Quick Hello!

I know I haven't blogged in a while so I wanted to drop in and tell you I haven't forgotten about you, just been very busy with edits for Captive Art and helping my critique partner, Erica Lucke Dean, with To Katie With Love, both books are coming out this spring/summer so you can imagine how excited I am.

Anyway, if you want to catch me on a more regular basis, you can find me every other Tuesday on YA Stands.

Hope you are all doing well!

*hugs*

~ Laura

Yay! for Happenstance

December is only days away, which means my wonderful critique partner, Valerie Haight’s novella will be out soon! It’s a great story and I’m very lucky to have been able to read it in its early stages. Valerie put a lot of work into it and it really shows by the sheer awesomeness of it!!! I thought you guys would like to hear a little more about it so I invited Valerie to drop by.

Welcome Val! *big hugs*

 

Laura! Thank you so much for letting me hang with you here! And when you’ve got such exciting news yourself!!! I’m so excited to be bouncing alongside you! I’m thrilled to be a guest for your awesome blog. My belly’s full from Thanksgiving and my heart is full from all this GREAT NEWS! December’s right around the corner and my first release is almost here. I can’t wait to shout it from the rooftops!

Happenstance is my debut novella available through Turquoise Morning Press and will be released December 23, 2012! When I’m not walking around in an imaginary world, I play gopher to a corporate executive so I get to see a lot of corporate setting relationship conflict every day. I file this good stuff away in my scheming brain for future novels but today, let’s talk Happenstance!

Taryn Ballard is happily married and a newly appointed analyst for a prestigious shipping company.  Her career upsurges in record time but she’s about to discover the real price of corporate life.

While on yet another business trip, Taryn suffers a brutal attack by a carjacker. Her husband, Wade isn’t there, but her co-worker, Devin is.  The accidental bond Taryn and Devin share pitches them into dangerous and confusing territory. Taryn struggles to discern both her feelings for her sexy protector and Wade's reaction to it all. Unfamiliar emotions blur the rules of the game and Wade's ready to quit.

Taryn must rise above disaster to save her marriage. But is she ready to let go of the man who saved her life? In a single moment, Happenstance changes everything.

Putting MCs through the wringer is my specialty and I didn’t cut poor Taryn any slack. She was so much fun to write because I took everything I knew about the corporate world and tossed it straight at her. She plays havoc on both Devin’s and Wade’s feelings and lives. Yes, I’m awful. J I mixed my two favs-suspense and romance-and came up with something that hopefully every reader can identify with and enjoy. Here’s a snippet to give you the feel of the book.

“Devin, it’s Taryn. You were right. The execs want me to meet them for dinner and I feel really foolish because I have a GPS and a connect-the-dot map from the concierge and I’m still lost.”

Devin laughed. “Not a problem. Where are you?”

Taryn took a second to locate the green street sign. “At the corner of First and Third at a tiny, ancient-looking convenience store.”

“Oh, I know the one. You’re right next to us. I could probably see you from the tower window. Okay, which restaurant are you looking for?”

Taryn gabbed the hand-drawn map. “Caminas.”

“I know where it is. Actually, it might be faster by freeway.”

“Of course it would. I just came from—”

An unexpected rush of damp, hot air hit her and Taryn turned, confused to see her door open wide. She sucked in a quick breath and saw too late the arm reaching for her. Terror gripped her as she zeroed in on the gun in her face.

I had so much fun writing this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! You can purchase Happenstance here on December 23^rd!

Tweet with me @Valeriebrbr, follow me on Facebook or find out the latest on my Author Page about my upcoming short story Magnolia Brides in a wedding anthology out in June!


Thanks for dropping by, Val! I'm so happy for you and can't wait to get my very own copy of Happenstance!

Dedication

We all have our ups and downs in writing.  We have days when our characters won’t shut up.  Days we can’t type fast enough to get what they want to say and do out of our head and on paper (or screen).  Then there are other days when our characters are giving us the silent treatment and no matter how hard we try they just won’t talk to us.

Lately, and thankfully, I’ve been experiencing the former.  I have a character in my head that refuses to be quieted.  She keeps me up at night and wakes me early in the morning.  I’ve skipped meals just to finish a scene and move her to her next obstacle (or next meeting with her love interest).  I’ve admittedly been absent minded about things like house work & paying bills (thank goodness for direct deposit and online banking).  I’ve even been a bit neglectful of my family, but luckily my husband understands and my daughter thinks it’s fun to color while I type.

But I know the day will come when the words won’t flow and I’ll get frustrated enough to fold a load of laundry or pay for my garbage pickup.  I’ll play a game of Candy Land with my 4yo and watch a movie with my husband.  I’ll read a book I’ve been wanting to, but haven’t found the time.  Then I’ll listen to some new music and sit in my rocking chair wondering why my heroine has decided to turn away from me.

Have I done wrong by her?

Have I taken her story in a direction it wasn’t meant to go?

Have I changed her development to a point that she is unrecognizable?

And then the cycle will start again.  She’ll come back to me.  I’ll want to hug her and tell her I’ve missed her and I’ll promise to never do wrong by her again as long as she continues to help me right her story.

Because, after all, it is her story…not mine.  I’m just here to write it down for her.

Earlier this summer I was lucky enough to find an amazing group of women who were gracious enough to let me join their critique group.  I’d finished editing (well, as finished as I could get on my own) my current novel and was looking for someone to help me polish it up.  What I found were five of the most talented and encouraging women I have ever known.  Each one of them brings their own spice to the group and I am so honored that they have allowed me to read their heroine’s stories.

I share this with you because I know that some of them have been on the down part of the writing cycle and it can be lonely there.  It’s like a wasteland where you crave words instead of water.  But with the encouragement and support of other writers you can find that one word or one sentence that will shoot you right to the top again.  The top of the writing cycle where your heroine has gripped you so forcefully that you couldn’t let go if you wanted to.

So I dedicate this post to Erica, Lizzie, Rachel, Sydney & Valerie for writing down the stories of some incredible heroines and for being incredible heroines themselves.