Wacky Wednesday Guest Post - THE MUSE: WHERE DO THOSE IDEAS COME FROM, ANYWAY? by Kimberly Kincaid, debut author of LOVE ON THE LINE

On Monday, I reviewed a debut novella by a talented new romance author - LOVE ON THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid. As much as I love reading debuts, I’m equally amazed when a debut is a novella, and a novella that is as wonderful and character-driven as this one. As someone who has trouble squashing my stories into a smaller word count, I am in awe of such talent.

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. She is thrilled to have collaborated on a Christmas anthology with Donna Kauffman and Kate Angell, titled THE SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP, to kick off her Pine Mountain foodie series with Kensington this October. Her first full-length novel, TURN UP THE HEAT, will follow in February 2014. Kimberly resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters. Visit her any time at her website, or come check her out on Facebook and Twitter. She's got some fab recipes, including  a yummy one at the end of LOVE ON THE LINE.

Kimberly has been kind enough to share with us where she gets her inspiration. After hearing hers, mine don't seem so odd. I'll share mine in a comment. I hope you will give Kimberly Kincaid a warm, Unwrapping Romance, welcome. Stick around after, because I’ve got a giveaway at the end of this post. It is Wacky Wednesday, after all.

Kimberly, it’s all yours.

Greetings, my friends,

THE MUSE: WHERE DO THOSE IDEAS COME FROM, ANYWAY?

When I tell people I write romantic fiction, many of them picture me sitting in my neat and cozy office, a cup of tea at the ready as I eagerly type out page after page of my latest work-in-progress. I hate to break the illusion, but writing is a far messier, far more chaotic prospect than all that! And when writer’s block hits? It’s like going from zero to crazy in about four seconds flat. But when The Block hits (and it hits every. single. writer out there), the backup plan can be nearly as much fun as the writing itself.

First, I Step Away From the Keyboard. Yes, I know this sounds counter-intuitive. I’m supposed to be writing! But that blank screen can give a writer’s mind the same idea sometimes (think monkey see, monkey do!) I am incredibly inspired by things found off the page, especially TV shows and real-life interactions. Sometimes I’ll go to Starbucks and gently eavesdrop on conversations (I don’t go all superspy though! That wouldn’t be polite!), or maybe I’ll watch an episode or two of my favorite show on the DVR. Taking a walk will even kickstart my brain sometimes. After all, minds at rest stay at rest. Minds in motion write novels!

I Read. Then I Read Some More. Books by others aren’t just a source of oh-yes in the down-time department for me. They can be an incredibly valuable resource in getting my creative juices going. When I was brainstorming ideas for my latest novella, I was really writer’s blocked. Know what got me writing? A fashion layout in Cosmopolitan magazine! A mere month after I flipped that glossy page, Love On The Line was done. And all it took was a brain-break to read.

I Talk it Out. Some of my most inspired ideas have come from conversations that started with the phrase, “I need an idea for a book!” I’m fortunate enough to have five incredible critique partners, all of whom have said this, and heard me say it, at some point or another. Noodling things out with another person can flesh out ideas, and often offers up surprises as well as sparks. Sometimes I have no idea my hero had a dark past or my heroine wanted to open up her own cooking school until I hash out threads of ideas with my CPs. And once I figure it out, I’m off to the races.

Let’s Get Visual, Visual! Like many people out there, I am a very visual creature. I write foodie romance, and so the grocery store is a hotbed of inspiration for me (I’m reminded of the time I wrote half a scene in the middle of Costco because the banana bunches sparked a whopper of a story idea. Always keep a pen and notebook in your bag, people!) But visual inspiration can come from anywhere. Magazine pictures, people in their cars at stoplights, stories on the news, all of these things have the potential to get a writer’s brain un-blocked.

So tell me, friends! If you’re a fellow writer, what methods do you employ to banish The Block? What works best for your style? And how do you keep those ideas flowing? If you’re a reader, what fresh ideas can you give to those of us in the chair? How do you get motivated in your jobs? In your lives? And what do you want to see in our stories to send us in the right direction?

***Kimberly, thank you so very much for a wonderful post and such fabulous ideas on how to inspire ourselves. Who would ever think that bananas would be inspiring? Then again, there is something about the shape. Well, my dear readers, Kimberly has provided the means, and asked you the questions.

Writers and Readers, how do you get unblocked? How do get motivated in your jobs, and in your lives?  What fresh ideas would you like to see in your favorite authors' stories? 

GIVEAWAY:   One Lucky commenter will win a Kindle copy of LOVE ON THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid, so if you’ve got a Kindle or Kindle app, please leave a comment and valid email address for a chance to read this fabulous, sizzling contemporary romance.

GIVEAWAY PRIZE: LOVE ON THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid

Blurb for LOVE ON THE LINE:

Violet Morgan puts the personal in personal chef, catering to clients who want the full cooking experience rather than a culinary drop-and-dash. But when her brother’s police detective partner is injured in the line of duty and needs help during recovery, she makes an exception. Violet lost her father to the job seven years ago, and worries for her brother’s safety every day. The last thing she wants is to get up-close with her brother’s career-cop partner…again.

For Noah Blackwell, being a detective isn’t just a lifestyle, it’s a legacy. So when he’s forced to take mandatory leave and deal with the trauma amnesia keeping him from identifying his shooter, it’s a literal case of adding insult to injury— and now he’s got to deal with an unwanted culinary caregiver on top of it. Never mind that he and Violet shared a steamy, secret kiss last New Year’s Eve. She rejects everything related to the job, and Noah’s not about to be distracted from recovering his memory and getting back to what he does best. No matter how pretty Violet is.

Despite their differences, Violet and Noah share a surprising bond in the kitchen that grows into something neither of them expect. But as Noah heals and their feelings for each other extend from the kitchen to the bedroom, Violet knows she must make an impossible choice. She may wear her heart on her sleeve when it comes to food, but can she risk it all to put love on the line?

EXCERPT FROM LOVE ON THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid:
As soon as Noah got behind her, the smell of coconuts and warm sand filled his senses, delivering a crystal clear image to his brain. His heart slammed in his ribcage, and without thinking, he cupped Violet’s elbow and swung her around, so tight to his body that he felt her gasp as much as heard it.

“You were in my hospital room yesterday. Before I woke up.”

“I…I—”

But he barreled on, the memory as bright and vivid as if it had just happened a minute ago. “Your hair was braided, on your shoulders, and you were wearing a…a bracelet that sounded like wind chimes. You said the doctor was coming. It was you.”

The fan of her gold-tipped lashes fluttered wide, and the warm puff of her breath heated his cheek as she nodded. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I was looking for Jason, but I didn’t think you’d wake up.”

Noah shook his head to quell her apology. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, his resolve locking into place, and Violet went utterly still against him.

“It doesn’t?”

“No. You’re the first thing I’ve been able to remember since I got shot in the first place. In fact, you’re the only thing I can remember since I got shot.”

GIVEAWAY RULES:

***This Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE with access to Kindle reading, international included. (void where prohibited)

 

***For VALID ENTRY, commenter must leave a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. Remember the Magic Formula for Entry: 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
BUT CHECK MY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR A SPECIAL SHOT AT GETTING YOUR OWN COPY
OF  LOVE ON THE LINE BY KIMBERLY KINCAID.

***This Giveaway will run until 11:30PM EST, Thursday, March 28, 2013 at which time one lucky valid entry will be chosen by randomizer to win a Kindle digital copy of LOVE ON THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid. The winner will be notified by email, and announced in a special Saturday post. Good Luck!

 

Happy Reading Everyone! 

LOVE ON THE LINE, a novella by Kimberly Kincaid, Curtis Brown Digital, available now in Kindle ebook format.