Heather Gray, author of Late for the Ball? and Mail Order Man is my guest host today. As I tackle the complexities of my YA series, The Teen Wytche Saga (Spell Check, and July release Spell Struck) I can identify with Heather's struggle to keep track of a growing cast of characters.
Welcome, Heather!
Writing: Different Stories for Different Day
What makes an author write so many different types of
stories? I can't speak for every writer
out there, but I can tell you a little bit about me.
I'm boring. I'm
ordinary. I live the same hum-drum life
every day. I never think outside the
box. NOT!
I don't want my life to be boring or ordinary. That doesn't mean I need worldwide fame. It just means I go out of my way to embrace
and celebrate everything that life gives me.
Even when those terribly impossibly difficult things come up, I still
look for something that I can grab onto and say, "I will be happy about
this one thing today!" I don't
always ace the test, but I try.
So how does that translate to writing?
Sometimes I'm a little melancholy, a touch serious. I'm contemplating the more difficult aspects
of life, the pain we each encounter. And
I'm moved to write something that honors that part of my life story.
Then there are days when I can't help but laugh. At everything. The absurd.
The ridiculous. Even the
monotonous. Those are the days I delve
into a romantic comedy. On a day when I
want to find humor all around me, what's better than writing characters who
make me laugh out loud?
Or suspense…Okay, I have to admit, I love to read suspense,
but I'm not very good at writing it.
There's a LOT of skill (in my humble opinion) that goes into writing an
edge-of-your-seat story, and I'm not there yet.
I'm still learning. I hope one
day to wake up in the mood for a magnificent mystery…and to be able to sit down
and write it myself!
The first book I wrote, Mail
Order Man, was a challenge. It's an
inspirational pioneer romance placed in Idaho Territory. After having lived there for nine years and
then moving to the east coast, I missed Idaho.
I've always enjoyed historical books, so I thought that would be a great
place to start. By the time I finished
the book, I met other characters who simply had to have their own stories told,
and so a series was born! The second
book, Just Dessert, will be out later
this year.
One of the biggest challenges I've faced in writing a series
is keeping my characters straight. I
have to keep a master list of every character I mention – what they look like,
who they're affiliated with, what they do for a living and more. I've started work on the third book in the
series, and it's bind-boggling! I
accidentally gave someone red hair who I'd previously mentioned as being
blonde, and one minor character ended up with a different husband in this book
because I got her husband's name mixed up.
Good thing I have that list to check everything against! Maybe not every reader will sit there and
compare each book against the others…but I want to keep my characters straight.
While keeping those minor characters straight is sometimes
tricky in a series, there are also some aspects of it that are so fun! Have you ever read a book and fallen in love
with a small character that you felt didn't get their due? I have!
When working on a series, I get to take each of those minor characters
and further develop them as the series goes on, even allowing some of those
people to get books of their very own.
It's rewarding, and I love it!
My second release, Late
for the Ball?, is a short story. I
had the most fun writing it. I was given
a prompt, and I just started clicking away at the keyboard. Of course, once I completed the story, I had
to go back and layer in different aspects.
Pesky little things like motivation, character growth, intrigue, and the
occasional adjective. I was able to
develop this story in a unique way that I've not yet been able to do on a larger
scale. I learned something magnificent,
though – I am capable – and I can't
wait to do it again!
Thank you for stopping by and allowing me to be a part of
your day—it's an honor I don't take lightly!
Author Bio:
Back Cover Blurb:
Fulfilling one's destiny has never
been so…compelling.
Myra
is cast aside by her parents, betrothed to a man she's never met, and forced
into a life she never wanted. In the midst of it all, she finds herself
strangely drawn into something she doesn't entirely understand.
The
earl is mocking, demanding and entirely unwilling to break the betrothal. He speaks in riddles, but by night's end, one
thing is clear: He is not who he seems.
Follow
Myra into a world of intrigue and hidden meaning. Will she unravel the mystery
before time runs out?
Excerpt:
As she reached the top of the ostentatious entrance,
the Ateliers' butler announced her to the throng. "Lady Myra
Sedulous." His voice rang out across the ballroom as she entered. Her name
wasn't generally important enough to warrant a deluge of attention. However,
being late as she was, more than the normal one or two heads twisted in her
direction. Not accustomed to this amount of notice, she made her way over to
the refreshments. Myra moved swiftly to avoid conversation but kept her pace
unhurried. She effortlessly carried off the look of graceful purpose so many
debutantes strived for but failed to capture.
Myra was reaching for a glass of lemonade when a voice stilled her.
Myra was reaching for a glass of lemonade when a voice stilled her.
"You must be my betrothed." The words had
the slightest accent. Myra tried but could not identify it.
Greek, perchance? If a man could sound both immovable
and fluid at the same time, this man did. His voice was warm like a rich cup of
chocolate yet chilly as the deepest days of winter. A thought flitted through
her mind. Devour the chocolate or swear
it off for life?
Myra turned to look at the man. Taller than any other
at the ball, he was also broad-shouldered and fearsome in appearance. His hair
was indeed darker than night. A deep olive color, his skin invited her to reach
out and touch it. A shadow of growth covered his jaw, showing his utter
disregard for the opinions of others. Determined to smile, she shifted her
attention to his eyes and instead felt the corners of her mouth droop as their
inky depths burned into her, making her feel transparent and bare. "And
you are?" she asked, her voice quivering despite her best efforts to keep
it steady.
The man had the gall to throw his head back and laugh.
This was not, however, the laugh of a man meeting his betrothed for the first
time. It sounded to Myra like the feral cry of a predatory animal. Surely prey
about to be devoured could feel no less cornered than she did in that moment.
"Why, I am the Earl of Allegory, of course. And you, my dear, are all
mine."
Author Bio:
Aside
from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life
are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing. Years ago, she decided it would be better to
laugh than yell. Heather carries that
theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that
experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to
love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.
Buy Links:
Available
in all electronic formats (for Kindle, Nook & other e-readers) for only 50¢
from Astraea Press. http://astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=662245&id=24651949
Where to Find Me:
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