FAQ
Hi. The following Q&A questions have been asked of me in various interviews over time. I thought I would post my responses here. They may change from time to time. Enjoy!
When did the writing bug first bite?
Looking back, I remember
making up stories in my head as a child, to help me fall asleep. I would recall
television shows I’d watched and rewrite the story in my head, rearrange
dialogue, change the ending. I first dabbled with writing in high school, and later
in college, but it wasn’t until after my life was well underway that I
seriously started pursuing writing as a possible career. That was in the
mid-to-late 80s. I joined Romance Writers of America in 1990 and knew that
writing romance was what I wanted to do. My first novel was published by
Kensington in 1997.
How long have you been writing?
A long time. I wrote my
first book in the late 1980s on an electric typewriter and mailed off the hard
copy manuscript to Harlequin—I think it was 1988. Of course, it was returned in
a couple of weeks with a very clear rejection. I persevered and finally landed that
Kensington contract in 1996. After six books with them in the late 90s, I was
on my way.
How do you manage to juggle everyday life while writing?
I’ve been writing since my
children were babies, while holding down a full time teaching position, and
managing a household. During those times I often wrote late at night after the
kids were in bed. Later, when my children were older and I was a single parent,
and my job put me on the road traveling, I wrote in airports and hotel rooms. There
was a length of time when I didn’t manage it well at all and wrote NOTHING. Another
author once said to me, “These are things we have to get through so that we can
write on the other side.” I eventually picked up the keyboard again and did
find my stories, but often, it is still an effort to find the time to write.
What I have determined is that I have to make it, “the writing,” the priority,
and what I have to do is set aside time specifically for writing, and only
writing.
What or who inspired you to start writing?
There is no particular
person or event who inspired me to start writing. Writing is something I came
into gradually over the years, realizing I enjoyed it. For a long time, not
many people knew that I loved to dabble in the written word, and for an even
longer time, I never considered it something I would eventually make into a
career. Writing, for me, was a life process. It takes time to be a writer, and
to be a good storyteller. I believe that writing gets better with age and life
experiences.
You write in many sub-genres of romance. How does that work for you?
I do write in many sub-genres
of romance, generally contemporary, suspense, and paranormal romance. Moving from
one to one is not difficult—it’s a matter of getting my head into the story. Once
I’m there, I’m good to go. I prefer not to hop around from book to book when
writing, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. The subgenre doesn’t matter—it’s the
story and how it comes to me. My job is to simply deliver.
Which sub-genre do you prefer to write?
No preference! Each story
is written when it’s time, generally after it has rolled around in my head for
a while. (sometimes years!)
Have you written anything other than contemporary romance or
paranormal?
Oh yes. I’ve written a lot
of non-fiction, mostly in the academic world—journal articles, training
manuals, teacher materials, book chapters, and so on. I started out writing
freelance for local magazines and newspapers. I still have a hankering to write
those "last word" essays on the last page in women’s magazines. I
also write erotic fiction under another pen name. Doesn’t everyone these days?
Will you ever write fiction that is not romance?
Probably. There’s a cozy
mystery in my future.
How do find names for your characters?
After nearly 40 novellas
and novels, the characters are plentiful. I have picked names from baby books,
popular name lists, phone books, and when I was teaching, my class roll lists.
But there are characters whose names literally came to me, or presented
themselves during the writing process. Those are usually those characters that
shake you or say, “Write my story,” or the ones who simply walk into your story
and say, “Hey, my name is XXX, and I’m here now and part of this story. Just
wanted you to know.”
Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?
I don’t. I generally have
to schedule time in and I prefer long blocks of time where I won’t be distracted
with other tasks. So, sometimes that can be early in the morning and other
times, just when the house is quiet. I don’t like a lot going on around me when
I am getting into the story and prefer silence or instrumental music—or the
Food Network. It’s the only show I can
have on the TV that doesn’t distract me. Not sure why.
What does writing bring to you? How does writing make you feel?
When a story is finished,
it is the best thing ever. The satisfaction of getting the story told is a
powerful feeling. Right now there are a number of stories running around in my
head that are eager to be told! I feel a responsibility to the
characters to share their story with the world. I think it’s a matter of
timing. I’ve been told by a medium that I channel when I write, and I really do
believe that at times, I do. I think stories pick you to be told, and I’m
honored to tell them, and quite happy when I get them right. Weird?
What is your greatest achievement?
Raising independent,
intelligent children who are self-sufficient and happy. That means the
world.
What is a day in your writing life like? Do you have a set schedule?
I have the 15 second
commute from coffee maker to my office. I love that more than you know. After
35 years of hectic morning commutes, some of them quite lengthy, and I am
simply thrilled to travel no further each morning than to my sunroom office.
After that, it’s all gravy. No particular schedule. I do what needs to be done
every single day.
What is your favorite kind of cake?
Cake! I love cupcakes! Of
all sorts, flavors and design. I used to be an Iron Cupcake baker/blogger!
Who would play your leading man if/when your next book gets
picked up by Hollywood?
If it were Jack in Entranced, it would definitely be Johnny
Depp. If it were one of my cowboy books, a younger, but still scruffy, Sam
Elliot.
Where are you from and where is your favorite place…and why?
I hail from a cornfield in
Ohio. Well, actually, the edge of a cornfield in Ohio. Small town, flat land,
corn as far as you can see. My parents didn’t own a farm but my grandparents
did. I had a pony, and played in the barns and in my Grandma’s attic. Growing
up, if it wasn’t corn, soybeans, or cattle, it wasn’t much worth talking about,
to most folks. I moved away from Ohio when I went off to college, not realizing
that I would never go back there to live again. I now live in Kentucky.
My favorite place is home.
In my professional life, I was a business traveler. Now that I am home, I often
don’t want to go anywhere else. I feel safe and secure here, comfortable. My
home is my castle. However, there is a favorite beach or two in the Carolinas
that I love to escape to for a week or so each year, just to smell the ocean,
feel the sand in my toes, and hear the waves lap the shore…
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Write, write, write, and
read, read, read. Read in the genre you want to write. Become and expert at
your craft, don’t put a book out there too soon, and enjoy the process. Then,
write your next, best book. Repeat.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to research a story?
Me? Crazy? That’s an
unbecoming rumor that I’ll deny every time….
What do you like to read?
I love, love, love
magazines. I think because I’m making a huge time commitment to a novel. I
love, love, love big juicy, sink-my-toes-into novels, but lately the problem
with those are time, time, time…. Magazines are cool because I can read in short
bits.
Who is your favorite author and why?
Favorite author. Margaret
Mitchell. How can you not love a woman who wrote one incredible book and
received both the National Book Award and a Pulitzer for that one effort? Plus,
I’ve been fixated with that HEA issue with Gone
With The Wind for a few decades now….
Do you have a day job alongside writing and will you tell us about it?
No. I mean, no, I don’t have a day job, so I can’t
tell you about it! J Writing and publishing is my full-time job.
If you weren’t a writer, what career might you have chosen?
Once upon a time, I was a
teacher. That seems like eons ago. And if I couldn’t be a writer, and if I were
thin and tall, I would be a dancer. And if not that, a cowgirl. Or maybe Julia
Roberts.
Who is your favorite superhero?
Patsy Cline. What? She’s
not a superhero? Okay, well, Wonder Woman, of course! I like her belt.
Your favorite book heroine?
Favorite. Book. Heroine.
*drums fingers, glances off…* Alice. In Wonderland. Because she looks good even
when she’s big.
Hero?
Heathcliff. He had me at
twelve years old.
You finally have an evening free to spend any way you want. Money is no
object. Where do you go? What would you do?
Well first, money being no
object, I would buy that house on the east coast. Then, on my free evening, I
would put on something comfy (but sexy), fix an adult beverage that might
include rum or bourbon or tequila or maybe all three, grab a book, my dog, and
that drink of course, and sit outside overlooking the sound and watch the sun
set over the water. Yeah, that’s me, drinking alone… J But wait, there’s the dog.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your
books?
I’ve learned that the
stories are not mine. They belong to someone else. I’m gifted the opportunity
to tell this story. These characters, these people in my head, who are urging
me to tell their stories, are real. I’m not entirely convinced that they don’t
live in a parallel universe somewhere and are channeling their stories to me. I’m
just the deliverer. The conduit. And it’s why I take it seriously to make sure
that I am telling their story in the best way possible.
Do you believe in love at first site?
I do. I do not believe
that I have experienced it, and I probably won’t in this lifetime, but I do
believe it is possible. I also believe that “love at first sight” is a magical
thing that perhaps happens only when lost soul mates collide for the first time
in this lifetime. Hm. Yes. I am actually writing a series with this premise.
Movies or TV?
Depends. My television is
off more than it is on, but I do have a few TV shows I like to catch. I have
not been to a movie theater in years. I do occasionally watch a movie on TV and
will treat myself to an “on demand” recent release. I love stories, and I do
like movies a lot, but finding the couple of hours of time away to watch is
generally a treat. (p.s. I am also trying to read more lately, so these days I’d
rather read than watch.)
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Yes. And No.
Yes, when I am extremely
busy and I can’t focus on the writing, but I need to write, and I force myself
to block off some time. I might as well be searching for a needle in a
haystack. No, in that when I’m not stressed, and when I’m focused, the writing
bubbles forth.
Is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Druids. I’ve been thinking
about this recently. I want to do a book with Druids and a henge. I haven’t
quite put my finger on the story yet but it will come to me. Eventually.
What’s the best thing about being an author?
Seriously, the best thing
is being able to get these danged people’s stories out of my head. I swear, I
think some of them have been there since I was in the cradle. But other than
that, the best thing is no longer waking to an alarm clock. That is heavenly.
Pepsi or Coke?
DIET COKE!
What do you do when you are not writing?
I actually work in the
book world pretty much 24/7, so if I am not writing, I am probably working on
some aspect of someone else’s book. I do cover art, formatting, and all of the
administrative tasks of the business. (I own a small press.) Now, when I’m not
doing all of that? I have a few TV shows I like to catch now and again (The
Black List, The Voice, Law & Order: SVU, and yes, I’m a Food Network
junkie!) I force myself to go outside and do lawn work, but once I’m out there,
I love it. Occasionally, I like to take an impromptu trip somewhere.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way
either growing up or as an adult?
I read Gone With The Wind at a young age. I
believe I never got over the fact that Rhett kicked Scarlet out of his life at
the end. I cried for hours after saying, “But they were supposed to be
together!” Perhaps that’s why I love writing happily ever after endings. I’ve
been trying to fix Rhett for several decades…. (when will I learn than men can’t
be fixed?)
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
I’d like to be able to
communicate with animals. I’d love to know what my dog is thinking. And my
cats. No, scratch that one. I don’t want to know what they are thinking….
What was your first job?
Waitress. I waited tables
in high school and college. Interesting things learned while waiting on
families, dodging old men, and eavesdropping on couples. Hm. Story fodder?
Out of all of your characters, which is your favorite? Why?
I love Suzie Schul from
The Matchmaking Chef series. Now, probably some authors would name a hero, but
I just resonate with Suzie. She’s a character who has been in many of my books
and probably will be in the future. I mean, how can you resist a Suzie Homemaker
type who has her own food show, runs a B&B, and matchmakes the local
townspeople? I think she’d be a perfect Hallmark movie character. What do you
think?
What does your writing schedule look like today?
Haphazard. I need to fix
that. Seriously. Right now there is no schedule!
Do you use your OWN experiences in your writing?
Depends. J
Is it easy to pick titles for your books?
Titles come easy or not at
all. If they come to me quickly, I generally love them. If I have to seek them
out, it takes a while.