"Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?"

A blog interviewer asked me what I was worst at as a writer. Easy. Coming up with stories.

That's a Big Deal. It's rather crucial to the whole book writing thing to actually have something you want to write about, and something important to say to your audience. My problem is that I love writing and I can imagine individual scenes, characters and conversations, but I'm not much good at coming up with the initial idea.

Not a problem, though, as you'll see when I go through all my novels. (1-6 are published and 7-11 are still to come although they are all started and at least 20,000 words long already):

1. Haven. Suggested to me by my editor at Covenant, Valerie Holladay.
2. A World Away. The sequel to Haven, so also Val's idea.
3. Easterfield. Okay, this one I came up with all by myself! I was reading Pride and Prejudice (again) and realised that just a generation later, Mormon missionaries were arriving in England. I wondered what the Darcys and Bingleys would have made of them when they marched into Meryton behind the militia. So I wrote the book (although I didn't set it anywhere near Netherfield.)
4. Honeymoon Heist. I started it so long ago (the stolen currency it mentions was originally in pesetas, so I must have started it before 1999) that I don't remember where the idea came from. So it might have been me I suppose.
5. No Escape. Suggested to me by a work colleage, Debbie Barratt.
6. The Saved Saint. I was asked to write this by a friend who features as Jeannie in the book.
7. Emon and the Emperor. The idea and name came from a friend, Ryan Tench, and other ideas within the book came from Phil Edey, my official muse.
8. Finders Keepers. The idea was suggested by my friend Milena Junior.
9. Random Ramblings. A collection of short stories, most of which are as a result of writing club challenges. Others were suggested by Phil Edey, or are fan fiction.
10. Horses Born with Eagle Wings. Based entirely on lyrics and titles from Queen albums.
11. Blackwood. Inspired by the TV series, Charmed, plus a mid-Essex village.

So if you want to be a writer but don't know what to write about, ask a friend!