#RomanceInAMonth Author Interview P. C. Zick and Behind the Altar #contemporary #romance #writer

P. C. Zick has a been a writer all her life and has written books in many genres including eco-journalism, gardening, memoirs and family sagas. Her latest foray is into the world of romance and she has an exciting series planned. I'm happy to interview her and get her thoughts on writing romances as part of the Romance In A Month class.

Behind the Altar Description:

Leah Bryant’s life satisfies all her needs. Her engagement to Jacob Davis, minister of the Sunshine Christian Church, gives her the security she requires after living in a car during her teenage years. She runs a food kitchen out of the church for homeless vets who are living on the banks of Deer River. All is perfect until the day her future mother-in-law Geraldine tells her the church is shutting down the kitchen, and Dean—Jacob’s brother—rides his Harley into her heart.

Leah’s world begins to crumble as she falls into Dean’s muscular and tattooed arms. Dean, who’s been away from his home for ten years, finds himself irresistibly drawn in by Leah’s natural beauty and genuine goodness. As they fight to stay away from one another, Leah and Dean keep finding ways to be together. The more they fight the attraction, the harder it is to stay apart.

Will Leah go ahead and marry Jacob despite Dean’s haunting her every thought? Will Dean exact the revenge he came home to hand out? And will Geraldine manage to keep control over the church, Jacob, and Leah? It will all be determined in Behind the Altar, a romantic story of forbidden love.

Behind the Altar is available for Pre-Order from Amazon: [Click Here]

1. Tell us about your writing. What types of stories do you like to write?

I enjoy writing stories set in Florida with messages about living in balance with nature. I always include a little bit of romance and some intrigue. Now that I’ve completed my first romance, I’m hooked on that genre.

2. What stimulates you to write? How do you motivate yourself on days you don’t feel like writing?

I am motivated by this incessant need to tell stories. On the days, I need more motivation to sit down at the keyboard, I try to do other tasks to get me moving. I might change my location. Sometimes, I’ll work on marketing tasks.

3. Before Romance in a Month, how involved were you with other authors? How long did it take you to write a first draft?

I belong to several online writing groups, and I participate in a moderate way. Romance in a Month was a good way to see that other authors go through the same type of angst and joy at this creative endeavor. It took me a little over thirty days to have a complete draft. Endings are always difficult for me so in a month I had everything but the final chapter.

4. What made you sign up for Romance in a Month? What did you learn and enjoy the most about the class?

I seek challenges in my writing. Each of my novels are a bit different so I thought this might be a good stretch for me. I also respect you, Rachelle, and your work ethic. I loved the motivation to write something every single day.

5. Tell us about the story you wrote for the class. Was it something you would never have written without the class? What about the class made your story different from how you would usually write.

The story is shorter and less complex than what I usually write. I wanted to focus solely on the basic plot devices and this allowed me to do that. I’ve wanted to write a romance but I didn’t know the structure, which this class provided.

6. What do you do differently now that you’ve written a story with the class?

I’m thinking about sequels. That’s something I never did before.

7. What was something you liked most about the class?

I really enjoyed reading the stories others were creating as they were in the process.

Thanks for doing the interview and I hope we’ll meet many more classmates for the September 1-Oct 15 class. Be sure to check out P.C. Zick's Amazon Author Page for more of her writing.

Special Announcement. It's NOT too late.
From Sept 1 to Oct 15, 2014, we're opening up the Romance In A Month group. There is no cost for the class. If you're interested in writing along with a group of friendly, fun, and slightly crazy romance authors, please contact me (Rachelle) at my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RachelleAyalaWriter.

The Romance In A Month textbook is available now on Amazon. It contains all of the lessons and slides [in bullet form], as well as resources for brainstorming, and a reading list. I hope you'll join us and share our adventure in writing a Romance In a Month [and every month after that].

Watch my blog for more author interviews and exciting news from the RomanceInAMonth authors or RIAMers - because writing romances is addictive.

#NewRelease SHIMMER by Elena Dillon

Shimmer (Breathe #2) by Elena Dillon

RELEASE DAY BLITZ

YA Romantic Suspense

Book 2 in the Breathe Series:

Chandler Raines and her “dad” are on the run. Never staying in one place for very long. It’s just not safe. When they arrive in Lafayette, Louisiana, Chandler quickly realizes this is the place she wants to call home. Friends, a cute boy, and competitive cheerleading have her taking dangerous risks to have the life she always wanted. Risks she promised she wouldn’t take.

When her lies catch up to her, a decision has to be made. Stay or run? Will the evil that’s chased them for the last four years catch up to them? When Chandler’s past comes screeching into the present she’ll have to sacrifice everything to keep what she loves safe. But will it be enough?

Buy it on Amazon: http://bit.ly/ShimmerAmazon

~*~About the Author~*~

Elena lives and writes in a suburb North of Los Angeles.  She has never lived anywhere besides California which is probably a good thing since she hates being cold and is terrified to drive in the snow. She loves being a wife and a mother to her three kids and three dogs, although really the bulldog is the fourth child who has never matured beyond the toddler stage.

A self-proclaimed nerd, she has been writing since she was a child. She has only recently, however, come out of the closet about this to her family and friends.  They now understand better, but not completely, why she talks about characters in stories as if they are real people.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#RomanceInAMonth Author Interview Jade Kerrion and AROUSED #contemporary #romance #writer

Jade Kerrion has written Science Fiction and Young Adult novels. She joined Romance In A Month and wrote Aroused in two weeks and will be writing the next book in her series, Betrayed, along with the September 2014 class. Here's Jade to tell us about her writing.

Book Description:

Recently divorced, Dr. Vera Rios is too busy navigating the potholes of single parenthood to look for Mr. Right, but along comes a man who cherishes her, adores her daughter, and helps her find her sexy groove. The only problem: Mr. Perfect is an escort.

Rowan Forrester conceals many other secrets, one of which threatens the happiness he finds with Vera. Can love find a way or will Vera have to choose between her beloved daughter and the man of her dreams?

Jade Kerrion defied (or leveraged, depending on your point of view) her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Philosophy, as well as her MBA, to launch her second (and concurrent) career as an award-winning, occasionally best-selling science fiction, fantasy, and romance author. 

Her debut novel, Perfection Unleashed, won six literary awards and launched the Double Helix series, which should be read in order for maximum enjoyment. (Hang in there for the happy ending…) She is a member of the Attic Girls critique group, a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association, and the Regional Director for Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

1. Tell us about your writing. What types of stories do you like to write?

I like to write stories about compelling and complex characters faced with situations that demand courage, strength, and grace under pressure. I try to make my characters relatable and inspirational. 

The genre varies. I started out in science fiction and fantasy based in contemporary settings, and have just ventured into romance.

2. What stimulates you to write? How do you motivate yourself on days you don’t feel like writing?

I have characters in my head nagging at me to tell their story. Often, the story plays out like a movie in my mind and won’t go away until it’s down on paper (or rather my computer screen.) I write every day, be it on a first draft or a revision. And on days when I don’t feel like writing, I have something called a deadline. I’m a firm believer in setting stretch goals.

3. Before Romance in a Month, how involved were you with other authors? How long did it take you to write a first draft?

Before Romance in a Month, I interacted with other authors on socially, e.g., blog tours, Facebook posts, etc. I’m also a member of several writers critique groups. It usually takes me a two to three months to get to a first draft for a 70-90K word novel, assuming I’m working on just one story at a time and don’t get sidetracked. That works out to ~500 to ~1,000 words a day.

4. What made you sign up for Romance in a Month? What did you learn and enjoy the most about the class?

I’d never written a one-plot romance before, although I had incorporated romance into my other novels. I didn’t actually join the class, per se. I joined the group late and instead reviewed the slides for the class. I also read several books on how to write romances, and then I jumped in. The aspect of the class/group that helped the most was seeing how much progress other authors were making on their novels. There’s nothing like peer pressure and a deadline to get you going.

5. Tell us about the story you wrote for the class. Was it something you would never have written without the class? What about the class made your story different from how you would usually write.

My novel, Aroused, is about a recently divorced doctor who meets the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, he’s an escort. Without the class, I think I would have landed up with a much more complicated, multi-plot story that may not necessarily have worked as well as a pure romance novel. (My science fiction and fantasy background has given me an ability to complicate even the simplest plot, just as a matter of pride and philosophy.) However, the class kept the focus on the romance—how does the couple get together—as opposed to how do they defy death, save the galaxy, explore the universe, and destroy the evil empire while falling in love.

6. What do you do differently now that you’ve written a story with the class?

In this class, I tried something new. I worked with a detailed plot. Typically, I have an end goal and I meander in the approximate direction. However, to finish a novel within a month requires more planning and I decided to plot each scene (who’s the point of view character, where does it take place, what is the goal of the scene, what happens in the scene.) I spent about 2 days developing a detailed plot (my plot word count actually hit about 3,000 words) and then started writing. I landed up with a 37K novel in two weeks, and the story it tells feels solid and complete. I don’t think I could have accomplished it without a plot, and I certain intend to keep plotting my romance novels.

7. What was something you liked most about the class?

The supportive atmosphere. Rachelle Ayala is the most upbeat cheerleader you could wish for and the other authors in the class—some new, some experienced—are incredibly engaged. They’re a great bunch of people, and exactly the kind of company any author could wish for as we embark on our next romance novel together.

Thank you Jade. You're also an enthusiastic friend and fellow author and I appreciate all of your sharing and support both here and on your blog. Can't wait to see what happens in your next book.

From Sept 1 to Oct 15, 2014, we're opening up the Romance In A Month group. There is no cost for the class. If you're interested in writing along with a group of friendly, fun, and slightly crazy romance authors, please contact me (Rachelle) at my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RachelleAyalaWriter.

The Romance In A Month textbook is available now on Amazon. It contains all of the lessons and slides [in bullet form], as well as resources for brainstorming, and a reading list. I hope you'll join us and share our adventure in writing a Romance In a Month [and every month after that].

Watch my blog for more author interviews and exciting news from the RomanceInAMonth authors or RIAMers - because writing romances is addictive.