Just what the Muse Ordered...

Sometimes opportunities come along you simply can’t resist—never mind that one has worked 12 plus hours and has a ‘to-do’ list that rivals my wip for word count. Such an opportunity presented itself this week. You’ll understand once I explain that this opportunity dealt with not one, but TWO New York Times Best-selling romance authors.

You’ll understand even better when I tell you their names.

JULIA QUINN and LAURA LEE GUHRKE

Yep. Two of my favorite historical romance authors were here in the Heartland this week and I wasn’t about to let this chance to meet them and pick their collective author brains pass me by.

I wasn’t disappointed.

I’m always fascinated to hear writers’ stories about how they started writing, their writing process (plotter versus pantser), and I very much enjoy hearing of their funny experiences with editors, agents, copy editors, art departments and readers.

I just finished reading Julia Quinn’s latest release, MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME. I’d previously read Quinn’s ‘companion’ novel, THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM. These books represent a first for Quinn—and, perhaps, a first period. Two books written with different heroines and heroes, but written about the same incidents but from different points of view. This truly fascinated me and I was curious as to just how one would go about writing these books. So I asked the author.

“With a great deal of difficulty,” Quinn assured me. The books were written simultaneously, which made sense. But, Julia added, it was a very tricky proposition, indeed, as she couldn’t get too much ahead of herself in one POV’s story or it could totally screw up the story for her other protagonists. It was something she’d always wanted to do, she said. But now that she’s done it, Quinn added, she won’t do it again.

It was a difficult multiple birth.

I loved both books!

Laura Lee Guhrke (SECRET DESIRES OF A GENTLEMAN) garnered my amazed respect (and yes, I admit, some ‘NO FAIR!’ sentiment) when she admitted she really has no idea when she starts writing what is going to happen to her hero and heroine. No idea at all.

I am in awe.

Her books are such wonderfully complex, emotional stories that I'd swear she must’ve spent hours and hours and hours on character worksheets, story boards, and white boards with tons of sticky notes. (In other words, my typical SOP.) Sigh.

As I said before, NO FAIR!

I love being around other writers. I love the fact that their thoughts often mirror my own. Or that they understand those little idiosyncracies unique to writers. Or that they think it’s not only perfectly normal to hear voices in your head, but actually believe it’s like a positive thing.

Sometimes this is just what the ‘muse’ ordered.

It certainly was for me.

Writing is a gift.

Writers spending time with other writers:

Priceless.

Hope your week is filled with inspiration and time to recharge your batteries.

~Bullet Hole who may post this early because she can't get it to save~