Where I Work - Jean Joachim

I used to work on the kitchen table but the call of food was too tempting. So I moved to the tiny desk in my son’s room. I have just enough space for my laptop, a gooseneck lamp and a few odds and ends, like my notebook. While this is where I type my novels, the real work is done somewhere else.

Where do I really work? I work in my mind. When I’m walking to the drug store or on my way to workout, I’m thinking about my stories.  I may be working out a plot dilemma for a current book or be lost in the backstory of a new novel. I call this “noodling”, giving the story the “brain time” it needs for developing the characters and perfecting the plot. Working out my stories in my head means I can work anytime, any place.

My favorite place to “noodle”? Walking my pug, Homer, in Central Park. Homer is my muse. So many plot problems have been solved when in the park with Homer. I talk to him, too, and he’s an excellent listener!

People think I write my books super fast, but that’s not true. A story can be kicking around in my head for months before its written. Spending time noodling means when I’m ready to write, much of the story is thought out and flows quickly onto the printed page.

If you pass me on the street, call out my name and I don’t respond, please don’t take offense. I’m not snubbing you, I’m lost in thought, transported away to Willow Falls or Pine Grove or a beach far away. I’m noodling and I hope you understand.

  

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Wytchfae Journeys with Flossie Benton Rogers

Wytchfae – Runes was published in October 2012, and I’m so excited that SCP gave me a contract for six more books in the Wytchfae series. I look forward to sharing these stories with readers. The Wytchfae world is composed of intersecting dimensions, only one of which is the familiar human world that we know. Getting from one dimension to another can be tricky, especially if you are traveling from the human plane to a fae dimension. In Wytchfae – Runes the heroine Kelly has to muster all the energy and allies she can, including her patron goddess Epona, just to get to the in-between area. Only the mysterious Guardian of the Between can grant permission to travel further into the netherworld where the Viking Ingvar is being held prisoner. Not only is the Guardian protecting his domain from intruders, he’s also saving humans from a wide variety of unruly demons.

Several of the fae domains in the Wytchfae world are generally loosely connected. For example, the netherworld areas, ruled by the Guardian of the Between, the Queen of the Grims, and Goddess Helle of the Underworld, link together by means of long cavernous corridors. Other places use transportation reminiscent of a hover train. The heroine of Guardian of the Deep - Wytchfae 2 rides on one of these when she leaves the undersea home of her lover.

A rare but favored means of travel for fae is the spotty hole. It is a type of spatial portal that is convenient to use when long distances are involved. The main drawback is that spotty holes rarely stay in one place. They tend to appear and disappear at will. No one knows how spotty holes came about, although some consider them natural phenomena.

Time travel is another aspect of the Wytchfae world. Those who dwell in human places require a particular type of Wytchfae, a time singer, to energetically “sing” them back and forth in time. Fae use time trips as vacations. Just as we might book a trip to Ireland or Bali, a fae might buy a ticket for Ireland 1500 or Bali 1970. When the succubus heroine of Guardian of the Deep – Wytchfae 2 takes a trip to 1950 Montana, she uses a popular type of fae transport, a submarine that materializes near its destination.

You would think that a very powerful type of being, such as a goddess, would have an easier time when traveling among dimensions or time periods. However, goddesses can have a tougher time of it than some, as will be seen in Mind Your Goddess – Wytchfae 3. Thank you, SCP, for your support in bringing the Wytchfae world to light.

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Venetian Masks

In July of 2011, I took a trip to Italy with my son and as part of that trip we spent a few days in Venice. I totally fell in love with the city. I'd been to Italy before but not to the city of canals. It's an awesome place. The architecture is wonderful, the gelato divine and history is all around. There are too many bridges to count and lots of canals. The really neat thing is that there are no automobiles. The alleys and plazas are too narrow for cars and the only "roads" are the canals.

I was completely captivated by the city and we had a super handsome water taxi driver take us across the Grand Canal from the train station to our hotel near St. Mark's Square. I knew immediately that I'd be writing at least one story set here. The one I've got to share here has been out about two weeks and I have to say, it's pretty hot and I think (or at least hope) I've captured the feel of the city.

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American oil painter Charlotte Bolling travels to Venice, Italy for three months to study the architecture of the old city and paint. She meets Vincente Canaletto, an Italian man who owns a water taxi and gondola business. They’re attracted to each other and begin to date. Charlotte trusts Vincente with information about her past. She ran away from home at age thirteen when her mother, who was a madam in a house of ill repute, offered Charlotte’s virginity to the highest bidder.

Vincente's son was abducted and Vincente's been on a quest to find him for years. When the boy is located by an investigator in Bangkok in a bordello, Charlotte insists on accompanying Vincente to the capital city in Thailand since she believes her own past will be invaluable in winning the child's trust. They embark on a dangerous rescue mission in the back streets of that city.

Where I Work - Lena Hart

A few weeks ago, I lost my desk – and keyboard – to papers, books, mail, pens, pencils (yes, I still keep those around) and more paper. I literally couldn’t write for months with all that clutter. And that physical clutter was fast becoming mental clutter. I knew I needed to purge my office space if I wanted to get the inspiration flowing back and writing with a clearer mind.

So one weekend and three trash bags later, I found my desk again. I reorganized and claimed my writing space back. It was refreshing and exciting to see my desk – and keyboard – again. I found myself getting “butt in chair” more often than I have in months and I now look forward to more writing time with my newfound space.

**Though my desk is finally clutter-free, I always have close at hand:

·      My writing journals

·      GMC by D. Dixon

·      Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale

·      Post-its

·      Desk calendar

·      Water bottle

·      Inspiration!

Lena Hart’s debut novella, BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME, is currently available and her next novella, BECAUSE YOU ARE MINE will be released by Secret Cravings Publishing this March. To learn more about Lena and her work, visit www.LenaHartSite.com or find her rambling at scatblogging.blogspot.com   

Cathy Greenfeder - Where I Work

 

 I worked on my earliest writing in libraries and even on the bus. In fact I began writing my first novel, a historical western romance,  in a yellow spiral notebook during my commute by bus from Nutley, New Jersey to my copywriting job at JC Penney in Manhattan. When JC Penney moved out of New York, like several thousand other employees I lost my job. I quickly got another one, but in between I set up my first home office and began to work on the revision of that first novel. My home office quickly cluttered with boxes of research material, files, and reference books.

While I working on revision of that first book, I began a second book. That book later became my paranormal romance novel, Sacred Fires. Over time, I created story boards, bulletin boards, and even objects to inspire my writing. In that attic office I also wrote a third novel, Angels Among Us, and several short stories along with poetry and articles for newsletters. The attic office became my sanctuary for writing, a place I went to early in the morning or late at night.  I kept a flyer which read “Do It Anyway” which was given to me by motivational speaker and published novelist Alice Orr. This adage got me threw some rough early years and is a reminder not to get discouraged and be willing to take writing risks.

            Over the years I retired a few desktop computers. My first laptop gave me the mobility to work in other rooms of my home or outside my home. Today I do more writing in my dining area and some reviewing or editing work in my family area. It all depends on my mood and where I can work without distractions.

Being near the kitchen, it’s easy to get my coffee or tea and the occasional snack my muse craves. She particularly likes frozen peppermint patties and string cheese with crackers.

Since I have a day job as a teacher, I do most of my writing on the weekends, sometimes on weeknights, and a lot of new material during the summer months.

            I like to listen to music which fits the mood of the story. Murphy, my black Labrador Retriever mix, is a constant companion when I’m home, and he is an attentive audience when I read parts of my stories aloud. I share my home with my husband and our young adult son who’s been helpful with critiques on writing combat scenes.

            I’ve also learned that I can write wherever I need to given the tools to write and an active imagination including the library, the local Starbucks, and the park. After all if I can write a draft of a novel on a crowded commuter bus, I can write in a lot of different place, but there’s no place like home. LOL

***

Catherine Greenfeder is a multi-published and an award winning author. She published two books, Sacred Fires and Angels Among Us, both paranormal romance novels, with

Secret Cravings Publishing. Catherine is currently working on several writing projects including a young adult paranormal and a paranormal novella romance.

www.catherinegreenfeder.vpweb.com

www.catherinegreenfeder.vpweb.com/blog

Carolyn Gibbs Where I Write

My Writing Space

Right now in my life I'm living in a smaller quarters while I figure out where I would like to live next...oh and by the way I need a job too to help me get there. So while I'm figuring all that out, I take a break from it all and delve into the fiction worlds I love to create.

This is my main desk and computer and where the majority of my writing takes place. I share this space with my fiancé. When he's home I sometimes plug in my net book, and move to another side of the room. My cat Gizmo is laying on the power source box next the desk, one of her many daily hangouts. She likes it because it’s warm, cats love the heat.

 

I also enjoy writing on my AlphaSmart. It's easier to travel with than the net book, it runs on batteries only that last forever. Transferring the file to the computer is a breeze. The words appear on the screen like a magic trick. It's fun to watch, and very fast.

I have tried writing in hip places like coffee shops and restaurants, but they're usually too distracting for me, sometimes I've written a quick outline of a story, but never real story writing in public. I have taken my AlphaSmart to the beach and wrote while sitting in my car looking out at the surf. That was nice. I love Jones Beach, I'm a Long Islander at heart. :) If you're a writer, where do you usually work? Do you have any alternate writing places when you need to hide out? Drop me a comment, I'd love to hear where other writers do their writing. My blog is www.carolynwrites.blogspot.com.

I also have a new website where you can read an excerpt of Love and the Economy. http://www.carolyngibbsbooks.com/

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