When I began writing – heck, just thinking about writing – I had so many ideas churning, so many avenues I wanted to explore. If someone threw out a topic, I could conjure a story. So I just started storing all those ideas into documents, building on my notes, and developing stories. I’d write New Adult, Second Chances, romantic drama, romantic comedy, military characters, erotic, heartwarming, and Seasoned Romance (before I even knew it was an up-and-coming hot topic). In a nutshell, I didn’t really have a ‘lane’ – meaning one particular sub-genre of romance. You know, like Darynda Jones who wrote the 13 book series about the paranormal PI Charley Davidson or Rebecca Zanetti who wrote the Dark Protectors series or Rachel Grant who writes romantic suspense combined with archaeology. They’re just a few of my many favorite authors. There are plenty who are known for a particular style or sub-genre or series, but even they branch out. Other favorites are Nora Roberts, Donna Grant, and Laura Kaye. They navigate many lanes from YA to contemporary to paranormal/fantasy.

In life there’s much contradiction and it’s no different in writing. I’ve heard write what you know, write what challenges you, write for the market, write your passion, stay in your lane, and plenty more. I’m certainly no expert, but I believe in writing your passion; write what you love and what fires you up. I understand the concept that readers come to expect a certain style, theme, feeling when a particular author is mentioned. Authors want loyalty with their readers and readers don’t want to be disappointed by their author. That being said, I can remember enjoying a certain author for her paranormal books, and when I began reading one in a particular series, I had a hard time believing it was her work. Everything felt ‘off’, from the descriptions to the characters’ dialogue (everything was written with exclamation points as if everyone was yelling!) Even the plot had holes. Unfortunately, I barely made it half way through before I abandoned the book… and I hate not finishing a book! So even in the same vein of writing, disappointment can be had.

Where do I stand on my writing and which lane am I in? Well, I’ll be honest and say I’m a jockey. All of the above I mentioned in the first paragraph, I’ve written. I even have a 4-book series with light paranormal aspects along with a military and suspenseful theme. I’ve written series and stand-alones. A few of my first published books were shorter, second chance stories I would love to eventually see bundled together because of their theme. Doesn’t matter that the age-range of my characters are late 20s to 50; they’re all about finding that love a second time around. I feel if a story is written well, it’ll be enjoyed. I also feel no matter what sub-genre is written, the feeling, the flavor of the stories from an author will have some commonality. A great book (in my opinion) is going to have a blend of elements: certainly romance/sensuality, humor, drama. Whether I read a contemporary or fantasy by Nora Roberts, I know I’m going to be gifted with an astonishing story. With all that being said, I may never find my one lane. For now, I’m happy to jockey, to explore stories that fire me up and beg to jump out of my head. My ultimate goal is to write credible and incredible stories that will simply be enjoyed.