#MondayBlogs 7 Things that #Inspire @shannonihayes @reginapaul

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Welcome Author

Regina is a Speculitive Fiction Writer. Let's see what she's got to say!

7 Things that Inspire This Writer

I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember and spinning a yarn is one of my most favorite things to do. As I’m sure is true of most writers, I get my inspiration from a lot of different things, and they aren’t necessarily the things you would think of. 

Here are 7 things that inspire this writer:

Dreams.

The nighttime ones. My book Alien Deceptions was created from a dream I had one night that made me ask what might be the reason for alien abduction, assuming it is real. I dreamed the basis for that book that very night, and while the book took me five years to write and has been through two different editions with the next one coming soon to Leap of Faith Publishing, LLC, it is still one of my most favorite stories. I had a blast creating this universe, and I can’t wait to write more books in this series.

Photos. 

I love to cruise the stock photo sites and look at photos. That old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words is so true, and I love to look at photos including very old ones from the days when photography was just getting its start. Once I find a really interesting photograph, I love to start playing the “what if?” game with myself. I’ve gotten some of my best story ideas from playing this game using my imagination.

Books. 

Like most authors, I absolutely adore reading. I have over 3,000 e-books on my Kindle and I’ve read the majority of them both non-fiction and fiction. What is fun for me as an author is when I read it sparks my imagination in other directions. For example, I especially love LGBT romance, gay romance in particular. And for no particular reason other than that I was inspired by a book where one of the main characters was a guy hiding from a mobster who had murdered his best friend. Said guy was in the witness protection program and was presenting himself as a woman when he meets and falls in love with his neighbor who is a gay guy. Needless to say after reading that book, my imagination took off in another direction. What would it be like for a woman to find herself in a male body? And thus The Last Jumper my gender bending scifi romance was born. 

Book Covers. 

Another favorite past time of mine is looking at book covers. The ones I like the best are the ones that don’t look like everyone else’s. It’s not uncommon to find me surfing google images for scifi romance covers, or fantasy romance covers, really any type of book cover for inspiration. Now one key thing about doing this is that I do not read the blurb for said book covers. I’m just looking at the cover and seeing if it triggers my imagination and they usually do! I purposefully don’t read the blurbs because I don’t want any story ideas I might come up with from the cover to be influenced too much by what another author wrote. I want my imagination to cook up something completely different, and as long as I don’t read the blurbs this works just fine for me, and has given me completely new story lines and ideas. 

Art. 

Another favorite of mine is visiting museums though I don’t get to do this as often as I might like. Of course you can also find all kinds of cool art on the internet and I’ve been known to look at it there too. The idea is the same as with photos or book covers, I look at the art and see what story it is telling me and then come up with a story line or idea and run with it.

Daydreams. 

Yes, I admit it, I have a very overactive imagination! Daydreaming is another favorite activity of mine. Laying out in a field of flowers, staring at the sky, or even laying on the floor in my home office and letting my imagination run while with daydreaming has brought about some of my most fun story lines and ideas to write about. 

Intuition. 

I’ve always relied pretty heavily on my intuition for story ideas as well. This usually goes along the line of I’m sitting quietly in meditation when a picture or an idea will just pop into my mind out of seemingly nowhere and abracadabra a new story idea is born!

These are by no means all the things that inspire this writer, but they’re certainly some of the top things. Of course I’m always looking for more things to inspire me! What inspires you whether it be in writing, or art, or whatever?

Thank you so much S.I. for having me here on your lovely blog today! 

Bio:

Regina Paul lives in Seattle, WA with her husband of twenty-seven years. A long time resident of the Pacific Northwest, she cannot imagine living anywhere else, although she would love to see more of the world, particularly Hawaii, Greece, Australia, and New Zealand, not necessarily in that order. 

Regina has several books available which include Alien Deceptions (out of print but will be back soon), No Place to Run, A Gift From Home, Lilly's Choice, Lilly's Christmas Surprise, Destiny's Choices, Destiny's Holiday, Through a Dark Mirror, Frost, Flame and Flower, and The Last Jumper. Regina calls her writing speculative romance because she writes across genres and heat levels depending on her mood.

When Regina is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband, reading m/m and paranormal romance, which are her all time favorites, writing, painting, creating Native American beadwork and  3D art.  

Regina loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to e-mail her anytime. 

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#MondayBlogs #WritersRunYourMouth Vol. 3 #ShopTalk @shannonihayes

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Authors Running Their Mouths is the creative brain child of Author S.I. Hayes Join her as she asks other Authors to let loose and Run their mouths!

Welcome Author Jennie L. Morris

Jennie is a Women's Fiction Writer. Let's see what she's got to say!

Shop Talk with Jennie L. Morris

     Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to write for your blog! My name is Jennie L. Morris, and my first book Drawn in Shadows was published this month, and I have to say I the feeling is still a bit surreal. I work with a fantastic publishing company called Leap of Faith Publishing, LLC, and because it is a small publishing house there is a lot more freedom for the author during the publishing process. I’ve completed the sequel to Drawn in Shadows, and it is waiting in the wings. There is nothing like finishing that first draft, then re-reading your work about five-times through before submitting it.

As a natural night owl, my best writing ideas come at night, which is impractical. If I could, I would write through the night and sleep all day, but that is unrealistic even if desirable. So that is one of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome, making time during daylight hours to write and setting aside the computer, even if I’m right in the middle of a plot point when it is time for bed.

If you ask many writers, published or not, (because YES you are a writer even if you aren’t published) I’ve found that there is a theme. A lot of us start young, writing or telling stories from an early age and the urge never goes away. To be honest, I hated reading until I started high school. Then, a magic wand clobbered me on the head. My mother gave me Ray Bradbury’s From the Dust Returned and I fell in love. After reading that marvelously creepy book, I wanted to read more but also I wanted to write.

The first book I wrote was a terrible romance novel that should never see the light of day. Then I tried my hand at fantasy, writing an opus filled with clichés and predictable characters. I didn’t find my own voice until my late twenties when I decided I wanted to write stories that I wanted to read. Though I read a wide variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction, my favorite genre to read is a well-written historical fiction.

Half the fun for me in writing is the research, collecting all the facts and delving deep into a topic, even if I only mention it in passing. I’m a trained biologist and anthropologist, so I tend to add some sort of scientific details in my work, as this interests me on a professional and personal level. I am also a self-proclaimed Anglophile, even though I live in central Kentucky, I could easily find myself escaping to anywhere in Great Britain. I’ve been lucky to spend four amazing days on that isle, and it felt like going home.

Every author has their own voice, and it’s a shame to try to steal another’s voice when your own may be something fantastic. But, I love the language some authors use and wish for a pinch of their talent. Jane Austen, her mastery of sarcasm of tension between men and women is superb. Diana Norman (also wrote under Ariana Franklin), used history to make her characters so lifelike. As a scholar herself, the authenticity of her books comes through but doesn’t overshadow the storyline in any way. And last, Dean Koontz. He was one of the first authors I read, and though his works are considered masterpieces of literature, they taught me a lot about how to grab a reader with sentence structure and word choice.

Thank you again, S.I. for allowing me to ramble on your fantastic blog. Its been a privilege and a lot of fun talking shop. 

Bio:

As a self-proclaimed Anglophile, and tea lover, it's no wonder that Author Jennie L. Morris writes Romance and Historical Fiction. Her love for both leading her to degrees in both Anthropology and Biology. Coming from NE Ohio, and raised on a Beef Cattle farm , life was anything but ordinary,

Jennie now resides in rural Kentucky, among the bluegrass and dazzling horses, with her amazing husband, ancient feline Chelsea and their newest addition Archie the Boxer. Wher she feeds her Tea and Perfume addictions, letting the scents and flavors fuel her creative fires.

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#MondayBlogs #WritersRunYourMouth Vol. 2 Rising up! @shannoniahyes @Writergirl74

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Welcome Author Cassandra Jones

Cassandra is a Multi-Genre writer. Let's see what she's got to say!

My Journey Into Writing

     My journey into writing started when I was 13. I had always loved reading and wanted to create my own stories to share with others. I had even taken creative writing and journalism classes in high school. I am always happy when writing.

     I realized being as shy as I was, that I could best express myself through writing. I started keeping journals that I could use as inspiration for my writing. I also keep a notebook of quotes as inspiration. Between the ages of 13 and 32 I had started over 200 stories.

One day in 2002 I decided to try my hand at poetry and instantly fell in love with it. Between 2002 and 2010 I had written almost 300 poems. Sadly in September of 2012 I lost almost all of those stories and poems in a fire.

     I didn't let that stop me from getting back on my feet and writing again. I just recently finished my first novel. It has been sent to the betas and is in the editing stages. I am currently getting together a book of poetry as well. I have written lots of poems from an experience with an ex best friend.

I've seen my publishing dreams come true when 2 of my poems were included in Vol 1 of Authors Against Bullying. It is an honor to be involved in something like this. All proceeds from sales go to charity. I have a short story in Authors Against Bullying Vol. 2.

Since then I have had poems and short stories published in several other anthologies for charities and one that is always free. They are Dark Fantasia, A Healing Anthology, Streetlamps To Starlight, Our Secret Nook, and Ghostly Writes Anthology 2017. The Tricks or Treats Anthology is due out later this month.

     I am working on stories for several more anthologies and my first novel. The Hunt For Amanda is a crime fiction novel. The main protagonist is named after and based on my best friend Tammy Perdue, who we lost in 2012. When Tammy is targeted by an ex co-worker she has to try and protect Amanda. When the man can’t get to her, he kidnaps Amanda to get Tammy to do what he wants. I am currently making changes to the novel and even adding some new scenes. It has been a fun story to write.

     I have learned that writing is my way to get through. Without writing I am nothing. I hope that through my writing I can help others as well. Participating in these anthologies has been an honor in itself. I am so happy to be able to help out these charities and even raise awareness against bullying and abuse.

     After being bullied by that ex friend emotionally for years and then dealing with a cyber bully, I am more than happy to help raise awareness to help others who have been through similar situations. No one should have to go through that. So I will continue to use my writing to help others any way I can.

     I hope ya'll enjoyed my journey into writing. Thank you so much for having me on your blog S.I. Hayes.

Bio:
I was born in Fairmont,WV and raised in the small town of Four States,WV. (Yes, that’s a real place!) I have loved to read since I was very young. At the age of thirteen I decided I wanted to try writing my own story. After taking Creative Writing and Journalism in high school, I began to love writing even more. I have won first place in two poetry contests and third place in a writing contest. I attended my first writer’s workshop in 2015 and another one October 21,2017. When I’m not writing, I can usually be found with my nose in a book.

I enjoy working on the family history and learning new things.I also love to spend time with family and friends. I have the best time at my book group called The Lunchtime Book Discussion Group that meets at our local library once a month.

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#WriterWednesday #AuthorsRunYourMouth #WW #WednesdayWords @SusanMeachen @shanonihayes

S.I. Hayes Presents

Authors Running Their Mouths is the creative brain child of Author S.I. Hayes Join her as she asks other Authors to let loose and Run their mouths! 

 Welcome Author S. Meachen

S. Mechen is an Erotica,  Romantic, Drama and Suspense writer. Let's see what she's got to say! 

     I started writing almost three years ago it wasn’t ever post to be published it was to help me deal with my past. Then a few friends were reading it as I wrote it and they pushed me to release it to the world. Chance Encounter is my soul book I guess it contains so much of me that I almost died writing it (no seriously) Well once it was done I got nudged to do another book and well you know how that is. Now we are sitting on book 6 and 7 waiting on release dates.

    I don’t write Fairytale Love Stories it’s more like I Write Perfectly Flawed Romances and I can’t promise an HEA in any of my stories as rainbows and unicorns don’t hangout in my head.

    My first Positive review made me so excited and made my heart relax a bit as others loved what I’d wrote.
Then that first one star review came in and it broke me but I picked up and moved on.

    When I hit bottom the one person who is always there outside my family is my PA Connie Ortiz trust me we hit bottom a bit. While releasing Chance Encounter we found out I have Bipolar 1 and from the moment I got stable I advocated for Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention.


     We could sit here and talk all day long if anyone every has a question feel free to contact me one thing I’ll never get tired of is touching someone’s soul. I’m always wandering around and love Stalkers and Fans. Plus shh I love giving sneak peaks at what is to come from my twisted little self.

Bio:

I'm from a very small town in the Southern part of Tennessee, it's not huge, but it's home. I wear many hats I'm a wife,mom,meme, author, sister to name a few. Being an Author is the one job I've never dread doing unless it editing time. My wonderful PA Connie Ortiz keeps me on track and makes sure my deadlines are meet even if she has to kick my butt. 
I have been married to my husband for twenty-two years, we have two grown children, and one we sort of adopted, who has given us our first set of grand kids. 
You can normally find me curled up with my laptop and my baby girl a 6 foot long Ball Python working on my next book or reading one of my favorite Authors new release. 



Stalk Me if you’d like

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S.I. Hayes