What Captive Taught Me

This whole writing journey started for me with a song and an idea to explore what it would be like to be a rock star and also finding love. At the start of my writing career, I had no idea about HOW to actually write. I mean, sure, you can sit down to your computer and just start typing, and a lot of authors make that work for them.

I am not one of those people.

When I wrote Zen, I wrote and re-wrote it three times before I finally published it, and even then, I did a massive re-write last summer because I hadn’t done any series planning and the way the other stories unfolded, and the way the characters came out, didn’t fit in with the way I’d originally written them.

Now that I’m on my 8th book (EEK!), I’ve got a whole lot more confidence in what I’m doing and how to do it. Captive, though, it’s the first book in a brand new series and before I started writing it, I decided to sit down for a sec and decide if there were things about the way I wrote the Shadow Phoenix series I wanted to change going into this one.

For example, I wrote all the books in SP in first person past tense. There are a lot of combinations for how to write a book, but when I was writing the first seven, I found myself jumping a lot between past and present tense and then having to go back and correct my mess ups. So, while it was outside of my comfort zone and a little scary, I decided the Hollywood Guardians series was going to be written in first person present tense.

It might seem like a subtle change, and you may not even notice the difference when you read it, but writing it has been really different for me and I’ve gotta say I think I like it. I’m not sure if I’ll stick with it going forward or in future projects or not, but for this series it’s fun to push the limits on what I’m capable of.

Another thing I’ve learned writing this book is that I always knew I was a planner. I’m a plotter through and through and while every other book before this has had varying levels of plotting, Captive took it to a whole new level.

My process in the past has gone something like this:

• Get an idea for a book.

• Write down any other bits (conflict, characters, a specific trope) that are clear.

• Make an outline with vague things I want to happen (like “couple goes to lunch”).

• Break outline into chapters.

• Start writing.

While that’s at least something, the past three books I’ve written (from Jericho up to Harrison), I’ve had to spend a massive amount of time (and STRESS. Omfg, the stress) stopping somewhere in the middle of the book and re-plotting the second half because the story had gone off the rails. My outlines weren’t tight enough to keep the story on track, so things happened that I didn’t plan for and then the rest of the story wouldn’t make sense.

This time around, in an effort to streamline my writing process (because I’d really like to get my book out faster which means writing more every day), I decided to spend a solid three days before I ever wrote a word plotting all the tiny details of every scene. The places they go to eat (restaurant name), who they’re talking to, what they’re talking about, who’s interacting with who. All sorts of the nitty gritty details so I wouldn’t have to go do a ton of research in the middle of writing.

It was a lot of up front effort, but soooo worth it because my story has stayed perfectly on track this entire book. There’s been no re-plotting (well, aside from one tiny scene where Ronin needed to make an appearance that I hadn’t planned for, but it was no biggie to add it in to the existing story with zero extra plotting or accommodating) and I’m right where I should be.

Even after taking that mental health break right in the middle of writing this one where I didn’t write a word for about there weeks, I’m still right on schedule. Having everything plotted out for me ahead of time means that I’ve been able to write 52,000 words in the last 13 days to make sure Captive gets to you all as scheduled.

So, that’s a bit about my process in case you were curious, and I’m really excited to see how fast I can write Chased (Montana x Ronin’s story) using the same method.

My Creative Brain

Heeyyyy, lovely reader! The first book in my all-new Hollywood Guardians series, Captive (Connor's story) is still underway and on top of that, I've been working on something top secret, too... But right now I want to do something I'm not great at and let y'all in a bit.

See, I have crippling anxiety--the agoraphobia kind where it's hard for me to leave my house without a massive panic attack. Even going somewhere a mile down the road can be hard.

So, I've been quiet lately because I've been working on my mental health and my anxious (but super creative, so yay!) brain has a hard time balancing all the things you're "supposed" to do as an author.

Things like blog, post to Instagram, keep up with your group or your Facebook page. I'd even like to do TikTok... but just remembering and having the energy to write every day on top of all my anxiety program things (like journaling, meditating, yoga, breathing exercises and a whole host of other cognitive behavioral things I'm working on) is a big ask.

So, I will keep trying. I'll be kind and gentle with myself knowing that I'm doing my absolute best, and I hope that this is a reminder for you, too, to cut yourself some slack. We all tend to be so hard on ourselves, but at the end of the day we do the best we can and keep working toward being better.

I don't like to talk about my anxiety issues, but I figure if I can make even one person feel like they're not alone, I'm happy to do it.

Alllllll that being said... I'm so grateful for every single one of you here who's given my stories a chance and said kind words or gotten excited about something I've written. I love you all and I want you to know you make such a difference in my life, so thank you!

When I'm Stuck

Typically when I write a book, I aim to get a chapter done every day. Now, there are plenty of times that it doesn’t happen or that I do more than one in a day (more often, it not happening is what’s going down rather than me writing more, but it does happen from time to time).

I also outline my books before I start writing them, which means I generally know where a chapter’s going to go before I start writing it. Problems crop up when the story goes off the rails of the outline or I realize that the word count isn’t on target.

(I always aim to write at least 100k words per book, and Griffin has been my shortest so far at 105k).

With Tempting Harrison, I realized that with the number of chapters I have planned out and the word count of each chapter being what it is, I was going to fall short of my 100k goal. Now the struggle is how do I beef up the story without using anything that feels like filler?

The past four days, I’d been stuck on a chapter I added in. I thought I knew where it was going, but once I had written out the things I had in mind, I was about a thousand words short of where I needed to be. I’d been going crazy wracking my brain trying to figure out what to do, when finally I brought it up with a fellow writer friend of mine, Cathleen. (If you’re looking for something to read while you wait for Harrison, go check out her debut novel, Heart of Steel).

She made a couple of suggestions that got me thinking in a whole different direction than I was and bam! Unsutck, just like that. This morning, I finished the chapter and moved onto the next and the book is back underway.

So, in short, being stuck sucks but having peeps to bounce ideas off of is the best way to get un-stuck in my opinion. Also, this book (Tempting Harrison) is honestly my favorite of the series, which has been such a happy surprise. I can’t wait for you to read it!

Bonus Content

I’ve been keeping a list of scenes and chapters and novella ideas that I can expand on from the Shadow Phoenix series book just for fun, but I’m torn on what to write first. There are so many possibilities. Here are some ideas I’ve had for scenes that would be fun to write and share with you. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see first.

Bonus Content Brainstorm:

• True & Amara: What happened during Zen and Kennedy’s wedding reception (bonus scene).

• Lucas: The equipment manager from the Wild Ride tour (Griffin’s book) get his chance at love (M/M novella).

• Lennon, Atticus & Oscar: Acid trip scene (bonus scene from Tempting Harrison—you haven’t met these characters yet, but trust me when I say this scene would be hilarious).

• Maddox, Ryan & Quinn: A reader requested a steamy scene between these three, so it’d be an expansion on the truth and dare scene in the book (bonus scene).

• Jericho & Moon: Dealing with new parenthood with their colicky, terror of a child (bonus scene).

• Lennon, Atticus & Violet: Again, characters you have yet to meet from Tempting Harrison, but I want these guys to find their HEA, and it’d be in a MMF/ménage novella (novella).

• Griffin & Magnolia: Wedding (bonus scene).

Welp, those are all the ideas on my list. How about you? Which one would you want to see written? Or do you have your own ideas of a bonus scene or novella you’d like to read from the Shadow Phoenix characters before we say goodbye to the series and move on to the Hollywood Guardians with Connor? Leave me a comment and let me know!

British Heroes

So, right before I started writing Tempting Harrison, I was seriously kicking myself because what the hell was I thinking making him British? What do I know about writing a character who’s not even from my own country?

I seriously almost scrapped the whole thing while also trying to kick my own ass for putting myself in this situation (it works, I’ve got long legs).

But then I took a deep breath and did what I do best—I jumped right into massive amounts of research. And by research, I mean reading books other people have written that have British heroes and making a list of term equivalencies so I can be sure to use the proper dialect when Harrison opens his pretty mouth to speak.

Part of my list, if you can read it. Sorry about my handwriting but… it is what it is.

Surprisingly, it hasn’t been going too bad. I’m actually enjoying the challenge of writing the stuffy, arrogant Harrison. All I’m hoping at this point is that I’m not completely butchering his accent. You’ll get to find out come February. Oh, did I mention I pushed up the release date by a month?

Yep! Harrison will be hitting your Kindle on February 22, a whole month early.

Want a little sneak peek? Keep reading…

Harrison

“He hasn’t spoken to me in almost two weeks,” I protested, but Moon wasn’t having it. I eyed the emails piling up in my inbox and sighed, refocusing on where she sat in one of the chairs on the other side of my desk.

“It’s my birthday, Harrison. The one day where the birthday girl gets whatever she wants, and what I want most is you at my birthday party.” Her smile was devious like she knew I couldn’t refuse her. I especially couldn’t now that her husband was pissed off at me. If I upset Moon on her birthday, I doubted anyone would ever find my body.

“Really? That’s what you want most?” I cocked an eyebrow at her, and her smile turned devious as she nodded.

“You wouldn’t dream of letting me down, right?”

“Of course not.” I pulled up my calendar. “What time?”

“Tonight at eight. I’ll text you the name of the club once I decide, so keep your phone close.” We both knew my phone was practically a fifth limb, and I never went anywhere without it nearby.  

I nodded my agreement, and she stood, brushing off her clothes as she turned to leave. “Oh, your presence tonight will be gift enough, so please don’t worry about anything else.” She waved with her fingers and left my office. Despite the heaps of teasing she threw my way, I actually quite liked Moon. It was hard not to; she was so damn kind.

And if going tonight could get Jericho back on my good side? Even better.

Taming Griffin's LIVE! Behind the Scenes Q&A

Phew, what a journey! Taming Griffin is now live on Amazon (READ) and it was probably the most challenging book I’ve written so far. Up until now, every heroine had a tiny bit of me in them that made them relatable in my mind. Something I could latch onto to understand where they were coming from. For Kennedy, it was her anxiety and panic attacks, Amara’s was her love of waffles, Ryan was being a tomboy, and Moon’s was her free spirit.

(If you asked my husband, I think he’d tell you that I like the idea of being a free spirit more than I actually am one, but we’re going to pretend that I’m the kind of person who dances barefoot in the rain and dresses up in costume to go bar hopping. I, decidedly, am not.).

Magnolia was the first heroine I’ve written that was nothing like me AT ALL.

So, let’s jump into some behind the scenes on this book and a peek at what’s coming next, shall we?

How’d you get the idea for Griffin’s character?

Originally when I envisioned the series, I hadn’t planned for Maddox to have a brother. Somewhere around the middle of writing his book, though, I knew his mom was going to come back into the picture and Maddox had always been pretty alone in his life. I wanted him to not only have his HEA, but to also get to have that brotherly bond for realsies (ya know, with blood). The problem was… where would Griffin fit in?

Would he be another spin off series waiting to happen? Would he be a side character that never had his story told? Neither of those felt right, and it hit me as I was finishing up Maddox’s story and starting to brainstorm Jericho’s (something I usually do in the middle or earlier of the book before it—so when I was writing Zen, almost as soon as I started the book I started working on True’s story), I knew I wanted Griffin to take over for him. It felt right knowing where Jericho was going and his feelings on the whole fame thing.

In all of this, what was important to Jericho was being with the guys not being on stage (even though he loved the music), so it made sense to have him step aside and Griffin to fill his (very, very huge) shoes.

Now, when I first pictured Griffin, I pictured him this young guy but also very artistic and with lots of ink on his body and piercings and stuff. I figured he’d be this badass cocky troublemaker, sort of like Maddox only different because it didn’t come from a place of pain but instead of youth and just being dumb and wanting to have fun.

Instead, when I started writing him, he came out super sweet and caring and really naive when it came to matters of the heart which makes for some moments of uncertainty that really give him this lovely vulnerability. People say True’s the sweetest guy in the band, but I think Griffin might take his crown.

Why was Magnolia Southern? Why’d you give her the history with domestic abuse you did?

I’ve always had this fascination with the South. I’ve lived there a few times and, like I’ve mentioned before, there’s something about a Southern woman that’s both feisty and strong but in equal measure with sweetness that is so appealing to me. I’d wanted to write a Southern heroine for a while, but the timing was never right with any of the others. Magnolia was the perfect compliment to Griffin’s story and so I got my wish to write her.

It had nothing to do with my past obsession with the show Hart of Dixie and a certain Lemon Breeland, I swear… lol

As for the domestic violence, it was weird because it was probably July of this past summer and I was plotting the book sitting by the pool and letting my mind wander on what Magnolia would be like. Almost right away, I saw her with an abusive ex but she needed to have gotten away from him and be working on moving on from that.

Personally, I don’t have experience with DV so I asked in some of my writer groups and tons of women responded with their own personal experiences, for which I could never thank them enough. Those experiences were what I used as inspiration for all the crap Winston pulls in this book. It’s a lot and it’s disturbing, and her experiences make it all the better when she gets her HEA.

What made you want to write the band on tour?

Up to this point, we’ve seen the guys taking off for their first tour in Shadow Phoenix, ending a tour in Finding Zen, going solo in Loving True, writing music together in Saving Maddox, and recording a new album in Playing Jericho. It really felt fitting for them to go on tour and us to follow along on all the stops and chaos that happens along the way.

The cities I picked for their stops were ones I either personally have visited and loved, have a history with the band, or places I thought would make for dynamic settings for scenes I planned to write (like when Magnolia and Griffin go on dates).

Tell me all the deets about Lucky.

Magnolia’s pup, Lucky, is an Australian Shepherd. I’ve never personally owned one, but growing up my cousins had one that was the sweetest dog. They have the most gorgeous blue eyes and the fluffiest fur, so when I was picking what kind of puppy to give our heroine, this one stood out above the rest.

What’s up next?

I’ve started working on Tempting Harrison next, which follows our British hero as he fights off his attraction to the MUCH younger (and very forbidden) Bellamy Frost. You’ve briefly met Bellamy in Jericho’s book, but she’ll be front and center as the heroine of Harrison’s book.

Harrison is the final book in the Shadow Phoenix series, and once that’s done, I’m moving on to the Hollywood Guardians series, which kicks off with Connor and follows his team as they find love and protect the elite’s dirty little secrets. I’ve already started series planning this one and doing some plot work and I’m really excited about what’s going to happen in it.

Watch this space for more details about this series and sneaks into the first book coming soon! Captive (Connor’s story) is set to release April 20, 2021!

So, there you have it! All the behind the scenes dirt on Griffin and Magnolia’s story. Leave me a comment when you read it and let me know your favorite part!

Get to Know: Magnolia

Taming Griffin is upon us (eek, just 13 more days!) and now seems like a great time to introduce you to Magnolia Dawson, Griffin’s other (better!) half.

Magnolia’s fresh out of college, so she’s young like Griffin, and she’s already had a pretty rocky life. This book explores some dark subjects like domestic abuse, but I wouldn’t call the book itself dark. It’s more a redemption, a story of a girl finding herself and her happily ever after despite the circumstances she’s been through.

I’ve wanted to write a southern heroine for quite a while now but it wasn’t right for any of the stories so far until this one. Right off the bat, I knew Magnolia had to be from the south. I’ve lived in Texas a few times and there’s something about that part of the US that’s a little more welcoming, a little sweeter, and a little more relaxed and slower-paced that I love so much. But women from the south? They’ll be sugar-sweet to you while cutting your legs out from underneath you with their words and there’s something about that I love so much, I needed Magnolia to have that quality. Unfortunately, it’s been buried pretty deep, so she’s going to have to work to bring it back out.

Magnolia’s from Georgia, so she’s got that southern sass and a twang to match. She was raised by her grandmother (Grammy!) but spent most of her childhood lonely and without a lot of friends. She was determined to go to college because of a promise she made to her grandma, and that’s where she met her ex, Winston.

He plays a big part in this story, and in order to get the feelings and situations correct, I talked to a lot of women who’d gone through what I imagined Magnolia had been through, too. Since she met him, Winston’s always been a shadow hanging over her life, so this book will explore that in detail.

Our pretty southern heroine is in full-on survival mode in this book when we first meet her, but slowly she starts to open up and her journey from when we meet her to the end of the book is amazing to watch unfold. I can’t wait for you to read it. Griffin’s really the best, sweetest guy ever (even more than True—shockingly), and he’s there with her every step of the way.

All Magnolia’s ever wanted was a place to call home and a family to love since those aren’t really something she’s ever had the chance to have. You’re going to have to wait to read to find out if she gets them, but just for fun, here’s a little sneak peek:

Magnolia

My heart beat wildly in my chest because standing up to people and confrontation were basically my biggest fears, but I had to get over it if I was going to run this tour like it deserved. I couldn’t let her see my fear. “I’ll do no such thing. You’re going to pack up your stuff and get off my bus. I wasn’t notified you’d be traveling with us, so we don’t have room for you or him.”

She narrowed her eyes even further and I took a step back. I flinched and the triumph that flashed in her eyes made me hate what I’d become even more than I already did. I hated cowering when someone acted aggressively toward me, but I couldn’t help it. It was instinctual now. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled at me, though it was more teeth than anything. “Make me,” she challenged, and then her smile widened as she looked over my shoulder.

Wait until you see who she was confronting… and who’s over her shoulder. Are you excited for Taming Griffin?

Sorry For the Delay

I know, I know. It’s been a hot minute since I wrote anything on this blog, but there’s a good reason—promise! I’ve been hard at work writing Griffin. This book… it’s testing me, y’all. I’ve had to do so much research to try and get everything just right.

The Shadow Phoenix crew is going on tour in Griffin’s book, and while it’s not a huge tour, I want you to feel like you’re experiencing some of the places they go right there along with Magnolia and Griffin (and, of course, some of the other guys and girls from the group).

So, I plan on getting back into more detailed blogs soon, just as soon as I finish writing this book. I’ve got less than three weeks to get everything done and the stress is legit kicking my ass.

I’m off to get this manuscript finished so I can get it into your hands… or devices. But in the meantime, read on for a little sneak peek of a silly and sweet moment between Griff and Mags.

Griffin

Magnolia raised her eyebrow at me and I laughed. “What? You know I’m from Texas.”

“Yeah, but you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who listens to a whole lot of country music,” she noted, letting her stunning blue gaze run over all my tattoos and piercings and my body heated under her scrutiny. Again.

“Well, ma’am, give me any country song from the nineties and I could probably sing along,” I drawled, letting the twang I’d worked hard to bury pop out in an over-exaggerated way and she giggled. It was a sound I hadn’t heard from her yet, but one that had everything inside me lighting up. 

Instead of continuing our banter, she turned on the stage and looked out into the empty auditorium, breathing in deeply. “Just think about all the people who’ve stood on this stage in the last ninety-five years,” she mused. “The music that’s been played and all the people in the audience who had a chance to come out and see the show, no matter what was going on in their lives. They all came together to enjoy something special. It’s really incredible when you think about it.”

I stepped up beside her and looked out into the rows of empty seats. The Grand Ole Opry was a place of musical legend, and just like Magnolia, I never thought I’d be standing on this stage. This was one of those places on every musician’s bucket list--no matter how famous or not famous you were. “What show do you wish you could’ve seen?”

My Latest Obsession: Halo (Fallen Angel Series)

I haven’t done a book rec in a while because, while I still read an ungodly amount, I’m not great about writing about it and it takes a lot for me to want to recommend something to you. I’m a decently picky reader and for a book or series to stand out for me, it has to be exceptional.

Now, that’s not to say I don’t read a lot of great books that I totally love. But I can count on one hand the number of books and/or series that I’d be willing to re-read (I’m not really a re-reader…at all). Enter: Halo.

Now, I’ve pretty much been reading nothing but reverse harem for a few months now, not only because I love them but also getting a feel for what styles I like and don’t in preparation for the series I’m going to write next. But, I like to take a break and occasionally read stories on the Choices and Chapters apps (they’re interactive story app platforms and pretty fun).

That was where I found Halo. Now, I should say upfront that this series is M/M. It has all the typical romance elements but with two male heroes instead of a male and female. But oh maaan. It’s scorching hot, sweet as can be, and filled with all the rockstar goodness you could want.

The first book is Halo and it centers around a guy who’s on his way to an audition to be the new lead singer for his favorite band after theirs quit on them. He blows them away and, well… you’ll have to read it to find out what happens next. When I say this book is both super hot and stunningly romantic at times, I really mean it.

The book does end on a cliffhanger, but the journey is beautiful and one of my favorites of all time. If you decide to give it a read, come back and leave me a comment letting me know what you think. Will this series be your first M/M series like it was mine?

Ready to jump in? READ HALO NOW

What Am I Thinking?

My mind was blown about two years ago when I discovered Lauren Landish and read a few of her books. They were so different than all the other romance novels I’d read in the past and I loved them so much. They were like a breath of fresh air.

And what made them different?

The couples never had that icky moment where they split up over a little misunderstanding or a lie or something one of them didn’t tell the other. That moment (the black moment) where a couple splits up only to be brought back together again never sat right with me.

Why?

Because it’s predictable. It’s something every book does, and I hate it. It’s why I rarely read contemporary romance anymore, because it’s predictable to me. As soon as I read her books (before I wrote my own), I vowed I would only write books like that—the kind that didn’t have the same kind of black moment as all the others.

That’s not to say that my books don’t have those moments. There always have to be stakes. There has to be that moment where you’re like, “Oh, shit. How are they going to deal with this?” I just prefer mine to come from outside forces.

Once my couple is a couple, they’re going to stay that way. It may take some time for them to get there, or it may happen quickly. It may be unconventional or a trope you’ve read a hundred times. But no matter how it happens, my couples are rock solid once they declare themselves together.

Us vs. The World.

That’s how I write my stories. I go in every time with that in mind above all else, and then I figure out how to make it work. Once I’m done with the SP series, I’m going to start working on the Elite Order series. It’ll be my first attempt at writing reverse harem and I am beyond excited about it.

Have you ever read reverse harem? Do you like that traditional “black” moment in traditional contemporary books or do you, like me, feel like something different is refreshing? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

Almost right off the bat with this book, I knew I wanted to tackle the issue of domestic violence with Magnolia. When I decided the band was going on tour in Taming Griffin, I wanted to figure out Magnolia’s motivation for wanting so badly to keep her job. The answer came to me pretty quickly—she was afraid if she stopped moving, her past would catch up to her.

Here’s the problem: I’ve never experienced domestic violence for myself. I have this innate need to write my heroines flawed but with a huge redemption arc. I want them to find love, but also to learn how strong they really are and how they’re responsible for their own growth and happiness. Because of that, I like to start them out in tough situations that they can grow out of.

They can take back control of their lives and show themselves how badass they really are.

I do this because I struggle in my own life. Since I was a kid, I’ve had severe panic attacks off and on. I don’t know what caused them or why they started, but I do know that it fucking sucks. At the beginning of 2020, I was at a point where I couldn’t leave my house, even to go for a walk or to go grocery shopping.

It’s taken a shit ton of work this year, but I’m healing and getting better, and I want the same thing for my characters. I want them to find out their true strength in the face of adversity, but I also don’t want to be offensive.

I’m going to write Magnolia how I imagine a woman would act in her circumstances, but I realize that not everyone reacts the same way or will have the same hangups, and that’s okay. Please know if you’ve experienced domestic violence, or if you’re currently struggling with it and don’t know where to turn, you can click this link for help: DV Hotline

You’re not alone in your struggles, no matter what they are, and I hope by writing women who reclaim their lives, I can give you an escape and hope at the same time.

And, for what it’s worth if you need someone to talk to, I’m your girl. Just leave me a comment or email me at heatherreadsitall@gmail.com. I hope you love Magnolia as much as I love writing her and Griffin is exactly the sweet, soulful guy she needs to help lift her up.

Just remember—I really have no idea what I’m doing.

On Repeat

When I wrote Finding Zen, the thing that inspired me most of all was a song. I’ve talked about it before but The Hills by the Weeknd was the song that originally inspired that book. I didn’t have the same instant song inspiration with True. My book inspiration comes from all over the place. Sometimes it’s a song, a random idea that will just pop into my head, a trope I’m fascinated by… it could really be anything.

With True, there wasn’t just one song, but there were many that all had little lyrics that made me think of certain scenes. For example, there’s a scene where True and a very pregnant Amara are dancing in their living room. That scene was inspired by a lyric from the song Only Human by the Jonas Brothers.

With Maddox, the entire plot was inspired by the song Marry Me by Thomas Rhett. Every time I heard the song, I would think about what the guy who was left behind would be feeling. And of course, I always rooted for the girl, in the end, to come to her senses and them to get their HEA. So, I wanted to write my version of how I thought that story would come out with a little extra excitement.

Neither Shadow Phoenix nor Jericho were inspired by songs, and I didn’t make playlists for them because my writing style was a lot different in both. Jericho didn’t really have an inspiration and I haven’t kept it a secret how hard that book was for me to write. Shadow Phoenix was somewhat inspired by my love of reading reverse harem and playing with some of those themes in a traditional contemporary book.

With Jericho, I found myself listening to the album Pink by Two Feet on repeat. It’s not super lyrical, and there are a lot of really sultry, sort of dark, and intense musical moments that just seemed to fit my mood while I was writing that story.

Now, while I’m writing Taming Griffin, I’m finding myself inspired by music again. I’ve got AJR’s The Click on constant rotation, and I imagine Griffin’s more carefree personality really fits in with the song I’m Not Famous.

So, there you have it, a little insight into the weirdness that is my mind. What are you listening to right now? Do you associate any songs with characters you read about? Let me know in the comments!

What I'm Working On

With the release of Playing Jericho, I haven’t been great about blogging. On the one hand, I was busy rushing to get it done on time. On the other hand, I’m fairly lazy when it comes to keeping up with my social media. Or anything, really, but that’s for another day (procrastination is another one of my many, many talents lol).

So… I did a thing. A sort of crazy thing that my husband challenged me to do—write my next book in just two months. I’m the type of girl who doesn’t appreciate when someone tells me I can’t do something so I went all challenge accepted on him and here we are. Me, writing Taming Griffin in just two months from start to finish.

Am I stressed about it? Sort of. But I’m surprisingly making decent progress on the manuscript and it’s going better than I thought. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Griffin and Magnolia’s story came really easy to me. Where Jericho and Moon were a total struggle every step of the way, I knew who Magnolia was right from the start.

Griffin… I always thought he’d fit in well with his brother in the loveable asshole category, but when I actually started writing him, he quickly let me know he was more like True than any of the other guys. He’s sweet and younger than the rest of the guys of Shadow Phoenix, and with his youth comes a certain naivety.

He grew up in a happy home with parents who always supported him, so he never really learned about the hardships the world has to offer. When he starts his journey with SP—a job he got pretty easily because of who his brother is—he has no clue about people’s nefarious intentions and motivations, or that someone might get close to him because of what he has to offer, not because of who he is.

Magnolia… she has some serious baggage she brings with her on tour. In Taming Griffin, we follow the band on a nationwide tour, one that Magnolia’s responsible for managing. She has her own reasons for wanting to be on the road and never staying in one place for too long, and none of them are good.

I’m excited to share more sneaks of the sweet but sexy Griffin, and the sassy Southern Magnolia. Read on for an unedited sneak peek!

Magnolia

“Did you enjoy the show?” a smooth, deep voice asked from right over my shoulder and I spun, throwing my fist right at his face. Griffin reacted so fast, he managed to catch my punch instead of letting it smash into his too-perfect face. “Damn, what’d I do to piss you off this time? I was coming to apologize.”

I jerked my hand out of the hold he had on it, horrified at myself for reacting that way. I learned a long time ago someone sneaking up on me wasn’t a good thing and now I reacted accordingly. “Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to sneak up a woman?” I snapped, my heart racing a million miles an hour.

He studied my face carefully before lifting his hands in surrender and taking a step back. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He raked his fingers through the damp strands of his wavy brown hair. “I wanted to apologize again for this morning. It was unprofessional of me to not even let you know I wouldn’t be able to make it, and it won’t happen again.”

Taming Griffin releases 12/22!

Alpha-Holes? Yes, Please

I’d never heard the term “alpha-hole” before I started reading dark romance, but whoever invented it is a fucking genius because it so perfectly describes the kind of heroes (or anti-heroes) that star in those books.

Who doesn’t love an alpha male who’s strong and at least a little possessive but who’s also an asshole? In real life? Probably not so much. But in fiction? Yes, please.

I’ve never written this kind of guy. When I first started writing, I thought I was into fluffy stories, both writing and reading. That was until I stumbled onto LJ Shen and my eyes were opened to the dark romance subgenre. My eyes have been FULLY opened now, and an alpha-hole is my favorite kind of hero.

Now, that doesn’t mean that’s all I’m going to write, but now I find myself drawn to writing not only darker heroes but also darker stories. If you’ve read the Shadow Phoenix series so far, you can sort of see the progression in each book as the characters have gotten snarkier, more possessive, jealous, more emotionally wounded, etc.

Jericho is a complete alpha-hole. He’s dark, broken, and a little bit wicked. He’s possessive but he’s also sweet in his own way. His journey throughout his book from someone who’s so closed off to someone who can relinquish his tightly held control is really incredible, and I can’t wait for you all to read it.

Once the Shadow Phoenix series concludes, I’m dipping my toes into darker waters with a new series and I’m beyond excited about it. So, what do you think of alpha-holes? Do you prefer dark or fluffy romance? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Why Reviews are Awesome (and Why They Also Suck)

As a writer, reviews are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they tell you how people feel about your writing and (hopefully) encourage people to read your books. On the other hand, when they’re not positive, they make you question your already tenuous confidence and belief in your ability to write and tell a story.

As a reader, I always look for books rated at least four stars. If they’re any less, I mostly pass them by without a second glance. Also as a reader, I never leave a review less than four stars on a book. Ever. Even if I don’t finish a book (which is extremely rare for me—I’ve read almost 200 books already this year and have finished every single one of them), I won’t leave less than a four-star review.

If it’s a book I don’t love, I just don’t rate it.

The thing about both writing and reading is that stories are subjective. I recognize what it takes to write a book—the months of work, of pouring yourself into something you feel so passionate about and then holding your breath as you release it into the world. I know that feeling well.

So, when positive reviews come in, you let out a sigh of relief and start work on the next project, reassured that what you’re doing doesn’t suck and that you’re not deluding yourself into thinking you’re actually halfway decent at this storytelling thing.

But when negative reviews come in? They can be soul-crushing. Which is why I don’t leave them for people, even if I don’t enjoy their story. Whether I like what someone has crafted doesn’t really have any bearing on whether you’ll like it, or whether they’re happy with what they wrote. And I recognize that just because I didn’t care for a plot or a character doesn’t mean other people won’t, so I don’t bother airing my opinion.

Just as we all have feelings and opinions about stories, I’m sure we also all have opinions about how we like to review and rate what we read. As a writer, reviews can make my whole day (or week!) or they can ruin my day or week and make me question everything. As a reader, they can help guide what I read next, even if it’s not always fair.

So, how do you feel about reviews? Do you review the stories you read or not? And do you leave both positive and negative reviews, only negative reviews or only positive reviews? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Shadow Phoenix: The Band

When I was brainstorming Zen’s book, I knew I wanted him to be in a band with at least four other guys. But I had no idea what kind of band or what their name would be.

Fun fact: The band was originally named Dark Phoenix but then I realized that was the name of an X-men movie and I had to come up with something else. I used the shit out of the thesaurus and came up with the new name.

I’m not terribly attached to the name, mostly it just had to be something band-ish enough and not girly because teenage guys named this thing. I’m not (nor have I ever been) a teenage guy, so I just had to try and imagine what their thought process would be like.

And to the reviewer who gave me shit about calling the band name cool through Zen’s dialogue—I’m with you. To me, Shadow Phoenix is just a name. It’s not meant to be amazing because that’s not the point of the series. The point is the relationships, not the band (although, of course the band is important. It’s a rock star romance after all).

Alas, I think I do deserve some props, though, because holy fuck, the guys in the band are HOT and I swear every one that comes along is hotter than the last. When I write them and I read back, I think, “how did that come out of my brain?” It’s like I go into a trance or something and magic falls out.

(I swear I don’t actually think that highly of my work, I actually have a lot of issues thinking I’m not good enough. But fake it ‘til you make it, amiright?)

Okay, so back to the band…

I imagine Shadow Phoenix’s music to be a mixture of 21 Pilots and Linkin Park. Some rock, maybe not so much on the rap side of things, and also a little bit of slower stuff, too. Like Heavy by LP and Leave the City by 21P. But they can definitely rock, too, like Heavy Dirty Soul by 21P.

In my mind, when I’m writing them as artists and their creative process, I imagine them a lot like 21 Pilots, but their band makeup is more Linkin Park, or at least what Linkin Park used to be.

Which bands do you picture when you think of Shadow Phoenix and their sound? I’m curious who you imagine them to be like. Leave me a comment and let me know!

Playing Jericho Deleted Scene

When I write a book, a lot of the time I get inspiration from different places or songs or just random thoughts that pop into my mind. It’s usually not for a full scene, but I get snippets of dialogue or moments of interaction that I don’t want to miss out on, so I keep a file in my book folder called Bits and Pieces and I add to it throughout the entire process.

My actual folder for Playing Jericho and the aforementioned Bits and Pieces document.

I actually start a folder for each book and a Bits and Pieces document before I’ve even really plotted the book so I can add character details or anything that comes to mind, really.

Such was the case with the scene below. I wrote it, didn’t edit it at all, but realized that the scene I had in mind for it just wouldn’t fit. For one thing, the bit below was in Jericho’s POV and the chapter ended up being in Moon’s. There also just wasn’t a great place to fit it in when the whole thing was written.

So, now you get a little sneak peek in the form of a deleted scene. This scene takes place a music festival (think Coachella) where the guys were playing. Moon and Jericho spend some time together after the guys are done with their set, and this is the result.

Enjoy!

Jericho

She tugged me through the crowd. "You pick the band, I want to dance."

I thought for a minute before a smile tugged at my lips. "I know the perfect spot."

We pushed through what seemed like endless bodies until we stood in front of a stage. Her jaw fell open when she heard the song playing. "Is this Cruel Summer?" Her eyes lit up.

I nodded. "This band does all eighties covers. Ever since Wheezer covered Africa it's become a whole thing."

"I think it might have started when Limp Bizkit did Faith," she surprised the fuck out of me by saying. Moon knew her music.

"Yeah, but we don't talk about that. They butchered the shit out of that song."

"Then there was Tainted Love when Marilyn Manson did it," she pointed out, acting like I hadn't spoken and I wrapped my arms around her, reeling her into my body and burying my face in her hair as she rotated her hips against me. I was so fucking hard it hurt.

"You win. I can't think straight with all my blood in my dick," I growled into her ear. The music was so loud I wasn't sure she heard me until she dipped down and dragged herself back up my body inch by sexy inch.

Her sultry laugh carried over the music and the look she shot me told me she knew exactly what she was doing. “That’s right, I always win.”

And fuck if the challenge in her eye didn’t make me want her that much more.

10 Things No One Told Me About Writing Romance

My romance writing journey started out in the world of fanfic. I’ve always been into romance novels, ever since I was a teenager and stumbled onto the “gothic horror romance” that was V.C. Andrews. And boy were they right about the horror part. YIKES.

Anywho, almost two years ago now I got into that mobile story app called Choices. It sucked me in, I joined a book club, joined Tumblr and the rest is history. I never actually considered writing my own stories or books until I was having one of my existential crises and wondering what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I of course turned to Google. A couple of career aptitude tests later, and the answer was so obvious I couldn’t believe I hadn’t ever seen it before.

A writer.

After that, I decided what the hell? Let’s do this thing!

The thing is… I had never written anything more than blog posts or non-fiction articles or essays in school. I still don’t know the exact sentence structure stuff about how many verbs or adverbs or nouns or anything you need in a sentence. For me, writing has just come pretty naturally.

BUT… there’s a lot more to writing (and marketing!) a book than I ever realized. So, here’s what no one told me before I started and what I wish I’d known going in:

1. Writing sex scenes is crazy hard. (See my blog post here.)

2. There will be days where you want to tell the story, but can’t find the words to do it.

3. Some people may hate the stuff what makes your characters who they are. Those people can go fuck themselves.

4. Writing formally (like in essay form or for school stuff) is WAY different than writing romance. Conversations should sound natural which means using words like “I’m” instead of “I am” or “won’t” instead of “will not.”

5. You’ll spend more time searching for stock photos that fit your marketing and social media needs than anything else—including writing the book. (WHY IS THIS SO HARD?).

6. It’s impossible to do everything you need to write, edit, design, and market your book on your own. You don’t necessarily need to hire help, but making friends you can trade services with or leaning new skills yourself will be necessary to your success.

7. Plan all your books to be part of a series. Unless you’re a super well-known author, standalone non-series books don’t make much money and aren’t really worth the time to advertise them, at least not in the romance genre.

8. You can write in past or present tense, first or third person. But you should always write in dual points of view (POV). Personally, I can’t stand third person, single POV books. Fun fact: Finding Zen was originally written in third person and I hated it so much I had to go back and re-write the whole thing. If you’re going to write a story, though, write it how you like to read or in the way that feels best to tell the story.

9. Once you start writing your first book, a zillion other ideas will pop into your head for spin offs and characters that need their own books. Write that shit down and keep it in a Google Doc you can add to whenever you need to.

10. This shit is addictive! Writing one book quickly turned into two, three, four… you get the picture. I don’t ever want to stop!

There you have it! There are tons more I could go into detail-wise, but suffice it to say I’m addicted to romance (writing AND reading!) Who are your favorite romance authors? Have you ever thought about giving writing a go? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Better Than a Punch In The Face

Time for some real talk: Writing Playing Jericho has always been a struggle for me since day one. I think I’ve touched on this a little bit before, but every word I write of this book means I have to reach inside my brain (metaphorically, of course), and yank the words free.

The weird thing is I love Jericho as a character. I love his love interest, Moon. I love their story. So why is this so goddamn hard?

I have no idea.

But, I’ve had to resort to sprinting my way through this book to get it done because if I don’t, I’ll most definitely overthink every word, spend hours on thesaurus dot com looking at all the creative and absurd ways to say things, and over-complicate the whole process.

What’s sprinting? It’s when you set a timer and do nothing but write for a short burst of time. I do 20-minute sprints and they work pretty well for me. It’s funny how writing every single book is different, even if you’re mostly the same person when you write them. The processes change to fit the character or the story, whatever you need. That wasn’t something I considered when I started my first book or even my second. I figured the adjustments I was making to my process were because I was learning as a writer.

And maybe that has something to do with it. But Jericho… he’s testing me. Before going into this book (and, admittedly, a little bit with Maddox’s book) I was mostly a fluff writer. I dealt with some issues, but I didn’t turn toward the dark side with bullying or my characters getting obsessive or overly possessive with each other. But my eyes have been opened to the world of bully romance and I find myself intrigued with it to the point that I also find myself itching to incorporate a bit of it into my writing.

How do I settle that with the fact I usually write fluff? Well, I’m still figuring it out because writing dark characters is HARD. I want Jericho to be possessive and protective and a little bit (or a lot) dangerous, but I don’t want to cross a line into irredeemable territory. I want you all to love him like I love him despite his flaws.

And I think that’s what’s making this book difficult to write—balancing the flaws with the good parts so that he’s still a likable character in the end that we all want to see get his HEA.

And thus concludes my ramblings. If you’ve stuck with me this long, keep scrolling for your reward (a bit of unedited Jericho).

Jericho

I chuckled darkly. “It wouldn’t have made a difference in the end, though, and we both know it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she looked up at me and narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t act like you don’t fucking want me, like you don’t feel the connection between us. You might be able to lie to yourself but you can’t lie to me.”

Moon lifted her chin. “I never said I don’t feel it. I just wanted you to explain.”

“So, you admit you feel drawn to me?”

She stopped walking and we faced each other. I had no idea where the escort was going and I didn’t give a shit. Her turquoise eyes lifted to meet mine. “When I look at you like this, it’s like the entire world disappears. Nothing else matters or exists but you and me. I don’t care about anything else. I don’t want anything or anyone else.” She tore her eyes away and shook her head. “I’ve never felt like this before and when I say it out loud, it sounds really unhealthy.”

I tucked my fingers under her chin and tilted her face up to mine again. “And what would you do if I wanted to see other people or let another woman touch me?”

How do you think Moon will react to that question? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Let's Talk About S-E-X... Scenes

I was an avid romance reader long before I decided to try my hand at writing. I’m also slightly obsessed with Hallmark Christmas movies when that time of the year rolls around. And what’s the difference between contemporary romance and those sweet Hallmark vids?

Sex.

Graphic, hot, and awkward as fuck to write sex.

When I decided to write Zen, I knew it had to have sex scenes in it. I don’t write erotica, but to me, adult relationships include sex. They just do. And I’m not one to tiptoe around stuff like that. It’s why I don’t read sweet romance ever. Hallmark movies are as close as I get.

So, how do I write mine?

You know when you see something awkward or scary and you cover your eyes with your fingers but then part them slightly to look through because you can’t not look? That’s pretty much how I write my sex scenes. I’m being super voyeuristic by peeping in on someone else’s sex life, even if they’re people I invent so I try to shove that down and get through it as quickly as humanly possible.

Typically the first version of my scenes is horrifically robotic or repetitive. How many times can you say the words dick, cock, or pussy in one scene? I first try to think about the location I want it to happen in and then I go from there. Places like the bathroom in an airplane, the back of a car, the kitchen floor… whatever fits the couple.

Then I write the first version of the scene out as fast as I can to just get it all out there. Then, I cringe suuuuuper hard as I go back and read through and make sure I don’t accidentally throw in any words that make me shudder (like folds…. blech). Once that’s done, I add in the flowery stuff. The emotion, the chills down the spine, the electric sparks. Stuff like that.

Finally, I end up with something passable, generally speaking. I don’t know if there will ever be a day when sex scenes are my strength, but I like the challenge of them.

Fun fact: In Maddox’s book, I wrote all four sex scenes in one day because I wanted to get them out of the way.

Typically, I’m a linear writer which means I write from the beginning of the story to the end in order. Doing Maddox and Ryan’s scenes that way threw off my whole process so in Jericho I’m going back to my uncomfy roots and just nailing (HA) the scenes as they come (HAHA).

Soooo… there you have it. All things sex in a nice unsexy way. Are there any words that make you cringe when you read them (moist, anyone?)? Leave me a comment and let me know!