When You Neglect Your Stories

By Maureen L. Bonatch

I’m a fiction writer and a freelance writer. Lately my fiction stories are often waiting for attention while I rush to keep up with freelance deadlines. 

You see, fiction writing is more like a marathon, while freelance writing is comparable to a sprint—complete with editors and tight deadlines shouting from the sidelines. So, I keep thinking I’ll get back to “training for that marathon” after I finish this sprint. But time is a sneaky witch that has a way of distracting me of its passing as the days and months accumulate. Time isn't going to pause for me and my story, only I can try to cram more into each day than I already do. 

This Is Not How My Story Ends

Fiction writing has been my dream since childhood, it’s what I want to do. “My story” ends with me writing fiction full time. The challenge with dreams is keeping them alive through nurturing, love and attention. People will notice if I neglect my freelance stories, because I must do them. Often the only one who notices that I’ve not had time for fiction is my characters. 

Being a panster (writes by the seat of my pants) has other “side effects” for me besides a hot mess of a first draft. It allows me to discover the characters and the story almost as a reader would. It also means that when I pull a story out after neglecting it for a while that often I no longer remember what happened. That’s good, and bad. 

It’s good that I can read my story with fresh eyes, but then I also don’t remember what needs added, corrected or deleted—or where I was going. You'd think I would after spending so much time pouring the story on the page. But, like a child vying for attention, my characters “punish me” by withholding information and pushing some of the storyline from my feeble memory. This delays my writing process process even longer because I need a large chunk of time to immerse myself with my characters. Time that I don’t always have to do what I want to do because there is too much I must do. 

Side Effects of Neglecting Our Dreams

We all have our dreams. Many of us may have let them fade to a distant memory. But I find that I’m not the same person if I don’t make the time to cultivate my dreams. I may look the same on the outside, but on the inside, I’m less. The world seems darker and not as exciting. I’m not always immediately aware of what’s happening. Only feeling as if something just seems off. Then I realize that I haven’t written fiction for a while. I need that indulgence more than a vampire needs blood, or a witch covets her favorite broom. 

Think of one of your dreams and consider how you feel when you’re indulging in that dream. I’m betting you feel good—perhaps more whole, or complete. Because, you see, if we only allow time for dreams when we’re sleeping, we’ll never get to see how beautiful they can look in the light of day and how they are an essential part of our story.

How Do You Nurture Your Story?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook& Twitter

The New Kid on the Block

Howdy, everyone! My name is Lea Kirk and I’m a new kid on the block, so I thought I’d do a little self-intro and answer some questions about me that you might not even realize you want to ask.

Why “Lea”, and how is it pronounced? Lea is my middle name and it’s pronounced “Lee”, not “Leah”. I was born in the days when Leah was still spelled with an “h” (yeah, I’m that old). Also, that’s the way my mom says it, and I’m not arguing with her. Mom’s always right, you know, and I happen to love the way my name is pronounced. However, if you call me Leah I’ll still respond. I have to because the priest who baptized me pronounced my middle name “Leah”, which means I need to be on my toes so the Pearly Gates don’t close before I get there!

And what about “Kirk”? Now, I know what some of you are thinking: No brainer. She’s a Star Trek fan. Duh. And you'd be right. But, I did not choose Kirk because of Capt. James T. No, seriously! Kirk really is a family name…my paternal grandmother’s maiden name, in fact. My grandmother was one of my greatest influences to become a writer. She was an avid reader, loved writing (never published anything), and was a school teacher. We shared a mutual love of reading, and at some point she planted the seed that I should pursue writing. One day we were talking and I told her when I did become a published author, I would use my middle name, Lea, and her maiden name, Kirk as my pseudonym. I can still picture the way her entire face lit up.

Would my grandma read my sci-fi romances, or my one paranormal romance? I'd like to believe so, especially since I dedicated my first book to her memory!

Why sci-fi romance? We’ll blame my dad for this one. He got me hooked on the original Star Trek at the tender age of six. At the time, I had a two-piece red knit jumpsuit—a tunic-like sweater and bell-bottom pants.  I also had a pair of groovy white go-go boots. (Don’t judge me, it was the 70’s!) I used to wear those boots and the top, which just covered my butt, and run around the house pretending to be Lt. Uhura and having the most amazing adventures in space. I’d love to meet Nichelle Nichols just to tell her that story. She was a profound inspiration to my six-year-old self. After Star Trek came Star Wars, Close Encounters, Battlestar Galactica, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, TNG, Voyager, every Star Trek and Star Wars movie ever made, The Orville, every rocket/shuttle launch by NASA, etc., etc., etc. So, you see, my fate was pretty much sealed the day my dad sat me in front of the rabbit-eared T.V.

What have I written? My first SFR book is Prophecy, and it’s the first book in the Prophecy Series. Book two in the series is Salvation. I am currently working on Collision, book three, and hope to have it out sometime in 2018. Also, All of Me is a short story that happens between Prophecy and Salvation. All of these books are (or will be) available on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo.

This past September I released my first PNR novella, Made for Her. It’s a vampire romance and part of S.E. Smith’s Magic, New Mexico Kindle World—which means it’s only available on U.S. Amazon. (And now on KU, too!)

In October of this year I was part of the Other Worlds boxed set, which features a collection of SFR and PNR romances. My contribution, Touch the Stars, is a novella-length SFR that will eventually be reworked into a full-length novel and become book one in a new series I have percolating in my brain. Other Worlds is available on Amazon, B&N, GooglePlay, iBooks, and Kobo.

What’s the best way to follow or contact me? First, let me say thank you for still being with me here! My readers are why I do what I do, and I love hearing from you. You can connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. I also have a newsletter, which comes out on the 6^th of each month…the next one is less than a week away and is chock full of holiday goodness. (Hint, hint.) Also, you can check out my website.

And there you have it, a little bit about me. If you have any other questions, just leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer. I look forward to "seeing" you all here on Paranormal Romantics next month!

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Author Bio

USA Today Bestselling Author, Lea Kirk, loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her science fiction romance and paranormal romance stories. In 2016 she released Prophecy and Salvation, books one and two of her Prophecy Series, as well as All of Me, a short story set in the same universe. Grave Tells Blog named her Debut Author of the Year for 2016. In 2017, she released her first vampire paranormal, Made for Her, and a new story for the Other Worlds boxed set—Touch the Stars. Her third book in the Prophecy series, Collision, is on track to release in 2018.

When she not busy writing, she’s hanging out with her wonderful hubby of twenty-seven years, their five kids (aka, the nerd herd), and a large Doberman mix who thinks she’s one of the “kids”.

A Year to be Remembered

Or forgotten! So much happened in 2016 that I don't want to remember, but there's lots I won't forget.

The wonderful sounds of David Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Isao Tomita... They are gone but the joy they gave to many will live on in their music. What would the sitcom landscape have looked like without Garry Marshall? I grew up with Patty Duke, I laughed with Gene Wilder, and then there was Haprer Lee. Who hasn't read To Kill a Mockingbird?

If the stories I write are remembered by just one person - I have accomplished something!

Ebook publishing took a real pounding this year with the closing of Ellora's Cave, and whether we like it or not, it was one of epublishing's industry giants, a pioneer, the first of its kind. As a beginner I had a goal, and a dream, to be published with EC and it came true. Things may not have gone like me and many others wanted but I'll never be sorry for having reached that goal. I learned so much from editors I worked with at EC, good things that'll I'll always have as part of my arsenal. Do I wish it had ended differently? Yes. But it's time to move on.

In recent weeks All Romance Ebooks closed. The first book I self published was released at ARe and I don't regret that either. Sure, I wish this one had ended differently also. Yet times change, publishers come and go, however...

I AM STILL HERE!

I can't imagine not putting my imagination and stories out there. Will I ever be bigger, will I publish that one story that zooms to the top of someone's Top Ten list? I don't know. One thing I do know is I'll keep telling my stories, I'll keep putting them out there, and I hope fans keep reading them, I hope new fans find me - I hope 2017 is better!

A few of my newest covers with stories coming soon:

Happy New Year to everyone and may your dreams come true.

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out. - J. Hali Steele