I’m taking a brief break from writing about heroes and heroines to join blog tour started by Laurel Odonnell. It’s all about the writing process. You can visit Laurel’s site at www.laurel-odonnell.com
As part of the blog tour, I’m to answer four questions. Here they are:
1) What am I working on?
I am currently editing the final copy of DANGER CLOSE, my upcoming August release and the first book in my Echo Platoon series, which is loosely related to my Navy SEAL Team Twelve series. Everyone loves those Navy SEALs, so I’ve got a new line up of hunky heroes coming your way!
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Thanks to Suzanne Brockmann who started a trend, Navy SEAL books are hugely popular these days. So what sets my books apart from all those other stories? I’d say realism and just the right blend of romance and action. Being the wife of a retired Navy veteran, with lots of contact in the Spec Ops community, I know what military life is like. My stories are realistic and heartfelt. I havee heard from many of my fans that my books are keepers. Read my latest release, CODE OF SILENCE, and find out for yourself.
3) Why do I write what I do?
Well, I love a man in uniform; I’ve been around them all my life, so I know how alpha males talk and what motivates them. I have written medieval romance and inspirational romance, but military romance is definitely the best fit for me. I can’t get enough of that male camaraderie that exists among a band of brothers.
4) How does your writing process work?
Stories are like seeds that start out small and grow and flourish, taking on a life of their own. I like to let a story idea percolate in my head before I begin to write. I need to know the true essence of both the hero and the heroine—what motivates them; what tragedies they have lived through; and which Myers-Briggs personality type they have. I pair up couples very intentionally. While I try to plot out my stories in advance, that never works. The characters take over and all too soon I’m writing by the seat of my pants! It takes me four to nine months to finish a story, depending on how complicated the plot is and how clearly the characters talk to me.
Next week, (May 19th) you get to visit three more Navy SEAL authors to compare their writing process to mine. They are:
Sharon Hamilton—http://www.authorsharonhamilton.com NYT and USA/Today and Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series have earned her Amazon author rankings of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love.
JM Madden—http://www.jmmadden.com USA Today Bestselling author J.M. Madden writes compelling romances between ‘combat modified’ military men and the women who love them. An eternal optimist, she believes there is a soulmate for everyone, no matter what the situation or physical challenge. She’s written 15 romances in the past three years and has plans for many more.
Gennita Low—http://www.gennita-low.comGennita Low writes sexy military and techno spy-fi romance. She also co-owns a roof construction business and knows 600 ways to kill with roofing tools as well as yell at her workers in five languages. A three-time Golden Heart finalist, her first book, Into Danger, about a SEAL out-of-water, won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Romantic Intrigue