Where Do Those Ideas Come From?

First I want to thank my hostess for allowing me a day to post on her blog. It was a lucky day when I met Miz Anna Kathryn. She's become a great friend and confidante. So...on to the topic at hand:

I know when I was purely a reader, I often wondered where authors got the ideas that fueled their stories. Now as a writer, I realize that almost every book I've written has a bit of my own life experience somewhere. It doesn't have to be a big chunk of the plot, or anything that stands out, but I think we all tend to find something to which we can relate. Whether it be an old boyfriend and the feelings he conjured up with that first kiss or a bad memory, having our hero or heroine reenact that scene gives the author a chance to perhaps deal with it in a different way, or just re-live the excitement. It might even be someone's fantasy you're reading. :)

Embezzled Love is my latest release, and sadly the whole book is based on a true-life experience. I wrote the book as a testament to my sister's strength but also as a warning to people who use the Internet as a means of finding their soul-mate. Just like everything else, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This was not a story of success, trust me, but it did provide fodder for a very interesting and unusual story that already garnered a fabulous review--from my SON! He never reads romance, nor does he call often. He phoned the other day specifically to tell me how much he enjoyed it and what a wonderful author he thinks I am. I can only equate that with receiving as Oscar! Wow. Talk about surprised.

So, since I have the whole day here, I'm going to drop in a few times and share some of my questionable wisdom with you. At the end of the day, I shall draw a name from the people who leave comments and present a free PDF copy of any one of my available books to the winner. I hear a grandson rattling around up stairs, so before he does too much damage, I'm off to check. Be back soon.