I still remember the day I first read May Bridges’ Killing June. My family was snowed in that day. I made my husband bundle up the kids and take them out to play, and I did not get up from my couch until I read the first word to the last. It’s sexy, it’s suspenseful and it’s just plain unputdownable.
I’m so excited that the rest of the world will soon get to experience Killing June for itself! The ebook will be available everywhere from SMP Swerve on July 4th!!
So to celebrate her debut, I’ve asked May to introduce herself today on the blog.
Tell us a bit about your writing process. Where do you write, and how often?
All I need is a quiet place to write. Though that’s harder to find than you’d think sometimes. I’ve been known to take my laptop to my car, lock the doors and write. I’m for sure not a coffee shop writer, too peopley there. But the library will do. My favorite is writing outside, but the sun and laptop screens don’t mix well, so it’s a challenge.
I try to write five days a week. I treat it the same as any other job. That doesn’t always happen, but it’s the goal. Ideally I’d write Monday – Friday, so I can keep my weekends for my family.
Do you have any writing rituals? (e.g. burning a candle if you’re having trouble getting started at the computer or writing longhand first if you’re feeling uninspired.)
I try to eliminate as many reasons to get up as possible before I sit to write. I get a drink and a maybe something to snack on, like nuts and dried fruit. There was a time when it was an energy drink and a bag of skittles, but let’s be serious, at 30 my waistline can’t handle that every day.
If I am writing at home I top off the water in my fish tanks. Seems odd, but I don’t like the sound of moving or trickling water. I know if I sit and try to write without the tanks full, the sound of the water will drive me crazy and I’ll have to get up and fill them, or leave the room. So I’ve learned to do it before I sit.
What do you love about writing romance?
I love love. I think that falling in love, being in love is one of the single most powerful emotional events in our lives. Think about how falling in love changes so much. Getting married, having kids, moving, compromising, molding your ideas and beliefs to fit another person into the core of our worlds, all for a feeling. We are almost always changed by it. For the better or worse, it changes so much in our lives and often who we are as a person. There is forever a piece of us that’s not quite the same after love finds us.
But it’s not just love for me; it’s the process of two people coming together. I like exploring all of the ways that happens, all of the by chance events that need to fall into the perfect place for two people to connect like that. I like that it isn’t always butterflies and rainbows. A lot of the time it’s hard fought, gritty and a times painful process for two people to find a space in life where they can love each other. It isn’t always pretty, but it’s intense and the perfect roller coaster for a book. So I write romance that shows that side of life, Dark Romance.
What is the hardest part about writing romance?
The balance between a fast-paced plot, and the realistic time it takes to bring two people together. We all know no one falls in love in a day, or even starts a committed relationship. It takes some kind of divine intervention to get the plot and relationship timelines to work in a way that is fast paced enough to be compelling and make your audience need to turn the page, and also not having people professing eternal love 48 hours after shaking hands for the first time.
What book do you wish you had written, and why?
The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. Burn the pages hot buff vampires…Um, yes please. These are my kind of books through and through. They are very dark and sexy, a plot that is full of suspense and action. In truth, these books are the reason I’ve never tried my hand at writing vampires. I simply don’t think they can be done any better than the BDBH.
If you’re not reading or writing, what would we catch you doing?
SOFTBALL! Pre-book deal and deadlines, I played on about three teams a season. I love it. I’m a competitive person, so sports and I go well together. I love spending time on the field with my friends and soaking up some sun. If I can’t play I love to watch. We catch a few college games, Go Beavs! Seeing a Mariners game at Safeco field is easily the best date ever. If not on the field, I’ll do pretty much anything outside. I love fishing, hiking, and camping.
Do you belong to any writing organizations?
RWA- Romance Writers of America. It’s a great organization that is all about helping romance writers be as successful as they want to be. I encourage people to join.
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
Calico by Callie Hart. My to-be read list is crazy! But you can never have too many books to read.
If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?
A quiet tropical beach with a sun glare proof laptop and a shirtless waiter for on-beach food and drink service.
Plotter or pantster?
Plotter! Those pansters aren’t right in the head. 🙂 I write a short blurb, like you would for a query or back cover. Then I do quick chapter summaries, then fill those in with how I plan to get the story from one chapter to the next.
Do you get inspiration from any TV shows or movies? If so, which ones?
Sometimes, but not often. I’ve thrown around the idea of writing something like the TV series Vikings. You only need to watch a few minutes of Ragnar Lothbrok doing Viking things shirtless to understand why.
I also have a book started that is inspired by the movie Requiem for a Dream.
What excites you most about being part of the BookEnds family?
Kim has been a dream to work with. I know they are a very collaborative team, so with BookEnds you have not only a great agent, but so many years of publishing expertise behind everything you do and every decision that is made. That is such a valuable asset, especially for a debut author.
What advice would you give to other authors in the query trenches?
Get help with your query. Do the research on how to write a solid, industry standard, query. Don’t wing it! When you think you have studied it enough, study some more. It really is everything when you’re querying. People who are willing to give you tough feedback, and know what a query should look like, need to read it. Use a professional service if you don’t have those kinds of people in your life. I’ve seen some really good books go absolutely nowhere because of a failed query.
When your query and pages are on point, the key is don’t give up. I know some people that have six figure deals now, that received over 80 rejections on their query. Keep going!
Congrats May! I can’t wait to see this book out in the world!
I still remember the day I first read May Bridges’ Killing June. My family was snowed in that day. I made my husband bundle up the kids and take them out to play, and I did not get up from my couch until I read the first word to the last. It’s sexy, it’s suspenseful and it’s just plain unputdownable.
I’m so excited that the rest of the world will soon get to experience Killing June for itself! The ebook will be available everywhere from SMP Swerve on July 4th!!
So to celebrate her debut, I’ve asked May to introduce herself today on the blog.
Tell us a bit about your writing process. Where do you write, and how often?
All I need is a quiet place to write. Though that’s harder to find than you’d think sometimes. I’ve been known to take my laptop to my car, lock the doors and write. I’m for sure not a coffee shop writer, too peopley there. But the library will do. My favorite is writing outside, but the sun and laptop screens don’t mix well, so it’s a challenge.
I try to write five days a week. I treat it the same as any other job. That doesn’t always happen, but it’s the goal. Ideally I’d write Monday – Friday, so I can keep my weekends for my family.
Do you have any writing rituals? (e.g. burning a candle if you’re having trouble getting started at the computer or writing longhand first if you’re feeling uninspired.)
I try to eliminate as many reasons to get up as possible before I sit to write. I get a drink and a maybe something to snack on, like nuts and dried fruit. There was a time when it was an energy drink and a bag of skittles, but let’s be serious, at 30 my waistline can’t handle that every day.
If I am writing at home I top off the water in my fish tanks. Seems odd, but I don’t like the sound of moving or trickling water. I know if I sit and try to write without the tanks full, the sound of the water will drive me crazy and I’ll have to get up and fill them, or leave the room. So I’ve learned to do it before I sit.
What do you love about writing romance?
I love love. I think that falling in love, being in love is one of the single most powerful emotional events in our lives. Think about how falling in love changes so much. Getting married, having kids, moving, compromising, molding your ideas and beliefs to fit another person into the core of our worlds, all for a feeling. We are almost always changed by it. For the better or worse, it changes so much in our lives and often who we are as a person. There is forever a piece of us that’s not quite the same after love finds us.
But it’s not just love for me; it’s the process of two people coming together. I like exploring all of the ways that happens, all of the by chance events that need to fall into the perfect place for two people to connect like that. I like that it isn’t always butterflies and rainbows. A lot of the time it’s hard fought, gritty and a times painful process for two people to find a space in life where they can love each other. It isn’t always pretty, but it’s intense and the perfect roller coaster for a book. So I write romance that shows that side of life, Dark Romance.
What is the hardest part about writing romance?
The balance between a fast-paced plot, and the realistic time it takes to bring two people together. We all know no one falls in love in a day, or even starts a committed relationship. It takes some kind of divine intervention to get the plot and relationship timelines to work in a way that is fast paced enough to be compelling and make your audience need to turn the page, and also not having people professing eternal love 48 hours after shaking hands for the first time.
What book do you wish you had written, and why?
The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. Burn the pages hot buff vampires…Um, yes please. These are my kind of books through and through. They are very dark and sexy, a plot that is full of suspense and action. In truth, these books are the reason I’ve never tried my hand at writing vampires. I simply don’t think they can be done any better than the BDBH.
If you’re not reading or writing, what would we catch you doing?
SOFTBALL! Pre-book deal and deadlines, I played on about three teams a season. I love it. I’m a competitive person, so sports and I go well together. I love spending time on the field with my friends and soaking up some sun. If I can’t play I love to watch. We catch a few college games, Go Beavs! Seeing a Mariners game at Safeco field is easily the best date ever. If not on the field, I’ll do pretty much anything outside. I love fishing, hiking, and camping.
Do you belong to any writing organizations?
RWA- Romance Writers of America. It’s a great organization that is all about helping romance writers be as successful as they want to be. I encourage people to join.
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
@maybbridges on Twitter
https://www.facebook.com/MayBbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/MayBBridges
www.maybbooks.com
may.bridges on Instagram
What’s the last book you read?
Calico by Callie Hart. My to-be read list is crazy! But you can never have too many books to read.
If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?
A quiet tropical beach with a sun glare proof laptop and a shirtless waiter for on-beach food and drink service.
Plotter or pantster?
Plotter! Those pansters aren’t right in the head. 🙂 I write a short blurb, like you would for a query or back cover. Then I do quick chapter summaries, then fill those in with how I plan to get the story from one chapter to the next.
Do you get inspiration from any TV shows or movies? If so, which ones?
Sometimes, but not often. I’ve thrown around the idea of writing something like the TV series Vikings. You only need to watch a few minutes of Ragnar Lothbrok doing Viking things shirtless to understand why.
I also have a book started that is inspired by the movie Requiem for a Dream.
What excites you most about being part of the BookEnds family?
Kim has been a dream to work with. I know they are a very collaborative team, so with BookEnds you have not only a great agent, but so many years of publishing expertise behind everything you do and every decision that is made. That is such a valuable asset, especially for a debut author.
What advice would you give to other authors in the query trenches?
Get help with your query. Do the research on how to write a solid, industry standard, query. Don’t wing it! When you think you have studied it enough, study some more. It really is everything when you’re querying. People who are willing to give you tough feedback, and know what a query should look like, need to read it. Use a professional service if you don’t have those kinds of people in your life. I’ve seen some really good books go absolutely nowhere because of a failed query.
When your query and pages are on point, the key is don’t give up. I know some people that have six figure deals now, that received over 80 rejections on their query. Keep going!
Congrats May! I can’t wait to see this book out in the world!
— Kim
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