Many of my books are published by The Wild Rose Press (TWRP). I also write for other publishers, but one of the things that The Wild Rose Press does is offer out stories to be written. For instance, the Deerbourne Inn Series that I wrote a novella for last year took place in a quaint Vermont Inn and many of their authors wrote stories surrounding the inn. I jumped on that band wagon and wrote Witches’ Cliff. The way this is set up, the publisher creates a setting and then invites their authors to write a story (any genre) around that setting with a word count limit.
I also wrote a beach-read for TWRP coming out this summer. That manuscript needed to be set on a beach and involve ice cream. It is titled the One Scoop or Two Series. I wrote Strawberry Sundae Delights and it is soon to be released. I’ll be sure to let you know when that happens!
I’m always working on a novel or two and sometimes get bogged down getting it finished. The series that TWRP comes up with seem to get my creative juices flowing. You work with other authors, and their ideas spark yours.
Their latest creation is the Wylder West Series. I’ve only written one western short story and it was about the Cherokee Strip here in Oklahoma. The Wylder West Series takes place in 1878 in Wyoming Territory in the town of Wylder near Cheyenne. So, my brain began to go to places it had never been. What if we mixed time travel with the wild west? (I thought of the old movie, recently remade, Wild Wild West. I loved the mixture of genres. When the giant mechanical spider came across the desert near the railroad chasing cowboys, I was in love.)
It will be a while before my story is ready. So far it is one chapter and a nugget in my mind. But I’m excited about the research and collaboration with other authors. I’m creating new characters with exotic backgrounds. At the moment I’m struggling with the antagonist and the role he plays. All stories need conflict.
The great thing about the series and the creative juices is it normally flows over into my other writing. It will help me get the novel finished I’m currently working on.
So, wish me luck and keep an eye out for the Wylder West Series coming soon.
What are you reading this week?
Writing stories of experiences or making your own seems to be a natural thing for humans. Many never do it, though they think of it, and many do it without ever sharing what was written.
It’s been three weeks since my spinal surgery and I’m feeling human. I walk and practice my physical therapy exercises and I’ve even had to get back into cooking. I’m doing well.
I’m reading a new book, Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray Love. You might like it. It is about living the creative life and is mostly geared toward writers, but also other artists.
I spent a couple of days this week at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital South. No there is nothing wrong with my heart. But my spine is another story. My neurosurgeon works out of that hospital and he gave me some new scaring, my third back surgery, and I have some new fusion in the L4 L5 area.
Sandhill Island is a mythical place – a place in my mind. But I could live there. I would love the slow pace and the self-reliant people who live near and on the water. They have adventures, romances, and lives of every type. They are islanders. As I write about them I can smell the salt air, and hear the relentless waves washing up on shore.
IT’S HOT OUTSIDE! And I’m not talking about the political scene. The temperatures in Oklahoma have reached the century mark and the humidity is trying to keep up with it. If you’re going outside, do it early morning or late evening. I’m sure it’s the same wherever you are.
If you follow my blogs you know they’re normally light. I talk about the current book I’m promoting or the flowers blooming in my garden. But today, I had to say something serious.
I’m sure the rest of the world is having as much trouble staying home and doing nothing as I am. But this is getting ridiculous! It’s not as if I am doing without, we have food to eat and a nice home to live in, but I really want to travel. And I can’t at this time.
Last year when The Wild Rose Press called for submissions for novellas based on a fictional Vermont Inn, the noise of mad scribbling and typing could be heard around the globe. Not all of The Wild Rose Press authors live in the United States. The story would be built around a quaint Vermont Inn nestled in a tiny town with lots of eclectic characters.
Peggy Chambers "Views from the Hammock" site 