Guest blog with Steph Haefner on Inspiration and Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop

I had the pleasure of meeting Steph at The Write Stuff conference two years ago. She's great fun and an awesome writer so when she was looking for blog tour hosts for her latest story, I offered my blog up. Take it away, Steph!

Inspiration

I think all artists need inspiration. Whether they be painters, sculpters, musicians....and, of course, writers.

Yes, there are times when an idea just springs up from out of no where, and that's fantastic. That's happened to me several times. We'd be driving around town and a random billboard ad will spark my brain. I usually have to write those ideas down right away or they'll be lost forever!

But many story ideas come from my personal emotions and incidents from my past, both good and bad. I write mainly romance, and without some form of inspiration, I don't think I could write it....or at least not write it well! It would be like me trying to write a story about climbing Mount Everest. I've never done it...will never do it. There's no way I could write a story about it and have it be even remotely believable.

But romantic stories....oh yeah! I've got lots of inspiration! And not only for the sexy sensual scenes, but the tenseness and longing...the heartbreak, too.

My newest release, Soap Dreams, is about a woman who isn't really happy with her current life, still not over the heartache she'd endured a decade earlier.

Blurb:

It’s never too late to start over.

Robyn Miller is perfectly happy in her immaculate home, playing stay-at-home mom and devoted wife. That is, until she's channel surfing one day and sees her high school sweetheart Derek, acting in a lead role in her favorite old soap. Watching Derek's show becomes her secret pleasure...and brings back memories best forgotten. When Derek's mother throws him a big celebration in town, Robyn tries to avoid seeing him, but ends up in his arms for a dance.

Derek has finally hit the big-time, but he hasn't found happiness. He regrets losing Robyn, and his show's ratings are falling. He longs to get her back in his life--both personally, and as a writer on the show. Those love scenes she used to dream up were Emmy material. Knowing her marriage is a sham, can he convince her to follow her dreams and give the show--and him--a shot?

Now, this is not to say I am unhappy with my life! Lol! But the inspiration did come from a time when I was reminiscing about the past. I think our past can sometimes play a big role in the actions we take in our current life...the what ifs can haunt us...or make for great story ideas!

Wherever your inspiration comes from, use it for all its worth!

Thank you Nicole for having me today!!! All commenters will be entered into a drawing to win a fabulous Grand Prize at the end of my Blog Tour! The winner will receive a signed copy of A Bitch Named Karma (US only...sorry!), and digital copies of both Paradise Cove and Soap Dreams! I'd love it if you left your email address! It would help me a lot!!

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And the Midsummer's Eve Giveaway!

Thank you I Am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting this blog hop!

My prize?

A $10.00 Amazon giftcard!

To enter, you must be a follower and leave a comment. +1

For additional entries:

Follow me on twitter +1

Spread the word (through your blog, FB, or twitter) +1 for each, leave a link in a comment

Like me on facebook +1

Click on my Champion of Valor blog tour page. Each comment that you leave along the blog tour is +10

If you aren't sure what book to buy, why not pick up Steph's Soap Dreams or one of her other works?

Oh and before I forget, click here for the full list of participating bloggers on the hop.