Bookless

Do you ever read certain types of books or particular authors that make you want to write certain stuff?  I’m reading la Nora’s latest, the first in her Boonsboro Inn trilogy, and it’s making all these characters wake up in my brain.  See, when I first got started writing, I wanted to be Nora.  Well, really, who among us wouldn’t like to be Nora, with her amazing success and fanbase?  But I mean I wanted to write books like hers.  I cut my teeth on her romantic suspense, even love her contemporary romance.  The only ones of hers I’m not nuts about are her very very early stuff that was technically category at the time just because they’re shorter and less satisfying to me.  But I love her vivid characters, the families, the friendships.

Part of what that spawned after years and years of reading her work, were several towns of my own, peopled with all sorts of characters.   I initially intended to brand myself with Mississippi based romantic suspense–Murder and Magnolias.  And then I got bitten by the paranormal bug and haven’t really looked back much.  But I still love those characters, love those towns.  And every time I read a Nora, I want to revisit them.  I wonder if Collin and Kensie ever took down the bad guy (because I totally stopped in the middle of their book).  I wonder if Collin’s brother Seth is still a playboy or if he’s met the woman who’s going to knock him on his ass (whom I hadn’t decided on yet).  I wonder if Marin and Wyatt have finished planning his Nanna and Pop’s 50th anniversary party.  And whether Spence has gotten around to asking out Tate.  If Tate’s finally ready to pull the trigger on opening her own restaurant.  There are more of them.  Many, many more, all hanging out in their town (Lawley) in the back of my imagination.

Bookless.

And for a long while, bookless they are going to stay.  Unless somebody can find me a REALLY GOOD DEAL on a Time Turner.  That makes me a little bit sad. because I love those characters.  Ah well.  Someday they’ll have their time to shine.

10 thoughts on “Bookless

    1. It’s totally a time thing. I’ve split my efforts enough between YA and adult PR. At this time, I definitely don’t have time to add anything else to the mix.

    1. No, not giving up on them. They’ve been kicking around in my brain for nearly 12 years, so they’re not GOING anywhere. I’ve mulled over whether I could turn any of it into contemporary romance (I know, after I just wrote a post about why most of that doesn’t work for me as a genre). Nothing springs to mind, so for now they’re just going to be brain dolls.

  1. Yes, I have these too that arise from the same scenario. I read an amazing book and revisit my own imaginary towns or plotlines. I also can’t seem to make it back into some of the series I have written due to all the revisions and submissions. It’s funny how you think being a writer is all about writing…and then you wake up to the reality that writing is such a small portion of it.

  2. I agree with Tiffany on the notebook, Kait! And I always wanted to be Nora too. I finally had to give up and accept that I’m not quite edgy enough – I’ve had to tone it down to where I dream of being Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Janet Evanovich instead. But that’s OK, right?

    I’m looking forward to the next Boonsboro book – I think I’m going to like that brother even more.

  3. I agree!! Notebook – or I have this thingy on my cellphone called “tape-to-talk” that I use for all the whacked out stuff that pops in my head on my way home from work (half hour drive). I haven’t developed a third appendage yet, so recorder thingy it is…
    You’ve come this far, Kait! You can do it.

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