Raine Balkera - Romance Author

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...

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...