Guest Post
Today, we welcome author Karen Botha as she discusses how she manages her writing schedule:
I’ve tried writing in all sorts of ways over the past few years. I used to just sit down and write for as long as it took me to get bored and then I’d move on to do something else with my day.
Now, I have a target. I need to write 5k words a day to meet my deadlines, and so that’s what I do. I found I struggled with inspiration at first. I’d get to the point when I would usually have gotten up off my backside and done something else and I’d get twitchy. So, someone gave me a tip.
I use an App called Brain Focus which is the best. It counts down 25 minutes during which you write as much as you can. Then you take a 5-minute break. I couldn’t believe how much my output increased when I started using this.
I’m releasing one book a week from 3rd September to Christmas and so I’ve been on a tight turnaround, juggling lots of moving parts.
My old routine used to be to get up in the morning and exercise. What I found though as the pressure increased was that I couldn’t focus. I was too desperate to get into the office that exercising became a source of pressure.
So, instead, I use Les Mills on Demand and I noticed that their classes are in roughly five-minute bursts. So, when I have the break now, I get up and I do another batch of exercise.
Guess what?
My output increased even more. It must have something to do with the blood rushing around my body or something because I am now on fire.
Naked Truths was written both ways because this was my first book. Back in those days, I was proud to say I could write 1000 words in a sitting. It sounded a lot, right? When I came back after getting it re-edited eighteen months later, I’m now up to 1600 per hour.
And that’s critical for me because I have so many books floating around my head, driving me crazy and stopping me from sleeping, that it makes a difference if I can write faster.
My poor husband is a star. I am up at all times of the night paying homage to a new idea which has sprung into my head at the most inconvenient of times. He’ll often wake in the morning to find I have crept out of bed and am ensconced upstairs in my office, putting some words down on paper before they drive me totally insane. Although, he may argue that I’m already there, but you’ll have to ask him about that.
He’s a grieving widower, the perfect boyfriend, and the prime suspect…
Lucy knows the importance of boundaries. As a massage therapist, she keeps her work and her personal life completely separate. But when a handsome widower shows up on her table and sparks an instant attraction, Lucy is shameless. Breaking her rule, she crosses the line, triggering a series of thrilling mysteries.
Paula isn’t so sure about her best friend’s perfect man… or the story of his wife's death. To uncover the truth, the former detective infiltrates his social circle. When she examines a scandalous lodger, a jealous brother, and a protective mother-in-law, everyone seems to have a hidden motive for murder…
Lucy is torn between her old friend and her dark new love. Will she follow her head or her heart? And can Paula discover the true killer before her friend makes a fateful mistake?
Naked Truths is the first book in a series of pulse-pounding romantic suspense books. If you like the odd steamy sex scene, complex characters, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love the suspense of Karen Botha’s gripping romantic suspense.
Karen Botha was born in Lincolnshire, England where her father was in the Royal Air Force. As a young girl she always had a passion for reading and writing, studying English Language before University.
Working most of her adult life in digital marketing didn't leave her much time to pursue her passion for stories. But, at the age of 36 she retrained as a reflexologist and started working for herself. This helped her free up more than enough time to enjoy a re-found passion; writing.
Her first novel was inspired by the true life experiences of her clients. But don't believe everything you read, she has more than enough imagination to catch you out with twist and turns galore.
She enjoys romance, travelling and motor sport, which also provide her inspiration for her books.
She currently lives in London with her husband and rescue dog, Shadow.
