Mariposa's Musings

I’m pleased to have a fellow, Sierra Romance Writer, Meggan Connors join us today. What inspired you to become a writer? I've always told stories to myself to help me get to sleep at night. Sometimes, my brain just didn't want to shut off, and so I'd dream of far away places, of handsome men and the women who loved them. I wrote for years—a scene here, a scene there—before finally trying my hand at writing a novel. But then graduate school came along, along with the requisite thesis and the follow-up academic articles, and the writing for pleasure took a backseat for a while. About two and a half years ago, I woke up and told my husband, "You know, I think I'll write a romance novel." Who are your favorite romance characters (besides your own?) Let's see. I like Colt Thunder in Johanna Lindsey's Savage Thunder . I also loved, loved, loved Dageus in Karen Moning's Dark Highlander . I love Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre (Michael Fassbender p...

I’m pleased Regina Duke, good friend and a fellow writer from Sierra Romance Writers, could join us today. What advice do you have for writers who are considering indie publishing? This sounds contradictory, but I would say, “Jump in! Then slow down!” By that I mean that there is a lot of non-writing stuff to learn about the publishing end. I had to figure out the various web sites, set up my accounts, create web sites (still learning there), find indie lists and support groups, and all of that was happening at the same time I was re-editing the novel I decided to publish first. Some people are gifted at web-related tasks. I didn’t even have Twitter or Facebook! So if you are in that boat, jump in as soon as possible and get busy with those areas. Then, once you have a book ready to publish, slow down and proofread it again. (Personal experience speaking, she blushed.) And once it is published, slow down your expectations a bit. We read about authors who are selling thousands of book...

No release date yet, but just got the cover art for Roar! and couldn't wait to share! Focused on the bottom line, corporate paralegal Linda Underwood answers to no one. Linda’s world is torn apart when a bear shifter turns her romantic weekend rendezvous into a desperate struggle to stay alive. Now a recently-turned shifter herself, she is determined to beat the affliction by ignoring her newly awakened beastly impulses. After the accidental death of his wife, shifter Flynn Cromwell finds solace immersed in his computer network security work in a remote mountain cabin. When he discovers Linda’s ravaged body near the brink of death, he’s compelled to protect her. Can Flynn save Linda from her own stubborn nature and defend her from a vicious shifter with a taste for her blood? If you like Kate and Jack, they also make an appearance in Roar!