Make-Believe Mondays With Fiona Jayde

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Fiona Jayde.

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?

FJ: I actually am very active in "filling my cups" :) I call it input and output (I'm a web geek) and I'm very conscious of keeping the ratio at an equilibrium.

I'm an avid reader which is a constant source of inspiration. I'm also a huge fan of NETFLIX - which is terrific not only for ideas but also for research. I gorge on all sorts of things - from documentaries about priceless art which disappeared in WWII to my current fascination with The Tudors.

Debra: Input and output.  I like that.  :-) 

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

FJ:  Yes - very much so! This usually happens at the end of the first draft - just in time for revisions! (This is sometimes hard because those same characters try to take over and deviate from the plot - and the control freak in me, well, freaks!

Debra:  

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?

FJ:  I have - though I cheat:) Being bilingual in English and Russian, I often combine Russian translations of words into new ways to come up with a new word. This really helps when naming planets or ships or technology parts or not-yet-discovered metal ores.

Debra:   Oh yes, it would.  How fascinating!

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
FJ:  My parents were very clever in getting me to read - they read aloud the Wizard Of Oz until they got to the middle of the book and then told me to read the rest myself. The Russian version of the Wizard of Oz is actually part of a series of books (the last one being about Aliens coming to kingdom) and I absolutely loved the fantasy world that the author had created. I consistently re-read those books as I grew up - in fact I still have them in my library:)

Debra:  Now I'm wishing I could read Russian so I could read those as well.

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?

FJ:  I think dreams and imagination is really only 50 percent in creating fiction. I know a number of people who are wildly imaginative, insanely creative - but who don't really get things done. Creativity and talent is one thing, but discipline is really what ends up making good fiction. The "Butt in seat" syndrome:)

Debra:  Yes, so very true.  Otherwise we'd all be staring out the windows daydreaming instead of sitting in front of our computers. :-)

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

Readers please visit www.fionajayde.com

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

It's been a busy week and this week promises to be busy as well with remodeling of the livingroom almost done.  This is the part I do, the furniture and window coverings, lighting and decorations. I'm loving the new hardwood floors and wondering why anyone would want carpet in the main rooms.  Going with a more open, less cluttered look.  Clean, open, airy and organized.  I'm getting organized in many areas of my life, including my writing as well.  I believe I'll be more productive that way.   

The agent search continues. I have a partial out with one agent and plan to send out more very soon.  

Authors of fiction who wish to be interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays please use the form on my website

www.debraparmley.com 

or email me.

Make-Believe Monday with Kimberly Troutte

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Kimberly Troutte.

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

Kimberly:  My newly released print book, Catch Me in Castile, is a paranormal romantic suspense set in Spain. It’s about a woman battling Anxiety Disorder who finds comfort in the healing arms of a Spanish doctor—until a fifteenth-century ghost warns her that being with the man is dangerous, possibly even lethal.

The manuscript I am working on right now is about a woman and her son who are hiding for their lives in a quiet offbeat town until the boy becomes famous from an ear surgery that allows him to hear God.

Debra:  Fascinating.  I have to wonder if the ear surgeon would then be swamped with requests for that same surgery.

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?

Kimberly:  That’s beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve had the opportunity to hear Mr. Bradbury speak several times at the Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference. He is such an inspirational man, so full of encouragement for writers.
I keep my cup filled by playing with my kids. I have two boys who challenge me, make me laugh, keep my feet grounded, and my heart soaring. We hike in the mountains together, swim, boogie-board, dance, go to the river and try to catch polly-wogs.
Life is always exciting with two boys.

Debra:  How fortunate you are!  I always wanted to hear him speak but never had the chance.  So I look for his writings and as I collect quotes, well this is one of my favorites.  It is very beautiful.
My two sons are grown now, but I remember those days.  Polly-wogs make me smile.  :-)

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

Kimberly:  Yes. It’s thrilling when this happens. And a little exhausting. I tend to be able to “hear” my characters best when I’m in bed, everyone else is asleep and I am starting to drop off. All of a sudden dialogue pops in to my head and I know if I don’t get up and write it down, I’ll lose it in the morning. When I am deep into writing, I will usually be up typing until 1:00 in the a.m. It is amazing when the characters take shape. And many times they will change the story once I know them a little better. This makes it fun for me and adds twists and surprises that I never anticipate.

Debra:  The people in your stories must be night owls.  :-)  Mine are too.  They refuse to speak before 10:00 am, ever. lol


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

Kimberly:  As a kid, I read all of my dad’s hand-me-down books. I was enthralled by novels that where set in exotic locales, like those written by James Clavell, Leon Uris, and Pearl S. Buck. Anya Seton wrote a book called Green Darkness that took place in the past and present and made me want to write something similar when I grew up.

Debra:  Now there's another book to add to the to be read list.  Thank you.


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?

Kimberly:  Imagination is like magic. It creates new worlds, new lives, intricate stories. Imagination is what allows a writer to play the “what-if” game. For Catch Me in Castile I had a lot of what-if questions. What if a woman who thinks she is losing her mind is the only person who can see a 15th Century ghost? What if that ghost tells her she is in danger? Imagination is the key.

Debra:  So very true, Kimberly.  Excellent thoughts to leave us with.  Imagination is the key. 
Thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to talk about imagination and creation and to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Kimberly:  Thank you for having me!

Debra:  It's been my pleasure.

Readers please visit Kimberly at

www.kimberlytroutte.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching this week:
I'll be uploading pics from various author events onto Debra's facebook fan page
Thank you to everyone who made the switch over from my personal page to my fan page.  I simply don't have time to keep up with a personal page (which is one reason I shut it down) and the pubic pages and still have the time I need to write.  And really, the writing needs to come first.  :-)

So how is the writing coming along?  Well there's a completed manuscript waiting for the right agent to fall in love with it so it can find a home.  Then there are the uncompleted manuscripts which are calling to me even now.

www.debraparmley.com
This fall there will be some changes to the website and I plan to start sending out a monthly newsletter.

Debra on MySpace
Here you can find some photos from my travels around the world.  I'll add to those periodically.

But for now, I am off to write!

Until next time, stay cool and enjoy your summer.  Each day is a gift.

Love and light,

Debra

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

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 With Julia Knight

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Julia Knight.

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

Julia: Well I’m working on two at the moment. One’s an historical erotic romance, with pirates. The other is the third and final installment of my Oathcursed series (book 2 is released by Samhain in January)While we’re still following the heroes and heroine from the first two – Hilde, Hunter and Ilfayne – other characters are coming along to complicate their lives. Nerisse is a rather willful girl – thoroughly spoilt, but overly protected by her father, who has good reason to believe someone will take revenge on him through her. When the chance comes for Nerisse to escape and live a little, she grabs it with both hands – only to find out her father was right. As usual there will be big dollops of romance to offset the adventure!

Debra: Pirates, did you say pirates? :-) I'll bet they are fun to write about. Adventure and romance, what could be better?

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?

Julia: Reading widely and daydreaming. Reading, to see what works, what doesn’t, what’s already been done to death. And daydreaming scenes, playing them as movies in my head, with all different possibilities tried out. I could spend all day doing that.

Debra: Yes, the already been done to death part can make it difficult. Thankfully that daydreaming imagination can vanquish that one.

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

Julia: Oh yes – they talk back to me all the time, the monkeys. Usually it takes me a few chapters to get a feel for them. Then they’ll be somewhere with something nasty happening to them (I do so like to torture them) and all of a sudden they’re saying ‘There is no way you’re getting me to do that! I’d do this instead.’ One reason I don’t outline – the characters always end up pulling me in different directions to the ones I’d envisaged.

Debra: Sometimes character are like unruly children that way. Outlines are too much like rules to be broken.

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

Julia: The first one I really remember grabbing me was an old book about King Arthur – you know the ones that had colour plates and gold edging on the pages? I grew up with the Pig Sty Prince, the White Dragon and the Red, the Fairy Hunt. All evocative, romantic ( in the literary sense, not the genre sense) stories. They took me to another place, and I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so entranced by any story. I still have that book – it’s one of my son’s favourites.

Debra: Yes, I remember those! And the color plates and gold edging made the physical book as romantic and enticing as the stories.

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

Julia: Thank you! It’s always fun seeing new types of questions.

Visit Julia at
juliaknight.co.uk
juliazknight.wordpress.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I've been hard at work on the contemporary romance and hope to be submitting it very soon. Then will turn to finish the western historical romance. (Not a sequel to A Desperate Journey, but a story that is very different.)

What are you doing this Halloween weekend? I will be attending Gatalop. Gatalop is held in Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island close to Mobile, AL. It's an SCA event. (SCA is the medieval reinactment group I'm a member of.) My group is staying inside the fort. The fort is believed to be haunted, so if I see any ghosts, I will come back and tell you about it! ;-)

The site is open to the public from 9:00 to 5:00 and I will be there in the merchant area selling my books.

www.debraparmley.com

Until next Monday, Happy Halloween and Happy Samhain!

Love,

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays with Meg Allison

Today my guest on Make-Believe Mondays is Meg Allison.

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

Meg: The novel I’m working on now is the second book in the Sentinels series. It tells the story of empath Samantha Bays as she meets the man of her dreams. But her hero is under a lot of stress since he recently started drawing the murder scenes of a serial killer. It combines my favorite subgenres of paranormal and suspense, of course with a heavy dose of romance along the way.

Debra: And an empath would be able to feel what the hero was feeling. Very interesting.

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?

Meg: I find the best way to keep my creative cup filled is by taking a break from writing now and then. I recharge by getting out of the house, sometimes going for a walk. I also listen to music -- most of my best ideas are inspired by song. Often, reading some of my favorite authors also helps get the ideas flowing.

Debra: Yes, fresh air and a walk can clear the mind and provide inspiration. And autumn is such a lovely time of year to walk.

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

Meg: I’m usually able to at least visualize my characters from the very first scene. As I get deeper into the story, I can hear the dialogue and thoughts in my head. I find I really have to get to that point for my stories to really come alive.

Debra: Yes, until we can hear them they're just characters on a page. Maybe writers are unusual in that we want to hear voices in our heads. :-) That means the story has come alive.

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

Meg: Thanks for sharing your blog with me! I enjoy talking about writing and the whole process. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to bring my characters to life and share them with readers.

Visit Meg

www.megallisonauthor.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

On Saturday I signed books in Jackson, MS with Imagicopter. Now I am taking a break from signings and will be focusing more on writing and submitting. My next signing will be in Nov. and you can find it on the calendar on my website.

www.debraparmley.com

Thank you to everyone who told me the website isn't coming up. I'll let my webmaster know and she'll fix it. You can get there on the second click, but the first time its sending an error message. Thank you for your patience and thank you for telling me there was a problem.

Make-Believe Mondays With N. D. Hansen-Hill

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is N.D. Hansen.

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

N.D.: I'm actually working on 5 books at the moment, Debra: a Regency romance about a woman with dowsing abilities, but she's gifted at seeking gemstones and metal objects in the ground instead of water or oil; a mainstream SF thriller about 3 archeologists who know far more about their "finds" than they should; a gargoyle book where the gargoyles come from another world; a paranormal romance where the heroine is struck by lightning then develops an ability to see ghostly, and ghastly, animals; and a fantasy about a spelunker who encounters more than rocks in a cave.

Debra: They all sound very intriguing, especially the spelunking. Could be just about anything hiding in a cave.

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?

N.D.: I read heaps of non-fiction, actually, plus I've studied the sciences (plant pathology/virology specifically), and am now studying archeology. New ideas constantly pop up. It's just a matter then of binding them together into a cohesive whole .

Debra: And with your background, the fiction is bound to be more plausible.

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

N.D.: Usually, as soon as I describe the first scene, or the dialogue begins. For me, it's more a matter of place and action than looks. Someone may have long legs or wispy hair, but it's the action that really matters to me—that defines my characters.

Debra: Action defines character and keeps the stories moving, so true.

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?

N.D.: Always, but most often in my fantasies! My editors always catch them, and then I have to explain why and how. I frequently have my characters speak in other languages, too, that I translate as I go along.

Debra: What fun! We readers do need that translation.

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?

N.D.: I sleep so soundly that even if I were to dream a scene, I'd never wake up to write it, LOL! That said, I have several writing friends who dream entire scenes or manuscripts, then rush to capture the gist of them before they vanish! Wish it were that way for me!

Debra: LOL In three years of doing these interviews, you're the first author to tell me that! At least you wake well rested. :-)

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

N.D.: There was a book about a blind boy who wanted to give the best gift in the whole world to a princess. He was poor and had nothing so he grew her a strawberry in his garden. It was the finest gift the princess received, and made her cheeks and lips grow rosy with joy. I loved that book!

Debra: Oh, that sounds like a sweet story. I wonder if any of our readers know the title of it.

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?

N.D.: The kind of story I already write, except the only romances I would scrawl would be historicals. To be honest, I don't really enjoy writing romance as much as fantasy or sci-fi.

Debra: Hmmm....well there's much more cross over than there used to be. Hopefully that helps.

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?

N.D.: A core of realism and quality research underlies imagination. To make the story believable, it's important to embed it with a sense of the real, the here and now. Make it plausible, and both you and your readers will enjoy it far more.

Debra: And you do just that! N.D.thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

N.D.: Thank you so much, Debra, for inviting me to blog with you! I've really enjoyed it!

Debra: It's been my pleasure!

Best wishes,
Norah/ND/Melody

www.NDHansen-Hill

www.MelodyKnight.com

www.myspace.com/ndmanuscripts

www.twitter.com/writingfool

www.facebook.com/nd.hansen.hill

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Well I am loving my new library writing day. On Thursdays I go to the library and write from 9 to 5 and stay away from phones and internet. (Which means turning off my iphone until I am done working.) It's my new favorite day of the week.

Of course one day a week is not enough for a romance novelist to get her books written, so must write on other days too. Thursday just happens to be my day to retreat from the world to write. Other days of the week I write at home.

I've been seeing lots of movies lately. They feed my creative cup. Recently I've seen the new Harry Potter, Casablanca at the old Orpheum theater in Memphis, and Angels and Demons.

www.debraparmley.com

My next scheduled book signing and reading is Aug. 15th at Books and Beauty in Memphis TN. Books and Beauty is a unique Beauty Salon that is also a book store! More details as that event gets closer.

May you have a merry Monday!

Love and light,
Debra