Month: May 2019

My next guest author is the talented E.M. Bannock! She writes steamy romance, or as she calls it “adult romance.” But she cann explain far more clearly than I can, so let’s get to know her and her stories, shall we?

About E.M.:

I grew up in the Detroit suburbs. I’m the second child of seven and eldest daughter of a working class family. My father was a great storyteller and sparked my love for telling stories and writing.

After high school I lived in Los Angeles for a while. LA was an exciting place to be in the early 70’s and I experienced all that it had to offer.

In the last 40+ years, my husband and I have lived in California, Oregon, Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming, where we now live with a spoiled dog and cat, two horses, also spoiled, and a flock of chickens that live like queens in the chicken-coupe-de-ville.

I’ve made my living as an office manager, computer programmer/analysts, project manager, clothing sales person, substitute teacher, and buffalo meat packer.

Now that I am semi-retired, I can find more time to write and promote my books.

Find out more about her at www.embannock.com and connect with her on social media:

Web site: www.embannock.com

Twitter: @EMBannock

Instagram: e_m_bannock

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EMBannock/

Betty: How many books have you written and published?

E.M.: I have published one book, Totally Devoted. It was published in 2018 by 5 Prince Publishing. The audio version will be released in late April or early May and will be available exclusively through Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

My second book, Zoey’s Place, is in the publishing process right now and should be available for a hot 2019 summer read.

Betty: What genre(s) do you write in and why?

E.M.: I write adult romance, sometimes called erotic romance. I chose this genre because it is one of my favorite genres to read. It’s basically modern realistic fiction with some spicy descriptive sex thrown in at just the right time. My target audience is women who believe in romance and like it hot and steamy.

Betty: What themes or motifs did you use in your recent release and why were they important to your story?

E.M.: A common theme in all of my books is a strong-willed female lead character. They all take place in the US. I feel this reflects my own personality and I can write from this POV rather easily. I like to write about life before we got so social media connected, around 2000 – 2010. I might write about life in the past but don’t think I’ll ever venture into futuristic space.

By some strange coincidence both of my published books have lead female characters dealing with the death of their husbands and lost love. Didn’t plan it that way, just happened. Don’t have that in the plan for the next two books though.

Marie Trousdale, a modern professional from California, has been mourning her husband’s death for the past ten years. She decides to move to rural Oregon to get a new lease on life. With that comes a new profession and a new love. But will her love for rugged Oregon contractor, Wil Townsend, survive their differences? He’s been hurt by love, too. Can their attraction for each other be enough to let them trust their feelings and love again, no matter what happens?

Zoey’s Place is available exclusively on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

Available now: Amazon (Paperback)    Available 7/15/19: Amazon (Kindle)

Paperback and ebook version of Totally Devoted, published by 5 Prince Publishing, is available at:

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Apple     Smashwords

There are links to buy all of E.M.’s books in all formats available on her web site: www.embannock.com

Betty: Do you have a specific place that you write? Revise?

E.M.: I do everything at my desk in my office on my desktop computer. I need a full size keyboard and a big desk. I live in a very rural area and I have a million dollar mountain view from my window.

Betty: Do you have any writing rituals while you write? Did you have a special drink, or music, or time of day that you gravitated toward?

E.M.: I get most of my ideas in the shower. Then they roll around in my head for a while before I put them down on paper. I enjoy writing in the evening when I don’t have to think about anything else going on in my life. My writing process is not a romantic one; no special music or drink although I’ve been known to listen to music and drink while I write. I like to listen to sexy music when writing love scenes.

Betty: What helped you move from unpublished to published? A mentor or organization or something else?

E.M.: To be honest it was money. When my father passed away, I was given a small inheritance. My first book had already been written. With my dad’s financial assistance, I was able to afford the publishing costs.

Betty: What do you think is your greatest strength in your writing?

E.M.: I have a very vivid imagination. I try to write stories about everyday people in very unusual circumstances that bring out the best of the character. Somehow, I have no trouble thinking of strange and exciting adventures for my characters.

Betty: What comes first when you’re brainstorming a new story: setting, situation, characters?

E.M.: I think the situation because that’s the meat of your story. The characters and setting fit around the situation.

Betty: Do you have a structured time to write or is more fluid/flexible? Do you have to write between family obligations or do you set aside a block of time?

E.M.: My family always comes first. I like to write at night when everyone has quieted down for the evening and I’m ‘off-duty’. That way I can devote my full attention to my story.

Betty: What is one recent struggle you’ve experienced in your writing?

E.M.: Marketing. I’m no good at it. I don’t like it. It is a necessary evil of writing.

Betty: Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? Why or why not?

E.M.: To be honest, I didn’t know what that was so I looked it up on Bing. I don’t think I could write a novel in a month. It takes me about a year to write a book. I don’t think I could even get a rough draft done in a month.

Betty: What are you reading right now?

E.M.: A Trail of Fire by Diana Gabaldon

Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?

E.M.: I like all types. The story line is what’s important to me. Two of my favorite authors are Diana Gabaldon and Zane Grey. Their style and genre couldn’t be farther apart. With the exception of the time travel in Diana’s books, both are historical fiction. I prefer that but I’m up for a little science fiction as well.

Betty: What are your keeper books? How often might you reread them?

E.M.: My always keepers are the Outlander and the Lord John Grey series by Diana Gabaldon, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and my spiritual books by various authors. If I had more time, I’d reread them over and over but I don’t so I carry them like treasured memories. There are so many new authors and books that I want to explore.

Betty: When you’re writing, do you read in the same genre as your work in progress or something else?

E.M.: When I’m writing, I rarely read other books. If I do, it’s not genre specific.

Betty: Do you have a “day job” or do you write full time?

E.M.: One day I hope to be able to be a full time writer. Right now, to pay the bills, I run the office end of a home construction company and substitute teach at the local elementary school. I do a lot of volunteer community work and am committed to fitness. I’m a vegetarian and do either Zumba, treadmill, or yoga six days a week.

Betty: What do you wish readers knew about the publishing industry?

E.M.: Most authors don’t make a living wage from writing. It’s a very competitive, but friendly, business. Writers and marketers look at reviews. I can’t stress how important reviews are. When you read a book, please review, whether it be on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookhub, Smashwords, whatever, just review it. It is so appreciated.

Betty: What advice do you have for new writers?

E.M.: Learn about marketing because it is just as important as writing a good book. Be prepared to spend about $3,000 on getting your book published right. Don’t skimp on the editing and proofreading.

Betty: Any hints of what you’re next writing project might be?

E.M.: A lot of my friends want me to write a story based in the little community I live in but with a population of less than 500, we pretty much all know, or know of, each other and I’m afraid if I made it too realistic I would either hurt someone’s feelings or get myself in trouble. I might write it in the old western time period. I’m still kicking that around.

I also have a book I started a few years back. It’s about half done. There is a lot of Native American characters and culture in that one.

Betty: What kind of writing would you like to experiment with? Or what’s a different genre you’ve considered writing but haven’t yet?

E.M.: I wouldn’t feel comfortable writing anything but romance fiction. However, both my mother and father are Maltese, from the island country of Malta in the Mediterranean. Malta has a very rich culture and history. A friend suggested that my next book be realistic historical fiction from a woman’s point of view living in Malta around the 8^th century after the Aghlabids took control of Malta from the Byzantines. Or maybe after it was conquered by the French at the end of the 18^th century. Either way it would be something new and exciting for me, and a little bit scary.

We have at least one thing in common, E.M. I was able to quit working full-time after my father died in 2011, so that I could concentrate on writing full-time instead. Not that I received an inheritance, but I no longer had to work to pay his expenses in assisted living. I think writing about Malta could be fascinating and hope you are able to do so.

I also agree that most writers (including me) don’t earn a living wage from selling their books. Other sources of income are necessary for the vast majority of authors in all genres and both fiction and nonfiction.

Thanks for stopping in to share about your stories and your writing process!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

Ready to meet a fascinating author? Tari Lynn Jewett writes both romantic comedy and women’s fiction. From her experience, I bet she can weave some intriguing tales, too! Here’s a bit about her before we get to the interview.

Tari Lynn Jewett lives in Southern California with her husband of thirty years (also known as Hunky Hubby). They have three adult sons, all who live nearby. For more than fifteen years she wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers, wrote television commercials, radio spots, numerous press releases, and many, MANY PTA newsletters. As much as she loved writing those things, she always wanted to write fiction…and now she is.

When she’s not writing, you can find her at the beach, in her sewing room, or curled up with a good book. She’s also been known to play a mean game of pool.

Tari believes in happily ever afters…because she’s living hers.

Learn more about her at www.tarilynnjewett.com and connect with her on social media:

Facebook: Tari Lynn Jewett

Instagram:  Tari Lynn Jewett

Twitter: Tari Lynn Jewett

Betty: How many books have you written and published?

Tari: My first book #PleaseSayYes was published in a boxed set in February, 2018, and I rereleased it as an individual book in February, 2019. The 2^nd book in the series will be out in June of this year.

Betty: What genre(s) do you write in and why?

Tari: I write both romantic comedy and women’s fiction. I love both genres, women’s fiction gives me the opportunity to explore darker, edgier topics, and to try to work my way through those topics to resolution. The romcom’s are light and fun, and while they often have a message, they’re an easy escape for me, and hopefully for the reader as well!

Betty: What themes or motifs did you use in your recent release and why were they important to your story?

Tari: In the #HermosafortheHoliday series, the over-arching theme is social media, how it has changed, enhanced and challenges our daily lives.

So, you think social media has taken over your life?

Lucy Vaughn, aka @LucySchoolmarm, can’t believe her eyes when she wakes on New Year’s morning to find a message from a secret admirer on her favorite social media site, and everyone sees it!

Each day he posts a photo giving her a clue as to who he is with a message letting her know he intends to ask her out for Valentine’s and the hashtag #PleaseSayYes. Before she can decide what to do, the posts go viral, and the whole world weighs in on whether she should say yes or no.

Should she take a chance?  Will social media bring them true love, or keep them from finding each other? Only chocolate, wine and advice from her girlfriends can help her now.

#ValentinesIsComing #SecretAdmirer #PleaseSayYes

Amazon      Barnes & Noble      Apple      Kobo

Betty: Do you have a specific place that you write? Revise?

Tari: Our youngest son moved out last summer, it took me until January to finally turn his room into my ‘library’. The walls are lined with books, and it’s where I usually write, and always revise/edit. However, I do like to take my laptop out to the patio and write outside, and when I need to get away, my favorite place to go is a little place called The Great Room Café. It’s a good place to write, with outlets, excellent food, and they don’t mind if you stay all day long.

Betty: Do you have any writing rituals while you write? Did you have a special drink, or music, or time of day that you gravitated toward?

Tari: I’m a morning person, so I usually write in the morning. I do listen to music, but it depends on what I’m writing. If I’m working on my 1920’s women’s fiction I’ll put some 1920’s tunes on Pandora while I write, but if I’m writing romcom, I listen to light energetic pop music.

Betty: What helped you move from unpublished to published? A mentor or organization or something else?

Tari: I actually say I’m an ‘accidental author’. I started writing non-fiction years ago as a hobby. I walked into the local newspaper editor’s office with some samples for a parenting column (no appointment) and asked to talk to the editor…she gave me the column. I did the same thing a few years later and got a law column. I don’t know that that would work these days. Then when I was a divorced mom with a preschooler I was fired from a job, came home and the editor of The Toastmaster called and asked if I could have an article to her by Friday. I didn’t have a job so I could.

I earned more money for that article than I had at my job, so I kept writing for magazines and newspapers. I got a food column in a newspaper because of a wrong number phone call…yes, this is true.

So I wrote non-fiction for 15 years while my boys were little, and just wrote fiction for myself. I met Rebecca Forster, bestselling author of legal thrillers during those years, and later she would become a mentor, along with Caitlyn O’Leary, bestselling author of Navy Seal romances. In addition, I’ve been a member of the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America for 8 years, and learned so much from that amazing organization. I also have an incredible online writer group #CharmedWriters. So much support, education and cheerleading in that group, and amazingly talented authors.

Betty: What do you think is your greatest strength in your writing?

Tari: I’d like to think it’s my characters. They’re real to me, and because of that I hope they’re real to readers.

Betty: What comes first when you’re brainstorming a new story: setting, situation, characters?

Tari: Characters come first for me, and I let them tell me the setting and story.

Betty: Do you have a structured time to write or is it more fluid/flexible? Do you have to write between family obligations or do you set aside a block of time?

Tari: When my boys were small I had to write whenever I could squeeze it in, usually late at night. Now I write during the day from about 8am to 3pm.

Betty: What is one recent struggle you’ve experienced in your writing?

Tari: Learning how to navigate the waters of indie publishing!

Betty: Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? Why or why not?

Tari: I do, but it’s not my best writing time of year. From Halloween to New Year’s, I’m all about the holidays, so I don’t get much done in November.

Betty: What are you reading right now?

Tari: I just started Black Wings, by Megan Hart.

Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?

Tari: It depends on my mood. I love women’s fiction, historical, romance, classics, and lately dystopian. Really, I just love a well written book.

Betty: What are your keeper books? How often might you reread them?

Tari: Oh my gosh, like I said, I have a library now filled with books! I don’t often reread a book because I have so many in my TBR pile, but every now and then I’ll reread something really special, maybe once every year or two.

Betty: When you’re writing, do you read in the same genre as your work in progress or something else?

Tari: Sometimes I do, I don’t specifically choose to read or not read the genre I’m writing, I just read from my TBR pile, or something that I’ve heard is good.

Betty: Do you have a “day job” or do you write full time?

Tari: I’m now writing full time! Woo Hoo!

Betty: What do you wish readers knew about the publishing industry?

Tari: How fast it’s changing, and how much it’s changing, and that we’re all learning as we go. And how important they are to what happens next.

Betty: What advice do you have for new writers?

Tari: READ, read, read, join a good writer support group, take classes, learn your craft, and most importantly, put your Butt in the Chair and write.

Betty: Any hints of what you’re next writing project might be?

Tari: Aside from the next book in my romcom series, I’m working on a historical women’s fiction novel, set here in Los Angeles, here’s my ‘elevator pitch’ for Fascinator:  She always did the right thing…until she didn’t. It’s the roaring twenties and former Rose Queen and oil heiress Violet Conrad appears to have it all, until she discovers that her husband, Miles isn’t who he appears to be, and is suddenly thrust into a world of lust, drugs, and rum runners. How many secrets can she keep before somebody dies?

Betty: What kind of writing would you like to experiment with? Or what’s a different genre you’ve considered writing but haven’t yet?

Tari: I’d like to experiment with dystopian. It’s terrifying, but it’s also something I’ve been drawn to lately.

What an interesting person and the theme of your latest book, social media and its effects on people, sounds both interesting and timely. Thanks for joining me today, Tari!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

Today I’d like you to meet a lady after my own heart especially with her addictions! Brenna Ash loves two of my favorites, coffee and chocolate. And writes some wonderful tales of Highlanders falling in love as well as her latest release about a gargoyle-human guardian. But I’ll let her tell you all about her stories. First, here’s her official bio:

Brenna Ash is addicted to coffee and chocolate. When she’s not writing, she can be found either poolside reading a book, or in front of the TV, binge-watching her favorite shows, Outlander and Sons of Anarchy. She lives in Florida with her husband and a very, very spoiled cat named Lilly.

You can learn more about her at www.brennaash.com and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Betty: How many books have you written and published?

Brenna: I’ve written 5 books, published 2 and have many more in the works.

Betty: What genre(s) do you write in and why?

Brenna: When I first starting writing, I wrote Scottish Historical and paranormal romance. Scottish Historical is hands-down my favorite genre to write. The beautiful settings, the Highlanders, the accent. I just love everything about it. With Paranormal romance, there’s no limits. I can let my imagination really run wild and build the world around the story. But, the first book I published was actually a contemporary romance. I love the book and the story, but once it was published, my heart and mind pulled me back to Historical and Paranormal, and that’s what I’ve been focusing on the past couple of years.

Betty: What themes or motifs did you use in your recent release and why were they important to your story?

Brenna: To look outside the box. When you let down your guard and allow the world in, you’ll see all the amazing things you’ve been missing.

He needed to remind himself he was only there to protect her…

By day, Gregor Magnuson is a bodyguard to the stars, responsible for keeping Hollywood’s elite safe. By night, when he’s not defending the mortal world, he’s tasked with capturing wayward demons and returning them to the otherworld where they belong. This gargoyle-human hybrid is part of an elite warrior guard, the Dark Moor Guardians. After letting his heart get in the way of a previous job that ended in disaster, Gregor swore he’d never make the same mistake again.

Krista Wallingford is Hollywood’s reigning scream queen and a hopeless romantic, who has no idea Supernaturals exist. When a rogue skin walker becomes obsessed with her, Gregor is hired as her new security detail. Krista has a long history of getting involved with the wrong guy and the relationships never end well. She suspects Gregor is one of those guys. Yet, she can’t deny the magnetic pull she feels the instant she lays eyes on her new bodyguard.

Gregor feels that pull as well, and he soon finds himself wanting to protect Krista for more than the lucrative money he’ll be paid. Could she become part of his world or will her newfound knowledge of a supernatural world be too much to take?

Amazon     Books2Read

Betty: Do you have a specific place that you write? Revise?

Brenna: I’m lucky enough to have a home office that I work out of, so most of my writing and revising is done there. Sometimes I just want to escape the confines of the house and I’ll grab my laptop and go outside and write by the pool or head to a nearby cafe and settle down with a mocha and get my words in.

Betty: Do you have any writing rituals while you write? Did you have a special drink, or music, or time of day that you gravitated toward?

Brenna: I create a soundtrack for each book I write and I listen to that on repeat while I’m writing the book. I post the soundtracks on my website and load them up to Spotify.

Betty: What helped you move from unpublished to published? A mentor or organization or something else?

Brenna: So many people played a hand in my becoming published. I’ve belonged to RWA (Romance Writers of America) for many years and my local chapters, first in Maine, and then when I moved, my Florida chapter helped me tremendously. The willingness of members to share their information and expertise was invaluable to me throughout the whole process. I also have a few writers that I’m incredibly close to and we talked about the book, the process, what worked and didn’t work. They pushed me when I needed it and talked me down when I felt like I was going crazy.

Betty: What do you think is your greatest strength in your writing?

Brenna: I think my greatest strength is dialogue. My editor says I ‘do creepy really well’. Which I found funny since I don’t write suspense.

Betty: What comes first when you’re brainstorming a new story: setting, situation, characters?

Brenna: Usually, it’s a character that triggers the story.

Betty: Do you have a structured time to write or is it more fluid/flexible? Do you have to write between family obligations or do you set aside a block of time?

Brenna: I work a full-time day job which requires me to be on call most days, so my writing time is usually late in the evening. But really, for the most part, I try to fit writing in whenever I can.

Betty: What is one recent struggle you’ve experienced in your writing?

Brenna: I’ve been struggling with the plot of the current book I’m working on. I had fully plotted it out, but then when I started writing it, the plot didn’t work, so I had to go back and replot and re-outline the whole story.

Betty: Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? Why or why not?

Brenna: I don’t. I used to and I found it so stressful that now I just write on my own and if I happen to hit 50,000 words for that month, I’ll give myself a pat on the back.

Betty: What are you reading right now?

Brenna: I just finished The Wrong Kind of Love by Lexi Ryan and loved it. It’s the first book in a series and once I finished it, I turned around and added all the other books in the series to my TBR pile.

Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?

Brenna: I have three favorite romance sub-genres to read: Scottish Historical, Paranormal and Contemporary. I pretty much read anything and everything, but those are my favorites.

Betty: What are your keeper books? How often might you reread them?

Brenna: I have quite a few books on my keeper shelf, which is actually a whole bookcase. On there, you’ll find historicals by Kinley MacGregor and Karen Marie Moning. Paranormals by JR Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon, along with books by Janet Chapman, Maya Banks, Tracey Garvis Graves, Jude Deveraux and Bertrice Small. I don’t reread the full books, but I often go back and revisit favorite passages.

Betty: When you’re writing, do you read in the same genre as your work in progress or something else?

Brenna: I do.

Betty: What advice do you have for new writers?

Brenna: Keep writing and write the story you want to see out there in the world. Don’t be scared of what others may think.

Betty: Any hints of what your next writing project might be?

Brenna: I have two projects that I’m working on. Both are Scottish Historicals and will be part of my upcoming Highland Mercenaries series.

Betty: What kind of writing would you like to experiment with? Or what’s a different genre you’ve considered writing but haven’t yet?

Brenna: I have a Romantic Suspense/Thriller that I started writing a few years ago, but shelved it about halfway through. I’d like to get that one out in the world at some point.

I love the variety of genres you write, Brenna. Your ambition to write a romantic suspense is amazing to me. I wish you all the best success in your career!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

Today I have an author who writes both contemporary and historical sweet romances. Fran McNabb is an award-winning author, but I’ll let her tell you more. Here’s her brief bio:

Fran McNabb grew up along the beaches, bayous and islands of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and uses this setting in many of her novels. She received both her BS and an ME from the University of Southern Mississippi. After spending two years in Germany, she and her husband returned to the Coast where she taught English and journalism until taking an early retirement. She now lives on a quiet bayou harbor with her husband. She spends her time writing, reading, boating, and painting.

As an award-winning author, Fran has writing credits which include four romance novels with Avalon/Montlake (two contemporary and two historical romances), two romantic suspense novels with The Wild Rose Press, and three Indie contemporary romances, as well as a cookbook and numerous articles in magazines and newsletters. Find out more at www.franmcnabb.com.

Betty: How many books have you written and published?

Fran: Presently I have nine available.

Betty: What genre(s) do you write in and why?

Fran: I write tender romances, or as they are sometimes called, sweet romance. I started my publishing career in 2006 with Avalon Books, a library publisher whose trademark was family-friendly romances so I kept that brand and still write “sweets” today.

Betty: What themes or motifs did you use in your recent release and why were they important to your story?

Fran: I write character driven books. My stories have heroes and heroines who face personal obstacles as they struggle to find a second chance at life or love.

Hope is easily lost and hard to regain. In A SOLDIER’S HONOR a military major struggles to regain his honor stripped away when he is railroaded into prison. Now in a work-release program at a nursing facility, he falls in love with his nurse supervisor. Together they help each other find the courage to live and love again.

Amazon

Betty: Do you have a specific place that you write? Revise?

Fran: I live on a bayou harbor and my sunroom faces the water. I love sitting in there or out on the back porch to revise or to just think and get inspiration, but when I write, I tend to find a place in the house without distractions. I’m easily pulled into the beautiful views, the activity of the boats, and the wildlife on the bayou.

Betty: Do you have any writing rituals while you write? Did you have a special drink, or music, or time of day that you gravitated toward?

Fran: I’m a morning person and I find my brain functions much better in the morning than in the afternoon.

Betty: What helped you move from unpublished to published? A mentor or organization or something else?

Fran: I taught English and journalism so it was natural for me to write, but I knew nothing about publishing until I joined RWA in 1998 and my local chapter, Gulf Coast Chapter of RWA in Mobile. Even though I don’t live there, I drove there faithfully for years. The members were my inspiration that got me to actually send off a manuscript. I’m still best friends with several of the “old members.”

Betty: What do you think is your greatest strength in your writing?

Fran: I feel my strongpoint is characterization. I once had an editor who remembered one of my heroes two years after she rejected my manuscript. I was honored even though she never bought the book. I love presenting workshops on developing character.

Betty: What comes first when you’re brainstorming a new story: setting, situation, characters?

Fran: Most of the time it’s setting that gets me thinking about a new book. A prime example is my historical WINDSWEPT. I visited the wrecker museum in Key West, and when I walked out I told my husband, that was my next book. Another one is ON THE CREST OF A WAVE. My grandfather ran the ferry boats to Ship Island where a Civil War fort still stands. As a child, I spent quite a lot of time there and even lived out on the island an entire summer when my parents worked for the family. It was natural for me to write the book that had a setting I loved.

Betty: What is one recent struggle you’ve experienced in your writing?

Fran: Because I’ve been writing for so long, I sometimes feel “burned out” and have to get with other writing buddies to find the motivation to sit down and write. I also love to paint and I find I spend as much time painting and that in itself takes away from my writing time.

Betty: Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? Why or why not?

Fran: No. I have never participated, but admire those authors who do. I don’t like to be forced to write in a timeframe.

Betty: What are you reading right now?

Fran: I just finished reading The Doctor’s Second Chance by Missy Tippens, a Love Inspired romance.

Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?

Fran: Sweet Romances which include both contemporary and historical.

Betty: What are your keeper books? How often might you reread them?

Fran: Even though it is not a romance, my all-time favorite book is EXODUS by Leon Uris. I read it twice and love the hero Ari. In fact, I think all of my heroes that I write have a little of Ari in them.

Betty: Do you have a “day job” or do you write full time?

Fran: I’m a retired English and journalism teacher.

Betty: What do you wish readers knew about the publishing industry?

Fran: I don’t think readers know how difficult or how time consuming it is to write and edit a book and to find a publisher or to self-publish. When I talk with reader groups, I like to go through the process of writing a book, making sure they understand what all is involved. Most of the time, someone will come up after a talk and tell me they had no idea how difficult it is.

Betty: What advice do you have for new writers?

Fran: I think new writers must be willing to learn what is involved in the writing process, to learn the craft of writing and be willing to take constructive criticism. Going to conferences and attending workshops are important to both new writers and to published authors. No matter how many books an author has published, there is always something to learn.

Betty: Any hints of what you’re next writing project might be?

Fran: I’ve been working on a series set in Key West. I love the Keys and have one book set there already (WINDSWEPT), but it’s historical. This series is contemporary and I hope to have the first book finished soon.

It was great getting to know you better, Fran! I wish you all the best with your writing career!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.

I’m pleased to introduce you all to Amber Cross, author of contemporary and erotic romances. Let’s find out more about who she is and what she writes.

Amber Cross lives in northern New England with her husband and their two youngest children. She likes old movies, fresh air and sunshine, but nothing beats a good book on a rainy day. You can connect with her at her website www.amber-cross.com or on Facebook.

Betty: How many books have you written and published?

Amber: This is my fifth, and the second in this genre/under this pen name.

Betty: What genre(s) do you write in and why?

Amber: Contemporary and erotic romance. I like the challenge of making everyday life romantic; ordinary, with the right person, can be magical.

Betty: What themes or motifs did you use in your recent release and why were they important to your story?

Amber: The musical preferences of the main characters are motifs in this book. She likes country, because it spans generations, but it is also domestic and traditional, like her. He likes rake-and-scrape which is a combination of African and French but unique to the Bahamas.

Emmeline Charbonneau spent most of her life protecting others from her father’s violent mood swings and erratic behavior. Now that he’s gone, she isn’t so much relieved as cast adrift. She desperately needs an anchor.

Romney Wilson is his mother’s second son and his father’s second child. Success may take him all over the world, but he is still that youngest sibling trying to find his place in it. Quite simply, he needs to be needed.

The connection between them is immediate and strong. But can she trust this impulsive and spontaneous charmer to stick around? And will he get past her wall of self-preservation only to scare her away?

Betty: Do you have a specific place that you write? Revise?

Amber: Sometimes I get in my car and drive to remote locations where I can sit by myself and think. Being surrounded by nothing but nature helps me clear out all other thoughts and focus on feelings. I especially like early morning and just after sunset.

Betty: Do you have any writing rituals while you write? Did you have a special drink, or music, or time of day that you gravitated toward?

Amber: I worked on this book every day last summer. I didn’t skip a single day, usually editing in the morning and writing in the afternoon or evening. I spent a few days in the Northeast Kingdom (my setting) and when I wrote the Bahamian scenes I listened to rake and scrape music. I especially enjoyed playing/watching a YouTube video of the National Pride Service at Temple Christian High because their principal can dance!

Betty: What helped you move from unpublished to published? A mentor or organization or something else?

Amber: I sold my first book not long after my mother died. I think in some way the loss made me want to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Betty: What do you think is your greatest strength in your writing?

Amber: Creating male characters who are loveable.

Betty: What comes first when you’re brainstorming a new story: setting, situation, characters?

Amber: Definitely characters. Who are they, and what makes them right for one another? What makes them sympathetic for the reader? Why aren’t they immediately together if they’re so right for one another? These are the first questions I ask and answer.

Betty: Do you have a structured time to write or is it more fluid/flexible? Do you have to write between family obligations or do you set aside a block of time?

Amber: I have to write around work and family. I get long stretches of time to write but that isn’t necessarily when inspiration strikes.

Betty: What is one recent struggle you’ve experienced in your writing?

Amber: The third book in this series wasn’t coming together the way I wanted it to. For some reason the second chapter was a real bear. I kept returning to it, even though I had written a few later chapters, but couldn’t get it right. Finally, I shared it with one of the ladies in my local RWA (Romance Writers of America) and she said the second chapter flowed better for her than the first. As soon as I heard that feedback, I knew I had the wrong first chapter. Now the story is flowing.

Betty: Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? Why or why not?

Amber: No. From what I have observed, it makes a lot of writers almost manic, and when it’s over they have nothing left. They sink into depression and by January lament that they haven’t been able to write for weeks. Of course, they survived the busiest time of the year just after finishing a 30-day stint, but they don’t seem to realize that. I can burn out all by myself without a national challenge to help me.

Betty: What are you reading right now?

Amber: Wired by Julie Garwood

Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?

Amber: I like several romance subgenres including contemporary, erotica, paranormal and historical. I also love novels and westerns.

Betty: What are your keeper books? How often might you reread them?

Amber: There are a few (hundred, I mean.) I read my favorite romances at least once a year. These include:

Honor Bound by Sandra Brown; Beyond the Savage Sea by JoAnn Wendt; A Land Called Deseret by Janet Dailey; Mackenzie’s Pleasure by Linda Howard; Touch the Wind by Janet Dailey; A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught; Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips; Wicked Ties by Shayla Black; Sea Lord by Virginia Kantra (and there are others!) I have many by Violet Winspear, Sara Craven, Tara Pammi and Bronwyn Williams (Harlequin writers)

Betty: When you’re writing, do you read in the same genre as your work in progress or something else?

Amber: Something else, unless I’m feeling a lack of magic, and then I’ll re-read a favorite to get re-inspired.

Betty: Do you have a “day job” or do you write full time?

Amber: I teach high school.

Betty: What do you wish readers knew about the publishing industry?

Amber: How a single piece of dialogue may represent hours of writing and revising.

Betty: What advice do you have for new writers?

Amber: Join your local RWA chapter. They are so helpful and supportive.

Betty: Any hints of what your next writing project might be?

Amber: I have two; one will return to Somerset and the other will take place in a different century.

Betty: What kind of writing would you like to experiment with? Or what’s a different genre you’ve considered writing but haven’t yet?

Amber: Historical fiction. I would also like to give fantasy a try.

I didn’t know that Bahamian music, at least one genre, is called rake-and-scrape. I’ve been there and enjoyed hearing the music, just never knew the name of the genre. Thanks for enlightening me!

Amber, thanks for coming by and sharing with us about your books and your process!

Betty

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!

Visit my Website for more on my books and upcoming events.