Carmen DeSousa

By far, the most common question people ask when they find out I’m an author is: how did you come up with the idea? Well, it depends on the story, but I pull from everything. Something I hear someone say, a line from a song, just the thought of what a guy might say to a girl, or walking across an outdoor store in heels. Yep, that’s what happened. While shopping for a gift for my hubby, dressed in business attire and wearing high heels that were clicking across the hardwood floors, I thought to myself, “Who'd believe I am an avid hiker and whitewater kayaker ?” Next thing I knew I was jotting down questions to myself: How does a city girl end up owning an outdoor store in the middle of nowhere? And… What type of conflict would come about from it? But that’s all I do is ask myself questions and jot down a few notes. From there, I am the epitome of a pantser . I didn’t even write my prologue and a few chapters of the manuscript until after the entire story wa...

In every myth there is a modicum of truth… Creatus T he reason we believe in Fairy Tales—and Monsters. Kris staggered down the stairwell of the apartment building, cursing aloud for what her life had become. Just twenty-two and she’d poisoned her body so many times she hardly even recognized herself. A stale stench of sweat and liquor assaulted her senses, causing her stomach to lurch, compelling her to escape the dilapidated structure. The rusty railing swayed beneath her grip, giving her minimal support as she descended the stairs . As soon as she stepped onto the street, she inhaled a deep breath, trying to rid herself of the rancid smell. The smell persisted, which meant it was on her. Sadly, she wasn’t sure if the odor belonged to the stranger whom she’d spent the last few hours dodging sexual advances or if she smelled like the walking dead. How had she let herself become such trash?  The Creatus Series is not your normal par...

Just write us for a little while . They’ll never know. You spend too much time with them anyway. They’re so needy . Their story is finished; come play with us. Okay, so maybe I’m a little crazy. But if you’ve been reading my blog, you already knew that. I prefer to call it eccentric. And more than just my characters calling to me is my (Adult) AADD. Yep, it exists, and I could probably write many more stories if I’d ask the doctor for drugs, but I hate to take medicine. Anyway, case in point … with that little bunny trail. I have an iPhone app full of stories to write. Last count, twenty-two. You would think that not having an idea would be hard, but sometimes I think having too many ideas is more difficult. Even on a deadline, the other stories in my head insist on creeping into my conscious , whispering such nonsense that if I don’t write down their story, I’ll lose them forever. And sometimes , I cave. Yes, I know I shouldn’t allow them to bully m...

One of the things I love about writing is sharing my love for the great outdoors. Here’s just a sample. Excerpt:   They descended the path faster than their ascent. Jaynee had to move fast to keep his tempo, but finally Jordan slowed his pace. Could they have made it back to the start already? That’s when she heard it—a waterfall. “Jordan!” she exclaimed. “I love waterfalls!” He stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist as they stared at the magnificence and splendor. Something about a waterfall entranced her, especially in the desert. The breeze created as the cascading falls pounded the river below as the sound of the crashing water drowned out all other noises as it beat the rocks below the waiting river’s surface. It was simply breathtaking. Her eyes glazed over just a tad at the thoughtfulness that Jordan had put into their week. “Thank you,” she whispered. He bent over her shoulder, kissing her neck. “I love them too,” he admitted. ...

A great book increases my heartbeat,  as if I’m prey , melts my insides in anticipation of a first kiss, and immerses me in its depths, never letting go. Ahhh … isn’t that the truth? I’ve enjoyed many books written in first person, but I love to visit more than just one character’s thoughts. Similar to watching a movie, I love to read from all POVs--well, to a point, I still don't want to be in too many characters' heads . To counteract this, some writers have even gone to writing several first-person accounts. Again, not a bad strategy, as long as they make sure they hammer-in whose POV they’re in. Nothing worse in my mind when I ’m reading a book and halfway down the page I have to reread because I didn’t realize who was speaking. I know you’ve been there, right? My goal as a writer is to put you inside the head of the protagonist and the proverbial “bad guy’s” head. Why? Because I believe you invest even more of yourself as a reader into the ...

Let’s face it! We live in a world where few people find their happily ever after, even though most of our childhood stories preached that to us. Wait a minute. Did they? I keep hearing … and I’ve been known to write this statement, “I ’v e obviously read too many fairytales .. .” But when I look back, the fairytales weren’t all sunshine and roses. In fact, as I wrote in another post of mine, often the characters in what we tag as fairytales   were beaten , banished, orphaned , poisoned, lost, and on and on… So where does the fairytale aspect actually play out? Is it when the dashing prince on the white stallion sweeps in and they live happily ever after? Chuh ! But hey, the protagonist had to go through many trials to get there. So what’s so bad about that? Personally, I don’t think there’s a problem, except for putting all your dreams in one knight in shining armor who turns out to be a frog. But you can still work at your happily ever after, with or with...