Dark and Stormy Knight :: Cover Reveal

Today we’re unveiling the cover of Nina Mason’s Dark and Stormy Knight, book two in the

author’s erotic paranormal Knights of Avalon series. Book one, Starry Knight, will be published

by Lyrical/Kensington on August 4, with Dark and Stormy Knight to follow on January 5, 2016.

Here’s the cover for Dark and Stormy Knight:

Knights of Avalon, book 2, will release January 5, 2016

and is now available for pre-order.

Here’s the blurb for Dark and Stormy Knight:

She’ll risk everything for their love—even her life.

Aspiring screenwriter Gwyn Morland is ready for her big break. That means securing the film

rights to elusive author Lady Ruthven’s acclaimed novel—which means traveling to Scotland.

It’s a trip timid Gwyn isn’t prepared for, and her fears seem justified when her tour bus careens

over a cliff outside of Castle Glenarvon. But the plot thickens when Gwyn is rescued from the

brink of death by a handsome and mysterious stranger…

Leith MacQuill is not only the writer behind Lady Ruthven’s novel, but a shape-shifting faery

knight bearing a tragic curse: the woman he gives his heart to will die. Saving Gwyn proves to be

a dangerous choice when he finds himself falling for her the longer she stays in the castle. Not

even his usual BDSM role-playing games are enough to thwart the intense desire they feel for

each other. But to stay together, Gwyn and Leith must embark on a dangerous mission into

Avalon, the realm of the faeries.

Will their love be strong enough to conquer the curse? Or will Gwyn’s new life be stolen from

her before it’s even begun?

****

In case you missed it, here’s the cover and blurb for Starry Knight, book one in The Knights

of Avalon series:

Starry Knight releases August 4 and is available now for pre-order.

Can these star-crossed lovers bridge two worlds?

British aristocrat Vanessa Bentley has beauty, fame, and fortune, but she gets no respect for her

decision to become a paranormal investigator. Determined to prove the naysayers wrong,

Vanessa ventures to the misty moors of Caithness, Scotland. There stands the immense Castle

Barrogill, where a vampire is rumored to be stalking the dungeons—a vampire Vanessa is

determined to find.

She just has to get past the resident shape-shifter…

Callum Lyon is the gorgeous reclusive astrologer and faery knight who owns the castle. For free-

spirited Vanessa, seducing him proves to be easy. After all, he was once a breeding drone to a

Queen. But astrologically, their differences are harder to overcome. Will Vanessa’s

mission—and Callum’s secrets—be more than their burgeoning love can take? Or will

flesh—and blood—win over the ghosts that haunt them both? ….

Here’s the trailer for Starry Knight:

The Blood Talisman

 

The Blood Talisman by Kim Culpepper

 

Book Name: The Blood Talisman

Book Genre: Urban Fantasy

Book release date: 05/21/2014

The Blood Talisman on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22490952-the-blood-talisman

The Blood Talisman on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Blood-Talisman-Kim-Culpepper-ebook/dp/B00PEXI36G

I love this cover….

The Blood Talisman book blurb:

Alex Jacobs gets bitten by a werewolf, and that’s only the beginning of his problems. When his wife is kidnapped and turned into someone he doesn’t recognize anymore, he not only struggles with letting her go but, also with saving her life.

Selene is a powerful witch that not only teaches Alex the ways of the wolf but, also teaches him about restraint and purpose. Her shy innocence quickly attracts him to her and he struggles with being torn between two women. Their feelings for each other are constantly put to the test as a battle for the blood talisman, the key to immortality, is fought for power to some and a way to live forever for others. It is quickly learned that immortality comes at a price to all of humanity.
Doesn’t this sound awesome!!! I’m so going to read this. Stay tuned for a review. I’ve got some little pieces to entice you with too.

Romantic:
She sat on the grass, moving her hands up and down along it, as if she were calming it. The wind began to blow softly at first and then harder from within the forest. Selene’s long hair whipped Alex’s face behind her. He started to worry from not understanding what was happening. Suddenly the wind stopped and she stood and whistled. The whistle carried throughout the forest in the opposite direction of the wind. There was a moment of silence and then the sounds of tiny footsteps filled the forest. Alex took hold of Selene’s arm once again in a protective manner, and pulled her closer to him. He watched the forest and she watched him.

Scary:
Ember grabbed Alex by the neck, lifting him off his feet. The bones within him started to break and his blood scorched angrily through him. She threw him down just as he finished changing into the wolf. He could smell the blood from the man lying on the floor, hear his heart slowly beating. He was very near death. Ember stood back and watched in enjoyment as he devoured the attendant.

Sad:
Selene fell to the floor, laying her book bag into her lap and crying for Alex’s absence. She had come so far with him to have it end like this. She felt lost and confused without him. She no longer had focus and restraint. What hurt her the worst was that he hadn’t told her that he loved her. He had only done that once, before they hunted for the blood talisman. She sat there in shock and in emotional pieces, without words.

Villainous:
“I will rip your throat out, wolf. Then I’ll bed your wife and have your mistress killed. Don’t tempt me,” Ram snarled at him as he released his grip and Alex fell to the floor.

Sexy/Romantic:
His breath began to increase with every inch closer to her face. Her eyes were like glass as they glared into his very soul.

OMG! I’m so going to read this.

About Kim:

Kim Culpepper is a horror lover! She is the author of The Blood Talisman, several short stories, and also runs Dark Child Create, a company the designs custom book covers. Her work has been published in Sanitarium Magazine, The Opening Line Literary Zine, and more.

Kim is a native of Colombus, Mississippi where she lives with her wonderful husband, two beautiful kids, and two mischievous cats.  Most of her writing is based in the south because she enjoys writing characters with accents and the South has plenty of people to inspire that.

 

Kim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kculpepper1

Kim’s Blog: http://www.kjculpepper.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.culpepper.3

Kim on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7957042.Kim_Culpepper

 

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The Blood Talisman! We will be giving one e-copy away for the blog tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join the book buzz using hashtag #BloodTalisman

Give Me Hope :: Book Review

Caution!! Proceed with care.
Spoilers!

Give Me Hope is book two of The Reason Series by Zoey Derrick. Give Me Reason was the first book.
In Give Me Reason, we meet Vivienne Callahan and Mikah Blake and those of you who read it, like me almost died where the book left off. Vivienne is beaten and left for dead by none other than her ex-boyfriend Riley.

GMH is Mikah’s story. It starts the night Viv is beaten; the police show up at Mikah’s house and question him. They’ve seen his car outside of her apartment and want to know why. Mikah goes to her apartment the next day, hoping to take her to her doctor appointment, but she never comes out. He goes inside and finds her unconscious in a pool of blood. He rushes her to the hospital.

Yeah, so… she’s in real bad shape and the doctor puts her into a coma to give her a chance to heal. The whole book takes place in the hospital, the waiting room, a private room, and the chapel. He finds out that Riley’s father is one of his business partners and begins cutting all ties with him; the father comes to the hospital and actually argues with Mikah.

Mikah begins to understand that he really loves her. He also learns exactly what he is and what those strange pains in his shoulders are and why. Oh yeah…
He’s an angel!
He has an angel teacher, and OMG, the prologue in the beginning of Book 1 starts making major sense.

Vivienne is connected to all sorts of machines while she’s in a coma, some to keep her alive others to monitor the baby. The heart monitor reacts every time Mikah comes near her and he’s happy to know she knows he’s there. Something is going on with Vivienne though; Mikah and Dr. Alston notice can’t believe how fast she’s healing. When she finally wakes up, she is happy he’s there. She accepts his offers of help, which pleases him.

If I don’t stop now, I’m going to give away the whole book.

I loved Give Me Hope. Loved it! I’m not big on angels but I was happy with Ms. Derrick’s Mikah. I can barely wait until December 31, when Book 3 should be released. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I allowed my 15 yro read Give Me Reason, and she’s anxiously awaiting Give Me Hope, along with my mother and a few other women I know.

I tell you this because women of various ages love the first book in the series and I’m sure the second book will be the same.

BLURB/SYNOPSIS

An Angel is he…

From the first moment he saw her, MIKAH BLAKE was seized by an inexplicable need to protect Vivienne Callahan, a fragile but fiery young woman who’s awakened a slumbering power within him. With his encouragement, Vivienne has begun to turn her life around, and things seem to be heading in the direction of a slow but certain happily-ever-after. But that happy ending is side tracked by a rising evil that is determined to destroy her.

When her dark past comes back to claim her, Mikah is caught in a whirlwind of events that lead him down a path he was born into but never understood. Until now.

Can Mikah save Vivienne?  Will his love be enough? Will he be able to control his angelic powers and use them to protect his newfound love?

Zoey Derrick Author Information:

Amazon Best Selling Angels, Demons & Devils and Paranormal Author of Give Me Reason – The Reason Series Book One comes from Glendale, Arizona. Zoey, was a mortgage underwriter by day and is now a paranormal, romance and erotica novelist full-time. She writes stories as hot as the desert sun itself. It is this passion that drips off of her work, bringing excitement to anyone who enjoys a good and sensual love story.

Not only does she aim to take her readers on an erotic dance that lasts the night, it allows her to empty her mind of stories we all wish were true.
 Her stories are hopeful yet true to life, skillfully avoiding melodrama and the unrealistic, bringing her gripping Erotica only closer to the heart of those that dare dipping into it.

The intimacy of her fantasies that she shares with her readers is thrilling and encouraging, climactic yet full of suspense. She is a loving mistress, up for anything, of which any reader is doomed to return to again and again.

Links To Find Zoey

WWW.ZOEYDERRICK.COM

http://www.amazon.com/Zoey-Derrick/e/B00CNZYGZU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ZOEY.DERRICK

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ZOEY.DERRICK.1

WWW.TWITTER.COM/ZOEYDERRICK

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7060851.Zoey_Derrick

Interview with Author Zoey Derrick

I’m so very happy to have Ms. Zoey Derrick, author of Finding Love’s Wings and Give Me Reason here today. Thank you so much Zoey for coming by today. I’m ecstatic to have you hear and for your jump into the Paranormal genre. So why don’t we get this interview started. Everyone’s here to learn more about you not to hear me gush about your work.

 

When did you start writing stories?
I started writing stories when I was in high school. Preferring to tell stories in my papers rather then honing in on the facts. I stopped writing stories all together until a college course last year when I was tasked with a creative writing project. That project was to be 4 pages long and before I knew it, it was 28 pages long and Finding Love’s Wings was born.

Why Erotica?
Why not? Just kidding – I love writing erotica because it gives me a chance to fulfill my own fantasies and even the fantasies that I never knew I had. Plus, writing about sex is just so much fun! Also, after reading Twilight (yeah I know, I’m a sekret Twihard at heart) I realized that to me Love and Sex are synonymous, you cannot have one without the other -in my mind.

Why did you decide to not go the erotica route for Give Me Reason?
Give Me Reason has no erotica in it (yet-as a series- is still to be determined) because Vivienne is such a strong character with a very devastating background that I needed her to be in a good headspace in order to allow for that passion to flow and grow.

Why did you choose to self-publish?
This is a tough question to answer. I decided that self=publishing would be best for me (for now) because it allows me the freedom and flexibility to write what I want, when I want it, and how I want it. It also gives me the ability to be able to work a full-time day job (again, for now) to make ends meet without being tied to publisher demands. There is also the freedom of writing. I cannot write if I am not in the mood, and stories come to me when they are ready to be written down and I cannot force them.
Lastly – I absolutely hate rejection! LOL!

* I understand the Muse demands attention when she demands it. She’ll leave if I can’t engage in her Muse.iness *

What’s next? What can we expect from you?
Wow, there is a big long list of what’s next. Give Me Reason is book 1 in a 4-part novella series that I’m working on as we speak. Give Me Hope – Book 2 has been written and is in the process of editing and development. The books will be released about 8 weeks apart from each other, concluding on Valentines Day 2014.
After GMR(Give Me Reason) I will be deep in the throws of Finding Love’s Wings 2 (I know – Finally right?)
I also have plans completing Devilish Desire as a counterpart to the Reason Series. If you haven’t read Devilish Desire – You can find it on www.deadlyeverafter.com

*Yay! I’m so excited for more of GMR and Devilish Desire is **faints** Finding Love’s Wings, well that was amazing too. I can’t wait for all the progress*

What’s your long-term writing goal?
To keep writing, and writing and writing some more. I have no plans in the near future to stop writing.

What’s your writing goal for this year?
See above about what to expect from me – but by December 31^st 2013 I plan to have the entire Reason Series completed and begin writing Finding Love’s Wings 2 (Title to be determined)

What kind of author do you want to be remembered as?
A creative one. I want my stories to be unique in their characters. Plot lines are sometimes hard to be unique, but as in FLW, you see that though the story line may be similar to a lot of other stories out there, you have two amazing characters to bring you along for the ride.

Would you ever write a novel targeted just to men?
No, I can’t say that I will, though I have a mountain of short erotic stories that some day may make it onto the interwebs and those particular stories may have a larger male audience.
 

What’s your favorite genre to write?
At first, before-during-after Finding Love’s Wings I would have said Romance/Erotica. But the Reason Series is giving me new love for the Paranormal, Angels and Demons more specifically.

* Once you go Paranormal You never go back. ROTFLOL! Seriously 😀 *

What’s your favorite genre to read?
Oh Boy! This is hard to answer because I can’t say that I have a favorite genre – I love Romance, Mystery- Suspense, Erotica, Paranormal (Vampires more specifically)

* Oh, that last one hit my soft spot! Paranormal and VAMPIRES!! *

What’s your favorite novel?
Uhm, there isn’t just one, there are a mountain of them.. But the ones that I go back to again and again make this list.
J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series. (Vampire)
Marata Eros’s Druid Breeders Series. (Vampire)
E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey, Darker, Freed (Romance/Erotica/BDSM)
Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster (New Adult/Romance)
Sylvain Reynard’s Gabriel’s Inferno/Gabriel’s Rapture (Romance)
Anything by Nelson DeMille (Mystery-Suspense)
Sylvia Day’s Crossfire Series (Erotic Romance)

What’s your favorite Story?
Stems from my childhood – The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and every book after that! 🙂

What’s your favorite Poem?
Tell Tale Heart – By Edgar Allen Poe

What’s your favorite type of music?
Country – Love me some cowboys!

What’s your favorite band or group?
All time favorites include Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, and Creed/Scott Stapp are the ones I always return to.

What’s your favorite song?
This changes DAILY! But right now my favorites are “Just Give Me A Reason” by P!nk, “Stay” By Rhianna and Mikky Ekko and these are mainly because they are the two songs that have been driving The Reason Series.

Do you listen to music while you write?
All the time. Usually whatever playlist I’ve created for the book I’m writing.

Who is you hero?
My Mom. Her strength gives me strength and I hope to one day be more like her.

Who was your childhood hero?
Other than my Mom, I can’t say for sure that I had one.

What are you proudest moments?
I have a Son who is 8 – Do I need to say much more than that? 🙂

What one thing would you like to learn to do?
Drive a motorcycle.

List five things on you bucket list. If you have one.
Go to Europe – Ireland, England, France, Germany, Italy.
Drive the entire historic Route 66.
Go to Australia
Write a New York Times BestSeller
See one of my books on the big screen. 

What message do you want your readers to get from your work?
This question is going to have a very specific answer in terms of Give Me Reason – I want everyone to know that there is help available to those who suffer from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and more importantly that the women who are victims of Domestic Violence know there is help out there.

What are your favorite things to do when you not writing?
Reading, reading, oh did I mention reading -though lately my TBR pile has grown to the size of a small mountain.

What do you like best about your hometown?
I don’t think I can pin point one thing specifically about my hometown that I like best – Where I live now is so far removed from what I grew up in that I think I love both equally. 🙂!

If you could trade places with a famous person for one day, who would it be?
I cannot think of anyone that wouldn’t get me into trouble – You know all those wives jealous over another woman spending time with the super sexy husband! :-P!

If you could spend the day with anyone, living or dead who would it be?
Oh my goodness – this is a tough question to answer because there are SO many on my list.
William Shakespeare is top of that list though.

What do you think is your best trait?
That I’m crazy enough to go out on a limb and do things, like write books.

What’s one of the most important things you learned from you characters?
To be honest, to stand up and fight for what you believe in and most of all that you can find love in the most unexpected places.

Do have any words to live by?
Carpe Diem – Seize the Day!

What song is the anthem of your life?
This requires and entire album and then some. I don’t have one particular song that fits me completely because of the close relationship I have with my mom is a song by Jamie O’Neal called Somebody’s Hero.

What would you take with you to a deserted island?
Books, lots and lots of books unless of course I could take the actual characters from those books, then that would be one hell of a party.

Do you consider yourself romantic?
I can be, when the moments are right or if they’re with the right person.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
See bucket list above. Any of those European Counties or Australia.

Whom, if any, would you like to work with?
I would LOVE to work with a list of Authors on a book or collaboration but the first one that comes to mind is Debra Anastasia (Author of Poughkeepsie, Bittersweet Seraphim and Crushed Seraphim). Her humor and overall attitude on life is inspiring.

 

Thank you so much Zoey, for stopping by and talking with us. I can’t wait for the sequels to these great works.

Here are Zoey’s links so you can follow her. I think we should all keep our eyes on this very talented woman. 

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Personal Page

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

Give Me Reason :: Book Review

OMG!!

I really mean OMG, one of my most fav indie authors has taken a break form her Romance/Erotica genre and jumped into Paranormal.

Now you all know I’d be all over that right!

So without me going on and on about how much I love Zoey Derrick’s “Give Me Reason” I’ll just tell you about it… in a book review.

 

Vivienne Callahan is no stranger to a hard life. Her mother was a drug addition while Viv was young. She had to learn how to take care of herself from a very early age, she also learned how strong she was physically (to survive the physical beatings her mothers boyfriends or lovers would inflict on her) and emotionally (to watch her mother slip away from sainity from the drug use, and everything else I just said). She has survived her boyfriend beating her almost to death. This is a strong determined woman! One I fell in love with right away.

A few moths after being released from the hospital (boyfriend tried to kill her) is when we meet her.
She’s at work at a diner. Of course it would be in a bad part of town and at night, the graveyard shift. The pay is crap, her apartment is crap, she barely can afford to eat.

Mikah Blake is rich powerful and handsome, and he’s physically drawn to the diner Viv works at my a strange pain in his back. He takes to Viv but she’s stubborn and won’t accept his help. As time goes by she begins to accept his help a little but not much. She can’t understand what he’d want with her. He’s perfect in every way, or so she believes until she does some research on him and. Finds he’s lost all of his family to death or illness. Now enter a fight, and Viv throws him out of her hospital room, yeah she’s in the hospital agian, for dehydration this time. He leaves! Surprising Viv, no one has ever listened to her commands before.

As time goes by she keeps thinking about Mikah, how he listens to most of what she requests, and begins to wish he’d come back so she could apologize. This is what she’s thinking about One night after coming home from work Viv’s ex is back, to finish the faulty job he left undone, he beats her and leaves her in her apartment for dead. Mikah finds her and rushes her to the hospital where we are left on a cliffhanger.

A cliffhanger, really. I about blew my lid…
I’ve been stalking Zoey on Facebook, and found some wonderful news though, Give Me Hope (part 2 of the Give Me series) is scheduled to be released in November.
I can wait until November, so can you…

Go read this book!!

Seriously, you all know paranormal is up my alley, and I love it. But Give Me Reason is so wonderful, I’m sending Viv and Mikah an invitation for Coffee we’ll gossip, and if you guys are lucky you might get to know some of the inside scoop.

What do you think Mikah, Viv? Can we have some coffee, some gossip, get some inside scoop? I’ll bring the coffee, homemade pumpkin chocolate chip bread… Whatever you like
PLLLLLLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSSEEEE

And if that wasn’t enough to get you all as excited as I am. I have an author interview with
Ms. Zoey Derrick herself! Come back tomorrow to read all about her.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Vivienne Callahan has known only hardship. As if growing up with an alcoholic, drug addicted mother wasn’t traumatic enough, she’s escaped from her physically and verbally abusive boyfriend only to struggle every day to make ends meet as a waitress in a Minneapolis diner.

Along comes Mikah Blake, a handsome stranger who quickly takes an unexpected and persistent interest in her. On the surface, “Mr. Suit” seems to be Vivienne’s opposite: rich, well-fed, successful. As Vivienne will learn, Mikah is more than he seems, and for reasons unknown, he’s determined to be her knight in shining armor. But after having finally found her own two feet after years of abuse,  it’s difficult for her to accept Mikah’s help.

Will her body’s unexpected response to Mikah’s touch be reason enough to overcome her pride and traumatic past and learn to love and trust? Or will her past, refusing to be left behind, come back to claim her?

 

Author Info

It is from Glendale, Arizona that Zoey Derrick, a mortgage underwriter by day and romance and erotica novelist by night, writes stories as hot as the desert sun itself. It is this passion that drips off of her work, bringing excitement to anyone who enjoys a good and sensual love story.

Not only does she aim to take her readers on an erotic dance that lasts the night, it allows her to empty her mind of stories we all wish were true.

Her stories are hopeful yet true to life, skillfully avoiding melodrama and the unrealistic, bringing her gripping Erotica only closer to the heart of those that dare dipping into it.

The intimacy of her fantasies that she shares with her readers is thrilling and encouraging, climactic yet full of suspense. She is a loving mistress, up for anything, of which any reader is doomed to return to again and again.

Want an excerpt??? You do You know you do…

 

Excerpt

He’s looking down at me, making me feel small at five feet two inches. He has to be at least six feet tall. Broad shoulders. His suit today is gunmetal grey with blue or black pin striping—I can’t tell which. His shirt is a beautiful lavender color with a darker purple tie.

“How do you know I’m not an addict?” I ask, softly.

He smiles at me, warm, genuine. “Because, you’ve come to return the money I left you last night as a tip.” My jaw falls open.

“How”—I swallow hard—”did you know?”

His smile fades a little. “Because, why else would you come down here?”

I close my mouth and look down at the floor. His ability to read me is really scary.

“Since you haven’t eaten since last night, I’m going to take you to lunch.”

I feel my face flush bright red, both in anger and complete irritation. “That is not why I’m here. I’ve survived for my entire life fending for myself, I don’t need some rich hot shot business mogul buying me food.” I reach into the pocket of my bag and pull the folded up paper from it. I thrust it towards him. He refuses to take it. Tears of frustration trickle down my cheeks. “Damn it Mikah, take it.” I push it at him again and again he refuses. “I’m not a damn charity case. I don’t need your money or your food.”

The bell chimes. We’ve finally reached the skyway. As soon as the doors open, I drop the folded up paper with his money in it and bolt from the elevator, turning left, hoping and praying I can get away.

“Vivienne, stop.” I hear him say behind me. I keep going, walking quickly but not running. Yet. I’m trying hard to not make a scene.

But he doesn’t seem to care about that. He catches me quickly, spins me around. I grab hold of his arm to catch my balance so I don’t go sprawling onto the floor.

 

Find Ms. Derrick Here

Amazon Author Page

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Personal Page

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

 

Too many ideas. Not enough time.

I mentioned the other day that I have too many things I’m writing. I decided to let you in on some of it.
You know of the Vampire story I wrote and the sequel I’m working on.
Various side stories regarding my vampires.
You know of the paranormal mystery
I’m writing, what started as a short story about a girl learning to be a witch, I’m thinking maybe it might be a good serial series. I just wrote another small episode.
I’m working on another short story, to submit to the magazine.
Various short stories that come to me when I’m least expecting it.  One of them being the tree Facelikeafryingpan posted about, scroll down a bit.
The werewolf story I’m doing for NaNo.

Six different writing projects. My desk is a mess, my computer’s desk top is a mess. Sigh, the cost of creativity.

Too many ideas; not enough time.
Do you have this problem?

How I write

I’d like to share the way I write with you.

First, I get an idea, and I toy with it for a few hours. I practice the Five W’s:
Who is the story about, who are the other people?
When is this story taking place? When in a time frame of past, present, or future; but also when in the characters live.
What is happening to the protagonist? What’s happening to the other characters?
Why did she do that, why is that happening. In addition, how does she react to these actions/ problems?
Then last, Where, I finally decide where on a map. All of this happens mentally.

Sometimes, I become friends with the Protagonist way before I get the full five W’s answered. She becomes so real to me I hear her talking to me. She tells me her story as if a friend would share hers over a cup of coffee. Soon some of the other characters share their stories or the “why” they do what they do. I listen; at times, I ask questions, so I understand the story better. I get to be inside of their heads, I begin to know them. It gets weird sometimes. Music inspires me, if you read my post How I started writing you’ll know that my Muse usually has music playing in the background. A funny thing happens too, I’ll hear a song, and I’m like “That’s so Emily. It’s exactly what she’s feeling right now.” My family has gotten use to it, but when I first started, I think they considered having me admitted.

I may make notes, but I usually I only do the notes if I want to save that story idea for later (I’m outlining a ghost story, also the werewolf story). I start writing once I know a lot of the story. I don’t write at the beginning and move to the middle and end at the end. I start at what the character tells me. The vampire story for example- Emily is the protagonist; she started talking to me at what is now chapter 5. We moved along the story jumping from scenes by days. I’m currently writing the second part of her novel. She has me writing different scenes still. I’m also writing a paranormal mystery. Haylee’s story, she tells me what to write the same way. We are moving around the story by day’s even weeks. I have close to 40 documents in each folder. I check weekly to see if I can add any scenes into one chapter.

I’ve given you names of the protagonist of these two stories, but names usually take a very long time to figure out. I usually use a number/letter in place of a name until I’m given a name and I have to check meanings and spelling before I agree with a name -though the character is always right (so far).

When you decide you want to write, you also have to decide if you want to write in the first person or third person Point of View. With Emily’s story, I decided to use the third person POV, because there would be missing from her husband. Haylee’s story I also decided on the third POV because of the mystery aspect. If I wrote from her head, the mystery would be given away quickly. The werewolf story and the ghost story I think will be first POV.

When I write short stories, I pretty much follow this same procedure. It’s so much faster when I write short stories though.

If you write, check out Chelsea Brown19’s post, Seven steps to writing a book
How do you write?

Edited to fix links.