Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for October is Horror/Suspense, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode SK Ali and Lori discuss:

• Why she gave her two main characters contrasting perspectives on life.
• How the constraints of a set structure can lead to creativity.
• Balancing a light tone with serious topics.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About SK Ali

SK Ali is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of several books, including Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the William C. Morris award, winner of the APALA Award and Middle East Book Award, and Love from A to Z, a Today Show’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club selection. Both novels were critically acclaimed and named best YA books of the year by various media including Entertainment Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. 

Her novel, Misfit in Love, was a People magazine best book of summer 2021. Her books for younger readers include the widely acclaimed middle grade anthology Once Upon an Eid and the New York Times bestselling picture book, The Proudest Blue. She has a degree in Creative Writing and lives in Toronto with her family, a very vocal cat named Yeti, and a very quiet cat named Mochi. Her newest novel, Love From Mecca to Medina, went on sale October 18, 2022.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Love From A to Z

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.

An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.

But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.

When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.

Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.

Then her path crosses with Adam’s.

Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.

Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.

Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.

Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…

Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

Love From Mecca to Medina

On the trip of a lifetime, Adam and Zayneb must find their way back to each other in this surprising and romantic sequel to the “bighearted, wildly charming” (Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author) Love from A to Z.

Adam and Zayneb. Perfectly matched. Painfully apart.

Adam is in Doha, Qatar, making a map of the Hijra, a historic migration from Mecca to Medina, and worried about where his next paycheck will come from. Zayneb is in Chicago, where school and extracurricular stresses are piling on top of a terrible frenemy situation, making her miserable.

Then a marvel occurs: Adam and Zayneb get the chance to spend Thanksgiving week on the Umrah, a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, in Saudi Arabia. Adam is thrilled; it’s the reboot he needs and an opportunity to pray for a hijra in real life: to migrate to Zayneb in Chicago. Zayneb balks at the trip at first, having envisioned another kind of vacation, but then decides a spiritual reset is calling her name too. And they can’t wait to see each other—surely, this is just what they both need.

But the trip is nothing like what they expect, from the appearance of Adam’s former love interest in their traveling group to the anxiety gripping Zayneb when she’s supposed to be “spiritual.” As one wedge after another drives them apart while they make their way through rites in the holy city, Adam and Zayneb start to wonder: was their meeting just an oddity after all? Or can their love transcend everything else like the greatest marvels of the world?

If you decide to check out the books, we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links: Love From A to Z, Love From Mecca to Medina, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 432

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 432: Accessing Feeling and Emotions in Young Adult Romance – Interview with SK Ali appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for June is Young Adult, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders. 

In this episode Taylor Hahn and Lori discuss:

• What makes a sex scene fun to read and her advice on how to write one.
• How to make a flawed, meddlesome character likable to your readers.
• The rise of emotional intelligence and communication in Millenial romance.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Taylor Hahn

Taylor is a second-grade teacher turned lawyer turned author. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, she joined Teach for America and taught in Brooklyn for two years before attending Fordham University School of Law. She then worked as a litigation associate at a firm in Manhattan and then LA while working on her novel in her spare time and taking fiction writing classes. The Lifestyle is her first novel. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and THE best dog in the universe.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

The Lifestyle

The best Emma retelling since Clueless! This sexy romantic comedy follows Georgina as she dives headfirst into the NYC swingers’ scene in an attempt to save her marriage … and meddle in everyone else’s.

Georgina Wagman has it all—a great marriage, a great job at a prestigious law firm, and great friends. She’s living the life she always wanted, and everything is perfect. Until, that is, she walks in on her husband Nathan in a compromising position with a junior associate. Georgina has a moment of crisis. But divorce is not a part of the five-year plan, so she comes up with an idea to save her marriage and recapture the spark. She and Nathan are going to become swingers.

Georgina isn’t going to embark on this adventure alone, though. Her friends Felix and Norah and their respective partners decide to tag along for the ride. They’ve got relationship woes of their own that swinging just might fix. Georgina, convinced Felix and Norah belong together, is thrilled. What better place to reignite romance between two people destined to be together than a swingers’ party? Her plan is foolproof, until she runs into a college ex at the first party. When they reconnect, Georgina will find herself torn between her head and her heart, with her very happiness hanging in the balance. Full of heart and humor, The Lifestyle is a bold, hilarious new addition to the rom-com canon.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 413

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 413: Self-Knowledge, Sex-Positivity, and Empowerment in Romance – Interview with Taylor Hahn appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for May is Short Stories, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Amy Lea and Lori discuss:

• Why representation matters and how the romance genre is helping lead the charge. 
• How to use family dynamics to develop layered characters.
• Millennial identity and what they have changed about the dating scene.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Amy Lea

Amy Lea is a Canadian bureaucrat by day and contemporary romance author by night (and weekends). She writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring strong heroines, witty banter, mid-2000s pop culture references, and happily ever afters.

You can find them on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Set On You

Contemporary Romcom – A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy.

Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead of finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.

Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents’ engagement party.

In the lead-up to their grandparents’ wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 409: Social Media Influencers and the Millennial Romance Novel – Interview with Amy Lea appeared first on DIY MFA.

Have you signed up to be a DIY MFA Radio Insider yet? This is an exciting new monthly newsletter, especially for our podcast listeners. Every month, you’ll get an email from our podcast producer with recaps of the most recent episodes, a curated Listening List of episodes on a particular theme, and other fun goodies we only share via email. Best of all, it’s free to join! The theme for February is Romance, and you can become an insider by signing up with your email at diymfa.com/insiders.

In this episode Alana Quintana Albertson and I discuss:

• What inspired her to turn Shakespeare’s tragedy into a rom-com and how she pulled it off.
• How she kept raising the stakes for her characters, while keeping it realistic.
• Using world building to convey deeper elements of culture and community in her story.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Alana Quintana Albertson

Alana Quintana Albertson is a Latina bestselling romance author (her book Badass hit #3 in the entire Amazon paid store, she has had multiple novels in the top 100 paid store, and her Se7en Deadly SEALs romantic thriller serial has over one million views on the Radish fiction app). She has written thirty books and landed a three-book six-figure deal with Berkley Publishing for the upcoming Latinx romantic comedy series, Love and Tacos. The first book in the series, Ramón and Julieta, was recently optioned for television. Alana holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. She’s the former President of Romance Writers of America’s Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, and Chick Lit chapters. She’s the founder of the non-profit dog rescue, Pugs N Roses. She lives in Poway, California, with her husband, two sons, and too many pets.

You can find her on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Ramón and Julieta 

When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them.

Ramón Montez always achieves his goals. Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father’s fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again.

Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life’s work—and the one man who tempts and inspires her.

As San Diego’s outraged community protests against the Taco King take-over and the divide between their families grows, Ramón and Julieta struggle to balance the rising tensions. But Ramón knows that true love is priceless and despite all of his successes, this is the one battle he refuses to lose.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 395

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 395: The Many Levels of Character and World Building in a Rom-com – Interview with Alana Quintana Albertson appeared first on DIY MFA.

Growing up, Tammy had dual-career goals, she wanted to be a nurse and a writer. When she was three she played nurse to her dolls when they got sick, fell off her bed, or broke their bones. She also began writing poems and stories and never stopped.

In later years, when multiple sclerosis forced her to leave her career as an intensive care nurse-manager, she came back to her writing with the same passion and drive she brings to everything. This past year, Parallel Pathways published her first romantic comedy and debut novel, Lacey’s Deception.

Tammy is a mom of two sons and grandma to three adorable grandchildren. She writes a monthly column, “On the Back Page with Tammy,” for Saturday Writers, a Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, and is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and South West Writers. She is also the Romance Columnist for DIY MFA.

In this episode Tammy Lough and I discuss:

• How mistaken identities can be a vehicle for humor, especially in a rom-com.
• Why she thinks the middle can be the best part of the writing process. 
• What role the rule of three plays in building the tension and humor in her novel.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Tammy Lough

Growing up, Tammy Lough had dual-career loves. A nurse and a writer. When she was three years old, all of her dolls got sick so that she could play nurse. When she was older and played with Barbie dolls, they repeatedly fell off her bed, broke bones, and required her nursing skills. In second grade, she began writing poems and stories and never stopped.

In later years, when multiple sclerosis forced her to leave her career as an intensive care nurse-manager, she picked up a pen and wrote a medieval romance novel. Parallel Pathways recently published her first romantic comedy, Lacey’s Deception.

Tammy is the mom of two sons and grandma to three adorable grandchildren. She writes a monthly column, On the Back Page with Tammy, for Saturday Writers, a Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, and is an active member of the Romance Writers of America and South West Writers.

You can find Tammy on her website or follow her on Twitter.

Lacey’s Deception

When hellcat tomboy meets wickedly handsome rancher, sparks fly—in more ways than one.

Lacey Autumn Kendall doesn’t want no stinking man. Hell no. Maybe she shoulda stayed in jail till rot set in like Pa threatened. Sure beats getting dumped in Montana to suffer lady-lessons shoved down her throat by Pa’s teacher-sister, Aunt Molly.

When Lacey steps from the stagecoach she darn near feels bad when she hears her aunt done passed away and is taking a dirt nap outside the little white church with the red steeple. Oh, and Lacey inherits auntie’s homestead if she marries before turning 20 and she’s—gulp—19. Sheesh!

When Brandon Lee Chandler meets Lacey standing on the dusty street of Miles City, he desires three things: Shut her the hell up; buy her land with its rich promise of gold; and press her full, seductive lips to his flaming kiss of desire. This muscle-ripped cowboy will do anything to own her land. She’ll do anything to keep it. The two are oil and vinegar swirling in a dizzying sizzle of sexual tension. Despite himself, Brandon discovers he also wants this vixen for his own.

Mayhem ensues in this delightful romp through 1873 Montana as Lacey takes on a passel of jobs to earn money and lickety-split gets fired from every darned one. But Lacey’s deception could cost her not only her land and her life but also the man she didn’t think she wanted. Guess what? She wants him more than hot possum stew on a frigid winter night. You betcha.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 386

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 386: The Art and Craft of Writing a Romantic Comedy – Interview with Tammy Lough appeared first on DIY MFA.

Here are five tips that I always follow to nail writing love scenes:  

1. Include plenty of foreplay.

Just like in real life, it’s important for characters to build up to sex/intercourse. Sex won’t feel believable to readers if the characters don’t warm up enough. Start off with neck kisses, a hot makeout, heavy petting, mind-blowing oral, anything to show that your characters are in the mood. 

Writing good foreplay will also help readers feel more invested in the story because they’ll actually believe your characters are hot for each other. 

And remember: foreplay isn’t just physical. It’s also stuff like naughty texting or dirty talking or a sexy look exchanged in a crowded room. Anything to amp up the heat of the moment and convey that these two characters are fiery hot for one another and dying to get it on. 

2. Lay it on thick with emotion.

Having your characters express how they’re feeling while they’re being physically intimate with one another marks a huge step in the narrative. It shows them being physically and emotionally vulnerable at the same time. And it often represents a huge moment in the plot. They’re taking their relationship to a whole new level with this act of physical intimacy, and it feels all the more special when they’re able to voice their emotional connection with each other in this moment too. 

Whether the characters are confessing their love or admitting that they really, really like each other or that they been fantasizing about this hot moment for ages, they all serve the same purpose: they’re being open and honest with one another by talking about their feelings, and that heightens the intimacy of the physical act of sex. 

3. Don’t forget about protection.

I’m the kind of writer who wants to be realistic and responsible when writing love scenes, and contraception is part of that. 

It doesn’t have to be some long, drawn-out discussion about birth control or condoms. It can just be a quick mention of a character grabbing a condom from their wallet or nightstand. Or something as simple as mentioning foil ripping in the middle of an especially hot scene. Or a character mentioning that they are on the pill, have an IUD, etc. Just something that establishes the characters are practicing responsible behavior in the midst of sexy times. 

4. Add a bit of awkwardness.

Again, this plays into the realism aspect of my stories. Not every love scene goes off without a hitch from start to finish—and that’s okay. A bit of awkwardness can actually be endearing and make your characters even more lovable and relatable. 

It can even serve as an opportunity to provide some comic relief, which can be a fun and lighthearted way to break the tension in the middle of such a hot moment. 

Some of the awkward moments I’ve included in love scenes are clothing mishaps and being interrupted by loud noises/phone calls/family members/friends/coworkers/pets. 

5. Always establish consent.

I’m of the opinion that when you write sex, you should always establish enthusiastic consent. It doesn’t have to be an awkward conversation. Consent can be very hot. 

For example, here’s an exchange between the two main characters in my new romance On Location that establishes consent: 

My hand stills against Drew’s stomach. “So…you like the way I’m touching you right now?” 

He grunts another yes. 

Slowly, I run my hand up his stomach, relishing the way each hard line feels under my palm. I stop on his chest, just over his heart, which is thundering inside of him. A quiet pant falls from his mouth. 

He swallows. “You can do whatever you want to my body, Alia. Asleep, awake. Any time, any place. You have my permission.”

I tilt my head up, until our faces are barely inches apart. “I’m so attracted to you, Drew. Like, you have no idea.” 

His half-smile turns full. It’s so bright it cuts through the darkness. 

“It’s been a struggle not to drool over you while we’re shooting.” I tap my fingers against his chest, quietly delighting in the way his hard mass barely budges. 

“It’s been the same for me. You’re beautiful, Alia. Every time I look at you, I feel like a creep because I can’t stop staring. I still can’t believe we ended up here.”

My heart melts in my chest. Whatever blip in the universe that resulted in us seeing each other again, I’m thankful for it. 

He cups my cheeks with his hand. Closing my eyes, I hum. 

“I’ve been trying not hardest not to pull you aside so we can finish that kiss we started that night we met.” 

“We can finish it now.” 

See? Super cute and very sexy conversation about consent. And not one bit clinical. It’s clear Alia and Drew have the hots for each other and are aching to go to town on one another. 

I hope these tips help you with writing love scenes that are exciting and believable.

Sarah Smith is a copywriter turned author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie’s stash of romance novels. She’s been hooked ever since – most recently with her books Faker (2019) and Simmer Down (2020). On Location comes out Fall 2021. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and her adorable cat, Salem. Learn more at https://www.sarahsmithbooks.com, or you can teach her here on Twitter and Facebook!

The post #5onFri: Five Tips for Writing Love Scenes appeared first on DIY MFA.

Debbie is the author of many books including: It’s Better This Way, A Walk Along the Beach, Window on the Bay, Cottage by the Sea, Any Dream Will Do, If Not for You, and the Rose Harbor Inn series. Thirteen of her novels have been New York Times #1 bestsellers, and five of her beloved Christmas novels have been hit movies on the Hallmark Channel. The Hallmark Channel has also produced the original series Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, based on her Cedar Cove books. With more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide, Debbie is a leading voice in romance and women’s fiction.

In this episode Debbie Macomber and I discuss:

• How our subconscious comes out in writing and directs the topics we explore.
• The balance between writing light Christmas stories and still providing substance.
• Why she began her book with a series of letters and flashbacks mixed with the present.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Debbie Macomber 

Debbie Macomber, the author of It’s Better This Way, A Walk Along the Beach, Window on the Bay, Cottage by the Sea, Any Dream Will Do, If Not for You, and the Rose Harbor Inn series, is a leading voice in women’s fiction. Thirteen of her novels have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and five of her beloved Christmas novels have been hit movies on the Hallmark Channel, including Mrs. Miracle and Mr. Miracle. Hallmark Channel also produced the original series Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, based on Macomber’s Cedar Cove books. She is also the author of the cookbook Debbie Macomber’s Table. There are more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide.

You can find Debbie on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Dear Santa

Lindy Carmichael isn’t feeling particularly joyful when she returns home to Wenatchee, Washington, for Christmas. The man she thought was “the one” has cheated on her with her best friend, and she feels completely devoid of creativity in her graphic-design job. Not even carolers or Christmas cookies can cheer her up—but Lindy’s mother, Ellen, remembers an old tradition that might lift her daughter’s spirits. 

Reading through a box of childhood letters to Santa and reminiscing about what she’d wished for as a young girl may be just the inspiration Lindy needs. With Ellen’s encouragement, she decides to write a new letter to Santa, one that will encourage her to have faith and believe just as she’d done all those years ago. Little does Lindy know that this exercise in gratitude will cause her wishes to unfold before her in miraculous ways. And, thanks to some fateful twists of Christmas magic—especially an unexpected connection with a handsome former classmate—Lindy ultimately realizes that there is truly no place like home for the holidays.

In Dear Santa, Debbie Macomber celebrates the joys of Christmas blessings, old and new.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 381

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 381: Writing and Publishing a Christmas Novel – Interview with Debbie Macomber appeared first on DIY MFA.

Kris writes about relatable characters who rely on humor and tenderness to navigate complicated relationships. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with romance, heartbreak, and just enough snarky humor to rock the boat.

When not writing, Kris spends her time searching for an open karaoke mike and an understanding audience. Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Kris lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband and two spoiled-rotten pups. She’s also the host of Kris Clink’s writing table, a podcast for writers and book lovers. Today we’ll be discussing her debut novel, Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy, which is out now.

In this episode Kris and I discuss:

• Why she writes the flap copy for her next book before she begins drafting it.
• How she wrote a not necessarily likeable character that readers can engage with.
• What makes a book one genre versus another and why that can be important.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Kris Clink

Kris writes about relatable characters who rely on humor and tenderness to navigate complicated relationships. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with romance, heartbreak, and just enough snarky humor to rock the boat.

When not writing, Kris spends her time searching for an open karaoke mike and an understanding audience. Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Kris lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband and two spoiled-rotten pups. She’s also the host of Kris Clink’s writing table, a podcast for writers and book lovers. Today we’ll be discussing her debut novel, Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy, which is out now.

You can find Kris on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy

Lark’s lost her husband, and the expiration date has come and gone on her fake-it-till-you-make-it “Happy Mommy Show.” Healing her broken family requires drastic measures―like returning to her hometown in the Texas Hill Country. But she’s going to need more than clean air and a pastoral landscape to rebuild a life for her and her young sons.

After years of putting off her dream of becoming a winemaker, Lark puts every cent into a failing vineyard, determined to work through her grief and make a brighter future for her children. The last thing she expects is to fall in love again. Especially not with Wyatt Gifford, an injured Army vet with a past of his own to conquer.

Coming home may not be the reset Lark imagined, but it does take her on a journey filled with humor and reconciliation―one that prepares her for a courageous comeback.

Sissie Klein is Completely Normal

Sissie Klein can barely remember the night that tore her from life as she knew it. At the bedside of her premature daughter, she makes a deal with God to create a normal family out of her muddled life. With good intentions and a youthful optimism, Sissie moves heaven and earth so baby Meg will enjoy a better future than the one she sees stretching out before her . . . but some fates are unavoidable.

As Meg comes into her own, tragedy strikes, taking the girl’s father and leaving behind a web of secrets—and a toddler.

Forgiveness is hard to come by. Friends attempt to control Sissie’s life, and her family only demands more of her attention. Gradually, Sissie peels back the secrets to take a hard look at what she’s sacrificed for this life she created: her happiness. Suddenly no longer in the shadow of her husband, she steps outside her comfort zone, forging new friendships and tasting a love she’s never known. But will she sacrifice her daughter’s future for her own?

If you decide to check out these books, we hope you’ll do so via the Amazon affiliate links for Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy and Sissie Klein is Completely Normal. If you choose to purchase via these links, DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 371

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, or Google and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 371: Women’s Fiction vs. Romance: What’s the Difference? – Interview with Kris Clink appeared first on DIY MFA.

But where do these sparks come from? What if yours is feeling more like a fizzle, or worse, crickets of silence? Gasp! What if the muse is refusing to sing for you? 

The only solution is to get her singing again, and sometimes you’ll find inspiration in the most surprising of places if you’re willing to look for it. The best part is that it can come from anything at any time.

Let’s start with the most obvious, shall we?

Books

Reading is the best way for new ideas and voices to infiltrate your mind. Where in real life can one dive 20,000 leagues below the sea, visit a hobbit in his hobbit hole, or ride in a pumpkin coach to meet Prince Charming? Books can transport us to any point in history as well as the great future beyond. There is no shortage of possibilities to be discovered between the pages. All you need to do is pick out the details that spark your imagination.

In my last novel, Beauty Among Ruins, the story takes place in a castle turned convalescent home in Scotland. This idea came from reading The Roses of No Man’s Land by Lyn MacDonald as research for another book I was writing at the time. I stumbled across a very small mention about convalescent homes being set up in the Scottish countryside because the hospitals in England were at capacity with wounded soldiers. A few sentences of casual reference was all it took to explode into an entire novel, The Ice Swan.

Music

Music has a way of touching us in a way that no other thing can. It can recall long forgotten memories, stir passions, and often commands us to headbang when “Bohemian Rhapsody” comes on. Come on, you know you do it. Sometimes it can be a certain chord to strike us or a haunting melody that stirs an emotion deep inside and begs to be explained. 

As a writer you should be asking what emotion did it stir? Why? What does it make you think of? If it’s a concerto from Mozart, do you want to create a sun-drenched field for which your characters can frolic? Or does Beethoven write a rainstorm for a kissing scene under a large oak tree? 

Movie soundtracks are a fabulous way to stoke the creative emotion because they are specially orchestrated to stir certain feelings at certain points in the plot. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to the Outlander soundtrack when I needed to gallop through the heather fields of Scotland, or the live action Cinderella soundtrack while trying to conjure up a ballroom.

Songs with lyrics can be just as evocative, perhaps even more so because they offer up words to stimulate the creative juices. Be it an entire song or one line, a climactic scene can be conjured, if not an entire novel. 

While I was still in the ruminating phase of The Ice Swan (playing with the plotlines, figuring out who the characters were, etc.), I was listening to the song “Believer” by Imagine Dragons and suddenly I knew who my hero and heroine were and what their relationship was going to be like. I imagined the two of them on a dance floor in a room that was completely black except for a single light following them and the electrifying tension sparking between them because of all the unsaid hurts they would need to move past before they could find a happily ever after. I didn’t write that exact scene into The Ice Swan, but it was powerful enough for me to keep dance as a strong element in the story and a way that these two characters come together.

Movies

Ah, at last we come to it. My most valuable weapon in my arsenal of inspiration. Being a visual learner, it’s no great wonder that a wealth of inspiration strikes when I watch a movie or TV series. Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans (I will find you!), Downton Abbey, Crimson Field, and countless others have played a part in getting my gears in motion for a novel idea. As I’m watching, I’m completely saturated in another world of muddy trenches, English accents, social conventions, and fashion from bygone eras that helps to bring that world to life in 3-D. 

Sights, sounds, smells. Yes, smells! If you watch enough war movies, you know what those soldiers smelled like simply by observing the filth on their uniforms.

A few summers ago, I was on a foreign-film kick and started watching a Russian miniseries called The Road to Calvary. It’s about two Russian aristocratic sisters and how their lives were turned upside by the Great War and the Russian Revolution. They were absolutely hated and hunted down because of their blue blood. I began to wonder about these Russian nobles who were trying to escape the horror of the Bolsheviks that swept into power. One year later, I typed “The End” to The Ice Swan. An entire novel sparked from one miniseries.

Don’t ever feel as if you are limited to where inspiration may come from and don’t shy away from looking in less than obvious places. People watch, read news articles, listen to podcasts, ask readers what kind of stories they long for because you never know what interaction may plant a seed that could be grown into a fully-fledged novel. That’s the true magic of inspiration.

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the INSPY and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Her latest book is The Ice Swan about the last days of the Russian monarchy and a princess fleeing the Russian Revolution. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.

The post Inspiration for The Ice Swan appeared first on DIY MFA.

Thien-Kim writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. She and I first connected at an entrepreneurship event and instantly bonded over our love of books and our penchant for challenging the status quo of our respective industries.

Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys (featured on NPR, BBC America, and NBC). Plus, she also writes about multicultural parenting at I’m Not the Nanny and has been featured on NBC News Asian America, BBC World, and NPR’s All Things Considered. Plus, she has written for Momtastic, YourTango, Frolic, NBC News, and other outlets.

Happy Endings is her debut novel and we’ll be discussing it today. Quick heads up before we dive in: when friends like us get together and start chatting about a sexy rom-com featuring a protagonist who sells sex toys… things might go in a non-PG-rated direction. So if you’ve got kiddos hanging around, now might be a good time to put in some headphones. And if listening to two girlfriends talk about steamy romance and sex toys is not your jam… well, you have been warned.

Okay folks, without further ado, I am super-excited to introduce you to my friend Thien-Kim!

In this episode Thien-Kim and I discuss:

• Why she chose to begin her novel with tension between the main love interests.
• Giving her protagonist a unique career and how that strengthened the character.
• What she learned from having to relaunch her business after pivoting.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Thien-Kim Lam

Thien-Kim writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. A recovering Type-Asian, she guzzles cà phê sữa đá, makes art, and bakes her feelings to stay sane. Thien-Kim is also the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on NPR, BBC America, and NBC.

Thien-Kim also writes about multicultural parenting at I’m Not the Nanny and has been featured on NBC News Asian America, BBC World, and NPR’s All Things Considered.

She’s written for Momtastic, YourTango, Frolic, NBC News and other outlets.

You can find her on her website and at BawdyBookworms or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Happy Endings

With her debut novel, Thien-Kim Lam serves up a sexy second-chance romance about exes with unfinished business. When working together reignites their passion, will these former flames sizzle or get burned all over again?

Trixie NgUyen is determined to make her sex toy business a success, proving to her traditional Vietnamese parents that she can succeed in a nontraditional career—or any career. She’s trading a string of false starts for a clean slate, and her first pop-up event is going well—until she runs into the ex who dumped her. With a Post-it note.

The last person Andre Walker expected to see in his soul food restaurant was the woman he left behind in New Orleans. However, he has no time to focus on the past—or Trixie, even if their chemistry is still scorching. Two years after his mother’s death, Andre’s restaurant is struggling thanks to all the new hipster eateries in his gentrifying neighborhood. Desperate to save the family legacy, he’ll try anything to ward off developers—even if it means partnering with his ex to turn Mama Hazel’s into a vibrator pop-up shop for hungry and horny clients.

Thanks to their steamy truce, both businesses pick up. But when their feelings deepen and Trixie receives an incredible career opportunity, will Andre support her or will his pride make him walk out on her again?

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 358

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 358: Find Your Community and Follow Your Passion – Interview with Thien-Kim Lam appeared first on DIY MFA.