My Writing Process Blog Tour

Thank you Libby Waterford for involving me in this awesome blog tour.  

Libby writes California-set steamy contemporary romances. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and works off her weekly pilgrimage to in–N-Out by swimming and climbing the city’s hidden staircases. She’s currently working on a trio of novellas that take place during the reunion/commencement weekend at a New England liberal arts college. Passionate History will be released soon by Decadent Publishing. I love reunion stories so I’ll be first in line top pick this one up!

Find Libby Waterford at

Her Website     Email      Facebook      Twitter 

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What am I currently working on?

 I write novellas for the 1 Night Stand series from Decadent Publishing. Right now, I am editing a steamy Native American eagle shifter romance, Eagle Dance. It’s the second book in the “Legend of the Spirit” series. (Crow Magic was the first book.) In between edits I’m working on three more Native American shifter stories for 1NS.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I write contemporary erotic romance and I'm currently playing with Native American shifters (crow, eagle, hawk and falcon). I use sensuality and eroticism to emphasize the spiritualism of sex and how it creates a unique bond between lovers.

Why do I write what I do?

I was told by my mentor to “write what you know”. Growing up in Michigan and spending time near a Chippewa Reservation I became enthralled with the legends and stories of the people. The tales of animal spirits and shifters show how man/nature/woman work together to create balance in life. I center my novellas on these ideas and collect my research on Tribes of the Great Lakes Region. I give special thanks to two friends, Marion Roth & Ann Orr, for my Chippewa education.

How does my writing process work?

I get an idea in my head and it wormholes me! I have to write it down! My over active imagination often creates more than one story at a time so I often work on multiple stories. Once each story is like a movie in my head and I feel like I’m simply recording it. After a story is complete, I print a hard copy and read over it making corrections with a red pen. Once all changes/corrections are complete, I submit to my publisher and prepare for edits.

Lucy Richards is tired of being timid around men. Hoping to overcome her fears and feel like a real woman, she turns to Madame Eve to find a man who will fulfill that goal. Eve arranges a one-night stand with a handsome Shawnee shaman who will teach Lucy to use her womanly power and take her to unimaginable heights.

Shape shifter Seth Crowe is a Keeper of the Spiritual Law who carries souls from darkness to light, and enjoys using his body to accomplish his magic.

Tucked away in the Castillo Poconos Resort, Seth helps Lucy find spiritual and sexual freedom, never dreaming he might find his own mate in the bargain.

 BUY CROW MAGIC      Amazon      Barnes & Noble     Decadent Publishing

What Readers are saying.

Crow Magic is a story filled with spirituality and self-awareness. The author uses Native American culture and beliefs to spin her own tale of romance centered around inner peace and freedom.

About the Author

Romance author and Artist Mary Quast lives in a log home affectionately named "Camp Run-A-Muk" located in the woods of Michigan with her husband, three sons, and a collection of animal family members.

As a professional artist, Mary Quast answered the call to express herself creatively. With her descriptive writing style she has developed a knack for creating passionate characters and realistic settings. These features are prominent in her published novels of the "Soul Series".

When this Michigan author is not busy writing contemporary erotic romance for Decadent Publishing, Mary doles out sensual tips and yummy eye candy on her blog “Romantic Interludes”. She also can be found lecturing college classes on the importance of Journal writing.

Where to find me

Website

Email

Blog

Twitter: @MaryQuast

 Facebook

Thank you to all who checked out my writing process. 

Humpday Help - Plot Bunnies

For the next several weeks, Humpday Help will attempt to explain Plot Bunnies. First of all, a Plot Bunny is an idea for a story that gnaws at the brain until written.

Some well known plot bunnies that have been positively identified. There are various breeds, thousands of them, and many aren't even tied to writing. Inventors and scientists have their own breeds of plot bunnies that lead them to discoveries where A leads to B which jumps to G or even Z.

Here are a few Plot Bunnies that commonly plague writers.

The Lop-eared Sitting Around Talking Shorthair

Physical Characteristics: Lop ears, short brown/grey flecked fur

How to identify his presence: When your characters inevitably come to a point where the plot simply won't advance, so they sit on a couch/the ground/ a golf cart/ a pirate ship and start talking about nothing in particular. Some couple thousand words later, a plot bunny pops up, grins, and heads off! It can always be discovered in this kind of plot stall, and it's known for waiting until the last possible moment (the moment when you are about to throw your laptop across the table) to come and create a diversion.

The Mystery Plot Bunny

Physical Characteristics: Black, short hair with small, pointed ears.

How to identify his presence: This bunny is attracted to plots which aren't usually intended to have any mystery. The bad guys are known, the goal is visible, but suddenly the Mystery Plot Bunny appears and there's a piece of information lacking, a lost object, or an unknown baddie that needs to be discovered and stopped.

This bunny is known to complicate plots far more than they need to be. Usually can be made happy with a missing item, but sometimes demands the more involved mysteries.

Killer bunny

Physical Characteristics: Small, white, red eyes

How to identify his presence: Not unlike the much-feared Monty Python variety, this little white bunny looks harmless as you're writing along, and then up close, abruptly kills off a character you weren't expecting to kill - at least, you didn't intend for it to go right THEN! In its wake, it leave behind a host of new plot opportunities... as well as some definite Closed Paths.

Are you an author?

"Do I have a marketing plan? Are you kidding? I'm buried with writing, editing, fighting with a website, trying to balance a job, family, and all the other demands of life. If I think about taking on more, I start to stress out. But I'll listen to suggestions. I need all the help I can get."

Is this you? Are you a writer who fights constantly to find better ways not only to write, but also to promote? Need help? Like to offer solutions?

A writer pal, Kayelle Allen, told me about an awesome online group for writers. Check out  Marketing For Romance Writers. It's a self-help and mentoring group for writers dedicated to helping authors.

They will host a free online conference in July; so mark your calendars.

Tempting Tuesday - a Gem Sivad western romance

Time to do a shameless plug for a friend.

WOLF’S TENDER, is an erotically charged tale while the detail and richness of the setting were superb. I'm not one who was a regular reader of western romance, but Gem has opened a whole new door for me. This book is a must read!



Rough and tough Charlie Wolf McCallister knows he needs to get laid, when the prim and proper school teacher with a sharp tongue, starts looking good to him. When Naomi Parker’s students are snatched from their school by marauding Comancheros, the only way to get the girls home safely, is to hire the half-Kiowa bounty hunter. But Naomi has no cash and Mr. Charlie Wolf McCallister won’t take her I.O.U. His price seems a bit steep when Naomi must choose between her virtue and her students’ lives.

Cad that he is, Charlie Wolf operates on the philosophy that a bird in hand is better than no bird at all, and the longer he’s around Miss Naomi Parker, the more he wants this particular chickadee from the Sparrow Creek Ladies Academy. And so he offers to trade service—for servicing.

When one straight-laced spinster, tenders her body to one cynical sometimes savage, the unexpected bounty is love.

READ AN EXCERPT

AVAILABLE NOW
Liquid Silver Books
ISBN 978-1-59578-633-3

Wolf’s Tender available in print @Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online bookstores.

A Special Boy

Today is my son's 12Th birthday. Not a day goes by that I'm not amazed at how time has flown by. He's growing too fast but I'm very proud of him. Trevor loves books... reading and writing them. He hopes to publish a poetry book and/or a short story some day. I believe he will do this! (His 8 yr old brother already has!)

My little man already thinks about college... looking at Alma - Go Scots! He plans on being a scientist, a writer, and a book shop owner!

I've tried to take him to book signing events promoting children's and young adult writers. He's met Johnathan Rand at least five times. (See photo of Trev & his favorite author above.) He's even attended some of mine knowing that he's not allowed to read my work until he's 18. LOL.

It seems to me, that when a young person actually meets the author they in turn will read more work by that author and more books. This all being good!

So the message I send to writers of all genre is to be available to your fans, encourage young people you know to attend book signing events. I also send the message to those who enjoy books and reading; attend events with a friend, take a young person to an event of their favorite author.