Today I have the lovely Taryn Elliott, fellow Ellora’s Cave author. She has a new book out, so I invited her here today to chat with us about it. Keep up with her on her Website, Blog, Facebook or Twitter.
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Thanks so much for having me, Sidney.
Uncross Your Heart will always have a special place in my heart. It’s the first book that I finished writing in one big, greedy gulp. Before this novel I used to wander from manuscript to manuscript as the mood struck me.
I’ve learned that part of the reason for that is poor planning. The saggy middle that happens to a lot of us writers—especially the seat-of-the-pants writers like me—is usually because we lose our way in the middle of the story.
I’ve always been of the mind that if I plot out the story too far in advance then the story’s essentially ‘told’ to my creative side and I get bored. I love to dive into a notebook and plan out character traits, imagery, location, supporting cast. All of that is WAY too fun for me. But then I have a notebook full of the story and I get bored. And sometimes, okay…a lot of the time, the idea may not have been strong enough to wrap an entire book around.
I’ve since found a happy medium. I have a general outline that I do on a storyboard. I try to find the core conflict that will carry the story both in plot and character growth. As an aside…I find too much conflict sometimes. <g> Trimming and simplifying a story can be almost as hard as finding the conflict for me!
The outline gives me a lot of freedom to find all those sparkly little nuances that draw me to a character and story, and keep me grounded at the same time. It’s so easy to wander off on tangents and wrong paths when you let your creative side go. A lot of the time you find magic, and yet all too often you can write yourself in a corner. This gives me the best of both worlds.
The last two years have done a lot to put me on the right path for me. False starts and mistakes are part of the journey. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks for stopping by and reading about my first book. Drop a comment about what draws you to a book. Is it the cover? The type of storyline…friends to lovers, alpha heroes, adventure, etc. Is it simply author loyalty?
One random commenter will get a $5 GC to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and copy of my novel, UNCROSS YOUR HEART, in the format of your choice. The contest will run through tomorrow. Winners will be announced on Thursday.
I can’t wait to read your comments.
UNCROSS YOUR HEART
Sometimes starting over means facing your greatest fears…
Miranda Lyons is adept at pretending to be someone else, someone without a past. She’s able to forget for chunks of time that she comes from a very wealthy, notorious family. She’s given up most of the party-girl vices from her old life, including sex. Until Nathan Cross barges into her life…
To all appearances, Nathan Cross is a simple man—devoted to family and friends, committed to his work. But nothing is simple about Nate’s feelings for Miranda. Fascination quickly blooms into outright lust, and not just for her body. He wants all of her, even the parts she hides from the world. But Miranda’s secrets threaten to drive away the one man capable of both helping her come to terms with her past and supporting a future with a love that’s all about truth.
EXCERPT: (new for this blog)
“Can you handle general admission?”
She smiled up at him. “Glad I wore the boots. I’m game.” The last time she’d been to a show, she’d made sure to have the modest second-tier seats. It was safer there, anonymous and away from the action. And now there she was, right in the thick of things like old times.
She stepped through the doors of the newly remodeled club. It didn’t hold that many people, but instead of the seedy dive she remembered it was sleek and modern. Jet-black walls were coated in murals that picked up the red glow bouncing off lights and modified black lamps.
He surrounded her again, instinctively shielding her from a group of teens shoving their way inside. He yanked her out of the way as a pair of bouncers hauled a wildly twisting twenty-something guy out the front. Long fingers gripped her hip, burning through the flimsy summer-weight material.
Drag him into the bathroom and show him my version of an opening act.
MJ clamored in her brain, needs and sensory memories feeding off the bodies and the atmosphere so close to her old life in Los Angeles. And even with all the bodies in the room, there was a citrus freshness coming off him that made her want to get closer.
Just one touch, that’s all it would take. He’s willing. You can see it in his eyes. Take… He’ll make you feel alive again.
Because she wanted it so bad, she slid away from him into the throng of people trying to get to the front of the club where the stage shone under a red wash of lights. She felt him at her back as the room started to fill.
He pulled her aside lightly, his fingers teasing down her arm until their hands were clasped. “We’re both tall enough to get a good look if we move over here.”
She held her breath, her skin alive with that simple touch. Really, how long had it been since someone had done something as simple as hold her hand?
He settled her against a post, his smile easy and attentive. “Guard our spot with your life, I’ll get drinks.”
“I’ll have a w—” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask for a red wine, but this didn’t seem the type of place for wine. This was mixed drinks or beer.
Tequila.
Ignoring the voice, she managed to smile back at him.
Tequila shooter with a side of tequila, drenched delivery boy.
“I’ll have a beer, Dos Equis if they have it.” Damn. Couldn’t quite get away from the Mexican. She shifted her purse around to the front.
He raised his hand to stop her. “I asked you out, I pay.” He shook his head, leaning down so she could hear him. “I’d never have pictured you for a hard-core beer girl.”
She trapped her hands behind her back so she wouldn’t reach up and test out those wide shoulders. She remembered just how muscular and fluid they were and wanted more.
He’s willing. Look at that mouth, it’s made for kissing. Made for going down on a woman until she’s screaming. You remember what that’s like, right? The way two bodies can move together until you’re so exhausted that breathing’s an effort? Remember?
She stared hard at his lips and for a moment, she ached to find out.
What draws me to a book really depends. If it’s an author I know/love, that’s enough. I’ll buy the book because it’s that author.
If it’s a new-to-me author, I go by the recommendations of friends.
But I admit that I am drawn to pretty covers. When that happens, I read the back blurb. If it sounds enticing, I buy. Usually this works very well. The only problem with covers is when I’m in the mood for an epic fantasy. Those covers are almost always horrible…
Ally Daniels recently posted..Giving away a book because it was a damn good read.
Thanks for stopping by Ally. I’ve bought a few books for the cover myself. Mostly I go my recc’s too. My insta-buy list has been shrinking because of taste changes.
Taryn Elliott recently posted..#AtoZChallenge U: Unsaid