Monday Musings: I Should Be Writing

I've spent the morning working on my online presence - updating blogs, websites and social media sites. It's taking me longer than it should but there's a good reason for that. A fabulous one, actually.

Yup, that's me today - flitting back and forth, back and forth, making a decision then changing my mind just as quickly. This squirrel brain is making for slow progress and honestly, I don't think I'm going to get to the actual writing portion of my day.

How's your Monday?

Sarah Grimm
romance with a SEXY beat
Blog / Website

Weekly Dose of Inspiration

Today's writing inspiration is brought to you by the letters Y-U-M.
(also known as Dominic) Wowsa.

What inspires you? 

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: The Hats I Wear

Am I the only one who feels like they’re being pulled in a million different directions? I can’t be, can I?

Sometimes I get so caught up in all of the different roles I play, all of the different hats I wear, that I lose sight of myself. Of the things that I need in order to meet my goals and stay true to ‘me’.

How many hats do I wear? Let’s see…

Wife
Mother
Sister
Daughter
Bookkeeper (let me add this one is for 6 different companies)
Tax Preparer (ok, so it’s only at year end, but hey, it’s on my mind right now)
Dog Groomer
Cook
Parts Gopher
Maid
Taxi Driver
Writer
Friend

There’s probably more, but you get the idea. Just looking at that list makes me think of the old saying ‘Make time to stop and smell the roses.’ I’d love to, really I would. But sometimes, there are too many hats to fit on my head at once. And the one that most often falls off? Unfortunately that would be ‘Writer’. *sigh*

If your list looks like mine, and it most likely does, how to you balance them all? How do you find the time to stay true to yourself? I’d love to know. 

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: Swag

I'm attending the RT Booklovers Convention this year - and signing at the BookEXPO, yay! - so I've spent a lot of time lately brainstorming, creating and ordering new promo swag. I always try my best to come up with something fun and unique, something that pertains to the book but that readers will enjoy. From the feedback I've received, I usually manage, however I still feel the need to ask...

Are there any promotional items that you LOVE to receive?
What about those items you don't bother taking or keeping?

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Character Quickie: Justin Harrison

20 quickie facts about Justin Harrison:

Birthday? August 27
Favorite color? Red - like the highlights in Paige’s hair.
Nickname? None that I’m aware of.
Birthmark or scars? A round scar at my left shoulder from a .38 and another on my left side from the surgeon.
Siblings? None
City of residence? San Diego, California
If you were a jelly bean flavor, what flavor would you be? Cinnamon
Occupation? Homicide Detective with the San Diego Police Department
Hobbies? Sex
Favorite song? You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
Name one item in your refrigerator right now? Moldy Cheese
Your greatest fear? That I won’t be able to protect Paige.
Most treasured possession? 1969 Pontiac GTO ‘The Judge’
Special talent? When bad things happen, someone needs to help restore order, solve the puzzle and uncover the identity of the bad guy. I’m very good with puzzles.
Cat or dog? Dog
Pet peeve? I have no stomach for people who take advantage of others weaknesses or misfortune for their own gain.
Unforgettable moment? The first time Paige told me she loved me. Although I could have done without the Beretta pressed against her ribs at the time.
Spicy or not? Spicy
Favorite guilty pleasure? A frosted mug of beer and a cigarette (which I was forced to give up).
If you could ask your author one question, what would it be? Was the Beretta really necessary?

Justin Harrison is the hero in Sarah Grimm's award-winning romantic suspense, NOT WITHOUT RISK.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/VCdnYz

Amazon.ca: http://amzn.to/WUvTcX 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/12I4rTr 

Nook: http://bit.ly/134DlkP

Monday Musings

It's my morning to share with you my musings, and frankly, I have no idea what to tell you. I've had the most God-Awful sinus headache all weekend, have been struggling to upload a book to Amazon - it keeps reverting back to draft - and, I downloaded a 'safe' program last night and got a whole bunch of extra garbage I'm in the process of removing. Not really exciting stuff, huh? :-)

I think this morning I'll just leave you with this. (and if anyone has one of these signs, can you send it to me? I'm in desperate need of one. lol)

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: I have blonde roots

I have blonde roots. It’s true. I look just like Leeloo in The Fifth Element - my dark auburn hair is growing out and my blonde roots are showing.

OK, you caught me, I look nothing like her. But hey, you can’t fault me, right? I am a fiction writer, after all.

Why am I sharing this news with you? Because writing is like going from blonde to dark auburn – if you don’t keep on top of it, your roots begin to show. Ignore your writing for too long, and your drive dies. Keep ignoring it, your story dies.

It happened to me. I’ve been so busy with the day job, my husband’s business and all of the other excuses we wives and mothers, sisters and friends use to justify ignoring ourselves and what we need to make us happiest, that my roots are showing. I’ve ignored my writing long enough that my writing has stalled. My characters have quieted. No, they’re not silent, but what used to be LOUD is now whispers. What used to niggle at the back of my thoughts all day – is quiet enough I need to really concentrate to hear.

It makes me sad. But there’s a bright side to it, too. Sure, I have to reintroduce myself to my characters, become reacquainted with them. But is that really a bad thing? I mean, getting to spend time with Noah Clark, Dominic Price and the rest of the band…

Well, there are worse things than that, aren’t there?

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings

It's cold and rainy this morning as the warm front that moved through our little lakeshore community over the weekend passes and we settle back into weather more normal for us at this time of year. I'm going to miss the warm weather, but there's something to be said for curling up in the recliner with a dog or two (or three) on my lap.

Sasha refusing to relinquish the lap.

I had a pretty busy weekend. Not writing the five blog posts I needed to do, or working on Midnight Heat as I wanted to do, but cleaning, organizing, and (yawn) doing the grocery shopping. My husband and I also winterized the hot tub -- something we usually don't do, but we decided against the higher energy bill this winter. I really need to get to writing, but first I have to drop 17yo son at school, put in a few hours at the day job, take my grandmother to an appointment and call the insurance company about my reimbursement for my eye exam.

What about you? How does your Monday look?

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Romantic Mystery vs. Romantic Suspense

What is the difference between romantic mystery and romantic suspense? Wait, is there a difference between romantic mystery and romantic suspense? I’m glad you asked.

A lot of readers (and authors) look at romantic mystery and romantic suspense as being interchangeable. However, there’s a big difference between the two. At its simplest, a mystery is a puzzle that needs to be solved – an intellectual game of whodunit. In a mystery, the action is more mental than physical, and although there is danger, it usually – though not always – has already taken place before the book opens. But to me the biggest difference is that in a romantic mystery the hero or heroine is the ‘sleuth’, so the story is about what happens to someone else, not the main character, and how the main character solves the puzzle.

Suspense is about a threat or imminent danger that must be resolved. Something is coming and the reader is waiting for it to happen. The suspense story is typically about what happens to the main character and brings the question, will they survive? The action is an emotional roller coaster and the reader should identify with the hero or heroine and the danger they face – becoming a participant in the ride. A suspense story is about the characters’ journey through the book, and the ending therefore needs to be emotionally satisfying, where a mystery is to be intellectually satisfying.

Since I’m talking about ‘romantic’ mystery and suspense – there will always be an emotionally satisfying ending to the romance in both the mystery and suspense. Without it, the story wouldn’t be a romance. However, the solution to the puzzle needs to be an intellectual one. That means that in a romantic mystery, it is the writer’s job to keep the identity of the villain from the reader until the end. But for the emotional read, the suspense, it is okay for the reader to know the identity of the villain. After all, the threat from an unknown is not as emotionally engaging as the threat from someone you (or the hero/heroine) know(s).

There is some crossover in the genres as a lot of today’s mysteries contain suspense. Perhaps this is where a lot of the confusion stems. I’m really not sure. Some believe the labels don’t matter, that if you are familiar with an author’s work you know what to expect. However if you’re trying to sell a book, or attract new readers, I believe the label matters. And so this is me, tossing around labels…My name is Sarah Grimm, and I write romantic suspense.

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: My Dream Office

While playing on Pinterest the other day I discovered a pin that led me to a great website! One that made me wish I was a little more organized. Or maybe that I had not only found but was currently living in my dream home - the one big enough to include my dream office.

Visit A Bowl Full of Lemons

Gorgeous, isn't it?  Perhaps a bit too white for me. Well, and it needs a much bigger desk. And while I'm at it, no matter how much I wish I was more organized, there is no way my dream office would remain this clutter free and clean for long. It's just not possible - at least not while I'm writing. There are too many notes scribbled on scraps of paper and napkins.

So what would my dream office look like? I've asked myself this question often. And honestly, I change my mind often. One thing that doesn't change, is the need for a chalkboard - and not just any chalkboard. No, the chalkboard I have in mind would cover one entire wall of the room. It's true! They make this fabulous paint that allows you to turn anything into a chalkboard. Check it out! This one is in a kitchen, but you get the idea.

And that bigger desk? Something like this would be nice:

I could keep everything within reach if I had a desk like this one. Of course, I wouldn't be able to resist adding something like this to the room:

A few walls of bookshelves are a must. Or at the very least one or two of these:

Now add a chaise lounge for reading and voila, my dream office!

Unfortunately, until I move to a different home, I'll have to stick with what I have.

My office - otherwise known as the kitchen table.

Where do you write? Is it your dream space?

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Weekly Dose of Inspiration

I’m not sure we need any words, but let me just...

Wait, what was I saying?

Sorry, I got a bit distracted. Who could blame me?

*sigh*

I could look at this photo all day.

Gabriel Aubry folks — the closest representation of Noah Clark I've ever found. 

So tell me, what inspires you?

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Writer Wednesday: Why I Write Romance

I’ve been asked this question more times than I can count, and usually when I’m totally unprepared to answer. So today, I thought I’d get my thoughts together once and for all.

I didn’t always want to be a writer. Wait, can you hear that? That noise is my family unanimously hollering, “Yeah, right!” Sorry, family, but it’s true. Had you asked Sarah Grimm, the young girl, what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have given a different answer every time. My dream changed like the blowing of the wind through the trees, or with whatever story I was reading. Then, I picked up my first romance novel and oh…my…God! I’d always loved to read, and suddenly I had discovered a whole new world. A world I could get lost in, where no matter how impossible the odds, a happily-ever-after always waited. Let me tell you, for a die-hard romantic, this was nirvana!

What? No shock and awe that I’m a die-hard romantic? Learning that bit probably doesn’t surprise you, does it? I believe in love, not just as a fundamental part of human relationships, but as a force that can heal emotional scars. I truly believe someone exists for each of us—a person we are destined to find. Our other half. A soul mate. Perhaps the surprising part is that I’ve always believed this—even as a young girl.

I love reading romance. But, I love writing romance even more—bringing two people together, even if it is only in my imagination. I love the stuttered heartbeats when the hero and heroine first meet—that first glance. Heck, I love the second and third glances! I love the gut punch of sexual awareness, the sweetness of that first kiss, and the momentary panic over the realization they’ve fallen in love. I love the idea how even at the worst of times, at those moments when you least expect it, two people can find love. I love the idea of good conquering evil, of the hero and heroine winning against all odds, and the bad guy ‘getting what he deserves’ in the end.

Why would I want to write anything else? 

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: My Fall Line Up

Fall is here and that means everyone is getting excited and chatting about new TV shows. Everyone, that is, except me. Sure there are a couple of shows that I look forward to the return of. But to me, fall is a time of slower days at work, more time to write, and (if I’m lucky) weekends spent curled in a chair with at least one of my three dogs on my lap and a much anticipated new release on my eReader.

I love reading back cover blurbs. Whether it’s blurbs for some of my favorite author’s upcoming releases, or blurbs for books and authors I’ve never heard of, it truly doesn’t matter. I love reading them. I have the little Amazon add-on on my internet toolbar so no matter where I am on the internet I can add a book to my wish list. And I use it. A lot. Probably more than my pocketbook would like!

So what’s on my fall line up this year?

Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen – Absolutely love this series!
Run the Risk by Lori Foster
Criminal by Karen Slaughter
Mona Lisa’s Room by Vonnie Davis
9th Girl by Tami Hoag – I’ve been a fan of hers since her romance days!
10 Reasons Not To Date A Cop by Amie Louellen
Low Pressure by Sandra Brown
Lean on Me by HelenKay Dimon


And the list goes on and on. So many books so little time. OK, I know that phrase is so overused it is cliché, but it’s also true!

What new releases are you looking forward to reading this fall and why? 

 

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Amie Louellen

Since Amie has been away all weekend at a writer's conference, I went ahead and scheduled this post for her. (Don't tell her, but I think it slipped her mind. Oops.) Playing off of last week's Monday Musings, here's Amie's 10 Things...

10 Things You Might Not Know About Amie (and Sarah)

Amie: I love cookbooks and recipes. I even have recipes I collected in high school.

Sarah: You can have mine; I’m not a fan of cooking.


Amie: I am a total ‘cat person’.

Sarah: Dogs rule! LOL I was a cat person for years, but my son is very allergic so we now have non-shedding dogs.


Amie: Every room in my house is painted a different color.

Sarah: Every room in my house is a different shade from the same color chip – those paint cards found in home improvement stores? Well, until I went a little nuts a few weekends ago and painted the living room ‘deepest aqua’.


Amie: I love shopping at thrift stores and second hand shops.

Sarah: I hate shopping, thrift or otherwise.


Amie: I don’t own a pair of blue jeans.

Sarah: We are the ‘odd couple’, you know that? :-) All I wear are blue jeans.


Amie: My husband and I lived in the Caribbean for nearly five and a half years.

Sarah: *jealous*


Amie: I was a political science/history major in college.

Sarah: I never went to college. Beyond being a mother and writing, I could never decide what I wanted to ‘do’.


Amie: The first book I ever wrote was a historical pirate romance.

Sarah: I have to read it! The first book I ever wrote was titled ‘My Cat Sneaker’.


Amie: I’m the ‘middle sister’.

Sarah: I’m the baby.


Amie: I love Christmas ornaments and have hundreds I use to decorate my tree each year. Each one is one-of-a-kind.

Sarah: I have hundreds of unique ornaments, also. They just happen to all be Santa.

Writer Wednesday: How I Start a WIP

As a writer, the question I get asked the most is ‘Where do you get your ideas?’. And if you’re interested, I answered this question in an older blog post. You can find it HERE.

The second most popular question I am asked is ‘Once you have an idea, where do you begin?’. This question is actually a bit more difficult to answer, but I’ll try. Story ideas come to me all of the time. The trick is being patient enough to wait and see if the idea has legs. What I mean is, some ideas come to me like a butterfly, then flit away just as quickly. Then there are the ones that stick, the heroes who won’t stop talking to me, even at three in the morning, that question that hangs in the air, day and night, that I feel compelled to answer. These are the ideas with legs. The ideas that force me to put pen to paper - or more and more often now, fingers to keyboard – and begin writing. These are the ideas that become my works in progress, or WIPs.

Once I’m ready to begin writing, I….heck, I’d love to tell you that I have a series of questions I ask myself or an outline I’ve worked up, but that’s not how it works for me. You see, I’m what they call a pantser – which means I write by the ‘seat of my pants’. That’s right, I don’t have much more than a title (which I can’t seem to begin without), and my hero and heroine’s name. If the idea came to me in the form of a question, which it sometimes does, then I have a bit more. If it came to me in the form of the hero’s voice in my head, nagging me to get on with it and tell his story, then I may only know how it ends. After all, heroes aren’t always prone to tell you how he got himself in the position he’s in, just how he wants that story to end. LOL

But, if the story idea came to me in the form of the opening scene (which is usually how they come to me) then I don’t know much at all. Maybe just what kind of person the hero/heroine is. And that’s when the fun begins for me, the moment I sit down and just begin typing. Letting the story unfold as it may, discovering the events that take the characters from the opening scene to the happily-ever-after. Yup, I just dive right in. No character sketches, outlines, or blurbs. Not until I’m farther into the story – like half way. For me, knowing too much before I begin spoils the fun. A complete outline before I’ve written a single scene, and I’ve lost the excitement, feel as if I’ve already told the story. Odd, I know, but true.

So that’s how I start a WIP. I get an idea stuck in my head, think on it a bit, then take myself and the voices in my head to my laptop and start writing. Does that make me sound a bit unhinged? Probably. However, I believe on some level all writers are...but that’s a different blog post.

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

Monday Musings: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Sarah Grimm

Welcome to Monday Musings at Off the Keyboard! This week is my assigned week to blog, so just for fun I thought I'd share with you 10 Things You Might Not Know about me. When I came up with the idea, I sent my 10 things to Amie in an email titled 'What Do You Think?'. What I got back made me laugh so here it is:

10 Things You Might Not Know About Sarah (and Amie)

Sarah: I’m a reformed Diet Coke addict. Only problem is I’ve switched to Arizona Arnold Palmer, (iced tea and lemonade)

Amie: I love coffee and I drink a ton of water, but when I get on a Diet Dr. Pepper binge, look out! I also like wine. A lot. And don’t let Sarah fool you. She loves wine more than me.


Sarah: I get bored very easily. Things like paint color, furniture arrangement, and my hair color change a lot. Especially my hair color – right now it’s dark auburn!

Amie: Resist the change! I like to get something done and never mess with it again. I’ve lived in the same house for 15 years. This year we’re going to change the paint color. Awh, life on the edge.


Sarah: I love to drag race and target shoot. Not that great at racing yet, but am a very good shot.

Amie: I drive so I can get places and I’m afraid of guns which is very ironic seeing as my husband is a deputy sheriff.


Sarah: I don’t like using names in books of people that I know. So you’ll never see a character in one of my books named Amie.:-)

Amie: I have named so many characters after people I know it’s not even funny. Let’s see …Savanna from Brodie’s Bride, there’s Michael and Chris, Kaylee’s brothers in Ten Reasons, and when Brice calls Suzanne ‘Suzy’ in Love Potion Me, Baby. And those are just the published works. Guess it’s time to name a character Sarah.:-)


Sarah: I was a tomboy growing up and still don’t wear makeup unless I’m at a conference or an important event.

Amie: I was something of the sporty girly-girl. I loved to play slow pitch softball. I’d change from my uniform into a dress and sandals. Still wear dresses most all of the time and can’t even take my son to guitar lessons without mascara.


Sarah: I played the string and electric bass when I was younger. Was first chair in orchestra!

Amie: I played the flute and the bells in the band so that I could be in the color guard. And only then because the band director made me. But I have always wished that I could play the piano. I don’t want to take lessons, I just want to be able to play it. LOL


Sarah: I don’t like getting flowers. They die.

Amie: I agree with Sarah on this one. I’d much rather have a rose bush planted in the yard than a dozen delivered that will die in less than a week.


Sarah: I secretly wish I could sing without it sounding like cats fighting.

Amie: I am a classically trained soprano. (This is a lie. My singing doesn’t sound like cat’s fighting and I can usually hold my own in the alto section. But it’s been a long time since I sang in front of anyone. Since high school. So what…ten years?)


Sarah: I love to give my animals unique names. My cats were named Sneaker, Sebastian, Tweed & George (like the Bugs Bunny cartoon, lol) and my newest dog I call KajaZuZu.

Amie: Creativity with names is the way to go. My Siamese mix is Kitty Kitty Cheng Ch’ing so you can imagine my chagrin when we adopted a cat named Jack. In all honesty it’s Cap’n Jack, but who names a cat Jack? My best cat name was one I had when I was younger. Full name Asparagus Jermaine Beauregard Spot. He was a mackerel tabby. I called him Gus.


Sarah: Every hero I write has a little bit of my husband in him.

Amie: My heroes are nothing like my husband. I’d never hear the end of it if I patterned one after “Mr. Louellen”. LOL

Sarah Grimm
where dangerously sexy & happily-ever-after collide 
Blog / Website

WELCOME!

So how do you start off a blog about romance writers, for romance readers and everyone who adores romances as much as Sarah and I do?

Well, that seems to be the question of the day. I suppose I should start by introducing myself. I'm Amie Louellen and I love romances.

Wait. That sounds like I'm at a support group. But I guess you could say that's what this blog is for--a support group for those of us who enjoy romance.

There are many facets to the romance genre, and we're going to address them all. Mondays are for fun, things that have crossed our minds in the last few days, thoughts and dreams and other random ramblings. Wednesdays are about writers and writing. It may include a post from Sarah or me, or maybe even a guest. But it'll focus on writing that's for certain. Be sure to come by Friday for a weekly dose of inspiration. And on the days in between? That's anybody's guess.

Since it's Friday and I could use a little inspiration, here's the dose for this week...

I find Van Gough very inspiring, but if that's not your thing, how about this?

A fabulous place to read (or write), but if that doesn't do anything for you. how about some words of wisdom...

or perhaps a laugh...

Or maybe you prefer a blog with a view...

So thanks for visiting us today and helping us launch our new blog. We hope that you find inspiration, laughs, insight, and new books to read as we go Off The Keyboard.