When the pandemic forced this author to slow down the frenetic pace of her life, she was finally able to buckle down and write her novel.

by Luce Sutherland

It was April 2020. I had been running nonstop for the past fifteen years straight. Not running on the treadmill (although I did a little of that, too). I mean running to meet the crazy pace of my professional life. My corporate job included two relocations, frequent global travel, complex scheduling, meticulous communication in a high-performance environment with a relentless pace. And I loved it!

When Covid happened, I was separated from my loved ones and isolated from the workplace in a time zone three hours west of my support network. Crisis time? Nope. A blessing in disguise.

Since I had not figured out how to stop running, the universe did it for me. Those two words, “for me,” are important. We can choose to believe shit happens to us, or it happens for us. When faced with a detour in the road, we can turn around and go home or forge a new path. I chose the latter.

For many years I had a hobby called writing. Fifteen unfinished stories written over the course of two decades sat in my personal vault. Some were still on diskettes typed in WordPerfect. Occasionally I reviewed them and tried to pick up the thread, but work inevitably disrupted my focus.

I had another serious problem. I was a starter, not a finisher. A pantster, not a plotter. I would start writing, then leave the file for weeks at a time. It became impossible to pick up the pieces or the stream of consciousness when I returned to it. Those were just a few of the excuses I used to explain why nothing ever came to be. The biggest roadblock was my belief that my juicy stories would shock people, and I couldn’t possibly let anyone read them. Even now, I believe publishing is akin to walking down the street naked. We are bearing our souls and deepest thoughts to the world and allowing ourselves to be judged. It’s not for the faint of heart!

Fifteen unfinished stories written over the course of two decades sat in my personal vault—some on diskettes typed in WordPerfect.

But I digress. Back to the spring of 2020.

The conundrum: What was I going to do with this newfound solitude and freedom?

The epiphany: It was my time to write and finish a book!

This is where I started. From scratch. I knew I needed a “recipe book” because winging it had not netted positive results. My education began with How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson, and I went from there, finding one “master chef” after another to learn from. Amazon delivered at least one book every week on the craft of writing.

Two months later, the walls of my home office were lined with colorful flip charts about my heroine’s journey, story structure, scene structure rules, and character profiles, including their disasters and dilemmas. I spent hours building the settings in my head (and on Pinterest), drawing from my travels to London and Scotland and filling in details using Google Earth. From there I found an online community, signed up for countless webinars, and started drafting a steamy contemporary romance about two people with trust issues.

At the time, I wasn’t sure how safe I was going to play it (mid-range heat or a blazing inferno between my unsuspecting characters?). My own reading choices ran the gamut. I found inspiration in sweet Harlequins, Regency-era historicals, and even Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty series. My goal was to find a magical place in the middle of those genres. A compelling set of characters, navigating unusual circumstances, fighting their desires, succumbing to the attraction, becoming adversaries, fighting a villain, and finally surrendering to their feelings.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to give in to the “full monty.” And like those British fellows in the movie, I had to bare it all—figuratively speaking. This required extensive research of an erotic nature. My computer search history would reveal countless jaw-dropping discoveries so my debut novel could deliver the five-alarm experience in a way not done before.

One of my favorite quotes to live and write by is from Barbara Kingsolver:

“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.”

This whole experience also taught me a few things about myself. The best way to reach a higher state of creativity is to be present in the moment. The best way to be present is to quiet the noise of everyday life. The only way to quiet the noise is to stop running.

I’m happy to say, I recently chose to step off the treadmill where the speed was determined by others. Now I go at my own pace. Writing is incredibly rewarding (and it tests me every day), but I am excited to continue creating juicy stories and letting them out into the world.

The lesson: when the universe gives you the gift of time, whether it’s forced upon you or not, it is an opportunity to grow, create, take a risk, or chart a new path.

It took me a year to write, a year to edit, and a year to put a team together to publish—and the fruits of my labor will be published on January 17, 2025. Somebody pinch me!

Luce Sutherland has been reading juicy, erotic romance since before it was mainstream, when you couldn’t hide behind a Kindle and had to bring the illicit book to the register—and be judged by the cashier. When those books became harder to come by, she resorted to writing her own stories about dominant, delicious, alpha heroes and the bold, sassy heroines they aimed to tame. Luce lives with her own alpha husband in the Sunshine State, and is passionate about nurturing authentic friendships, savoring Maui coffee, and indulging in Scottish gin. Her motto is “Live life juicy,” and you can find out more by signing up for her juicy blog.

Visit Luce at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.