People always want to know how we manage to work together as a husband and wife writing team. We hear things from other writers like, “I’d kill my spouse if I tried to work with him,” or “We don’t talk the same language,” or “He doesn’t get romance.”
Although we work well together, we don’t always speak the same language, nor are all our discussions cotton-candy-sweet-yes-dear comment filled ones. Our discussions over what a character should do, say, or how he or she should react, our choice of phrasing, or plot and story ideas can get animated, and not always in a good way. Once, while vacationing with friends, we were discussing a story, and our friend heard us getting quite heated. Concerned, she stopped what she was doing and listened, because she had never heard us raise our voices at one another before. Then she realized we were talking about a book we were working on and went back to what she was doing, no longer worried.
Just so everyone doesn’t think we are superhero co-writers who never disagree, we’ve decided to share a few things you might hear if you were a fly on our office wall, while we work on revisions:
• That idea sucks.
• Really? You guys think like that?
• Don’t touch my keyboard, Catherine. You’ll screw it up.
• That’s not how you spell …(choose any homophone. Donald can’t keep most of them straight)
• You missed half the sentence I said.
• If you’d have told me you were doing more than talking out loud I might have known what to put down.
• Be quiet. I can’t think when you think out loud.
• What? You’re not going to change anything about that sentence? (Usually said by Donald to Catherine concerning something he wrote.)
• I can’t help it if you don’t like any of my suggestions. You make one. Then I’ll decide if I like it, or if we trash that, too.
• I want to quit now…Too bad, I don’t want to.
Fortunately, for Catherine and their writing, Donald does get romance. But that’s a story for another time.
Here’s an excerpt from Blood Brothers, the second book of C.D. Hersh’s paranormal romance series The Turning Stone Chronicles – due out this summer.
Harry Williams paused at the entrance to Alexi’s ER room, hand hovering over the doorknob, uncertain when he heard the voices inside. Did she have company? He peeked in through a crack in the window curtain. The only people he recognized were Alexi and Rhys. He moved from the door, planning to return later.
“Captain,” Rhys called as he opened the door. “Come in.”
“I’m not intruding?”
“No. Alexi will be glad to see you.”
Harry stepped into the room. Going immediately to her bedside, he set the small vase of flowers he’d brought on the nightstand. “Didn’t know what kind you liked.”
Retrieving the vase, she held the flowers to her nose and inhaled. “These are gorgeous, Captain. Thank you.”
Tubes stuck into his favorite homicide detective’s arms. She seemed so helpless hooked to the equipment. Not at all like the fearless woman he knew. “You going to be okay?”
“I’ve got to stay in for a few days, but then I should be fine.”
He glared at Rhys. “How did you let her get mauled by a panther?”
“She ran in ahead of me … like she always does.”
“Headstrong woman,” Harry said to Alexi.
“That’s what makes me so good,” she replied with a smile that lit her drawn face. Alexi directed his attention toward the older man. “This is Eli McCraigen, an old friend of Baron’s, and this,”
she said, pointing to the woman, “is Delaney Ramsey. Our boss, Captain Harry Williams.”
Giving Eli a cursory nod, Harry then turned toward Delaney. A pair of turquoise eyes shown out of a china doll face, with the slightest hint of a middle age crease around her cupid bow mouth. A minute past before he found his voice. “Ms. Delaney, nice to meet you,” he said with a squeak. He hadn’t jumped octaves like that since his teenage acne cleared.
Smiling, her face lit. Amused, no doubt, by him. His gaze swept over her. She had a body a man could lose himself in. When she caught him enjoying the view, she blushed and returned the favor.
The once-over caused him to respond faster than he thought possible. A woman had not made him react like that in a long time. Women were a distraction. One he’d only dallied with occasionally since his wife left him. They all ran the minute they heard he was a career cop.
Author Bio:
Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.
Together they have co-authored a number of dramas, six which have been produced in Ohio, where they live. Their interactive Christmas production had five seasonal runs in their hometown and has been sold in Virginia, California, and Ohio. Their most recent collaborative writing efforts have been focused on romance. The first book of their paranormal romance series entitled The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles) is available on Amazon. The second book in the series Blood Brothers is coming this summer.
Blood Brothers – The Turning Stone Chronicles
Second book in series
Due out this summer from Soul Mate Publishing
Book Blurb:
When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.
The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.
Where to find me links (Website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Website: http://cdhersh.wordpress.com/
Soul Mate Publishing: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/C.-D.-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh
Book Buy Links
Promised One, first book in series on Amazon: http://t.co/yW59QqvkLh
Cynthia
Thanks for hosting us today and allowing us to share how we coauthor.
Great post! I love the back and forth banter and excerpt. 🙂
Thanks for the good words and the banter does continue when we leave the office. Just not the sucky comments. 🙂
Excellent post! Looking forward to reading BLOOD BROTHERS.
We are working the first round edits as we speak … well not exactly as we speak but this week. You get the drift. LOL
Loved your ‘quotes’ while you write! You two are awesome:)
Can’t wait to read Blood Brothers!
Aww. Thank you.
My husband does not write with me, but back when we ran a business together, in formal board-room meetings with people who didn’t know we were married (different last names), I’d often see a stricken look on someone’s face after the two of us had exchanged opinions about the matter at hand. Apparently, our frank banter was not what they expected to hear. I’d say, “You know we’re married, right?” and the tension would evaporate. I enjoyed your interview. Good luck with Blood Brothers.
You make us LOL, we totally get where you are coming from. Thanks for commenting.
That was a nice article and very informative. I am glad to see spouces sharing an interest. Good luck to both of you.
We are glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the good wishes and for stopping by.
Your post had me laughing out loud. I had to read it to my husband. I admire you for writing together. The book sounds terrific!
We were laughing as we wrote the post. Weren’t sure how it would be taken but we are glad it made you laugh. What did your husband say?
Sounds like a fun challenge. 🙂 All the best!
We have fun all the time and we always are talking to each other. Thanks for swinging by.
I love it! Catherine and Donald, you two seem like such a hoot! My husband admits that writing isn’t his forte, it’s mine, but he definitely supports me. But that is so awesome you two write together. Despite the heated disagreements, I bet your brainstorming can be fun at times. I think your pen-name is very clever and your stories seem like fun. Best wishes to both of you.
Family support is very important, cudos to you husband for supporting you. We do enjoy what we do, especially the brainstorming. We’ve learned the heated arguments are the passion that drives us to make the story the best we can. We wish you the best also.
Loved this post, and having met you in person, I know the banter doesn’t stop once you leave your office. You’re a delightful couple, and your new book sounds fantastic.
Thank you. Life is to short not to have fun so we’re always laughing. Our daughter says we gave her an unrealistic example of married life. LOL
How fun for you two to write together. It sounds like you have worked it out. I ask my husband about certain things, and he’s usually right. lol
Sometimes we both can think we’re right. That makes it interesting. Thanks for commenting.
Thanks for the lovely, and loving, look at your shared writing life. You two are blessed with the biggest blessing there is…being in love and being friends. Congrats. I truly would kill my husband if I had to work creatively with him. My only use for him in my author life is naming him ‘Phil-the-fist’ and letting him draw names for winners in my book giveaways. So keep writing, and loving, and we’ll all be happy we know you and read you. XXX
We are blessed as there is nothing better than being married to your best friend. Writing together is icing on the cake. Donald still pulls the names out of the hat. Thanks for coming by.
Great interview. I always brainstorm with my husband and daughter. They help keep me on track and make great suggestions. I look forward to reading your book.
Brainstorming with others does give you a different perspective. Doing that with your daughter must be special. Our daughter sends us ideas for blogs. Enjoyed your comments.
That was a great interview! I laughed – you two are great!
We are so happy you got the humor. We were a little uncertain it would come across right as we wrote it, even though we were laughing as we wrote it. Thanks for taking the time to come by and comment.
Great post C. & D.! Your new series sounds like a must read!
Glad you enjoyed the post. As we have said it was fun writing. Thanks for stopping by.
Your books sizzle! My favorite line from your private office: “If you’d have told me you were doing more than talking out loud I might have known what to put down.”
Yes, that line is used often. Catherine tends to think out loud often and faster than Donald can type. Thanks for saying our book sizzles.