Introducing Bobbi Groover.

Hi everyone,

Let me start out by saying how complimented I am to be here and how interesting it has been to read all the previous blogs.  It’s been great to learn all about my fellow author’s lives and the intriguing techniques they use to create their stories. Amazing how many ways there are to arrive at the finished product.

I started my writing career early on by scribbling stories whenever I found a blank piece of paper.  I would hide in an empty stall in my grandmother’s stable and create stories of horses and riders.  I’m not certain whether it was the drive to write as much as it was a longing to own a horse.  My mother was terrified of horses and my father could never win her over.  My scribblings were hung next to the blue ribbons until they surreptitiously disappeared—some to the drawers and others to the trash.

Fast-forward twenty years.  I finally owned a horse and my writing branched out to topics other than horses.  My stories were still hung around and still ended in drawers and trash.  Then one day, as I sat in a doctor’s waiting room, I saw an ad for a writing course. I never waited to see the doctor, simply ran to enter the course with a backpack full of ‘drawer worn’ stories.  The course ran six weeks but changed everything because it emphasized the importance of two things: show, don’t tell and check the point of view.
Herbert Grosshan spoke of POV in his interview here and his points were right on.  I struggled with POV because I couldn’t quite figure out the idea of being in someone’s head and staying there.  It’s a subtle point but so important.  So I devised a little technique that worked for me.
 
Whenever I start a story, I search the Internet for images of the hero, heroine and other characters as I see them in my head.  Then I actually frame their faces in freestanding frames.  Whenever I’m in the hero’s head, I stare at the picture of the character to whom he is speaking.  When I’m in the heroine’s head, I do the same thing.  As the story progresses, the characters become so real to me that I no longer need the pictures to keep myself in the head of the proper character. At that point, the hero and heroine photos are hung on the walls of my studio to become friends with the characters from other stories.

That no-name writing course helped me to write my first book, FUN IN THE YELLOW PAGES, a juvenile title for ages 7-9.  FUN is a family adventure filled with humor, horses and the complexities of family relationships.  FUN was utilized in the Language Arts curriculum of several school districts and I had the distinct pleasure of being ‘visiting author.’ FUN IN THE YELLOW PAGES is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and was just re-released in ebook format, available on Kindle and Nook.


Being an insomniac, I read tons of romance novels to use up the night hours.  The success of FUN gave me the urge to branch out and try another genre.  Loving the antebellum era, I jumped into the head of a plantation owner in 1840 Virginia.  I searched for and framed my hero and heroine and seven months later, SEASON OF THE SHADOW was complete and ready for editing.  Its writing was a long journey resulting in many weird nights when the hero and heroine photos started talking to one another and I was merely recording what they said. Must admit those nights creeped me out a bit but I kept typing! SEASON OF THE SHADOW is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and is scheduled for release in e-book in the fall. 

Here’s the blurb:

It was a time of chivalry and grace but also a time of turmoil. Fletcher Stedman is the crown prince of Virginia's famous Seabrook Plantation. The handsome rakehell is a man of dreams with headstrong passions and an ingenious mind. Suddenly his dreams are shattered and his life ripped from him by a jealous cousin, and Fletcher is put to the test fighting for his life and his sanity.

Kyndee Brock always dreams of marrying her handsome Fletcher—her kindred spirit and dearest love. One day, however, Fletcher mysteriously disappears. Kyndee must spend the next decade defying fate, following her heart to reunite them and recapture the love they had been denied.

Fast forward again.  My latest romance, THE INN AT LITTLE BEND was released by Melange Books July 9th.  The setting for The INN is also set in turbulent antebellum America.

Here’s a short excerpt:

Grayson brushed her cheek against the smooth hair of his chest and touched her lips to his. A hot blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered the intimacy they had shared. He had sought her lips and called her his love. Then he had— She couldn’t even form the words. Nothing Kipp or Aggie had told her about men had prepared her for the fervid excitement she experienced with her lusty barbarian. He had given her free rein to explore and marvel, seeming to yearn for her touch as much as she longed for his. But as passionate and breathless as she had been, as much as she had craved becoming one with his mind-muddling strength, she held back. To the deepest far crevice of her mind, she knew his awesome need. Silently, like a beggar in the night, he had drained her. Even as he clung to her body, he tugged at her core—pleading, seeking, demanding—pulling everything from her.

While it is not a sequel to my previous romance, THE INN AT LITTLE BEND does have several of the same characters who play integral parts in the story.  Since its release, the framed photos of its characters have joined the others on the walls of my studio, waiting there until I need them for scenes of my upcoming novel, INTO THE GREY.

My writing career began alone in a stall, and I’m still creating scenes while riding my horse.  I guess some things never change.  Just like the writing exercises learned in that no-name writing course years ago don’t change—show, don’t tell and watch the POV.

To read excerpts or purchase any of my books or several of the articles published in periodicals, come visit my website: http://www.Bobbiscorner.com.  Wander through the photos and poetry.  Leave a message; I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for hosting, Mila.      Bye for now.

Bobbi Groover