Passion and Romance the Writing Process and the Barton Blog Hop

Reggi Allder author of Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Books

Hi all, 

Happy Spring. Yes, it is springtime and there are budding trees in some parts of the world. : ) Comeback on Wednesday for a blog about favorite teachers and the movies.

Today I'm participating in the Barton Blog Hop. Thank you to Beverley Bateman who asked me to be a part of this. I was a guest on Beverley’s blog and she returned the favor and blogged with me on March 19th. 
The Barton Blog sent questions for me to answer. 

Why do I write what I do? 

I remember an English teacher telling me to write what I know. But I write about suspense, murder, espionage and of course romance, not to mention the bad behavior of the super rich. So obviously I have to rely on my imagination.Writing can be a mysterious, passionate and sometimes even a tedious process. But with suspense I find the counter point of the hero and heroine falling in love and being in danger at the same time exciting. I want the reader to wonder if they'll live enough to develop a relationship. I toss a middle class person into a situation out of their social milieu and their field of expertise. For example a caterer thrown into the world of lies, secrets and intrigues of the

super rich in my book  Money Power and Poison . A  caterer is given a dream job to plan a birthday party for a billionaire software developer. But before the evening is over the man is poisoned and she is the prime suspect. She's stunned when the police believe she did it and don't want to hear her claim she's innocent. A reporter, looking for an exclusive story to revive his career, is her only possible ally. But can she trust a man who’s only interested in his job? Not only that, why is someone trying to kill her?

In Shattered Rules a student is out of her depth in the world of gangsters and espionage when she gets involved with the wrong man and then tries to escape from him. On the run, will she and the FBI agent trying to help her die before they get answers? Does she deserve a second chance at love?

How does your writing process work?

I’m a pantser. I tried to plot when I first started writing and I had my first bout of writer’s block. Making lists and outlines and plotting every scene is a great idea but it just didn’t work for me. I was lucky to find that out early. I stopped plotting and the writer’s block disappeared. Now I let ideas percolate. Feelings and plot twists come to me as I write. I have a general idea of where the story is going. Often I know the end before I have a beginning. I don’t work backwards. But when I begin the first chapter, even though I don’t have all the characters and the plot turns, I know the conclusion.

What am I working on?

Right now I’m doing the final edits on a contemporary romance. The  working title is Her Country Heart. It’s my first contemporary and the first of three books in The Sierra Creek Series, Small Town Big Love in California. I’m also thinking about my next suspense which will continue the story started in Money Power and Poison. It will have the hero and heroine from that book and introduce two new ones all linked in an unexpected way. I don’t have a title yet.

How does my work differ from others in this genre?

Interesting question but I’ll have to let the readers answer that : ) I will say that whether it is a suspense or a contemporary romance, I strive to tell an enticing story with engaging characters. I hope the reader will identify with them. And I hope they'll think as one reviewer said, “It’s a darn good read.”

Thanks to the Barton Blog for asking me.

Please click on comments and tell me what you think. Remember to sign in first.

Please come back and join me most Wednesdays I'll have talks, tips, interviews and reviews. Thanks, Reggi 

Books on Amazon

Money Power and Poison

Shattered Rules

reggiallder.com