The Idea Factory

Last month, after I sent out a newsletter asking what subscribers wanted to see in future ones, some responded they wanted to hear more about me and my writing process. A few wrote sample questions. The most repeated one was, where do you get your ideas?

I think this is probably the most asked question authors get from readers. One writer--I don't remember who--said they have a pat (sarcastic) answer.

Where do you get your ideas?  Oh, I order them from the Idea Factory in Illinois. Ha-ha-ha. They say it with a straight face and hope the other person has a sense of humor. The thing is, this question doesn't have an easy answer. But since so many people are interested, I thought I'd give it a shot.

My ideas come from numerous places: movies that I think I know where they're going and find out it isn't how that writer wrote it, newspaper articles, songs, things friends say, books, etc.

The idea for Vampires Rule came to me when I was watching a vampire movie (horror movie, not Twilight), and I started thinking about the adjustments a person had to make when they got turned. Then I imagined what it would be like for a person who got changed back into a mortal. Could they return home to their family? Would the family accept them? Would their vampire friends let them go? Could the return to school and take up where they left off?

A lot of my ideas come from questions, strange questions that start going through my head when I'm bored.

The idea for Bait (the Order of the Spirit Realm series) came from how much I love the show Supernatural. It's the best thing on TV, in my opinion, and I've watched each episode at least fifteen times. The older episodes anyway. 

I was thinking about the life of monster hunters and decided I'd like to do a Supernatural type book with a girl hunter as the MC. It seemed only natural to me to make her into a Van Helsing since he's the most famous hunter in history. I also had the idea for a rock star slash vampire slayer a long time ago. Nick Gallos (lead singer for Bad-Rock) was supposed to have his own series, but he fit in so well in this one. 

And he was the perfect guy for Bay-Lee. His strengths make up for her weaknesses, and visa-versa. He says he fell in love with Bay-Lee when she threw him up against the wall and demanded he mentor her like he said he would. This is also when I fell in love with them as a couple. 

My upcoming Dragon's Breath series comes from my love of Greek Mythology, dragons, and boys who dream of being superheroes. 

The Witch-Game books happened because by the time I started shopping my vampire book around, Twilight was a big hit, and publishers repeatedly told me (and my agent) that the market was flooded with vampire books. So she and I decided that vampires and werewolves and ghosts were out. I needed something that hadn't been seen a million times.

Teen witches using their powers to play games at school seemed like the perfect solution. That idea came to me when I asked myself what I would have done at that age if I had powers. The answer? Use them to play games with my friends and influence boys. :)

Anyway, that is how I get my ideas. They come from different places, but one thing is always the same. It takes a long time for them to grow into fully realized material. Sometimes months. Sometimes years. 

????

Seems like every book I pick up says the same basic thing: An ordinary boy/girl finds out they are (blank) and want a normal life but can't have it.

Yes, I know, I have some like this, but after a while it gets boring.  

For once, I would like to pick up a book and read: Extraordinary boy/girl finds out they can (fill in blank with a superhuman power) and they are excited about it.  They run to their new life and embrace it with both arms..

Who's with me on this?

What sort of books are you tired of seeing/reading?

April 22, 2014

BOOK CHARMS

When I first discovered these cool little things, I wanted hundreds of them.  Not just for my book covers.  These are a great way to show support for your favorite author or series.  You can probably even get your favorite shows on them.  At Etsy--which is where I got my charms--you can ask for a custom order.  Pretty much anything you want on them is possible.  You can get them on bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.

Here is my bracelet:

They have sample pictures of bracelets ordered by customers.  The most popular one seems to be Harry Potter.  It is a cool idea, and I love these little charms.  

Harlequin Intrigues: Romantic Suspense Novels

Today, my second book with Harlequin has been released as an ebook!



Julia Keller's world shattered the night her beloved husband, Jack, was gunned down on her ranch. Now, two long and lonely years later, a mesmerizing stranger with Jack's face appeared on her doorstep, minus a memory. So the only way to recover the truth was to join forces with the rugged, reticent man who was either her little boy's father--or a mysterious impostor. This tough yet tender amnesiac roused churning emotions--and smoldering passions--in Julia that left her aching for answers. However, a cold-blooded killer was bound and determined to keep this case unsolved. And in a race against time to prevent the perpetrator from striking again, a deadly showdown would pit good against evil...and "husband" against wife!

This book is available at eHarlequin (dot) com and Amazon!

My first book Borrowed Identity is also available at each place.

 

A groggy Kelly Hall didn't understand why her dead husband was standing in front of her, telling her their wedding night that had ended in his grisly "murder" had all been a dream. Was she going insane or was someone trying to kill her? Sinister threats lurked in the melancholy halls of Moore House...and all Kelly could be certain of was that this cold, magnetic man who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Michael Taggert she vividly remembered marrying was suddenly fiercely protective, cloaked in mystery and set off a lightning bolt of desire at the merest touch. As passion and peril spiraled out of control, would Kelly trust her life to the man whose deception could shatter the only love she'd ever known?

Have a Kindle Christmas

Thinking of giving a Kindle as a gift?

Do you already have a Kindle and want some free books to put on it?

One of the Carnis came up with a great idea.  We are going to give away some ebooks for Christmas.  I'm going to start this one early.  I'll add other books to this list as I get the codes for them, but here is mine.  You can get a copy of Vampires Rule on Smashwords for free.  Just go to the Smashwords link for Vampires Rule on the Buy Links page or on the Vampires Rule sample page.  Click on it and use the code when you are asked how you will pay for the book.
The coupon code for a free copy is KA98G
This is a LIMITED coupon that will only last until a few days after Christmas.  Pass the word.  You can also get the book on Nook and other ereaders. 
If you give it as a gift, let them know the second book in the series Werewolves Rule is also available... if they like the first one enough to read on. 
Merry Christmas (early).

YA INDIE CARNIVAL: Best Indie Scare

This week we are promoting our favorite scary books that happen to be Indie.  I haven't read any, so I'm going to continue my Supernatural countdown with the rest of my top 20 favorite episodes of all time.  As always, at the end there will be a list of other Indie authors with blogs.  Please click on them and check out their favorite Indie scares.

10. Supernatural Convention: At one time we found out that there were Supernatural books out there.  The guy writing them had no idea Sam and Dean were real.  In this episode the boys wind up at the first-ever Supernatural Convention.  It was too funny, watching all these other guys dressing like Sam and Dean and saying lines from old shows.  Then there's this girl with a crush on Sam.  She licks her palm and blows him a kiss.  He looked like he was hoping the ground would swallow him whole.

9.  Werewolf Girl: I love the episode where Sam falls in love with a werewolf.  I'm not kidding.  Of course he didn't know she was a werewolf.  This is a heartbreaking show, very well acted by the boys.  I didn't like how easily the girl gave up though or how Dean wanted to blow her away without a thought.  If I was her, I'd be like Wait a second.  What if I take sleeping pills?  Maybe she wouldn't turn on those nights.  Just a thought.

8.  The FBI Arrest Sam and Dean:  This episode comes in at number eight for me because it was a turning point.  We see Lilith for the first time, the agent harrassing the boys finally get them, and we see the boys' matching tattoos.  Favorite line: The agent kills the sheriff and is stunned that he did it.  He says 'I shot the sheriff.'  Dean says 'yeah, but you didn't shoot the deputy.'  It was so dumb, so inappropriate, and so Dean.

7.  Make a Wish:  Have you ever thrown a coin into a fountain and made a wish?  On this episode the wishes come true, but you know what they say about being careful what you wish for.  One little girl has made her teddy bear come to life.  It's huge and depressed.  Sam and Dean don't know what to do about it.  There's also an invisible boy sneaking into the women's shower at the Y and a little boy with super powers.

6.  Ghostfacers: The ghost chasing nerds are back, and this time they're shooting a pilot for their new show.  This was an awesome ep. because it looks like it's shot by some kid with a video camera.  The nerds go to a haunted house, hoping to see something and get famous.  Sam and Dean show up to do what they do best.  Awesome!

5.  Sam and Dean in Another Universe:  They are sent to another universe where they are the actors in a tv show.  They have Sam's real life wife playing his wife.  She is the actress who played the demon Ruby on the show.  Sam's mansion is beyond great.  And he has a camel in the backyard.

4.  The Fairies:  Dean shouts, "Fight the fairies!"  I laughed until I had tears in my eyes.  Sam doesn't have a soul on this one, so he doesn't seem to care that much when Dean is abducted.  They think by aliens but later find out it is fairies doing the kidnapping.  Love it when Sam says his brother was abducted, and this girl says, "Oh no!"  Sam says, "It's okay.  I've learned to adjust."  "Did it happen when you were kids?"  "No.  Just about half an hour ago."  Then she sleeps with him. 

3.  Meeting the Trickster:  Some of my favorite episodes involve this guy called the Trickster.  He can create things that seem very real.  For instance, he makes this one guy slow dance with an alien.  I loved this ep. because Sam and Dean tell their friend Bobby what's been going on, and they both make the other look bad in the retelling.  We get to watch the same scene in two separate flashbacks, as different as night and day.  It was definitely different.

2.  Dean Scared:  My runner up for favorite Supernatrual show of all time is the one where Dean gets ghost sickness.  Dean who never seems to be afraid of anything (if he is scared, he jokes around and acts macho), but when he gets the sickness he is afraid of everything.  He won't drive his car over the speed limit, won't stay above the first floor at the motel, and won't help Sam hunt ghosts.  At one point he yells, "Only crazy people hunt ghosts.  We are insane."

Drum roll please......

My favorite episode is.....

1.  Groundhogs Day:  This is my favorite episode of the series because Dean gets killed over and over again.  Dean doesn't remember any of it, but Sam does.  Sam wakes up several times to the same song.  It's Tuesday.  They eat at the same diner, Dean tells the same jokes, and the waitress drops the hot sauce bottle.  The only big difference is how Dean dies.  Sometimes it is Final Destination type deaths like when the desk falls on him.  This is also another episode with the Trickster in it.

Maybe you don't agree with my list.  There are so many shows to choose from, so many great episodes, but I think these are my top twenty... at least this month. 

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING
7.	Lexus Luke	8.	PJ Hoover, Author of SOLSTICE, Blogging at ROOTS IN MYTH
9.	Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy	10.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
11.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed	12.	Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
13.	Courtney Cole, author of The Bloodstone Saga	14.	Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
15.	Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews	16.	Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
17.	M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping	18.	Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys
19.	Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind	20.	Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
21.	Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler	22.	Nicole Williams, author of Eternal Eden, Falling Eden
23.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	24.	Abbi Glines: Breathe, The Vincent Boys, Existence

NEWS:  13 on Halloween & Winnemucca by Laura A. H. Elliott now for sale at A Children's Place Bookstore and Broadway Books in Portland, OR

Twelve-year-old Roxie wants to be like Adrianne, the popular girl, the peacock, who gets everything she wants––a trampoline, a flock to prowl around the mall with, and most especially invitations to parties. But everything changes when Roxie invites all the popular kids in the eighth grade to her thirteenth birthday party on Halloween and they all come. And a boy, the boy, actually talks to Roxie. Roxie has the best night of her life until the peacocks decide they want to celebrate her birthday in a way Roxie never expects––in her attic, with a gift that is out of this world, and a pact to never tell a living soul what happens next.

Enter Cheri Schmidt's Library Giveaway from Oct. 20- Nov 20th & win a chance win signed copies of The Fateful Trilogy & have Cheri donate her books to your library!

A huge fan of Jane Austen, Danielle hopes to find her own Mr. Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it's silly to wish for that, naive even. But she's met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well.... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux.

The Reckoning by M. Leighton, the second and final book in the Fahllen series, will be available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble on Monday, October 31st. Halloween day!
Visit http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/reckoning.html for excerpts and the latest on her new release!
CHAMELEON by Cidney Swanson Now Available in paperback!

When Sam learns of her nemesis Helmann’s Nazi-like plan to establish a Thousand-Year Reign, she’s determined to fight him. Along with Will and Mickie, Sam flees to France to meet Sir Walter—their best hope for stopping Helmann’s brave new world.
But Sam isn’t any safer in France. Someone is following her. Someone invisible. Sam will have to figure out how to hide from an enemy she can’t even see.

Happy Reading!!!

Finding Something Original to Write About

Now that's a hard one.  I swear, every time I come with something I think has never been done, one of my friends tells me that they either just finished reading a book about it or saw a book about it online.  My reaction?  WHAT???  Are you kidding me?

No, they are not kidding.  This has been happening to me since I first started writing.  I remember being sixteen and thinking I had a killer idea that no one else had thought of.  Then I went to the store, looked at the books, and found that not only had someone else already thought of the same idea, but they'd beaten me to it.  This also happens to me frequently with titles.  Sucks!

Can you guess why I'm writing about this subject today?  That's right.  It happened again.  Because there are sooo many books about vampires and werewolves, I decided to go out on a limb and do something different.  I came up with what I thought was a wild idea.  Then I spoke to a friend in Ohio, and she tells me that she's reading a book that has the exact idea.  ????

How does this happen?  Am I psychic and picking up on other peoples' ideas, or does God give these ideas to several people at once?  Kind of depressing. 

Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me for some reason?