Today I'm at
Thoughts in Progress with a 2 book free giveaway, thanks to Mason!! And I loved her question about what the wolves' New Year's resolutions would be. So if nothing else, check them out and decide for yourself, will they meet their goals, do you think?
But Thoughts in Progress seems really appropriate--the title that is--because right about now that's where I'm at in my writing endeavor.
My thoughts are totally in progress. No work in progress. Nada. Well, sure I have the openings for two books. But I'm still what I call in the Mulling Phase. I don't plan my books per se. But one of the most fun parts of writing books is showing the meeting between the hero and heroine. So I'm trying to think of the most fun, different, and dramatic way for them to meet.
Note: different. When writing a stand alone series, the key is to make the stories unique from one another. Same world, but different main characters, plots, and stories so that everyone feels they've read a new story. Now, by different, I mean that someone is always new to the mix, because I've begun to write about characters who've been portrayed in the story already. So we get to see them in the lead role now, and much more about them as they are the primary characters, and not the secondaries.
At least that's always my goal--to write different stories each time.
The funny thing is, I wrote my first 4 wolf tales not based on reader feedback because I had to write them before the first book was out for very long. So each of the tales are stand alone with different packs, different main characters. Then by book 5, I'd had so many comments about Leidolf, that I had to write his story in Seduced by the Wolf. And then I wrote book 6, Wolf Fever, about Carol and Chester Ryan McKinley from Destiny of the Wolf, book 2, because so many wanted to see Carol's story.
But with book 7, Heart of the Highland Wolf, I was back to writing about a whole new pack--only this time in Scotland. The heroine is mentioned in some of the other stories, the werewolf romance writer, Julia Wildthorn. But otherwise, it's a new story. And I had so much fun with it--incorporating the gnashing of wolf teeth, and sword play, and other kinds of sword play, Scottish castles, and clan fights, and yes, I loved writing the story.
Yet, like writing the first 4 books in the series, I've had no feedback, but I'm off to write the next in the Highland series, book 10, The Highland Wolf in Paradise. And I want to come up with 2 new proposals for the Highland wolves. So I'm mulling.
I consider not only different, but dramatic. Who needs a run of the mill meeting between the hero and heroine? We need something that captures the reader's imagination: she wants to be the heroine; he wants to be the hero. Life can be ho-hum. But books can't be.
And fun. I have fun writing the books, so my characters need to have fun also. Okay, so Carol was NOT having fun with her continued bouts with fighting shifting, but seeing a wolf in the woods...now, that was intriguing. And when she saw him shift into a man, that was fun. :) The Silver brothers coming for her, to ensure her safety, that was fun.
So yes, fun, different, and dramatic.
Still thinking.
I have to work from 9-9 today, so I'm afraid I won't be thinking about anything but work...but this morning I woke at 4 AM, the bloodlust for stories rising, the thoughts swirling, the images appearing and vanishing, and one of these days very soon now...I'll have it, and the push will be on!
Hope your holidays were the best! I thoroughly enjoyed mine! And hope you received the newsletter all right. It looks like maybe both copies went out? I'm not sure. If you didn't receive yours, email me and I'll forward it to you!
As soon as I posted this, I received a review from
Book Chick City! Brilliant, Couldn't put it down!"Carol is a fantastic heroine, I liked her immediately. She is a strong courageous female, she stands with her head held high and doesn’t apologise for who she is. With Ryan also being a stubborn Alpha it makes for some really great dialogue and chemistry between them, and I liked that her Alpha-ness was something Ryan truly admired in her. I really enjoyed them both having to overcome a hurdle within themselves, Carol needs to trust her inner wolf and Ryan needs to believe in Carol’s abilities.
Ryan may not be the usual Alpha male, but that made him far more interesting than the overly brooding/aggressive type. I loved the fact that when pack members have sex they are mated to each other for life, and this introduces a tangible sexual tension which really came alive on the pages. Ooh!
The Pack is like a huge welcoming family, and it gave me some warm fuzzies reading about them. They may not be perfect, but the love they have for each other is very clear and it made me smile more than once. While some characters are not the focus of the story, I definitely wanted to know more about them because of how well fleshed out they are."
Woohoo, loved the review! :)
I'll also be starting the
Conflict! Conflict! Conflict! Online Workshop:
Jan 3-28
(4 weeks--12 lessons--$25)
So last chance to sign up this week for:
Conflict! Conflict! Conflict!How to Write Conflict in Every Scene!
And lastly--these are the last days of my blog tour--so drop by for chances to win a free book! Or two!
12/27 Thoughts in Progress_____________________________12/28 That’s What I’m Talking About_____________________________12/29 A Simple Love of ReadingHave a terrific Monday!!! Mine is going to be incredibly long!
Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."
www.terryspear.com
I worked from 9-9 yesterday so I could take off some time on Thursday when the counter guys are supposed to come to work on them. Then they have to come back on Friday to finish the job and I'll make up the time on Saturday. I'll be so glad to get one more major problem resolved. But I also need to get my car looked at. It's making weird noises.
