By nature, I’m an inquisitive person. I love watching documentaries about history and various topics from science fiction to who killed President Kennedy to how crayons are made. It’s all so interesting, and I always find myself asking the “what if” question. What if I’ve already been kidnapped by aliens and my life is playing out in an alternative universe? What if my character finally figures out who the murderer is but the hunt culminates during a national crisis or a weather emergency? What if the bad guy commits murder by hacking into his victim’s pacemaker?

The sky is the limit on imagination, and I find inspiration in everywhere.

Music is a huge inspiration for me. I’ve attached particular songs for each of my books which  represent the theme of the book or is somehow pivotal for a specific character. I will often play that song on repeat if I’m having an especially difficult writing day or I’m working on a crucial scene. Listening to certain playlists helps me transpose the movie playing out in my head into written words.

Inspiration can come in any form. A weird cloud, the loud, unexpected boom from a construction site, an airplane taking off for parts unknown, or firetruck, siren blasting, rushing by. These everyday images have inspired me to dream and create. I get the greatest joy from creating stories springing forth from various sources of inspiration and it’s my hope that these stories can bring entertainment, intrigue, and escape to others.

The Order Series is a four-book romantic suspense series (book four is in the works now and will be released early summer 2019). The inspiration for this series came after watching a documentary on the Illuminati and Free Masons. Both of these organizations were heavily influenced by the concept of a secret society and held religious undertones. I was particularly inspired by the use of numbers and symbols, employed by both the Illuminati and Free Masons in creating a sense of mystery and maintaining an elite membership. My series is based on a cult-like organization that began with a basis in religion but transformed into a group with a quest for money and power.

What inspires you? To win a signed copy of the first book in The Order series, Order of Fear, let me know your greatest inspiration. One winner chosen at random.

The Order Series

Order of Fear

When Marissa Nash’s life is turned upside down with the death of her fiancé, she is comforted by the friendship of the would be best man, Justin Tanner. But as Marissa and Justin grow closer, they soon discover they’ve fallen into a wicked web of lies and danger.

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Fear-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01ENW8ZCU/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/order-of-fear/id1107420740?mt=11
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/order-of-fear
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/631896
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158181658

Order of Malice

Reid Patterson plans to join the FBI hoping to right the wrongs of The Order, a sinister faction controlled by his family. When he meets Holly Babson, a child psychologist, sparks fly as they both must deal with past hurts and fresh danger.

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Malice-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07318J71Y/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/order-of-malice/id1255377368?mt=11 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/order-of-malice
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/731433
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158932281

Order of Rage

Carson Maxwell escapes the grip of her family’s insidious organization, The Order, and carefully crafts a new life as a medical researcher in Boston. When her identity is exposed and she meets Adam Forrester, FBI agent, her life careens off course again, delivering her and Adam into the clutches of the very people Carson ran from.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVQWRS7/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/order-of-rage/id1391242682?ls=1&mt=11 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/order-of-rage
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/834566
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940162128151

Let’s Connect!

Website:https://www.lisacavinessauthor.com
Twitter:https://twitter.com/LisaCaviness1
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/lisaCavinessWriter
Amazon Author page: https://hyperurl.co/lqr3zk
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14668568.Lisa_Caviness
Newsletter link:https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r1l3r7

Okay, so you’re wondering what a picture of an array of Post-its has to do with Christmas, right?

First, let’s talk about the picture. Isn’t it lovely? All those bright colors? All the variations of sizes and shapes? I get giddy just looking at them. My faves are the lined ones, because I am an inveterate “lister”. I love the shaped ones because they’re perfect for jotting pretty little notes as reminders to my minions (er, family members). See that hint of yellow beneath the array? That too is an AWESOMELY huge Post-it!!!!

And only Post-its will do! Have you ever bought the cheap rip-offs? They tear your papers, pull off paint and dry-wall, or they curl up and flutter away. No!

I can’t remember what life before Post-its was like. Certainly dreary. Certainly filled with tape to attach my notes to papers and boards. But some smart person divined that there were obsessive people out there who would love to peel a paper and stick it somewhere without having to search for the Scotch tape. And they found me.

So, back to Christmas.

My family always sits me down to ask what I want for Christmas. Guess what always goes to the top of the list? You got it!

They roll their eyes. You have tons of Post-its! they say. I shrug and widen my eyes. Your point?

I never have to buy my own because I do have a huge stash of Post-its, which doesn’t mean I don’t buy my own. The second I spied that huge yellow pad I knew I had to have it!!!!

This year, I added variety to my Christmas list. Just to make them feel like they could surprise me. Here’s what my letter to Santa looked like…

1. Pretty Post-its!
2. Notebooks — small ones for my purse; a Bullet journal; some Filofax inserts
3. Cute, zany, fuzzy socks (I wear them inside year-round)
4. A soldering kit with metal to get me started

I added the soldering kit to get them used to the idea of me adding one more tool to my already over-filled craft room. Every time my daughter walks through it, she threatens to call one of those hoarder shows. But a soldering kit would be nice. For my birthday, I’ll start laying down hints that I really, really need an enameling kiln…

So, now you know something else about me. I’d love to know what your short list of “Christmas Wants” looks like! Answer for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

A Reminder about CONTESTS!

These contests are still open! Enter while you still can!

1. November’s Getting Away From Me! (Contest)
2. Reina Torres: Almost a Mermaid (Contest)
3. Tell me a story… (Contest)
4. Flashback: Tarzan & Janine (Contest)

The first two end at midnight tomorrow night! So be sure to enter now!

The Puzzle

And because, maybe, you need a little romantic inspiration, here’s a puzzle just for you!  Believe me, you want to solve this one! 🙂

For those of you who don’t know, my sister Elle James and I started out writing stories together. We were busy learning the craft and leaning on each other’s strengths. One of us was better at dialogue, the other better at description…one of us was better with love scenes…  In the end, we wrote several stories together before heading off in our own directions. One thing we loved writing together was romantic comedy. When we brainstormed a new story, we’d have each other in stitches from laughter. We wrote a series of comedies, all set in Texas (we were both living there at the time!), about friends who’d made it big but hadn’t yet found their true loves. This post is just a reminder that there’s an entire series of fun awaiting you…

Here are all the Texas Billionaires Club stories…

 

 

Contest

Win your choice of one of our Texas Billionaire Club stories!
There will be 3 winners! All you have to do to enter is answer me this…

What’s your favorite romantic comedy movie?

Tarzan & Janine

See what happens when a secret billionaire and an aspiring actress get a little wild in Texas

A man with a soft spot for women…

Closet Texas billionaire, Tanner Peschke has three months to prove he can make a profit at the family used car dealership or he will lose his job, disappoint his father and break his promise to his dying mother. The root of his problem is women. He can’t resist them—any of them. All it takes is the scent of delicate perfume or a misty-eyed gaze from an elderly woman with a sob story, and he becomes silly putty in the hands of his feminine customers. Until, with a stroke of luck and a buck of a mechanical bull, he hires Janine Davis to star with him in the dealership’s live TV ads.

A woman who won’t let a handsome cowboy get in the way of her dream…

Determined to make a name for herself, Janine needs to pay the bills between acting jobs. The offer to do a series of commercials for Peschke Motors is a chance to get her face “out there”. Recognizing a player when she sees one, Janine agrees to co-star with her handsome employer fully intending to keep their relationship strictly professional. First break she gets, she’s heading to Hollywood.

Their jungle-themed commercials take a crazy twist, and Tanner finds himself falling…from a sales banner while chasing a monkey. But more importantly, he’s falling for Janine. She’s just the one woman to tame this cowboy’s wild heart. Convincing her to stay with him might be harder than catching a mischievous monkey.

Order Ebook: Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
Order Print: Amazon

Excerpt

“It’s time, Miss Davis,” came a male voice, not Tanner’s, through the hollow panel of the bathroom door.

“I’ll be right out,” she called. Alternating between tugging down the hem of the bottoms to cover her fanny, and pulling up the top to cover her breasts, she stormed out of the bathroom, across the showroom floor, and out into the lighted car lot.

Judging by the gauntlet of wolf calls she passed through to get to the television crew, every salesman in the dealership must have stayed late. They all wanted to witness the live filming by a group of college students Tanner hired to keep the budget low. As part of the crew’s curriculum requirement, the commercial would air live on the university’s public television station.

A man carrying a spider monkey approached and shoved the critter into her arms. “This is Spunky. You need to keep a hold on the monkey at all times, or he’ll take off. Catching him will take us hours.”

“Hey! Nobody said anything about a monkey.” Janine pushed the little guy back at his handler, but the jerk turned and trotted to a position beyond the spotlights. Her chances of being taken seriously as an actress slipping through the seams of her skimpy costume and the busy fingers of the monkey, Janine suppressed the urge to scream.

“Quiet, everybody. Two minutes to take,” the young director’s voice boomed through a megaphone. “Where’s Tanner?”

The animal handler called to Janine from the sidelines. “Remember, whatever you do, don’t let go of the monkey.”

“Right, don’t let go of the monkey.” Janine’s head swiveled side to side in search of the nutcase who’d talked her into this crazy commercial. She’d felt more in control on the bucking mechanical bull at the convention than she did right now.

Suddenly, the crowd of used car salesmen parted. Tanner strode toward her with his long, loose-limbed gait and all the confidence and charm of a professional actor. Tanner, dressed casually in his ever-present blue jeans, chambray shirt, cowboy hat and cowboy boots, smiled as he worked his way through the crowd of onlookers.

Janine snorted. I’ll bet he’s never ridden a horse a day in his life.

He walked right up and turned the full force of his smile on her.

Damn. Her knees went weak, complementing the butterflies in her stomach and the monkey fidgeting in her arms.

As the cameras moved into position, panic filled her. “You never told me what my lines were. What am I supposed to say?”

“Just stand over there and look beautiful. I’ll do all the rest.” He adjusted his hat with enough confidence for both of them. “And smile when I introduce you. That frown makes you look mean.”

Janine opened her mouth to carve his enormous ego down to size and remind him she was an actress, not a model.

Before one word could cross Janine’s lips, she was cut off by the cameraman. “Mr. Peschke, I hope you’re ready because this is not a rehearsal, you’re going live in five…four…three…two…” He pointed ‘one’. The camera was trained on Tanner, the red button lit, and the feed was direct.

Without missing a beat, Tanner smiled, looking completely at ease in front of the camera. “Howdy, folks. It’s a jungle out there. We know how difficult wading through the gimmicks and sales jargon is when buying a used car.”

She had to admit he sounded charming and genuine. After sabotaging her job with BS-Squared, he’d conned Janine into taking this job. She bet he could sell ice to Eskimos.

Spunky’s hairy little hand slipped beneath the bra of her outfit.

Janine slapped at his hand, eliciting a shriek from the monkey. “You must be a male,” she muttered, wishing Tanner would fall on his pretty face in front of the camera.

“Are you sick of the new car prices and immediate depreciation when you drive a car off the lot? Let us take the monkey off your back…” Tanner swung an arm in her direction.

Spunky crawled up on her shoulders and played with her hair. How about getting this monkey off my back? Crap. She’d spent hours trying to fix her hair beautifully for the commercial. Great, when they finally get the cameras on me, I look like the monkey.

“…and show you what we’ve got in low mileage, pre-owned vehicles at rock-bottom prices.”

At that moment, the creature latched onto the strings holding her halter-top in place. She felt her boobs dip and her stomach knotted.

“Stop that, Spunky,” she whispered, making a grab for both of his tiny, dexterous fingers and the tail that seemed just as facile.

The monkey ignored her, chattering happily, hands and tail dodging her flailing attempts.

“Join us this weekend for our ‘Monkey Off Your Back Sale.’ We’ll be servin’ free banana milkshakes to all the folks who come out.” Tanner’s voice kept up the running monologue despite the monkey’s antics, true to form for a car salesman.

Janine simmered as she struggled for control. Let’s get this over with before this monkey craps on me.

Win a small Amazon gift card! All you have to do is tell me a little story. See the picture of the sexy guy below? Tell me what you think this picture is all about. Maybe start with why he’s there, why his clothes are torn, what’s that look in his eyes mean? Is he wanting conversation or a fight? And what are you doing while you’re watching him?

So many possible scenarios! You can be brief or tell me a little story. I can’t wait to read your takes! NOW, GO!

Maybe it’s because I’m from Hawaii that, in my head, I was a mermaid.

But here’s the irony… I can barely swim.

What?

Yeah… I know. Silly? Absolutely.

I had a near drowning experience as a child. It was odd, but I won’t go into the details. Just imagine a pool and peer pressure. Yeah, peer pressure sucks.

But for a while in that pool I felt like a mermaid… I didn’t feel out of air… I felt happy, peaceful.

And my astrological sign is crazy… it’s picquarices (or some other odd spelling like that). I was born on the cusp between Pisces and Aquarius – the Fish and the Water Bearer. My Asian zodiac sign – the ox, but more specifically the WATER Ox.

I seem to draw my inspiration from water.

If I have a tough plot hole or a strange question I can’t answer, I go and take a shower or I go to the pool for my exercise. WHAM – answers! But I have to remember the answers until I’m out of the water… If I’m lucky, I can plug the tub, run some water in the shower, and when it’s pooled around my feet, I turn it off and sit there wiggling my toes in the water.

Aaaaand, I’m good.

At least I hope I’ve got it figured out. You’ll have to let me know when you read my books!

I’d like to do a giveaway/contest…

Tell me… What Element inspires you?
Does it link to your zodiac sign? How so?

A random commentor will be selected as a winner to receive their choice of my ebooks available on Amazon.com.

Get My Books!

The Tiger’s Innocent Bride – https://a.co/d/1V9U0GZ
Her UnBearable Protector – https://a.co/d/a3eZnEo

I had such big plans! A workshop to run, NaNoWriMo to complete, family events…

It’s the 17th of the month, and I’m falling behind, big time!

First, the Mindmapping workshop is ongoing, although I haven’t been there much to prod folks along to create their 2019 Writing Mind Map. I haven’t even begun mine!!!! How crappy is that of me to abandon them?

Next, I’m only 11,552 words into NaNo’s 50k wordcount requirement. There’s no way I’ll get there now!

I have tons of great excuses…

A sh*t-ton of last-minute, short-fused editing jobs plopped into my inbox. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not very good at budgeting my editing time. I want to help everyone! So, I shove other commitments aside and go to work.

I’ve done a crapload of babysitting and petsitting for my dd while she’s been up to her eyeballs in kid’s events and medical appointments. No way will I ever tell her NO! She does so much for me in return.

Supporting my dad through rehab and his transition back home haven’t been horribly time-consuming, because my brother is visiting and doing everything he can to take the pressure off of us! So lately, that’s not been a huge time-suck.

Because I haven’t had a lot of time to write on my own projects, I’ve had to push back release dates.

I’ve pushed the release date for Wolf from November 20th to December 7th. I’m hoping I’ll finish the book sooner, but I thought I’d better give myself room to fail (that sounds so negative, doesn’t it?). Thanksgiving’s coming up, so I’m sure I’ll have more household duties, since it looks like we’ll have 20 people coming for dinner, and many of those will be staying in the house with us! I am hoping to release it by the end of this month but don’t hold your breath. Are you horribly disappointed?

I have two more books up for pre-order—the last pre-orders I’ll get for a year because I had to change my release dates. I hate losing that privilege with Amazon, but there’s just been too much happening. Worse than not knowing whether you’re eager for the book (as evidenced by your pre-orders), I won’t have hard deadlines, and I’m not good about producing without deadlines! Y’all will just have to nag me for what you want next!

As for those two pre-orders, have a look here. I can’t tell you how excited I am about Animal! I hope you are, too! I don’t know much about it yet, because I haven’t written a single line, but I do have a great, really funny opening scene in my mind. With that cover pic, maybe you can imagine one, too! As for With His Client, I’ve started that story, and a strongman with the Russian mafia is our girl’s target for seduction…

With His Client is a shorty coming December 18!
And Animal is scheduled to release January 22nd!

 

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me two things:
1) Which story are you most eager to read?
2) Does the cover for Animal inspire any ideas for scenes in your own imaginations?