Make-Believe Monday with Erin Nicholas

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Erin Nicholas.

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

Erin: My current work in progress is the sexy, contemporary third book in a three-book series following a set of siblings. The first book, Just Right, will release in April. The manuscript I’m working on now is about the youngest sister who’s been in love with her brother’s best friend for years. He’s a lot older than her and her brother knows way too much about his wild past to be comfortable with letting his little sister be with him! Still he can’t leave her alone and the heroine isn’t above using every weapon in her arsenal to get what she wants!

Debra: 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?

Erin: Great question! Some days it’s harder than others, isn’t it? I read, read, read, for one thing! My children and husband also help. They love the stories mom makes up for them at bedtime (after writing steamy love scenes, it’s a great stretch for me to have to make the stories rated G J). I also think my “day job” keeps me constantly creatively revived. I’m a physical therapist, so can satisfy my scientific “left brain”, which seems to allow my creative “right brain” to recharge! Plus, working with people all day every day gives me lots of great chances to be inspired and rewarded!

Debra: Yes, it can be. Writing can be isolating. Reading is so important as is getting out among people.

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

Erin: Absolutely. Actually, until that happens I feel like I need to get to know them better! They pull me into conversation a lot in the shower and in the car… the only two places I’m ever truly alone! J

Debra: Alone time is essential to the writing life.

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?

Erin: I write contemporaries, so I haven’t come up with a language (yet! J), but I do play with words in creating and getting to know my characters… giving them phrases they use a lot or a way they speak. Some of my favorite authors are brilliant at that! I also constantly create places. I love the small towns of the Midwest and many of my books are set in fictional towns I’ve created from bits and pieces of towns I know and love. I also have multiple characters and stories that involve the medical field (my November release is about a physical therapist!) and so I create the hospitals where they work, which is again, bits and pieces of the places I’ve worked myself!

Debra: Being a midwest gal myself, originally from Ohio, I can relate to your fictional towns. :-)

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?

Erin: I have dreamed scenes or a premise before and that’s like finding a winning lottery ticket without spending the money! I mean, wow, I’m sleeping rather than staring at a blank screen and suddenly this idea is just there? How great is that? More than that, though, is when my characters show up in my dreams. Not always in the context I’ve put them in on the pages, but mixed in with my real life. It’s kind-of fun and I take that to mean that I’ve gotten to know them pretty well by that time!

Debra: Yes, it is like winning the lottery! When the stories show up in your dreams you know you were meant to write them.

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

Erin: Oh, absolutely! My dad was an English teacher before he became a high school Principal (yes, my high school Principal! J) and he introduced me to the original Alice in Wonderland (not the Disney version), A Wrinkle in Time, The Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia… oh, wow, talk about fabulous worlds!

Debra: What an awesome dad to give the gift of stories. I'll bet he is proud of you.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Erin: I love the fact that it seems more and more the world of romantic fiction is just wide open! I think the only limitation is… me! J

Debra: So much truth in that one. "the only limitation is me" So true.

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Erin: I think that dreams and the imagination allow us to do two really huge things: hold on to the “what could be” in life and connecting with others. Fiction, at least the fiction I love J, is about the good things: love, triumph over adversity, bravery, faith, truth, justice, sacrifice, loyalty… the things that we all really want and deep down have to believe in to keep going. It is absolutely amazing to me that not only can a writer create something purely from within them, but once it’s out there in the world it touches others and they learn from it and it lifts them up and entertains them. It’s such a hard thing to explain, but it’s so fantastic the way our souls can speak to and touch each other!

Debra: It is something of a miracle the way stories can touch lives, isn't it?

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

Erin: Thanks for letting me share a Monday with you!

Debra: You're quite welcome! It's been a pleasure.

Readers can visit Erin at:

www.ErinNicholas.com
ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com
groups.yahoo.com/group/ErinNichloas

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:
I took last week off to visit relatives over the holidays and got to meet my beautiful niece Maggie who was only one week old.

This week is for catching up on things and getting back to the two manuscripts I'm working on.

I'll be out in Vegas Dec 16th to 22nd to visit my youngest son and really looking forward to seeing him again.

www.debraparmley.com

Happy Thanksgiving

There are so many things we have to be thankful for. Some of the things I'm thankful for this season are my new niece who I'll get to see the day after Thanksgiving (as well as the rest of my family), the trip we have planned to see my youngest son just before Christmas. He lives in Vegas so I don't get to see him often. I'm thankful for loving friends and family and for good health.

I hope that you have many things to be thankful for this season.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays is on break this week for the holiday but will resume 11- 30 -09
www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays with Shelley Munro

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Shelley Munro.

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

Shelley: I’m currently working on book nine of my Middlemarch Mates series about a feline shifter community living in a small country town in New Zealand. My work-in-progress features two tiger shifters, although most of the shifters in the community are black leopards. The series starts with Scarlet Woman. Actually, each time I return to my Middlemarch series it’s like meeting up with old friends. This particular story features Ambar, the sister of the hero in CatNap and she’s starting to experience freedom after her very strict parents died in a motor vehicle accident.
If anyone is interested in the idea behind the story they are welcome to visit my website for photos of the real town, how I came up with the idea for the series and also a free PDF booklet which shows the family trees and the connections between the different stories in the series.

Debra: That sounds fascinating. Tigers are my favorite big cats. Readers can find all your websites listed at the bottom of this interview.

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?

Shelley: One thing I’m not short of is ideas so I must be doing all right with keeping my creative cup filled. I’m constantly reading—anything from newspapers and magazines to books in various genres. I read lots of non-fiction titles as well. I watch current movies and television shows—they’re always great sources of ideas and a way to relax away from writing. My favorites at the moment are The Mentalist and True Blood.

Writers spend a lot of time alone during the writing process, and I think it’s very important to get out and interact with the rest of the world. Watching other people go about their business is always fascinating and a way to stimulate the imagination and get ideas. I really enjoy people watching at the mall.

And finally, I love to travel and always return home recharged and full of ideas, ready to start writing again.

Debra: I agree with all these points. It's a balance I think. A writer needs to be alone to write, but we also need to interact with people. And I firmly believe that everyone should travel. If everyone left the country they were born in and traveled even once to another country we'd live in a much different world.

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

Shelley: An English author, Enid Blyton was one of my favorites as a child. She is well known for her Noddy series, but she also wrote children’s mysteries such as the Famous Five series plus stories full of magical elements like wishing chairs, fairies, goblins and toys that come to life. I write contemporary and paranormal stories usually strewn with bodies. I think Enid Blyton is directly responsible for the direction my writing has taken.

Debra: I am not familiar with her, but Shelley has kindly provided a website link.
www.amazon.com/Enid-Blyton

Shelley: I was also very keen on Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle series about a doctor who treated talking animals.

Debra: Oh yes, I recall being fascinated with the animals in that one.
Shelley, thank you for joining us here on this Make-Believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Shelley: Thanks so much for having me here today, Debra.

Readers can visit my website at www.shelleymunro.com or my blog at www.shelleymunro.com/blog
www.shelleymunro.com/for-readers/behind-the-scenes
www.shelleymunro.com/for-readers/behind-the-scenes

Debra: It has been a pleasure.

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Carolan Ivey

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Carolan Ivery.

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

Carolan: I have two main projects right now. Book 3 of my “Legends” series of paranormal romances should be number 1 on my agenda, however a family trauma earlier this year got me sidetracked. I decided to take a break from it and delve into some new creative territory to recharge my batteries. It’s a short erotic romance piece set in the Yucatan. I traveled there last spring and while Cancun proper didn’t exactly thrill me, the surrounding countryside is saturated with the kinds of legends and history that sparks my imagination.
Book 2 of the Legends series, A Ghost of a Chance, is available now in both ebook and print.

Debra: Sometimes we need a little break to rest and allow the creative urge to well up again. Cancun is rather touristy. Any time you can visit Mayan ruins though, there are always legends and quite a bit of atmosphere.

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?

Carolan: Travel! We’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to travel all over the United States, mainly to see our treasured wild and historical sites. My husband’s career with international companies has also allowed us explore parts of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Britain, France and Germany. We’re castle geeks. J
I’m also a firm believer in occasionally getting out of your comfort zone. For example, guns scare me, but a friend of mine took me target shooting and not only was it an education, I found myself enjoying it.

Debra: Ah, you're a kindred soul I think. I used to work as a travel consultant. Haven't made it to Wales, Britain or Ireland yet, but they're on my list. There's nothing quite like visiting a new place for the first time. Target shooting is on my to do list too. I'm determined to get over my fear of guns.

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

Carolan: Yes, but it’s almost never in the first draft! Somewhere during the second or third revision stage, my creative process is in full gear and that’s when I hear the characters carrying on full conversations in my head. In fact, I know a book is really finished when I stop hearing them. It’s eerie, and a little lonely when that happens.

Debra: Yes, then you know the book is truly done.

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?

Carolan: In general, I don’t remember my dreams. So it’s possible I’ve dreamed a scene and it emerged later from my subconscious.

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

Carolan: I was a horse nut growing up, so my go-to authors were Marguerite Henry, Walter Farley, Dorothy Lyons, Will James, Stephen W. Meader and Jo Sykes. As a child I often had trouble falling asleep, and I entertained myself making up long, involved stories in which I interacted with the characters of the books I loved.

Debra: Yes, I wonder how many of us have imagined ourselves in the stories we read, right along with the characters.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Carolan: Interesting question. So far I’ve been blessed to write exactly what I want to write, blending sub-genres and stretching out of my comfort zone to my heart’s content.

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

Carolan: Thank you for having me!

Debra: It's been a pleasure. Readers can find out more about Carolan at

www.carolanivey.com and
samhainpublishing.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Last week I was down with bronchitis, but I'm happy to report that I'm up and about this week, doing much better. I signed up for Nano, which is sort of a write-a-thon type challenge for writers. The idea is that you write as fast as you can without editing all through the month of Nov then in Dec you edit the novel. Fast way to a finishing a novel I have been told. This is my first time to try it however.

I'm also working on the 2nd manuscript to get the revisions and edits done. Seem like I keep reporting that, doesn't it? Well, it does take time to finish a 300 to 400 page manuscript. Now if we could only write them as fast as you can read them.

I'm also doing a little exercise where I find one thing to be thankful for each day in November. Why should we wait for a national holiday like Thanksgiving, right? It wasn't my idea and I don't know where it originated but I like it. There is always something to be thankful for.

Love,
Debra

Visit my website
www.debraparmley.com
I'm planning to redo the photo section a bit as time allows and there may be other changes.

Make-Believe Mondays on Break This Week

Make-Believe Mondays is taking a break this week to allow me to rest and recover from bronchitis. I hope to resume interviews next week.

Thanks

Debra