Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Sam's Interview and a Contest...
Okay, here's my chance to have chosen a few questions to answer... I wanted to pick more, there were great questions, but limited to a few. Since it’s Monday, it’s also time to give away a book, isn’t it? If you comment on my post generally, or answer any of these questions yourself, on Friday I’ll choose a winner from comments (from registered users) to get a copy of Pick Me Up and some surprise books from my goody bag… So, on to the interview...
Ani asked: Do you ever feel constricted by writing categories?
Generally, no. In fact, I think in many ways you have much more range to explore in category than people think, because in lines like Blaze you can do anything from paranormal to suspense to something light-hearted, and then as a Harlequin author, you can also write for different lines, so if you have a hankering to write something sweet or sexy, you can. In that way, you have more room to grow, because it seems like out in the other publishing worlds, you get “branded” more specifically. If you write one kind of book that sells, they want you writing ten more of the same thing, and so do readers. I've heard from other authors that when they wanted to write something different in mainstream, they had to find a new publisher, even. With category, editors are always supportive about authors trying new things.
The only time I might feel the tiniest bit constricted is when I feel a word choice I made is necessary, whether to the scene or the character, and it gets changed. I’ve had to be careful about tracking that in edits, because the changes can be awkward (once they changed "fuck off" to "screw off" -- seriously, no one says "screw off" right?). Also, sometimes it hits me that the change is out of character, but the eds are making changes for other reasons. So in that sense, a writer probably does have more freedom in mainstream, because they aren’t as worried about someone having a conniption over some harsh language or whatnot. You can probably take more chances with your characters, and come at stories a little differently than you do in category because typically you are writing a longer book in mainstream.
Have your friends & family been supportive all along or did they just consider it "your little hobby" until you got published? Their reaction now?
I’m so glad someone asked this, thanks Ani! My family and friends are amazingly supportive, and make me feel like they are really proud of me, and that they think it’s cool what I do. They all like to have copies of my books, and read them. I belong to an unusual bunch, I think, because they respect writing, and what I do, and that’s very nice indeed. My in-laws are the same, very interested, very supportive. I’m very fortunate, I know, since I hear stories of other writers who aren’t as lucky. I do wish my mom was around to have seen my books; I think she would have gotten a kick out of it. I’m not sure she would have approved of the graphic sex, but she would have read them all anyway.
Mads asked: If you had the ability to change anything from your past, what would you change and why?
Can always count on you for a deep question, Mads! It’s hard to say I’d change things, because if you change them, do we end up where we are? And I like where I am right now, a lot. However, assuming my life now wouldn’t change, I would have worked on being physically fit sooner and doing more physical activities like kayaking or rock climbing – I’m in better shape now than I have been in years, but I wish I was more physically fit and active sooner. It’s harder to start out doing those things now.
There are a lot of other big and little things I might change, but maybe then I would be a different person leading a different life, and I think I kind of like things as they are. :)
Danette asked: Is there different genres that you would like to write?Why?
The biggest interest I have aside of Blaze and category is paranormal. I know it’s supposedly “hot” now, but it’s always been hot for me. I am a huge Buffy and Angel fan, but before that, I loved Quantum Leap, Superman, X-Men, Star Trek, Dark Shadows, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie , and others I can't think of at the moment (I’m blurring sci-fi/paranormal, but it’s all the same creative area to me). I've always been a sucker for any book, movie, TV show about people with special powers, and the challenges/adventures they have has always been my favorite thing. I love reading paranormal, and most of my favorite authors are paranormal authors these days. I’m very happy for it’s popularity as a reader, and I’m trying to write my own paranormals now, and hope I can make the cut, because the competition is pretty tight!
Cathie asked: You'll have a dinner at your house and you can invite up to three authors, living or from that past, that influenced you in any way. Who would you invite? What would you love to ask them? And what would you serve?
Fun question!
I would invite Lisa Scottoline, Sarah Mayberry, Lousia May Alcott.
Lisa, I just love her books and her talent. She also emailed me once when I asked her a writing question, and she was so personable and friendly, so I’d love a chance to talk at length more with her. I would ask her about her writing process, and how she comes up with her characters. I’d probably also ask her what it’s like to live as such a successful author.
Sarah, because I’m dying to meet her, and it would be so much fun to have her over for dinner. I’d invite all the Cigars authors, but since you only allowed me three… ;) I’d have tons of questions for Sarah, and I’d probably be showing her all my latest books and asking her opinions – oh, wait, I do that already….
Louisa May Alcott, because I did my undergraduate research paper on her gothic romances – everyone knows her for Little Women, but she was much more than that, and I think she’d get a kick out of hanging out with some contemporary women writers, and she also would be able to tell us a lot about character and writing. I’d also like to hear what it was like growing up among the likes of Thoreau, Emerson, and Hawthorne. I bet she’d have some great stories.
This was tough - I'd also like to invite Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs...can I have a bigger party? ;) Robert Ludlum would also be cool, and Harlan Coben.
I’d probably serve something classic – a rib roast and veggies, sweet potatoes, gravy, home made bread, some funky appetizers, and crème brulee as well as a chocolate cake.
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Great interview!!! If you
I've given this much thought, actually ;)
Of course, over the years, have thought about many different ones and decided pretty definitely that I'd like to be able to teleport -- move from place to place by just the will of my mind. No more driving,delays, airplanes, etc -- just bloop, and I'm there (and whoever I could physically touch goes with me!). I think it would be the best! You could also just blip yourself out of any trouble, or go on weekend vacations whereever you wanted to in a blink of an eye!
Sam
Vacation Spots!
wow, that's a hard one...
I want to go so many places it's tough to say... but maybe the one place I'd like to go more than others would be Germany. My dad was there in WW2, and he talked a lot about it, and I've heard such amazing things from people, I'd love to experience it myself. :)
Sam
Very cool! Thanks for
Hey fedora :)
It's fun to answer questions like these, but it's also nice to have an excuse to mention all the people who are so supportive. My husband is a rock, he's amazing (and of course, he's the guy who designs this site and keeps it running), and I really do feel my family is so unusual in that they not only support me, but take an interest in how I do what I do, what the industry issues are, and it's nice to have conversations with all of them about it, as my job, but also about the books themselves. There's some teasing of course, but that's okay, too. It's a huge, huge blessing. :)
Sam
touching and a bit sad
thank ani
It has been great having all the support and excitement around every book -- I figure she's with me somehow, happy that's it's all working out.
It was great at ADWOFF -- I felt like I had a whole party going on there. You guys have always been great. :)
Sam
Hey
That's so cool!
You have a Buffy tattoo? Very cool! I have the para in progress, and playing with another idea that might even be a Blaze para or a Nocturne, not sure since it's sexy, and I don't know where Nocturne falls out on sexy...
Believe me, the first para I sell, you guys are going to be the first to know!
Sam
Yup...
Great interview
Thank you so much
Very sweet of you -- she was a fun lady, lots of love, and she would have been crazy proud I know. She would have driven me nuts, LOL (I say that affectionately).
Sam
Loved reading through the
From your lips to God's ear... ;)
Here's hoping. :)
Date Time!!
Oooh good question!!
LOL -- Whoa, that took some thought....
Well, in a manner of speaking I feel like I've been on dates with all of them, LOL, from when I wrote their stories, but you want me to choose just one, huh?
I have a real soft spot for Jack from Virtually Perfect since he was the "first" :) but in terms of who I think I would have the best time with on a date it would have to be EJ from Flirtation (you have no idea how many times I've had to change this -- I think I ran through all of them, and finally landed on EJ twice, so picked him, LOL).
But EJ's always been one of my favorite characters -- I remember from the very first time he showed up on the page in Fascination, I had a weird feeling that the entire series was for EJ -- maybe because he has a part in each book, and so I got to know him the best. But he's also a great guy, and he's this perfect combination of bad boy and good man, both nurturing and take charge, and so he kind of has it all. :)
My characters do feel real to me when I'm writing them, but the HotWires characters in particular were even more so -- I often wished they really were real, and I know I missed spending time with them a lot when the series was over... I had three more books planned, and the two heroes I regret most not being able to write are Nolan and Tony (Nolan actually has a little cameo appearance in Untouched). Ah, I'm getting wistful now. ;)
Thanks for loving my cover -- I love Brett, too -- he's very distracting when I'm trying to work. ;)
Sam
hehe
Changes
Paranormal fan!
Right now
I'd say Patricia Briggs, though I also just read a book by C.E. Murphy and I was very impressed. Love Charlaine Harris, Kenyon, Rachel Caine, and my mind is blanking though I know there are more. Have Anya Bast and Sydney Croft on order, and of course have loved all of Nora Roberts and JD Robb books (except for that Nora Vampire trilogy, which I thought was awful and quit on the first book...).
Sam
great interview, keep
Great interview. I have
What great questions people
Kendara
Thanks for chiming in -- I'm having great fun with this -- I'm so glad you've found good books through the site. :) And I hope you enjoy Brett. :)
Very funny about not wanting to think about your mom reading graphic sex -- I can definitely see that -- she might want to share more with you about what she thinks than you'd like. ;)
Sam
What should I bring to dinner?
Wine, naturally - let know if it should be white or red. We do some nice varieties of both down here in Australia. I know - I'll bring some chocolates for after dinner. Lovely. What time did you say...?
Sam, am honoured to be included on your wish list. Don't know about the others (especially Louisa) but you have a fairly high chance of getting to eat with me at some time, I suspect!!!! And on Other News fronts, my man just read out a news item to me, in a wierd case of synchronicity. HBO have bought Alan Ball's (creator of Six Feet Under and American Beauty) True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris's southern vampire series. How 'bout them apples? I think Ball is a really interesting writer/show runner, so this could be very cool. Will have to get off my ass and order Charlaine's books...
Your interview was great. Very interesting. Thanks for coming up with such a good idea for the site.
Brett!
Brett is very sexy
If I don't say so myself. ;)
I read the first three HPs, though my husband has read them all. I kind of got burnt out on them... there's so much in the TBR that facing a 500 page book or whatnot was just too daunting, even if it was HP! I know, sad, LOL. ;) I'm not huge on LOTR either....
Sam
LOL Sarah -- bring LOTS of wine...
Yes, knew about True Blood -- it's the reason I signed up for extended cable this summer, so I could make sure I was ready when it comes on. The girl who played Rogue in X-Men is slated to be Sookie -- why can't I remember her name? But she's probably a good choice. It will be interesting. Yes, the books are amazing -- the first 4 anyway -- then I personally feel the series kind of winds out, but the first 4 are wonderful. Her Lily Bard and new Grave series are fantastic...
I love doing this -- have enjoyed everyone else's -- our readers ask good questions! :)
Sam
Anna Paquin
She's a New Zealander, and better known down here as the young girl who won the Academy Award for supporting actress to Holly Hunter in The Piano. She's definitely an interesting actress. I will order some Charlaine today to take to Paris with me...
Neat interview! Enjoyed
I agree
When I thought about even changing the bad things, I had a hard time not wondering that if those bad things changed, would I still be the same person? I agree with you completely. I don't know if I believe in no regrets, because I have a few, but I do think our regrets and mistakes are as much ours as anything else. :)
sam
Creme brulee and chocolate cake?
Charli, of course you are invited...
My mom always said there was room at the table for one more, and especially for you. How could my interviewer have limited me to three? it's impossible! :) Yes, if you want a fun novel, read her Long, Fatal Love Chase. It was released a few years ago, but she had a lot of short gothics as well, which is what I did my paper on. She was quite the gal -- more of a rascal than a proper lady. I visited her house, and one of the stories was that she used to drive the overly serious Hawthorne nuts! ;)
Sam
Hi Sam
categories
Changing the past
Great Interview
Hi Linda!
Thanks for coming by -- I hope you'll chat with us often. :)
Wow...having heard a lot of advice over the years, from authors, friends, editors, my agent, and just in general, I've taken a lot of it, and I've dismissed other bits.
I guess the best advice, from a writing perspective, was to write the book that first of all makes me happy -- so I don't write a book because there's a gap in the market or because someone tells me that's what's selling. If historicals were the hottest thing on the market, I wouldn't write them because I don't read them, and it's just not my thing. Writing is a creative process, not a mechcanical one, so it has to come from the inside, not the outside.
There are so many ups and downs and pulls and tugs in being a writer, that the only way you can maintain enjoyment of what you do and not be crazy all the time is just centering yourself and writing what you love to write, and enjoying the process. And that's something I've heard from a lot of people who've been around for a long time, and it's the one best bit of advice I'd give to anyone.
Sam
Pick Me Up
Thank You Samantha
great interview
Wolverine!
I mean, it's the Hugh. :)
But in terms of superpower, I really like Mystique -- she was so cool. What a great power that would be...
Sam
If you had the ability to
Gosh
Hey ani!
I'm here -- things got a little crazy this week, and it looks like we missed a few blogs... New stuff will be coming soon. :) Get ready, and come back ready to chat!
Sam
I rely on this place