Words to Live By

I adore Kristan Higgins. Her novels are funny, quirky, sweet and heartwarming. Her interactions with her readers on Facebook and Twitter are genuine and amusing. She's just all around spectacular.

Well, today, someone on Twitter shared a Youtube video of Kristan's Luncheon Presentation at the Romance Writers of America conference. Once I finished watching it...well, I just loved Kristan even more.

This is a must-watch for all romance authors. Make that all WRITERS. Kristan's got some great things to say about persevering and rejection and what our books mean to the world. This speech is inspiring beyond words.

Just...watch it. And, you're welcome.




Under the Influence

This post is for The Insecure Writer's Support Group, which posts the first Wednesday of each month.


So, the week before last, I finished reading a Young Adult dystopian series with mixed feelings. I loved the writing style, but felt let down by the ending. Usually, my favorite part of finishing a book is deciding which book to read next, and so I turned to my shelves (and my Nook) with excitement.

And I searched. And searched. And searched.

I could not make up my mind.

Should I read another YA book?

Should I read a Romance?

I felt burned by my latest endeavor into YA, and so all the books calling my name from THAT genre were being ignored. And it'd been too long since I'd read a Romance novel, which is usually my genre of choice.

So what was keeping me from scooping up one of those pretty books?

Influence.

It has always been a struggle for me. Whatever I'm reading at the time somehow seeps into my own work. Not intentionally, but the influence is clear.

I've finally been on a roll with my WIP. Rumor has it, I've finally found my "Voice." So, I was worried that if I indulged in my beloved Romance genre (which is what I'm writing), that progress would somehow be compromised. The style of the author I'd chosen would take over my own style.

I finally decided to risk it and chose an author I'd never read. I've only written about a thousand words since then, but the me-ness still seems to be intact.

What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you worry that what you're reading will influence your own work? How to you keep this from happening? Read any good books lately?

The Strangest Thing (Or, What I Bought at the Bookstore)

I got a gift card for Christmas. Fifty big ones to spend at a local book store - my favorite kind of gift to receive. I finally made the trip on Tuesday to use it, and I found myself scooping up titles that, this time last year, I never would have considered. I love to read all kinds of books, but my fallback has always been Romance. I fell in love with this genre years and years ago, and I still love it today. But Tuesday, I only bought one romance. This one:
Believe It Or Not by Tawna Fenske

I LOVED Tawna's first novel, Making Waves, so I HAD to buy her next. I can't wait to dive in! Other than that, all my other purchases were from the Young Adult/Teen Fiction section:









 Like I said, these are very strange purchases for me. I steered away from this type of book when I was a teen, and, well, pretty much always. Until The Hunger Games. Now, I'm curious. Now, I'm excited. Now, I just may be in love. This most certainly doesn't mean I'm going to join the ranks of Young Adult writers out there. No, I'm still madly in love with the Romance genre and I simply MUST write it. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy other genres, right? 

  So, what about you? Have your reading habits changed? Your writing? Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations?