When Inspiration Strikes #IWSG #writing #writinginspiration #storyideas

    

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

Inspiration comes from several sources. For me, I get a lot of inspiration from the dreams I have at night while I'm sleeping. Since I was a child, I've always had vivid dreams. My mother once suggested that I write my dreams into a notebook, and maybe one day I could make stories from them. I followed her advice. I've been keeping a dream journal since I was a teenager. It has become a source of many of my story ideas. For these, the dreams are so strong, the images so striking, that the dream haunts me for days afterward. Not in a bad way. But one that compels me to write it down and craft a story from it.

My paranormal romance, Into the Dark, was inspired by a dream I'd had about a woman captured by witches and thrown into a dark hole in the ground. She was not alone. Someone was with her. A man with shaggy brown hair and a long face. His clothes were badly torn and dirty. Not only dirt stained his clothes but also something that looked like blood.

From that dream, a 90,000-word story developed and is now available on Kindle Vella.

Another story I created from a dream was Loving Boone. This dream didn't play out as a story in my head like Into the Dark. Instead, it felt more symbolic. In my dream, my family was being attacked by a dozen or more large cats. It was scary. Then one of the cats morphed into a young man and begged us to stop fighting his family. From that image, the young shifter in my dream became Boone Evans. The idea of two families at war with each other unfolded, and soon I had developed a paranormal romance with cougar shifters.

Sometimes I'm inspired by listening to a piece of music that sparks an idea. Or perhaps an emotional scene from a movie. I once overheard a couple at the mall arguing with each other which created an idea for a line of dialogue in a story. 

Then there are times when inspiration strikes at the oddest moments. The idea for The Pirate's Lady hit me while I was driving to work one sunny day. For whatever reason, I had an image of a man and a woman sword-fighting on a beach at night pop into my head while I was driving along the highway. I was curious and kept playing the what if game until a story emerged. I couldn't get that image out of my head until I finished writing the story.

When all else fails, what truly inspires me is my desire to simply write stories. I love writing! I've been writing since I was a child. I'll never stop. Stories fascinate me! Intriguing characters, fantastic settings, spellbinding plots. I feel like this is what I'm meant to do in this life. So, that's what I'm doing. :) 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal, sci-fi and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Looking for a little escape? Check out these stories!

Author Envy or Inspiration #IWSG #writing #writinginspiration

  

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Have you ever read a line in a novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?

Of course, I have! There are so many books I've read where I think, "That's it. I'll never write as beautifully as that. That was amazing!" 

Surprisingly, instead of discouraging me to write my own books, these authors inspire me. The better the book, the more I feel the need to write, too. Not that I want to compete. Not that. And I don't feel exactly envious. That's too negative. I admire them. I want to be like them. I want my books to be on the same shelves as those outstanding authors.

When I started my writing journey, whenever I visited a bookstore, I would check the area where my books would be located, imagining one day being published and selling my books in brick-and-mortar stores. I'd trace my finger along the shelves, searching for where my name would fall alphabetically. When I'd find it, I'd wiggle open a small space between the books where mine should be. Then I'd check to see how close I was to my favorite authors.

A few books away? Right next to mine? Maybe a shelf under or above?

It was a game I'd played, and I've heard other authors played this game, too. It must be a writer thing. :)

But it was because of the words these authors wrote, the clever plot twists and the amazing characters they created, the stories they wrote that made me want to be an author, too.

I've read so many authors that have impressed me with their writing talent, but here are a few that come to mind immediately when it comes to particularly outstanding lines.

Georgette Heyer was incredibly talented at capturing the language of the Regency era. Her books truly pull readers into that world, so much they can lose themselves in her almost poetic writing. I'm always in awe of her character's wit, humor and perfectly turned phrases.

Maggie Shayne is another one that amazes me with her storytelling abilities. Her creativity, plot twists, and characters have made her one of my favorite authors. One that is on my auto-buy list!

And Julia Quinn. I've been raving about The Bridgertons since I first read an ARC of Romancing Mr. Bridgerton during my days working at Waldenbooks. I'm ecstatic that her stories have made it onto Netflix! A dream come true for any author! And now so many more people are enjoying her stories. Her writing style flows so smoothly, and there were several moments while reading her books when I found myself emotionally teary-eyed because of her writing.

 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal, sci-fi and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Looking for a little escape? Check out these stories!

Dark Shadows #25daysofbooks

This year I’m counting down the days ‘til Christmas with books and other fun things readers enjoy! I love the Holiday Season so I’m sharing ideas for you to fill your holiday stocking!

Yesterday, I shared the first chapter of my newest novel, The Witch's Kiss. Today, I'm looking at some of the inspiration for my writing: the television show Dark Shadows. It was one of my favorites as a child and continues to intrigue me even as an adult.

Dark Shadows was a gothic soap opera about the Collins family which included the mysterious Cousin Barnabas who we learn is a vampire! The show was filled with all things supernatural. Ghosts, werewolves, witches and warlocks. There was also time travel! It kept me glued with all the dramatic plot twists and story lines and interesting characters. The show has garnered a cult following which continues to this day! And I'm fan, too! *waving my hand*

Not only are the episodes available on a Deluxe Edition set of DVDs, there are also books!

I was lucky enough to get the ENTIRE DVD collection as a Christmas gift from my husband last year. Look at that set! Complete with coffin-style case! My husband so loves me! And now I'm able to watch my favorite episodes any time I want. Not only that, now I'm sharing my favorite show with my children who are becoming a new generation of Dark Shadows fans!

Maybe this year I'll find some DS novels in my stocking? Hint, hint, Marc! :)

Angelique’s Descent by Lara Parker 

 
Dark Shadows’s two most popular characters, Barnabas Collins and Angelique, were eternally bound by love and hate. Now actress Lara Parker, Angelique herself, tells the story of how it all began.

The dashing heir of a New England shipping magnate, Barnabas Collins captures the heart of the exquisite, young Angelique amidst the sensual beauty of Martinique, her island home. But Angelique’s brief happiness is doomed when Barnabas deserts her and becomes engaged to another. With this one betrayal, Barnabas unleashes an evil that will torment him for all time.

For Angelique is no ordinary woman. Raised in the mysterious black art of voodoo witchcraft, she long ago pledged her soul to darkness and became immortal. Vowing to destroy Barnabas, a vengeful Angelique damns him to eternal life as a vampire—a companion to accompany her forever. Little does Angelique understand the depth of Barnabas’s fury....

 

The Salem Branch by Lara Parker

In Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch Barnabas Collins, the vampire hero of the series, has recently become a human again through the efforts of his devoted descendent Dr. Julia Hoffman and is living in current day Collinsport, Maine trying to adjust to normal life. Although engaged to marry Dr. Hoffman, he falls in love with a mysterious woman named Antoinette who has bought the ruins of "the old house" on the Collins estate and is restoring it while living with a band of hippies in the woods. Antoinette settled in the area because her daughter is being treated in a nearby mental hospital. Her daughter suffers from flashbacks to her previous incarnation as Miranda du Val who was burned as a witch in the Salem witch trials. One of the judges who condemned her to death was a Collins--Barnabas's ancestor. Barnabas is desperate to win Antoinette's love and to protect her and her daughter from the new vampire that he suspects is attacking the inhabitants of Collinsport.

Wolf Moon Rising by Lara Parker

When a portrait is lost that has maintained Quentin Collins's youthful appearance for over a century—and has also kept his werewolf curse at bay—Quentin begins to dread the full moon.

Meanwhile, David, the sixteen-year-old heir to the Collins fortune, has fallen in love with Jacqueline, a young girl living at the Old House who is the reincarnation of Angelique. David and Jacqueline are swept back in time to the prohibition era of the Twenties, where David uncovers the dark secrets of the Collins family history.

Most threatening of all, Dr. Nathanial Blair, an expert in the paranormal, has come to Collinwood because he suspects they are harboring a vampire. Fortunately, Barnabas Collins has returned to his coffin after a disastrous flirtation with life as a human. Nevertheless, what Blair discovers places the entire Collins family in jeopardy.

Happy Holidays!

~Tricia