Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

Welcome to Michelle Ann Young! Michelle stopped by my blog a few months ago when she was a finalist in Dorchester’s American Title contest. This month she’s here to talk about her new release Pistols at Dawn along with a few other topics.

Q.) First tell us about your book.

M.A.Y.) The novel is set in 1817 in London. A fatal duel leaves Victoria Torrington destitute and at the mercy of a well-known rake, Simon St. John, Earl of Travis. Known as Satan to the ton, Simon has a past shadowed by secrets and a reputation for the luck of the devil. To get her off his hands, he declares she must select a bridegroom by the end of the London Season or accept one of his choosing.Beneath the earl’s chilly exterior, Victoria senses an honorable and caring spirit. She can’t resist his sensual allure when he drops his guard, which isn’t often or willingly. Together they face an enemy armed with the secrets of Simon’s past which could ruin both of their lives.

Q.) Are your books traditional Regencies or Regency set historicals? What attracts you to this period?

M.A.Y.) My books definitely fall into the Regency-set category, and contain lots of adventure as well as sensual romance. I have always loved the Regency era and enjoy researching people and events from that time period. It is far enough away from our own age to be a fantasy, for example the clothes, oh those tight pants on the men and long gowns on the ladies, but close enough to be thoroughly familiar.

Q.) What is the highest compliment someone has paid you about your book and what made it the best?

M.A.Y.) I have had some amazing reviews, all very positive, but the one I liked the best said she wanted to read the book again, because she enjoyed it the first time so much. She also couldn’t wait for a book about two other characters who played a central role in the book and looked as if they might eventually have a romance of their own. When someone calls your book a keeper, it is a high compliment indeed. I felt quite humble and also very proud.

Q.) Who are your favorite authors/books and why?

M.A.Y.) I am an avid reader, I mostly look for historicals, but read anything that comes my way, contemporaries, mysteries, the classics, cornflakes boxes. I have a soft spot for Georgette Heyer’s regencies, my dad and I used to fight over them when we got them from the library, love Laura Kinsale — such a from-the-heart writer, as is Mary Balogh. I admire Jo Beverly, Mary Jo Putney, Jennifer Cruisie — she’s fun, I had dinner with her in San Diego, Molly O’Keefe, great modern voice and wonderful humor, Virgina Kantra, great pov, Lori Devoti, of course. I admire any writer who can pull me into a story and make me forget I am writer.

Q.) How long have you been writing? Can you tell us anything about your road to publication? How long? Mistakes you realize now or tips for people starting out?

M.A.Y.) I have been writing seriously for six years. I started out knowing nothing and wrote a very bad book, full of narrative, omniscient, rambling, but I loved the process and the creativity. I decided I needed to learn more and joined my local RWA chapter, took workshops, joined a critique group. I write nearly every single day. I completed three books before Pistols at Dawn and have completed four since. One of those was an American Title II finalist. My agent Scott Egan of Greyhaus Literary Agency loved all of them and they are all being reviewed by editors at the moment. I don’t think one can make mistakes, provided you keep writing. I do recommend finding a group of other writers who you trust and who will critique in a positive atmosphere, as well as support you with champagne, whether it is for a sale or a rejection. The only tip I have is, finish a book, polish it and submit it and start on another one. The next one might be the ONE that clicks.

Q.) You were a finalist in Dorchester Publishing’s American Title contest. Do you recommend contests for other unpubbed writers? What should they expect from contests?

M.A.Y.) Contest junkie - hand goes up. I have had requests from contests, just recently one from Dorchester and Kensinton - for the same book, not my American Title. I don’t think you should enter the same chapter if it has finaled more than a couple of times. The idea of contests is to test the water, see if people, some people, like it — and to get a request, if you are lucky. In my opinion, a long string of contest finals on one book is not going to help get you published. If you do get requests, make sure the book is ready to submit, or at least close to ready. You should treat it the way you treat a pitch. I see it as a different way to pitch to an agent or an editor. If you don’t final, then treat it as a critique, take what works, ignore the rest.

Q.) I see you and the other American Title II finalists have started a blog. Can you tell us about it? Are you all doing anything else as a group?

M.A.Y.) Our blog is called titlewave. We had great fun agreeing on a name. www.titlewave.blogspot.com. We were a close supportive group of competitors in this contest, as I think can be seen from the July RT. We just couldn’t let go after months of handholding and passing the hankie box as one or other of us was dropped. We’ve kept our e-loop alive, chatting, bouncing ideas and now have the blog. Our blog organizer, Gina, is very good at keeping us on track. We did a group publicity stunt at RT, raffled a basket, and we will be getting together at Atlanta. We will be wearing our purple AT2 ribbons, so look out for us. We’d love to meet anyone who voted in the contest.

Q.) How about other projects? Anything coming up you’d like to tell us about?

M.A.Y.) As I mentioned, I have an agent and I have four books under active consideration by more than one house. I’m biting my nails, but very hopeful. I will be sure to let you know if any of them get picked up. In a heartbeat. lol.

Q.) And finally, where can readers go to learn more about you and your books?

M.A.Y.) www.micheleannyoung.com or via the blog of course.

Cont’d…

Q- Why not MORE pirates? With the popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean and the whole bad boy appeal, why do you think the romance genre seems to be skipping by them right now? Or do you think the romance genre isn’t skipping them?

Darlene Marshall- “I don’t think we’re skipping them, but pirate stories aren’t easy to write. By that I mean, to quote Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson in the early 19th C., “Pirates are considered, by the law of nations, the enemies of the human race.” Most pirates were murdering scum, and still are. A romance writer has to reach to make her pirates redeemable. The easy way out is to make them privateers, rather than pirates. A privateer had a letter of marque and reprisal from a sovereign nation, and was acting under certain rules and regulations when he’d swoop down on an enemy national’s ship. Pirates were in it for themselves.

However, Pirates of the Caribbean has raised the profile of pirate stories in the past few years. Two generations ago, if you asked women to put a face on a pirate, they’d say “Errol Flynn”. One generation ago, they might say “Yul Brynner” (as Jean Lafitte in “The Buccaneer”) and today, they’d say “Johnny Depp”. This is a good thing, but it’s not always easy to convince editors that Jack Sparrow is a pirate, not the pirate.[g]

For a writer, the trick is to make your pirate bad boy or girl redeemable and not just born to be hanged. We’re not talking charming rake here, or hardened gunslinger who’s always just on the right side of the law, but people whose careers made them by definition thugs and killers. If we’re going for the HEA, then it’s reasonable to ask “is a pirate is good husband material”? Remember, neither Yul Brynner’s Lafitte or Jack Sparrow got the girl in the end. Those aren’t romance stories, regardless of how romantic the lead is.

So we’ll always see pirate stories, but they may be a smaller niche in the market than some of the other tales.”

Jennifer Ashley-”I am a little surprised that there aren’t more pirate romances now that PotC is so popular. A few newer authors write high-seas adventure and pirates, and some big name authors have had their pirate books re-released, but not many. I think that at one time pirate romance was so popular it was kind of done to death. Now, unless you have something with a very different twist, your pirate romance won’t sell like it might have ten or fifteen years ago. Pirates still sell, but not in the gobs they did before. I have lost count of the number of people who come up to me at booksignings and say: “I *used* to love pirate romances” or “I used to read nothing but pirates, now I read nothing but xxxx.” Trends come and go, and pirate romances have waned a bit.

But who knows? With the second PotC movie coming out soon, we may see an upsurge in pirate romance again. I hope so.”

Follow up Q for Jennifer-You say pirates were done to death, but obviously readers still love a bad boy. Do you think the decline has more to do with pirates themselves or the general shift away from historicals? How about those readers you mentioned, what are they reading?

Jennifer Ashley-”I still think there were so many pirate books that people got tired of them and turned elsewhere for their bad boy fix (like to vampires and werewolves). Also there *has* been a decline in historicals, although not as sharp as some people make out. For instance my current book, a historical without pirates, is doing very, very well. Almost every romance publisher is still publishing historicals (Warner, Avon, Signet, Kensington, Dorchester), and they still hit the bestseller lists.

Pirates will always be popular, no matter what, although that popularity waxes and wanes. Likewise does the popularity of werewolves, vampires, FBI agents, firemen, and any other type of hero you can think of. They never go away, but sometimes they’re more popular than at other times.”

Second Follow up- And then, any last word on pirates, and tell us what you have planned for the future—any more pirates?

Jennifer Ashley-”I love pirates and I always will. There will always be books about pirates sold and printed–they’re so enduring, no matter how “popular” they are at any given time.And of course I have more pirates planned! I have the daughter of the Pirate Next Door to take care of, as well as other pirate stories unconnected to the series. I’m doing some paranormals now, but hope to squeeze in more pirates as time allows.

Thanks so much for the questions.”

And thanks to Darlene and Jennifer so taking so much time to answer my questions!!!

Lori

My interviews with Darlene Marshall and Jennifer Ashley about pirates continues…

LD: So, what attracted you as an author to pirates?

JA: “The bad-boy factor and the independence mentioned above. I wanted to write a Regency but without the rules. Well, a pirate wouldn’t be very good at following Regency rules! It was fun to put him in that social background and see what he’d do. Also, I’d always wanted to write a pirate tale, but there were so many pirate romances in the 80s and 90s that I knew I needed to do something a little bit different. I’ve always loved pirates, so I went for it.”

DM: “I’m a mostly-native Floridian, and like many in my state I had a vague knowledge of Florida’s pirate history–Jose Gaspar sailing the Gulf coast and inspiring Tampa’s Gasparilla Festival, Fernandina Beach’s Pirate Days, that sort of thing. But like a lot of other folks, when I thought of pirates, I thought of Johnson’s pirates from the so-called “Golden Age of Piracy”–Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, Captain Morgan, etc. I even had a running gag through the first draft of my novel Pirate’s Price, along the lines of “Don’t be silly, there haven’t been pirates in these waters in generations!”

Boy, was I wrong!

Pirate’s Price is set in the 1820’s, and when I started researching my specific period, I was amazed at how much piracy was happening off of Florida’s coast! But as soon as I saw the reason, it made perfect sense. There were a whole bunch of privateers who’d been thrown out of work by the end of the Napoleonic wars, and you no longer had the British navy patrolling as heavily in the Caribbean, looking for French and American ships. In addition, many South American countries were inspired by the United States’ success, and by the weakness of Spain, to throw off their colonial status and declare their independence. This prompted the fledgling revolutionary nations to issue letters of marque to all kinds of people, who were then supposed to harass Spanish shipping and bring the money home to Colombia or Venezuela or at times, Mexico. Of course, sometimes the privateers weren’t careful about whose ship they stopped and robbed.

So, when I started writing a tale of a woman who wants to rob her husband’s ships in 1821 Florida, and saw how much material was out there, it just sort of grew. While researching Pirate’s Price I ran across some information about Commodore David Porter putting together a joint US-British task force to flush pirates out of the Caribbean, and it was too good not to use. That information grew into part of the plot of Captain Sinister’s Lady. Then later, when I was setting Smuggler’s Bride a generation after Pirate’s Price, I began to wonder what the pirates were up to post-Porter. They’d turned their attentions more to smuggling, an activity that persists along Florida’s 3-sided watery border to this day.

It was a no brainer. People like the fiction of pirates more than the reality (think of the pirates harassing shipping off the African coast today), and pirates allow for instant conflict, especially in a romance. Plus, I have a soft spot myself for these nautical bad boys and girls. They get a good ship, a fair wind, a loyal crew, get to dress cool, carry a parrot, wear funky jewelry and thumb their noses at authority. Who wouldn’t want to be a pirate?[g]“

Diving right in. :)

LD: Why pirates? What attracts us to them?

Jennifer Ashley: Who can resist a bad boy?I think pirates are always fascinating because they live life on their own terms, obeying no one’s rules but their own carefully adhered to pirate code. Pirate ships had rigid rules about everything, including how much rum you could drink, an woe to those who broke them. Pirates were also egalitarian–every man on the pirate ship got an even share of the prize, though the captain and his lieutenant got a bit larger share. But it was measured out exactly. In reality, pirates had very brutal, violent, and short lives. Most pirates’ careers were eighteen months at the longest before they were caught or killed.

But it’s easy to romanticize pirates–tough, independent, ferocious fighters out to take what they can from the world. They have courage, an honor among themselves, and don’t take crap from anyone. We’d all love to be that strong and in-your-face.

Darlene Marshall: The general fascination with pirates stems from their living outside the rules and constrictions of society. Most of our images of pirates date to 1724 and the publication of Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates. As pirate historian David Cordingly dryly points out, the book “had all the ingredients for a bestseller. It contained graphic accounts of murder, torture and rape in exotic locations.”

It also didn’t hurt that “Captain Johnson” was really Daniel Defoe, a man who knew how to write a rousing story, and that it was a topical thriller–pirate attacks had been increasing in the decade prior to the book’s publication.

Most of our images of pirates come from Johnson’s book, and it was the source used by subsequent fiction writers who chose piratical themes–Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.M Barrie and Rafael Sabatini, to name some of the best known. Johnson himself didn’t let the facts stand in the way of a good read when he was writing “A General History”, and some of it is clearly speculation on his part. And while Cordingly doesn’t mention Byron specifically, his dark and brooding Corsair certainly set a number of 19th c. maidenly hearts aflutter, and also added to the pirate mythology.

So we’ve had a fascination with pirates and piracy going back nearly 300 years, and today’s writers are building on the foundation blocks laid by Captain Johnson. But the reality of piracy was closer to how we view today’s terrorists–stateless, ruthless men (and a few women), who’d swoop down on their prey to maximum effect (the Jolly Roger and similar devices helped terrify and build tension) and often leave no witnesses behind, because as one pirate famously said, “Dead cats don’t mew.”

Now, if you’re asking why Darlene Marshall writes about 19th C. Florida pirates, that’s a different question.[g]

More questions soon…

Our second Pirate-loving guest is Jennifer Ashley.

Jennifer Ashley has lived and traveled all over the world, and now lives in the Southwest with her husband and cat. She started out writing historical romances, but has branched into all kinds of things, including contemporary romance, paranormal romance, historical mystery, historical mainstream fiction, and erotic romance.

Jennifer’s romances have been nominated for the Golden Quill for Best First Novel and Best Historical, RT Reviewer’s Choice awards, and the RIO award of excellence. Her pseudonyms include Ashley Gardner (historical mystery), Allyson James (erotic romance), and Laurien Gardner (historical fiction).

LD: Welcome, Jennifer! Can you tell us about your books?

JA: I have a pirate trilogy: THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR, THE PIRATE HUNTER, and THE CARE AND FEEDING OF PIRATES. I’ve always loved swashbuckling stories, Captains Courageous, Hornblower, and old Errol Flynn movies. In 2002, after my first book (Perils of the Heart, another high-seas adventure) was bought by Dorchester, I decided to turn to full-blown pirate adventures for my second book. One day inspiration struck and I pictured a bad-boy, gorgeous, honest-to-goodness pirate moving in next door to a very proper English lady. She’s fascinated by him but of course must pretend that she would never have in improper thought in her life. The story built into a fast-paced adventure with humor and lots and lots of romance.

The second book tells the story of the PND’s villain, James Ardmore, an American pirate hunter, and the third book covers James’ ultra-proper sister and her secret relationship with the notorious half-French pirate Christopher Raine.

When I came up with THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR trilogy, I had no idea that the Pirates of the Caribbean movie was in the works. PotC came out in summer of 2003, and PIRATE NEXT DOOR came out in Oct. of that year. Sheer luck! PND was very popular–I have no idea whether that had anything to do with the movie or not, but likely it didn’t hurt.

And a peg leg at that. (I know, I know–so not funny.)

Two authors have agreed quite nicely to answer a few questions about PIRATES.

First—Darlene Marshall. Darlene longs for a little more swashbuckling in her life. To fill that void, she writes of piracy, smuggling and romance in 19th C. Florida, a good excuse to abandon the office and take day trips with the convertible top down to hotbeds of intrigue and romance like Fernandina, St. Augustine, and Micanopy. Florida is her home and her passion, and its history, politics, flora, fauna, and natural disasters provide a well of inspiration that never goes dry.

She shares her Florida home with her husband of 30 years, two sons who occasionally return to the nest and make snarky comments about pirate porn, a snake who had a cameo role in Smuggler’s Bride, and a dachshund who’s constantly on guard against squirrel encroachment.

Marshall has three books published, all available now from Amber Quill Press (www.amberquill.com): Captain Sinister’s Lady, Smuggler’s Bride, and Pirate’s Price.

CAPTAIN SINISTER’S LADY– Morgan Roberts, AKA “Captain Sinister” would like nothing better than to settle down with a nice lady When Amanda Stephenson practically falls into his lap while he’s robbing her ship, he’s sure it’s a sign she’s the one for him. No matter what her own plans are for the rest of her life.

PIRATE’S PRICE–Christine Sanders is a runaway bride who believes the best way to live comfortably on her own is to turn pirate. And the perfect man to rob is her own husband, Justin Delerue, Lord Smithton, especially since he got rich by marrying her against her will and taking her inheritance! When Smithton himself is taken captive he has a different plan for his pirate bride, and could very well end up stealing something from her–her heart.

SMUGGLER’S BRIDE–Rand Washburn is on top of the haul of his life. He’s not going to let some sassy, misplaced Englishwoman mess up the biggest smuggling operation ever seen in Territorial Florida. Rand will do whatever it takes to stop Julia, even if it means getting out the shotgun and making her the smuggler’s bride.

RWA has a little bit in their email newsletter about second sales–listing them that is. Why you ask? Because contrary to what a lot of aspiring writers think–the second sale (contract) is not a sure thing. I and many of my friends are bobbing around in this limbo ourselves right now.

With that in mind I wanted to post a
few second sale stories here on my blog. Only, one kind soul has shared hers with me so far, but I’ll try and dig up some more. So, here is the first in what I hope will be more second sales stories.

Gail Dayton has had four books published–two with Silhouette Desire and two with Harlequin’s Luna line. A rather interesting hop from Desire to Luna, and Gail was kind enough to tell me how it happened.

–From Gail–

I can not only give you a second sale story, but a third…sort of.

Okay, my first sale was to Desire. I sent a partial in January of 2000, sent the complete in March, and they bought it on May 31. Wow! So of course, I thought I had it made. Problem was, this was the 1st Desire I’d written–I’d been all over the place in my writing (still am)–so I had Nothing under the bed to follow up with. I tried a couple of things and got shot down. Then my editor went out on maternity leave.

It took a while to get an interim editor, and about the time my original editor was about to return to work, 9/11 happened. (My sheikh book was released that November–sales weren’t great, but they weren’t bad either.) So the editor decided Not to come back. And it took another couple of months for the interim editor to be confirmed as my new official one. Then H/S New York moved their offices, so nothing happened for another month or so. By this time, it was 2002, and I had sent in a
rich girl/poor boy story (about the 4th ms I’d tried). But poor boys weren’t doing well, so they turned it down, and I asked if they thought it would work if I made him rich. One major re-write later, they bought the book. Two years after my first sale. It came out in 2003.

About this time, Harlequin underwent their major reshuffle, moving editors to new lines, promoting them, re-arranging them, etc., etc. And I was submitting new proposals for Desire and getting them shot down. All this time, I’d been hearing about this new fantasy line Harlequin was starting up: Luna.

Fantasy was my first love. I read fantasy back when I still thought kissing was icky, long, long before I discovered romance. So I watched, listened, and read the first few books that came out. Then I worked up a proposal for Luna. While waiting to hear about those Desire proposals I kept sending in. A year after my 2nd Desire sale, in August 2003, I got
a call from my editor: They loved my Luna proposal and wanted to contract for three books.

I still haven’t sold another Desire, despite continuing to submit proposals on a semi-regular basis. The Lunas do keep me busy, which I know is part of it. And the other part may be that, while I read a lot of Desires and they definitely have a place in my heart, that’s not where my head is any more. I think I’m going to focus on the fantasy and paranormal arena for a while…

Visit Gail on the web at www.gaildayton.com.

Eeek! I’ve been lazy lately, but I’m trying to be better. Here’s an interview with Ryka Mennen, author of suspense and paranormal novels.

Q.) First tell us about your books.

RM) Well, somehow I stared out writing romantic suspense then got sidetracked with paranormals – so now you’ll alternate releases – suspense and paranormals. I try to keep things light, humorous, believable, and sensual. My goal is for readers to remember my characters – I want them to think back and say Kyra was like that or Leena did this.

Q.) Your current releases are both in ebook format. What do you like about writing for this market? Do you think it is any different to writing for a strictly traditional publisher?

RM) Before my foray into the fiction world my only experience was with writing non-fiction—scientific research articles. So I had no experiences to compare e-publishing with; I like the quick releases in e-book format. I don’t think an e-book publisher is that much different from a print publishing house. I am held to very high standards by my e-book publisher, Champagne Books, and my editors are of the caliber that I would expect to find at any high level house. I enjoy ‘meeting’ readers online and find myself involved in more chats and discussion loops than I had expected to. I wish I had more time to devote to these for they are quite enjoyable.

Q.) I’m reading my first book in this format and was really surprised at how much I like it. What can you say to encourage other people to try ebooks?

RM) I’d say try it – its easy, convenient, and you’ll see more books from your favorite author published faster I believe. I travel a lot and before I discovered e-books, half the weight of my suitcase was from the books I was lugging along. Now I simply turn on my computer and I have the same reading enjoyment with less hassle. You’ll find great stories, some terrific new voices – a must try in my opinion.

Q.) Are you a plotter or a panster? Character-driven or plot driven? Ever try to be the opposite? Do you have a set method you use when starting a book?

RM) Definitely a plotter. I mean I make lists of things I’ve completed so I can cross them off! I start a book with a long synopsis of about 5 or so pages and then what I call my story-board – a chapter by chapter outline of the main points. Though my characters do take over at times and the plot takes some twists and turns I hadn’t anticipated, I’ll at least have a basic outline to follow.

Q.) What common element can readers expect to find in all your books?

RM) Strong women definitely! Despite intermittent doubts they basically know who they are, go after what they want, and march to their own drummers. And sensitive men for the most part. I’m kinda’ all “alpha-maled” out for now. I also like introducing secondary characters who will feature in the next book. Gives a nice sense of continuity and family. There is usually one special moment or event in each story – something that a reader can sigh over and remember, well after the book is read.

Q.) Any new projects on the horizon? What would you like to try next?

RM) LOL – I have enough on my hands writing my Operation series and paranormals and trying to keep up with my academic research career. I have about four more books under contract with Champagne Books. Starting in 2007, expect to see a three-book historical series set in Elizabethan England, published under the pen name, Audrey Weston. However, if things ever slow down, I would like to finish my fantasy book and submit that.

Q.) And, finally, where can people go to purchase your books?

RM) The anthology, Stupid Cupid is available in mass market paperback, so just head to Amazon or your friendly neighborhood book store. The ebooks and trade paperbacks are available at www.champagnebooks.com

What with printing and binding ARCs of my new release and finishing up a couple of proposals, I’ve gotten a bit behind in blogging. To make up for it, I’ve got a great interview today with Shelley Bradley. In addition to being a writer, Shelley is the creator of plotting parties–an idea I just LOVE. So, here you go…

Q: In November Karin Tabke stopped by my email loop, plotspot–and did a presentation on plotting parties. She said they were your baby. Where did you get the idea, and how do you use them? Can you share a success story or two?

SB: You know, it’s been so long, I don’t remember exactly how the idea came about. I know my critique group at the time (4 of us) plotted together during out usual 2-3 hours together bi-weekly and it wasn’t enough. It may have been born out of that frustration. I just know that the first time we got together in a hotel room for a day and a half, we all came away with useful plots and had a great time doing it.

Typically, we’d draw names to see who would go first. From there, it differed. Some people only came with ideas. Others came with plots half or mostly formed and just wanted help fleshing out. 3 of the 4 of us used storyboards and would fill it in as things were discussed and decisions made. We eventually got so proficient at it that we’d start on a Sunday morning at 9 and finish by 5 that day and have anywhere from 4-6 plots either mostly or wholly completed. My
preference, however, is to allow a bit more time. Getting some fun in-between the hard work of plotting actually makes things flow a bit more easily. Weekend parties are the best! Bring wine and snacks and be prepared to work hard.

Once we started doing these several times a year and writing the resulting stories, the 4 of us collectively sold over 30 books in the next 4 years. Once things started clicking, we were all on a roll!

Q: Left to your own devices, would you call yourself a plotter or a panster?

SB: When I very first started writing, I was a panster all the way. Now, I’m the polar opposite. I know 90% of my plot before I ever begin putting words to page. I find there’s 3 advantages to this:

1. From a practical standpoint, I think it’s easier to sell on synopsis and develop your editor’s trust if you’re able to fully explain the book you plan to deliver.
2. Knowing where you’re going frees you up to focus on the finer elements of the book: character, description, dialogue, wordsmithing. When I write a first draft, I’m at that level because I’m not trying to decide if I want event A or event B to happen and what the repercussions of that choice will be. A lot of writers say that once they know the story totally, they feel like it’s been told and they don’t want to write it. I look at that as, I know the story but no one else does, and since I know it, I can concentrate on making it the best possible so it’s ready to share.
3. I’m extremely time-challenged. Lots going on in my life! I don’t have time to write and re-write and re-write. I don’t do multiple drafts of a book. I write it, polish it, send it out for critique, read it one more time, then send it to my editor. I don’t ever re-write a whole scene, much less a chapter or more because I’ve already determined the outcome and point of every scene, cut anything extraneous, saw where I could add more for some oomph–all in the plotting process. I do make a few modifications as I go, but usually to logistical things, rather than overall plot itself. The result? In the 11 books I’ve turned in over the course of my career, I’ve done 4 hours of revisions for my editors total, all books combined. For me, once I type The End, I want the book to be over and ensuring a tight plot in advance, getting my editor’s buy in, then delivering what I promised generally ensures that I don’t do much in the way of revisions.

Q: Can you tell us about your newest release, Bound and Determined?

SB: Wanted for kidnapping:
To prove her brother innocent of embezzling three million dollars, Kerry Sullivan abducts hunk-of-the-month computer security expert Rafe Dawson. The attraction between them sizzles, resulting in a deal: the price of his services in exchange for hers. After forty-eight hours of Kerry’s passionate surrender, infectious optimism and unwavering loyalty, Rafe is emotionally alive for the first time in his life. But can he win the girl once her brother is freed, the real embezzler is caught and their deal expires?

BOUND AND DETERMINED is my first contemporary, so I’m really thrilled to be doing something so different for me and so fun. I’ve received lots of rave reviews and am writing more books in the series–and having a great time doing it.

Q: Your tagline is “Sizzle from the Heart”. Is that the common thread in all your books? What can readers expect?

SB: Absolutely a common thread. Readers who dive into my books can expect steamy reads with a lot of emotion because, as a reader myself, that’s my favorite sort of book. The rest–whether it’s suspenseful, funny, poignant, otherworldly, etc. is only the back drop. I feel that my job is not just to entertain, but to evoke emotions in the reader, so I construct plots around that goal.

Q: What do you love about being an author? What could you do without?

SB: What do I love about being an author and what could I do without? The writing… It just depends on what day you ask me (g). I love that I can create people and situations and worlds and make it whatever I want it to be. But sometimes, the worry that it’s not coming out right or it could be better conveyed make owning your world stressful.

Q: Any new projects on the horizon? What would you like to try next?

SB: I have several projects on the horizon. The follow up to BOUND AND DETERMINED is called STRIP SEARCH and will be out in July. I’ll follow that up with my first trade paperback erotic romance, tentatively titled GOOD TO BE BAD. It’s due out next January. I’m hoping to continue both of these series later in 2007 and into 2008. I should know more soon.

Q: And finally, where can readers find your books?

SB: At their local or online bookstores, definitely Waldenbooks, Borders, Barnes & Noble or their online outlets. Chapters in Canada is carrying them, I’m told. For readers in Australia and the UK, Rendezvous Bookstore has you covered.

Back to the interviews! I have four planned for this month. First up is Debra Parmley. Debra is in RWAonline with me and is also a finalist in American Title II. Welcome, Debra!!

Q: First tell us about your book.

DP: Desperate Journey is a western historical romance set in 1867 along the old Chisholm Trail.
Sally Wheeler travels to Texas to find and retrieve her son from the husband who stole him and abandoned her on their failing Kansas farm. She learns he has another wife and her marriage is a sham.

Rob has thought of nothing for the last seven years except balancing the scales of justice on Luke Wheeler, the man who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Believing Sally will lead him to Luke, Rob follows her. When she discovers this, she asks him to travel with her. She’ll stop at nothing to find her son, even traveling with a handsome maverick bent on revenge.
Through the dangerous journey, Sally and Rob learn to respect each other. Love grows. But Rob is torn. Love for Sally puts his plans for revenge at risk. If he kills Luke, can he ever win her heart? And Sally doubts her ability to judge men. How can she follow her heart with Rob when she was badly mistaken in her first marriage? She knows from hard experience men aren’t always what they appear. And she fears her son will get hurt when Rob finds Luke.

Once her son is safe, will Sally dare to trust her heart just one last time?

Q: What made you decide to enter American Title? Had you entered any of the RWA contests with this book before that? What kind of results did you get with those contests?

DP: I first heard of the American Title at the RT conference last year in St. Louis. It was my first RT conference and my first experience with the magazine. I had also entered this manuscript in the Bobbi Smith contest last year and I was thrilled to be called up on stage at the RT luncheon as a finalist. Bobbi met with me and told me I needed to start the first chapter in a different place, so I went home and rewrote it. Then when I saw the category for the next American Title was historical, I thought why not?

I can count on one hand the number of RWA contests I’ve entered and I’ve never entered the Golden Heart. Chapter contests have been disappointing because I’ve had judges say they really liked this manuscript but they had to stick with the judging sheet. It seems ironic to me because I’ve heard editors say they want something different, yet the contests sort of require everyone to do things the same way. I’m not adverse to editing, cutting and completely rewriting, but only to serve the manuscript, not a contest.

Q: How do you feel about your first sentence, etc. being posted on the web for everyone to judge? Have you received any feedback or fan mail from voters?

DP: I have to wonder how many writers ever think about their first sentence standing alone. I know I certainly didn’t. So I was rather nervous about that one. But all the judges have been kind to me. I was probably harder on myself about that first sentence than they were. Fan mail is absolutely the most wonderful thing in the world. Especially when people you have never met write to say they hope to be able to read this story soon. I’ve been thinking of printing those emails.

Q: Once you are established what can readers expect from you in future books? Will you stick with historicals or would you like to try something else? What makes your books different from others?

DP: I haven’t stuck with anything yet. So far I have a completed historical, a completed contemporary and I’m working on a paranormal. From what I’ve heard, once you sell, you need to stick with one thing for a while. So my thought up till now has been to try everything until I sell. Then I’ll follow editor and agent advice. I don’t see myself as writing in only one genre though. One thing I’ve learned is that I’m happiest working on two projects at once. This means if I’m working on a historical and going through a bumpy patch I can switch over to the contemporary, keep writing and pretty soon the bumpy patch will iron itself out. It’s kind of like trying to think of someone’s name while at a party and then on the drive home it comes to you. Sometimes we try too hard and need to step away. But it’s important to keep writing.

I’m not sure what makes my books different from others. I’ve been trying to think about what make them alike since they’re different genres. Both heroines were previously married. So perhaps one of my themes is the idea that it’s never two late to find true love. I firmly believe that.

Q: If this book were to be published, what would your dream cover be like? And where can readers learn more about you and your books?

DP: Well, I’m no expert so I would just ask the art department to do their very best and I would trust my editor. Hopefully the cover would show something about the book. For a while there, flowers seemed to be the in thing on covers, and they’re pretty, but they don’t really tell you anything about what’s inside. Of course a handsome man on the cover always catches my attention.
Readers can visit my website www.debraparmley.com where I have a new feature I call Make-believe Mondays. I’ll interview authors and talk about creating fiction.

LD: Thanks for taking the time to visit with us and Good Luck!!!

DP: Thank you, Lori, and thanks for inviting me!