A guest feature by Pia Manning.

“How’d you come up with that idea?”

I get asked this occasionally, and I’m never quite sure how to respond. Sometimes body language helps me frame a suitable reply – do they look as if they’d like to back away and then run like hell, or smiling enthusiastically? Often it’s a little of both, or they harbor a closely held wish to write a book of their own.

Writers I know keep lists of ideas, and consult them whenever they’re stuck. That’s not a bad thing, but it doesn’t answer the question. I mean, where did those ideas come from in the first place? I try to incorporate general themes that are important to me. For example, my heroines are resilient women whom you may encounter anywhere and who have well-defined goals in life. Elizabeth is a veterinarian; Sherry operates her own daycare; and Piper is a teacher and coach. So what matters to you? Goals? Struggles?

Settings are so much fun! Whether in creepy castles or small towns, the setting not only creates the scene but offers a treasure trove of interesting places and characters. It can be helpful to draw from places that you are familiar with. Pinecone Creek is a fictional town set in the Northwoods territory of Wisconsin where Friday night fish fries, winter weather, and pine trees abound. What’s unique about where you live? Or have vacationed? Is something living in that seashell you collected? Have you always wondered why that big ole house on the outskirts of town is abandoned? Hmmm, what could it be used for? A wedding venue? Senior center?

Lastly, ask yourself, "What if?" Yep, the madness part—what if all the cashiers at your local big box store were zombies? Or the esthetician at the local beauty salon told astoundingly accurate fortunes? (Would your character dare make an appointment?) See what I mean? Let yourself go!

Still a little scared to commit to a full-length book? Okay, try writing a short story for an anthology. They’re usually themed, so you have some initial direction.

Above all, enjoy and have fun!

Advantage: Home Team by Pia Manning

New junior high teacher and girls’ basketball coach, Piper Thomas, is brimming with enthusiasm and can’t wait for school to start. She wants to connect with her students and help them achieve their goals. One student, Maddie, struggles with her mother’s death and her father’s emotional collapse. Piper desperately wants to help Maddie. The last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement.

Pinecone Creek Deputy and dominant, Jaxon Cooper aches to find his forever woman-one that he and his best friend, dominant Deputy Rick Sanders, can share. The second he sees Piper, Coop’s heart knows she’s the woman for them. Rick isn’t so sure. Rick is all about control, and Piper is a free spirit who doesn’t need anyone’s rules – well, except when it comes to sex. Piper’s last relationship fizzled because she wanted to explore, and her traditional-minded lover couldn’t handle her needs. Can Rick and Coop give Piper what she craves?

Buy this book

Genre: Erotic Romance
Length: 28,719 words
Publication Date: 13 February 2023
Publisher: Siren Publishing

Excerpt

“Oh shit,” Rick Sanders exclaimed. “I think that’s her.”

“Yeah, that’s the Carter crew, so that’s probably the woman they texted us about. You don’t like red hair?” Jaxon Cooper, ‘Coop’ to his friends, asked puzzled.

“No. I mean red hair’s great. But I think that’s the woman I closed the shade on yesterday. The one staring in the windows. The brat who stuck her tongue at me.”

Coop laughed. “Well, there’s a bright side. Or a bright red side. Think of all the fun spanking the brat out of her.”

“We’ll see,” grumbled Rick.

“Do you want to go over there, or not? There’ll be plenty of other guys who won’t complain about her tongue," Coop joked. “At least not for the same reason you are.”

About the author

Pia Manning is the erotic romance author behind the new Caveman Creek series. She is married to a wonderful man. Ride herd on four cats and a big yellow dog, raises monarchs, and plays Clash of Clans. Not a morning person.

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