Welcome Mystery Author Diana Orgain!

By Kate

Please join me in welcoming my mystery pal Diana Orgain to the Lair for the very first time! Take it away, Diana!

Thanks so much to Kate and the Romance Bandit for having me here today. I’m the author of the Maternal Instincts Mysteries Series. The first in the series is BUNDLE OF TROUBLE, followed by MOTHERHOOD IS MURDER and most recently FORMULA FOR MURDER.

The series is about a new mom, who doesn’t want to return to the corporate world after having her baby. Instead, she decides to start her own business as a PI – only, you guessed it, it’s not as easy as she thinks.

I’m a busy mother of three (ages 7, 3 and 2) and the question I get asked most often is how I find the time to write! For those aspiring writers - below are my top three tips.

3 Steps to getting started on your own novel:

1. Make the time to write: You have to put aside time (ideally daily) to write. Don't wait to FIND the time. That will never happen. Something will always take the time - remember Nature hates a void. So don't wait. Schedule the time to write and do it.

2. Get feedback: Take a class or join a critique group (there are tons of writer's organizations – even virtual). You can join your local chapter and create your own critique group. Getting unbiased feedback is critical to moving ahead. You have to learn how to polish your work and a class or group can help you move ahead faster.

3. Make a habit of finishing: Don't leave your draft unfinished, whether it is a short story, poem, play, novel - doesn't matter. You must finish. As creative people we are always lured to the next idea. It's fresher, funnier, better in some way but this is a temptation that must be avoided. After all, the new idea will need to be completed also and if you never get to the end of a project then you won't know how to finish. This step alone is the single most important piece of the creative process.

For more information on me or my books – you can pop over to my website at http://www.dianaorgain.com/ or listen to the first chapter of BUNDLE OF TROUBLE at http://dianaorgain.com/bundle-of-trouble-podcast/bundle-of-trouble-chapter-one/

Now it’s your turn, tell me one of your favorite tips (doesn’t have to be writing related) in the comments and I’ll enter you for a chance to win a signed copy of my latest book FORMULA FOR MURDER. And if you’re feeling lucky I’m running a contest on my webpage for a beautiful LibraKnits baby cap – you can see the details at http://dianaorgain.com/contests/

Thanks for visiting today, Diana! And good luck, everyone!