The Art of Nothing

Last night I did an incredible thing: nothing.

As a self-confessed stress-head, this is quite a note-worthy occasion. I'm the kind of person who is always considering time; how much of it something or someone will use, how much of it has passed, what I can best do with my time... If I could take a measuring tape to time, I would.

Two weeks ago I slipped whilst on a bush walk and bruised my ribs, and despite the acute pain, I kept going. I still applied adhesive window film to seven windows, built a pallet sofa, painted and attached privacy screens, and hosted two parties. I went to work. I wrote my books. And yes, all of that made the pain worse and lengthened my recovery time. I haven't slept painlessly for a fortnight.

I don't pretend to always make the best decisions. I just have a hard time being idle.

There is always something on. Give me three colourful balls and I will make a clumsy spectacle of myself, but I can juggle life like a tenured circus performer.

I work full time. I write when I can (in the last month I've finished writing two books, submitted a book to publishers, applied for a grant, edited a manuscript, and outlined another work-in-progress)  and I've just moved into a new house, so there's lots to be done. I see my family and friends when I can, and of course, I have my husband and fur family - the best time-sucks of my life.

I'm not saying I'm unique in this. We're all busy. I don't have kids and I don't have a particularly big commute to work, so I have more time available to me than others, but I am saying that I don't have an off button.

Which is why it was particularly unusual for me to come home yesterday and do what I did.

My husband was out, I had the house to myself. Before I'd even set my bag down I was mentally listing what could be done before climbing gingerly into bed. But between the front door and the couch, I changed my mind. I just ... sat. I binged on the first season of Younger - one episode after the next - even after my husband came home to find me still in my work clothes in the same position I'd fallen in hours earlier. I skipped dinner. I didn't close the blinds. I didn't even turn the lights on, so I was sitting in the dark. Hell, I'm lucky my respiratory system is a sub-conscious function!

I can honestly say, that was the absolute best use of my time in that moment.

Things didn't get done. They were delayed a day and the world didn't end. I actually watched the TV instead of glancing at it between laptop tasks. It was self-indulgent and it was perfect.

Some of you may be reading this post and thinking, "So what?", but I'm celebrating. It might be weeks or months before I do this again and I want to mark the moment so that one day in the future, I can look back and remind myself that the world didn't end when I stopped blurring around the edges. Some of us wear our busy-ness like a badge of honour and I'm not saying that's wrong, but wow, it felt good to just put everything down for a night.

Still waiting on that human cloning technology. It should be any day now.

Limbo

Something that kept me busy during a lunch break when I was at loose ends.

 

#TheRegulars

The process of writing a book is a personal one. I've never met two writers whose processes are alike, but I have met enough to know that the above image would resonate with many. Our self-confidence fluctuates, our enthusiasm wilts then revives. It's a see-saw, a swing, a frikkin' roundabout of emotions that range from energising to debilitating.

At the time of this blog post, I am within two pages of finishing a novella due for release in early 2015. When I first started writing Driftwood Summer (working title), I was unstoppable. I missed meals. I jabbered about these characters like they were best friends. Now, I'm self-shaming myself into finishing, because my mind's already moved on to new characters. Better friends.

It's often this way for me. I need to knock out the ending fast, or I lose momentum and get cranky. Watch me, by the end of today I'll have written 'The End' and completely forgotten the struggle to get there. "It was a joy!" I'll crow. Yeah, right. Pass the chocolate.

I am also two days into a new project (I know, bad writer!), and utterly overwhelmed with the possibility of it. It's unlike anything I've ever done before, and it took stumbling across the above image for me to realise I want to map its journey from inception to completion. If it's ever truly complete, that is.

See? Unless anything I've ever done before. It has no visible end.

So, I'm marking the moment. I'm about to pop over to Twitter and post my first new project update. The hashtag #theregulars will feature in every update, and in time - at a significant milestone - I'll use it to track my progress, both in words written, and mood.

I'm keeping myself accountable by writing in a day-to-a-page diary. I'm loving the practice of it so far, because one page isn't overwhelming on the days when I'm not sparking, and one page is teasing on the days when I am. I don't run over on to the next page, but wait, impatient for the next day. The diary is dragging me forward, and with me, undeniable progress.

I've got to say, there's also something nostalgic and boundless about handwriting an excerpt. Away from the internet and the internal editor, connected with the friction on the page and the liquid sweep of the pen. I don't hand write enough. I'm typically too impatient for it because I'm such a fast typer, but this exercise is getting me back to that. It's slowing me down, which in this instance, is a good thing.

Each day's writing does not have to be connected to the day before. It can be a new scene, a new excerpt. It can be set wherever and about whatever is resonating with me at the time. This reduces further pressure. It doesn't even have to be about The Regulars, even though that's what I'll be tracking.

Being a typically chronological writer, I'm broadening my skillset and challenging myself to follow my inspiration, however disconnected it may be.

In conclusion, for those of you who are interested in following a writer's process - through the mire of every emotion imaginable - I welcome you on board.

If you don't have Twitter, I'll be regularly posting the #theregulars feed on my website, so you can follow it there.

For those of you who followed my recent holiday posts, apologies, I'm home, and my nose is back to the grindstone. In good news, though, if you enjoyed all the mischief and madness of my trip, stay tuned. Many of my experiences will be making their way into books for you to enjoy in the not too distant future!

Until next time.

Elise

Tackling the TBR pile

I've confessed this to a few writers and a few have agreed with me, so it turns out I'm not alone in struggling to read and write at the same time. By that, I mean that it's difficult for me to be reading a great book whilst I'm drafting a story of my own - the author's voice attempts to page hop, details blur, and my self-confidence takes an absolute bashing.

I tried not reading contemporary when I was writing it, not reading YA when I was writing it, etc, but it didn't much help. This put me between the proverbial rock and hard place, because I was being forced to choose between two passions.

One of my new year resolutions was to read minimum of a book a month, which to bibliophiles would be a laughably low goal. But I write every day. I write when I should be doing something else. I write, because I can't stop myself. So you see my predicament: how to read a book a month when I'm always writing?

The short answer: I've started tricking myself.

I listen to audio books. I drive enough that I get through a book every fortnight or so. I have a book on my bedside table (although this is my least effective trick, as my laptop's beside it). I take my e-reader everywhere, and read paragraphs whenever there isn't enough time to write. This adds up over time. I'm lucky that interruptions don't phase me - I can write and read with them, pause my brain and resume it fairly easily. And so I think I'll reach these monthly goals.

I've surpassed my minimum this month, but as I'm retreating to the editing cave this long weekend, I don't see the harm in declaring January over in this post. I won't be reading anything again for a week at least, unfortunately.

What are you reading, and do you trick yourself into creating time for good books?

Here are the fabulous titles I've read this month:

        

      

A Year in Review

As the 2013 Romance Writers of Australia annual conference approaches, I'm finding myself thinking back to this time last year, and shaking my head.

So much has changed. Relationships have strengthened and dissolved, my family has gone through some tough knocks and my work life has evolved so much that I'm struggling to capture it all in my annual review. But what I want to explore in this blog is how far I've come as a writer.

This time last year, I was hugging my first contract to my chest. Destiny Romance had yet to announce itself and I was practicing an excerpt from Small Town Storm, my first book and Destiny's debut romantic suspense title, because I was lucky enough to be doing a reading at the launch. I attended the conference with a blue first sale ribbon stuck to my name tag, and marvelled at how different it felt to be one of them. The authors.

Little did I know that I would return the following year with five published titles and a RUBY nomination for the very book I'd launched - my first baby, Small Town Storm. And instead of visiting the ARRA author signing event, I'll be signing at it. If you'd told me all of this last year, I wouldn't have believed you.

This last year has been a whirlwind. After Small Town Storm's release in August last year, I released The Man Plan in December, again with Destiny Romance. In January this year I released Unforgettable with Escape Publishing, then in April and July Destiny Romance and I released the first two novellas in the Homeland series, Ask Me To Stay and Ask Me For More. The third novella, Ask Me For Tomorrow,  will be released in October and something very special is coming in December.

It's little wonder I'm exhausted, but adrenaline and I have become really good mates. We go way back and it's a relationship I see myself embracing for the rest of my life. Amongst the countless things I've learned, I've also had to teach myself how to embrace down-time. I'm a planner. If you leave me to my thoughts for too long, I'll not only plot out the next few weeks of my life, but a book or two.

Yet for all my foresight and planning, I could never have guessed I'd be where I am now.

And standing here. looking around, looking back and looking forward - dreaming of what's to come - I can honestly say, I'm so, so happy.

For all of you presently standing in the shadows, I hope that you, too can look back in time and marvel. For those who dream of being published - it's never been a better time to crack into the industry - the opportunities are everywhere in both digital and print. And for those of you who have been on this journey with me this last year, thank you. From every inch of my swollen heart, thank you.

Here's to another year together.

Imagine where we'll be then!

An 'element' of reader beware...

Today is the official publication date of the first book in the Homeland series, Ask Me To Stay.

I am very proud of this book, and I'm endlessly grateful to those who have already downloaded it. This title was - incredibly - a buzz book on iTunes the day before its official release. I'd love to get the names of everyone who's bought it, knock on their doors and hug them. But, you know... invasion of privacy, and all that.

So instead, I'll say this.

Reader beware.

If you have read any of my other titles, or if you have downloaded this one expecting a certain degree of romance - I need to warn you that Ask Me To Stay is a little different. It focuses almost entirely on the fractured relationship between brothers Ethan and Dean. There is a romance subplot in this novella, but the first in the Homeland series is - to my mind - contemporary/rural fiction with romantic elements.

I think I'm incapable of writing a book which doesn't feature two people falling in love - that's just what keeps me interested in the story. But some of the early reviews of this title seem to suggest that the degree of romance took some readers by surprise.

Read this title to read about family. About redemption and reputation and second chances, both for the heart, and the soul.

Ask Me For More and Ask Me For Tomorrow are infinitely more focused on romance. Ethan and Sam's relationship arc continues throughout the second and third titles as readers explore Cal and Dean's stories; so you will get the romance that you crave. There will be stomach-dropping nerves, black-moments and soul-stirring intimacy.

I promise you all of this and more.

Guest interview with Juanita Kees

I'm delighted to welcome my second guest to The Write Frequency blog; freelance editor and contemporary romance writer, Juanita Kees. Juanita's first title, Fly Away Peta, was released by Eternal Press in August 2012, and her second title, Under The Hood, was released last month with Escape Publishing. Juanita has been patient enough to answer my many and varied questions, and has supplied an excerpt of her latest release. Read on to learn more about this talented author, and find out what she's up to next.

Describe yourself in four words:
Creative writing cleaning fairy

Are characters’ names in your novel important?

Absolutely! For some reason, the name always comes to me first.

Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer?

Yes, chocolate belly, numb bum, and a crick in the neck from falling asleep on the keyboard :)

Do you write around anything? i.e. day job, kids…

I wish I could! I’m easily distracted by Facebook, the telly or radio, so I like to have complete silence when I write.

What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

Insanity (you can’t go insane if you’re already there, can you?), a sense of humour, chocolate, wine and a husband who can cook and clean.

Was there a lot of research needed for you novel?

Yes. I spent a lot of time researching the Young Australian League, Police & Citizens' Youth Clubs and of course, the history of Holden. I had to get my facts straight :)

How much impact does your childhood have on your writing?

Heaps! We grew up on books and story-telling. My dad is a wonderful storyteller and Mum is a big fan of romance novels.

What are books for?

Reading, loving, cherishing and escaping the real world.

Are you fun to go on a holiday with?

You might have to ask my family that one J I get a bit cranky on aeroplanes…

If the story on the front page of the newspaper was about you, what would the headline say?

Crazy Author begs Sexy Policeman to Arrest Her

Do you work better with a word-count goal or time period goal?

Time period – word counts scare me :)

What is the most amount of words you’ve written in a day?

6503

If your book was made into a movie, who would you want to play the main characters?

Scott – Hugh Jackman

TJ – Sandra Bullock

Strangest place you’ve been writing?

In front of the bathroom mirror using my eyeliner pencil – true story :)

The most untimely moment when inspiration struck?

On the back of a motorcycle in sub- zero temperatures and our first stop 100km away.

Does your book have a theme song?

What about Me – Shannon Noll’s version

Do your friends ever recognise themselves in your books?

No, but my husband likes to think he’s the role model for the love scenes :)

If you could swap this world for your "book world," would you?

I could answer that but I might end up in very hot water!

How many books are in your TRB pile?

How long is a piece of string? :)

Craziest thing you ever ate?

In my wild youth, I once ate a snake we cooked over the campfire and washed it down with coffee that looked and tasted like tar…eew.

When all is said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

That’s highly likely J Sometimes the days just aren’t long enough…

To what degree have you controlled the course of your life?

The nth degree.

Would you agree to reduce your life expectancy by ten years if it meant becoming extremely attractive or famous?

Definitely not…I’d rather be an old man’s darling than a young man’s fool :)

Under The Hood Blurb:

When Scott Devin buys a struggling car dealership in semi-rural Western Australia, the last person he expects to see in charge is a stilletto-wearing, mini-skirted foreperson. Exactly the distraction a struggling, male-dominated workshop doesn’t need! But there’s more to TJ Stevens than meets the eye.

TJ Stevens has two major goals in life: to preserve her grandfather’s heritage and protect her teenage rehabilitation program — and she’ll go to any lengths to do it. Scott Devin’s presence is a threat to everything she’s worked hard to achieve, so keeping him at arms-length shouldn’t be a problem…or will it? 

Under The Hood Excerpt:

All the way up her steep driveway, he had a view of her perfectly rounded butt encased in snug fitting denim. All she had to do was wiggle that lovely butt and she’d have him panting at her feet, he thought wryly.  As she veered off the driveway towards a massive shed, he tried to remember the invisible line…and the rules. She dragged the heavy door back on its sliding groove and snapped on the light.  Industrial lighting blinded him momentarily as it revealed a beautifully restored 1953 Holden FJ utility. 

“Meet Bruce, the love of Sheila’s life,” TJ said waving her hand. 

Bruce and Sheila. He shook his head as he watched her snag a polish cloth off the work bench nearby and rub at the chrome badge on the hood. Scott stepped up to run a hand over the smooth cream fender before strolling around to admire the rear.

“New look tail light lens, original name badge, original hubcaps. Are these real white-walls?” He moved around the car. “Modified grille, genuine leather upholstery...” he noted in awe.  “Where did you get all this stuff?”

“...Straight-six grey motor with modified, longer-life pistons and torsional type compression rings,” she finished for him.  “I worked a lot of extra hours to pay for those parts.”

“Do you plan to do the same for Sheila?” He paused with his hand on the polished chrome door handle to look at her as she leaned a hip against the work bench.

“Yes.” She hooked the key off a nail above the work bench and tossed it to him. “Start him up.”

Scott didn’t need a second invitation. He caught the key neatly and opened the door to slide in behind the wheel as TJ popped the hood. He turned the key and the motor purred to life. He got out and stood next to her.

“Purrs like a kitten.” He ducked his head under the hood and turned his left ear closer to catch the sound. “Smooth as silk.”

TJ beamed. “Hours of fine tuning and good grade oil.”

“You know your stuff,” he said. He straightened and their shoulders touched. There it was again. That zing that couldn’t – shouldn’t – be acknowledged. Yes, she’d crawled right in under his defenses, this enigma that was TJ Stevens. A puzzle he could spend hours trying to solve. Her lack of self-awareness, her energy and enthusiasm, and the fierce pride that came to the fore when challenged – all these traits stirred his senses.

TJ felt his gaze on her face and ignored the pleasant shiver it sent tingling up her spine. She saw the hand he raised and felt his knuckles brush her cheek. She stepped out of reach.

“Mind your hands, Scott. I’ll drop the hood.”

What I’m working on now:

You met him in Fly Away Peta. He starts a murder investigation in Under the Hood. When will Detective Mark Johnson have his chance at happiness and what’s next for the bad guys? Find out over at Romance Book Haven.

On the Web: http://www.kees2create.com.au/

                    http://juanitakees.com/

Twitter:          https://twitter.com/#!/juanitakees

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Juanita-Kees-Author-Page/

Thanks for visiting the blog, Juanita!

Elise

My first fabulous guest on The Write Frequency, author Ros Baxter

I'm very excited to welcome Harper Collins Australia and Escape Publishing author, Ros Baxter, as my first guest on The Write Frequency. I'm fortunate enough to have her answering a few questions and sharing some information about her latest release, Fish Out of Water, available now from Escape Publishing.

Refresh your beverage of choice, sit back and enjoy Ros's fun interview.

Describe yourself in four words?

Busy (busy, busy, busy). Noisy (genetic). Affectionate (love a cuddle). Sleep-deprived. (Does a hyphenation count as one word?).

Do you write around anything? i.e. day job, kids…

I write around everything – four kids, a day job, a charity, and several voluntary roles.  But, as my mother, multi-tasker extraordinaire, always said:  you want something done, give it to a busy person.

Texting was invented for people like me. I have a thumb the size of a pumpkin.

Does your computer/iPad/laptop (choose one) have a name?

Sir. (In my head, it’s kind of bossy. I blame 50 Shades...)

Who would play you in a film of your life?

My daughter (when she’s a little older).  She does THE BEST impression of me.  Not particularly flattering, but accurate.  Loud.  Bossy.  But lots of cuddles.

Biggest writing-related mistake?

The first book I wrote was what I used to fondly call “kinda tangential”.  I had to learn that what works telling drunken stories to your mates doesn't necessarily translate to the page. 

For a start, you can’t scream at readers to “lissenup” if they’re getting bored...

Have you ever read/seen yourself as a character in a book/movie?

I think this is possibly one of those perspective things. Yes, I have definitely seen myself (dreamed myself?)as a character in a novel. Some flawed romantic heroine of course – you know: Catherine from Wuthering Heights, Anna Karenina et cetera.

My kids, however, possibly have a different perspective, depending on the day:  Mrs Dursley from Harry Potter, The Wicked Witch of the West, and various other killjoys.

My husband would probably cast a vote for some character who can’t say no and drinks too much wine.  Probably someone played by Meg Ryan (although I only wish my hair was that good).

And my friends would choose someone who frequently ends up in a muddle: Bridget Jones, Alison Scott from Knocked Up, and so on.

Are you fun to go on a holiday with?

Hell yeah!  If your idea of fun is lying in bed all day reading books in your pyjamas (oops, that’s my idea of fun)!!

If the story on the front page of the newspaper was about you, what would the headline say?

BRISBANE WOMAN FOUND DEAD STILL TEXTING.

Strangest place you’ve been writing?

I write everywhere – toilet, kitchen, kids swimming lessons, bed.  Strangest (as in, most unusual) place would probably be at my computer.

Many thanks Elise for having me.  Love the questions, and love your work!

Ros :)

You can email Ros at rosbaxterink@gmail.com or find her at www.facebook.com/RosBaxterInk, on twitter @RosBaxter, or www.rosbaxterink.com.

Blurb:

“It’s  Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum meets Splash in a sexy, smart-talking debut about a mermaid in a desert, a city under water, and the secret that no-one is supposed to uncover.”

Fish out of Water
Dirtwater's straight-talking Deputy Sheriff has a lot on her plate: a nicotine addiction that's a serious liability for a mermaid, a solider-of-fortune ex who's hooked on her Mom's brownies, a gorgeous, naked stranger in her shower, and a mysterious dead blonde with a fish tattoo on Main Street.

Oh, and one other thing.

She's scheduled to die on her thirtieth birthday - in three weeks - unless she can 'change the course of destiny and save the world entire'. Throw in a Mom who's the local Mayor and a Dad who's been locked in the county jail for twelve years, and that's all the trouble she needs without her mermaid roots coming back to haunt her.

Rania's heading home to Aegira for a family wedding but she's starting to have a sinking feeling that's got nothing to do with hydroporting seven miles under the sea and everything to do with some weird connections that seem to be emerging between her, the dead blonde, her Mom's shady past and a ten thousand year old prophesy. Now if she can just steal a corpse, get a crazy Aegirian priest off her case, work out who the hell's trying to kill her and stop sleeping with the fishes, she might be able to unravel the prophesy, the mystery of the missing choirgirls and the secrets hidden in her Mom's past. And maybe even save her own ass while she's at it.

Fish Out of Water is available from Escape Publishing, or Amazon. Find out more at www.rosbaxterink.com

Excerpt:

          The mildewy pink curtain billowed forward and a large shape crashed to the floor, right between Missy and me, wrapped in the voluminous plastic.  Missy screamed.

My heart tapped out a tango and one hand went to my Glock without any conscious command as I tried to disentangle the curtain from the lumpy shape.

As I pulled it free, I had one of those moments.  You know the ones.  Where everything slows down and you know that for the rest of your life you’ll be able to describe it in vivid technicolor.  Like the time I turned on the tv and saw that plane crashing into the towers.

He was almost supernaturally beautiful.  And naked.  A long trickle of thick red blood ran from the side of one temple down to a graceful jaw.

And he was lying on the floor half in and half out of Missy’s teeming shower.

Had he been there, in the shower, the whole time?

“Sweet Jesus,” Missy whistled, clearly impressed as she studied the region I was studiously avoiding.  As beautiful as he was, it didn’t seem right to be copping an eyeful.

Especially when he seemed to be in pretty bad shape.

He was long and lean, dark blonde and strong like a runner.  Golden hair glistened on his wet, brown body, but he was curled like a fetus and moaning softly.  Something about the sight of him, which should have screamed “get the pervert outta here”, touched me right down inside. Right down in my belly.  And lower.  I wanted to cover him up.  I wanted to help him. And some parts of me wanted to do other things too, but I wasn’t giving them any airtime.

Destiny Romance's first series, coming soon.

I'm on a countdown. It's less than a month before the release of the first book in my novella series. It's been given a new town name, a new series title, and an official release date; and any day now, the cover should be arriving in my inbox.

Leonai has become Hinterdown. For various reasons, the top two being the ease of pronunciation and avoiding the hint of fantasy. This is not a fantasy novel by any stretch of the imagination. Ethan, Cal and Dean's stories are hopefully as real as fiction gets. Which is a strange claim to make. But I've aimed for natural dialogue, realistic timelines and reactions, a rich country atmosphere and people so friendly and complex that readers will hopefully feel like they know them.

The new town name was inspired by the Hinterlands, and in my imagination it looks very much like a town I visited once in the Upper Hunter Valley. I'll be talking about this town in a later blog post.

Because each novella features a returning character, someone who - for reason or reasons explored throughout the series - left the town and found cause to return - the title was shaped around the magnetism of home.

So without further ado, I introduce to you all, The Homeland Books and book one, Ask Me To Stay. It will be released on April 15, and will include an exclusive excerpt of book two, Ask Me For More.

I will be on a blog tour next month to promote and discuss the first title, and I would love to read your comments and share a bit of the story with you. My blog tour schedule is below, and there will be everything from interviews, to blog posts and giveaways.

15 April: The Book Vixen (link)
16 April: Book'd Out (link)
17 April: Sassy Book Lovers (link)
18 April: Ex Libris (link)
19 April: You Gotta Read Reviews (link)
20 April: Jenn J McLeod's Author Harvest (link)
22 April: Juanita Kees' Kees 2 Create (link)
23 April: Ros Baxter Ink (link)
24 April: Romance Australia Author Spotlight (link)
26 April: Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer (link)
27 April: Satin Sheets Romance (link)
28 April: Susanne Bellamy's All The World's A Page (link)
29 April: Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and More (link)
              Nas Dean's Romance Book Paradise (link)
30 April: Lily Malone's Left Field With Lily (link)
1 May: Page Flipperz (link)
4 May: Bookish Ardour (link)
5 May: Nicki J Markus (link)
6 May: Clean Romance Reviews (link)
7 May: Ramblings From This Chick (link)
22 May: Louise Reynold's Cooking The Books (link)

I can't wait to introduce you to Ethan and Samantha. And if you read the series, you may understand why I'm also so excited to introduce you to little Nina.

ARCs will be on NetGalley within a few weeks. If you're a reviewer or blog host and you would like to know more about the series, I would love to hear from you. I've also launched a newsletter, so sign up through my web page (link) if you want to know things before anyone else.

The list above is subject to change. Hopefully the kind of change that makes for a longer scroll! ;)

Happy writing and reading. I'm off to sail around the bay.

Elise

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

I'm delighted to be part of The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. I've been asked to answer ten questions about my new work and then tag other authors to do the same. So without further ado, see below for a scoop on my upcoming romance novella (the first of a series - so excited!), and follow the links at the bottom to continue the hop. If you have any questions, I'd be delighted to answer them. If you're a reviewer and you're interested in reading and discussing the title, please contact with me about acquiring an ARC - I'd love to hear from you.

1: What is the working title of your book?

Ask Me To Stay

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I was participating in the international 3-Day Novel Contest and I wanted to write a short, emotionally satisfying story about returning home with an undeserved reputation. All I knew when I sat down to start it was that the novella featured two estranged brothers and their best friend, a death and a lie. Then fingers went to keyboard and an entirely unexpected first sentence appeared. After that, I was hooked. I had to finish Ethan's story.

3: What genre does your book come under?

Contemporary rural romance - the setting is a fictional small town in country New South Wales, Australia.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

In my wildest dreams, Ethan Foster the story's male protagonist would be played by Jared Padaleki. His brother Dean would be played by Jensen Ackles and their best friend Caleb O'Hara would be played by Alex O’Loughlin. Samantha O'Hara, Ethan's high school sweetheart, could be played by Ellen Page. In my mind, little Nina Foster looks a little like child actress Ashley Boettcher, and her brother Rowan like child actor Owen Best.  

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Ethan Foster has been protecting a secret for almost a decade, but when he faces losing everyone he's ever loved all over again, the past becomes too heavy a burden to bear.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Contracted by Penguin's Destiny Romance, scheduled to be released April this year.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Three days. I wrote into the early morning, all through the day... I achieved nothing else for an entire long weekend.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Perhaps Kelly Hunter's Wish and Rachael John's Jilted. Both are rural contemporary romances. Kelly's is a novella about two people trying to come together despite a traumatic past and the scrutiny of a small town. Rachael's female protagonist returns home notorious and persecuted for running away many years ago. My character Ethan is the same, he has an undeserved reputation and a childhood sweetheart who still stirs his heart.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The challenge of drafting a complete work under an absurd deadline was what initially inspired me. I wanted to see if I could do it, and what I could produce under pressure. Prior to that, I kept imagining a man driving through the night, led home by the magnetism of family and obligation.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

This is the first in a novella series about the lives and loves of Ethan, Cal and Dean. The second and third novellas are expected to come out later this year, so you don't have to wait long between reads. There's a strong focus on family, forgiveness and self-sacrifice, and a gorgeous little girl who stole my heart. The story begins a few days after a tragedy but don't be put off by that because it's also very light-hearted; I want you to laugh and sigh. This story will make you feel good, author's promise!

Thank you to Patricia Zick for inviting me to join the blog hop. Patricia's Next Big Thing Blog Hop post is here. Please take some time to visit her website and blog and read about her latest release, contemporary literature novel, Trails in the Sand. 
Web: www.pczick.com
Blog: www.pczick.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PCZick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PCZick

See below for a list of fabulous authors you should acquaint yourself with:

Keziah Hill

Author of steamy erotic romance and romantic suspense, Keziah has been recently published with Momentum, and Harlequin imprint, Escape Publishing. 

Web: http://www.keziahhill.com

Blog: http://keziahhill.com/blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeziahHill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeziahHillAuthor

Jennifer St George

Contemporary romance author of The Convenient Bride talks about her latest release with Penguin imprint, Destiny Romance, Seducing The Secret Heiress, here. 

Web:  www.jenniferstgeorge.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenStGeorge/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.s.george.31?fref=ts

Imelda Evans
Published with Destiny Romance, Imelda's debut novel Rules Are For Breaking was a finalist in the 2012 ARRA Awards Favourite Contemporary Romance category.
Blog: http://imeldaevans.wordpress.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Imelda_Evans
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImeldaEvansAuthor

Louise Reynolds
Another wonderful Destineer, Louise's title Her Italian Aristocrat takes contemporary romance readers abroad.
Website: http://www.louisereynolds.com.au
Blog: http://louwrites.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouiseHReynolds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouiseReynoldsauthorpage

M.O Kenyan
Author of  Shades of Spring 1964: Letters to my daughter; you can connect with her the following ways:
Web: http://t.co/0G7bLz2o
Blog: www.mokauthor.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MOK_Author
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MokAuthor?ref=hl

My mad schemes to cheat time...

I confess to being frustrated. If I was science-clever and had a basement, I would be in a lab coat devising a complex process for human duplication. My double could go to work, and I - the original - could write full time.

Of course, being  a writer means that I see all kinds of plot holes in the above. My salary would effectively halve because I would be supporting two of us. My social life would suffer (because said double would be fostering relationships whilst I would be writing), and then there's the conundrum of who sleeps where, and with who.

Clearly, I'm not going to share my partner, but would my double feel that he was in some way hers?

Okay, scratch that. I don't want a double.

What I want is more time. To do everything, to do a bit of nothing. Time to work, play and whatever. I have a full-time day job, and I write in the mornings, at lunch, and most evenings. Which can be exhausting.

If only I didn't need to sleep. If sleep was optional, and my body and mind wouldn't suffer from opting out, imagine how productive I would be. It would be awesome.

But this would only be truly beneficial to me if the rest of the world still had to catch their Zs. Otherwise, people would work longer hours, produce more, expect more - in short, I'd be in the exact same position I'm in now.

Are you starting to understand how much I overthink things?

What I'm trying to say in a circular, of-beat way, is that I am a creative prisoner. I have so many ideas, so many interests and curiosities, and only so many hours in the day. I write on a small laptop and I'm not fussy about time or place. I'll cheerfully tap away on the train, in the car (whilst parked, of course - don't imagine any stop light sentences). If I can snag fifteen minutes, I'll knock out as many words as I can.

It's a brilliant, albeit exasperating position to be in. Whilst I may wish to write all the time, and get frustrated because I can't - I would rather that than the alternative. I just can't imagine suffering writer's block. Not now. Not for a long time. I have too much to say.

And because my characters are screaming at me, I'm going to wrap up my first blog post and return to them.

If you're a writer, how to you find or make time to write? Have you trained yourself to write on command, or do you just hope the words will come when you find yourself in front of your computer?

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