I left off writing. Crazy, I know, but it’s so true. My poor family has all but given up trying to have conversations with me. Usually I’m nodding my head to whatever conversation they’re attempting to have with me, yet I haven’t any clue what they said I’m so wrapped up in writing.

Pandora’s Box has been opened. I’ve got so many idea’s swimming around inside my head I sometimes wonder when I’ll have the time to get it all written down. Perhaps this is the price I must pay for waiting so long to begin a writing career but I’ll gladly pay it. Some people are born to write. I’m one of those people. If you are too, then my advice is to just sit down and start writing and then write some more. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. It won’t be. First drafts never are. But take some classes and learn the craft. Then write some more. I promise it will be worth it!

Thanks for stopping by my blog but this is only the beginning. The Writing Process Blog Hop continues on. Please check out the next author to find out about how their process works. She’ll be putting up her post on Monday, May 5th:

Angela Myron was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1973. She grew up in the piney forests of southern British Columbia, studying tiny blue bells, dodging hidden cacti, and creating fantasy worlds in her back yard. She loved to imagine lands of fairies and goblins, then invite friends over to introduce them. Angela studied biology and professional writing at university, starting her degree at the University of Victoria in Canada and finishing it at San Francisco State University. She wrote grant proposals for nonprofits, technical manuals for software, and freelance journalism before writing fiction. http:/www.angelamyron.com/blog.html