Writer Routine Wednesday: Heidi Betts

Hey, all!
It's another week of my new blog segment:Writer Routine Wednesday, where every Wednesday from now until September 1st, I will host an author.
We'll get to know them better and their books as well as hear them describe their usual writing routine.

Maybe you'll pick up an idea they use for yourself!
Lots of great prizes are scheduled too!
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So, please welcome author Heidi Betts today and hear about her writing routine!

BIO: Heidi Betts is the daughter of an Arabian sheik and a Las Vegas showgirl, as well as the heiress to the Chocolate is Better Than Sex Candy Company fortune. Because of this, she eats chocolate in all its many delicious forms for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-between snacks . . . without ever gaining an ounce on her perfect five-foot-nine, size zero figure.
Each and every one of her breathtaking, award-winning novels has been adapted to film and gone on to become a phenomenal box office smash, featuring such mega-stars as Hugh Jackman and Sandra Bullock, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts, and Harrison Ford and Charlize Theron.
Heidi readily admits that she is only able to write such passionate love stories because of her real-life happily-ever-after romance with superstar actor Dwayne Johnson, who makes every day a fairy tale. When she's not writing or making hot, toe-curling love with her "Rock" of a husband, Heidi can often be found riding naked on horseback (a la Lady Godiva) along the beaches of Malibu or hobnobbing with the rich and famous on Martha's Vineyard.
You can reach Heidi any time, day or night, by calling 1-800-DIAL-TONE. And if you'd like to experience your own perfect, idyllic life just like Heidi Betts, be sure to take the little purple pill. (Not the red one. Never the red one.)
For more information, please visit: http://www.heidibetts.com/
Heidi is also a Silhouette Desire author and this year has a December 2010 release planned: INHERITING HIS SECRET CHRISTMAS BABY (Dynasties: The Jarrods, Book 6),

Thanks for stopping by and taking time away from your hobobbing, Heidi! :)

Please describe a “typical” writing day for yourself. For example: Do you get up have your coffee, check e-mail, then write to a certain time? Do you have a set word or page goal when you do write?
As soon as I get up, the hungry masses demand to be fed. There is no coffee or anything else (including the bathroom—ack!) until their ravenous appetites have been satisfied. Then I like to exercise for about an hour…as much as I hate it (I do, I really do!) I also love it because it gets my blood flowing and gives me the energy I need to tackle the rest of the day. After that, I grab some breakfast and much-needed caffeine (in the form of tea, not coffee, thank you very much) and check e-mail or catch up on whatever minor business issues have cropped up overnight. Then…then…I can sit down to write. And I write the rest of the day, stopping only if I’m interrupted (which, yeah, happens a lot more than I’d like *evil scowl*) or to grab a bite to eat. I write in the evenings, too, whenever I can; and sometimes writing at night actually works better for me, so I try to take full advantage.

**Do you have another job outside of writing? (Being a mommie definitely counts!!) If the answer is yes, describe how you balance the two and how much time you devote to each.
I write full-time (you know, in theory) but I happen to be a bona fide cat lady, and despite popular belief, feline children are actually quite demanding. You know those “hungry masses” I mentioned earlier? Yeah, that would be my furbabies, waking me every single morning well before my alarm (why do I even bother setting the darn thing?) by walking on me, jumping on me, licking me, and yowling in my face until I get out of bed and feed them. And then they need to be fed several times throughout the day, as well, which explains many of those “*evil scowl* interruptions.”

**Are you a laptop, PC, Alphasmart, or by hand kind of writer?
I am an Alphie girl, hands down. Or these days, I guess it’s a Neo, since they’ve upgraded. (I actually have one of each and go back and forth, depending on my mood or if I’m juggling more than one story at a time.) I LOVE my AlphaSmarts, and have written every book, in its entirety, on my AlphaSmart since Number 4…that’s 16, plus 4 novellas—wow!
However, when it comes to revisions or editing, I do use a (borrowed) laptop or work at the PC because of the bigger screen and greater range of functions. And I both plot and outline (i.e. write my synopses) by hand…my brain just seems to work better that way on that sort of thing.

**Plotter or panster? If you’re a plotter, how much time do think you put into plotting before writing.
I’m a little bit of both, actually. I definitely plot about 80% of the time, because I find that if I don’t plot out my conflicts/motivations ahead of time, I get waaaaaaay off track when it comes time to write. I’m a very loose plotter, though, which puts me closer to the “pantser” category. I like to plot enough that I have a strong skeleton for my story, but leave enough room for creativity and inspiration to guide me through adding the muscle and flesh. (Okay, that just became a really weird, slightly gross analogy. Too many zombie movies lately, perhaps. :-p)

**Some writers make collages or listen to or create music soundtracks for their work-in-progress? Do you do any of those or have you thought about doing one of them?
To be honest, I tend to write in front of the TV instead of to music. (Though music works, too! I think it’s a left brain/right brain thing.) But I do love to create playlists for my books, usually putting them together as I move along with the story. Then what I love to do is blog about the music I would put on a soundtrack to the book, if I were making one, and also ask readers what songs they think suit the characters and story best. (Doing this for KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP—in which the hero was suspected of cheating on the heroine—was a blast!)

**What’s your favorite book on writing?
I’m not sure I have a favorite book on writing. I can’t even think of one! Probably because I’m not much for how-to stuff, and if I’ve ever even read one, it was years ago. What’s your favorite book on writing? Maybe I’ll check it out, just for a change of pace. ;-)

**What’s your favorite fiction book you’ve read so far this year?
I actually started reading them last year, but hands down I would have to say J.R. Ward’s “Black Dagger Brotherhood” series. To be perfectly honest, I’d put off reading these books because it seems that every time folks go wild over a book/series/author, I pick it up and have sort of a lukewarm “eh” reaction. But when it came time to start writing THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, I found that my brain was still too enmeshed in regular contemporary and drew a blank on anything even remotely otherworldly. So to get myself in the mood and in the right frame of mind, I started watching all my favorite vampire movies and televisions shows, and of course reading vampire books. The BDB titles seemed like a good place to start, and from book one, I was hooked. Majorly hooked. And I swear, even though BITE is nothing like J.R. Ward’s series, they got me through writing my own vampire romance with flying colors. (Thanks, J.R., I owe you one. *g*)

**What’s your favorite way to reward yourself after you’ve finished writing a book?
In my fantasies: A quick jaunt over to the Islands (we’re talking the Hawaiian variety, here) with my main hunka-hunka burnin’ love, Dwayne Johnson.
In reality: Usually once I finish a book—and it’s not truly finished until I’ve polished and handed it over to my editor, so there’s a very anti-climactic period between typing “The End” and hitting “Send”—I crash. Sometimes for a night, sometimes for a week, but there’s always a very Austin Powers moment when I almost literally deflate and think, “…and, I’m spent!” That’s when I first take a much-needed nap, then love to sit down with a good book and just read, or watch a few movies/TV shows I’ve fallen behind on. The stuff that’s fun, but doesn’t take much energy or very many functioning brain cells.
Once the crash-and-burn portion of turning in another book has passed, though, I really do like to go out and do something to celebrate. Nothing too big or elaborate, but going out to dinner or doing a bit of shopping, sometimes even seeing a movie in an actual theatre (what a concept!) is a fun change of pace.
And then…it’s back to work and on to the next book!

Thanks so much, Heidi! Wow, writing in front of the TV is a new one! LOL!

Heidi is very excited to announce that her first single title paranormal and first Kensington Brava, THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS will be released September 28, 2010.

You can Pre-Order this book from:
Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or your favorite retailer.

Here's a little bit about it:

In Heidi Betts’s collection of holiday novellas, vampires turn to Angelina Bertolli—vampire matchmaker extraordinaire—to help them find that special someone to curl up with under the mistletoe…

“All I Vant For Christmas”
Connor loves trimming the Christmas tree, baking gingerbread cookies, and hanging the mistletoe. But his vampire siblings won’t help. His friend Angelina sends party planner Jillian to the rescue. But when Jillian, who’s mortal, discovers she’s decking the halls for a family of vampires, will she run—or will Connor have a beautiful woman to share the holidays with?

“A Vampire in Her Stocking”
When Vivian learns that her secret crush Nick is terminally ill, she’s heartbroken. Confiding in Angelina, Vivian refuses to turn Nick into a vampire. Deciding to play Santa, Angelina changes Nick and leaves him wrapped in a red bow on Vivian’s doorstep…

“It’s A Wonderful Bite”
Although Angelina is happy with her boyfriend Sergio, she’s ready for a commitment. After drinking eggnog and watching It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, Angelina falls into a dream where she is mortal and Sergio isn’t interested in her. Talk about the nightmare before Christmas! But Santa must have checked his list twice because this Christmas Angelina’s wishes are coming true…

Check it out!

CONTEST: Heidi has generously offered to donate an autographed copy of one of her backlisted books to some lucky commenter. Winner's choice! (And there are many to choose from!) Check here for some ideas.

Her first western historical was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the modern world by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and has since added both funny contemporaries and funny paranormals to her repertoire.



Please leave a comment below to be entered to win. The giveaway contest will run from now until Thursday 11:59PM (EST). I will announce the lucky winner this Friday!


Good luck and get into your writing routine!