LEARNING TO LIE: HOW TO WRITE FICTION

My writing journey

23
Sep
Breaking All Promises: A Second Chance Romance by Julia ImariA Book Boyfriend to fall for

A Book Boyfriend to fall for

Blog, My Writing Journey, New Release

Breaking All Promises: A Second Chance Romance

Excerpt

Now the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about for years stood in front of him. Happiness and excitement grabbed at his heart, making it race even more. “Melon!” he said, reaching out for a hug.

She fell into his arms and they embraced. Her body felt so soft and small compared to his. She smelled like summer and sun with hint of vanilla. Then she pulled away from his chest, looking at him with smiling eyes. “I knew you were going to say that name.” She poked him in the chest. “You’re still terrible.”

“What?” He feigned innocent. “I hadn’t said it in years. And I miss saying it.”

“Yeah, what you really missed was torturing me,” she said, but this time with a wide grin.

***

You can continue reading Damien and Melon’s second chance romance on Amazon.com:

Read More
20
Jul
Conquered, Book 3, by Julia ImariConquered: A Hate to Love Romance (Dangerous to Love Series, Book 3)

Conquered: A Hate to Love Romance (Dangerous to Love Series, Book 3)

Blog, My Writing Journey, New Release

RELEASE DAY!

JULY 21, 2020

Conquered, Book 3, by Julia Imari
She forgets that it’s just a game to him . . .
This pretense they’re playing seems so real.
He challenges her to be the best.
To be more than just another pretty face.
To be true to herself.
She wants this man.
Not just wants but needs. Needs him.
But when she learns about his betrayal . . .
Her heart breaks.
Bleeding.
He didn’t have to do this to win at the game.
But he did anyway.

Surrendering his heart is winning her . . .
The hating game is no longer working, no matter how hard he tries.
He’s done manufacturing deceit to drive her away.
She doesn’t know this but she’s his weakest spot.
She taught him to embrace life to the fullest.
To love again.
But as his feelings for her deepen, so does his fear of another heartbreak.
And when an important figure from her past appears, it’s the perfect excuse to let her go.
If only every scorching fiber of his being wasn’t burning to win her back.
He’s afraid this is one battle he’ll lose.


Note: This is the third and last book in the Dangerous to Loveseries. Make sure you read Captivated, Book 1 and Captured, Book 2, in that order before reading Conquered, Book 3.
Read More
23
Jun
Captured, Book 2, by Julia ImariCaptured, Book 2, is out now!

Captured, Book 2, is out now!

Blog, My Writing Journey, New Release
He hadn't prepared for Georgette Cook.

She's bold.
She's courageous.
She's vulnerable.
She unnerves him.

For the first time in years, he feels like himself again.
He shouldn't think of her that way.
She's off-limits.

But when she demands his mentoring, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested.
In her body.
In her innocence.
In her views about life.

And when she thinks it's all over between them?
Well, she's in for a big surprise.
Because he's about to reveal the new owner of the boutique where she works.
This will tear them apart . . . or bring them closer together.

Note: This is the second book in the Dangerous to Love series. Make sure you read Captivated, Book 1, first.

Available at:

Read More
2
Oct
Fall in New EnglandThe magic of Fall

The magic of Fall

Blog, My Writing Journey

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. The autumn colors are bright and breathtaking—red, yellow, orange, brown and rust and some dark green mixed in. I love the transformation of the trees around me. Here, up north, the colors start to change in mid September—at least in my area. With the deepest blue of the sky and the riot of color below, I’m busy capturing the amazing scenery with my camera.

If you’re into nature photography, the fall season promises a ton of subjects waiting to be captured. The gorgeous scenery is what has inspired me to go out and take pictures. Not only do I love the spectacular colors around me, but the smell of decaying leaves is so earthy and refreshing that I want to bottle them! At this point the temperature is dipping and the cool air persists to chase away the hot and humid summer.

Fall is a magical season. Fall also brings a melancholic feeling in me. Although summer was annoying with its hot and humid weather, I’m sad to see it go. Well, I blame it on the sunshine! In the fall, the sun shines lower in the sky and less intense than in the summer. And the days are shorter and the nights are longer… After the season has set in, the colors fade and there’s nothing interesting to see outside.

The positive side of this is I’m super creative. I can say that this is the season I’m most prolific. I turn into a hermit and focus more on my writing. I can write and complete a book in a month. Writing is my way of combating the melancholic feeling, and while winter is next, I’m already dreaming of the coming spring.

Read More
10
Jun
Image of Baby Robin by Julia ImariPets in your Story

Pets in your Story

Blog, My Writing Journey

When a pet becomes the unsung hero in your story

I’m sure almost all of us have pets—dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc. I’m not fond of reptiles—lizards, snakes or anything that’s long, slimy and slithers for a pet, but I admire you if you have some. I do love dogs and cats though. They’re hilarious and loyal to their human mom and dad.

In Next Door Temptation, Dillon, Paige’s Yorkie, steals the show. He’s tiny and yet Paige employed him as her security guard. For Paige, it doesn’t matter if Dillon is no larger than a cat; he has a personality like a German shepherd. And she loves him to death.

Had I not reminded myself to control the plot in this book, Dillon would stampede everybody and emerges as the hero. And in retrospective, he has become one. He had demonstrated skills of protecting and guarding his mistress. The scenes are cute, hilarious and charming.

Other than Dillon, this novel also employed Melvin, a baby robin that Paige rescued from drowning in her neighbor’s pool. Mind you, other than chickens, I never had a bird as a pet. I know they’re wild and are best to be left alone.

I love taking pictures of them. Birds are one of my favorite subjects. They’re difficult to shoot and you need a long lens to capture their images. I was lucky when I stumbled upon a baby robin and his mom at the Boston Public Garden many springs ago.

I came to the park to take pictures of tulips, the majestic magnolias and crabapples. But, there were so many creatures around—squirrels and birds. I wanted to capture them with my camera. That was when I saw the robin waiting for his mom to bring him breakfast.

It didn’t take long before I took pictures of the mother bird, perching on the sign that said, “Please stay off the grass!”

Since then, I’ll always stop to watch robins when they’re on the ground, making a beeline for a worm or grub. The male robin will sing for hours and I just love to hear his love song.

What would be the best place to share my observations about my favorite pets and wild creatures but to write them in a story?

Read More
1
Jun
Next Door Temptation by Julia ImariWriting Romance: As happy as a pig in mud

Writing Romance: As happy as a pig in mud

Blog, My Writing Journey

Wow. Time flies by so fast. With bittersweet memories, I’m now saying goodbye to May. The month of May is important because last year, in this month, I published my first contemporary romance novel, Catching Lily. Believe it or not, I’m still into this indie publishing thing for a year now. So far, I’ve published six books—including a novella. This genre is highly competitive and I didn’t expect to survive this far. But, I did.

I love writing romance, especially the emotional part between the hero and heroine. Having a graduate background in psychology helps as I am banking on all the courses I’ve learned from, such as personality and attachment in developmental psychology. Maslow’s psychosocial development is one of my favorite references to understand my characters’ behavior.

Next Door Temptation is my newly released novel to mark my first full year in publishing. And today I’m already editing my next one. Shielding Eva, which is expected to be released this fall.

I’ve learned so much as an author and indie publisher. Romance has the most voracious readers, and I’m one of them. If I’m not writing, I’m reading romance novels five to ten a month. The decision to write romance, though, didn’t come just because this genre has the largest numbers of readers and audience, but I’ve been an avid reader since I was a teen. I know what I want to see happen in a plot and I know what type of story I love to read. So it’s only natural to write what I love to read. Before I share my book with others, I must love the story first. I’m the biggest fan of my own novels.

For me, being a successful romance author means I have to be a savvy marketer. And this is where I want to pay attention as I continue to write and publish. Marketing my own books take a huge chunk of time. Time I don’t have because I’m busy writing.

So, my plan for the second year is to market my books. I know this isn’t easy with the romance market now flooded and oversaturated. I’m working hard to reach readers who’re looking to read stories like mine. I strive to write an entertaining and inspiring story for all romance readers who crave a happy ending.

***

Read More
Julia Imari © 2017 - 2021