Aloha to Amanda Berry and HIS SMALL-TOWN SWEETHEART

Writing: A Solo Effort?

By Amanda Berry

I know for a lot of people writing seems like a very solitary venture. They imagine us writers sitting in our office with our computers. A cup of coffee steaming beside us as we wrestle to put the visions in our heads into cohesive words that other people can follow. We may take a break to stare longingly at the sunshine just beyond our reach through the window. Before we return our gaze to the words jumbled up on the page.

While that might be the pretty (or not so pretty) vision of writers, it’s pretty far from the reality for me. First off I generally sit in a recliner with my laptop. Office chairs tend to cause back aches and hip aches for me. And I never fail to have company. Whether it’s our Jack Russell beagle mix, Lucy, trying to squeeze her 22 lb body on my legs behind my computer without taking the whole recliner down with her, or the constant battle between old grumpy cat Toby or young crazy cat Shade trying to vie for warmth and position in front of the keyboard on my stomach, an animal is never far from me while I write.

Then there is the internet. Sure I do the whole Facebook is on in the background and I’ve even occasionally had Twitter up too, but there are all these writers from everywhere in the world that I can connect with in the touch of a button. I’m constantly chatting with my BFFs in St. Louis, Shawntelle Madison and Jeannie Lin, along with Stephanie Draven up north. We have a Google hangout just for us that’s always open on my desktop. We even have a book coming out in May, This Wedding is Doomed, that we all contributed to.

When I really need to buckle down, I’ll head into one of the many chat rooms where writers get together to “sprint” their books. We set a timer and you have to write until the timer goes off. No one gets chastised for not working (we all do it), but you do get praise for any progress (very motivating). And you know you aren’t writing alone, which makes things even easier.

Creating characters can definitely make you feel not alone as you spend time crafting words that would naturally flow from characters that may not be anything like you. In His Small-Town Sweetheart, Nicole is a talker. I can be a talker when given the right dosage of caffeine and/or alcohol, but I try to sit back and think about what I say before saying it (this doesn’t always work, but I do try). Sam is closer to me, but just a little bit more reluctant to say anything. These characters do come to life for us and in doing so writers hope they come to life for the readers as well.

While we are the only ones putting words on the page, writers don’t have such a lonely job after all.

Vintage typewriter from the Annapolis Bookshop

Best Friends…Forever

Twenty years ago, Nicole Baxter left the only home she knew—and the boy who shared all her secrets. Now, with nowhere else to go, she's back in Tawnee Valley to figure out her next move—and cry on her old friend Sam Ward's shoulder. Except the gentle dreamer has become a brooding loner who's gearing up to sell the place he loves most.

When Nikki moved away, Sam lost the best friend he ever had. The beautiful, elegant woman who comes home is a world away from the tomboy with pigtails and skinned knees. And he's no longer the dreamy kid who believes in happy endings. Until Nikki starts to convince him they share the same dream: a future together right here in their own backyard…

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Between walking her Jack Russell-beagle mix, petting her two cats and driving her two kids all over creation, Amanda Berry writes contemporary romance novels (thanks to a supportive husband). A Midwest girl stuck in the wetlands of South Carolina, she finds inspiration in her small-town upbringing.

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I am giving away a book choice from my convention to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Other than reading, do you engage in any solitary activities?  How about group activities?  I ride my exercise by myself but I like to walk with my kids.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 24, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 25.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore 

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Mills and Boon Cover

Aloha to Amanda Berry and ONE NIGHT WITH THE BEST MAN

Isn't this cover cute?  Amanda Berry joins me today to celebrate the release of ONE NIGHT WITH THE BEST MAN:

Running into his first love at his brother's wedding isn't the homecoming Dr. Luke Ward imagined. Maid of honor Penny Montgomery should have been his bride. And now, despite how things ended between them, the former Tawnee Valley bad girl just made him an offer the still-smitten best man would be a fool to refuse.

Eight years ago, Penny lost the only man she ever loved. Spending the weekend together is a huge risk—and the only way to see if she's really over Luke. But when a family emergency forces the handsome surgeon to extend his visit, their passionate reunion fling flames into a deeper attachment. Does Penny have the courage to try for a second chance with Luke—and say "I do" to her best man?

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
BOOKS-A-MILLION

Between walking her Jack Russell-Beagle mix, petting her two cats and driving her two kids all over creation, Amanda Berry writes contemporary romance novels (thanks to a supportive husband). A Midwest girl stuck in the wetlands of South Carolina, she finds inspiration in her small-town upbringing. A list of her current releases and backlist can be found at amanda-berry.com.

Who Doesn’t Love a Wedding

By Amanda Berry

Okay, well maybe some people dislike weddings, but I love weddings in books. The only problem with weddings in books (from the author prospective) is planning your character’s wedding. Because you know you have to have it perfect. J

One Night with the Best Man, the second in my Ward Brother’s trilogy, starts at Maggie and Brady’s wedding, the couple from the first Ward book Father by Choice. This series revolves around the small town of Tawnee Valley and even though Brady had lived in New York, they decided to get married in the small town.

Having grown up in a small town, I realized that the venues for weddings were limited. There was always the basement of a church; however, those were more commonly used for receptions after funerals, rather than wedding receptions. There’s usually a few halls in the town and if you are really lucky a nice restaurant with a banquet room. The town I created was very small... smaller than the one I grew up in, so I knew I’d have to create something fantastic with a hall that likely hadn’t been renovated since the 70s and still had that lingering scent of cigars burned into the wood paneling.

Between create draping of fabrics and imported elegance, the reception hall was dressed up to rival the best ballroom in a big city hotel. I had to look at what Maggie and Brady would want to make the wedding particular to them. Wild flowers like the bouquet that Brady gave her when he returned. Spending money with local vendors and hiring local people to help stimulate the dying economy of the city. Family and friends surrounding them at every point.

After all, it takes a special sort of situation for a guy like Luke to choose to forget about the past for the night to be with the one woman he once loved and who broke his heart. Penny never needed a special occasion or fancy dress or beautiful flowers, when it came to Luke. He’d been her first love and her last love. She never let anyone get that close to her since they broke up, but she’s sure she can protect her heart, especially for one night. Add in dancing and champagne and wine and speeches about love and who could resist...

What’s your favorite part about weddings? The ceremony? The food? The dancing? Dressing up? The cake?

Comment to be entered to win copies of both Father by Choice and One Night with the Best Man.

Mahalo, Amanda, for the giveaway!  Comments are open through Saturday, September 20, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 21.  

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City