Giveaway & Special Guest - Azalea Moone!

We are happy to have special guest author Azalea Moone on our blog today to talk about her new release For the Long Haul and where her inspiration comes from!

Finding Inspiration in Strange Places

Hiya guys! Glad to be here at Book Whores United to celebrate my new release “For the Long Haul”, a coming out story about a trucker and his chance meeting while on the road. Now you might be wondering where the heck do authors get their inspiration from. Or maybe not, but if you are, I can only tell you one thing: strange places.

No, it’s true. It’s common to find inspiration in a song, a book, a movie, or other kind of media, from life’s events, a name, etc. But sometimes the inspiration hits like a damn sledgehammer from out of the blue.

It doesn’t take much, a simple drive to the grocery store or a work shift, when it hits you. That guy over there... he’d make a great character in my next book! Or there’s an accident over there, hey, that’s a good idea, two men come together after a car accident. Or even something as simple as a conversation can bring story ideas galore.

Sure, I’ve seen plenty of cute guys when I’m out running errands that I’ve based some characters on. I’ve used my experiences working different jobs for different story scenarios. And I’ve even had story ideas pop up from things my boyfriend likes, such as television shows and video games.

But the strangest instance I’ve ever gotten inspiration was for this story. It was a conversation with my mother about a guy she knows, who happens to be a truck driver, and he carries a loaded weapon on his rig in order to shoo the lot lizards away. That, right there, triggered story mode right away.

After she left, I went right to work on researching and writing. If I remember right, I told her about it, too. Can you imagine that conversation? “Hey mom, you know that convo we had about what’s his name? Yeah, I’m writing a story about a truck driver.”

Hehe. Now she does know what I write, but I wonder if she’ll ever tell me anything again. I’m just waiting for the day when she says, “You’re going to use this for a story idea, aren’t you?”

Oh mom, you know me all too well.

Excerpt:

A woman stood, scantily dressed in a dark low-cut top and bright pink, short ruffled skirt. High heels raised her a few more inches, but not nearly enough to reach the full height of the rig’s window. Her plump, red lips moved. “Hey.”

Gunner groaned loud. He reached above the seat to a compartment, fiddled with the tie, and pulled out his defense.

“Ya’ll lookin’ for commercial company t’night?” The woman batted her eyelashes and licked her lips. Her accent was definitely Southern.

He rolled down the window a crack. “No, thank you,” Gunner replied, holding the pistol to his side out of sight.

“Oh, come on, baby,” she said. “I’m cheap. Twenty dollas’ a blow.”

Of course you’re cheap. Damn, but these lot lizards never took “no” for an answer.

“You speak English, right? I said ‘no’.” He flashed the gun a moment.

The woman stepped back, waving her hands in the air. “Ugh, no need for that.”

“So get your ass out of here.” He waved her away and rolled the window shut.

Lot lizards were a common occurrence for this place, as well as drug peddlers and gang activity. Those women would come around every time he’d park there, and every time he’d flash the gun, the skanks would leave.

Have you ever had inspiration hit in the strangest ways? Tell me about it.

Enter my giveaway for a chance to win a free copy of “For the Long Haul.” Comment below, and remember to leave your email address. Winners will be drawn February 22^nd on Azalea Moone’s blog – that’s release day, by the way!

http://azalea-moone.blogspot.com/