The authors of the stories in Crazy Little Spring Called Love (pre-order here) sat down to answer some questions for their readers. For links to the full list of interview questions, teasers, and more, visit the blog tour page.

Question 2: Process

Was there a particular song, ritual, or something else that helped get you into the writing mood for your story? Describe it for readers.

Traci Douglass

I don’t really have a process. When I sit down to write, my process is pretty much the same day to day—quiet room, instrumental tunes on my playlist, coffee in my cup, and a cozy sweater or sweatshirt handy in case I get cold. That’s it.

Sheri Queen

Songs have more importance once I’ve started writing. I begin with my basic idea and my storyboard. I might have music on in the background or I might be in a mood for complete quiet (which is pretty hard to come by in my house, lol.). I find that once my character is firmly in my head, I notice different songs that fit my character and the plot.

M.T. DeSantis

I’d love to paint an elaborately colorful portrait of deep blue skies, and green, green grass, and silver moonlight settling over all of it like fresh morning dew. In reality, once I had the idea, the story took 2 or 3 days to write with no background music or rituals of any kind. Pretty boring, I know.

Cara McKinnon

Lately instead of writing to music I write with an app called “Sunny.” There are about a half-dozen different recordings of waves, from strong frequent breakers to quiet, more lake-like lapping. You can choose to add rain, birds, and music, but I usually stick with a very light rain in addition to the surf. I love being at the ocean, and this gives me a good mix of white noise and that comforting wave crash that makes me feel like I’m sitting with my laptop at the beach instead of at my desk in my house!

L.J. Longo

I write at least two thousand words every day no matter what I have planned that day or my mood, so there’s not much room for particular rituals except ass-in-chair. In terms of music, I usually do listen to something. Most of this story I spent listening to music from Ireland, Asia, and Iceland. One song in particular, Siúil A Rún ended up in the story in a roundabout way. The title translates to “walk, my love” and the song pops into Tan’s head whenever he sees Svildna hobbling around on her crutch, so that’s the song he’s always whistling.

Mary Rogers

You’ll notice this right away! My heroine is Carson Freigh, and my hero is Carson Byrd. Can you guess what song that is? Freebird was the grad song when my husband graduated Kings Point USMMA, and I often tease him about that. I have a set of six brandy goblets (I have never used them! I don’t drink brandy!) that say United States Merchant Marine Academy Graduation – “Freebird”. Now, I used that song to bring my two characters to hate that they’re thrown together like this, and then to love it.

Elsa Carruthers

I curl up in a wingback chair and type into my Alphasmart. No internet, no distractions.