This Writer’s Space: Veronica Bartles

This Writer's Space

Today’s guest is Veronica Bartles, whose debut, Twelve Steps, I reviewed earlier this year. It’s a fun story about sibling rivalry. Take it away, Veronica!

Where I Write

My writing space isn’t confined to just one area. We live in military housing, and our house is too small for me to have an office space of my very own. And even though I’m sometimes totally jealous of my writing friends who have desks and offices of their own, I think it’s probably better this way. I’m less creative when I try to write in the same spot every day, so I bounce between several writing spots. Sometimes, I curl up on the comfy couch in the living room with my notebook and story pencils or my laptop.

Veronica)CouchWritingSpace

Sometimes, I relax in my massage chair in the corner of my bedroom. (This is where I like to go when I’m stuck on an idea. The massage helps me to relax enough to track down the plot bunnies hiding in the back of my mind.)

Veronica_MassageChair

My favorite writing space in my house is my treadmill desk. I’ve discovered that I can’t write first drafts on the treadmill, because I get so involved in the creative process that I forget where I am, and I’m likely to fall off. But I love to work on edits and revisions on the treadmill. With my blood pumping, my mind is more alert, and I feel like it’s easier to see the problems and issues that need fixing.

Veronica_TreadmillDesk

At least a few times a week, I also like to pack up my notebook and pencil (or my laptop, if I’m revising) and go to the botanic gardens, the library, a park, or a restaurant for a change of pace.

Where I’m Inspired

I get my inspiration pretty much anywhere. (This is why my writing space is so mobile.) But the best inspiration usually hits when I’m in a place where I can shut down my mental to-do list and let my mind wander into the creative zone. I try to go worship at the LDS Temple each week, because it’s so peaceful there, and I can almost always shut off my crazy brain while I’m there.

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To Be Read

My TBR list is huge, and it’s growing every single day. This picture is just a part of my list – the print books that I have on my shelves right now that I’m dying to read right away. My lists on my Kindle and Nook are almost as long, and then of course there are the fabulous, pre-published manuscripts I often get to read. I’m glad I’m a fast reader, because even though I often read several books each week, my TBR list grows twice as fast as I can read. I’ll never catch up, but at least I never have to search for something new to read. I always have several more options waiting in the wings when I finish a book and get ready for the next adventure.

Veronica_TBRList

About Twelve Steps

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina’s perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up.

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn’t working. Her prince isn’t as charming as she’d hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn’t the one she wants.

As Laina’s flawless façade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

About Veronica

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy.   When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.  TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles’s first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Authorgraph

Veronica_1544


This Writer’s Space: Amber A. Bardan

This Writer's Space

Today’s guest is the lovely Amber A. Bardan, whose debut, For Her Protection, came out on 30 May; as I draft this post it is climbing the Amazon charts! And because it’s her release week this post also includes a fabulous giveaway! Prizes include a $100 Amazon Gift Card, Romantic Swag, and 3 eBook copies of For Her Protection.

Where I Write

It used to be the lounge room couch with my laptop balanced on my knee. For the first time I now have my very own work space. I’m more than a little in love with it. It contains everything I need to work—including a closable door!

Mum’s you get it.

My favourite thing about where I write is that I’m surrounded by things that boost my creativity and inspire me—colours, scented candles, writing awards, my wedding photo, favourite books, not to mention it overlooks the backyard where I can watch my children play as I work.

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Where I’m Inspired

There really is no one place. I’m inspired by so many things, but if I had to choose one thing or place that inspires me it would have to be Pinterest. In the time sucking arms of Pinterest I can create boards and fill them with all kinds of inspiration—pictures of characters, places, quotes and anything that matches my theme for a plot or story.

Amber_Where I'm inspired

To Be Read

I mostly buy eBooks these days so I keep track of what I want to read on Goodreads. It’s really a mix, but romance and fantasy top my lists.

Amber_To be read

For Her Protection

You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.

Yet pleasure seems to be the one and only thing on Charlize’s mind the moment Connor steamrolls into her life. Desperate to save her family company, prove she’s more than a pretty face and worthy of being CEO, pleasure is a distraction she can’t afford.

She doesn’t want a bodyguard, especially not one whose caveman heroics kick her libido into hyperdrive. But surrounded by enemies and an attacker on the loose, there’s only one man she can trust with her life.

Connor knows better than to get personal with clients. Yet there couldn’t be anything more personal about his feelings for Charlize. From the moment he clapped eyes on her he wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and really give her something to scream about. He’ll get his uptight she-cat to unwind, preferably one orgasm at a time.

With Connor in her office, her home, driving her to sweet, merciless distraction, there’s only so long Charlize can resist his sexy, dominant brand of protection

About Amber

Amber A Bardan

After spending years imagining fictional adventures, Amber finally found a way to turn daydreaming into a productive habit. She now spends her days as a graphic designer but her nights writing gritty, raw, erotic romance with heart.

She lives with her husband and children in semi-rural Australia, where if she peers outside at the right moment she might just see a kangaroo bounce by.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

 

 


This Writer’s Space: Melissa Petreshock

This Writer's Space

This week’s This Writer’s Space features new adult fantasy romance author, Melissa Petreshock, whose book Fire of Stars and Dragons came out in April.

Where I Write

Melissa Petreshock write

I don’t have an office to work in, so I most often make do at the dining room table. It’s a good space for me since I’m too OCD to like clutter, and an office/desk would tend to gather piles of junk since it’s stationary. By having to move my things around each night when we have dinner, I maintain a minimal amount of general ‘stuff’. The staple items you can guarantee will be with me wherever I end up writing are: my laptop (obviously), my iPod touch, my notebook, an additional notepad (yes, that is pink paper), and what I call my ‘pretty pretty princess pen’. The pen is hand-turned by my dad and made from sycamore with a big blingy rhinestone on the top. (The green dragon is a recent addition. He’s traveling to BEA with me this year.)

When I’m working, I always have the current Word document I’m writing in (BLOOD OF STARS AND GODS, book 2 in the Stars and Souls Trilogy at the moment), my character ‘inspiration’ photo (Taylor Kitsch as Theo Pendragon seen there), and the Google Hangouts chat box with my sister open on my screen. She’s my go-to source for sudden frustration over sentences or paragraphs that don’t sound quite right or anything I need to bounce off someone else. Jen is my 24/7 sounding board. I have to keep her there at my right hand at all times.

Where I’m Inspired

Melissa Petreshock inspired

I’m a music fanatic and always listen to music while I’m writing. Where am I inspired? Anywhere I am with my iPod touch. If I have it on my iHome stereo in the kitchen, hooked up in my car, or plugged to my retractable pink earbuds, I find inspiration when I’m with my music. Pictured above is part of the official playlist for FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS.

Melissa Petreshock inspired2

If I had to choose a physical location I find most inspiring, I would choose Boston, Massachusetts. I used to live in Massachusetts and spent a lot of time in the city. It’s full of history and amazing places to see. A future version of Boston is also the setting of FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS and the major hub location of the Stars and Souls Trilogy. I’ve been many places in the United States, including such interesting cities as Los Angles and the ever-fascinating New York, but Boston will always be my favorite.

To Be Read

I try to be careful about buying too many books ahead of myself, so my Goodreads TBR is the best idea of what I have on my list of what I want to read, but on the mobile Kindle app, I have a small assortment of books I am reading or will be reading soon.

Currently, I’m reading Running Home by Julie Hutchings and will begin Of Breakable Things by Amy Rolland as soon as I finish Julie’s book. They’re both friends of mine, and I want to read Amy’s book before I leave for BEA, especially since we’re sharing a hotel room in NYC, and I want to chat bookish stuff with her! (And her cover is epically gorgeous!)

Below is a screenshot of a small number of the books in my Kindle app.

Melissa Petreshock TBR

About Melissa

Melissa PetreshockMelissa A. Petreshock is a full-time writer and member of the Romance Writers of America with past experience in the medical and educational fields, though she has primarily devoted her adult life to raising a family. Born and raised in Kentucky, Melissa spent a number of years in Massachusetts, living outside Boston and in Springfield before returning to her home state where she now resides on a small farm. She enjoys quiet married life and the silliness of her three children, indulging hobbies of music, Zumba, and a minor television addiction in what little free time she finds. Melissa’s interests include causes demanding social change such as mental health awareness and teen suicide prevention. FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS is her debut NA Fantasy Romance novel. You can find her at her website, on Facebook, Goodreads, TwitterPinterest and Instagram.

Fire of Stars and Dragons


This Writer’s Space: Stacey Nash

This Writer's Space

Today on This Writer’s Space, we have one of my very favourite sci-fi, young adult and Aussie writers — ALL ROLLED INTO ONE PERSON! It’s Stacey Nash!

Where I Write

When you’re a writer, you need easy and fast access to your writing space and when you’re a mother it means you need to be all-seeing. So… my writing space is at the kitchen table. My laptop is set up on a corner where I can see through the bulk of the house and watch the kids when I’m not playing with them. It’s also nice and accessible for when a burning idea strikes me mid-jigsaw puzzle or Lightening McQueen reenactment.

Stacey_write

Where I’m Inspired

I could give any number of photos for places where I find my inspiration, because I draw inspiration from all around me. Plot points and story ideas come to me in shower, when I’m driving, when I’m sleeping / dreaming, and even when I’m pegging the washing out. It seems nowhere is safe from the onslaught of plot bunnies. But I’ve decided to go with a photo of the view from my backyard, because really… it’s the beauty around me that I find most inspiring. There are snippets of scenery in all of my books from places I’ve seen, or lived or visited. This is where I call home, The Hunter Valley.

Stacey_inspired

To Be Read

No one photograph is big enough to contain my to be read pile, so I’ve made you a pretty collage. This year I’ve vowed not to buy books until I’m ready to read them. So my Goodreads ‘to read’ list is the most accurate of the order I intend to read. But then there’s the unread folder on my kindle app, and the one on my iBooks app, oh and lets not forget the physical TBR. Enjoy my collage. 🙂

Stacey_TBR

Stacey TBR

About Stacey

Stacey Nash writes adventure-filled stories for Young Adults in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. She calls the state of New South Wales in Australia home. Her debut novel, Forget Me Not, re-releases in August 2014 from HarperCollins Impulse and its sequel Remember Me release October 2014.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Stacey Nash (3)


This Writer’s Space: Dahlia Adler

This Writer's Space

This week on This Writer’s Space I’m thrilled to have one of my favourite bloggers, Dahlia Adler. If you follow my Blog Post for Writers board on Pinterest, you’ll know that it’s basically pins from either Dahlia or the equally fantastic Chuck Wendig. I dream that one day they will co-write a post and then the awesome will EXPLODE ALL OVER THE INTERNET.

No, wait, that sounds wrong. *shuffles feet* Um, over to you, Dahlia!

Where I Write

This is where I write. Originally, I wanted to wait until I’d sufficiently cleaned up before submitting this picture, but you know what? That’s not reality; this is. What you’re looking at is my computer and printer, obviously, but also a mug, from my very necessary Sunday morning coffee; cookies, because snacks are important; my ARCs, bookplates, and postcards, because being a professional author isn’t just about writing; an anthology of The Elder Scrolls, purchased for me by super talented author friend Leah Raeder, because every writer has both absurd distractions and terrible enablers; a menorah for no good reason; Advil for plenty of good reasons, and assorted other delights, like planners, books to give away, and Post-It Notes outlining things like upcoming blog posts.

Dahlia_Write

Where I’m Inspired

These are also where I write, but I’m using them as “Where I get inspired,” because they’re where I write when I get inspired. As in, I’m on the subway and I just cannot wait to write down this scene, versus when I sit down at my desk and it’s an “Okay, I have to write 2K tonight” situation, whether I’m feeling it or not. I use different notebooks for different things, so, for example, the cherry-printed one (which is scented!) is my notebook for my June 2015 release, Under the Lights, while the pink cupcakes (also scented!) was strictly for Last Will and Testament, my NA standalone. The bird notebook is for B&N round-up post ideas, the white one with the cupcakes is going to be for my NaNo ms, and the little one was a gift from my wonderful CP Marieke Nijkamp, and is sort of an all-other-purpose (particularly beta notes).

Dahlia_Inspired

To Be Read

This is a bit of an old picture because I’ve since rearranged my bookshelves, but I have a pretty intense TBR at all times. Because I do a lot of themed round-up posts for B&N, I tend to organize my reading that way, so books often jump the line, and ARCs very regularly take a backseat since I can’t blog about books until after they’re published anyway. Plus I have a revolving door of ARCs coming in from OneFourKidLit (my debut group). But this is a general idea of the volume at all times, though some are far more “urgent” than others!

Dahlia_TBR

About Dahlia

Dahlia Adler is an Assistant Editor of Mathematics by day, a Copy Editor by night, and a YA author at every spare moment in between. You can also find her blogging at The Daily Dahlia, YA Misfits, and the Barnes & Noble Book Blog, and on Twitter as @MissDahlELama. She lives in New York City with her husband and their overstuffed bookshelves. Her debut novel, Behind the Scenes, releases from Spencer Hill Contemporary on June 24, 2014.

Dahlia

Behind the Scenes


This Writer’s Space: Jessie Devine

This Writer's Space

Today’s This Writer’s Space awesomeness is brought to you by Jessie Devine,  one of the most fabulous people on Twitter.

Where I Write

writer's space

This is my writing chair. It’s older than I am, and it’s right by the heater. My buddy there is Diego. He’s always in the chair, whether I’m in it or not. He’s a good conspirator because he sits on me and doesn’t let me get up and get distracted. You can also see my coffee cup and notebook full of mad scribblings from this morning. My rainbow-unicorn-stickered laptop is usually in the picture too, but I’m on that currently.

Where I Am Inspired

walking dex

I don’t really have one place where inspiration happens. I’m usually inspired by interactions with people, or by concepts (recently, for example, I got a brilliant idea from an article I read about an immortal jellyfish discovered in Japan). However, there’s something I do when I get stuck, and that’s walk my cat. This is Dexter. He loves walking on a leash around the backstreets, so whenever I’m all blocked over a plot point, we go walking and work it out. I think my brain is always trying to do too many things at once, so if I distract it by walking, I can think clearly about the problem.

To Be Read

TBR

This is a fraction of my TBR. I also have a big list on my Nook, and more actual books I couldn’t fit in the picture. I know, I know, there are some big names in there I haven’t gotten around to reading yet, including Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Book Thief, and Divergent. I tried Divergent at one point, but I couldn’t get into it. I’m gonna give it another shot eventually. I get nervous about books with lots of hype because I don’t want to be disappointed. But anyway, I love having a big TBR! And having such a diverse list is nice so I have something to read for every mood.

About Jessie

I write YA and NA fiction that pushes limits. I like my stories to be dark and real, even if they’re fantastical. You can always find queer characters in my pages. I’m also genderqueer and a martial artist, an amateur chef and a student. I live in Missoula, MT with my fiance and a million cats.

Twitter | Website | Blog

JessieDivine


This Writer’s Space: Deborah Kreiser

This Writer's Space
Today on This Writer’s Space I have Deborah Kreiser, whose debut novel, Three Wishes, came out on 15 April. Because the cover is so sexy, I’m going to include it at the bottom of the post. Over to you, Deborah!
Thank you, Cassandra, for having me on your blog! This was so much fun to write.

Where I Write

I wish I could say something exciting about where I write. I do have a little desk set up in the kitchen where I *sometimes* do my writing, but the chair is hard and it’s not really ideal. Besides, I often write in the evenings, and what better place than sitting next to my loving husband on our comfy family room couch? You can’t see it in the picture, but we have a TV and a woodstove in there, too, so he’ll watch his shows while I work and we’ll snuggle together in the warmth from the fire.

DeborahK_where I do my writing

Where I’m Inspired

It sounds silly, but just looking out on our backyard makes me relax and stay open to my muse. On nice days, my kids will play on the swingset while I write at the patio table. That fresh air really freshens my mind.

DeborahK_place that inspires me

But when I need some really big inspiration, I think of some of the National Parks I’ve visited. Years ago, my husband and I were park rangers (that’s how we met!), and those huge, breathtaking vistas really free me.

Yosemite

To Be Read

I am a total bookworm, but I’ve *just* started a new job—as an elementary librarian!—and between that and my own book coming out, I’ve had little time for pleasure reading. Though I do plan on re-reading Skellig by David Almond so that I can read My Name is Mina, its companion, which I just discovered existed. Still, I normally read a lot more than that . . . give me another week or so and I’ll be up to my usual one or two books per week schedule.

About Deborah

Deborah Kreiser writes fiction of the Young Adult variety. Her debut, THREE WISHES, came out on April 15 from Astraea Press, and is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If she had three wishes, they would include: a lifetime supply of calorie-free chocolate, a self-cleaning house, and the ability to expand time as needed. When not dreaming of her next plot, she works in a school library in Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. Follow her on Twitter, her Blog, or Facebook!

Author Deborah Kreiser

About Three Wishes

Tall and lanky, Genie Lowry is only noticed at academic awards assemblies—until the day she turns 17 1/2, when her body changes from Kate-Hudson-flat to Katy-Perry-curvy—and she finds out she’s a real, live genie. Suddenly, every guy at school is paying attention to her, including Pete Dillon, her never-in-a-million-years crush.

But to gain her full powers and keep her new body, Genie has to find a master, and she’s not sure if Pete’s Master (or Mr) Right. With help from her dead mother’s interactive diary and an imposing mentor with questionable motives, Genie uncovers the family history and genie rules she never knew. She grapples with her new powers and searches for the perfect master as she tries to make her own wishes come true.

ThreeWishes453X680


This Writer’s Space: Pippa Jay

This Writer's Space

Today on This Writer’s Space I have Pippa Jay, sci-fi romance queen!

Where I Write

Since our home computer died back in July last year, my desk in an alcove of the dining room has largely become redundant, except as a bit of a dumping ground for all my paperwork. With Wi-Fi finally installed, I’ve spent most of the winter curled up on my sofa with my laptop.

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My writing space in its former glory

But hopefully, this summer my writing spot will be here, in our summerhouse, painted a glorious TARDIS blue for good measure. While it might not dematerialize and travel the universe, I guess I’ll just have to imagine it does and explore new worlds inside my head and on my computer.

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My planned writing space now

 Where I’m Inspired

I’m lucky to live in the historical town of Colchester in the UK. Walk ten minutes one way and you’re out in the countryside.

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Nearby Friday Woods

Half an hour the other way, and you’re in the town, with its medieval buildings and a Norman castle built on the burned remains of a Roman temple. The remaining Roman walls still carry the scars of a siege by Cromwell during the civil war.

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Colchester Castle and the surrounding park

Half an hour drive, and you’re on the East Anglia coast, where you can choose between wide sandy beaches, mud flats rich in wildlife, or gravel beaches where dedicated hunters can find ancient sharks teeth and other fossils. Plenty of inspiration to be found!

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Frinton-on-Sea

When the surroundings fail, trawling for images on stock photo sites, copious amounts of coffee, and a constant stream of music on my mp3 keep the ideas going. Most stories have a playlist that has inspired the general feel, if not actual details throughout the tale.

 To Be Read

At the last count, my TBR pile on my Kindle alone totalled a rather scary 248 titles (I know it only says 70 in the picture, but that’s because the rest are archived from my old Kindle). And don’t get me started adding the paperbacks, Kobo books, and PDFs still sitting on my computer! Mostly scifi romance, but you’ll find all levels of scifi with a smattering of fantasy, paranormal, and the odd humorous title.

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Part of the Kindle list. And yes, my Kindle is called Idris. Whovians should know that one.

About Pippa

A stay-at-home mum of three who spent twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay bases her stories on a lifetime addiction to science-fiction books and films. Somewhere along the line a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moments trying to learn guitar, indulging in freestyle street dance and drinking high-caffeine coffee. Although happily settled in historical Colchester in the UK with her husband of 20 years, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the SFR Brigade, a community of science fiction romance authors and publishing professionals committed to writing and promoting the very best in the genre.

Blog | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads


This Writer’s Space: Kendra Leighton

This Writer's Space

Today on This Writer’s Space I have Kendra Leighton, who I’m very, very jealous of. Read the below and you’ll see why! 😉

Where I Write

I’m very lucky to live in an unusual house in the middle of nowhere (no distractions!). It’s a converted chapel and used to belong to a book collector, meaning huge windows for daydreaming out of, and more bookshelves than I could ever fill. (The floor-to-ceiling shelves you can see in the picture cover literally every section of wall that doesn’t have a window!)

Kendra Leighton Writing Space

I can write pretty much anywhere. Favourite places are the sofa and the kitchen table, though the kitchen can be dangerous — too much temptation to distract myself with food when I hit a tricky scene! I’ve probably written everywhere in my house it’s possible to sit down.

Where I’m Inspired

My best ideas often come when I’m not in front of my laptop. I planned most of my debut novel, Glimpse, on long walks with only a dog and some music for company. Those walks were so very inspirational, that the countryside I walked through features strongly in my novel — and I named one of Glimpse’s characters after the dog! (Susie, in case you’re wondering.)

Kendra Leighton Inspiration

To Be Read

I’m a big fan of audio books, since I can listen to them while I work (I’m a chocolatier, and work from home most days). However, I always have a small TBR pile of ‘real’ books as well: books I couldn’t get on audio, picked up at events, or just wanted to own. For me, nothing beats the experience of reading a physical book.

Currently on my bedside table are Banished by Liz de Jager, Fractured by Teri Terry, Geek Girl by Holly Smale, and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Fantasy, dystopia, and contemporary; funny and gritty: as long as it’s YA, I’ll read it!

Kendra Leighton TBR

About the Author

Kendra Leighton is a YA author from the UK. Glimpse, her debut novel, was inspired by Alfred Noyes’ poem ‘The Highwayman’. It will be published in June by Much-in-Little, an imprint of Constable & Robinson.

Kendra Leighton

Website: http://www.kendraleighton.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KendraLeighton

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18042063-glimpse

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KendraLeighton


This Writer’s Space: Tess Grant

This Writer's Space

Today’s This Writer’s Space features Tess Grant, my fellow Turquoise Morning Press author and author of the The Kitty Irish Trilogy, about a pair of werewolf hunters. I’m really looking forward to reading this one, you guys.

Where I Write

I affectionately call my home The Farmette. It’s a little old farmhouse/big red barn combo with about ten acres of pasture/cornfield. I love the land and the space. I love my farmhouse too, although as is often the case with older houses, its layout is a little bit funky. No closets to speak of, a long skinny living room, and two huge bedrooms upstairs. Plenty of room for an office but there isn’t one included anywhere. Some day I’d dearly love to have a nook to call my own, but right now, my writing is right out there in the middle of life.

Write_Tess Grant

That’s it. The dining room table (decluttered specifically for this picture).

Since the dining room is in the little addition connected to the original house, it’s quite chilly in the winter, especially when a west wind blows (which is about 90% of the time). That’s when I retreat to The Chair with my lap desk. It’s tucked in the very east corner of the original house and is quite cozy.

Write2_Tess Grant

Where I’m Inspired

These are two of my big inspirations…caffeine and tunes.

Inspired_Tess Grant

I like the first black, flavored, and leaning toward lukewarm. And I like the second minus earbuds. Those stupid things always pop out of my ears; I know one of my ears is slightly higher than the other, but is that any reason to harsh my groove?

I make a playlist for each book. I find after a few times of listening and writing that I drop into the writing groove as soon as the music comes on.  There’s a lot of overlap between lists usually, and it varies wildly…from movie soundtracks to current stuff.

Inspired2_Tess Grant

My other inspiration comes from my little dirt road. It’s got deep dark woods, an abandoned farmhouse, and lots of vultures (no kidding!) and is just the right length for a quick walk to get the creative juices flowing.

To Be Read

Like other authors, my TBR pile is huge! So, I’ve only included my most immediate reads on this list.

TBR_Tess Grant

I love Maggie Stiefvater, so I’m in the process of rereading The Raven Boys so that I can dig into my Christmas present from my daughter, The Dream Thieves. After that comes my autographed copy of We Hear the Dead by Dianne Salerni (have you read The Caged Graves yet? You should!) and Quest for the Swords of Healing by Trista Vaporblade (who just happens to be my niece!). After that I hope to dig into some Wiley Cash and Jenny Trout.

About Tess

After nearly ten years as a forensic anthropologist, Tess semi-retired to a farmette in the backwoods of Michigan to raise organic veggies, free-range children, and novels. She writes YA suspense.

Blog | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

Tess Grant