Author Confessions Round 31

Here it is, the final author’s confession post. Rather than pitching Center Stage, I’ll give a brief synopsis, which I DETEST writing, by the way.

Anyway, here it is.  Center Stage, book 4 in the Scrubs series.

New York City—a thriving metropolis full of dreams. The bright lights of Times Square, the billboard posters promoting the latest musicals, and the theatre marquees up and down Broadway attract millions of theatre lovers every year. Lauren Hanson was no exception.

Prior to moving to New York, Lauren made every effort to make her dream of performing on Broadway a reality. She enrolled in dance classes, took voice lessons, and participated in various acting workshops. Now in her first year at the Juilliard School, she seeks to improve her craft and work her way into the professional world of musical theatre. A Broadway performer named Roger Zellers steers her in the right direction. His assistance becomes tainted, however, when a blast from his past tries to sabotage Lauren’s career. Harassment, lies, and openly violent threats make Lauren question Roger’s intentions.

While Lauren pursues the glamor of the Great White Way, Lauren’s twin sister tries to establish herself as a reputable choreographer. Having connections with Roger comes in handy when he asks her for a special favor. Through Roger, she meets other professionals, gains a new following, and finds potential love. But will her fairytale come true, or will her plans crumble to pieces in the hustle and bustle of New York City?

Author Confessions Round 30

I’ve claimed one hashtag already, strictly for marketing purposes. It’s #scrubsbookseries.

For a more personal hashtag, I guess I’d choose #RandomActsOfWeirdness. On the outside, I appear to be a pretty mellow and down to earth person. I’m quiet and reserved most of the time. But when I’m in the comfort of my own home surrounded by family, my inner weirdness comes out. My quirkiness shines through and my inner child lets loose. I spend all day in a professional environment, where I deal with deadlines and paperwork, attend long meetings, and attempt to educate a large group of eleven year-olds. I’m forced to be serious and act like a grownup five days a week. When I’m not at work, I need to unwind. That’s when my random acts of weirdness are released to the world.

Author Confessions Round 29

 I’m not sure I know the answer to this question. I don’t admire any particular person, so to speak. Rather, I admire those who don’t give up on their dreams, are willing to work hard to make them happen, and remain humble in the process. People who push through adversity, people who go up against the odds, people who persevere even if things are hard are the ones I admire most, because they don’t let anything stop them. They take the lemons life throws at them and make lemonade.

Author Confessions Round 28

 Jonathan Carroll once said, “I find you write with one person in mind. Usually for me that one person is my wife, because she’s my most severe critic and understands best what I’m trying to do.” I guess the one person I write for is my mother-in-law, who has encouraged me from day one. She’s a huge Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts fan and keeps telling me I’m going to be the next Nora Roberts. I just laugh at her and think she’s crazy. But she believes in me. So when I write, I think about her.

Author Confessions Round 27

 Usually, I write from the comfort of my own home. I’m comfortable there and every resource I could possible need is within my grasp. I have access to tea, a recliner, my laptop, internet for research, an external hard drive, snacks, and itunes. Should I need inspiration, there’s a nature trail nearby where I can walk and get some fresh air. I generate ideas in my head no matter where I go, which is why I always carry a notebook and pen around. If inspiration strikes, I write down the idea, later transferring it over to an appropriate scene.  Home is where my heart is, and home is my writing spot.

Author Confessions Round 26

Because of my job, I write at night, usually between 8 and 10:00 P.M. My weekends are also dedicated to writing, Friday and Saturday nights in particular.  Those are the nights I’m up ’til 2:00 A.M. The house is quiet during that time and it’s easier for me to stay focused because I don’t have the kids, the TV, or my pets bothering me and constantly demanding my attention. I accomplish more and tend to be more creative during the wee hours of the morning.

Author Confessions Round 25

I have two inspirational quotes I like. One is writing related. One is not. The first is from my favorite poem by Robert Frost, The Road Less Traveled.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

My life has been full of less traveled roads. Each road I’ve taken, although full of rocks and potholes, has been well worth the journey.

The second quote is from Pulitzer Prize winner, Junot Diaz. I kind of live by this quote, simply because it defines who I am as a writer. Even if book sales aren’t going well, writing goals aren’t panning out, I receive a crappy review, or I’m just flat out having a sucky day, this quote inspires me to remember why I write, and I push forward.

Author Confessions Round 24

 I don’t share many things about my personal life with the writing community. It is extremely difficult for me to expose myself, especially to people I don’t know, and it makes me uncomfortable. I’m pretty secretive about my life, and there are details about me that even my closest friends don’t know. I don’t dwell on previous events, don’t talk much about my past, and try to stay focused on what’s happening in my life right now. My current goals drive me, and although I tend to take on life in the moment, I look forward to where my future might lead me.

Author Confessions Round 23

I have not killed enemies in any of my books…yet.  It’s only a matter of time before I do though. I have killed off fiends and family members of my MC, which was difficult to do, but needed to be done to help the character grow.

I’m going to tackle completely different genres once the Scrubs series is complete. Crime fiction and fantasy lead themselves well to killing enemies. I’m sure a few good guys will go down in the process too.

Author Confessions Round 22

 In Center Stage, my main male character, Roger Zellers, falls in love with Lauren Hanson, a woman ten years younger than he is. Throughout their relationship, he struggles to gain the trust of  Dr. Hanson (Lauren’s father). One of my favorite scenes is a bonding moment the two of them share, which makes them both realize that they have much more in common than they thought they did.  Knowing Dr. Hanson enjoys fishing, Roger invites him to spend the day on the lake tossing in lines. Roger starts off the morning by bringing him a cup of coffee, something Dr. Hanson dearly loves. Then, once Dr. Hanson sees and admires his sportscar, Roger hands him the keys and lets him drive. They cruise to the lake, discussing various things, at which time Roger reveals something to Dr. Hanson that he hadn’t even told Lauren.

“Lauren’s lucky she has such supportive and loving parents. Not everyone can say that,” Roger said. “My mother is very supportive of me, as is Gary, but unfortunately I never knew my biological father.”

“Really? Why is that?”

Roger proceeded to explain, “My father was Lieutenant Andrew Zellers, United States Air Force. He was a test pilot. One day during a routine test flight, the engine of his plane malfunctioned.  He was unable to recover from it and his plane went down. Killed him on impact.  My mother was six months pregnant with me at the time, so I never knew my father.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright,” Roger claimed. “Gary’s a good man. My mother met him when I was young, and they married when I was eight years old. He’s the only father I’ve ever known.”

“It’s good to have someone like that in your life who was willing to take on being a father figure for you.”

Roger agreed. “Yes. I’m very grateful.”

When they returned to New York City, Dr. Hanson acknowledges, in his own subtle way, his newly gained trust in Roger.

Before they went their separate ways, Dr. Hanson shook Roger’s hand. “I had a great time today. Thank you, Roger.”

“Any time, Sir. Thank you for listening to the story about my father.”

“I feel honored that you shared it with me,” he replied. “Thank you also for looking after Lauren. I feel a lot safer knowing she has you here.”

All those months of working to gain Dr. Hanson’s trust finally paid off. “It’s my pleasure, Sir.”