I have a few favorite authors and one of them is Kristen Ashley. In her books, her characters talk a lot about finding “beauty” in their lives and in love. When I read today’s message, I wondered if the Big U had been reading her books. Then I realized that in many cases, my “guys” do the same thing, if not sayingthe same words. Just as each author has their own voice, so do their characters. I can hear a passage from a book and if it’s a fave author of mine, I can pick out their voice. They have a certain style, a je ne sais quoi all their very own. And then it hit me…

All is well, Silver. You don’t have to like or love everything or everyone. Injustices and villains always abound during primitive times. You knew this would be true before you chose this life, just as you knew that the good and the beauty would far exceed the bad and the ugly.

Life is beautiful,
The Universe
© www.tut.com 

Have your preferences, go where you’re drawn, Silver, and dwell upon all that is good.

This pretty much explains not only life but how to find the nitty-gritty in a romance. Or any book you’re writing, for that matter. We authors have to breathe life into our characters and strive to make their lives beautiful. Right after we expose them to the bad and the ugly because that’s part of the journey. How do you know you’ve reached the Happy Ever After if you’ve never been unhappy. Or hurt. Or sad. And yeah, there’s even beauty in those things, when you stop and think about it.

I especially like the “PS” from the Universe. Sometimes, writers pigeonhole themselves. And they worry about their writing voice if taken someplace different. Bollox. I’m going to repeat this: Have your preferences, go where you’re drawn, Silver, and dwell upon all that is good. Write what’s in your head and your heart because when those two work together, magic very often happens and voices ring true. And lemme tell ya, it’s beautiful when it does.