Ideas, or my personal Imagionationland

When I was running my writer's workshop last summer, I got a lot of questions asking where I get my ideas from.  A reasonable question, especially to a writer.

And the honest, 100% completely true answer?  I get them from everywhere.

For me, character usually comes first.  Plot tends to be either one of two things: a) what I wish would happen - a pirate suddenly falling into my bedroom, for example or b) a combination of books and/or movies and/or tv shows but done in the way I want to see it.

No.  I'm not lying.  I take similar concepts, combine them, and write them.  I wouldn't say I'm copying storylines, but I'll definitely admit to borrowing them.  With my own little twist.

Take, for example, one of my popular stories, Battlefield.  

I cannot count how many times a reviewer asked if I based the concept on The Hunger Games.  (This was way before they were huge and turned into movies.)  I can honestly say that no, I wasn't inspired by The Hunger Games at all.  Had never even heard of them.  In fact, the only reason I started reading them in the first place was because my reviewers recommended them to me.

What did I base it on, you might ask?  I took the concept of Gamer and the television series Dark Angel and merged them together.  And I'm proud of the result.

So if you're a writer and you're looking for ideas, don't force it.  Go read a good book or some fan fiction.  Watch TV.  Go to a movie.  Listen to music.  Daydream.  That's how I get my ideas.  And it may be where you get yours.

As always, good luck!

By the way, Battlefield has an official release date.  April 30.  Below is the official summary.

Devyn was not born; she was created, and for a very important purpose: she was born to die. 

Possibly.  

If she made it out of the Battlefield alive with her Unit composed of eight people just like her, she's promised the freedom she had only previously dreamed of.  But in order to do so, she must kill members of other rival Units fighting for the same thing. When you're raised to be a weapon, fighting - killing - is the only thing you know.  At least, that's what Gerard, her breeding partner, constantly tells her.  Just because they were, quite literally, made for each other didn't mean they had to like each other, but they definitely had to trust each other if they wanted to survive.

Want a free ARC?  Subscribe to my newsletter and I'll tell you how.  Send me an email at heather.myers@ymail.com with a subject of Battlefield ARC.

Tempting the Flesh: Official Summary

With Tempting the Flesh coming out August 25, I decided to post the official summary here for you all to read.

He wants nothing more than to sink his teeth into her flesh and turn her into what he was - a vampire. But he can't. And she wants nothing more than to run away from this assignment. But she won't.

Elizabeth Grant is a top-rated assassin at the Nocturnal Defense Society. When she gets an assignment to protect Nikolai Dragulia – next in line to inherit the crown and rule over vampire society – she balks. Being a royal baby-sitter to a mysterious, brooding, arrogant prince is not what she signed up for, but an assignment is an assignment, and she’s a professional. As Lizzie looks deeper into possible suspects and motives, she realizes this is more than just a baby-sitting job but something that, if not resolved, can affect the entire vampire race.

*WARNING: THIS NOVEL HAS HIGHLY SEXUAL GRAPHIC CONTENT

You can preorder Tempting the Flesh for the special price of $0.99 here.

Losing Myself in You: Summary

Hi everyone!

Considering there are only 5 more days until the release of Losing Myself in You, I figured we needed an official summary for the novel!  Here it is, below:

Bridgette Barker, Nocturnal Defense Society agent, is tasked with bringing in Marcus Sterling, Alpha male of the Sterling werewolf pack, on embezzlement charges.  She doesn’t expect to be caught, and is even more surprised when Sterling releases her – but only after he sinks his teeth into her neck to mark her as his.  Now her body is going through a transformation, and she’s drawn even more to Marcus than she ever expected to be – especially since she can’t stand him.  But when she begins having sensual dreams about him that feel nothing but real, how can she possibly resist? 

He left his mark on her, not because he wanted to, but because he couldn't control himself when he was around her. She was his; that was all there was to it, whether he actually liked her or not. Well, they always did say love was blind...

 

And there you have it!  Come back tomorrow for the official book cover reveal!!!!

 

(I'd love to know what you think in the comments!)

Catalyst news

So I know you're all wondering what's up with Catalyst.  Awaken was released about 10 months ago originally, so Catalyst is making good time.  Those who have joined my mailing list were given the opportunity to get a free copy of Catalyst in exchange for an honest review on Amazon.  If you're interested in joining it for upcoming giveaways and contests, feel free to email me at heather.myers@ymail.com with the subject Mailing List, and I'd be happy to add you to it. 

So its release day is Friday.  Yes.  Catalyst will be released for $2.99 on Amazon some time on Friday.  Friday will also be where I reveal the cover it here on this blog.

But that's not it.

In honor of Catalyst's release, Awaken will be FREE the entire Memorial Day Weekend, starting tomorrow.

Awaken = FREE

So download Awaken, purchase Catalyst, read them over the long holiday and please, please, please enjoy!

Below is the summary - feel free to leave your thoughts about it, predictions, guesses, whatever you want, and come back tomorrow for the link to download your free copy of Awaken and Friday for the cover reveal and the link to purchase Catalyst.

Now that Andie Shepherd is interning at Eagle Corp., life should be easier. She doesn't have to deal with gossip, antagonizing receptionists, and her lingering feelings for CEO Jack Phillip. She doesn't regret her decision to walk away, considering she knows that Jack Phillip is Onyx's own resident vigilant whose first priority is protecting the citizens of Onyx, not being in a relationship with a high school junior. When Noir escapes from Underwood Mental Institution, Andie is forced into Jack's path once again. And maybe it's not such a bad thing, what with her new boss illegally funding an act that could be detrimental to Black Wing and her direct supervisor being someone from Andie's past, someone she's still afraid of. On top of all that, Keirah has disappeared once again, but this time, she's not sure if she was taken by force or left willingly. There are no coincidences in Onyx, not with a war brewing, and Andie doesn't realize it but she's right in the middle of it all.

Play On

Here's the second novel published just last night - a new adult mystery centered around a hockey team and the death of its owner.  Below is the beautiful cover, the summer, and the link where you can purchase it - for only $1.99 on Amazon!

Play On - After she finds her grandfather’s dead body in his office, Seraphina Hanson, a twenty-three year old college graduate, inherits the Newport Beach Seagulls, a hockey team she knows absolutely nothing about. Even though she’d rather be spending the rest of her summer eating macaroni and cheese and watching Law and Order: SVU reruns, Seraphina decides to take on the responsibility of owning and running the team on top of dealing with her grandfather’s untimely death. When the police start to suspect the Gulls’ star goaltender, a man Seraphina believes is innocent, she is determined to solve her grandfather’s murder herself.

Swimming in Rain

Hi everyone!

I have just published Swimming in Rain on Amazon.  Below is the very beautiful cover, summary, and the link where you can purchase it - for only $0.99!

Swimming in Rain -In a modern re-telling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, twenty-one year old Ronnie Austen and her older sister T are in the market for a roommate due to the increase in rent. When Hannah McFadden walks in the door for an interview, she is a dream come true: she comes from a wealthy family, she goes to the same Southern California university, and she loves Joel McHale nearly as much as Ronnie does. When Hannah invites Ronnie and Taylor to a Christmas party in Los Angeles her brother’s friend is throwing, they jump at the chance to meet new people, including Hannah’s older brother Aiden. Just because he’s attractive and has an English accent doesn’t mean Ronnie likes him; he’s brooding, arrogant, and on top of that, goes to UCLA Law School. The two don’t exactly hit it off, but because Hannah is Ronnie’s roommate and because Taylor has fallen hard for Aiden’s close friend Stephen, they are forced to socialize whether they like it or not. As they slowly start to get closer, George Thatcher, an old school acquaintance of Aiden’s enters the picture and does something that could potentially ruin any chance Ronnie has with Aiden, especially if Aiden’s influential Aunt Judy Solomon has anything to do with it. But that’s only if Ronnie and Aiden can overcome their respective pride and admit to having feelings for each other in the first place.

Corsets & Crossbones summary and book cover reveal

I've been waiting almost six years for this.  I was 18 when I wrote this book.  Eventually, I published it on FictionPress under the name The Dead Man's Tale, and people followed it, reviewed it, liked it.  But I knew I had to redo it if I wanted it to be published.  For real.  So I worked hard, changed the title, and can say with pride that it's finished and ready.

As always, thank you for your support.  Thanks to my editor and book cover designer, Renee.  Tell me what you think!

 

At twenty years old, Brooke Cunningham should already be married to a wealthy older man of means, position, and power.  Instead, she's refusing rouge and powder, sassing potential suitors, and staring out her window at the sea, wishing for something more.  Enter Captain Charlie Colt, a branded pirate with charm dripping from his lips the way rubies drip from Brooke's earrings.  Charlie seeks revenge on those who forced him into this life of crime and Brooke wants to escape from a life she has labeled as mundane.  When Brooke finds an old treasure map, Charlie recognizes its value, and they set off on an adventure in order to acquire it.  But they aren't the only ones in search of the treasure. If they aren't careful, Brooke and Charlie could face the bottom of the sea, if the gallows don't claim them first.

If you're interested in getting a free copy, please send me an email with the subject C&C FREE COPY with a promise to review it on Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Goodreads, etc. and a link of a review you left for either FOUR SIDES OF A TRIANGLE and/or AWAKEN.  If you haven't reviewed either book but still want a copy of C&C, leave a review (links below) and send me the link to it, and I'll be happy to get you one right away.

AWAKEN on Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Goodreads
FOUR SIDES OF A TRIANGLE on Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Goodreads

Summaries, or What is this book about?

After conferring with Renee, Four Sides of a Triangle has it's official summary:

Twenty-three year old Madeline Perkins loves helping her friends find their one true love. As a personal assistant to Robert Swift, a billionaire CEO and self-proclaimed bachelor-for-life, she doesn't get much time to go on dates herself. Instead, she lives vicariously through her only successfully matched couple. When Robert hires Jewel Baker to help Madeline with the company's increasingly busy schedule, Madeline sets her sights on the girl as her new project and has the perfect man in mind! Her plans start to crumble when the guy turns out to be a jerk and Jewel starts falling for the last man Madeline believes is capable of ever falling in love - Robert Swift himself. Madeline is forced to reevaluate not only the entire matchmaking process, but her feelings for her playboy boss. If she isn't honest with him or herself, she may be too late to find her own true love. A modern re-telling of Jane Austen's Emma set in the corporate world.

I showed it to my boyfriend, and he said he liked this summary (after reading the original one before this one).  It's clear, concise, with a bit of flirty questions sprinkled in.  I hope it inspires anticipation for the novel, because it's coming out soon!

Like, really soon.

Look out for a book cover release, a first chapter release, the release date, and finally, the book itself1