“Where do you get your ideas?” Writers get this question all the time. It’s an honest question asked by readers and in some cases interviewers who want to know about the process. I understand the impetus behind the question. I just don’t have an answer for it. The fact is, if I had a formula, a foolproof means of finding a good idea for a novel, I could get one whenever I wanted and this job would be… well, I’d still have to write the book, so “easy” might be something of an overstatement. But it wouldn’t be as hard, by a discernible margin. My latest book, INSPECTOR SPECTER, is the sixth in the Haunted Guesthouse series. You’d think after five other books with the same characters it would be a struggle to find something for them to do. Not at all. This one came from the characters, which is the best place to start. Alison Kerby owns a guesthouse on the Jersey Shore and it happens to have two ghosts haunting it. They get along okay, but that’s a long story all by itself. She also has a PI license, and in this book is asked by Lt. Anita…

Is there a ghost story from your youth that stands out in your mind? One that gave you chills? Maybe a local story or a traditional campfire tale? Holly Miller is moving to Wagtail Mountain. She hasn’t given the tale of Becca Wraith any thought at all in years. When she was a kid, her cousin wouldn’t sleep alone after hearing the story, but Holly wasn’t scared. Now ghost hunters are arriving and checking into the Sugar Maple Inn where Holly works. They’re coming to research the legend of Becca Wraith. Holly still doesn’t believe in ghosts, but most people in Wagtail do. It’s an old town where people used to come for the waters. Residents report seeing Becca’s ghost, as well as those of her ill-fated suitors, around town. Holly isn’t worried. After all, it’s just a story. But as spooky things happen, Holly realizes there must have been some historical basis for the ghost story about Becca. Still, it’s all in good fun until someone is murdered, and Becca’s ghost was seen nearby. About the Author New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Paws & Claws Mysteries for animal lovers that debuted in December with MURDER,…

In the early stages of a doing a first draft for my first solo novel, WIND IN THE WIRES, I gave a shout-out on social media for volunteers to do critique. I was so used to my writing partner husband’s coming alongside throughout the process of each project. I missed that vital interchange. So, I sought out readers who would dare peek at rough beginnings. Some were given three to five pages. Others had a full first chapter. As the comments rolled in, my excitement grew. The story evolved. Perspective emerged on where the characters and plot needed to develop. Invaluable! They truly helped me recognize changes needed. And as he or she invested in the story, I received inspiration and encouragement. Later, they inquired about my progress and even prayed for me. Here are the original first lines they observed: Rebalene Mereddith Campbell searched for the cow again though she’d rather be riding the wind or meditating on a hill somewhere. She slowed down to study the terrain. First of all, Rebalene Mereddith Campbell seemed like a tongue twister or at least a bit awkward. Eventually I shortened it to Reba, then Reba Mae, and switched her last name…

One is a subspecies of demon. Another is a guardian. And, well, Christmas is the last holiday many would expect to see either of them celebrate. With Lilith, the mother of all demons, as the vampire queen… Yeah, it make you curious to see how it would all work out. Could it work? Do vampires actually celebrate Christmas? Oh, but wait! One of the vampire heroes was a priest in his human life. Then there is the heroine. Rhianna isn’t a vampire and she spent her adult life living as a human. She had adopted the human holidays in order to fit in. Being the adopted daughter of a vampire lord, she knows the vampire way of life. That is why she’s pleasantly surprised when her vampire mates accepts her traditions and honor her desire to put up a tree and decorate the mansion. So where do gargoyles play into the mix? They are the guardians of the night, protectors of the vampire lords against threats from a group of demons out to destroy their peaceful life in the human world. Plus, Rhianna is part gargoyle. IT’S A VAMPIRE CHRISTMAS is a vampire ménage Christmas story and a taste of…

If I could get away with it, I would probably wear pajamas all the time, but my grandmother never left the house unless she was wearing the perfect outfit, had her hair and makeup in place, and had just the right jewelry to match. She loved jewelry. From the time I was a little girl, I remember her traveling to Hong Kong and other exotic-sounding locales and coming home with gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, and rings (most of which were costume jewelry, but I didn’t know that). I would put them all on, usually all at once, stick my tiny feet in her high heels, and totter around, imagining myself in a beautiful ball gown dancing with the prince. After my grandmother passed away, the task of sorting through her jewelry fell to me and my sister. We went through what we thought was the costume jewelry and divided up the items we each wanted, then set aside the rest to give away. My sister chose a fake but large diamond on a plain gold chain to give to a friend’s daughter for dress up. It just so happens that at the time, her then boyfriend, who is a police officer,…

I think each genre has their own challenges that a writer must overcome, but today we’ll focus on two that I have some recent experience in: New Adult versus Young Adult novels. I started my published career with a paranormal young adult series, The Life After. I always felt comfortable writing in the YA genre because to me, when you are in that age group, there is a lot of urgency in everything that you do. Think back to high school where every decision seemed to be life or death. You HAD to go to prom with that boy or go to that party or your life would be over. Sound familiar? Even though high school was tough for everyone, it’s still part of the shaping of our lives. Writing in that time period is where I love to be. After I completed The Life After series, I was finally able to sit back and think about what I wanted to do next. A story had been mulling around in my brain for a while I wanted to explore it. I had worked for my local Parks Department in high school at a nearby pool and I wanted to create…

It’s one of the cardinal rules of parenthood—don’t play favorites with your kids. I think I did a pretty good of obeying that one when I was raising my family. My husband I used to tease our son and daughter when they were cranky or acting spoiled. One would ask the question, “Why did he/she get to do XYZ?” or “How come he/she got this or that gift when I only got this?” Our answer was always the same: “Because we love him/her more.” Yeah, no one said it was easy growing up with two parents who loved to mess with their kids. But they both knew that they were loved, and when they stopped to really ponder upon whatever the situation was, I’m sure they had no doubt that we never played favorites. But when it comes to my characters, well, I can’t say the same. I have to admit, a couple of my heroes and heroines rise to the top. Lucy and Dex from THE SURROGATE HUSBAND are definitely way up on that list. Lucy was speaking to me before I’d even plotted out the story! I envisioned her naturally black hair dyed hot pink, half a dozen…

Gifts come in many shapes and sizes, but I believe the most precious ones are those delivered from the heart. It’s easy to get caught up in the mayhem of life, particularly during the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, but every day, there are people amidst the chaos who help you, who take time out of their busy lives to make a difference in yours. This year, why not return that gift? This holiday season, as wrapped gifts exchange hands, I ask you to pause, reflect on those who’ve truly made a difference in your life, and if possible, find a special way to say thank you. This can be a simple gesture—something like a greeting card, a bouquet of flowers, or a heartfelt poem. Maybe you could bake someone their favorite cookies? Or, present them a coupon book filled with everyday chores, which they can tear out and give you to do on those trying days when they really need a helping hand. The absolute best gift you can offer another person is one given from the heart. And when special-delivered, without any strings attached, it touches their own. This Christmas, I’m making gift baskets filled with my…

I’m so excited to visit Fresh Fiction again and chat about my latest release and how I finally got a chance to apply some of the graduate school classes I had about ten years ago. You see, I work as a web developer now, but before that I was a graduate student in information systems. A lot of my studies were related neural networks, artificial intelligence, that kind of thing. Wow, I gotta tell you I lived in front of the computer reading academic papers and right now its so much easier to write a story than write a dissertation. The sheer amount of research was mind-boggling. (Not that I still don’t have to do research, but it’s a totally different level.) I have a feeling some would disagree, but that is a story for another day. In essence, UNDER MY SKIN is science fiction fantasy about a young woman’s fight to free herself from a man who wants to take over her body. He is a relentless general who is bent on living forever and she must learn to be courageous when she never had to be. When I was writing UNDER MY SKIN, I wanted the technology behind…

As any writer will tell you, the ideas are the (kind of) easy part – it’s the writing that’s difficult, the (sometimes magical, other times not so much!) slog that can make you lose your mind. This is (kind of) true of my debut Regency-set romp, The Hope Diamond Trilogy. I’ve wanted to write historical fiction for as long as I remember; I’ve been a fan of all things sparkly and bejeweled for almost long. (Ask my mom: when I was little – we’re talking bald baby here – I’d raid my grandmother’s jewelry drawer for her clip-on dangly earrings.) I don’t remember, exactly, when these two interests – history and jewels – crossed paths. I’m pretty sure I was researching potential ideas for my novel and came across a tantalizing morsel. Turns out the stone we would later know as the Hope Diamond materializes, mysteriously, in 1812 London after disappearing some two decades before during the tumult of the French Revolution. No one knows how the diamond – known as the French Blue, a part of the French Crown Jewels – got to London, or why, or who bought it; the next time it presence was recorded was much…