I was invited by Natalie Damschroder to do a Writing Process blog tour. It’s an international hop to showcase different authors and what they do. Natalie blogged about her process last week. I’m doing the tour this week with two of my friends – Misty Simon and Victoria Smith. Next week will be the ones I list below.

Here are my answers to the tour questions:
1. What am I working on? Right now, I’m working on the sequel to The Emerald Key. It will be called The Ruby Key and is the second book in the series. Though each book can be read alone, reading them all gives you the complete overall arc.

I’m also working on the next story in my futuristic series coming this summer from Ellora’s Cave Blush. Don’t let the EC label scare you off. I write for their Blush line which is the non-erotic side of the house.

2. How does my work differ from others of the genre? I have been told that I am an amazing world builder. I build my worlds first, then I add characters instead of the other way around. That way, there is a solid background for them to work in. Whether it’s today’s world (with paranormal elements) or a distant universe, there is depth that many futuristic and paranormal romances lack.

3. Why do I write what I do? Because I love the endless possibilities that are available in fantasy, science fiction and paranormal writing. I’ve always been fascinated by these types of tales and there’s no limit to what can be imagined.

4. How does your writing process work? For me, it starts with a “what if” question. I ask the questions – for instance, for my Crystal Keys series – what if Atlantis and Lemuria really existed and their people had magic? What if they didn’t like what they were seeing in the world and “shifted” their lands to other planes of existence? What if there were doorways to those lands – who would control the passages?

And so on. I ask the questions, then I do the “research” and find the answers. Since I worked on a paper for a while, I often “interview” my characters and ask them what happened. Yeah, I know, it sounds silly, but the answers I come up with get me started on the story and get it moving.

Unfortunately, because of the day job, I don’t get to write as much as I’d like, but I jot and make notes when I can and, eventually, it all works out.

Be sure to check out these authors next week:
Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with Ellora’s Cave, Midnight Books and Punk & Sissy Publications. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it into her characters. You can find her at her website: http://www.charityparkerson.com or her blog: http://charity-thesinners.blogspot.com

D.R. Grady  loves gadgets, books, plants, shoes and writing stories that resonate with others. You can generally find her in her “office”, a chair in the living room, hopefully writing, but sometimes playing Angry Birds or reading. You can find her at: http://drgrady.wordpress.com