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As I have gotten back to writing, I have felt listless and lonely. Looking for a community to help me feel grounded was where I decided to start. I returned to Wattpad in hopes of talking to some authors and some readers and just getting in the mood for writing. 
That didn't work for me. 
There is nothing wrong with Wattpad, but when I posted my Alien books, they banned the second one. They did not tell me why it was banned from the site. That bummbed me out hardcore. I think I was so sad about it because I was trying to find some readers and writers, and just zen a little.
Getting a story banned from a website felt far from zen.
That is when someone suggested Inkitt to me. I had never been there before, but as soon as I was on the site, I fell in love. I found a home for my alien novels where I wasn't judged for my writing, and the books I created weren't banned. 
I have not left Troll River, and my Ice Era Chronicles are still at the house, but I have been hanging out on Inkitt simply because I have readers who chat with me and writers who give me advice. I am also there because it is a home for all my alien books, and there are no judgments. I have them all up, and I even added my Alien Love: Offspring Edition. Two of those stories are on the site.
For the moment, unless something changes, I will keep posting stories there. If you want to check out my page, you can find me here:

https://www.inkitt.com/AuthorCMMoore 

Inkitt

Signing up for Inkitt is free, and it's a lot of fun!

As we reach October, I always consider writing something a little dark. Normally, my writing is a little more “sunshine and happy endings” than “moonlight and mysteries.” But I sometimes consider writing a haunting love story. Maybe a charming ghost or a killer we can fall for. I am fond of monsters. I have one at home, so it’s an idea.

When I think about a mystery, I picture what fun it would be to have a blend of both romantic and spooky elements. I think of candlelit dinners in haunted mansions or first kisses in web-shrouded graveyards. I know vampires are overdone, but there is something to it that gets me. 
We will see. To soothe my longing for something creeping in the woods, I am going to have one of my aliens fall in love with a shapeshifting wolf that howls at the full moon.

It’s something. Have a happy and safe Halloween.

​As my birthday approaches, I always pause to reflect on the precious moments over the last year that have enriched my writing and my life. I know that each of the novels I have created comes from a blend of happy times and sad times, mixed with my unique voice and parts of my soul.

This month, I want to tell you all the things I am grateful for. I am alive another year, and I have another year to write, love, and laugh. That is a magnificent blessing.

I am happy for the blank page that holds nothing but possibilities.
I am joyful over the characters whispering their secrets at night.
I appreciate the readers who understand me and my work and those who fall in love with my heroes and heroines.
I am thankful for my fellow writers who have helped me in my journey…
Finally, I am blessed to have an entire book flow from my fingertips onto a page and somehow end up in your hands. That truly is magic.

Thank you to all of you out there—to every cherished reader, to every heartfelt connection, and to that special moment when stories bring us together.

With gratitude,
C.M.

​As I started writing 4:05 a.m.: An Ice Era Chronicle, I became interested in a side character named Haze. The more I wrote, the more Haze stuck out in my head—I don’t know why. Finally, I had to consider that I might be giving this man his own book.
I struggle with that. I could write him a holiday story or just an Off-The-Rails story, but I am on the fence about which to do. 
I hate being on the fence. 
Haze plays an integral part in Ronan’s story, so I must give him some serious focus in 4:05 a.m.

So, to start with, I want to make sure Haze isn’t dull. I also need to introduce him clearly. I want to ensure I don’t have a reader doing that thing where they are flipping back pages and asking who that guy is.
Next, I want to make Haze memorable. I must establish his purpose and ground him in the Ice Era world.

Having fun side characters is great, but at this moment, I need to add a little more because I am considering a story for my character. I just don’t know where it belongs.
Of course, that doesn’t stop me from writing it...
​I just hit 10,000 words.
***

Chapter One:

Haze was so, so, so in trouble.
But instead of freaking out, he did what his madam taught him. He needed to slow it down.
Standing before Madam Granite as she sat in her wheelchair scowling, he took in the grand dining area of the Pochwa’s castle. He’d lived here since he was eighteen and never stepped out of line. Not once. He wanted to serve this all-female tribe that had built a fortress near Palmillas. He liked it.
Though these women were often referred to as man-haters, Haze had been with the group for so long that he didn’t see them that way. Yes, almost all these females had powerful gifts and had come here to not be around men, but even if they were leery of males in general, they never punished too harshly or hurt the men who decided to attend them.
Well—except that one time. Haze bowed his head and slowed his spinning mind. It would be okay. Madam Granite was old but kind, caring, and sharp. She wouldn’t beat him to death.
Probably...

​I love writing the first kiss. My daughter said to me the other day that I romanticize everything. 
But it’s not everything. I romanticize that flutter of excitement right before two people’s lips meet for the first time. However, as I evolve as a writer, I think about more than just that first kiss.

I read the other day that, as a writer, I need to consider my characters’ first touch. The post I was looking at mentioned how the initial physical contact between your characters can make or break your readers’ emotional investment.

Interesting. I’d never considered that before. Now, I am supposed to consider that fleeting moment when fingers brush while passing a gun or a steadying hand on someone’s back. The idea is that those little moments could spark more tension than a passionate embrace.

Hummm?

I read that physical touch releases oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone.” Readers instinctively understand this chemistry, even if they don’t know the science behind it. That means I should craft a story that has these early moments of contact with intention. If I do that, I will tap into my readers’ emotional memories and experiences. I need to make every touch count, not just the first kiss.

Easier said than done… but I am up for it.

So, as I work on my next book, I am trying to keep this idea in mind. I always want to keep getting better as a writer, and if I succeed in tapping into your emotional memories sometimes, yay for me. I hope you come back for more.