Newsflash: I’m not trendy. I never have been.

As a kid in the 90s, I refused to wear jeans until middle school and lived in dresses. I was teased. I didn’t care. I liked wearing dresses. (I still do, for the record. The number one stressor in winter is being too cold for skirts and wearing all my jeans…ugh I still hate denim.)

My Mom complained that my Grandma was always off on trends and was so embarrassing to her kids as they were growing up.

I think, at least she tried! Because when it comes to fashion: I don’t care. The whole baggy shirt-tight pants look was stupid on me (and makes me look like I’m pregnant again, no thanks!). I wear what I like.

Similarly, I don’t write to trend.

I’ve missed Billionaires, Sports, and Alphas. And I’m perfectly fine.

My books are work. I’m not some lucky author who sits down and pours out the story her muse has inspired. I am a percolator. Ideas appear, I slowly tease out the story in an outline, I furiously write the first draft (but it’s not easy. I look at my outline, follow my notes, and sit my butt in the chair to write a scene–or more–a day until I reach the end), make extensive notes and write the synopsis, take a week break from the story to work on something else, come back and get back into fleshing out the story, take another week break, read and edit again. If I reach a point where I think, this is good. I’m proud of this story, I send it on submission. If it gets picked up by a publisher, I jump back into editing again.

It’s hard work. It’s a process. And I have to love the story.

So much work is involved from random thought to published novel, I have to really believe in my book. If one day, I accidentally luck into the next trend, I’ll be thrilled by the happy accident.

(Anyone interested in writing big city sweet romance with me?)

But it’s not my target. I’m aiming to craft stories that touch the reader’s heart. And I hope I deliver.

If you’re not aware of the #CopyPasteCris Twitter threads…

A romance author seems to have been mixed up in a convoluted plagiarism and ghost writing scheme. A reader discovered the theft and since other authors have found their words stolen and repurposed.

The whole thing is shocking. As a fellow Kindle Scout winner, I thought the writer was publishing her own words. The betrayal runs deep. I have questions all starting with why? I want answers that I don’t think will ever come.

This is beyond awful. Real romance authors write from their hearts. Our stories are emotional because we put everything on the page. We relive pain and fight through fear to try and craft a story that will resonate with someone who needs it.

I write my own books. I aim to make my stories as effective at delivering the core story as possible. My novels aren’t perfect. If I didn’t have deadlines, I would never finish any. I work hard to improve every story and the fact someone thinks they can lie, cheat, and steal in the most encouraging and supportive genre in a tough industry pisses me off.

I write my own books.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This month has been a blur of winter weather headaches. Days off school for cold, snow, holidays, and teacher institute days have thrown me for a loop. In typical fashion, I bought a bunch of Valentine’s Day “things” (cards, candy, table decor) at the end of January and then forgot all about the holiday until this week. Luckily, I got it all together in time (including Tuesday, sitting down my kids to write out cards to their classmates before swim lessons) and tonight after a dentist appointment (nothing says romance like clean teeth) we’ll order a heart-shaped pizza and snuggle on the couch with a movie.

If you can’t tell, as much as I love love (hello romance author), I love being with my family. Family is a recurring theme in my books. I’m blessed to have been born into wonderful support system and fell in love with an amazing man and together we created our own family. In my books, I explore the concept of family and how it can be created through our choices, good or bad.

I’m currently editing a project to submit before the end of the month (the deadline is the 28th). It’s a story that has gone through a major evolution. From the second in a trilogy (that, to be honest, didn’t fit my sweet style) to a standalone (but of course, now I’ve come up with ideas for a sequel), this is a story I can’t shove in a drawer. I have to finish and publish. Family is again at the heart of the story alongside the romance.

For consideration as a submission, I am aiming to add about 15k. I write lean first drafts and always realize I’m missing scenes. Currently, I’m deepening the emotion and settings and the theme of family is popping up again and again.

Do you have any recurring themes? What’s your core story?

Wishing you a very happy Valentine’s Day and a reminder, we are half-way through February!!! Good news indeed that spring (and a thaw) is inching closer.