This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Or am I a panster? Put my characters on the page and let them run nilly willy through the storyline doing anything they like. Let them take control and herd them like cats to the finish line.

The truth is that I’m somewhere in between. Long before I put a word on the page, I’m daydreaming about my story. Anything may have inspired me: lyrics to a song that touched me, someone’s eyes, a laugh heard across the room. A line from a movie or a flower or sunset. What ever it was, it set my imagination off and running. I begin with my characters. Who would be in this scene or feel this emotion or enjoy this sunset? Who are they with? Who would not want them to find happiness?

I muse on these characters, expanding from this initial scene. How did they get here? Where are they going? What do I want this story to be about? I write in many genres: erotic romance, paranormal, fantasy, crime, psychological thriller. What would be the best storyline for these characters? What would be the best way to tell their story?

I ponder these questions for a day or a week, trying out different ideas as I go about my regular day. And then suddenly it comes to me. I have the perfect plot for them. By this time most of the characters have introduced themselves to me, their backstory, names, etc. I’ll have a rough idea of the beginning, middle, and ending, and also the pivotal scene, the one that brings meaning to the whole thing.

At this point I’ll start to write, and probably spend more time writing the first few paragraphs then the whole rest of the book put together. These paragraphs are crucial as they set the tone for the remainder of the story. And that opening scene is probably the one I rewrite the most. If I don’t catch a reader straight off the bat, they’ll probably put the book down and move on to the next one that catches their interest.

Once I have the opening scene down (and yes, I’ve actually thrown the whole first chapter of a story away, once the story was completed. It happens) I write the story in a linear way. Each scene builds on the one before it. I’ve never been able to skip and scene and go back to it later. No, not even a sexy times scene. And once I start writing, I try not to think of the story too much when I’m busy with other things. There’ve been times when I find the perfect words while at work, but once I’m at the computer they’re gone or I don’t write the scene as well.

Once the story is completed I’ll read through it two or three times, fine tuning and finding all the mistakes I can before I send it out to seek its fortune.

Thanks for stopping in! I’m curious, what kind of writer are you?

Luka makes a desperate wish and the earth shifts to his will. Regretting it immediately, he tries to undue the sorcery, but it is too late. He asked for hope, and to his horror, all the hope in the world is given into his keeping. He desires nothing more than to return this gift to the world.

Aethan wants to get his hands on the Well of Hope in Luka’s keeping. If he can ransom out hope to others at his whim, the world will be at his feet. Where it belongs.

With the aid of his lover, Rhys, Luka stays one step ahead of Aethan. But Rhys has his own enemy in Aethan, his estranged father.

Rescued by Luka, his sweet, gentle witch, Rhys now stands with him against Aethan. They have vowed to return the Well of Hope to the earth despite all odds, or die trying. For what is life worth, for anyone, without hope?

Enjoy an Excerpt

He missed his lover, though he’d been the one to send him away. Luka had wanted him to find a better life than he could offer, a solitary witch bartering his potions. And he had wanted Rhys safe from his enemies. But he may as well have cut out his own heart when Rhys had left.

Luka sipped his tea, enjoyed its comfort, then heat flushed his skin as he recalled his dream last night, the feel of Rhys in his bed. Rhys had been tender and passionate and welcoming. Luka had cried in his arms, overwhelmed with the joy of it. Had wept again on waking to find himself alone on the hearth, Rhys across the room, reading a book in the morning light spilling through a window, as far away as the years that had separated them.

A bird fluttered past, calling his attention, and Luka’s spirit flew with it, soaring into the sky. The rush of air exhilarated him, and he dropped with a smile back into his body. After hastily setting aside his tea, he pulled a crystal from a pocket and held it up to the faint winter sunlight. He marveled at the earth reflected in glass. Focusing his gaze, his essence slipped easily into the encapsulated world and flew along the pathways, flitting between trees and brush. He scampered with a family of squirrels along a branch, leaping with wild glee from limb to limb.

About the Author:Dianne is the author of m/m romance, paranormal suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. She lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

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