The Friends' Blog Tour

Let's hear it for FRIENDS!
I was tagged to join this "friends" blog tour by my friend Cheryl Bolen who is a NYT and USA Today Best-Selling Author. Cheryl's latest book is Falling for Frederick.

Find Cheryl Online

Website: http://www.cherylbolen.com
Blog: CherylsRegencyRamblings
Facebook: Cheryl Bolen Romance Author

With A Little Help From My Friends

I asked three of my author friends to join the blog tour. They will each be posting on their blogs on June 2 so please drop by and visit them.

Liz Flaherty

Retired from the post office, Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and doing whatever else she wants to. She and Duane live in the old farmhouse in Indiana they moved to in 1977. They’ve talked about moving, but really… 36 years’ worth of stuff? It’s not happening!

Liz's latest book is Jar of Dreams.

Find Liz Online

Email: lizkflaherty at gmail dot com
Website: http://lizflaherty.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizkflaherty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizFlaherty1
Blog: http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/

Jan Scarbrough

A technical writer by day, Jan Scarbrough is a romance writer by night. She's the author of the popular Bluegrass Reunion series, writing heartwarming contemporary romances about home and family, single moms and children, and if the plot allows, about another passion—horses. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town Southern charm to her books and the excitement of a horse race or a big-time, competitive horse show.

Jan's latest release is Brody: The Long Road Home (The Montana McKennas). Look for Jan on SlingWords May 29 where we'll shine a Thursday3Some spotlight on her new book.

Find Jan Online

Website: http://www.janscarbrough.com/
Blog: http://www.janscarbrough.com/blog/
G+: https://plus.google.com/+JanScarbrough/posts
Twitter: @romancerider

Kelly Rae

Kelly Rae writes Contemporary Romance novels that she hopes will touch people and make them want to fall in love for the first time or all over again. She is currently working on a series, the Wedding Novella Series, with a novella out each month this summer. The first of which is titled, Once Upon a Wedding, and will be available June 9th as part of the Weddings on Main Street Anthology, and on July 1st, as a single novella.

Kelly's latest release is What if...this Christmas.

Find Kelly Online

Website/Blog: https://jobellbooks.wordpress.com/

Questions From Inquiring Minds

What am I working on?

I just completed April Fool Bride which will be part of the Weddings on Main Street Anthology to be released June 9.

This week I'll start the process of finishing Cinderella Blue, the long-awaited sequel to Nobody's Cinderella. I do apologize to all my readers who have been asking if I'm "ever going to publish the sequel." The answer is yes. By the end of June I hope. (Real life has been particularly vicious the last 2 years. Just when 1 of the storms of life ends, another has come rolling in.)

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I try to write the kind of story that leaves the reader with a smile and a sense of optimism because life is hard, and laughter and hope get us through the difficult times. I always say reading a compelling story is like a little vacation between the covers of a book. I truly believe my motto: "It's never too late to live happily ever after." That's the underlying premise of all my books.

Why do I write what I do?

I could try to come up with some profound answer, but the truth its, I write this way because that's what comes out of me.

How does my writing process work?

Pardon me while I laugh hysterically. This is a long answer. I've had back issues for a number of years, probably created by spending hours on end in front of a computer. I never took enough breaks. Never did enough stretching, and pretty much abused my body until I reached the point that reaching for a mouse creates major pain in arms, shoulders, and neck. The result? Chronic muscle spasms like river rocks in said arms, shoulders, neck, and back. Not fun.

Once upon a time, I would sit down with a basic story outline and notes. I could "see" the entire scope of the book in my head, and I would just start writing. Eight hours? Ten hours? Longer? No problem.

Not any more. Now I hit the office only after having done 20-30 minutes of yoga stretches and a 2 mile walk. I set a timer downstairs so that the alarm goes off and continues to beep, forcing me to leave the computer, go downstairs and turn it off. Then I do 10 minutes of stretches before returning to the computer for another hour.

Consequently, I now must outline in greater detail, make more character notes, timelines, and even storyboard the plot so that I can get back on task faster lest the constant interruptions cause me to lose focus.

Oh, what keeps me from staying downstairs is that before I leave my desk, I set an alarm up here that is so annoying, it must also be turned off.

I guess all of that is now the reality of my writing process.

Takeaway Truth

Aren't friends wonderful? I don't know what I'd do without mine so please visit them on June 2 and show them a little love.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the invitation, Joan--see you next week!

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    1. Hey, Liz! I'm glad you joined in. Yes, I'll see you next week.

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  2. Thanks for including me in your friends blog tour, Joan. I look forward to my post on June 2nd and what is sure to be a beautiful summer with out mutual friends, The Authors of Main Street. All the best - Kelly Rae

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    1. My pleasure, Kelly. I'll visit you on June 2. Hopefully, the summer will have less rain. *g* Took me forever to get home from the Memorial weekend holiday. See you next Monday.

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    2. Joan, I'm on for next week! Thanks for thinking of me.

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