2014 BLOG TOUR INTERVIEW

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve written on this blog! And believe me, it’s not because I lost interest, or gave up my desire to write.  In fact, I’ve been as busy as a honey bee with several different projects, so busy, that even keeping my Facebook Page active has been a challenge.

Speaking of challenges, I don’t often turn one down, so when friend and writer, Lori Johnstone, invited me to participate in a Blog Tour, I jumped at the chance to post something new on Expressions of Late. After all, it’s a great opportunity to let you all know what I’ve been up to.


Before I get started, however, I’d like to send a shout out and thank you to Lori for thinking of me and invite you all to check out her blog at http://mamabear-livenwrite.blogspot.com/.

Not only is Lori a busy wife and mother, but also a blogger and aspiring author, who contributes to the Greeley Moms column in the Greeley Tribune as well.  Talk about busy bees, huh?_________________________________________________

As for my Blog Tour interview, I’ve been asked four questions:

What Are You Working on Now?

Where should I start? First, there’s Sleepless, book one of my Cold Case Series, which is in final draft stage, with plans to submit the manuscript to agents and publishers for consideration.

Fans who have read a completed draft have encouraged me to self-publish and not wait for a publisher, but, to date, I’m holding out on that.  Meanwhile, I’ve been working hard on book two of the series, (working title: Visual Contact) and the first draft is nearly complete!  I’ve also started another project, with hopes of showing my fans a softer side.  This story is a labor of love for my daughter, Michelle, who loves Christmas stories more than anything and has been asking me to write her one for some time now.  Unfortunately, I just came up with the idea for the story a few weeks ago, so, sorry, darling, but it won’t be done in time for this holiday season.

How Does My Work Differ from Others of its Genre?

My genre of choice is thriller/suspense/mystery, however, I never forget the romance that ties it all together.  And along with those steamy romance scenes, I like to break up the tension with as much humor as the story and characters can withstand while in the midst of danger.  After all, what’s a good murder without a few laughs.  And, as if that wasn’t enough, my demented mind always finds a way to throw a little paranormal into the mix as well.

Why Do I Write What I do?

Because I love it! It’s what I read, what I devour, what I enjoy most of all. I have my favorites, of course, (don’t we all) and I collect them in hardback to read over and over again.

How Does My Writing Process Work?

Working full time as a paralegal prohibits me from spending as much time writing as I’d like, and life keeps me from setting a specific schedule. So, I make time whenever I can squeeze in an hour or more, like weekends, lunch breaks, evenings, and long into the nights.

I’m a very visual writer, so I have to be able to see the characters in my mind’s eye as I write.  That means I get on the Internet and find someone that matches my idea of what my characters look like, download the pictures, and then post them where I can look at them whenever the need strikes.  The scenes play out in my head and then are transferred to paper.

I never do a full outline because the story unfolds as I write.  In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Even I didn’t know who the killer was in Sleepless until nearly the end!

The biggest problem with my writing style is that the best dialogue always strikes either when I’ve already shut down and gotten into bed, or I’m in the shower.  You’d think I would have learned to keep a recorder handy by now!
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Well, that’s it folks.  I hope you’ll take an extra minute to check out my Completed Manuscripts page where you’ll find a brief blurb about each story I’ve written thus far, along with those still in the works. (I guess they aren’t really completed, then, huh?)  And I’d really appreciate your comments to let me know if the blurb has you interested in reading some of my work.

Thanks for tuning in.

Gina

Oh, and watch for next week’s Blog Tour contribution from my friend, blogger and aspiring author, Dannie Woodard at http://rockingwithdannie.blogspot.com/