With: Alyssa Goodnight
As my mother-in-law so succinctly (and accurately!) informed
me, I don’t have artistic vision. Which
means I have trouble picturing the “After” of an elaborate renovation, a
workable color scheme, or sometimes even what I want my characters to look
like. Naturally, I have a vague idea and
can settle on the basics, like eye color, hair color, facial hair (just the
heroes!), etc., but I have trouble dialing in distinguishing characteristics without
a few visual aids. That limitation makes
Pinterest my best friend. It also makes
research a treat, because who doesn’t want to pour over the bone structures,
dimples, and naked torsos of celebrity hotties?? I’ve even started a ‘Hero Material’ board to
pin images of guys I could see myself writing stories about sometime in the
future. Pretty proactive, right?
While scrolling for heroes is arguably my favorite sort of
Pinterest search, those images are really just a fraction of the visual
inspiration I find on the site. Given my handicap at visualizing, I take full
advantage of the opportunity to offer up a broad search criterion and let
Pinterest run with it. One day I might
be looking for dresses for my heroine to wear to her ex’s wedding, and the next
I might be curious about kitchen designs.
Pinterest gives me a plethora of images, from which I can pick and
choose different aspects, and then merge them into a new and creative whole. I use it for architectural, cultural, and
geographical references in order to create a truly authentic setting, and even
pin quotes that resonate to the theme or tone of the book. For me, Pinterest is a workhorse and an
incredibly useful tool.
I have created Pinterest boards for all but one of my books
(including the ones in progress) and referenced them often during the writing
process. Once the writing is done, I pin
my book cover and other promo or press the book might receive. It’s fun to then share the board with readers
who might want a peek at the inspiration behind the book or my casting ideas
for the characters. My latest, JUST SAYYES, is the first in a series, and Pinterest has been particularly useful in
allowing me to visualize and keep track of all the characters that will reappear
in each subsequent book in the series.
So take a look… https://www.pinterest.com/alyssagoodnight/just-say-yes/. Let me know if the inspiration board piques
your interest in the book, and follow me to stay up to date on my hero
searches. (Trust me, your Pinterest
feed will look yummy in an entirely different way!)
JUST SAY YESSingle mom Jade Moran isn't ready for any big changes in either her horrible '70s kitchen or her romantic life. Her ex did a number on her, and she isn't interested in getting hurt again. But when she meets a super-hot contractor, she wonders if avocado appliances are on the way out and romance is on the way in.
Max Gianopoulis doesn't have a clue why he's so enchanted by Jade. She's almost as big a mess as her kitchen, and he's a guy who likes to keep things simple. But Jade has turned up the flirty heat - and he can't keep his hands off her.
With everything moving too fast and coming too easy, Jade's insecurities kick into high gear. She's not sure she can trust another man again - and she definitely doesn't believe in happily ever afters.
About Alyssa
Author Blog: alyssagoodnight.com/blog
Author Twitter: @a_goodnight
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaGoodnight
Alyssa is a Texas girl who dreams of British accents. She currently lives between Houston and Galveston with her husband, two sons, and their adventure dogs, Indiana Jones and Short Round. She does her writing with an ice-cold can of Dr. Pepper, or when she's feeling spicy, a handful of Hot Tamales. She fangirls over Masterpiece Mystery, good Tex-Mex, and boxed chocolates. And, of course, books.
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