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Monday, April 3, 2017

THE STORY BEGINS WITH "WHAT IF"?



What keeps a writer writing? Not the promise of riches, because most writers don’t reap the royalties that Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, and others do. Those authors are the exception. For writers in my situation, I write because I can’t help myself. ☺ I have so many stories I am compelled to share. When a reader buys my book, that’s a bonus.

Receiving an email from a reader who enjoyed one of my books is like a drink of cool water after struggling through desert heat. If that reader also leaves a good review on Amazon or Goodreads, I am especially thrilled.

An acquaintance announced that when she was a certain age, she would retire from writing. She is past that age now and writing as much as ever. You see, writing is like an addiction and there is no 12-Step Program to help us.


Do artists see possible paintings wherever they go? Do sculptors see a design in every cliff or stone? I can only speak for writers. Yes, we see a story in everything.

When I’m riding in a car and see an old house that’s been deserted, my imagination is ignited. Who built that home? What happened to the family that the building has been deserted? My mind creates stories of the residents.




Every news story and conversation is fodder for my imagination. I think “but what if” to create a new ending or more beautiful journey.  In fact, a lot of my stories start with “what if”.

There are heroes and heroines rumbling around in the creative portion of my mind who are eager to have their stories told. I suppose being a writer is a form of insanity. We hear voices and see people no one else can—at least not until we commit them to paper or e-book.


Creativity has many forms. Writing stories is the one that has chosen me. 






My latest stories are BRIDE'S ADVENTURE for Debra Holland's Montana Sky Series Kindle World. If you read MURDOCH'S BRIDE, you'll remember young widow Amelia Douglas. She's the heroine of BRIDE'S ADVENTURE. This is available for $1.99 http://a.co/7GoiVFD

GRANT ME THE MOON is a contemporary western romance that was in the anthology COME LOVE A COWBOY but is now available as a single title. I'm warning you in case you  purchased that anthology so you won't buy a book you've already read. Currently, it is $2.99 but on April 10th, it will go on special for 99 cents for three weeks. After that time, it will be $2.99. The next in that series, CAPTURE A STAR, will be released in late May. GRANT ME THE MOON is available at  http://a.co/geC7w79

5 comments:

  1. Enjoyed your post very much--especially your comparison: "Receiving an email from a reader who enjoyed one of my books is like a drink of cool water after struggling through desert heat." So true!!

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  2. Caroline, Everything you said is so true! I would write whether anyone was buying my books or not, but that they do and I hear from one now and then that they enjoyed the story, that is "like a drink of cool water after struggling through desert heat." Excellent post! And I do see stories every where I look. So many in my head so little time!

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  3. I'm glad I'm not the only one who hears voices and sees people where none exist! Abandoned cabins and old barns speak to me, too, and make me wonder about their history. "What if" is a great place to start a story.

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  4. Those darned stories just keep noodling at us, don't they? I'm really glad you keep thinking of new stories because I enjoy reading your books so much!

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  5. I do the same thing.. everything has a story!

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