Please welcome Darcy Burke to the blog today! She is the author of The deVallery Code (you can read my review HERE).
You can purchase The deVallery Code at the following retailers:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Thank you for having me today!
Where do you get your inspiration for your characters and your plot?
A variety of places—movies, television shows, real people (I’ll never say who!). I tend to think of characters first, but the Regency Treasure Hunters series is also very plot-centered because of the treasure hunts. Plots ideas come from movies and television shows and are pretty much what I enjoy reading.
Do you write outlines before you begin or just start writing and let the story evolve....do you know the ending before it is written?
Um . . . sometimes. I’ve written in so many different ways. Some work better than others. What I can say is that I’ve rarely written two books in the same way. I do like to plot out turning points and the ending black moment in advance, but sometimes they change as the characters arc maybe goes a little off what I’d planned. For this series, there’s an overall arc and I know the ending. ☺
Favorite place to write?
This also varies, strangely enough. Today I’m writing in a coffee shop by necessity while my kids are in a theatre camp. I like to write on my couch, on the outdoor couch my husband just built, and also in my bed!
What is your favorite pen to write with?
Ball point blue.
How do you choose names for characters?
This is probably one of the things I enjoy most as a writer—strange, but true! I have baby name books, a character-naming book by Sherrilyn Kenyon that’s super helpful, and some websites that I visit regularly. I have a really bad habit of choosing names that are too similar (see Saxton and Sevrin in Secrets and Scandals – wow, that’s a whole lot of S sounds all around!). I just realized last week that two of the four heroes in Regency Treasure Hunters had first names that started with the same letter. I ended up changing the name of the hero for book two even though I chose his first because naming the hero for book four was really, really difficult and since I’m pretty happy with the one I ended up with, I decided I couldn’t change it.
When do you write?
Every possible moment! I try to have a schedule since I have school-aged kids, which means I do most of my writing during the hours they’re at school. In the summer, it’s a little more fluid, but I actually prefer the summer schedule because there’s no homework to deal with!
Do you treat it like a job and keep writing work hours or are you moved to write in a less structured way?
It’s definitely my job, so I aim for a work schedule. However, as a writer it’s really hard to turn your brain off for writing-purposes and your Internet self off for promotional and networking purposes. I feel like I’m just now starting to tell myself it’s okay to take a day off.
How do you research settings to make them believable?
I’ve been to several of the places I write about, so that’s helpful. If I haven’t been there, I scour the Internet for descriptions and images. This can be difficult when writing a historical. I want to know what the inside of a church looked like in 1794 . . . and that can be tough!
Make sure to check out the GIVEAWAY where you could win a Travel Toiletry bag from Thirty-One filled with Goodies!
Check out the other blogs on the tour!!
August 17
August 18
August 19
August 20
August 21
August 22
August 23
August 24
August 25
August 26
August 28
August 29
August 31
Thank you for hosting Darcy!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you take your "job" as an author very seriously, Darcy, and it shows in your writing. Your research and background in your stories is terrific and I know how difficult it is to juggle children, homemaking, research AND writing. I didn't do it for myself, I did it for a law office for many years (minus the children) and was exhausted at the end of a busy day. You can be proud of your work. I like it very much. :-) jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteJanice, you're a wonder woman! I'm sad to report my homemaking skills have really suffered. Staying on top of laundry is my greatest achievement (it's the little things) and I'm so lucky to have a husband who enjoys cooking!
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me, Amy. I loved this interview!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to have you here, Darcy!
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