My BROKEN inspiration...

This past week I released my second full-length paranormal romance, BROKEN.  It's my 'unofficial' second book in my series, The Sentinels. Unofficial, because I intend to market the rest of the stories with Samhain Publishing where the series first found a home.

BROKEN was a hard sell in many ways, the hardest being that it is actually a pre-quel. It occurs some time before its predecessor, DREAM WALK. Yes, there's method to my madness. While you can read them in any order, BROKEN does give away at least one important part of the first story. But it's also a story that needs to be told in order to understand an element that will crop up in the last two novels. :)

No. I'm not telling. You'll have to wait and read them to find out. ;)

Where did the story title come from? It originally had a different name, but I had to change that. I like to pick titles that have a double meaning, if I can. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. With BROKEN, it worked beautifully. Both the hero and heroine are 'broken' spirits, particularly the hero. They find each other at a dark moment in life and then proceed to overcome obstacles -- internal and external -- with each other's help. Isn't that how relationships should be?

As with most of my books and short stories, this one has a very definite soundtrack and one all-encompassing theme song. Enjoy:

 

To read more, click on any of the above links. Or you can buy BROKEN (a Sentinels novel) now at Amazon.com , Barnes&Noble , or Smashwords.

 

~~Meg

Rainy, Rambly Mondays

"Rainy days and Mondays always get me down."

Sound familiar? Maybe not, if you're under the age of ... maybe 40? LOL! It's a line from an old Carpenters song that was very popular years ago. A song I always wind up singing along with -- on those rare occasions that I hear it played -- because I remember most of the words. Nostalgia times a hundred, in this case. :)

I remember songs from way back -- from catchy jingles, to Christmas carols, classic top 40, and classic rock. True confession: I even remember most of the School House Rock songs. I can recite the Preamble to the Constitution only if you let me sing it. ;)

Anyway, I've been wondering if that might be the reason one of my short stories seems to be catching on at Barnes and Noble? Do readers see the title and immediately think of Counting Crows? (It's titled for the group's popular song, Accidentally in Love.)

The song inspired the story, actually. I had two characters in mind, and the setting, since it was part of the Blue Plate Special - Pops' Girls series. I listened to that song played over and over and over, ad nauseum, while I wrote. I hummed it as I did laundry. Sang it in the shower... so much so that dd2 begged me to stop. LOL! And it was from her CD. ;)

Songs frequently inspire my writing. All my characters have at least one 'theme song'. All my stories have a sound track.

Which might be the problem with my recent writer's block -- besides being lazy, that is. ;) I haven't really set a sound track up for this story. I have one song set in stone, but I haven't listened to it lately. I think I know what my next step should be.

Meanwhile, I have a dark, rainy Monday outside my window. Instead of letting it get me down, I think I'll let it inspire me, instead.

~~Meg

The night shift...

I started a new job about four months ago. Recently, I decided to take on a different shift. Midnights. Where I work, it's actually from about 11:30 to 3:45, five nights a week.

Yes, I volunteered. No, I'm not crazy...or should I say no more insane than usual? There were several factors that brought me to this decision -- one of which, of course, was money. Others included the time I'm now home while my family is awake and active. Once I get some sleep, I'm up by noon and ready to do the mom and wife gig. ;)

During all this change, I've discovered something. The night shift is very quiet compared to others I've worked. The muse seems to come to life, as well. So, while I'm waiting between customers, I write. The old fashioned way with a pen on paper -- yellow, legal pad, to be precise.

The next day, I transcribe my writing to the document -- usually doing some tweaking along the way. It's a system I think I'm going to like, and one that will work for me. It may also mean I'll get this book done and ready to sub by the end of April. :)

Inspiration comes from amazing places. Sometimes it's in a song on the radio. A sunset on a cool spring evening. A drive through a ghost-like town at four in the morning, long before most people's alarm clocks have gone off. I've noticed my inspiration is better received in the quiet of the night...during those lulls when there's nothing to do except listen.

Rainy days

There's an older song that goes something like this: "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down". Apparently the singer/songwriter suffers from SAD. ;)

Monday is not my favorite day, either. But rain I can usually handle. I love the rain...a good thunderstorm or gully washer most of all. I love the fresh scent of the air; the patter of raindrops on the roof. I even like to watch the dark clouds swirling overhead, sometimes resembling an odd set of brushstrokes on canvas.

What I don't like, however, are endless days of rain. No sun. No light. Just gray, dim skies and landscape for miles and hours on end.

This time of year the rainy gloom is more tolerable. Thanks to the lovely array and shades of red, orange, and gold dotting the landscape, everything seems more colorful, less dreary. Even the deep gray of the sky and the ever-deepening mud don't bother me.

I suppose that's one reason Fall is my favorite season. I've always loved the way the air becomes cooler. I relish in the occasional whiff of woodsmoke on the breeze. The colors; the holidays; the full silver moon so low on the horizon. Have you ever stopped to watch a sunset over the a patchwork of brightly colored trees? It's beautiful. Enchanting. It's a picture worth capturing -- an image worth savoring.

My dh said he once dreaded this season. It reminded him of how life was passing by -- of all the things he hadn't accomplished, yet. Luckily his outlook has changed, because I've never seen it that way. To me, Autumn is about resting...renewing our spirits...it's about coming home.

But then there's that rain ... we need a little of that, too, don't we? Otherwise we'd get much too complacent in our lives. We become lazy or take what's important for granted.

So I'd change those song lyrics, if I could. Mondays still get me down. But rain? Bring it on.

Oh, wait. That's another song! ;)

Not your mama's music?

Or is it?

I've been a fan of country music for a few years now, but I seem to go through cycles in my life and am beginning to branch out again. At the moment, I'm turning a bit more toward rock/pop music -- partly thanks to my wonderful teenage daughters. :)

Does it seem odd that a teen turns the parent on to new music, new bands? Maybe, but in our house, that's just the way of things. No, I don't try to act like a teenager, although I think it comes naturally at times. ;) But I've always had very eclectic taste in music.

My oldest daughters and I like the many of the same things -- music, movies, television shows. We connect over clothes, stories, you name it! They are my best friends as well as my daughters.

So who have I 'discovered' thanks to my girls? Evanescence... Daughtery... Nickelback... the list goes on. But it works both ways -- they like some of my favorites including Keith Urban and an old-time favorite, Journey, to name a few.

Music is very important in our family. My dh and I have both sung to and with our children since they were babies. Our family even has two special songs just for the dog. :) But it's always been that way for me --- music expresses my moods, stirs my memories, and inspires my muse. Most of my stories and books have 'soundtracks', and I know quite a few authors who are the same way. I think it all has to do with that creative side of our brains... music etches itself on our minds and in our souls.

Next time you hear a song you like, don't dismiss it as something your mom wouldn't care for. Sure, you know her better than I do, but sometimes it's nice to share... you just might be surprised. ;)