Raine Balkera - Romance Author

Thank you for hopping over from J.J. Devine's post. Her novel, Into the Darkness , is available at Amazon. Vampires and Witches: Are they mythical creatures or something that walks amongst us every day without our knowledge?  To Raven, a twenty-five-year-old, extremely sheltered woman, they are nothing more than something to be read about in a book. To Dragon, an eight hundred-year-old vampire, they are a way of life.  Raven truly believes she is going mad. Erotic dreams fill her nights, causing her to question her sanity by the light of day. They lead her into a world she never knew existed and a heritage that can only be found in nightmares.  Dragon wants nothing more than to own the mortal soul of the beautiful Raven, a woman who can make his ancient scars disappear, proof that she is far from mortal.  Together they seek out the dark heritage of her past. What they find is much more than either of them bargained for. A destiny lies at her doors...

For more than a decade I devoured romance novels the way I still devour potato chips. T hroughout the mid 80's and 90's,   my favorite author was Johanna Lindsey, who might be labeled by some as the undisputed queen of romance. This was my introduction to her writing, and this book was all it took to get me hooked and want more. Even if money was tight, there still seemed to be a way to hit a bookstore, browse her selection, find something I hadn't yet read, and buy it. But, then she did something I still equate to as having stabbed me right through the heart. The paperbacks were replaced with hard cover novels, and at a cost of more than double the paperback version -- which weren't being offered btw. Suddenly it wasn't even an option to buy any of her works. A hard cover the size of coffee-table books I still believe should be relegated to photography and nothing else started at $14.99 and went up to unholy sums, pricing me right out of the marke...

Scrivner Cork Board Last night I  found an article about outlining  via Writers Write  titled  Five Really Good Reasons To Outline Your Novel - before you write a word  . When it comes to actual work and the lack of enjoyment it entails, I tend to shy away from things that appear to be -- and usually end up being -- far more complex than they need to be. The Scriver image above is a case in point. An outline effort prior to writing a story means a quick jot-down of everything currently roaming around inside my head so that I don't forget what might be key later on. When I was young enough not to care, I taped magazine pics of pretty people and things to my bedroom wall. Today, there is Pinterest  ;-)  This year, I'd like to try something new, and  here are the five reasons why . . . There is very little chance (for) writer's block. The culprit appears to be plot and not knowing what it is or where to go with it. Like me, righ...

So, in line with the above quote and the a nti-mimesis  title, I will begin by explaining that I have always had an immature time trying to deal with reality/life/problems, etc. What I hope isn't the case is that the same holds true for the characters portrayed in my novels. The issues I inflict on my characters, their personality traits, the struggles they'll face, and even the roads they'll take to solve the issues . . . I know them. I understand the emotion involved. And, if I haven't been there personally, you can bet I know at least one person who has and that they unburdened their soul to me at some point. Even knowing, understanding, and having experienced life, I still struggle in reality and in my writing to come to terms, deal with, handle in a mature fashion, and rise above them -- as do my characters. I'd like to believe it all makes sense when I write even if none of it does in reality, but more often than not I've had to go back and re...

David's got a point. After spending the last hour clicking on blog links via McLinky that cater to novelists, I came across one post that managed to capture my interest. Well, three actually, out of about twenty-one total clicks. Not to say that the other nineteen were uninspiring, because not only have I increased my awareness of the vast number of people in the world who aspire to write, I've also come across some like me who are romance writers and enjoy blogging about the process. This particular post encourages us authors to offer up a copy of a published work, to be read by others and then reviewed. The response was immediate but dismal, and there were more comments than takers, but a majority of them  said it was a terrific idea and one they would really enjoy participating in, except that none of them had the time to read. When it comes to writers and readers, unless you are a seasoned author with a solid fan-base, the chances of getting noticed (much less...

If you arrived here via Tracey Gee's blog, thank you kindly for hopping over to read my response to this week's blog hop question. Collette Cameron , who is currently offering an anthology that is just in time for Valentine's Day , titled Gifts From the Heart ,   wants to know - What quirky habits (superstitions, must haves, etc.) do we have while writing ?  If not being able to write anything at all without background music playing is considered to be quirky, then I'm guilty as charged. Actually, that one probably falls under the must-have category. Just as I am unable to fall asleep in a noisy environment or go potty in a public place, I  am   also unable to write without background music. The vocal-less, melodic, and sometimes even hypnotic genres that include artists like Darshan Ambient, Lanterna, Ishq, and Lemongrass, to name a few. Rarely have I ever caught myself delving into a WIP surrounded by dead air  – which isn't, ac...