Month: February 2018

Author-Reader Events #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

I had no idea what to expect when I signed up with my first in-person sales event. It was the ComicCon of 2016, the first one to be held in Cheyenne, and no one knew what to expect. Luckily, my cover artist is an experienced con-goer, and she gave me lots of tips. (Waves. Hi, K.M.!)


And I’ll admit I overdid it. A banner, business cards, and postcards, as well as a game with prizes. Everyone was a winner. (At least they got a piece of candy!) Did it help me sell books? Hard to say. I broke even on the booth, and had publicity materials for the next couple of years.

But I did sell books. In my mind, enough to make me feel successful. Enough to make me decide to to more book sales.

How did I do it? I used the game to get people to come to my table. If the kids came and played, the parents tagged along and that gave me the opportunity to talk to them. Some of them picked up my books and took a look at them. A few of those bought one or more of the books. But I think the biggest selling factor was the smile I had plastered on my face, and the fact that I wasn’t afraid to talk to the strangers wandering the sales floor.

What would I have done different? I didn’t ask folks to sign up for my newsletter (non-existent at that time!) Now, I take along a notebook and ask if they wouldn’t mind getting my occasional newsletter.

Now, there aren’t many (or none at all!) literary conferences locally,  so I looked other places for opportunities A smaller con in a nearby town. A Christmas craft sale. A steampunk-themed fund raiser. A book signing at a local bookstore.

You’ll notice that none of those is an author-reader event in it’s purest form. I haven’t done one of those-yet. I’ve signed up to participate in Wild Deadwood Reads in June.

There’s a part of me that wonders if I know what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s not like I have a huge fan base that will rush to Deadwood to meet me in person. I have nightmares about sitting all alone at my table, watching authors sell book after book while I sell nothing.

I’m prepping myself to believe that the event is really about getting to know other authors and exchanging ideas and having a lot of fun doing it. But I’ll pack up my books, my banners, my business card and postcards, and plaster on my best smile, because deep in my heart, I know I’m going to try to meet new readers.

By the way, I’ll have a new book to introduce! Wolves’ Gambit should be available by then. So if you are in the Deadwood, SD area June 9th. come buy and say hi and pick up a signed copy.

Now,I’m off to see if I can find out if I’m missing anything from the other authors.

Feb. 26, 2018 – Do you attend Author/Reader Events? What do you offer on your tables and how do you interact with readers?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

InLinkz | view linkup

Author-Reader Events #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

I had no idea what to expect when I signed up with my first in-person sales event. It was the ComicCon of 2016, the first one to be held in Cheyenne, and no one knew what to expect. Luckily, my cover artist is an experienced con-goer, and she gave me lots of tips. (Waves. Hi, K.M.!)

And I’ll admit I overdid it. A banner, business cards, and postcards, as well as a game with prizes. Everyone was a winner. (At least they got a piece of candy!) Did it help me sell books? Hard to say. I broke even on the booth, and had publicity materials for the next couple of years.

But I did sell books. In my mind, enough to make me feel successful. Enough to make me decide to to more book sales.

How did I do it? I used the game to get people to come to my table. If the kids came and played, the parents tagged along and that gave me the opportunity to talk to them. Some of them picked up my books and took a look at them. A few of those bought one or more of the books. But I think the biggest selling factor was the smile I had plastered on my face, and the fact that I wasn’t afraid to talk to the strangers wandering the sales floor.

What would I have done different? I didn’t ask folks to sign up for my newsletter (non-existent at that time!) Now, I take along a notebook and ask if they wouldn’t mind getting my occasional newsletter.

Now, there aren’t many (or none at all!) literary conferences locally,  so I looked other places for opportunities A smaller con in a nearby town. A Christmas craft sale. A steampunk-themed fund raiser. A book signing at a local bookstore.

You’ll notice that none of those is an author-reader event in it’s purest form. I haven’t done one of those-yet. I’ve signed up to participate in Wild Deadwood Reads in June.

There’s a part of me that wonders if I know what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s not like I have a huge fan base that will rush to Deadwood to meet me in person. I have nightmares about sitting all alone at my table, watching authors sell book after book while I sell nothing.

I’m prepping myself to believe that the event is really about getting to know other authors and exchanging ideas and having a lot of fun doing it. But I’ll pack up my books, my banners, my business card and postcards, and plaster on my best smile, because deep in my heart, I know I’m going to try to meet new readers.

By the way, I’ll have a new book to introduce! Wolves’ Gambit should be available by then. So if you are in the Deadwood, SD area June 9th. come buy and say hi and pick up a signed copy.

Now,I’m off to see if I can find out if I’m missing anything from the other authors.

Feb. 26, 2018 – Do you attend Author/Reader Events? What do you offer on your tables and how do you interact with readers?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code


InLinkz | view linkup

Waterloo & Kryssie Fortune & a new release

  By Uncategorized

Please welcome Kryssie Fortune and her new release, Wickedly Used, to my blog.

A
Tale of Two Soldiers ~Waterloo #history #amreading #Regency
#Romance
“I don’t know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me.” -The Duke of Wellington 

Wellington may have been talking about his army, but some of his officers and Allies at Waterloo were eccentric too. 
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton.

{PD-1923}} – published anywhere before 1923 and public domain in the U.S.

According to Wellington he was “a rough foul-mouthed devil as ever lived.”
Hardly a recommendation, although Wellington added that he found him capable. Picton’s cruelty when Governor of Trinidad saw him put on trial for torture. Although convicted, the conviction was later overturned. 
He fought in the Peninsula War then became a member of parliament. When war broke out again, he headed for Waterloo. He arrived, but his luggage didn’t. He rode into battle in a top hat. 
That must have made people look twice. It probably marked him as a target, too. 
Welsh folklore says that his top hat was shot off by a cannonball moments before his death. 
Sadly, he was the most senior officer killed in the conflict. Although, some historians think he was so hated by his own troops that one of them shot him.  


Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher

– {{PD-1923}} – published anywhere before 1923 and public domain in the US

“Forwards!” he was quoted as saying. “I hear you say it’s impossible, but it has to be done! I have given my promise to Wellington, and you surely don’t want me to break it? Push yourselves, my children, and we’ll have victory!”

Ever used the phrase, “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle”. My guess is it wouldn’t translate well into another language. The same applies to Blucher. Once, when he rallied his men he told them he was pregnant with a baby elephant. I really hope this was a saying, not insanity or schnapps talking.  
Injured at the start of the allied campaign, he lay beneath a dead horse. And was repeatedly ridden over by French cavalry. Only the fact that a great coat concealed his uniform stopped the French from killing him. 
Once he rejoined his troops, he bathed in a liniment of rhubarb and garlic, fortified himself with schnapps, and led his army to the battle. He was 74 at the time. By late afternoon, their intervention helped the Allies win a great victory. 

Why my interest in Waterloo?
Because Stormy Night Publishing have just released my dark Regency Romance, Wickedly Used. 

Buy
links
Blurb
While
he is no stranger to pleasurable company from ladies of the night,
Major Richard Rothbury of the royal dragoons is not the kind of man
who will stand idly by as a woman is taken against her will, and when
he witnesses a disreputable cad attempting to force himself on a girl
in a back alley, he does not hesitate to intervene.

But
after the grateful young woman offers herself to Rothbury, he is
shocked to discover that not only was she no harlot, she was a maiden
and he has deflowered her. Furious at the girl’s scandalous
behavior and her carelessness with her own safety, Rothbury chastises
her soundly.

Though
she is due to inherit one of the largest fortunes in England, the
fact that she cannot touch the money until she marries or turns
thirty has kept Elizabeth completely at the mercy of her cruel uncle,
and for years she has been treated as if she were a servant. Her
encounter with Lord Rothbury is by far the most exciting thing that
has ever happened to her, but while he shows great concern for her
safety, he refuses to believe that she is anything more than a
serving girl.

Despite
having made it clear that he doesn’t consider a match between them
to be possible, when Elizabeth disobeys him Rothbury proves more than
ready to strip her bare, punish her harshly, and then enjoy her
beautiful body in the most shameful of ways. But can she dare to hope
that he will one day make her his wife, or is she destined to spend
her life being wickedly used?

Publisher’s
Note: Wickedly
Used: A Dark Regency Romance includes
spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please
don’t buy this book.

Waterloo & Kryssie Fortune & a new release

  By Uncategorized

Please welcome Kryssie Fortune and her new release, Wickedly Used, to my blog.

A Tale of Two Soldiers ~Waterloo #history #amreading #Regency #Romance
“I don’t know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me.” -The Duke of Wellington 

Wellington may have been talking about his army, but some of his officers and Allies at Waterloo were eccentric too. 
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton.

{PD-1923}} – published anywhere before 1923 and public domain in the U.S.

According to Wellington he was “a rough foul-mouthed devil as ever lived.”
Hardly a recommendation, although Wellington added that he found him capable. Picton’s cruelty when Governor of Trinidad saw him put on trial for torture. Although convicted, the conviction was later overturned. 
He fought in the Peninsula War then became a member of parliament. When war broke out again, he headed for Waterloo. He arrived, but his luggage didn’t. He rode into battle in a top hat. 
That must have made people look twice. It probably marked him as a target, too. 
Welsh folklore says that his top hat was shot off by a cannonball moments before his death. 
Sadly, he was the most senior officer killed in the conflict. Although, some historians think he was so hated by his own troops that one of them shot him.  

Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher

– {{PD-1923}} – published anywhere before 1923 and public domain in the US

“Forwards!” he was quoted as saying. “I hear you say it’s impossible, but it has to be done! I have given my promise to Wellington, and you surely don’t want me to break it? Push yourselves, my children, and we’ll have victory!”

Ever used the phrase, “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle”. My guess is it wouldn’t translate well into another language. The same applies to Blucher. Once, when he rallied his men he told them he was pregnant with a baby elephant. I really hope this was a saying, not insanity or schnapps talking.  
Injured at the start of the allied campaign, he lay beneath a dead horse. And was repeatedly ridden over by French cavalry. Only the fact that a great coat concealed his uniform stopped the French from killing him. 
Once he rejoined his troops, he bathed in a liniment of rhubarb and garlic, fortified himself with schnapps, and led his army to the battle. He was 74 at the time. By late afternoon, their intervention helped the Allies win a great victory. 

Why my interest in Waterloo?
Because Stormy Night Publishing have just released my dark Regency Romance, Wickedly Used. 
Buy links
Blurb
While he is no stranger to pleasurable company from ladies of the night, Major Richard Rothbury of the royal dragoons is not the kind of man who will stand idly by as a woman is taken against her will, and when he witnesses a disreputable cad attempting to force himself on a girl in a back alley, he does not hesitate to intervene.

But after the grateful young woman offers herself to Rothbury, he is shocked to discover that not only was she no harlot, she was a maiden and he has deflowered her. Furious at the girl’s scandalous behavior and her carelessness with her own safety, Rothbury chastises her soundly.

Though she is due to inherit one of the largest fortunes in England, the fact that she cannot touch the money until she marries or turns thirty has kept Elizabeth completely at the mercy of her cruel uncle, and for years she has been treated as if she were a servant. Her encounter with Lord Rothbury is by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her, but while he shows great concern for her safety, he refuses to believe that she is anything more than a serving girl.

Despite having made it clear that he doesn’t consider a match between them to be possible, when Elizabeth disobeys him Rothbury proves more than ready to strip her bare, punish her harshly, and then enjoy her beautiful body in the most shameful of ways. But can she dare to hope that he will one day make her his wife, or is she destined to spend her life being wickedly used?

Publisher’s Note: Wickedly Used: A Dark Regency Romance includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

When Inspiration Strikes #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

I readily admit that I rely on inspiration when I’m writing my stories. It’s not 100%, sometimes I do have a basic premise in mind. But it’s those times that my characters like best to throw me for a loop.

Take this scene from The Baron’s Cufflinks:


     By
the time the library closed, I decided I needed a totally different
approach. I found no mention of Annabelle in the newspaper’s
archives, but the address of her office was prominently displayed on
her social media page. If she showed up for work in the morning, I’d
follow her around. I was willing to bet she went to the same place
for lunch every day, and maybe the same spot after work. I’d make a
follow-up trip to those same places after she left and talk to the
employees.
     Still
mapping out my plans for the morning—where would I park? Did I need
to buy a pair of binoculars first?—I pulled into the parking lot of
the bar I’d chosen for a drink. Just one, to get the lay of the land.
It looked like the kind of place where cheaters would go. A little on
the trashy side, but not taken over by meth-heads. A place where a
private eye might hang out to catch a straying spouse in the act.

     And
there, holding court at the bar, was the last person I expected to
see.

     Jake.

If you’ve read the Oak Grove Mysteries, you know Jake has had a major influence in Harmony’s (the main character) life, for bad or for good. He was featured prominently in the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring. So most of you probably weren’t surprised when he showed up in this scene. 

But I was. See, I was trying to write Jake out of this book, and maybe out of Harmony’s life. I’d sent him off to Chicago at the beginning of the book. So what was  he doing in West Virginia? (I”m not going to answer that question. You’ll have to read the book to find out, if you don’t already know.)  Someone totally different was supposed to be at that bar. Until I got to the moment of Harmony seeing Jake, I thought it would be that other person. 

That scene changed the entire course of the book. Instead of being written out, Jake practically took over the story. I didn’t plan for it to happen. Yet I know the book turned out better for the change.

For those of you who have read the series, would you be upset if I wrote Jake out of the next book? (Or tried to, anyway.) Let me know in the comments.
Now let’s head over and find out about when inspiration struck the other authors.

Feb. 19, 2018 – Tell us a story about a time when a piece of inspiration hit you. We’ve all had them.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

When Inspiration Strikes #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

I readily admit that I rely on inspiration when I’m writing my stories. It’s not 100%, sometimes I do have a basic premise in mind. But it’s those times that my characters like best to throw me for a loop.

Take this scene from The Baron’s Cufflinks:

     By the time the library closed, I decided I needed a totally different approach. I found no mention of Annabelle in the newspaper’s archives, but the address of her office was prominently displayed on her social media page. If she showed up for work in the morning, I’d follow her around. I was willing to bet she went to the same place for lunch every day, and maybe the same spot after work. I’d make a follow-up trip to those same places after she left and talk to the employees.
     Still mapping out my plans for the morning—where would I park? Did I need to buy a pair of binoculars first?—I pulled into the parking lot of the bar I’d chosen for a drink. Just one, to get the lay of the land. It looked like the kind of place where cheaters would go. A little on the trashy side, but not taken over by meth-heads. A place where a private eye might hang out to catch a straying spouse in the act.

     And there, holding court at the bar, was the last person I expected to see.

     Jake.

If you’ve read the Oak Grove Mysteries, you know Jake has had a major influence in Harmony’s (the main character) life, for bad or for good. He was featured prominently in the second book, Her Ladyship’s Ring. So most of you probably weren’t surprised when he showed up in this scene. 

But I was. See, I was trying to write Jake out of this book, and maybe out of Harmony’s life. I’d sent him off to Chicago at the beginning of the book. So what was  he doing in West Virginia? (I”m not going to answer that question. You’ll have to read the book to find out, if you don’t already know.)  Someone totally different was supposed to be at that bar. Until I got to the moment of Harmony seeing Jake, I thought it would be that other person. 

That scene changed the entire course of the book. Instead of being written out, Jake practically took over the story. I didn’t plan for it to happen. Yet I know the book turned out better for the change.

For those of you who have read the series, would you be upset if I wrote Jake out of the next book? (Or tried to, anyway.) Let me know in the comments.
Now let’s head over and find out about when inspiration struck the other authors.

Feb. 19, 2018 – Tell us a story about a time when a piece of inspiration hit you. We’ve all had them.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

Valentine’s Day #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized
I freely admit it. I wasn’t one of the ‘popular’ kids in school. If there hadn’t been a rule about giving every kid in the class a Valentine card, I would have received very few. As it was, I didn’t get any of the really cool ones some of the other kids got. No, I got the generic, run of the mill cards that were left after the ‘best’ ones were picked for someone else. Heck, there were times I didn’t even any of the candy hearts.
So I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day.
But that’s not the biggest reason I’m still not a fan of the holiday. (Does it count as a holiday if you don’t get the day off work?) No, what bothers me is how contrived the whole thing is.

Evidence points to several different historical figures that could have been the basis for today’s celebration. Perhaps it was a combination of legends of all three. Why there is a Roman Catholic (and several other Christian denominations) saint for romance is beyond me. Does it really take divine intervention for a relationship to work? And how does that translate into a day when we are all encouraged to spend money just to show that we care about someone. Shouldn’t we be doing that every day we are with them? (Not the spend money part, the show we care part.)

After all, that’s part of what makes a relationship work—taking time to let the other person know that you care. Doing things that don’t cost anything, like listening when they talk.Watching a TV show with them. Giving them a hug before you leave for work. It doesn’t take a saint to tell you these things make an impression.

I don’t expect flowers or candy for Valentine’s Day. If I get a nice card I’ll be happy. An extra kiss or two will be great. A heartfelt “I love you” is always nice to hear.

And then there’s the important question—if the day is supposed to be about romance, how comes we are ‘training’ our kids to take part? Kids as young as three or four are making cards for their parents. Why? Just why? (Besides the obvious—get them to spend money.)

So I’m not going to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. I will thank you for taking the time to read my blog and (hopefully) my books. And may February 14th and every day be happy.

Now let’s  hop on over and see what the other authors have to say.

Feb. 12, 2018 – Valentine’s is this week. Chat about the most irritating thing about this event.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

InLinkz | view linkup

Valentine’s Day #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized
I freely admit it. I wasn’t one of the ‘popular’ kids in school. If there hadn’t been a rule about giving every kid in the class a Valentine card, I would have received very few. As it was, I didn’t get any of the really cool ones some of the other kids got. No, I got the generic, run of the mill cards that were left after the ‘best’ ones were picked for someone else. Heck, there were times I didn’t even any of the candy hearts.
So I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day.
But that’s not the biggest reason I’m still not a fan of the holiday. (Does it count as a holiday if you don’t get the day off work?) No, what bothers me is how contrived the whole thing is.

Evidence points to several different historical figures that could have been the basis for today’s celebration. Perhaps it was a combination of legends of all three. Why there is a Roman Catholic (and several other Christian denominations) saint for romance is beyond me. Does it really take divine intervention for a relationship to work? And how does that translate into a day when we are all encouraged to spend money just to show that we care about someone. Shouldn’t we be doing that every day we are with them? (Not the spend money part, the show we care part.)

After all, that’s part of what makes a relationship work—taking time to let the other person know that you care. Doing things that don’t cost anything, like listening when they talk.Watching a TV show with them. Giving them a hug before you leave for work. It doesn’t take a saint to tell you these things make an impression.

I don’t expect flowers or candy for Valentine’s Day. If I get a nice card I’ll be happy. An extra kiss or two will be great. A heartfelt “I love you” is always nice to hear.

And then there’s the important question—if the day is supposed to be about romance, how comes we are ‘training’ our kids to take part? Kids as young as three or four are making cards for their parents. Why? Just why? (Besides the obvious—get them to spend money.)

So I’m not going to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. I will thank you for taking the time to read my blog and (hopefully) my books. And may February 14th and every day be happy.

Now let’s  hop on over and see what the other authors have to say.

Feb. 12, 2018 – Valentine’s is this week. Chat about the most irritating thing about this event.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:


Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

InLinkz | view linkup

Character Development #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

Those of you who have hung out here for a while know that I’m a pantser, not a plotter. That means I start out with a general idea of my book, but I don’t have all the details worked out for the story line. In fact, the romance in Wolves’ Knight isn’t at all what I planned for it to be.

The same is true for my characters. I start out with a general idea of who they are, but I don’t know them intimately. As I write the story, I’m also discovering their likes and dislikes, their background, their personality. The information doesn’t come to me all at once, the characters feed it to me in bits and pieces.

Harmony Duprie from the Oak Grove Mysteries is a great example of this. When I started writing her, I didn’t know she was so tied to her daily routine, or that she names everything. She let me know about those quirks quickly. She’s been great fun to write as her character develops through the book series. I’m always discovering something new about her. When I started writing The Marquesa’s Necklace, there was a bit of me in the character. By the time we reached The Baron’s Cufflinks, she was more like a good friend, and not me at all!

(If you haven’t read Cufflinks yet, you should. Harmony finally reveals what’s up with her and airplanes.)

How does that happen? It’s really simple. I listen to my characters. Heck, sometimes I argue with them about the way the plot is going. I win a few of those discussions, but most of them I lose. After all, the stories belong to them.

I’m currently working on Wolves’ Gambit, the third book in the Free Wolves’ series, and it’s been interesting. Lori, a minor character from Wolves’ Pawn in the main character. (I’m willing to bet you don’t remember her, that’s how minor she was!) So I knew a bit about her, but she didn’t take long to clue me in to who she really is underneath her bravado. This is yet another book that didn’t go the way I planned but Lori’s way is better! (Stay tuned…the book will be called Wolves’ Gambit and I’m working on a mid-April release date.)

Now let’s check out what the other authors have to say about character development.

Wait- you say you haven’t read the my books yet? Then head over to my books page to see where to get yours first! My Books

February 5, 2018 – Character Development; How do you achieve quality character development?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

WordPress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

Character Development #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

Those of you who have hung out here for a while know that I’m a pantser, not a plotter. That means I start out with a general idea of my book, but I don’t have all the details worked out for the story line. In fact, the romance in Wolves’ Knight isn’t at all what I planned for it to be.

The same is true for my characters. I start out with a general idea of who they are, but I don’t know them intimately. As I write the story, I’m also discovering their likes and dislikes, their background, their personality. The information doesn’t come to me all at once, the characters feed it to me in bits and pieces.

Harmony Duprie from the Oak Grove Mysteries is a great example of this. When I started writing her, I didn’t know she was so tied to her daily routine, or that she names everything. She let me know about those quirks quickly. She’s been great fun to write as her character develops through the book series. I’m always discovering something new about her. When I started writing The Marquesa’s Necklace, there was a bit of me in the character. By the time we reached The Baron’s Cufflinks, she was more like a good friend, and not me at all!

(If you haven’t read Cufflinks yet, you should. Harmony finally reveals what’s up with her and airplanes.)

How does that happen? It’s really simple. I listen to my characters. Heck, sometimes I argue with them about the way the plot is going. I win a few of those discussions, but most of them I lose. After all, the stories belong to them.

I’m currently working on Wolves’ Gambit, the third book in the Free Wolves’ series, and it’s been interesting. Lori, a minor character from Wolves’ Pawn in the main character. (I’m willing to bet you don’t remember her, that’s how minor she was!) So I knew a bit about her, but she didn’t take long to clue me in to who she really is underneath her bravado. This is yet another book that didn’t go the way I planned but Lori’s way is better! (Stay tuned…the book will be called Wolves’ Gambit and I’m working on a mid-April release date.)

Now let’s check out what the other authors have to say about character development.

Wait- you say you haven’t read the my books yet? Then head over to my books page to see where to get yours first! My Books

February 5, 2018 – Character Development; How do you achieve quality character development?

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