My Writing Process - Part 1

I've been asked to share my writing process today. I'm not sure why anyone would want to hear me write about writing, but I do love to write, so I'll share my somewhat strange process.

I've been writing since I was a kid but didn't take it seriously until high school. A wonderful English teacher told me she looked forward to reading my published works. (Sorry, Mrs. L--it took me longer than I'd planned!) Then there was the history teacher (I adored Mrs. R) who was sure I'd plagiarized a real book for my spring project until she talked about it in the teacher's workroom and my English teacher vouched for me.

Now I write romance, a little suspense, a little steaming hot sex, a little paranormal (coming soon).

For me, every story begins with a loosely arranged premise and an opening scene that's popped itself into my head due to a comment someone made or a location I was dropped into and couldn't leave.
For example, my hubby likes to go to trade shows (mostly hunting and fishing) and a few years ago, he took me to a gun show. I, of course, sent him off to peruse the wares while I hunted down the jewelry tables. With his credit card, of course. Unfortunately, there was only one and I was left leaning against a wall while I waited for Darling Hubby.

If you've ever been to one of these events, you know there are people of all kinds-mostly dressed in camouflage-walking up and down the isles. After a few minutes of no cell reception, I thought of myself as completely stranded at the gun show.

An idea popped into my head: two women taking their friend to the gun show to help her ex-boyfriend plead his case and win her back.

I pulled out the only piece of paper I had in my purse: a sticky note with a phone number at the top.
Many notes later, and a few brainstorming sessions with fellow writers, I had three stories, one for each girl.
I'll add to this tomorrow. 
Now, I want to introduce you to another author --Joe Parr.

Bio – Joe B. Parr is a North Texas based Mystery Suspense writer. As a native of the Fort Worth, TX area, his novels are crime dramas based in and around DFW. Residents of the area will enjoy the familiar sights and sounds. For others, he provides a virtual tour highlighting the area’s feel and diversity.

His current release, The Victim, is available in both paperback and ebook (Kindle, Nook) on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

He writes entertaining fiction with an undercurrent of social commentary. His books address provocative issues by introducing characters who provide multiple perspectives so that the reader is driven to explore their own thoughts.

In The Victim, those issues include gangs, media stereotypes and the racial tensions within the community. In Stolen Innocence (future release), he highlights the growing issue of Human Trafficking and its disproportional impact on immigrant and minority communities. 

The Victim is the first of the Detective Jake Hunter series of mystery suspense novels.

When two local gangbangers are found dead, who really cares? This 'who cares' case quickly turns into a high profile hunt for a serial vigilante killer. The body count and pressure rise in Ft Worth, Texas as local community leaders and media pundits stir up political discourse and racial tensions mount.

Police Detective Jake 'Cowboy' Hunter has been out of the field for six months struggling to overcome the on-duty shooting death of his longtime partner. His boss has an easy case for him to 'get back in the saddle' while breaking in a new detective. After all, it's just another case of bad guys ending up dead.

While he readjusts to being back on the streets, Hunter and his temporary partner, Billy Sanders, find themselves sloshing through the gang infested underbelly of Fort Worth as they chase a vigilante who has set himself up as a modern day serial Bernard Goetz. In the process, he has set off a firestorm of racially tinged political pressure by choosing minority gangbangers as his targets.

Between the piling body count and the media frenzy building to what’s sure to be an all-out war on the streets, Hunter and his team’s investigation leads them to suspect even the ‘good guys.’ Tensions escalate until Hunter discovers the media hype can help him outsmart the killer.

Letters to Lavender

Dear Lavender,

How do I get my husband to treat me like the heroes in your books treat their women?

Lavender speaks:

Do you really want a man to boss you around, make all the decisions about every detail of your life with him, and give you the best sex you’ve ever had in your life?

(Okay, I admit hot delicious sex on a regular basis is a wonderful thing to have in a relationship.) But some of the other characteristics of my heroes are a little more than I’d like in a steady man. Every once and a while, sure. Gimmie-gimmie! But as a constant? I don’t think so. That’s why I use the phrase ‘Fairytales for Smart Women’ so freely.

I think every woman likes a little fantasy in her life and with the right man, those fantasies can be achieved. But a steady diet of wild and crazy will eventually become a bore. The trick is to learn to enjoy your man and all his idiosyncrasies and help him enjoy yours.

And of course, reading hot romance novels like mine might give you a few ideas!

 

                                                                              Lavender

Disclaimer: Lavender is a romance writer, not a therapist and this post is a work of fiction. :)

Hunting for a little Heat

A big tiger-striped blob is stretched out on the back of the sofa in my office, her head pivoting every now and then to either look out the front window to watch for birds or to watch me. Not that I’m doing more than I usually do in my office.

Just typing.

But the temperature has dropped steadily for the last few days and she’s waiting for me to turn on the little space heater under my desk.

Just past her first year, she’s a huge cat, a definite two handed lift, and quite intelligent. When the heater is one, she wanders around my feet until she finds the perfect place to settle-far enough away to keep from getting scorched but close enough to get toasty warm.

Can’t believe I argued against keeping her last year. She was a rescue cat, taken in by a friend from hubby’s office, and we already had a big dog and a spoiled cat.

Now we can’t imagine not having her in our home.

Winter ?

Winter is finally here.

Maybe....

I had the same thought a few weeks ago, but lo and behold, the sun came back and the steam rose into the air-just like summer.

The cute weather guy hiding in my television has the best job in the world. He gets paid to make predictions that don’t have to be right. And he still gets paid. (Yes, I know he’s gone to college and has a degree, and is often correct, but still.)

The fact that I live in Texas makes this an easy discussion. We have a reputation for changeable weather. We native Texans even have a saying:

“If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait a minute. It’ll change presently.”

However—

I have a theory. (Remember: I’m not a scientist, I’m a writer of fiction (the hot, steamy, make you want to hunt down your hubby for some fun, kind.)

I think the planet is shifting on its axis and the scientists in the know (and quite possibly the governments of the world) aren’t telling us.

Could be that we’re experiencing a normal occurrence that only takes place every few thousand years. (It’s possible.) But after years of doomsday movies about the death of the planet, those in the know are keeping the info hush-hush to avoid a planet-wide panic.

So, on the off chance we might be heading into a disaster, I’m going to have some fun and enjoy whatever comes along. And, of course, I’m going to keep writing my hot little stories as a diversion from what might happen down the road.

What do you think?

Full Circle

A few years ago, a writer friend was telling me about the new book she had coming out, and it sounded wonderful. When I asked her when it would be in bookstores, she told me it was an eBook and mentioned the website where I could purchase it.

My reply?

“I don’t do eBooks. There’s just something about holding a book in my hand, turning the pages, smelling that new book scent.”

And I asked her to let me know if it was ever in print.

A little over a year later, I sold my first book, Bound by Trust, to an eBook publisher.

And I went out and bought an e-reader. At the time, I wasn’t exactly tech savvy, but I read the manual and learned how to buy eBooks. I can’t tell you how many times I reached up to turn the page on the book I was reading and realized I was using an electronic device. Scary how technology creeps up on you and invades your life while you’re not looking.

I go back and forth with books and eBooks and I still have a huge collection of both.

Just the other day, I was re-reading one of JR Ward’s Blackdagger Brotherhood books. It’s an awesome series, and I was thoroughly caught up in the story. I slid my hand down the right side of the page and touched the corner to turn the page.

Nothing happened.

Tried again...still nothing.

I was about to cuss my ereader when I realized I was holding a paperback.

 

Private Delights -

The muffled scream came out of nowhere and he stepped back to check his surroundings. When it repeated, he put his ear to the glass door.

Shit. It was inside. A woman spewed profanity and cried out in pain. He tried the door but it was still locked. Not sure why anyone was locked inside, he knocked on the door. If he was interrupting an early morning love call, he’d at least warn them of his presence. When he heard the female voice shout for help, he pulled his Maglite from his belt and tapped hard on the glass panel next to the lock. At the second tap, the glass cracked and fell into the building’s foyer. Nowhere near a silent entry, but he was in.

              The screams continued and he raced in that direction.

A man was wrapped around a woman, her arms pinned to her body while she kicked back at his shins. The way she moved kept the assailant from getting to the open door across the hall, even though he was taller and bulkier than she. Her eyes widened when Steve neared, fear intensifying, but he laid a finger across his lips and turned his focus to her attacker.

Years of combat training took him in a few silent steps to the man’s side. Using the handle end of the flashlight, he popped the man’s head and he went down like a rock. The woman flung her body forward, ending up on her knees.

 

Chapter 15 - Explicit content. Must be 18 or older to view

Derek stared, her words ringing in his ears. She’d given herself to him wholeheartedly. As much as he’d wanted to run, as hard as he’d tried to keep his heart separate from hers, he’d failed.

Walking away from Joanne wasn’t possible.

The soft sound of her wounded cry from the bottom of the stairs had chopped through every plan, every ruse, and every denial. Mark had pushed him to stay, but he’d been resolute. Until he heard Joanne’s pain, his only thought was escape.

Now he understood. Her pain was more than he could stand. She’d crept under his skin when he wasn’t watching, making him vulnerable. He needed her. He needed her submission.

Derek unwound her hair from his hand and stepped around her side until he stood facing her, one short foot between them. He stroked one finger down her cheek before reaching for his belt. His already straining cock made it difficult to slide the zipper down and he lifted her chin to watch as he freed it.

“I won’t go easy on you. Understand?”

“Yes, Master.”

She was already wet for him, no doubt in his mind. Creaming and ready to beg for him to take her. The urge pushed him to the far edge of desire.

“You stocked this room?”

Joanne panted at his feet, a lone tear slipping from one eye. “Yes, Master.”

He reached around her and released the leather restraints. “Get rid of those clothes. I want to see your body.”

Just as she had the first time he’d dominated her, she removed every stitch of clothing and folded it into a neat pile a few feet away from her position on the floor.

“Good girl. Now, bring me a condom.”

She was on her feet and at the cabinet in one pulse of his cock. Protection in hand, she went back to her knees before him.

“Put it on me. Slow and easy. Think about what comes next.”

Her nipples beaded tighter than a knot on a kite string and her body trembled as she rolled it down the length of him. A stray thought caught him hard. Was she fearful of or anticipating sex?

“Use your safe word if you need to stop.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Do you remember your safe word, Joanne?”

She leaned back and settled into the submissive pose. “Yes, Master, I remember, but won’t use it now.”

As intentions went, she couldn’t be any clearer than that.

Derek grasped her under her arms and brought her to her feet, her body soft and pliant in his hands. A few short steps took them to the bed. Restraints dangled from the head and footboard, ready for fun and games. Sliding one arm around her waist, he used the other to push her shoulders forward. “Hands on the bed, sub. Feet apart.”

Her gasp egged him on, fueling his need to dominate. It had been a fucking long-ass time since he’d had the pleasure of a submissive under him and the need to savor every minute pounded into him at the same rhythm of his cock.  As soon as she was in position, he slipped one finger in the slit of her ass cheeks and stroked down until he encountered the dew between her lips. He pressed inside and listened for her moan.

He wasn’t disappointed.

A quick grasp of his cock and he was lined up for the first thrust. He took her to her core in one long hard drive and gloried in the extended half-cry half-moan she made as he burrowed deep. When she quieted, he pulled back until only the tip of him remained in her, then went deep again. He set a slow pace, in deep and hard followed by a prolonged extraction. The feel of her body clenching at him with each thrust and retreat lit up his brain like sugar after a long fast.

He had to know if she felt the same.

Pulling free of her, he landed a stinging blow to her ass and said, “On your back, Joanne. Face up on the bed.”

She complied with alacrity and he directed her to raise her arms. He walked to the end of the bed and reached over the metal frame to grasp her hand. Wrapping the leather cuff around one wrist, then the other, left her staring up at him with a hitch in her respirations.

Fear crept into her expression and his chest pinched. “Remember your safe word, use it if you need to. There’s no disgrace in calling a halt. I don’t want you hurt.”

Warm brown eyes met his for a moment and she nodded, giving him the go ahead to restrain her ankles at the other end of the bed. When she was spread out for his pleasure, he stood next to the bed, his tight dick still covered and ready, and surveyed the beautiful woman before him.

He positioned his body behind the headboard, out of her line of sight, and palmed both breasts. Her gasp increased the throb of his cock and slowed his movements. He needed to watch her squirm.

Lifting his hands until only fingertips touched her skin, he circled each nipple in slow spiraling arcs until he brushed over the tight peaks. She panted and he grasped the tips, then squeezed. The more he tugged the more her body twitched on the bed. But she had nowhere to go.

Moving to one side, he leaned in close and covered her breast with his mouth. The taut berry hardened even more as he licked and nibbled. She cried out, begging for more and he gave it, moving to the other side of the bed.

Her hips rose and fell in an age-old rhythm while he took care of her breast. When the tip was deep red, he lifted his head for her moan. Eyes closed, she whimpered with need.

“Joanne, you will look at me while I fuck you. Do you understand? I want you to be sure who’s inside you.”

“Yes, Master.” Her eyelids fluttered and then lifted, a warmth and need he hadn’t expected connecting them. “I’m yours to command.”