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

Make-Believe Mondays with Gina Black

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I am thrilled to be able to introduce my American Title II sister, Gina Black. Gina's first book, the Raven's Revenge, just came out and we are all celebrating its release.

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?

Gina: Creativity is everywhere. It's in fragrant flowers growing in a neighbor's garden, a cat's purr, a red balloon tied to a wrought iron fence, a hot cup of black tea with just the right amount of milk and sugar. To keep myself creative I take walks. I ride the bus to and from work. I watch people. I also indulge in knitting--a good time to work out plot points (unless I'm working on an intricate lace pattern!) and enjoy the feel of the soft fuzzy yarn (or smooth silk, or shiny bamboo). I firmly believe that the more we create the more we *can* create, so it's important to stay in practice. Specifically with my writing, I've found that I'm more creative if I write every day.

Debra: Yes, it becomes a way of life, a way of looking at everything around us and then inspiration is found everywhere we look, in everything we touch.

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

Gina: Yes, usually as I'm starting to fall asleep. Kidding. Kind of. My stories actually germinate in the dark recesses of my mind for quite some time before I start to write them. I don't do character sheets, although I usually work out the main plot points before I start writing. The main character usually comes to me first. When I stop deciding things about them and start hearing what they have to say about things I know they are taking over and it's time to start
writing the book. In THE RAVEN'S REVENGE, the hero, Nicholas, was right there from the very beginning, but Katherine, the heroine, took a lot more work and didn't appear as fully fleshed out until maybe the fifth revision.

Debra: Your process is so much like mine, the main character always coming first. (And I do believe that writers write even in their sleep even if they don't realize it.) ;-)

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

Gina: Books have always transported me to other times and places. From Dr. Suess' Mulberry Street, to A.A. Milne's 100 Acre Wood, stories have always given me worlds to visit and friends to cherish. Jo March, Laura Ingalls, Tom Sawyer, Elizabeth Bennett. Each in their own way
kept me company and helped me grow up and make choices for my life as they had for theirs. So many books were (and continue to be) part of my life I can't narrow it down to one.

Debra: Oh, there are so many to list, aren't there? Just when I think I have thought of them all another author answers this question and I think, oh yes, that one too. How can I have forgotten that one? lol

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?

Gina: I thought long and hard about this, but I couldn't come up with anything I would do differently than what I am doing now.

Debra: That is a wonderful thing to hear because it says you are right where you need to be, following your bliss.

Gina, thank you for coming to do the interview here at Make-Believe Mondays, and thank you for being such a wonderful supportive AT II sister.

Everyone, please visit Gina at her blog: http://www.theginachannel.com

and her website: http://www.ginablack.net

Make-believe Mondays With Maya Banks

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Maya Banks.

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?

Maya: Lots of daydreaming!

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

Maya: I often have to propose a story to sell and then go forward with a different story until the “time slot” for the proposed book comes up, so I have a whole lot of people running around my head at any given point. It gets crowded in there and they like to talk to me at night when I’m trying to sleep. I get up often to write down entire passages of dialogue because if I don’t then it’s gone and I can’t get it back.

Debra: Oh, yes. That's why an author has to keep pen and paper nearby at all times. Many people keep dream journals as well. 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?

Maya: I dream entire books. Not kidding. I’ve had a couple where the dream was like a movie or as though I was reading a book. Other times I’ll just dream a snippet and it’s so powerful that it stays with me the entire next day. I’ve built stories around that “feeling” or that idea represented in the dream. I probably get more ideas from dreams than any other avenue.

Debra: 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?

Maya: I love to daydream. I love to night dream. As stated above, most of my ideas are from dreams. When I get stuck in a story, my solution is often to go to bed and lay there in that hazy place between sleep and waking and let my mind go free. I love to play the what if game. I love to dream big. The act of creating a story, a whole new world, is addicting. It’s a wonderful experience to share that creation with readers because then they get to step into that dream world for a few hours.

http://www.mayabanks.com (website)

http://www.writemindedblog.com (blog)

Maya, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers. (Note to my readers: Make-Believe Mondays will be on holiday until Dec. 10th. Readers who wish to see my itinerary can visit my other blog on http://www.myspace.com/debraparmley

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Make-Believe Mondays With J.A. Konrath

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest
is J.A. Konrath.

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

J.A.: I'm doing NaNoWriMo (National
Novel Writing Month, www.nanowrimo.org)
and hope to start and finish Jack
Daniels Book #7. It will be tough,
because every weekend this month I’m out
of town, doing book promo. But I
promised myself if I don’t make the 50k
word quota, I’m shaving my head and
posting a video of it on YouTube.

Debra: Now that would be something to see! Great motivation. ;-)

J.A.: I’m writing this one without an outline, but I have a

pretty good idea where I want it to go. Basically a lot of sex, a lot of violence, a race against the clock, and a Super Suprise Shocker Ending. (Note to self: Think up some sort of Super Surprise Shocker Ending.)

Debra: Well, I can't wait to see what you come up with.

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?

J.A.: In a recent short story I used the sentence “His false teeth
slupped out from between his lips.” The editor made me change it to
“slipped,” the grahzny bratchny.

Debra: hahaha. And slupped was such a good word. I can even hear
that happening. Slipped? Nah, too quiet. Sounds like they snuck
out.

J.A.: As a fiction writer, my goal is to tell the story in the best way possible. Sometimes that

means playing with grammar, or words, or POV. In several of my books, I’ve ha chapters that were only a sentence or two long. In my new book (AFRAID, coming 2009 from Grand Central) I don’t have any chapters at all---there are no breaks. In my next Jack Daniels book (FUZZY NAVEL, coming 2008 from Hyperion), I describe eight hours in real time, hopping into the heads of eight different characters.

If it makes the story better, I do it, rules be fricked.

Debra: Thank you God, for authors who know how to play.

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?

J.A.: Funy you should mention that, because I've done it. Twice.
On JAKonrath.com, you can download two of my unpublished books for
free. The first, ORIGIN, is about the US Government holding Satan
in a secret underground research facility. The second, THE LIST, is
about clones of Thomas Jefferson, Joan of Arc, Abe Lincoln, Jack
the Ripper, and others, in a plot to start WWIII. Neither sold
because they crossed too many genres, containing elements of
horror, thriller, sci-fi, and liberal doses of romance and humor.

Of course, your localbookstore doesn't have a
SciFi/Horror/Humor/Thriller/Romance section, so the books didn’t
sell. Or maybe they didn’t sell because they suck. Download them,
read them, and let me hear your opinions. You can also (for a
limited time) download a free ebook version of my first Jack
Daniels thriller, WHISKEY SOUR. That also straddles genres (funny
mysteries and scary thrillers) but it fits nicely in the
Mystery/Thriller section, so no one complained.

Debra: I will definately look for them and I doubt very much that
they suck. (But it is nice to hear another published author say
that because I think we all feel that way sometimes about our
work.) And how cool that your first book is available to all. So,
you heard it readers, and here's your chance to test an e-book if
you've never tried one!

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

J.A.: Thank you! But next time, I get to ask the questions…

Debra: Sounds Like a fair deal. ;-)

Make-Believe Mondays With Marie - Nicole Ryan

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Marie Nicole Ryan.

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

Marie- Nicole: Funny you should ask. I'm working on a MS that my editor just rejected! Seems I'm guilty of using a similar plot device from a previous book AND I have a secondary plot that's just competing for prominence with my main suspense plot. So it's back to revising and reworking the MS. I'm also working on the sequel to the rejected MS, so I have to get the first one right.

Both are romantic suspense stories set in Nashville at a PI agency, Music City Investigations, run by a blended family of siblings. Each of the family members will have his/her own book, but none of them will see the light of day if number one doesn't suit my editor.

Debra: Oh that sounds interesting. Nashville is just down the road from me.

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?

Marie - Nicole: One thing I always do when I write is have music in the background. Most of the time, I listen to light classical and New Age music because it's so calming and inspiring. Other times I just have to take a break and read, read, read. Taking time for me is another way I keep my creative cup filled, for example, lunch with a friend. I don't have a lot of responsibilites except to myself so this is easier than for most writers. My son is an adult and out on his own, and I gave up my day job last year. Watching the news is always a source of story ideas whether good or bad.

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

Marie- Nicole: Yes, and it's difficult to define how it happens or how I know, but when it happens I know. Sometimes in the editing process, I change wording in a character's dialogue, and all of a sudden it hits me that "Nick" would say it this way not that way. Another way I know is when my body language starts mimicking the character's movements. I'll be writing dialogue and my shoulders will twitch or shrug and I know the character is speaking through me.

Debra: Oh, that is fascinating. Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Marie-Nicole: You can check my web site or blog and I'll include the links below. My current release is Too Good to be True and it's available at Samhain Publishing.
My next release is Love on the Run, and it’s due out November 2^nd, also from Samhain.

http://marienicoleryan.com

http://marienicoleryan.blogspot.com

http://romanticsuspense.blogspot.com

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

Make-Believe Mondays With Barbara Baldwin

Today on Make- Believe Mondays our guest is Barbara Baldwin.

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

Barb: I just had an historical – Silver River Love – released by Whiskey Creek Press on October 1, and I’ll have another historical – Song of my Heart – out in December by Samhain. So, I am currently taking a short break to do some marketing and regroup. Right! Don’t
ever believe an author that tells you that! In the midst of all that, I am working on a short story for Valentines about a retirement home full of vivacious old biddies who think they are matchmakers!

Debra: Now that sounds like a lively retirement home.

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?

Barb: Everything around me can spark an idea – a song on the radio, a conversation, or a road sign. The best way to keep creativity flowing, though, is to surround yourself with good writing friends. I have two different groups, one is a critique group and the other is a hometown group with interest in writing. Every time we meet, I always go home fired up to write!

Debra: Yes, songs do that for me too. And sometimes it's one line of an overheard conversation.

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

Barb: Many times I’ve re-read a section and honestly don’t remember writing it. The dialogue is strictly character driven! That’s why I ended up with a 4-book trilogy (that’s not a misprint.) I started writing books about the McVicker brothers, and by the third, which was suppose to be the last, I had so fallen in love with them I couldn’t let them go. Their mom lives in Boston, and of course they visit periodically. I swear I could get off the green line and walk right to her house! They become so much a part of my life.

Debra: Yes. They become the people in our books, not just characters. And isn't it great to be so in the flow you look back and think, did I write that? :-)

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?

Barb: I have great dreams! When I’m just on the verge of waking, I think, “this would make a great novel”, but then I can’t remember it!! But that’s not to say there aren’t pieces of my life in all my books, especially my travels. I don’t travel to research setting, but often once I’ve been somewhere, it ends up being the setting because I like it so well.

Debra: Oh, that is when a dream journal might come in handy. This happens to me too, but sometimes I can catch them.

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

Barb: All the Black Stallion books! And Perry Mason!

Debra: 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?

Barb: Every writer creates from the heart, and I can’t imagine not writing. Yet all my stories are different – historical, time travel, contemporary. And the level of sensuality is also different. It’s not so much ME writing “sex” but it’s what happens in the characters’ relationship that determines how much love making there is. As long as there are readers that love a good happily-ever-after, I will keep writing romance.

I just started a group, in case any of your readers would like to join. It’s sometimes hard to keep up with all the technology, so at least you won’t be inundated with useless stuff. It’s just a place to muse, and talk writing. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MoodSwingsWithBarbaraBaldwin
I also have a website which shows the variety of books and genres I share with readers:
http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin
I hope you’ll all visit soon!
Barb

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

Make-Believe Mondays With Angela Steed

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, I'm pleased to introduce my friend, Angela Steed.

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

Angela: My latest work is a paranormal story about a vampire - a four hundred year old man in denial of who he is. He believes he was cursed by the mistress who turned him. As he learns about a cure in a certain family bloodline, he waits in the shadows of night until the time is right to fulfill his destiny. Little does he know that the one holding the cure for his illness is the woman he cares about most.

I actually wrote it about four years ago so it's finished. I'm just doing a rewrite to make it less horror fiction and more enticing to the romance genre. It's kind of sad to do because I love this story - but I'll admit it needs a bit "revamped" for love and not gore.

Debra: Sounds like a major rewrite and sometimes that is harder than simply writing a new story. Especially when dealing with two different genres. But some stories just won't let us go.

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 well filled?

Angela: First of all, that's a great line by Mr. Bradbury. I think when authors first start "tipping", sometimes they make a mess. I know I have a few. The trick is to clean it up, start again, and work until you get something beautiful. A perfect cup of java would be wonderful!

Debra: Yes, we need to give ourselves to permission to be messy, to play with the writing.

Angela: Music has been a huge influence on my life and my work. My older brother is the one who really got me into music as a child. I used to listen to his 8-track tapes, showing my age there, of John Denver after school. When he was out with his friends, I'd sneak into his room and play his Van Halen records, get my tennis racket out and play air guitar like I was some rock star. Hehe, I'm not sure if he ever knew that.

Debra: Well, if he reads this, he will know! Ha ha ha.

Angela: Another creative addition is the real world itself. There are so many stories going on that it's absolutely unbelievable! I research news sites every day and read about incredible people. There is unlimited product for an author to write about. Mix it in with little unworldly things, and wa-la -you've got your next paranormal novel. My saying is, "the more you look around at the real world, the fancier your mind will be."

Debra: I like that saying.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Angela: They come to life before I start writing! I visualize, kind of like a movie, the way they act, sound, and the things they say from beginning to almost the ending. In 1080 Kiss was a lot of fun to create their disagreements and listen to their arguments like I was actually there. Sometimes I wanted to smack them both. I really get into the story. :)

Debra: Yes, makes you wonder who is in charge then, doesn't 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?

Angela: I respect authors that have that kind of perseverance to write a new language. I've always thought it's be interesting to do, but I never have.

Debra: 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?

Angela: Absolutely! I have always had the wildest dreams. Indeed there are many scenes throughout my books that have been dreamt. For instance, in 1080 Kiss there's a part where the main character, Morgan, is dumped by a jerk at a look-out point on top of the snowy mountain where the story mainly takes place. She's about to freeze to death and becomes worried that there are wolves tracking her. She breaks down and calls Vince, her love interest, to come pick her up, but he swears there are no wolves on the mountain. When they're both back in the truck ready to leave, they find the wolves, standing where she's sat waiting on him, eyes shining in the headlights. That scene is one of my favorites.

Debra: Oh, I like that scene! We should always listen to intuition.

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

Angela: I read the Darksword Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman when I was a teenager. I fell so much in love with the story, that I spent my entire time at the school library reading. It inspired me more than any other book that I've read before or since.

Debra: 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?

Angela: A romantic comedy sci-fi horror called My Zombie Boyfriend from Outer Space. Actually, the thought has been rolling around in my head for a while. I might just get started on it after I'm done with my vampire novel!

Debra: Yes, I think you should!
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?

Angela: Don't ever give up on writing if that's what you love to do. It is endless, the possibilities when writing fiction. Whatever your mind can think up, write it down. And never, ever give up on your dreams.

Debra: Good advice. Angela, thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Angela: Thanks so much for having me here. I really enjoyed answering your questions.

Debra: It was my pleasure.

Angela: Add me as a friend on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/angelsteed
I’ll be having a contest soon, so subscribe to my blog as well.

1080 Kiss will be available November 1^st. Check back mid-October at http://www.blacklyonpublishing.com to pre-order.

Make-Believe Mondays With Annie West

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Annie West.

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

Annie: Hi, Debra, and thanks so much for having me on your Make-Believe Monday.

Debra: It's a pleasure to have you here.

Annie: I'm currently working on the story that I hope will be my seventh book for Harlequin Presents. No title as yet - it keeps changing! It's about a heroine who believes she will never earn the love of a good man and a hero who has loved and lost and never expects to find love again. Of course they're both wrong, as I insist on a happy ending! At the moment I'm immersed in their growing passion and confusion as they grapple with their preconceived ideas and face their feelings for each other.

Debra: This is the kind of love story most of us can relate to. It's wonderful to see that risk taking rewarded in the end.

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

Annie: I wish I knew for sure because I'd certainly do lots more of it! I'm only now beginning to get a feel for this and to realize how important it is to have time when I'm not focusing on the current or next book. I need time to allow my mind some freedom to enjoy what's going on around me. Things that I find help are reading (of course), simply relaxing in the sun, getting outside and active - like walking by the lake or the sea or tackling the garden, talking to friends or family, traveling, going somewhere different - to a play, a concert, a new place I've never visited or trying something entirely new!

Debra: Getting outside and away from the computer is vitally important.

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

Annie: There are several moments when this happens. Often I'll start a book and not know the story. I have a scene playing in my head and I have to get it down on paper. It's such fun. Even though I don't know the details of what will happen later, those characters are incredibly real to me. I may not know exactly why they react in certain ways, I'll often discover that over time, but I do know how they react, how they feel. It's a wonderful, fabulous and utterly inexplicable. I see and hear them right from the start. It's as if I've opened a door in my mind and there they are, real and fully formed.

Later on in the story, I get more details of their history and their futures and then I have a more complete understanding of them. It's fascinating as sometimes small points I've included in that first scene turn out to be integral to their story and I hadn't even known it!

Debra: Sometimes it's very much like meeting the new next door neighbor.

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?

Annie: I can't remember ever dreaming about one of my books, but I do know there's something powerful about the subconscious working while I'm asleep. You know those niggling plot points that can cause so much trouble? Often you can resolve them by chatting with another writer friend and brainstorming ideas. Another way that has worked for me is to sleep on it. Literally. I spend time thinking about the issue and why I need a different solution and then put it aside. Often I'll wake in the morning with some new insight to the problem that allows me to go forward with the story. The results can be quite stunning.

Debra: Yes, the subconscious is incredibly wise. It's amazing.

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?

Annie: I've always been a reader, an avid, totally-absorbed-in-the-story reader. It's one of the great joys of my life when I find a book - a new world - I can dive into and explore. I believe that imagination is as crucial to readers as to writers because we create this new reality of the book in our minds

My only message is to wave hello to fellow readers and to ask that you take time to think about how you might encourage other people, particularly younger ones, to discover the joy of great books too. It's a wonderful thing to share.

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

Annie: Debra, it's been a real pleasure. Thank you!

Debra: You're welcome. I'm so glad we finally connected.

Please pop over to visit Annie at her website to find out more about her stories and her life as a writer.

http://www.annie-west.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Art Noble

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I am pleased to introduce my friend, Art Noble. I am going to start out a little differently, beginning with Art's Bio, because it is so fascinating.

Born in Los Angeles, Art Noble grew up in Key West where he lived for four years in the Hemingway Home. He is the son of internationally known artist, Van Noble, who opened the Hemingway Home as an art gallery before it became a museum. He still writes under the Hemingway lamp he acquired when he moved from the home.

Noble holds a BS in Ocean Engineering and an MBA. Professionally, he was an adventurer on the cutting edge of technology, an executive engineer and a teacher. Like scores of other poets and authors, he has acquired and held many jobs including technical writers and commercial diver in the offshore oil field. This gives him an eclectic view of life. He ended his diving career as an Associate Professor of Underwater Technology at Florida Institute of Technology, Jensen Beach. His poetry is published in South Florida publications, The Armadillo Anthology, Underwater (trade magazine), and read on National Public Radio.

Noble has appeared as a bit actor in movies and made commercials. After his participation in the H-Bomb salvage and the first 650-foot saturation dive, he made an appearance on the Today Show and his photograph appeared in National Geographic.

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

Art: The Sacred Female, set in sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a novel of spiritual sexuality. It is the story of Richard and Jeanne, who literally bump into one another and start a dinner relationship that develops much further than either of them had intended. It is the story of how love changed them in way they would never have dreamed possible. They travel this path together as Rich unknowingly skirts involvement in a dangerous criminal enterprise and Jeanne's business grows beyond her expectations.

At times, erotic and sensual, The Sacred Female is about intimate connection between partners and explores both arcane aspects of female anatomy and physiology as well as the significance of finding a mutually spiritual path through sexuality.

Debra: What I've read so far was quite interesting. I'm looking forward to finishing the book.

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?

Art: This is a self-published book and I work on painful feet in the hot sun to pull together living expenses. The rest of the time I am marketing the book, so my muse went on vacation. I'd like to join her.

Debra: I hope you will be able to join her soon under a cool, shady palm tree.

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

Art: My characters are alive when I begin. Their character and faces develop in the book.

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?

Art: Yes. I have a non-grammatical Swifty in this novel that fits perfectly. I'll let the reader find it.

Debra: Oh, fun. Something to search for.

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?

Art: The names of the characters came from dreams.

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

Art: The Tom Swift and Hardy Boys series; Kipling; Edward Ellsberg. Later Robert Rourke and Hemingway.

Debra: I would suspect you know Hemingway's works quite well. Kipling was also a favorite of mine.

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?

Art: A Journey to Heaven.

Debra: Now that would be a wonderful story to read.

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?

Art: I am the strange combination of Engineer/tech writer and poet. Most of my imagination is in word usage, book structure and situational events. The book is written in sonata form, which may be considered imaginative. Commercial diving, designing a seaplane ramp for a private residence and the sexual ectasy in the book are all a part of my experience, except for the female side. I had that explained by a female and related it to the best of my ability.

The Prologue and first five chapters of the book may be viewed at
www.myspace.com/asacred female
along with reader comments about the book.

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

Make-Believe Mondays With Lisa Logan

Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Lisa Logan.

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

Lisa: That would be A GRAND SEDUCTION, an intrigue packed with schemes, seduction, betrayal-and murder. Four women decide to help one of them escape her marriage- and ironclad prenup-by setting up her lecherous husband with a phony affair. When their plan succeeds, they offer this "help" to other desperate housewives . . . and before long they've made a business of seduction.

I started the book for National November Novel Writing Month, then got sidetracked getting VISIONS out the gate and a couple of short stories published. I recently started on AGS again, and it's about two-thirds complete. It's been great fun to write!

Debra: It sounds like a fun read as well.

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?

Lisa: How true. As a wife and mother, keeping that cup filled is challenge enough without adding writing to the mix. The problem, I think, is many of us take stress in, rather than letting it bead off like water from a newly waxed car. Stress should frame the good in our lives, the way parted clouds showcase the sun. It shouldn't become our focus. When I stay true to that, simple things like watering my patio garden or a breeze during my walk fills me. I also do a lot of focused visualization and meditation.

Debra: I like this image of stress beading off and your suggestion to meditate and focus on simple things. Excellent advice.

Lisa: Letting it out onto paper - that's the other trick. Truth is, when I'm feeling stressed or upset nothing will pour out, good or otherwise. I've never been one to shed my angst onto paper. So keeping filled and staying positive is doubly important to my craft. Whether all the good stuff comes out . . . I suppose my editor would beg to differ! But is is my goal.

Debra: Tapping that vein is never easy. Each author has to decide whether to pour angst onto the page or hold it in and we all have different comfort levels. Staying positive is also important to building a writing career.

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

Lisa: As a matter of fact, yes. It's no accident that my slogan is Writing in My Wildest Dreams - dreams, interpretation and dream programming have been interests of mine for many years. The premise for my novel Visions came from a dream, as have several scenes from a variety of my works since.

I stumbled across the idea of programming my subconscious to write by accident. When I was new to fiction I learned a writing exercise, where you look at an ordinary object amd come up with as many desciptions for it as possible. I started doing this everywhere I went - flower vases on the desk at work, salt shakers in restaurants, etc. Soon, my mind did this on auto-pilot, whether I wanted it to or not. A portion of my brain had dedicated itself to crafting. This even works while I sleep. So now, when the daily grind keeps me away from my writing desk, I focus on scenes that need doing or problems I need to write my way out of as I settle down to sleep. Took some practice and doesn't always pay off, but my dreams will often take over. It's been a very useful way to get around my severly limited writing time.

Debra: Fascinating. I've been intrigued by the role dreams and dreaming plays in writing fiction for quite some time.

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

Lisa: I read with a passion as a child. Of course, the usual titles come to mind - A Wrinkle in Time, The Phantom Toll Booth, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Jonathan Livingston Seagull - you name it. But I have to give a special nod to an author that really pulled me in and kept me there - actress/singer Julie Andrews. I read her book Mandy so many times that the cover fell off, and it stayed with me throughout adulthood. I actually named my fifth child after the title character.

Debra: I had no idea Julie Andrews was also an author.

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?

Lisa: I can't say I'd write anything different. The stories that come, come without any thought of what the market is looking for at the time. I'm Writing in My Wildest Dreams, after all, literally and truly!

Debra: 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?

Lisa: Pay attention to your dreams - your subconsious may be trying to tell you something important! In fact, I'm now doing a regular blog feature on lisalogan.net about it. Readers can post their dreams for a free interpretation of common dream symbols.

Also readers can visit me on MySapce at
http://myspace.com/authorlisalogan.

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

Lisa: Thanks for the opportunity to talk with you and your readers . . . and may all YOUR wildest dreams come true.

Make-Believe Mondays With Meg Allison

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

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

Meg: I'm working on a paranormal romance that includes a gifted medium as the heroine and a dream-walking demon-slayer as the hero. If you can picture Adrain Paul in black leather or tight jeans, then you have a good idea what my hero looks like.

Debra: Yes, I can picture him quite well. ;)

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

Meg: Most definately! I can visualize them in my mind as well as hear the words they would say. They become very real individuals to me.

Debra: 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?

Meg: In a way, yes. I've had dreams that helped me work through a troublesome plot point and gave me a new direction to take a current work in progress. It's amazing the way the mind can solve problems even while you're unconscious.

Debra: Yes, it is amazing what can happen if we give the subconscious a chance to work.

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

Meg: I adored Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. I also enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time and The Phantom Tollbooth. I read a great deal as a child and those are just a few that stand out in my mind.

Debra: Those are wonderful selections.

Meg, Thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Visit Meg at http://www.megallisonauthor.com

Make Believe-Mondays will be on break next week, from Aug 11th to the 22nd while I am in Scotland researching my next book. We will resume on Sept. 3rd with an interview with Lisa Logan.

Make-Believe Mondays With Brenda Williamson

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

Brenda: By day, I'm working on the edits for A DESPERATE LONGING, a romantic suspense that comes out August 14th from Samhain Publishing. It's about a woman that was attacked by a stalker and is a bit nutty until she meets a man that she falls in love with.

Debra: Now I am curious about what way she is nutty. LOL Guess I'll have to wait and read the book, right? ;)

Brenda: By night, I'm writing a story about an empress that is pleasured by eunuchs because her husband has neglected her, but this is unfulfilling. Then her husband dies and she meets a man, that really satisfies her.

If it’s not obvious, I write a lot of erotic romance.

Debra: Well, yes... LOL

Brenda: At this very moment, I'm working on three things: a) plotting and starting to write the fourth book in my demon-hunting soccer mom series, DEJA DEMON, b) finishing a proposal for a new paranormal romance series, (which DESPERATELY needs a title), and c) putting together a proposal for a project that I'm hoping will come to fruition, but is still in such an early stage that it may not get off the ground. Fingers crossed! (Okay, a quick amendment ... the proposals are out the door! Yay! So now I'm focusing on the demon series, working on the next book and updating the series bible.)

Debra: So many manuscripts so little time. :) Congrats on getting the proposals out.

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?

Brenda: I think Bradbury is right and it's not something that you actively do. Your cup is always being filled simply by being in the world around you. Going to the store, playing with your kids, reading books, taking long walks, sitting in a dark theater with a bag of popcorn! I think with regard to storytelling in particular, so much creativity spins off of the simple question: What if? If you're open and let yourself go from there, you can come up with any number of wonderful takes to tell!

Debra: That's the big question...the "what if?"

Brenda: The harder part, I think, of Bradbury's quote: tipping over and letting the good stuff out. I think that's what stymies a lot of potential authors. I know that I had hundreds of false starts in fiction, and a lot of that stemmed from a basic shyness in my personality. I wanted to write, but I didn't necessarily want to reveal myself. And even if you're writing about superheroes or psychotic killers or demon hunting soccer moms, a little bit of you will always seep into a story. It wasn't until I was finally able to get over that hurdle of letting other people (my mom, my friends) read my stuff, that I was able to step back and seriously think about trying to get it published.

Debra: Yes, sometimes we have to write through the messy part to get to the gold.

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?

Brenda: I've woken from dreams and went straight to my computer to write down everything I remember. Unfortunately, I don't always capture the tone that the dream has and I ended up with nonsense. But some bits of the dreams always work into a new story.

Not really. I tend to remember my dreams, and if I do remember them, they're usually more Lovecraftian than I tend to write. :)

Debra: And that would be a different kind of story. LOL

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

Brenda: Oh my gosh, yes! I was so influenced as a kid. Madeleine L'Engle and A Wrinkle in Time and it's sequels, Half Magic and all the other books by Edward Eager, Paul Zindel, Paula Danziger, Judy Blume, Zilpha Keatly Snyder, E.L. Konigsburg, Shel Silverstein. Man, I could go on forever!

Debra: So could I. :)

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?

Brenda: I already use the wildest imagination. I write what I like, figuring someone out there will have the same taste I do. My wildest story has yet to find a home. It borders taboo and is about a tiger shape-shifter in the tropics, cursed by a voodoo priestess. A woman is ship wrecked on his island and while the tiger in him wants her for sexual breeding, the man in him falls in love with a woman.

Honestly, I'm writing them! If you look at my book history, you can see that I've had a very varied past within women's fiction. I've been very fortunate that the ideas I've pitched have sold. That's not to say there haven't been rejections along the way - there most definately have - but I don't feel like there's some story out there that's the book of my heart just waiting for the market to open up and let me write it.

Debra: I'm always pleased to hear an author say she is using her imagination in the largest way possible and not allowing the market to shrink wrap it.

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?

Brenda: Just that it's important to follow your dreams!
I'd love to hear from readers. I'm online at my website, http://www.BrendaWilliamson.com

Chat with me at http://www.groups.yahoo.com/BrendaWillamsonRomanceParty/

And on MySpace: http://www.myspce.com/BrendaWilliamson

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

Thanks for having me!



NOTE TO READERS AND SCHEDULED AUTHORS:

Make-Believe Mondays will pause August 11th to the 22nd while I travel through Scotland. We will resume on the 27th.

Make-Believe Mondays With Tracy Cooper-Posey

Last weeks Make-Believe Monday interview was delayed as I was at the Antioch Writers Workshop and was unable to get on the internet long enough to load the interview. But I'm pleased today to be able to finally introduce my friend, Tracy Cooper-Posey.

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

Tracy: I’m concentrating on two manuscripts right now. I have a historical romantic suspense novella with Ellora’s Cave that will be released on July 4, and I’m building up promotion on that one at the moment. I’m very pleased with that one…it has a fabulous cover – one of those covers that grabs you. I was very pleased to see it.

The other manuscript is a mainstream romantic suspense that Harlequin MIRA have asked to see. I can’t say a lot about it right now, of course, but it’s proving to be a lot of fun so far.

Debra: Can't wait to see that cover.

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?

Tracy: My first impulsive answer to this was “I haven’t got a clue!”. I’m usually so damned busy, I don’t have time to court the muse and lure her in. She just has to be there when I sit down at my laptop, or I’ll write the damn thing without her.

But I think that’s my answer right there: I have a very full life (too full!), one that includes three teenagers at home, one living in Shanghai, a husband that is juggling two careers and a day job, my own demanding day job, plus promoting and writing my books. Two cats, Merry and Pippin, and a rock python, Sam. A house that refuses to stay clean and tidy, and an extended family that is spread across every continent in the world except Antartica.

I also workout daily.

With all that, and the dozens of people I interact with in the flesh and on-line, and just watching the way the world works...the ideas come.

I’ve also grown very good at forced idea brainstorming over the years: Sitting with a pen and paper (lately, that has become a laptop and a blank new Word file), and making myself come up with new ideas.

It sounds like it’s a terrible way to build a story, but it’s actually a good way to tap into your creativity when life won’t give you the time to daydream and reach your ideas that way.

Debra: I am simply amazed at the many things you juggle and the way you pull it all off with flair. Such a full life must give you plenty of material to write about.

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

Tracy: Just about every author I met managed to suck me in. I was a voracious reader as a child – I grew up without television, and without children my own age, and discovered books around eight or nine years of age. Back then it was mostly Enid Blyton (an English writer of children’s adventures), but later on I branched out into almost every genre there is, including the adult titles.

As a result, for many years, I could never pronounce unusual words; I’d seen them in books, and understood their meaning and grammatical usage, but because no-one around me used them in conversation, I’d never heard them pronounced properly.

One of the strongest spells to grab me was Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. And not long after that I discovered Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, and Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave. Strangely, I rarely read fantasy these days. I go for more gruesome and realistic stuff.

Debra: Isn't it wonderful how books can enrich a child's mind in that way, words a child might struggle to pronounce such a stretch which expands a child's world? That's the beauty of language.

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

Make-Believe Mondays With Meg Winston

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'd like to introduce my friend, Meg Winston.

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

Meg: A dark, edgy little urban fantasy about the Wrath of Hell and her idiot apprentice. I'm a sucker for a happy ever after and these two just spark each other off the page, so it's been a joy to write. Tons of conflict, all of it smoldering, and a lot of black humor, which I love. Crazy sisters on smiting sprees, angry gods running amuk, lifelong secrets, and The Fates banning her from love...it's been loads of fun to write.

Debra: The crazy sisters smiting had my attention before you went any further. (Having one sister, I can just imagine the trouble they might get into.) LOL

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: Music, Google, forums, and my own filthy imagination. I consider every day research, which gives me a nifty excuse to look into all the wild and crazy things I'd never do, haven't done, or whatever in the name of ficton.

Debra: So many of us are armchair adventurers, playing that what if game.

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

Meg: The point at which they misbehave. At first they're nice and bidable. Do what I tell them, when I tell them. No snarking, no...anything. Then, out of nowhere, they'll say/do/think something stupid that requires me to work around their stupidity.

Debra: When they start talking back you know you're in trouble. ;)

Some very famous authors have played with the 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?

Meg: I make up forms of existing words to suit what I'm working on. My gut tells me which root word best puts across my message, then I'll adjust the prefixes and suffixes until it suits the form grammatically required to make sense. Unfortunately, the resulting word isn't always an accepted part of the language. An example? Spot it if you can...*g*She blogged incessantly, spurred by diatribal vanities and the security of silent audience.

For the record, there's nothing I love more than finding someone who knows the language well enough to catch me when I do this and call me on it. I had a prof in college who caught every single one, even ones I didn't realize were actually words. What's more, he supplied acceptable forms, including grammatically correct synonyms. Obviously, I loved his class indescribably. I'm also terrified to let him read anything I have written since. *g*

Debra: He sounds like an excellent professor. I have always admired authors who are brave enough to play with the language.

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?

Meg: Dreams? Nope. I bring my characters out to play when I daydream, but the stuff I come up with at night is woefully uninteresting.

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

Meg: Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne series. *sigh* Gilbert Blythe. *double sigh* The first book I ever got a library fine for was the eighth of the series, Rilla of Ingleside. Not that I'd lost it, but I couldn't find a copy in any of the bookstores near me and I didn't want to give it up because I was having serious re-reading joneses. The librarian and I compromised. I proved I still had the book and paid like $1 to "rent" it for the rst of the school year, which gave me a few months to order it from W. H. Smith.

Debra: Ah, yes. Anne of Green Gables. I read every single one of those. What a lovely thing for the librarian to do, and thank you for sharing that story. I wonder if she knows you are now a published author. Librarians are unsung heroes. I wonder how many of them nurture young readers in this way in between their quiet shushing.

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

Meg: I'd want to explore my characters beyond what I can do now. Just because they're perfect for YA doesn't mean they don't grow up to have fabulous erotic romance situations. Also, just because the first in the series is a romantic comedy, that doesn't preclude a subsequent story from being dark, or vice versa. Basically, I'd like to blur the line, take characters between subgenres within a series.

Debra: That's an interesting idea. And the YA readers might follow you there as they grow up with the characters.

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?

Meg: My day job requires me to live by facts, to somehow absorb those facts and release them back into the world as a story. For me, it's less about dreaming myself a tale than it is about letting myself form the facts to release a different sort of story. Every story hangs on a conflict, some piece that doesn't jive with the expected, and no matter what sort I'm writing, I rely on my imagination to find that twist and make it a hook worth following. Everyone has that potential, but I've noticed a lot of people simply don't apply it as often as I do. I'd love to see more people find the random and absurd in everyday life - that's what makes it such a joy for me.

Debra: 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.

Please visit Meg at www.myspace.com/megwinston