posted on March 24, 2016 by Lauren Linwood

Dealing with the Dueling Voices in My Head

by Lauren Linwood

Illusions of Death largeWriters are an odd group. We definitely march not to a drummer but traipse along with the voices rattling around in our heads.

I walk five miles a day and get some of my best plotting done then—but I’m sure when joggers or bikers pass me, they have to wonder about me since I’m usually muttering under my breath. I love to test out dialogue or toss out ideas and then negate them or improve on them. I have passed people on the sidewalk, smiled and waved at them, yet it didn’t register with me because I was far, far away with knights of old or sheriffs in a small western town or pursing a serial killer.

If people scrolled through my computer’s search history, they’d probably hit a panic button and want me arrested. Besides finding sites for medieval customs or undergarments worn by post-Civil War women, they’d also see research on psychopaths vs. sociopaths and various ways to kill people.

Yes, writers can be strange!

We writers do hear voices in our heads. When I have an upcoming scene to write, I start hearing phrases from my hero and heroine, wanting to jump the gun and put their two cents in before I start typing away at their dialogue on my computer.

What I’ve really had to handle lately is juggling different sub-genres in my head. I started out writing historical romance, balancing medievals with westerns. Then an idea came for a romantic suspense. Lipstick Larry would not hush up until I started writing Leave Yesterday Behind. After that first romantic suspense novel, I returned to writing my beloved historicals.

And the noise only got louder in my head. From another, even more twisted, killer.

So in March, you’ll see Illusions of Death come out, my second romantic suspense effort. The Rainbow Serial Killer (aka Roy G. Biv) thinks he’s smarter than anyone on the planet—until he comes up against crime writer Karlyn Campbell and small town detective Logan Warner.

I’ve enjoyed throwing the occasional suspense book into the mix, but wouldn’t you know it? The medieval people start demanding more time!

After nine standalones, they got their way—and I kick off my first series in April. The Knights of Valor begins with Geoffrey de Montfort’s story in Word of Honor. He meets his match with the lovely and intelligent Merryn Mantel. I came to adore this couple, and the terrific thing with a series is that Geoffrey and Merryn will be seen in the five romances that follow. Sometimes they’ll play a small role, while other times they’ll be “on screen” for more of the action. These two will get to see other grand romances play out, as I bring new heroes and heroines together.

Though it can become confusing at times, I’ve enjoyed getting to write in various sub-genres of romance. Wait . . . is that an idea for a western series starting to take shape in my brain? And I’ve just written my third romantic suspense, so . . . could I turn that book into a series?

I’ll let the voices dueling for attention in my head lead the way!

You can purchase Illusions of Death exclusively at Amazon, while Word of Honor is now on pre-order at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Happy reading—no matter what romance you pick up!

Lauren Linwood

Lauren Linwood

Lauren Linwood's historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her romantic suspense novels feature strong heroes and heroines who unite to defeat a clever antagonist and discover a deep, abiding love during their journey. A native Texan, Lauren is an avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan who manages stress by alternating yoga with long walks. She plans to start a support group for Fixer Upper addicts---as soon as she finishes her next piece of dark chocolate. Lauren also writes the medieval romance series The Knights of Honor as Alexa Aston for Dragonblade Publishing.

https://alexaaston.com

2 thoughts on “Dealing with the Dueling Voices in My Head”

  1. Great article, Lauren! As a writer of multiple genres (non-fiction articles/essays, memoir, flash fiction, poetry), I can totally relate to the struggle for genre attention. As well, my stories tend to demand attention in the most inconvenient places and times. Thanks for posting!

  2. Thanks for stopping by, Jody. You sound like you need to clone yourself with how busy you are!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest from our Blog

Mahoney & Squire – Military Women’s Fiction – Meet The Characters

Have you met the men and women of Mahoney & Squire, my high-stakes, high-octane military action adventure series? Let me introduce you! Captain Kathryn “Kate” Mahoney, USN Call Sign “Scarlett” Ambitious, strong-willed, patriotic, and assertive, Kate Mahoney is often derided as a “bitch” by the old school naval aviation community. She struggled through dysfunctional relationships,… Read More

Read More