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I write each and every day. Even if my level of inspiration is not at its peak, I write something. I'll work out personal issues in my journal, or record an interesting situation I’ve recently encountered, or make notes on a particular person whom I’ve kept track of for a future character study. I tend to multi-write—meaning, I work on at least two different storylines at a time. I’m currently working on my next story for the Amber Heat Pax series called “Secrets,” due out in November. I’ve got that running through the back of my mind while I’m researching my next sci-fi storyline, thinking about what kinds of life-threatening situations I can pose for my protagonist in order to let him prove himself a hero. Between those two worlds, I’m working on building a lady detective character for mystery thrillers. I guess it’s safe to say my journal grounds me in reality while new people, places and stories emerge from the ethers!

Once a story takes on a full-blown life of its own, it pulls me along and I can’t stop working on it until it culminates in the ending. Having researched my characters fully before writing, I know where they’re going—I know what the end will be, for the most part. Sometimes the specifics are altered, after character choices have brought about unexpected twists and turns in the story, but knowing where they’re ultimately headed keeps me on track to the end. I might not find my way there, otherwise. It’s exciting when I’ve done so much inner preparation on a set of characters and the circumstances they find themselves in that they come alive enough to force me to sit down and write their story. When the energy behind them is that potent, it’s easy to write.

But, on those less inspiring writing days, research is always the thing to do, or I read for inspiration. During the past two years I’ve written nine short novels/novellas and, I must admit, I’ve been reading more for specific research than anything else. I think I’ll make it a point to read for pleasure on my vacation next week, and joyfully get lost in somebody else’s world. Of course, that won’t stop me from writing in my journal and setting up goals for the coming year. One of those goals is to re-write my full-length chick-lit novel, currently a manuscript in my files. Well, at least I never suffer from a dearth of ideas! I think it really helps to journal, because in putting pen to paper, I keep the energy flowing and the ideas going.

My completed stories are available at www.amberheat and www.amberallure.com. And I’ve got a slew here, at my desk, still taking form.