This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Pamela Gibson will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Often, I read about authors lamenting the fact their well is dry. They’ve turned in their latest work and they’re not sure what to write about next.
Inspiration comes in many forms. It can be a thought while watching a fan scramble for a foul ball at baseball game, a pretty young girl with a black eye striding along a dock in a remote part of Canada, a woman crying softly in a restroom in a marina in South Carolina.
My inspiration generally comes from characters in other books I’ve written. In Scandal’s Bride, my current release, Lady Gwendolyn appears in the first book as a no-nonsense, impetuous bluestocking who is more interested in intriguing people than societal rules. A woman like that would cringe under the thumb of a well-meaning father who wants to marry her off to someone she despises. She would want to control her own destiny if she can.
John, younger brother of the hero in Scandal’s Child, also has a dilemma. He’s inherited a crumbling estate in faraway Yorkshire. He needs money and when Gwen pours out her dilemma to her best friend, a story is born.
There’s another character in need of a story in both of those books and happily, Lady Emily Sinclair will be getting her book next.
Years ago, when I began writing, I lived in the Northern California wine country. So many stories presented themselves. Most wine country books are about wealthy families who own wineries. I wanted to write about the people who work for them. My Love in Wine Country series came to be. The first three books are about the Reynoso sisters and their male cousins. The other books in the series were spin offs from the first and characters appear in all six.
Living on a boat off and on for four years, and cruising waters on both U.S. coasts and in Canada, gave me lots of ideas to store away for future use. My advice to writers who have lost their muse is this: look around you, sit in a restaurant or coffee shop and study the patrons, read the news on your smart phone. Start with a kernel of an idea and play with it. Do a few “what ifs.” Set it aside if nothing comes to you, and try again with another story.
Most of all believe in yourself and your ability. Once a few words get on a page, your ideas will begin to flow. Remember the famous quote, most often attributed to Nora Roberts. “You can’t edit a blank page.” It’s my mantra.
Marry in haste…
Lady Gwendolyn Pettigrew longs to be a mother, but refuses to marry the lecherous old fool her father has found for her. When her best friend convinces her to consider her husband’s younger brother as a suitable candidate, Gwen agrees to a marriage of convenience, hoping against hope that her dream of becoming a mother will have a chance.
The Hon. John Montague, a penniless younger son, is handsome, witty, and thrilled that a woman with a dowry has agreed to wed him. Best of all she’s a fiercely independent bluestocking, a woman who won’t want to bother with a family. Because John has a shocking secret. He’s vowed never to bring a child into the world, a child who, like his own mother, might carry the strain of madness.
As secrets unfold, tension grows, threatening the fragile bonds they’ve forged. Worse, someone wants them to abandon their home and leave Yorkshire, and they’ll stop at nothing to make it happen.
Enjoy an Excerpt
“May I come in?”
A frisson of excitement made every nerve ending tingle in anticipation. Did he want to consummate their marriage tonight? She looked down at her serviceable white cotton nightgown with its high neck and long sleeves. She’d put it on because it was heavy and warm. If she’d known John would be joining her in her bed, she would have left her hair loose and worn the pretty gown Miranda had given her as a wedding gift.
Oh Lord, oh Lord.
She let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Pulling the covers up to her chin, she called out, “Come in.”
He poked his head through the door. His coat and waistcoat were off, and his cravat was in his hand. He looked mussed and adorable.
“I want to apologize for my behavior. I shouldn’t have run off like I did. I was feeling . . . ill-tempered . . . and didn’t want to subject you to my mood. I promise not to do it again.”
She peeked over the top of her covers. “You are forgiven. But I must say I was worried about you. Where did you go?”
“I rode toward the village, turned around, and came back. I gave my horse a good gallop and then a rub down in the stable.”
“I see.” She paused, not knowing what else to say.
He smiled. “We’ll play whist tomorrow night. I know you enjoy the game.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
“Good night, Gwen.” He closed the door firmly, and his footsteps echoed down the hall.
Why were her eyes filling with tears?
About the Author:
Author of eight books on California history and twelve romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of her gran-cats, gran-dog, and gran-fish. Sadly, the gran-lizard went to his final reward.
Buy the book at Amazon.
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I appreciate you taking the time to give us a great book description and giveaway as well. Thank you so much!
Thanks for hosting!
Sounds good.
Thank you so much for featuring my book and blog post today. Muses seem elusive, but they’re all around you. If you write novels, poetry, music or you’re an artist, you will find them.
I liked the excerpt, thank you.
I enjoyed reading the excerpt of the novel. My question for the author is “Where do you get the artwork for your novels’
My publisher’s art department chose the covers. Fiona Jayde is the cover artist. I suspect they go to sites offering images for sale. For my contemporaries, which are self-pubbed except for the first one, I used Shutterstock.
I love the cover!
I enjoyed the excerpt and the cover looks awesome!
Lovely cover
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on “the Muse” and your own sources for inspiration. As a fellow author, I can relate to what you’ve said here.