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I’ve always loved to read. As a young girl, my favorites included several well known series...Trixie Belden, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Nancy Drew. As for venturing into romance--I have to give some of the credit to my aunt. She’s an avid reader and always had historical romances laying on the table next to her chair. I was a typical teenager with raging hormones, so of course I was curious and picked one up to look for the sex scenes. But one day she showed me a book that referenced a Native American Chickasaw Chief (my fourth great-grandfather), and a famous Mississippi landmark that was a part of our family history. That’s all I needed. She sent me home with a bag full of books. I was definitely hooked.
I’ve worked for attorneys, as an office manager for an architectural firm, and managed an oil & gas production company. Now I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I’ve never worked so hard in my life! The stories were always there, so was the desire to put them on paper. Creating the story is easy for me. It’s putting them on paper that makes the process challenging. I can be taking a shower, washing dishes, or just running errands and a story or scene will smack me between the eyes. I love the creation. The what-if. It’s all about the romance and getting the happily-ever-after that we don’t always get in real life. One of my favorite movies of all time is Steel Magnolias. Favorite scene…friends are walking away after a woman’s funeral and her mother was losing her composure, screaming that she shouldn’t have to be burying her child. The dry southern humor between lifetime friendships has them laughing hysterically the next. I was bawling and laughing at the same time. That’s the emotional roller coaster I want to create for my readers.
My best advice to anyone wanting to write: read, read, and read. Learn about plotting and structure. Goal, motivation and conflict. My methods may be totally different than other authors…do what works for you and your situation. Our finances are tight because we made the choice for me to stay home with the kids, so I can’t afford to buy a ton of how-to books. One of the most important things I’ve learned ~ authors/writers can be very generous with their methods and experience. Check out your favorite author’s website. Quite a few of them have wonderful articles, tips and advice. And
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