 1. Every published author has a story of their first sale. Would you describe yours? Why do you think that project was your breakout piece?
It was June 14, 2004 and I was with my mom at lunch, and I just happened to have my ringer turned up on my cell phone. I noticed the area code on the caller ID and immediately knew 212 meant NYC. So I immediately started to panic. When I answered she asked for me and said that it was Kelly from Avon and that this was, "the call." She loved my book and wanted to offer me a 2-book deal.
Holy cow! My hands were shaking like crazy and I mouthed to my mom what was going on and she started jumping up and down and holding her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. I remembered vaguely that I needed to write things down, so I grabbed an envelope and jotted everything down on the back. I wish I had been more coherent to hear all the glowing things she said about my writing and the book, but I was listening for number details so I would have info to give my top choice agent when I hung up the phone. As for that particular book and why it sold, frankly I knew something was different when I was writing it, it felt different in every way. I really felt I'd hit my stride with that book and do believe it's where I found my voice.
So that day, I had woken up with 5 completed manuscripts and having written for 7 years and yet another frustrating day having not heard anything from NYC and that night I went to bed as a multi-published author or at least contracted as such. For all the difficulties in this business, the highs are pretty stinking high!
2. Besides the genre you currently write, is there any other genre you would like to explore at some point in your writing career?
I'm dabbling in some contemporary ideas, but nothing is concrete at this point. But I don't know that I'll ever leave romance, it's just a natural fit for me.
3. What do you see yourself writing in 10 years? More historicals or something else?
I definitely want to be writing more historicals in 10 years, no whether or not the market holds remains to be seen, but they are my first love and at this point I always want to be writing them. I would like to write contemporaries (in some form or fashion) in addition to my historicals. I write fairly fast so that would be a great endeavor for me to be able to write in 2 genres.
4. Do you have a specific writing schedule? Give us an example of a normal day in your life.
I write full-time and I prefer to write in the mornings, but sometimes life doesn't work that way. I've learned that you pretty much have to roll with life and some days you can have a perfect writing schedule and others you have to get your writing done when you can. I don't have a certain amount of time I write everyday, but rather work on weekly page count goals that translate to a rough average of pages per day. All in all, I try to get at least one scene written every day.
5. If you could travel through time, would you go toe the future or the past? What or who would you take with you?
I'm pretty content right here, right now, but I would love to travel into the past (with some modern conveniences, of course) and I'd bring my husband. We'd have a great time in Victorian London together.
6. Are you a big reader? Please share a few of your favorite authors with us.
I don't get to read as much as I'd like anymore, but I still love reading. Favorite authors are Teresa Medeiros, Suzanne Enoch, Stephanie Bond, Amanda Quick, Suzanne Brockmann, Pamela Morsi, Judy Blume, JK Rowling, Jim Butcher and I could go on and on. I love books with your not so average (but real) characters and depth of emotion, whether that be humor, poignancy or suspense. |
A Woman's Triumphant Valor. Delicious Language. Award Winning Novel.
