P.J. Fiala On Inspiration (@pfiala)

Where do you get your inspiration from?

The best thing about being a writer is that anything and anyone is a story.  There is no lack of inspiration.  On top of that, my husband and I are bikers, so I have a lot of time to sit and think while riding.  My imagination has always been active and now I have an outlet for it.

So, picture this.  Hubby and I are biking with friends.  We decide to stop and eat lunch somewhere (somewhere that looks clean), and as we pull into the parking lot, there are a group of people sitting outside smoking.  We park our bikes and as we are getting off the bike, grabbing our purses out of the back, some of the gals with me comb their hair before we walk into the bar, and I hear the smokers talking. “Then, when I thought the argument was over, she walked over and slapped him right across the face and then kicked him in the balls.  I couldn’t believe it, right in front of everyone.  Then she yelled at him and told him if he ever touched her or her sister again, she would cut his dick off with a dull blade.”

Yeah, that happens.  Now, we walk into the bar to eat and enjoy our lunch, but my mind is looking around the bar for the smokers who were outside talking.  I’m watching them, trying to figure out who is who and checking body language.  After we pay our bill and use the restroom, we head back out to the bikes.  On the road, I once again have time to think about what I just heard.  My mind is instantly making up characters or situations for my characters and before my next destination, I am so twitchy with wanting to write it all down, I can hardly sit still.

Undoubtedly, the next stop will offer something more.  It might not be an overheard conversation, but it might be the way someone is dressed, or the stature or build of someone.  It might be the way they speak with those around them.  It doesn’t matter, before I get home, I’ll have a story or at a minimum, a portion of a story written.

When we walk into a unique bar or restaurant or see an interesting store, I take pictures so I have the visual to write from.  As we travel, we have been so fortunate to come across some of the best the country has to offer by way of unique antique stores or craft shops or bakeries.

Inspiration is all around.  Every person, every place, every situation is a piece of a story waiting for me to write it out.  The saying, “Truth is stranger than fiction” comes to mind and couldn’t be more true.  I have written situations in my stories and readers have told me it was too far-fetched to be believable.  When I tell them it was true and it happened to a person I know or that I over-heard it in a conversation, they are usually speechless.

I’d like to take this moment to thank you all for having me with you today and for taking the time to read this.  Also, thank you to all the people, known and unknown, who have contributed to my stories.  You are appreciated more than you know.

*****

Excerpt:

“Conference room is this way mom.”

Joci nodded once and followed behind Gunnar as they made their way through the store and up the stairs. Joci noted the store was neat and tidy.  There were racks of clothing on one side of the store and parts, accessories, and motorcycles on the other. The store was well-lit and colorful. The logo painted on the wall, though, was boring. Rolling Thunder Motorcycles, Inc.  was painted in silver lettering on a white wall with nothing else. No real logo other than the name.

Entering a room off to the right at the top of the stairs, Joci stopped in her tracks as she crossed the threshold. Dog was sitting at the conference table, which was a large, well-worn oak table littered with beer cans, papers and miscellaneous food wrappers. About eight other people were either sitting at the table or standing around talking.

As she stood in the doorway he looked up from his reading and stared at her.

“Dog, this is my mom, Joci. Mom, this is Jeremiah Sheppard, but everyone calls him Dog.”

Joci watched as Dog stood to his full height, and rounded the table toward her. Well-built, broad shoulders supported the most beautiful head and face Joci had ever seen on a man. Long blonde hair and bright green eyes held her attention as he came to a stop in her space. He reached his hand out to shake hers, but Joci stood transfixed as she looked into his eyes.

“Nice to meet you Joci.  Gunnar has told me a lot about you. I appreciate your time in helping us plan next year’s event.”

*****

Blurb:

Owning Rolling Thunder Motorcycles, Inc. and raising his twin sons was top priority in Dog’s life. That was until he met Jocelyn James, the sweet, loving, single mother of Gunnar, a young man who works for Dog.

Joci raised Gunnar alone all of his life after her cheating, dickhead of a boyfriend ran off with another woman. She finished school, started her own graphic design business and hung out with friends and family. The last thing on her mind was men! That is until she met Dog.

The chemistry is undeniable. The passion is incredible. The family bond is like no other.

*****

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was born in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri named Bridgeton. During my time in Missouri, I explored the Ozarks, swam in the Mississippi River, and played kickball and endless games of hide and seek with the neighborhood kids. Spending summers in Kentucky with my grandmother, Ruth, are the fondest childhood memories for me.

At the age of thirteen, my family moved to Wisconsin to learn to farm. Yes, learn to farm! That was interesting. Taking city kids and throwing them on a farm with twenty-eight cows purchased from the humane society because they had been abused was interesting. I learned to milk cows, the ins and outs of breeding and feeding schedules, the never ending haying in the summer, and trying to stay warm in the winter. Our first winter in Wisconsin we had thirty-six inches of snow in one storm and were snowed in our house for three days! Needless to say, I wasn’t loving Wisconsin.

I am now married with four children and two grandchildren and a new one on the way this summer. I have learned to love Wisconsin, though I still hate snow. Wisconsin and the United States are beautiful, and my husband and I travel around by motorcycle seeing new sites and meeting new people. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are interested in where we are going and what we have seen along the way. At every gas station, restaurant, and hotel, we have people come up to us and ask us about what we are doing as well as offer advice on which roads in the area are better than others.

I come from a family of veterans. My grandfather, father, brother, two of my sons, and one daughter-in-law are all veterans. Needless to say, I am proud. Proud to be an American and proud of the service my amazing family has given.

Web links:
Website: www.pjfiala.com
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_BBjvOwu8akytlEN8VQNw/feed
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pjfiala1
Street Team: www.facebook.com/SexySirensStreetTeam
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/pfiala
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pattifiala/dog-days-of-summer/
Goodreads author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7866768.P_J_Fiala
Goodreads Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21851827-dog-days-of-summer
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/P.-J.-Fiala/e/B00IL8OA04/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1394757783&sr=8-1
RebelMouse: https://www.rebelmouse.com/pjfiala/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116973848613644291786/posts

*****

GIVEAWAY!

P.J. will be awarding a rack card with Dog Tags to FIVE randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour, and a Grand Prize of a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with books from fellow authors to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. The author will also award a free ebook to FIVE randomly drawn hosts.

Make sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/07/virtual-book-tour-dog-days-of-summer-by.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway