Home of the works by KM Smith
She’s the heroine of this story. Somewhat naive, but brave all the same. She gets herself into trouble and always finds her way out.
Something big is heading her way…will she survive?
Will she ever be the same if she does?
Read Turning Point to find out!
Today, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite authors: Anne Rice.
The featured image was first used in a post about how I came to be in possession of the books shown. Click here to read it.
When I was 20 or so, a friend of mine lent me her copy of Interview with the Vampire. I devoured it. I couldn’t get enough of Louis and Claudia. Even Lestat, bad guy that he was, got under my skin and found a permanent place in my heart. I had never read anything like it. And to find out there was a series and a whole universe of the sexy, mysterious, melancholic vampires out there. I needed to know more, to read more, about them.
Over the years, I’ve read several other vampire authors, and don’t get me wrong, I love finding a new series or a new author, but I can never forget the influence that Anne Rice has had on me and on my writing.
Who are your influences? Or, do you find yourself gravitating toward the same person, writing style, genre? Leave me a comment and let me know.
In fiction writing, there are typically two kinds of authors: planners and pantsers. Oftentimes, we fall into both categories, but lean one way or the other. I’m generally a pantser.
Pantsers are authors who ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ They don’t plan much about the story’s direction, if they plan at all. I like to come up with a general idea and then see where the characters and my whims take me.
I am pleased to announce…I have an idea!
* * * shhh, shhh, I can’t hear over all the clapping and cheering * * *
More importantly, I have an idea of the direction of Book 2. No working title yet.
I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ll tell you this: Alice is a badass.
To hold you over until Book 2 is ready, why not buy Turning Point on Amazon now?
Well, my first-ever Kindle Countdown Sale is over. Whew. Well done, everyone!
Thank you for all the likes, shares, comments and purchases you made over the last seven days. Every engagement supports an independent author (that’s me!) and encourages us to continue to follow our passion.
If you missed it, you can still buy Turning Point on Amazon, you just won’t get the shiny discount.
When I write, I like to write about what I know. You’ll (probably) never see me write a detailed and biologically accurate medical drama or a sci-fi novel about absolute reality versus perceived reality (case in point – I struggled with whether to call it “objective reality” or “absolute reality” and started going down a rabbit hole of philosophy sites. I’m definitely not ready to write about any of that).
That said, I am ready to write about places I know. I’ve traveled to and lived in several cities and countries, many of which have left their mark on me. One way to honor those places and their meaning is to incorporate them into my writing. In my opinion. writing from the heart makes one’s writing feel warmer and more authentic – even when the topic is vampires.
Thus, Turning Point is set in places I know and have experienced.
Here are some photographic highlights of prominent story locations:
The book is mainly set on the campus of Albion College in (not surprisingly) Albion, Michigan. I attended Albion College for two years after I graduated from high school. I met some of my closest friends there, and it has always held a strong place in my heart.
Various scenes also take place in Manhattan:
Both of those particular locations feature in my novel. They hold significance for me because the NYU area and West 4th Street were old haunts of ours when we lived in Manhattan. Steve and I would often wander down there on a weekend afternoon or head down that way for a night out. The nostalgia is strong…
So, there you have it. A glimpse into where some of my ideas come from.
Enjoy!
*The photos are from my personal collection. Taken by me and Steve (and maybe Sven).
She Writes 