A friend recommended The House on Tradd Street to me because it reminded her of The Cavanaugh House. I read it and became an instant fan of author Karen White. Today, I am thrilled to welcome Karen to my blog. I had so many questions for her, and she graciously answered them all. How does the first seed of a story idea come to you? Does it vary from book to book? Every book is different. And every book has multiple seeds from multiple sources. It’s a miracle when they all come together. Ideas come from the news, both past Read More
Tag: writing craft
Five Take-Aways After My Writerly Weekend (Pardon My Tantrum)
Picture 12 women in a room and no one is talking. Silence. And it wasn’t a prayer service or a silent retreat. Hard to imagine? Not if these women are writers participating in a weekend write-in. Okay, in our minds, some of us were talking with our characters. Some of us even might have been praying…or cursing. What a delight to meet with my MidMichigan Romance Writers of America Chapter sisters for a fall write-in at the beautiful Riverside Inn. Not only did I get a boatload of editing accomplished, I learned five valuable lessons. Writers are respectful of Read More
How RWA Helped Me Overcome My “Romance Writer” Embarrassment
I kept the fact that I’d written a romance novel secret for thirty years. Rich and the kids knew, but few others. I especially didn’t want to tell my colleagues in the English Department. For goodness sake, they taught the classics. In fact, so did I. To admit I was a romance writer would have been humiliating. I thought. I should have had more trust in my colleagues. Some of whom are now my beta readers. Even after I’d published Love’s Destiny with Crimson Romance, when people asked what kind of books I wrote, I still had this pesky Read More
Where Does P.L. Klein Find Inspiration for Her Books? Everywhere.
When I am with P. L. and Sally, I know I’m in for a great time. Not only are they fun, P.L. is a prolific author, and her diverse genres offer something for everyone. Welcome, P.L. Please tell us a little about yourself I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, retired banker, freelance artist, community volunteer, photographer, and a life-long story teller. Most authors will tell you that last part, but I have proof. My writing partner, Sally (who prepares and formats my handwritten manuscripts for publication) and I have been friends since 5th grade and she’ll tell you I’ve been telling Read More
When Did You Know You Were a Writer?
At a recent book signing, I was asked, “When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?” I was stumped, as I am whenever I’m asked that question. Other authors seem to know, almost to the exact moment, saying “Oh, I was riding my tricycle, and the plot for my first piece of literary fiction fell from the sky into the basket on my handlebars.” I never seemed able to pinpoint my moment of divine revelation. Until a memory surfaced from out of the blue. I was only four years old when my muse, Boris, first inspired me. Read More