Now, most people think that having voices in your head is something you might want to have a professional check out. I mean, you’ve got these people talking to you and they’re sharing intimate details about their lives. Geez – I can understand overhearing details like that on a subway in New York City, but in your car on your way to work?

Most of my author readers out there are probably nodding their heads about now. They’ve heard them – they know. These same authors also say they write because they have to.

Yeah – to clear the voices outta your head!

I don’t know – for me it just seemed freaky to be having characters talk to me – in my head – at any time of the day or night. Even though I’ve always wanted to write, I’ve never had those requisite voices in my head. Sometimes I’d have a wild thought and I’d follow it along its meandering path until I caught it, but that wasn’t characters talking to me, was it? Besides, did you really need them to succeed? Couldn’t I just find out information about my characters the old fashioned way – by putting my brain in thumbscrews and squeezing the information out?

I decided that maybe I was that different author that wouldn’t have voices in her head.

But then one rather Wickedly Good day it happened to me. I was in the car on my way to work and Dom, my hero in Fire Season started to talk to me. He was at the scene of a fire, and he was telling me what was going on. I could actually hear the man’s voice – not so much with my ears, but with my imagination – my creative side!

It was a good thing traffic was backed up!

You see, I’d been struggling a bit with how my hero should sound. I wanted it to be authentic without being too technical. I’d even talked the previous night with my brother, who is an active duty Lieutenant at a metro area Fire Protection District, about how my hero should sound. He gave me some ideas, and I guess they percolated pretty well through the night! In any case – out they came – in Dom’s voice.

He just kept talking, and talking, and talking. He talked about how much he loved his job – and how it was being on the scene of a fire. He told me how he worked with his crew to outsmart the flames, and that the safety of those under his command was his first priority. Then he talked about Alexandra, the hot doctor he wanted to get to know VERY well.

Thankfully – I wasn’t too far from work. As soon as I got there, I put it in park and pulled out the trusty notebook that I carry with me at all times and started to scribble. Five pages later I put the pen and paper away. It has finally happened. My character talked to me. I learned right there that when your characters start to talk – you need to stop, listen and type – or write – as fast as you can!

Speaking of characters talking, ‘Bas, the hero in my latest work in progress (wip) is waiting patiently for me to finish my blog so he and I can talk. He’s new to the project, so I’m as yet unfamiliar with his voice and I have a lot to learn about him.

He knows I’m telling you all about him now, and his eyes are narrowing a bit. Ah, he just crossed his arms over his chest, highlighting his impressive pecs. I’m sure glad his shirt is buttoned…this time. I need to pay him some attention now.  Since he and I will be spending much time together very soon, he’s definitely worth taking a *few* minutes getting to know, don’t you think?

Enjoy!

Lori

Welcome to my first ever post on Wicked Wednesday!

Today I have a special treat for everyone. The ever fabulous Jenn LeBlanc is visiting! She’s celebrating the February 14th release of the fifth installment of her series, “The Rake and The Recluse.” She’s sharing all sorts of scrumptious details on the books and the muse that helped make the serial redux of her ground-breaking illustrated romance novel possible. Now that’s wicked good! Take it away, Jenn!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lori invited me by her blog today for Wicked Wednesday to talk about my real-life muse, Mr. Derek Hutchins. Derek and I have worked together for a little over two years now, and to be perfectly honest, without him, my book THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE, would never have happened the way it did.

Hiring models can be a crap shoot. You never know what is going to walk through the door, and some guys are…well. Others are fabulous, awesome, wonderful, fantastic. Then a very, VERY few of them are Derek. I can’t say enough about him, he is so very talented, honest and genuine.

Beyond that we connect on an artistic level that really surprises me at times.

The first time we worked together was a bit nerve wracking, but I think we both acknowledged that there was something else going on. I decided to illustrate the book instead of just shooting a cover package to attract attention. He was game. We moved forward.

The more we work together the better it gets. Derek also studied photography and is aware of the light. He moves and finds it without me having to say anything. Sometimes it’s like he reads my mind. We’ve also got this silent communication that we use, hand signals, head movement, and apparently sounds. I don’t know what kind…he says he can tell when I like what he’s doing so…whatever works right?

Beyond the work, we’ve become close friends. We have so much fun together, it really never seems like work at all. We’ve dealt with a lot in the past couple years. He’s there for me when I panic about my new release, and he calls me in the middle of the night a few days later when my book goes on sale and the awesome reviews start going up. Mostly so he can laugh at me and say “I told you so!” But it’s all good, and worth every minute.

We are drawn by the same beauty and light, the same form and function in things. It’s surprising to me how much we have in common, and we end up looking for and finding the same things.

We have a few projects coming up this year, he is going with me to New Orleans and we are touring the Gulf when I go down to attend AAD. We’ll also be shooting around LA and down the coast when I travel to RWA in Anaheim. I’m also planning a trip to NYC at some point and he’ll be here for RomCon as well. Anytime we can shoot, is good.

Derek is… Derek. We talk practically every day, if we aren’t talking we’re texting or tweeting. You really just have to meet him to understand the kind of person he is. He is a real sweetie. And my hero. Two times over.

This is D and I on Garrapata Beach in California last August while we were shooting for his Lookbook. He was cold. Something about ZERO body fat.

You can check D out on the web at DerekHutchins.com and on his Facebook page. The work we did last year for his portfolio has been compiled in a digital Lookbook available exclusively on Amazon.

~ ~ ~

Lori said she was going to give away part of TRATR to a couple commenters, so I am going to up the ante and give away two copies of Derek’s Lookbook on top of that to two commenters.

So tell us now, do you have a muse?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where to find me: Twitter | Facebook | Author Site | Blog | Tumblr (NSFW)
And please come find me! I LOVE to chat with readers!

And what follows is a bit about the books:

Trailer:  http://youtu.be/RSW_LyFR5To

Blurb:
A woman out of time.

A man stifled by propriety.

A nemesis determined to take her away.

A brother to the rescue.

~ ~ ~

How will a powerful Duke deal with a woman who doesn’t know her place? How will a woman used to the 21st century survive in time where she is considered property?

 Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.

How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely.

~ ~ ~

Where to get the books:

THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE

FREEDOM: Part one brings Francine to the world of the Duke of Roxleigh, clashing worlds in first installment of the completely revised novel, with all new material.

Available now from these ebook retailers:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

iBookstore for iThingys

~ ~ ~

FOUND: Part two finds Francine in the world of the Duke of Roxleigh. The clashing of worlds in first installment of the completely revised novel continues as Francine finds her footing, discovers secrets about her elusive host, and learns more about herself than she ever thought possible.  

Available now from these ebook retailers:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

iBookstore for iThingys

~ ~ ~

TAKEN: Part three brings Francine and Gideon closer than they ever imagined possible, until the unimaginable tears them apart. What will Gideon do if he loses her, this time, forever?

Available now from these ebook retailers:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

Goodreads

~ ~ ~

RUINATION: Part four is full of revelations, celebrations, protestations and one surprise that will have you holding your breath for the final chapters. What has Perry done?

Available now from these ebook retailers:
Amazon

Banes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

Goodreads

~ ~ ~

SUBMISSION: In part five, Perry leaves Roxleigh House without a backward glance only to be tossed headlong into one of the most difficult trials of his life. How will he protect the very thing he is dedicated to pursuing? How will a man dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure survive a woman who refuses to relent, when he knows he cannot have her.

Available now from these ebook retailers:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Goodreads

~ ~ ~

RETRIBUTION: In part six, Perry must find the woman who has managed to capture his heart, then he must find a way to keep her. Someone else is on the hunt, someone from her past who doesn’t appreciate that she still lives and breaths.

Coming February 28, 2012