Blog hop with Diana McCollum

Diana McCollum asked me to join in a blog hop and I was happy to agree. The only problem--I was to link to three other writers. I couldn't find anyone who wasn't so busy writing that they could take the time to join. Here are my answers to the questions:

What am I working on?
I'm writing the second book of the Halsey Homecoming trilogy- Staking Claim. This book starts out in the streets of Liverpool England and the characters are embarking on a  journey across the Atlantic Ocean in a Clipper Ship.

How does this story differ from others in its genre? 
Well, I consider this a historical western, because my hero is from a family living in Oregon in 1899 but he's also the heir to a British estate and has been there taking care of things. So the book will be more historical and less emphasis on western.

Why do I write what I do? 
The reason I write the books I write is because a character, a plot, or an idea came to me. I get excited about the idea and I have to do the research and write the book.

How does my writing process work?
It's different for each book. Some  books come to me as characters and I have to do what if's and come up with a plot or story. Other books come with a plot and I have to conjure up the right characters for the story. And others like the story I'm writing now, came about from secondary characters in other books and circumstances that started with a previous book. Then I have to stir all those in a pot and figure out what will make a good story to go with the character and his past.

Please go visit Diana at her site. http://dianamccollum.weebly.com/about-the-author.html