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I had some fun on the HEA USA Today site, doing a little Q&A about myself and my writing as we kicked off HIS PERFECT PARTNER’s debut release on September 26, 2017.

Swing by the HEA USA Today site to find out: what I do when I’m stuck, what distracts me from writing, a favorite moment in my writing career, what my go-to writing snacks are, my favorite dream vacation and whether I have a pet who joins me in my office (FYI: you don’t wanna miss the pic of my sweet Addi).

It’s a fun peek into the life of this Latina romance author….hope you stop by! And if you haven’t already, check out HIS PERFECT PARTNER on Amazon!

This month’s Writer Wednesdays blog is like a round robin game of Show and Tell as the WW authors share their favorite place to write. Personally, I’m excited to get a peek inside the various writing havens to see where my friends tap into their creativity and spend playtime with their muse.

For this Florida girl who spent her childhood summers visiting her Abuela in Puerto Rico, if I’m looking for inspiration or need to refill my creative well or if I #amediting, you’ll find me here…

or here

or here

often with my trusty sidekick, Addi.

If I #amwriting new pages, a blanket on the beach is a little too cozy, but I do love writing in a spot with a beach view.

For me the open ocean evokes a fulfilling sense that anything and everything is possible. I will  be published. I will  honor my characters by telling their story the best I know how. So if I can write in a place like this…

or this

I’m feeling like I #amblessed.

I’ll go back and forth between listening to the sound of the waves and popping in my headphones to let Pandora Radio serenade me with Spanish ballads like Luis Miguel’s “No Se Tu” or “Amarte es Un Placer.” The ocean waves and my favorite Spanish love songs never fail to put me in a romance-writing kind of mood.

Unfortunately, I don’t live right on the beach and my day job doesn’t need me to set up an office in a sandy alcove. I know, bummer. That means my jaunts to the ocean are relegated to the weekends when I can get away.

To appease my yearning for a sunny spot with a little shade, I’ll write in my home office for a while, then treat myself by moving my laptop out to my back yard. There I’ll set up shop on our picnic table underneath an awning.

If it’s been a long productive day and especially if I’ve met my writing goal, I treat myself even more by taking a nap on our hammock. 🙂

How about you? Where you do go for inspiration—if you’re a writer or for life in general?  I’d love to hear about your productive spot or your getaway place that helps you refill your creative or emotional well.

And if you’d like to see where the rest of the Writer Wednesdays group gets their writing done, hop on over to check out their special places by clicking these links:

Fellow contemporary romance writers: Tamra Baumann – Shelly Alexander

Romantic suspense writers: Carol J Post – Sharon Wray

Novels with romantic elements: Jean Willett

Faith-based and sweet romance writers: Kristen Ethridge

As a person, a professional, and a mom I try my best to live as a servant leader—doing for others, keeping others’ needs in the forefront. I have to admit, I feel a sense of satisfaction when I’m able to help someone, whether it’s something small like opening a door for a person whose hands are full or spending hours in one-on-one time helping a student improve a scholarship essay that could potentially help them pay for college (a big life changer).

I try to model “doing for others” with my girls, especially so as they were growing up. Now that they’re older and off on their own, my prayer is that they remember my example and continue to see that in me. I tell ya, it’s a beautiful thing when I see or hear about something they’ve done to make another person’s day or week or whatever, a little more positive.

And I really enjoy hearing about others who strive to bring good and do good in our world and communities.
Over the weekend, while watching the Sunday morning news, I learned about one such person: Ariel Nessel, founder and board member of the Pollination Project.

http://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded-all/

Since its inception in January 2013, the Pollination Project has given “$1,000 seed grants to individual change makers, every day of the year, emphasizing projects that expand compassion in the world.” According to their mission statement, they believe in the “power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things.”

Wow, what a motivational statement!

Now, I’m not a vegan, so I have to say that I’m not 100% on board with all the organization’s ideas, but I love how they value “compassion consciousness.” Thinking about how your decisions and your choices affect others and the world around you. How many times have I reminded myself of that or mentioned a similar idea to my girls?
We could all benefit—heck, the world, our countries, our cities, our neighborhoods can benefit—if we all tried to sharpen our compassion consciousness a little more. At least on some level, in some manner.

As a mom, I strive to be an example of this for my girls.

In my day job, I strive to do the same.

As a writer, my hope is that a reader’s day will be happier or a stress in her life forgotten for a little while because she’s chosen to spend some time with my characters.

Servant leadership: to me it’s an important value.

I’d love to hear some other values you live by and try to instill in your kids. And if there are any other non-profits you participate with in some manner. There are so many great ones out there, let’s spread their good word today—and every day! 