Why do I write?

I often get asked, why do I write? It's certainly not for the money! Just like in any entertainment industry, only a few make top dollars, and most labor in obscurity. But I keep on writing. Why? I guess the quick answer is because I enjoy it. I love to act as a conduit and allow the stories in my head to flow outwards into an existence of their own. It's a great feeling.  Sometimes I'm even surprised by what I write, when it wasn't what I planned, but still works well in the story.

When I was a kid, I was a voracious reader. I devoured anything I could get my hands on, including all of Shakespeare's play when I was in grade school. Greek mythology was my first love, especially Edith Hamilton's translations. Mom always figured that she didn't need to censor what I read. If it was too mature for me, I wouldn't understand it...or I'd ask her about it. I read The Godfather in one 24-hour period when I was in 7th grade. First time I ever read sex scenes! Phew!

All of that reading meant that I often lived more in my mind, than in real life. I don't remember a time when I didn't have voices in my head telling stories. I figured that everyone walked around with characters telling them about their lives, as mine did whenever I sat still long enough to listen. Or before I went to sleep...or when I woke up. Eventually that developed into having dreams that gave me entire story arcs, which has been the impetus for a few of my published novels.

Mom told me she'd often hide inside the house, behind the open front door, when I was playing with my Barbies on the front stoop. I'd set up an apartment for them there, and with friends and their dolls, or alone, I'd have them act out the scenes I had in my head. Mom said she'd have to run further into the house to keep from me hearing her laughing at the outrageous things I had my dolls doing and saying. I was very much into romance, and spies, and romance. So what do I write? Romance...and sometimes spies.

Book 1

Book 2

My Wings books are the Reyes Family Romances, classified as contemporary erotic romance, which means there's a real story and inter-personal relationships, as well as behind-the-bedroom-door views of the good sex necessary to cement a good marriage. I wrote one book, then the best friend of the heroine demanded her own HEA (Happily-ever-after). Then the rest of the family I had created wanted to tell their love stories as well. Two generations of Reyes family members meant that I've already written six books, and have at least two more in my laptop waiting for me to

                                        have more time.

When I don't write, I feel incomplete. And the stories build up in my head. I  

work 2 teaching jobs during the school year, and have little to no time to write. I get frustrated, especially when I dream up a new story arc. Then I have to carve out time by ignoring my husband and family for a few hours, while I type away in my laptop. They get irritated with me. So it's either the voices yelling noisily at me, expressing their desire to be let out of my head and into the minds of readers...or my family grouching about me being an absentee wife and mom. Sigh...if I could just learn to give up sleep, I could get so much more writing done!

My fervent wish is that the well never runs dry. I hope to continue writing until I'm too old to type in my laptop. Then if the voices are still loud, I'll hand-write them on napkins, if I have to. Because once their story is written down somehow, the voices for that particular story quiet down. But what I've found is that the side characters then begin to grumble about wanting their stories told also. That's why I've written 4 series' of novels already, and I'm working on a new series right now. The first book is done, and I've submitted it to a couple of places, while I work on the first of two sequels that I already know the story arcs for. Yes, my head is a noisy place, but I like it that way.

To find out more about my books, visit my website: http://www.fionamcgier.com