Inspiration as Author - Romance Weekly Blog Hop

Hello, again! I hope you made it here via Veronica Forand's blog. If not, please go on back and read her responses. It's okay. I'll be here when you get back :D

It's been awhile since I joined in the weekly hop.

First, I lost my freelance job. Very disappointed, sad, depressed, etc.

AND, my novel sales tanked as well. I haven't had a single sale since February. I know it is my fault, though. I really, truly stink at marketing myself, and I got tired of posting it to the Facebook pages I've joined since it doesn't tend to help or generate any interest, much less sales.

I honestly don't know what to do at this point, so I've stopped thinking altogether :D

When bad goes to worse, I tend to avoid all things online because selfish me can't stand to read all the success, lovey-dovey, hurray-for-me news that is posted. Just makes my life that much more difficult to bear.

I know. Shame on me. I know!

Second, and on a much more positive note, I've been writing and editing like a mad woman -- juggling two novels at once. The first one, about the curse, is probably the hardest yet most enjoyable story I've ever written, which is a good thing, right? The second is one that refuses to take a back seat to anything else inside my head. It and the characters just won't shut up and leave me alone, so I find time here and there to jot things down as they pop up.


This week, Jeanne McDonald asks a 3-part question.

1 - Describe that moment when you first felt like a true author (not just an aspiring one).

I guess the only answer would be when I clicked PUBLISH at Amazon and Smashwords :D That doesn't make me a true author, though, and I still don't 'feel' like a true author, either. Not that I won't be . . . some day!

2 - Name three authors who inspire you.

For the longest time it was Johanna Lindsey. Hers was the first romance novel I'd ever read (8th grade - A Gentle Feuding) and it transformed my life as cliche as that sounds. It did! So, I sought out more of her work, which was how I came to read Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Nora Roberts, and Julie Garwood, to name a few.

Lisa Kleypas, however, is my new favorite romance writer. It doesn't matter what she writes or in what time period, her style is what makes me love her and why I'll always remain a faithful follower of her work. Terrific storyteller!

I'm also inspired by you guys! Xio's causal cool and Sarah's in-depth feel. Veronica's and Gemma's styles make me feel good, Mishka has a vivid imagination, Collette can weave Regency magic, and J.J. has a wide range of topic/time. I just finished reading Betty Bolté's Emily's Vow and am truly inspired by her talent and smooth style as well.

3 - Describe your favorite fan moment (either you as the fan or one of your readers approaching you as a fan).

LOL! I can still dream, can't I? I may have zero fans, but that isn't stopping me from pursuing my dream and continuing to write.

The first part of this question is here. It's a recent interview with Lisa Kleypas, and I hope the woman who did the interview realizes just how incredibly lucky she is! I have never had a real-life fan moment. (Well, there was that one time when I got to meet a soap star from General Hospital).
Being able to read the interview was like a dream come true for me. And, the best part about it was to hear that she's coming out with another historical novel soon! Reading her responses and discovering that we're alike in some ways is inspirational, and why I consider it to be a favorite moment.

As always, I thank you for taking the time to read my responses. Now we hop on over and visit with Leslie Hachtel and find out how she responded.

Romance Writer's Weekly (RWW) has a website with its own blog, and a newsletter. There is also a Facebook page, and the Twitter handle is @LoveChatWrite.