Inside A Writer's Life-It ain't always pretty

The fabulous Lisa Wingate tagged me to participate in an Authors at Work: How They Do It blog hop. If you've ever been curious how an author works, here's your glimpse at me. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)

• What am I working on?

I am working on the revisions for the final book in my Alaskan Courage series. SABOTAGED is Reef McKenna’s story and here’s a sneak peek:

Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now paired together on Yancey’s search-and-rescue canine unit, they begin to put aside old arguments as they come to see each other in a different light. Then a call comes in from the Iditarod that will push them to their limits. Kirra’s uncle, a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing. Frank’s daughter has been kidnapped. In order to save her, the man must use his knowledge as a mechanical engineer to do the kidnapper’s bidding or she will die. Kirra and Reef, along with the entire McKenna family, are thrown into a race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl’s life, but appears willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen.

The story is actually available for pre-order already, even though it doesn't release until February of next year.  You can find pre-order links, and links to add the book to your to-be-read pile, on my Books page.

• How does my work differ from others of its genre?


I would have to say the adventure element. All of my books feature a strong adventure thread. In my Alaskan Courage series, the McKenna family owns and operates an adventure outfitting company. All the siblings volunteer with search and rescue. I love adventure—windsurfing, skiing, hiking—and I really enjoy making a love of adventure part of my characters’ lives too.

• Why do I write what I do?


I write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things I love—the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one's faith and plenty of romance.

• How does my writing process work?

My husband says I write Tangled-style—hopefully a good number of you have seen the movie so you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s the scene where Rapunzel first tastes freedom and she goes back and forth between ‘Best day ever’ and ‘I’m a despicable human being.’ Well, a friend sent me a writer’s version of it that sits on my desk. It has ten images with sayings like ‘This story is so awesome’ to ‘I’m a horrible author and I’m going to quit.’ I pretty much hit both extremes during my writing process—more often the latter, but it’s all just part of the process.

Now I'm tagging fun-loving Katie Ganshert and always-inspiring Rachel Hauck. Take a look at these talented authors' writing lives.

How about you? If you're a writer, how does your writing process work? And if you're a reader, have you been surprised by anything you've learned from authors about the writing process?

Blessings,