The Write Place #21: Farrah Rochon

Whenever someone asks me where I write, I often answer, “anywhere!” That’s the beauty of being a writer, isn’t it? As long as I have my laptop, a pen and notebook, or even my trusty little Alphasmart, I can usually block everything out of my mind and zero in on my writing zone.

It wasn’t always that way. For years, I was your typical coffeehouse writer. But I couldn’t write at just any coffeehouse, it had to be at one particular Starbucks. In the mornings before heading off to the day job, and for several hours every evening, I’d plop down at my favorite table and diligently plow away at my manuscript. There was just something about that familiar setting, those easily recognizable aromas, the regulars who came in for their morning coffee and evening lattes; they became an essential part of my writing routine.

Then Hurricane Katrina blew into town, and my favorite Starbucks was forced to close up shop. It remained closed for over a year.

That’s when I realized that I couldn’t allow a particular place to dictate whether or not I could write, and I began to condition myself to write in various spots around town. These days, I can write in my car, the airport, a noisy restaurant, or the dentist’s office. It matters not. Occasionally, when I’m under a tight deadline, I’ll even lock myself away in a hotel for a couple of days.

However, there is something to be said about having a dedicated writing space, which, these days, is a desk in my “writing corner.” There you’ll find my favorite rocks and gemstones that help to center me as I delve into my stories, and my diffuser is usually providing a gentle mist of mind-clearing rosemary, lemon, and peppermint. Tucked into another corner is a small standing desk that I can either roll in front of my desktop or use when working on my laptop so that I’m not sitting all day. Both work perfectly for me, but I still visit Starbucks at least once a week, for both a change of scenery and a caramel latte!

A native of south Louisiana, USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelors of Science degree and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine’s Best New Author of 2007. Her debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers series, garnered rave reviews, earning Farrah several SORMAG Readers’ Choice Awards.

In September 2010, Farrah joined the Harlequin Kimani Romance family with the launch of her series that follows the lives of the fictional New York Sabers football team. The second book in the Sabers series, I’ll Catch You, was nominated for the prestigious RITA Award given by the Romance Writers of America. Additionally, the second book in her Bayou Dreams series, Yours Forever, was a RITA nominee in 2015. A Forever Kind of Love, the first book in the Bayou Dreams series, was a 2012 RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee. In 2015, Farrah won the Emma Award for Author of the Year.

When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading her favorite romance novels, hanging around on Twitter, visiting Disney World, and trying to attend as many Broadway shows as her budget will allow. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.

Racquel Henry is a Trinidadian writer, editor, and writing coach with an MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is a part-time English Professor and owns Writer’s Atelier. Racquel is also the co-founder and Editor at Black Fox Literary Magazine and the Editor-in-Chief at Voyage YA. She is the author of Holiday on Park, Letter to Santa, and The Writer’s Atelier Little Book of Writing Affirmations. Her fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in various literary magazines and anthologies. When she’s not working, you can find her watching Hallmark Christmas movies.
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