I’ve published four books for The Wild Rose Press, mostly romantic suspense, and had fun with the titles on all of them. My first, TAKING THE TUMBLE, was fun because of the different meanings for Tumble, both as “falling for you” and as “taking the fall.” Before final acceptance, my editor suggested building up the villain a bit more. Once I got into the mindset, it was fun to do, and in the process I wrote a poem in six limericks, called “A Writer’s Plight.” It’s on my website along with other limericks I love to write.

My second, PERIL, PASSION, PERU, had a wonderful moment for me. I described a scene that included the husband treating himself to an expensive briefcase, without really knowing why. Imagine my amazement as I got near the end of the story to find out the briefcase turned into a key element in the plot! A lot of writing is intuitive. The title was chosen for the alliteration–all those “P”s!

I did a quick switch for my third book, SEX, LOVE, & THE SPACETIME PINCH, a sexy sci-fi adventure under the pen name of Vee Bentley. The concept of pinching spacetime was used to get my characters to a fascinating new planet. Guilt-free shenanigans there.

My current book, under my own name once more, is part of a series of books by different authors, all taking place in or about a historic inn in Vermont, the Deerbourne Inn. The title, A BEAN, A PEA, AND A MAMMOTH TUSK, is a teaser for a sweet romance between a rookie sheriff’s deputy and a middle school principal. The bean and pea are part of a Twelfth Night celebration, while the mammoth tusk is unearthed in a nearby forest and causes enough commotion to warrant the hiring of another deputy. The two events tie up in the lovely inn.

Writing for a series has both Pleasures and Pitfalls. I loved mixing the characters and am using some in my next book. A pitfall of mine was having a character arrive via the covered bridge while the airport was in the other direction. Happily, my editor caught that one.

It’s been great fun getting Sex, Love, & the Spacetime Pinch out in an audio version. Listening to books has become a favorite activity. I began on a long cross-country drive and found it eased the boredom…and was delighted to learn my leg no longer cramped after a long stretch on the pedal! I took up listening next when I walked my daily exercise. Suddenly, rather than having to drag myself from the computer, I was eager to get out and discover what happened next in the story. I also found listening to old favorites in their audio versions wonderfully relaxing for unwinding at bedtime.

Hearing one of my own creations read aloud by another person is a strange experience, both anxious and pleasurable. All at once I began “seeing” my book from a reader’s eyes.  The perception is an eye-opener. I’m anticipating the pleasure of listening to one of my romantic suspense novels the next time.

“IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL. . .

What if the future did not have to be dystopian? What if, instead, men and women moved toward a utopia of closeness, understanding, empathy on physical, intellectual, and spiritual levels? What if, instead of the ephemeral victory of conquest, males and females strove for bliss, for mutual pleasure, for happiness that sprang from a sense of belonging? What if allowing love in led to a more productive world of learning, of seeking the riddles of the universe not through superstition but through intelligence? What if anger, fear, insecurity, and guilt were traded in for confidence, sexual satisfaction, invigorated minds and hearts eager to pursue the twin goals of enjoyment and enlightenment?

Nacre was named for the luminescence within a pearl. What if the planet were real???”