Keep Swimming: Picspiration

One of the most common questions I'm asked, and I'm sure most authors are asked, is what inspires a story? Now, that's like asking any artist what inspires them. Sometimes it's a moment in their day that would make such a fabulous moment in a book so you build a character around that. Maybe it was an idea from a story a friend told you, or from someone's real life experience that gets twisted into your own weird fantasy that becomes an M/M romance. Who can really say?

While a song may inspire specific scene, maybe the idea or story the song tells becomes the story or characterization of one or both MCs, I can't say I go in with a set playlist. It's hard for me to even come up with the playlist from a book when I'm finished because it'll be such randomness from my playlist that was used to keep my focus zoned in on my writing and in a little bubble. Heh, if you've read all my books, and are a details person, you'll notice that while I may not say her name specifically every time, EVERY one of my books, even co-written, I slip in some reference to Britney Spears. (What? Y'all knew I was a shameless Britney fan.)

But, my biggest inspiration at the end of the day is visual. While the story gets its bones from the plots, the way the song and a story and another idea all come together to create the bare bits of the story, the actual meat comes once I've seen some photo of a guy that inspires me. (Even as a reader I'm a sucker for a good cover model because I need that to picture the person in my mind.) In the case of Keep Swimming, the actual story STARTED with a photo, which happens for me more often than not. So I thought I'd share with you guys the one that started it all:

I saw that and posted it on my FaceBook with the caption "I gotta write their story." And then, Cary and Gus were born. Within an hour I had Keep Swimming's notes started. Then I found Heath:

And two weeks later, I'd plotted, bounced ideas off every poor soul I came in contact with, and BAM! Over four days I'd written their story. So, maybe all that rambling means it's not just ONE thing that inspires me, while at the same time I can also be inspired by the simplest thing. But they never come alive for me like they do when I see the boys who will be acting the story out in my head.

And now we have a book. Cary and Heath's book, Keep Swimming, dropping on you in a few weeks (July 15th) and I'm hoping I did my guys proud. And I hope you all enjoy.

Okay, I'll stop rambling now. Thanks, those of you who lasted through all of that. And I shall leave you with the lovely art LC Chase came up with (she spoils me). And the GoodReads link, for those who've not seen the cover art and/or blurb.

 <3 Kaderade

Keep Swimming by Kade Boehme

Out July 15, 2014 

 GoodReads