Ten Questions with author Laura Hogg!

Welcome the ever kind and generous Laura Hogg to the blog! She's the author of several published works, including the above pictured Romeo vs Juliet, and has been kind enough to participate (and be the first!) in my Ten Questions segment.

Ten Questions:

What is your favorite beverage to enjoy while you write? Coffee and a glass of water.

What’s your favorite font? Hmm, I don't have one.

What music do you listen to when you write (or do you prefer it quiet)? Well, sometimes quiet, but otherwise rock music; occasionally Celtic music. It depends what I'm working on.

When it comes to those all important jotted notes, which is it - composition pads or sticky notes? Sticky notes.

What’s your favorite snack when pounding away at the keyboard? Something sweet.

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Now, the juicy stuff…
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What inspires you to write? The need to express my romantic nature or a longing to discover something new in research and the following creative endeavors.

What do you turn to when you stumble across a road block in the creative process and need to regroup? Meditate, listen to music, or play guitar.

Where do the ideas and concepts for your work come from? Lots of places. Sometimes I dream up a synopsis. Sometimes one sentence has inspired a novel for me. Sometimes it's music.

What do you wish there was more of in the market? Lesser-known authors.

What advice would you give to an up and coming writer that hopes to submit their work and become published in the future? Join a critique group. I did, and it led to my first book deal. I was inspired to join one when an editor sent me a rejection note that said my plot was great, but I needed to learn a few things about presentation. I had always gotten good grades in English, but fiction writing requires a different set of skills than just plain non-fiction writing.

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You can visit Laura and learn more about her work at her blog, Travel the Ages, HERE!!

In the meantime, enjoy this excerpt from her book Romeo vs Juliet. A time travel romance available at The Wild Rose Press.

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I called up the tall, gray portal and stepped inside, my hair was blown back by the cold currents of swirling air. Recalling the mission list, I concentrated on the year 1965.

A spot on one of the walls of the tunnel-like time portal across from me stopped. Waves of zooming time circulated around the slowed-down vision. It reminded me of blood cells floating through an artery and bumping around a large foreign object.

I flew forward effortlessly, as if dead and in the next world, and wiggled my feet in the air, enjoying the ability to fly. Too bad it was only in this cave of sorts.

1965 rested before me like a picture on a large television screen, pulsing with the invitation, magnetically, to step forth. A slight pull tugged me forth, but ever so gently, for I could easily escape its clutches.

Suddenly a loud buzzing set the air afire with its obnoxious noise.

"No!"

I crash landed in 1865, Lincoln's second inauguration, my mind screamed. It was raining on this March day in Washington. Shaking, unable to catch my breath at first, I saw from a distance, within the crowd, President Lincoln speaking on a portico, the Capitol dome over his head. I swooned and lay in the mud at the Capitol grounds.

Hostage to Love by Maya Blake

Crushed by betrayal, Belle Winkworth-Jones flees the shambles of her short-lived marriage…only to be kidnapped by a vicious rebel soldier determined to keep her for himself. Nick Andreakos mounts a ruthless rescue to save the wife who walked away from him, even though he's resentful Belle could dismiss their marriage so easily.

On Althea, their private Greek island where Belle recuperates, passion ignites, taking hold with relentless force. But in the shadows, danger lurks. The rebel soldier is determined to recapture Belle.

Can Belle and Nick set aside their differences in time to fight this threat and save their love, or will it be too late…?

Maya Blake has crafted an incredible story that has it all - intense and combustible chemistry between the main characters, intrigue, suspense, necessary tension and conflict, lush and detailed locations, and of course, romance.

There wasn't a moment during this book that I felt derailed or disinterested. In fact, I would call this read a bonafide page turner! All of the elements came together when necessary with perfect timing. Keeping me on my toes and eager for more.

You can purchase your own copy of Hostage to Love at the TWRP HERE. (Do yourself a favor! Click the link!)

"Sharp Teeth" Excerpt #1

One of my favorite books of all time. Nuff' said.

What is Sexy?

Writing Status - 1k in to Chapter 5 of TRS

Mood - Hanging in

Playing on Ipod - Miracle by Bon Jovi

Emma Jay had an interesting blog entry on what women find sexy, mentioning their "voice" is what snares her. She shared a few pictures of her choices and I decided, what the hay!

Here are my "leading" men. They each bring something to the table!

And my favorite - we all have one. When I wrote Crimson Moon, this was "my" Caleb - Chris Evans.

How about you? Who are your favorites?

Still Going

Writing Status - Chapter 4 of TRS is Complete
Mood - So-So
Playing on the ipod - Clubbed to Death by Rob Dougan

I just wrapped up a neat and tidy 4k worth of words and another chapter of The Renfield Syndrome is complete in the process. It's funny, something came along that wasn't intended - a little something you may or may not remember or think about from Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between - and it ties the story together.

I love when that kind of thing happens. It's as if the subconscious is way ahead of the game and waits to give you the information until you're ready.

Chapter 3 - Done

Writing Status - Still Going Strong
Mood - Tired but Fulfilled
Playing on ipod - Feel the Bite by My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult

I've written all day, and what a day it's been. The short story, "Redemption", as well as the entire third chapter of The Renfield Syndrome are done.

There is no better feeling than when you end a chapter with a bang. I need a cigarette!

E-Pub v/s The Pub!!!

Writing Status - Taking a Break
Mood - Chipper
Playing on ipod - Two Socks at Play from the Dances with Wolves Soundtrack

Check out this interesting blog entry, discussing e-publishing and the future.

"Shorts"

Writing Status - Progressing
Mood - Contemplative
Playing on ipod - Crack a Bottle by Eminem

I just completed a short story. It came from nowhere, emerging effortlessly from the confines of my mind as if it were always there but waiting to be given life.

Odd.

Sometimes, short stories are just what the doctor ordered. They get my creative juices flowing, allow my brain to refresh and restart.

Back to Rhiannon.

For the Love of a Queen by Laura Hogg

War has destroyed four-fifths of the population. Governments have fallen. A former covert agent wanders the wilderness, lending her skills where she can. She is crowned queen for her efforts and meets the warrior who is her match. He’s handsome, courageous, and good-hearted, but at a young age was recruited by the most evil warlord walking the land.

He’s sent in as a spy to bring back the beautiful queen. Shock is in store for him when he meets her. He doesn’t want to bring her back for execution, but if he doesn’t, her people will be slaughtered. For love, he chooses to save those she cherishes.

He watches while she’s taken captive, not lifting his sword in her defense; watches her suffer punishment and in agony can do nothing about it. This queen and her warrior will battle evil, but will the price be their love or their lives?

For The Love of a Queen is a well crafted and unique love story (Laura Hogg has an extraordinary gift with description and detail) centered around a very strong hero and his equally strong heroine in a post apocalyptic future. The attraction between the two is immediate but the romance is sweet, bringing the characters together (and then separating the lovers) over time.

A most enjoyable read. You can purchase For the Love of a Queen at TWRP HERE.

Sick

Writing Status - Zilch
Mood - Drained
Playing on ipod - Round Here by The Counting Crows

I've been hit with a hella stomach bug. Will return to blogging tomorrow.

Jen by Nick Dienst

Wyatt loves his girlfriend, Jen. She's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and the woman he intends to spend the rest of his life with. But when he discovers her in a motel with another man one night following one too many drinks, his sanity takes a turn for the worst. What comes next is the demented ravings of a scorned and unstable madman as he plots the revenge that will completely eradicate Jen from his life. Once and for all...

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's gritty, dark, and sucks you into the mind of depravity. Wyatt's voice at the start is strong and buyable (and most importantly - likeable), making his downward spiral as the world slips and falls away difficult to witness. Great books take you outside of your comfort zone, and this one does exactly that.

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I can't say much more, as I don't want to give away details of the story that make it unique. But if you're in the mood for something a bit different (and definitely dark!), give it a read.

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Jen by Nick Dienst can be purchased by Eternal Press HERE.

Workspace

Ty - you asked for it...Well, here it is. I know - fabulosity, right? Blech.

New but attempting to Improve

Writing Status - MS Word is a Go
Mood - Listless
Playing on ipod - Meet your Master by Nine Inch Nails

Last night, I spent hours trying to reconstruct the manuscript for Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between. For some odd reason, there were "spaces" that refused to go away between paragraphs. I eventually cut and pasted the entire thing to Wordpad and went chapter by chapter.

As I was doing this, I got to read snippets of the material - It was difficult not to cringe. Good.Lord. I'm not sure if this is natural, but when I go over my stuff I always have a love/hate relationship with it. Sometimes it seems okay enough, but then I'll read it and think, "What the hell was I smoking?"

A portion of me tries to bamboozle myself by thinking, "Obviously someone liked it, so it can't be total crap." But another part thinks, "You'll never get anywhere unless you strive for perfection...And that shite is nowhere even close."

Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. I am new to writing professionally, after all. But it's never too late to begin to improve.

Plagiarism

Writing Status - Idle
Mood - Annoyed
Currently playing on ipod - Stockholm Syndrome by Muse

Plagiarism is something that should NEVER happen...But it does. And as someone that takes pride in her ability to warp and conduct strange ideas into stories, I cannot begin to fathom how anyone could willingly steal from another.

When I started writing, I was directed to a website called Fictionpress. I was told it was a great starting place to share my emerging stories and talent and get a "feel" for how people viewed my work. That was partially true. There were constructive comments (grammatical) and flames (one Twilight fan bashed Crimson Moon as a blatant rip off of SM's hard work - which is most assuredly is NOT) but for the most part, I enjoyed the experience.

After I began listening to my family and decided to pursue publication, I removed Crimson Moon, polished it, and tucked it away. In the meantime, I shared portions of my newest romance, Eternity and a Day, and the first couple of chapters of The Company of Wolves with the audience.

Then I got hip to the "news". People were stealing the stories from Fictionpress (an author I was a fan of pulled her stories down, which alerted me to the situation) and passing them along to other sites as works of their own.

Needless to say, my work went down faster than a cheap whore scrounging for change inside a grimy bar.

It's a shame. It should never happen. And it repulses me.

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between

Has been accepted for publication with The Eternal Press!!!!! And I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this!

Rhiannon is a character near and dear to my heart and the second book in her series was stalled as I feared no one would "get her" like I did. I'm so glad I was wrong and I'll have the opportunity to share her with the world!

This means The Renfield Syndrome, the next book for Rhiannon, is most definitely a go! I think that writer's block just got one hell of an enemy!

Errr Arrrggh!!!!!!

Writing Status - Zil
Mood - Somber
Currently playing on ipod: Buddy Holly - True Love Ways.

The last few weeks (I've blogged about this before) have been wrought with writing turmoil. My mind simply refuses to allow me to focus attention on any one story.

Now - if I could work something out where I rotated the stories at random, things would be dandy. But my mind refuses to allow it, keeping my brain in hyperdrive and giving me the oddest case of writer's block imaginable.

An average day goes like this:

Take care of kids and get coffee.
Go to PC and check email.
Open Word - get settled.

Stare at the flashing little tab...

Write about this or that? Hmm...

Stare at the flashing little tab some more...

Am I in the mood for straight up paranormal or romance? Hmm...

Continue staring at the annoying flashing tab...

Kids interrupt, take a break, come back.

Sit at PC, stare at the waiting flashing little tab on the screen...

I feel as if I'm losing my mind. I haven't written anything in days and at this rate I can only expect more of the same. I'm thinking about forcing myself to chose one project and sticking to that and that alone until done. Then it won't be an issue. As it is, I know I have to get my arse in gear and my fingers pounding, I just don't know how to go about it.

Bah!!

I'm sick, darn it. What started as a cold has developed into something far worse - the sniffles, body aches, and scratchy throat and dripping nose.

I'm curling into a ball on the couch and praying my wildebeest children behave and allow me to get some rest and rejuvenate my poor body...I'm also waiting for Ed to knock on my door with the prize winning check.

First Chat!!

I partook of my first TWRP chat this evening and had a blast! There were so many wonderful people to speak with and get to know.

I can honestly say I've never met a nicer group of folks. They made what was a scary prospect into something positive and encouraging.

It was nice to meet all of you ladies!

Missing Emails

Where do all the missing emails in cyberspace go? Do they just float around in the digital abyss indefinitely?

I'm ready to strangle both Yahoo and AOL at this point. Two separate email accounts and the same thing continues to happen - my messages do not make it to the intended sender.

Damn you WWW!!!!

All Done

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Now it's back to pounding away at the keyboard. *sigh*

Contract is in the mail!

I received the contract package for Crimson Moon last night and got it off to the publisher this afternoon.

I've never been so excited...or so terrified.

And Another...

Another Cover

I couldn't help myself...

M83 - On a White Lake Near a Green Mountain

Sometimes music allows me to get into a "zone" when writing and one of my favorite groups that help me find that special place is M83.

Give em' a listen. You won't regret it.

"My" Cover!

It's been at least a year since I've done anything with photoshop, but a little piddling around reminded me of how much fun it can be. This is something I put together in a few hours (had to find the "free" material or purchase the images).

Recharge

There are some days when I just don't want to write. This is one of those days.

I'm not sure why it happens but usually I'll pop on my ipod and chase the kids around a bit, allowing the creative juices to flow without an outlet. Most of the time, I get some pretty good ideas when I'm not actively "thinking" about a story. But today, the brain is frazzled and the circuits are fried.

I'm in need of a recharge, pronto.

Erotica

Okay, let's get honest...

I am always slightly uncomfortable when writing "sex scenes".

I am not prude. I worked in an adult video store for several years during college. I've seen tapes that might or might not blow your mind (or something else). I've read some pretty crazy material in the adult magazine racks.

But when it comes to writing, my brain sputters and farts. Attractive, right?

In an effort to get over this "hurdle" I have taken to reading some e-rotica (bad joke, sorry) online. It's been eye opening. I've learned that the BSDM scene (at least in the literary sense) isn't all about domination. In certain situations, it's about caring for the person in a manner that ensures they feel safe and secure.

Anyhow, I recently purchased a book at the Lyrical Press entitled The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton. I wasn't sure if I'd like the material, but I'm all for reading outside your comfort zone and expanding your horizons. What I didn't expect was to absolutely LOVE the story, and trust me, it is a story!

The premise is this - A dying husband asks his best friend to step into his shoes to care for and Master his wife - his slave - so that she has a safe place to fall when he passes. The friend, who knows nothing of their lifestyle, is understandably hesitant. But when he watches them enact a "scene" together, and learns about her past, agrees.

Nothing in this situation is "normal" and you know what? I believed all of it because I could totally see something like this happening.

I won't go into details because I'm terrible about divulging little nuggets that can and probably would ruin a story, but I will say this one really shook me. I thought about it hours after I'd finished that last sentence and am still thinking about it today.

It is erotica and does contain some explicit sex scenes, but the story and the characters are so real...If you're into this kind of reading (or even if you're not) give it a shot.

The "Shift"

It has happened to me numerous times, on all of my stories. I'll have a beginning, middle, and end in mind - knowing where I want to go - and somehow it will "shift".

I'm not sure why this happens. With Crimson Moon, the middle of the story was closer to the "end" and it became another element. A major character was meant to die at the end of Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between and that was shifted for a something later in the series. Eternity and a Day has a 'twist' with the heroine that I didn't see until half of the manuscript was complete.

You get my drift.

Well, it's happened again. Today while I was working on my next urban fantasy, one of the side characters that plays an instrumental part in the plot got a new life. I quickly jotted down my ideas in a composition pad, worked out the rough details, and left it to sit until needed.

On one hand, it's great when this happens. It adds so much to a story and plot. But on the other side of that fence, it gives me so much work to do. AKA - research.

I suppose it's a good thing. And as the great Stephen King says, writers should do one thing above all...READ.

Networking

There are several aspects about writing I don't particularly enjoy and networking is at the top of the list.

Don't get me wrong, I get it. I know that in order to get the word out you've got to "get the word out", but it's incredibly difficult when you're a shy kind of person that doesn't like attention or the spotlight. I'm not a writer that loves her material (half the time, I border on hating it) nor am I the type of person to toot her own horn.

How do you exude confidence when you're terrified of being perceived as arrogant? I've seen some of the profiles of other writers on various sites and I cringe. I like my material, but I do not believe I am the second coming of Kathleen Woodwiss or Nicholas Sparks.

It's a jagged path to walk - and an exhausting one.