My Writing Process Blog Tour

I’d like to thank Maureen Fisher  for inviting me to play! If you haven’t read Fur Ball Fever  go get it soon!

This post is part of the "My Writing Process" blog tour. For more about my books, don't forget to visit my website!

What are you working on? I am writing the fourth book in my Colorado Billionaires series. The title is The Wedding Belle. A few fans have asked about Uly’s story. Ulysses is the brother of Thor Garrison in the second book, The Wedding Hazard.  Book four is Uly's story.

 How does your work differ from others of its genre?
Readers have commented that they couldn’t put it down. I try to end every chapter with an event or a development that compels the reader to keep going, even if it’s two in the morning and the alarm is set for six! That plan seems to be working.

Why do you write what you do?
Once I went indie, I no longer had to listen to well meaning editors telling me to shape and mold my story for the market niche they wanted to fill. Free from those constraints, I began telling the stories my heart wanted to tell. I love the marriage of convenience format, because it does what all great stories do. It takes two people and throws them together in a difficult situation and then makes things worse until they are forced to work together. And of course, they fall in love and we get a “happily ever after” ending. The fact that I write for women who are the best readers and fans in the world makes it all the sweeter!

 How does your writing process work?
I start with names and characters. Then I make sure I know where the story is going before committing too much to paper. I remind myself that I can save the parts that don’t make it into the book, because I can use those pages for different stories. I still allow a lot of flexibility in the writing process, but I have a plan in my mind. There are often surprises, though. A new secondary character may emerge from a situation and just blow me away. Or a main character may refuse to cooperate with some plot point and force me to change the direction of the story. But I’m not a total “seat of the pants” writer. I need structure to guide me in the right direction. As for a detailed knowledge of what will happen next, I can usually visualize the story up to three chapters ahead of where I am writing. The one exception is the ending. More than once I have written the ending, then went back and filled in everything else to get me there.

Don't miss Karen Docter's take on My Writing Process! Live now!

Next week go visit:Vicky Loebel! She writes urban fantasy, erotic romance, and later this year a new sweet romantic title!

Regina Duke, USA Today Bestselling Author
http://www.reginaduke.com
@ReginaDuke1

New Twist on the Vampire Tale

Cassie Skyler is alone in the world, except for her BFF and a building full of tenants she cannot evict. She's looking for Mr. Right. Will she find him at a vampire fan convention? Her parents hid that part of their lives from her until the day they died. It turns out that's not all they kept from her.

Bear Laco is a vampire working for the Collection Agency. His main mission: locate and register any remaining illegal portals between Earthside and Vampside. So why has he been ordered to investigate Cassie? To make matters worse, he can't afford to fall in love with a human being. Not again.

Hello everyone! Where have I been? Writing, of course. I wish I could say I am one of those people who can multitask like crazy. The truth is, when I am working on a book, other things fall by the wayside. That's no problem when housework is involved. But shame on me for neglecting my blog.

My Vampire Wedding is a frothy romp in an alternate reality filled with gorgeous vampires who love humans because we have exactly what they need. Not blood. Auras!

I grew up on Anne Rice and Bram Stoker vampires, and in my youth, they were lots of fun to read. As I grew older, I wanted my vampires to be a little friendlier, more accessible. I love the teeth but not the drinking of blood. Surely we as humans have more to offer than Type O (and A, and B, etc.). But why would a parallel world of vampires bother crossing over to Earthside if not for blood? Well, some of them become addicted to human blood, and others come to collect the human aura which is used Vampside to make medicine to protect the population from the vampire plague.

I hope you enjoy my user friendly vampires!

Regina Duke, USA Today Bestselling Author
http://www.reginaduke.com
@ReginaDuke1