My Writing Process Blog Tour March 31,
2014
First,
I would like to thank my wonderful author friend, John R. Lindermuth, for
giving me the opportunity to post about my writing journey. John is the author
of several novels including seven in the Sticks Hendrick mystery series which I
loved. He is a retired newspaper/editor/writer and now librarian of his
county’s historical society. Check him out at:
http://www.jrlindermuth.blogspot.com
What am I working on?
Good
question! My writing life isn’t simple or straightforward. It is as colorful as
my last name, Peacock. My genres vary from mysteries, non-fiction to science
fiction.
Where
do I begin? My cookbook, History Lover’s
Cookbook, has been a top 100 paid Best Seller on Kindle most of 2013-14. It
has over 150 full-color photos which are creating havoc on getting the pdf file
for print to have the same quality color as the eBook. I have viewed two
CreateSpace proofs which the photos came out either blackened or neon orange.
Currently, I have two wonderful computer specialists not only creating my new
pdf file but making me a special template for future cookbooks. Speaking of
future cookbooks, I hope to have Smokin’
Good Eats and Cooking to Live
available sometime this summer. Cooking
to Live is about my journey to lose 100 pounds by eating healthy cooking. Smokin’ Good Eats is just that. My
husband and I have three smokers and are cooking everything lip smakin’ and
cracklin’.
My
mystery, Fatal Catch, is in the
process of becoming an audiobook. I had an offer from a fabulous narrator which
fits my protagonist perfectly. We hope to sign a contract shortly. And then
there is my newest venture, science fiction. I absolutely despised all things
science fiction growing up. But today there are so many wonderful, new authors
on the subject, I gently falling in love with this genre. My favorite book I
have read so far is Mila 2.0.
How does my work differ from others of
its genre?
We
will do the mystery genre for this question. Fatal Catch is in first person, thirteen-year-old female
protagonist with a slight hint of a southern drawl set in the 1960’s. Most
mysteries are written in the twenty-first century, present day.
Why do I write what I do?
For
torture! With that said, we will do mystery genre, Fatal Catch, again. Fatal
Catch is dear to my heart. I grew up in the 1960’s in Grand Detour,
Illinois along the beautiful Rock River. My home resembled John Deere’s home so
tourists were always stopping at our house. The original John Deere home is now
a museum.
Summers
were spent along the Rock River behind Castle Rock in Oregon, Illinois
with family member trailers and campers
all lined up in a row. I didn’t know it at the time that my great grandfather,
Napoleon Bonaparte Franklin owned all the land around the area. I always
wondered why our family got to camp there exclusively. A relative inherited the
land and sold it. It is currently, Castle Rock State Park.
Our
pay for camping and fishing was to go clamming and give the clams to my mom’s
cousin, Sonny. We also had to give him all the fish eggs, cavier. We ate
catfish, bass, frog legs, turtle, and yes, cavier. Everyone who caught the fish
had to help clean them. Grandpa’s nickname was “bone”.
All
the cousins loved playing on that steep, very dangerous rock, including me,
barefoot. My cousin, Rick, reminded me awhile back about something I wrote in
the story similar but with a male character. I didn’t remember what happened
until my cousin refreshed my memory, hence one of the subplots in the book.
I
was about nine at the time and again barefoot. My cousin, Rick and I were the
only ones playing at the top of Castle Rock that day. I fell off the top of that
rock to the bottom. Rick climbed to the bottom to look for my body. He said I
was stretched across the white sand path which was about 30 feet out from the
rock.
While
on the rock, I kept backing up till my heels were hanging on the edge…backside
where it’s flat on top but hangs over a sheer drop to the bottom. He told me I
was crazy and was going to die…I just laughed at him and dropped out of site.
Not
all that is in Fatal Catch happened.
No one was murdered, thank goodness! But my childhood youth inspired Fatal Catch.
How does your writing process work?
For
my mysteries, I think of a place I want to have the setting and research
everything about the area. Next, I decide on the gender and age of the
protagonist. What their ultimate goal will be at the end of the book. Who will
be their closest allies, enemies, what they have in common. I write summaries
about their personalities, what they like, where they go, what clothes they
will wear, whether they will have a Southern accent, Midwestern, etc. Then I
figure out main plot, subplots, etc.
I
write everything in spiral notebooks in my huge recliner stuffed with pillows,
blankets, and usually my best friends, Spike and Simba. To the write I have a table
with drinks, remotes, phone, Kindle and more so I don’t have to get up for a
bit. After I have written several pages, I go to the computer and start the
typing process. I print out what I have written and then revise. I repeat this
process until the mysteries or science fiction projects are completed.
Cookbooks
are another issue entirely. I eat, breathe, collect and watch everything
regarding to food. I conjure up recipes in my head. Next I go online to see if
there is anything similar on the market. I write down the initial recipes, make
a grocery list, comeback home and experiment. I always have the recipe I am
going by next to me on the counter so I can make immediate changes. I have been
known to make the recipes about four or five times. But that isn’t all! I have
to have my photography equipment handy. Several hours of photos before I go to
the computer, check for the quality. Then I print several of the over 200
photos out that I think are worthy of being in a cookbook.
I
next figure out what I want to say about the recipes to make the book
interesting. In History Lover’s Cookbook,
it was based on nineteenth century recipes and the Civil War. It had to be
historically accurate. The recipes would sometimes say, add an apron full of
flour, or the size of a walnut, etc. It took many attempts to get the recipe
correct. I made the recipes original but with modern cooking instructions.
Thanks
for stopping by to read my Writing Process Blog Tour.
To
continue the Writing Process blog tour on Monday, April 7, 2014 go to:
Robert Walker--author of over 50 novels and short stories and
currently placing 55 titles on Audible.com, iTune and more. Robert currently
lives in Charleston, WV and grew up in the Chicago area. His books range from
suspense thrillers to historicals. Read about his upcoming writing class on
Monday, April 7th blog when he walks about his writing process.
http://www.robertwalkerbooks.com
Candace C. Bowen—author of the historical romance Knight series, Jack of Hearts which is a romantic
suspense novel, audiobooks and several other books. She has a new book, Voodoo Fire, which should be available
in April 2014. Recently, Ms. Bowen was on Red River Radio where she was
interviewed by the talented host, Dellani Oakes. She will be posting about her
Writing Process, Monday, April 14th. Check out her books at:
http://www.knightseries.com
Check
out my mystery, Fatal Catch on
Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble in Kindle, Nook and print. Leave No Trace is available at Whiskey
Creek Press, Amazon and Barnes and Noble on eBook and print. History Lover’s Cookbook is available on
Amazon Kindle and hopefully in print shortly. I will be on Red River Radio, May
28th, 4 p.m. Eastern and 3 p.m. Central to talk about History Lover’s Cookbook with Dellani
Oakes. I am currently working on audiobooks with ACX Audio. History Lover’s
Cookbook below:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZMT61M
http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Catch-Roxe-Anne-Peacock-ebook/dp/B0061TBRVA
![Fatal Catch | [Roxe Anne Peacock]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sHvb9jjvL._SL300_.jpg "Fatal Catch | [Roxe Anne Peacock]")
![History Lover's Cookbook | [Roxe Anne Peacock]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61M0vBDxm8L._SL300_.jpg "History Lover's Cookbook | [Roxe Anne Peacock]")
