Grandkids are great fodder for books. I love this picture of two of our grandkids. It reminds me of Happy Days. You know, two teenagers sipping on a drink in a soda shop. Of course, my grandkids here aren't teenagers, but it makes me think of that.

It also puts me to mind of great friends. This picture could trigger an idea for a book of a budding romance that started as friends when they were little kids.

Ideas for writing come from everywhere. Many times pictures spur that in me when nothing else can. It's a jumping off point. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. For me, the picture gets those thousand words on the page! Magazine pictures, websites, and yes, even the grandkids. It's all fair game.

Life is full of snapshots. You know, those moments in your day that for some reason stick with you for a long time. I'm always amazed at the trivial things that stick with me. For instance, when I was in fifth grade, school let out and it was pouring down rain. I normally walked home (about 12 blocks), but on this particular day, my mom was there to pick me up. I remember the smell of the rain, the chill in the air, the pounding of the rain on our car, the blurry windshield wipers, and running into the house where a pot of chili simmered on the stove.

I wonder if that sticks with me because I felt secure, cared for, loved? I didn't have to walk home in the cold rain. After school, I was hungry and hot soup waited for me. My mom's actions were an expression of love and it stuck with me.

Do you have a random memory? One that makes you wonder why you remembered it, but there it is?

Labels: memories, pictures, Reading, snapshots, writing

Coming June 4, 2013

I am endlessly fascinated with people. Especially with this question: why do they do the things they do? This is one of the reasons I write stories. When I'm plotting a book, I may be excited about the "hook"of the story ("Barefoot Summer": a woman must enlist the help of her handsome enemy to realize her dream).

But it's the character's inner journey that gets my blood pumping. (The heroine's goal is to win the local regatta, achieving the dream of her twin brother whose death she can't seem to put behind her.) People are motivated by so many things--the list is endless but here are a few: Greed, compassion, love, jealousy, fear--a big one!

It's my job as a writer to get to the bottom of things. Is my heroine afraid to love? Is she desperate for approval? Is she seeking peace like my "Barefoot Summer" heroine? And on to the deeper question: why? This question is the foundation of many great stories and the thing that ultimately stokes the fire for me as the writer.

As a reader, we can learn about ourselves by walking the protagonists inner journey and discovering what she fears (loves, needs) and why. Reading (and writing) is a great way to grow as a person, the pain-free way! Learning through other people's mistakes is a beautiful thing!

What have you learned, about yourself or others, through a book you've read recently?

Labels: Denise Hunter, Reading, writing

I've mentioned before I'm a picky reader. I don't like this fact, but there it is. So when I find an author I love, I don't want to miss her next release.

Combine this with my increasingly terrible memory, and I have a problem. There are about 20 authors whose next book I don't want to miss. I join authors' newsletters so they remind me. I start lists. I friend them on Facebook. But I still find myself missing releases because some of my favs are not NYT bestselling authors who have multiple ads in every magazine, and some of them don't even manage to get a newsletter out.

Add to this, there were about 288,000 new books published in 2009--that's 790 new titles every day. (A number that makes the author in me want to crawl under the covers.) I'm sure the number is even higher now with e-books, so the possibility of my favs getting lost in the shuffle is pretty high.

Please, there has to be a better a way to keep track. How do you make sure you don't miss your fav authors' next books?

Labels: favorite authors, Reading

We had a mishap with my Kindle. My son borrowed it, and it came back wet and not working. He claimed innocence. (Big surprise!) But in reality, I forced it on him. All of the kids dislike the Kindle and would rather have a book. I don't know why that makes me feel giddy, but it does. However, we were on a deadline for this particular book and he had to buy on the Kindle. Which turned out to be unfortunate.

Amazon replaced the Kindle for $65 if I returned the old one. (It's yours!) All of my books were redownloaded, and it was like nothing ever happened. But right now, I'm reading the "REAL" book. "The Forgotten Garden" by an Australian author that a friend sent over. It's a family saga, and fabulous, but in my house, I really have nowhere to read. We have to utilize every inch of space, so where do you steal away to read?

Where do the rest of you read? Do you have a garden? A comfy chair in the living room? Do you like to go to the library?

In this book, the character loves to hide away in secret when she reads. Don't you love that imagery? I'd love your ideas!

Labels: places to read, Reading, The Forgotten Garden

The book world is changing fast, isn't it? Just a few short years ago, if you wanted a book, you had to go to the library or bookstore. Now, with books gone digital, it's a different game.

Labels: digital books, Kindle, Reading

A READER'S BLISS

Labels: authors, Reading