Make-Believe Mondays with Cindi Myers

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, our guest is Cindi Myers.

Cindi,first, tell us a little about the manuscript you're working om now.

Cindi: I’m currently working on the third book in a series of romantic comedies set in Crested Butte, Colorado that I’m writing for Harlequin American. The second book in the series, The Right Mr. Wrong, is in stores Feb. 12. I’m not sure yet when the third book will be out. I’m also reviewing galleys for a book I have out in June, A Soldier Comes Home and revising a book that will be out in December.

Debra: The Right Mr. Wrong is an intriguing title and it's coming out during ski reason, so there's a book to curl up with by the fire in the lodge..

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Cindi: I think it's really important to have a life outside of writing - to have other interests and activities, and to get out in the world to interact with other people. It's so easy to spend too much time in our own little world. I take a weekly dance class, am involved in my church, belong to a knitting group, and am an avid skier. Exercise is another good way to recharge. Unless the weather is really nasty, I walk by dogs 2-3 miles every day, and hike or ski on the weekends. Getting out in the fresh air really clears away the cobwebs and gets my mind moving again.

Debra: Oh, I agree. It's wonderful how you can be a little fussy on something to do with your story and once you work your body a bit, whether it be dance or a good long walk, the answers suddenly appear.

Cindi: I also think it’s a good idea to let your inner kid come out and play sometimes. I keep crayons and modeling clay on my desk. When I’m stuck for an idea or everything feels stale, I’ll start playing around with these toys. It’s as if another section of my brain kicks in when I start to play this way.

Debra: (Well, I confess. I have a brand new box of crayons just waiting for that day when I need them) :-) It is so important to play.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Cindi: I've noticed an interesting phenomenon among the writers I know. There are those who see their stories, like movies playing in their head. They know exactly what their characters and their settings look like.

I, on the other hand, hear my characters. I very rarely picture them, but I definitely hear their dialogue, and I hear the sounds of the setting – ocean waves, automobile traffic, etc. I’m not sure why this is, except that I had very poor eyesight as a child and it wasn’t discovered for several years. By then I think I’d grown accustomed to relying on my ears rather than my eyes and this has translated into my writing.

Debra: Fascinating. Yes, I can see certain phenomenon emerging now that I'm going into my third year doing author interviews here Certain things are mentioned again and again..

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Cindi: I have dreamed plots and scenes and bits of dialogue. Usually the dreams having nothing to do with the work in progress. But I have filed away dreams to use later. The beginning and some subsequent scenes of my September 2006 book, Fear of Falling, were originally dreams I wrote down and saved to use later.

Debra: How interesting. Many of us keep dream journals. This is one of the patterns I see..

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Cindi: I read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books when I was 8 and 9, and decided then and there that I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to create worlds and carry people away to them.

Debra: Cindi, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Cindi: Readers can visit me on the web at http://www.CindiMyers.com or www.MySpace.com/CindiMyers

I’m also a member of the Deadline Hellions Blog

Thank you, Cindi, for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

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Debra's News-Debra is watching.....

Over on our Title Wave blog, Maria has just announced a first sale! Pop on over to check out her story about getting "the call".

Also over on Gina's blog ,Gina is giving away books written by my American Title II sisters - one every week.

Here is the schedule:
1/21 Gerri Russell: The Warrior Trainer
1/28 Michele Ann Young: No Regrets
2/4 Denise Eagan: Wicked Woman
2/11 Gina Black: The Raven's Revenge

Watch for Debra's first novel, Desperate Journey, to be released from Samhain publishing July, 2008.

Make-Believe Mondays with Lori Avocato

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Lori Avocato.

Lori, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you're working on now.

Lori: Gladly. I am starting a new romantic series of three women who were born and raised by Hippie moms on a commune. Actually, they don't even know if they have the same dad. They pretty much had to raise themselves since the moms were so "free" with no rules. The women did grow up with nurturing natures and all became nurses. They picked different types of nursing, which fit their personalities. Now they are all nearly thirty and single--and rebelling at their mom's lifestyle choices for them. So, they decided to swing the pendulum in the complete opposite no-rules direction--and join the military--fraught with rules. All become Air Force nurses! (As I was.)

Debra: What an interesting storyline. And who better to write about Air Force nurses!

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Lori: Hm, I'd like to say with wine but I've never found one sweet enough and my friends won't let me add Splenda to my Merlot.

Debra: Hahahahaha. Oh, I like that. :-)

I don't buy into the muse/sleeping muse at the moment theory. I think if you are a writer, you just have to sit down and write and the cup will pour out. If we think too much about it and worry that the darn cup is nearly empty, we'll get nothing done. Always assume it's full!

Debra : Yes. We tend to experience what we expect in many cases. And worry is such an unproductive activity.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Lori: At the risk of sounding certifiably insane, that moment happens each time I sit down and write. And I gotta tell you, when I don't write, I get crabby.

Debra: Oh, I do too. Jut ask my family. ;-)

Lori: It's as if those characters are in my head and want to get out. I see the book in my head like a movie when I write and the darn characters do take over--which is actually my subconscious at work. That's why writing the first draft all the way through is so important. Trust your subconscious and listen to the damn characters. "Oh, nurse! Straight jacket please!"

Debra: The subconscious is a very powerful thing. Everyone should pay more attention to it.

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Lori: I can tell you that I always used to make up words with my kids. In the stories that I told them and even in the daily talk to them, in a humorous way. And yet, both of my sons seem very normal to this day. I still make up some words in my work. My characters say them. I love doing that and that's why I liked Dr. Seuss so much. He not only made words up, but they rhymed. How cool was that!

Debra: That was very cool. He was always (and still is) one of my favorites too.

Lori, thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays.

Readers please visit Lori at
www.LoriAvocato.com

http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/27851/Lori_Avocato/index.aspx

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Debra's news and updates:

I'm expecting to receive my first edits from my editor within the next three weeks and anxiously awaiting my book cover.
Keep watching for my first novel, Desperate Journey, to be released from Samhain July, 2008.

This week on Title Wave,
http://titlewave.blogspot.com"
the blog of my American Title II sisters, Theresa is bloggging on Wed. and Maria is blogging on Fri. I've taken Mondays to list my Make-Believe Mondays blog authors and the occassional blog chat. Stop by and say hello!
www.debraparmley.com

And next week, here on Make-Believe Mondays, our visiting author is Cindi Myers.

Make Believe Mondays With Anton Strout

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Anton Strout.

Anton, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you're working on now.

Anton: Currently I'm working on three things:

- one short story for City Fantastic (DAW Books) called "Stannis", about a gargoyle and his century long watch over one New York family

- a second short story about magical critters, also set in New York City for another anthology which name escapes me at the moment

- one full length novel which is the second book in my Simon Canderous series after DEAD TO ME. It's a very different experience ... with DEAD TO ME I had several years to write it since I was a n00b, but the second, tentatively title BACK TO LIFE, I've had a year and deadlines to meet. Things are a little crazy at the Strout Compound right now.

Debra: Wow. Yes, I can imagine they would be. There's nothing like having a deadline looming to speed up the process.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Anton: I tend to think cinematically when I sit down at the keyboard, laying out much of my thoughts like a screen play so my mind's eye sees my characters right from the get go. However, they tend to be a bit skeletal on my first draft as I write it out fast and dirty, but by about two-thirds of the way through I know them well enough that they start to flesh out nicely.

Debra: Skeletal. Yes, it's a bit like layering, isn't it? I like that image, the flesh being the last layer.

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so, how?

Anton: I am amazed when I read, say, Tolkien and the myriad linguistic tricks he pullls off, but it's not for me. I tend to cringe at the idea of creating fanciful words for my work...it doesn't feel honest to what I do. I write mostly in reality anyway, only with little twists to it and using names that are all consonants like Krxyzl or something just seems like bad scifi conventions.

Debra: Yes, better not to do it if it doesn't feel organic to the writing. Then it is forced and is as you say, like bad scifi.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this ever been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Anton: Dreams don't play heavily into my work, which I suppose is why most of it is grounded in reality. For instance, I love the shows Joss Whedon creates because ultimately they're about real people trying to get through their day as weird shit goes down around them. Buffy Summers is just trying to get through school and date, but unfortunately she is The Chosen One. Mal and his crew are just trying to earn their keep and live peacefully, but they're flying through space dealing with pirates and a world where the Brown Coats lost....I'm intrigued by real people thrust into unreal situations.

Debra: Yes, and the reader can easily get caught up in that scene because what if they were thrust into that world? What would they do? I think that is why a TV show like Lost, for instance can be so popular.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Anton: I go to a Tolkien rereading binge every few years, but I think of the books from my teen years as the ones that most influenced my style: Douglas Adams, Robert Aspirin and Craig Shaw Gardner - I wanted their levels of humor, William Gibson - I envied the way he dropped you in a story with little explanation and you as a reader had to hit the ground running to keep up, Stephen King - I desperately wanted to tap that vein of universality he hits when he turns a phrase.

Debra: Yes, I do that rereading binge too every so often. But I can't read King. He is so good he gives me nightmares. lol

Anton, thank you for visiting with us here on Make-Believe Mondays.

Readers can visit Anton at

His website www.antonstrout.com

http://antonstrout.livejournal.com/

His group blog with other urban fantasists: http://leagueofreluctantadults.com/

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News and updates from Debra:

I'm adding this new feature at the end of all the interviews to let everyone know what I am up to as an author, what I am working on, where I am blogging, what I am following in the writing world.

First, I'm thrilled to announce my first novel, A Desperate Journey, will be out July, 2008.
I haven't seen the book cover yet and will soon be working on the edits. I closed down my travel agency at the end of 2007 to focus on writing full time, so of course that is a major shift for me.

I also blog over at
http://titlewave.blogspot.com/
with my American Title II sisters. I'll post a schedule of upcoming topics and bloggers there once we have the 2008 schedule worked out.

Make-Believe Mondays With Denise Eagan

I'm happy to be able to kick off the New Year here on Make-Believe Mondays with a visit from my American Title II sister, Denise Eagan, who we affectionately call Dee.

Dee, is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Dee: Yes, but sometimes not soon enough. It's not until they are actually talking to each other in my mind - sort of like a movie in the mind - that I can write anything. Still, I'm not completely "there" until I can imagine how they speak, how they interact after the end of the book. Another way I know if I "know" my characters is if I imagine them at a party together, and I know how they act at that party. For some reason that solidifies them for me. Everything else is learning exactly how they act at that party. For some reason that solidifies them for me. Everything else is learning about how they got to be the way they are.

Sometimes for me this is a matter of creation. Sometimes they are just there. That’s how both Wicked Woman and Wild Card were for me. I had the characters talking to each other in my head—the scenes rolling through my mind—before I had any thought of writing those books at all. Those of “gift” characters and “gift” books. Not that they don’t have their own challenges, they just “come” easier then ones where I have to sit down and figure out why this character is behaving this way or why that character won’t behave this way.

Debra: Tell us a little bit about the manuscript you are working on now.

Dee: The working title - sure to be changed because I'm very bad with titles - is Stalking Star. It's sort of a sequel to Wicked Woman and Wild Card, as in the heroine, Star, is the daughter of the hero and heroine in Wicked Woman, and starts talking about the hero, Nick, in Wild Card. Star is a woman's rights activist who has forgone marriage to pledge her life to the movement. But she doesn't want to forgo the intimacy of the marriage bed. Unfortunately, the conservative, uptight society men of Boston and New York are not willing to assist her in this endeavor. When she and her family visit with Colorado rancher Nick McGraw, she assumes that a Western man will be less uptight, and he become her latest target. It’s not until she has developed feelings for him that she learns he is not going to concede to her wishes, certainly not while they are inhabiting the same building. He may not be high society, but he does know right from wrong. As they the book progresses and the characters dance to the music of stalker and prey, Star’s secret admirer, unhappy with her association with the harridans of Women’s Right’s starts to do some stalking of his own. Only his comes with physical threats. . . .

Debra: The heroine sounds like a fascinating woman. I will be waiting for this one to come out.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Dee: Oh yeah, I wrote one whole book based upon a dream I had. It was very warm dream and the “hero” of the dream was a vampire. I can’t see myself ever writing a vampire, book, though, so I took the characters of that dream, twisted and turned them, and came up with a book, Heart and Soul. Just so I could write that scene! Funny thing, though, I never put the scene in the book. In the end, the dream mostly just set the tone of the hero and his journey, dark and menacing, which I mixed with a heroine who is all light and humor. Eventually the book went on to take second place in WISRWA’s Fabulous Five contest.

Debra: Sometimes the writing of a book is a story all on its own and just as fascinating. :-)

Dee, thank you for visiting with us here on Make-Believe Mondays. It is lovely to be able to share the success of my ATII sisters with our readers.

Readers may email Dee at

victorianromance@comcast.net

Visit her at www.deniseeagan.com

and www.slipintosomethingvictorian.com