September 2019: Office Space
~ Afton Locke ~

CTR asked:

Describe the space where you write. Is it an office? A coffee shop? Messy desk?

Afton Locke said:

I wish I could say something exciting like I write in a treehouse or a trendy coffee shop, but I can only seem to write in my home office. My muse needs quiet, so I have to get away from everybody and everything. I was an only child, so I got used to having my own space.

For inspiration, my office has windows with a scenic view, magazine pictures (most relating to the current WIP) taped to the wall, and speakers with a subwoofer because I must have music when I write. On the business side, it has a log sheet where I track my daily writing activities and word counts and a calendar where I record my book promotion deadlines and appearances. (Yeah, I’m old school.) Two huge bookcases house my research books, books I’ve written, and keepers I’ve read. Luckily, we don’t get many earthquakes in this area or my books could kill me…

For comfort, the space has a big L-shaped desk, a full-spectrum lamp (to keep me sane in the winter), and a collection of chairs. (When my temperamental back flares up, I change them like socks.) Most importantly, I have a door that I close, and my husband knows not to bother me unless it’s urgent. (Sometimes we disagree on what defines urgent.) I also have a phone, which I may or may not answer, and a gorgeous mouse pad I got in Barbados.

I do other things in this room, such as day job stuff, sewing, and tarot readings (not all at the same time), but when I’m writing, it’s all about writing. When I write on laundry day, I set an annoying kitchen timer to remind me it’s time to dry the sheets, etc. because when I’m in writing land, I lose track of time.

I guess my office makes me pretty traditional. While writing Follow Me, set in 1969, I had the choice of having everyone crash in one room on sleeping bags or giving them their own rooms. I chose the latter because it worked best for the story. The first option might make another interesting story. Excuse me while I go to my office and plot it…

– Website – http://www.aftonlocke.com
– Twitter – aftonlocke

Follow Me

[20th Century Historical Romance]

Where were you in the summer of ‘69? Picketing, peacemaking, or falling under the spell of a magic man?

The day Adele Robbins turns eighteen, she flees her mother’s house to escape her lewd stepfather. She aspires to help people, but for now she simply needs a roof over her head. When she stumbles over a generous—and sexy as all get-out—hippie playing guitar on the street, she grabs at the chance for a temporary refuge.

While replacing the family he lost to tragedy as a child, Jeremy Dobson also plans to make the world a better place. Recruiting new followers should be easy, but one headstrong woman threatens to upset all his plans.

Unpeeling the layers of this unusual man makes Adele wonder if she’s jumped from the frying pan straight into the fire. She refuses to be a doormat like her mother, but Jeremy’s magnetism is a force not to be trifled with. When he beckons her to the edge to pursue their mission, will she follow?

Available in Ebook:

More Authors Dish about what comes first.

https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2019-sep-office/