Moira Keith

With that deviant behavior! One of the best lines from the movie Empire Records.

Okay, really there is reason behind why I even mention that line. As in most cities, you can drive around and see a multitude of fashion statements out there. Piercings decorating the teens at the bus stop or the people at work. (I kid you not) See the bump on girls courtesy of Snookie from Jersey Shore fame, some people can rock it, some can’t. Not everyone is meant to be a Guidette, sorry. Emo fashion in full swing with the dark clothes and skinny jeans (which I don’t get as a fashion statement for guys). It makes me think back to the days when I loved Skater Boys. Oh I was a sucker for almost any guy who hung out at the local skate shop. Oh the point? Right.

So really, I was just thinking about how such behavior and fashion statements make their mark on the books we read and write. I mean, I have a picture of a Emo girl that is destined to star in my first young adult book. So lay it on me people! What deviant types did you lust after? Or do you imagine yourself writing about?Give me all the dirty details.

The winner of the autographed copy of the Wild Ride Anthology is….. ahem, can I have a drum roll please?

Shelley Munro!

Yee Haw! Okay, we only have a small request here. You have to let me know if you found it just as difficult to choose your favorite cowboy among the mix. I am quite partial to Levi since I did dream about him for so long, but my partners in crime in this novella wrote some equally hot and drool worthy cowboys, so I will take no offense.

Anyone else who has read ALL three stories present in the Wild Ride Anthology, sound off for me on your favorite cowboy if you will. Just because of curiosity sake and the very deep seeded desire to dish on all that hawtness!

This was a question that I thought I would throw out there after deriving some inspiration for a story I have in the back of my mind. Often times, as a writer, I find myself trying to work my way through the mind field of story ideas, pick the elements that will make a story unique and once in a while, I actually manage to share something with my best friend that makes her really excited. Why is this important? Because her excitement is what inspires me. It drives me forward when I feel like I am in a rut, helps me examine other possibilities when an idea may seem far too similar or overdone. 

We all derive inspiration from different areas of our lives. Whether we are talking music, art, movies, stories, friends, family, or just life in general…the important thing is to seize that inspiration and run with it. Who knows where it will lead. 

Where do you garner your inspiration? Great books can also inspire regardless of their genre, so if you are a reader, what is it about your favorite author that inspires you?

How many times do you slave away at the keyboard, only to second guess elements of your story? Please do not tell me I am the only nut job out there suffering from this affliction. Over the course of the last few months I have been working my fingers to the bone on my paranormal story, in between edit rounds of course , wondering if I am headed in the right direction. I find that my rounds of ‘questioning’ follow pretty much the same pattern 

1. Unhappy with a story element
2. Try to fix and questions arise regarding the plot points
3. While attempting to navigate through murky waters of said questions, I contemplate what would happen if I lose one of the elements of the story.
4. Begin to write element out and start to second guess the decision. 
5. Turn to trusted friends and crit partners, who tell me they think the element should stay, but that I am the author. 
6. One or more of them slap me senseless and tell me to stop second guessing the very elements that make my story unique and interesting. 
7. A few rounds of brainstorming and I go back to the manuscript with a renewed fervor that will sustain me until i can start this glorious process all over again. 

So, I ask all of the enlightened and inspiring writers out there-

How do you deal with second guessing yourself? Or do you even second guess yourself? Have you learned to control that nagging little voice in the back of your head or simply gagged and hog tied her until you reached the end? I’ve tried locking mine up but it would seem the art of lock picking has not surpassed my dear inner voice. I throw myself at the mercy of my peers and beg for you to share your wisdom!

Do you ever find yourself in a rut? My biggest one comes to reading. I tend to stick to the same genre-paranormal romance or something not too far left of that. I recently indulged in a little genre expanding. Not that you could tell by my bookshelf or to be read pile, as my expansion can primarily be witnessed through my eBook reading. For example, I recently read Land of Falling Stars by Keta Diablo (which, shameless plug coming…. you can read my review at TGOB). I have said Historical Romance is not my bag, however when I think back on some of my reading choices, I find that some of my past choices have had historical elements. Take the Circle trilogy by the beloved Nora Roberts or any of the books from the Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning. They both take you to times past are well written and much to my delight have ties to paranormal romance elements. *Squee* 

In the past I found myself in a similar rut with Romantic Suspense and Mystery. In those genres I found myself falling prey to the likes of Kay Hooper and J.D. Robb (yes I am not immune to any of Ms Robert’s personas). The key to getting out of the rut? Don’t know, I haven’t found it yet. Though on occasion I am lucky enough to have something fall in my lap that aides in the process.

Do you find yourself in similar ruts? How do you break out of them?