Erica Hayes: The Voice of 'Hell Yeah!'

Thanks for inviting me back to Tote Bags 'n' Blogs. It's always lovely to come here!

Last time I posted, I spoke about the Voice of Doubt. You know, that person inside your head who tells you no. Who scares you away from chasing your dreams, because it's hard or risky or you might offend someone!

Well, today I'd like to talk about the Voice of Hell Yeah! Usually not an inner voice, mind you. I'm kind of my own worst motivational enemy. No, this voice often pops up in the shape of other people. The ones who encourage me, support me, tell me, yes, you can do it!

My husband is one. Actually, he's more like the Voice of I Told You So. He has so much faith in me it's ridiculous. He's Mr. Confused when I express surprise that something went well. "Well, of course you succeeded!" he'll say, looking at me like I've got three heads. "What else did you think would happen?"

My writing critique partners, too. They know me well enough not to butter me up – if my story has a problem, they'll say so, or it'll be DOOM for them, bwahaha! – but they are embarrassingly confident of my success. And they're always available for a quick 'you're awesome' when I need it. I hope I do the same for them. It's important to have an honest cheer squad.

Supportive characters are fun to write, too! As romance authors, we're all about putting our heroes and heroines through the wringer. So the least we can do is give them a best buddy, who can talk them down from the edge when the going gets unbearable.

I think that's one reason why the 'band of brothers' is such a popular trope in romance series, like my Seven Signs books. It gives our tough, gorgeous heroes someone to just hang out with. Japheth, my fallen angel hero in Redemption, has a 'best friend' in his fellow angel warrior Dashiel. Dash cheers him up when he's down, makes fun of him when he's taking himself too seriously, and – most importantly – calls him on his self-denial. Because, y'know. Japheth's a frosty fallen angel warrior with a fiery heart, who's trying to be sinless. He's positively drowning in self-denial.

Lastly, but by no means least: some of my best Voices of Hell Yeah! are readers. You guys are great. Many times I've received an impromptu cyberhug from someone who messaged me to say 'loved your book!' – and it always seems to happen right when I need it most.

These are priceless moments. We should treasure them, wrap them carefully, store them away to remember on those days when it all seems too hard.

Thanks for having me on Tote Bags 'n' Blogs! I'm giving away a paperback copy of Redemption. You can check it out on my website, and read an excerpt: http://www.ericahayes.net/redemption.html

For a chance to win, leave a comment here and tell me: Who are the people in your life who encourage and support you?

Erica Hayes was a law student, an air force officer, an editorial assistant and a musician, before finally landing her dream job: fantasy and romance writer.
She writes dark paranormal and urban fantasy romance, and her books feature tough, smart heroines and colourful heroes with dark secrets. She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she's terrorizing the wilds of Northumberland.

You can meet her on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ericahayes) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ericahayes.author)

***Erica's winner is Pat Cochran!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details.***