Music is a powerful thing. It can bring up deep emotions, make you feel happy, or sad, or instantly bring back a memory of another time. But it can also help you write. And I’ve found that the music that I listen to makes a difference in the way that I write. I know a lot of writers that listen to particular music for certain books, whether it be love songs or rock ballads, some even creating whole soundtracks for their books. I can’t do that. I can listen to certain sounds when I’m plotting, sounds that set the tone or the feel for the story. But when I’m actually writing, I like it to either be quiet or to have music that is only instrumental, otherwise I get caught up listening to the lyrics instead of my own internal flow of words. The last year, I have changed my writing routine. In order to increase my production, I have plotted more heavily, and I participate in writing sprints with a few other authors. We set a timer for 30 or 40 minutes, then commit to write with no distractions for that time, then report our word count numbers. We…

Thanks so much for having me back on Fresh Fiction to celebrate the release of HOW TO HANDLE A SCANDAL, the second book in my Scandalous Sisters series. It’s the story of Miss Elizabeth Tarryton, whom readers first met when she was a gorgeous, rebellious teenager in THE BEAUTIFUL ONE. Elizabeth is a little too beautiful for her own good, and she definitely likes to make a splash. When she goes to London for her first season, she’s in girls-just-want-to-have-fun mode and, well, she’s a bit of a scandal. So she’s the perfect person to offer some tips on How to Survive a London Season: Don’t go swimming in fountains in the presence of gentlemen and wearing an evening gown. Or at least, don’t get caught in the Regency version of a wet t-shirt. Eliza’s beloved guardian, Viscount Grandville, has warned her about the damage she might cause her reputation if she doesn’t tone down her behavior, but she’s having the time of her life, and she just can’t seem to resist fun, which in Eliza’s case is usually spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Don’t kiss gentlemen in public, stand on the streets of London serenading a man through his window, or sneak…

When I think of an unproductive writer, I think of a bowl of cooked spaghetti—limp, colorless, tasteless, no energy. It’s been submerged into boiling water and didn’t survive. None of us want to fall into that category when we can take steps to stay strong and avoid the vat of despair. What happens when a writer realizes her career isn’t shaping up to what she dreamed? How can we ensure our manuscripts are fresh, filled with vitality, and eagerly read? Let’s take another look at the lifeless bowl of cooked spaghetti. Sometimes all a bowl of spaghetti needs is a little seasoning. It’s amazing what salt, pepper, and basil can add to the dish. When we sprinkle our manuscripts with a fresh edit, reach out to guest blog, or create an engaging Pinterest board, we add small but significant ways to add zest to our careers. When we have bad results, we take the time to evaluate the brand of spaghetti we’re using. Maybe a new brand or promoting the one we’re using will give us better results. Is a website redesign necessary? A smart writer evaluates what she is doing and how she is progressing. Does your spaghetti taste…

Hey there! I’m so happy to be on your fab blog again. I just adore everyone at Fresh Fiction! 🙂 This time, I’d like to do something special and share with you the playlist for WIFE FOR THE WEEKEND. For those of you who’ve been following me, you know that I’m notorious for making very extensive and detailed playlists for all of my books. Sometimes, I have songs saved before I start even writing the book. Music just sets the tone for me, and can even shake me out of a scene if I’m stuck. Songs have so much emotion! So, without further ado, I present the highlights of my WIFE FOR THE WEEKEND playlist. For the complete Spotify list, click here And now, happy listening! Waking Up in Vegas – Katy Perry Okay, if you’ve read the blurb, it’s not a surprise that Jules and Dexter get accidentally hitched in Vegas, so of course this song is first on my list. And it’s playfulness pretty much sets the tone for the whole book Troublemaker – Olly Murs So yeah, Jules might be kind of flighty and when she and Dex are trying to get their fake-relationship stories straight, she…

Since I’ve been writing about leprechauns, I especially look forward to St. Patty’s Day. But I keep running into those who think that leprechauns are little, green men. People just can’t seem to wrap their heads around the trick. So today, I’d like to introduce you to some leprechauns who have promised to set the record straight. Up first is Fergus, the clan leader of the leprechauns in Fayetteville. Fergus: I didn’t promise to set the record straight. I just heard there was beer. Me: Yes, there’s beer, but first, you promised to explain how leprechauns were not little, green men. Fergus: Promise? What promise? Are you sure that’s what we discussed? Because I distinctly remember someone mentioning beer. Me: We’ll get to the beer! First, let’s discuss leprechauns. Most people are surprised to learn they’re not wee fairies, but actually grown men. How do you explain that? Fergus: I don’t. Like I said, I’m just here for the beer. Murphy: Stop messing with the woman, Fergus. You started this whole thing by revealing our secrets originally, so now you need to answer the lady’s questions. Me: Murphy, ladies and gentlemen. Bar owner and president of the local International Boxing…

In PLAYING DEFENSE, Chris Winslow believes in taking life as it comes, and then adding a little levity to it all. After an elaborate prank with dairy cows dyed to match team colours, he’s warned that his future on the Corrigan Falls Raiders (hockey team) is at risk if he doesn’t get a bit more serious at least about his grades at school. His tutor will be Claudia Waring. She’s not humourless, exactly, but she definitely feels that there’s an appropriate time and place for laughter. A very limited time and place. As she spends time with Chris, though, she begins to realize that life doesn’t always have to be quite as serious as she’s made it. She begins to realize there are some benefits to spending time with someone who has a lighter approach to the world… 5 Reasons to Fall for the Class Clown That sore stomach you get when you watch a really good comedy? It’s because laughing is good exercise for your abs. It’s good for his abs, too, especially if he’s already ripped from hockey-related workouts. Ahhh… abs. It takes courage and self-confidence to call attention to yourself and let people laugh at you. And…

When I was asked to blog about my favorite web series — web series-es? What’s the plural of series?—I jumped at the chance. After all, I love web series — okay, good. It’s series. I looked it up— What’s not to love? It’s entertainment in small nummy bites. Also, it ties into the Creative HeArts series I’m working on for Entangled Crush. Creative HeArts takes place as an arts-based high school in Austin, Texas. The characters are working together on their senior seminar project—you guessed it!—a web series. The characters decide to write and produce their own musical-comedy-horror satire about a modern day Lizzie Borden. The Lizzie Borden Diaries will be weaving in and out of all twelve of the Creative HeArts books. Here’s my list of favorite web series, some of which inspired The Lizzie Borden Diaries, others of which are just plain fun entertainment! Millennial Parents This series gives a straight up hysterical look at modern parenting. The two leads are engaging, I laugh out loud nearly every episode, and the episodes are short (under three minutes a piece). My only warning, you will want to watch them obsessively until you’ve seen them all! Long Story Short This…

Five years ago, I scribbled down a few pages about a teen witch who went up against Hecate. The story took root in my brain, and before I really knew what was happening, I’d drafted the book that would become DAUGHTER OF CHAOS, but I didn’t stop there. I fell immediately into the second book, and then the third, drafting the trilogy in under a year. Darlena and her world became almost tangible for me the longer I was immersed in the story, and these characters have been a constant part of my life for the last half a decade. I’ve connected with my different stories and characters in different ways, but whenever I came back to Darlena’s story to revise, both while I was still looking for a publisher and after I’d sold the trilogy and had begun the detailed editorial process, I was struck by the easy familiarity. It didn’t seem to matter how long it had been since I’d worked on a draft, and it didn’t seem to matter what other characters I’d inhabited in the intervening time; whenever I came back to the Red Magic series, I slipped effortlessly into Darlena’s head, her voice feeling almost…

The heroine for my new release TRUE PERIL has a complex personality, but no one can say she’s a pushover. Here are 5 things that make Eve a badass. She’s a graduate of the Police Academy. She’s an expert marksman. She prefers war zones to She takes on two rebel soldiers and wins. She points a gun at the head of the hero until he proves he’s on her side. And 5 things that show her soft side. Her life’s work is to rescue children from being used as child soldiers, cooks, and sex slaves. She tries to take down an arms dealer, but works to protect his family. She offers herself in exchange for a teenage girl who is about to be raped. Even after being mistreated by her family, she returns again and again to give them another chance. She brings orphaned children into her apartment. About Veronica Forand A Bostonian by birth, Veronica Forand regrettably lost her Boston accent while moving from state to state and country to country. Cleveland probably had the most profound effect on her ability to pronounce the “r” in the word “park.” She does try to return now and then to visit…

1.) You won’t see Lady Lila falling in love at first sight with Brook Derring. She hated him. Amazing how one might exist for years and never think of a person, and then less than a day after becoming reacquainted, she absolutely despised him. 2.) You won’t see Brook falling in love at first sight with Lila . . . again.  He fell in love with Lila seven years ago and wound up humiliated and brokenhearted. Now he won’t allow himself to feel anything but hate for her. Brook would murder Lady Lila himself. How dare she trap him in this fashion? “Brook, I don’t—I just don’t want you to hate me for this.” “It’s far too late for that.” 3.) You won’t see the Brook and Lila marrying for love. When Lila’s life is in danger, Brook is coerced by Lila’s father’s machinations into marrying her. The duke believes that marriage between the antagonistic pair is the only way to keep Lila’s reputation from being ruined while at the same time keeping her safe. In the middle of the ceremony, Lila takes Brook aside to have a heart to heart. “But you don’t want to marry me!” “I want…