When did you first realize you
wanted to be a writer?
When I read my first Nancy Drew.
Seriously. I wanted to be Carolyn Keene. Then I wanted to be Sandra
Brown, Nora Roberts, Iris Johansen, Janet Evanovich…
How long does it take you to write a
book?
That depends on the length of the book.
I average about 1000 words a day, but they're good, edited, ready to
roll words. Some days, when inspiration strikes, the stars line up
just right, and the world leaves me alone, I can write as many as
10,000 in a day.
What would you say is your
interesting writing quirk?
I write all night long. Very often I go
to bed when my husband gets up in the morning. Sometimes I don't go
to bed until the next day is well underway.
What do you think is the best way of
publishing a book these days?
I'm a huge fan of self-publishing
because I'm a control freak--of my own life, anyway. I like being
able to check Amazon and B&N to see how many books I've sold and
not rely on my publisher's honesty (or lack of it). I've been burned
by a publisher once, so I'm not excited about doing it again. That's
not to say I'd turn down a six figure advance, but I'd have to
seriously think about it.
Where do you get your information or
ideas for your books?
I have no idea. Mostly I get this line
of dialogue running through my head just as I lay down to sleep. Then
another line, and another, and soon a book idea is born. Occasionally
I might get an idea from a news story, but you can bet if I read the
story and got an idea, so did a thousand other writers. I like the
original ones in my head better.
When did you write your first book?
1992. It's still on a word processing disk that I can no longer
access. After that one that I never did anything with, the next one
was in 2000. It finaled in the RWA Golden Heart Contest, nearly sold
to Silhouette, and was my first self-published book.
What do you like to do when you’re
not writing?
I hang out on Facebook and Twitter with
my fans, ride my bike, travel with my hubby who is a photographer. We
both love taking nature photos. I love to swim, too, but only in nice
clear pools where I can see my feet.
What was one of the most surprising
things you learned in creating your books?
That all those report
cards that said I talked too much in class would come in handy when
writing dialog. I love dialog.
How many books have you written?
Which is your favorite?
I've written 13, published 12. As for
my favorite, that's like asking which of my four kids is my favorite.
They all have their inherent strengths and their appealing qualities.
It's hard to choose one. Usually, it's the one I just finished.
Can you tell me and your readers
something about your main characters?
With twelve books, that's hard to do.
But my heroines are usually a bit sassy, headstrong, and determined.
They aren't content to sit back and let their heroes save them. My
heroes usually subscribe to a code of honor--whether that be
military, law enforcement, cowboys--and want to save the day. They
occasionally get frustrated by the women in their lives who won't
just let them get on with the job.
Do you hear from your readers much?
What kinds of things do they say?
I hear from readers quite often,
usually to tell me how much they enjoyed a book and wanting to know
when the next one will be released. The readers who have gotten to
know me send me emails or post on my Facebook fan page, prodding me
to get back to writing and get that next book out. Sometimes they
aren't gentle!
What do you think makes a good
story?
Ah, the million dollar question. If I
knew that for sure, all my books would be NYT bestsellers. But as a
reader, for me a good story is one that has a solid, uncontrived
plot, plenty of action, good character development, realistic dialog,
and a satisfying conclusion where all the questions are answered.
What are your favorite book genres
in writing and reading? Why?
I love suspense. See question one
above. From the time I was ten years old and discovered Nancy Drew,
I've loved to read anything with a good mystery, a creepy villain,
something that keeps me turning the page to make sure everything
turns out okay.
Who are you favorite authors to read?
I love all kinds of authors. I know how
hard they work to write those books. But my favorites are Allison
Brennan, Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, Nora Roberts, Bronwyn Parry,
Valerie Parv, Sandy Blair. Then there are the self-published authors
like TR Ragan, Trish Milburn, Debra Holland, Norah Wilson, Delle
Jacobs--just beginning to make a name for themselves, but who have
always been awesome.
Tori Scott
Great interview.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower from Book Blogs. I hope you consider following me back.
http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com
Hey
ReplyDeleteYOu have a nice blog over here. :)
New follower from book blogs. Please chack out my blog and follow it if you liked it.
Read that also