Monthly Archives: March 2017

What inspires you?

Young woman sitting under a blossom tree reads a book in a beautiful sunny day

In every field there is probably a list of generic questions a person gets asked when the topic of discussion is that person’s career.

For a writer, one typical question: What inspires you? I suspect the answer to that question may change as a writer’s career evolves.

In the beginning, the writer might cite another author as the source of inspiration.

For an author who has made a commercial success and is currently making a great deal of money, the true answer might be, money.

For me, at this stage of my career, the answer is obvious. My source of inspiration? My readers. Without them, I simply could not continue—at least, not in the Haunting Danielle series.

If no one wanted to read what I write, it doesn’t mean I would stop writing. But it would mean writing as my career would be over. Obviously, one cannot make a living if no one wants to buy one’s product. But when I say inspiration, I am speaking of something a little deeper.

Inspiration motivates me to keep going. I learned early on, there will always be readers who insist I can’t write and find my stories and characters boring.  But that’s okay—they are not my readers. My readers are the ones who anxiously wait for the next story and express their love for my characters.  Each time I read a review from a reader who truly loved one of my stories, I want to give them something better the next time. I want to up my game and not disappoint them.

Of course, that is not always possible. Even amongst my readers, they will not all agree on each book in the series. But as long as the majority of my readers are satisfied, I know I am going in the right direction.

Speaking of direction—I am moving in a new one with the Haunting Danielle series. I’m a little nervous, but it’s where I want to go—where the story is taking me. It won’t get there in the next few books—but it is heading there.

Please take the Haunting Danielle Survey!

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When the Haunting Danielle series first started—almost three years ago—reviews on those first couple books were from readers who weren’t necessarily familiar with the series. So if the reader/reviewer didn’t care for the series, chances are he or she would stop reading.

Although, strangely enough, I do recall one reviewer who kept reading the series—loathing each book, yet insisting she was unable to stop mid-series, and so she had to keep reading. I felt a little guilty, as if I was in some way holding the poor thing hostage. I was so tempted to send her a note, and tell her, “Please stop reading! Because the series is not ending in the foreseeable future.”

Once into a series, most readers (at least most readers who aren’t masochist) generally like the series, and that’s why they keep reading.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they will like every book. Nor does it mean all the readers of the series will feel the same about each book. Some will love a certain book—some will hate it—and some will just think, meh.

So I decided to poll my readers and ask: Which book was your favorite—and which was your least favorite? I’ve also included a comment section under each question, so readers can tell me why they felt that way.

Since not every reader of the series has read all 12 books currently available, I start the survey off with a checklist of the books—so if you are taking the survey, please check the books you have already read. This will help put into perspective books that come up as favorites or least favorites, because it’s not possible to give an accurate impression of a book you haven’t yet read.

So here is the survey! Just click on the link! It’s painless, I promise!

TAKE THE SURVEY