Title: Holding Out For Skye
Published On: Feb 6 2013
Publisher: AuthorHouse Genres: Contemporary Romance
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SYNOPSIS
Things are finally starting to look up for Skye Fletcher. She’s got a new job with a great salary, she’s finally out of the rat-trap she used to live in and into a decent apartment. She couldn’t be happier. Except for the thorn in her side, a.k.a. Cian Hunter, her arrogant and too good-looking co-worker whom she has the misfortune of being stuck with.
In spite of himself, Cian Hunter fell hard for the surly, unfriendly woman who made no secret of her dislike for him. He knows he and Skye are meant to be. Convincing her of that fact seems like an impossible feat. However, he’s utterly confident he’s up to the task. His future and his happiness depend on it, after all.
When Skye’s one impulsive, uncharacteristic little act changes the status-quo between them, her life gets entangled with Cian’s way more than she’s comfortable with.
That’s when her life really turns upside down…
S.R. McKade has always made up stories in her mind ever since she was a child. She has her own world, where her characters live and breathe. She loves reading and will try practically any genre in either fiction or non-fiction, though she has a soft spot for funny romances and paranormal. Addicted to chocolate, she needs a constant fix to feel human. She firmly believes that being able to spin a story, the effort and love that goes into it, is a miracle in itself.
1. Why did you decide to become a writer?
Well, it was either that or get sent to the loony bin with all those voices clamoring for attention in my head, lol. All those people and their troubles and their happy moments, their lives insisting to be heard, to be written. My mind was never a lonely place. It was constantly buzzing, with all these images flashing through, all the thousands of emotions I experienced through my characters. For as long as I can remember, I’ve made up stories in my head. Stories that felt so wonderful to me that I wanted to share the joy I felt from them with others.
2. Who/what are your writing inspirations?
Books have always been my haven, my sanctuary – the places I could go to when my reality seemed dark. The hundreds of authors whose stories have touched me in some way or other were my inspiration. They filled me with a longing to create a world of my own. Some of them are Sharon Sala, Christine Feehan, J.K. Rowling, Kay Hooper, Linda Howard, Meg Cabot, Jude Deveraux, L.J. Smith, J.D. Robb / Nora Roberts, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christopher Pike, Dean Koontz, Kaye Umansky.
3. What are your favorite genres to read?
I have a soft spot for paranormal and contemporary romance, be it Young Adult or Adult with a bite of sarcasm, fun and comedy. I also love reading manga. In fact, people who know me will probably tell you I’m an unorthodox reader. I read whatever grabs my attention. I also love funny middle grade stories – one of my favorite authors is Kaye Umansky who wrote the Pongwiffy series – a set of stories that makes you laugh out loud.
4. What do you hope readers take away most from your writing?
I have the simple wish that maybe my stories will help others as they helped me, by giving them a place to go to when their world seems dark, a little hope when life seems hard, a little fun and laughter to make them feel better.
5. Who’s the favorite character of yours that you’ve written and why?
Wow, I have more than one but my two most favorite would have to be Skye and Cian. I love Skye’s prickly sarcastic attitude and her soft heart, her loyalty to the people she counts as her friends, the people she cares about. I have a strong belief in true friendship, in loyalty. I love Cian’s strong character, a perfect match for Skye’s, his ability to love so deeply, his sense of fun, his habit of teasing Skye. I love how they are together.
6. What is your writing style? Outliner/Planner or Seat of the Pantser?
Can I say both? When I write, I visualize the story in my head. I can’t write without seeing the story, which can be a snag sometimes. So I often work it out in my head first. I usually know the beginning and how the story will end but have to plot the middle. As I write, sometimes the ending can change and scenes I never planned beforehand just come to me. At times I make an outline and other times when I hit a snag, I fly blind, lol. I mean, I keep going, try different scenarios until one feels right.
7. If someone wanted to become a writer, what tips would you give them.
Develop a good writing language – for example, for the English language – rack up your vocabulary, learn idioms, words that speak to you. Read a lot, read as many books as you can, read the dictionary. Keep a daily journal if you can. Writing your thoughts every day helps – because it forces you to put words to images, to actions happening in your life, to faces, to mannerism, behavior, to emotions. It’s excellent practice.
Read books on writing a novel – there are a lot out there, for example Jack M Bickham’s book on Setting was one of the books I used for my research. They will help a lot in developing your craft. You don’t have to read many, choose some and take a little bit from each. You’ll know when you read them what part will work for you. Take writing courses if you can – there are a lot of free online courses on writing that teach you plenty of stuff on writing or research on it. There are plenty of articles these days that teach how to write a story.
Do a lot of research on whatever subject or issue you are planning to write – research on places, customs, jobs that will figure in your book. For paranormal, be sure to research on myths and supernatural subjects.
Read a lot of books in the genre you are interested to write in. You can learn a lot and can culture your own style.
Daydream. I have a tendency to daydream. It’s an awesome technique to visualize your story in your mind.
But most of all, keep writing. Don’t give up. Don’t give up in face of rejections, or self-doubt. Keep believing in yourself, in your stories. Your stories are special, so don’t give up on them.
