Romance Author Hotspot

Meet Starla Kaye! We’re vacationing with her muse today!

As a writer, everywhere I go my muse is with me. When I go to sleep at night, “she” often awakens me and forces me out of a warm bed and to my laptop. She is determined that I write down epiphany thoughts she has come up with on a story problem I’ve been mulling over. When I sit at a computer working on one story or another, she sometimes invades that creative time with a tidbit or two about another story idea or solution to a problem in another story. The list of my muse’s sometimes inconvenient interruptions into my life could go on and on.

I like to travel and get away from everything…okay, I take all of my electronics with me (iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Nook, and laptop). But I try not to isolate myself in a hotel room or coffee shop and read or work on my laptop too much.  I can’t go “cold turkey,” though. I just can’t. And my muse travels with me, sneaky little devil girl. She likes to take in the world around me wherever I am and absorb those possible setting and character details for a later date. She did that during my visits to the Caribbean in past years and she hoarded those memories until just the right moment, the right story. My latest release from Decadent Publishing’s 1 Night Stand series, Starting Over, took place in a resort in the Caribbean. My muse was thrilled to remind me of the things I’d seen and how it felt to be there. She helps me add all those fun little setting details that can help bring a story to life.

Right now as I write this blog, I’m in Kauai at a beautiful beach resort. My muse has been snatching up all kinds of setting details: the sound of the waves rolling onto the beach, the feel of the humidity at times or the light rain or the wonderfully breezy mornings, the feel of the sand beneath my toes as I stroll on the beach, the taste of the fruity drinks I love so much, and all of the many beautiful sights. And my muse has helped me flesh out a new novel that I’m planning to set here.

A muse can be a very helpful companion at times. Mine can also be an annoyance when I really want to sleep through an entire night without thinking about a story.

Chat it up! One lucky commenter will win a copy of Starting Over!

BLURB:

A virgin gay man, Corbin is ready to ease into his new lifestyle, still, making the move scares him shitless. He’s spent years fantasizing about embracing his true self, but what possessed him to agree to a 1 NightStand? As he nears the long, lean man with shaggy, graying hair, a hard on pushing at the front of his swim trunks, and a sexy-as-hell grin, the dreams pale in comparison, and easing in takes on a whole new meaning.

Though tired of being lonely, Matt considers changing his mind about the one-night arrangement until a tall, well-built man strolls across the pool area toward him, then all thoughts of leaving flee. Those broad shoulders, the amazing pecs, the spattering of dark hair on his chest…all of it calls to Matt. He wants to touch it, play with it. He forces himself to calm down. Matt will be his date’s first male lover, and he intends to find the inner strength to take his time.

Intense physical attraction and Madame Eve’s magic ignite a sexual fire, but will it be enough for two men starting over?

While searching my brain for a new blog topic idea to chat about today, I looked back through my past book covers trying to kick-start something interesting. I decided maybe you would be interested in the places each of my books is set and why I chose them.

When I read novels, I love the author’s words and how they use them to enable me to visualize the place of their imagination. But I also wonder, if like me, they use real places and pictures as inspiration and then their muse takes over or adjust the setting as and when the story needs it.

As I am in the UK and the majority of my readers are in the US, I really enjoy describing the settings of my stories although I am all too aware of how easily the description can overtake the all-important action. I hope my few words are enough to ground the reader in the setting and the atmosphere supports what is going on in the ‘meat’ of the story.

All of my books are set in fictional towns or cities. However, each one is a real place in South West England when I started out. I thought it would be fun to show you the picture I had on my wall as inspiration when I was writing the last three of my books. I would show you all of them but I think Clarissa might not appreciate me taking up that much space, lol! (NO! Clarissa loves pictures!)

The Arrival of Lily Curtis – Victorian romance available from The Wild Rose Press

This is the fictional home of the hero, Lord Westrop where most of the book takes place and where I was having tea with my mother when inspiration struck. Beautiful, isn’t it? It is a stately home, now converted to a luxury health spa and tea-room.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4124\

Getting It Right This Time – Contemporary romance available from Lyrical Press

This is the fictional city of Foxton that is the hometown of the hero and heroine in the book. It is a bustling city full of life, hotels and nightlife. The hero is a theatrical agent who needs to be in the center of what is hip and happening. This is a city that never sleeps.

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=296

Paying The Piper – my latest release, a contemporary romance available from Lyrical Press

The town I had in mind for this book was actually the first time I used the town where I live.  Although I live in what is considered a small market town, the town center itself was perfect for what I wanted to portray with this book. Even though the heroine owns a nightclub, the town is not huge and so everyone knows her family name. I needed that nightlife feeling but enough intimacy that everyone is in everyone’s business.

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=424

Paying The Piper blurb – available September 19^th.

Nightclub manager Grace Butler is on a mission to buy the pub where her

mother’s ashes are scattered but the owner wants to sell to anyone but her. And that owner happens to be her father…who has a secret she

will do anything to discover.

Social worker and all around good guy Jimmy Betts needs funds to buy a house

for three special kids before their care home closes. Time is running out

and he’s desperate for cash. He agrees to to a one-time ‘job’ for bad-man

Karl Butler. But in a sudden turn of events, Jimmy finds himself employed by

Karl’s beautiful, funny and incredibly sexy daughter, Grace. Their lives

couldn’t be more different, yet one thread binds them: they’re both trying

to escape the bonds of their fathers. Maybe the only way they’ll be free is

by being together, instead of alone.

Hope you enjoyed seeing where my books are set and why – For all the writer visiting me today I’d love to hear your stories of how you choose your settings. It’s not easy coming up with a different place for each book but browsing through the Google images certainly starts the brain cells buzzing…